I'm tired. I'm sorry for the long wait. I've been in SoCal (like I've said in the last chapter) for a whole week and I came back Sunday evening. So...This chapter was a bitch. I wrote half of it before I went down south, then wrote the rest when I came back. ~sigh~ Anywho, brand new chapter, who's happy? It's a bit longer this time. Sorry for the lack of Liley, but you have to remember, this is an AU. So they don't know each other. Yet. They have to gradually get to know each other, right? Isn't that how everyone meets for the first time?
Oh yea, since this is an AU, Lilly and Miley are in their Twenties. Let's say early Twenties?
Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any of its characters, the creators do. Constructive criticism is great and remember to leave a reivew!
P.S: I stayed over in Burbank for a few days and I passed by Walt Disney Studios. OMG. I was like, "Hey, that's where they do HM, Suite Life, and Wizards!" (I'm pretty sure they do their shows their right?) Also I passed by Toluca Lake (of course, if you're a fan of Miley, you should know where she lives in Cali. It's like the Disney neighborhood there), which was awesome. Try saying "Toluca Lake" ten times faster; it's so addicting, lol.
P.S.S: I'm sorry if you hate boring beginnings, but I have to put them in my story so I can set it up. So bear with me if you want some Liley, kay?
The tires from the long slick limousine squealed to its screeching stop in front of Times Square Plaza. The tinted glass protected her eyes and ears from the shouts and flashing bulbs being taken outside. For the first time in her Hannah Montana life, she felt safe from the outside world.
Too bad it only lasted for three seconds. The door clicked open and a loud buzz and clicks began to take over her eardrums.
"Hannah, over here! Smile to the camera –"
"No, over here! Hey Hannah! Say –"
Miley sighed under her breath let everyone's pleading go right past her. She waved when her fans screamed to her and smiled and posed to the flashing cameras taking her pictures. Many reporters wearing name tags and passes around their necks asked for a moment with Hannah. Of course, her lovely manager nodded sweetly and pulled her to a 'few' reporters for a 'few' questions.
"So, Hannah, new movie already?" he-or-she reporter in suit asks in every start of the interview. Hannah nods warmly as she smiles and he-slash-she reporter resumes. "So tell us, what is this movie about?"
The pop star summarizes, "The movie is about two star-crossed lovers way back in the 1950s. It's kinda like a Romeo and Juliet theme, but it's more of a bluesy musical type."
"And your co-star, Chace Crawford—whom you have acted with before—plays as your lover?" Just like before, Hannah nods amiably. "Is he really a good singer like he says he is?" they joke.
Hannah laughs, "Of course! He's a great guy and it's been an honor to work with him again."
"So are you and Chace dating? It seems like you guys are extremely close nowadays."
And as trained, she replies, "Ah, we're just good friends. I can trust him and he can trust me. We respect each other, and that's enough for the both of us." Inside her head, she laughs at the tangent of the response.
And of course they're favorite question–which usually comes out of nowhere, "What about the recent tabloid? What happened with the JoBros?"
But before the reporter could finish the interview, Marge pulls her away to a different reporter along with Chace by her side. Hannah waves off to them as they sigh in disappointment. Thank you, Marge, she mouths to her.
Interview after interview, pose after pose, smile after smile, Miley felt like she was going to collapse right then and there. Thank god people were starting to file out.
"Marge, can we just go now?" Miley scratched an irritating itch on her scalp. Damn wig's gonna give her a head rash again. Her red-headed manager shook her head. "Aw, c'mon! I've done everything else, what am I supposed to do now at," –she checked her watch–"eleven thirty-three at night?"
"Just one more interview with E! News inside the building and we're done." Marge yawned as she led Miley inside and let the security block out the paparazzi. Once they arrived to the right floor, they saw Chace and his girlfriend and Ryan Seacrest was set sitting down on a tall bench right across from two other tall benches. Marge led Miley straight to the make-up booth and the make-up artist got her ready in seconds.
"Hey, Hannah, how's it going? It's great to have you back here again!" The talk show host exclaimed as she shook both Marge's and Miley's hands. Both girls returned the welcome. "Great! So this interview will be just like the others: just quick answers about what the movie is about and what you guys did behind the cameras, and so on and so on. You know how it goes, right?"
Miley smiled as the talk show host and nodded. She couldn't wait to get this over with. Walking over to where Chace and Ryan were, she gave them each a hug as the video director counted down to the final take.
