Chapter 3: A nice surprise

Disclaimer 1: Just to let everybody know. Due to the fact that I can't write song lyrics if my life depended on it, all of my song lyrics that Skinner box will perform will come from some of my favorite bands. The lyrics featured in this chapter are "If It were up to me" by Rooney.

Disclaimer 2: All characters that can be recognized in this chapter are not mine. All belong to Meg Cabot and are being borrowed for the time being by me. Thank you.

Authors note: Thanks to everybody for the wonderful reviews! they are so cool. Thanks to RobTayMattLouNed (aka RooneyRocks089) for all the help. Thanks to everybody for reviewing, especially the Rooney fans, you guys are awesome! Anyways, read on… xoxo

It felt like two years before Monday had rolled around. All my bags were packed, and I was being picked up that Monday at 10:00. First stop, Connecticut.

Oh yea, I had yet to hear from Mia.

I tried to find her during school, but with my class graduating, every time I tried something new came up. After school, she always had "princess" lessons, and she was always "busy." She's such a bad liar.

Monday

"Michael!! Michael!!" I heard coming from downstairs. "Michael Lucas Moscovitz!!"

"WHAT!" I yelled back

"Your bus is going to be here in 15 minutes!!" Lily yelled. "Get your butt down here!!"

"Hold on!" I yelled, staggering out of bed. I threw on the last of my clothes, grabbed my guitar and my laptop and bounded downstairs.

Knock knock

"That's probably the bus, Mom!" I yelled, setting my stuff down. I opened the door to find...

"Mia!" I yelled, swooping her into a huge hug. I quickly put her down, and noticed the two large duffel bags beside her. "What are you doing here?"

"I can come!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up.

"Really?" I asked, wide-eyed.

"Yep! I get to go with you!"

"Really?" I asked again.

"Yes, Michael! Yes!!"

"That's amazing!!" I yelled, grabbing her and spinning her around, before planting a big kiss on her soft lips.

Beep beep

Soon enough, a big blue bus was pulling up in front of my house. It was huge, but then again - it was going to be our house for 3 months.

"Mom! The bus is here!" I shouted, grabbing my two duffel bags.

"Really? Wait Michael!" My mother yelled, scurrying out of her kitchen. "I can't believe this! Aw, my baby!" Her eyes started welling up in tears. "Now, make sure to have fun and keep in touch! I don't want to go three months without hearing from you!"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Moscovitz...I'll keep him in check." Mia said, giggling.

"Oh that's great, Mia, sweetheart. Now, picture!" She yelled, snapping one outside of the bus. "Rock on!"

"Oh my god Michael, this place is huge!" Mia exclaimed, stepping into the tour bus.

She was right too. The front room was two long couches going down either side with a mini kitchen at the end. There was a long table running alongside one of the couches, and another table across from the kitchen. The kitchen was completed with stove, refrigerator, sink and microwave, and there were three overhead monitors above the tables. Going farther back, there were six bunk beds, and drawers underneath the bottom beds. Each bed had an overhead reading lamp, and mini TV. In it. Damn. At the end of the bus, was the relax room. Furnished in hardwood-paneled walls, it was complete with a wraparound couch, two barca-loungers, a flat screen TV. and a computer.

"This place is amazing." Mia exclaimed once again.

"Yea."

"Morning, people! My name is Matthew, and I will be your driver!" A cheerful voice came from the front of the bus.

"Hey, Matt. I'm Michael and this is my girlfriend Mia," I said, introducing myself.

"Nice to meet you," Mia joined in.

"Well, we're going to go pick up the rest of Skinner Box, then on our way to Connecticut. Feel free to roam about!" Matt said, taking off through the busy New York streets.

"Hey, Michael!" I heard from the middle of the bus. "Where should I sleep?" Mia asked.

"Across from me." I said, wrapping my arms around her. I gently pushed her back against one of the beds, and began kissing her. Slow at first, but as each second passed by it became harder, deeper, more intense. I pulled her closer into me, and she wasn't pulling back until...

"I am not going to have to live with that for three months, dude." I heard from behind me.

"Hi, Taylor." Mia answered.

"No way."

"Hey, Andrew."

"Go check into a hotel, man!"

"Hola, Chris!" Mia exclaimed.

When all the band members got into the bus, we made our way to Connecticut. This was going to be interesting.

"I'm all unpacked!" Mia exclaimed, shoving her two duffel bags into a nearby closet. She made her way over to me and sat down next to me with a book. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, just finishing a song." I responded, setting my guitar down on my lap.

"Can I hear it?" Mia asked, snuggling up to my chest.

"Sure." I responded, grabbing my guitar. "It's not all done though," I warned her before beginning.

"She doesn't have, the answer yet, the answer yet. I'm breathing down her neck, maybe I should give her time. If it were up to me, she would know that she'll be the one who when I'm dead will use my bed, and she'll spend her life thinking of us and making a fuss. If it were up to me..." my voice trailed off as I finished singing.

"That's so cute Michael!" Mia exclaimed.

"Thanks, I just can't seem to finish it." I responded, setting my guitar down.

"Oh, don't worry. You --" Mia was cut off by Andrew.

"Hey, Mia, you've got a phone call," he said, walking out from the back of the bus.

"Really?" Mia asked. "Oh, okay." She got up and walked to the back.

I sat in the front room, strumming my guitar, but I could hear parts of Mia's conversation.

"No, I'm okay!" She shouted through the phone.

"Really, I'm fine, okay? Trust me! How did you get this number?"

"No, I'm safe. I have to go ... bye." She yelled, and then slammed the phone down.

"What was that about?" I asked her as she came back out.

"Oh nothing, just a little argument." She responded, sitting on my lap.

"Mia...." I asked her.

"Fine."

"Fine what?"

"Well, I have to tell you something. Promise not to freak?" She asked, turning to face me.

"What is it, Mia?" I asked. I couldn't promise not to 'freak' if I didn't know what the news was. What if she had shot someone? I couldn't just stay cool over that.

"I didn't really tell my parents about this."

"WHAT?" I asked, shocked. Yeah, see why I didn't promise?

"Yea...I kind of just went."

Uh-oh.