A/N: Okay, so now it's a three-shot. I guess my regular readers know that I never could leave a story on a down note, so here's chapter 2. I hope you enjoy it. As always, your reviews and comments would be greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana or any of its characters. I've just found them awfully fun to play with ;p
The Pier juts out at a ninety degree angle from the Malibu boardwalk and contains numerous bait and tackle shops for fishing, small food stands and a couple of somewhat seedy bars where the fishermen gather to talk about "the one that got away" knowing that there are ears eager to hear their tales. Hidden in between the souvenir, t-shirt and kitschy memorabilia shops that line the boardwalk you can find some incredible little clothing shops, many of which had provided the clothes that a young Hannah Montana wore onstage. Even now that the hottest fashion designers were basically throwing rack upon rack of their latest styles at her she still frequented these little out of the way shops.
Those same shops had bedecked a budding Lola Luftnagle as she had donned and then perfected her own unique personality and style. The two girls, Lilly and Miley in this case, dashed laughingly into a wig shop where Lola had spied a mannequin wearing a long, straight haired wig in a vibrant orange.
"Why do they all have to look like anime characters?" Miley laughed as her friend tucked her hair up under a disposable cap and then donned the long-haired wig.
"Because I like anime," was the simple yet giddy reply as Lilly modeled in front of a mirror.
"Since when?" Miley scoffed. "I've never seen you watch an anime in your life."
"Uh," Lilly turned a bit pale and then blushed, "I-I watch it at home. Doesn't this remind you of Asuna Kagurazaka from Negima? Except that it's not as long. I could probably put it into twin tails without any problem."
"Whoever that is," Miley rolled her eyes, "and if you're so into anime how come you've never watched it with me?"
"Um," Lilly stammered. It wasn't really Lilly that liked anime. That was Lola. Lilly thought some of it was all right, but most was downright silly. Still, she put up with watching it for Lola's sake. "Well, maybe next time you come over I'll let you watch some Strawberry Panic!" she laughed sheepishly. The thought of Miley watching that blatantly yuri anime seemed to be turning Lola on. Well, it would definitely provide the opening to a discussion of lesbian relationships that she could use to judge Miley's thoughts on the subject.
[If you think SP! will get her wondering, what about Shoujo Sect?] Lola laughed as she admired the wig in the mirror.
"Yeah, that's all we'd need, Miley watching lesbian anime porn," Lilly scoffed under her breath. "I don't know why I let you buy that in the first place."
[Because you enjoy getting off to it just as much as I do,] Lola snickered.
"Hmm, did you say something?" Miley asked.
"Uh, I was asking…if you thought this went well with my face!" Lilly thought quickly.
[Good catch,] Lola giggled.
Miley stared at Lilly's reflection in the mirror, noting how the color seemed to go well with her friend's dark green eyes and lightly tanned…soft…tender…highly touchable skin. She smiled shyly wondering where those thoughts had come from. "Yeah, I think it looks good. Hey! Have you ever noticed that Japanese anime characters almost never look Asian? I wonder why?"
"Who knows," Lilly shrugged. "The characters are probably designed to appeal to the American and European markets."
"Do you think they have different characters for the Japanese market?"
"I doubt it," Lilly said. "The cost of changing them and redoing the entire anime would be too expensive." The blonde reluctantly took the wig off and checked the price tag. She sighed. "Talk about expensive. You'd think that heat resistant fiber wigs would be cheaper than human hair. I guess I'll have to start saving my money again."
"I'll buy it for you," Miley offered quickly but Lilly shook her head.
"You know I don't like you using your money for my things. I'll get it when I can afford it myself," she said adamantly.
"Talk about stubbornness," Miley groused.
"I'm not stubborn, I'm prideful," Lilly corrected her.
"You know pride is one of the seven deadly sins," Miley pointed out.
"Yeah, well, depending on your religious beliefs I'm already going to hell," the blonde said, again under her breath.
[We're going to hell,] Lola agreed with a giggle, [but I intend to have as much fun as I can before I go.]
"Shut up wench," Lilly chuckled. Lola just laughed harder.
"Why would you be going to hell?" Miley asked with a creased brow, not understanding how her friend could have done something that bad.
Lilly sighed. Obviously she'd have to speak softer when talking to Lola when Miley was around. "It depends on your belief," she shrugged. "Some believe that you go to hell if you've never been baptized. Other's think everyone is going to hell, or at least limbo, if you aren't a member of their specific religion. There are even those that think you're going to hell if you're homosexual," she said, holding her breath.
