Isabel knocked on Max's door. He was probably sleeping well, not probably he was sleeping. It was 5:00am and she was upset. She and Alex had gotten into another argument about Liz and Max. She and Alex were the only two out of the six...well eight that were actually dating but Tess and Kyle were getting there. Isabel thought that perhaps Liz had slept with Kyle, but only out of pain and loss over Max. Alex, however, didn't think she had at all. Well she had decided to ask Max. For the last few weeks Max had been silent and hadn't talked to Liz at all. She had heard the rumors about Liz and Kyle before they got out for winter vacation but hadn't believed it until she saw Max moping all the time.
Sometimes she wished he still talked to Maria. In the summer Maria had hung out with them a lot and her and Max seemed close. Even she had gotten to like Maria a lot. Maria had made Max laugh which ever since Liz... it had been almost non-existent. Too bad, they didn't still talk. But she guessed it would be awkward if they were close now, now that Liz was back.
Isabel knocked lightly on the door again and again there was no response. She used her powers to open the door and walked inside the semi lit room. She tiptoed over to the bed and was about to shake Max awake when she felt the bed and it was...empty. She quickly flicked on the light and saw the rumpled covers and the open window. Where was Max?
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10:00am
Maria turned and looked at the clock careful not to wake Max as she rolled over him. Damn! She had to be at work in an hour. Carefully she crawled out of bed and headed for the shower.
Max stirred as he felt Maria get out of bed and close the bathroom door. He swung his legs over the side and headed into the bathroom after her making sure she was in the shower first. He opened the door and looked around the sink for the toothbrush Maria had kept for him when he had slept over the many times in the summer but he couldn't seem to find it.
"Maria, where's my toothbrush??" Max asked.
Maria stuck her head out of the shower and looked at Max. "I threw it out 'cause I thought you weren't gonna come back." There was a bit of an awkward silence, and then Maria pulled her head back into the shower.
That hurt. But Max knew it must have hurt her more.
"Look under the sink, there should be one in the blue bin." Maria said. She knew what she'd said was harsh but it was the truth.
"Do you want a ride to work, hon?" Max inquired. "You have about ten minutes to get dressed." It was Saturday and Maria's mom had taken the car away on another trip to God knows where. He thought Maria had said something before about going with the Valenti's on a family like trip. He wondered why Maria hadn't gone with them?
Shoot! She had to hurry or Mr. Parker would be upset. The Crashdown was always busy on Saturday mornings and since Courtney had 'disappeared' they had been short one person.
"Max, can you get my blue jeans on my chair and a set of undies from my drawer and my light blue tank top that's on my dresser?"
Max smiled. Only Maria had to be precise about what he had to get her to wear. Most people would just say 'grab something' but not his Maria. Well not his Maria.
"Sure. Anything else Madam?" Max asked sarcastically. He was rewarded by being hit in the head with an empty bottle of shampoo. He laughed. If felt like forever since he had done that. Max ran out of the bathroom to flee the second container Maria threw at him. He looked at the clock. 10:49am. They had better hurry or she'd be late.
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Liz walked into the Crashdown. She was late. At the table sat Max laughing with Maria, who was happily chatting away with him or should she say at him. Liz smiled. Since her and Max had become friends again it had been a lot easier keeping the secret from him about her and Kyle. She walked over to them planning to say hi.
"...So anyways, my mom get's out of the car and says 'Jim, would you like to join the kids and I at the Crashdown for the New Years party'? I was like totally mortified 'cause my mom was totally flirting with him, and me and Kyle stood by pretending we didn't know each other."
Max smiled. He could see them doing that.
"Max, what if they decide to get married? Kyle and me would be...be Brother and Sister. EEEEWWWWWW!" Maria screamed.
Max laughed. "Whoa, slow down girlfriend, you are getting way to ahead of yourself. They are not even really dating yet so how could they get married?" Max laughed again. Maria always expected the worst. "...And besides you guys would be step-..."
"Oh, hey Lizzy!" Maria yelled. She gave Liz a hug and saw the anxious look in her eyes and guessed it was about Max. She wondered if Liz would ever get over lover boy.
"Hey Liz," Max said. His smile not quite reaching his eyes. He was happy to see her but was not quite comfortable in her presence yet. "I'll see ya later, ok Deluca." Without even thinking about whose presence he was in, he bent over and kissed Maria's forehead then turned said good-bye to Liz and walked out the door.
Liz wondered when Max and Maria had become such good friends but decided not to mention it.
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Isabel, Michael and Alex were sitting at the Evans' table eating the breakfast Mr. and Mrs. Evans had left for them before they had gone.
"...I went into his room and he wasn't there!" Isabel said as she ate her eggs. "Where the hell could he have been at 5:00am??" She was worried sick and it didn't help that he wasn't home yet.
Alex rubbed Isabel's back to try and calm her down. "He had probably just gone for a walk, honey." Yeah, a walk that led to Maria's house. He knew Max had probably been there because one time Ms. Deluca had let him in to wake up Maria for an early class, not knowing Max was in her daughter's room. When Alex had stormed in he saw Max putting on his shoes and stepping through the window while Maria was still sleeping.
~~""~~/FLASHBACK\~~""~~
"Max, what the hell are you doing in Maria's room??" Alex asked.
Max turned around and smirked. Knowing Alex was probably thinking the worst, when it wasn't even like that.
"Oh hey, I came over last night to watch a movie and we fell asleep on the bed," Max replied, his tone suggesting a normalcy to this action.
"You fell asleep on the bed...together...on the bed??" Alex was astounded. He didn't even know that Max and Maria talked.
"Yeah, she was crying about Michael not answering her phone calls again and then...well you know how Maria is!" Max said. He laughed at Alex's relieved expression.
"Oh...Ohhhhh! So you...she and you didn't...you guy's aren't??" Alex was getting flustered and turned a nice shade of red. He couldn't believe the thoughts that had ran through his head.
Maria sat up on her elbows on the bed. "No Alex, me and Max aren't betraying Liz behind her back!" She smirked. Alex was way to0 funny.
~~""~~\END FLASHBACK/~~""~~
Alex laughed silently and kept rubbing Isabel's back.
Michael groaned. Those two were so lovey dovey but in a nonchalant way and it was killing him. But sometimes they were cute. Alex was good for Izzy. Michael wondered if it could have been like that for him and Maria if he hadn't screwed up. Maybe they could be together right now instead of him being so lonely. Why was he so stupid?? He didn't want to admit it but he missed Maria.
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Max slammed the front door behind him and hung up his jacket. As he walked into the kitchen he heard voices and knew he was up for a Q and A session.
Isabel shot out of her chair as Max walked in. She gave him a fierce hug and then punched him in the gut.
Oomph! Max keeled over in shock rather then pain. He heard Michael and Alex trying to conceal their laughter but failing miserably. What the hell did she do that for?
