It is Tuesday and Maria Deluca is sitting at the counter in the Crashdown on her break thinking that she needs to get over Max but she can’t live her life like this any longer. She was also thinking that she couldn’t believe that she had said yes to go on the date with David Marsters a college student from UNM. “Maria, are you all right?” Maria’s friend Liz Parker asked. “I thought that you would be happy to be going on a date finally. Especially with that David guy. He has been in here every night for the last week watching you.” “I’m happy that I’m going out with David. I need to move on with my life and get over the man in my life. I mean he seems to have forgotten me.” Maria said putting on a fake smile for Liz “If that’s what you think then your doing the right thing by going out with that guy.” “I know. I am happy, so he is gonna pick me up here Friday after I get off of work then I’m not sure where we are going.” “Did I just here that my best friend has a date Friday night?” Max Evans asked while he walked over to the girls, not looking too happy at what he just heard “Hey girlfriend and yes I have a date with a college guy.” Maria replied trying to sound happy but couldn’t. Because she didn’t want to go out with this David guy. She would rather be at home with him and telling him what she found out today “Sounds like fun but doesn’t Michael also work on Friday night with you?” Max replied trying to get her to break her date even though he knows she doesn’t love him any more “I have know clue and I really don’t care. I’m just excited to be moving on with my life get away from the guy who says he loves me then pushes me away. Oh yeah Max, I don’t want you here that night either because I don’t want you giving him the fifth degree or anything.” Maria said which made Liz laugh “I’m always here on Friday night for dinner and I’m not changing that either but what time is he picking you up?” “At 7 so can you be gone by then. If your not then you will keep your mouth shut.” Maria said standing to get something from the back. “I’ll be right back you two play nice.” “Liz, how did she meet this guy and how well does she know him?” Max asked as soon as Maria was out of earshot. “Max, why do you care?” “Because I do. Maria is my best friend.” “Fine I will tell you because this guy gives me the creeps. That is the only reason but you have to promise me that you wont follow her around on her date, because if you do and she finds out you will have to deal with hurricane Maria then with Tropical Storm Liz.” “I swear on Maria life I won’t follow her.” “He has been coming in here for the last couple of weeks and started talking with Maria but this last week he has been in here every night so earlier today he asked her out on a date for this Friday. I don’t know exactly what they have planned but Maria seems happy so don’t go screwing it up Maxwell.” Liz warned as she stood up to get back to work. “Thank You Liz I’ll see you in school, tell Ria I said I’d see her later.” Max said as he got up and left the Crashdown ******FRIDAY****** It is 6:45 and Maria is in the back of the Crashdown putting on her finishing touches for her date with David when Michael came in. “You look nice.” Michael mumbled “Thank you.” Maria said back to let him know she heard him. “So why you getting so dressed up tonight?” Michael tried to ask casually “Because Michael I have a date tonight.” Maria replied and she turned to finally face Michael. “Oh. Have fun.” Michael said as he walked in to the kitchen area to get back to work. Just as Liz walks into the back. “Why is he suck a jackass?” Maria asked Liz “You must be talking to about Michael. I can’t answer that question for you Maria but I can tell you that David is here so you better hurry because Max, Kyle, and Alex are out there with him.” Liz replied. “You look very pretty too Maria.” “Thanks Liz. Tonight is going to be great.” Maria said as she walked out to the front but was thinking, no it isn’t because it isn’t with Max. “Hello David you look nice tonight.” “Maria, you look wonderful but you always have.” David replied not catching the glares from Michael, Max, Kyle, and Alex who are watching the whole exchange. “Well we better get out of here or we will miss are reservations.” “Sounds good to me. Bye Max, Kyle, and Alex see you tomorrow and remember I love you.” Maria said her usually good byes to her two best guy friends and soon to be brother. ******Later that Night****** “David I’m having wonderful time. So what do you have planned next?” Maria asked “Well, I was hoping that you would like to drive out to the desert to look at the stars?” “Sure sounds good to me lets go.” So David and Maria got in to his car and drove to the desert in silence each in there own thoughts. Maria thinking that she has a busy day tomorrow because she has to talk Max about there relationship then she has to spend the afternoon at work with the girl Max left me for. When they finally got their David pulled a blanket and what looked like some sort of picnic basket out of the back. “Maria, tonight has been wonderful. I’m glad I finally got the nerve to ask you out.” “I’m glad you did too David.” Maria said as she turn to look at him. David turns to look at Maria and moved