a/n: Let's see how this story turns out...

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Twenty One

Chapter One

The Beginning

Only born two months apart, they built an inseparable bond the second they laid eyes on each other. Now both, 15, they were both maturely at an increasingly fast rate. They weren't like other teens, they kept their distances from high school parties, drugs, alcohol, but that didn't stop their minds from wandering around the subject…

Both bodies were lying down on the freshly mowed green lawn in the backyard of Miley's Malibu home. They were both just lying there, soaking in the sunshine and enjoying the rest of summer before the school year rolled around once again and they would be juniors. Miley turned to her best friend, her eyes shining with curious questions that were currently in the midst of her thoughts. "Nick?" She whispered.

"Hmm?" Nick tore his attention from the clouds high above the blue skies and looked over at the curious teen.

"Do you ever want to go to those parties that Selena always invites you to?" Miley asked as she shifted her body weight onto her side, waiting for Nick's answer. "I mean I know how my daddy is about them, but sometimes I want to know how it is."

Nick shrugged his shoulders lightly and raised his eyebrow at her, "Why the sudden curiosity?"

Miley sat up and soon Nick was sitting upright as well, "Well, the other day Lilly was telling me about this party she went to last weekend and it just got me thinking a lot…"

"And you want to go to one now?" Nick finished the sentence for her.

"I mean, we're 15, Nick and we haven't even gone to our first high school party. We're not gonna get any younger!" Miley threw her arms up dramatically, getting a chuckle out of Nick. "It's not funny." Miley groaned.

"Is it because you want to be like the other girls and drink?" Nick asked.

"No, well, I don't know." Miley muttered. "We could just go to have fun. We're always stuck here with my dad and his long stories of when he was kid. They're getting kinda old. I'm sure Jackson wouldn't mind dropping us off on his way to wherever." Miley looked at Nick with hopeful eyes.

"I'm fine with being here." Nick teased as he laid back down on the grass, placing both his hands behind his head. He looked over at Miley, amused with her face expression.

"Fine. I'll go by myself." Miley told him and got up, but not before he quickly grasped onto her hand.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Nick got up, his fingers still wrapped around her wrist, not daring to let her go.

Miley couldn't help, but feel the butterflies flutter around her stomach as Nick stared at her, a serious expression plastered onto his features. She fought back the warm feeling she was now experiencing every time she was with Nick. "You're not the boss of me!" She yelled lamely at him.

Nick stared deep in her eyes, trying to find why she really wanted to go off to one of these parties that their friends never shut up about. He didn't find any, but he sure got lost in her ocean blue orbs. He quickly shook her out of his thoughts, "It doesn't matter if I am or not. You're my best friend, Mi. I don't want something bad to happen to you." He told her.

Miley felt a soft blush creep onto her cheeks; she tried her hardest to look away from Nick, but his hand was still firmly situated around her wrist. She sighed, defeated. "Fine, but can we make a promise?"

Nick couldn't help, but grin when he saw how shy Miley was becoming. He had to fight the urge to run his fingertips along her reddened cheeks. He hesitantly let go of her wrist, dropping his hand down to his side. "What's the promise?"

"Since 'dad' here won't let me go to a party unsupervised… When I turn 21, you have to promise me that you'll take me out and we can drink until there's no tomorrow." Miley smirked at him.

"Fine." Nick grumbled. "But that's 6 years from now, so I have nothing to worry about until then." He smiled at her and watched as her smile wiped off of her face.

"You're mean." She whispered softly. "But I love you." The smile reappeared on her face.

"I love you too." Nick poked her stomach.

"Hey! No poking!" Miley giggled and poked him back.

Nick grasped her around the waist and swung her around, causing her to scream to let him down. "Lunch time, guys!" He heard Billy Ray scream from inside the house.

"I'm not hungry, are you?" Miley asked.

"Your dad just fed us pie. How does he expect us to eat now?" Nick chuckled and Miley shrugged.

"Let's go to the park." Miley said simply.

"That was random." Nick said with a chuckle.

"I feel like going on the swings and you pushing me." Miley smiled and started walking toward her backdoor. "You coming or is this too much adventure for you?" Miley joked.

Nick just stared at her, soaking in her features like he wasn't going to see her for a long time. Her brown wavy locks were cascading down her back; her blue eyes shining even brighter than usual now that she didn't have any make up caked on her natural complexion. She tilted her head a little and waited for his answer. "Let's go." Nick said, still admiring the beauty he called his best friend, but that's all they would ever be. Just best friends because he knew that no matter how much he loved her. She would only see him as a friend, a brother. Nothing more and it that hurt him a little deep inside.

"What are you thinking about?" Miley asked as she stared at him.

'You' Nick wanted to blurt out, but couldn't. "Just thinking about how beautiful it is today." He looked over at her.

"I agree." Miley smiled as she looked up at the few white clouds floating around. "Ah, my eyes." She shrieked, pulling her hands over her eyes.

Nick laughed, "You would stare at the sun."

"I wasn't staring at the sun… I was looking up at the sky and the sun suddenly came in and BAM! Sun in my eyes." Miley demonstrated with her usually hand effects and what not, causing Nick to laugh some more.

"Whatever you say Miles." Nick placed an arm around Miley's shoulder as they continued to walk in the California heat toward the park. Both Nick and Miley were secretly trying to conceal a wide grin.

'I wish I could tell him how I felt.' Miley thought sadly.

'I wish I had the guts to tell her how I feel.' Nick thought at the same time.

'I wish…'

a/n: Hmm, let's see what kind of feedback I get on this :o It's in no one's point of view now, but I'll see how good I am with writing it like that. As you can see. This is in flashback mode, but the real story takes place when they're 21, but I just wanna get out some information. So probably another chapter of when they're this age, then I'm going to fast forward a little (: REVIEW and tell me what you think :D Long or short ones are appreciated. Tell me what you really think. Sucky? Bad? Horrible? Awesome? Great? Thanks. :D