DISCLAIMER (which I forgot for last chapter but who cares…) I own nothing. I am not making any money and shall live forever poor. Sigh.

Jacki, I had forgotten to answer to your question: Definitely Han Solo!

Thanks for all the reviewers. I love you all! (In a platonic sort of way, of course).

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So here we are in G&T. I'm sitting with Tim. Of course, and somewhat unfortunately, there is already some mud on my diary but, oh well, at least I'm not alone.

Actually I'm even enjoying myself. I never knew Tim was that funny a person. Though to be honest, I'm in fact forcing myself to laugh most of the time. I know I'm being ridiculous but I just wanna show the others that I'm doing well. That I'm not this incredible desperate and lonely loser.

Which of course I am. And the worst of it all is that I'm aware of it. Like most of the school is, anyway. Which is a major down for my mood. All this leading to my pretending even more that everything's fine. Ha! Who am I kidding?

Doesn't seem like my little act of "happiness" is working anyhow. Nope. Lilly is still ignoring me!

She couldn't care less about what I'm doing.

At least, she had been pissed off that first time when she was no longer my friend, you know, when I befriended Tina. Yep, she at least had been annoyed.

And at lunch today… she had seemed furious to see Ling Su and Shameeka were keeping me company! But now, nah, nothing!

And Michael! Ha! He is not even remotely interested in what I'm doing… Couldn't he have the decency to at least appear jealous?

NAY, he too is totally ignoring me. I bet it has something to do with the famous Moscovitz genes! In fact he is just typing something on his keyboard and he's put his earphones on so as to be completely and absolutely sure he wouldn't have the misfortune of hearing my voice.

Come to think of it: I was ready to give my heart and soul to this… this… adorable and loveable hottie! Sigh.

Well, well, at least Tina is checking on me (and Tim) whenever she thinks I'm not looking. So I guess she's not totally indifferent to whatever happens to me.

Then again, it might be the Tim factor. I mean Tim might be blind but he's definitely a hottie. Nothing compared to Michael of course but still…

I can just imagine Tina and Tim going out. They would be so perfect for each other. I mean it would so totally be the perfect romance Tina is searching for. I'm sure she could even write a novel about it!

Plus, we could double date all together. It'd be so cute: there'd be the M&M couple and the T&T one. Nay… sounds a bit too… too… I don't have a word for it. But if I had one –word I mean, it definitely would be that.

Anyhow, it's not like I'm going to introduce Tina to Tim any time soon. I mean I couldn't even if I wanted to, considering Tina and I are no longer in speaking terms.

However Boris made a very little and discreet sign to me on his way to the closet. Which means he is practically on my side but won't ever confess it, even under torture, because you know he is Lilly's boyfriend.

And you never know how she might react to it. She's pretty scary for such a short girl…

Well, at least Tim seems genuinely concerned by what's happening to me. I mean after our talks on the weather (yeah, we didn't really know what we could speak about at first), about Lana, about Buffy and -who would believe it- about Algebra (we agreed it sucked) he asked me:

Tim: So Mia, how are you dealing?

Me: Not very well.

Tim: You shouldn't let yourself be affected by these silly rumours. You know, rumours are… just rumours.

Me: Yeah, sure, you're so right! I just lost my reputation, my friends and my boyfriend to be! Not to mention I'm no longer trusting any member of my family. So, not such big a deal, huh? … And in case you hadn't noticed: I'm being sarcastic.

To which Tim started to laugh. Well, thanks a bunch, Tim. You're being very supportive. Can't blame you though, after all even my best friends are not supporting me!

Me: Jeez. Thanks for your sympathy! Oh and yep, I'm being sarcastic again!

And he laughed even more!

Tim: Sorry, hihi… Mia. I couldn't help it. It's just… the way you're stating you're being sarcastic… Gosh! I'm blind, Mia, but not deaf! I can make the distinction between a sarcastic tone and a non-sarcastic one.

Me: Oh… well. I guess I… I'm sorry.

Tim: No, it's ok. It was really cute. And I hadn't laughed like that for some time.

Me: Yep, you're not much in a laughing mood usually. Why is that?

Tim: Guess.

Me: Your locker is nearby Lana's?

At that, he laughed again. See, I'm a cool and funny person nowadays! Hurrah for the big Princess freak! She can be funny at times! I mean in a good way! Not in a laughing AT sort of way.

Tim: Well, no! Thanks God! But you know the whole blindness thing… Doesn't usually make me cheer.

