Disclaimer: Meg Cabot owns all characters... Except Holly the skank and anyone else you don't recognise.
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Michael's POV…
I walked into my parent's apartment unannounced. It hadn't even occurred to me to call ahead. They're my parents, the people you turn to when you need help or a place to stay. And right now, I need both.
"Michael!" Mom cried, so surprised to see me that she didn't even notice my expression, which was anything but happy.
She came over and hugged me just as Dad walked into the room.
"Son! It's great to see you. To what do we owe this great pleasure?"
Where do I start?
"Um, I just have some things going on right now. Do you guys mind if I stay for a couple of days?"
"Of course," Mom replied. "But honey, is everything ok? If you want to talk about it, we're here for you, you know that."
Just at that second, as I looked at my parents looking at me like a vulture eyeing a dying man, I realised I can't talk to my psychoanalyst parents about this. Not until I figure it out myself first. Then they can help me, but not before.
"Um, maybe later. But right now I think I'll just go to my room."
I walked into the bedroom I had had while I was growing up, and I felt at home right away. This was the place where I learned to play the guitar, the place where I wrote all my songs about Mia and spent so long pining after her.
I got some spare sheets out of the linen closet and made my bed up. Not a lot has changed in this room since I left. And it's relatively clean, probably cleaner than it was when I still lived here. I guess Maya must still clean it.
I laid back on my Star Wars sheets and looked up at the ceiling where I once stuck glow in the stars in the shape of Andromeda. Half the stars have fallen off now. Things were so much simpler then.
Sure, they didn't seem it at the time, but at least unwanted pregnancy wasn't an issue I ever had to deal with.
I sighed and rolled over. I know I have to think about Mia, Holly and the baby eventually, but right now, at two thirty in the afternoon, all I want to do is sleep and dream it all away.
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I woke a few hours later to a knocking at my door.
Mom cautiously walked in, a phone clutched in her hand.
"No," I held my hand up to her. "Tell whoever it is that I'm not here. I don't want to talk to anyone just yet." I was expecting it to be Mia or Holly. Holly tracked down my parent's number a few months ago, I'm sure she could find it again, no problem.
"It's Lilly," mom said.
I thought about it for a second. Do I want to talk to Lilly about it? I don't want to tell Mom and Dad, but I've got to get someone else's perspective on the situation, maybe Lilly can help without psychoanalysing everything. And plus, she probably already knows from Mia.
"Ok," I nodded and took the phone from her.
"Lil?" I asked into the phone once mom had shut the door behind her.
"Hey, doofus. Mom says something's wrong with you. Wanna tell me about it?
"So… you don't know already then?"
"Know what? Mom just called and told me to talk to you. I know nothing. So spill, what's going on?"
"Everything is stuffed up, Lil. Everything."
"Michael, don't tell me you've already managed to stuff things up with Mia, you guys have only been together a few weeks, and of those few weeks, you've only seen her like, what? Three days?"
"Two," I corrected her. "And I didn't mean to stuff things up. It's not my fault. Well, it kind of is since it does take two to tango, but still, it's not fair! I only just found Mia, it can't be over already! It just can't be!"
"Whoa, Michael, calm down. Only dogs can hear you when you talk like that. Now, start from the start. Who else's fault is this?"
"Holly's."
"Holly? That crazy stalker who called me up to ask about you and Mia? What did she do?"
There was no point putting it off. I had to tell Lilly then and there.
"She got pregnant, Lil," I said bluntly.
Silence was all I could hear at the end of the phone line.
"Lilly? Are you still there? Did you hear what I said?"
For the first time in my life, and probably the last, I heard Lilly mutter something completely incoherent.
"What?" I asked.
"Holy crap, Michael! What are you going to do?"
"That's why I need your help!" I cried. "You're supposed to tell me what to do, because I have no idea!"
"Well," Lilly said, trying to compose herself. "You love Mia right?"
"Of course. You've known that for years."
"But you and Holly are going to have a baby, and you have a certain responsibility to her and the child…"
"Right… Lilly, I assume you have a point here."
Lilly sighed; I actually heard it through the phone. "No, I was just trying to make sure I understood everything. I have no idea what you should do, Michael. This is a decision only you can make."
"I was afraid you were going to say that."
"So what are you going to do?"
"You expect me to have made that decision in the last three seconds? I need to think about it. But either way, my life is totally screwed. Either way, whoever I choose, the woman I love or the woman who's carrying my child, I'm going to be a father."
Suddenly those words sunk in.
"Oh my God, Lilly, I'm going to be a father!"
"Are you only just realising that?" she asked.
"Well, yeah. My initial thought was that I'm going to lose Mia over this. I didn't even stop to think that I'm going to be gaining a son or daughter."
"And I'm going to be an aunt," Lilly said. "Listen, I have to go. I'll probably speak to Mia later, no doubt she'll be a mess over this too. Is there anything you want me to tell her from you?"
"Just… just tell her that I love her. And that I'm sorry this has happened."
"Alright. Call me if you need to talk though, Michael. Or even if you just need someone to bounce ideas off."
"I will. And, Lil?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"No problem. It's what little sisters are for, right?"
"I thought they were for stirring up trouble."
"Well… that too. Bye."
"See you." I hung up unsure if the conversation had helped or hindered me.
Either way she was right. I need to figure this out on my own. No one can make the decision for me.
Unfortunately.
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It'll only take thirty seconds to review, to let me know that people haven't completely given up on reading this just because I've... complicated things with Mia and Michael, so please take the time to do so. God knows I spent longer than thirty seconds writing this.
