The bombshelter door stood looming in the corner. The four friends looked at it as if it could solve all their problems. And in a way it could because if Michael and Maria were behind that door then everything would be fine. But if not, then they had no clue where their friends could be. *Please let them be down there* Everyone silently prayed.
*And please let them be fully dressed.* Isabelle's mind added, sending the shudders rippling through her body. She couldn't help but feel her skin crawl at the rememberence of Maria's wigged out mind.
Alex, Max, and Liz looked over at Isabelle and smiled, unsuccessfully trying to hold in their laughter.
"What? Look you would too if you had seen..." Isabelle couldn't even finish her sentence as her body shook from the image of a topless Maria being chased by Jose and Michael.
"Is just help me open the door. It looks really heavy." Max wanted to get her mind off of the dream and he was also very anxious to get to whatever was behind that door, especially because he was hoping it would be Michael and Maria.
Isabelle and Max placed their hands on the door pushed the door open with their minds. The heavy iron door squeaked and moaned as it slowly opened to the alien strength. Liz looked up towards the stairs, hoping her parents hadn't heard anything, and thankfully no one came down to investigate the noises from the back of the Crashdown.
In the actual bombshelter itself, Michael jerked awake at the sound of the door opening. He opened his eyes and sat up surveying the situation around him. He didn't recognize the room he was in and felt a panic about a government laboratory at first. Until he glanced down at the weird noise coming from beside him. Michael smirked to himself as he watched Maria's mouth open and a gentle snore escape. Seeing her sent a flood of memories from the previous night and also a sudden blank wall.
Michael remembered Jose. *Grrr, I am not through with him yet!* That thought had him distracted a moment as he tried to remember the rest of the evening. Michael also remembered falling with Maria and then fighting with her down here. He also remembered finding the vodka and her taking a shot as they played High/Low. But it is after that Michael had absolutely no recollection of anything whatsoever.
*Damnit! What the fuck did we do?* He cursed silently to himself. His internal memory quest was halted when he saw the light at the top of the stairs and four faces looking down at him.
"Michael?" Max asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, Maxwell. It's about damn time. fucking Hell what took so damn long!" Michael suddenly furious at the four so-called friends at the top of the stairs.
"Um, sorry. We had a little trouble." Max said, as he was now feeling a little embarrassed about how long it took him to figure out where Michael was (well, okay for Liz and Alex to figure it out).
"Maria? Michael is Maria down there with you?" Liz couldn't see all the way down the stairs and from where Michael was sitting, he was partially obstructing the view of Maria. Just as Liz asked they all heard another snore escape her mouth. That sound relieved all of the tension that had built up in everyone during that previous day and night. The laughter sounded good to everyone's ears.
"C'mon Michael. Wake up Sleeping Beauty and let's get out of here." Isabelle snapped but with a lighter tone than she had ever previously used when discussing Maria.
Michael turned to look at Maria and felt that surge of desire whenever he looked at her, even with the snoring and drooling. But doubly so with her still in his shirt. *Man, I am pathetic. Turned on by snoring?* Michael reached over and gently leaned down to Maria's ear.
"Maria. Let's go. The Mod Squad finally found us." Michael said loudly for two reasons. One to wake Maria up and two to further chastise his pathetic friends for not getting him sooner. (Maybe if Michael remembered then he would be thanking them instead!)
Maria, being human and not alien and therefore not possessing their weird absorbtion of alcohol, was so extremely passed out that she didn't even flinch at the loud sound of Michael's voice directly by her ear.
"Hello! Get up! Damnit!" Michael muttered as he leaned down to pick up the smashed Maria from the cold hard floor. He noticed that she had a bump on her forehead. *Huh, wonder how she got that?*
"Michael? Is Maria okay?" Alex asked as he saw Michael picking her up from the floor.
"Um yeah" Michael answered quickly, realizing that a drunken night would probably get him a lecture from Max and Isabelle.
"Michael" Isabelle used her mother tone on him, "Tell. Now."
"Look we just had a little to drink. How the hell was I supposed to know that she couldn't handle her alcohol?" Michael matched her mommy-tone with his rebellious teenager tone.
"Uh, Michael, exactly how much is 'a little'?" Max knew that when Michael snapped with the sarcasm he was usually hiding something.
Michael mumbled softly as he carried Maria up the stairs until the were finally standing on the right side of the door.
"What?" All four asked at once.
"I said, we had about two bottles!"
"WHAT?" All four screamed at once.
Michael rolled his eyes and pushed past them to place Maria on the couch. Michael turned to look back at the harsh accusing faces of his friends but turned again at the last minute and reached out to cover Maria with a quilt on the back of the couch.
Turning once again to meet the glares of his friends Michael just stood there glaring back. His eyes were daring them to ask him, daring them to question him about what happened, even if he couldn't remember.
Michael noticed that Isabelle's eyes had suddenly focused on his neck and not at his own glare. Her narrowed focus made him nervous.
"Oh my God!" Is screamed as she recognized the purple mark on his neck. She pointed her finger at him accusingly. "You made out with her!" Her gaze then turned to Maria. "And why is she wearing your shirt?!" Images of the dream haunted her mind again and the same shudder rippled.
"What! I did not!" Michael was thoroughly confused. *I would remember if we had made out!*
"Then how the hell do you explain that hickey!"
Michael hurried over to the mirror to stare at the big purple bruise already formed on his neck. Just at that moment Maria opened her eyelids. Her still drunk eyes tried to focus on the swarming mass of colors that barraged her eyes. But all that happened was one killer bout of nausea waving over her.
"Oh God I think I am going to be sick." Maria mumbled to herself because she was still unaware of where she was and who was with her. Alex was the closest to Maria and he moved with surprising speed. Grabbing a trash can and managing to hold her hair away from her face at the time, Alex allowed Maria to expunge the vodka from her otherwise empty stomach.
After about five minutes of the most horrific wretching sounds that anyone in that room had ever heard before, Maria looked up and found the faces of her five friends.
"Hey guys. What happened?" Maria asked through a scratchy voice.
"Yeah. That's what I would like to know" Michael spoke through clenched jaws. he really wasn't mad about the hickey. Okay, well maybe a little, but in truth he was mostly mad that he didn't remember the hickey. Michael pointed out to Maria the hickey on his neck. She looked at it confused and it took a moment for her to realize exactly what it was and exactly what Michael was implying.
"Um, did something...you know, happen down there?" Maria asked with caution and some fright in her voice. She was still foggy and was having trouble remembering the night. Alex's hands were still stroking her hair and he turned at her question to look at Isabelle.
Isabelle smiled a pure look of evil before turning to stare Michael down. "Yeah right" she said the sarcasm dripping off her words, "In her dreams, right Michael?"
And for the first time Isabelle didn't shudder at the thought of Maria's dream as Alex, Liz, and Max did instead.