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Title: What I Need
CHallenge: the future holds a window of possibilities.
Word count: 1015
As Miley stood there on that beach digging her toes into the sand she began
to think about him and wonder if she had made the right decision.
She pondered the thought of what would happen if she changed her mind and
somehow she liked the idea of it.
Silently she stared into the sunset, watching the colors and the reflection
off of the water. Seeing the future unfold over the past year had made her
have a whole new perspective on life. She inhaled in and out taking in the
moment.
She smiled and walked forward a little bit letting the water run between her
toes and looked up as a raindrop hit her cheek.
She ran her fingers through her long light brown hair, allowing the water to
drench her, and turned around because she knew that he would follow. She had
left the party without a word and he became worried easily.
She looked up at the sunset.
"Hey, Shane." Miley had said turning around to face her boy friend.
"Miley, where were you? I thought I asked you to wait for me? You scared
me." Shane said slowing down as he spoke.
Miley smiled at his typical self, the personality that had made her pick him.
"I had to have a quiet spot to think. The party was to loud." She said
turning back toward the sunset and staring as she said this.
"You could have told me." He said.
"I also need a quiet spot to tell you something, something I think that we
both need to hear out loud." Miley said as Shane walked beside her and
stared.
Miley turned to face him. "What do I need to hear?" Shane asked worry
filling his eye. She smiled at his protective nature.
"Have you ever noticed you are so certain about everything in this
relationship."
"Yes, I thought you said you liked that about me."
She smiled. "I thought I did too, but now I realize I want to be with
someone who will have as many certainties as they have doubts. I need someone
who will challenge me, someone who I am able to change their mind because
their positive about something, but not totally positive that their stuck in
the same state of mind. I want someone who can change my mind. I need someone
like that." She said practically screaming toward the end due to the pelting
rain in the background.
"Are you telling me goodbye." he screamed back.
"Don't think of this as a goodbye, more like a see you later." She said
with a smile as she felt the tears welt up in her eyes and could see them in
his, despite all of the rain.
He acted like he wasn't crying, he like to seem flawless. "See you
later." He said and walked away quickly.
Miley sat down in the sand, in the pouring rain and cried, though you
probably couldn't tell because of the rain.
She knew that she had to do it, but she never knew that doing it would be
that hard. She took in a sharp painful breath and spit out the water that she
had took in to.
She was so preoccupied that she didn't hear the one and only person that
she would want to see at this very moment standing right behind her.
"Smiles, what's wrong?" She heard them say and sit down.
When she looked up and saw who it was she leaned over and hugged them. There
were no words for this moment, this one perfect moment and time were nothing
else seemed to matter.
"Why did you do it?" He asked, "he seemed so perfect for you, you were
so great together."
"That's exactly why I did it, Nick. I need something that...that's not
predictable or that can't see my point and I can't see their's...I need
something not so stable. I need something that I can scream at them and fight.
There's no make up if you can never have one of those stupid break ups."
"I see your point. It's the same with me and Selena," Nick said staring
into Miley's eyes when she got out of the hug to look at him, "which is
exactly why I broke up with her last night."
"You what?" Miley said shocked.
"Yeah." Nick said and laughed at Miley's face.
Miley smiled and Nick moved her bangs from her face.
"Your right, we need something in life that is not predictable, so lets see
what you do when I do this." Nick kissed her softly and passionately in the
rain.
"This." She said and kissed him back.
They both giggle, "exactly the opposite of what I thought you would do."
Nick said.
They smiled and fell asleep on that beach lying next to each other in the
pouring rain, but they didn't care because they were with each other and
everything was perfect. Lying there they realized they needed to go through
their wrong mistakes to see what they had really wanted all this time. And to
their surprise it ended up being all they ever wanted from the day on that
beach, to the day they walked down the isle, to the day they had their first
kid and second and third, to the day when they knew it would soon be the end
and even to the day they died. They knew all they ever wanted was lying right
there beside them and would remain there forever, despite what happened,
because they knew the future held a widow of possibilities.
