Falling Away

Chapter Six: just say hello to the ground

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Mia wanted to take the sunset and save it. The sky was the softest of pinks, laced heavily with thin, wispy white clouds. The stars were faintly visible, the moon appearing clearer and clearer every few minutes. The roof of the apartment building was noticeably dirt but Mia sat down on it anyway, gazing up at the sky. The sun slowly lowered in the background, which she found oddly comforting.

She had seen Michael for the second time in a week. Was it a coincidence or was fate currently working against her? She hadn't seen or spoken to him in six years and now, she was seeing him once a week. Mia thought about the way his smile was so carefree, like he didn't care that he was talking to the girl he used to be in love with. He had looked into her gray eyes with such ease, it was painful. How could he be so calm when she had felt so nervous? She should've been able to talk to him as a friend, not as a girl he once loved but didn't anymore.

But there was something else that was etched in her mind. It was what Adam had said to Michael: "Yeah! You bumped into my friend, Mia, here. After the performance, she asked to listen to your guys' CD and she liked it." Adam had called Mia his friend. The sweet kisses between meals and the holding hands in the park said otherwise. It was odd how three words, my friend, Mia, could affect her so much. But they had hit her like a tidal wave.

A soft sigh escaped from Mia's glossed lips and she closed her eyes. Adam had said something about wanting to take a shower before going to Raydan to see Mission for Recognition. "Michael Z invited us after all," Adam had said, a thrilled smile on his face. Mia imagined Adam with a towel wrapped around his waist. He took his cologne and softly spritzed some onto his neck and then onto his chest. She thought about nestling into Adam's naked chest and taking in his scent, which evoked thoughts of burnt leaves and pine.

She was so lost in thought that when a voice from behind her called her name, she took a few moments to turn around to respond. "Oh, hi, Mom," Mia said, smiling up at Helen Thermopolis. Helen had wrapped a vibrant scarf around her neck to protect her from the cold breeze. The wind calmed Mia's nerves; it seemed to settle her mind.

"Hi, sweetie," Helen said, looking bemused at the sight of her daughter sitting on the softly dirt covered roof of the apartment building. She sort of shrugged and sat down beside her daughter, looking happy and warm. "What are you doing up here?" Mia paused before speaking, her eyes closed again.

"I was just thinking, I guess," Mia said. Helen tucked a strand of hair behind Mia's ear, scanning her daughter's face with concern. Mia opened her eyes, though reluctantly, and looked to her mom. Mia couldn't help but notice that Helen was still beautiful and young-looking, even if she was nearing forty. Her dark, glossy curls cascaded down past her shoulders and her eyes were bright and cheerful.

"Thinking about what?" Helen said, in a softer voice than she usually had. She looked out at the sunset and smiled. The slightest hint of darkness was in the sky, the sun almost fully set. The sky was streaked with deep grays and pinks. It was a lot to take in but she managed. And before she knew what she was doing, she was telling her mom just about everything she was thinking about, with no inhibitions.

"I've been thinking about so many things. Adam, for one. We were going to see Grandmere at the Plaza and who should we stumble across but Michael? I mean, I did see him last week and I didn't even know that he's in this world famous band, Mission for Recognition. And he acted like he barely knew me! He seemed so calm and I was so nervous. But, then again, why would he be nervous? He did break up with me after all. So, maybe he was thinking how he hadn't missed out over the last six years since we've been apart. And, then, Adam said to Michael that I was his friend and I know for a fact that we're more than friends. Or maybe he was just lying to make me feel better? But that's not like Adam. He never lies to me, but—"

"Honey," Helen said, raising her hand to silence Mia. "It seems like you've got a lot on your mind. And you saw Michael twice?" Mia nodded her head, her eyes on the ground. Mia had told Helen all about Michael's final call two days after, days in which she spent hidden in her room, watching trashy television and pigging out on ice cream. She had tried to sound calm but had ended up sobbing into her mom's chest.

