Part Three
"We need to find Michael, Maria and Max and find out what happened," Alex suggested after attempts to come up with an explanation yielded no results. They didn't have to look far as Max looking for Liz or Michael entered the classroom they were in.
His story matched Liz's except for his claim that Maria kissed him and he did nothing to encourage it. In the middle of his explanation, Liz walked back in, Michael in tow. They overheard his distraught version.
"What are you saying, Maxwell? Maria kissed you and you did nothing. Please," Michael's tone was sarcastic with an undertone of fury beneath it.
"I was in shock. It wasn't exactly something I expected. All I know I was walking across to come get the two of you and she came up to me and kissed me," Max's voice had ring of truth to it and some desperation.
"Please, I'm suppose to believe that," Liz added.
"She walked away before I even had time to react and the next thing I know you punched me and Liz ran away. I didn't do anything. Someone please tell me why these things always happen to me?"
Despite the fury and hurt flowing through them, Michael and Liz were beginning to believe Max. he sounded desperate and truthful. In addition it was hard to believe what they themselves with their own eyes had seen. The two of them exchanged a look of small understanding, before nodding at Max. Max gave a sigh of relief, echoed by their four friends watching.
'Great. One down. One to go. And everything will be fixed,' Alex thought. His optimism was unfounded and even he knew that the second one would be harder to explain. It looked bad for Maria.
At that point the subject of everyone's thoughts opened the door and walked in to 7 accusing faces. Her bewilderment increased. It had taken her a while to find them all and now to see them together… Maria just wished she knew what was wrong with them.
As he caught sight of her, every feeling of betrayal rushed back to the surface. The entire night Michael had spent trying to forget what he saw. The pain in his heart when he saw the one thing he had never expected in his life. He had spent the whole night walking in the darkened streets, through the desert as his life crumbled around him. The one person in the world he trusted above all else and she had…he had trouble saying the words, thinking them.
Maria felt her belief that she could fix the problem, whatever it was, if she just spoke to her friends, disappear before her as she caught sight of his eyes. Liz refused to look at her, Max looked furious and Michael…his eyes bore holes in her. They were filled with pain and anger. Before she could say anything, Michael pushed past her and left. His touch left her shaken from all the emotions she felt from him. Max and Liz followed. Maria watched them leave before turning to face the four remaining.
They might not have left but their faces had closed of. All the evidence was against her, and they had no choice but to believe it.
"Please tell me what's going on?" Maria asked in a small tone.
"I can't believe you would do that, Maria. You of all people?" Isabel said, following her brother out.
"Do what?"
"Please don't tell me you're going to deny it?" Tess asked, moving after Isabel. Maria still had a confused look on her face.
"What reason could you possibly have had for kissing Max. I just don't get it?" Alex said as he followed his girlfriend out. Kyle gave her a disappointed look before he also left.
The silent room was left with a stunned girl, in complete shock at what just happened. In a mere 12 hours she had gone from a girl with a boyfriend that loved her and friends that needed and trusted her to someone all alone accused of something she had no memory of, but believed by all. She couldn't stay here. She needed to think. Maria ran out of the room.
'Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.' She repeated the mantra in her head and forced the tears she had back and she ran through the empty halls. At the parking lot, standing by her Jetta was a triumphant Courtney. Maria ignored her, but the girl wouldn't let her. In a gleeful voice, Courtney proceeded to tell Maria all that occurred in every excruciating detail. It was not part of the plan but Courtney couldn't help it. There was no one she hated more than Maria and this was revenge. She looked to see the destruction on Maria's face but Maria didn't give her the satisfaction. Knowing Michael had taught her at least one thing and that was to let nothing show. Her face as stonewall as it got Maria got in the car and started it, her reversal made Courtney move back in a hurry.
Peeling out of the parking lot Maria raced out. She drove for a while before finding herself in the desert. There she sat, tears pouring down until she had no more. Her worst fear had just come true. Everyone she had ever love walked away from her When she was completely spent, Maria got up and drove home her face set in a new resolution. She buried the hurt and anger, her decisions made, she drove home and started to rebuild her life.
