Author's Note:
L-Money- I have to add to this. You know me. I always add. It's like a rule. My stories never end up how I originally write them (as you know with that untitled one I'm still tweeking)
Me-Here: Ned is Andy. Some people use NED as a nick name for Andrew, like my family. My cousin is Andrew but called Ned. But he's not gay like this one, that that that's a bad thing (whoa there Seinfeld). But from here on out (yes, he'll be in the story a bit),he is called by both names.Explained later. Also, if you think that they are just sex, then remember that they were friends first and foremost, that's one of the reasons they aren't getting together fo' real. Don't worry though, the other aspects of the relationship is looked at further down the road.
Jesse's Babe: Thanks
8sPerson: I tried looking up the spelling of that word and can't find it. Or maybe I just couldn't see it in the book I had near me and I just didn't wanna go into my closet to find another book. Either way, thanks for the note. I appreciate it.
Thetrouble…: I actually wasn't going to have that scene (and therefore the one following this long note) but realized that Ned and Sidney (the dad) are hardly ever mentioned until Michael is much older (brew haha). So read and see how Michael reacts…
HGill: I don't do overdone story lines. It's not my style. Plus, as far as I know, he'd have to have sex with Tina in order for her to get pregnant. They only made out. Remember he was relieved to see that both of them had their clothes on still?
Lyra...: I am but one girl. My name is Kristin. Nicknamed Milly by a stupid ex-boyfriend. I have this as my AIM name so I wouldn't forget it. I forget stuff a lot.
Go Pats. Down with the Eagles.
"Watch out Harrison, I got something for you." –Freddie No Name (back up player for the Eagles trying to act tough)
Don't you guys love my sports commentary?
By The Way: Fourteen days, thirteen hours and twenty seven minutes until Spring Training. In case you are wondering.
MIA:
"What?" I mumbled into my phone. I'd fallen asleep watching a movie with Huck's.
"Mia, we need you," Manny's voice said urgently.
"No. I'm bu-"
"We can't find Michael," he cut in.
Okay, wide awake now. I looked at the clock. "It's only two. He probably picked up some-"
"He met Ned."
"Ned….Ned Ned?" I said, remembering who this Ned character was.
"Yeah."
"H-How?" I asked, jumping up and throwing on street clothes.
"I'll explain later. Or he will. He's not home. I just called Lilly. Do you have any idea where he would be?"
I glanced out my window hopefully. Was he on my fire escape? Nope. Suddenly it hit me. "Yeah. I'll go get him."
I snuck out of my house quietly in my hoodie and kitty pajama pants. I hailed a cab (which my mother would kill me for but whatever). "Echo Park," I mumbled.
I knew he would be there. Last summer we went for a trip to Schulman's (a big department store which I love) for a big sale (okay, I went and dragged him along to hold stuff, Lars was too busy looking tough to be my human clothing rack). He only agreed to go if I'd go to Echo Park first.
We sat in a very definite bench. "You know, there are ones further in the park," I said, gesturing in towards the shaded benches.
"Yeah, but this is my bench," he explained, pointing out his initials on the bench.
"Hey, when did you do that?" I asked.
"My dad used to bring me here when I was little. He taught me how to ride my bike here. He'd sit on this bench and watch me ride around. When I finally got it he took me here and carved our initials. Ever since then…well, it's been our place."
"Your place?" I teased.
"Yeah. When we need to escape. No one really knows about it. Just us guys. And now we like to watch the people skating who fall down. Quite entertaining."
I made a face, "I'm not a guy."
"No, but you're one of my best friends. It's not like you are going to go blabbing. Or I'll tell about the-"
"Ssssh," I said, throwing my hand over his mouth. Then I turned scarlet, "I mean, just no. It's cool."
"So anyways," he said, ignoring my embarrassment, "I like coming here and thinking. Whenever I have to think about something bad I come here."
"And you are thinking about shopping right now," I teased.
"No. Just…"
"What?" I asked curiously.
"Stuff. Relationships."
"Well, I can tell you one thing I've learned in my sixteen years," I started.
He looked at me with a raised eyebrow, "Yes?"
"Boys suck at them."
"I don't think I'm half bad at them," he argued.
I looked up at him. "Nah, you aren't too bad." And we spent the rest of the afternoon there, just talking and people watching. Enjoying one another's company. Conviently enough, forgetting about shopping.
From then on we would go there to discuss serious relationship issues. Which hardly ever happened on the note that we didn't like telling one another about problems with members of the opposite sex. But we did meet every once and a while to share a pretzel and skip out on afternoon responsibilities (which totally pissed off Grandmere and made Dad stop donating to Greenpeace until I cleaned up my act).
So it became a place for us to go hide from the world. No one expected to see a princess there.
That's why I went. I went to escape my current reality. He went there to go back to a much simpler time. A time where bike riding with your dad was the most important thing. And you were the most important person to him.
