Chapter 11: Angel

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, don't own anything except for Maria, her family, and some minor characters. I'm glad I've finally got to this chapter. It's an important one. "Let's get these teen hearts beating, faster, faster!" - Panic! At the Disco, "Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off." P. S. I should have established this earlier, but this story takes place in an unusually warm November, right after Thanksgiving. Warning: A long chapter! Long but important.

Maria woke up with no memory of how she got home. Her last memory was passing out in front of Griffin's after two shifts. She was filling in for Miranda Spitzer, daughter of Wolf Spitzer, who had the mumps. So how did she end up in bed? Who brought her home? Now this was a scary thought. She put her glasses on and gasped. There were seven flowers on her nightstand.

There were three red roses. Red as a ripe strawberry. Red as her best friend's eyes. And there were three violets. This reminded Maria of the poem, "Roses are red, violets are blue." And towering over the others a Queen Anne's lace. And there was a note that read: "Consider a new profession." And maybe whoever wrote this should consider a new profession as well - writing fortunes in fortune cookies! It was signed "C."

C? It must have been the Chameleon! That would make perfect sense. He was a lizard of mystery, that was for sure. And she was falling for him hard, she knew that by now. Her phone rang. "Hello?"

"Maria, is that you? Are you alright?" She knew that voice instantly. The Hungarian accent, the voice that resembled a long-dead actor's, the voice she heard in dreams now. The Chameleon's voice. Maybe I could play a trick on him, she thought.

"Is this C?" she asked.

"Um. . . yeah." He sounded so nervous.

"Are you the one who brought me home last night?"

"Uh huh."

"You know who I thought did?"

"Who?"

"This really great guy I know called the Chameleon."

"I like him already."

"I thought you would."

A moment of silence. "You know it's me, don't you, Maria?"

"Yeah. I was messing with you a little bit, I admit it. Sorry."

"It's OK. I was worried about what you would say when you found out it was me. I was afraid you would think I was creepy or something."

"I'm actually relieved to know you were there. It's scary to think of what could have happened if you weren't. How many times have you saved me by now? Four? Five?"

"I don't know. I wasn't keeping track. I'm just glad I was there, too."

"So, what were you doing when you found me?"

"Uh. . ."

"You can tell me anything."

"OK, I'm not going to lie to you, Maria. I was going to rob a jewelry store when you passed out and well, I couldn't just leave you there. You looked so vulnerable."

"You're so sweet, Chameleon. Riding the bus next to you five days ago when you were impersonating Wolf Spitzer was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Glad you think so. Listen, would you like to go to park with me this evening?"

"Yes! What time?"

"I don't know. What would work for you?"

"6:00?"

"Great! See you tonight."

They left their houses at 5:50, because the park was very close by. "What do you want to do at the park?" said Maria, taking his hand.

"I hadn't really thought about it."

"So, are we dating now?"

"I think so."

"I just never had a boyfriend before."

"Never? That's mind-boggling!"

"There was this one boy I liked. His name was Luther Lynxman. He was real cute and a talented artist. But one day, he came over to my house and he turned me down rudely. He even said he was only interested in me for me my looks and money. He would rather date the head cheerleader, Monique Fowl, who happened to be my art teacher's niece."

"He must have been really stupid to reject you. Where does he live?"

"I don't know anymore. Good riddance! What about you? What were your past relationships like?"

"Most of my relationships were when I was in disguise, because most women find me weird and unattractive. One time I dated Clarissa Starling. I don't remember why I was attracted, but she made me miserable. It took me less than a month to see her true colors. I broke up with her- or was it the other way around? I'm not sure, and I don't care. If I never see her again, it'll be too soon. Probably the girlfriend that lasted the longest, and the most recent, was Charmaine. But it turned out she only wanted me for my money, and she didn't love me at all. She dumped me a few months ago. Said she could never, ever, date a j-jailbird like me." A tear rolled down and his hands shook. "I wish I never ever met her at all," he said as his voice broke and he began to weep.

Maria put one hand on his shoulder and used the other to wipe his tears away. They sat on a bench. "It's okay," she said. "They won't hurt you anymore. Not as long as I'm here. You don't know where they live, do you?"

He smirked. "No. Lucky for them."

"There's something I was wanted to ask you."

"What?"

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-six." He was younger than she thought.

He looked around. "Nice weather, isn't it? What would you normally do on a day like this?"

"I'd ride my motorcycle. But unfortunately it's being repaired."

"Hmm," said the Chameleon. "Turn around for a second, Maria." She did. "You can look now." She gasped, for sitting in front of her was the same green and black motorcycle she had seen the other day. "Ready to ride, Red Baron?"

