A/N: Wow, thanks so much for all the nice reviews! I'm trying to update as quickly as possible. My last two weeks were awful and filled with schoolwork all the time, but most of it is out of the way, so I shouldn't be too bad of an updater. In fact… I kind of did most of this in class when I was supposed to be paying attention… whoops.

Disclaimers: Same as first chapter. Don't own, don't sue.

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Friday afternoons always meant English class with Mr. Corelli. He was, without a doubt, the downright oddest person I'd ever met, let alone teacher. He was forever popping up on our computer screens to remind us of homework. I don't even know where he got our screen names from! And he was completely obsessed with Jake. Well, can't blame him there…

I was pulled out of my reverie as Mr. Corelli began handing each of us a worn copy of Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl. Ugh, did this ever look boring. I flipped through the pages, expecting to get a whiff of that new-book scent. But mmm, instead it smelled good. Like lilac. Oh wait, that was Miley. She's a master at perfume application. It's not obnoxious and overpowering like it is when people splash it all over themselves. It was soft and sweet, filling my nostrils. I sighed happily and looked up. Mr. Corelli stood in front of me.

"I don't see too much reading going on, Ms. Truscott." He pursed his lips and scratched his blond mop. "Less with the daydreaming and more with the learning, unless you want to share your thoughts."

I muttered a "no," opened my book, and promptly blushed. Blushed? Why was I blushing? It's not like I was thinking anything inappropriate. I was just thinking about Miley's perfumes… Well, thinking about how Miley smelled when she wore her perfumes… like she'd been rolling in a field of crushed, pressed lilac-

"Hello? Earth to Lilly… Lilly!" Miley was waving a hand in front of my face. "We need to finish this chapter before class is over, you know."

Whoops, I'd spaced out again. I felt heat slowly creeping up my neck. Miley let out a grating laugh. I love her laugh- it's gruff and uncontrolled. Most girls have high clear laughs but her's is deep and it sounds… used. Like she laughs all the time. She snapped her fingers before my eyes. "Fantasize later, space cadet" she chuckled.

"Haha, yeah" I muttered. I wasn't fantasizing. I was just thinking about… about… I shook my head. Why was I being so weird today?

I decided to commit myself to finishing the assigned chapter before the bell rang, signaling the end of a strange English class.

"Jake is gonna be here in two hours" Miley complained. "I'm going to be on the red carpet! Ugh, I ain't got no idea what to wear. I mean, as Hannah I got tons o' options, but people might rec-nize the clothes, ya know? 'Course, e'rybody knows that with bold eyes you gotta go wit' su'tle lips, but I'm near clean out o' my good eyeliner. Didya leave…" she babbled on, becoming increasingly incoherent. I giggled. When Miley got excited, her Tennessee roots started kicking in; it was like a switch inside her brain got flipped and her accent became quite prominent.

"Lilly!" she screamed in frustration. "Whatcha laughing about? I got a real problem here!"

I continued to chortle as if she hadn't spoken at all. "Argh! I just don't understand you sometimes! Here I am, jus' two 'ours away from bein' seen on nati'nel television an' you can't do nothin' but laugh!" She waved her arms wildly.

"Aww, you're adorable, do you know that?" I cooed and patted her cheek lightly, getting up to rifle through Miley's enormous closet.

"Well-" she stammered, apparently quite confused about where my comment came from. "Well that doesn't help!" she finished, suddenly decisive.

"You've got- no, too Hannah" I said, tossing her white denim jacket on the floor. "You've got the cutest southern accent. I'd trade Oliver for one like yours."

"But you do have an accent. At least, to me you do. When we first moved here," she gestured around her room, her accent suddenly tame, "I couldn't understand a word you guys were saying. It like if you suddenly found yourself at my Christmas dinner table, talking to Aunt Pearl…. Hey! We were talking about what I need to wear! Damnit, Lilly, lemme take a look downstairs, see if I've left anything."

She scampered out of her room and down the stairs, cursing under her breath. I ambled over to the top of the staircase and waited.

"Bud!" Robby Ray's voice sailed out from somewhere below, likely in the kitchen. "That Jake boy dropped summit off f'you earlier today."

I detected some rustling going on and then a sharp intake of breath. "Oh…my…GOD!" Miley squealed. "This is… this is amazing!" Her ecstatic face came into view as she bounded up the stairs, some piece of clothing in tow. "Lilly," she said, breathless, "Jake dropped off a dress for me." She held it up. It was an off-white and red floral design, with a collar, and a front that would expose some of Miley's chest, but nothing too scandalous. The back was almost completely nonexistent except for a small strap where her lower back would be. Its bottom trailed on the floor.