in for a kiss. Maria went along with the kiss but it didn’t feel right so Maria stop the kiss. “Sorry David but I think you should take me home.” “I thought you were having a good time. Because I thought we were just starting to get to the good stuff.” David said as he went for another kiss but Maria turn her face. “David please take me home.” Maria said starting to get nervous because of the look in his eye “I’m not ready to take you home Maria. I haven’t gotten what I want yet.” “David take me home now or I’ll walk home.” Maria said getting anger. “Don’t talk to me like that Maria.” David said as he grabbed Maria and pulled her to him and started kissing her. Maria tried to push him off but she wasn’t strong enough. “LET GO OF ME DAVID.” Maria yells now with tears running down her face. “I don’t think so I’m gonna get what I want.” David said as he reached into the basket and pulled out a gag and a knife. “I don’t want to here any yelling or I will kill you Maria.” “I promise I won’t yell please don’t hurt me.” “Oh I’m gonna hurt you and your gonna love it.” He said as he put the gag in Maria mouth. Then he used the knife to cut Maria shirt and bra off and started kissing her breast. After he got all that removed he pushed up her skirt and ripped off her under ware and pushed her to the ground with Maria trying to fight him off of her. Finally he unzipped his pants and pushed then down to his ankles and pushed himself in to Maria realizing that she wasn’t a virgin. “You’re not as innocent as I thought you were. But that’s okay this still feels good” Maria just laid there not fighting back because she knew it would only make it worse. She couldn’t keep the tears from falling down her face from the fear and pain he was causing. She kept think of all the people that she loved. So she could try and block out what was happening to her. ******Mean at the Crashdown****** Max, Alex, Kyle, Liz, and Michael are sitting at a booth talking after the Crashdown had closed. They were all waiting for Maria to return from her date with David. “Max, I have to really strange feeling that something is wrong.” Liz said “I keep feeling fear lots of fear.” Max said because he didn’t want it to be who he thinks it is. “You feel it too Max. I’ve been feeling it.” Just as Michael said that there was a knock on the Crashdown door. They all looked up hoping it was Maria but it was Isabel and Tess. “What are you guys doing here?” Alex asked “I want to see what was wrong I keep feeling a lot of fear and pain so what is wrong?” Isabel said “We thought it was from you.” Michael said now getting worried. “Michael, why would I be scared I’m right here. These feeling are different then the ones I get from you and Max.” “What are you talking about Isabel?” Liz asked now getting worried “I can feel Max and Michael but these feeling are different then them, they feel different.” Isabel explained “I agree with Isabel these aren’t from you two these are different.” Michael agreed “Oh shit it is Maria.” Max said finally because he has been concentrating on the feeling. “Michael it is Maria I can feel her. Something is wrong we have to find her.” “Max calm down. You are sound liking Michael right now. How do you know it is her? I can’t usually feel them.” Isabel said trying to keep the worrying out of her voice. “Because I’ve been able to feel Maria since we became such good friends this summer.” Max replied as he looked down to the ground “Okay this is what we do. Isabel, Alex, Kyle, and Tess take Maria’s car and look around town. Max, Liz and I will take the Jeep and look, plus go check any place that people can’t be seen like parks and then if we don’t find them we check in the desert. If you find anything call.” Michael said finally taking control of this ******Back with Maria and David****** “Come on Maria show me how much you are loving this.” David said as he kept pumping in and out of her. When Maria didn’t do anything he grabbed the knife and cut her cheek, which got her attention. “I said show me how much you are loving this.” Maria didn’t know what to do. She was in too much pain to care. She hoped that he would kill her and put her out of her misery. Then she felt him cut her on her other cheek. Maria winced in pain. She tried to tell him to stop but the gag was to tight. God please help me I know I’m not one to go to church but I can’t handle this. I want to die. I wish I was at home watching movies with Max, Alex, Liz, and Isabel god even Michael. I didn’t get to tell Max how much I love him and that I was pregnant with his baby. Liz and Alex I’m going to miss them. I know Isabel and I don’t get along really well but I still love her in her Ice Princess way. If I live through I will even start liking Tess and forgive Michael for how he has treated me. I never got to tell Kyle that I was glad that he was going to be my brother. I didn’t get to tell my mom how much I loved her and how much I was glad that her and the sheriff were getting married but Maria thoughts were cut off when she felt the knife push into her stomach. “I have to go now. Maria thanks for the fun.” David said as he stabbed her one more time in the stomach. He grabbed to blanket and basket got in his car and left Maria there to