Part 4 - Game

Part 4 - Game

Afternoon lessons were called off for the game and all the students either went excitedly to the oval or skipped the game entirely and left the school grounds while the TEMA (Teachers enforcing mandatory attendance) patrolling the school weren't looking.

"This is the first game Liz and I have been to the entire year." Alex announced with wicked glee.

"Don't tell me you've already gone to the dark side Lizzie!" Maria mocked. "I wanted to influence you in that area." She pouted.

Liz smiled sheepishly then flushed as she answered, "We don't leave the school grounds, just usually hide out in the um, library."

"The library?" Maria laughed. "You damn rebels!"

"Hurry up Guerin." Turning they saw Mr Welles ushering them to the field. To Maria's amazement she saw Liz blush, at first thinking Liz was worried that they had been over heard Maria soon realised the reason for her heated colour. Max Evans had just walked by and smiled at them all, directing his gaze mostly at Liz.

Liz had told Maria and Alex when Max had healed her she had had some interesting flashes. Liz hadn't really gone into detail but Maria and Alex had shared a knowing glance as she fumbled with her explanation of the experience.

Maria looked to see if Max's sister and brother were with him and was surprised by the fact that she was disappointed they were not. "Oh and Parker, I find that the history section in the library is the best place to be concealed." Mr Welles said as he merrily trotted off.

Motioning to the retreating Max Maria whispered in Liz's ear, "Oh I don't think she'll miss another football game." Liz coloured at the comment but said nothing. For Maria her friends colour was more then enough to confirm her suspicious.

*~*~*

"Who are you looking for Isabel?" Courtney asked annoyed, Isabel hadn't answered any of her questions about what had happened yesterday to her, and more importantly to Michael. "Isabel, secrets are restricting to really good friends."

"They sure are Courtney." Isabel answered irritated; she still couldn't see Maria and Liz anywhere. "Luckily that's not a problem for us." She added happily – she had spotted Alex followed by a pair of giggling girls.

"Will Michael be okay for the game? I mean if he was sick yesterday…" Courtney began again on her favourite subject. "So anyway, I kept ringing him, he wanted me too, wouldn't let me get off the phone unless I promised to call at every chance I got…"

Isabel smiled to herself but said nothing. Today's events had certainly brought her defences up. Isabel had heard from Max that Maria and Michael had seemed 'friendly' today infront of Courtney. Wishing she had been there Isabel tried to block out Courtney's high-pitched voice, marking the girls' recent agitation.

"The guys were so worried that he wouldn't be up for the game today."

"Glad to know were their concern lay." Isabel answered aggravated. The three humans had sat right up the back, and hadn't even looked around for her.

Courtney was too dense to pick up on anything and continued her rant. "Michael still hasn't asked me to the party tomorrow you know. I was going to bring over some soup for you both, but had a hair appointment… do you like it? You think Michael will like it?"

"Yeah it looks good." Isabel answered exasperated quickly glancing at the girls' hair.

"What are you wearing? We don't want to wear the same thing…" Courtney trailed off as Michael and the other players entered the field. Isabel stole one more glance at the human three and was thrilled to discover Maria and Alex looking at her, sharing a quick smile all turned away quickly, embarrassed they had been caught.

*~*~*

The roar of the teenage crowd was deafening. Before putting on his helmet Michael scanned the crowd. "Their here." Max whispered in his ear.

"Where?" Michael said excitedly then checked himself by running his hand through his hair coolly ~ classic Michael.

"I don't know, but I saw Liz coming to the field." Max said pleased. Liz hadn't been to a game all year and he knew his siblings had doubted the humans coming aswell.

"Just Liz?" Michael said, his disappointment badly concealed.

"Alex was with her," Max said enjoying Michael's face drop more. "And Maria." He added putting on his helmet.

"Good." Michael said with only the appearance of composure.

Maria Guerin unsettled him; he had spent half the night trying to work out his feelings for her and had only confused himself more. It was undoubted that he had feelings about her, but the feelings had never been felt before so he couldn't concisely apply a name to, the currents of emotion he felt when he thought of her were mysterious and… well, unexpected.

Maria had sparked something in him, she had challenged him, and made him realise he had to be more then he was if he wanted to please a girl worthy of being pleased. Why was he so eager for her approval though, he wanted to be liked by her that was clear and at times he wanted to be much more than liked.

