Meanwhile, back at the school, lunch hour had arrived and Miley, Lily, and Oliver had met up at their usual lunch table.

“Hey, where’s Kylie?” Miley asked, surprised to see that her sister wasn’t with Oliver like she usually was. “Did she get detention again or something?”

Oliver shrugged as he took his seat. “Her and Ms. Hersh got into it earlier, and I haven’t seen her since,” he replied. “Ms. Hersh sent her to the Principal’s office, but from the sounds of it, she never showed up.”

“How do you know she didn’t show?” Lily asked curiously, taking a bite out of her sandwich.

“Mr. Diprofio came into the class just to see how everything was going, and was mighty confused when Ms. Hersh asked him about Kylie,” Oliver answered, as he started in on his sandwich as well. “And, well, she wasn’t at my locker waiting for me like usual, so I’m assuming she left.”

“Daddy’s going to kill her!” Miley groaned. “This is the fifth time this month, that she’s gotten into trouble at school, then taken off – though, he doesn’t know that – yet.”

“You really think they’re going to call your Dad, Miley?” Lily queried.

“Wouldn’t you if a student kept running off like this?” Miley countered. “I mean, c’mon Lils. Get real here.”

“You mean, they haven’t called him before?” Lily questioned.

“Of course they have!” Miley exclaimed. “We were just home in time and quick enough to erase the message before he even had a chance of getting it.”

Oliver chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds like Kyles.”

“Besides, do you really think she’d be hanging out with us as much as she is, if my Dad knew about all the trouble she’s been getting into?” Miley stated. “You know how he’s a stickler for rules and respect.”

“Then can’t you just erase the message again tonight?” Lily asked.

“No, because he probably got it,” Miley sighed heavily. “He was staying home all today, because he was waiting for an important parcel. I just hope he doesn’t get mad at me for knowing, and being the one to erase the messages.”

“Living on the edge, eh, Miles?” Jackson commented as he came up behind her one sister. “Where’s Ri-Kyles at?”

Miley gave him a pointed look as he had almost majorly slipped and called Kylie by her real name. Which would’ve been bad, since neither of her friends knew that Kylie’s real name was Riley.

“Oh, I’ve no idea where our cousin, Kylie, is,” Miley laughed. “Prolly ran off somewhere again. Ahaha.”

“Yanno, you’re sure acting strange today, Miley,” Lily said, shaking her head. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to hide something from us. But, like there’s anything for you to really hide, right? Well, other than you being, you-know-who.”

“Lily!” Miley hissed. “Don’t talk about that here! You never know who could be listening!”

“So you don’t know where Kylie went?” Jackson questioned once more. “Because I just got off the phone with Dad and he seemed pretty furious about something she did.”

Miley groaned. “Great, now he’s gonna know one of us deleted all those messages the Principal’s left on our answering machine these past couple months.”

“Well, you didn’t expect to be able to get away with it forever, did you?” Jackson laughed.

“I’d be lying if I said no,” Miley replied. “We had it all worked out, but then today of all days, she just had to go and get into trouble. The one day that Daddy’s home this month. Yeesh!”

“Well, there’s not much you can do about it now, except suck it up and be ready to face the consequences when you get home,” Jackson told her, shrugging his shoulders. “I’d call Kylie and warn her, but it seems she’s turned her cell phone off.”

“No she hasn’t,” Miley replied, holding up a cell phone she’d found in her bag. “She must’ve tossed it in here this morning, instead of tossing it in her own bag.”

~~~~~

Meanwhile, at the beach, Riley sat on a rock near a cave her and her sister used as their secret hide-out. They’d found the cave years ago, and never once had they ever seen anyone else go in it, other than that one time they’d shown their mother where they were playing. And they’d only shown her because she insisted upon it, or she was going to forbid them from going there. But, once she’d seen it was safe and knew where it was, she was fine with the girls playing there, so long as it wasn’t high tide – she made them promise to never play there during high tide, just in case. Of course, the two of them had promised her immediately, just wanting a secret place to play.

Now, all these years later, both girls still came to their secret spot to sit and think, and get away from it all. They still loved the fact it was a secret only the two of them shared, and they loved that it was still secret after all of these years. And though their father always insisted they tell him where they were headed, they never once had told him exactly where they were going when headed to their secret spot.

“Mom knows,” Riley muttered to herself softly, as she was thinking of all the times their father actually demanded to know where she was going on her own. “So long as Mom knows, I’m okay.”

She blinked back the tears that were suddenly threatening to fall. She wasn’t sure why, but she’d been missing their mother more and more lately – more so than ever before. Maybe it was because she’d reached the all important teenage years? Or maybe it was because, she knew if their mother was there, she’d have never been forced to hide her true identity from the world. And why she had to keep her true identity hidden was still a mystery to her. Every time she tried to ask their father about it, he’d brush her off and start focusing on Miley and Hannah Montana once more, or he’d pester Jackson instead.

“Why am I always tossed to the side?” Riley wondered aloud. “Am I not as important? Just because I’m the middle child doesn’t mean he’s the right to ignore me! I’m so sick of only getting his attention when I do wrong!”

She gave a low angry growl, kicking some sand up somewhat, though not bothering to get up off the rock she currently sat upon.

“I am not something he can just toss aside like yesterday’s trash!” Riley ranted to the waves. “I’m his daughter! I deserve some respect! I deserve his love too! Why does he hate me so much? What did I do wrong?!?”

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I bet he prolly got that phone call today too,” Riley grumbled. “I’ma be toast when I get home.”

She shook her head. “Why can’t I do anything right?” She shouted up to the Heavens, narrowing her, once again, tear-filled eyes.

