Beta Note: Yes, beta note. This is Liss, Michelle's beta, which means that
I get to read everything first and I edit everything so there's not a
gazillion typos and a bunch of Aussie slang that no one but the Aussies
get. Anyway, I'm here because Michelle is rather sick at the moment, and is
unable to update. But because she didn't want ya'll to go without her
lubberly stories, she's having me update for awhile. I'm not sure when
she'll be back, but I'll make sure ya'll get your lovely fan fiction. If
you have any questions, you can email me at , and
I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
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Chapter Nine...
Mia avoided Michael in the limo the next day. But she couldn't avoid him when it came to G&T.
"Hey, Mia," he said, sitting in the chair beside her.
"Hi."
"How's it going with Kenny?"
"Fine," she lied.
"Are you guys going to the dance together?" Michael bit his lip in anticipation; the Non Denominational Winter Dance was coming in up in a month or two.
"Um, I don't know. Maybe. Are you going with your girlfriend? What's her name?"
"Oh, she's not my girlfriend. I've never even met her, but her name's Amber."
"Ah," Mia said. She may not have met her either, but she already hated her. "So it's a blind date then?"
"Yeah, I still can't believe I let Dean set me up."
"Well why did you? I thought you were waiting for someone you actually like."
"You remember telling me that perfect guys don't grow on trees?" Mia nodded. "Well it's the same for perfect girls. I'd be waiting around forever if I decided to wait for her. So Dean convinced me it was useless and to let him set me up."
"Oh. Yeah, Dean's not exactly one for motivational speaking. He's more the 'give-up-and-move-on' type."
"Sounds like you're speaking from experience. What's he told you to give up?"
"Oh, nothing important. But he was right."
"Yeah. Damn him."
After a minute of silence, Michael brought up something that had been bothering him for a while now. "So are you sure everything's ok at home?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Mia asked.
"Well, both you and Dean have been a little...on the edges of your seats lately. And your mom asked me to go home early the other week so she could talk to you guys alone. Is everything ok?"
Mia sighed. Michael was talking about Helen and the baby. Mia had neglected to tell anyone about it yet, still coming to terms with it herself. She supposed Dean was doing the same thing. But it wouldn't be so bad to let Michael in on the secret would it? Mia thought it might be nice to air her thoughts about it, she hadn't even let it slip to Tina yet.
And besides, the secret was bound to slip out sooner or later, Mr. G was no doubt telling other teachers about his impending nuptials and baby to be.
"My mom's pregnant," Mia said bluntly. "With Mr. G's baby. And they're getting married."
Michael took a breath. "Whoa," he said, a little taken aback. "And how do you feel about it? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"
"I dunno. I guess it's a good thing. I think mom genuinely loves Mr. G, and they're going to make a go of it. I don't think they're just getting married because of the baby. And Mr. G is a good guy, I guess. It's just a bit of a change, you know? It's been me, mom and Dean for as long as I can remember. Mom's never really had a serious relationship since my dad I don't think. It should be good for her."
"Good," Michael said. He'd always liked Helen; he wouldn't like to think of her as anything but happy.
"But Grandmere's had a cow. She thinks mom's a whore or something." Michael noticed the rasp in Mia's voice as she said it.
"Hey," he said softly, putting his arm across her shoulders. "It's ok. You're mom's a strong woman, she can deal with a little old lady like your grandmother."
Mia laughed at his description of Grandmere; the Dowager Princess is anything but a little old lady. "I know," she said once she'd controlled her laughter. "But still, I don't want anyone thinking of my mom like that, you know? And Grandmere is a very influential person; she can make things very hard for them. I think at one point she seriously considered making mom have an abortion."
"Why would she do that?"
"Because she thinks that it's going to make the Royal family look bad. Like, because she's the Princess of Genovia's mother, it makes me bad, and that makes the country look bad. I swear, if she could disown me, she would. Its just too bad Dad can't have any other kids."
