Chapter 37 Denying doesn´t mean it´s not there

Maria was pretty wasted and a little pissed off. The whole week at campus was extremly nerve-racking with all this new assignments, the many responsibilities and like that wasn´t enough the daily bickering between her and Michael. He was in almost every class she was in, except for the music and the music education course. And she was pretty thankful for that small gift, because he was a major pain in her ass. He was always trying to get her mad or brushed his hands at a few parts of her body or was just there. If not for Isabel, who shared the same classes with them, she would have already cut something sacred to him off of his body. Maria was so sure that he would lose interest when she just ignored him long enough. But the more she gave him the cold shoulder, the more persistent he became. On a totally crazy way it was kinda sweet and she felt flattered. Sometimes when he wasn´t looking she sneaked a glance in his direction and observed him. He was pretty hard to read. Usually she saw a person and knew exactly what kind of person she or he was. And most of the time she was absolutely right about her assumption. However with Michael it was difficult. The stories Tess told her about him was not the way she saw him. He seemed to be more complexer than she was and that was hard to do. She knew why she was guarding a part of herself from the world. But what was his deal?

" Hey roomie! What´s up?", Tess came through the door to their room with a big smile on her face. Something had happened. Probably something involving her brother. Since they both met each other Kyle was courting her big time. He even sent flowers to her and made her compliments every day.

Maria looked up from her book, which she was supposed to read until Monday for her Management class. " Nothing. You?".

" I´ve got a date in", Tess eyed her watch. " 3 hours".

Now Maria forgot her book and turned her attention to her roommate. " You finally accepted a date with Kyle?".

Tess whole face started to glow and her cheeks got a rosy colour. And her eyes begann to sparkle like two diamonds. " Something like that. It´s not a real date actually".

" What do you mean?", Maria was confused. Tess and Kyle were doing something together. In her book that was a date. But maybe that wasn´t so anymore nowadays. It had been a long time since Maria had a date with someone other than Billy.

Tess slowly walked away from the door and directly towards Maria. A little nervously she stopped in front of her. " Hear me out before you say anything, ok?".

Maria got a bad feeling at that. Now that didn´t sound so great. Oh god, hopefully she was not even having a date with her brother at all. Maybe Tess was going out with some other guy and didn´t know how she should tell her that. Oh poor Kyle. He found finally a girl even she herself liked and now that. " Alright. Shoot".

" I´ve never dated a guy before and I´m pretty nervous because of that. Kyle is my first date. Therefore I suggested a double date", Tess tried not to stutter too much. She played with the hem of her shirt and shuffled with her feet.

Maria didn´t expect that Tess had never dated before. She didn´t seem to kind of girl who seemed to have problems finding a guy. Even Liz had been with someone, even if that didn´t last too long. " Don´t worry. Kyle is easy. You don´t have to do much to impress him. You already have him hooked. Besides I can help you if you want?".

" Yeah that. I wanted you to come with me on this double date".

Maria knew there was more coming. And she already had a hunch that it was something she wouldn´t like. " What aren´t you telling me? Who´s this other guy Kyle is bringing?".

At least Tess had the grace to blush and look into another direction. And she said the only name Maria didn´t want to hear. " Michael".

" No. Absolutely not. No. Did I tell you no already? NO", Maria stood up from her chair and went to the other side of the room. That had to be a joke. Tess couldn´t be serious about the suggestion. A whole evening in close proximity with Michael would only end badly. For both sides. Before the night was over she either had killed him or herself.

Tess followed after her friend and tried to calm her a bit. But that wasn´t so easy considering her out of control condition. " Please Maria. I want you near by. You´re the first friend I made here and I would feel better if you were with me".

Maria turned to roommate and saw the pleading in her eyes. She was almost tempted to cave in, but then she remembered the week with Michael and decided to be strong. " Sorry. Can´t you ask Isabel or someone other? I´m sure there are desperate girls around here, who would gladly go on a date with your brother".

" I don´t want someone other with me. I want you. Besides you know Kyle better than every other here. And he would be there if my brother would try something", Tess wouldn´t give up. She even put on her sad puppie face and hoped that her friend would fall for that. It always worked with her grandfather and her brother.

Maria rubbed her face with her right hand while she thought about the words. Alright, Tess had a point there. And the sad face was weakening her resistance " I´m just doing this under one condition. You don´t let me alone with Michael".

