Oh, my. How you guys crack me up. Seriously, the reviews for the last chapter, and the suggestions for killing off Holly had me on the floor. So much so, that I'm updating early, and I'm even running a little competition for ya'll. See the footnote for details.
Mel, I'd gladly do the honours!
Disclaimer: Meg Cabot owns all but evil Deano.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mia arrived home on Saturday from her exhausting day with Grandmere to see Michael was just leaving.
"Where's Dean?" Mia asked.
"He just left with Molly. She rang up and he left immediately, cutting our championship short. And he thinks I'M whipped!"
"Oh, so you're leaving?" she asked.
"Yeah. There's not much point in me hanging around, is there?" It was supposed to be a rhetorical question, but Michael secretly hoped she'd answer it; he wanted her to ask him to stay.
Mia wanted him to stay. But she didn't know how to say so. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, it's not like I'm much of a Dean substitute when it comes to video games. I pretty much suck."
Michael took the chance and ran with it. "I dunno about that, Little Thermopolis. I'm not that good either, it'd give me the chance to practise so maybe I can beat Dean one day. Whaddya say? You up for a championship game?"
Mia couldn't believe it'd worked. She'd actually gotten him to stay, without seeming like she really, really wanted him to. "Sure. I mean, you're going to go a little easy on me, right? Let me win a race every now and then?"
"Maybe... Maybe," Michael replied, picking his bag back up and dragging it back into Dean's room. "But I will let you be Peach," he offered.
"Peach? Isn't she the princess? Nah, I don't want to be her. I'd rather be Donkey Kong, or Wario. Someone completely different."
"What's wrong with being a princess?" Michael asked, hoping Dean hadn't mentioned anything to her about Peach being his character of choice ninety eight percent of the time.
"Well, if I had the choice I'd definitely chose not to be one. And in this game I have to choice to be one, or a giant gorilla, so I'm choosing the gorilla. Why? Do you want to be Peach?"
"Me? Nah," Michael lied. "I don't like Peach... She's too...light. I'm always fat Wario."
They began playing, but Michael found it hard to concentrate. Not only because he kept thinking he was Peach and was following the pink character, but also because Mia playing Nintendo was possibly the funniest thing he'd ever seen. Everytime she made Donkey Kong turn a corner, she subconsciously imitated it, and moved her body in the same direction, her tongue sticking out slightly in concentration.
Because of this, Mia won more than one game, and it wasn't because Michael lost on purpose.
----------------
Mia didn't see Kenny all weekend. She didn't particularly want to talk to him, but she didn't want to get to school with him thinking she was his girlfriend and that he could just kiss her in front of everyone.
But since she didn't have his number, she couldn't just ring up and talk to him about how she really felt.
So on Monday morning, she cringed when they pulled up to the school and he ran up to her. "Morning, Mia!" he said enthusiastically. "Can I take your school bag?"
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Dean trying not to laugh. Michael wasn't laughing, but he was giving Kenny the evil eye.
"Uh, sure, Kenny."
She handed him the bag and they walked into the school together.
Michael waited until they were out of earshot before saying to Dean, "Are you really going to do nothing about Kenny?"
"Dude, you're supposed to be forgetting about my sister, remember?"
"And you're supposed to be looking out for her! It may start with carrying her bag, but it will progress into more!"
"Ooh, I'm really scared!" Dean mocked. "You don't think he'll try to... hold her hand, do you? Seriously, man, what are you stressing over? It's Kenny Showalter for goodness sake."
"I don't think you give the guy enough credit. I think you're underestimating him. And if you're not going to keep you're eye on him, I will."
Dean faced Michael, his expression serious. "Just remember what I said, Moscovitz. Hands off my sister!"
"I shouldn't be the one you're threatening, Thermopolis. Don' t underestimate the kid."
With that, Michael walked into the school.
-------------------
Michael took the opportunity to put what he liked to call, 'The Fear of Michael' into Kenny at that afternoon's Computer Club meeting.
"I hear you went out with Mia Thermopolis on Friday night, is that true?"
"Yeah," Kenny beamed at him. "I really like her, she's so sweet."
"Yeah, she is," Michael agreed. "But you know, she is a princess."
"Duh, Michael. Do you think I'm stupid?" Michael bit his tongue and Kenny continued. "Of course I know she's a princess. And before you ask, that's not the reason I asked her out. I really do like her. I still can't believe she said yes."
Michael cringed; he couldn't believe it either. "Aren't you afraid that the only reason she said yes is because she feels sorry for you?" It was a harsh comment, definitely below the belt, but Michael didn't have time to hold back. He needed to discourage Kenny from Mia as soon as possible.
Kenny's naturally happy face dropped. "Why do you think she would do that? You don't think she likes me? Why would she agree to go out with me if she didn't like me?"
"Well, didn't she say she'd see a movie with you to thank you for helping her with Biology? Don't you think that maybe she just felt obligated to say yes?"
