Part Eighteen
Maria sat down on her couch again, in the corner of the room. The guys exchanged a look, deciding who was to go first. Maria took the decision out of their hands.
"Tell me what happened with Courtney," she said quietly and watched as their expressions darkened at the mention of her name.
"I… I can show you," Max offered tentatively but Maria wasn't ready to let him connect with her yet. She shook her head no and buried the urge to change her mind when she saw his hurt but at the same time totally understanding expression – typical Max.
"I never wanted to hit a girl in my life but her I wanted to knock out," Kyle said angrily, "She's damn lucky she did what she did or else…"
"What did she do?" Maria cut in, wanting to know what they did, what happened.
"We all decided to confront her together. Michael wanted us to stay behind because she was a skin, but Liz, Kyle and me refused to. We wanted to make her pay for what she did," Alex started.
Max continued, "We all went to the Crashdown the day after we came to your house, and we pretended no one was talking for the shift while we kept an eye on Courtney."
"It was really difficult to keep the girls from scratching her eyes out," Michael put in, "There were times when I thought for sure I was going to have to grab Isabel, or Liz to keep them from giving us away."
"I practically had to sit on Tess. She's not the most patient person there is, you know," Kyle added.
"In a way, it's a good thing that the girls were there. They kept us from doing something stupid as well, particularly since we were so worried that they were going to do something," Alex said.
"Guys, you still haven't said what happened," Maria urged them on eager to find out what occurred.
"We're getting there," Max said patiently, "So anyway, we waited until it was closing time and we cornered her in the backroom. Things kind of spiralled from there."
"She knew immediately that we knew. Michael looked so mad I thought for sure he was going to blast her. I would have totally understood if he did, but she never gave us a chance," Kyle said, a little tactlessly.
"She started to laugh – this horrible laugh – and then she said that it was fun, watching all of us go down like that. That if she didn't get me, that at least she made sure that I never would get you back. That none of us would," Michael said, his eyes darkening in anger as he remembered the conversation and the smug voice Courtney revealed all of this.
"We told her that she would pay for it all and Tess said that you were smarter than any bottle-blonde who couldn't get a guy if she paid for one and that we would beat her at the game she was playing," Kyle said.
"That's when it got really interesting. Courtney went a little nuts. She started to insult you. I grabbed Michael's one arm and Max took the other one to stop him from getting to her. Man, that girl was mean. We didn't catch Liz, though. She slapped her. Really hard too. Courtney's face flew back – I hate to say it but I really enjoyed that," Alex put in, a tad admiring about Liz. And Maria smiled. At least someone had got to hit that witch.
"She did what all of us wanted to," Max said, surprising everyone.
"Then, Courtney looked at all of us really smugly and she said that it was already too late. And it didn't matter what we did. It was too late for us, because there was no way you would even talk to us – in a way we knew she was right, but we didn't let her know it," Kyle said.
"And it was too late for her," Michael continued when Kyle paused, "She said that this was her last chance. You don't get too many working for Khivar, apparently. She didn't get me, 'cause of you and she didn't manage to break us up 'cause we found out."
"She looked at us and she started to laugh again. Then she said, well I paid her back didn't I. I took everyone she loved away – and then before we could do anything, she reached behind her and pressed something," Max added.
"The next thing we knew, she was dust. Not a big loss, in my opinion," Kyle said, a little coldly. The girl hated his almost sister and did her best to destroy them. He couldn't say he felt any loss for her.
"She killed herself?" Maria said in shock, not expecting that.
"Yeah. Pulled the plug, so to speak," Alex said, even less apologetically than Kyle. What Courtney did was unforgivable to him.
"I don't think Khivar would have let her live, or that we would," Michael said as darkly.
Maria stood up and turned around, wrapping her arms around herself. She shivered. It was difficult to imagine someone hating her that much.
Reading her mind almost, something he hadn't much of a chance to practise in recent times, Michael said softly to her, "It wasn't your fault. None of it was – she just… had a few loose screws, that's all, Maria."
"No. I guess it wasn't. She was right about one thing though. She took all of you away. In one move, she got all of you to leave me. I guess her mission was a success after all," Maria said, equally softly.
