The next day..
Maria walked over to the new customers who sat down in one of the side booths, two cool glasses of water in either hand, placing them down on the table in front of each, Maria stepped back and smiled a big wide charming smile. "Welcome to the Crashdown!" Maria greeted overly cheery which caused Liz to throw her a questioning look.
"Hi," The woman said and looked up from the menu. "What are your specials?"
Recalling today's specials, Maria began reciting them off of the top of her head. "We have the convention special, Heavenly Hash Special and the Trekkie special." Maria told them, then pulled her green pen with the bobbing alien head out of her pony tail and poised it above her note pad, to write their orders. Sure, it was demeaning working around with all this alien paraphernalia, but it was a job like any other, that brought in the cash, and that is what counted. Especially considering how much the up keep costs on the Jedda.
The man looked down at the menu, searching it intently. "I think I'll have the Tommy Lee Jones Bacon Basket." He read off then looked up at her, to make sure she was writing it down.
The woman after scanning the menu herself, and deciding the specials weren't to her taste, finally decided on a dish. By the time she actually ordered, Maria was close to ordering for her, she was so impatiant. "I'll have the Beam-Me-Up burger and a side order of Saturn rings and chili orbit." The woman said closing her menu.
"Cool." Maria replied, writing the stuff down. Sticking the pen back in her hair, Maria dumped her note pad into the pocket of her apron. Picking up the menus, Maria turned to leave and gave them a saccharine sweet smile. "I'll go put your order in."
Walking away, Maria rolled her eyes. She hated tourist season.
"Oh, wait! We'd like to order for drinks some Blood-of-Alien smoothies!" The man called.
Maria's step faulted, but she quickly recomposed herself and continued in her stride, indicating only with the barest of nods that she heard him. Reaching the diner counter, Maria banged the menus down in front of Liz, who was wiping the stainless steal top clean. "Tell your father, that you are changing the name of that smoothie." Maria told her sharply, then walked over to the kitchen window.
"One artery stuffer, and Cholesterol Burger along with a side order of high blood pressure." Maria called to Michael who was working in the kitchen, flipping burgers.
His reply to the order was to glare at her.
Maria rolled her eyes and walked away towards Liz. Walking up to the cashier, Maria clicked in the order. "He is so infuriating."
Liz who wasn't paying too much attention, except for stocking the fresh Men in Blackberry Pies on the rack, truly didn't know what her best friend was talking about and glanced over quickly at the diners. "The guy?" Liz asked innocently.
"Huh?" Maria asked and followed her friend's line of sight. "Oh, no not him. Though he must have the calorie count of a-" Maria stopped at the scolding look Liz was throwing her, she knew well enough what it meant. It meant: Behave yourself, they are customers. "Michael." Maria corrected her friend shortly.
"What about him?" Liz asked glancing over into the kitchen, to see him splashing some more grease around.
"He just." Maria looked for the word and couldn't find it, so she just decided to settle for a loud groan, that sounded more like a strangled animal.
"Oh." Liz whispered then looked around, it was slow around the Crashdown, now would be a good time to talk and have a good heart to heart. "What's going on with you two?" Liz inquired with a slight grin. Liz could hold in her laughter, could tame her smile, but she had no control over the twinkling sparkling in her eyes from amusement.
Maria actually looked uncomfortable as she waved her hand about dismissivly, tossing her wrist. "We had a... fling thing." Maria explained, a somewhat disgusted look on her face, as she shrugged off what she said by rolling her shoulders back.
Liz let out a small giggle, before clamping her mouth shut, and slightly rude funny noises sounding from her. "Oh is that the scientific term?" Liz asked, her whole face beaming with laughter. She wouldn't point out to Maria that she held out from her on such important information, about her and Michael. She'd let it slide just this once.
Maria glared at Liz, and pressed her already swollen lips tightly together, giving them an even fuller look. "Ha. Funny you know you really should be a comedian with your own stand up act." Maria snapped, then looked at Liz apologetically before moaning out desperately, "Don't go all Max on me about this too." Maria pleaded from her best friend, grabbing Liz's hands and looking at her with a 'you can't do this to me girlfriend' look.
"Max?" Liz inquired innocently, remembering she didn't get Max's answer really about what went on at their home yesterday.
