I had been to my fair share of parties back in New York, but I couldn't remember the last time I had returned home before midnight. Yet there I was in Dallas, Texas, and I was back home before half past eleven.

I lay on my bed, staring at the phone on the sheets, when there was a quiet knock at the door. I looked up and called at whomever it was to come in.

Nick slipped in and shut the door gently behind him. "Hey," he said softly. "I just wanted to say that Selena's asleep on the couch. She was going to stay in Demi's room but she passed out in the living room and we didn't want to move her."

"At least she didn't get into too much trouble at the party, right?"

Nick smiled slightly and nodded. "I guess not." He put his hand on the doorknob and turned his back to me. "I better get going. Goodnight." He turned the doorknob and jerked the door open.

"Hey, Nick?"

He glanced at me over his shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"You're a good guy."

"I'd hardly say that," he said with a soft smile.

"You didn't have to drive Demi and I to the party. You didn't have to help me tonight when the cops came. You didn't have to bring Selena here instead of bringing her home, and you didn't have to carry her from your truck to the pool house." I nodded my head slightly and smiled. "You're a good guy."

Nick stayed silent for a moment before turning his head away from me. "Goodnight, Miley."

When he closed the door, I leaned over and flicked off the lamp switch. I slowly slid under the covers and stared at the white ceiling, the room lit from the moonlight shining through the sheer white curtains.

I turned my head and stared at my phone, which was lying on the pillow beside me. The text I had been waiting for from Liam had still not come. I reached for the iPhone and unlocked it.

Scrolling through my contacts, I tapped Liam's name and brought the phone to my ear. At once, his voice echoed in my ears.

"Hey, you've reached Liam. I'm busy right now and I can't come to the phone, but leave a message and I'll get back to you when I can."

I heard my own laughter in the background. I had been there the night he had recorded his voicemail message. He had spent over forty minutes trying to record a message that he actually liked, one that he didn't sound like an absolute tool in.

I had only been in Texas for a few days, but I had been on the phone to Liam at least three times each day. However, for the first time since my parents had left town to go back to New York, I didn't feel my heart ache or my stomach clench at the sound of Liam's voice. I found no comfort in the smoothness of his voice or the low tone.

The only emotion I felt was a gut-wrenching regret that I hadn't ended things with Liam before I moved away.

The following morning, I was woken up by a shriek coming from outside my bedroom door. I stumbled out of bed and rubbed my eyes exhaustedly. I staggered to the door and heaved it open.

"What the hell is going on?" I snapped.

I blinked in the bright light and saw Selena sitting on the couch, sobbing, with Demi comfortingly rubbing her back.

Selena looked up at me. "Oh, thank God you're awake!" she howled. "You will never believe what just happened, Miley."

I raised my eyebrows slightly. I had met Selena about twelve hours beforehand and yet she was speaking to me as though we had been best friends since grade school.

"My mom called. She's pregnant."

I didn't see why she was shrieking and crying over her mother being pregnant. Wasn't pregnancy normally a good thing in a family? I had never met anyone who had been so upset by the idea of a new baby in the family.

"What's wrong with that?"

"By the time this baby is like eight, I'll probably be getting married and having my own kids. My mom was supposed to be done having kids!"

"You're an only child," Demi reminded her.

"Exactly!"

Demi and I exchanged a look. She smiled slightly. She then returned to comforting Selena. There was a knock on the door of the pool house. I walked over and pulled it open.

Nick waved awkwardly at me. "I got Demi's text. What's going on?" He slipped through the door and sat down on the couch beside Selena. "Sel? What's the matter?"

"Not only have I got the worst hangover in the world, my mother was stupid enough to forget to get my step-dad to put on a freaking condom!" she snapped.

He sighed. "Hey, it isn't that bad!"

I didn't listen to the rest of the conversation. Being the new girl in town, I felt like an intruder on some sort of private situation, so I muttered some excuse about promising Denise to help her set up for breakfast and raced out of there.

