Oliver wandered up the beach to Miley's house. He found her sitting outside surrounded by what appeared to be the entire contents of her bedroom.

"Hey," she said, looking up and smiling when she saw him.

"What's going on?" he asked, stepping around a large pile of shoes.

"I'm packing up my stuff, but it's just so nice out, I couldn't stand to be inside all day." He nodded. He was standing over her, casting her in shadow. "So what brings you here?"

"I just came by to talk," he said.

"Sure. About what?"

"Well, you," he said. "Moving."

"I know, isn't it weird?" she said exciedly. "This time next week I'll be all the way across the country in a different state."

"Weird," he said. "Why do you have to move anyway?" he blurted suddenly.

She gave him a secret smile. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone," she said leaning in, "but daddy met with his old manager Marty while we were in Tennessee and he offered him a record deal—it's such a great opportunity!"

"That's great," Oliver said, feigning enthusiasm.

"And he met up with some girl he knew in high school. He didn't say much, but if you ask me he didn't so much know her as date her…" He forced a half chuckle. Silence fell between them. "What are you thinking?" she asked him.

"I'm thinking that it sounds like the only reasons you have for moving are really your father's reasons."

"He's my dad, Oliver. I can't just not go."

"Why not? You're almost eighteen. If you don't really want to go, then you don't really have to."

"Well, even if you do have a point, daddy and I are moving. We've already sold the house and bought a new one."

Oliver nodded and looked away. He sat by her while she worked for a while longer, less than a few feet from her side but feeling a million miles away from her already. The bright sun was shining directly down on him, but he felt cold to the core. "I think I'm going to head home," he said, getting to his feet.

She looked up at him, shading her eyes. "Call me later, okay?" He nodded and left.

…

Lilly found him lying on the beach, one arm flung over his face.

"It might be easier if she was sad about going," he said glumly. If it had been any other topic, she would have said he was whining. But whining, she had always known, was where the trivial was concerned; this was real.

"She didn't seem sad to you?" Lilly thought that sounded strange.

"She seemed really excited about it," he said bitterly. He sat up and stared straight out at the water. She watched him with sad eyes, knowing that however much she would miss Miley (which was a whole lot), that for Oliver is must be even harder—he was losing a best friend and the girl he loved all at once.

"I just wish I could make her stay," he burst out angrily.

"I know you do," she said. "And I'll help you in any way I can. But I just don't know that we can stop her."

He groaned and put his face in his arms.