"You get the best of both worlds! Chill it out, take it slow, then you rock out the show! You get the best of both worlds! Mix it all together and you know that it's the best of both worlds!"

Dream crossed her arms, declining the call.

"Who said, who said, I can't be superman? I say, I say, that I know I can! Who said, who said, I won't be president? I say, I say, you ain't seen nothing yet!"

Again, Dream declined the call.

"I've got everything I've always wanted! I'm living the dream! So yeah everything I've always wanted! Is it always what it seems? "

"Ugh," Dream groaned. "Shut up."

"Hey, get up, get loud, start pumping up the party now. Hey, get up, get loud, start pumping up the party now."

"Will this thing shut up for once!" Dream threw her phone on the ground in frustration.

"If we were a movie, you'd be the right guy, and I'd be the best friend, you'd fall in love with in the end, we'd be laughing, watching the sunset, fade to black, show the names, play the happy song..."

"Throwing your phone on the ground isn't going to solve any problems," Zac commented, watching her in amusement.

"Yeah, I know," she snapped. "Can you believe the audacity of this man?"

"This man is your dad," Zac reminded her. "And all your things besides the clothes you're currently wearing and your phone, are currently in his apartment still."

"Uh oh, there you go again, talking cinematic, yeah you! You're charming, got everybody starstruck, I know, how you always seem to go, for the obvious, instead of me, but get a ticket and you'll see..."

"He won't stop calling me," Dream said, getting off the couch to pick up her phone and decline the call once again.

"I know where I stand, I know who I am, I would never run away when life gets bad! It's everything I see, every part of me, gonna get what I deserve! I got nerve!"

"See?" Dream said, pressing the decline button on her phone. Again.

"You know, it might help to put your phone on silent."

"Eh," Dream shrugged. "Putting my phone on silent doesn't stop him from calling me. Besides, I like Hannah Montana."

"If you could see the other side of me, I'm just like anybody else, can't you tell! I hold the key, to both realities, the girl that I want you to know, if only I could show."

"Yeah, it's pretty nice," Dream commented, but she declined the call anyways so her dad couldn't leave a message.

"Then stop complaining?" Zac suggested.

"This is the life! Hold on tight! And this is the dream! It's all I need! You never know where you'll find it, and I'm gonna take my time, yeah, I'm still getting it right...this is the life."

"You know what, this is getting annoying," Dream said, putting her phone on silent.

"He's worried about you."

"Oh, please," Dream rolled her eyes, "If he cared about me at all, he wouldn't even bring up the word 'move.' Especially when it means," she shuddered, "Actually moving."

"You should see a therapist," Zac suggested. "Also, you can't stay at my place every time you and your dad have a disagreement."

"I had a personal therapist for five years. And um, this isn't a disagreement, Zac. It's a huge thing. He should care about my feelings on things such as, oh I don't know, him getting married, or uprooting my entire life to move somewhere else?"

"Fair point, I agree that your dad is toxic and manipulative."

"Not toxic and manipulative," Dream defended. "Just inconsiderate."

"You guys should see a family therapist, then."

"No, thank you."

"Well, you and your dad need to work out something."

"I guess," Dream grumbled. "Wait," something suddenly crossed her mind. "The guy told me to give him something."

"Give him what?"

"A tape. Ava said it could be a video recording."

Zac's eyes widened in understanding.

"What? You know what he was talking about?"

"Dream...I can't tell you now. It's too risky. But...you'll find out in court in two days. Savannah said you were attending. You're attending, right?"

"Yes?"

"Anyways, it has something to do with what Chloe and Francesca were doing last week. But...you'll find out soon enough, I promise."

Soon enough meant two days.

Two days was much too long for Dream.

---

Dream sighed, turning her phone off silent mode. Per Zac's advice, she decided to talk it out with her dad.

"They say that good things take time, but really great things happen in the blink of an eye! Thought the chances to meet somebody like you were a million to one!" Dream's phone immediately rang.

"Hello?" she answered.

"You are in so much trouble, young lady," her dad's voice came through.

"If you're just going to ground me, then what's the point," Dream sulked, hanging up.

"We all wanna believe in love, we all wanna believe in something, bigger than just us," her phone immediately began ringing again.

"What?" she snapped impatiently, answering the phone.

"Okay, I'm sorry," her dad said. "But you are very disrespectful."

"Yeah, for someone who has suffered an immense amount of trauma in her childhood due to moving around, forgive me for having a panic attack when you decide to move again. Seriously, Dad, I thought things would really change. I thought after you and Ava got married, she could begin teaching at a nearby school, and we could, well, settle down. For once. But I was wrong. You don't even care about my feelings," Dream ranted.

"Dream..." her dad began.

"Well?" Dream asked, feeling angrier than ever, "Do you or do you not care about me?"

"I do, Dream. Very much. And I care about your safety."

"But we can't move."

"What about back to Miami? You really wanted to stay there when I told you we were moving to Brooklyn, remember?"

"Yeah, if you had given me that option back in August!" Dream nearly cried out in frustration. "Dad, my life is here now. There's nothing you can say or do to change that."

There was a moment of silence.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, "I'm just very worried. You could constantly be in danger--"

"Oh please, my mental health is in enough jeopardy as it is."

"Dream, we are not moving."

"Okay."

"Just come home."

"I'll think about it," Dream sharply responded.

"Dream," her dad said, a warning tone in his voice.

"I'll come home if you don't ground me. And, I still get to attend the court case."

"You can attend the court case. But you're grounded."

"Then why come home and lose my freedom?" Dream grumbled.

"Trent," Dream heard Ava's voice from the other end of the phone, "She's been having a really hard time lately. Just leave her be."

"You know, I'm starting to like Ava more than you, Dad. She's a much better parent."

Dream heard her dad harrumph. "Fine. Just this one time. But know that I'm never allowing you to treat me so disrespectfully again. And I mean never." He sounded rightfully annoyed.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. I'll come home now, then, I guess," Dream said, hanging up.

"So?" Zac asked. "Everything sorted out with your dad?"

"I think so..."

"Just to be clear, you are going to be at the court case, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks Zac. I owe you one."

"Nah, we're even," Zac grinned. "You did help me with Savannah, after all."

"You asked her out?" Dream looked at Zac with wide eyes, feeling a smirk tug at the corners of her lips.

"No...but I'm going to, you'll see."

Dream smirked.

"Okay, now get off my property," Zac joked, pushing Dream out the door.

Dream rolled her eyes. "What a great friend you are."

---

A/N

Okay, so before you guys yell at me for being late again, I just wanted to remind you all that where I live, it's 11pm on Monday, so technically, I'm still on time!!

Anyways lol, thanks for reading, and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! I swear, we legit went through the entire Hannah Montana 1 soundtrack rofl, as well as 2 songs from Hannah Montana 2. So uhhhhh I take obsessions to the next level? *laughs nervously*

Oh, and please vote and comment if you enjoyed :) I'm seriously sooo thankful for all of your comments lol. They're legit so funny and it makes me so happy that you guys are enjoying this book 😊

Next update: Friday (I promise promise promise I'll get this one in on time haha)

💙, Stella Rose