Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2004 11:36 pm
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The morning of Monday, the ninth of June, went much smoother than anyone could have possibly anticipated. Liz and Maria breezed through their first final without a hitch, sharing a high-five in the hall afterward, before splitting up and going on to their next class. On her way to her second test, Liz had felt him from across the hall. She hung at her opened locker much longer than she needed to. Trying to find something to do there, she began tearing down nine months of pictures that had held the proud distinction of making it onto her locker door.
"Hey. Cleaning house, huh?" She had felt him behind her, long before he spoke. It was difficult for him to hide his nervousness. This felt strange. It felt new. "Listen, Liz, I never got to tell you congratulations on the valedictorian thing. You really deserve it." He shook his head. I'm so damn proud of you, he thought. If it was room she needed, then it was room he would give her.
"Hey. Thanks." She flashed him a smile. It felt good to see him and smile and really mean it again. She thought of her conversation with her dad, but thought against bringing it up here, or now. "You had a final this morning... ?" She changed the subject.
"Yeah, that's done with, thank goodness. I passed." He winked at her.
She was sure that he had. Studies and classes had always come so easily to both of them. It was always everything else with them that was difficult. "Well," she said, closing her locker, "I gotta go ..to my last exam now," she stalled and motioned down the hall. Again she smiled, but this time it was more ackward. As an afterthought, she turned back around, "Have you heard anything from Kal since last night? I was worried about...ya know, Nicholas and all."
"I talked to Michael. He said that everything was being taken care of this morning. I'm going out to John's place after Geometry class. "
"Good. Maybe I'll catch up to you all later on." She turned as she felt that old familiar pounding of her heart in her chest, and weaved her way through the crowd of excited students, buzzing about graduation. Max stood looking after her until the second buzzer rang.
It was just about 10:30am when everyone's attention was distracted from their tests by the Roswell No 2 firetruck with it's sirens blaring, as it sped down Citrus and out toward the edge of town. A teacher from out in the hall leaned her head in, to catch Mr Seilig's attention. "It's the old soap factory. Looks like the town council's been saved the aggravation and expense of bulldozing it down. They said some kids or vandals where seen out there an hour or two before it blew."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Well that went well," JB said to a very out of breath Kal. They had just tried their best to get as much distance between them and the old deserted building as they could. What ever flammables had still been left inside the warehouse, they had provided quite a light show. "Too bad it's not dark out. This is better than any of the UFO convention firework displays that Roswell has ever had." John laughed.
"So, what do you think the odds are that Nicholas made it all the way through before it blew?" Kal used his leg to bang off his hat. "Having alot of experience in the arena of gambling, my bet would be against. But then I don't know shit about quantum physics."
"Not sure myself. I'd have to agree with you though. We'll have to wait and see what Serena has to say. She's on her way home right now, should be pulling in the driveway tonight sometime; and I'd definitely be lying, if I said I wasn't eager to see her," John smiled, as he mentally counted up the days... just short of four weeks. 26 days to be exact.
"Don't turn it into the minute thing, okay? " Kal read his thought and began walking back to where they had ditched the pickup. "I just want a really hot shower. I'll leave all that love crap up to you and yours." Kal was thinking, close to 34 days for him. He was slipping in that department. Becoming much choosier in his partner choices now than he had ever been before. He had figured that any day now he was going to meet the LA equvilent of JB's Serena, and they'd live happily ever after. But then again, maybe not. "Let's go Romeo, it looks like our work here is done. Or we can only hope."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maria sat alone at a table out on the quad, where Liz had agreed to meet her after classes. She couldn't help but wonder just how different her most dearest friend would be from now on. She knew that to any unsuspecting person on the street, she would still look like Liz Parker. But they wouldn't know what changes had transformed on the inside. For the first time in her life, she was so greatful to be Maria DeLuca, sweet loyal friend and all around screwup. Funny, she always wished that she could be like Liz. Short, petite, attractive in a sensual kind of way, and smart, oh yes let's not forget Lizzie's learning abilities. She saw her coming and waved her in, thinking how glad she was to just be Maria DeLuca and no one else.
"It's hard to explain, Maria." They had been sitting talking and sipping cokes for a few minutes now. "I still feel like me but, . . more. There's alot more going on in my head. I really have no idea what it is that I'm supposed to do now. Now that I know this, what is it that I'm expected to do with it?"
"Can you actually hear her?" Maria was tense, as she asked her best friend the most important questions that she could think of. All morning she had been thinking of just the right ones.
Liz leaned in discreetly. "It's even better than that Maria, sometimes she has this way of talking through me, I know that it's Ava because I can feel the difference. The sound of her voice is ..well, it even sounds different, slightly different than my own, but stronger."
