Ask
Not….
At the party Isabel, Maria, Tess, and Liz were dancing
while Michael and Alex watched. Isabel set up the music by using her powers on
some CDs. Liz was on the side, not dancing yet, and Maria was talking to her.
Making a face at Michael, she straightened her face.
“He's watching, isn't he?” Maria asked. Liz looked at
Michael, who was stealing glances at Maria. She nodded to Maria.
“I knew he couldn't resist.” Maria laughed, youthful
and carefree. Oh, he’d succumb sooner or later. Michael loved music, and
eventually the beat would call to him. “Come on.”
Liz held back. “No.”
“Come on.” Maria made a face. “We can’t have you
sitting like a lump too! Alex is a snob about his music, so he won’t move to
this.”
“Michael?”
Maria shrugged. “He’s finally cluing in that Metallica
isn’t necessarily dancing music, but this stuff…” Maria indicated the
music choice and shook her head “he’d rather have his internal organs
removed. He doesn’t do Top 40.” Maria pulled Liz off her perch.
“Maria, no.”
“You know you want to.” Maria laughed again when Liz
started dancing. “So, what's up with you and Max?”
“Nothing.”
Maria stared at her friend thoughtfully, remembering the
conversation she had with Max and the reaction on her face when he touched her.
“Oh, I saw the way you looked at him. Did you have a flash?” Liz laughed
making a face. “I knew it. Max Evans is a flasher.”
Before Liz could make a comment, Max came crashing into the
Crashdown practically nude, in nothing but a pair of sleeping sweats. He slumped
to the ground, breathing heavily.
“Max!” Tess rushed to his side as the other followed.
“Nasedo's dead.” Max gasped out, his breathing rushing
in rales in his lungs.
“What?” Michael grabbed Max to hold him up.
“He came to me, injured. Said ... ” Max wheezed through
the strain, “said it was another alien and that we're all in danger. He died
... in my arms.” Max looked at the other alien children. “He ... he died in
my arms.”
“Oh, my God!” Isabel said in a dramatic moment.
Michael literally picked Max up by the arm helping him to
stand upright. “We have to get Nasedo to the pod chamber ... use the healing
stones to revive him.” Michael looked at Max. “Max, where is he? Where's
Nasedo?”
“In my room.”
Isabel couldn’t believe it. Her parent...if they… “In
your room?” Oh god! Her brother left a dead alien in his bedroom!
Michael made an irritated face at Isabel and her
semi-hysterical ‘oh my gods’. He didn’t have time for it. “Where's the
jeep?” he asked Isabel.
“Out back. I'll get the keys.”
Liz finally couldn’t hold her silence. “Oh, Max, you're
hurt.” Tess ignored Liz, moving forward, she healed Max as Liz watched. The
bruise on his face was gone.
“What should we do?” Alex asked Michael.
“Nothing. Just go home.”
“Wait. What about this other alien?” Maria asked
Michael, her brow furling in concern. “Shouldn't we at least try and go... ”
“I'll handle it.” Michael told her, their eyes met in
understanding. She quickly nodded.
Tess frowned searching Max’s face, unhappy with what was
happening. “You're not in charge here, Michael.” Maria made a snorting noise
under her breath purposely turning her back on Tess.
“Well, somebody has to be.” Michael told Tess. He could
care less what she thought was important. “Maxwell, let's go.” Michael put a
hand under Max’s arm, lifting him. He looked at Maria one last time catching
her slight nod. “Come on.”
They took Nasedo to the Chamber to use the stones once
more. The stones glowed brightly, then slowly faded.
“It's not working.” Tess asked staring at the dying
stone in her hand. “Why isn't it working?”
Max shook his head. He had no real answers. “I think
whatever happened to him is ... something we can't reverse.”
“He can't die.” Tess’s voice rose in panic. “We
need him.”
Isabel felt a reluctant sympathy for the other girl. “I'm
sorry, Tess.”
Michael ignored the two girls turning to Max. “You said
he mentioned another alien. What exactly did he say?”
“He said that we were all in danger ... that the Skins
were among us.”
Michael’s face changed. “The Skins?”
Seeing Michael’s reaction, Max frowned. “What?”
“I found this thing out by Pierce's gravesite. It looked
like a snake skin. When I tried picking it up, it disintegrated.”
“Look!” Isabel pointed to Nasedo’s body as it slowly
dissolved into dust. The pod children watched as their protector was truly gone.
Tess looked to Max for leadership. “What do we do now,
Max?”
Michael put his hands on his hips and sighed heavily. This
wasn’t good.
~~~
Maria came out of Michael’s bedroom when the apartment
door opened. It was the alien children. Ducking back inside, she didn’t feel
like being the human on the out among their alien exclusive club. Lying on the
bed, she picked up her magazine and went back to doing her latest wish list of
clothing.
“Go to school? That’s your solution?” Michael rose in
anger. He was tired of this. Tired.
“We have to act normal. For most people, Michael, going
to school is what is normal for people our age.”
“Yeah. Fine. Get out.” Michael opened the door for the
group. “I just got out of jail. I’m tired. Thanks for the party. It was as
always…a failure.”
