Part Seven
Alex watched curiously as Maria rose shakily from the booth, knocking over her shake glass in the process. He quickly grabbed it and set it upright, then turned in his seat and watched Maria hurry to the back of the café where the alien trio had gathered.
Heart slamming in her chest and her body suddenly burning with panic, she stopped at the end of the table, swallowed hard. Max had been talking, but his words drifted off as he realized that there was someone within earshot. Maria met his gaze, her eyes frightened and furious, and pointed an accusatory finger in Tess's direction.
"What is she doing here?" Maria demanded, her voice quivering.
Max's eyes were round, Isabel's mouth had dropped open in disbelief and Tess remained expressionless.
"Answer me, Max," Maria said as her whole body started to tremble. "Why is she here?"
Tess sighed. "It's still a free county. I can go wherever I want."
"Hell would be a good start," Maria spat without looking at her. Her eyes were still locked on Max's. For some reason, he looked utterly confused. "Why, Max?"
Max glanced around at the nearby tables, noted that they were starting to drawn attention. "Please lower your voice," he said in a calm tone. He reached for her hand but she jerked it away. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "We've talked about this before, Maria."
"Many times," Tess sighed in a bored tone.
"Shut up," Maria said, again without looking at her.
Alex was suddenly beside Maria, putting a hand on her arm. Maria tried to break free, but Alex didn't let her. "Come on," he said.
"No," she demanded, swiveling and looking up at Alex's considerable height. "I want an answer from him."
"Not here," Alex said calmly and started to guide Maria toward the kitchen door. She looked back at Max and didn't break eye contact with him until the swinging door blocked him from her view.
Once in the break room, Maria wrenched herself free from Alex's grasp.
"Hey," he said, taking her by the upper arms. "What's up with you?"
Maria held her forehead with one of her hands, exasperated at the sudden turn of events. Somehow, Tess had never left the planet. She didn't appear to be pregnant with Max's child. And for some reason known only to God, Alex of all people was defending her from Maria.
"That bitch," Maria said wearily. "She's what's up with me."
Alex gave a light laugh. "You've always had a problem with her. Why the sudden outburst?"
Because I just found out I'm stuck here! Maria screamed in her head. She brought her hands up to cover her eyes. She was dangerously close to tears.
Always the good friend, Alex put his arms around her and pulled her shaking body to his. Maria wanted to resist him, didn't want to be vulnerable, but she hadn't been in his embrace for so long that she didn't want to pass up the opportunity. She gasped a little snort as she realized that ironically she now had eternity to be with Alex.
And without Michael.
This time she was unable to stop the deluge of tears that flooded from her eyes. Gasping loud sobs, she clutched at Alex's back and let out all of the fear and grief she was feeling within.
"Hey."
Maria felt Alex pull away from her and looked up to see Max closing the kitchen door behind him. His dark eyes were sad, worried, his lips turned downward into a frown. Alex backed away from Maria and exchanged a glance with Max.
"I'll be outside if you need me," Alex said, then exited through the back door.
Max approached Maria cautiously, his steps slow and deliberate. She wiped her eyes with the cuff of her shirt, sniffled. She couldn't look at him. Partly because she felt like an ass for making a scene in the restaurant, partly because now she really was his girlfriend. Period.
"Maria," he said, his voice soft. "Look at me."
She fought his command at first, then gave in and looked up into his eyes. Inexplicably, the tears came again and soon her bottom lip quivered and she was sobbing without Alex to hold her this time.
But there was Max. Mr. Dependable. His strong arms enveloped her much as they had in the school parking lot, crushing her against his chest. He made little hushing noises against her ear, kissed the side of her head, caressed her hair with his cheek. And the whole time Maria sobbed, grieving for a lover who was not in her arms, who was locked away from the world he'd grown to love and who would never know how much she loved him.
After awhile, Maria calmed, lulled by the warmth of his body, the comfort of his whispered words, the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear. She lay silently against him for a few moments, listening to the repetitious rhythm, wishing she was lying against a different chest being comforted by a different person.
"You know there's only you," Max said softly as he stroked her back. "I don't love Tess. No matter what happened in a prior life. She knows that. I know that. And I know you know that."
