Hi.

A sharp knock drew Miley from beneath the safety of her bedcovers. She glared at the clock on her nightstand, reading 8am, and slowly removed the covers to make the trip to her front door so she could kindly tell whoever was on the other side to get the hell off of her property. She'd been up late the night before, trapped on the phone with a 'friend' she'd wished would disappear from her life. Ever since meeting her, Miley knew their association would be finite, but Joannie Palumbo thought otherwise.

Miley roughly pulled the front door open and disengaged from her troublesome thoughts instantly.

"Good morning, Miley," greeted Lilly, somewhat brightly. Miley's gaze fell to the small cage Lilly held in her arms. A tiny brown and white hamster was nestled on a small patch of fabric acting as a bed, trembling slightly in fear from the sudden change of environment. "This is Nibbles. I'd like you to look after him while I go out on a week long journey with my mother. She seems to think it would be a good idea to bond. It's stupid and honestly a waste of my time, but I'd appreciate it if you could babysit for me."

Miley was stunned, not expecting Lilly to venture over with such a request. Miley still hadn't become accustomed to Lilly's spontaneous actions and constantly shifting attitude. She was so free, yet withdrawn.

"Sure thing, Lilly. I'd be happy to look after the little guy for you," Miley said pleasantly, bending down to the cage and poking her finger through one of the gaps.

"You better watch out. He's called Nibbles for a reason," Lilly warned with a slight smile as the hamster wandered over to Miley's digit, but the brunette quickly retracted her hand. Lilly lowered the cage to the wooden planks of Miley's porch, then pulled a small package from her pocket and placed it on the top of the metal enclosure. "That ought to last him the week. Thanks a lot, Miley, I owe you one."

It happened so fast that Miley almost thought she'd just experienced a moment of delusion, but as Lilly turned away and left her premises, Miley confirmed that Lilly had definitely just hugged her goodbye. Without being asked. Miley's lips stretched into a curve of elation and she clasped the handle of the cage and pulled Nibbles inside with an intense desire to prove to Lilly that she was capable of being responsible.

Miley stared darkly at her ringing cell phone. The name of the caller flashed and her fingers itched. She was losing it. Lilly was gone. Her resistance was weakening. The phone vibrated and Miley picked it up, preparing to answer. Nibbles' wheel creaked lightly and the phone was tossed to the floor, unanswered.

"I can't take this for much longer," Miley said to herself, biting her nails anxiously. She craved company. Lilly's company. The blonde made her feel content in a way Miley hadn't felt in a long time and without the deep eyes of Lilly she would so often meet when she'd throw a casual glance at her neighbour, she would go insane.

Her phone buzzed once more and Miley surrendered.

"What do you want?" she snapped as a greeting.

"It's not what I want, it's what you want," came her smooth reply. Miley's eyes narrowed.

"Do tell."

"Well, I haven't seen you in a couple weeks. You haven't joined me during my outings and you haven't invited me to any of your parties, if you've had any recent ones. How am I supposed to spend time with my best friend if she hides away in her big empty house?" Joannie inquired, but there was no caring tone to her voice.

"You tell me." Miley was beyond reasonable thinking. She was isolated, locked up. She desired freedom and other human beings, no matter their status.

"Are you free tomorrow night?"

"I am."

"Party at your place, say around... seven?"

"Okay, I'll see you then." Joannie's response was cut short as Miley hung up, overcome by misery and remorse. She couldn't begin to imagine what Lilly would say if she found out about this.

Miley traversed the room, becoming the meal of flocking imbeciles, each drunk, each grinding, all lost. They grinned foolishly and she frowned in return, not understanding why the feel of nothingness was absent. She drowned herself in alcohol, slowed her brains function, avoided the corners of her mind, but the disappointment remained. She knew Joannie was watching her tonight, observing her like a hawk would its prey, or maybe a vulture would a carcass. She was waiting, waiting for the ideal moment where she would swoop in and pick at what was left until it wasn't. Joannie was a scavenger.

"Great party, Miley," she remarked happily, her eyes glinting with a promise of trouble. Trouble that Miley once welcomed, though did no longer.

"I wish it would just end."

"It's only just begun!" Joannie said in disbelief, not prepared for Miley's sudden change of character. This wasn't the careless Miley she once knew, once owned.

"Not the party." Our friendship.

Joannie replied, but Miley feigned deafness due to the music and sunk into the crowd.

She ascended the stairs with a sorrow creeping behind her, ready to launch straight at her heart, and she entered her room. Miley eyed the figure at her dresser, low chuckles coming from it every so often. Miley stepped closer and found an unknown boy of about eighteen fingering a motionless hamster through the gaps of the cage. Miley's eyes widened.

"What the fuck did you do?" she cried. The boy swung to face her.

"Little fucker bit me, so I gave him a taste of the good stuff," he informed as he waved a small baggie around, a white powder shifting within.

"Get the hell out of my room," Miley ordered and the stoned boy stumbled out, muttering profanities as he passed her.

Miley rushed to the cage and retrieved Nibbles, refusing to accept his death as she cradled him. Her drunken thoughts sobered slightly and tears bit at the edges of her eyes as she concluded the hamster's demise. Lilly would be devastated and may lapse back to the time when she loathed Miley's existence and realising this, Miley panicked. She was so close to fully gaining Lilly's trust and friendship, so close to grasping happiness, that Miley didn't have a doubt in her mind that they would have been inseparable by the end of the week, but it all vanished from the tips of her fingers because of one mistake. A miniscule thing with the hidden promise of titanic ramifications.

With a righteousness burning in her soul, Miley placed Nibbles gently back into his cage, as if he was still capable of feeling, and she stormed from her room and down the stairs, switching off her freshly repaired stereo and earning the questioning stares of her guests.

"It would be in your best interest if you left. Someone told the cops that there are minors here drinking, so you better go. Now." All occupants stiffened and some dropped their cups, fear suddenly biting into their limbs, halting them. In the fraction of a dying heartbeat, everyone dove for the nearest exit, eager to elude a malicious punishment from the authorities.

The lie was believed and Miley smiled, satisfied. But then she remembered Nibbles. He was dead. Once certain that everyone was gone, Miley went to her room to further assess the damage, but couldn't bear to look for longer than a second. She sought comfort in sleep and turned out the light and slid into bed, too exhausted to care that she was still wearing her shoes and rumpled clothes. She checked her cell and found two unread text messages. One was from Joannie, the other was from... Lilly. They had exchanged numbers a few days ago and Miley wasn't sure whether she regretted it or not. She opened Joannie's first.

Next time will be better x

Then Lilly's.

I kinda miss you...

Bye.