“Michael…” Max sighed when Michael looked away
holding open the door. The group of three looked at each other and silently
walked through the door. Max stopped for a moment, his back to the door when it
slammed shut behind him.
Michael stood looking at the door trying to get his
emotions under control. Too much happened lately. Since last spring, he felt
pulled too tight. Skins? Their enemies were there, and had been for a while.
Max’s strategy of burying his head and they would go away worked as always.
They were among them, and it cost Nasedo his life. Yep. That sounded just about
right.
Arms came around his waist. Maria rested her forehead on
his back. “Did you get him back?”
“No,” Michael said, his voice deeper than usual, and
quiet. “We’re all alone now. All we have is a king who doesn’t do anything
except avoid. We’re dead. It’s just a matter of time.”
“You’ve been training. Preparing.”
Michael put his arm on the door and leaned into it.
“Yeah. Big fat good that’s done. I’m barely a match for a Girl Scout.”
Michael voice took on a new emotion. “God, Maria. I ran out of time.”
Maria arms tightened on him. She needed to go home. Her
mother was home and it was hard to explain to her why Michael was in jail again.
Sighing, she glanced at the clock. Screw it.
“C’mon.” Maria released him and pulled him away from
the door. “You’re tired.”
“Don’t you need to go home?”
“Yeah, I should. You want to come?”
Michael shook his head. “I’m in too filthy of a
mood.”
“You’re exhausted, and too tense. C’mon.” Maria
dragged him to the bedroom.
“Maria, I’m okay. Go home. I don’t want you getting
into trouble.”
Maria ignored him pushing him backwards on his own bed.
“You really need to just shut up for a few moments and let me concentrate.”
Maria took her phone out of her bag. “I’ll take care of it.”
“You going to arrange to have Liz say you’re spending
the night at her house?”
Maria made a face. Yeah, that was an option. Or… “Hi,
Mom? It’s me.” Maria listened for a moment. “Um, well actually that’s
why I’m calling. No! I’m not still in jail! I told you we were having a
party. Uh-huh.” Maria listened some more. “Actually, I’m not coming home.
I need to spend an overnight.”
“Maria…” Michael said. Maria waved him off.
“I know tomorrow is the first day of school. Did you not
see me organizing all my neat new folders and pens?” Maria kept the phone on
her shoulder, holding it in place. “It’s Michael. He’s not in a good
place. I don’t want to leave him.”
“Maria, you don’t have to…”
Maria put a hand over the phone. “Shush! Let me handle
this!” She went back to talking to her mother. “Mom, I need to stay.”
Listening she sighed. “I promise. No really, I swear, if anything happens,
I’ll call or come home if Michael calms down and goes to sleep. Uh-huh. Sure.
Either way, I’ll be home in the morning to change and have breakfast with
you.” Maria frowned. Listening, a smile moved over her face. “Yeah, I’ll
bring him home too. He likes pancakes.” Maria disconnected tossing her phone
on her bag.
“She said yes?” Michael asked amazed.
“Sure. She knows you.”
Michael’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Knows me? What
does that mean?”
Maria just laughed. Reaching over, she unbuttoned his
shirt. “C’mon. Let’s get you relaxed.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“Massage. You’ll see. I’ll have you snoring like a
baby.” Maria tossed his shirt pushing him on his back on the bed. “Turn
over.” Michael complied glancing over his shoulder when Maria grabbed
something from her bag.
“God, tell me that it’s not your damn cypress oil.”
“You should be so lucky!”
“I don’t want to smell like a damn tree.”
Maria leaned down and sniffed his skin, which made Michael
squirm a little, slightly taken aback by her action. “I don’t know. A tree
smell might be an improvement.”
Michael looked at her over his shoulder. “Did you just
say I stink?”
Maria laughed. “Hey, I didn’t say a thing.” She
rubbed some oil on his skin pushing hard on his tense muscles smiling when a
deep groan came from him. “I’m just saying that being in prison is hard on
the body.”
“Like you know.”
“Hey! I spent time too, buddy.”
Michael pillowed his head on his arms moaning as she moved
over his back. He smiled slightly. “Yeah, you did,” he said softly. “Max
just pisses me off. He…”
“Sh!” Maria said. “You’re ruining my work! You’re
supposed to be relaxing.”
Michael smiled cruelly. “Relax? Maria, I’m a teenage
boy who has a sexy girl sitting on my ass while making me all oily. I’m
supposed to find this relaxing?”
Maria stopped rubbing for a moment. “Oh, god!” Then her
hands stilled and a large smile moved over her face. “You think I’m sexy?”
“I think you’re whacked.”
“Aw, you sweet talker.” Maria pushed hard on his back,
making him groan.
~~~
A summer away proved only one thing. Kyle stood at the bus
depot waiting for his father. He was late. After a summer away from
“Hey!” Jim called to his son as he sat on the bench.
“Hey.” Kyle’s voice lacked any real enthusiasm.
“Welcome home, son.” Jim glanced at Kyle, sorry that he
was so late. “Oh ... I'm sorry I'm late. How was football camp?”
“It was great. It was great.” Kyle swallowed a
bitterness. “You ... you're two hours late.”