Now it was Maria's turn to grin. The right side of Maria's lips twitched up, as she looked at Liz, like a cat would when playing with a bird and loving every squirming moment. "Ooo. peeked your interest now didn't I?" Maria asked, not managing to keep the gloating out of her voice. Quickly straightening up, Maria arched both brows inquisitively at Liz, looking almost giddy. Narrowing her eyes teasingly at Liz, Maria's grin just widened, passing her tongue across her teeth, she waited to see where that giant deep red blush covering Liz's cheeks would lead- Now the conversation was getting interesting!
"Stop teasing." Liz stammered after recomposing herself. Knowing that if she continued to stare at Maria's hyper happy look, she would turn only a deeper shade of red. So Liz devised the perfect plan: She looked down and began passing her hands nervously over her alien face apron, working the wrinkles out of the plastic material.
"Just returning the favor." Maria said leaning back, obviously proud of herself at causing her best friend to blush like that. Smiling like a goof ball, Maria looked like the epitome of the saying 'the bird who swallowed the cannery'.
Liz coughed and raised her head up at Maria. Rolling her eyes and laughing a short nervous laugh, Liz shrugged and shook Maria by the shoulders. "Anyway! What happened between you two?" Liz demanded, taking a quick peek over Maria's shoulder to make sure that Michael wasn't listening in. And as usual, he wasn't interested enough to do so, so naturally, he wasn't. The cost was clear for them to gossip.
Maria's mood dropped like that. Pouting, Maria rolled her eyes. "A temporary lapse of insanity on my behalf, I must've mixed the wrong oils together, probably got my 'Egyptian rain' oil mixed up with the sandal wood." Maria stammered on, blabbering. "Anyway," Maria said catching Liz's 'get to the point' look. "Instead of calm and relaxation. I got the wrong affect." Maria muttered in complaint, "And the fumes went to my head causing me to find Michael attractive and appealing." Maria finished looking completely disgusted with herself, and feeling like she needed to take a long bath, and scrub every inch of skin Michael had touched off. Maria scowled at the thought, she already did that last night and still felt dirty.
"So you got a whole alibi put together?" Liz asked amused with Maria's expressions.
Maria smiled at Liz, she knew when she was cornered. "Yep."
"Water proof?" Liz joked.
"Flame retardant too." Maria added proudly with a gloat while waving her index finger about like a pointer stick.
"Interesting." Liz giggled.
"Very." Maria said with a grin.
It was like the straw breaking the camel's back, and Liz couldn't stop laughing, even when she got weird looks from some of the customers, digging into their food. Calming herself down, Liz took in a deep breath, calming herself. "Okay, now Maria the truth!" Liz demanded.
Maria groaned loudly and rolled her head over her shoulders. There just was no escaping this, was there?! Maria wondered to herself, then decided to fess up, quickly and painlessly. "Ugh, I don't know, I found him appealing and we had a few moments of passion." Maria confessed to Liz.
"Michael is capable of passion?" Liz asked jokingly, trying to lighten Maria's mood. A sweet little pixie smile playing over her lips, and her eyes sparkling mischievously. Liz was Maria's best friend, she had to at a certain point join in at least slightly, on the boy bashing.
"I know, I was shocked too," Maria said pursing her lips together, in a vain attempt to hold her laughter in. "But anyway," Maria sighed and continued with her story, this time actually letting facial facades fall away and revealed how hurt she was. "I thought we had something going, and he just saw it as a no strings attached type of a deal."
"Oh," Liz whispered and looked down at their silly white sneaker shoes. She didn't realize that it was this bad. Casting a mean look over Maria's shoulder at Michael, Liz continued to look around avoiding Maria's eyes for a moment, until she could come up with a good reply. She didn't and just said the first thing she thought, that came to mind. "I'm sorry."
Maria waved her hands about dismissivly, then ran her fingers through her hair and tossed the long blonde strands over her shoulders. "Nah, its okay girlfriend, I always knew he was a scumbag, its good I reminded myself of it before it got too serious." Maria said, surprising herself with her rationality, and calm logic about the situation.
"Would you have wanted it to?" Liz asked softly, while nervously nibbling on the inside of her cheek.
