"Miles?" Jackson slowly made his way out Miley's window. She had her knees tucked under her chin and tear stains down her cheeks. She was wrapped in her favorite blanket, the one Lily made her in 8th grade. It was poorly made and starting to fringe around the edges. "Can we talk?"
"Are you gonna yell at me too?" She didn't look at him. Her eyes stayed glued to the blanket.
"She wasn't trying to hurt you Miles." Jackson sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. "She just doesn't know where you guys stand anymore. Do you really want to know what's happened between us?"
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." She turned her head to look him in the eyes. "I don't tell you everything I do."
"Well that has to change." Jackson smiled and she smiled back. Her tears were gone and she wiped her cheeks. "How 'bout I tell you everything and then you can fill me in with the important and G rated details."
"Deal." They shook hands and Miley stood up. "Let's do it inside, though, I'm freezing."
"I'm really sorry about everything." Jackson said as they both sat down on Miley's bed. "We didn't do this just to hurt you. It just sort of happened."
"I know." She wrapped herself back up in Lily's blanket. "And I didn't mean to push Lily away. Oliver...He drifted away from her, and I guess I just followed."
"This wasn't the first time we were together." Jackson blurted out.
"I know." Miley said in a whisper. "When I came home from Oliver's, that night after Jem's, I wanted to make sure you got Lily home okay. I felt bad for ditching her, so I went upstairs and I opened your door and...I...I saw you. And her. In bed."
"I'm so sorry."
"Don't be." Miley said. "You wanna know something?"
"I can't really be surprised by much anymore." Jackson laughed. "What?"
"That night at Jem's?" She said as Jackson nodded. "Lily told me she liked you and I was a little tipsy, so I told her to go for it. I knew if she went for it, I'd be able to go to Oliver's so we could-"
"I don't wanna know." Jackson smiled and put his arm around Miley's shoulders. "You know, telling Lily to go for it was the best thing you've ever done. Thanks little sister."
"Okay," Miley pushed his arm off of her and got up. "Enough brotherly stuff. Now it's my turn."
"Keep it safe for brotherly ears." Jackson joked.
"That night at Jem's," Miley stood up and started pacing back and forth. "I left with Oliver, and we were sort of together for like a year. I wasn't planning on anything, we usually just sneak into his room and-"
"Don't tell me!" Jackson covered his ears.
"Shut up." She smacked him over the head. "We didn't plan on it, but we...went all the way. Earlier that night, I promised Lily I wouldn't. She was worried that I would forget about her and that everything that did happen would happen."
"It's not your fault." Jackson said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you're kind of a hypocrite."
"What?" Miley plopped down in her butterfly chair across from Jackson.
"You promised you wouldn't do anything, but you told Lily to? And then you got mad at her for listening to your advice, when you yourself didn't?" Jackson said.
"Well I didn't think she would go for that." Miley stood up again. "I just figured she'd tell you she liked you and you'd say something and you'd talk and I'd get a chance to be with Oliver."
"Okay." Jackson stood up and started to leave until Miley grabbed his arm.
"Where do you think you're going?" She snapped.
"To my room to call Lily."
"No you are not." She pushed him into her chair and she sat on her bed facing him. "You have not told me about what's happened. You promised."
"Fine." Jackson sighed. "That night after Jem's, everything you think happened, probably happened. And that day I took Lily home after you left, we went through the car wash and we kissed. Then last night, after our date, we came back here and we-"
"You don't have to say it." She cringed a little. "I know you took a condom out of my purse."
"I'll pay you back if you want." Jackson stood up again. "Can I go now?"
"Yeah." Miley stood up too. She walked over to her brother and wrapped her arms around him. "Thanks for talking to me. I love you."
"Love you too, Miles." He hugged her back and kissed her head. "Let's not tell dad we get along okay?"
"Got it." Miley backed away from him and grabbed her cell phone. "I need to call Oliver. And Lily. I owe her an apology."
"Then I'll be going." Jackson said as he left the room.
"Hey Oliver." Miley said. "We need to talk."
"Oh." He sighed. "Whatever you heard is not the truth. I can explain."
