Author's Note: There aren't many Mia's parent's stories about how they met (that I myself have seen) so I decided to write one. I've always thought that the whole thing where her dad chokes on ice when he sees her mom getting ready for her date with Mr. G was kinda cute. I also loved the idea of working on their romance, because it's untapped territory. I know some people might think it's gross and say: Ew it's her parents! But hey, you've always wondered right? So I've started my story with Helen going through "memories" in the back of her bedroom closet. And don't worry this is in no way a lemon, I'm not a sicko. It's a sweet slightly romantic story with a lot of family and humorous character.
Author's Comment: I love PD TONS! This story is set in the middle of the books, I haven't decided when; I don't actually care really. Some of the info in the flashback parts of the story might not be perfect, because I don't actually know what college Mia's parents met at. If I'm wrong and you do know please tell me via comment (I would love to know!). Rated T, because I'm weird… but it does contains a tiny bit of language so don't be offended… just saying. I'm just weird like that. Enjoy the story and feel free to comment about anything…. And I mean anything. HA HA… no really. Anyway forgive my strangeness and enjoy my story!"
Disclaimer: Sadly I don't have the rights to PD. Wish I did, but they belong to the ever-amazing Meg Cabot.
Chapter 1: Lovesick Puppies
I stood for a moment gawking at it all.
The fact that Mia had asked me to go through this junk was one thing, she never did. I'm the messy one (Strangely, daughters especially teenage ones are supposed to be messy. Mines not, Thank God. Or we'd never get the rent paid.) But along with the fact that Frank's moving more of his junk into the apartment … well I guess I had to get rid of some of my junk. I shouldn't say junk; they're "memories" that just happen to be messily pushed to the back of my closet. Boxes labeled according to when and why they are stuff away in the back of my closet. I had no idea I had so much junk, I mean "memories" tucked away back there. Ha ha… "memories", it's mostly junk!
Better get started. I thought staring into the abyss that was my closet, and I picked up the first box. Home videos, it was labeled in my mom's crappy scrawl. That box would go; I knew it was filled with home videos of me eating broccoli and going down slides and other stuff my mother obsessed over. I'm not going to let my husband see those, he might get a little scared that his newfound in-laws documented their daughters every move as a baby. The next few boxes I sifted through were Mia's ballet costume and a small photo album I'd never finished. I thought at first maybe I'd keep those away for Mia, but rethought it because of the fact that those ballet classes she had gone to traumatized her for life. I looked back at the black hole in front of me; I had shed only a small bit of refuse from the pile. As I set down an old Snoopy alarm clock wedged in between some albums a large box toppled onto the closet floor, making a thump as it landed by my feet. College Junk was scribbled across, lazily on the side in faded Sharpie. I smiled, and scooped it up and set it on my bed. Inside I found a thick sketchbook, a college jacket, a pile of photos, and an old algebra book. I was setting the jacket on the bed when Mia called me from the kitchen.
"Hey Mom where's my shoes that Grandmère gave me for my birthday. Dad told me to where them to the benefit this afternoon to make her happy." She echoed, as she came in. "How should I know? Oh did you remember you have to come with me to Rocky's doctor's appointment tomorrow so tell your grandma you can't go to princess lessons." I bellowed through the hallway. (Sadly I actually didn't know where they were. Remember I'm not the keep-track-of-everyone's-junk-kind-of-person…) "Rocky's crying again." Mia added as she grabbed the shoebox from the kitchen table, and put on her shoes. I grumbled, and set my box on the kitchen counter. After soothing Rocky, I heard Mia calling again from the kitchen. "Mom, what's this?" She remarked, pointing to the box on the counter.
I chuckled, "College Junk." Mia's face strangely lit up, and she seized the box and began to go through it. "Your not gonna find anything interesting, Mia. The box says junk for a reason." But Mia didn't listen and continued her search. Then she frowned, "I thought there would be some pictures of you and Dad… but I guess there aren't." I frowned "Girl, you know there probably in some really old album back at my parent's. I wouldn't have that stuff lying around. And I don't think your dad had any albums of us back in the royal castle in Genovia. He's not that kind of sentimental person." I chuckled. "Sure he does," Mia, retorted "There's a picture of you in his sock drawer. I caught one of his one-week girlfriends asking him about it one summer in Genovia a couple years back."
I snorted at the idea; Philippe keeps a picture of me in his sock drawer? What is he a lovesick highschooler?
Suddenly I heard a honk outside. "Guess that's my ride." Mia said, kissing me on the cheek and walking to the door. As I watched her leave, I thought about what she had said. It's kinda cute really, I thought as I picked through the rest of the box on the counter. It was filled with sketches I had down of the campus and of friends that I'd made over the years. Most of these are pretty good too, I thought as I reminisced. As I flipped through the sketchbook, I noticed a photo peeking its head out of the side of the pages. I flipped to the page, and gaped. There in my sketchbook was a sketch or should I say sketches of Philippe. There were pictures too, which had been busily jammed into the back of the book, and even a couple hiding in the cardboard bindings and side flaps.
