Open me up and you will see
I'm a gallery of broken hearts
I'm beyond repair, let me be
And give me back my broken parts

"Wesley, I don't care if you want Christmas, you already have Thanksgiving and I don't think the kids really want to travel all the way to California. It's so unnecessary, couldn't you just come here?"

Miley's mother, Keira, was on the phone with her ex-husband, Wesley. Miley pressed her ear further up against the door of her mother's bedroom door.

"I don't understand why you hate it here. Orange County's so noisy and just as small as Atlantic Beach… What do you mean it isn't? I googled the population last night!" Pause. "Yes I use Google. God Wesley, I'm 32, not 50."

Her parents had her when they were 16 and 17. It's hard to imagine her mom being her age when she had her. Miley couldn't even imagine herself being pregnant at the moment. How stupid could you be to do something like that? And as if one baby at 16 wasn't enough, just to prove to the world how idiotic they were, they had Eli at 18 and 19. Guess they couldn't keep their hands off each other at the time.

Now they couldn't even be in the same room as each other.

"Wes, why won't you come back to this town? The kids … they want you here." Keira paused, "I want you here."

Miley pulled her ear away from the door, disgusted with her mother. If she had wanted her dad living here with the family so badly then she shouldn't have cheated on him six months ago with her co-worker. Then they wouldn't be in this mess.

Sometimes Miley wondered why love died. Why it was there one second and the next …

Keira's door opened abruptly and pulled Miley out of her thoughts, "Oh, Miley!" Keira inhaled quickly, obviously surprised. "What are you doing out in the hall?"

"I was just going to get the mail" Miley lied on instinct.

Keira's facial expressions softened, "were you listening in on me and your father's call?" she asked gently, extending her arm to comfort her daughter. Miley quickly jerked away, "No mom, I'm just getting the mail." Keira slowly pulled her arm away and set it by her side, "Oh, well … could you check to see if my subscription to Pottery Barn came in yet? I've been thinking about getting new curtains for the living room."

"Sure thing" Miley smiled forcefully as she turned and continued down the hall. Once out in the driveway, she kicked off her flip flops and then sprinted to the mail box. Opening the lid, she pulled out the stack of mail and quickly shuffled through. Only to be interrupted by her next door neighbor, Mrs. Cleveland.

"Miley dear!" she called from over the fence. She had gardening gloves and a sun hat on, meaning she was tending to her tulips and sun flowers once again. Just like she did every 4 days of the week.

"Hi Mrs. Cleveland!" she responded, waving with the hand full of mail, hopefully getting the message across that she was in the middle of something. "Will you and Austin be attending the Senior Prom this school year?"

If she could punch anyone at this moment in time, it would be Mrs. Cleveland. You know when you're really annoyed and someone walks into your day knowing just the right thing to say to tick you off? Well, Mrs. Cleveland was that person in this equation.

"I don't know Mrs. Cleveland!" Miley called back, "It's just the beginning of August, we have a month left before school starts and about nine months till prom!"

Boy, she wanted to hit that woman.

"Well, Julia's looking for a date so if you're not taking Austin …" she trailed off.

Are you fucking serious? This lady had some nerve.

Miley quickly stuck the mail under her armpit and walked over to the fence with a pleasant smile on her face. "You know Mrs. Cleveland, you're right; Julia might steal Austin away from me…" she joked.

Mrs. Cleveland let out a little laugh, as she leaned against the fence, "Well, Julia's probably going to be head cheerleader next year and she's been eyeing Austin for a while now. Better keep a handle on him" she teased.

Miley looked at the woman in disbelief, then regained composure and shot her a sickeningly sweet smile, "Oh dear, what shall I do, what shall I do…" Miley tapped her index finger against her chin, "Guess Austin was lying when he said he loved that sex last night and didn't want anyone else to lay next to him naked…"

Mrs. Cleveland stared at Miley, shocked and disgusted. "I-I…" she stuttered.

"But, I could be wrong, Julia's known to have lied next to plenty of boys naked… maybe Austin will be next. And heck, hopefully she'll get a twofer and it'll be at prom!"

Not even waiting for a response, Miley turned on her heel and walked across the grass, back to her house. Only to hear her neighbor's door swing open and a loud, "Julia Rose Cleveland!" ring through the air.

Smiling to herself, Miley walked through her front door and stopped in the middle of the foyer to shuffle through the mail quickly.

Bills, bills, her mother's Pottery Barn subscription, bills, her Seventeen magazine that she had secretly subscribed to at the start of the summer and …

There it was, the letter.

She couldn't breathe … so she ran. She ran through the foyer, down the hallway, into the kitchen to give her mother her magazine, past the living room, down the hallway and finally into her room. She slammed and locked the door as quickly as she could.

And then finally, she took a breath.

And then another and another.

She threw the rest of the mail on her bed and focused in on the letter. Turning it over and over again in her hands, she examined it. It was thick, which was supposedly a good sign. God, she wanted to open it. But, at the same time, it scared the hell out of her. Her life depended on one word. It was a 50/50 chance if she got in or not. Oh, please lord, let her of gotten in. She needed to escape this town.

Tearing open the letter, she pulled out the first sheet of paper with closed eyes.

Sucking in a deep breath, she counted to three.

One … two … two and a half … two and a third … two and … for the love of God Miley, pull your shit together.

Three!

She opened her eyes and froze; she stayed frozen for over a minute. Then finally, she screamed, as loud as she could.

Accepted.

She just couldn't, she just couldn't believe… even her mind was out of breath! Happy fucking day, she got in!

"Miley! What's wrong!? What's going on?" Her mother sloppily unlocked the door with her key. What was the point of a lock to your room … when your mom had the key? Honestly.

"I-I…" she stuttered, out of breath. She couldn't even think straight she was on such a high. "What's in your hand?" her mother asked forwardly.

"Please don't be mad…"

"No."

"Mom…"

"No! How many times do I have to say it before I get it across your mind!? You are not going to California to some … boarding school!" her mother exclaimed, her limbs flying around uncontrollably, she couldn't sit still. She sat down then stood up each time she finished a sentence.

"I'll be living with Dad!" Miley explained, "I won't actually be living on campus like other students. He'll be able to look after me and … it'll be a great experience!" Miley tried to insist. She knew her mom didn't give a damn about experiences. All she cared about was her future.

And her future was with Austin in that beautiful house down the road, living as a housewife.

Fuck that.

"I'm not letting you" Keira shook her head, "You're not leaving safe South Carolina to go to a party state where all they'll do is pollute your mind." Miley rolled her eyes, "Mom … honestly, a party state? California is a state just as every other state. They have libraries, diners and restaurants, gas stations, an ocean, and occasionally, yes a party or two, but what teenagers in any state don't go to parties?" Miley suggested.

Keira eyed her, "What parties have you been to?"

Miley mentally cursed, her mom could never find out about her going into the city. "I mean … the birthday parties Austin and I go to" she covered.

"I just … I just can't sign those forms, Miley. I'm sorry" she shook her head.

Miley stared at her mother blankly. No, she was going. Her mother might think she had just decided for her daughter, but Miley made her own decisions.

And she was going to California, whether her mother liked it or not.