ROSWELL on PLANET-SF

CHAPTER FOUR

The days and nights of November were cool; Isabel was cool. She was as close to the top of the world as she could get at this point. Her agent, Donnie Lasiter, had informed her earlier in the day that her new paperback would be put on the street by the end of January. He also told her he was in negotiations for a series deal, a multi-book contract and he was definitely the man to make that happen for her. He also had her set up to do a book signing right before Christmas. She was nervous about that: what if no one came? She went along with him, so far so good. She trusted him to a point. She was going to be able to do something that she had fallen in love with and get paid to do it. Life was good. She was moving into her own apartment after the first of the year; her family was happy, her friends were happy. All was good with her world. Unfortunately she also knew that's usually when things went bad.

She loved watching Sloane while her parents worked and on Tuesdays she was always kept on her toes when Leia was there. Leia seemed to lighten up on Sloane and not pick on her so much, her teasing and tormenting seemed to stall otu. Isabel was relieved about that. For the past month or so it was usually Michael who dropped her off and picked her up, occasionally Jim or Amy, but never Maria. She had questioned Michael about it a couple of times but he never gave her a straight answer.

Isabel kept a close eye on Sloane for signs of any other powers; baiting her with locked doors, broken glasses and putting her toys out of reach. Sloane Evans did nothing. Isabel tried not to show her disappointment; she loved her niece just as much without more powers. She was bright and beautiful. The almost five year old was kind and happy, so much like Max. She had her father's gentle soul.

In spite of herself, she loved it when Kyle was unemployed. She liked having someone she could play with during the day, too. They spent many afternoons together while she watched Sloane. She knew Max was telling Kyle some good news at dinner tonight and was glad she had invited herself. The Evanses should be home within the hour and Kyle and Morgan were going to be there around six. She wondered why Michael and Maria weren't coming over. Usually everyone showed up for small dinner parties.

Sloane was lying on the floor with her colouring book and crayons, absorbed in her work. Isabel walked by and stopped to see what her niece was colouring. At first she thought she was looking at it wrong since she was upside down, but as she walked around it became clear. She knew for a fact it was a Winnie the Pooh colouring book; she had brought it over that morning for her. Why was the solar system in the Winnie book? She knelt down next to Sloane and saw the picture; several planets and what looked like a comet in a dark sky. She looked closer; one of the planets was actually coloured over Eeyore's balloon. Sloane had coloured over the entire Winnie scene and made her own planetary picture.

"Sloane, that's really good." Isabel nodded. "You're really talented."

Sloane looked at her Aunt and smiled, she loved praise. She flipped the pages back a few and showed Isabel another Sloane original. This one was of the desert. Not the desert that she would have seen, but the desert that housed the pod chamber. She looked to Isabel expectantly. Isabel smiled and told her she was an artist.

Isabel was holding the colouring book when Max got home. She showed him the pictures. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think my little girl is entirely too talented," he beamed. He was so proud of her. "I bet you can't wait to show your mommy, Tiger Eyes." Calling her by daddy's nickname always brought a smile to her face. She hugged Max and then dashed off to her room. "Those are erally good."

"Does this one look familiar at all to you?" She pointed to the desert scene.

Max inspected it closely as recognition set in. "Holy shit, that's the pod chamber."

"Yeah. She ever been there?"

"No. I haven't been there in a few years."

"Me either." Isabel shrugged. "No reason to go, I guess. So, how do you think...?" She let the question hang in the air. Max shook his head. "I don't know. She can heal and draw places she's never been?"

Isabel couldn't answer but she had a feeling there was more to little Sloane Evans than meets the eye.

Dinner was late because the pizza girl couldn't find the right condo on the first try. Max tipped her generously anyway.

"So, where are Michael and Maria?" Morgan asked.

"I don't know." Liz bit her lip. She had left a message on their machine for Maria and had talked to Michael. He said he couldn't promise anything, Maria was bouncing around again. Sometimes herself, sometimes not.

"She's been acting strange lately, anyone else notice?" Kyle asked with a mouthful of pizza.

"She's just busy with school," Liz came to her defence. She was still her best friend.

"I don't know," Kyle shook his head. "She's just acting funky. Like she doesn't want to hang out with me anymore."

"Really?" Max asked, barely following the conversation. Other things were on his mind, including a certain female student that he couldn't look in the eye anymore.

"Yeah," Kyle went on. "I mean every time I call her she has to get off the phone and she never wants to do anything anymore."

"Maybe she'd bored with you." Isabel looked at him through the tops of her eyes.

"Funny." He gave her the finger. "Liz, you notice anything?"

"No, but I haven't seen much of her since before Halloween." She noticed everyone's eyes were on her. "What?"

"You haven't talked to her either?" Kyle seemed incredulous.

"We've both been busy." Liz snagged another piece of pizza. "Anyway, Max, didn't you want to talk to Kyle about something?"

"Yeah," Max stepped back into the conversation. "I was talking to the principal a while ago and there is going to be an opening at the high school in the spring. One of the guidance counselors is getting married and moving away. We'll need a new one."

"Oh God!" Morgan exclaimed, looking at Kyle. "That's perfect!"

"For me?" He pointed to himself.

"Yeah, duh." Morgan slapped his arm.

"I don't know. I mean thank you, but I don't know if I could do it."

