Part 33: Amends
She felt warm, more like she felt a warm body under her right cheek but it felt comforting. Strong arms were wrapped around her holding her close, the arms felt funny not like the ones she had woken up in the day before. Her green eyes blinked open and Maria took in her surroundings, she was in the library cuddled up to Michael. Gasping Maria pulled away from her former boyfriend startling him into consciousness.
"Michael we fell asleep." Maria said her panic evident.
"So we did." He said rubbing the sleep out of his brown eyes.
"Michael what about the others are they alright I mean why did they not come and wake us up why did they not come and find us? How did the fight go, are they alright?" Maria asked when she saw the morning sun, she knew that she had school but she could care less at the moment.
"I am sure if someone was hurt they would come and find us." Michael said.
"Your right." Maria said her shoulders loosening from their tense position. Maria straightened her hair a bit and went towards the kitchen to find the others only no one was there. Panic seized her once more and she ran up the stairs in search of the others. Knocking on Liz's door she waited anxiously for her best friend to come to the door a moment later Tyler in only a pair of boxers answered the door; it was obvious she had woken him up.
"Maria?" He asked rubbing his eyes like a little kid.
"Is Liz here?" She asked.
"No she is at school." Tyler said.
"Oh okay sorry for waking you." Maria said heading down the hall towards Reid's room. She knocked and waited for an answer but none came, knocking again she was still met with silence.
"He left for school." Pogue said coming out of his room freshly showered ready for the day.
"Why didn't he come and say bye to me, why did he not come and tell me how things went last night?" Maria asked she flinched when Pogue gave her a hollow laugh.
"I don't know maybe it has to do with you being wrapped up in the arms of your ex boyfriend." Pogue said before he left the blonde girl standing there with wide eyes.
"Oh god." She whispered.
Isabel hated being back at school but she knew she had to go so as not to draw attention to herself. She had heard the rumors around school about her brother and how he had run away from home to be with some older woman breaking the poor Tess Harding's heart. If only they knew the real truth that Max was a manipulative jerk and that Tess was using him as a puppet, a way to gain what she wanted. Isabel had decided that she was done putting up with others and that she wanted real friends, friends who would always be there for her which was why at lunch she was heading towards Liz and Alex instead of her popular friends who were shouting to catch her attention.
"Hey Isabel." Liz said scooting over so the blonde had enough room. Isabel looked at the brunette next to her and noticed for the first time that she appeared tired and glum but yet she had a smile on her face and laughed.
"What is wrong?" Isabel found herself asking.
"Nothing." Liz said her eyes narrowing slightly, Isabel let out a sigh.
"Liz…"
"Alright, I am just a little upset right now." Liz admitted.
"About telling your parents?" Alex asked having heard Caleb and Reid talking about it that morning.
"Well yes there is that but I am also upset about Maria and Reid." Liz said startling her two friends.
"Why?" Isabel asked.
"Reid found Maria and Michael in the library last night and I guess the sight of them so comfortable together and in such a cozy position got to him. He might come off as easy going and laid back but he is not like that when it comes to his heart." Liz said. Isabel and Alex could see how much this situation was getting to the brunette.
"I am sure they are going to work it out." Alex said.
"No I am not so sure about that. Reid put a lot of faith in Maria and in their relationship and if he thinks that she is going to go back to Michael it will crush him. He is not going to do well." Liz whispered.
"Liz why don't you wait to see what Maria has to say about all of this before you get yourself all worked up." Isabel suggested.
"Isabel, Reid was destroyed last night by the sight of Maria and Michael together. I love Maria she is like a sister to me but there are times when blood is thicker than water." Liz said picking up her tray and leaving the two behind.
"I hate to say this but Liz is right on this one, Maria has some serious explaining to do. Over the last month or so I have gotten to know the guys pretty well and they all come off one way but soon you learn there is more to them than meets the eye. Take Caleb for example their so called leader. He comes off as being a complete woman about his emotions but then you learn he is the kick ass one of the group. Then Pogue he comes off as the rebel without a cause, the wild boy who will sleep with your sister if given the chance. When you get to know Pogue better though you learn that he is loyal to a fault, will do anything and everything for Liz, family is the most important thing for him, and he is selective with who he dates because he is afraid of getting hurt. Then there is Reid he is really a person who gives off one vibe but you learn through time that he is different than you expected. He comes off as careless, uneducated, spoiled, and a womanizer. After getting to know him that is the exact opposite of who he is Isabel. He is one most intelligent people you will ever meet, he is humble for the most part, but he is spontaneous when it comes to fighting, but the one thing I learned that sticks with me about Reid is that he does not give away his heart easily there are two women who currently own his heart and they are his mother and Liz and Maria is close to becoming the third. I am just afraid that she is pushing him too far." Alex said.