"We made a big mistake, Maria but we didn't totally leave. We could never do that," Alex said to her, willing her to turn back around. She did, her eyes bright with unshed tears and anger. And pain.
"You know, of all people you were the one that was supposed to stay. You and Kyle. You stayed when everyone else left in the summer. You were supposed to stay – you promised that you were never going to leave. Not like my father. Not like Michael. Not like Liz. You said you would always stay. You lied," Maria uttered, her words like daggers into his heart, into Kyle's for letting her down, into Michael's for once again realising how much he hurt her.
"Oh, Ria. I am so sorry. You don't know how hard it was to stay away. I used to pick up the phone everyday to phone. Everytime I saw I just wanted to run to you and fix everything. Nothing was right. But everyday it seemed like the distance got wider and wider and it just got harder and harder. We were really worried when you quit at the Crashdown, but I knew you wouldn't talk to us and everyone else were still so raw about it all, I…I just let it go on too long." Alex said. He walked to her and grabbed her hand, "I don't know how to fix this, Maria but I will do anything to make you trust me again."
"I don't know if that is possible, Alex," she answered him sadly, "You know I think its me sometimes… that something about me makes you leave."
"That is not true, Maria Ursula Deluca and you know better. Your father was a jerk and we were all wrong Maria. But we came back. We came back. And we are not leaving ever again," he said to her, his voice firm and without any doubts.
"I don't know, Alex. I'm not sure I believe that's possible anymore," Maria answered, her voice quiet and little unsure. And a tear ran down her face. She turned her head away from him
"Yes. It is. Don't make me resort to the card. Because I will if I have too," Alex said. He lifted his hand and gently turned her face back to him. The others looked confused at the turn of the conversation, but stayed silent. It wasn't their time to speak yet.
And despite herself Maria smiled, "You wouldn't!"
"Oh, but ma cherie. I would," he said in a fake accent trying to coax another smile out of her.
"I can't believe you remembered," she said.
"I'm desperate… and you said when all else fails," he replied.
Putting on the accent again and miming the actions, Alex held up an imaginary card in his hand, "I present the all famous For use only once, the one and only, the friendship saviour Get-out-of-jail card. Now, do we need a retraining in the use of the card. I shall proceed, n'est pas. Okay?"
Michael, Max and Kyle looked totally in the dark. Silently they urged him to explain. Maria, on the other hand, watched his actions knowingly.
Alex continued in his normal voice, all traces of humour gone, his tone both serious and contrite
"At least you gave me the courtesy of asking me, you didn't just leave – I won't ever forgive myself for that, Maria."
"Can I use the card?" he said, looking into her eyes.
"Oh, Alex. I don't know," she replied.
And together the two remembered how and why the card was given. It was over a year ago, back when Alex didn't know the secret of the pod squad's origins. Right in the beginning, Liz's journal had gone missing and Maria asked Alex if he had taken it. It turned out that Michael borrowed it, and the next day Maria had gone up to Alex and apologised. It was also the day she had given him the card. The card that gave the holder of such card one free total and complete absolution and forgiveness for one stupid mistake that might risk their friendship - a joke only the two of them got, one no one ever thought would be needed.
"Okay, I'll forgive you, Alex. Free and total as agreed but… I am not sure if I can forget," Maria replied sadly.
"I know, Maria. I don't think I will ever forget either," he replied as unhappily. He took his hand and wiped her cheek gently and gave her a small smile, "Want to hit me? It'll make you feel better, I swear."
And she laughed as he planned, Alex wrapped her in his arms. Her laughter was the thing he missed the most. She returned the hug tightly.
"Will we okay, Alex?" she mumbled into his shoulder, fear in her voice.
"I won't let us not be, Maria," he said into her hair, determination in his.
He released her reluctantly, and pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear he smiled and stepped back, "I better go and see what's taking the drinks so long," he said, a little lighter. Things weren't totally fixed but at least the recovery had begun. They were gluing the pieces back together, little by little – pieces of broken hearts.
With one last glance at her, Alex pushed her back down into her seat and left the room. Kyle walked up to her and crouched in front of her taking both hands into his large ones.
