My dear, dear readers, why have you not learned to trust me by now? You ought to know I never mess with our beloved Miley and Oliver without giving you a very big pay off in the end. Read and enjoy. And then review. ;)

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Part Eight

"Hey, Miley, what's wrong?" Lilly waved a hand in front of my face.

I snapped out of my death stare. "That boy has some serious explaining to do." I balled my hands into fists and started across the parking lot.

"What boy?" Lilly trailed after me. Then suddenly she let out a little yelp. "Miley, no!"

Both she and Jackson leaped in front of me and grabbed my arms.

"Let go of me!" I struggled against them. Oh yes, I was going to march right over there and demand to know what he was doing in Malibu with my cousin when he was supposed to be in Santa Barbara with his grandma.

"Miley, calm down," Lilly soothed.

"Calm down!? How can I calm down when I just found out my boyfriend is cheating on me!? The little liar! How could he do this to me!? With her!" I sprang free.

Jackson grabbed me by the waist and hoisted me over his shoulder. I started kicking, but he didn't put me down. He carried me over to a bench outside Wally's and plopped me onto it.

Lilly caught my hand in hers. "Miley, listen to me, you can't freak out about this."

I was crying now. "But he's cheating on me."

"Oh, would you listen to yourself?" Lilly rubbed my hand. "Oliver is totally into you. I'm sure whatever he's doing he has a perfectly good reason for doing it."

"Easy for you to say." I brushed at my tears with my free hand. "Your boyfriend isn't cheating on you with the devil herself."

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"So not the point."

Lilly sighed. "Miley, you have to learn to trust him. Don't you know anything about Oliver?"

"I know that he's never lied to me before."

"Well, maybe you should talk to him first before you accuse him of anything."

"That's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna go over there right now and force him to tell me the truth." I glared across the street.

Oliver and Bobbi were getting into his car. Getting into his car!? I jumped up. Jackson pushed me back down.

"You're not going anywhere like this," Lilly said. "Why don't you come home with me for a little while and cool down."

"But what are they doing? Where are they going? Oh my gosh, what if they end up in the back row of a movie theater making out?"

"Geez, you have quite the imagination there," Lilly said. "I think the sun will probably burn out before that happens."

"Up you go, Miles," Jackson said. "Let's get you to Lilly's."

I spent the next two hours curled up in a ball on Lilly's bed. I couldn't stop thinking about Oliver and Bobbi Sue. I imagined all sorts of things they were doing together and it drove me crazy. I tried to call Oliver three times before Lilly finally stole my cell phone and hid it.

I didn't understand how she could be so calm. She should've been freaking out with me, sending Oliver hateful text messages, helping me devise some ingenious plan to get them both back for betraying me. But she just sat there humming and braiding her hair like some love-struck fool.

It made me sick.

Finally Lilly announced that she was hungry. "Let's go see if your Dad cooked up anything good for dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

She made me go anyway. We walked back to my house, and with each step I felt the world heaving under my feet. No one loved me anymore. My dad forgot to bring me pancakes in bed, my boyfriend cheated on me, my best friend didn't care that this was the worst day of my life, and Jackson didn't even say "happy birthday."

Lilly pushed me ahead of her toward the back door. I wasn't even looking where I was going. I just plowed right through, intending to head straight upstairs to my room.

Lilly jerked me backwards, and that was when I realized that the entire house was filled with people.

"Surprise!" They shouted in unison.

My jaw? Totally dropped to the floor. No way! A surprise party? Tell me I wasn't the only one who didn't see that coming!

My dad walked up to me and enveloped me in a giant hug. "Happy birthday, Bud."

I hugged him tighter than I'd ever hugged him before. I felt my eyes burning with tears. The relief was overwhelming.

"You all right?" Robbie held me at arm's length.

I nodded. "I just…you…everyone…"

Wow. Talk about an emotional roller coaster.