Tess clapped her hands while she squealed pretty loud. Then she embraced a rather startled Maria with a big smile on her face. " Oh thank you, thank you, thank you. You´re the best".

" Yeah. And don´t you forget that when we cart your brother into the hospital tonight if he doesn´t keep his hands to himself", Maria shook her head. What did she get herself into? She was getting soft in her age. Oh great. That would be a night from hell.

Tess released the other girl excitedly and made her way to her closet. She had to find something to wear for tonight. Something that screamed I´m hot, but not easy. Quietly singing a mushy love song, she opened the door and eyed her clothes.

Maria observed her going through her collection of designer shirt´s, tops and skirts. Damn, she must be braindead to agree to a double date with the devil himself. That or she was possessed. Maybe she should look for a priest and tell him to exorcize the evil from her. Oh boy, she already regretted accepting.

Three hours later

Tess was in the process to finish her make up. She decided to keep it at a minimum tonight. She just used mascara, a little rouge and a shiny lip gloss, which matched her outfit. She was wearing a pink sundress, which reached to her knees. It wasn´t too extravagant, but also not too casual. It was perfect for a date. Her hair was pinned up with a few little pink clasps and two curly strands were framing her face.

" So. I´m ready. What about you", she looked in the mirror for the last time. She wanted to check if everything was still in its place and if she didn´t forget something.

Maria stepped besides her friend and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. The make up was exactly like she wanted it. Not too much and not too cheap. The hair was falling in light curls around her shoulders. Her clothes were made of a short black skirt and a turquoise neckholder top. " Are we supposed to get them or do they get us?".

Just as Tess wanted to open her mouth, there was a knock. " Question answered?", without waiting she went to the door and opened it. Immediately she started to smile over her complete face when she was greeted with the sight of flowers in front of her face. " Hey".

Kyle dropped the hand with the white tulips. " Hey".

Maria rolled her eyes at them. They were behaving like two high school kids on their first date. Great now she was stuck with these two lovebirds, who made her sick to her stomach with their flirting and Michael. Maybe they wouldn´t notice when she just stayed behind. Besides she didn´t see her supposed date with her brother. Hopefully he finally realised that it wasn´t a great idea to go out with her.

" Hey gorgeous".

Oh damn. Now there flew her hopes right out of the window. Michael stepped out behind Kyle with a beautiful bunch of daisies, her favourite flowers in his hands. How did he even know that she liked those? For a moment she was pretty impressed about the fact that he made an effort to buy her something she liked. And he wasn´t dressed like usual. He traded his richy rich outfit for a more collegeboy style. Which meant he wore black jeans and a nice dark blue shirt " Hey".

Kyle ignored the two and focused his attention completely on Tess. He eyed her clothes and how nice they clung to her. " You look beautiful".

" You´re not so bad yourself Mr. Valenti", Tess let her gaze wander over his body. The blue jeans was finally not two sized too big, instead fit him really well. The shirt was just black and he even let the first two buttons open, so that you could see his white t-shirt underneath.

Michael observed his roommate and decided to try to use his charm, too. But before he could even open his mouth Marias hand shoot forward. " Don´t even try it".

" What?".

Maria knew what he wanted to do and she didn´t want to hear something about her appearance right now. It wasn´t a real date. She was just doing a favour for a friend. And if he started to act all mushy now she had to drag him with her to a priest. He wasn´t like that and she accepted that. " Just don´t say anything".

" These are for you. Michael told me that you liked tulips", finally Kyle remembered the flowers in his hands and gave them Tess, who immediately smelled them.

" Thank you. Their really nice", she was touched about that gesture. Nobody had her brought any flowers before. And then even her favourites.

Michael looked at the daisies in his hands and was afraid to give them Maria. He didn´t want to be slapped with them or even worse was forced to eat them. He thought she was okay with this arrangement. But she seemed like she rather wanted to be somewhere else than here. Tess told him that Maria agreed to the double date and everything. And now it looked like it would be a hell of an evening. " Actually these are for you. But I´m scared that you will beat me with them. Is it alright with you if I give you the flowers?".

Maria bit the inside of her cheek to refrain from smiling at him. It was so cute how unsure she made him without even threatening him with bodily harm. " Yes. Your safe for now".

