Author: DocPaul
Disclaimer: M&M belong to someone else, but I treat them better.
Summary: Maria and Michael take a break from Roswell and life, and
discover that 'fun' still exists in the universe.
Author's Note:
Yeah, yeah, sounds boring, but heck I hate summarizing. Thank you both Margo and
Julia for all the work, the transcribing, and putting up with my lethargy.
Michael passed the cereal to Max, as there was a knock at the door. Max just shrugged at Michael and went to open it. More than likely it was Isabel stopping on her way to school to harass Max over something to do with their parents. Michael looked at the clock and estimated he didn’t need to wake Maria up for another half an hour.
Max opened the door ready to greet his sister and was silenced by the sight of a Roswell Deputy.
“Max Evans?” The large black Deputy inquired.
Max frowned and nodded slightly. “Something wrong?”
”Deputy Brown, Roswell Sheriff’s Department. Need to ask you a few questions about a homicide investigation.” Michael looked up sharply as the Deputy pronounced the word pronounced ‘homo-cide’. What a dick! The Deputy handed Max a picture of an older man. “Recognize this man?”
Max looked at the picture closely and shook his head handing the picture back to the officer. “No.”
Michael noticed how the Deputy
was staring at Max in a less than friendly manner. He looked closer and studied
the picture that Max was returning to the Deputy. Michael frowned. Something was
weird.
“You sure?” the Deputy repeated.
Max just shrugged. “Yeah. Who is he?”
“His name is Joey Ferrini and his death is being investigated as a possible homicide.” The Deputy took an almost threatening stance. “Now your license plate number turned up in his glove compartment in Los Angeles. You wanna tell me why?”
“I don't know,” Max said looking at the officer, “I mean I've only had the car for a couple of months. Maybe this has something to do with the previous owner.”
“Yeah, maybe.” The Deputy said with a biting sarcasm. “Since this isn't officially a homicide investigation I can't take you in. 'Course the fact that you were arrested for armed robbery in Utah a few weeks ago does tempt me.”
Max schooled his face to remain unchanged. “Those charges were dropped.” The hassle from that adventure was never going to end.
“Yeah I know.” Max held the door open for the Deputy showing him out. “Must be nice having a daddy who's a lawyer. Just wanted you to know that I know and I'll be watching you.” Max stood in the doorway watching the Deputy leave before finally shutting the door and turning back to Michael.
Max started to walk back to the breakfast bar to finish eating his breakfast. “Great, this is all I need.” He paused as he noticed a silent Michael.
Michael sat quietly for a few moments and let the image of the man move across his memory. He could see the man, Joey Ferrini, in Utah, “I got a message for your friend Max. Stop looking.” Michael’s body jerked in memory of the gunshot and the sound of the shattering glass.
Michael looked at his friend. “Max, I know the dead guy.”
Max looked at Michael sharply. “You know him?”
“He was the guy in Utah that warned us off while I was looking for the diamond.” Michael paused. “And he just died in LA of mysterious events.” Michael watched another frown pass over Max’s face. “What are you thinking, Maxwell?”
Max just shook him head and grabbed his coat. “Later okay? I need to go talk to Liz.” And before Michael could say another word, Max was out the door. Dammit. When Max talked to Liz that usually meant that they were going to cook up a scheme that wouldn’t meet the approval of anyone else. Michael started for his phone to call Max’s cell number and demand an answer. There was no way in hell he was going to find himself back in Utah anytime soon, but the sound of movement in his bedroom detoured him. Maria was waking up. She sometimes slept over while he was working and he woke her up when he got home, especially if she didn’t have early classes or work.
“Michael?” Maria stretched and rolled over searching the bed next to her.
“Hey.” Michael said from the door drawing Maria’s attention. “Did we wake you?” Michael moved over to the bed when she smiled. “You’ve got a good two hours before you’ve got to be at school. I thought your first class wasn’t until eleven today.”
“It isn’t. My earlier classes were cancelled.” Maria sat up ignoring the covers as they fell from her body. Smiling to herself, she watched Michael’s eyes drop. “I thought I heard voices.”
“You did. Mine and Max’s.” Michael paused before telling Maria about the dead man. Sitting on the side of the bed, he decided to tell her anyway. He always told Maria everything. “A Sheriff’s Deputy came by looking for Max.”
Maria sat up even straighter. “Oh God! Who died?”
Michael sat down on the bed quickly and calmed her. Maria still dreamt of the night Valenti stood in the doorway to tell her Alex died. She dreamt it over and over again replacing Alex with her mom, Michael and even Liz. “No one died, well at least no one that we know.”
“Then why...”
“It was a freak accident in LA. A man died mysteriously and they found the license number to Max’s car in the man’s car. They were just following up inquiries.” Michael liked the way Maria leaned into him, her one hand moving up his arm to rest on his shoulder.
Maria watched his face closely. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Michael took her other hand and looked at the far wall. Maria was going to hate this. “Max didn’t know the man. I did.” Michael looked at her and sighed. “It was the whacked old guy in Utah that took a shot at me and warned Max to stop looking.”
“And he’s dead?” Maria moved closer to him in the bed and rested her chin on his shoulder. “By mysterious circumstances? How mysterious?”
Michael looked at her. “More than likely...alien mysterious.”
Maria wrapped her arm around his neck and hugged him close to her. “God I hate this.”
Michael
looked across the quad, ignoring everyone until his eyes found the figure of
Maria DeLuca talking to a group of girls. Moving fast before he lost her in the
crowd he just barely nabbed her as she was moving away.
“Hey!” Smiling
at him, Maria waved the other girls on and turned to give him a quick kiss. “I
didn’t think I would see you in school today. I thought you were going to hunt
down Max if it took you to the ends of the earth.”
“Change of plans. Can’t find him anywhere and he’s not answering his cell phone, so I say, 'Screw Max'. He’ll find us when he wants something or needs bail money.” Michael pulled Maria over to a table and watched her as she sat down. “Anyway, I was thinking...” Michael chose to ignore Maria tip her head in amusement. “That since we haven’t spent much time together since Max started crashing on my sofa, we should maybe think of something to do this weekend away from Roswell, aliens, Max, and Max’s newest buddy, Deputy Brown.” Michael sat down and looked at a suspicious Maria. “So what do you think?”
