A/N: For who asked, Jake left in "People Who Use People"
Chapter 12: Shirts and Salad Dressing Don't Mix
Before lunch, Jake said he had to talk to Mr. Corelli about our homework, so it was just Lilly, Oliver, and I again at lunch.
"Mmm… nothing better on a peanut butter sandwich than pickled chips, little bit of mustard, and chili," Oliver said while making his sandwich, which earned a few strange looks for Lilly and I.
The day was running so smoothly until Dandruff Danny ran through the cafeteria doors saying something we haven't heard in a while.
"Here she comes! Here she comes! It's the Cracker!"
"Gotta go," Oliver and Lilly said in unison and quickly got up and left through the back exit faster than Uncle Earl when Aunt Pearl says it's time for spring-cleaning. So they were able to avoid being 'big ol' targets.'
I was just about to leave also, so I grabbed my lunch tray and was about to stand up, but I heard a familiar disturbing noise. The Cracker was right behind me cracking her neck. I turned around to face her.
"Heeeyy Cracker, how ya been?" I question nervously. Her response was cracking a nut in her hand and letting the crumbles fall to the ground. Most kids had either left the cafeteria like Lilly and Oliver, or were watching from around the walls: a safer distance.
"You know what I'm in the mood for?" The Cracker asked me.
"What," I ask, still with a nervous voice.
"Salad."
"Mrs. Rush?" I whimper to the teacher that was cleaning her glasses, that by the way didn't help her eyesight, and listening to music when she was supposed to be supervising.
The next thing I knew, I was pressed against the salad bar with salad dressing covering my face and shirt. Lettuce was sprinkled on my shirt once again.
"Looks pretty good, but it's missing something. Oh yeah, nuts," the Cracker had a nut in each hand, after cracking them; she spread the nut crumbles on top of me. The kids had moved closer to the scene and were now surrounding the salad bar; it was just like last time. I saw a door open. The door was facing the salad bar, so I was able to see it open.
"Hey! What's going on?" I heard Jake say as he cut threw the crowd of kids. "Miley?" he asked when he saw me laying in the salad bar.
The Cracker tossed some lettuce that was in her hand behind her and walked up to Jake. The next words she said washed off the smirks on Amber and Ashley's faces, who were standing in the front of the crowd.
"Oh my gosh, you're Jake Ryan!"
I always thought that I was one of the people that treated Jake like a normal person, but Jake said I was the only one. I stand corrected. I probably am the only person who treats Jake like a normal person. Even the Cracker goes crazy. I guess I treat him normal because I know what it's like to be famous, that and the fact that I've known him since before he became famous.
"Miley?" Jake asked once again. I guess he was pretty shocked. My cheeks started to burn with embarrassment. I can't believe he's seeing me like this! Him and the rest of the school! He walked past the Cracker and helped me out of the salad bar.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said so quietly that it was barely audible. I was brushing the lettuce off of my shirt. There wasn't much I could do about the salad dressing on my shirt.
"Move it Stewart," the Cracker said, and shoved me away from Jake.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" Jake said almost immediately. The Cracker looked taken back at his outburst towards her. "Come on Miley, let's get outta here," he said while glaring at the Cracker. Jake grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the cafeteria and into an empty hall.
"Are you okay?" Jake asked once again.
"Now I am," I said a little louder than when I responded earlier. I scowled myself on the inside. 'Gosh Miley, the line was so lame,' I say inside my head. Hey… since when did I care if I said something lame to Jake?
"Well it looks like ya have a stain," he said, and still holding hands, he lead me to our locker. Jake released his grip on my hand once we reached our locker. He opened the locker and pulled out an emerald green shirt. "Here," Jake said. "You can borrow my shirt."
"Thanks Jaco-ke," I said quickly, coving my mistake, and gratefully took the shirt. On the inside, I was scowling myself again. This wasn't the first time I almost called him Jacob. It happens every once and a while, but luckily, he hasn't noticed. "I'll be right back," I said, and walked over to the girl's bathroom down the hall.
It was empty when I walked in. I immediately looked into a mirror and saw my salad dressing covered face. Luckily none had gotten in my hair, so I pulled my wavy hair back into a ponytail with a hair tie I had on my wrist, and washed the dressing off my face. I went into a stall and locked it. I took off my messenger bag and then my shirt. Then I hung my shirt on the door of the stall while I put on the shirt that Jake let me borrow. It was big on me of course, so I tied the back of it, grabbed my bag and shirt, and got out of the stall. When I got out of the restroom and saw Jake waiting at our locker in the still empty hallway.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey," I replied. "Thanks again for letting me borrow your shirt," I said as I folded my stained shirt and put it in my messenger bag.
"It's no problem," Jake said. "Hey, I remember Miley having the same bag."
"Wow," I said amazed. "You remember little things like that about her?"
"Yeah," he said softly. "It's just… sometimes I miss her so much. Sometimes I regret leaving to Los Angeles… sometimes I wish I never became an actor… and I was back home in Nashville with Miley... and I would live a normal life back at my old school. But now… Miley probably would never talk to me again since I left. Sometimes I wanna get tutored on set again. If you weren't here, I probably would have went back to tutoring. You're the only person I've met since I've become an actor that treats me like a normal person and I like that."
It was now that I realized how close we were. We were leaning in- just about to kiss, when Lilly and Oliver ran up to us and we backed up.
"Oh my gosh Miley! We heard what happened, are you okay?" Lilly said all in one breath.
"Whoa, calm down Lilly," I told her.
"Is it true Miles?" Oliver asked. "Did you end up in the salad bar again?" I glared at Oliver for saying that
"Again?" Jake questioned confused. Luckily, the bell saved me from answering that question.
"Come on, let's get to class," I said and start to walk away as the halls started to fill with students.
"Miley, you okay?" Lilly asked when she caught up with me.
"Yeah… no- maybe. Look, there's something I have to tell you after school at my house, alright?" I say to her.
"Alright…" Lilly said uncertainly.
A/N: What do you peoples think she's gonna tell Lilly?
And I'm planning on have Jake find out that Miley is Miley on the next chapter or the one after that.
How do you think Jake should find out?
A. Miley tells him
B. Jake finds out she moved to Mailbu from Tennessee
C. Other