Title: Lost Souls
Author: Zia E-mail: Ski_ming_siren@yahoo.com Website: http://closingearly.cjb.net
Disclaimer: In my dreams
Category: M&M with everyone else too.
Rating: I don't think any worse than pg-13
Feedback: PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE!
Dedication: well I guess to Brian, Jamie and Ben, I'd be so lost with out you guys! Thanks Ben for the title.
Author's Note: This has NOTHING to do with the movie Lost Souls it just fit. GIVE ME FEEDBACK or I'll cry!
I was sitting in the Crashdown, drinking a cherry soda while I waited for her. I drummed my thumbs on the Formica tabletop, then grabbed the Tabasco sauce bottle from the corner and laid it on its side and spun it. 'What's taking so long?' I thought spinning the bottle again. I picked up the bottle and stared at it, there was a swirl of color in the bottle, darker reds blended with the lighter parts. That's when I heard her scream, I jerked my head up and tried to distinguish where it was coming from. I realized she wasn't in the restaurant and jumped up, vaguely I heard the bottle fall to the ground and break but she was more important and the blood-curdling scream that I heard from her seconds ago had chilled my blood.
I ran out the front door and saw a car halfway on the sidewalk, the driver's head resting against the steering wheel. 'Where is she?!' I looked around quickly and that's when I saw a glimpse of turquoise fabric. I ran to her she was laying a few feet from the car, her eyes closed her hair matted with blood, and her arm was bent at a funny angle. "Oh my god." I whispered kneeling down by her. I gently brushed some hair from her face there was a long gash along her forehead. 'Please be ok' I silently prayed. I noticed the dark red puddle growing quickly around her body. I cradled her face and pleaded with her to open her eyes.
Finally they fluttered open and focused on me. She tried to say something but her voice wouldn't work. "Shhh." I whispered. "Don't talk, it'll be ok." I wasn't really telling her that, it was more to convince myself of it. She opened her mouth again ignoring my protests.
"I.love." She took a deep breath and winced but continued. "I love you.always have." I could feel the tears sliding down my face.
"You can't leave me, I can't live without you." I told her and she tried to smile but it came out as a grimace. "I love you." I whispered. Her eyes closed and her head lolled to the side. "Nooo." I cried cradling her small body in my arms. I rocked us back and forth. I didn't notice the people coming over or the paramedics pull up in their ambulance, the only thing I was aware of was her rapidly cooling body in my arms, I held her tighter trying to give her some warmth. She always got cold so easily, and I secretly loved it because then she would wrap her arms around my waist and hold me trying to steal my warmth for her self.
I could hear someone calling my name, but I ignored them, she was cold I needed to get her warm. I just rocked her back and forth. Someone tried to pull her away from me and I told them to go to hell that they weren't taking her from me, not after all we went through. It took 4 people to get her away and I fought as hard as I could but they won. I could hear someone comforting me or at least trying. I wanted to punch them, like them saying 'it'll be ok' was really helping.
I stared at her body lying so cold in the hard wooden coffin. Her face looked sick, too much makeup, she'd always looked so perfect, she wore makeup but you couldn't tell, except for her raspberry lip-gloss. I knew because I loved to watch her put it on, I loved to watch her period, but when she put her make up on I remember she would look in the mirror and smile at me. I closed my eyes and saw her perfect smile, and her beautiful eyes. How was I supposed to go on with out her? I couldn't, she was my life, she made me feel, but with out her I couldn't.
I walked out to the spot that had become a usual meeting spot for all of us. The sun was just starting to set; the sky was several beautiful colors. They all blended together, pinks and reds with the purples and towards the top were becoming a dark blue. But just above the sun was an amazing yellow it was golden, just like her hair. I stared at it till it was gone. Did they really expect me to be able to live with out her? I glanced down and saw the long drop to the water below. I stepped closer to the edge, and with a last whisper. "I love you Maria, I'll be with you soon." I stepped off the cliff.
I had my eyes closed and I imagined her face. Her green eyes golden hair and perfect smile. I heard her voice. "Michael." It was just a whisper. "Michael, baby." I felt her reach out and touch my arm. My eyes flew open and there she was.
I stared at her the soft light from the lamp next to the bed made her look beautiful. She had a look of concern on her face. "What?" I asked sitting up. She just stared at me, then she moved and straddled my lap and draped her arms around my shoulders and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped mine tight around her waist, I closed my eyes trying to remember the dream but I couldn't, so I gave up and just paid attention to her.