The thought of touching her had entered his mind a lot today and he was frightened by it. He had never cared before, fooling around with strangers was harmless, and no alien reaction would ever be triggered if it didn't have an 'conscious' thought behind it. But with *her* he doubted his consciousness. What if he got the chance to touch her and electrocuted the whole of Roswell?

Hearing the coach call the team together Michael banged on his helmet and joined the other players gathered around the bench.

*~*~*

The game was good, it was exciting and West Roswell won from the combined throws of Michael and pace of Max weaving throughout the North team. Maria's only real distress was that just after half time the North's had decided to make Michael a target and three big guys had shoved him hard. To Maria's astonishment she had jumped up at the impact of the hit and embarrassingly yelled out "FOUL!" Which everyone, including the players had noticed.

It amazed Maria that she had cared that much, because Max had been hit a lot and she hadn't acted the same way. However she did notice her arm was badly clawed from Liz by the end of the game.

Stranger still however was the fact that when Michael had been benched for a small break *his* eyes were frequently on her as much as hers were on his. Catching his eye once she was content to discover a flush enter his cheeks; she hoped her blush wasn't so evident…

Leaving the game the three friends heard the most amazing thing: "Maria! Liz! Alex! Wait up!" It was Isabel Evans, wanting to speak to them.

Turning Liz asked, "Is everything alright?"

"Anything we can do?" Alex offered.

Isabel seemed to be taken back by this but recovered slightly and said, "No." She then seemed at a loss so they stood in silence for a moment.

"It was a good game." Alex commented.

"Yes it was." Isabel smiled at him.

"As if you would know anything about it Whitman!" Isabel inwardly cringed – Courtney. She had thought she had gotten rid of her, of course she'd be trailing her with Michael yet to come out of the changing rooms.

"And you would know so much more!" Maria said angrily. If this was Isabel's way of telling them that they weren't going to be acknowledged at school then fine, she'd have none of Isabel or her bitch friends.

"We should go." Liz said softly taking Alex's arm.

*~*~*

Rounding the corner Michael heard Maria's sharp tongue - "And you would know so much more!" It surprised him that the sound, even the tone thrilled him slightly.

"They're leaving." Michael said urgently, motioning towards Liz and Alex.

"Well stop them!" Max said with equal urgency pushing his brother forward.

"You guys aren't going?" Michael said loudly, stopping and turning the three while shocking the silenced Courtney.

"We were." Maria said boldly, shooting daggers at Courtney.

"You mean you should." Courtney said staunchly.

Max and Michael cringed at the confirmation of what had just happened, and glanced at the shamed Isabel who was silent because her tongue was failing her thoughts. She was not ready to snub Courtney… well not completely.

"I mean with pleasure." Maria replied severely turning to leave again with the others.

"Are you coming to the party?" Michael asked at Max's anxious nudge.

"What?" Maria and Courtney asked with different tones but the same surprise.

Moving closer Max's courage raised. "The party tomorrow, at the old soap factory."

"Is that even legal?" Liz asked.

"Perfectly so." Max sniggered and Liz chuckled at the evil gleam in his eye.

"Yeah we were going to." Alex added, still a little shamed.

"Well you're still going to aren't you?" Isabel asked hopeful.

"Of course we *still* are." Maria stated defiantly. Pleased with the shocked look on Courtney's face and the amused one on Michael's.

"You played really well today Mike, like always…" Courtney began unnerved by the looks Michael was giving Maria.

"Are you kidding, he had a shocker three week ago." Alex laughed then looked to the ground waiting for the blow of popular ego.

"Yeah I did." Michael agreed with the boy, then smiling he said, "But you see you can't be perfect all the time."

"And in your case, not at all." Maria offered with a smirk.

Michael who she had at first thought she had offended just grinned and replied, "You have yet to know my perfection Guerin, patience please."

Courtney who had been silent throughout this alarming exchange felt the need rather then the want to talk, "Isabel will I come over to your house before the party to change?"

"No, I um… you want to use those curlers don't you and you know you can't really move them from your house."

"So will you come to mine then?" Courtney pleaded, unsettled by the staring matches going on around her.

"I can't, I was sick yesterday and mum said I could only go to the party if I was at home before it."

