Later that evening, Miley came up to the room that she shared with her sister. Upon entering, she found Riley lying on her bed face down, crying softly, with her face buried into her pillow.
“Oh, Riles,” Miley sighed, going and sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing her twin’s back.
“Leave me alone,” Riley mumbled into her pillow.
Miley rolled her eyes. “I know you don’t want me too, because if I did, you’d never get that wig off your head for the night.”
Riley gave a low growl at the mere mention of the dreaded thing that was now lopsided on her head from her tugging at it in frustration.
“Hey, hey, quit that,” Miley told her. “You keep tugging at it, and we’ll never get it off your head.”
“What’s the point in taking it off, only to have to put it on again in the morning, huh?” Riley countered. “I mean, even on weekends I’m not allowed to be myself! Why can’t Lily and Oliver know who I really am? They already know you’re Hannah Montana, so what’s so wrong with knowing me for me?”
“I don’t know Bud,” Miley sighed, rubbing her twin’s back comfortingly. “I wish I did, but I don’t.”
“I was myself when Mom was alive,” Riley pouted. “Mom and Daddy never made me wear a wig unless I wanted to for Halloween. Though, I never saw much of Lily and Oliver back then. I was always with Jackson or my own friends.”
Miley shrugged. “I often wonder why they don’t remember you, but I think every time they did see you, you’d have a wig on, and insist that your name was Kylie.”
“Pfft. Who knew that’s who I’d end up as?” Riley half whined, half sighed in annoyance. “Is Daddy so ashamed of me, that he doesn’t want anyone to know I still exist? I mean, so what if I always told them I was Kylie when we were kids and always wore that stupid wig? Why does it mean I hafta keep on doing so now? I used to do it just for fun, but it’s not fun anymore Miles! It’s just not!”
“He’s not ashamed of you, Riles,” Miley insisted, her hand pausing momentarily on Riley’s back. “He’s just….just…..I don’t know.”
“He’s ashamed of me….end of story,” Riley stated, her eyes filling up with unwanted tears. “I don’t matter to him anymore. Ever since Mom died, I just don’t seem to exist. If he doesn’t wanna care about me anymore, then I refuse to care about him.”
“Riley….” Miley trailed off.
“Don’t Miles,” Riley replied shortly. “Just get this blasted wig off my head, and let me be.”
Miley shook her head at her twin, as they maneuvered, so she’d be able to help remove the wig from Riley’s head. It took a while, but finally, she freed her sister of the item she despised more than anything. When they were young, wigs used to be fun to play with and make everyone laugh with, but ever since their mother had died, wigs had become a reality for them both – one Miley loved, and one Riley hated with every fiber of her being.
“There, you’re free now,” Miley told her finally, yanking the red wig off and waving it in the air.
“Wonder how mad Daddy’d be if I tossed it out the window and into the trash can,” Riley pondered aloud. “Bet he’d still make me were the blasted thing.”
“Riley, he cares, okay?” Miley insisted. “He may not show it, but deep down I know he does.”
“You only say that, because he never once stopped caring about you,” Riley snapped angrily. “You and Hannah Montana!”
“I thought you were Hannah’s biggest fan?” Miley countered. “Hmm?”
“I was, until Daddy decided your alter ego was more important than me,” Riley growled.
“Oh, get over yourself,” Miley stated, shaking her head, as she rolled off her sister’s twin bed that was covered in a TMNT bedspread and sheets, along with matching pillows and pillow cases. She plopped down on her own twin bed, that was covered in a light purple butterfly covered bedspread and sheets, pillows and pillow cases included as well. “You’re such a drama queen, I swear.”
“Oh, and you’re not?” Riley retorted.
“No,” Miley answered calmly, as she rolled her covers down to the bottom of her bed for something to do.
“Pfft,” Riley scoffed. “Who near had a cow, when Jackson accidentally killed Beary? Hmm?”
“Oh, hush,” Miley said, scooping up her beloved stuffed teddy bear. “You’d have done the same, had Jackson destroyed your precious Simon.”
“Would not’ve,” Riley argued, grabbing up her stuffed Alvin & the Chipmunks, chipmunk. “I would’ve kicked his butt to Tim-Buck-Two and back again instead.”
“No, you would’ve bawled,” Miley pointed out. “I sought revenge, which turned out to be a mistake.”
“I coulda told you that,” Riley replied, hugging Simon to her chest, as she lie back on her bed. “You better go, before Daddy comes in and yells at you some more.”
