Opposing Teams- Opposing Sides

(ON all Fronts!)

"Wait aren't we going to get a lane?" Maria inquired pointing towards the bowling lanes as Michael held the door for her to come into the Bowling Alley's Café. When Maria and Michael had entered he made sure they came a little earlier than the other guys from Meta-Chem. They were in a league tonight playing against the mechanics at the Garage where Kyle worked and he was worried if Maria would see Kyle she'd ask questions and start speculating his double booking fiasco. Michael intended this to be a fun date night, but he had unfortunately made the mistake promising his friends that he'd participate in their bowling league.

"I know but I thought we could catch a bite to eat first and talk," Michael replied with a smile.

Maria lips subtly turned upwards. Michael was become more and more attentive. It touched Maria that he had come so far. She once remembered him being very self-centered- not entirely his fault. After all, his upbringing with Hank did no good in the department of " a gentleman's etiquette" And while Maria understood all that it didn't refrain her from reminding Michael to be more gentleman like (to his dismay at times!)

"Ok" Maria simply stated as she took a seat in the chair Michael held out for her.

"What looks good? Hey! You like their Tuna Melts right?" Michael said as he glanced up from the menu.

"Yeah, they're ok," Maria replied while perusing the menu. She caught Michael looking at the menu very intensely. 'He must be really hungry- but then again, when was he never hungry?' Maria thought to herself as she chuckled silently.

As Michael gave the waiter their orders he began to drink some of the cherry coke that was placed in front of him.

"So, I never knew you liked to bowl," Maria said, trying to start a conversation. Michael seemed to be a little distracted. He looked around and tried to see behind Maria through the glass doors if the rest of the boys had arrived yet. He purposely had Maria sit with her back towards the bowling lanes in an effort to hide her from them whenever they arrived to play.

"Yeah I do every now and then," Michael stated looking past Maria.

Maria waved her hands in front of Michael as if to get him out of a trance. "Hello? Spaceboy? Everything ok?"

Michael startled a bit and then sat straighter in his seat.

"So when did you go bowling?" Maria asked trying to bring the conversation up again.

"Oh I never did."

Maria looked confused. "I thought you just said you did every now and then?"

"Oh well, like I guess a long time ago. I went with Max and Izzy like back in Middle School or something," Michael answered quickly thinking on his feet.

Maria nodded but wasn't fully satisfied by his answer.

As their food came to the table, Michael noticed from afar that the boys had just arrived. They had changed into their bowling shoes, shared a couple of laughs and commenced the game. Earlier in the day when Michael realized he double booked the Meta Chem bowling league with date night, he called Fly and came up with a plan so that Michael could still successfully partake in both. Fly told him that any announcements about a Ford Festiva on the PA system of the bowling alley would signal Michael that it was his turn to bowl. He was hoping he could keep Maria occupied with dinner while he bowled for the league and after the competition was over perhaps he and Maria would get a chance to play on their own lane. Together alone having fun. It was a mistake-proof plan! Michael was excited to have the best of both worlds at his fingertips. His new found friends and his wonderful yet babbling girlfriend.

Michael couldn't see the score from where he was sitting, and he was eager to find out whether his boys were kicking Kyle's ass or not. Michael began eating his fried chicken as Maria began taking small bites of her tuna melt. She was waiting for Michael to say something- anything! But all he did was chew and seem distracted. It didn't feel like he was vesting his time into this date as she felt he initially was. She knew he might be hungry or really tiered with working two jobs, but didn't he like to have fun with her? Was she that taxing on him? Was it such a chore for him to have fun with Maria?

All Maria could think about now was the scene that played just days earlier of when Michael arrived to the Crashdown for breakfast with the Meta-Chem guys. He laughed. He laughed. He had never laughed like that with her, never! Even Isabel noted that she had never heard a sound like that come out of Michael. Was she that much of a burden on him, that he couldn't even try to enjoy their time together?

After about a couple of bites of her sandwich and still no sound from Guerin she became a bit frustrated and distant. She out down her sandwich and pulled some hand sanitizer from her purse and rubbed her hands together.

"Are you almost done? Think we can play now?" Maria pressed trying her best to be persistent ignoring the tiredness of it all, as best as she could.

Michael simply grunted.

