Unsung

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters appearing on the Disney Channel's original series, 'Hannah Montana', created by Michael Poryes, Richard Correll & Barry O'Brien. Characters are copyrighted to 'It's A Laugh productions'. Original characters are copyrighted to the original author (QYM). This series is posted to Girls Loving Girls with full permission of the author. No copyright infringement is intended or implied.

Feedback: Every author in his or her own way makes it a point to ask for feedback when posting a story, well me I don't usually. But there are several reasons as to why a reader should consider taking the time to give it. The simple fact is that giving some form of feedback is truly the most important thing a reader can do after reading and enjoying a story. Hopefully in the process providing that author with at least one viable reason as to what you liked about the story. This small amount of time spent will no doubt inspire the author to write more and possibly at a quicker pace, knowing that they have a fan base who are waiting on their next works. So thanks for the feedback and please keep it comin.

Summary: In the ALL NEW 13th episode of 'Unsung', the world of Miley seems to be coming undone when it's revealed that her father has caught wind of her relationship with Lilly, though it's from a source that one wouldn't first suspect. Later, the ramifications of Miley's outing continue to reverberate when a popular news rag wants an interview and with the news of her sexuality becoming the talk of the town...Miley's gives in.

Original Airdate: Monday, January 25, 2009 @8:30 p.m.
(following an ALL NEW 'Hey Mickie, Hey Mickie')

Story Codes: no sex

When Miley woke up the next morning, Sherry – her new bear – was tucked in her arms. Beary watched reproachfully from the pillow next to her head.

“Beary, you know this doesn’t mean anything, right?” Miley asked her original bear. Beary didn’t reply, but looked at her in disbelief. “I mean, she is your wife.”

Giggling, Miley set Sherry next to him and set about getting ready for school. After her shower was taken and her makeup was done, she headed downstairs to grab a piece of fruit and wait for Lilly.

Robby met her at the foot of the stairs, phone gripped tightly in his hand. “Miles, we need to talk.”

Miley frowned and followed her dad into the kitchen. He motioned for her to sit down, and began pacing. Feeling extremely anxious now, because her dad never paced, she asked what was wrong. He stopped in front of her and cocked his head to the side. “Anything you need to tell me, bud?” he asked after a moment.

The younger Stewart blinked, and then immediately felt her stomach drop into her shoes. “Like what?” she asked nervously, stalling a little.

“How about telling me who you’re dating right now?” he asked, crossing his arms and waiting expectantly.

“Ummm… well… I’ve been meaning to tell you…” she trailed off at the disbelieving look on his face and sighed. “Lilly. I’m dating Lilly,” she replied, her eyes glued to the floor in front of her.

“Yeah, I know. Just found out, actually.”

Miley looked up at him in alarm. “What?”

“You want to know who I just got off the phone with? The label,” he pushed on without waiting for an answer. “They called me up screaming at about four this morning. And would you like to know how they found out?”

Miley had a sinking suspicion he was going to tell her either way.

“Us Weekly called them, saying they had photos of you necking with an unidentified girl with purple hair. Now call me crazy, but I only know of one of Hannah’s friends with purple hair, and it isn’t Mike Standley,” he finished, looking pointedly at her.

Miley sat there, fighting the tears that threatened her eyes. Now she knew how Lilly had felt when her dad had ripped into her. Her dad thought she was –

“Why didn’t you tell me, bud? It’s not like I was going to lock you in the bathroom until you promised to date boys,” he said, a slight smile on his face at his own joke.

She looked up at him in surprise, then launched herself out of her chair and hugged him so tight that he was fighting for air. When she finally released him, she was confused. “So why are you so mad at me?”

Shaking his head, he sat down at the table, but was interrupted by someone knocking on the front door.

Miley sprinted to open the door, knowing it was Lilly. “Hi!” she beamed, pulling her girlfriend into a tight hug as soon as her blonde hair came into view.

“Well, good morning to you, too,” Lilly smiled when they separated.

“Good morning, Lilly.” The two girls looked behind Miley to see her father standing there, a tight smile on his face. “Um… bud, I need you home right after school. Hannah has some damage control to do,” he said, looking meaningfully at Miley.

Miley nodded, then, seeing the time, yelped and ran to get her backpack. The two ran out the door with a wave to the elder Stewart, who shook his head and walked off to make some more phone calls. This was not going to be a fun day.

“What did your dad mean?” Lilly asked as they neared the school.

Miley grinned guiltily as she looked at Lilly. “One of the paparazzi got a picture of us last night,” she explained.

The other girl’s eyes opened wide as saucers as she realized what the other girl meant. “You mean… of us? Kissing?”

Miley nodded, blushing slightly. “Yeah.” Her earlier thoughts of denying everything faded when she saw Lilly’s hopeful face.

“So you’re going to come out, then?”

“N…no,” Miley stumbled. “I was actually going to deny it.”

“You can’t! You have to come out! It’s only fair, Miley! You made me come out to my family,” Lilly accused.

“But this is totally different! This is my career!”

