Side Note: * sniff *well! The end is here! This is the last chapter, I hope
everyone likes it! Please review and let me know what you think! Glad
everyone has enjoyed the story so far! Alas, I don't own Roswell, however,
in my dungeon I do keep Michael.
Michael saw Maria following him outside. His tuna surprise, covered in Tabasco sauce or not, suddenly lost most of its appeal. He glanced back over his shoulder, and nearly dropped the tray. Maria... damn! He took a few more steps forward, managing to make it to the picnic bench before the thought struck again.
Damn, but Maria looked good in that outfit! He jealously wondered if that's the kind of outfit she'd worn when she had gone out with that college guy. 'If there really was a college guy. . . ..'
Maria thought she had caught Michael's' eye for the briefest of seconds. {Good. I'm unnerving him.} She thought to herself and hiked her skirt a little lower, just to show off her perfectly flat stomach a little better. When you've got it... Use it.
That was her motto.
Sauntering over to the picnic bench, Maria slipped into place beside Michael and leaned with her elbow on the table and looked up at him. "Michael, I implore you- Save yourself. Don't eat the tuna surprise."
He didn't want to, but it wasn't because of her asking him not to. He'd lost his appetite when he saw her tight shirt and short skirt. 'Maybe I should start picturing Maria like this... since the belly dancer dream really isn't working. At all.' He nodded and pushed the tuna surprise folding his hands on the table. Michael almost looked civilized for a second. "Whatever you say, Maria. So, why did you follow me out here? Wanted me to tell me more about your latest hot date?'
Maria grinned. 'Score. I got you, Guerin.' She thought to herself then waved her hand, dismissing that idea, though it was appealing to go on and on about your imaginary perfect boyfriend. "I do have SOME tact, Michael." Maria said pleased that he had listened to her and moved the tuna away. "Well, basically..." Maria began and felt nervous.
Should she even be doing this? Why did she let Liz talk her into following him? If she was going to be her latest lab experiment, she should at least be paid for this humiliation to come... 'Swallow it up, Evans.' she thought to herself. "I came to apologize for kicking you." She said in a rush.
"Is that all?" Michael didn't know what to think about her apology, and his tone reflected it.
Maria huffed. "Well, I figured we should, talk."
He shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I hate to point this out to you, but we're talking now." He paused a moment, and felt suspicion in the back of his mind. "Or was there something specific you want to talk about?"
Maria gritted her teeth. She had forgotten how difficult Michael could be. But that's what she liked about him, wasn't it? The challenge. And the kissing. Plus, the guy does know how to use his hands. "Just... Stuff. You've been looking like shit lately, what with those smudges under your eyes and all- You okay?" Maria ventured innocently.
"I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately," he answered. Maria's sweet expression made him feel nervous, and when he felt nervous, he felt defensive. Or was it aggressive? "You going to Mom me now, Maria? Check up on me every time I look a little tired? Although if you ever wanted to come into my room late at night, I don't think I'd mind."
Maria had two forces warring inside of her: The temptation to say, 'alright sailor, see you later' and the itch in her hand to smack him across the face. "Isn't Romeo suppose to be the one climbing Juliet's terrace?" She finally managed then wondered why she remembered that scene. Oh, of course, Liz and Max.
"Romeo only had a nurse to contend with, not his best friend," Michael pointed out, completely forgetting that Romeo would have been killed on sight by the Capulets had he been seen. Obviously he was not tired enough yet to forget everything he knew, but Michael wondered just how long that would take. He tried to change the topic. "So, what's with the new outfit?"
Maria looked down and shrugged. "I decided it's time for a change." She said simply, crossing her legs just the perfect way she knew that made them look extra long. "Plus, my 'hippie' clothing as mom puts it, are in the wash. At least its not a fish net top, right?" Maria asked wishing she could telepathically reach out to Liz and say: 'Score! Maria 1, Michael 0!'
He pulled his gaze away from Maria's legs. "Why are we not fooling around right now?" was on the tip of his tongue, and he swallowed to keep from saying it. 'Sometimes I wonder if I actually want Maria to get mad at me....' He poked his discarded tuna surprise. "You certainly don't look like the Maria I know. I'm actually surprised you didn't go to a costume shop and get some fish net stockings to finish of the look. Afterwards, you might have been able to go see Rocky Horror."
