"Come on Miley, its not that bad." Lilly said soothingly. I just stirred my pink lemonade and said,

"Yes it is. He is leaving and it is all my fault!"

"And what does that tell you?" Jackson asked.

"To keep my mouth shut." I whispered.

"HEY MILEY, WHERE ARE MY RED TENNIS SHOES?" Jake screamed from the other room.

"In the closet." I called back.

"I don't want him to go." I whispered as I placed a hand on my already slightly swollen abdomen.

"Tell him." Lilly offered.

"I can't, I want him to get this opportunity." I said with tears in my eyes. Jackson put his arm around me and said,

"It will be ok little sis, me and Lil are still here for you." I just sobbed into his shirt.

"Jake alert." Lilly whispered. I quickly wiped my eyes and painted on a fake smile.

"Hey babe." Jake said as he kissed me.

"Hey." I said. He started toward the refrigerator then stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"Were you crying?" He asked. I quickly shook my head.

"Well I surely hope not! Because we are getting married next week and I don't want you to be sad!" I laughed. The wedding, which my Dad had already began to plan when I told him about the pregnancy, was very simple. I was wearing a plain, knee-length, three quarter length sleeved, cotton white dress. It looked like something you would wear in the summer or too picture day. Very simple. Jake was just wearing a suit as usual.

That was the easy part. The hard part was like, what song we wanted to dance too. And, who was invited and stuff like that. But in the end, it was all worked out. We were going on a 2 week honeymoon trip to a surprise place I wasn't allowed to know about. Sweet huh? Not. You see, I wanted to know where I was going! Like, if I we were going to the beach I need a bathing suit! Or if we were going to Indiana I need a snowsuit! But when I told Jake this he replied with, "Bring one of each."

"So…where are we going for the honeymoon?" I asked casually. He shut the fridge and said with humor,

"Did you really think I would tell you that easily?"

"No…but I kind of hoped you would." I replied with a smile.

"Not a chance. It's going to be a surprise!" Jake replied. I frowned and said,

"Fine. Be that way." He just grinned good naturally and said,

"Ok."

"Hey guys, lets all go out for lunch!" Lilly suggested.

"Sounds good to me." I said.

"Me too." Jake replied. His eyes darted nervously too the door. I knew what he was waiting for. Tom told him yesterday that he was going to bring by Jake's script today. I was kind of nervous about what type of movie it was. I mean, they expected it to be either PG-13 or R. and it was titled 'Italy Tears' so I mean, wouldn't you be worried?

"Ok well, I guess we will meet you at The China Teacup in 20 minutes?" Lilly suggested as she grabbed her purse and keys.

"See you there." I called after them.

"I guess we better get ready." I said cheerfully. I walked to my room and grabbed my favorite pair of jeans. I took off my pajama bottoms and pulled up my jeans. I went to button them and…wait… that can't be right. The stupid things wouldn't button. I tugged tighter but they wouldn't close.

Those jeans were going on whether I had to cut them apart and sew them back on me piece by piece.

"Stupid, lousy, good-for-nothing, shrinking, silly, dumb jeans!" I cried. I laid on the bed on my back and tried to close them again. I had had these jeans since middle school! And I was proud that they still fit! I then started cussing out the pants with every word I knew.

"Nice vocabulary." Jake said as he watched me humorously. I glared at him and cried dramatically,

"This isn't funny! I'm doomed to sweatpants forever!"

"Not forever, just 9 months." He replied brightly.

"Not. Helping." I said.

"Aw, its just one pair of jeans! Just wear the ones that were a little loose! You don't look any different, I promise." He said. I frowned and reached into my bottom drawer (where I kept clothes that didn't fit right) and pulled out a pair that were a little too big. I slipped them on easily and glared at them like they were evil when they fit.

"See? All better now! Let's go!" Jake said as he took my hand and led me out.

"You should get one of those tee-shirts that point down and say, 'With baby'." He said with a smile.

"More like one with an arrow pointing right that says 'With stupid'." I joked.

"Very funny." He said. As we reached the third floor I heard laughing from Lavinia and Sean's apartment. I stopped suddenly and Jake said,

"What?"

