MICHAEL:
God help me. I'm such a hormonal teenage boy. My parents had once been concerned over my lack of interest in girls, but they didn't have to anymore. Things were going down a slippery slope for me. And it had to be the girl that is living with us. So I would be bound to say perverse things all the time by mistake right in front of her.
I apologized to her for saying something like that, but she simply blushed. Maybe she liked me. Or maybe she was just embarrassed.
The three of us decided to walk home on such a nice day. It would save us the trolley fare.
"Your city is beautiful. Reminds me of home," she said wistfully.
"I thought Genovia was more country like?" Lilly asked.
"It is, but in the city it isn't. I live in the capital," she explained. "It's more like here."
"Not in the country?" I teased, hoping she'd remember our first conversation.
She smiled, "Maybe after the war," she shot back. She was pretty when she smiled. She did it more today. I liked it when she smiled. She had nice teeth.
I went into my room and started writing a new song. It was a bit lighter than normal. A knock came to my door, "Come in," I said closing my notebook.
"It's only me," Mia said softly. "I was wondering if you would mind helping me with my homework?"
I nodded, "Just give me a second, okay?" I expected her to leave so I went back to my notebook.
She nodded and looked around my room. "It's neater than I expected."
"My room?" I said with a laugh.
"Yes."
"What did you expect? And how many boys' rooms have you been in exactly?"
She turned red, "None actually. I just read-"
"You shouldn't believe everything you read about Americans. They aren't always true."
She smiled, "What are you writing?"
I thought about not telling her but for some reason I thought she would understand me a bit better if I did. "I like to write songs," I explained. "I'm writing the lyrics right now."
"May I?" she asked extending her hand.
I had never shown anyone my songs before, but I handed my notebook easily to her. "Sure."
And what she did next surprised me. She started humming a tune, which I had had in my minds eye for the words. "That was good," I said when she finished.
She started blushing, "Oh I don't know…"
"No, you sing?"
She nodded but was still red, "I don't go advertising it. My grandmother has a beautiful voice and I kind of inherited her talent for music. She likes showing it off…I don't."
"You should. Let me hear you sing."
She shook her head, "Oh I couldn't…"
"Sure you can. I'll shut my door. Lilly won't hear you," I promised.
I shut the door slowly so Lilly wouldn't think I was trying something with Mia. "Go ahead."
She smiled and laughed. She really shouldn't do that anymore. If she kept it up I would look past her stuck upness and start to have a crush on her. Wait, no. I already do.
"I can't just start singing. Give me a song to sing," she ordered.
"Sing that song. To the tune you just hummed," I replied, handing her the paper back.
She cleared her throat and double checked that my door was closed. (A/N: I don't own this song. But you'll get a cookie if you can tell me where it comes from!)
I want a little something more
Don't want the middle or the one before
I don't desire a complicated past
I want a love that will last
Say that you love
Say I'm the one
Don't kiss and hug me and then try to run
I don't do drama
My tears don't fall fast
I want a love that will last
I don't want a just a memory
Gives me forever
Don't even think about saying good-bye
Cuz I want just one love to be enough
And remain in my heart till i die
So call me romantic
Oh I guess that must be so
There's something more that you oughta know
I'll never leave you
So don't even ask
I want a love that will last
Forever
I want a love that will last
I want a love that will last
I don't want a just a memory
Gives me forever
Don't even think about saying good-bye
Cuz i want just one love to be enough
And remain in my heart till I die
So theres little more that i need
I wanna share all the air you breathe
I'm not the kinda girl to complicate the past
I want a love that will last
Forever
I want a love the love that last
Always
I just want a love that will last
Want a love that will last
She stumbled on a few words (and changed guy to girl in a few lines) but it sounded perfect. Like it did in my head. "Good job. You have a great voice."
She smiled humbly, "Thank you. I messed up a little though."
I took her hand, "No, you sounded perfect."
She started blushing all over again, "All right…um, will you help me now?"
The rest of the week went very much like that afternoon. We would work on songs right after school (when Lilly often went over Tina's house to talk about God knows what), then we would work on our homework.
I liked this time we spent together. She was really easy to talk to. We never discussed the war though. Mom had warned me and Lilly to limit our war talk in general, but then even more when Mia was around. I know that Mom and Dad discussed the war and listened to the BBC late at night when we were all supposed to be asleep, but I tried to keep my mind off of it.
"There's a dance in two weeks at the Lyon," Lilly announced, coming into the kitchen where Mia and I were discussing our weekend plans (hers to write in some notebook journal thing, mine were to hang out at the diner with some friends).
"Okay Lil," I replied waving her off. "So-"
"I think it would help Mia adjust to American life if someone invited her," Lilly said staring at me.
Mia and I looked at one another uncomfortably. "I am a terrible dancer," I said apologetically.
She smiled, "I wouldn't want to go with a complete stranger," she replied. "It's fine. Lilly you should go with that boy…um, what was his name? Jerry?"
Lilly shot her a dirty look. "I don't know what you are referring to. I'll be in my room doing my homework."
"Are you really that terrible of a dancer?" she asked.
I looked up, "Oh, I don't know. I am decent I suppose. But I didn't think you would want…"
"I could show you," she offered, looking at her book ever so casually. "If you wanted me to that is."
"Sure. That would be good. Maybe this weekend we could," I suggested.
She nodded, "That would be fun. Back home I only got to dance with Lars," she said, adding the last part softly.
