***

She had every intention of staying home that night. After work, Maria left the Crashdown with a smile on her face. She plopped down in the driver’s seat of her car and turned the key in the ignition.

[I’m gonna do it. Tonight’s the night.] She thought. Somewhere between serving table six their Saturn rings and watching Liz try to keep a smile on her face while her heart was breaking, Maria had made a big decision. [I’m going to forget all about… everything.] She resolved. [No more thinking about… anything that has to do with Czechoslovakia. No more crying over that… space boy.] For the first time in weeks, Maria made it through a shift with a genuine smile on her face.

[I’m so proud of myself.] Maria thought. Her grin got wider when she got in her car and got ready to leave. She got on the road and turned on some of her loudest, happiest music. She sang at the top of her lungs as she drove through the dark, sleepy streets of Roswell. Maria didn’t stop singing or smiling until she got back to her house. She stepped out of her car and started walking to the door. She got halfway there before it hit her.

Something hit Maria so hard that it almost knocked her over. And she felt like a wave had just washed over her. She felt something.

[Something’s wrong. Something’s wrong with Michael.] She thought. [He needs me.]

She put her hand to her mouth.

“Where did that come from?” She wondered aloud. “It doesn’t matter. I’m probably just imagining things.”

[But he needs me. I have to go to him.] She thought again.

“What is wrong with me?” She said as she looked around to see if anyone else was nearby. Nothing was there. “I’m starting to scare myself. Now he’s got me hearing voices. And… and I’m standing out here, talking to myself. I must be losing my mind.” She shook her head and went inside.

She couldn’t shake that feeling, though.

She tried everything.

She tried to watch TV for a while. One actor had spiky hair like Michael’s. She changed the channel.

Another actor was wearing a shirt that looked like one of Michael’s shirts. She changed the channel. Some special program about life on other planets was on. She turned off the TV.

She tried listening to the radio. Some angry chick music was playing at first. Maria turned up the volume and sang as loud as she could. [Good thing Mom’s away.] She thought as she danced around the room. [She’d kill me if I was being this loud this late while she was here. But this music is just what I need.]

“You tell ‘em, girl.” She said to the radio.

The singer finished screaming about some stupid guy and the song ended. A slow melody began to play and a different girl began singing about the handsome, mysterious love of her life. Maria turned off the radio.

She tried going to sleep. She got in her pajamas, crawled into bed and closed her eyes. She saw Michael’s face. Her eyes snapped open and she sat straight up.

“What is wrong with me?” She thought aloud. “Why can’t I get this boy out of my head?”

[Because I love him.] She thought.

[But that’s beside the point. He doesn’t love me. I…I should forget about him.]

[But I can’t forget about him because I know that he loves me too.] She thought.

[But he’s obsessive and angry and, hell, he’s not even human.]

[But I don’t care. I love him anyway. And right now, he needs me. I don’t know why but that doesn’t matter. I have to go to him. I have to help him.] She thought.

Maria sighed. This feeling wasn’t going to go away. She got out of bed, flicked on the lights, and got ready to go find Michael.

***

She knew exactly where to look. She drove through the moonlit desert, towards the river. It wasn’t much of a river; more like a stream. But she, Michael, and the other four teens used to go there whenever they had some decision to make. She knew that he’d be there now.

***

She found him sitting on the bank. His back was turned to her and he didn’t say anything. She didn’t know if he had heard her come up. But she didn’t say anything either. She just looked at him. The moonlight was reflecting off of the surface of the water, so she could see him very clearly. She hadn’t seen him in weeks. Not since he left to go figure out what his destiny was. The sight of him now made her breath catch in her throat. The silver-blue light silhouetted his frame. Everything around him seemed to glow. Maria didn’t speak. She couldn’t speak. She stood still and just looked at him for a while.

She wanted to run to him. She wanted to take him in her arms and hold him and kiss him and never let him go. Never again. She wanted to be with him so badly. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, too.

She wanted…

She shook her head. [Get it together, girl. You’re letting him get to you again.] She thought. She took a deep breath and started to speak.