"People can sure be weird sometimes," Miley just shrugged.
[It was a good try,] Lola offered apologetically.
The two girls left the shop and continued their wandering of the boardwalk. Despite her decision of earlier that morning she still harbored some small hopes that Miley might someday return or at least accept her feelings. In the meantime she knew that she had to try to distance that part of herself from the sweet, sexy, kind, sexy, gorgeous, sexy, desirable, sexy... [Not helping here!] Lola complained.
"Sorry," Lilly giggled.
[OH! Cotton candy! Lola wants!] Lola shrieked with glee as Lilly spotted the vendor that Lola had noticed while she hadn't.
"All it is is spun liquid sugar with food coloring. Pure empty calories and horrible for your weight and figure! Definitely not!" the green-eyed girl told her.
[But it's so gooooood,] Lola whined. Lilly could easily imagine the puppy dog-like eyes that Lola would try to use on her and sighed. [Lola want, Lola want, Lola want…]
"And whatever Lola wants, Lola gets?" Lilly rolled her eyes. "No!"
"Huh?" Miley asked, turning to her friend who she was sure had been talking to herself.
[Lo…la wants," Lola exclaimed gleefully as she ran over to the cotton candy vendor.
[LOLA!] Lilly shrieked.
"Pleeeaassee!" Lola begged as she slowed her run.
[Fine,] Lilly grumped. [But only a small one and you have to share with Miley.]
"Yaaay! Cotton candy!" Lola bounced clapping her hands and then dug into her wallet for the proper amount.
"Sports nut say what?" Miley asked in shock.
"Whaaat," Lola pouted, "can't a girl get a little sugar every now and then?" she smirked with a lecherous eye towards Lilly's best friend. She paid the vendor and skipped over to where Miley was standing, still in disbelief. Lola picked off a piece of the fluffy candy and sensuously licked it off her fingers as Miley's eyes widened. She then plucked off another piece and held it out to the stunned brunette. "Say aaahhh," she giggled. When Miley's mouth dropped open in shock she stuck the piece of spun sugar in her mouth, making sure to run her finger gently over Miley's tongue. Miley's lips snapped shut on her finger which Lola wiggled a bit before ever so slowly sliding it out. "Sugar for my sugar," she purred suggestively.
Sweat broke out on Miley's brow and she clenched her legs together at that sultry purr, a shiver running up and down her spine before it settled in her core to ignite an ember of flame. "Lo…Lilly," she hissed in a whisper, "why are you acting like Lola?"
"Can't I have some fun with my best girl…friend?" Lola asked in a way too innocent and demure voice. Miley clenched her legs together even tighter as she tried to stem the moisture she felt gathering at the apex of her thighs. The sound of that voice and the look that Lilly was giving her was sending her emotions into overdrive.
[LOLA!] Lilly screeched. Even without a body she could feel her skin heating up from the blush she'd be wearing if she were in control.
"G-g-g-g-g-g," Miley stammered.
"Lola thinks Miley needs more sugar," Lola giggled and tore off another piece to plop between Miley's stuttering lips, making sure to once again caress the brunette's tongue before slowly removing her finger, but not before rubbing the inside of Miley's lips.
"Oh, god!" Miley moaned as her knees grew weak. She knew for sure she'd have to change her underwear when they got back home! Thank god she's decided to change into a skirt!
"Miley like?" Lola giggled.
"Miiiley liiike," the blue-eyed girl had groaned without thought before suddenly realizing what she'd said. Both Lola and Lilly thought that the blush that suddenly suffused the girl's cheeks was awfully cute. "I-I mean…argh! Lillaaaaay!" she shrieked in embarrassment, covering her face with her hands. Lola giggled, grabbed one of those hands and interlaced their fingers before dragging the bright red girl down the street while humming "Whatever Lola Wants."
As soon as she'd finished her cotton candy Lola gave control back to Lilly. Lola hadn't relinquished her hold on Miley's hand as they walked so Lilly relished the feel of those guitar string callused fingertips on her own soft hands.
"S-sorry about back there…about the way I acted," she apologized softly, but Miley just smiled, a slight pink re-entering her cheeks.
"Nah, it's all right. It's been a while since you seemed that happy," Miley grinned. "It was kind of nice to see…even if it was kind of embarrassing," she giggled. Lilly laughed quietly as well.
"It was kind of fun," she had to agree.
[Your welcome,] Lola smirked.
"Wench," Lilly chuckled.
