Thanks for reviewing Di-Pekka, Literati Lover, The Setting Sun, cucu4cocopuffs and Cicilianna!
MiaFan – I meant it like… That her 'current' name, Mia Thermopolis hasn't been published. I'm sorry for writing it so illegibly...
The Setting Sun – Omigod, I'm so sorry! I didn't even notice it until now. I use to reread the chapters a couple of times before I upload them here, but always something slips my attention. Thanks for mentioning:)
I'm really sorry for not updating for five days, but as I said my school started this week so I really haven't had that much time to write. And last night I had a friend staying over, and I was in the movies with a group of friends today, so... But anyway, I've done a bunch of writing tonight, and as a result here is the next chapter! I hope you all like it :).
When love turns to hate, and friendship deepens
Chapter 4 – Reunions
Mia's POV
Five days later
It felt inexpressibly weird to sit at your old kitchen and watch your mother fuss with the coffee machine. The house and its décor hadn't changed at all, and there were moments when I wondered if the past ten years had even happened.
My mother had gotten out of the hospital earlier today. She had bandages all over her body and a plaster on her right foot, but she looked… she looked as fit as a fiddle. Sparkling eyes and a contended smile.
When I had arrived to the hospital five days ago, I had been a nervous wreck. If it wasn't Katie – who had practically shoved me to my mother's hospital room – I would probably still be going round the hospital and trying to find enough courage to go inside.
Well, of course the reunion wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. The moment my mum had seen me standing awkwardly in the doorway, she had grinned broadly and I had lost all my nervousness that instant. I had run to her, and the moment she had wrapped her arms around me I just felt so extremely happy.
I had spent the next five days in the hospital. We had talked, cried and momentarily just sat in silence, simply just enjoying each other's company. She had asked me about my school, who I had dated, who was my best friend… She simply wanted to know everything about me. It had felt amazing to speak with someone, who loved me as a person who I am, not as a princess.
The five days had passed quickly. The doctor said earlier today that he had nothing against my mother going home, if she just remembered to take her medication and see to her wounds. And of course my mother insisted that Katie and I move to her place for the rest sixteen days of our trip, when she heard that we were living in the hotel. "Hotel's are far too expensive" She had said many times. She didn't seem to know that Genovia's royal family was one of the richest families in the Europe, and I had no desire to tell her, because I really wanted to see my childhood home again.
And… Here I am now!
"Mia, do you want tea or coffee?" My mother asked eagerly as she piled the cups to the table.
"Um, tea" I had never really learned to drink coffee. I saw no point in drinking some black, bad-tasting liquid that only darkened my teeth.
"Oh my god. Listen to this. Macy's is the largest department store in the world. Probably at least twice the size of Harrods is London… We must go here! I've been in Harrods, and if this place really is two times bigger than Harrods, it must be massive! A shopper's paradise!" Katie called reading an extract from a tour guide she had bought earlier today.
"I've been there a couple of times. The shop is way too big for my liking… and expensive. But if you are planning to go, reserve at least a day or two because it takes time to walk through the whole place." My mother told us.
I laughed at her reserved expression: "Sounds like a heaven. I and Katie are both hopeless shoppers". It was one of those few things Katie and I actually had in common. You are like night and day, our friends use to say. Katie liked heavy music, I liked pop music… Katie loved horror movies, when my favourites were the romantic comedies… She liked dogs, I cats…
"Oh, mom! What happened to Louie?" I suddenly remembered. Few weeks before the whole Princess thing happened, mom had bought me a kitten. For two weeks it had been my best friend (right after Lilly that is), but when I moved to Genovia I had to leave it here, because Grandmeré said that cats weren't allowed in the castle.
Mum snorted loudly: "That old loaf? I think he is sleeping, as usual, on his standard place at your old room"
My eyes flew wide open as I stood up: "You still have him?"
"Of course" She answered with a sly wink. "He is still here… Emptying my food stocks if not anything else"
"I'll be right back" I said quickly and went out the kitchen door. I didn't even know that I still remembered where my old room was, but somehow my feet just led me there. As I entered the room the first thing my eyes caught was a big bundle lying on the bed. Is that… a cat?
As I approached the bundle, its head turned and it looked at my direction with dowry, yet very vigilant eyes. Oh, it was a cat… A very fat cat.
"Hey…" I started quietly as I sat down and touched its fur. It had been a long time since I had last seen a cat this close. Grandmeré has a poodle, but he let no one else except Grandmeré touch him. Not that I wanted to touch him, because he has no fur… and he is undoubtedly the ugliest and naughtiest dog I have ever seen.
Louie started to purr when I gently stroked its fur. "You're just the cutest thing aren't you, Louie?" I smiled and buried my face against it fur. I heard a door open behind me, and both my mom and Katie stepped inside.
"Is that a… cat?" Katie rushed forward, her brows knitted.
"Yeah, this is Louie. She was my sweetie when I still lived here"
"Louie? You don't look like a Louie" She laughed a bit and then scraped him behind the ear.
"I call him Fat Louie. He does nothing else but sleep and eat" Mum sniggered from the doorway. Fat Louie? I stared its abdomen that was wider than the pillow he laid against. Oh yes, perfect.
"Are you sure you don't mind if we go? Because if you don't want to be alone I can –" I begun, but mum just sniffed at my doubtful expression.