The book was strangely dusty for being only about 15 or 16 years old (as old as Mia actually, well of course) and the whole thing reeked of, well "memories". I scoured through the pictures and sketches, and there were tons. I straightened when I picked up the first one: a sketch of a young man walking away down a sidewalk and looking over his shoulder with a smug look on his face. I had done that the day I met him. Then there was the kind of picture Mia had been looking for, a photo of us at a party kissing. That's priceless, I chuckled. I looked through more of them, sketches of him sitting around doing homework, another standing on a balcony. "I was such a lovesick puppy!" I muttered remarking at the sketch.
I looked up; someone one was coming up the stairs. All of the sudden my peace-and-quiet was interrupted, when not only Mia but also Philippe, and Mia's bodyguard came rushing into the house. "Forgot my stockings! We got half way there and I realized that if I showed up without them, Grandmère would practically kill me…" She called running busily down the hallway to her room. "Dropped this Helen." Philippe pointed out, and picked up a sketch that had fallen on the kitchen floor in my scouring of the College Junk box. He chuckled as he opened it and handed it to me. "Who's this?" He retorted as I glared at the sketch. It was a sketch of him sitting under a tree, sitting next to a smiling yet sleepy looking girl with long curly brunette hair who was leaning lovingly on his shoulder.
"You and Me." I remarked letting the three words slip out like it was not meant to be said. "Oh…wow." Philippe replied, in a shocked manner. I could feel his eyes softly boring into my head as I scooped up my box. I picked up the box and carried it back to my room for safekeeping, but I stupidly left a pile of pictures on the counter. And sure enough as I stowed the box beside my bed, Mia called from the kitchen again. "You told me you had no pictures! There are tons!" Chortled Mia, in her giggly delight. Sure enough when I came back I was joined by an excited, chirping Mia and a not-so-chirpy Philippe. He gave me a soft almost mournful look, which I was surprised to see. She was gawking at the photos, remarking and teasing Philippe. "Let's go Amelia, we'll be late."
Mia gave him a look, " Come on Dad…" She said rifling through the photos. "Wow. Look at this one Dad. And you said PDA was a bad idea." Mia teased handing me a photo. I almost laughed myself; it was a photo of us leaning full on against a brick wall, well making out. Philippe looked pretty hot in that picture, I must say. Well of coarse, 'cause he had hair then! I don't know who took the picture, but they would pay because the embarrassment Philippe was causing me was pure torture. "Well Mia, we were college kids just messing around, you and Michael in a public place is quite different. You're in high school, and also the media might take it as an advantage as a media opportunity. You're a princess with responsibilities. Remember what happened with that Josh Richter fellow?"
"You're a prince, Dad. Wouldn't that be the same thing?" Mia retorted, raising an eyebrow at her father. I laughed, Yeah try and make it right Philippe, go ahead and try. Philippe stood there for a minute, trying to think of a smart way to make it right. I laughed, sighed and scooped up the box. When I came back Rocky was crying again, so being such a baby-licker that she is (What! Her friend Lilly is right she is way too protective of that kid) ran off to make him stop. "Why'd you have that stuff lying around, Helen?" Philippe said, with a smug look on his face like he was trying to embarrass me. I gave him a hostile glance, "Look I was going through some junk and the box fell out of the closet. Nosey Mia, wanted some pictures of us together anyway. It's kind of cute if you think about it-"
"Not to me." He interrupted. "It's weird that she wanted to see pictures. Those years were crazy, -"
"Philippe, if you think about if those years hadn't happened she wouldn't be here."
"She kind of did make the bad situation a good one…" He remarked.
"Bad situation?" I stared at him. He thinks us being in love was a bad idea. Isn't the opposite how people should feel? But then why does he keep a picture of me in his sock drawer? Men… sigh.
Philippe went silent, he too could see where this all was going and decided to shut up.
"He finally quieted down after at these three renditions of "Belle" from Beauty and the Beast-"Mia said, and then stopped realizing something was wrong. She looked us both up and down, standing hostilely across the sides of the kitchen counter. "What's going on?" Mia said concerned. I turned away and walked out, I didn't want to start anything. "Let's go Mia." I heard Philippe mutter as I left the room. After a second kiss goodbye, Mia sprinted out of the house and down the stairs into the limo with Lars in tow. Philippe lazily muttered to himself as he walked out the door.
"Philippe is an idiot, Philippe is an idiot, Philippe is an idiot." I thought as went through the rest of the boxes.
16 years Earlier:
"Philippe is an idiot, Philippe is an idiot, Philippe is an idiot…" I thought as he walked away down the sidewalk, smiling at me smugly over his shoulder.
What kind of an idiot steals a girl's math book, and then tries to be all nice and return it, in turn embarrassing her in front of her friends? A man, that's who.