“I think you should just tell me what you have planned, and I’ll comment after I know.”
Michael screwed up his face trying to look innocent and unsuspecting, but failed miserably. “What? I was just suggesting...”
“Michael.”
“All right. Camping.”
“Camping?” Maria looked at him in disbelief with her mouth hanging open. “You want to take me camping?”
Michael just nodded. “Sure, why not?”
“Why not? Okay,” Maria started counting off on her fingers the numerous reasons that this was a bad idea. “First, camping is the excuse we keep using to explain mysterious disappearances to my mother for unexplainable roadtrips. Second, the last time we actually went camping you said, and I quote, ‘If I ever suggest taking you camping again, kill me.’ Third, you no longer have a tent because the reason you won’t take me camping was ‘cause I burned down your tent. Fourth,...”
“Okay, okay! Maybe I overreacted last time, but you’ve really improved, and as long as you don’t try cooking inside the tent again...”
“It was six weeks ago, Michael.”
Michael just shrugged. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”
“Fun?” Maria just shook her head in disbelief. “Right, fun.” A cabin in the woods with real beds, running water preferably hot, and flushing toilets, with a microwave and fireplace, now that was camping. This other thing Michael liked to do was a lesson in self-hatred. It just seemed more comfortable and expedient to open a vein or down some sleeping pills instead of choosing a slow torturing death by cold water, hard rocks, and bugs. “You know, sometimes it’s very apparent that you and I aren’t on the same page here.”
Michael pulled Maria up to go make arrangements for their weekend of fun. He had the entire weekend off and didn’t have to work until Monday or actually early Tuesday morning. They just needed to make arrangements to have Maria's CrashDown shifts covered, pick up a new tent and some supplies and they were out of Roswell. “Think outside the box, Maria.”
Michael dragged her after him. “Would that be the box of cooking supplies that I left in your apartment last time to make room ‘cause I wanted to take my hairdryer?”
Michael read the directions one more time as he looked over at the closed bathroom door. Checking the watch from his pocket, he swore under his breath. At this rate they were going to be setting up their new tent in the dark. Michael looked over at Maria’s half empty Big Gulp and opening the driver’s window; he tossed it into the nearest dumpster.
It was the third time she had him stop after they hit the road. Michael adjusted the rearview mirror and saw the endless supplies of boxes and bedding in the back seat, and just shook his head, thinking about the equally overstuffed trunk of the Jetta. She had brought the entire damn apartment and then some. He had had to stop her from bringing a curling iron by reminding her that it would need electricity.
“Okay, I’m ready. We can go.” Maria said as she got into the passenger seat and strapped herself back in.
“Finally!” Michael said sarcastically under his breath. Maria just ignored him and pulled down the visor to check her hair and reapply her lip-gloss. If they were going to find her bear-mangled body in the woods she wanted to look good. Michael watched her for a second and swallowed a smile. Only Maria. Looking down, he frowned at the incredibly huge white furry boots she was wearing. “What’s with the boots?”
“Great, huh?” Maria gave him a bright cheerful smile.
“Yeah sure...if you’re a Yeti.”
“Hey, these are really warm, and when your feet are freezing in those dead Doc Martens, mine will be toasty.” Maria looked at him and frowned as he snorted. “By the way, what's with those rubber pant boot thingies?”
“The waders?”
“Waders? Yeah, the waders.”
“They’re for fishing so you can wade out into the water and keep your feet and pants dry.” Michael said.
“You fish?” Maria’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“Of course I fish.” Michael avoided her eyes. Dammit, how hard could it be? Just toss a hook in the water and joila'! Dinner. Michael glanced over and saw Maria still watching him closely. “Okay, so maybe I just heard how it’s done, but how hard can it be? People used to survive on food they caught themselves.”
“It’s a man thing?” Maria asks slightly amused at how irritated Michael was getting.
“Yeah, it's a man thing.”
Maria looked at her reflection again and then at Michael as she moved closer to him and ran her hand up his arm. “Well, I’m game as long as you catch and clean. I’m not touching fish guts.”
Michael frowned and looked over at Maria. “You’ve gotta clean 'em?” Maria just laughed at his expression.
Half an hour later, Michael pulled the car over to the side of the road. “Give it to me.”
“No!”
“Maria!” Michael held out his hand as Maria passed him the map and the directions to the campgrounds.
“I can read simple directions!” Michael just ignored her for a moment, frowning as he retraced their steps on the map. Everything looked alright, so why weren’t they there? Finally his eyes found the mistake. “Back about six miles we were supposed to turn left at the T.” Michael looked over at Maria. “You told me to go right.”
“I did not.” Maria looked at the directions. “I said go ‘left’, and you said ‘Left?’ so if we went right, it’s your fault. We can put a ‘L’ on your left hand and a ‘R’ on your right so you don’t get confused again.”
Michael looked at her in irritation. “I know left from right, Maria. I said ‘Left?’ And you said, ‘Right’. So I went right.”
“I didn’t tell you to go right. I just meant that it was ‘right’ go left as in 'That’s correct'.” Maria rolled her eyes and looked out her window. Oh yeah, this is so much fun.
“We’re gonna have to backtrack, but it’s only about twelve miles.” Michael started the car and looking over his shoulder and pulled out, turning the car back the way they came. “In the future, when you’re confirming just say ‘yes’ or ‘affirmative’, okay?”
“Whatever. Oh, I mean aye-aye, Captain Fun!” Maria said sarcastically, and then looked over at Michael again. “What’s the big deal with this campsite anyway? We passed hundreds of sites that were empty. Why this one?”
Michael avoided her eyes and just mumbled under his breath. Maria looked at him sharply and employed her Michael mumble translator.
“Did you say that it’s where the guys are set up?” No way! He wouldn’t do that to her. Michael mumbled some more. And Maria just sat back in her seat in resignation. Even through a mumble, she understood the confirmation. Dammit, her lie to her mom about them going camping with friends was obviously the truth! Wonderful. Just like they teach in catechism classes, God will smite you down for lying! She was going to burn in hell for telling the truth. “I don’t know why you bothered bringing me. You should just take me home right now and save yourself the misery.”
Michael looked over at his girlfriend and frowned. Running his hand over his brow he worried at how upset she appeared. Not mentioning that the camping trip was with his friends was probably a mistake, but he really wanted Maria to meet them and to like them. “Maria, I swear, it’ll be fun. The guys are bringing their wives, girlfriends, sisters and stuff, so you won’t be the only female there.”
