Roswell Fanatics

Winner-Round 11







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Title: Obsessed
Author: Evelynn
Disclaimer: I only own what my mind conjures up and intend no infringement.
Category: AA. AU. Max-centered.
Rating: MATURE
Summary: A little obsession never hurt anyone …
Beta(s): Smac
Banner Artist: RosDude aka ChadDude


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Prologue:
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Deep attraction. Hidden affinity. Intense fascination.

Those are the terms that Max prefers.

The word obsession makes it seem unhealthy and neurotic.

But it’s nothing like that. It’s harmless intrigue.

Obsessions aren’t dangerous things. At least, not where Max is concerned.

It isn’t like she consumes his every thought. It isn’t like he follows her every move. It isn’t like he’s going to take it too far.

Jack the Ripper, the serial killer …
Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker …
Mark Chapman, the guy who killed John Lennon …

Those are people who step over the line. Those are people who don’t know the limit. Those are people who lose control.

And Max isn’t like them. He draws the line. He knows his limit. He is always in control.

So it’s nothing like that.

It is harmless.

He is harmless.

He’s just a little obsessed.

And a little obsession never hurt anyone …



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Chapter One:
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“So how are your classes going?”

He sits in an armchair of a small and tidy makeshift home office, not really paying attention to the question being asked of him. It isn’t what he wants to talk about. And if it isn’t what he wants to talk about, Max can care less.

His shoulders shrug nonchalantly and his eyes roll at the man across the room. Geoffrey should know by now that Max doesn’t want to talk about classes. After all, they’ve been at this for going on four years.

“So, so,” Max answers with an annoyed sigh. School isn’t what is on his mind. It isn’t what feeds his fixation. “I mean, classes have only been in session for about three weeks now.”

“That’s good,” Geoff nods his head at the disturbed twenty year old boy sitting in the room with him. “So things are going well?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I … um,” Max licks his lips, his interest peaking as he gets to the topic at hand, the reason for his house visit to Geoff. “I met someone.”

“Met someone?” Geoff echoes the words slowly, knowing fully well what is to come next.

“Yeah … um …” a grin creeps up Max’s face while too many thoughts ambush his mind to speak them all clearly and coherently.

It makes Geoff cringe inside how Max’s face and being seem to get a visible high from just the thought of another possible prospect to fuel his obsessions. Shaking his head, all Geoff can get out is an ominous, “Max-”

“This is different,” his hurried interruption and his jumbled mind force Max to stand and pace. He needs to sort his thoughts in order to express them all without losing one juicy detail in the process.

“You know they provide professional therapy at your university,” Geoff tries to reason with him, abundantly aware of the troubles that lay hidden inside of this normal looking, potential filled, young man. But he knows it is pointless, his voice trailing off as he continues, “You’re already paying for it in your fees-“

“I don’t need therapy,” Max waves away the idea with a quick flick of the wrist, having heard the same advice from his own father, his mother, officers of the law, even from Geoff himself on numerous occasions before.

“Then why do you drive an hour, from Artesia, just to come here and talk with me?” Geoff asks with a raised eyebrow, but the blatant logic of the situation escapes Max, as it always does.

“Because you listen,” Max says simply, shrugging his shoulders, a wide grin on his face. “You listen without all that psycho babble.”

“I’m just a high school guidance counselor, Max,” Geoff sighs out, his decade of work making him look older than his thirty two years. “I’m not adept enough to help you through your situation.”

“But you’re also my friend, Geoff,” Max says, keeping the low grin on his face. He is fully aware of Geoff’s weakness for helping others in need and Max knows the exact way to exploit it. Forcing a vulnerable look to come across his face, he asks, “Aren’t you?”

“Of course I am,“ Geoff mumbles, conscious of the undeniable fact that Max is one superb liar.

“And I just need a friend to talk to,” Max shrugs out the comment, effortlessly manipulating the turn of topic into his favor. His impure thoughts gleam in his eyes once again.

“Of course,” Geoff nods in defeat, leaning back in his chair. He waves a hand for Max to continue with their conversation, saying, “So tell me about this girl. Did you meet her in one of your classes?”

