A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! (:
Chapter 9
At noon, Aunt Dolly arrived at the Stewart's farm to pick up Lilly and Oliver. Lilly sank into the plush fabric-padded back seat of the scarlet pick-up truck, the overpowering scent of rose perfume jabbing into her nose. During the drive, the radio played bluegrass music, and Aunt Dolly reminisced about her youth and her first Johnny Cash concert. They took 31st Street to Spring Hill, then continued on 65th Street through Franklin and Brentwood. Fields and meadows with scattered cottages passed them by, and when they finally arrived in Nashville after a little more than an hour, Lilly was taken aback by the size of the city, the tall glass buildings, and the sheer mass of people crowding the streets.
Aunt Dolly drove around a large concrete building with posters on the walls depicting a yellow-uniformed field hockey team and the words SmashVille written beneath them. Dim light slid across the windshield, filling the entire truck as they pulled into the underground parking garage beneath Bridgestone Arena. A red-manicured hand turned the key in the ignition and the engine's rattling stopped. "Welcome to my hometown."
Lilly slammed the car door shut. The smell of oil and metal permeated the cool air of the parking garage. Two young girls in Hannah Montana sweaters jumped out of the car across from them, and a shiver raced through Lilly's body that had nothing to do with the cold.
The clicks of Aunt Dolly's heels echoed off the concrete walls. "Meet me back here in two hours."
"Make it three." Oliver slid his hand into Lilly's.
With a wink and a laugh, Aunt Dolly wished them fun before proceeding to the pedestrian crossing, while Lilly and Oliver circled the arena until they reached the entrance.
"Way to go, Oliver. Maybe we'll be able to catch Hannah at the back entrance after the concert."
A dim hall the size of a soccer stadium opened up in front of them, excited voices buzzing through the air. They took their places in the front row. Lilly shifted back and forth in her plastic seat, her gaze darting from the slowly filling stadium behind her to the walkway leading to the main stage in front of her. Above the stage, a massive Hannah Montana logo surrounded by blinking lights flashed. A group of teenagers hung an I love you Hannah poster across the seats in the arena's back row. Lilly observed the commotion until the last seat was filled.
She tightened her grip on Oliver's hand in her lap. Hannah had to be backstage already.
Oliver wriggled his hand out of her grasp and jammed it into his pocket. Their gazes locked, and he shrugged his shoulders. "It's sticky."
Lilly's ears scorched hot. He was always eager to hold her hand when they were alone, but when they were in public—
Hannah's drummer took the stage, followed by her keyboardist, guitarist, and bassist. Lilly's hands wrapped around the edge of her chair. The instrumental music of Rockstar resounded through the arena, and Lilly joined in the shrieks that erupted around her. A shower of golden sparks crackled from the ceiling.
Hannah jogged to the walkway, her colorful mid-thigh-length dress fluttering behind her. She turned her back to Lilly, bent down to the crowd on the opposite side of the walkway, and high-fived a few fans. Oh, God. So close. Hannah was so close. Lilly lurched out of her seat and stretched her hands toward the stage, begging, hoping. Hannah only needed to turn around and—
Hannah's toothy smile knocked her heart into high gear. Her fingertips brushed against Lilly's hand. Lilly screamed and screamed and screamed.
One song transitioned into the next. The raspy voice droned along with the heavy thuds of the bass through the loudspeakers and shook Lilly's body. Hannah twirled, waved, and jumped around.
How long had the concert been going on? It couldn't be more than half an hour, right? It couldn't end just yet.
Hannah stopped in front of Lilly on the walkway, her arm raised and her forefinger pointed into the air. She spun around, and—Oh God—had she just winked at her? Hannah skipped back to the main stage. She performed two more songs before she announced the final one. Lilly shouted her name again and again—the only way she could persuade her to stay. Hannah's face scrunched up and her eyes pressed together as she belted out a high note. In a moment of silence, the microphone in her hand picked up her pants, then an earthquake of screams and shrieks quaked the arena. Lilly screeched "encore, encore, encore" with the other fans, her throat raw and scratchy from screaming for an hour.
Hannah's mouth split into a smile as she bowed and waved to the crowd. "Thank you. Good night everyone." She disappeared behind the stage. The shouting went on for a while, but Hannah didn't return.
Violet, fuchsia, and white spotlights continued to swish across the empty stage long after the music had stopped and the band had left.
"If I'd known you were going to spend the night in the arena, I would've brought a sleeping bag." With his hands still in his pockets, Oliver kicked his foot against the concrete floor.
"Just a little longer." The diamond-encrusted microphone stand flickered in a rainbow of colors as a light passed over it. If Lilly was lucky, Hannah would return to retrieve her water bottle, which she had left at the stage's edge.
As if Oliver had read her mind, he said, "Hannah won't come back."
Lilly exhaled a heavy sigh. He was probably right.
"I bet she is already on her way home."
Oh no. They had planned to catch her at the back entrance. She took Oliver's hand in hers and weaved with him through the crowds of concertgoers who, like her, had decided to stay a little longer. She let go of his hand and pushed open the double doors leading outside.
