[Four more chapters (including this one). So everyone should start reviewing up a storm. And try to guess who we are!]

I pulled away from the kiss and was relieved to see Dream Michael still in front of me. "Oh, thank God," I breathed.

"Funny," Michael said, resting his forehead against mine they way they always do in movies. "I was just about to say that."

"What? Why?"

"I was getting worried you no longer liked me."

"Not like you? Michael, I've always liked you."

"I know, I just thought maybe you'd stopped." He dipped his head so his lips met mine. "You know I'll always love you, Thermopolis."

I know Dream Michael is a figment of my imagination, and I know he wouldn't be saying it in real life, but can I just tell you how happy I am right now?

"Uh, I love you too, Michael." No point in denying it. If you can't say it to the person you love in real life, at least say it to the person you love in your dreams.

He kissed me again and then dragged my by the hand back up to the school entrance. "Come on," he said. "Or we'll be late."

Who cares? It's not like this will make any difference once I wake up, I'd much rather be taking advantage of Dream Michael while I can. Who knows when I'll be sucked into this world again.

"Let's not," I said, stopping in my path and causing Michael to drop my hand.

"What do you mean?" he asked me.

"I mean, let's go somewhere. Not school. I don't want to go to school today. Let's just find somewhere to be together."

"You mean... skip school?" Michael said it as if I was suggesting we go down

to the city dump and roll around in it. Typical that even Dream Michael is afraid of skipping school.

I looked up at Lars, who was busy pretending to be examining a flower on the bush next to us. "Yeah, why do we have to go to school when we can just...hang out."

The bell had rung while we were around the corner kissing, so there was no one left out the front of the school. Or maybe it was because I didn't want there to be anyone out the front of the school right now, I don't really understand how this dream thing works. But it was just me, Michael and Lars.

"Ok... So what do you want to do?" Michael asked reluctantly.

"I know! Let's go to the zoo!" I love the Central Park Zoo. It's one of my favorite places to go. And I'm hoping that in my dream, they'll be new animals there too.

"The zoo?" Michael looked skeptical.

"Yeah, come on! It'll be fun."

"I dunno, we could get in trouble..."

"Come on... You know you want to..." I tried my best to look all seductive and sexy, but by the look Michael was giving me I think I came off as scary and unsexy. Great.

"I really don't want to miss school," he said, standing his ground.

"It's only one day! Live dangerously for once! It'll be worth it, I promise."

"Ok," he gave in finally. "Let's go."

"Yes!" I threw my arms around his neck and squealed in his ear.

He grabbed my hand and we ran down the entrance stairs. Lars struggled to keep up.

We reached the zoo in record time. Usually it takes ages to get there, but in dreamland things happen faster I guess.

The first place we went was the penguin house. It's one of my favorite places to go. Conveniently there was no one else in there, so we sat down on one of the benches against the wall and cuddled.

"How long have we been together, Michael?" I asked him, snuggling against his chest.

"Forever. At least in my dreams, anyway." Maybe this is his dream? Am I in Michael's head? No. Why would Michael be dreaming about us being together?

"Um, yesterday it was one hundred and thirty six days, so today it's one hundred and thirty seven."

"You know the exact day? Whoa, devoted much?" I'm impressed. He must think it's so bad of me that I don't know.

"To you? Always. Even before we started going out. Remember the time you stayed over at our house and there was only one Poptart left in the morning and I let you have it? It was because I loved you."

Do I remember it? It was only last week!

"And the time you fell asleep on the couch while watching movies with Lilly, I covered you with a blanket. Lilly just left you there." I thought Lilly covered me with that blanket.

"That was you?" I squeaked.

"Uh huh. I couldn't exactly have you getting sick, now could I? Not if there was something I could do about it. And then there was the time you woke up and Lilly had left, so I spent the day with you. That was one of the best days of my life. We went to Central Park and watched the acrobats. They'd never performed in New York before, and you loved it."

I didn't remember that, but I was suddenly reminded of something else. The time Michael sang 'Shirtless' to me.

"Michael, did you write that song about anyone in particular?"

He looked at me like I was crazy. "What song?"

"Shirtless. Is it about anyone?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "What, did you forget all of a sudden? It was about you, remember?"

No. I don't remember anything.

"It was? I'm sorry. I'm having trouble remembering things."

He squeezed me tighter. "That's ok. I'll remember things for you. So long as you never forget that I love you, and that I always have and always will."

"I won't. I promise."

"Come on," he said. "We've been here long enough. Isn't there something else you want to see?"

I smiled shyly at him. "The polar bears?" The polar bears are my absolute favorite. It wouldn't be a trip to the zoo without saying hello. Even in my dreams.

He grinned. "I knew it. Let's go. But then maybe we should go back to school. We shouldn't miss the whole day."

Spoil sport.

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