"What?" Miley asked.
"L-lunch. I was asking if you were ready for lunch," she replied.
[You're getting better at that,] Lola giggled.
"After cotton candy, now you want lunch?" Miley gaped at her.
Lilly laughed. "Well, you know, my stomach is a bottomless pit."
"Yet you stay so slender," Miley pouted cutely. "It's not fair. I gain ten pounds if I even look at a sliver of cake."
"Some of us actually get some exercise," Lilly laughed. "Unlike those poor fools that can't walk and chew gum at the same time."
"Heey! I can't help it if I'm athletically impaired!"
"At least you dance around on stage. That's got to take a lot of energy."
"Yeah, but I've still got to watch my weight when I'm not on tour," Miley sighed.
"I think you look fine," Lilly said softly and with a shy smile, earning herself a much wider smile from her curvy friend.
"Why thank you Lilly," Miley preened, running her fingers through her hair, something that Lilly herself would like to do. Miley's hair was so thick and silky, the waves and curls just begged to be played with.
"I-I'm just saying," the blonde stammered, turning her face away to hide her own flush.
"So…no more 'tiny tits' comments?" the brunette giggled.
"Th-they're fine too," Lilly stammered, unable to believe that she'd somehow continued the teasing that Lola had started.
"You think so?" Miley asked seriously as she glanced down at her own breasts. "They're not too small?"
"More than a handful's wasted," Lilly smirked. It was way easier to talk about Miley's body when she teased the other girl. "And I got big hands," she leered, lifting her own hands up and playing like she was going to grab a double handful, earning a giggly squeak from her friend.
"Yours are still bigger," Miley grinned back, pretending she was going to grab at Lilly's as well. They're hands met and fingers entwined in a brief tussle before they both devolved to giggles.
[Coward,] Lola joined in the laughter.
"Fine," Lilly said and pulled Miley towards her. She saw her friend's eyes widen as she leaned up and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "Love you Miles," she whispered.
"L-love you t-too Lils," the thunderstruck songstress stuttered back. Lilly grinned and pulled a stumbling Miley along the sidewalk and into one of their favorite pizza places. They were probably half-way through the pizza before the glazed look left Miley's face.
[Not bad minx,] Lola snickered. [Not bad at all.]
-oo-
Sweet niblets! She…she kissed me! Miley thought as Lilly placed their order. I mean sure, it was only on the cheek, but still…she kissed me! How can one teeny, itty-bitty little kiss, on the cheek yet, feel so much better than all the kisses from Jake and Jesse rolled into one? It doesn't make any sense! I mean, yeah, I love Lilly, she's my best friend, but I like guys! Miley Ray Stewart Likes Guys! I don't like girls! Well, I mean, I don't dislike girls, but I don't like girls. I LIKE GUYS! But she kissed me and, OMG! She said she loved me! Well, of course she did. We do love each other, as friends…best friends even…that's all! That's all she meant, I'm sure of it. Aren't I? Oh, sweet niblets! Aunt Dolly! Why didn't you talk to me about things like this! Wait! Maybe I can call her. Yeah, that's what I'll do. I'll call Aunt Dolly! Not Mamaw, she'd never understand. Hell, I don't understand. Maybe daddy? No, no, that's not a good idea. I mean, yeah, he'd probably be okay with it, but is that really what I need right now when I'm having a sexuality crisis? Am I having a sexuality crisis? Nah, couldn't be, cause Miley Ray Stewart LIKES GUYS? Hey, wait a minute, why the question mark? Was there a question mark? Nah, couldn't have been.
Wait, is Lilly talking to me? No, she's just blabbering on. She doesn't look like she expects me to answer. Maybe I've been grunting in the right places and just didn't notice. Is that pepperoni in my mouth? When did the pizza get here? Okay, so I'll call Aunt Dolly and ask her…ask her what? What it's like to be in love with a girl? How the heck would she know? Wait! Love? LOVE? Who the hell said anything about LOVE! I. LIKE. GUYS! First there was Jake, then Jesse, then Jake again, then he cheated on me, the rat! Then we got back together…Why did we get back together? Oh, yeah, because I might be in love with him…even though he cheated on me…but that was only once…right? Oh sweet niblets! Wait, was that a question?
"Huh?" Miley asked, coming out of her kiss induced funk.
"I said you had pizza sauce on your cheek," Lilly giggled, pointing a finger at her face.
"Where?" Miley squeaked, rubbing at the wrong cheek.