"Hey and welcome to E! News. Here we are with the charming Chace Crawford and the lovely Hannah Montana to talk about their movie that's coming up soon." Miley took in a deep breath through her nose. Just a couple more minutes, Miley, you got it. "So, Chace…"
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Finally, after waiting in the elevator for it to go up to the twenty-eighth floor, Lilly took a right and went straight to find her room. Her back felt like it was going to snap in half since she stuffed in Hannah's purse in the small black High Sierra backpack. Her hand felt like it was going to chop off since her purse's handles were starting to dig into her flesh. And not only do her back and arms feel limp, but her feet were killing her. She should've known that wearing a pair of flats wouldn't be a smart idea, but hey, can you blame a girl for wanting to look fashionable in first class?
Taking out her key card, she slots it in and waits for the door to beep. Once it did, she swung it open and the smell of a fresh-made bed was inviting her to lie down on it. She dropped her stuff on the floor and closed the door softly behind her. Sighing softly, she walked lazily to the single queen bed that laid smack dab on the middle of the floor. She slammed down face first and breathed in the crisp, clean scent.
"Ah," the blond rolled to her back. Who knew all of this could happen to her? She took the remote from the bedside table and pointed it to the flat screen TV hanging on the wall. Of course, that was expected from a four-star hotel. As the thirty-two inch HDTV clicked on and the sound of hotel advertisements filled the room, Lilly walked over to the refrigerator to see if there was any food inside. She shouldn't have doubted one bit; the small white box was filled from top to bottom. Right next to it was a desk table with a nice black office chair, and on the table was a small black microwave. A wireless phone was sitting on the middle next to a bunch of notepads and complimentary Hyatt pens.
"Oh! Forgot to call Jackson!" Quickly, she sat down on the black swivel chair as it bounced back and forth when she did so and dialed her friend's number. As the tone rang once, Lilly thought back about what had happened in the lobby. It had happened so fast, she nearly forgot what actually did happen to her. She couldn't believe it; two celebrity encounters in one day! And one of them helped her! Now that surprised her the most. Lilly leaned back against the chair and winced. Maybe collapsing against the marbled floor wasn't such a good idea.
A loud beep coming from her right ear surprised her. "The number you are looking for is no longer available. Please re-dial the number correctly again." Huh, that's weird. She was pretty sure that 435-023-9728 was Jackson's home phone. Oh well, maybe bad connection. Lilly then dialed his cell phone. Again it beeped, but this time, it reached his voice mail.
"Hey Jackson, it's Lilly. I tried calling your apartment, but they said it wasn't available. You might want to check on that, it's kinda weird. Anyways, I'm finally calling from the hotel! Oh my gosh, thanks so much for giving me these tickets! They are amazing! I so can't wait for the concert tomorrow night! Oh, and speaking of Hannah Montana, guess what? She sat next to me in first class! I know! How cool is that! Too bad she was a bit grumpy. I wonder what bit her this time. Oh wait, maybe this time the 'lovebug' bit her again." Lilly laughed shortly after she made her joke. "Y'know, Jonas Brothers, Lovebug? Anywho, the hotel is ah-mazing! The lobby's freaking huge! Oh and guess what? Hannah's also staying here, too! Oh, and another thing about Hannah, she left her purse in the airplane and I got it by accident. Isn't this so cool? Wow, this is a lot to take in." Lilly paused, took in a breath and resumed. "Oh, and you wanna know what else is cool? I saw the Jake Ryan at the hotel lobby. And you know what's even cooler? Okay, so some kid rammed into me and I dropped a whole bunch of stuff. Shut up if you're laughing, that wasn't the cool part. Although it really did hurt when he head butted into my stomach…Anyways, after I dropped the stuff, guess who helped me picked them up? Jake Ryan!" Lilly squealed into the phone. "Sorry, didn't mean to do that. Sorry if I hurt your ear. Can you believe it? I can hardly believe it myself! Oh god…" Sighing, she walked over to the bed and lay down.
"So what's up? How come you aren't picking up? It's only ten thirty here," she glanced to the clock above the desk. "Well, call me back next time, 'kay? I'm tired now so I'm gonna head out," she yawned as she sat up. "I'll talk to ya later, bye!" Lilly put down the phone back on its charger and made her way to her belongings. She stared at her now opened backpack and Hannah's purse that was slowly creeping out. Part of her wants to find out more about the mid-aged brunette and the younger looking brunette and who the ten-year old boy really did look like, but part of her felt like it wasn't right to go into people's belongings if it's meant to be private. Lilly thought about this for awhile and tapped her foot.
"What the hell; might as well take a shower first, then I'll think about it."
