Here is chapter twenty, I just love the cliffie I gave you guys last time! I would have been pulling my hair out to find out. But that's just me. --grins-- Okay, I'll update if I get ten reviews again. (I'm evil, I know) Right now I am writing chapter thirty-one and well, let's just say... I won't even bring it up. Okay so here is chapter twenty:

Maria

Christine knocked at the door again, hoping that the address Dustin gave her was right.

It was. In the next second, Maria was opening the door.

She wasn't breaking out in hives, which made Christine sigh with relief. But Maria didn't seem all that happy that she was there.

"¿Que quieres? What do you want?"

Christine signaled to the basket of muffins in her hands. "I heard you were feeling under the weather and I decided to come over and give you these."

"Oh, really?" Maria asked suspicious.

Christine nodded furiously. "Oh, yes. There's blueberry and chocolate chip and-"

"Come in," her hoarse voice said.

Christine nodded and stepped inside the small apartment. It was a little bigger than hers, but not by much.

"Why are you here?" She asked her as she shut the door.

"I heard you were sick and wanted to bring you this. To let you know that I'll be here for you."

Maria still looked at her suspiciously, her tear tattoo under her left eye glistening. "No one has ever done that for me."

Christine handed her the basket. "I was concerned about you."

Maria smiled. She actually smiled! She didn't look at her suspiciously or anything. Christine didn't think that she ever saw her smile.

"Gracias, thank you very much." She stuffed her hands in her pockets as if she were shy. "No one has ever done that for me."

It was as if she couldn't get passed the fact that someone would do something nice for her but Christine smiled anyways.

Maria went to her kitchen. "You want something to drink? I have beer, water, coke."

Christine shook her head. "No thank you."

There was a little slab in the kitchen that overlooked the small dining room. Christine sat at the bar stool and she handed her the basket.

Maria opened it and began to eat a blueberry muffin. "Want one?"

Christine shook her head. "I already ate before coming."

Maria nodded. "Okay. Thanks again."

Christine looked around the small apartment, trying to get the courage to ask her what has been on her mind for the past day. How was she supposed to ask?

She looked around and saw that there were a lot of paintings on the wall.

"You made all these?"

Maria nodded. "Yep. That's how I got into college, actually. They liked my paintings a lot so I got a scholarship. You?"

Christine shrugged. "Singing. I mean, Maria these are really good. You should sell some of them or do a gallery. I know I'd buy one."

Maria nodded. "Been considering it. I need the money."

Christine chuckled. "You're broke too? Believe me, you're not alone."

Maria smiled again. "Yeah, its unbelievable."

Christine cleared her throat. "So how did you get this way? I mean, you just have a sore throat. It doesn't seem like you have a cold or anything."

Maria shrugged. "Maybe it's because I was walking around in the rain the night before."

"Oh?"

Maria nodded as she took another bite. "I was coming back from a date and since I had no car, I had to walk home. On the way, it started raining." She shrugged. "Maybe that was it. But I don't get sick very easily."

Christine nodded in thought. "A date, huh?" Maybe she had dated Erik and he had put something in her drink or in her food. Erik was a very determined person. She knew that. He would always get his way. She wouldn't past him to drug Maria in order for Christine to get the lead again. "What was he like? Black hair? Blue eyes? Attractive?"

Maria looked at her and started to laugh, then she started shaking her head. "I can't tell you what he looked like cause it wasn't a guy."

Christine looked at her in confusion. "Oh?" Then she realized it. "Oh." Then with complete understanding, she realized what she meant. "Oh."

Maria nodded.

Christine leaned in as if there was another person there that they had to keep a secret from. "You're a homosexual?"

"I'm a dyke."

Christine flinched. She hated that word and she didn't like the way that Maria had said it. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"Actually I'm bisexual, either way it's wrong in my family," Maria said biting again into her muffin. "They practically disowned me after they found out."

Christine shook her head. "Does anyone know?"

Maria shook her head.

"There's nothing wrong with people finding out. I mean, maybe in high school because we're still children but now, in college? We're adults. They won't say things behind your back or anything. I mean, look at Dustin."

Maria smiled too. "Maybe. But Dustin has a problem, he flaunts it."

"He's happy about it. He doesn't care what people think."

Maria shrugged. "Whatever. It doesn't matter, anyway."

Christine didn't say any more about it, knowing that Maria didn't want to talk about it, so she changed the subject. "So, how was the date?"

Maria rolled her brown eyes. "Boring. When I would talk, all she would do was look around the room. It was as if she didn't care about what I was saying. She's also a horrible kisser." Maria gave a disgusted look. "Bleh. The only thing I liked about her was her hair. I was thinking about dying it the same color. It would look nice on me."

Christine smiled and almost let out a long breath of relief. It wasn't Erik, it was a woman. She sighed, maybe she was being paranoid.

She made up her mind. She was being suspicious. There was no way that Erik would get involved again. He had lost her trust doing that. He wouldn't dare do anything that would betray the trust he was beginning to create with her.

He said so himself.

"I make great coffee, would you like some?"

Christine was snapped back into reality. "I beg your pardon?"

"Coffee. You want some?"

Christine looked at her watch. "Sorry, I can't. I have to go to work."

Maria looked disappointed.

"Rain check?"

Maria smiled and began to walk her to the door. "Sure. Anytime. I'll be here." Then she cleared her throat. "Maybe we can go see a movie sometime."

Christine froze when she was outside. "Actually I have a boyfriend. Well, ex, but there's this other guy-"

Maria burst into hysterical laughter. "I didn't mean it that way, Daaé. You're not my type anyways. It would never work out."

Christine laughed to herself. "Sorry. It's just that-"

"I know, I'll see you tomorrow. I hope you make a great Margarita. I'll be in the audience."

Christine laughed. "Okay. No problem. See ya."

Maria made sure Christine was in the car before she shut the door.

So it wasn't Erik! Huzzah! Okay, I knew that, but you didn't muahahaha...Okay, I'll stop now. If anybody gets confused, feel free to ask me in a review, I will answer them as thoroughly as I can. Coming up: Chapter Twenty-one: The New Margarita