Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana or the Jonas--I mean Gray Brothers. Bleh.
Miley, as Hannah, breathed deeply before opening the door, expecting to see Nick. "Hey Ni—Joe?" she asked in surprise.
"What Hannah? You're not happy to see me?" he asked jokingly, handing Miley a rose.
"No, not at all. I'm so happy you're here. I just wasn't expecting you to come to the door." She looked down at the white rose and smiled. "It's beautiful, Joe. How did you know white roses are my favorite?"
Joe shrugged, "Let's just say I have my fair share of Hannah knowledge. You look stunning."
Miley smiled, "Is Nick in the car?" She couldn't wait to see his reaction to her dress.
Joe's smile faded, "Yeah, he is. And so is Kevin. Let's go, we wouldn't to be late." He led Miley to the car and opened the door of the limo for her, sliding in after her.
"Hi Nick," Miley greeted sweetly.
Nick turned to her and grinned, "Hey. You look nice." he said before turning towards Kevin.
"Thanks." Miley said before mentally slapping herself. You're coming on too strong, she thought. After recollecting her thoughts for a few minutes, she looked up to see Joe staring intently at her.
Joe quickly looked away. "Are you excited for the premiere?" he asked to no one in particular.
"Yeah!" Kevin quickly replied.
"Maybe we'll pick up a few girls." Nick said jokingly, before he and Kevin were engaged in a conversation about which female celebrities would be around them.
Miley's stomach turned as she listen to Nick ramble on and on about girls. Couldn't he tell that she was trying to lead him on? She blinked rapidly, returning to reality. She realized that Joe, too, had joined the conversation. Apparently, Emma Watson and Jessica Alba would be at the premiere. She smiled at the sight of the three boys, but the smile was quickly wiped off her face and she returned to a state of gloom. She wasn't conceited, but why wouldn't Nick be interested? She was teen pop sensation Hannah Montana. Normally every other teen male celebrity would be head over heels for her. Why was Nick so different? Miley was shaken out of her thoughts when Joe waved a hand in front of her face.
"Huh? What?" she asked.
"Hannah, we're here." Joe said, as the driver opened the door of the limousine. As Miley and the brothers stepped out of the car, the restless crowd erupted into roaring cheers.
"It's the Gray Brothers! Oh my God, Hannah Montana is here too!" Miley smiled at the comments she heard being thrown out every few seconds. Her publicist, Janine, who had arrived separately, ran up to her and directed her towards a spot at the red carpet.
"Pose here, honey." Janine told Miley. "After picture taking, you will be escorted into the theater and answer questions for the press." Miley nodded and smiled for the cameras. After a few dozen flashes, she glanced over at Nick, who was signing autographs for girls. She sighed as she looked at all the girls who were throwing themselves at him. He seemed to be enjoying the attention. She tried her best to shake it off and modeled for the cameras. Ten minutes later, she was escorted into the theater by two strong men, whom she assumed were bodyguards. Immediately after entering the theater, reporters from E! News, Access Hollywood, Extra, and Entertainment Tonight swarmed around her.
"Hannah, is it true that you have a little thing for Nick Gray?" a reporter from Access Hollywood asked.
Miley's throat ran dry. She hated it when her dad butted into her love life, and she didn't need the media to but in as well. "No," she lied. "We're just friends. I do think he is really cute, though. But hey, he's a Gray Brother. I ain't the only one thinking that." she giggled lightly. After a few more questions, she was ushered into the screening room and was seated next to the Jonas Brothers.
"Fancy seeing you here," Joe joked as he treated her with a smile.
Miley smiled before looking past him, staring at Nick. "Do you mind if I switch seats with you, Joe?"
Joe frowned before giving in, "Sure, I guess." He reluctantly got up and switched seats with Miley. Can't she tell that he's not interested? he thought to himself.
"Are you enjoying the premiere Nick?" asked Miley.
"Yeah Hannah," Nick replied. "I love the reaction I'm getting from the girls. Usually I'd try to avoid them, but they just look so pretty. They're all dressed up."
I'm all dressed up too, Miley thought. She tried to bring up her dress as casually as possible, "My best friend Lola and I spent hours looking for the perfect dress for me. I'm so glad we came across this one. It fits me like a glove, and I think it's a stretch from what I usually wear."
Nick quickly glanced at the dress, "It's really nice." he said before turning his attention to the screen. Miley sighed and leaned back in her chair. Instead of watching the movie, she thinking up ways to get Nick to notice her. His brothers know him pretty well, she thought. Joe seems pretty nice. He's been talking to me and seems pretty outgoing. Maybe he'll help me get Nick. She spent the rest of the movie's running time perfecting her plan, letting out a slightly evil chuckle every now and then.
The after party was the part of the premiere everybody looked forward too. It was time for food, drink, and dancing. Miley downed her third glass of punch before waving Joe over. "Joe!" she hollered.
Joe turned to her and smiled before making his way over. "Yeah?" he asked, excitement obvious in his eyes.
"Do you want to dance?" she asked, nodding her head towards the crowded dance floor.
Joe's eyes lit up, "Dance? I'd love to!"
They headed towards the dance floor and Miley began moving to the beat. "Are you and Nick close?" Miley asked him.
Joe gulped. She's talking about Nick again? "Me and Nick? Yeah, we're pretty close. We fight every now and then, but it's all good. Why?"
"Well, I have the biggest crush on Nick." Miley confessed.
Joe blinked. "Nick?" He tried his best to plaster a fake smile on his face. "You two would make a cute couple." he lied.
"You really think so?" Miley asked excitedly.
"Y-yeah. You two are very close in age. It couldn't be more perfect." Joe's voice cracked as he encouraged her.
