I stumbled around a little, the ground at times felt like it had disappeared under me.

I almost felt like I was flying. Until Maria held onto me... guiding me... Oh God I wasn't so sure if that was a good or bad thing.

We managed to find the correct isle and I stood there watching her make funny faces. Her index finger touched her mouth as she talked to herself. I think. Or was she talking to me?

She finally decided on a few bottles of liquor and proceeded to heaven knows where. *Come on Max...* she spoke, waving me to *follow*.

~

Hmmmm... pears. I thought to myself as I felt the soft exterior of the bosc pears in the fruit isle. My hands ran over several pears scoping out the soft but firm feel to utter ripeness.

"Perfect."

Smiling, I took it bringing it up to my mouth to take a bite, just as Maria screamed to stay focused. I had NO idea what she was talking about, grinning I placed the pear in my sweatshirt pocket and followed her into the home houseware section.

"Maria, what are you doing with all that stuff?"

I asked just as she stopped in front of a row of blenders.

too!

Yeah, I was thinking of just making a really huge mess.

"Cold?"

I look over at her quizzically.

"OH! Cold."

It dawns on me. My eyes try to focus as my hand slips over them, waving. The drinks begin to boil. No. That wasn't right. One more time... aww... slush. Or did they call them Icee's?

Grinning, I look up at her as if I had just accomplished the hardest task ever.

I watch as she plops down in front of me, downing one bottle after the other.

"Blech... and you say that tabasco sauce is bad with Coke?"

Her and that damn Pepsi. By the end of it, I would convince her she hated it.

I slouch back into the lumpy chair and look over at her,

"So... dogs or cats?"

"You want me to what?"

I look over at her a little confused by the prospect.

"And push you where exactly?"

A little hesitation and a few minutes later I found myself pushing her down isles.

Stop.

Razors. I grab a pack of them and throw them inside with her. I can see her questioning me as I reply,

"What? I need to shave."

Shrugging it off, I continue on grinning,

"Okay. Dogs. Cool. You're turn. Ask me a question."

"Didn't Fraggle Rock used to have a hole or something and one of them were afraid to come out? Or something like that? Yeah... yeah... definitely the muppets."

I reply as I throw in a can of shaving creme as I think really hard on another one to stump her.

Wait. Did she say skittles?

"Did you say skittles? As in candy?"

Maria's finishes her bag of M&M's as Max suggests they get cleaned up.

What the hell, did he magically turn sober? Must be some creepy alien thing.

"Yeah, sure Max... which sink you claiming? Because in case you haven't noticed, there are no showers around here. Or hot tubs... god, I could use a nice hot bath, and some... pixie sticks."

She grabs a package, carefully tears it open, and immediately drops them on the floor.

"Oops."

Maria picks them up, and rips open a purple one, pouring the powder into her mouth.

"Of sinks?! Well... okay. But you, mister, are not following me into the women's restroom. You men have your own."

She suddenly feels a rush of irritation towards the male gender, and starts babbling about Michael again as they make their way towards the bathrooms as soon as Maria climbs back into the shopping cart.

"... and you know, it's not as though I wasn't hungry, I just didn't want what he had ordered, and... "

She grabs a few plastic-wrapped loofas and some body wash as she continues,

"... so he just decided to screw food and kick me out. I don't know why he had to... be such an ask... I mean, ass."

Maria then starts laughing at herself, and each time she tries to stop she only laughs harder, and then suddenly stops and looks Max straight in the eye.