Disclaimer - I do NOT own anything except the plot.

"I do not fear commitment," I insisted. "I just-"

But Lilly's dark eyes were already shining in eager anticipation. She was getting ready to psychoanalyze me, one of her favorite hobbies, unfortunately.

"Let's examine the situation, shall we?" she said. "I mean, here you've got this guy going around the hallways, screaming about how much he loves you, and you just stare at him like a rat caught in the path of the D train. What do you suppose that means? "

And here's the part when I totally freaked out and said something I should never have said.

"Have you ever considered," I demanded. "that maybe the reason I didn't tell him I love him back is because I'm in love with Michael?"

OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. I couldn't believe I had just blurted out my love in front of everyone in the room. The entire Gifted and Talented class all gasped and stared at us more intently. I just sat there, stunned. I could feel my cheeks tingling with hot flames. I expected everyone, especially Michael, to burst out laughing, about how much of a freak I was, to love my best friend's brother.

All kinds of thoughts raced through my mind.

I wished a giant meteor would come sweeping through the sky, crashing in flames, and engulfing me. I thought about Lilly, and how she would completely freak out. I thought about Tina, Ling Su, and Shameeka. And mostly about how Michael would react. He would just laugh, shattering my heart into a thousand pieces, like a delicate crystal glass smashed into the floor.

The bell rang, and everyone got up and left, whispering and murmuring among themselves. I just sat there, feeling the hot redness on my cheeks. I thought maybe, maybe, if I just stayed there long enough, in several millennia, a meteor would come crashing down on me, and destroy what was left of my pathetic existence.

And that's where I am, still writing this. Oops, Kenny just came over to talk to me. Oh, no. He must have found out what I said from someone. Gotta go.

Later, Tuesday, December 9

Wow. You will never guess what just happened. Okay, I'll start from the beginning.

Kenny came over, and was like, "Mia, what happened? Does it have anything to do with what I said earlier?"

I just sat there, staring down on the blank desk like a total idiot. "Oh, Kenny, I'm so sorry. I should have told you earlier. I like you a lot, but as a friend. I just don't…love you."

Kenny was very white, and said, "Well, why didn't you tell me earlier? And, listen, Mia," He looked down at his size-eleven boots, and said, "If you love Michael, then I guess we're through."

I was almost crying as I said, "Okay, Kenny."

And he left.

After a while, someone else reached out for my arm. I looked up, startled, expecting Kenny saying something about how he was lying earlier and about how bad a girlfriend I was. But it wasn't Kenny. It was Michael.

"Hey, Mia." His face didn't show the slightest hint of any laughing. No, it was a completely solemn, caring, and handsome face. His eyes did show a slight hint of happiness. Yeah, I thought. He's going to laugh, and my life is over. And I mean over.

I didn't reply for a while, as I was too embarrassed to. I finally managed to regain my speech, and I was like, "Michael. I….I.."

And that's when he broke me off. With a kiss. I was too stunned to say anything at first, but after a few seconds, when we stopped, he looked into my eyes and went, "You may not know it, but I love you too." I was going to say something when he kissed me again, and it became a French kiss.

Some of the students outside the room were watching us intently. But we didn't care.