Viva
Max and Michael were running in the darkened school
corridors from some nameless threat. They hid behind some lockers, peeking
around the corner, checking for pursuit.
“I think we lost them.” Max told Michael breathlessly.
“Are you sure?” Michael glanced around nervously, not
as certain as Max.
“Not really.”
“Where's Isabel?” Michael asked, his voice rose almost
in hysteria. “God, where’s Maria?”
“They’re gone, Michael.” Michael showed signs of
falling apart, but Max grabbed him, giving him a shake. “Now pull it together
or we're gonna be next.”
“Okay, okay, what - what do they want from us?”
“We need a plan.” Max told him. “We can't fly by the
seat of our pants anymore.”
“They gotta want something.” Michael’s body was
shaking. “Maybe we can talk to them.”
“It's time to step it up. Face the demon. No more
hiding.”
“What are you talking about?” Michael asked as he
checked the hall for their pursuers again. He turned back around, but Max was
gone.
“Max! Maxwell?” Michael called almost hysterically.
Suddenly there were men all around him, dressed in black-ops gear pointing their
guns at Michael. He raised his hands, afraid and alone. Backing up slowly he
shook his head in denial. “No, please, no!”
Ignoring his pleas, they shot him. His body jerked from the
impact of the bullets and he woke up, gasping for air, touching his chest to
check for bullet holes. Sinking his head in his hands for a moment he tried to
calm down. It was a dream, just a dream. Getting out of bed, he walked through
the dark apartment into the kitchen. Another wave of fear and helplessness
washed over him. He slammed the refrigerator hard with the heel of his hand,
leaning on it for a moment before opening it to take out a brown envelope. The
money that Bobby Dupree tried to bribe him with to desert Laurie, to walk away
and never look back weighed in his hands. Sick and tired, he tried to quell the
rising nausea and residual fear. This had to end. Something had to change.
~~~
Maria woke in a fright as suddenly Michael was on her bed,
his hands on her body waking her. He was normally quiet when he came into her
room at night, careful not to wake her or at least wake her gently.
“Michael?” Maria breathed through the pounding of her
heart almost in her throat. “What's going on?” She saw his face and sat up,
her hand going to his face. He still was sweating. “God, are you sick … is
that it?”
“We’re leaving; that's what's going on. You and I--
we're getting out of this town for a couple of days.”
“What?” Maria sat up in bed, scooting over and
literally dragging him beside her so she could push him down, trapped for
interrogation. “Why? What's wrong?”
Michael visibly sank into the bed in tiredness, his body
moving into the softness of the mattress. “I need a road trip. I gotta clear
out the cobwebs.”
“Michael, what the hell are you talking about? We just
got home from
“I'm talking about getting out of this two-bit town for a
couple of days and having some fun.” Michael answered.
“No, there's nothing wrong with that.” She searched his
face. He looked bad. Tired and there was a fine tremble in his body. Her voiced
gentled. “You wanna tell me what's really going on?”
“Nightmares. I can't shake `em; I've had `em every night
for two weeks.” Maria bit her lip. She hadn’t been spending as much time
with him, not since Sean had moved in, and he didn’t come over as much because
Sean was there and they didn’t get along. “I mean my brain needs a vacation,
or I swear to God I'm gonna lose it on someone or something, and it's not gonna
be pretty.”
“Okay, we'll take a vacation.”
“Yeah, today, now, let's go, out of town.”
“Today?” Maria frowned at the urgency he was showing.
“But ... we need a plan.”
“Screw the plan, let's just go.”
Maria nodded. She could get away. That would involve
talking to her mother, but she couldn’t see it being a huge problem. “Okay,
I need you to calm down just a moment, and tell me about these dreams. What has
you spooked?”
“Maria, can’t we by-pass the psycho-babble and just
blow Dodge?”
“Just tell me.” Maria pushed him back in the bed,
removing his shoes. Covering him up with her duvet, she waited patiently.
Michael sighed and began to tell her what he was dreaming. Maria listened, her
eyes thoughtful and intense.
“Michael, you gotta trust me here.”
“Oh, come on!” Michael didn’t want this. She was
going to reason him out of his vacation.
“You need to go talk to Max.”
“What? Max? Why?”
“Because your dreams aren’t about me, and they aren’t
about Isabel … they’re about Max leaving you alone.”
“Maria, I told you to stop watching Dr. Phil!”
“No, just listen. Maybe you need some time with Max. You
know, one on one buddy time.”
“Max and I have had a hard time lately.”
Maria nodded. “Okay, I know that … so that’s why
I’m going to act as a go-between, keep things even.”
“We’re going?”
“Absolutely,” Maria reassured him. “We need a cover
story, so no one looks for us. Max can’t just take off. So first we'll go to
school …”
“I cannot make
it through another day of school.” Michael told her honestly.
“Look … you talk to Max and give us some time to cover
our tracks and we're out of here. Okay?”
“Okay, okay, okay.” Michael lay back in the bed, his
body visibly relaxing for the first time in almost two weeks.
“So … where are we going anyway?”
“You're gonna love it. It's a place without rules,
without responsibilities, a place where we can forget about our troubles, it's a
city of dreams.”
“
“Vegas … we're going to Vegas, baby”
~~~
Maria sent Michael off to the shower before picking up the
phone and calling Max. She talked to him for a few moments, telling him in
simple English what Michael wouldn’t say when he talked to him. Max was quiet,
but he agreed that they needed to get Michael out of town, make him calmer
before he lost it.
Hanging up the phone, Maria concentrated on her closet.
Crap. Crap … crap. She needed new clothes, all her old ones were boring her.
Going down the hall, she tapped on her mother’s door entering when Amy called
to her.
“Mom, can you lend me …”
“Michael’s here?”
“Yeah. He’s in the shower.” Maria went to Amy’s
closet. “He came in last night, really late.” Maria took a dress she liked
and went to sit on her mother’s bed while watching her mom put on her makeup
at the vanity. “He’s not doing so well.”
“What’s wrong?”
Maria glanced at the bedroom door. “Nightmares. He’s
walking a very tight rope. I think being chased by a deranged killer, the
shooting, and Grant’s death has left a little something behind.”
Amy turned to look at her daughter. “He should go to the
psychologist. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. Most people have a
hard time after a traumatic injury.”
“Kyle became a Buddhist.” Maria said more to herself.
And Liz became … something else.
“What?”
“Nothing. Mom, he thinks he needs a vacation … to get
away from here, from everything.”
“Oh, am I going to like this?”
“No. But I think it’s important for him.”
Amy sighed. “Okay … where?”
“Vegas.”
“Oh, no! Maria, you’re underage.”
“I know. So I mean how much trouble can we get into?”
“Uh-huh.” Amy stared at her daughter as a huge list
slowly evolved in her mind. Tons.
“Mom, he’s looking really bad. I think the little sleep
he got in my bed last night was all he’s had in about two weeks. He was
shaking and almost sick. Michael is never sick.”
“Fine. You walk past every Vegas wedding chapel … do
not enter! Under any circumstances. No tattoos, no piercing, and absolutely …
no wild drinking parties!”
Maria gave a yelp of excitement, rushing to hug her mother
and giving her a big sloppy kiss on the cheek. Reaching over, she grabbed a few
more things from her mother’s closet. “Love you!”
“Maria...,” Amy called to her as she was almost out the
door.
“Yeah?”
“Call me if you need bail money.”
~~~
Max and Michael were walking through the school as Michael
explained to Max what he wanted to do. Surprisingly, Max was more receptive than
Michael had expected him to be, and they agreed to leave after school. Stopping
at his locker, Michael pulled out the Dupree money.
“You know, you don't have to blow the whole 50 G's in one
trip, Michael. We could take $10,000 and still have a good time.”
Michael shook his head. He couldn’t explain it, but it
had to do with loyalty. He wouldn’t betray Max in another life, and he
wouldn’t betray Laurie in this one. The money was a bribe … tainted. Blood
money to walk away from his own blood. “I don't want the money, not one thin
dime.”
“But just think about it for a minute. You could use that
cash to build your future.”
“The money was a bribe, it's tainted. You don't build
your future on that.” Michael felt his edge becoming sharp. He didn’t want
to explain it, and he sure as hell didn’t want to have Max talk him out of
what needed to be done. “Besides I think it's haunting me. I wanna get rid of
it.”
“Michael, be reasonable.”
Michael lost it, shouting at Max. “Hey! I'm not gonna be
reasonable! This isn't a reasonable day in my life.” He shoved the money into
the locker slamming it closed.