Liz paused long enough to sip at the soda in her hand. "It's just her thoughts, I suppose, that are drawing from her own memories and mixing with mine. And it's difficult to believe this but, she took me somewhere safe when I was in danger and injured. She showed me Antar and then Adia. She took me there in my mind...her mind. She saved my life." Liz seemed completely awed by her own words. "She's not present all the time, but I have felt more and more now, that we are becoming one mind, and one person. It's amazing."
"Does it hurt?" Maria sad eyes closely watched her friend.
"No, it frightened me at first, but she's not harming me in any way. Look at it this way. Do ya know that little voice inside of you that tells you things from time to time?"
"Yeah, like rooting me on when I'm doing something good, or the one who can't bear not to be around Michael, and always makes me call him when I know that I shouldn't be so available."
"Yeah, that one." Liz laughed softly. "Well, that's kind of what it's like. Maria, I know this is going to sound weird, but I'm already liking her, or the person she used to be. And I guess that's good, because it looks like we're stuck with each other. She's a very strong presence. I've actually seen Antar through her eyes, and her with Zan. My God, Maria, I have not just seen, but I have felt her with Zan. When she's thinking of and remembering him, I can't tell Zan from Max. They were so very much alike."
"You haven't actually felt them....." Maria raised her eyebrows, thinking how weird it would be if she had felt them together.
"Oh no. NO, Maria. They haven't. They've never consumated their relationship."
"Wow, that's so sad. What a great love they have shared, and then to be killed off on your very wedding day, and never to have actually fulfilled the great passion that you know they must have felt for each other....wow," ever so quietly, Maria ended with, "so basically, you share your soul with Ava, and Max shares his soul with Zan."
Liz stared at the soda bottle in her hand, lost in Ava's feelings about the words her friend had just said and felt. She broke the thought and quickly began talking again. " And, and Adia. That's where Ava was born. It's beautiful, Maria, so extraordinary, you just can't even imagine." Liz stopped, seeing a look in Maria's eyes that she couldn't quite read. She thought it best to change the subject. "Soo, how's Michael handling the whole Rath's presence thing? You should have seen him in the podchamber, Maria. He was amazing." Maria stood, and gathering her books in hand, walked quickly away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The soap factory burned for hours before the fire was brought under control. As two of the last firemen on the scene soaked down a few hot spots that were still smoldering, a small area just out of their sight, sizzled and crackled and fell in upon itself. A neon shade of green eminated upward for a few seconds, then a very shrill whistling sound, followed by nothing but an eerie quietness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The morning of Monday, the ninth of June, went much smoother than anyone could have possibly anticipated. Liz and Maria breezed through their first final without a hitch, sharing a high-five in the hall afterward, before splitting up and going on to their next class. On her way to her second test, Liz had felt him from across the hall. She hung at her opened locker much longer than she needed to. Trying to find something to do there, she began tearing down nine months of pictures that had held the proud distinction of making it onto her locker door.
"Hey. Cleaning house, huh?" She had felt him behind her, long before he spoke. It was difficult for him to hide his nervousness. This felt strange. It felt new. "Listen, Liz, I never got to tell you congratulations on the valedictorian thing. You really deserve it." He shook his head. I'm so damn proud of you, he thought. If it was room she needed, then it was room he would give her.
"Hey. Thanks." She flashed him a smile. It felt good to see him and smile and really mean it again. She thought of her conversation with her dad, but thought against bringing it up here, or now. "You had a final this morning... ?" She changed the subject.
"Yeah, that's done with, thank goodness. I passed." He winked at her.
She was sure that he had. Studies and classes had always come so easily to both of them. It was always everything else with them that was difficult. "Well," she said, closing her locker, "I gotta go ..to my last exam now," she stalled and motioned down the hall. Again she smiled, but this time it was more ackward. As an afterthought, she turned back around, "Have you heard anything from Kal since last night? I was worried about...ya know, Nicholas and all."
"I talked to Michael. He said that everything was being taken care of this morning. I'm going out to John's place after Geometry class. "
"Good. Maybe I'll catch up to you all later on." She turned as she felt that old familiar pounding of her heart in her chest, and weaved her way through the crowd of excited students, buzzing about graduation. Max stood looking after her until the second buzzer rang.
It was just about 10:30am when everyone's attention was distracted from their tests by the Roswell No 2 firetruck with it's sirens blaring, as it sped down Citrus and out toward the edge of town. A teacher from out in the hall leaned her head in, to catch Mr Seilig's attention. "It's the old soap factory. Looks like the town council's been saved the aggravation and expense of bulldozing it down. They said some kids or vandals where seen out there an hour or two before it blew."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Well that went well," JB said to a very out of breath Kal. They had just tried their best to get as much distance between them and the old deserted building as they could. What ever flammables had still been left inside the warehouse, they had provided quite a light show. "Too bad it's not dark out. This is better than any of the UFO convention firework displays that Roswell has ever had." John laughed.