Me: I hear you! It's sad. But you know, you could still have friends and have fun.

Tim: You're right. You could be my friend…

Me: I sure will!

Tim: So back to your problems…

I was kind of ashamed at that point. Because who was I to mope over lost friends when this guy had obviously lost both sight and friends?

Me: Huh, I'm not sure you wanna hear it. It's so selfish and… childish. You know, I guess you were right; it's just some stupid rumours and I should ignore them.

Tim: Yeah, but I can hear that it's bugging you…

To which I just sighed.

Tim: So what is going on with that Moscovitz guy? I kind of thought you were dating, from what happened last time. I mean weren't you kissing? Or else I misheard what was going on. With the cheers and all… it wasn't that easy to make it all out, you know.

Me: Yeah, we in fact were Frenching… (I couldn't help smiling at the memory of it) but… (and my smile vanished) he's been kind of cold lately. The rumours…

Tim: So… Dr Jekyll and Mr Hide, much?

Me: Not really but… yeah. Kind of.

Tim: His lost. A beautiful girl like you…

Wow, I can't believe somebody actually finds me beautiful… I mean besides Kenny. And I'm not even sure he did. I mean, find me beautiful. But wait a minute. Bullshit! Tim is blind! He cannot find me beautiful! He cannot find me anything as a matter of fact.

Me: Hey! Duh! You're blind! Meaning that you don't have the slightest idea how I look like!

Tim: Well my Daredevil sense tells me you're beautiful!

And we laughed once more. And at that point, thank God almighty, Michael turned his head into our direction and…YEP! He sure looked like a jealous man! Ha! That will teach him! Hope he doesn't get even madder at me though. That would so be unfair! Plus what would I do?

Tim: More seriously, I might not be able to see but I can hear and smell. You definitely have both a beautiful voice and a delicious smell.

Which made me blush. I mean, who wouldn't blush when a guy – a hot guy! - tells them such sweet things. However I'm happy Tim can't see me blushing. I don't want him to think I'm interested in him in that kind of way. Cause I'm not. There isn't even a single second I don't spend thinking about MICHAEL MOSCOVITZ. Who, by the way, is 10 times hotter.

Tim: And you know Lana might be gorgeous, at least from what I heard, but she's quite ugly to me. I mean her personality is ugly. You, on the contrary… you are beautiful inside and I'm sure you're equally as beautiful physically.

Oh no! That totally sounded like Tim would indeed be interested in me. What am I going to do? I don't want to break his heart. Nor do I want to lose his friendship. Holy crap! I don't want a Kenny rerun! Nay! I've had my share! So, ok Tim is much, much hotter and funnier than Kenny, but still! So I took a big breath and tried to put it right.

Me: Huh, Tim… You're making me feel uncomfortable. You see… or huh rather… you know, you hardly know me. And I like you as a friend, sure, but not in another kind of way… I still love Michael, you know. Can't we just be friends?

Tim: Oh… well, ok Mia. I'm gonna try not to hit on you anymore. It's just… I guess I haven't been that comfortable with a girl -or with anybody else for that matter- for a very long time. I kind of got over-excited! But let's forget about it, buddy!

Me: Buddy?

And we laughed again. Unfortunately, if Michael noticed the laughter (and started to type furiously on his keyboard), he must not have heard what I told Tim. Otherwise he wouldn't look so crossed. It was after all a real love declaration to Michael…

Anyhow, Tim and I kept chatting for the rest of the period.

Michael kept typing, Tina kept spying and Lilly, well, she kept on ignoring us.

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Back to the loft. Guess what I found on my bed? And no, it was not Fat Louie!

Nope, it was a small package. Looked like a present.

For a second, I thought Michael had sent me something to express his "uber-sorryness" and beg me to take him back. Yeah, I'm that delusional!

Of course it wasn't from Michael. It was from mom!

Apparently she's feeling terribly guilty for what happened. I almost forgave her at that point but then I remembered what she'd done to me... I mean she should never have let Grandmère have her ways. Plus I'm still hurt from her lack of confidence.

But on the plus side, mom is feeling genuinely guilty.

Unlike Grandmère who keeps calling and demanding that I go back to princess lessons. I must stop to act like a stupid child, she says! Argh! The nerve of it!

Seriously, she has an iceberg instead of a heart!

Anyway, I got very surprised when I unpacked my present… Cause in it was a cell-phone!

Yep, you heard it right: a CELL-PHONE! I had been asking for one for ages and mom always refused to get me one.