Maria looked at Michael and just shrugged. “I just thought we were going to be alone, especially since we ran away from Roswell and Max to get some time together, and now it looks like we're leaving one crowded party for another.”
“Maria, I just wanted you get to know my friends, and maybe make them our friends separate from the Liz, Max, Isabel and Kyle. It’ll be fun. I promise.” They were going to have fun if it killed him, and seeing Maria’s unconvinced face, death looked like an option...actually a real possibility.
“Fun?” Maria pouted for a moment, and then pulled herself together. What was she expecting anyway? Looking at Michael and seeing his concern, she sighed. How bad could it be? Three days and two nights with Michael’s friends could be interesting. And if all else failed, she could burn down his new tent. “Okay, let’s have some fun.”
Michael gave her a huge smile. When Maria put her mind to things, she usually did a great job at it. “Great! This is going to be great. I think there's supposed to be meteor showers every night too!”
“Meteor showers. Alex used to love...” Maria’s voice echoed off into silence, but Michael didn’t notice as he made the final turn towards the campsite. They were almost there and it had only taken them three hours to complete an hour trip. “Fun. Maybe we’re looking at this in the wrong way. Maybe there’s no such thing as ‘real fun’? It could be like Plato and his cave thing, the allegorical one.”
“What?” Michael looked over at Maria. “Play Dough? Is that like the wacky dough that kids eat?”
I didn’t say ‘Play Dough'. I said 'Plato'. As in the ancient Greek philosopher.”
“When did you start reading ancient philosophy?”
“Well, I've been spending a lot of time with Kyle lately, and all the Buddha stuff was making me feel inadequate ‘cause I’m convinced he makes half of it up. So I decided to hit him back with something ancient and true. It was either Plato or Socrates, but Plato has this cool cave thing with the real world and the world of illusions, silver people and gold people. So I chose him.”
Michael looked at her and smiled. “Is there a point to this?”
“Oh yeah. So anyway maybe we’re living in this allegorical world where there is no ‘Real Fun’ just 'Illusion Fun', or things that we classify as fun, but no real fun is to be had. So we just make do.”
Michael just shook his head. If Maria started spouting parables like Kyle, he was going to beat the crap out of Kyle for turning his perfectly normal, lip gloss wearing, and mall stomping girlfriend into a philosophical nightmare.
“Maria.”
“No, hang with me. So that means that if there is no ‘Real Fun’ then perhaps there are only degrees of ‘Pseudo Fun’ and we can define them, or sorta classify them. So that means that real ‘Pseudo Fun’ is the type of fun you have when you think you’re having fun, and then there could be...” Maria screwed up her face for a moment in thought and suddenly her whole face changed, lightened. “Chemical Fun! That’s the kind of fun that is drug induced, and so you think you’re having fun until the buzz wears off.” Michael just shook his head as Maria rattled on about the different types of fun that could be had, all which of course weren’t really ‘Real Fun’, just pseudo facsimiles of fun. “Michael, did you bring any drugs?”
Michael just snorted as he saw the campsite come into view and Steve and Fly horsing around trying to set up tents. He wished.
“You know, I think I’m going to classify ‘Kyle Fun’ as the kind of fun you have with Kyle, which is a montage of 'Buddha Fun' mixed with poor potty humor and armpit farts. I can’t wait to tell Kyle about this, and...”
“So how did she take the camping trip news?” Steve asked while helping Michael put together his tent with the rest of the guys. He looked over and saw Maria talking to his wife, Sheryl, and they were laughing.
“Not good at first, until she started classifying types of fun.” Michael put together the ripcord main pole and passed it to Steve, who was looking at him strangely. "Don't ask."
Fly finished putting down the ground cloth and they spread out the tent. “Hey, Chico! That’s a ton of crap in your car. You and Maria moving out here for good?”
“No. We had to stop to pick up a tent, and Maria was fascinated with the camping equipment. She insisted on having an air mat to sleep on, a tent heater, a special tent light, and numerous other things along the way. The tent is new though, and I picked it out with Maria in mind.”
Monk looked up from where he sat reading the tent instructions and information sheet. “This is some tent, man! A Eureka Denali Expedition tent with a twelve-foot vestibule. According to this you can pitch this pup on a glacier. It can withstand high winds, inclement weather, and all zippers, ripcords, poles and attachments have lifetime warranty. The vestibule has an air port to place your wet shoes, and a place where you can cook in rainy weather.”
George came over to read over Monk’s shoulder. Whistling under his breath at the loaded tent, George looked over at Fly, Steve and Michael setting up the tent. “You realize that this is New Mexico? That this is a tent that can handle Siberia, right?”
Michael looked over at the two. “You don’t know Maria. Believe me, this tent is for camping on Mt. Denali during an avalanche or Maria DeLuca. Both can be brutal.”
Steve looked over at the small slip of a girl with a gorgeous smile, all decked out in lip-gloss, tight jeans, and huge furry white boots. “That little thing? She looks like a total honey. Harmless.”
Michael smirked at Steve. “Oh she’s that all right, but unfortunately at times to get to the honey, you’ve gotta forge through the killer bees. Don’t let looks deceive you. She looks harmless, but packs a killer punch. And she's a fireball to boot.”
Monk looked over at Maria and smiled. “I think I’m in love. All sweet and sticky with a hot fierce personality.” Fly was nodding his agreement. George knocked Monk upside the head when he noticed Michael’s not so amused frown and narrowed eyes looking in Monk’s direction.
“What?” Monk asked as he followed the nod of George’s head towards Michael. Oops.
Steve smiled at the look Michael was giving Monk and decided to break the tension. “Did I tell you guys about the time my sweet wife, Sheryl poured a cup of hot coffee over my head?”
“So anyway, when Steve told me that he had the entire weekend off, a three day break from his graveyard shift, I thought quality time.” Maria smiled as Steve’s wife Sheryl snorted. “He arranged for his mom to take the kids, and silly romantic that I am, I thought we were going away someplace secluded and alone.”
Maria put down a few more boxes around the makeshift kitchen they were putting together and looked over at the roar of laughter from the guys still trying to assemble the tents.
“So you didn’t know about the camping trip being a guys outing either?”