I watched her grab the afghan from the foot of her bed and pull it around her shoulders and held it together behind me. I leaned back against the headboard and closed my eyes kissing the crown of her head. She kissed the hollow of my throat and then rested her head next to it. Her warm breath felt so good against my skin so I pulled her closer. She shivered and I slipped my hands up the back of her tank top. She was cold so I snaked my hand out of the blanket and pulled the comforter up and around her and she sighed at the warmth of the added blanket and my hands on her back.
I sat at the Crashdown; I was watching her dance around the restaurant. There weren't any costumers at the time so she was wiping down tables. Her hips swayed to the music coming from the speakers, every once and a while she'd turn and smile at me, or come up and give me a kiss. A few minuets later Liz walked in and smiled at us.
"Maria as soon as your done with the tables you can go since I'm here, just tell me when you leave because I'm gonna go in back and work on the inventory stuff." Liz said walking past them and out the door. I took a drink of my soda and Maria danced her way over and gave me a light kiss.
"I'm almost done, then we can go back home." Maria whispered in my ear. Her mom was out of town till next week so I'd been staying at her house because she didn't want to be alone.
I rested my head back against the seat and just listened to the music while I waited. After a few minuets I picked up a Tabasco bottle and spun it on the table, I had a weird sense of déjà vu and looked up, Maria wasn't there. Suddenly I had a flash of Maria, lying on the cement covered in blood. I jumped up and ran out the door she was standing on the sidewalk picking up something off the ground. I saw a car out of the corner of my eye speeding around the corner. I ran up and grabbed her arm pulling her to me.
She screamed as we hit the ground I rolled on top of her to protect her. We didn't move for a few minuets both in shock.
"Michael." I heard her whisper. I lifted my head and looked at her.
"You ok?" She nodded.
"Yeah, what happened?" I sat up and got off her then helped her up. I pointed to the skid marks the car had made right in the spot she had been standing. "Oh god." She wrapped her arms around my neck and started crying. "How.how did you know? Oh my god you saved my life." She sobbed into my shoulder. I just held on to her tightly rubbing my hands over her back trying to calm her down.
Liz came running out the door. "Oh my god!"
"It's ok Liz everything is ok." I told her still holding Maria who was shaking violently with sobs now. "It's ok Maria don't worry it's ok." I ran my fingers through her hair and pulled her head back making her look at me. "It's ok." Her lower lip was trembling, I kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes. "Liz I'm gonna take her home ok."
I scooped Maria up in my arms and carried her to her car. I set her in the passenger seat and pulled her keys out of my pocket. Half way to her house Maria finally stopped shaking. "Michael you saved my life. How?" I sighed should I tell her I dreamt she'd died?
"You know how yesterday you woke me up in the middle of the night?"
"Yeah you were tossing and turning, scared me." I grabbed her hand.
"Well I finally remembered what I'd been dreaming about." She looked at me and squeezed my hand. "I dreamt you died." She gasped. "I dreamt I was sitting the Crashdown waiting for you, then I heard you scream I ran out but it was too late. So when I was sitting in there waiting I remembered I picked up a Tabasco bottle just like in my dream and I remembered I ran out and just barely got you out of the way."
"Oh my god Michael." Maria turned in her seat and wrapped her arms around my neck. I pulled the car over to the side of the road so I could hold her. She lifted her head and looked at me kissing me lightly on the lips.
After a few minuets of holding each other I spoke. "I don't know what I'd have done with out you Maria. You are everything that's good in me. You made me what I am. I love you so much." I told her with my head buried in her neck. She tightened her hold on me.
"I love you too Michael. I love you too." She was crying again. I pulled back and kissed away the tears streaming down her face.
Finally we got home and I took her in, she was still clinging to me, I didn't blame her I didn't want to let her go either. I'd been so scared I was going to lose her. We went in to her room and laid down no her bed just holding each other. Eventually we dozed off; Maria woke up a few hours later and woke me up when she sat up. "What?" I asked her sitting up.
"I'm gonna call Liz. She sounded freaked when she came out, so I'm gonna call her and tell her we're ok." I nodded my head and leaned back against the pillows. I watched Maria grab the phone and dial Liz's number.
