Disclaimer: nothing belongs to me yada yada with the exception of Lauren and Felix and anyone else who you don't recognize . . .

A/N: YAY I'm finally after forever updating . . . Im sorry it took so long but I'm trying to come up with a good story for Harry and Hermione and can't think of anything . . . and when I would try to write for this story I would get distracted and have a major writer's block so sorry once again . . . I also have no idea what to do with the whole Lauren and Felix thing so . . . blame THEM for my lack of updating . . . and thats about it . . .

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I stole that from My best Friends wedding which is a Harry and Hermione fic and on my favorites list so if you're a pumpkin pie shipper read it! And look at the pretty design!

Chapter 3:Just Friends

Subway, October 21, Tuesday

Mia's not here today. This is just great.

I'm really looking forward to the rest of the week. I mean, I hope there's gonna be even more little surprises in store for me.

I hate the subway. I hate Lilly. So it wouldn't take a genius to realize that I would hate riding the subway with Lilly.

But obviously, my parents don't care wether or not my life is a living hell. When Mia's mom called this morning, to inform us that Mia was sick to day and there fore would not be sending the limo, my parents suggested we take the subway. What fun.

Lilly's not really bothering me though. At least not directly. She's busy interviewing people with this little tape recorder she bought yesterday.

Right at this moment she's asking this elderly couple (both looked no younger than 110) how their sex life is.

That is so disturbing.

The woman is chatting happily away, talking very loudly by the way, basically telling everyone within a ten-foot radius that Albert and she are very active in their sex life. And to keep neither one of them bored, they spice things up, "Oh you know that sort of thing. We have to keep our sexual desires quenched."

Gross. I'm just going to block it out, close my eyes, and think of happy things. Like Mia. Or Britney Spears falling down an elevator shaft. Or Josh Ritcher getting hit by a car, and nothing but his perfect face being harmed, scarring him for life. Hey look there's Mia again!

Homeroom, October 21, Tuesday

Lauren's not here today either. But, I had a feeling she wouldn't be, because if I had just broken up with someone I wouldn't want to be caught have an emotional breakdown in front of them twice in one week.

I also suspect something else is bothering her. She wouldn't tell me what it is, but I know that she's not just all depressed about the whole Felix thing. Something else has got to be wrong.

I wonder what it is. You can never tell with women, as I have learned over the past seven years with Mia. I mean, when she found out her mom and Mr. G were dating I thought, she had an infatuation with him or something.

They give you absolutely no clues. I think it's in their handbook or something. You know in the same one where it teaches them how to take full command of their relationship and be the one with 'the pants' in the relationship.

I have yet to find a relationship where the husband/boyfriend doesn't do every little thing that their significant other tells them to do.

Dad has been telling me for years (though most of the time I don't listen to him), women someday will rule the world.

And for once, I actually agree with him.

Lunch, October 21, Tuesday

Felix pulled me aside today after French and asked me if Lauren was dating anyone.

I think my exact reaction was, "huh?"

To state the obvious, I was really surprised. Why was Felix asking me about Lauren and her dating life?

So the next thought to cross my mind was that he wanted to know if she was free to date him.

"Felix I'm sorry, but Lauren has made it quite clear that-" I said suddenly sounding like my dad does when he's talking to patients that are liable to just go crazy all of a sudden.

"Michael. Can you please, just shut up just for one minute? I don't want to date Lauren. I just wondered if she had a boyfriend because . . . well . . . I wanted to know what her reaction would be when she found out that I was um . . . "

When Felix stammers that means, he's feeling extremely guilty about something.

"What?" I questioned.

"How do you think she would react if she found out that I have a new girlfriend?"

Wow.

That bastard.

I'll continue later because the said-bastard is approaching me as I type.

Five minutes later

Well, whatever. I guess I can kind of see where he's coming from. I guess. He's lonely and this whole Joy thing is just a fling. Hopefully.

And Felix is my friend too, so why can I only be on Lauren's side?

She can't be mad at me for just sticking by my friend.

Right?

Lauren's already going to go ballistic when she finds out about Joy Argh I hate that name. I better make sure that when I tell her, I'm far enough away so she can't hit me or something. Maybe over a friendly phone call or something? You know what? I shouldn't even be the one to tell her. Felix is the one who should tell her.

Two minutes later

He said he would do it. That takes a huge weight off my shoulders.

I mean that he should be the one to do this whole thing anyway. It's his fault in the first place. I guess.

Oh Crap. What am I saying? Of course this is his fault. Just because I'm talking to Felix now, I can't start agreeing with him on this whole breakup thing.

This is going to be difficult though, to keep our friendship going, if they keep doing this. You know the whole avoiding each other thing.

There is no way I would have ever survived school without them, and this was going to be our last year together.

