Chapter Two (Getting settled)

Maria took a few shirts from her bag and placed then into the large wooden chest of drawers that was set in the corner of the spare room. The room itself was nice, it wasn't like hers but it would do for the next week. The walls were a light purple while the curtains were a contrast of dark purple. The bed was a Queen size with a light purple blanket and dark purple pillows to match the walls and curtains.  The carpeting was a nice cream color and at the foot of the bed was a dark purple mat. The chest of drawers was set on one corner of the room while a desk sat in the corner beside it. The window was in the middle of another wall and saw into the front yard. A dressing table sitting against the wall opposite the bed finished the room nicely.

She placed a few more articles of clothing into the chest of drawers then heard a knock at the door. "Come in," she said, going back to the bed to close her bag. She looked up and saw Diane Evans standing in the frame. She walked in and sat down beside Maria on the bed.

"How do you like the room?" she asked with a smile.

"It's great, I really like it." Maria told her politely. "While you're here, I just want to thank you for letting me stay here. I know it's not easy letting a stranger into your home."

Diane laughed. "Nonsense, you are a friend of Isabel's therefore not a stranger. Also it's a pleasure to have you dear, I know that you are going through a hard time at the moment so if there is anything you need, you only have to ask. For the rest of this week you are an extended part of this family. I want you to feel welcome here. Now, do you need any help?"

Maria shook her head. "No I'm fine, I just have to unpack my make-up and things like that then I'm all set."

Smiling, Diane looked around the room for a second before turning back to Maria. "So how did you and Isabel become friends?"

Maria's eyes widened. How was she supposed to answer that? Oh yes Mrs Evans, well my best friend was shot and then your son healed her, from there your daughter dream-walked me then we just sort of…you know…got to talking. No she couldn't say that. "Ah well, Max sort of met my best friend Liz Parker and they became friends. Max then introduced Isabel and I as well as Michael and we all sort of…connected, so to speak."

"Oh that's wonderful," Diane exclaimed. "You know, you are the first person that Isabel has brought home that I have liked, out of her friends I mean. All of the other girls seemed a little… stuck up for my tastes. I think you'll be good for her."

"Thank you," Maria replied.

Diane hugged her then stood and headed for the door. "Remember, if you need anything…" she trailed off and Maria nodded.

Once she left the room Isabel entered and sat on the bed. "What did my Mom want?"

"She just wanted to help me settle in." Maria told her then furrowed her brows. "Isabel? Have you--have you ever had a real girlfriend before? I don't mean like the girls you hang out with at school, I mean like a best friend, like how Liz and I are?"

Isabel bit her lip and shook her head. "No I haven't. I sort of hoped that this would be my chance." She smiled then gave a small laugh. "There goes my Ice Queen persona. Don't tell anyone I actually have a soft side okay? My reputation will be ruined."

Maria laughed and made a criss cross motion over her heart. "I won't I promise." She calmed down and smiled. "I'd really like to be your friend Isabel, but let's just see how this week goes first. You never know, we may just want to kill each other by the end of it."

*~*~*~*

Michael sat in the Evans's kitchen the next morning nursing a glass of milk. He had stayed over last night. He'd had a run in with Hank and couldn't stay so he did what he usually did in that circumstance; he came here and slept on the floor in Max's room. It was his sanctuary. Bringing the glass to his lips, he watched as Maria walked into the kitchen and headed for the glass cabinet, obviously not having seen him.

He had to remember how to breathe when he saw her. She was wearing a light blue silk slip that went to mid-thigh. Her hair was brushed back and she looked beautiful. Michael then gave himself a mental slap. Beautiful? Where did that come from? When she went to the fridge he announced his presence. "Morning." He smirked when she almost dropped the milk from shock.

"What are you doing?" she asked when she turned around. She held her hand over her heart to stop it from beating so fast then she looked down at what she was wearing and groaned. Did he have to see her like this? Her hair wasn't done and she wasn't even wearing make up. He must have thought she looked ugly. She then furrowed her brows. Why did she care what he thought of her anyway?

Michael smirked again and gave an amused smile when it looked like she was having an internal conversation with herself. "Having a glass of milk, what does it look like?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "No I meant what are you doing here? In the Evans's kitchen?"

"I stayed over last night." He shrugged and finished up the last of the milk in his glass.

Maria gave him a disgusted look when he slurped the milk into his mouth. She had to admit though, he had a pretty sexy mouth and she couldn't stop herself from thinking how badly she wanted to be the one to lick the milk that had stayed on his top lip. "How come I didn't see you?"

"Bad eyesight?" he deadpanned.

"Funny," she said sarcastically. "No really."

Michael gave a non-committal shrug. "I didn't show up until late and I slept in Max's room."

Maria nodded slowly then an evil smile crossed over her features. Now it was her turn to play. "Oh, that explains a lot."

"What?" Michael asked, confusion marring his features.

"You know, you, Max, sleeping together." Maria explained. Michael glared at her and was about to make a witty comeback when Isabel walked in and headed for the fridge.

"Morning," she said grabbing a bottle of water then heading into the living room.

Maria followed her. "Isn't that weird?" she asked.

Isabel's forehead creased. "Isn't what weird?"

"Seeing Michael in your kitchen when you didn't even know he stayed the night." Maria said waving her hands.