"Wanted it to what?" Maria asked, scratching the back of her neck and checking out if any of the sugar bowls needed refilling.
Liz's sympathetic look dropped and she gave her best friend a hard look. "Maria, stop playing innocent with me, this is me you are talking too! Liz Parker your best friend!" Liz reminded, in case Maria forgot- which, of course she knew she didn't. "Are you interested in Michael?" Liz asked tentatively.
"The truth?" Maria asked with a scowl, her lower lip standing out a bit more her pout deepening.
"Yes." Liz said simply.
"I was." Maria said low in her voice. Picking up a towel, Maria began wiping the already sparkling clean counter top. Maria tried to avoid Liz's third degree, and even though she knew she should walk away from the situation right away, Maria felt that she needed this girl to girl talk, to try and clear her mind, from all that fog called 'Michael Guerin'.
"But?" Liz pressed on carefully, feeling that she just stepped onto sinking soil.
Maria threw her towel onto the counter and turned 180 degrees to look Liz directly in the eye. "I don't know anymore, I guess if I could crack his thick skull, I would." Maria paused thoughtfully for a moment. "Sure. It's just. I feel sometimes like there is a connection. He throws off these vibrations." Maria began, trying to explain the funny feelings.
"Vibrations.?" Liz asked obviously not following and giving Maria a weird look.
Maria shook her head, and rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me like that, it isn't an alien thing," Maria whispered urgently, so no one would hear. "You are the one, after all, who has those flashes with Max." Maria pointed out, and if she was a drawing above her head by all rights should've been a bubble with the word 'touché`' in it.
Liz glared. How did they get back to this conversation again? "Okay, well," Liz began, stammering slightly and blinking a bit too much. "This isn't about Max and me." Liz reminded Maria- AGAIN.
"I know, but you are my best friend and he is my brother, I am entitled to be nosey." Maria said excusing her questions and smiling warmly, lovingly at Liz. "I just want to make sure, Max isn't a big a jerk as his best friend. Because, you know how that saying goes. The company you keep." Maria drawled on.
Liz decided to ignore and side step the change of topic. So she just threw Maria a sarcastic look. "Yeah. Nosey. Just not when the conversation is about you, right?" Liz asked, smiling extra sweetly to her.
Maria actually growled at Liz, however playfully. "Cheat."
* * *
Later on in the day.
Max threw his hands up in the air exclaiming, "Women. Aliens. Who understands either species?" Max asked reaching for a handful of chips.
Michael could see where this was going and decided to deliver a preempted strike for his own defense. "Well, at least i don't date outside my species"
So Michael wanted to deliver blows? Fine. Two could play at that game, thinking about it momentarily, Max could even see how this would benefit him in finding out what was really going on between the two. "Nah, you just make out with my sister." Max said throwing Michael a cold glare, before something Michael said dawned on him, and his hardened features softened into confusion and then a brotherly, over protective rage. "Wait, you dated Maria?" Max asked, wondering how this got by him without his finding out. "And stop coming down on Liz like that." Max warned calmly, though beneath the cool exterior
That caught Michael off guard. Where did Max come up with these things? Swallowing his chips down with a Snapple, Michael whirled around to Max. "What? No!" Michael shot back, finding it difficult to swallow not fully mashed up chips.
"Then what did you mean date within your species?" Max asked triumphantly, knowing there were no other aliens around, who Michael could refer to as 'his species'.
Michael sat back down and brought the Tabasco sauce and Snapple bottle over to his lap and unscrewed both. Glaring at Maxwell, Michael's dark brown eyes seemed to darken even more. "I meant..." Michael shrugged, this was pointless. "Maxwell, let it go." Michael shot at him.
Max straightened up and tore his eyes away from the baseball game on TV, to turn to look at Michael. "Look, if you have entered a rel-anything with Maria, i have a right to know." Max told him, then looked back at the screen. "He was safe!" Max yelled at the game, then turned to Michael, who seemed in a darker mood than usual.
Michael ignored Max's talk about the game, and paid attention only to Max's stupid statement. "No, you don't." Michael said spacing each word out carefully, to get his point through.
Max looked petulant. "Yes, i do." Max stated matter-of-factly.
