A/N: Wow, it has been a while, hasn't it? So terribly sorry about that! I've been on vacation this past week and I just got back last night (right on time for me to write you a new chapter! YAY::COUGH::) Anyways, I'm truly excited about the number of reviews I got for the last chapter - I passed 60 reviews total! Woot! lol. I'm glad you all liked it, and I hope you guys like this one as well.
Alright, I have a little contest for you guys - see if you can find what I'm looking for. First person to give me the right answer gets the next chapter before anyone else. Yes, you read right. So, in order to win, you must
A) submit a review (this can't only be a 'I'm going to give my answer as a review', this has to be a comment of some sort)
B) the answer.
C) your email address.
And no worries, if you don't win this time, there will be other contests as well. Make sure you keep a look out for them! Now, here's the question I'm looking for.
What scene from the movie, Transformers, did I use in this story, and where in the story is it? (Chapter as well as what part of the chapter)
Remember, you must have both parts to the question and both must be correct. Good luck!
After a few days, Miley learned to block out the rumors and whispers of her fellow classmates. She figured that all the girls were only jealous of her relationship with Jake and were using nasty words as an attempt to break her spirit, but she wasn't going to let them. Jake wanted to be with her – only her.
During class, she focused solely on the teacher's lectures as a way to ignore the hushed comments that floated around her, causing her grades to skyrocket upwards. She grinned when she saw her father's eyes light up at her progress report, signaling that Hannah was still on for her summer tour, and knew that her way of dealing with her classmates was working. Only when a particularly nasty comment was thrown her way would a lone tear slip down her cheek and splash onto her desk, proving to herself that she wasn't completely immune to the hatred surrounding her.
The press, however, was a completely different story. Ashley's picture of their rooftop-kiss was run in every newspaper and tabloid, along with numerous headlines including the words 'Jake Ryan', 'secret girlfriend', and 'scandal'. Every day, new stories about their relationship would surface, each becoming more ridiculous than the next. Although none of them were true, these stories fed the rumor mills of Seaview High School, creating even more whispers amongst the students.
Jake had handled the situation with movie-star style, giving the press the whole story and why they had kept themselves secret for weeks. His famous celebrity smile was plastered all over the television, causing Miley to frown every time she saw it. She hated that smile – that fake, arrogant, slapped-on smile. It reminded her of what Jake used to be, and she never wanted to see that Jake again. She let it go, though, since the smile was directed at the press and not at her.
Ever since their relationship was leaked, the couple hadn't had a single second alone together. Jake was busy doing press control while Miley was trying to horde off the vicious girls' cutting words. Both thought that being seen together would cause more chaos and decided to let things simmer down a bit before publicly continuing their relationship. Neither of them particularly wanted this, but they thought it was the best idea for now, so they went on with their lives as usual.
It was finally the end of the week, and Miley couldn't wait to get away from school. This weekend was supposed to be nothing but peace and tranquility; a nice change from the hectic week she'd experienced. She was pulling her books from her locker, ready to go home, when a flash of blonde hair caught her eye. She looked over to the left and smiled. Jake was next to her, leaning against the locker, with a small dandelion in his hand. He smiled back at her and held out the flower.
"For you, my lady." She giggled at him before putting on a fake frown.
"Gosh, I gave my boyfriend a free day at an amusement park, and all I get from him is a weed? Why do I feel like I'm on the wrong end of this relationship?" He laughed before wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her to him slightly and looked down at her.
"Maybe this will change your mind."
He swooped down to give her a kiss, sucking the air out of her lungs and leaving her weak at the knees. It'd been too long since she'd felt one of his kisses and lord did it feel good. Realizing that they were at school, she softly pulled away, laughing when Jake tried to kiss her again. She looked around, seeing students openly staring at them, and looked back at Jake.
"Jake, the people…" He glanced around and looked back at her.
"Miley, they're going to talk about us anyway," he smirked lightly at her, "might as well give them something to talk about," he was about to kiss her again, but he saw the pleading look in her eyes and sighed.
"Alright. We don't have to if you don't want to." She gave him a small, apologetic smile.
"Thank you for understanding. It's just…the rumors are starting to die down – I don't want to give them a reason to start up again, that's all." He let out a breath of air and nodded.
"It's ok. I want them to stop too," he looked at the ground, thinking, before his head flew up, his eyes sparkling. "Hey, do you want to go out tonight? That new movie is supposed to be great!" Smiling at his excited state, Miley nodded.
"Sounds great. I've been wanting to see it, and…" a small blush crossed her cheeks, "I've missed you." Jake's face softened and he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
"I've missed you too, Miley."
He placed the dandelion in her hair, stroked her cheek, and told her he'd pick her up tonight at seven. She watched him walk off, silently wondering how she got so lucky to end up with him. Smiling, she closed her locker and made her way out front, waving at Oliver and Lily, who were patiently waiting for her. They all chatted animatedly on the way home, all of them relishing the fact that the weekend was finally here.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The date turned out to be a complete disaster.
