'Arrrrgh I'm so bored! This is the sixth day this week that Miley has ditched me to do 'Hannah' stuff. I know she has to do the 'Hannah' stuff sometimes but normally she only does what she has to, lately if feels like she taking any opportunity to be Hannah that she can which leaves me having no one to hang around with. When Miley's not around I normally hang with Oliver but he's been overseas visiting relatives and doesn't get back for two more weeks.
Not one day this week has she hung with me after school and now I have to kill a whole Saturday, so I'm skateboarding down to the beach to see if It's any more interesting than my bedroom.'
It is at this moment that one of the trucks on Lily's skateboard breaks and she falls off scraping her forearm in the process. She gets up and proceeds to throw her broken board at the ground in frustration. This doesn't go unnoticed by Jackson, who after just finishing his shift had starting walking over to her to say hi.
"Hey Lily, you ok?" he asked after taking in her expression.
"Oh hey Jackson, no I'm not." She said sighing heavily.
"What's wrong?" he asked genuinely concerned, he'd never seen Lily like this, she's was normally a very bubbly and happy-go-lucky person.
"I miss Miley. She's being doing a lot more 'Hannah' stuff than usual lately and with Oliver away I'm really bored and kind of lonely." She said sighing again.
"I know what you mean." He empathised.
"You do?" She asked surprised.
"Lily if I tell you something do you promise not to tell anyone, especially my dad or Miley?"
'Wow, Jackson's going to confided in me, he trusts me, how sweet. Whoa, Jackson, sweet? I never thought of him like that before.' He took her nod as conformation.
"Ok, well you know how a car accident took my mum, well, sometimes I feel like Hannah Montana is taking my dad, but I would never say anything to Miley, its her thing, and my dad, well, he'd just feel guilty for spending time with his own daughter and that's not fair, you won't tell anybody will you Lily?" He confided.
"No, of course not, wow Jackson, I never knew you felt that way, that really sucks, wait, I have an idea." She said a smile finally returning.
'That's better, she's smiling, it's good to see her happy.'
"I'm listening." He said smiling back.
"Well, when Miley does her 'Hannah' stuff we both get left out, so why don't we hang out together, keep each other company, what am I saying, you wouldn't want to hang out with me!" she said going a little red.
"Yes I would, that sounds like a great idea, want to start today?"
"Sure, what do you want to do?" She said smiling happily
'Jackson wants to hang out with me, wow, he's either really desperate or a nicer guy than Miley gives him credit for.'
"How about we go swimming?" he asked
"Yeah, maybe you can teach me to surf; I've always wanted to learn."
"Sure, I'll just go home and change and get me and my dads boards, you can use mine it should be about the right size and I'll use my dads it's a little big for me but it will work." He replied.
"Cool, I'll go home and get changed too, meet back here in 15?" She asked.
"Cool, see you then, bye!" he said smiling
"See you!"
They started walking their separate ways looking forward to a fun day at the beach.
The next SaturdayLily lay in her bed thinking about this past week, ok, she was thinking about Jackson. She had had so much fun with him this past week, she never new what a great guy he was, she was surprised how much fun she had had and how by the third day she was actually looking forward to hanging out with him. She had really started to like him and as much as she hated to admit it she also liked him liked him. She knew it was wrong, he's Miley's brother, 'not that Miley would be around to see it if we got together, ahhh what am I thinking, we would never get together, he would never like me, and I know, we can't'.
With this thought bumming her out, she got up to get dressed, she was hanging out with Miley today, all day, 'finally', she thought. When she had gotten dressed she went downstairs, she stopped when she saw her board, she remembered that last Saturday she had forgotten it at the beach and the next day when she went to the Stewarts house Jackson had fixed it for her, he had had to borrow tools and a how to fix skateboards book from a friend and it had probably taken him half the night, 'he really is very sweet', she thought.
When she arrived at the Stewarts she saw Miley standing in her Hannah gear. 'Here we go again' she cursed internally. As she walked in she saw Jackson watching cartoons and eating cereal on the couch, 'He's here for me more than Miley is; I think I'm starting to resent Hannah Montana'.
"Hey Jackson, hey Miley, hey Mr Stewart, Miley, why are you dressed as Hannah, I thought we were going to the beach to check out shirtless guys?" she asked, having already guessed the answer, 'here it comes'.
"I'm sorry Lily, a Hannah thing came up, I'll have to take a rain check." Miley replied as Lily and Jackson mouthed her words to each other as she said them. Robbie Ray saw this out of the corner of his eye and added having word with his little girl to his mental checklist.
