(a Lost Episode set after Dinner Talk)
By Emily
Isabel sighed happily as she looked around the table. Dinner was probably one of her favorite times. She loved it when her family all came together to eat and talk about their day. She wished Michael could've been here. But he said that he didn't want to intrude on their family too much.
"So, how was the first day of school?" Diane Evans asked as she brought out the main course. Her baked chicken and white rice was an Evans family favorite. She served it up with fresh green beans heaped with butter and a basketful of rolls.
"Okay," Max answered as he helped himself to a roll.
Diane smiled at her quiet young son. "Isabel, please... I know you'll have something good to say."
"Well, our teacher is a total dork." Isabel wrinkled her nose as she passed the green beans to Phillip Evans.
Phillip laughed merrily. "That's it?"
"Who's in your class this year?" Diane cut in.
"Liz Parker for one thing," Isabel replied, giving Max a meaningful look.
Max blushed and pretended like he was concentrating so much on cutting up his chicken that he didn't hear a thing Isabel was saying. His sister could be such a pain sometimes.
Diane and Phillip exchanged knowing looks and smiles. "Liz Parker, huh?" Phillip asked. "Doesn't her dad run the Crashdown?"
"Yeah," Max whispered down into his green beans. "She sits next to me this year."
"Gracie Cohen and Maggie Sherman are in our class too," Isabel informed her parents excitedly. "They're two of the coolest girls in school."
"Oh, I see," Diane answered, raising her eyebrows. "I think my baby is the coolest girl in school."
Isabel blushed. "Mom!" she cried, laughing a little.
"You have butter on your chin, honey," Phillip told his daughter.
"I'll get it," Max informed him importantly as he carefully wiped his sister's chin.
"I'm not a baby, Max!" Isabel whacked him playfully.
"Ow. What are you turning into, Maria DeLuca?"
"Michael would love that," Isabel returned with a smile.
Diane and Phillip watched their two very special children with pride. It was so nice to see them acting like normal siblings every once in a while. And it was just wonderful having children to share their lives with, no matter where they had originally come from.
Michael Guerin stood a few feet outside the Evans' dining room window, watching the whole scene. It seemed like he was always on the outside looking in. But he wanted it that way anyway. At least that's what he had to tell himself to ease the hurt a little. Nobody wanted him like the Evanses wanted Isabel and Max. And could he blame them?
A few minutes ago he had been standing outside the Crashdown Cafe. Watching the warmth and light from the cold dark night, and not ever feeling it himself. Story of his life. The warmth and light of everybody inside that Cafe, even that stupid girl Maria with her blond curls that drove him crazy. And the way she was always laughing. What was the matter with her anyway? He didn't know and he didn't care.
So he shot her one more dark look that she couldn't even see anyway. He was almost tempted to trace her face in the fog on the Crashdown Cafe's windows. But he stepped away, his lone footsteps pounding down the pavement again.
He clutched his thin jacket tighter around him, suddenly feeling small and alone as he gazed longingly through the window at the happy, laughing family as they talked and shared and ate dinner together just like the families on tv. Izzy had been hurt when he said he didn't want to come over for dinner tonight. But he just couldn't handle it.
He briefly thought about ringing the doorbell and saying he changed his mind. But no. It wouldn't be right. Even though he knew they'd welcome him. If he was there, he'd feel like even more of an outsider than he did when he was just standing outside and watching them. Because he'd be there, in the same room with them. Knowing they had something that he could only dream about. And what right did he have to dream anyway? He swiped impatiently, desperately, at his eyes as he turned and walked back down the street. Time to begin his long and lonely walk back to the trailer.
He stopped by the Crashdown one more time on his way back, just to see again. Not because he wanted to see Maria and feel her glowing vibes that somehow called to him or anything crazy like that. Just because he wanted to see. Get another glimpse into how the other half lived. And if his eyes happened to stay on her for longer than anybody else, well... It was just because he was strategizing how to torture her and her uglypuss self this year.
Michael opened the door to the trailer, careful not to let it squeak too loud, just in case. But he was safe. At least for tonight. Hank was asleep on the couch, as usual. Probably passed out, judging from the empty six-pack lying next to his dangling arm.
He looked down at Hank and then covered him up with the old afghan Hank's mom had made a long, long time ago. He didn't know why he bothered. But he did it every night anyway. Hank never said anything about it. Maybe he just didn't know how.
He took a microwave meal out of their pitifully empty freezer and began to heat it up, listening to Hank's gutteral grunts and snores. "So," he whispered sadly to himself. "How was my first day at school?"
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