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 3rd episode of 'Unsung', Miley heads for the beach with Lilly and hopes she and her best friend can find some way to move past the whole 'I like like you' incident. While Lilly heads for the surf with her board Miley relaxes on the beach and promptly gets hit on by a boy who while charming has little success at holding her attention. Later, Miley and Lilly makes plans to hang out which of course leads them to Miley's bedroom and Miley's massive closet to pick an outfit.

Original Airdate: Wednesday, February 4, 2009 @ 9:30 p.m.
(following an ALL NEW 'My First Time')

Story Codes: no sex

Miley returned to school the next day, her illness completely gone. It was a relief to her – being sick had to be her least favorite thing in the world. Perhaps second to Jackson singing in the shower.

Oliver was glad to see her, especially seeing her close with Lilly. School was perfectly ordinary. Classes were boring, Amber and Ashley were bullies, and lunch was loud – not that Miley was expecting anything different. Her dad’s advice was hanging over her head and she did try to glance at a few girls during the day. But, really, asking out a random girl in high school was a sure fire way to go from ignored outcast to moving target.

The day passed agonizingly slow for the brunette, but when the final bell of the day rang, she and Lilly almost sprinted for their houses. “I’ll go down to Rico’s and grab us some nachos,” Lilly yelled as they parted.

“Save me some, got it?” Miley yelled back with a laugh. Knowing Lilly, those snacks would be gone before Miley even set one foot in the sand.

Miley ran through her front door, dropped her bag, and headed upstairs to clean up. Without really thinking about what she was doing, Miley chose a set of clothing that she hoped Lilly would like. It wasn’t a conscious decision so much as a deeply rooted wish for Lilly’s attention.

She barely glanced at herself in the mirror before heading out onto the beach. Her hair had been cleaned and tamed, now resting against her back, the ends barely curling at the tips. Her jeans had been switched out for a pair of light blue boy shorts that hugged her hips tightly and her polo shirt had been swapped for two t-shirts – one half-sleeved white shirt underneath and a baby blue short-sleeved tee over it. Her feet were adorned by a pair of simple black flip-flops.

Miley laughed as she reached Rico’s and saw the nachos, as expected, had disappeared. Lilly jokingly tried to make some excuse about attacking seagulls and not wanting to ruin her hair. She claimed that it was just easier to give them the nachos. Miley rolled her eyes with a grin and didn’t press it; instead she just got another set of nachos and tugged Lilly along towards the water.

Lilly had changed into a bikini top and a pair of boy’s swim trunks, though Miley could see the bottom of the bikini riding above the waistline. She really wanted to catch a few waves while the weather was so nice and she hoped Miley wouldn’t mind sunning alone for a while.

“Mile, is it okay if I surf? I’ve been dying to hit the water,” Lilly asked, hitting Miley with irresistible doe eyes as she jutted out her lower lip slightly.

Miley couldn’t defy the power of the doe eyes, even if she had wanted to. “Go ahead. I’ll be here when you get back,” she laughed, waving her friend off.

Lilly instantly broke into a wild grin, hugging Miley tightly before running to fetch her board. She panicked a moment as she ran away, wondering what Miley thought of her hug. Things were getting so complicated, she commented mentally. Life was so much easier when she didn’t have to think about what messages she was sending to her best friend.

As Lilly dove into the surf, Miley spread a towel out on the sand and set her sunning station up. She drizzled sunscreen into her hand and proceeded to wipe the white substance over her bare skin, making sure to cover all the surface area. Getting a sun burn was not on her To-Do list. Satisfied with her protection, she leaned back on her elbows, one hand propped against her forehead to block out some of the bright sun, and watched Lilly cut through the waves.

A shadow covered her and Miley looked up to see a tall guy standing in front of her, smiling and shifting his feet nervously. “Hey. I couldn’t help but notice that you’re all alone over here.”

She blinked, her attention moving from Lilly to the unknown teen in front of her. He was fairly cute, she supposed. Wiry, but not too thin, tan, with a gorgeous smile. His golden hair was curly and trimmed close to his head. She returned the smile, trying to decide if A) he was hitting on her, and B) if she should let him.

“Yeah, my friend is just out surfing,” she responded, keeping her eyes trained on his face.

“Mind if I keep you company?” He questioned, taking a seat in the sand beside her. “I’m Jeremy, by the way,” he introduced himself, sticking a hand into the hair.

“Miley,” she answered, shaking his outstretched hand, and confirming that he was, indeed, interested in her.

“So, Miley, that’s an interesting name.”

She laughed; that was the first thing most people said after hearing it. “Yeah, I guess.”

“I take it you get that a lot?”

She nodded quietly, letting her eyes return to Lilly’s escapades. A silence developed between them as Miley’s attention flitted away. Dissatisfied with Miley’s distraction, Jeremy tried again to make small talk.

