Though she was only performing one song, the idea that he was going to be there made her question going out there at all. Somehow Liz convinced her that this is what she needed to do, especially this song. She was out back getting ready, making sure her dark red skirt wasn't too short and her black tank top wasn't too tight, all of which of course were perfect, but she continued to fuss. Liz was out back with her until almost the last minute, but had to race out to see her best friend.

As Maria waited patiently for the previous song to end, she kept trying to peak out to see where everybody else was. When "Hard to Make a Stand" ended she slowly stepped out. Many remembered her previously and many remembered her from school as they cheered for her. She was in front of the mike having problems just being there, not to mention singing. However, as soon as the music started, she got her rush of adrenaline and she began to sing.

Baby, where did you ever learn to fight without saying a word
You waltz back into my life like it's all going to be alright
Don‘t you know how much it hurts when we don't talk,
When we don't touch, when it doesn't feel like we're even in love
It matters to me
When I don't know what to say
Don't know what to do
Don't know if it really even matters to you
How can I make you see it matters to me

She caught his eyes then and she thought it was all over, but of course it wasn't because in a way it made her want to finish even more. She had to get this out before the school year, she had to let him know exactly where she stood. But suddenly she couldn't remember where it was she stood.

Baby I still don't understand
The distance between a woman and a man
So tell me how far it is
And how you can love like this
Cause I'm not sure I can

He just stood there, almost dumbstruck. People dancing all around him and all he could do was stand there and listen to the angel, his angel, sing. He saw the tear form in her eye and he watched it fall, and all he could do was wish he could wipe it away, kiss it away. All he could do was hate himself for the pain he put her through.

When we don't talk
When we don't touch
When it doesn't feel like we're even in love
It matters to me
When I don't know what to say
Don't know what to do
Don't know if it really even matters to you
How can I make you see
It matters to me

As she finished her song the eruption of applause wasn't heard by either of them, they were too enraptured in their thoughts, their pain. As she walked down the stairs and was greeted by her friends, she could feel the burning of his eyes on her. With everybody mumbling compliments on her singing, her outfit, whatever, all she could do was stand there and smile, an empty smile, an aching smile. It's funny how the words of a hundred people can't make up for a look of another. Because just then she glanced over to him and they caught each other's eyes. Only this time, it wasn't one of those embarrassing glimpses of eye contact, it was almost an understanding one. The eye contact was held for several seconds before she had to return her attention to Liz who was beaming with pride and happiness. "Did you see his reaction?" she asked excitedly "He was blown away!'

"Yeah" was all I could respond because I was watching him watching me before he took a step. A step that was just a small step, but the first move all night, and it was toward her. She gave Liz one of those looks and with a quick glance behind her she made up some lame excuse and took off.

With Michael slowly approaching Maria's first reaction was to walk toward him, but not this time. This time he was going to come to her and this time was going to be different. When he finally got to her, they just kind of stood there. They looked at each other with such intensity and almost a stubbornness, each daring the other to break the silence with worry that they would break the trance. Maria refused, it was Michael's turn for once.

"How have you been?" was all he asked, but he asked it with suck tenderness that her heart instantly melted, until she remembered. She remembered the painful nights, the lonely days, they hours of longing.

"Broken" was her only reply. It was the only word she could think of to describe her. Broken heart, broken soul, broken dreams ... broken.

"I don't know what it is you want me to say. Do you want me to say that I'm sorry? Sorry for every night I stood outside your goddamned window seeing you cry? Sorry that I went to your every day to see you working? Every time I saw you and wished a thousand times that I could change everything? I'm sorry, Maria, I am more sorry than I think you will ever know." He stopped then, not sure whether he had got his point across but he felt too much pain then to voice it.

She just kind of stood there for a minute, thinking over everything he said but more importantly the way he said it. "So, what do we do now?" she asked in a little more that a whisper.

"Well, for starters, I'm going to kiss you and hope that you don't pull away" he replied as he slowly leaned in to capture her lips in his. She tasted of summer which completely enraptured him because he wasn't completely sure how one could sum up a season in a taste. The kiss deepened but the thought of everybody being around them made them break it off way too soon for either of their liking.