Author's Note: THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS. All of you are so kind, and some of the comments floor me with how nice they are! So thank you x a million! :)
Nick slumped down in his seat. It was now Tuesday and he hadn't heard a word from Miley. After they had found the note, Joe, Demi and Nick had raced over to her house in hopes that they might catch her before she left. They had no such luck. Her car wasn't there, all the curtains were drawn and doors locked. Demi even procured the hidden key and they had let themselves in to double check she wasn't hiding. They found nothing and no one inside, and they had no choice but resign themselves to the feelings of hopelessness that had overcome each one of them.
They'd gone back to Demi's house to help the maids clean up the mess from the previous night. It had taken about an hour for Nick to relay everything he had learnt the night before to Demi and Joe. He'd left out the more personal bits, where she'd shared her raw emotions. But Nick had managed to get the point across and all the vital information, much to Demi's horror.
"I can't believe she didn't tell me," Demi had whispered, aghast.
"It wasn't that she didn't trust you," Nick had assured the girl. "I just happened to catch her at the right time for her to let her guard down. She didn't tell you because she was trying to protect you."
"Protect me from what? I'm her best friend!" cried Demi. "That's what I'm here for. The good and the bad. When she's hurting, I'm hurting too. I would have done something, if I had of known!"
"It's too late for that now, Demi," Nick had told her. "She asked us to trust her. Maybe we should. Maybe we should let her do this?"
"Trust her?" shrieked Demi. "She didn't trust us! Her life is in shambles and she honestly believes finding her dad is going to help? We need to find her!"
Demi had been starting to get angry. Nick just believed she was in shock, and probably pretty scared. Nick didn't know what to think either, and fear tends to arise from not understanding things.
"I want to find her too, Demi. But I think we should wait before we start freaking out. Miley must know what she's doing."
"Are you sure about that, bro?" asked Joe, who had been fairly quiet.
Nick sighed and looked at his brother. It was a legitimate question. And the honest answer was no, Nick wasn't sure.
"Mr Lucas!" bellowed his Geography teacher. "Are you paying attention?"
"Not really," Nick admitted, shrugging his shoulders.
The class laughed in unison, but Nick wasn't trying to be funny. Since Miley disappeared, he could barely concentrate on anything. He'd been so distracted, even his father had noticed a change.
"Nick, are you sick?" his father had asked him this morning.
"No, why?" he'd replied, puzzled.
"Well, I wouldn't say you've been nice these last few days. But you've definitely seemed to forget to behave poorly to me and your brothers."
Nick had just rolled his eyes and walked away. Maybe he had forgotten to keep up the wounded pretence. He was still pissed about his mom and dad splitting up, but he was beginning to ease into the idea of California being a permanent move. He'd been getting closer to Joe these last few days, they hadn't gotten along this well since… ever, really.
Demi had tried to get a hold of Lilly all weekend, but apparently she was out of range. When Lilly had finally arrived back on Sunday night, Oliver in tow, she found three people eagerly awaiting her on her front stoop. When they'd filled them in, Lilly said she knew how to contact Jackson, but couldn't promise anything. Apparently Miley's brother was a self-centred low life now, and Lilly couldn't guarantee his help. After an intense discussion resulting in a few arguments, the general consensus was that they were going to wait until Tuesday night for Miley to return. If she hadn't shown up by then, the authorities would be contacted.
"Give her some time to do it her way," Lilly had suggested. "If that doesn't work, we do it our way."
It had been agonising going to school on Monday, half expecting Miley to just pop up next to him at the locker. Nick spent all day kind of on autopilot, trying to unlock any clues Miley had hidden in her message for him.
There are things we don't want to happen… But have to accept.
There are things we don't want to know… But have to learn.
There are people we don't want to live without… But have to let go.
"I don't understand," Nick had muttered to himself in frustration.
He'd been sitting in Biology, reading the words over and over. He was meant to be writing down instructions for an experiment they were going to be doing next class. A table across from him, Nick could hear the annoying giggles of Amber and some other bimbo. He glanced up to see them staring at him, and they didn't even bother to avert their eyes. Seeing it as some kind of invitation, Amber came and sat down next to Nick.
"So, how was the rest of your weekend?"
Nick just glared at the evil stepsister. Was she actually going to sit there are pretend Nick and her leader didn't exchange heated words on Friday night?
"Maybe you can clear something up for me, since you seem to be friends with the freak," Amber smirked, pulling out her phone. "Miley's not here today, right?"
"So?" Nick hissed.
"Well, you've seen Hannah Montana today, haven't you? The part where she punched Jake is big news. There's even a video. Want to see?"
Amber held out her phone and Nick just ignored the gesture.
