Chapter 38
The Dance
After the pep rally, Hannah hunted down Jackson and Cooper.
"Hey, you guys went to go and get a bite to eat with us?"
"Who is us?" Asked Cooper.
"Well, I was thinking Jake, Oliver and Lilly. Is that okay?"
"Can my girlfriend go with us?"
"Sure, Helen can come."
Cooper did a double take.
"How did you know my girlfriend's name?"
Hannah felt trapped. She sighed and looked at Jackson.
"I think I might have told her."
"When?"
Hannah thought about this and looked around and came to a decision that she had been toying with for a very long time. Cooper and become like a brother to Jackson. Time and time again they had always been there for each other. She knew that they had a strong and loving bond between them. Much like she had with Lilly and Oliver. Plus she was just getting really tired of hiding from Cooper all the time. He as over to the house as much as Lilly and Oliver.
"Cooper, you and Jackson are basically like brothers and I think it's time you know Jackson's family secret."
"Wait a minute. How would Hannah Montana know about your family secret or my girlfriend's name J-man?"
Jackson and Hannah looked at each other. They looked around and she nodded to Jackson.
"Coop, you have to swear not to tell anyone what you are about to hear."
"You're my brother J-man. I'll take it to my grave if I have too."
"Okay……Hannah Montana is my sister in a wig." He whispered to Cooper. Cooper looked to Jackson and then at Hannah. Hannah nodded. He leaned in closely to look at her face.
"Really? You're serious." Jackson and Hannah nodded.
"Well, I'm not taking my wig off to prove it to you here. Besides that, I have it sewn on for today so it wouldn't come off."
"Then tell me something that only Jackson does."
"Who do you know that drinks syrup out of the bottle through a straw?"
"Sad but true." Cooper laughed.
"So you three coming?"
"You buying?"
"Hannah always buys." She told Cooper with a smile.
"Let me go get Helen……Hannah." Cooper left smiling.
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"Sorry it's nothing fancy, but I do have to get back to the middle school to get set-up and ready for the dance." Hannah told everyone as she passed out the orders that she got from the drive thru window.
"Are you kidding Hannah? This is an experience within itself. How many people can say that they went thru McD's drive thru in your limo?" Helen exclaimed.
"I'm glad this meets to you satisfaction." Hannah laughed.
Jake just smile and shook his head. How did she do it? She took something as ordinary as going thru a drive-thru, made it special and then apologized for doing it. He would have never thought about just going to a fast food restaurant with guests. He had his image. But that was before. Before Miley Stewart.
"To bad your sister can't be here Jackson. She would just love this. She's a huge fun of yours Hannah." Helen was having the time of her life.
"Uh, yeah. To bad." Jackson stuttered.
Cooper noticed the reactions of Oliver and Lilly at that statement and how they looked at Hannah. Well, it figures they know Cooper thought.
"You know, that was one of the sweetest nicest things I've heard anyone say about their sister Jackson. She must really love you to put you first like that." Hannah looked Jackson straight in his eyes. Jackson blushed a little.
"She knows I love her. We just don't tell each other that much." Jackson looked Hannah straight in her eyes.
"Well, you should tell her more often. I think she would like it more then you know." Hannah smile shyly when she told Jackson.
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind." Jackson smiled at Hannah.
"Awww……"
"What are you 'aww'ing about Lilly?" Jackson asked.
"Nothing……nothing" Lilly shook her head.
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The limo took them back to the middle school where Hannah and Harry, a.k.a. Frank, got out.
"The limo will take everyone home. You three don't forget that it will pick you and your guesses up for the dance. Is there any questions?"
"Yes. Can I have an autograph Hannah?"
"Sure. Just open that door right there." Hannah pointed. Helen opened the door and found several pictures and makers.
"Just pick one." Hannah told her. Helen pick out a three quarter body shot and hand it to Hannah with a maker. Jotting down a quick note she handed the picture and maker back to Helen.
"There you go."
"Thanks Hannah."
"You're welcome. I'll see the rest of you tonight."
Hannah closed the door, waved and walked off to the gym.
"Any word about Maggie Frank?"
"No. Want me to call while you get things ready?"
"Would you please."
"Will do."
Mr. Aaron met them at the door to the school.
"Hi Mr. Aaron. How are things going?"
"Well, they have the stage set-up and most of the lighting."
"Great! I wanted a great light show for the dance. Where have they put my wardrobe?"
"Girl's locker room."
"Hannah."
"What's the word Frank?"
"They started another transplant."
"Is that good?"
"We'll know in twenty-four hours."
