My first year at this school and the soccer season was at a close. Only thing left to do was… wait for the annual soccer cup. So basically I had a two-month break from school soccer to focus on other things. Which mean that I had to get a life.

I walked down the hall skipping with a beat, rounding the corner into the cafeteria. I bumped into a hard chest on the way.

"Hey slow down champ!" his arm took mine and he swung me into his hip in a bone crushing side hug.

"Nick." I groaned, my face stuffed into his rib cage. "Cannot breathe."

He chuckled at my pain noises. "Sorry, want some of my bagel? It's cinnamon swirl!"

"Mm, from Panera?" I questioned.

"Why yes of course!" he grinned, handing over his bagel.

"Sure," I said, grabbing it from his hands and taking a big bite.

"Maybe I should have gotten two." He mumbled. Then he smiled at me and guided me out of the cafeteria.

"So how was your night?" he continued, his hand placed chastely on my back.

"Oh, you know, it was pretty good. I had nobody to talk to though cause everyone was watching that jersey shore episode. I don't see what the big hit is about it." He laughed and I continued. "I tried watching it, but I just felt my brain melting to goo."

"I agree. What's the big deal of people watching other people get stupid?" I grinned and took his hand in mine.

"You know, I bet we're the only people in this school who don't watch that stupid show."

He whispered in my ear, "Even the teachers?"

"Yes, even the teachers." An onlooker would think we looked like a couple at the flower store picking out flowers for our wedding.

"Hey Nick, hey Miley," a girl who I did not know said as she made her way down the hallway towards us.

"Hey Danielle," Nick said, giving her a nod. I just smiled politely since I had no idea who she was. She continued to walk past us and out the door to the next hall.

Nick turned to me, a smirk on his face. "You really don't remember who that is?" he was having fun with this.

I scoffed. "What are you talking about? Why would I remember her? I don't really know her."

Suddenly it hit me. The beautiful long straight hair, the perfect make-up every time she put it on. Danielle. At the PVI game, she was nice to me unlike the girls apart from Jasmine.

"Wow, how could I forget Danielle."

He laughed at me, letting me go for a moment as he opened up his locker. "I know, you guys hit it off so well at the PVI game."

"True, but you know that I have an awful memory when it comes to social events."

He turned to me. "No, I did not know that."

I shrugging, pecking him on the cheek and walking away.

"Where you going?" He called out.

I turned slightly giving a smirk. "See you later Nick."

…

The day went as usual: slow, boring, and uneventful. During homeroom the PA announced that there would be an interest meeting for basketball soon seeing as tryouts were just around the corner. I wasn't a big basketball fan, but I did play competitively for four years. I really only wanted to try out so I could be on another team, and to help occupy/stay in shape seeing as soccer was over for school.

Nobody quite understood my reasoning on this, but at least Nick was supportive of me playing basketball. And of course, those few guys that I schooled during lunch that one-day. Eric and Brandon were their names I believe.

I haven't really talked to them since a week or two ago since we don't really see each other and they all have this thing that they do every weekend to prepare for basketball and hockey season (not that I really cared or wanted to go to that).

I walked over to my lunch table, the babbling of a random girl filling my ears as I sat down. I turned to watch her speak. "I'm so excited this is insane! I mean, I've been waiting all year for this and now its so close and I just can't stop flipping out! I need to make this team; I want to make this team so bad, and I can almost taste it!"

It was Cristina from the soccer team. She was always a favorite of the coach, but only in practice. Which of course, didn't make any sense to me.

There she was, begging and begging God to help her make the basketball team. Apparently she tried out last year, and they told her that she was too small. That didn't stop her from thinking she would make it this year though.

Not that she grew either.

"Hey." Nick kissed my cheek and took the empty seat beside me. A couple 'aws' rang from the people around my table.

"Hello there Nicholas," I said, turning my body so my legs were in between his.

"I missed you," he whispered. He leaned in again, about to kiss me.

"NO PDA!" a random lady yelled.

We split apart fast.

"That's high school for you," he mumbled, taking my hand under the table. He turned to me. "You hungry?"

"Uh kind of, maybe just for some fruit." He gave me a look.

"Oh please, soccer is over. Its time to pig out!" I smiled at him, knowing that he was only repeating what I had said last night when we were text messaging.

"Unoriginal."

"Conceited."

"Lunatic."

"Cute."

"Sweet."

"Delicious."

"Hot."

Sydney and Olivia punched me in the back. "Would you two shut up? I'm trying to eat here," Olivia said.

I smiled cheekily at Nick, knowing that he'd do the same. It was one of those moments where you knew that it would make everyone at the table get up.

The bustling of chairs sounded, the table getting cleared as Nick laughed along with me.

"Want to go outside and have lunch?" I nodded, picking up my backpack and following him through the cafeteria.

"Here," he said, placing his stuff down on the ground against the wall. "I'll go get us some food." With that he left.

I sighed, sliding down the wall and plopping to the ground. I looked around, the basketball court empty, as the air was cold; my hands were pretty close to numb. I pulled the sleeves of my jacket down to cover my fingertips, the warmth making me smile.

"Hey," someone whispered. I looked up and saw Jason.

I quickly stood up, half angry half excited. So I hit him. "Did you not have the decency to tell me what has been going on in your life?" I half yelled at him.

He chuckled lightly, his smile not meeting his eyes at all. "Well, it's a long story. But I really want to tell you that this is my last day here."

I just stared at him for a second. No comprehensible words forming in my mind, the only thing I could think to do was reach out and hug him – but even that didn't seem good enough.

