A/N Alright so it's been just short of four months...I know I practically killed this story. Well hopefully you all will forgive me by the fact that this is longer. Oh and uh, just a suggestion...maybe read the last chapter to refresh your memory.

Miley's POV

As Jackson pulled up, I put Oliver's arm around my neck and began to get off the bench. Jackson got out of the car and got on Oliver's other side and helped me put him in the back seat. I decided to sit in the back with him and make sure he didn't pass out all the way.

"It's alright Oliver, we're in a car now, stay awake."

"Miles do you want to tell me what happened now?" Jackson asked as he began to drive.

"I'll explain later, let's just get him back to his house first."

"No!" Oliver suddenly yelled. Then he whispered. "Not, not my house. I don't want my parent's t-to know."

"But Oliver-"

"Your house please?" he slurred.

"Alright, fine."

"Thanks Miley." then he fell back on my shoulder, but I kept telling him to stay awake.

Jackson glared at me through the rear view mirror. He didn't seem too happy with the fact that I said yes to this. But I knew that Dad wouldn't mind…for now.

Just after we pulled into the driveway, I got out of the car and began pulling Oliver with me, Jackson helped me walk him in the house again.

"Jackson, is Dad home?"

"To your luck, no he's not." He said as we helped Oliver lay down on the couch. Immediately he fell asleep. "He's out buying groceries, but he's going to be back and then you'll have to explain this soon you know?"

"Alright, I might as well tell you first."

We went and sat down on our bar stools, then I began explaining. I first told him that Oliver is friend's with Lilly. Then Lilly's argument with him. The little lies. The incident at the bar. My argument with him. But I felt the need to leave out Oliver's issues about his home and life. That seemed to me like it was just between us for now. Then I was finished.

"Wow, well I hope Dad believes it."

"Jackson, it's the truth."

"No, I didn't mean it that way Miles, I know you're telling the truth. I meant that I hope Dad will be ok with this." he said.

"Alright, well it's almost noon and so Oliver, will be out for awhile, probably until this evening." I said, more thinking out loud.

"Don't you think we should call his parent's?" Jackson asked.

Just then, that made me think of what Oliver told me about his parents. "Uh yeah, I'll call his Mom." I put on a fake smile. Of course I wouldn't tell her anything about this, Oliver asked me not too.

I walked over, to the really knocked out Oliver, and found his cell phone in his pocket. Then looked through his contact list for his parents. After I found it, I went up to my room and called them. His Mom answered. I told her that Oliver would be spending the rest of the day here and possibly dinner. She said it would be ok, but of course not too late, seeing as tomorrow was a school day. So we had an agreement and then said goodbye. Right after that I was being called downstairs by Jackson. Once I got there he was standing next to Dad.

"Oh hey Daddy, so how was shopping?" I smiled.

"Miley, stop trying to avoid the subject and tell me why there's a boy sleeping on our couch?" he asked rather loudly and pointed at Oliver.

"Alright, but why don't you sit first."

"I'm fine right here." he was standing next to the island and a worried looking Jackson, was a few feet away from him. First I walked back over to Oliver and put his cell phone back in his pocket, then walked back to Dad.

"Well first off, this is Lilly's friend, Oliver. They've been friends for a long time. And then today…" I continued with the same short story I told Jackson; again leaving out Oliver's issues that were still between us. By the time I was finished, I walked over to Dad. "So can he at least stay until he's better, please Daddy?" I pleaded. He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Alright bud, but then he goes home as soon as he's able too."

"Yes! Thanks Dad." I gave him a hug.

--

Hours had passed. I worked on my homework downstairs and checked on Oliver sometimes. Then before I knew it, evening had come and it was almost dinner time. And just as I predicted, he started to wake up. Dad and Jackson just went to a basketball game, so I was on my own for awhile. He started moving around and groaning a bit. I rushed over and knelt next to the couch.

"Hey Oliver, how are you doin buddy?" I said gently. What did I say? He hates me, I hate him, that's it. Then he slowly opened his eyes.

"Miley? Where am I? What happened?" he mumbled.

"Well you said you didn't want to go home, so you're in my house. You've been sleeping on the couch since noon and-"

He suddenly sat up. "Shit! What time is it?" Then he clutched his forehead and I pushed him back down.

"Whoa whoa, hold it, its ok, lay back down alright? Or it'll get worse."

"Yeah alright, but what am I doing here and what time is it?"

"Oh it's around 6 in the evening, you've been out since about noon."

"What? Oh no, I gotta call my Mom."

"No, it's ok I already called her when I first brought you back. I just told her that you'd be hanging out here for the rest of the day. Don't worry, I didn't tell her anything else." I said as I got up and walked over to the kitchen. I got him a small wet rag to set on his forehead. And it looked like he needed some Aspirin now too.