Maria wondered if the itch in her hand was to slap, smack, or punch him. "Yeah, well. At least Rocky had men enough who could wear garters and pull them off you know." Maria said then stood up slowly, unwinding her long legs and stretching. "What 'Maria is it that you know', Michael?" Maria asked leaning down, one hand on his shoulder, the other on his side on the table. "Max's good little sister?"
"Max's hippie sister," Michael quickly corrected. "The Maria who used to plot with me against her tyrannical older brother; who carries smelling salts in each of her pockets; the Maria who used to look like an individual. Now you look like the rest of them," He pointed back to the cafeteria. His gaze slipped up and down again, and he thought he might have been smiling. "But you still look hot."
Alright. Maria sat back down and stared at him. "I know I look hot." Maria told him then leaned down close and kissed him deeply. Pulling back, Maria winked at him. "Might look like the rest of 'em, but am still my own person." Maria said pulling out of her bag some smelling salt that smelt like 'Banana' and tossed it to him. "Enjoy!" She said moving to leave.
Staring at her, he barely managed to catch the tiny bottle. His mind was still faulting from the quick yet intense kiss. He managed to make his mouth work, and his voice was it's usual sarcastic self. "Yeah, well, you still looked hot when you were the old Maria," he muttered, as if just to get satisfaction from saying it. If she didn't hear, that was her own fault.
"I know I did, Michael." Maria said turning to him and smiling though this smile kinda came out looking sad. "Shame you didn't see how hot I was inside too. Only the outside."
'Ouch!' He mentally winced. Bitterly, he pocketed the banana crap and settled into his seat. Let Maria run away this time! "Beauty is in the eye of the holder, Maria. Obviously you see yourself on the inside. Inside, you probably see yourself as a cute little high school girl who can occasionally be a bad girl and a bitch. In reality, it's exactly the opposite."
"Yeah in reality, I'm a little green girl with orbs floating around my head and tentacles sticking out of the top of my head, while my three fingered hand waves hello to passers by!" Maria hissed at him.
"Better than being a hypocrite," Michael answered, even though he was no longer sure of what was going around.
"Are you calling me a hypocrite?!" Maria yelled at him, and then noticing they were gathering an audience, but refusing to let him get the upper hand this time. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up.
"You're not gonna have the tuna anyway, come on. I want to finish this conversation somewhere less public." Maria yelled and dragged him into the school.
He let Maria drag him, feeling like an idiot. But when they went by the eraser room, he took his wrist back and opened the door. It was empty, minus erasers. He pulled Maria inside, and shut the door, leaning against it with his arms folded across his chest. "This is less public. Where were we? Oh yes: I don't know what I was calling you. I tried to tell you that you were a bitch, and then you started talking about orbs and tentacles."
Maria put her bag down on the floor and stood opposite of him with her arms crossed over her chest. "Oh, so you think I am a bitch now, Michael? Real mature. Let me out of here. I don't want to be here with you."
"You did last time we were both in here," Michael pointed out blandly. "And given the fact that somebody has been sneaking into my dreams, I'm not really sure what else to call you, Maria. If somebody confronts me, I'll do my best to tell the truth but you... what are you trying to do? Make me feel like shit? Because if you are, it's working, Maria! I'm losing my sleep, I've lost my appetite thanks to the few times I manage to fall asleep and I start dreaming, and when I come back to school, you're trying to make me jealous. What else should I call you?"
Maria was fuming and felt a bit ashamed, maybe this really was all childish. "That's just the point Michael." Maria said trying to shove past him to get out the door. "Don't call me! God, I don't even know why I bothered, it's obvious you aren't mature enough for anything."
"I'm not mature enough. I'm not the one turning me into a science project!" he snapped. "Yeah, I know all about Liz too. I'm not your guinea pig, Maria, I'm you... I'm...." He weakly smiled. "Well, that's really the problem, isn't it, Maria? We don't what I am; what we are, both together and separately."
Maria stared at him blankly. Was Michael actually having a deep thought? "M- Michael.." Maria began staring up at him in confusion. "Michael, I know who I am." Maria said brushing her blonde bangs aside. "I know who you are. What you, Max and I are." Maria said then lowered her eyelids trying to figure the next part out, before looking up at him again. "I just don't think that we have a 'together'. We didn't last time, and don't go throwing Liz in my face Aladdin wanna-be."
He shook his head, almost looking a little sad. "How can we have a together when in the past we weren't sure we had a together?" he demanded.