"I hate waiting."
"I do too."
"Oh yeah. Here." Mr. Aaron handed a small walkie talkie to Frank and Hannah.
"They're already set to the right channel. Just let them know you have them."
"Frank and Hannah checking in." Frank said talking into the radio.
"Hannah. We need you on stage for sound check." Jimmy's voice came over the radios.
"Be right there." Hannah answered.
"See you guys later." Hannah said taking off for the gym.
"Jimmy…Frank here. I'm going to do a security check."
"Roger."
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The limo started by picking up Jake. Oliver was next. Oliver gave directions to Amy's house. Once Amy was in, they were off to get Lilly.
When the limo pulled up to Miley's house, Jake was wondering why they were stopping here. The answer was soon clear when Lilly got out and came back with Zack.
"Sorry. Miley is still to sick to come." Lilly told everyone.
"Too bad." Amy commented.
"She wanted us to get an autograph picture for her at less." Zack told everyone.
"That's a good idea Zack." Jake agreed.
"Where's Cody?" Oliver asked.
"We'll since Miley is sick and not going, he decided to visit with Maggie." Zack answered.
"How is Maggie doing?" Jake asked.
"Well, they started her on a second transplant."
"What happens if this one doesn't take?" Lilly asked.
"The doctor didn't say."
"Let's hope we don't have to find out." Oliver added.
"I've got my fingers crossed." Amy showed her crossed fingers for affect.
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Mr. Aaron had made his way to the gym to watch the final preparations being finished. Hannah was on stage with her dancers practicing. When they were done with what they were working on, Hannah called up Mr. Aaron.
"Hey guys, I want you to meet my principal Mr. Aaron. On guitar is David, on bass is Ricky, one keyboards is Sam and on drums is Jenny. This is Julius, Mike, Jen, and Francis." Mr. Aaron shook hands with each in turn.
"So this is the Mr. Aaron that you complain about giving show much homework on the our short mini tours." Jen teased.
"I do not!" Snapped Hannah as she took the bait hook, line and sinker.
"Gotcha!" Jen quickly responded.
Mr. Aaron and the other laughed.
"Where are pillows at when you need them?" Hannah asked as she looked around the stage.
"Everyone to wardrobe and make-up." Jimmy told them as he walked up on to the stage. Hannah, her band and her dancers started to leave when she stopped.
"Hold up everyone.", Hannah turned back to Mr. Aaron, "Is it okay for my dancers to dance among the other kids?"
Mr. Aaron thought about it for awhile before answering.
"Sure. Just watch out for the more……forward students. If you know what I mean."
"That means we'll have to keep an eye on Julius then." Mike teased.
"I can't help it. Just look at me."
Hannah rolled her eyes and waded into the conversation.
"I get enough of that from Jake. I don't need to hear it from you guys too."
"Oh! Is Jakey Achy going to be herey?" Francis asked Hannah in a baby talk.
"That's it! Where's that pillow at?" Hannah run over to pick one up at the same time Francis did. They started swinging at each other at the same time.
"Now look what you two did." Jen looked at Mike and Julius and waved her hand at Hannah and Francis. As if on queue, the third pillow appeared in her hand and the three of them attacked the boys. The pillow fight ended with the guys getting the pillows and chasing the girls into the girl's locker room where they had to stop at the door. Julius and Mike spotted the pillows for the show and walked to the boy's locker room to get ready. Small talk of getting even occupied the walk to the locker room.
"Are they like that all the time?" Mr. Aaron asked Jimmy.
"Only when their awake."
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Frank was making final checks at the entrance that was going to be used for the dance. The school had off duty officers helping out and Frank wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page as to who could get in and who couldn't. With that taken care of, he next check the stage area to be sure no one could get under it or cause anything to fall. When he was happy that everything was right, he let Jimmy know that everything was a go. Jimmy had his own set of final checks to make too. One was making sure there were enough water bottles for Hannah, the dancers, and the band. Something new he had to check on to make sure it was working right was the teleprompter. Since this was a school dance, Hannah decide to do request of any song. That was a small pain. But thanks to the industry's musical database, all he had to do was download the music and lyrics. This had the added purpose of being able to give Hannah a few breaks. Jimmy sat down at the master control board and tested all the systems again. Everything was ready on this end.
"Jimmy to Hannah."
"Jimmy to Hannah"
"Go ahead Jimmy." Hannah's voice came out of the radio.
"Where are you girls at?"
"Everyone else is ready. We're just finishing my make-up."
"Thanks."
"Jimmy to the Guys."
