lyric

bruno mars - count on me

to rely on : to depend on

****

ALEX could tell something was off once she was fully conscious. she turned her body around and popped an eye open, then the other. there was a faint sound of...sniffling?

she propped herself up and opened her room door, slipping her white crocs on.

her first instinct was to check miley's room. she flicked the lights on,

"miley?"

one beat, then two. the sniffling sound was still there.

she's not here. maybe the living room?

alex turned the light off and towards it.

the sniffling got louder and she re-directed herself to the kitchen where the sound was rising even further and the lights were gleaming.

following it, alex walked into the kitchen and there she was. re-adjusting her eyes to the light, alex saw miley's knees tucked against her, arms wrapped around them as her back pressed against a cabinet door.

it hit alex that miley was crying. she suspected she was in a bad place. earlier that morning she didn't eat her breakfast or even drink her hot chocolate. she never skipped hot chocolate unless something was up.

then, she was more tired than usual, her voice more scratchy and her expressions were droopy.

"miles, you good?"

"yeah. i don't seem like i'm not, do i?" miley's voice that afternoon was hoarse, but her tone was joking.

"you skipped hot chocolate this morning."

"i don't have to drink it every morning"

"you do though, and you don't drink it at all only when somethings wrong," alex said, trying to get something out of her, "we're roomates, miles. you can tell me anything."

she scoffed and rolled her eyes, "i'm fine alex."

obviously she wasn't, she would have been in bed if she was, sleeping like any normal person at what seemed to be 4 am.

miley lifted her head up, eyes bloodshot and puffy. she choked out a sob and wiped her nose with her orange pijama sleeve.

alex instinctively walked over and bent down to sit with her. she wrapped both her arms around her friend. the weeping girl leaned in.

"i-," miley's voice cracked. she sniffed again, "i don't wanna talk about it."

on a normal day alex would fight her on it. miley was always so...conservative. she never spoke about her feelings and bottled them in. one day, that bottle would break and maybe this was that moment.

it wasn't good for her and they both knew it. miley could have all the pain in the world on her shoulders and still wouldn't express anything. she had this wall that alex had been trying to break down since day one, but it always stood strong, like a wall made of the toughest rock.

alex was mad at miley for doing that to herself. if she had just talked to her, she would be feeling way better and alex would actually know how to help her.

she was so independent and while that was amazing, it wasn't. miley always believed that she was so self reliant. she didn't need anyone.

alex heard another sob and she softened. then she felt guilty. they were only roomates. she didn't know much about miley's past. something then could have led her to think she needed to be alone and the thought tugged at alex's heart.

miley probably went through alot. she was alone.

"we won't talk about it miles," alex said, her voice soft, "you can tell me tommorow or next week. maybe in a year or never. you just need to be okay."

miley rested her head on alex's shoulder and sniffed again, "thanks"

she watched as her eyes fluttered shut. her chokes turning into hiccups, hiccups turning into long, steady breaths.

miley didn't need to actually speak to anyone, she needed support. she needed someone to be there for her, someone who would stick with her through thick and thin. she needed a friend.

alex kissed miley's forehead, laying her chin on her friend's head.

alex knew she didn't know the whole story, but she'd stick with miley through it all until they reached the end.

their hearbeats matched.

one.

two.

three.

alex fell asleep just like that.

i'll be there, being her final thought before she drifted away.

you can count on me 'cause I can count on you

****
7

03 words

i was listening to bruno mars today and then i took off from there-

I HOPE YOU LIKED IT

another question cause why not: worst thing you've ever tasted?