Sorry I keep taking so long to update. It was my computer again. It wouldn't let me upload any of my chapters so I had to just go around reading loads of fanfics...not that that was such a bad thing. Funny how my computer keeps giving me problems with fanfic, maybe it's trying to tell me something...

Thank you to all my lovely reviewers. You guys rock. Seriously, you all make my day, I hope you all like this new chapter. Please, please review and keep me smiling!

Disclaimer – Meg Cabot owns all the characters....for the moment, anyway

Please could someone tell me how to change the setting on my review thing so I can receive anonymous reviews? Unfortunately I'm not like Michael and so can't work out how to do it.

Lily was pretty mad about me not calling. She had loads to say about it but she could barely talk so she didn't manage to yell at me. Which actually made a nice change. Even though she couldn't talk, we still managed to spend hours on the phone. So we arranged that I would go round today tomorrow. After school. And princess lessons.

This is so unfair. If I had any other nice, NORMAL grandmother, she would be all, "of course you can miss princess lessons, Mia, You must go and visit your sick friend." But, of course, this is Grandmere we are talking about and she wouldn't let me go visit Lily even if she was dying. And I know it's totally wring to be mean about your own grandmother, but sometimes I seriously doubt that the woman has a heart.

Anyway, after I got off the phone with Lily I had to ask mom about going over tomorrow. So I went into the lounge and there she was lying on the couch, with Mr Gianni's arm around her. They looked like the perfect, happy couple. It also made me feel a bit sick.

Don't get me wrong, I really like Mr G, he's really cool. He brought us a foozball table, for God's sake. And he's the first guy to make my mom happy. But come on, the man's my algebra teacher. It's just wrong to be constantly walking in on you teacher with your mom.

So I stood in the doorway and cleared my throat loudly. You know, trying to get their attention but not in a way that it was obvious that I was clearing my throat just to get their attention. Well, they certainly looked round, but that was because I was leaning against the doorframe choking. Damn, I really need to work on my subtlety.

So when I had finished my imitation of Louie coughing up a furball, I attempted to stand up casually and ask, "Mom, can I go over to Lily's tomorrow evening?" I was painfully aware of how weak my voice was. Not to mention how gross I must have looked. I mean, my face must have been all red from the coughing and then all bumpy from the rash.

Thank God Michael wasn't there.

So mom said yes, probably out of pity, and then as I turned to leave she went, "Oh Mia, your Grandma called." "Really?" I said blankly, "which one?" "What do you mean which one?" She asked, annoyed. Mom hates to be reminded that she has parents somewhere too. "Your dad's mom obviously." "What did she want?" "You have a dermatologist appointment tomorrow morning." I grinned in a very unprincessy manner. Grandmere may be a mean old woman, but he still comes in useful. "Do I get to miss school?" "Yes," replied mum in a disapproving way, "but you know, honey, I'm not sure it's a very valid excuse. Your rash will go away, it's purely a cosmetic reason that you want to have professional help. It's just that the view of women in today's society is so demanding, if there was just..."

I backed out of the room slowly. On the couch Mr G was attempting to sooth mom out of her feminist rant.

Pregnant women can be dangerous.

Later, The Loft

I was just sitting in my room, inspecting the damage to my face when I suddenly realised something – if I was going to the dermatologist tomorrow and missing the beginning of school, then we wouldn't be able to give Michael a lift in the morning.

I had to tell him that we couldn't. But I still felt really bad. I mean, the limo is kind of comfy.

So I logged on, you know, expecting to just IM him, apologise and then do my homework.

But, for what is like the first time ever, Michael wasn't online. I'm serious. I mean, sometimes I think that he's attached to a computer, he always online or something, but today he wasn't. The only possible explanation is that his computer must have crashed. I kind of felt sorry for him, it was pretty bad for me when my computer crashed that one time, but for Michael who regularly hacks into NASA websites just for fun, it must have been really, really bad.

But, I soon got over my sympathy when I realised that I'd have to tell him somehow. I couldn't just leave him standing outside his apartment tomorrow morning, waiting for me. Well, not me for me, for his ride, but whatever. I could imagine the disappointed look on his face when he realised that I wasn't coming.... NO, when he realised that he wasn't going to get driven to school. I've really got to get out of this whole thinking that there's any way Michael could love me. There isn't. Dammit.

So I sat and was mentally ticking off ways I could contact him. I couldn't IM him. I couldn't email him, what if he didn't get his email in time? I couldn't text him because I'm the only teenager on the planet without a mobile. That left one way. The phone.

That kind of sucked. I love Michael but I knew I'd muck up a phone call. I mean, with IM at least you have time to think up clever answers. ON the phone the other person can hear you thinking practically. It's not like I could go "Hmmm, Michael, that's a very interesting point, I'll just put you on hold while I think up a clever answer."

Plus, I'd just rung Lily and talked to her for like an hour. Now I was going to ring up and ask to talk to her brother. That was kind of weird.

But there was nothing I could do. I was going to have to do it. I couldn't let the one I love suffer just because it was an awkward situation. So I rang.

Lily picked up the phone. She croaked in this really creepy voice which could win her a big part in some horror movie. I think the way her nose was all bunged up added to the effect.

ME: "just for future reference, Lily, you might not want to pick up the phone until you're better. You kind of scared me."

LILY: "you again? Wod do you want now, Mia?

I paused here; I wasn't sure how she was going to take it.

ME: um, well, I kind of need to talk to Michael.

LILY: my bruder? Wod do you want to talk to my bruder for?

ME: it's about giving him a lift tomorrow morning. You see, I can't give him one tomorrow as...

LILY: I can't belid he's still bumming lifts off you eben when I'm ill.

ME: it's fine. Can I talk to him?

LILY: yeh, I guess.

Then she muttered something down the phone which sounded like "finally". But, I wasn't really listening, I was too anxious.

After listening to Lily uselessly croak out Michael's name, I lost patience. ME: you might have to actually go get him, Lily.

LILY: gob, what happeneb to you. This is what I geb for being ill. Dragging people out of der sick bebs shouldn't be allobed,

Then she got Michael and as he answered the phone I tried to keep it casual.

MICHAEL: Mia? Hey.

ME: hey, um, I was just ringing about tomorrow.

I then gabbled it out. I wasn't sure what to say.

ME: I'm afraid we can't give you lift tomorrow as I'm going to the d.....

I couldn't say I was going to the dermatologist though. That would make him think I'm like Lana or someone.

ME:..the doctor's.

MICHAEL: are you sick?

ME: No, just a check-up, you know. I tried to IM you but you weren't online.

MICHAEL: oh yeah, I got banned.

ME: why?

MICHAEL: causing harm to someone when they're really sick.

I laughed. And after that it was fine. I forgot all the weirdness of having to call him. We laughed and talked about school and stuff. So I lay back on his bed and imagined him actually being there in front of him.

In the end we spent like an hour on the phone. And by then it was really late. So I'll have to sleep. And not do any homework.

It doesn't matter though, cos I'm not going to school tomorrow morning.

* I tried to make this long to make up for not having updated for like a month. But I think I may have overdone it slightly. Oh well. You will now feel strangely compelled to click on the button to your right and write me a review. *