Author's Note: This is a short story, probably no more than three or four parts. I figured I'd post it before I finish Before Michael so that I can go directly into another totally new story. The story is based on the song Jesse's Girl by Rick Springfield. And that would mean that I don't own it. And while I'm at it, I do not own these characters.

 "You coming to hear my band tonight, Thermopolis?" I asked my little sisters best friend.

She looked up at me in surprise. "Um, huh?"

"I told Lilly that you two should come," I said casually. We were sitting in my living room watching an old episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

"Oh, she never said anything," she replied, "But I guess so. You guys are really good so it's not like it'd be painful or anything," she said with a nervous laugh.

I couldn't really understand why she was so nervous around me. I mean, if anything, I should be nervous around

. I am in love with her after all. And she's not in love with me or anything...maybe she knows I love her and is freaked out that her best friends geeky older brother likes her. That must be it. "Good. I'm glad we aren't painful."

She blushed, "I mean...I dunno. Let's just watch Buffy, shall we?"

Something was different about her in the past few weeks. She didn't look any different, but she seemed...I don't know...different. She was always mysteriously gone after her extra math sessions with Mr. G. Lilly nearly had a heart attack when she didn't show up for a scheduled shot of her show.

"What?" she asked, blushing. She had caught me looking at her. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No..." I said turning away. "I'm gonna go meet up with Jesse."

"Jesse Turner?" she asked, her interest piqued.

"Yeah. I'll see-"

"He's a senior too, right?" she asked.

I sighed. Great. Yet another girl has a crush on him. "Yeah."

She smiled, "He seems cool."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, he's one of my better friends. But I gotta go meet up with him. I'll talk to you tonight."

"Introduce me to him," she said pulling at my sleeve that night after my band played.

I looked over at our lead singer, Jesse Turner. He was fiddling around with a guitar, not paying attention to anyone else around him. "He's busy," I replied, putting my own guitar back in it's case.

She gave me a pleading face. "Please, Michael?" I couldn't resist that face.

"Hey Jess, we're going to see a movie, you wanna go?"

He looked up, half surprised that there were other people in the room. "Oh. Uh, no thanks."

"You sure?" I asked, walking up to him. I noticed that Mia was right behind me.

"Who is this?" he asked.

"Oh, this is Mia Thermopolis. The girl I was tell-"

"Nice to meet you," he said, extending his hand out for her to take. He winked at her. He sure knew how to lay it on thick for girls. She smiled shyly. I recognized that smile. It was the one she used earlier with me. Maybe she was interested in me.

"Yeah, well, we're gonna go see a movie now-"

"Yeah, I'll come," he said suddenly.
The other guys in the band looked over. Jesse very rarely socialized outside of the group. Not very often with females either. He was married to the music.

"Oh, um...okay, I guess..." But the two of them had already started walking to the door.

I looked at my other friends with a confused look on my face. Roberto knew I liked Mia, but no one else did. He kind of laughed at me and shook his head. "You better go before you become a third wheel." He had a good point. "I'll get Lilly home. Now run!"

We went to see the old Superman with Christopher Reeves in it. I got stuck with the aisle seat and next to Jesse. Mia was way down the way. I noticed that some big bald man followed us from the garage to the movies. "Guys, you notice that big guy behind us?" I whispered. But they didn't notice me talking. They were busy talking together. So I walked away. I wasn't going to sit there and watch as they started to make out.
But Mia didn't seem like the type to make out with a complete stranger. But then again, they've been talking all night...or at least since I moronically introduced them.

I walked straight home and fell onto the couch in my living room. I was actually planning on making my move tonight. Whatever that 'move' was.

"Why are you so mopey?" Lilly asked, walking in with a bowl of popcorn. "Where's Mia? I thought you said tonight was the big night. You were gonna tell her finally."

I shrugged. "He beat me to it." Lilly made a face, "Again?"
The 'again' she is referring to is the last girl I kind of had a crush on. Jamie Sweet. It wasn't a big deal really because I didn't like her nearly as much as I liked Mia. Or rathe, as much as I like Mia.
Or maybe that 'again' she is referring to is my last girlfriend that he took from me, Laura Coyne. Again, I didn't really care too much because I wasn't in love with her. I was in love with Mia Thermopolis. Both those girls ended up being great friends of mine.

"Yeah, I guess."

She gave me a sympathetic look. "I really don't get why you are friends with this guy."

"He didn't know."

"But he knew about Laura."

"So?"

"So what I'm saying is that it's obvious to just about everyone else that you like Mia. I would think as your best friend he would have realized that you liked her. I mean, you told him didn't you?"

I shrugged. "I wasn't trying to jinx it, ya know? The less I talked about it the less likely she'd reject me."
"Well, now she doesn't have any choice now that loverboy has her in his grasp."

"They never last long," I said softly. I didn't want him to break her heart. He better not or I'd...well, he's about five times stronger than me so I don't know what I'd do. I'd throw very angry looks at him, yes, that's what I'd do! And maybe I'd send a virus to his computer...hmmm.....
Lilly and I watched a Freddy Krueger movie because Mia wouldn't want to see it when she finally strolled on in. She hates scary movies. I liked watching them with her because sometimes she'd snuggle up to me at the scary parts.

"Hey there stranger," Lilly said after two hours of gore.

"Hey," Mia said breathlessly. "Nice of you to ditch my brother," Lilly said.

I was pretending to sleep. "Your brother?" Mia asked. "Oh, yeah. Where'd he go? He walked out during the movie."

"Maybe he was sick of being a third wheel?" Lilly offered.

I peeked one eye open to see Mia's expression. She looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"You guys were totally ignoring him. He's not the type to sit there and look like a loser. I know, I'm supporting him and that goes against everything I stand for, but when people treat him like shit I have to stick up for him."

"I didn't treat him like shit...Lilly, I really like Jesse."

"Big shock. It's really shitty how you used Michael to get close to his best friend. Really shitty."

Mia shrugged. "I didn't mean to. I'll make it up to him, I promise." "Yeah, sure you will. We're watching the Friday the 13th movies so you can either join in or go to my room."
"Lilly, Jesse is really cool. I know you'll love him. We're going out again tomorrow night-"

"Mia, I don't care. I don't like the guy. He walks all over Michael. And Michael is just too nice to blow him off since they've been friends since diapers. Just because YOU like him, and he's Michael's pal doesn't mean I have to like him."

Mia looked dejected. "Lilly, you are my best friend. I can't start seeing someone-"

"Just two dates does not mean you are seeing him."

"Lilly, why are you acting jealous?" Mia snapped. "What, do you have a thing for him or something?"

Whoa. There's some assertiveness for you. Lilly burst out laughing. "Yeah, like I'd have a thing for a guy who has stolen TWO of the girls Michael has had things for. How did you know I'd go for a guy like that?"

Mia looked confused again. "Huh?"

"Jesse's last two girlfriends were girls that he met because Michael liked them. One was actually Michael's girlfriend, Laura."

"Well, I don't care. I like him. He's different, Lilly. I swear."

"And you'd totally know this after ONE date?" Lilly shot back.

"I'm not gonna stand here and have you verbally abuse me," Mia snapped. "I'm going back home."

"Good."

"Michael, I know you are up, will you walk me back?" Mia asked.

I opened both eyes. I'd been caught evesdropping. "I'm kind of tired," I replied. "Just go sleep in my room."

"No. I'll walk alone then since it's clear that you Moscovitz's don't care."

She stormed to the door, and I got up. "I'll be back in a little while," I said to Lilly.

"Watch out, Freddy might get you," she teased.