"Do big brothers get second chances, Ria?" he asked sombrely.
Maria leaned forward and her forehead touched his softly, "I'm so tired of crying, Kyle. Its so hard."
"I wish you didn't hurt Maria. I wish it wasn't me that made you hurt."
"Me, too… Kyle… will everything ever be the way it was?" she said to him. Somehow it was easier to forgive him than the others or maybe she was just so tired.
"Maybe not the same, Ria but better. We won't take you for granted ever again, I swear."
"Why me? Why did she hate me?" Maria said heartbreakingly.
"She was just jealous, baby. You … its because you were the centre… the one everyone loved the most. The heart of the group."
"I don't want to be the heart… I just to be me. I just want to go back to before when things were simple. Did you know Liz was jealous of me? Me! I never knew that… I don't understand how that could be, Kyle. She has this perfect life, a perfect family, everything – why would she envy me?" Maria asked him, confusion clouding her voice. He was the one person that she could talk to about this stuff, because in a way, he hadn't always been a part of it, and stayed somewhat objective.
Since Kyle had discovered Buddhism, he spent a lot more time observing and it was because of this he had an idea of what Maria was asking, had an idea of Liz's feelings and even an understanding of why she felt that way. In a way, he could see why Liz was jealous and he could see why Max's reliance on Maria could make her see things that way. He could see the same things in Alex and even himself towards her … even if it was innocent, and he saw the reactions in Isabel and Tess. Although Isabel probably understood it better having a slightly similar relationship with Michael. Michael on the other hand was hard to read… he of all of them recognised Maria's innate power to attract, how he felt was difficult to figure out.
"Liz does trust you Maria… she just felt like she lost Max, like she was losing you and it all just came out wrong – it wasn't your fault. None of it was. You believe me, don't you?" he said to her, reassuringly, "Please don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry. Here," he pulled out a squished, half melted chocolate out his pocket and gave it to her, "Chocolate," he announced like it was the solution to the world's problems.
"Bribery, Kyle," Maria said, and she stopped crying.
"Whatever it takes, sis," he replied grinning hopefully up at her, "I need you to know, Maria that even if we hadn't heard that conversation with Courtney, we would have still come back. I know its hard to believe right now but I would have come back. Please believe that," he said a little desperately.
"Okay, Kyle. I'll believe it. I need to," she said to him, her tone as desperate. She leaned forward again and he leaned forward and met her halfway.
"Want me to grovel, Maria. I know you like that – the whole on your knees thing, seems like I do that a lot around you."
"I can't help it that I got a brother who hasn't yet quite picked up the correct way to behave that most people learn in kindergarten," she joked, "And look, you're practically on your knees already."
"I can't help it if I have a sister that uses cruel and unusual punishment as a means of revenge," he answered back at her.
"Me. Ha. You just don't like to admit when you are wrong," she said indignantly.
"That's because, sister dearest I am never wrong," his tone was smug.
And suddenly her smile left her face and she threw herself in his arms, "I missed you, Kyle."
"Me, too, Ria," he replied fervently, "And if you make me cry, I will never speak to you ever again."
"Okay," she said. And for a few minutes no one said anything and Maria just hung on for dear life, to her honorary brother.
"I won't ever leave, Ria. Me and Alex, you'll always have us, okay. No matter what." Kyle added before letting her go.
"No matter what?" she asked.
"No matter what," he replied. And it was a vow, and oath. One he never meant to break ever again.
"Okay, big brother. I suppose now, you are going to check on those drinks. They're probably making the glasses – we all know how long that takes," she said and those eavesdropping at the entrance to the living room all knew that their not so subtle attempts at leaving failed.
"Quick as always, Maria," Kyle said, "And you know they need my help – pouring drinks is such a difficult feat after all, my expertise is obviously required." Kyle kept his face straight and watched as she giggled. He made her laugh, he thought proudly.
He pulled her to her feet and pushed her towards Max, "Go, talk to him," he ordered and he left.
End Part 18
Thanks for all the feedback guys...this is alex and kyles's part. MAx in next and then finally Michael. I decided to break it up, to get everything i wanted to say in it. Enjoy
Domino
Maria sat down on her couch again, in the corner of the room. The guys exchanged a look, deciding who was to go first. Maria took the decision out of their hands.
