Sunday 2PM Extraterrestrial Espresso, two blocks from the Crashdown, Roswell New Mexico.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice, Liz.”
“My pleasure, Mrs. Evans.”
“Please call me Diane, Liz.”
Liz Parker winced slightly. She didn’t really want to put any distance she could avoid between herself and someone THIS important to Max, but…….. “I’d love to call you Diane, Mrs. Evans….some day. But my parents really want me to address adults more formally and….well, they’ve been through a lot lately with the shooting at the Crashdown and….the bank vault problems and Lucy Frederickson… Well, I think for right now they need me to do what they want with this issue…”
Diane Evans looked at the girl and smiled. “Of course, Liz..” ‘This isn’t about adolescent rebellion,’ she thought. ‘Liz really does care about her folks, she doesn’t want to upset or defy them, it’s just the one thing that she won’t compromise about…..Max.’
“I kind of had an ulterior motive when I asked you here, Liz…..I wanted to give you a little background about my son.”
Liz sipped her tea and sat back, not volunteering anything, wondering where this was going.
“It isn’t really common knowledge, but both Isabel and Max were adopted, Liz. Their father and I found them wandering down a gravel road in the desert one night, when they were about six.” Diane watched Liz’s face carefully as she continued. “They didn’t have any identification, not even any clothing. They couldn’t remember their life before that time, not either one of them.”
Diane watched Liz keeping her face neutral, wondering why there wasn’t more of a sense of surprise, of wonder as she told the story.
“Neither spoke English, or any other language we tried. They couldn’t read, couldn’t write. We spent two years working hard to get them up to grade level so they could start school. It was like what ever had left them there had somehow erased the entire memories of their childhoods.” ‘She already knows this……there isn’t any part of this she didn’t already know. Did Max tell her…in the vault?’
“Max, and even Isabel to a lesser extent, have never really fit in because of that. I don’t know if they still have some catching up to do or what. Sometimes I almost think that Max knows about that time before we found them, ….that he’s keeping it a secret from us.”
The quick flash of sympathy that went across the girl’s face was more disturbing to Diane Evans than anything else. ‘My God……she knows. Whatever the secret is, she knows….He trusted her….and not us.’
Liz saw the look of shock…the look that turned into pain…the tears start to form in her eyes. “You know, don’t you? You know what has kept him so distant for all these years.”
‘Damn it. I can’t lie to her…..someday she will find out…..and she doesn’t deserve to hurt like this…she’s been too good to Max and Isabel….’
The sympathy in her eyes was plain when Liz looked back up at her. “Diane……I found out……but please don’t ask me. It isn’t my secret to tell.”
Diane looked at Liz with wide eyes as she continued, “It isn’t bad…or dangerous. Max is the finest person I’ve ever known, …..but he isn’t perfect. None of us are. He should have told you….I think he will someday….he was just …so frightened. In many ways he is ….so young. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you…doesn’t mean that his mother won’t always be the most important person in the world to him.”
“You are a very kind person, Liz. A poor liar perhaps, but a very kind person. I have a hunch I’m not the most important woman in Max’s life right now and, even in the unlikely event that I am, I rather think I won’t be for very long.”
“Mrs. Evans…..Diane. He has always loved you he’s just been……afraid. First of telling you…now I think afraid that he’s gone so long without telling you …..or maybe embarrassed, I don’t know. He’s loved me since the third grade and he would have never let me know if….if something hadn’t happened that made it impossible for him to not let me know. Heck, even after I knew, he was still afraid….of me…..for me.”
‘Loved her from the third grade…? That’s what Izzie said. How’s that possible?’ “Loved you from the third grade?”
“I didn’t believe it either until I saw…..well, I didn’t believe it either at first, but it’s true. And I think I’ve loved him since the seventh grade, but between his fears and….other things ‘I’m still going to get Isabel for that,’ we just never got together…”
“I know you are….together now, but you know that …well…you are the first girl that Max has ever gone out with, and although I’m sure you have dated before…”
“Three guys, Mrs. Evans, none for more than three dates, none really at all serious.”
“Well then, I’m sure you’ll understand that you shouldn’t get….too involved just yet….that Max is kind of new to this also….that he may not really understand yet about …… well…commitment.”
Diane watched as Liz shook her head, her lips in a broad smile. “I don’t think you understand how much your son does know about commitment, Mrs. Evans. He was committed enough to risk his life for me….to die for me if need be….to kill for me. I can’t really describe to you just what we did go through in that vault, at least not now. But we changed, Mrs. Evans. We both changed. There really isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for your son now…., or him for me.”
Diane Evans had watched as Liz talked about the vault and her face seemed so conflicted and intense as she’d spoken. Almost like…..terrible things had gone on in there….and beautiful things as well.
She really hadn’t known Liz before she’d come out of the vault. But she could easily believe what Philip had said…..easily believe that whatever intense experience had gone on in there had changed her profoundly. And she knew the same thing had happened with Max, not perhaps to the same degree, but it had certainly happened or at least started to happen, because it was still going on.
Her little boy…the little boy who used to find injured birds and nurse them back to health had killed……..not that those monsters hadn’t deserved it, but nonetheless gentle little Max had KILLED for this girl.
And she was right, of course. The fact that Max was….inexperienced….naive……unready really for boy-girl relationships really hadn’t mattered, still didn’t matter. He HAD committed to this young girl, even if not in a sexual way. And Liz was just as deeply committed, not much more experienced than Max but…committed that way too. The look in her eyes, …her very manner, ….. the fact that she would come meet her boyfriend’s mother like this…be honest and open and not defensive…be as kind and considerate as she had been…..oh yes, Liz Parker was committed….and there probably really wasn’t anything…..ANYTHING, the girl wouldn’t do for Max.
“I’m not sure Max is really ready for…..uh….anything, Liz.”
The quick smile reassured Diane Evans somehow. “I’m pretty sure he isn’t just yet either, Mrs. Evans.” Diane watched the girl start to blush as she continued, “But he will be someday….and so will I…..and that’s the last talk you and I will ever have on THAT subject. I certainly don’t want to know what you do with YOUR Mr. Evans. And I don’t think you REALLY want to know what I do with MINE.”
‘Well that pretty much laid it on the line,’ thought Diane Evans.
This 16 year old girl certainly thought she owned Max, if not body and soul, at least……well,....soul. And she apparently had designs on his body as well…..
Somehow that didn’t make her feel as uncomfortable as she thought it should have, and the concerns she did have suddenly were answered, almost as if Liz were reading her mind.
“If it helps….neither of us really has any doubts about where this is going….nothing to prove….nothing to make the other prove. I know how much Max loves me, even if the rest of the world doesn’t yet. He knows how much I love him. A friend of ours advised us to ‘go slow’ to avoid further upsetting our parents, and we are trying hard to do that because….Diane….the issue is really not in doubt. We are going to be with each other. We both know that. It’s going to come to pass…..it’s our destiny.”
‘You don’t often hear 16 year old girls talking about destiny,’ thought Diane Evans. ‘But you don’t really expect a couple of 16 year olds to not only survive a situation like in that vault, but to come out …stronger….in many ways better, than when they went in.’ Something very special was going on here. Somehow these two were growing up almost overnight, their feelings for one another maturing at an amazing rate.
As unlikely as Liz’s assertions were, Diane Evans thought it would be foolish to bet against these two. ‘YOUR Mr. Evans and MY Mr. Evans, indeed,’ she thought. ‘You gotta love a girl like this,….no wonder Max does…..’
Diane Evans realized with sudden amusement that she was starting to love this young lady too.
Dominoes falling..... (M/L) Mature 9/26/06 complete
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Rowedog, ISLANDGIRL5, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, FSU/MSW-94, Forum Moderators
Monday 7:30 AM Evans Residence
Isabel Evans was a little bit frightened. Her world had been so predictable, and now it wasn't. And it was all his fault. "He" was of course, Alex Whitman.
As the reigning queen of the West Roswell Ice Princess Posse, her life had been so predictable. 'Shitty maybe,' she thought, 'but predictable.' Life had been about the envy of the other girls, the ability to attract the most desirable boys, and the preservation of Ice Princess status by dumping those same boys after one date, leaving them with their tongues hanging out and wishing....
'Yeah, it was shitty....but when you couldn't have a REAL life, it passed the time.' But of course, Alex had ruined that.
Isabel had read an article that said that teen boys thought about sex every seven seconds. She really couldn't tell if that was true or not, she wasn't a mindreader. But it was easy to believe it was true.
At one time or another she had dreamwalked most of the boys at West Roswell High, and if their dreams were any indication....well, it probably was true. She had justified her voyeurism to herself as a way to see if any suspected the secret, but she knew it was more than that. As the reigning Ice Princess, she had seen herself starring in many of those dreams. And usually she was just disgusted, and would move to another dream orb.
Occasionally she would come to a dream that was actually pleasant .....that had to do more with romance than.....well, plumbing. But those dreams were rare, and in three years of dreamwalking going back to the seventh grade, most of the times she'd seen the romantic dreams.....almost two-thirds of the time, she'd been dreamwalking ...Alex.
'Whatever else you had to say about Liz and Maria,' Isabel thought, 'they'd trained Alex well.' He actually thought of girls as ...people...not just as sex objects.
Alex's dreams had been a guilty pleasure of Isabel Evans for a couple of years. After Michael had lost it in the alley and powerblasted in front of Alex, she had been pretty sure that all those dreams about her would let her play on his emotions...not seduction, because that really wouldn't be necessary for Alex, but to play on his feelings for his dream of Isabel Evans to get him to keep quiet, and it had worked.
He might have turned Michael the Alien in, but he wouldn't do that to Isabel. He'd spent too many years of dreams dancing with her, protecting her, romancing her. Occasionally he'd get carried away in his dreams too, but even then....it was romantic, not just......well..plumbing.