"He didn't steal it Helen. Come on he wouldn't do that! Like he said you left it on your desk and he returned it." Remarked my friend Nina, who sat sketching next to me under the trees.
"I think he's sweet on you." Smiled Gabrielle, who really for a smart girl really has no clue when it comes to men in my opinion.
Here's what Happened:
This guy comes waltzing down the sidewalk with this smug look on his face, and comes right up to me and says: "Are you Helen?"
And all I surprised, I say: "Yeah, who's asking?"
"Hi, uh…you left this on your desk. Thought you might want it back."
"Thanks." I said, unsure of what to say. "How did you find out where I was?"
"Oh, I looked at the registration. And asked around, and asked the math professor. And talked to the Head of Security and some other people took me awhile but at least I found you. Most of them said you had a club that met right here at the same time like four times a week."
Yeah, Women against Male Dominance Club, I thought silently to myself.
"Yeah." I retort. This guy definitely stole it; I mean who would ask like half the people in the school who I was, just so he could give me a stupid math book? I thought as we stood in silence.
"Philippe…Renaldo." He said holding out his hand all formal-like. I paused for a second, and then shook it realizing he wanted to shake my hand.
"Helen Thermopolis." I said, still surprised that he was the "shaking hands" type of guy.
"So," He said trying to keep our hopeless conversation, from ending. "See you in math class?"
"Math class." I said slightly smiling, what? He's kinda sweet. In a nerdy and awkward way. Stop smiling you Helen!
He stood there for a second smiling smugly for no apparent reason. Then a second later he was waltzing down the sidewalk again, watching me over his shoulder.
"That guy was kinda cute, you've got to admit Helen. And he did put a lot of work into finding out who you were and where you were so he could return that math book." Nina said, as I explained how pointless it was for him to return the book without reason.
"Of course there was a reason, Helen!" Melody said as she walked up and balanced herself against our token tree spot. "He likes you that's all. What's his name?"
"Philippe Renaldo." I muttered not looking up from my work on the sketchbook in my hand.
"Oooo. Sounds fancy. Maybe he's one of those fancy types." Remarked Gabrielle, dazing into one of her weird little reveries.
"No Gabby-" I barked.
"Hey I got an idea girls!" Nina said, standing up abruptly and waving her arms in the air.
"What!" We all said in unison. Nina was always making announcements.
"This better not be one of your bizarre ideas that never works, Nina. Last time we poured prune juice all over that guys leather seats, we almost got arrested for car robbery, So-" I added trying to change the subject. (I was really trying to prevent Nina from submitting one of her heinous ideas to the group. Most of them involve people or cars being harmed, or people getting totally embarrassed)
"Not that Thermopolis! Invite Math-Book-Boy to your birthday this Saturday! It'll be great!"
My eyes widened, and I turned bright crimson red. "NO WAY!" I yelled, but the look on everyone else's face told me otherwise. They were getting their way. Math-Book-… I mean Philippe was going to my birthday party. Great! Just great… I thought as I picked up my sketchbooks and bag, "I'm going to the coffee shop… So don't bother me! And no more of this stuff about Philippe Renaldo." Gabrielle made a face, "Come on Helen. Just one fun night, please! I promise we just want to see if he really likes you or not. Besides if you don't want him, I'll have him." I recoiled, "No Gabbs-"
"Then it's settled Philippe is coming to your party. It'll be great!" Melody said, glaring at me in her normal annoyed fashion. They must enjoy my pain because I'm not inviting Philippe to my birthday party. But Oh yes, my friends have to get their way. They always do! Ahhhh!
I rubbed the charcoal from my sketching, onto my overalls, "We, still going to Wok's China Palace for my birthday?" I said trying to change the subject. "Sure… yeah table for 5 just like last year Baby." Melody chimed, which made me suspicious. She was up to something, and I knew it. I narrowed my eyed suspicious. "Well there may be some main adjustments, girl." Added Nina, noticing my uncertainties. "Adjustments." I questioned, still glaring at them. "Yeah you know, maybe almond cake instead of chocolate-walnut." Gabby said, trying to avoid my gaze.
I snorted, still unimpressed.
I scooped up the rest of my belongings and headed away. Nina and Gabs always did this "evil planning thing", but for some reason it always turned to the optimistic side of things… well most of the time. But as I proceeded down the sidewalk with a spirited step, it hit me. Maybe he did like me.
And as I passed through the open doors of the campus coffee house, I bumped right into none other than Philippe Renaldo.
I had been right all along, about the sabotage birthday thing. They sabotaged my birthday party! No longer is it an all-girl dinner at Wok's China Palace, but a bonfire… a bonfire with a special guest. He's sitting there against the tree with another perfectly smug look on his face. First of all who invited him? I suspect Gabby, but then again Nina does look a little suspicious herself.
But the thing was a part of me was happy they invited him. A really big part.
TO BE CONTINUED.
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