"Miles?" Oliver stepped up to me with a smile that lit his whole face. "Now that you know the truth, you forgive me for the grandma story, right?"

Okay, I know I was supposed to be raving mad at him for running off with Bobbi Sue, but at that moment, more than anything else, I just wanted reassurance that he still felt something for me. The explanations could wait. All I wanted was a word or a look or something so that I'd know he was still mine.

I lifted my eyes to his. In a moment he seemed to understand. He opened his arms wide and drew me into a long, gentle embrace.

I could have stayed there forever. He was so strong, and it felt so right, and I was afraid the moment I stepped back I would doubt again. So I stayed in his arms until finally he pulled away.

Jackson rolled through the living room on roller blades with a tray of appetizers in his hand. "All right, enough huggy-huggy. Let's eat! I've been smellin' these babies for two hours!"

All my friends swarmed around me to wish me happy birthday. It was all a blur. The only thing I remembered was that a half hour in, I was practically giddy with happiness. It's really amazing how a fantastic ending to a day can completely erase all the bad things that happened before it.

Or at least, that's what I thought when I was stuffing pizza and mozzarella sticks down my throat.

After dinner and presents the party moved outside into the clear, cool night. Some of the guests started up a volleyball game, and others hung around in little circles talking. Lilly found me after a while and hugged me again.

"We didn't mean for you to see Oliver and Bobbi in the parking lot," she said apologetically. "I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry you had to freak out for so long."

"Where is Bobbi Sue anyway?" I asked. Not that I wanted to see her or anything, but it's always good to know the whereabouts of your number one enemy.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her since we got here." Lilly squeezed my arm. "Oh! Oliver's turning up the music. Do you think Jackson will ask me to dance?"

I rolled my eyes. "The last time Jackson danced, people threw coins at him because they thought he was a homeless person."

"So what?" She lifted her chin. "You don't think I can dance like a homeless person, too?" She did her best impression, and I laughed.

"Lilly, I think you're the only person in the world who has the ability to make Jackson's dancing look good."

Lilly frowned at me. "Is that a compliment? Because if it's not, I'm returning your birthday gift."

Oliver walked up to us and interrupted. "Mind if I take this beautiful birthday girl for a spin around the backyard?"

I glanced up at him. He really did look wonderful tonight. Especially when he smiled.

"Miles?" He held out his hand.

Oh, crap. I can't resist him.

We danced for a while in silence, and then finally I could bear it no longer. I had to know what was going on. "Oliver, why were you and Bobbi at the grocery store this afternoon?"

He twirled me under his arm. "Well, we got everything all set up and then we realized we'd forgotten the vanilla ice cream. You know, to go with the chocolate cake. Did I tell you? I got my grandma to bake you a triple-layer chocolate cake. Wait till you see it! My mouth's been watering all day."

I didn't like the way he'd said "we." It made me a little queasy.

"So it was you and Bobbi who planned my birthday party, then?" I asked.

"Yeah. We've been working on it all week. I didn't want her to help at first, but then she had all these great ideas and I knew you liked her style, so I figured 'what the heck', I can put up with her for a week, right?"

Was he trying to make me feel better about this? Because it wasn't working. All I could think about were all the times she had called him and all the hours he had spent with her. Did they have fun together? Did she flirt with him? I mean, yeah, the decorations were classy and colorful, the food was delicious, and all the guests were having a blast. But I didn't care about that. It hurt to think Oliver had ditched me all those times for her.

"Miles, don't let it get to you, okay?" He held me close. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I only did it because I wanted you to have the best birthday surprise ever."

He sounded so sincere, it was hard not to believe him. I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.

What was the big deal anyway? I didn't want to be one of those controlling, jealous girlfriends who never lets her boyfriend ever hang out with another girl. And probably if it had been anyone but Bobbi Sue, I wouldn't have cared at all. But that's just the point. It was Bobbi Sue.

When I opened my eyes I noticed that Jackson and Lilly were dragging a big table out onto the grass.

