| Liz Parker was in front of her locker, with about four of the snotty girls surrounding her. She was animatedly telling them about the party at the Evans, highlighting the parts she wanted spread around school. True, she really didn�t want to be friends with these girls. They were slutty like Maria, Isabel and that new bitch hanging all over her Kyle. But they had their uses. With their rapt gazes focused on her, she almost felt her heart sing out, �Spread the word, brainless bimbos� Spread the word�� �So,� Maggie Coleman gushed, �they didn�t bother inviting her? I mean, I thought they were a couple!� �And she came there all by herself? She wanted to crash the party? That is too pathetic,� Sissy Gordon said. �You are so lucky you got an invite. I would so kill to socialize with them.� �So the quarterback from New Mexico State attended?!� Liz leaned against the cool metal of her locker, the handle biting at her back. She didn�t care. She had done the morning�s job. Maria De Luca was going to be stared down today at every classroom, every corridor, every toilet. She was going to learn that it�s not nice to cross Liz Parker, going to pay for taking what was hers. She let her little pigeons drift away to spread the message to the student population. Within ten minutes, everyone who passed her in the hall was talking about the embarrassing scene in the Evans� gate as though they were there. Now Liz had to find the new student. She had heard that there was another transferee. He was reputed to be a band member, which was cool in her estimation. With Kyle Valenti Star Athlete hanging over a member of the Blonde Triad, she was going to need a buffer boy toy. Max she still had to work on, and Michael seemed too hard to handle. She saw him standing outside English. So his first class was the same as hers. Delightful! �Hi there.� The lanky boy looked up at her with a ready smile. �Hey. How are you?� �I�m great.� She looked down at her shoes with a smile, before calculatingly meeting his eyes again and blinking. She wasn�t Maria�s ex-best friend for nothing. �I�m Liz Parker.� �Alex Whitman, Liz. New.� �I know. That�s why I approached you. Would you like to sit next to me in this class?� �I�d love that.� ~~ The cafeteria was noisy and stifling. Lunch hour was truly murder on the skin, Isabel thought. She would have to buy a moisturizing lotion on the way home to replenish much needed nutrients being zapped from her skin by this heat. Normally, they would be eating outside. Isabel preferred that. Just some SPF on the lotion and done. But this� this was worse� a crime on Beauty herself. But they had to go here since she didn�t have any packed lunch today. �So where�s the brother?� Tess inquired, and then bit the sandwich Kyle offered. She was leaning back against her very newly acquired boyfriend�s fine chest. Since Michael was waiting for Maria, who still hadn�t arrived, and these three were the closest he had to friends, he was sitting quietly beside them, sipping his juice. He waited for Isabel�s answer. �I don�t know. I�m still majorly pissed at the guy. Left him at home. Guess he�d be here already or mom would fry him for being late.� Michael was very concerned. Maria should have been here already. It wasn�t like her to just stay home. She would cut classes when they were together, but that was because they were making out in the eraser room. She didn�t like staying at home too much, because she never wanted to be exposed to whatever alcohol or man Amy would bring home. �Maria still not here?� Kyle asked. �She better arrive soon because we have an exam in Bio, and there�s no make up if you miss it.� Tess frowned. She glanced at Isabel with concern. �I�m on it.� Isabel drew out her cell phone and dialed Maria�s number. It was on the fourth ring when the line was disconnected. �Holy Maybelline! Low batt!� Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned to see the friendliest pair of eyes smiling at her. �Having trouble, huh.� He handed her his cell phone. �Chatter away. I have hours to spare on credit.� �Oh. Well thanks. Ummm?� �Alex Whitman. It�s my pleasure�� �Isabel. My name�s Isabel.� ~~ Michael knocked on the De Luca�s front door. They learned from a bizarrely sober Amy that Maria was still in her bedroom crying her heart out. She had persuaded her to go to school, but she won�t listen. Michael voted himself to fetch her and get her to talk her exam. �Hey Mrs. De Luca.� Amy let him enter and led him to Maria�s room. He rapped on the door. �Go away!� He pushed the door open, and Amy left him to deal with her daughter alone. He stepped over to her bed where she lay with her head buried in the pillow. �Maria, it�s Michael. Come on. You need to take Bio finals.� �I don�t wanna,� she muttered. �You�re not gonna graduate.� �Don�t care.� �Of course you care. You want out of Roswell right?� Groaning loudly, she turned on her back and blinked blearily up at him. �I can�t.� Michael took in the red-rimmed eyes, blotched cheeks and flushed face. He heaved a sigh and sat beside her. Michael sniffed her breath. He had to chuckle. �Found mom�s stock whiskey?� No wonder Amy was sober. Her daughter guzzled up her alcohol stock last night. Maria burst out crying and pulled Michael into her arms. �Michael!� �It�s okay, Maria. I�ll fix it so you can go to school.� �Michael!� �What?� She muttered something into his ear. �What?� �Vodka,� she repeated. �It was vodka in orange juice.� Michael shook his head. She really wouldn�t notice the amount of alcohol in her if it was vodka. He lifted her out of bed and carried her to the shower. �We�re gonna get you showered and alive, okay? We got�� He checked his watch. �One and a half more hours before you need to be spiffy and ready to take the exam.� He put her directly under the shower and turned it on cold. �I�ll kill you!� she squealed. ~~ Michael led his slowly walking Maria down the corridor to Bio lab. Her head was still madly throbbing even though he gave her some medicine before they left. �Michael, I don�t know if I can do this.� �You don�t need to get it perfect,� he reasoned. �Just have to take the exam and pass it. You can do it. Just remember, the plant and animal cell is differentiated by the cell wall�� �Not that, Michael. I don�t know if I can face anyone right now. I look like hell.� He had to admit. She was a little out of it. �You�re pretty.� He opened the door to Bio room and led her to her desk. �Good luck.� Everyone was staring at Maria as Michael helped her sit down. He glared at most of the curious onlookers, and nodded curtly at Kyle�s grin of approval. He settled back on an empty seat at the back of class, but the teacher didn�t comment about what he was doing when he wasn�t in that class. At one end of the room, the new band member Alex Whitman was sighing dreamily about the goddess he met at the cafeteria. Liz Parker could have spat if it was proper to do it. She heard that her new prospect met Isabel Evans, and Michael Guerin had the guts to just come into her classroom like this just to have Maria flunk this test as always. And that traitor Valenti! He and his third of the Blonde Bimbo Triad couldn�t be a little more discreet? Why wasn�t Max here yet? Wait� have to focus� have to focus� Liz forced herself to read the first question. TBC |
| Part 11 |
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