"Lets invite Lavinia and Sean to lunch!" I suggested.

"Why? You barely know them!" Jake replied.

"Its called being friendly," I said as I walked up to the doorbell, "And you should try it sometimes."

"Well excuse me Miss. America." Jake muttered underneath his breath. Just then the door opened to reveal a laughing Lavinia.

"Miley? Is everything ok?" She asked. I nodded and said,

"Yea, I was just wondering if you wanted to come out to eat with Jake, me, and my brother's girlfriend." Her smiled faded for a second. Then Sean placed a hand on her shoulder and she quickly smiled again, but it looked fake.

"Sounds good! Give me a second to grab my purse." She said. I waited patiently and her and Sean appeared beside us.

----at the restaurant-----

"Hey Lilly and Jackson!" I said as I sat down at the table.

"Hello Lillian." Lavinia said in her Spanish accent. Lilly nodded politely, even though she hated it when people called her Lillian.

"Howdy Lil." Sean said. She smiled at him, liking his free-spirited personality. It kind of reminded me of Lilly's.

We all sat down and looked at the menu before deciding what we wanted. Well, everyone but me. I was in my own little world.

"Miley? Miley?" Jake asked waving his hand in front of my face.

"Oh um…I don't know. Someone pick something for me."

"The Tennessee Iris." Sean spoke up. I felt chills go down my spine and I jumped. When he said that…he reminded me so much of Luke it wasn't even funny. It was like he said 'the' in a southern accent but 'Tennessee Iris' sounded cold and hard like Luke would say it.

"Are you ok?" Sean asked.

I laughed nervously and said, "Yea…um, so do you work Lavinia?"

We small talked for most the night. Whatever Sean ordered for me was weird tasting.

It reminded me of eating a Tennessee Iris. The flower I mean. I remember as a child sitting under a large tree leaning against the trunk talking to Cindy from next door. For a second I could smell the fresh Tennessee air coming off the fields and clouding your senses. And it was like I was there again.

-----flashback----

"Hey Cindy!" a little girl with brunette hair in two braids said skipping down a road. She came to a halt in front of a little red haired girl with a pony tail. Both looked about nine or ten.

"Hi Miley!" Cindy replied cheerfully while she continued to braid together the 'flowers' that were really weeds. The two girls settled underneath a large shady tree and leaned against it. It was silent for a few minutes before they heard someone scream,

"Hey Moe and Curly!" A young boy with wild blond hair came trotting down the dirt road holding some flowers. The brunette girl jumped up and demanded,

"Jimmy Stevens, what did we tell you about call us that?" Jimmy shrugged and said,

"Nothin' much Moe. When you talk, all I hear is a buzzing in my ears." Cindy jumped up and slapped him in the arm.

"Lay off James!" She said. He narrowed his eyes.

"James isn't my name, Curly, its Jimmy Stevens." Jimmy Stevens went by Jimmy Stevens. Not Jimmy. Jimmy Stevens. And nothing else.

"And Curly ain't my name. Cindy is. And Miley here ain't no Moe, got it?" She said through clenched teeth. Jimmy Stevens nodded quickly and said,

"Got it, but do me one favor, Moe." Miley raised an eyebrow. He held out a flower, which she recognized as a Tennessee Iris.

"Eat this." He said.

"Ew…NO!" she exclaimed.

"Chicken," He whispered, "Sissy, city girl, wimp, baby, cry—

"Ok, ok!" she exclaimed. Miley snatched the flower and carefully bit a petal. It was horrible.

---end flashback----

That's kind of like what the food tasted like. Like Jimmy Stevens and his stupid nicknames. I got so lost in my memories; I didn't realize I was in the car. I guess I was walking without really knowing it.

"Are you back from la-la land?" Jake asked. I nodded and smiled fondly,

"I was just remembering some friends from my childhood. I miss them." I said suddenly. I remembered how hurt Cindy was when I told her I was moving to Malibu 7 years ago. I wondered if Jimmy Stevens still called her Curly, or if they even remembered they were missing they're Moe….

