A few hours later, at school.
"Liz, I'm telling you, here's a chauvinistic freak." Maria argued to Liz, as they walked side by side towards their lockers.
"Don't you think you are exaggerating just a tiny bit?" Liz asked peeking at Maria from the side of her eyes, without turning to face Maria fully.
"If anything, I am understating." Maria said flatly. There was no arguing with her now. Pursing her lips together. Maria adjusted her hair back behind her ear, trying to fix some of the loose strands back into the fancy twist-and-fold pony tail she had some how managed to make in the morning over breakfast, and her mother's -once more attempt at being a Martha Stewart wanna-be.
Liz smiled sympathetically at Maria. She was her best friend. Maria was entitled to her playing along with this little game. And as much as Liz was controversial about Michael, after all under all of his rudeness he did pull through many a time and showed a softer side underneath. So Liz sighed, "Maria you are the queen of dramatics-" Liz was going on.
Maria broke in by placing her hand over Liz's mouth to hush her. Giving her friend a direct, give me a break look. Maria inhaled deeply, she was going to break many illusions right now. "Liz," Maria began nicely, still keeping up her tough chick act and giving her friend a 'ye young and innocent lass' type of a treatment. So what if Liz was probably finding it hard to breathe. "Michael dreamt about you too."
At that Liz stopped, her eyes widened in a doe like fashion and her lower lip dropped slightly, exposing her slight over bite. She fought for a while, with finding the right word till finally she managed to murmur out. "W-what?" Liz stuttered somewhat flabbergasted at the very notion that. Michael. Ew.
Maria sighed and held Liz's face in the palms of her hands. "Oh, I'm embarking on the corruption of innocence." Maria sighed dramatically, then pouted, her lower lip sticking out. Maria looked directly into Liz's big brown eyes. "Michael, is a male pig. And you were his pleasure slave."
Liz's whole jaw dropped, and if it wasn't for Maria's supporting hands holding her face gently between them, it probably would have fallen down to the floor, and right through it. "What?!?" Liz squeaked her voice reaching a new soprano high.
Maria smacked her lips together and closed her eyes. Her long black eyelashes lying upon her cheek, as she nodded slowly and solemnly. "Yep. I know. You should thank me. I put a stop to it." Maria said extra chivalrously. "And thus saved your virtue." Maria added proudly, with her chin held up high and a rather proud expression on it.
Liz was speechless. Shrugging off Maria's hands, rolled her arms in disgust, scrunched her nose and began a long row of 'ew ew ew ew', shuddering and shaking her arms in disgust, Liz kept letting out little squeals of horror as she skipped off to the girls bathroom. She had to wash herself. She felt tainted. "Oh. Ewww." Liz moaned in despair.
Maria sighed and leaned against the lockers. Slumping her shoulders forward she sighed and lowered her head. "I really should've had her smell some peach oil before telling her. It would have changed the whole out come of this." Maria murmured, before getting a hold of her courage once more and moving into the bathroom. "Okay. Liz," Maria began then made a face and looked under one of the stalls. Walking over to the door she abruptly knocked on it rather loudly. "Okay twinkle toes, the bathroom has been closed up. Move it!" Maria called, stepping to the side she tapped her foot eagerly against the floor until the girl came out, then swung her by the elbow away from the sinks. "Sorry, bacteria was found in the water. How about you just go now? This is private time. Oh, and make sure no one comes in. K? Kay." Maria rushed out in one sentence, as she slammed the door shut behind the weird stall girl.
Maria turned understanding and compassionate eyes, along with a very pouted face to Liz. "Come on, Liz. It's not that bad. Just, breathe." Maria encouraged her friend, as she came to stand behind her and collected her hair into a pony tail.. Just in case Liz's up-choke reflex would kick in at that moment. "Is it because he's- A Czechoslovakian?" Maria asked at last, biting her lower lip with some worry. Czechoslovakian? Alien? What was the difference. They were both code names.
Liz spun around and gave Maria a really nasty dirty look. "Maria." Liz said in her soft voice, which was now fueled with silent hurt. "You know it isn't that. I mean, I have you, Max. It's just. Well, no offence, but Michael is really just not my, um, cup of tea. Alright?" Liz asked then turned back to the mirror to examine herself. "I just need to breathe. Drink a lot of water. Breathe. A few smelling salts and a four by four." Liz explained with a slight frown marring her features. Liz smiled faintly and when she turned to look at Maria, she couldn't believe her widening brown eyes and started laughing. "Oh my god.. Maria!" Liz squealed, as she took in the contents of Maria's now displayed before her open bag.