“Who’s your friend?”

“The blonde girl,” Miley pointed to Lilly a moment before the other girl took a dive into the water.

“So not your boyfriend,” he asked carefully, seeing if she was taken.

“Nope. No boyfriend, actually,” she responded absently, her gaze still fixed on the blonde, who had begun paddling out on her board.

“I was hoping you were free,” he smiled. When she didn’t reply, his smile drooped slightly and he cleared his throat. “Ummm… are you doing anything tomorrow after school?”

“No, I guess not,” she sighed. She thought, reluctantly, that trying a new relationship might ease things between her and Lilly. It might help her ignore her feelings for her peppy and pretty friend. Fighting to seem interested, she favored him with an awkward smile.

“Would you want to go to the mall, or something?” Miley could tell that he was stretching for something.

“Ummm… not to be a jerk or anything, but I’m not really interested right now,” she smiled sheepishly. She realized that it was slightly rude of her not to have told him that from the outset, but she didn’t exactly feel comfortable saying ‘Back off, I’m gay.’ That was a bit of a stretch for her.

“Oh,” he blinked, a little stunned. It was obvious he wasn’t expecting that at all. “Well, I’ll see you around then, I guess?” he stumbled a little as he stood up.

She smiled apologetically as he left. Unknown to Miley, Lilly had been eyeing them carefully between waves and had felt an unfamiliar curiosity burn through her as Jeremy attempted to pick her friend up. Was Miley even still into guys? Was Lilly the only girl she was attracted to? Did it even work that way?

Her inattentiveness cost her as a wave crashed over her head, sending her on a little trip underwater. She swam to the surface, snuffling as water coated the insides of her nose. There was nothing quite as annoying as getting salt water in the nose. It burned unpleasantly and left a bitter taste in her mouth.

That wipe-out signified the end of her surfing for the day so Lilly grabbed her board, which had stayed attached to the leash around her ankle and swam to shore, where she stumbled into the wet sand. A quick glance towards her feet revealed a small pink shell glinting in the sunlight, half-buried beneath the thick sand. Picking it up, Lilly brushed as much sand off of it as she could manage with her finger before smiling and tucking it into one of her pockets.

When she returned to Miley’s side, Jeremy had long gone and Miley was waiting for her with a concerned smile. “You okay?”

Lilly smiled reassuringly. “Yeah. Nothing the mighty Lilly couldn’t handle!” She grinned, flexing comically.

Miley laughed at her friend’s antics. “How were the waves?”

“Great.” Lilly jammed the surfboard into the sand and fell onto the edge of Miley’s towel, leaning back on the other girl’s shins. She hoped Miley wouldn’t mind getting water all over her legs.

“You were looking good out there,” Miley commented, dusting sand off her hands.

After debating with herself a moment, Lilly asked the question that had been bothering her. “Who was the guy?”

“Oh, I think he said his name was Jeremy,” Miley shrugged. “He wanted to go to the mall with me tomorrow.”

“Well? Are you going?”

“No.”

Lilly narrowed her eyebrows thoughtfully. “Why not?”

“I wasn’t interested.”

“Oh,” Lilly paused for a minute, trying to work up a little courage. “Do you even like guys at all anymore?” she asked quickly, slightly embarrassed. She could feel Miley tense up behind her, and instantly regretted the question. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have –”

“No, no. It’s okay. I’m kind of surprised it took you this long to ask me,” she laughed lightly, relaxing a little. “Its not that I’m not into guys anymore, it’s more that I was never really into them, and I couldn’t figure out why.”

Lilly turned to look her friend in the eye, and saw a little fear there. “Aren’t you scared of what everyone will think?” she asked, concerned.

Miley looked away and nodded. “I’m terrified. What happens if Jackson or my dad are just disgusted by me? Telling you and Oliver… I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared of being rejected in my life,” she admitted, brushing away a small tear that had escaped.

“Um, I’m not trying to be insensitive, but I did reject you,” Lilly replied, smirking a little to try and soften the blow.

Miley laughed and shook her head, but that didn’t stop the tears. “Not that. I was always kind of expecting you to turn me down, I guess. What I mean is, reject me as a friend. I just… I couldn’t take it if you and Ollie had walked away from me, you know?”

Lilly left her spot at Miley’s feet and wrapped her friend in a tight hug. “That’s something that you never have to worry about, Mile. Me and Ollie will always be there for you.”

She could feel the brunette nod into her shoulder, and Miley only held on tighter as she continued to cry, her pent up fears and anxieties spilling out at Lilly’s reassurance.

Lilly yawned quietly, breaking the moment and causing Miley to giggle. The blonde pulled away and smiled as Miley wiped her eyes. “If you need to talk, just talk. I’ll always listen, okay?”