Maria pushed back from him, wiped her eyes again. "You can't trust her, Max," she warned.
Max's brow furrowed.
"You don't know what she's capable of."
He scratched his head. "What are you talking about?"
Maria's jaw was set. "She has an agenda, Max. Nasedo made a deal with your enemies and she will do whatever is necessary to fulfill that deal."
Max was looking at her, astonished. "What?"
"She is going to seduce you," Maria continued.
He rolled his eyes to the side, shaking his head. For the first time, she thought she heard impatience in his voice. "Maria, I just told you-"
"I'm not finished," she said sternly. "She will return to Antar with your baby, and she will trick you and Isabel and Michael into going with her. So that you can be killed."
Every ounce of compassion was gone from Max's handsome face. He looked pissed. Really pissed. Maria wasn't sure if it was the accusation that he would sleep with and impregnate Tess or the mere mention of Michael's name that had finally managed to spark his temper.
"I think you need to go home," he said calmly. "And rest for awhile."
Maria's mouth dropped open. "You don't believe me," she said in disbelief.
"Who in their right mind would?" he asked, his voice level, controlled. "I don't know what is going on with you lately, Maria, but if you need to get some help, then just say the word and we'll do it."
"You think I'm crazy?"
"I didn't say that."
Maria gave a disgusted snort. "Then what does 'get some help' mean if it doesn't mean I need to go to the looney bin?" She made a gesture toward the exit door. "Alex is a sitting duck because he is so trusting. If given the chance, Tess will kill him, Max. Bank on it."
Max dropped his head, looked at the floor. A heavy silence ensued, then he looked briefly at her. Brushing past her, he opened the back door and spoke to Alex. "Can you take Maria home?"
Alex entered the break room and waited while Max paused before his girlfriend.
"I have to go back to work now," he said softly. "I'll check on you later."
"To see if I've hung myself with my bed sheets?" Maria snapped before she could stop herself.
Max looked stung and she felt a small tug of guilt. He looked at Alex. "Thanks, Alex."
After Max had gone, Maria turned to her friend. "I don't need an escort," she said tersely.
Alex held his hands up in the surrender position. "Not a problem. But you were pretty upset. How about if I just follow you to make sure you get there okay?"
Maria couldn't resist Alex and his well-meaning ways, so she relented. She would let him do her this one service. And in return she would make sure that Tess never had the opportunity to harm him.
Because if she did, Maria would kill her.
*****
At home, Maria took a hot shower, turned her face into the spray and let it sting her sensitive skin just to prove that she really was alive in this living hell. The pain was real, her thoughts were real.
And now this world was real.
She toweled her body despondently, took extra care to dry between her toes, between her fingers - if she kept moving, kept herself occupied, then she wouldn't concentrate on how depressing her life had just become.
As night started to darken her room, she plopped down face-first on her bed and stared at her carpet. It was the same carpet she remembered from her last life. How was it possible that so many things could remain the same, yet really everything else had changed?
As a force of habit, Maria reached under her mattress and pulled out the now-dog-eared notepad. Pouring salt into the wound, she read her account of kissing Michael for the first time. A small, sad smile curved her lips as she remembered him using the excuse that the kiss had been to calm her down. He'd been so awkward in those days, so uncertain how to approach her. Romantically, Michael was a bull in a China shop.
Maria heaved a sigh and let the pad drop to the floor. Maybe she was doing herself a disservice by rehashing all of those old memories. Maybe the time had come to let her new memories invade her mind, take her over, make this her world and dissolve the past world permanently. Because she wasn't going anywhere now. She was here to stay.
But what was 'here'? 'Here' was a place where everything was backward, where Max Evans lived in a shell, his sister protected herself by being unapproachable, Kyle Valenti was still a dumb jock, Liz Parker had giving into the dark side and had become one of the 'popular' people, and Michael Guerin was in prison.
And Maria was connected to someone she didn't love.
She felt an overwhelming sense of despair as she realized that once upon a time, the world changed because a boy loved a girl. But now that boy was loving the wrong girl and the world had changed for the worse.