“Ok, Okay.” Max said quickly needing to calm Michael
down. Maria had been right. Michael wasn’t dealing very well. “That's a lot
of cash to keep in your locker.”
Michael used his powers to lock it. “I defy the National
Guard to open it.” He nodded to Max. “Now go ahead and make a plan for our
escape, and then let's go.”
Isabel walked up at the tail end of the conversation. “Go
where?”
“Nowhere,” Michael said brushing her off. “Meet me in
the lounge in fifth period and have a plan.” he told Max as he walked away,
and Max and Isabel started walking through the hall.
“Where are you going fifth period?” Isabel inquired.
“We're … going to Vegas.”
“We?”
“Michael and I.” Max said weakly adding in, “and
Maria.” He saw the look on his sister’s face. “It's really for him, he
needs a break.”
“And I don't? Do I really have to give you the list of
all the things that I have had to deal with lately?” Isabel demanded.
Max literally gulped, “No.”
“Then I'm sure I don't have to stand here and convince
you that if anyone needs a break it's your loving sister, who has asked for so
little and given so much.”
“No.” Max said praying she wouldn’t try to convince
him further.
“And I'm sure that whatever plan you come up with will
work just as easily for four as it will for three, right?”
“It will now.” Max said, defeated. Why did he answer
his phone that morning? Why didn’t he stay home sick?
“Fabulous, I'll see you in the lounge later.”
~~~
Michael and Kyle were in Spanish class, both not
concentrating. Michael was reading and Kyle kept glancing over at him.
“¿Dónde
est´ Felipe?”
The teacher prompted.
“Felipe
esta en la cocina.”
The class responded except for Michael and Kyle.
Kyle glanced at the teacher before throwing a piece of
paper at Michael. “What’re you reading?”
Michael glanced to see where the teacher was before showing
Kyle a book about gambling. “Vegas, baby.”
“You're going?” Kyle asked, his interest definitely
piqued.
“Si.”
Michael said smugly feeling good for the first time in weeks, almost …
optimistic.
“¿Y
qué hace Felipe en la cocina?”
The teacher prompted.
Kyle responded with the class while flipping through the
book “Felipe
come huevos.” He whispered to Michael, “When?”
“Fifth period, Max is making plans.”
“Do you have room for one more?” Kyle asked hopefully.
“Sorry, aliens only, you understand.” Michael informed
Kyle.
Kyle’s eyes narrowed. “Is Maria going?”
“Sure, but they don’t get much more alien than DeLuca.”
Kyle shrugged. Michael had a point. Maria tended to be the
extreme. He always took the little mating dance Michael and Maria were doing as
more like extreme dating. Kyle took some money out of his shirt pocket and
passed it to Michael.
“Put a quarter on red for me.” He told Michael.
The teacher noticed Kyle’s distraction from the class.
She said to Kyle, “Pepe ¿qué pasa?”
Reaching down, she confiscated the gambling book. “Hmmm, detención. Los huevos son buenos.”
“Los
comemos con salsa.”
The class responded as Kyle got detention. Kyle glared at Michael, “Triple it,
or die.”
~~~
Tess was walking down the hall, when Kyle caught up with
her. “Hey, hey, hey.” Kyle said, stopping her. “Even though you held out
on me, I'll cover with Dad, in exchange for a dime on black.”
Tess frowned, suspicious that he was suffering a brain
trauma. “Did somebody step on your head in gym?”
“Hey, knock it off.” Kyle hooked his arm through
Tess’s and walked her to her locker. “I'm talking about your
"Martians-only" field trip to Vegas.”
“I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm not
going to Vegas.”
“Oh, maybe it's a surprise.” Kyle told her, noticing
Maria. Lucky girl. She was strange enough at times to pass for alien. “Max,
Maria and Michael are organizing the whole thing.”
“Really? Where did you hear that?”
~~~
Maria hooked onto Michael on the way to mid-morning snack.
In their rush that morning, they both forgot to eat breakfast. “So someone’s
been talking. Kyle was telling Tess about an ‘all alien’ trip to Vegas.
“Nope. She can’t come. They can’t come. It’s just
you, me, and Max.”
“Whyyyyy?” Maria didn’t see the big deal. They had
all been in the trenches lately. Kyle and Alex almost dying in the gandarium
cave, the others digging like unhappy miners in the pouring rain, Isabel
kidnapped by a murderous Grant, her and Laurie chased by the killer, and Michael
shot.
“Because things are gonna happen that the faint of the
heart shouldn't see.” Michael informed Maria. Nope. The others were not up to
the task.
“Oh, pleeeease!” What, he was going to dance Coyote
Ugly on a bar in his bvd’s? “Besides how are you paying for this trip
anyway?”
“The Dupree's money.”
“That's $50,000, Michael.”
“Yeah, and I'm gonna spend every cent of it.”
“Oh really?” Giving her frozen pizza roll friend the
once over, she took a firm stance. “Okay, where are we staying?”
“I got a double on the Clean & Cheap.” Maria
nodded. Uh-huh. That meant her and Michael in one bed, and Max in the other.
“Okay, how about food?”
“There are a few buffets I thought we could check out.”
“Okay, you're up to about $37 with tax. What else?”
Michael was quiet. “Come on. Nobody can spend money like I can spend money,
but even I will need help to waste through this pile in a three day weekend. We
need more people on this trip, Michael. Maybe you’re not the only one needing
to get away, blow the pressure of being in
“All right, all right, a few of them can tag along. But
you’re responsible for keeping them all away from me … and Max! This isn’t
some kissy-kissy romantic retreat where we sit around the hotel room playing
Spin the Bottle or Truth or Dare. I have stuff to do.”
Maria jumped up and down, very happy to have this huge fun
trip with all their friends. “Thank you, thank you!” She kissed him on the
cheek never noticing the knowing glances of other students watching them.
“Hey, hey. Don't go telling everybody in the whole damn
school, and let's keep this low profile. Seriously!”
Maria made a face at him. “Who are you talking to? Baby,
this is me!” Maria rushed off to
change the reservations and organize a real trip to Vegas.
Michael watched her leave, smiling slightly at her
enthusiasm, but a little overwhelmed by being mauled by the DeLuca war machine.
“Yeah, I know you. That’s what I’m afraid of.”
~~~
Maria was working on talking Liz into the trip during
science lab.
“I booked a suite at the Bali Hi hotel and casino.
Amenities include marble statuary, world-class shopping and lighted tennis
courts.”
“Vegas just isn't my idea of fun,” Liz told Maria, not
wanting to even set foot in that town.
“The pool has a water slide.” Maria tempted her friend.
“I'm sorry.” Liz shook her head. Nope. Anywhere else
… but not Vegas.
“In the shape of a giant flamingo.” Maria sighed when
Liz remained unyielding. “Please come with me to Vegas, Liz! Michael is gonna
be off doing some dumb guy thing, and I really need a gal pal.”
“No.”
“Pleeeeease!” Maria wheedled.
Liz rolled her eyes. Resisting Maria’s pleas was hard …
the girl, she had a way of getting things. “Maria, the reason I'm not going to
Vegas … is because I was married there.”
“What?” Maria looked around. Okay, so something else
Liz forgot to mention? She sincerely hoped this wasn’t part of the sleep with
Kyle sham to convince Max to move on taken just a tad bit too far.
“Yes, when Future Max came, he told me. We got married in
Vegas at the Elvis chapel, and it was the most romantic night of our lives. So
basically, I don't want to go Vegas -- ever.”
“All right, you know what? There's a lesson to be learned
here.” Maria told Liz, needing her friend to let it go, and start living her
life instead of holding on to a future that would never happen. She couldn’t
clothe herself in black and mourn what would never be. God! If being married in
a sleazy Elvis Chapel was the most romantic night of Max and Liz’s married
life, then they really needed to rethink their romance. Geez. “What happened
between you and Max is unspeakably intense, but the marriage thing never
actually really happened, so you've gotta let go of it. You've got to create
your own memories, and that's what we're gonna do in Vegas with Michael's
money.”
Alex arrived joining his two favorite girls. “Ohh, I love
the smell of formaldehyde in the morning.”
“Alex, pop quiz.” Maria said smiling at her friend, the
eternally upbeat Mr. Whitman. “If you were given the chance would you rather
a) dissect pig babies?”
“Embryos.” Liz corrected.
Maria waved that off. Whatever! Who really cared except
Liz? “Or b) get an all-expense-paid trip to Vegas?”
“When do we leave?”
“Today after fifth period,” Maria informed her friend
who knew how to live. Now the other one … “Come on, Liz, all the cool kids
are doing it.”