"This is not what I had in ….mind." Maria stated softly as she crossed her arms.

"I thought you like their Tuna Melts!" Michael said noting she hadn't finished her own.

"Yeah, when I'm in a Tuna Melt kind of mood," she replied simply as she sipped her cherry coke.

"What kind of mood are you in?"

Maria didn't respond. She just decided to keep sipping her soda, and tried being more patient. Patience with Michael was always the key.

Suddenly an announcement over the PA came on: "Would the owner of a ford festiva please go to the parking lot. You're lights are on!"

Michael recognized right away that it was Fly, and the Ford Festiva indicated it was code signaling Michael that it was time for him a turn in knocking Kyle's (and his team's) ass.

"Be right back!" Michael said as he headed towards the glass doors. Michael didn't seem to notice the look of shock plastered on Maria's face as he headed towards the door. She was baffled that he had been so distant during their date night and confounded that he just got up without any reason. Maria hadn't notice any hint of excitement that whole date expect just now when he left through the glass doors. She assumed he was going to the restroom but that thrilled?

It had been a lonely couple of weeks. Amy DeLuca was still in Las Cruces, Michael was working two different jobs and trying to remain a devoted boyfriend, yet Maria was still alone. Maria tried not to let Michael's antics get to her. She knew he was self-aware at times at how his behavior offended others. She forced herself to be everybody's rock.

She was Liz's shoulder to cry on when she vented about Max, she was her mother's obedient, self-sufficient, and independent daughter, and she was Michael's rug. The last one was a bit of an exaggeration she noted to herself, but that's what she truly felt like at times. He could always guarantee that no matter if he screwed up, or said or did something that accidentally hurt her, she would always be the understanding Maria she was forgive and forget and move on. That's what Maria was. The rock.

Maria was drowning and she may not have been aware of it either. Ever since Alex passed away it had left another void in her heart. Her father leaving, Alex dead, the threat of Michael leaving almost killed her. But then he stayed for her. He stayed. This made all the difference in the world to her. The only problem was that despite the fact that Michael stayed, he still took her for granted at times. She decided to shrug it off her shoulders. She accepted Michael for who he was. He was brought up by a heartless man. It wasn't Michael's fault. She had hoped by know through her affection and love a little bit of her sense of consideration had rubbed off on Michael, but he still had a long way to go. He knew he had to do more, but he knew she would be there every step beside his evolution.

That's what he loved about her. Maria always understood that beneath the screw up exterior there was someone who loved her and protected her so much. Michael loved her and would do anything out of his way to protect her. She had saved him in more ways than one and in an instant he would be there to do the same. The only thing he was unaware of was the fact that it wouldn't kill him to take the time to listen more to Maria or to be more attentive. If he had, he would've realized the loneliness sweeping over her lately. Then he could see that the only way to truly protect her and saver he was to just be more aware and affectionate.

Michael came back abruptly through the glass doors almost causing Maria to jump out of her seat.

"You ok?" Maria asked half perplexed by his quick exit and entry.

"Yeah fine," Michael said as he went after the fried chicken leg on his plate.

Maria looked on with loving yet sad eyes. She quietly sipped her soda and decided there would be no benefit from questioning his peculiar antics. She looked around the restaurant at couples, and groups of friends in the café. They seemed to have already done the bowling thing, and were now celebrating their wins and losses over a peaceful dinner. Maria was giddy inside excited to bowl against Michael. She then looked down at her dress. Even though Michael had made a comment of looking nice in her outfit she wondered if she should've worn jeans instead for bowling.

"Want anything else?" Michael finally said.

"Yeah."

"What?"

"Anything but this," Maria stated in hopes of encouraging Michael to finally take her out to the lanes.

Just as Michael was about to say something, another announcement over the PA went up.

"Attention, please. Would the owner of the Ford Festiva please to the parking lot! Your trunk is wide open and your jack is showing!"

Michael began to chuckle having difficulty hiding it as he started to get up. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going now?" Maria asked frustratingly.

"I've gotta hit the head. I think have a bladder infection or something," Michael replied wincing as he pushed his chair in and left.

