| Liz took a seat next to Alex on the loveseat, looking across the living room to see Michael perched on the edge of the couch while Maria spoke to him from a nearby armchair. She closed her eyes briefly, unwilling to see the events unfolding before her. Their secret would be known by six people in a few short minutes. She didn't know if she could handle this one additional person finding out � five was such a nice number. Such an even number, well odd actually, but still even � half of 10, 1/5 of 25. Math, logic� those things made sense to her. Five made sense, not six, six was wrong. She looked over at Alex to see if he shared her anxiety and saw him drumming his fingers quietly on his leg, his mouth reciting the words to an unsung song. She watched him for a moment, struck by how he could be so nonchalant about the situation. He noticed her gaze and turned his head to flash her a reassuring smile. "Relax," he whispered. "How can you be so calm, when, when�" Liz gestured toward Michael and Maria to illustrate what she was so agitated about. Alex shrugged, "She trusts him Liz, that's good enough." "She trusts him? You really believe that?" she questioned, her voice rising to a high-pitched squeal that was barely audible. "Yes, I do," he insisted, squeezing her hand lightly in an effort to calm her. "In the room just now, when she was talking about him, she was herself again right? You saw it?" "Well sure," she agreed, "but�" she pointed at Maria again and this time Alex followed her gaze. The person he saw before him wasn't the Maria he had grown up with. He had been so happy to see her resurface in the bedroom that he hadn't noticed her retreat again. He watched her now, mesmerized by the stranger sitting there. She spoke with a listless voice, patiently explaining the mysteries of their life to Michael. Sadly, the realization that she had recoiled into the shell she called� "What was her name?" he asked Liz. "Alli," Liz replied. "For Alex and Liz remember?" "Oh yeah," he replied. "I was thinking Lial and that didn't make sense." "Like Alli does?" "What? Alli's a name." he replied. "It's not that," she said impatiently. "Why did she have to make up a name in the first place? And even if she did, why did it have to stick? I feel like if I called out to Maria right now no one would answer." "I don't know�" Alex mumbled. "Alex, look at her," Liz whispered forcefully. "My God, why didn't I see it before," she wondered aloud. "It's like she a different person, like she's split in two." He chuckled a little, "What, like split personality? Come on." "Well no, not fully, but that's where it's leading." Liz chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully for a minute before turning to Alex again, "A split personality is like this dominant trait, or rather group of traits, taking over. Alex, if we don't get her back before she hides completely we might lose her forever." The gravity of Liz's words hung heavy in the air between the two best friends as they stared at the third member of their alien circle sitting across from them. She was confessing her deepest secrets to a boy she barely knew and she looked as if she couldn�t care less. Liz shook her head, praying that they'd be able to get Maria back before Alli moved in permanently. ~~~~~ Michael lifted up his shirt to stare at the handprint on his stomach for the hundredth time that day. He was sitting on a picnic table in the park, near where Maria had told him about "becoming Alli" just last night. He wasn't sure exactly how he had gotten here; he had left her house hours ago and just started walking, no specific direction in mind. His fingers lightly touched the silver-tainted skin once more and he ran his hand through his hair quickly. An alien� she was a real-life, honest-to-goodness, Roswell alien. It was just unfathomable. He had always secretly believed that there was more to the 1947 crash than the government let on, but to find out that it was all true, that a spaceship carrying beings from another planet had actually crash-landed just outside of their town, was just too much to take in. He recalled the words she used to explain it, facts, figures, numbers � patiently repeating herself over and over again as he asked his questions. It was at least 20 minutes before he realized that she was removed, detached, speaking to him with her voice, but not her heart or mind. He had left then, leaning down to kiss her quickly on the cheek, telling her that he wanted to think things over a bit, struggling not to let the fear in his heart reveal itself on his face. He wasn't afraid of her, rather for her. So she had a secret � big deal. Lot's of people had secrets, hell, he had his fair share that he wasn't ready to spill yet. But, her face� Michael sighed out loud and leaned back to rest on his elbows. He thought about the girl he had met just last week. He remembered thinking that she was an enigma then, "That's the understatement of the year," he muttered under his breath. She seemed scarred, abandoned, but there was a spark, however small that he could sense if not see. Every time they spoke, he felt like she was teasing him, pushing and pulling to see how far she could goad him. And he had liked it. Thoroughly enjoyed the little game they were playing� until Saturday. Finding out she was hooked on weed wasn't a big deal to him. He embraced it as something that he could help her with, but seeing her completely withdrawn today� something told him that it was more than revealing her identity; more than even killing a man. Maria was lost, in herself, and he didn't have the slightest clue how to find her. ~~~~~ Maria was finally able to convince Alex and Liz to leave her alone, hours after Michael had left. She was expecting her Mom home at six and used that as an excuse to get them out. Once they left she walked purposefully to her room where she changed into a pair of shredded black jeans. The largest tear left little to the imagination and she fastened it with a safety pin in a surprising display of modesty. Pairing it with a black mid-rift shirt she ran her fingernails across the upper section, tearing it into little strips. Adding additional safety pins to provide just the suggestion of inappropriateness, she checked herself in the mirror. Running her hands through her hair, she transformed it into a mess of tousled curls. Waving her hands across her face she removed all traces of her earlier makeup, leaving just her eyes lined with heavy, black strokes. Turning to grab her wallet, she added a silver, snaking bracelet to her bicep and threw several silver chains around her neck. She carefully selected a silver hoop earring from her collection and bit her lip in concentration as she threaded it through her belly button. With no numbing of the skin, the area quickly inflamed in bright red strokes. She didn't want to remove the pain, but the marks ruined "the look" so she ran her fingers across her stomach absently, leaving a perfectly centred ring hanging there. Satisfied that her look was