A/N- Sorry you guys! I would have had this chapter up WAY sooner if I had been able to LOG IN! I'm still a little peeved about it. Well here you go! The beginning of this chapter's sorta slow, but it's interesting at the end.

Chapter 4

Michael's POV

I paced around the suite that I shared with Prince Philippe. There was a lot on my mind and I was really worried.

"Michael, you're worrying worse than I," said the prince. "Mia will be fine, and I'm sure that Helen will take care of any straggling reporters that might show up at their door."

Immediately I turned white when I remembered the piece of information that Mia had shared with me that morning. "Or not," I countered grimly.

"What would make you think differently? Trust me, Helen is a piece of work when she wants to be."

"Or she could be really distracted," I muttered as I ran to my cell phone and dialed the loft. Just as I had hoped, Mia's mom answered the phone.

"Hello?" She asked. I heard a strange, deep murmur in the background and instinctively tightened my hold on my cell phone.

"Ms. Thermopolis? Is everything alright?" I enquired.

"Michael? Yes, everything is—Frank!" She giggled. "Can't you see I'm on the—hold on a moment, Michael." Silence on the other end. Then, "Sorry, but I'm a little busy. Did you need anything?"

"How's Mia doing?"

"She's doing fine. Anything else?"

"So the reporters aren't bothering you?"

"Reporters? What report—" A loud buzz in the background interrupted her. "Frank? Can you go get that?" A few moments later, I heard the dull roar of reporters, microphones and flashbulbs going off randomly.

"What the hell!" Helen cried.

"I'll be right over, Ms. Thermopolis." I replied quickly and hung up my phone. I turned to Philippe and said, "It seems that Helen isn't handling it as well as you said she would." I grabbed my coat from the closet and called Hans to bring the limo around. I rushed out as the concierge called a goodbye to me.

"Mia's," I hissed at Hans as I got into the limo.

He must have sensed the urgency in my tone because next to no time we had arrived only to find the place swarming with reporters. I growled as I hopped out of the limo and battled my way through the cameras and microphones.

"Sir! Excuse me, are you friends with Amelia Renaldo?"

"Hey! Aren't you that guy that we caught carrying her into the school earlier?" I didn't have time to hear who had called the question, but the next thing I hear is, "Hey everyone! It's Princess Mia's boyfriend!"

Oh crap, I thought grimly. I battled my way through the crowd and reached the buzzer.

"LOOK MISTER, I DON'T CARE WHAT MAGAZINE YOU WORK FOR, I'M NOT LETTING YOU GO ANYWHERE NEAR—"

"MS. THERMOPOLIS! IT'S MICHAEL!"

"Michael?" She asked apprehensively.

"HIS NAME IS MICHAEL!" I heard a reporter yell from behind me.

"Just let me in Ms. Thermopolis!"

The door opened and I gave a few well placed kicks to make sure that none of the reporters managed to get in. An arm came out of nowhere and pulled me into the apartment. The door closed behind me immediately, granting no one else entrance.

Mia's POV

I was feeling a little dehydrated from crying so much that day, so I needed to get a drink of water. I was planning on creeping quietly downstairs and past my Mom and Mr. G so they wouldn't notice little me and then I'd be back in my room free to mope as much as I wanted.

Unfortunately, I had only planned two people downstairs. Not three.

When I got down there, I saw my mom at the door pulling someone in and slamming the door shut. That someone was Michael.

"Now," Mom panted. She looked at me, then she looked at Michael saying, "Can someone please tell me what's going on here?"

"Where's Mr. G?" I asked, trying to avoid the question.

My mom pointed to the couch as she walked over to him. He was holding an ice pack over his eye. "One of those reporters' microphones hit him." She explained as she gently lifted the ice off his head. "It doesn't look that bad, Frank. Looks like a faint black eye."

"Tomorrow's reaction will be interesting then," He said as he gave her a crooked grin.

Oh lord how I wanted to barf. However, I held my chunks and stumbled to the kitchen in desperate need for water.

"Mia, get back here!" I heard my mom yell. "Tell me what's going on! Why are reporters camping outside of our apartment?"

"Someone outed me," I called back eagerly gulping the water out of the glass that I had just filled. "More specifically, Lana."

"They crowded around the school too," Michael added. "That's how she hurt her ankle. How is it by the way?" He asked me as I limped out of the kitchen.

"It's still swollen, but it doesn't hurt to walk on." I replied while giving him a small, appreciative smile.

I looked at my mother and she gave me her hurt eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that there are reporters following you? And that you hurt your ankle?"

I turned red and said, "Well, when I got home, you looked kinda busy, so…" I trailed off.

She and Mr. G glanced at each other embarrassedly. "I think I'd better go. Helen, you don't mind if I take this ice pack with me, do you?"

"No, not at all." She shook her head, turning bright magenta.

