A/N: Alright, I got a decent amount of emails begging me to continue the story, so I thought that I'd put in at least one last chapter. Technically, it can end here, but it's up to you guys.
I really do love writing and would continue writing just for the hell of it, but unfortunately, I'm ridiculously busy, so I don't really have the time to write that much. I've been updating a lot recently because people were asking me to, but with the small amount of reviews I've been getting, I don't think it's enough to make me want to update often.
Therefore, I've decided to adjust my previous tantrum (which I'm truly sorry about, by the way!) and instead of saying that I will discontinue this story, I will just not update as frequently as I have been. If a chapter gets at least 5 reviews, I'll update faster, but otherwise it will just depend on how much time I have. So basically, tell all your friends about this story and make them review - that way, I'll update faster! Thanks and sorry again!
Miley said goodbye to Lily and hung up the phone as she heard her doorbell ring. She quickly grabbed her shoes and made her way downstairs, where her father was greeting Jake. He donned a pair of khaki shorts, a navy blue t-shirt, and had dark sunglasses perched on top of his golden hair. She looked over his outfit, glad that he dressed casually and not like how he dressed at school – he wouldn't be recognized as easily.
It was a week after their first date and things hadn't changed; Lily still ranted about how cute they were, Oliver made faces behind Lily's back when she ranted about how cute they were, and the school still had no idea the two were a couple. Nope, no change – and Miley wanted to keep it that way.
She jumped into Jake's arms and gave him a quick kiss before pointedly looking at her dad. Mr. Stewart got the hint and left the two alone, but not before motioning with his hands that he was watching them. Miley rolled her eyes and Jake chuckled lightly before turning to her.
"So, what's the plan for today? You didn't tell me much on the phone – just to keep my day free," Miley smirked at him and waved her hand as if brushing off his question.
"Well, since you surprised me last week, I thought I'd return the favor. Now, you just need to put on these," she pulled his sunglasses from his head and put them on his face, "and this," she grabbed one of her dad's old baseball hats and put it on his head backwards, pulling a bit of his golden fringe through the hole, "and you're done! No one will recognize you now – Jake Ryan, the actor, wouldn't be caught dead wearing a backward baseball cap, which means no one will be looking at you. Trust me, you don't look anything like your normal self."
She pushed him to the mirror by the door and he was shocked – it really didn't look like him at all! He turned to Miley and gave her a long, deep kiss.
"A girl with brains and beauty – where have you been all my life?" she giggled and smirked at him.
"Busy hating your guts!" they both laughed, clutching their stomachs from laughing so hard. After a while, their laughter was reduced to the occasional giggle, and Jake pulled out his cell phone.
"Should I call my driver? He'll be here in ten minutes tops," he began dialing his driver, but Miley closed the phone in his hand and shook her head.
"I told you it's a surprise, which means you can't know where we're going until we get there. Instead, we're going to be taking the bus."
Jake instantly paled and his body went rigid. He'd never taken the bus his entire life, and to be quite honest, he was scared out of his mind to get on one. Miley noticed how he stiffened.
"Are you telling me that you've never ridden a bus before?" he wanted to lie to her, but he could tell by the look in her eyes that she already knew the answer, so he looked down at the ground and nodded. She smiled at him softly and squeezed his hand.
"Well, then you're in for a real treat," and with that, she pulled him out the door.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jake stared at the open door of the bus, trying to gather up all of his courage. He felt a small squeeze from Miley's hand and turned to her, feeling better when he saw her smile of encouragement. He looked back at the bus and the impatient driver, who was giving him a look of disdain. He took a deep breath before stepping on the bus, pulling Miley along with him, and heard a muttered "finally" from the driver. They took their seats and the door closed with a squeak before taking off.
He glanced around at the other people on the bus and noticed a small, blonde child in his mother's lap, bouncing around and laughing happily. He was singing a song about how the wheels on the bus go around and Jake couldn't help but smile. That was what he used to be like before all of the fame and glory – normal. He wished he could turn off being famous sometimes and just have days like this, where he could be himself and not the big hot-shot everyone thought he was. He looked at the girl next to him and watched as she looked out the window. She was the only one, other than his family, who let him act like a normal human being; giving him chances like this to be just like everybody else.
