Heyy everybody! I know it's been awhile since I updated, but I've been a little depressed due to the lack of reviews. So I've made a new rule: I will not update until I get at least 2 reviews per chapter. I don't think that's asking very much, is it? All you have to do is click the purple button down there and write what you thought of the chapter. Comments, ideas, whatever! Thanks for your cooperation!
PS. The song at the end is a Charlee.B. original. And also, you can see the girls' dresses on my profile page. Enjoy!
"'Cause I will, I will speak for myself
What you see isn't all I am
I need a place to stand
I will, I will speak for myself
There's so much you're missing
If you cared you'd listen."
VII
Silent No More
Jackson was buffing the counter at the beach shack, when a disguised and disgruntled Meghan slammed her bag on it and sat down angrily. "Lemonade," Meghan said, throwing a dollar bill at Jackson.
"I'm doing fine, thank you for asking, Meghan," Jackson replied, his voice laced with sarcasm. He grabbed a bottle of lemonade from behind him and placed it in front Meghan, who then immediately opened it viciously and took a long sip.
"How are you?" Jackson said, already knowing the answer.
"Fine," Meghan said through gritted teeth. "I mean, my mom has completely taken over my Sweet Sixteen, which is tomorrow, by the way, and turned it into a horrible and lame adult party with 200 people I don't even know! Not only that, but my real friends can't even come because they're not 'high society' enough for that crazy mongrel of a mother! But, I mean, I'm fine! Peachy, really!" She slammed the bottle of lemonade down so hard on the counter, the 'Rico's' sign came unhinged and slipped down an inch.
"I'm glad to see you're taking this so well," Jackson said, looking up at the dangling sign. "I don't see why you just won't tell your mother how you feel about it. About all of it."
"I wouldn't talk if I were you, Stewart," Meghan snapped. "Lily told me what happened. Pass the chips? Are you insane, man?"
"What!" Jackson said, raising his arms.
"It was the perfect opportunity!" Meghan yelled.
"I choked, okay?" Jackson admitted.
"Tell me something I don't know, nimrod," Meghan said, her eyes narrowing. "I would have been able to forgive you if it had ended there. But no, you, being the nimrod that you are, had to go and tell her you were taking Annie Cassidy to Spring Fling! And now she's going with Dylan Hutcherson! I hope you're happy now, nimrod!"
"Would you quit calling me a nimrod?!" Jackson exclaimed. His tone suddenly changed. "Wait...Lily's going to Spring Fling with Dylan Hutcherson?"
"Yes," Meghan said.
"Great," Jackson said sadly, looking down at the ground. "It's over."
"What?" Meghan said.
"Come on, Megs," Jackson said. "Let's be realistic! You've got Dylan Hutcherson: captain of the soccer team, tall, athletic, and his dad bought him a convertible BMW for his sixteenth birthday last month. And then there's me: short, working for a crazed twelve year old and driving a car that was made before I was born. He wins. He got Lily. I'm done."
"What?" Meghan repeated, shocked and appalled. "You're just going to roll over? You're going to let that meathead win? You've got to fight for her! When you want something this much, when something is this important to you, you fight for it!"
"Maybe you should take your own advice," Jackson said wisely. Before Meghan could respond, Oliver and Miley came up to the beach hut and sat down next to Meghan. "Hey guys," Oliver said casually. "Whatchya talking about?"
"My party tomorrow," Meghan quickly answered. "Which reminds me; I gotta go do some shopping." She smiled and nodded subtlety at Jackson before disappearing off in the distance.
"Poor Meg," Oliver said. "Her mom's really high jacked her birthday. I wish we could do something about it."
Miley's face suddenly lit up with joy. "Maybe there is," Miley said, smiling mischievously. "Come on Oliver, we gotta go find Lily! We don't have much time for this to work!"
"For what to work?" Oliver asked as Miley dragged him off towards her house.
Miley walked into Meghan monstrosity of a closet, dressed in a long black flapper-style dress, with long white gloves, her blond Hannah hair tucked neatly in an elegant bun. Close behind her was Lola and Oliver. Lily was wearing an extravagant bright pink beaded dress, that matched perfectly to her bubblegum pink hair and feathery boa that was wrapped around her slender body. "Meghan?" Miley called out. "We're here!"
"Awesome!" said Meghan's voice from inside the large rack of clothing at the back of the room. "Hold on, okay guys? I'm almost ready!"