After Alex had found out the secret she had dreamwalked him every night for a week, wanting to see if he was about to freak out, about to tell the secret. 'Or at least, that's what I told myself,' she thought. Because in her heart she knew when they'd held hands going back to the Crashdown to tell the parents Liz and Max were alive, ...even then she'd known he wasn't afraid of her.
She'd wanted, though, to see if anything had changed, if her being an alien would change the dreams he had about her. And it had. She could now powerblast in his dreams, too, and it didn't bother him a bit.
The dream last night had bothered Isabel, though. It hadn't been about her, ....not really, she hadn't even been in it. Alex had been walking out in the desert with well....a miniature Alex, really...about 5 years old. And as they had walked alongside a Yucca plant, they'd startled a rattlesnake and it had struck out at the young boy.....who had promptly powerblasted it.
Isabel realized that she was probably even more emotionally retarded than her brother who had loved a girl for 8 years without telling her about it, until she'd almost bled out on the floor of the Crashdown.
She'd never really believed she could have a real life....that's why she'd been doing the Ice Princess thing. But apparently Alex thought she could. She worried if she liked Alex for the wrong reason....because...he did know the secret, he was kind of ...more available than the other boys.....safer. Because if she only liked him...'loved him?'...for that, it really wouldn't be fair to him...or to her.
'Am I in love with Alex Whitman?' It was so hard to say. For someone who had spent a decade denying even the possibility of a serious relationship, for someone who had spent 3 years where even dates were just an elaborate game, ..counting coup against the tally of other Ice Princesses, she really didn't know.
But the room always seemed a little brighter when he was in it. She'd partnered with him on 4 get-togethers of the six of them, justifying it to keep track of what was going on with Michael and Max's relationship with their girls, but ....obviously Alex thought more was possible. He'd asked her to a real date, and she'd stalled, saying she'd have to check her schedule. 'Schedule, RIGHT......Monday, wish I had a life, Tuesday, wish I had a life, Wednesday, wish I had..........Isabel....Do you not see a pattern here?'
She decided she'd do it. They were all meeting at the Crashdown after school.... she'd tell him then. She'd accept. She didn't really believe that she could have a life...not really....but if she did have one....yeah, Alex would be a great guy to share it with.
Isabel Evans was a little bit frightened. Her world had been so predictable, and now it wasn't. And it was all his fault. "He" was of course, Alex Whitman.
As the reigning queen of the West Roswell Ice Princess Posse, her life had been so predictable. 'Shitty maybe,' she thought, 'but predictable.' Life had been about the envy of the other girls, the ability to attract the most desirable boys, and the preservation of Ice Princess status by dumping those same boys after one date, leaving them with their tongues hanging out and wishing....
'Yeah, it was shitty....but when you couldn't have a REAL life, it passed the time.' But of course, Alex had ruined that.
Isabel had read an article that said that teen boys thought about sex every seven seconds. She really couldn't tell if that was true or not, she wasn't a mindreader. But it was easy to believe it was true.
At one time or another she had dreamwalked most of the boys at West Roswell High, and if their dreams were any indication....well, it probably was true. She had justified her voyeurism to herself as a way to see if any suspected the secret, but she knew it was more than that. As the reigning Ice Princess, she had seen herself starring in many of those dreams. And usually she was just disgusted, and would move to another dream orb.
Occasionally she would come to a dream that was actually pleasant .....that had to do more with romance than.....well, plumbing. But those dreams were rare, and in three years of dreamwalking going back to the seventh grade, most of the times she'd seen the romantic dreams.....almost two-thirds of the time, she'd been dreamwalking ...Alex.
'Whatever else you had to say about Liz and Maria,' Isabel thought, 'they'd trained Alex well.' He actually thought of girls as ...people...not just as sex objects.
Alex's dreams had been a guilty pleasure of Isabel Evans for a couple of years. After Michael had lost it in the alley and powerblasted in front of Alex, she had been pretty sure that all those dreams about her would let her play on his emotions...not seduction, because that really wouldn't be necessary for Alex, but to play on his feelings for his dream of Isabel Evans to get him to keep quiet, and it had worked.
He might have turned Michael the Alien in, but he wouldn't do that to Isabel. He'd spent too many years of dreams dancing with her, protecting her, romancing her. Occasionally he'd get carried away in his dreams too, but even then....it was romantic, not just......well..plumbing.
After Alex had found out the secret she had dreamwalked him every night for a week, wanting to see if he was about to freak out, about to tell the secret. 'Or at least, that's what I told myself,' she thought. Because in her heart she knew when they'd held hands going back to the Crashdown to tell the parents Liz and Max were alive, ...even then she'd known he wasn't afraid of her.
She'd wanted, though, to see if anything had changed, if her being an alien would change the dreams he had about her. And it had. She could now powerblast in his dreams, too, and it didn't bother him a bit.
The dream last night had bothered Isabel, though. It hadn't been about her, ....not really, she hadn't even been in it. Alex had been walking out in the desert with well....a miniature Alex, really...about 5 years old. And as they had walked alongside a Yucca plant, they'd startled a rattlesnake and it had struck out at the young boy.....who had promptly powerblasted it.
Isabel realized that she was probably even more emotionally retarded than her brother who had loved a girl for 8 years without telling her about it, until she'd almost bled out on the floor of the Crashdown.
She'd never really believed she could have a real life....that's why she'd been doing the Ice Princess thing. But apparently Alex thought she could. She worried if she liked Alex for the wrong reason....because...he did know the secret, he was kind of ...more available than the other boys.....safer. Because if she only liked him...'loved him?'...for that, it really wouldn't be fair to him...or to her.
'Am I in love with Alex Whitman?' It was so hard to say. For someone who had spent a decade denying even the possibility of a serious relationship, for someone who had spent 3 years where even dates were just an elaborate game, ..counting coup against the tally of other Ice Princesses, she really didn't know.
But the room always seemed a little brighter when he was in it. She'd partnered with him on 4 get-togethers of the six of them, justifying it to keep track of what was going on with Michael and Max's relationship with their girls, but ....obviously Alex thought more was possible. He'd asked her to a real date, and she'd stalled, saying she'd have to check her schedule. 'Schedule, RIGHT......Monday, wish I had a life, Tuesday, wish I had a life, Wednesday, wish I had..........Isabel....Do you not see a pattern here?'
She decided she'd do it. They were all meeting at the Crashdown after school.... she'd tell him then. She'd accept. She didn't really believe that she could have a life...not really....but if she did have one....yeah, Alex would be a great guy to share it with.
Last edited by greywolf on Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Monday 3:30PM Crashdown Cafe
Maria and Liz had been in the birthday room of the Crashdown for about five minutes when Max, Michael, and Alex came in. Isabel, as usual, was 'fashionably late.'
"So what's the plan," asked Maria, looking at Michael.
.
"Well, Izzie and I have to meet with Sheriff Valenti at 5:00 for the 'Toys for Tots' planning group. So we need to figure that into the plan, whatever the plan is. According to the Sheriff that meeting normally lasts 15 minutes, so with Izzie chairing it....I'd say she and I'll be tied up from 5 until 6....at least," said Michael with a slightly exasperated look.
"My sister does love Christmas....always has. Putting her in charge of part of it....I wonder if Sheriff Valenti knows what he's doing....?"
"Well, Maria and I both have the late shift tonight. We need to be back to work by 7:00. How's this for a plan. We go to UFOnics until 5. Then Michael and Izzie can go to their meeting while the rest of us hang out at the mall...do some shopping, then back here by 6:15...I'll reserve the birthday room and we can all just have dinner here. Then you guys can go while Maria and I go to work."
There were general nods of agreement around the table. Alex said, "Sounds like we have a plan.....if it's OK with Izzie."
Maria took a sidewise glance at Liz who smiled, shaking her head slightly. Both knew what the other was thinking...Alex had fallen hard for his "Izzie." Michael looked at Alex and rolled his eyes skyward, Max watching it only smiled. His sister had been in a fog recently, and he rather suspected that Alex was probably in there somewhere with her.
"Well that leaves transportation...," said Michael.
'"Well six is too many for the jeep, besides we'll have to split up when Izzie and Michael go to their meeting."
"Not a problem. I got the folks old Volvo. Uh.....Izzie and I could ride in it, then I could drop off Michael and Izzie at City Hall for their meeting, and I could...wait there to pick them up...or...you know, maybe I could volunteer for the committee too. I mean I'd love to work with Izzie....uh and Michael...and you know...help all those tots..."
Liz and Maria looked at each other, their eyes rolling skyward and doing their best to avoid laughing. "OK, Alex. Uh....why don't you guys go get the cars and drive out back to the alley.....we'll bring Isabel when she shows up."
"Yeah, if she EVER does show up," said Maria, looking at her watch.
"Oh she'll be here, alright" said Max. "She's just on Isabel-time."
As the guys left to get the vehicles, a funny look came to Liz Parker. "Maria...I have an idea...."
Maria and Liz had been in the birthday room of the Crashdown for about five minutes when Max, Michael, and Alex came in. Isabel, as usual, was 'fashionably late.'
"So what's the plan," asked Maria, looking at Michael.
.
"Well, Izzie and I have to meet with Sheriff Valenti at 5:00 for the 'Toys for Tots' planning group. So we need to figure that into the plan, whatever the plan is. According to the Sheriff that meeting normally lasts 15 minutes, so with Izzie chairing it....I'd say she and I'll be tied up from 5 until 6....at least," said Michael with a slightly exasperated look.
"My sister does love Christmas....always has. Putting her in charge of part of it....I wonder if Sheriff Valenti knows what he's doing....?"
"Well, Maria and I both have the late shift tonight. We need to be back to work by 7:00. How's this for a plan. We go to UFOnics until 5. Then Michael and Izzie can go to their meeting while the rest of us hang out at the mall...do some shopping, then back here by 6:15...I'll reserve the birthday room and we can all just have dinner here. Then you guys can go while Maria and I go to work."
