'They Say That Good Things Take Time' – Chapter 9
An incessant beeping broke Miley out of troubled sleep and frightful dreams which still fogged her mind as she was brought abruptly into waking. She sat up in bed slowly and rubbed her eyes as she adjusted to the gloom of her bedroom. Lilly was grumbling beside her and as Miley switched on her bedside lamp, the blonde whined loudly before stuffing her head underneath a pillow. Miley blinked as her eyes struggled to cope with the light while they still felt so heavy and checked the clock beside her bed. It was six-thirty and the two girls had to be ready to leave in two hours since Lilly's flight was at midday and she needed time to check-in.
Miley clambered out of bed before cruelly pulling the covers off her best friend, receiving a further groan of annoyance for her troubles to ensure that the blonde made her flight.
"Come on sleeping beauty, wakey wakey." Miley slurred in her southern tones when she stumbled across the bedroom to draw the curtains back. As she whipped them open to reveal the grey day in front of them, Lilly grunted and forced herself up into sitting position. Miley turned round to watch her friend with a smile, Lilly hated early starts if they did not involve surfing and she was suffering this morning. Her hair fell in front of her face in slight tangles and stood out in all directions on top of her head, her mouth was pouting slightly and her cheek was etched with the crease from the pillow she had been sleeping on. Miley's heart soared as she admired Lilly in her disheveled state, fully believing that no one could look more adorable, even first thing in the morning where most people refused to be seen until at least three layers of make-up had been applied and a mug of coffee properly drained.
Lilly's attention soon flickered over to the clock beside her and she grunted disapprovingly when she noticed the time of day.
"Miley," she whimpered, "it's six-thirty! We could have at least another hour in bed."
"Nu-uh. Not if you want to shower we can't. We need to leave in a couple of hours and by the time you get your butt out of bed, cleaned and eaten breakfast, you'll just about have enough time to double check you haven't left anything here and then we can go."
Lilly grunted as she realised that Miley was right in her calculations, shaking her head as she climbed slowly out of bed in despair at her friend's organizational skills. Miley was soon pushing a clean towel into her hands and ushering her into the bathroom where she shut the door behind the dopey blonde and chuckled softly while she set about making her bed and putting Lilly's clothes into neat piles.
After Miley had taken her own turn to shower and both girls had dressed, they headed downstairs to make Miley's prescheduled breakfast with her father at seven on the dot. Lilly had to hand it to her friend, being faced with a plate of perfectly fresh pancakes and a fork put in her hand by Miley made everything about that day so much easier. She happily gorged on Robbie Ray's pancakes and felt a rush of sadness when her plate was finally empty and she realised that she would not get to taste the perfect Stuart breakfast again for a long time. Miley, however, did not allow her friend long to dwell on any sad feelings as she had eaten her breakfast surprisingly quickly and, still with a mouthful of food, was pulling her friend toward the stairs and harassing her to get her act together.
Lilly was finally packed from her night at Miley's, although this did not take long after the brunette had already sorted the things she had for the overnight stay for her.
"Is that everything?" Miley asked whilst biting her lip slightly as she looked around the room in concern.
Lilly nodded after she too had given a final scan over the room, "Yeah I think that's everything. All my other stuff is probably already waiting in my new room." She finished with a sigh. Her parents had already ventured to their new home a few days prematurely to Lilly and she had been staying with other relatives for the past couple of nights. Her parents had insisted to Lilly that this would be a good idea and she was never one to argue, especially as they were paying for her plane fare and she did not have to take the long drive with them up there with the moving vans.
"Okay then," Miley said softly, breaking Lilly out of her trance as she took a last look around Miley's familiar bedroom, "let's get your stuff in the trunk."
Lilly picked up her bag and made the short walk down Miley's stairs and out of the door to her car. Jackson was already hanging out on the porch, seemingly reading the paper but Lilly noticed that it was upside-down as if he had picked it up in a hurry. She smiled to herself as she lowered her bag into the back of Miley's car and turned around to look up at the Stuart residence once more. The beautiful house by the beach, often much envied by the young blonde for its close proximity to the surf, looking stunning at the end of the summer with flowers creeping their way up and over the porch. The building held so many memories for her and she felt that she was possibly going to miss her second home more than her own house as it held more good memories for her.
Robbie Ray drew her attention back to earth as he made his way outside. He was smiling sadly while he looked at Lilly and she felt sorrow rise up within her as she realised that now it was time to say goodbye to some of her favourite people. She walked towards his open arms and felt incredibly safe as he held her tightly to his chest. She breathed in his smell; he smelled like the cologne that she had helped Miley pick out for his birthday as well as the familiar scent of the Stuart household, which Lilly prayed she would never forget. He bent forward slightly to kiss the top of her head and when he did so, Lilly felt a soft scratch of the familiar beard that he kept on his chin and smiled as she tried to imprint the memory of his face in her mind.
