A/N: Excuses this time, Food Audit, Reformatting computer, and a whole lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer lol.

For all of you reviewing THANK YOU so much I really do appreciate them. I try to respond to each of them but sometimes I just don't have the time. And thanks to everyone who has stuck with me this long, when I started I didn't know this was going to be such a lengthy project, I thought it was going to be easy LOL.

Chapter 9

As the end of the year was approaching the entire school was rewarded with a rare treat. Students and teachers alike were invited to enjoy a movie that was playing on a large projector screen that had been set up outside on the lawn. Dressed in their pajamas, girls filled every inch of the courtyard.

To ensure a little order Ms. Kunkle required that everyone sit with their dorm and that their advisor was nearby to make sure things didn't get out of hand. This gave Miley the perfect opportunity to be near her heart's desire, choosing a spot just a little behind and to the side of here where she could watch the blonde as the movie progressed.

The only reason she bothered to come out with all the others in the first place was because she knew she'd get to be near the other woman, but as the movie played in front of her she had to admit she was enjoying herself. The intensity of the two main characters had her pulled in, wanting to see what happened as the two just could not seem to get together. Yet the simple touches between the two of them spoke volumes about how they felt.

Seeing this made Miley drawn back to the blonde in front of her, turning her head she studied the teacher for a minute the movie suddenly giving her an idea she wanted to test. Very slowly she inched herself closer to the older woman making sure not to draw attention from anyway that she was doing so.

With her hands behind her, holding her up, every minute sitting there in the darkened silence Lilly could feel Miley behind her. She could feel her eyes on her now and knew that whatever was in the younger girls head, was moving into dangerous territory. Her eyes kept trying to stray to the other girl, but she wouldn't allow herself to do so. Secretly she was hoping that she was strong enough to ignore the brunette enough to deter her from whatever she was thinking.

Reaching out cautiously, Miley pauses, watching Lilly carefully before slowly traces her index finger down the outside of Lilly's arm. Trying not to suck in a breath at the simple touch, Lilly using everything in her to try and stay as still as possibly as Miley adds another finger and gently runs them down the top of her hand. Electricity shoots up Lilly's arm and she knows she has to do something to stop this now.

Shifting around to get her hand out from underneath her, she sits there for a moment before pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. She does the only thing she can think of to take her mind off the tempting girl behind her and sends a text to Oliver.

Within minutes he responds saying he'll pick her up later. Turning back to the movie, Lilly tries her best to focus on it and her newly scheduled date with Oliver.

--

After having spent an evening together Oliver pulled the car up to the front of the school. Turning the car off he turns to look at Lilly for a moment before leaning in to kiss her. Trying to let herself enjoy the moment, Lilly kisses back.

Her heart just isn't in it so she pulls back, leaning back against the seat not sure what to do now. She's not in love with him, and she's not being far too either one of them letting this continue on the way it has.

Running his hands over his face, Oliver leans forward trying to figure out just want is going on. He's not sure what has been up with Lilly lately but she just doesn't seem to be acting like herself. He turns to study her for a minute trying to figure out what's going on inside her head, all the while giving her an inquisitive look.

Feeling his eyes on her, Lilly takes a moment to figure out just what she wants to say to him to make him understand, but the words don't seem to come to her. "Oliver,…I…" she stops not sure what she can really say to get him to see what she's thinking.

"Yeah?" he questions back. When she doesn't answer he thinks he's starting to figure it all out, "Is this the part where I hear you're still not sure? You just need more time. 'We're just in that sort of middle place where you know- I mean, there's love, but I don't know, Oliver. I don't know.' The only thing you know is that you don't know. Blah, blah, blah, blah," he finishes letting the "blahs fade into silence.

"O-Oliver," she tries again but he quickly interrupts her.

"You know what I want, Lilly?" he asks her.

She whispers hesitantly, "what?" but he continues before the word has barely even left her mouth. "I want to be with somebody who knows they want to be with me." His voice cracking as he finishes.

Lilly is unsure how to respond to that. On one hand she does care for Oliver a great deal, but on the other hand she knows that she can't be the person he's looking for. She reaches over to run a hand through his hair gently knowing that what she has to say next will likely break his heart. "I want that for you too."

