luved the reviews. this is probably the second to last chapter. i wrote a really good oneshot songfic today in social studies, but I forgot it at school, so I'm going to post that, and I have two others in my mind, that need to be in the computer.

Mileys P O V still.

"So what did Oliver say?" I asked. I knew I'd probably hate myself for letting Oliver get away if he said yes.

"He said no," Lilly answered.

"You don't seem to upset," I set after making sure I got the right words.

"Well, because then he turned around and asked me out, saying that he wanted to be the one who asked me out!" she said.

"Congradulations," I said half enthuised.

"So I heard you and Jake are doing good though," she said.

"Yeah. We haven't made any dates to go out yet or anything though," I said.

"Oh okay. Hey you wanna come over? We ordered pizza, and I can make really buttery popcorn," she said.

Are you kiding me?! That has to be around 750 calories! I don't know for sure, but how ever many it is, it's too many for me now. I'll never eat anything more than 50 calories a day, if anything at all.

"Miles!" dad called from downstairs.

"I gotta go. Maybe I'll come over later. I got...stuff," I said.

"Okay. Call me when you're done with your...stuff," she said.

"Okay bye," I said hanging up and going downstairs.

"Yeah dad," I answered ringing around the banister and into the kitchen, where he was leaned over the stove.

"Dinner time," he said.

I looked at the spaghetti he was making. Too many carbs.

"No that's okay, I'm eating at Lillys in a bit if that's okay," I said.

"Okay then. Why don't you go upstairs and work on some homework?" he asked.

"Okay," I said. I didn't have any homework, but I jumped on the computer to see if Oliver was signed in there.

TenSCgrl: Oliver? Are you online?

smokyoky: yeah. what's up Miles?

TenSCgrl: wonderen what ur up to. i heard you and lils where going out. congrats

smokyoky: thx miles, but i gotta go. i got a phone call from lilly. talk to you later

TenSCgrl: oky by.

I signed off of the chat room and decided to watch t.v. Crap was on tonight. So then I settled for the radio. My empty stomach called signs for desperation and help. It was so hungry. I felt really faint and weak, like if a draft came through my window, I might just be carried onto it. I heard the front doors open a few times, but figured it was just dad letting Spunky out. I decided to go down earlier to see.

"What do you guys want to tell her?" I heard dad ask, as soon as I got downstairs. I turned my head around the corner to see Oliver, Lilly, and Jake sitting on the couch.

"What's going on?" I asked turning around the corner.

"Come sit down honey," dad invited when he got over the shock of me coming in and scaring them.

I walked over, four pairs of eyes, stared me down the whole way down to where dad was sitting.

"These guys have something they'd like to say to you," he said gesturing to my friends. I sat down. Noone spoke up.

"Lilly," Oliver coughed.

"What? No. You tell her," Lilly whispered to Oliver, even though I could hear her.

"What? Why me? Jake, you're basically going out with her, how about you?" he whispered, still loud enough for me to hear.

"Just get on with it," I said speaking up for them. Three pairs of eyes this time turned to me with shock.

"Okay, I'll go," Lily said. She took a deep breath. "Miley, lately we've noticed that you have been kind of grumpy, and moody. Mr. S, I hate to be a push over, but could you step out for a second please?" she asked.

Dad got up.

"I'm trusting you to tell me anything serious boy," he said to Jake. Jake nodded.

"Yes sir."

When dad left the room, I turned back towards Lilly, a fear in my heart devoloping over what she would say.

Lilly started up again with her point.

"We think that, well Oliver and I do mostly, but we think that, you're mood swings are connected to your diet," Lilly said.

My heart sank. What do I do now? I'm gonna play dumb.

"Yeah, you haven't eaten barely anything in the past week," Oliver said.

"What are you talking about? I eat just as much, only healthier," I lied.

"Miley," Jake said.

I looked towards him.

"Tell the truth," he said. "I promise I'll believe you when you start acting like you can be believed."

"Okay," I started. "I've cut down a just a tad, but you saw me eat all the time at your house! I've never had more food in my life then I did at your house!"

"Okay, that's something I'll believe you about," Jake said.

"But what about lunch?" Lilly asked. "You've thrown away your lunch atleast three times in the past week."

"No I didn't!" I claimed.

"Bull Miley! We both saw you dump your tray with everything still on it today," Lily said talking about her and Oliver.

"And I was behind you when you did it. You still had all of the food on it," Jake said.

I tried not to cry or let my tears well up or anything that would give my lies away.

"No I didn't I ate some of it," I lied.

"Come on Miley. Be truthful," Oliver said.

I felt a lump come up my throat. It was the cry lump. Sometime soon I was going to waterworks the whole conversation, but I'll delay it as long as I can.

"Your dad said you haven't been eating dinner either," Lilly said.

"It's a lie! I have eaten dinner!" I said.

