He felt there was another logical question to be asked here, but he was afraid to ask. He knew he would ask, but not now. Not here. Just get through dinner, Valenti.

"Just quit it, DeLuca. Don't be ridiculous! When did we decide to use the word, "Relationship" to describe our," he swept his hand back and forth between them, "hanging out?"

"So, we've never just said it. That's all. But it is what it is." She looked at him with strangely bright and eager eyes. Was she deliberately trying to make him crazy?

He stared hard at her, trying to make her uncomfortable enough to stop talking about this.

He knew he should know better. Maria wasn't one to back off once she had an epiphany.

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

The waitress returned with their meals, placing the plates on the table. Kyle vainly hoped for some peace-relief-from the conversation. But once she left, Maria jumped right back into it.

"Look Kyle. Maybe you're content to bury your head in the sand, but think about it. Besides me, who have you spent more time with--your free time."

He thought for a moment. "My teammates."

"Give me a break!"

"It's true," he said matter-of-factly.

"I'm talking socially!" she clarified.

"We spend time with our parents. Them and us together."

She inhaled loudly. Her hands waved in the air dismissively. "Whatever! I thought this was about us ironing out our differences--at first. I thought that we'd managed to end the family dinner night on a good note. So when you asked me to play miniature golf, I figured it would be okay to accept. You know, continue the 'good will', so to speak." Maria knew that was only a half-truth, but she was on a roll.

"Then that turned into a good time, " she continued, "and we've kept going. Now I ask, why? I really don't know what else you can call it. It's...the entire, whole... thing. It's just kinda--evolved."

Kyle needed time to think of a good argument. He didn't know why he wanted to argue. It was what he secretly wanted. He really, really liked Maria. Her personality. Her looks. Her attitude. It was what he secretly longed for, but he realized he wasn't prepared for her to speak out loud what he was thinking. She couldn't really like him back?

"This has been so hard for me," she was saying.

"Thanks."

"What I mean is...I'm changing. I'm like, floored, by how calm I've been all week." She giggled. "I'm even off the cedar," she said, referring to the calming oil she loved to wave under her nose at the first sign of stress. "I don't think anyone but you has noticed. I appreciate you for that." She smiled at him.

His palms became slick with sweat. His mind reeled, searching for an appropriately witty aside to wedge between them. Drawing a blank, he picked up his fork instead and began to eat. **************************************************

Michael slumped into the living room sofa at the Evan's house. Max passed him a glass of cherry soda. Michael stared at it.

"What? Too many ice cubes?" Max asked.

"It's fine. Nothing." Michael answered.

"Nothing, what?" Max questioned, seating himself into the nearest armchair.

"Nothing's wrong. Okay?" Michael responded.

"Okay." Max took a slow sip. He thought about the studying he wanted to complete before bed, but it would have to wait.

They didn't immediately speak. Minutes passed.

Michael upended the glass, finishing the contents. Placing the emptied glass on the coffee table, he sat back in his seat.

Max watched him in silence. He knew Michael would talk when he wanted to. But he already had a pretty good idea what was troubling his friend. Liz had told him what she'd heard from Vicky Delaney. That Kyle and Maria were now a couple.

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

"Hey, Liz!" Vicky Delaney called out to Liz Parker.

She separated from her friends and walked over to Liz's locker.

"Uh, how's it going, Vicky?" Liz nodded a greeting. She wanted to hit the library to search out some periodicals she needed for a paper she was working on, and she still had to get to language lab. She was in a hurry. She couldn't imagine what Vicky wanted with her.

Vicky leaned against the adjacent locker. She didn't look to be in any hurry. "Look, Liz. I like you. I'm just going to cut to the chase." She took a deep breath. "Your friend Maria, stole Kyle away from me. She's such a bitch!"

Liz was dumfounded. What in the heck had brought this on? "Vicky." Liz began quietly. "You must know that Maria and I have been best friend's since we were kids. I really would appreciate you not talking about her like that!" She started to move away from Vicky.

"No. Wait, Liz." Vicky reached out her hand to block Liz's departure. Liz shied away from her gesture. "I guess...I shouldn't have put it that way. But, it's not fair! I was trying to get back with Kyle and then I find out that Maria's moved in on him. I mean, you used to date Kyle! How could she do that to you?" She swept her hair back from her eyes with one hand, revealing an earnest expression. Noting the confused look on Liz's face, she asked, "So you really didn't know about that, huh?"