Title: Maybe Someday
Challenge: The Future Holds a Window of Possibility
Word Count: 533
The rain fell down, sinking into the grain of sand scattered across the deserted beach, nothing but a mere lamp post beamed the faded yellow light that barely lit up the beach. She could not make out the shadows for the raindrops were picking up speed, the once light wind started to hit her with swift movements. There she stood underneath the gray sky, starring into the brown pools of eyes.
She could never remember a time when she was without him, and yet, in the middle of winter with a simple sweatshirt, she stood before him. Exposed. Vulnerable.
She knew the outcome of the night had only one direction.
And deep down inside of her, she knew the pain of holding onto another day would be so much greater, then to go there separate ways.
She needed room to grow, for the world was an empty playground for her to explore.
With tears in her eyes, her voice was broken, for she was just as lost as he was.
She didn't know how to make things better, maybe they jumped in too fast.
Took on more than they could handle.
But letting go, was harder than she imagine.
So when she heard him sigh, she knew the words needed to be said, the silences had dragged on longer than the two of them could endure.
Extending her soft hand forward cupping his face in the palm of her hands, she traced away the tears that slowly fell from his eyes. Leaning in, she closed the distances between them, her lips grazing the smooth curve of his cheek. She could taste the salty tears, as she took one last look.
She found her voice, it was calm and collected, even as millions of emotions swirled inside her, "Don't think of this as a goodbye, more like a see you later."
He nodded his head, his brown curls bouncing up and down, before he managed to asked the only question that mattered. His voice was hoarse from the freezing wind, "Why?"
The word clung to the air, the silences enveloping around them.
With carefully chosen words, her answer was honest, "I need to be with someone who will have as many certainties, as they will have doubt... and I don't think you are that person. At least not right now..." She paused as she swallowed the tears, for she wanted nothing more than to believe that this wasn't the end of the two of them, "Maybe someday..."
He nodded his head accepting her words as it was. With one final embrace, he turned and left her alone. Standing underneath the falling rain, for it would cleanse away everything that would be a trace of the longest day. For tomorrow was just around the corner.
She couldn't explain what she felt deep down inside her heart, she knew that there was still so much she needed to learn, about herself and the world around her.
But walking the long trail of footprints he left behind, she knew deep down inside of her, that this wasn't the end.
That their was still a chance for the two of them.
Maybe not at this moment.
Maybe someday.
Title: Perfect Setting
Challenge: The Future Holds a Window of Possibilities
Word Count: 889
Palm trees. Golden sand. Shimmering waves. Man, it was even sunset! The beach
was deserted, and rain drops had began to fall. Somehow, it just added to the
effect. Miley looked around. It was the perfect setting, but for what? A date?
A proposal? Or the one she dreaded the most, a breakup?
FLASHBACK
She had known what was going to happen as soon as she picked up the phone.
"Hey Miles, what's up?" he said. His voice was calm, too calm. Normally
he was full of joy, his voice bursting with love.
"Nothing…" she replied carefully, listening for a hint, desperately
hoping what she predicted wasn't true.
"You… uh… wanna go to the beach?" She nodded silently, even though he
couldn't see, and hung up. She didn't feel the need to say yes, he would
automatically know. That was just how they worked.
END FLASHBACK
"Hey," she heard, and turned around to greet him.
"Nick," she nodded. They were walking on thin ice and they both knew it.
Usually they would throw themselves into each other's arms, but today was
different. The rain was falling harder now, pouring down onto their faces,
like perfect teardrops.
"For gods sake, just say it Nick!" she suddenly spat.
"E-excuse me?" was his surprised reply. He obviously hadn't expected
this.
