"Mia!" my mother greeted as I stepped out of the terminal. She ran up to me and hugged me like crazy.

"Hey Mom!" I screamed, equally as excited.
I saw Mr. G and Rocky sitting on a bench, Mr. G was reading him a children's book.
"No one knows you are home," she whispered.
"Good..."
I had explained to her that I didn't want to see anyone other than family. Well, Lilly counted as family. But I told her not to tell Michael I was home. She never bothered to ask questions anymore.
Lilly came over the night before Thanksgiving, "So, what's the story about this Joshua guy?"
I shrugged. "He's just a friend. He actually started dating some girl named Megan."
She raised her eyebrow. "And you have never met her?"
"Well, no he just met her himself."
"I think this 'Megan' is supposed to represent you. He's just too scared to do something about his feelings for you so he's repressing."
"Lilly, you are a journalism major, start acting like it!" I teased, tossing a pillow at her.
"I don't want to go to Thanksgiving tomorrow!" she whined.
"Why? Maya always makes something good for you guys. Remember the year I ate dinner with you ?"
"Because you refused to visit with MawMaw and PawPaw? Yeah. That was a real gem. That was the day I figured out that Michael loved you. You two were playing footsie under the table, weren't you? Anyways, it's not the food."
"What is it then?" I asked, ignoring the Michael comment.
"Vicky is coming over."
I rolled my eyes, "Oh lovely."

"I don't get why he is with her!" Lilly practically screamed." I mean, going four years with someone? Come on! I want them to be over already. They are not supposed to be together!" "How do you know that?" I asked, throwing pop corn in my mouth.

"Because she is a nymphomaniac and he isn't. He's a romantic. She totally doesn't appreciate all he does for her. Also, he's in love with someone else but is too caught up in all the sex to realize it!"

I nearly choked, "Excuse me?"

"She's obbessed with sex. I can't wait to see the outfit she wears to dinner tomorrow. I think she's trying to seduce my father."

I shook my head, "I'm sure she's a nice girl now Lilly. You are just upset- "

"That you two never got together," she finished for me. "Well, yeah, but also she's a wacko. Remember the prom?"

I blushed.

"Duh, of course you do. Well, she actually called while he was here with you after prom. She started moaning into the phone and started having phone sex. I think she forgot that he was living at home for the summer. She's such a ditz."

"Well, I don't know her so I can't judge..."

"You'd hate her. You are so much prettier than her. I don't get why he never"

"I'm onto bigger and better things," I explained, oddly satisfied that I was prettier than his girlfriend. "What about you?" I asked, changing the topic.

I left on Friday. I was scheduled to address Genovia on Saturday evening about the current situation we are having with the olives. We had a terrible harvest, but my father explained that everything would even out. Don't worry Dad, I'm the one showing my face up there, that's all.

I listened to a mix CD Joshua had sent me. It had all the songs he had sung to me in the past few months, but luckily from the original singers and not him. I listened to the song "Boys of Summer" by the Ataris right before I went up to the podium. It totally pumped me up and got me ready to address the nation. While I spoke to the press and the nation about the current situation I noticed that my head was bobbing to the beat of the song. While the press asked questions I kept humming the tune.
I needed to stop this. Come on Mia. Get yourself together. You can do the public speaking thing. Stop bobbing your head.
 I called Joshua once I got behind closed doors, "Ugh!" I yelled into his cell phone. I didn't say anything else though.
I couldn't get past how quickly the weeks had gone by. It was soon time for our annual Holiday Ball. For the first time since I was fourteen it was being held in the Palace. Other years it had been in the Plaza. I had brought Lilly as my 'date' on several occasions. Not this time though. I was going stag. I hate that phrase, so I'll simply say I went solo.

I wore a long ball gown. I was supposed to look like an adult now. Grandmere and I entered with Dad. He hadn't brought a date, surprising to me of course. He danced with me, and Grandmere had her assistant, William dancing with her. Very strange. Royalty was not supposed to mix with the help.
"You don't think..." I whispered to my dad, staring at them.
"Oh please, my mother having an affair with an employee? Yeah right. And I'm gonna get married someday!" he said with a laugh. It had been determined that he was a confirmed bachelor. He had no desire to get married.
I gave him a half smile, "Crazier things have happened," I replied.
"Like a British boy showing up to surprise his favorite girl?" a voice said behind me. Dad smiled and pulled away.
I turned and was already smiling. "I thought you had finals?" I said happily, wrapping my arms around him tightly.

"You would think that wouldn't you?" he asked with a laugh. "I finished early so I could see you. Surprised?"

"Uh, duh! When did you get here?" I asked after we bowed to one another.

"This morning. Your man Lars picked me up."

