Princess Diaries 8: How it Should Have Ended
Michael's POV. Not in Diary form.
I pause in my doorway to stare at my beautiful girlfriend. She's sitting in my computer chair scribbling furiously. Mia always looks so cute when she writes in her journal. I think it's because she never lies or compromises with her journal. She is simply herself. Not that she isn't herself with the rest of the world, but sometimes I feel like the journal gets to see a side of her that no one else does. Inside her mind I guess. I'm going to miss her so much. It almost makes me not want to leave. Almost. I have to go. Have to. I hope she understands that. I really hope she does.
I wonder if her surprise tonight isn't some elaborate plan to keep me here. What did she mean by that note. We're spending the night somewhere? And I am sneaking out. Well, my family knows I'm going somewhere. Maybe she just means that I am sneaking back in. And how does she think she can just sneak out. She has a bodyguard. Unless he knows. I hope her dad doesn't know. I really do NOT want that guy mad at me. But I bet her mom knows, if anyone. Helen is pretty cool.
What if she wants to have sex? Now. Now of all times? I didn't think she would ever budge from that prom night sex plan. I knew she had a plan to keep me from leaving. I just didn't think she would resort to sex. But why wouldn't she? I practically told her I was moving to Japan because she wouldn't have sex with me. Well, not really, but maybe that's how she interpreted it. Oh crap. I am NOT having sex with her tonight. Now is not the right time. Oh, she noticed me.
"Ready?"
She looks up from her journal. "Yes; hold on two seconds." She finishes her sentence and then grabs my hand. We leave the apartment with minimal fuss on the part of my family. I'm half afraid we'll have to sneak past Lars, but he's waiting at the door and he comes with us into the Limo. Lars sits at the front of the Limo behind the driver and Mia sits with me in the back. I pull her into my arms as I ask,
"So can I know where we're going?"
"We are going to have a romantic dinner at the Ritz." Her nostrils flare a little on the word dinner. She's obviously leaving something out. And a hotel? Crap! She does want to have sex. A HOTEL?!
"A Hotel?"
"W-well yeah. Grandmere moved to the Four Seasons, but the suite in the Ritz was already paid for for tonight, and she gave me the key. So we could have a nice romantic dinner without interruptions."
I don't like the way she emphasized dinner. And why did I have to sneak my toothbrush and clean underwear into her bag?
"Then why did you say we are going o--"
She interrupts me by leaning in for a kiss. I relax for a minute, just enjoying the feel of her lips on mine. Then she pulls away and gives a significant look at Lars. She obviously wants to tell me something, but can't in the presence of her bodyguard. She puts her face in my neck and I can feel her breathing in. She only smells my neck when she's really upset or really happy. This seems like upset. Which is understandable considering I'm leaving tomorrow. I don't want to leave her. She doesn't seem nervous-embarrassed though. Like every other time we talked about sex. Maybe she's not planning on having sex with me tonight. I hope I have the strength to say no if she is.
We arrive at the Ritz. She grabs her bag checking to make sure her journal is in it. She does that every time now, after she put it down on the seat and forgot it in the limo. Lars gets out first, as he always does. Then Mia, then me. I reach for her hand after I get out. I love the feel of her hand in mine. I pull her towards the entrance. But she stops me with a tug. She is talking to Lars.
"We'll meet you here in the morning Lars. I'll call you and let you know what time but probably around 8, maybe 9. But maybe earlier."
I feel my eyebrows raise in surprise. I didn't think she was serious. I didn't think Lars would just go. Like, he would just be ok with her staying the night here. Helen really is pretty cool. At least this means, probably not sex. Probably; Helen isn't that cool.
I am in a kind of daze as we go into the hotel and to the elevators. What is going on here? Just a romantic dinner; and then? Something that involves spending the night. I need to stop thinking about having sex with my girlfriend! We are the only ones in the elevator and I pull Mia in close and gently grab her face in my hands as I kiss her. She falls easily into the kiss and everything just feels right. Man I am going to miss this in Japan, holding her, kissing her. As if reading my thoughts, Mia pulls away with a sigh.
She is unusually quiet as we walk to the suite. I follow her lead and say hardly anything as we put our stuff down and order our dinner. We're sitting in silence which is unusual for us. It wasn't awkward. Just comfortable, like everything about us. But I know Mia is working up the courage to tell me what is going on. I just savour the feel of her in my arms. This could be the last time I see her for at least a year. Or more. I feel sick just thinking that. Not getting to hold her, feel her, smell her, having her smell me. Every time I think about leaving her, my determination wavers. Just a little. The food comes and we're sitting at the table eating. She's being so quiet. She has to know I'm doing this for us.
