Part Four

"Are you going riding with Bobbi Sue tonight?" Lilly asked.

We were spread out on my bed doing Algebra II homework, and naturally we were doing more talking than problem-solving.

"No. Stable management judging starts tonight."

Lilly chewed on her pencil. "Does that mean you might actually have time to hang out with your best friend?"

I frowned. "What do you mean? We always hang out. We're hanging out right now."

"I know, but you've been riding every day this week. Between Bobbi and Oliver I never see you anymore."

Ugh. She was being all possessive of me again. "Lilly, it's just for this week. Bobbi is leaving in three days."

"She is?"

"Bright and early Monday morning, she's gone. Then my nights are all yours again. Well...you might have to share me with Oliver, but I'm sure an evening or two with Jackson will make you feel much better."

Lilly threw her pencil at me, but her smile said I was forgiven.

A loud bang reverberated through the house.

Lilly and I looked at each other.

"What was that?" Lilly asked.

"I dunno." I slid off my bed. "Let's go find out."

Jackson was in the living room. I half expected to find him with a big piece of wood in his hands, but instead he had moved the coffee table out of the way and was lifting weights.

Lifting weights? When did Jackson ever lift weights?

Lilly looked confused. "What are you doing?"

He was breathing hard. "Sorry, Lil. Can't talk now. Gotta work my biceps." He attempted two more reps, then dropped the weights.

The house shook again.

"Good grief, how much are you lifting?" I stooped down to inspect the weights. "Twenty-five pounds for each arm? Geez, no wonder you keep dropping them."

Lilly shook her head disapprovingly. "You shouldn't lift that much, Jackson. I've been reading about weight training and it's better to start lower and do more reps. And you should be wearing a back brace."

"For a dumbbell curl?" I raised an eyebrow.

She shrugged as if she didn't really know. "Jackson, you're standing all wrong. You have to keep your shoulders back and your elbows against your side." She walked up to him and pushed his shoulders back. "There."

He watched her warily, as if she was a strange creature that he couldn't figure out. It occurred to me then that there had probably never been another girl in his entire realm of experience that treated him this way.

"Okay," I said, interrupting them, "no one's asking the very obvious question. Why in Uncle Earl's name are you lifting weights, Jackson?"

"'Cause I'm getting in touch with my manliness." He flexed his arm proudly.

"But can't you do that with the tree house?" Lilly asked.

"Nope. I put the tree house on the back burner for now."

"But...why?" Lilly pouted.

He picked up the weights again. "'Cause you can't build anything without a hammer."

"But I told you my mom said we could borrow the one in my refrigerator."

"No thanks, Lil. I got muscle to burn and ladies to impress. Stand back. This could get dangerous." He labored through another set of reps.

Lilly looked heartbroken.

I opened by mouth to comfort her, but the door swung open and Bobbi Sue appeared behind it. She wore a glorious red dress that fell to just above her knees, and her diamond earrings glittered in the light.

"Miley, I'm so glad you're here. Guess who just flew all the way from Tennessee to watch me compete this weekend?" She reached behind her and pulled a tall young man into the living room. "This is my boyfriend Aidan."

He looked like one of those underwear models you'd see in a JC Penney's catalogue. Gorgeous, but completely generic. He had it all going for him: dark hair, blue eyes, perfect bone structure, and a ripped body. But as I shook his hand politely and he smiled down at me, I saw nothing there.

"I hope it's okay if he stays here for a couple nights," Bobbi Sue said. "You won't mind sleeping on the couch, will you, Miley?" She looked right at me.

"Uh..." How was I supposed to answer that? And where did she get the idea that I was okay with her and her boyfriend sleeping in my room?

"Thanks, you're a doll." Bobbi Sue pushed Aidan onto the living room chair and sat in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly.

It was almost embarrassing to stand there and watch them. They were all over each other. How was it that I could be so thoroughly repulsed and yet insanely jealous at the same time?

Aidan pulled back for a moment and reached into his pocket. He placed a small wrapped gift in Bobbi Sue's palm. She opened it to find a beautiful silver necklace with a dolphin in the center.

Bobbi Sue squealed. "Oooh! It's perfect! I love you so much!" She brushed her nose against his.

"I love you more." He kissed her.

Okay, I mean, I think dolphins are cute an all, but not that cute.

"You remembered Sea World," Bobbi Sue whispered.

"How could I forget?" He said it so seductively, I decided I really didn't want to know what happened at Sea World.

I cleared my throat. "So Bobbi, I thought they were judging stable management tonight."

She looked a little perturbed at my intrusion. "Oh, they are. But I don't help with that. That's the job for the stable hand. What's her name? Kacey, Katie, Keri? I don't remember."

Of course she didn't.

"Oh, Jackson!" she exclaimed. "I'm so glad you took my advice. You look better already. How's it coming with that girl you like? Did you show her your biceps?"