“I would really appreciate if you would respect my
decision.” Maria started singing Viva Las Vegas. “Maria.” Liz begged her.
“Viva, viva
“Maria.”
“Viva
Liz looked to Alex for help, but Alex had nothing to say,
obviously he thought like Maria.
~~~
Michael was walking down the hall when Tess caught up with
him.
“Michael, hey, I hope you don't mind, but I invited Kyle
on our trip to Vegas, 'cause you know, he's been really a stand-up guy, and he
did, technically, save the world from the crystals and everything.”
Michael gave Tess a ‘what our trip’ look. Dammit,
Maria. It had to be. He thought extra people meant old Parker, who would refuse
to go and skip class or break a few rules, not the entire school.
“Yeah, and I just wanted to let you know, too, that when
I first moved to town I felt like a complete outsider, you know, no friends,
barely any family, but you really helped me feel welcome. And this trip you know
-- wow!” Tess jumped up and down hardly able to contain her excitement as she
hung on Michael’s arm. “It's just so great of you to organize it for us all,
and we can all use some time away, plus, I've always wanted to go to Vegas! So
can I tell Kyle it's okay?”
Michael surrendered. Helpless to spoil Tess’s good
feelings, he resigned himself to a few extra people in his space. “Sure I'm
glad to have him. And you, by the way.”
“Thank you.” Tess rushed off to get Buddha Boy on track
for fun and debauchery in Vegas.
~~~
Michael took the money out of his locker. Walking to the
lounge, he turned the corner and beheld the entire gang, sans Max and Liz. A chauffeur was holding a sign that said
"Guerin Party".
Michael’s mouth opened in disbelief. “This is
low-profile?”
Maria hugged his arm. “Don't you love that little hat?”
Michael froze when the principal’s voice came from behind
him. “Going somewhere, Mr. Guerin?” In dread, Michael slowly turned to face
the principal but instead finding find Max standing there with a goofy smile.
“Pretty good Principal Forrester, huh?”
“Yeah, you're a riot.” Michael told him. “What's the
plan?”
Max handed Michael a piece of paper. “At this very
moment, the debate team is leaving for a two-day meet in
“Catchy.” Alex complimented.
“All right, let's go.” Michael told the group, wanting
to get the circus freak show on the road. Exactly when did his stolen weekend
away from Roswell with just him and Maria turn into this … he didn’t know,
but he sure as hell knew who to blame. Grabbing Maria, he leaned down. “You
and me! We’re sitting together. I have a few choice comments to make.” Maria
sputtered a little as everyone began to follow the chauffeur out to the car and
then the airport.
“Hey! You got room for one more?” Liz yelled at them
running to catch up. Maria smiled and threw herself into Liz’s arms hugging
her friend. Perfect!
“Oh, I'm so proud of you.”
“Yeah,” Max said to Liz, a little shocked that she
would join the party. “… but let's get out of the hall before someone starts
asking questions.” The remaining four started to leave, but Michael stopped
Liz, his arm barring her way. She glanced up at him questioningly.
“No lecturing, no moralizing, no whining about spending
money on the homeless. This weekend it's about fun and debauchery.” Michael
warned her, his eyes narrowed, still unable to believe Liz Parker could
understand such concepts. “You got it?”
“Yeah.” She said making a face. “I know how to have
fun.”
“Right.” Michael offered his arm to Maria, and given
the chance, she took it.
“Oh, you know what, Spaceboy? You better sit with Max,
and I’ll take Liz. The whole broken up thing … and plus, Liz and I, have
girl things to discuss.”
“Uh-huh. Fine, but we will
be having that talk. I promise.”
Maria watched his back as he walked towards the car with
Max. She made a gesture of disbelief. “Did you not hear him threatening me?”
“Maria … Vegas?”
“Yeah. Sure. Hmm.”
~~~
“Here we are …” The bellboy said showing them into
the suite. “The Presidential Suite. You've got three bedrooms, three baths,
state-of-the-art entertainment system, six person Jacuzzi,” The man went on
and on, as Maria took money from Michael’s stash. “… heated to a toasty
102. Is there anything else I could get you folks?” He asked as Maria handed
him his tip. Smiling the man definitely wanted to serve them. “Uh … thanks.
I'll go get you some ice.”
Maria waited until the bellboy had vacated the room before
screeching in excitement, rushing off to find her and Michael’s room before
the others tried to dominate the master bedroom.
Tess ran around too, eager to search out the place. “I
bet they have towel warmers.”
Kyle went to the entertainment center. “Let's see about
some in-house porno.”
“Hold on!” Michael told the group before they could
scramble away. “Line up, ID's out. This town has some restrictions about
having fun. I'm gonna fix that.” He went over and moved his hand over
everyone’s IDs. “You are no longer high school students from
Kyle glanced at his. “Okay, Harvey Wallbanger.”
Tess laughed. “Piña Colada.”
Alex made a face. “Tom Collins.”
“Brandy Alexander.” Isabel said smiling at Tess.
“Oh! Margarita Salt.” Maria called out in her throaty
sexy voice belonging to a speakeasy.
Liz grimaced at her new name. “Shirley Temple.”
Max lifted an eyebrow at his. “Rob Roy.”
“And I'm your host, Dr. Love.” Everyone giggled, then
stifling them from Michael’s glare. “Since I'm sponsoring this operation,
you will follow my rules. Your bank is three grand. This cash is to be spent
here. There is no hoarding it. Rule number two - and this is the biggie. Rob Roy
and Dr. Love run alone. You see us at a table, you find another one.” Michael
made sure everyone understood, spending an extra moment glaring at Liz, just in
case she didn’t get it. “Any problems, questions, or concerns, contact
management, my trusty assistant, Ms. Margarita Salt who will take care of
everything. If there are no other questions …” Everyone shook their heads
quickly. “Good, then go out and clobber the house.”
He didn’t have to beg twice. Alex ran first, then Kyle,
Isabel, and then Tess. Michael hooked Maria’s arm to keep her near as they
talked to each other in a low tone. Max approached Liz.
“I was uh … I was kind of surprised to see you were
down for this kind of trip.”
“Oh, oh, well, you know, I could say the same thing to
you.” Liz wasn’t sure she appreciated that she was considered such a dull
killjoy, but happy that Max was in the same category.
“I'm only here for Michael. He's uh … he's kinda going
through something. I just wanna keep an eye on him.”
“Oh!” Liz made a face. “So this is not a vacation for
you.”
“It's the last place I'd wanna take a vacation.” Max
told her.
“Yeah, me too. I'm just here for Maria.” Liz said
truthfully.
Michael glanced up from his talk with Maria noticing Liz.
Frowning in irritation he fixed a problem immediately. “Hey Shirley. Didn't
you hear the Dr's orders?”
“Yeah, I'm sorry. We were just …”
“Good, yeah, cool, good. Bye.” Michael pushed her
towards the door.
“Okay.” Liz looked back. “Bye.”
“She's exhausting.” Michael observed under his breath,
making a face as Parker looked back one last time. Maria punched him on the arm
and rushed off after Liz. Michael shrugged. Yeah, let Maria take care of it, she
actually liked Liz. Turning to Max he gestured to the place. “It's pretty
swanky huh?”
“Yeah, it's great.”
“I mean … time for fun. Pick your poison. Blackjack,
craps, roulette.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you want.”
“That's not the spirit I'm looking for Robbie.” Michael
told Max, needing him to be a tad bit more enthusiastic about the entire thing.
“But, don't worry, Dr. Love will show you the way.”
~~~
The four girls were walking through the casino with Maria
reading something and the others looking around.
Tess couldn’t stop smiling. “This is so cool.”
“Hey. What should we do first?” Isabel asked as Maria
dialed a number and was talking to someone.
Liz glanced around overwhelmed, uncertain where to begin
“I think we should try and play a game.” Standing around gawking like they
were doing was going to be a dead giveaway to Security.
Maria disconnected her phone. “Okay. I'm set. I just
booked a salt scrub at the spa.”
“Wait, wait.” Liz said stopping Maria. “What happened
to needing a gal pal?”
“I'll be an hour tops.” Maria reassured Liz already
having her beauty treatment scheduled, and dammit, much needed. The trip to
“Okay, bye.” Isabel said waving Maria off, completely
understanding. Later she would have to schedule herself something too. Maybe a
massage. “Okay ladies let's just dive in.” Isabel walked into the main
casino without a problem, but the security guard stopped Liz and Tess
“Excuse me, can I see some identification?” He asked
the two obviously underaged girls.
“Sure.” Tess gave him her ID as Liz passed hers over as
well.