"Kyle and Maria?" Liz asked slowly. "But I see them everyday at school, and I see Maria practically every day at the Crashdown. She would have told me."

Liz thought, maybe Vicky's confused about the characters involved. Maybe people are talking about Michael and Maria. Not Kyle and Maria. Yeah. That would make way more sense!

But the question remained. Why would people be talking about Michael and Maria? Why would anyone care, really? Michael was widely regarded as a weirdo, loner and delinquent. No one paid much attention to him, which was in keeping with his entire life's landscape. Maria? Maria was Maria. She was well liked by most everybody and at the same time hit around the average-mark on the social scale. Why would anyone find those two particularly interesting? And wouldn't she, Liz, know if there were anything to report? And how could Vicky make such a mistake?

"What are you talking about, Vicky? You're confused."

"I'm talking about Maria, and Kyle." She spoke slowly, as if Liz were a two-year old. "I even heard that they're.." she lowered her voice. "That they're doing---IT. That's what's going around."

Liz couldn't believe her ears. Surely Vicky was mistaken. Liz said defensively, "Kyle and I...we're friends now. Working on it anyway. He would have told me. Maria would definitely have told me."---though Liz had to admit she'd seen less and less of her best friend the past few weeks. Also, Maria seemed---content---even though things still seemed chilly between she and Michael. Could Vicky's story be true?

"Well, Vicky, I broke up with Kyle awhile ago, and I don't know about anything existing between Maria and Kyle."

"I guess Maria is a little less clingy than both of us. And more available."

"What? Me clingy?" Liz stated in exasperation. "That would really make sense since he was the one who followed me around after I broke up with him!" Liz wanted to clear up any misunderstanding about that.

"Typical." Vicky said under her breath. More loudly, she repeated, "Typical. Of Kyle Valenti. Whata jerk! I broke up with him. I was mad at him. He said he needed someone who "got" him." She sniffed. "Funny. He didn't usually have any complaints about how I "got" him, before. I guess Maria just 'gets' him better than I do."

Liz crossed her arms in front of her. As she did so, she stole a peek at her watch. "What does this any of this have to do with me, Vicky? Repeat: Kyle and I broke up awhile ago. I'm certain that Maria isn't interested in Kyle." She asked herself, how could she be? Kyle and Maria are so different. But wasn't that what she had thought about Maria and Michael?

"O.k. Stand by your version of events. But if I were you, I would take a closer look at my best friend's face. Or, just ask her." Vicky jabbed her finger to emphasize each point. Liz really didn't want to discuss this anymore, but she had to know.

"Who told you this?" She eyed Vicky squarely.

"A few of the other girls on the squad. Dalia Martinez got the news from Cheryl Kosloff and Billy Ramos."

Liz knew these people. "Still, Vicky.... " Liz shook her head in confusion. Vicky interrupted her. "Kyle and Maria are seeing each other. From what I've heard, they are really, seeing each other.

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

"So, what do you think. Do you think she really likes him more'n me?" Michael questioned in a flat tone.

"Anything is possible", Max gently joked.

Michael shot him a disgusted look. "All the empathy in the world-but none to spare for me! I should've known better than to come here. After all, what would the Great Max Evans know about screwing things up?" He narrowed his eyes as he met Max's gaze.

"I was just joking--lighten up a little. O.k., maybe it was in poor taste. But Michael, you always jump to conclusions."

Michael snorted derisively. "I'm not the one jumping anything, Maxwell. The chick is screwing around with a Valenti!" He couldn't even use 'their' names--he felt to do so would have burned his tongue.

"Look, Michael. You are the one, don't forget, whom stopped talking to her. You had a chance that day in the Crashdown to clarify to her that you weren't holding her responsible for her mother dating the sheriff. You didn't take your chance."

"Oh. So this is my fault. Typical, friggin' typical. Everything that goes wrong is my fault, according to the Great Maxwell Evans!!" He was practically shouting now. "I'll admit I backed off--but I didn't go away! I just needed.... Space. You know, to think about how I was going to deal with things! Isn't that what everybody tells me to do? 'Stop and Think, Michael'.", he mocked in a whiny voice. "Then when I do, see what happens!" His lower lip twitched and he had a phlegm ball building at the base of his throat. His eyes hurt. Damn! He willed his eyes not to start watering.

