MICHAEL:
"So you brought her to a show finally? Think you are going to talk to her about playing the guitar for us yet?" the drummer, Manny asked.
I glanced over at Mia and Tina that were giggling about something and sucking on ring pops. "I dunno. Mia is coming with us next week to Boston. Big Weezer fan."
"When are you going to dump Serena and try to tap that?"
I shrugged. She was Thermopolis. She was not to be 'tapped'. "Whatever." They (the band) all knew I liked her at one point, but thought I got over it. At least I thought they did. I think Manny knew the truth though.
"Dude, have you looked at her lately? I mean, I'll admit that I didn't see what you saw in her at first. She was so gawky and everything…but damn. Those jeans look hot on her."
"Not really," I replied. I leaned against a wall and pretended that I was not looking at her and Tina. Or noticing Orlando staring at her.
Mia did look really good tonight. Not typical. She had ripped jeans which I happen to find totally hot on girls. I watched as she removed her sweatshirt and revealed a tank top. Not bad.
She was pretty when she laughed. But not in an obvious way. It was just the way she put her whole heart into her laughter. She didn't even realize people were looking at her.
"Is Serena coming tonight?" Manny asked.
I shrugged. I still hadn't told anyone we broke up. Too much other shit was going on. "Let's go on stage."
MIA:
I was excited to watch Michael and his band play. I've never been invited to one of his things before and this was all new to me. . I felt important, sitting in the front row. I was ready to listen to him rock out, but he was doing a really mellow set.
It was all acoustic. He sat on a stool and the mike was in front of him. Manny played next to him on the guitar. The other guys couldn't play tonight. Orlando had food poisoning (maybe that's why he looked so weird and was staring at me?). Kevin, the bassist, never showed up. Chaz, the guitarist had blisters on his fingers, so he sat with me and Lilly.
I focused on Michael. He sounded kind of…well, weird. Not like he usually does. Lilly and Chaz were arguing over the last slice of the pizza we'd ordered. The hatred between the two was kind of funny. She thought of him as a nobody with any future. Much like her brother.
Michael looked depressed almost. When he sang to me when we were alone he made funny facial expressions. Tonight he was very blank and said his words as if they were off of a cue card. He was probably missing Serena.
If I were a guy I would be. She the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen up close. You know, that was normal and not a celebrity. That wasn't Giselle or something. No, she had long silky blonde hair. Not dishwater blonde like mine. She had green eyes that shined when she looked at Michael. I, clearly, hated her with every fiber of my being. Any normal sixteen (almost seventeen) year old girl would.
Michael did a really short set and then grabbed a drink at the bar and joined us at the table. "What did you think?" he asked no one in particular.
I played with my straw. I couldn't tell him that I thought he could have done better. But the truth was, he did have a song in there that I loved. That I knew would launch him into superstardom. It was about a girl that this boy loved. She quenched his thirst. It was all very symbolic and artsy.
"Mia?" he asked, looking at me.
"Oh, yeah. You looked great up there."
"I thought I sounded kind of crappy, you sure I was okay?"
I made a face, "You could have been better. But for what it was you did very well."
He looked a little let down. "Thanks for giving me an honest answer."
I looked around. The crowd was looking really older. "Wanna head out?"
So we left. The whole group of us. We were going to a party in Greenwich Village where Manny lived. It was about three blocks from my own apartment, but I tried to forget that. I was with older kids.
"Is Serena meeting you?" Lilly asked.
He grabbed a beer. "No."
"Why not?"
He glanced quickly at me for some reason, causing me to turn bright bed. He handed me a wine cooler.
"Because. We broke up."
Lilly looked at me. I looked at Tina. Tina was grinning like a fool. "Can I have one?" Tina asked.
"Tina, your parents will kill you," I warned. My mother didn't really care too much. As long as it wasn't on a regular basis.
"Okay Mom," she said with a giggle. Manny handed her a bottle.
The five of us stood to the side, feeling left out. Until Serena walked in with an old guy. Every was staring at her and the guy. "Why'd she bring her grandfather?" Lilly asked, drinking a coke.
I had a feeling he wasn't her grandfather. I don't know why, but I highly doubt her grandpa would be grabbing her butt or sticking his tongue in her mouth, but maybe I just don't get it since I never see my grandfather and the other one is dead.
Michael shot daggers. "What the fuck is she doing here?" he said through gritted teeth.
"Michael…." I said softly, putting my hand on my chest to stop him from going over to her.
"That fucking whore just brought the fucking guy to my friend's party."
"Michael, just keep it cool," I whispered. "Don't let her think she's got you upset."
"I'll get rid of them," Manny said putting down his beer.
"No, let me," Michael said, pushing me away. I groaned. This had disaster written all over it.
MICHAEL:
"What the fuck are you doing here?" I said softly. I didn't want attention.
"Believe it or not Michael, I'm here to see Blair. She is over there," she said waving to her stupid friend.
"Why the fuck did you bring him then? Isn't it past bedtime?"
She glared at me. "No. He can go all night long, unlike some people," she announced.
I saw people staring now, including Mia. Great. Now she'll think I'm a terrible lover. "Until the Viagra wears out. Get the hell out of here."
"No. I have friends here too," she said dismissively, watching as the stupid old man walked away. He was probably thinking I would pound him. Only he didn't realize that I had no idea what he looked like.
"Oh, name one. Other than Blair. She shouldn't be here anyways."
"The princess is here," she said suddenly.
"No shit. She came with me," I said with some pride. I wasn't lying. We did come into the party together, and she was staying over my apartment that night.
"Figures. You screw her yet?"
I felt like she'd smacked me. She seriously thinks that I would do that? That I could move on after having my heart broken in two? After two years together, she thinks that I would just forget about everything and sleep with the first girl that came along?
Okay, maybe Mia is an exception, but I would never consider doing something like that. "No. She's not a whore like you."
She raised an eyebrow, "A whore doesn't have standards. I do. And you clearly never quite…measured up," she said, looking at my crotch area.
"Get the hell out of here. Now."
"Or what?"
"Get the fuck out of here or I'll let everyone in on the secret of your sudden maturity," I said, glancing at her chest.
She looked around for her new love and booked it out of there. Couldn't have her plastic surgery at age twenty get out can we?
The three of us took a cab home together. I reached into my wallet and realized that I forgot to cash my check that day. "Um…"
"I got it," Mia's bodyguard replied. He handed the cabbie a bill and didn't bother taking change. "You staying here, princess?"
She nodded and giggled, "Duh. Don't tell Daddy that I'm drunk, okay?"
He nodded. Mia was cute when she was drunk.
I would have taken off my shirt and walked around ever so casually to impress Mia, but I was damn depressed. That bitch had brought her new boyfriend to a college kid party. What the fuck right did she have? I thought about this as I brushed my teeth.
"If you brush any harder your gums will bleed," Mia said from the doorway. "Come on, it's my turn."
"I live here," I argued weakly. She looked awesome. She had a t-shirt of mine she had borrowed once and never returned, and a pair of shorts.
"So? I'm here a lot," she said with a giggle, coming closer to me.
I don't know what came over me, but I put my hands on her hips and caused her to put her arms around my neck. "Why are we dancing?" she asked with a laugh. "There's no music."
So I started humming until our lips touched. We kissed a little longer then she threw up. No big deal. It was just a few kisses. I went to bed after helping her clean herself up. "Night Mia."
"Yeah, you too."