"Miley, he said he found potatoes in the garbage one night," Oliver said.

"Yeah, and you have been pretty weak and lightheaded lately," Jake said.

My lump was inching up my throat until it got to my head, and all of a sudden my chin started to quiver, and my eyes welled up so much I couldn't see.

"Please tell us why Miley. Why would you do this to yourself?" Oliver asked.

I sat on the ground for some reason. Then I shrugged my shoulders.

"Do you admit it?" Lilly asked.

I shook my head no. After a few seconds of head shaking I realized it was time to tell the truth.

"Maybe," I cried.

Lilly got off of the couch and came down to my level, and began rubbing my shoulders.

"Why would you?" she asked.

I sniffled.

"Because, it all started at last weeks sleepover, when Lilly and I both admitted that we had crushes on Oliver," I started. Jake looked taken back, but that was nothing compared to Olivers expression.

"and than Oliver started paying more attention to Lilly, and I felt like I failed myself out of a guy. Than in science I got paired with Jake, and I realized he isn't so immature and that's he actually really nice. The more Oliver liked Lilly, the more I hated myself. I couldn't understand why he was so quickly to take Lilly instead of me except for the day we found out how much we wieghed in gym, and Lilly was ten less then me. Than I decided if I lossed wieght Oliver would like me too, but then I decided I liked Jake, and it made things more complicated."

We were silent.

"Please stop Miley," said a voice. I looked up from the hair blocking my face. It was Jake.

"You're going to hurt yourself horribly. Please stop," he said.

I nodded my hair.

"Now all of a sudden Oliver liking me doesn't mean anything to me anymore," I said.

Oliver almost looked offended, but he realized that I meant I liked Jake more now, and he still had Lilly.

"I think we need to bring your dad back in here," Lilly said to me.

I nodded, thinking of what he'd do to me when he found out.

"I'll get him," Jake said.

He got up and went to the door.

"Mr. S!" he called.

Dad came walking down the hall and into the room. than he grabbed Jake by the chin and started looking at his mouth.

"Uh, sir?" Jake asked.

"Just making sure you have none of my daughters lip gloss," he said.

I kind of laughed, but not really. Dad sat down on the old spot on the couch.

"Miley has something she needs to tell you," Lilly said.

Dad looked at me. I hesitated.

"Well Miley?" he asked. I sniffled once more. Here goes.

"I've been starving myself for the past week," I admitted.

"Oh Miley. What do I say?" he asked my friends desperate coming down onto the ground.

"I'm sorry daddy, everything just became so confusing, and I punished myself with food," I said hugging him.

he just hugged back for a while.

"thank you guys. I'll have Miley call you guys soon," dad said to my friends. The got up.

"Get better Miley," Jake said. Lilly hugged me one more time, her tears falling as freely as mine. They went outside but I don't know if they left.

"Miley, I don't know how to help you. I wish your mom was here to help with this," he said.

"I know. But daddy, things have been changed. I think I'm okay now. Or atleast I will be once I eat, my stomach is digesting itself," I said whiping my tears. Dad helped me.

"Let's go get something to eat," he said. I got up.

"Where?" I asked.

"One of the fattiest restaraunts there is. McDonalds. You need it," he said.

I smiled and hugged him.

"I'll go tell Jackson. You go wait out in the car," he said.

I nodded. "Okay."

I picked up my cell phone from the table and headed outside the front door while dad went downstairs to get Jackson. When I got outside, I found Lilly Oliver and Jake talking about me on the patio.

"Hi guys, you haven't left yet?" I asked.

"No. Just to make sure you where okay," Lilly said.

"Thanks," I said getting a hug from her. "I'm going with my dad to get a cheeseburger."

"Oh. Is your dad okay on letting you go to let you go to school tomorrow?" she asked.

"I don't know. Just don't call in the morning. It's almost dead, so I won't pick up anyways," I said.

"Okay."

"I'm really glad that you admitted your secret Miley," Jake said speaking up.

"Yeah," I said. "Me too."

I hugged him for his help.

"Do I get a hug?" Oliver asked holding out his arms with a puppy dog pout on his face.

"Only if Lilly promises not to get jealous," I said.

"I promise," she joked. I hugged Oliver right when dad came out.

"Woah you guys are still here? Need a ride home?" he asked.

"Yeah," my three friends said. Lilly was first to dropped off, than Jake, than Oliver.

"Bye guys," I said to them when they were gone. Oliver shut the door being last, and dad started talking.

"Are you going to tell me why?" he asked quietly.

"Not yet daddy. Soon. when I get the courage," I answered. Dad nodded.

"You bet it'll be soon," he said.

We kept kind of quiet, so he turned on the radio.

"I learned from you that, I do not crumble, I learned that strength is something you choose, all of the reasons to keep on believing," the radio played. It was a song that dad and I both did called I learned from you.