“Yeah, I know.” Jim sighed seeing the look on Kyle’s
face. “I know. You came back at kind of a tough time, Kyle. You remember I
told you about a man who was protecting Tess?”
Kyle took on a bored expression. “Yeah. Noriega.”
“Nasedo.” Jim corrected. “Yeah. He, um ... he was
killed last night ... by another alien.
“My strength fails.” Kyle mumbled staring straight
ahead. “My vitality exhausted. I cannot find the bull. I only hear the locusts
chirring through the night.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” Centering. He needed centering.
“You ok?”
“Yeah. I just ... I'm just not looking forward to dealing
with all the little green men again.”
“Well, listen, maybe you should ... maybe you should cut
'em a little slack, Kyle.” Jim saw the look on Kyle’s face. “I mean, after
all, Max Evans did save your life.”
“Damn human of him. Of course, he is the reason I got
shot in the first place, but what the hell.” Kyle looked away. Yeah, maybe his
father should just adopt the perfect Max Evans. “No conditions are permanent.
No conditions are reliable. Nothing is self.”
Kyle walked to the car, leaving Jim with a puzzled look on
his face.
~~~
Michael was at his locker when Isabel found him. She called
his apartment on the way to school, but there had been no answer.
“I called you this morning.”
“I was busy. Pancakes with real maple syrup.” Michael
slammed his locker door. “Why was there something important?”
“I just wanted to see if you were okay.” Isabel frowned
as other students walked passed them. “I know you were unhappy with Max’s
plan.”
Michael made a face. “Come back to school. What a great
plan.”
Isabel let irritation move over her, tired of the constant
bickering between Michael and Max over the summer. “I am so not having this
conversation.”
Michael shrugged. Then why did she seek him out? Of course
she was on Max’s side. Same old story. “You realize the killer could be here
right now ... walking the halls looking for us ... and gee, where are we?”
Michael said with biting sarcasm. “Hey, we're right here, just waiting to be
found.”
“You know what? Stop, ok? Stop putting me in the middle
of this. If you have a problem, take it to Max. He's the leader.
She never listened. “If we're not careful, he's gonna get
us all killed.” Michael face went blank as Max walked up to them. “Hi. Gotta
go.
“We're doing the right thing.” Max assured Isabel.
“Until we know what we're up against, we've got to keep our heads down. Try to
blend in.”
“I hope so. I'm too young to be dust.”
~~~
In history class, Mr. Lafeber talked about the leadership
skills of John F. Kennedy. Max, who had other things on his mind, suddenly paid
closer attention.
“What does it mean to be a leader? In the fall of 1962,
John Kennedy was still a young man. The Soviets thought he was a pushover, and
at that point most Americans would have agreed. And yet, John Kennedy would rise
to the occasion, face down the Soviets, and bring the world back from the brink
of nuclear war. Now, this week as we study the missile crisis in detail, I want
you to think of John Kennedy, the man. Think what it would feel like to hold the
fate of an entire nation in your hands. Imagine what it would be like to come
face to face with the very real possibility that your next decision could
literally mean the end of the world.”
“Day 4 of the crisis. Kennedy is getting pressure from
all sides. The military wants an attack. The diplomats want a blockade. So what
is he supposed to do? One thing is clear: he's running out of time. The missiles
in
~~~
Maria swore as she avoiding hitting another car. Obviously,
Michael’s horrible driving was rubbing off on her. Maria quickly glanced at
Liz to make sure she hadn’t noticed the near miss, as she continued her
conversation.
“It is just a matter of time before you weaken.”
“Thank you.” Liz said sourly.
“It's not a dig. It's just a fact.” Maria stated,
conquering her own natural inclination to question love. “You are in love with
him. You can't live without him, and you're going to get back together with
him.” It was unreal. Maria couldn’t see the girl who forced herself on the
aliens in the woods in the middle of the night ever walking away.
“No. That's not true. I walked away.” Liz reminded
Maria. “From him and her and the entire situation.”
“Her?” Maria said in disbelief. “There is no
"her". Max doesn't care about Tess. He's never gonna care about Tess.
The only thing he's interested in... ” Maria suddenly stopped in mid-sentence
as she saw Max and Tess walking together down the street. “Oh, God.” Liz
followed Maria glance, seeing the two as well. “Liz…”
“Maria, whatever you're about to say, just don't, ok?”
Maria glanced at her friend, biting her lip, she swallowed
her observation that Liz had walked away from Max, and not him from her.
Maria’s eyes narrowed as she quickly moved beyond the two. What the hell was
Max thinking? A blonde?
“I’m not saying anything, but you know, he can’t
pretend she doesn’t exist just so your sensibilities aren’t offended. She is
an alien.”
Liz sniffed looking away. “There is the tragedy. Not just
an alien…but his wife. How’d you feel if that was Michael?”
Maria snorted. “First, it isn’t Michael, and hello? He
has an equal destiny with Isabel.” She laughed at that, chuckling under her
breath. “They fight over syrup flavors. She supports Max over Michael
literally at every turn. I think that them as a couple might be hell on earth!
And aren’t we the lucky ones to get a spectator’s seat?”
