Part Nine
Maria took one look at them, all seven standing on the doorstep and her mouth fell open in shock. They were the last people she had expected to see here, especially under the circumstances. 'What were they doing here. Maybe they came to have that long overdue talk. Whatever it was it was too bad because she wasn't going to talk to them,' her jumbled thoughts ran through her head.
Acting purely on instinct and an anger she never was given a chance to express, she immediately shut the door in their faces. For them, whatever they were expecting it wasn't that. They stared at each other for a few minutes deciding what to do when Max reached up and rang the bell again. Maria ignored it and the next one. She was glad her mum wasn't home to hear this. When the bell didn't appear to be stopping any time soon, Maria opened the door, glared at her former friends and in her coldest voice, "You are not welcome here. Get out," she said before shutting the door again.
It was at that moment Amy Deluca returned from her date with the sheriff and caught sight of the large number of people on her porch. It was the expressions on their faces, total dejection that got to her first. The sheriff got out of the truck as well and stared at the 7 with Amy. In their guilt-ridden states, the teens barely noticed other people in the area. The mother in Amy couldn't let them go like that. She took hold of Liz's arm gently and pulled her round the back. The others followed almost unconsciously, with the sheriff bringing up the rear.
They entered the house through the back door and Amy dragged them into the living room. There at the end, by the entrance to the front Maria sat on the floor against the front door, her arms wrapped around her knees her eyes dry and unseeing as she stared into space. She didn't notice them come in but the second they entered they saw her, and under Amy's and the sheriff's strict and worried observing eyes, the expressions they thought couldn't get any worse immediately worsened.
Whatever it was that caused Maria to look up, a sound, a feeling, when she did she stood up in a hurry and her face blanked over as she glared at her former friends.
"Maria, honey, your friends are here," Amy said when there was merely an uncomfortable silence. A cold smile crossed Maria's face.
"Friends are someone who trust and believe in each other, Mum," she said, her tone even colder than the ice in her eyes, "They are no friends of mine."
The teens visibly flinched, although Maria took no satisfaction from that. Amy and Jim exchanged shocked looks.
Facing the sorrowful line of teens that stood there Maria continued to them, "My mother may have let you into my house so I cant kick you out, this time. But far as I am concerned, you are not welcome here EVER." With that she turned around and left.
Amy watched, as the others did, her daughter's exit from the room. "Maybe it would be best if you leave," she said and followed Maria out, giving the sheriff an apologetic look. He gave an understanding one in return, before herding his charges out the Deluca home.
Looking totally crushed, none of them objected as they were practically pushed out. Outside, they stood unsure of what to do next. The sheriff ordered them to follow him home, and so they did.
Inside, Amy rushed up the steps to her daughter's room. The door was shut, reminiscent of the way Maria just shut out her friends a few minutes previously. Tapping lightly on the door to announce her presence, Amy opened it to find Maria sitting on the bed, staring blankly at the mirror containing her refection.
"Maria?" her mother questioned gently.
"Mum, I'm… not really in the mood to speak now."
"Okay, honey," Amy replied.
She sat next to her daughter and in slow movements pulled her daughter into her arms. Maria resisted at first for a second before burying her head in Amy's chest like she used to when she was younger. And they sat like that for a while. Eventually Maria began to cry, soft tears falling down her face onto Amy's shirt, soaking it. Still she didn't say anything and from an instinct natural to a mother, Amy didn't force her to and instead just held her, singing soft lullabies until her baby girl, once so innocent and trusting, fell asleep.
End Part 9
Maria took one look at them, all seven standing on the doorstep and her mouth fell open in shock. They were the last people she had expected to see here, especially under the circumstances. 'What were they doing here. Maybe they came to have that long overdue talk. Whatever it was it was too bad because she wasn't going to talk to them,' her jumbled thoughts ran through her head.
Acting purely on instinct and an anger she never was given a chance to express, she immediately shut the door in their faces. For them, whatever they were expecting it wasn't that. They stared at each other for a few minutes deciding what to do when Max reached up and rang the bell again. Maria ignored it and the next one. She was glad her mum wasn't home to hear this. When the bell didn't appear to be stopping any time soon, Maria opened the door, glared at her former friends and in her coldest voice, "You are not welcome here. Get out," she said before shutting the door again.
It was at that moment Amy Deluca returned from her date with the sheriff and caught sight of the large number of people on her porch. It was the expressions on their faces, total dejection that got to her first. The sheriff got out of the truck as well and stared at the 7 with Amy. In their guilt-ridden states, the teens barely noticed other people in the area. The mother in Amy couldn't let them go like that. She took hold of Liz's arm gently and pulled her round the back. The others followed almost unconsciously, with the sheriff bringing up the rear.
They entered the house through the back door and Amy dragged them into the living room. There at the end, by the entrance to the front Maria sat on the floor against the front door, her arms wrapped around her knees her eyes dry and unseeing as she stared into space. She didn't notice them come in but the second they entered they saw her, and under Amy's and the sheriff's strict and worried observing eyes, the expressions they thought couldn't get any worse immediately worsened.
Whatever it was that caused Maria to look up, a sound, a feeling, when she did she stood up in a hurry and her face blanked over as she glared at her former friends.
"Maria, honey, your friends are here," Amy said when there was merely an uncomfortable silence. A cold smile crossed Maria's face.
"Friends are someone who trust and believe in each other, Mum," she said, her tone even colder than the ice in her eyes, "They are no friends of mine."
The teens visibly flinched, although Maria took no satisfaction from that. Amy and Jim exchanged shocked looks.
Facing the sorrowful line of teens that stood there Maria continued to them, "My mother may have let you into my house so I cant kick you out, this time. But far as I am concerned, you are not welcome here EVER." With that she turned around and left.
Amy watched, as the others did, her daughter's exit from the room. "Maybe it would be best if you leave," she said and followed Maria out, giving the sheriff an apologetic look. He gave an understanding one in return, before herding his charges out the Deluca home.
Looking totally crushed, none of them objected as they were practically pushed out. Outside, they stood unsure of what to do next. The sheriff ordered them to follow him home, and so they did.
Inside, Amy rushed up the steps to her daughter's room. The door was shut, reminiscent of the way Maria just shut out her friends a few minutes previously. Tapping lightly on the door to announce her presence, Amy opened it to find Maria sitting on the bed, staring blankly at the mirror containing her refection.
"Maria?" her mother questioned gently.
"Mum, I'm… not really in the mood to speak now."
"Okay, honey," Amy replied.
She sat next to her daughter and in slow movements pulled her daughter into her arms. Maria resisted at first for a second before burying her head in Amy's chest like she used to when she was younger. And they sat like that for a while. Eventually Maria began to cry, soft tears falling down her face onto Amy's shirt, soaking it. Still she didn't say anything and from an instinct natural to a mother, Amy didn't force her to and instead just held her, singing soft lullabies until her baby girl, once so innocent and trusting, fell asleep.
End Part 9