"It's time for SpongeBob Uno!" Jackson hollered.

"SpongeBob Uno with a twist!" Lilly said. "Every time you play a wild card you have to pick up a card from this stack and act out whatever wild animal is on the back."

I rolled my eyes at Oliver. "Tell me SpongeBob Uno wasn't your idea."

"Are you kidding me? SpongeBob Uno rocks!" He took my hand. "Let's go play."

I have to admit, as the game progressed, I found it hard to stay mad at anyone. It really was a fantastic party, and if Bobbi Sue had been far away in Tennessee, I would have been in love with everything and everyone around me. I know Oliver lied, but throwing me a surprise party? Totally sweet of him.

Where was Bobbi Sue anyway?

About an hour into the game – and yes, SpongeBob Uno is the game that never ends – Oliver leaned over and handed me his stack of cards. It was a very big stack.

"Could you play a couple rounds for me? I'm gonna go get another piece of pizza."

"Sure."

He hadn't been gone for more than two minutes when I got a horrible sneaking suspicion. Forgetting about the game, I put my cards down and went after him.

I walked up onto the porch and put my hand on the doorknob. I was about to open it when I noticed movement in the kitchen. I watched with wide eyes as Bobbi Sue grabbed a handful of Oliver's shirt and leaned forward to kiss him.

I turned and fled. I couldn't watch. It was like someone had reached in with both hands and twisted my heart in two. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't do anything but run. I ran through the backyard and down to the beach, and didn't stop running until at last I collapsed breathlessly onto the sand.

All my fears had come true. Somehow a week with Bobbi Sue had erased five years of a beautiful friendship. She had replaced me. She had won. If she'd set out to ruin my life, she had succeeded.

I sat there on the sand crying until there were no tears left to cry. It seemed like hours that I sat in that empty stillness, listening to the waves breaking and the voices of people drifting down the beach.

Then I heard footsteps behind me.

"Miley?"

I brushed the tears from my cheeks. "Go away." I so did not want to talk to him right now. Or ever.

"Miley, what's wrong?" Oliver crouched in front of me.

Oh, like he didn't know. "I said, go away."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

I glared up at him. "Fine! You want to do this now? I think we should break up."

It was dark, but I still saw the horror flash across his face. "What?"

"You heard me."

"No, Miley…why?" He sounded completely devastated, but I refused to let that bother me. I wasn't the one caught kissing someone else's evil cousin.

"There are hundreds of reasons, Oliver!" I stood up angrily. "Figure it out for yourself!"

I spun away from him and started walking. He followed me.

"Miles, I'm sorry I lied to you. I just…I wanted to surprise you. I thought it would be cool if you didn't expect me to be there and then suddenly I was. Please don't be mad at me."

Did he really think that was why I was upset?

"Oliver, it's over, okay. Just leave me alone."

"No."

I walked faster. New tears flowed steadily down my face. "Stop following me! I don't want to talk to you."

"Miley, please don't do this." He was hot on my heels. "I'll make it up to you. I'll do anything. I'm sorry."

"Good grief!" I cried. "Why can't you just accept that it's over and leave me alone?"

"Because I love you!"

I froze in my tracks. In a single, fleeting moment, my whole world shifted. Something deep inside me cracked, something so real and powerful that I almost couldn't bear to feel it. The words he had spoken…I had never heard anything so beautiful in my entire life.

I turned and faced him, almost afraid to speak lest it shatter the moment. "Then why did you kiss her?" I whispered.

He looked confused. "What?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about."

"Wait…you saw that?"

"Of course I saw that! Why do you think I'm crying?"

His expression softened, and he reached out to touch me. "Miley, I didn't kiss her."

"Don't lie to me! I was standing right there!" I drew away from him.

"For how long?" he challenged. "Because if you'd been there for more than half a second, you would've seen me push her away! Miles, I don't like her, not even a little. She's bossy and judgmental and a complete bore to listen to. I only put up with her because I wanted your birthday to be special." He touched my cheek. "How could you think I would ever want to kiss anyone but you?"