“That was my life! This isn’t any different! Miley, you’ll survive this. I survived my dad. And besides, you have a great voice. People aren’t going to stop buying your music just because you’re a lesbian.”

“Not so loud!” Miley hissed, looking around to see if anyone heard her.

Lilly stopped and stared at her in shock. “I didn’t know you were so ashamed,” she snapped before hurrying off. Miley whacked an open palm on her forehead; she was such a screw-up sometimes. She ran after Lilly, catching up to her just outside their classroom. She hooked the crook of the blonde’s elbow and spun her around.

“I’m not ashamed, Lils, you know that,” Miley swallowed roughly, building up her nerve for her next words. “But, if it makes you happy, I’ll do it.”

Lilly turned, eyeing Miley. Satisfied that the brunette was telling the truth, she relented, “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

Miley froze when she opened the door to first period, because Oliver was standing there, and he grabbed her arm and hauled her back out into the hallway, to the curious glances of other students and Lilly. “I need to warn you about something.”

Miley felt her stomach return to her shoes.

“Ashley has a cousin who works for some gossip mag. And she said they have pictures of Hannah Montana making out with some girl,” he said, looking seriously between the two girls.

Miley nodded, stunned, as she brushed by Oliver and into the classroom. Lilly sighed as she watched the other girl go before turning to Oliver and explaining about their morning.

The room was abuzz with rumors, which, over an amazingly short span of time, spread throughout the school. Lilly’s spirits lifted, as she only heard the positive comments about Hannah Montana. Miley, however, tuned into the negative comments. At the beginning of first period, she was scared. By the end of the school day, she was completely terrified.

“Lilly, I don’t know if I can do it.” The two girls were up in Miley’s bedroom, sprawled on the bed. Miley had her eyes closed as she felt a headache spread behind them. Her dad had told her that they were going to have an interview with the magazine tomorrow at five, and to top it all off, her label had dropped her. They didn’t want an ‘immoral message tainting their family image.’ There was that, and the fact that they didn’t want to deal with millions of irate parents. So, Hannah Montana was currently a free agent, but she knew she wouldn’t be picked up unless her record sales remained high in the wake of this ‘scandal.’

Determined to cheer Miley up, Lilly gently tickled the other girl’s sides, eliciting a high pitched squeal from the taller girl. Miley shot upright, intent on revenge. She was all smiles, though, quickly, and happily, forgetting how upset she had been. Lilly leapt off the bed, running for her life with Miley right on her tail. She got as far as Hannah’s closet before Miley tackled her to the ground, pinning her hands over her head.

“Got you!”

Lilly struggled. She didn’t quite notice the position they were in and was intent on getting away. “You’ll never take me alive, copper!”

Miley smirked. “Really? ‘Cause I think I already got you,” she cackled gleefully as she began tickling.

“Never!” Lilly screeched as she squirmed around, desperate to get away. “Never!”

Abruptly stopping and changing the subject, Miley leaned forward and laid her forehead on Lilly’s, looking into her very close eyes. “Will you go with me?”

Lilly ceased her struggle. “Where? To the interview?” she asked. At Miley’s nod she smiled. “Of course! What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t?”

They laid there for a few more moments before realizing the position they were in. Both girls giggled nervously as Miley rolled off Lilly, blushing lightly. Lilly straightened her clothing in an attempt to hide her own flushed face.

The two girls stood and made their way out of the closet. Miley’s good mood was quickly dissipating as she remembered another… short issue. “Oh, Lil, we have another problem.”

Lilly threw herself down onto the bed, burying her face in the bedspread. Her words came out a little muffled. “What’s that?”

“Rico.”

Lilly’s head shot up. “Rico?” she asked, face twisted in confusion.

“He found out about us.” Miley fell next to her. “He wants us to do stuff for him or else he’s going to tell everyone.”

Lilly shuddered. “How did he find out?”

“He heard us talking at the beach.” Miley was upset with Jackson, but she didn’t want Lilly angry with him, too. Best to keep that part under wraps.

Outside the bedroom, Jackson was passing by. His attention was piqued at the mention of Rico. Immediately he stopped and pressed his ear to the door.

“So what are we going to do?” Lilly questioned.

“We have to do what he asks. I don’t think I’m ready for the whole school to know.”

Lilly scooted over and hugged Miley’s leg. “I guess you’re right. I just hope it’s not something stupid or horrible.”

“Knowing Rico, it’ll just be tedious and embarrassing,” Miley joked weakly.

Jackson pulled away. He couldn’t let Rico do this to his sister, especially since it was his fault. Something would have to be done. Running a hand through his hair, he continued on his way down the hall. Rico would have to be taught that he couldn’t mess with Miley. And if it meant using brute force – Jackson cracked his knuckles, or rather tried to and instead hurt his hand – that was fine with him.

--

The next day was a blur as Miley spent most of the Saturday locked in her room, thinking about what she was going to say to the magazine. It was one thing to talk to a reporter at Tiger Beat – all they wanted to know was what and who you liked. The reporter tonight would want to know about her private life, and her views on important things. That was, after all, the point to the article.

