| Maria finally managed to stumble home around 3 am, after finishing half of the weed Johnny had given her. Her mother was passed out in her room; Jake wrapped between her legs, and didn't wake when she entered. She slept for 12 hours, waking up an hour before her shift started at the Crashdown on Saturday. Maria sleepily rolled over and picked up the phone to call Liz. "Hello," Liz answered. "Hey Lizzie, it's me." "Maria!" Whoa, I sound way too excited, Liz thought to herself. It was just that Maria hadn't called her for any reason in the past two weeks. "Yeah," Maria rolled her eyes at her friend's exclamation. "Listen, I'm not feeling well, can you get someone to cover for me?" "Oh," the disappointment was evident in Liz's voice. So Maria didn't want to talk after all. "Um well, Agnes already asked to leave early so we're going to be short as it is. Can you come in for a couple of hours at 8:00?" Maria shook her head, unfortunately getting stoned didn't make her immune to guilty feelings and before she could stop herself she agreed to Liz's proposal. She hung up the phone, getting out of bed to draw herself a bath. Her Mom was nowhere to be found and Maria figured she was already over at Jake's, getting ready for her ritual Saturday night out on the town. She stepped into the hot water, pulling a chair filled with her marijuana paraphernalia close to her. She kneeled in the tub, stopping to roll a joint and light it before sinking back into the rose scented water. "Ahh," a blissful sigh escaped her lips. She was going to stay here until she was wrinkly as a prune and high as a kite, no matter how long it took. ~~~~~ That night Maria showed up for work, her makeup applied liberally but not enough to hide her bloodshot eyes. No amount could mask the effects of the afternoon she had spent "enjoying" herself. She threw her coat into her locker, slamming it loudly behind her. She walked out into the restaurant, swaying slightly as she stopped to pick up an order pad from the counter and approach the nearest table where a family was just finishing their meal. "Welcome to the Crashdown. Can I take your order?" she asked them The confused patrons looked at their waitress and then the father pointed to his meal, "Um, we're almost done." "Oh, so that'll be all then? I'll get that for you right away," Maria responded, moving away to walk behind the counter. Liz was just picking up an order from the kitchen window and watched in horrified amazement as Maria reached for a glass, dropped it and then bent down to wave her hand over it, transforming it back into one piece. Liz slammed the plates she was carrying down onto the counter and grabbed Maria's shoulders, lifting her off of the floor. She pushed her friend into the back room and sat her on the couch. "What do you think you are doing?" she questioned angrily. Maria giggled a little, "The glass �" Her giggles were fast becoming uncontrollable. "The glass was in many pieces," she said, looking up a Liz with wide, red-rimmed eyes. "Maria, you can't just do that� wait, are you� high?" Liz asked, her eyes as wide as Maria's. "Yessir," Maria responded. "Real good too." "What the� what ever possessed you to come here like this?" Liz moved to sit beside her friend, placing her hand on her forehead to check her temperature. She had no idea what Maria had taken or what affect it could have on her. Alex had taken a few sips of beer once a year ago and was convinced that pink lions with purple manes were chasing him down Main Street. "Makes me feel good," Maria murmured, pushing Liz's hand aside to stand up. She promptly lost her balance and fell back onto the couch. On the second try she was able to successfully make it to a standing position and moved towards the restaurant again. "Oh no you don't," Liz said, jumping up to grab Maria's arm. She reached into her locker and gathered her coat and purse. Pushing them into Maria's arms she said, "Sit down over there and wait for me." Liz walked back out into the restaurant, looking for Alex. He had been there a moment ago but now there was no sign of him. "Shit," she swore under her breath. Taking a final glance around the room her eyes settled on a familiar face. That guy, the one that Maria was talking to last night. Liz hesitated, looking over her shoulder toward the back room. She didn't know how well Maria knew that guy, but she couldn't leave the restaurant unsupervised, her parents were out of town and they were already short a waitress before Maria had decided to get stoned. Liz made up her mind and approached the boy sitting by himself in a booth, "Um, Mikey, right?" Michael shook his head, was he wearing a nametag with Mikey on it or something, "Michael." Liz smiled nervously, "Oh sorry, Maria said�" She shook her head, who cared what his name, was she had a real problem. "Look, um, can you do me a favour?" "And you would be�" "Oh, sorry, I'm Liz, Maria's friend. I need you to help me with Maria." Michael's expression was amused, watching the girl stammer over her words, but instantly changed to one of concern when he heard Liz's favour. "Why, is something wrong?" "Uh, no� well, yes� it's just," Liz reached down and grabbed the boy by the arm. "Come with me." Liz pulled Michael across the restaurant and into the back room, "She just showed up stoned and I�" Liz stopped as she entered the empty back room, staring at the open door leading into the alley. "Oh shit, I shouldn�t have left her alone." Michael moved around to look at Liz from the front, leaning in to grasp both of her arms with his hands, "Wait, you said she was stoned?" Liz tried to concentrate on the boy standing in front of her; she didn't know how much she should tell him, "She doesn't normally do this. I mean, well, I guess I wouldn't know much what she does anymore anyway. She hasn't been herself lately. It's like I don't even know her anymore." Michael was exasperated, this girl obviously thought something was wrong with Maria, what was she babbling about knowing her for. "Is something wrong?" he enunciated each word slowly. "I don't know, she looked pretty far gone to me. Can you just try and find her and bring her home?" Michael nodded, moving toward the door. Liz called after him, "No wait, bring her back here." She had no idea if Maria would start using her powers again and she wanted her where she could keep an eye on her. Michael stepped through the door into the black alley. Liz shook her head as she walked back into the restaurant. She had no idea what her friend was trying to do to herself but there obviously had to be a larger problem at the root of it. Once Michael got her back here she intended to find out exactly what it was. TBC |
| Part 8 |
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