"Tell me what happened with Courtney," she said quietly and watched as their expressions darkened at the mention of her name.
"I… I can show you," Max offered tentatively but Maria wasn't ready to let him connect with her yet. She shook her head no and buried the urge to change her mind when she saw his hurt but at the same time totally understanding expression – typical Max.
"I never wanted to hit a girl in my life but her I wanted to knock out," Kyle said angrily, "She's damn lucky she did what she did or else…"
"What did she do?" Maria cut in, wanting to know what they did, what happened.
"We all decided to confront her together. Michael wanted us to stay behind because she was a skin, but Liz, Kyle and me refused to. We wanted to make her pay for what she did," Alex started.
Max continued, "We all went to the Crashdown the day after we came to your house, and we pretended no one was talking for the shift while we kept an eye on Courtney."
"It was really difficult to keep the girls from scratching her eyes out," Michael put in, "There were times when I thought for sure I was going to have to grab Isabel, or Liz to keep them from giving us away."
"I practically had to sit on Tess. She's not the most patient person there is, you know," Kyle added.
"In a way, it's a good thing that the girls were there. They kept us from doing something stupid as well, particularly since we were so worried that they were going to do something," Alex said.
"Guys, you still haven't said what happened," Maria urged them on eager to find out what occurred.
"We're getting there," Max said patiently, "So anyway, we waited until it was closing time and we cornered her in the backroom. Things kind of spiralled from there."
"She knew immediately that we knew. Michael looked so mad I thought for sure he was going to blast her. I would have totally understood if he did, but she never gave us a chance," Kyle said, a little tactlessly.
"She started to laugh – this horrible laugh – and then she said that it was fun, watching all of us go down like that. That if she didn't get me, that at least she made sure that I never would get you back. That none of us would," Michael said, his eyes darkening in anger as he remembered the conversation and the smug voice Courtney revealed all of this.
"We told her that she would pay for it all and Tess said that you were smarter than any bottle-blonde who couldn't get a guy if she paid for one and that we would beat her at the game she was playing," Kyle said.
"That's when it got really interesting. Courtney went a little nuts. She started to insult you. I grabbed Michael's one arm and Max took the other one to stop him from getting to her. Man, that girl was mean. We didn't catch Liz, though. She slapped her. Really hard too. Courtney's face flew back – I hate to say it but I really enjoyed that," Alex put in, a tad admiring about Liz. And Maria smiled. At least someone had got to hit that witch.
"She did what all of us wanted to," Max said, surprising everyone.
"Then, Courtney looked at all of us really smugly and she said that it was already too late. And it didn't matter what we did. It was too late for us, because there was no way you would even talk to us – in a way we knew she was right, but we didn't let her know it," Kyle said.
"And it was too late for her," Michael continued when Kyle paused, "She said that this was her last chance. You don't get too many working for Khivar, apparently. She didn't get me, 'cause of you and she didn't manage to break us up 'cause we found out."
"She looked at us and she started to laugh again. Then she said, well I paid her back didn't I. I took everyone she loved away – and then before we could do anything, she reached behind her and pressed something," Max added.
"The next thing we knew, she was dust. Not a big loss, in my opinion," Kyle said, a little coldly. The girl hated his almost sister and did her best to destroy them. He couldn't say he felt any loss for her.
"She killed herself?" Maria said in shock, not expecting that.
"Yeah. Pulled the plug, so to speak," Alex said, even less apologetically than Kyle. What Courtney did was unforgivable to him.
"I don't think Khivar would have let her live, or that we would," Michael said as darkly.
Maria stood up and turned around, wrapping her arms around herself. She shivered. It was difficult to imagine someone hating her that much.
Reading her mind almost, something he hadn't much of a chance to practise in recent times, Michael said softly to her, "It wasn't your fault. None of it was – she just… had a few loose screws, that's all, Maria."
"No. I guess it wasn't. She was right about one thing though. She took all of you away. In one move, she got all of you to leave me. I guess her mission was a success after all," Maria said, equally softly.