Lilly felt like she was mostly likely going to snoop into the singer's Louis Vuitton hand bag again.
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"Again, Miley, I didn't know it would take that long," Marge apologized for what seems like the umpteenth time. "Really, I didn't know! I mean, geez, for guys, Chace and Ryan really do know how to talk and talk and talk!" Miley glared at her, meaning that she should shut up or else. "Ok, I'll just shut up now."
The tired singer leaned back to her cushioned seat. They were waiting for Phil the driver to come back with their super late night meal from McDonald's. Good thing Phil knew a lot about New York, or else they would've been bombarded by fans now if they weren't hiding in a secret lot.
"Ugh, I feel like shit. Which interview is first?" her voice warbled when she tried to hold back her yawn. Marge gave her the binder that had Hannah's complete schedule. "Oh my god, I have to be up at five in the morning? Marge, it's like one in the morning now! I'll only have four hours of sleep!" Miley shook her head in disapproval. Marge shrugged as she yawned and propped her head against the cool tinted window.
The driver's door clicked open and the light in the back seats lit up. "Okay, ladies, sorry for the long wait. Here's your food, enjoy." Phil handed a tray with two plastic cups filled with water and two paper bags that smelled like heaven to Miley.
"Oh my god, thanks so much Phil, you are a lifesaver." She grumbled down her meal quickly and the three minute journey to the hotel began.
It felt longer, though, to Miley. She put her wig back on walked back into the front lobby where the small waterfall still ran and filled the silence in the front entrance. Marge followed suit as they made their way to the staircase to go to their personal suite.
Miley felt like she could just sleep right there on the carpeted floor, but who'd want to open their hotel door and see a pop star's body lying on the ground? She herself wouldn't want to. So, half-asleep, she dragged her feet all the way to the elevator.
"Oh god, I forgot, what floor are we in?" Miley asked sluggishly.
Marge laughed pathetically as her eyes drooped. "Thirty-fourth."
Miley would've been yelling by now, but she had no energy left. Hesitantly, she pressed the thirty-fourth button and it glowed to a dull yellow. "Oh…my…god," she muttered. It felt like hours until she finally reached the right level. "Which room are we?"
"Last one to the right, the huge one."
"'Kay," she yawned and took off her wig. Who cares? It's not like some random fan was actually awake now. And plus she has a suite, so she's all to herself now. Finally, they made it and Marge opened the door with the key card. Miley opened her eyes and rubbed them. In front of her looks like a big blob of black, but it must've been a hallucination. Whatever, she could just sleep like this now. She'll take a shower tomorrow morning.
"Hey, babe, how's it goin'?" That voice sounded really familiar. Too familiar...Oh no –
"Jake!" the brunette half-whispered half-yelled. "What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were back in –"
The boy opened his arms and Miley walked into them. "Jersey?" he finished for her. "Well, I was, but I came here because I wanted to surprise you," he said softly.
"Really?" she yawned loudly. "Oh, sorry. I'm just" –yawn– "a lil' bit tired. Thanks for comin' over and stuff, but can we talk about this later?" she murmured into his shoulder. "I have to get up in, like, four hours…"
Jake set her and himself on the bed. "Yea, we'll talk later. You just rest now, 'kay?"
Miley snuggled closer to the young man and smiled into his embrace. "'Kay."
----------
Morning came around and Lilly jolted to a fiery start. She put away the photos and the black notebook back into the expensive hand bag and placed it inside her suitcase to keep it safe. She still has no idea who the boy looked like and it was starting to bug her.
"I swear," she thought out loud, "that boy looks so damn familiar…" She took out her morning appliances and set her clothing apparel for the day out on the bed. Water ran non-stop for an hour and a half and Lilly was set at last. She took her backpack and moved everything from her purse to her black pack.
"Okay, wallet, camera, extra money, ID, cap, backpack…What else am I missing?" Lilly walked around the room, making sure she didn't leave anything valuable out in the open. "Oh! Cell phone! Almost forgot the most important thing!" Then Lilly left a ten dollar tip on the bedside and patted everything else, just so everything is set.
The door beeped to a soft close and Lilly was set. "Okay, now off to visit Midtown!"
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"Hmm…" Miley felt like she was in a dream. Someone big and strong was holding her and was whispering sweet nothings to her ear. Her body moved on its own and cuddled to the thing that was holding her closely. "Don't leave now…"
"I won't," it whispered back.
Right when Miley was about to open her eyes to see his blue-green eyes, the door swung open harshly and Miley sat up quickly, knocking the boy's head with her own. Good thing she didn't feel a thing.
