Author's Note:

Rader: People do have sex and don't get STD's all the time. Yes there is a chance one can get an STD but when protection is used properly and responsibly then the odds are in their favor. Plus, I never said this story was a PSA for wild rampant sex. That stuff comes later in the story ;)

And what kind of girls has Michael been with? Assumptions often bite you in the bum.

Alenor: Quite observant

Eras: The time in Boston had to come to an end sometime, right? Boston will be mentioned at some point in the future. Will it be in a positive light or a bad one? Time will tell my friend.


MICHAEL

"Cut out that shit," I said staring at Manny.

He put his hands up as if he was surrendering and then he laughed, "What are you talking about?" he said with a knowing smile. "Oops, I forget that you are the only one allowed to act like that with her, right?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

"No one else is supposed to flirt, right?"

I glared, "I don't flirt." I picked up the phone and checked my voicemail.

"Hey baby, I uh…was kind of expecting you home earlier but I guess…well, work comes first, right? Right. They were telling me you were totally wiped out so you went straight to bed right away with no time to call. But…well, call me when you get this, straight away, alright? Love ya."

"Sure you don't flirt," he said stabbing his chicken. "Hey your girl called looking for you last night."

I looked at him quizzically, "My girl..."

"Elle. Remember, your girlfriend for the better part of four years."

"Oh right. Right," I had nearly forgotten about her, "Where?"
"My cell. Lilly's cell. Orlando's cell. Kev's…."

"Where did you tell her I was?"

"That you and Mia stayed behind for some benefit."

Now that made sense. "Oh. Yeah, well she ...I dunno," I said raising my cell phone.

"What the fuck are you doing with her man?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, flipping on the television. Nothing was going on with Mia. Nothing that Manny should know about yet.

"I mean, she's a fucking ditz. No better than a groupie."

"What do you mean?" I asked, pretending to be enthralled by Paris Hilton's newest publicity stunt." I realized he wasn't talking about Mia.

"Okay, she acts all cool right? About you being on the road, right?"

"Yeah."
"Meanwhile, she's back in New York telling everyone she meets that she is your girlfriend?"

"Yeah?"

"But she's not, is she?"

"Not really. More like bedmate."

"So why do you let her? I mean, let her live in that fantasy?"

"Because if it makes her happy then let her."

"You are going to look like an ass."

"I do that all the time," I replied. "Speaking of which, we have to upload that new home movie to the website. And put Kev's drunk voice mail on."

"Why?"

"Because it's funny to hear you guys-"

"No, why are you keeping her along? Why didn't you just drop her?"

I shrugged. I never admitted it to anyone, but it was nice to have someone to go home to. "I'll end it soon," I promised.

"Promises, promises. The sooner you ditch her the sooner you can get with-"

"What about you?" I demanded. I didn't want to hear his lecture about me telling Mia about how I'd felt back then. What was the point? I was dealing with it on my own now. In my own fucked up way.

He leaned back in his chair. "What about me?"

"When are you and Lilly going to admit your affair?"

He coughed up his drink. "What?"

"Think I'm stupid? We live together man, I know."

"Who else does?"

"Mia…I think."

"Big shock."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"If you know something, then she does. It's a given."

I kind of liked how we were already considered a couple even though we weren't together. No one actually said it out loud, but it was always 'Michael and Mia did this and then this…' . I didn't dare tell Manny what had actually happened in Boston. He'd be on my back for all the details, which I was not about to give him.

I returned to my room and fell onto my bed. We had hired Maya, my parent's old housekeeper, to come by once a week to air out the place and to water Manny's plants. It's comforting to have such a nice place to return to.


"Dude, I'm running out with Ryan to Cappy's. You wanna come?" Manny asked, poking his head in.

"Maybe later," I mumbled.

I spent the next few minutes thinking about the day before. I looked at the clock and noted that a mere twenty four hours before I was in bed with her.