Michael whirled around to face Max straight on, anger and annoyance rising in him. Since when was Maria and him the main discussion? "Max, what do you want?! Details?" Michael demanded, worried on some far off part in the back of his mind that Max would say yes- Talk about a person's image dropping in your mind.
Maxwell jumped at that. Finally, it seemed that Michael was starting to understand. "Yes!" Max called then did a quick recap on what he just said. It came out wrong. "No, wait, i didn't mean like that, i meant how did it all start-" Max began correcting and explaining himself.
That was it. Michael got up, and put the Tabasco sauce and Snapple drink down on the table. "Forget about it." Michael said in solid, don't push my buttons, no arguing tone of voice.
Max got defensive, and got up stalking after Michael in the man's somewhat run down apartment. "She is my sister, show some respect for her if not for me or else Michael." Max said in a harsh, commanding office tone of voice. "It is hard enough that I walked in on you..." Max said and paused putting his temper under control. "But to know that she is only good enough to make out with in your mind...and no I don't want to think anything else was going through your mind besides that...but not good enough to date, doesn't that just make it grand." Max spat, fuming by now.
"I-what? Hey, no." Michael said backing up, how had the ground gotten so shaky so fast? Glaring at Max, Michael stood his fall height, which was a little more then his and glared at him coldly. "I'm going to say this just once." Michael warned, "Whatever was between Maria and I is gone."
"You actually look sad about that." Max whispered his voice mimicking the confusion his mind was in at the expression on Michael's face. All the rage draining out of him, as though it was never there. How could he be mad at Michael when it was obvious the guy was as lost about relationships.
Michael shrugged and composed himself quickly, giving Maxwell a hard glare. "Do not." Michael stated like an argumentative little kid.
Max grinned at Michael. Max was taken back to memories of Michael as a young kid. "Do too." Max shot back, pulling up a barstool besides Michael at the kitchen counter.
"Do not." Michael said playing around with his beloved Snapple and Tabasco sauce again.
Max's whole look was one of 'give me a break'. Looking seriously at Michael, Max took a swig of his Snapple. "Look yourself in the mirror and tell me that." Max said issuing the challenge smugly.
"I don't want to." Michael muttered, then looked at Max. It was time to change the conversation, and seeing how sports was out of the question, what with the game being over, Michael decided to divulge Max with his new plan. "You know how we all," 'we' of course meaning aliens, "love Tabasco sauce on everything? Well, Snapple is the best drink in the whole world. So why not merge the two?" Michael asked, and poured a few drops of Tabasco sauce into the Snapple. "Want a sip?" Michael offered, deciding that if nothing else, would get Max off of the interest in his personal life. Something, which he never had before, and Michael wished would go back to that.
Max wasn't so easily thrown off track. "No." He said declining the drink that. Even to him, the guy who put Tabasco sauce on chocolate cake, seemed disgusting. Back to the subject at hand, Max thought to himself, before approaching it out loud again. "Why don't you want to look yourself in the mirror?" Max asked then pressed on relentlessly- He had caused this rip between Michael and Maria and by what ever powers that be, he was going to fix it! "Why Michael? Because you'll see the truth?" Max demanded.
Michael narrowed his eyes at Max. "No, be reminded I need a hair cut." Michael told him the truth that wasn't missing any irony as is.
Max grinned. He saw an opportunity and he was going to seize it. "You know, Maria gives good hair cuts-" Max begun just to be abruptly, and rudely cut off by Michael.
"No way, Maxwell." Michael said nipping that idea in the bud. "A lot of things i am willing to put in her hands- not my hair." Michael said making a sharp point of that.
Max's eyes narrowed dangerously at his best friend, this was, after all, his sister they were talking about. "What things??" Max demanded to know.
"Never mind." Michael said flatly.
"Michael!" Max raised his voice threateningly. "She is my sister and if you dare hurt her-"
"I wouldn't." Michael told Max and thought to himself, 'well, not intentionally anyway.'
"Good." Max said, now his turn to look like a pouting scowling kid. After an awkward silence, Max turned back to Michael. "So Snapple and Tabasco sauce, huh?" Max asked reached for the bottle mixed with the two inside.
"It's all the rage." Michael joked, in a flat monotone voice, but his smile was genuine.
