After a few minutes of fumbling around with her house key and getting the door unlocked, she pushed her way through the door, throwing her stuff down on the hallway chair while heading to her bedroom. Not realizing that her Mom was in the kitchen crying.

********************

    Amy DeLuca was sitting on a stool at her kitchen counter, waiting for her kettle to "scream" so she could make hot tea when the telephone rang.

"Hello?" she said in a raspy voice, not knowing who would be calling her at this time of day.

"Ya, hi. Is this Amy DeLuca?" asked a male's voice.

"Ya, this is she."

"Well ma'am, I really hate to have to tell you this over the phone." said the man. Now he had Amy's attention.

"I'm a police officer up in Charlotte, NC and there was a reported shooting uptown and..." Amy was getting inpatient. What did this have to do with her?

"Go on." she said. "Well, your ex-husband was involved in it and...um...he was shot...in the chest."

    *Oh my God! George!* "Oh..is he all right!?" she asked frantically. Even though George DeLuca had abandoned Amy and Maria more than 12 years ago, Amy stilled worried about his whereabouts and if he was doing all right.

"Well, no ma'am. You see, he was killed instantly. The shot was fired at his heart and it...he just didn't make it. I'm very sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Amy was shocked. She couldn't talk, couldn't breath. A billion thoughts were running threw her head at that moment. She would never see him again. All the hopes that one day he would come back had just been washed away in that one moment. Maria would never get to meat her father again. Should Maria even know about her father's death? Why should she, it would only kill her hopes also. No, Amy would not tell her daughter.

"Ma'am, ma'am? Are you there? Are you OK?" The mans voice was almost pleading in Amy's ear.

"What?..Ya, I'm here. Thank you for calling me and telling me. I appreciate it very much. Good-bye." With that Amy hung up and started to weep, not realizing that her daughter had just come threw the front door and had gone to her bedroom.

********************

    Maria collapsed on her bed, exhausted. *I can't believe I'm this tired at 5 in the afternoon.* she thought to herself. *I know why. Michael. He can take a lot out of a person and put a lot into them also (don't be perverted).* Maria laughed to herself. She still couldn't understand why she was so attracted to Michael. Maybe it was the whole Alien thing? She didn't know and she didn't care. She liked him, really liked him. Even though he might not feel the same way about her.

An hour ago, when she was at his apartment applogizing, he had told her to come in. That was not what she was expecting. She thought that he would slam the door in her face after the way she had lied to him. But all she wanted was a relationship with Michael. Was that too much to ask? Obviously. And then, while they were sitting on the couch talking, he had said her name. "Maria". It had melted her heart. It was probably the first time she had ever really heard her name cross his lips. If you don't count the time that they were making-out in the eraser room. And then he had said thanks. Thanks? What exactly did he mean by that? Thanks for being there for me? Thanks for letting me use you for the visions (even though there were none )? Thanks for being open and letting me see inside of you? There were so many ways to interpert that.

Maria got up quickly. Too quickly. Her head started to spin causing the room to spin also. She had to hold onto the bedpost to keep from falling over. After it had passed, she called Liz's house to tell her she wouldn't be in for work tonight. She was just too exhausted!

********************

    After Maria had left, Michael had decided to turn in early, even though it was still late afternoon. He went to his bedroom and put on his regular sleep attire, boxers and a white tank-top. Then he climbed in bed.

He tried to go to sleep but when he couldn't he started thinking of Maria. All the events that had happened that afternoon played in his head. The fact that she actually came to his apartment to apologize to him was astounding to Michael. He wouldn't have done that. He would have just avoided her until things seemed like they had settled down and then he would make minor conversation to her and pretend that nothing had happened between them.

But Maria wasn't like that. She was kind and caring and all she wanted from Michael was a relationship. Maybe not the kind Max and Liz had. The whole look-deep-into-the-eyes-at-the-soul thing was just not Michael.

He knew what Maria wanted. He wanted it too but he had to keep a level head about how far things went between them. He knew that if he didn't, then no one would.

What if the Sheriff found out about them? What would happen to Maria? She would probably be taken in for tests and all kinds of experiments to see what the "Aliens" had done to her. Michael would walk through Hell and back for Maria. He wouldn't put her in that kind of danger of being involved with him.

And what if they found a way home? If Michael were with Maria, then he wouldn't be able to just up and leave her. He had to have no strings attached so if one day he had to leave then there would be nothing stopping him.

Thinking about all of this made Michael tired and after a while he fell asleep.

********************

    *Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep*

Maria's alarm clock woke her up at 6:30. She hated Mondays. Mondays meant that you had another full 5 days of school left until you could get another peaceful nights sleep.

She got up, took a shower, got dressed and went into the kitchen to get some cereal for breakfast. After eating, she put a note on the fridge telling her mom that she had already left for school. Then she grabbed her things and walked out the door.

As she entered the school building, she saw the usual people resting up against the lockers looking as down as she felt. While walking to her locker, she bumped into Alex.

"Hey." he said with a big grin on his face.

"What are you so cheery about?" she asked.

"Can't a friend just be happy to see one of his best friends in the whole world!?"

"What do you want Alex?" she asked not to anxious.

"Well, me and the guys have got another gig coming up. We were hopping that you could come sing again because you sang so beautifully last time and you got us the best costumes ever! And not to mention that the crowd loved you."

"Alex, you hated the costumes that I got for you, I almost passed out from stage fright and the songs you guys do...well...they're just not my style. Sorry buddy." she said, patting him on the shoulder and then walking past him to get to her locker before the bell rang for homeroom.

Scooting into her seat just as the bell rang, Maria noticed that Michael had actually showed up for homeroom.

"What are you doing here this early in the morning?" she asked, tapping him on the shoulder.

"The same thing you're doing here." he replied scarcastily. "Actually, I woke up early this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. I had nothing better to do than come to school."

"Oh." was all she said as the teacher came into the classroom and started taking role.

While the teacher was doing his business, Maria pulled out some homework she forgot to do over the weekend. Just as she was writing what had happened to General Custard, she heard her name over the loud speaker.

"Maria DeLuca to the office please. Maria DeLuca to the office please."

"You might want to take your things, Miss DeLuca." said the teacher. "Might not be back in time for change of class."

While she was gathering her things, Michael turned around.

"Why are you going up to the office?" he asked

"I have no idea. I don't think I did anything." With that she left.

When she got up there, the principal was waiting for her outside of his office. She was panicked now.

"Maria." the principal greeted her.

"Have I done something wrong?" Mara asked, still a little confused as to why she was up here.

"No, no." said the principal, reassuringly. "Someone is here to see you."

He put his hand on the door knob to his office. "I couldn't believe it when my secretary told me that this man was here to see you."