There were general nods of agreement around the table. Alex said, "Sounds like we have a plan.....if it's OK with Izzie."
Maria took a sidewise glance at Liz who smiled, shaking her head slightly. Both knew what the other was thinking...Alex had fallen hard for his "Izzie." Michael looked at Alex and rolled his eyes skyward, Max watching it only smiled. His sister had been in a fog recently, and he rather suspected that Alex was probably in there somewhere with her.
"Well that leaves transportation...," said Michael.
'"Well six is too many for the jeep, besides we'll have to split up when Izzie and Michael go to their meeting."
"Not a problem. I got the folks old Volvo. Uh.....Izzie and I could ride in it, then I could drop off Michael and Izzie at City Hall for their meeting, and I could...wait there to pick them up...or...you know, maybe I could volunteer for the committee too. I mean I'd love to work with Izzie....uh and Michael...and you know...help all those tots..."
Liz and Maria looked at each other, their eyes rolling skyward and doing their best to avoid laughing. "OK, Alex. Uh....why don't you guys go get the cars and drive out back to the alley.....we'll bring Isabel when she shows up."
"Yeah, if she EVER does show up," said Maria, looking at her watch.
"Oh she'll be here, alright" said Max. "She's just on Isabel-time."
As the guys left to get the vehicles, a funny look came to Liz Parker. "Maria...I have an idea...."
Last edited by greywolf on Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:57 am, edited 2 times in total.
Monday 3:37 PM The sidewalk outside the Crashdown Cafe
Isabel was hurrying to meet the gang, knowing she was late....late even by her standards today. She had been delayed unavoidably...she had to change the color of her lipstick..twice....and her nails...twice...and she was thinking now that she wished she had a mirror, because she wasn't sure the color of either her nails or her lipstick were quite right...or even matching, which had been the original idea. She wasn't sure what was wrong with her...she'd accepted dates before, and that was all she was going to do, .....accept a date. Except...everything was different this time.
Those other dates had been dates to nowhere. Going in, she'd known the outcome of each one of them. Heck, usually, she'd planned them.
The Ice Princess Posse would sit around together at lunch and judge the guys...actually assign numerical values to each of them. And then there was another sliding scale that was used, once you accepted a challenge from one of the other Posse members, based upon how quickly you got them to ask you out. For one date....just the one, because after that there were no points. And Isabel had always, always, had the highest score, despite the handicap of never going after anyone that was in a relationship with someone else. Points doubled if you dated someone who was already going with someone, tripled if they were going steady. Izzie had never done that, never challenged anyone in the posse to do that....but she was still the high scorer.
But this date was different simply because the outcome wasn't known. This wasn't about points, heck her Posse pals would have probably given Alex a four on a scale of ten, '...but those shallow bitches don't understand what a great guy he really is....how much fun he is to be with. Besides, I think I'm done with that crowd. Maria and Liz are a lot more fun.....Alex is a WHOLE lot more fun.'
Yes, Isabel wasn't stupid, she knew why she was more nervous than she'd ever been about accepting a date......this one would actually be real, and none of the others had been.
As Isabel Evans entered the birthday room she was surprised to see only Liz and Maria there, sitting at the table. As she approached both girls looked up at her, shock and horror written large on their faces.
"Maria..Liz..., What's going on?"
There was real anger in Liz's voice as she looked up at Isabel. "Isabel Evans....how could you keep that from him?"
Maria joined in, "Keep it from him?..." chimed in Maria, "How could you even think about doing THAT to him?"
'That? What was THAT?,' she thought. She was only going to accept a date. "I don't know what you mean..."
Liz's eyes were wide as she said, "Don't play innocent with us, Isabel. We know!"
"Know what?"
"Oh come on Is..., Michael and Max told us. We know. We know, and what's more Alex knows too," said an angry Maria.
With the exception of her parents and Alex, Isabel felt closer to Maria and Liz than she'd ever felt to anyone in her whole life. They not only knew the secret, but they had acceped her wholeheartedly despite the secret. She was really starting to worry....whatever the guys had told them, had clearly gotten them angry....and maybe a little frightened. She wondered suddenly if Alex now was angry....or frightened of her.
"Maria....Liz...I honestly don't understand what you are talking about."
Maria appeared to look at Liz and shake her head. "Apparently she doesn't even consider it abnormal enough to be concerned about."
"Consider WHAT abnormal," pleaded Isabel.
"Why, the ......sexual and reproductive habits of female aliens, of course....." said Liz.
"The WHAT???"
"You heard her..., the sexual and reproductive habits of female aliens." replied Maria, forcing Isabel to look back and forth between the two girls. "Michael told me the whole story and I told Liz. She didn't believe it until she cornered Max and he admitted it was true. How could you even THINK about doing that to Alex. He's our friend...he cares for you...What kind of a monster are you, Isabel?"
"What??? What did they tell you? What did they tell Alex?"
"Just the truth, Isabel....about your...physiology.."
"We know you can't help it," Maria added quickly, "because of the hormones and everything, but ....BEFORE it happens...before you......you know....mate, ...you should have warned him what would happen if you got seriously involved with him.....about the risk."
"MATE? HORMONES?? RISK?," Isabel had started to blubber, composure long gone, her mind totally confused by what was going on. "WHAT ARE YOU TWO TALKING ABOUT."
Liz looked at Maria with an expression of obvious concern, then looked back at Isabel with some sympathy in her eyes. "Do you think she might really not know?"
"That could be, Liz. I don't know how she could look Alex in the eyes like she's done for these last weeks....not if she really were actually PLANNING to do that to him. Maybe it's just....like instinct, and she really doesn't know about it until it happens."
"Maybe you're right, Maria. I mean...maybe that's how it happens with female praying mantis's and black widow spiders. Maybe until they actually do mate, they don't realize they are going to tear the head off their mate and eat it."
TEAR THEIR HEAD OFF AND EAT IT? WHAT DID THEY TELL YOU?"
"Only the truth, Izzie, that the reason they really were happy to have earth girls for girl friends is that after.....well, after doing IT, female aliens slay their mates.....drink their blood to provide nourishment for the growing embryos.....Oh, it's OK, we understand, we don't BLAME you, but you should have told Alex.....I mean...He should at least have a choice."
"Man did he ever freak when they told him, I never saw anybody get that pale," said Maria.
"It was a helluva shock for him, you got to admit that. He was probably entitled to freak a little...," said Liz, nodding her head sagely.
"Maria, Liz, they are lying.....I would NEVER..."
"It's not your fault, Isabel... really, we don't BLAME you," said Liz. "I mean, it's like Mendelian genetics, if your parenta are a blue plant, you are just plain going to be a blue plant. And particularly if you didn't know.....maybe it's just the guys who know, you know, because they've been having flashes about it since they hit puberty...all their wet dreams have ended up with the alien girl just....sucking all their blood out, you know. For your species it's just natural, I guess."
"I can definitely see why my Spaceboy would prefer an earthgirl though," said Maria....."...that whole idea is so....EEEWWW! And the thought of you doing that to poor dear Alex..."
"But.....but....they have to be kidding I mean, I would never......'Good Lord, I wouldn't....would I? Michael and Max HAD to be making that up...BUT WOULD ALEX KNOW THAT? Omigawd, he must have totally freaked....will I ever see him again????? Would he ever be able to look at me again ....'
"We're parked out back so as soon as Izzie gets here....Oh, Hi Isabel...you are looking particularly beautiful today," said Alex Whitman as he came in the back door.
As Maria and Liz burst into laughter, and Isabel just stood there sputtering, Alex realized he had no idea of what was going on. 'Izzie sure does look good today though. Her nails and her lipstick even match. I sure hope she'll accept that date.'
"Alex... we'll be out in just a minute. I have to discuss something with Maria and Liz....it's a...girl business, do you mind?"
As he turned to go Alex said, "OK Izzie, but don't be too long. I miss you already."
That sent Liz and Maria into even more gales of laughter, the tears coming down their cheeks as they looked at a really steamed Isabel.
"That was so not funny..."
"Well, neither was you dreamwalking me in seventh grade about Max being gay, either, Isabel, and this is only the start to payback for that." said a smiling Liz.
"You didn't really expect me to believe that 'drink the blood of my mate,' story did you."
"We had you going there for awhile. Besides, you got me to believe that 'Max is gay' story for a few months, and ....trust me, our story can't be any farther from the mark than that one,' replied Liz with a twinkle in her eye.
Isabel blushed and shook her head. "We better get going....our loverboys are waiting for us," she said with a laugh. getting up and going out the back door.
Maria high-fived Liz. "You are sooo bad, girl."
"Gee Ria, do you think if we'd told the story to Alex, he might have believed it?"
"Maybe.....but I don't think it would have stopped him if the opportunity presented itself.....He is so gone for her.... She better be good to him. Or alien or not, she answers to me."
"I have a hunch they're the real thing. I bet someday she even tells him that story.....hopefully not on their wedding night."
Isabel was hurrying to meet the gang, knowing she was late....late even by her standards today. She had been delayed unavoidably...she had to change the color of her lipstick..twice....and her nails...twice...and she was thinking now that she wished she had a mirror, because she wasn't sure the color of either her nails or her lipstick were quite right...or even matching, which had been the original idea. She wasn't sure what was wrong with her...she'd accepted dates before, and that was all she was going to do, .....accept a date. Except...everything was different this time.
Those other dates had been dates to nowhere. Going in, she'd known the outcome of each one of them. Heck, usually, she'd planned them.
The Ice Princess Posse would sit around together at lunch and judge the guys...actually assign numerical values to each of them. And then there was another sliding scale that was used, once you accepted a challenge from one of the other Posse members, based upon how quickly you got them to ask you out. For one date....just the one, because after that there were no points. And Isabel had always, always, had the highest score, despite the handicap of never going after anyone that was in a relationship with someone else. Points doubled if you dated someone who was already going with someone, tripled if they were going steady. Izzie had never done that, never challenged anyone in the posse to do that....but she was still the high scorer.