I listened to the words, as we made our way to McDonalds. When we got there it was about nine o'clock. When we stopped and got out, I suddenly wished I had brought a jacket, with the crisp thin air going right through me like a spear.

When we got inside, dad spoke up quickly to place our order.

"Two cheesburgers with ketchup, a diet coke, and a mcflurry, and I'll have a quarter pounder," he said. Mamaw was always yelling at him to stop with the quarter pounders. Than I realized he had ordered me two cheeseburgers, a diet coke and a mcflurry! Before I could protest, my stomach let out a hungry growl, pleased with my dad's decision. We found a table and got ketchup for the fries our meals came with, and filled up our pops before the order came in.

"Here we go," dad said putting the tray down on the table we were sitting at. I grabbed my food. I couldn't decide, french fries or cheeseburger? So, I grabbed a hand full of fries, took a bite of my cheeseburger, and ate away.

"that's my girl," he said watching me. "but slow down, I don't want you to choke or have a heart attack," he said. I tried not to laugh. When I finished my cheeseburger, and my fries, I had decided that it was time.

"I did it because Oliver liked Lily, and Lilly and I both liked him. Oliver started choosing Lilly and I got mad and began to punish myself with food, and than I began to like Jake which made problems worse, and so now Lilly and Oliver are going out, Jake and I are going out, and somewhere in the middle I feel just fine with that now," I said.

Dad looked at me. I had just spit that out of nowhere in our awkward dinner silence.

"I don't know what to say right now," he said.

"Me neither," I said.

we waited a while.

"How did you guys find out?" I asked.

"You're friends expected yesterday. We decided to have Lilly invite you over for some real bad food, and than have me have some real bad food, and see what you would do. When you went downstairs after telling me you were eating at Lilly's, I called her and told her, and then she called Oliver and Jake who came over and then confronted you," dad answered.

"Sneaky," I said.

Dad smiled. "Yup. Proud of it too."

I laughed and unwrapped my other cheeseburger. It tasted so good!!!! I sipped down over half of my coke.

"I think we'd better start getting out of here," dad said.

"But I'm not done," I said with a mouth full of food.

Dad gave me a wierd look.

"I'm not sure about what you just said, but how about we take our stuff with us, and go," he said.

"Okay," I tried to say but it came out as, "Mmmbay." I just gave him a thumbs up and grabbed all of my stuff. When we got out of the McDonalds parking lot, we made a turn that wasn't for home.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Miley, it's about time you know about something deep in your past," he answered.

"Okaayyy," I said. I decided to shut up and turn on the radio. I got nerve was on. Why do the two songs I sing that make so little sense right now have to be on?

The clock ticked away, and we had been driving on and on. It was ten thirty, and I had eaten everything, and my stomach still wasn't quite satisfied. I really had to go to the bathroom though. Almost like he read my mind, we pulled into a gas stop. I ran in, went, got out, and we hit the road again.

"Where are we going?" I repeated.

"crazy," dad answered.

I ignored this answer, but kept quiet. I felt myself drifting off to sleep. About half an hour later I was being shook awake.

"here we are Miley," dad said. I looked around. We were alone, and it was dark.

"I'm too tired," I whined. I felt his arm go under my legs and back, and was suddenly being lifted out of the car and around. I opened my eyes a little bit more. We were in a cemetary.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

Dad sat me down on a patch of grass in front of a tombstone. It had the name... I don't know how to pronounce it or spell it so I won't even bother telling you, but the last name was Stewart. It said she died in 1991. The year I was born.

"This is your aunts best friend. It doesn't have a lot to do with your past, but it kind of does," he said.

"How?" I asked.

"She died of anorexia," he said.

I stayed quiet.

"I'm not anorexic. You have to loose ten percent of your body wieght. I haven't lost enough," I said.

"Well, this lady was your moms sisters, best friend," dad said.

"oh. What does it have to do with my past?" I asked.

"Do you know where your mom was going to go when she got hit by the drunk driver?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"No."

"Well, she was going to go to a memorial. It was the fifth year anniversary that she died, and your mother wanted to make sure people where aware about how serious anorexia is. She died fighting for it Miles," dad said. It was too dark to tell if he was crying now, but I was. Dad reached out and wiped my tears. I put my face in his t-shirt and cried.

"I'm so sorry daddy," I said.

He rubbed my neck, and smoothed my hair.

"I love you Miley," he said.

"I love you daddy," I said.

We stayed there under the lights, for a long time. I fell asleep there, probably around twelve thirty. Yeah, we stayed out there that long. Daddy picked me up and carried me into the car. He dropped me in there, and made his way out of the cemetary. He took a longer way home, so we didn't get home until three in the morning. He picked me up out of the car, while I was still sleeping, so that he could take me upstairs, put me to bed after taking my shoes off, and tucking me in good night. I solemnly swear that I will never starve myself again.

And I kept that promise.