PART TWO
"Michael! Hey, are you even listening to me?" asked Isabel Evans.
Michael Guerin shook his head, as though he'd been in a daze. "Huh, what? Did you say something Iz?"
"Can you believe him? I'm in the middle of talking to him and he starts staring at some girl as she walks up," she complained to her brother Max Evans and, his girlfriend Liz Parker.
"I'm real sorry Iz," Michael responded sarcastically. "But I tend to get a little antsy when new people show up. What if they are a plant like Topolsky?" He couldn't tell her that he felt drawn to the stranger, that would just be too weird.
"Oh give me a break! They are just new students. Their family moved in down the street from us. They've got parents and everything," Isabel said. "You are just way too paranoid."
Max could see trouble brewing between his sister and friend. "Isabel leave him alone. We are all just a little on edge. It doesn't hurt to be a little more careful. And Michael, we can't live our lives being suspicious of everyone we meet."
"That's right Max, way to be a diplomat. I'm gonna find out what I can about them," Michael said rudely, and walked into school.
Max watched him go and sighed. Liz squeezed his hand reassuringly. "He'll calm down. He just needs some time," she said reaching up and kissing him lightly on the lips.
"Ugh, you guys," Isabel cried. "I'm gonna go find Tess before class starts," she said walking away in a huff.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle and Maria walked out of the office looking over their schedules. They only had two classes together, and the same lunch. Maria's first class was on the other side of the school, and Kyle's was right next to the office.
They stopped in front of the classroom. "We'll this is mine. I won't see you until lunch, so why don't we meet out at the picnic tables we saw after the bell rings," Kyle suggested.
"OK. Have a good day, big brother," Maria replied.
"You too, little sister. And please, try to make a friend. At least one," he pleaded.
Maria laughed. "I'll see what I can do," she said turning and walking towards her class.
Maria got to the door just as the last bell rang. She walked in and searched for an empty seat. The teacher, a plump matronly woman, smiled and walked up to her.
"You must be Ms. Valenti, our new student," she commented.
Maria smiled. "Um, yeah, is there a certain place I should sit?"
The teacher, who introduced herself and Mrs. Williams, looked around the room. "We seem to be pretty full this year. Oh, there is a seat available next to Mr. Guerin. Michael, could you please raise your hand."
Maria looked over the heads of the students to search for the raised hand. When she finally located it her breath caught in her throat. It belonged to the same guy who she had caught staring at her twice already. Maria walked back to the last row, where Michael was sitting. She sat in her seat and took out her notebook. She was afraid to look in Michael's direction, afraid that she would get dizzy again.
She finally worked up the courage to look up. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Michael watching her intently. After about ten minutes of being scrutinized Maria got tired of it.
"Can I help you with something?" she asked rudely.
"No," was the boy's only reply.
"Then why do you keep watching me?"
Michael ignored her question. He wasn't sure he was ready to admit why he was watching her. "You're new right? What's your name?" asked.
"My name is Maria."
"I'm Michael," he replied. "In case you were wondering."
"Well I wasn't," she remarked.
Michael sat back in his seat and regarded the beautiful girl next to him. "Why do I have this feeling I should get to know you?" he asked suddenly.
"I really have no idea. But I think you should get over it."
"We'll see," he whispered to himself. "We'll see."
"Michael! Hey, are you even listening to me?" asked Isabel Evans.
Michael Guerin shook his head, as though he'd been in a daze. "Huh, what? Did you say something Iz?"
"Can you believe him? I'm in the middle of talking to him and he starts staring at some girl as she walks up," she complained to her brother Max Evans and, his girlfriend Liz Parker.
"I'm real sorry Iz," Michael responded sarcastically. "But I tend to get a little antsy when new people show up. What if they are a plant like Topolsky?" He couldn't tell her that he felt drawn to the stranger, that would just be too weird.
"Oh give me a break! They are just new students. Their family moved in down the street from us. They've got parents and everything," Isabel said. "You are just way too paranoid."
Max could see trouble brewing between his sister and friend. "Isabel leave him alone. We are all just a little on edge. It doesn't hurt to be a little more careful. And Michael, we can't live our lives being suspicious of everyone we meet."
"That's right Max, way to be a diplomat. I'm gonna find out what I can about them," Michael said rudely, and walked into school.
Max watched him go and sighed. Liz squeezed his hand reassuringly. "He'll calm down. He just needs some time," she said reaching up and kissing him lightly on the lips.
"Ugh, you guys," Isabel cried. "I'm gonna go find Tess before class starts," she said walking away in a huff.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kyle and Maria walked out of the office looking over their schedules. They only had two classes together, and the same lunch. Maria's first class was on the other side of the school, and Kyle's was right next to the office.
They stopped in front of the classroom. "We'll this is mine. I won't see you until lunch, so why don't we meet out at the picnic tables we saw after the bell rings," Kyle suggested.
"OK. Have a good day, big brother," Maria replied.
"You too, little sister. And please, try to make a friend. At least one," he pleaded.
Maria laughed. "I'll see what I can do," she said turning and walking towards her class.
Maria got to the door just as the last bell rang. She walked in and searched for an empty seat. The teacher, a plump matronly woman, smiled and walked up to her.
"You must be Ms. Valenti, our new student," she commented.
Maria smiled. "Um, yeah, is there a certain place I should sit?"
The teacher, who introduced herself and Mrs. Williams, looked around the room. "We seem to be pretty full this year. Oh, there is a seat available next to Mr. Guerin. Michael, could you please raise your hand."
Maria looked over the heads of the students to search for the raised hand. When she finally located it her breath caught in her throat. It belonged to the same guy who she had caught staring at her twice already. Maria walked back to the last row, where Michael was sitting. She sat in her seat and took out her notebook. She was afraid to look in Michael's direction, afraid that she would get dizzy again.
She finally worked up the courage to look up. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Michael watching her intently. After about ten minutes of being scrutinized Maria got tired of it.
"Can I help you with something?" she asked rudely.
"No," was the boy's only reply.
"Then why do you keep watching me?"
Michael ignored her question. He wasn't sure he was ready to admit why he was watching her. "You're new right? What's your name?" asked.
"My name is Maria."
"I'm Michael," he replied. "In case you were wondering."
"Well I wasn't," she remarked.
Michael sat back in his seat and regarded the beautiful girl next to him. "Why do I have this feeling I should get to know you?" he asked suddenly.
"I really have no idea. But I think you should get over it."
"We'll see," he whispered to himself. "We'll see."