Chapter 20
That Night
"Hey Jake, you have anything going on tonight?" Oliver asked.
"No. I'm free tonight. Why? What do you have in mind?"
"Well, there is a new movie out I want to see."
"Oh you mean the movie with Kevin Costner AND Ashton Kutchner that you've been talking about?" Lilly gushed.
"Oh, you mean The Guardian?" Jake asked.
"Yeah. That's the movie. You up to it Jake?"
"I think I can swing it." Jake smiled at the thought of a good guy movie.
"Can I come too?" Lilly begged.
"It's a guy movie, Lilly." Jake told her.
Lilly broke out the secret weapon.
"Not 'The Puppy Dog Face'!" Oliver said as he turned away from Lilly.
Jake on the other hand looked at Lilly as Oliver turned away. Oliver noticed Jake's mistake.
"Don't look Jake or you'll be lost forever!"
"Come on, Oliver, let Lilly come." Oliver let out a sigh.
"They die so young." Oliver said with a fake crying sound in his voice. Then he turned and grabbed Jake and started fake crying on his shoulder.
"So young! What will we tell Miley?"
"Don't quit your day job Oliver." Jake told him. Oliver smirked and turned to Lilly.
"Okay, Lilly, you can come if we can eat here."
"Deal!" And Lilly ran off to find her mother.
"Come on Jake, I'll show you the phone so you can call your parents."
"But Lilly hasn't come back yet."
Oliver just stood there and gave Jake a 'you're doubting me look'.
"We do this all the time Jake. If you really want to join our 'group,' then you should know that the answer for eating over or for staying over or going anywhere is always yes. Everything is pretty interchangeable."
"Oh! Then we need to have a get together with my parents so they can met your guy's parents."
Oliver handed the phone to Jake so he could call first.
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Jake really enjoyed dinner. What Oliver told him before he had called his parents was easy to see at the table. Oliver treated Lilly's parents like they were his parents and Lilly's parents treated Oliver like he was one of their kids.
What stood out to Jake with this encounter with a friend's parents was that Lilly's parents offered him the same relationship base solely on Lilly and Oliver's friendship. Not because he was a big time celebrity, but because Lilly and Oliver chose him as a friend.
"Are you guys ready to go?" Mr. Truscott asked the three of them.
"We're coming, Dad."
"What about Miley?" Mr. Truscott asked.
"I think she is still at the hospital with Maggie dad."
"Why don't you call her house and see if she is home."
"I'm on it!" Oliver called out. Oliver picked the phone up and called the Stewart's house.
"Hi, Zack," Lilly lit up on hearing his name, "is Miley there?………Oh! Okay………Well would you and your brother like to go see 'The Guardian'?………Great. We'll be there in five minutes."
"Well?" Mr. Truscott asked.
"Miley left to workout with Frank for some reason, but Cody and Zack want to go."
"Okay then. Everyone to the car."
"Who's Frank?" Jake asked Oliver.
"Remember when Hannah Montana had that stalker?" Mr. Truscott asked.
"Yeah, it was in all the papers."
"Well, we thought it would be good for the kids to be able to defend themselves. Frank is their martial arts instructor."
"Oh." Jake said as they pulled up to Miley's house. Lilly jumped out of the car after it stopped and ran to the door. Seconds later, Zack and Cody were meeting Lilly's dad as they headed to the movie theater.
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With the kids gone, Robbie and Carey sat down to start to work on the music for the song.
"How does Maggie want the song to go?" Carey asked.
"Slow and sad."
"She say why?"
"No, but I think it has something to do with her and Miley."
"So you want to try playing the music slow and I'll sing? Then we can go from there."
"Sounds like a good way to go."
They both went to the piano and started to get to work.
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After getting cleaned up from practice, Cooper went home. Maddie and Jackson went out to eat. Maddie thought they were going to go to a restaurant. Jackson had other plans. First he stopped at an arts and crafts store and bought a big wicker basket. Then from there they went to a grocery store.
"I thought we were going out to eat." Maddie commented when they pulled in to the stores parking lot.
"We are. We just have to get the eat part first."
"Oh, I see. Is that why we got the basket?"
"You catch on fast." Jackson leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
They got out of the car and walked hand in hand into the store.
"So what should we get?" Jackson asked.
"Hmmmm……no lunchables for starters."
"There goes my menu!" Jackson laughed.
"Right. They have a deli here?"
"Walk this way my lady." Jackson bowed and gestured with his other hand. At the deli, chicken was the choice. Along with the chicken they got potato salad. Next they went to the single serve drink area and got drinks.
"Do you want some chips or anything like that?" Jackson asked.
"No, but what about some fruit?"
"That sounds good." They headed over to the fruit section and got some cherries and grapes.
"Dessert?"
"Okay."
Jackson led Maddie over to the bakery area. There they decided on a four count of cupcakes. Then Jackson took Maddie to the paper aisle and got plastic forks and spoons. They also got some napkins and plates. With their meal put together, Jackson paid for everything and they walked back to the car. At the car, Jackson once again opened the door for Maddie. Then he took the bags to the trunk and opened it. He filled the basket with their dinner and took the basket out of the trunk. With the trunk closed, he handed the full basket to Maddie and put the blanket from the trunk in the back seat. Jackson then got into the car and drove to the beach.
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After stopping at Frank's house to get the book for Miley, Frank took her to Lilly's house. Miley wanted to talk to Mrs. Truscott. Miley thanked Frank for the ride and went to the door and knocked. Mrs. Truscott answered the door.
"Hi Miley. You just missed everyone. They went to go see a movie."
"That's okay. I wanted to talk with you."
"Oh, well come on in, Miley."
They ended up at the table and Mrs. Truscott had fixed hot chocolate for them.
"So what seems to be bothering you Miley?"
"Well, it's Jake."
"Do you like him?"
"Maybe. It's just that he acts like a big time celebrity jerk."
"Is he like that all the time? He seemed pretty nice at dinner."
"That's just it. When his fans are around he's a self-centered egomaniac. But when he's just with us, he acts normal and I just don't understand it."
"Have you asked him why he acts that way?"
"No."
"Or are you just judging him based on the fact that you don't have to deal with your fans the way he does."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, do you have your fans falling all over you at school like he does?"
"No."
"Why is that?"
"Because no one knows I'm Hannah."
"And what happens when you're out in public as Hannah?"
"I get mobbed."
"Does Jake get mobbed at school?"
"More or less."
"Annnndddd…."
"And what?"
"Does he act the way his fans want him to act?"
"I guess."
"Okay, then. Let's step back and look at this again. First we have a celebrity, not you, that comes to your school."
"Okay."
"So, all the other kids at school are star struck. Right?"
"Right."
"And they expect him to act like a big time celebrity?"
"I guess."
"And with all the attention that Jake is getting at school, you just might be jealous?"
"Me! Jealous?"
Mrs. Truscott just looked at Miley.
"Okay. Maybe a little."
"So what do you think you can do so that Jake will act more 'normal' around you?"
"I don't know. Tell him I'm Hannah Montana and then he'll know that I'm also a celebrity and won't try to impress me anymore?"
"Do you really think telling him you're Hannah is going to change things?"
"Probably not."
"Look honey, you're just going have to keep reminding him that being a celebrity doesn't impress you. If he listens to you, he'll get the message and start relaxing around you. Okay?"
"Okay." Miley smiled.
"So how is Maggie doing?"
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It was getting late and Maggie was still suffering from an upset stomach.
At this time she was recovering from another bout of throwing up. She felt awful. But what no one knew was that there was something very wrong with Maggie at this moment. No one would know this until tomorrow.