"Hey Liz, it's me." She paused for a second. "I was just calling to tell you that I'm fine and sorry if I freaked you out. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Love you." Maria made a face and put the phone back on her nightstand and lay back down beside me. "Answering Machine."
We woke up the next morning about noon. Maria went into the bathroom and changed after throwing a t-shirt that she had 'borrowed' a few weeks earlier to me. After a few minuets she came out and sat at her vanity and started to put her make up on. I watched her like always and she'd smile at me. I got up and grabbed the hairbrush from the table and carefully ran it through her hair. She sighed and closed her eyes while I combed out the knots from her hair.
After I was done I set the brush down and kissed her cheek lightly whispering in her ear as I did it. "I love you." She smiled.
"I love you too. So can we go to the Crashdown because I don't want to make anything for lunch because I'm lazy today."
"Today!?" I asked and she laughed pushing me backwards. We walked outside and noticed the car was gone. "Did your mom come home early?" I asked her.
"If she did I'm surprised we didn't know.she would have come wielding newspapers again I thought." Maria chuckled. "Whatever she's home early that's ok we can walk to the Crashdown." Maria grabbed my hand and we started walking.
We were across the street from the Crashdown just as Liz came out the front door. Max, Isabel, and Alex all pulled up in the jeep and Liz jumped in. "Liz!" Maria yelled but they didn't hear her. She shrugged and we went up to the door. I reached for the door but Maria stopped me.
"What?" I asked. She first pointed to the sign in the window that read 'Sorry We're closed.' And then the one underneath it that was hand written said 'Closed until further notice.' I looked at Maria confused.
"Maybe Liz's parents went on vacation or something and said Liz could close up till they got back." She said. I nodded slightly. 'It could be a possibility' I thought. Then I saw Liz's parents pulling out of the parking lot.
"Or maybe not." I pointed to them and Maria looked even more confused.
Maria made another strange face and looked around. "I don't know may-." Maria froze.
"What?" I asked. She pointed to one of the outside tables.
"Why are we on the front page of the newspaper Michael?" she asked with a shaky voice. I moved over and grabbed the paper off the table and opened it up. Sure enough there was a large picture of the two of us. When was that taken? I wondered, had to have been recently. We both looked happy. I read the heading "Two Teens Die" What!? I moved down to read the article. "Maria DeLuca, and boyfriend Michael Guerin died mid afternoon yesterday when a drunk driver lost control of his car and drove up on the curb out side the Crashdown Café where they both worked."
Maria just stared at me as I read. "NO! No it has to be some kind of joke!" She cried.
"Maria why would someone joke about it?" I asked her.
"I don't know, but I know I'm not dead! And neither are you!" She yelled at me I ignored her and continued to read.
"'Jessie Lewis the drunk driver in the incident left a bar after having been drinking all night following an argument with his fiancé. Witnesses say Maria DeLuca was outside working when her boyfriend Michael Guerin came running out and grabbed her obviously trying to prevent her from being hit by the oncoming car. "I don't know what happened, I'd just been talking to them 5 minuets earlier, I told her she could go home once she was done with the tables, she was supposed to go out with Michael that night, she'd been talking about it all week." Liz Parker said when we interviewed her after the accident. "I heard Maria scream and I came running out and there they were laying on the ground, they looked so peaceful, almost like they were sleeping, except for them being covered in blood." The mother of Maria, Amy DeLuca had been out of town for the week when she received news of her daughter's accident refused comment.'" Maria was sitting on the ground when I finished the paragraph.
"No we can't be dead, Michael we are only 17, how can we be dead? I wanted to have a life, ya know grow up, get married, have kids. Have a house with a white picket fence, that's what I've dreamed of all my life, having kids and letting them have the life I didn't get. And now.now that's not going to happen." Maria just sat there, she didn't cry, I didn't think she could cry anymore. I sat down beside her and wrapped my arms around her. She laid her head down on my chest and we just sat there for who knows how long.
Eventually I heard a car coming down the road, it was Max's jeep, and along with the same people that had been it last time they'd seen it. Max parked the jeep and they all climbed out. Liz was crying and Max held onto her. Isabel's eyes were red and it was obvious that Alex too had been crying. Liz pulled her keys out of her purse and tried to put it in the door but she fumbled with it and dropped them on the ground. Max glanced around and waved his hand over the door. I heard the click and then poked Maria we got up and followed them into the Crashdown.