~*~*~ There you got it! Please review!! ~*~*~
Maria walked over to the new customers who sat down in one of the side booths, two cool glasses of water in either hand, placing them down on the table in front of each, Maria stepped back and smiled a big wide charming smile. "Welcome to the Crashdown!" Maria greeted overly cheery which caused Liz to throw her a questioning look.
"Hi," The woman said and looked up from the menu. "What are your specials?"
Recalling today's specials, Maria began reciting them off of the top of her head. "We have the convention special, Heavenly Hash Special and the Trekkie special." Maria told them, then pulled her green pen with the bobbing alien head out of her pony tail and poised it above her note pad, to write their orders. Sure, it was demeaning working around with all this alien paraphernalia, but it was a job like any other, that brought in the cash, and that is what counted. Especially considering how much the up keep costs on the Jedda.
The man looked down at the menu, searching it intently. "I think I'll have the Tommy Lee Jones Bacon Basket." He read off then looked up at her, to make sure she was writing it down.
The woman after scanning the menu herself, and deciding the specials weren't to her taste, finally decided on a dish. By the time she actually ordered, Maria was close to ordering for her, she was so impatiant. "I'll have the Beam-Me-Up burger and a side order of Saturn rings and chili orbit." The woman said closing her menu.
"Cool." Maria replied, writing the stuff down. Sticking the pen back in her hair, Maria dumped her note pad into the pocket of her apron. Picking up the menus, Maria turned to leave and gave them a saccharine sweet smile. "I'll go put your order in."
Walking away, Maria rolled her eyes. She hated tourist season.
"Oh, wait! We'd like to order for drinks some Blood-of-Alien smoothies!" The man called.
Maria's step faulted, but she quickly recomposed herself and continued in her stride, indicating only with the barest of nods that she heard him. Reaching the diner counter, Maria banged the menus down in front of Liz, who was wiping the stainless steal top clean. "Tell your father, that you are changing the name of that smoothie." Maria told her sharply, then walked over to the kitchen window.
"One artery stuffer, and Cholesterol Burger along with a side order of high blood pressure." Maria called to Michael who was working in the kitchen, flipping burgers.
His reply to the order was to glare at her.
Maria rolled her eyes and walked away towards Liz. Walking up to the cashier, Maria clicked in the order. "He is so infuriating."
Liz who wasn't paying too much attention, except for stocking the fresh Men in Blackberry Pies on the rack, truly didn't know what her best friend was talking about and glanced over quickly at the diners. "The guy?" Liz asked innocently.
"Huh?" Maria asked and followed her friend's line of sight. "Oh, no not him. Though he must have the calorie count of a-" Maria stopped at the scolding look Liz was throwing her, she knew well enough what it meant. It meant: Behave yourself, they are customers. "Michael." Maria corrected her friend shortly.
"What about him?" Liz asked glancing over into the kitchen, to see him splashing some more grease around.
"He just." Maria looked for the word and couldn't find it, so she just decided to settle for a loud groan, that sounded more like a strangled animal.
"Oh." Liz whispered then looked around, it was slow around the Crashdown, now would be a good time to talk and have a good heart to heart. "What's going on with you two?" Liz inquired with a slight grin. Liz could hold in her laughter, could tame her smile, but she had no control over the twinkling sparkling in her eyes from amusement.
Maria actually looked uncomfortable as she waved her hand about dismissivly, tossing her wrist. "We had a... fling thing." Maria explained, a somewhat disgusted look on her face, as she shrugged off what she said by rolling her shoulders back.
Liz let out a small giggle, before clamping her mouth shut, and slightly rude funny noises sounding from her. "Oh is that the scientific term?" Liz asked, her whole face beaming with laughter. She wouldn't point out to Maria that she held out from her on such important information, about her and Michael. She'd let it slide just this once.
Maria glared at Liz, and pressed her already swollen lips tightly together, giving them an even fuller look. "Ha. Funny you know you really should be a comedian with your own stand up act." Maria snapped, then looked at Liz apologetically before moaning out desperately, "Don't go all Max on me about this too." Maria pleaded from her best friend, grabbing Liz's hands and looking at her with a 'you can't do this to me girlfriend' look.
"Max?" Liz inquired innocently, remembering she didn't get Max's answer really about what went on at their home yesterday.
