A Shopping Strip on Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles, CA

[its_theclimb]

So lately, Miley had been... a little grouchy. Or, well, very grouchy. Something about getting rejected from her top-choice university just because she had a secret identity that made it a little difficult to do things like after-school clubs and community service.

Regardless, though, there was always one thing that made her feel better when she was grouchy, and that thing was shopping.

So here she was, sunglasses on and Hannah Montana-worthy designer clothes in shopping bags in each hand, and she turned to Juliet. "Best idea ever," she declared. "I mean, come on. It's impossible to dwell on you-know-what when I have new shoes this cute."

[[for one, and NFB for distance!]]

Comments

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

"You so shouldn't dwell," Juliet agreed, ogling the shoes with some envy. she was wondering if she should have gotten a pair in purple. "This is awesome, we're young, you can go to college anywhere. Do you want to go into la Perla?"

Not that Juliet needed lingerie for anyone else's eyes, but it was good to have just in case.

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

Miley considered it. "Never actually been there before," she mused after a minute. "Sure."

Somewhere, Dave perked up and he mistakenly attributed it to coffee. But he'd be wroooong.

"Oh! And the best part?" she added cheerfully as she started for the store in question. "No reporters." Miley, why would you jinx yourself like that? Why?

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

"Thank God," Juliet put in. "My hair would not do one single thing today."

Her hair looked fine; maybe a little staticky, that was all.

She pushed open the door to the boutique, nodded to the cashier, and began poking through a rack of neon-colored bras. "Are these cute, or a little too much?"

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"Cute, I think!" Miley said encouragingly. "I like the one with the pink stars on it."

Of course she did.

In the meantime, she turned her attention to the fragrance counter, spritzing one of the perfumes on her wrist. "What do you think?" she asked, holding her arm out in Juliet's direction.

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

Juliet took a sniff. "It's nice," she said. "Kind of sandalwood-y, isn't it?"

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, you're right," Miley conceded after another quick sniff, and she set it back down. Good thing she had the attention span of a gnat, so she wasn't too attached. "See anything you like?"

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

"Hmmm." Juliet's eyes narrowed as she glanced around the shop. "Lots of stuff," she decided. "But ... especially those robes with the feathers. They're adorable, don't you think?"

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

Well, they were kind of... feathery.

"They'd look totally good with your complexion," Miley confirmed after a moment of hemming and hawing. Because this was what friends did. Or something. After impulse-grabbing a cute pair of pajamas off a nearby rack, she gestured toward the back of the store. "Dressing room?"

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

"Dressing room," Juliet confirmed, and grabbed a pair of contrasting silk boxer shorts to put on under the robe. "It is so nice that we're doing this," she added, as she let the clerk unlock the changing rooms for them.

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"It totally is!" Miley confirmed brightly, waiting for the clerk to unlock her dressing room door. "I mean, I've totally needed a day to just -- "

And that was when the door chimed and she saw a woman with an oversized camera around her neck entering the store. Paparazzi, no doubt.

And here Miley was, looking very brunette and shopping at an expensive store and wearing clothes that Hannah Montana wouldn't look out of place in.

"Oh no," Miley said. "Dangflabbit, oh no, oh no..."

Meanwhile, the clerk didn't seem to be having much luck with the second changing room door, so Miley -- in a fit of desparation -- darted into Juliet's and tugged her in after her.

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

Which led to a twin flailing at her as she clutched the feathery robe closed over her bra.

"WHAT THE HELL GET OUT OH MY GOD, DO YOU KNOCK?"

Sorry, Miles.

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"Sorry!" Miley exclaimed, hastily covering her eyes because oh god the awkward.

Although -- "Wow, that was a really quick change."

Well, it was. But wait, not the point.

"There's paparazzi outside!" she hissed. "They'll see me all brunette and my changing room's not open and what if they see me?"

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

"I just took my shirt off and --"

Juliet realized that was not the point.

"You know they are totally going to think we're making out in here or something," she protested. "... wait, would that be good for your image?"

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"Noitwouldnotbegoodformyimage!" Miley blurted out, absolutely horrified. She was pacing and everything! "Okay, think. I have to think."

Beat.

"There's no chance that color comes from a... really fast-acting spray bottle, is there?" she asked hopefully with a nod to Juliet's hair.

MILEY. RUDE.

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

"It's natural," Juliet protested, hurt. "... mostly."

She squinted at Miley, sighed. "Would the clerk shoo them if went out and I asked?"

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

It was about as natural as Miley's wig, but no matter.

"Maaaybe," Miley said hesitantly, biting her lip. "You wouldn't mind?"

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

"Only a little," Juliet said truthfully, and -- thankfully -- remembered to take off the robe and put her shirt back on before she slipped out.

As she went to talk to the clerk -- who was not especially helpful -- the cameras began to click.

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

Miley was only in the changing room for another minute before she realized something. She had her emergency wig with her in her purse, duh.

And then she heard the cameras clicking and thought of how Juliet must be suffering, so she was quick to throw the wig on over her head and hurry out after her.

"Hey, y'all," she greeted the photographers, giving a little half-wave and sounding considerably less enthusiastic than usual. A hush fell over the room. Yes, her presence was magic like that. "Listen, how about you take a few quick shots of me and my friend Juliet here and then you get out of our way, 'kay?"

Yeah, this was not the trip she'd had planned, like, at all. She glanced at Juliet, trying to discern if the other girl was mad.

[twintuitionist.livejournal.com]

Well, maybe a little mad. Her hair had gotten even worse from the quick changing, and she hadn't put on much makeup, so she wasn't sure she looked her best.

But from the way she was carefully spelling out her name and explaining she was an actress from New York? No, not that mad. Juliet always figured someday the cameras would discover her; why not today?