“Okay, you weren’t here for the first set of fireworks, but rest assured, you’re not the only Stewart who’s currently grounded,” Miley informed her. “Daddy knows, as you know, of all the times I helped keep your skipping school and bad grades secret, so I’m in just about as much trouble as you are.”
“Bet you still get to be Hannah Montana though,” Riley grumbled.
“Only because we can’t back out of those appearances,” Miley stated. “Otherwise, I’d be under lock and key just like you.”
“So once more, pop star Miley Rae gets to go out and live her life, while I – Riley Mae – am stuck here rotting away,” Riley muttered angrily. She was not the least bit amused.
“Okay, now who’s being the drama queen again?” Miley pointed out. “You’re not going to die if you can’t hang out with Oliver. Heck, rejoice. Being grounded to your room means you don’t have to wear that wig as much anymore, until your grounding’s up.”
“Who said I was mad about not being able to hang out with Oliver?” Riley countered. “I sure as heck didn’t.”
“Oh, come off it,” Miley laughed. “Lily and I know you like him – it’s kind of hard not to notice, what with the way you keep looking at him.”
“Whatever,” Riley scowled, rolling over and burying her face into her pillow.
“Though, why, is beyond us,” Miley went on. “I mean, it’s Oliver. Eew.”
“Exactly. It’s Oliver,” Riley answered, her voice muffled by her pillow somewhat.
“Eew! Eew! Eew!” Miley exclaimed, squealing when she was suddenly hit in the head with a pillow. “Oh, I’ll get you for that!”
“Bring it!” Riley smirked, grabbing up another one of her pillows and whipping it at her twin as well. “
~~~~~
Later that night, as everyone in the Stewart household slept, all peacefully except for one. One lie tossing and turning and whimpering in their sleep, distressed by the dream they were currently having.
Miley awoke to the sound of her twin whimpering, and immediately went to her bedside to try and awaken her.
“Riley! Riley!” Miley hissed, shaking her sister gently. “Riley, wake up!”
Riley continued to moan and whimper and squirm in her sleep, despite her sister’s gentle touch.
“Riley!” Miley hissed a tad louder, giving her sister a harder shake. “Wake up! You’re dreaming!”
Riley awoke with a start, bolting straight up in bed, looking around her surroundings warily. Upon realizing she was still at home, safe and sound in her room with her sister at her side, she relaxed some.
“Care to tell me what that was all about?” Miley asked, pulling her sister into a much needed hug.
Riley snuggled into her twin, resting her head upon her shoulder. “Not really,” she spoke softly, sniffling a tad. She hated constantly having nightmares, but there wasn’t much she could do about them.
Miley sighed heavily, hugging her twin closer to her. Every night was the same. Riley would awaken her midst her nightmares, she’d wake her sister up in return and comfort her and ask what it was about, and Riley would refuse to spill the beans. When was this cycle going to end?
“You can talk to me about anything, you know,” Miley reminded her. “I’ll always be here to listen.”
“I know,” Riley assured her. “I’m just not ready to talk about them yet, is all.”
“Okay,” Miley replied. “But when you are, you know where to find me.”
“Yup. Right across the room,” Riley smiled slightly, snuggling into Miley just a little bit more.
“Want me to stay here tonight?” Miley asked.
“Please?” Riley whispered.
“Okay,” Miley nodded, as they both snuggled down under the TMNT covers on the twin bed.
“Thanks,” Riley told her sister.
“No thanks necessary,” Miley smiled, resting her forehead against Riley’s, as they lay facing one another. “That’s what I’m here for.”
“The younger one isn’t supposed to be looking out for the older one,” Riley muttered softly.
“Well, we both know I’m the strong one,” Miley teased.
“Yeah, yeah,” Riley cracked a smile. “And I’m the sap. But Jackson is the nitwit.”
“That he is,” Miley agreed. “Though, he does come up with some good ideas every now and again.”
“Yeah,” Riley giggled. “Like that time he got back at Rico, so they both ended up with bald heads.”
“Yeah,” Miley laughed quietly, as they both close their eyes to go to sleep. “Love you, Riles.”
“Love you more, Miles,” Riley whispered, before they both fell into a deep slumber.
~~~~~
The next afternoon, Riley and Miley met up with Lily and Oliver, for the walk home.
“So, how was your day, Kylie?” Oliver queried curiously.