“Yeah,” Max nods along with his reply, a glazed look entering his eyes. Geoff can only guess as to what deviant thoughts lay behind them as Max continues, “She’s in my Japanese Studies class.”

“What’s her name?” Geoff asks the question he knows will reveal the truth of Max’s relationship with the girl … or lack thereof.

He smiles sweetly, exciting images of his current interest running through Max’s head as the words tumble from his lips, “I don’t know yet.”

“Max-“

“This is different,” he interrupts again with more urgency as his anticipation of the plans his mind is forming for the weeks to come grows wilder. Thoughts of her flash over his eyes as he sits there, staring forward.

“That’s what you said about Maria,” Geoff sounds off, staggering as he remembers with a sense of déjà vu, reminding Max, “You remember Maria? The girl that you met your first year at college? The one that got a restraining order put against you?”

“This is different,” Max shrugs off, as though his simple reply explains away all of his past indiscretions.

“Or different like Courtney?” Geoff watches as Max’s head picks up at the mention of her name. “Your sophomore year of high school? Remember her?”

“Yeah,” he says, nodding his head slowly and remembering back fondly. How can he forget her? Courtney was the first. And you always remember your first. “But trust me, this is different.”

Geoff says nothing while Max continues on, dominating the conversation, as always.

“Maria reminded me of Courtney. Leggy blonde with bright eyes,” Max explains away impatiently to Geoff, as though the older man should understand by now. “With this girl, it’s different.”

Geoff just sighs out, shaking his head, glancing at the watch around his wrist, and standing from his chair behind his desk. “Max, we’re going to have to cut this short. I have to find a new babysitter since my last one quit.”

“Babysitter?” the word leaves Max’s lips terrifically.

Geoff can only stare back. “Yes. I have a three year old son … Kyle.”

Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t shock Geoff that Max knows nothing about Geoff’s personal life. Their time together is never about Geoff. He must have mentioned Kyle’s name over a dozen times in the years he has known Max. But every time, it probably just floats over the boy’s head. Max never wants to discuss anything other than his current object of obsession.

“But I’m not done talking,” Max says deftly, a sneer forming on his face. Max takes a purposeful seat, resting his head on his laced fingers. He eyes Geoff, daring the older man to flee, to abandon him.

Geoff wordlessly sits, astounded at the part of him that allows a boy, twelve years his junior, to take control of the situation as Max always does.

“I’ve played scenarios in my head on how I can approach her,” Max resumes the conversation without prompting from Geoff, knowing he has Geoff’s attention without even having to look at the man.

“You have?” Geoff asks almost automatically.

“Yeah,” Max nods his head emphatically, his eyes practically glowing with each added word. “All the time.”

“Tell me one,” Geoff encourages Max to delve further.

“Like,” Max starts, licking his lips as the endless possibilities enter his mind. “I could try sitting next to her in class one day and ask her for a pencil. And she’ll give me one because she’s nice like that,” Max remarks, as though he knows the girl. “And then I’ll introduce myself to her. And then she’ll tell me her name. And then she’ll give me one of her lopsided smiles. Because all of her smiles are these lopsided smiles.”

The last statement of Max’s implied an intimacy with a girl that Geoff knows is nothing but a complete stranger to Max.

“Or,” Max continues on, his hand gestures growing wild. “I can sit down with her during breakfast in the Quad.” Max pauses shortly, turning and making a side note to Geoff, explaining, “That’s where she likes to have her breakfast. Anyway,” he stands and paces once more, unable to contain his excitement. “I can sit down with her and pretend like I thought she was someone I knew. And she’ll tell me I’m mistaken. And I’ll apologize and introduce myself to her. And then she’ll tell me her name. And then again, with the lopsided smile.”

Staring, Geoff can see even the physical changes that the idea of this girl arouses in Max. Max’s breaths are quickening. His pulse is rising. He feels more alive. “Or-“

“Max,” Geoff stops him, making sure he has the boy’s attention before continuing on. “Why don’t you actually try out one of these scenarios of yours?”

He just looks at Geoff with an unbelieving expression on his face, as though Geoff is moronic, saying, “Because that’s not how it works.”

“How what works?”