"Weren't sure?" Maria asked staring up at him. "Michael, you were interested in one thing, that doesn't do for a relationship."
"Exactly," he said, hoping they were both on the same page again. "How can you say we won't have future when we never even had a past?"
"Because the future is based on the past Michael." Maria said cupping his cheek and looking into his eyes. "Michael, you didn't want a relationship. And now we are having a talk about 'us'. You are confusing me, and I don't have my lemongrass oil scents with me."
"That's... ah... unfortunate," he said, slipping his hands on her hips. His brain felt fuzzy, and he knew it wasn't from being confused. "How do you know I don't want a relationship?" he softly inquired.
Maria for the first time, probably ever, oil induced or not, found herself speechless, then let out a nervous little laugh, unable to bring herself to look away from his eyes. "Because I know you, Michael. 'The old ball and chain'? You take that too seriously and to unimaginable levels." Maria pointed out. "I've just come to realize that all of my trying won't help, you just aren't a relationship kinda guy." Maria said then used her free hand to brush the bangs out of his eyes. "I'm sorry I harassed you." Maria apologized.
"Does this mean you can get Richard Simmons out of my dreams?" he begged.
Maria nibbled her lower lip. "He really likes you Michael... I don't think I can bring myself to break his heart."
"Bitch," he teased, before pulling her close and kissing her with all the feelings he had been holding up since the last time they had been alone together.
Maria barely caught her breath before he crashed his lips against her. Still staring wide-eyed, it took her a few more seconds until she could finally bring herself to yield to the kiss. "Michael..." She whispered then shook her head, breaking the kiss and pulling back. "Does this mean-?"
He arched an eyebrow. "Does this mean what?" he asked. He couldn't answer her question if she didn't finish it. His fingers toyed with the hem of her shirt, and he wanted to kiss her again so words wouldn't get in their way once more.
"Michael, I still remember what you told me, that I am living in a fantasy thinking we have a relationship. If it's nookie you are interested in.... Then I'm sorry Michael, but I am a woman with other needs." Maria explained hoping he would get her drift.
Michael felt his face growing hot. "But if it's what you want, and if it makes you happy...." He took a deep breath and told himself to be a man. "No, Maria, I don't want a relationship, but you do. And I don't like fighting with you. At least, not when we really mean it. So I'm... willing to give it a try. But it will be hard. For me. Because... because I really like you. I especially like bantering with you."
"Really?" Maria asked arching her brow and wrapping her arms around his neck. "We're gonna have to change that top priority of yourself. Bantering just won't do." Maria said leaning up and kissing him, slowly deepening it. So what if he wasn't interested, he was willing to try for her sake and right now? That is all that counted.
That he cared enough to try.
That he cared.
When Maria kissed him, he tightened his grip, slipping his hand under the hem of her shirt to feel the soft skin of her back. There was not a doubt in Michael's mind that he cared for Maria, not know. He'd admit to a lot, when he was under pressure, but he'd never admit that he was scared of her. Since their "break up" he had been living in Hell, and he didn't want to go through that again. He didn't want to lose her, but he worried about the promise he had just made. Michael really didn't have a good grasp on how to go about having a relationship. So he held her close, glad that he still leaned against the door so nobody could walk in, and kissed like there was no tomorrow, because he wasn't sure there would be.
Max walked down the hall, carrying the tray full of erasers. Truth be told, he would have preferred detention. But he guessed this was a light sentence considering he was passing notes with Liz nonstop during Mr.Olson's class. But to clean all the erasers? Who would've known Mr. Olson even had so many. It was though he was saving them for this special day, to find some poor soul and have him clean all the erasers.
Placing his hand on the knob and balancing the tray on the other, very waiter like style, Max tried to open the door but found it stuck. Leaning forward, Max banged his head against the door. Great. Perfect. He could go find the key or... Sure, he preached to the others not to use his powers. But this was for a good cause. Getting out of school on time to walk Liz to the Crashdown before her shift began.
Closing his hand over the doorknob, Max narrowed his dark eyes on the lock and channeled pure energy through his hand. Finally he heard the click, and opened the door. Dropping his tray when the door opened and as it seemed the only support Michael and Maria had as they came crashing down to the floor. Maria atop Michael. For a moment, Max couldn't speak, could simply gawk.