Liz tried to get something to drink but her hands were shaking and she dropped a glass and it shattered on the ground, everyone jumped because it was so loud in the dead silence of the restaurant. Maria and I sat at the bar and watched them, Max helped Liz by grabbing a glass and filling it with water. He handed it to her but a ragged sob broke from her throat so he put it down and held her. Isabel was biting her lip to keep from crying. Alex had his face buried in his hands, Isabel moved over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. He held her tight against him and cried into her hair. I looked at Max; he was the only one not crying.
I looked at Maria her eyes were filled with tears so I slid an arm around her shoulders. Suddenly I heard a loud laugh break through the sobs. Everyone looked up and stared at Max who was full out guffawing. "My god Max!" I heard Isabel yell. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" She was pissed. "Your best friend is dead! And so is your girlfriend's best friend! And you have the audacity to laugh!" Isabel jumped up ready to hit him.
"No wait Izzy, I was just remembering the time in 4th grade when we caught Michael staring at Maria on the playground. He tried to deny it, but he was so flustered that he said she was dork and got up and left." Isabel cracked a smile and half sobbed half laughed. Maria looked at me and glared.
"Dork huh?" I smirked at her.
Liz was still crying so Max continued to hold her. Alex jumped in on the memories and started in on Maria. "Oh I remember when we had that party for Maria it was her birthday, Liz and I bought her a blow up alien, and it was bright pink. She named it Michael." Alex smiled, Liz tried not to but the corner of her mouth curved a little.
"A pink alien huh?" I asked Maria and she blushed.
"Oh how about the time when Maria's science experiment exploded in 5th grade." Everyone gave Isabel a strange look. "Guess who caused it!" It then dawned on everyone.
"You blew up my science experiment!?" Maria yelled at me.
"Well it looked better than Max's.I wasn't gonna let him lose to a girl!"
"He did it for Max, didn't want him to lose to a girl." Isabel said.
"Yeah but he blew up the wrong one, Liz still beat me." Liz giggled remembering that day.
They spent the rest of the day remembering, I held on to Maria the whole time, we argued about some of the things said about us, but enjoyed hearing them.
"So do you think that they are in heaven?" Liz asked after a long silence in the group. "Are they watching us? Making sure that we are ok with out them?" Liz leaned back against Max's chest.
"I think that they are watching us." Isabel said. Maria looked at Michael with tears in her eyes.
"This is really happening isn't it?" she asked. "We are really dead." Maria whispered.
"Hey come here." Michael pulled her against him. "I love you, and I'm not going anywhere, even if I could. You're stuck with me." Michael kissed her lightly.
"It's going to be so weird without them." Liz said. "Maria was my best friend, for like my whole life and now.she's gone."
"Yeah without Michael and his vision quests what are we going to do?" Max chuckled lightly. "But there's something I do know, if they had to die it's good they went together. They drove each other insane in life but with out the other one they would have gone over the edge. So I'm sure somewhere they are arguing over something totally minor and then probably going to make out like mad."
"We're going to be ok aren't we Michael?" Maria asked in a hushed voice.
"Yeah as long as we are together." We sat in silence remembering. Liz and Max holding each other, same as Alex and Isabel and Maria and I.
Maria followed Liz around the Crashdown. It had been 2 weeks since the accident and Michael and Maria watched over their friends.
Michael sat at a booth watching Maria dance around the Crashdown behind Liz, she was still so beautiful, it seemed as if death had preserved her beauty. Michael got up and moved behind Maria slipping his arms around her waist. Maria turned and looked at him and smiled. "Dance with me." He whispered in her ear. Maria slipped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Michael's hands slid up and down her back, they were slowly swaying back and forth since there was no music. Maria watched Liz as she stopped filling the sugar container there were no costumers other than Izzy, Max, and Alex. Liz walked over to the new jukebox and stared at it for a moment before pressing a few buttons. Max got up and moved over to her and Alex slid out and pulled Isabel up with him.
Maria and Michael looked at their friends and then each other; Michael brushed a kiss against her lips and pulled her closer. Maria laid her head down on his shoulder again and closed her eyes. Maria glanced one last time at her friends as the music started, they were happy, they would miss them for a long time, but they would get on with their lives, as long as they had their soul mate with them.