Lilly and Oliver tried their hardest to distract Miley – Lilly a little more successfully than Oliver – but it ultimately fell by the wayside. She was too focused on getting the article over with and moving on. Her dad had booked a hotel room, knowing that neutral ground was the safest place for her and her identity.

At the hotel room later that evening, Miley gripped her bottle of water with sweaty palms, wondering how the time had slipped by. Lilly was in the bathroom, adjusting her deep hot pink wig. She hoped Miley could do this; Lilly fully understood the pressure. If it was hard to tell her parents, it must be ten times worse to tell a judgmental public.

There was a knock on the door, and her mustachioed father answered the door with a smile. “Thanks for coming,” he greeted, shaking hands with a thin, black-haired woman carrying a notebook, and a dusty-blond haired man with a camera around his neck.

“I’m just glad you agreed to talk to us,” the woman responded with a smile, making her way over to Miley. She stuck her hand out in greeting. “Erica Schober, with Us Weekly,” she smiled as Miley took her hand. “Thank you for agreeing to talk with me.”

Miley smiled in returned, her nerves calming slightly at the easy demeanor of the other woman.

Releasing Miley’s hand, Erica waved at the man standing behind her. “This is James. He’ll just be taking a few photos for the article.”

Miley’s eyes narrowed at the man, but before she could say anything, Lilly’s voice rang from behind her. “Are you the one who took those pictures of us?” she asked coming to stand beside Miley.

“No,” Erica answered for him. “Those were taken by a free lancer who we do a lot of business with. James is a staff photographer.”

The two girls nodded, accepting the answer, and they all sat, with the exception of James, who prowled around, snapping a few photos. Robby Ray perched himself on the arm of the couch the two teenagers were sitting on, and Erica occupied the loveseat across from them.

“Okay, first things first. Do you mind if I record this interview?” she asked, pulling out a mini tape recorder and setting it on the coffee table between them.

Miley shook her head. “That would be fine,” she smiled.

“Wonderful,” the older woman returned her smile, hit record, and pulled out her notebook and a pen. “This is Erica Schober interviewing Hannah Montana, Robby Ray, and…”

Lilly blinked before she realized she was being addressed. “Lola,” she replied.

“Lola what?”

“Just Lola. L-O-L-A,” she smiled.

“Okay, let’s get started,” Erica grinned in return before launching into her questions. The reporter asked all sorts of questions that Miley had not even considered, such as what the effect her coming out would have on her fans, or whether or not she would be supporting any specific GBLT foundations and groups or whether she was a member of the Gay-Straight Alliance at her school. Miley answered as best she could, hoping that the truth was the best route to go. Lilly answered the few questions that were thrown her way, as did Robby, but it was definitely Miley’s show, seeing as she was an idol to millions of America’s children. After a couple of hours, though, Lilly tugged Miley’s sleeve, gesturing to her wrist. Miley understood –

“Thanks for your time, but it’s getting late.”

Erica smiled indulgently and nodded. “Just one more thing,” she said, standing up. “Could we get a picture of the two of you, for the cover?”

“Cover?” Miley asked nervously.

“This is cover story material, you know.”

Miley turned to Lilly and raised an eyebrow. Lilly shrugged and leaned into Miley. James smiled and flashed a couple pictures. He then directed them, and in the end they were arranged with the two girls’ heads side by side, and Miley’s arms wrapped around Lilly from behind.

“Perfect,” James smiled before snapping off several photos.

Somehow, Miley thought, things were just getting a little out of hand.

--

Sunday passed uneventfully, with Miley and Lilly relaxing in the brunette’s room – door open, at Robby Ray’s urging – and running over the interview from the night before, talking about the things the reporter had brought up.

“Does our school even a GSA?” Lilly asked. She was leaning back into Miley, who had her back into her headboard. “I mean, I’ve never heard about it.”

“I think we have the Rainbow Coalition,” Miley responded. “A girl named Christina runs it. Why, are you interested?”

Lilly shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. Aren’t you?”

Miley shook her head. “No. I have enough pressure in my life without being ridiculed in school for being different. Or, more different.”

Lilly sighed and looked out the window in disappointment. “I just… I think it would be nice, you know? To know we’re not alone at school. This is all new to me, Miley, and as great as you’ve been, I need someone to talk to that’s been there.”

They were silent for a while before realization dawned on Miley. “You mean about your dad.” Lilly nodded, and Miley instantly felt horrible. “Are you still going to his house for Thanksgiving?”

“No, my dad told my mom not to bother bringing me when she brought Will home. He doesn’t want to talk to me until I’ve gotten over this ‘phase.’”

Miley sighed and stared out the window. “You and your mom are always welcome here, you know.”

Lilly smiled as she turned in Miley’s arms and gave her a kiss. “Thank you. And I’m not saying you have to join, I just think that I might. It might be good for me.”

Miley nodded and the two girls let the subject drop. The day faded into evening, and eventually Lilly had to go home. Their parents weren’t so keen on them spending the night together anymore, much to their chagrin.