die. ******With the Others****** “Michael we have to find her. I just got this rush feeling of pain. The pain is out weighing the fear.” Max said from the back seat. “I’m looking Max. Why Can’t I feel her like that?” Michael asked, “Liz call them and see what is up. Because we are on our way to the desert because they aren’t in town.” “I’m on in.” Liz said trying to keep her worry aside. “Okay they are on their way out to the desert too.” “Max, I can’t feel her any more.” Michael said getting scared now. “Isabel also said she couldn’t feel her anymore.” Liz said finally letting the tears fall. Michael looking in the rearview mirror to Max and saw the tears falling down his face. “Max, buddy come on tell me you can still feel her.” Michael said when Max didn’t say anything he yelled. “MAX PLEASE TELL ME YOU CAN FEEL HER STILL.” “She is fading fast.” Max finally whispered then he lost it and broke down crying. “Max, calm down she is gonna be okay. Wait I see something.” Michael said which made Max look up. What he saw made his own heart sink then all of a sudden he could feel her pain again. “That is her stop now I can feel her, she just got stronger.” Max said standing up and practically jumping out of the jeep when it was still moving. When he stopped completely Max was already on the ground running to Maria. When Max reached her he got down on his knees and put his hand over her and realized that she had been stabbed twice. “Maria look at me. I can’t heal you if you don’t look at me.” Max said trying to concentrate finally he made the connection and he was ambushed with flashes **FLASH** Maria and Max in her bedroom laying naked in bed **FLASH** Maria finding out that she was three months pregnant **FLASH** He heard Maria tell Liz ‘I need to move on with my life and get over the man in my life. I mean he seems to have forgotten me.’ **FLASH** Maria accepting the date with David that same day **FLASH** Maria says goodbye and I love you to him, Kyle and Alex tonight **FLASH** Maria’s shirt and bra getting cut off by David **FLASH** David pushing into Maria and realizing that she wasn’t a virgin and telling her that she isn’t as innocent as he thought she was **FLASH** Last he saw David stab Maria the second time in the stomach get his stuff and drive off which gave him is Texas license plate number DMK 666. After he got that last flash the connection was broke and Max knew that Maria had died. “Oh god no, you can’t die. I need you. We were suppose to be parents. I never got to show you how much I love you.” Max cried not even caring who could here him. He could here the sirens in the back ground but just clung to her. Then he felt someone touch his shoulder. “Don’t touch me, this all my fault. If I had just show her that I loved her she wouldn’t have went out on this date. We would be at her house watching movies and talking about how happy we were going to be when the baby came.” Then the hands let go of him and he looked up that it had been Isabel who had just touched him. He could also see Michael holding Liz who was crying hysterically. He also saw that Michael was openly crying. “Max, it wasn’t your fault. Come on I’ll try and help you heal her.” Isabel said through tears at seeing one of her friends lying there covered in blood. “It’s to late she is gone. She had enough energy to stay alive so I could see everything.” Max said now grabbing Maria and pulling her onto his lap and squeezing her. Max never heard the paramedics walk up behind him. He was crying too hard. When the paramedics tried to take Maria from him Max wouldn’t let them. “Don’t you touch her.” Next thing he knew Michael was trying to get Max but he wouldn’t move so it took Michael plus the sheriff and a deputy to get Max from Maria’s dead body. “Max, come on you need to let her go she is already gone.” Sheriff said in a shaky voice. Max had no fight left in him and he fell to his knees and just cried. He felt a couple people start to hug him but he never check to see who it was. He could still hear Liz crying but he wasn’t sure who had her anymore. Then who ever was hugging him let go and Max felt two people lift him and start walking him away from Maria’s body. Max finally looked to see who was holding him up. It was Kyle and Alex, they both had tears running down their faces. He thought he caught a glimpse of Isabel right next Alex but wasn’t sure. When they finally got to one of the cop cars. He saw the Sheriff cover Maria up with the sheet. Max just sank to the ground crying when Kyle and Alex let go of him. Max was too upset to even think about the flashes that he saw when he tried to heal her. Max felt someone on each side of him so he looked to see who it was. It was Tess and Isabel they both were crying. They helped him up off the ground. “Max, quit blaming yourself.” Isabel whispered to him “I can’t Izzy, this is all my fault.” Max said, as Isabel hugged him followed by Tess then Kyle, Alex, Liz, and Michael. They seven of them stood there in a huge hug. All missing Maria in there own way. Michael lost his little pixie, Liz and Alex lost their best friend, Kyle losing his soon to be sister, Isabel and Tess for losing a close friend and last Max for losing his love and his baby. The End |
| Why Maria |