"You kids go and have fun. I'm going to dig out Dan Brown's newest book, so I don't really need company" She smirked as she handed me my coat. "And Lars is there with you, so I don't even have to worry that you get robbed by some American mugger"
"Well, if you're sure…"
"I am" She grinned and kissed my cheek quickly. "Have a great time, honey. And you too, Katie" She winked at Katie who was already standing impatiently by the door.
Katie returned her wink, and then grabbed my hand and pulled me outside the door. "C'mon, let's get going. It's already eight"
"Yeah… Sure. Where are we going, anyway?" I asked and glanced backwards to see my mom waving in the doorway. I waved back, until we disappeared behind the corner. Lars followed us closely behind.
"I don't know"
"You don't know?" I yelled and stopped my walking. Where were we going, then? To Central Park?
"Look, it is New York! This place is full of discos and clubs!" She grinned as she took my hand and started to haul me forward.
"Y'know… Katie, we can't even drink anything" I told her remembering the laws of this country.
Katie looked at me weirdly: "Hmm? Oh, I'm sure your mother won't mind"
"The age limit in this county to drink alcohol is 21. And we're both 18, in case you've forgotten" I informed her with a sly grin and Katie stopped dead.
"What?" She managed after a while.
"You heard me"
She just stared at me blankly for a while, and then broke into a little smirk. "No problem. Let's have fun without drinks. Yeah… Let's do that" Katie partying without alcohol? Okay… Well, there's a first time for everything.
I, myself, have never really been a big friend of alcohol. Of course I've drank alcohol a couple of times, but it's not like I drink every weekend. I once had a very wild Friday when I celebrated my ex-boyfriend's, Caleb's, birthday. And of course, the next day newspapers were full of accounts about what I had done, and a picture of very drunk 17-year-old me and Caleb shagging in this dusky club we had been in. And needless to say, Grandmeré was furious when she found out. She ended my monthly and put me under home arrest for a month.
Half an hour later I found myself in a disco called Blue Rainbow (sappy name, isn't it?), and following with amusement as Katie sauntered from a guy to guy, not able to decide with whom she wanted to dance with. Her newest victims, muscular blondes were standing in front of us, probably thinking 'who the hell were these crazy girls?'
"So… Where do you come from?" Sven, the taller one asked with a grin.
"Genovia" Katie told him with a flirtatious wink.
"Genovia? Eh… Is that in Washington?"
"Nooo… It's a country. In Europe" Katie laughed at his uneasy smile. "This Mia here is…" She begun, but I shook my head. "… From Genovia, too!" She continued getting my point.
I hated it when people find out I'm a princess and then get all 'Oh my god! How should I act around princess? Should I bow or what?'. It's so stupid.
"Wow! I've never been in Europe. No wonder your accent is weird!" Thomas (or was it Tobias…?) laughed.
"You are the one with weird accent" I winked.
"What are you doing here in New York, then?" Thomas/Tobias asked with interest.
"My mum lives here" I said quickly, before Katie could say anything about the accident. She looked at me weirdly, but then just shrugged her shoulders. I didn't want their pity.
"Oh, okay. So… What are you up to tonight? Anything special?"
"Um… Nothing, actually… "Katie said with shining eyes. I could nearly hear her saying in my head, 'an invitation to a party!' I looked cautiously to the other side of the disco, where Lars was sitting by the bar and keeping an eye on me. He wouldn't surely be pleased if we took off to someone's private party.
"… Would you like to come to our place? And have some, ehem, fun…?" Sven asked with a seductive smile. Katie's smile faded. She was a wide girl, but not that kind of wide girl. And neither was I. I was very careful and doubtful with these kinds of things, and getting laid by strangers really wasn't my thing.
Actually, I have had sex with only one guy, Caleb, and we had been dating for two whole years until it happened. He had been my first real boyfriend, someone I had thought I would spend the rest of my life with, but well… he wasn't The One after all. After three years of dating we decided to split up by mutual decision. We are still friends, and see each other now and then.
"I'm sorry, but I'm… taken. And I'm not into cheating" Katie said after a while. Taken? Um, yeah right, I thought with a smile.
"But I thought -" Sven begun.
"Well, you thought wrong. Anyway, have a nice evening!" Katie smiled politely (or maybe not so politely) and rushed off. I walked behind her.
"Gosh, is sex the only thing these guys have in mind? Jeez…" Katie sighed as she sat down to one of the tables. I fell to the seat opposite her.
"Haven't you heard that guys think sex every sixth second in average?" I grinned.
"Yeah, but… Oh, hey" Katie greeted quietly as Thomas/Tobias sat to our table.
His smile was apologetic. "I'm sorry about Sven. He's a bit… drunk"
"Hmm… Well, can't say against that…" I mumbled and then noticed a pair of brown eyes staring at me from the other end of the bar. A very cute pair of eyes, that is. I smiled at him, but he just stared at me blankly. He looked familiar, but I couldn't get into my mind where I had seen him before.
I started to feel uncomfortable under his stare and turned to T's (Tobias… Thomas… Or whatever) side. "Um, do you know that guy over there? Because he's staring at me… at our table weirdly" Now the guy in question stood up and started to walk towards our table.
T turned around and searched the crowd with eyes. "You mean that brunet? Who is walking towards us?" He asked with a grin and I nodded. "He's just Michael. A college friend of mine..."
Michael? Michael who? I don't know anyone called Michael…. Oh, OH! Michael!
Wowies, my first cliff-hanger! Sort of, at least…
Anyway, click that little purple button beneath, and let me know what you think:).
- Heini xx