Author's Note: I wanted to get this in before they stop letting us login. There are some swears in this and a semi naughty (notice I love that word? I babysit a lot and use it...well, in a totally different context, okay shut up Kristin) scene. There is one more chapter after this I think. MAYBE two, but I'll probably make it into one long chapter. Then I'll start up a new one. You know what to do now though. Review. I think you guys will be reviewing a lot on this one....totally unexpected turn of events.

Later that night we all went to a party at my friend Felix's house. I don't like to drink so I just sat back while some of the guys played Beirut. They never gave me shit about not drinking, they just figured it was part of who I was. Well, the guys I was with never did, Jesse was another story.

"You aren't drinking away your sorrows?" Jesse asked mockingly.

I glared at him. "What sorrows? I'm not the one who lost an entire band."

He looked kind of surprised, "I didn't lose a band over this, did I? Come on Moscovitz, we've been best friends our whole lives. Are you really going to blow me off over something like this? It's just a chick."

"Speaking of which, where is she?"

"At the loft. I told her I was hanging with the boys tonight," he said as a girl with raven black hair and a stud in her nose came up and wrapped her arms around him.

"Hey baby," she said as she licked his ear.

"Shelby I assume?" I asked, knowing full well that it wasn't her.

"Who the hell is Shelby?" she snapped. "My name is Caenus."

I laughed, "My bad."

Jesse glared at me, as he answered her, "Shelby is my sister."

The girl didn't look like she believed him. "Yeah, sure whatever," she snapped before she turned and walked away.

He watched as she slunk off to another guy. "What the fuck may I ask was that about?"

"I thought it was Shelby. The girl you are cheating on Mia with."

He shook his head, "Did she look like a fucking Shelby?"

I shrugged, "Who knows with girls these days."

"Just because your bitter because Mia would rather put up with shit from me than ever even look at you doesn't mean that you should act like an ass to the guy who has been carrying you for the past twelve years."

That was it. I am not a fan of violence, nor do I condone it, but I didn't care at the moment. I punched him square in the nose.

"What the fuck?" he said wiping the blood onto his hand and staring at it. "That's it Moscovitz," he said lifting me up by my shirt.

"Go ahead," I dared.
He slammed me against the wall, "I've had enough of your shit Moscovitz. You're the most ungrateful shit I've ever met."

"Come on, hit me," I dared. "I'm sure Mia would love it."

He laughed and let me down. "This little thing you pulled isn't going to help you with her."

"Maybe I could just explain how it all started with Shelby- no wait, sorry, what was her name?"

He went to punch me, but I had already started walking away so he punched the wall instead. Everyone crowded around him, feeling bad for him. Everyone always helped him out.

"What's going on?" Felix asked, coming into the room.

"Assface just punched a hole into your wall. I think he might have broken something. I'm going home."

The next day I was minding my own business, writing songs in my room when Mia very rudely stormed into my room. "What the hell happened last night?" she demanded.

I looked up and took my headphones off. "I'm sorry, what was that?" I asked, knowing full well what she had just said.

"What happened to my boyfriend's hand. He said you punched him?"

"In his hand?" I said with a laugh. "I don't remember that."

"You know what I mean. You started a fight with him. Michael, he is my boyfriend whether you like it or not. Punching him and starting fights with him is NOT going to win me over. You can not just try to make him look like a bad guy. It is not going to work."

I seriously tried not to laugh.

"What's so funny?" she said, trying to sound angry.

"You have no idea what is going on right in front of your face. Where did I allegedly fight him?"

"At the garage," she said confused.

"But I assume he never told you that all of us left the band did he? That we made our own band. We left the garage at like, four yesterday afternoon. Whatever he did after that was his own business. I didn't see him again until like, eleven. At Felix's"

She looked at her combat boots, "No. You guys were rehearsing-"

"For what?" I demanded. "Mia, Jesse and the Rippers are no more. I mean, that name sucked anyways. The guy watched a little too much Full House."

She half smiled, but went back to her angry face, "Michael, his nose is broken and so is his right hand. What happened at Felix's then?"

I really considered telling her about that girl. I knew she would not believe me though. "He walked into my fist," I lied. "And the other time I had nothing to do with. HE tried punching me as I walked away. He punched the window instead."

She walked over and smacked my arm. "I thought you were better than that!" she accused.

"Than your boyfriend? That's a shitty thing to say about him, don't you think?"