"Come on, I know why you're here," she let out a bitter laugh and threw
her hands in the air, "It's the perfect setting, isn't it? God, it's
just like one of those clichéd stories. You know how sick I am of those? We
breakup, you find some perfect blonde and I throw myself of a cliff," she
was ranting now, and she knew she must sound ridiculous. But she had to say
it; she couldn't keep it inside her anymore.
"Miles I-" he began, but he was interrupted.
"Don't," she hissed, "Just don't. Don't say you still want to be
friends. Don't say it's you and not me. Don't say I'll find someone
better!"
"Look Miles… don't think of this as a goodbye, more like a see you
later!" he tried desperately, but it wasn't working.
"Don't you dare try that one with me Nicholas," she said in a hard
voice, "This is over and we know it, so why don't I just leave and put us
out of our misery?" she began walking away, and he swallowed. The
relationship was over, that much he knew, but what about the friendship? His
friends had laughed at him when they heard his naïve idea of wanting to stay
friends with Miley after they broke up. Hell, even he had laughed when he
thought of it! But somehow, deep inside, he knew it was possible. What they
had, it was something special. It wasn't love, no way. Love couldn't even
compare to what they had.
Sighing, Nick shook his head, coming back to reality. Realizing Miley's
figure was getting farther and farther away, he immediately started running.
"MILEY! Wait!" he called. She stopped, but didn't turn around.
"Yes?" she inquired politely, if somewhat coldly.
"I love you," he said simply. He didn't have to worry about her
misunderstanding. He knew she would understand the meaning.
"I love you too," she replied, and let a small smile settle on her face,
but then she turned serious. "We can't be friends."
"I know we can't," he said, frustration showing on his face. She
laughed lightly.
"A trying time is no time to quite trying," she said and turned around
again, tossing a 'see you later' over her shoulder. Nick smiled. She
didn't need to say anything else. They understood each other, and that was
all that mattered.
He followed her, and they walked slowly on the beach. The sun had now set,
and all they had to help them to see was the soft glow of the moon. Both of
them were deep in thought, trying to figure out a way to save their
relationship. It wasn't that their relationship was too complicated. In
fact, it was the exact opposite. It was too simple. They loved each other.
There was nothing more to it. Unfortunately, the real world couldn't accept
that. It seemed like people were trying their hardest to add complications,
even their friends and family.
"What are we going to do Miles?" Nick sighed, running his hands through
his curls.
"Nothing," she replied simply.
"But I thought you said a trying time was no time to-"
"This isn't a trying time. Not if you don't want it to be. This is fate.
This is God. There's nothing we can do but wait patiently. After all, who
are we to argue with God?" Nick though it through and decided she was right.
That didn't soften the pain though. He turned around and looked her in the
eyes.
"I guess this is 'see you later' then," he said softly, trying to
keep his voice from cracking. Miley nodded, and turned away, slowly walking in
the direction of her house.
"So that's it? Aren't you even going to give me a hug?" Nick called.
Miley turned around and smiled. That was it, nothing more. But when Nick saw
her smile, he knew that everything would be all right again. He didn't know
how, and he didn't know when. But they would, that he was sure of.
Title: The Way I Loved You
Challenge: The Future Holds a Window of Possibility
Word Count: 1,795
Warning- rated: T for a few curse words
The door slightly creaked as it was slowly being pushed open, and the teenage
girl tiptoed onto the porch, waiting a few seconds to make sure no one had
woke up before closing it behind her. She looked up and down the street, and
for once it was completely empty, and she ran down her front steps and onto
the street.
The rain pitter-pattered against rooftops and street sidewalks as she skipped
down the road towards the lone beach. The dark sky was ominous and the moon
was hidden behind the thunderous clouds that hid the light. Her barefoot feet
hit the wet pavement as they reached the cold sand, and led her closer to the
shore, where soft waves were crashing lightly.
She looked around the beach, and when she noticed it was completely deserted,
she sat down on the sand, staring out into the ocean.
A wet tear slid down her face, and she shut her eyes closed. She drew her
knees up and wrapped her arms around them, drawing her legs closer to her
body. She lowered her head, glad that no one was around to see her break
down.
