Chapter 21

"God, you're beautiful," Nick stared at me, complimenting for the twenty-seventh time in the past three hours I'd been up. For a twenty-seventh time I blushed. "Don't be embarrassed, it's true," he insisted.

"Stop saying that," I smiled up at him bashfully.

"Then stop thinking it isn't true."

"Guys, please. If you're going to flirt at least do it alone," Joe moaned. Demi slapped him up the head.

"It's cute, Joseph. If you were the slightest bit romantic you'd see that!"

The blood started to rise to my cheeks again as I placed two arms securely around Nick's waist and dug my face in. Selena came in, laughing with Taylor. Our eyes met before I gave a slight smile. She returned one. They sat in Demi's room with us.

We didn't talk to each other, Selena and I. The second I got back together with Nick everyone knew, and we simply didn't talk to her. She avoided me, and I hate to say that I avoided her as well. I was afraid of what she had to say. I stole her man... back.

She kept her head towards Taylor or Demi, while I kept mine facing Nick. We didn't want to meet eyes.

"You know what, I have a good idea. Miley, Selena, get in," Taylor pointed her manicured index finger to a bedroom. "It's time for you two to work this out, and talk to each other. We're all sick of you guys being awkward."

Everybody was surprised by Taylor's outburst, but no one disagreed. We looked at each other.

"No," I told her defiantly.

"We're fine," Selena defended with me.

"Joe, you pick up Selena for me, will you? Nick, you wanna get Miley for me?" they both agreed picking us up bridal style.

"You're in on this?" I asked my boyfriend. He didn't answer, not making eye contact. "Nick, put me down this instant! Nicholas Jerry, I swear-"

"Miley, she's one of your best friends. It's either this or we have to breakup. Because you aren't gonna ruin a friendship for me."

I punched him. These were the types of things that got us in fights. "Put me down!"

"Stop it, Miley," he scowled.

"Then don't control my life! You aren't the boss of me!"

"I'm doing what's best for you," he sighed setting me down. He pecked my forehead, and I could feel Selena's eyes travel off of us without looking at her. "I love you."

"I hate you," I told him as the door was about to close. He hesitated for a moment before softly shutting it. I turned to my old best friend, forcing a small smile. She returned the gesture as we leaned back. A grin appeared on my face as I reached into my pocket. I pulled out the blackberry. She smiled pulling out her cell phone.

Both of us started texting other people. My escape; Logan. Hers; Mitchel. How did I know? Because within two minutes he texted me asking why Selena and I were trapped in a room, and automatically I assumed he wasn't stalking, but she told him. The door banged and Taylor's voice leaked through in mere minutes, "I don't hear talking!"

"We are!" I yelled out.

"Miley Ray, try lying to me one more time and see what happens!" Demi growled. "Now listen to Taylor and talk!"

There was more silence with texting. Finally the door burst open. Both of our arms shoved the phones behind our backs into the bed. I laid down. "What do you want?"

"You two to talk," Demi sighed annoyed.

"Taylor, we're friends, okay? We just have nothing to talk about. Now can you please let us out of here?" I begged.

She looked at me through squinted eyes. "Not until you guys become friends. Talk. Now."

"Hey, Lena, what's up?" I asked politely.

"Nothing, Miley, you?"

"Nothing. Okay, we have nothing else to talk about. All done," I faced the blond. She held out her hand.

"Give me the phone."

"I'm not even using it."

"I don't care. Until you two work things out you lost the privilege," she wiggled her fingers. Demi went over to Selena demanding the same thing. I watched her reluctantly hand it to her.

"You aren't my mother," I shot.

"I don't have to be, I'm your best friend. Give me the damn phone," she growled lifting me up. Her nails dug into my skin. I didn't budge, and they dug farther in until I was ready to burst into tears right there. One word was in my mind - abuse.

"Stop it! You're hurting me!" I screamed.

"Then get up!"

"No!" There were tears in my eyes. I knew that her nails were far beyond my skin. She pushed me up, feeling around my pockets before spotting it on the bed. She snatched it. "Ipod?"

"I don't have it," I said coldly.

She glared at me. "You always have it."

"Except now," I bit my tongue to hold back tears until she left. She wouldn't see the damage she'd cause.

"Miley, please give to me."

"I DON'T HAVE IT, TAYLOR! NOW LEAVE!" I was to my breaking point. They were trying to control my life, and I didn't need their help. I didn't need anyone's help. They all betrayed me. She dug her hand into my sweatshirt pocket, leaving. "Never talk to me again."

I laid down facing out the window. "Are you okay, Miley?" Demi walked over.

"Go away," I told her. "I'm fine. I hate her, but I'm fine."

"Don't say that, she's your best friend."

"Go away," I whispered. "Please?"

There were footsteps and the door clicked shut. My chest started heaving. I didn't care if Selena was behind me or not, I had to let it out. My arm stung, and my head throbbed. I didn't need them. Any of them.

"Miley?" Selena called. There was shuffling then her puny arms wrapped around me in a blanket. "You okay?"

I nodded against her chest, still not facing her. "Can I see your arm?"