"Well, I don't have a helmet. Oh, hell with it!" She revved up his engine and took off.

It was bliss. It felt like everything was right in Maria's life. She had the Chameleon. He was her best friend, her boyfriend, her soul mate, her. . . everything! It was so perfect.

And then, as they were nearing the Petropolis Gorge, she heard a howl that stopped her heart. A familiar leather-clad trio descended. "Evening, Richie," said Rafael.

"That's the lamest insult ever!" said Maria."So what are you dunces doing? Did you remember to take your medication, Jerry?"

"No."

"Forget that!" squawked Jose. "We just wanted to give you a night you won't forget, a night money can't buy."

"Unless you three blockheads want to become roadkill," said the Chameleon, "you should leave Maria alone."

They laughed. "Ooooh," said Rafael. "Well, well, well. If it isn't your weird old boyfriend/bodyguard."

"Oh, we weren't planning on killing Maria tonight," said Jerry. "Right?"

"Right. At least not directly. Well, Freaky and Freakier, do you see the Petropolis Gorge over there? You know, with the river through it? We want you two to jump it. Just to see if it can be done. And know why you'll do it?"

"Ha!" said Maria. "I wouldn't even do it if you three had terminal cancer."

"Oh, you'll do it," said Jose. "Because we dare you!"

"We triple-dog dare you!" added Jerry.

"I don't get it," said the Chameleon. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Maria whispered, "They know I can't turn down a dare."

"Then I guess we have to do it. But first!" He turned into a can of Mace, with which Maria sprayed the blunderers. They screamed, and were kicked into the river, while Maria called T.U.F.F. and gave them a tip-off. The Chameleon resumed his motorcycle form. "Well, here it goes!" He was very worried about what would happen if they didn't make it, because his Molecular Transformation Suit wasn't supposed to get wet. But he didn't want to let Maria down.

Maria rode over the edge, crying, of course, "The Red Baron rides again!" Then they both screamed, for they didn't make it. They plunged, and went below the surface of the rapidly moving water.

Maria gasped. "Chameleon? Chameleon, where are you?" She panicked. She knew what could happen if his transformation suit got wet. She felt terrible for putting him in this situation.

Meanwhile, the Chameleon's head bobbed up downriver from her. He was dazed and in a lot of pain. He had been electrocuted and restored to his normal state, as always when his transformation suit gets wet. He hoped nothing happened to Maria. Though maybe he should worry more about his own safety. Unlike her, he had never been a great swimmer. Then the current dragged him further, he hit his head on a rock, and everything went black.

When Maria saw this, her terror increased tenfold. She swam over and grabbed him before he sunk. She dragged him to shore. "No," she cried.

The Chameleon's eyes were shut. He wasn't breathing. Maria couldn't feel a pulse. She tried performing CPR. There was no response. She couldn't call for help, because she feared her cell phone may be damaged. "Oh, no. Oh, no, no, please God, no." Tears poured from her eyes as she mourned him. It couldn't be. "I love you," she whispered. And now he would never hear her say that. She held his body close and wept.

A fly buzzed around them. Maria smacked it away. Then a long tongue shot out and grabbed it. It disappeared. She heard a weak voice utter "Fly!"

"Chameleon?" she said, daring to hope that he survived.

He blinked, then he sputtered and coughed. He looked around. "Maria," he said weakly.

"Chameleon!" she squealed, hugging him tightly. "You're alive!"

"I guess they ain't found away to kill me yet," he joked.

Then he said something she couldn't understand. "What?"

"Angel," he said. "You're an . . . angel."

"No, you're delirious."

"No. You must be an angel. You . . . saved my life."

Maria rolled her eyes but was glad he was alive. "Maria. . . There's something I have to tell you."

"Yes?" She leaned in closer.

"I. . ." He kissed her.

As his large gray-green lips met her smaller pink ones, they forgot everything else that was wrong with the world and became lost in this moment. They clutched each other tighter and for a moment Maria felt a tongue on her mouth.

They pulled apart and the Chameleon grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I got a little out of control."

"That was amazing." He turned into a fireworks display. Maria's eyes lit up and her smile grew.

He took her hand again and led her over a bridge. "What now, Angel? Another near-death experience?"

"No, maybe some other time. What's something you always wanted to do but never did?"

"Attend one of D.O.O.M.'s ice cream socials that I was never invited to."

"We can do even better than that. Let's have our own! November is a little cold for ice cream, so let's have it inside Baskin-Robin's."

Of course I wouldn't really kill the Chameleon! He's my favorite. I've decided to split this chapter in half due to length, so their date will continue in Chapter 12. In the future, the Chameleon will continue to call Maria "Angel." Please review and tell me which of my OC's is your favorite.