As the bus slowed down for the next stop, Miley slipped her hand in his and gently pulled him up before making her way to the front of the bus. It finally stopped and the doors opened, showing the crowded Malibu boardwalk. Jake watched in amazement as people of all ages walked around, giggling and laughing, eating and shopping, and generally having a good time. They got off the bus and pushed through the crowd, trying to get to a relatively clear spot. Once they got there, Jake wrapped his arms around Miley and gave her a giant hug, burying his head into her hair.
"This is an awesome surprise, thank you," she laughed and shook her head.
"But you haven't even seen the surprise yet! Now come on," she took him by the hand and started running down the boardwalk, laughing when he nearly tripped.
When they got to a more secluded part, she stopped and turned to him, taking off his sunglasses.
"Okay, you know that I trust you – now the question is, do you trust me?" she pulled out the same scarf he had blindfolded her with the previous week, which he looked at nervously. He swallowed before looked up at her, a serious expression on his face.
"I trust you," she smiled at him, happy that he trusted her as much as she trusted him. She moved behind him and rose up on her toes, whispering softly in his ear.
"Good, because I have a much more fun way to blindfold you than using that stuffy old scarf," he smirked when he felt her hands cover his eyes and the small push against his back, urging him to move forward.
After a bit of walking, Miley stopped him. He couldn't see anything through her hands, but he could hear the crying of seagulls and her soft breathing behind him. She slowly counted to three before she dropped her hands and moved next to him. She smiled as she saw his eyes light up at her surprise.
They were standing in front of the Malibu amusement park.
Jake looked like a little boy who had just gotten his birthday present early; his eyes were shining brightly and his smile was so wide, it threatened to take over his entire face. It dimmed, though, when he realized that the park was closed and that they'd only be able to see the outside today.
"Miley, it's Sunday. The park doesn't open today – surely you know that," he glanced over at her and noticed that she was smiling brightly at him.
"Of course I know that. That's why I pulled some strings and got special permission to have the park open just for us."
Ok, so maybe Hannah Montana made a few calls and promised to perform at the park next weekend, but he didn't need to know that.
He looked at her in shock, before another huge smile erupted on his face and he picked her up, twirling her around while she laughed. He set her back down and kissed her passionately, showing her how happy he was. She drew back and smiled at him before pulling him through the gates toward the ticket booth. After showing them proper ID, the people at the park gave them wrist bands, telling the workers stationed at each ride that the couple could go on whatever ride they wanted. When Jake asked how much he had to pay, the worker behind the counter told him that it had all been taken care of while winking discreetly at Miley.
Jake looked around in amazement, trying to choose which ride to go on first. They all looked so exciting and he couldn't wait to try them all. Miley saw his dilemma and gently squeezed his hand to get his attention.
"Why don't we go on Thunder first, since I, unlike you, can't make it storm…but I can make us fly," he laughed at her and nodded before pulling her toward the large rollercoaster.
They ran through the empty line until they reached the front of the coaster. They took their seats and grinned at each other while the worker strapped them in. Jake tore his gaze away from Miley when he heard the small 'click click' that started the ride, looking at the long track in front of him. Before he could blink, he was flying through the air at lightening speed, yelling and laughing through every dip and turn. He could hear the thunderous roar of the wind rushing past him and the loud screams coming from the girl next to him. Before he knew it, the coaster pulled into the station and the ride was over. He turned to Miley, whose hair was all over the place, as was his, and grinned.
"Let's go again!"
She smiled at his bright, shining eyes that were so full of life and happiness, and turned to the operator.
"One more time, please?"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They spent the rest of the day going on all the rides – sometimes more than once. Jake had never felt so happy in such a long time, and it was all thanks to his amazing girlfriend. He smiled when he thought about how lucky he was to have her in his life and swore that he'd do all he could to keep her in it. Miley glanced over at Jake and saw his far-off look.
"What's going on in that mind of yours?" he looked her straight in the eyes.