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Mia Thermopolis took a deep breath before walking out into the kitchen, where her mom was feeding Rocky. She closed her eyes and stopped before entering the kitchen. Helen looked so happy and Mia didn't want to ruin that with the news. She didn't want to think about Michael or his perfect peat bog eyes, his reddish-pink lips, his deep, mellifluous voice. She just wanted to get over him once and for all. But the wound was still fresh and she felt like crying whenever she saw something that reminded her of Michael.

She had kept in her room for the previous two days, ripping up every song Michael had written for her. She had almost flushed the snowflake necklace he had given her for her fifteenth birthday but had thought better of it, since it went well with most of her clothes. Or, rather, because it much too sentimental to her. She ripped almost every picture she had of him into tiny little pieces, keeping only one that showed her and Michael smiling at the zoo, in front of the penguins. But she kept that and the snowflake necklace hidden in a small box in a corner of her closet, random clothing strewn on it.

Mia opened her dull gray eyes and entered the kitchen the second Helen was finished feeding Rocky. Helen looked startled at the sight of Mia. She hadn't seen her in two days but she didn't exactly know why Mia had barricaded herself in her room. She just knew that Mia was upset. And now Mia was out of her room, greasy-haired, smelling rather rank.

"Mia, are you okay?" Helen inquired, her eyebrows raised. "I haven't seen you out of your room in days and you're smelling rather…" Helen wanted to use an adjective that wouldn't offend Mia. "Um. Ripe." Mia opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She resorted to calling Helen something she hadn't called her since she was seven.

"Mommy," Mia said, slowly nearing Helen. "H-H-He…" Helen looked concerned now. Mia's eyes were slowly filling with hot tears. "Michael…he…he…" Before she could stop herself, she started to cry into her mother's chest. Try as hard as she could, she couldn't stop. Helen was startled, of course, but understood. She started to stroke Mia's hair as Rocky began crying with Mia. The kitchen was filled with sobs that morning. And Mia promised herself that she would never get as upset over a breakup as she was then.

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Arienette was bustling with people. No, rather, it was crowded with so many people that Mia found it rather hard to breathe. If the gyrating bodies weren't enough to creep her out, the men parading around in catsuits surely were. But she was there to enjoy a Mission for Recognition show, wasn't she? It was all about the music. And Adam. And, she thought, possibly Michael as well. They were, after all, still friends, right? Yes, friends that spent six years not talking to each other, that time probably being longer if they hadn't bumped into each other so suddenly. Mia was simply there to enjoy a nice night out partying, probably throwing back a few drinks, and watching a good band perform live. But maybe it didn't help that her first and only love was the lead singer of that band.

She supposed that it was inevitable that Michael would become rich and famous when he was older. She thought sadly of Skinner Box and how their demise had been most quick. The day Michael left for Columbia, it was sort of official that Skinner Box would break up. He was what you would call a "musical genius." He could play a plethora of instruments and wrote songs every single day. There was always a new melody, a new song, playing in his head and he could write up amazing songs in a matter of minutes.

Mission for Recognition was scheduled to perform in fifteen minutes. Adam was undeniably excited to be seeing a full show by his favorite band. Mia noticed that he was looking rather fidgety and that he hadn't even taken a sip of his drink. Mia looked around nonchalantly, tipping her beer lightly into her mouth, the liquid slowly hitting her teeth. She wasn't much of a drinker but she felt that she might need a few beers that night.

"Aren't you excited, Mia?" Adam asked, smiling. He took her hand and gently caressed her fingers with his thumb. Sure she was excited. Just probably not as much as he was. She looked into Adam's gleaming green eyes and nodded. A sweet smile played on his lips and he leaned in and kissed her softly on the mouth. It was honestly those short, sweet kisses that made Mia the happiest. But the whole "friend" thing was still nagging at her.

"I can't wait until they get on stage," Mia murmured, grinning at Adam. He looked at her intently for a moment, a small smirk on his face, before looking back at the stage. After a few seconds passed by, Mia set her drink down and laced her fingers with Adam's. She leaned in, her lips meeting his. He was caught off-guard but quickly eased into the kiss. Mia slowly ran her hands through his messy hair while he kept his warm hands at her waist. Mia smiled when he started to nibble on her bottom lip.