"Miley, you are thirty-five minutes late! Get ready now." Marge left the room in an awkward silence after that for only five seconds.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Jake, but I have to go now. Shit, shit, shit, I'm late! Crap!"
"Oh, just wear sweats of something; I already sent the clothes you're gonna wear to all three interviews to their places. Now, hurry! Put on your wig! The security's trying to keep this on the DL!" Marge slammed the door and finally left the two alone.
Jake sighed, not knowing what to do, except accept the fact that his girl is too busy for him. But still, he should try to understand, right? He used to this kind of stuff before.
"Nah, it's ok, really. Just go, I'll sneak out later on. Now go, you're late." Miley stared into his eyes, but only to see his expressionless face. "Just go, Miley."
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Miley ran into the bathroom and changed into a pair of baggy sweats and a loose and faded UT hoodie in record time. She took the blonde wig from the bed and put it on. "I'm really sorry Jake." He nodded as he waved her to the door. "Call or text?" This time, he didn't say or do anything. Miley frowned, "'Kay then, I'll see you later, bye."
Sometimes, Miley wished she had never picked this life and should've just gotten onto the easy road.
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Lilly whistled to a taxi and the yellow car screeched to a full stop next to her. A few people stared at her, astonished how a little woman could be so, well, loud. Lilly, on the other hand, smiled at her success and hopped into the cab.
"Um, I've never been here before, so could you give me a quick tour to until you could reach this place," Lilly took out a brochure that had a tourist bus.
"Sure, sure," the taxi man assured her with his strong New York accent. "Just strap on and hold on tight. You're in for a ride."
Lilly grinned and made herself comfortable in the back seat. It smelt like ashtrays, just like the last taxi she took to get to the hotel. Must be some New York taxi trademark or something, she thought.
As the driver chauffeured her through the busy streets of one of the busiest districts in New York, Lilly rolled down her window and took pictures of passing statues, buildings and street people.
"So, lil' girl, do you like what I'm showing you right now?"
"Uh-huh," Lilly approved absent mindedly. "Do you any good local restaurants around here?" The driver nodded and turned left quickly. "Thanks!" Lilly looked at the fare machine set on top of the dashboard. Fifty-six dollars already? Lilly nearly spat out the water she was drinking. She checked her wallet and counted a hundred and fifty-five in there. She still had enough, but she would need to cut the trip short and save the rest of the money Jackson gave her for the rest of the days she was going to stay in New York.
"Um, excuse me sir, after the trip to the restaurant, could you possibly drive me back to the hotel?" she asked as she eyed the fare machine ticking higher and higher by the second. "Can you please make it quick?"
"Sure, sure, we're here anyways." They stopped in front of a local old-fashioned diner with many cars piled up around it in the parking lot. "Betsy's is the best diner ever. Order their omlettes; they are the best." Lilly nodded as she got out of the car. She asked if he would stay here for a moment until she was done and the balding taxi driver waved her away.
"Well," she muttered under her breath, "I'll just order to go and everything will go quickly.
Twenty-five minutes later, Lilly got out of the crowded diner and piled back into the cramped and stuffy yellow cab. "The food there is amazing! I got to go left so I can eat it later on in the hotel and what the hell?!"
"Huh? What?" The driver turned around with a cigarette in mouth. He blew a puff in front of her face and Lilly coughed as she fanned the smog on her face.
"You left the meter running? Wha-How-Wh – You were supposed to shut that off! Then I could've paid you separately, right?"
"Aha, no Miss, no can do. No breaks. Hope you have enough money," he winked and started the engine. The music blasted with the Beatles or something with the oldies and Lilly scurried through her backpack.
Crap. Crap, I am so dead. She quickly lost her appetite and took out her wallet. What the hell, she thought. Last time she looked up to the fare was fifty-six then two hours later it got up to ninety-three and thirteen cents and counting? This did not make any sense. She only had a hundred and fifty and the rest was just for emergency. Thank god for Jackson being thoughtful.
Honks from all around her made her head shoot up and look around what was happening. Shit, she thought. Just what I needed: a traffic jam.
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Miley felt like her body was going to collapse as she made her way through the shrieking fans piling on her outside of the CBS studio from David Letterman's Late Night Show. Her ear plugs nearly came off when the security guards pushed her in the black SUV. When she did sit down in the leather seats, she didn't even bother to put on her seat belt. She could trust Philip after he gave her the late night meal early this morning. Her mouth was sore from 'laughing' and 'giggling' at David's attempt at jokes. How can people bear the same jokes being thrown at repetitively?
