Me and Lilly started watching television in Lilly's mom and dad's room. They were in Albany overnight on business. "Who would you rather, Leonardo DiCaprio, or Josh Ritcher?" Lilly asked.
"Duh, Josh."
"Even if you guys were the last ones on earth?"
"Definitely."
"Oh come on Mia. Josh wouldn't help with your kids."
"So what? He's cute."
Michael walked in just then.
"Who's cute?" he asked, taking a handful of popcorn.
"She's talking about JOs-"
"I'm sorry Michael! I'm trying to be good about it... but it's not my fault! Lilly mentioned him, not me!"
"Michael, Buffy or Xena?" Lilly asked suddenly.
"Buffy."
"Madonna or Mia?" Lilly questioned again. I started blushing. I didn't want him to start thinking I had a crush on him. I wanted to be his friend.
He smiled at me, "Aging, desperate pop star or pr-"he started to say princess, "Mia, definitely Mia," he said with a wink.
"Britney Spears or Mia?"
"Mia."
"Buffy or Mia?"
"Sorry T, but I'll go with Buffy. She's so flexible."
"Just like those girls in your magazines?" Lilly argued. He turned red. But Lilly switched her questions over to me. "Who are you willing to lose your virginity to?"
Now my face was red. "Um, excuse me?"
"Lilly, isn't that kind of personal?" Michael argued.
"Unless you already lost it to 'I've kissed one girl in my entire life' over there," she said, pointing to Michael. "In which case, ewwww!"
Both of our faces were red. "Look, I am in no position what so ever to lose my virginity. I would have to be with the boy, who declares his undying devotion to me, has been my boyfriend for at least a year, and is willing to see Beauty and the Beast on Broadway with me."
Lilly rolled her eyes. "So you are going for the gay guy?"
Michael turned red once again. I guess it's his and my favorite color these days. "Look, make sure you girls clean up this mess on the bed okay? I'm heading to bed. See ya." Michael brushed past my leg, which was hanging over the edge of the bed. I think he did that on purpose. I think so at least. It could have been my imagination. I had made sure my legs were shaven though, and he gave me a smile before he left.
"Lilly!" I hissed once he was out of earshot.
"What?"
"How could you talk about that in front of him?"
"You know he looks at pornos?" she asked, ignoring my question.
"Gee, no Lilly. Honestly, every guy does what else would they masturbate to?"
"MIA! What has gotten into you?" Lilly screeched.
"What do you mean?" I asked, flipping through a teen magazine.
"What happened to my best friend?" she asked.
"I'm right here," I replied.
"No, the Mia Thermopolis I know would never ever use the word 'masturbate'. Especially in regards to my brother. Which, by the way, gross. You picked up my brother's annoying habits."
"Oh chill out Lilly. You are always telling me to be more assertive-"
"Not gross though."
"Sorry, I won't say it again."
"Good. You worry me sometimes Mia."
"Why is that?"
"You shouldn't be hanging out with Michael so much. The number of friends that he actually has is already small, with him spending so much time with you he'll have nil."
I hadn't thought of that. "Okay Lil, I'll cut back on the time we spend together."
"Hey, I just thought of something. The dance is coming up."
"No way!" I said like a valley girl. I think I picked that up from Michael.
Lilly gave me a glare. "You should go out with Kenny Showalter! He's been dying to take you on a date but he's been afraid of you being with Michael. We could go on a double date!"
I picked up stray popcorn from the bed. "I don't think so, Lil. I don't like Kenny."
"Oh, a month ago you would be jumping at this chance!"
"Why is that? What is so different?"
"Well, more like a month and a half ago you would have. Before Michael," she said accusingly.
"Lilly, get it straight now. I do not like Michael like that. I do not like Kenny like that."
"Yeah, right."
The next morning Lilly ran out at four in the in the morning to get footage of the homeless people who live on her block. Scary, but true. So I was left with Michael in the morning. I hadn't realized how nice he looked so early. How wonderfully built his upper torso was. I can not be a slave to my lustful drives. That's what Grandmere said. She said I should earn from my mother and father's mistakes. The family mustn't have anymore embarrassing out of wedlock babies. I didn't remind her that she was talking about me.
He hadn't been expecting me to be in the kitchen at seven in the morning so he walked out in his boxers. His Luke Skywalker boxers. How cute. He didn't even bother going back to his room when he saw me. He just went into the cabinet and grabbed a box of Cap'n Crunch. "Hey there Thermopolis."
