MIA:
It's terrible having

the baby around. He's up every hour of the night needing to be fed, held, or changed. I almost wished I had gone with Grandmere to Genovia. But I immediately took it back. I wanted to be here to be with my little brother.
Okay, so I really just wanted to be here so I could spend some extra time with Michael before he moved out of casa Moscovitz.
Three weeks after Rocky was born I couldn't take it anymore. It was three in the morning and I was losing much needed beauty rest. I hadn't spent much time with Michael because I was needed home so much (yeah, so much for my plan huh?), so I decided to sneak out.

I got to the apartment building only to remember that there was no way UP Michael's fire escape. You could only go down them unless you had a special code. The fancy architects designed the escapes within the building somehow. I tried to remember how to get into the building. I saw some skeevy looking homeless guys coming down the street so I ran to the doorman.
"Excuse me, Miles?" I asked.
"Princess?" he asked. I had gotten to know the doormen pretty well over the years.
"Yes, I was wondering if you would let me into the Moscovitz's apartment."
He laughed. "I'm sorry Mia. You know I can't do that."
"They are expecting me," I lied.
"Oh really? At three thirty in the morning?"
"Lilly and I are filming at four o'clock."
"And what are we filming this morning?" he asked, opening the door for me.
"Uhm, the stress of becoming an older sister as a teenager," I lied. "Right now I'm so tired it'll add to the drama."
He laughed, knowing that I was lying. "If anyone asks, you snuck in."
I ran to the elevator and up to the Moscovitz's apartment. Okay, so I got past Miles. Now what? The door opened. "Mia?" Michael asked, shocked.
"Hey," I replied softly, kind of shocked that he was standing in the doorway. "What are you doing up?"
"What are you doing here?" he asked with a smile.
"I got bored..."
"Orrrrr you couldn't sleep because of your brother's incessant screaming?" he guessed.
I shrugged, "Or that maybe..."
"Well, my lady, you are in luck."
"Uh duh, I was just standing here trying to figure out how to get in when you opened the door."
"No, I mean, I was just about to go see you. I couldn't sleep either and I figured you would be up. Want to go grab some breakfast?"
"Yes. Then SLEEP."
He put his hand on my waist and walked me out the back door so Miles wouldn't see.

"I'm gonna miss you," I whispered to Michael. the night before I was to leave for Genovia. Mom let me have a sleepover with all of my friends, including Michael. She figured that if anything was going to happen, it might as well happen under her roof instead of some seedy motel or something. She figures that we're gonna do what we want whether or not she tells us not to. But she did suggest that we wait much longer. Like ten years and a wedding band later.
Everyone else had fallen asleep already. Mr. G brought Rocky to see his family on Long Island.
Michael was in his sleeping bag, facing me in my own sleeping bag. He put his hand on my cheek. "Mia, we'll see each other in a month when you come back."
"You aren't going to miss me?" I asked, surprised.
"Of course I will. Who else would appreciate a good pizza with yellow M & M's?"
I smiled. We never did eat that pizza because the chocolate melted into the cheese (very gross I'll tell ya!)
"And who will I blame for my watching the Tracey Gold marathon on Lifetime?"
"You like it, you know you do."
"She's a compelling actress with wonderful stories to share," he joked. "But I am going to miss you, baby. In fact, you know what I went out and did?"
"I am afraid to ask."
He smiled. "I bought some strawberry shampoo to use so I can at least smell you while you are away."
"I bought some Dove soap," I replied, trying not to laugh.
"And you'll be so busy you won't even realize I am gone."
"That's not true. I won't have anyone to snuggle with while I watch movies," I argued.
"I'm sure Lilly will," he said with a smile.
"Yeah, sure she will. Are you coming to the airport tomorrow?"
"I don't think that's a good idea, do you?"
"Why not?"
"Because the press will be there for your big send off. And I don't want to make you cry and ruin your make up. Grandmere is only starting to like me after five months."
That made sense. I knew I would cry. I'm such a sap now that I am in love. I mean, last year I would have been upset if I didn't get to see Lilly for a whole month, but I would definitely not cried at all. Now I am here KNOWING that I would cry if I didn't get to see Michael a single month! This time last year I went months without even talking to him for months! I still find it hard to believe I never noticed him before last fall. Then again I am oblivious to almost everything that goes on around me This was gonna be tough. How was I supposed to go a whole month without those peat bog eyes? It was almost too much to bear.

