Author's Note:
Rader: All in good time
Alenor: You'll see why in the next chapter or two
Hgill: I agree. Way too many classes that I don't want to take and have ZERO interest in.
Milgram: It has been done by one of my friends cuz I said "Hey, I have a song title, work with it", so she did and came up with a funny song. And I won't do that to Felix
Everyone else: RED SOX TOMORROW! WOOT. This time tomorrow I will be sitting in my chair screaming at my television. Or running up to my computer to get reactions from other people. Cuz it's what I do. Man, it's been a long off season. Time to get psychotic again.
Dedicated to my co-conspirator
MIA:
At dinner we talked about the song. And how cool it was to be in a real life recording studio with real equipment with real sound engineers. I have to admit, Michael was totally in his element there. He knew exactly what he was doing and talking about. He would hear the slightest inconsistency in the song.
"Think they'll be pissed that it isn't you singing?" he asked.
"Nah," I said dipping my fry into the ketchup. "They are looking for me to promote basically. People will by an album if a royal is on it in some way."
"They'll yell at us next week, right?" he asked. "At the meeting with executives that is…."
"They'll make a decision then," I replied. "And tell us if we're on the album or not. If we are then I'll be here for the summer, promoting with you guys. At least for part of the summer."
A bit nerve wracking, no? Promoting that is. It's like, "Hey like me, won't you? Love me, won't you?" Hell, that's what I tried to do with Michael and look where it's left me!
I was kind of nervous going to the Warehouse. A lot of people got in trouble there, but I knew Michael would never let me get into any sort of trouble. He was always looking out for me. "Warm enough?" he asked as we made our way to the place.
I nodded, but shivered.
He put his jacket over my shoulders and then stuck his hands in his pockets. "Look, I know we've not been getting along but…well, I kind of hate not talking to you."
I stared at the ground and at my combat boots. "Then why haven't you been?" I asked softly.
"Because you told me not to," he replied.
"No-" I started to argue, but stopped myself. I had told him to. "I'm sorry," I whispered.
"Mia, we've been best friends for a few years now. I think we can just…you know, get over the little fights and stop acting like little kids? Stop being all I'm mad so you can't talk to me?"
He thought I was childish. "I…I guess. Look, I'm with Felix and I do love him. I have to be with him….I can't really explain it to you without sounding like a baby, but-"
"We'll talk later," he replied, opening the door to the building we'd just walked up to.
"But-"
"Mia, later," he replied.
Why is it when we finally decide to talk that is when he decides that we have to go be around people?"
I was surprised by the turn out. There were more people there than I expected to be honest with you. "Have you ever been to a party here?" Michael asked as we stood by a table someone had set up with food and drinks. He handed me a beer.
"No," I said, looking at my outfit choice. All the other girls looked so much older and more mature. I was wearing a sweater set and a black skirt. I looked like a middle schooler compared to them. They had loads of make up on while I made do with my lip gloss and a bit of eye shadow.
"Hey Moscovitz," a red head said coming up to him, "You haven't been here in weeks," she whined.
He half smiled and kissed her cheek, "Hey Gina. I've been busy. My internship and stuff. What have you been up to?"
I don't know why, but I was jealous right then. I just sat on the edge of the table and drank my drink while the two of them blatantly flirted in front of me.
"Not a thing," she replied, batting her fake eyelashes.
I took a beer from the bin again and handed it to Michael to open for me. He did so without taking his eyes off of her. I had no reason to be jealous. I had a boyfriend. I had pointed this out to him several times.
When I was half way through this beer a guy with a nose piercing dragged me to the middle of the room where people were dancing. I felt Michael's eyes watching the guy.
So I of course went along with him. And after that dance we went to the other side of the warehouse and got acquainted with one another. He and I shared a few drinks and told some stories that seemed funny at the time, but I can't even remember them after I became sober.
"Mia," Michael started, coming up to us on a couch.
The guy, who I learned was named Risey, put his hand on my knee jealously. "Dude, back off. She's with me-"
Michael stared at him angrily. "No, she's with me," he replied, grabbing my wrist and dragging me off into the crowd of dancing people.
"What was that about?" I asked giggling. I started kissing his neck.
"Mia, you should know better than to go drink with a strange guy," he replied.