"Just thinking about how lucky I am to have the most amazing girl," he pulled her into a deep kiss, sucking the air from both of their lungs and leaving them breathless when they broke apart. She just smiled at him.
"Well, you're an amazing guy. And I guess an amazing girl and an amazing guy make an amazing couple!" they both laughed at her silly logic. He gave her a small kiss before slipping his hand into hers.
"Ain't that the truth."
The truth. Miley's smile faltered a bit. The truth was that Hannah Montana would be starting her summer tour soon and she couldn't keep making up excuses to Jake about why she was busy every Friday and Saturday night. She'd be gone for weeks, traveling to different cities across the country, and she didn't want to leave Jake without him knowing where she was.
Although it was a bit early into their relationship, she thought that now might be the best time to tell him about her other life. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, because she really did; she just wished that they could have a more solid relationship with him before dropping such a huge secret on him. What if he didn't want her anymore? She looked up at him and saw his smiling sea-green eyes looking right back and she knew she could tell him anything without fear of him leaving her. She glanced around, trying to find a good, private place to tell him, when she spotted the Ferris Wheel. She turned to him with a small smile on her face.
"Do you want to go on the Ferris Wheel? That's the only thing we haven't gone on yet," he looked over at the giant wheel, then turned back to her and grinned.
"What could be more romantic than sitting at the top of a Ferris Wheel, watching the sunset with the most beautiful girl in the world? I'm in," she laughed and nodded, so they made their way to the ride.
Once they were seated, the worker pulled down the safety bar and closed the door. Jake winked at the guy and he nodded in return, understanding what Jake wanted him to do. The ride started up and the couple slowly made their way to the top of the wheel. Jake snaked his hand into hers and smiled at her, but his smile turned into a small frown when he saw how nervous Miley was.
Miley was freaking out about how she was going to tell Jake about Hannah. Maybe this really wasn't a good idea after all, maybe she should back out now, maybe she should forget about ever telling him…
'No. I am Hannah Montana, damnit, and I am not afraid of telling my boyfriend the truth!'
She felt a surge of confidence enter her and she was ready to tell him, when the ride suddenly stopped. Her stomach plummeted when she realized the moment had come to tell him and all the confidence swooshed out of her. Jake was looking at her worriedly.
"Miley, is something wrong?" she took a deep breath and sucked up all of her courage.
"No, it's just…I need to tell you something," Jake watched as she nervously wrung her hands together. Normally, he'd think it was cute, but right now, it made him incredibly nervous.
"Listen, Jake, I don't really know how to say this," Oh god, she was going to break up with him! "I'm…I'm…leaving in a few weeks."
So much for that courage.
Jake sighed in relief. He thought she was going to break up with him – how silly of him to think something like that. Miley wouldn't do that to him – not on top of a Ferris Wheel after an amazing day. He looked back at her and chuckled.
"Well, that's no big deal. We can call each other all the time, and it won't be for a really long time anyway, right? Where are you going? Visiting Tennessee?" she shook her head sadly at him.
"No. I have Hannah Montana concerts," instead of looking disappointed like she thought he would, he beamed at her.
"That's great! I can't believe your dad would let you follow her on her summer tour! Hey, I actually know her pretty well – I could get you backstage passes so you could meet her! I'm sure you'd love tha-" she stopped him with a soft, sad kiss. He looked at her, confused as to why she wasn't excited about meeting Hannah Montana. She couldn't bear to look at him, afraid of what his reaction would be when she told him, so she looked at the ground instead.
"I don't need to meet her, because I already know her," she swallowed her fear and took a deep breath, "Jake, I am her." She looked up at Jake, who had a bewildered look on his face.
"But…but how is that possible? How can I know you're telling the truth? I mean, yeah, you both look a lot alike, but that's just coincidence, isn't it?"
Well, this was unexpected. He definitely never thought he'd ever have this conversation on a Ferris Wheel in his lifetime. He just thought they'd make out and watch the sunset, not discuss how his girlfriend was really a superstar pop singer. Miley grabbed his face gently and forced him to look at her.