"Oh my word!" Lilly exclaimed when we reached the airport. There was a lot of press there. More than expected. I think Grandmere called in advance. I didn't know my exiting the country would be all that big of a deal.
My mother came with us to the airport so say good bye. I think I saw a tear coming out of her eyes. She was losing her poor little baby to big bad Genovia, but she had done this before back in the winter. But now at least she had Rocky. Or maybe that's why she was crying, because she was stuck with only Mr. G to help her out. And he was always playing his darn drums to ignore Rocky's screams. Men....

I had never been to Genovia in the summer before. When I visited with my father and grandmother in summers past we had been in France. But now I had to stay in Genovia to get a feel for the palace and stuff. Lilly started taping once we stepped in the country.
"How does it feel to finally be in your homeland once again?" she asked.
I rolled my eyes, "Just lovely, absolutely wonderful dahling!" I said dramatically.
"No, seriously Mia."
"I don't know, it feels fine I guess. I am just in the airport after all. Not that big of a deal. And it's not my homeland. Just my dad's homeland that I am going to rule one day."
"Are you nervous?"

"Not really...well, kind of. Last time I was here I caused a lot of trouble in Parliament."
She put down her camera. "But you've been doing so well with all of this for the past few months."
"I've also had my backbone with me," I replied, meaning Michael.
"You have got to be less dependent upon him. Get your own backbone, Mia."
She had a point there. "But it's always nice to know he's behind me, ya know?"
"I suppose so. Where are your dad and Grandmere?"
"They'll meet us at the palace. Lars will drive us there."

I'll admit that I had fun while I was in Genovia. Lilly and I hadn't hung out in a really long time and it was nice to have girl time with her. And since she had no idea about anything in Genovia I got to be the one to explain things for once. Plus she got tons of great footage for her show.
But no matter how much fun we had ( we got to lay out on the white sand beaches, what I had wanted to do in the winter!), I still felt like something was missing.

I mean, Lilly was flirting with the life guards and checking out all the different sun bathers. I had no desire to though. I only wanted one thing, and he was in New York getting ready to move out of his parents place.

MICHAEL:
I started packing up all my stuff into boxes from U-HAUL. My parents wouldn't help because they still hadn't come to accept that I was in fact, moving out in one short week. In fact, I was due to move into the new place the day Lilly and Mia were due to come home from Genovia.
I didn't really get to talk to her very often because of the time difference and our hectic schedules. I started working out again so that I would have that nice stomach that she fell in love with a half a year before.
At band practices Denis even seemed a little bummed out since Lilly left. I told him that I would normally listen to his girl woes, but considering it was my sister, I wanted nothing to do with it. "Michael, we haven't done anything, just so you know. And I honestly like her, a lot. I think she's funny."
"Looking?" I joked.
"No, really. She has a lot of good ideas. And she's so damn smart too! I just don't see what she sees in me."
"I don't either," I replied with a smile. "Are you planning on having her stay over the apartment?" I asked cautiously.
"No. No, I mean, we're just seeing each other, and she's still in high school. It wouldn't be right, ya know? Besides, your parents would flip out."
I shrugged. I still intended on having Mia stay over every once and awhile. "What's so bad about having a girl in high school?" I asked.
He rolled his eyes, "Nothing, I mean, nothing for you at least. You just graduated and your girl and you are completely in love. I don't want to risk anything with Lilly, ya know?"

