A Hero's Masquerade
"Don't worry, you're beautiful," Robbie Ray said.
With long, dark brown hair falling just bellow her slender waist, blazing sapphire eyes outlined with thin eyeliner, and coral lips, she was. She wore a white glitter dress that fell just below her knees, eerily complementing her pale skin. Not just anyone could take a dress so simple and make it look so beautiful. This beauty permeated the flesh; it came from the inner soul; it came from innocence and harmony.
Miley smiled and added one last minute adjustment. She tied a silk cyan scarf around her waist.
Her father wasn't supposed to be the one telling her she was beautiful. It was supposed to be her mother. But her mother was dead. Or her boyfriend; you'd think by age 17 she would have a boyfriend, but the truth was, she didn't.
"Are you ready?" Robbie Ray asked.
"Always," Miley smiled. She walked over to the hidden droor and looked at her wig. For a couple of seconds she just stood there, staring at it. Then she took it out of the droor and placed it on the table. She tied her hair up in a ponytail and placed the blond hair over her head. Sometimes, this whole thing seemed so superficial. But then she remembered the real reason she did it; the real reason she wore a disguise….so she could send more than one message to the world. So she could contribute double; save lives, et cetera…..you know, with the healing power of music.
Miley walked onstage and became her other self: Hannah Montana. "Are y'all ready to rock tonight!!!??!" She screamed and smiled as her audience applauded. It was more like a roar, but ebullient…..the accolade always made Miley smile, but it wasn't why she performed. She performed because she loved it. And in the end, that is really all there is.
Miley sang all of her songs and then exited the stage. She was ushered back to her dressing room to wait for the limo. That was when she frowned. Before, Lilly used to always come with her. Well, Lola Loftnagle, but, same difference. A year ago, Lilly got into a skateboarding accident…and technically, she wasn't dead, but she was brain dead, at least the doctors said so. Sometimes Miley still held onto the hope that Lilly might wake up. But then she woke up; embraced cruel, brutal reality. It had been a year, with no change whatsoever. Lilly wasn't going to wake up.
It had been hard on Miley, but it had been worse on Oliver. Because Oliver was in love with Lilly, and never even got the chance to tell her.
"Are you ready, bud?" Robbie Ray asked.
Miley nodded. She took her father's hand and tried to force a smile. She looked up into his eyes and knew that the pain she felt, he felt tenfold. Because only physical wounds heal with time. Emotional wounds….grief…..death……time does nothing. Nothing but increase the pain with each year.
They walked out of the building and stepped into the limo.
Hannah Montana was all smiles, sure.
But Miley was allowed to cry.
to be continued……