"They really have become important to you." She commented.
"Yea they have."
"It was weird seeing Liz interact with them she is more carefree with them than she is with anyone else even her parents it is like she feels…"
"Safe with them." Alex filled in and Isabel nodded her head. "I think that has more to do with Tyler than anything but I know that she has always trusted them with her life and vice versa. She is the one girl that they know will always be there for them. Even if they do get married someday she will always be the person they run to when things get bad." Alex said.
"Hey guys." Tess said coming up to the group. She had seen them together with Liz earlier and did not like it one bit she thought Isabel and Michael were finally coming around to her way of thinking but now it seems like the stupid humans were once again interfering in things that did not concern them.
"Tess." Alex said noticing that Isabel was glaring at her he silently kicked her so that Tess's suspicions were not aroused even more than they already were.
"Hey Tess I have not see you for a few days how have you been?" Isabel asked as the blonde sat down.
"I have been alright but I was worried about you guys I went to Michael's and he was not there and then I checked your place and neither you or Max were there. It is weird I mean Max always tells me where he is going." Tess said her face scrunching in her frustration.
"He is on a camping trip with a friend of ours." Isabel said.
"Who?" Tess asked.
"Cole." Isabel said making Alex choke on his soda but Tess never noticed.
"Cole who?"
"Cole Turner." Alex said knowing that Isabel did not know his last name.
"Who is that and how do you know him?" Tess asked looking sharply at Alex.
"He is a friend of my dad's he is a lawyer and a confident of Max's. The two decided to go away for awhile and dad was alright with it." Isabel said.
"Why didn't he tell me this?" Tess asked.
"It was rather sudden." Alex said.
"Yeah I mean Max only saw Cole when he dropped Liz off at school that one day and then after that the two got to talking and they both agreed that there were things going on in their lives at the moment and they needed to get away." Isabel said.
"Alright then where is Michael?" Tess asked.
"Who knows." Isabel said.
"Probably off somewhere with Gorman." Alex said knowing that Tess had no idea that Gorman was a seventy year old caretaker.
"Who?" The blonde asked becoming frustrated with how little she really knew about their lives.
"Oh he is Michael's friend from back when we were in orphanage." Isabel easily explained.
"Well ladies if you will excuse me I have to go and meet up with Kyle." Alex said seeing the jock on the other side of the quad, looking for any excuse to get away from the evil alien queen.
Right when Alex left Tess started hounding Isabel. "Why are you spending time with him he will only weaken you focus." Tess reprimanded.
"Tess he is my friend." Isabel said.
"I thought Max made it perfectly clear that we are not to spend time with the humans they make us weak, we don't need them Isabel all we need is each other. You and Michael need to work on your relationship so that you can get to the place Max and I are we are happily following our destiny." Tess said .
"Tess you and my brother are not as close as you think. He did not even tell you that he was leaving yet he told Liz as a matter of fact he still confides in Liz and the others. I guess my brother is not much of a lap dog after all." Isabel said picking up her books and walking away suddenly she found the company unpleasant.
Tess stared after Isabel her blue eyes boring holes in the alien princess's head. She could not believe that Isabel had broken out of the warp that meant Max was breaking out of his as well. She was going to make sure that he was properly taken care of too much was at stake for things not to go her way.
Maria waited in the front hall all day until Reid finally came back from classes. The blonde took one look at Maria and sighed before he continued into the home not giving her a chance to talk to him. Maria went after him not willing to give up.
"Reid we need to talk." Maria said pulling his elbow so that he would turn around and talk to her.
"Fine." He said heading down into the cellar a place Maria had never been. She was in awe of the dark atmosphere and the cold that seemed to instantly fill her. In the far corner was Max in his crystal cage he just stared at her as she followed Reid into a small room. The room was cold and dark only lit by a small fire.
"Reid why didn't you come and tell me you were alright last night?" Maria asked.
"I did come to tell you Maria only to see you all cozy with you ex. Maria I know that you still have feelings for him but I don't want to be dangled like a toy all the time. Either you want to be with me or you want to be with him I can't take this constant not knowing if you really want me or not." Reid said.
"Reid last night I was terrified for you and the others I was beside myself not knowing what was going to happen. Michael found me crying my eyes out in the library and got me to calm down and I was so spent from all of the emotions that I fell asleep. That is all that happened Reid. I do not think of Michael like that. I am not intimate with Michael in the way I am with you and I never will be." Maria said.
"Maria I am afraid that one day you are going to wake up and want to be with him." Reid said the intensity of his raging emotions reflected in his blue eyes. Maria cupped his cheek gently standing on her toes to kiss him softly.
"Michael is not right for me Reid, you are."