"Don't say that, Mia. I'm sure she'd never do anything like that." Michael felt bad that Mia even considered such bad things.
"Yeah, well I guess we'll never find out."
Mia took out her algebra books and they set to work on it. And she tried her best to not think about the nice, soapy smell that was emanating from Michael's body.
But the more she told herself to move on from Michael, the more she found herself wanting him. If she hadn't been in love with him before Dean spoke to her about it, she was now. She just couldn't help wanting the forbidden fruit.
And the same went for Michael.
Mia sat on the couch at the Loft, vegging out while watching Michael and Dean get ready for their double date. She was green with envy since it didn't involve her.
"What time is it?" Michael asked, nerves showing in his tone.
"Ten to seven."
"So they'll be here in ten minutes?"
"Nah, girls are always late. Especially Molly. Chill out."
"I'm cool," Michael said, not very convincingly. "I just can't believe I'm doing this."
"Me either," Dean agreed. "I can't believe you're finally dating. I'm so proud." He held his hand to his heart mockingly.
"Very funny." Michael was not amused. He knew his love life was laughable, but that didn't mean he actually wanted jokes made of it.
"So where are you guys going?" Mia asked flatly.
"The Rainbow Room," Dean replied.
"Dancing," Mia thought. "I'd love to slow dance with Michael... So close to his chest, our bodies warming each other on a cold night..." She told her self to stop it before she got carried away.
Eventually there was a knock on the door, and Mia almost burst out laughing at the panicked expression on Michael's face.
"Calm down," she hissed at him while Dean opened the door. "You'll be fine. Who wouldn't want to date you?"
Michael smiled appreciatively and immediately wished he were on this date with her. But he wasn't, so he straightened up and walked to the door to meet his real date.
Mia's eyes followed Michael to the door, and they landed on a tall, gorgeous blonde. Her heart sank.
"Hi," the girl said, extending her hand out to Michael. "I'm Amber, you must be Michael."
"Uh huh," Michael was a little lost for words. "I'll be Michael. Uh, I mean, I AM Michael."
Amber laughed; a little fake, Mia thought.
"Well, ladies," Dean said, acting like the host. "Let's get going!"
Michael didn't look back as he shut the door behind him. But with the blonde bombshell in front of him, Mia didn't expect him to.
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Chapter Nine...
Mia avoided Michael in the limo the next day. But she couldn't avoid him when it came to G&T.
"Hey, Mia," he said, sitting in the chair beside her.
"Hi."
"How's it going with Kenny?"
"Fine," she lied.
"Are you guys going to the dance together?" Michael bit his lip in anticipation; the Non Denominational Winter Dance was coming in up in a month or two.
"Um, I don't know. Maybe. Are you going with your girlfriend? What's her name?"
"Oh, she's not my girlfriend. I've never even met her, but her name's Amber."
"Ah," Mia said. She may not have met her either, but she already hated her. "So it's a blind date then?"
"Yeah, I still can't believe I let Dean set me up."
"Well why did you? I thought you were waiting for someone you actually like."
"You remember telling me that perfect guys don't grow on trees?" Mia nodded. "Well it's the same for perfect girls. I'd be waiting around forever if I decided to wait for her. So Dean convinced me it was useless and to let him set me up."
"Oh. Yeah, Dean's not exactly one for motivational speaking. He's more the 'give-up-and-move-on' type."
"Sounds like you're speaking from experience. What's he told you to give up?"
"Oh, nothing important. But he was right."
"Yeah. Damn him."
After a minute of silence, Michael brought up something that had been bothering him for a while now. "So are you sure everything's ok at home?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Mia asked.
"Well, both you and Dean have been a little...on the edges of your seats lately. And your mom asked me to go home early the other week so she could talk to you guys alone. Is everything ok?"
Mia sighed. Michael was talking about Helen and the baby. Mia had neglected to tell anyone about it yet, still coming to terms with it herself. She supposed Dean was doing the same thing. But it wouldn't be so bad to let Michael in on the secret would it? Mia thought it might be nice to air her thoughts about it, she hadn't even let it slip to Tina yet.