She sat there on the beach in the dark, the rain slowly beginning to soak her
sweatshirt and pajama shorts, and her hair was already damp. She continued to
cry, her sobs becoming louder and louder with each passing minute.
"Miley?" she heard an all-too familiar voice ask behind her. She wiped her
tears with her sweatshirt sleeves, and then turned to the source of the
voice.
He stood there, his curly brown hair waving in the wind. His brown eyes were
soft and sorry, and he slowly walked forward, watching her carefully for any
signs to back off. He sat beside her, and they both stared out into the ocean
in silence. "Miley, I'm sorry, okay?" he pleaded quietly.
"So now you're sorry?" she snapped back, finally looking him right in
the eye. "You've had a year, Nick. A whole damn year, a good 365 days, to
say sorry."
"I know, and I should have gone about it some other…"
"Damn right you should have," she interrupted. "You don't even know
half the shit I've gone through this year, Nick. It's been the hardest
year of my life."
"What about Justin?" he asked quietly, his breaths visible in the cold
air.
She hesitated for a moment. "Justin is… Justin never was and never will
be you. I love him, but not the same way as I loved you. With you, it was
scary. It was difficult. It was hard. But it was also full of endless
possibilities and spontaneous laughter. And I miss that."
Nick looked away, glad that the rain was dripping down his skin so that she
wouldn't see the tear that was falling from his cheek.
"How did you find me here?" she whispered, the thunder booming overhead.
"I've seen you walk down here every night for the past 3 months. I would
just watch you walk by, hoping that you wouldn't get attacked by a random
person and wondered what you did when you came down here. What you thought
about. If you ever met anyone here."
"It's just where I come when I can't handle everything at once. I think
about life, if I'm making the right decisions, about my fans. And, well,
you."
"I know we kind of, you know, left you after the tour ended, but…"
"Left me? Not only did you leave me, you broke me into pieces! What
happened to not letting the press know about your relationships? She was just
an exception?"
"Stop interrupting, Miley! Just let me say what I need to say, for God's
sake. It's not always about you!" he yelled, his hands flying in the air.
Miley timidly sunk lower, her arms tightening around her legs. "Go
ahead," she said softly, avoiding his gaze.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to snap. Just seeing you here… it's almost
unreal, you know?"
Miley grinned. "I know. I never thought we'd ever speak again. We were so
good at avoiding each other, weren't we," she reminisced with a faraway
look in her eyes.
He laughed under his breath. "I know. I made sure that my brothers knew to
answer all the questions about you. I would've cried, or yelled, or who
knows what and Disney probably would've killed me. But that's the kind of
effect you had on me. You were so unpredictable."
She blushed, and noticed the rain beginning to slow. They were both drenched
and freezing cold, but neither wanted to move. They both were completely aware
that as soon as they left the beach that night, everything would go back to
how it was. Miley looked down before quietly saying, "We had something
special, didn't we?" But it wasn't a question that needed answering.
Nick didn't even have to respond; they both knew what the answer was.
"How are your brothers?" she asked him in a lighter tone, deciding to
change the subject.
"They're fine. You know, funny and crazy Joe, predictable and sensible
Kevin, hilarious little Frankie; they're all doing great right now. They'd
love to see you, by the way. I know Joe misses not being able to goof around
with you when he sees you dancing and working that stage. Kevin seems to miss
having long, deep conversations with you about life in general. And then
there's Frankie… Frankie would use any excuse to hang out with you." He
laughed softly, thinking of his little brother. "Just bring over some
Webkinz and you're his best friend."
Miley looked over at him curiously. "What about Nicholas? Would he like to
see me?" she asked skeptically.
He smiled. "The rain stopped, didn't it?"
"Don't change the subject, Jonas," she threatened as giggles came
pouring out of her mouth.
"You know what?" he said, tilting his head and looking at her for a long
moment. "I think that he would like that very much."
