| �Please, Maria, give me another chance. I can�t lose you.� The titter from the crowd went unheard. Tess and Kyle watched Max, fascinated. Isabel was slack-jawed at seeing her brother act this way. Michael was as always expressionless, but he kept a hand on the small of Maria�s back, neither holding her back nor pushing her, but letting her know he was there. She shook her head. �I can�t do that, Max.� �I love you, Maria. I need you. I�m sorry about what happened. It wasn�t my choice. I was just�� �Not the guy I wanted you to be,� she finished for him. �Max, we�re not compatible. I�m just sorry I realized it too late. I would have wanted to end this sooner.� Vaguely, she noted that Max was doing this in front of everyone who would care to watch. Max was proving to her that he wasn�t ashamed of her, that he wanted the world to know that he loved her. �How can you say that? We�re perfect together. We balance each other out. You make me so alive, and I temper you,� he said softly. Maria sighed. �With a bargain like that, I lose. I don�t need someone to douse me like I�m some fire to be extinguished, Max. I love myself too much for that.� �Mi�� He glanced at Michael, and then back at Maria. �Someone told me I hurt you because you thought I was ashamed of you. But I�m not, Maria. You�re the best girlfriend I can even have. It was just one mistake. Forgive me. Please. One mistake, Maria. I deserve at least a second chance.� Maria stepped closer to Max, not needing people to hear their conversation. She tried to lower her voice. �Max, this isn�t that anymore. Maybe now I�m the one ashamed that you�re my boyfriend. I let you control me, Max! You think I�m breaking up with you because you didn�t invite me to your party? You were suffocating me. You made me pack three fourths of my closet because they were too slutty. You constantly nagged about my study ethics. You told me what�s healthy to eat and when to eat it. Max, you made me ashamed of myself! That�s what I�ll regret most about our relationship. And I want out,� she finished. Sadly, she returned to the protection of Michael and her friends. Isabel felt sorry for her brother, but remembered the way he frantically devised a lie for Maria. She embraced her best friend. �I�m not mad at you,� she whispered into her ear. At least that small message from her might ease Maria�s pain about doing what she had to do. The six of them started walking away from Max. �One more chance! I promise I won�t do any of those things again, Maria. The clothes, school, the food� I was only thinking of your own good,� he called out. �But if you don�t like that, I�ll stop! I promise, Maria, I�ll stop. I�ll change,� he offered, as thought it was the best gift in the world. Tess hung back for a bit as the rest of the group continued walking. She was sorry for the guy now. She walked over to him and said, �No offense, Max. You�re just a teeny weeny bit too dull compared to the Guerin man, you know. I mean, red roses,� she scoffed, but somehow, because she was so sweet delivering it, Max didn�t protest. �Red roses is soooo� traditional. You even have them complete with baby�s breath. Max, those are totally our parents� time period.� She bit her lip. �Okay I gotta go. Kyle might get pissed.� Tess scampered off gracefully to catch up with Kyle. In the meantime, Max was left standing all alone in the corridor clutching his bouquet of true love in the form of traditional flowers. Well, he was all alone aside from the dozens of students looking on with amusement and incredulity with the dazed faces of people sitting on the couch too long watching tv, and of course Mr. Matthews who was waiting for his exam paper. �It�s okay, Mr. Evans,� he assured the young man, although he really had no idea what exactly happened. He just went out to see what the commotion outside his classroom was about. �Young love�� he stammered. He didn�t know how to talk to these kids. �Young love� is always lovelier the second time around,� he finished lamely. Taking the sheet of paper from Max�s hand, he patted his back. �You know that�s a lovely choice. I gave red roses to my wife too on our first date.� Max squeezed his eyes shut in despair and Mr. Matthews left him. �Poor Max,� one of the girls sighed. �I don�t know about Maria and Tess, but I really think red roses are sweet!� another gushed. �I�d talk a bouquet of lettuce if it�s from Max,� Linda announced. �You would!� retorted a faceless guy from the back. �We know how much you love food.