~~~~~

Back at the Stewart house, Robbie Ray paced the living room angrily. He’d gotten a phone call from the school principal earlier. He’d answered it, thinking one of his children had been hurt or something, only to find out the one had been causing trouble and skipping school repeatedly for the past couple months.

“That girl,” he muttered, running his one hand through his hair as he paced. “What in the world is she thinking? Does she not realize that if she keeps this up, she’ll be going to summer school or repeating the ninth grade?”

“And if she ends up in summer school, how is Hannah Montana supposed to tour? I’m not leaving a fifteen-year-old girl home alone all summer! That’s just plain stupid!” Robbie ranted. “If I end up hiring a tutor, that girl’s bottom is going to sting like the dickens when I’m through with her!”

~~~~~

The day continued on for everyone, dragging on endlessly for some, and not ending fast enough for others. Soon everyone was home a the Stewart house, except for one.

“Where is she?” Robbie demanded of his two children, currently sitting at the kitchen table doing homework. Lily and Oliver had gone home when he’d begun to yell at Miley for helping her sister keep her school troubles a secret.

“Dad, for the last time, we don’t know,” Jackson answered him. “Now, would you quit asking us and just sit down and wait patiently? Some of us are trying to do our homework here.”

Robbie narrowed his eyes at his son, giving him a stern look. “Don’t you go ordering me around, Jackson! I can ground you just as easily as I grounded Miley!”

“Ground me for doing what? Telling you to let us concentrate on our school work?” Jackson replied. “If that’s the case, then I think Riles had the right idea, of not coming home straight away.”

“Don’t -” Robbie began, only to trail off as he spotted Riley trying to sneak in the patio doors. “Just where have you been young lady?”

“Out,” Riley replied shortly, eyeing him warily. Her eyes were a little red, signaling she’d been crying over something, but as to what no one but her knew.

“I know that! But where?” Robbie demanded.

“What do you care?” Riley snapped slightly. “I’m not Miley, so there’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“There is everything for me to worry about!” Robbie roared. “I’m your father! I’ve a right to know where you’re at every minute of the day! Especially when you’ve decided to skip school to go off somewhere you’ve deemed more important!”

“Yeah, well, whatever,” Riley shrugged, then glanced over at her sister. “Can you help me get this stupid wig off, Miles? I’ve been trying to all afternoon, but there’s too many bobby pins.”

“Sure,” Miley replied, knowing just how much her sister despised that wig.

“We’re not through her, young lady!” Robbie exclaimed. “Don’t you dare walk away from me, young lady!”

“Why not? You walk away from me all the time!” Riley retorted.

“Do you’ve any idea just how much trouble you’re in, Riley Mae?” Robbie demanded. “Just what were you thinking, cutting school and all? And what is with you giving all your teachers a hard time? Is the work too hard for you or something?”

“More like too easy,” Riley muttered bitterly.

“If you keep this up, you’re going to be going to summer school,” Robbie told her. “And then how is Hannah Montana supposed to tour? I can’t very well leave you home alone for two months!”

Riley’s eyes blazed angrily, as she narrowed them at her father. “There’s more to life than Hannah Montana!” She shouted at him angrily. “So what if Hannah Montana can’t tour! If you want her to tour that bad, then hire me a tutor already!”

“Riley Mae Stewart, I’ve half a mind to take you over my lap and give you a good old fashioned spanking!” Robbie stated, his eyes narrowing at her in return.

“Well, then pretend I’m Hannah Montana, and maybe that half a mind will go away!” Riley snapped turning to glare at him, as she stood on the bottom step of the staircase.

“You get up to your room and you stay there!” Robbie ordered. “You’re grounded for two months Riley Mae! Keep it up and it’ll be three!”

“Fine!” Riley yelled, turning and running up the stairs. Figures he wouldn’t even ask her what was wrong when she walked in the door. No, instead he had to yell at her for all she’d done wrong that day. Well, what about what she’d done right? What about her already hurt feelings? What about the fact she was desperately aching for their mother and no one knew nor seemed to care? When would she matter? When?