I hope everybody had a great Fourth of July weekend!

At the risk of sounding redundant, thanks so much for all of the reviews/story alerts/favorites. They really mean the world to me, so thank you! Here's chapter four, and I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana or the Jonas Brothers...but I wish I did...

JLJLJLJLJL

Chapter 4

Lilly cheered encouragingly as she watched Miley and Olivia going through one of their cheerleading routines for the movie. They were in the gym practicing on mats before their cheerleading coach/trainer arrived to work through the routine with everyone, and the girls were having a little trouble with it.

"Lilly, can you give us a hand?" Miley begged in exasperation.

Lilly hopped to her feet and after a quick stretch, she walked over to Miley and Olivia. "I haven't really seen the routine, but I'll try." She had missed watching the first two practices because she had decided to hang with Oliver, who she felt was being a little neglected.

"I wrote it down here," Olivia said, handing Lilly a sheet of paper. Lilly studied it.

"What we're having trouble with is some of the jumps," Miley added. They weren't expected to a lot of the more complicated jumps, but they did need to know how to do a lot of the more common moves and jumps.

"I thought you already knew how to do some of this stuff, Miles," Lilly commented, looking up at her friend.

"I did…three years ago. When you haven't practiced for a while, it all kind of goes away," Miley shrugged. Lilly folded the sheet of paper that Olivia had given her and stuck it in her pocket.

"Okay, let's start with a tuck," Lilly suggested. "So you'll start with your arms in a high V, bring them down to cross at your knees, and as you come up, your legs are going to move into a tuck position, bringing your knees up to your chest, and come back down." Lilly demonstrated. "Ready to try it?"

Miley and Olivia nodded, and attempted it successfully a few times before moving on to the next one. They did a few more simple moves, such as the eagle spread jump, cartwheels and somersaults, and even tried a toe touch, a front hurdler and Miley was pretty good at doing a herkie.

Then Miley and Olivia sat down on the bleachers and decided to make Lilly demonstrate more complicated tumbles and jumps. The trainer came in early and sat down with them.

She called out some things moves for Lilly to try. After Lilly went through some of the harder gymnastics-type jumps and tumbles, the trainer was duly impressed. She thought back to the movie "Bring it On" and jokingly called out, "Front handspring step out, round-off back handspring step-out, round-off back handspring, full-twisting layout."

Lilly turned to the trainer, shrugged, and completed the tumbling pass. "And she sticks the landing!" she crowed triumphantly. She hadn't realized she had gathered an audience until she heard the applause behind her. Turning quickly, she gasped as she saw most of the cheerleading extras sitting in the bleachers, watching her and cheering. Mikayla was there, too, but she was sulking.

"Wow, Lilly, I didn't realize you were that good! I can't believe you remember all that!" Miley exclaimed, running up to the blonde, Olivia and the trainer at her side.

"How long have you been cheering? Or are you a gymnast?" the coach asked.

"I'm neither. Well, I was a cheerleader in eighth grade, but the only reason I made the squad was because I could do some of the stunts and stuff, and they had me doing some intense stunt training," Lilly answered. "A lot of it is similar to what I do on a skateboard, so it's not too hard."

"Whatever," Mikayla muttered as she made her way over to the group. "It's not like you did anything special."

Everyone else ignored her. "Well, if you're looking for a spot in the movie, we could always use another cheerleader to do some stunts," the trainer offered. But Lilly shook her head.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm just interested in relaxing this summer. But if you need help with anything, let me know!" She gestured towards Miley and Olivia. "And if you need help whipping these two into shape, I'll be happy to do it!"

Miley stuck her tongue out at her best friend, and Lilly giggled, then sat down in the bleachers, watching the cheerleaders rehearse. Nick came in half way through and sat with her, both of them shouting words of encouragement to the cast. After an hour or so of watching, they met up with Kevin and Oliver to play video games in the Jonas trailer.

"And I own you all again!" Oliver gloated, hoisting the Guitar Hero guitar over his head like a trophy. It was the fifth time he had kicked all of their butts.

"I don't understand it," Kevin whined. "I play the guitar, and I play this game all the time! How the heck are you better at it than me?"

"BOW DOWN TO THE MASTAAAAH!" Oliver went on, doing a strange sort of victory dance that looked like a pigeon's walk.

Lilly rolled her eyes. "Don't mind the donut. Let him cherish what few victories he has in life."

Oliver pouted. "You hate when I'm happy. You always have to crush my childlike enthusiasm." He turned to Kevin and Nick. "You know, she was the one who told me that there was no Santa."

Nick chuckled. "How old were you?"

"Twelve," Lilly answered, shaking her head in amusement. "He was pretty much devastated."

"And you enjoyed every second of it," Oliver pointed out. Lilly shrugged. She couldn't deny that.

Joe came storming into the trailer just then, script in hand, looking frustrated and annoyed. He slammed the door shut.