"Hey there Luke," I said in reference to his underwear.
"Does it make you uncomfortable?" he asked genuinely.
I shrugged. Honestly though, I started to see what Tina was talking about that night. He was pretty hot. Even in Luke Skywalker underwear. I laughed a little because I wore Queen Amilda (sp?) panties.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked, embarrassed. He looked down at the little hole in the shorts. "Well I know it's not that because that is nooo laughing matter."
"Isn't it weird how guys walk around basically naked and girls can't?"
"Its discrimination damn it! I am all for naked girls walking around. Why don't you start? Go on; don't be embarrassed, I'm not."
I laughed, "Oh Michael!"
"That's right, girls be screaming that all night long when I get to college," he joked.
"You are definitely not what I expected."
He looked at me thoughtfully. Worried maybe.
"What's that mean? You didn't expect me to look hot in my boxers?"
"Well..." I started. "Lilly always told me you had no sense of humor."
"Look at her! She doesn't think anything is funny unless she thinks of it first!"
"It's amazing how different you guys are..."
How does life get so stressful? Mom and Mr. G eloped last night! I didn't even know you could do that so quickly! Well, I guess that is the point of eloping, but still. They should have asked me first for permission. The law should say that all children of those getting eloped should give their permission first! I am her daughter. The next thing is the creepiest thing though. She's pregnant with his baby! Ahhhhhhh!
On a lighter note, Fat Louie clawed apart my Save the Whales t- shirt. If I didn't love him so much I woulda thrown him out a window. I guess the stress of another man in the loft was getting to him. I could understand that I guess. After the adults told me the news I escaped to the comfort of the Moscovitz's. Lilly was of course gone.
I vented to Michael. "Mia, it isn't that bad. Honestly. Just think, you will have a little baby brother or sister in a few months."
"Yeah, but now I know for sure my mom had sex with my teacher! And just think, I probably had math the next day. What if that B+ I got was only because he got lucky with my mom?"
He laughed at that. "You are right. I can tell you from experience that she's a good lay-"
"No mom jokes with girls," I instructed.
"No, seriously though, you earned that B+."
We fell asleep on the couch and it felt just right. My head fit perfectly on his chest. He fell asleep with his chin on my forehead. Hard to explain, but definitely cozy.
The next day at Princess Lessons Grandmere made an announcement. "Amelia, we will be having a dinner for all of the Genovian dignitaries in America the Friday after Thanksgiving. You will be attending as a distinguished guest. I have chosen this boy as your escort-"
She handed me the picture of a boy who looked like an ape. "Um, I don't think so Grandmere."
"Amelia, you mustn't talk back to me like that, so vulgar."
Dad walked in just then.
"Phillippe, explain-"
"Whoa, did someone tell the zoo the ape escaped?"
"Dad, Grandmere wants this boy to be my escort to the dinner for the dignitaries. Please tell her no, that I'll find someone to come with me on my own!"
"Mother...honestly. She's able to choose her own date. Any boy would love to go with her."
"Whom?" Grandmere inquired.
I was caught off guard. "I-I don't know, but I'm sure I could find someone. Maybe my friend Michael."
"How about this, Mia has until this weekend to find an escort. Then if she doesn't find one she can go with this young man."
"Philippe..."
"Mother, please. You must allow her to make some decisions on her own."
I hated when they spoke about me as if I wasn't in the room. "Please Grandmere..."
"Fine," she started. I caught her rolling her eyes. "But he must be suitable. He will go through a thorough background check."
I stopped myself from rolling my eyes. "Thank you Grandmere, you are too kind."
Grandmere walked out to the balcony to smoke a cigarette and Dad sat down. "So who is this Michael?"
"Lilly's older brother. Dad, he's so cool! He's in this band, Skitter Box, and he sings! But not only that, he's going to go to Columbia next year. Pretty well rounded, no?" I added the Columbia part based on my pure intuition.
"Aw, I always wanted to be in a band when I was young. For obvious reasons I wasn't. I can't say that I don't approve of his life choices, especially since he chose to be your friend. Is that all he is to you?" he asked.
I nodded. "Of course. Dad, its great having a guy best friend. You don't have to censor anything in front of them."
"Beg pardon?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I mean, he knows about all of this," I said gesturing the room meaning the entire situation. "So I can vent to him about Grandmere and about lessons and school and everything. He gives me a totally different perspective. And he is teaching me so much- nothing bad, just stuff that Grandmere is trying to teach me, but in a fun way."