Woah...what? Bobbi Sue was giving Jackson advice, too? And after she spent all that time trying to encourage Lilly?

I looked over at my friend. Lilly had gone very pale, and her eyes sparkled with tears.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly, touching her arm.

She scoffed. "Of course I am." She plopped down onto the couch and grabbed a book off the end table.

I didn't believe her, but I knew she didn't want to talk about it.

Jackson announced that he was going to take a shower. After he left, Bobbi Sue and Aidan went back to their sweet romantic mutterings and not-so-innocent kisses.

I so should not be jealous of them.

And because things weren't interesting enough already, Oliver decided to show up.

"Yo I'm here to see my Miley, 'cause she's pretty and she's smiley, and we have fun all the timey, 'cause we're freaky freaky freaky freaky tight." He strolled up to me, kissed my cheek hastily, and headed for the kitchen.

The look Bobbi Sue gave me could've lit a pile of kindling on fire.

"You won't believe what my brother did today," Oliver said, opening the refrigerator door. "He ate the last piece of grandma's chocolate cake. I even wrote my name on it, and left a threatening message on the bathroom mirror."

I blinked at him. "Uh...hi Oliver."

"Hi, Miles," he said into the refrigerator. "Do you want half of my sandwich?"

What was it with guys and sandwiches?

"No, thanks. I thought you said you gave me the last piece of your grandma's cake."

"I did. This is a new cake. I told her she was my favorite grandma and she made me another one."

"Oliver, isn't she your only grandmother?" I walked up to him.

He plopped the bag of roast beef onto the counter. "Yeah, but she forgets that all the time. She and Grammy had this crazy rivalry thing going on. It was great at Christmastime. One year I got a new dirt bike and a trampoline."

I glanced over my shoulder at Bobbi Sue. She was watching us with a pair of hawk eyes. Aidan was kissing her neck.

Impulsively I stepped between Oliver and his sandwich and slid my arms up around his neck. "So...you wanna go upstairs and help me with one of my Algebra problems? It's really hard." I leaned forward, poised to kiss him.

"Miley!" Bobbi Sue yelled.

I jumped back. "What?"

She smiled sweetly. "Sorry. Your shirt was about to touch the roast beef. Meat stains can be very hard to get out."

Yeah, whatever.

I grabbed Oliver's wrist. "Come on." I dragged him upstairs and into my room. He tried to protest but I put a finger to his lips and pushed him down onto my bed. I was about to climb on top of him when he sat up and took my hands in his.

"Woah, where's Miley and what have you done with her?"

"What?" I said impatiently. "You don't think I could seduce you if I wanted?"

I tried to kiss him but he held me at arm's length. "What's wrong with you? Your dad could walk in any minute."

"I don't care."

"Well I do. Because if we're caught making out on your bed, I'm the one who's gonna get a fistful of Robbie Ray."

"Fine, then. Stand up if you want." I pulled him up and wrapped my arms around his waist. Again I tried to kiss him, and again he pushed me away.

"Miley, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Okay, that's not true. First you drag me away from my sandwich, then you throw me onto your bed, now you're suffocating me. I mean, not that I don't like it, but let's be honest, this isn't you. So what gives?"

I groaned in frustration. Did he really have to think so much right now? "Oliver, what's the big deal? I'm fine. We're dating. This is normal boyfriend-girlfriend behavior. Stop talking." I stretched up on my tip-toes.

Oliver shook his head. "Wait -"

"Good grief, boy, would you just kiss me?"

Oliver studied me, concerned. He touched my cheek. "You're just acting weird, that's all. Are you sure you're all right?"

His touch was calming, and I let out a long breath. "I'm sure. I'm sorry. I won't drag you away from your sandwich anymore."

"Well, you know, if it's the real Miley who's dragging me away, the sandwich can definitely wait."

My heart fluttered at the husky tone of his voice and the quiet, focused look in his eyes. His hand slid behind my neck and he lowered his lips to mine...

"Oh! Sorry to bother you, but I just had to get out of these heels. They're killing my feet." Bobbi Sue walked right into my room with her boyfriend in tow.

I could have wrung her neck.

"You don't mind if we use your room for a minute, do you? Aidan is exhausted after his flight and he needs to rest for a little bit." She tossed her heels onto to middle of the floor and sprawled out on my bed. "Ah...much better."

Aidan took his shoes off and joined her. Oh, no he didn't.

"Bobbi, does Aidan really have to stay here? There are plenty of nice hotels around."

Bobbi Sue looked hurt. She puffed out her lower lip. "Miley, darling, it won't be any inconvenience at all. And after I bought you all those new clothes, too."

Oh, crap. Now I felt guilty. "Fine. But it's still my room and you can't tell me to leave."

