Liz approached the DeLuca house apprehensively. She was wondering what exactly had happened, but was also certain it had something to do with Michael.
She opened the door and stepped in with a gasp when she saw the mess. The house looked like it had been ransacked, and Maria was nowhere in sight. Fearing the worst, Liz calle dout for her friend. "Maria? Maria! Where are you, this isn't funny!" There was no answer, and Liz headed for Maria's room. Passing Amy's on the way, she stopped and looked inside. This room was in worse condition than the rest, and Maria sat in the middle. She was looking at something and silently crying. "Ria? What's the matter? Are you okay?" As she got closer, she could see what Maria was holding.
A pair of red sneakers.
*~*~*~*
Maria never heard Liz come in, but all of a sudden she was there, holding Maria and trying to comfort her.
"Maria, what's the matter? What happened?"
"He still loves me." Maria was in shock. Even though she had been repeating it to herself for the past hour, she still couldn't quite believe it. Finding out had been a dream come true, but after seeing Michael walk away, angry at her, she couldn't help but wonder if a dream was all it was.
"What?! Not to be rude, Maria, but why are you so sad if Michael does still love you?" Maria sighed and told Liz what had happened.
"...it was just so intense, and his feelings for me ran so much deeper than they ever had. It was like I was a part of him, and not just because of the connection. I think I've always been a part of him, just like he's a part of me. I'm nothing without him." Slowly, Maria realized how wrong she had been in leaving him. She had wanted to find herself, but when she was back where she started, she realized she had reached her goal long before.
"And I tried to say something, but the words wouldn't come out...then he said he wouldn't try to kiss me. He turned around and he walked out, he just left me on the floor surrounded by salad. Why? He seemed so anrgy, I can't understand it..."
They sat in silence for a while, and finally Liz spoke up. "Maria, if he's loved you all along, but you still didn't get any flashes, he must have been blocking you. Just like before, when you first gave him the flashes but you didn't get any..." Liz trailed off, staring at the sneakers and finally realizing their significance. No wonder Maria had torn up the house looking for them.
Maria laughed bitterly. "So what's your point? Obviously he brought down the wall and let me see him today."
"How did you feel when you saw him this morning?"
"I think I covered this. I don't want to relive it again, me gaping like an idiot while he disappears into the back room."
"No, before that. When you bumped into him and dropped the plates, how were you feeling?"
"I was pissed because I didn't want to have to deal with him this morning."
"Exactly!" Liz looked triumphant. "That's it. You caught Michael at a weak moment, but you had your walls up. Michael loves you, but he doesn't know that you know. He's probably completely unaware he gave you a flash."
Maria sat there, shocked, as she realized how everything must have looked to Michael. The way she looked at him, the shocked expression on her face, he must have thought she was going to reject him again.
"I need to go, I need to fix this right now. I have to!"
"Max said he was working an extra shift at the plant today, he's there now. Let's go." The two girls ran out of the house towards the Jetta, the red sneakers still clutched in Maria's hand.
She opened the door and stepped in with a gasp when she saw the mess. The house looked like it had been ransacked, and Maria was nowhere in sight. Fearing the worst, Liz calle dout for her friend. "Maria? Maria! Where are you, this isn't funny!" There was no answer, and Liz headed for Maria's room. Passing Amy's on the way, she stopped and looked inside. This room was in worse condition than the rest, and Maria sat in the middle. She was looking at something and silently crying. "Ria? What's the matter? Are you okay?" As she got closer, she could see what Maria was holding.
A pair of red sneakers.
*~*~*~*
Maria never heard Liz come in, but all of a sudden she was there, holding Maria and trying to comfort her.
"Maria, what's the matter? What happened?"
"He still loves me." Maria was in shock. Even though she had been repeating it to herself for the past hour, she still couldn't quite believe it. Finding out had been a dream come true, but after seeing Michael walk away, angry at her, she couldn't help but wonder if a dream was all it was.
"What?! Not to be rude, Maria, but why are you so sad if Michael does still love you?" Maria sighed and told Liz what had happened.
"...it was just so intense, and his feelings for me ran so much deeper than they ever had. It was like I was a part of him, and not just because of the connection. I think I've always been a part of him, just like he's a part of me. I'm nothing without him." Slowly, Maria realized how wrong she had been in leaving him. She had wanted to find herself, but when she was back where she started, she realized she had reached her goal long before.
"And I tried to say something, but the words wouldn't come out...then he said he wouldn't try to kiss me. He turned around and he walked out, he just left me on the floor surrounded by salad. Why? He seemed so anrgy, I can't understand it..."
They sat in silence for a while, and finally Liz spoke up. "Maria, if he's loved you all along, but you still didn't get any flashes, he must have been blocking you. Just like before, when you first gave him the flashes but you didn't get any..." Liz trailed off, staring at the sneakers and finally realizing their significance. No wonder Maria had torn up the house looking for them.
Maria laughed bitterly. "So what's your point? Obviously he brought down the wall and let me see him today."
"How did you feel when you saw him this morning?"
"I think I covered this. I don't want to relive it again, me gaping like an idiot while he disappears into the back room."
"No, before that. When you bumped into him and dropped the plates, how were you feeling?"
"I was pissed because I didn't want to have to deal with him this morning."
"Exactly!" Liz looked triumphant. "That's it. You caught Michael at a weak moment, but you had your walls up. Michael loves you, but he doesn't know that you know. He's probably completely unaware he gave you a flash."
Maria sat there, shocked, as she realized how everything must have looked to Michael. The way she looked at him, the shocked expression on her face, he must have thought she was going to reject him again.
"I need to go, I need to fix this right now. I have to!"
"Max said he was working an extra shift at the plant today, he's there now. Let's go." The two girls ran out of the house towards the Jetta, the red sneakers still clutched in Maria's hand.