"I'll be right here when you need me
Anytime just keep believin'
And I'll be right here
If you ever need a friend
Someone to care and understand
I'll be right here."

III

A Helping Hand

Miley opened her eyes to a bedroom filled with sunlight. She looked over at her alarm clock. It was eleven-thirty. She threw off her covers, got out of her warm bed and opened the half-closed curtains. Miley squinted as her eyes adjusted to the bright light, taking in the warm feeling of the sunbeams on her cheeks.

Last night had been amazing. Miley had had so much fun with Lily and Oliver and Meghan, heck, even with Jackson. She had noticed how much nicer and more pleasant Jackson was when Lily was around. It was a really nice change. Even though she had had trouble with the idea of the two of them, she had to admit she did like Lily's Jackson better than the annoying and obnoxious Jackson she was used to. Miley had also noticed that Lily seem to focus most of her attention on Jackson. Lily hadn't even reacted when one of the Cheetah Girls' really cute backup dancers flirted with her. Could there be something more than Miley knew between Jackson and Lily? Miley wasn't sure she could handle that.

Seeing Nick again was great too. He was so cute. Once he got over his shyness, Hannah realized how funny he was too. She loved performing with him. He was a great musician. Miley loved how they both had such a deep passion for music. Nick was definitely the perfect guy for Miley and Hannah.

Miley threw on her bathrobe and walked to the kitchen. She was surprised to see Meghan, pulling a rack of muffins out of the Stewarts' oven. "Morning, lazy bones," Meghan said, placing the rack on the counter top. "Have a late night?"

"You should know," Miley said, sitting down at the counter. "You went home just as late as me. How is it that you're already awake and at my house making muffins? And what's wrong with the oven at your house?"

"I don't sleep much," Meghan replied matter-of-factly. "My mother always told sleep is unproductive, and I guess it kinda stuck on me. And I can't make muffins at my house, because my mother is on her all-organic, low-fat, low-sodium Northwest Shore Diet. I've had to sneak food into my closet for the past three weeks."

"Have I ever mentioned how much I like you, Meghan?" Robby Ray said, reaching for the tray of steaming hot muffins. Meghan grabbed a wooden spoon of the counter and smacked his hand away before he could grab a muffin.

"Don't even think about it, Mr. S!" Meghan said, placing her hands on her hips. "They've got to cool for ten minutes before you can eat them!"

Robby Ray sulked and went upstairs. "So," Meghan asked, pouring Miley a glass of orange juice. "Did you have a good time last night?"

"You're darn tootin' I did!" Miley exclaimed happily, reaching for the glass of OJ.

"I noticed," Meghan said. "I also noticed that you seemed to enjoy a certain fro bro's attention too." She winked at Miley.

"Yeah," Miley said dreamily. "Isn't he the cutest?"

"He is pretty cute," Meghan said, nodding in agreement.

"I hope you ladies are talking about me," Oliver said, walking into the Stewarts' house.

"In your dreams," Meghan said jokingly, as Mileyrolled her eyes. "Do you not knock?" (A/N: Does anybody else notice how Oliver never knocks on the show, he just walks right in?)

"Sorry," Oliver said, walking to the kitchen. "I smelled muffins."

"All the way from your house?" Miley said, raising an eyebrow.

"I have a very hightened sense of smell," Oliver said, grabbing a muffin so fast that Meghan didn't have to smack him with the spoon before he shoved the whole thing in his mouth.

"Probably 'cause of his freaky unevenly sized nostrils," Miley whispered to Meghan, who giggled.

"I sherb dap," Oliver said, his mouth buldging with blueberry muffin.

"What?" Meghan asked.

"I said," Oliver said, reaching for another muffin. "I heard that."

Meghan was, unfortunately for Oliver, faster this time and her spoon landed with a loud thud on the back of his unsuspecting hand. "Ow!" Oliver yelled.

"You're supposed to wait til they're cool!" Meghan said, grabbing the tray of muffins of the counter.

"Well excuse me," Oliver said sarcastically. "I had breakfast over an hour ago! I'm starving!"

"What did you have?" Miley asked.

"Three eggs, sunnyside-up, four slices of Canadian bacon, a bowl of Mini-Wheats, six slices of toast and some of my mom's homemade jerky," Oliver replied, rubbing his stomach happily.

"And you can still shove food down your throat faster than Uncle Earl chasing after a rogue dumpling on Thanksgiving, after all that?" Miley said. "Pig."

"Well," Oliver said. "We can't all be eating breakfast at a quarter to twelve, now can we?"

"I had a hectic night, okay?" Miley retorted.

"Oh yeah," Meghan said. " 'Cause flirting with Nick Jonas is such an exhausting and trying activity."

"Oh, shut it," Miley said, blushing. "I wouldn't talk if I were you."

"Whatever do you mean, Ms Stewart?" Meghan asked playfully.

"Oh, come on," Miley said, folding her arms. "Joe spent the entire night hitting on you!"

"Really?" Meghan said innocently. "I hadn't noticed."

"I'm sure you didn't," Miley said sarcastically.

"A little offensive, isn't he, that Joe Jonas?" Oliver said, his eyes narrowing. "I mean, you're not a piece of meat, you're a human being."

"That's a little much, don't you think?" Meghan said. "He knows that we're just friends. He's just goofing around."

