CHAPTER 16
Maria headed down the nearly empty hallway, her mind on the afternoon ahead of her. One more class to get through, and then it was off to rehearsal. She smiled to herself--this afternoon they were going to run the musical numbers with the combo for the first time. Alex had warned her that things might be a little shaky since the combo hadn't had much of a chance to practice by itself yet, much less with the cast, but somehow he'd talked the others into jumping right into things feet first. They'd learn the music as they played it, he had insisted. Plus their keyboard player was Aaron Davis, who'd been accompanying the rehearsals so far; he at least would be able to lead them through. Frankly, Maria didn't care how they sounded; she was just happy Alex would be there.
Humming a snatch of 'Somewhere That's Green' as she swiftly made her way down the hall, she was taken by surprise as an arm reached out, latched onto her, and unceremoniously pulled her into the eraser room.
"Hey!" she began indignantly, then stopped. It was Michael. Oh boy. Michael. Eraser room. Some heavy-duty memories there...No, she wasn't even going to think about it. Space. She was giving him space.
She managed to paste a composed look on her face and asked, "What's up, Michael?" He shifted uncomfortably, eyes avoiding her. She gave him a moment, and then turned to leave. Not more of this, thank you very much. He'd pulled her in here, not the other way around.
Her hand was on the doorknob when she heard it. "Wait, Maria. Don't go. I...I need to talk to you."
Hmmm. This was more than he'd said to her in a week. She turned and arched one eyebrow in expectation. "Well?" she asked.
Michael thrust one hand unsteadily through his spiky hair, as if that would make the words come more easily. After a moment, he said hoarsely, "Maria. I..." His voice trailed off, and he turned and slammed his fist against the wall. "Dammit! I'm no good at this," he muttered. Then Maria watched, wide-eyed, as he drew himself up determinedly and looked her in the eye. "It's me," he blurted. "I'm back. And I...I love you."
Maria caught her breath, staring at the usually shuttered dark eyes that now seemed to say so much. "Michael?" she asked unsteadily. Her heart began to pound, so loud she thought the entire school would hear it. Maybe the whole town. Slowly, she reached out with a trembling hand and touched his cheek softly. Closing his eyes, he whispered, "Yeah."
"Oh, Michael," she choked, rushing into his arms. He held her tightly to him, and she breathed in, trying to absorb his slightly musky scent. A joyous smile lit her face, although he couldn't see it, since her cheek was pressed tightly against his chest.
He chuckled softly as she tried to burrow even more deeply into his embrace, then took her gently by the shoulders and held her away from him. "Look, there are some things you don't know. I need to tell you about them. I..." Once again his voice trailed off, and he swallowed.
Putting her hand gently against his lips, Maria said, "That doesn't matter right now. All that matters is you're back." She smiled up at him, and added, "And you love me?"
He laid a gentle kiss on the fingers that were still pressed to his mouth and then took her hand in his. He said simply, "Yeah. I do."
The smile on her face grew to a full-fledged grin. "Well then, Spaceboy, what are you planning to do about it?" she asked with a happy lilt in her voice. His eyes darkened and held hers as he moved toward her. His gaze didn't waver as he purposefully pulled her back into his arms, taking her chin in his hand and bending his head towards hers. She raised her face, meeting his lips in a searing kiss. Mouths melded, hands clutched, and senses seemed to spiral out of control...
FLASH
Michael sitting in a booth at the Crashdown, idly playing with an empty Tabasco bottle and responding noncommittally to something Max said.
FLASH
A scowling Michael gazing off over the quarry, softening as Maria approached.
FLASH
Michael, sitting with head in his hands, in a round, metallic room.
FLASH
Michael sitting in a round room.
FLASH
Michael in the round room.
Pulling back from him with a gasp, Maria stared into his suddenly worried eyes. "What?" he asked sharply, gripping her shoulders tightly. The look in her eyes seemed to reassure him, and he took a deep breath, relaxing his hold on her. "What is it?" he asked again, more calmly.
"I saw you," she answered, her eyes shining. "I got flashes from you." Her voice rose, and she burst out, "Michael! You didn't shut me out or close me off. You let me see you!" She reached up and pulled his face down to hers, pressing a rain of soft kisses on his cheeks, his chin, his lips.
"Hey," he protested with a smirk. "I told you already. I love you." He ran a light finger down the bridge of her nose. "I meant it."
"I think you really did," she practically sang. "Michael, I love you, too."
