Michael walked into the Crashdown that afternoon with Max and Isabel Evans by his side. Max and Isabel sat at their usual booth while Michael continued to walk behind the counter to get ready for work. He went downstairs and walked towards his locker. He took a small box from his jacket and held it in his hands. He looked at himself in the mirror on his locker and proceeded to practice different ways of greeting someone.

"Hi," he said, looking serious, then shook his head.

"Hey," he said, and smiled-- then grimaced.

"Hey," he said again, back with the serious look.

"Okay, lemme guess," a voice interrupted, "they're holding auditions for HappyDays: the movie, and you're practicing for the once in a lifetime roll of your idol: Arthur Fonzarelli a.k.a. The Fonze?"

"You're good."

"Well, I try."

"Now seriously--"

"Seriously", she said, nodding her head with a smile.

"I was, um. Thinking."

"Which is a rarity for you," she said with a smirk.

"No. I was thinking that...since it is Valentine's Day and everything that maybe...we could...like, I don't know--"

"Go out?" she asked, finishing his sentence for him.

"Exactly."

"Like as friends?"

"Sure," he replied, "I mean if...if that's what you want then...ya know we could do that or..."

"No. I mean if that's what you want."

"Wait, were just gonna go around in circles. I think we'll both be safer if we go as friends."

"I have to completely agree with you on that one, Michael Guerin."

"Okay, so should I pick you up or something?"

"Yeah. Pick me up at my house at 9:00, okay?"

"Are you sure your mother isn't going to attack me?

"Well, if she does, the baseball bat is in the attic so you're safer with the rolled up newspaper."

"Not safe. Just safer."

Then there was a brief silence until Maria lightly kissed him on the cheek and said, "I gotta get ready now."

"Oh. This is my cue to get outta here, huh?"

"Yep."

"Okay bye," he said. Then he closed his locker and left upstairs.

***

8:30 at the Evans residence

Isabel was combing Michael's hair back and he was complaining "C'mon Iz, I'm gonna be late."

"Just one second. Geez, don't you want to look good?"

"It's not like that."

"What's not like what?"

"It's just...we're just going out as friends, okay?"

"So what? Because you're going out with 'just a friend' it gives you the right to look horrendous?"

"Hey," he said and Isabel chuckled. Then Max walked in.

"Oh, sorry," he said, "I saw the door open and--"

"No it's okay," Isabel interrupted. "I was just getting Michael ready."

"Hmm. Looking good, Michael. Got a date...with Mariiia?"

"No." "Yes." Michael and Isabel replied simultaneously.

"No," Michael continued. "It's not a date. It's just hanging...with a friend," he said nonchalantly.

"Riiight", Max said sarcastically, "Just hanging out...with 'that Maria girl'."

At that moment Isabel doubled over with laughter, while Michael just stared at her. She was lying on the bed holding her stomach.

"Well, as long as you're done..." Michael trailed off.

"No. No," Isabel said, pausing for breaths, "I'm sorry. I'll stop. We just need some cologne and we'll be all set. Max, could you get some of daddy's cologne, the best smelling one please?"

"No problem." Max came back a few seconds later and asked, "Hey, isn't that my shirt?"

"Yeah," Michael answered. "Do you mind?"

"No. I was just thinking it looked familiar that's all," he said, handing Isabel the perfume and leaning against the door frame.

"It's 8:47, Iz," Michael said annoyed. "Maria is going to kill me if I arrive one minute late and--"

"Okay. Okay. Geez. You know, you two were made for each other," Isabel said, spraying the cologne on Michael, which landed in his mouth. He started to gag as she continued. "You two babble on like forever. Here," she said, handing him the car keys, "take the jeep. Break a few traffic laws."

"Thanks," he said, heading out of the door to Isabel's bedroom, when Max stopped him and said, "I think this calls for a group hug."

"Oh no." Was all Michael managed --wide eyed with horror-- before being attacked with hugs. When he was finally released, he ran out of the Evans' house as quickly as possible.

Isabel and Max looked at each other and then Isabel draped her arm around Max's neck and said, "Oh, Max, our little tyke has grown up so fast."

"I know. I know. I told you we should have kept him locked in the dungeon. But do you ever listen," he said pointing his finger at her. Then he looked at her mischievously.

Isabel began to plead, "No, Max, please, I just fixed my haaaaaaaaaaaaair," she yelled before Max grabbed her by the waist and tossed her on the bed.

They continued to wrestle until Isabel pulled his arms behind his back and made him say 'uncle'. Isabelle always won, because guys don't use the pinching, biting, and scratching techniques that girls are so familiar with.

***

At 9:05 Michael arrived at Maria's doorstep.

He rung the doorbell and was greeted by Amy DeLuca. She smiled at him.

"Oh hi," he said nervously.

"Hi, Michael. Maria isn't ready yet. Come inside the living room."

"Thanks."

"So, where are you two going tonight?"

"Well, first we're gonna see a movie and then after I have a surprise."

"Oh, that's nice. Listen, Michael," Amy began, "I like you, but I'm very protective of my daughter. And if you hurt her again I will hunt you down, rip your still beating heart from your chest and show it to you right before you die. Okay?" And she smiled her sweetest smile.

Michael just stared at her, shocked and horrified.

"Mo-om," a voice said, descending from the stairs, "could you please try to not scare Michael?"

Amy gave Maria a look that said 'Who? Me?' and said, "No hon. I was just telling Michael my rules."

