Title: A Happily Ever After!
Rating: PG/ K
Summary: This is based off of the excerpt for Princess Diaries 10: Forever Princess on Meg's webpage as well as the first 80 pages Sneak peak that she put up! Therefore, it has a spoiler alert! What happens after Lilly enters the bathroom stall to find Mia there?
Read the excerpt first to understand it better: /princessdiaries/pd_v10_
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for my hopes and dreams of one day writing half as well as Meg Cabot herself.
"Alright, POG! I know you're in there, Get out!"
I put down my journal and opened the stall door, but not without wiping my tears first.
"What are you doing here?!" she insisted, crossing her arms and looking pointedly at me.
I was so shocked that I didn't know what to say.
"I….umm……well……"
"Spit it out already," she said, glaring.
"I just wanted to be here to support Michael, and to work on my reporting skills, that's all," I said, my nostrils flaring.
Lilly snorted. "Right. Now, really, Mia, what are you here for?" she said, her face softening a bit.
I just couldn't lie to her. I knew it. I just had to spill the truth.
"Because……..well because, at first I didn't want to come. But Tina and Lana pressured me into coming. And then Grandmere insisted that I had to come to talk Michael into getting a CardioArm for Genovia so that it would help my dad in the election. But then I got here and I realized that I couldn't. I couldn't do that to Michael, after everything I put him through. And I…….I just really wanted to see you and Michael, because I miss you guys. But then I saw you all up there so happy and smiling and I realized that you were better off without me and that I made your life so difficult, so I tried to slip out without you seeing me, but I guess it didn't work," I said, sobbing.
I felt like a horrible person. Just admitting what I came there for made me realize it.
"I'm such a horrible person. I can't believe that I even considered what my Grandmere said. How could I even consider using Michael like that after everything? I deserve all of my problems. I'm a liar and…..and……I deserve all of the problems I'm having. Dr. Knutz is so right. Everything is going to explode in my face if I don't tell the truth. Wow, it felt amazing to finally get that out," I said, with relief.
After getting the truth out, I just had to keep going. It felt amazing and so cathartic.
"And….and…….I'm so sorry. But you know what, I don't even deserve your forgiveness. I can't believe what I put you through. But Lilly, I promise that when I kissed J.P, it was an accident. I went to kiss him on the cheek to say thanks and he turned his head, and then Michael saw and you found out and everything just blew up. I didn't mean to, I promise! I love Michael…….I mean……..I loved him…….well, no, I still love him, but anyway. After that happened, J.P. took me out to make me feel better, and I don't know. After that, we started dating, but before that, nothing was going on! I promise! I would never do that to you!" I said, sill sobbing.
Lilly looked so calm through all of this, like she knew what I was going to say. She opened her mouth to say something, but before I realized that, I just kept talking.
"And…..and now I'm dating J.P. and I don't know why. I mean, I love him. Or I think I love him. But if so, then why don't I want to go to prom with him? I don't want to go to prom anymore, because with him it just doesn't matter. It's just not important to me. And his neck, it smells like dry-clean. It doesn't smell like soap like Michael's does. And I just, I don't know anymore. Do I love him? I don't know. I think I'm just dating him, because I'm so comfortable with him. I think I still love your brother. I think I always have…..and I'm just so so sorry and I wish that I could take it all back. But I can't. And now all of you are so happy and I just…..I've ruined your lives too much. I think I'm going to go" I finished, sobbing more and turning to leave.
"Mia," Lilly grabs my arm, looking at me. I was waiting for the backlash. I was waiting for the "I told you this would happen. Scum like you deserves this." But that's not what came. Instead, I heard, "It's ok." She attempted a small smile.
"Wh….wh..what?!" I stuttered in shock.
"I said, it's ok. I mean it's been a long time since then, and well, I forgive you."
I smiled. I must be dreaming. I pinched myself just to check. But I didn't wake up. Meaning, that it must be real (or I have a very weak pinch.)
"Lilly, I…."
"Why are you still here?! Go do something about your situation with Michael and J.P!" she scolded, assertively.
Yep, that's the Lilly I remember.
"What am I supposed to do?" I asked, as if Lilly was crazy.
"Go tell them what you told me."
"I can't. That's humiliating. J.P. will be crushed…and Michael, well he'll laugh in my face. I mean, I don't deserve him. Look at what he's done. All I've done is happen to be born into a family that runs a country. That was nothing on my part!"
"What do you mean you've done nothing? You brought democracy to the government. You've accomplished the dream of a past princess that was ignored and pushed down. You overcame the oppression and stood up for what is right. How is that nothing?" she asked, crossing her arms and staring at me.
I blushed and looked down. "I was just doing what I thought was right."
"Well, go do it again! Go tell the truth and see what happens," she said, trying to push me out the door.
"No, I can't. Michael doesn't want me after that. Plus, he has miss super-cute Micromini! He'd never want me!" I said in anguish, baring my inner thoughts to Lilly. Even though it was embarrassing, it felt amazing to be on speaking terms with her again.
And you know what Lilly did to my broken heart and embarrassment? She laughed! She didn't just laugh lightly. She threw her head back and gave a hearty loud laugh that echoed all the way from her gut. Nice to know that my feelings weren't wasted on her….
"You seriously think that Michael fell for some girl because she wears a mini skirt?" she said, still laughing.
"Well, yeah she's probably some super genius like Michael, PLUS she has a great body!" I squeaked, still in distress.
"Mia, we both know that Michael is nothing like that. Come on, you obviously can't believe that," she said, raising her eyebrows at me.
I felt almost a little stupid after that. I know that Michael wouldn't date a girl for looks. But there could be another reason that he was with her. But I pushed it aside for fear that Lilly might laugh at me again.