She stared hard at me, "You know- hey, what are you doing?" she asked, looking at my notebook.

I quickly closed it. "I don't read your diary, do I?" I accused.

She blushed. "I am on my way to see Jesse, wanna come? To say your peace?"

I looked back at my desk. "Mia, I don't know how to say this, but you could not give me all the crown jewels of England to see him. I have no desire whatsoever of seeing that man again. I don't know how else to express this to you."

She clicked her tongue. "Fine. I guess our friendship is over too then?"

"Mia, it's been over. For awhile. When was the last time we actually laughed together?"

She didn't say anything. "I'm sorry, Michael. I really am. I...I wish things could be different. I wish I didn't have to..."

"To what?"

"Jesse is Catholic," she said, expecting that to explain it all.

I just stared at her. "So?"

"He's....he's more..."

"Into Jesus?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No...Michael, I wish I could tell you. I just can't. Someday you'll understand."

"Stop being a drama queen," I replied.

She sat on my desk. "Mia, get off the desk," I said sharply.

She crossed her legs and got comfortable. "Michael, if things were....God, you know three months ago I would be freaking out about the idea of you kissing me."

"And now the thought disgusts you?" I accused.

She put her hand on mine. "No. And that is what scares me. I think about that night a lot. You were so...gentle. So caring about my feelings."
I stared at her. "That's how things go Mia. That's how a guy should be. Has he been rough-"
She leaned down and kissed me, cutting off my sentence.

I stood up as we kissed so she didn't have to lean so far down. My hands went straight to her legs and hers went around my neck as we deepened the kiss. Why was I doing this to myself? She was just going to run back to him.

But I couldn't pull away. I let my hands trace the hem of her skirt until she let me know it was okay to go further up.

"Bed?" she asked, staring into my eyes. How had we done this? We were arguing five minutes ago about her being with her boyfriend.

I nodded and lifted her off the desk. "Is Lilly around?" I asked as I kissed her neck.

"No. I let myself in. Your parents went out."

I took a deep breath as I stared at her. Her hair was spread out behind her. She looked...God, I can't even explain it. "What are we doing?" I asked.

She fingered my hair, "I don't know, but I like it," she said pulling me down to her again.

She let me go long enough for my shirt to come off. As I did this she did the same. "How far are we-"I started as she put my hands on her upper thigh.

"Michael, stop asking questions and please," she whispered.

I wondered if she had with Jesse.

"I want this to be with you ."

"What to be?" I asked, hopelessly lost because of where my right hand currently was.

"My first time," she said softly. "Please," she said softly.

All thoughts of Jesse left my mind as I reached into my nightstand.

We spent the afternoon kissing and smiling, that is, until she brought up some bad topics. "Michael, I'm glad we did this...but I was wondering if you and Paige had..."

"Paige?" I asked.

"Your girlfriend?"

I had forgotten about that little story I had made up. "Oh, right. It's over," I said pushing her hair behind her ear.

"Because of this?" she asked.

I shrugged, "It wasn't anything serious. It was over before it started."

"I should go," she said suddenly.

"Why?" I asked, watching as she made her way to her pile of wrinkled clothes. I smiled, but then thought about something. She was only fourteen. What the hell had I just done? I'm no better than Jesse now.

"Jesse," she said simply. "He's waiting for me. I promised I would bring some ice cream to him."

"What is-"

"I'm not dumping him," she cut in, knowing what I was going to ask.

"Mia, why the hell did you come here then? Why did you have sex with me?"

Her lower lip started quivering, "I don't know. I don't regret it, I just...Michael, I trust you. I feel safe with you."

"So I'm just the safety net?" I accused. Great. I had fallen in her trap again somehow.

"N-No," she said putting on her skirt. "Michael, Jesse is my boyfriend."

"So you can sleep with the safe guy, but then run back to the bad boy and have experience?"

She shook her head, "It's not that Michael."

"Then what is it?"

She started crying and collapsed on my floor. I threw on my shorts and sat next to her and rubbed her back, "No...it's fine Mia. Really. I understand."

"I-I have to go," she managed. "I'm kind of ...I'm sorry. You probably hate me now." She finished getting dressed and rushed out of my room.

She's the type that would go and tell Jesse so he would forgive her. Then he'd kill me. And he'd drop her because she's not a virgin. No wait, she's something bigger. She's a princess. She would bring him to fame. He'll forgive her.

But not me.