Disclaimer: Meg Cabot owns all characters but Dean.
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Mia avoided looking at or talking to Michael on the way to school, still embarrassed about the call the night before.
When she got to school, Tina came rushing up to her, eyeing Michael suspiciously. "Well? What happened?"
Right then, Kenny emerged, pleased to see he didn't have to Michael for the right to carry Mia's bag this morning.
Mia shot Tina an "I'll talk to you about it later," look and handed her bag to the eager Kenny.
"So, Mia," Kenny started, slipping Mia's bag onto his shoulder. "What do you want to do this weekend? If you're free on Friday night we could go ice skating or something."
Tina raised her eyebrows at Mia, waiting to hear if she really was free on Friday night.
Mia sighed. "Sure, Kenny. I'm free on Friday."
"Wait a minute, Mia," Tina cut in and coming to her best friend's aid. "You already told me you would go out with me on Friday night. Sorry, Kenny, but Mia is busy."
Kenny's face dropped. "Oh. Ok. Well, what about Saturday night?"
Tina answered for her again, "Don't you have something with your grandmother on Saturday night, Mia?"
Mia smiled gratefully at her. "Yes, you're right. Grandmere has me doing things all weekend. Except Friday night, of course."
"So you're not free on Saturday or Sunday during the day?" Kenny looked as if someone had just spilled coffee all over the priceless, limited edition, first copy of his favourite comic book.
"Nope. Sorry, Kenny," Mia said, trying her best to sound sorry.
"Ok, well next weekend then," he said hopefully.
"Sure. I mean, if I'm not busy then, too."
When Kenny finally left Mia and Tina alone, Mia whispered to her, "Thanks, Tina. I really don't want to go out with him on Friday night."
"No problem. But why are you even free on Friday night? You're supposed to be doing something with Michael!"
"Yeah, I know. But he has a date."
"What? That sucks! Who is it?"
"I have no idea. No doubt some gorgeous, big busted girl."
"Ask Dean," Tina suggested.
"Are you kidding? If I did that then Dean'd know I like Michael, and then he'd have a go at me. And he'd tell Michael; it would be a nightmare."
"Hmm, yeah, it could get tricky," Tina agreed.
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Over dinner that night, where Michael was surprisingly absent since he didn't show up after school, Mia asked Dean what he was doing on Friday night.
"Well, Michael finally let me set him up with someone, so we're double dating."
Mia almost choked on her spaghetti. "What?" she asked, trying to stay calm. "I thought Michael was adamant that he would never let you set him up."
"Well, things change."
"Oh," Mia said, really trying to sound like she didn't care. "Well that's good."
"Why do you care anyway?" Dean asked.
"I don't care. I asked what you were doing, remember? You were the one who brought up Michael, I certainly never mentioned him. I don't care about him."
Dean raised his eyebrows at his sister across the table. "I meant why do you care what I'M doing."
"Oh." Mia's cheeks flamed up at her blunder. "I was just curious, is all."
Helen took no notice of her kid's conversation, she didn't particularly care what they were doing on Friday night, she had other things on her mind.
"Are you ok, mom?" Dean asked when he noticed the far off look in her eyes.
"Huh?" she looked at him, that same, distant expression on her face. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You seem a bit distracted, mom. Is everything ok with the baby?" Mia started to panic.
Helen half smiled, grateful that they cared so much. "Of course. The baby's fine. I was just thinking about Frank and the wedding. Mia you're grandmother thinks we're getting married at a big reception at the Plaza. But all we want is to get married at City Hall. Nothing fancy."
"Yeah, well you know Grandmere. She has to have control over everything. You guys should just elope."
Helen considered it for a minute, then, "No, we couldn't do that."
"Why not?" Dean interjected. "Why do you have to do what Grandmere says?" Although Grandmere was not Dean's grandmother, she'd always insisted he call her Grandmere too.
"Well, I don't I suppose. But I don't want to make things difficult for anyone, least of all you, Mia."
"Mom, I can handle myself. You just do what you want to do."
Helen smiled. "Thanks, kids. I will."
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After dinner was over, and Mia was studying in her room, Dean came in to see her.
"What do you want?" she asked, angry that he had ruined her train of thought.
Her demeanour didn't faze him. "I know," he said simply.
"You know what?"
"I know about your little crush on Michael."
Mia felt her heart stop. She opened her mouth to deny it, but he continued. "And I think you should know, it's useless pining away for him. If you think he'd ever give you the time of day, you're wrong. I'm not trying to be mean, and I don't want to make you cry, but I want you to give it up."
Tears welled in her eyes. He may not have wanted to upset her, but he did. "I have no idea what you are talking about," she said in her princess voice. "Now please get out."
"Mia..."
"I said, get out!" she said more urgently.
Dean dropped it; he left without another word.
Mia abandoned her homework and lay back on her bed. She'd always known Michael would never give her the time of day, not as more than friends, anyway. But hearing it from Dean hurt more than she cared to admit.