"Ladies and gentleman, from Manhattan, Mission for Recognition!" Adam pulled away so quickly that Mia stood there for a few seconds, not really knowing what had just happened. Then she turned to the stage. Adam took her hand and started walking closer to the stage. He swiftly passed through the throng, some of which looked disgruntled.

Mia kept her eyes on the stage as Mission for Recognition walked on. She noticed Michael walking on first. He smiled back at this girl with messy black hair. She smiled back and said something. He laughed and headed to the front of the stage while the other band members walked to their instruments.

The crowd erupted into cheers and clapping. There was one particular girl by Mia that started crying and mumbling something about how she wanted to have Michael's babies. Mia found it oddly dazing to see Michael on the large stage of such a large club. Back when he was in Skinner Box, the biggest stage they had ever really been on was a small part of the Empire State Building observation deck at his prom.

"Hey," Michael said in a low, growling voice into the microphone. "We are Mission for Recognition. We'll be doing songs off the album, songs that aren't on the album, as well as a few covers. Our first song tonight is one you all have probably heard…'Reoccurring Kind.'" Mia watched as Michael smirked and the lead guitarist, Max, played the intro to the song. The crowd didn't quiet down until Michael uttered the first word of the song. Mia watched with amazement as one single voice, albeit an amazing one, made the crowd settle down to a murmur. Mia saw Adam watch Michael with rapt attention out of the corner of her eye.

Did you expect it all to fall the way you wanted it to?

We are only what you want me to be

I want to see inside your mind

I need to breathe inside your head

But you won't let me because

Mia took a deep breath before Michael plunged into the chorus.

You and I

Are the reoccurring kind

Your eyes melt into the darkness of the

Spiritual, we live everyday as much as

We, can't you see?

You and I

We

Are the reoccurring kind

Almost all of their songs were about something to do with love. Back when Michael was in Skinner Box, he had written most of his songs about Mia and quite a few political songs, such as "Rock Throwing Youths." Mia noticed that some of the songs on the album were about heartbreak or revenge, still some about newfound love, even though one or two was about the government. Most people, she felt, would've compared Mission for Recognition to the likes of The Strokes, Rooney, and Phantom Planet. Some of the lyrics were as deep as Bright Eyes while others were just fun and catchy, like those of Ben Kweller, Adam Green, and Rooney.

Mia bit her lip, an eyebrow raised, when Michael started stroking his microphone in a suggestive manner. She was surprised at Michael's voice. Sometimes it was low and smooth, other times happier and more fun. Mia even heard a guy a few feet away from her saying, "Wow! This is like dancey indie rock!" Mia almost snorted at that but managed to keep her full attention on the band.

When the fake green trees are whispering

Your lies tangle like a web of memories

I thought that we were the kind

The reoccurring kind

Loving is so hard to do

Especially when it's always on my mind

I don't love you

Applause filled the room as Mission for Recognition ended their first song. Adam whispered into her ear, "I love being here with you, Mia. I'm seeing my favorite band with the person I like most in the world. Things couldn't get much better, I don't think." Mia grinned and pecked Adam's cheek. She couldn't help but think that sometimes he seemed to say the sappiest, corniest things but he made it work somehow.

"This next song is a cover," Michael murmured into the microphone. "It's a song called 'What's New For Fall' by a little band from Omaha, Nebraska…Desaparecidos." He smiled a gentle, almost timid smile that nearly made the girl who wanted to have Michael's babies faint.

In the corduroys or jeans

Chinos or capris

Sweater vest, no sleeves

Oxford underneath

Or whatever you think

I mean, whatever's gonna make you want me

Come on, dress me

I'll be your mannequin

Make me attractive

So sexy and thin

Well, stand still, pose me

Mia laughed lightly as Michael imitated little poses, as if he were modeling. The rest of the audience seemed to find this quite humorous as well. At the line "I don't think she likes me, not with this new haircut" Michael flipped his hair and pouted his lips, which made both Adam and Mia crack up in laughter, though for different reasons.

