Ohhhkaaayyy. I couldn't resist. I just had to post this chapter. No, I'm still not REALLY back until March 30th, but I really wanted to post this :) Sue me!
( ... uhmm don't really sue me though) Alright, thanks :)
She rubbed her fingertips against one another as she sat in the chair outside Ms. Berns' office. Her leg shook uncontrollably as her breath fell rigid. The teenage girl sitting beside her sat there calmly, something Miley thought she would have been like. Had she suddenly walked into a parallel universe? She wasn't supposed to be the one with a racing pulse and sweaty palms. She was supposed to be the one with those note cards in her hands, knowing exactly what she was going to do and say. What the hell?
New Text Message, her phone blinked. Flipping her phone open she read the message in complete annoyance.
LC: Picking you up from your house at 9. Secret meeting at ice cream shop needed.
Just as she was getting ready to type the words, "Never in a million years", the door to Ms. Bern's office opened, revealing a woman looking as if she were in her early 50's. Her platinum hair was stringy and pulled back into a tight bun, her dull green eyes were staring at a portfolio she had open in her hands and she was dressed in a heather gray blazer and 'A' line skirt with pointed-toe black heels. "Miley Cyrus" she stated. The glasses resting on the brim of her nose fell lower as her questioning gaze switched back and forth between Miley and the other teenage girl. "That's me" she smiled kindly, at least … she tried to. "Come in" Ms. Berns sighed, walking back into the office, leaving the door open for Miley to follow. Taking a deep breath, she stood from her seat and quickly glanced at the girl, "Got your note cards?" Miley questioned her, scanning the girl's slightly worried appearance. "How'd you know?" the girl asked guiltily. A small smile tugged at Miley's lips, "I was like you once …" she started. "And now?" the girl asked nervously. Miley's expression turned blank, "I'm still trying to figure that out" and then, she entered the game. Just by walking through that door … she was changing her destiny.
--
Lacey opened the door to Miley's household with the spare key in the flower pot. Could it be hidden in an anymore obvious place? Kicking the door shut behind her, she walked down the carpeted hallway, toward the den where she knew Miley was usually doing her homework. If she wasn't going to answer her text messages, then she was just going to come to her. "Mil-" she started, but stopped when she heard footsteps on the upper level.
"Miley!?" she heard Tish scream from the top of the stairs. Lacey froze mid-step, cursing her cowboy boots for being so loud. "Miley, darling, is that you?" Tish's voice rang throughout the household for a second time. Lacey quickly ran into the kitchen, trying to dodge Tish the beast. Yes, they nicknamed her. It was necessary. There was an awkward silence for a while, causing Lacey's body to tense and force her to hold her breath. "Doesn't sound like she's home" a man's voice finally spoke. "I guess not" Tish sighed, "Well I guess you should be heading home. Your daughter's probably wondering where you are."
"Oh no, Lacey's with Ty at the ice cream shop. Won't be home till around 10ish" the man's voice laughed happily. Lacey choked on his laughter, fear and shock crushing her fragile heart.
Dad?
--
Tapping his Nike Shocks impatiently on the wooden floor, Ty constantly checked his watch. "I'm meeting LC at the ice cream shop in less then 10 minutes, hurry up Mia!" he yelled backstage. Mia had to stay afterwards to put some finishing touches on people's costumes. Ty was her only ride home – unfortunately. "In a minute!" her shrill voice made its way to his already damaged ears. He cringed, girls and their periods, bad combination.
"So you're going to be on this stage Thursday? In front of hundreds of people?" a boy's voice could be heard from the other side of the curtains. Ty's ears perked up as he practically karaoke stepped towards the red curtains. "Yup" the other boy answered. Ty parted the curtains about only two centimeters and smiled. It was Nick and his brother, Joe. "Hmm…" Joe squint his eyes, thinking. "What?" Nick laughed softly, sitting in the front row while watching his brother pace back and forth on stage. "Oh nothing, I was just trying to process the thought of my brother actually having a life" Joe shrugged his shoulders. "Hey!" Nick piped up, a playful defensive tone now taking over, "I had a life back in California."