"Why would I want to see? I was there, I know what happened."
"Oh, so you can confirm that Miley had a breakdown? That's she's actually certifiably crazy and got shipped up to a mental lock up?"
"What? No!"
"But she did punch Jake in the face, and then screamed at him like a psycho?"
"Yeah, but he deserved-"
"And you had to drag her out kicking and screaming?"
"She was angry-"
"And she's refused to see the school counsellor?"
"This is none of your business-"
"And your brother stayed over at Demi's that night?"
"How did you know-"
"Oh, so they are sleeping together."
"What? I didn't say-"
"Thanks, Nick. I'll update Hannah Montana now," Amber cried gleefully, holding her phone the wrong way and in front of their faces.
She leaned over, slipping her hand around his neck, and kissed Nick on the cheek. Nick barely managed to protest before she'd sauntered off, tapping away at her phone screen. Nick took a deep breath, utterly bewildered by what had just happened.
"Worst. Monday. Ever!" Nick lamented when he finally got into the car with Joe and headed home.
Nick had barely slept Monday night, so when his last class rolled around on Tuesday, he was beyond tired. He didn't care about where the equator was; he only cared about where Miley was. Frustrated, Nick leapt to his feet and walked out of Geography about 10 minutes before bell rang to signal the end of the day. He didn't stop when the teacher shouted at him to come back. He only stopped when he felt arms wrap around him from behind. His breath hitched in his throat.
"Miley?" he muttered, spinning around.
There however, stood Mikayla, with a triumphant grin on her face.
"Not Miley... better. Me!"
Mikayla threw her arms around his neck and tried to force an embrace. Nick quickly shoved her off, cursing her actions.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Mikayla just smirked, and sashayed off down the hall. Nick threw his arms up in defeat, and headed to his locker. In his confusion, he didn't notice Ashley with her camera phone hiding behind the stairs to his left.
Storming out to the car, Nick waited anything but patiently for his brother. As he leant against the passenger door, he noticed two police officers leave the main building. A few seconds later, a distressed Demi exited from the same doors and ran towards Nick.
"They know!" she hissed at him, glancing around her in a paranoid fashion.
"Who know?"
"The cops!"
"About what?"
"Miley!" Demi practically screeched at him. "I just got hauled into the principal's office. They were asking questions about her!"
"How would they know she was missing? Who told them? And what did you tell them?" demanded Nick, rubbing the back of his neck in exasperation.
"I don't know! And I don't know! They just asked when was the last time I'd seen her."
"What did you say?"
"I said she was at home sick."
"You lied to the cops?" Nick's jaw fell open in shock.
"I didn't know what else to do! But then they said they'd been around to her house and there was no answer. And I said she was probably sleeping. Then they asked if I'd seen Mr Stewart."
"They asked about her dad?"
"Yep," nodded Demi, still shaken up. "And I said that I'd been past this morning to check on Miley before school and he'd already left for work. Then they just exchanged this weird look and scribbled something down, then got up and were about to leave. So I asked them what this was about, and they just said they couldn't discuss it with me but I was to let them know if I was contacted by either of them. Which I didn't understand because I just told them Miley was at home sick, but I guess they didn't believe me."
"Why do the cops care? Its not like they know that Mr Stewart was abusive, do they? And Miley specifically said no cops, which is kind of strange too. I don't understand any of this," chimed in Lilly, who'd been standing next to Nick for a few minutes but he hadn't noticed.
Oliver bounded up to the group as Joe approached from the opposite direction.
"I think we go to the cops. There has to be more going on than Miley's told us," suggested Joe, looking at the others for approval.
The others began nodding their heads in agreement, but Nick shook his head.
"No," he stated firmly.
The group turned their heads to face the curly haired boy.
"Nick-" started Joe, trying to reason with his brother.
"No. If something big is going on, we can't involve the cops. Not until we know what's going on. What if we make it worse for her?"
"What else are we meant to do?" Oliver asked, sliding his arm around Lilly's waist. "It's Tuesday. We said that we would give her until today."
"Jackson won't return my calls," added Lilly. "I know you're worried, Nick. We all are. But what other choice to we have?"
"Give me an hour. Give me an hour to figure out another way. If I don't, or every single one of you still thinks we should involve the police, then fine. We will. Just don't do anything yet," Nick begged.
"Okay," Joe was the first to accept Nick's proposal. "We'll meet at our place in an hour. I'll text you the address, Lilly. Demi, can you get out of singing lessons early?"
Demi nodded.
"One hour. Then we turn over everything we know to the authorities."
Nick glanced around at the people he was beginning to consider his friends. Each wore a similar expression of concern, and partial terror.