"Good," Lily said, giddy inside at the thought of Meghan's reaction to Miley's plan. The trio had spent the last twenty-four hours prepping in order to give Meghan the best birthday surprise ever. And tonight was the night it would all go down.
"What do you think?" Meghan, revealing herself to her awaiting friends. She was wearing a gold flapper dress, with gold pumps and short white gloves that had had the fingers cut off and the wrists studded with gold-coloured plastic jewels. Her hair was the most shocking of all, which was now short, cut just below her earlobes. On her head was a beaded gold headband that stood out against her jet black hair.
"You cut your hair?" Lily asked.
"No, no," Meghan assured them. "It's a wig. How do you like the outfit, though? It's not too much?"
"It's gorgeous!" Hannah exclaimed.
"You look amazing," Lily said, nodding in agreement.
"Aah...flagma..humina...yah...," was all that Oliver managed to choke out, his jaw nearly dislocated from his head.
"I can't believe that's the dress your mom got you!" Miley said, touching the silky beaded fabric.
"It's not," Meghan said, smiling devilishly. "I bought this one yesterday."
"Won't she get mad?" Lily asked, worried.
"She might," Meghan said, shrugging. "But I decided that it's my birthday and I have the right to dress however I like."
"I'm glad you feel that way," Miley said, subtlety winking at Lily.
"Here's your gift from me," Lily said, holding out a badly wrapped box. "Happy birthday, Meg."
Meghan smiled and opened the box. She pulled what looked like a pile of hair. It was a wig: medium length, blond, with pink and brown highlights. "Aw, Lils," Meghan said, hugging her friend. "It's awesome! Thanks so much!"
"Now you don't have to borrow mine," Lily said. Meghan laughed and squeezed her friend once more.
"My turn!" Miley said happily, handing Meghan a large gift bag.
Meghan grinned once more and pulled out the contents of the bag. It was a large gold bag, decorated with purple hearts and black skulls. "It's the bag I saw in the window at Stella Fabioni's last month!" Meghan exclaimed with glee. "But it was in pink and I said that it would be the perfect bag if it was in..."
"Gold!" Hannah cheered.
"How did you...?" Meghan asked.
"Hannah called up Stella and called in a favour," Miley said happily. Meghan leaped on her friend and gave her a bone-crushing hug.
"I guess it's my turn," Oliver said, finally able to get more than syllables out. He handed her a small neatly wrapped package. She carefully opened it and revealed a small purple leather-bound book. She opened it and saw that it was filled with music paper. She closed it and saw that on the cover was engraved in gold letters: "'Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.' –Victor Hugo-".
"It's for your songs," Oliver said shyly.
"Oh my," Miley said, shocked by the beautiful and meaningful simplicity of Oliver's gift.
"Oliver, I..." Meghan said. "This is the most amazing gift I've ever gotten." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
Oliver blushed scarlet. "It's nothing," Oliver mumbled.
"It's not nothing to me," Meghan said, squeezing his hand.
"Aww," Miley and Lily said together, sighing.
Meghan let go of Oliver's hand. "Well anyways," Meghan said, suddenly embarrassed. "Let's go rock the roaring twenties!"
The gang walked out of Meghan's room and out to where a limo was waiting for them. There was a loud bang from the backyard. "What was that?" Meghan asked, turning around.
"Nothing!" Miley said awkwardly. "Let's go! We don't want to keep your mother waiting!"
Miley and Lily quickly got into the car. "Hey Meghan," Oliver said. "Hold up."
"What's up?" Meghan asked, pausing with the car door open.
"I was just wondering...," Oliver stuttered. "If maybe...you wanted to go to the Spring Fling with me?"
"Like at Seaview?" Meghan asked.
"I know it sounds lame, but Miley said it would be fun...," Oliver said, blushing.
"It sounds great," Meghan said, grinning. "And I would love to go with you."
"Really?" Oliver said, his expression suddenly changing.
"It's just I don't think my mom would let me go," Meghan replied sadly. "I mean, my dad totally would. But I don't want to have to put him in that position, you know? They don't need another excuse to fight."
"Oh, okay," Oliver said. "It's fine."
"Sorry," Meghan said, climbing into the limousine. Oliver followed in after her.
