MIA:
I missed him terribly. At night, when I missed him the most I played our song, All My Life by KC and JoJo. He had been the one to pick it out because he said it was exactly who he felt about me... Ohhhhh, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby
Ummmmmmm, I'm so glad
I will never find another lover
sweeter than you, sweeter than you
And I will never find another lover
more precious than you, more precious than you
Cause girl you are
Close to me you like my mother, close to me you're like my father
Close to me you're like my sister, close to me you're like my brother
You are the only one, my everything
And to you this song I sing
All my life
I prayed for someone like you
And I thank God, that I, that I finally found you
All my life, I prayed for someone like you I hope that you feel the same way too
Yes I pray that you do love me to
I promise to never fall in love
With a stranger
You're all I'm thinking of
I praise the Lord above
For sending me your love
I cherish every hug
I really love you
You're everything I ever know
When you smile my face always seems to glow
You turned my life around,
you picked me up when I was down
And I hope that you feel the same way too
Yes, I pray that you do love me too
And all my life..........
It was corny, but I guess that's how things are when you are in love.
Joshua was gone two weeks before Lilly arrived. "Lilly!" I exclaimed, running up to her the second I saw her sitting in her suite at my palace.
"MIA!" she said, equally as excited.
"Your hair!" I said with a giggle. Lilly had dyed it blonde. Surprising.
"It looks better on the camera," she explained.
"You have NO idea how much of a relief it is to see you!" I said with a smile.
"Well, no one was stopping you from coming back to New York to see me. How great would it have been to have sleepovers at my parent's house again? Like we were kids again?"
"Not so great," I thought to myself, "Cuz half the reason I enjoyed them so much was because of Michael."
"I know, but I have so many responsibilities here now," I explained.
"I understand. I especially understand considering how hot your fiancée is!"
I smiled at the mere mention of him, "Joshua is amazing, I can't wait for you to meet him at the wedding,"
"He won't be here?" she asked.
"No, he's on a humanitarian trip right now in Africa."
"Very nice. He sounds perfect for you, Mia. Much better than Michael ever would have been."
She would HAVE to say his name, wouldn't she? "Oh please Lilly. Michael was a childish crush. Joshua is the real thing."
She smiled thoughtfully. "I'm happy for you. Oh, here, let me show you a picture of Tony, my boyfriend."
He was quite handsome. She showed me a framed picture of her with a man with long dark hair and pale skin. He looked like a musician. I looked at the others in the picture. A guy with crazy blonde hair, a guy with straight blonde hair, a guy with a beard covering his face, and then there he was. Michael.
He looked so different now. He had grown his hair longer, and in this picture he hadn't shaven.
"He's single now," Lilly said, interrupting my thoughts. "He and Vicky broke up four years now and he still hasn't dated. I tried setting him up with Shameeka but he wouldn't date one of my friends. He says those types of things never work out. Although I am currently seriously dating his best friend."
I shrugged. I knew what he was really saying. He wouldn't date her because of me.
I showed her around the palace and she took notes for her interview. I told her the types of things she couldn't ask, which wouldn't be very much. But then there were things I wouldn't let her put on television, so she took notes.
We stayed up all that first night and watched a Drew Barrymore marathon. Ever After, Never Been Kissed, The Wedding Singer, and the Charlie's Angels movies (although we didn't like those as much as the others). I told her all about Joshua and she said she could see why I would fall for such a guy.
She finally taped her interview two weeks later. I wore my SAVE THE WHALES t-shirt and my combat boots. I wanted everyone to see that I was a normal girl. I did my own make up and hair, something Grandmere NEVER lets me do for regular reporters.
Lilly asked a lot of in depth questions, but also silly ones like when I knew I was in love with Joshua. But the one question that made me really think was when I first fell in love, who was my first love? She had a smirk on her face and she knew exactly what I was thinking about at that very moment.
