Miley sat outside a few days later, facing the sky. She was watching the clouds. She found herself to do that a lot lately, it calmed her. At the moment, she was still on the topic of Nick. She had successfully avoided him for that last two days, but she knew that eventually they would come face to face and he would pull her aside, making a big move, doing something to make her need him. It was how Nick worked.

"Miley, look who I found," Brandi came out back, singsonging.

Miley sat up from her cloud watching. She was kind of angry at the interruption. She liked having time to herself. However as soon as she caught a glimpse of the blond hair behind her older sister she shrieked.

"Taylor!"

She ran up to hug what use to be one of her best friends. Taylor had moved away a few years back, away from her life with Mandy and herself. They had both been crushed at the sight of their best friend leaving. Miley still remembered crying outside next door, watching the moving truck back out of the driveway slowly then her Mom's Civic pull out with her looking back. Their relationship stayed close, well until a few months ago when Miley seemed to have forgotten her existence. Miley was surprised Taylor didn't hate her for not replying to any of her attempts to contact her.

"Miley!" she embraced the younger girl in her arms. "Brandi you just wasted ten minutes of my time."

"Well sorry, she doesn't talk to most people then," Brandi rephrased before dismissing herself.

"What are you doing here?"

"I moved back," Taylor smiled. "My dad got transferred back here."

Miley tried to stay strong. She kept the smile on, continued being cheery. But she couldn't help getting a little sad thinking of how her own father would never get the chance to ruin her life by moving. She still cried every once in a while thinking about how much he had to offer but how his time was cut incredibly short.

"Yes!" she celebrated. "So you're staying?"

"I'm staying," she smiled warmly at her best friend, giving her a hug at the change in her eyes. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she lied.

She knew Taylor probably already knew about her ugly break-up and dad's death from split stories of Brandi and Mandy, but she tried to focus on the positive. On how Taylor didn't know about how she hated talking now, about how she didn't know how Miley wasn't the same.

"C'mon, let's go find people," Taylor suggested, trying to brighten the mood.

"Le's go," Miley ran, laughing.

So far Taylor didn't see what was wrong with Miley. It seemed as if all these stories she had been hearing were exactly that. Just stories. To her she was the same carefree girl she had known. The same uncontrollable, acting like a five year old on a sugar high when she was excited. Of course, now she had boobs and was taller, but other than that there was nothing.

"Where are we going?" Taylor giggled at this pointless running.

Miley halted. "I don't know."

"Oh! Have you seen Shmanderz yet?" Taylor shook her head.

"Then that's where we're going!" Miley bulled. "Wait, did you tell her you were moving back?"

"No, it was a surprise for the both of you."

She dragged Taylor up the driveway, repeatedly ringing the doorbell.

"Miles, calm down! You're gonna break it."

"I don't care, Tay! You're back!" Miley was still in denial, as if as soon as the door opened she would disappear forever.

"What the-"

"Just look!" Miley didn't let Mandy finish her sentence, practically shoving Taylor up from.

"No friggin way," Mandy smiled, followed by a high pitch shriek of her own. "I missed you!"

The two girls hugged just as Miley had done minutes ago with her.

"Mandy, what was that for?" A straight haired brunette came down the stairs. "Hi, Miley."

Although Miley never talked he had still always awkwardly greeted her, looking her over like old times.

"Hi," she murmured quietly.

Joe's eyes widened at the sound of her voice along with his brothers. It had been a long time since he had heard anything so pure and wonderful. It was one of those moments where if he had water he would spit half of it out, choking on the other half. Miley didn't want to talk to him either though. It was all part of those stupid rules.

"Come here!" Mandy rushed them in.

Miley looked away as soon as she saw his brothers were there too. Her gaze averted to anywhere but the people around her. Everyone could feel the nervousness radiating off of Miley and Nick.

"Miley, you were the eager one to get here," Taylor joked. "Who are they?"

Her first instinct was to look at Mandy for introductions.

"You do it, Miles," she gently whispered, her breath tickling agains her ear.

Miley looked up like a frightened puppy, shaking her head. She may have finally said a word to Joseph, but she was still terrified of starting a relationship with anyone, afraid of speaking to them. If Taylor wasn't there she wouldn't have said anything to begin with to Joe.

"Just this once," Mandy was being stubborn. "Show Taylor how strong you are."

Their gaze met, her hazel green eyes silently directing her. It stayed like that for a few seconds, as if the longer Miley looked into her friend's eyes, the more sure she would be that she could do this. The room was silent, awkward. She nodded finally though, ging in and walking over to the guys.

"Taylor, this is Kevin," she pointed to the tallest one, his hair curly. "Joe," she pointed to what looked to be the middle child, his hair darker and pin straight. She looked down, not daring to make eye contact with him. Her voice was different as she said the last boys name. She had emotion, sadness, even somewhere in there, a hint of understanding. "And this is Nick. Guys, this is Taylor."

"Hey," Joe and Kevin greeted her.

"Hi," Taylor flashed her smile at them.

It had only been fifteen minutes of the six talking, Miley repeatedly snuck glanced at Nick. Once their eyes met, causing each of their heads to snap.

"Why are you so quiet?" Taylor asked her.

"She's always like this now," Mandy answered for her.

"Are you sure this is the same girl who for fun decided the best way to remember me me started a food fight?"

Miley laughed, her face quickly turning crimson.

"Man that was the best food fight in history," Mandy thought back.

"Wait, is this the same food fight people talk about now?" Nick asked wide-eyed. He never knew it as Miley who started that ancient tale. He could already picture it now though, a seventh-grade Miley starting a food-fight with the eigth graders and some other fellow classmates.

"Yeah, that's the one," Mandy nodded. "Miley went, threw something at like, three people, then once they threw back it was war. She never got caught too."

"Go figure," Joe joked. He knew better than anyone through their schemes and her tricks that Miley could get easily get out of the worst situations. "Taylor, don't take this the wrong way... but are you a junior?"

"Yeah, I'm starting tomorrow," Taylor smiled. She was finally having a good time with her best friends again, and even made new ones already.

Now the only thing she had to worry about was Miley.