It was a short car ride to the luxurious hotel in which Meghan's party was being held. Miley, Lily, Oliver and Meghan pilled out of the car and into the lavishly decorated conference room that Meghan's mother had booked. It was already filled with people, none of whom any of the gang knew. Several people turned towards the teens and muttered 'happy birthday dear' before returning to their conversations. It was exactly how Meghan had suspected: this party was clearly not about her, no matter what it had said on the invitations.
"Darling!" Madeleine exclaimed, making her way towards her daughter. "Happy birth--What's this?" She pointed to Meghan's dress. "And...this?" She pointed at Oliver.
"It's my birthday, Mom," Meghan said. "Can you please just let me have my way this once?"
"I suppose I can let this one slide," Madeleine said. "Well, you have fun now, sweetie. I'm going to be over there, talking with the girls. Ciao, baby!" She kissed Meghan on each cheek and walked off towards a group of middle-aged women.
"That went surprisingly well," Miley said.
"Yeah," Meghan said, shocked.
"Okay, I think it's time we give her her surprise," Lily announced.
"Good idea," Miley said.
"What?" Meghan asked, confused. "What's going on?"
"You know how you wanted a super beach party as your sweet 16?" Miley said.
"Yeah," Meghan said, trying to understand. "But I got this snoozefest instead. What's your point?"
"Well," Lily said. "We talked to your dad and he agreed that you deserved the party that you really wanted."
"So right now, in your backyard," Oliver said. "Is the party you actually wanted, with people you actually know."
"W-what?" Meghan said, her jaw dropping. "But you guys...you and my dad...did...for me?"
"Happy birthday, Meghan," Miley said, grinning.
"And my mom is okay with this?" Meghan said, trying to take the news in stride.
"Well..." Lily said, looking at Miley.
"We didn't ask her," Miley answered. "But it doesn't matter! Let's go!" She gestured towards the exit.
"I have to ask her," Meghan said.
"Why?" Oliver said. "Why can't you just do what you want for a change? When are you going to let her stop controlling you?"
"I...," Meghan said. "I know what you guys are thinking. I know that I need to do things my way. I know that I need to live my own life. I know all this, okay? But it's not that simple."
"Then make it that simple," Oliver said.
"I can't," Meghan said. "Not right now." She walked over to where her mother was chatting with some of her girlfriends. Her mother was in deep conversation and clearly had not noticed the arrival of her daughter and her friends.
"I don't know what's gotten into her, really," Madeleine was saying. "Those...people she's been hanging out with lately. I mean, one of them was clearly raised in some dumpy trailer in Tennessee. And the blond one, well, she might as well been born a boy by the way she acts. And don't even get me started on that boy. Does he really think he has a chance in the world with my Meghan? She is far too good for that low-life..."
Suddenly, like bottle pumped with too much air, Meghan exploded. The anger and confusion and insecurities that had been growing inside of her for the past sixteen years had finally reached the surface. She had taken the criticism, the controlling behaviour, the suffocation for one second too long.
"What did you just say about my friends?" Meghan snapped viciously at her mother.
"Excuse me?" her mother said, turning to face her enraged daughter.
"No," Meghan said. "I am so done excusing you."
"How dare you--" Madeleine said, baffled.
"No, how dare you!" Meghan said, cutting her mother off. "How dare you talk about my friends like that! How dare you talk like that about the people who actually care about me! About what I want! I've let you criticise my clothes, my music, but I will not stand by and let you criticise the people that I love."
"Okay," Madeleine said sternly, looking around. People had begun to stare. "That's enough, Meghan."
"No," Meghan said. "You don't get it, do you? Do you not know everything that I've done for you? What I've done to make you happy? I've always done everything you wanted! I spent my whole life living the way you wanted that I forgot who I was. I had no idea what I wanted, what I needed, for me! Then I met Miley and Oliver and Lily, and they made me see who I am! And do you know where I met them? At school!" Madeleine's jaw dropped. "Yeah, that's right, I went to school! Like a regular person! Because guess what? I am a regular person! And I love eating peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, and I love surfing and baking and writing my own songs. Which are really good, by the way! You would know that if you ever took the time to let me be myself! Because it took me nearly sixteen years to figure that out. For sixteen years, I let you dictate my life, but that's over today. I will not let you spend another second controlling me. And for the record, I'm moving out. I'm going to live with Dad."
"I don't think so," Madeleine said.
