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Opportunity's name was Hannah Montana. When Miley landed the title role on the L.A.-based series, the Cyruses packed their bags for the wild, wild West Coast, where Miley uses her allowance to go clothes shopping with pals Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens of High School Musical. She's also dating Nick Jonas, 14, of the rock trio the Jonas Brothers. Surprisingly, the idea of his teen daughter dating hasn't caused Billy Ray's blood pressure to spike – yet. "What the kids do these days is that they have group dates. A whole bunch of kids go to a movie or to a pizza joint," he says. "She really hasn't had a date date."
Nor will she experience many of the traditional coming-of-age milestones. Recently when Miley went to a friend's dance, "she pretended it was her prom, because she doesn't go to a regular school. It made me sad. I get freaky just thinking about it," says Billy Ray with a shudder. "I feel sorry for her sometimes. She sacrifices a lot for this."
Which is why Billy Ray and Tish made one big concession and gave Miley a small section of the house that boasts a bedroom and a separate sitting room, where Miley "can just chill out," says Tish – who in exchange made Miley promise to live at home until she's 20. "We're designing it so it's really hip," says Miley. "I forget what hotel it's modeled after. . . ."
"The Holiday Inn?" says Billy Ray.
"No, that's your room, Dad," says Miley with a laugh.
Billy Ray ruefully anticipates a time in Miley's career when "it'll be cool to get the old man out of the way." But Miley doesn't fret over the future. Like her dad, "we don't really worry about anything," she says. "We let life do its thing, and we just sit back and enjoy the ride." That is if Billy Ray remembers to give her a lift.