Alex watched curiously as Maria rose shakily from the booth, knocking over her shake glass in the process. He quickly grabbed it and set it upright, then turned in his seat and watched Maria hurry to the back of the café where the alien trio had gathered.
Heart slamming in her chest and her body suddenly burning with panic, she stopped at the end of the table, swallowed hard. Max had been talking, but his words drifted off as he realized that there was someone within earshot. Maria met his gaze, her eyes frightened and furious, and pointed an accusatory finger in Tess's direction.
"What is she doing here?" Maria demanded, her voice quivering.
Max's eyes were round, Isabel's mouth had dropped open in disbelief and Tess remained expressionless.
"Answer me, Max," Maria said as her whole body started to tremble. "Why is she here?"
Tess sighed. "It's still a free county. I can go wherever I want."
"Hell would be a good start," Maria spat without looking at her. Her eyes were still locked on Max's. For some reason, he looked utterly confused. "Why, Max?"
Max glanced around at the nearby tables, noted that they were starting to drawn attention. "Please lower your voice," he said in a calm tone. He reached for her hand but she jerked it away. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "We've talked about this before, Maria."
"Many times," Tess sighed in a bored tone.
"Shut up," Maria said, again without looking at her.
Alex was suddenly beside Maria, putting a hand on her arm. Maria tried to break free, but Alex didn't let her. "Come on," he said.
"No," she demanded, swiveling and looking up at Alex's considerable height. "I want an answer from him."
"Not here," Alex said calmly and started to guide Maria toward the kitchen door. She looked back at Max and didn't break eye contact with him until the swinging door blocked him from her view.
Once in the break room, Maria wrenched herself free from Alex's grasp.
"Hey," he said, taking her by the upper arms. "What's up with you?"
Maria held her forehead with one of her hands, exasperated at the sudden turn of events. Somehow, Tess had never left the planet. She didn't appear to be pregnant with Max's child. And for some reason known only to God, Alex of all people was defending her from Maria.
"That bitch," Maria said wearily. "She's what's up with me."
Alex gave a light laugh. "You've always had a problem with her. Why the sudden outburst?"
Because I just found out I'm stuck here! Maria screamed in her head. She brought her hands up to cover her eyes. She was dangerously close to tears.
Always the good friend, Alex put his arms around her and pulled her shaking body to his. Maria wanted to resist him, didn't want to be vulnerable, but she hadn't been in his embrace for so long that she didn't want to pass up the opportunity. She gasped a little snort as she realized that ironically she now had eternity to be with Alex.
And without Michael.
This time she was unable to stop the deluge of tears that flooded from her eyes. Gasping loud sobs, she clutched at Alex's back and let out all of the fear and grief she was feeling within.
"Hey."
Maria felt Alex pull away from her and looked up to see Max closing the kitchen door behind him. His dark eyes were sad, worried, his lips turned downward into a frown. Alex backed away from Maria and exchanged a glance with Max.
"I'll be outside if you need me," Alex said, then exited through the back door.
Max approached Maria cautiously, his steps slow and deliberate. She wiped her eyes with the cuff of her shirt, sniffled. She couldn't look at him. Partly because she felt like an ass for making a scene in the restaurant, partly because now she really was his girlfriend. Period.
"Maria," he said, his voice soft. "Look at me."
She fought his command at first, then gave in and looked up into his eyes. Inexplicably, the tears came again and soon her bottom lip quivered and she was sobbing without Alex to hold her this time.
But there was Max. Mr. Dependable. His strong arms enveloped her much as they had in the school parking lot, crushing her against his chest. He made little hushing noises against her ear, kissed the side of her head, caressed her hair with his cheek. And the whole time Maria sobbed, grieving for a lover who was not in her arms, who was locked away from the world he'd grown to love and who would never know how much she loved him.
After awhile, Maria calmed, lulled by the warmth of his body, the comfort of his whispered words, the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear. She lay silently against him for a few moments, listening to the repetitious rhythm, wishing she was lying against a different chest being comforted by a different person.
"You know there's only you," Max said softly as he stroked her back. "I don't love Tess. No matter what happened in a prior life. She knows that. I know that. And I know you know that."