“No, not at first, but Steve told me about it real quick . I guess they’ve been talking about it for the last few weeks because they knew they were scheduled for a mandatory stepdown of a few days, and the next one doesn’t show up for almost another month.” Sheryl handed Maria another box of supplies.
“Were you pissed?”
Sheryl just smiled and shook her head. “Maybe at first, or maybe it was more a disappointment, but to tell the truth it’s also nice. Steve and the crew never really socialized much at work or outside until your Michael joined them. And it’s hard when you’re working and all the other guys you know are sleeping, and he's sleeping when they work. It hasn’t left much time for Steve to do ‘man' things. So over the last year he’s been a homebody taking care of the kids and doing stuff around the house. Lately, it’s been like he’s a young kid again, and not a settled down old man tied to the 'old ball and chain'.” Sheryl looked over at her husband laughing and horsing around with his friends. “He actually likes going to work now, and for a long time it wasn’t anything but a chore.” Sheryl looked at Maria and smiled. “I have your Michael to thank for that.”
“Well, Michael is nothing but a big kid, and it’s kind of contagious at times. Sometimes he can be surprisingly mature,” Maria turned and looked at the increasing noise as the men started a fight tossing things at each other laughing and shouting. “And other times, he's anything but mature, but at all times, he’s Michael. And just when you think you know him, he surprises you.”
George’s girlfriend Anita and Monk's twin sister Lisa came back from one of the cars, carrying a few tanks of butane. “I hope we brought enough cooking fuel. Does anyone have any idea how much we're supposed to use to cook?”
Maria couldn’t say, and even Sheryl couldn’t answer Anita’s question. Maria eyeballed the butane tanks and decided to give them a wide berth. She could imagine Michael’s reaction if he saw her anywhere near them and their new tent. Lisa just plopped herself down on the bench at the table and began to read the instruction manual that came with the camp cooker and the butane gas.
“I think we’ll be okay. We have ten tanks, three cookers, and a stand for cooking over an open fire, plus Monk brought our barbecue grill. The instruction says that a butane tank has twelve hours of fuel, to burn a few moments at blue flame and then turn down.” Lisa put the brochure down and looked at the other women. “Does anyone have a clue exactly what we’re going to be cooking?”
Maria, Anita and Sheryl all said at the same time, “Fish?”
Maria looked at the others and then over at the guys. “Umm, does anybody know if the guys actually know how to fish?” Maria gestured towards Michael. “It’s not like Michael ever really had a male figure in his life, so his idea of fishing is about all he has to draw on.”
Lisa looked over at her brother and lowered her voice. “Monk’s never been fishing in his life. He tried the Boy Scouts once, but on his first hike he broke his ankle and was lost for six hours. While he was recuperating he discovered computers and hasn’t really been outdoorsy since.”
Maria looked over at Anita. “Okay, that scratches both Michael and Monk, so George is a champion angler, right?”
Anita just grimaced. “I don’t think so. He said he used to go camping and fishing with his dad, and it was a blast. The thing is, his father and mother were divorced when he was ten and he hasn’t really seen his dad since.”
All the women turned and looked at Sheryl. “Steve used to go camping and fishing all the time when we were in high school with his buddies. It’s probably his stories that got the guys all excited about this adventure.” Maria and the others sighed in relief, but Sheryl wasn’t through. “Steve and his friends were sort of wild, and they usually turned their great camping adventures into a drunkfest. So I don’t know if they ever really bothered to fish, but just drink beer and pee in the water.”
“Oh God, we’re going to starve!” Maria said dramatically. The other women just nodded their heads in agreement. They all looked at each other as the men joined them.
“Honey, we’ve got the tents all set up, but if we don’t head out to fish we won’t catch anything before sundown.” Steve said to his wife. Sheryl just agreed as the others went to grab their equipment.
Michael stopped quickly and kissed Maria goodbye for heading off with the rest. “The tent is set up, but I didn’t put the stuff inside. Could...”
“I do that?” Maria asked gently.
“Yeah. I’ll help set it up when I get back if you just shove everything...”
“Inside.” Maria smiled nodding her head and tipped her head towards his friends. “I can do that. Go fishing with your friends. I'm fine.”
Michael started to leave when suddenly he stopped. “Um, Maria. The tent, don’t forget the first rule...”
“Yes, yes I know. First rule, no open flames in the tent. Now, go!” Maria laughed as she watched him leave looking back unsure whether he should go. Maria never noticed the other women watching the exchange with amusement.
Sheryl looked at the other women and sighed. “Guess that leaves us to gather firewood and put all the stuff in the tents.”
Maria looked over at the other women, and made a throat clearing sound. “Actually...I sort of brought some firewood, and other things.” The women looked at her. “Well, I didn’t know he was going to fish, and last time we had to go collect all this firewood, and I hated it. So I stopped and picked up some essentials. They’re in the trunk of the car. I didn’t know there were going to be other people, but I brought plenty because Michael can really work up an appetite at times.”
Anita laughed. “I brought some firewood too, and some food.” Sheryl looked at the beautiful black woman with her vivid laugh. “Well, just in case the fish weren’t biting, you know?”
Maria looked at both Sheryl and Lisa and became suspicious. “Okay, give. What did you guys bring?”
Sheryl almost looked guilty at doubting her husband’s ability to provide, but since they were being honest, what the heck... “Enough to feed an army.”
Lisa pulled the other women with her. “Come on, lets unload the cars, set up the bedding and stuff and organize the food and see what we have among us. I brought special camping lights to light up the campground, a few extra ground clothes and blankets. So lets get a fire going and start cooking things to go with the fish, and the if the fish falls through there’s always canned beans or stew.”
Anita gave them a real big smile. “Actually, I brought some steaks!”
They all looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Michael stopped and waited for the others to catch up. Monk got lost twice, and George walked into what looked suspiciously like poison ivy. Steve was positive that it was too late in the season to worry about such a thing.
The fishing wasn't good, but Steve was sure it was because of the lateness of the day. So they made plans to get up early the next day and hit the water. Michael stopped and discreetly reached down and waved his hand over his lower pants legs and shoes to dry them. Fly had accidentally pushed him into the water. Right.
They had actually gotten a few bites, but nothing big enough to keep. Steve kept a few of the smaller fish to cut up for bait. Michael smiled at what Maria’s reaction would be to that.