The security guard glanced at the information handing them
back their IDs. “Nice try, girls, the video arcade is that way.”
“Uh, excuse me, we're twenty-one.” Tess told the man.
“Yeah and I'm Charo.”
“You know, I'm sure we can find another form of I.D. in
here somewhere.” Tess told the man more than happy to mindwarp him into
letting them inside.
“We are seventeen years old.” Liz confessed laughing
nervously. The security gestured
them off to the arcade.
“Mm - hmm. Good job.” Tess said crossly at Liz.
“I'm sorry. Very, very sorry.” The two girls walked off
together, unhappy not being able to have fun, and even more unhappy in each
others company.
~~~
Isabel, Kyle and Alex were all sitting at the same
blackjack table
“Show me how it works.” Isabel said watching the cards,
confused.
“All right. You put your bet here.” Kyle instructed
Isabel, and she followed his instructions. “And the point is to get to 21.
Kings are worth 10,” Kyle gestured to the dealer, “so you get another card,
now you've got 16,” he gestured to the dealer to hit them again, “so another
card, now you go to 25, and he takes your money away.”
“Gee!” Isabel said watching her money disappear easily.
“What a great game. Thank you.”
“I'm sorry, you have to play more than one hand.” Kyle
told her. It was never a short investment game.
“Kyle, this is math, not exactly what I'm looking for in
a vacation.” Isabel told him while Alex continued to watch the play.
“Well, this is the gambling capital of the world.” Kyle
pointed out. “What are you looking for?”
“I guess I'll know when I see it.” Isabel left the two
young men to their gambling. “Later.”
“All right.” Kyle turned back to the tables.
“She is right you know.” Alex pointed out. “It's
math. More precisely, AP Statistics, which dictates that an all-or-nothing
strategy has the best chance of beating the house.” Alex put his entire
bankroll on the table.
“That makes no sense.” Kyle told Alex as he gestured to
the dealer. “Hit me.”
“Hit me.” Alex said his mouth opening in shock when he
lost and the dealer took away the cards and all of his money.
Kyle grimaced, interested in Alex’s strategy. “You took
that one in the shorts.”
Maria came up behind the two, not seeing how devastated
Alex was. “You will never believe what I've found in the spa locker room.”
“Oh, God. My heart hurts.” Alex said dramatically.
“A booking agent is holding auditions.” She informed
her friend. “Alex, Alex I need the hugest
favor from you. I need an accompanist.”
“I play the bass guitar.”
“No, no. You could fake it in the piano.” Maria told
him. “It's just some simple chords changes. It first starts off with an E and
then in the bridge it goes …”
Alex, too upset with his crushing loss, made babbling
noises and then shouted above Maria to get her attention. “Maria -- I just
lost $3000, all right?”
“Alex, I'll...,” She patted him on the arm unconcerned.
“I'll give you my $3000, if you help me get this gig. Please.”
“The key was E, right?” Alex said getting up to follow
Maria.
“Right.”
“All right. What's the tune?” Alex asked as they walked
out of the casino leaving Kyle playing blackjack alone.
“Hit me.”
~~~
Max and Michael were at the craps table moving up to the
bar.
“Coming out.” The stickman called.
“Basic rules 7 or 11 on the first roll you're golden.”
Michael informed Max. “2, 3 or 12 you lose your shirt.” Michael pushed Max
into place to roll. “We've got a first time roller here.”
Michael informed the man.
“No.” Max said not to sure about gambling. “You go
ahead. I'll just watch.”
“Ok, I'm gonna roll. Trust me, Max, you're gonna love
this game. It's fast, it's loud, it's everything living in
“6, point 6.” The stickman announced. “Coming
around.”
“Okay, now if I roll a 6 we win, if I roll a 7 we go
bust.” Michael told Max as he glanced at the stickman. “6 the hard way.”
He told the man and gestured to Max placing chips on the table in front of Max.
“In for him too.” Michael rolled.
“6 hard way.” The stickman announced.
“Ohh!” Michael said excited and having fun. “Pay the
man.”
Maria came up next to Michael pushing an observer out of
the way. Michael didn’t even glance at her, but his free arm went around her
waist pulling her in closer to the table. “Amazing news. I have an
audition.”
“Now, keep with me here folks, I'm here to win,” he
told the crowd around the table, and he told Maria, “and I don't see you.”
“Hello? Don't you know what my dream has been since,
like, the beginning of time?” Maria told him, pouting a little. He knew. She
was sure she had told him. “It's to start my singing career in a smoky Vegas,
supper club.” Michael rolled the dice, ignoring Maria for the moment.
“7 winner.” The stickman called out.
“Sweet.” Michael smiled stacking his chips in front of
him letting the pile ride, as the crowd around the table went wild.
“I'll be up on stage right? In front of a great band, and
I'll belt out some torch songs, there'll be a spotlight, my makeup will be
perfect. I'll have …” Maria continued until Michael interrupted her.
“Maria, I’m winning here.”
“Are you not listening to me? This could be my big break,
right now,” Maria informed him, an important moment in her life, and he was
determined to miss it? “Don't you want to come, and like cheer me on, and like
give me a …”
“7 winner!” was announced again as Michael took the
next turn.
“Oh!” Michael slapped his hands excited bowing to his
loyal followers. “The king, ladies and gentlemen.”
“Michael!”
“Maria, stop being a pill. I'm in the middle of something
important.” Michael caught her before she could stomp off. “Maria, girl …
I’m winning money. Important money.”
Maria glanced over the bar at Michael’s pile. “How much
you up?”
“Quite a few grand.”
“Epic! We could take that holiday to
“Oh no you don’t! I won the bet over Christmas. I pick
vacationland. Daytona is having this sweet dirt bike rally in June, and …”
“I found this incredibly small string bikini with a
thong.” Maria informed Michael. “Parasailing, surfing, water sports, and
…”
“
Maria looked around at people waiting for Michael to roll
again. “Would you back up! Can’t you see the man needs space?” Maria
shooed them off. She gave Michael a quick peck on his cheek. “Get back to
work, Spaceboy. Remember … you own this bitch!”
“Yeah, I own this bitch!” Michael repeated, picking up
the dice. He was going to own the whole damn place before he finished.
Maria hurried off to make her audition and reschedule her
salt rub. She was going to need the salt rub before
~~~
Isabel was playing the slot machines. She started looking
around and saw all of the couples hugging and kissing. Feeling a little
melancholy about her own state of affairs concerning Alex and Grant, when she
heard a woman behind her cry out in distress.
“Oh, no!” The woman was behind her, standing in a
stained wedding dress.
“Oh! No. Please hurry.” The woman begged a waitress who
was rushing to get a damp towel.
“Are you okay?” Isabel asked.
“Lord, help me.” The woman said in a southern accent.
“Wedding's in a half and hour. My maid of honor gets food poisoning from the
breakfast buffet, and now some dumb Canadian slams into me with his merlot.”
The waitress returned with some water and salt, to remove the stain.
“Let me try to help here.” Isabel took the damp clothe
from the waitress. “Thank you.”
“My mama told me not to elope.” The woman fretted, on
the verge of tears. Isabel surreptitiously used her powers to remove the stain.
“Well, actually, I think we've got it out.” Isabel said
straightening.
“Well honey! Aren't you just my good luck charm?” The
woman said as she stared at her pristine dress. “What's your name?”
“Brandy.”
“Brandy, that's pretty.” The woman offered Isabel her
hand. “I'm
“You too.”
Two tall men walked up to the woman calling her name. “
“Hi.” Glenn said.
Laughing Isabel returned the man’s greeting. “Oh! Hi
it's nice to meet you.”
“Hello.” Dave said.
“Hi.”
“How's April?”
“Hmm? Wishing she'd never tried the crab omelets.”
“Uhh! Perfect. Well what am I going to do now?”
“Well,” Dave said giving Isabel a glance, “maybe
Brandy is free for a couple of hours?”
“Brilliant, Dave.”
Isabel smiled. “Sure.”
~~~
A fat man sitting behind a desk smoking a cigar waved at
Maria. “Ok, Blondie. You're up.” Alex was at the piano playing as Maria
started singing. She did quick and snappy show tune with lots of aplomb.
“Honey, you've got some set of pipes.” The man said.
“Well, I …” Maria blushed flattered and pleased with
her audition.
“No, I was … I was truly moved.”
“Thank you.”
“No, no. Thank you.”
The man said giving Maria a direct stare. “Now take off your clothes.”
Maria face altered to a "What the hell are you
saying?" expression as Alex stood up taking offense. “Hey! Who do you
think you are? You treat her like a lady!”