"Well, I have to go, bye Lily, bye goof ball." She said walking out the door followed closely by her father.
"Bye." They replied in unison.
"So, Lily Billy." It was his new nickname for her and she quite liked it.
"What do you want to do today?" he asked quite glad he got to spend the day with her.
"How about we finish watch the morning cartoons then I'll thrash you at a video game of your choosing?"
"You can try, hey are we still on for that movie tonight?" he asked hoping for the night with her too.
"Yup, of course, you won't get too scared will you?" she asked him teasingly, little did she know that he had chosen that movie because it was so scary, he was hoping she would get scared and cling on to him, 'ok, l admit, I've developed feeling for my little sisters best friend, I won't go there, but who says I can't have a little fun'.
"No, I'll be fine, but you can hold my hand if you get scared."
'Really, I might just do that' she thought to herself as she snuggled down with him to watch cartoons.
That eveningShe was walking up to the Stewarts front door when she heard the car behind her. She turned to see Miley and her dad pulling into the driveway, 'this will make things interesting she thought' putting down her skateboard.
Once inside Miley starting de-Hannah-ing herself, as she was taking of her wig she spoke.
"Hey Lily, good thing your here, I was going to call you, I have tonight off, I'm thinking sleepover, what do you think?" she said as she wiped off her eye shadow.
"Oh, sorry Miley, I can't, I already have plans, I'm going to a movie with Jackson." She said watching him come down the stairs.
"What?" She said accidentally swallowing her gum.
"I have tonight free, can't you postpone?" she asked staring at the two who were now standing side by side.
"No, sorry Miley I can't, I promised Jackson I'd go and I don't want to break my promise, friends don't break promises." She replied smiling at Jackson.
"It's not a date date is it? You know you can't date my brother." She asked staring wide eyed at the two.
"No Miley, I'm not dating your brother, we're just friends, its just two people who enjoy each others company, spending time with each other." She answered hinting at a point.
"Are you ready, because we should probably get going if we want to have time to enjoy our dinner and not be rushing to get to the movie?" He asked extending his arm to her.
"Yup, I'm ready, let's go." She said linking arms with him and they turned to leave.
"Bye Miley, bye Mr Stewart."
"See ya dad, see ya Miles"
With that they left, leaving Miley still standing in the kitchen stunned.
Later that nightShe was watching some late night horror flick in her PJ's when they arrived back, she had waited up for them; somehow she didn't buy the whole 'just friends' line. As they walked in talking and laughing she turned off the TV, 'man, they really do get along well, Jackson doesn't smile that much with most of his guy friends', she thought, growing concerned she might be losing her best friend, so she decided she had to find out.
"So, Lily, how was the movies?" she asked hoping the answer was terrible, 'mean, I know', she thought as soon as she had started thinking that.
"It was great and…" started Lily
"We had great time!" finished Jackson
'Finishing each others sentences, holy cow, Lily and I used to do that, wait, used to, oh my god, I think I am losing her! This made her mad, Jackson, her own brother, stealing her best friend, Lily, falling for it.
"So Lily, I definitely have tomorrow free from 'Hannah' stuff, want do you want to do?" She asked hoping for her friend back.
"Jackson have we planned anything for tomorrow?" she asked
"Nup, no plans, your free to hang with Miley tomorrow" he replied a little bummed about it.
"Arrrrgh, why'd you have to ask him, you're my best friend you should want to hang with me!" She said going red with anger
"I do, but I don't want to bail on my friend, like someone I know." She replied still relatively calm.
"You know I have to do the "Hannah' stuff, I can't get out of it, so don't put that on me!" she practically screamed.
"Yes you can, some of it, you used to get out of the less important stuff and hang with me, now it seems you'd rather me Hannah than Miley!" She cried angrily.
"Ugghhh, so, what do you care, now you got your new friend to hang with, you know what, if you don't want to be friends with me, fine, I'll just find new friends, I'm Hannah Montana, it won't be hard!" she screamed, as her dad looked on in disbelief.
"Fine, go and make new friends, but good luck trying to find a new brother!"
"What are you talking about?" she asked confused.
"Jackson, told me once that similar to a car crash taking his mum, he sometimes feels like Hannah Montana is taking his dad! Think about it Miley, when was the last time your dad spent quality time with Jackson, yeah, a long time ago, and it's all because he's too busy with Hannah bloody Montana!" She yelled as she began to cry, she left after this to be alone on the beach.