I know, bad place to go as a sixteen year old girl alone, but I had no other choice. Lars would never let me go. Neither would my mom.
I paid the cabbie and then started walking toward the benches that I knew he'd be sitting on. "Hey," I called out into the night air. I could see the back of him.
He turned in worry, then surprise. "Mia, what the hell are you doing here?"
I rolled my eyes, "What are you doing here? You've had everyone worried sick," I replied, taking residence next to him. I noticed a bottle in a brown paper bag. I grabbed it and took a sip.
He pulled me close for warmth. Was it possible that only the weekend before we'd been frolicking at the beach in bathing suits? I hate the Northeast. "They told you, huh?"
"Not everything," I replied. "You should."
He sighed, "They were kissing. Right there. Ned obviously didn't care that strangers were seeing him kiss this older man."
"Cuz they're in love," I whispered. "You don't care if people know you are together if you are truly in love," I replied.
He stared hard at me. I could almost see the wheels turning in his head, but instead tears started pouring out of his eyes. "It's not supposed to be like that," he replied. "They're supposed to be together."
I'm guessing he means his mom and dad, not his dad and Ned. "I know you want to believe that….but it's not true," I replied. "What did you say to them?"
He shook his head and pulled away. "I walked out. Would you want to see your mom kissing a woman?"
I did once actually. When I was little and she thought I was asleep. Her friend Bev. I did see a few beer bottles out so they were probably drunk. Like me and Michael."I guess not," I replied, shuttering at the memory.
"He always said he wanted me to be like him when I was older. What the fuck?"
I noticed some swarmy looking guys walking around us. "Let's try to get a cab, okay?" I whispered.
He realized my sudden need for a cab. "Yeah, let's go."
I gave the cabbie my address. "He'll look for you at home," I explained.
"I thought you wanted me to face this?" he asked, checking his breath. What the hell?
"I do," I started. "But you shouldn't have to right away."
I felt the alcohol from his breath bounce back at me. "Were you drinking by yourself?" I hissed.
He nodded and smirked. "So what?"
I tried to look mad. But I could not stay mad at him. Especially after he started kissing my neck as I unlocked my front door. "C'mon big boy, off to bed," I whispered pulling him towards my room.
He zonked out on my bed with his shoes still on, so I pulled them off, and then his jeans. Those are never comfortable to sleep in, seriously. And I know he hates sleeping with his shirt on, so off that went.
"Are you taking advantage of me?" he asked drunkenly. He had a goofy look on his face. And who can ignore that?
So I kissed him lightly, hoping he'd forget in the morning. But that didn't mean he wouldn't continue it for now. He pulled me close to him and kissed me with as much passion as he had ever kissed me.
But he's been through a lot tonight. Maybe he just needs to re-assert his manhood after seeing his father's tongue down some guy's throat.
And maybe he just wanted to make sure that breasts were his forte by grabbing hold of mine. That's all. And of course, he'd have to make sure I did in fact have breasts by taking my shirt off.
But that was where I drew the line. "Michael, stop," I whispered. "I have to go to school in five hours."
"No school," he mumbled, nuzzling into my neck.
I giggled. Yes, giggled. "Yes school. If I plan on going to NYU I'll need a little diploma, ya know?"
He looked at me with puppy eyes. Drunken puppy eyes. Okay, so we can fool around a little- no. He's just upset about his dad. I can't….
I jumped up and went to my bathroom. I needed a glass of water. Then I'd tell him we couldn't fool around. He'd listen then, right?
But by the time I returned he had placed himself in a fetal position and was fast asleep in my bed.
I took a shower after I made sure he was asleep. "Who were you talking to in there?" she asked calmly, sipping some tea as I left the hallway bathroom. I hadn't wanted to wake him by showering in my own.
"Michael is staying over," I said bravely. "He just literally ran into his dad's boyfriend so he's really upset. He's kind of hiding out."
She raised her eyebrow. "What are you doing at four in the morning in there?"
"He just passed out," I lied. Okay, NOT a lie. He really did. "He was really upset so we were talking about that stuff…."
"Talking?" she asked. "Mia, I just hope….I hope you are protect-"
"MOM!" I hissed, hoping no one was listening. "Mom, we didn't do anything. He's just really down about his dad. That's it."
She really didn't believe me. "Yeah, right. Look," she said, looking toward my room, "I'd prefer if sleep overs were ok'd by me first. And that he'd be in a separate room. What are you showering now for?"
"I figure I can sleep later and go to school a bit later," I replied. "I have a free period first."
She shook her head. "No Huck this weekend," she replied. "I don't even know if that's a punishment for you anymore."
I bit my lip, "Sorry Mom-"
"Mia, just don't try to play me for a fool. If you are sleeping with him then fine. But use your head. Don't get yourself into trouble. Cuz then you'll be in Genovia with your grandmother and she won't let him near you. Got that? Why can't you just go out with him and take away all of our misery?"