End Part Three
"We need to find Michael, Maria and Max and find out what happened," Alex suggested after attempts to come up with an explanation yielded no results. They didn't have to look far as Max looking for Liz or Michael entered the classroom they were in.
His story matched Liz's except for his claim that Maria kissed him and he did nothing to encourage it. In the middle of his explanation, Liz walked back in, Michael in tow. They overheard his distraught version.
"What are you saying, Maxwell? Maria kissed you and you did nothing. Please," Michael's tone was sarcastic with an undertone of fury beneath it.
"I was in shock. It wasn't exactly something I expected. All I know I was walking across to come get the two of you and she came up to me and kissed me," Max's voice had ring of truth to it and some desperation.
"Please, I'm suppose to believe that," Liz added.
"She walked away before I even had time to react and the next thing I know you punched me and Liz ran away. I didn't do anything. Someone please tell me why these things always happen to me?"
Despite the fury and hurt flowing through them, Michael and Liz were beginning to believe Max. he sounded desperate and truthful. In addition it was hard to believe what they themselves with their own eyes had seen. The two of them exchanged a look of small understanding, before nodding at Max. Max gave a sigh of relief, echoed by their four friends watching.
'Great. One down. One to go. And everything will be fixed,' Alex thought. His optimism was unfounded and even he knew that the second one would be harder to explain. It looked bad for Maria.
At that point the subject of everyone's thoughts opened the door and walked in to 7 accusing faces. Her bewilderment increased. It had taken her a while to find them all and now to see them together… Maria just wished she knew what was wrong with them.
As he caught sight of her, every feeling of betrayal rushed back to the surface. The entire night Michael had spent trying to forget what he saw. The pain in his heart when he saw the one thing he had never expected in his life. He had spent the whole night walking in the darkened streets, through the desert as his life crumbled around him. The one person in the world he trusted above all else and she had…he had trouble saying the words, thinking them.
Maria felt her belief that she could fix the problem, whatever it was, if she just spoke to her friends, disappear before her as she caught sight of his eyes. Liz refused to look at her, Max looked furious and Michael…his eyes bore holes in her. They were filled with pain and anger. Before she could say anything, Michael pushed past her and left. His touch left her shaken from all the emotions she felt from him. Max and Liz followed. Maria watched them leave before turning to face the four remaining.
They might not have left but their faces had closed of. All the evidence was against her, and they had no choice but to believe it.
"Please tell me what's going on?" Maria asked in a small tone.
"I can't believe you would do that, Maria. You of all people?" Isabel said, following her brother out.
"Do what?"
"Please don't tell me you're going to deny it?" Tess asked, moving after Isabel. Maria still had a confused look on her face.
"What reason could you possibly have had for kissing Max. I just don't get it?" Alex said as he followed his girlfriend out. Kyle gave her a disappointed look before he also left.
The silent room was left with a stunned girl, in complete shock at what just happened. In a mere 12 hours she had gone from a girl with a boyfriend that loved her and friends that needed and trusted her to someone all alone accused of something she had no memory of, but believed by all. She couldn't stay here. She needed to think. Maria ran out of the room.
'Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.' She repeated the mantra in her head and forced the tears she had back and she ran through the empty halls. At the parking lot, standing by her Jetta was a triumphant Courtney. Maria ignored her, but the girl wouldn't let her. In a gleeful voice, Courtney proceeded to tell Maria all that occurred in every excruciating detail. It was not part of the plan but Courtney couldn't help it. There was no one she hated more than Maria and this was revenge. She looked to see the destruction on Maria's face but Maria didn't give her the satisfaction. Knowing Michael had taught her at least one thing and that was to let nothing show. Her face as stonewall as it got Maria got in the car and started it, her reversal made Courtney move back in a hurry.
Peeling out of the parking lot Maria raced out. She drove for a while before finding herself in the desert. There she sat, tears pouring down until she had no more. Her worst fear had just come true. Everyone she had ever love walked away from her When she was completely spent, Maria got up and drove home her face set in a new resolution. She buried the hurt and anger, her decisions made, she drove home and started to rebuild her life.
End Part Three