A/N: Hello readers... Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking - that it's been an age since I last updated and I've missed my Christmas deadline :( Muchos apologies but many things have been occuring. Anyway, here it is, the next segment of Lilly and Miley's skiing adventures. I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 4
23rd December
The sky was overcast with the promise of snowfall, yet so far nothing had come and the slopes had been lacking in refreshed snow for the past few days. Lilly's gaze was temporarily heavenward as she sought for any signs of a turn in the weather, since she disapproved of the unnatural snow machines that pumped out scientifically made snow. The equipment was dotted out around the mountains where people chose to ski and, although they served their function and kept replenishing the snow levels, they were an experience to ski through. Blinding frost would obscure the vision of the skiers as they descended the slopes and it would become difficult to see more than a few of feet ahead – much like skiing through a blizzard. The effect of the jets of snow on the body was similar with small, icy particles thrashing at the ski jackets and finding their way through the warm layers to bite at people's faces, hands and necks. It was Lilly's first day of having to handle the snow machines and she was already grumbling against them like the rest of her fellow skiers.
A strangled cry suddenly distracted Lilly from her quiet contemplation at the bottom of the Green run they had been dissecting during their lesson that morning, and she at once recognised who it belonged to. Her head spun to the place where a young woman was careering down the mountainside at ridiculous speeds for someone so inexperienced. Lilly's eyes widened and she flung her body forward as her poles struck the snow around her, desperately propelling herself toward the other girl without even needing to think about what to do; she instinctively knew that she must save her.
Other heads were twisting and skiers were watching open mouthed as the girl skied directly forward down the slope, from where she had lost control of her turns that were keeping her speed down. Her legs were pushing together in an attempt to brake but resistance to gravity seemed futile in this case as the slope was too much for her. She approached the end of the run, yet there were no barriers or drifts to stop her. The land flattened out but her speed was still too great and she was heading toward the one treacherous place, between a yoghurt-pot lift and another ski run, where there were no barriers and only sheer cliff-side beyond.
"Miley!" Lilly yelled, her insides churning as she helplessly watched the other girl, knowing that she was too far away to act as a shield, a barrier, a life-saving device and there was no one else close enough.
"Fall over!" Lilly shrieked, as her entire body reached out for the girl who she was still several yards away from.
Miley remained upright, rigid and moving at a dangerous speed for a few, terrifying, moments longer until something triggered within her body and she threw herself to the ground. Her body scraped along the hard snow until she finally stopped and Lilly was at her side.
"A-Are you okay?" Lilly stuttered as she threw off her own skis and knelt down beside the other girl who was already pushing herself up into a sitting position.
Miley pulled her goggles up and off her face, and Lilly's sky-blue irises were quickly met with a pair of wide, oceanic eyes that screamed out fear and shattered confidence. Better shattered confidence than broken limbs, Lilly inwardly decided.
"I-I'm fine." Miley replied, "Glad to have stopped now." The brunette managed a weak smile which Lilly gratefully returned. She crouched low beside her new friend and began to brush off the snow that had gathered on her shoulders and back, "Thank you for saving me Lilly." Miley muttered. She was sitting still on the frozen ground and her big eyes were spilling with appreciation and warmth towards Lilly.
Lilly's heart had not finished pounding from when she had realised it was Miley who was in trouble, and now it seemed to be burning up her insides since the other girl seemed to be refusing to look away from her.
"I didn't save you." Lilly said at last, leaning back on her haunches before rising to her feet and helping the other girl stand up.
"Sure you did." Miley argued gently, "If you hadn't told me to fall over I think I would be at the bottom of that cliff." Miley inclined her head in the direction of the drop she had been quickly approaching and Lilly winced.
"Well I'm glad you're not." She managed a small smile.
"You're my hero." Miley said, almost shyly and a glitter had risen within the azure depths of her eyes that only added to the heat already residing within them.
Lilly's stomach back-flipped over itself and she broke their gaze. Miley Stewart had an effect on her that she had never really experienced before, especially after knowing her for such a short time, and Lilly was determined to control her reactions to it. She gritted her teeth and set about helping Miley with her skis and poles, "I think 'hero' is a bit of a big word to use for someone who just shouted some lame advice to you."