complete, she exited through the back door just as her Mom entered through the front. Maria knew that there would be no questions about where she was going, or when she'd be back, but avoiding her mother altogether was far better than being ignored by her, so she slipped out silently. She lit a fresh cigarette as she hurried away from the house, her feet instinctively leading her to Johnny's until she realized that that option was no longer available to her. Even if his flunkies were still running out of the same place, highly doubtful with the cops crawling all over it last night, she wouldn't be welcome. She dragged frantically on the cigarette as an addictive urge caused her body to tremor. She leaned up against the closest building, closing her eyes to steady her hands, before removing another cigarette from her tattered pack. Her hands quivered as she lit it, snapping her lighter shut as the knowledge of the only available fix became startlingly clear. She turned to walk briskly through the darkening streets, slowing as she neared the high school. The guys that she regularly bought her cigarettes from hung out here, strange considering they usually didn't bother to venture into the actual halls of learning. Maria walked around to the side of the school, approaching the same group of three guys again. She asked for a pack of cigarettes and paid as normal. Once the transaction was completed she spoke up, "So, you got anything stronger?" Irving, the obvious leader of the little group, looked at her sharply. He was naturally weary of anyone who stepped outside of their natural buying habits. But, it had been happening all day, what with Johnny Eagle being dead, and Irving wanted to please. Secretly he aimed for the fame that Johnny once held� he just needed a cool name. Deciding that Maria was enough of a regular to trust, he nodded, "Whatcha up for?" "Uh, I don't know� maybe� E?" Maria gulped as she asked for the pills. She honestly didn't know what to ask for, except for cocaine, which she wasn't putting herself anywhere near again. "How many?" "Uh�" Not having a clue as to how many she'd need, she offered him $20 and took the pills he handed her in exchange. She turned away quickly and walked blindly through the school parking lot and back onto the street. Another cigarette calmed her nerves enough to allow her to retreat back into the thoughts consuming her brain. She was anxious though except for the little interaction with Irving you'd never know it. Her feet led her unknowingly to the park where she had revealed all to Michael the previous night. He was the last person she expected, or wanted, to see sitting there, and when she saw his reclined form on the picnic table she threw her cigarette on the ground in front of her, squashing it before she could stop herself. "F@%k," she said loudly, causing Michael to sit up quickly. "Jesus," he exclaimed. "No, Maria," she said, snarling at him. "How do you do that?" "Do what?' he asked, thoroughly confused. "That!" she exclaimed, pointing to the extinguished cigarette that she wanted so badly on the grass in front of her. "Every f@4king time I see you, I just� squish 'em. Ahhh," she growled moving to take a seat beside him on the table. He stared at her as she fished in her pocket for something. Her hair hid her face as she bent over slightly, but he admired the pale skin peeking through the torn jeans. She found the item she desired and he saw the flash of white on her palm as she tossed the pills quickly before swallowing them. "What are those?" he asked, knowing that he wasn't lucky enough for it to just be Tylenol. "E." "Maria! How many did you take?" She glared at him, "Three. Jeez." Michael stood up to grab her by the shoulders, "You are only supposed to take two!" He pulled her toward him, pushing her head between her legs, "Throw up," he commanded. "Michael," she shouted as she struggled out of his grasp. Twisting free she tumbled to the grass and quickly jumped to her feet. "What's your problem?" she asked, her voice still loud, as she brushed off her jeans. Seeing a grass stain near her knee, she ran her hand over the fabric, vaporizing it. Michael stepped back from her, uncomfortable with the "magic trick" he had just witnessed. Shaking it off he spoke to her, "It's not safe to take three. You should� puke or something." "Chill," she said, sitting down on the picnic table as a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her. She fumbled for her cigarettes, the pack suddenly seeming to weigh a thousand pounds. She looked up at Michael who had seen her sit down heavily and was now standing over her. There were three of him and she reached her hand out to touch him, missing completely as she aimed for the Michael on the right. "Maria," his voice pounded on her brain like waves crashing on the shore. She closed her eyes, turning her head away from him as her body convulsed and she fell off the picnic table onto the grass. Michael was at her side in a second, holding her body still as she convulsed uncontrollably. He watched in an amazed horror as her skin transformed into a prickled, red surface, bubbling with thousands of tiny bumps. Her body shook violently between powerful convulsions, causing her to arch her back against the ground, her teeth clenched together tightly. As quickly as the episode started, it was over, and she collapsed back onto the grass, rolling over to shield her face from his gaze. He sat by her side quietly, the sobs escaping her body assurance that she was going to be okay. His mind raced with a million questions about what had just happened but he hadn't one clue which to start with. He turned to her, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. She flinched away from him, mumbling, "Don't." "Maria," he insisted gently, turning her over and slowly prying her hands from her face. Opulent green eyes stared back at him from the dark black circles she had drawn there. Michael felt his breath catch in his throat as he realized that he was looking at two people at once, Alli lying on front of him, and Maria staring out at him from behind her lashes. "Don't look at me. I'm a freak," she whispered, the words escaping between gasps as tears shook her body. He pulled gently on her shoulders until she was in a sitting position, and then pulled her to his chest, cradling her in his arms. She resisted at first, stiffening his body at his touch, then felt the warmth of him seep into her own body, and gently relaxed her muscles. Her sobs increased as she felt his hands rub small circles on her back. Michael sat there for an hour, holding the girl who had had the greatest effect on him in his short lifetime, until she stopped crying. Then he helped her to her feet and took her back to his apartment where he offered nothing but acceptance and comfort. No judging, no questions, just a friend and a safe place. He knew what she needed right now, and he was prepared to do anything to give it to her. TBC |
| Part 18 |
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