"Really?"
"Yeah," he confirmed, placing a warm hand on her shivering arm.
"And that wouldn't get him in trouble, being seen around with me again?
What will they think? What will she think?" Miley asked with a frown.
"I thought you stopped caring about what other people thought!" he
smirked. She smiled sheepishly.
"I don't, I just- I just- I just… got nothing."
He rolled his eyes at her, and they sat there in silence for few minutes. The
storm had passed, and the moon was barely peeking out from behind the dark
clouds. The waves on the shore had grown stronger.
"When I think back at our relationship, that one night is the only one that
stands out," Miley stated, drawing circles with her index finger in the
sand.
He laughed loudly, already remembering the memory. "The night I told you I
loved you for the first time."
"We were dancing outside in the rain in your backyard, and your brothers
thought it would be funny to put on that one radio station… what was it?"
she smiled.
"104.7 Love Songs for the Oldies or something. And then we pranked them
back," he grinned, nodding his head slowly.
"We were such bad kids," Miley giggled. "I cant believe my mom found
out about all that stuff and didn't ground me once!"
"Remember that time I taught you how to drive even though I didn't know
how to myself? We were driving in that field in San Fernando…"
"And we almost crashed into a cow," Miley finished, slapping her hand
against his in a high-five. They both laughed loudly.
Their laughter subsided, and again turned into a comfortable silence. "Do
you ever miss those days? That summer? That tour with me and my brothers?"
Nick asked, looking into Miley's bright blue eyes with wonder.
"I'll never forget them no matter how hard I try, that's for sure. It
seemed so easy at the time, you know? Like we didn't have any other cares in
the world."
"What happened to us anyways?"
"Life," Miley answered honestly. "There's a time for everything, I
guess. And even though it didn't turn out the way we expected, you never
know what the future could hold, right?"
"Right," Nick agreed. "Wanna go home? I'm a little cold," he
shivered.
"Sure." Nick rose and offered his hand to Miley, who gladly took it as he
helped her up. As they walked up the sand, his hand didn't leave hers, but
she was glad. It was just like the old times, walking hand in hand at
midnight, hoping no one would catch them. But now they were older, wiser, and
had completely different lives.
They walked down the still-wet street in silence, stopping at Miley's big
white house. "Will you call me?" she asked.
He glanced away, staring at the reflection of the streetlight in a puddle.
"Nick! Damn it, answer me!"
"Listen, Miles, if you don't hear from me in a while, please don't be
disappointed or mad. I need some time to think about us, and I've been
really busy lately anyways."
"Are you kidding me? You give me this bullshit about missing me, and then
you say that I wont be hearing from you in a while? Why do you always do this,
Nick?" she cried, tears streaming down her face again. "You always leave
when I need you most!"
"Miley, please don't cry," he pleaded. "Please. I'll be back for
you one day, okay? Even if I wont be your Prince Charming, I'll always be
your best friend. Forever."
"Forever is a long time, Nick."
"And that's how long our friendship will last. Forever. You're one of
the craziest, loudest, most obnoxious, but greatest person I've ever met.
The future is still unwritten, you know."
She nodded, a silent lone tear falling down her cheek. "I love you.
Remember that, okay? Even when we're 25 and giving each other death glares
on the red carpet." She laughed. "Even though I think that we'll be past
that by then."
Nick hesitated for a moment, staring back at the girl with regret and hurt.
"Miles, just… just don't think of this as a goodbye, more like a see you
later."
Miley smiled softly, and gave Nick a long hug, before turning and walking
back up her front porch. She opened the door, and then looked back at the
curly-haired boy. "I'll be over at noon," she grinned before
disappearing into the house.
He walked back down the street towards his own house as the sun began to
slowly rise, and he smiled to himself. It wouldn't ever be completely over.
Their ending was just a work-in-progress. After all, you never know what the
future holds, right?
A/N: Don't forget to vote! :)