"Wondering the streets, in a world underneath it all
Nothing seems to be, nothing tastes as sweet
As what I can't have."

II

Open Your Heart To Me

"Hey Jackson," Meghan said, sitting down on a stool at Rico's. "How's it going?"

"Not bad," Jackson said, smiling. "Nice disguise."

Meghan was wearing short blond wig under a very big pink beach hat, which matched her pink polka-doted sundress. "Thanks," Meghan said, readjusting her hat.

"It seems like everytime I see you, you've got a new hair colour," Jackson said. "Where are you getting all these new do's?"

"Your buddy Lily," Meghan replied. "From her Lola collection."

"What about me?" Lily said, coming up behind Meghan and taking a seat next to her. "I heard my name!"

"We're just talking about your various wigs that I keep borrowing," Meghan said, gesturing to her blond bob.

"And not returning!" Lily said. "I need the purple one for the outdoor music festival tonight!"

"Don't worry," Meghan said, smiling. "I'll bring it by Miley's before we leave."

"You gonna come, Jay?" Lily asked Jackson.

"I don't know," Jackson said.

"Come on," Lily said pleading and batting her eyelashes. "It won't be as fun with out you!" Meghan nodded in agreement.

"Okay," Jackson replied, raising his arms in defeat.

Lily pumped her fist in victory. "So what are you going to wear, Meg?" Lily asked.

"I'm thinking that purple sequined dress," Meghan said. "You know the one I got that time at--"

"Oh yeah!" Lily said. "I love that dress! You should wear it with those shoes from the place--"

"Oh! Great idea!" Meghan replied enthusiastically. "They'll go great with the dress!"

Jackson rolled his eyes. "Oh great," Jackson said. "Not another one."

"What?" Meghan asked.

"I can barely understand when Lily and Miley have a conversation," Jackson replied. "Now you too!"

"It's not our fault you don't speak girl," Lily said jokingly, sticking out her tongue at Jackson. He stuck his out back at her. They both laughed.

Meghan raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Well anyway," Lily said, getting up. "I gotta go help my dad do the laundry. He's tired of his underwear turning pink."

"Later skater," Jackson said, waving.

"Bye, guy!" Lily said, disappearing off towards the street.

Meghan stared blankly at Jackson, her eyebrow still raised. "What?" Jackson asked innocently.

"Oh please," Meghan said, folding her arms. " 'Later skater'? 'Bye guy'? And all that tongue?"

Jackson blushed. "Not that kind of tongue, you dope. You know what I mean. Unless there has been that kind of tongue."

"You're crazy," Jackson said, blushing even more.

"I may have only recently acquired real social skills," Meghan said. "But I'm not blind, nor deaf, nor stupid."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jackson said, looking down and scrubbing the bar top.

"Do you seriously think I'm gonna buy that bull?" Meghan said. "I'm insulted that you think I'm that dumb. You sooo like Lily and we both know it."

"That's just...pshhh...," Jackson said, scrubbing the table even harder.

"Then explain why you're sandblasting the table," Meghan said.

"Rico likes it clean," Jackson retorted.

"Trust me, you've scrubbed that thing so clean you could have open-heart surgery on it," Meghan said. "Why won't you admit to me you like Lily?"

"No offense," Jackson said. "But we're not friends. I've only really known you like a week."

"If Miley can trust me with her secret," Meghan said. "Why can't you?"

"Fine," Jackson said. "If you're going to be so annoyingly persistant about it...I like Lily, okay?"

"Yes!" Meghan yelled, raising her arms in the air. "I knew it!"

"Shh!" Jackson said. People were now staring at Meghan. "People are staring!"

"Oh no!" Meghan whispered, worried. "Did they recognize me?"

"No," Jackson said. "But with that big ol' voice of yours, someone might."

"Right," Meghan said. "So why haven't you asked Lily out yet?"

"What?" Jackson said.

"Do you think I didn't see through that clever ploy to change the subject?" Meghan said, grinning.

"Yeah," Jackson said. "I shoulda known."