� �@#%$,� Linda bit back. Max didn�t register any of this. His shoulders were slumped and he kept his gaze on his feet. Maria didn�t want him back. This wasn�t fair. He knew he was in the wrong and he regretted it. Where�s the second chance people were supposed to have? With the bouquet dangling from his hand, he dragged his feet towards the boy�s restroom. Halfway there, he just dropped the bouquet on the floor. And then he hurried to the privacy of the restroom. He didn�t even see the group of girls who jumped to the floor where the roses lay and madly bit and tore at each other to get at least one blossom of the Max Evans� roses as keepsake. ~~ �I�ll pick you up at seven later, Tess.� A blonde eyebrow arched over one powder blue eye. �I don�t think so, Kyle. I made plans with Isabel.� �But I thought we were gonna catch a movie tonight.� �Did you inform me about it?� Tess snidely asked. �No. You just supposed that I�d jump at the chance of going out with you. Well sorry, buster, my time is my own.� Without giving him time to respond, Tess turned to Maria. �Would you like to go shopping with us, Maria?� Maria shook her head, still heavy of heart. �I think I�m going to spend time with Michael Guerin. I mean, I do need to convince him not to back out on our prom date,� she said lightly, �seeing as I just made sure I won�t get another one.� Michael appreciated Maria�s attempt at humor at a time when she was most probably down with guilt. Max did mean well sometimes. He just lacked balls. �More like she�s going to put me through tests, turn me into a slave, and see if she would consider spending the most important party of high school with me.� Michael mentally calculated how much money he had saved up. He wasn�t filthy rich like the Evans, and he had been scrimping and saving enough money to get him started after high school. He had applied for a government scholarship in the art school in Albuquerque and he had to have some start-up money for transportation and lodging until he could find another job in the new city. Minus the tux rental and a nice corsage for Maria, he prayed that he�d still have enough. Maria deserved a real nice date. �Just make sure you don�t get me a corsage, Michael. Don�t blow big bucks on something that prissy. I won�t wear it anyway.� Maria hoped that Michael wouldn�t argue. The two of them weren�t the words richest people, and there was no sense spending food money for flowers that would wilt after a few hours anyway. �Like I�d even think about it,� he answered easily, a little relieved. �Look, people, don�t talk about that yet. You might jinx the Bio finals. Don�t just suppose we�re graduating. I�m still nervous about the results.� �Oh stuff it, Kyle,� Isabel told him, surprisingly standing close to the grinning new boy Whitman. �You�re going to pass. Don�t be so paranoid.� �You�re jinxing me!� Kyle breathed out in awe and fear. �That�s what you�re doing Isabel. You�re jinxing me. You�re one evil bitch!� Alex�s dreamy eyes hardened and snapped at Kyle, but he was shocked to see Isabel blush. �Oh Kyle, stop�� �You are! I can�t believe it. Bitch.� �Kyle!� Isabel protested, a smile creeping across her face, all traces of iciness gone. That confirmed it. Kyle Valenti was officially a friend. �Flattery will get you nowhere.� �It�s not gonna work, Kyle. You�re not going to charm her into breaking off her plans with me,� Tess told her boyfriend. �We�re going to the mall and that�s that. Ready, Iz?� �Uhuh. Hey Alex, why don�t you drive us?� �Ummm�� Alex scrambled for a response that might get him into the beauty�s good graces fast, �anything for you, bitch.� Isabel glowered at him. �Who the hell do you think you are?� she demanded. �I just met you. Goodbye!� The two blondes stalked off towards the parking lot, muttering about the @#%$ who called her a bitch. Alex was confused. Unsure about what to do, he called out, �I�m still the one taking you to the ball, right?� �Just make dam-ned sure you get the palest shade of purple for my corsage!� Isabel snapped, not breaking the pace of her walk. The new guy turned to the three left. His question was directed to Maria. �Is this hormones?� But it was Kyle who answered, since Michael and Maria were suddenly occupied staring into each other�s eyes� as friends only, mind you. �It�s Isabel,� he answered. �Get used to it.� �This is okay?� �As long as she hasn�t threatened to maim you using beauty products, you�re okay,� Michael replied, taking pity on the guy. �Now me and Maria are blowing out of this joint,� he told them in his best 1930s movie voice. �Shall we?� Maria placed her hand on the proffered elbow and they happily left the building. �No @#%$,� Kyle muttered. �That boy�s on something.� �No, actually, he seemed fine�friendly.� �Well dumbass, then he�s on something!� When his initial shock was gone, he grinned at Alex. �Oh sorry, you�re new.� TBC |
| Part 13 |
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