Adam only knew Michael as the frontman of Mission for Recognition, his favorite band. He saw him as someone who was so cool, so calm, without any effort that he found himself wanting to be Michael sometimes. He thought that maybe he was a little obsessed, yes, but he just really loved the music.

Back when they had been dating, Mia had viewed Michael as a floppy-haired, guitar-playing god, so to speak. He had always been so serious but so sarcastic at the same time that her heart seemed to melt every time he opened he opened his mouth to speak to her. Or, you know, stick his tongue into her mouth.

So, as Mia watched Michael act like a pouty vixen (though a male one), she couldn't help but think when she thought that Michael was the exact epitome of perfect. For her, anyway. And he had seemed to agree. Mia found herself chewing on her lip, thinking about Michael while watching him onstage.

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Michael felt nervous performing in front of the crowd but by the look on his face, you could tell he liked the pressure of either making or breaking the show. The night seemed to be breezing by like a strong wind on a crisp autumn day. Michael found himself flipping his hair and basically flirting with his microphone. But it was all in good fun, he supposed. He looked occasionally to both of his sides, even smiling at Kristen and David a few times while they played their instruments behind him. Max played his guitar solos with a unique precision, causing a slew of "OH MY GOD! MAX IS, LIKE, SO HOT!! MAX, LET ME HUMP YOUR LEG!!"

Michael ran a hand through his hair before playing the opening chords of one of the better crowd-pleasers, "Darkest Rose." The crowd, boys and girls alike, sang along as Michael sang the chorus in a silky, deep voice that absolutely drove the girls wild. A certain boy didn't seem to pleased that Michael seemed to be making his girlfriend swoon, he noticed while looking out at the crowd.

The first person he had seen when he had walked onto the stage was Mia. That Adam guy had been pulling her toward the front after what seemed like had been a makeout session, by the way Adam's hair was sticking out in random directions. Oh, and the fact that pink lipgloss was smeared across Mia's cheek, which she had wiped away before the chorus of "Reoccurring Kind."

Michael noticed that Mia was looking particularly nice that night. Her hair was tied up in an intricate knot, stopping just above the nape of her neck. She wore a black top and a pair of jeans, a gold bracelet dangling from her wrist. But the one thing that stood out in his mind most was the necklace she was wearing.

A snowflake necklace.

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MISSION FOR RECOGNITION THANKS

Michael thanks: Wow, there are so many people to thank. First of all, the "Z" family. You guys rock. Except for, you know, Lilly. Okay, I have to thank you too. Because if you weren't my sister, a lot of the songs I have written (the angst-ridden ones, that is) would never have been. So, thank you for being the biggest bitch I know. Oh, and I mean that in the best way possible. Seriously. Gwen, you never leave my mind. Everything about you makes me want to do things that I don't think I can mention here. Thanks to Max, David, Shayne, and Kristen (known collectively, along with me, as Mission for Recognition…FUCK YEAH!) for being there in times of great happiness as well as during those shitty moments where you just want to crawl back in bed and suffocate yourself with a pillow. You guys own and you know it, damn it! David, if it weren't for you and your sensibility along with your witty humor, there probably never would have been a Mission for Recognition…Who else? Ah, yes, the Rooney boys (known to us MfR members as the Roonsters or the "dirty pimp playas"). Thanks for…rockin' and rollin'. The whole shebang! BOO YA, Ned! I'll never let you live that movie down! Yo, Carrick. What's up, playa? I'm off on a flying walnut and it is not pretty! Ha ha. Warren, you may be our manager but you're still cool. Yeah. And last but not least, thanks, whale girl (I am not in any way implying that you are overweight), for the inspiration for most of my songs. You know who you are.

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A/N: Okay, this story will hopefully get better in the upcoming chapters. Please review!