“Hey Mike! Wait up! I think Steve found Monk again.” Fly said.
Michael laughed. “How’d he get lost this time?”
“Man, who knows? Even Monk can’t figure it out, but at least he’s trying.” They both laughed and turned to the sound of Steve, George and Monk catching up to them. “We’re going to have to tie a bell or buddystring to him to keep from losing him again.”
Michael laughed even harder when he could hear Monk’s explanation. “...then I bent down for a moment to tie my shoe, and I must have ‘came confused with which way I was facing...”
“Well, I hope the fish are biting better tomorrow morning. I think I’ll see if Sheryl wants to go out for a little while in the afternoon, but right now we’ve gotta worry about dinner tonight.” Steve looked over to make sure they hadn’t misplaced Monk again.
“I tossed some canned food into a bag in the car,” said Michael. “Maria might have brought more since she didn’t know that I was gonna fish.” Michael didn’t mention that Maria would’ve brought food regardless because she knew how much Michael knew about fishing.
“I’m positive Sheryl brought food, too. We’ll just have to see what we have and make a store run if we need anything else.”
“I brought beer,” said Monk and Fly nodded they he did too.
Michael laughed that they would find bringing beer more important than food. “I brought cards and poker chips.”
Fly laughed and hit Michael on the back. “Good going Chico! Now we’ve got beer and a poker game. We’re all set. But does anyone think it’s unfair that Monk’s sister gets her own tent, and I’ve gotta share with Monk?”
Steve looked over at Fly. “I thought you were bringing that girl you been dating.”
“I was, but once I mentioned camping she was gone.” The guys understood that. Here Maria had almost bailed when she heard and they were driving into the camp at the time. George’s girlfriend, Anita gave him hate stares for half the trip, and Monk’s sister had given him a running list of why he hated camping and the great outdoors.
Fly looked at Monk. “I just know that if we share a tent, you keep yourself and your stuff on your side.” Fly was convinced that Monk was one strange sleeper.
“I drool.”
“Damn!”
“Sheryl, any ideas what we should do with these potatoes?” Maria asked while the others were busy reorganizing the food they had brought and Sheryl was starting a fire.
“Well, if we can get this fire to stay lit, I think we can use some foil and cook them in the fire like a baked potato.” Sheryl tossed the matches down. “Anyone else want to give the fire making a try, or maybe we can just rub two sticks together?”
Maria laughed. “You know, let’s not worry about the fire right now. Michael can start it when he gets back. He’s real good with that kind of thing.”
“I know. I just wanted to get it going so it was hot enough.” Sheryl reached over and helped Anita lift the jugs of water onto the table.
“Don’t worry. Michael can make it as hot as you like. I promise.” Maria watched as Lisa came back from another run into the woods for more kindling for the fire. “Lisa, I think we’ve got enough for now, and I vote that we let the guys go collect anything else we need.” The rest of the women agreed. The campsite was looking real homey and they had helped each other organize the tents.
Lisa looked into the woods and shuddered. It was getting darker so they lit the camp lanterns. “I’m not looking forward to using the great outdoors as facilities. What if I’ve got to go to the bathroom at night?”
At the word "facilities", Maria looked up sharply. That's what was missing. “Where are the bathrooms?”
Anita and Sheryl shared a quick look trying to decide who was going to break the bad news, but Lisa beat them to it. She tossed Maria a roll of toilet paper and tossed her head towards the tall dark trees.
“It’s the call of the wild, sister.”
“Oh no! Outside? In the woods?” Maria frantically looked around the camp. There were tent pads and a fresh water pump, but no restrooms or even a disgusting porto-potty in sight. “I hate Michael Guerin. He is so dead.”
The other woman had to agree. It would’ve been nice if the men had chosen a spot with some facilities. This was a bare breakdown site. They had to carry out their garbage as well.
“It could be worse.” Sheryl said and she laughed as the other three women stared at her. “No really, it could. When Steve and I were first married we went on a hiking trip with an overnight camping stay. We walked for over ten miles with him trying to convince me this camping site was the dream of a lifetime, and when we got there it was nothing more than a clearing full of rocks. I slept with a root across my back all night, but not in a tent. Steve schlepped the tent in his pack, but somehow he forgot to put in the stakes.”
Maria moved over to a cooler and removed a Snapple, gesturing an offer to the others to take one too. Moving back to hand out Snapples, and listening to the rest of the story, Maria just had to know how it ended. “Okay, so you’re still married, so I’m guessing you didn’t divorce him, but did you have to hike out immediately?”
“No. We built a fire and slept under the stars in our sleeping bags. It was actually romantic, at least until it started to rain!” Sheryl laughed at their joint antics as the different women all talked at once about what they would’ve done. “Really though, camping has a lot to recommend it. Snuggling together in sleeping bags trying to stay warm. I think that’s when I got pregnant with my first kid.”
Maria looked over at Sheryl thoughtfully drinking her Snapple. “That’s it. Michael is sleeping outside tonight.”
“No kids, Maria? Aren’t you and Michael even thinking about marriage?” Sheryl teased, but quickly went quiet when an unexpected flash of pain crossed Maria face.
“No. No kids, or least not in the immediate future. I think we’re concentrating on just graduating from High School. Marriage,” Maria just shook her head, “that seems too far down the road, and who knows how far we’ll make it.”
“I can understand that. Steve and I got married in our senior year in High School, and by graduation I was already pregnant. I always thought I would have liked to try college, but with the kids it’s hard.” Sheryl just smiled. “Maybe when they’re a little older.”
Anita looked over at Lisa. “You got a boyfriend, Lisa?”
Lisa just shook her head. “My last boyfriend, I forgot about him while we were eating out. I went to the restroom, forgot he was there, and went home. It took me two days to remember I forgot him. Never heard from him again.”
“That memorable, huh?” Maria asked.
“Actually, he wasn’t bad. I just tend to concentrate on other things and lose myself at times. I need to find someone that can either hold my attention or has the same problem. Think, I could misplace my husband in New York, he could find me again in Chicago, we could make up in Houston, and both forget we own a house with kids in LA.” The rest started laughing as Lisa made more impossible scenarios of missing husband, misplaced children, and needing a homing device to find home. “Do you think it would be considered child abuse if you install one of those alarms on kids or men like they do in cars so all you have to do is push a button and your car horn beeps?”