And besides, the secret was bound to slip out sooner or later, Mr. G was no doubt telling other teachers about his impending nuptials and baby to be.
"My mom's pregnant," Mia said bluntly. "With Mr. G's baby. And they're getting married."
Michael took a breath. "Whoa," he said, a little taken aback. "And how do you feel about it? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"
"I dunno. I guess it's a good thing. I think mom genuinely loves Mr. G, and they're going to make a go of it. I don't think they're just getting married because of the baby. And Mr. G is a good guy, I guess. It's just a bit of a change, you know? It's been me, mom and Dean for as long as I can remember. Mom's never really had a serious relationship since my dad I don't think. It should be good for her."
"Good," Michael said. He'd always liked Helen; he wouldn't like to think of her as anything but happy.
"But Grandmere's had a cow. She thinks mom's a whore or something." Michael noticed the rasp in Mia's voice as she said it.
"Hey," he said softly, putting his arm across her shoulders. "It's ok. You're mom's a strong woman, she can deal with a little old lady like your grandmother."
Mia laughed at his description of Grandmere; the Dowager Princess is anything but a little old lady. "I know," she said once she'd controlled her laughter. "But still, I don't want anyone thinking of my mom like that, you know? And Grandmere is a very influential person; she can make things very hard for them. I think at one point she seriously considered making mom have an abortion."
"Why would she do that?"
"Because she thinks that it's going to make the Royal family look bad. Like, because she's the Princess of Genovia's mother, it makes me bad, and that makes the country look bad. I swear, if she could disown me, she would. Its just too bad Dad can't have any other kids."
"Don't say that, Mia. I'm sure she'd never do anything like that." Michael felt bad that Mia even considered such bad things.
"Yeah, well I guess we'll never find out."
Mia took out her algebra books and they set to work on it. And she tried her best to not think about the nice, soapy smell that was emanating from Michael's body.
But the more she told herself to move on from Michael, the more she found herself wanting him. If she hadn't been in love with him before Dean spoke to her about it, she was now. She just couldn't help wanting the forbidden fruit.
And the same went for Michael.
Mia sat on the couch at the Loft, vegging out while watching Michael and Dean get ready for their double date. She was green with envy since it didn't involve her.
"What time is it?" Michael asked, nerves showing in his tone.
"Ten to seven."
"So they'll be here in ten minutes?"
"Nah, girls are always late. Especially Molly. Chill out."
"I'm cool," Michael said, not very convincingly. "I just can't believe I'm doing this."
"Me either," Dean agreed. "I can't believe you're finally dating. I'm so proud." He held his hand to his heart mockingly.
"Very funny." Michael was not amused. He knew his love life was laughable, but that didn't mean he actually wanted jokes made of it.
"So where are you guys going?" Mia asked flatly.
"The Rainbow Room," Dean replied.
"Dancing," Mia thought. "I'd love to slow dance with Michael... So close to his chest, our bodies warming each other on a cold night..." She told her self to stop it before she got carried away.
Eventually there was a knock on the door, and Mia almost burst out laughing at the panicked expression on Michael's face.
"Calm down," she hissed at him while Dean opened the door. "You'll be fine. Who wouldn't want to date you?"
Michael smiled appreciatively and immediately wished he were on this date with her. But he wasn't, so he straightened up and walked to the door to meet his real date.
Mia's eyes followed Michael to the door, and they landed on a tall, gorgeous blonde. Her heart sank.
"Hi," the girl said, extending her hand out to Michael. "I'm Amber, you must be Michael."
"Uh huh," Michael was a little lost for words. "I'll be Michael. Uh, I mean, I AM Michael."
Amber laughed; a little fake, Mia thought.
"Well, ladies," Dean said, acting like the host. "Let's get going!"
Michael didn't look back as he shut the door behind him. But with the blonde bombshell in front of him, Mia didn't expect him to.