"Wow, Miles, it's really cute," I said, genuinely impressed.

Apparently Miley wasn't satisfied with my reaction. "Lil, this isn't just a cute dress-" There went those damn air quotes again. "It's a Roberto Cavalli dress!" she finished triumphantly.

My eyes must have popped out of my head. "OHMIGOD! Can I hold it? Please, Miles, lemme just hold it for a second" I pleaded, stretching out my right hand.

"Whoa-ho-ho, hands down, Ms. Grabby. I am not going to in any way endanger a red carpet dress and well…. I know how you get when you see something you like" she said, eying the corner of my mouth, where a small trail of spit had already begun to appear.

"Hey!" I protested, wiping the side of my mouth. "I just want to see it for a second… a second, Miles, just a second." I put on my very best puppy dog face.

"Hmm…" she considered for a moment. "…Nope, sorry, I'm even impenetrable to Uncle Earl's, and he knows how to tug on those heartstrings. I'm just not risking anything with her… Aubrey" she sighed softly with a tentative touch to the dress.

"It doesn't do her justice" I said, wistful.

"Nothing would" she replied with a decided note of wonder caught in her voice.

"Well, if I can't hold it, go try it on for me!... Come on now, as you say, we've got less than two hours now!"

Miley looked startled, but then sprung into action. She masterfully started to peel off her socks (weirdo, what kind of girl takes their socks off first?), then shirt. Her tank and jeans were the last to go, hitting the ground with a satisfying fwop! I found myself looking at a nearly naked Miley and started to turn away, suddenly ashamed. What? Why was I all of a sudden embarrassed to see Miley in her bra and underwear? I mean, she must have changed in front of me a million times. Nonetheless, I sat on the edge of her bed and watched the wall until I heard a triumphant "ta-da!" from behind.

I turned around. The wind was knocked out of me with what I say. "Miles…" I croaked, "Miles, you look really pretty. No- you look beautiful." And I meant what I said. I'd seen Hannah in hundreds of fancy dresses, but it wasn't the same at all when I looked at Miley.

She tried not to look too pleased with herself. "You're too kind, Lilly."

I adopted a very solemn expression. "No, really, you look fantastic. The only thing is…" I started to giggle again.

"What?" she demanded, exasperated.

"Miley… Miley, it's supposed to be a braless dress" I informed her and then started cracking up.

Miley promptly blushed a deep crimson and inspected her cleavage, tugging at the visible part of her bra. "I would've noticed" she muttered, and then hoisted the dress up from the bottom with great care. This time she started to unclip her bra. Now this I really didn't need to see and turned around again, feeling oddly squirmy.

About an hour and a half later, Miley was applying the finishing touches to her make up as I made myself happy trying out Hannah outfits. "God, you are the luckiest girl on Earth, I swear" I pronounced, offering up a pair of shoes. "These are gorgeous… and Italian. When did- hey, the doorbell! Jake's probably here!"

Miley set down her lip gloss. "And I'm ready! Quick, Lilly, how do I look?"

"Beautiful, my dear. Now go open the door before Jake freezes and decides to ask some other girl."

She hurried down the stairs, making sure not to let the bottom of the dress drag, and I followed. Robby Ray had already let Jake in and he was sitting on the couch with a dozen roses. Classic. As always, he looked handsome and perfectly charming. Miley was attending a world premiere with Jake Ryan, wearing a Roberto Cavalli dress… lucky, lucky girl, I thought with a disbelieving nod of my head.

"Hey Miley" he started, but then stopped. "Wow, you look… great" he finished.

Ha! Nice and careful word choice, Jake, I noted as I spied Robby Ray standing with the inspecting eyes of an overprotective father near the door.

Miley stammered a thanks and took one last look at me and her dad, then gave us both a quick hug. "Have fun" I whispered in her ear.

Robby Ray simply patted her back with an expression of giving up. "You be careful out there" he advised her.

"Will do" she smiled and took Jake's arm.

"You ready?" he asked and planted a small kiss on her cheek.

As the duo walked out the door I had a very violent fit of jealousy take over my insides, stronger than when he'd asked her. Not just stronger, either… different. Something was different and I couldn't put my finger on it. Instead of puzzling it out, I simply sighed, waved good bye to Robby Ray, and began my walk home with only my bizarre envious feelings to keep my company.

I should have known right then that things were changing. If I had, things might've been different now. Things might've… not ended up like this.

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