“The process,” Max speaks slowly, as though talking to a child. He doesn’t want to have to explain this. It is common knowledge as far as Max is concerned.

“What process?” Geoff’s confusion is obvious. He does not understand at all.

“You can’t screw with the process!” Max’s anger alludes to his frustration at the break in his train of thought.

“Okay,” Geoff holds his hands up in defeat. “Okay.”

“Like I was saying,” Max tries to start once again.

But Geoff continues on, “This sounds just like the situations with Courtney and Maria.”

“It’s not,” Max says forcefully, taking his seat again. “It’s completely different.”

Geoff shakes his head, not believing Max’s words. “You can’t let your obsessions take over-“

“I’m not obsessed!” Max snarls back at him. “I draw the line. I know my limit. I’m always in control.”

“Like you were with Courtney?” Geoff challenges the boy, not backing down. “Before she caught you in the girls’ locker room and almost had you expelled? Like you were with Maria? Before she had a restraining order put on you and she transferred schools?”

Max calms himself, unfazed by the accusations, his charm channeling into a smile, saying simply, “This is different.”

“How different?” Geoff asks warily, unsure of what to expect from Max. As far as Geoff is concerned, Max is a troubled, rich boy with the knowledge and ability to manipulate and control. It is a lethal combination.

“Very different.” Max smiles sweetly, images of her dancing through his head once more. “She’s a brunette.”



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Chapter Two:
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They’ve met twice a week for two weeks now, always in Geoff’s neat, little study, always with Max ranting while he sits or paces, always about this girl.

“She doesn’t care about what other people think. You should see how she walks around on campus, always with headphones on her head and a cigarette in her hand. She blocks out the rest of the world. She’s not superficial,” he rambles on. He paces as he tends to do, going off on tangents, spewing any thoughts of her that come to his mind.

“Courtney was superficial,” Max keeps on, making a face and rolling his eyes. “Always with the make-up and the hair. And Maria was superficial. That bitch just wouldn’t stop yapping.”

Geoff can’t help noting that four years ago, Courtney was like a goddess, unworthy of those roaming the halls to gaze upon. And not long ago, Maria’s voice was music to Max’s ears.

“But this girl, no,” he laughs as he paces with his smile set brighter than ever. “This girl comes to class in the wildest pajama bottoms with these monkeys on them, and she doesn’t give a rat’s ass what people think.” Max stops and he looks at Geoff with wide eyes as he says dreamily, “She’s perfect.”

Trying his best to keep his uneasiness show, Geoff sighs out, “Max-“

“No,” Max interrupts, because he won’t hear otherwise, because in his eyes, “She is just absolutely perfect, man. I mean, look at this …”

Max pulls out a small device from his pocket, pushing a button and holding it out for Geoff to read the screen.

Noting the hot pink colored cover, Geoff’s eyes widen and he looks amazedly at Max. “Wait, is that hers?”

But the boy only nods excitedly, pointing toward the screen, “Look-“

“You stole her i-pod?” the question leaves his lips hushed as Geoff’s mind races at the boundaries Max has crossed. Last week, Max was only watching her at a distance. Now he was taking her things? What will the next week bring?

“I didn’t steal it,” Max says unblinkingly, appalled that Geoff would even suggest such a thing. “I’m just borrowing it. But look … there’s like over five hundred songs here and look what she has on repeat. Look!”

“Colorblind,” Geoff reads off the screen.

“Counting Crows. Counting-freaking-Crows!” Max laughs triumphantly, throwing his hands in the air. Then he sighs and smiles widely. “She’s perfect.”

“Why don’t you try introducing yourself to her, actually getting to know her before you deem her perfect.” Courtney was perfect his sophomore year of high school. Maria was perfect just over a year ago.

“I know all there is to know about her,” Max says with such confident arrogance in his voice, his posture, his being.

“Really?” The thought is hard to believe, seeing how, as far as Geoff knows, Max had yet to speak to the girl.

“Yeah,” Max says, walking slowly over to the desk, leaning on it, staring down at Geoff. “I know she likes soy milk with her cheerios for breakfast. I know she likes to sit in the aisle seat of the fourth row in all her classes. I know she has a gay friend named Eddie. I know she goes to the gym every Tuesday and Thursday morning.”

