Liz Parker looked up from across the room where she sat on Maria's floor writing in her journal. Right now she was glad she wasn't in Michael Guerin's shoes. Maria had been on a rampage since the party at the soapbox. The saying came to mind, 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'.

Maria grabbed the silly putty she had on her dresser. As she sat there plotting Michael's death, her hands unconsciously shaped that hunk of putty into a little alien figure.

"So Maria," Liz said, to distract her, "What are we going to do for New Year's Eve tomorrow?"

Maria shrugged, "After we egg Michael's house I thought we might inform the sheriff that he has committed some sort of criminal offense."

Liz laughed and shook her head, "Maria, I'm serious. We should have made plans before this."

Maria sighed, "I don't know. The eve of the new millennium, and I don't have plans. This is depressing. Very depressing."

Liz nodded, "Why don't you just come over to my place. We can just rent some movies."

Maria nodded unenthusiastically, "Goody."

Liz laughed, "Well, do you have any better suggestions?"

Maria said dryly, "Yes, and as a matter of fact, I've already mentioned a few. But since you won't go for that, your suggestion is...okay."

Liz nodded, "Okay, come over tomorrow around 7. My parents are going out to a party so we'll have the whole place to ourselves."

Maria noticed the alien figure she had shaped in her hand. Wordlessly, she stared at for a moment, then crushed it in her hand.

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

Later that evening in bed, Maria lay there unable to go to sleep. In fact, she had been having the same problem every night since Michael had told her he would always have to live his life alone.

What a load of BS. If he didn't like her, couldn't he at least have said so? Did he have to be such a heartless idiot?

*What did you expect?* A little voice inside of her said, *Did you think he's fall in love with you, just like you did with him?*

I am not in love with him, Maria snapped at her inner self. In fact, I hate his guts. However, I am simply ticked off that he ended, whatever we had, so stupidly.

*Sure* the voice scoffed, *And that's why you're having trouble sleeping. That's why whenever you see him you want to throw your arms around him and kiss him senseless. That's why your heart feels like it had been ripped in two.*

Oh stuff it, Maria told the voice severely, I do not love him. That's the biggest load of crap I've heard yet. There is no way I could love him. He is not my type. I will admit, he's a damn fine kisser, but that's beside the point. I'm just attracted to him.

*Uh huh* her inner voice said sarcastically, *That's why you identify with him so much. Why you two are so much alike. Why whenever you're with him all you can think of is how much you want to be with him forever.*

Maria told her inner voice to go to hell. Then she hopped out of bed and pulled on some clothes. She was going over to Michael's to talk to him and give him a piece of her mind. If she wasn't going to be able to sleep, neither was he.

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

Michael Guerin lay in his bed. This was the first night that he hadn't spent at Max's in awhile. He needed the evening to himself. Not that this was the best place. His father had come home late, utterly drunk. His old man was now in the living room belting out Christmas carols, never mind that the holiday had come and gone.

Michael sighed and rolled on his side. What a life this was. For the past few days he had been haunted by what Maria's expression might have been when he broke up with her. Technically, he hadn't had the guts to look at her, but he had head the pain in her voice.

Why had he done it? Yeah, at the time he believed it was the right thing to do, but now he had his doubts. He never realized he had the power to hurt her like that. Not him. He had believed that it would be best to break it off with her, before she became too attached. What he hadn't realized is that he had already become attached.

Not that it mattered, because it didn't. He sure wasn't going to do anything about it. Besides, Maria hated his guts now. He would just forget. Never mind that she was the first girl he kissed, the only girl he had ever really wanted to.

It was just lust, he assured himself.

*Sure it is,* a voice inside of him said, *just keep telling yourself that. Although even you realize it's not true. What you fell for Maria is deeper than just lust.*

No, it's not, Michael assured the voice, All I wanted her for is making out. That's it.

*Hah!* The voice scoffed *You just don't want to risk getting hurt by her. You don't believe you deserve love.*

Stuff it, Michael told the voice sternly. The then rolled on his stomach and pulled his pillow over his head, trying to block out his inner voice.

*Coward* it said, causing Michael to groan.

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

Maria stood in front of Michael's home. She looked at it and took a deep breath. She didn't want to risk throwing rocks at the wrong window, so she simply walked up to the front door.

Maria gathered her courage and reached up and knocked on the door. At this point she didn't care if Michael's dad answered. She was going to talk to Michael.

The door opened to reveal Michael himself, standing there in a pair of boxer shorts and nothing else. Maria resisted the urge to kiss him and instead poked his chest with her finger.

"You," she said calmly, "Are nothing but a cold, unfeeling bastard."

Michael sighed and glanced over his shoulder, "Maria, I know you're mad at me....."

