Chapter Ten...
It was late before Mia heard the door open, and Michael and Dean walk in. Michael had already arranged to stay the night.
In her fluffy pyjamas, Mia snuck out of her room and into the kitchen, where she found Michael getting a glass of water.
"So how was it?" she asked, reaching for a glass of her own.
Michael took a minute to answer. "Ok, I guess. But she's not really my type."
Mia was relieved, but also a little shocked. "Not your type? Did you not see her, Michael? She was gorgeous!"
Michael sighed. "Yeah, but that's not everything. And it certainly isn't the only thing that makes a perfect girl, although it does help, of course. But she couldn't hold a conversation unless it was about clothes and shopping. I want someone I can talk to about anything; and someone who can talk back too."
"Yeah, I suppose. So you'll wait around for your perfect girl, then?"
"Maybe," Michael said thoughtfully. "Maybe."
Mia lay awake all night thinking about Michael's idea to wait for his perfect girl. By the time she woke up she'd made her decision.
"I've decided," she told him over the breakfast table, after Dean had gobbled his cereal and left. "That I'm going to follow in your lead and wait for my perfect guy. I want the kind of relationship where we're so in love we still hold hands when we're eighty. And I know Kenny isn't that guy, so...I'm going to break up with him."
"Good for you," Michael said, genuinely happy for her.
"Yeah. I mean, we've only gone out once anyway, but I just know I don't want it to progress."
"Right. So I guess you'll be free next Friday night then? Maybe we can hang out while we both wait for our perfect person."
"Sure," Mia said, beaming at him. "That'd be cool."
"Cool," he repeated, staring at her until Dean came out of his room.
"Come on, Moscovitz! Have you finished yet? Whooping the computers ass isn't as fun as whooping your's."
"Yeah, I'm coming," Michael said, breaking his eye contact with Mia and picking up his bowl.
Unbeknown to Dean, they both floated on cloud nine for the rest of the day.
Mia felt really good about her decision to break up with Kenny, until it came time to do it.
On Monday morning, Michael left Mia's bag for Kenny to take, knowing it would be for the last time.
Mia handed her bag over and smiled apprehensively, afraid of what she knew she had to do.
Michael gave her an encouraging pat on the back and followed Dean into the school.
"Are you ok, Mia?" Kenny asked, seeing the look on her face: fear.
"Um, sure. But we need to talk, Kenny."
"Ok." He took her hand and led her to a quiet spot around the corner. "What's up?"
"Well, you see..." Mia had no idea what to say. She'd practised this moment in her head a million times, but now she couldn't remember a word of it.
"What is it?" Kenny asked, squeezing her hand encouragingly.
Mia pulled her hand away. "You know the other week when we went to the movies? And you kissed me goodnight?"
"Uh huh."
"Well, the reason I turned my head is because..."
"Because you were nervous?" Kenny guessed. "It's ok, it just takes practise." He smiled and started to lean in, Mia knew she had to do something.
"No, it's not that." Kenny backed off. "It's because... I don't like you that way, Kenny. I'm sorry. But I just don't feel it and I don't want to lead you on."
Kenny's happy face dropped. "Oh," he said simply. "I see... So you just want to go back to being friends?"
"Yes. Exactly. I'm sorry, Kenny."
"No, it's ok. I can't make you like me like that. You either do or you don't, and you don't. It's fine. I'll see you around."
He ran off quickly; Mia was sure he was on the verge of tears, but she couldn't help but feel happy about what she'd just done. She'd been assertive enough to tell him the truth, knowing it would hurt him.
And now she would be free to spend time with Michael. As friends whom were both waiting for their perfect partner, and nothing else.
Tina hugged her best friend enthusiastically. "I'm so proud of you!"
"Thanks. I'm kinda proud of myself," Mia admitted.
"And now you can ask Michael out!"
"Well, as a friend, yeah. We're hanging out on Friday night, in fact."
"I mean as more than friends, Mia."
"No. He's waiting for his perfect girl. Someone who can keep up a conversation, make him laugh, and is of course, gorgeous. You know, the whole package."
Tina looked at her strangely. "And who says you aren't his perfect girl?"
"Um, everyone. Come on, all I'll end up talking about is Star Trek and geeky stuff like that."
"Mia, I hate to break it to you, but Michael is a geek."
"Yeah, but... I dunno. It's just not the same. Trust me."
"Well I think you're wrong. And I think something is going to happen on Friday night to prove me right."
"Can you imagine what my brother would say if anything did happen, Tina? It would not be a pretty sight. Believe me. Michael would never risk his friendship with Dean to be with me."
"We'll see," was all Tina would say.
