This chapter goes out to all those people who did that thing at that time on the day of that thing.

There was only one word to describe what my day with Oliver and Miley had been like: weird. Oliver was oddly clingy and making flirty remarks and Miley was actually moody. I hadn't seen that girl frown for so long without cracking a smile in between. It actually worried me. Miley was upset about something and I knew Oliver had something to do with it. Did I give him too much attention? I tried my best to distribute it evenly amongst the two, even though Miley was closed off and Oliver kept intentionally trying to have it all on him. Three wasn't a crowd, it was just difficult.

Aside from that though, I had a lot of fun. We went surfing and Miley impressed me with her increased skills at balancing, but she still fell off a lot. She even did that in a cool way. Oliver would laugh every time she fell off and that just seemed to make her more determined to stay on the board the next time. I'd laugh along with him, but ask if she was okay. She'd nod and just keep trying. Surfing was about having fun, not forcing yourself to go beyond your skill level. Miley was new to this, she should be taking it slow. But she wasn't.

She gave up after a while and I had to paddle her back to the shore because she was so worn out. I helped her up to her towel and told her to just relax and not try so hard in the future. She nodded and I wish I could've known the reasons behind her stressed features. I wanted to sit next to her and hug her, but Oliver beckoned me back into the water.

So, with night approaching and sending us out of the sea as the temperature dropped, we walked back up to Oliver's house, which was only about five minutes away from the beach. I let Miley lean on me all the way, even when she insisted she could walk by herself. I wanted to be on the safe side anyway and held around her waist.

We arrived home and Mom had already made herself comfortable in one of the guest rooms, leaving the other one for Miley and me. And you could bet I was surprised when I realised there was only one bed in there. It was a double so we could share, but the idea of sleeping with Miley was a little intimidating. I mean, what if my hands moved on their own while I slept and I accidently touched Miley somewhere I was forbidden to touch?

Not sharing my fears, Miley knocked and I quickly pulled an old shirt over my head and said she could come in. She opened the door, revealing her pyjama clad self and I loved that her bottoms were so baggy that they slipped down to reveal some amazingly tanned skin. It took all of my willpower not to reach out and run my fingers over her flesh when she passed me silently and tucked herself straight into bed. She was acting so strangely.

"Are you okay, Miley?" I asked, facing her back. She looked tense.

"Yes," she replied, her voice wound too tightly to convince me that there wasn't something bothering her. I wanted to know so I could make it all better. Didn't she get that? Whatever it was, I'd do anything I could to fix it. Anything.

"You don't seem it," I lightly prodded.

"I'm fine," she said blankly. Liar.

"You can trust me," I promised, wanting nothing more than for her to let me in.

"I said I'm fine." She was started to sound irritated, so I let up and decided to save my investigation for later when she wasn't so peeved.

"Alright, whatever you say," I conceded, closing my eyes, hoping I'd be able to sleep knowing Miley wasn't happy.

It was dark. I blinked and the blackness remained. I tried to feel around me, but there was nothing there. I thought I'd been sleeping next to a grumpy Miley, but I wasn't even on a bed. I wasn't even sure if I was on anything. I tried walking, but the atmosphere remained the same. I became extremely unnerved as something cold wrapped around my leg and when I looked down, there was a thick shadow that enveloped me all the way up to my knees. I now couldn't move my feet. I struggled against whatever it was and tried to call out for help, but I had no voice. I wasn't breathing.

Through the darkness, I made out something off in the distance, getting closer. I watched the image become clearer and bigger.

It was a face.

As it floated towards me, I tried to run away, to say something, to find something that could help me. Once again, I was met with nothing. When the face's features became more prominent, I recognised whose face it was. It was my dad's. His eyes were closed and he had no body. His head stopped in front of me and I stared, petrified. Then he opened his eyes and I let out a silent scream. His eye sockets were empty and his face was starting to melt. A voice that wasn't mine screeched, "It's your fault! We fell apart and it was your fault!"

