A/N : So sorry for the late update, guys. Exams are coming this Friday and Saturday so I might not update for a while. Currently thinking of ideas for Can't Have You. It's going! :) Reviews?
See Through Me ; Chapter Eleven
Miley took the box from Nick's hands and gave him a small smile. Nick was staring at the distance, his heart thumping. They were getting closer and closer and he could already see the smirks on their faces. "Well, that's my cue," Miley forced out a smile before starting to walk away. He snapped out of his gaze and grabbed Miley's arm, pulling her close to him. "What are you doing? They're coming."
"I-I don't care," Nick shook his head, staring into her crystal eyes. Miley could see the sincerity in his eyes and by the way he just said that. She took a glance behind her and closed her eyes, getting herself ready for the incoming insults. "What are you doing?" he chuckled.
Miley sighed, "They're probably going to throw insults at me again so I might as well prepare myself," she shrugged her shoulders and Nick just gave her an encouraging smile. "Why are you even standing up for me? I thought you were serious about Nicole."
"Oh," Nick said, his thoughts clicking again. "right, I am. But that doesn't mean she gets to control what I have to do and what I don't have to do."
She knew it. It was all too good to be true. She took a step back, making sure they kept the right distance from each other. If they were going to get caught, they might as well have a good reason. For example, they just bumped into each other and were about to go on their separate ways – they just happened to see them at the very moment. Yeah, that was good enough, Miley thought. Nick was thinking the same thing though he didn't really know if Rachel would buy it.
"Hey Nicky, hey Miley," Nicole said, bitterly and gritted her teeth once she said her name. Nick could feel Jake burning a hole on his face and Miley kept her head down, not really wanting to make eye contact with them. "This is weird. We didn't know you go to the mall."
The rest of them eyed Nick carefully, wondering what had gotten into him for even talking to this girl. This thing in front of them that was happened to be named 'Miley'. She wanted to melt and disappear. She could've just made a run for it when they were still a little far away. It was too late now. "What's that?" Chloe asked, pointing at the box in her hands.
"It's a dress, captain obvious," Miley said, feeling a rush of confidence overwhelm her body. "What, you got a problem with me walking around in this place? Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know this was still a part of your kingdom, girls. Well excuse me, royal bitch." she didn't care anymore if she just called Nick's girlfriend a bitch. She was not going down this time.
Nicole's eyes went down from her face to her feet, giving her a cold death glare. "I do happen to have a problem with that, Stewart. Especially when you're walking around with my boyfriend, slut."
Miley couldn't help but scoff at that, "You're calling me the slut? Please, honey. I bet you don't even know what that means," she smirked. "If you did, you'd stop sleeping with every guy you know. Am I right?" Nicole raised her hand, wanting to hit Miley on the face. She immediately caught her hand and pushed it down to her side.
"You do this one more time, I swear to God you won't be able to show your face at school ever again," Nicole said, taking a step closer to face. "Are we clear?" she breathed onto Miley's face making her step back a little.
"Crystal," Miley snapped back, turning her attention back to Nick. "You don't care? Yeah, right Nick. Thanks for proving me wrong. I am right. I never should've trusted you in the first place." she said, trying her best to hold back the tears. A tear landed on the box as she shoved it into his arms. "Keep this. I don't wanna see it ever again."
"Miley, wait," Nick said, grabbing her wrist. Miley jerked it away and avoided looking at him in the eyes.
With that, Miley walked away. She finally released her tears and she couldn't help but feel so sorry for herself. That was the last straw. How could she be so stupid and trust him again? Miley could feel Jake's eyes on her back. She didn't even stand up for her. Nobody did. They were all afraid of Nicole. There wasn't anything to be afraid of. She's only a person like anybody else. The only difference was that she was the richest, most popular girl at school unlike everybody else.
The prom was a bad idea. This wouldn't have happened if she wasn't going in the first place. She had a decision to make. Will she still go or not? After what happened earlier, Jake wouldn't probably pick her up during the night of the prom. Miley took a cab home and rushed into the guesthouse, wiping her tears away. It was stupid. She was crying again because of him. She doesn't even like him! What was that all about?
Nicole waved her hands in the air, telling the others to go away for a while and dragged Nick to a corner where they weren't in hearing distance. She crossed her arms across her chest, giving him a glare. Nick was used to it. At the end of the day, Nicole would call, come by his house and they'd kiss and make up. Actually, they'd make out and make up. "What the hell was that about?" Nicole shouted.