Her light-blue shadowed eyelids felt heavy as she sat in the very back row of the car and laid herself down. Her legs, hands, head –everything– felt numb. Her breathing was long and deep and she took her time to let her throbbing head to stir for a bit until the car went to a slow start.
"Miley, you can rest now, but for only a few minutes," her manager's voice chimed into her ears. "You need to do sound check for the concert tonight. Did you forget about that?"
"No," she groaned. Her mind wasn't exactly set in place for the concert at Times Square again. All she could think about was what Jake wanted. He traveled from Jersey –for filming– to New York. It's either he actually wants to make up for real this time or he's just here to boast about his new film that will be another box office topper for a whole month. She hates him, really. Well, she tries to anyways. It's just that his suave looks and charming traits make her go head over heels for him. He's a jerk, she knows that. He's a jerk like any other movie star or pop star, but Miley just can't get rid of him out of her life. What can she do? What should she do?
So much for the nap she was looking forward to.
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By the time they reached the front of the hotel, Lilly was panicking. "What the hell is going on? How could it be that much?"
"Sorry, Miss," he smiled, "but you're gonna have to pay up." He turned his torso around and rubbed his index finger and thumb together. "Now pay up."
The blonde tourist gaped at the mid-aged bald man who was smirking at her. She did not want to pay more than a hundred dollars just for a freaking taxi drive. It was not worth it. "That's-that's –"
"Just pay me now and we'll be even." Lilly sighed shakily as she gave two fifties and a ten. "Thank you!"
Lilly clenched her jaw and got her belongings together as she climbed out of the car. "Piece of motherf –"
"Oh forgot one more thing, you owe me sixty dollars more. Y'know that giving a tourist some pointers and such about the city cost some money, right? So, c'mon, pay up."
Lilly bit her lip and squeezed her backpack. The nerve of this guy, she thought darkly. Quickly, she thought up of a plan. Hopefully she'll get through it without security taking her away.
"Oh, okay then. Here you go then." Lilly took out her wallet but then switched to her Styrofoam box and conveniently threw it to the man's face through the passenger's window. "Good riddance, you con," she hurriedly sped off inside the main lobby, ignoring the man's threats of suing. A few horns honked as they passed by the scene beside them.
She took a deep breath when she reached the elevator and leaned against its wall. Well, she thought, at least I have three hundred and seventy five left. The elevator doors dinged open to her floor and she stepped out. Her stomach grumbled as her door opened. "Shut up, you stupid belly! It's 'cuz of you I had to waste a hundred dollars! Damn!"
Suddenly, her cell rang and vibrated in her pocket. She flipped it open and harshly started with a snappy hello.
"This is the second notice for yo –" An automated voice muffled through the speakers.
"Damn! Stupid telemarketers!" Angrily, she threw the phone on the bed as with herself. What can she do with only three hundred and seventy-five dollars? Not much, that's for sure. She should've known to never ask help from a New York cab driver. Especially since his car smelt like cigarette smoke and smelt like Jackson's closet.
Groaning, she crawled up to the head of the bed and pulled open the bedside shelf. She took out the bible then underneath was an envelope of Jackson's extra money. That's funny, it feels lighter. Opening it, she noticed that it was empty.
"Oh my god," her eyes bugged out, "I've been robbed." She paused, catching her breath. "Twice! What the hell?!" Frantically, she called to the main lobby and explained to them that she has been robbed by the maid. The manager eventually told her to go down and explain everything there. "Fine then. I'll be down there in five."
She got up and took the envelope in hand, which was all crumpled up now. Great, this is just oh-so-great. I've been conned and robbed on the same day. What's the worst thing that could happen next?
A few moments later, Lilly wished she had never said that because she just noticed that she only had ten dollars left in her wallet.
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"That was good, Miley. I mean, for your half-asleep stage, pretty good," Marge nodded. "So, we've got three and a half hours to spare, what do you want to do?" Marge set her clipboard and binder down on the table in front of them and held her head in her hands.
Miley already knew what to do; sleep. She needed sleep.
"Okay then, good night. I'll wake you up in two hours." Marge's chair screeched as she stood up and walked away. "Oops, and just to remind you, you have backstage fans that will come in, so just try and get much sleep as you can."
"Just go away, Marge, just get the hell away from me."
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Lilly's voice was sore from arguing back and forth with the manager and his assistant. They were so stubborn and they just won't accept the fact that a person from their staff stole money from her.