Author: Zia E-mail: Ski_ming_siren@yahoo.com Website: http://closingearly.cjb.net
Disclaimer: In my dreams
Category: M&M with everyone else too.
Rating: I don't think any worse than pg-13
Feedback: PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE!
Dedication: well I guess to Brian, Jamie and Ben, I'd be so lost with out you guys! Thanks Ben for the title.
Author's Note: This has NOTHING to do with the movie Lost Souls it just fit. GIVE ME FEEDBACK or I'll cry!
I was sitting in the Crashdown, drinking a cherry soda while I waited for her. I drummed my thumbs on the Formica tabletop, then grabbed the Tabasco sauce bottle from the corner and laid it on its side and spun it. 'What's taking so long?' I thought spinning the bottle again. I picked up the bottle and stared at it, there was a swirl of color in the bottle, darker reds blended with the lighter parts. That's when I heard her scream, I jerked my head up and tried to distinguish where it was coming from. I realized she wasn't in the restaurant and jumped up, vaguely I heard the bottle fall to the ground and break but she was more important and the blood-curdling scream that I heard from her seconds ago had chilled my blood.
I ran out the front door and saw a car halfway on the sidewalk, the driver's head resting against the steering wheel. 'Where is she?!' I looked around quickly and that's when I saw a glimpse of turquoise fabric. I ran to her she was laying a few feet from the car, her eyes closed her hair matted with blood, and her arm was bent at a funny angle. "Oh my god." I whispered kneeling down by her. I gently brushed some hair from her face there was a long gash along her forehead. 'Please be ok' I silently prayed. I noticed the dark red puddle growing quickly around her body. I cradled her face and pleaded with her to open her eyes.
Finally they fluttered open and focused on me. She tried to say something but her voice wouldn't work. "Shhh." I whispered. "Don't talk, it'll be ok." I wasn't really telling her that, it was more to convince myself of it. She opened her mouth again ignoring my protests.
"I.love." She took a deep breath and winced but continued. "I love you.always have." I could feel the tears sliding down my face.
"You can't leave me, I can't live without you." I told her and she tried to smile but it came out as a grimace. "I love you." I whispered. Her eyes closed and her head lolled to the side. "Nooo." I cried cradling her small body in my arms. I rocked us back and forth. I didn't notice the people coming over or the paramedics pull up in their ambulance, the only thing I was aware of was her rapidly cooling body in my arms, I held her tighter trying to give her some warmth. She always got cold so easily, and I secretly loved it because then she would wrap her arms around my waist and hold me trying to steal my warmth for her self.
I could hear someone calling my name, but I ignored them, she was cold I needed to get her warm. I just rocked her back and forth. Someone tried to pull her away from me and I told them to go to hell that they weren't taking her from me, not after all we went through. It took 4 people to get her away and I fought as hard as I could but they won. I could hear someone comforting me or at least trying. I wanted to punch them, like them saying 'it'll be ok' was really helping.
I stared at her body lying so cold in the hard wooden coffin. Her face looked sick, too much makeup, she'd always looked so perfect, she wore makeup but you couldn't tell, except for her raspberry lip-gloss. I knew because I loved to watch her put it on, I loved to watch her period, but when she put her make up on I remember she would look in the mirror and smile at me. I closed my eyes and saw her perfect smile, and her beautiful eyes. How was I supposed to go on with out her? I couldn't, she was my life, she made me feel, but with out her I couldn't.
I walked out to the spot that had become a usual meeting spot for all of us. The sun was just starting to set; the sky was several beautiful colors. They all blended together, pinks and reds with the purples and towards the top were becoming a dark blue. But just above the sun was an amazing yellow it was golden, just like her hair. I stared at it till it was gone. Did they really expect me to be able to live with out her? I glanced down and saw the long drop to the water below. I stepped closer to the edge, and with a last whisper. "I love you Maria, I'll be with you soon." I stepped off the cliff.
I had my eyes closed and I imagined her face. Her green eyes golden hair and perfect smile. I heard her voice. "Michael." It was just a whisper. "Michael, baby." I felt her reach out and touch my arm. My eyes flew open and there she was.
I stared at her the soft light from the lamp next to the bed made her look beautiful. She had a look of concern on her face. "What?" I asked sitting up. She just stared at me, then she moved and straddled my lap and draped her arms around my shoulders and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped mine tight around her waist, I closed my eyes trying to remember the dream but I couldn't, so I gave up and just paid attention to her.