I tried to yell that it wasn't, that I couldn't help that I existed, but I remained mute. Dad's face faded into the dark, with the accusation still lingering about. Deeply wounded and helpless, I started to cry. Alone and fractured, I lashed out at the emptiness surrounding me, trying to fight against its taunting whispers and suffocation. I cried, cursed, and threw myself at the floor that I didn't feel upon impact.

I started falling. Falling further into the dark gloom.

My eyes snapped open and I sprung up, sweat flying from my forehead as I did so. My breathing came out as pants and I glanced around the room, the moonlight peeking through the window giving the room a light glow so I could make out some of the objects. I was on the bed just like I remembered and Miley was next to me again, her back still to me.

Realising it was all a dream, I flopped back down, trying to stabilise my gasps for air. I hadn't had a nightmare in a long time and never had they been that powerful and scary. In desperate need for consolation, I shuffled closer to Miley's back and rested my head in between her shoulder blades, the instant warmth coming from her body comforting me a little. Miley started moving and she turned around, my face now pressing into her neck, dangerously close to her chest. One of her hands ran up my bare arm and I shuddered.

"What's the matter?" she asked tiredly, though her voice still held an intense concern. I whined in response and guided her arm to my back so she was holding me. Understanding what I wanted, she lay down on her back and pulled me with her. Both of her arms wrapped around me securely and my heartbeat sped up rapidly, but for a reason other than terror.

"I had a bad dream."

"What about?" It might be the loneliness that was eating at me after being blamed for the falling apart of my family or the warmth and relief Miley was offering me, but I think it's time to let Miley in on my secret. There's no way she's leaving my life now. Not without a fight.

"My dad," I whispered and she wove her fingers through my hair. I wanted to sleep, but was too scared even in Miley's arms. I was so worn out.

"What happened? You can tell me." I knew I could.

"He died six months ago and, even when he was alive, he and Mom were cheating on each other. He was the first to do it and then Mom couldn't stand it and did it too. I was stuck in the middle of it all, being completely shut out by both of them. Then one night, while Dad was coming home from his whore's house, he got stabbed in the chest. I didn't know what to think at the time and Mom broke down, so after a few months of grieving and dealing with her shit, she made me go with her to a new house. My nightmare just now... it was... of my dad telling me it was all my fault," I vented, a misery settling over me that I had wanted to diminish when I came here, not make it stronger.

"Don't let a nightmare get to you. It wasn't your fault," she assured, lips brushing my cheek. A bone chattering shock shot through me at the feel of her delicate lips and I physically shivered. Pushing away the abnormal thoughts about Miley's mouth, I allowed a past craving to overcome me. One I hadn't had in twelve years.

"Miley do you think you could... sing to me?" It was the weirdest thing to ask your best friend to do, but right now, it was almost as if there was nothing else that could relax me except for the one thing I received as a child when Mom didn't despise me and my nightmares consisted of make believe monsters, rather than my dead father. It was such an innocent and simple time.

"Yes. I'll sing to you what Daddy used to sing to me all the time when I was little." I almost laughed at the irony and sunk into Miley, inhaling. I smelt that strange blend of perfume and something else that had no comparison. It was sweet and soothing.

She started singing and I was astounded at how beautiful her voice was. I shut my eyes, allowing the lyrics to envelop me.

Caterpillar in the tree

How you wonder who you'll be

Can't go far but you can always dream

Wish you may and wish you might

Don't you worry, hold on tight

I promise you there will come a day

Butterfly, fly away

Miley paused for a moment and stroked my cheek, her gentle caress bringing back images of the time she had a stomach ache and I was there to look after her, to get her whatever she needed. That was what friendship was all about. Caring for each other.

Butterfly, fly away

Butterfly, fly away

Got your wings and you can't stay

Take those dreams and make them all come true

Butterfly, fly away

Butterfly, fly away

You've been waiting for this day

All along you've known just what to do

Butterfly, butterfly, butterfly, butterfly fly away

Butterfly, fly away

Captivated and on the border of losing consciousness, I almost missed it when her breath set my ear on fire as she whispered, "Butterfly, fly away." And then I was out.

Haha, I think this is the first time I've made Miley sing in one of my fics.