* * Old Friend Meets New * *
Isabel followed Maria into the crowded halls of Antaria High. “Wow this school is huge. It looks more like a college than a high school.”
“Think you’re gonna get lost?”
“Nahh, I don’t think so. Five out of seven of my classes are with you.” She smiled. “So where’s your locker and tell me that there’s an empty one next to you.”
“I think so. It’s over here.” Maria walked over to her locker and paused when she noticed the cute guy with soulful brown eyes leaning against it. His arms were crossed and he appeared deep in thought. “Umm, Earth to Max, you’re standing in my way hun.”
He slowly looked up as if coming out of a trance and then moved out of her way. “Sorry Ri. What took you so long getting here?”
“I rode the bus this morning. Mom was running late.” He nodded absently and then stared in curiousity at Isabel. “Who’s your new friend?”
“I’m Isabel Evans. I just moved here from Roswell, New Mexico.” Isabel held out her hand.
“Maxwell Colvin, Antarian native.”
Maria interrupted Max’s usual spiel. “Max is totally like my best friend in the whole wide world. When I first moved here his family practically adopted me.”
“Maria,” Max clarified, “I’m your only friend.”
She rolled her eyes. “Minor technicalities Max.”
Isabel jumped in. “And no longer true. Hopefully I will be considered a friend of hers and yours.”
Max glared at her as if trying to gleam all of her secrets. He was a very suspicious minded person when it came to Maria and the people she chose to associate with. Call it being overprotective or whatever but that’s just the way he was.
Just then Maria slammed her locker door shut. “Damn, I just remembered that I left my American History book in the chorus room yesterday. Max will you show Isabel to our first class? She shares it with us.”
“Okay, will do. Try to hurry, you know how uptight Mr. Albertson can get.” She rushed off with a short little wave. Max looked after her until she was swallowed up into the crowd of students. Then he turned to Isabel. “Alright what’s your story? Why would an obviously beautiful girl with the potential to be very popular be hanging around with my Maria?”
“What? I’m just trying to be friendly. Maria seems like a very nice person.” Isabel’s eyes widened in shock at his sudden about face. “You need to lighten up some.”
He sighed in frustration and ran both his hands through his hair. “Sorry didn’t mean to come on so strongly. It’s just that Maria’s had it rough in this freaking school thanks to some said names that I don’t care to mention. Not that you know them yet anyway.”
Isabel picked up on what he didn’t say. “Do you like Maria?”
“Yes, she’s my best friend.” Max said confused at the question.
Isabel shook her head. “No I mean do you [I]like[/b] Maria?”
Max shook his head in denial. “No she’s like a sister to me.”
“Hmm…” Just then the first bell rung signaling that they should get their butts to their first period class.
“Come on let’s go before we’re late.”
Max guided them to three empty desk at the back of the room. As he walked past Liz Parker and his click he felt a hand reach out and squeeze his thigh. He turned and glared evilly at the owner of that hand, Kiley Martin. She had been trying for weeks to get him to notice her. His only thought of her was how much of a slut she was.
He sat down and pulled out his book. Maria walked into the class a few minutes after the final bell run.
“Ah, Ms Deluca, so nice of you to join us today.”
“Well, Mr. Alberston, I’m glad to be here today.” She said sarcastically. She sat at the desk in between Max and Isabel.
She looked down in confusion when a white folded sheet of paper landed on her book. She opened it up.
So what’s the deal between you and Max?
Isabel
She looked over at her best friend and then back to the note. She wrote: Max and I are just friends. He’s like a brother to me. Besides you know who I like.
She and Isabel spent the rest of the class passing notes back and forth. After class Maria showed Isabel where her next class would be then she and Max rushed off to their second period class.