I was sitting on the couch, completely broken because I was dateless for my senior prom. It would be in all the gossip columns the next morning. I would have to tell Grandmere to tell the reporters that I was suddenly very sick. But that wouldn't work because Kenny could just come out and say he ditched me. Hmmm. But then it happened. Michael walked into the otherwise empty room (except for me that is), and got down on one knee. And I remember every word that he said. He might not, but me, realizing that I was in love with him, I remember each word.
"I'm sure you would much rather go to your prom with a much smoother, better looking date, but I would be honored to be your date to the senior prom. I promise I will make it perfect for you because that is what you deserve."
And right there is when he made me do it. He MADE me fall in love with him by doing this to me. I mean, sure, I had considered asking him to come as a friend before Kenny had asked me, but never in a million years would I have expected him to do this. I agreed to go with him
We danced so close together that night, memories of him tutoring me in Algebra and me smelling his soapy skin came rushing back. I remembered flipping out about our knees touching back when I was fourteen, now what? He had his hands on the small of my back, and my arms wrapped around his neck. Our foreheads touching. Damn, if I was watching this I would have thought we were a couple in love.
That night was amazing. The most memorable night until I met Joshua at least. I lost my virginity to Michael that night, and I didn't regret it. He was a kind lover. Did I just use the word lover? Yeah, I think I did and I am shocked. He never actually said he loved me, but I could feel it that night. He did.
So why did I reject him the next day? Because I knew how much baggage I was carrying and I didn't want to tie him down. Plus, he had a girlfriend that I assumed he was in love with. He didn't just love her, but he was IN love with her. I didn't want to come between them.
So why did I sleep with him then? Because I knew that if I didn't I would regret it for the rest of my life. Now, the thought had come across my mind earlier in the evening, but I had thought he wouldn't be interested in me. But then he kissed me when he was dropping me off. I decided to see how far he'd go.
His touch was so gentle. His fingers seemed to dance upon my back softly. I was in ecstasy right there.
"Mia? Hello there, wanna join me back in reality for a second? When did you first realize you were in love with Joshua?"
Oh. She had meant with Joshua. "Oh, right. Sorry, I got a little day dreamy there for a second. I don't know if I had an exact moment of falling in love with him. It was more of a gradual thing. We were friends first and I found him to be incredibly attractive and had a crush on him. But I think falling in love takes time, there isn't ever an exact moment."
She kind of smiled knowingly. She knew I had an exact moment of falling for her brother. She was the only person on this planet who knew I had slept with him that night.
We were surely in for a surprise the following week. Her boyfriend, Tony showed up. It was wonderful meeting him, and then he dropped the bombshell. "Michael is waiting at the gates for me-"
"Why the hell isn't he in here?" Lilly snapped.
I looked at her like, "Gee, I wonder why you moron."
I walked over to a page. "Please have the gentlemen at the gate to allow Mr. Moscovitz onto the grounds. Have them bring him here, to us."
"Certainly your highness," he said with a slight bow.
I tried to ready myself. I composed myself on the sitting chair while Lilly and Tony made kissy face right in front of me. I hadn't seen him since that night, but I pushed the memories out of my mind. "Your highness, your guest."
I looked down for a moment and said a short prayer that I wouldn't embarrass myself in front of him. I looked at him after a moment, and suddenly wished I hadn't.
"Hey Lilly!" he greeted cheerfully. I was thankful he hadn't noticed me in the corner. "How's the trip been?"
She looked at me, "Fun, really really fun."
He looked at me now, "Princess," he said softly.
"Hi Michael," I said carefully. "How was your flight?" Let's just ignore the awkwardness.
He smiled widely, "Fine. How've YOU been?" he asked, walking over to me. I stood up and hugged him. No inhaling his scent.
"Great, we just got signed to a record deal," he said excitedly.
"Yeah, Lilly was telling me about that. Congratulations."
"Looks like they need some privacy. I might head back to the hotel..."