"Here, allow me," Lilly smirked and then leaned across the table to use her finger, her very soft and gentle finger, to wipe away some stray tomato sauce. She then proceeded to lick it off her finger, wrapping her tongue around it and slowly licking it clean before finally closing her lips around the suddenly very phallus-like appendage and s-l-o-w-l-y pulling it out, smacking her lips. "Miley, close your mouth. You're drooling," Lilly giggled.
OH. MY. GOD! That was so… Miley shuddered and closed her mouth, but not before running a napkin over her lips. Damn! I was drooling! I have sooo got to call Aunt Dolly!
-oo-
Miley was silent for most of the rest of the "Liley" day and all the way home. Lilly kept up a running, one-sided conversation to fill the void but didn't seem overly concerned that Miley didn't join in. The brunette would glance every so often over at her blonde friend as she jabbered away as if nothing was wrong, but every now and then she'd see a little smirk on Lilly's lips that told her she wasn't getting away with anything. Lilly knew she'd flustered her to no end and was having a ball at her expense. She just couldn't bring herself to take any umbrage from it. It was almost…sweet. And when their eyes would meet her heart would start thudding in her chest like a big ol' timpani drum. Like any minute it would just come flying out of her chest to land at her feet. No, she was pretty sure that Lilly would catch it before that…if she hadn't caught it already! Oh, sweet niblets!
"I had fun Miley. We need to do this more often," Lilly told her with a large smile as she dropped her off at the door to her suite.
"Y-yeah," Miley stammered, unable to look away from the sparkle in those deep green eyes, "we need to do it again." Then, just like before, Lilly got a bit of a smirk on her face and leaned up toward her. Oh my god! She's going to kiss me! On the lips! WhatdoIdo! WhatdoIdo! WhatdoIdo! she shrieked in her head, her eyes going wide before she felt them closing of their own accord. She heard Lilly giggle softly before a pair of soft lips pressed against her cheek, very near to the corner of her mouth, but still her cheek. She sighed gently, for some reason disheartened that those lips hadn't found her own. I LIKE GUYS! she squeaked to herself as she heard Lilly laughing quietly.
"See you at dinner Miles," Lilly chuckled before turning to head into the house through the patio doors. "I gotta have a loooong talk with someone about proper behavior," the blonde spat angrily as she walked away.
"I don't know who she's got to talk to, but I know I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that discussion!" Miley shuddered. "Aunt Dolly! Gotta call Aunt Dolly!" the blue-eyed girl gasped as she spun and ran straight into her door. "Ooowwwy." She rubbed her nose, got out her key and finally let herself in. She stumbled over to her bed, dropping the few bags of clothes that she'd bought at the foot. Miley fell to the mattress, grabbed her cell phone and hit her speed dial. It rang three times on the other end before a very perky and very southern voice answered.
"Miley! How you doin' sweetie pie," her godmother asked. "Everythin' alright?"
"Yeah," Miley smiled, happier just to hear Dolly's voice. "Everything's fine. Well, mostly I guess."
"That don't sound like everythin's fine," Dolly said with a touch of concern. "What's on your mind sweetie?"
"H-have…have you ever…un, have you ever met a l-l-l-lesbian?" Miley asked timidly.
"Oh, honey, please don't tell me your gettin' prejudiced against gay folk?" Dolly sighed.
"What! Oh, no! Nothing like that!"
"Good, cause you know, you're in the wrong business if you plan on bein' a homophobe."
"Yeah, I guess," Miley chuckled. "But, uh, have you? I mean, met a lesbian?"
Dolly laughed. "Well, it's not like they walk up to you with a big ol' nametag that says 'Hi, my names Melissa and I'm gay'."
"Melissa?"
"Etheridge dear," Dolly sighed again and Miley could hear the exasperation in her voice even as she gasped.
"MELLIE!"
"Of course, dear. Didn't you know?"
"I-I guess I just never thought about it."
"And how many times have you been on Ellen's show now?"
"Um, I guess three times…oh…OH!"
"You know, she and Portia just make the cuuutest couple," Dolly snickered. "Are you sure you been takin' your vitamins?"
"I think Jackson swapped them out for some stupid pills," Miley cringed. How could she have forgotten? She'd met Ellen DeGeneres and even her wife, Portia de Rossi, on any number of occasions. And she'd never even given Melissa Etheridge being gay a second's thought.
"That bein' said, what's brought on this sudden interest in lesbians, sweetie? Did you finally realize that your feelin's for Lilly were somethin' more than just friendship?"