"I call 'em as I see 'em." Miley shrugged as she laid the skis out in front of her ready to click her boots in place.
Lilly was about to disagree with the brunette once more when an approaching figure cut them off short as their ski instructor appeared, "Is everything okay?" Jean-Michelle asked the slightly dishevelled pair.
Lilly nodded and Miley spoke first, "Yeah we're fine thanks."
"Couldn't be any better." Lilly said dryly, but smiled when Miley looked at her anxiously and both girls suddenly burst into laughter, "Just a normal day on the slopes with Miss Stewart here." Lilly grinned and nudged the other girl in the side.
Jean-Michelle peered at them both closely again before turning his attention to Miley, "Are you sure you are okay?"
Miley bobbed her head up and down a few times, "Yeah, I had a bit of a scare but I'll live."
"Good, zat is very good. We are just about done for ze lesson zis morning, so I will let you girls off early to go and 'ave a hot drink in ze café at ze bottom of the lift."
"Oh, thanks." Lilly answered brightly and Jean-Michelle smiled at them.
"You 'ave been making some good progress as a group and I was 'oping to take you all on a Blue slope tomorrow."
Lilly cautiously watched Miley from the corner of her eye and noticed the other girl gulp, but quickly cover the action up by nodding stiffly, "Sounds like a plan."
Jean-Michelle continued, "We do not have to do ze entire course and I will take us down ze easier sections. I do feel that many of you are more zan ready for it." Jean-Michelle looked at Lilly quickly before glancing over at the gaggle of younger boys who were laughing together a little way off. "Anyone is welcome to turn around and go back at any point if they so wish. There are many opportunities to do so on ze slope, which is why, in some ways, it iz better zan zis Green run you 'ave been doing zis morning."
"Alright then, we'll do that and see you in the usual place at nine tomorrow." Lilly answered.
"Goodbye girls, 'ave a nice afternoon."
Lilly and Miley slowly made their way over to the ski lift, carrying their skis and poles, and without much need to say anything to each other. Their descent was peaceful and all talk broken up by the stunning view of their hotel and the rustic shops that lined the square.
"We should totally go ice-skating tonight." Miley announced when the girls prepared themselves to step off the lift.
"What, on the ice-rink?" Lilly asked as her eyes caught sight of the fenced-off space in the centre of the courtyard-like area.
"No, in the hotel lobby." Miley replied sarcastically, "Yes of course on the ice-rink you doofus." She teased.
"Well, yeah, we can do that…"
"I'm sensing some hesitation." Miley quirked an eyebrow and the two girls stepped off the lift, before turning in the direction of the café that their ski instructor had mentioned earlier.
"Oh, no, well not hesitation really…" Lilly began, "It's just that I'm actually quite surprisingly bad at ice-skating, even though I skateboard everyday and have taken to skiing well. There's just something about ice and me that doesn't really click."
"That's interesting to know." Miley replied and indicated a table for them to sit at outside the café where they could also clock the goings-on of other skiers.
"Why? Are you like some kind of Hannah Montana of the skating-rink world?"
Miley laughed brightly and the sound caught Lilly off guard, "Oh Lilly, you are weird. Now you sit down and behave whilst I go get us some hot chocolate." Miley's smile lingered as she watched Lilly take a seat, before she turned and flounced into the café to order their drinks.
Lilly tugged off her now damp gloves and laid them on the table-top beside her. She pulled her hat from her head and quickly set about trying to tidy the messy state that was her golden locks, "Please don't let me have hat-hair…" Lilly mumbled under her breath and peered into a salt shaker in front of her, in a futile effort to utilise its shiny surface as a basic mirror.
"One hot chocolate for Lilly, and one for Miley."
Lilly looked up as the brunette set down a steaming mug of warm, chocolaty goodness in front of her. She licked her lips expectantly and sat up in her chair, pressing her palms against the cup, and pleasurably absorbing the warmth that the hot liquid emitted.
Miley smiled as she settled in her chair and her eyes flew to Lilly's once more. She reached up and took off her hat, releasing a cascade of perfect brown curls that tumbled down and around her shoulders.