"Don't be silly. Come on," I said, taking his hand. "Let's go get some lunch in town."
"So then she ended it with me," he finished his story about the break up with Vicky. I couldn't help but wonder what could have been if that had happened two years before.
"Well, you are better off without her," I said as I stabbed my fork into my salad. "You are going to be a world class musician and she's gonna just be some stupid groupie."
"Exactly. So what has the Princess been up to?"
"The wedding is totally stressing me out. Grandmere is demanding that practically everyone on the planet who is rich is invited to it. She's crossing people off of my guest list to make room for hers."
His brow raised. "Who was on your guest list?"
"That she tried cutting off?"
"Yeah."
"Well, your family, except for Lilly since she's in my wedding party."
"So, I was invited?"
I reached across the table and took his hand, "Of course you are silly. Oh, and Shameeka she wanted to have as a bridesmaid because she's so beautiful."
"True," he replied.
"I heard you were supposed to go on a date with her," I reached.
"Yeah, but I am not into dating right now. I just need to focus on the music, ya know?"
"Right. I can see that."
We walked to a park afterwards and talked about the past few years, never mentioning what had gone on between us all those years ago. I told him about my wedding and about Joshua.
"He sounds like the perfect match for you," Michael said softly.
"He is really great to me. We can laugh and joke like nothing else. I mean, I haven't had much experience with men, but I know he's it for me."
"How?" Michael asked. He wasn't being rude, just inquisitive.
"I just do. He's everything I could ever want in a husband."
"I'm guessing he thinks that he is your first?" he asked, finally breaking into that topic.
I sighed. "I have never told him about anyone else," I said after a few minutes. "Hey, let's go swing," I said pulling him to the play ground.
People recognized me and some took pictures. But I didn't care. I wanted to have some fun. Lars was, as always, thirty feet behind me.
The next week was so much fun. Not only was Joshua due back in three weeks, but I got to get acquainted with Tony and hung out with Lilly and Michael. It was just like old times. I had gotten ahead with all of my royal duties before Lilly had arrived so I only infrequently missed my times with my old friends.
But then I got the phone call.
MICHAEL:
It was fun. There was no sexual tension between us. We were just old friends now who happened to have slept together ONCE. Who had seen one another naked, ONCE. Sure I was still attracted to her; I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. But I accepted that she was engaged to the most perfect man.
She seemed really happy. And I was really happy FOR her. I was happy too; I had been able to write in a brand new place and was filled with all new ideas for songs.
I had my notebook in tow when I walked past the princess's suite. Her door was slightly open and I saw her laying in her bed in a fetal position. "Mia?" I asked, slowly opening the door. I hadn't been in her room at the palace before. "Mia, what's wrong? What is going on? Is it Grandmere?" I asked hopefully (I know, I'm terrible).
"No," she choked out.
"What is it then?" I asked.
"J-Joshua," she stammered through her tears.
"Yes?"
"He got an infection down in Africa, from some insect."
"Okay, so he got his vaccinations, right?"
"There's one he can't get because the vaccine starts out in an egg or something. I forget the name of it, but the doctors said the chance of an infection was so small it would not matter. But it DOES matter! He started showing signs of the infection almost a week after he got there. No one told me he was being quarantined!"
"Mia, is everything gonna be okay?" I asked, sitting next to her and rubbing her back.
"No. He's dying. The infection screwed up his immune system and he got some illness and-"she couldn't go on. Her words echoed in my brain.
"Are they sure?" I asked softly.
"Yes. They're sending him back here but he's not the same person they say."
"How so?" I asked, smoothing her hair.
"He has these sores all over his body and his face is swollen. I had such a terrible feeling about this trip!"
"Do you want to be alone?" I asked after a few moments.
I started to get up, but she reached for my arm. "Please stay," she whispered. "I just found out that I am losing the man I love and adore and was supposed to spend my life with. Don't leave me..."
