“Jackson!” Riley called out, as she ran after her brother. “Jackson! Wait up!”

Jackson turned when he heard his name being called. Upon seeing that it was his sister, he told his friends he’d catch them later. They nodded and continued on their way, as he stood there waiting for one of his little sisters.

“Hey Riles,” Jackson smiled, knowing it was safe to use her actual name since no one was currently around. “What’s up?”

Riley sighed heavily. “If only I knew where to start.”

“Well, the beginning usually helps,” Jackson pointed out. “Why don’t you start there, and keep going until you finish?”

“You better walk real slow then,” Riley told him. “This may take a while.”

“Then why don’t we sidetrack to Rico’s and grab some fries on the way home,” Jackson suggested. “Dad won’t be home for a while yet, and if he beats us there, well, I’ll take the blame.”

“Thanks,” Riley said gratefully, latching onto his one arm and resting her head upon his shoulder.

“Riles, if anyone starts thinking I’m dating my cousin, you’d better run,” Jackson threatened quietly. “Payback’s not all that much fun.”

“C’n we find somewhere private then?” Riley pleaded. “I just – I need a shoulder to lean on right now. And yours is the one I want it to be.”

“Yeah, c’mon. Rico’s, then some private spot to hide away from the world for a short while,” Jackson nodded. “I think I know just the place too.”

Riley flashed him a grateful smile, and remained silent for the rest of their walk, as she tried to sort all her thoughts out.

Jackson let his sister be, knowing she needed to work out all that she was going to say in her head, before finally telling him all that was currently bothering her. He didn’t mind being her soul confident, as he knew how she felt when it came to the whole Hannah Montana thing. As much as they loved Miley and were happy for her, and how much they liked Hannah Montana, it still hurt to be pushed to the back burner at times.

Soon enough, they were sitting in a private spot on the beach, each munching on their own box of French fries. They were currently watching the tide come in, as it was about that time of day.

“So…..” Jackson trailed off, trying to encourage his sister to talk.

“So….I wish I could take this stupid wig off,” Riley sighed heavily. “I’m sick of being Kylie. I don’t want to be her anymore. I want to be Riley Mae Stewart, not Kylie Kay Cyrus.”

Jackson gave her a grim smile. “I can only imagine how hard it is to have to be someone other than yourself,” he told her. “Some days, I don’t know how you cope. I mean, I’m surprised we all haven’t forgotten that you’re really Riley Mae, and not Kylie Kay.”

“Sometimes, I think Daddy forgets who I really am, until I’m in trouble for something,” Riley sighed once more. “That’s the only time he ever seems to call me Riley anymore.”

“So what’re you saying? You get in trouble just so Dad’ll say your name?” Jackson queried, raising his eyebrows playfully.

“Of course not!” Riley exclaimed. “I’m not that desperate!”

“Are you sure?” Jackson asked seriously. “Because, if you’re acting out just to get his attention and force him to use your real names Riles, it’s not healthy. People see shrinks for that sort of thing.”

“Pfft. Like Daddy’d even hire me one,” Riley muttered bitterly. “And I don’t know anymore, Jackson. I haven’t known anything for a long time now. All I know is that Daddy seemed to stop caring. He decided his attention was better focused on Hannah Montana than me. The world evolves around Miley and Hannah, Hannah and Miley. I love them both dearly, but when is he going to love me?! You know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Jackson nodded. “I’ve noticed he brushes you aside when Miley or I are in the room at the same moment.”

“But why Jackson?” Riley whined slightly. “Why does he do that all the time? Am I not important to him anymore or something? What did I ever do so wrong, other than love him and want his attention?”

“I don’t know Riles,” Jackson sighed heavily, wrapping his arm about her shoulders. “Maybe you remind him too much of Mom…”

“But wouldn’t that make him want to keep me closer?” Riley questioned, her eyes pleading with her brother for an answer. One she’d hopefully want to hear.

