Another Crime

Thursday, December 10th, ll:00.am.

Principal Gupta called a meeting of the whole school this morning. She asked if anyone had any information about Wednesday's fire alarm.

I'm not worried. The only person who could give her information about me is Justin Baxendale. He passed me in the hallway a few minutes before I turned on the alarm. But Justin Baxendale isn't listening to Principal Gupta. He's playing games on his Gameboy.

Thursday, December 10th. Special Project class

Today was my lunch with Kenny at Big Wong.

Kenny still hasn't asked me to the Winter Dante. And I don't think he loves me as much as he says. He's stopped calling me after school. He says it's because he's busy studying for Finals, but I suspect35 something else.

f think Kenny knows how I feel about Michael.

I'm not enjoying our Special Project class today. Judith Gershner isn't here . . . but neither is Michael. Nobody knows where he is.

Thursday, December 10th, 9:00 p.m.

Tonight, when I went for my princess lesson with Grandmere, Sebastiano was there too.

When Grandmere paused to take a phone call, Sebastiano started asking me lots of questions. He wanted to know what clothes my friends and I like to wear. He wrote my answers down in a little notebook.

When Grandmere finished her phone call, I told her that I couldn't come to princess lessons next week. I explained that I had SIX Finals to prepare for. But Grandmere was not very pleased.

Fortunately, my dad came in just then. I told him about my Finals and that I didn't have time to go to my princess lessons.

"Yes, of course," he said. Grandmere started to argue, but my dad said,

"If Mia hasn't learnt how to be a princess by this time, she never will."

Grandmere pressed her lips together and didn't say anything more.

Friday, December 11 th. Homeroom

Here's what I have to do:

1. Stop thinking about Michael when I should be studying.

2. Stop telling Grandmere anything about my personal life.

3. Start acting more

A. Grown up.

B. Like a princess.

4. Stop biting my fingernails.

5. Write down everything Mom and Mr Gianini need to know about taking care of Fat Louie when I'm away in Genovi

6. BUY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!

7. Stop watching TV when I should be studying.

8. Stop playing computer games when I should be studying.

9. Stop listening to music when I should be studying.

10. Break up with Kenny.

Friday, December 11th. Principal Gupta's Office

I've done a terrible thing.

I, Mia Thermopolis, have become a young criminal. The fire alarm was only the beginning. Maybe I'll even have to leave the school. But it's not my fault. It's Lana's fault.

I was sitting in Mr Gianini's Algebra lesson. Lana was sitting at the desk in front of me. Then she turned around and put a newspaper, USA Today, on my desk. There was an article with a big headline:

Most Popular Young Royal

Fifty-seven per cent of our readers have voted for Prince William of England as their favorite young royal, while Will's little brother Harry has twenty-eight per cent. Princess Mia Renaldo of Genovia is in third place, with thirteen per cent of the votes. Why is Princess Mia so unpopular?

I read the stupid article and gave the paper back to Lana.

"So?" I whispered to her.

"So," Lana whispered. "I wonder how popular you would be if their readers knew that you turned on fire alarms."

I was very shocked. How did Lana know I had turned on the fire alarm? She couldn't have seen me. Unless. . .

Unless Justin Baxendale had told her.

I don't know why I behaved like I did, but something happened inside me. Lana's little pink cell phone was lying on top of her desk. Suddenly, I reached for it and put it on the floor. I crushed it with my boot and it broke into hundreds of pieces.

So Mr Gianini sent me to the principal's office. I can't really blame him, even if he is my stepfather.

Oh. Here comes Principal Gupta.

Friday, December 11th, 5:00 p.m. The Loft

I've been suspended38 from school so I have to stay at home. It's only for one day. But they're going to write it on my school record. They're treating me like a criminal.

I'm not a criminal. My dad doesn't think so, either. But I'm not going to tell my dad why I broke Lana's cell phone. I'm not going to tell him about the fire alarm.

Now I'm at home with my mother. I'm sitting on her bed and we're watching TV. Because Mom is pregnant she is often tired, so she spends a lot of time in bed.

Mom was drawing some pictures of me. Then she asked me questions about what Lana had said. She wanted to know why I had crushed Lana's cell phone. Suddenly I started telling her a lot of things. I told her all about Kenny, and Michael, and Judith Gershner, and Tina and the anonymous cards, and the Winter Carnival, and Lilly and her walkout. I told her everything, except about the fire alarm.

After a while, my mom stopped drawing.

"You know what I think you need?" she said. "A vacation."

So then we had a sort of vacation, right there on her bed. I ordered pizzas, and then we watched some great movies. For a while, it was almost like the old days. You know, before my mom met Mr Gianini and I found out I was a princess.

Friday, December 11th, 8:00 p.m. The Loft

I just checked my email. I have a lot of messages from my friends. They all think I did a very good thing when I crushed Lana's cell phone.

But I only did it to hide my other crime. I was afraid Lana would tell everyone that I had turned on the fire alarm.

Something good: Michael is getting my cards. Tina walked by his locker today and saw him put the latest card into his bag!

I've just got an Instant Message from Michael on my computer!

CracKing: Hey, Thermopolis, what's this I hear about you getting suspended?

I wrote back:

FtLouie: Just for one day.

CracKing: What did you do?

FtLouie: I crushed Lana Weinberger's cell phone.

CracKing: Are your parents making you stay at home?

FtLouie: No. I told them I attacked Lana's phone because of something she said.

CracKing: So you're still going to the Carnival?

FtLouie: Yes.

This is the second time Michael's asked me if I'm going to the Winter Carnival.

Friday, December 11th, 9:00 p.m.

Mr Gianini got home late tonight. He stopped on his way home to buy a huge Christmas tree.

I don't approve of people cutting down trees for Christmas. But I didn't say anything about the tree because my mom was so excited. Mr Gianini kept looking at me, to see if I was happy too. He said that he had got the tree because I'd had a bad day. He wanted to do something nice for me.