I missed him terribly. At night, when I missed him the most I played our song, All My Life by KC and JoJo. He had been the one to pick it out because he said it was exactly who he felt about me... Ohhhhh, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby
Ummmmmmm, I'm so glad
I will never find another lover
sweeter than you, sweeter than you
And I will never find another lover
more precious than you, more precious than you
Cause girl you are
Close to me you like my mother, close to me you're like my father
Close to me you're like my sister, close to me you're like my brother
You are the only one, my everything
And to you this song I sing
All my life
I prayed for someone like you
And I thank God, that I, that I finally found you
All my life, I prayed for someone like you I hope that you feel the same way too
Yes I pray that you do love me to
I promise to never fall in love
With a stranger
You're all I'm thinking of
I praise the Lord above
For sending me your love
I cherish every hug
I really love you
You're everything I ever know
When you smile my face always seems to glow
You turned my life around,
you picked me up when I was down
And I hope that you feel the same way too
Yes, I pray that you do love me too
And all my life..........
It was corny, but I guess that's how things are when you are in love.
Joshua was gone two weeks before Lilly arrived. "Lilly!" I exclaimed, running up to her the second I saw her sitting in her suite at my palace.
"MIA!" she said, equally as excited.
"Your hair!" I said with a giggle. Lilly had dyed it blonde. Surprising.
"It looks better on the camera," she explained.
"You have NO idea how much of a relief it is to see you!" I said with a smile.
"Well, no one was stopping you from coming back to New York to see me. How great would it have been to have sleepovers at my parent's house again? Like we were kids again?"
"Not so great," I thought to myself, "Cuz half the reason I enjoyed them so much was because of Michael."
"I know, but I have so many responsibilities here now," I explained.
"I understand. I especially understand considering how hot your fiancée is!"
I smiled at the mere mention of him, "Joshua is amazing, I can't wait for you to meet him at the wedding,"
"He won't be here?" she asked.
"No, he's on a humanitarian trip right now in Africa."
"Very nice. He sounds perfect for you, Mia. Much better than Michael ever would have been."
She would HAVE to say his name, wouldn't she? "Oh please Lilly. Michael was a childish crush. Joshua is the real thing."
She smiled thoughtfully. "I'm happy for you. Oh, here, let me show you a picture of Tony, my boyfriend."
He was quite handsome. She showed me a framed picture of her with a man with long dark hair and pale skin. He looked like a musician. I looked at the others in the picture. A guy with crazy blonde hair, a guy with straight blonde hair, a guy with a beard covering his face, and then there he was. Michael.
He looked so different now. He had grown his hair longer, and in this picture he hadn't shaven.
"He's single now," Lilly said, interrupting my thoughts. "He and Vicky broke up four years now and he still hasn't dated. I tried setting him up with Shameeka but he wouldn't date one of my friends. He says those types of things never work out. Although I am currently seriously dating his best friend."
I shrugged. I knew what he was really saying. He wouldn't date her because of me.
I showed her around the palace and she took notes for her interview. I told her the types of things she couldn't ask, which wouldn't be very much. But then there were things I wouldn't let her put on television, so she took notes.
We stayed up all that first night and watched a Drew Barrymore marathon. Ever After, Never Been Kissed, The Wedding Singer, and the Charlie's Angels movies (although we didn't like those as much as the others). I told her all about Joshua and she said she could see why I would fall for such a guy.
She finally taped her interview two weeks later. I wore my SAVE THE WHALES t-shirt and my combat boots. I wanted everyone to see that I was a normal girl. I did my own make up and hair, something Grandmere NEVER lets me do for regular reporters.
Lilly asked a lot of in depth questions, but also silly ones like when I knew I was in love with Joshua. But the one question that made me really think was when I first fell in love, who was my first love? She had a smirk on her face and she knew exactly what I was thinking about at that very moment.
