A/N: I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON. I KNOW. School started and I have a boyfriend again and…. I suck. HOPEFULLY I'll be able to update at least a couple times a month now. Well, that will happen if people are actually still reading this, which I kind of doubt. You're probably gonna have to re-read for anything to make sense…. I know I did. My most fervent apologies, again.

Now that I think of it, most of us Liley authors are totally sucking in the update departments. Of course I've been much worse, but it seems like the whole ~community~ or whatnot is totally dead right now, soooo everybody should update! Yay! I like that idea!

Er, I've sort of changed the tense to present because I like the notion that everything is playing out as you read it and not before. And this will have a distinct plot and everything, now that I've set everything up as well as I can- badly, it turns out- events should begin unfolding…no promises, though, I'm unpredictable.

Oh, and thank you SO much for all the reviews last chapter! Like, indescribable thanks deserve to be handed out to everyone. Alright, seriously this time, peace and here's the chapter.

--

Suddenly I am ravenous for words to describe how I feel about her. I have been scribbling nonsense on page after crumpled page for no less than two hours and it has left me incredibly frustrated. I imagine I look like I ran a marathon. Ridiculous.

When I first realized what Miley truly meant to me, I was calmly accepting, almost like it felt right. Now I'm pissed as hell and practically want to blame her for this. She flirts with everything that has a pulse, honestly. Her eyes shamelessly rake over boy after boy and I can't even bring myself to feel as if I'm intruding on something because she throws it out in the open for everyone to see.

Well, you know what? Fuck that. I scrunch up my last sheet of paper into a messy ball and turn towards the waste bin in my room. I shoot for three. I score. Like I could ever put this thing- whatever it is- on paper. The only thing I am sure of is that she single-handedly creates more emotions in me than any other person I have ever known. Anger, jealousy, resentment, peace, happiness…and that most fickle of them all, love.

It's a school night and I haven't even started my homework. "No, Mr. Corelli, I didn't do my homework because I was struggling to understand my growing crush on my female best friend. All is well." Yup, that would totally shut him up.

I quickly change into pajamas and peel the cover off my bed, slipping into the cold it hid underneath and snuggling deep in. Maybe someday it will be Miley I'm holding instead of empty sheets. Maybe someday these feelings will disappear as easily as the mist clinging to the window of my bedroom. But for now, the real world, school, Miley- they can all wait, because for now I am drifting into the dream world where anything is possible and my life is as weightless as a feather on the wind.

--

Sunlight is painful, painful stuff, let me tell you. I grumble incoherently at the unfairness of it all and scrabble vainly on the little table by my bed to turn off the irritating ringing noise that currently fills my ears. Aha! Got it. I push where the off button must be and-

"DAMNIT!" I cuss as I hear the dull thud of the alarm clock as it makes contact with the ground, still beeping incessantly. I leap out of bed and quickly press the off button, toss the object across the room into a pile of clothes, and leap back into bed. Warmness envelops me once more. Morning person, I am not. Sleep once again pervades my mind.

--

"Lilly?"

A voice is talking to me. If I ignore it, it will go away.

"Lilly!"

The voice is getting angry. Whoops, too late, I have to keep up my charade of slumber.

"LILLY!"

This one is loud and painful. I squeeze my eyes hard shut in hopes of somehow blocking out the noise by not seeing the object that is emitting it.

"For Christ's sake, Lilly-"

"I'm up, I'm up, I'm up, I'm up, I'm up!" I cry as the covers are yanked off my supposedly sleeping form. Why are mothers so persistent?

"You have three minutes to get up, shower, dress, and eat breakfast before Miley gets here. Go!" She tosses the stolen blanket onto the edge of my bed and leaves the room as I hop into action.

No time for showering. Unfortunate, and mildly gross, but inescapable. Clothes appear on my body almost magically as I tear them from the never ending Pile of Things-That-I-Wore-For-One-Hour-Like-A-Week-Ago-and-Therefore-Aren't-Dirty. With 54 seconds to go, I fly down the stairs and seat myself at the wooden table. I spread a purpley mixture that smells like grapes and vinegar onto two pieces of toast that have been left at the table for my consumption. I hear a girly honk at the door and have to settle for breakfast on the go.

"Fye bob!" I yell at my mother through toast and walk out the door.

"Uh, if you think you're going to be eating that in my BRAND NEW car then you are very mistaken."

"Fbut Miwey!"

"Eat. Now."

I sourly stuff an entire piece of toast in my mouth and commence chewingy loudly and with my mouth open. This feels like a wet sock. Miley got a black Prius for her birthday and she is overly protective of it. She seriously treats it as if it's her newborn baby son destined to change the world with its magical healing powers. Well, maybe not that bad. But it is a little ridiculous.

