Maria sat, immobilised on the floor. The four teenagers coming in through the window obviously hadn’t noticed her as they made their way into the apartment. Isabel’s rantings about the previous school day were drowned out by Kyle’s replay of his latest football exploits. Tess threw herself on the couch, lying on her stomach, while Max peered intently at the contents of Michael’s fridge. Maria could only catch snippets of their conversation as she frantically surveyed her surroundings for the nearest exit point. “Could you believe Stephanie O’Daley’s outfit? The girl seriously needs a lesson in style, it took all my energy not to put her out of her misery” [Isabel] “Man Michael, you shoulda been there! I was in the zone baby!” [Kyle] “It’s entirely possible that there are species we don’t even about in this fridge, Michael” [Max] Michael, hadn’t moved an inch, still towering only feet from Maria his expression an unreadable scowl. “Michael, have you got anything that hasn’t passed the used by date? Michael? Mich... Maria?” The last name came out a whisper on Max’s lips. He was now leaning over the fridge door as if in need of the support. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shiiit! Maria’s mind screamed and yet her body was acting of its own accord, rising to her feet. “Hi Max!” The false cheer in her voice sounded squeaky to her ears. The three sitting, raised their heads sharply at the high pitched sound. Nobody spoke for what felt to Maria like minutes, in fact, it was probably only seconds. A loud thump was heard as Tess fell of the couch in her haste to sit up. Maria giggled nervously. Then chaos erupted. Max slammed the fridge door with so much force it threatened to fall over. Tess scrambled to her feet as Kyle leapt up onto and then over the armchair he’d been sitting on Maria braced herself for their anger, possible even their fists, she parted her feet, moving quickly into fighting position, ready to defend herself. Four people came barrelling into her at the same time. “Maria!” They were all screaming. The five bodies fell to the ground in a heap with Maria at the bottom of the pile. Scrambling around on the floor, each taking turns hugging her. Tess was openly sobbing with joy, while even the ‘Ice Princess’ was wiping her eyes. Then the questions came…hard and fast. “Where have you been?” “What are you doing here?” “Where have you been?” “Why’d you go?” “Where have you been?” “Are you Okay?” “ WHERE THE FRIKEN HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?” Kyle screamed the last question at the top of his voice. It seemed to echo of the beams in the high roof and was followed by silence from everyone. Four sets of eyes stared intently at Maria, waiting for answers. Maria’s mind was all jumbled, hesitantly she spoke. “I… I… I just had to do a bit of soul searching that’s all” This brought a snort from across the room, all eyes turned towards Michael who leant against the far wall, arms crossed, his scowl intact, as he glared at the motley crew sprawled all over one another on the floor. “But ...but it doesn’t matter now, I’m back.” Maria spoke to them all, but kept her eyes on Michael. The people on the floor looked confused as if trying to digest and process her evasive reply. “No.” It was Michael who spoke. Short and sharp. He started to move towards them and as he did they all started to rise from the floor. “You left. You left… us. You can’t just come back, We don’t need you.” Maria stood facing Michael. Kyle, Tess, Isabel and Max behind her. Gasps could be heard from them at Michael’s harsh words. The tears Tess had shed, were getting caught in her throat turning into sobs. Maria turned towards the people behind her and took a deep breath, unsure of what to say. It was true, in their eyes she had betrayed them. She was a traitor. The rules of the games they had played, the pacts they had made, everything they had believed in, made the words he spoke true. “It’s not just your call to make Michael.” Now it was Maria’s turn to gasp as Max spoke, concise and clearly as he always did. “He’s right.” Isabel’s voice held stern authority. “Sometimes there is a deeper meaning behind our actions” That was from Kyle. “We just got you back, we can’t lose you again!” Tess spoke between sobs and stepped forward, taking Maria’s hand in her own. Maria stared into the eyes of the people she loved. Her family. For just an instant she was transported back in time, to when life was so much simpler, when she thought she knew everything, and nothing could take them away from each other. The slamming of the door brought her back to the present. Michael, as they say, had left the building, literally. The expression on her face must have revealed the ache in her heart, Tess’s arms wrapped around her consolingly. “He took it real hard when you left, real hard.” Max spoke softly. “He’ll get over it” Isabel tried to reassure her “It’ll just take time.” Time, Maria thought to herself, was the one thing she didn’t have. Kyle rolled his eyes at their soppy sentiments. “People! Time is a-wasting! We should be out celebrating! Maria’s home for godsakes! There’s a new club in town I’ve been wanting to check out. Completely human, so we’ll get no intervention from the law.” Squeals from the girls and laughter from Max, at first made Maria smile, but the blood drained from her face as the realisation of Kyle’s words dawned on her. Only humans, no Other Worlders around. They weren’t going to party. They were going hunting. TBC

Part 7