While he had successfully stalled them, he had no idea how he was going to save Miley now.
Nick sat on his floor, resting against his bed. He had 15 minutes until everyone turned up at his house. He had 15 minutes to come up with an alternative to involving the cops. And he still had nothing.
He absent-mindedly threw his phone up and down in the air, wanting to call Miley but he knew there would be no point. Her phone hadn't been switched on since she'd disappeared on Saturday. It had been a long four days, and now it all came down to him and the next… 12 minutes, he thought to himself, looking at his watch.
He reached out and dragged his English notebook across the plush carpet towards him. Nick ran his fingers over the words he now had memorised.
There are things we don't want to happen… But have to accept.
There are things we don't want to know… But have to learn.
There are people we don't want to live without… But have to let go.
Miley wouldn't have written that for no reason, but for the life of him, Nick couldn't figure out what she was trying to tell him. He'd played with a dozen different meanings, but couldn't say for sure if he was even on the right track. The best guess he had come up with was that Miley didn't want her mom to die and she was trying to learn to let her go. But how that related to her vanishing whilst going in search for her dad, Nick didn't understand. It also didn't account for the police presence at the school today. Nick was missing something, and he knew it was the key.
"Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way," Nick said aloud. "She went looking for her dad."
She didn't want her dad to get depressed, turn alcoholic, abuse her and take off… but he did, Nick mused. The cops know something… and Miley's trying to hide from them. She's trying to hide her dad from them.
Nick finally felt like he was on to something. The people she doesn't want to live without… Who wouldn't I want to live without? My family…she said her family was gone. Family is people who care about you. Demi cares about her. Lilly cares about her. I care about her. She's always trying to protect everyone.
"She's gone…" Nick whispered.
Nick felt sick. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, trying to stop the room from spinning. He didn't even feel like this when his mom told him she was leaving. Because he believed her when she told him that she would come back. But Miley wasn't coming back, and despair filled him.
There was a knock at his door, and Joe let himself in.
"We'll find her," Joe said, settling himself on the floor beside Nick.
"No, we won't. Not unless we get the cops in on it. And for some reason, I know that's not going to help Miley. We might get her back, but it's going to make things worse for her. I don't know how, but it will. She was trying to say goodbye."
"But, the letter said…"
"I know what the letter said!" Nick yelled angrily. "But she left me a different one."
"What are you talking about?" Demi challenged, not bothering to knock as she pushed open the door.
"I don't think she's coming back," Nick said softly. "I think she was just said she was so we would buy her enough time to disappear properly. I was wrong, we should have gone to the cops straight away."
Demi collapsed onto Nick's bed, taking in what he'd just told her.
"How do you know?"
Nick explained his theory about the note Miley had scrawled in his book. Halfway through, Lilly and Oliver quietly entered the room and settled themselves on Nick's massive king size bed.
"It makes sense, but it doesn't at the same time," Lilly contradicted herself. "I mean, your interpretation of the poem thingy is kind of wild, but its something Miley would do. The part I don't get is what is she running from?"
"I don't know," admitted Nick. "But do we let her run?"
"I can't see her doing this without thinking it through," Oliver commented. "But, didn't she say she thinks everyone leaves her eventually? Maybe she was getting in first."
"She wouldn't be doing this for herself," countered Nick. "Miley kept all of this a secret to protect you guys. Doesn't it make sense that she'd be doing this for the same reason?"
"But what is she protecting us from? Her dad's gone. Doesn't matter if she went to find him, or has run away on her own… why did she need to leave?" Demi whispered, getting choked up.
"It's got something to do with her dad," Nick repeated. "And the cops."
"In her note, she said she had to go find her dad… to end this," Joe said slowly. "What exactly was she ending?"
Lilly's eyes opened wide at Joe's inference.
"She's not going to kill her dad, if that's what you're saying!" she defended, rising to her feet.
"No, no, no," assured Joe, standing as well. "Not her dad…"
Nick looked up at his brother's grim face.
"She wouldn't do that either," Demi refuted, catching on to what Joe meant. "She's not suicidal."
"Then what did she mean by ending this?" Joe pushed.
"Doing the right thing…" Nick muttered, trying to piece it all together. "She's doing the right thing. Her dad must have done the wrong thing. She's ending it. He ran, and she's ending it. Ending what? He's running from something. Not just Miley. Not anymore. The cops are looking for her, and she knew they would be. Because she's looking for him. They're looking for him. Because he did the wrong thing. Miley didn't tell anyone, so its something else. He did something else wrong. He hit her, he left, he did something, the cops came. She didn't want to find him, but she has to do the right thing. She's going to give him to the cops. He did something that she has to accept. She found out but she wished she didn't know. Can't live without… Oh, shit!"