Michael breathed out in relief. Carefully he stretched his arm out, always on the lookout just in case she got the idea to rip his arm off of his body and handed her the flowers over. Maria followed the example of her friend and smelled them. She loved daisies, because they had an unique scent, which seemed to calm her.

" If we still want to decide what movie we´re watching we should get a move on", Kyle had planned out the whole evening and he didn´t accept a delay in his plans. Slowly he offered Tess his hand. She of course took it and they both walked together away.

Michael looked at Maria with a smirk on his face and a raised eyebrow. She instantly picked up the message and just groaned out loud before she stepped around him on her way out the door. After the room was empty, the telephone started ringing. A minute later the answering machine picked it up.

" This is the room of Tess and Maria. We´re not here at the moment. Obviously. Leave a message and we´ll get back at ya. Beep"

" Maria get on the phone. It´s me Lindsey. It´s important. Billy called today and asked for you. Dad told him where you are and he´s on his way there. Damn where are you?". Click.

In front of the movie theatre

The two couples stood in front of the bright flashing building and looked at the big posters, which announced the movies playing right now. There was one with Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie besides that was one with a big X and the actors and actesses in the front, after that followed one with Vin Diesel, then one with David Duchovny and Minnie Driver and the last was one with Sean William Scott and Tom green.

" So and what are we gonna watch?", if Kyle had a say, he would watch Road Trip. But it wasn´t a good movie for a date with a girl.

Tess eyed the picture with David Duchovny. The movie sounded really great. " I want Return to me".

Michael and Maria groaned both at the same time. Surprised they looked at each other and smiled. Obviously they weren´t so keen on the suggestion.

" What do you want to see?", Kyle asked the other pair. Hopefully they would vote for something not so sappy, because he wasn´t so delighted to watch a chick flick. Even if he wanted to impress Tess.

Maria´s eyes were glued to X-men. She had loved the cartoons and she wanted to see if the movie was as good as the series. But then she looked at the one with Nicholas Cage. She liked the actor and she was crazy after fast cars and stunts. " I can´t decide between Gone in 60 seconds and X-men".

Michael´s head snapped in her direction. He was in the same dilemma at the moment. He couldn´t choose between the movies himself. It was a hard decision. Either they picked mutants or hot cars. " I´m with Maria".

" Great. Now what?", Tess thought that at least Maria was on her side and they would see Return to me. She wanted to see that movie.

" Alright. How about you and Kyle watch the chick flick while Michael and I check out the hot wheels in Gone in 60 seconds?", it was a fair trade. She could see the movie she wanted, even if she had to go with her nemesis and her brother was punished for agreeing with that arrangement tonight.

Tess whole face broke out in a smile. " Thank you. We´ll see each other later".

Kyle glared at his sister before he was dragged away from his date. Maria even winked after him with a mean twinkle in her eyes. She couldn´t wait to hear how the movie was. At least when her brother could stay awake through it. And she could tease him that she saw something that wasn´t about love and pain, but about action, sex and fast cars.

" You´re mean, you know that?", Michael had pity with his roommate. Two hours watching a couple dance around each other until they finally found the guts to declare their undying love for another. What a piece of crap. Unconditional or true love was only existing in movies and never in real life.

Maria faced him with a a small smile playing around her lips. " What? Don´t tell me you wanted to see Return to me?".

The expression on Michael´s face was priceless. It was a mix between fear and shock. " Oh god no. Do I look gay?".

Maria eyed him from head to toe. She took her time to look at him properly and she didn´t left something out. Her eyes wandered from his spikey head down to his manly chest then further to his well built belly. She lingered a little longer at his crotch and continue down to his athletic legs until she stopped at his large feets. After that she did the same the other way around until she looked in his darkened eyes again. " I don´t know how a gay man looks, so I can´t give you an answer to that question".

Michael was close to lose it in his pants. The regarding she did to his body was like a caressing. He could practically feel it on his skin and on the inside. He had to do everything not to moan loudly. Damn this woman would either be the death of him or heaven on earth. He wet his suddenly dry lips. " Maybe we should go inside before it´s too late".

" Fine", Maria pressed her lips tightly together before she broke out in laughter. Now she showed him what it feels like to be treated like an object. Slowly she walked into the movie theatre without looking if Michael was following her.