Miley nodded and smiled, leaning back on the towel, more visibly relaxed than she had been in days.

“Good,” Lilly clapped. “Now that that’s settled, do you mind if I take a nap?”

This brought another laugh from the brunette. “Don’t forget to sunscreen. I know you hate getting burned.” Miley offered the bottle of sunscreen. Lilly accepted it and rubbed herself down. As Lilly protected herself, Miley scooted over on the towel to give Lilly room to lie down.

The remainder of the day passed much too quickly for both of them. As the sun set, Miley gathered up her towel and bid Lilly farewell. Lilly waved goodbye, but her mind was elsewhere. She couldn’t stop wondering about how things between her and Miley were changing. Just two days ago, Miley was her best friend and Lilly was happy. But now there was something between them that Lilly didn’t understand. And, though she was a little ashamed to admit it, she was afraid to understand.

--

The next day at school was much a repeat of the previous one. Miley was hanging at her locker before the last period of the day, thinking that maybe she should have just agreed to see Jeremy, or even Jake. Then maybe Lilly wouldn’t feel so weird around her. Then, maybe there wouldn’t be so many questions.

“Miley, are you okay?” Lilly tapped her shoulder.

Miley realized she probably looked weird, leaning on her locker and staring at nothing with distant eyes. She managed a grin for Lilly but it felt more like a grimace.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking.”

Lilly watched Miley a moment, suspicious. Miley tried a bigger smile, to no avail, and pushed off her locker, heading for their last class. Lilly let it go, for the moment. She figured that she’d get her answers after school. Catching up with Miley, she slid her arm around the other girl’s.

“Want to hang out after school?”

“Like always?” the teen pop star smiled. At least Lilly was trying to act normal. Maybe things wouldn’t be so weird after all.

“Like always. We could get Oliver to hang, too, if you want.” Lilly offered. She personally didn’t mind either way. Oliver wouldn’t be dead weight, but he wasn’t necessary.

“No. You can help me pick out my outfit for tomorrow. Oliver is useless at that,” Miley grinned, biting back a burst of giggles.

Lilly joined her in restrained laughter. “You’d probably end up going in a fashion disaster. Note to Miley, never let Oliver near your closet.”

“Dually noted,” the taller girl grinned, making a check mark in the air with her free hand.

Later, in said closet, Miley was digging through her various racks of clothing, unsure of what she wanted to wear. Lilly, meanwhile, was perched in a chair flipping through a fashion magazine.

“So you’re totally going to let me wear a pair of Italian boots, right?”

Miley picked up a long blouse, holding it to her body, “Depends. How does this look?”

Lilly glanced over. “Put it in the possible pile.”

Miley threw it into a small pile of clothing outside the closet before returning to her hunt. “And sure, as long as I’m not wearing them first.”

“Can I use the knee-high ones? They’ll go great with my black skirt.” Lilly set the magazine aside in favor of sorting the possible pile. She threw aside a few of the tops, deigning that they were not fit for an after-party.

“Sure. That just means we’ll have to match my outfit to a different pair of shoes,” Miley gestured to her wall of footwear. “Which shouldn’t be that hard.”

“I think you should wear this,” Lilly held up a soft blue blouse. It had no shoulders; instead it had thick bands that would wrap around Miley’s upper arms.

Miley was hesitant. That shirt had Lilly’s attention and would look great on her, but it was a sure-fire way to get the attention of every male in the room. But in the end she nodded her consent and went to choose a pair of nice hip-hugger jeans to match and a pair of comfortable shoes.

Lilly looked at her expectantly. “Well, put it on! I want to see how you look. If it works, you can wear it.”

Miley rolled her eyes, “As you wish, your Highness.”

Lilly went back to lounging in her chair. She picked the magazine back up while Miley quickly ducked into the closet to shed her clothing and don the new apparel. Stepping out, Miley spun in a circle, showing off to her one-person audience.

“Lovely, daaaahling,” Lilly adopted a snooty accent, drawing out her vowels. “Simply maaaaaaaahvelous.”

Lilly’s cell phone went off as Miley changed back to her usual attire. While Lilly talked with her mom, Miley hung the outfit up and placed it in the corner, setting the shoes underneath.

“What’s up?” Miley wandered back, standing a few feet away from Lilly, who quite frankly didn’t look pleased.

“I have to go home. I kind of forgot that today was supposed to be ‘family fun time,’” Lilly shuddered, making quotes in the air. “So not fun.”

Miley held back her smile. Lilly was so cute when she was riled and indignant.

“Don’t forget to grab the shoes on your way out.”

“Thanks again, Miles!” Lilly snatched the shoes and her bag before making a mad break out of the closet. Miley chuckled softly as her best friend made such a speedy exit. She gazed at the outfit once more before turning the lights off and leaving, too.