But soon, his senses woke up and slowly the scenes on the editing room of his mind were gathering into the full picture. "Why the hell do you have your hand up my sister's shirt?!" Max demanded.
Michael saw Maria following him outside. His tuna surprise, covered in Tabasco sauce or not, suddenly lost most of its appeal. He glanced back over his shoulder, and nearly dropped the tray. Maria... damn! He took a few more steps forward, managing to make it to the picnic bench before the thought struck again.
Damn, but Maria looked good in that outfit! He jealously wondered if that's the kind of outfit she'd worn when she had gone out with that college guy. 'If there really was a college guy. . . ..'
Maria thought she had caught Michael's' eye for the briefest of seconds. {Good. I'm unnerving him.} She thought to herself and hiked her skirt a little lower, just to show off her perfectly flat stomach a little better. When you've got it... Use it.
That was her motto.
Sauntering over to the picnic bench, Maria slipped into place beside Michael and leaned with her elbow on the table and looked up at him. "Michael, I implore you- Save yourself. Don't eat the tuna surprise."
He didn't want to, but it wasn't because of her asking him not to. He'd lost his appetite when he saw her tight shirt and short skirt. 'Maybe I should start picturing Maria like this... since the belly dancer dream really isn't working. At all.' He nodded and pushed the tuna surprise folding his hands on the table. Michael almost looked civilized for a second. "Whatever you say, Maria. So, why did you follow me out here? Wanted me to tell me more about your latest hot date?'
Maria grinned. 'Score. I got you, Guerin.' She thought to herself then waved her hand, dismissing that idea, though it was appealing to go on and on about your imaginary perfect boyfriend. "I do have SOME tact, Michael." Maria said pleased that he had listened to her and moved the tuna away. "Well, basically..." Maria began and felt nervous.
Should she even be doing this? Why did she let Liz talk her into following him? If she was going to be her latest lab experiment, she should at least be paid for this humiliation to come... 'Swallow it up, Evans.' she thought to herself. "I came to apologize for kicking you." She said in a rush.
"Is that all?" Michael didn't know what to think about her apology, and his tone reflected it.
Maria huffed. "Well, I figured we should, talk."
He shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I hate to point this out to you, but we're talking now." He paused a moment, and felt suspicion in the back of his mind. "Or was there something specific you want to talk about?"
Maria gritted her teeth. She had forgotten how difficult Michael could be. But that's what she liked about him, wasn't it? The challenge. And the kissing. Plus, the guy does know how to use his hands. "Just... Stuff. You've been looking like shit lately, what with those smudges under your eyes and all- You okay?" Maria ventured innocently.
"I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately," he answered. Maria's sweet expression made him feel nervous, and when he felt nervous, he felt defensive. Or was it aggressive? "You going to Mom me now, Maria? Check up on me every time I look a little tired? Although if you ever wanted to come into my room late at night, I don't think I'd mind."
Maria had two forces warring inside of her: The temptation to say, 'alright sailor, see you later' and the itch in her hand to smack him across the face. "Isn't Romeo suppose to be the one climbing Juliet's terrace?" She finally managed then wondered why she remembered that scene. Oh, of course, Liz and Max.
"Romeo only had a nurse to contend with, not his best friend," Michael pointed out, completely forgetting that Romeo would have been killed on sight by the Capulets had he been seen. Obviously he was not tired enough yet to forget everything he knew, but Michael wondered just how long that would take. He tried to change the topic. "So, what's with the new outfit?"
Maria looked down and shrugged. "I decided it's time for a change." She said simply, crossing her legs just the perfect way she knew that made them look extra long. "Plus, my 'hippie' clothing as mom puts it, are in the wash. At least its not a fish net top, right?" Maria asked wishing she could telepathically reach out to Liz and say: 'Score! Maria 1, Michael 0!'
He pulled his gaze away from Maria's legs. "Why are we not fooling around right now?" was on the tip of his tongue, and he swallowed to keep from saying it. 'Sometimes I wonder if I actually want Maria to get mad at me....' He poked his discarded tuna surprise. "You certainly don't look like the Maria I know. I'm actually surprised you didn't go to a costume shop and get some fish net stockings to finish of the look. Afterwards, you might have been able to go see Rocky Horror."