"Safe journey Lilly." He muttered gruffly into her ear, "I'm gonna miss you kiddo. Don't forget to stay in touch."
Lilly drew away, looking up into his warm eyes once more and sadly reflecting that he looked like Miley when she was comforting her.
"See you later Mr S. Thanks for some great times and some immense food. For all the Hannah concerts that you let me come along to and for letting me help you with dinner. I'll miss your pancakes, but, although I hate to say it," she said with a grin which she could not contain, "I'll probably miss your jokes more."
"Ha!" Robbie Ray omitted triumphantly and he looked over at both of his children to check that they had heard Lilly's admission. His gaze, after falling on disapproving faces, soon returned to a giggling Lilly where he smiled warmly at her once more, "See you around bud." He then nodded and took a couple of steps backwards before he was replaced by Jackson.
"Well," Jackson began awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head with a free hand whilst stuffing the other into a pocket.
"Yeah." Lilly said and looked embarrassedly down at the floor. What exactly did you say to someone else's brother at a time of departure? She scuffed her converse on the ground and then looked up with a smile at the boy who she had teased and laughed with like her own brother.
Jackson appeared to have made the revelation at the same time and, after a quick glance at Miley, wrapped his own arms around the young blonde.
"See you later Lilly," he said softly, his own voice shaking slightly as he secretly loathed goodbyes, "I'm going to miss you." He whispered to her, afraid of being teased by his family if they should hear.
They drew away gently and smiled at one another before Miley cleared her throat and unsubtly checked her watch in front of Lilly.
"Alright Miles," Lilly said, "let's hit the road."
Smiling grimly, Lilly turned round to wave at the Stuart men once more as she slid into the passenger side of Miley's car. Both males raised an arm and waved at her while Miley started up the engine and slowly backed the car out of the driveway. Lilly turned her eyes back to the house once more and reminded herself to never forget the beautiful building. She kept her eyes trained on Robbie Ray and Jackson until Miley had turned the corner and they were out of sight. Lilly then resumed her attention to absorbing the familiar streets as Miley increased speed and sped through their neighbourhood.
Buildings passed by too quickly and there were so many places of remembrance that Lilly did not have enough time to dwell on each one as Miley took them to the airport. Soon they had pulled onto the freeway and Lilly slumped back in her seat, no longer needing to focus her attention on the scenery and dwelled instead on the steady motion of the car in silence.
Miley was too used to Lilly being quiet and savouring a car journey to worry about her friend and turned the radio up a little louder as she tried to enjoy their companionable silence. Internally she was staging a minor battle with herself as she thought of the little time that they had left in one another's company. She fretted over the conversations they could be having and whether she would regret not spending the last hour with Lilly in conversation rather than silence. Eventually her own selfless concern for Lilly won through and she left it up to the blonde to whether anything was going to be said.
When they approached the last five miles before the airport, Miley heard Lilly sigh in the passenger seat as they passed a sign and she glanced over quickly in expectation. Lilly did not say anything and merely rested her face on her hand and gazed out of her window. Miley was beginning to feel anxious at the thought of saying goodbye to Lilly. The pressure was beginning to build and she could feel her hands shaking slightly on the steering wheel and in her leg which she eased up from the accelerator. She cautiously took a few steady breaths in an attempt to calm herself, but the realization of her unease only made her heart beat faster and her head feel lighter.
Eventually they pulled up in the short term car park and Miley eased her car into a space without too much difficulty. They were soon marching through the airport and finally Lilly had checked in and received her tickets. Miley watched as Lilly's bag slowly moved away from them on the treadmill where it went to join the other luggage on the journey to the plane.
Lilly cleared her throat, "Well, that's that then." She said before forcing a smile at Miley and motioned her head for her best friend to follow.
They were practically at the stage of no return and Miley's throat began to tighten.
The short journey across the airport to security was one of the most painful walks that Miley had ever had to take. With each step, she knew that she was closer to losing the love of her life and her heart was hurting that little bit more. She felt as if it was too big for her chest as she was so aware of it throbbing within her ribcage, demanding to be taken notice of and Miley trembled all the more.
Finally they were right outside of the entrance and Lilly turned to Miley, her face etched with sadness, but before she could open her mouth Miley cut across her.
"Wait," she said, "erm, can we do this somewhere a bit more privately."
She took Lilly's hand and led her a little way away to a more secluded corner where she turned to face her.
"Sorry about that," Miley said, "I just didn't really want to have a hasty goodbye in front of the other people queuing."