"Mia, if I didn't know better, I would say you were in love with this boy."
"Dad, really, he's like a senior. Why would I fall for him?"
"I was a senior when I started dating your mom in college."
"That's college. Less social barriers."
"So because he's a senior you don't love him? That's it?"
"No Dad. It's..." I couldn't come up with an answer. "It's hard to explain," I said finally. I hadn't thought of one good reason not to love him.
"Well, he sounds like a pretty great guy. Enjoy whatever it is that you two have together."
So now I just needed to find a date. Michael probably wouldn't want to go to something so formal with me. It's not like I am his girlfriend so he is expected to do anything. I couldn't tell Lilly about this, nor could I tell Tina. This is just what I needed with only weeks before finals!
It started getting colder and soon the ice rink was open. Normally Lilly and I go on the first day but she was with Boris at some violin recital. Great. I asked Tina if she wanted to go but she said that Dave was introducing her to his parents for the first time that night and she didn't want to be injured. I was about to let it go until Michael IM'd me.

CracKing: Hey T. What are you doing today? FtLouie: Moping. Why do all of my friends have boyfriends but me? CracKing: Because they are just sooo much cooler than you, and they have bigger breasts. FtLouie: Funny Michael. Crack jokes about my body, that's just great. You are partially the cause to why so many girls have horrible body images. CracKing: So why the sudden outpouring disdain for the couples? FtLouie: Because I wanted to go ice skating! CracKing: Did you ask everyone? FtLouie: Yes. CracKing: You never asked me. Damn, he had me there. But then I thought of what Lilly said to me. FtLouie: I figured you would want to hang out with your other friends CracKing: T, you are slowly becoming one of my best friends. That gave me a funny feeling in my stomach. FtLouie: Really? CracKing: Yeah. I'll be by in ten minutes to go skating. CracKing HAS SIGNED OFF

"Mom, do you know where my skates are?" I asked, rummaging through the hall closet. "Look in the trunk in the closet. Who did you get to get skating with you?" "Michael." "You are going out with him again?" she asked, coming into the hall. "Make sure you bundle up. Grandmere will kill you if you get a cold. It isn't princess like." "Yeah, so?" ""Make sure you bundle up. Grandmere will kill you if you get a cold. It isn't princess like." What's going on with you two?" "Huh?" "I mean, for the past two months you two have been attached at the hip. What is going on with you guys?" "Nothing," I lied, wait, I lied? Nothing was going on with us. Nothing. Right? "Uh huh, try unflaring your nostrils. I see how he smiles at you when you aren't paying attention. It's kind of sweet. Wear your mittens. " "Michael and I have become friends." I didn't want to wear mittens though. They weren't good to hold hands with. That is, if we were to hold hands while we skated. "Friends? Is that all?" Mom asked. "Are you going to bring him to that dinner?" "Yes, and I don't know. I don't want him to think of it as a date, ya know?" "So why did you mention it to your father and grandmother?. Lars is going with you by the way." "Moooooooooom!" "I don't make the royal rules." "Mom, I refuse. No one knows who I am, come on." Michael knocked on the door just then. "Ready T?" he asked with a wide smile. Mom was right, he does have a nice smile. My mom rolled her eyes. "Michael, you look awfully happy. What a nice smile you have," she said toward me. "Be good kids. Don't be late." "Oh, Mom, I might sleep over the Moscovitz's. Lilly and I are gonna have a sleepover." "I thought she was with Boris tonight?" "Yeah, we are all gonna watch movies over there and then Boris is going home." "Okay Mia, call though." Geez, I have a bodyguard for crying out loud. "Okay Mom, I love you." "You too kid. Be good."

Michael and I spend the better half of the afternoon skating around and around the rink. He held my hand. It was strange, different from other times he'd done that. I pushed those thoughts aside though. "Have you heard from Columbia yet?" I asked him. His cheeks were red from the cold.
"Not yet. Soon though. Hopefully it'll be soon at least. I mean, I'm gonna have to send out other applications otherwise-"
"Michael, don't be foolish. You are going to get in. Trust me." I loved the look on his face. It was priceless. I can't even begin to describe it. What the hell was going on with me?

MICHAEL
She assured me that I'd get into Columbia. I wish I had her confidence. Lilly didn't know that I had even applied. She believed that I wasn't applying anywhere and that I would end up a bum on the street because I was so lazy.
Mia had a strange look on her face, like she was worried about something. "What's going on now T.?" We were now at the point where we could read one another's expressions. But I had no idea what she was thinking about.