"No luck getting Mikayla to rehearse?" Kevin asked in commiseration.

"No!" Joe exclaimed in irritation. "Just now she said that she's too tired after that cheerleading session thing or whatever. She's always too busy or too tired or whatever, and it's so frustrating! If she doesn't want to work on our chemistry issue thing, fine, but it's hard memorizing blocking and stuff when you're rehearsing by yourself, and Kenny says I need to do a lot more work on this stuff. And since most of my scenes are with her it's almost impossible for me to get better!"

"I'll practice with you, if you want," Lilly offered. "I'd rather not get beaten by Oliver for the gazillionth time anyway."

Joe smiled gratefully at Lilly and that fluttering feeling that had seemed to plague her since the day she met him surfaced again. She fought it, though. Miley wants him, she reminded herself.

"Thanks," Joe sighed gratefully. He glanced towards Oliver and Kevin, who were obviously itching to get in another round of Guitar Hero. "I guess we should head somewhere else."

"I'm sure there's an empty classroom somewhere," Nick suggested, grabbing his script. "I'll go with you guys. There's only so much humiliation a guy can take."

"Have fun!" Kevin said cheerfully. Pointing to Oliver, his face darkened. "You. Rematch. Now."

Lilly, Nick and Joe headed back into the high school to find an empty classroom. "I didn't realize that your brother was so freakishly competitive," Lilly remarked.

"We all are," Nick admitted. "When we do something, we want to be the best at it, or at least do the best we can."

"Which is why I really need to rehearse and get all of my lines and blocking down. Oooh, let's go here!" Joe pulled them into the high school's theater turned on the lights. The theater was cavernous, dark walls, high ceilings, an elevated stage and at least 500 plush seats.

"You two go on stage," Nick ordered. "I'll sit out here."

Lilly looked confused when Joe handed her his script as they climbed on the stage. "You don't need it?"

"Nah," Joe answered dismissively. "I'm mostly memorized and if I forget a line, Nick will give it to me. We can start with my first big scene with Mikayla. It should be turned to the right page."

"Right…Where Rosalind says, 'If you need my help being normal…?'" Lilly asked, watching Joe move two tables into position on the stage.

Joe nodded. "Yeah. Well, with my line before that. You ready?" At Lilly's nod, he began. He grabbed Lilly's arm and dragged her to the center of the stage. "I need your help."

"If you want, er no—If you need my help being…normal, you—you're about seventeen years too late?" Lilly started hesitantly.

"Wait, Lil!" Nick called out, interrupting them. "It might help Joe more if you did said the lines with a little more…feeling and confidence."

Lilly blushed. "Oh…right…Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I'm grateful for whatever help you can give me," Joe reassured her.

"No, no…Nick's right. If I'm going to help you, I'll do the best I can. I don't know if I'm much of an actress, but I'll try. Let's start again."

"Okay…" Joe grabbed Lilly's arm again. "I need your help."

"If you need my help being normal, you're about seventeen years too late," Lilly muttered with a little more confidence.

Joe smirked at her. "Original. But that's not what I'm talking about. I need your help—or rather, Ramona and Julian need your help."

"Oh," Lilly said innocently. She looked down at the script. "With what?"

"Look, don't play dumb. You're way too good at it." Lilly glared at him. "I know you know that Julian and Ramona are dating—or at least, they want to, and it's no surprise to you that their parents don't want them to. Hell, this entire school doesn't want them together."

"Yes." Lilly's face was unreadable, one hand on her hip the other holding the script.

"You're Ramona's best friend."

"Yes" she repeated cautiously.

Joe ran a hand through his hair, his expression was pained and he spoke quickly, as if saying it faster would make it less painful. "Julian asked me to ask you to help them."

Lilly let out an incredulous laugh. "I'm sorry, could you please repeat that?"

Joe winced and shut his eyes tightly. "Please don't make me say it again. This was Julian's idea, not mine."

She stared at him a long moment. Glancing briefly down at the script, she rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine. But what makes you—or rather, Julian, think that I'd help them sneak around? I'm a cheerleader, remember? And he's the mysterious, antisocial rocker. I'm not supposed to want to see them together."

Joe opened his eyes quickly. "But you didn't say that you don't want to see them together."

Another long, considering glance. "No. No, I guess I didn't."

"Come on, Roz," Joe pleaded, moving to lean back against a table. "I know you're a good friend and you want to see Ramona happy."

"Maybe. But what's in it for you?" Lilly asked cynically, leaning against the other table.

"Julian is my best friend. That's all the reward I need."

Lilly glanced down at the script and scoffed again. "Right…and what's in it for me?"

Joe smiled. "The chance to make your best friend happy...and the chance to buck the system you so desperately loathe."

"You can't know that I loathe it," Lilly said crossing her arms, really getting into the moment and gaining confidence.