I heard a knock at my window and saw her sitting on my fire escape. "Hey, what are you doing there?"

She just started kissing me after making sure that the door was closed.

I laughed as we pulled apart, "Why are you back?"

"I've been out there for the past fifteen minutes." She pointed to some bird poop on her sweatshirt. "Trying to decide if I should come in or not."
"No one saw you?" I asked smiling at how adorable she looked.

"No, I had my hood on. Someone below asked me for a cigarette but I had none so.."

"I think that birdie poop sweatshirt needs to come off."

"Is anyone home?"

I shook my head as I started to undress her.

We fell onto my bed and began what we probably shouldn't begin. Not when her boyfriend is a mere four blocks away. And when my suddenly psychotic girlfriend is bound to pop in unexpectantly. But I didn't want to think about that.

"I should leave," she said suddenly, grabbing the clothes I had managed to get off of her before we heard a knock on my door. Even though we were in New York we still didn't do it all. We hadn't had a chance to. The guys came home too early.

Damn cock blockers.

"Why?"

She stared at the door, "I dunno about you," she said kissing my lips goodbye, "But I don't feel like talking to everyone."

I nodded, "Good point. I'll call you later."

"No, don't. I'll just…I'll see you sometime this weekend."


I stalked into the kitchen and poured a bowl of Capn' Crunch into a bowl. Everything was always a roller coaster with this girl. One second she had me as high as I can get, the next I was completely miserable. And yet, I loved every second of it.

I banged my fist against the table as Manny walked into the room.

"What is your issue prima Donna?"
I glared at him. "Nothing."

"What, didn't get any last night?"

Right then Mia back in. "I forgot my cell phone. You know…earlier….I'll meet you guys later to discuss the merchandise, okay? If you need anything I'll have my..um…" she said looking around, "cell phone."

I nodded and she left the room.

"I thought you were going to Cappy's with Ryan?" I asked carefully eating so the roof of my mouth wasn't all fucked up arfterwards.

"Nah, he got a call from Chelsea. Her cat died or something so he was running to the shelter or something to get her a new one."

I smirked. The cat I had given Mia was staying with her mom now since we were on the road so much. She hadn't thought it was fair to the cat to be alone so much.

"Funny about Mia coming here though," Manny replied with an arched eyebrow.

"She was kind of cold," Kevin commented, coming from no where seemingly.

"Huh?" I asked, distracting myself with the remote control.

"She's usually so flirty with you. What was her problem?"

I shrugged. "She's going to see her boyfriend."

"That would make sense for her to be in bad mood. I think he's cheating on her."

I laughed, "Oh do you?"

"You know they haven't slept together? Not on a normal basis anyways. Just every once and a while. She told me it was mostly just cuddling."

Good to know.

"Really?" I asked, interested by this tidbit. Mia must have almost a decade of repressed sexual drive to fulfill. I wouldn't mind helping her. Not at all. It isn't healthy to hold out like that.

"Really. She says that he didn't want to be distracted by sex so he wanted to wait until he had a record deal. I wonder what his excuse will be once he's got one."

I highly doubt that douche would have the nerve to cheat on her."There were rumors that he was gay," I replied, "Years ago… But he never…"

"Yeah. I remember that. I heard he tried kissing his best friend at school but was brutally rebuffed," Kevin remarked, looking thoughtful.

"And you know this how?"

He shrugged, "Lilly mentioned something once. When we were drinking we had to tell the funniest secret we knew."

I looked at Manny for confirmation, but he merely shrugged. "But he's happy with Mia now. Sometimes guys are just…confused."

Sticking my tongue down another guy's throat? I highly doubt I'd ever be that confused. Either you are into it, or your not.

"Well, clearly he isn't confused anymore," I snapped. "He's been having Taco Bell for awhile," I replied.

"Didn't need the mental image dude," Kevin said laughing.

"I so need to get out of here. Okay. I'm gonna do some laundry," Manny said grabbing the detergent from a shelf.