"We're ready Jimmy."
"Thanks Mike."
"Jimmy to Frank"
"Frank here."
"You can open the doors."
"Roger."
Frank walked up to the main school doors that was by the gym and unlock them. Of course, there was already a crowd there. Frank wonder to his self how many would be turned away. Yes, it was a free concert/dance but it was only for the students that went to school here. That meant the only ticket to get in was a valid picture student id. However, there was one set of students that didn't need anything to get in. Frank was waiting on the limo to show up. Back in the gym, Jimmy had started a play list on the computer and a light program to go with it. The gym's appearance in a word, rocked.
The limo finally arrived at the school and let everyone out. As soon as they came in the door, Frank took them aside and lead them into the gym. Once in the gym, Jimmy gave them instructions on what they were going to do to bring Hannah out.
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Jackson drove to the hospital to pick Maddie up. When he went into Maggie's room, he was shock by the site that met his eyes.
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The play list was set for a five song run of hard dancing music to allow the students to arrive. When the last song played, Lilly, Oliver and Jake walked up on to the stage. As they came on to the stage, so did the band. Cheering started. They waited for them to settle down.
"If we could settle down, we can get started." Jake yelled into the mic.
The students got the picture and settled down.
"I know that we are all here to have a good time to night." Jake started but had to wait for the noise to die down again.
"But let's not forget how we got here. Right now Hannah's friend Maggie is in a hospital tonight fighting for her life. Let's keep her in mind for the next twenty-four hours as we await the results of a bone marrow transplant." Jake finished.
"Now some instructions on how tonight will work." Lilly started and then waited for the cheers to die down.
"Hannah will come out in just a few minutes. (more cheering) She as two sets of songs to sing. But if you look back in front of the control table, you will see several notebooks. In those notebooks is a list of songs that Hannah has set-up in a database. Beside each song title is a four-digit number. Just enter the number into the keypad by the notebook. That will put the song up on the computer screen of the sound man. Now here on the stage," Lilly point to a 'box', "is a teleprompter. This will tell Hannah what song to sing and put the words up if she needs them. The band's screens will have the music on it so they can play the song." Lilly finished.
"Here's the good part. Every student that is here tonight had their name put into the computer. Every twenty-minutes the computer will pick out a student and put their name up on the teleprompter. Why to ask?" Oliver held a hand to his ear. The students got it and yelled why at Oliver.
"I thought you never ask. That student gets to come on stage to sing a duet with me. (the students booed) Okay…Okay. You get to sing a duet with Hannah Montana!" Oliver finished. With that, the three of them walked off the stage and the lights dropped. The start of 'Pump Up The Party' started to fill the gym and a spot light hit Hannah as she and her dancers come in from the main gym doors. Hannah and the dancers danced there way to the stage. The gym was rocking!!
At the end of the first set, two student duets, and five requests, Hannah was ready for a break.
"Okay everyone, the band and I are going to take a break. But before we take our break, I need to introduce my dancers to you. Over here to my right is Mike and beside him is Francis. Then over here to my left is Julius and Jen. For this break my guys and myself are coming down there to do some dancing with y'all. Okay Jimmy, hit it!"
Jimmy started another play list. Jake was there to met Hannah at the bottom of the stairs.
"Hi Jakey." Jen and Francis echoed together and then giggled.
"What's that about?" Jake asked.
"Don't ask. They think they're being cute."
"About that dance Hannah?"
"I seem to recall promising someone a dance. I just can't remember who."
"I believe that was me."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes and they seem to be playing a slow song too."
Yeah they were at that. The song was 'How Do I Live' by Trisha Yearwood. An interesting song to be playing for this dance. But I did promise Jake a dance and this was the one he wanted. He took me by my hand and lead me on to the floor. Instead of putting both arms around me, he put one arm behind my back and held my other hand against his chest.
Instead of just swaying and moving in a circle like all the other couples, Jake was actual dancing to the music and took me with him.
After dancing with a few others, the play list stopped and it was time for the second set. Everyone came back on stage for the set. Everyone that is but Julius. He was surrounded by a bunch of girls all trying for his attention.
"Excuse me girls. I need my dancer back. Besides, I hate to have to tell his girlfriend that he was attacked by a bunch of girls."
There was an audible groan from the girls and they allowed him to come up to the stage. As Hannah started to get ready for the next song the other three give him a hard time on stage.
Author's NoteI have an idea for my next story, but I thought I would get some input from the rest of you. You see, it's not easy to come up with original names so I'll ask you. So all I'm asking for now is a name for Jackson and Miley's mom.