***

"You look more frustrated than usual. What gives? Lost your Metallica CD again?"

A glare that Maria's out-of-this-world boyfriend threw at her could probably send shivers up Godzilla's spine. Granted, may be about a year ago she would've had the same reaction but now she only smiled and exchanged amused glances with his companion and best friend Max, who was sitting in the same booth as Michael.

Not getting an audible answer she tapped a pencil on the order tab impatiently.

"Well?"

"I have to do this English assignment and I have writer's block." Finally she received a mumbled answer.

Maria feigned a shock and looked around frantically.

"Oh my God. Armageddon is coming. I just know it. No no. Wait." She pointed her pencil at Michael. "You're not Michael. You're really an evil little green man who abducted my boyfriend and took his place just to mess with our heads." She continued with mock pride. "Our Michael doesn't give a damn about no English papers."

Growl escaped Michael's lips.

"Very cute blondie. I still wouldn't give a damn except unless I turn this thing in by Monday I fail. And if I fail I get to be stuck in the same class again. There is no way I'm surviving 'Hamlet' twice."

"Oh you poor baby." She mimicked talking to a small child. "That meany of a teacher is picking on you and making you do homework." She gasped. "For the second time this year."

Michael glared at her once more. Her green eyes were dancing with mirth and a smile on her face could melt polar caps. Her good mood was incredibly contagious and he felt his own rising quickly, even though she was getting her laughs at his expense. Of course there was no way he'd show that to her. He bit down a chuckle and rolled his eyes faking aggravation.

"Yeah well, did I mention that I'll be taking it during summer? So that little vacation thing you've been planning..." he waved his hand and scoffed when realization hit her. "Come on, join me in waving it good bye."

"Well than you'll just have to do it." She shook her head forcefully and ran toward counter, coming back quickly with a piece of chocolate cake. "Here. I heard chocolate is supposed to make you smarter by forcing your brain cells work better... of course that would mean that you'll have to have some so it probably won't work on you." She smiled innocently, ignoring another fiery scowl. "But why not give it a chance?"

"Oh, so that's why you eat so much chocolate. I'd be careful if I were you, you might overwork the three cells you have. We all know how *smart* blonds are."

She stuck her tong out at him when realization hit her.

"Wait. Did you say writer's block?"

He nodded, slightly confused at her sudden attitude change.

"I know just the thing to help you with that."

Michael looked at her cautiously.

"I am NOT sniffing anything."

She waved him off.

"Nah, you don't have to sniff anything. Actually I'll be doing all the work."

"Work?" he turned to Max, who was grinning silently and enjoying their banter, knowing better than to interfere. "Why am I suddenly very very afraid?"

Max shrugged.

"Can't blame you there man. But you know if you need help with..."

Maria interrupted.

"He won't need help after shock therapy."

Michael's eyes widened and his mouth opened as he gulped.

"Did you... did you just say..."

Max finished his sentence, feeling sudden panic attack for his friend.

"Shock therapy?"

"Don't worry. It's not like I'm gonna hurt him or something."

"Uh huh."

Maria suppressed an urge to laugh at their obvious discomfort and disbelief.

"Oh, customer calling. I'll be back in a flash."

She turned and went to take an order, leaving two guys staring at each other.

"Maxwell." Michael flinched as he continued, dread filling his voice. "What do you think she meant?"

Max shrugged and tried to calm Michael down, even though he wasn't feeling all that relaxed himself.

"I'm sure she was just kidding, Michael."

Michael sighed deeply.

"I hope so but I doubt it. I know that girl a little too well and I know that she won't give up this easily. She is definitely planning..." his sentence was interrupted by a splash of water right in his face. With his mouth open he slowly wiped his face off with his hands and turned to look at Maria, who was standing next to their table, picture of innocence except for an empty glass in her hand. He was so stunned he couldn't even yell.

Max gaped at Michael who looked like a drowned cat with his spikes now wet and down over his face. No matter how much he tried not to laugh it didn't work.

Michael threw a murderous look at Max who was laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes and turned his attention back to Maria who was still smiling harmlessly.

"Maria! What the hell?"

"Shock therapy."

"SHOCK THERAPY??!!"

That growl send Max into another fit of laughter but Michael chose to ignore him for now. Instead he kept his eyes locked on Maria, who went back behind the counter as she explained.

"Yep. Surprising you with unexpected. Don't worry spaceboy. I'll knock that writer's block right out of you. That was step one. The good news there'll be no more water."

Michael hit his head on the wall, mumbling.

"Thank God for small miracles. Wait, you said step one. What's step t..."

He never finished this sentence as another waterfall attacked his head. This time he jumped up and grabbed Maria's hand, ripping the glass out of it.

His lips moved but he was so mad he couldn't form one coherent sentence. Finally he have up and fell back into the booth grinding his teeth.

Max was finally able to stop laughing at his friend's predicament and ask Maria.

"I thought you said no more water."

She nodded and said in a strained voice as she tried to control her own giggles.

"It was surprising and unexpected. Water was one thing he didn't expect right now."

Michael took a few deep breaths as he counted to ten in his head to calm down. It didn't work so he got up.