Now it was Maria's turn to grin. The right side of Maria's lips twitched up, as she looked at Liz, like a cat would when playing with a bird and loving every squirming moment. "Ooo. peeked your interest now didn't I?" Maria asked, not managing to keep the gloating out of her voice. Quickly straightening up, Maria arched both brows inquisitively at Liz, looking almost giddy. Narrowing her eyes teasingly at Liz, Maria's grin just widened, passing her tongue across her teeth, she waited to see where that giant deep red blush covering Liz's cheeks would lead- Now the conversation was getting interesting!
"Stop teasing." Liz stammered after recomposing herself. Knowing that if she continued to stare at Maria's hyper happy look, she would turn only a deeper shade of red. So Liz devised the perfect plan: She looked down and began passing her hands nervously over her alien face apron, working the wrinkles out of the plastic material.
"Just returning the favor." Maria said leaning back, obviously proud of herself at causing her best friend to blush like that. Smiling like a goof ball, Maria looked like the epitome of the saying 'the bird who swallowed the cannery'.
Liz coughed and raised her head up at Maria. Rolling her eyes and laughing a short nervous laugh, Liz shrugged and shook Maria by the shoulders. "Anyway! What happened between you two?" Liz demanded, taking a quick peek over Maria's shoulder to make sure that Michael wasn't listening in. And as usual, he wasn't interested enough to do so, so naturally, he wasn't. The cost was clear for them to gossip.
Maria's mood dropped like that. Pouting, Maria rolled her eyes. "A temporary lapse of insanity on my behalf, I must've mixed the wrong oils together, probably got my 'Egyptian rain' oil mixed up with the sandal wood." Maria stammered on, blabbering. "Anyway," Maria said catching Liz's 'get to the point' look. "Instead of calm and relaxation. I got the wrong affect." Maria muttered in complaint, "And the fumes went to my head causing me to find Michael attractive and appealing." Maria finished looking completely disgusted with herself, and feeling like she needed to take a long bath, and scrub every inch of skin Michael had touched off. Maria scowled at the thought, she already did that last night and still felt dirty.
"So you got a whole alibi put together?" Liz asked amused with Maria's expressions.
Maria smiled at Liz, she knew when she was cornered. "Yep."
"Water proof?" Liz joked.
"Flame retardant too." Maria added proudly with a gloat while waving her index finger about like a pointer stick.
"Interesting." Liz giggled.
"Very." Maria said with a grin.
It was like the straw breaking the camel's back, and Liz couldn't stop laughing, even when she got weird looks from some of the customers, digging into their food. Calming herself down, Liz took in a deep breath, calming herself. "Okay, now Maria the truth!" Liz demanded.
Maria groaned loudly and rolled her head over her shoulders. There just was no escaping this, was there?! Maria wondered to herself, then decided to fess up, quickly and painlessly. "Ugh, I don't know, I found him appealing and we had a few moments of passion." Maria confessed to Liz.
"Michael is capable of passion?" Liz asked jokingly, trying to lighten Maria's mood. A sweet little pixie smile playing over her lips, and her eyes sparkling mischievously. Liz was Maria's best friend, she had to at a certain point join in at least slightly, on the boy bashing.
"I know, I was shocked too," Maria said pursing her lips together, in a vain attempt to hold her laughter in. "But anyway," Maria sighed and continued with her story, this time actually letting facial facades fall away and revealed how hurt she was. "I thought we had something going, and he just saw it as a no strings attached type of a deal."
"Oh," Liz whispered and looked down at their silly white sneaker shoes. She didn't realize that it was this bad. Casting a mean look over Maria's shoulder at Michael, Liz continued to look around avoiding Maria's eyes for a moment, until she could come up with a good reply. She didn't and just said the first thing she thought, that came to mind. "I'm sorry."
Maria waved her hands about dismissivly, then ran her fingers through her hair and tossed the long blonde strands over her shoulders. "Nah, its okay girlfriend, I always knew he was a scumbag, its good I reminded myself of it before it got too serious." Maria said, surprising herself with her rationality, and calm logic about the situation.
"Would you have wanted it to?" Liz asked softly, while nervously nibbling on the inside of her cheek.