I patted her hand on the table, "It's okay Mia. I'm gonna go see Felix about my English test tomorrow. I'll see you tonight, okay?"
She nodded and waved me off.
I poked my head in the den, "Mom, Dad, I'm going downstairs to Felix's house for a little while. We have a quiz tomorrow on Hamlet."
"Very good son. Have a good night, don't be out too late."
"Hey Michael," Felix said as I went into his room. He had a radio and was listening to the BBC.
"Anything new?" I asked, sitting in front of the radio.
"They just announced that Brussels was liberated," he said excitedly.
We sat, mesmerized by the voice on the radio calmly giving us news. I looked at his clock and realized just how late it was. "I have to go."
But as I said that they said something about Genovia. "Isn't that where-"
"Ssh," I interrupted.
"American troops fought off an offensive attack from the Italian forces in Genovia today. The Grand Palais on the Hill, which is being used as a base for the American troops, has been destroyed. One hundred American casualties, two Genovian, and one hundred and fifty Italian. Genovia is a small principality on the coast of Cote d"Azur and has no standing army but has a strong group of volunteers that work alongside with the Americans. In other news…."
I gulped.
"So Mia…" Felix said, snapping off the radio. "What is she like? I haven't gotten to talk to her really…"
"She's very nice. Sweet. Kind of a hard nut to crack but once she opens up…"
"She's gorgeous. Legs like Garbo."
I laughed, "I guess…" I replied blushing.
"You guess? Michael, she's gorgeous. What's it like living with her?"
I shrugged. I couldn't really tell him. I mean, girls talk about their feelings, not guys. I couldn't really explain what was going on in my head. How I thought I kind of...sort of liked her. "It's okay. We talk about music a lot. But only after school. She does her homework with me then goes straight to Lilly's room and gets ready for bed. She turns kind of quiet at night. But she's only been here a week."
"Yeah so?"
"So she's still pretty shy. Unsure of herself. How would you feel?"
"Being out of New York? Pretty good," he replied. He planned on signing up for the military the day he turned eighteen in October. He would finish high school (maybe) when he got back from the war.
I sighed. I wonder what Mia thought about the royal family of Genovia, if their palace being destroyed would be a big deal. "I have to get going. Mom and Dad think I'm studying for Hamlet. I need to actually study before I go to bed. See ya."
I went towards the bathroom before I went to my room, but when I passed the den I heard some sniffling. I peeked in and saw Mia curled up in a fetal position in front of the radio. Why did my parents choose tonight to go to bed early?
"Mia?" I whispered. I didn't want my parents to wake up. I knelt in front of her. "Mia, are you okay?"
She looked up at me, "Do you think I am okay?" she snapped. She sounded like the girl I met the previous week again.
"I heard…on the radio. Did you wanna talk?"
"What if…what if it is someone I know?" she sobbed.
"It might have been a mistake, a miscount or something." I laid down next to her and awkwardly put my hand on top of hers.
"But…it mightant be a miscount. It could be someone close to me…"
I hadn't thought of it, "Do you have a boyfriend there or something?" I asked tentatively. Please don't have a boyfriend. Please if there is a God do not let her have a boyfriend.
She looked at me in surprise, "A boyfriend? I have never had a boyfriend. Grandma won't let me have one until I turn eighteen. And then it is someone she chooses."
"Then…friends?"
"Yes. I have a best friend that might be in the volunteer troops for Genovia…." She said, playing with the hem of her nightgown. "And I have no way of knowing if he is safe."
Him. It was a boy she probably liked but couldn't date until she was older. "I'm sure he's fine," I said as soothingly as possible. "He'll write to you-"
"No…he won't. He wants nothing to do with the family. Even if he survives I won't know…Grandma says he's…forget it."
I decided to let the matter drop. She was getting too upset about it. She pulled herself close to me for warmth "It's getting cold out," she whispered. Oh. Good. God. Cuddling with a girl that you find attractive is very nice. Even when she is sniffling.
"Come on, I'll get you into bed, okay? I mean, I'll put you to bed," I corrected myself automatically. I am such a pervert. This was QUITE a few minutes later. Well, more like an hour filled with little conversation and my bad jokes, and her weak laughter.
"Thank you," she said, putting her head on my shoulder and continuing to sniffle. I lifted her up and brought her into Lilly's room.
The next night, Friday night, was a time I normally spent at the corner diner with my friends talking about the war (considering we were all almost eighteen and of age we were counting down to when we could be sent over). But that night Mia and I spent listening to records. I focused on trying to make her not cry, but that was pointless.
We sat on her bed while Lilly did her hair for another dance (this was with her new boyfriend, Jerry at his father's club). "Mia, are you sure you don't want to come? I have a dress that would be perfect for you. And," Lilly said with a grin, "Josh will be there."
I felt my blood boil. "Richter?"
"Duh Dummy."
"Stay away from him Lill."
"Do I look stupid? Mia has a crush on him."
Mia looked at her lap, "I do not. I just think he is handsome. I do not get crushes."
"Why not?" Lilly asked her hands on her hips.
"Because Princes-" she said cutting herself short.
"Princes?" I asked.
"I am waiting for my prince," she said looking away.
"Well, if you change your mind," Lilly said writing the address on a piece of notebook paper. "I'll be here. It's going to be fun."
Once Lilly left Mia fell backwards onto her pillow, "She's such a lighthearted girl."
"If you say so."
"I just did."
We fell silent for a few minutes. I didn't dare lay down next to her. God knows what my body was going to make me do if I sat that close to her.