"I can't believe you just said that," Oliver tells her unbelievably. "I don't even know what to do with you." Trying to hold back his feelings, he hides behind his hand giving himself a moment to gather his composure. "Can you get out?" he asks not wanting to sit there with her any longer.

Lilly turns the door, pulling the handle releasing it but not opening it just yet. Turning back she knows she can't apologize but she tries anyway, "sorry." She knows deep down though that it doesn't mean much.

"Yeah," he responds emotionless, "can you get out?" he repeats again. Lilly watches him for a minute before deciding that it really is the end and gets out.

--

It had been two days since the incident in the courtyard, where Miley had once again felt rejected by the teacher. No matter how many times she'd felt that way however she would just dust it off and keep trying. She had to. She couldn't get the young woman off her mind and to her that meant something.

However, she couldn't seem to decide which was worse, the rejection or the avoidance. Both were becoming equally annoying. She just couldn't understand why Lilly was acting the way she was. She knew the blonde had to be feeling the same things she was. The pull between them was to strong, and yet she continued to ignore it.

With a face that could only be described as a determined scowl on her face, Miley sat in the young teacher's classroom that day. Her elbow on the desk, holding her arm in the air, she repeatedly pops the cap on and off her pen with a resounding click. At this point she doesn't care if she gets in trouble with the blonde who was currently writing something on the chalkboard with her back turned. Any attention would be better than this silence.

Before Lilly has a chance to turn around and notice however the bell rings and the class begins to head out glad the year was almost over. Miley, however, stays in her seat. Today is the day she is going to get the other woman to talk to her, she's determined to succeed. Waiting until all the students have left before she makes her move to the front desk.

After the bell rang, Lilly watches as her students begin to head out for a minute before she leaning over her desk drawer, looking for something she needed next class. She didn't notice that Miley had stayed behind until she felt the girl's presences she a mere couple of feet away from her.

"Why won't you talk to me?" Miley asks almost desperately, the heart break in her voice is evident. Lilly continues to stare at her desk, afraid to look up. Afraid that if she does, Miley will see exactly what she doesn't want her to see. "You haven't said a word to me in over two weeks," Miley continues, hoping to even get a sign of acknowledgement.

Taking a deep breath, Lilly pushes the drawer closed, giving herself a minute before straightening herself before turning to look at the smaller girl. Both women stare into each other's eyes for a long moment. Each searching for something different within the other.

Lilly can see the vulnerability in Miley's eyes and it makes her hesitate for a moment. She doesn't want to crush the girl, but there is just no way anything could ever come of this. "I can't do this," she told her as sternly as she could allow herself to do so, but also trying to tread as lightly as possible.

"We're not doing anything wrong," Miley tries to tell her, denying that there is any reason why the teacher couldn't be with her. It was the only way she could allow herself to think right now.

The two continue to stare at each other intently, unaware that Mother Kunkle has walked up to the door and now stood watching them both through the window.

Lilly tries once more to get to Miley. She has to make the girl understand how important this is. "I can't do this," she stresses the word "can't" in hopes that Miley will finally get how much this cannot happen.

Looking into Lilly's eyes, Miley see the truth she's hiding behind. But she's also coming to realize that if Lilly's not willing to be with her than she's just going to have to accept it. Trying to hold her emotion at bay, Miley nods her head showing she understands what Lilly is telling her before quietly making her way out the door.

Seeing Miley heading for the door Mother Kunkle quickly steps back not wanting either one to know she had been watching the exchange. She wasn't really sure what she saw just now, but she knows that whatever it was, wasn't a good thing and she didn't like it at all. Seeing the girl was long gone she heads into the room.

Inside, with her back to the door, Lilly tries to get herself back together after such an emotional situation. Hearing the door open behind her she turns to find her aunt entering the room. Quickly turning back she gathers her breath making one last effort to make sure the older woman doesn't notice what is likely written all over her face just now.

"Is something the matter?" Kunkle asks Lilly, her voice not betraying what she has just seen.

Still not daring to look the other woman in the eye she holds her position. "No, I'm fine," she tells her trying to be as convincing as possible.

Not really sure she believes her but not knowing what else there is to say, Kunkle turns back to the business at hand. "Well um…" she starts holding up a couple of thick folders, "I'll need these students reviewed by Friday." She places them on Lilly's desk.

