Miley and Oliver were out on the dance floor; so far it had been mostly fast songs. Miley was jumping around, really seeming to enjoy herself; Oliver wished he could have felt as carefree, but his untold secret was weighing his heart down like a brick of lead.
When at last a slow song came on, he put his hand lightly on her waist. She looped her arms about his neck and smiled serenely at him. He felt his heart skip a beat.
"Listen, I have something to tell you," she said, and he thought she sounded nervous
"Me too," he said eagerly. Was this happening? He took a deep breath. "Miley, I love you," he said quickly, just as she said, "I'm moving."
"What?" he said. He couldn't have heard her right. He felt sinking disappointment that just when he had finally worked up the nerves to confess his love for her, she'd spoken right over him.
"I'm moving," she repeated. "Back to Tennessee."
"When?" he asked, shocked.
"Right after graduation," she told him. "My dad's signing the mortgage for the new house right now."
"Wow," he said woodenly, seeming to operate on auto-pilot. "That's great."
"I'm going to miss you so much," she said suddenly. "You're my best friend in the world."
"Me too," he said, amazed that his heart was still beating when he felt so dead.
"Thanks for making this so easy," she told him, leaning in to kiss him lightly on the lips. "I love you." Then she hugged him and rested her head on his shoulder. They continued to sway to the music. Oliver held onto her tightly, feeling his whole life spin horribly out of control.