"I think it's in the living room," whispered Alex.
"Why are you whispering?" asked Maria, not realizing she was also.
"And why are you?"
"Right," she said at normal tone. "So... are you ready for finals?" asked Maria.
"Um... sure," said Alex, sensing she was trying to keep it from becoming silence. "Are you afraid of the dark or something?"
"What? Of course not... well... maybe a little," she said with a smile.
"We're almost there," he assured.
"I... I know," she said as she nodded her head. They moved slowly, trying not to fall. The flashlight suddenly flickered out, which caused a small gasp to escape Maria and a snicker from Alex at her response. "Stop it!" she said, whispering.
"You're doing it again," noted Alex.
"Okay, I'm sorry, but I happen to be slightly nerv..." said Maria, but suddenly stopped when her foot caught on something and she fell to the ground, her hand slipping from Alex's grasp.
"MARIA!" he called as he went to her side.
"Ow!" she exclaimed, wincing.
"Are you okay?" asked Alex with urgency in his voice.
"I'm fine. It's not broken. It hurts like hell, but it's not broken or sprained."
"How do you know?"
"It's MY ankle, I know."
"Fine, fine." He helped her sit up and rest against the wall. "Why don't we stay here for a little while?" suggested Alex.
"But there's no lights!" pleaded Maria.
"I'll go find the candles," said Alex.
"O... okay. But keep talking!"
"Sure." He walked away and Maria began to sing. "That's good, keep going," said Alex. He made it to the living room and found the candle and matches. He headed back, the sound of Maria's voice guiding him. She stopped as he sat next to her. "Thank you," he said.
She smiled, then said, "Can you light the candle? Please?"
"Sure." Seconds later, the candle burned in between them.
"Much better," said Maria.
"How's your ankle?" asked Alex.
"It's a bit sensible, but it'll be better in the morning."
"Are you sure?"
"Alex, the minute I walk into my house limping, my mother will be all over me."
"Good point," said Alex, grinning at the image of Amy DeLuca's face when she'll see her.
"Like I said, I'll be fine in the morning."
"Just in time or finals," said Alex with a wide smile.
"You HAD to find the down part, didn't you?"
"Yup."
"Great," said Maria sarcastically. Both laughed for a few seconds. "So what are we supposed to do now?" asked Maria.
"How about you tell me exactly why you're here. I mean, don't think I'm not happy to see you..."
"Alex..."
"This is about our... Czechoslovakian schoolmates... isn't it?" She looked down.
"What do YOU think?"
"I think that we need to get this all out. Might help us get through it."
"Yeah... I guess..." she said, then, "I knew this was gonna happen."
"What? That we'd be... heartbroken?"
"Something like that. Just this nagging feeling that no matter... how much or how hard I tried... it wouldn't last..."
"I understand. For me, I didn't think it would even start... I thought she was just out of reach to me, for someone like me, you know?"
"Alex... Don't say that, you're a great guy, you know that." He smiled.
"Well... thank you," he said as he bumped shoulders with her. Both laughed. "Well, no matter how great of a guy you think I am, I just didn't think she would ever go out with me."
"But she did."
"She sure did. And you... You got through to Michael Guerin... an accomplishment on its own."
"You can say that again."
"And yet here we are... alone again..."
"Yep..." said Maria. Alex turned to her.
"You really think I'm good-looking?" She snickered.
"I said you were a great guy."
"Oh..." She took his hand.
"A great, good-looking guy." He turned to her once more.
"I knew I always like you, DeLuca."
"Thanks... Whitman," she said with a laugh. "Feels a bit redundant to say this, but what do we do now?" asked Maria.
Alex thought, then said, "Wanna play cards?"
"What? Alex, we can barely see anything!"
"Yeah... and besides, I'd beat you..."
"Would not! I'm not THAT bad... am I?" she asked shyly.
"Of course not... Okay, so no cards... Hide and seek?" he suggested with a grin. Maria snickered.
"What are we? Four?"
"Just a suggestion..." Maria laughed. "Great... now you're laughing at me!" Eventually, she stopped.
"I hate storms," she said.
"Me too."
"I remember... when I was little, my dad would come and stay in my room, to keep me calm during a storm. He would sing me lullabies, tell me stories... he'd sleep beside my bed... When he left, that first storm... my mom tried to do what he did, but... it just wasn't the same... I promised myself that if I ever had children myself, I would never let anything like that happen to them... ever." Her voice was strong and clear.
