The Art of MoJo

Chapter One:

"Set Me Free, Leave Me Be"

-xxx-

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Oh my God. I'm going to kill that thing if it beeps one more time!

Groaning, I roll over and slam my hand down on the clock. This is the third time it's yelled at me since I hit snooze at 6 AM. I know I should get up. It's the right thing to do. But … but I think I'm gonna be lazy instead.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

"Shut up…" I moan.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

This time, with all my might, I swing my body over and hit the floor. Not what I was planning. And it hurt. My body made a big old thump sound that I swear even the Chinese neighbors next door could hear. And still, no one in the house made a move. I let out a breath of relief and because the fall took all the life out of me.

I peel myself, very slowly, off the hard wood floor. I'm sorry, the freezing cold hard wood floor. This is the reason why I must scamper to the closet. I grab my sweat jacket and running shoes. I hate the fact that I have to get up at six (or at my rate, 6:45) to get my daily jog in. But that's just the way the cookie crumbles.

I sneak down the stairs, doing my best to let the rest of the house sleep in. I am the guest after all. Stepping into the tiled-floor kitchen, I sigh, suddenly realizing it will take me forever to find what I'm looking for in this mayhem of cupboards. And it does. I quickly shove down a bowl of cereal and head out for my morning jog. Now that it's 7 in the morning.

I step outside and I'm instantly shot with a blast of frosty air. It amazes me how much colder winter is on the east coast and I miss L.A. Of course, the feeling grows stronger when I realize this is the first time I've been back in 4 months. It can be hard to keep up your own personal affairs when you're living a double life. Not that I would've visited sooner if I wasn't Hannah. If I had it my way, I would so never have a reason to be in New Jersey, in close proximity to my ex. I laugh out loud, a little evilly I must say, when I realize I'm colder the closer I get to him. And yet, because I'm a total sap, I actually wonder how Nick's holding up.

Oh my God, Miley. Did you really just think that? The boy is a jerk! He-he dumped you!

"I know," I whisper to myself. "But everyone has a bad side—that doesn't mean he's totally evil, right?"

I sigh. First of all, I can't believe I'm actually talking … out loud … to myself. And secondly, I can't believe I'm here trying to defend that … jerk! After the way he treated me, am I really going to let myself pity him? Am I really going to just let him win? Let him stomp on my dignity?

Immediately, I push away the thought and pick up my pace. It's not like he even knows I'm here. I don't have to visit or spend any time with him. I smile a little at my confidence. This vacation is personal; I'm here for my family—on my mom's side, that is. I'm staying with my aunt Vicki. And that's all there is to it.

I keep with that thought as I round the corner, focusing on my sneakers as they go back and forth hitting the concrete. A driver honks their horn loudly and I whip my head around to see two cars barely escape an accident. I look away and he's on my mind again.

Err, get out of my flippin' head! I don't need this Nick! I burst forward as I war against my rapid thoughts. I have a life to attend to! I can't keep crying over what used to be, okay? You and I both know we weren't right for each other. So why won't you just leave me alone?!

Suddenly, I smash into a warm body I never saw coming. Instantly, I crash back onto my rear end helplessly. I close my eyes for a few seconds, lowering my head, trying to hold onto to just a little bit of my dignity.

"Oh, man, I'm so sorry! You were just coming right at me like a serial killer, I mean you weren't trying to murder me, but you definitely had something important on your mind; I know, I really should've moved but I wasn't sure we would actually crash, and I didn't want to throw off my groove so—" I suddenly recognize the rambling.

"Joe!"

He stops immediately as my eyes shoot up to meet his.

"Miley?" I smile cheerfully and nod.

"Er, yeah!" I say, "That would be me down here. The one you just barreled into at like a hundred miles an hour. Help me up, would ya?"

I reach my out hands and he apologizes quickly, pulling me upright again. His smile is warm and inviting but even still his eyebrows are crinkled in confusion. I'm sure it's quite awkward trying to ask your brother's ex-girlfriend why she's in town without sounding partial to either side.

"I had no idea I'd run into you on this side of the country," he says with light amusement in his tone, "To what do I owe the honor?" Nice save. Oddly, I don't remember him being this put together last time I saw him. He's always been the goofy guy who would befriend anyone. And now, it seems he has a little more of an edge, a dual personality to him.

"Oh, I'm just hanging at my Aunt's for … a while. I mean … but we probably won't be seeing much of each other." I'd almost forgotten who I was talking to and decide to end my explanation there. I mean, duh! Gee, I sincerely hope there's a way to still keep my arrival from Nick. I would really like to ask but, of course, I don't. Joe smiles knowingly.

"I get it—no Hannah stuff. Just … you stuff."

"Exactly," I sigh in relief. He nods in understanding.

"So then," he starts with a serious face, "I guess, no need to notify all the band members." Suddenly I'm smiling and so is he. With a smirk, Joe starts jogging by me. Baffled and still in shock, I run after him.

"So … you're not gonna tell Nick?" It's too good to be true. He chuckles and looks down at me like I'm his naïve little sister. But not in that degrading kind of way. The sweet way.

"Why? Do you want me to?"

"No!" I say a bit too loudly. He laughs. "I mean, I just don't want to you know…"

"See him?" Joe finishes my thought. Now it's my turn to laugh. I push him playfully and we both laugh.