"Mad!" Maria exclaimed, "I assure you, that doesn't even begin to cover it. You Michael, are the most..."

"Yeah, yeah," Michael interrupted, "I'm the scum of the earth. Now, Maria, this really isn't a good time."

"No," Maria said indignantly, "I think this is a great time to tell you what I think of you."

"Maria," Michael hissed exasperatedly, "This *really* is not a good time. If you really need to yell at me, I'll meet you somewhere tomorrow and you can call me all the nasty names you want."

"What's wrong with right now?" Maria asked haughtily.

With those words she heard the chorus of Jingle Bells being sung within the house. The words got louder and she realized the person was approaching.

"....in a one horse open sleigh!" the slurred voice sang loudly. An older man had come up to the door and threw his arm around Michael.

"Whose ya got here boy?" the man said, in a blurred voice, squinting his eyes.

"Go back inside dad," Michael said quietly, "She was just leaving."

"No, no, no," the man snapped, "You don't tell your father what to do. Now, why would you want a pretty thing like this to leave?"

Maria stared at the man. This was Michael's adoptive father. He leaned in towards her and Maria could smell the beer on his breath. It took all she had not to recoil.

Mr. Guerin began to speak again, "Why don't you come in sweetheart, and I can get to know you a little better. Michael, here, he never brings anyone home. Thinks he and his friends are too good for this place."

"Dad," Michael said insistently, "Please go back inside. You're just embarrassing yourself."

"Don't tell me what to do!" the man roared. He raised a hand to strike Michael. Before Maria had realized what she was doing, she had grabbed Mr. Geurin's hand before he could hit Michael.

His father turned to her, "Just stay out of this darling. This problem is between my son and me."

"Ever heard of a thing called child abuse?" Maria shot back, "You know, you could be arrested."

The man's face contorted in rage, "And whose gonna report me? You? Well, I'll tell you something, you don't tell me what to do anymore than he does."

The man swung his hand towards her. Maria shut her eyes and anticipated the blow. However, it never came. Michael had punched his father in the face, sending him to the floor.

"Good for nothing's," the man snapped, as he stumbled to his feet. He staggered back into the house.

"Just leave," Michael told Maria in a quiet voice, "Just go."

Maria shook her head, and held out a hand, "Michael, I had no idea..."

He shook his head, "I don't want your pity." he snapped, "Just go."

"Don't do this Michael," Maria said.

He shook his head, "No, you got what you wanted, to call me names. In fact, you're right, I am a bastard. Hey, like father like son right?" he said with a bitter smile.

With that he shut the door in her face before she could say another word. Tears filled Maria's eyes. She didn't pity him, but she did sympathize with him. Michael did not deserve this.

She didn't leave the front stoop though. This explained a lot about why Michael was the way he was. If he had grown up in a house like the Evans, he would have turned out a lot differently. Michael deserved better. But, no wonder he didn't want anyone. He probably felt he didn't want, or deserve, and love.

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

Michael watched her standing there on the front stoop. Why couldn't she just go? There was a wetness on his cheeks, which he realized was tears. Why was he crying, Michael never cried. Not when his father used to hit him as a kid when he was too young to fight back, not when he considered what life would be like if he had grabbed Max's hand that night when they landed on earth.

Why did she have to come here tonight? Why couldn't she have just stayed away. He didn't want Maria to see this, didn't want her to see what his life was really like. Now she would definitely think less of him. He didn't know why that hurt him, but it did.

Michael shook his head as he watched her walked away from this. It was a good thing he had broken up with her before, so he wouldn't have to suffer through her breaking up with him now. If he had been unsure of it before, he knew it now, it was for the best. Maria deserved better than him.

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

Maria sat on her bed for the second time that night, unable to sleep.

When she had gone to Michael's, that was not what she had expected to find. She hadn't want to see him as anything more than an idiot who had the nerve to hurt her.

Michael's comment of 'like father, like son', got to her. He was nothing like his father. They were not biologically linked, not that that mattered at all. Besides, Michael was so much better than that. He would never hurt anyone physically.

Tear's came down her face. Not tears for herself, but for Michael. He deserved better. In fact, he was better. No wonder he resented Max. This one insight into his life enabled her to understand him better than she ever had.

Maria sighed. How was she ever going to talk to him? Besides, what would she say? He would probably take any pleasantness as pity. How could she explain that pity was not what she felt.

In truth, all she was right now was a jumble of emotions. She was still hurting from him pushing her away. But, she couldn't deny the feelings for him that were in her. However, there was no real way to know if he felt anything for her. Maybe he really didn't like her. She was so confused.

Maria sighed and flicked off her lamp. She would just leave him alone. Not that it would be a problem. From now on he would probably be avoiding her too.