But this date was different simply because the outcome wasn't known. This wasn't about points, heck her Posse pals would have probably given Alex a four on a scale of ten, '...but those shallow bitches don't understand what a great guy he really is....how much fun he is to be with. Besides, I think I'm done with that crowd. Maria and Liz are a lot more fun.....Alex is a WHOLE lot more fun.'
Yes, Isabel wasn't stupid, she knew why she was more nervous than she'd ever been about accepting a date......this one would actually be real, and none of the others had been.
As Isabel Evans entered the birthday room she was surprised to see only Liz and Maria there, sitting at the table. As she approached both girls looked up at her, shock and horror written large on their faces.
"Maria..Liz..., What's going on?"
There was real anger in Liz's voice as she looked up at Isabel. "Isabel Evans....how could you keep that from him?"
Maria joined in, "Keep it from him?..." chimed in Maria, "How could you even think about doing THAT to him?"
'That? What was THAT?,' she thought. She was only going to accept a date. "I don't know what you mean..."
Liz's eyes were wide as she said, "Don't play innocent with us, Isabel. We know!"
"Know what?"
"Oh come on Is..., Michael and Max told us. We know. We know, and what's more Alex knows too," said an angry Maria.
With the exception of her parents and Alex, Isabel felt closer to Maria and Liz than she'd ever felt to anyone in her whole life. They not only knew the secret, but they had acceped her wholeheartedly despite the secret. She was really starting to worry....whatever the guys had told them, had clearly gotten them angry....and maybe a little frightened. She wondered suddenly if Alex now was angry....or frightened of her.
"Maria....Liz...I honestly don't understand what you are talking about."
Maria appeared to look at Liz and shake her head. "Apparently she doesn't even consider it abnormal enough to be concerned about."
"Consider WHAT abnormal," pleaded Isabel.
"Why, the ......sexual and reproductive habits of female aliens, of course....." said Liz.
"The WHAT???"
"You heard her..., the sexual and reproductive habits of female aliens." replied Maria, forcing Isabel to look back and forth between the two girls. "Michael told me the whole story and I told Liz. She didn't believe it until she cornered Max and he admitted it was true. How could you even THINK about doing that to Alex. He's our friend...he cares for you...What kind of a monster are you, Isabel?"
"What??? What did they tell you? What did they tell Alex?"
"Just the truth, Isabel....about your...physiology.."
"We know you can't help it," Maria added quickly, "because of the hormones and everything, but ....BEFORE it happens...before you......you know....mate, ...you should have warned him what would happen if you got seriously involved with him.....about the risk."
"MATE? HORMONES?? RISK?," Isabel had started to blubber, composure long gone, her mind totally confused by what was going on. "WHAT ARE YOU TWO TALKING ABOUT."
Liz looked at Maria with an expression of obvious concern, then looked back at Isabel with some sympathy in her eyes. "Do you think she might really not know?"
"That could be, Liz. I don't know how she could look Alex in the eyes like she's done for these last weeks....not if she really were actually PLANNING to do that to him. Maybe it's just....like instinct, and she really doesn't know about it until it happens."
"Maybe you're right, Maria. I mean...maybe that's how it happens with female praying mantis's and black widow spiders. Maybe until they actually do mate, they don't realize they are going to tear the head off their mate and eat it."
TEAR THEIR HEAD OFF AND EAT IT? WHAT DID THEY TELL YOU?"
"Only the truth, Izzie, that the reason they really were happy to have earth girls for girl friends is that after.....well, after doing IT, female aliens slay their mates.....drink their blood to provide nourishment for the growing embryos.....Oh, it's OK, we understand, we don't BLAME you, but you should have told Alex.....I mean...He should at least have a choice."
"Man did he ever freak when they told him, I never saw anybody get that pale," said Maria.
"It was a helluva shock for him, you got to admit that. He was probably entitled to freak a little...," said Liz, nodding her head sagely.
"Maria, Liz, they are lying.....I would NEVER..."
"It's not your fault, Isabel... really, we don't BLAME you," said Liz. "I mean, it's like Mendelian genetics, if your parenta are a blue plant, you are just plain going to be a blue plant. And particularly if you didn't know.....maybe it's just the guys who know, you know, because they've been having flashes about it since they hit puberty...all their wet dreams have ended up with the alien girl just....sucking all their blood out, you know. For your species it's just natural, I guess."
"I can definitely see why my Spaceboy would prefer an earthgirl though," said Maria....."...that whole idea is so....EEEWWW! And the thought of you doing that to poor dear Alex..."
"But.....but....they have to be kidding I mean, I would never......'Good Lord, I wouldn't....would I? Michael and Max HAD to be making that up...BUT WOULD ALEX KNOW THAT? Omigawd, he must have totally freaked....will I ever see him again????? Would he ever be able to look at me again ....'
"We're parked out back so as soon as Izzie gets here....Oh, Hi Isabel...you are looking particularly beautiful today," said Alex Whitman as he came in the back door.
As Maria and Liz burst into laughter, and Isabel just stood there sputtering, Alex realized he had no idea of what was going on. 'Izzie sure does look good today though. Her nails and her lipstick even match. I sure hope she'll accept that date.'
"Alex... we'll be out in just a minute. I have to discuss something with Maria and Liz....it's a...girl business, do you mind?"
As he turned to go Alex said, "OK Izzie, but don't be too long. I miss you already."
That sent Liz and Maria into even more gales of laughter, the tears coming down their cheeks as they looked at a really steamed Isabel.
"That was so not funny..."
"Well, neither was you dreamwalking me in seventh grade about Max being gay, either, Isabel, and this is only the start to payback for that." said a smiling Liz.
"You didn't really expect me to believe that 'drink the blood of my mate,' story did you."
"We had you going there for awhile. Besides, you got me to believe that 'Max is gay' story for a few months, and ....trust me, our story can't be any farther from the mark than that one,' replied Liz with a twinkle in her eye.
Isabel blushed and shook her head. "We better get going....our loverboys are waiting for us," she said with a laugh. getting up and going out the back door.
Maria high-fived Liz. "You are sooo bad, girl."
"Gee Ria, do you think if we'd told the story to Alex, he might have believed it?"
"Maybe.....but I don't think it would have stopped him if the opportunity presented itself.....He is so gone for her.... She better be good to him. Or alien or not, she answers to me."
"I have a hunch they're the real thing. I bet someday she even tells him that story.....hopefully not on their wedding night."
Jeff Parker wasn’t sure if he felt reassured or not. Liz CLEARLY was not about to stop seeing Max, or to give her parents any veto power over where she went or what she did with him…..but..she also seemed to be spending most of her time with him triple dating with Maria, Alex, Max’s sister Isabel, and the Guerin kid.
Triple dating was almost like the plan he’d tried to broker in the attempted deal in the birthday room, the one that had fallen through. Baby-steps…trying to build trust and confidence. And that’s what she appeared to be doing although she had made it abundantly clear to her parents that she had no doubts about Max whatsoever. Could it be that the two of them were taking baby-steps to reassure the parents?? That this was all about, going slow so the parents wouldn’t worry as much? She’d implied that in the first serious father-daughter talk she’d had, over coffee that morning. He hadn’t believed, at first, that she could possibly love Max Evans so much that she’d leave her parents, and they had almost lost her. Then he couldn’t believe she wasn’t so infatuated by Max, so centered on him, that she’d pay any attention to her parents. It almost seemed like he’d misjudged her….twice. Underestimated the maturity….the quality of person of his own daughter.
Maybe he’d have to give her more credit. Maybe he’d have to give both her and Max more trust.
And what had happened to Nancy? She had gone from considering Max almost evil incarnate, to talking about him like she wanted to adopt him.
Maybe it was time to just invite the kid over for dinner, and see what happens. Maybe everything would work out….after all.
Triple dating was almost like the plan he’d tried to broker in the attempted deal in the birthday room, the one that had fallen through. Baby-steps…trying to build trust and confidence. And that’s what she appeared to be doing although she had made it abundantly clear to her parents that she had no doubts about Max whatsoever. Could it be that the two of them were taking baby-steps to reassure the parents?? That this was all about, going slow so the parents wouldn’t worry as much? She’d implied that in the first serious father-daughter talk she’d had, over coffee that morning. He hadn’t believed, at first, that she could possibly love Max Evans so much that she’d leave her parents, and they had almost lost her. Then he couldn’t believe she wasn’t so infatuated by Max, so centered on him, that she’d pay any attention to her parents. It almost seemed like he’d misjudged her….twice. Underestimated the maturity….the quality of person of his own daughter.
Maybe he’d have to give her more credit. Maybe he’d have to give both her and Max more trust.
And what had happened to Nancy? She had gone from considering Max almost evil incarnate, to talking about him like she wanted to adopt him.
Maybe it was time to just invite the kid over for dinner, and see what happens. Maybe everything would work out….after all.
Thursday 7:30 AM The Crashdown Café
Jim Valenti was having coffee and a ‘rings of Saturn’ donut at the counter. Why not, he was a cop? The extra frosting would give anyone a morning lift….better than a maple bar even, he was thinking, as he contemplated ordering a second one. ‘Better not,’ he thought. ‘Amy DeLuca might not like her men…pudgy.’
He knew he was going to have to have a long talk with Amy pretty soon. It wasn’t just that they were getting more …serious, but she’d come to him with a little problem and he didn’t QUITE know how to handle it. She was concerned about…Michael Guerin.
Maria and Michael seemed to be….’bonding’ was how she’d described it, which to Jim Valenti was a term that covered a multitude of sins….well, some sins, some not, actually. He had hopes of bonding more with Amy in the not-too-distant future, if the truth be known.
