Author's Note: Okay, there will be about 27 parts to this story. So you have five more days of reading this old thing left. Then you get a prequel. Lucky you...although there is not much Michael in it I think you will all like it.

"Was I terrible?" I asked as we left the bar. Michael and I hadn't spoken after I left the stage. He looked like he was deep in thought. Damn, I bet he hadn't even paid attention when I was up there.

Everyone had promised that I sounded great when I was up on stage. Lilly didn't say anything though. But who is she to judge? I mean, I had real rock stars telling me I had a pretty voice.

But I realized she hadn't said anything because she and Michael were whispering to one another. That was kind of sweet....kind of a last night of bonding type of thing before she gets married. I couldn't help but stare at them.

Everyone else was involved in their own conversations. I was suddenly very sad. I mean, Michael MUST have known that I sang that for him. Why else would I sing that song? I mean, first of all, it's by the Beatles which are one of Michael's favorite bands of all times. Secondly, it fit so well with how I was feeling. In the two days since I had that heart to heart with Michael, I realized that I needed to live. ALthough two people who I loved dearly had died in the past year, I was still alive. I was still capable of loving people. Of loving Michael.

But I wasn't sad just because of that. I mean, sure that is bad enough that he clearly hadn't paid attention to me, maybe that he was too busy checking out the waitresses (he does have a history with them doesn't he?). I was sad watching the two of them together. They were always there for one another. So close in age that they were able to be close friends. Rocky and I couldn't be like that. I mean, would I ever even DREAM of talking to him like I talk to say...my cousin Rene?

But Rene wouldn't be a good person to bond with before I got married. He'd probably try to convince me to have a fling with someone before I married my fiancee. We weren't nearly close enough. But then again maybe we could forge a bond with one another between my return to Genovia and whenever I find someone to marry (which I'm clearly going to have to do anyways). Yes, that was what I would do. He and I would become great friends now.

Or maybe, since Michael clearly had no intentions of approaching me about my song, he would be the one I would bond with before I got married. It'll be years and years from now so maybe, just maybe, we'd both be totally over what happened with us. Who knows though?

Lilly came over to me, "Hey there Beatle Freak."

I smiled shyly. "Was I terrible?"

"Heinous."

"Great."

"We're going to a psychic before the game tomorrow. Tony was telling me about this place in Quincy...it's near a mall kind of so we can get our nails done there then go. It'd be kind of fun, don't you think? It'll be an early day but so what."

Okay, who is this person and what have they done with my best friend? "Psychic? You don't believe in them though."

"Tony was telling me about this place. He said that he and his friends used to go there all the time when they were teenagers. They are actually pretty good. They told him he'd marry an un-traditional woman and that he would have a job that would force him to travel very frequently."

"That could mean anything."

"And that he'd be in a band after he left college."

"So then he joined a band to follow through on the stupid predictions," I rationalized.

"Well, everyone wants to go. The guys are going to do some racing thing while we are getting our nails done, then we are all heading over to the Tea Room....that's what it is called."

I nodded. "Well, if everyone is doing it why not?"

We all piled into the cars early the next morning. The game was at seven o'clock, and I had to be there for some publicity work at six. You know, take some pictures with the players and with their daughters and whatnot. Someone actually told me that the third baseman had a crush on me. I'd have to wait and see about that one huh? Just kidding, my focus is totally on getting Michael to love me again.

I hate getting my nails done. I mean, now I no longer bite the nails (I stopped doing that when I was in South American and I realized how many germs I was jamming my fingers into everyday), but I can't stand going to public nail salons. I can never understand what the manicurist is saying to me. First of all, she's speaking some other language usually and she has a mask on. How is one supposed to conquer the language barrier when there is a mask in the way?

Any way, Lilly, Tina, Shameeka, and myself shopped for a little while until the guys came to pick us up. The other bridesmaids were coming in that night from New York and California. Geez, can't wait to see Lilly's college friends again.

I picked up some cuff links for Michael. I laughed as we left the store though because of something Joshua had done with his best pair years ago (he made us leave a casino, go to a crappy part of the city, and then he GAVE them to some homeless guy so he could sell them and get some clothes and food). Michael wouldn't do that though. He was far too rational.

I finagled a way to sit next to Michael. "Hey," he mumbled.

Sounded happy to see me next to him. "WHats wrong?" I asked.

" I lost my race," he said simply. He looked adorable when he was pouting.

