(10) MARIA

Liz is coming back. My best friend is returning home after months of absence. So, why am I not at all excited?

I overheard Mrs. Parker's conversation with Liz when she first called. Mrs. Parker picked up the phone in the back the same time that I picked up the one in front. She spoke before I did. I was going to hang up the phone but then I heard Liz's voice. So I listened. Call me bad but I just had to.

So I heard the whole thing. Liz living in the lap of luxury in France while her parents and friends suffered thinking maybe she was somewhere lying in a ditch. God how could she be so selfish. I waited until they both hung up the phone then I gently set it down.

I turned away from the counter and walked to the back of the restaurant. Michael was back there on his break. He was lounging on the couch drawing in his notebook as usual.

"Hey Space boy." I said flashing him a smile. "What are your plans after work? Wanna go check out a movie with me?"

Michael and I have barely been on speaking terms since last year when he told me he loved me then broke up with me. I still loved him even though he broke my heart really bad. I don't know what it is about him that makes me want to be with him even when he's being such a jerk to me. So I asked him out knowing he was going to turn me down as usual.

He looked up at me and closed the book he was working in. He seemed to be deep in thought. Finally he spoke. "Sure. It's finally time we talked anyway. So we can go to dinner after the movie."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan. Pick you up at six?" I was really shocked but also very glad that he agreed.

"Okay. That's fine." He put his notebook back in his backpack and stood up. "I have to get back to work I'll see you later."

"Okay." When he left I let out a soft shout of pleasure. Maybe he was going to tell me he wanted to get back together with me. That would be so great. God, I love that boy.

I changed into my regular clothes, grabbed my purse, and then left. I decided to stop by the Evan's house and update Max on my life. I don't know what I would have done with out Max. Even though he and Kyle caused me to get in a senseless accident that could have been avoided, I still love the guy. He was my new best friend. Way better than the one named Liz Parker.

I hope she doesn't come back to Roswell wanting to inch her way back into Max's life because I refuse to allow that to happen. Max was slowly but surely getting over her and I refused to let all my hard work go to waste.

I'm glad she's not dead or hurt but I refuse to pretend that her leaving didn't hurt me. I know what her leaving did to Max. It was not a pretty sight. Now he claims that he's no longer in love with her. I know it's just an act, because it the same one I try to pull with him about Michael.

Anyway, as you can tell I'm not at all happy about Liz'sreturn. Though I really am happy about my date tonight with Michael. I pulled up in front of the Evan's drive. There was Isabel and Alex playing basketball in the driveway. Isabel was beating him as usual. The thing about that was Alex was playing his hardest, not even trying to let her when. I laughed at the picture of inadequacy he made.

"Hey you two." I said.

"Hey Maria." Isabel threw the ball to Alex then walked over to me. "Just getting off work?"

"Yeah, another hard day in Alienville." I smiled. "So is Space King in the house?"

"Yeah he's in there watching Christina Aguilera videos. You know how much he's obsessed with her." Isabel complained.

"Hey I'm just glad he's not into Britney Spears. Can you stand listening to her bad singing all day?"

"Yeah I know what you mean." Alex said laughingly. "At least Christina can sing."

"Hey let's not get into this debate again." Isabel said. "Max is in his room Maria. Alex the game's not over yet. Come on and let me whoop your butt some more."

I went into the house and just followed the sound of 'Genie in a Bottle' to Max's room. I stood in the doorway, unnoticed by Max, laughing at his crazy antics. He was dancing around the room with his poster of Christina.

"Oh Max you're such a wonderful dancer." I said imitating Christina as much as I could. I laughed again when he spun around falling on his butt in the process.

"Man, Maria you scared the heck out of me." I helped him up. He walked over to the radio and turned it off.

"What brings you over here? I thought our plan was to meet up later tonight to go to the movies?"

I sat down on his bed andstarted to play with his pillow. "Well plans change. I have the best news."

"What?" He crawled past me on the bed and sat down behind me. "He started massaging my back.

"Ah man that feels so good." I closed my eyes in pure ecstasy. Max gave such wonderful massages. "Anyway I actually have good and bad news."

"Well give me the bad first, that way the good can overshadow."

"I doubt that would happen. Anyway the bad news is that Lizis coming home?"

"Umm, Ria…Sweetie…how is that bad?" He asked in confusion.

I explained to him everything that I overheard on the phone. I left nothing out. When I finished I turned around to look at his face. "Well…are you going to say anything?"

"No!" He said simply.

"No? Nothing? Are you happy, sad, angry…what?"

"I'm neither of those. I just really don't care right now. Maybe when she gets here it might hit me. For now I just don't care." He turned me back around and went right back to giving me a massage. "Now what was the good news?"

I jumped up in excitement and started to bounce around his room. "I have a date with Michael tonight. Isn't that great. I was just inviting him out like I always do, ya know?; assuming he was going to say no. He said yes. Oh Max I'm so happy. Aren't you happy for me Max?"