"Huh?"
"You are biting your upper lip, you are worried about something. Don't tell me Grandmere is at it again is she?" Upper lip was worried about something, biting the bottom lip was nervousness.
"Well, sort of. There is this dinner for the Genovian politicians that are over here. It's sort of an appreciation dinner. I have to go."
"Is that all?" I asked. There was something else.
"Grandmere has picked an escort- a date- for me."
I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. "Oh?"
"I saw a picture of him the other day at my Princess Lesson."
"Oh. Good looking, no?" I didn't want her going on a date with some guy. Some other guy. But I guess I couldn't stop her, it wasn't like I was her boyfriend or anything.
"I don't like him Michael, not at all. Not even as a friend. I googled him online and he's weird. He is like, a chess champion and is way into polo. And was once arrested for stalking. I am surprised that passed Grandmere's radar."
"Oh?" I asked, happier this time. "Nothing wrong with chess I guess."
She smiled, "Is that all you can say?"
It was my turn to laugh and turn red. "No."
"You don't have a police record, do you?" she asked. She looked adorable when she asked random questions.
"Well, there was this one time I held up a bank, but they couldn't get a conviction," I joked. "Of course not. You've known me your entire life. Don't you think you would have known that?"
"Well, yeah, but nothing small or anything?" she asked. She didn't even laugh at my holding up a bank.
"No. What is this an interrogation?" I joked easily. I was still trying to get the image of her dancing with some other guy at this dinner out of my head. Why should he get to reap the benefits of my hard work. Okay, so maybe dancing with Mia isn't hard work but still.
"See, my dad convinced my grandmother to allow me to pick someone to come with me."
She had her arm linked with mine. "And I mentioned you as an option. Dad said you sounded like you had a lot going for you. A dinner with a princess would be an added bonus. Wanna come with me? I mean, you have to wear a tux and everything but it'll be fun." She kind of rolled her eyes when she talked about dinner with a princess as a bonus.
"I have dinner with a princess all the time though. Why should I have to wear a tux? Gee Mia, I dunno." Now that I was being invited I wasn't sure if I wanted to go or not. I sure did not want to meet her grandmother. She sounded scary.
"Come on Michael, please?" she asked with pleading eyes. "You said you would never leave me alone. You would be if you didn't come. I need someone to make fun of things with. Please?"
"Okay. When is it?" I couldn't resist a princess begging me for a date. Er, well, not dates per se, but a night out in formal wear.
"Next Friday."
"The night of the school dance that Lilly was bugging you to go to?"
"Oh and you are so up in the school spirit thing huh? Wait, how did you know she was doing that?" she teased.
"It's my job to snoop on my little sister. Fine. I'd be honored to be your escort."
"Michael?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't tell Lilly though. She's been acting really weird lately."
"How so?"
"Just, I, I don't want her to know about the whole princess thing" she whispered. "And she thinks we're spending too much time together."
"Jealousy?" I asked, looking at a happy couple skating in front of us. That was what I was feeling. Someday I'd be here with a girl I'm that much in love with.
"Possibly."
"I'd be jealous too I guess."
"Of what? Why?" she asked, shocked.
"I mean, if the tables were turned and you and I were best friends and then you became friendly with her and spent all of your time with her I'd be jealous."
"I'm not that special..."
"Sure you are, T. You're really great," I said, slipping on the ice and falling on my butt.
"That was special," she teased.
I pulled her down with me. Lars glared at me. He started making his way to us.
"Michael!" she screamed with a laugh. She waved Lars away.
"No sense in only one of our butts being bruised," I explained.
"Mine isn't as fat as yours...I have less padding," she argued. We were still lying on the ice.
I ignored her comment. I started to get up and leaned on my elbows. I noticed how the sunlight struck her hair and brought out her highlights. "You look really pretty today Thermopolis."
She looked up at me with her big doe eyes, "Thanks Moscovitz. I didn't realize that wearing five layers of clothes would make me pretty."
I leaned on my elbows and leaned down and kissed her forehead, "No need to compliment my appearance or anything," I said pulling for a compliment on the fact that I actually shaved. She always complained that I never did when we would go out together. She said that when we cuddled it hurt her face. That was the only time we would discuss our cuddling.
She smiled, "You don't need them. You always look nice."
This caused butterflies, yes butterflies, to appear in my stomach.
People skated around us. Many were giving dirty looks. "Think we should get up?" she asked
"Okay, that's fine with me, Mia. Let's head back to my place."