There was a ring at the door. Isabel was alone so she went to answer. She was surprised when she saw who it was.
"Tess. Hi. What are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you about something."
"What is it?" she asked as she let her in.
"Why don't we go sit?"
"Okay." A few seconds later, they sat in the living room.
"Let me cut to the chase. I came to talk to you about destiny... and Alex." Isabel was confused. "Okay, long story short. None of the four of us, myself included, want it. Correct?" Isabel was shocked, but still nodded. "All of you are still crazy about each other in your respective broken couples." Isabel nodded once more. "So what are you waiting for? Go talk to Alex. He misses you terribly, and I know it's the same for you. Don't even try to deny it." Isabel tried to do so, and Tess gave her a look. In seconds, Isabel sat defeated.
"You're sure he'd take me back?"
"In half a heartbeat. I know you're scared that he'll get hurt. You have to stop doing this to yourself. Love is all about taking risks. You love him, don't you?"
"With all my heart," said Isabel, as she felt the beginning of tears coming. Tess smiled kindly and put her hand on Isabel's shoulder.
"Then go for it." She could see now just how much Isabel cared about him, even more than she'd thought. This was hurting her so much, not being with him, even though she wouldn't quite admit it. She felt she'd definitely taken a step in the right direction, there. She would go to him, conquer her fears and worries, Tess could feel it. Isabel looked up at her and smiled. She reached over and brought her into a hug, a nice surprise to Tess...
*
Michael stood in the Crashdown's kitchen, flipping burgers on the grill. He heard the door open and close and assumed it was someone from the staff. But it wasn't.
"Hey." He turned to find Kyle standing behind him.
"No customers in the kitchen," Michael said.
"Well I'm not a customer."
"What do you want, Valenti?"
"I wanted to ask you a question." Michael didn't answer, so Kyle went on. "What's up with you and Maria? You two used to be all over each other, and now..."
"And now we're not," said Michael, as if to indicate to not take it further. Of course, he didn't listen.
"But you're crazy about her!" insisted Kyle.
"This is none of your business," said Michael, although he knew he was right.
"Look, I may not have been 'in the loop' about... you know... but I've been thinking about it all for the past few days. I know why you're doing this, pushing her away. It's because you don't want her to get hurt or anything. But let me tell you something. In case you haven't noticed, she's hurting pretty bad. Looks like your little plan had about the opposite effect. You need to face up to it. You love her. And it scares you, doesn't it? You always have to be the 'tough guy' and not let anybody get close to you. But she did, she got to you. Do yourself a favor, okay? Go see her and talk to her. She's miserable, you can fix it. I'll see you tomorrow at school."
And he left. Michael stood still, Kyle's words taking their toll on his mind. He was right. He was so right. Michael HAD seen her, and he was mentally kicking himself that he'd let this happen to her.
He took off his apron and went to sit on the backroom couch. He put his head in his hands and exhaled. He had to do something. For Maria, and for himself. Both of them wanted to be with each other. And he could not live with himself if he didn't do this.
*
Liz sat on her balcony, thinking. She heard her name being called from street level. "Liz! Liz!" She went to stand by the edge.
"Tess?" she said, so surprised to see her of all people standing there.
"I have to talk to you. Can I come up, please?" Liz hesitated. But there was something about the expression on her face, that told her she should listen. She nodded and Tess climbed up. Liz sat.
"What's up?" Tess sat and immediately began to speak.
"You have to get back together with Max. Liz looked up, definitely not expecting that.
"What?"
"I never wanted to be with him. But until now, I had no way out of it. That's different now. I spoke to Max, explained to him what I wanted and didn't want. He told me so many things about you two and what you've been through this year. There's no way I'll ever stand between that."
Liz was speechless. There was the very person she thought would be the end of her relationship with Max... and she was trying to get them back together. She had definitely seen a different side to her now...
"Why are you helping me? All I've done is treat you like an enemy."
"For all you knew, I was trying to steal your boyfriend, it's understandable. I never wanted to hurt you. I actually wanted to be your friend." Liz looked up.