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Michael's POV…
I walked into my parent's apartment unannounced. It hadn't even occurred to me to call ahead. They're my parents, the people you turn to when you need help or a place to stay. And right now, I need both.
"Michael!" Mom cried, so surprised to see me that she didn't even notice my expression, which was anything but happy.
She came over and hugged me just as Dad walked into the room.
"Son! It's great to see you. To what do we owe this great pleasure?"
Where do I start?
"Um, I just have some things going on right now. Do you guys mind if I stay for a couple of days?"
"Of course," Mom replied. "But honey, is everything ok? If you want to talk about it, we're here for you, you know that."
Just at that second, as I looked at my parents looking at me like a vulture eyeing a dying man, I realised I can't talk to my psychoanalyst parents about this. Not until I figure it out myself first. Then they can help me, but not before.
"Um, maybe later. But right now I think I'll just go to my room."
I walked into the bedroom I had had while I was growing up, and I felt at home right away. This was the place where I learned to play the guitar, the place where I wrote all my songs about Mia and spent so long pining after her.
I got some spare sheets out of the linen closet and made my bed up. Not a lot has changed in this room since I left. And it's relatively clean, probably cleaner than it was when I still lived here. I guess Maya must still clean it.
I laid back on my Star Wars sheets and looked up at the ceiling where I once stuck glow in the stars in the shape of Andromeda. Half the stars have fallen off now. Things were so much simpler then.
Sure, they didn't seem it at the time, but at least unwanted pregnancy wasn't an issue I ever had to deal with.
I sighed and rolled over. I know I have to think about Mia, Holly and the baby eventually, but right now, at two thirty in the afternoon, all I want to do is sleep and dream it all away.
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I woke a few hours later to a knocking at my door.
Mom cautiously walked in, a phone clutched in her hand.
"No," I held my hand up to her. "Tell whoever it is that I'm not here. I don't want to talk to anyone just yet." I was expecting it to be Mia or Holly. Holly tracked down my parent's number a few months ago, I'm sure she could find it again, no problem.
"It's Lilly," mom said.
I thought about it for a second. Do I want to talk to Lilly about it? I don't want to tell Mom and Dad, but I've got to get someone else's perspective on the situation, maybe Lilly can help without psychoanalysing everything. And plus, she probably already knows from Mia.
"Ok," I nodded and took the phone from her.
"Lil?" I asked into the phone once mom had shut the door behind her.
"Hey, doofus. Mom says something's wrong with you. Wanna tell me about it?
"So… you don't know already then?"
"Know what? Mom just called and told me to talk to you. I know nothing. So spill, what's going on?"
"Everything is stuffed up, Lil. Everything."
"Michael, don't tell me you've already managed to stuff things up with Mia, you guys have only been together a few weeks, and of those few weeks, you've only seen her like, what? Three days?"
"Two," I corrected her. "And I didn't mean to stuff things up. It's not my fault. Well, it kind of is since it does take two to tango, but still, it's not fair! I only just found Mia, it can't be over already! It just can't be!"
"Whoa, Michael, calm down. Only dogs can hear you when you talk like that. Now, start from the start. Who else's fault is this?"
"Holly's."
"Holly? That crazy stalker who called me up to ask about you and Mia? What did she do?"
There was no point putting it off. I had to tell Lilly then and there.
"She got pregnant, Lil," I said bluntly.
Silence was all I could hear at the end of the phone line.
"Lilly? Are you still there? Did you hear what I said?"
For the first time in my life, and probably the last, I heard Lilly mutter something completely incoherent.
"What?" I asked.
"Holy crap, Michael! What are you going to do?"
"That's why I need your help!" I cried. "You're supposed to tell me what to do, because I have no idea!"
"Well," Lilly said, trying to compose herself. "You love Mia right?"
"Of course. You've known that for years."
"But you and Holly are going to have a baby, and you have a certain responsibility to her and the child…"
"Right… Lilly, I assume you have a point here."
Lilly sighed; I actually heard it through the phone. "No, I was just trying to make sure I understood everything. I have no idea what you should do, Michael. This is a decision only you can make."
"I was afraid you were going to say that."
"So what are you going to do?"
"You expect me to have made that decision in the last three seconds? I need to think about it. But either way, my life is totally screwed. Either way, whoever I choose, the woman I love or the woman who's carrying my child, I'm going to be a father."
Suddenly those words sunk in.
"Oh my God, Lilly, I'm going to be a father!"
"Are you only just realising that?" she asked.
"Well, yeah. My initial thought was that I'm going to lose Mia over this. I didn't even stop to think that I'm going to be gaining a son or daughter."
"And I'm going to be an aunt," Lilly said. "Listen, I have to go. I'll probably speak to Mia later, no doubt she'll be a mess over this too. Is there anything you want me to tell her from you?"
"Just… just tell her that I love her. And that I'm sorry this has happened."
"Alright. Call me if you need to talk though, Michael. Or even if you just need someone to bounce ideas off."
"I will. And, Lil?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"No problem. It's what little sisters are for, right?"
"I thought they were for stirring up trouble."
"Well… that too. Bye."
"See you." I hung up unsure if the conversation had helped or hindered me.
Either way she was right. I need to figure this out on my own. No one can make the decision for me.
Unfortunately.
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It'll only take thirty seconds to review, to let me know that people haven't completely given up on reading this just because I've... complicated things with Mia and Michael, so please take the time to do so. God knows I spent longer than thirty seconds writing this.
