Author's Note: There are a few surprising twists in this chapter. Makes me like the story a whole lot more at least. Enjoy and review

GatorChick007- you like people disobeying? You'll love this chapter. The disobeying is running rampant!

Ahhh- First of all, love the pen name. Second of all, I tried to review your Mediator story but it wouldn't let me for some strange reason. I love the story just so you know.

Moonstone209- the Diary issue is dealt with in here

-Kristin

P.S.- If you guys have serious questions then please leave your e-mail or e-mail me. I always forget to answer things in my author notes then I feel like an ass. But then again I usually leave the answers within the story so I guess it all works out in the end. Okay, enough rambling. You know the drill. I own nothing.

We stopped in the Rite Aid down the block from my apartment and got some quality junk food. You know, the necessities for a girl boy sleep over. M & M's, Twizzlers, and marshmallows (her idea I don't get it but whatever).

There was a guy in the store that made me feel a little nervous. I mean, most New Yorkers are a bit off, at least the ones out at twelve thirty on a Tuesday night. But he had long stringy hair and a long beard. And he was dressed all in black. I try not to judge but it's hard when the guy looks this sketchy.

"What's wrong?" Mia asked as she tossed a bag of M & M's at me.

"Let's just buy this stuff and get out of here," I said softly.

She looked at me oddly and then followed my gaze at the guy. "If you say so," she said in return.

We reached the counter when the guy did. I grabbed Mia's hand protectively and pulled her closer to me.

"Hey there beautiful," the guy gargled. He was clearly smashed.

She smiled weakly and turned to me with doe eyes, "Can we hurry and get out of here?" she asked.

"You ain't gonna answer me?" the guy continued.

I glanced at him and then tossed a twenty on the counter. "Sorry sir, we're kind of on a date here. A first date."
"So? That gives that bitch a right to be rude?"

I grabbed our bag and gave him a dirty look, "You are a real big man. Calling a young girl a bitch because she doesn't respond to your come ons. Two words for you. Jail. Bait. Come on, let's go babe," I said to Mia.

She smiled at me as we left the store. "That was brave."

"No, it was stupid," the guy said, following us out the door.

The next thing I knew I was being pulled into an alley by the guy and being kicked in the stomach. "Stupid punk," the guy mumbled. He turned to Mia and batted his eyes, "Ready princess?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't realized that he was just calling her that because she was dressed pretty well and not because she was an actual princess. "Beg your pardon?"

He grabbed her wrists and threw her to the ground. I couldn't move still because of the force of being tossed to the ground.

"What are you trying to do?" she asked softly. "You really should not bother trying anything. I'm telling you it's not going to get you anywhere but trou-"

Before she could finish that big guy that is always following her around came and tossed our little friend aside. He pulled Mia up and checked her over. "We should get you to the hospital, just to be checked."

"Don't worry about me! What about Michael?" she asked, pointing at me. "Get him help."

"No," I said, struggling to get up. "I'm fine. Just need to get home."

"Come with me then, Mia," the guy said.

She shook her head. "No. I am going over the Moscovitz's tonight. Someone has to watch over Michael."

The guy rolled his eyes. "Pr-"

"Lars. I said I am going over there. You are not to tell anyone about this episode, got it? Not Mom, Dad or Grandmere. They'll totally freak out on me."

"But-"

"Not a word."

"Let me escort you two back to Michael's then," he replied.

She looked at me. "Fine. That would be acceptable."

The guy, who I was told is named Lars, had to help me keep my balance as we walked the three minutes to my apartment. He walked us straight to my door then she told him she'd see him tomorrow afternoon.

I fell onto my bed as she popped some popcorn in my kitchen. I realized my nose started bleeding, as it usually does in high stress situations. I never let myself get stressed too much, but I suppose being attacked in a New York alley way could cause a bit of stress.

I sat up and got a tissue to blot the blood just as Mia came in with soda and the popcorn. "Michael, are you bleeding?" she asked, worried.

"It's not a big deal," I replied, covering up my nose. Yeah, I wanted her to see that my nose was oozing out blood. Sure.

She set the tray down on my desk and knelt in front of me. She was so close to me that I could smell the perfume she was wearing on her neck.

"Are you bleeding anywhere else?" she asked.

"I don't think so," I replied, embarrassed. It was all my fault the guy came after us to begin with. I should have kept my mouth shut.

"What about your stomach? You may have cracked a rib," she said reaching for my shirt.

