To be Maria (16 page)

            "God's gift to humanity. I don't think so, and you want me to let you in on a little secret?"

            "What?"

            "She's not that great of an actress."

            "Ha! That's no secret to me. I've seen her act several times before and she isn't any good. It's just too bad Mr. Hawthorne doesn't see it that way."

            Carly narrows her eyes. "No kidding."

            "So, what are we going to do about Maria?"

            "Pretend we don't know her, like we've never met her before. If she tries to apologize to me, I'm going to lay into her."

            "Good. Hey, Carly, I have to get going. My hip-hop class starts in half an hour; I'll see you at school tomorrow."

            "Okay, bye." Carly clicks off the phone, then slams it down on the night stand.
Shondra and her stupid dance lessons. When is she going to get a life? And she doesn't seem to agree with me about Maria. God, what is up with her? Does she also need to be thrown out of our group?

            Anya gets Maria to drive her to school on Monday morning. She is dreading it because she will be all alone.

            Yesterday, Maria told her that she secured an interview at Highland Grill, one of the highest rated restaurants in the Okanagan Valley. Her interview is scheduled for today at ten-thirty am. Maria would not stop talking about the restaurant's splendid interior, the good money she will be making and about the sexy man she talked to. It has made Anya envious, the kind of envious where she wants to have the same thing. A good cash flow would pave the way for liberation from her miserable life at home.

            Maria parks the car parallel to the sidewalk one block away from the school building. Anya's eyes flit from Maria to her fidgety hands, then out the window. A rather large group of eleventh graders -- boys and girls -- parade down the sidewalk, acting like they own the town. Even though the windows are rolled up, Anya can still overhear one of the boys brag about how drunk he had gotten over the weekend. Jose is not the only person who had thrown a party Saturday night.

            "Wow, you're so cool," Maria says, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

            Anya grips the strap of her knapsack. Her heart pounds hard against her chest. She doesn’t want to return to this school ever again.

            "Anya, I have to get going now."

            "But your interview isn't for another hour and forty-five minutes."

            "Yes, but school starts in like, ten minutes," Maria says, glancing down at her wrist watch.

            Anya breathes in and out deeply. "Okay. Good luck with your interview. You'll pick me up after school, right?"

            "Yes, but not in the parking lot, so wait for me here. No...I'll be parked on the street behind the field, so meet me there."

            "Okay, I can't wait," Anya says while she opens the door.

****

            Anya stares blankly at the double glass entrance doors of her school.
I've been coming here for almost two years, but it has never been my school. I don't belong here. I never have and I never will
. She fights the urge to run away and forces herself to walk forward. Students rush by with their eyes focused on the doors ahead, or on each other. None of them seem to notice her. She knows what loneliness feels like, but she has grown so accustomed to it that she can’t feel the pain. Today is a different day, though. The horrible feeling grips her chest, its heaviness threatening to suffocate her.

            Anya breathes in a huge gulp of air, then exhales it while she steps through the doors. She walks very slowly down the hallway. As she nears her locker, Patrick enters her mind.
Patrick. I have to speak to him. I must apologize. Things just can't go on like this. I really need him.
She turns on her heels, then walks back in the direction she came from, her pace quickening with each step she takes. She opens the double doors to the cafeteria and just as she suspects, Patrick is sitting there with his back to her. As usual, he is strumming on his guitar and humming along to the beat of the music he creates.

            "Patrick." Her heart flutters. He doesn't hear her because the sound of his guitar drowns out her hushed voice.

            "Patrick," Anya says, making her voice louder. She walks toward him.

            This time, he turns around to face her. "Anya," he says, visibly surprised to see her.

            "Uh…hi."
Oh come on, Anya, you have way more things to say to him than that.

           
"Aren't you supposed to be with Carly and Maria?" he says, one eyebrow slightly arched.

            His response slaps Anya in the face. "No."

            There is a pause. To Anya, the silence is agonizing. "I'm really sorry for the way I treated you, Patrick. If I could take it all back, I would."

            He sighs. "But you can't."

            Her heart sinks. "I know. But Patrick, I came here to apologize. I really need you. I mean, we
are
going to perform the lead characters in the community play."

            He eyes her suspiciously. "Is that the only reason you need me, Anya?"

            Tears gather in the corners of her eyes. "Yes. No. I mean…we are in the same acting class. It won't look right if we don't get along. Besides, Patrick, I need you. You’re the only person I trust. I’m sorry I hurt you, I really am. I was stupid to do what I did."

            In a slow motion, he rises out of his seat. “It’s too late, Anya. You broke that trust.”

"Patrick, please."

            He gives her a dour look. "Anya, you have no idea how bad you hurt me. I don't think I can ever trust you again. I'm really sorry, but it’s over." He places his guitar back into its case, shuts it, locks it, then walks past her without saying a word.

            Maria stares at the manager with a smile plastered on her face.
My goodness, he's gorgeous with that trim body, blue eyes and blond hair
. She unzips her black ski jacket, revealing the low-cut neckline of her blue dress. She can tell he is drawn in by her, because the moment she takes off her coat, his eyes fall to her chest like two magnets.