Lilly nodded while she felt her mouth go dry as she could not really find any words to say to her friend who was now staring at her with big blue eyes, alive and fearful and full of blazing emotion.
"Also," Miley began again, she croaked slightly as her throat was closing up and prickling from threatening tears, which made speech more difficult, "I- I just wanted to say something."
Lilly did not take her gaze away from her friend who was starting to shake and tears were lining her ocean eyes. The only gesture she could manage was to take Miley's hand in her own and look encouragingly at her.
Miley stared so intensely at Lilly for a moment that Lilly thought that she was trying to see right through her, to read her mind or find something in her which she had never seen before. The feeling of Miley's hot gaze boring into her made Lilly suddenly nervous and she gulped slightly but did not turn her eyes away.
"I love you." Miley said with such strength and conviction that for a moment Lilly faltered and felt confused.
Miley noticed that troubled look flicker across Lilly's face before the other girl even had the chance to disguise it and hastily continued, "You're my best friend. And I love you."
She forced her face into a smile which she tried to make look as natural as possible. Inside Miley winced and spurned her own cowardice, knowing that she would hate herself later for not being able to speak the truth.
Lilly found her voice return to her, and as her eyes watered slightly from tears and her vision of the brunette in front of her blurred slightly, she wrapped Miley into her arms and whispered into her ear, "I love you too."
Miley closed her eyes as she turned her head toward Lilly's neck and burrowed her face into her hair to breathe in her scent for the last time. A few tears fell from her eyes and onto an uncovered area of skin on Lilly's shoulder. Lilly felt them and shuddered slightly from their damp warmth while she stroked Miley's back to soothe her trembling body.
As the girls stood, holding each other in their embrace, affection spread throughout the both of them as they dwelled in their love for one another. Without knowing why, and although it seemed almost inappropriate, Lilly began to giggle. The sound startled Miley and her body convulsed in Lilly's arms at her surprise. The movement only made Lilly laugh louder and as Miley felt the sounds and vibrations reverberate through Lilly and affect her own body, she could not prevent her lips from spreading into a smile. Slowly she felt the ghost of a laugh rise up within her and her body stopped trembling when she was filled with this surge of blissful emotion. Soon her own southern voice was filling Lilly's ears and she squeezed her friend tighter in relief that she could feel so happy.
Miley began to feel Lilly draw her head back from the embrace and she pulled away herself to turn sharply and look into Lilly's eyes. Yet, as she did so, she froze, her body completely paralyzed as she felt the soft texture of Lilly's lips press against her own. Miley's eyes widened within that moment and her mouth parted slightly from surprise. This movement only succeeded to draw Lilly's lips closer against hers, but before Miley could shut her eyes and lean into the kiss herself, Lilly had clumsily pulled away.
Miley blinked once out of shock as she stared at her friend. Lilly's cheeks were tinted pink and she looked flustered at what had happened. Miley opened her mouth in an attempt to say something but she forgot how to use her voice and promptly shut it again.
To Miley's further surprise, Lilly began to smile before she was overcome with a fit of the giggles and had clamped her hands over her mouth in an attempt to stifle them. Miley watched with a growing sense of confusion, but after seeing her friend so relaxed about the situation, her own body began to ease up.
"Erm…" Miley shakily rediscovered her voice before the laughing blonde who seemed to be finding it difficult to take life seriously. "What just happened?" She asked and swallowed whilst bracing herself for Lilly's response.
Lilly forced herself to stand still and meet Miley's eyes, "Oh my god, I am so sorry Miley, I really didn't mean for that to happen." She began and as she spoke Miley felt her heart fall a little bit. "I just turned my head to kiss your cheek but it seemed like you had the same idea and I got your lips by accident!"
Lilly started giggling again and reluctantly Miley started to smile too. Her hopes were shattered that the accidental kiss had meant anything to the other girl, but she did find solace in the fact that Lilly was not completely freaked out about it.
"Oh dear," Lilly said and fanned herself with her hands to bring down the colour in her cheeks, "that was funny." She glanced over at Miley who was looking shell-shocked with wide eyes and her lips slightly parted. "Are you alright Miles?"
Miley nodded briskly, "I'm fine." She replied, her face breaking into a smile when she noticed that Lilly's concern had suddenly become serious.
"Good." Lilly said with a nod at her friend. She then took Miley's wrist and checked her watch, she noticed that she really did have to get through security, and looking behind her, the area was getting busier and filling up with huffy business men.
"I guess we'd better get you going then, before you have to queue to get through." Miley said before she closed her hand around Lilly's and led her toward the gate.
"Hey Miley," Lilly began conversationally while they approached the security area, "are you wearing cherry chapstick?"
Miley stopped and her cheeks flushed brilliantly as she released Lilly's hand to glare menacingly at her friend whose eyes were twinkling brightly.