“I'll treat her like a stripping lady, 'cause that what
she's auditioning for.” The fat man said.
Alex snatched the flyer from Maria. “Give me this
flyer.” Alex read to Maria. “New talent, big money … Oh! Oh! B.Y.O.G-String.”
“No!” Maria grabbed the flyer reading it. “Damn
…” She paused for a moment looking at the man. “Exactly how much does this
pay?” Alex shook his head dragging her out of the room. “Alex … I was just
asking!”
~~~
Max and Michael were still playing at the same table.
Michael was on a roll winning big. Real big.
“Dr. Love says give it up for 10 the hard way.” He
rolled and won as the crowd around him went wild, and a woman kissed his cheek.
“You're cheating,”
Max said in shock, the reason for Michael’s run of luck finally dawning on
him.
“You wanna say that a little louder?” Michael said.
“I don't think the stickman heard you.”
“This isn't right, using your power like this.” Max
said.
“God! You do belong with Parker. Two sticks in the
mud.” Michael shook his head. Was Max always that annoyingly moralistic? He
didn’t remember that from their younger years hanging out together. “Thanks
for the sermon, Dad.”
“It's not what we came here …” Max started.
“No! We came here to have fun, which is exactly what I'm
doing.” Michael told Max as he turned to talk to the group of strangers who
were more supportive. “Folks this is the fourth set of dice they give me. But
when you have the hot hand, you have the hot hand.”
Michael rolled the dice, he won of course and everyone
cheered. Max glanced over at the casino manager.
“I feel an 8 coming.” Michael said.
Max grabbed Michael gesturing to the manager. “Michael,
he knows.”
Michael shrugged it off. “He doesn't know anything.
What's he's gonna say, that I'm using my mysterious alien powers?” Michael
rolled again and won.
The manager came up after that turn. “This table is
closed.”
“What is this crap?” Michael demanded.
“You're done. My advice is to take your winnings and move
on down the strip.” The manager said gesturing for Security to show Michael
and Max out.
“Yeah, we will.” Max said wanting to draw no
unnecessary attention to them.
“The hell we will,” Michael said getting angry that
everyone was determined to ruin his fun. “I'm here to gamble. There's a table
right over here.”
“Listen, punk...” The manager began.
“Punk?” Michael countered dangerously. He punched the
manager, and they pushed into Max, as Max tried to get Michael out of the fight.
Security moved in to break up the disturbance.
~~~
Liz and Tess were in the arcade together as Liz played
pinball and Tess ranted and raved over not being allowed into the casino.
“You know what it is? It's because we're small.” Tess
gave it some thought. “If we weren't so damn short, he would have totally
bought that we were twenty-one, so what I'm going to do, I'm going to mindwarp
the security guard, making him think that we’re 5' 10'' and then we just go
in.”
“Tess, I'm fine here in the arcade.” Liz told the alien
girl as she continued to play her game.
“Great. I'm stuck in the party capital of the world with
Liz Parker.” Tess said mournfully, unable to believe her bad luck. “No, if
we're feeling dangerous we could challenge a couple of eight year boys to
foosball or go for to the Ice Capades.
Liz stopped playing her game, irritated at how everyone
seemed determined to inform her that she was the world’s most boring person.
“You know, for your information I didn't want to come to Vegas in the first
place. I knew that this was going to be the most miserable trip of my life. I
knew it, but I didn't listen to my instincts.” She gave Tess a penetrating
glance. “And by the way Tess, I don't enjoy being stuck with you either.”
“Fine,” Tess walked off to go find a party, or fun, or
anything that didn’t include Liz Parker because it automatically would be both
of those things just from her absence.
“Good.” Liz said going back to her game.
~~~
As Maria and Alex went to enter the Presidential Suite,
they were almost trampled by Tracy and Glenn leaving.
“Oh! I almost forgot.”
Glenn smiled at Isabel. “Thanks for everything,
Brandy.” He waved at her and his best man on his way out with his bride.
“No problem.” Isabel called to them as Maria entered
with a raised eyebrow.
“Do I have to ask?” Maria said.
“Tracy and Glenn just got married and I was their maid of
honor.”
“Who's that?” Maria asked motioning to the best man.
“That's Dave.” Isabel offered Maria a piece of the
wedding cake she had ordered to be delivered for the happy couple. “Cake?”
Alex saw Isabel with the other man and decided he had better places to be, and
better things to do. He booked.
Isabel was taking a picture with Dave when the phone rang.
Maria went to answer it while stuffing her mouth with cake. “Honeymoon Suite,
Margarita speaking.”
“Maria, it's me.”
“Me who?” Maria asked innocently, recognizing
Michael’s voice.
“Yeah funny.”
Maria sighed unhappily still eating her cake. “Do you
know were I was tonight?” She asked her evil gambling ex-best friend. “I was
auditioning to be a stripper.” She exclaimed putting a dramatic hand to her
breasts. “Little innocent me.”
“Did you get the job?” Michael asked nonchalantly.
Maria banged her phone on the table hoping it broke
Michael’s eardrums. “You don't even care.” Maria told him. “This
wouldn't have happened if you have been with me. You could’ve flattened the
man when he demanded I take off my clothes!”
Michael sighed as a police officer looked at him pointedly
indicating the time. “Is there someone else I can talk to?”
“We are talking.”
“No, I can't, I'm in jail with Maxwell.”
Michael told her.
“You went off and got arrested without me!” Maria
couldn’t believe him. Whose name was tattooed on his butt exactly? Not Max,
obviously.
Michael interrupted her again. “What you need to do is
shut your trap and get down here and bail us out.”
“Wait a minute...” Maria said, her mind working
deviously. “If you're in jail that means that this is your only phone call.”
“Exactly.”
Maria immediately slammed the phone down, taking her cake
into the back master bedroom as Isabel and Dave watched her go.
“Who was she talking to?”
“The owner of this suite … for lack of a better word or
description, we’ll just call him her husband.”
~~~
Kyle was still at the blackjack table and Alex had rejoined
him. Alex glanced at Kyle’s huge pile of chips.
“Doesn't Buddhism disapprove of gambling?”
“Actually Buddha himself first coined the phrase ‘Know
when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away and know when to
run…’” Kyle told him smugly as he fondled his piles.
“And yours is obviously a deep and abiding spiritual
faith,” Alex concluded as Maria came up to them.
“All right, boys, cash out.” She told them.
“You're just gonna have to back off.” Kyle told Maria
putting his arms protectively around his piles.
“Yeah, Grasshopper's on a roll, baby.” Alex informed
Maria with a twinkle in his eyes.
“I gotta bail Max and -- if there's enough money --
Michael, out of jail.” She was still debating bailing out Michael even if she
had enough money.
Kyle had the fever. He couldn’t see anything but his
chips, his ever growing stacks. “My
winnings, my money, go away.”
Maria sighed hating to have to do this, but …to the
dealer she smiled. “He's in Gambling Anonymous; I'm his sponsor. Could you
please help me keep this poor lost soul from further traveling the path of
destruction?”
The dealer shook his head at Kyle. “I'm sorry sir. Casino
policy.”
Kyle couldn’t believe it. “Thank you.” He said to
Maria.
“Thank your higher power.” Maria informed him. Yeah,
Spaceboy had some ‘splaining to do. “Chop, chop, boys. Mamma has a full body
massage and a herbal wrap in two hours.”
Kyle tried to pick up his winnings but he couldn't because
there were too many chips to haul.
“Alex, you
wanna help him?” Maria suggested.
Kyle practically snarled at Alex when he reached out to
help. “Mine! Back off.”
“Oh, this is not good. I’ll bail out the two visitors
from space, and you look up the gambler’s hotline for Buddha … he seems to
be on a path to ruin.”
~~~
While Max and Michael were in jail Isabel was dancing with
the best man, Dave guy. He talked her into going back to his less expensive
hotel room, but definitely much quieter as the disaster party of Kyle, Alex, and
Maria returned to the suite.
Max and Michael weren’t having as much fun while
languishing away in lockup.
“Are we having fun yet?” Max asked sarcastically.
“No, thanks to you,” Michael’s tone was bitter and
angry.
“Hey! This isn't my fault.” Max said while hanging on
the bars glancing over to Michael who was on the cot. “If you hadn't been
showing off …”
“Here we go, another lecture.” Michael said to himself.
He turned around and yelled to the general lockup community. “Hey, everybody
gather 'round your cell doors, because Max here is going to give another
lecture.”
“Shut up!” A man down the cell block yelled back to
Michael.
“What's with you?” Max demanded.
“What's with me?” Michael repeated. “Not you,
definitely not you.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Max demanded.
