I wasn't gonna put up another chapter for this one yet, since I just put up another one shot already, but oh well, I may as well, I'm in a good mood.

This chappie is dedicated to Monica, for spending a hundred bucks just to call me from the other side of the world to say "Happy Birthday", Pam for dedicating her chapter to me!!! And Tranny, for being Tranny :p

Disclaimer: Meg Cabot owns all characters.

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Mia, Michael, Lilly, Boris, Tina, Dave and Lars were all squashed in the back of the limo, on the way to the dance.

As each minute passed and they got closer to the school, Michael dreaded what he knew they would find there: A horde of photographers from various newspapers and gossip magazines.

Everyone was talking and laughing, except for Michael. He was battling with his conscience as whether to go through with the plan or not.

When they turned onto the road the school was on, Michael had made up his mind. He had to do something.

"Lars," he said urgently. "I think we should sneak in through the back way, I think I can see reporters up ahead."

Lars spun around in his seat to face the front, "I can't see anything," he said. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah..." Michael nervously replied. Everyone in the car was now listening to them, and straining their necks to see if they could see what was going on.

"I think I see something going on up there, Lars, but it's too far away to be sure," Tina said.

Lars didn't hesitate. He lifted up the in-car phone and told the driver to take them round the back way.

Then he turned back to Michael, "How did you know they were there?"

"Uh, I have really good eyesight," he said, getting a glare from Lilly.

"Well, we could certainly use a guy like you as a bodyguard!" Lars slapped Michael on the back and Michael forced a smile back at him.

But he couldn't help thinking what Josh would say when they walked through the reporter-free back door.

* * *

Mia was having the time of her life. Dinner had been great, and now they were at the dance.

Michael was a great date, he sure was proving Lilly wrong, that he isn't a moron.

He was now sitting with Boris and Dave, while Mia was with Lilly and Tina. "Michael sure is nice, Mia," Tina said to her, looking over at Mia's date across the table.

"I know! All night he's been so sweet..."

"Please," Lilly said. "He's up to something. I just know it. Michael is never nice, and he is never sweet. Not without a motive behind it."

"Well maybe he'll prove you wrong, Lil," Mia told her friend matter of factly.

Across the other side of the table, Michael was struggling keeping up conversation with Boris and Dave. Dave seemed like a pretty cool guy, but the only thing Boris wanted to talk about was something educational or about some guy called Joshua Bell. He was no fun at all.

But Michael couldn't bring himself to walk across the hall to where his friends were sitting. Because Josh would want to know what happened to the plan and Lana would only bad mouth Mia.

Normally Michael didn't care what Lana said about Mia; she bad mouthed her all the time.But tonight was different. Or at least he was seeing a different side of Mia.

And he quite liked this new side of her, he didn't want her bad mouthed. She was sweet, funny, pretty and cute. The little things that used to annoy him about her, suddenly attracted him to her.

It was this side of Mia that compelled him to break away from Boris and Dave and ask Mia to dance.

Mia looked at Michael, a little taken aback. She knew people danced at dances, there were people dancing now, but she hadn't really expected Michael to actually ask her to dance. She hadn't expected he'd want to dance with her, yet here he was, asking her to.

"S... sure," she stumbled out, joining him on the dancefloor.

Michael tentatively put his arms around her. He wasn't used to this. Usually he either didn't dance, or he danced with confidence. But dancing with Mia made him unsure of himself. This was a new sensation for him.

After the dance, Michael backed away and said, "Er, um... I'll just go get us some drinks, ok?"

Dancing with Mia had been unlike any other dance he'd ever shared with any of the countless girls Michael had danced with in the past. And he had no idea why.

As soon as Michael reached the refreshment stand, he was joined by the one person he'd most been avoiding all night: Josh.

"Dude," Josh said, pulling Michael over into the dark corridoor that led to the caf. "What's up with you, huh? First you ditch us at dinner, then you ditch the plan too? The plan, dude! What about the plan?"

Michael had known he would have to have this conversation with Josh sooner or later, but he'd have rathered it not have been now. He'd have rathered have been able to sort out his mind first, so he would know exactly what to say to Josh.

Because right now he had no idea what to say to him.

* * *

Mia was sitting back down at the table talking to Tina. "Is he a good dancer?" Tina wanted to know.

"... Yeah, I guess. But he could be better. It just seemed like something was holding him back, but I don't know what. And then, as soon as the dance was over, he back away from me like I had mono. He claimed it was to get drinks though. But he's been a long time..." Mia looked around at the refreshment stand, not seeing Michael anywhere.

"I bet he's left!" Mia continued. "I bet he realised what a loser I am and left!"

"Mia, calm down," Tina said gently. "I'm sure he hasn't left. Just go and look for him."

"You don't think that's too desperate? He's only been gone five minutes."

"Just say you were thirsty," Tina smiled at her and Mia stood up.

She walked over to the refreshment stand, but Michael wasn't there.

Then she heard voices coming from a nearby hallway, the one that lead to the caf. Stepping closer to it she recognised the voices as that of Michael and Josh.

"... What you're going to do," Josh was saying. "Is leave through the front door. I've already called all of the photographers back, they're out there now. Then you are going to kiss her up the top of the stairs, in front of the cameras. It's not too late, buddy, don't worry..."

Mia had heard enough, she turned and ran back to Tina.

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More in a few days.