"But you were talking to that red head. What was I supposed to do? Sit off to the side and smile?"
"She's my friend," he replied, annoyed.
I stared at him, "Like I'm your friend?" I asked, my lips brushing past his.
He didn't answer; instead he closed the space between our lips.
Before I knew it our dancing had stopped and he had lifted me up and carried me into a secluded area. "We're in a closet," I giggled as he removed his shirt.
He half smiled. "Yeah, so?"
I made a funny face and continued my kissing of him. We made out for quite sometime, he likes to take his time from I can tell. He slowly started making his way up my leg with his hand. I suddenly became aware that I was wearing really stupid underwear. I didn't want him to see it at all, but hey, it's a closet. It's dark. Maybe he won't notice.
"Did the music stop?" I asked as he started fumbling with my undergarments.
"I dunno," he replied, kissing my neck and trying to get my attention again.
Which he did ever so successfully.
Right as we were about to start getting into it I heard loud footsteps. Then a door opened widely.
Oh. Holy. Shit.
MICHAEL:
Luckily we both had our clothes on still. Well, I threw on my shirt (albeit backwards).We'd had enough warning to pull apart and to look like we'd been hiding out.
"We've got two more in here," the cop called out to someone else.
I looked at Mia. She looked terrified. I had messed up her hair and the sweater she was wearing was partially unbuttoned. I motioned for her to button up before the cop looked at us again.
I didn't dare look at her while we were being brought down to Precinct 114. "This is so awesome," she said from the back of the cop car.
I stared at her. "Are you joking me? Your grandmother is going to kill-"
"I know," she said giddily. "Isn't it great?"
I rolled my eyes. "I shouldn't have brought you there," I said shaking my head.
"No, I'm happy you did," she argued. "It was fun."
We were being charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct. They'd brought in about fifty other people from the party. Everyone else managed to get away without being caught.
But most of the other people brought in were also being charged with possession of Class D drug. Mia was going to be charged with under age drinking. "Your grandmother will kill me," I said miserably from our holding cell. We hadn't been able to get in touch with anyone. All of our friends had run off from the party.
"No she won't," she replied. "My dad was charged with possession of marijuana when he was twenty years old. She tries to act all stuffy and crap but she can't. Plus, she lets me drink all the time over in Genovia. She'll fight it."
"What if it comes out…you know…that we were together…"
"IN a closet hiding from cops?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"Well, the cops won't say anything once they figure out who I am. I have a feeling they won't."
I shook my head. They'll bring her to Genovia and won't ever let her see me again. Ever.
She started laughing, "Why do you look so stressed out? It's not a big-"
"Miss Thermopolis?" the officer said coming and unlocking the door. "Mr. Moscovitz? You've posted bail."
"We have?" I asked. "But it's only been like, five hours-"
"And I had to find a ride here," her brother, Louie replied.
Mia threw her arms around him as we left the cell. "Thank GOD!"
I half smiled.
"It's my monthly allowance," he teased.
"Oh pish posh," Mia replied as we went to be released. They handed us our stuff back in envelopes. "Like you had something better to do?"
"Yeah, actually. Elisabeth was over," he replied.
Mia turned pale, "Oh my gosh! Why? Why is she here from Michigan?"
"Surprising me," he replied.
Her eyes turned big and then she turned to me, "That's the girl he's been in love with forever," she explained. "So how badly did we interrupt you?"
"Ask my blue balls," he snapped.
Ouch. I knew exactly how he was feeling at that moment. The girl you are t otally nuts for...finally getting to be with her in the most intimate way, only to be hindered by brotherly duties. Well, my sobriety does it to me at times but whatever.
"Um...I'm happy for you?" she said cutely.
He looked at me, "Should I be happy for you too?"
Mia snickered, "Yeah, that I'm pissing Grandmere and Dad off."
He drove us back to Mia's apartment and let us go up alone. "Behave yourselves," he called from the car. She giggled and started to stumble up the steps.
"Careful," I said grabbing her wrist. "Careful."
I didn't trust that she'd make it up the stairs, so I picked her up and threw her over my shoulders. Then I put her into her bed. "Night Mia."
"Michael," she whispered as I began to fall into bed to sleep with her (only to make sure she didn't...well, that she didn't do something bad, I have to be her protector after all).
"Yeah?" I mumbled into her hair.