"Listen to me, okay? One of your maids stole money from me," she spelled out each word, heavily putting exaggeration on the 'me' part. "In this envelope," Lilly gripped the wrinkled paper in her fist, "you see this piece of paper here? In this piece of envelope had three hundred and seventy-five dollars. Three hundred and seventy-five dollars. Do you understand that? Three hundred and seventy-five is a lot for me. I can buy so many things with this kind of money." She seethed as she held her fist down.
"Okay, Miss Truscott, we will find out who stole it. But you know that it is your responsibility for putting things wherever it is?" The assistant manager asked to clear out the blame against them. Lilly knew what they were doing, but she kept strong.
"Yes, I know that," the blonde eyed the manager on the phone. John was his name and the assistant's was Carla. "But your maid snooped into the bedside drawer and took out my money which was in a sealed envelope underneath the bible. So don't go blaming it on me and say it was my fault!" Lilly's face turned red and veins on her neck started to show, which is clearly not a good sign for the two employees.
Carla, whose black hair was slicked back into a low tight bun, was taken aghast and nodded slightly. John got off the phone and assured Lilly that things will work out sooner or later.
"Ms, didn't you bring a wallet with you? If you did, do you have a savings and checking account? We have an ATM station her of every bank," he offered.
Lilly tried not to blush in front of the two employees. How come she didn't even think about that? Wow, she thought. That's unbelievably stupid of me… "I do, but I have to complain that an employee snooping into my private business is not allowed. It's rude." Lilly recovered her embarrassment
"Okay then, how about this. We will question the employees who cleaned that floor and we'll question them out while you just check out your bank account and deposit some money. Deal?"
Lilly shook the man's hands. "Deal, I'll be back." She turned her heal and went to the bank station at the end of the lobby's hallway. She went to the vacant Bank of America stand and checked in her card. Impatiently, she tapped her foot and rapped her nails on the sides. The small screen beeped and blinked which mean that Lilly had to enter her number. It loaded for a few seconds but then white big bold letters flashed.
It seems that her account has been terminated.
At first Lilly scoffed and thought it was a joke the bank stand was playing on her, but of course, how could a stupid plugged in machine could pull a joke on her?
"Stupid piece of sh –" Lilly hit the machine but stopped when a little girl's voice chimed in and asked her mom what happened to the young blonde woman who was shaking the bank stand. "I'm sorry, really. It's just that my account's been reje –"
"A young woman like you shouldn't be cursing out in public," the mom humphed. "Come, Mary, let's go and leave this troubled soul alone." The brunette haired mom took her daughter by the arm and dragged her out of the room.
"Well fine then, go ahead and shun me," Lilly flipped her off. No one should ever come between Lilly and her legendary temper. She turned and whacked the stupid machine for one last time and took out her card.
"What the hell is goin' on?" she yelled to the piece of plastic. "Why are you ruining my life when it's supposed to be the greatest time of my life?!" Frustrated, she stomped her way back to the counter where John and Clara were busy on the phone lines. "Hey guess what?"
Both the man and the woman jumped and set down their phones. "Why even bother now?" Her throat itched to giggle, but she held it in. Well, at least she tried to. "Who cares about three hundred and seventy-five dollars stolen when your whole account's been rejected?!" She spat out in a maniac-like laughter and a few bystanders glanced at the sideshow. "I mean, what's left to lose, huh?" While the laughing seemed to stop, tears started to strain down from her blue eyes and her voice began to warble. "Nothing!" she initially spat at Carla, and then spelled it out to John, "No-thing." And with a slap on the marbled counter, she turned around to go back to her room.
When she finally arrived to her room, she nearly crawled to her now messed-up bed and laid her. For the longest time, she tried to figure out if the ceiling could give her answers. But no matter how much she tried, nothing could come through. Eagerly, she shot up and went through her luggage. She promptly took out her small black pouch and pulled out her passes for the Hannah Montana concerts that night. Her hands shook as she held them by the edges.
She thought about selling them as a vendor and get money that way, but she just noticed now that both the backstage pass and the ticket had her name imprinted in both. It scared her to think that they are expecting her to come. So, then, what should she do?
From the former of her eye, a bright pink handle precariously poked out from her suitcase. She wiped her eyes and smirked. Fate was not going to bring this girl down any time soon.
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Miley woke up to the smell of coffee next to her. She lifted her head up and smiled to her manager. "Wow, thanks Marge. You aren't usually this nice to me when you wake me up." She yawned and took her first sip. "This is perfect, thanks." Marge nodded and opened her binder and scribbled something on the paper.