When I entered the kitchen, I saw Frankie sitting at the table, watching Denise as she fried some eggs. He looked up at me and grinned.

"Good mornin', Miley!"

I smiled slightly and sat down beside him. "Hey, kid. How's it going?"

"We're going to the store later. Is there anything you want?" Denise asked, carrying a plate of eggs and bacon to the table. She put it down in front of her son and smiled at me.

"No thanks, I'm good."

"Would you like some breakfast?"

"Some cereal would be good."

"Take your pick. There's a ton in the pantry." She pointed at the walk-in pantry and returned to the stove. "I would get it for you, honey, but I have to cook breakfast for the boys."

"Oh, don't worry about it," I said with a smile. She was always so kind to me, offering to do simple things like getting my cereal and making me a quick cup of coffee.

"Is Demi awake?" Denise asked.

"Yeah. Selena slept in the pool house after the party last night but she woke up with some sort of problem so Demi and Nick are helping her out," I explained.

"That girl definitely has her fair share of problems. Sometimes I wonder …" Denise trailed off and smiled slightly. "No, it isn't my place to comment." She turned her back to Frankie and I and went back to cooking the food for the boys.

"She doesn't think Selena is right for Nick," whispered Frankie.

"What? Why?"

"Nick's, like, golden boy around here. He plays football and baseball, he runs for like an hour every morning, all the girls love him. He was voted homecoming king last year and he's a shoe-in for prom king." Frankie glanced at his mother's turned back then back at me. "Mom thinks Selena's trouble. She's got these problems with her family that have messed her up a little."

"You're pretty mature for a kid, you know that?"

"I've been told," he replied with a smirk.

"I have a feeling we're going to be good friends, kiddo."

Frankie smiled at me and tucked into his eggs and bacon. "Hey, Mom? Can I have some orange juice?"

"You know where both the glasses and the fridge are, Franklin." Denise stared pointedly at her youngest son. "Go and get it yourself, mister."

"I need a good friend around here," he muttered to me before getting up from his seat and walking over to the fridge.

As Frankie poured himself some orange juice, the porch door opened and Demi walked in, followed by Selena. She was clinging to Nick's arm and laughing as he whispered something in her ear and held her close.

I watched Denise as she glanced over her shoulder at them and pursed her lips slightly. It hit me that Frankie was right. Denise really didn't think Selena was right for Nick.

And as I watched them, I wasn't sure if Nick thought she was either.

"Where have you been all week?"

"I've been busy."

"Clearly. I tried calling you but it went to voicemail every time."

I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed, waiting patiently for Liam's latest excuse. I was getting tired of his reasons for not picking up my phonecalls and not replying to my texts. I had been in Texas for about a week and he had been avoiding me since I left New York.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, but he didn't sound very apologetic.

Talking to Liam felt like a chore since I had moved. Talking to your boyfriend wasn't supposed to be an obligation. You were supposed to enjoy it. You were supposed to miss each other.

"So, you start school today, huh?"

"Yeah." I pushed some earrings through the holes in my ears and slipped on my sandals. "Aren't you supposed to be in class right now?"

"I have a study period first thing."

"Like last year?"

"Not really."

"Why not?"

"Because last year, you were still here with me."

I smiled slightly at his words. The emotions I had been feeling towards Liam – that we weren't really a couple anymore, that we didn't miss each other, that he was moving on fast – trickled away. What we were going through was a phase.

"You're sweet," I said with a light laugh. "But seriously, you'll be fine without me. You'll hardly even notice that I'm gone."

"It's senior year, Miley. Why did your parents have to ship you off this year?"

I sighed and fastened my charm bracelet. It had been a gift from Liam on my sixteenth birthday. I loved it.

"I know, babe," I whispered.

"I was thinking of coming down to see you soon. Maybe one weekend I could catch a flight down on the Friday and fly back Sunday night," Liam suggested.

"That would be really nice." I smiled and grabbed my bag from beside the door. "I'd love to see you, and there are some people I'd love for you to meet."