"We have everything you asked for right here. Breathing? Well, you seem to be doing good just on your own, as for smelling salts, they're oils but they will do the exact same trick. And the-" Maria was cut off, by Liz's expression and how she was fingering the veil of water.
"Holy water? Maria. Do I even want to know?" Liz asked turning an exasperated expression to her friend. "I mean, I know Michael is kinda weird, sick, demented, freak," Liz then added in a rush before continuing with her original line of thought. "But, he's no Dracula."
"True. Dracula, only bit women while they were sleeping. He didn't dream of them as half naked belly dancers, all there for his pleasure." Maria added. Looking into the mirror she fixed her make up quickly, with the tip of her finger. "But, I figure this much. If it worked for Buffy, it can work for us. I mean, who is to say that this, a row of garlic, sun light and a cross or stake won't drive Michael away?" Maria asked, grabbing the bottle back from Liz and dumping it into her bag.
Liz threw Maria a look. "You've given this way too much thought." Liz observed finally getting over the shock of Michael's dream. "Now, repeat after me. You are not Buffy. You are not Buffy."
Maria sighed and looked quite forlorn. "I am not Buffy."
"There you go! Oh, Maria?" Liz asked at last, a soft smile on her lips.
"Yeah?" Maria asked, closing her bag and tossing it back over her shoulder.
"Thanks for saving my virtue from Michael." Liz teased, and when they both thought about it, they burst into giggles. "Alright. We still need a four by four." Liz joked, rubbing a fallen tear away from her eye.
Maria leaned against the sink and thought about it. A musing, conspiring, look in her eyes. "No. See, I want something more. Well, I want revenge. And not just any revenge. No sirry-bob." Maria said, running her long fingers lightly over the pale skin of her neck. "I want Michael to be jealous. Confused. Angry."
"You want revenge." Liz finally summed up, a pixie like smile pulling at her lips. "And I know just the thing." Liz said, eager to her Maria out. After all, it wasn't only her honor Michael had ruined. It was Maria's. And, what was better female bonding then getting back at a slim ball? "Um, look, you won't tell Max that I'm helping you right? I mean, he might get the wrong idea an-" Liz stopped when she saw the look on Maria's face. Shit. She gave her an idea.
"Hmm.. Telling Max. Option number one. But." Maria stopped and looked at Liz. "You have a plan. Tell me." Maria encouraged, now bubbling with excitement. "Liz.." Maria purred out, squeezing her friend's cheeks. "I love this face. You are wonderful. I know you have a plan, and you look so scheming. I've never known this side of you before. Oh wise one. Inspire me!" Maria said over dramatically.
"Good. I get it from being around you. You were the one who 'accidentally' spilled a cherry coke on Michael for getting you a thong last Christmas." Liz abandoned her stance by the sink, to fetch a book from her back pack.
"No, see Liz, he didn't get me **anything** last Christmas. When I confronted him about it, he said he was thinking -I repeat, thinking- about getting me a thong. Why do I even bother?" Maria sighed the last. Michael was a lost cause.
Liz waved her hand dismissivly at Maria. They would deal with the Christmas gift issues at another time. She opened up the book and handed it to Maria. "Maria, meet Mr. Pavlov." Liz said with an extraordinarily straight face.
Maria looked at Liz as though she lost it. "Huh?"
"Pavlov was a sociologist or psychiatrist kind of guy. He did tests of dogs. He would ring a bell and show the dogs food, making them drool. Eventually, the dogs learned the bell meant there was food, and started to salivate at the sound of a bell. It's positive-negative reinforcement. Whenever Michael does something good, give him a reward. Like a kiss. Whenever he does something bad, punish him. I just don't know how to do that part...."
Maria thought about it. Liz lost it. That was for sure... But she did have a point, and when the wheels in Maria's 'wicked' little mind spun, she almost felt bad for the alien scum ball. "You know... I couldn't agree more. And you know, it just so happens... I have the exact idea of how to do that, punish him that is." Maria added then got up and moved towards the door. "Just let me get my Jasmine oil, its good for prompting thoughts and motives, and then we'll talk. You will of course be my partner in crime further on, won't you? Or must I go into the details of the sensual love groove dance you did for him?" Maria asked with a piercing gaze.
"Hey, you wouldn't know who Pavlov was without me! I'm the brains of this operation...." Liz paused and seemed to lose some of her confidence. "Just, ah, just don't let Max know that and be aware that I'm not going to be the one who's going to punish him or reward him. That's your job."
"Deal." Maria said smugly, then opened the door. "Come on Liz, time's a wasting."
Liz stared after Maria. "Why am I starting to feel bad for Michael?" Liz wondered softly to herself under her breath, as she followed her friend through the halls of West Roswell High.
