Michael POV:

I guess it's kind of hard to explain how I felt when I saw her in the hallway with George- someone who looks almost identical to me with a few more promising features. He was all over her just slammed against the locker. I meant nothing to her. Oh god. It's painful to think about it. But you know what, she fooled me once and she'll never fool me again. I guess what surprised me the most was the fact that she had told me she loved me. I never thought of Mia as the kind who went back on her declarations since she made so few of them. But then again I guess this just goes to show that people are not always what you think they are.

I raced out of the school, running into a fierce storm of sleet. I was careful to avoid the deathly icy puddles that filled in the various ditches or curves in the sidewalk, knowing how stupid I would look if I fell while I was running away from something I never wanted to experience in my life. But then again, maybe slipping and falling would do me some good. Maybe I would wake up from this horrible dream where Mia didn't love me anymore.

The sleet pelted my face, as I struggled against the fierce winds that blew in my face. Taxis sped up and down the street, carrying passengers to the airport, where many were trying to escape to a warmer place for what was going to be a very cold winter here in New York.

I knew the way home like the back of my hand, so I didn't really have to think about where I was going. I raced through all of the people walking home from work; my bookbag frequently bumping into various pedestrians. I got the usual, "Geez man! Watch where you're going!" But I didn't mind at the time because all I could think about was getting home.

Sharp intakes of painful cold air racked my body as I angrily tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to freeze all over my flushed cheeks. I couldn't cry, at least not in public. I mean what would people say? Oh that stupid Michael Moscovitz! He fell for all that shit that pretty princess gave him about how she loved him! Hahaha! Look at him cry!

For my sake, I couldn't cry because then I would just feel worse about the whole situation.

Finally I reached my apartment, and I burst through the door and trudged up the stairs as the ice that had gathered on my jacket melted in the heated apartment complex. I raced up to my family's apartment and barged in, knowing the door would be open.

I was greeted by the smell of gingerbread cookies, fresh out of the oven. They were one of the few things my mother could cook and since she was taking 2 weeks off for Christmas, she would probably be trying constantly to prove how well she cooked. I had a feeling that we would be having a lot of gingerbread in the following weeks. Or macaroni.

I raced through the living room and down the short hallway to my bedroom past Lily's room and I heard the faint sound of "Geez jerk! You could at least be a tad quieter than an elephant; Mia's not going to like it if you're always so grumpy!"

Oh god. Not Mia again. A fresh batch of tears welled up in my stomach, forcing their way up my throat. I fiercely held them down, willing myself once again. Most of all I couldn't let Lily see me crying.

I walked into my room, and slammed my door. I looked in on a room which seemed so bleak to me, filled with everything that I despised at the moment. Everything that reminded me of Mia which was something I definitely didn't want to be reminded of at the present time.

Now that I was finally in my own safety bubble, I threw off my coat, and leaned against the door. I slid down painfully finally letting tears flow that I had been holding back for what seemed like hours. They slid freely down my cheeks, sinking into my dark brown sweatshirt like water seeps into a sponge. I put my hands over my face, not wanting to cry like this but knowing there was no way I could hold it in forever.

So for what seemed like hours, but was actually only about five minutes, I sat there and cried my sorrows away. It felt good to let the pain escape, and my sweatshirt became like the mop with which cleaners soak up the dirty water.

Suddenly, without warning I fell flat on my back. I knew for a fact that I had locked my door, knowing that I wouldn't want to be disturbed. Damn those hairpins. As my watery eyes cleared I came face to face with the pug faced maniac that is my sister. She looked at me with furrowed brows.

I hastily jumped up and turned around heading back into my room, trying to pull the door with me. All of sudden a firm grip grasped my arm, and I found myself unable to break free.

I unwillingly turned to the face of Lily and in a ragged voice whispered, "Please Lily not now. I'll do anything you want just please leave me alone right now."

But she didn't release her grip on my arm. I was getting angry all over again. With my other hand I brushed my tear streaked cheeks, trying to compose myself. What would I have to do to make her let go of me?

"What happened Michael?" she asked in a soft but commanding voice. But I really didn't want to talk about it.