"Isn't Megan unhappy that you are here?" I asked. I made the mistake of taking another girls boyfriend to a formal event before and that only left me with a broken heart. This time I wouldn't sleep with the guy though. Right? No, I definately would not sleep with Joshua...I don't think I would sleep with him...No, I couldn't possibly....
"Megan? Oh, her. No, I broke it off two weeks ago? I forget. It wasn't anything serious."
"I see. I cannot get over that you are here right now!"

"Get over it, Princess. I'll be here for a few weeks."

"Oh lovely," I said dramatically.

I had never had such a great time in my dad's palace. We found secret passages that the royal family had used during World War I and II. We saw notes from former palace workers...and a picture of Grandmere with darts on it. "She'd flip out if she knew about this!" I giggled.

He pulled out the darts. "This must have been here for ages..." he said struggling with the old darts. "Look how old this photo is."

"She looks like she's my age," I said pulling it off the wall. She had her hair long and it was strawberry blonde. She was in...New York City? Was that the Long Island Ferry? And who was that guy?

He was staring at me, "What? Do I have something on my face?" He looked surprised that I had noticed.

"Oh, no. I just was thinking you look like her a little bit."
I rolled my eyes, "Well, I will not be tattooing my eye liner when I am forty two. I hopefully will be in better shape...no liposuction."
"Did you just let me in on a royal secret?" he teased.
I laughed, "Tell someone and you will be exterminated."
He spent the rest of his break in the palace with me. He became friends with Rene. "Be careful, he's the questionable Renaldo...we don't know if that friend of his is a real friend, or a boyfriend," I warned him before he went over to Rene's for a poker game.
He smiled, "Don't worry Mia, I'm comfortable in my masculinity."

We visited frequently throughout his spring semester. My friends from the mission came to see me during their spring break. "So...you are still talking to Joshua?" Tawny asked.
"Of course I am. We are great friends now."
They all shared a glance. "Friends?"
"Yes," I replied simply. "How do you like your arrangements?" I had to silently laugh. They sounded like my New York friends were like about Michael. They never really believed me when I said I had gotten over him.
"Mia, it's so weird...think about it, last time we stayed all together we were in a tent with about a hundred other people...on cots," Sophie said with a laugh. "And look at us now!"

"Are you going back this summer?" Ali asked me.

I shook my head, "No, Grandmere won't let me. I have to start my royal duties. There are balls and openings..."
"She sounds like a bitch," Tawny said. I laughed. No one ever had the balls to say something like that.
"She's quite nice. She's only looking out for my interests."
"Is Joshua going?" Sophie asked.
I shrugged. He hadn't mentioned anything to me. "I think he's getting ready for law school. He's going to be working for a year or so to save up. He doesn't want his parents to pay for it. He's trying to make it on his own and not on his name."

"He's conforming?" Sophia said with a laugh. "What a capitalist!"

"Not completely...he wants to do pro bono work for the men and woman on death row in America."

"So he'll be coming stateside?" Sophie asked. "That hotness is coming to the U.S? Girls, he's mine once he comes over!"

I rolled my eyes, "Possibly..."
He came at the end of that week to see the girls. "Hello ladies," he said cheerfully. He gave them all hugs, "How's school going?" he asked.
They all gave him full reports. I could tell they all had small crushes on him, who wouldn't? I still did, although I think I did a wonderful job covering it up.
The five of us went out to lunch on the last day of the visit and I had my first real brush with the paparazzi.

"So then she locked me out of our room with only my underwear on!" Ali said laughing. They were all exchanging roommates from hell stories.
Joshua and I shared a glance but didn't say anything. We were lucky enough to not have roommates.
"PRINCESS!" a voice called behind me. I turned and saw a throng of reporters and cameras.

"Who are you with?"

"What are you eating?"

"What are you doing with your gap year almost over?"
A sudden bout of nervousness came over me. I used to have Lars with me ALL the time, but now that I was older and my father wasn't as paranoid I was allowed to go on trips without him. Lars would have gotten rid of these people before they got anywhere near me. "I-I...uh..." "Princess! Who is this man you are with?"
Okay, I definitely was not with any man. Joshua was...well, Joshua. And he wasn't even sitting next to me. He was between Ali and Tawny across the table.

"The name is Joshua Bloom. I think that is all the information you will be needing," Tawny offered up. "Now can we eat in peace?"

"Princess, do you prefer boxers or briefs on your man?"

"Fur, or no fur?"

"Do you think pink is the new red?"

"Who is your favorite movie star?"

"What about the pear economy?"

My bottom lip started quivering. Joshua motioned for the check. When he was ignored he just tossed down a few bills and came over to me and took my hand. Then he pulled me away from all the cameras. My friends chased after us.