I sighed and rubbed my head. I usually didn't think of anyone from Tennessee. They were just history…gone with the wind.

But whether it was the food or the stupid pregnancy hormones…something made me want to find them and invite them to my wedding.

So when I walked into my apartment that afternoon I picked up my phone and called my Dad.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Hey Daddy!" I said cheerfully.

"Hey bud, hows it goin'?" he asked.

"Pretty good…listen, do you remember Cindy Joan and Jimmy Stevens from Tennessee?" I asked.

"Of course bud. Cindy was your best friend and Jimmy got beat up by Jackson so many times it wasn't funny."

"It's Jimmy Stevens." I automatically corrected.

"Right…anyway, having pre-wedding jitters yet?" He asked.

"No not about the wedding…but about the baby." I whispered, hoping my Dad wouldn't hear.

"Have you decided a name yet?" He asked. Darn it, he heard.

"No…anyways, what I wanted to ask you was if you still had Cindy and Jimmy Stevens number somewhere?"

there was a pause.

"Yes I do. Hold on. She wrote it all over that desk you used to have when you guys were eight." I heard him put the phone down. The dresser he was talking about was in Jackson's closet. Inside the drawers it has Jimmy Stevens and Cindy's number in there. He picked up the phone a few minutes later and said,

"Ok, I can't promise this is still their number, but here you go. 555-8756, that's Cindy's, and 555-7021, that's Jimmy's."

"Stevens. Thanks Dad!"

"Are you inviting them to the wedding or something?" He asked.

"I think so. If they want to come." I said.

"Ok, good luck with that Miles. Bye, love you."

"Bye Daddy, I love you."

I hung up the phone to see Jake watching me.

"What?" I asked defensively.

"I wasn't aware your Tennessee friends were going to grace my presence." He said with a grin.

"I'm sorry Mr. America." I said. He smiled and said,

"That's right, I'm Mr. America." He said as he did the little wave.

"Egomaniac." I whispered.

"But only if you get to be Mrs. America." He said with a smile.

"Of course! If I wasn't who would be?" I joked.

"I don't know…maybe Carmen Electra?" He suggested. I jabbed him in the side with my elbow.

"Maybe in your dreams." I snorted.

"No babe, you captivate my dreams." He said with his boyish charming smile.

"Good to know." I replied.

"Well most the time." He said. I glared at him,

"Kidding!" He exclaimed. He slung his arm around my shoulders and said,

"Like I said, you're the only one for me!" Even though he said that, it got me thinking.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

KNOCK KNOCK

"Get the door." I whispered sleepily.

"You get it." Jake said. We were watching some sort of special on Jake Ryan's new mysterious wife. 'Hope Ryan'. Of course, the news people were smart. During the show they casually said, "You know, Hannah Montana kind of looks like Hope Ryan. And I read somewhere that Hope was one of Hannah's middle names." Then they showed a picture of Hope and Hannah beside each other. And I felt my heart jump at how much they looked alike.

"HELLO? IS ANYONE THERE?" Tom called in.

"You get it." I said to Jake.

"I don't wanna, I might hurt my precious Mr. America feet. You go get it."

"It's your friend, 'Mr. America'. Ha, you do know Mr. America has to have strong moral ethics right?" I said.

"Ok, ok. But you're paying for that later." He said getting up.

"Oh…I'm shaking in my socks." I replied sarcastically.

He raised his eyebrows and pointed at me before saying, "Hey, I've killed millions of zombies! I'm sure I could straighten you out."

"But in order for you to straighten me out, you'd have to want to. You know you love your girls crazy and off their rocker." I replied with a smile, "You like things wild and freaky, just admit it."

"Your right, why would I want someone normal? The thought bewilders me." He joked. I laughed as he opened the door to see a very cold and wet Tom standing there.

"That's it Jake! When you get back from Italy I am finding you guys a house with a porch!" he said. I jumped up and handed him a towel. He thanked me and tried to dry off.

"Ok, here is the script. It's a good thing it was laminated. You'll need to dry off the plastic before reading it." Jake took the script and opened it before dropping it.