It was late before Mia heard the door open, and Michael and Dean walk in. Michael had already arranged to stay the night.
In her fluffy pyjamas, Mia snuck out of her room and into the kitchen, where she found Michael getting a glass of water.
"So how was it?" she asked, reaching for a glass of her own.
Michael took a minute to answer. "Ok, I guess. But she's not really my type."
Mia was relieved, but also a little shocked. "Not your type? Did you not see her, Michael? She was gorgeous!"
Michael sighed. "Yeah, but that's not everything. And it certainly isn't the only thing that makes a perfect girl, although it does help, of course. But she couldn't hold a conversation unless it was about clothes and shopping. I want someone I can talk to about anything; and someone who can talk back too."
"Yeah, I suppose. So you'll wait around for your perfect girl, then?"
"Maybe," Michael said thoughtfully. "Maybe."
Mia lay awake all night thinking about Michael's idea to wait for his perfect girl. By the time she woke up she'd made her decision.
"I've decided," she told him over the breakfast table, after Dean had gobbled his cereal and left. "That I'm going to follow in your lead and wait for my perfect guy. I want the kind of relationship where we're so in love we still hold hands when we're eighty. And I know Kenny isn't that guy, so...I'm going to break up with him."
"Good for you," Michael said, genuinely happy for her.
"Yeah. I mean, we've only gone out once anyway, but I just know I don't want it to progress."
"Right. So I guess you'll be free next Friday night then? Maybe we can hang out while we both wait for our perfect person."
"Sure," Mia said, beaming at him. "That'd be cool."
"Cool," he repeated, staring at her until Dean came out of his room.
"Come on, Moscovitz! Have you finished yet? Whooping the computers ass isn't as fun as whooping your's."
"Yeah, I'm coming," Michael said, breaking his eye contact with Mia and picking up his bowl.
Unbeknown to Dean, they both floated on cloud nine for the rest of the day.
Mia felt really good about her decision to break up with Kenny, until it came time to do it.
On Monday morning, Michael left Mia's bag for Kenny to take, knowing it would be for the last time.
Mia handed her bag over and smiled apprehensively, afraid of what she knew she had to do.
Michael gave her an encouraging pat on the back and followed Dean into the school.
"Are you ok, Mia?" Kenny asked, seeing the look on her face: fear.
"Um, sure. But we need to talk, Kenny."
"Ok." He took her hand and led her to a quiet spot around the corner. "What's up?"
"Well, you see..." Mia had no idea what to say. She'd practised this moment in her head a million times, but now she couldn't remember a word of it.
"What is it?" Kenny asked, squeezing her hand encouragingly.
Mia pulled her hand away. "You know the other week when we went to the movies? And you kissed me goodnight?"
"Uh huh."
"Well, the reason I turned my head is because..."
"Because you were nervous?" Kenny guessed. "It's ok, it just takes practise." He smiled and started to lean in, Mia knew she had to do something.
"No, it's not that." Kenny backed off. "It's because... I don't like you that way, Kenny. I'm sorry. But I just don't feel it and I don't want to lead you on."
Kenny's happy face dropped. "Oh," he said simply. "I see... So you just want to go back to being friends?"
"Yes. Exactly. I'm sorry, Kenny."
"No, it's ok. I can't make you like me like that. You either do or you don't, and you don't. It's fine. I'll see you around."
He ran off quickly; Mia was sure he was on the verge of tears, but she couldn't help but feel happy about what she'd just done. She'd been assertive enough to tell him the truth, knowing it would hurt him.
And now she would be free to spend time with Michael. As friends whom were both waiting for their perfect partner, and nothing else.
Tina hugged her best friend enthusiastically. "I'm so proud of you!"
"Thanks. I'm kinda proud of myself," Mia admitted.
"And now you can ask Michael out!"
"Well, as a friend, yeah. We're hanging out on Friday night, in fact."
"I mean as more than friends, Mia."
"No. He's waiting for his perfect girl. Someone who can keep up a conversation, make him laugh, and is of course, gorgeous. You know, the whole package."
Tina looked at her strangely. "And who says you aren't his perfect girl?"
"Um, everyone. Come on, all I'll end up talking about is Star Trek and geeky stuff like that."
"Mia, I hate to break it to you, but Michael is a geek."
"Yeah, but... I dunno. It's just not the same. Trust me."
"Well I think you're wrong. And I think something is going to happen on Friday night to prove me right."
"Can you imagine what my brother would say if anything did happen, Tina? It would not be a pretty sight. Believe me. Michael would never risk his friendship with Dean to be with me."
"We'll see," was all Tina would say.