Thoughts occur in Geoff’s mind. He shakes his head while he groans out, “Tell me you haven’t been following her around.” But Geoff shouldn’t be surprised. He should have seen it coming. It happened with Courtney. It happened with Maria.

“I haven’t, Geoff,” Max lies so easily, so believably, with an innocent smile on his lips. “I draw the line. I know my limit. I’m always in control.”

Pointing out that Max had used those exact words when discussing Maria before the restraining order is pointless. Geoff knows that. After all, he’s been having these talks with Max on and off for four years now.

But it’s his job to at least try to reach out to this troubled child, no matter how unfruitful his attempts are. “I’m just saying. Why don’t you try starting a conversation with her? Actually talking to her.”

“I will,” Max smiles out, backing off and taking his seat across the room. “I will, Geoff. I’m just … picking my moment.”

Geoff watches Max put the hot pink device back into his pocket before his hand reappears with another rectangular object, passing it through his fingers. A flame appearing and disappearing as he rhythmically turned the wheel.

“Is that a lighter?” his worry comes through unchecked as Geoff voices his thoughts almost automatically.

Back in the tenth grade, Max was sent to A.E.D., Alternative Education for Delinquent students, for two weeks for having a lighter on campus. It would have just been one day of O.S.S., out of school suspension, had he not lit his homework on fire in the middle of class. Geoff knew this, having worked at West Roswell High for two weeks before being handed Max’s file to flit through.

After Max’s hotshot lawyer father made a hefty donation to the school, which resulted in a change of heart from the superintendent, Max was let back into West Roswell High. He started paying Geoff visits weekly then, of his own accord. To talk. It was also when the disturbed young man started noticing Courtney and she became his first love.

Seeing Max continue to stare at the flame as he passed a finger unflinchingly through it, Geoff repeats his question with a more confident voice, “What are you doing with a lighter?”

“Yeah. I’m just … picking my moment,” Max starts again as he smirks with a look that shows, as plain as day, the cockiness that lay underneath. “She favors her black messenger bag that she wears,” Max explains. “But sometimes, she wears a red one. And when she wears the red one, she always forgets her lighter.” He holds the lighter up, flicking it at a rhythmic pace. “Instant conversation starter.”

An uneasiness settles over Geoff once more. Try as he may, he can’t seem to shake it off. “Max … I know you’re harmless. But other people … other people might get the wrong idea.”At least, after their first few meetings, Geoff thought Max was harmless. But now he’s not so sure.

“I am harmless,” Max says decisively, but a small gleam in his eyes told another tale, one that he hid well to the rest of the world behind sweet smiles and an innocent face.

There’s an awkward silence between the two with Geoff staring at Max, trying to figure him out, and Max staring at nothing, focusing on the thoughts in his head, trying to group them in the way he wanted the conversation to play out.

“I got her name,” Max breaks the silence. “Beth,” he lets her name roll off his tongue with such pleasure and excitement.

“Really?” Geoff asks, somewhat astonished. “Did you talk to her?”

“No,” Max shrugs out. Talking to her isn’t an essential part of the process at the moment. The important thing is getting to know her, finding out all he can about her, her life, her habits, her mannerisms, everything.

“How did you get her name, Max?” Geoff asks warily. Did he overhear it? Is he getting as close to this girl as he did with Courtney?

“It was on the top of her transcript,” he smiles his answer, looking proud at his stealth. “Along with her class schedule.”

“How did you-“

“She dropped it,” he hurriedly brushes away, the conversation not leading where he wants. He effortlessly guides it back on track. How he obtains his information isn’t important. What is important is her. “She has a t-shirt that says ‘Hugs not drugs’. There’s a D.A.R.E. bumper sticker on the back of her car. And she smokes like a chimney. How crazy is that? How crazy is she? Isn’t she perfect?”

Geoff sits back as Max rattles off again. How many girls have there been? Geoff only knew of two, Courtney and Maria. Both had ended badly. Both had the same signs and symptoms as this one.