Oliver's arm tightened around my waist. "Miley, it's not worth it. Let's go."

"No, that was really rude of her to just barge in here."

Bobbi Sue slid off my bed. "Honey, I can see you're taking out all your pent up sexual frustration on me. It's okay, I forgive you. I understand." She glanced pointedly at Oliver. "But let's not let it ruin our evening, hmm? I was going to invite you to come to a party with me tonight."

A party? Bobbi Sue had never invited me to a grown up party before. When would I ever get another chance like this? And don't give me all that Hannah nonsense. This is completely different.

"Really?" I squeaked.

"That's right. Lacey's having a party at her house for all the Pony Clubbers, and she said I could invite you." She held up her cell phone. "And guess who I just chatted with on the phone? Your daddy said you could go, too."

Oh, I was finding it so hard to be mad at her right now. "Can Oliver come?"

She laughed. "Of course not. It's just for girls. Unless he wants to come do makeovers and have pillow fights with us. What do you think, Ollie?"

He looked disgusted. "No, thanks."

I touched Oliver's arm. "Do you mind if I go, then?"

He shrugged. "Whatever." If it bothered him, he didn't show it.

"Oh, thank you!" I squeezed his arm, then bounced over to Bobbi Sue, everything but her unmerited generosity in inviting me to a party forgotten. "When do we leave?"

"In an hour. And I have just the perfect pair of shoes for you to wear."

New shoes, too? Yup, I was definitely floating on cloud nine.

Lacey's house was packed with party guests when we arrived, and - I noticed as we stepped inside - packed with guys, too.

I gave Bobbi Sue a very long look. "I thought you said it was just for girls."

"Well, that's what Lacey said. She must've changed her mind."

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I didn't believe her.

The party was loud, but still under control. A DJ worked the sound system in the living room and almost everyone was up dancing. It felt weird to be in such an environment as plain old Miley Stewart. I kept looking around for reporters and celebrities, kept listening for Tracy's nasally voice, kept feeling my hair just to make sure it was still brown. It was.

I have to admit, at first I had a downright fabulous time. The music selection was great, the food was delicious, the guests were chatty and hip. I was on a high, and I didn't come down until Bobbi Sue found me an hour later and pulled me aside.

"So...what do you think?" Her cheeks were glowing, her eyes bright and wide.

"This party totally rocks," I admitted.

"I knew you'd like it. We're so much alike, you and me." She linked her arm through mine and led me into the dining room. "So..." she drawled, "I want you to meet someone."

"Who?"

"Well, he's very nice, and his parents are filthy rich, and he has blond hair." She pushed me toward the back of a tall boy.

"No!" I hissed. "What are you doing!?"

"Don't be shy, Miles. Just smile and laugh at his jokes."

I pried her hand off my arm. "Stop it! Don't you dare try to set me up. I'm dating -"

She shoved me into the boy. He turned around sharply and looked down at me.

I almost fainted dead away.

Sammy.

"Hey," he said warmly, grinning like a fool. "I saw you over there dancing. I'm Samuel Forster."

I couldn't feel any part of my body. I couldn't speak.

"Yeah, I get that reaction a lot." He combed a hand through his hair. "What's your name?"

All that came out of my mouth was a high-pitched squeak.

"Her name is Miley Stewart," Bobbi Sue said. "She's my cousin."

"Nice to meet you." If his smile got any bigger, I was sure his teeth would fall out. "Hey, Miley, relax. I'm a fun guy to talk to. Listen to this. What do a bicycle, a chicken, and a frog have in common?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was this the same Sammy who had stalked Hannah all over Malibu quoting beautiful lines of Shakespeare? And what was he doing here?

"They all have handlebars! Well, except for the frog and the chicken." He laughed at his own joke.

Finally I found my tongue. "That's nice, but please excuse me. I need to use the bathroom." I started to leave.

"What, you don't want know why the bully went to beauty school?" he called after me. "To tease hair!"

I found an empty corner of the house and collapsed. This was a mistake. I never should have come. I should have known Bobbi Sue would do something like this.

"What, you don't like him? I think he's cute." Bobbi Sue squatted down beside me.

I looked up at her with tears in my eyes. "How could you do this to me?"

My reaction surprised her. "Do what? I'm just trying to help you. Open your eyes. There are other fish in the sea."

"Well, I don't want anyone else!" I stood up angrily, brushing her away. "Oliver is a great boyfriend, and now because of you I'm here at this stupid party instead of having fun with him. I'm calling my dad to pick me up."

Bobbi Sue sighed. "You're right. You aren't emotionally ready for this yet. It's probably best if you leave."

I didn't know what she meant by that, but I didn't care. "Fine. I will. And Bobbi," I said tightly, "I'm sleeping in my bed tonight."

I turned away from her and went to call my dad.

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