I rang the door and heard a faint voice from within, "Come in."

I opened the door and stepped inside the familiar living room. The memories of this place were overwhelming. Full days spent lounging on her couch on the rare Saturday that both of us weren't working. Make-out sessions on the same couch when her Mom was out of town. Her practically force-feeding me at the kitchen table when I was too broke to buy groceries.

I shook my head to clear the memories as she called to me again, "I'm in the bedroom. Come on in."

I took off my shoes and walked to her bedroom. The door was slightly ajar and I could see that she was wearing just a bra and skirt while selecting a shirt from the closet. I stopped, staring for a minute before knocking.

"Come in," she insisted. "Don't be shy." She looked at me with her 1000-watt grin. I couldn't stop myself from smiling back.

"Uh," I mumbled to her. She looked at me with a puzzled look and I managed to stutter, "Your... your shirt."

She laughed and playfully swatted my arm as she tossed the one she had been holding on the bed and reached into the closet for another. "What's the big deal, we're friends, right?"

Right, friends, I thought. "Well, yeah."

"Well," a long Maria-esque pause. "It's okay for friends to get dressed in front of one another. Haven't you ever seen Isabel getting ready for a night out?"

She turned back to her mirror then, discarding the shirt idea for the moment and concentrating on her makeup.

Well, of course I had, I practically grew up at their place, but that was Isabel. She was like... my sister. This was Maria and she was like... my friend. That's it, my friend. Nothing more.

"Yeah, I guess so." I sat on her bed and tried to focus my eyes away from her. Anywhere but on her bare back. The back I once had permission to caress with abandon. Stop it. She is your friend and you're lucky for that, I chided myself. If you want to keep it that way just act cool. Jesus, what's wrong with you?

She finished with her makeup and finally selected a satisfactory shirt from the closet. Thank God. She turned back to the mirror and picked up her hairbrush. Pulling it through her long blonde hair I thought to myself that there could never be a more beautiful action.

She turned to me, smoothing out an invisible wrinkle in her skirt, "Do I look alright?"

I was stunned. Did she look alright? God, she was beautiful, exquisite, perfection. But she didn't want to hear those words, at least not from me.

"You look wonderful."

She smiled at me, I thought I would melt at the sight of it, "Let's go then."

We arrived at the party and immediately I could sense that all eyes were on us. I held no pretensions that they were looking at me. It was all her. She was the most beautiful girl here, and she was here with me.

She turned to look at me, "Do you feel alright?"

"Wonderful," I answered. And I did. For a short moment I was able to convince myself that things were as they used to be, as they should be. But as the night wore on I felt more and more insecure about why she had invited me at all. I knew it wasn't a date, she had made that much perfectly clear, but we were going together so that meant we would hang out together, right?

Wrong.

She was all over the room, absolutely enjoying herself, while I was stuck in a corner trying to avoid the crowd. I guess this was fitting - her in the middle of the crowd and me on the outside looking in. Who was I kidding, we were never meant for each other, just look at her.

I turned to the nearest table and grabbed the first glass I saw. In three quick gulps I had polished it off and was reaching for another. Before I knew it I was sitting at a table with a group of guys having a chugging contest. Someone must have turned up the heat because I was sweating bullets. I stood up to get some fresh air and was blinded by someone shining a light into my eyes. I turned to move away from the light and collided with someone. They were attacking me, punching me, pushing me away. I tried to run but the light was still blinding my eyes, my skin was burning, and it felt like my legs were made of jell-o. I fell to my knees, as someone turned up the music really loud. Clasping my heads to my ears, I screamed for them to stop, turn it down. A voice beside me was shouting my name. Stop shouting, I tried to scream back, but I don't think any sound passed my lips. I was vaguely aware of being lifted up and supported as we slowly made our way outside. I must have drifted in and out of consciousness because my next coherent thought was of being tossed into a soft pile of feathers. No wait, not feathers, pillows. I moved around slowly. No, firmer, a bed? Where was I?

I managed to open my eyes and saw someone shrugging out of their coat and coming towards me. I tried to focus my eyes but all I could get was a fuzzy image.

"Michael," again with the shouting, God what was wrong with people tonight?

I moved my hands to my ears again and rolled over onto my back. I struggled to sit up and felt the person move in to support me from behind.

"It's okay, here drink this," she whispered to me, finally a voice at a regular level.

I took small sips of the water and she leaned me back on the pillow. I tried to open my eyes but the light was still blinding. I squeezed them shut and heard her move towards the switch.

"There, is that better?"

I nodded in agreement, now able to open them a little. I watched as she sat down at her desk and shrugged out of her clothes. Thoughts were coming back to me. We were at the party, she was having the time of her life, and then this happened. Whatever this was, it was my problem, not hers, and yet here she was with me, again.

She stood up and grabbed her robe, moving to leave the room.

"Maria," I called after her.

She stopped just inside the doorway.

"You were wonderful tonight."

She paused for a long moment and then continued out of the room. Tomorrow I'd apologize for ruining her night. Right now I was just grateful that she was there for me, again.

~~~~~

Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton

It's late in the evening
She's wondering what clothes to wear
She puts on her make up
And brushes her long blonde hair
And then she asks me
Do I look alright
And I say yes, you look wonderful tonight

We go a party
And everyone turns to see
This beautiful lady
That's walking around with me
And then she asks me
Do you feel alright
And I say yes, I feel wonderful tonight

I feel wonderful
Because I see the love light in your eyes
And the wonder of it all
Is that you just don't realize
How much I love you