Maria wondered if the itch in her hand was to slap, smack, or punch him. "Yeah, well. At least Rocky had men enough who could wear garters and pull them off you know." Maria said then stood up slowly, unwinding her long legs and stretching. "What 'Maria is it that you know', Michael?" Maria asked leaning down, one hand on his shoulder, the other on his side on the table. "Max's good little sister?"
"Max's hippie sister," Michael quickly corrected. "The Maria who used to plot with me against her tyrannical older brother; who carries smelling salts in each of her pockets; the Maria who used to look like an individual. Now you look like the rest of them," He pointed back to the cafeteria. His gaze slipped up and down again, and he thought he might have been smiling. "But you still look hot."
Alright. Maria sat back down and stared at him. "I know I look hot." Maria told him then leaned down close and kissed him deeply. Pulling back, Maria winked at him. "Might look like the rest of 'em, but am still my own person." Maria said pulling out of her bag some smelling salt that smelt like 'Banana' and tossed it to him. "Enjoy!" She said moving to leave.
Staring at her, he barely managed to catch the tiny bottle. His mind was still faulting from the quick yet intense kiss. He managed to make his mouth work, and his voice was it's usual sarcastic self. "Yeah, well, you still looked hot when you were the old Maria," he muttered, as if just to get satisfaction from saying it. If she didn't hear, that was her own fault.
"I know I did, Michael." Maria said turning to him and smiling though this smile kinda came out looking sad. "Shame you didn't see how hot I was inside too. Only the outside."
'Ouch!' He mentally winced. Bitterly, he pocketed the banana crap and settled into his seat. Let Maria run away this time! "Beauty is in the eye of the holder, Maria. Obviously you see yourself on the inside. Inside, you probably see yourself as a cute little high school girl who can occasionally be a bad girl and a bitch. In reality, it's exactly the opposite."
"Yeah in reality, I'm a little green girl with orbs floating around my head and tentacles sticking out of the top of my head, while my three fingered hand waves hello to passers by!" Maria hissed at him.
"Better than being a hypocrite," Michael answered, even though he was no longer sure of what was going around.
"Are you calling me a hypocrite?!" Maria yelled at him, and then noticing they were gathering an audience, but refusing to let him get the upper hand this time. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up.
"You're not gonna have the tuna anyway, come on. I want to finish this conversation somewhere less public." Maria yelled and dragged him into the school.
He let Maria drag him, feeling like an idiot. But when they went by the eraser room, he took his wrist back and opened the door. It was empty, minus erasers. He pulled Maria inside, and shut the door, leaning against it with his arms folded across his chest. "This is less public. Where were we? Oh yes: I don't know what I was calling you. I tried to tell you that you were a bitch, and then you started talking about orbs and tentacles."
Maria put her bag down on the floor and stood opposite of him with her arms crossed over her chest. "Oh, so you think I am a bitch now, Michael? Real mature. Let me out of here. I don't want to be here with you."
"You did last time we were both in here," Michael pointed out blandly. "And given the fact that somebody has been sneaking into my dreams, I'm not really sure what else to call you, Maria. If somebody confronts me, I'll do my best to tell the truth but you... what are you trying to do? Make me feel like shit? Because if you are, it's working, Maria! I'm losing my sleep, I've lost my appetite thanks to the few times I manage to fall asleep and I start dreaming, and when I come back to school, you're trying to make me jealous. What else should I call you?"
Maria was fuming and felt a bit ashamed, maybe this really was all childish. "That's just the point Michael." Maria said trying to shove past him to get out the door. "Don't call me! God, I don't even know why I bothered, it's obvious you aren't mature enough for anything."
"I'm not mature enough. I'm not the one turning me into a science project!" he snapped. "Yeah, I know all about Liz too. I'm not your guinea pig, Maria, I'm you... I'm...." He weakly smiled. "Well, that's really the problem, isn't it, Maria? We don't what I am; what we are, both together and separately."
Maria stared at him blankly. Was Michael actually having a deep thought? "M- Michael.." Maria began staring up at him in confusion. "Michael, I know who I am." Maria said brushing her blonde bangs aside. "I know who you are. What you, Max and I are." Maria said then lowered her eyelids trying to figure the next part out, before looking up at him again. "I just don't think that we have a 'together'. We didn't last time, and don't go throwing Liz in my face Aladdin wanna-be."
He shook his head, almost looking a little sad. "How can we have a together when in the past we weren't sure we had a together?" he demanded.
"Weren't sure?" Maria asked staring up at him. "Michael, you were interested in one thing, that doesn't do for a relationship."