"Well... this is a definite first step towards it," Liz said with a smile, which Tess returned. The girls continued their conversation for over two hours. It was surprising to both of them that they could talk this long. They discussed many things... their childhood, love lives, school, the events of the last few weeks, they covered it all, one after the other...
*
The next afternoon, Crashdown Café
Tess sat in the booth, playing with the straw in her glass. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she heard from behind. She turned and smiled when she saw Kyle walk across to sit in front of her.
"That's okay."
"So what are you we doing here exactly?"
"I'm not sure. Max... called and said to come here."
"Yeah, same here... well, Isabel called me, said that you'd be here waiting for me."
"Oh," she said, then, "So, you talked to Michael?" Kyle nodded. "And?" she asked, hopefully.
"I think I got through to him, but there's no telling for now. What about Isabel and Liz?"
"I think they'll do it. All we need to worry about now... is the outcome."
Kyle sighed, when the chime on the door was heard. He looked up and smiled. "See for yourself," he said. She turned her head and gave a smile of her own. In walked three couples, Max and Liz, Michael and Maria, Alex and Isabel, each pair hand in hand.
Kyle and Tess got up and went to meet them halfway. "I can't believe it!" said Tess joyfully.
"Believe it... you did this, the two of you," said Liz.
"This is for real, it's working, we're gonna do this, it's gonna work," said Tess, getting excited.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down," said Isabel.
"Why don't we all go sit and talk?" suggested Max. All went, but Kyle took Tess by the arm and took her to the side.
"What is it?" she asked.
"It's just... well, you said that once we did this, you'd tell me whatever I wanted to know... about you and the other..." He signaled with his head.
"Y... yeah, I got it."
"Well?" Her eyes went wide.
"N... now?" she asked, attempting not to talk too loud.
"Oh... no, of course not."
"So when do you... want to do this?"
"Whenever you want," he said.
"Well, in a couple days, probably..."
"Good."
"Now, let's go, I'm starving," said Tess as they joined the others.
End of part 1
"Tess. Hi. What are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you about something."
"What is it?" she asked as she let her in.
"Why don't we go sit?"
"Okay." A few seconds later, they sat in the living room.
"Let me cut to the chase. I came to talk to you about destiny... and Alex." Isabel was confused. "Okay, long story short. None of the four of us, myself included, want it. Correct?" Isabel was shocked, but still nodded. "All of you are still crazy about each other in your respective broken couples." Isabel nodded once more. "So what are you waiting for? Go talk to Alex. He misses you terribly, and I know it's the same for you. Don't even try to deny it." Isabel tried to do so, and Tess gave her a look. In seconds, Isabel sat defeated.
"You're sure he'd take me back?"
"In half a heartbeat. I know you're scared that he'll get hurt. You have to stop doing this to yourself. Love is all about taking risks. You love him, don't you?"
"With all my heart," said Isabel, as she felt the beginning of tears coming. Tess smiled kindly and put her hand on Isabel's shoulder.
"Then go for it." She could see now just how much Isabel cared about him, even more than she'd thought. This was hurting her so much, not being with him, even though she wouldn't quite admit it. She felt she'd definitely taken a step in the right direction, there. She would go to him, conquer her fears and worries, Tess could feel it. Isabel looked up at her and smiled. She reached over and brought her into a hug, a nice surprise to Tess...
*
Michael stood in the Crashdown's kitchen, flipping burgers on the grill. He heard the door open and close and assumed it was someone from the staff. But it wasn't.
"Hey." He turned to find Kyle standing behind him.
"No customers in the kitchen," Michael said.
"Well I'm not a customer."
"What do you want, Valenti?"
"I wanted to ask you a question." Michael didn't answer, so Kyle went on. "What's up with you and Maria? You two used to be all over each other, and now..."
"And now we're not," said Michael, as if to indicate to not take it further. Of course, he didn't listen.
"But you're crazy about her!" insisted Kyle.