He moaned as I was getting some water. "Oh gosh, I feel like like crap…wait what else? What do you mean?"

"Oh no, you don't remember?"

"Remember what?" he asked and rubbed his forehead from pain. Then I handed him some water and aspirin. I sat on the floor next to the couch again.

"You were right, that does help you forget. Damn I didn't want to tell you this, but you got drunk earlier Oliver."

"Oh crap! Not again!" I gave him a confused look as I folded the wet rag and set it on his forehead. He set his water down on the table next to him and then noticed my expression. "Oh, well I had done this a few times when we had moved and those friends of mine told me."

"And then your friends took you in every time, because you didn't want your parents to know?"

"Yeah I guess that's part of the reason I didn't want to move back here, I was afraid I would want to stay out of the house and get drunk again. I was right. But now I have someone else to take me in."

"Someone else? Just someone else?" Was I really hoping he would call me a friend?

"Yeah thanks Miley." No, he was acting like a jerk and wouldn't mean it anyway. "So did I uh…did I say a lot to you? Like how long was it before I passed out after you found me?"

"Well first you had lied to your Mom about where you were going, then I was going to come talk to you, but then I saw you in the bar and you…" He was taking advantage of the place he was in and the way he was being treated. I don't think he should know…now anyway. "…you passed out just after I made you stop drinking the bottle that you had already drunk half of." I lied. I decided to tell him later.

"Whew, thanks for that." Wow that must have been convincing. "I was just afraid I might have said other things. Since people usually tell the truth when they drink you know." Waiting longer would only make things worse, so I decided to tell him now. "I've been told that I talk a lot-"

"Nevermind Oliver, you did tell me stuff." I burst.

"Really? Like what?" he asked nervously.

"Well, the fact that you don't think you have any friends and something about bad grades. Then you blamed me all about how Lilly only lets me in her life and not you. And you also said stuff about, about your parents. Then you passed out after that." I finished quietly.

"Oh…wow, I said all that huh?" we sat in an awkward silence for a minute, then Oliver spoke up. "Well Miley, I really don't know what to say. I'm sure sorry, isn't enough. Did I yell at you?"

"Uh yeah, kind of. But Oliver you've got to tell Lilly what's wrong too. I mean she's your friend, she knows you better."

"I will just not-"

Just then there came a few knocks on the door.

"Oh I'll get it." I got up from beside Oliver and ran to the door and opened it. It was Lilly.

"Hey Miles. I got out of visiting my grandparents early, so I thought I'd come by to see you and we can…" As Lilly pushed past me and walked in she stopped talking once she saw Oliver.

"Lilly I-" Oliver started to say.

"Lilly, Oliver is just-"

"Just going to tell me himself, what the hell he's doing here!" she walked forward and sat on the chair next to him. "What's going on?"

Lilly was upset and I could see that by the way things looked, I would be too. Oliver looked at me quickly, with a look of fear. I could tell he didn't want to tell Lilly yet. I folded my arms and sat on the couch, by his legs. Then I gave him a look, as a signal for him to tell her.

"Well Lilly I uh…I made a bad choice today." I nudged Oliver's leg hard. "Ok not just today, I've been making bad choices for awhile."

"What have you been doing?" she asked with a stern voice.

"I've been drinking." He admitted straight out.

"But, but you would never do that…I mean you're my friend Oliver. You can't just…" She trailed off and then put her face down in her hands. She didn't want to believe him, but she knew it was true.

"Listen Lilly, I've just had some problems lately, problems at home."

"Drinking is not gonna help Oliver, it's just gonna give you more problems." She said in an annoyed voice.

"Look, I'm sorry alright? I didn't want to tell you when Miley found me. I just didn't want you to see me like this, because I didn't want to hurt you."

"I'm not the one who's getting hurt. You're the one who's going to suffer. And what do you mean Miley found you?"

"Well there's kind of a story behind that too Lil. See, I thought I'd go talk to Oliver today, since I knew you couldn't and-"

"Whoa whoa, you went to talk to him? Miley I thought we said I would?"

"Well I figured since you couldn't until tomorrow, I might as well try. I might also get to know him better, that didn't work, but I still helped him."

"Hello, still in the room." Oliver suddenly spoke up. "Lilly what were you going to talk to me aboutH?"

"Well I just wanted to know why you wouldn't let me tell you that I really think it'll be fun you're moving back. And I also want to know why you were rude to me when I brought up Miley. But now I know why, it's the drinking right? And problems at home?"

"Yeah it's just that and I've got bad grades and my parents are…and I'm just, I'm just really sorry. I didn't mean to take all my anger out on you. But now I'm done with this."