indexRealityanddreamspart8

�What do you mean you�ve seen them with your own eyes?� Isabel asked.

�Isabel, it�s okay. I know,� Jack said in a quiet voice.

�Know what?� Isabel asked innocently. She was getting really worried. What did this guy really know?

�I know about you, Max, Michael and Tess. About the royal four.�

Isabel froze. This was the end. Jack was probably some FBI-agent who was after them. And now he was going to kill them.

She forced a laugh. �The royal four?� she said, trying to sound clueless.

�Isabel it�s okay. I�m not out to hurt you, any of you,� Jack said. �I just need to talk to you. I need you to call them all together. Maria, Liz and Kyle too.�

Isabel didn�t know what to do. What should she do? She had a feeling this guy was a good one, but she couldn�t take any risks.

�I understand that you�re afraid right now,� Jack said. �I would be too. But why don�t you just call Max and ask him what to do. He is the leader you know. And besides, it won�t hurt to listen to what I have to say.�

�Okay,� Isabel said and stood up. �I�ll call them. We can meet here. There�re closing in a half an hour, anyway.�

�Wherever you want,� Jack said.

Isabel took a last look at him before she went to call Max. There was something about him. Something in his eyes that made him feel like he was on their side. Isabel really hoped so. Otherwise they could all be in deep trouble�

Michael took a bite of his sandwich and continued to look on the football-game playing on the TV. Although he had trouble concentrating on the game, because his thoughts kept drifting off to the meeting earlier today.

He hadn�t meant to be that harsh to his friends. To Maria.

He just didn�t buy the whole dream-thing. It didn�t make any sense. And he couldn�t stand it when everyone was always on Max�s side.

Suddenly a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

�Come in,� he yelled and in came Maria.

�Hi,� she said, but remained on her spot by the door. It was like she was afraid he would hurt her or something.

�Hey,� Michael said and turned of the TV. �What�s up?�

�Nothing, I just thought I�d come by. I got of job early today, so I thought I�d come see if everything was alright.�

�Why wouldn�t it be?� Michael asked. He knew he should apologize instead of being rude, but he didn�t.

�I just thought that maybe you were upset after out meeting today, that�s all,� Maria said avoiding looking him in the eyes.

�Well, as you can see I�m okay,� Michael said.

�I guess you are. Then I should go again.� Maria turned to walk, but Michael stopped her.

�Maria, wait.� She turned around and looked at him.

�What is it?�

�Can�t you just come and sit here? I need to tell you something,� Michael explained.

Maria didn�t answer. She hesitated, then just walked over to him and sat down in the couch. She sat as far away from him as she could, on the other end.

�I�m sorry that I yelled at you,� Michael said and moved a little bit closer to her.

�I know you are Michael,� Maria replayed. �I just wish you would learn to control your anger.�

�Yeah, I know,� Michael said. �It�s just that this whole thing with the dreams. I don�t buy it Maria. I�m sorry, but I don�t think that there�s any more to it than just that. Dreams.�

�It�s okay if you don�t believe,� Maria reassured him. �But not everyone has the same opinions as you do Michael. You have to remember that. And I do get hurt when you say stuff like you did.�

�I didn�t mean any of it.�

�Saved by the bell,� Maria said when her cell phone suddenly rang and interrupted the conversation. �It�s probably Isabel. She said she would call me when she�d talked to Jack.�

�Why did she�� Michael started.

�I�ll tell you later,� Maria interrupted him and answered the phone. �Hello?�

�Hi!� �No I�m at Michael�s.� �Is anything wrong? You sound so worried.�

�Okay, we�ll be right over.�

�Who was it?� Michael asked as soon as Maria hang up.

�It was Isabel. She wants us to come to the Crashdown right away. She sounded really worried Michael.�

�We�ll then let�s hurry, Izzy doesn�t worry for nothing��

Maria sat down next to Michael and Liz at the counter. She and Michael had been the last ones to the Crashdown. The place had closed, so right now, there were only Maria and her friends left. And Jack. Maria wondered what he was doing there. Well, Isabel had been meeting when him when she called everyine, so it probably had something to do with him.

�Okay. Everyone is here right?� Isabel asked nerviously.

�Yes Isabel, everyone is here,� Max answered his sister. �What�s going on? Why did you call us all here?�

�And why is this guy here?� Michael asked, refering to Jack.

�Don�t be so rude Michael,� Maria said. She felt like it was her job to defend this guy, but she didn�t know why.

�It�s okay,� Jack said. �I understand that you�re wondering who I am and why I�m here. And you�re going to find out eventually beacuse it was actually I who told Isabel to get you all together.�

�Why?� Tess asked, with a mixture of curiosity and suspisious in her voice.

�Well, it�s a long story and it�s going to chock you all. Especially you Maria,� Jack said and looked at Maria.

�Me? Why?� Maria asked immediatly. This was about her?

�The story starts with your father,� Jack explained.

Maria�s heart almost stopped. �What do you mean my father?� she asked, raising her voice. �As far as I�m concerned I don�t have a father,� she continued and rose from her seat.

�Well, you do have a father Maria,� Jack said. �I know that it�s hard to think about. Believe me I know the feeling, but it�s not like you think. He�s not a bad person.�

�Not a bad person?� Maria exploated. �He left my mother right after she got me. He left me. He left his own daughter before I even got the change to get to know him. You don�t call that a bad person? He hasn�t even called or sent me a letter or anything.�

�Maria calm down,� Liz said and went up to her best friend. �I know this is hard on you, but you have too listen to what he has to say.�

�I don�t think she has to listen,� Michael said. �This guy is just full of crap.�

�Michael, you don�t know what he has to say yet,� Isabel said, trying to calm him down.

�You know something?� Max asked, looking at his sister.

�I�ve asked her to let me tell you,� Jack said, going between the two siblings.

�Well, I�m sorry, but I don�t know you and all you�ve done so far is to upset my friend,� Max said and gestured at Maria, who was looking angry mixed with sad.

�Believe me, I know this sounds weird, but I want to help you. And I never ment to upset Maria. Or anyone,� Jack said looking at Michael.

Maria looked at Jack and thought back at her dream when he and helped her.

She had a feeling this guy was on their side.

�In that case I think we should listen,� Maria said, surprising everyone.

The entire group calmed down and got seated again. �Just don�t ever say that my father is a good person again,� she added.

�I�m sorry Maria, but you don�t know what really happened,� Jack said.

�Then tell me,� Maria odered and crossed her arms over her chest.

�And then tell us what this has to do with the things we talked about before,� Isabel said.

�Well, your father didn�t leave volenterly Maria. He was forced.�

�By who?� Max asked.

�By a guy named Mark. You see, Maria�s father isn�t quite like any other person,� Jack told them.

�Well neither are we,� Tess said. �Believe me.�

�I know,� Jack said. �That�s what I�m trying to tell you. Maria�s father, Richard, is just like you.�

�Like us?� Max said, obviously trying to sound like he didn�t know what Jack was talking about. �What do you mean he is like us?�

�He�s not human. He comes from another planet, Antar, just like the four of you. Max, Isabel, Michael and Tess.�

The seven friends just sat in chock. Maria didn�t know what to think. Her first reaction was to not believe this guy. But why wouldn�t he be telling the truth? And besisdes, she felt this weird thing whenever she looked at him. Like he was connected to them or something.

�I know this must come as a chock for all of you,� Jack said after a moment of silence. �But I can prove to you that it�s true. Maria, your father is like your friends. An alien...�

TBC