I'm sooo sorry I haven't updated for a while, but our computer went nuts last weekend and it wasn't until yesterday that my dad had time to repair it. There were like ten computer viruses! Thank god my dad managed to put it right without having to re-install the whole computer. I would've lost all my school docs and my stories.

Anyway, thanks for replying Di-Pekka, hpfan99, Grace, Al-Fisher, meminenotyou, Sarah, violetface and SolaceFlower:)

Grace – Oh dear. Sooorry… The Katie was Shirley in the first version of this story, but I changed it because I already had Shirley in one other story of mine. I still seem to mix together the names now and then. Thanks for mentioning, I put it right already :).

Al-Fisher – I know… it's not very, um, distinctive yet. But I'm working on it :). So far the story has been mostly Mia's or Michael's thoughts, but as it gets forward there'll be more conversations and that's when the characters' personalities start to stuck out. Big thanks for having courage to criticize, too :).

Sarah – Once again: Oops. I'm truly sorry. I have lived all my life in a Republic, so I know next to nothing about kingdoms or principalities. Thanks for letting me know :). I'll be more careful the next time.

When love turns to hate and friendship deepens

Chapter 5 – Slimy bastards and pretty girls

Michael's POV

Shit, she looked different. Gone was the clumsy and shy little girl with big, creepy glasses. If it hadn't been the eyes, I would have never even recognized her.

She was tall and slim, with glossy blonde hair and big blue eyes. She was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a red top. Golden earrings sparkled in her ears as she walked.

She looked like a damn model.

If only Keith could see her now, I thought with a hint of amusement. When we were kids and Mia still lived in town, my friend Keith used to tell me that Mia was as ugly as Saddam Hussein's backside. I know it's cruel, but Keith… he just was like that, always calling other people with nasty names. But I didn't care, because Keith was cool, and me being friends with him made me cool, too. Unfortunately he never gave up that habit, and because I've – thank god – grown up a bit myself, it's needless to say we are no longer friends.

Anyway, Keith would officially drop his eyes if he saw Mia now. Because she looked beautiful, really beautiful.

She really looked like a princess.

I watched with interest as she sat down to one of the tables with her friend. They talked, but I couldn't hear a thing about what they were saying. Apparently it wasn't a happy topic, since her friend looked like she had been hit by a car… Or by a trailer truck, actually.

I was about to stand up and go to say hello, when I saw a familiar figure sit down to their table. I watched with slit eyes as Tobias – the ladies' man Tobias, the heartbreaker Tobias – sat down next to Mia and smiled charmingly.

"Oh fuck" I mumbled to myself. I took a long gulp of my beer and watched with disgust as Tobias examined Mia's boobs when she was looking elsewhere. Fucking bastard, why you had to pick her as your next victim? There are dozens of gals here and you had to pick her.

Suddenly Mia turned her big beautiful blue eyes at my direction and stared me. I stared back, hoping to see recognition in her eyes. Well, there was none. My manly ego was heavily bruised.

She turned back to look at her companion (that fucking Tobias), but I kept staring at her with disbelief. How didn't she recognize me? It's not like I've changed that much.

Well, of course I was fifty centimetres taller and weighed twice as much as I used to at the age of eleven. But I still have a brown messy hair and brown eyes, and the same features were still there.

Feeling a bit offended I managed to stand up. There was no way I was going to let Tobias carry on with his intentions. No, no. I grabbed my beer and started to make my way towards their table.

Mia kept staring at me with blank eyes for a while, until her face suddenly lit up. She recognized me, I cheered in my head.

"Hey. You remember me?" I asked with a wink as I reached their table. Mia hollered and then stood up to give me a friendly hug. If only look could kill, I thought as I caught the glint in Tobias's eyes.

"Michael! Gosh, it's great to see you. How have you been?" She asked enthusiastically and then patted the bench next to Shirley. "Sit down" She ordered and shoved me down.

"Fine, just fine. You?" I asked with a smirk as she sat to her own seat. The girl next to her watched me with raised brows.

"Uhhuh. Fine, fine" She smiled and then noticed the curious glimpse in her friend's eyes. "Katie, this is Michael, an old friend of mine. Michael, this is Shirley… a newer friend of mine" She made the quick introductions and then glanced at Tobias's way. "Um, I think the two of you know each other already…?"

"Yeah. Tobias and I are in the same college" I said wonderingly.

"I didn't know the two of you know each other" Tobias snorted, a disappointment obvious in his voice.

"I was best friends with Michael's sister when I still lived here…..Oh my god! How's Lilly?" She shrieked. I could only stare her, thinking she had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen.