The look on his face was so earnest, it was impossible not to believe him. "You pushed her away?" I squeaked.

He laughed a little. "Right into your chocolate cake, too. I hope you didn't want any."

The thought of Bobbi Sue covered in chocolate cake made me smile. She was probably in the bathroom crying right now.

"And you really don't like her?"

"Not at all!" He shuddered at the thought. "Miles, you want to know the very first thing she ever said to me? She said if I didn't dress nicer and cut my hair and start taking you out to fancy restaurants, I would lose you."

"Boy, that's crazy talk! Don't you ever let her anywhere near your head with a pair of clippers!"

"Well, I was this close to taking her advice. But you know why I didn't?"

"Why?"

"Because when we were at the studio last week, you liked my ideas. You thought I was creative. You saw me differently than everyone else sees me. Miley –" He slid his arms around my waist. "You're the only girl I've ever met who makes me want to be myself."

I don't know what it was exactly – his voice, his touch, the look in his eyes – but folks, they don't come any sweeter than that.

"Wow, Oliver," I said. "You're really good at this."

He raised an eyebrow. "Good enough that you're not going to do anything stupid like breaking up with me?"

I smiled. "Oh, definitely."

When we finally returned to my house it was late, and almost all of the guests were gone. Lilly and Jackson and my dad were cleaning up the backyard. Oliver took my hand and led me inside. "Hey, I want to show you something."

He made me sit down on the couch and turned out the lights. Then he puttered with something on the coffee table and suddenly the TV flicked on.

An image popped up on the screen. It was video footage of me yapping into the camera on our eighth grade camping trip. I glanced curiously at Oliver.

"Keep watching," he insisted.

One by one the memories flashed before my eyes. Dress rehearsals for the school play in sixth grade when I won the coveted role of the giant bean stalk. The beach party one summer when I braided my hair and stuck wires into it so I'd look like Pippy Longstocking. My fourteenth birthday when I wore that hideous kitty sweater. The burning ceremony of the hideous kitty sweater. Our principal's last day of school. The time the Cracker dressed me up like a salad in the cafeteria. Me eating carrots and peanut butter. Me drawing myself a moustache with Oliver's grandma's chocolate cake. My American literature "I got an 'Aaaa'" dance. Lilly was in there, Daddy and Jackson were in there. Oliver was in there. Everyone and every memory that meant something to me was on that video.

I didn't realize I was crying until the screen went fuzzy. I looked over at Oliver and found him watching me expectantly.

Mom said I would know when the time came, that I wouldn't have any doubts. I couldn't possibly know what the future would hold, but one thing I did know: there never was and never would be another Oliver.

For the longest moment neither of us spoke. Then I leaned over and touched his arm.

"Oliver?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

He drew me into his arms and kissed me as he never had before. Boldly, fervently, like a young man exploring love for the first time. His mouth was warm and sweet and his hands slid over my back with surprising strength. It was unbelievably mind-blowing. All I could do was shiver under his touch and wonder what I had ever done to deserve this. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life and I wished I could live it over again a thousand more times.

"Miles," he whispered against my lips, "does this mean you liked the video?"

"It was perfect." I touched his brow, slid my hand down his cheek.

He gazed at me for a long moment, then drew me back to him, kissing me hungrily.

Bobbi Sue stormed in through the back door, slammed it behind her, and marched straight up the stairs.

I pulled away from Oliver. "I have to talk to her."

"No…" He kissed along my jaw.

"I'll come back, silly. I just have to sink my teeth into her first."

"Oh, all right."

I found Bobbi Sue in the bathroom. She was still trying to get the chocolate out of her hair.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"I want to know what little trick you thought you were going to pull with my boyfriend."

She cast me a pointed gaze through the mirror. "What do you think I was doing?"