2 hours later

Tess and Kyle were already standing outside when the other two were joining them. Michael and Maria seemed to have enjoyed the movie and they were talking about it with so much fun. A strange contrast to the picture from hours ago, when it looked like they wouldn´t get along through a whole evening.

" So it looks like you had fun?", Tess was glad that they both were not glaring at each other or bickering like usual.

Maria turned to her friend with a happy expression on her face. " Yeah. The movie was really great and those cars. I got hot just looking at them".

" Yeah. Especially when Eleanor appeared", Michael added. He didn´t see so much from the movie actually. He was too busy observing his companion the whole time and it was nice to see a other side from her. She wasn´t her bitchy self like she normal was. And he was more determined now to get to know her better.

Maria smiled at him. " That is out of question".

Tess and Kyle turned to each other confused. What were they both talking about? Didn´t they watch a action movie? But who was Eleanor? Was it the main character? " Eleanor?".

" Oh, they were giving the cars names and there was a shelby 500 GT Mustang which Memphis called Eleanor. It was a car worth drooling for", Maria would love to sit in this hot wheel and drive over the highway with full speed. It had to be the best feeling ever.

Michael nodded with his head. He loved his car, but the mustang was a classic. " And how was your movie?".

Tess sighed happily. The movie had been sad, funny and romantic to no end. It was the best she ever saw. Except for Titanic, Message in a bottle and city of angels. " Absolutely great. I could watch it again".

Kyle just shook his head and made gagging gesture behind her back. He would rather have his ball removed without narcosis and with a blunt knife than seeing this shit again. He couldn´t understand why all women were so crazy after such tearjerkers. The movie was dripping that it wasn´t funny anymore. He had to do everything in his powers to stay awake. " Well, the movie was... interesting. Nothing I ever seen so far".

" I bet", Maria couldn´t keep her laughter in. Poor Kyle, had to watch a chick flick with no action or gunfire. Contrary to her and Michael, who had the pleasure to see cars jumping through the air, wild chases and much much shootings.

Michael turned his head to the right to hide his smile. He was glad not to have been in Kyle´s shoes during the movie. He would have bored himself to death or someone would have had to wake him because of his loud snoring. Thankfully Maria wasn´t the type of girl who loved it sappy.

Tess watched confused how her roommate laughed her ass off and her brother tried to hide the fact that he was smiling. Did she miss something here? Suspiciously she faced Kyle, who was standing slightly behind her. He was glaring at Maria and Michael. What was going on? " What is so damn funny?".

" Nothing", Maria wiped the tears from her face and tried not to smudge her make up too much in the process. " Hey, is anybody else hungry?".

" Yeah I could eat something", Kyle rubbed his belly with his right hand. Although he ate almost of the popcorn and drank a huge cup of coke, he was still hungry.

Michael didn´t have to think twice about question. He could always eat. " I´m game".

Now that Tess thought about food, she noticed her stomach growling. She had been too nervous to get something down the whole day and now she was starving. " Count me in".

" Now we only have to look for a place that´s still open and serves decent food", Maria didn´t know Las Cruces that much. She and her family was passing through the town a few times. But she didn´t exactly pay attention to the streets then.

Michael thought he saw a little restaurant a few feets away from the movie theatre when they drove here. " I saw something a little further down the street".

" Alright. Then let´s go", Kyle took Tess by the hand and they started walking in the direction Michael pointed.

Maria watched them both with a little envy. They looked absolutely adorable together. She missed the starting time of a new relationship when everything was still new and a mystery. When you could hug the whole world and you walked around with a big smile on your face. When the birds would only sing their songs for you and the flowers smelled even better, the sun only shone for you and you had a reason to stand up in the morning. Suddenly she was thrown out of her thoughts. Michael had nudged her with his shoulder.

" What´s up? Is everything alright?".

Maria shook her head to clear it. It was silly to think about such things. Real love only existed in those mushy love movies and never in reality. " Yeah. I was just watching Romeo and Juliet".

Michael looked to Tess and Kyle, which were in a deep conversation. His sister even laughed about something his roommate said. It was nice to see that they both were happy. Even if he wasn´t so keen on the fact that they both would start something. After all she was his sister and he didn´t want that anybody hurt her in any way. " They seem to really hit it off".

" Yeah", Maria wished sometimes she could be as carefree like her brother and not be so guarded all the time like she was now. Alright, she had a reason to be careful, but it would be nice to just be herself from time to time. " We should follow them or they´ll start eating without us".

