A/N: Hey there! This is like, only my second time writing fan fiction, so I do hope that you'll forgive me for the many mistakes that I am sure I will make. This was just something that popped into my head while I was watching some videos on YouTube and saw all the hater comments on Miley Cyrus. Not that I'm her biggest fan or anything, I just thought that maybe it would be nice if another side of the story were presented, haha. Also, I might screw with the timelines a bit, but know that it's all in the interest of the story. So, before I bore you too much, I should get started. I'd really appreciate your comments/suggestions after reading. Thanks!
DISCLAIMER: This work is entirely FICTION. I am in no way affiliated with Miley Cyrus or the Jonas Brothers. I'm not getting anything from writing this, except maybe a peaceful night's sleep, as this idea has been bugging me for quite some time now.
The Other Side
CHAPTER 1
Fifteen-year old Miley Cyrus sat on the edge of her bed holding her guitar during an unusual break in her hectic schedule. She took advantage of her unexpected vacation and decided to spend some time with her family in their California home. To say that things have been going pretty crazy in her life lately would be a gross understatement. She could hardly even remember when she last had an opportunity just like this, to sit and try to come up with more things for her next album.
'It's partly my fault, though,' she thought to herself, as she thought back to the things that had kept her distracted for the better part of the past three months.
FLASHBACK
: Best of Both Worlds Tour, Bus :
Miley could be seen trying to get comfortable in the small cramped bunk that has been her bedroom for the past two weeks, since the beginning of her nationwide concert tour. She had never imagined that a simple audition for a role in a Disney show could lead up to this, and sometimes she still had a difficult time wrapping her head around the fact that this really was happening to her. She was no longer just Miley Cyrus, and not even just Miley Cyrus acting as Hannah Montana- it was also about her, Destiny Hope.
Finally deciding that moving around wasn't helping her get any sleep, she wondered if maybe a small midnight snack would do the trick. It was something that she always did back in California when she couldn't sleep, mainly because she still wasn't used to the noisy nightlife of good old Hollywood.
She quietly stepped off of her top bunk, still trying to get used to moving around in the small hallway. She noted that most of the lights had been turned off, and the curtains had been drawn on all the other bunks. She carefully made her way to the front part of the bus where the kitchen is located, and was surprised to see somebody already there.
"Nick?" She quietly called to the person whose back was turned to her. Nonetheless, she knew that nobody else had curls quite like that boy.
"Wha-!" He made a startled motion and turned around, almost dropping the pot.
"Shh… It's only me. Looks like we had the same idea," said the newcomer, going into the small refrigerator to bring out a carton of milk.
"Geez, Miles. You scared me."
"We're on a moving bus. Who else would it be, but me, Kevin or Joe?" She laughingly said, as she took the small pan from his hands and proceeded to heat some milk over the electrical stove.
"I dunno," Nick said with a straight face, reaching for two mugs from the cabinets above the stove. "Joe can be pretty scary when his hair's not done all pretty. Or when somebody disturbs his beauty rest and he's not fully awake"
Miley laughs at this and replies "That's true. Then again, Joe can also be scary when he's really awake." Seeing steam rising from the top her pot, she turns the fire off and makes to grab the mugs that Nick had laid out on the counter and fills them.
Nick graciously accepts the mug that Miley offers him, and motions for her to join him on the small makeshift table. "I'll give you that. All in all, though, I'm glad it was you, Miles."
"I'm glad it was you too, Nicky." Both teens sat in companionable silence as they drank, slowly letting sleep wash over them. After a while, knowing that the table was probably not the best place to rest, especially since they both had a big day ahead of them, the youngest Jonas Brother carefully stood up and gently pulled Miley with him. Prying her loose grip on her now empty mug, he placed it along with his on the tabletop.
"C'mon. Let's get some sleep. We still have an early day tomorrow." Miley murmured something close to an assent and let him guide her to the sleeping area. He made sure that she was able to climb into her bunk safely before clambering up to his own across from hers, but not without a soft goodnight to one another.
END FLASHBACK
Miley could feel hot tears gathering around her eyes as she remembered the start of their tour. She tried to rapidly blink the tears away, having long since promised herself to stop crying over it. Nothing was going to change what happened now, not even her tears. She allowed herself a bitter laugh, wondering if the story behind Taylor Swift's hit song was anywhere near as screwed up as the reasons that there were teardrops on her guitar now.
FLASHBACK
: Best of Both Worlds Tour, Bus :
In a situation eerily similar to the one they had a couple of moths prior, Nick and Miley were once again sitting across from one another at the small table on the bus while everybody else was getting some much-deserved sleep. Unlike that time however, the tension between them was palpable.
"Miley," Nick began. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean for that to happen, honest. You see, Joe was calling and I…"
"Enough, Nick." The blue-eyed brunette said, cutting him off. "I don't want to hear another excuse, much less one that involves your brothers." She wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to outwardly hold it together.
"I'm sorry. How many times do I have to say it more before you believe me? You know how it is."
"Yes, I do know how it is, but apparently it's you that I no longer know. The Nick I knew would have been there for me."
