Nick came to Miley's school at a strange time. A time where she felt, she had everything. She was friends with everyone, her grades were fine, and her parents were proud. But, when he came…she realized that wasn't enough. She didn't have "everything", she didn't have him. However, she didn't notice all this at first. She just thought of him as another classmate. Another boy who she would joke with time to time, but never really get to know. Another thing she didn't expect, they became best friends. Having their own secret handshake. Giving each other special nicknames and talking online for hours. It seemed as if they could tell each other anything. But, not one.

She could trust him with all her secrets, but still she could never tell him one thing. She loved him. At first she wasn't sure. Sure, she had loved people. Her friends, her family, but she had never been in love. And the not knowing what it felt like killed her.

She was sure that he didn't love her back. She did everything she could think of! Sit closer to him in class, laugh louder when he told a joke, put more effort into her appearance. But, it seemed as if nothing helped. Nothing she could do to make him love her. School was coming to an end so she decided to give up. Summer was coming around the corner and maybe she could forget about him. She knew she would never be able to forget about him completely because she would have to see him the next year, but still…she hoped.

Summer was most definitely painful. Not being able to see his face, feel the touch of his skin, hear his laugh…it killed her. But, she made sure she would enjoy herself. She actually thought that she was over him towards the end of the summer. The time taken up by swimming with her friends, tanning and going to sleepovers helped a lot in fact. She rarely thought about him.

A week later came and there she was, walking down the same hallway she had walked down so many times before. Hugging and high-fiving classmates she hadn't seen in months. All was going well up until she saw him. Him with his curly locks, toned legs and dark chocolate eyes. Her smile faded and a forced one appeared. How was she going to live with the pain?

Things were oddly different that semester. Was it just her or was he flirting back? Was he putting an attempt into his appearance too? Was he laughing louder when she made a joke? Could it be…

Maybe he got too much sun that summer because he couldn't possibly like her. She wasn't saying that she was unlikable, it's just she didn't expect a guy like him, so perfect, to like a girl like her. Someone who possessed millions of flaws.

Her heart was beating, her hands were shaking and her mind was spinning. He liked her. She was positive. She could run the Boston Marathon, she was so happy. Her friends were thrilled for her. They had to put up with her for the last 6 months expressing her hidden feelings for him. They couldn't be more relived. However, the expressing of hidden feelings had surely just begun…

She was getting annoyed. Everyone was making fun of her and him. Not in a bad way, most definitely not, but the teasing was getting annoying. The "aww look at the couple" and "here comes the bride…" were just straight out tiring. She was still happy though. She was with him…one of her best friends…that's all that mattered.

They were getting extremely close now. Too close for her friends comfort. She was ditching them for him. What happened to sisterly bond? She was throwing all of it away just for him and they did not exactly like that. They were trying to pull her towards them again. Trying to show her that, they missed her. It was like tug a war. He pulled on one end and her girl friends were pulling on the other. What was a girl to do?

They had a good run. Sure they did. They hung out a lot, surprised each other with little gifts, and even said "I love you" to each other. But still, she was confused after the break up. She didn't know why they broke up in the first place. Was she too distant? Too intense? Not good enough? He told her that he thought she was falling, falling for someone else. How could that be true? She had fallen for him, fallen for him hard.

They decided to give it another try. Him thinking, maybe the rumors were false. Which they were…

She broke it off in the end. Learning he was going to anyways. But shhh, he doesn't need to know that little detail. They fought too much. They didn't have the same amount of fun as they did in the beginning. When their friendship was new, fresh, exciting.

They got back to the way they used to be. Best friends; told each other everything, had secret handshakes and called each other their usual nicknames. But, it would never be the same. At least in her mind it wouldn't. She still loved him. How could she not? It seemed as if she fell and never got up. What she didn't know was that it looked like she would stay down for a while. A looong while.

She turned to her other friends. Her sisters. They had always been there for her. During the break up they did the basics; gave her a tub of vanilla chocolate chip ice cream and blasted music through the household and danced all night long making her forget about her troubles. She knew they would do the same for her now.

A couple months past. She learned that he got a new girlfriend. Hearing from her best friends of course, not him. They had grown distant over the past months. Not sharing as many secrets as they did in the beginning. Everything was going down hill, she thought. Nothing could be worse then loving your best friend and not being loved back. I guess every flame has to burn out sooner or later.

She was finally getting used to the thought of being "just friends". It was the not being able to say "I love you", she needed to get used to. They acted like brother and sister now. One of her friends noticed this. Looking out for one another, standing up for the other friend. Maybe she just loved him and wasn't in love with him. But, that thought was soonly diminished.

How could she do that!? She thought. She had never felt more betrayed in her life. She didn't blame her friend, strangely. It wasn't her fault that she liked him, it was his. He was destroying her life. Taking it apart piece by piece. He stole her heart and now he stole her friends. What was he trying to do? The worst part was that she thought he liked her friend and that was rip apart your heart, stab you in the back, painful.

In the end, she felt, disconnected. Disconnected from her body. As if she were watching her life from a birds eye view. Why'd he do this to her? At the starting line, she was happy and content with her life. But, once he entered the race all things changed. Her life zig-zagged back and forth. And sure it got bumpy and sure she had to break a sweat once in a while. But, then again, who didn't have to? That's what she would always tell herself. But, in the end. Once she crossed that finish line. She decided to stop trying to convince herself that it was all ok. It was just a nightmare and soon she would wake up. She decided to finally face reality. He ruined her. He tore her heart to pieces and there were not enough pieces of thread in the world to stitch it up again. She was broken and he had caused that. Now all she had to do was fix herself up again.

All she needed to do was get away for a while. Which she did. Take a break from all the drama and pain. It helped, it helped a lot. The only thing she feared though, was that when she got back…she'd come back to a whole other world where her two best friends fell for each other and she was out of the loop. Out of the picture. Out of the story. Her story.

Which started out as a fairytale …

and ended as a tragedy.

Review please. I kinda wanted to write a sad Niley story. It was very tempting... :)

xxEmilyKearsexx