"Chill, babe," Nick shook his head, "that was nothing." he tried playing it cool, as if Miley was the one who wanted this. He wasn't helping at all. He's making it worse for the girls and Miley's name is getting dirtier and dirtier everytime Nick mentions her to his girlfriend.
"Nothing?" Nicole repeated, "What was she talking about? What were you two doing here? You told me you had to stay at school to do extra credit. You're lying to me, Nicky." she said, the glare still not leaving her firm eyes.
"You know Miley, babe. She can be crazy sometimes," Nick rolled his eyes. "We just ran into each other and I kind of spilled soda on her blouse. I bought a dress for you to wear at the prom so I gave it to her instead as a peace offering. You caught me, though."
Nicole's face soften, her glare and scowl fading. Nick sighed inwardly, being thankful for the fact that his girlfriend was gullable. "Really? Is it pretty?" Nicole's lips twitched into a small smile. She took the box from his arms that was already half-ripped because of Miley.
"Yeah," Nick smiled, "So it's a good thing Miley returned it."
Nicole slid it out of the box, her eyes shining. "Aw, Nicky! It's beautiful!" she smiled, giving him a quick peck on the lips. She held it in the air, trying to imagine herself in it. Nick's heart pounded against his chest. This wasn't going the way he planned it to. "Thank you, baby." she giggled.
"No problem," Nick pulled her closer to him, kissing her in the most passionate way. It was an ordinary kiss. No sparks, no meaning – it was just a kiss. Which was weird, though. Nick knew he could feel more than that but somehow it confused him why he wasn't feeling the way he's expecting to.
"I'm going to wear this at prom and I'm going to be the most beautiful girl there ever," she winked, giggling as she placed it back in the box. "As always." Nick just smiled in return, thinking of how Miley would look so much beautiful in that dress if she wore it.
"Prom's in two weeks," Nicole played with her hair. "You excited?"
"Sure, I guess," Nick shurgged his shoulders, shoving his hands into his pocket. He really didn't know what to be excited about. It's not like it was a big deal. It's only just about corsages, dancing, punch, kisses and showing up in your best dresses and tuxedos. It wasn't really him. He wouldn't go if it wasn't for Nicole.
"Well you should be," she smiled, "I'm going to dress up real nice for you." she said, a hint of smirk playing on her lips. Nicole slipped her hand in his and made their way towards the rest of the group. Now Nick was nervous. He just didn't know what to do...
"Yo, man," Jake said, walking towards Nick. "What's up with you and Miley? You're not crushing on her, are you?" he half-joked, keeping his voice low so Nicole wouldn't hear. Nick gave him a confused look and shook his head fiercely.
"What the hell, man?" Nick chuckled. "No way I'm crushing on that freak show." he said, not really meaning it. Lies, lies, lies. All he says are lies when he's talking to either Jake or Nicole. He had to. Or else they'd suspect something if he did something wrong.
"Good," Jake chuckled also, "'Cause you shouldn't." he said, patting his back.
"Come on, dude. Let's just get some grub," Nick said, leading the rest of the group to Burger King. He couldn't help but wonder how Miley got home or how she was doing right now or if she's still crying. She was always crying because of him. Something has got to be wrong with him.
Miley opened the door of the guesthouse, making her way to the backyard. She spotted Elvis and the golden retriever quickly jumped into her arms making her giggle. Elvis licked her face and panted happily while his tail swayed in excitement. "Hey, boy. What have you been doing?" Elvis barked in return as if answering her question making Miley smile. "That sounds great. Wanna treat, boy?"
"He just ate," she heard someone say, startling her. She shuffled to her feet and exhaled once she realized it was Joe standing in front of her. Joe chuckled, running his hands through the dog's golden fur. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."
"It's fine," Miley exhaled, taking a step backward. She stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say after what happened at the party. Nick didn't really tell her what he was going to say to Joe. What would happen if they had different excuses? It would sound lame. "Hey Joe?" she called out softly, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear when a strong breeze passed.
"Yeah?" he looked up, smiling. He probably forgot about it anyway but Miley still felt like he deserved an apology. Miley bit her lower lip before answering and Joe already knew what she was about to say. "If this is about the party, don't worry. It's fine. Nick explained it to me. I'm sorry if I dragged you into something you didn't really enjoy."
"But I am sorry, too," Miley said, bowing her head and shrugging her shoulders lightly. "Now I really know that partying isn't really my thing. I don't belong in that scene." she said with a soft giggle. Elvis ran away, barking as he tried to chase the butterfly flying around.
"Nah, it's nothing," Joe chuckled, nodding. They both stared at the distance for a while, letting a sheet of comfortable silence fall between them. Joe took a short glimpse of her and noticed something was wrong. "What happened?"
