[Forgettable]
A/N: Part I of II
After paying for the tray laden with what passes for food around here Oliver left the line and looked around the school cafeteria for a familiar face.
None were to be found.
The table he and his two best friends typically occupied was empty. It was unusual for him to be the first one to arrive but he made his way over and took a seat anyway. After a few minutes in vain of watching students stream in he began to wonder if he'd missed something. He didn't have any classes with the girls this morning so he couldn't be sure they even came today.
It was a troubling habit of theirs to incorporate him less and less in their plans as of late. When they'd been younger the three of them had been inseparable throughout every aspect of their days. But as they grew older and entered high school, gender boundaries left him excluded from their world increasingly often.
Not that he didn't consider it a courtesy that they waited until he was out of earshot before they began listing the hottest guys in their grade. A list he usually didn't make. (And when he said usually he meant never.) Not that he didn't appreciate it that they considered him enough of a guy to not invite him on shopping trips during which they intended to spend any amount of time in Victoria's Secret. The name alone made him shudder. But if they were going to skip they couldn't have at least called. Maybe he should invest in some male friends.
Just as he'd gotten his phone out to check yet again for a belated txt regarding their whereabouts or send one in inquiry himself, Lilly slid her tray alongside his. Excited at first he was disappointed when he didn't see the third who would completely there little group trailing behind her.
But not nearly as disappointed as he was when he curiously fallowed Lilly's gaze and saw that Miley was too busy schmoozing up to Johnny. It seems she still hadn't given up on the jer— ehem, jock.
And they had called him persistent.
At least he had relented in his pursuits of Miley when it became apparent she wasn't interested—
Did he just say Miley? He meant to say Hannah. His pursuits of Hannah! Because it was Hannah he'd been crushing on not—
Oh, who was he kidding. Even if he couldn't be honest with her he should at least be able to be honest with himself. He stabbed his peas as he openly watched them, since Lilly was doing the same thing apparently it was okay.
He didn't understand how she could keep at it. Perhaps being an internationally acclaimed pop sensation had given her the thick skin necessary to carry her through the repeated set backs on the road to romance. Or it could just be her personality, she had an inner strength about her that always inspired him. And it made him value their friendship all the more because he had a feeling that she would be just fine without it. Unlike him she'd be just fine on her own.
There was something to be said about perseverance though. Johnny seemed to be warming up to her with every passing day.
Who knows. Maybe if Oliver himself had offered a bit more of a fight instead of just rolling over— things would be different now. He didn't like to dwell on it though. Years had passed and the issue was buried under their platonic bond. For Miley's sake he'd keep it buried for years to come.
Not that his reasons for keeping his feeling from his friend were entirely selfless, he was protecting himself too. Since he was being honest. Oliver still remembered her face back in the days when she had troubled over how best to 'deal' with him and the lengths she'd gone through to keep him at bay. That expression, pity and scarcely veiled disgust, all at the prospect of dating him; he'd be glad if he was never subjected to it again.
Oliver saw her nod vigorously at something Johnny said before twirling around and flouncing over to their table— twirling and flouncing. Both completely accurate descriptions of her motions, she was practically radiating excitement —her dazzling smile nearly splitting her face. She signaled Lilly with a discrete thumbs-up which Lilly mirrored back twofold.
Girl-code.
From years of association he was able to interpret that something good had occurred. Did it make him a bad friend that his heart sank at what that entailed?
He had just enough time to assume a caring best friend visage, though he couldn't quite match Lilly's exuberance, before Miley plopped herself down across from them. Not that it made a difference. In her current state she was more oblivious the usual. He could probably expose his dirty little secret right then and she'd just loll her pretty head to the side and bat her eyes airily.
His smile darkened as he toyed with the idea of crushing her perfectly crafted ignorant reality but just then Lilly 'eeped' and bumped into his shoulder. "Huh— what?"
"Huh— what? Haven't you been paying attention to a word I've been saying? I swear Oliver you can be so oblivious."
Oh that was rich coming from her. "Sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night," he fibbed. "What'd you say?"
"I said; Johnny just invited me to Friday night's basketball game," Miley repeated and leaned forward to gauge his reaction. At his side Lilly squeaked again but he was at a loss.
"Weren't we going to that game anyway?" he asked not quite appreciating the significance of the invite. "And it's not like you needed an invitation, they said over the com this morning it's a free for all. They didn't even sell tickets."
Both Lilly and Miley glared at him and he knew he'd said something wrong.
"God, Oliver sometimes I forget but you can be such a guy."
After that they didn't talk to him anymore, utterly engrossed in girl-talk. And there was so much to discuss; hair, nails, and what ever was Miley going to wear to the big even? Oliver ate in silence, feeling every bit as alone as he had before they joined him.
No, scratch that. This was worse. Since now he had to mull over the fact him being a guy was apparently forgettable.
A/N: I don't know why but today I felt like trying my hand at a Miley & Oliver story for a change. I had told snickers3339 I would try the pairing on for size and see what happened and this was it. I don't think it's half bad for a first try wouldn't you agree?