"So when's your next house party?" Joe says suddenly, making beat boxing noises with his lips and getting jiggy. I scoff at him.

"This New Jersey, Joe, not Hollywood, remember?"

"Eh. Doesn't mean we can't party like rockstars! Since we are, in fact, rockstars!"

"Well," I say with another scoff, "one of us is anyway."

"Oh, you're cold." I laugh at this.

"Have you heard my song Super Girl lately? I believe it said I was super," I lick my finger and make it sizzle on the side of my leg, "hot."

I dash off, laughing, bursting into a sharp, powerful jog with Joe dragging behind. At first, he chases me like a school kid, but soon we just fall into place, jogging side-by-side like good buddies. We run for a while, neither speaking, but concentrating on the force driving us. My life is uncontrollable. But when I'm running, I feel so free, like I can be anything I want. I can be without restraint. I can be without worries or sorrow. I can be without my ex-boyfriend. And … and then I realize something strange.

Even though I'm right here beside his goofy brother, for once I'm not thinking about Nick.

But the scary thing is: that's not exactly a good thing.

Because when one is gone, there's always another waiting.

-xxx-

Sweaty and slightly exhausted, I return home.

I can tell by the 'happy family' noises resounding through the air as I near the door, that everyone is now up and ready to start the day. A knife twists deep in my abdomen. It hurts to hear something so familiar but now so impossible, so far away from my grasp.

Taking a breath, I step inside the early morning mayhem that is Aunt Vicki's house. My cousins: Aubrey (9 "and one-half!"), Tomas (7), and Kaitlyn (12), run about like mad men, preparing themselves for school—packing lunches, brushing hair, gulping down breakfast. I stand at the threshold of the front door, slowly closing it behind me as I just watch. Mom and Dad kiss their kids, smiling, playing, glaring at the carton of spilt milk. …Just like a family should be.

In an instant, without warning, my eyes water.

"Miles, c'mere, get some breakfast before it's all gone!" Uncle Tom calls. Quickly, I swipe at my face and scurry over.

"Are you alright, honey?" Aunt Vicki asks after noticing my partially red eyes. I nod.

"Yeah, just had a sneeze coming on." I smile.

"Allergy season already?" says Uncle Tom.

"Uh, yep, I guess so."

"Huh. I swear that wasn't until next month…" he rambles off quietly to himself.

"Leave it to your uncle to know the exact dates," Aunt Vicki whispers to me, as she finishes up Little Tom's lunch and hands it to him. I just chuckle lightly.

"Eh! No fraternizing over there!"

"Oh, honey, it's just a little girl talk."

"Yeah. Right. I know all about your little girl talk."

They carry on with their playful banter as I manage to make myself disappear, just resting on the counter, head propped up on my palm, lost in my thoughts.

"Bye, Miley!"

Suddenly, I glance up … well, down to Tomas as he races over to me and wraps his tiny warm arms around my low waist (the only place he can reach), burying his head into me for a few fleeting seconds. A thought pops into my head as I watch him run off.

That used to be us, Jackson.

That used to be us.

-xxx-

I make my way to the next room over, the living room, and plant myself on the couch. I'm just about to turn on the TV when out-of-the-clear-blue-sky my phone is ringing.

I dig it out of my pocket and check the caller ID. I'm caught way off guard by it.

"Joe?"

He laughs.

"Miley?" he says in a mock-tone.

"Lemme check here … oh, yep, sorry, dude, it's me."

"Aw, dang, I was hoping this was Pizza Palace."

We both laugh.

"It's really awesome that you're here, Miles," Joe says. I can hear him smiling.

"Thanks," I answer softly.

"Yeah, it's really kind of boring when you're not around. You're like the fun provider."

"I thought that was your job—you been slacking off?" I try not to mention that the only time he has really ever seen me is when I was with Nick. And we've never had a relationship outside of that relationship. But, it's kind of nice to pretend we were buddies before Nick and I ever were.

"So…" he starts, slowly, "you don't want me to tell Nick you're here?"

I gasp playfully. I wasn't sure if he was okay with joking about it yet, or even really if I was. But having someone else decide for you makes it so much easier. And I'm happy with our anonymous decision.

"No!" I laugh so loud that my family gives each other weird looks. "Don't you dare! Don't you dare, Joe!"

"Are you sure?" he chuckles. "Hey! Hey Nick!" he calls.

"Ah—you better stop it! Like right now!"

"Like right, right now?"

"Yeah, right, right now!"

"Like at exactly this moment?"

I giggle and we finally say goodbye to each other. Aunt Vicki comes in the room, now that my face is all red and gives me that I-know-you-like-him kind of look. I shake my head and laugh, blushing unintentionally. She has no idea.

"I don't like him, Aunt Vicki," I say giving her a silly look.

"Uh-huh…"

"Dude, I'm so serious right now." I morph my face into a deadly concentrated expression, but the funniness of the conversation (and the relief of it) bursts right through. So I just laugh and let her think what she wants.

Finally, I do get the chance to turn on the TV. But as I sit there watching it, a strange thought crosses my mind.

Why did he call me?

Soooo ... did you like it?! There are lots more surprises in store for this one. Chapter 2's on its way!! Please, please, please review, especially if you favorited it. Also if you get a sec hop on over to sullenxgirl (aka BeautifulDanger) and comment on her posted chapter. We're collabing on this one.

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