“George is a nice man, but I think we’ve got some more learning to do before we get serious. Please! The man has brought me camping! Before today, I thought picnics were roughing it, and a trip to the mall was an expedition. We’ll see how we handle me having to do my business squatting in the woods.” Anita moved forward on the table to talk even more intimately with the other girls. “Actually, it might be a moot point once I don’t have the aid of all my toileting amenities. Wait until he gets a load of my unbrushed hair, no makeup, and needing a shower. So if you girls hear a man screaming in horror, don’t worry. It's just George learning why I take two hours every morning in the bathroom. Men don’t get it. This type of beauty takes time and work.”
Maria laughed and looked at the beautiful black woman. It
was hard to believe she could ever look anything but gorgeous. “Well, I’m
getting to be an old hand at having to make do, or taking off without anything
including a change of clothes. Over the past few years I have a collection of
dos and don'ts. First, would be never, and I mean
never wear an aqua bra
camping. When the weather gets cold you will freeze your tits off.” Maria joined
the laughter and nodded at the few amens. “And open flames? Tents?
Bad.”
Sheryl joined in with the list. “Never toss your hairspray can
anywhere near the fire, even if you think it’s empty.”
“Moisturizer. I think we’re going to need lots of moisturizer. Just from pumping the water and washing my hands in the cold water look at my skin.” Lisa held out her hands for the others to see, and suddenly she was staring at three tubes of moisturizer, extra strength.
When the fishermen returned to camp, not only was it set up and inviting, but they could hear laughter from the women. Michael hadn’t realized he had been holding his breath, until he spied the red Jetta still parked and heard the unmistakable laughter of Maria. He had half-expected to come back and find her and the Jetta gone.
Michael stopped next to Maria and was surprised when she actually smiled a welcome from her seat on the bench. Sitting next to her, Michael picked up her hand and leaned in to give her a quick kiss.
“How was fishing? Are we eating in style tonight?” Maria asked as the rest of the men joined them.
“Everything we caught was too small to eat, so we’re using it for bait tomorrow.” Michael looked around the camp noticing that Maria and the others had been busy. “Looks like you’ve all been working.”
“No rest for the poorly informed and abused. Did you notice there are no public restrooms?” Michael just winced. This was getting better as they went along.
“You okay with this Maria?” Michael asked quietly for her alone.
“I’m okay with this. It’s rough, but so far I’m actually having fun.”
Michael smiled at that. “What kind of fun is this? Camping fun?”
Maria just laughed and kissed him standing up. “I’ll let you know later.” Reaching down she pulled him up with her and dragged him away from the others a little distance. “We couldn’t get the campfire started. Think you could do your thing?”
Michael looked over his shoulder at the others talking to each other and nodded. Maria handed him a match and he looked at her like she was crazy. “I don’t need that.”
“I know. But keeping up appearances and all...” Michael just nodded and squatted down in front of the stone ring with the wood piled in the center.
“Nice wood.” Michael looked up at Maria and saw her shrug. Reaching out his hand he concentrated, but Maria interrupted him.
“Um, careful not to explode it, just a nice gentle, easy flame...” Maria looked over to make sure no one was moving up towards them. “But make it hot.”
“I always do.” Michael said under his breath for Maria only and smirked when she snorted.
When the fire ignited and the others came to join them, Michael quickly tossed the unlit match in the fire. Maria left her hands on his shoulders and squatted down behind him resting her chin on his head. “Nice.”
Sheryl looked at the fire and smiled. “Maria said you were good with fire, but this is great. I tried numerous times.”
“That’s my little firestarter.” Maria said proudly.
Michael looked at Maria. “I thought that was the name we gave you after last time.”
“Pig.”
After dinner, Maria was sitting around the fire talking to the others. She could hear Michael in their tent rustling around. Finally he stuck his head out of the tent and called her name.
“Maria!” Maria excused herself and went over to the tent, and waited for him to talk to her. “Where did you put the poker chips? They were in the bag with our clothes.”
“I left them at the apartment.” Maria told him calmly.
“What? Dammit, Maria...”
“Sorry, okay? You told me to use that bag to pack the clothes and it was a tight fit. I had a few other essentials to pack and I couldn’t figure out why you would need poker chips.” Maria looked him straight in the eye. “Color me clueless, but at the time I was under the assumption that we were going away alone, so what benefit poker chips could have was beyond me. I packed other essentials instead, but seeing how things turned out, I suspect we won’t be needing those either.”
Maria stood up from where she had been crouched down beside the tent door and walked away. Michael looked back in the tent at the pile of things on the sleeping bags. Besides clothes there was a box of condoms and a few other things including a small bottle of honey and a bottle of Tabasco. Michael quickly looked out of the tent and saw Maria stalking over towards the Jetta. Swearing under his breath, he went after her.
“Maria!” She ignored him and opened the trunk of the Jetta. Michael watched in confusion as she dug around in some bags, and finally she straightened up and slammed the trunk closed. Turning, he stopped and watched her stalk back towards him. She tossed two bags hard into his stomach and walked on by as he grabbed the bags before they fell to the ground. Michael turned and looked down at two extra large bags of M&M's.
“Use those.” Maria called back to him and she went to settle back down at the fire with Sheryl and the others ignoring Michael for the rest of the evening.
Sheryl occasionally looked over at the now silent Maria, and over at the group of men playing poker, using M&Ms instead of poker chips.
“Dammit, Fly! Stop eating the money!” said George.
“Hey, I can decide how to spend my winnings.”
“Those aren’t your winnings. Those are mine, and stop eating the green ones!” Monk looked at the others and swore as he noticed Fly had eaten another green one. “Who decided the damn green ones were worth the most, anyway? Fly is eating them all, but I'm telling you, no matter how many he eats, he’s not getting lucky tonight.”
Fly looked over at Monk. “I thought I was sharing a tent with you tonight.”
“Yeah, like I said, eat all the green ones you want, Buddy, but tonight you sleep alone.” Monk ignored Fly's response and looked over at the campfire and a silent Maria. “Actually, I raise the pot three reds, and I’ve got all my green M&Ms that says Mike is going to be lucky if he even gets to sleep in his new tent tonight.”
Fly looked up at Michael and then over at Maria. “I’ll see that bet and raise you a few extra reds. She looks pissed. You’re a dead man, Chico.”
