“Oh, no.” Liz shook her head. “She was too happy. And you saw her this morning. Maria was not in an ‘I can be easily cheered up’ mode. Who gets that happy after ‘donuts’?”

Max smiled. “Michael. Michael loves donuts, the more hot sauce the better. He probably just figured that since it always made him feel better, it might work for her.”

“You think?” Liz watched the scenery speed by. Listening to Max, everything seemed to make a little more sense. ‘How could I be so stupid? Of course it was only donuts. Maria is the last person to make a mistake like that. Especially when she’s upset about her mother.’ Liz rubbed her eyes and sighed. “It was just donuts, wasn’t it?”

Laughing, Max pulled up in front of the Crashdown. “That’s what I think. But feel free to ask Michael. I’m sure that he’ll have some interesting answer.” Liz simply groaned in response.

***

Maria dropped her backpack on the kitchen counter and headed over to the refrigerator. The trek to the donut shop had filled her up for most of the day, but now she was craving real, non-sugar laced food. She opened the door and reached in for the milk, then grabbed a box of cereal from the top cabinet. After getting everything together, she positioned herself in front of the television for some quality veg time.

“Oh, honey, you’re home already. I thought you had to work.” Amy DeLuca walked in with several grocery bags in her arms.

“Nope. It’s Tuesday. I never work on Tuesdays.” Maria took another bite of Grape Nuts.

Struggling with the bags, Amy wobbled through the living room into the kitchen. “That’s right. I forgot. Hmmm…”

Sensing something not quite right about her mother’s tone, Maria lowered the volume and called into the other room. “Hmmmm? Hmmm… what?”

“Well,” her mother stood at the doorframe with an uncomfortable smile. “I kind of invited someone over for dinner.”

“Someone?”

“Um, Jim. Valenti. You remember him, dear. Kyle’s dad.”

Maria stared at her mother in disbelief. “You invited Sheriff Valenti over for dinner.”

“Yeah,” Amy nodded. “I, um, figured that since we were always getting interrupted when we went out… well, maybe it would be better if we just stayed in.” She started to fidget with her hands. “But, it’ll be okay. You can join us. It’ll be… fun.”

“I don’t think so.” Maria looked away from her mother and raised the volume on the television.

***

Stretching out on her bed, Maria stared up at the glow in the dark stars she had put up years ago. Not that they were glowing yet, dusk was just approaching and her room was still filled with more than enough light to see by. The cypress oil worked this morning, but it didn’t have much of an effect now. She looked over at the clock next to her. It was 6:30pm. Valenti would be there in half an hour. Somehow, she had to find a way not to be in the house when the clock struck seven.

Rolling over, she sat up and looked out the window. Maybe she’d go and rent a movie, then hide in her room all night. ‘That won’t work - I’ll still know that they are here, together, doing God knows what.’ Maria pulled on her boots and grabbed a sweater. Tying it around her waist, she bounded down the stairs and picked up the keys on the hook by the door. “Bye Mom - I’ll be back later.”

Amy came out of the kitchen to respond, but her daughter was already gone. She shrugged her shoulders and went back to making dinner.

***

Liz was concentrating on the intricate graph that she needed to finish for her biology report. Max was typing everything up, so she felt that the least she could do was to draw up the three charts. The first one took about seven drafts, and the second took about five. She was determined to finish this last one in less than three. ‘I might get to be a great scientist, but an artist I’ll never be.’

“SO!” Maria whipped open the door. “Mom and Valenti are having some kind of ‘thing’ at my house tonight. I just had to get out. How do you want to cheer me up?”

Watching her hand slip from the perfect line she was drawing, Liz looked up and shot a painful dagger at her best friend. “Cheer you up? I have been doing this for almost four hours. I was almost finished with the last one. Now I have to start all over, and it will take me at least another hour to get all the information into this damn thing.”

“I’m sorry. Did I make you ~”

“Yes. Yes, you did.” Liz spat out. Seeing the hurt look on her friend’s face, she softened. “I’m sorry, Maria. I’m just really frustrated. This is part of my midterm grade, and it feels like I’m never going to get this done. You’d think she’d let us do it on the computer, but no. She just *has* to make my life harder.” Liz sighed. “If it was *any* other night… you know that I would do whatever I could to make you happy. But, I just… I really need to finish this. I’m sorry.”

Maria nodded. “No problem. I’ll go and find something else. Alex or something. Don’t worry.” She smiled, hoping that Liz couldn’t tell how desperate she was.

“Thanks.” Liz didn’t. “Call me later. I’m sure I’ll be up.” She pulled out another clean sheet of paper.

Maria walked out backwards and closed the door.

***

“Hey Alex, Isabel!” Maria plopped herself down in their booth in the Crashdown. “What are you guys up to tonight?”

The two exchanged an awkward look. “Just talking. You know, and eating.” Alex answered.

“Ahh… well, I guess that’s what you would do at a diner. Eat. And talk.” Maria kept bobbing her head.

Isabel finished saturating her fries in Tabasco sauce, then leaned in towards Maria. “Do you *need* something?”

From Isabel’s tone, Maria realized that she had probably interrupted something. Again. She smiled, and shook her head. “No,” she said softly. “I just wanted to say hi. I’m going now. See you tomorrow.” Maria stood up and left the diner.

***

Maria turned the corner behind Liz’s house and walked over to her car. She put the key in the door, then paused. Where could she go now? All her fallbacks were used up, and there was nowhere else to turn. By now it had grown much darker, and there was very little light coming from the street. Crawling on top of her hood, the girl leaned back against the windshield and stared up at the sky.

