Author: Natalie

Rating: PG

Genre: Romance/Drama/Humor

A/N: This is what comes before that little cookie I posted earlier. Snippet from before is at the end. Stan (my Muse) decided to be nice today and let me write some. Hopefully the next update will be sooner than this one was. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, but well thought out reviews, please. Tell me specifically what you liked (if anything) and constructive critisism on what needs work. None of that "Ooh!!! Continue!!! PLEASE!!!!" junk, or, even worse, "that wuz stoopid. u suk". Those kinds of reviews annoy me to no end. Now that that's straightened out...

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Meg Cabot owns characters and any reference to the original plot. My friends Megan's and Sarah's Muses and Stan own the plot (also helped along by Jake). The words belong to the English language, I just manipulated them to make some remote sense. This disclaimer applies to this chapter and all following in the event that I inadvertantly forget a dislaimer or five.

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Wednesday, November 5, 5 PM

So, what's new with you today, Mia?

Oh, nothing much. Just that I have made a major discovery that could change mankind FOREVER!

That sounds interesting. It's amazing no one else on this earth seems to want to know about it or anything else you have to say.

Well, there's my moment of insanity for the day. I've always thought that at least one of those is needed in order for it not to become a permanant condition. And also I really needed to have a conversation with someone, and since no one else seems to be paying attention to me, myself seemed a good person to have it with.

Honestly, was there just something in the air today? Lilly was off Boris-gazing all day (He managed to keep his sweater out of his pants for once - I suppose she didn't want to pass off a good opportunity) and when she gave me a rare moment of attention, it was to have me pass the ketchup. I hope she snaps out of it soon; we need to do some work on her next episode, the one about repressed memories. Tina was engrossed in a new romance novel. I didn't dare disturb her, she was really into this one. Kenny was sick (I had an anime-free day. Yay!). Even Michael seemed distracted in G&T. I haven't had a decent conversation all day! Come to think of it, I'm not sure I've had a conversation. Not including my schitzophrenic moment, of course.

You know, schitzophrenia usually appears in teenage years. I sincerely hope I am not schitzophrenic. That would be traumatic for Grandmere. Who would she spend her time torturing once I was locked up?

Well, I'm certainly not wasting precious ranting time worrying about my mental state. It's already been proved teetering on the unstable side; no need to further that.

So. My discovery?

Lana Weinberger can become flustered and nervous.

And it wasn't in the presence of a hot male. She was in trouble. Deep. Way deep.

See, I was walking by her locker today on my way to algebra (yip dee doo), and I noticed a very peculiar looking bottle in it. That's right. She was stupid enough to bring a beer to school and trash her locker with the bottle. Which proves my theory of her lack of brains. So I reached over and pulled the bottle from her locker. Not, perhaps, the best point in time to be assertive, therefore proving my theory of my lack of brains.

I kinda waved it in her face and went, "So you're getting drunk on school property now, Lana? That's not too smart."

She went sort of red and snatched it away, probably psyching herself up for some half-witted come back. But it was at that moment that Mr. G came round the corner, on the way to algebra himself. He's a pretty smart guy, being an algebra teacher and all (it also had to take some form of intelligence to rope my mother in) , and he figured out the situation real fast.

He made a beeline for us, and I swear I have never seen anyone's face as white as Lana's was then. I'm not quite sure how she managed to turn her 10 inch thick makeup the color of a mountain top. Right off the bat, no questions asked, he said, angriest I've ever seen him, "Lana. Prinipal's office. NOW." And she goes off sputtering, trying unsuccessfully to make up a plausible story. He just stood there pointed, so eventually she stomped off. Then he asked me for the story. And what could I do but tell him? I mean, the guy's my algebra teacher AND my stepfather.

So the problem now is the fact that Lana's been suspended. For a month. She's also been kicked off the cheerleading squad for the rest of her high school career. And whatever crazy story she fed the administration, she somehow made it sound half Josh's fault. So he's now broken up with her.

I know what you're thinking. What's the problem there? Well, the problem is that she's going to blame me. And when Lana Weinberger blames you for taking away the most important things in her life - social interaction, cheerleading, and her boyfriend - it's definitely not a good omen on your life. I'm having envisionments of her doing previously unimaginable things to me.

The only reason I know all this of her suspension and such is, of course, because of Mr. G. (Frank. I'm at the loft now.) Had it been public knowledge, it would have gotten around that I had witnessed the whole thing, and maybe, just maybe, someone would've taken a spare moment to converse with me, if only for juicy gossip.

Apparently she put on quite a show in the office. Once Josh's name came up, he was called out of class and into the office (that's not that uncommon of an occurance, so not many people were that curious about it.), where he heard whatever Lana made up about him, and broke up with her right then and there when he got a weeks suspension and a week of detention after that.

Normally, after a day like this, I'd say all's right with the world. But all is definitely NOT right with the world.

