Room 311, Sunday Evening

[its_theclimb]

"Here, you can have this pair too," Miley said generously, holding out a pair of shoes to her best friend. "They're Italian, even. Just 'cause I miiiiss you."

Lilly smiled shakily, but Miley could see her swallow nervously and that tipped her off to the fact that there was something going on with her friend. "Hey," she said, flopping down on the bed to cross her legs and look at her best friend. "What's wrong?" 

Lilly bit her lip and started pacing, then held herself still. "I... sorta messed up yesterday," she said hesitantly. "And you're not gonna like it."

"What is it?" Miley asked, wide-eyed and earnest as she patted the bed beside her. "Lilly, I'm your best friend. You can tell me anything."

Finally Lilly took a deep breath, and sat down on the bed beside her. She couldn't remember anything ever being this hard to say. "I sort of... might have... accidentally told your secret," she admitted.

[[For the best friend, and NFB.]]

Comments

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

The first emotions that hit were a mix of horror and hurt feelings.

"What?" Miley demanded, gaping at Lilly. Then, more softly, touching a hand to her chest, she asked, "Lilly, how could you do that?"

[luckybracelet.livejournal.com]

"I didn't mean to!" Lilly insisted. "I was just -- confused! I was talking to Caroline while you were onstage, and she said you guys shared secrets and you told her something big, and -- I was jealous, okay!? I thought you had told her!"

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"But Lilly, I told you, I would never do that," Miley stressed, collapsing on her back on the bed. "God, what if she hates me now? Like, all this time she was so honest with me about the vampire thing and I was holding out on her, and -- "

[luckybracelet.livejournal.com]

"The vampire thing?" Lilly repeated, surprised.

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"Just don't," Miley said. She rolled over onto her stomach to press her face into the pillow and kick up her feet, resisting Lilly's attempts to set a hand on her back. "What am I gonna do?"

[luckybracelet.livejournal.com]

"So, wait a second," Lilly interrupted, shifting on the bed somewhat. "Are you mad because I told her?" Because that wasn't the vibe she was getting from Miley at all. "Or is it because you didn't?"

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

There was a long pause as Miley thought that over into her pillow, and then she finally poked her head up.

"Oh, you're good."

[luckybracelet.livejournal.com]

"I've been told that."

Lilly sat back, setting her hand on Miley's back. "Are you okay?" she asked gently.

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I guess," Miley said softly, pushing her hair out of her eyes and propping herself up on her elbows. "It's just -- I mean, I guess I would've had to tell her. She's... a friend. I don't want to have secrets from her. But it just stinks. Her hearing it... not from me. You know?"

[luckybracelet.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," said Lilly quietly. "I know."

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"Did it hurt?" Miley had to ask. "Seeing... me that night? I can't believe I've never asked."

[luckybracelet.livejournal.com]

Lilly paused for so long that Miley wondered if she was even going to answer. Finally, she spoke.

"Yeah," she admitted. "It did. I thought I could trust you, and seeing you with that pie on your face and the lucky bracelet on your wrist, all I could think was that I just... couldn't."

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"But you got why I did it, right?" Miley pressed. For some reason, that was almost as important to her as any of it. "You understood it?"

[luckybracelet.livejournal.com]

Lilly sighed, then finally shook her head. "Honestly, Miley, I'm not sure I can ever understand it," she admitted. "I mean, I know why you don't tell everyone. I get your -- your reasoning, and everything, and who could blame you after seeing what happened to your dad? But I..." She sighed. "I could never keep something like that. From you or from Oliver or, heck, even from Joannie or Sara. I just couldn't."

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"Because you can't keep a secret?" Miley asked, remembering that first night when all Lilly had wanted to do was tell Amber and Ashley everything.

[luckybracelet.livejournal.com]

"No," Lilly said earnestly. "Because you're my best friend, Miley. You always have been and you always will be. I could never leave you out of such a big part of my life."

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

Pause.

Then --

"You make it really hard to make bad choices, you know that?"

[luckybracelet.livejournal.com]

"That's my job," Lilly said smugly, patting Miley's back. "Now. What are you gonna do about Caroline?"

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"I guess I have to talk to her," Miley concluded wearily. "And... apologize, probably." She glanced into her closet. "You think I can bribe her with shoes?"

[luckybracelet.livejournal.com]

"Her shoes are already pretty nice," Lilly told her mock-regretfully. "Just be honest," she added sincerely. "If she's half as good a friend as yours truly, she'll understand.

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

Finally, Miley rolled back over onto her back and then sat up, pulling Lilly into a tight hug. "No one is," she promised, squeezing her best friend tightly.

[luckybracelet.livejournal.com]

Lilly squeezed back, comforted by the familiar presence of her best friend's arms around her. Into Miley's ear, she teased, "Conceited much?"

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"Yours truly means me, dorkus," Miley pointed out into Lilly's shoulder.

[luckybracelet.livejournal.com]

"Got it," Lilly laughed, and Miley could feel her smile against the fabric of her shirt.

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," Miley whispered, urgently. "I mean, really. For everything, Lil. I couldn't ask for a better best friend."

[luckybracelet.livejournal.com]

Lilly laughed. "I know," she teased. "Me neither."