Everyone's misery? "Because," I hissed, quite smartly not saying I wasn't sleeping with him or not, "We're friends."
"Katie Couric mentioned this. About the whole friends with benefits thing. I don't like it."
"No….it's not that. I just…We're friends. That's all he wants."
"What about you?" she asked.
MICHAEL
She did go to Genovia that summer to continue with her Princess Lessons in her home country. Her grandmother wanted the people there to get used to seeing her around; and so no one could accuse her of not being in touch with the people.
Meanwhile, I stayed home and got acquainted with the idea that Ned wasn't such a bad guy. Dad and I weren't exactly on speaking terms yet, but I was able to see Ned as a friend. As my friend he was Andy. As Ned he was my dad's boyfriend.There was an unspoken agreement that he would not mention my father. And I would not call him a butt pirate.
And I never went back to play cards at his place. And he never came over my mother's house. And I never told Mom about meeting Ned. She kind of liked the idea that 'Sidney' was getting ignored by his children.
Lilly knew the truth, but still avoided seeing him. He did, after all, end our parent's marriage.
But he was a nice enough guy. He liked playing basketball when he wasn't working. He was an amazing drummer and was actually kind of funny.
"So," he said while we watched a baseball game on TV at a bar. We had started meeting up at Cappy's to watch baseball. My dad didn't really like the sport so he stayed home and worked. Plus, I think he enjoyed the idea that I was becoming friends with his boyfriend.
"What?" I asked, taking a gulp of my beer. "Shit, did you see that catch?"
"Where's this girl the guys were telling me about?"
"Girl? What girl?" I asked, my eyes glued to the television.
"Maya?"
"Our housekeeper? She's probably at her own house eating-"
"No, the one in the band. I haven't met her yet."
"That would be because she's in Genovia," I replied. "With her dad and grandmother."
"Geneva?" he asked, confused.
"Genovia. It's on the Cote d'Azur. A really small country."
"Why there?"
"She's from there…well, her family is," I explained. "She goes there every once and a while."
It was not his business that Mia was the princess of this country.
"Oh, wait a second," he said, placing his beer on a coaster. "I've heard about her. She's been in the news. Something about snails from South America or something?"
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. And algae. I don't really know too much about that."
"You know a princess," he said in disbelief. "What's she like?"
"She's…perfect," I replied.
I don't know what it was….maybe the way he just stared at me with his Sideshow Bob hair bouncing. I just…I started telling him everything. Everything I couldn't tell anyone else. Not even Manny.
"Why don't you just ask her out, be your girlfriend?" he asked.
"Because…I dunno. It's a really weird situation. See…she's my best friend. And my sister's best friend. We've known one another our whole lives. And…well, we're really young, ya know?"
"So?"
"She's the girl I'd want to be with in the end. And I just don't think I could handle a relationship where she would end it because she wants to go find herself or somehthing. Where she will resent the fact that she didn't get to live because I held her back."
"But from what the guys tell me, and Lilly tells me, she loves you too."
I shook my head, "No. It's just…we're friends. It's all she wants. She has a boyfriend."
"Michael, maybe she's just as scared as you are."
I continued shaking my head, "No. She's one of the bravest people I know. Plus…what could I even give to her? I'm just a stupid college kid who is trying to make it as a musician. She's a freaking princess."
It was his turn to shake his head, "What are you talking about? You sound like you've given her a lot. Let her decide what she wants."
I finished off my beer, "I'll see you later, Andy."
She wasn't due back until the end of August, which is why I was surprised when I saw her bedroom light that night; August 4. I saw her sitting on the window sill. She finally caught sight of me and waved me up.
So I climbed up and stared at her. "What are you doing home? I thought- what's wrong?" I asked, realizing her face was tear stricken. Maybe Huck broke up with her.
"Fat Louie died," she whispered.
I looked over to the corner that he normally inhabited. The spot in the cat bed was molded to his form.
"H-How? When?"
She fell onto my chest so I uncomfortably put my arms around her, "She cat on the roofed me," she managed.
"Who did what?"
"She told me last week that he was on the roof and no one could reach him. I said he'd come down on his own accord once he got hungry. Then she said Frank…er, Mr. G. tried to go up and get him, but couldn't reach him. I said Louie didn't like Frank. Then she said that Louie fell off the roof, onto the street and was hit."
"Uhm…"
"But it actually happened last week when she first called. She was trying to prepare me."
"He got hit?"
"She said he saw something shiny on the street and she'd left the window open to let air in. He jumped out and got hit."
I just held her close, "You'll be okay….." I whispered. We sat on her bed and I sang her a silly song to make her laugh. "Get dressed."
"Huh?"
"Get into a nice dress. Well, shower and stuff. Just get ready. I'm taking you out."
"Why th-"
"Mia, being around here is not going to make you feel good. I'll be back in forty five minutes."