"So, what do you think the odds are that Nicholas made it all the way through before it blew?" Kal used his leg to bang off his hat. "Having alot of experience in the arena of gambling, my bet would be against. But then I don't know shit about quantum physics."
"Not sure myself. I'd have to agree with you though. We'll have to wait and see what Serena has to say. She's on her way home right now, should be pulling in the driveway tonight sometime; and I'd definitely be lying, if I said I wasn't eager to see her," John smiled, as he mentally counted up the days... just short of four weeks. 26 days to be exact.
"Don't turn it into the minute thing, okay? " Kal read his thought and began walking back to where they had ditched the pickup. "I just want a really hot shower. I'll leave all that love crap up to you and yours." Kal was thinking, close to 34 days for him. He was slipping in that department. Becoming much choosier in his partner choices now than he had ever been before. He had figured that any day now he was going to meet the LA equvilent of JB's Serena, and they'd live happily ever after. But then again, maybe not. "Let's go Romeo, it looks like our work here is done. Or we can only hope."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maria sat alone at a table out on the quad, where Liz had agreed to meet her after classes. She couldn't help but wonder just how different her most dearest friend would be from now on. She knew that to any unsuspecting person on the street, she would still look like Liz Parker. But they wouldn't know what changes had transformed on the inside. For the first time in her life, she was so greatful to be Maria DeLuca, sweet loyal friend and all around screwup. Funny, she always wished that she could be like Liz. Short, petite, attractive in a sensual kind of way, and smart, oh yes let's not forget Lizzie's learning abilities. She saw her coming and waved her in, thinking how glad she was to just be Maria DeLuca and no one else.
"It's hard to explain, Maria." They had been sitting talking and sipping cokes for a few minutes now. "I still feel like me but, . . more. There's alot more going on in my head. I really have no idea what it is that I'm supposed to do now. Now that I know this, what is it that I'm expected to do with it?"
"Can you actually hear her?" Maria was tense, as she asked her best friend the most important questions that she could think of. All morning she had been thinking of just the right ones.
Liz leaned in discreetly. "It's even better than that Maria, sometimes she has this way of talking through me, I know that it's Ava because I can feel the difference. The sound of her voice is ..well, it even sounds different, slightly different than my own, but stronger."
Liz paused long enough to sip at the soda in her hand. "It's just her thoughts, I suppose, that are drawing from her own memories and mixing with mine. And it's difficult to believe this but, she took me somewhere safe when I was in danger and injured. She showed me Antar and then Adia. She took me there in my mind...her mind. She saved my life." Liz seemed completely awed by her own words. "She's not present all the time, but I have felt more and more now, that we are becoming one mind, and one person. It's amazing."
"Does it hurt?" Maria sad eyes closely watched her friend.
"No, it frightened me at first, but she's not harming me in any way. Look at it this way. Do ya know that little voice inside of you that tells you things from time to time?"
"Yeah, like rooting me on when I'm doing something good, or the one who can't bear not to be around Michael, and always makes me call him when I know that I shouldn't be so available."
"Yeah, that one." Liz laughed softly. "Well, that's kind of what it's like. Maria, I know this is going to sound weird, but I'm already liking her, or the person she used to be. And I guess that's good, because it looks like we're stuck with each other. She's a very strong presence. I've actually seen Antar through her eyes, and her with Zan. My God, Maria, I have not just seen, but I have felt her with Zan. When she's thinking of and remembering him, I can't tell Zan from Max. They were so very much alike."
"You haven't actually felt them....." Maria raised her eyebrows, thinking how weird it would be if she had felt them together.
"Oh no. NO, Maria. They haven't. They've never consumated their relationship."
"Wow, that's so sad. What a great love they have shared, and then to be killed off on your very wedding day, and never to have actually fulfilled the great passion that you know they must have felt for each other....wow," ever so quietly, Maria ended with, "so basically, you share your soul with Ava, and Max shares his soul with Zan."
Liz stared at the soda bottle in her hand, lost in Ava's feelings about the words her friend had just said and felt. She broke the thought and quickly began talking again. " And, and Adia. That's where Ava was born. It's beautiful, Maria, so extraordinary, you just can't even imagine." Liz stopped, seeing a look in Maria's eyes that she couldn't quite read. She thought it best to change the subject. "Soo, how's Michael handling the whole Rath's presence thing? You should have seen him in the podchamber, Maria. He was amazing." Maria stood, and gathering her books in hand, walked quickly away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The soap factory burned for hours before the fire was brought under control. As two of the last firemen on the scene soaked down a few hot spots that were still smoldering, a small area just out of their sight, sizzled and crackled and fell in upon itself. A neon shade of green eminated upward for a few seconds, then a very shrill whistling sound, followed by nothing but an eerie quietness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~