When they had first walked in to the theater, they were suddenly swarmed by screaming fans, not believing that Jake Ryan had walked into their Friday night. Miley was soon pushed out of the crowd, silently brooding over all the attention her boyfriend was receiving. He put on that damn smile again and began signing autographs, laughing at the lame jokes thrown around by flirting girls. Ego-Jake had arrived, and Miley hoped he would be exiting just as quickly as he came.
After twenty minutes of autographs, Jake noticed his angry girlfriend standing outside of the crowd and cursed himself for forgetting about her. He quickly excused himself, much to the annoyance of his fans, and made his way over to her, giving her an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry – I can't exactly turn off being famous. We don't have to stay if you don't want to." Her face softened and she smiled lightly at him, glad that he was back to his normal self.
"No, it's ok. I understand how it is to be a celebrity. We should watch the movie – it's supposed to be good."
Jake grinned at his girlfriend, glad that she was so understanding, and slipped his hand into hers. They headed into their theater and, under the cover of darkness, snuck into the very last row. Glad to finally be alone, the lovebirds took their seats and watched as the opening credits began to roll.
An hour into the movie, Miley felt Jake's thumb softly stroking the back of her hand. She smiled at the soothing gesture and turned to him, catching a whiff of his scent as she did. Closing her eyes, she let the smell of him waft over her senses, clouding her mind and causing her heart to beat rapidly. She slowly opened her eyes, gazing at him through half-lidded orbs, no longer interested in watching the movie. She could see the similar arousal in his own eyes and licked her suddenly dry lips, watching as his eyes trailed her tongue's path. He stared at her lips longingly for a few more seconds, before gazing up at her, his pupils dilated with arousal.
They both leaned in and he crushed her lips with his, trying to take in as much of her as he could. She responded just as heavily, threading her fingers through his silky, blonde hair and pushing his head onto hers more forcefully. She felt like she had died and gone to heaven, basking in the sight and smell and taste that was Jake Ryan. This was what she had been missing all week; what she had been craving all week.
He devoured her, nearly dying from the sweet taste of Miley's lips. He had wanted this all week - alone time with his incredible girlfriend. He knew what she went through this week and felt a stab in his heart at her pain. Why people would treat her so horribly was beyond him; she was every man's perfect dream. He was brought back into the world when he felt Miley lightly caressing his shoulder; her touch was electrifying and it seared through his skin. What he was experiencing now was too amazing for words.
The movie long forgotten, they kissed as if it were the last thing they were ever going to do. Her fingers danced in his hair; his fingers grazed her arms. Jake swiftly pulled her onto his lap without breaking lips, softly stroking her back through her shirt. Miley smiled into the kiss and cupped his neck, bringing him into her more. He grinned at her gesture and lightly nipped at her bottom lip in response.
A bright light blinded the couple and they broke apart, searching for the source of the interruption. An usher was tapping his foot on the ground, his flashlight shining in their direction, and an angry look upon his face.
"If you're not going to watch the movie, get out. This isn't make-out town, so get a move-on," once he recognized Jake, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "You-you're Jake Ryan!"
A million heads swiveled around at the name and soon, the couple was once again surrounded by screaming fans. Miley groaned and sank into her seat, angry that her date had been spoiled, while Jake slipped on his arrogant smile and signed autographs. After a while, the crowd grew as more people crammed into the theater. It seemed that word of Jake's appearance had spread to the entire building, and viewers as well as employees all wanted a piece of Jake Ryan to take home. A bored Miley let out a breath of air and turned to her boyfriend with a slight frown.
"I think I'm just gonna head home. I'll see you later," Jake looked over at her with his signature smile but regret in his eyes.
"Sorry, Miley. Want me to take you home?" Miley glanced around at the screaming fans and shook her head.
"No, it's ok. You do what you gotta do – I understand. It's not your fault. See you."
He nodded and turned back to his eager fans, his smile still in place. Miley sighed, silently wishing he'd go against her wishes and take her home anyway, and pushed through the rambunctious sea of screaming fans. She glanced back once more, unable to see him through the thick crowd, and walked out of the theater.
Once outside the building, she flipped open her phone and called her dad, asking him to pick her up. When he asked why she was coming home early, she looked at the ground and begged him not to ask. Sighing, he consented and promised to be there as soon as he could. She closed her phone and looked at the giant clock outside the theater, not noticing someone approach her, and let out a loud scream when she felt ice-cold liquid splash on her front. She looked down to see herself dripping in soda and looked up at the girl in front of her with wide eyes. The girl sneered at her while shaking off the last drops of soda from her large cup.
"That's for stealing Jake Ryan from us fan girls who deserve him!" Miley looked at her, shocked and angry.
"Are you kidding me?!" The girl smirked at her, happy with what she accomplished.
"Well, that was two dollars well spent," she looked Miley up and down, "What he sees in you, I have no clue. All I see is an ugly, wet dog." The girl laughed and walked off, leaving behind an angry and hurt Miley.