“Why are you so calm about this?” Liz asked, then she
nodded. “Of course, according to you, the two of you aren’t together like
that, and two…most importantly, Michael and Isabel have no desire to be
together. What did Michael say? It’s crap?”
“That is the point, Liz. Max has no desire to be part of
an alien breeding program either…and I think he perfectly expressed who he
thinks his destiny is. You! So go hide your head some more…hey, how about
running away without a word of goodbye?”
Liz bit her lip at Maria’s tone. “I said I was
sorry.”
Sighing, Maria glanced at her friend. Reaching over, she
squeezed Liz’s hand. “I know. Sorry. I had a little bitter acid backwash
there. Bygones.” Liz nodded. “You know, Liz, things changed while you were
gone. I spent more time with Max then I ever did before. It was always from
afar, or as him being your ‘soulmate love’, but never him and me just as
friends. I like him. He’s nice, but given a choice, I wouldn’t have chosen
him for me. Still, that said, I see things from many sides now, and not just as
your friend, so put up with me when I argue his side. It’s not that I don’t
love you, just I’m not only your friend, and I’m being devil’s advocate
here.”
“I know.” Liz sat back staring out at the dark. She did
more than walk away from Max, Destiny and
~~~
Jim heard it first as a slight noise, but it increased in
frequency and volume. Taking his gun, he walked through the dark house with his
gun at his side, ready to face what was behind the door. Slowly opening the
door, he found Max and Tess on his front porch.
“Sorry.” Jim put down his gun double checking the
safety.
“No problem. We need your help.” Max told him, as Jim
stepped aside to let Max and Tess into his house.
Jim stood in his kitchen drinking a cup of coffee he
didn’t need while he talked to Max. Tess was unusually subdued.
“She can stay here.”
Tess frowned at the two men. “I don’t want to be a
bother, and…”
Jim shook his head. “Only other place is with Michael,
and I think that it would be a tad unconventional. Plus, does either of you want
to ask Michael to share his place?”
“Max could order him. He’s king.”
Max blew out air heavily. “It doesn’t work that way,
Tess. I don’t think you’d like it there anyway. Maria’s there a lot, and
she isn’t exactly one of your fans.” Tess bit her lip and looked away. That
was a little too true, and Maria, unlike the others who chose to ignore her,
didn’t pull her punches. She watched all summer as Isabel and Maria went
shopping, as Isabel increased the length of Maria’s hair as her skirt length
got shorter. They had girl fun, and Tess watched.
“I could just stay at my place.”
Jim shook his head. “Obviously if you and Max found a
skin shed there, it isn’t safe for you to be there alone.”
Max nodded. His thoughts exactly. He was glad that he had
walked Tess home now. Over the summer he spent next to no time with her, because
no matter how he tried not to blame her for destiny, he could stop blaming her
for the disaster in his life.
“Max,” Jim asked. “What else did Nasedo say about the
Skins?”
“Not much. They’re our enemies, and obviously,
they’re here.”
Jim nodded. “This presents a problem. They know Tess, and
by now they probably know you. If Nasedo was unable to save himself from them, I
don’t know how much protection I can give you.”
“I understand.” Max sat back. Michael was unhappy, and
maybe he had a reason. They were here, and Valenti was right. What chance did
they have if Nasedo couldn’t defeat them? “There is another thing.” Max
frowned. He had run into Tess in the park because he was sent home from work at
the
“Great, give me it all at once.” Jim said, switching
the hot water back on under the kettle. He needed more coffee.
“The
“Excuse me from commenting, Max, but
Max smiled slightly. “No, he wasn’t.”
“I’ll look into Brody in the morning.”
“He is very suspicious. He sent me home from work, and
there is a lot of activity that he seems secretive about. I don’t know. I
don’t think he’s trustworthy.”
“I definitely look into it.” Jim looked at Tess and
smiled kindly. “Let me make you a place to sleep.”
~~~
Kyle's alarm went off. He rolled out of his bed without
hesitation and hit the floor in a bout of energetic pushups. Walking out of his
bedroom, he yawned, rolling his shoulders a bit, to stretch. It took a moment to
notice the sleeping girl on the sofa. Not any girl. An alien one.
“Daaaaaad!”
Tess woke up stretching seductively, the short sleeping
shirt she was wearing riding up her legs. “Morning.”
“Yes, morning.” Kyle said, uncertain, looking for his
father before giving up and braving an alien in his home. “What the hell are
you doing here?”
“I live here.” Tess said easily taking in Kyle’s
attire. Smiling, she hooked a finger in his boxers snapping them as she went
around him to snatch the bathroom first. “Calvin Klein. I approve.”
Kyle watched as the bathroom door shut. “Daaaaaaaaad!”
~~~
Maria stopped outside the offices of the Congresswoman.
Looking inside, she spied Liz working hard. Too hard for an early morning
weekend day. Straightening her shoulders, Maria entered the offices.
“Hey, I think I know why Max and Tess were, you know,
together last night.” Maria said immediately giving Liz little time to protest
or run away. “He was just playing bodyguard. He was walking her home in case
the, uh, killer was following her.”
“You know,” Liz said looking up at Maria as she sat on
the edge of her desk, “you don't have to make excuses for him.”
“Who's making excuses? I'm just trying to help him, help
you, you know, help the situation.”