It's like she's from a shampoo advert, Lilly thought to herself as the scene unwound, apparently in slow motion. She found herself coveting the sweeping of Miley's eyelashes as the other girl blinked and lifted the cup of hot chocolate to her waiting lips. Miley's mouth gradually transformed into a pout as she blew gently on the surface of her drink to cool it, before taking a chance and pressing her lips against the rim of the mug to sip the liquid.
Say something…Say anything… "So, do you wanna go skiing again this afternoon?" Lilly blurted out in an attempt to draw her attention away from, well, just watching Miley obsessively.
Miley smiled slowly in response while she appeared to think the idea over first, "I will talk to my dad and brother, because I know they wanted to go too, but I'm sure it'll be okay." Miley replied.
"Cool, how about we do the Green slope we learnt this morning?" Miley's eyes widened and Lilly could see her fighting against her fear of repeated failure, "Not the worst part, I mean the second, easier part that we did just fine." Lilly finished and Miley's eyes grew brighter.
"Sure, that bit's all okay. Plus I could probably do with the practice before the Blue run tomorrow."
"Yeah, scary huh?"
Miley nodded, "I really don't feel ready to try a Blue slope. I don't even feel nearly as confident as I should do on the Greens."
Lilly watched Miley for a moment, noticing the skirting away of her eyes and her sudden interest in the table-top; she was stubborn just like Lilly and hated admitting her fear, "I'll look after you." Lilly said gently, "We can go through it all together and if you've had enough, I've had enough, and vice versa, okay?"
Miley grinned, "That sounds like a great plan. Thank you."
"That's what friends are for." Lilly spoke-sang and then took another slurp from her hot drink.
Miley swirled the contents of her cup around a little in her hands before looking up at Lilly, "Your cheeks have gone all pink, and the tip of your nose. It's really cute."
Lilly felt more blood surge to her cheeks after Miley's observation, "It's an unfortunate trait I have to look like a demented child when it's cold."
Miley released another one of her famous barking laughs, "You don't look like a 'demented child', more like one of Father Christmas' elves."
"Erm… Thank you?"
"You're welcome." Miley smirked.
"To be honest, you're kind of heading that way too." Lilly admitted, and Miley pressed her finger tips into her cheeks.
"Yeah, I guess I am kinda flushed. It's 'cause it's chilly out here but I'm still all hot from our lesson. Drinking my drink and winding down from my skiing traumas, I'm sure to be freezing my butt off in a bit."
"We should probably head inside and calm down before attempting the Green run this afternoon."
"Alright, after you then Elfy."
Lilly scowled playfully at Miley, "You did not just call me that."
Miley shrugged as she got to her feet and stretched, "Mmm… you're darn right I did." Miley growled as she reached the optimum moment of the stretch before letting her body slump back to its normal posture once more. "I'll catch ya later Lilly, I gotta go and meet my family for lunch."
"Sure, stay safe." Lilly joked.
"Without you around to look out for me? I'm beginning to think that's near impossible, but I promise I'll try my best." Miley winked at Lilly, "Catch ya later alligator."
"In a while, crocodile." Lilly finished the phrase with a grin that threatened to give her the appearance of a mildly crazy person, yet she was hardly able to class herself as sane anymore, especially whilst in the presence of Miley Stewart.
x-x-x-x-x
The same blizzard-like conditions as the morning were surrounding Lilly whilst she stood with her nuclear family, and their plus one, beside a copse of trees halfway down the last leg of the Green run. Snow machines were pumping out the frozen spray and it was very difficult to see further than her huddle of people. She had wrapped her scarf tightly around her neck and chin, and her eyes were masked by ski goggles so that only her nose poked out and had to suffer the cruelties of the cold.
From her knowledge of this particular course, which she had accumulated over the past couple of days, Lilly knew that she had to progress down a gentle slope, whilst turning sharply to the right to stay on track. Visibility was, however, a factor which was severely hampered by the snow machines and levels of high concentration, with some good turning, would be needed.