"I got you something," I said handing him the bag. I saw Lilly and Tony glance at us in the rearview mirror.

Michael looked at me strangely. "Why?"

"Well, you deserve a nice gift," I whispered so the others wouldn't hear us. Well, obviously Tina could because she was sitting on the other side of me.

He offered a half smile. "Not really," he said softly.

"Fine, then don't take it," I said taking the bag back, teasing him.

He laughed, "No, no, I'll take it. But I don't deserve anything."

I couldn't say what I was really thinking. We were in the car with four other people. I wanted to tell him that he deserved more than what was in that stupid box. He deserved to be happy, and if I was what made him happy then he deserved me.

He opened the box slowly, "Hey, cuff links! We were just talking about these," he said with a laugh. "I was going to go to the jeweler before we left for the game so I could buy a pair for the wedding. Thanks Mia," he said softly kissing my cheek. Hell, it wasn't the best, but it was better than nothing. "I uh...nevermind."

I looked at him so he'd finish his thought, but he didn't. He just stared out the window at route 128 as we made our way to the Tea Room.

There were eight of us in the small building. It used to be a home to some sailor or something back in the 1800's, but the current owners grandparents bought it a long time ago.

We pretty much took over all the psychics. I sat patiently at a table, waiting for mine to come to me. I looked around and saw that Michael was talking animatedly with the woman at the front counter. Who knows, maybe my psychic encounter would tell me what to do about him.

MICHAEL:

The psychic thing was totally stupid. It was a huge waste of time. The woman didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know. FOr example, that I was in love with the blonde across the room...Mia. And that I was going to marry her eventually. Thanks already knew that though.

"Mia, why don't you sit on Michael's lap?" Tina suggested as we piled into the car. "That way I won't be squished back here."

I looked at Mia for her response. She blushed and looked at me for permission. Uhm, yeah I think I can give her permission to sit on my lap. It's where she really belonged anyways. With me.

I didn't mention the previous night on purpose. I wanted her to show me that she was ready for a real relationship. And when she finally would do this, I would have two presents ready for her. One was the ring I had designed for her. The other was a total surprise for her.

She tossed out the first pitch for the Red Sox that night. Tony had gone down to the field with her since it was his dream to stand on the grass of Fenway Park with his favorite players twenty feet away from him.

She looked adorable down there. When her name was announced over the PA system she came jogging out of the Red Sox dugout wearing a way too big for her Red Sox jersey, and a Yankee's cap. She had to support her hometown team, after all. Okay, she doesn't follow baseball but it was a PR thing.

I had half expected her to trip when she was jogging. But she had lost her adolescent clumsiness years ago. Now she was a real woman. She was mine, or would be I guess. Or I hope.

I mean, no one buys nice platinum cuff links for friends, right? No one sings one of the best Beatle's songs for a friend, right? Right....I'll keep telling myself that.

She came back and sat with us after taking some promotional shots with the owners of the Red Sox.

"Hey, take this hat," she said tossing the Yankee's cap at me.

"Hey, come on New Yorker, what is this?" I asked as she put on a Red Sox cap.

She shrugged. "After talking to the players of both teams I decided I like Boston more. They aren't as cocky as the Yankees. And they appreciate those silly rings more than the Yankees do (A/N, can you tell where my bias is?And yes, this is how I feel about the New York Yankees, got a problem with it then come to me). I mean, it's all kind of silly but being down there has totally made me a baseball fan."

I shook my head. "Don't worry, Boston will choke."

This comment made the man behind me dump his beer on me. Ah, gotta love sitting in the bleachers (and yes, we were offered better seats because of Mia, but she refused. She didn't want any special treatment, see why I love her?). The moronic Boston fans chanting "YANKEE'S SUCK" over and over again really was quite creative...and at least this time the Yankees are actually there (I hear the fans chant this at concerts and during Patriots games and stuff, kind of childish, no?).

Mia let me put my arm on the back of her seat. When the sun went down and it got colder she snuggled up to me...except when the Red Sox centerfielder got a homerun...she jumped up and totally forgot how cold she was. Damn him.

Author's Note: Yes I am a Red Sox fan. Yes I chant Yankee's suck, but only at the baseball games. Patriot games are a totally different story my friends (no, I'm not a sports freak am I? heh, see what I'm like in October when we win it all!!!!), please review! Oh, and also, the Tea Room is a real place in Quincy, not too far from Boston. And the mall they go to in this part is real too...and evil (too many great sales make me hand all my money to them!)