"Classy, Lilly, really classy" Miley says disdainfully as she watches the food in my mouth get torn into bits.

I grin cheekily, swallow- God, that's dry- and toss the second piece of toast into the bushes by my house. There's no way I'm going down that road again.

Miley gives me the proud look a kindergarten teacher might give a four year old who has finally discovered that 2 + 2 equals 4 and opens the door for me.

I do my best to shoot her a frosty glare in return.

Miley bursts out laughing and leans her head against the steering wheel. She gasps amid chuckles, "You look- (wheeze) like you- (giggle)- spilled lemon juice-(snort?)- into your eyes (wheeze) and are trying (wheeze) not to cry (giggle giggle giggle)."

Damnit.

--

"Smokin' Oken comin' through, watch it ladies, you might get buuurned."

Miley and I speak in unison. "Oliver, shut up."

He places his tray on our table, unwraps an enormous sandwhich, and takes an equally huge bite before he deigns to respond. "Fyoo bo, if I wubnt so hungwy, den baby I'd fbe burt."

A look of disgust crosses Miley's face. "Why do all of my friends talk with their mouth full?"

Before either Oliver or I could respond, a shrill whine cuts into the conversation. "Jaaaake, why are you going to sit at the loser table?" Amber pouts.

He answers somewhat snappily. "Uh, because my girlfriend is there?"

"Yeah, along with helmet-hair boy and the girl who hasn't had a boyfriend since freshman year."

I ignore this rude comment and focus on my mashed potatoes. Oliver, however, looks totally crushed. "My name is Smokin' Oken!" Okay, maybe not.

Now McZombieslayer just seems uncomfortable. "Can we not, please?"

"Jake! It's not my fault your girlfriend is a backwards hick who can't even spell her own name and sits with-"

Oliver, Jake I both stand up at the same time.

"Shut the fuck up!" I heroically demand.

"Go wax your moustache!" Oliver heroically one-ups me with.

"Amber… come on" Jake heroically fumbles.

Miley sighs. "Guys, not worth it."

Oliver sits down, clearly embarrassed at his sudden outburst. Jake returns to his chair as well, clearly embarrassed at his lack of sudden outburst. I am not so easily cooled, however, and step closer to Amber. "Listen here, asshole, you don't-" My hand is tugged away from it's current position as angry pointer finger. Miley holds it firmly and restates, "Seriously, Lilly, not worth it. Let's just go."

As she pulls my still fuming self out of the room, Amber takes the opportunity of our clasped hands to make a last jab. "Guess we know why you haven't had a boyfriend in ages!"

--

"Dude, thank GOD it's Friday!" I breathe as Miley and I commence the walk home. "I seriously don't think I could stand another day of school. Not this week."

My brown-haired best friend rolls her eyes in response. "Are you still mad about what happened at lunch? Lilly, it's Amber. I don't know what else you expect from her."

"Well, it just pissed me off, you know? She only said that because Jake wasn't paying enough attention to her. She could have yelled at him. But instead we got to be the butt of her anger."

"Exactly! It wasn't a personal attack, it was just Jake stuff."

Now I'm sorry I brought him up. I hate the way she says his name. "Yeah, and he toootally handled the pressure well. Knight in shining armor right there."

I notice she reddens a little at this, but proceeds to defend him anyway. "What was he supposed to do, throw an angry fit? Amber's too petty to even bother with. And anyway, Oliver beat him to the moustache line."

Unsatisfied, but equally unwilling to continue our current subject of conversation, I concede this partial truth with a slight grunt.

Miley unlocks her front door and sets her bag down as I toss my backpack somewhere and we both collapse onto the couch. It was starting to get pretty hot again.

"And anyway, Amber was kinda right."

"What?! Miley, I've seen you write your name, I know you can do i-"

My protest is cut off with a heart chuckle. "Not that, you moron. I meant the bit about you." What? Why the hell does she want to continue a topic that Amber started to insult me with? "Hear me out, Lilly, I'm not saying it to hurt you. I'm just saying…. It's been awhile. I mean, it's not like you haven't had offers! I know for a fact that Zack asked you out four days ago because he was crying in the toilet stall next to Oliver. He's cute! Why didn't you say yes? You need to get out there, have some fun." She rubs my knee consolingly and I suppress the desire to yank her hand farther up. "I'm worried about you, Lilly, you seem down lately."

I widen my eyes in dissent and stutter convincingly. "Uh, what? I'm fine. I'm better than fine! I'm great! Completely happy. No need to worry."

"You're a horrible liar, Lilly. And when you want to tell me what's up, I'm here."