I could hear the frown in his voice as he said, "I thought you hated everything down there?"

"Maybe the people aren't so bad," I admitted. "Demi is like the sister I never had, and Denise is such an inspiration. She has five kids and she still manages to be some kind of domestic goddess."

"Can't wait to meet them," he deadpanned.

"You know I miss everyone back home," I assured Liam. "It's just that it's lonely down here. If I don't get along with these people, the next year is going to drag." I glanced at my watch and bit my lip. "Liam, I have to go. Nick is driving Demi and I to school. I'll call you tonight, okay?"

"Talk to you later," he mumbled.

I hesitated. "I love you."

"Yeah, you too."

Then I heard the quiet click that let me know that Liam was gone. I sighed and slipped my phone into my pocket before walking out into the small living room area.

Demi skipped out of her bedroom and grinned. "We're seniors now!"

I smiled slightly. "Awesome, huh?"

"I can't wait for you to meet everybody."

I silently nodded and followed her across the backyard. The fact of the matter was that I could wait to meet everybody. No matter how hard I had tried to fit into life in Texas in the week since I had arrived, it just wasn't me. I always had been and always would be a New Yorker, and the Dallas suburbs were not where I belonged.

We entered the kitchen and were greeted by Nick, who was leaning against the breakfast bar, watching his mother as she poured him some coffee.

"Good morning, girls," she said cheerfully.

"Hey, Momma!" Demi replied. She nudged her brother and grinned. "Could I get some of that coffee to go?"

"I'm not ready to leave yet," Nick told her.

"And I don't care. We're going to be late, and Miley has to head to the administration office." She took the thermal mug of steaming coffee from Denise and looked at Denise. "Mom, tell him!"

"Demi's right, honey. Miley needs to get her packet from the principal's office," Denise said.

"What does she even need a packet for? Demi and Selena are going to show her around anyway, and not much else comes with that packet."

Denise glared at her son. "Get your keys and go, Nicholas."

He sighed and obeyed his mother. He reached across the counter and grabbed the keys and his phone. "Come on," he muttered to Demi and I before leading us out the door.

"Have a good day!" Denise called, following us out onto the front porch. She grabbed my elbow and smiled. "Have a good first day. Good luck. You'll fit right in."

I smiled weakly. "Thanks," I said quietly. I then clambered into the back seat of Nick's truck and buckled my seatbelt.

"Be warned. Our school is kind of a craphole," Nick said as he reversed out of the driveway.

Demi nudged him. "Shut up!" She turned to look at me and smiled. "The school is not a craphole. Just ignore him. The school is great and the kids are awesome. Granted, some of the teachers are mediocre, but other than the small minority of crappy staff, it's great!"

I nodded and swallowed the lump in my throat. Since I was a little kid, I had been to school with the exact same kids in New York. I had never been the new kid. Instead I watched as other new kids drifted in and out of the city. I ever expected to have to be the new kid halfway across the country, especially not in my senior year of high school.

"Hey," Nick called to me. "Don't sweat it. This place is pretty easy-going."

I nodded once more and looked away. It sure would be a hell of a lot easier if people stopped trying to reassure me that it would be fine. I didn't need Nick or Demi or Denise to tell me that I'd fit right in or that there was nothing to worry about.

There was silence in the car until Nick pulled up into the student parking lot. He grabbed his bag from Demi's feet and jumped out of the car.

Demi and I quickly got out of the car and walked around to stand beside Nick. I stared up at the detached building and sighed. It was so different to my old school. Back in New York, the school had been the same as any of the other tall brick buildings, blending into the atmosphere, but this school stood out. It was similar in that it was tall and made of red brick. The window frames were painted white and the doors were wide open. It was dissimilar to the buildings around it, all of which were houses painted in various shades of white and blue and green.

"Not so daunting, huh?"

"No, I guess not."

Nick slung his bag over one shoulder and waved at us. "I better get going. I promised I'd meet Selena in the cafeteria before class starts for some coffee. Be here for three thirty or I'm driving home without you."