"Oh! Tom, I have to show this rumor going around! Come to the other room where the computer is and I'll show you!" Jake left the room to go talk to Tom.

"Reeeead me." The script said. I looked at it.

"Me?" I asked.

"Yesss...reeead me!" it said.

Well, if that's what the script wants. I made sure Jake wasn't coming before sitting down in the chair and grabbing the script.

"Ok…lets read this baby." I said to myself. I opened it and read the story outline.

It was about a young teenage girl who gets pregnant by her best friends boyfriend and runs off to Italy. There she has the baby. But one day, she dies in a car crash and her daughter has nobody. Except the father. He is contacted and flew out to Italy, with his teenage son (that was Jake). Together, they all get over the loss and become a family.

"Oh this sounds good." I whispered to myself. Maybe I was a little off my rocker. I was talking to myself.

I randomly opened the script to a page and read. Soon my delight over the story turned to disgust. I dropped the script on the floor.

I heard footsteps so I quickly picked it up and put it back where Jake left it. He walked in and Tom was shaking his head about something.

They stopped and looked at me.

"What?" I said innocently.

"So, did you like the script Miley?" Tom asked, amused.

"Dang it." Caught.

"Well, um…yea…the over all plot line is great and I love it…but um…what character is Jake playing?" I asked awkwardly. Tom looked at me in an odd way.

"He's playing Lucas Johnny. Except they call him Luke."

The name sent chills down my spine. But that wasn't the only thing bothering me.

"Really…and um, who is Joanna Stevenson?" I asked.

"Oh... I think I know what scene you read." He replied.

"Scene? What scene! I want to read it!" Jake grabbed the script and began skimming through it. He was reading with no problem for a while.

"Oh…" He said as he read it.

"Oh, wow." He said awkwardly as he shut the script. Well, this would make things weirder if he wasn't there to see the baby born…I can see it now….

"Mommy, why wasn't Daddy there to see me be born?" It would ask.

"Oh honey, Daddy couldn't be there because around sometime that week he was filming a sexual scene in his movie."

"…oh…" It would say.

No one really knew what to say.

"Well, this is gonna be a funny one to explain to your mother Jake!" I said as I laughed awkwardly. Then we must have had the same thought at the same time. Who is playing Joanna? We both grabbed for the script at the same time. I got it. I turned to the casting page.

Please be ugly, please be ugly, please be ugly!

Dammit. Not ugly.

"Joanna is played by," I had to pause to keep hatred out of my voice, "Tyler Perry."

"WHAT?" Jake thundered. He look a little shocked that his sex scene was with a guy.

"Just kidding." I said with a grin. Jake glared at me and Tom was doubled over with laughter. I handed him the script. He closed his eyes and glanced at the script. He sighed in relief.

"Its not a guy." He said relieved.

"Well duh!" I said.

"Ashley Tisdale…" he trailed off.

Damn. This will hurt our friendship.

"Cool." I replied in a monotone.

"Drinks?" I asked them. Tom nodded and Jake said,

"Can you excuse us for a moment?" He dragged me into the kitchen.

"Stop it right now Miley." He demanded.

"Stop what?" I asked as I took some glasses out of the cabinets, "It doesn't bother me one bit." I turned around and pored some soda into a cup. "Dang it needs more ice." I said. I walked towards the freezer.

"Stop that!" He said.

"Your going have to be a little more descriptive honey." I said as I put ice in the glasses. He took me by the shoulders and said,

"Stop hiding! Gosh Miley, how much are you going to let happen until you crack?"

"You want me to crack?" I asked amused.

"Stop laughing! This isn't funny!" he said, "You're blocking me out! Come on; tell me what you really think about all of this!"

"You want to know what I think?" I asked and he nodded, "Pepsi or Coke?" I asked. He just sighed and said,

"Fine. Be that way. But sooner or later Miley Hope Stewart, you are going to open up." He walked out of the kitchen. And I pored the last of the drinks in the cups before walking back in there and handing them the drinks.

"Hey Jake! You want to hear something funny?" Tom asked.

