Michael watched her this day the same as every other, like some sort of
ritual that he must perform or he would cease to exist. Every day he
watched her go through the same routine. She would come into the Crashdown
and talk to Liz. Always giggling about some ridiculous girl thing, then
laughing hysterically about something else. Probably him. Lord knows how
much she loved to humiliate him. Then she would go into the back room, come
out minutes later in her uniform, and get to work.
On a regular day she would work from four o'clock until closing time at eleven. Always avoiding any table that he was sitting at. She wouldn't even glance in his direction anymore, and that was saying a lot because he was there before she got to work and left when the place closed. Luckily he had an excuse because his best friend just happened to be dating Liz Parker and so Max insisted that they be there all day long. Most of the time Michael pretended to be bored and he usually was, at least until she showed up.
"Why don't you just go over there and talk to her?" Max asked, attempting not to laugh at how every time Maria was in looking distance Michael zoned out. Zoning out didn't fit Michael Guerin. He was the most alert and aware person Max had ever met. A good thing too because it was needed in their near future.
"Who?" Michael responded, trying hard not to look back in her direction.
"You know who. Maria. Ever since you came back all you want to do is sit and stare at her. Why don't you try talking to her?"
"I would if I could, Maxwell, but some things are just too complicated. Not everyone can have the peaches n' cream relationship that you seem to have with Liz." Before his friend had a chance to argue, Michael slid out of the booth and walked out of the diner.
-------------------
Maria looked back at Liz incredulously after watching Michael leave the diner. "He actually left! The scumbag actually left!"
"Well, you have been ignoring him for a month." Liz said, dragging Maria into the back room. She could tell Maria was going to start being dramatic.
"So?" Maria pouted.
"Maria, you can't expect the guy to just stick around when you aren't even willing to glance at him, much lees talk. Nobody would do that, even for you." Liz explained calmly. She was really getting tired of the whole Michael-Maria thing.
"He wasn't willing to stick around when we were talking. I can't just forget that Liz. He abandoned me in the desert!"
Maria still remembered that day vividly. Michael had talked her into ditching school for a trip to the desert, just the two of them. He had seemed a little on edge and so she had been more than willing to go. Michael said he was going to take her to a place that he hadn't been to since he was a kid, a place that was special to him. It was beautiful and secluded and she knew he wouldn't have taken her somewhere like that unless he had real feelings for her, unless he loved her. They hadn't been there a full five minutes before Isabel had shown up. She dragged Michael away and Maria sat and watched as they argued about something. When Michael walked back over to her his face was utterly emotionless. She thought she had seem the end of that face months before. Michael hadn't even explained really. He just told her that they couldn't be together, ever. Then he drove off with Isabel, leaving her the keys to his bike. Tears formed in Maria's eyes as she remembered.
Liz watched her friend in pain, hating Michael Guerin because she knew he was responsible. And yet she also knew he loved Maria, even if he was too stupid to realize it back then. It also wasn't hard to figure out that Maria loved him to. Maybe there was some way she could fix their shattered relationship. It seemed like the only way she could help her friend.
On a regular day she would work from four o'clock until closing time at eleven. Always avoiding any table that he was sitting at. She wouldn't even glance in his direction anymore, and that was saying a lot because he was there before she got to work and left when the place closed. Luckily he had an excuse because his best friend just happened to be dating Liz Parker and so Max insisted that they be there all day long. Most of the time Michael pretended to be bored and he usually was, at least until she showed up.
"Why don't you just go over there and talk to her?" Max asked, attempting not to laugh at how every time Maria was in looking distance Michael zoned out. Zoning out didn't fit Michael Guerin. He was the most alert and aware person Max had ever met. A good thing too because it was needed in their near future.
"Who?" Michael responded, trying hard not to look back in her direction.
"You know who. Maria. Ever since you came back all you want to do is sit and stare at her. Why don't you try talking to her?"
"I would if I could, Maxwell, but some things are just too complicated. Not everyone can have the peaches n' cream relationship that you seem to have with Liz." Before his friend had a chance to argue, Michael slid out of the booth and walked out of the diner.
-------------------
Maria looked back at Liz incredulously after watching Michael leave the diner. "He actually left! The scumbag actually left!"
"Well, you have been ignoring him for a month." Liz said, dragging Maria into the back room. She could tell Maria was going to start being dramatic.
"So?" Maria pouted.
"Maria, you can't expect the guy to just stick around when you aren't even willing to glance at him, much lees talk. Nobody would do that, even for you." Liz explained calmly. She was really getting tired of the whole Michael-Maria thing.
"He wasn't willing to stick around when we were talking. I can't just forget that Liz. He abandoned me in the desert!"
Maria still remembered that day vividly. Michael had talked her into ditching school for a trip to the desert, just the two of them. He had seemed a little on edge and so she had been more than willing to go. Michael said he was going to take her to a place that he hadn't been to since he was a kid, a place that was special to him. It was beautiful and secluded and she knew he wouldn't have taken her somewhere like that unless he had real feelings for her, unless he loved her. They hadn't been there a full five minutes before Isabel had shown up. She dragged Michael away and Maria sat and watched as they argued about something. When Michael walked back over to her his face was utterly emotionless. She thought she had seem the end of that face months before. Michael hadn't even explained really. He just told her that they couldn't be together, ever. Then he drove off with Isabel, leaving her the keys to his bike. Tears formed in Maria's eyes as she remembered.
Liz watched her friend in pain, hating Michael Guerin because she knew he was responsible. And yet she also knew he loved Maria, even if he was too stupid to realize it back then. It also wasn't hard to figure out that Maria loved him to. Maybe there was some way she could fix their shattered relationship. It seemed like the only way she could help her friend.
