Lilly's p o v
"Oliver, I've got something to tell you," I breathed into the phone.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I can't tell you right now. I'm coming to Denver a little earlier than expected. Actually, my family's leaving tomorrow morning at 8:00. It's really important that's all I can because I'd rather tell you in person, but I had to let you know there's a reason that we're coming earlier," I said.
"Lilly please tell me," he begged.
"It's about Miley. That's all that I can say," I said.
"I haven't heard from her in a while," he said.
"Yeah. I know. Me either. But I've been thinking... and maybe she needs someone out there," I said.
"What? I don't get it," he said.
"Atleast one of us needs to go out there and visit her," I said taking the phone onto my bed. It was eleven o'clock at night and I was finishing packing. I had told my parents the whole story of Miley, and they agreed it would be best to go consult Oliver quicker then later on what we should do.
"Lilly, do you know how long we've been saving up to go to Denver? I don't think that I could afford to go out to Tennessee," Oliver said.
"But Oliver it's an emergency. And I'm sure Mr. Stewart would be okay lending us some money. It's that bad," I said.
"As much as I really want to know what it is for sure that you're talking about, it's midnight here, and if I'm gonna come meet u at the airport at ten thirty in the morning, then I'd better go tell my parents and get to bed," Oliver said.
"Okay. Hey wait what do you mean ten thirty? My flight doesn't leave until eight and it's only an hour and half flight," I clarified.
"Yeah and it takes an hour and a half. With the time difference it'll be nine thirty in Malibu and ten thirty here," he said.
"Wow," I said amazed not even reallizing I let the word escape my mouth.
"What?"
"You were just smarter than me. maybe you're upgrading from a donut, to a muffin," I said.
"Ha-ha. Good night Lil. I can't wait to see you tomorrow morning," he said.
"Good night. And if you're parents have a question about us coming tomorrow, just have them call my parents cells in the next fifteen minutes," I said.
"Alright bye," he said.
After a few good bye rounds, we hung up. I threw the phone at the receiver and shut my eyes for a minute. I had a few problems to sort out. 1) my best friend is going to a therapy place for alcohol 2) I might be in love with my best friend 3) I'm flying to Denver tomorrow morning to tell my love about our best friend in trouble 4) my best friend is probably mad at me for telling her dad about her own problems. 5) I can't sleep.
Mileys P O V
Even though it was early morning when I left the house after dad confronted me, I spent the entire time that I was gone on my way to Austin's house, just swooning around and not doing much. I was angry at dad. How could he put me in a treatment center? I'm almost fifteen I can do what I want! It's not like I'm addicted!! Wow I could use a wine cooler about now. Pretend I didnt say that. I'm mad at Lilly. How could she tell my dad? Most people probably think, over time you'll thank her for helping you straighten up your life. Well I'm not!!
It'll take a lot more than that to straighten out my life. I'm in love with my loves half brother, and isn't Jake supposed to be my love? What happens if Austin dies, do I just go and find his other half brother??
For a moment I wondered if I wanted to go anywhere. I thought about just staying out and finding ways to get alcohol and anything else I would ever want. But I knew I couldn't last long out there. For the summer, it was chilly at the time, and I knew I'd have to get to Austin's eventually. He would help me sort this out. Or I could scream and do whatever I wanted.
I took out my cell phone that I was lucky enough to remember from my bedroom. I had eight messages and forty seven missed calls from dad. I rolled my eyes and walked up Austins front steps and rang the doorbell before sitting down.
"Miley?" someone asked not long after I sat down.
"Austin. I need to talk to you," I said.
"Miley your dad is calling the police, he can't find you and he says you won't answer your cell phone," he said.
"Sh!" I said putting my finger to his lips. "That's a thing in the past. But I know that you can help me."
"Help? The only help you need is to go back to your dad and then to an AA meeting," he said.
"Everyone acts like I'm the most alcohol addicted teenager out there," I said.
"That's not true. I'd never think that. And you admit that you're alcohol addicted?" he asked.
His eyes flickered.
"No! I was talking about how everyone talks about me," I whined.
"Okay Miley. I'm going to help you. I'm going to call your dad and have him pick you up and you two need to have a long talk," he said.
"No, no, no, no," I said. "I came here because you know the most about me, and I know that you'd be the one to talk me out of this."
"I do know a lot about you Miley. But I do know that this, this is not you," he said.
There was a moment of silence as dew started settling on the trees and grass around us.
"Lies!! Those are all lies!! If you really knew so much about me and atleast cared about me the least bit you'd help me sort through this!! You're one of the best things that's ever happened to me but you keep teasing me!!"
"I'M teasing YOU?? You're the one teasing me! You don't know whether to go for it or not!" he screamed.
"Because you're Jake's brother!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I sat back down and cried. Why wouldn't Lilly help me, why wouldn't dad help me, why wouldn't Austin help me???
All of a sudden I felt Austin sit right next to me.
"Is this why you're drinking, and having such a time? Because I'm Jake's brother?" he asked.
"Half brother," I corrected trying to stall time before making a decision to tell the truth or not.
"Is it Miley?"
I nodded as I squeaked out more tears. "He'd be so mad at me for falling in love with someone else," I said.
"In love?" Austin asked.
I let out a few more tears.
"Great now I just told you how I really feel," I stressed. This wasn't how I pictured it.