"What do you mean?" Miley asked in confusion, trying her best to keep her voice normal.
Joe gave him a smile. "Just tell me happened," he said making her even more confused. "there's gotta be a reason why you're like that. You gotta tell me what it is. I'm here to listen." he suggested, nudging her softly.
"Nothing," Miley said in defense. "I'm perfectly fine. Why would you even say that?" she scoffed and let out a chuckle to hide it. He gave her a not-buying-it look and she immediately stopped and sighed. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry, Joe."
"I respect that," Joe said, shrugging his shoulders. "I just want you to know that if you ever need help, my service is always available." he smiled a cheeky smile making Miley giggle slightly. "You got that?"
"Yeah," Miley nodded, smiling back. "Thanks."
"My pleasure," he said, "I gotta head back. I'll catch you later or something." he waved before jogging back to their house leaving her alone again in that same backyard. It was getting boring yet it felt like home the more she did it. Her pocket started vibrating and she realized someone was calling her. Miley slid out her cellphone, checking the caller ID. It was an unknown caller making her curious about what they're about to say. She held it against her ear, pressing the answer button.
"Hello?" Miley answered casually, half-expecting Nick was the one calling and half-hoping that it wasn't. She expected Nick to at least say sorry or even check where the hell I went after what happened earlier. Instead, a different voice filled her ears.
"Miley," he said, "It's me, Jake."
"How'd you get my number?" she asked the moment he finished talking. "I mean, hey and don't take this the wrong way but why on earth are you calling me?" Miley asked, obviously still surprised. She did not see this coming. At all. After what happened earlier, she was going to need a miracle.
Jake chuckled on the other line, "I'm sorry, I'm probably bothering you right now. I just wanted to say something." he said making Miley nervous. She felt her heart pound against her heart and she could already tell that he was about to cancel on her about going to prom. "We're still up for prom, right?"
"Do you still want to?" she couldn't help but gulp. "After what happened earlier, I'd understand."
"I want to," Jake answered promptly. "I'm calling just to make sure I get to pick you up next week. Don't wanna miss it."
Miley grinned, her cheeks burning. "Yeah. We're still on."
xxx
Miley sat down on her bed patiently, a week after she hung out with Nick at the mall. It also has been a week since they have spoken to each other. It was a stupid cycle, if you ask Miley. They're gonna screw up, avoid talking to each other, make up and hang out then screw up again – the cycle then continues. She groaned, waiting for Demi to just reveal the dress. It was the night of the prom and the girls were in the guesthouse, getting ready. Demi held a paperbag in her arms, carefully taking out the dress.
"This will look beautiful on you," Demi grinned, handing her the dress. "You don't have the dress anymore and I want my best friend to look beautiful on her first prom. It's too bad you had to return it to Nick. I saw that dress in the mall and it looked gorgeous!"
"Not helping," Miley giggled, taking it into her arms. "Wow, this is beautiful." she breathed. Miley ran her finger over the sliky cloth, admiring its color. It was in the color of maroon and shined elegantly under the lights. "Are you sure it's okay for me to borrow this?"
"Yes, of course," Demi rolled her eyes, giggling. "I have tons of dresses back home and this one is one of my favorites. You deserve only the best." she smiled, pushing her towards the bathroom. "Hurry up, go try it on! We only have three hours left before the prom starts."
Miley skipped to the bathroom, quickly peeling her clothes off and slipping on the dress. She zipped it behind her back and stepped out of the bathroom. She giggled, twirling. "Oh my gosh, I love this dress! Thank you, Dem." she grinned.
"No problem. I'm the best friend ever, huh?" Demi winked, giggling. "Since you're going with Jake Ryan, we don't want you to look too sophisticated and too much. We're going with the natural make-up so the real Miley shows. Kay?"
"You're the expert, don't ask me," Miley chuckled, sitting down the stool, facing the mirror. She could already picture the prom again. Jake would smile when he sees her and they'd link arms as they make their ways towards the gym. Everybody smiles, except maybe Nicole. She'd glare and whine to Nick. Yep, that would be great.
"Fine, then," Demi giggled. "By the way, my date's picking me up a little early than Jake will. So I'm going to go ahead. I told him to pick me up here. Is that fine?" she asked, opening her make-up kit and plugging in the curling iron.
"Yeah, sure," she nodded. "who is your date, anyway?"
"A guy names 'Kyle'. He's not the best date but the chances of getting one is getting pretty slim so I just said yes. Joe doesn't seem to want me as a date," she sighed sadly and starting wrapping Miley's hair around the curling iron.
