| �Wait, wait! So you mean this blend will work?� A paint-splattered Maria Deluca was standing in front of her canvass in the art room, wielding her paintbrush in her right hand. Her golden hair was parted at the middle and tied in pigtails at either side of her head. There was dried red paint on her nose, and flecks of yellow on her pristine white blouse. She was still wearing what Max termed as �decent� clothes, but she had let loose a bit and had let her hair down. When Michael saw her step into the art room with those beautiful curls he loved hanging down her back, he shook his head. Her hair was too pretty to stain, so he helped her put them up in the pigtails. �Yep.� �That doesn�t make sense. I just dumped some colors together, Michael. Mr. Franz didn�t say we could do it. Doesn�t it look too different from everyone else�s?� �Beauty is in uniqueness, Maria, not conformity. I learned that from someone very special.� He handed her a Chinese brush. �That�s for the little spots. That big brush will mess it up, go past your border lines.� Maria took the white brush in bamboo and looked at Michael from the corner of her eyes. �So you�re dating again?� she asked lightly. �Huh?� He frowned at her. �What makes you ask?� �You know� that special someone who tells you all these wise sayings?� �How do you know it�s not a grandparent of mine?� he teased her. �Somehow Michael, I doubt that Hank actually had parents. And you don�t know your real parents.� She said this casually, thankful that they were comfortable enough with each other that she didn�t need to fear that she would offend him. �Okay, Maria, you caught me.� Maria�s eyes widened as Michael pulled up a stool and sat down. He just watched her with a soft smile on his face. Oh maaaaan! Michael was seeing someone new? She was just kidding. But there� see�. Ahhh those eyes! Those are �Michael in love� eyes. And those were reserved for her. Maria caught herself. She so had no right to be this possessive. She should just find Liz Parker and ask her to bitch slap her now! �So are you gonna share who it is?� Maria mentally threw herself across the parking lot. She just couldn�t help herself. �Who what, Maria?� Michael knew very well what Maria was asking. But he couldn�t just let this pass. Maria Deluca actually seemed jealous. This was a good omen. �This special someone who taught you.. you know.� �Oh that beauty does not lie in conformity?� he asked innocently. �Yeah Michael,� she snapped impatiently. �Who�s this sage?� Okay now that she asked, she really didn�t want to know anymore. If Michael gave her a name, she couldn�t be sure she won�t seek Isabel and Tess out and ask them to help her accidentally burn the hem of that bimbo�s skirt. Oh good heavens she was starting to think like Liz too! Now she can understand a bit of Liz�s attitude. When someone took your guy you just get nasty! �You.� Maria whirled around, and droplets of purple pain flew out of the brush and splattered around her in a circle. One splashed Michael right center on the forehead. �Ooops. Sorry.� Maria stained her bag in an effort to get to her pack of tissues, which she had started carrying after that last cryfest in the eraser room. �Me?� Her voice was soft. �Yeah Maria. That�s what I admired in you. You were never afraid to be who you are.� He covered her hand with his own as she wiped the paint away from his face. �You were Maria and to hell with everyone who didn�t like it.� Her eyes were suspiciously moist when she smiled in response. �Thank you for saying that.� She missed herself really. This new her was okay, but it wasn�t really working. Her grades were better now and she was making an impact that was more than the usual shallow ones she generated, but she wasn�t happy. And wasn�t that what was important? She wished she could go back to her normal self, and maybe just be a little more studious than she was before. It could work� �It�s not like I don�t like the you today. You have to know, I�ll love you no matter what. You taught me how to accept everything that the person you love is when you loved me even if I was such a loser. It�s just that you don�t seem so�� �Fulfilled? Content?� He nodded, with an apology in his eyes. �That�s okay. I�m not. Now you� you seem to be fitting nicely with this change.� �Yeah. Because it was my decision to change, Maria. It was my decision to be better for you and for me.� �Liz planned it you know,� she said sadly. �She made it so you�d be so embarrassed in front of everyone that you�d go and kiss her.� �Parker?� he gasped disbelievingly. �I ought to�� She held up her hand to silence him. �Tess is taking care of it.� �Oh.� �Yeah. You know what the sad thing is, Michael? You fell for it.� When he opened his mouth to speak, she stopped him again. �Let me finish. I�m not mad at you, Michael. I forgave you remember? But I can�t get back together with you. I�m looking for a guy who won�t be ashamed of me. I�m tired of people running away. I want someone to be proud of me for once.� She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed Michael on the cheek. �Thanks for your help with my project, Michael. I�m going to go change.� ~~ �Are you sure you don�t want me to go there?� Maria asked for the hundredth time. �It�s your birthday, Max. I don�t want you to spend it alone.� �I�m sure, Maria,� Max replied. �I�m contagious.� He sneezed. �I don�t want you to catch whatever virus I have. I�ll just be lying around looking awful anyway.� �Oh poor honey! And on your special day too! Don�t worry. I�ll make it up to you when you�re better. We�ll have a picnic at the park. Oh what�s that?� Max flinched when the sound system blared to life. �That�s just Isabel. She really turns the music on loud.� �Oh I�ll tell her not to do that too loud next time for you. She owes me,� Maria joked. �Thanks Maria. Well okay I better go now. I�m not feeling too well.� Max really felt he was going to puke. Nausea assailed him from combined guilt and nervousness. �Okay Max. Lie down. I hope you feel better soon.� �Bye.� Max hung up the phone. When he turned around, he saw his sister watching him with disapproval and fury mottling her face. �Shut up, Isabel!� He covered his ears with his hands and stalked off towards the lawn, where the guests were starting to arrive. �I wasn�t saying anything, Max!� Isabel yelled after him. �That was probably your conscience driving you nuts.� Some of the people already in the party looked at Isabel curiously. She haughtily arched her brows at them. Dianne glared at her daughter and returned to entertaining guests. She was going to have a talk with that daughter of hers tonight. She pasted a welcoming smile on her face when she saw Liz Parker arrive. TBC |
| Part 8 |
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