"Whoa, what are you doing?"

"Looking at your stomach," she replied like it was the most obvious thing.

"Why?" I asked nervously.

"Stop being a nervous nelly," she said with a laugh. "I won't tease your lack of pecs."

Ha, fine. I'd let her see just how wrong she was. I rose my arms up so she could lift it off of me. I laughed when I saw her facial expression. "What?" I asked innocently.

"Um, nothing. You don't seem to be bleeding so you can put your shirt back on."

"Naw, I think I'll leave it off. I don't wear a shirt to bed anyways." Plus, I liked the flushed look of her cheeks when ever she looked at me.

"Um, okay. I'll just stay in my-"

I got up grabbed a pair of shorts and a t shirt for her to wear. "You can go get dressed in my and Lilly's bathroom."

She grinned and hugged me lightly. "You are a really cool friend, you know that?" With that she grabbed her back pack and reached in. I could tell she was looking for something that was currently in my sister's bedroom.

"You looking for something?" I asked.

"I um...lost a book. You haven't seen-"

"Nothing," I replied. You've had that bag closed the whole time I've been with you."

She scrunched up her nose. "It's not a big deal. I probably just left it...you know, at my Grandma's or something. I'm sure it'll turn up."

I rolled my eyes as she went into the bathroom that separated my and Lilly's room. Great. After all this I'm still looked at as just a stupid friend.

She came back a few minutes later with her hair brushed smooth and her glasses on. "No more contacts?" I teased with a raised eye brow.

"No need to impress anyone. I'm only around Michael Moscovitz."

I stared at her longer than I had intended, but I think she was doing the same thing. I mean, we were both lying in my bed. I had no shirt on, only my pants. She was wearing my school t-shirt that I was given freshman year and a pair of new boxer shorts. "Do you normally sleep with your school pants on?" she asked.

"Yes," I lied.

"Oh, okay. Just checking."

I put on the first movie and we started quoting entire scenes from that damned Patrick Swayze movie (I know, for someone who dislikes it so much I shouldn't know the lines, but I have spent many a night watching it with Mia and Lilly).

Every once and a while we'd start talking about life and about Jesse. She said she really liked him but wasn't ready to take that next step with him. There was something in the relationship that didn't feel right yet. When I asked what it was she said,

"Well, I can't talk to him like I can talk to…well, we don't talk seriously ever. Mostly making out."

Yeah, that's making me feel great. "Talk to who?" I asked finally.

"Huh?"

"You started saying you can't talk to him like you talk to someone else."

She half smiled, "I think it's obvious."

My stomach started feeling really light right then. It was the feeling you get when you know you are going to be seriously kissed. She started licking her lips and leaned in to me. I leaned toward her and our lips met softly at first, then a whole lot harder.

I wasn't exactly sure if I was just dreaming but I thought I'd try my luck and let my hand slide up the back of the shirt. I felt her tremble a little, but she didn't pull away. She forked her fingers through my hair. I turned her so she was on her back and I was only half on top of her. The part that 'counts' was still on my mattress but I didn't care. Kissing her was all that was important.

She pushed me off her softly and pulled my shirt off of her. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Shut the TV off," she whispered.

I looked at her face for an answer as I shut the television off. I couldn't lower my gaze to her chest. I know how self conscious she is about that part of her body so I didn't want to look before she was ready for me to.

She took my hand and placed it on her which allowed me to look at her. "What is going on?" I whispered.

She shrugged and smiled, "We can figure it out later," she said pulling me down for another kiss.

We eventually fell asleep, holding onto one another for dear life. Her skin felt soft to the touch and I never wanted to stop touching it. I started thinking about the morals of the situation.First of all, am I an ass? I mean, she had just finished talking about what a jerk Jesse has been about all this stuff and here I am laying in bed with her with no shirt on. Here is the list I have mentally prepared about why I am an asshole:

First of all she is my best friend (if you can call him that)'s girlfriend.

Second of all, she's fourteen years old.

Third of all-

I didn't get to finish that third thought because she bolted up and looked around quickly. "What time is it?"

"Um," I said looking over at my clock, "One thirty."

"I missed my quiz- where is my shirt?"

I pointed to the floor. "That was the point," I replied.

"We…We didn't…you know…"

"Mia, why would we do that?" I asked. "You aren't ready…after all," I started, putting some of her hair behind her ear, "We have not been together for a year, I have not brought you to see Beauty and the Beast on Broadway. And I have yet to declare-"

"But you would?" she asked with glowing eyes. "You remember that stuff?"