"The same thing you've been trying to do since you stepped foot in my house. Break us up."

She looked away.

"But see, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't do it. Because I'm not stupid enough to listen to you anymore, and Oliver isn't stupid enough to fall for your wily ways." I crossed my arms. "You're lucky he only pushed you into my cake. I would have pushed you into something a lot less cushiony."

Bobbi Sue pursed her lips together. "For some reason you still choose to willfully accuse me of meddling in your life. I'm sorry you refuse to see that I'm only trying to help."

"Oh, put a cork in it. We both know you've been trying to destroy my relationship with Oliver. My only question is…why?"

I saw something in Bobbi Sue's eyes that I had never seen before, and suddenly I realized that I already knew the answer. She would never admit to the truth, but she was jealous. Crazily, insanely jealous. From the very start she had seen what Oliver and I had, and had coveted it. She had never had a relationship as meaningful as ours, and if she couldn't have it, then we couldn't have it, either.

"That's the only reason you stayed an extra week, isn't it?" I asked. "To try one more tactic. To see if you could get Oliver to cheat on me. And when he didn't, you decided the only thing left to do was to try and kiss him in front of me."

Bobbi Sue picked up her hairbrush and brushed her hair. "If you're waiting for a confession," she said calmly, "you're not going to get one."

"That's okay." I smiled at her. "Because tomorrow morning you're getting on a plane, and I'm going to be happier than I've ever been before because I know Oliver loves me. But you…you'll still be just as miserable as you were the day you got here."

I didn't wait to see the look on her face. I turned and left.

Downstairs Oliver was rummaging through the DVD collection. "Want to watch a movie?" he asked.

"Sure! You pick, and I'll pop us some popcorn."

I opened the cabinet and looked for the popcorn. I couldn't find any, so I looked in all the drawers and on all the shelves. I knew Daddy had just bought a new box, so there was only one other explanation.

I groaned. "Jackson."

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked.

"He hid the popcorn again."

"Why would he hide the popcorn?"

"Because he's using it as squirrel bait."

Oliver looked confused. "Do squirrels like popcorn?"

"How should I know?"

"I thought he and Gimpy were getting along."

"They are…sort of."

"Then why –"

"I have no idea. Hang tight, let me go ask him where it is."

I slipped out the back door and started across the yard. I was about to call out Jackson's name when I spotted him and Lilly over by the tree house.

Lilly was sitting on a wooden swing that hung from a tree branch, and Jackson was standing next to her. They were talking quietly.

"I'm glad you decided to finish the tree house," Lilly said.

"Well, I'm a lot better with a two-by-four than a basketball."

Sure he is.

"I like this swing." Lilly's feet dangled just above the ground. "It's very swingy."

"I know." Jackson puffed his chest out. "I'm even better with rope."

"No, you're not," Lilly argued. "The last time you tried to make something with a piece of rope you ended up tying yourself to the top of your car and I had to go hunting for scissors so I could cut you down. I got three scratches on my arm from digging through the craft box, and –"

Jackson took her face in his hands and kissed her. Her eyes grew big and round with surprise, but then as he pulled her off the swing and into his arms she relaxed, and her eyes fluttered closed.

I nearly squealed with delight. I mean, that's so not the reaction I thought I would have, but I couldn't help myself. They were adorable.

At length Jackson drew back. He looked down at Lilly, then took her right hand in his and held her against his chest. They rocked back and forth in a slow, sweet dance.

I watched them a moment longer and then, feeling like I was intruding on something very private, I turned around and tip-toed back to the house.

"So where did he hide the popcorn?" Oliver asked as I came in through the door.

"Oh, forget the popcorn." I grabbed the remote control from Oliver's hand and turned off the TV. "It's not like we were going to watch the movie anyway."

Oliver caught me by the waist and pulled me onto the couch. "Mmm, I like the way you think."

Yup, and I bet he was going to like the way I was about to kiss him, too.

The End.