“The only reason I came on this trip was for you.”
“Oh yeah, out of the goodness of your big, fat, bleeding
heart. You skipped out on sixth period, and you went to Vegas for poor
screwed-up Michael. Yeah, big hand, Max.” Michael started clapping.
“Whatever.” Max scoffed. “You're talking to yourself
now, Michael, I'm done.”
“And I'm talking to myself.” Michael said. “Gee,
Michael, why would you want to go to Vegas with Max in the first place? Sounds
like a really stupid idea.”
Max stared at Michael as he continued to answer himself.
“No, no. See you don't get it. Max and I, we're guys, and
sometimes guys just like to go out and tear it up for no good reason.”
Max turned around but he continued listening to Michael’s
rage.
“But Michael, Max is no fun, he's a straight arrow! He's
a responsible guy.”
“I'm here, aren't I?” Max pointed out to Michael.
Michael finally spoke directly to Max. “This is a private
conversation.” He then continued on his colloquy. “As I was saying, Michael,
it's like this: Max and I, we used to be tight. We grew up together, and it's no
big deal that we can go out and have fun for a couple of days, we used to be
friends.”
“Oh! Give me a break.” Max said standing up from the
other cot. “This isn't about friendship. This is about your irresponsible,
reckless behavior.”
Michael stood up too. “Hey! I've been going through some
heavy stuff the last couple of weeks. In case you missed it, I got shot.”
“I know, I healed you.”
“You put your hand over my shoulder and you did your
little trick like a robot.” Michael told him. “You're a machine, Max. You
wouldn't know the first thing about what it takes to heal me.” Michael stared
away from the other boy who had always been his brother. “To really
heal me,” he repeated in almost a whisper. Shaking his head, he looked down at
his shaking hands. “Ever ask yourself why Maria can heal me with just a look
… without a touch, and you with all your powers leave me cold inside like
death?”
~~~
Max, Michael and Maria arrived back at the hotel room after
she bailed them out. Shutting the door, she stood with her back against it
watching the two alien boys. Max picked up the phone and dialed while Michael
sat down and turned on the TV. Maria frowned at the two.
“Yeah, when's the next flight to
Maria came into the room. “Michael, make him stay.”
Michael ignored her. Maria walked toward Max. “No, no, wait, please, please,
don't go. I'm... I'm blowing the rest of Michael's cash on a beautiful expensive
dinner tomorrow night. I've even taken care of what everyone's wearing.”
“He's not invited anymore,” Michael intoned, never
taking his eyes from the TV.
Maria looked back at Max and Max looked at her sadly, but
firmly. “Thanks, but I'm just gonna go home.” He gave her a slight smile
before leaving.
Michael put down the remote when the door shut behind Max.
“Finally my vacation can begin.” He got up from the couch and went into his
and Maria’s room.
Maria stood there helpless, undecided what to do or where
to go. Finally, she ran to the door, quickly following Max. He was at the end of
the hall waiting for the elevator.
“Max!”
The alien boy turned when Maria called his name. “Maria,
I can’t …” Max’s elevator came and he got inside. Maria jumped in with
him. She reached over and hit the stop button as it started to descend.
“Maria.”
“Don’t go! I know he gives you no reason to stay, but
stay anyway.”
“It’s best this way.” Max’s dark eyes met hers.
“We were close once, but over the years, since I saved Liz that day, there’s
been this wedge between us.”
“Max, it’s not Liz. It’s not just that. You know
that.”
“I know he never forgave me or even tried to understand
why I did what I did.”
“No more than you ever understood him, how much all he
ever wanted was your belief in him when you time and time again shut him down,
stood up against him with Isabel, leaving him the odd man out. He was devoted to
you in the last life, and equally devoted to you in this one, and what has it
gotten him?”
“I’m wrong, cold, and robotic. Michael already told me
that, Maria. You don’t have to rub it in.”
Maria grabbed his arm. “I’m not trying to do that! I
just want you to look at this from his point of view, from his vision.”
“Maybe he should look at things from mine and understand
why I had to save Liz, why I got us into all of this.”
“God! You’re asking a boy that has no knowledge of love
to understand your motivation? Where is he supposed to get that from? The back
of Hank’s hand? All the times you told him he was wrong? The people in
“Maria …” Max rubbed a hand along his neck. Maria was
wrong. Michael did understand love. It was in his eyes every time he looked at
Maria, but maybe he didn’t understand what it was he was feeling. “I don’t
know what he wants from me.”
“Maybe what you can’t give. I just know that his dreams
aren’t about me and they aren’t about Isabel. He’s replaced Isabel with
Laurie … he has a sister … so Isabel is gone. You’re his brother, the only
brother he ever knew, and the only brother he wants.”
“He’s right. I can’t heal him.” Max searched
Maria’s face, the look of determination and concern with an underlying
desperation. He could never break into their world, not after all this time.
Michael and Maria were like a united front against all things not themselves.
“You can.”
“Max …” Maria shook her head. No. Impossible.
“Don’t you understand? Can’t you understand? He took a bullet through his
body. He was lying up there bleeding to death, powerless and alone. Fear …
dammit, Max, he waited his entire life for death to take him, but this was the
first time he felt the coldness move through his body. He always was in this
with you and Isabel, and when he died, he always thought it would be with you.
He was alone, and in truth, all this time he thought he was prepared to die.
This brought it home, made it real. Why can’t you understand? You lived
through the White Room, you faced death, felt how real it was.” Max closed his
eyes. He had spent a summer in therapy coming to terms with everything. Why
couldn’t he understand Michael needed the same? “He found the strength to
stay with us, and kill the Queen. He almost didn’t make it like you almost
didn’t make it out of the White Room. He came for you.” Maria pleaded, her
voice dropping to a whisper, “he came for you.”
Max picked up her hand. Leaning in, he kissed her softly on
the lips his eyes holding hers sincerely. “You have more healing power for
Michael in your voice and a mere pinky than I have in my entire body.” Max
shook his head. “Michael doesn’t need me. He has you.”
“Max, don’t … I can’t.”
“You can, Maria.”
Maria grabbed Max as desperation climbing up from her
stomach. “You’re right. I could make him feel better, but do you have any
idea the damage I would risk to myself, to my control, to all the protection
I’ve created for myself in my life? You can’t imagine what you’re asking
of me, and in truth, I’m not ready … not even for Michael. Not yet. Maybe
never.”
Love. Max saw it in her eyes. All she felt was there, but
it was clouded by fear and desperation. She couldn’t risk loving Michael that
way, in a way that would heal him. He was leaving, and that was a truth she
lived with every day. Holding him at bay, in that safe place of ‘friend’ was
all the protection she had.
“Maria …”
“Max, please just stay! It will help. It will be a step
in his direction. A start.” The elevator alarm began to ring. It had been on
stop too long. Max reached over and hit the run button. He and Maria watched
each other in silence. When the elevator reached
the lobby, Max sighed.
“Every day, I find myself envying Michael because of you.
I envy Liz and Alex as well. I never had a friendship that was uncomplicated by
other things. Michael and I, we’ve always been put into these categories and
it’s always a struggle. Isabel … is my sister, and she supports me from love
and that connection, even when I’m wrong. Liz …we, I … it has been too
difficult to rise above everything else to find a place to just be friends. Even
my friendship with you was never about you and me, but Liz.” Max made a face
at himself, at his own life. “I never had a friend who was my friend through
thick or thin, that had a reason to believe in me without some other connection
making it so. You can heal him, Maria. You already do, even if you don’t
realize it. You do it because you trust and believe in him, and you never had
to. You do it of your own free will.”
“Max, please …” Maria begged one last time as Max
stepped out of the elevator. He watched silently as the door closed taking Maria
upstairs again, back to Michael where she belonged. “He needs you,” she
whispered to the closed door. “He’ll always need you.”
~~~
Liz was still playing in the arcade when Max walked up
behind her. He watched her for a few moments before letting her know he was
there. “Not bad.”
Liz smiled slightly embarrassed. “Oh, well, yeah. Yeah,
after playing six hours and a 1000 quarters, you sort of get a rhythm going.”
“Yeah, I heard you were down here.” Max smiled wryly.
“I just want to let you know I'm leaving.”
“Oh!” Liz let the ball drop so she could face Max.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. It's just … Vegas. Kinda make your skin
crawl.”
“Yeah.” Liz noticed a poster on the wall advertising
the "Elvis Chapel". “I mean, who would ever want to get married in
an Elvis Chapel, right?”
Max followed her glance and laughed. “Not me. Not in this
lifetime.”
