| PART 5 I wake up and glance at the clock with one eye. I close my eye again to go back to sleep. When the time finally registers, I jump up and grab the clock. That can’t be right. It says 12:30 pm. I put on my robe and open my door. I hear the chatter and noise coming from the diner. I rush to my room to take a shower and get dressed. I run downstairs and see Michael at the register. “Why didn’t you wake me?” I ask out of breath. He gives me a smirk and hands the customer his change. “You needed it. So I opened by myself,” he says simply. “Thanks,” I say. I did need it. I feel refreshed. We work together in companionable silence. I glance at him every so often. I notice my feelings for him are different, and that confuses and scares me. So, I do what I do best. I ignore it. We finally close the diner. I sit down on one of the stools to rest. My feet are killing me. I take off my shoe and start rubbing my foot. Michael comes in drying his hand on a dishtowel. He says, “The kitchen's done.” “The dining area is done,” I say exhaling deeply. He sits on the stool next to me. He takes my foot and starts massaging it. I lay my head down on the counter and close my eyes. He massages gently, but taking his care to put enough pressure on the sore spots. Then suddenly I feel my foot tingle and he lets go. I look up at him. I narrow my eyes and whisper, “You used your powers didn’t you?” He shrugs his shoulders and gets up to move. I grab his arm and fiercely say, “I told you not to do that. Are you looking for a death wish? You don’t know who's watching.” He shakes my hand off and goes around the counter. He wipes the counter down and says, “I just wanted to help.” “I can take care of myself. Why does everyone think I can’t?” I angrily say. I stand up abruptly knocking down the stool in the process. I turn to go upstairs, but I hear a tapping at the door. I turn to Michael and he shrugs his shoulders. I walk towards the door with Michael on my heels. I peek through the blinds and sigh. I look to Michael and say, “Don’t you have something else to do besides breath down my neck?” He looks at me annoyed. He turns and head upstairs. When he’s out of view, I open the door to my visitor. “What are you doing here, Maria?” I ask. “Happy Birthday,” she says handing me a gift. I look at Maria and turn my back to her. “After all these years what makes you think I’m going to accept you with open arms? Why now?” “I heard Michael is in town. I also heard that he’s staying here,” she says. “What does that have to do with you being here right now?” I ask. “What happened to you, Liz? After Alex’s death, you became this cynical person. You’re not the person I thought you were,” she tells me. I laugh bitterly and say, “Me. You’re wrong, Maria. The only reason why you thought I wasn’t who you thought I was was because after the aliens left, I wasn’t around to make you feel better. I didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear anymore. I wasn’t that friend who would always comfort you or listen to you when you wanted to vent. After the aliens left, I finally put myself first. You didn’t like that because in your eyes nobody is more important then you. You didn’t like the fact that I was licking my own wounds before I helped you. I’m glad they left. They finally made me realize that you were selfish. That you didn’t give a damn about me.” She approaches me and says, “How can you say that? I loved you as a sister. I ….” “I don’t want to hear it. You say you loved me like a sister. Then where were you when Alex died? Where were you when my parents died? You weren’t here for me. You didn’t even care that my parents are dead. You didn’t even call me to offer any kind of condolences. My parents treated you like a daughter. You didn’t even visit their grave did you?” I say my voice rising with ever word. I’m so involved in my ranting that I don’t notice Michael approach me and place his hand on my shoulder. I can tell he isn't trying to stop me, but to let me know he's there. I take a deep breath and continue to say, “Why didn’t you tell me when they left? Why didn’t you comfort me when my so-called soul mate left me without a word? Wait. Did you even know I didn’t know?” I pause to wait for her answer. When she shakes her head I continue by saying, “And you call me your friend, your sister. You never cared about my feelings. It was all about you. You had Alex and me to wipe your nose when you cried, because Michael wouldn’t give you the attention you thought you deserved. When I was hurting, I always had to put it on hold to comfort you. I don’t want anything from you. I don’t have a sister, I never did.” “I thought you don’t want to have anything to do with the aliens. Why is he here?” she says pointing at Michael. “What do you care? You have Kyle. What? Did you expect him to dote after you?” I say. Seeing her expression I say, “You did. That’s why you’re here. Amy told you he was here. You don’t like the idea that I’m not alone. That he might be giving me the attention you once had. You want it all. A husband and an ex-boyfriend to follow you like a dog in heat. Sorry Maria, the world doesn’t revolve around you. Not anymore.” With that, I turn around and go up to my room. I lie in bed with the lights out looking up at the ceiling. Wondering what’s going on between Michael and Maria. A little part of me is angry with him because he should have followed me up. He’s probably comforting her about the outburst of her ex-best friend. I just lie there angry with myself for even caring and angry with Maria for even having the nerve to come here. An hour later, I hear a light tap on the door. I don’t answer it. I already know it's Michael. I don’t want to talk or see him right now. He opens the door quietly. I pretend like I’m sleeping. I hear the door close, but I stay in my same position. “I know you’re not sleeping,” he says. I don’t answer. Maybe he’ll take the hint eventually. I don’t hear him move. “I have something for you,” he says quietly. “I don’t want anything.” I pull the covers so that they are almost over my head. I hear him move and he rips the covers off me. Then he turns the light on. I see a box in his hands. “Why are you doing this?” I ask feeling frustrated. “I took the time to get you this the least you can do is open it.” He hands me the box. “It’s not my birthday.” I just want him to go away. I want to be by myself. “It is now,” he says pointing at the clock. I sigh. “What is so important that you have to force this on me? I haven’t celebrated my birthday in years.” “Just open it.” He looks like a kid on Christmas morning. I hesitantly take the gift and open it. I look up at Michael and give him a curious look. It's just an envelope. I lift the envelope and open it. I unfold the letter and start reading. I drop the letter and hug Michael. “How?” I ask, my voice thick with emotion. He shrugs his shoulders and pulls away. “Thank you. This is the best gift I’ve ever gotten. How can I ever repay you?” He stands up and walks towards the door to leave. Just before he closes the door behind him he says, “It’s a gift. There’s no need to repay me.” I hear the door close. This has been the best birthday I’ve had ever since my parents died. I’m the proud owner of the Crashdown. No more mortgages. It’s fully in my name. Thanks to Michael. I don’t want to know how, but I’m grateful. I wonder if Maria had something to do with it. She came for a visit tonight. I feel better now, because I finally let out a lot of anger that I had pent up. Now if I could get rid of this other feeling. I’ve been seeing Michael differently lately. At first, I saw a way of rectifying some of my guilt, by helping someone who was feeling as much pain as I was. Now I see him as a friend I don’t want to lose. I see him as someone whom I trust with my life, someone who I feel comfortable with. I hope I’m not taking him for grante. I don’t want to treat him like Maria treated me or I treated Alex. I wish I could show him that I’m there for him, that I’ll always be there for him. Every day I feel like my life is worth living and experiencing only if he’s in it. My feelings for him have also changed, but I’m afraid to admit them. I’m confused. I don’t know if it’s because of everything he has done for me. I’ll just wait and see. I could be imagining it because he has been my first human contact since Sean. |