"I'll go first!" A previously unenthusiastic voice chirped over the group of people and Lilly turned around to face the speaker with a smile that was not seen since it was submerged beneath her many wrappers. Miley was standing boldly positioned on her skis, in the correct stance for push-off and facing the slope with a new-found confidence. This self-assurance may have been built up by the fact that the brunette had not wiped-out once, even when her father made her face her previous demons on the hardest part of the slope, a couple of hundred feet above them.
"We'll all follow you then, darlin'." Robbie Ray Stewart announced gruffly over the rest and Miley seemed to shrink back a little in her stature.
"Erm… actually, I'm kinda slow so maybe it'd be best it y'all went ahead?" She answered apologetically as the snow continued to whip around them all.
"Well someone make a decision because I'm freezin' here!" Jackson Stewart announced impatiently from behind.
"I say all the people here who are frozen to almost the point beyond relief should head off now." Matt Truscott agreed and, with a triumphant acknowledgment from Jackson, pushed off down the slope, where he was shortly followed by Sarah.
"Well, that gets those bozos out of the way at least…" Lilly said, before glancing at Robbie Ray, "No offence, sir."
Mr Stewart only laughed, "You just about hit the nail on the head there Lilly. Right then girls, I'll be seeing you at the bottom, best of luck." Robbie Ray saluted them before following after his son.
Lilly's parents were dithering and Lilly sighed, "You'd better get to it Miles. They're not gonna go without knowing we're supervised, even from a distance."
Miley chuckled, "To be honest Lils, that's probably a good thing." Miley's mouth was free from any covers and she flashed Lilly a toothy grin, "See you at the foot…I hope."
Lilly grinned as the other girl cast herself forward into the apparent unknown, before digging in her own poles to follow the ski tracks of her friend.
Lilly was almost blind as she flew down the slope and was blasted by the worst of the snow machines. She knew only to try to stay right but, glancing ahead, noticed that Miley hadn't made the turn yet, and could see the efforts the other girl was putting in. The brunette was going too fast and was once more unable to brake. Lilly forced her legs into position so that she might slow down whilst watching the inevitable happen as Miley span out of control, before colliding with a snow drift.
Lilly gritted her teeth and allowed herself a bit more speed as she hastened to the other girl's rescue, her eyes fixed on Miley's wiggling form as she struggled to rise from the mound of snow that had cushioned her wipe-out. Unfortunately staring at Miley had become such a habit for the blonde that she completely missed seeing the ski which had become detached from Miley's boot. With a sudden jerk that sent Lilly flying forward she lost sight of where she was for a long moment until she collided with something very cold and frosty.
Spluttering, Lilly pulled her head out of the snow drift and her scarf slid down from her face. She managed to roll onto her back, unintentionally, whilst sliding down a small slope and laughed as she lay in the snow, whilst flakes swirled all around her in a beautiful chaos.
"Lilly?" Miley was calling her from somewhere above and nearby, although her voice was being taken a little by the fake blizzard.
Small balls of snow were coming loose from the mound to Lilly's left and somebody was slipping towards her.
"Oof!" Lilly gasped as another body rolled down the miniature hill that had separated them and had crashed into her own, where she had been lying quite dazed, but quite happy to catch her breath.
"Ouch!" Miley grunted as her body landed smack against Lilly's, with her right arm thrown over the blonde's torso and her left stuck in the snow beside her. Miley's hair had fallen across Lilly's exposed cheek and as Lilly tried to say something, a dark lock brushed against her lips while the sticky snowflakes which had gathered there began to melt against her mouth, leaving her temporarily speechless.
Miley's head was moving from side to side as the girl tried to get hold of her bearings, since she was left temporarily blind by the snow that crowded her goggles. Her head stayed low and her cold cheek brushed against Lilly's as she lifted it up and out of the way of the drift.
"Lilly, is that you?"
Lilly found herself laughing again and she managed to wiggle an arm free enough to raise a hand and brush away the snow that had clouded Miley's vision. "Here I am."
Miley looked down at Lilly and a brilliant smile had slinked its way across her lips, "Hey." She tilted her head to one side as she regarded Lilly lying beneath her, "Ya know, I was wondering why the snow was laughing."