"Sure man. I'll talk to you later?"
"Later."

So I was left alone with Kevin, the human trash compactor; eating take out from God knows when. "What are you doing here anyways? I thought you were going to see your mom?"

"Thought I'd pop in on you," he said quickly.

"You were checking up on me and Mia, weren't you?"

"Yeah, but once again you weren't doing anything interesting with her."

"Every minute with her is interesting," I said with a wink. Then I realized that I'd admitted I'd been with her.

He smirked, "Whatever dude."

I took a long walk around my neighborhood. I found myself going past Mia's old apartment that her mother still lives in. Then I walked past the one she now lived in with Lilly. I saw her silhouette in the window, on the phone.

I didn't want to ruin what she had with Felix. I didn't want to be the one to make her miserable. I just wanted to be the one that would make her happy and laugh.


MIA:
I walked back to my apartment that afternoon still in a Michael induced daze. He had kissed me senseless last night and I let him. I had even kissed him back. I hadn't even thought of Felix until this morning. When I checked my voicemail.

"Hey Angel face, just calling to check in with ya. You said that you would be home around now so…anyways, I was thinking you could come over tonight, I'll make dinner. Just the two of us. I um…well, I missed you. A lot. And I've been thinking, a lot. You know, about us. I mean…I guess I can talk to you later about it. Well, I love you and I miss you. Come on by around seven or eight, okay? Okay, bye babe."

This made me go back to Michael's. Made me kiss him like a mad woman. But I still made out with Michael after this. I let myself give into temptation AGAIN.

I spent the rest of the afternoon on the phone with my brother, Louie. "Grandmere is completely unreasonable," he practically screamed.

I giggled, "Oh?"

"Seriously Mia. Were your princess lessons this bad?"

"Yes. At least she has in the back of her mind that she has a back up if you don't work out. With me she thought I was it. No room for screw ups."

"She wants me to date the heir to the Rothschild fortune."

"She is pretty," I teased.

"Mia, she's fifteen. I am twenty six years old. And why on earth are you in such a good mood?"

"Oh age is only a number."

"Okay Aaliah," he snapped. "Plus, I'm kind of, sort of engaged to the most amazing woman on earth, other than you. Again, what is with the good mood? Usually after a tour you are wiped."

"Nothing. Do you ever wish Dad hadn't had so many affairs? I mean, why does our father have to sleep with so many women?" Changing the subject

"Because you and I would not exist otherwise."

"Well, besides that! Why was he a prince! Why can't he be a normal father with a normal job?"

"Because his mother is a psycho who has tattooed eyeliner?" he guessed. He sighed. "Listen to me going on about my life. What about you, living the life of a true rock star? How was the trip?"

I sighed now. "Well, it was…interesting."

"Aw, did you miss wittle Felix?" he teased.

"Yeah, right. I should have but I didn't really. We hardly ever see each other when we are in New York anyways."

"How is everyone else? Manny, Orlando, Michael…"

"They are fine," I said a bit too quickly.

"Oh?"

"Louie I'm sooo confused," I replied.

"Tell big brother," he said in a teasing voice. "Seriously, what are you confused about?"

I thought about telling him. Who would he tell? "Michael and I…"

"I knew it! I knew you would hook up with him. What happened?" he said, giddy as a school girl, "I knew you were too happy! Was it all the tour or just-"

"Louie, stop being a dumb teeny bopper for a second, won't you?"

"Okay, just tell me."

"Well, we were in Boston…and you know about Boston, right?"

"Of course. Sickened by it, but yes. Go on."

"Well, I talked to Rivers and he was telling me that they were doing a secret show under a different band name…."

"Okay…in Boston?"

"Yeah, they were in town visiting some friends and thought it'd be cool."

"Uh huh…you have all the luck you skank."

"So, anyways, we went to the show and suddenly it hit me."

"He hit you?"

