AN; Hey guys. Thanks for your reviewing again, I'm really glad you like it.

This was started on the 23rd, and will hopefully get out within a few days, but it depends on how long it takes me to write it… anyway, all aboard chapter… uh, three?

Cabot owns all.

Friday 6th July, 12:00pm

Oops.

I guess all those – okay, two, but who's counting? – late nights finally caught up with me.

This is the longest I've slept in since, well, ever.

That sounds kind of sad, doesn't it?

Well, you'd be the same too, if when you so much as thought about pressing the snooze button on your alarm, you would either be awoken by an angry Grandmere (I swear that woman is at least a little bit psychic. That, or she sends those Genovian spies that she thinks are secret but I know she totally used to stalk Brad Pitt for a little while back before he started going out with Jennifer Anniston, who I don't think is even all that pretty, to watch me and report back to her on anything I do that is remotely un-princessy) or a bored Rocky, entertaining himself by bashing my face with a plastic hammer.

Are you really surprised I needed therapy, after those are the kinds of memories of my, uh, teenhood?

Anyway, this is actually quite nice. The bed is all comfy, and warm and-

Wait a second… I appear to be missing something.

Anyone happen to have seen a six foot tall, hot, robotic-surgical-arm-maker recently? Because he sure as heck isn't where he's supposed to be.

By me. In our bed.

I guess Grandmere isn't the only one who isn't a fan of sleeping in.

Huh, I really hope that's the only thing Michael and Grandmere have in common. Like, I'd better not find out that Michael is planning on tattooing eyeliner permanently around his eyes.

These are not the kinds of thoughts I enjoy waking up to.

Friday, 12:15pm, the kitchen

So it turns out Michael hadn't finally seized the chance to escape and run off to elope with Micromini Midori – and it's not like I thought that he had, anyway.

After giving in the battle with my stomach – and in a plight to get the images of Michael throwing back a sidecar whilst simultaneously balancing six cigarettes in his mouth out of my mind – I wandered into the kitchen in search of something to eat.

Too bad I don't know where anything is in this place. I could really do with some more of those pancakes.

I did find, however, taped to the fridge a note with Michael's handwriting scrawled all over it. This was my first – okay, and only – clue.

Your highness,

Didn't want to wake you. Seeing as you seem to switch off at the slightest mention of anything robotic or surgical – don't try to deny it – I didn't think you'd remember me mentioning yesterday that I have to go and give a speech at the university today. Be back about two-ish.

I hope you're capable of getting lunch yourself.

Love Michael

Of course I'm capable of making myself lunch! I survived for fourteen years just living with my mother, didn't I?

Now, if I were Michael, where would I keep my spoons…

Oh! Someone just knocked at the door.

Probably Tina again. There really is no stopping that girl. Oh well, maybe we could go to Nobu or somewhere, save me the trouble of turning Michael's loft upside down in search of cutlery.

Friday, 12:20pm, Bedroom

I'm back in here. And I can't get my stomach to shut up.

Seriously, you'd think I hadn't eaten for hours or something. Which, okay, I guess I haven't. But it could at least shut up for another day or something. I wouldn't last a second living in Africa where they have to walk for like a day just to get to dirty water.

I put a cushion over it to try and muffle the sounds.

Anyway, the reason I'm back in here and not speeding away in the limo to Nobu, much to my stomach's protests, is that it wasn't Tina at the door.

Oh no. It was Michael's housekeeper. (!)

And, how am I supposed to know how to treat a housekeeper? The closest I've ever gotten to one of them is the servants at the palace in Genovia, and I think you treat servants a little differently to housekeepers.

God, and what's she going to think of me now?, after I all but ran in here the second after answering the door.

What are you supposed to do? Make small talk?

Plus, I didn't have the slightest idea what she was saying… did Michael have to get a, uh, - I don't know, Polish maybe? - housekeeper?

"Mia?" was all she'd said when she saw me. Uh, hello, creepy! I'm sorry but it's not often that I'm faced with strange Polish ladies at the door who know me by name!

When I nodded, a little dumbfounded – because, really. I was expecting Tina Hakim Baba, and I got a woman I'd never seen before asking if Mia was my name. For all I knew, she could've like shot me, or something. Albeit, she was like, half my size, but so are most people when I wear heels – she simply said, in a thick accent of some kind, something like "Clean." And walked in.

At least that's what it sounded like. And what do you say to that, really?

Should I go and say hi? What if that's all the English she speaks? I don't want to intimidate her or anything.

Plus, what kind of conversation do you make with someone who is cleaning up after you? 'Oh, yeah, sorry about that stain there. I got a little too over-excited whilst eating some ice cream and watching America's funniest home videos.', or 'Oh, wow! I love that feather duster! Where'd you get it?'.