Miley willed her tears to stay inside, not wanting to break in front of those who despised her – she would not let them win at any cost. She still had what they all wanted – a relationship with Jake Ryan – and she was not going to give it up, no matter what they did to her. A crack of thunder startled her and she looked up at the sky, hoping it wouldn't rain while she was still outside. It seemed like the down-pour would hold off a little longer, for which she was happy.
She sat down on a bench, thinking about the girl's words again. Was it really that hard to see why Jake could like her? Was she so out of his league that it seemed impossible that they were dating? Why did Jake like her? All of these thoughts were plaguing her head, poisoning her mind into thinking she wasn't worthy of the superstar. She didn't want to believe them, and she tried to ignore them, but many of them did have good points that she couldn't deny, no matter how hard she tried.
Miley was brought out of her thoughts by a small honk. She looked over to see her father's truck and smiled at the silly grin her father was wearing. She got up, wringed as much soda from her shirt as she could, and walked over to the truck. Getting inside, she buckled herself in and let out a tired sigh before resting her head against the window. When her father questioned her about her shirt, she begged for them not to talk about it, so he reluctantly nodded and drove home just as the first rain drops hit the ground.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miley was finishing up some homework in her room when her house phone rang. She listened to another clap of thunder before answering the phone. A familiar voice was heard on the other line and she couldn't help but smile.
"Hey. Just calling to see how you're doing. I'm sorry about the movie – I thought everyone would have calmed down by now. Guess not." They chuckled together until he finally stopped. "Did you get home ok?"
Miley's smile fell. Her mind flashed back to the girl's words, causing tears to well up in her eyes. Maybe she was right – maybe she didn't deserve Jake. Realizing that Jake was still waiting for her answer, she shook her head to rid herself of her thoughts. She didn't want to tell him about the incident outside of the theater – he already felt bad enough as it is and she didn't want to make him feel worse. So she lied.
"Yeah, it was no problem," trying to cover the sadness in her voice, she laughed lightly. "Did you get eaten alive by your fans?" Jake laughed on the other end.
"Close, but no. I probably won't be able to write anything for the next week though. Hey, you think I could get a break from homework with that excuse?" Miley rolled her eyes.
"Just because you're a star doesn't mean you're going to be treated any differently than us; especially since the teachers have gotten used to you by now. How long has it been since you moved here, three years?" Jake scoffed.
"Yeah, yeah. I still think I could get away with it if I threw on the charm." She laughed half-heartedly before quieting down. The thoughts were back. The phone was silent for a while. "Miley? Are you ok?" She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and softly spoke.
"Jake, maybe…maybe us dating isn't such a good idea after all. I mean, you're way out of my league and I don't want to drag you down the social ladder. You deserve someone who's pretty, classy, popular. Obviously, that's not me."
The other end was quiet; only a crack of thunder disturbed the silence. Miley was ready to hang up, knowing that what she did was the right thing, when she heard an audible sigh from Jake's end.
"Miley, where is this coming from? You're beautiful, smart, amazing, funny, and the perfect girl for me. I'm so, so happy when I'm with you, and nothing is going to change that. Whoever put these kinds of thoughts into your head is a complete idiot to think that I deserve someone other than you. You mean everything to me, Miley." With every word he said, her heart swelled with pride, as well as something she couldn't quite describe.
"Thank you, Jake. I'm happy with you too. I'm sorry I doubted our relationship." She could feel Jake's smile radiating from the other side.
"It's ok. I understand," there was a bit of rustling and a shouted 'I'm coming!' before he came back to the phone. "Sorry, my mom's calling. Don't go, though, because it'll only take a second. Here, talk to Carley. Carley, talk to Miley…because mom's calling me…quit acting like a baby, it'll only take a few seconds!" there was more rustling before a new voice came on.
"Hello? Miley?" Miley smiled, glad to hear the girl's voice again.
"Hey, Carley. What's up?"
The girls chatted for a while, talking about Hannah business as well as exchanging stories about Jake. They giggled and laughed, enjoying each other's company, before Jackson walked into Miley's room, huffing.
"Will you get off the phone? There are other people who need to use it, you know." Miley glared at him.
"Why don't you use your cell phone?" Jackson grumbled at the mention of his cell phone.
"Dad took it when he saw my grades. Now get off the damn phone!" Miley rolled her eyes and turned back to Carley.
"Sorry, my idiot brother is whining about using the phone. Tell Jake I'll talk to him later, ok? Bye." She hung up the phone and tossed it to Jackson, who had a look of interest on his face.
"Who were you talking to, anyway?" Miley scoffed before answering.
"It's none of your business, but if you really must know, it was Jake's sister, Carley." Jackson's eyes lit up.
"Jake has a sister? Is she hot? Is she single?" Miley looked at her brother in horror.
"She's eleven!" Jackson gagged and paled, realizing that he had thought about asking out an eleven-year-old.
"Oh god…I think I'm going to be sick…" he rushed out of the room, leaving behind an incredibly disturbed Miley.
"I need to scrub this out of my brain! You better not be hogging the bathroom!"
She raced out of the room, fully intent on erasing the horrible image of her brother and Carley together, as well as beating him up for implanting the image in her head in the first place. It was going to be a long night.