| Maria hurried home and changed into her Crashdown uniform. She took quick drags on her second cigarette as she walked to work, shoving gum into her mouth as she arrived to mask the scent. Not that she cared what anyone thought; she just couldn't handle any grief from Liz about this habit too. She walked into the back room just as Liz was attaching her own headband. Liz glanced up at Maria as she entered. If she squinted her eyes just a little she could imagine that it was the same girl she knew before the summer. From the neck down she looked like the same old Maria, but it was impossible to ignore the alterations that had taken place from the neck up. Maria used her glamour powers liberally with this new image and her hair had gone from dreadlocks this morning to a slicked back bun surrounded by sharp spikes of hair. He make-up was less severe, with red lipstick and only half as much eye makeup. That was still three times as much as Liz would have ever worn and she knew Maria was only wearing this little because Mr. Parker had asked her to 'tone it down a bit'. Liz leaned against her locker while Maria open her own and placed her bag inside. "So, are we on for tonight?" she asked. Maria kept her head hidden behind her locker door. @#%$, she thought, I didn't think of an excuse for mother hen. Maria leaned back and turned to face Liz, "Um, I don't know." The look on Liz's face was utterly pathetic, "C'mon, I bought ice cream and rented Steel Magnolias?" Maria sighed but couldn't stop herself from smiling. Shaking her head she said, "Okay, fine. Steel Magnolias it is." Moving to walk past Liz into the restaurant she added, "But it better be Chunky Monkey." Liz laughed and followed her friend out of the back room. It may have been only a small development but it was something nonetheless. At this point Liz would take whatever she could get. ~~~~~ That night Maria trudged up the stairs behind Liz after their shift ended. She followed Liz into her room and sat on the bed massaging her feet while Liz changed. "Do you want some clothes?" Liz asked. "Sure," Maria replied. Liz reached into her closet, picking out a blue top and pair of jean shorts. She tossed them to Maria who caught them and promptly changed them to black garments in her size. Liz snuck a look at Maria as she dressed; gasping when she saw the shoulder tattoo she was sporting on her back. "What is that?" she cried, pointing at Maria. "What?" Maria asked, turning around to feel with her hand along her back where Liz pointed. "That," Liz said, walking over to touch the odd looking tattoo. "Oh, that," Maria said with disinterest, God you'd think she had never seen a tattoo before. "It's a Japanese symbol. It means harmony." "Did you do it yourself?" "No, I got it done in L.A." "Why?" Liz couldn't understand why someone with Maria's power would submit to having their skin pierced with a needle when a simple wave of her hand could have created the same thing. "Because," Maria said, obviously wanting that to be the end of the conversation. She pulled Liz's newly black shirt over her head and turned around to face her friend. Liz pressed her lips together. Her brain said to just forget about this and have a nice evening with her friend. "Maria I just don't get you anymore," she said. Oops, she thought, I guess my brain wasn't speaking loud enough. Maria tilted her head at her friend. Was Lizzie actually going to call her on something for once? This might actually be fun, she thought. "Yeah, well maybe you've never gotten me," Maria chided. "That's ridiculous and you know it. We've been best friends since we came out of those pods, and now you're different." Liz paused, her face already feeling flush, and the argument had barely started. "Something happened to you this summer, something to make you� like this, and I want to know what it is." "Like this?" Maria questioned. "Liz, I changed my look, okay? That's it. Is that such a crime?" "It's not just your look, Maria. It's your whole attitude. You are completely shut off from us, from everyone. I'm not the only one whose noticed it." "Oh yeah, I bet my Mom didn't notice it," Maria said, turning to sit on Liz's bed. "What?" Liz asked, lowering herself to sit beside her. "Nothing," Maria mumbled. "No, what did you say?" "I said it was nothing," Maria answered, her voice suddenly growing louder. "You know what?" she asked, standing up to take off the clothes Liz had given her. "I came up here because you said you wanted to hang out. I didn't come here to be attacked." Maria pulled the top over her head and reached for her alien uniform lying on the bed next to Liz. Liz laid her hand on top of the dress, grabbing Maria's arm with her other hand. "I'm just worried about you," she said softly. "Alex and I both are." Maria stopped to look at her best friend for a moment. She would never understand if I even tried to tell her, she thought. "Well don't be," she said, yanking the dress from beneath Liz's hand. Pulling it over her head she wriggled out of the shorts and grabbed her sneakers from the floor. She turned to leave, clutching the still unbuttoned dress to her chest. "Wait," Liz called after her. "Maria don't do this, I care about you." "Save it," Maria threw back at her, hurrying out of the Parker household. Liz sat back on her bed, staring after her retreating friend. Well that was a success, she thought grimly. She allowed herself to fall back onto the bed. "What happened to you?" she whispered into her empty bedroom. TBC |
| Part 3 |
 |