"Sure, I could use a laugh." Jake said bitterly.

"The producers really wanted Hannah Montana to play Joanna's part." I spit out my drink all over the couch. No one had told Hannah about that.

"We called Hannah's manager, but he turned down the part." Tom said.

"Wait…you couldn't have called Hannah's manager. Because," I clenched my teeth together, "Her MANAGER would have called her BEFORE turning it down."

"Well he just said something about 'Hannah doesn't do those kind of movies'." Tom said.

"Oh I'm sure she does…just not behind a camera." Jake muttered.

"What did you say?" Tom asked Jake.

"Nothing." Jake said innocently.

Tom stood up, "Well, its been a nice chat! But I really must be going!" We all said our goodbyes and Tom left.

"Now I am going to get you Miss. America." He said with an evil grin. I just sighed tiredly.

"No you aren't. I'm not in the mood Mr. Italy." I snapped. I stormed off the bedroom and locked the door.

JAKE'S POV:

I watched in confusion as she ran off into the bedroom and locked me out.

"Hey!" I cried as I turned the doorknob.

"LEAVE ME ALONE JAKE!" She screamed from inside. I sighed and leaned against the doorframe.

"Come on Miles, talk to me.' I said.

"Oh go practice your script!" She spat. Oh, so that's what this is all about.

"Miley, is this about the script?" I asked. I heard her sigh in frustration and say,

"No! Its about…all of this, mostly you leaving me…" my eyes widened in disbelief.

"But, you were the one that—

I stopped because she sound of sobbing was heard from in the room. It broke my heart. I had forced her to tears for the millionth time. I turned the doorknob again, hoping it was unlocked. It wasn't. I quickly ran into the kitchen and grabbed a skeleton key. I stuck it in the door and turned the doorknob. I heard the satisfying 'click' and the door sprang open. Miley was sitting on the floor, her arms around her legs and her face buried in her knees. I moved cautiously forward and gently put my arms around her. She broke down sobbing into my shoulder and I stroked her hair while saying,

"I am so sorry Miley. I am so sorry. I thought you really didn't mind me going." She looked up and I wiped her eyes.

"I thought you didn't listen to crazy people." She said with a watery laugh. I laughed a little and said,

"We'll figure something out Miles, I promise." She just sobbed quietly and said,

"But I really don't want you too miss this opportunity."

Then, suddenly, it hit me like….like…a piano dropping on my head. Ok, bad (and painful) comparison but still.

"Maybe…" I said slowly, "Maybe we could have both!"

"Huh?" She asked. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to work.

"You could come with me to Italy! I mean, sure I will be gone from eight in the morning to six at night, but a least we get time together!" I exclaimed.

"Do actors normally bring people with them?" she asked uncertainly.

"No…but it's not unheard of!" I exclaimed.

"But…we would be gone from my family for ever!" She exclaimed, "And I want my baby to be born in America!"

"We can work all that out when we get there! This is perfect Miley! And plus, think about how beautiful Venice is! Just me and you, touring around Venice—

"Around the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m." She cut in.

"But Venice must be even more beautiful at night." I said. She smiled softly and said,

"You're a great guy Jake." I smiled proudly and said,

"That's me. Mr. America!"

MILEY'S POV:

I laughed and asked, "Now we you tell me where we are going? Please?"

"Ok, ok." He said looking defeated.

"Really?" I asked.

"No, but I had you going didn't I?" He asked with a grin.

"Why you little 'Mr. America'." I said. he just grinned and said, "Catch me if you can."

And the chase began (again).

And by the end of the day, I had broken the no tackling and/or chasing people through the house and jumping through the air rule. Oh well. I knew I would.

Even though we kinda had the movie problem solved…there were still plenty more to come.

Did I ever mention that I hate Jake's movie? Well yea, not only does he have an intimate scene with Ashley Tisdale, his name is Luke.

And it was kind of creepy to me, even though Luke was gone forever.

But, what can I say, us off our rocker girls are a little bit crazy when it comes to coincidences. The difference between us and normal people is, they believe in them. I believe in fate.