Take the Hope for a Good Life

Twenty-One

LA, USA
December 27th
Miley's POV

When I was just finishing a phone call with Noah, there was someone at the door.

"I gotta go, Noah. Talk to you later." I say over the phone.

"Byeee." Then we hang up. I go to answer the door, and it was Lindsay, Andy, and Shelby. When I opened the door Shelby's eyes got extremely wide.

"Oh. My. God." Shelby says, then I smile.

"I kept it a secret. I told her we were going somewhere and to not ask cause I wasn't gonna tell her." Lindsay says.

"I can see it's a secret. She seems shocked." Then I wave my hand in front of Shelby. "Is she okay?" I joke, then I gesture for them to come in.

"Thanks again for having us." Lindsay says.

"No problem." I answer. "River, Andy is here." I shout. He was in his room playing. He came running out and greeted everyone before running outside in the backyard to play with Andy.

"Play nice." Lindsay shouts after Andy.

"Oh. My. God." Shelby says again.

"Am I the first celebrity she's met?" I ask.

"Yeah...how'd you know?" Lindsay replies, then we laugh.

"Her reaction. Come in, do you like tea?"

"Yes, I'd  love a cup."

"Good I was just warming up some water." I say, then we walk into my kitchen and Shelby follows me with her eyes still wide.

"I can't believe I'm in Miley Cyrus' house." She says, then I laugh.

"Look, Shelby. I know I'm fat and all right now, but would you like a picture with me?" I ask, then she smiles.

"You aren't fat though." She says.

"So I've been told." I say, then Lindsay and I laugh.

"Can I get a picture with you?" She asks.

"Of course." I say, then she takes her phone out and we took a couple pictures together.

"Oh. My. God. I just took a picture with Miley Cyrus." She says, then I laugh.

"I'm sorry, she's a little...excited at the moment." Lindsay says.

"It's fine." Then I start to make the tea. "Shelby do you want to go sit on the couch or something? We'll be in there in a minute." I say, then she nods and smiles before leaving to go sit on the couch.

"Boy, she'll have a story to tell everyone at school and on Instagram. And Twitter, and Facebook, and Snapchat, and...well...everything." Then Lindsay and I laugh. "Man, I haven't had a good laugh like this in a long time."

"Do you and..." I start to say.

"Jake." Lindsay says, filling me in on her ex's name.

"Do you and Jake still talk or see each other?" I ask.

"Only when we have to. When we're talking about the plans with the kids we talk. And when I drop them off or he picks them up we see each other." She answers.

"Oh, wow. It must be hard to see him." I say sympathetically.

"Eh, it's not as hard as you'd think. It was at first but I got used to it. I hardly let him see the kids while we were going through the divorce. And a year after that I hardly let him see them."

"So do you have full custody then?" I ask.

"Yeah." She replies. "He as never really a good father. Of course now he is because if he hurts them or neglects them while he's taking them then he gets in a lot of trouble. Hell, he was never a good husband."