“You’d think that, yeah,” Jackson agreed. “But…he was mighty hurt when Mom died, Riles. You and Miley were still a little too small to take notice of everything, but he was pretty bad off. Mawmaw had to come and stay for a bit, because Dad just couldn’t take care of us right then. He tried, but it got to be too much for him. What, with Mom’s death, and Miley and you asking him endless questions about why she wasn’t coming back. Things just seemed to get worse after that gradually. Oh, sure, he’d take you and Miles to the park when you all asked, and I’d usually tag along. But slowly, he started to pull away from you, and at the same time, you slowly started to believe you were Kylie Cyrus, the character you’d made up and used in all the plays we used to put on for Mom and Dad. And, well, as they say. The rest is history.”

“So he ignores me because I remind him of Mom?” Riley checked, wanting to be sure. “And because I was a stupid kid, who wanted to be Kylie Cyrus for a while, that’s who he made me become?”

“It was just easier that way, Riles,” Jackson told her apologetically.

“On who?” Riley demanded angrily. “Did he not realize I’d eventually not want to be Kylie anymore? That maybe, just maybe I’d want to be myself again some day?”

“I don’t know,” Jackson replied. “Do I look like Dad to you?”

“And why is it harder for him to look at me, and not Miley? We look the exact same!” Riley exclaimed. “She may be a tad taller, but we still look the same otherwise!”

“But your personalities are different,” Jackson reminded her. “You like to point that out all the time. You may have the same dream, that currently only one of you gets to live out, but you’re still different in many other ways.”

“Like, how I like broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower and she don’t?”

“Exactly!” Jackson nodded. “You’ve similarities, but differences as well. You’re not exactly alike – if you were, I’d have been bored to tears with you long ago. And since when do you ever see Miles coming to me for advice, huh? She usually saves that department for you or Lily.”

“I’m going to be famous some day,” Riley declared, suddenly changing the subject just slightly. “I’ll still wear a wig, because it’s smart to keep your true identity hidden, but it won’t be this blasted red one.”

Jackson smirked as he watched his sister tug at the short red wig upon her head still. “Oh, yeah? What colour would it be then?”

“Well, it can’t be blond ‘cause then everyone would think I was Hannah Montana,” Riley said, shaking her head some. “So, maybe it’ll be the same length as Hannah’s, but red with blond streaks. And of course, by this time, the world will know that Hannah Montana has a twin sister. Or least a sister anyway. I don’t care if they know we’re twins or not, just so long as they know Hannah ain’t the only famous Montana here.”

“And what would your name be?” Jackson questioned curiously.

“Savannah Montana,” Riley smirked. “Gotta keep the rhyming scheme going, after all.”

Jackson laughed. “Of course. That’s what you two are all about.”

“Dang tootin’!” Riley smiled some. “It’s a dream I haven’t even shared with Miley yet. I don’t wanna seem like I’m copying her, but it was my dream long before it was hers! I told Mom about it when she was still here, and Miley just wanted to be an actress. I wanted to sing – more than anything. I still do.”

“Well, I’m glad you shared it with me, Riles,” Jackson told her, hugging her close affectionately – something he didn’t normally do – least, not in public anyway. “I enjoy knowing things no one else knows. I like to be kept in the loop, not out of it.”

Riley leaned against her brother, happily hugging him back. “I’m glad you’re here to for me to share my dreams with. Miley listens to them, but she don’t seem to understand the way you do.”

“That’s because Miles already gets all the attention and her dreams have come true,” Jackson pointed out. “She doesn’t know what it’s like to come in second, or third. She doesn’t have to sit back and watch someone they love live out the dream they want to live out too. If she had to watch you live out her dream, I’m sure she’d be running to me all the time too. I still think Dad should’ve let you both just go out and sing – though, I know when you tried to tell him, he accused you of things that just weren’t true.”

“Daddy doesn’t know me anymore,” Riley pouted, her eyes downcast, her head still on her brother’s shoulder. “He used to know me better than anyone else…..Do you think I’ll ever get that back, Jackson?”

“I sure hope you do, Riles,” Jackson told her honestly, as he rest his head against hers, their French fries long gone by now. “I sure hope you do.”