Living Nightmares (AU CC Adult) *Starting* - A/I needed!

[madroswellfan]

~Liz~

I laugh softly at Alex's antics. Do a dance on a table top? This is Alex for crying out loud. Not very likely.

"Alright, scaredy cat," I tease him lightly,"I'll go get it..."

I walk out into the cafe and grab the cd, coming back into the break room.

"Should we go upstairs and listen to it?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow. WOndering what's going on with him. He's so skiddish.

And something's not right with me either, but I can't quite put my finger on what. Oh well, I'll figure it out later, right? Or I'll just feel better later.

~~~~~ALEX~~~~~
"Should we go upstairs and listen to it?"
Im about to nod when I say, "What about Maria? I'd love to see her reaction at the same time...
Its at that moment when Jeff walks through the door between the cafe and the back. He gives me one evil stare before going into the kitchen...
But the door being open is long enough for the music in the cafe to reach my ears.
"Jump around! Jump around!"
And with that I'm jumping like a madman. It just seemed the right thing to do. I keep jumping like a maniac. I look at Liz, a mixture of confusion on my face, but I still don't stop.

[madroswellfan]

~Vilandra/Isabel~

"There has to be some sort of rational explanation..." Max begins and inwardly I can't stop from wanting to laugh.

"Nicholas... it has to be Nicholas..." Yes, I'm rather certain it is good ole Nicky... and I intend to find him and enjoy the fact that I'm the real me again. No more sick little gooy two shoes...

I simply nod, forcing myself to remain apparently calm rather then letting my frustration at his goodness reach me. He's taking his invisibility thing too well. "We all need to stick together... get everyone together and stay together. We need to figure this out... there has to be a logical explanation... who has he affected? Why is he doing it? There must be a reason."

"I'm sure we can figure this all out and get him out of here... we did it before... we..." I hear a sudden thud and again am forced to make myself keep from laughing.

I note some blood and inwardly feel some satisfaction at what is going on. I want to get back home to Khivar and I'll do what I have to in order to do so, but I'll have some fun in the meantime. "What the hell?! Why do people keep doing that?!"

"Maybe it's because no one can see you, Max." I say, not caring that I sound distant. "Let's just get to the others and we'll go from there." I can't wait to see what's happening with the others. I might have a good reward for Nicky... a very good reward for him.

~~~~~MAX~~~~~

"Isabel I'm not invisible. Why on earth would I be invisible?" I state simply. Why would I be invisible? It makes no sense. And why did Is sound so distant just then? I stop and point at the reflection of myself in car wing mirror. "See... I'm not invisible Is, stop goofing around..." I pull her onwards and we continue walking.

"Isabel are you ok.... you seem...different..." I state as finally the crash comes into view. As we reach the main street there are an awful lot of people screaming. I look at Isabel confused. "What on earth has he done..."

[Fehr'sBear]

Michael

While I'm talking, Maria lets out a frustrated sigh and gets up, grabbing her dry-erase board and marker as she erases everything on it and scrawls a message.

’Apparently I have lost my voice…One joke and I swear you’ll be walking away from this with a limp,’ she writes, holding it up as she underlines the last part several times. God, she can even be demanding on paper. Scary. ‘I can’t hear anything either.’ she writes below it, and I look at her, confused as she sits down and leans her head on my shoulder.

Okay, so one minute she's pissed and silent, and the next she's leaning on me? I don't understand this girl. I watch closely as she erases the board again, and writes ‘What are we going to do?’

"Well," I start, then remember she can't hear me, so I grab the board and erase it with one hand, scribbling my message on it quickly.

'There's something weird going on. On my way here to APOLOGIZE about the Courtney thing I got attacked by some FBI guy or alien hunter or something. I can't leave now...." Making sure she's gotten all that, including the bold apology, I erase the first part and keep going.

'But I can stay here and try to figure out what's going on with you if you stop smacking me.' This is going to be a long night.

[FaithfulAngel24]

*Maria*

Michael begins to speak again but thinks better of it. Instead he takes the dry erase board from my hands and scribbles a message on it. I swear the boy has the worst handwriting imaginable. Still seeing his own words in print puts me at ease.

'There's something weird going on. On my way here to APOLOGIZE about the Courtney thing I got attacked by some FBI guy or alien hunter or something. I can't leave now...."

Oh my goodness! He was attacked! All sorts of horrible scenarios run rampart through my mind. What if something would have happened to him while we were apart? Would he have never known how much I care about him. I simply can’t bare the thought.

After I’ve read over his explanation he erases the statement and begins to write again.

'But I can stay here and try to figure out what's going on with you if you stop smacking me.'

I tilt my head sharply to the sight and give him my best ‘yeah right’ glare. Taking the board from him I write. ’From the way you’ve been acting I am not going to make any promises.’

His expression falls and I immediately feel a tad guilty. What do I have to be sorry about? He’s the one who broke my heart not the other way around. Erasing the aforementioned words I compose another paragraph.

“I just don’t understand you, Michael. First you tell me you love me too much and then walk away. I spend the whole summer trying to get you just to talk to me but you continue to ignore me like the plague. Then you tell me that you want us to find out the truth together only to exclude me from your in-depth investigation of Courtney.”

