Author: Kathryn practicallyperfect@yahoo.com
Summary: Maria's moms dies.
Maria lay on her bed staring at the ceiling. She had been in this exact same position for the past hour. Bored out of her mind, she was postponing her biology homework until the last possible minute.
She heard her mom giggle downstairs. This was one of the reasons she was so bored. She would go out, but that would either involve risk ripping her clothes going out the window, or facing them.
The 'them' in question was her mother and Sheriff Valenti. They had become incredibly close in the past while. In fact, Maria had heard the sheriff leaving their house quite early in the morning sometimes. It never failed to creep her out.
Right now, they were down there enjoying a romantic dinner for two. Maria wished that they would do what most people did, and go out, but no. They enjoyed the cozy atmosphere the home provided {never mind how it scared one particular daughter for life}.
Kyle Valenti as a step-brother. Yuck.
She pulled her pillow over her head and tried to smother out the sound as she heard the two love-birds laughing downstairs. Why did she have to be subjected to this. Pure torture.
And besides, how could her mother be such a hypocrite? After the whole speech she had gotten from her mother when she had found her in her bed with Michael. Yeah, she was a lot older, but still.
Maria reached over and put a CD in her player. As she did so she accidently knocked over the napkin holder Michael had made for her a couple months ago. ON the floor beside the dresser was the shoe-tree he had made for her after he had come to her that night when he was trying to get away from Hank. Again, she hadn't handed it in to get marked. She had kept it instead.
Maria picked up the napkin holder and pushed play on the CD player. The mellow sounds of music filled the air as she closed her eyes. The music totally eclipsed any sounds coming from downstairs.
We lead two different livesMaria sighed. Just another song that reminded her of Michael. Another song that made her remember what she desperately wanted to forget.
Just like two lines that never cross
And here we are together
Standing closer than we are
But we're still standing here untouched
Too scared to make a move
We want so much to touch
And we can't wait forever
We know it's dangerous
For us to be together
How do we ever keep this secretMichael had come to her that night, wanting comfort when he couldn't find it anywhere else. They had bonded in a way she had never done with anyone else. They had become closer emotionally. Ever since he had come to her that night in the pouring rain she could never think the same way about him again.
How do we keep it in the dark
And if we dare to taste our weakness
How could we tear ourselves apart
Why do we keep this love together
Didn't we know right from the start
That we would have to keep this secret
Or forever stay apart
I watch you coming to me
Walking in the pouring rain
I can't help looking at you
Wishing I could stay away
So many times I've tried in vain
To close my eyes and pray it goes away
But I can't stop myself from feeling
To let you go would be too much
For me to take
Michael was no longer the smart-ass trouble maker that seemed to be destined to ruin her life entirely. He now had depth. He was a person.
How do we ever keep this secretThe funny thing was, their decision to stay apart now was Maria's as much as it was Michael's. She knew that if they got involved, she would get too attached. If that happened, she would never be able to let go.
How do we deep it in the dark
And if we dare to taste our weakness
How could we tear ourselves apart
Why do we keep this love together
Didn't we know right from the start
That we would have to keep this secret
Or forever stay apart
I can't help thinking
When I look into your eyes
How much I need you
It's so hard to hide
They had tried it. God knows the passion flared whenever they were within 10 feet of each other. But, Maria had felt too close to him in those moments. She had started to sink into the quicksand that was Michael. It couldn't happen. She wouldn't let it anymore than he would.
How do we ever keep this secretMaria fell into a deep sleep as the CD finished.
How do we keep it in the dark
And if we dare to taste our weakness
How could we tear ourselves apart
Why do we keep this love together
Didn't we know right from the start
That we would have to keep this secret
Or be doomed to stay apart
********************************
Maria was standing in the middle of a long stretch of road. There were no buildings, nothing there save her and the black road with the yellow lines down the middle.Maria woke up in her own bed, breathing heavily. Not quite a nightmare, but disturbing none the less. The sirens that she had heard in the dream though were real. And they were damn loud.As Maria stood there, she noticed a translucent figure rising from the pavement. She backed up a little, fearfully. It was her mother.
"Maria......" her mother said in a faint voice. Amy DiLucca was now floating above the road. She was wearing a red dress and her head was covered in a red veil. Maria couldn't see her head anywhere beneath the veil. Never the less, it was obviously her mother. The voice confirmed it.
"Mom?" Maria asked, confused. "What's going on?"
"Goodbye........" her mother's voice was barely above a whisper now as she hissed that one word response.
"Mom, you're creeping me out," Maria said in a nervous voice. "Take off that veil so that I can see your face."
"Goodbye," was all her mother said, again in a mournful tone.
Maria reached out to her mother so that she could pull back the veil and speak with her mother face to face. But, all her hand connected with was air.
Her mother hadn't disappeared, but Maria's hand went right through her.
There was the sound of loud sirens seeming far away.
"Goodbye Maria," was all Mrs.Dilucca said in a sad voice, "Goodbye..."
With that the apparition of her disappeared.
Maria could see the flashing lights through the curtains in her room. She pulled them back slightly to see a couple police cars parked in front of her house.
There was a rapping on the door to the house. Maria was still in her clothes from the day, so she started to walk to the front door.
She opened the door to find a deputy and Sheriff Valenti standing on her front doorstep. Sheriff Jim was without his leather jacket and he had a bandage around his left arm. He wore a pained expression on his face.
"I'm so sorry Maria," he began sadly.
"What are you talking about?" Maria asked in a semi-panicked voice, "What's going on? Why are you all here? Why aren't you with my mother?"
The sheriff exchanged a glance with the deputy, then turned to her. "Your mother Maria.....she's dead," Jim Valenti said, his voice breaking.