Kenny's bottom lip quivered slightly. "Well then why would she say she wants to go out again?"
"I don't know," Michael muttered, he was wondering the very same thing. "Look, I'm not trying to say she's using you or anything, I just wanted to see what was going on."
"Why?" Kenny asked accusingly. "Why do you care about me and Mia?"
"I don't," Michael lied. "But I do care about Mia. She's like a sister to me." Only he wished she was more. "And I don't want to see her get hurt."
Kenny breathed a sigh of relief. "That's ok, Michael, I'm not going to hurt her. Phew, I thought you were going to forbid me from seeing her or something."
If Michael had thought that Kenny would have listened to him, that's exactly what he would have done in the first place. Damnit.
------------
The next morning, when the limo pulled up at school, Michael put his hand on Mia's bag. "May I?"
She looked up at him, baffled. "Sure. I mean, if you want to."
Kenny ran up to her as soon as she stepped outside. "Mia! Can I take...Hey, where's your bag?"
"I got it," Michael told him.
"Oh, thanks, Michael. But I'll take it."
"No, it's ok I've got it."
"Really, Michael, I'm her boyfr..."
"I said, I had it," Michael said sternly, not letting Kenny finish.
"Ok," Kenny cowered, admitting defeat. Then he turned to Mia. "At least it frees my hand up to do this." He reached out his sweaty hand to take hers; she didn't even have a chance to pull away.
"Great," Michael thought, mentally kicking himself. "Real smooth, Moscovitz. You just made things worse...At least she doesn't look happy about it."
Mia wasn't happy about holding Kenny's hand in public. She'd been touched by Michael's interference, but in the long run he'd actually made things worse.
Dean followed Michael, who was following Mia to her locker with her bag. Once they'd dropped off her bag and left in the direction of their own lockers, Dean hissed at him, "Good one! Just leave it to me, ok? You just concentrate on Amber!"
Michael looked at him strangely. "Amber?"
"Yeah, Amber Davies. She's the friend of Molly's that I'm setting you guys up for Friday night."
"Oh, right. Amber." Michael did his best to sound excited about it, but he failed miserably.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Competition time! Aren't you all excited?
Ok, all you have to do, is make me laugh. You can say whatever you want, so long as it is in relation to the story. It doesn't even have to be this story, (so long as it's one of mine, or else I won't get the review) but so long as you review it in the right story. So it's relevant to that particular one. Got it?
The winner will get an advanced chapter to this story, so make sure your email address is there.
And keep in mind that small things amuse my rather small mind.
Mel, I'd gladly do the honours!
Disclaimer: Meg Cabot owns all but evil Deano.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mia arrived home on Saturday from her exhausting day with Grandmere to see Michael was just leaving.
"Where's Dean?" Mia asked.
"He just left with Molly. She rang up and he left immediately, cutting our championship short. And he thinks I'M whipped!"
"Oh, so you're leaving?" she asked.
"Yeah. There's not much point in me hanging around, is there?" It was supposed to be a rhetorical question, but Michael secretly hoped she'd answer it; he wanted her to ask him to stay.
Mia wanted him to stay. But she didn't know how to say so. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, it's not like I'm much of a Dean substitute when it comes to video games. I pretty much suck."
Michael took the chance and ran with it. "I dunno about that, Little Thermopolis. I'm not that good either, it'd give me the chance to practise so maybe I can beat Dean one day. Whaddya say? You up for a championship game?"
Mia couldn't believe it'd worked. She'd actually gotten him to stay, without seeming like she really, really wanted him to. "Sure. I mean, you're going to go a little easy on me, right? Let me win a race every now and then?"
"Maybe... Maybe," Michael replied, picking his bag back up and dragging it back into Dean's room. "But I will let you be Peach," he offered.
"Peach? Isn't she the princess? Nah, I don't want to be her. I'd rather be Donkey Kong, or Wario. Someone completely different."
"What's wrong with being a princess?" Michael asked, hoping Dean hadn't mentioned anything to her about Peach being his character of choice ninety eight percent of the time.
"Well, if I had the choice I'd definitely chose not to be one. And in this game I have to choice to be one, or a giant gorilla, so I'm choosing the gorilla. Why? Do you want to be Peach?"
"Me? Nah," Michael lied. "I don't like Peach... She's too...light. I'm always fat Wario."
They began playing, but Michael found it hard to concentrate. Not only because he kept thinking he was Peach and was following the pink character, but also because Mia playing Nintendo was possibly the funniest thing he'd ever seen. Everytime she made Donkey Kong turn a corner, she subconsciously imitated it, and moved her body in the same direction, her tongue sticking out slightly in concentration.
Because of this, Mia won more than one game, and it wasn't because Michael lost on purpose.
----------------
Mia didn't see Kenny all weekend. She didn't particularly want to talk to him, but she didn't want to get to school with him thinking she was his girlfriend and that he could just kiss her in front of everyone.