George looked at the others and had to agree. Mike was looking at a life as a bachelor. “I’m in on that action.”
Steve tossed in a few too, and looked at Michael smiling. “What kind of fun do you think Maria is having now, Michael?”
“Shut up, and deal the damn cards.” Michael looked at the growing pot. “And stop eating the money. Those M&M's belong to me.” The rest just laughed and snorted. Yeah, right!
The last light of day was finally fading, and the camp was bathed in the light from the lanterns and the campfire. Sheryl decided that if she wanted a bath it was time to make a move before it got too dark to find their way.
“Steve was telling me that the path over there leads to the river. There is this small runabout, or inlet that forms a natural pool that is surprisingly warm. Steve says he thinks it is fed by a warm spring that dumps into the river, and it's usually free of fish and things because of the warmer temperature.” Sheryl smiled, as the others looked interested. “Anyone want to take a late night dip to clean up before bedtime?”
Maria finally smiled at the thought of bathing. “I have some candles! It’s not like I have a use for them now especially with the new ‘no open flames in the tent’ mandate.” Maria and the other women went to find their bath stuff and towels and headed out after Sheryl told Steve where they were going.
Steve kept looking over at the path that Sheryl and the others went down. He kept looking at his watch ever few minutes and occasionally looking at the sky and the darkening woods.
“I really should go check on Sheryl,” said Steve, about a half an hour after they left. “A midnight dip could be fun.”
Fly looked up interested. “They’re going to go swimming?”
“I didn’t bring any swimming trunks,” said George.
“Yeah, well neither did the women.” All them looked at each other at that comment. Steve smiled. “That means they’re skinny-dipping.”
Michael was the first to stand up followed quickly by George. “Man, sit down! One of those girls is my sister!” Michael and George both sat back down at Monk’s words. Okay, skinny-dipping with a sister was totally out of the question. Steve started passing out the next hand.
After a moment of silence, Steve asked casually, “You think they are really skinny-dipping or did they leave their underwear on?”
Michael looked up sharply knowing with the kind of underwear Maria liked to wear, it didn’t really matter, because once wet... “I fold!” Michael quickly stood up to go search for a flashlight.
“Me, too!” George and Steve were both up at the same time. Steve smiled at the others. “I think I better go escort my wife back to the camp. I wouldn’t want her to get lost in the dark.”
They all adjourned in a flurry of motion. Fly looked back at Monk. “Hey, Chico, why don’t you stay here and guard the camp. We’ll make sure your sister makes it back okay.”
“No way!” Monk hurried after the others as they started down the path. “You keep your eyes off my sister!”
Maria stood shivering as she looked down at the dark pool of water. “Sheryl, are you sure about this?”
“Positive!” Sheryl gave Maria a quick push and jumped in herself. Lisa and Anita were in right behind them and all four of them emerged from the water screaming.
“Holy sh...” Maria said sputtering as she came out, but not before Anita pushed her back under the water.
“This is not warm!” Lisa said shivering in the water trying to keep most of herself submerged. Anita and Maria were in the middle of a water fight and pushing each other under the water. Sheryl reached out to light the candles they placed on the rocks and settled back in the pool.
“If this is warm,” said a half-drowned Maria laughing at the equally wet Anita, “I'd hate to see what the river feels like.”
Lisa looked down at her barely covered breasts. “Dammit! I think they’re shrinking!”
Sheryl looked at her breasts too. “I hope the cold doesn’t freeze my milk. My poor baby will starve to death.”
“I’m not even going to look,” said Maria. “I have nothing to spare. This is grossly unfair. Anita, I think you should share! You’ve got plenty.”
“Don’t I know it! They look good now, all firm and pert and everything, but girlfriends, women in my family go to seed, and it’s not pretty. These guys might be standing up now, but in a few years and a few children and it won’t be a sight worth seeing.” Anita smiled gesturing at her large breasts, hanging real low.
“In my family, it’s the butt that takes all the abuse with age. One day I’m going to wake up with a double portion, and when I walk down the street my body will go one way, and my butt the other.” Sheryl said moving forward to look over her back. “Though Steve has met the other members of my family, so he should consider himself forewarned. The men in his family get this strange middle age spread. So I figure if I can take his rounding body, he should be able to handle a few extra handfuls.”
Lisa just sighed. “I’m just hoping to someday not to look like my brother! Whoever said twins have to look the same?”
Maria just smiled. If her mom was any indication she wasn’t going to lose much ground between fifteen and her late thirties. “Well, if I age like my mom, then I will count myself lucky, but even after having me, her breasts never really developed, so I’m resigned to either aqua bras or cosmetic surgery.”
Anita just shook her head. “Don’t go with surgery, honey. I had this friend. It was sad. She finally decided to take the plunge and fix what nature didn’t seem willing to give her, and now she’s a Jerry Springer guest with her ‘too large to walk’ pair bobbing down the aisle. It’s unnatural. I’m afraid every time she goes to run. Those boys are either going to wrap themselves around her neck and choke her, or give her at least a black eye.”
Maria was stunned at the story. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. It's just that Michael has this sort of sister, and she's tall, was blond, and is totally endowed. I always wondered what it was like to be so decked out that way. She looks like you in some ways Anita. You know, gorgeous enough to be a model.”
“Well, don’t sell yourself short, Maria. You’re hardly ugly. Actually I would say you could claim being equally gorgeous. Plus, beauty is only skin...”
“Deep. Yeah, heard that a few times. But it doesn’t help when your body decides to stay a prepubescent fourteen-year-old for so long. It’s like people overlook you, or fail to realize that you’re growing up, too. I keep looking in the mirror and seeing this stranger, a creature from somewhere else. When will my face stop being dominated by my lips, and my eyes are huge, and what the heck is the good with having legs long enough to wrap around a man twice when the rest of me looks undeveloped?” Maria leaned back against the rocks and looked at the other women. “That’s it. I’m putting my order in for my next life. I want to be tall, almost freakishly tall, with long legs and a chest. Not a large chest, but something more than an A cup. I’ll settle for a B. I’m not greedy.”
“I want hair that isn’t thin and stringy. Something with body and shine.” Lisa was warming on the subject. “Actually Maria, I wouldn’t mind looking like you in my next life. I think your lips and eyes are gorgeous, even your hair is perfect. But, lord let me have Anita’s body!”