Things Wrong With the World (or with my life)
1. Lana Weinberger is most likely after blood. My blood.
2. Lilly's finally abandoned me completely for violin playing, sweater-tucking Boris Pelkowski.
3. Tina's discovered a new romance series and will not venture into this world until she's read them all.
4. My mother and Mr. G have come home, and I have to watch all their lovey-dovey stuff when I'm at the loft.
5. Lilly's abandoned me and Tina's being Tina, therefore giving me no place to escape from the loft.
6. Kenny. Need I say more?
7. Michael isn't even paying enough attention to me to give decent algebra tips.
8. Mom is getting those pregnant woman cravings.
9. Princess lessons. (That always seems to end up on these lists.)
10. Algebra grade=not so good. (Another repitition.)

Now, if those little situations would work themselves out, we might be on track to a half-way decent world.

Not that there's nothing good hidden in those things, though. I mean, I don't have to live with Grandmere at the Plaza anymore. Highlight of my life. The absence of a bad thing. Wonderful.

HOMEWORK

Algebra: Quadratic equation worksheet, 3-45, odds.
English: Most Confusing Point in Life (That's gonna be tough...so many to choose from...)
World Civ: Chapter 17 Analysis, questions 1-6
G&T: Figure out new ways of blocking violin music - closet's no longer thick enough
French: none
Biology: Ask Kenny...wait, nope, Kenny's sick. Lose 10 points because I don't have the assignment.

Thursday, November 6, 7:12 AM

My life is officially over.

Again.

Once again, my picture is on the cover of the New York Post. Only this time, I am not alone. The title reads "Princess in Love - New York's Royal Has a Sweetheart." Now, I may have been able to get away with it, had the picture been of, oh, I don't know, maybe my BOYFRIEND??

Not that the idea of all of New York and a portion of the rest of the country knowing about my so-called relationship with Kenny, the amazingly boring Japanese anime freak is all so appealing either.

But really. Who in their right mind would like to be seen on the cover of the Post in their best friend's older brother's arms? Okay, so their best friend's incredibly hot older brother with a really nice stomach with whom they happen to be in love with, but details don't matter. Oh, and that's not all. Oh, no. They somehow got a picture of Michael tutoring me in G&T. It's not a horrible picture, really. He's sort of next to/behind me leaning over one of my shoulders, with his hand on the other, kind of making it look like he has his arm around me. (Or maybe it's wishful thinking on my part.) His other hand is on mine, guiding the pencil and it looks like he's explaining something to me, staring into my eyes...

Okay, no. This is a disaster, I'm not going to go all mushy over some chance photo of a deceivingly sweet-looking moment between my crush and me. I have no clue how it was taken, come to think of it. The first one, that was obviously taken by some delusional yearbook club member at the Cultural Diversity Dance, who are all over major school events like maggots on dung.

Mr. G (no, Frank. Frank, Frank, Frank! Argh.) was the one to notice agian. Fortunately, he gave me a heads up this time, BEFORE I went to school, what with him living at the loft and all. Of course, he and my mother, being completely irrational, asked if it was true! I mean, do they have no trust in me? Do they seriously think I would cheat on my boyfriend with Lilly's brother and not tell ANYONE? So I said, "Yeah, I'm cheating on Kenny with Michael, my best friend's brother who's an incredibly smart senior, while I'm so not smart that he has to tutor me in algebra. That's right," then just stormed out.

I suppose I was a little harsh. I mean, the pictures are a little too believable. Had it not been me in those pictures, I would've believed them without any question. Which is really bad, considering that's how the rest of the readers of the Post are going to look at it.

Oh, God. How is LILLY going to look at it? Considering her reaction to my face being plastered on there the first time, I really do not want to see what she thinks of my face being plastered on there with Michael's, telling the world I'm in love with him. At the very least, she might just hurt me within the limits of the law. At the worst, she'll kill both me and Michael with an icicle. We saw it on a documentary on Lifetime once. I hope she doesn't remember that. Oh, what am I talking about? She's Lilly, for crying out loud, she remembers everything. I am so dead.

Going with the Moscovitzes here, what is Michael going to think? Either he's going to know it's some kind of setup and be sympathetic to me and himself, or he'll think it's some kind of setup that I set up, then will hate me. On the plus side, he is the one person other than me who knows for sure that the article is a complete lie.

Kenny. What is Kenny going to think? He's definitely going to believe it. Kenny's just like that. So, keeping a running tally here, I've lost a best friend, a boyfriend, and a...crush? Really good friend? Something.

Deep breath. We're pulling up at the Moscovitzes. Uh-oh. Lilly definitely looks fit to kill. No icicles in sight, though. That's a good sign. Michael's looking down at his feet. He won't look me in the eye.

Oh, no. I just had a terrible thought.

What if he won't tutor me in algebra anymore?