Chapter 43

A New Day

There was a buzz about school today. Everyone was talking excitingly about the Saturday tournament. People that never paid attention to Cooper and Jackson were talking to them or waving at them in the hallways.

"You know Jackson, we should be able to find you a girl now." Helen teased.

"As long as she'll carry my books for me." Jackson was having trouble moving with his backpack on his back.

"You better hope Maddie doesn't hear you talking like that. Besides, I told you that I'd carry it for you." Cooper replied with just a hint of something in his voice about having this conversation again.

"I know Coop, but I need to do this myself. Your not in all of my classes."

"I just don't want you finishing off you ankle is all."

"Oh, I see. You don't want to help me, you just don't want me to get hurt anymore." Jackson teased.

"You know how hard it was to break you in?" Cooper laughed.

"Break me in?"

"You were very trainable though."

"Get to class before I use my crutch on you."

Cooper and Helen headed off to their lockers laughing.

Jackson just shook his head.

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There was also a buzz in Seaview Middle School too. Although some of it had to do with the tournament Saturday, most of it had to do with the concert/dance on Friday. The biggest of the buzz was who was dancing with Hannah's band members and dancers. The next level was the usual who was with who now. But there was one more level of buzz. It was the super secret in crowd underground scuttlebutt. Was Jake and Hannah dating? Anyone with eyes saw that Jake was the only one that Hannah slow danced with. And anyone who is anyone knows that you only slow dance with heavy crushes or someone you're dating. Which brought about this encounter with Amber and Ashley.

Miley, Lilly and Oliver had just got to school and were at Miley's locker when Amber and Ashley started to walk by.

"Well, I guess you won't be having Jake following you around anymore hillbilly." Ashley started in.

"What are y'all talking about?" Miley asked.

"It seems that Jakey got tired of chasing you."

"What?" Miley exclaimed. Lilly and Oliver looked at each other behind Miley's back.

"I guess you weren't intelligent to notice hillbilly." Amber continued.

"Again, what are y'all talking about?"

"Well, when you were busy being sick." Amber started.

"And if we get sick, we're giving it to you!" Ashley butted in.

Oliver and Lilly laughed at the remember sight. Amber and Ashley give them dirty looks.

"Anyways", continued Amber, "Jake started dancing with someone far more prettier than you."

"But not as pretty as us." Both nodded at that thought. Miley rolled her eyes. She knew where this was going. So did Lilly and Oliver. They were laughing. If Amber and Ashley only knew who they just called pretty, they would drop dead where they stood.

"Who?" Miley asked wanting to get this over with.

"Hannah Montana." They said together.

"Ooooo……Tssss……"

"Are you done now?" Miley asked.

"Well, no." Amber answered.

Miley also knew what was going to come next. Julius and Mike told her about what happen. She was very interested in their take on what happen.

"Okay, lets hear it." Miley demanded. Oliver and Lilly looked confused. Miley hadn't told them yet.

"Hannah's male dancers asked us for our phone numbers!" Ashley gushed.

"Right. Guys in their twenty's are going to ask two fourteen year olds for their phone numbers!" Miley said sarcastically.

"How do you know their in their twenty's?" Amber asked.

"Ahhh……it was on one of her websites." Lilly piped up.

"Exactly." Miley agreed.

"That's not what Mike and Julius were telling Hannah." Jake supplied as he walked up to the group. Amber and Ashley stared daggers at Jake for ruining their story, turned and walked away.

"Did you know that your now dating Hannah Montana?" Miley asked.

"Wow! When did this happen?"

"At the dance when you had that slow dance with her." Lilly told him.

"Well of course we are, just look at me." Jake smiled.

Lilly and Miley looked at each other and nodded, then they both hit him on the shoulders.

"Ouch! Why did you do that for?"

"Better you then me." Oliver commented softly.

"I thought your huge ego could take it." Miley stated.

"Ouch!" Oliver added his two cents.

"Okay, okay. But you have to let me be an egomaniac every once in awhile." Jake begged.

"We'll think about it, but don't count on it." Lilly told him.

"Ouch again."

Miley and Lilly looked at Oliver. Oliver held up his hands and back away from the girls. After Miley got her stuff from her locker, she went with Lilly to her locker while Jake and Oliver headed for their lockers and safety.

"So are we hanging out at the beach after school Miley?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Did you forget what I'm doing this week?"

"No……yes."

"I have to work this week. Remember?"

"OH YEAH……oh yeah." Lilly was a little dejected.

"What's your schedule look like?"

"Daddy wants to do two a day and the rest Saturday."

"But you won't be able to see Maggie at all!"

"Oh yes I will or I won't work. Daddy has a visit planned before we start today. Want to come?"

"To see Maggie or to work or to see Maggie and work?"

"Lilly! You know daddy's rules."

"Yeah. No going to work on a school night."

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After school was over, Miley didn't have the time to go to the hospital as she thought. She was going to have to wait until after the first night of recording. They decided that Maggie's song would be the first one that they would record.

The visit to the see Maggie wasn't what Miley was hoping for either. Maggie was still in the sterile room. Miley was hoping to be able to hug and touch Maggie today. But that was not to be the case. Maggie's march to good health was agonizingly slow. Yes her red blood cell count was coming up, but her white blood cell count was coming back with a slowness that made the red blood cell count increase seem like light speed.

Miley laid in bed that night thinking that a great day ended badly. But it was a good beginning to a good week.