But what Amy was concerned about was…well, Michael was a foster kid who certainly came from the wrong side of the tracks.
Jim hoped things were going a little better for him. They’d picked up old Hank Guerin drunk about three weeks ago and after he’d sobered up over night in the drunk tank Jim had talked to him one on one in his office, telling him that if the sheriff spotted one single bruise on Michael, he was going to give him a personal example of police brutality in action. Jim hoped it had gotten through to his sodden brain, but….who knows with chronic drunks. And the man was playing with fire. Jim had no doubt that Michael could do to Hank Guerin precisely what Max had done to those two in the vault. Only the fact that Michael was a better human being….well, better person anyway, than was old Hank himself, kept the old drunk from serious harm.
He’d talked to the Social Services people….they’d been worthless. Unless Michael would complain, which Jim Valenti was pretty sure he wasn’t going to do, they weren’t going to do anything. Jim was still working on the Michael problem.
But what was concerning Amy, was that this kid from the wrong side of the tracks…this frequent truant and somewhat of a loner, seemed to be Maria’s boyfriend now. She’d even caught the boy in Maria’s room….soaking wet, Maria had apparently pulled him in out of some rainstorm. He’d like to reassure Amy, but really wasn’t sure that telling her Michael was a loner and had to endure a crappy foster home because he was concealing the fact that he was an alien was the way to do it.
Jim Valenti was reasonably confident that the Evans kids would EVENTUALLY tell their folks, and that when they did the Evans’ would just accept that. Even the Parker’s….I mean when a kid has saved your daughter’s life…at least twice, you’re probably at least going to feel like you need to give the kid a chance.
But the Michael-Maria thing, apparently was more of a standard boy met girl and budding romance, except for the alien business. Jim felt like the man in the middle here, because he DID know and because Amy had asked him if she had reason to be worried. True, it wasn’t really his secret to tell….but the very knowledge was interfering with his relationship with Amy. It just kind of put an obstacle in the way. And it was really more than that, he decided. Maria had really never had a father figure….at least since she was six. If he and Amy got together…he was going to be that. He was suddenly feeling an unusual empathy with Jeff Parker. Liz had to get involved in the alien business…or die. Maria was volunteering, and Jim really didn’t know Michael well enough to know if that was a good idea or not.
This was a difficult decision, but cops have established procedures for coping with difficult decisions. As the waitress went by he said, “Miss. I think I WILL have that second donut, and….could you top off the coffee too?”
Jim Valenti was having coffee and a ‘rings of Saturn’ donut at the counter. Why not, he was a cop? The extra frosting would give anyone a morning lift….better than a maple bar even, he was thinking, as he contemplated ordering a second one. ‘Better not,’ he thought. ‘Amy DeLuca might not like her men…pudgy.’
He knew he was going to have to have a long talk with Amy pretty soon. It wasn’t just that they were getting more …serious, but she’d come to him with a little problem and he didn’t QUITE know how to handle it. She was concerned about…Michael Guerin.
Maria and Michael seemed to be….’bonding’ was how she’d described it, which to Jim Valenti was a term that covered a multitude of sins….well, some sins, some not, actually. He had hopes of bonding more with Amy in the not-too-distant future, if the truth be known.
But what Amy was concerned about was…well, Michael was a foster kid who certainly came from the wrong side of the tracks.
Jim hoped things were going a little better for him. They’d picked up old Hank Guerin drunk about three weeks ago and after he’d sobered up over night in the drunk tank Jim had talked to him one on one in his office, telling him that if the sheriff spotted one single bruise on Michael, he was going to give him a personal example of police brutality in action. Jim hoped it had gotten through to his sodden brain, but….who knows with chronic drunks. And the man was playing with fire. Jim had no doubt that Michael could do to Hank Guerin precisely what Max had done to those two in the vault. Only the fact that Michael was a better human being….well, better person anyway, than was old Hank himself, kept the old drunk from serious harm.
He’d talked to the Social Services people….they’d been worthless. Unless Michael would complain, which Jim Valenti was pretty sure he wasn’t going to do, they weren’t going to do anything. Jim was still working on the Michael problem.
But what was concerning Amy, was that this kid from the wrong side of the tracks…this frequent truant and somewhat of a loner, seemed to be Maria’s boyfriend now. She’d even caught the boy in Maria’s room….soaking wet, Maria had apparently pulled him in out of some rainstorm. He’d like to reassure Amy, but really wasn’t sure that telling her Michael was a loner and had to endure a crappy foster home because he was concealing the fact that he was an alien was the way to do it.
Jim Valenti was reasonably confident that the Evans kids would EVENTUALLY tell their folks, and that when they did the Evans’ would just accept that. Even the Parker’s….I mean when a kid has saved your daughter’s life…at least twice, you’re probably at least going to feel like you need to give the kid a chance.
But the Michael-Maria thing, apparently was more of a standard boy met girl and budding romance, except for the alien business. Jim felt like the man in the middle here, because he DID know and because Amy had asked him if she had reason to be worried. True, it wasn’t really his secret to tell….but the very knowledge was interfering with his relationship with Amy. It just kind of put an obstacle in the way. And it was really more than that, he decided. Maria had really never had a father figure….at least since she was six. If he and Amy got together…he was going to be that. He was suddenly feeling an unusual empathy with Jeff Parker. Liz had to get involved in the alien business…or die. Maria was volunteering, and Jim really didn’t know Michael well enough to know if that was a good idea or not.
This was a difficult decision, but cops have established procedures for coping with difficult decisions. As the waitress went by he said, “Miss. I think I WILL have that second donut, and….could you top off the coffee too?”
Thursday 7:40 AM Street in front of Crashdown Café
As he came out of the Crashdown, Sheriff Jim Valenti was surprised to see Michael Guerin leaning casually against the side if the Sheriff Office’s Yukon. Surprised, but kind of pleased as well. It might give him an opportunity to talk to the young man about his intentions toward Maria DeLuca.
“Good morning , Sheriff.”
“Good morning, Mr. Guerin. Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“First period’s not until 8:05, and that’s just a study hall. I …uh…wanted to talk to you about something..”
‘That’s a coincidence,’ thought the Sheriff. ‘I need to talk to you a little bit as well.’ “So problems with ‘Toys for Tots’?”
“No, Sheriff. That’s going well enough…..although by the time the Christmas Nazi gets through, she will have probably milked all the milk of human kindness out of the whole county. But the kids will get their toys….I’d be willing to bet you’ve never had as successful a campaign as this one will be. No, Sheriff, this is….well kind of more personal. Is there anyplace we could talk….privately?”
“Well why don’t you get in the vehicle son, and I’ll give you a ride to the High School. We can talk along the way.”
They both got in to the vehicle, but before the Sheriff could bring up Maria DeLuca, Michael said, “Sheriff….you know I’ve been dating Maria DeLuca, don’t you?”
“Why…yes Mr. Guerin, I believe I did.”
“You can call me Michael, Sheriff. I’d just as soon we weren’t all that formal. Well…you see…Maria means a lot to me…”
“Yes Michael?”
“Well….it’s about her mother ....Amy.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Maria’s mom, Sheriff. Maria and I know that you have been dating her and…..please don’t take this the wrong way sheriff, but Maria and I know that her mother…well, hasn’t had the best of luck with men ….and….OK, we know Amy was somewhat of a …free spirit… back in her early days, but after Maria’s dad left she worked so hard taking care of Maria all by herself..and… …it’s just that we are kind of worried…..that is, Maria is kind of worried…..gee, this is so hard……… I guess, it’s just important for us to know that ….. well, you see Sheriff, it’s coming up on ten years since Maria’s dad ran off and sometimes people kind of….act out…on anniversaries like that and ….well Amy hasn’t had the best of luck with men, Sheriff, and we’d like to kind of be sure that you wouldn’t……take advantage of her feeling kind of …vulnerable right now.”
“Michael, I have never had anything but totally honorable intentions toward Amy DeLuca.”
“And Maria and I never intended to imply that you did, Sheriff…..and it’s not that we’ve got anything against you either Sheriff, I mean Max and Liz really speak highly of you, and raising Kyle on your own after his mother left you….I mean, while holding down an important job like you do with irregular hours…..well, that’s got to be hard too…I mean…..Maria and I really do respect you and you know, if you and her mom really enjoy each other’s company….well, there’s no damn reason you shouldn’t be together…and we’ll be happy for both of you it’s just that….well neither one of you has really made a relationship work very well in the past and we just kind of wanted to ask you to….well, take things slowly..you know….make sure this time, before you go getting too carried away.
And this really isn’t about you, Sheriff, I mean I’ve got all the respect in the world for you, and for Mrs. DeLuca too. I think it’ll be great if it works out for the two of you and you know …Maria is in high school, it won’t be too long before she’s on her own….Kyle too, for that matter. It’d really be….nice….if you and Amy had each other then...you know, to keep from being...lonely…but that’s still a few years away and….well…there's just no need to rush it, OK?”
“Well, no Michael…I mean…we weren’t planning on rushing anything….I mean…we just get together for coffee… a few laughs…I mean, Maria really doesn’t have anything to worry about….honestly.”
“That’s good, Sheriff. I'm glad to hear it. I’ll tell Maria that. She’ll be….reassured. I’m glad we had this talk, Sheriff…I think it went well. Well, here’s the high school. Better get to that study hall. Thanks for the lift, Sheriff. See you at the ‘Toys for Tots’ meeting on Friday.”
“Yeah Michael….uh, good talking to you too.”
As Michael walked away from the police vehicle, Sheriff Valenti saw a familiar VW Jetta pull into the parking lot and drop Maria DeLuca off. He followed it as it left and two blocks later turned on the flashers to pull it over next to a coffeeshop. Five minutes later Jim Valenti and Amy DeLuca were looking at one another over a couple of cups of coffee.