Maria pushed back from him, wiped her eyes again. "You can't trust her, Max," she warned.
Max's brow furrowed.
"You don't know what she's capable of."
He scratched his head. "What are you talking about?"
Maria's jaw was set. "She has an agenda, Max. Nasedo made a deal with your enemies and she will do whatever is necessary to fulfill that deal."
Max was looking at her, astonished. "What?"
"She is going to seduce you," Maria continued.
He rolled his eyes to the side, shaking his head. For the first time, she thought she heard impatience in his voice. "Maria, I just told you-"
"I'm not finished," she said sternly. "She will return to Antar with your baby, and she will trick you and Isabel and Michael into going with her. So that you can be killed."
Every ounce of compassion was gone from Max's handsome face. He looked pissed. Really pissed. Maria wasn't sure if it was the accusation that he would sleep with and impregnate Tess or the mere mention of Michael's name that had finally managed to spark his temper.
"I think you need to go home," he said calmly. "And rest for awhile."
Maria's mouth dropped open. "You don't believe me," she said in disbelief.
"Who in their right mind would?" he asked, his voice level, controlled. "I don't know what is going on with you lately, Maria, but if you need to get some help, then just say the word and we'll do it."
"You think I'm crazy?"
"I didn't say that."
Maria gave a disgusted snort. "Then what does 'get some help' mean if it doesn't mean I need to go to the looney bin?" She made a gesture toward the exit door. "Alex is a sitting duck because he is so trusting. If given the chance, Tess will kill him, Max. Bank on it."
Max dropped his head, looked at the floor. A heavy silence ensued, then he looked briefly at her. Brushing past her, he opened the back door and spoke to Alex. "Can you take Maria home?"
Alex entered the break room and waited while Max paused before his girlfriend.
"I have to go back to work now," he said softly. "I'll check on you later."
"To see if I've hung myself with my bed sheets?" Maria snapped before she could stop herself.
Max looked stung and she felt a small tug of guilt. He looked at Alex. "Thanks, Alex."
After Max had gone, Maria turned to her friend. "I don't need an escort," she said tersely.
Alex held his hands up in the surrender position. "Not a problem. But you were pretty upset. How about if I just follow you to make sure you get there okay?"
Maria couldn't resist Alex and his well-meaning ways, so she relented. She would let him do her this one service. And in return she would make sure that Tess never had the opportunity to harm him.
Because if she did, Maria would kill her.
*****
At home, Maria took a hot shower, turned her face into the spray and let it sting her sensitive skin just to prove that she really was alive in this living hell. The pain was real, her thoughts were real.
And now this world was real.
She toweled her body despondently, took extra care to dry between her toes, between her fingers - if she kept moving, kept herself occupied, then she wouldn't concentrate on how depressing her life had just become.
As night started to darken her room, she plopped down face-first on her bed and stared at her carpet. It was the same carpet she remembered from her last life. How was it possible that so many things could remain the same, yet really everything else had changed?
As a force of habit, Maria reached under her mattress and pulled out the now-dog-eared notepad. Pouring salt into the wound, she read her account of kissing Michael for the first time. A small, sad smile curved her lips as she remembered him using the excuse that the kiss had been to calm her down. He'd been so awkward in those days, so uncertain how to approach her. Romantically, Michael was a bull in a China shop.
Maria heaved a sigh and let the pad drop to the floor. Maybe she was doing herself a disservice by rehashing all of those old memories. Maybe the time had come to let her new memories invade her mind, take her over, make this her world and dissolve the past world permanently. Because she wasn't going anywhere now. She was here to stay.
But what was 'here'? 'Here' was a place where everything was backward, where Max Evans lived in a shell, his sister protected herself by being unapproachable, Kyle Valenti was still a dumb jock, Liz Parker had giving into the dark side and had become one of the 'popular' people, and Michael Guerin was in prison.
And Maria was connected to someone she didn't love.
She felt an overwhelming sense of despair as she realized that once upon a time, the world changed because a boy loved a girl. But now that boy was loving the wrong girl and the world had changed for the worse.