"Good," he said simply, pulling her in for another kiss. She could hardly believe it. One minute things were going on like usual, stressful and aggravating, and the next, she was supremely happy. Well, she deserved it. Michael deserved it. Everyone deserved this much happiness, she thought giddily. Human, alien, it didn't matter.
Smiling, she tried to pull away. He let out a small moan of protest before blindly seeking her mouth again, but she managed to avoid it long enough to murmur his name.
"What?" he asked between kisses.
"Do Max and Isabel know?"
"What? That I love you? Pretty obvious, don'tcha think?"
She chuckled. "No, Spaceboy, that you're back."
"Not yet. I wanted to find you first."
"Well, let's find them and tell them!" she commanded. "They'll be so happy about it. As happy as I am. Well," she amended, "almost as happy as I am, anyway."
He smirked down at her. "I didn't know I was so popular."
"Oh yeah, that's it," she retorted teasingly. "So let's get them. And Liz, and Alex."
"They're in class right now," he reminded her. Huh. This from Michael, who'd probably missed more classes than he'd ever attended.
"And we shouldn't be?"
He shrugged and admitted, "I couldn't wait."
"So when did this happen? You didn't seem any different in English this morning," she commented.
He looked uncomfortable. "It just happened. That's one of the things I need to talk to you about." Heading to the door, he opened it and glanced into the hall. She did the same. The coast was clear. "Come on," he said. "I need to show you something."
"Where are we going?" she demanded.
"You'll see."
Together, they traveled down the hallway, back past her locker and down towards the auditorium. That reminded her. "I can't be gone long, okay? I have rehearsal after school."
"Oh yeah, the play."
"I didn't know you knew about it," she said, surprised.
"I know about a lot of stuff," he said cryptically.
They were almost past the auditorium when the double doors swung open. Maria was startled to see Liz there. "There you are," Liz said. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
"Why aren't you in class, Liz?" Maria asked, ignoring her own truancy.
"I needed to see you. I needed to tell you something."
"What?" Maria asked.
"I need to tell you in private," Liz said, eyeing Michael disdainfully.
"It's all right," said Maria. "It's Michael. The real Michael. He's back. You can tell me in front of him."
Liz hesitated, and then wheedled, "Please Maria? It will only take a minute."
Maria was about to nod when Michael tensed and gripped her arm firmly. "Don't. Something's wrong. Don't go with her."
Maria looked at him in confusion. "What? It's Liz. What do you mean?" He was glaring with something akin to hatred at her best friend, who, she was frightened to note, had a very similar look on her face.
"Don't listen to him, Maria," Liz pleaded. "He's not who he says he is."
"You're the one who's not who you say you are, Liz," he retorted. Maria looked back and forth from one to the other. What on earth was going on? This was her best friend, who she'd known forever, and her...well, her Michael. How could they behave like this to each other? Didn't they know how important they both were to her?
"Maria, listen to me. Please," Liz begged.
"I love you. Trust me," Michael commanded.
"Ummm...guys? Are you trying to make me, like, choose between you or something?" Maria asked. "'Cause I don't think I can. I love you both. Well, not exactly in the same way," she fumbled. "But you are seriously acting weird. Both of you. So quit it, okay?"
Neither of them paid her any heed. "Stay away from her!" shouted Liz.
"Try and make me!" Michael taunted, letting go of Maria and taking one threatening step towards Liz.
Maria tried again to be heard. "Guys! Stop it!" They continued to ignore her, facing off like a pair of Western gunfighters. Okay. This was going beyond weird. Enough already. Stepping between them, she put her arms out to keep them apart, saying, "Stop it, you two. It's--" One outstretched hand rested against Michael's chest. The other...
...went right through Liz. As if she wasn't there, except for a cold, clammy kind of feeling. Oh god. What was going on? Trembling, Maria took a step back toward Michael, who wrapped his arms protectively around her waist and drew her away from her...friend?
"Liz," she whispered, staring at the familiar face before her.
"It's not Liz," Michael said softly.
Liz--or whoever or whatever looked like Liz--began to laugh derisively. An expression of menace crossed her--its--features. Michael continued to pull Maria away from the thing that wore her friend's face. "Come on," he whispered urgently. "We gotta get out of here!"
Dragging her horrified eyes from her friend, Maria allowed Michael to grab her hand. Without another word, they turned and began to run.
Down the hall away from the auditorium they went, the continuing laughter growing fainter behind them. "Which way?" gasped Maria, her hand still gripped tightly in Michael's.
"Here," he barked, and guided her towards a nearby staircase.
"What good will the second floor do?" she asked impatiently. "Let's find Max and Isabel and Alex and...Oh my god. Liz. What was that? Where is she?" she cried, panicked.