He had heard the whole fight from the stairs and was now going to her to comfort her. He had felt these feelings, he knew they pain she felt and wanted to be there for her.
She looked to see him standing there, she could not believe it, 'he came, after what I did he came'.
"Jackson, what are you doing here, you must hate me." She said trying to hold back her tears.
"Lily how could I ever hate you?" he said taking her into his arms
"I told Miley what you told me not to, I brought you into an argument you don't need to be in, I didn't mean too, I just said it in the heat of the moment, I am so sorry!" she said as new tears started to come.
"Its ok, I'm not mad." He soothed, holding her tighter.
"You're not, but how come?" she asked through her tears.
"Because I understand, in your position I probably would have done the exact same thing, and it's probably something I should have talked about before now anyway." He said now rubbing her back.
"Oh, ok…. Jackson I think I've lost her, I think I lost my best friend." She said trying to not to cry again.
"No you haven't, Miley will come around, she would never let anything come between her and her best friend, she would hate to lose you, and I would know, your nearly all she every talks about, well, you, Hannah or boys." He said hoping for a laugh.
"Really? But I've been a bad friend and a horrible person." She said after a little laugh about Jackson's last comment.
"Lily you're not a horrible person, you just said something's in the heat of the moment because you miss your friend and you have every right to miss her, but please stop beating yourself up, I hate to see you like this." He said with sadness in his eyes.
"You do, w…why?" she said calming down a little.
"Because I care about you, I think your great, your intelligent and funny and sweet and kind and a good friend. You are an amazing person Lily Truscott." He said as he held her hands in his.
"That was so sweet, you know Miley's always saying you're annoying or an idiot but you are neither of those things, you are sweet and caring and smart and funny and an incredible guy, you're a wonderful person Jackson Stewart."
They stood, holding hands, looking into each other's eyes and smiling; getting caught up in the moment Jackson leaned down and pressed his lips on to hers. Lily, equally as caught up in the moment kissed him back. When it finally dawned on them what they were doing they both pulled back quickly and went red.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…. I just…. I…I'm sorry." He apologised.
"It ok, just, um, forget about it." She said trying make situation less awkward.
"I'm going to go talk to Miley, try and patch things up." She said.
"Ok, I'm just going to go for a walk if anybody asks." He replied.
She entered the living room to see Miley, facing away from her, sitting on the couch.
"Um, Miley, can we talk?"
Miley slowly turned to face her, Lily could tell she'd been crying by her tear stained cheeks.
"Ok."
"Look what I said before, you've been busy with 'Hannah' stuff and I was feeling lonely, I'm sorry and that stuff I told you about Jackson, I shouldn't have, that has nothing to do with us, those are his issues, anyway what I'm saying is, I'm sorry." She said hoping for her friend back.
"No Lily, you were right I was doing more 'Hannah' stuff than I needed to, it's just sometimes I think life would be better if I was only Hannah Montana, oh Lily I'm so sorry, it's all my fault." She said crying again.
"It's ok, I forgive you, as long as you promise that no matter how big Hannah Montana gets you'll never forget to be Miley" She said going to sit down with her friend.
"I promise." She agreed hugging her friend.
"Hey, tell me why you think it would be better if you were only Hannah Montana?"
"Lily, I'm not coping, my straight A's have turned into straight C's,
I'm not sleeping so I keep falling asleep in class, and I'm not eating, Lily I've lost 12 pounds in two weeks." She said barely holding back the tears.
"Oh my god, you need help, Miley why didn't you tell anyone." Her eyes wide like dinner plates.
"Lily, I couldn't, if I told my dad I wasn't coping he wouldn't let me be Hannah Montana, and he's so proud of me when I'm Hannah Montana, I couldn't let him down, I just couldn't."
"Oh so you keep failing school not sleeping and become anorexic instead, yeah, because that way is so much better."
"LILY!" She said annoyed by the sarcasm.
"Sorry, look, Miley we're going to get you help, first we're going to tell your dad, then we will go from there, ok, we are going to do this together." She told her friend while pulling her into a bear hug.
Over the next few weeks Miley got the help she needed, she and Lily went back to normal and Jackson had a long overdue conversation with his dad. Miley is still Hannah Montana, although Hannah has been doing less concerts and press stuff lately, but she's rumoured to be releasing a new album soon, according to reports it's a new sound, something about writing about things close to her heart. Miley still has to do 'Hannah' stuff now and then but she doesn't feel so bad about leaving Lily because she knows that Lily has Oliver and in case he's not around, she has someone else, someone who knows what its like to live in the shadow of Hannah Montana.