Liz was distracted by the poster and what would never be.
“Yeah …” She agreed weakly when in fact it was all she wanted.
“Well, I've got a plane to catch, so …”
“Yeah, right.”
“See you in
“Yeah.” Liz said again watching him leave.
~~~
“C’mon.” Maria said tossing a jacket at Michael.
“Watching TV.” Michael said ignoring her from where he
was stretched out on their bed. Maria glanced at the program. Braveheart. Again?
“Yeah, well I’ll tell you how it ends.”
“Not going anywhere, Maria.” Michael said stubbornly.
Maria jumped on the bed and crawled over to him getting on
top of him. Trying to pin him to the bed and steal the remote they struggled,
until the struggle took on a real competitive edge, and finally they both
stopped, exhausted. Looking at each other, they both started laughing.
“Where?”
“Huh?”
Michael made a face. “Where did you want to go?”
“Vegas, baby! Big lights. Big town. You totally lost all
that money for
“Not in the mood to gamble.”
“Uh-huh. Sure you’re not.” Maria opened on her bags
and tossed clothes around haphazardly, until she found the dress she stole …
um, borrowed from her mom. Heading for the bathroom, she stripped off her top
tossing it back in the room as she went to change. Michael sat up, and waited.
Maria finally emerged with her hair tossed around her face, new makeup on, and a
dress that was too tight, too short, and skimpy material that almost looked
transparent.
“What …” Michael gulped. She looked …
Maria read his question easily. “Out. You don’t want to
gamble, but I do. I’m going to go try my hands at roulette, and then maybe
some dice, or at least find a high roller that wants me to grace his arm and blow
real hard on his … um, dice.”
Maria went to the door, looking back. “You coming … Dr.
Love?”
Michael was off the bed that quick, crowding her at the
door as they both tried to go through it at the same time. “Lead the way,
Margarita … and that dress, it should be illegal.”
“Great huh? It belongs to mom.”
“Now, somehow, I’m offended by that!”
~~~
The special dinner that Maria arranged for them was
wonderful. They were all there except Max and Isabel, all dressed up and seated
at a table.
“Now this is the Vegas that I love.” Maria told Liz,
smiling at her friend. They finally got to gal-pal around that afternoon while
Michael discovered that the game controller would reach the Jacuzzi and he, Alex
and Kyle spent the afternoon blowing up things. Maria and Liz had gone to the
spa for a full beauty treatment, and played the slot machines for a couple of
hours. And because everyone was busy, they took off to check out the shopping
along the strip and other casinos.
Alex had a camera, and he stood up and took a picture of
everyone. “All right. Smile, beautiful people. Yeah, there we go.”
Maria looked at Michael smiling as she smoothed down his
suit. “You clean up nice, Spaceboy.” Her eyes suddenly serious. “I'm sorry
that he didn't make it.”
“Well, I’m not.” Michael answered her, slightly
distracted. “I'm thinking a cheeseburger will go down nice right now.”
“You just had lobster,” Maria pointed out.
“Yeah, but I'm still hungry. I'm gonna go hit the fast
food joint across the street.” Michael told her holding out his hand.
“Green, please.” Sighing, Maria reached into her dress and pulled some money
out.
Michael leaned down kissing her cheek. “Thanks.” He
walked off as Maria shook her head.
“Cheeseburger? Why do I even try?” Damn, she
should’ve saved the money and taken him to Jack-in-the-Box.
“Well, at least he wore a tie.” Liz pointed out.
“Liz, I'm worried. I plan to be a worldly woman, and how
can I be? I plan to share a place with him, and I am thinking something like an
IKEA nightmare with a touch of breaking edge … well edge, and Michael …
well, Michael is trapped in a world of armpit farts and PlayStation? He's just
so …”
They heard a drum rolling on the grandstand, they all turn
around and shockingly saw Michael on the stage.”
Michael went up to the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen,
tonight you're in for a rare treat--a dream coming true. You're gonna love
listening to this performer, and even though she'll never believe it, I love
listening to her too.” Michael made eye contact with Maria as she stared at
him in shock, and slowly she smiled that slow smile he loved, the one that
captured her entire body in starlight. “Please welcome to the stage … Miss
Margarita Salt.”
Perfect. He was so damn perfect!
Maria went up to the stage as the audience clapped, and
Michael leaned in to whisper to her before leaving her alone on the stage, “I
think you know this one.”
Maria did know that song. She sang it all the time in the
shower. Trying not to laugh, she started singing, it becoming easier as she got
into the song, and as Michael watched from behind the curtains.
Tess stood up pulling Kyle with her. “We're dancing.”
Alex was taking pictures of Maria and when Kyle and Tess
started to dance, of them too. He almost didn’t notice when Isabel came to
stand next to him.
“I uh... I thought you had other plans.”
“I thought I did too.” Isabel admitted. “I don't get
it. He was exactly what I was looking for from this town. A good-looking
smartass, that I could just chew up and spit back out, you know?”
“But?” Alex asked.
“But, he went to get ice and I went to get a cab.” She
still couldn’t figure that one out. She spent the entire day brooding over
what the hell was her problem, what she really wanted. Whatever it was, it
wasn’t a one night with Dave, the best man. It hadn’t been Grant either.
“And so here I am, alone again. God, I must be the biggest freak on the
planet.”
“Well, I'm sorry but that's just not true.” Alex told
her, being the man he was. They might not have worked out, but she was still his
friend. “When you're ready for it, you'll find someone, and you'll make him
the happiest man ever.”
Isabel looked at him noticing how he was dressed, and how
he never judged her. “Would you like to dance?”
“Love to.” Alex said putting away his digital camera
for a nice rest. Damn thing ate up too many batteries anyway.
Liz was sitting by herself at the table, looking at her
friends. There was a tap on her shoulder and she looked up to see Max holding
out his hand out to her. Michael saw him and smiled before turning back to
listen and watch Maria live her dream of singing in a lounge in Vegas.
“I thought you'd be home by now.” Liz said confused at
how he could be there when they thought he left over twenty-four hours before.
“I was on my way, but I had this weird moment.”
“What do you mean?” Liz asked.
“Well, I saw this vision.” Max told her, laughing at
his own foolish thoughts. Maybe it was only a dream, something he wanted but
couldn’t have. “You and me, jumping out of the cab like we'd just been
married in Vegas.”
“That's weird.” Liz said quietly.
“Yeah, it was like this memory flash of something that
really happened, but then …”
“Max. Oh Max.” Liz started to tell him … everything.
Future Max. Kyle. Everything. But then the music stopped, and the moment was
lost as everyone was clapping.
Maria turned to Michael motioning for him to come over to
her. Michael joined her on stage ready to escort her off.
Maria wrapped an arm around his neck and kissed him on the
mouth gently. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome.” Michael smiled and they kissed again
before he led her back to their table. The rest of the evening was fun for
everyone. For the first time since they left
“Thank you.” Max said.
Maria shook her head frowning. “For what?”
“For what you said.” Max cleared his throat. “I got
to the airport, but there wasn’t a flight until the red-eye. I sat there
thinking about what you said, and it bothered me.”
“What did?”
“That I found it so easy to give up. I gave up on Liz,
despite all the hopes and dreams I have for us to be together. I walked away
from the
“You came back.”
“Yeah. Skipped the flight, rescheduled it back with the
rest of you, and then I walked around the rest of the night, and much of the
day. All of you were already gone by the time I got back.” Max looked at his
duds. “Thanks for the clothes. I found them in mine, Alex and Kyle’s
room.”
“I was hoping, but …”
“I know. I gave you no reason to believe.” Max laughed
as he saw Kyle, Alex, and Michael laughing together at something. “What he did
just now, the whole music thing …” Max shook his head. Not in a thousand
years would he imagine Michael not only arranging it, but making the
announcement in a room full of people. It was the closest he came to saying ‘I
love you’ to Maria in a full room confession. “He’s really changed, and
I’m beginning to see that. I guess I never really took the time to notice.”
Maria squeezed Max’s hand, leaning over, she gave him a
kiss on the mouth, much like he gave her earlier in the elevator. “There is
time.” Maria told him as she missed Liz and Michael watching them as
Michael’s eyes narrowed.
~~~
Everyone arrived at the suite, laughing as they closed down
the dinner club. They all froze when they saw Jim sitting on the couch. He held
up the "Guerin party" sign.
“At
“We just took a little vacation.” Max said.
Michael quickly nodded. “It's like spring break.”
“So you skipped school.” Jim said his jaw hardening as
he clenched his teeth. “Missing class is excusable if it involves saving a
planet-- yours, mine, or any other. It is not
acceptable if it is done in the name of under-age gambling! Is that clear?”