Honks pierced the diesel-fumed air, and the glossy windows of the skyscraper across the street reflected the orange-burned sky. Lilly was halfway down the concrete stairs that led to the street when a hand seized her arm. She found herself face-to-face with a black, stocky woman, her eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. Coal black braids dangled over her bomber jacket-clad shoulders, which were emblazoned with the word security in large white letters.
"Would you please accompany me?"
Lilly threw another glance down the stairs. A black sedan weaved through the traffic. Was she too late? Was Hannah already gone? "I didn't do anything wrong."
A ray of sunlight slid across the bodyguard's sunglasses. She displayed a set of pearly whites and dimpling cheeks. "I know."
Oliver emerged from the crowd exiting through the double doors, and Lilly waved him over. He turned away from her, leaned against a wall, and crossed his arms. His smile mimicked the bodyguard's. What the hell?
"I believe you don't want to miss this."
"Miss what?"
The bodyguard removed her sunglasses and revealed warm brown eyes. "Just follow me."
Lilly cast a backward glance at a still-smirking Oliver as she was led back into the building, and into the now-empty concert hall, the Hannah Montana logo above the stage flashing into the dimness.
"Where are we going?"
"Patience, patience."
Lilly followed the woman through the barrier that separated the audience from the stage and into a long corridor with black linoleum flooring.
Could it be possible… ? "Is Hannah still here?"
The woman turned around and showed a pair of white canines.
It couldn't be, could it?
Several doors branched off the hallway, and tubes ran along the ceiling. The security guard came to a stop in front of a door with a golden star in the center. She held it open and motioned Lilly inside. "Miss Montana will be there right away."
The thought of being that close to Hannah gave Lilly the impression of being at the top of a roller coaster, just before the wagon dipped over and rattled with her into the depth.
The door clicked shut behind her. Against the gold and beige striped wallpaper stood a large Hollywood mirror with a table piled high with lipsticks, glitter compacts, and other cosmetics. A couch was placed against the opposite wall, with a low coffee table in front. At the far end of the dressing room, sparkling dresses dangled from a clothes rack. Lilly tapped over the violet plush carpet and reached for a silver silk top, letting the smooth material slip through her clammy fingers. Echoing footsteps drifted into the dressing room, followed by muffled voices and a husky laugh, and the door scraped across the carpet. Lilly whirled around, taking the top with her, which fluttered to her feet.
"Hi, how you doing?" Hannah approached her and extended a hand.
Lilly's fingers encircled her soft hand. Oh no, hers were sweaty—but Hannah kept smiling.
"Did you like the show?"
The words reached her over the rushing pulse in her ears. "Yeah… "
"I'm glad." Hannah's toothy smile widened. She circled Lilly, shut the door, and sat on the couch with her legs crossed and one arm casually draped over the back. "I noticed you in the front row."
"Yeah… "
"Nice hoodie."
Lilly had dressed in a black and purple striped hoodie, Hannah's favorite color. "Hmm… "
Hannah let out a husky laugh.
"Sorry, I can't really talk."
Hannah sat up. "No, it's fine. I'm glad you're here." She patted the spot on the couch next to her. "I could do with some company though."
Hannah's aura held Lilly in a tight grip, paralyzing her.
"Don't be shy, come here."
Lilly picked up the silk top, clanged the hanger back onto the metal clothes rack, and willed her legs to move. She perched at the far end of the sofa. "I'm nervous."
"That's fine. Me too."
Lilly formed a confused smile.
"Do you know why I wanted to meet you?"
Lilly shook her head.
"What do you think?"
"Because you noticed me in the front row."
"That, and?"
"You liked my hoodie?"
"Goodness, you're something else." A raspy chuckle escaped Hannah's throat, and her gaze darted down to Lilly's arm, to her her worm-like scar.
Lilly yanked her hoodie sleeve down. Crap, she should have hidden it sooner. "I know it's ugly… "
Hannah scooted closer, their knees touching, and Lilly pressed her back against the arm of the sofa. "Can I see it again?"
"Huh?"
"Your scar."
Lilly bit her lower lip and nodded.
Hannah pushed up the sleeve and brushed her index finger across it, back and forth, back and forth.
Lilly held her breath. What was going on? What did Hannah want from her?
"Scars tell stories. Mostly trivial, sometimes adventurous, but often sad. How did you get it?"
"My—" Lilly's voice broke and she cleared her throat. "My friends and I were on this abandoned factory lot. I was skating down a handrail, had too much momentum to stop, and collided with a chain-link fence."
"And that's what gave you that scar?"
"The fence wasn't very tall and had barbed wire on top."
"So it was your fault?"
"Well, yeah."
"A scar like that never fades, does it?"
"I don't think so."
"Are you suffering from it?"
Had Hannah only wanted to meet with her to discuss her scar? Lilly's gaze shifted to her lap, where she fiddled with her hands. "I don't think it's very pretty."
A pair of arms entwined around Lilly and submerged her in the scent of fresh hay and a sea of gilded hair. Lilly collapsed into Hannah's warm body, her eyelids fluttering shut.
"You're wrong," Hannah whispered and squeezed tighter.
