Running Alone (AU,M/L,ADULT) Chp10 12/27/12 [WIP]

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bellaresop
Enthusiastic Roswellian
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:50 pm

Running Alone (AU,M/L,ADULT) Chp10 12/27/12 [WIP]

Post by bellaresop »

Title: Running Alone

Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended."

Pairings/Couples/Category: Max/Liz. Alternate Universe. No Aliens in this fic.

Rating: Adult

Summary: Liz Parker is starting her senior year of high school. Being in one of the richest families and being in the most popular click definitely suggests that she's got everything, but her life is far from perfect. She finds comfort and kinship in a fellow teacher. Will it lead to more? And what will happen when she goes through her darkest struggle yet?

Author's Note: This story will eventually deal with rape. And there is a bit of controversy seeing as it does deal with a student/teacher eventually getting together. Max is 24 and Liz is 17.




Chapter 1



Liz Parker groaned for what seemed like the hundredth time.

It was her first day of senior year and she could not find her last class of the day.

She really thought she'd covered this whole building during orientation back when she'd started freshman year.

Apparently not, She ruefully decided.

Liz's apprehension grew when she saw the yellow color of the lockers.

"This is freshman wing!" Liz whimpered, putting her head in her hands. "Not good, so not good..."

She looked over at the clock and felt her tension mount.

If she didn't get a move on and figure out where in the hell she was supposed to be pronto, she was gonna be late.

That word was so foreign to her.

Liz Parker was going to be late.

Liz could not be late, that just was not an option. She'd never been late for a thing in her life, and she sure as shit wasn't going to start now.

She looked up at the clock and realized she may not have a choice in the matter.

She was gonna be late for class and get...detention.

She could feel her nerves build up as she thought about what her parents would say...what they would do...to her.

Life really was a bitch and than you died was all Liz could think right at this very moment.

She looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

Two minutes left.

Maybe if she really hauled ass, she could get the hell off this wing.

Liz took off and started racing down the halls again. She was half way to the yellow lockers when she felt herself slam into a solid form, the impact of the force crashing them both to the ground.

Liz moaned at the pain she felt in her back as fell to the ground. She could've sworn it cracked.

Not wanting this stranger she'd crashed into to see her tears, she hid her face in the floor.

"Oh my God," An older man's voice said full of worry and sorrow. "Kid, are you okay?"

Liz took in a deep breath as she struggled to stop her tears. She couldn't let this guy see her cry, she couldn't. "I'll live," She croaked out.

The guy gently smiled at her. "You've gotta be hurt, I saw how you fell, straight onto your back. I bet it hurts like hell." She felt him gently touch her shoulder. "Here, let me help you up. I'll take you the nurse's office."

At that statement, Liz found the strength to make her tears stop. That could not happen. If she went to the nurse's office, they'd call her parents, and if they called her parents, her parents would come down here and if her parents came down here....

Liz felt her head spin at those ideas. Oh, no, no, no. That just was not an option.

She lifted her head and any words that were going to come out of her mouth completely died when her eyes met his.

Right in front of her face was the most gorgeous guy she'd ever laid eyes upon before in her life.

Their eyes met and for a brief second she felt like he was looking right into her soul and she was looking right into his.

"Hey," The guy gently touched her face and it made her shiver. "you're not gonna pass out on me, are you?" He shook his head. "You know what, it's okay. I'll just carry you to the office and it'll be okay..."

Just like that, Liz got her senses back. "No!" She quickly shouted. "I don't need to go see the nurse. I am fine, I promise."

He looked hesitant. "Are you sure? You took a pretty bad fall."

Liz smiled at his obvious concern. Back in the fifth grade she'd broken her arm falling out of a tree and her dad couldn't even be bothered to go to the hospital with her. She didn't even know this guy and he seemed to care more than her dad did.

"I'm positive." Liz assured him. "I'm sorry about knocking into you like that. Are you alright?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." He looked into her eyes with a look she couldn't quite define. "You know, in the future you may not want to run so fast," His brow furrowed as she detected a hint of scolding in them. "Or at all."

"Right," Liz quickly responded. "I shouldn't have ran into you at all, and I am so sorry about that. I never run like that usually, I promise."

Her eyes scanned over at the fallen papers out of a briefcase and she felt her heart stop.

A teacher.

She'd just ran into a fucking teacher.

Scratch that, she'd just been crushing on a teacher.

