Strange Happenings
a Roswell story
by Hermione Eveningfall
Liz Parker blew out her breath as she pulled up to the front of the Evans' home. She glanced beside her, where Maria sat, looking as though she were ready to throw up right on the spot. "Are you ready?" Liz asked, after turning off the engine, and fetching her small, beaded purse from the back seat.
"God no," Maria muttered, pressing the palms of her hands against her forehead. "I can't go through with this."
"Yes you can," Liz promised, giving her friend a hug. "You look fantastic. You'll be fantastic. Michael wouldn't have asked you at all if he didn't feel something!" she winked, opening the door. "Come on." She stepped out onto the street, revealing a new black dress she'd purchased at the mall earlier that week. Maria fiddled with the hem of her silky, turquoise skirt, and nodded.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming." She cleared her throat, carefully letting herself out, and shutting following Liz up the walkway. When they stood waiting for Max or Isabel to open it, Maria quickly felt through her purse, producing one of her phials of aromatherapy oil. She took a whiff of it, feeling considerably calmer after smelling the tangerine scent.
The front door eventually opened, revealing Max. "Hey," he greeted, beaming at the two girls. "Come on in!"
Liz wrapped her arms around his thin frame, kissing him tenderly on the lips. "Oh, you look..." she grinned. "Absolutely amazing."
Max glanced down at his grey suit and crisp white shirt, and winked. "Isabel nearly choked me trying to straighten my tie."
Liz giggled, and Maria wrapped her arms around her stomach, rocking back and forth on her heels. "Michael's upstairs," Max explained, slipping his fingers through Liz's, and leading both of them into the parlor. "He should be down in a bit."
"Where are your parents?" Liz asked, once they were sitting on the plush couches in front of the television.
"They went out," Max replied. "Thought it might be awkward if they were here when you two arrived."
Maria managed a smile, though what she really wanted to do was run for it. She thought Michael was hot, certainly, but now that she knew about his...abnormality...it was a bit, well...weird. She wasn't sure what would happen at any given time, still slightly afraid that he might melt her into a puddle of silver goo if she said something wrong.
"Would you like something to drink?" Max asked, and Liz nodded.
"Yes, thank you."
"Maria?"
"What?" Maria jumped, whirling around, and Liz touched her shoulder comfortingly.
"She's a bit jumpy," she explained, and Max nodded in understanding.
"Don't be so nervous. Make yourselves at home, really. And I can guess what you want, right?" he asked Liz, who smiled.
"Coke, yes. Are you sure you don't want anything?" she added, and Maria shook her head.
Isabel, meanwhile, sat at her vanity mirror, putting the finishing touches on her hair and make-up. She heard the voices of Liz and Maria downstairs, glad she would be meeting her date at the dance.
She was just applying her bright red lipstick, when she heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" she asked, blotting her lips on a tissue, and tossing it into the small wastebasket at her feet.
"It's me."
She sighed, spritzing a bit of perfume on her neck and wrists, and stood. "Come in, it's unlocked."
The door creaked open slowly, and she saw Michael peeking his head through. He was dressed in his suit, though he looked pale and sweaty. "Hey," she said, smiling. "Are you okay?"
He stepped inside her room, shutting the door behind him. "I don't know," he replied. "I think I might be coming down with something."
Isabel rolled her eyes, and sat next to him on her bed. "You were fine earlier today," she said. "You're probably just nervous." She grinned. "Aha! Oh, that's great."
He glared at her, and she gave him a hug. "Relax, will you?" she asked. "Come on, you asked Maria to the dance, so you're obligated to take her. She's already here, so you can't back out."
"I know." He blew out his breath. "I keep feeling like I have to sneeze, though," he told her.
"Really?" she raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you're allergic to your new cologne or something?"
He shook his head. "I'm not wearing cologne," he growled.
Isabel nodded. "It could just be psychological. You're probably just nervous, so your system's overreacting."
"What do you think'll happen when I sneeze?" he asked curiously. "I know Max said crazy stuff happens when he does, like... you know, lightbulbs blow out, things decide to levitate, including himself...I don't know if I can stand the humiliation..."