I offered a sheepish smile, "We'd have to wait and see."

"But Jesse…" she said softly. "Michael…I can't just…"

"I know," I said reluctantly.

"But I want to do that. I…I dunno how I am feeling."

"I know."

"You seem to know an awful lot," she teased, a tear coming down her cheek.

I wiped it, "I know," I said with a smile. "Why don't you go take a shower and I'll take you for some lunch. I'm starving."

"Something work up your appetite?" she teased with a half hearted smile. She patted my bare chest then bounded into the bathroom to take a shower.

The phone rang. "Where the hell is my girlfriend?" Jesse demanded.

"Huh?" I asked, looking into the bathroom.

"You were the last person to be with her-"

"I wasn't with her," I said quickly.

"Last night. You walked her home…She never went home. I went by the loft to get her and her mom said she never came home."

"Oh well, she wasn't feeling good so she just came here with Lilly," I lied quickly. "I just woke up because I'm feeling kind of sick. Probably some bad take out-"

"If I find out you are screwing around with my girlfriend I'll fucking kill you."

"Jesse, why would I ever do that?" I asked.

"You don't think I notice how you look at her?"

"Jesse I haven't seen her all morning." Not really a lie. I was asleep all morning. I woke up in the afternoon.

"Fine. If you run into her tell her I need to talk to her. Tell her to meet me at the diner."

"Will do."

Mia and I went to the diner for a quick lunch before the after school crowd showed up. We talked a bit about our situation and what we thought could come out of it. "I am with Jesse," she reminded me softly, "But I don't know. I can't be sure if my feelings for him are more…if they mean more than how I feel about you."

I literally felt the butterflies in my stomach, "Which is?"

"Huh?"

"What are those feelings?" I asked carefully.

Her lower lip quivered. "Can we get out of here? Somewhere a little more private?" she asked, looking around.

I nodded and tossed a few bills on the table and we hurried out of the high school hang out.

And with just enough time. I saw Jesse and his legions of female fans coming down the street. I put my arm around Mia and emersed ourselves into the crowds of New York City.

We ended up at her favorite spot in the entire city, the Penguin house. "Michael, there's a lot of things about me that you don't know about. That no one knows about, not even Lilly."

"Mia, you don't have to tell me. I'm just Michael Moscovitz," I said tossing her words back at her.

She half smiled. "I have to be decent. I can't just go from boy to boy….my grandmother wouldn't like it."

"So?"

"I am still with Jesse. Jesse is my boyfriend. Jesse is in love with me."

I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth. That Jesse only wanted to sleep with her.

"So what do you want from me?" I asked with a hoarse voice.

"Nothing," she said softly. "Michael, I am going back to Jesse. Please, don't tell him what happened."

I shrugged, unable to look at her. "Whatever. See you later," I said walking out.

"Michael, wait!" she called out.

But I didn't. I kept going until I was alone in my room. I ripped off my sheets and pillow cases. They smelled like her. I walked into the laundry room and threw them into the washer.

"Covering the evidence?" Lilly asked, coming up behind me.

"What evidence?" I asked, unable to look at her either. She'd have an evil grin on.

"That Mia slept in your bed last night."

"I-I spilt soup and it was time to wash them anyways."

"No, Maya just changed them. I saw her two days ago. I covered for you today."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, measuring the detergent.

"With Jesse. He was ready to go into your room this morning before school because Mia wasn't at the loft for him to pick up."

"Why'd he come here?"

"Because you were supposed to walk her home last night."

"Um…"

"I told him that she was asleep in my room. And the she'd been throwing up all night. And so were you. Bad take out. So he didn't want to be around either of you and chance being thrown up on."

We think alike. "Um…look, nothing happened."

"Sure. I know she was in your room Michael. She left her clothes in the bathroom so I went to investigate of course. She wasn't in the living room or my room so there is only one other logical place. The boy next door to me. I walked in and saw the shirtless environment and deserted the area immediately. I didn't want to catch whatever disease that caused you two morons to be laying in bed shirtless. I hope it was only shirtless. The sheets were covering everything else up so…"

"It was only shirtless," I assured her.

"He's going to kill you," she said simply.

"Not if he doesn't find out."

"What is happening with you two now? Are you secret-"

"Nothing. I never want to see her again."

She stared at me hard for a solid minute. "Sure Pinnocchio.