I watched her grab the afghan from the foot of her bed and pull it around her shoulders and held it together behind me. I leaned back against the headboard and closed my eyes kissing the crown of her head. She kissed the hollow of my throat and then rested her head next to it. Her warm breath felt so good against my skin so I pulled her closer. She shivered and I slipped my hands up the back of her tank top. She was cold so I snaked my hand out of the blanket and pulled the comforter up and around her and she sighed at the warmth of the added blanket and my hands on her back.
I sat at the Crashdown; I was watching her dance around the restaurant. There weren't any costumers at the time so she was wiping down tables. Her hips swayed to the music coming from the speakers, every once and a while she'd turn and smile at me, or come up and give me a kiss. A few minuets later Liz walked in and smiled at us.
"Maria as soon as your done with the tables you can go since I'm here, just tell me when you leave because I'm gonna go in back and work on the inventory stuff." Liz said walking past them and out the door. I took a drink of my soda and Maria danced her way over and gave me a light kiss.
"I'm almost done, then we can go back home." Maria whispered in my ear. Her mom was out of town till next week so I'd been staying at her house because she didn't want to be alone.
I rested my head back against the seat and just listened to the music while I waited. After a few minuets I picked up a Tabasco bottle and spun it on the table, I had a weird sense of déjà vu and looked up, Maria wasn't there. Suddenly I had a flash of Maria, lying on the cement covered in blood. I jumped up and ran out the door she was standing on the sidewalk picking up something off the ground. I saw a car out of the corner of my eye speeding around the corner. I ran up and grabbed her arm pulling her to me.
She screamed as we hit the ground I rolled on top of her to protect her. We didn't move for a few minuets both in shock.
"Michael." I heard her whisper. I lifted my head and looked at her.
"You ok?" She nodded.
"Yeah, what happened?" I sat up and got off her then helped her up. I pointed to the skid marks the car had made right in the spot she had been standing. "Oh god." She wrapped her arms around my neck and started crying. "How.how did you know? Oh my god you saved my life." She sobbed into my shoulder. I just held on to her tightly rubbing my hands over her back trying to calm her down.
Liz came running out the door. "Oh my god!"
"It's ok Liz everything is ok." I told her still holding Maria who was shaking violently with sobs now. "It's ok Maria don't worry it's ok." I ran my fingers through her hair and pulled her head back making her look at me. "It's ok." Her lower lip was trembling, I kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes. "Liz I'm gonna take her home ok."
I scooped Maria up in my arms and carried her to her car. I set her in the passenger seat and pulled her keys out of my pocket. Half way to her house Maria finally stopped shaking. "Michael you saved my life. How?" I sighed should I tell her I dreamt she'd died?
"You know how yesterday you woke me up in the middle of the night?"
"Yeah you were tossing and turning, scared me." I grabbed her hand.
"Well I finally remembered what I'd been dreaming about." She looked at me and squeezed my hand. "I dreamt you died." She gasped. "I dreamt I was sitting the Crashdown waiting for you, then I heard you scream I ran out but it was too late. So when I was sitting in there waiting I remembered I picked up a Tabasco bottle just like in my dream and I remembered I ran out and just barely got you out of the way."
"Oh my god Michael." Maria turned in her seat and wrapped her arms around my neck. I pulled the car over to the side of the road so I could hold her. She lifted her head and looked at me kissing me lightly on the lips.
After a few minuets of holding each other I spoke. "I don't know what I'd have done with out you Maria. You are everything that's good in me. You made me what I am. I love you so much." I told her with my head buried in her neck. She tightened her hold on me.
"I love you too Michael. I love you too." She was crying again. I pulled back and kissed away the tears streaming down her face.
Finally we got home and I took her in, she was still clinging to me, I didn't blame her I didn't want to let her go either. I'd been so scared I was going to lose her. We went in to her room and laid down no her bed just holding each other. Eventually we dozed off; Maria woke up a few hours later and woke me up when she sat up. "What?" I asked her sitting up.
"I'm gonna call Liz. She sounded freaked when she came out, so I'm gonna call her and tell her we're ok." I nodded my head and leaned back against the pillows. I watched Maria grab the phone and dial Liz's number.