"I wasn't asking you," Meghan continued. "I was telling you how it's going to be. And also, you're soo fired. I'm going to record the songs that I wrote from now on. Do you know what my friends did for me? They threw me a real party; the party that I wanted. And that's where I'm going right now. Oh, and I'm going to Spring Fling tomorrow at my school. Bye."
"Hold your horses, young lady!" Madeleine shouted at her daughter's turned back. "I did all of this for you! Because I love you! Because you're my daughter! And this is how you repay me?"
"Your daughter?" Meghan echoed, turning back around. "This is not how someone treats their daughter! I want more than anything to be your daughter, for you to be my mother, but that's not how it is. Right now, you're my manager and I'm your client. Don't you see it? This is the only way you can ever be my mother. But not right now. Right now, I'm going to my Sweet Sixteen." She turned back towards the door and walked away; Lily, Miley and Oliver right on her tail.
"You were so great," Miley said for the third time.
"Thank you," Meghan said, beaming.
"You're welcome," Miley said.
"Not just for that," Meghan said. "But for everything. I wouldn't have been able to do any of it without you guys."
"That's what friends are for," Oliver said, smiling.
"Hey, kitten!" Mr. Hollaway said, hugging his daughter from behind. "Are you enjoying your party?"
"Yes!" Meghan said, running her hand through her wig-free hair.
"I'm glad you got to where the dress you told so much about," Mr. Hollaway said.
"Isn't it great?" Meghan asked, spinning around in her flowery dress.
"Happy birthday, kiddo!" Kevin Jonas said as he and his brothers approached the group.
"Thank you!" Meghan replied, giving the eldest Jonas brother a hug. She then gave Nick and Joe a big bear hug.
"Hey Hannah," Nick said, blushing.
"Hey," Hannah said, blushing as well.
"This is quite a party you got going on here, Hollaway," Joe said.
"Thanks," Meghan replied. "It was all them, though." She pointed at Oliver, Lily and Hannah.
"Good job, man," Joe said, putting out his hand to Oliver.
Oliver looked at it for a while before looking up at Meghan, then shook Joe's outstretched hand. "Thanks, bro," Oliver said.
"Okay guys," Meghan said. "Now it's time for my surprise for you." She ran off towards the stage and grabbed the mic. "Hey everybody," Meghan said. He reached over and took a guitar from one of the bad members. "Thank you all so much for being here. I thought I'd share a little song that I wrote. This is for all of my friends who never let me be anyone else but me.
Running through life like a giant wheel,
So lost, confused, don't know what's real.
Cause I've been living by your rules since the day I was born,
Between me and you I was so torn.
I let you lead me around through it all,
Never being proud or standing tall,
For everything I wished I could be,
Everything I wished you could see.
But now, I'm breaking the mould,
I'm done with doing what I'm told.
I'm breaking out, breaking free of you,
Gonna shine, let my true colours shine through.
I'll sing my songs like there's no tomorrow,
Cause I'm done living in regret and sorrow.
I can't let you hold me back anymore,
I can't be one keeping the score.
With a little boost from my true friends,
I'm going to reach my dreams, true till the end.
I think it's time that you see,
That it's my time to
Break free.
No more living in the shadows and in the dark,
I'm gonna be true to my own heart.
You won't be keeping me under your thumb,
No matter what you say, I'm not that dumb.
I now know how I truly feel,
I've got hope, I've got joy,
And it's all so real.
But now, I'm breaking the mould,
I'm done with doing what I'm told.
I'm breaking out, breaking free of you,
Gonna shine, let my true colours shine through.
I'll sing my songs like there's no tomorrow,
Cause I'm done living in regret and sorrow.
I can't let you hold me back anymore,
I can't be one keeping the score.
With a little boost from my true friends,
I'm going to reach my dreams, true till the end.
I think it's time that you see,
That it's my time to
Break free.
They've shined their light,
It felt so right.
They let me in,
It was all so bright.
Thanks to those true ones I found myself,
And I'm done letting you put me on a shelf.
I'm breaking out, breaking free of you,
Gonna shine, let my true colours shine through.
I'm breaking out, breaking free of you,
Gonna shine, let my true colours shine through.
I'll sing my songs like there's no tomorrow,
Cause I'm done living in regret and sorrow.
I can't let you hold me back anymore,
I can't be one keeping the score.
With a little boost from my true friends,
I'm going to reach my dreams, true till the end.
I think it's time that you see,
I think it's time that you see,
That it's my time to
My time to
My time to
Break free.