"Exactly," he said, hoping they were both on the same page again. "How can you say we won't have future when we never even had a past?"
"Because the future is based on the past Michael." Maria said cupping his cheek and looking into his eyes. "Michael, you didn't want a relationship. And now we are having a talk about 'us'. You are confusing me, and I don't have my lemongrass oil scents with me."
"That's... ah... unfortunate," he said, slipping his hands on her hips. His brain felt fuzzy, and he knew it wasn't from being confused. "How do you know I don't want a relationship?" he softly inquired.
Maria for the first time, probably ever, oil induced or not, found herself speechless, then let out a nervous little laugh, unable to bring herself to look away from his eyes. "Because I know you, Michael. 'The old ball and chain'? You take that too seriously and to unimaginable levels." Maria pointed out. "I've just come to realize that all of my trying won't help, you just aren't a relationship kinda guy." Maria said then used her free hand to brush the bangs out of his eyes. "I'm sorry I harassed you." Maria apologized.
"Does this mean you can get Richard Simmons out of my dreams?" he begged.
Maria nibbled her lower lip. "He really likes you Michael... I don't think I can bring myself to break his heart."
"Bitch," he teased, before pulling her close and kissing her with all the feelings he had been holding up since the last time they had been alone together.
Maria barely caught her breath before he crashed his lips against her. Still staring wide-eyed, it took her a few more seconds until she could finally bring herself to yield to the kiss. "Michael..." She whispered then shook her head, breaking the kiss and pulling back. "Does this mean-?"
He arched an eyebrow. "Does this mean what?" he asked. He couldn't answer her question if she didn't finish it. His fingers toyed with the hem of her shirt, and he wanted to kiss her again so words wouldn't get in their way once more.
"Michael, I still remember what you told me, that I am living in a fantasy thinking we have a relationship. If it's nookie you are interested in.... Then I'm sorry Michael, but I am a woman with other needs." Maria explained hoping he would get her drift.
Michael felt his face growing hot. "But if it's what you want, and if it makes you happy...." He took a deep breath and told himself to be a man. "No, Maria, I don't want a relationship, but you do. And I don't like fighting with you. At least, not when we really mean it. So I'm... willing to give it a try. But it will be hard. For me. Because... because I really like you. I especially like bantering with you."
"Really?" Maria asked arching her brow and wrapping her arms around his neck. "We're gonna have to change that top priority of yourself. Bantering just won't do." Maria said leaning up and kissing him, slowly deepening it. So what if he wasn't interested, he was willing to try for her sake and right now? That is all that counted.
That he cared enough to try.
That he cared.
When Maria kissed him, he tightened his grip, slipping his hand under the hem of her shirt to feel the soft skin of her back. There was not a doubt in Michael's mind that he cared for Maria, not know. He'd admit to a lot, when he was under pressure, but he'd never admit that he was scared of her. Since their "break up" he had been living in Hell, and he didn't want to go through that again. He didn't want to lose her, but he worried about the promise he had just made. Michael really didn't have a good grasp on how to go about having a relationship. So he held her close, glad that he still leaned against the door so nobody could walk in, and kissed like there was no tomorrow, because he wasn't sure there would be.
Max walked down the hall, carrying the tray full of erasers. Truth be told, he would have preferred detention. But he guessed this was a light sentence considering he was passing notes with Liz nonstop during Mr.Olson's class. But to clean all the erasers? Who would've known Mr. Olson even had so many. It was though he was saving them for this special day, to find some poor soul and have him clean all the erasers.
Placing his hand on the knob and balancing the tray on the other, very waiter like style, Max tried to open the door but found it stuck. Leaning forward, Max banged his head against the door. Great. Perfect. He could go find the key or... Sure, he preached to the others not to use his powers. But this was for a good cause. Getting out of school on time to walk Liz to the Crashdown before her shift began.
Closing his hand over the doorknob, Max narrowed his dark eyes on the lock and channeled pure energy through his hand. Finally he heard the click, and opened the door. Dropping his tray when the door opened and as it seemed the only support Michael and Maria had as they came crashing down to the floor. Maria atop Michael. For a moment, Max couldn't speak, could simply gawk.
But soon, his senses woke up and slowly the scenes on the editing room of his mind were gathering into the full picture. "Why the hell do you have your hand up my sister's shirt?!" Max demanded.