“Did he send you here?”
“No.” Maria eyes shifted to the right.
“He did, didn't he?”
“Not this time.” Maria quickly covered. “I mean ...
no. No, of course not.”
“Maria, I thought that you were my friend.” Liz said
tragically. What the heck was going on?
“This is so unfair.” Maria complained. Her little human
body couldn’t take much more of this, of everyone coming to her with their
pain and problems. God, if only one couple could get it together, then
maybe…just maybe, she could have a break. “I care about you both. I just
want you guys to be happy and together.”
“Maria, will you do me a favor?” Maria nodded
reluctantly. “Will you keep your big fat nose out of this?”
“Message received.” Maria said standing up with her
hands up in surrender. “Man!”
“Look, I have a lot of work to do, so just ... ”
“Fine, fine.” She was leaving already. Damn. Maria
paused at the door. “You weren't ... you weren't serious about the big fat
nose ... ”
“Good-bye.”
“Bye.” Maria quickly vacated the offices. Fine. They
wanted her support, but not her advice or help. Fine. Just fine. Maria glanced
at her watch. She had other things to do, more important things.
Maria walked down the street, and was preparing to cross
against the light, when a hand pulled her back from the edge.
“That’s illegal you know. Called
technically…jaywalking.”
Maria turned to see Kyle Valenti. “Kyle…um, hi. How are
you?”
“Back in
“I heard from your dad that you were at football camp.”
Maria said crossing the street, Kyle following her still talking.
“Great,” Kyle said sarcastically. “So you’re
another one of his adopted children.”
“Hey! Watch it, buddy! They aren’t married, and they
aren’t getting married. So what if she made him a few pies…and he ate them!
Pig! I swear, that doesn’t mean he’s like a damn father figure or
that….”
“Whoa! Back off Lizzie Borden. Put down the damn axe!”
Kyle breathed in deeply through his nose. Hell. Maria DeLuca was spitting mad,
and somehow, Kyle stared at her, really seeing her for the first time. Damn. She
was…exquisite, actually sexier than hell, and well shit. He was definitely
aroused. “Look, I don’t know
what you’re talking about. I was talking about how my father treats Max Evans
like a damn son, pays more attention to him, and today…” Kyle paused for
dramatic effect, “He moved in the alien girl, Tess! I guess he decided he
needed an alien daughter to go with his perfect alien son.”
Maria felt her face flaming at her reaction to the thoughts
of Sheriff Valenti and her mom. Taking a deep breath, she understood what Kyle
was saying. His family was in the suck zone, and he was losing big time. “Tess
moved in with you?”
“Tragically, yes. Guess Max walked her home last night
and found an intruder at her alien home, complete with some moldy skin off evil
aliens. Now she’s in my home polluting the place with her alien vibes. So I
came to seek you out.”
“Me?” Maria said confused. Maria looked at her watch
mumbling to herself. It was getting late. “Why me? And you know what? Make it
quick. I’ve got some important purchases and shopping to get done, especially
since Spaceboy isn’t here to dissect my buying prowess. He gets to the damn
hardware store, spends six hours, and then claims he’s shopping fatigued!”
“Exactly why I came to you. You have experience living
with an alien.”
Maria stopped in her tracks. “Okay, so she is a little
strange at times, but she’s not an alien!”
“What?”
My mom! Take it back you thick necked, mouth breathing…
”
Her mother, again! Kyle quickly interrupted her. “I mean
Guerin.”
“Michael?” Maria’s brow knitted. “I… we don’t
live together.”
“Really, but I thought…” Kyle saw her face. “I mean
everyone thinks… um, that you two are, well you know… um, well…”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Look what did you want to
know?”
“I don’t know, anything that can help me, that’s
all.”
Maria shrugged. “They’re just like normal people,
though too many milk products makes Michael cranky.”
“God, I just want my life to go back to normal. I’m
trying. I’m really trying to find some inner peace… serenity.”
Maria stopped and dug in her bag. “Here, try this.” She
handed him a small vial.
“Drink it?”
“Sniff. It has a calming effect.”
Kyle lifted a brow and sniffed tentatively at Maria’s
super secret stash of cypress oil. Kyle shrugged. Not bad. “Do they make this
in incense?”
Maria was giving Kyle the lowdown on herbal remedies,
vitamins and essential minerals when dealing with an alien in your life fulltime
when she spied Michael moving towards her fast. Damn! She never got to her
shopping.
“Um, Kyle?” He glanced at her while still sniffing from
her vial. Damn, he was going to overmedicate himself. “How do you feel about
an imminent alien invasion?”
“Why?”
“Michael is heading this way… fast.”
“Gotta go!” Before Maria could retrieve her vial, Kyle
was gone.
“Damn!” Michael came up to her, and Maria slapped him
lightly on his chest.
“Hey, what did I do?”
“You scared him away!”
Michael looked at the retreating back of Kyle Valenti and
shrugged. No loss. “So what were you doing with the jock?”
“Making babies. What did it look like?” Michael gave
Maria a blank look of disbelief. She shook her head. His humor response time was
seriously impaired. “It’s a joke! The boy has problems. Guess Max and Tess
found evidence of your mortal enemies, the Skins at her house, and she is now
residing with the Valenti’s. Kyle has been invaded.”