I was sitting on the couch, completely broken because I was dateless for my senior prom. It would be in all the gossip columns the next morning. I would have to tell Grandmere to tell the reporters that I was suddenly very sick. But that wouldn't work because Kenny could just come out and say he ditched me. Hmmm. But then it happened. Michael walked into the otherwise empty room (except for me that is), and got down on one knee. And I remember every word that he said. He might not, but me, realizing that I was in love with him, I remember each word.
"I'm sure you would much rather go to your prom with a much smoother, better looking date, but I would be honored to be your date to the senior prom. I promise I will make it perfect for you because that is what you deserve."
And right there is when he made me do it. He MADE me fall in love with him by doing this to me. I mean, sure, I had considered asking him to come as a friend before Kenny had asked me, but never in a million years would I have expected him to do this. I agreed to go with him
We danced so close together that night, memories of him tutoring me in Algebra and me smelling his soapy skin came rushing back. I remembered flipping out about our knees touching back when I was fourteen, now what? He had his hands on the small of my back, and my arms wrapped around his neck. Our foreheads touching. Damn, if I was watching this I would have thought we were a couple in love.
That night was amazing. The most memorable night until I met Joshua at least. I lost my virginity to Michael that night, and I didn't regret it. He was a kind lover. Did I just use the word lover? Yeah, I think I did and I am shocked. He never actually said he loved me, but I could feel it that night. He did.
So why did I reject him the next day? Because I knew how much baggage I was carrying and I didn't want to tie him down. Plus, he had a girlfriend that I assumed he was in love with. He didn't just love her, but he was IN love with her. I didn't want to come between them.
So why did I sleep with him then? Because I knew that if I didn't I would regret it for the rest of my life. Now, the thought had come across my mind earlier in the evening, but I had thought he wouldn't be interested in me. But then he kissed me when he was dropping me off. I decided to see how far he'd go.
His touch was so gentle. His fingers seemed to dance upon my back softly. I was in ecstasy right there.
"Mia? Hello there, wanna join me back in reality for a second? When did you first realize you were in love with Joshua?"
Oh. She had meant with Joshua. "Oh, right. Sorry, I got a little day dreamy there for a second. I don't know if I had an exact moment of falling in love with him. It was more of a gradual thing. We were friends first and I found him to be incredibly attractive and had a crush on him. But I think falling in love takes time, there isn't ever an exact moment."
She kind of smiled knowingly. She knew I had an exact moment of falling for her brother. She was the only person on this planet who knew I had slept with him that night.
We were surely in for a surprise the following week. Her boyfriend, Tony showed up. It was wonderful meeting him, and then he dropped the bombshell. "Michael is waiting at the gates for me-"
"Why the hell isn't he in here?" Lilly snapped.
I looked at her like, "Gee, I wonder why you moron."
I walked over to a page. "Please have the gentlemen at the gate to allow Mr. Moscovitz onto the grounds. Have them bring him here, to us."
"Certainly your highness," he said with a slight bow.
I tried to ready myself. I composed myself on the sitting chair while Lilly and Tony made kissy face right in front of me. I hadn't seen him since that night, but I pushed the memories out of my mind. "Your highness, your guest."
I looked down for a moment and said a short prayer that I wouldn't embarrass myself in front of him. I looked at him after a moment, and suddenly wished I hadn't.
"Hey Lilly!" he greeted cheerfully. I was thankful he hadn't noticed me in the corner. "How's the trip been?"
She looked at me, "Fun, really really fun."
He looked at me now, "Princess," he said softly.
"Hi Michael," I said carefully. "How was your flight?" Let's just ignore the awkwardness.
He smiled widely, "Fine. How've YOU been?" he asked, walking over to me. I stood up and hugged him. No inhaling his scent.
"Great, we just got signed to a record deal," he said excitedly.
"Yeah, Lilly was telling me about that. Congratulations."
"Looks like they need some privacy. I might head back to the hotel..."