"Okay sure."

Seeing that she still didn't get much of a response from her niece Kunkle tries one more time, "I'd like to think if something were going on, if there was something you needed, that you would ask." Her voice is sincere and she does care for the girl, but their relationship has never been conventional by any means.

"No, I don't need anything," Lilly shrugs the offer off knowing that when Miley had first come she had tried to stop the situation, but her aunt hadn't listened. The year was almost over and she just needed to make it a few more weeks and her life would go back to normal, or so she hoped.

"Very well," Mother Kunkle tells her, slowly turning and walking out of the room, closing the door harshly behind her.

--

The day of the dance had finally arrived and all the girls were in a frenzy trying to get for tonight's event. Amber and Ashley are trying to get all gussied up applying their make up while Sarah is just trying to stay as out of the attention as much as possible. Miley watches them rolling her eyes, really not into the partying mood, instead writing her in her notebook.

"Think you'll hook up at the dance?" Amber asks Ashley when a lull in the conversation presented itself.

Ashley responds trying to apply her lipstick, "My hooking up days are over," she tells Amber, knowing it was no secret why that was so.

Bored with Ashley's response, and wanting to get more of a reaction from someone she turns her head to Miley. "What about you Miley? Think you'll hook up at the dance?" Miley glances up over the pages glaring, trying to ignore Amber, knowing she'll only goad her into more. "I hear Miss Truscott will be there," Amber finishes.

"You know what Amber?" Miley slams her book closed having had enough of the other girl. Somebody needed to shut her up before things got ugly. Although if she was honest she'd admit they already where. Towering over the other girl, hoping to make her feel threatened, "I'm getting really sick of your smart-ass comments." She turns around heading back to her bed, hoping that will be the end of it.

"Wow," Amber exclaims, standing up, "Someone needs to get laid."

Obviously verbally warnings were not going to stop Amber from running her smart mouth. Miley couldn't take much more of the girl, glad she had rejected her in the beginning even if that's half of Amber's problem and she knows it. But she couldn't take listening to the other girl one more minute, she turned around and pushed the other girl down onto her bed.

Amber jumps back up, and quickly attacks Miley pushing her towards her own bed. Ashley and Sarah starting screaming both girls names trying to get them to stop but not know what else to do. The noise floats down the hall and soon the doorway begins to fill with girls watching the fight taking place, egging the two girls on.

Amber gets Miley pinned down to the bed and just keeps smacking her. As hard as Miley is trying she can't seem to get the other girl off her. Ashley and Sarah are both trying to stall Amber's hands but both just get knocked away.

Amber gets one final blow across Miley before being pulled away but Lilly who had just now entered the room having heard the commotion all the way down in her own room. Standing between the girls, she holds her arms out, keeping them from attacking each other again.

After giving Amber a quick once over to see she's fine, Lilly turns to Miley to find the girl holding a hand to her face. Concern for the girl quickly washes over her, "Miley go see the nurse."

"I don't need a fucking nurse," Miley shouts back, pushing her way past the girls in the door way and running down the hallway. Wanting to be anywhere but where Lilly was at the moment. She was ashamed for having been caught by the woman fighting, knowing that she had just reinforced the teachers initial thoughts about her. Also she just couldn't bear to seeing her anymore.

After looking around the dorm room once more to ensure everything was fine Lilly takes off after Miley, catching up with her running down the stairs. "Miley, wait," she tries to stop her. Seeing her chance as Miley rounds the corner she reaches out grabbing Miley's arm effectively turning her around.

Miley throws her arm back breaking Lilly's hold on her. "Don't touch me," Miley yells harshly, knowing she wants nothing more, but not like this. It was just too much for her.

"Let me see your face," Lilly reaches out trying again only to have her hand smacked away again. After staring at her for a minute more Miley runs off again leaving Lilly standing there wishing things could be different.

She holds it together until she can get back to her own room. Drawing herself a bath to get herself ready tonight, she gets in and only then does she let the tears flow.

A/N 2: The last chapter should take us through the end of the movie and be much longer so bear with me as it might take a little longer but I'll try not to keep you waiting to long.