Max was quiet for a moment. He wanted Michael to calm down. "Do you want to sleep here tonight?" Max offered.

Michael didn't appear to be listening. Squeezing his eyes tightly together, he leaned his head back towards the ceiling. This shouldn't be happening. Everything was wrong and he didn't know how to make it right.

"Have you tried speaking with her?" Max inquired as if he could hear Michael's very thoughts.

Michael, too overwhelmed to utter a sound, shook his head, 'no'.

Max sighed. "Why not?"

Michael met Max's questioning gaze. "What would I say?"

"Try, "I love you". Girls actually like to hear that from guy's who want to assume 'ownership' of them. Jeez, Michael. You can't be that helpless!"

"Well, Max, I feel helpless." This was not the kind of admission Michael was likely to make. He always wanted to appear strong and independent. He really had Max's attention now. "She's been looking so....happy, or something. She hasn't looked like that with me, like, ever. Has she? Admit it, Max. I never really made her happy?"

Max didn't want to be asked that question. Michael didn't wait for his response. "Who could be happy with me, anyway? I'm just trouble. A loser. I don't belong here."

Max rubbed his eyes. He wanted to choose his words carefully. "Michael. I don't think she would have hung in there if she didn't care about you. But, you, you're never really happy. Don't get me wrong. I suppose none of us are. There's so much we need to know about ourselves, where we come from. Maria knows those things already. Okay. Maybe as a human teenager, she has to go through that "thing", you know, "finding" herself. But at least she doesn't have the issues we have. She knows where she's from. You, we, don't. That alone is going to cause problems. That's why Is and I were worried about you and she getting involved in the first place."

Michael smiled weakly at Max. "So that would explain why you and Liz are a 'dreamy little couple'?

"Michael. This isn't about Liz, or me." Max explained.

"No, it isn't. You two are so perfect for each other. So oblivious to the rest of the little people...aliens... whatever...and their problems."

He got up off the sofa.

"Where are you going? I thought you were staying here tonight?" Max asked.

Michael snorted. "I really would rather not have any of my "bad karma" rub off on you. " He headed for the front door.

"That's your biggest problem, right there, Michael. You act before you think, and speak before you think! Max tapped his forefinger against his head. "If you thought about the possible consequences of your actions before you fly off the handle, a lot of the crap that happens to you, wouldn't."

"Thanks, Maxwell! Thank You for the tea and sympathy!! He yanked the front door open, but hadn't made it over the threshold before he heard Max's final words.

"Michael! Maria didn't screw you over. Kyle didn't screw you over. You screwed YOURSELF over!!!" Now Max was shouting. "Keep blaming everyone else for your inability to communicate! That's what you do best!"

Michael slammed out the door.

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

Michael walked for miles. It was chilly and he wasn't dressed properly for the weather. He shoved his hands into his jean pockets to keep them warm.

Why was this happening to him? Whose Great Plan was it that he, and the others, were supposed to be here? This place, Earth, sucked! This life, teenage crap, sucked even more! Why couldn't The Powers That Be who'd sent him here, have made him an older, wiser, RICHER, guy--with all his shit together?!

He had all this "stuff" to get straight. Hormones, acne, high school, mastering his 'powers'. Not having on the right clothes on a chilly night. How was he supposed to concentrate on being an alien, and getting home, with so much other shit going on!

And then there's That Girl. That Maria-Girl. The girl who made his head spin around with confusion and made his body absolutely vibrate-among other things!

Just thinking about 'vibrating', made his body respond. He cursed his human form. What damn good was all this!? Having powers. Wow. He could change ketchup into mustard, and back again. Open locked doors. Great talent!

He looked around. He had reached the library. He walked over to a bench and sat down. He imagined if he concentrated hard enough, he could see Maria's house from here. He knew he couldn't, but he wished he could.

He wished he could see into her bedroom. She'd probably be asleep by now. Michael could imagine Maria softly breathing; the comforter with the smiley-faced suns printed on it, slowly rising and falling with her every breath. Her lids closed over her jade green eyes. Her raspberry lips slightly parted in a smile.

A smile he hadn't put there.

He wished he could dream-walk like Is. Boy, he'd give Maria something to dream about. Something she could never have with that dumb-ass Kyle Valenti!

He stared up at the few stars he could see in the sky.

Would he be able to change her mind? Was it possible? How could he convince her it was worth it to give him another chance? Especially, if she was happy now?