Nick leapt to his feet as the rest of them stared at him in shock. He'd just sat there rambling for about 5 minutes, oblivious to the world around him. None of them followed what he was saying, but they knew enough that Nick had figured something else out.
"What, Nick?" asked Joe, his eyes following Nick as he paced in front of his window. "What now?"
"She's gone to find her dad."
"So she wasn't lying?" Oliver cocked his head to the side.
"She's gone to find him before the cops do."
"Why do they want him?" Demi was more confused than ever.
"I don't know. But that's what she's ending. She's gone to say goodbye to him."
"He's not coming back?" Lilly ran her fingers through her hair.
"Miley doesn't think so."
"Is she coming back?" Joe bit down on his bottom lip.
"She said she wasn't a coward, that she wouldn't run away," Demi insisted.
"Well, Miley is brave if she's gone to find her psycho of a father. Brave and stupid, if the cops are looking for him too," Oliver said, raising his eyebrows.
"That's why her phone was off, and they went by her house. She knew they'd be looking for her if they found out she'd disappeared too," Joe added, finally wrapping his head around his brother's new theory.
"She said she needed to feel safe again…" trailed off Nick.
"Like I did when I was with you," finished a new voice.
A figure stepped out of the shadow of the door, causing her friends to gasp. There, stood Miley, looking exhausted, but still alive. And back. She'd come back.
There was a rush of bodies as they surrounded Miley, hugging and scolding her. Demi was the first to reach her, practically tackling Miley to the ground in elation.
"You're back! You're okay! Don't ever do that again!"
Next it was Lilly's turn to wrap her arms around Miley's petite frame.
"I'm never letting Oliver take me camping again. I come home and you're gone. Why didn't you tell me what was going on, Miles?"
Miley just shrugged apologetically, before Oliver hustled his girlfriend out of the way.
"Miley, you scared us. We thought you were gone for good," he told her, lifting her off her feet in a massive bear hug.
When he finally put her down, Joe stepped up and Miley happily accepted his outreached arms. He said nothing, but rested his chin on the top of her head. Miley sighed, knowing as soon as she left his embrace, she would have to face the one person she was both wanted to see most, and was most scared about seeing.
Nick froze in place when Miley entered his room. His eyes had travelled as she'd moved from person to person, but still he remained in spot.
"You came back," he breathed, forgetting there was a room full of people. "I didn't know what to do when you weren't next to me when I woke up."
"I didn't want to leave, I had to. I left a note…" Miley replied meekly, aware of everyone watching her.
"Which I only just figured out, by the way."
"Nick, I-"
"Just don't leave again, okay? I don't think I could take it. I mean, I don't think we could take it," Nick corrected, embarrassed by his slip.
The other four watched the scene unfold, glancing back and forth between Miley and Nick.
"I didn't find him, anyway," shrugged Miley, her eyes misting up. "I don't know what's going to happen now."
Even though her hair was untidy, the messy waves falling around her shoulders; even though she looked like she hadn't slept for days, Miley's sad smile tugged at Nick's heart strings. He was so relieved to have her back, he just wanted to take her into his arms and keep her there. Keep her safe. But she had no idea that how he felt. Hell, it even surprised him once he realised that he liked her. Really liked her. Would do anything for her. So what Nick did next took everyone except his exceptionally perceptive brother by surprise.
Nick took a step forward so there was no space between them. He cupped Miley's face gently in his hands. He searched her cerulean eyes for any doubt, but they were locked on his, waiting for him to continue. He slowly leant down, his lips searching for hers. When they finally met, he thought his heart might explode from happiness. One of Miley's arms gripped Nick's neck, knotting her fingers in the curls at the nape. Their lips danced against each others, passionate and demanding. When Nick finally relented on his assault of Miley's mouth, he glanced around to see three very shocked expressions, and one smug grin. He cast his gaze back to Miley, who still hadn't opened her eyes yet. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, before Nick was hit with an unexpected blow.
Miley had hit him with a closed fist on his chest, and she wore a menacing frown when Nick finally looked back at her.
"Why did you do that?" Miley yelled.
"I- I just-" Nick stammered.
Miley started sobbing, and crouched down on the ground, burying her face in her hands.
Nick looked to Joe in alarm, worried about Miley's reaction. The group exchanged glances, before Nick put his hand on her shoulder, but she just shook him off. She stood up straight again, and walked to the window. She peered out of it for a moment, while everyone else held their breath.
Miley turned back around, her eyes red and puffy. She looked around at her friends before settling her gaze on Nick.
"My dad killed someone."