Without warning Joe straightened, approaching Lilly with a catlike grace. He placed his arms on either side of her, trapping her against the table. "Oh, but I do know... Otherwise you wouldn't be talking to anyone as socially unacceptable as me."

Lilly rolled her eyes and glanced at the script once again. "You're not that socially deplorable. That's hardly proof that I loathe 'the system,' as you so eloquently put it."

"Alright then, how about that time you snapped at Olivia for making fun of Marty Turkoglu in the hall, then made it a point to sit with him at lunch the next day? Or the fact that you regularly converse with the band nerds and the science geeks?"

"Don't call them that," Lilly snapped.

Leaning in, Joe's eyes bored into hers, "Or the fact that you play basketball when you think no one's looking, or that you hide a skateboard in your locker, you wear sneakers instead of heels on most days, and you purposely wear a green ribbon in your hair when all the other cheerleaders are wearing gold ones. You're a rebel on the inside, Roz. Just like me."

"You don't know me," she whispered, placing her hands on his chest, weakly attempting to push him away. Lilly's breath hitched at Joe's proximity and her voice faltered a bit.

Joe reached out and gently touched her face. "Yes, I do. And that's what frightens you. I know that you're a nice person who doesn't really buy into this clique crap and that you're a good friend who wants to help me. Please say you will."

"I don't know," Lilly hedged.

"Come on, Roz. Please," Joe begged.

After a long moment of silence, Lilly—or rather, her character, relented. "Fine. Tell Julian to meet Ramona after school by the old art building. The only ones who go by there these days are the stoners, but they don't come by until at least an hour after school. The doors should be unlocked. Ramona and Julian can hang out there for a little while, and you and I will keep watch. If anyone does happen to see us, we'll tell them that you're using me as a model for a photography project. You're in that class, right?" Lilly looked up from the script to look at Joe expectantly.

"Yeah. Wow, you think fast!"

Lilly smirked. "Not really. I came up with the plan in first period this morning."

"First period—Wait, so you were just stringing me along?" Joe demanded, looking upset.

"Yup."

He shook his head. "I was practically begging you to help, and you were planning to all along?"

"Mmmhmm. Ramona asked me about it this morning." Lilly gently pushed at his chest again and Joe moved back easily, allowing her to move. "Thanks for the character assessment, and I'll be sure to tell Julian that he has such a loyal friend."

"I hate you," Joe muttered sourly as Lilly walked away.

"Right back atcha, buddy. And one more thing…" She paused, then turned and walked back towards him until they were practically nose-to-nose. She resisted the urge to lean in just a little bit closer. "Call me Roz again, and you won't like the consequences." Tapping him on the nose, she winked and walked a few feet away.

From the audience, Nick clapped loudly. "That was amazing, guys!"

Lilly giggled and holding her arms out as if holding a skirt, curtsied. "Thank you, thank you."

"You're really good at the whole cold reading thing," Joe praised Lilly. "Except for a few parts here and there, I never would have guessed you hadn't rehearsed this before."

She beamed. "Thanks! I've had to read scripts and stuff with Miley, both for school and for Hannah stuff, so I've had a little practice at it."

"It was so weird," Nick commented from the audience. "It was seriously like I was seeing Marcus and Rosalind, and not Joe and Lilly. But there is some stuff we should work on…I mean, Joe should work on." Nick talked them through a few parts that they needed to work on, and by the time they were done, it seemed like Joe felt really good about this particular scene.

"That was so much fun!" Joe exclaimed as the trio exited the theater. Lilly and Nick laughed.

"It was," Lilly agreed. "If you ever need help again, just let me know!"

"Definitely," Joe sighed. "I'm not excited about doing this scene with Mikayla tomorrow. It won't be nearly as much fun."

Nick nodded. "I've seen a couple of your rehearsals. If only you and Mikayla had half the chemistry you and Lilly do, it would be fantastic."

Both Lilly and Joe froze. "Um, what?" Joe asked nervously.

"You and Lilly have great chemistry," Nick repeated. "On the stage, I mean."

The other two teens laughed nervously. Lilly forced a smile. "Oh. Right."

Remember Miley, she thought to herself. Think of Miley. But when she looked at Joe, all she could think of was how close she had come to kissing him.

JLJLJLJLJL

So I hope I didn't make Lilly seem too perfect or whatever…But this all is setting up for the rest of the story, and it gives Lilly and Joe an opportunity to spend more time together! As for Lilly being a good actress just from reading the script, I don't think it was too implausible. I know from experience that some people are just really good at cold reading (I'm one of them…in fact, I'm better at cold reads than in actual performances…)

Anyway, I'd totally love it if you guys reviewed to tell me what you thought of this chapter! What you liked, what you didn't like, constructive criticism…It would be amazing if you guys reviewed!

Thanks for reading!
-v