Michael shrugged, his mind working on the Skin problem. He
absentmindedly took Maria’s arm pulling her along.
“Better him than me. My place is getting smaller and
smaller all the time.”
“Is that a crack about my stuff finding its way into your
space?”
Michael didn’t seem to hear her. “What do you think
about the new waitress, Connie.”
“Courtney?” Maria said. “I don’t.”
“Does she look flaky to you?”
“Flaky? I really don’t want to talk to her too much. We
have nothing in common. She looks to be the type to sit on a barstool at a
trucker’s dive buzzing around for dead meat.”
“Her skin… doesn’t it look a little dry to you?”
Michael frowned. Too many strangers in town. She might be a Skin. They should
keep an eye on her, maybe actively investigate.
“I don’t know. Perhaps her moisturizing products leave
something to be desired.” Maria frowned when something that was bothering her
came up again. Damn that Kyle Valenti. He distracted her from what was
important.
“Michael, do you think my nose is fat?”
~~~
Pushed by the ideas taught in history about JFK, Max
finally decided to go on offense and look at possible threats to himself and the
others. At the
“May 14th. Oh, my God.” Max says to himself. It was the
day they had activated the communicators. The day they exposed their position to
their enemies. Nasedo told him not to do it, but he was the King. What good did
it do? He found himself a destiny he didn’t want, settled with a wife from
another lifetime that he couldn’t remember, and Liz walked away. It was a
mistake.
“Don't touch that! What are you doing in here?” Brody
asked coming into the room. The man was a slim man of slight stature. He had an
Irish accent, and he was attractive in a charming way. His blue eyes were
intelligent and suspicious. The man wasn’t much older than the teenagers, but
still, he had a good nine to ten years on them, making him around his
mid-twenties.
“Just looking around. I was curious about all the
equipment you brought in.”
Brody picked up the pentagram device. “You recognize
this?” He asked Max.
“No. What is it?”
“I'm asking the questions.” Brody told Max, his
suspicions of the teenager stiffening his jaw. “Why were you reaching for
it?”
“Just curious again.”
“It's over, Evans.” Brody put the pentagram away. “Go
home. Don't come back. You're fired.”
~~~
Kyle walked into his room to find Tess sitting on his bed
reading one of his magazines.
“Hey, this is my room.” His eyes noticed what Tess was
wearing. “That’s my jersey!”
Tess shrugged. Standing up, she smiled, “Sorry.”
Reaching down, she started to take off the shirt.
“No! All right, look. You wear it.”
“Kind of uptight about nudity, aren't you, for a guy who
reads Jugs?” Tess said showing him
the magazine she was looking through.
“Give me that!”
“Oh ... the post-its? Nice touch.”
“All right.” Kyle gathered up his things. “Ok,
listen. I don't know how you do things on planet Vulcan or whatever, but here on
Earth we have this primitive human concept called privacy.”
“Keep talking to me like that and I'll slag you with my
death-ray eyes.” Tess threatened. Kyle stared at her, a bit uncertain. Tess
sighed. “Kidding. You Buddhists have, like, no sense of humor.”
Kyle looked at he door quickly, almost in guilt. “How do
you know about that?”
Tess pointed to under his bed, “Buddhism for Beginners
is also under your bed. How do you think the Buddha would feel about being
sandwiched between Hustler and Busty Biker Babes?”
“Lucky?” Kyle suggested. “Look, you can't tell anyone
about that.”
“Why?”
“Because I have a certain reputation.”
Tess rolled her eyes. “Of which, the less said the
better.”
“I'm serious.”
“Kyle Valenti, Buddhist.”
“Look, I got into it over the summer... ”
“At football camp.” Tess said lifting a brow.
“They're crazy about it.”
“Listen! This ... this whole aliens-are-among-us thing
... it really screwed me up ... made me question stuff ... life, reality, my
place in this universe ... and you don't understand.” Kyle shook his head. No
one understood. He was alone, and there was no one for him. “You ... you guys
... you people turned my life upside down. I need a little clarity. I need a
little peace of mind.”
“No, I don't understand. I'm a girl from another planet.
No family, no friends. Only three other people like me in the world. And the man
I grew up with ... the man who raised me ... he was just murdered.” Tess said
moving out of Kyle’s room. “You're right, Kyle. What would I know about
needing peace of mind?”
Kyle watched her leave his room, his little Buddha self
suddenly remorseful about his lack of compassion and insight. He hadn't realized
she might be going through the same thing he was, or even consider the
possibility that she might have… feelings.
“Sorry.” He said softly sniffing Maria’s cypress oil.
~~~
Michael sat on the bleachers listening to Max and staring
at his hands dangling between his legs. Max was explaining to them what happened
to him at the
“It was shaped like a pentagon, and it was definitely
alien.”
“An alien device in the hands of a perfect stranger,”
Michael’s jaw flexed in irritation, “ ...a stranger who just happens to buy
the UFO center from
“What's that supposed to mean?” Max asked.