"This is none of your business," said Michael, although he knew he was right.
"Look, I may not have been 'in the loop' about... you know... but I've been thinking about it all for the past few days. I know why you're doing this, pushing her away. It's because you don't want her to get hurt or anything. But let me tell you something. In case you haven't noticed, she's hurting pretty bad. Looks like your little plan had about the opposite effect. You need to face up to it. You love her. And it scares you, doesn't it? You always have to be the 'tough guy' and not let anybody get close to you. But she did, she got to you. Do yourself a favor, okay? Go see her and talk to her. She's miserable, you can fix it. I'll see you tomorrow at school."
And he left. Michael stood still, Kyle's words taking their toll on his mind. He was right. He was so right. Michael HAD seen her, and he was mentally kicking himself that he'd let this happen to her.
He took off his apron and went to sit on the backroom couch. He put his head in his hands and exhaled. He had to do something. For Maria, and for himself. Both of them wanted to be with each other. And he could not live with himself if he didn't do this.
*
Liz sat on her balcony, thinking. She heard her name being called from street level. "Liz! Liz!" She went to stand by the edge.
"Tess?" she said, so surprised to see her of all people standing there.
"I have to talk to you. Can I come up, please?" Liz hesitated. But there was something about the expression on her face, that told her she should listen. She nodded and Tess climbed up. Liz sat.
"What's up?" Tess sat and immediately began to speak.
"You have to get back together with Max. Liz looked up, definitely not expecting that.
"What?"
"I never wanted to be with him. But until now, I had no way out of it. That's different now. I spoke to Max, explained to him what I wanted and didn't want. He told me so many things about you two and what you've been through this year. There's no way I'll ever stand between that."
Liz was speechless. There was the very person she thought would be the end of her relationship with Max... and she was trying to get them back together. She had definitely seen a different side to her now...
"Why are you helping me? All I've done is treat you like an enemy."
"For all you knew, I was trying to steal your boyfriend, it's understandable. I never wanted to hurt you. I actually wanted to be your friend." Liz looked up.
"Well... this is a definite first step towards it," Liz said with a smile, which Tess returned. The girls continued their conversation for over two hours. It was surprising to both of them that they could talk this long. They discussed many things... their childhood, love lives, school, the events of the last few weeks, they covered it all, one after the other...
*
The next afternoon, Crashdown Café
Tess sat in the booth, playing with the straw in her glass. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she heard from behind. She turned and smiled when she saw Kyle walk across to sit in front of her.
"That's okay."
"So what are you we doing here exactly?"
"I'm not sure. Max... called and said to come here."
"Yeah, same here... well, Isabel called me, said that you'd be here waiting for me."
"Oh," she said, then, "So, you talked to Michael?" Kyle nodded. "And?" she asked, hopefully.
"I think I got through to him, but there's no telling for now. What about Isabel and Liz?"
"I think they'll do it. All we need to worry about now... is the outcome."
Kyle sighed, when the chime on the door was heard. He looked up and smiled. "See for yourself," he said. She turned her head and gave a smile of her own. In walked three couples, Max and Liz, Michael and Maria, Alex and Isabel, each pair hand in hand.
Kyle and Tess got up and went to meet them halfway. "I can't believe it!" said Tess joyfully.
"Believe it... you did this, the two of you," said Liz.
"This is for real, it's working, we're gonna do this, it's gonna work," said Tess, getting excited.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down," said Isabel.
"Why don't we all go sit and talk?" suggested Max. All went, but Kyle took Tess by the arm and took her to the side.
"What is it?" she asked.
"It's just... well, you said that once we did this, you'd tell me whatever I wanted to know... about you and the other..." He signaled with his head.
"Y... yeah, I got it."
"Well?" Her eyes went wide.
"N... now?" she asked, attempting not to talk too loud.
"Oh... no, of course not."
"So when do you... want to do this?"
"Whenever you want," he said.
"Well, in a couple days, probably..."
"Good."
"Now, let's go, I'm starving," said Tess as they joined the others.
End of part 1