The singer waved her hand to the side of the chair and tired to find something that's usually put there. She blinked a few times and turned her neck to see that her purse wasn't there. Unluckily for Marge, Miley spat her coffee out and sprayed her everywhere.
"Ey! What the hell?!"
"Where the hell's my purse?! Where is it?!" She set down her cup of coffee and frantically searched for her large pink purse. "Marge, help me! It has everything in there!" Miley ran around the green room and opened every single shelf and drawer.
"You mean the Louis Vuitton bag? Huh, now that you mention it, I didn't see it the whole night last night, or when we were driving away from the airport…" Marge shot her eyebrows up and Miley started to breathe heavily. Without Miley telling her what to do, the red head dialed to the airport.
After a few minutes of Miley pacing back and forth and Marge answering in short and quick answers to the phone, the brunette lost it. "This is ridiculous. I can't believe that couldn't find it! It has to be in there, it just has to be in there!"
"Miley," Marge checked the clock above the doorframe. "Stop and look at me. You have to get ready soon. More like right now. Get your act together and we'll look for your purse after the concert."
The pop star gaped. "Marge! Inside that bag has my personal stuff in there! If someone who gets it is a person desperate for money, he or she could sell me out! They could find out that I'm Miley Stewart, not Hannah Montana. That I'm just one person living two different lives! Marge, we've got to find that bag!"
Marge shook her by the shoulders. "Deep breathes Miley. Right now, just worry about the concert, okay? Time will pass by quickly and before you know it, we'll be looking for your purse again." It took a few seconds for the tall brunette to respond with only a small nod. "Good, now, go to the make-up room and wear your wig. I'll contact the airport again and I'll tell you if they have anything, okay? Do you understand me?" Miley nodded slowly once again. "Okay, now here's your wig," Marge gave her the blonde hair and finished up everything else for Miley's hairstyle in minutes. "Now go, you don't want to be late."
After her reassuring speech Miley's manager gave her, Miley walked quietly in thought all the way to the make-up and fitting room. What if the person who has her bag already did sell her out and the next morning everyone will hate her for lying to them? Or what if the person took the valuable stuff from the bag and sold it on the streets, including the Louis Vuitton bag itself? Or what if the person just threw it out and now it was sitting in the dump?
Miley choked. She didn't want this to happen. How could she forget one of her most possessed belongings in an airplane? She pinched herself for being so irresponsible. What the hell is wrong with me, she thought angrily.
She arrived at the door of where Hannah's dramatic transition to an idol in an instant. She took in a breath and opened the door.
And always as expected, the crowd of make-up artists and tailors came rushing towards her. The only thing that was in her mind was that she hoped that Jake hadn't called on her cell phone.
After a long thirty-five minutes, Miley as the international idol Hannah Montana was set. Thanking everyone who dressed her, she walked out to meet up with her back-up singers, dancers and her band. The thought of her purse being gone was still in her head, but she shouldn't let the thought of it bother her during the concert. Everyone was looking forward for this since weeks ago and finally the time came.
She and the whole crew huddled up and chanted. "We got this guys, another concert, just like always. Only this time, it's gonna be better. It's gonna be the best ever! Are we ready?!"
"Yea," they simultaneously yelled in loud bark. Miley nodded and led them out to the door which pointed out to the platform on Times Square. "Alright folks," she sighed loudly as she cracked her neck and stretched out her body and jaw. A stagehand gave her the infamous bejeweled microphone and she shook out her nerves for one last time. "It's Showtime."
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Lilly packed her backpack once again and, with no other choice but to walk all the way to Times Square. Having the only money she has left, she kept the ten dollars in her right jeans pocket and patted it for good luck. Walking over to the door, Lilly scanned the room once more. Her eyes adverted to where her suitcase was sitting on the floor. She smirked to herself as she walked out the room and went to the elevator. Her plan was foolproof and nothing will go wrong.
"I am one smart bitch," she smiled as the elevators slid to a close.
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The concert was better than Miley had expected. The city of New York closed the streets that lead to Times Square, which meant that the crowd was going to be big. And hell, was it big. Marge told her backstage that about ninety thousand people came which was about as big as the New Year's Eve event.
But the numbers of her fans was the least of her worries. Whenever she went backstage, she saw bags, purses, hand bags, literally anything with handles, Miley started to feel sick. Her stomach churned her throat became dry. Marge told her that she was still contacting Kennedy, but to no avail, they still have nothing.