Just great, She thought sarcastically. My first day was going fine and the last hour of the day, I’m gonna get detention for running in the halls and knocking a teacher down in the process. Just fucking great.

The older guy suddenly broke out into a laugh. "Relax kid, I'm just messing with you."

Liz's eyes shot up. “Huh?” She already felt herself being so into him and the phrase ‘messing with you’ caused her mind to go places it really shouldn’t be going with a teacher.

He looked at her amused. “I was joking. You know? It’s that thing where someone says something and it’s like meant to be one of those things that makes the other person--”

“Right, right!” Liz laughed nervously. “I get it. I get what joking means. I’m not retarded.”

He laughed along with her. “I’m sure you’re not. You do seem like you might be a little lost though, Miss…”

“Parker.” Liz supplied and didn't miss the look of recognition in the man's eyes. Sadly everyone in town knew of her family. “Liz Parker. Sorry, I seem to have forgotten my manners along with my common sense all of a sudden.”

He laughed again. “Hey, it’s fine. First days can be very rocky. It's nice to meet you, Liz. I'm Max Evans, the kids call me Mr E though.”

Liz was surprised. Teachers never introduced themselves to her by their full name. There was something so different about him. Almost like he could be the kind of guy she could talk to, even with him being a teacher and all.

Max seemed to catch on to her surprise and he elaborated. “I like to try and get to know my students, so giving them my full name just seems to help ease things along.”

Liz smiled. “What makes you think I’m one of your students?”

“Senior, right?” Max said, pointing to her id pass.

Liz lightly chuckled. “You caught me.”

Max laughed also. “Well, seeing as with you being a senior and all….you have to take psychology in order to graduate…”

“So, you’re my psych teacher.” Liz realized, her eyes held noticeable relief.

“You seem happy about that.” Max noted. “Aw, were you worried you were gonna wind up with Mr Valenti?”

Liz nodded. “Immensely.”

Max laughed. “I would up stick for him, but he can be kind of a di--” He broke off as if he realized that he was talking to a student and not some girl he’d just met that was his own age. “Jerk. Big jerk.”

This time it was Liz's turn to smile at him in amusement. “I think I’m gonna like you, Mr E.”

Max smiled at her warmly. “I think I’m gonna like you too, Liz.” He reached down and helped her gather her papers and books.

“Thank you,” Liz smiled gratefully. “although, shouldn’t I be doing that? I mean, I did run into you. Still sorry about that.”

Max looked up at her, his eyes suddenly serious. “Well, just don’t do it again. This is a school, not a playground.”

Liz nodded, worry in her eyes. “I so will not, I promise. I was trying to find your class and not be late, but that’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have…”

"Liz, Liz!” Max cut her off with a slight laugh. “I am messing with you!”

“Oh,” Liz said and than gave a small smile. “You have to stop doing that to me. You’re like giving me two strokes in five minutes.”

“I’m that intimidating, huh?” Max smirked.

Liz rolled her eyes, feeling completely at ease with him now. “You’re a teacher. You could screw up my college plans, not to mention my record. Coming from two parents who expect nothing but perfection…”

“That’s just a parent’s right.” Max smiled at her. “If they didn’t love you, they wouldn’t be on your case. Remember that."

“I wish they did,” Liz muttered, sadness entering her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you. You okay?” Max asked with concern.

Liz quickly plastered on a fake smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.” A bell rings.

Max laughed. “Well, I am totally late.”

“Me too,” Liz sighed. “I was lost though, what’s your excuse?”

Max appeared to look thoughtful before replying. “Injured by a student.”

Liz laughed. “You’re funny.”

He shrugged. “Hey, I try.” He picked up his briefcase and stood up. “C’mon, I’ll show you to class. Unless, you were planning on skipping?”

Liz smirked. “Oh my parents would just love that! On second thought, maybe I’ll do that. It’s always nice to freak them out.”

“You’re mean.” Max noted with a hint of amusement.

Liz rolled her eyes. “Oh, you don’t know my parents.”

Liz stood up and she felt a shooting pain rip through her back. "Son of a bitch!" She slumped back to the ground and quickly covered her mouth. She really needed to quit while she was ahead with this guy.

Max felt himself slightly chuckle at the look of mortification on the girl's face for swearing in front of him.

"Oh god. Please, don't give me a detention Mr E." Liz pleaded, tears nearly coming into her eyes and it made Max's eyes soften. This poor girl was really afraid. "I wasn't expecting to feel such a sharp pain in my back like that, I'd never swear normally and..."

