Michael! My cherished preserver!
Friday, September 10, 3 a.m., the loft
Dear Michael,
I just wanted to say—
Dear Michael,
Why did you have to—
Dear Michael,
WHY????
Friday, September 10, 4 a.m., the loft
Michael! My hope! My love! My life!
Friday, September 10, the limo on the way to school
I can’t believe Mom made me go to school today.
I told her my heart was broken. I told her I hadn’t slept A WINK ALL NIGHT LONG. I told her I can’t stop crying. I haven’t stopped crying since last night, practically. I had no idea human beings were even CAPABLE of producing so many tears.
It was like talking to a stone wall. Mom was all, “You broke up with Michael, Mia, not the other way around. No way are you going to wallow around in bed all day.”
It’s weird but…it’s almost like she’s on MICHAEL’S side, or something.
But that can’t be possible, right? I mean, she’s MY mom, not HIS.
Still. She even made ME call Lilly and tell her to find alternative transportation to school this morning. She refused to do it for me, even though I begged, because I was afraid Michael might see it was me on the caller ID, and pick up instead.
I feel bad leaving Lilly in the lurch without a ride, but NO WAY can I face Michael this morning. And I know he will TOTALLY be waiting in front of their building for me, because he left me an e-mail to that effect this morning, which said:
SKINNERBX: I still don’t understand what I did wrong. How is my having slept with someone before I even knew you liked me a crime? I don’t get it.
I guess I can see why you’re upset about the Japan thing, but I don’t know how many times I have to explain that one of the reasons I’m doing this is for US before it sinks in. Lilly said Boris said something about clarinetists at lunch the other day, so I guess that’s where that came from, but I still don’t understand it. But if you want to see other people while I’m gone, I guess I’m fine with that. Maybe it would even be a good thing.
Look, we have to talk, okay? I’ll be waiting with Lilly out front before school. Maybe we could grab a coffee?
I HAD to call Lilly (on her cell, so there was no chance of getting Michael by mistake) and was all, “Lilly? I can’t come pick you up today.”
“POG?” Lilly sounded suspicious. “Is that you?”
“Y-yes,” I said.
“Wait—are you CRYING?”
“Y-yes,” I said. Because I was.
“WHAT is going on?” Lilly wanted to know. “What did you do to my brother? I’ve never seen him like this. Did you really dump him? Because he says you did.”
“He—he—”
But it was hopeless. I couldn’t speak. I was crying too hard.
“Jesus, Mia,” Lilly said, actually seeming concerned about me for once in her life. “You sound even worse than he does. WHAT IS GOING ON?”