"Liz, I'm telling you, here's a chauvinistic freak." Maria argued to Liz, as they walked side by side towards their lockers.
"Don't you think you are exaggerating just a tiny bit?" Liz asked peeking at Maria from the side of her eyes, without turning to face Maria fully.
"If anything, I am understating." Maria said flatly. There was no arguing with her now. Pursing her lips together. Maria adjusted her hair back behind her ear, trying to fix some of the loose strands back into the fancy twist-and-fold pony tail she had some how managed to make in the morning over breakfast, and her mother's -once more attempt at being a Martha Stewart wanna-be.
Liz smiled sympathetically at Maria. She was her best friend. Maria was entitled to her playing along with this little game. And as much as Liz was controversial about Michael, after all under all of his rudeness he did pull through many a time and showed a softer side underneath. So Liz sighed, "Maria you are the queen of dramatics-" Liz was going on.
Maria broke in by placing her hand over Liz's mouth to hush her. Giving her friend a direct, give me a break look. Maria inhaled deeply, she was going to break many illusions right now. "Liz," Maria began nicely, still keeping up her tough chick act and giving her friend a 'ye young and innocent lass' type of a treatment. So what if Liz was probably finding it hard to breathe. "Michael dreamt about you too."
At that Liz stopped, her eyes widened in a doe like fashion and her lower lip dropped slightly, exposing her slight over bite. She fought for a while, with finding the right word till finally she managed to murmur out. "W-what?" Liz stuttered somewhat flabbergasted at the very notion that. Michael. Ew.
Maria sighed and held Liz's face in the palms of her hands. "Oh, I'm embarking on the corruption of innocence." Maria sighed dramatically, then pouted, her lower lip sticking out. Maria looked directly into Liz's big brown eyes. "Michael, is a male pig. And you were his pleasure slave."
Liz's whole jaw dropped, and if it wasn't for Maria's supporting hands holding her face gently between them, it probably would have fallen down to the floor, and right through it. "What?!?" Liz squeaked her voice reaching a new soprano high.
Maria smacked her lips together and closed her eyes. Her long black eyelashes lying upon her cheek, as she nodded slowly and solemnly. "Yep. I know. You should thank me. I put a stop to it." Maria said extra chivalrously. "And thus saved your virtue." Maria added proudly, with her chin held up high and a rather proud expression on it.
Liz was speechless. Shrugging off Maria's hands, rolled her arms in disgust, scrunched her nose and began a long row of 'ew ew ew ew', shuddering and shaking her arms in disgust, Liz kept letting out little squeals of horror as she skipped off to the girls bathroom. She had to wash herself. She felt tainted. "Oh. Ewww." Liz moaned in despair.
Maria sighed and leaned against the lockers. Slumping her shoulders forward she sighed and lowered her head. "I really should've had her smell some peach oil before telling her. It would have changed the whole out come of this." Maria murmured, before getting a hold of her courage once more and moving into the bathroom. "Okay. Liz," Maria began then made a face and looked under one of the stalls. Walking over to the door she abruptly knocked on it rather loudly. "Okay twinkle toes, the bathroom has been closed up. Move it!" Maria called, stepping to the side she tapped her foot eagerly against the floor until the girl came out, then swung her by the elbow away from the sinks. "Sorry, bacteria was found in the water. How about you just go now? This is private time. Oh, and make sure no one comes in. K? Kay." Maria rushed out in one sentence, as she slammed the door shut behind the weird stall girl.
Maria turned understanding and compassionate eyes, along with a very pouted face to Liz. "Come on, Liz. It's not that bad. Just, breathe." Maria encouraged her friend, as she came to stand behind her and collected her hair into a pony tail.. Just in case Liz's up-choke reflex would kick in at that moment. "Is it because he's- A Czechoslovakian?" Maria asked at last, biting her lower lip with some worry. Czechoslovakian? Alien? What was the difference. They were both code names.
Liz spun around and gave Maria a really nasty dirty look. "Maria." Liz said in her soft voice, which was now fueled with silent hurt. "You know it isn't that. I mean, I have you, Max. It's just. Well, no offence, but Michael is really just not my, um, cup of tea. Alright?" Liz asked then turned back to the mirror to examine herself. "I just need to breathe. Drink a lot of water. Breathe. A few smelling salts and a four by four." Liz explained with a slight frown marring her features. Liz smiled faintly and when she turned to look at Maria, she couldn't believe her widening brown eyes and started laughing. "Oh my god.. Maria!" Liz squealed, as she took in the contents of Maria's now displayed before her open bag.