“Fine,” Riley muttered. “I still can’t believe Da-Uncle Robbie doesn’t trust me enough to get to my classes on my own! As if he hired somebody to walk me to each class and ensure I stay there! Does he not know how humiliating that is!?!?!”
“Well, maybe if you stayed in class more, he wouldn’t have hired someone?” Lily suggested. “It works two ways, you know.”
“Well, maybe if the work wasn’t so easy, I’d stay in class and actually do the work assigned,” Riley retorted, none too happy with her father at the moment. Though, what else was new? He was never pleased with her, nor her too pleased with him. Sadly, it was just the way things were – the way things had been since her mother had passed on.
“So why don’t you just tell someone it’s too easy then?” Oliver asked. “If you told someone, wouldn’t they put you in harder classes or something?”
“I have told people,” Riley grumbled. “But no one believes me, because I won’t do the easy work already assigned.”
“I think they ought to just give you a test or something, to prove which one of you is right,” Miley stated. “Though, I know you’re going to be the one who is right, Ri-Kyles.”
“Maybe that’s why they won’t test me,” Riley muttered. “Maybe they’re afraid they’ll be proven wrong – which they would be, if they’d just listen to me!”
“I hear yah,” Miley nodded in agreement. “Adults just don’t seem to listen when we need them too lately.”
Riley gave her sister a grim smile. “I know, and it sucks royally.”
Lily raised her eyebrows at the pair of them. “You guys know something we don’t?”
“No, just speculating, is all,” Miley replied with a shrug.
“For a minute there, I thought you guys had a twin thing going on or something,” Oliver laughed. “Freaky.”
“Yeah, I know,” Lily laughed along with him.
“Twin thing? What makes you guys say that?” Riley questioned, slightly hoping they’d figured out her secret. She really wanted for them to know – mostly so she wouldn’t have to keep wearing the annoying red wig that was currently upon her head.
“You guys just act alike sometimes,” Lily replied. “But that probably comes with the territory of living together and sharing a room.”
“Heh, yeah it does,” Miley agreed with her best friend quickly. They were already in enough trouble as it was – they didn’t need Riley’s cover being blown added to the list. “Sometimes, we just seem to share a brain, which is rather creepy.”
“Yeah,” Riley sighed, trying not to display her displeasure. “Very creepy.”
“You sure you’re okay, Kylie?” Oliver wanted to know. “You just don’t seem yourself today.”
“I’m never myself,” Riley thought bitterly, before answering him. “No, I’m alright Oliver. Just had a long day, and didn’t get too much sleep last night. I’m fine, really.”
“Okay,” Oliver shrugged. “If you say so.”
“And she did, so let’s get this party headed home,” Miley cut in quickly. “Some of us are grounded you know.”
“Wouldn’t that mean, you’d want to procrastinate?” Lily countered.
“Well, yeah,” Miley trailed off.
“But Miley doesn’t like for Da-Uncle Robbie to be mad at her, so she usually tries to stay on his good side,” Riley finished for her twin. “Unlike me, who just always seems to end up on his bad side – whether I try to be there or not.”
“Ri-Kylie, not now,” Miley insisted.
Riley glared at her sister momentarily; her dangerous look speaking volumes right then. “I-I think I’m going to go walk home with Jackson. I’ll – I’ll catch y’all later.”
“You better not be late!” Miley called out, as she watched her twin run off. “We’ve places to go tonight!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Riley waved her off, as she hurried off in search of their brother. She loved her twin and their friends, but she really needed their brother right then. He’d listen to her – he always did. Miley did too, don’t get her wrong – but it was just hard to communicate fully how she felt to her, since Miley was such a Daddy’s girl. She used to be too, once upon a time. But, since once upon a time had ended for her, she sought out their brother when in the mood to rant and rave profusely. He listened, he understood, he knew what it was like to come second to their younger sister – Hannah Montana more so than anything. She eventually spotted him walking with some of his friends, and hurried to catch up to him, not wanting to be left behind right then.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Dreamed about Hannah Montana, bought Miley Cyrus' new CD, bought Hannah Montana stickers, & watched the 3-D Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus concert on Saturday. I'd say I'm definitely in Hannah Montana mode - lol. so, Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Only own Riley/Kylie & story idea. Disney owns everyone else. Thank-you!
Disclaimer: Only own Riley/Kylie & story idea. Disney owns everyone else. Thank-you!