            "How old are you, Maria?" he says in that smooth, deep voice of his.

            "Almost eighteen." She knows that he is way too old for her, but she doesn't care. She flips her long hair over her shoulders, then leans forward, allowing one elbow to rest on the office table.

            He smiles back at her. "When is your birthday?"

            "June twenty-first."

            He raises his perfectly shaped eyebrows. "Oh, that's only a few months from now."

            Maria nods her head. She can’t get her eyes off of him.

            "Normally we don't hire people under the age of nineteen, but you seem quite mature for your age, and it's clearly obvious by your resume that you have a lot of experience in the serving industry."

            Maria looks at him imploringly. "So?" she says, drawing out the two-letter word.

            "I think you're the perfect candidate for the job."

            Maria grins from ear to ear.
Bingo! I score again. Now all I have to do is score him as well.

           
"The only thing you have to do is get your Serving It Right and your Food Safe certificates."

            Maria frowns at him. "I have my Food Safe certificate, but what is a Serving It Right?"

            "It just teaches you how to serve alcohol and when to cut customers off from their alcohol intake. We require every employee to take this course regardless of their age. You can take it online and it only costs twenty dollars." He gives her a look that says 'I will be gravely disappointed if you turn down this job offer'.

            Maria sucks in her breath.
I never had to take this course in Madrid.
"Okay, is my Food Safe certificate valid?"

            He gives her a sheepish look. "Unfortunately, no. I don't know what the standards are in Spain, but you have to take the B.C. Canadian Food Safe course. I wish I could tell you otherwise, but we are required by law to do this."

           
Geez, Food Safe is Food Safe everywhere. Why would it be different here? Strange country.
"Okay, where can I take it?"

            He casts her a reassuring smile. "You can take it at the regional district downtown. It's only a one-day course and it doesn't cost much."

            Maria smiles at him. She loves the way he tries to convince her that this obstacle is not as cumbersome as it appears. "So, when can I start the job?"

            "How about tomorrow afternoon at four? That should give you enough time after school ends to get here."

            Maria’s heart begins to race.
I can't tell him that I dropped out of school.
"Sure."

            "Welcome to the team, Maria. I'm really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow," he says, extending his hand to her.

            The feel of his hand on hers makes her tingle all over with excitement. "Thank you…"

            "Jeremy."

            The sound of him pronouncing his name is music to her ears. Working with him will be far more exciting than making money.

****

            Maria is confronted by an icy gust of wind the moment she steps outside. It causes her cheeks to turn red, but she doesn't feel the sting of the cold because her body is still numb from excitement. She walks across the parking lot to her car with her head held high. But as she searches for her car keys, she hears a man's voice yell, "Hey." When she looks over her left shoulder, she sees Alex and Marissa.

            "Maria, right?" he says.

            "Yes," she says. She notices the smile on Marissa's face. It appears that she is much more relaxed than she was on Saturday night, and Maria can understand why.

            Creases form on his brow. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

            "I'm not going there anymore, remember?"
Man it's a
good thing I told Jeremy yesterday that the teachers decided to take today off.

            He gives her a reflective look. "Oh, right."

            Marissa eyes her inquisitively. "So, what are you gonna do now?"

            "I actually just got a job here, at Highland Grill," she says, pointing at the building.

            Marissa's eyes widen. "What doing?"

            "Serving."

            "I'm also a server; at Ricki's Grill; part-time. It's a really fun job and it provides an excellent income on the side," she says, grinning at her boyfriend.

            Maria gives Alex a questionable look.

            "Well, it's good to have that money flowing while I'm negotiating deals with the big boys," he says, visibly uncomfortable by the look she gives him. "Anyway, congratulations on your new job. I take it, Anya's at school."

            "Yes she is," Maria says. She can’t help but notice the scornful look on Marissa's face.
How could her attitude change so abruptly at the mention of Anya? Does she hate her that much?

           
"Does Anya live with you?" Alex says.

            "Actually, I live with her."

            Marissa sniffs. "That must be a load of fun for you."

            Maria shoots her a pointed look. "Look, if you're going to hang with us, you better get used to her."

            "What if I only want to hang with you?" Marissa says, her eyes narrowed.

            Alex shoots her a piercing look. "Quit being so judgmental, Marissa."

            "Yeah, seriously. I can't leave Anya out in the cold. It's bad enough that her family rejects her and the people at school hate her. Marissa, Anya's a cool person, she really is. She just needs someone to take a chance on her."

            Marissa casts Maria a dubious look. "Haven't you already?"

            "Yes. But it would be more fun for her if she had a group of friends." Maria pulls a cigarette out of her pocket. That is when she remembers that she has left the lighter in her car.

            "Okay," Marissa says, her voice filled with doubt.

            "Babe, it's not hard to do," Alex says.

            "I really need a smoke," Maria says.

            "Then have one," he says.

            "Not here. It’s flippin’ cold. I'd rather go somewhere warm."

            "Then come over to our place," he says.

            "I don't remember where you live."

            "I'll come with you. I know the way," Marissa says.