Kyle sat down on Max's couch next to Isabel. Everyone else was already
there, and looking around at Isabel, Michael, and Maria, he knew they were
just as lost as he was as to why Max and Ava had called them at eleven
thirty at night. Max and Ava walked in and sat down, and everyone was
silent for a few minutes.
"That's it, what ever it is that you called us here for must be bad somehow since you can't say anything. So, before we hear your news I have some good news." Michael said taking Maria's hand. "Earlier tonight I asked Maria to marry me and she said yes."
"Congratulations." Kyle said, truly happy for them. He may not have like Michael at first, but he was good for Maria, and she for him.
"That's wonderful. I'm so happy for you." Isabel told them with a smile.
"Congratulations Michael, Maria." Max said with a smile.
"Congrats." Ava told them.
"Thanks, now what's going on Max?" Maria asked looking him in the eye.
"We think we may have found Liz." Ava told them.
"And Alex." Max said softly.
Maria's face, which had lit up upon hearing Ava's announcement, faded to shock immediately after hearing Max's. Isabel's and Kyle's matched hers exactly, and Michael went from shock to anger within seconds.
"Maxwell, what are you talking about. This is not something to joke about. Isabel and Maria are still getting over Alex's death, as we all are. We all know where Alex is, he's downtown resting in peace next to Jessie." He said standing up.
"Michael please sit back down." Ava told him. "I'm the one who thinks it was Alex. Not him. Just hear us out."
"What did you guys see?" Maria asked
"We saw a music video of a singer called Anne Hazel. She looks like Liz, just slightly different. And her bass player looks like Alex. We know it makes no sense, but we got her CD and a copy of the music video. You have to see this for yourself." Max said turning the T.V. on and pressing the play button.
Three minutes later Maria was sitting two feet from the television having paused the video on the scene with Ann and her bass player leaning against each other. She had seen it immediately and had grabbed the remote stopping the tape in that position. She hadn't moved since she scrambled over to the T.V. and was sitting with tears streaming down her face.
"Maria, come on baby." Michael said trying to move her away from the television to no avail. Finally he turned it off and simply picked her up, and carried her back to the couch they had been sitting on.
"It's them. I know it is." Maria said quietly. She looked up at Max, and with determination in her voice asked, "Where do they live?"
"I think you need to get use to the idea tonight. We'll go look for them tomorrow." Max said softly, and immediately regretted it. Within seconds of his statement Maria was standing over him with her hands on his shoulders, holding him to the chair. Everyone stared in shock at how quickly she had moved from Michael's arms over the coffee table to Max's chair. "Where are they?" she said, her voice filled with a slightly psychotic edge, her eyes showing that he had better tell her or else.
"Waldorf, Maryland." Max said softly, and was completely surprised when Maria collapsed on his lap, he grabbed her just as she started to slide to the floor. Michael came over and picked her up, once more carrying her to the couch.
"What happened to her?" Isabel asked concerned.
"I don't know." Michael said looking at her, as she lay unconscious.
"I've only seen her like this once before." Kyle said softly. The others looked at him, willing him to continue. "Back before you guys came. It was actually the week before you came. Some of the school yard bullies had gotten tired of never getting any money out of Maria, Liz, and Alex. So they grabbed Liz at the beginning of lunch, thinking they could bribe the money from them. Maria flipped. She knew that they had her, and went after the biggest one of the group. One of his goons had Liz somewhere else, and she wanted to know where she was.
"She scared him so bad he went from being a bully to the campus coward in one day. Alex was the only one who could calm her down. I think she passed out from the shock."
"Maybe we should all call it a night. We'll decide what to do in the morning." Max said standing up.
"Yeah, why don't I take her home Michael. I'll let you know when she wakes up." Kyle said standing up.
"Alright, that probably makes more sense. Besides, Amy might take it better from you."
"Okay. Let's meet back tomorrow around eight." Max said as Michael picked up Maria and walked outside with Kyle and Isabel in tow. Max closed the door and turned to Ava. "Well, that went well."
"That's it, what ever it is that you called us here for must be bad somehow since you can't say anything. So, before we hear your news I have some good news." Michael said taking Maria's hand. "Earlier tonight I asked Maria to marry me and she said yes."
"Congratulations." Kyle said, truly happy for them. He may not have like Michael at first, but he was good for Maria, and she for him.
"That's wonderful. I'm so happy for you." Isabel told them with a smile.
"Congratulations Michael, Maria." Max said with a smile.
"Congrats." Ava told them.
"Thanks, now what's going on Max?" Maria asked looking him in the eye.
"We think we may have found Liz." Ava told them.
"And Alex." Max said softly.
Maria's face, which had lit up upon hearing Ava's announcement, faded to shock immediately after hearing Max's. Isabel's and Kyle's matched hers exactly, and Michael went from shock to anger within seconds.
"Maxwell, what are you talking about. This is not something to joke about. Isabel and Maria are still getting over Alex's death, as we all are. We all know where Alex is, he's downtown resting in peace next to Jessie." He said standing up.
"Michael please sit back down." Ava told him. "I'm the one who thinks it was Alex. Not him. Just hear us out."
"What did you guys see?" Maria asked
"We saw a music video of a singer called Anne Hazel. She looks like Liz, just slightly different. And her bass player looks like Alex. We know it makes no sense, but we got her CD and a copy of the music video. You have to see this for yourself." Max said turning the T.V. on and pressing the play button.
Three minutes later Maria was sitting two feet from the television having paused the video on the scene with Ann and her bass player leaning against each other. She had seen it immediately and had grabbed the remote stopping the tape in that position. She hadn't moved since she scrambled over to the T.V. and was sitting with tears streaming down her face.
"Maria, come on baby." Michael said trying to move her away from the television to no avail. Finally he turned it off and simply picked her up, and carried her back to the couch they had been sitting on.
"It's them. I know it is." Maria said quietly. She looked up at Max, and with determination in her voice asked, "Where do they live?"
"I think you need to get use to the idea tonight. We'll go look for them tomorrow." Max said softly, and immediately regretted it. Within seconds of his statement Maria was standing over him with her hands on his shoulders, holding him to the chair. Everyone stared in shock at how quickly she had moved from Michael's arms over the coffee table to Max's chair. "Where are they?" she said, her voice filled with a slightly psychotic edge, her eyes showing that he had better tell her or else.
"Waldorf, Maryland." Max said softly, and was completely surprised when Maria collapsed on his lap, he grabbed her just as she started to slide to the floor. Michael came over and picked her up, once more carrying her to the couch.
"What happened to her?" Isabel asked concerned.
"I don't know." Michael said looking at her, as she lay unconscious.
"I've only seen her like this once before." Kyle said softly. The others looked at him, willing him to continue. "Back before you guys came. It was actually the week before you came. Some of the school yard bullies had gotten tired of never getting any money out of Maria, Liz, and Alex. So they grabbed Liz at the beginning of lunch, thinking they could bribe the money from them. Maria flipped. She knew that they had her, and went after the biggest one of the group. One of his goons had Liz somewhere else, and she wanted to know where she was.
"She scared him so bad he went from being a bully to the campus coward in one day. Alex was the only one who could calm her down. I think she passed out from the shock."
"Maybe we should all call it a night. We'll decide what to do in the morning." Max said standing up.
"Yeah, why don't I take her home Michael. I'll let you know when she wakes up." Kyle said standing up.
"Alright, that probably makes more sense. Besides, Amy might take it better from you."
"Okay. Let's meet back tomorrow around eight." Max said as Michael picked up Maria and walked outside with Kyle and Isabel in tow. Max closed the door and turned to Ava. "Well, that went well."