And now she feels THAT guilty that she bought me one. Ha!

So at least something good came out of all that mess. I mean besides the not having to take Princess lessons anymore part.

But I sure am not going to go speak to mom. Not yet anyway. Nobody can buy me!

So I have a cell-phone. I should use it. Who could I call? I have so many choices. NOT. Should it be Ling Su or Shameeka?

Yep, I have like TWO friends! Humph. And then there's also Tim, but I don't even have his number anyhow…

Speaking about phone calls, Lilly called earlier. That's how it went:

Lilly: Hello, this is Lilly Moscovitz. Could I speak to…

Me: Lilly? I'm so happy you called.

Lilly: Mia? Huh, I actually wanted to speak to Lana. So if you would oblige…

Me: But… Wait, I want to explain things.

Lilly: I said I want to speak to Lana, ok?

Me: Ok. I go tell her.

From what I heard, Lilly was trying to cancel her show with Lana. She didn't manage it though. Lana wouldn't hear about it.

Lana: Listen to me, pug-face! If you cancel the show, you're dead. I can make your life a living-hell! By the way, did you know that my stepfather owns parts in that company that optioned your show? (Gosh, one can already notice she's spent one hour with Grandmère tonight! She's become even more manipulative! If that's possible.) So,are we clear?

I couldn't hear what Lilly answered but apparently Lilly is not much of the iron-strong grande feminist she usually pretends to be.

Lana: Good! And to show you my gratitude… I'll even go as far as saying "hi" to you tomorrow… Wait! No, I won't! I don't especially want to be seen with a girl who is usually hanging around the sports field with Michelin written on her.

The positive point is that Lana already received the beauty pageant leaflets Ling Su has been sending.

And my, Ling Su is very gifted in the art of forging: She wrote a fake letter from a so-called beauty association called "I'm cool and beautiful", claiming they had noticed Lana in the street and had practically "fallen in love" with her!

Yeesh. The mere thought of it gives me the wiggins!

Anyway, she went on saying that Lana had the potential to win any beauty pageants she's take part in, some of the best would soon be set in Alaska and Hawaii.

Note to self: remember to contact Ling Su in case of denied parental permissions to field trips!

Of course, Lana bought it all. She was so excited she called all her friends (except Josh who she broke up with. I bet that won't last long though. The break-up, I mean.) to tell them how gorgeous she was and how famous she'd soon be.

That is until Mr. G. heard it and became furious.

That part was actually hilarious. He was so angry. Seeing Mr. G. in a state of rage is something not to miss. So funny… My cheeks are still aching.

Wouldn't have been that funny though had I been the one he was raging after.

Lana was more than surprised! She had never seen him in such a state!

Gosh, she dropped her jaw, and her chewing gum dropped too. Fell right on her Prada shoe!

I was in such a good mood after that!

That is… until I realised what it meant. Because of course he won't let her go. And as much as it pleases me to see Lana punished, it still means she won't be away from home before an eternity.

Life is so unfair!

Well, at least I get to witness Lana whine and repeatedly beg Mr. G to let her go.

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Grrr! I'm furious! In fact I'm totally mad! You know how Lana had shaved all of Fat Louie's hairs away! Well, they were just growing back. He was starting to look cute again. And what does she do?

She dyed them purple!

I'm mad! Really! Nobody can attack Fat Louie repeatedly like that without me getting pissed. Fat Louie is, after all, the person –ok, I know it is a cat- I love the most in the whole world!

So I poured all of mom's green ink into Lana's shampoo. She'll see how that feels!

Tomorrow she'll have a little surprise after shower. I can't wait to hear her reaction!

But, god, I'm gonna be so dead.

Maybe I'd better leave for school early.

Note to self: remember to check shampoo before use from now on. And food too. Actually I think I'll have to check everything!

I think I might go to live with Ronnie, our neighbour, for some time. (I'll bring Fat Louie as well. It will be safer for him).

Of course I'd rather go to live at the Moscovitz and share Michael's room for a month or so. But seeing as none of the Moscovitz is speaking to me…

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Checking my e-mails now. Hurrah, I got a couple of e-mails from Michael.

Wait! Huh, huh. Bad. Could be so bad!

What if he's saying he's been thinking about it long enough and decided we'd better end it all right now?

Just shoot me!

Should I read them?

No, I can't take it.

But I guess I need to know what's going on.

Ok, Breathe Mia, Breathe. You can do it. You're da man! (As if!)

OMG!!!!!