“What? Waiting to be abducted or something?”

Maria sat straight up and looked around for the source of the voice. Michael slowly sauntered towards her car. “You like to do that, don’t you?”

“Do what?” He smirked.

“Pop up when I least expect you. Skulk around.” She sneered.

“I don’t skulk.”

“It’s dark, it’s late and you’re in an alley behind some buildings. I would call that skulking.”

He sat on the corner of the hood. “So, I’m skulking. Fine. What are you doing out this late, just sitting here having some strange guy skulk around you? Don’t you have a nice warm bed?”

Maria rubbed her arms briskly. “Yeah, but no. My house is kind of… occupied at the moment. So I’m trying to stay away.”

“I can understand that. More Mom stuff?”

“Yeah.”

Michael nodded. He knew exactly what it was like to just want to be somewhere else, anywhere else. He pretty much felt like that every night. “Well, what do you want to do?”

“There’s nothing to do. Everyone is busy, and I just keep intruding and feeling like a jerk.” Maria felt the tears begin to well up and closed her eyes to keep them from falling. “That’s why I’m here. Alone.”

“C’mon,” Michael said, sliding off the car. “Let’s go somewhere.”

“Oh no - no more donuts. I couldn’t take another sugar coma right now.” She said, not moving.

He walked around to the other side of the car. “No sugar, I promise. Gimme the keys - I’ll drive.”

Maria handed him the keys and jumped down next to him. Even after the 285 fiasco, she always trusted him with her mother’s car. There was something comforting about sitting back and letting him drive. She got in the passenger’s side and pulled the seatbelt across her. The car was already on, and Michael was fiddling with the radio.

“Ready?”

“Yup.”

“Okay then.” The car quickly peeled out of the small lot and took off.

***

“So, where are we again?” Maria pulled on her sweater and ran to catch up with Michael. They had been driving for a while when he’d suddenly parked on the side of the road and gotten out.

“There,” he pointed to some barely visible location.

Maria stood still and tried to make out her surroundings. The moon was barely visible and what little light there was came from the stars above. “Where? I can’t see anything. Where are you taking me?” She watched him walk away from her and into the darkness. “Michael, don’t leave me! I don’t know where I am!”

The crunching of his footsteps stopped. “Hurry up, then.”

She scurried along in the direction that she last saw him go, but he was nowhere to be seen. Turning around slowly, her eyes tried to adjust to the dark. “Michael?” she cried out timidly. Something grabbed her by the waist and Maria shrieked. She spun around to find Michael standing behind her. “You bastard!” she yelled, beating on his chest. “How could you do that to me?”

“Shh…” He placed his finger to her mouth. “We don’t want to attract any attention. There’s quite a few hungry things out here.” He could feel her terror rise sharply. “Don’t worry. We’re almost there. Just a couple more yards, we’ll be fine.” Michael took her hand and pulled her nearly immobile body towards their destination.

“We’re here,” he announced.

“What is it?” Maria asked skeptically. She still wasn’t sure where he had brought her.

“It’s a rock.”

“A rock.” She repeated flatly.

Michael nodded. “Yep. Sit down.”

“Sit down. On a rock. You drove me all the way out here to sit on a rock.” Maria shook her head in amazement.

“You catch on quick, huh?” The boy leaned against the large boulder.

Pressing her hands into her temples, she tried to comprehend what Michael’s plan was. “What am I supposed to be doing on a rock in the middle of nowhere?”

“Sitting down, shutting up and looking at the stars.” He climbed up and sat down.

Maria remained on the ground with her hands on her hips. “This is ridiculous. I’m going home.”

“Suit yourself,” Michael replied, staring up. “Go back to the car if you can find it. And good luck getting home – I do believe that the keys are in my pocket. Up here.”

Maria snorted, then looked back towards the way they had come. The truth was, she had no idea which way to go. Indignantly, she climbed up next to Michael. It was surprisingly comfortable, as if over time the rain and wind had eroded the stone to create some sort of reclining chair. She relaxed and looked up at the stars.

“So~” she began.

“Shh…”

“But~” She tried again.

“Shh…”

‘Oh God, can this get any worse? On top of everything else, I’m stuck in the middle of who-knows-where with Mute Boy.’ Maria buttoned her sweater and pulled her knees up to her chest. After a little while, acceptance began to settle in. The more she concentrated on each individual star, the more her anger dissipated. She noticed her breathing had truly calmed down for the first time all day. And she listened to the rhythmic breaths of the boy next to her. Maria blushed to herself. Aside from being acutely aware of his breath on her neck in the diner and the eraser room, she had never really paid any attention to Michael… breathing. But she’d done it twice today. She giggled inaudibly at her boldness from the afternoon.

“What?” Michael asked.

“Nothing,” Maria chuckled.

“Tell me.” His usual disinterested tone failed him.

“You won’t talk to me, and now you want to know what I’m laughing about? Nope.”

“C’mon.” He poked her lightly in the ribs.

No longer trying to stifle her laughter, Maria started to shake. “Nope. You don’t get to know.”

“Fine.” Michael moved an inch closer towards her, so that their shoulders were touching. “It’s good to hear you laugh, though.”

His admission had the power to make her uncontrollable laughter cease. “Really?” she asked in wonder.

“Yeah.” He answered softly.

The two sat silently for a few more minutes. “Want to go back?” Michael pulled up his feet and started to tie one of his shoes.