Lessons Learned

Who I See

"Miley! Come on!" Jake called to his girlfriend again of three weeks. She was in her bathroom, touching up her make up. She had been in there for a half hour. They were preparing to go to JFK Airport, they had a flight to Malibu in two hours. Her family still didn't know anything. They knew Jake was coming down for a visit, but, they had no idea who was coming with him.

"I'm not going!" she called back. Jake rolled his eyes.

"Yes you are!" he called back.

"But…" Jake cut her off.

"But nothing!"

"Fiiine," Miley said, walking out.

"You look beautiful," he tells her.

"Tell me again why I'm happy I ran into you again," she said sarcastically.

"Cause you love me."

"Oh yeah," Miley says, as if she could forget.

They grab their luggage and drive to the airport with Jake's limo, with him in disguise, of course. Jake practically has to drag Miley onto the plane, she was really hesitant. Once they were fine in there seats, Jake notices Miley tense up. "What's wrong?"

"It's just, the last time I flew was when, well, I came to New York," she said in a sad tone.

"Oh Miles, it's ok," he said, hugging her, noticing how bad this made her feel.

"Well," she said. "This flight will be for the better."

The plane takes off, and after sbout 15 minutes, Miley decides to listen to the radio, so, she picks up the plane head phones and turns it to a random station. She smiles at the song she hears. "Jake," she said, tugging at his sleeve.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Listen," she told him, handing him the head phones. He puts them on and smiles at what he hears, a rather old song:

If We Were a moive

You'd be the right guy

And I'd be the best friend

That you'd fall in love with

(and you know the rest)

"I haven't heard that song on the radio in years," Jake said.

"Me neither, it's like 15 years old." (well, it would be by then)

A few hours later, the plane landed. Miley's heart skipped a beat. "I have Home by Chris Daughtry playing in my head," Miley said as they stood up from their seats. Jake chuckled a little bit.

"That's old," he said.

"Shut up."

Jake pulled Miley off the plane and the moment she got out of the jet way, she gasped. She didn't really even know why. It was just…being in Malibu…and not New York, and being close to seeing her family again. Jake had told her that once every few weeks, everybody, her dad, Jackson, Lily, Oliver, Jake, Becca, Grace, Kelly, Christina, Brian, Kim, Hannah, David (Jake's parents), Anna, Eric, (Lily's parents), Andrew, Laura (Oliver's parents), and Sarah would get together and have dinner. Today was that day. Apparently, the families had become quite close these last few years. Right now, it was 1:30 PM. Jake was supposed to be at the Stewart house by 3:00 and he would go over to their hotel to pick up Miley at 5. It was sort of a little plan they had worked out. They rented a car and drove to their hotel. Jake kissed Miley goodbye (sorry, I just had to put that in) as he left for the Stewart house.

When he got there, he was greeted by Christina. "Uncle Jakey's here! Uncle Jakey's here!" she yelled to through the house. Jake laughed as he picked her up and hugged her. "How's Princess Christina today?" he asked her, putting her down.

"Good," she said in her little eight year old voice.

"Princess Kelly's good too!" Kelly called from the kitchen as she ran into Jake's arms. Jake laughs as he hugged her too, then put her down. The same with Grace, and then Brian, but, he was Prince Brian.

Then, the adults walked into the room and greeted him with hugs, man hugs, and hand shakes. After 10 minutes of greetings, the only people left in the room were Jake, Oliver, and Jackson. "So, Jake, how's the new movie going?" Oliver asked.

"Good."

"I heard Lexi Mcdonald's in it, between you and me, she's kinda hot," Jackson says. Jake felt like throwing up after hearing that.

"Jackson, I beg you to never say that again," Jake said.

"Whatever," Jackson said. "So, anyway…" he was cut off by Oliver.

"Oh my god!" Oliver yelled up from the old newspaper he was reading. He was reading the entertainment section. Everybody who wasn't in the room came in, asking what was wrong.

"Look at this," Oliver told them all. He turned the newspaper around and showed them all a picture of Hannah performing at the Music Festival three weeks ago.

"Why do they have a picture from one of Hannah's old concerts?" Jackson asked.

