MICHAEL

"Need help in algebra, Princess?" I asked the week before finals. It had officially two weeks since her outing.
She offered a half smile. "Thanks Michael." Thank God she was answering me.
Our knees touched. I noticed her face turn red.
"No, see you are multiplying when you should be dividing," I said, grabbing her pencil from her hand. My finger touched her hand ever so lightly. I'm pathetic. That was the highlight of my day.
But then-
"So, are you on speaking terms with your grandmother yet?" I asked as she put her books in her backpack.
"No. That whole night was stupid. It was all a set up. That whole stupid night should have never happened."
I looked down at the table we were sitting at. "Nothing, right. Right, so I'm gonna head out to English a little early. I'll talk to later."

I went straight home that afternoon. I blew off the Computer Club meeting. I sat in my room and started playing on my guitar. I fooled around a little bit with it and then I came up with a nice melody. I put the instrument down and started spewing out lyrics in my math notebook. I picked this bad habit up from Mia who was always writing other things in her notebooks.
I called her up the Saturday before finals. "Mia?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think you'd like to go see a movie? Texas Chainsaw Massacre is showing at the Dollar Theater."
Normally she would have agreed readily, but this wasn't normal anymore. "I don't think so, Michael. I have to go. I am awaiting a phone call from Grandmere." From the woman she was supposedly avoiding?
Gone were the days where she would be relaxed with me. She probably thought I was a pervert.
Since she couldn't be on the phone I walked the ten and a half blocks to her apartment. I let myself in. I walked into her room. "Michael!" she screamed.
"Mia."
"No one is home."
"You are."
She rolled her eyes and bit her lower lip. Nervous. Of what, me kissing her again? "You know what I mean. Mom doesn't like it when- she says you can't be here if her and Mr. G aren't."
We heard the front door open. Mia took my hand and rushed to the bathroom. "Get into the shower," she instructed. "Mom probably wants to talk to me and I really don't want to talk to her. Get in." She came into the shower with me.
"Mia! Where are you?" her mother called out.
"Uhm, shower Mom!" she screamed back, turning on the water. Great. I have all wet clothes. I didn't mind seeing her with her wet clothes.
"When you are done can I see you?"
"Sure thing Mom!" she yelled back nervously.
"Michael, what the hell are you doing here?" she hissed. She looked gorgeous with the water dripping off of her hair.
The door opened. So much for locking the door.
"Mia?" her mom asked.
"Yeah?" Mia responded, sticking only her head out of the shower. Luckily their shower curtain was dark so her mom couldn't see me. "Did I hear you talking to someone?"
"No. I was just singing in the shower. No biggie."
"Okay. Well hurry up, it's important."
"Sure Mom. Bye."
"What am I doing here?" I asked back to her.
"Yes."
"You are blowing off my phone calls."
"So?"
"Mia, I need to see you again. Mia, how many times do I have to ask you out on a- a date?" I demanded
She bit her lip nervously. "No, Michael. I need some time for myself. I need to figure out a lot of stuff...things are happening too quickly."
I did it right then. She looked so amazing and I couldn't hold back. I kissed her. Not like last time. Not even close. I had her face in my hands. She wriggled free.
"Why- What did you do that for?" she asked.
"I'm not going to chase you forever Mia. I love you. Take whatever time you need. Let me know when you are ready for me."
"Mia! I have to go. Frank just called and he needs help picking out paint for the baby's room! We will talk later."
Mia's lip was shaking. I was her first real life kiss. She was mine.
"Michael, I'm still really confused. I need this time to figure things out. Please."
"Fine Mia. Have it your way."
December eleventh is the day of our first 'fight', which lasted, sadly, a great deal longer than one would have hoped. I was shaking the entire way home. Maybe it was because I was soaking wet and it was thirty degrees.
Who was I in there?

Another week went by and finals were over. I didn't even study at all. Who cares now? Mia hated me. I was in Columbia. And sad pathetic me was in 'like' with a princess. Mia was in my kitchen eating out of the Rocky Road carton. I grabbed a spoon and sat on the stood across from her. "Hey T." This was awkward
"Hey, M. I got a B+ on my math final," she said without emotion.
"That's great," I said without energy. What was wrong with me? "You going to the school dance on Friday?"
"Uhm, no."
"Why not?"
"I'm going to Genovia on Saturday morning. Grandmere wants me to spend time there since I am going to rule one day. I have to meet with the Parliament and stuff."
I felt let down. It wasn't like I was expecting her to go with me or anything, but it would have been nice to see her there. I was going with Judith. Yeah, I let in finally. A guy has to have some social life doesn't he?
I threw my spoon into the sink, "Have fun in Genovia," and with that I walked into my room. Mia was like a drug. When I was away from her I got the shakes.
The dance was terrible. I left early and played with my guitar at home. My parents asked me what was wrong and wanted to psychoanalyze me because of my odd behavior in the past few weeks.
There was a brief moment that I wished I had never become friends with her. I immediately regretted thinking that though. Before there was Mia I was fine with being alone on a Friday night. I didn't need anyone. Now I just needed her. I loved her. Having her not at that dance made me realize it. I loved everything about her. She was my everything. How did I ever let her become this? How did it happen without my knowing about it? No one asked me if I wanted to fall in love with her! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MIA:
I wish I could explain it all to him. I mean, I did have feelings for him, but I didn't know what they were. I just got thrown into the spotlight by my grandmother who allegedly loves me. The press was everywhere. My mom is having a baby. My mom is married to my algebra teacher. I see my algebra teacher come out of the shower with only a towel on all the time. I had a lot to deal with and I was only fifteen!
I left really early on Saturday. I was going to miss New York. It was my home. It was where my mom was. It was where her husband and my math teacher were (too weird for words). It was where Michael was.
I found out that he was going to the dance with Judith. Great. He is over me I guess. So much for waiting for me huh? I guess forever is here and he is moving on. But that is a good thing, right? No. It wasn't.
Before I left I instructed my mother to bring Michael's Christmas gift to the Moscovitz's for Christmas. Sure, they are Jewish but so what. I am a giving person. Lilly would get hers later. I had given him a black t- shirt with a picture of a cartoon girl with gas coming out of the bottom of her jacket. I thought he might appreciate that I accept that girls do, in fact fart.
Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean I realized I would be missing him the most; that I already missed him more than I have missed anything in my entire life! I've really screwed up things. I am not one for timing; I realize love is right in front of me while I'm 35,000 feet in the air and thousands of miles away from my beloved.
I didn't even have enough time to call Lilly in New York. Therefore I didn't talk to Michael at all. For a whole month! I was stuck in Genovia learning about the legal process and meeting dignitaries.
I did, however, send Michael a birthday package. I had taken a moon rock from the museum and sent it to him along with a card. I hope he likes it. He likes spacey stuff and it'd be cool to put on display in his room near his Star Wars action figures (not dolls). I wish I hadn't screwed up so badly though, I wish I had told Michael I loved him and wanted no one else. I wish I could give that to him for his birthday. But no, I sent him a cold, hard rock. He probably thought that was what my heart was.