"We made a big mistake, Maria but we didn't totally leave. We could never do that," Alex said to her, willing her to turn back around. She did, her eyes bright with unshed tears and anger. And pain.
"You know, of all people you were the one that was supposed to stay. You and Kyle. You stayed when everyone else left in the summer. You were supposed to stay – you promised that you were never going to leave. Not like my father. Not like Michael. Not like Liz. You said you would always stay. You lied," Maria uttered, her words like daggers into his heart, into Kyle's for letting her down, into Michael's for once again realising how much he hurt her.
"Oh, Ria. I am so sorry. You don't know how hard it was to stay away. I used to pick up the phone everyday to phone. Everytime I saw I just wanted to run to you and fix everything. Nothing was right. But everyday it seemed like the distance got wider and wider and it just got harder and harder. We were really worried when you quit at the Crashdown, but I knew you wouldn't talk to us and everyone else were still so raw about it all, I…I just let it go on too long." Alex said. He walked to her and grabbed her hand, "I don't know how to fix this, Maria but I will do anything to make you trust me again."
"I don't know if that is possible, Alex," she answered him sadly, "You know I think its me sometimes… that something about me makes you leave."
"That is not true, Maria Ursula Deluca and you know better. Your father was a jerk and we were all wrong Maria. But we came back. We came back. And we are not leaving ever again," he said to her, his voice firm and without any doubts.
"I don't know, Alex. I'm not sure I believe that's possible anymore," Maria answered, her voice quiet and little unsure. And a tear ran down her face. She turned her head away from him
"Yes. It is. Don't make me resort to the card. Because I will if I have too," Alex said. He lifted his hand and gently turned her face back to him. The others looked confused at the turn of the conversation, but stayed silent. It wasn't their time to speak yet.
And despite herself Maria smiled, "You wouldn't!"
"Oh, but ma cherie. I would," he said in a fake accent trying to coax another smile out of her.
"I can't believe you remembered," she said.
"I'm desperate… and you said when all else fails," he replied.
Putting on the accent again and miming the actions, Alex held up an imaginary card in his hand, "I present the all famous For use only once, the one and only, the friendship saviour Get-out-of-jail card. Now, do we need a retraining in the use of the card. I shall proceed, n'est pas. Okay?"
Michael, Max and Kyle looked totally in the dark. Silently they urged him to explain. Maria, on the other hand, watched his actions knowingly.
Alex continued in his normal voice, all traces of humour gone, his tone both serious and contrite
"At least you gave me the courtesy of asking me, you didn't just leave – I won't ever forgive myself for that, Maria."
"Can I use the card?" he said, looking into her eyes.
"Oh, Alex. I don't know," she replied.
And together the two remembered how and why the card was given. It was over a year ago, back when Alex didn't know the secret of the pod squad's origins. Right in the beginning, Liz's journal had gone missing and Maria asked Alex if he had taken it. It turned out that Michael borrowed it, and the next day Maria had gone up to Alex and apologised. It was also the day she had given him the card. The card that gave the holder of such card one free total and complete absolution and forgiveness for one stupid mistake that might risk their friendship - a joke only the two of them got, one no one ever thought would be needed.
"Okay, I'll forgive you, Alex. Free and total as agreed but… I am not sure if I can forget," Maria replied sadly.
"I know, Maria. I don't think I will ever forget either," he replied as unhappily. He took his hand and wiped her cheek gently and gave her a small smile, "Want to hit me? It'll make you feel better, I swear."
And she laughed as he planned, Alex wrapped her in his arms. Her laughter was the thing he missed the most. She returned the hug tightly.
"Will we okay, Alex?" she mumbled into his shoulder, fear in her voice.
"I won't let us not be, Maria," he said into her hair, determination in his.
He released her reluctantly, and pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear he smiled and stepped back, "I better go and see what's taking the drinks so long," he said, a little lighter. Things weren't totally fixed but at least the recovery had begun. They were gluing the pieces back together, little by little – pieces of broken hearts.
With one last glance at her, Alex pushed her back down into her seat and left the room. Kyle walked up to her and crouched in front of her taking both hands into his large ones.
