| �So now comes the sleeping arrangements,� Kyle said looking around at everybody. �We�ve got three rooms,� Max said holding up the keys. �Which means two and two except for one room with three persons.� �Maybe it�s easiest if the boys take one room and I sleep with Maria and Tess and Liz take one room?� Isabel suggested casually. Everyone looked surprised at her. Isabel knew that it probably would make more sense with Liz and Maria in one room and her and Tess in the other, but she needed to talk to Maria about something and she thought it would be good for Tess and Liz to clear the air too. �Any objections?� she asked. Both Liz and Tess opened their mouths to protest, but Isabel cut them of. �Great! Okay so let�s go find our rooms.� She moved towards the stairs and everyone followed. When they had found their rooms, which were next to each other, they all parted and started unpacking the few things they�d brought. Or in Isabel�s case a little bit more than a few things� When Isabel had put the last sweater into the small closet in the small, cheap room, she turned to Maria who was reading the latest issue of Cosmopolitan. �Excited about tomorrow?� she asked bumping down next to Maria on the bed. �Well, I�m excited, hopeful, doubtful, nevous, scared. You name it and I am it,� Maria answered and looked up from the paper. �It�s a little weird to see your dying father again after 15 years.� �I understand that Maria and I really hope it will come out some good from all of this.� �Why do you care?� Maria asked. �Well I do have a heart you know,� Isabel said, a little offended. �That�s not what I meant,� Maria reassured her. �After getting to know you. The real you, I�ve realized that you have a heart in the size of the world. You just don�t always show it.� �Thanks for saying that,� Isabel said, truly grateful. It meant a lot to her that Maria thought that of her. �But what did you mean with �why do I care�?� Maria put the paper away on the nightstand and sat up. �I just mean that you don�t usually ask me stuff like that. And when you do it�s normally because it�s related to you, Max, Tess or Michael.� �Well, actually this whole thing is related to us in a big way,� Isabel said. �I mean, you are an alien too and people know about our secret. It involves us bigtime.� �And you�re afraid I�ll screw it up somehow,� Maria said and sighed. �That�s not it Maria. I�m genuinely concerned about you as a friend,� Isabel said. �And as a fellow marsian,� she added with a smile. �Then I�m sorry for jumping at your throat like that,� Maria said. �And I�m sorry for being such a bitch sometimes,� Isabel admitted and pulled Maria into a hug. �This is something you don�t see everyday,� Michael�s voice said from the door. Isabel and Maria quickly parted and saw all their friends standing at the door. �Don�t you guys know how to knock,� Isabel asked annoyed. �Please, � Kyle commented. �When you have friends with super natural powers you don�t have to be civil. Besides this way is so much more fun.� �So what are you doing here anyway?� Maria asked to change the subject. �Well, Kyle and Michael complained about being hungry,� Max said. �What else is new,� Maria commented. �So we decided to go look for a decent place to eat around here,� Max continued. �Sound good,� Isabel said and stood up from the bed. �But are we going some place nice, cause then I�ll have to change?� �Isabel you look great already,� Maria said and grabbed her by the arm. Then they took their jackets and followed the rest out� ************ Two hours later they were all sitting at a table in a small quiet restaurant. They had just finished their meal and were sitting and talking. Kyle stood up and went to the other side of the table. �Tess, would you like to dance?� he asked and offered her his hand. She accepted the offer with a smile. �I�d love to.� Soon Max and Liz followed their example and Isabel excused herself and went to the ladies room, leaving Maria and Michael alone at the table. After a while of awkward silence Michael broke it. �I don�t suppose you�d like to dance?� he asked and looked at Maria from across the table. �Sure, why not?� Maria answered and stood up. Michael led them to the dance floor and laid his arm around her slim waist and she put hers on his shoulder. The other hands they intertwined together. �So Kyle and Tess seem to be hitting it of,� Maria said. �Yeah, they do,� Michael answered. But he was having a hard time concentrating on anything besides the way it felt to have Maria so close. To touch her and smell her like he hadn�t done for so long. He had to control himself so that he didn�t do something that friends weren�t supposed to do. Like kiss her. God he wanted to kiss her right now. �What are you thinking about?� Maria asked and looked up at him. �Nothing, nothing that matters anyway,� Michael said with a sigh. �It didn�t look like nothing to me,� Maria insisted. �You looked like you were deep into some serious thinking there spaceboy.� �I just miss this,� Michael said. �I miss us.� �Michael,� Maria started. �No just don�t,� Michael said and looked away. �I know you don�t want to be with me and that�s fine. I�m just telling you that I miss it.� �It�s okay Michael. I miss it too,� Maria said. �But right now I have to focus on my father and Jack okay? It�s so much to deal with and it�s really confusing you know. Just like you and I are, but I can�t deal with that right now. I have to focus on one thing.� She took a pause and looked up at him again. �But when all of this is over, who knows what will happen,� she continued. �In that case I�ll wait for you. I�ll wait forever if that�s what it takes,� Michael said. But he hoped he wouldn�t have to wait long cause he already missed her like crazy. �You�re so wonderful,� Maria said. �But maybe we should go back to the table now. I think they�re waiting for us.� �Sure,� Michael said and they parted. He looked at her and wished with all his heart that she would soon be his again� TBC |
| Part 12 |