I pause for a moment trying to force back the tears that threaten to fall. I won’t let him see me break down.

“What is it you want? It can’t be me because you had me and went to someone else.”

The pain of last nights events is still fresh in my mind.

[Fehr'sBear]

Michael

From the way you’ve been acting I am not going to make any promises.’ Maria writes after she's read my words, and I try to keep my face from falling. Whatever. If she doesn't want to believe me, or accept the apologies I've already made, that's her problem. There is no Courtney and me, besides, she's a skin.

“I just don’t understand you, Michael. First you tell me you love me too much and then walk away. I spend the whole summer trying to get you just to talk to me but you continue to ignore me like the plague. Then you tell me that you want us to find out the truth together only to exclude me from your in-depth investigation of Courtney. What is it you want? It can’t be me because you had me and went to someone else," Maria writes, her paragraph barely fitting on the small whiteboard. I can tell that she's about to cry, because her eyes are watering, and all I can think is that would be the icing on the cake this evening. She's not really listening to anything I'm saying.

Grabbing the chalkboard, I turn away from her for a moment to write my response.

'Listen. Courtney and I don't belong in the same world let alone the same sentence. I was NOT trying to get in her pants, I was trying to figure out her deal. She's a skin, which equals enemy. And I'm sorry that this bothers you so much. This is an apology, since I can't exactly say it out loud.'

Sighing, I rub out a hand cramp and turn back to her, watching and waiting as she reads what I've written. This is a very bad way to communicate, but obviously we have to deal.

Erasing the board yet again, I keep writing.

'I didn't include you because I didn't think you'd want to help, and I wasn't sure what I'd have to do to get information. But that doesn't really matter now, since Courtney is nowhere to be found, and I'm being attacked by someone else. Can we please just call it a truce for now?'

Maria's known to be stubborn, but I really don't like it when she's upset. Sure, I feel bad that she wandered in when she did, but I didn't do anything wrong. If she was trying to save her friends, she wouldn't kiss some guy? Well, in my case it was a girl, and Maria was pretty jealous of her, and I suppose I'd want to punch that guy in the face too...okay, so maybe I can see where she's coming from. But she's overreacting.

'And why did you have Alex punch me in the face?'

[FaithfulAngel24]

*Maria*

In a surprising move Michael takes the dry erase board and marker and proceeds to turn away so that he can write out a response. Exactly what does he thing he can put to make this all better. I know he was only doing it for information but I’ll never be able to condone him pimping himself out for a little intergalactic knowledge. It might have meant nothing to him ,but I’d just about bet it meant something to Courtney and I sure as hell know what it meant to me. That once again he and I were no where near the same wave length.

Is this how it’s always going to be between us? We keep doing this on again/ off again dance where we hurt each other as an off shoot of trying to protective each other. The cycle has got to end. He shifts back towards me so I look over his shoulder to read his explanation.

'Listen. Courtney and I don't belong in the same world let alone the same sentence. I was NOT trying to get in her pants, I was trying to figure out her deal. She's a skin, which equals enemy. And I'm sorry that this bothers you so much. This is an apology, since I can't exactly say it out loud.'

Courtney’s a skin! I always knew that bleach blonde tramp was the enemy. She had shifty eyes. You can tell a lot about a person by reading their eyes. In a moment of weakness I look up to stare into those whiskey colored orbs filled with defensiveness and hurt. There’s also something else there that I can’t quite pin point. I feel that no matter how close Space boy and I become he will always be a bit of mystery to me. An enigma if you will. He waits patiently as I scan the contents of his letter. I notice that his hand is giving him a bit of trouble and I feel a tad guilty.

'I didn't include you because I didn't think you'd want to help, and I wasn't sure what I'd have to do to get information. But that doesn't really matter now, since Courtney is nowhere to be found, and I'm being attacked by someone else. Can we please just call it a truce for now?'

I shake my head a bit disappointed by the turn of events. Will we never be able to resolve these feelings of distrust? Michael looks confused as he scribbles another sentence. I lean forward to read his handwriting.

'And why did you have Alex punch me in the face?'

To say I am shocked as well as surprised is quite the understatement. Alex tried to knock the block off of old Stone wall himself? I open my mouth to laugh but find that no sound comes out. Swallowing harshly I contemplate the seriousness of my situation. Will I never hear the sound of my own giggle again? Getting back to the business at hand I take the communications device we have forged and write,

“Alex decked you? Wow, I’m impressed. I didn’t think he had it in him.”

At Space Boys off putting look I quickly continue.

“I didn’t tell him to hit you. He found me at the Crash down after the incident. I was visibly upset. He asked me what was the matter and I told him. He held me for a while I…”

I so do not want to write cried.

“Got it out of my system and then he told me not to worry that he would take care of it. I had no clue as to what he was planning to do.” I admit with a shrug.

Forgetting that I can’t talk I mouth “He’s a good friend.” To myself.

Realizing that we should probably tell the others what is going on I wipe the board clean and begin to compose a new message.