Joe nodded his head, "Yeah, yeah … but not a good one" he joked. Nick rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean…" Joe smiled, "You've got the lead role in a play, co-staring a beautiful lady might I add."
"Joe" Nick narrowed his eyes, "I know, I know" Joe rolled his eyes, waving Nick's mood change off like it was some piece of fuzz, "She's the love of your life and I'm not allowed to touch her."
Ty's body jolted back in surprise, he quickly stepped away from the curtains and let them close silently. What? Love? H-he loved Miley?
"I'm ready!" Mia screamed, practically next to Ty, but finding it necessary to scream anyways. Ty quickly slapped his hand over Mia's mouth, causing her to squirm in his arms. "What the hell Ty?" she glared at him as she tore his hand off her mouth.
"Don't scream like that" he shook his head, "Let's go" he was jumpy now. Was Nick honestly in love with Miley?
Back on the other side of the curtain, Nick practically fell out of his seat with surprise, "What?!" he exclaimed. Joe rolled his eyes, "Oh like it's not obvious. How you always bring her up at dinner … or how when we're driving and I'm trying to talk to you, you're day dreaming … about her I bet."
"Yeah, ok Joe" Nick scoffed.
"Oh, you naïve children, how you seem so innocent at the time…" Joe mumbled.
If Ty had only stayed a few moments longer … if only.
--
"Miley Cyrus, 17 years old, currently living in Tennessee, wants to attend Julliard next fall." Ms. Berns stated, her glasses tipped downward. "Stars in all the school plays, has a passion for music and acting, is a singer/song writer and believes that music is what she lives for" she read on. Slowly she looked up, throwing Miley's portfolio on the desk, bored. "I've heard it all before Miley. I've read all the same papers, heard all the same answers, met all the same people…same, same, same …" she paused, continuing to stare at Miley who was interlocking and unlocking her fingers repeatedly. "So why are you different? Why was it so important for me to fly out here to Tennessee and meet you and that Peyton girl in the hallway?"
Silence – and then a buzzing noise filled the room. Ms. Berns' eyebrows rose, "Oh I'm sorry, is this a casual meeting where phones are allowed to interrupt? I wasn't informed" she spoke bitterly. Miley stared blankly at her, "I'm sorry. I'll ignore it" she simply stated. Ms. Berns shook her head, sliding the glasses off of her nose and began to wipe them off with a cloth, "By all means, take it … already interrupted."
Miley was positive that she was either:
a. going to strangle whomever was calling her now
b. going to strangle Ms. Berns
c. going to strangle herself
d. going to do all of the above plus type that extra credit essay for World History tonight
"Hello?" she whispered into her cell phone. "Miley?" Lacey's timid voice came from the other end. "What is it LC? I'm kind of busy at the moment. No, scratch that. I'm too busy to even breathe at the moment, so whatever it is. Tell me … Star Trek fashion, hyper speed, now."
"It's my dad Miley" LC whispered, could she hear her crying softly or was that her imagination? "I think he's having an affair with Tish…"
Beeeep. The tone dragged on…the line went dead. Why? Because Miley pressed the end button involuntarily. "Is everything alright?" Ms. Berns asked, placing her glasses back on. Miley sat there like zombie, a zombie whom had just been beaten, thrown into a blender, made into a banana smoothie (which she hated) dumped into a glass and then been drunk to nothing by her own mother.
"No. I have to go." Miley stated. "Excuse me?" Ms. Berns eyes widened. "I have to go." Miley dragged out each word this time to make it even more clear then she did before, "there's been a … complication."
"You realize that if you do not sit down in less than three seconds that there will be no chance you will be attending Julliard next year" Ms. Berns stood appalled.
Miley swallowed the huge lump in her throat, "I know."
Of course no one expected that ... why would I let someone figure this out so early in? :)
lovelovelove,
emilykearsexx