Miley played a few unsmooth notes on her guitar as she stared down at the sheet of paper she'd been scribbling on for the past hour. She ran over the first lines again before starting the song from the top. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine playing it for people.
"I'm gonna love you, when our time is right. Be thinking of you, every day and every night. To think you're somewhere in this world, and some day I will make you my wife. So every day we're not together, I hope you know that you'll be alright.' Cause I…" Miley stopped as she came to the spot where she'd been stuck for five minutes. She blew out frustrated that she couldn't find the right words.
Her record company wanted to ride out the amazing publicity they were getting from the whole love triangle. They wanted her to make a new love song to satisfy her fans new obsession. So here she was struggling to think of something. It shouldn't have been hard to write a song about Lilly from Hannah's perspective. Somehow it proved more difficult than previously thought to be. And her dad was no use; he'd taken Jackson out for some bonding time.
She played around a few minutes, tossing out whatever words came to her. "'Cause I…am awesome and super." She grumbled. "No…'cause I…I'm not doing very well at writing this song. Ooo yeah."
"How about 'cause you'll make me more nachos?" Lilly said as she crunched on her second to last cheese soaked chip. She was sitting across the balcony all comfy in her chair, watching the night sky. Miley bared her teeth and narrowed her eyes at the blonde.
"Not helping." She replied. Lilly sucked the cheese off her fingers and slapped her lips together loudly to be extra annoying. Miley turned back to her guitar. "Cause I…I'm gonna make you feel, like you're the only girl in the world. Like you're the only one I'll ever love, like you're the only one who knows my heart. Oh yeah good stuff," She picked up her pen and wrote it down quickly.
"I like it." Lilly nodded her head, as if Miley needed her approval to continue the song. Miley shook her head, smiling faintly. That was her Lilly alright.
"I thought you had homework to work on?" she asked. Lilly sunk down into her chair uneasily, pretending to be innocent.
"No…?" the girl squeaked. Miley tilted her head to the side giving Lilly her really? look. Lilly shrugged and crossed her arms. "My mom got a new boyfriend and they're always making kissing face at the house. How am I supposed to work when Gross Fest is happening two feet away?"
Miley shivered. "I get your point."
Lilly perked up and looked sweetly over in Miley's direction. "Besides who would pass up the opportunity to be serenaded by the one she loves?"
Miley decided to go along and turned to face Lilly and strummed her instrument. "And when you're lonely, I'll keep you company. Like this world was only, made for you and me. And when it doesn't feel right with another, I hope you believe…that in a world with no light, I will be all that you need, to see." Lilly closed her eyes and swayed side to side. Miley quickly wrote and nodded her head. "I think they're gonna like this one."
"Me too," Lilly agreed. "So, which do you think fits Martha Fitswalter better?" Lilly put on big black glasses that magnified her eyeballs too much. "These? Or these?" she exchanged them for an even uglier brown pair. Miley made an odd expression, a cross between shock and getting hit in the face with a wooden plank.
"I think Martha just better get some contacts if you know what I'm saying." Miley shook her head and leaned her guitar against the wall. Lilly shrugged.
"Come on, I gotta do something because every time I go out in public with you, we end up having to run for it or not go out at all." Lilly said. "I'm just too famous now." Miley looked at Lilly…the irony of that statement was just too much.
"And I'm not going to be seen with," Miley reached over and picked up the black glasses. "Nerd or," she picked up the brown pair. "Miss 1971." She patted Lilly's head before heading inside.
"Then at least help me?" Lilly complained as she followed Miley into the girl's room. "After all you are the master." Miley turned around and made a crossing gesture with her arms.
"No way, living a double life is no walk in the park Lilly. I would never force that on you when you don't have to." The brunette replied. Lilly was about to say something when her phone went off. She saw it was her mom calling.
"Hey Mom," Lilly said. She rolled her eyes before nodding. "Yes, I'll make sure I'm there." Miley waited for Lilly to hang up. The blonde knew to explain the minute she finished. "She wants me to come straight home after school tomorrow. Apparently, there's something soooo important she needs to talk to me about."
Miley frowned a little. "Do you think she's mad?"
Lilly shook her head and smiled. "She's been too preoccupied to worry about my behavior." Miley relaxed a little and turned to her bed to tend to her pillows. "What're you doing? It's only eight?"
"Yeah but if Miley doesn't get her beauty rest, tomorrow Hannah's gonna be a mess at her rehearsal." Miley said as she collapsed onto her bed. "You remember when Hannah was helping those rescued dogs? She kinda…passed…out in the middle of it."
"Yeah." Lilly nodded.
"Let's just say we don't need a repeat."
Lilly was resisting the urge to text Miley under the dinner table. Her mother was across the table giggling into the neck of her boyfriend. The man kept telling tacky jokes that weren't funny. The teenager looked around the restaurant hoping to find she wasn't the only miserable soul in the place.
"Anyway, I just got this job working for the Jerry Springer show. And your mother and I thought, you know, in order for me to make a good first impression I said that well…you would come on the show. Everyone's talking about you right now kiddo. You're like how K-Fed was to Britney Spears but…less trashy of course." The man said. Lilly's jaw dropped at the insulting comparison.
"If that's what you think-," Lilly began to say, disgusted.
"Oopsie, little girl's room." Lilly's mom smiled and kissed her boyfriend's cheek before wandering off. The man nodded but kept his attention fiercely on Lilly as if his life depended on her answer. He leaned closer and whispered now so no one else might hear.