“Look you did what you thought you had to do. I don’t have to like it ,but I also don’t have to accept it as okay behavior from someone I thought I had a good thing going with. I accept your apology. Let’s just let the subject of us lie for now. No matter what’s going on between us romantically you are still one of my best friends and we are both in way over our heads. I can’t hear or make a sound and you are being followed. We should find the gang and see if they can shed some light on what’s going on.”

I pause for a moment before looking up to read Michael’s expression. Needing to have a clear conscience I finish with “Maybe when this is all over we can finally say all the things we should have when we had the chance.”

[Fehr'sBear]

ooc: okay, this writing thing is messing me up, so in my posts, the blue is what Maria wrote, and the italic is what Michael is writing. lol

Michael

“Alex decked you? Wow, I’m impressed. I didn’t think he had it in him.” Maria writes on the board, and I glare at her as she tries to silently laugh. So not funny. I could kick his ass if I wanted to.

“I didn’t tell him to hit you. He found me at the Crash down after the incident. I was visibly upset. He asked me what was the matter and I told him. He held me for a while I…Got it out of my system and then he told me not to worry that he would take care of it. I had no clue as to what he was planning to do.” Maria writes, and I read it quickly, looking up at her. Obviously she was crying. Oh, great. She is really upset. More so than I imagined.

“He’s a good friend.” she mouthes, and I think to myself, remembering last night. That's exactly what I told him.

“Look you did what you thought you had to do. I don’t have to like it ,but I also don’t have to accept it as okay behavior from someone I thought I had a good thing going with. I accept your apology. Let’s just let the subject of us lie for now. No matter what’s going on between us romantically you are still one of my best friends and we are both in way over our heads. I can’t hear or make a sound and you are being followed. We should find the gang and see if they can shed some light on what’s going on.”

Comprehending everything she's saying...well, writing, I shake my head. We can't go out there now. Who knows how many of these guys there are? I mean, I got one, but now they are probably more pissed than before. I can't hold off people forever. I get tired. And Maria can't help if she can't scream.

Maybe when this is all over we can finally say all the things we should have when we had the chance.” Nodding at the last part, I go to talk out loud again, but stop myself. Taking the board from her, I erase everything, and start writing. God, I hate writing.

"I really don't think we should go out there right now, at least not until I've talked to Max. Can I use your phone?" adding more before she can get up and get the phone, I hold out the board. "And Thanks. I really am sorry." I add, looking up to judge her response.

[FaithfulAngel24]

*Maria*

Michael nods in understanding and goes to speak before realizing that it will do us absolutely no good. He takes the dry erase board from me obviously frustrated with our inability to converse vocally. I can’t say that it doesn’t annoy me as well. I’d give anything to be able to hear Space boy tell me to stop babbling. I watch attentively as he scribbles out a message.

"I really don't think we should go out there right now, at least not until I've talked to Max. Can I use your phone?" I start to rise but he motions for me to read the next part. "And Thanks. I really am sorry." His gaze is fixated on the board for a second and then he raises his eyes hesitatingly as if to gage my response. I offer him a sympathetic smile. I know he would never do anything to initially hurt me.

Leaning forward I press my lips to his ever so gently. I may not be able to express how I feel in words but there’s no doubting a kiss. I bound up from the bed and grab my green fuzzy phone off the nightstand. Michael raises an eyebrow at it’s appearance but I shrug it off. I like my things to be a little kooky. Considering the way my life is can you blame me?

[Fehr'sBear]

Michael

While I'm trying to interpret Maria's expression, she leans over, taking me by surprise. I hide the surprise as her lips briefly touch mine and I know this is her silent way of saying she accepts my apology. Trying not to seem a little overjoyed, being old stonewall me, I just watch as she gets up immediately and hands me her phone.

I glance down at the lime green furry mass in my hand and throw her a look, picking up the phone. Dialing Max's number, I grab the whiteboard. "Want me to tell him about you? Or just have him meet us here." I scrawl quickly, showing it to Maria as the phone rings.

I really don't know how he'll respond. He'll probably just tell me that I'm paranoid, and it was just a guy with a gun walking around, and he'll say that Maria's just lost her voice, and it's all coincidence. Because Max is always rational like that.

"Hello?" I say into the phone when it stops ringing, and I turn to Maria for an answer.

[madroswellfan]

~~~~~MAX~~~~~
As I'm looking at Isabel, my phone begins to ring. I sigh as I take it out of my pocket and look at the caller. Michael. Maybe he knows whats going on....
"Hello?"

"Michael?" I say carefully, not sure how to put this without sounding very strange. "Do you know whats going on? Why are there people screaming outside the crash.... why does Isabel CLAIM Im invisible when Im clearly not...and why on earth has my mother decided that Isabel and I don't exist?" I take a deep breath and say, "We're heading for the crash...you should come... this can't all be a coincidence right..."

I stop and then swallow before realising Michael had called me. "Michael....why did you call me? You never call me unless you want something or you think something.... chekislivakian is happening... you think something is happening?!....wait what happened to you?" I say quickly. "Have you heard from the others? Liz...Maria, Alex, Tess?" I say quickly, intentionally leaving Kyle out of the list.