"Please Lily, I really don't want to talk about it." And I tried again to free myself of her firm grip. But it wasn't working.

"Michael, I'm not letting you go anywhere until you tell me what happened!" Oh god. I was going to have to tell her because I really didn't want to spend my whole crappy afternoon with Lily. Here goes nothing.

"I found Mia kissing George from her biology class by her locker when I went to meet her." I said in a crackly, pain filled voice. A fresh set of tears threatened to break my almost cool façade as I faced the facts of that afternoon.

Lily's eyes scrunched up in confusion and then filled with sadness. I don't know if it was for me or Mia, but I was guessing Mia. How could she feel sorry for Mia?? She did everything wrong and I did nothing!!

"Oh man Michael I'm so sorry. I can't believe it. I thought she loved you! What did she say to you in explanation?" So that sympathy in her eyes was for me. Well, that was something to think about; when had she ever felt sorry for me?

I forced the tears back down in my throat as I said, "She didn't have a chance because I ran away." I could feel them brimming in my eyes.

"Oh Michael." And then she did the most surprising thing that I have ever seen from my sister in my whole life. She hugged me. And surprisingly I hugged her back because it was what I really needed right now. The comfort of knowing someone felt sorry for me and knew how shitty I was feeling. And the tears streamed down my face because I couldn't hold them back any longer.

"Now… will you… let.. me… go?" I said between sobs.

"Anything you want Michael. I have a few things to say to Mia." She said with an angry face. As much as I hated Mia at this moment, I really didn't want her to face the wrath of Lily.

"Don't.. hurt.. her... Lil… you know how… sensitive she.. is." I once again said through sobs.

"Michael! How can you feel sorry for her when she just like ruined your life!" And she stormed away. Oh well, there really wasn't much I could do now. But I did do something, possibly unwillingly.

"LILY!" I shouted with fury and she stopped in her tracks, turning around to face me, her face boiling with anger. "Tell her I'll always love her."

And with that I turned around and slowly walked back to my room, all the while brushing away the streams of tears that gushed down my face.

Mia POV:

As soon as the initial shock had left me I turned to George with an enraged face. "NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! YOU RUINED MY ONE CHANCE AT HAPPINESS BY DOING SOMETHING I NEVER WANTED YOU TO DO IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

George stepped back with an arrogant look on his face and said, "Well now I know what it's like to kiss a princess!" and gave a small chuckle. I walked up to him with confidence I never knew I possessed and said in a ragged whispered voice, "Bastard." And with that I slapped him across the face. Hard.

"Geez Mia! What is wrong with you!" he exclaimed. I guess he never knew I had it in me well come to think of it, I didn't know I had it in me either. I strode down the hall, filled with anger at George, confidence from that slap and sadness that Michael would probably never understand. Tears started streaming down my face as I thought of what Michael shouted. I did love him, oh god I loved him so much. But he would never know. And maybe I would have to learn to live with the fact that I would never be able to get him back.

I knew he would have run home by now, but secretly I was hoping that he had been waiting outside and had seen what I did to George. Of course, he wasn't there and all I could see for miles were people, cabs and sleet. I did however come face to face with Mr. Gianini.

"Weren't you supposed to meet up with Michael after school?" Oh god. Now I was going to have to get an interrogation from my stepfather. I knew I was going to have to tell him the truth but I decided that right now I didn't want to confront the truth.

So instead I said, "Well no you see he just called me on my cell and told me that we are going to meet at his house." There we go. All covered up. Except for the tears but fortunately it was either so cold outside that they had frozen and disappeared, or Mr. Gianini chose not to ask. I guessed it was the latter.

"I can give you a ride if you want." Oh god. This created a whole new set of problems. I new he wouldn't let me walk home by myself, even if Michael's house was just around the block. And that happened to be the one place I didn't want to go right now. But I really had no choice because or else he would get suspicious

"Sure, Mr. G. That would be great." Oh god, what had I gotten myself into?

AN: Another Chapter! Yay! Sorry I haven't updated for a while, its just I haven't really had the time. Enjoy and please review! The more reviews, the quicker I post!