"Don't be so dramatic, Miles. It's more than just you and me we have to think about. There's Joe and Kevin and your family and everybody else on the tour. Please try to understand." He trailed off, wishing for her to stop pressing the issue so that they could end this conversation. It felt like they had had this conversation so many times before, and in the short span of the months they had been together, they had indeed argued about it constantly.
"You know what, I do understand. Just please also understand me when I say that this, what we have between us, may not be the best idea right now. For both of us."
"Are you saying we should break-up?"
"Yeah, I am. I think we both need to take some time to think if we really want this." She said to him with a significant look. She knew she had to end their conversation before she lost it in front of him. "I still really care about you, Nick, and I hope that we can still be friends."
"Yeah, okay." He said, mostly to himself, as Miley had already begun walking to her bunk.
After three more shows, the tour was over, but despite their midnight conversation, whatever was between Miley and Nick was not.
END FLASHBACK
Miley was jolted back into awareness by a series of short knocks at her door. She hurriedly wiped away any lingering tears before she called out to whoever it was to come in.
Seeing Billy Ray Cyrus always made Miley smile. Her dad always reminded her of a huge teddy bear, that although he did corny things that made her roll her eyes in embarrassment, she loved being comforted by his presence.
"Hey, Bud. How you holding up? The change of pace is nice, eh?" He started, carefully not mentioning his daughter's slightly moist eyes and flushed appearance.
She laughed a little at that before replying "Yeah, it is. It's nice to actually not be moving for once. I never thought I'd say it, but I missed the noise of Braison and Noah."
"You know you love it." There was a moment of awkward silence before he chose to continue. "Anyways, back to the reason I wanted to talk to you." It was only then that Miley noticed that he was holding a magazine. She felt a familiar pit in her stomach, knowing what was to come, having experienced it countless times already.
"What are they saying about me this time? I didn't see anything when I checked the internet this morning."
"Are you still reading those things online? Don't do that to yourself, Miley. That can't be healthy. I mean, you don't need to go listening to those people. What matters is what you know to be true."
"I know that, Daddy. I just wanted to, you know, know; but that wasn't what you came to talk to me about, was it?" Miley set the guitar gently down onto her bed, mentally steeling herself for her latest paparazzi drama.
"It's really nothing new. It's just more people making talk about you and Nick Jonas, but, as you said, that's not what I wanted to discuss with you. I think we should do something. Let them know that all of it's not true. If they really knew what happened, then they would stop with all this-attacking. Look what it's doing to you." He said, finally gesturing at her dishevelled looks.
"Dad, we've talked about this. They can't know what went on between me and Nick. Nobody wants to know how he's less than perfect, and I don't want them to know him like that."
"I get that, but what I just don't comprehend is why. Why would you want to protect him, after everything he's done, or hasn't done, for that matter?"
"Because after everything that's happened, it really wasn't his fault- it was mine, so I guess the press somewhat have it right. Besides, it wouldn't hurt just him, but Joe and Kevin as well, and I can't do that to them. It's better that they just blame me for the entire thing. After all, we both know I'm stronger than them Jonas boys." She added at the end, trying to make her dad laugh at the entire situation that was somewhat less than amusing.
Billy Ray shook his head, marvelling at the wisdom of his young daughter's words, but at the same time, wanting her to take them all back just so he could take care of everything else, of her. Although he didn't necessarily approve of everything she had done up until that point, he sure was proud of her for learning to deal with everything with as much grace as one can expect from a teenage celebrity.
"Indeed you are, Bud," he told her, wrapping one warm around her shoulders and pulling her to him, as if in a one-armed hug. "If it's what you really want, we'll leave it alone for now, but if it gets any worse, we're going to have to something about it, okay?"
"I can handle it, Dad." Billy Ray just looked at his Miley, letting her know with his eyes that he wasn't going to allow them to hurt his baby girl, despite her claims that she could take it. Finally, she gave in after a while. "Fine, if it gets any worse, I will come to you for help."
"You better, 'cause I gotta be honest with you, Smiley. I don't think I can see you like this anymore." He squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.
"I'm okay, Daddy, I promise."
"So I've been hearing all day. My eyes tell me otherwise. For now, I'll leave you alone, but we're going to talk about it soon, you and me. Now, enough of this serious talk, and let's go get some ice cream before your siblings finish it."
Smiling, Miley put her arm around her father's waist and they both made their way down the stairs.
END CHAPTER ONE
A/N: Okay. That was chapter one. It was a bit short, I think, but it felt like a good place to leave it. It's still the introduction to the story, after all. We can already see some drama, and I know it's not making much sense right now, but it will soon, I promise. Also, I apologize if Nick may seem a little out of character for you, but then again, this only my interpretation of him, as many say that he really isn't as shy or quiet as he appears to be. Please, don't give up on reading it just yet, haha. As I mentioned before, I'd appreciate your comments or suggestions, but please try not to break my heart with flames. I'll also try to update within a week of this being published, so fingers-crossed that I will be able to and that you will want me to.
P.S. I also want to say that I know that they were on separate buses during the tour, but I needed the plot device, so thanks for understanding.