Back at home I had the days marked on the calendar for when Mia would be home. I would cross off each day until she would be coming back to me, I mean, to the country. But when I got home one day from band practice I got a big surprise.
I stormed into the room because the practice had honestly sucked major monkey balls. Sorry for the language, but that is the only way to explain it correctly. All I really wanted to do was to have Mia with me, curl up in bed and to fall asleep with her sweet smelling hair. Okay, and I wanted to kiss her. A lot. But no, I couldn't really do that while she was in a totally different time zone, could I?
I settled for going to sleep by myself. I threw my t-shirt into an empty corner. It was weird because I had lived in this room since I was born. And now everything was in boxes waiting to be sent a hundred blocks away for a whole new apartment. I peeled off my jeans and boxers. It was just too damn hot to sleep with clothes on. I did this from time to time when it was a heat wave, as is the case now.
I peeled off my comforter and saw a lump under the sheets. I know I didn't throw any dirty laundry on my bed. But then Mia jumped up. I don't know who was more surprised, her with my being naked, or me with her being present, and her seeing me without any clothes on.
"MIA! Wh-What are you doing here?" I said excitedly, turning around and reaching for a book to cover myself. Yes, I may be eighteen, and she may be my girlfriend, but I am rather shy about my naked form.
"I got out early. Lilly is at Tina's. I was too but I decided I wanted to see you too badly."
"Um, hold on, let me get my clothes-"
"Why don't you just come to bed?" she asked innocently.
Um, because I don't feel like getting a boner and embarrassing both of us? Although I had thought that, I still locked my door and then slid into bed with her. God did I love this woman.
"Why did you get to come back?" I whispered.
"Grandmere wanted her own vacation I suppose. She is going to France for the remainder of the summer. Dad is staying in Monaco with some of our family."
"You know what I have been thinking about since that last night you were here?" I whispered, kissing her forehead.
"What?" she asked with wide eyes.
"This," I replied, kissing her passionately .
Yes, I admit this was a bad idea, but I really stopped caring at this point. I had missed how her lips tasted. I missed having our tongues fighting for space. I missed how she ran her fingers through my hair, and running mine through her hair. I felt myself stirring and pulled away. "We have to stop."
"Why?" she asked. I knew she felt me, so to say, arise to the occasion.
"Because we don't want to do anything yet. Not like this. And we haven't even really talked about it really..."
She looked gorgeous at that moment. Not that she doesn't always look gorgeous, but her lips were still swollen with my kisses, and her hair was still mussed from my hands. "Do you think we should talk about it?" she asked reluctantly.
I was shocked. I had always thought the guy would be the one to start that area up for discussion. "Do you?" I asked carefully, playing with her hair.
She started twisting my chest hairs, "I dunno. I mean, it's an idea..."
"What do you want?" I asked. "Because-"
"I don't want all that third base stuff," she said quickly. Even in the dark I could tell her cheeks were red. We very rarely got embarrassed in front of one another anymore but I could tell this discussion would have to be a little embarrassing for the both of us.
I tightly closed by eyes and said that was fine. Reluctantly, might I add. I am a guy after all, I have fantasized about all of this for only the past say, six or seven years.
"But the other stuff..." she started with a smile. "I think we should definitely, seriously, discuss that."
"Oh do you, Princess dear?" I asked.
"Why yes Mr. Moscovitz."
"Okay, so discuss."
She bit her lower lip. "Well, I...I was thinking we could...you know, when you move out..."
"Mia, to be honest with you," I started. I could tell she was unsure of what to say exactly. "I have thought about it, with you specifically."
"Y-You have?" she asked, genuinely surprised.
I got up and put on some sweatpants. I needed to behave myself here. "Mia, you are the most amazing woman in the entire world. Of course I have."
She blushed.
"And I have already promised myself to you...you are all I want, and all I need. And I don't think we need to necessarily schedule a good time for it. It'd lose the romance in it. I would want it to be just right."
"Michael?"
"Yeah?"
"I don't deserve you."