"No, it hit me. I didn't love him."

"But you slept with him anyways?"

"No, I mean, yeah, well, not exactly, but I realized I was in love with him. I loved how he was so protective of me and would sing into my ear. Louie, I'm head over heels for him," I practically whispered.

"Well, duh. You have been for as long as I've known you."

"I mean, I knew it back before…but in the past few years I've just ignored it. I dunno what it was but it's like…."

"The right time?" he guessed.

"I think so…"

"What about Felix?"

"I dunno! God, why does life…why did I even bother with this? We both know I can't possibly break Felix's heart. Right?"

"You are gonna have to," he replied. "Or break Michael's."

"I can't do that," I said in surprise. The thought of Michael's heart breaking hadn't occurred to me. He had always been too easy going when it came to us.

"Don't be rash," he suggested. "Tell him…tell him that you need time apart. A break maybe."

"He won't buy that," I replied. "No way."

"Have you seen Michael since you got back to the city?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

I hesitated to answer him. "We were also in his bed," I replied

"Mia, did you give him your flower again?" he teased. That was one of our inside jokes. Grandmere had no idea what it meant. Louie has known I'd been with Michael forever, and that I'd lost my virginity to him. That was the benefit of having met him when we were older. He wasn't the type of big brother that would kick someone's ass just because he didn't like t them for me. He was my friend as well and knew what I was going through. He didn't judge me, and I didn't judge him.…but still. Michael was special and he knew it.

"No. We were just talking and then out of no where he kissed me."

"I'm sure it wasn't out of no where. It's expected for crying out loud. Lilly and I have a bet about when you two would hook up."

"Who wins?"

"Neither. You guys hooked up way long ago."

"This isn't helping."

"Well…what do you think about-"

"And I went back today after getting a message from Felix. I just….I needed him again. I don't want…I don't know what I want," I said dejectedly.

"You want what every woman wants," he replied.

"Which is…." I said after several seconds of painful silence.

"To get some rock star ass," he said with a laugh, making me burst out in laughter. I don't know what it is about my brother, but he always has a knack for making me laugh.

"I don't look at Michael like that-"

"Clearly you do little sister. You wouldn't sleep with him if you didn't-"

"No, not as a rock star. He's still Michael Moscovitz. And I didn't sleep with him. Only made out with him."

"Of course he is. Except now he has a few Grammy nominations and one win," he replied.

We won the Best New Artist award that previous February. "But he's…."

"Mia, what are you going to tell Felix?"

I sighed VERY heavily at this point. "I don't know. Should I tell him?"

"No. He'll go into a tizzy over it and question his manhood, which he should do anyways-"

"He is my boyfriend so shut up," I replied.

He laughed, "How are things with him anyways? Physically I mean. Not too good if you are hooking up with this guy."

"I dunno. He's got this thing going on in LA. I think he's going to ask me to go with him."

"Would you?"

"God no. Can you see me in Los Angeles? Grandmere would totally flip out. She'd be so paranoid that I was becoming like a Hilton or something. Or that I'd hang out with Lindsay Lohan. She thinks New York has much more class…. Why can't I be normal? I mean, I'm not the heir, but I have as many responsibilities as you do."

"It's the Renaldo curse," he agreed. "I have to go. Dad and I are playing polo this afternoon with the King and Prince of Spain."

"Great," I teased. "Wish I could be there."

"Hey, speaking of which, how is your friend Lilly?"

Speaking of what? I sighed," She's dating the drummer of the band. I think they're finally going to admit it to everyone, why?"

"Just wondering. We talked a lot about her situation. I'm glad she's figured it out."

"Yeah. You are doing some work at the UN with Dad, right? Early in the week?"

"Yeah. But then he's leaving. I'm taking him to the airport so you'll have to meet me there."

"Okay. You behave yourself young man."

"You too. I don't want an illegitimate third in line for the throne," he teased.

"Screw you. See ya."