"Jake, look at me – I mean, really look at me. Do you trust me?" Jake saw the truth in Miley's eyes and instantly knew she was telling him the truth. He nodded his head.
"I trust and believe you. I just can't believe that my girlfriend is actually…Hannah…Montana…" realization dawned on his face that he was dating the Hannah Montana. He stared into space, his eyes not focused on anything, and took everything in.
Miley watched as he zoned out, a look of pure shock on his face. She called his name a few times and waved her hand in front of his eyes, but he only stared on into nothingness. Miley sighed in annoyance and rested her head on her propped-up hand, a look of complete boredom on her face. She blew an annoying strand of hair out of her face and waited for the ride to start up again.
On the way down, her thoughts began to take a negative spin, telling her that Jake no longer wanted any part of her and would rather have Hannah Montana as his girlfriend. As much as she tried to shut them out, they wouldn't leave her alone and crowded her mind so much that she began to believe them.
The ride finally stopped and the worker released the safety bar. Miley looked over at Jake and saw that he was still out of it. Tears brimmed her eyes as she remembered what her thoughts were telling her, but she willed for them not to fall. She got up and ran down the stairs of the platform, wiping away the few tears that escaped.
When Jake no longer felt a presence next to him, he snapped out of his stupor and looked around. He spotted Miley briskly walking toward the park's exit and ran to catch her. He called her name, but she ignored him, shaking her head as she continued walking away from him. He finally caught up with her and tugged on her wrist, forcefully turning her around to face him.
"Miley, what's wrong with you? Why are you walking away from me?" he noticed the wet tracks of tears and softened. "Why are you crying?" She shook her head and looked at the ground.
"I know you don't want to be with me – I got that. Why would you when you can have Hannah Montana," she spit out the name with disgust, "as your girlfriend instead. I'm sorry, Jake, but I can't do that. I can't be with someone who only wants my celebrity half. Telling you my secret was a mistake, and now I have to lose you to pay the price. I'm sorry." She turned to go, but he wouldn't let go of her wrist. He cupped her face in his free hand and made her look at him.
"Miley, how could you think that I'd choose anyone but you? I liked Miley before I found out she was Hannah Montana, and I still like Miley after I found out. It's just a shock, that's all. It will take time to get used to, but I will get used to it and I will support you no matter what happens – whether it's Hannah or Miley. I promise that I will always choose Miley over Hannah. Besides," he grinned, "why could I date someone with as plain a name as 'Hannah' when 'Miley' is much more beautiful and unique? And it's not only the name that's beautiful and unique either."
He smiled when he saw a tiny smile appear on Miley's face and brushed his thumbs over her tears, wiping them away. He moved his hands into her hair, pulling some stray strands behind her ears, and gave her the most passionate kiss he possibly could. He felt her relax in his arms and give in to the kiss, deepening it even more.
They broke apart after some time and gazed into each other's eyes before walking hand in hand out of the park. They thanked the workers and stepped onto the boardwalk, where the nightlife was busier than the day's. Miley looked around, trying to think of something they could do before the night was over. She saw the pier and her eyes lit up. She turned to Jake and tugged on his hand, effectively getting his attention.
"Race you to the end of the pier!" and she took off running before Jake could digest what she said. He smirked and chased after her, gaining speed quickly.
Miley looked behind her and saw Jake on her tail. She squealed and tried running faster to escape him, but couldn't in time. Jake caught up with her and picked her up by the waist, throwing her over his shoulder while she laughed and screamed lightly. He spun around, causing her long, brown hair to fly in all directions. The onlookers smiled and chuckled, watching the young couple and reminiscing about when they were young and in love.
Jake finally put her down and kissed her sweetly, never able to get enough of her taste. Together, they walked to the edge of the pier and looked at the twinkling lights of the fishing boats scattered across the sea. A light breeze blew, causing Miley to shiver a bit from the cold. He noticed and wrapped his arm around her, gently rubbing her arm as she laid her head on his shoulder. And there they stayed, watching the dark ocean and listening to the soft crashing of the waves.