"Eeep," Miley squeaked, imitating her best friend without thought. "Wha-what do you mean? I never said…"
"Oh, hun, anyone that knows you can tell that you love that girl more than just as a friend. And if it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty darned sure she feels the same way, if not more so."
"BUT I LIKE GUYS!" Miley screeched, holding the phone away from her face and staring at it like it was about to bite her.
"So?" Dolly's chuckling voice came through loud and clear. "Nothin' wrong with bein' a switch hitter baby," she laughed. "Doubles the playin' field."
"DOOLLYYY!" Miley whined and her Aunt just laughed at her. "This isn't a laughing matter," she mumbled into the phone, "I don't know what I'm feeling or what I'm supposed to do…it's so confusing…and scary."
"Oh, honey, it's not scary at all…well, not when it comes to you and Lilly. Now Hannah, that's a different matter altogether. Miley Ray Stewart bein' bi or gay is one thing. Hannah Montana bein' gay? Now that's a whole other barrel of catfish. I'm not so sure how your fans would feel if they found out that their idol was a practicin' 'bian."
"'Practicing'!" Miley gaped, her imagination suddenly providing images that made her face look redder than her Grandma Ruby's prize-winning tomatoes. She shook her head to get rid of those images and tried to focus on the other part of her godmother's statement. What about Hannah? What about her fans? Hell, what about Miley! she thought.
"The main thing you got to think about sweetie is what your heart is tellin' you. How do you feel about Lilly, or guys for that matter? What kind of relationship do you want with her?"
"Now you sound like Daddy," Miley sighed. "He asked me just about the same thing: what kind of relationship do I want to have with Lilly, with Jake, and even with Hannah."
"Please don't tell me you're back with that snake-in-the-grass," Dolly hissed. "After what he done to you! I tell you right now, once a cheater…always a cheater. You'll always be wonderin' where he is, what he's doin,' who he's doin'…believe me honey, I know from experience! That's a dead-end street with nothin' but heartbreak at the end."
"But…I think I might still love him," Miley sniffed.
Aunt Dolly sighed. "Look, sweetie, I can't tell you how to run your love life, but if it were me, I'd take the one that I knew I loved and loved me back. What the heck's her bein' a girl got to do with anythin'? Do you love her?"
"Yes, of course I love her."
"Are you in love with her?"
"I…I don't know. Whenever she's near me recently I get these flutters and jibbers and my heart starts hammerin'…and when she kissed me…"
"SHE KISSED YOU!" Dolly exclaimed gleefully.
"ON THE CHEEK, AUNT DOLLY!" Miley yelled right back. "Only on the cheek, but it felt…I don't know…it felt better, more powerful, more exciting, than all those other kisses rolled into one," she sighed.
"Then I'd say your hearts tryin' to tell you something'," Dolly chuckled. "I assume you don't feel the same way when…ugh…Jake kisses you?" Miley could easily imagine the sneer on her godmother's face when she said Jake's name.
"It's not that kissing Jake's all that bad," she prevaricated, "it's just not the same. And when I thought Lilly had left me this morning after a fight we had last night I don't think I've ever felt so lost and alone."
"Look, sweetie pie, you know I just want what's best for you and what will make you happy," Dolly said lovingly, "I honestly don't think that Jake's going to make you happy in the long run. Lilly, on the other hand, would do anythin' for you just to see you smile. If it makes you happy, then she'll be happy…even if it means givin' you up. Can you say the same thing for…that boy?"
Miley sniffed again. It was all too confusing. She knew her Aunt Dolly was right, but it was just so frightening. Jake…well maybe not Jake…but a boy would be safe. Lilly, being gay, a lesbian…she wasn't sure she could deal with that. But what if it means losing Lilly? she asked herself. Could I live with that? I think I already decided I couldn't, but still…
"Miley?"
"Sorry, I'm still here Aunt Dolly," she smiled sadly. "Just thinking."
"Sometimes you can think too much darlin'," and Miley heard the answering sad smile in her voice. "Sometimes you just have to go with what you're feelin'."
"I know."
"And I'll only say one last thing on this matter," Dolly said strongly. "No matter what, Lilly will never intentionally hurt you. She'd rather hurt herself first. If, like you feared earlier, if she ever leaves you, you can be sure it's because she thinks it will be better for you in the long run."
"But I don't want her to leave me," Miley cried softly.
"Then hold onto her darlin'. Hold on so tight that she can't slip away, otherwise you'll end up regrettin' it for the rest of your life."