Yeah, that sure wouldn't get her running out the door and down the street and back to Poland faster than you can say 'hoover'.

That, or she'd hit me with said feather duster.

But I can't stay in here all day! And Michael won't be back for another two hours.

Ugh, and the whole cushion-stomach thing? Really not working.

If I don't get food in about ten seconds I may just eat the cushion.

Friday, 12:22pm, Still Bedroom

I wonder what tastes better: silk, or cotton?

Friday, 12:25pm, Still Bedroom

Okay, I'm gonna put my ear to the door and see what I can hear. Maybe if she's in another room, I could sneak out without her noticing and avoid any awkward conversations.

I mean, I don't want her to think I'm going out just because she's here.

Even though I totally am.

Well, that, and the fact that I swear I'm going to die if I don't eat something in the next five minutes.

Something that wasn't purchased at Macys.

Wait, is that music playing I can hear? …and, singing?

Oh, god, I can't go out now! She must think I've already gone! And she will be so embarrassed if I walk out and hear her singing.

Damn. Now what?

Maybe I could call Tina and-

Friday, 12:30pm, Limo on the way to Tina's

Well, that went well.

Not.

Really, can't I just once put forward a good first impression on someone?

So, the reason I cut off before was because I fell out the door.

I'm not even kidding. I fell out the door, right into the poor, unaware Polish lady.

I mean, she's probably come here today thinking that nothing would happen out of the ordinary, just the usual job, you know, cleaning. Heck, she probably came to America, looking for a nice change in atmosphere, you know, meet some new people, mingle, maybe settle down.

But no, that's not what happens when confronted with Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo.

No, instead of normal jobs, you end up with a 5"10 princess lying on top of you. Which isn't at all embarrassing. For either housekeeper or princess.

God, what am I going to do if she resigns or something? Michael might find it a little bit suspicious if his housekeeper quits coincidentally the same day that she meets me.

What if I hurt her? What if she sues us?!

Can you sue people for falling on top of you? And then running out the door. Like a fall, crush, and run.

Ugh, I am such an idiot.

If I had just moved from leaning on the door instead of staying slumped on top of it, just daring someone to open it so I could fall on them, I wouldn't even be in this situation!

I bet she thinks I was listening in to her singing too. So now I'm an eavesdropping, mean, stupid, clumsy idiot that falls out of doors. Great, that's just great. Really the kind of name I want for myself.

You know what? I'm just going to forget it, and move on.

I shouldn't dwell over things I can't change.

I'll just think about the things I can change. Like, for instance, the fact that I haven't stopped blushing since opening the door, practically.

I have to be wearing at least twenty layers of powder and concealer and any other cosmetic I could find in my handbag, and yet I am still as red as those stupid converse shoes Michael always wears.

Oh well. A bit of colour is a good thing, right?

I just hope the same goes for a lot of colour.

I wonder if when I step outside, cars will start stopping because they think I'm a stop sign, or a traffic light or something.

I'll just have to call Tina and tell her when we get there – I called her to ask if she wanted to come out right after the door-falling fiasco – to avoid getting out the car.

And hopefully I'll be hidden behind Lars when we go into Nobu.

That, or I could put my bag on my head.

…I think I'll go with the former option. Lars is big enough to hide both me and Tina, and my chanel clutch would probably only hide one of my stupid, blazing cheeks.

We're here now. I'd better ring Tina.

And put this away. I don't want to seem like I'd rather write in here than talk to her.

Friday, 1:30pm, Toilets at Nobu

Why do I always write in toilets? It's hardly hygienic.

But, whatever, I really don't feel all that good, and I wouldn't exactly want to make a scene by throwing up all over the table out there, or on an innocent bystander, so, this'll do.

Tina is a lot more bearable than both her and Lana together. I can, on occasion, get a word in edgeways.

It's also better now that we've officially 'caught up'. Just like old times.

Although I did get Tina's version of a telling-off – basically her whining and pouting and throwing puppy dog eyes in my face just to make me feel bad - about blowing her and Lana off yesterday. But, I mean, so what if Lana's extensions got completely ruined. It's not like she can't get new ones.

Tina disagreed, apparently.

"Come on, Mia, we just wanted to see you! We haven't hung out properly since high school!" Tina whined.

"What do you mean 'hung out properly'? I saw you practically every chance I had whilst we were in college! And, what, did Wednesday not count?" I said, back, but felt kind of bad when Tina started pouting a little. What?, the girl is good. "I mean, of course I want to see you guys too, but we all live here now. We've got tons of time!"