"Bye," He said softly. He got off the couch and gave her a quick peck on her cheek as he let himself out of the apartment, fighting his way through the crowd of reporters.

It was just the three of us in the same room. "Well, uh, if you two don't mind, I have some homework to finish up, so…"

"Mia, please," Mom pleaded. "Stay. We need to talk." She looked meaningfully at Michael. "I know this sounds rude, but, I'd really like to talk to my daughter alone."

He gave us a gracious smile and said, "Of course. Sorry for intruding in the first place."

"No problem." She smiled back.

He turned to me and gave me this soul-searching gaze. Suddenly, my knees went weak instead of my ankle and shivers ran down my spine. "I'll see you tomorrow Mia." I heard the words, but I didn't quite comprehend them. Instead I just nodded dazedly and watched him walk away.

When he was safely out of the apartment, I shakily walked over to the couch and sat down. Mom sat down next to me and gave me a worried glance. "Mia…"

"Look, Mom, you don't have to explain anything to me." I spewed the semi-prepared speech that I had mentally written for the time I knew she would ask me how I felt about this situation. "I know you like him and he, apparently, likes you a lot. You shouldn't even have to ask for my permission, but I know you and you will anyway, and I want you to know that I'm totally okay with it."

Mom nodded and smiled in a relieved way. "Thank you. That's one issue out of the way."

I raised my eyebrows. "One?"

"Yes. Mia, these are your teenage years. These are supposed to be the most trying years of your life. But you've got a pressure put on you that no teenager should have. Now, I know that I've been spacey at times, but sweetie, I want you to know that you can tell me anything. Frank or no Frank, you are still my daughter and I am still your mother. If there's anything wrong, please, tell me. I want to help you."

Tell her anything, huh? How about this: I'M A FRESHMAN AT A NEW YORK PREP SCHOOL, I'M STILL AN A-CUP, I'M FIVE NINE, I'VE GOT TRIANGULAR SHAPED HAIR AND A FATHER THAT RUNS A COUNTRY FOR A LIVING AND PLANS FOR ME TO TAKE OVER THE FAMILY BUSINESS. I DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHO MY FRIENDS ARE NOW BECAUSE OF ALL THAT'S HAPPENED, AND I THINK I MIGHT BE FALLING FOR MY BODYGUARD.

Oh, and THAT YOU'RE DATING MY ALGEBRA TEACHER, A SUBJECT WHICH, I AM FAILING BY THE WAY, AND NO MATTER WHAT I SAY, I WILL NEVER BE OKAY WITH IT.

Somehow, I had a feeling that she'd be seriously overwhelmed by all that. So instead I told her, "Don't worry, Mom. I'm holding up fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go finish my homework." And I got up and left her to stew in her guilty feelings about being an awful mother.

When you lie, you're supposed to feel guilty right? Well I'm guessing that having a huge pit in your stomach counts too.

Michael's POV

I got back to Plaza feeling like a total idiot. They didn't need my help, Helen could have handled the reporters and Mia could have handled her mom. What the hell was I thinking? Why couldn't I have just listened to Philippe and left them alone? My only consolation was the thought that I was just doing my job.

No you're not, a voice in my head sneered at me. You're only supposed to protect the princess from any bodily danger.

But somehow, that didn't seem enough for me.

Determined to forget my little bout of stupidity, I took a cold shower to clear my head and lay down in the queen sized bed provided for me. Though normally I sleep like a log, I kept tossing and turning as visions of Mia crying on her bed kept popping into my head.

The next day, I had a feeling that Mia was going to be feeling a little blue, so I made sure that we had several full boxes of tissues in the limo.

When we had arrived at the apartment, I got out of the limo to greet her, only to find her hair tousled, her eyes bloodshot with dark purple circles around them, and her uniform wrinkled and mussed, like she hadn't even changed.

"Are you alright Mia?" I asked her, concernedly. "You don't look so hot."

She sniffed loudly and replied stuffily, "Well udlike you, Bichael, sub people just dode wake up lookig picture perfect."

I couldn't help but smile. She was so cute when she was sick. Well, she was so cute anytime, but she was especially endearing right now. "Well we don't want to be late for school."

"I beg to differ," She replied as she slipped into the limousine.

I chuckled as I followed her into the limo.

When we got to the school, the crowd of reporters was expected, and already planned for. There was a rope keeping them out of the way of the entrance of the school that faintly reminded me of the red carpet.

I got out first and held the door out for her as she got out with her back pack and a couple of tissues. She wiped her nose and continued to ignore the shouts of "Princess Mia! Princess Mia!"

Waiting outside the entrance was that strange blonde girl that had snubbed Mia. Lana, I think was her name. She and her loser boyfriend spotted her and waved her over. "Hey Mia!" They gave her a huge grin.

Mia raised her eyebrows, but walked right past them. Instead, she walked up to Tina and Wahim and they both walked into the school together.