"We have everything you asked for right here. Breathing? Well, you seem to be doing good just on your own, as for smelling salts, they're oils but they will do the exact same trick. And the-" Maria was cut off, by Liz's expression and how she was fingering the veil of water.
"Holy water? Maria. Do I even want to know?" Liz asked turning an exasperated expression to her friend. "I mean, I know Michael is kinda weird, sick, demented, freak," Liz then added in a rush before continuing with her original line of thought. "But, he's no Dracula."
"True. Dracula, only bit women while they were sleeping. He didn't dream of them as half naked belly dancers, all there for his pleasure." Maria added. Looking into the mirror she fixed her make up quickly, with the tip of her finger. "But, I figure this much. If it worked for Buffy, it can work for us. I mean, who is to say that this, a row of garlic, sun light and a cross or stake won't drive Michael away?" Maria asked, grabbing the bottle back from Liz and dumping it into her bag.
Liz threw Maria a look. "You've given this way too much thought." Liz observed finally getting over the shock of Michael's dream. "Now, repeat after me. You are not Buffy. You are not Buffy."
Maria sighed and looked quite forlorn. "I am not Buffy."
"There you go! Oh, Maria?" Liz asked at last, a soft smile on her lips.
"Yeah?" Maria asked, closing her bag and tossing it back over her shoulder.
"Thanks for saving my virtue from Michael." Liz teased, and when they both thought about it, they burst into giggles. "Alright. We still need a four by four." Liz joked, rubbing a fallen tear away from her eye.
Maria leaned against the sink and thought about it. A musing, conspiring, look in her eyes. "No. See, I want something more. Well, I want revenge. And not just any revenge. No sirry-bob." Maria said, running her long fingers lightly over the pale skin of her neck. "I want Michael to be jealous. Confused. Angry."
"You want revenge." Liz finally summed up, a pixie like smile pulling at her lips. "And I know just the thing." Liz said, eager to her Maria out. After all, it wasn't only her honor Michael had ruined. It was Maria's. And, what was better female bonding then getting back at a slim ball? "Um, look, you won't tell Max that I'm helping you right? I mean, he might get the wrong idea an-" Liz stopped when she saw the look on Maria's face. Shit. She gave her an idea.
"Hmm.. Telling Max. Option number one. But." Maria stopped and looked at Liz. "You have a plan. Tell me." Maria encouraged, now bubbling with excitement. "Liz.." Maria purred out, squeezing her friend's cheeks. "I love this face. You are wonderful. I know you have a plan, and you look so scheming. I've never known this side of you before. Oh wise one. Inspire me!" Maria said over dramatically.
"Good. I get it from being around you. You were the one who 'accidentally' spilled a cherry coke on Michael for getting you a thong last Christmas." Liz abandoned her stance by the sink, to fetch a book from her back pack.
"No, see Liz, he didn't get me **anything** last Christmas. When I confronted him about it, he said he was thinking -I repeat, thinking- about getting me a thong. Why do I even bother?" Maria sighed the last. Michael was a lost cause.
Liz waved her hand dismissivly at Maria. They would deal with the Christmas gift issues at another time. She opened up the book and handed it to Maria. "Maria, meet Mr. Pavlov." Liz said with an extraordinarily straight face.
Maria looked at Liz as though she lost it. "Huh?"
"Pavlov was a sociologist or psychiatrist kind of guy. He did tests of dogs. He would ring a bell and show the dogs food, making them drool. Eventually, the dogs learned the bell meant there was food, and started to salivate at the sound of a bell. It's positive-negative reinforcement. Whenever Michael does something good, give him a reward. Like a kiss. Whenever he does something bad, punish him. I just don't know how to do that part...."
Maria thought about it. Liz lost it. That was for sure... But she did have a point, and when the wheels in Maria's 'wicked' little mind spun, she almost felt bad for the alien scum ball. "You know... I couldn't agree more. And you know, it just so happens... I have the exact idea of how to do that, punish him that is." Maria added then got up and moved towards the door. "Just let me get my Jasmine oil, its good for prompting thoughts and motives, and then we'll talk. You will of course be my partner in crime further on, won't you? Or must I go into the details of the sensual love groove dance you did for him?" Maria asked with a piercing gaze.
"Hey, you wouldn't know who Pavlov was without me! I'm the brains of this operation...." Liz paused and seemed to lose some of her confidence. "Just, ah, just don't let Max know that and be aware that I'm not going to be the one who's going to punish him or reward him. That's your job."
"Deal." Maria said smugly, then opened the door. "Come on Liz, time's a wasting."
Liz stared after Maria. "Why am I starting to feel bad for Michael?" Liz wondered softly to herself under her breath, as she followed her friend through the halls of West Roswell High.