"That's a good promise... they will be lucky children... to have you as their mother," said Alex. Maria smiled.
"Thank you," she said with a nod.
"You're welcome," said Alex, then, "When I was little, and there would be storms, I'd sneak into the living room and turn on the television. I'd lie down on the couch, with a blanket and I'd watch whatever was on, until I'd fall asleep. When morning would come, I'd wake up in my bed... I guess my mom or my dad carried me back... They never said anything..."
"So that's why you made us sleep in front of the television when there were storms in our sleepovers!" said Maria realizing.
Alex nodded, then said, "How about we test out that ankle of yours?"
"Do we have to?" pleaded Maria.
"Come on, I'll help you," said Alex as he got up. He picked up the candle and put it on a nearby table. He approached Maria and extended his hands. She hesitated, then let him help her up. She let out a small wince, but managed to steady herself. "How's it going?" asked Alex.
"Like I said before, it's sensible."
"Okay... let's take a walk to the window."
"Mean," teased Maria. Slowly they made their way to the window.
"There. That wasn't so hard!"
"Ha... ha... hey!"
"What?" asked Alex.
"Look! It stopped. It's over."
"Oh... so what now?"
"I... should go... before my mom sends out the entire Roswell Police Department to look for me." Alex laughed.
"Do you think you can make it back by yourself? I could go with you..."
"It's okay, Alex. I can still drive. Just have to be careful." Alex nodded and he ran back to his room to retrieve Maria's coat.
"Here you go," he said, once he'd returned.
"Thank you," she said as he helped her put it on.
"I'll see you tomorrow then," said Alex.
"Yeah," said Maria slowly.
"Bye," said Alex.
"Bye," said Maria.
After she'd left, he went back to the spot where they'd been sitting. He lowered himself back to it. As he sat there, he could hear nothing but Maria's voice in his mind. He should have returned to studying for finals, but even if he'd wanted to... he wouldn't have bee able to. His thoughts were completely occupied. He'd known Maria for years, been her friend for just as long... he'd never felt that way before...
"Why are you whispering?" asked Maria, not realizing she was also.
"And why are you?"
"Right," she said at normal tone. "So... are you ready for finals?" asked Maria.
"Um... sure," said Alex, sensing she was trying to keep it from becoming silence. "Are you afraid of the dark or something?"
"What? Of course not... well... maybe a little," she said with a smile.
"We're almost there," he assured.
"I... I know," she said as she nodded her head. They moved slowly, trying not to fall. The flashlight suddenly flickered out, which caused a small gasp to escape Maria and a snicker from Alex at her response. "Stop it!" she said, whispering.
"You're doing it again," noted Alex.
"Okay, I'm sorry, but I happen to be slightly nerv..." said Maria, but suddenly stopped when her foot caught on something and she fell to the ground, her hand slipping from Alex's grasp.
"MARIA!" he called as he went to her side.
"Ow!" she exclaimed, wincing.
"Are you okay?" asked Alex with urgency in his voice.
"I'm fine. It's not broken. It hurts like hell, but it's not broken or sprained."
"How do you know?"
"It's MY ankle, I know."
"Fine, fine." He helped her sit up and rest against the wall. "Why don't we stay here for a little while?" suggested Alex.
"But there's no lights!" pleaded Maria.
"I'll go find the candles," said Alex.
"O... okay. But keep talking!"
"Sure." He walked away and Maria began to sing. "That's good, keep going," said Alex. He made it to the living room and found the candle and matches. He headed back, the sound of Maria's voice guiding him. She stopped as he sat next to her. "Thank you," he said.
She smiled, then said, "Can you light the candle? Please?"
"Sure." Seconds later, the candle burned in between them.
"Much better," said Maria.
"How's your ankle?" asked Alex.
"It's a bit sensible, but it'll be better in the morning."
"Are you sure?"
"Alex, the minute I walk into my house limping, my mother will be all over me."
"Good point," said Alex, grinning at the image of Amy DeLuca's face when she'll see her.
"Like I said, I'll be fine in the morning."
"Just in time or finals," said Alex with a wide smile.
"You HAD to find the down part, didn't you?"
"Yup."