"Hey Liz, it's me." She paused for a second. "I was just calling to tell you that I'm fine and sorry if I freaked you out. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Love you." Maria made a face and put the phone back on her nightstand and lay back down beside me. "Answering Machine."
We woke up the next morning about noon. Maria went into the bathroom and changed after throwing a t-shirt that she had 'borrowed' a few weeks earlier to me. After a few minuets she came out and sat at her vanity and started to put her make up on. I watched her like always and she'd smile at me. I got up and grabbed the hairbrush from the table and carefully ran it through her hair. She sighed and closed her eyes while I combed out the knots from her hair.
After I was done I set the brush down and kissed her cheek lightly whispering in her ear as I did it. "I love you." She smiled.
"I love you too. So can we go to the Crashdown because I don't want to make anything for lunch because I'm lazy today."
"Today!?" I asked and she laughed pushing me backwards. We walked outside and noticed the car was gone. "Did your mom come home early?" I asked her.
"If she did I'm surprised we didn't know.she would have come wielding newspapers again I thought." Maria chuckled. "Whatever she's home early that's ok we can walk to the Crashdown." Maria grabbed my hand and we started walking.
We were across the street from the Crashdown just as Liz came out the front door. Max, Isabel, and Alex all pulled up in the jeep and Liz jumped in. "Liz!" Maria yelled but they didn't hear her. She shrugged and we went up to the door. I reached for the door but Maria stopped me.
"What?" I asked. She first pointed to the sign in the window that read 'Sorry We're closed.' And then the one underneath it that was hand written said 'Closed until further notice.' I looked at Maria confused.
"Maybe Liz's parents went on vacation or something and said Liz could close up till they got back." She said. I nodded slightly. 'It could be a possibility' I thought. Then I saw Liz's parents pulling out of the parking lot.
"Or maybe not." I pointed to them and Maria looked even more confused.
Maria made another strange face and looked around. "I don't know may-." Maria froze.
"What?" I asked. She pointed to one of the outside tables.
"Why are we on the front page of the newspaper Michael?" she asked with a shaky voice. I moved over and grabbed the paper off the table and opened it up. Sure enough there was a large picture of the two of us. When was that taken? I wondered, had to have been recently. We both looked happy. I read the heading "Two Teens Die" What!? I moved down to read the article. "Maria DeLuca, and boyfriend Michael Guerin died mid afternoon yesterday when a drunk driver lost control of his car and drove up on the curb out side the Crashdown Café where they both worked."
Maria just stared at me as I read. "NO! No it has to be some kind of joke!" She cried.
"Maria why would someone joke about it?" I asked her.
"I don't know, but I know I'm not dead! And neither are you!" She yelled at me I ignored her and continued to read.
"'Jessie Lewis the drunk driver in the incident left a bar after having been drinking all night following an argument with his fiancé. Witnesses say Maria DeLuca was outside working when her boyfriend Michael Guerin came running out and grabbed her obviously trying to prevent her from being hit by the oncoming car. "I don't know what happened, I'd just been talking to them 5 minuets earlier, I told her she could go home once she was done with the tables, she was supposed to go out with Michael that night, she'd been talking about it all week." Liz Parker said when we interviewed her after the accident. "I heard Maria scream and I came running out and there they were laying on the ground, they looked so peaceful, almost like they were sleeping, except for them being covered in blood." The mother of Maria, Amy DeLuca had been out of town for the week when she received news of her daughter's accident refused comment.'" Maria was sitting on the ground when I finished the paragraph.
"No we can't be dead, Michael we are only 17, how can we be dead? I wanted to have a life, ya know grow up, get married, have kids. Have a house with a white picket fence, that's what I've dreamed of all my life, having kids and letting them have the life I didn't get. And now.now that's not going to happen." Maria just sat there, she didn't cry, I didn't think she could cry anymore. I sat down beside her and wrapped my arms around her. She laid her head down on my chest and we just sat there for who knows how long.
Eventually I heard a car coming down the road, it was Max's jeep, and along with the same people that had been it last time they'd seen it. Max parked the jeep and they all climbed out. Liz was crying and Max held onto her. Isabel's eyes were red and it was obvious that Alex too had been crying. Liz pulled her keys out of her purse and tried to put it in the door but she fumbled with it and dropped them on the ground. Max glanced around and waved his hand over the door. I heard the click and then poked Maria we got up and followed them into the Crashdown.
Liz tried to get something to drink but her hands were shaking and she dropped a glass and it shattered on the ground, everyone jumped because it was so loud in the dead silence of the restaurant. Maria and I sat at the bar and watched them, Max helped Liz by grabbing a glass and filling it with water. He handed it to her but a ragged sob broke from her throat so he put it down and held her. Isabel was biting her lip to keep from crying. Alex had his face buried in his hands, Isabel moved over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. He held her tight against him and cried into her hair. I looked at Max; he was the only one not crying.
I looked at Maria her eyes were filled with tears so I slid an arm around her shoulders. Suddenly I heard a loud laugh break through the sobs. Everyone looked up and stared at Max who was full out guffawing. "My god Max!" I heard Isabel yell. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" She was pissed. "Your best friend is dead! And so is your girlfriend's best friend! And you have the audacity to laugh!" Isabel jumped up ready to hit him.
"No wait Izzy, I was just remembering the time in 4th grade when we caught Michael staring at Maria on the playground. He tried to deny it, but he was so flustered that he said she was dork and got up and left." Isabel cracked a smile and half sobbed half laughed. Maria looked at me and glared.
"Dork huh?" I smirked at her.
Liz was still crying so Max continued to hold her. Alex jumped in on the memories and started in on Maria. "Oh I remember when we had that party for Maria it was her birthday, Liz and I bought her a blow up alien, and it was bright pink. She named it Michael." Alex smiled, Liz tried not to but the corner of her mouth curved a little.
"A pink alien huh?" I asked Maria and she blushed.
"Oh how about the time when Maria's science experiment exploded in 5th grade." Everyone gave Isabel a strange look. "Guess who caused it!" It then dawned on everyone.
"You blew up my science experiment!?" Maria yelled at me.
"Well it looked better than Max's.I wasn't gonna let him lose to a girl!"
"He did it for Max, didn't want him to lose to a girl." Isabel said.
"Yeah but he blew up the wrong one, Liz still beat me." Liz giggled remembering that day.
They spent the rest of the day remembering, I held on to Maria the whole time, we argued about some of the things said about us, but enjoyed hearing them.
"So do you think that they are in heaven?" Liz asked after a long silence in the group. "Are they watching us? Making sure that we are ok with out them?" Liz leaned back against Max's chest.
"I think that they are watching us." Isabel said. Maria looked at Michael with tears in her eyes.
"This is really happening isn't it?" she asked. "We are really dead." Maria whispered.
"Hey come here." Michael pulled her against him. "I love you, and I'm not going anywhere, even if I could. You're stuck with me." Michael kissed her lightly.
"It's going to be so weird without them." Liz said. "Maria was my best friend, for like my whole life and now.she's gone."
"Yeah without Michael and his vision quests what are we going to do?" Max chuckled lightly. "But there's something I do know, if they had to die it's good they went together. They drove each other insane in life but with out the other one they would have gone over the edge. So I'm sure somewhere they are arguing over something totally minor and then probably going to make out like mad."
"We're going to be ok aren't we Michael?" Maria asked in a hushed voice.
"Yeah as long as we are together." We sat in silence remembering. Liz and Max holding each other, same as Alex and Isabel and Maria and I.
Maria followed Liz around the Crashdown. It had been 2 weeks since the accident and Michael and Maria watched over their friends.
Michael sat at a booth watching Maria dance around the Crashdown behind Liz, she was still so beautiful, it seemed as if death had preserved her beauty. Michael got up and moved behind Maria slipping his arms around her waist. Maria turned and looked at him and smiled. "Dance with me." He whispered in her ear. Maria slipped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Michael's hands slid up and down her back, they were slowly swaying back and forth since there was no music. Maria watched Liz as she stopped filling the sugar container there were no costumers other than Izzy, Max, and Alex. Liz walked over to the new jukebox and stared at it for a moment before pressing a few buttons. Max got up and moved over to her and Alex slid out and pulled Isabel up with him.
Maria and Michael looked at their friends and then each other; Michael brushed a kiss against her lips and pulled her closer. Maria laid her head down on his shoulder again and closed her eyes. Maria glanced one last time at her friends as the music started, they were happy, they would miss them for a long time, but they would get on with their lives, as long as they had their soul mate with them.