Falling Fast
Disclaimer
I only own Hannah Montana in my dreams. However, I do own everything that you don't recognize. Tee hee.
Chapter #20A
Drama Queens Get Slapped
"Miley." She said, "are you okay?"
"Just peachy." I answered sarcastically.
"No, really," she prompted.
"I'll be fine. It's just . . ." I searched for the right words. "It's hard to deal with."
"I can imagine." Heather sighed. "Miley, I lost a baby, about five years ago. Lily didn't – doesn't – know. I don't have the heart to tell her. But I want you to know, I really do have an idea what you're going through."
"Thanks." I whispered, and turned ungratefully back to Olivia and Lily.
FALLING FAST A
The funeral itself was a simple ordeal; I knew that dad didn't want to create any stress for me. Anyone who'd wanted to see the body had come to the hospital to see me - where pictures and videos had been taken. She got a small, fairly simple casket that we set her in; she wore a tiny preemie onsie that was still too big, and was wrapped in the pink blanket Heather had crocheted for her. The burial was simple too; only the direct family was there.
Later in the day a couple of family members arrived to pay respects. Dad left our front door open to anyone who wanted to come, and we had an interesting group. Aunt Dolly and Mamaw represented my Nashville family, but Jenna, my cousin who lived in northern California, took a trip down for the weekend too. Heather's brother, Danny, and his oldest daughter, D.J., also came. The Oken family was small, so no more came but that was okay with us. With everyone in the house – five Okens, four Truscotts, five Stewarts, Sarah, and the few celebrities that new about my secret identity – it was packed to bursting and spread onto the surrounding beach.
"It'll be okay." Jenna assured me, "it probably wasn't a good idea to have a baby at your age anyways, right?" she asked, trying to cheer me up. I gave her a pathetic smile but didn't respond. Jenna had been hanging out with me for the past hour, and I was getting sick of her babbling. I was, actually, sick of everything. Dad stuffed me into a black top that flowed over my empty midsection, and I'd battled to be allowed to wear my dark gray sweatpants in stead of his suggested ankle-length black skirt. "who's going to comment?" I had argued. Without a word to Jenna I stood and walked towards the buffet that was set out. Everyone allowed me a wide berth and offered their condolences. Slowly, I dipped a cup into a bowl of trail mix to fill it. Grabbing a coca cola, which I was now allowed to drink, I escaped up the stairs. Cautiously, I pushed open the door to my room, and then walked out onto my little piece of deck. To my surprise, Owen was already lying across my favorite patch of roof. He didn't say a thing as I sat on the steps to eat my lunch. He left me in silence and finally I crawled up with him, curling around his muscled body and laying my head on his shoulder.
"I love you." He whispered, pulling me closer.
"Everyone says this is for our own good," I sobbed, tears flying to my face, "but then why does it hurt so much?"
"I don't know." He whispered, a crack in his own voice. Quietly, he kissed my forehead, and I felt like a child.
"Owen?" I whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Don't leave me." I replied, not knowing if I ment in the future or just this second.
"I'd never." I took in a deep, relaxing breath and let the world pass by. We didn't talk again for what felt like at least ten minutes
"Hey Miles," he whispered, rubbing his hand down my back.
"Yeah?"
"Have you lost weight?" I thought about it for a second; the weight from the baby had been taken away, and I'd walked most of what I'd gained from cravings off in the week the hospital had kept me. It hadn't really been hard; I hadn't gained much weight yet.
"You didn't expect me to keep the baby weight, did you?" I asked playfully.
"No, but you seem lighter than, like, back in October. Back when there was no baby." He thought for a second before adding; "not that you were heavy back then. That's why I'm so surprised."
I heaved a great sigh. I knew - as bad as it was - that I'd been under eating. But I wasn't hungry; I wasn't interested in food now. I didn't try to lose weight, it just happened.
"I haven't really been hungry." I answered, shrugging.
"Miley." He said seriously, his voice punishing, "that's dangerous."
"I know."
"No," he said sharply, "obviously you don't know. Miles if you keep losing all this weight I'm going to tell your father because it's a serious problem."
"I don't have an eating disorder Owen!" I defended. I felt betrayed. "I haven't been counting calories, or limiting myself, or even throwing everything back up. I'm just not all that hungry!"
"Still." He said. When he placed his hand on my lower back I realized that I'd sat up. I let him coax me back into a lying position and slowly leaned myself against him. "I love you Miles, and that's why I'd tell your dad . . . because I wouldn't know what to do, and he might. Okay?"
I nodded.
FALLING FAST A
After twenty minutes of us just lying there I heard my bedroom door open.
A distinctive giggle.
Bed springs straining.
A slurpy kiss.
"I love you, you donut."
Quietly, I lifted myself off of the roof to look through the glass door to my room. There was Lily, in shorts and a bikini top, blushing like crazy. At first I thought she'd seen me, but then I noticed Oliver. He was shirtless and sucking greedily at her collar bone. She moaned and he started a line of kisses down her body. Suddenly, Lily threw back her head, trying to keep her hair out of her eyes. In the second she leaned back her eyes met mine through the window. For a second she sat, shocked, before blushing a deep crimson and pushing Oliver away. The poor boy hadn't noticed a thing and had been creeping his fingers into the waistband of her soffees to pull them off. When she pushed him away he took the shorts with him to reveal her string bikini bottoms.
"Miley." She whispered, "Miley, this isn't what it looks like!"
"No," I said, my voice sounded hollow even to me, "It's okay, I-I'll just . . . stay up here. Ignore me." Like a punished child, I retreated onto the rooftop where Owen was waiting.
"Was my brother in there?" he asked suspiciously. I nodded.
"With Lily?" I nodded again.
He groaned, getting up, "I've got to go talk to him."
"Owen!"
"Miley," he said, turning back to face me, "do you want what happened to us to happen to them?" I couldn't disagree with that, so I let him leave. A moment later Lily came out on to the roof with me.
"Miley," she said, "I'm so sorry."
"No your not." I spat, "and what should you be sorry for anyways?"
"For being careless." She answered, as if it was the most obvious thing, "for hurting you, because I'm not really sure how but I know that I've hurt your feelings."
"Ya know, everything isn't always about you, Lily."
"No, it's normally not, actually."
"What does that mean?" I asked angrily.
"It means I can sympathize with Jackson now."
"Wha-"
"I mean that your dad will do anything for you, Miles. Think about it. Before it was Hannah, then it was the pregnancy, and now the baby. Everything in this family's about you and you know it."
"Well excuse me, I don't really enjoy the drama, ya know! I didn't ask to get pregnant and I sure as hell didn't want to lose the baby!" She let out a bitter laugh.
"Yeah, right. Just admit that you love the attention."
"I'm not admitting anything because it's not true!"
"Oh you know it is!" she snapped, slapping me clear across the face.
Tears burned in my eyes as a grasped the stinging skin. "owwww."
Author's Note
Unplanned drama's the best.
Summer rules! Goin' on vacation – I'll update again tomorrow morning, but I don't know if I'll have internet access after that. In case I do, I'll e-mail myself two chapters to update, ok? But don't expect anything until July 6th or 7th!