"Wanted it to what?" Maria asked, scratching the back of her neck and checking out if any of the sugar bowls needed refilling.
Liz's sympathetic look dropped and she gave her best friend a hard look. "Maria, stop playing innocent with me, this is me you are talking too! Liz Parker your best friend!" Liz reminded, in case Maria forgot- which, of course she knew she didn't. "Are you interested in Michael?" Liz asked tentatively.
"The truth?" Maria asked with a scowl, her lower lip standing out a bit more her pout deepening.
"Yes." Liz said simply.
"I was." Maria said low in her voice. Picking up a towel, Maria began wiping the already sparkling clean counter top. Maria tried to avoid Liz's third degree, and even though she knew she should walk away from the situation right away, Maria felt that she needed this girl to girl talk, to try and clear her mind, from all that fog called 'Michael Guerin'.
"But?" Liz pressed on carefully, feeling that she just stepped onto sinking soil.
Maria threw her towel onto the counter and turned 180 degrees to look Liz directly in the eye. "I don't know anymore, I guess if I could crack his thick skull, I would." Maria paused thoughtfully for a moment. "Sure. It's just. I feel sometimes like there is a connection. He throws off these vibrations." Maria began, trying to explain the funny feelings.
"Vibrations.?" Liz asked obviously not following and giving Maria a weird look.
Maria shook her head, and rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me like that, it isn't an alien thing," Maria whispered urgently, so no one would hear. "You are the one, after all, who has those flashes with Max." Maria pointed out, and if she was a drawing above her head by all rights should've been a bubble with the word 'touché`' in it.
Liz glared. How did they get back to this conversation again? "Okay, well," Liz began, stammering slightly and blinking a bit too much. "This isn't about Max and me." Liz reminded Maria- AGAIN.
"I know, but you are my best friend and he is my brother, I am entitled to be nosey." Maria said excusing her questions and smiling warmly, lovingly at Liz. "I just want to make sure, Max isn't a big a jerk as his best friend. Because, you know how that saying goes. The company you keep." Maria drawled on.
Liz decided to ignore and side step the change of topic. So she just threw Maria a sarcastic look. "Yeah. Nosey. Just not when the conversation is about you, right?" Liz asked, smiling extra sweetly to her.
Maria actually growled at Liz, however playfully. "Cheat."
* * *
Later on in the day.
Max threw his hands up in the air exclaiming, "Women. Aliens. Who understands either species?" Max asked reaching for a handful of chips.
Michael could see where this was going and decided to deliver a preempted strike for his own defense. "Well, at least i don't date outside my species"
So Michael wanted to deliver blows? Fine. Two could play at that game, thinking about it momentarily, Max could even see how this would benefit him in finding out what was really going on between the two. "Nah, you just make out with my sister." Max said throwing Michael a cold glare, before something Michael said dawned on him, and his hardened features softened into confusion and then a brotherly, over protective rage. "Wait, you dated Maria?" Max asked, wondering how this got by him without his finding out. "And stop coming down on Liz like that." Max warned calmly, though beneath the cool exterior
That caught Michael off guard. Where did Max come up with these things? Swallowing his chips down with a Snapple, Michael whirled around to Max. "What? No!" Michael shot back, finding it difficult to swallow not fully mashed up chips.
"Then what did you mean date within your species?" Max asked triumphantly, knowing there were no other aliens around, who Michael could refer to as 'his species'.
Michael sat back down and brought the Tabasco sauce and Snapple bottle over to his lap and unscrewed both. Glaring at Maxwell, Michael's dark brown eyes seemed to darken even more. "I meant..." Michael shrugged, this was pointless. "Maxwell, let it go." Michael shot at him.
Max straightened up and tore his eyes away from the baseball game on TV, to turn to look at Michael. "Look, if you have entered a rel-anything with Maria, i have a right to know." Max told him, then looked back at the screen. "He was safe!" Max yelled at the game, then turned to Michael, who seemed in a darker mood than usual.
Michael ignored Max's talk about the game, and paid attention only to Max's stupid statement. "No, you don't." Michael said spacing each word out carefully, to get his point through.
Max looked petulant. "Yes, i do." Max stated matter-of-factly.