Maria turned her attention to Michael, who hadn't said a word and kept staring at her. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah. Um...you look great tonight," he replied.

"Thanks you look really good too."

"Thanks, well according to Isabel, that's a first."

"Oh, so this is Isabel's doing? I should have known. Bye, mom," Maria said, walking out of the door.

"See you soo,n honey, be back by 12:30 and have fun."

"I will," Maria called.

"Wow. You're definitely certain of yourself," Michael said.

"No. I'm certain of you," she said, getting into the jeep.

***

After a while of driving, Maria turned on the radio and Wild Night by John Mellancamp was playing.

"Oh, I love this song," she said and started to sing along to it.

"Typical, only you could like a song by someone who calls himself 'cougar'."

"He doesn't call himself cougar, that's his real name."

"Yeah, and my real name is dorkbutt."

She gasped and stared, wide-eyed, "Oh my god, you remember that?"

"Of course I remember that...cheesehead." Then she laughed and got up from her seat, and sang to the song. The wind was blowing in her face and she started yelling loudly.

"What are you doing? Have you officially lost it?" he said, pulling on her legs, trying to get her back down onto the seat.

"No, she said, sitting. "This is just fun. And if you stopped pulling on my legs then maybe..."

"C'mon, we're here."

"Oh," she said, surprised. "We're gonna go see a movie?"

"Yeah."

"Which one?"

"The one with Julia Roberts."

"Oh god, please don't tell me it's Runaway Bride."

"No. It's The Runaway Bride."

"Shutup," she said, lightly hitting him on the arm.

He pretended to be hurt and said, "Owww, I thought you'd like it, you don't have to be violent."

"Michael, I may be a girl but I do not watch Julia Roberts movies."

"Well, too bad cause I already paid for the ticket," he said, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Ugh," she grumbled.

***

At 9:45 they took their seats all the way in the back of the theater and proceeded to laugh hysterically at the movie while everyone else kept telling them to be quiet. Some people were even crying which was something neither Michael Guerin nor Maria DeLuca could understand in a million years.

Finally when the line came up where Julia's grandmother tells Richard Gere about Julia fearing the 'one eyed snake' Michael yelled, "I am the one eyed snake!" And two ushers kicked them out of the theater.

They laughed all the way out of the theater, with people waiting in line to see the movie wondering what was so funny.

They walked over to the jeep, which was about a block away and Michael said, "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for that to be a disaster. I was actually hoping that you would be one of those girls who were so into those kinds of movies that you wouldn't notice me staring at you through the entire thing."

"Staring at me or at my ladies?" she asked, pointing at her breasts. Michael laughed and she continued. "Well, it was the most fun I've had at a movie in a while, so, it was definitely not a disaster." Then there was a silence and she said, "So is that it, like the end of the date?"

"No. Actually I have a surprise for you," he said, opening the passenger side door of the jeep, "but you gotta put this on." It was a blindfold.

Maria stared at it for a while and said, "I hope you're not planning to kill me deep into the woods or anything, cause my mom wasn't joking about the whole balls thing."

"What balls thing?"

"Didn't she threaten you with the 'I'll rip your balls off, put them in a blender and make you drink it' speech?"

"No. She said that she would rip my heart out and show it to me."

"Oh," she said smiling, "she must really like you."

"Yeah. I'll bet," he mumbled.

***

It was a long ride so Michael let her pick the songs. And they talked about anything along the way.

At 11:42 Michael stopped the car and led her out.

"Can I take it off now?"

"Your dress? Sure."

"Shut up. I mean the blindfold."

"Yes, I know you meant the blindfold. And no you cannot," he said. She heard what sounded like the snapping of metal and the opening of a gate.

"Oh man, are we breaking into somewhere? Cause this will be the worst date in history if we are arrested."

"Do you realize you used the word date, twice?"

"Yeah, well, those were honest mistakes."

"Oh, he said," faking sadness, "that hurts."

Then he sat her down on what felt like plastic. "Don't open your eyes until I say so, okay?" She nodded and he took off her blindfold. "Okay, you can open them now."

When she did, she was sitting on a swing in her elementary school playground.

"Why--" she started but then she remembered. It was where they first met and had their first fight. This is where he threw her into the mud. This was where he called her a cheesehead. This was where he pulled her hair and pulled on her Barbie's head so hard that she became decapitated. She knew that the way she was remembering it made it sound horrible, but this was where he first loved her. And where she loved him back.

"Do you remember?"

"Yeah, of course I remember."

"Here," he said pulling a small box out of his jacket pocket. "I got you something." He handed it to her.

"What is it?"

"Open it up and see." When she opened it was one of his silver rings. "One of my favorite foster parents gave it to me when I was younger."

"What happened to them?" she asked.

"They died in a car accident."

"I'm sorry."

"That's okay, because before they died they gave me that ring and they told me that I should give it to someone special. So that's what I'm doing." Maria was speechless. "I engraved it. Read it." She turned the ring and it said 'to my cheesehead'.

"Thank you," she finally managed. "It's beautiful."

"Here," he said, handing her a silver chain, "I don't think it'll fit on any of your fingers so..."

He took the ring from her hand placed it on the chain and hooked it around the back of her neck. When he sat back down on the swing she just kept looking into his eyes. And he looked at hers.

"Thank you," she said again. Then she held his face in her hands and gave him a deep and sweet kiss.

When they broke away she said, "Happy Valentines Day."

"Actually, it's 12:01 so..."

"Well, then happy February 15th, Dorkbutt."

"Ditto, cheesehead."

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