"I wouldn't have recommended you for the job if I didn't think you could do it. I don't want you to make me look bad. You meet all the criteria, you have a good name, your dad has been the sheriff forever."

"Will you at least try it Kyle?" Morgan pleaded. "Please? You might really enjoy it."

"I'll get to mould and shape young minds?" Kyle rubbed his hands together.

"The final hiring actually comes from the Board, but the principal sounded very interested and wants to meet you."

"Thanks, Max." Kyle held his hand out across the dining room table. "That was cool of you."

* * *

"Why didn't you want to go to Max's tonight?" Michael asked as him and Maria sat down to dinner. "Isabel, Kyle and Morgan were all going to be there."

"I just didn't want to go," she shrugged.

"Are you still hung up on the Liz thing?"

"No, I just didn't feel like going. If you want to go so bad, then go."

"Honey, I'll do anything you want. You don't want to go: we don't go. I was just wondering why."

"Now you sound as whipped as Max." She looked at her plate of pasta. She didn't want to meet Michael's eyes.

"Thank you." He slammed his fork down on the plate. "That may be the nicest thing you've said to me all day."

"I'm sorry. Sometimes I just get so sick of perfect Liz and her lapdog."

"Her lapdog is my best friend." Michael shook his head. "What has gotten in to you?"

"Nothing, okay?"

"No, it's not nothing. We only have so many friends, Maria. Friends we can trust; I don't want to lose them." He stood and began to pace. "I know that you want this nice normal life and I'm sorry, I can't give you a hundred percent normal. Nice, I can do that. Normal? Never. In case you forgot, I'm a freakin' alien! I'm not from this world, although I manage to blend in like crazy, there is always going to be sometihng different going on. I thought you had accepted that back in high school."

"Don't yell at me, Michael!" She started to cry, putting her hands over her face. "Please!"

"I'm not yelling," he said and lowered his voice. "I was just telling you what I can't give you."

She nodded and pushed her plate away. "I'm going to bed."

"It's six o'clock." She didn't answer but went to the bedroom, a few seconds later Michael heard the door close. "Fuck!" He slammed his open palm on the tabletop.

Maria lay in bed and cried. Her left hand placed over her stomach. What was wrong with her? She knew she wasn't acting like herself. When did Maria DeLuca ever blow off her friends and want a normal life? Never. She rolled on her stomach and cried into the pillow. Cried for being a bitch, for not trusting her friends and for the baby she thought was inside of her.

* * *

Max didn't want to stay after school the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. But he had to. He had two students that had to take a make-up test and he had to be there for it. He sat at his desk watching them patiently. All he could think about was getting home and having a few relaxing days off. A skinny boy with acne and bad glasses handed Max his test. One down, one to go. Almost a half hour later the other student, a jock by all means of the word, handed him his test and grunted before leaving the classroom. Max stuck the tests in his briefcase and bent down to get his keys from the bottom desk drawer. When he looked up, he jumped back. Lindy Franks was sitting on the edge of his desk. Her legs were crossed and she looked like she belonged there.

"I'd better stop scaring you, Mr. Evans," she smiled. "You looked like you were about to jump out of your clothes!"

"Lindy..." He caught his breath and looked at her. The jeans were too tight; the T-shirt was tight enough to know there was nothing on underneath it. "What...What can I do...Help you with? I was getting ready to go."

She shrugged and swung her legs around so she faced him. Max looked at her as her face closed in on hers. Young teacher, the subject of schoolgirl fantasy, he heard the song by The Police over and over in his head. She wants him so badly. She kissed him, teasing his lips with her tongue until he returned the kiss. She leaned over further and rammed her tongue in his mouth. Max raised his hand as if to caress her face, then abruptly backed away. He looked to the girl, and that's really all she was, and felt sick.

"Go home Lindy." He pushed the chair back and stood up. "Go home." He picked the briefcase up and watched her walk from the room. He wasn't just watching her walk this time, he was praying she'd never come back. In a daze he walked to the jeep and got in. Almost Thanksgiving and he had so much to be thankful for. His wife and daughter, friends and family, his job and here he was ready to throw every bit of it away because some pretty girl shoved her tongue down his throat. Not just a pretty girl, but a student.

He drove home and wondered if Isabel would still be there and if she was still smoking on the sly. He thought he could use a cigarette right about then. The radio was never his friend, Temptation, frustration, so bad it makes him cry. He turned the radio off and would have chucked it from the car completely if he could do it without causing a scene or an accident.

He didn't have a long drive home and wondered if he should tell Liz what happened. No. Stupid, he smacked himself in the forehead. It was nothing but an innocent error. Right?

Liz was home already when he got there. She pretty much made her own hours and could come and go as she pleased, he was jealous about that. When she closed in to kiss him, he backed away. He couldn't kiss his wife, not right now.

"What's wrong?" Liz asked in her serious voice.

"Nothing," he forced a smile. "So, how was your day?"

"Uneventful so I came home at noon." She watched his eyes. "What's up?"

"Nothing, just a long day. Glad to be off for a few."

"Don't forget, you get all summer off, too."

"Oh, I know." He smiled. He walked to the bathroom and brushed his teeth and washed his face, hoping it would purify the guilt.

It didn't.

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STORY OF LINES:
6 - THE BEAT GOES ON

CHAPTER FOUR

WRITTEN BY BECKY W

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