Lilly smirked, "Yeah well, it obviously found something very funny."
"The fact that you find me amusing bodes well for me."
Lilly's lips parted, but no sound came out when Miley's gloved fingers stroked along Lilly's cheek, across to where her jaw met her neck, to sweep the snow away, "There, that oughta stop the stuff going down inside your jacket." Miley announced matter-of-factly, before rolling off Lilly.
Lilly allowed herself a moment's stillness before heaving her body into a sitting position, which needed a lot of strain from her stomach muscles. "Do you want a hand finding your stuff?" She called across to Miley who was checking that her remaining ski was secure.
"Nah, my other ski is right next to your big feet." Miley retorted and she dug it out from underneath Lilly with a grin that Lilly could just about discern from the swirling snow that spun around them. "Now let me get you up and then you can help me put it back on." Miley stated with a playfully bossy edge to her voice.
"Yes Miss." Lilly was laughing as Miley hauled her to her feet before she noticed two familiar figures skiing towards them, "Well it took you long enough to come to the rescue." She reproached her parents jokingly.
"Sorry darling," Michael Truscott began, "Your mother was worried that she had lost her spare set of gloves further up the course. It turns out they were in her front pocket all along."
Heather shrugged, "Better safe than sorry. Now would one of you dears like them? They're nice and warm and your gloves must be soaking with all that rolling around in the snow."
Miley laughed and Lilly felt her body tingle from its musical sound, "I'm fine thanks Mrs Truscott. But I think we could all do with gettin' out of this snow and having a good ol' hot chocolate."
"You're quite right." Heather agreed, "Come on then Lilly, don't just stand there like a lemon, best foot forward."
Lilly rolled her eyes and gawked after her mother whilst Miley, catching her eye, giggled and put her hand on Lilly's arm to lean in conspiratorially, "She's great, don't worry about it." Miley muttered into Lilly's ear before gliding off after the blonde's parents down the last bit of the slope.
Lilly sighed as she followed Miley's movements with never-tiring eyes, taking her time to gaze on the apparent perfection of the other girl, who had no idea what she was doing to Lilly Truscott.
x-x-x-x-x
The bench sunk down beside Lilly as she fumbled with the laces that would secure ice-skates to her feet. "How's it going blondie?" Miley Stewart asked a little breathlessly as she bent over to attend to her own boots.
"Nugh…" Lilly grumbled as her gloved hands made little work of the shoestrings.
"Here, let me get those for you." Miley said, before finishing with her laces and taking up position crouched down in front of Lilly. "Ya know it would have been much easier if you had just taken your gloves off, like a normal person."
"I suppose so." Lilly shrugged, "But if I had, then you wouldn't be doing this for me."
Miley glanced up and met Lilly's twinkling eyes with a smile of her own, "You're so lazy." She muttered lowly, her eyes clinging to Lilly's face rather than the shoes which she was tying.
"Hey, eyes on the prize Stewart." Lilly reprimanded jovially, "I want you to make sure you're tying the right laces. I don't want them knotted together so that I trip over, although I am sure that you would enjoy that."
"Lilly," Miley acted shocked, "I can't believe you would presume such a thing; that I, Miley Ray Stewart, would actually find amusement in you falling on your butt."
"…Like I have with you this whole ski holiday?" Lilly replied.
"Exactly. I am a much better person than you." Miley grinned, but followed through with Lilly's instruction and finally pulled the last bow into place, "There you are."
"Thanks." Lilly answered and pushed up off the bench to join Miley who had now risen to her feet, "Are you really sure you want to do this? I don't know what the health and safety record is for this rink after all and after our little spill on the slopes earlier, don't you think that fate might be against us today?"
"Californian skater-girl say what?" Miley demanded with a raised eyebrow, "Now come on. Finally I get to show you that I can actually do something and I won't have you backing out on me."
Miley began to tug at Lilly's hand, dragging her wobbly friend along towards the ice-rink, "Alright, alright, don't get your panties in a bunch." Lilly mumbled as she tried to maintain balance on the narrow blades, whilst willing the rising heat in her cheeks to back down at the thought of Miley's hand grasping her own.