Michael whirled around to face Max straight on, anger and annoyance rising in him. Since when was Maria and him the main discussion? "Max, what do you want?! Details?" Michael demanded, worried on some far off part in the back of his mind that Max would say yes- Talk about a person's image dropping in your mind.
Maxwell jumped at that. Finally, it seemed that Michael was starting to understand. "Yes!" Max called then did a quick recap on what he just said. It came out wrong. "No, wait, i didn't mean like that, i meant how did it all start-" Max began correcting and explaining himself.
That was it. Michael got up, and put the Tabasco sauce and Snapple drink down on the table. "Forget about it." Michael said in solid, don't push my buttons, no arguing tone of voice.
Max got defensive, and got up stalking after Michael in the man's somewhat run down apartment. "She is my sister, show some respect for her if not for me or else Michael." Max said in a harsh, commanding office tone of voice. "It is hard enough that I walked in on you..." Max said and paused putting his temper under control. "But to know that she is only good enough to make out with in your mind...and no I don't want to think anything else was going through your mind besides that...but not good enough to date, doesn't that just make it grand." Max spat, fuming by now.
"I-what? Hey, no." Michael said backing up, how had the ground gotten so shaky so fast? Glaring at Max, Michael stood his fall height, which was a little more then his and glared at him coldly. "I'm going to say this just once." Michael warned, "Whatever was between Maria and I is gone."
"You actually look sad about that." Max whispered his voice mimicking the confusion his mind was in at the expression on Michael's face. All the rage draining out of him, as though it was never there. How could he be mad at Michael when it was obvious the guy was as lost about relationships.
Michael shrugged and composed himself quickly, giving Maxwell a hard glare. "Do not." Michael stated like an argumentative little kid.
Max grinned at Michael. Max was taken back to memories of Michael as a young kid. "Do too." Max shot back, pulling up a barstool besides Michael at the kitchen counter.
"Do not." Michael said playing around with his beloved Snapple and Tabasco sauce again.
Max's whole look was one of 'give me a break'. Looking seriously at Michael, Max took a swig of his Snapple. "Look yourself in the mirror and tell me that." Max said issuing the challenge smugly.
"I don't want to." Michael muttered, then looked at Max. It was time to change the conversation, and seeing how sports was out of the question, what with the game being over, Michael decided to divulge Max with his new plan. "You know how we all," 'we' of course meaning aliens, "love Tabasco sauce on everything? Well, Snapple is the best drink in the whole world. So why not merge the two?" Michael asked, and poured a few drops of Tabasco sauce into the Snapple. "Want a sip?" Michael offered, deciding that if nothing else, would get Max off of the interest in his personal life. Something, which he never had before, and Michael wished would go back to that.
Max wasn't so easily thrown off track. "No." He said declining the drink that. Even to him, the guy who put Tabasco sauce on chocolate cake, seemed disgusting. Back to the subject at hand, Max thought to himself, before approaching it out loud again. "Why don't you want to look yourself in the mirror?" Max asked then pressed on relentlessly- He had caused this rip between Michael and Maria and by what ever powers that be, he was going to fix it! "Why Michael? Because you'll see the truth?" Max demanded.
Michael narrowed his eyes at Max. "No, be reminded I need a hair cut." Michael told him the truth that wasn't missing any irony as is.
Max grinned. He saw an opportunity and he was going to seize it. "You know, Maria gives good hair cuts-" Max begun just to be abruptly, and rudely cut off by Michael.
"No way, Maxwell." Michael said nipping that idea in the bud. "A lot of things i am willing to put in her hands- not my hair." Michael said making a sharp point of that.
Max's eyes narrowed dangerously at his best friend, this was, after all, his sister they were talking about. "What things??" Max demanded to know.
"Never mind." Michael said flatly.
"Michael!" Max raised his voice threateningly. "She is my sister and if you dare hurt her-"
"I wouldn't." Michael told Max and thought to himself, 'well, not intentionally anyway.'
"Good." Max said, now his turn to look like a pouting scowling kid. After an awkward silence, Max turned back to Michael. "So Snapple and Tabasco sauce, huh?" Max asked reached for the bottle mixed with the two inside.
"It's all the rage." Michael joked, in a flat monotone voice, but his smile was genuine.
~*~*~ There you got it! Please review!! ~*~*~