"No time for that now. We need to get out of here," Michael shot back.
"But--"
"No questions," he interrupted. "Do you trust me?"
She didn't even hesitate. "Of course I trust you. I just--"
"Then go! Now!" He pushed her toward the stairs, and she began to climb them hurriedly. Michael followed closely, his hand on her back.
After a few flights, she stopped and whispered, "Are they following?"
Michael listened for a moment and shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted. "Maria," he asked intently, "do you know your lines?"
"What?" she asked, confused.
"Listen to me. Do you know your lines?" he repeated.
"Well, most of them, I think. Why?"
He didn't answer her question, saying instead, "Good. Maria, I need you to get to the top of the stairs. There's something up there we need."
"I am not leaving you!" she shouted.
"No, I'll be right behind you. I just need to make sure we're not being followed first."
"But Michael--" she protested.
"Just do it, okay? I'll explain later."
She took in the pleading expression in his eyes and reluctantly gave in. "All right. But if you're not up there with me in three minutes, I'm coming back after you."
Taking her face in his hands, he left a quick kiss on her lips and then turned her roughly towards the next flight of stairs. "Just get to the top. Find it. I'll be there in a minute."
Blindly she began to hustle up the stairs. She could do this. Get to the top, find it--Wait a minute. Find what? Well, whatever it was, Michael said it would help them, so find it she would. She turned to take a look behind her, but there was no sign of Michael. Of anyone, actually. The building seemed empty. She shivered, suddenly feeling cold. She didn't remember being on this floor of the school before--which was it, the ninth? tenth?--and she'd wager no one else had been either. The steps had become gradually more grimy, and she now had to stop to brush the occasional cobweb from her face. How many more steps were there? She felt like she'd been climbing forever.
Just when she was about to give up and sit on the steps in defeat, she turned the corner and saw a metal door a few steps above her. The sign on the door read 'Fire Exit'. Finally! Climbing the last few steps, she pushed the door open and began to hunt for the item she knew Michael needed so badly. Where was it? What was it? Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something glinting in the dim light. Turning toward it, she bent and slowly picked up the relic that would save them all. Her hands trembled as she held it. It was a...
...peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
Huh?
"Maria!" The voice broke in. "You're on!"
What? She turned to face Isabel. The tall girl looked down on her impatiently. "You're late for your entrance," she hissed, taking Maria by the arm and thrusting her towards the black curtain to the left. "Go on, they're waiting for you!" With that, she shoved Maria through the curtain and onto the stage.
Maria caught herself before she could do more than stumble a few steps, and tried to look out at the audience. The lights were blazing in her eyes, and she couldn't see beyond them, but she could feel the expectation pouring out from the people who sat, unseen and silent, watching in the dark. Oh boy. What scene were they in? She looked frantically around the stage, shooting a panicked look at Mark, who was waiting quietly for her to...to what? Was it her line next? If only Mark would pull it together and give her a little help. A clue as to where they were or something.
Holding the sandwich tightly in one hand, she fumbled with the other in her pocket. Aaaahhh. There it was. "Just a second," she said to Mark in a stage whisper, pulling the script out of her pocket and thumbing through it frantically. She squinted and tried to focus on the page, but the words danced around and blurred mockingly, no matter what she did. Darn it! She looked helplessly at Mark, who continued to stand there with a dopey grin on his face. Fantastic. Some help he was.
A thought popped into her head. Alex! Alex would help her. Moving towards the front of the stage, she shielded her eyes from the pink-gelled spotlights that were trained on her and peered unsteadily into the orchestra pit. Where was he? He'd give her a hand, wouldn't he? A clue. Anything...
She gave a sudden shiver as a familiar tingle ran down her spine. Michael was nearby! In her panic, she's almost forgotten him. She'd told him she knew her lines, and now here she was, making a complete fool of herself in front of him. God, this sucked. Wait a minute--she needed to pull herself together here. The show must go on, and all that hackneyed bullshit. Stepping even closer to the edge of the stage, she hissed, "Line?" and listened intently for a familiar voice to hand her the cue line.
Instead what she got was a hand on her back, between her shoulder blades, and then she was falling forward into the orchestra pit, falling...falling, like Alice down the rabbit hole...until she landed with a crash...
...on the floor next to her bed. She lay there for a moment, stunned, before carefully rolling up into a sitting position and gently touching the now sore spot on her forehead. God, even her dreams were giving her headaches...
And outside Maria's window, a spike-headed form crouched in the dark, unmoving, as he kept guard over the girl inside.
TBC...