They all shook their head, not wanting to upset the only adult in the room.
“Each one of your parents is going to hear from me later today.” Maria
opened her mouth to mention that her mom knew that she and Michael were in
Vegas, but Michael’s arm tightened around her keeping her quiet. He suspected
that would set Jim off in a rampage. “I expect you back in
“I was up $1600.” Kyle complained.
“Now!!!!”
Jim exploded.
Kyle jumped and scuttled out of the suite behind Jim, too
embarrassed to look at anyone else.
Michael made a face. “I'm glad I'm adopted.”
“Yeah, me too.” Tess agreed.
Jim’s voice roared from outside the suite door. “Tess!
Don't make me come back in there!!!!!!!” Tess’s eyes bulged and she
skedaddled out of the suite without another word. She was already in enough
trouble.
Max turned to Michael and Maria. “You, uh, tired?”
The two looked at each other, and shrugged. They had a few
more hours of night and all morning before their flight. “What do you have in
mind?” they asked in union.
“Find a game? I seemed to have forgotten to gamble with
my bankroll. I believe the rule was no hoarding.” Max pulled out the three
grand Michael had given him.
“Let’s go!” Michael said enthusiastically.
Maria looked around for Liz, but the bedroom door was
closed behind Liz and Isabel. They must have gone to bed. She stopped Max. “I
can stay here if you want to …”
“No.” Max looked at Michael. “I might need a buffer,
at least for a while. Are you too tired?”
“I’m fine.”
Max, Maria, and Michael went to find trouble in the town
called
“You need to cover, kid.” The River Man said. “It’s
all or nothing. You got enough scratch?”
Michael looked at Max who was tapped and shaking his head.
Michael glanced at his card. No way. Full house! Dammit.
The River Man looked at the bird on the kid’s lap. “How
about the chick? I’ll take her as an even trade.”
Maria opened her mouth in shock at the suggestion.
“What?” she sputtered. Hey! She wasn’t property.
“Okay.” Michael said.
“Michael!”
“Shush, listen to me.” Michael showed her his hand.
“I can take this!”
“And if you can’t?”
“Don’t do it, Michael.” Max warned.
“It’s
“How sure are you?”
“Sure.”
“Very sure?”
“Absolutely.”
Maria bit her lip looking at Michael and then Max. “You
better be, or else!”
“Call!” Michael told the man. He laid down his full
house Kings over eights.
The man lifted an eyebrow. That was a decent hand. But …
He laid down a straight flush in spades. Not good enough.
“What?” Michael said not believing he lost …
everything, well, especially Maria.
“What? What do you mean, what?” Maria said as a man
gave her an arm to lead her away. Maria looked back at Michael. “Michael! Do
something.”
“Maria …” Michael and Max were standing at the table
as Maria disappeared with a gambler called The River Man. Michael looked at his
hand and the other man’s. “I can’t believe it.”
“I can’t either,” Max told him. “You just gambled
away Maria.”
“I lost Maria.” Michael rubbed his face. “Oh, this
can’t be good.” Michael glanced at Max. “Did she look angry to you?”
“Oh yeah!”
“Hmm. Definitely not good.” Michael hit Max on the
shoulders. “We better go find her.”
~~~
Max and Michael searched Vegas for Maria until around
seven. The city was moving around to early morning business. They stopped at a
coffee kiosk to buy a cup of coffee to go.
Michael paid for the coffees. “That's the last of it.”
He told Max as he tipped the lady.
“You, uh, you were right.” Max told him as he added a
flavoring to his coffee. “I do act like a machine sometimes.”
“Forget it, I probably said too much.” Michael glanced
through the flavors finding hazelnut. Maria’s favorite, and where the hell was
that wacky dame?
“No, it's all right. It's uh, it's something I needed to
hear. You needed a friend, and you got a chaperone.” Max sipped his coffee
waiting for Michael to finish doctoring his. “I'm sorry. I guess I just feel
so responsible for you, and Isabel, and even Tess. Sometimes I let that get in
the way of letting you know how much … how much you mean to me. That without
you, uh, uh … I'd be lost, Michael.”
Michael scratched his eyebrow. “Whoever sent us down here
was smart, you know?” He smiled slightly. “Because they sent us together,
and as long as we stick together, we're gonna make it.”
They started walking down the sidewalk together
A couple of women passed them smiling and both boys looked back in a
second glance, then looked at each other smiling.
Max sipped his coffee hiding a smile. He felt good for the
first time in a long time. “We still have a couple of hours before the flight
home. No money. No Maria. So what do you want to do?”
“Well, Maria is a problem, but I think I’m going to
have to let her find her own way back home. God only knows where the hell she
is. I’ll pay for that sin later.” Max laughed shaking his head at the other
two teens’ crazy relationship that defied defining, and yet, it was slowly
becoming the envy of the group. “Oh, I don't know. I got a couple of dozen
DVD's back in the hotel room.”
“Yeah?”
“Braveheart?” Michael asked.
“How many times can you watch that thing?”
“Ask Maria, she has a running count of what she calls my
Mel Gibson fascination. Personally, I’m trying to get the full body count of
dead, and I get as far as two hundred and fifty before losing count.”
“Where do you think Maria is?”
“Somewhere devising a revenge to kick my ass around the
block a few times.” Michael told Max, more than a little certain he was
already dust. That chick had grit.
“You don’t seem too worried.”
“Nah. It might actually be sick, but I think I really get
a charge out of it.”
“That is sick.”
~~~
The group of them, minus Kyle, Tess and Maria were waiting
for their flight home. Alex and Isabel were quiet watching Michael pace the area
like a demented lion as he kept glancing down the terminal searching for Maria.
Liz was on the phone talking to Amy trying to see discretely if Maria had called
while Max kept an eye on Michael.
They had checked out of the hotel with everything paid for
except room service. Luckily Liz had some cash left that she hadn’t found a
way to spend in the arcade or with Maria. Michael was pacing with his bag and
Maria’s on his shoulder.
“I’m gonna have to stay,” he told Max.
“Michael …”
“I’m not going home without her! Her mother will murder
me in my sleep, and …” Michael shook his head. “I’m not going home
without her.”
“Maybe we should file a police report?” Liz suggested.
“And tell them what? Michael gambled away his girlfriend
to a grifter named The River Man?” Max asked.
Isabel frowned. “Yeah, why don’t you tell us how you
managed to gamble away a human, Michael?”
Before Michael could answer Maria came running down the
terminal with a group of men, one of them the gambler from previous night.
“Oh god! I was afraid I wouldn’t make it!” Maria told
the others as the plane started boarding and they called their seat numbers.
“River!” Maria said hugging the man hard, and to everyone’s surprise she
kissed him on the mouth before hugging the other men as well.
“You got my number, right Toots?”
“You betcha!”
“Oh, here’s your slice,” the man said passing Maria a
huge roll of money bigger than they had started with. “I threw in a bonus
since you were … exceptional. You come back anytime.”
Maria hugged the man one more time waving to the others as
Liz led her away to the plane. They sat a few seats away from Michael and Max
who kept turning in their seats to stare at Maria. She was wearing new clothes
… expensive ones... talking to Liz a mile a minute.
“Is he still staring?” Maria asked dramatically
counting her new bankroll.
“Oh yeah! They both are.” Liz glanced at her friend.
“They searched for you all night, and Michael was refusing to leave without
you.”
Maria sniffed. “Least he could do after putting me in a
pot.”
“Max said you agreed, that it something about your
vacation money.”
Maria waved that off. “Please! He swore he would win. You
think I would risk my body for cash or something not a sure thing?”
Liz looked at the stacks of money as Maria counted it with
not a little bit of glee. “Well, then exactly where did you get that money?
This River guy, he didn’t like pay you to …”
“Liz Parker!” Maria said her mouth opening in shock.
“Of course not! I wouldn’t … at least not for money.”
“Okay, then you want to explain the cash?”
“He took me gambling. I was his good luck piece. He
decided that Michael came too close to winning and it was because of me. Some of
the places we went! A champagne cocktail breakfast game, and he bought me new
rags, so I didn’t have to wear the same thing for too many hours. The dry
cleaner is shipping my mom’s dress home.” Maria confined in Liz. “I think
I was a little tipsy, and his ‘boys’ were really swell.”
“Swell?”
“Uh-huh.” Maria noticed Michael still staring. “So
don’t tell Spaceboy. Let him stew on it. Next time he puts me in a pot, he
damn well better win, or I won’t be taking him to
“Next time?” Liz said weakly.