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Mia avoided looking at or talking to Michael on the way to school, still embarrassed about the call the night before.
When she got to school, Tina came rushing up to her, eyeing Michael suspiciously. "Well? What happened?"
Right then, Kenny emerged, pleased to see he didn't have to Michael for the right to carry Mia's bag this morning.
Mia shot Tina an "I'll talk to you about it later," look and handed her bag to the eager Kenny.
"So, Mia," Kenny started, slipping Mia's bag onto his shoulder. "What do you want to do this weekend? If you're free on Friday night we could go ice skating or something."
Tina raised her eyebrows at Mia, waiting to hear if she really was free on Friday night.
Mia sighed. "Sure, Kenny. I'm free on Friday."
"Wait a minute, Mia," Tina cut in and coming to her best friend's aid. "You already told me you would go out with me on Friday night. Sorry, Kenny, but Mia is busy."
Kenny's face dropped. "Oh. Ok. Well, what about Saturday night?"
Tina answered for her again, "Don't you have something with your grandmother on Saturday night, Mia?"
Mia smiled gratefully at her. "Yes, you're right. Grandmere has me doing things all weekend. Except Friday night, of course."
"So you're not free on Saturday or Sunday during the day?" Kenny looked as if someone had just spilled coffee all over the priceless, limited edition, first copy of his favourite comic book.
"Nope. Sorry, Kenny," Mia said, trying her best to sound sorry.
"Ok, well next weekend then," he said hopefully.
"Sure. I mean, if I'm not busy then, too."
When Kenny finally left Mia and Tina alone, Mia whispered to her, "Thanks, Tina. I really don't want to go out with him on Friday night."
"No problem. But why are you even free on Friday night? You're supposed to be doing something with Michael!"
"Yeah, I know. But he has a date."
"What? That sucks! Who is it?"
"I have no idea. No doubt some gorgeous, big busted girl."
"Ask Dean," Tina suggested.
"Are you kidding? If I did that then Dean'd know I like Michael, and then he'd have a go at me. And he'd tell Michael; it would be a nightmare."
"Hmm, yeah, it could get tricky," Tina agreed.
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Over dinner that night, where Michael was surprisingly absent since he didn't show up after school, Mia asked Dean what he was doing on Friday night.
"Well, Michael finally let me set him up with someone, so we're double dating."
Mia almost choked on her spaghetti. "What?" she asked, trying to stay calm. "I thought Michael was adamant that he would never let you set him up."
"Well, things change."
"Oh," Mia said, really trying to sound like she didn't care. "Well that's good."
"Why do you care anyway?" Dean asked.
"I don't care. I asked what you were doing, remember? You were the one who brought up Michael, I certainly never mentioned him. I don't care about him."
Dean raised his eyebrows at his sister across the table. "I meant why do you care what I'M doing."
"Oh." Mia's cheeks flamed up at her blunder. "I was just curious, is all."
Helen took no notice of her kid's conversation, she didn't particularly care what they were doing on Friday night, she had other things on her mind.
"Are you ok, mom?" Dean asked when he noticed the far off look in her eyes.
"Huh?" she looked at him, that same, distant expression on her face. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
"You seem a bit distracted, mom. Is everything ok with the baby?" Mia started to panic.
Helen half smiled, grateful that they cared so much. "Of course. The baby's fine. I was just thinking about Frank and the wedding. Mia you're grandmother thinks we're getting married at a big reception at the Plaza. But all we want is to get married at City Hall. Nothing fancy."
"Yeah, well you know Grandmere. She has to have control over everything. You guys should just elope."
Helen considered it for a minute, then, "No, we couldn't do that."
"Why not?" Dean interjected. "Why do you have to do what Grandmere says?" Although Grandmere was not Dean's grandmother, she'd always insisted he call her Grandmere too.
"Well, I don't I suppose. But I don't want to make things difficult for anyone, least of all you, Mia."
"Mom, I can handle myself. You just do what you want to do."
Helen smiled. "Thanks, kids. I will."
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After dinner was over, and Mia was studying in her room, Dean came in to see her.
"What do you want?" she asked, angry that he had ruined her train of thought.
Her demeanour didn't faze him. "I know," he said simply.
"You know what?"
"I know about your little crush on Michael."
Mia felt her heart stop. She opened her mouth to deny it, but he continued. "And I think you should know, it's useless pining away for him. If you think he'd ever give you the time of day, you're wrong. I'm not trying to be mean, and I don't want to make you cry, but I want you to give it up."
Tears welled in her eyes. He may not have wanted to upset her, but he did. "I have no idea what you are talking about," she said in her princess voice. "Now please get out."
"Mia..."
"I said, get out!" she said more urgently.
Dean dropped it; he left without another word.
Mia abandoned her homework and lay back on her bed. She'd always known Michael would never give her the time of day, not as more than friends, anyway. But hearing it from Dean hurt more than she cared to admit.