"Explain what?"
"Um." Oliver stuttered and she could hear him stumble over something. "Oh, nothing, I was just talking to my mom.
"Whatever. I think maybe we should slow it down a little." Miley sat down. "I feel really bad about ditching Lily and the stuff about my brother, and I just don't know if us being a couple is such a great idea right now."
"Sure." He said. "I guess I get it. No I don't."
"I'm sorry. We just need a break. I have to go." Miley hung up without saying good bye. She dialed Lily's number next.
"Hey Lily, it's Miley." She said into the phone. It had gone to voice mail. "I just talked to Jackson about everything and I owe you an apology, but I just really want to talk to you in person. So just, like, call me back if you want. Or I'll keep trying to call you. Either is fine."
Lily sighed as she pressed ignore on Miley's call. If she leaves a message, I'll call her back, she thought. Her mother was driving them to the grocery store to pick up stuff for dinner.
"Here's the list." Her mom said as she handed Lily a pad of paper. "Go in and get a cart and start shopping. I have to run to the bank, and then the post office and I'll come back and meet you here."
"Got it." Lily hopped out of the van. She went inside, grabbed a cart and followed her mothers instructions.
"Hey Lily." Oliver's voice came up behind her. "How are you doing?"
"Um. Fine." Lily heard her phone beep letting her know Miley did leave a message.
"What are you doing here?"
"Uh, shopping?" Lily said.
"Oh. Yeah." Oliver looked at the ground. "We haven't hung out in a while. We should sometime. I miss being friends with you."
"Yeah." Lily rolled her eyes when she looked away. "Sure."
"Wanna hang out tonight?" Oliver asked.
"I guess." She shrugged. "Why are you even talking to me right now?"
"Because we should still be friends." He kept walking with her through the isles. "Miley called me."
"She called me too, but I didn't answer."
"She broke up with me."
"What?" Lily stopped. "Seriously?"
"Yeah." He looked down and started frowning. "That's why I was wondering if you wanted to hang out. I just thought maybe could try being friends again since there really wasn't any reason or anything for us to not be and I just-"
"It's okay." Lily smiled at him. "You don't need to explain. Do you wanna go to the beach or something?"
"Sure. I'll come pick you up around 6?"
"Sure." Lily gave him a big hug and they parted ways as her mom came up to her.
"I just saw Oliver." She said.
"Yeah. We're hanging out tonight." Lily grabbed a cereal box from the shelf.
"Oh, well I guess you'll miss spaghetti night." Her mom smiled at her.
"That's okay." She giggled.
"Let's get this finished so you're dad doesn't get grumpy." They walked down an aisle and grabbed a few things on the list. "You know how he hates to have spaghetti night start late."
Lily and her mom finished up at the store and got back to the house quickly. Spaghetti night started at 5 for everyone else, but Lily just sat in her room. She listened the Miley's message, but couldn't bring herself to dial her number. Instead, she hit Jacksons speed dial and waited for his answer.
"Hello beautiful." His voice rang through the phone.
"Hey handsome." She smiled and curled up in her bed. "I have a question."
"Yes, my good looks are natural."
"Shut up." Lily giggled. "Seriously though. Is it a bad idea if I hang out with Oliver tonight? We ran into each other today and he said he missed being my friend. And he also told me that Miley broke up with him."
"Well, one, Miley called him after we talked and she must have dumped him then." Jackson's tone got suddenly cold. "And two, why would you want to hang out with Oliver? He's the reason you and Miley were fighting in the first place and he was the one who ditched you before they were even going out."
"Are you jealous?" Lily sat up in her bed and stood up like she was talking to him face-to-face.
"Do I need to be?"
"This was a mistake asking you." She spat out. "I'll call you later."
"Don't hang-" But she already shut her phone.
Oliver was her friend, and as far as she knew he was the same guy she'd known since kindergarten. Just because her boyfriend was jealous of her having guy friends didn't mean she couldn't do what she wanted. She slipped on her comfiest clothes and pulled her hair into a messy bun just as Oliver pulled in the driveway.