Princess in Love (The Princess Diaries 3)

Except, of course, not really, because she’s pregnant, and I’m suspended.

But why quibble?

Friday, December 12, 8 p.m., the loft

Oh, my God, I just checked my e-mail. I am being inundated with supportive messages from my friends!

They all want to congratulate me on my decisive handling of Lana Weinberger. They sympathize with my suspension and encourage me to stay firm in my refusal to back down from my stand against the administration (what stand against the administration? All I did was destroy a cell phone. It has nothing to do with the administration). Lilly went so far as to compare me with Mary, Queen of Scots, who was imprisoned and then beheaded by Elizabeth I.

I wonder if Lilly would still think that if she knew that the reason I smashed Lana’s cell phone was because she was threatening to spill the beans about my having pulled the fire alarm that ruined Lilly’s walkout.

Lilly says it’s all a matter of principle, that I was banished from the school for refusing to back down from my beliefs. But actually, I was banished from school for destroying someone else’s private property—and I only did it to cover up for another crime that I committed.

No one knows that but me, though. Well, me and Lana. And even she doesn’t know for sure why I did it. I mean, it could have been just one of those random acts of violence that are going around.

Everyone else, however, is seeing it as this great political act. Tomorrow, at the first meeting of the Students Against the Corporatization of Albert Einstein High School, my case is going to be held up as an example of one of the many unjust decisions of the Gupta Administration.

I think tomorrow I might develop a case of weekend strep throat.

Anyway, I wrote back to everyone, telling them how much I appreciate their support, and not to make a bigger deal out of this than it actually is. I mean, I’m not proud of what I did. I would much rather have NOT done it, and stayed in school.

One bright note: Michael is definitely getting the cards I’ve been sending him. Tina walked by his locker today after PE and saw him take the latest one out and put it in his backpack! Unfortunately, according to Tina, he did not wear an expression of dazed passion as he slipped the card into his bag, nor did he gaze at it tenderly. He did not even put it away very carefully: Tina regretted to inform me that he slipped his iMac laptop into his backpack next, undoubtedly squashing the card.

But he wouldn’t, Tina hastened to assure me, have done that if he’d known it was from you, Mia! Maybe if you’d signed it . . .

But if I signed it, he’d know I like him! More than that, he’d know I love him, since I do believe the L word was mentioned in at least one card. And what if he doesn’t feel the same way about me? How embarrassing! Way worse than being suspended.

Oh, no! As I was writing this, I got Instant Messaged by, of all people, Michael himself! I freaked out so bad, I shrieked and scared Fat Louie, who was sleeping on my lap as I wrote. He sank all of his claws into me, and now I have little puncture marks all over my thighs.

Michael wrote:

CRACKING: Hey, Thermopolis, what’s this I hear about you getting suspended?

I wrote back:

/>

FTLOUIE: Just for one day.

CRACKING: What’d you do?

FTLOUIE: Crushed a cheerleader’s cellular phone.

CRACKING: Your parents must be so proud.

FTLOUIE: If so, they’ve done a pretty good job of disguising it so far.

CRACKING: So are you grounded?

FTLOUIE: Surprisingly, no. The attack on the cell phone was provoked.

CRACKING: So you’ll still be going to the Carnival next week?

FTLOUIE: As secretary to the Students Against the Corporatization of Albert Einstein High School, I believe my attendance is required. Your sister is planning for us to have a booth.

CRACKING: That Lilly. She’s always looking out for the good of mankind.

FTLOUIE: That’s one way of putting it.