"Listen here kid; I've got a lot riding on this deal I made. If you don't come on that show mommy's gonna have her little heart broken 'cause her boyfriend left her." He hissed before giving a fake smile. Lilly couldn't believe that he'd use her mom like that.
"You liar, I'm not gonna do anything for-,"
"Ah, ah, ah." He pulled out his phone and moved it back and forth. "Break up texts are the worst you know." Lilly bit her lip. She couldn't do that her mom but this was just cruel. "Besides you'll only do a little talking, see Hannah and leave with your, uh, Milly."
"Miley." Lilly said through her teeth. Her heart was pumping chaotically though because Hannah and Miley couldn't be on the same show at the same time. If she said no she could spare her girlfriend the stress of trying to figure that one out. "Why do you want me on there so bad anyway? There's plenty more people you could put on there."
"But only you two know Hannah's secret." The man grinned devilishly. Lilly's eyes widened ten times bigger than normal. Her stomach dropped with fear. "Should be more careful about where you leave your diary hanging around." He said in a sing songy tone. He looked up to see Lilly's mom coming back to the table. "You better be there 7 o'clock sharp Saturday night." He wiped off his evil man look and put on gentle caring boyfriend back on as Lilly's mom sat down. "Honey, I missed you."
How was she gonna tell her? Lilly bit her lip and hunched over guiltily as she headed into the dance studio. The security guards didn't hold her back, just looked surprised to see her actually going in…as if she was up to something (like cheating). She could hear the beat of a song playing so loud the floor vibrated. She came in quietly and stayed close to the wall so she could possibly blend into the wall paint.
Robbie Ray was sitting in a chair fiddling with his mustache in the corner. In the center of the floor was a small group of dancers moving in sync. Hannah was front and center as always, her hair tied into a messy pony tail. Even though she wasn't out in public her dancing clothes were chosen to make her stand out with their vibrant colors. She moved with grace and confidence across the floor as if she'd been born to do this. Each sway of her hips stirred up tingles in everyone watching her. Every spin created a perfect hurricane of sweet perfume to victims close by. Flawless was the only word Lilly could describe her with at the moment.
It still shocked her to see the difference between Hannah and Miley. There was still that something Hannah had that hit Lilly's sweet spot. The music stopped and the dancers hit their last move on time. They cheered and turned to each other, high fiving. Hannah headed to grab her water and smiled as she saw Lilly standing right next to it.
"Lilly!" the singer said happily. She moved quickly across the room and wrapped her arms around the girl. Lilly patted Hannah's back a bit awkwardly as she noticed the curious eyes watching. She had to do her best to appear as "just friends."
"Hi," Lilly said pulling away before people got suspicious. "Hannah." She stared at the pop star's radiant face for a moment, feeling her heart stop. Hannah reached down for her water. Lilly tapped her foot on the floor as she watched the plastic touch Hannah's shiny lips. She never thought she'd be so jealous of a piece of plastic before.
"So," Hannah said as she twisted the cap back on. "What brings my favorite fan here?"
Lilly blushed and couldn't stop the grin pulling its way onto her face. She shook her head, her hair falling down to block some of it. "Oh, I-I-I'm um don't th-think-,"
Hannah giggled and carefully tucked Lilly's hair out of the way. "No, need to be nervous silly." The pop star turned back to the others who pretended that they hadn't been looking. "I think we're done for today guys. I'm gonna head out."
"Sure thing Hannah." They waved. Smiling with joy, Hannah reached down and grabbed her bag before leading Lilly out the back door to her car. Before they could safely reach the vehicle, paparazzi flew out of nowhere and started taking pictures.
"Looking beautiful today Hannah." One said as he walked backwards in front of them to get as many shots as he could. Lilly gave a grumpy look at them all. She thought this was a total invasion of privacy. She turned to see if Hannah was frustrated too. The singer however smiled happily instead.
"Thanks." Hannah replied kindly, so calm and collected. Not worried if she had a bad hair day ('cause she sure didn't) or if they'd get a shot of her making a bad expression.
"You guys going to do something huh?" he said as he kept clicking away. "You guys would make a sweet couple. Hope you get together soon." He got out of the way as they reached the car. Hannah just waved before getting in and starting the car up. Lilly dropped into the passenger seat, trying to blink out the colorful blobs in her eyes.
"How could you stand being around that all the time?" Lilly shook her head as she watched Hannah driving.
"Easy," Hannah replied as she pulled the wig off in the safety of the car. "I don't have to all the time."
"Right," Lilly nodded her head, suddenly finding herself relaxing. Miley shook her dark hair out and rolled the window down to let it blow in the wind.
"You know, you still act all nervous around Hannah." Miley teased with a smile.
"I do not!" Lilly insisted. Miley's smile stretched wider as her words were confirmed. "Well, she's different. When I'm with you, I guess it's just more comfortable…more…like I'm at home."
"Oh and Hannah's just sooo different huh?" Miley chuckled.
"She is! She's smooth, she's kind, she's got this aura around her that's like seeing royalty-I mean." Lilly found herself smiling uncontrollably. She turned to see Miley looking at her a bit oddly. Miley lifted the wig resting on her lap.
"You want me to bring her back for you?" Miley said playfully. Lilly just stuck her tongue out at the brunette who was toying with her. "What's so weird is that we're referring to me in third person."
"Yeah," Lilly said. Miley settled back into her seat to get a bit more comfy. She reached over and took Lilly's hand into hers. They sat quietly for a long while, listening to the radio and enjoying the wind running through their hair. Lilly didn't wanna ruin the wonderful moment with her bad news. But it'd have to come out eventually.