“I saw you let Michael out of the car…….did you get a chance to talk to him?”
“Well, yes, I did actually….”
“Does he understand about….going slow and….not doing anything…precipitous in a relationship?”
“Oh, he knows all the right things to say, Amy, no doubt about that. He seems a level-headed enough kid. Of couse, teenagers are teenagers, and that can all go out the window with any of them in the heat of passion, but…he really seems to understand and have insight into the whole boy-girl situations stuff. I guess with teenagers, that’s all we can really hope for. I think Maria and Michael are basically…..well, good kids. That doesn’t mean they won’t make mistakes…..we all do I guess. Michael’s had a tough life in the foster system, and Maria ….well, I know how hard it can be, being a single parent too. But I think they’re both pretty good kids.”
Amy DeLuca looked at Jim Valenti, remembering back all those years, to the sit-in where young deputy Valenti had actually arrested her for exercising her constitutionally guaranteed right of civil disobedience. He'd actually...handcuffed her, and carried her off to jail.
She’d fantasized about him…..and those handcuffs……ever since, a blush coming to her face as she remembered a few of the more….vivid ….fantasies.
Well, if the kids were behaving themselves….well maybe the adults needed to also…at least for a few more months.
“Thanks for talking to him, Jim. I really appreciate that. Uh…Michael and Maria are going out somewhere Friday night…after the Toys for Tots meeting. If you have the time you could stop by….maybe watch a video. I’m going to be baking pies……wasn’t it…blackberry, you liked so much?”
“Sounds like a date, Amy”
Meanwhile, back at West Roswell High, Maria DeLuca was approaching Michael Guerin in the hall on the break between study hall and second period.
“Did you do it? Did you talk to him?”
“Yeah, I could barely keep a straight face. I don’t think your mother will be bugging you quite so much about us now. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
“You are sooo bad, Michael,” said Maria, kissing him quickly on the cheek.
As he came out of the Crashdown, Sheriff Jim Valenti was surprised to see Michael Guerin leaning casually against the side if the Sheriff Office’s Yukon. Surprised, but kind of pleased as well. It might give him an opportunity to talk to the young man about his intentions toward Maria DeLuca.
“Good morning , Sheriff.”
“Good morning, Mr. Guerin. Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“First period’s not until 8:05, and that’s just a study hall. I …uh…wanted to talk to you about something..”
‘That’s a coincidence,’ thought the Sheriff. ‘I need to talk to you a little bit as well.’ “So problems with ‘Toys for Tots’?”
“No, Sheriff. That’s going well enough…..although by the time the Christmas Nazi gets through, she will have probably milked all the milk of human kindness out of the whole county. But the kids will get their toys….I’d be willing to bet you’ve never had as successful a campaign as this one will be. No, Sheriff, this is….well kind of more personal. Is there anyplace we could talk….privately?”
“Well why don’t you get in the vehicle son, and I’ll give you a ride to the High School. We can talk along the way.”
They both got in to the vehicle, but before the Sheriff could bring up Maria DeLuca, Michael said, “Sheriff….you know I’ve been dating Maria DeLuca, don’t you?”
“Why…yes Mr. Guerin, I believe I did.”
“You can call me Michael, Sheriff. I’d just as soon we weren’t all that formal. Well…you see…Maria means a lot to me…”
“Yes Michael?”
“Well….it’s about her mother ....Amy.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Maria’s mom, Sheriff. Maria and I know that you have been dating her and…..please don’t take this the wrong way sheriff, but Maria and I know that her mother…well, hasn’t had the best of luck with men ….and….OK, we know Amy was somewhat of a …free spirit… back in her early days, but after Maria’s dad left she worked so hard taking care of Maria all by herself..and… …it’s just that we are kind of worried…..that is, Maria is kind of worried…..gee, this is so hard……… I guess, it’s just important for us to know that ….. well, you see Sheriff, it’s coming up on ten years since Maria’s dad ran off and sometimes people kind of….act out…on anniversaries like that and ….well Amy hasn’t had the best of luck with men, Sheriff, and we’d like to kind of be sure that you wouldn’t……take advantage of her feeling kind of …vulnerable right now.”
“Michael, I have never had anything but totally honorable intentions toward Amy DeLuca.”
“And Maria and I never intended to imply that you did, Sheriff…..and it’s not that we’ve got anything against you either Sheriff, I mean Max and Liz really speak highly of you, and raising Kyle on your own after his mother left you….I mean, while holding down an important job like you do with irregular hours…..well, that’s got to be hard too…I mean…..Maria and I really do respect you and you know, if you and her mom really enjoy each other’s company….well, there’s no damn reason you shouldn’t be together…and we’ll be happy for both of you it’s just that….well neither one of you has really made a relationship work very well in the past and we just kind of wanted to ask you to….well, take things slowly..you know….make sure this time, before you go getting too carried away.
And this really isn’t about you, Sheriff, I mean I’ve got all the respect in the world for you, and for Mrs. DeLuca too. I think it’ll be great if it works out for the two of you and you know …Maria is in high school, it won’t be too long before she’s on her own….Kyle too, for that matter. It’d really be….nice….if you and Amy had each other then...you know, to keep from being...lonely…but that’s still a few years away and….well…there's just no need to rush it, OK?”
“Well, no Michael…I mean…we weren’t planning on rushing anything….I mean…we just get together for coffee… a few laughs…I mean, Maria really doesn’t have anything to worry about….honestly.”
“That’s good, Sheriff. I'm glad to hear it. I’ll tell Maria that. She’ll be….reassured. I’m glad we had this talk, Sheriff…I think it went well. Well, here’s the high school. Better get to that study hall. Thanks for the lift, Sheriff. See you at the ‘Toys for Tots’ meeting on Friday.”
“Yeah Michael….uh, good talking to you too.”
As Michael walked away from the police vehicle, Sheriff Valenti saw a familiar VW Jetta pull into the parking lot and drop Maria DeLuca off. He followed it as it left and two blocks later turned on the flashers to pull it over next to a coffeeshop. Five minutes later Jim Valenti and Amy DeLuca were looking at one another over a couple of cups of coffee.
“I saw you let Michael out of the car…….did you get a chance to talk to him?”
“Well, yes, I did actually….”
“Does he understand about….going slow and….not doing anything…precipitous in a relationship?”
“Oh, he knows all the right things to say, Amy, no doubt about that. He seems a level-headed enough kid. Of couse, teenagers are teenagers, and that can all go out the window with any of them in the heat of passion, but…he really seems to understand and have insight into the whole boy-girl situations stuff. I guess with teenagers, that’s all we can really hope for. I think Maria and Michael are basically…..well, good kids. That doesn’t mean they won’t make mistakes…..we all do I guess. Michael’s had a tough life in the foster system, and Maria ….well, I know how hard it can be, being a single parent too. But I think they’re both pretty good kids.”
Amy DeLuca looked at Jim Valenti, remembering back all those years, to the sit-in where young deputy Valenti had actually arrested her for exercising her constitutionally guaranteed right of civil disobedience. He'd actually...handcuffed her, and carried her off to jail.
She’d fantasized about him…..and those handcuffs……ever since, a blush coming to her face as she remembered a few of the more….vivid ….fantasies.
Well, if the kids were behaving themselves….well maybe the adults needed to also…at least for a few more months.
“Thanks for talking to him, Jim. I really appreciate that. Uh…Michael and Maria are going out somewhere Friday night…after the Toys for Tots meeting. If you have the time you could stop by….maybe watch a video. I’m going to be baking pies……wasn’t it…blackberry, you liked so much?”
“Sounds like a date, Amy”
Meanwhile, back at West Roswell High, Maria DeLuca was approaching Michael Guerin in the hall on the break between study hall and second period.
“Did you do it? Did you talk to him?”
“Yeah, I could barely keep a straight face. I don’t think your mother will be bugging you quite so much about us now. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
“You are sooo bad, Michael,” said Maria, kissing him quickly on the cheek.
People who believe in astrology will sometimes tell you that things happen ‘because the stars are in alignment.’ That could be perhaps. But sometimes things happen because other things are in alignment….in this case, two of the problem children of West Roswell High, Ted Johnson and Pamela Troy.
Ted Johnson was just hanging out in the quad, with his small squad of sycophants and toadies. Pamela Troy was doing much the same. It was noon, and there were quite a few students going to or from the lunch room and their lockers. Just looking at the situation, you really wouldn’t have anticipated anything exceptional or abnormal would happen.
Entering the quad, however, was Alex Whitman. Alex was kind of outside the cliques and social circles that considered themselves the elite of West Roswell High. He was president of…the computer club, and a member of the band. Neither activity was really near and dear to the hearts of those who considered themselves the ‘pretty people’ of Roswell High School. He had for years, been friends with Liz Parker and Maria DeLuca and it had certainly been noticed that Liz and Max were now a couple. It had not really surprised many people that Max hung with Michael Guerin and his sister, that had been happening for years. Similarly, it was unsurprising that Liz hung around with Maria and Alex. When the six were seen together, it was at first assumed that this was just about Max and Liz, although lately the more perceptive West Roswellians had noticed that Maria and Michael appeared to be more than casual bystanders to a Max-Liz romance. But no one, and that means, NO ONE really thought that Ice Princess Isabel was doing any more than tolerating the presence of the geeky Alex Whitman. So when Alex entered the quad, there was really no thought on the part of any of ‘the pretty people’ that he was anyone special, not to them, not to anyone else, certainly not to Isabel Evans. That would change today.
You might wonder why Ted Johnson tripped Alex Whitman. You might, that is, if you’d never met Ted Johnson. Ted Johnson tripped Alex Whitman because he could….because he was a big dim-witted bully, and also because he envied Alex his ability to work with computers, play instruments, hell, to think clearly, since Ted Johnson’s intellect was challenged just to get his IQ up into double digits. For whatever reason, as Alex went by, Ted Johnson smiled meaningfully at his toadies, and tripped the passing Alex Whitman, sending him down and his folder of pictures flying.