Isabel shrugged, looking at her watch. "Michael, I'd love to sit here and ponder this with you, but we've really got to run. The dance starts in fourty minutes, and I promised I'd meet Steven there ten minutes early for pictures."
"I don't know if I can do this," he squeaked, and Isabel squeezed his hands.
"Look at me." He did, and she sighed. "You'll be fine. Okay? I'm sure Maria's panicking even more than you are, knowing how neurotic she is."
Michael shivered a little, and followed Isabel out of the room, once she put on her black leather jacket. He paused at the foot of the stairs, the sneezy feeling becoming stronger by the second. "HahKemmph!" His attempt to stifle it was somewhat successful, though what happened afterwards was a bit alarming. Well, somewhat, anyway.
The electricity shut down through the entire house, and Isabel shrieked, managing to catch herself on the rail before falling head over heels the rest of the way down the steps. She heard cries of alarm from the living room, and Max apologized to Liz, after having stepped on her foot trying to feel his way through the dark.
"That's okay," Liz gasped, cringing in pain.
"What was that all about?" Maria asked, expecting to see a flash of lightening.
"Isabel?" Michael called, reaching out for her, and caught a lock of her hair.
"Michael, that's me, that's me!" she gasped. "I can't see anything! Max, do something! I'm hanging from the rail here!"
"Sorry," Michael apologized, rubbing his nose with his wrist.
"Let me open the front door so we can at least have some of the light from the street," Max suggested, cursing as he rammed his knee into the coffee table. "That was a freak occurance." He eventually managed to feel his way to the front door, opening it so a flood of light from the street lamps protruded. He saw everyone staring at him, and glanced at Michael.
"We should check the circuit breaker," Isabel told Max, "before we go."
"HehMmmph!" the electricity flickered back on again, and everyone stared up at the ceiling. Maria stared at Michael, who looked thoroughly embarrassed, and she blinked.
"Bless you?" she said, and he shook his head.
"Did you do that?" Max asked, pointing to the lamp, and Michael shrugged wearily.
"I guess so," he croaked. "You know, maybe I shouldn't go to the dance if I'm sneezing like this. What if something happens, and I..."
"Michael..." Isabel groaned.
"HahKESHHH!" he sneezed before he could answer her, and felt his head connect to something hard.
"Um..." Maria covered her mouth and fought a laugh. "Michael, I'd hate to..."
He looked at her, and noticed the fact that Max and Liz had their mouths hanging open. When he looked up, he realized he'd grown an extra foot, and his head was nearly touching the ceiling.
"Oh great," Isabel sighed.
"Maybe he's allergic to something," Liz suggested.
Isabel folded her arms and looked at Max. "I don't have allergies," Michael croaked, wanting to sink through the floor.
"Michael, you don't have to go to the dance with me if you don't want to," Maria told him calmly. "I'm..."
"I want to," he told her. "Maria, I want to go with you, really....it's not..."
"We're going to be late," Isabel said impatiently. "Come on!"
"You know what, you three go," Maria said softly, and though Liz started to protest, she shook her head. "I don't think Michael and I are quite ready for this, yet."
Liz managed a smile, and, after glancing at Max, nodded. "Are you sure?" she asked, and Maria waved her hand.
"Go, have a good time. I'll stay here."
Isabel raised her hands in exhasperation, taking the lead outside, and, after hugs and apologies, Max and Liz followed her. When they were gone, and after the door closed, Maria looked at Michael, who had shrunk back to his normal size.
"I'm really sorry," he apologized, and she shook her head.
"I really didn't want to go to the dance," she told him. "Im such a wallflower, Liz'll tell you. I'm sorry you're sneezing like that, though."
Michael smirked. "Yeah, I guess." He looked her up and down. "You really look..." he paused, and Maria fumbled in her purse for a pack of tissues, and handed them to him. "KesHUUH!" A lamp or two went out and flickered back on again almost immediately. "I guess I'm not so good at this," he croaked, and she reached up to kiss him on the cheek.
"I'm not either," she laughed. "Why don't we go over to my place, so we don't terrify Mr. and Mrs. Evans when they get back?"
