Evan sat in the jeep with one hand on the stirring wheel and the other one resting ever so lightly on the top of the windsheild. Lights were flashing and the music was loud from the desert party. They'd been sitting there for about thirty minutes, not one of them saying a word.
Maria had a sadden look upon her face when she saw Micheal arrive with Courtney. Evan knew how she felt about Michael. It was the same way he felt for Liz.
"Are you okay?" He finally said.
Maria closed her eyes fighting back her tears. "Yeah." She smiled fakely.
This was a side of Maria he had never seen before and it scared him a little. Maria was the kind of person to get histarical about the tiniest things, and for her to set there with nothing to say. Well it wasn't her. "We can go if you want."
"No. No." She said as she pulled down the visor to touch up her face in the mirror. "We're here to party, right!" She slapped the visor up and looked over at Evan. "And that my bestiest friend in the whole wide world… is what we are going to do."
Evan smiled. "Now that's what I'm talking about." He got out of the jeep and walked around to help Maria out of the jeep. "Let's rock this party."
"Don't ever say that again." She laughed as they made their way up to the gates.
"Just as long as you smile like that all night."
"Agreed."
--
Max and Maria entered the party hand and hand. The desert was crowded with people their age all laughing and dancing around bon fires, enjoying the last Friday night before school started back on Monday. They made their way over to a table of refreshments. Max took a coke from the tub of ice and handed it to Maria, who waved him off. He shrugged and poped the top turning up the can.
Maria tried to restrain herself from searching the grounds around her. But she couldn't help but to look for Michael. Her eyes stopped when she saw a familiar face enter the party. The small fragile girl with long dark brown hair paused at the gate as if she was looking for someone herself. To Maria's surprise Michael walked over to her leaning down to hug her tightly. Maria's heart sunk deep inside.
Max noticed the look on Maria's face. He followed her stare till he saw what she saw. The can in his hand fell slowly to the desert ground. "Liz,…"
Michael pulled back keeping Liz at arms length. "Hey, I gave up on you so I asked Courtney if she would accompany me."
"Who is Courtney? Should I be jealous?" She smiled.
"No. She's just a new girl your dad hired at the Crash Down." He let his left hand slide down her arms slowly taking her hand. "C'mon. Let me introduce you."
"Okay." She said softly.
Max started towards Liz and Michael. Maria followed after him. How dare Michael do this to Maria and with Liz? Max came to a dead stop in front of Michael and Liz. Maria pausing behind him.
"What are you doing, man?" Max asked.
Michael tightened his grip on Liz's hand. He glanced at the hurt on Maria's face then quickly fixed his stare on Max. "Max, I didn't want you to find out this way."
"Find out what?" Max snapped.
Liz felt so small next to Michael and Max. "Max, over the summer Michael needed someone to talk to. He came out to see me and well we got close."
Maria stepped in front of Max. "Are you saying that you and Michael are a couple?"
Michael bit his bottom lip. "Yeah. We are. I love her and she loves me. Now if you'll excuse me I hear our song playing." He brushed by Max as they walked away.
Maria reached behind her searching for Max's hand. "I think I'm gonna be sick."
"Yeah, me too." He replied.
"Can we just get out of here?"
Max clasped onto her hand and led her out of the gates. Liz was her best friend and Michael was like a bother to Max. How could they hurt them like this?
--
Maria sat on Max's bed. The room was dark with the exception of a lamp on the dresser by the window. The door opened and Max entered carrying two cups of tea. He handed one to Maria and took a seat in the chair by the dresser.
"Thanks." She said.
"Are you okay?" That was a stupid question he thought to himself. How could she be her heart was just ripped from her chest like his.
Maria took a sip of the hot tea. "What's wrong we me, Max?" She looked over at him. He was confused. She traced the tip of her cup. "I mean am I that nieve? I spent my whole summer longing to hear him say that he was wrong, that he couldn't live without me. And now it doesn't matter at all. It was a summer wasted."
Max sat his cup on the dresser and walked over to her taking her cup and placing it next to his. He sat down next to her on the bed and took her hands cradling them in his. "It wasn't wasted, Maria. We became best friends because we longed for each others friends. I don't think that that's wasted." He lifted her chin. "What if this was suppose to happen?"
She looked at him puzzled. "What are you saying?"
"What if all this happen to bring us together?" For some reason he hadn't felt mad or sad when he saw Liz and Michael for himself. He felt all those feelings for Maria. Over the summer he had felt something for Maria. He would catch himself staring at her as she worked at the café. He could feel his heart grow for her. He played it off as just friends but he knew it was more.
Maria looked into his eyes. She saw a sparkle that she just couldn't help but fixate on. As they sat there on the bed. Her hands in his she saw that twinkle grow and inside she could see the way Max saw her. It was amazing the beauty he saw when he looked at her. She could hardly breathe. "Max,…" She said as a tear lingered down her cheek.
He placed his index finger on her lips. "Shh…" He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. Pulling back to look into her eyes to see that same sparkle now in her once tear stained eyes. He reached over and kissed her again, this time longer and passionately.
--
Liz sat down the milkshake in front of Michael before taking a seat on the stool next to him. "Do you think they bought it?"
Michael played with the stair in the shake. "Yeah."
"I feel so bad. I mean did you see the hurt in Maria's eyes?"
"She must really hate me right now."
"Not just you. I'm her best friend." Liz added.
"I'm Max's brother. I'm the prince of our planet and I stabbed him in the back." He turned to look at Liz. "Tell me that we did the right thing."
"I don't know. I need a break from Max and the whole Tess and Alien thing. But it doesn't change the way I feel about him. About Maria."
"I couldn't be the solider going off to war with a girl back home. I needed her to think that I moved on and that I didn't love her. But the truth is… She's the only thing on this planet that I've ever loved. That makes me glad I'm part human."
Liz pushed her hair back. "Time will make everything better. It will. And when we are ready to begg them for forgiveness they will and we will all be okay."
"I sure hope so."
--
Maria laid in Max's arms. The sheet tucked around their bare bodies. The moonlight shimmering through the blinds.
"I always thought if I slept with an alien it would be Michael."
"Are you disappointed?" Max asked.
"Not at all." She snuggled in next to him. "Are you? I know you always wanted Liz to be your first too."
Max rolled over on his side to look into her eyes. "Not at all." He kissed her once again.