Chapter Nine...

That's it. I'm dumped.

I dumped the hottest guy in the school for someone who then goes and dumps me less than a week later. And it doesn't help that said hottest-guy-in-the-school is now back with Lana, who's rubbing it in my face constantly.

Like I even care.

Except that I do. Not about Josh, no, not him. I'm glad I dumped his sorry ass. But now I don't have Michael to parade around as my replacement.

So people just think that Josh dumped me for Lana. God knows he's not doing anything to set the record straight.

And not that I would be parading Michael around in the first place. I mean,

I fully understand that he is in no way my property (at least not now, anyway) and that he is a human being with feelings, but...but it's just not fair!

WHY DOESN'T HE LOVE ME???

And what about my feelings? I know he said that he didn't want to hurt me, blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada. I totally get that. But he did hurt me.

Why did he lead me on like that if he doesn't like me?

You know what would make things better? Not going to school today. Or ever.

I just don't know that I can face Michael after what he said to me yesterday. The whole, "I don't know if having a girlfriend is the thing for me right now." What is up with that anyway? Obviously he was just trying to spare my feelings, because seriously, what seventeen year old guy says that having a girlfriend is not the 'thing' for him right now?

He must have just meant that having me as his girlfriend isn't the right thing for him. But he's just too nice to actually say that to my face.

But anyway, mom won't let me stay home. So it's off to school for me. Off to get my heart broken again, I imagine.

When Michael and Lilly hopped in the limo, I stared pointedly out the window.

"What's up?" Lilly asked.

"Nothing," I muttered, not looking at her.

"Sure."

Michael didn't say anything the whole way to school. I wonder what's going through his mind. No doubt he's thanking the Lord he got out of our relationship when he did. Now he can concentrate on real women. Not little, flat-chested, skyscraper-tall freshmen like me.

I bet that's why he doesn't love me. Because I have no breasts to speak of. What guy would want to date someone as flat-chested as me when there are buxom girls like Lilly around...

...not that Michael would want to date Lilly. Ew, that's just too gross to comprehend.

When we arrived at the school Michael jumped out first and held the door for me and Lilly. I stepped out and walked off, not bothering to thank him.

"Mia, wait," he said, running to catch up to me.

I didn't stop. I just kept walking straight ahead into the school building.

"Mia, wait. Please?" It was the please that did it. It was so urgent, and it had a tinge of apology in it.

I stopped and he grabbed my shoulder, spinning me around to face him. "We need to talk. I feel like I owe you an explanation."

"You don't owe me anything, Michael. And you explained yourself just fine last night. You don't like me that way, and that's fine."

"There's more to it than that, Mia. Please, can we go somewhere to talk?" Michael's eyes were pleading with me as much as his tone was. How can I say no to anything he wants?

Damn those brown, peat bog eyes.

"Ok," I conceded. "Come on."

I lead him into an empty classroom and shut the door behind him, leaving Lars just outside. He paced the front of the room nervously as I sat down in the front row.

"So, what is it?" I asked.

"I'm sure you've noticed how distant I've been lately..."

I nodded. Who couldn't notice?

"Well...I've been going through some stuff. Some issues."

"Michael, I know this. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out. Just tell me what it is."

"Well...you see, it's hard to just admit this to anyone. I told Felix about it, and he freaked out on me."

So this is what he was talking to Felix about that day on the street, when Josh stole my ice cream. This must be what he thinks makes him a social leper. At least according to that diary entry I saw.

Suddenly it hit me. "Oh, God, Michael, I think I know what this is about."

He stared at me. "You...you do?" He looks scared for some reason.

"Of course I do. You...you like Lana."

"What?"

"You like Lana. But you're too afraid to admit it because you think that your friends, like Felix, will think you're a sell out or whatever. That's why you hate Josh so much. Because Lana's in love with him. Although why you didn't encourage me to stay with him, so you could have Lana for yourself is beyond me. You could have just..."

"Mia," he interrupted me. "I don't like Lana."

"You don't?" But Lana's a real woman. Well, as real a woman you can get for a freshman. "Then what is it?"

"Ok, I'm just going to come out and say it. I think I'm…batting for the other team."

Oh.

My.

God.