"I want to thank everyone who's given me AWESOME feedback, I'm glad you enjoy my fic

"I want to thank everyone who's given me AWESOME feedback, I'm glad you enjoy my fic. Thanks to all my school buds who put up with me and my crazy ideas. And a HUGE thanks to my beta reader... you're slow, but you're good."

~Keemy

"Hey! I am not slow! I'm just a bit… busy! If YOU want me to get C's and then not be able to use the computer AT ALL… then fine! I'll have you know, I got chapters 6-10 up in ONE NIGHT! Thank you… :: goes off muttering::

"Slow, ha! Who's she calling slow? I'm not slow, I'm thorough…"

::smiles, and hopes Kim knows I'm KIDDING::

((Yes, if you hadn't guessed, I am Zonko, the slow-but-good-beta… haha

All right, all right! I'll shut up and give you what you want!!))

Love and Sunshine,

Peace and Hair Grease

~~ZONKOFRED

CHAPTER 11

Liz and Maria just lay in bed, looking at the ceiling and not saying a word.
The sun had risen hours ago. It was nearly noon time and neither girl had
had a wink of sleep.

Liz stood up and went to the bathroom. She looked at the reflection in the mirror and could barely recognize herself. Missing one night's sleep had caused her eyes to look almost bloodshot, and dark bags had appeared under them.
She reached over the sink, pulled the medicine cabinet open, and took
out the Visine. She looked in the mirror.

*Visine, it takes the red out, wow* she thought, humoring herself. Dropping two drops in each eye she walked out to her room and looked down at her best friend, still staring as if transfixed, at the ceiling.

"You alright?"


"No"


Liz nodded, and didn't say anything else. She understood that her friend needed time to herself to think about things. Liz looked at the clock.

She and Maria had work in an hour; it was nearly eleven.


"Should I go tell my dad that you're sick?" asked Liz, seeing that her friend
wasn't looking too cheerful.


"No. It's ok. I'll be ready in a sec." Maria answered rolling off the
side of the bed and standing up. "Can I borrow your spare uniform?"


Liz nodded. She opened her closet and pulled out the spare uniform, then she
put on her own.

They both took extra care applying their make-up, in an
attempt to looking like they'd gotten a decent night's sleep.


Walking downstairs and heading to the cafe, they ran into Mr. Parker.


Maria smiled and slipped by him.


"Morning Lizzy, go get some breakfast before you start your shift." he
said, planting a kiss on top of her head. When she didn't respond he looked
at her more closely.

"Honey, are you ok?"
Liz wasn't sure whether it would be better to yell at her dad or keep quiet. She decided to talk about it later.

"Yea Dad, just uh… stayed up a little late with Maria gabbing. I'm just a little out of it. I'll be fine as soon as I get some food in my stomach." With that, she hurried off to the front of the café where Maria was already taking orders. The afternoon rush was just getting started.


Unfortunately, Micheal was working.


"I need four orders of Orion Rings, three Blood of Alien smoothies, and
three Will Smith Burgers." she said, handing him a copy of the order sheet.


He looked at her a second. "You look like crap."


"Aww, who needs a boyfriend when you have compliments like that?" she
said turning around and stalking off to take more orders.

Later, the lunch rush died down and they worked for a couple more hours
until closing. After that they had to help clean up.

Finally, Liz and Maria plopped down on two of the stools next to the counter.


"Ahh, my feet are killing me," said Liz, turning her ankle from side to side.


"I know, I swear that little brat at table seven was driving me crazy!"
complained Maria. She was almost enjoying complaining right now; it seemed like the normal talks she used to always have with Liz and Micheal right after their shifts were over.


Maria glanced over at Mr. Parker who was calculating the day's profit and
getting the receipts from the cash register. She leaned in towards Liz.


"Are you going to talk to your mom and dad tonight?"
Liz looked over, and bit her lip. She nodded.

"Yea, once everyone leaves, and we go upstairs."


"Do you want me to stay?"


"Yea, Thanks"


Just then Ms. DeLuca walked in. She headed straight over to the Parkers.


The adults walked into the backroom, leaving Micheal, Maria, and Liz in the
cafe.


"Ok I'm out." Micheal stated, folding his apron and leaving it at the order
window.


Maria watched him as he left. Sadness engulfed her heart for a second,
then she straightened back up.

"I am the Teflon babe. I have to remain strong."

If Micheal didn't want to be with her, then she didn't want to be
with him.

*Yeah right….*


Maria watched as Max's jeep pulled up outside, and Micheal climbed in. Max looked inside for a second and stared at Liz. Maria realized then, that since this whole wizard thing started, Liz and Max had barely seen or spoken to each other.

Liz and Max held their gaze for a few more seconds before Liz looked away.
Max felt crushed. He turned back to the steering wheel, looked ahead, and
drove off.


Liz stared at the counter for a few minutes until standing up and taking
in a deep breath.

"Ok, now let's go".


Maria nodded and followed her in to the back room.


"Mom, Dad, Ms. DeLuca, can I speak to you upstairs?"

Without waiting for an answer, Liz turned around and went upstairs to the Parker's living room. After the adults took their seats at the couch, Liz spoke up.


"I don't know if Ms. DeLuca told you, but I know I'm different. I just
want to know, why you didn't tell me?" said Liz, as she fidgeted with her hands.
Mr. and Mrs. Parker were silent for a few minutes. They looked up at
their daughter. "Honey, we just found out a few weeks ago." Liz looked at them, confused.

"What?"

Ms. DeLuca stood up. "Liz, like I said, sometimes kids are born with
magic. They don't automatically get it from the family line. They just
happen to have a special gift."


Liz was slightly relieved. Her parents hadn't lied to her. They were
probably just as shocked as she was. She ran over to her parents and gave
them a reassuring hug.


"Um, I'm going to sleep over at Maria's tonight, is that alright?"


Mr. and Mrs. Parker looked over at Ms. DeLuca, who nodded.


"Sure sweetheart."

Liz turned around and grabbed Maria's hand and they both ran off to Liz's room to get her overnight stuff.

Maria and Liz stayed up all night talking about their new "wizardness."
They decide to ask Maria's mother about the trunk the next morning.

So far the new revelation hadn't caused too many waves in their lives.
Maria rolled over on her side and looked out her window at the blanket of stars folded over the sky.


*Maybe this won't be so bad after all*