But since she didn't have his number, she couldn't just ring up and talk to him about how she really felt.
So on Monday morning, she cringed when they pulled up to the school and he ran up to her. "Morning, Mia!" he said enthusiastically. "Can I take your school bag?"
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Dean trying not to laugh. Michael wasn't laughing, but he was giving Kenny the evil eye.
"Uh, sure, Kenny."
She handed him the bag and they walked into the school together.
Michael waited until they were out of earshot before saying to Dean, "Are you really going to do nothing about Kenny?"
"Dude, you're supposed to be forgetting about my sister, remember?"
"And you're supposed to be looking out for her! It may start with carrying her bag, but it will progress into more!"
"Ooh, I'm really scared!" Dean mocked. "You don't think he'll try to... hold her hand, do you? Seriously, man, what are you stressing over? It's Kenny Showalter for goodness sake."
"I don't think you give the guy enough credit. I think you're underestimating him. And if you're not going to keep you're eye on him, I will."
Dean faced Michael, his expression serious. "Just remember what I said, Moscovitz. Hands off my sister!"
"I shouldn't be the one you're threatening, Thermopolis. Don' t underestimate the kid."
With that, Michael walked into the school.
-------------------
Michael took the opportunity to put what he liked to call, 'The Fear of Michael' into Kenny at that afternoon's Computer Club meeting.
"I hear you went out with Mia Thermopolis on Friday night, is that true?"
"Yeah," Kenny beamed at him. "I really like her, she's so sweet."
"Yeah, she is," Michael agreed. "But you know, she is a princess."
"Duh, Michael. Do you think I'm stupid?" Michael bit his tongue and Kenny continued. "Of course I know she's a princess. And before you ask, that's not the reason I asked her out. I really do like her. I still can't believe she said yes."
Michael cringed; he couldn't believe it either. "Aren't you afraid that the only reason she said yes is because she feels sorry for you?" It was a harsh comment, definitely below the belt, but Michael didn't have time to hold back. He needed to discourage Kenny from Mia as soon as possible.
Kenny's naturally happy face dropped. "Why do you think she would do that? You don't think she likes me? Why would she agree to go out with me if she didn't like me?"
"Well, didn't she say she'd see a movie with you to thank you for helping her with Biology? Don't you think that maybe she just felt obligated to say yes?"
Kenny's bottom lip quivered slightly. "Well then why would she say she wants to go out again?"
"I don't know," Michael muttered, he was wondering the very same thing. "Look, I'm not trying to say she's using you or anything, I just wanted to see what was going on."
"Why?" Kenny asked accusingly. "Why do you care about me and Mia?"
"I don't," Michael lied. "But I do care about Mia. She's like a sister to me." Only he wished she was more. "And I don't want to see her get hurt."
Kenny breathed a sigh of relief. "That's ok, Michael, I'm not going to hurt her. Phew, I thought you were going to forbid me from seeing her or something."
If Michael had thought that Kenny would have listened to him, that's exactly what he would have done in the first place. Damnit.
------------
The next morning, when the limo pulled up at school, Michael put his hand on Mia's bag. "May I?"
She looked up at him, baffled. "Sure. I mean, if you want to."
Kenny ran up to her as soon as she stepped outside. "Mia! Can I take...Hey, where's your bag?"
"I got it," Michael told him.
"Oh, thanks, Michael. But I'll take it."
"No, it's ok I've got it."
"Really, Michael, I'm her boyfr..."
"I said, I had it," Michael said sternly, not letting Kenny finish.
"Ok," Kenny cowered, admitting defeat. Then he turned to Mia. "At least it frees my hand up to do this." He reached out his sweaty hand to take hers; she didn't even have a chance to pull away.
"Great," Michael thought, mentally kicking himself. "Real smooth, Moscovitz. You just made things worse...At least she doesn't look happy about it."
Mia wasn't happy about holding Kenny's hand in public. She'd been touched by Michael's interference, but in the long run he'd actually made things worse.
Dean followed Michael, who was following Mia to her locker with her bag. Once they'd dropped off her bag and left in the direction of their own lockers, Dean hissed at him, "Good one! Just leave it to me, ok? You just concentrate on Amber!"
Michael looked at him strangely. "Amber?"
"Yeah, Amber Davies. She's the friend of Molly's that I'm setting you guys up for Friday night."
"Oh, right. Amber." Michael did his best to sound excited about it, but he failed miserably.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Competition time! Aren't you all excited?
Ok, all you have to do, is make me laugh. You can say whatever you want, so long as it is in relation to the story. It doesn't even have to be this story, (so long as it's one of mine, or else I won't get the review) but so long as you review it in the right story. So it's relevant to that particular one. Got it?
The winner will get an advanced chapter to this story, so make sure your email address is there.
And keep in mind that small things amuse my rather small mind.