“She wears hot pink nail polish on her fingers,” Max stands and paces. “But black on her toes. Isn’t she wild?” Sweet smiles veil the deviance of his nature, of his interest, of his obsession. “Isn’t she perfect?”



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Chapter Three:
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The doorbell rings shortly after nine o’clock on a Friday night. With his wallet open, thinking it’s the pizza he called to order twenty five minutes ago, Geoff goes to open the door, somewhat surprised at the person standing on the other side. “Max? What are you doing here?”

Geoff’s visitor rushes in without invitation. “I need to talk to you,” Max hurries out, visibly upset.

But Geoff stays standing, his hand still on the doorknob. “Max, I…” he licks his lips a few times, wondering over what’s gotten Max this way. “I’m on my way out to a dinner party. My niece is already here to baby-sit for me.”

“Real quick,” Max says, standing an inch taller than Geoff, his eyes speaking volumes. “It’s important.”

“Alright,” Geoff nods his head, pointing in one direction of the house. “In my office.”

He watches Max disappear into a room before he closes the door slowly, sighing.

“Was that the pizza?” His niece asks, walking out of the kitchen and into the living room.

“No,” Geoff shakes his head. “I’ll just be a second,” he murmurs to her, walking to his office, bracing himself for what Max might have to say.

He walks in to find Max already pacing back and forth on one side of the room. “What is it?” Geoff asks, taking a seat at his desk.

“She started seeing this guy,” the words rush together out of Max’s lips.

Geoff watches on as Max’s pacing quickens and his hands wring together in anxiously. “And how do you feel about that?”

But Max keeps on as though Geoff’s words don’t even register. “She started seeing this guy. Sean something or other. They went out to the movies together. She was holding his hand. They shared a popcorn. He whispered in her ear. She giggled. She smiled her lopsided smile at him.” He finishes his speel with a groan that sounds like an animal in pain. “He’s messing it all up!”

“Messing what up?” Geoff asks cautiously. There have been other people involved before. Police, parents, faculty, but never a boyfriend.

“The process!” Max spits the words out, dropping to the couch in order to stop his pacing and gain some semblance of control, though his hands continue to run through his hair. He leans forward, with his face in his hands, thinking.

“Max, if she has a boyfriend,” Geoff tries to reason, imagining another irrational boy of Max’s age, who might very well do physical harm to Max. Courtney’s father had been close, but there were others around to stop any altercations. This situation is different. “Maybe you shouldn’t interfere with her life anymore.”

Geoff watches on as Max sits in silence, thinking maybe his words actually got through to the boy. But Max looks up with a cool smile on his face, control and composure returning to him. “No,” Max says evenly. “No, I’ll have to get rid of him.”

Geoff blinks. “What?”

“Yeah,” Max’s grin widens, thoughts forming in his head. “Yeah, that’s it.”

Rising from his chair to stare down at Max, Geoff tries to gage the boy’s intentions, but Max isn’t even looking at him. “Max, maybe you should think out what you’re saying here.”

“She’s perfect,” Max stares back, unwavering at Geoff’s tone. “She’s perfect and he doesn’t deserve her. He doesn’t know anything about her.”

“And you do?” Geoff laughs out.

Max stands too, still calm, still in control, listing out, “Her favorite color is red. She likes to do her grocery shopping at Walmart at two in the morning on Wednesdays. She writes in a leather bound journal every night. Her dog’s name is Rex.”

Geoff’s hands hit the desk, his frustration leaking through, “Max, get over these obsessions!”

“I’m not obsessed!” Max fights back with equal force.

The tension is thick when a soft knock sounds at the door before it opens slowly. “Hey, Uncle Geoff?” His niece steps into the room, right in the middle of the stare down. “Oops, sorry. I didn’t know you were busy.”

Geoff breaks first, sitting back in his chair in surrender, disbelief in his eyes. He turns to his niece. “It’s alright. What is it, Bethany?”

“The pizza guy is here,” she explains, aware of the hostility in the room and curious as to what would agitate her usually passive uncle.

“Okay.” Geoff opens his wallet and holds out a twenty dollar bill for her.

She takes it and heads to leave the room, but stops to stare at Max. “Hey, don’t you go to New Mexico State?”

