I kept true to my word. I didn't see Mia. At least, not alone again. I still was in love with her, so it would be too difficult to let myself get too close to her without wanting more. She just kind of made me sick now.

Is that how love actually is? I mean, you love the person, but hate the stuff that goes along with it so much that it makes you sick? I mean, at least when the object of your adoration is with a chauvinistic boob. Even if the chauvinistic boob happens to be one of your best friend.

And those words...what exactly is a best friend?

Jesse is considered my best friend because we have been friends since we were about six years old and Judith Greshner stole Jesse's red Power Ranger on the playground. I got it back for him. Ever since then we have been best buds.

But since then no one has tried to steal anything of his. He has been the one to steal things from others. Including from me.

Once he sees something he goes for it until he grows tired of it. I know that is exactly what he is going to do to Mia. She's tired of him but is too good to be so cruel to him.

I returned her journal to her. I told her that she had left it with all of my books and I hadn't even looked in my bag since that day in G & T. She seemed relieved and even gave me a hug. But after that I avoided her. I couldn't let her continue to unknowingly stomp on my heart.

I continued going to rehearsals. Jesse and Mia kept up their relationship. They flirted like crazy. He hung all over her. I hated seeing his hands where I wanted them.

Robbie came up with a brilliant idea. I could just find someone else LIKE Mia. It would take my mind off of Mia.

So I started dating. But no one was like Mia. I didn't want to hold anyone else like I wanted to hold her. I did take a girl named Paige out a few times, but she knew my heart wasn't in it so we decided to just be friends.

"Michael?" she asked, one day in mid November.

I ignored her and continued wrapping my cords up.

"Michael, why won't you talk to me? Michael, please," she said, turning me around.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

She stared at me. "I...I thought you were okay with it all now-"

"Mia, I just...I am. I have a girlfriend," I bluffed. "I'm over you. I've been over you."

"Oh...okay. Well," she started, looking at Jesse, "I was wondering if you were going to the Cultural Diversity Dance?"

I shrugged. If I said yes then I would really have to bring a date. And I would have to make the girl agree to pretend to be my girl friend. "I haven't decided yet."

She bit her lip, "Well...I was wondering if you could maybe convince Jesse to go. I really want to go but he says he hates the people who go to those things. And my grandmother already bought my dress for me and-"

"I'll see what I can do. I'll ask Paige if she'll go," I said without thinking. Paige didn't like lying.

"Paige?" she asked. "Your...your girlfriend?"

I shrugged, "I guess you can call her that."

"Oh...Lilly hasn't mentioned her..."

"Lilly and you don't talk much anymore because of Jesse."

She sighed, "Don't start that Michael. You know, just because you don't like me like that anymore doesn't mean you have to be cruel to me. Maybe, just maybe some people have real feelings."

I rolled my eyes, "Sure there Princess," I said sarcastically.

She stared at me, "What?"

I cringed. "It's a sarcastic nick name," I replied. "Because lately you've been expecting people to bow down to your wishes."

She looked away. "I...I gotta go. Jesse is taking me to see Beauty and the Beast tonight."

"Well, looks like he's one third of the way there-"

"Shut up Michael. Stop being such a jerk."

She ran over to Jesse and started kissing him all over his face. I knew it was all for show. She didn't really love him. She loved me...I think. Maybe I'm just using wishful thinking here.

No, she was in love with him. That was why I felt terrible when they would be all cute with one another. I felt guilty. I mean, I had made out with that girl. I knew what it felt like to hold her as we slept in the same bed... She slept with no shirt and let her skin touch mine.

I should have stopped that stuff. I should have known better. I have more experience...wait, no I don't. But still, I felt like shit for acting like such a jerk to her. I hated seeing them talking all cute and holding hands and doing girlfriend/boyfriend type of things. My guilt was eating away at me.

Mia finally didn't come to one rehearsal about a week before the Cultural Diversity Dance. "So have you nailed her yet?" Joel asked.

Jesse laughed, "All in good times my friends. Hey, Michael, who's this chick Mia told me you were dating? I thought you were totally celibate?"

Everyone looked at me. "It's nothing serious."

Rob looked at me and knew that I was lying. "What's her name?"

"Paige."

"Paige...doesn't sound familiar. Where does she go to school?"

"Trinity," I replied.

"Yeah, sure."

"So Mia wants me to meet her grandmother and her dad tonight. She has big news or something," Jesse said strumming on his guitar. "So maybe if I do that whole family shit she'll finally give in."

"Maybe she's not ready," I argued.

"Why wouldn't she be?" he replied.

"Um, because she's fourteen? Because maybe she doesn't want to yet? Maybe she doesn't think you are necessarily the right-"

"Geez Moscovitz, if I didn't know better I'd think that you wanted her," Jesse said with a smug smile. He knew.

He knew I loved his girlfriend.

I know he's a massive tool.

"Well it's a good thing you know better."

The next night Jesse was in a good mood. "Some one get some tail last night after he met daddy and grams?" Joel asked.

Jesse shrugged, "No. BUT, I have even better news. Mia told me something that can be good. Something that can get us great publicity."

I knew what he was going to say. "Jesse, if she was telling you in confidence then maybe you should keep it to yourself."

He gave me a mischevious glare. "I want to help the band. Don't you?" he asked.

"Maybe if you wrote a good song that would help the band," I mumbled.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Nothing. What is the big news?" I asked, knowing that he would be announcing it whether I tried to stop him or not. He does whatever he wants.

"Mia is a princess," he announced, expecting a response.

I shrugged. Rob smirked. Kev laughed. Joel shook his head.

"So what does that mean?" I said seriously. "She's not part of this band. How is that supposed to help the band?"

"Well, it'll be great publicity. We can get a gig in a club or something. People will want to see her and they'll listen to us-"

"You want to use your girlfriend? Won't she be a bit...I dunno, pissed? I mean, if it isn't common knowledge then how would this be helping us anyways?" I asked.

"Michael, I'll handle it myself."

"Do you think she'll like this?"

He shook his head, "Who cares?"

"Um, I think she will," Rob replied.

"Do you guys honestly think I am going to stay with her through all this? Imagine all the tail we can get-"

"You are a royal piece of shit," I cut in. "Seriously. You don't deserve this girl."

"I am sacrificing for you guys! How do you think Shelby feels?"

All of us looked at one another. "Shelby? Who the hell is that?" Rob asked.

Jesse laughed, "Well, I'm not getting any from Mia so I obviously have someone else for that. How do you think she feels not being able to tell people she is my girlfriend?"

"You are the most pompus ass I have ever met," I announced, standing up. "Have a good one Jesse."

I left the garage and was followed by the other guys in the band. Even if Joel supported Jesse's quest to bed Mia, he still had some level of respect for woman. He didn't think that it was right to use a girl to better the band.

But the interesting part of the whole thing will be how will Mia react? What will he tell her?