"Yeah, I don't know him," she giggled. "I'm sure you'll have fun. He's cute, right?"
"I don't know. I don't know him either," Demi shrugged. "He just asked me and I said yes without even looking and one of my other friends told me that the guy was Kyle. So, yeah." she explained making Miley laugh.
"I can't believe you did that!" Miley gasped.
"It's either Kyle or be dateless," she giggled. "I guess he's pretty good looking. Some of them said so. I guess I'm just going to find out. Aren't you excited? You're actually going with Jake."
"I am, really. But I feel like something's missing. I just can't point it out," Miley said, slouching in her seat and exhaling. She knew in her heart that it was Nick. She was kind of missing the guy since they didn't get the chance to talk. It was just glimpses and avoiding.
"I think it's Nick," Demi suggested, smirking. Miley gave her a weird stare. How in the world did she know that? She wasn't even mentioning him or anything. "Don't you go giving me that look now, Miles. I know you know I'm right. I'm always right even if I'm not." she giggled, continuing to iron her hair.
"I'm not denying it," Miley shook her head. "I won't lie to you. You're just a freaking genius and you know me too well." she giggled. The smirk on her best friend's face still wasn't leaving. "You think I should talk to him?"
"It's up to you," Demi shrugged, "But if you ask me, I won't. He's the one who made the mistake here, not you. He's going to think you'll just go weak in the knees whenever you see him and take advantage of that fact so shut up and just wait for him to make the first move."
"I don't go weak in the knees," Miley rolled her eyes, "I just get nervous and I feel like I wanna throw up whenever I'm with him, okay?" she said with a slight giggle. "Are we done? You're supposed to be the one who's preparing by now."
"It's fine, I can dress up quickly. Besides, it's only Kyle. But your date is who again?" Demi winked, unplugging the iron and setting it aside. "That's right – Jake Ryan." she smiled, twisting the cap open of the lipgloss and applying it on Miley.
"Two more hours..." Miley exhaled.
xxx
Miley walked around the backyard, letting the cool wind fan her face. Kyle picked up Demi half an hour earlier and prom doesn't start until eight o' clock. She was all set. All she had to do was wait for Jake to pick her up. It was already seven forty-five and prom was about to start in fifteen minutes. She tried to calm herself down, trying not to panic. Jake will pick her up. He'll show up. He's just fashionably late. She tried telling herself and soon found herself settling down. Miley glanced up and Nick's lights were still on. He still hasn't left. Joe, on the other hand left the same time as Demi.
Her heart would start beating faster every now and then. She doesn't really know how to slowdance, what to say to Jake and how to act formally. "God, please don't let me make a fool out of myself," she whispered to herself, closing her eyes. She continued to pace around, trying to keep herslef warm at the same time. Her cellphone still wasn't ringing or at least beeping. Jake wasn't even trying to keep in touch!
Miley sighed to herself. Minutes ticked by and it was already ten past eight. She sat down the doorstep, trying her best not to wrinkle the dress. Nicole walked into the scene making her jump a little. She made her way inside, probably here to go with Nick. She groaned, wondering when Jake would finally pick her up. Maybe she was just so excited that a minute seemed like an eternity.
After a moment, Nicole left with a smirk on her face. Even in the dark, you could still see her evil face. She had her cellphone against her ear and she was talking fastly that Miley couldn't comprehend what she was saying. "You don't have to go," was the first thing she understood. She listened more closely and tried to ignore the other surrounding noises. "Meet me later at my house, kay?" she smiled and finally stepped into the light.
It was then Miley realized she was wearing the dress Miley picked with Nick. Her jaw dropped as she watched her walk away, her purple cocktail dress swaying along with her. Just because she returned it to him doesn't mean he could give it to Nicole... or could he? After all, she returned it. As in, gave it back. So it wasn't hers anymore. Miley felt a tear fall down her bare knees as she propped her chin on her palm. So far, she wasn't really liking this.
An hour passed by and it was already nine o' clock. Tears were now cascading down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep warm. Jake just stood her up. She niffed, wanting to stay strong. Miley sat there in the dark, having no idea what was going on. She felt her heart crack once she realized what she visioned earlier will never happen now. Miley felt something on her back and realized it was a jacket. She looked up, trying to make out his face in the dark.
"What's a beautiful lady doing out here all alone?" Nick asked softly, a small smile on his face as he knelt down beside her and wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb. "It's his loss." he whispered and Miley immediately knew everything was going to be alright now...
A/N : Again, sorry for the late update. Wish me luck for the exams. Aha. :) Reviews, please? Thank you.