"Why are you so weird about ice-skating anyway? I thought you were fearless when it comes to this kind of sport." Miley suddenly stopped and twisted around to face Lilly, her blue eyes burning in the light of the lamps that surrounded the square and kept the court area well lit in the evenings.
"W-Well…" Lilly began and looked sheepishly at their joined hands, which Miley only squeezed tighter in an attempt to draw out the information from her, "I sort of broke my arm during ice-hockey practice a few years ago and never got over it. I haven't been back on the ice since." Lilly smiled apologetically at Miley, whose eyes widened sympathetically.
"Gosh Lils, I'm sorry. We don't have to go skating anyway; we can just sit and talk."
Lilly was a little taken-aback by Miley's sincerity, but the idea of sitting in close company with the brunette, which she knew would severely hamper her sanity since the other girl inflicted a wild longing in her, was not a good plan. "I think I should do this. And I want to anyway." Lilly admitted and Miley's famous smile shone out at her once more.
"That's cool. Don't you worry Lilly; old Miley will get you back on your ice legs."
Lilly laughed, "I had a feeling you'd say that."
Miley nodded and helped Lilly to the entrance of the rink where they stepped onto the ice together. Lilly clung to the sides for a little while, dragging herself further into the iced-over area with the help of the wall beside her. Miley, on the other hand, was quick to put her right foot forward and was soon gliding across the ice a little way away. Lilly paused in her uncharacteristic shuffling as she watched the other girl take the frozen surface in her stride. She was suddenly seeing elegance in Miley that she had never been privy to before, or even thought existed, and she held her breath as she watched Miley's hair fly out behind her, as her feet took long turns sweeping over the ice; she was quite exquisite.
"Since when did you get so graceful?" Lilly chided the brunette playfully from the sidelines and instigated a bright laugh from Miley. The brunette twirled with her hands held above her head before deciding it was time to succumb to the blonde's will and skated over to Lilly.
"I dunno." Miley shrugged as she came to a halt against the wall that Lilly hadn't yet left, "Hang on… are you calling me a clutz or something?"
"Well, if the ski-boot fits." Lilly grinned. Miley nudged Lilly in the arm light-heartedly, and the latter decided to explain herself, "It's just that in things like volleyball, track, gym, soccer and skiing, you're a little bit, well, unstable." Miley laughed again and Lilly took this as an allowance to continue, "What I'm trying to say is, I've never really noticed this side of you, and that's probably come from not knowing you well enough."
"Probably." Miley drawled and traced the top of the wall beside them with a lazy finger.
"So, to be honest, in learning that you're not a total disaster in all matters of the sporting field, I feel honoured because it means that, now, we really must be friends."
"And that's what you've concluded?" Miley asked with a coy smile as her attention was drawn away from the wall and back to Lilly.
"Yes."
"Cool. Then, as friends, I must do my civil duty in dragging you away from the wall."
Lilly swallowed, her throat dry, as she looked over the expanse of slippery surface that existed beyond the safety that was talking to Miley next to something that she could lean against. "Are you sure that's really necessary?"
"You'll be safe with me, I promise." Miley winked and extended a hand to Lilly, leaving it hovering between them until the blonde took it.
"Be gentle with me."
A light pinkness flocked to Miley's cheeks but a wide grin stretched across them, chasing the sudden heat away, and she backed onto the ice with Lilly carefully following in her wake.
"Right, left, right, left…" Miley muttered under her breath, keeping her eyes on either of Lilly's feet or on the wobbling body of the other girl, "You're doing fine."
"Mmhmm." Lilly squeaked as she focused on putting each foot down without falling.
"You're a natural anyway, I bet." Miley breathed from in front of her, "We just need to get your groove back."
Lilly bit down on her bottom lip as a smile threatened to unseat her attention on the ice, "Stop distracting me." She whispered loudly to the other girl, for fear that talking would be followed by falling.
Miley moved to one side of Lilly, yet did not relinquish her hold on her hand, "You need to loosen up a little. You kinda look like a robot, and that's not very appealing."