"Not really. Lana says she doesn't want to be stuck here her whole life, and I think we both know how true that is. I mean, she gets bored of something within five minutes of her having it. You can't really think she's going to stay here forever." Tina said.

"Okay, so she's gonna travel a bit. She's not going to completely forget about us and never see us again!" I said.

"Uh, I think you're overestimating her a little. She's Lana. She'll probably end up being best friends with Paris Hilton or someone, and forget all about us! We don't have much time left to spend together." Tina said.

Trust her to be a drama queen. Paris Hilton? Really?

"I think Paris could irritate even Lana within five seconds of being with her. And vice versa."

"You know what I mean. For all you know, you could never see her again after yesterday."

To save this argument going on for the majority of the afternoon, I decided to cut Tina off there, and simply agree.

"Right. I'm sorry, okay? It was the first time me and Michael had gone out since I'd got back, so I didn't want to bail on him. And then Lilly showed up, and I think you know as well as me how hard it is to say no to her." I said, instead.

"Oh." Was all Tina said for a while. She looked like she was thinking about something, but I decided to leave it and simply dug in to my salad.

It was like heaven after the morning of starvation I had suffered.

"Do you think we're going to stay friends Mia?" Tina asked me. I almost groaned, wanting nothing more than to eat my food in peace. Was that too much to ask?

I love Tina, I really do, as much as it may seem that I don't more often than not these days, but come on. I hadn't eaten in over twelve hours!

"What?" I said, shovelling as much lettuce in my mouth as I could at a time. Attractive, I know.

OVER TWELVE HOURS OF STARVATION.

"I mean, like I was saying, Lana's not going to stay here forever. And I doubt Lilly'll be here for much longer, she'll be heading to bigger and better things; she always is. It's going to be hard keeping in touch with everyone if they live so far away." She said, shrugging and digging in to her own food.

I swallowed the remainder of food that was in my own mouth, and thought about what to say.

Poor Tina. Poor naïve Tina. I mean, as much as I'd like to still have all my friends in fifty years time, I highly doubt it works that way. In fact, I'm nearly one hundred percent sure it doesn't work that way.

That's why they have things like Friends Reunited!. You're supposed to move on from your high school friends.

…But, does that mean you're supposed to move on from your 'high school sweethearts', too? Because, that's technically what me and Michael are, even though we did break up for a while in the middle, we were still going out for a long time during high school.

Are we supposed to have moved on by now?

Look at Lana and Josh. They were like, the 'it' couple of AEHS.

And they were practically doomed the second he graduated.

"Uh, I guess it'll never be exactly the same as it was," I said in response to Tina, not really concentrating on the answer anymore.

Are me and Michael doomed?

Really, what percentage of successful marital relationships began when the couple was in high school?

I mean, take my Mom and Dad, for instance. I know they met at college, but still, that's probably better than high school, and they didn't even get married at all!

Maybe it's different for Michael and me. Because it's not just a one-night stand, or a popularity-pairing like Mom and Dad and Lana and Josh. We actually genuinely have feelings for each other. And that changes things, right?

Right?

I hope it does. I really do.

"I just wish we could all stay friends forever." Tina said, looking down into her lap, and sounding so much younger than we actually were, yet for once, I completely agreed. "Why does everything have to change?"

I don't know. But I really wish it didn't, too.

"Life." I said, piercing another piece of lettuce with my fork.

Suddenly I wasn't so hungry anymore.

Maybe that's why I feel so weird now, too. I managed to put myself off of eating.

Ugh.

Friday, 1:45pm, Limo on the way home

Being sick? Yeah, not so much fun.

Vomiting in the toilets for ten minutes, unable to go out and get someone, say, your bodyguard or your best friend, because you're worried that if you do, you'll end up puking all over the restaurant? Even less fun.

And that, on top of being completely un-princesslike, would just be disgusting. And hard to clean up.

So, all I have to say, is thank god Tina thought to come check on me after I'd been in there for like a quarter of an hour.

Especially considering the fact that that is basically a completely normal time-frame for me to be in the bathroom, seeing as I spend most of my time in there not actually using it, and instead writing in here.

Anyway, I'm just glad I was a little too preoccupied trying to hold in what was coming out of my mouth when being rushed through the restaurant and out the door, to blush.

Because people most definitely noticed.

And I think I've been embarrassed enough for one day.

So now I am sitting in the limo, with my head in a bucket that the manager thoughtfully – or maybe desperately, just to get me out of there – thrust at Lars whilst we were making our impromptu exit.

Well, this is nice. Really. Just how I wanted to spend my afternoon. Why chat with your best friend, when you can happily sit with your head in a bucket that smells of sick already, just adding to the feeling of nausea.

Wow, I am so lucky.