"Mia" "Michael"
"You first Mia."
"I am not having sex with you, okay?" What? Okay, that was random, but good I guess. But Ouch, it kind of hurts. "I mean, I will someday, like when you get back from Japan, but I'm not ready yet, and I don't want you to end up hating me, or for my dad and Mr. G. to die because they can't use your robotic arm for heart surgery."
I'm a little lost, but she understands! I think. At least she doesn't want to keep me here.
"Mia. I don't want to leave you, but I have to go. I need to prove that I am worthy of you. I don't want people thinking I'm just some guy you used to go to high school with. I want to have accomplished something with my life."
"I know. And I totally get that Michael. I don't want you to end up resenting me for using sex to keep you here and being a princess and you're having to be a consort and everything."
Hah! I knew there was a plan to keep me here. But she came around in the end.
"So what are we doing here overnight?"
"I just-- I'm going to miss you so much. I'm going to miss talking to you, and kissing you and being in your arms and smelling your neck, and I just, I wanttospendtonightineachother'sarms."
The last part came out really fast. She is nervous. She looks at me expectantly from the other side of the table. Oh, she thinks I'll say no.
"Mia." I say taking her hand in mine. "I would love to spend the night with you, in a not having sex capacity." Her smile lights up the room.
"I'm glad. I thought you might not want to, because you know. It might be hard—difficult for you."
I might not have noticed, but she's turning so red. She just made a sexual innuendo. That's so cute.
"Anyway, yeah. Now we can not be rushed when you get back from Japan. On my senior prom, or earlier, when we give each other the precious gifts of our virginity."
Oh Crap!
"The precious what?"
How could this have never come up before? She really doesn't know. Did she think--?
"The precious gift of our virginity."
She does. She thinks I'm a virgin.
"Mia." I have to break this as gently as possible. " I gave my-- What'd you call it? Oh, yeah, my precious gift-- a long time ago."
Laugh, Mia laugh. It's all a joke. Please. She just looks at me. That look is breaking my heart.
"Michael. Are you not a virgin?"
"No of course not. You know that."
When of course, obviously, she didn't know. Why couldn't this have come up before? Before tonight.
"NO I DID NOT KNOW THAT!! HOW COULD YOU NOT HAVE TOLD ME?!!"
Crap. Crap. Crap.
"Mia. I'm so sorry. I didn't think it was a big deal. It happened before we started going out. It didn't really matter to me. It was such a long time ago. I love you. The past doesn't matter anymore."
"Who? Who was it?" Her voice is now quiet. Dangerously so. What do I do to fix this? It so doesn't even matter any more. I probably should have told her before, but it shouldn't be a big deal.
"Geez, it was Judith, okay?"
"JUDITH GERSHNER??!!! JUDITH GERSHNER HAS HAD CARNAL KNOWLEDGE OF MY BOYFRIEND AND I HAVEN'T!? YOU SAID YOU WERE JUST FRIENDS! " She looks angry. Mia's never been angry with me before.
"We were. We were just friends who messed around. It was before I even knew you liked me."
Now she looks hurt. Hurt and anxious. I can't stand that hurt look. I wish she would back to being to angry. She is standing and gripping the edge of the table so hard, her knuckles are white.
"I can not believe you had sex, with, of all people Judith Gershner. I hope you and the fruit flies will be happy with each other."
Her left hand reaches up to finger her snowflake necklace. I am so afraid she is going to take it off, I feel like I'm going to throw-up. Then she picks up her cup of water and dumped the water in my face. She practically runs from the table to get her journal and then locks herself in the bathroom. But not before I see her tears.
I hear her now in the bathroom sobbing. The sound breaks my heart. Why is she so hurt. It's like she has something against Judith personally. Me and the fruit flies? Oh Crap. What if she thinks I liked Judith better? She always did worry I would find a Columbia girl. Can't she understand Judith meant nothing to me. Mia is so perfect. I love her so much. I really only want to be with her.
She's probably writing all of this in her journal. Maybe after she vents she'll come out and everything will be better. I hope so. I love her so much. Maybe I should give her some time to cool off and then apologize to her again.