Anita laughed and decided to play the game. “I want my mom’s nails. My real ones are so brittle I have to make trips to the salon to keep these tips. I always wanted a slightly darker skin with natural coloring. I hate all the time it takes to apply my makeup. Under this skin, I’m blotchy. And dammit, my lips are way too thin.”
“I hate my hair.” They all looked over at Sheryl in shock.
“Oh God! No way! You have great hair just like my friend Liz.” Maria looked over at the long hair that Sheryl had wound to the top her head to keep it dry.
Lisa looked at the woman critically. “I’ve got to agree with Maria, Sheryl. Your hair is beautiful all long, dark brown and shiny.”
“Thanks, but not really. You know how long my hair has been this style?” She asked the others. They all shook their heads no. “All my life. I’ve had long hair all my life. I wanted to cut it once, but my dad had a literal cow, and Steve is always saying how much he loves it long. For the first three years of my marriage I had a hard time convincing people that I wasn’t still fourteen.”
Anita nodded her head. She changed her hair two to three times a year with extensions and coloring. “Okay, then what color of hair would you like?”
“Red! With green eyes like Maria’s, and pouty lips, and maybe some body wave to make my hair bounce when I walked. I want to be a red headed, green eyed bombshell in my next life.” Sheryl laughs suddenly. “And I don’t want to be tall. Short! So men will carry things for me and think I’m fragile.”
Maria leaned back against the rock and rested smiling as she listened to Anita and Lisa discussing their work and school. It was getting darker and darker, and the sky seemed so open and bright. Looking up, Maria searched for the meteor showers Michael said were going to happen this weekend, and as always Alex was a thought that found his way home.
“You okay, Maria?”
Maria looked over at Sheryl and smiled slightly. “Yeah, I was just checking out the skies. Michael said that there were supposed to be meteor showers tonight.”
“Maybe we’ll catch them before tiredness drags my worthless carcass to bed. It’s been a long day, but if I don’t see them tonight maybe I’ll stay up tomorrow to see them.”
Maria nodded. Most of the other couples had had work or classes before they could take off for camping, so tonight was the end of a long day. “Do you work?”
“Part-time, mostly during the day after Steve gets home from work. When I get home he goes to sleep and I watch the kids. Sometimes I think it feels like a week since I did more than greet him in passing. Luckily, I only work two days a week, so the rest of the week he comes home and sleeps and when he wakes up we spend time together.” Sheryl moved her hand through the water. “It’s hard at times, but the kids and Steve make up for that.”
“You’re lucky.”
“How?” Sheryl was confused at how soft Maria’s voice became.
“You have Steve and your children. Your life has boundaries and is set. You can make changes, decide to go to school, or get a job, but you always have them, and they figure into all the decisions you make. It must be nice to have some stability.” Maria wasn’t sure she was actually making a point or just rambling.
“True. I would go to school, but only if it can fit into my life with Steve and the children. I know that no matter what I decide to do Steve will support me and help me, and the kids will still be there. Is that what you mean?”
“I think so. I envy how free you are to dream ‘cause those you love will be there, supporting you regardless. You may give up some dreams, but that’s your choice, and it doesn’t mean you can't find new ones along the way.” Maria just shrugged. “I guess I’m feeling unsettled. It’s my senior year in school, and this was the year I was supposed to be making plans and decisions about my future, my possible career, and my life overall. It’s hard because in the last two years, school and thoughts of the future have left me, and school is just something I do.”
“You’ve got no plans for the future?” Sheryl looked at the girl. She seemed too intelligent and brilliant to be so lost. “There must be something you want to do or be? What do you dream about?”
“Surviving. I dream about...nothing. I stopped dreaming.” Maria saw Sheryl and sighed. “I’m sure I still dream at night, but don't remember them. And dreams for my future have become shortsighted lately. Last week, my only hope and aspiration was to have a nice quiet fun evening with Michael with his undivided attention.”
“I’m sure your other dreams are something more than the perfect date.”
“I used to, or I think I did.” Maria laughed. “Actually, I know I did. My best friend, Liz and I used to spend endless hours talking about school, the future, college, what we would be when we grew up, who we would be, and it was always exhilarating, like the future was this whole new world waiting to be explored.”
“Well you two must still talk about stuff like that.”
“No. Not for a long time. It’s all about Michael and Liz’s boyfriend, Max. Everything we talk about revolves around their lives and what little pieces we managed to grab as part of their lives.” Maria looked at Sheryl and frowned. “Is this normal? Is this what High School girls do? Do they find themselves in love with boys and then rearrange everything in their lives to follow their hearts, forgetting about everything else?”
Sheryl thought about her High School days and laughed when she remembered watching sports she hated because Steve loved them and it was a way she could be with him. “Perhaps it is more normal than any of us realize. I mean look at all of us sitting here. Did even one of us want to go camping this weekend?”
Maria looked at the other two women and realized they stopped talking and had been listening to the conversation. “Oh God! It doesn’t get better does it? This is it.”
Every one of them sank into silence, and Maria brooded for a while until Sheryl decided to break the quiet. “Maria, it’s not just having to do what they like and following their lives only. We make places in each other’s lives, and we learn to compromise. Steve ends up doing things for me all the time, as I’m sure Michael does for you. My heart is still my heart, and my dreams are still my dreams. I change them to fit in Steve and my children because they are part of those dreams. You sometimes give up a lot, but that doesn’t mean you don’t get anything back. You just have to be careful so it doesn’t become one-sided, and you lose the ability to dream.” Sheryl reached for a towel. “I think what you should do is take some time, and talk to this friend of yours, Liz, and try to recapture those old conversation when you used to look at the future as a brave new world. Maybe it will help both of you remember what used to be important, and you can redefine your lives to include your boyfriends with your future.”
Sheryl got out of the pool and began to dry off. The others followed. It was time to head back before it was impossibly dark and the weather got colder. Anita looked back at Maria still sitting in the pool, deep in thought.
“Maria, you coming?” Maria looked at the group and shook her head no.
“I think I’ll stay just a few more minutes and watch the skies.” Maria looked at Sheryl and saw the frown of worry. “Really, it’s okay. I’ll only be a few more moments. I promise.” Sheryl finally nodded and she and the others started to head back leaving Maria a flashlight.