Friday, 2:00pm, Our apartment

Michael still isn't back.

Tina offered to stay with me, but I wouldn't let her. I don't think it'd be that much fun sitting with someone who is constantly throwing up. Or writing about throwing up.

Besides, I don't think it's that serious. I probably just ate too fast.

Or, maybe it's that swine flu thing that everyone's been freaking out about.

Oh well, I'm sure it'll pass.

I'll just go lay down, or watch a movie or something.

Ew, I think I just gagged again.

The bucket is most definitely coming with me.

Friday, 2:15pm, Trying to choose a movie

I managed to find where Michael keeps all his DVDs, but I don't know what to watch.

Mostly because they all seem to be about things exploding.

I don't know where he's put all his copies of Star Wars, because they are most definitely not here.

Oh well, I guess I'll just pick one at random.

Friday, 2:30pm, On the sofa

This movie sucks. It's called Armageddon.

I only picked it because it had Ben Affleck in it, and he is totally hot, even though he's like in his thirties or whatever.

And now, all they're talking about is asteroids. Who really cares about asteroids?

Friday, 2:45pm, Still on the sofa, watching the stupid asteroid movie

This really is a terrible movie. But I can't be bothered getting up and changing it. Plus, the more I move, the more I gag.

Why can't Michael own a copy of Dirty Dancing?

Or, more importantly, why isn't he back yet?

Would it be selfish of me to ring him and say I'm sick so that he'll come home?

It would, wouldn't it?

Hey, I could ring Mom. I haven't spoken to her since before I came back here.

Plus, it's either her, or Grandmere. And I think I know who would be more sympathetic over me being sick.

But what if she's mad at me for not calling sooner? Or not going over to say hi, even though I only live like, fifteen minutes away.

I guess I can see why that might annoy her. Still, at least I didn't move to a completely different state from my parents – Dad doesn't count, because that would be a whole different country, but you know – like she did.

And, hey, I have been busy! First there was moving in, all those boxes, and then I got ambushed by Tina, and well, I had to spend some time with Michael after that!, and then there was a similar ambushing by Lilly… and, well, there just hasn't been much time.

She could've called me.

It's not like I wouldn't have answered or- oops. Maybe that was who was calling yesterday, not Tina or Lana…

Crap.

Who would've guessed, the phantom-caller was none other than Helen Thermopolis?

Something tells me she won't really see the funny side of things.

Perhaps, just thinking of my health and safety, now isn't the best time for a reunion over the phone. Or in person, for that matter.

Especially not in the state I'm in now.

Speaking of which, I think I'm going to hurl again. All this thinking is making my head spin.

Friday, 3:30pm, In Bed

MICHAEL, WHERE ARE YOU?

If he has run off to elope, then I may just have to…

I may just have to puke all over his side of the bed.

At least, that's why I'll tell him I did it.

He should count himself lucky. Not all girlfriends puke on your bed for you.

Friday, 3:45pm, Still Bed

I'm going to sleep. Michael can just feel bad when he comes home and sees me lying here all ill, and pathetic.

Oh! I think I just heard a key in the door!

Look sick, look sick, look sick.

Okay, I really don't think this was one of my best chapters, so, sorry. But I wanted to get it out, and here it is. It's a bit shorter than the other ones I think, sorry again. I am going to go and edit it now though.

I have made a decision how to get the story in. As with the books, I am planning on having this only span about a week… but that would make only about seven to nine-ish (depending on how long I do decide) chapters. Do you think I should make the story go on longer?

This is bearing in mind that I will probably do a sequel either way, just not right after I've finished this.

Anonymous Review and people I can't PM Replies

Kristin – thank you (: and it's okay, I couldn't resist myself ;] x

Wq – thanks , I thought it was a bit better too. Unfortunately, I didn't think this one was! I will continue though (:

DreamStarWriter – sorry I didn't reply to you the first time, I forgot I couldn't PM you. Thank youu , and sorry I took so long! Haha, thanks for the great rating :) sorry the length disappointed you ;)

Natalie – thanks, I'm glad you thought so!

Itissixoclock – aww thanks, I hope I do (: and I always try and do a disclaimer at the top, because where would we be without meg? ;)

Jonica – thank you, that does mean a lot because I was worried (: I hope this one was okay!

Aroojx – thanks, I'm glad (:

Eowin – wow, thank you! That does mean a lot, and I will, don't worry!

Thanks again for all your reviews, I love reading all of them (: Tell me if I missed you out or didn't reply!

Love Ellen

X x x x

PS. Going on vacation on sat, don't know if I'll get another chap out by then. Possibly get one out during vacation, but if not, this may be the last you'll hear from me for 2weeks! Sorry!