"It's great that you agree with me on this. Since you know Nick really well, could you help me…get with him?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.
Joe was taken aback, "Help you? How? I'm not the matchmaking type."
Miley laughed, "Come on, Joe. Please, all I'm asking is that you maybe drop some hints? Tell me what he looks for in a girl."
"He likes gothic girls who dress in black." Joe joked.
"That's great. Now…the truth?" she asked expectantly.
Joe rolled his eyes. "He likes girls who are laid back. He's really interested in girls who are sensitive and know how to chill. He doesn't like it when girls are too hyper and crazy. I, on the other hand, am the complete opposite of that. I love girls who are hyper and aren't afraid to have fun." Joe said, dropping his own hint.
"I can be laid back," Miley said, more to convince herself than to reply to Joe. "I guess I do need to tone down my hyper-ness just a tad."
"You're perfect the way you are." Joe said.
Miley smiled, "Nobody's perfect, Joe." she said in 'duh' tone. "You of all Hannah fans would know that." He smiled back and they shared a laugh.
After returning home from the premiere the previous night, Miley had convinced the Joe to meet her at a nearby Starbucks to get Operation Get Nick into action. Miley slipped into a hoodie, pulling the hood over her Hannah wig. She dipped her feet into a simple pair of flats and slid a pair of sunglasses over her blue eyes. She threw her phone into her purse and headed out to the driveway, where Jackson was waiting in his car. "Why am I doing this for you again?" he asked as he began to back out of the driveway.
"Because if you don't, I'll tell Dad what you really did last summer." Miley said.
Jackson shuddered, "Fine, but don't get used to it. I am not going to be Hannah's new chauffeur." A few minutes later, Jackson's car pulled up to the local Starbucks. "Call me when you're ready to be picked up."
Miley nodded and headed inside. "Joe!" she whispered loudly.
Joe looked up from his iced frappuccino and waved. "Hey." He, too, was in disguise. The green hood of his sweatshirt covered his hair and his signature pair of white Ray Bans shielded his eyes.
"Let's get this plan into action," she said, as she took a seat across from him. "Have you dropped Nick any hints?"
Joe's heat sunk, "Yeah. I told him that you thought he looked really nice."
"What did he say?" Miley questioned.
"He said he thought your hair looked really nice. He likes it when your hair is wavy rather than straight. But that's all he said." explained Joe.
Miley nodded, "That's a start. What other hints did you drop?"
"That was it." replied Joe.
"Joe!" Miley scolded. "How can you expect this plan to work if you're barely doing your part?"
"Why does it matter? The only reason I'm agreeing to do this is to spend time with you." he muttered under his breath.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say?" Miley asked, confused.
Joe bit his lip, "Nothing. There was something in my throat." He could feel his cheeks flushing. "Enough of that, back to the plan."
"Alright. I was thinking maybe we could all hang out again…as a group. Not at a premiere or concert or anything, but at a restaurant. That way, Nick and I could get to know each other a little better." she explained.
Joe sighed, "Yeah…great idea."
"You okay?" Miley asked. "You seem a little disappointed."
"No, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired, that's all. A restaurant sounds great. Which one do you have in mind?" he asked in curiosity.
"I was thinking Beso, you know…that new place owned by Eva Longoria-Parker?" suggested Miley.
"That's a little pricey, Hannah." Joe said, a bit unsure.
Miley raised her eyebrows, "Hey, come on! I'm Hannah Montana, you're a Gray Brother. We can afford it."
"Yeah, I guess." Joe said. "Does next Saturday work for you? We have a concert early that evening, but we can all meet up afterwards."
"Saturday sounds great!" she squealed. "Leave all the reservation stuff to me."
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Don't even worry about it." Miley wiped the sweat off her forehead. Her wig was really bothering her and she was dying to take it off. But of course, she couldn't take it off in front of Joe. "I'm gonna head on home." she told him.
Joe got up, "Do you want me to walk you out?"
"NO!" she shrieked. "I mean, no, it's fine. I'll walk myself out. And I'll go out the back entrance so no one will see me." She quickly waved goodbye and ran around the corner of the unusually large Starbucks. Instead of running out the door, she ran into the bathroom and locked the door. She took off her wig and pulled out her bobby pins. She took off her sunglasses as well, and stuffed all her items into the large pocket of her sweatshirt. To make sure no one saw she was wearing the same clothes as Hannah, she took off her sweatshirt. Miley sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. She was tired of having to dress as Hannah whenever meeting up with the Gray Brothers. She was being herself when she was with them, so why couldn't she show them her true self as well?
"If I'm gonna make my relationship with Nick work," Miley told herself. "He's gonna have to know the real me. And who knows? Maybe he'll like Miley more than he likes Hannah. The next time I see the Gray Brothers, I'm gonna tell them my secret." Miley felt butterflies swarm her stomach as she spoke those words. Could she really trust them with a secret that serious? "If I really want Nick to like me, I guess it's a sacrifice I'll have to make." She looked in the mirror one last time before deciding she would think it over at home. She got out of the bathroom and went out the door.
As Joe finished the last sip of his iced frappuccino, someone outside caught his eye. It was a girl with the same blue eyes as Hannah Montana. Her silky brown hair was gently curled and her cheeks had a light pinkish glow. "Whoa," Joe muttered to himself. This girl was just as pretty as Hannah Montana…maybe even prettier. He threw his plastic cup away and ran towards the door. He saw the girl walk towards a car, driven by a sandy haired boy who was apparently her older brother. He heard him say her name as she got into the car. Her strange name trembled at the tip of Joe's tongue, causing him to smile. "Miley…"