Maria sat with arms and legs crossed. She wasn't buying that one. She and Michael both knew he and his alien siblings never got sick! She was both agitated and disappointed. She had really done herself up that night, and all he said about the dress was that it was nice. That she looked nice. Just nice. She was tired of being called as nice. She had given up a lot for him, but it didn't matter. Alien stuff was always more important than other things. She was tiered for not seeming to come up higher on his list especially by now with everything they had gone through to be together.

Half worried and half feeling suspicious, Maria decided Michael had been gone long enough that she needed to see if he was indeed alright. She decided to head for the restrooms and call from the outside if he was ok.

As she went through the glass doors she saw Michael getting ready to bowl- with his Meta Chem Friends. Who was that looking on in pure agony? Was that Kyle?

As Michael's move resulted in a glorious strike leading his team to victory, shouts and cheers of celebration came in the air. Everyone around the bowling alley looked up smilingly at Michael and his friends noting the laughter and fun they seemed to be experiencing. Maria noticed as well.

Michael looked up and saw Maria standing up on the stand looking upset with her arms crossed. He knew he was in deep trouble and that she was going to rip him a part like she always did. Teflon Maria DeLuca style.

"I'm sorry," he started as he came towards her where she was seated. "I double booked I made a mistake because I promised the guys, and then I promised you-"

"Shut up," Maria stated cutting him off.

"Maria-"

Maria put her hand up to stop Michael from continuing. "Please I have something to say alright?"

"Ok let me have it."

Let me have it? Maria thought to herself. Is that really what he thought of her? Someone who just went off the handle for no reason? Didn't he understand that if she was going to lecture him that he truly deserved it? Unbeknownst to him, Maria had changed for the better. She commended herself for being more patient and passive with him but was agitated Michael didn't appear to notice or show any appreciation for it. She excused it as being just the way Michael was, but she wasn't sure just how long she could keep excusing it.

"The other day at the Crashdown you were there and they were there and Isabel asked me a question which I chose to-"

"Drop the plates out of surprise?" Michael said.

"Dropped the plates?"

"Yeah remember we went over this- she asked you about marriage and you freaked out-"

"No Michael that's not what she said, I mean she did… the point is there was more to the conversation than just the topic of marriage," Maria went out as Michael's ears perked up.

"She asked, 'is Michael laughing?' and you were. And I was jealous because I just- you never laugh like that with me," Maria replied softly.

"I do," Michael said a little concerned as he noted Maria's voice trailing off there in the end.

"No you've never laughed like that with me," Maria said shaking her head in disagreement with an uneasy smile. "I love you Michael, I love it when you're happy, and I love you." Her understanding was almost too much for Michael to bear. "And I know you haven't had the most happiest of lives, so this, you having friends, makes me happy."

"This is ok?" Michael asked as he pointed to his friends.

"Yeah this is ok," Maria replied.

"Maria, I didn't want this day to turn out like this. I was hoping I could make my friends happy by playing with them in the league, and I thought once it was done I could make you happy and you and I could play in a lane. Just you and me."

Maria shook her head again. "No. It's fine. You need to celebrate with you friends anyway," Maria said motioning towards his elated teammate's still high fiving each other and giving Kyle's group a hard time with some innocent ragging.

"No I want to end this night with us," Michael insisted he said as he lightly gripped her arm. He really wanted to make everyone happy, but it seemed to his disdain he was just disappointing everyone, especially Maria.

"Michael I think its good you have friends. I think it's important to have friends," Maria said as she casually took her arm out of his grasp. Even she herself wished she had more of a friend around. Had Alex been there she could've called him up to ask for advice. Liz was preoccupied these days with Max and helping him find his son while Isabel had her own personal life crises, which left Maria all alone. She kissed Michael's cheek and decided to collect her things from the café. Out of instinct Michael grabbed her arm once more.

"Wait where are you going? Come with us, even Kyle and his garage buddies will join probably."

Maria smiled. "I'm a little tiered Spaceboy." She said as she cupped his face. She didn't feel a part of the group. After all, Michael still hadn't formally introduced Maria to his new found friends. "Have fun," she said as she slipped her arm out of his grasp and pecked his cheek.

As he saw Maria walk off in the distance he couldn't help but wonder if she was really ok or not. She seemed to be so casual about it. It wasn't the way Maria usually handled things. He wasn't sure if this was an improvement or a sign of caution he needed to be worried about. Either way he was left standing uneasy about the whole scene that had just occurred.