The folder of pictures was intended for the yearbook. Alex was on the staff, and was one of several people that took pictures throughout the year. Candid shots around the campus, sports events, car washes, even landscapes around Roswell. These shots had been taken by four different photographers, and it wasn’t even his photograph that slid to a stop at the feet of Pamela Troy. Maybe it was just karma, maybe cosmic kismet, whatever the reason, Pamela Troy looked down and saw an 8 by 10 picture of Isabel Evans.
Alex had never done anything unkind to Pamela Troy, and one might expect she’d have no motivation to do anything unkind to him. And that was true, she had absolutely no motivation. But she nonetheless seized the opportunity to embarrass him because…she could. She wasted not a second before bending to pick up the picture and show it to everyone in the crowded quad.
“Oh look! The geek’s got the hots for Isabel Evans. Do you take this picture to bed with you at night?”
Ted Johnson and his toadies roared with laughter, seeing verbal insult heaped upon physical insult. Alex was blushing from humiliation and flushing from anger, but there was really no winning this fight. If he tried to explain that those were just yearbook pictures, he would sound like he was protesting too much. He didn’t fear Ted Johnson, but if he got into it with him, Johnson and his toadies would claim he started it after he tripped over his own feet. His best course of action was clearly to just pick up his pictures and leave.
It was the blush that did it, of course. Had he glared at her, Pamela would have just let it go at that. But Pamela could instantly tell three things, one was that Alex really was embarrassed by what she’d said, two was that he was too much of a gentleman (or wuss, which Pamela considered to be the same thing) to do anything to her for humiliating him, and three…that she had an appreciative audience….in this case, an audience of fellow slobs, but an audience nonetheless, to play to.
As she handed him the photo she said, “Well dream on, geek-boy. Isabel Evans would never give you the time of day.”
Johnson and his toadies had another good laugh, and that might have been the end of it…except that just as Alex Whitman had been falling clumsily onto the concrete of the quad, Max Evans, Isabel Evans, and Michael Guerin had been walking in from the parking lot.
Michael was seriously considering kicking Ted Johnson’s butt, when he was surprised by Isabel pushing past him walking towards Alex and Pam Troy. She strode immediately up to Alex, looked at her watch, and announced loudly, “Hey geek-boy, it’s 12.05 and YOU were supposed to be in the eraser room 5 minutes ago. I can’t wait forever.” And she kissed him.
Isabel had kissed boys before. If her trophy guys who she went out on dates with were particularly nice, they might get a kiss good-bye after the one date. They really didn’t mean that much to her, but still, they had been kind, they had been gentlemen, they’d get a quick kiss. This kiss wasn’t like those.
It actually started out more as a statement to Pam Troy, to show her that Alex really wasn’t a geek. So Isabel had wanted to make it a serious kiss, like they did in the movies, putting a little heart and soul into it. But as her lips pressed against his, her tongue tentatively caressing his, the connection formed. Suddenly she felt the feelings of a surprised and bewildered Alex Whitman, and in that flash she realized that even though he’d taken her out he had never really believed himself that she could really be interested in him. Sure he’d fantasized, but …..he’d never really believed. Just that quickly, Pamela Troy was forgotten. Isabel’s mission, suddenly, was to MAKE Alex Whitman believe.
As she deepened the kiss and molded her body against Alex’s Isabel suddenly realized that this was no longer about making Alex believe. Her passion was growing, and through the connection it was igniting his. He still didn’t quite believe, and Isabel was starting to get worried about what she’d be doing right now if he did. Damn. Her toes were curling. Alex could really kiss.
Pamela Troy at first thought that Isabel Evans was just trying to make fun of her….but as the two continued her eyes grew huge. That wasn’t a quick peck on the cheek,….that was a ‘you-are-mine-and-I’m-going-to-bear-your-children’ sort of kiss. That couldn’t be…. “OK Evans, who are you trying to kid. What could you possibly see in Alex Whitman?”
As Isabel slowly broke the kiss, she turned to Pamela Troy. “What could I possibly see in Alex Whitman? Don’t tell me….he’s really one of the small and diminishing number of guys at West Roswell that you haven’t had sex with? If you had, you really wouldn’t have to ask.”
As Isabel led Alex away while a laughing Max and Michael picked up pictures and a stunned Pamela Troy and Ted Johnson tried to figure out how to close their mouths, a flustered Alex was communicating to Isabel through the connection.
*Izzie! Those people are going to think we’ve had sex. You shouldn’t have done that. What about your reputation?*
*Relax, Alex. I don’t care what those jerks think. And the people who are important to us….they know us. They know we haven’t had sex……yet.*
Alex started to protest but further communication was shutdown as Alex’s brain locked up abruptly, the term ‘yet’ just starting to register in his consciousness.
Ted Johnson was just hanging out in the quad, with his small squad of sycophants and toadies. Pamela Troy was doing much the same. It was noon, and there were quite a few students going to or from the lunch room and their lockers. Just looking at the situation, you really wouldn’t have anticipated anything exceptional or abnormal would happen.
Entering the quad, however, was Alex Whitman. Alex was kind of outside the cliques and social circles that considered themselves the elite of West Roswell High. He was president of…the computer club, and a member of the band. Neither activity was really near and dear to the hearts of those who considered themselves the ‘pretty people’ of Roswell High School. He had for years, been friends with Liz Parker and Maria DeLuca and it had certainly been noticed that Liz and Max were now a couple. It had not really surprised many people that Max hung with Michael Guerin and his sister, that had been happening for years. Similarly, it was unsurprising that Liz hung around with Maria and Alex. When the six were seen together, it was at first assumed that this was just about Max and Liz, although lately the more perceptive West Roswellians had noticed that Maria and Michael appeared to be more than casual bystanders to a Max-Liz romance. But no one, and that means, NO ONE really thought that Ice Princess Isabel was doing any more than tolerating the presence of the geeky Alex Whitman. So when Alex entered the quad, there was really no thought on the part of any of ‘the pretty people’ that he was anyone special, not to them, not to anyone else, certainly not to Isabel Evans. That would change today.
You might wonder why Ted Johnson tripped Alex Whitman. You might, that is, if you’d never met Ted Johnson. Ted Johnson tripped Alex Whitman because he could….because he was a big dim-witted bully, and also because he envied Alex his ability to work with computers, play instruments, hell, to think clearly, since Ted Johnson’s intellect was challenged just to get his IQ up into double digits. For whatever reason, as Alex went by, Ted Johnson smiled meaningfully at his toadies, and tripped the passing Alex Whitman, sending him down and his folder of pictures flying.
The folder of pictures was intended for the yearbook. Alex was on the staff, and was one of several people that took pictures throughout the year. Candid shots around the campus, sports events, car washes, even landscapes around Roswell. These shots had been taken by four different photographers, and it wasn’t even his photograph that slid to a stop at the feet of Pamela Troy. Maybe it was just karma, maybe cosmic kismet, whatever the reason, Pamela Troy looked down and saw an 8 by 10 picture of Isabel Evans.
Alex had never done anything unkind to Pamela Troy, and one might expect she’d have no motivation to do anything unkind to him. And that was true, she had absolutely no motivation. But she nonetheless seized the opportunity to embarrass him because…she could. She wasted not a second before bending to pick up the picture and show it to everyone in the crowded quad.
“Oh look! The geek’s got the hots for Isabel Evans. Do you take this picture to bed with you at night?”
Ted Johnson and his toadies roared with laughter, seeing verbal insult heaped upon physical insult. Alex was blushing from humiliation and flushing from anger, but there was really no winning this fight. If he tried to explain that those were just yearbook pictures, he would sound like he was protesting too much. He didn’t fear Ted Johnson, but if he got into it with him, Johnson and his toadies would claim he started it after he tripped over his own feet. His best course of action was clearly to just pick up his pictures and leave.
It was the blush that did it, of course. Had he glared at her, Pamela would have just let it go at that. But Pamela could instantly tell three things, one was that Alex really was embarrassed by what she’d said, two was that he was too much of a gentleman (or wuss, which Pamela considered to be the same thing) to do anything to her for humiliating him, and three…that she had an appreciative audience….in this case, an audience of fellow slobs, but an audience nonetheless, to play to.
As she handed him the photo she said, “Well dream on, geek-boy. Isabel Evans would never give you the time of day.”
Johnson and his toadies had another good laugh, and that might have been the end of it…except that just as Alex Whitman had been falling clumsily onto the concrete of the quad, Max Evans, Isabel Evans, and Michael Guerin had been walking in from the parking lot.
Michael was seriously considering kicking Ted Johnson’s butt, when he was surprised by Isabel pushing past him walking towards Alex and Pam Troy. She strode immediately up to Alex, looked at her watch, and announced loudly, “Hey geek-boy, it’s 12.05 and YOU were supposed to be in the eraser room 5 minutes ago. I can’t wait forever.” And she kissed him.
Isabel had kissed boys before. If her trophy guys who she went out on dates with were particularly nice, they might get a kiss good-bye after the one date. They really didn’t mean that much to her, but still, they had been kind, they had been gentlemen, they’d get a quick kiss. This kiss wasn’t like those.
It actually started out more as a statement to Pam Troy, to show her that Alex really wasn’t a geek. So Isabel had wanted to make it a serious kiss, like they did in the movies, putting a little heart and soul into it. But as her lips pressed against his, her tongue tentatively caressing his, the connection formed. Suddenly she felt the feelings of a surprised and bewildered Alex Whitman, and in that flash she realized that even though he’d taken her out he had never really believed himself that she could really be interested in him. Sure he’d fantasized, but …..he’d never really believed. Just that quickly, Pamela Troy was forgotten. Isabel’s mission, suddenly, was to MAKE Alex Whitman believe.