He couldn’t be that dense. Michael shook his head. “Why
would
“So you're saying he killed
Michael made a huffing noise. “Well, after killing Nasedo,
killing
Isabel finally joined the conversation. “If he killed
Nasedo.”
“Yeah.” Right, if…and why not? “He's also
interested in something that happened on May 14th.” Michael reminded her.
“All right, so it's the day that we got the message from
our mother, but that doesn't really prove anything...” Michael winced at the
‘our mother’ comment. Yeah that was what was important wasn’t it? Not his
mother. Not his parents. Nothing about him except he was number two, and only
sent because he was, what? Engaged to Princess Isabel? Great.
“Will you wake up? Nasedo told us before we activated the
orbs that we might be telling our enemies where we are.” Michael couldn’t
believe them. Two of the most ineffective people in the world, more willing to
close their eyes and pray it’s not true, rather than just face reality before
it destroyed them.
Max looked around nervously. “Keep your voice down.”
“Yes, sir.” Michael said, his biting sarcasm made
Isabel wince, but it rolled off Max without effect. After a summer of their
constant spats, Max was utterly desensitized. “What do you want to do next,
fearless leader?”
“I'm gonna talk to Valenti ... have him try to find
“Instead of all this talk, why don't we just break into
the UFO center and take the damn thing?” Michael suggested wanting… needing
something more decisive.
“Because it's too dangerous. If he is a Skin, our best
protection right now is that he doesn't know who we really are.”
“I say that's a load of crap.” Michael stated facing
Max down in anger. Skins knew where Tess lived, and more than likely followed
her and Max. If Brody was the Skin, then he knew who they were already. Idiots.
He would be lucky to live to lose his virginity, or at least make the date with
Susan the nurse. “But ok, fine. We got one vote for breaking in and we got one
against. Isabel?”
Isabel shook her head. Again, she was in the middle of
their ongoing fight. “Don't put this on me, Michael.”
“We are not voting on this, Michael. I've made my
decision.” Max told Michael pulling his King card. “That is the end of
it.”
“You know, Maxwell, I don't remember this other life
we're supposed to have lived, but I do know I was your trusted
second-in-command, and I am pretty damned sure that you used to listen to me.”
Michael walked off leaving them together, a united front against his voice of
one.
~~~
“I don’t know, Michael.” Maria said looking around.
“Max and Isabel didn’t agree?”
“When do they ever?” Michael frowned at the blonde head
next to him. “Look you got my back, or what?”
“Always. Just make sure you don’t get your ass blown
off on the way out. I hate to tell you, but you weigh a ton.”
Michael nodded, but paused before he went through the
window into the
“No. I am suggesting that you might lay off so many of
those greasy Crashdown burgers.”
Michael smirked at Maria before hefting himself up into a
window. “It’s not the burgers. It’s all those pies your mom keeps making
me! She’s making me a coconut one this weekend.”
“Mooch! Now go.” Maria gave him a shove through the
window wincing when he hit on the other side. Turning around, she crouched low
in the shadow keeping an eye out for Michael. “Damn alien,” she said under
her breath.
Michael quietly made it through the Center hiding behind
one of the exhibits. He saw Brody walk out of a room with the pentagram device
in his hand. It started to make some noises releasing a blue blast of energy
which moved outward in concentric circles knocking Michael across the room.
Brody was surprised that someone was in the
“Who's there?! Stay where you are! Hey! Don't move!”
Michael, momentarily stunned and visibly hurt, shook
himself awake. He limped out of the
“Hey! Hey!” Brody called out after the receding backs
that merged into the night.
~~~
Maria took Michael to the Evans. Michael was hurt, and she
was worried that he was injured enough to need Max to heal him. Maria left the
pod squad squabbling as she went to find a first aid kit. Isabel was checking to
see if Michael was okay.
“They don't feel broken.” Isabel said pushing on
Michael’s ribs.
Michael winced. “Yeah. Not to you.” Maria came in
seeing Isabel poking at Michael. She pushed the alien girl aside.
“Damn, I could’ve beaten him up more by poking him. I
was hoping one of you would heal him!” Maria made a clucking noise in her
throat, gently probing Michael’s flesh as he held his arms up and away from
his body.
“Nice move, Michael.” Max said, criticizing. “How
many times do we have to have the same conversation? How many times do I ... ”
“Shut up, Max.” Maria and Michael said at the same
time.
“Knock it off, Max! All right?” Isabel added her voice
to Michael and Maria’s. “He's been through enough. He doesn't need a
lecture.”
“Thank you.” Michael said to Isabel at her support.
“Better late than never.” Maria unconsciously stroked the bruised skin on
his side. Michael might have attitude, but he always found a way to say thank
you. Sometimes it took him a while, but if it meant something to him, he was
usually grateful.
“I just don't want to see any of us get hurt.” Max told
Isabel justifying his criticism. Maria rolled her eyes, but kept checking
Michael out. She glanced up to see him watching her closely.
“I know ... but someone did get hurt. Michael nearly got
killed tonight. Nasedo already has been killed. Something has to be done, Max.
We have to do something about Brody.”
Max’s eyed his sister, actually listening to her. “What
are you saying?”
“We have to kill him.”