"Uhm" I begun after a while. "She's… fine" I smiled recalling back the happenings of the last weekend. Trust me, Mia, you don't want to know how she really is.

"God… God, I haven't seen her for… for ten years! She must be so different now. What does she look like? Where is she studying?" She kept asking. Tobias started to tap his fingers against the table, looking me murderously for stealing her attention. This Katie still kept quiet.

"She… She looks quite the same. She just graduated from High School… But hey, how's Genovia?" I asked, not wanting to spend my evening talking about my sister.

"Good. Just good"

"How have you handled the… the Princess thing?"

She laughed a bit. "The Princess thing? Funny… Oh, it's well. It has its own pros and cons" She smiled.

"Princess? Are you a princess?" Tobias asked with wide eyes. It was a miracle you couldn't see the notes that flashed in his eyes.

"Yes, but don't tell anyone. I don't want everyone to know" Mia replied quickly, looking cautiously around.

Katie took advantage of the momentarily silence and rested her head on her hands and looked me curiously. "Michael… Mia has never told anything about Michael"

"We weren't really that close. We just knew each other" I replied with a small smile.

"And I haven't heard anything of Lilly either" She said turning to Mia's side accusingly.

Mia was quiet for a while and then spoke: "You never asked. And we… Well, we didn't really separate in good terms" She said uncomfortably.

"Ah. Well… No sad thoughts tonight. Do you want to dance, Mia?" Tobias asked cheerfully and touched Mia's hand carefully.

Mia looked him wonderingly for few seconds and then shrugged her shoulders: "Why not? Let's go"

I stared with slit eyes as they disappeared to the dance floor. "Damn it" I muttered and turned back to Katie's side, who kept looking me suspiciously.

"You don't like Tobias?" She asked after a while.

I gave her a disgusted look. "He's an ass. Eats girls like you for breakfast"

"He seems nice enough to me. Anyway… Who are you, Michael?"

"Who am I?" I asked confused.

"Yeah… Are you an old friend or an ex-boyfriend?" She asked and I burst into laugh.

"Ex-boyfriend? God. She was still a little kid when I knew her, and I was three years older."

"Hmm… And who is Lilly? I'm a bit confused that Mia has never told anything about her"

"They were best friends, as thick as thieves… She's as old as Mia and –"

"As thick as thieves? Well, why weren't they in contact after Mia moved to Genovia? Because I've known Mia since she was nine and I've never heard her mention this Lilly girl"

"Look, don't ask me what happened, because I really don't know. Lilly refuses to talk about it… Few days ago when I was home, she got a fuss when she heard Mia was coming back. I don't know what happened, but it must've been something really rash" I told her quietly.

Katie was about to say something, but then thought better of it as Mia and Tobias came back. Tobias had his arm behind her shoulders, and he had this stupid, satisfied grin on. I would've wanted to hit him.

"Hey again" Mia smiled as she sat back down. "That was nice. American discos are much better than the ones in Genovia. Why the two of you don't go dancing, too?" She asked looking from me to Katie.

"I don't dance" I said quickly, not really wanting to leave Mia and Tobias alone. Chill out, Moscovitz, you are not responsible for her.

"What a pity. Um, by the way, are you here with someone, Michael?" Mia asked.

"Well…" I begun and then glanced back at the bar's way where Jack, a college friend of mine, was trying to charm this beautiful brunette. "I am but he's… Occupied."

"How long are you staying in New York?" Tobias asked looking Mia and Katie.

"Three weeks. Two weeks still left" Katie enlightened him with a wink.

"You can't stay any longer?"

"Noo… The Genovia's Independence Day is in three weeks"

"What a pity. Then we have to make the most of these two weeks. A friend of mine is throwing a beach party tomorrow, would you like to come?"

"Is this friend of yours… Is he Sven?" Mia asked carefully. So they've met Sven too, I thought with irritation.

"He's not the arranger, but he might be there of course… But I promise we don't have to be with him" He laughed.

"Is Michael invited, too?" Mia inquired looking me wonderingly. Actually, I had been invited already last week. I hadn't planned to go, but maybe I should… Someone has to look after Mi... The girls, I mean.

"I think he has been invited already… But you said you aren't coming, right?" Tobias asked, obviously hoping me to say yes. We were some sort of friends, but now – I'm quite sure – I was the last person he wanted there between him and Mia.

"Oh… Well, I've changed my mind" I smiled innocently and witnessed as Tobias's stupid smile faded.

Tomorrow was going to be interesting. Very interesting, indeed.

- Heini xx