Geoff hasn’t noticed until now that Max is staring back, a low grin on his face. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

She gives him a lopsided smile, narrowing her eyes and thinking. Her eyes brightening as it comes to her, “Are you in my Japanese Studies class? With Professor Singer?”

“Yeah,” Max nods slowly. “I am.”

“Yeah,” her smile widens. “I remember seeing you. I’m Beth, by the way.” She holds out her hand for Max to shake, her hot pink polished fingernails staring back at Geoff.

“Max. Max Evans,” he takes her hand in both of his, giving her a look that Geoff doesn’t want to decipher.

“…Beth…” Geoff struggles to make clear of his thoughts, staring at Max as realization dawns on him. With his throat dry and uneasiness ebbing in, he tells her, “Bethany … why don’t you pay the pizza guy and go on upstairs and check on Kyle. He should be waking from his nap soon.”

“Okay,” she smiles to her uncle before turning back to Max. “It was nice meeting you.” Beth gives him another lopsided smile before she exits, closing the door behind her.

It takes Geoff a few moments before he can find his voice again, though his apprehension refuses to dissipate. His words come out tight, “What’s going on, Max?”

Turning to face Geoff, a somewhat hesitant grin appears on Max’s face as he shrugs with his eyebrows raised, “Small world, isn’t it?”



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He can feel the pain vibrate through his body as he hits the concrete hard. He barely has time to look back before Geoff yells menacingly from the porch, pointing a loaded finger in Max’s face, “Stay the hell away from my niece. I’m going straight to the goddamn police so you won’t be able to go within a hundred yards of her.” Geoff pulls Max up harshly by the collar. “You hear me? Stay the fuck away from her, you freak.”

He drops Max onto the sidewalk once again before storming back into the house. Max hears the door slam and the locks and bolts close before he stands, brushing himself off. With his hands in his pockets, he walks leisurely away from the house and towards his car. Being threatened and thrown out isn’t a new experience for him. The same thing happened with Pam Troy, Laurie Dupree, and Serena Harding.

It didn’t faze him then and it’s not going to faze him now.



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Epilogue:
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Turns out, they were just empty threats. Geoff never got the restraining order. No police officer came to deliver Max the papers. No detective came to ask Max questions. Knowing her like he does, Max is positive it is Beth’s doing. She doesn’t want the drama of it. She transferred schools though. Or maybe she just dropped out of his Japanese Studies class. Either way, she’s gone … just like the rest of them. Pity.

He exits the building, his last class for the day having ended. Reaching in his pocket for his car keys, he heads towards the parking lot to make the short drive back to his apartment. That is, until something stops him halfway there, or rather, someone.

Max nearly loses his balance for a moment, but stays standing. The other person isn’t as fortunate. He frowns down at her as she scrambles around on the ground below him, her things scattered everywhere around her.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she gushes out, her hands frantically reaching out at loose papers and books.

Max bends down to help her, picking up a book and glancing over the cover. Japanese Studies. Interesting.

He stares at the girl as she straightens, standing a head shorter than him. His frown disappears. Something about her makes him stick his hand out and say, “I’m Max.” And that’s never happened before, ever.

“Liz Parker,” she shakes his hand eagerly before apologizing in earnest, “Sorry I bumped into you and all.” He holds the book out for her and she accepts it from his hand, her touch lingering. “I’m late for my bio exam,” she explains, trying to pull herself together. “Thank you. And sorry again.”

Her words all rush together, but for some reason, he finds himself hanging onto each syllable she speaks. She hurries off and he stares after her, her dark hair blowing wilding in the wind as she runs, swerving in between and around people, nearly colliding into a trash can and a tree.

A low grin creeps up his face. “Liz Parker,” he lets the name roll over his tongue.

He turns away, stopping as his foot catches on something. He reaches down and picks up a composition book. He’s sure it’s hers, smiling to himself. It’s not a lighter, but something tells him that it makes for an even better conversation starter.

Max smiles again and thinks for a half second before turning from the parking lot and heading towards the Biology building. Short brunettes are more his style. They’re a lot easier to follow, that is for sure.



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The End.


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