"It's seven in the morning, you can't say good night. You have to say sleep tight or something."
I smiled at her logic, "Fine then, Trixie. Sleep tight," I replied, pulling her tightly against me.
MIA:
My mother had heard about the night before and called to congratulate me the next afternoon. "It's not a peace rally but it's a start. It'll totally get your grandmothers mad at you. Good job."
"I didn't have that much to drink," I started to explain. "But we had nothing else to do so…"
"Rumor on the street is that you were in a closet with Michael."
"Oh, yeah. We were hiding from the police," I explained. "And talking about Felix."
I absentmindedly covered my nose. She would have known I was lying if she was sitting in front of me.
"Yeah, right. Talking. Well, I have to go. I have a show in a month and nothing to show for it. I'll call you later this week. We can have lunch or something."
"Okay Mom, love ya."
The next night Michael, Manny and I decided to lay low and just watch DVD's in their apartment. I took the first sip of the rather expensive wine and Michael laughed as I started coughing.
"I thought you were the expert with wine?" he teased. "You've had all sorts of it, haven't you?"
I rolled my eyes, "Okay mister Expert," I replied. "Take a sip."
He did and coughed a little. "This is disgusting," he agreed. "Let me go get some beers."
"Sorry for bailing on you guysthe othernight," Manny mumbled.
"It's fine," I assured him.
"I bet time with Michael was nice," he continued.
I shrugged.
"Mia, whatever little game you two are doing, it's gotta stop."
I turned to him. "Huh?" Talk about random.
"Seriously. Before it kills your friendship. Neither of you are ready for a relationship with the other. Time to give it up….."
I smiled weakly, trying my best not to cry. He was right. Totally right.
"At least for now," he said softly, reading my visual response.
"How do you-"
"I just know. Trust me."
"But-"
"Mia, I'm his friend as well as yours, and I hate seeing this. Back and forth. Back and forth. We can't have you guys like this. Not when the band is just starting to get a good following."
"Huh?"
"You break his heart. He breaks yours. Animosity in the band. We lose any ground we build up."
"I see," I said slowly. He had a point. We couldn't put the future of the band at risk for our own momentary pleasures.
"I know you love him. And he loves you too. But now….not a good time for either of you. Professionally or personally. You need stability. He needs to go let off steam. Sow his wild oats, if you will."
"He has wild oats?" I asked.
"You know what I mean. Just think about it, Mia. Seriously. I want you two to be happy. And if you were to get together right now no one would be happy."
I made a confused face, "Huh?"
"One, your grandmother would be pissed that you were breaking up with a lawyer's son for a gay psychotherapist's son. Two, your dad adores Felix for some unknown reason. Three, Rocky seems to have taken a liking to him as well. Remember him playing with Frank's drums the other week? Rocky spazzed out and latched onto his leg."
"Yeah…" I said slowly. Michael was taking his time with those beers. Had he asked Manny to talk to me? He hadn't been able to say this to my face?
"Four, Felix himself would be pretty unhappy. And you actually seem to care for the guy. And those girls he dates…or sleeps with…I know, you hate her, but she's a pretty nice girl…kind of. I mean, I don't like them myself, but he kind of does. And they're good for him…for now. They're what he needs. They feed his ego. And that's what he needs right now. Someone superficial. Not someone who is real, you."
Should I be offended? "What are you talking about?"
"Mia…you are perfect…for him. You are funny and honest…and you know how to have a good time. You don't act all prissy and that you are better than having a beer and playing cards. You are…you are the perfect girl. Any guy would want you."
I made a face, "I doubt that," I replied, staring at my lap. "I only shave when necessary and have cheated on every boyfriend I've ever had, other than Kenny. Isn't that weird? Kenny Showalter was the only one I never cheated on."
"I never knew him."
"Good."
"But…well, you are right for him. And I think that might scare him off. Mia, let it all go. Don't hurt yourself or him anymore. You'll know when the timing is right."
"For what?" Michael asked, re-entering the room.
"Took you long enough," I snapped, harsher than expected.
"Well, Princess, you did not hear my phone ring.My friend Hollywas calling. We're meeting up later for a late movie."
Manny shot me a meaningful glance. He was right. Michael needed someone without any strings attached. And I had a billion of them hanging off of me.