"Great," said Maria sarcastically. Both laughed for a few seconds. "So what are we supposed to do now?" asked Maria.
"How about you tell me exactly why you're here. I mean, don't think I'm not happy to see you..."
"Alex..."
"This is about our... Czechoslovakian schoolmates... isn't it?" She looked down.
"What do YOU think?"
"I think that we need to get this all out. Might help us get through it."
"Yeah... I guess..." she said, then, "I knew this was gonna happen."
"What? That we'd be... heartbroken?"
"Something like that. Just this nagging feeling that no matter... how much or how hard I tried... it wouldn't last..."
"I understand. For me, I didn't think it would even start... I thought she was just out of reach to me, for someone like me, you know?"
"Alex... Don't say that, you're a great guy, you know that." He smiled.
"Well... thank you," he said as he bumped shoulders with her. Both laughed. "Well, no matter how great of a guy you think I am, I just didn't think she would ever go out with me."
"But she did."
"She sure did. And you... You got through to Michael Guerin... an accomplishment on its own."
"You can say that again."
"And yet here we are... alone again..."
"Yep..." said Maria. Alex turned to her.
"You really think I'm good-looking?" She snickered.
"I said you were a great guy."
"Oh..." She took his hand.
"A great, good-looking guy." He turned to her once more.
"I knew I always like you, DeLuca."
"Thanks... Whitman," she said with a laugh. "Feels a bit redundant to say this, but what do we do now?" asked Maria.
Alex thought, then said, "Wanna play cards?"
"What? Alex, we can barely see anything!"
"Yeah... and besides, I'd beat you..."
"Would not! I'm not THAT bad... am I?" she asked shyly.
"Of course not... Okay, so no cards... Hide and seek?" he suggested with a grin. Maria snickered.
"What are we? Four?"
"Just a suggestion..." Maria laughed. "Great... now you're laughing at me!" Eventually, she stopped.
"I hate storms," she said.
"Me too."
"I remember... when I was little, my dad would come and stay in my room, to keep me calm during a storm. He would sing me lullabies, tell me stories... he'd sleep beside my bed... When he left, that first storm... my mom tried to do what he did, but... it just wasn't the same... I promised myself that if I ever had children myself, I would never let anything like that happen to them... ever." Her voice was strong and clear.
"That's a good promise... they will be lucky children... to have you as their mother," said Alex. Maria smiled.
"Thank you," she said with a nod.
"You're welcome," said Alex, then, "When I was little, and there would be storms, I'd sneak into the living room and turn on the television. I'd lie down on the couch, with a blanket and I'd watch whatever was on, until I'd fall asleep. When morning would come, I'd wake up in my bed... I guess my mom or my dad carried me back... They never said anything..."
"So that's why you made us sleep in front of the television when there were storms in our sleepovers!" said Maria realizing.
Alex nodded, then said, "How about we test out that ankle of yours?"
"Do we have to?" pleaded Maria.
"Come on, I'll help you," said Alex as he got up. He picked up the candle and put it on a nearby table. He approached Maria and extended his hands. She hesitated, then let him help her up. She let out a small wince, but managed to steady herself. "How's it going?" asked Alex.
"Like I said before, it's sensible."
"Okay... let's take a walk to the window."
"Mean," teased Maria. Slowly they made their way to the window.
"There. That wasn't so hard!"
"Ha... ha... hey!"
"What?" asked Alex.
"Look! It stopped. It's over."
"Oh... so what now?"
"I... should go... before my mom sends out the entire Roswell Police Department to look for me." Alex laughed.
"Do you think you can make it back by yourself? I could go with you..."
"It's okay, Alex. I can still drive. Just have to be careful." Alex nodded and he ran back to his room to retrieve Maria's coat.
"Here you go," he said, once he'd returned.
"Thank you," she said as he helped her put it on.
"I'll see you tomorrow then," said Alex.
"Yeah," said Maria slowly.
"Bye," said Alex.
"Bye," said Maria.
After she'd left, he went back to the spot where they'd been sitting. He lowered himself back to it. As he sat there, he could hear nothing but Maria's voice in his mind. He should have returned to studying for finals, but even if he'd wanted to... he wouldn't have bee able to. His thoughts were completely occupied. He'd known Maria for years, been her friend for just as long... he'd never felt that way before...