Maria tried to sleep after she got home. She had one hour and a half left before she had to wake up and go to school. What was it with him falling down from a viaduct a tuesday night? Why hadn't he chosen another night like friday, or saturday... Oh, great, now she was babbling in her thoughts! Damn Michael Guerin!!!
And he hadn't even thank her! Well she was getting used to that, but still. If only he had kissed her, like in the vision at the reserve... But no, nothing. A big NOTHING!!! And that's what he told her. His own word. It wasn't even better than "mud". Well, it had more letters, 7 compared to 3. And now she was counting the letters of his words. Hum, that was bad. Yeah, she definitely got it bad.
Michael, on his side, didn't try to sleep. He knew he would not. Why hadn't he thank her? Two times, he tried two times, but "nothing" came out. He sighed. He would have to tell something or she was going to let him down someday.
How could it be so difficult? "Thanks Maria for what you did to me last night. It was really nice of you and I'm very grateful to you. In fact, I'd like to thank you not only for last night, but for everything. I'm grateful to you for being you. You're a wonderful person, a beautiful woman and I love you..."
Okay, just "thanks" would be enough. He wasn't really good at that anyway, so he had better make it easy.
"Thanks" would be okay.
"Maria, you look exhausted! Are you sure you're not sick or something?"
Dear Liz! She was always worrying for her friends.
"Yeah Liz, I'm fine. I just, well, I had a weird dream and that kept me awake for the rest of the night." Maria hated to lie to her best friend, but she promised to Michael she would not talk about it. And it wasn't totally a lie...
"Wanna talk about it?"
"Oh, it was nothing important, really!" She assured.
"You sure?" Maria nodded. "Okay then, I'll see you later!" Liz walked away.
"Let me guess, she's heading to her biology class?"
Maria smiled. She knew this voice too well. "Oh... He's not trying to avoid me. Good thing! We're making progress!" She thought to herself. "Good guess spaceboy!"
"So I see you got to sleep well last night..." He teased.
"What makes you think so?" She smiled. It was getting better and better if he got that flirting grin on his face.
"Well, you seem... in a good mood."
"Kinda.. But you seem not bad yourself..."
"Thanks."
"Not that you slept a lot, I'm sure, but... Did you just say thanks?" She asked, not quite believing it.
"Yeah... I did." He answered, not quite believing it himself.
"Hum... What's that for? I mean, do you thank me for telling you you're looking good or are you thanking me for last night?" She was shocked.
"Well... Both, and everything else, you know."
He looked down a moment, but since she didn't say anything, he looked up at her. She had a bright smile on her face. She knew he was not really into that sort of things so it meant a lot. She made a few steps, closing the distance between them. Michael saw a twinkle into her eyes... Love? And he was sure his eyes were a mirror of hers. He leaned in.
"What you two, kids, are doing here? Aren't you in class?" A voice interrupted them.
Michael backed up. "Yes sir, we're going." He turned to Maria. "I'll see you at lunch time..."
And then he ran away.
"Stupid teacher... What was it with him, interrupting one of the most intimate moment with Michael! Well, emotionally intimate... Stupid teacher, I hate him!" Maria grumbled in thoughts. She was so upset. "And now what? I supposed he's gonna run away. Damn stone wall!" She thought she was going to cry. It hurt her so much, staying away from him.
"No wait!" She almost shouted out loud. "He told me he'd see me at lunch time! Oh, stop it girl, don't make you up such illusions. It didn't mean anything. But still..." Alex looked at Maria who was sitting across the class. She had been late and she kept making faces. Anger, sadness, hope, sadness, hope again... He wondered what was going on with her. "One of her Michael-things, I guess." He thought to himself. It was so usual.
At the same time.
"Michael, what's going on with you? Why were you late? Well, it's not like it's the first time, but you look strange."
Michael looked at Isabel and congratulate himself for not calling Max and her the previous night.
"It's nothing Isabel. Like you say, it's not like it's the first time."
Isabel frowned. She knew him too well to believe that. His "nothing" always meant something. "Oh, must be one of his Maria-things..." She thought, looking back at the teacher. "Nothing unusual!"