That broke Michael’s staring contest with Maria, and got
his attention back to the crowd. “Wow.” Maria held her tongue. It was alien
business…alien survival. It wasn’t her place to dictate their actions.
“He used an alien weapon. What human could do that? He's
a Skin ... whatever that means. And he killed Nasedo and he's been stalking the
rest of us. We're at war. It's him or us, and I choose us.”
“Me, too.” Michael said agreeing with Isabel as he took
his shirt back from Maria. His eyes met Maria’s again, and he knew that she
supported his survival as well, but he could see the concern in her eyes. It was
nice to know she worried about him.
~~~
The following day in History class, Mr. Lafeber continued
the series on John F. Kennedy.
“What will he do? An American spy plane has just been
shot down over
~~~
Max was discussing his problem with Maria as they sat at a
table in the back room of the Crashdown.
“How did he know? How did Kennedy know to be tough with
the Russians early but later to hang back and play it safe, even after they shot
down the U2?”
“I don't know.” Maria said, hardly paying attention to
Max’s rant and discussion about something she barely stayed awake for in class
the first time.
“I don't either. That's the problem. I'm supposed to be
this great leader, but I don't know how to make these kinds of decisions. I
don't have that kind of insight. How am I supposed to know what's the right
course of action?”
“Hmm. I have a thought.” Maria grabbed a book and
pretended to whack Max with it a few times. “What are you talking about?! Here
you are giving me this history lesson. You haven't even told me what the hell's
going on, Max.”
“I know. I'm sorry. Look, I'm just trying to figure out
how to...”
“Yes, yes.” Maria quickly waved off the long boring
explanation again. Geez! How much was she supposed to take? “You're trying to
figure out how to be a leader. All right. Here's a little insight. JFK. He's not
so great. Cheated on his wife with tramps. Ohhhh... now there's something you
and Jack have in common. You're both involved with tramps.” Maria sat back
looking Max over like he was something left wanting. “How is Tess, by the
way?”
“I'm not involved with Tess.”
“Just taking
Max paused. “You saw us?”
“Yeah.” Maria made a face. Obviously, or how else would
she know? “We saw you ... as in, Liz and I saw you together. Looked like a
pretty romantic evening to me. Maybe a little patty-cake on the front porch
before you said good night?”
“No. It's just ... it's a long story.”
“Oh, well, I certainly don't want to hear a long story
unless there's a Kennedy involved.”
“I love Liz.”
“I know you love Liz, Max.” Damn how could she not?
Hell, he practically made her a tape of it to play at night as subliminal
conditioning. “You've been telling me that the entire summer. But now that
she's back, I'm the one who's doing all the work here.”
“What am I supposed to do?” Maria allowed herself to
feel the annoyance Michael always had to Max indecisiveness.
“I don't know. Do something. Show her how you feel, and
please, please ... do it now. Look, I'm sorry. I know that you're dealing with
this "Roswell Missile Crisis" or something ... just try and follow
your heart. I mean, isn't that what the great leaders always do?”
“Is it?”
“In matters of the heart, I honestly hope so. I
couldn’t support a leader that throws away his promises of love and fidelity,
forsaking those whose trust is endowed to him. Without honor, what is there for
a leader?”
“And in matters of state, defense and survival?” Max
asked, noting Maria only said in matters of the heart.
“That…I don’t know. I’ve obviously never been a
leader, but I think it comes to duty above all else. I mean, a good leader will
put the safety and lives of his nation and people above all else, even his own
selfish needs and wants, above his own name. It is a sacred trust, and that
means Max, Isabel, and dammit, I suppose Tess, as well.” Maria never saw
Michael come to stand at the door. He stood to the side and listened. “A good
leader is not the supreme being of all…of everything, he merely lives to serve
those he leads. He has to make hard decisions, even unpopular ones, but all that
matters is the continuation of his people, their life, health and happiness.”
Maria wasn’t sure she had the answers, but some seemed obvious.
“I think you are confusing a President with a King, Max.
They are not the same. A President is an elected official who has a duty and
answers to the people. A King? Well actually that’s a very archaic backwards
idea, one I’m surprised to see an advanced race have… since a King is
neither elected nor accountable, and historically, unless they’re good kings,
tend to make self motivated decisions, ones that often harm their own people.
The divine right of the King, making them merely a step from God in rights. So I
think, if you are to be a King then it’s you who has to decide if you will be
a ‘good’ king or a bad one.”
Maria stared at Max for a moment, her eyes serious and
uncertain what that meant to Max in regards to Liz, but in regards to Brody…it
was something Max couldn’t avoid.
“Michael is one of your people, Max. His continuing
survival means everything to me.” Maria couldn’t bite back her answer to
Max. “Your job is to ensure his existence if you are to be a good King, and I
swear, Max, you risk him, I’ll find you.”
“He means that much?”
Maria couldn’t explain it, because Max would never
understand how two people, polar opposites, one night in a motel on their way to
“Yes.” Maria said simply. “By the way, Max. Has it ever occurred to you that the reason you can’t make these hard decisions is because Kennedy was a man with advisors, and he did not stand alone. You’re a seventeen year old boy. Did you really think being born a King makes you a King? Sometimes, God makes the wrong man King. Think about it.” M