The sweatshirt slid off easily. My upper arm was red with bloody marks of her nails. "No biggy," I mumbled.

"It is and you know it," Selena contradicted. "She shouldn't have done that to you, Miles."

"I know. That's why I'm mad at her," I whimpered. "Sorry," it was no use trying to wipe my tears though.

"I won't tell anyone if you cry," Selena smiled at me, stroking my hair. I rolled over to return the hug I was still in, pressing my face against her chest softly, not wanting to wet her shirt or hurt her.

"I'm sorry, Lena."

"Why are you sorry? I'm the one who should be saying that."

"No... I went out with Nick without your permission when he's your ex, then I avoided you after. It wasn't right, and it almost ruined our friendship. And I don't want to lose your friendship."

She laughed. "This is my fault. I was immature, and avoided you. Besides, he was your ex first, and I never asked if I could take him."

"Friends?" I asked looking up to her with moist eyes. No more tears were falling, though.

"Most definitely," she beamed. "So how long do you think it'll take them to notice we made up?"

"They probably already know. If I know Demi , Taylor, or Joe, they're listening now," I faced the door. "Right, guys?"

"Right!" Joe yelled back. "OW! Demi!"

We laughed. "Dems, can you let us out?" I asked, not succeeding in hiding my miserable tone at all. The knob shuffled, eventually forcing opened. I gave her a weak smile. "Later guys. Bye Joe, Kevin, Nick. I need some alone time."

I grabbed my iPod off the kitchen table as I went past. Taylor sat there, her head in resting in her hands. She looked up at me as I walked by, but I denied eye contact. Checking my messages before I left I shoved it into my pocket. We didn't say a word. I wonder if she had felt any guilt or remorse whatsoever.

-xox-

The number was now on the speed dial after my voicemail. I pressed the number 2, holding it down. It rang three times before his voice filled the phone.

"Hey, it's Logan. Leave a message after the beep, and I'll, erm, call when I get a chance. Thanks," the phone let out the automated beep. It took me a couple seconds to grasp what happened. I had never reached his voice mail before.

"Hey, L. You know who it is. Can you just, call me back when you get any spare time? I kinda need to talk to you... again. Ha, well, bye. Love you," I sighed hanging up and began to pick the grass for the mere fact it was something to do.

"You're gonna run out of grass if you keep doing that," said a high pitch baby voice that only belonged to one person. I looked up shrugging. "What's wrong, Mi?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it, what are you doing here?"

"We have a performance here..." Mandy trailed off. I should have known she wouldn't come just to see me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I told her standing up. "I'm fine, Manderz. Nothing to worry about."

"Miley, c'mon. What's wrong? We're best friends."

I played with my fingers. Were best friends. We weren't best friends anymore. Best friend's talked more than once every six months. Best friends are there for each other. "I don't want to talk about it, Mand."

"Is it Nick?"

I shook my head. "No... not really... at least, I don't think so. A lot of stuff has just been happening. I'm confused is all."

"Wha-"

"Mandy... we aren't best friends anymore," I sighed, blurting it out. I had wanted it to be subtle, and painless, but the expression on her face showed the exact opposite. Her blue eyes were teary, drawn together. Behind them though, I saw something I didn't think I would. Understanding. She'd seen this coming just as much as I have.

She looked down, breaking away from my gaze. "Yeah, I know... But that doesn't mean it can't change. We can still be best friends if we just-"

I shook my head feeling more salty tears run down my eyes. The fact I still had water in my tear ducts surprised me. "We can't."

"I know," she sat down against a tree trunk.

"It's just, this whole entire friendship was about us being broken... we needed someone to rely on. I was broken up with Nick and Vanessa, then you had your thing going on back then. We needed someone dependable. Now we're all fixed up and patched," I gave a small smile through the tears. "You're happy, and... for the first time, I'm not gonna take that happiness away from you. I'm content and that's more than enough for me."

Mandy smiled, wrapping her arms around me. "You know how we always used to say age is just a number?" I nodded. "I never truly believed it until I met you. At first, you were so grown up it was hard to believe you were four years younger... Now it seems like you're four years older than me."

"Hey," I lightly punched her arm. "you taught me a lot."

"Well," she looked towards the hotel. "I guess this is a goodbye."

The corners of my mouth flipped, "Nah. We'll see each other again. Whenever you lose your way you know the number that'll always answer."

"That goes both ways. Call me if he dares to break your heart again," she grinned walking away.

"Hey! How'd you know we were dating?" I yelled after her.

Her reply was two words. Two sad words that may have waited too long to happen, too long to come true. "You're content!"

And with that spoken, she ran through the path in her booty shorts and tank-top, out of my sight... out of my life. But we'd meet again. Just like Nick and I did. Just like Demi and I did, even like Selena and I did. With people like us, we always met again somewhere down the path.

aw(: lol. last line was sorta cheesy, but i really dont care. haha. So, NILEY MONTH :D lol. seriously. I mean, Jet skiing, Niley day, Mustin breakup, nick visiting her, the tweets, all the interviews with the topic of Nick, & Before the storm... I'm loving it (: so do YOU Think they are back together?

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