Everything But You.
Chapter 1; Slipping...
Pairings; Oliver / Lilly, Hannah / Lola, Miley / Lilly.
Characters; Miley, Lilly, Oliver, Billy Ray, Jake Ryan.
Disclaimers; I don't own Hannah Montana or any related affiliates.
Summary; Hannah succeeds at getting everything she wants, but Miley can't really get anything.
Miley just wants to scream in frustration, not one hour after he left with apologies, he reappears again with anger, yelling at her for getting the Joannie part. He has Lilly, the greatest girlfriend. And his best friend is famous, if Miley was in his position it would be enough.
Just stop complaining, you asshole. You have Lilly. The one place where I fail.
This is the second time she's almost slipped up, revealing that one fact about her that no one knows about, except maybe Jake, but even he didn't say anything and if he does, he wouldn't reveal it. They haven't been dating for a couple of weeks now, but she hasn't said anything. She doesn't want the world to know she's attracted to her best friend. So, she just stands here and acts like she has the most perfect life, when really she just wants to run upstairs and cry, cry until she can't stay awake any longer. She realizes Oliver has stopped ranting and regrets looking up for the reason why. Oliver and Lilly are looking into each other's eyes longingly, Lilly whispering something and Oliver nodding in recognition.
Miley's heart hurts and she crosses her arms to cover the pain. She looks back down to the floor, blinking her eyes rapidly and repeating to herself over and over again:
Lilly's still the best friend a girl could have, look at her standing up for me.
Because, if she didn't repeat that, she'd be screaming at Oliver until she's blue in the face and she really didn't want to hurt both of them that way. Oliver's still a friend, even though he's become a bad one as of lately. There's a loud sigh from the other end of the couch and Miley still doesn't look up, because she knows that Lilly's talked Oliver into some sense.
"Alright, yeah. I'm overreacting. I'm just jealous." Miley almost slips for the third time that day, clamping her mouth shut so tight she can hear her teeth and jaw screaming in protest. "I just really wanted this gig. You just really wanted that part. You got it, I didn't."
Hannah really wanted that part and whatever Hannah wants she gets. Maybe I should give her a call and try to get her to talk Lilly into dating me. Miley? Miley has a dead mother, a best friend she's attracted to and a boyfriend who showed up at her door one day, with sad eyes and an easy let down of, "You don't actually love me. I'm just in your way."
"So, I'm sorry, Miley." Miley doesn't look up. She doesn't forgive him. He should appreciate what he has, but he really doesn't.
Why can't Lilly see that? Why can't she see that the person that would do anything for her, even give up her alter ego and live always as a normal person isn't her boyfriend?
Miley takes a deep breathe, hands still crossed over chest so neither of her best friends could see it. "Just don't do it, again and you are totally forgiven, Oliver." She blinks and takes another breath before looking up with a huge grin on her face. He walks over to where she's sitting, leaning down and giving her a quick hug. He smiles at her, again before wrapping an arm around Lilly's shoulder. Miley quickly looks away before she can see the small kiss that's bound to happen, but she forgot to tune out her surrounding because she still heard it and her chest jumped in pain.
Lilly lays a hand on her shoulder and says something about calling. Calling her, calling planet Pluto, Miley doesn't know because she was taking deep breaths to control her crying. She nods and ushers them out the door, pushing them together so it looks like she's giving them time together.
The look they give each other, right before she slams the door, breaks her for today and she going to spend the rest of the night putting herself back together for tomorrow.
--
Lilly called 3 times that night and Miley wanted to answer, more then anything she wanted to answer, but she didn't. She just sat under her covers, gripping the phone so tight, her knuckles were turning white. She couldn't stop staring at the picture of Lilly on her screen. Miley could've answered, but she wouldn't have lasted 3 minutes without her voice breaking or another tear escaping. Why worry Lilly?
It would just mean she'd be asking and asking what's wrong and I could slip up, reveal my real secret and lose her forever. But what if I did lose her? Would I finally be able to actually live? I'd go back to Jake and prove to him that I could love him like he deserves.
Miley woke the next morning to her phone ringing and answered it without really thinking.
"Hey, Miles." It was Jake, Miley let out a breath of relief. "That sounded like a 'thank God, it's just Jake' breath." He's right and she smiles at the way he knows her. "What did the asshole who doesn't deserve your heart do this time?" She giggles at the way he's trying to be tough, but is failing miserably.
"You've said it, he has my heart, but let's not discuss this. I heard you got a new movie part. Start talking, Jake!" He laughed himself. Then he was off and she was glad he called, because while talking to him, she could actually forget about her broken heart and just listen to him.
"Whoa, whoa!" He burst out laughing; because he stopped talking 5 seconds, ago, but who he was starring with just hit Miley. "Megan Fox! No way!"
"It's payback, for starring with Chace Crawford." Miley laughed, again. Relaxing onto her bed and just listening to him talk.
"Jake, I really just wanted to thank you." She could practically hear his raised eyebrow and questioning look. "For you know, being there and being a good friend." He chuckled.
"It's my pleasure, Miles." Miley smiled. "Well, I gotta go. Bye, Miley."
"Bye, Jake!" She hung up the phone, letting it drop onto the bed and lightly screaming into the pillow. Ugh, she was such a bad friend. First Oliver, now Jake.
Her phone rings, again and she looks at it, before flipping it over and resolving not to look at the screen. It stops after two rings and she looks at it questioningly, like the phone's actually going to answer her.
"I knew it!" Came an excited exclamation from her doorway and her heart dropped into her stomach. "You're avoiding me Miley Rae. If this is about Oliver –"
"No, no." She interjects, surprised Lilly even stopped because it was just above a whisper. "You were on my side and I can understand. It's not about Oliver. It's just-"
It's totally about Oliver, excuse, hurry go!
"It's just, I want a lazy day and I really didn't want to turn you down, after all you are my best friend."
Go, Miley! That was excellent; I'm getting good at this – okay, ow.
Lilly slapped Miley hard in the arm. "That was lie. What's up?" Now Lilly is gently running her hand up Miley's arm and Miley can't think at all.
"The roof." Came her small reply and Lilly glared at her.
"Okay, fine. But I will get you to tell me." Lilly looks up, tapping her finger against her chin. "It's not Jake, 'cause that's how I found out you were avoiding me. You were just talking to him fine. Or are you lying to him too?" Miley looks away, swallowing past a lump in her throat.
"No, Jake and I are fine." Not a total lie, they are after all fine in the sense of friends, not lovers. Miley blinks rapidly and buries her face into her pillow. "Please, Lilly." She sighs.
I LOVE YOU! That's the problem. I can't even contain my tears. Ever since, that day when I was in the hospital. I felt a sense of joy when Oliver loved me, I thought it because I might like him, no, then I felt disappointed when they got back together. Then, bingo, her smile, the way her hair shines in the light. Her hypnotizing voice. It has always been her.
"Miley!" Lilly sounded worried and it wasn't until Miley was pulled out of her thoughts that she realized she was sobbing, which just made her sob harder, pulling the pillow around her face and curling into herself.
She's finally slipped.