He agreed. "Yeah, that would be nice." He stood watching as she put on her light coat, and then offered her hand. He looked at it uncomfortable for a moment, and then gingerly took it. They walked outside, gazing up at the bright moon above and the sparkling stars. Maria realized that Liz left her car in the driveway, with a note slid through a crack in the window. It read, I went in Max's jeep. Since I had a feeling you and Michael would want to head back to your place, I figured I'd lend you my car for the night. Bring it back tomorrow. Behave! ~Liz.
"Wow," Maria said softly, pulling the note out and showing it to Michael. "Oh God, you look so hot in the moonlight," she breathed, feeling immensely turned on by his broad shoulders, his spikey hair, those dark eyes...
"That's a bit forward, isn't it?" Michael laughed, though, without further comment, swept Maria into his arms, and kissed her passionately on the lips. "Who needs the dance, when we can make out right here?" he breathed, taking in the scent of her perfume.
"I don't know about right here," Maria replied between kisses, "but certainly, making out in private is more of a turn-on than slow-dancing in public."
"Whoever invented dances was a sham," Michael added, not able to get enough of her. "Though I think I have to sneeze again..."
Maria quickly let go of him and retreated a few feet, holding her breath and waiting anxiously.
"Huh...KUSHHH! EhKSHHHH! HuhKSHHHH!"
The alarm in Liz's car beeped shrilly, and a passenger-side window smashed. Maria gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh God," she cried. "Liz is going to kill me!"
"Relax, will you?" Michael blew out his breath. "I'll replace the window."
"We'd better just get out of here," Maria told him, "before you end up causing it to explode or something."
"And driving it'll be any safer?" Michael asked.
"It's at least a mile and a half to walk to my house," Maria told him. "and along a highway. Thanks, but I'm not inclined to go by foot." She popped open the door, brushing the shards of glass off the leather seat. "Sorry," she apologized, resting her forehead against the top of the car. "I didn't mean to bite your head off...I know you couldn't help doing that."
Michael stepped up beside her, and smiled. "You're still pretty freaked out by all this, aren't you?" he asked, and she looked at him.
"Honestly?" Maria took Liz's key's out of the cup holder, and stuck them into the ignition. "Yes."
"We're not going to do anything to you," Michael told her. "Not to hurt you, anyway." He lifted her chin, and pressed his lips to hers. She smiled, and nodded.
"I'll try to keep that in mind." She patted the passenger seat next to her. "Are you getting in?"
He put his hands in his suit pockets, and nodded. "If you want me to."
"Of course," she insisted. "You don't think I splurged on this outfit to have it go to waste, do you?" she winked as he climbed into the passenger seat.
"What scent is that, anyway?" Michael asked, rubbing his nose.
"Oh, my lotion you mean?" she asked, sniffing her wrist. "Eucalyptus. It's supposed to help calm nerves." She reached into her purse, and pulled out a tiny bottle filled with a thick, smoothe, green substance, and handed it to him. "Try it. Maybe it'll clear your nose."
Michael accepted the bottle, unscrewing the cap. "Or maybe this is the problem," he said, taking a small sniff of it. Almost instantly, his nose began tingling, and he quickly handed it back to her.
"Wow," she breathed. "You must have a really strong sense of smell if you could detect that from when I got here!"
"Must be," Michael replied. "That's when I started feeling sn...HahKESHHH! HuhKESHHH!"
Maria jumped as the window replaced itself, and she placed a hand over her heart. "Whew!" she laughed. "That's saving me a couple hundred!" she shook her head. "As soon as we get to my place, I'll wash the lotion off," she promised. "At least I know this is one smell you can't handle." She winked. "Liz is having a luckier night with her sunflower perfume, I guess."
"HuhKUSHHHESH! UhKUSHHHH!"
The street lamps blew out, and Maria sighed, turning on the engine. "Bless you," she told him with a smirk, and began to pull out of the Evans' driveway.
"At least I know it isn't you I'm allergic to personally," Michael teased, and she stuck her tongue out at him.
I'm a bit rusty with the show, since I don't have the first season DVDs with me. So let me know what you all think!