"So?" Meghan said. "Why haven't you asked her out yet?"

"It's...complicated," Jackson said.

"Not really," Meghan said, placing her hands on the bar. "Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, so boy asks girl out. And they live happily ever after. The end."

"You forgot the part where girl is boy's sister's best friend," Jackson said, putting down his dishrag.

"We've already been through this," Meghan said. "Remember? Ollie and I organised a whole intervention about that last week."

"Yeah," Jackson said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Miley has no problem with me being friends with Lily, but I'm not sure how she'd react if she knew I was in love with her."

"In love?" Meghan said, eyes bulging.

"Yeah," Jackson said, nodding as though this was news to him as well.

"Wow," Meghan said. "I need some water."

"Here," Jackson said, placing a cold bottle of water in front of her. Meghan opened it and drank. "Oh man," Jackson said. "You're freaking out more than I am, and this isn't even about you. Remind me to warn the guy who's gonna say that to you."

"Sorry," Meghan said. "It's just...I've never really seen love up close before."

"I'm glad I can help, Aquamarine," Jackson said, grinning. "Wait...you've never known anyone who's been in love before? What about your parents?"

"They've been fighting for as long as I can remember," Meghan said sadly. "I must look so pathetic to you right now."

"No," Jackson said. "I'm more pathetic than you. I won't tell the girl I love how I feel because I'm afraid of my little sister."

Meghan forced a laugh. "Well," she said. "I guess we both got stuff to get over, eh?"

"How do I look?" Hannah asked, pulling on the hem of her gold tunic.

"Great," Meghan replied. "The same as the other eighty-four times you asked me on the ride over here."

"Don't forget the thirty-seven times at her house," Lola added.

"And the twenty-eight times during the three hours it took her to get ready," Oliver said, bored.

"Okay, okay," Miley said. "I get it."

"Is she always like this before a big night?" Jackson asked.

"No," Meghan said, grinning. "But of course, Nick Jonas is not at every big night."

Miley blushed. "Shut up," she said.

"Nick Jonas is here?" Oliver asked. "Just him, then?"

"No," Lola replied. "All the Jonas Brothers are here."

"Oh, joy," Oliver said sarcastically.

"What's your deal with them anyway?" Meghan asked.

"I don't think it's with all of them," Miley said, smiling.

"Maybe just one of them," Lily added, also smiling.

"Pshhh," Oliver said.

"What?" Meghan said, confused. Before Miley or Lily could voice their theories, the Jonas Brothers themselves walked from the stage, fresh from sound check.

"Hey ladies!" Kevin called out, waving at Hannah and Meghan.

"Hey Kevin," Meghan said, waving back as the boys approached.

"How's it going?" Joe asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Great," Meghan said, smiling. "You?"

"Much better now," Joe said flirtatiously.

"Well, as long as everyone's good," Oliver said sarcastically, glaring at Joe.

"Did sound check go well?" Hannah asked, ignoring Oliver's comment.

"Great," Joe replied.

"Awesome," Kevin added.

"Pretty," Nick said, his eyes glued on Hannah. "I mean...good...you know, they checked the sound...that's why it's called a..."

"Okay Nick," Kevin said, nudging his brother. "Don't hurt yourself, now."

"Shut up," Nick said, blushing.

"It's okay," Hannah said, batting her eyelashes. "I know what you mean."

"Really?" Nick said.

"Yeah," Hannah said.

"Cool," Nick said.

"Uh huh," Hannah replied.

"Yeah," Nick said.

"Okay," Hannah replied, her eyes glazed over in a dreamy-like way.

"Yup," Nick said.

"Great," Meghan said. "I hate to put an end to this insightful conversation, but it's your turn to go to sound check, Hannah."

"Right," Hannah said, her face turning scarlet.

"Bye," Lola said, grinning.

"Bye guys," Hannah said, walking backwards, her eyes still on Nick.

"Bye!" Nick said, waving enthusiastically. Hannah waved back, but then suddenly fell backwards as she walked into a speaker.

"I'm okay!"