"You are so lame!" She said in despair and playfully punched her shoulder.
"Sorry Miles, I couldn't help myself." Lilly said with a giggle, "I've never kissed a girl before… and I liked it!" She sang the last part and Miley had to clamp her mouth shut to prevent herself from awkwardly laughing out loud with her.
"Aw, I'm going to miss torturing you." Lilly said softly as she smiled warmly whilst she gazed into Miley's eyes.
"You know what?" Miley said with arms folded in front of her and it looked like she did not want to finish the sentence, but she sighed and uncrossed her arms, "I'm going to miss it too."
"Come here." Lilly said and hugged Miley quickly before releasing her again.
"Goodbye Lilly." Miley said, instantly hoping that she could forget this painful moment and only remember happier times in the future moments that she would spend alone dreaming of Lilly.
"Bye Miles." Lilly said and waved sadly as she backed away and turned toward the security gate. Before she walked through, she stopped in her tracks and turned around to meet Miley's watchful gaze. After nothing happened between the best friends for a few heart-wrenching seconds, Lilly finally mouthed, I Love you and smiled forlornly at Miley.
Love you too. Miley whispered back and watched as Lilly slowly faded through the gate and the last wisps of golden hair flickered out of her sight.
The journey home was desperately lonely and Miley could not bear to listen to the radio as every song reminded her of her blonde friend in some way. Subconsciously, her hand would make the journey to occasionally touch her lips as they still tingled from where Lilly's mouth had so gently and briefly brushed them. Yet tears did not come as she automatically steered her car home, while she tried to avoid taking too much interest in all of the places that Lilly's eyes had lingered over when they had driven out of the neighbourhood only an hour or so before.
Instead of turning off into her own road, Miley took a slight diversion and found herself in the street that Lilly had grown up in. The driveway of her old house was deserted because the new owners would not be moving in for a couple of days. Miley pulled up into the empty space and got out, taking a look up at the building where Lilly had spent so much of her young life. Miley was feeling brave and she sought under an old flower pot for the spare key, which she had never had to use before but had always noticed where Lilly's family kept it. Lilly was always so hopeless at remembering her own keys that she had often resorted to using the spare in Miley's company but, until now, Miley had never had to worry about this knowledge. The key turned easily in the lock and she was soon standing in the living room of the Truscott's old family home. The room was bare and the kitchen was looking lonely, lacking the instilled presence of Heather Truscott at the table. She was normally positioned there with a mug of coffee and her laptop while she worked from home in a desperate attempt to meet deadlines.
Miley soon turned her attention toward the stairs and reluctantly climbed upwards onto the first floor landing. Her footsteps fell loudly and heavily, echoing throughout the empty house, whilst the bare floorboards creaked beneath her to make her feel like an unwanted visitor. She slowly trod the empty corridor down the familiar hallway, which was barely recognizable, and came to a halt outside of the room that Lilly called her own. Tentatively, Miley's hand rested on the handle for a moment before she turned the knob slowly and pushed the door open.
Apart from the old frame of the single-bed and the inbuilt wardrobes, there was no reminder of Lilly in the room whatsoever. The rugs that had lined the floor of the room had been removed, whilst the haphazard posters which the blonde teenager had strewn across her walls were all gone with only the tinge of damaged paint to serve as a reminder that they had ever been there in the first place.
Miley walked quietly across the floor, as if scared to disturb the last unsettled remains of Lilly's fading presence in the room. She arrived at the window, where the blinds had been taken down and packed away to St Louis. Gazing out at the garden, she noticed that the rusting swing had finally been removed and probably flung unceremoniously into the garbage somewhere. She shuddered slightly as she noticed the scruffy lawn and the overgrown flowerbeds which had been deserted in their time of greatest need.
Turning her focus away from the bedraggled garden, Miley casually swept a fingertip across the windowsill in front of her. When she held it up to her eye, she noticed the layer of grey matter that had build up on her finger in that one simple motion.
"It didn't take long for the room to fill with dust." Miley muttered to herself.
Suddenly her eyes were brimming with tears and a sob wracked her chest. Her legs buckled beneath her and she sank down into a ball in front of Lilly's old wardrobe. Burying her face into her hands was all that she could do to staunch the heavy flow of tears that sprang forward in uncontrollable misery. Finally she flung her face upwards toward the ceiling, wrenching the silence apart as her heart broke with a sorrowful cry filling the room; and the four walls came down around her.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews from the last chapter, and I just want to apologise for the story being so sad. It's just how the plot's turning out I'm afraid. Some more will be up soon, I just need to write it first. Happy New Year, I'm allowed to say that for the last time today. The radio told me.