Every jagged breath she blew against Lilly's shoulder drove her heartbeat back up. Hannah pulled back, her blazing gaze holding Lilly in a long stare before flitting to her lips. She inched her head closer to Lilly's.
Was Hannah about to… ? Blood shoot to Lilly's face, and she was certain her head resembled a red candied apple on a black-purple striped stick. Hannah's hot breath brushed against her lips, prompting her to jerk her head to the side.
Hannah backed away. "W-what is wrong?"
A girl… Hannah was a girl. This couldn't be… and she was just… Lilly… so ordinary… not a celebrity like Hannah… nowhere near as gorgeous… all of this… surely a misunderstanding…
A warm hand with pink painted chewed fingernails rested on Lilly's knee. "You don't want to?"
This couldn't be real… another dream… like the one in the kitchen. Lilly buried her face in her hands.
"You don't have to be embarrassed."
Lilly shook her head.
"Is that a no?"
She would do anything Hannah wanted. "No."
"No, it's not a no?" Hannah's voice wavered. "Or, no, you don't want to?"
Oh God… she wanted to… so badly… but… she would die. She needed to calm down.
Hannah's hand left Lilly's knee and grazed her cheek as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Lilly recoiled.
The hand tore back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have… " The couch cushioning next to Lilly rose with Hannah.
Lilly remained motionless, breathing hot and humid air into her cupped hands until her pulse returned to normal. She peered through her fingers at Hannah, who slouched at the other end of the sofa, her hair falling over her face. Her fingers clacked on the keypad of her cell phone.
Holy crap. She had turned down Hannah Montana. She needed to clear up the misunderstanding and explain that she had been too overwhelmed.
Hannah crossed her legs, her gaze darting over Lilly before sinking back to the tiny screen on her phone. "You don't have to stay here if you don't want to." Her voice came out soft and gentle.
Oh no, Hannah wanted her to leave, but all she had done was become starstruck. "Hannah."
Hannah lowered her phone to her lap and turned to face Lilly.
Lilly smoothed her jeans down. "I didn't mean to do this."
"You-you did nothing wrong. It's my fault. I shouldn't have—"
"—No, I meant—"
"—What's takin' ya so long?" A deep voice broke through the door. "Are ya all right in there?"
Hannah whipped her head around to face the door. "Yes, I'm fine." She returned her gaze to Lilly. "My manager is here. You have to hide."
"Why?"
"Because." Hannah's stern tone left no room for debate.
Hannah jumped up from the couch, and Lilly followed suit. Her legs morphed into wobbly tentacles that gave way under her, and she slumped to the carpet. Hannah knelt, shoved her arms under Lilly's, and hauled her up with her. Their fronts pressed together and a new wave of dizziness washed over Lilly.
Hannah let go. She snatched Lilly's wrist and dragged her behind the clothes rack. "Stay here and be quiet."
Boots tapped on the thick carpet, and the door creaked open. Lilly peered through the gap between two dresses. A camel-brown leather jacket clung to square shoulders. A classic fifties hat sat on top of the man's head. His face appeared into her line of vision. Was that a mustache? And then back out.
"Ya haven't even changed."
"I was about to." Hannah stepped in front of him and pushed against the door.
A large hand smacked against the black-painted wood, keeping it open. "Ya want to kick out your old man?"
"As you said, I-I need to change."
The silence lasted only a second before the man pushed the door open completely and strode into the room. "I forbid you to bring groupi—" His gaze landed on the clothes rack. "What in Sam Hill!"
Hannah drew in a sharp breath.
Lilly pushed herself into the corner and curled her legs tightly to her body. Dusty cowboy boots slid beneath the electric blue dress in front of her. The clothes on the rack shifted, the hangers scraping across the metal tube and slapping her in the face.
"Ya can't bring your own clothes in here until you've cleared it with the record company." The man pulled a mini dress off the rack.
Lilly unclenched the fabric of her jeans.
Shoes a few sizes smaller appeared next to the cowboy boots. "I'm sorry, I know, but we can talk about it later."
White Doc Martens-clad feet moved backward and cowboy boots stumbled behind.
"Stop pullin' me. What's the matter with you?" A pause. "I want ya to stop lollygaggin', all right?"
The door clicked shut, and footsteps faded into the distance. Lilly sat there and waited. The clothes enveloped her in a fragrance of flowery fabric softener, and the carpet pressed its plushy fibers into her palms. The clothes rattled apart, and Lilly squinted into the glare of the chandelier.
Hannah loomed over her, both hands propped on the clothes rack. "I need to change, so… " She squinted at the door and moved to the side.
Lilly stepped out of her hiding place and rubbed her arms. "But… "
Footsteps clomped past the dressing room.
"You really need to leave."
Lilly swallowed and nodded. As she dragged her legs past Hannah to the door, her tentacle legs seemed to have fossilized into stone. In the hallway, she turned around to face Hannah.
"Thank you for coming to my concert."
No, wait. Lilly needed to explain, to apologize. She had to do something, say something before Hannah kicked her out. Lilly opened her mouth, but the words became stuck in her throat.
"All right." Hannah's lips dropped before they could form a full-fledged smile. "Bye." Her face vanished behind the slamming door.