"Thank you New York!! I had a great time! I'll see y'all next time! Love y'all!!" Miley went down the stairs and went to the refreshment room. Dancers jumped and skipped in joy, exclaiming that they enjoyed their night while the back-up singers chimed in beside Hannah and giggled about the fans who nearly climbed on the stage and gave the pop star a bouquet of flowers. Unfortunately for Miley, her mind was still on the bright neon pink purse that has all of her valuable possessions.
Out of nowhere, Marge pulled her aside and whispered in her ear. "Miley you have to meet up with the backstage fans now." The faux blonde nodded and they both made their way towards the general backstage area. Beads of sweat started to show on her forehead and Miley quickly wiped them off with her sleeve. She didn't know why she's acting like this all of a sudden; her breathing became labored, her palms became clammier, and her throat felt like someone was choking her. "Miley, breathe. We're going to find your purse soon enough, just chill." Again, Miley nodded, but it didn't seem like her words were coming through.
"Oh my god, there she is! It's Hannah Montana!" A moshpit of teens behind a few guards of bulky security screamed and waved their posters around. Miley refrained from rolling her eyes. Tried to, at least. Various ages from pre-teens to mid-aged people lined up for a photo and an autograph. Miley took a shaky breath and drew in a smile and waved towards the screaming teens and adults.
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The concert was good, Lilly thought. It would've been cooler if Hannah jumped down and ran in front of the crowd, but that would never happen. Hannah's too uptight, and Lilly has known that ever since they sat together in the airplane.
The line for Hannah's autograph went quickly and before she knew it, Lilly was next in line. "Next!" the bodyguard's deep voice boomed and shook her eardrums which gave Lilly goosebumps. Lilly smiled as Hannah waved to her and something inside her go bubbly like she was a little five year old again.
"Hi, thanks for coming to my concert!" Hannah took the picture Lilly was holding in her grasp and signed it on the table. "Did you have fun tonight?" Lilly nodded eagerly and handed her camera to a red-headed lady standing in front of them. The camera flashed and Hannah gave her a one armed hug.
Lilly took out something from her backpack and handed the singer a folded piece of paper. "Here, I have a note for you. Be sure to read it after you're done, because it's really important." Hannah raised an eyebrow in suspicion and gave it Marge.
"Sure," Hannah smiled toothy. A bit too toothy for Lilly.
"Okay, thanks so much! I had a great time!" Lilly then whispered, "Be sure to read that, I'm serious." The blue-eyed blonde stared directly into Hannah's blue-gray eyes for a second which seemed longer to the singer. "Okay, I'll see you later then. Bye!" Lilly giggled as she exited and left Hannah alone with a confused look.
"Wow," she mouthed to manager. The idol thought back to what the blonde girl just said to her. I'll see you later? What did she mean by that? Did she and Marge make a deal or something?
Fifteen more fans after that, Hannah was set for the after party with her crew. This meant drinking and Miley was totally ready for this. The party lasted for awhile and a bit more longer from what Miley expected. She had a blast and Marge didn't catch her drink things she wasn't supposed to drink. When everything else was clean and put away, Miley was ready to go home.
"Hey Marge," Miley walked over to the car that was driving her home. "You remember the girl who gave me the note?" Marge nodded as she clicked in her seat belt. "Yea, did you set up an appointment with her to meet me or something? 'Cuz she said that she'll meet me later…"
Marge shrugged, "I dunno, maybe she's just another compulsive fan or something. Oh by the way, I still have the note she gave you. You wanna read it?" She offered the folded piece of paper and Miley took it from her hands.
Carefully, she opened and saw the Hyatt logo at the top of the paper. Oh, so she's also staying at the Grand Hyatt? Miley is officially creeped out now. Little bubbly handwriting was written in neat lines horizontally underneath the hotel's title. It read:
Hannah—hey, my name's Lilly Truscott. You might have forgotten about me, but I sat next to you in first class. Anyways, to the main point. Are you missing your purse? Because I'm pretty sure that you must be looking for it. So for you information, I have it with me. And here's my proof: It's a bright neon pink Louis Vuitton bag with your initials engraved on the surface. That's yours right? So, I'll make you a deal. My cell phone number is at the bottom of the note. After you read this, call me and we'll make an appointment, kay? Thanks—Lilly
Miley's jaw dropped and shook her head at how blunt the note was. "Oh my god, I can't believe it. Some stupid person has my bag," she muttered. "Marge, get ready, we're gonna go make a deal with a dumbass." Marge raised an eyebrow and closed her binder on her lap. "Phil, step on it; we've got to hurry."
Poor Lilly...I hope things will go better for her. I wonder how her account got rejected. Up next, Hannah and Lilly meet up. Who's excited for that?!