I watched Nick as he walked away, then turned to Demi. "So, where's the administration office?"

"Come on, I'll show you."

Demi weaved her way through the crowds of people hugging and squealing as some people saw their friends for the first time in weeks. She kept a tight grip on my wrist to make sure I didn't lose her and pulled me up the front steps.

"The first day is always pretty crazy," she commented. "Everybody gets a little emotional. No one really wants summer to end, I guess, but at the same time everyone goes crazy about the fact that they're seeing each other again."

We pushed our way through the crowds blocking the door and entered the school foyer. It was like a crossroads, with three different hallways diverting off the main one.

Demi pushed past the people and dragged me down the hallway on the left. We passed rows of red lockers and red classroom doors. There were already flyers stuck up to notice boards and lockers.

We stopped at the end of the hall outside a floor-to-ceiling window with a door in the middle. The plaque on the door said, 'Administration Office'.

"I guess this is where I leave you. I can stay if you want me to."

I shook my head. "I'm sure you have to get to your friends. I'll be fine."

"I'll come and find you at lunch," Demi promised.

I nodded and watched as she jogged back down the hallway and out of sight. I then took a deep breath and walked into the office. I walked straight to the desk.

The woman smiled up at me. "Good morning. Welcome back."

"Hello. I'm just starting today. I have to pick up a packet. My name is Miley Stewart," I said.

The woman rustled through some papers behind the desk and pulled out a thick brown envelope. She handed it to me across the table with a smile.

"In there is a temporary student ID, a map of the school, your schedule, some information about the place, stuff like that." The woman glanced at her computer. "You'll have to come down here period four to get your student ID photo taken for your permanent one, but just explain that to your teacher and they'll let you out."

"Thank you," I said with a weak smile.

"No problem. Welcome," she said.

I felt her eyes on my back as I walked back out the door. I pulled a sheet of paper out of the envelope with my locker number and combination on it.

Number 334. I had no clue where that was.

I stopped someone who was passing. "Excuse me, can you tell me where locker 334 is please?"

The boy glanced at me and nodded. "Walk back down to the main foyer and go straight ahead. It's about halfway down there."

"Thank you so much. I'm new here and I'm kind of lost."

He smiled slightly. "Understandable." He stuck out his hand. "I'm Jake, by the way."

"I'm Miley."

"Well, Miley, what's a girl like you doing in Dallas?"

"My parents are going through some issues and thought it would be a good idea to ship me off to live with their friends for my senior year," I mumbled.

"That sucks," Jake said sympathetically. He began to walk with me down the hall. "You know, I think I saw you at that party the other night with Demi. She's pretty cool."

"Yeah, I'm staying with their family."

"Not a bad family. I mean, you've got the school's star football player in the same house," Jake teased.

I laughed lightly. "I guess I do, huh?" We made our way across the main hall, following his directions. "So, have you always lived here?"

Jake nodded. "My family has lived around here for, like, three generations. Everybody's gone to this school since my grandparents met in their freshman year."

"That's so cute!"

"Oh trust me, not when you hear the story every time my grandpa gets a little drunk at Christmas." We stopped outside locker 334. "I guess I'll leave you here."

"Thanks for helping me."

"No problem. If you need anything, let me know."

Jake walked off into the distance. As I watched him walk away, I started to think that this town maybe wasn't so bad after all.

I'M BAAACK! Did you miss me? Just kidding. Thanks to Cutiepie241840, niley4eva2012, Fatimaaa, lifeswhatyoumakeit101, TheMsBrandy1, Simar, jonasluver4ever21, MissQueenyB, rainbowsandsunshine123, NickJisoffmychain2828 and IWantNiley3.0 for your reviews! Much appreciated x

I plan to update my stories every weekend this summer. Unfortunately I'll be away on holiday with my family for three weeks in July so I won't get much updating done then but I promise to update as much as possible before and after that.