With Lauren going to NYU, Felix moving to California to go to UCLA, and me going to Columbia, next year we'll never get to see each other. I guess it just came sooner than any of us had expected. We weren't prepared to deal with this whole thing now. We thought there was still some time, to hang out, make some new memories, so when we're 70 we can tell our grandkids someday, "Yep. You know that ban on stink bombs on the subways? We're to blame for that."

Not that we would do that now. Lauren wouldn't approve and anyway, we're seniors. We should be able to pull of something bigger than that. Something that could make Mia finally see me as her soulmate, or something like that. But now, I'll never get the chance.

Now I've depressed myself.

I hate my life.

French, Wednesday, October 22

Mia's still not here. Lilly went over to her house yesterday to bring her, her homework, and I overheard her telling her friend that Mia was very sick and looked near death.

The love of my life is near death and I'm over her learning French? A language I'm likely to never use. But whatever. Life is so unfair.

Lauren's here today though. She's sitting next to me trying to balance a pencil on the tip of her finger, instead of taking notes.

The end of the world is indeed near.

Another weird thing is that she and Felix are friends again. No where as good of friends as they once were but they're at least being friendly with one another. I guess he must have told her about the whole Joy thing.

But even though this is great, I'm still suspicious. Last time I thought they had made up after a huge fight, and it ended up being that they were dating, and hiding their relationship from me. Their supposed best friend. Best friends my ass, but again w/e.

I obsess about things too much.

Lunch, Thursday, October 23

Kenny is one weird kid. I wonder if I was like that when I was a Freshman?

He sat right across from me, today at lunch in Felix's spot. When Felix pointed this out Kenny sort of got this startled fawn look, but stood his ground. " Since um . . . technically you're not a part of the Computer Club . . . I don't think that you really deserve to have your own spot . . . ummm . . . here . . . cause it's the umm . . . the computer club table . . . so yea . . . "

Felix gave him this look, but sighed and said, "whatever dude," and sat next to me instead.

Kenny looked relieved because I think he really thought Felix was going to hit him. It was sort of funny, now that I think about it.

So next thing I knew, he was staring at me. And I had the feeling he was sort of sizing me up. So I asked him what his problem was, and he asked me suddenly if I knew Mia.

Felix and Lauren gave him a funny look and then looked to me. "Umm . . . why? Haven't you already asked me this question?"

I vaguely remembered that he had a long time ago. It had happened just after the whole school had found out that Mia was a princess. It had just been the one question, so I had shrugged it off, and forgotten about it. But why would he ask me again?

Kenny seemed surprised that I had remembered. "Yea, I guess. But . . . well that question was sort of leading up to this other question, I sort of wanted to ask you."

"Okay then . . . Now that you know my answer to the first question. Then you can ask the other question."

"Are you and Mia going out?"

Crap. This is just great.

Everyone at the table heard. Judith moved her head so quickly that I heard her neck pop. Felix and Lauren just sat there staring at their food now, not wanting to look at me or each other for fear of bursting out in laughter.

I answered slowly, "No, Kenny. Mia and I are just friends. What would make you think we were going out?"

I told this to anyone whoever mistook Mia and our friendship for anything other than just friendship. Or me being her best friend's older brother. I wonder what I'll say if someone mentions this in front of Mia?

You know, I mean, if they ask me whether or not we're going out. What if I tell them we're friends, and then Mia is all, "Michael and I aren't friends. I'm just best friends with his little sister."

That would suck. But, anyway.

"Just . . . Well I don't know. You just seem like you like her. And she seems to like you. But if you aren't then well . . . " Kenny trailed off when he saw how I was looking at him.

Crap. I seem to like her? Is it really that obvious? I wonder if she knows? Shit.

"You know what, Michael? Never mind. Forget I said anything." Kenny said quickly.

"Well, you can be safely assured that Mia and I are just friends, nothing more."

Wow. The words just hit me right now.

Just friends nothing more.

I've never heard anything more depressing in my life.

After all the progress we've made. The dance, tutoring her in Algebra, brushing my knee against hers, and her finally getting over her infatuation with Mr. Josh Ritcher. It all meant nothing because . . . the fact of the matter still remains.

Mia and I are just friends. Nothing More.

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Finally. Wow. It took me forever to finish it but I finally did it. I had forgotten how fun it was to write a fic where you've already established the story, the characters and so on. And Kenny might have seemed a little OOC here . . . but I hate that little worm SOOO much that well yea. . . . I don't think I showed it too much here but w/e. And Michael going through the whole doubting thing again. I don't know if Michael really was as blind as Mia was, but it's fun to portray his character like that. I'll try to update as soon as possible and this time I really mean it. Thanks to everyone who has been patiently waiting.