"Love? Miley? I-" he said. He stopped himself on words. He didn't know what to say. "Miley," he whispered. I lifted my head up to see him.
The next I knew, my lips were greeted by his peppermint gum scented lips. We stayed stiffed in a kiss moment that was more than anything I've dreamed of.
"Austin..." I said.
"Miley. I want to love you, and I want to be here for you. But if that's going to happen, then you have to promise me, that you're going to let me take care of you and make a few decisions for you, because you can't see how good they are for you," he said.
I looked straight into his eyes as we sat on his front steps. I nodded. Then I grabbed my cell phone which now said 68 missed calls from dad.
I handed my phone to him.
"Call my dad," I said.
He took it and gave me an 'are-you-serious?' look. I nodded. I heard the sounds of numbers dialing.
"Yeah Mr. Stewart, this is Austin, cole's friend. I've got Miley here with me... Yeah I'm at..."
And that's how the worst/best night ever went.
Olivers P O V
I checked my watch. Ten forty. Lilly's flight was a little late.
"Hey Oliver, the plane is here," my brother called from down the hall as I came back from the bathroom. I ran to the gate with him as I awaited seeing Lilly for the first time in quite a while.
Soon, one by one, people were coming off. Some were business looking with suits and breifcases, some balding and looking like total tourists, and then a blonde girl appeared in a skate-y but girly outfit with sunglasses I'd recognize anywhere.
"Oliver!" she screamed.
"Lilly!" I screamed back.
We ran and hugged each other almost knocking each other down. People stared and my parents laughed. Then... I don't know how it happened, but I got this slight impulse. I kissed her on the cheek like I had at Jakes funeral. Nobody seemed shocked. Lilly was actually pretty calm about it too it seemed.
"finally," I heard my brother whisper. But it wasn't like the kind of kiss they were thinking. They were thinking the Oliver-finally-will-come-out-and-say-he-likes-lilly-kiss. But it was more of a I-havent-seen-you-in-so-long kiss.
"Oliver I've got so much to tell you!! Last I heard Miley was missing," Lilly said when she yanked my arm away from the adults.
"Okay what???" I asked.
"alright from the beginning, Miley found a guy there who she fell in love with. She thought that Jake would be mad if he knew, so she started drinking to get rid of those feelings. Then she found out the guy there was Jake's half brother," she started.
My eyes bugged.
"Ya I know right?" she interrupted herself.
"Then her dad said she was going to have to go to therapy, and he called me earlier to see if I'd heard from her because she's missing. And he said your phone was off so he couldn't ask you," Lilly said.
"That's horrible! What are we going to do Lil?" I asked.
"I have no idea what to do Oliver," she sighed. We sat down.
"I really hope they find her," I said.
"Me too," Lilly cried. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye and noticed that she actually was crying. I put my arm around her shoulders and on her other arm. Then I rested her head on my shoulder, and my head on her head.
"But I bet they will. And soon. Miley's never one to be alone for too long," I assured.
Lilly nodded.
"I guess."
I tried to convince myself that I was right.
"Oliver! Lilly!" dad called. He was talking to Lilly's parents. "We've got something to say."
Mileys P O V
An hour later I was in my dads arms as the police released me to him. I got out of trouble for supposedly 'running away.' I guess I did but we claimed that I had told dad that I was going to Austin's by surprise and dad didn't hear me. Dad knew that I was lying but went along with it to get me out of trouble.
"Miley why would you do something like this?" he asked as we both got into the car.
"You want to send me to a therapy center," I said.
"Miley we need to have a long talk about this," he said.
"Can't it wait until morning?" I asked.
"It's going to have to. It's too late, and you need to sleep, I need to sleep it off, and then when we're calmer we will. But we're both sleeping in the living room so I can keep an eye on you," he said.
I had gone a day without alcohol.
One part of me said congradulations! you can go until you're 21. The other side says 'I hate you and I'll hate you worse if you don't pick up a bottle in the next two minutes'.
I didn't bother getting changed. Just flopped on the couch and went to sleep with nothing to think about. It was like being numb. I didn't want to think about what I was doing. And I wasn't going to.
The next morning I woke up and dad was already awake in the chair.
"You and I need to talk, and we need to do it now. I promised a few people we'd meet them at the bar a mile away in half an hour," dad said.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"It's two. We didn't get home until late last night and you've been sleeping for ten hours," he said.
"wow. Okay, so you start," I said waiting to get yelled at.
"Okay. I can't believe that you started drinking, and I'm not proud of it," he started.
"But-" I started to interrupt.
"But I won't make you go to the treatment center."
I paused.
"What?" I asked.
"I'm giving you one more chance. But if you ruin that chance there will be no more Hannah Montana, and you'll definatly be looking at therapy," he said.
I got up to go hug him.
"Thanks daddy. After last night, I don't know how long it'll be before I drink again," I said.
Dad patted my back.
"I hope that's true bud," he said.
Twenty minutes later I came downstairs after changing and brushing my teeth, that stuff. "Daddy I'm ready," I called.
"Alright come on out to the car," he said.
"Who are we meeting anyway?" I asked as I hopped in.
"You'll see. I'm not sure if you know them," he said.
"Okay..." I said.
A mile later we went through the bar doors.
"Hey Miley," two people called. I looked up to see my two favorite people, Oliver and Lilly, sitting in the corner waving at me.