Lilly laughed, but instantly regretted her loss of composure as she stumbled forward, her body tilted toward the ice. Miley's grip was strong, however, and she quickly heaved Lilly into an upright position as they stopped still in an instant. "Easy there girl," Miley soothed, "Gosh, I didn't think I was that funny that you were going to take to the floor... or maybe I am."
Lilly scowled humorously at Miley who only smiled back attractively and Lilly felt all her previous anxiety from almost colliding with the ground dissolve in a playful mess of hot bubbles that surged upwards in her chest. "You make it very difficult for anyone to be annoyed with you." Lilly admitted pleasantly.
"It's all a part of my charm."
"Then you are very charming."
"Like Prince Charming."
"Do you think that was really his name?"
"I've no idea."
Lilly blinked and in doing so quickly reminded herself of their reality; two girls stood in the middle of a skate rink, apparently flirting with one another through mindless babble which they had got lost in, and their faces only a couple of inches apart. Lilly was scanning Miley's expression with a hunger as she sought out any sign indicating that perhaps Miley wanted her too. The brunette, meanwhile, was looking pouty in her confusion with flushed cheeks. Lilly's intensity suddenly seemed too much for Miley as the other girl looked away, turning her attention to the surrounding skaters as she chewed her lip thoughtfully.
Lilly opened her mouth as she tried to think of something to say until Miley interrupted her attempt to speak, "Come on Truscott, best foot forward now. I'm gonna have you skating solo by the end of the night if my name isn't Miley Stewart."
x-x-x-x-x
Lilly's body felt stiff and her bruised side was tender from various tumbles that she had taken on the ice that evening. Yet the discomfort from her body was nothing to match the confusion in her mind that turned over and around in the chasing of thoughts as she readied herself for bed.
Lilly groaned aloud as she slipped into the warm covers and pulled the blankets around her tightly, tucking herself in so that she could be cocooned in comfort for the night. She squeezed her eyes shut as Miley's laughing expression lingered before her eyes, condemning her to a night of restlessness and dreams plagued with that beautiful brunette, who she was quickly becoming intoxicated with. The morning, nine o'clock, all seemed so very many hours away and Lilly thought that time truly was a cruel master in its slowing just while she awaited seeing Miley Stewart. Lilly knew that when she was with the other girl, time would speed by and they would shortly be saying 'Goodbye' again; all too soon.
Tossing over onto her side Lilly winced since her bruise reminded her to be gentle with her body. She had spread the arnica over herself in the bathroom a few minutes before, and as she had done so her thoughts had been wild with the idea of Miley's hands, those artistic fingers, traversing her skin for her. Lilly swallowed and opened her eyes to stare at the digital clock next to her bed. The time read eleven-thirty and she was desperate for sleep, but her longing to devour even more of this other girl was keeping her frustratingly awake. It was in the pout of Miley's lips and that certain twinkle in her eyes, combined with the pink flush that had dwelled on her cheeks that evening, which haunted Lilly so. Miley had held her hand almost the entire time they had spent together on the ice, relinquishing it occasionally to leave Lilly to her own devices, whilst on any wobble or uncertainty, they would be linked again. Lilly's fingers twisted into her bed-sheets, keen to relive the sensation of Miley's hand curled against her own…
Lilly sighed in irritation, it wasn't like her to be so worked up over another person, and this feeling was very disagreeable since she was so tired. Yet, as much as she hated being kept awake, she couldn't help but smile at the luck she had been granted with being allowed to stay in the company of Miley Stewart. The other girl was the reason for the unexplainable natural happiness that burned inside her and grew with every minute they shared. She felt that times spent without the winning brunette were filled with a mild despair, and Lilly was constantly on the lookout for her whenever they weren't together. Lilly shook her head – she had it bad.
Miley Stewart was the one girl that had that hold on Lilly. She was the one girl who had ever made her catch her breath whenever she walked into a room, or made Lilly melt when she laughed.
And Miley Stewart was the only person who left that smile on Lilly's face as she fell asleep.
-
In a town that's cold and grey
We will have a sunny day
Don't you know that I belong arm in arm with you, baby?
-
Regina Spektor