Michael noticed that something was going on with her. There was such a sadness in her eyes and something else that he couldn´t decipher right now. What was her deal? But to prevent to disturb the truce they had going at the moment he decided not to ask. So without a word they both made their way after Kyle and Tess.

Half an hour later they finally found a place called " Dick´s Restaurant". It didn´t look too shabby and not too expensive. There were many college students and teenager from high school standing at a blue painted counter. Here and there sat elderly couples at the grey tables and ate their food while they talked to each other. It made the impression of a 50´s café on a Friday night.

" Are we going in there or not?", it was slowly getting colder and Maria forgot her jacket in her room. And she was almost starving.

Tess, who had the same problem at the moment, didn´t reply something. Instead she opened the door and stepped into the restaurant. She had no desire to stay the complete evening in the cold, when she could sit in a nice, warm building.

Kyle and Michael looked at each other and then followed her. Maria rolled her eyes at them and did the same. Immediately when she was inside the smell of fried french fries and grilled meat was waving in her nose. The air was filled with talking people and the clacking of dishes. A little smile broke out on her face. It felt like coming home. In her high school time she worked at the crashdown, a restaurant on mainstreet, which Liz´s father owned. It was practically her second home and she learned everything important there.

" Hey! There´s still a free table", Tess was boxing her way through the mass of sweating bodies and even stepped on a few toes to get them out of her way. For such a small girls she was pretty strong. But in the end she instantly stormed at the table and sat on one of the blue chairs.

Michael, Kyle and Maria joined her after a few seconds. Relieved that they finally sat and that they made it through this crowd with all their limbs still there where they were supposed to be.

Kyle took the menu immediately and eyed it. He was extremely hungy now and he wanted something greasy and with much much calories. And he made a find withing seconds. " I´ll take a cheeseburger with french fries and a big coke".

Maria thought that it didn´t sound too bad. She could do a burger. " I´ll order the same, but without the coke. I´ll take a iced tea instead".

" That´s sounds good. I´ll take the same", Tess hadn´t eaten something that wasn´t cooked from a french chief cook in a long while and she was relieved that these times were over. One more pigeon in a mint sauce and she would have puked all over the nice table.

Michael took the menu from Kyle and looked at it. But nothing was appealing to him. " Alright. I´ll join with Kyle".

Just as he finished the sentence, an older waitress with grey hairs, which were bound to a tight bun, a friendly face with too much make up and a body that looked like it was as wide as high, stepped at their table. She seemed to be annoyed and not in the greatest mood. But she was still politely, even if she didn´t look like she would have fun at her job. Like a roboter she asked them what they wanted. When she had the order from the four she walked slowly back to the kitchen. Tess and Maria turned to each other and smiled. But before they could start a conversation, the waitress came back with their drinks and put them on their table.

" The food comes later", with that she took her little tray and trudged away.

Kyle bent forward on his chair and took his glass. " I think she has the wrong job".

Maria sipped at her iced tea and enjoyed the cool drink. She had been thurstier than she thought. She just wanted to reply something, when she noticed her cellphone ringing in her purse. Curious who would call call her at this time, she took it out and eyed the display. It was Liz. " Hey chica, what´s up".

" ...here...I was...and then...I told...on his...".

Maria tried to understand something. But she just understood a few words through the noise around her. But after the paniced state her friend seemed to be in, it had to be something important. " Liz, I didn´t understand a thing you just said. Wait a minute", Maria stood up from her chair and faced the others at the table. " Excuse me for a moment". With her cellphone in her hand she walked through the crowd again and stopped at the front door, where she found a quiet place. " So and now tell me again what happened".

" Billy is here. I saw him when I was on my to Alex. I was totally shocked and tried to pass him quickly. But he regnorized me. He asked me where you are. I told him that you were on a date with a guy. He was pretty pissed and I think he is on his way to look for you".

Maria was stunned about this information. What was Billy doing here? How did he even know where she was? That wasn´t good news. It could get really ugly when he found her. A little shaken she massaged her forehead. What should she do when they would meet each other? Suddenly a shadow in front of the window drew her attention to it. Carefully she looked up and saw Billy standing there with an angry glare directed at her. Shit. " He found me, Liz".

TBC