Isabel shook her head and took a sip of her water before sitting on the sofa. "No it's normal. Michael usually comes here after having a run in with Hank, his foster father, and sleeps in Max's room. He's been coming here like that ever since…well ever since I can remember." She glanced at Maria who now had a far away look on her face. "What I just told you stays between us okay, Michael doesn't need anyone pitying him, he doesn't want it either."

Maria nodded but still couldn't help feeling bad for the spiky haired alien sitting in the kitchen. She couldn't explain it but since that night at the Crash festival, when he placed his hand on her chest for her fake 'healing', she had felt something towards him. An attraction if you will. She was pulled from her thoughts when Isabel asked her a question.

"So do you want to spend the day shopping? There's that new place in the Mall that opened up a few days ago that's supposed to be really good. We could go and have lunch too."

*~*~*~*

Back in the kitchen Michael was still sitting at the table but now had his head rested on it. He was berating himself for letting Maria get to him the way he had. Ever since the night of the Crash festival he had felt something for her, he wasn't sure what but it was something. Something more than the hatred he was meant to feel for a simple human girl. Being too wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't see Max walk in.

"What's wrong?" Max asked and Michael's head shot up.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong," Michael said standing and heading for the living room. "Where are the girls?"

Max sat on the one-seater sofa and grabbed the remote, turning the TV on. "Isabel said something about shopping. I think they're getting ready."

Michael nodded. "Oh," Max turned to his best friend with a knowing smile on his face. "What?" Michael asked.

"Nothing, it's just I heard you in the kitchen mumbling about how Maria was getting to you. You like her." Max said with a smile, loving the way Michael was squirming in his seat.

Michael rolled his eyes and gave a small forced laughed. "That's crazy, I don't like Deluca, nor will I ever." He said although his mind was calling him a liar. Max just nodded condescendingly and Michael threw a cushion at him. "Shut up Max."

*~*~*~*

Maria walked out of the dressing room and twirled around so Isabel could see. "What about this?" They had been shopping for two hours and neither had found anything they particularly liked. They were in their seventh store and Isabel had made Maria try on a pair of tight bootleg black pants with a red sleeveless top that showed a lot of cleavage and stomach.

Isabel clapped her hands. "Finally I think we found something for you. It looks great. All you need now are some shoes to go with it." Maria nodded and went back into the dressing room to get changed back into the clothes she had worn.

"Maria? Can I ask you something?" When she heard Maria make a muffled sound that she took as a yes, she continued. "Why don't you usually wear clothes like this? I mean the clothes you have are alright but…well I was just wondering."

Maria walked back out of the room with the clothes she was going to buy hanging over her wrist. She shrugged as the two went to go pay for the items. "I'm not sure. I guess I've just had no one to really go shopping with before to tell me what looks good and what doesn't. My mom is usually too busy and Liz isn't the mall type."

The lady at the register handed Maria her receipt and the two headed out of the store and towards to food court. "We should do this every Saturday then, go shopping and have lunch. We could buy a new outfit every time and I could be your clothing guru or something. The girls I usually come here with never want to tell me the truth about what looks good and what doesn't. If something looks great they'll say it doesn't just because they are jealous then come back and buy it for themselves. I gave up on them."

Maria smiled. "I'd love to and I promise to always tell you the truth." Isabel nodded and the two headed off to buy some lunch.

*~*~*~*

Later that night Alex stood at the front door of the Evans's waiting for someone to answer. The door opened and Max's dad stood there. "Can I help you?"

"Umm, is Maria here?" Alex asked nervously. Phillip Evans nodded and stepped back, allowing Alex to enter.

He closed the door and started to walk down the hall. "I'll just go and get her for you. You can wait in the living room if you like." Alex nodded and stepped into the room where he saw both Michael and Max watching TV.

Michael looked at him with a scowl. "What are you doing here?" he asked rudely.

Alex shuffled on his feet. "I heard that Maria was staying here, I just wanted to see her, I'll be gone soon."

Before Michael could say anything else, Maria bounced down the hall and jumped into Alex's arms. The two laughed which caused jealousy to run through Michael's body. He wanted to pound Alex for holding Maria the way that only he should be allowed. When Alex kissed Maria's cheek he had to stop himself from running over and forcibly pulling the two apart. "Would you take that hugging crap elsewhere," he said irritably.

Maria glared at him then turned back to Alex and smiled. "Let's go to my room."

Michael's jaw dropped when she suggested this and he stood. There was no way he was going to allow Alex alone with Maria in her room. "You're not allowed boys in your room. It's a rule, isn't it Max," he said and kicked Max in the shin.

Max was trying his hardest to conceal his growing laughter. Michael's jealous actions were all a bit much. He had never in his life seen his friend get so worked up over a girl before. He rubbed his shin and decided to have a bit of fun. "I don't know what you're talking about, I've never heard of that rule."

Michael shot his fiercest glare at him and Max actually thought that he heard Michael growl. Maria laughed and shook her head then pulled Alex towards her room. Michael watched the two go down the hall then faced Max, ready to yell at him when he saw that Max was practically rolling on the ground with laughter. "What?"

"You're… you're… jealous," He managed to wheeze out between gasps. "That's too… funny," he said and started all over again.

Michael was getting annoyed and grabbed the same cushion he had hit Max with once before and hurled it at his head. "Shut up Max!" he yelled which only made Max laugh harder.

TBC…