"Oh." Courtney said softly, "Well I'll see you at school tomorrow then, great game guys, Mickey you really kicked arse."

She then left with no one but Alex acknowledging her going and he only did so with a smile.

"Mum wasn't actually totally against me having people over…" Isabel hinted.

Smiling Liz helped Isabel with her invitation; "We could help you go through that file…"

"We already went through it." Max said proudly, then realising that wasn't the point added. "But we'd like to show you what good stuff you found."

"It was helpful?" Maria questioned.

"Yes." Michael answered gratefully, noticing that her eyes were still gleaming emeralds, just as he had remembered they had been three hours ago.

"So do you guys want to come over before the party?" Isabel asked, suddenly nervous about giving out an invite.

"And do each others hair?" Alex said jokingly, "Oh, that would be lovely!"

"She was asking Maria and I Alex." Liz said still smiling at Max.

"No you're invited too Alex, I'll do your hair." Michael said poker faced.

Maria laughed and Michael grinned at achieving his goal. "Judging from your styling skills," She counted. "I'd think Max would be the go." Turning Maria saw a very pleased Alex grinning at Max and Michael like he had found his long lost brothers.

"So um, you'll all come?" Isabel asked, wanting it to be confirmed.

Looking at the smiles on the other two Maria answered for them all, "Yeah, we'll be there." Then looking at Michael she grinned as she said, "But if you come near Alex with hair products, of any sort, we're leaving."

*~*~*

"Physical Education should be illegal in the morning." Maria muttered breathing heavily beside the similar jogging Liz.

"Consider yourself lucky you didn't have to get up at 5 to do inventory, before this torture." Liz gasped as five girls past them on the oval.

"Okay girls… go get the balls from the side of the field…" The teacher called happily breathing in the fresh morning air and sighing at its clear scent.

Maria and Liz wandered over to the balls near the fence with the other girls and heard giggles of laughter from the girls already by the balls.

"Oh God…" Liz gasped motioning towards the Evans brothers leaning on the fence and their fashionable friend Kyle Valenti talking loudly to the bewitched girls. "Why do you think they're here?" Liz asked agitated.

"Maybe they're backing out of tonight." Maria supplied.

Liz was confident that they weren't, but the thought still created worries and doubts. "I wonder how long they've been there."

"Hopefully not long…" Maria trailed off as they came into hearing range of the three trendy guys.

Michael's focus on the two girls parted the swarming girls slightly. Realising that Maria and Liz were just going to pick up a ball and leave he jumped the fence.

Max and Michael both knew that it was uncertainty rather then snobbery that had made the girls ignore them. But it was still painful. Max and Kyle followed Michael's example and Maria and Liz stopped moving away on their approach.

"Hey." Michael grinned. Starting the surrounding girls off on a theoretical concept for future gossip.

Max looked at the chattering girls and they slowly moved back towards the middle of the oval were the teacher was standing.

"How's it going?" Maria asked coolly.

"Fine." Michael answered, lost completely for words having her so close. "This is Valenti, I mean Kyle, a buddy of ours."

"Hi Kyle… I'm Maria."

"Great to meet cha Ria, good to see ya too Liz." Kyle grinned playfully.

Liz smiled, she had always thought Kyle was an okay guy. "So um…"

"Oh we were just walking by, thought we'd say hello." Max blushed.

"Yeah, okay Evans." Kyle laughed raising an eyebrow.

"Well when we saw you both on the oval, we stopped and waited." Max stuttered glaring at the amused Kyle.

"Yeah for bloody 15 minutes…" Kyle muttered earning him a punch from Michael. "Hey buddy, I'm just telling it like it is…" Looking at the awkward four Kyle grinned wider then ever. "And I now know the reason why…" Moving quickly before Michael could touch him again he added. "I better bugger off anyway… Tess'll kick my butt if I'm late for Algebra. Nice meeting cha Ria… see you all at the Par-Tay!" With a quick punch on Max's shoulder Kyle bolted off.

"We better…" Liz started motioning towards the class which was increasingly looking at them.

"Yeah." Max agreed disappointed.

"See um, you guys tonight…" Maria smiled softly backing away.

The alien boys watched the girls leave, then slowly wandered back, late for their next class, with huge smiles on their faces.

Tbc…