"Hey," Wahim greeted me. "I heard about the bodyguard stunt you had to pull yesterday. I wish something like that would happen to Tina once in a while."

I raised my eyebrows and said, "Are you sure?"

"Well, you know what I mean. I was hired just out of a paranoia trip and no one will ever try to hurt Tina." He heaved a sigh and said, "I just wish I could guard someone who would actually need a bodyguard."

I chuckled and followed them inside the school.

Mia's POV

I walked to my locker at the end of the day with a huge headache. First Tina continued to apologize profusely. I swear, no matter what I said I couldn't get her to shut up. Then in Algebra, Lana pretended like I had been her best friend since first grade and told me that Sarah Taylor did this and Dennis Coffer was having a huge party at his house. "You should come too," She told me with an overly white smile. "It'll be fun."

"Um, I don't drink." I told her shortly as I began copying he Algebra notes off the board.

She looked at me as if I had grown two heads for a moment, then she gave a high pitched giggle that I swear only dogs can hear. "That's a good one, Mia. You're really funny, you know that?"

Whatever.

Lunch, however, was totally fun. I sat down with Tina and after telling her for the millionth time that I was okay, that she was forgiven and I didn't hold a grudge against her, she began talking about the new romance novel she was reading. I nodded and replied when I had to, but my mind kept drifting in and out of the conversation. Hey, I couldn't concentrate, especially since Michael was sitting in a corner in close proximity, his clean, soapy scent hacking at my already raw nerves.

Then suddenly, Lana, Josh, and their entourage came over to our table and sat down like they belonged there or something. Tina and I raised our eyebrows at each other and glanced at the sudden overflow of raging hormones at our table.

"You don't mind if we sit here, do you Mia?" Lana asked sweetly as she began poking at the two lettuce leaves on her tray.

Too stunned to say anything, I just stared at them with my jaw to the ground. It had always been some repressed, guilty dream that I harbored to be a part of the popular kids, but not at the expense of my dignity.

I glanced meaningfully at Michael, who, I was surprised to find, was watching me intently. He nodded and sat down at the empty space on my right. He put his arm around my shoulders and asked in his deep, mellowing voice, "Hey, Mia. Who're your friends?"

What the hell is he DOING? I screamed in my head. But I liked the feel of his arm around my shoulders, so I went with it. "Um…well, you know Tina. I don't know about these other guys though."

"What are you talking about, Mia?" Lana asked as she gave a high pitched giggle. "Hi, I'm Lana. I've been her best friend for a long time." She gave him a flirty smile and batted her eyelashes. I glanced over at Josh who was watching the exchange with fire in his eyes. Strange. Josh never struck me as the jealous type.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Michael. I've been Mia's best friend for a long time too." He said, his voice loaded with double meaning.

She giggled again and stroked his hand that was resting on my shoulder. "Well…do you wanna be my best friend?"

At that Josh blew up. "What the hell, babe? I thought I was you 'best friend'!" He used the little finger quotes to make his point. "You know what? I'm sick of this shit. I'm sick of you flirting with every guy that comes along. We're through." He got up angrily and stalked out of the cafeteria.

Lana looked up horrified. "Babe? Wait! I was just being friendly! Oh, come on you know me! I want to be everyone's friend! Babe, wait!" She got up and ran after him. Soon after, their entourage left too.

Tina and I looked at each other and laughed hysterically. "Mi-Michael, that was t-truly great!" I gasped through my laughter.

He grinned and replied, "I do what I can."

Tina and I burst out laughing again. In the corner of my mind though, I noticed that he hadn't yet removed his arm. And I found myself wanting him to keep it there.

Michael's POV

On the way over to the Plaza, Mia and I were having a heated discussion over who would win in a sword fight: Zorro or a Samurai. I fiercely argued a samurai, while Mia argued the former.

I was in a good mood when I walked her inside. We had such an easy camaraderie between us. I loved the way she laughed, the way she used hand gestures to prove her point, the way she exaggerated details to prove me wrong. She was a fun person to be around.

We got to Clarisse's suite and they immediately began her princess lessons. I took my usual place at the door when Philippe took me aside and grimly whispered, "Michael, you need to read this." He handed me an already opened envelope.

Curious, I pulled the letter out and read.

Dear Prince Philippe,

Your daughter is truly a beautiful girl. What a shame it is that she must die. It's no use trying to find out who this letter is from. I guarantee that you will not be able to find me. But perhaps a little…negotiation will be in order. I suggest you listen to my requests. We wouldn't want to have that pretty little throat cut, would we?

Yours truly,
The Civilian

Oh no…

A/N- Dun dun dun! What will happen? Review and find out! Oh, and I have a question for you to answer please: who do you guys think would win in a sword fight, Zorro or a Samurai?Because I'm trying to prove to my friend that he is wrong.