"Do big brothers get second chances, Ria?" he asked sombrely.
Maria leaned forward and her forehead touched his softly, "I'm so tired of crying, Kyle. Its so hard."
"I wish you didn't hurt Maria. I wish it wasn't me that made you hurt."
"Me, too… Kyle… will everything ever be the way it was?" she said to him. Somehow it was easier to forgive him than the others or maybe she was just so tired.
"Maybe not the same, Ria but better. We won't take you for granted ever again, I swear."
"Why me? Why did she hate me?" Maria said heartbreakingly.
"She was just jealous, baby. You … its because you were the centre… the one everyone loved the most. The heart of the group."
"I don't want to be the heart… I just to be me. I just want to go back to before when things were simple. Did you know Liz was jealous of me? Me! I never knew that… I don't understand how that could be, Kyle. She has this perfect life, a perfect family, everything – why would she envy me?" Maria asked him, confusion clouding her voice. He was the one person that she could talk to about this stuff, because in a way, he hadn't always been a part of it, and stayed somewhat objective.
Since Kyle had discovered Buddhism, he spent a lot more time observing and it was because of this he had an idea of what Maria was asking, had an idea of Liz's feelings and even an understanding of why she felt that way. In a way, he could see why Liz was jealous and he could see why Max's reliance on Maria could make her see things that way. He could see the same things in Alex and even himself towards her … even if it was innocent, and he saw the reactions in Isabel and Tess. Although Isabel probably understood it better having a slightly similar relationship with Michael. Michael on the other hand was hard to read… he of all of them recognised Maria's innate power to attract, how he felt was difficult to figure out.
"Liz does trust you Maria… she just felt like she lost Max, like she was losing you and it all just came out wrong – it wasn't your fault. None of it was. You believe me, don't you?" he said to her, reassuringly, "Please don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry. Here," he pulled out a squished, half melted chocolate out his pocket and gave it to her, "Chocolate," he announced like it was the solution to the world's problems.
"Bribery, Kyle," Maria said, and she stopped crying.
"Whatever it takes, sis," he replied grinning hopefully up at her, "I need you to know, Maria that even if we hadn't heard that conversation with Courtney, we would have still come back. I know its hard to believe right now but I would have come back. Please believe that," he said a little desperately.
"Okay, Kyle. I'll believe it. I need to," she said to him, her tone as desperate. She leaned forward again and he leaned forward and met her halfway.
"Want me to grovel, Maria. I know you like that – the whole on your knees thing, seems like I do that a lot around you."
"I can't help it that I got a brother who hasn't yet quite picked up the correct way to behave that most people learn in kindergarten," she joked, "And look, you're practically on your knees already."
"I can't help it if I have a sister that uses cruel and unusual punishment as a means of revenge," he answered back at her.
"Me. Ha. You just don't like to admit when you are wrong," she said indignantly.
"That's because, sister dearest I am never wrong," his tone was smug.
And suddenly her smile left her face and she threw herself in his arms, "I missed you, Kyle."
"Me, too, Ria," he replied fervently, "And if you make me cry, I will never speak to you ever again."
"Okay," she said. And for a few minutes no one said anything and Maria just hung on for dear life, to her honorary brother.
"I won't ever leave, Ria. Me and Alex, you'll always have us, okay. No matter what." Kyle added before letting her go.
"No matter what?" she asked.
"No matter what," he replied. And it was a vow, and oath. One he never meant to break ever again.
"Okay, big brother. I suppose now, you are going to check on those drinks. They're probably making the glasses – we all know how long that takes," she said and those eavesdropping at the entrance to the living room all knew that their not so subtle attempts at leaving failed.
"Quick as always, Maria," Kyle said, "And you know they need my help – pouring drinks is such a difficult feat after all, my expertise is obviously required." Kyle kept his face straight and watched as she giggled. He made her laugh, he thought proudly.
He pulled her to her feet and pushed her towards Max, "Go, talk to him," he ordered and he left.
End Part 18
Thanks for all the feedback guys...this is alex and kyles's part. MAx in next and then finally Michael. I decided to break it up, to get everything i wanted to say in it. Enjoy
Domino