"Mia, I think that you should talk to Michael," Lilly finished, seriously. "And to J.P. You have some serious issues with being assertive. This is the same way you were with Kenneth…..I mean, Kenny. And well, it needs to stop. Go tell the truth and say what you feel! Now I'm going to head back, I've probably been gone for too long already. I better see you talking to my brother after you come out," she scolded as she walked for the door.
"Hey Lilly…." I called after her.
"Yeah?" she replied, looking back. I was nervous to ask her what I was thinking, but I decided to try the assertiveness thing.
"Are we friends again?" I asked, preparing myself for the worst.
Lilly just laughed. "Of course we are, Mia," she said, talking like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Good. I'm glad," I said, heaving a sigh of relief and smiling as she walked out the door.
"Remember to talk to my brother," she yelled as the door closed behind her.
But I wasn't. Going to talk to Michael, I mean. I just couldn't. It was just way too embarrassing. Plus, I knew that he and micro-mini had something going on, no matter what Lilly said. I was going to bolt out of that bathroom as soon as I fixed up the make-up under my eye?
What? A girl has to at least look decent in public, especially when the paparazzi plaster her face over every magazine and webpage in existence.
Finally, after touching up my make-up, I decided to make a hasty exit. Tina and Lana were probably waiting too long by now. But as I exited the door, I ran into something sturdy that was very familiar……..and then I caught a whiff of soap and I knew exactly what, or rather, who I ran into!
I looked up and my eyes locked onto the most amazing eyes I have ever seen!
"Hey, Thermpolis……." He said, smiling at me.
"Why would you even want to talk to me after everything I did to you? I don't deserve to even talk to you after I've hurt you. I mean, it was horrible thing to do to the man you're in love with. And it eats away at me every day knowing that I've ruined my chances with the love of my life," I spoke quickly without taking a breath. I paused for a second and Michael looked like he was going to say something, but I started back again before he had the chance.
"And, well, do you know how hard that was? Do you know what it's like to know that you've ruined the chances that you had to be with the most amazing guy in the entire world. And now, look at you. You're off saving the world, and doing amazing things. I don't deserve you. I could never measure up to you. I'm just a pathetic person born into royalty….but you…..you made a name for yourself. I don't deserve a genius like you. I know that you're way too good looking and smart and funny and amazing for someone like me. Plus, you already have miss Micro-mini!" I finished, panting heavily from talking without many breaths.
After I finally finished talking, my eyes bulged out of my head. I cannot believe that I just said all of that to Michael. I cannot believe I just embarrassed myself like that. I was in deep distress, when I looked up to see Michael laughing. What is it with these Moscovitzes laughing when someone has just bared their soul?
Michael's laughing slowed as he smiled and asked, "Who?"
I pointed up to Miss micro-mini (AKA Michael's new girlfriend.)
"Her! Miss Amazingly Good Looking Micromini that is probably a genius like you and isn't some annoying little princess who isn't good enough for you. She's probably a genius and smart and funny, and she definitely has better boobs than I do. I mean, I see why you like her!" I said all in one breath again.
I was going to have to quit talking so much and so fast or I might pass out!
I looked up and Michael was smiling again as he chuckled lightly.
"Thermopolis, I am not dating, "Miss Micromini" as you call her. Oh, and another thing….You are exactly the same as I remember," he finished smiling.
What was that supposed to mean?!
"Oh, great," I said, sarcastically.
"It is great," Michael finished seriously. "I love the old Mia. It's the girl that I fell in love with and it's the girl that I thought about and continued loving the whole 2 years that I was in Japan," he said, gazing into my eyes.
My knees felt weak, and I thought that I might just pass out and die. Michael just said that he's still in love with me!
MICHAEL'S STILL IN LOVE WITH ME!!!!!
I opened my mouth to speak, but Michael continued.
"Mia, I still love you, after all this time. And I've missed you so much, more than you'll ever know. But you're the reason I kept going and kept pushing so hard. And you know what? After all of that, I STILL don't feel good enough for you," Michael finished, walking closer to me and brushing the hair out of my face.
"But, what about everything that I did?" I asked, curious to how he would respond.
"It's ok. Lilly told me everything," he said. I looked over my shoulder and saw her smirking at us.
"She said that she couldn't trust you to do it yourself," he finished.
That was definitely the Lilly that had been my best friend for so long!
I smiled so much that my cheeks were starting to hurt. I couldn't believe that Lilly and I were finally friends again, and that Michael actually still loved me. I smiled at the fact that without Lilly, Michael and I might not be like this right now.
"That Lilly and her big mouth," I said, smiling.
Michael just smiled back and replied, "Mia, the only mouth I want to think about right now is yours!"
And then he kissed me.
And it was perfect.
Because, you know what? I realized that a Knight in Shining Armor doesn't have to come save you in the most extraordinary and fabulous ways. They are subtle, and yet they will save you swiftly and smoothly. The only thing they need to do is to save you when you need it most. And that's what Michael did. He saved me from myself. Throughout our time together, he helped encourage me in school, in life, and even in my duties as a princess. And that's a real Knight in Shining Armor. It doesn't take much to come dressed in armor and riding a horse. A real knight in shining armor will give himself and risk himself (emotions, reputations, etc.) just to protect and cherish the other person. And that's what Michael did.
So I'm the princess, and I ended up with the gorgeous, smart, funny, cute, and amazing Prince. So, I'd say that makes for a pretty good…….
Happily Ever After!
A/N: PLEASE REVIEW so I know if I'm doing a good job, and if I should continue to write more stories! =) I hope you loved it. Leave me comments, even constructive criticism is welcome!