"You don't have to say anything, I understand." He offered, his shoulders shrugging slightly. I sprung forward, clinging to his body and pressing my face tightly to his chest.

"Why Jay? And why wait until today to tell me?" I mumbled into his shirt-, the tears surely coming any moment now.

"My mom got cancer, and well, my dad can't support all of us so we're going to live with my aunt for a while. At least until my older brother get's to college and everything."

I didn't remove myself from his hold, savoring the time I had left with him.

"Miley, I just want you to know that I'll always be here for you, even if I can't physically be here with you." I smiled at this, his hand stroking my hair as we still stood attached.

"I really don't want you to leave Jason. These few weeks we've been friends, really meant the world to me. I don't know if I'll find anyone here who relates to me as much as you do, and I'm scared." We pulled away finally, our arms still outstretched and gracing each others'. His lips were curved into this cute crooked smile.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'll text you every day! And a phone call at least once a month. Then, we'll have to skype all the time too!" I grumbled out the things that I told my brother when he left. He of course, only did the text messaging part.

"Of course I will Mi!" he said half-heartedly.

"Thanks for the enthusiasm Jason!" I said, slapping him playfully on the shoulder. "Um, so are you like leaving the state tomorrow?"

He kissed my cheek, his lips lingering a little too long. "Yeah. But I'll call you when I get there."

"Thanks."

"Oh, and forgive me for being rude, but I heard about you and the Nick Jonas," he said, sarcasm just dripping from his voice.

I knew this one was coming. "Come on Jay, we should spend our last moments together talking about you, not my social life!"

"It's your love life, thus meaning it pertains to you, and I am involved with everything you do! Henceforth, we're still talking about you in an indirect way!"

"Stupid honors geek," I said, his face tightening in fake disgust.

"You're hilarious Miles," he said, chuckling at me. "God," he took a deep breath and looked straight into my eyes. "I'm going to miss you."

"B-F-F-F-E?" I asked.

"What does that mean?" he wondered, but you could just tell he was containing his smile.

"It means, best friends for freaking ever!" he gave me a quizzical look.

"Oh who cares, get it in here!" and he pulled me in for another hug.

Someone coughed behind us.

We didn't move.

Then he spoke…

"Hello there Nick," Jason said, of course being the bigger man after what happened during that PVI game.

"Hey Jason, how have you been?" liar. He didn't care. At least, I don't think he did.

"Great, and yourself?"

"Awesome."

It was silent for a second, but Jason then took me completely out of his arms to head back inside. "Well, this was fun, and Miley I'll call you. Bye Nick."

Nick turned to me as my friend who would just add to the list of people leaving me went inside. "What was that about?" he asked.

"Seriously Nick? I can't have a conversation with a friend without you needing to know what happened?"

He gave me a look. "Miley, you know that's not what I meant. You guys just both looked sad, okay?" he took a step toward me, the food in his hands making a scent of deliciousness.

And now I was hungry. Or, I just wanted to move on from the subject.

"So, what's for lunch?"

…

"Thank you all for attending, and I hope that you will be at tryouts."

People started shuffling towards the door, the fifteen minutes of boring that was called a basketball meeting ending finally.

"I'm so excited!"

"I seriously cannot wait for this, I mean I've been running a lot to get ready for tryouts!"

"Wow, this is so professional!"

I almost felt bad. I mean, I had a feeling that I would make the team even though I haven't played basketball in a while, and that all these people who wanted to make it so much wouldn't – while there I would be, a person who didn't really care either way would make the team.

"Hey you were pretty quiet at the meeting." Olivia came up behind me. She felt the same about basketball – it was only worth our time so we could stay in shape over the winter break.

"I know, I didn't feel like commenting on anything."

"Rough day?" we walked down the hallway, our backpacks sluggishly on our backs as our feet dragged across the floor. We were both lazy together, which was something I loved of the girl who did practically everything that I did.

She understood me, well, better than most people here did. She got that I put up this front like I don't care because I'm tired of being pushed around or hurt. So I don't let people know how I'm feeling anymore, it's not worth it.

"You could say that," I mumbled.

Nick then came up and Olivia said bye.

"Want to go out to eat? My treat. I was a jerk during lunch today, and I'm sorry." He offered, his eyes meeting mine.

A door slammed in the background, making us both look up. It was Brooke, stumbling in with a lot of stuff in her hands and her eyes glazed over. Nick kept his gaze on her a lot longer than I did, making me mad. Everyone kept telling me about what he did.

I didn't want to believe it.

Sadly, it was just too obvious. It's like everything that I say to defend him goes unheard. Nobody will listen, because they don't believe me when I say that he's not like that. It's like I'm talking to myself.

"Sure," I said, making his head jerk back to me. "I'd love to eat. But they better have good milkshakes."

I'm so sorry! It's been almost two weeks since i've updated. I accidentally wrote the chapter that would be AFTER this one, and then i forgot that i still hadn't written this one! So i'm truly sorry, and the next update will come out on MONDAY. I promise. No exceptions. And if i lie (WHICH I WON'T) then you all have permission to yell at me.

Please review. I haven't gotten any reviews recently. I know i've been really busy and the updates aren't as regular, but that will change now that Midterms are all over and the transition into semester two for school is settling in. And the spring sports season doesn't start for another week or so. (When that does, we might have a problem)

So this is almost over, but not really. It will be over in a sense that this story is done, but I have a sequel. This story will end at the middle of the year for Miley's sophomore year. You know, right after midterms and all of that good stuff. And the sequel will pick up right after that. :) excited? i am. Review please. PLEASE.

Emily. Whisper hello, i miss you quite terribly.