"Yeah, Oliver," Miley said, grinning. "No need to get so worked up."

"I'm not," Oliver said defensively. "I'm just calling 'em like I see 'em."

"And I appreciate that," Meghan said, putting her hand on Oliver's shoulder. "But I'm a big girl and I can watch myself. You're acting like you're my big brother." She smiled.

"B-but don't think of me as your brother," Oliver quickly said.

"Sure," Meghan replied awkwardly. "Okay guys, the muffins are rea--" Before she could finish her sentence, Robby Ray and Jackson ran into the room, joining Oliver in a dash for the muffins. Meghan looked down to an empty tray in her hands. "--dy."

"Boys," Miley said, rolling her eyes.

The sun kissed the ocean's surface as Meghan walked down the beach. It was so peaceful, so serene. No crazed fans, no crazed mother, just the sound sounds of the ocean hitting the surf. The cool evening breeze whipped her wig-free hair about, making her feel free and calm. This part of the beach was so remote, Meghan was sure no one would find her here. She was free to look like herself, no disguise needed. As much as she loved being a pop star, it felt nice to be able to hang back once in awhile. That's why she loved being with Miley, Lily and Oliver. She could really be herself around them. They gave her a chance to do things that she always wanted to do. Things her mother said were for 'normal people'. And if her mother got her way, 'normal' was something Meghan was never going to be. Who was she kidding? Of course her mother would get her way. She always did. Meghan didn't even have the courage to defend Oliver when Madeleine picked on him last week. How could Meghan make her understand? How could she get her mother to see that this is where she wanted to be? Here, in this place, with her friends?

Meghan suddenly heard footsteps a couple of feet away. She whipped around, looking frantically for the source of the noise. She hid herself behind a tree as the footsteps drew closer and closer.

"Hello?" came a familiar voice. "Who's there?"

Meghan looked up and saw Lily standing on the surf, curiously looking around. "Lily?"

"Meghan?" Lily replied, looking confused. "What are you doing behind that tree?"

"Oh," Meghan said, emerging from her hiding place. "I thought maybe...it was...you know...somebody that's not...you."

"Right," Lily said, nodding. "So what brings you out here?"

"I just needed some time to...think," Meghan replied. "You?"

"The same, I guess," Lily said. "I've kinda always liked this little spot. It's so..."

"Far?" Meghan offered. The girls laughed.

"That's definitely true," Lily admitted. "I like it 'cause it makes me feel like I'm in a different world, you know. Like I'm away from the rest of my life."

"It being so far probably plays a factor in that feeling," Meghan joked. "But seriously, I get what you're saying. It's like being in a world where the only things that exists are the surf and your thoughts, you know?"

"Yeah," Lily said. "I came here a lot when my parents were getting divorced."

"I came here before they got divorced," Meghan admitted. "Hoping that they would."

"So what brings you out here tonight?" Lily asked kindly.

"My mom," Meghan said, walking towards the ocean. "She hasn't been all that excited about my new life. You know, with you and Miles and Ollie."

"How's that?" Lily asked, following Meghan.

"She has my whole life planned out for me," Meghan replied, sitting down in the shallow water. "And having friends who aren't rich and/or famous isn't in there."

"Well," Lily said, sitting down next to her. "It's your life, right? You have the right to be with whoever you want to be with."

"I wish it was that simple," Meghan said, running her fingers through the wet sand.

"Then make it that simple," Lily said, as the water tumbled onto the girls' bare legs. "Tell your mom how you really feel. The next time she tries to tell you how to live, take control of your own life."

"I...," Meghan replied, looking out to the ocean. "I don't know."

"Okay," Lily said. "Just think about it, okay?"

"Okay," Meghan replied, nodding. "So what brings you out here?"

"I've been...," Lily said hesitantly. "Having these weird feelings lately."

"About Jackson?" Meghan asked.

"How did you know?" Lily asked, her eyes widened in shock and embarrassment. "Is it that obvious?"

"No, no," Meghan quickly replied. "Well...sort of...kinda...yeah...a lot."

"Oh man," Lily said, burying her face in her hands. "I feel so stupid."

"Don't," Meghan said, putting her arm around her friend. "I'm sure nobody else even noticed."

"Really?" Lily said, raising her head. "Not even Miley? Or Jackson?"

"I don't think so," Meghan lied. "And even if they did...what would it change?"

"I don't want Miley to get mad," Lily said. "And I don't want Jackson to think...I'm dumb or something."

"Hey," Meghan said, squeezing Lily with one arm. "Nobody is going to get mad. And nobody thinks you're dumb. You're a cool, smart, pretty and unique girl. And don't let anybody ever tell you different."

"Thanks," Lily replied. "I've got to admit something. I used to hate you before. You know, when you wre hanging out with Hannah so much. But I'm really glad I got to know you as Lily, not just as Lola. You're a great friend, Meg."

"Thanks," Meghan replied, smiling. "That's the nicest thing anybody's ever said to me."

Alrighty then! So there's chapter 3! I decided that Meghan is really an important character in this story, and that she's really officially part of the 'cast', so that's why the second part of the chapter was sort of her POV. Expect more of that in chapters to come. Let me know what you think of that by pushing that gorgeous purple-ish button down there and writing a little somethin' somethin'!

Peace & Love,

Charlee B.