As she deepened the kiss and molded her body against Alex’s Isabel suddenly realized that this was no longer about making Alex believe. Her passion was growing, and through the connection it was igniting his. He still didn’t quite believe, and Isabel was starting to get worried about what she’d be doing right now if he did. Damn. Her toes were curling. Alex could really kiss.
Pamela Troy at first thought that Isabel Evans was just trying to make fun of her….but as the two continued her eyes grew huge. That wasn’t a quick peck on the cheek,….that was a ‘you-are-mine-and-I’m-going-to-bear-your-children’ sort of kiss. That couldn’t be…. “OK Evans, who are you trying to kid. What could you possibly see in Alex Whitman?”
As Isabel slowly broke the kiss, she turned to Pamela Troy. “What could I possibly see in Alex Whitman? Don’t tell me….he’s really one of the small and diminishing number of guys at West Roswell that you haven’t had sex with? If you had, you really wouldn’t have to ask.”
As Isabel led Alex away while a laughing Max and Michael picked up pictures and a stunned Pamela Troy and Ted Johnson tried to figure out how to close their mouths, a flustered Alex was communicating to Isabel through the connection.
*Izzie! Those people are going to think we’ve had sex. You shouldn’t have done that. What about your reputation?*
*Relax, Alex. I don’t care what those jerks think. And the people who are important to us….they know us. They know we haven’t had sex……yet.*
Alex started to protest but further communication was shutdown as Alex’s brain locked up abruptly, the term ‘yet’ just starting to register in his consciousness.
'Now SHE is cute,' thought Kyle Valenti, as the teacher introduced the small blonde girl to first period English. Came here from California, eh? Maybe the Beach Boys had something about those California girls.
As luck would have it, the empty seat in class was immediately to the left of Kyle Valenti, and that's where the young lady was assigned. He waited until she was seated, and the teacher had her back to the class writing the assignment questions on the blackboard before stealing a look at her, only to see her stealing a look right back at him. He gave her his best smile. Maybe he could introduce himself to her between first and second period. If not.....well, there was always the lunch hour.
The young blonde girl looked at the young man to her right. 'He was kind of cute, she thought.'
Almost at once she felt guilty.....and a little bit afraid. THAT boy wasn't the mission, and ....HE would really be pissed if he thought she was distracted from the mission. She'd lived with him for over ten years now, and she knew the kind of mood he'd be in if he thought she wasn't taking the mission seriously, hell....making the mission her life. Over the course of ten years she'd been on his bad side a couple of times......it was much worse than merely unpleasant. She wouldn't risk it again for a moment of flirting with this young man. 'It would just NOT do to get on his bad side,' she told herself. And she knew damn well he didn't have a good side.
As class was breaking up Kyle moved toward the door, intent on arriving there at the same time as the new girl. And it ALMOST worked. Five feet away from her, just as he was getting his biggest smile ready, and his best quasi-pickup line, Mrs. Howard called out, "Oh, Miss Harding....we have a couple of term papers due in about 5 weeks. Better come back here for a minute or two and let me give you the details..."
'Damn,' thought Kyle Valenti. 'Oh well, maybe at lunch period.'
Leaving the room, he pressed on toward second period PE.
As luck would have it, the empty seat in class was immediately to the left of Kyle Valenti, and that's where the young lady was assigned. He waited until she was seated, and the teacher had her back to the class writing the assignment questions on the blackboard before stealing a look at her, only to see her stealing a look right back at him. He gave her his best smile. Maybe he could introduce himself to her between first and second period. If not.....well, there was always the lunch hour.
The young blonde girl looked at the young man to her right. 'He was kind of cute, she thought.'
Almost at once she felt guilty.....and a little bit afraid. THAT boy wasn't the mission, and ....HE would really be pissed if he thought she was distracted from the mission. She'd lived with him for over ten years now, and she knew the kind of mood he'd be in if he thought she wasn't taking the mission seriously, hell....making the mission her life. Over the course of ten years she'd been on his bad side a couple of times......it was much worse than merely unpleasant. She wouldn't risk it again for a moment of flirting with this young man. 'It would just NOT do to get on his bad side,' she told herself. And she knew damn well he didn't have a good side.
As class was breaking up Kyle moved toward the door, intent on arriving there at the same time as the new girl. And it ALMOST worked. Five feet away from her, just as he was getting his biggest smile ready, and his best quasi-pickup line, Mrs. Howard called out, "Oh, Miss Harding....we have a couple of term papers due in about 5 weeks. Better come back here for a minute or two and let me give you the details..."
'Damn,' thought Kyle Valenti. 'Oh well, maybe at lunch period.'
Leaving the room, he pressed on toward second period PE.
Last edited by greywolf on Thu Oct 19, 2006 9:34 pm, edited 2 times in total.
As she saw the six of them eating together at the lunch table she thought,'This may be more difficult than I thought.' That looked like a fairly tightly knit group, and she really didn't understand it.
Her target was there, as were the other two. But the other two showed no signs of being anything but friends .....at least with each other. If either of them had been human. she'd have sworn they were in love with the two they were with...her with the tall lanky guy who seemed incapable of taking his eyes off of her, him with the blonde girl with the pouty lips, who seemed to be forever either teasing him or punching on him. But her target...... and the raven haired small girl with him...they seemed almost ...connected....even just sitting there, smiling at the antics of the other four, and occasionally looking indulgently at each other, or their hands touching in a brief caress...almost like a physical promise of more to come.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw him then, the boy from her first period English class, walking toward her. She felt a brief fear of what HE might say....then as she looked at his smiling face started the rationalization process.....he'd be a source of intelligence, a means to understand the group dynamics here, before she charged in and made a mistake. No more than that, she told herself, knowing that's what she'd tell HIM if HE found out about her talking to the boy.
She'd always felt alone, especially with HIM, but sometimes you just needed a friendly face to talk to.....or rather, to get information from. He had...she decided...an 'informative' sort of face.
Kyle saw her sitting alone at the table. Now was his chance. As he put his tray down across from her he said."Well hello again...remember me from first period English?"
"The guy immediately to my right? The one with the letterman's jacket?"
"Well the jacket's a little warm for noon...it's in my locker. But yes...that would be me, I guess. So you come from California out to....Roswell New Mexico? Why? I thought California was where people wanted to be and Roswell.....wel, unless you are an alien conspiracy theorist, you've probably never even heard of the place."
She felt a brief moment of alarm...but as she looked into his face there was no threat there...no malice...no guile. It had been intended as an innocent comment.
She forced a smile as she asked him,"So you don't believe in aliens."
He felt a brief moment of alarm...but as he looked into her face there was no threat there...no malice...no guile. It had been intended as an innocent comment. He realized that he'd been staring at her after she had made the comment, her face now trying to read what the problem was.
"I'm sorry," he said. "You just caught me by surprise there. My grandfather....well, he's in a nursing home now, but he was quite a believer in aliens at one time. When I was younger kids used to tease me about it and I thought for a second that you....well, never mind. The answer would be 'no,' I DON'T believe in aliens. I don't believe in Buddhism either, but I think I'd put a lot more stock in that than in aliens being among us."
She smiled then. 'Well Buddha-boy, I guess there's a lot you don't know.' He did have a pretty face, but her excuse for being with him was to get information. She'd better get back to that.
She nodded at the table where the six were eating their lunches and goofing around with each other. "They seem like a pretty tight bunch. What's their story?" she asked.
Her target was there, as were the other two. But the other two showed no signs of being anything but friends .....at least with each other. If either of them had been human. she'd have sworn they were in love with the two they were with...her with the tall lanky guy who seemed incapable of taking his eyes off of her, him with the blonde girl with the pouty lips, who seemed to be forever either teasing him or punching on him. But her target...... and the raven haired small girl with him...they seemed almost ...connected....even just sitting there, smiling at the antics of the other four, and occasionally looking indulgently at each other, or their hands touching in a brief caress...almost like a physical promise of more to come.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw him then, the boy from her first period English class, walking toward her. She felt a brief fear of what HE might say....then as she looked at his smiling face started the rationalization process.....he'd be a source of intelligence, a means to understand the group dynamics here, before she charged in and made a mistake. No more than that, she told herself, knowing that's what she'd tell HIM if HE found out about her talking to the boy.
She'd always felt alone, especially with HIM, but sometimes you just needed a friendly face to talk to.....or rather, to get information from. He had...she decided...an 'informative' sort of face.
Kyle saw her sitting alone at the table. Now was his chance. As he put his tray down across from her he said."Well hello again...remember me from first period English?"
"The guy immediately to my right? The one with the letterman's jacket?"
"Well the jacket's a little warm for noon...it's in my locker. But yes...that would be me, I guess. So you come from California out to....Roswell New Mexico? Why? I thought California was where people wanted to be and Roswell.....wel, unless you are an alien conspiracy theorist, you've probably never even heard of the place."
She felt a brief moment of alarm...but as she looked into his face there was no threat there...no malice...no guile. It had been intended as an innocent comment.
She forced a smile as she asked him,"So you don't believe in aliens."
He felt a brief moment of alarm...but as he looked into her face there was no threat there...no malice...no guile. It had been intended as an innocent comment. He realized that he'd been staring at her after she had made the comment, her face now trying to read what the problem was.
"I'm sorry," he said. "You just caught me by surprise there. My grandfather....well, he's in a nursing home now, but he was quite a believer in aliens at one time. When I was younger kids used to tease me about it and I thought for a second that you....well, never mind. The answer would be 'no,' I DON'T believe in aliens. I don't believe in Buddhism either, but I think I'd put a lot more stock in that than in aliens being among us."
She smiled then. 'Well Buddha-boy, I guess there's a lot you don't know.' He did have a pretty face, but her excuse for being with him was to get information. She'd better get back to that.
She nodded at the table where the six were eating their lunches and goofing around with each other. "They seem like a pretty tight bunch. What's their story?" she asked.