"Don't be silly. Come on," I said, taking his hand. "Let's go get some lunch in town."
"So then she ended it with me," he finished his story about the break up with Vicky. I couldn't help but wonder what could have been if that had happened two years before.
"Well, you are better off without her," I said as I stabbed my fork into my salad. "You are going to be a world class musician and she's gonna just be some stupid groupie."
"Exactly. So what has the Princess been up to?"
"The wedding is totally stressing me out. Grandmere is demanding that practically everyone on the planet who is rich is invited to it. She's crossing people off of my guest list to make room for hers."
His brow raised. "Who was on your guest list?"
"That she tried cutting off?"
"Yeah."
"Well, your family, except for Lilly since she's in my wedding party."
"So, I was invited?"
I reached across the table and took his hand, "Of course you are silly. Oh, and Shameeka she wanted to have as a bridesmaid because she's so beautiful."
"True," he replied.
"I heard you were supposed to go on a date with her," I reached.
"Yeah, but I am not into dating right now. I just need to focus on the music, ya know?"
"Right. I can see that."
We walked to a park afterwards and talked about the past few years, never mentioning what had gone on between us all those years ago. I told him about my wedding and about Joshua.
"He sounds like the perfect match for you," Michael said softly.
"He is really great to me. We can laugh and joke like nothing else. I mean, I haven't had much experience with men, but I know he's it for me."
"How?" Michael asked. He wasn't being rude, just inquisitive.
"I just do. He's everything I could ever want in a husband."
"I'm guessing he thinks that he is your first?" he asked, finally breaking into that topic.
I sighed. "I have never told him about anyone else," I said after a few minutes. "Hey, let's go swing," I said pulling him to the play ground.
People recognized me and some took pictures. But I didn't care. I wanted to have some fun. Lars was, as always, thirty feet behind me.
The next week was so much fun. Not only was Joshua due back in three weeks, but I got to get acquainted with Tony and hung out with Lilly and Michael. It was just like old times. I had gotten ahead with all of my royal duties before Lilly had arrived so I only infrequently missed my times with my old friends.
But then I got the phone call.
MICHAEL:
It was fun. There was no sexual tension between us. We were just old friends now who happened to have slept together ONCE. Who had seen one another naked, ONCE. Sure I was still attracted to her; I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. But I accepted that she was engaged to the most perfect man.
She seemed really happy. And I was really happy FOR her. I was happy too; I had been able to write in a brand new place and was filled with all new ideas for songs.
I had my notebook in tow when I walked past the princess's suite. Her door was slightly open and I saw her laying in her bed in a fetal position. "Mia?" I asked, slowly opening the door. I hadn't been in her room at the palace before. "Mia, what's wrong? What is going on? Is it Grandmere?" I asked hopefully (I know, I'm terrible).
"No," she choked out.
"What is it then?" I asked.
"J-Joshua," she stammered through her tears.
"Yes?"
"He got an infection down in Africa, from some insect."
"Okay, so he got his vaccinations, right?"
"There's one he can't get because the vaccine starts out in an egg or something. I forget the name of it, but the doctors said the chance of an infection was so small it would not matter. But it DOES matter! He started showing signs of the infection almost a week after he got there. No one told me he was being quarantined!"
"Mia, is everything gonna be okay?" I asked, sitting next to her and rubbing her back.
"No. He's dying. The infection screwed up his immune system and he got some illness and-"she couldn't go on. Her words echoed in my brain.
"Are they sure?" I asked softly.
"Yes. They're sending him back here but he's not the same person they say."
"How so?" I asked, smoothing her hair.
"He has these sores all over his body and his face is swollen. I had such a terrible feeling about this trip!"
"Do you want to be alone?" I asked after a few moments.
I started to get up, but she reached for my arm. "Please stay," she whispered. "I just found out that I am losing the man I love and adore and was supposed to spend my life with. Don't leave me..."