"I'm outta here before she figured that I don't expect to be shocked by knives flying into me or heavy skillets. Drop by my place later Maxwell, we'll work on that paper. And you..." he turned and pointed at Maria who was biting her lips to stop from laughing. "Stay. Away."

With that he practically ran out as sounds of laughter filled the diner.

****

Max noticed Michael hanging around students' lounge after second period and came over.

"Why aren't you at class?"

Michael mumbled something without raising his head from his notebook.

"What?" Max sat next to him.

"I said I'm avoiding Maria. She's been driving me nuts."

Max chuckled.

"She's always driving you nuts. Never seemed to bother you before."

Michael finally looked up at him with a smirk.

"Do you even realize how little sense that made?"

Max punched his shoulder lightly.

"Nothing about you two ever makes sense. So why are you avoiding your girlfriend?"

"Told you, she's been driving me nuts. She's been driving me nuts for two days. It's just not right. I'm more comfortable when I'm driving her nuts."

He picked up a can of Coke and started drinking, while making notes in his notebook. Max noticed Maria sneaking up behind him and opened his mouth to warn Michael but her stern glare stopped him.

Maria slowly and carefully came up behind Michael and took out an airhorn from backpack.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

Michael jumped on his seat and spit out his Coke with a look of pure terror on his face at the sharp and loud noise that blew up next to his ear. Even Max who knew what's about to happen grimaced startled.

"Did it work?"

Michael wasn't mad. He couldn't even generate madness at this point. He just sat there in gaping at her in shock, gasping for breath. Her innocent smile and hopeful eyes stopped him from going into righteous outburst and he spoke softly, if a little strained.

"Maria, hun. I don't have hiccups. Writer's block doesn't go away just by..."

She interrupted him.

"Oh oh. I'm late for class. See you guys at lunch." And with that she ran off before either one of the boys could react.

"She won't stop until she gives me a heard attack." Michael looked up at Max hopefully. "Please tell me we can have heart attacks and I'll have one soon."

Max cracked up as Michael groaned and dropped his head in his hands.

***

The group was sitting at their usual table at lunch except for Maria. The other two couples were chatting carelessly while Michael threw nervous glances around.

Isabel noticed his paranoia.

"Michael. You're acting weird."

"She won't catch me this time."

"Who is she?"

Maria's voice came from behind startling him. He jumped up and backed away from her.

"Stay away from me."

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh please. Relax. I'm here to eat lunch with my friends. Not everything revolves around you."

She sat next to Liz and started calmly chatting with her about some history homework.

A few minutes later Michael relaxed enough to come back and sit across the table from her. But he didn't take his eyes off of her for a second. Lunch ended pretty quickly but uneventfully. When the bell rang Michael finally believed that Maria wasn't after him this time.

"Michael. Do you have an extra pen I could borrow. Mine leaked."

He threw another cautious glance at her.

"What? What?"

He sighed and searched through his bag quickly finding what she asked for.

"He..."

As he looked up and extended the pen toward her, Maria threw a glass of water in his face. This time he acted out his first reaction. He jumped over the table, picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, ignoring her shrieks.

"Michael! Michael! Put me down this instant."

He growled.

"Not a chance blondie. We are gonna have a talk." With that he quickly walked toward the exit with the rest of the gang gaping silently at them.

For the first time Maria felt a hint of fear. She figured that she really did went over the line this time and decided not to anger him anymore by resisting.

Suddenly she found herself lying on someone's lawn with Michael leaning over her, one of his hand pinning hers to the ground over her head and other one doing the same to her waist.

"Ok, Michael, honey I know might have I went over the..."

"Shut up."

His lips crushed hers in a ferocious kiss. In less than a few seconds she caught herself moaning his name as he traced her neck with fiery but soft kisses.

"Maria."

She whimpered at the loss of his lips and opened her eyes slowly to find him staring at her with a light smirk.

"You will never. I repeat never throw water or anything else for that matter at me again. Is that clear?"

She frowned and kept silent stubbornly.

"Maria?"

He sighed dejectedly.

"If that's how you want it..."

He jumped up and to the side but before Maria could do the same sprinkles came to life, water cascading all over her.

She squealed and started throwing insults and threats in outrage. If she meant even half of them, Michael would've been one dead alien before the end of the week. Fortunately for him, she couldn't hold on to her anger and soon was laughing just as hard as he was.

He extended his arm, ignoring the fact that now he was getting wet as well. She grabbed it and he pulled her up into a hug.

"You know wet look does become you."

Maria laughed and twirled, enjoying the cool droplets on her skin.

"I haven't done this since I was a kid."

Michael leaned on the tree and smiled warmly as he watched her dancing.

Finally she grew tired and turned to look at him, her chest rising quickly as she was catching her breath.

"Are you happy? How am I supposed to go back to school looking like that?"

She pointed at herself in fake aggravation.

He came up slowly and embraced her as he placed another line of kisses on her skin.

"I don't know. I kinda like you all wet like that."

She giggled and swatted his head lightly, grabbing his hair in the process and pulling his face closer to where her lips could reach it. He resisted and smirked at her.

"But you're right. You can't go to school like that. It's a good thing my apartment is only a couple of blocks away."

Maria felt butterflies dancing in her stomach at the thought of what's about to come.

"You're right. It's a life saver."

Back to Area 51 (Section I)