"It's not old, listen," Oliver said. He started reading the newspaper article. "After Hannah Montana's mysterious disappearance from the music industry 10 years ago, people figured she was never going to come back. Hardly anybody ever does. Evidently, we were wrong. Everybody who attended the New York City Music Festival last week got a major shock. Host, Gabriella Montez announced 'the princess of pop who is back and ready to reclaim the title.' Then, Montana, who nobody has seen for ten years, performed four songs: 'The Best of Both Worlds,' 'If We Were a Movie,' 'Life's What You Make It,' and a new one called, 'We Belong Together.' Is Hannah Montana going to restore her 'pop princess' status? Only time will tell.

Oliver, Lily, Jackson, and Robby Ray's mouths dropped. Jake already knew. Everybody else, however, was confused. They had never been told that Miley was Hannah Montana.

"Jake, weren't you at the Music Festival?" Lily asked. "Is it true?"

"Well…uhh…" but he was interrupted by Kelly.

"Uncle Jakey, there's a picture of you and some girl," she said, pointing below the Hannah article.

Oliver started reading that article. "Jake Ryan has been spotted multiple times this week with the same brunette girl. Nobody knows who it really is, but we have a clue. About 10 years ago, Jake was spotted multiple times with then girlfriend, Miley Stewart. The girl in the new photos happens to resemble Miley very much. Could he have made reconciliation with an old flame?

"Yes, Jake, could he have?" Robby Ray asked. Jake didn't say anything, just looked at the floor. "Oh my god!"

"Jake, is it true? Is Miley really back?" Lily asked desperately.

Jake knew there was no way of getting out of this one. "Yes," was all he said.

There was a bunch of screaming and questions being fired at him, so, he couldn't answer one. "One at a time people!" Jake yelled. They all quieted down, and Lily asked the first question.

"How did this happen?"

"Well, I was at the music festival three weeks ago, and Hannah performed, and we talked."

"Wait a second," Sarah said. "What does this have to do with Miley?"

"Miley was…is…Hannah Montana," Oliver answered.

"What!" everybody who didn't know already yelled, especially Becca.

"Stewart was Hannah Montana?" she asked. "She tried to who tried to fix me and Oliver up that one time. Lily was a part of it to."

Everybody laughed at the irony.

"Yes, whatever, now, back to Miley," Lily said. "Are you two back together?"

"Yes," Jake answered.

"Where has she been?" Oliver piped up.

"New York since she left," Jake said.

"I still feel bad about that," Sarah said.

"Don't, Sarah, Miley doesn't want you to blame yourself," Jake told her, who nodded.

"Where is she now?" Robby Ray wondered, aloud.

"In our hotel room," Jake said hesitantly.

"She's here?" Lily asked. When Jake nods, her face brightens.

"Who's Miley, Mommy?" Brian asked.

"An old friend of Mommy's and Daddy's, sweetie," Lily tells him. "She's Uncle Robby's daughter and Uncle Jackson's sister."

"So…is she Auntie Miley like Becca's Auntie Becca?"

Lily smiles. No matter what her best friend put her through, she was still her best friend. "She sure is."

"Does Auntie Miley have kids?" Christina asked.

"I don't think so, right Jake?" Jake hadn't heard, so, he didn't answer. Because he didn't answer, everybody got worried looks on their faces. "Right Jake?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Jake asked.

"Does Miley have kids?"

"Oh, no." Everybody breathed sighs of relief.

"Well, come on, I want to see my sister!" Jackson exclaims. "Take us to the hotel now!"

Everybody nods in agreement. "But-," Jake says.

"LESLIE JACOB RYAN!!! I HAVEN'T SEEN MY BEST FRIEND IN TEN YEARS! TAKE ME TO HER NOW!!!" Lily yelled at him.

"Ooh, she pulled the real name card," Jackson said.

Jake agrees in fear, as they head out to the cars.

Miley's POV

I am pacing around the room. Jake is supposed to come pick me up in about an hour. I am nervous…to say the least. I love these people, I really do. But, but, but…oh hold on, somebody's trying to get in. Wait, how would anybody get in? Jake wasn't supposed to be here for another hour. It seems like it's working. Ok, now, I'm scared. I grab the hair brush on the dresser, prepared to wack some burglar. Then, the door opens, it's…

Just. Jake.

"Oh, Jake, thank god it's just you, you scared me," I tell him.

"Well, actually, it's not just me," he says.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask him, afraid I already know.

"Well…" he steps to the side, and I am shocked at what I see…who I see.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX