Thanks for the wonderful feedback everyone, I appreciate it!
--
Maria arrived at school the next morning, positive that the plan she had formed in her mind was the right one to use. Unfortunately for her, her best friends weren't quite so convinced.
"You're kidding me, right?" Alex shook his head in amazement.
Maria frowned. "No Alex, I'm deadly serious here. I need to look at Michael's file and to do that, I need you both to back me up so I don't get caught. Come on."
She started to walk away before Liz reached out and grabbed her arm.
"This is wrong, Maria and totally getting out of hand. Do you have any idea how much trouble you'll be in if someone catches you doing this?" she adminished. "Not to mention that it's an invasion of Michael's privacy."
"I know that, but as I've already told you several times – the risk is worth it and I won't tell anyone what I find on Michael's file. I'm going and that's final, so you're either with me or you're not!" Maria answered, exasperated with her friends' reluctance. She shook her arm free of Liz's grip and began to make her way down to the administration office. Turning back briefly, she added "What's it going to be?" before continuing.
Alex heaved a big sigh.
"You know we can't let her do this alone."
"This is so ridiculous. Seriously, Alex..."
"Yeah, yeah, I hear you but what can we do?"
The two of them trailed after Maria, grumbling under the breaths and hoping that they'd all get out in one piece.
--
After getting the all clear from Liz and Alex, Maria managed to sneak into the filing room without too much fuss. She opened the drawer marked as GI – GU and located Michael's file at the back.
GUERIN, Michael
Trembling with nerves and anticipation, she pulled it out and opened it to the first page. Apparently he lived in foster care at the Old Chisholm Trail trailer park on the edge of town. Rifling a little further through the file, she found some notes written by a social worker on Michael's background. He had been found naked and dehydrated in the surrounding desert, aged just six years old. Now that's interesting, Maria mused. Remembering back some months ago when she and her mom were grocery shopping at the local store, she had overheard someone chattering about Max and Isabel. According to the gossiper, they had been found in the desert when they were six and adopted by well-to-do couple Phillip and Diane Evans.
Could Michael in fact be related to Isabel and Max? And if so, why didn't the Evanses adopt him as well? Maybe he was too much for them to handle, or perhaps they only wanted one boy and one girl. The thought of Michael being left behind and unwanted left a dull ache in Maria's heart. That was something she was all too familiar with, hitting way too close to home for her liking. Shrugging it off, she quickly replaced the file back into the cabinet and snuck out of the room, making her way back over to her friends.
"I found Michael's address, I think I'm going to check out his home after school." Maria told them, her voice brooking no arguments.
"Well you know what we think about that, but since that isn't going to stop you..." Liz's voice trailed off.
"...You're on your own from here on out." Alex finished.
Maria nodded in understanding. " I respect that. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this myself, but I have to see it through anyway."
"Take care, Maria." Liz cautioned.
"Will do, I'll try my best to make it back in one piece." Maria responded as she began making her way to music class.
Alex snickered. "Oh, now that's encouraging."
--
Unbeknown to the three friends, Michael Guerin stood just a short distance away, witnessing Maria in the admin office and eavesdropping on their conversation. What the hell was going on with that ditzy Deluca chick and why was she so obsessed with him to the point of visiting the trailer park? He wanted answers and come hell or high water, he was going to get them.
--
Still unaware that Michael now knew what she was up to, Maria kept a close eye on Michael for the remainder of the day. As the final bell sounded, she noticed him whispering to Max in the hallway and taking what looked like a set of keys from his friend before walking away. Maria followed him out to the parking lot at what she thought was a discreet distance and watched him jump into the Evans jeep. Maybe he has a job after school to go to. Abandoning her initial plan to visit the trailer park, Maria got into her own car and decided to tail him.
The jeep rumbled along Roswell's streets at what seemed like a snail's pace to Maria, making the whole low profile tailing operation that much harder. It wasn't exactly easy to hide a bright red Jetta, especially now that they seemed to be heading out of town altogether. Michael turned off suddenly down the road that led to the local quarry and lake. Realising that she really needed to keep out of sight, Maria slowed her car down and pulled it over to the side of the road where it would be partially hidden behind a tall bush. She walked down to the quarry area and found the Jeep parked near the cliff, with Michael nowhere to be seen. Where the hell was he? It was a frickin' dead end road for God's sake! She walked around some more, forgetting to be discreet now that the surrounding area was open with nowhere to hide. This shit was getting far too tiresome for her liking. UGH! Stupid guys, stupid Madame Vivian!
"Damn it Guerin, where are you?" Maria complained out loud, as she began to stomp away. "Trust him to make my plan next to impossible!"
"Your plans?" A new voice cut into her exasperated ramblings.
Maria swerved around to meet the eyes of one very pissed off Michael Guerin.
Eeeeeeeek! Oh crap. All alone in a deserted area with an angry guy from the wrong side of the tracks...yeah, this was a baaaaaaaaad idea.
Before she even had the chance to let her mind devolve into complete hysterics, Michael stalked right over to her and grabbed her arm.
"What are you doing, why are you following me around?" he demanded.
Maria was frozen on the spot, unable to make any excuses for herself. What could she possibly say for herself?
He shook her arm, his anger increasing by the second. "Answer me! What the hell are you playing at?"
She groaned, there really was no way out of this for her.
"I...I...uh...look...you wouldn't understand, ok?" she managed to mumble.
Michael shook his head.
"Try me, or you'll be swimming in that lake. With your clothes on." he replied, indicating with his free hand toward the lake that lay at the bottom of the quarry cliff. "It could get uncomfortable fast, I hear the water is cold this time of year."
Maria's eyes narrowed. Oh no, he did not just say that!
"You can try but I'll kick you in the balls so hard that children won't be an option for you, ever." she scoffed.
"I don't even want children anyway, so the offer still stands. Talk...now."
"Why would you say that? Everyone wants children, they're like proof of your heritage or something. Unconditional love, someone to cherish and take care of. Who doesn't want those things?" The curiosity in Maria's voice was genuine; as an only child, she'd always wanted to have a large family.
"I don't want to pass on my heritage and I don't believe in love! I want to forget the world and for the world to forget me." Michael glowered, annoyed with himself for letting her get to him so easily. "Last chance, stop stalling and start talking!"
Maria sighed. "I didn't mean to upset you, I'm sorry." She took a deep breath before continuing. "You're going to laugh at me, and think that I'm completely insane and stupid."
"I already know you're nuts. Go on."
"Anyway...I'm going to tell you the truth. I don't have a lot of luck with guys, well, none at all really. They're either grabby like octopuses or about as interesting as a bland vegetable. So I went to see a medium that my mom knows. She told me that I was going to have a great love and that it would be someone I already know." Maria paused for a moment to make sure he was still paying attention. "There were some other things in her vision, stuff that kind of led me to think that the guy she was talking about was you. It sounded crazy, even to me so I decided to investigate you for myself and...well here I am."
She looked up at Michael to try and guage his reaction. He looked completely stunned, like a deer in headlights. She could see that he was trying to say something but the words weren't coming to him. Good lord, I've made him speechless!
Finally Michael got hold of himself. "You're fucking around, right? Where are your two little cronies, I bet they're around somewhere with a camera filming this shit."
He turned around and walked back towards the Jeep. Maria ran to catch up to him before he could jump in and drive away.
"Michael...please, wait!"
"No, I know what you're doing! You're here to screw with my mind, make me feel a whole lot shittier than I already do." he snarled back at her, making her take a step back. "Well let me tell you something, I'm not some toy for you to amuse yourself with. Fuck you."
With that, he hopped into the car and started the engine before tearing down the road back to Roswell. Maria was left standing in a cloud of dust. What on earth was she going to do now?