"Liz, Liz!" Max knelt down to her level. "I am not going to give you a detention, okay? You're not even in my class yet and you didn't really do anything wrong. I get why you sweared." He gave her a small smile. "Take my hand, I'll help you walk to the nurse's office."

"No!" Liz instantly responded. "I don't need to go, I'm fine."

Max raised his eyebrow at her stubbornness. "Wow, you are really strong willed. Most girls would be happy to go to the nurse's station and get out of school an hour early."

"Yeah, well I'm not most girls, okay? I have no one to come get me anyway." Liz told him. "My parents are really busy people and I have to keep moving. Life is hard and you can't just quit the moment things get rough."

Max looked at her stunned. This girl couldn't be any older than seventeen, but he could've sworn he was talking to a twenty six year old. "I don't care how busy your parents are, Liz....they're your parents. It's their job to take care of you."

Yeah right, Liz thought bitterly. They have never taken care of me. They may put a roof over my head and give me a five thousand dollar credit limit every month, but they haven't shown me love ever.

"I can take care of me, okay?" Liz responded. "I really need to finish this day. Don't make me go home, please."

Max seemed to consider her for a moment before nodding his head. "I admire your strength, Liz." He gently took her hand in his, helping her stand and watching her grimace. "I'm still taking you to the nurse's station. Make sure your back isn't fractured."

Liz sighed. "Fine, okay. If you must. I don't want my parents bothered though, okay? They are busy people. They wouldn't be happy if you called them."

Max helped Liz walk down the hallway, his arm around her waist.

“They can’t be that bad,” Max insisted.

“Tell ya what, you meet them and than we’ll talk.” Liz retorted.
Last edited by bellaresop on Thu Dec 27, 2012 5:19 pm, edited 9 times in total.
bellaresop
Enthusiastic Roswellian
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:50 pm

Re: Running Alone {M/L, AU, Adult} Chp1 Pg1 12/23/12

Post by bellaresop »

Thank you so much for the reviews so far everyone! I hope you all like this next chapter :)


Chapter 2




It was the morning of Senior Portraits day.

Liz critically looked at herself in the mirror for the tenth time in an half hour.

She was wearing one of her fancier white summer dresses and her hair was left down.

She quickly checked her watch.

Crap.

She had about twenty minutes left before she had to be in first period.

Liz sighed and quickly pulled her hair back into a simple ponytail.

That would have to do, she decided.

Liz grabbed her bag and quickly strutted down the stairs.

"Liz, is that what you're wearing to school today?"

Liz sighed as she heard the obvious disdain in her mother's voice and turned around to face her.

"Yes, it is." Liz answered briskly. "Why?"

Nancy Parker looked her daughter over critically. "I thought today was the day for senior portraits."

"It is." Liz answered.

"That's what you're wearing?" Nancy's voice was filled with disdain.

"I thought we covered this already, mother." Liz replied. "Yes, this is what I'm wearing, yes it's senior portrait day. I have to go or I'm going to be late. Wouldn't you just hate that?"

"Go," Nancy nodded, put off for the moment.

"Glad to have your permission," Liz said with a roll of her eyes.

"Liz, why do you insist on rebelling against me every chance you get?" Nancy demanded.

"Why do you insist on showing your disappointment in me every chance you get?" Liz shot back.

"I'll stop being disappointed in you when you stop giving me reasons to be disappointed." Nancy responded back harshly.

Liz could feel tears begin to sting her eyes and quickly pushed them back. She could show no weakness, that would only fuel her mother's disappointment in her.

"Thanks for the love, mom." Liz responded sarcastically before quickly fleeing out the door, slamming it behind her.

"What was that all about?" Jeff Parker asked as he came from the kitchen, a cup of coffee in the hand.

"Oh, the usual." Nancy replied. "I'm the bad guy as usual."

"But of course." Jeff smirked.

"Is it just too much to ask for our daughter show a little ambition? To take the proper steps into being the kind of daughter we raised?" Nancy asked with a sigh.

The smirk fell from Jeff's face and it was replaced with disappointment. "I don't know, baby. Sometimes I think you didn't give birth to her at all."

***

Liz practically sped to school and the car squeaked as it came to a stop, nearly hitting someone in her rage.

"Geez, Liz what the hell!" Tess Harding yelled in shock.

Liz sighed, the state she was in she'd go off on Tess even when she was the one in the wrong.

"Sorry about that," Liz said briskly as she got out of her car.

"Sorry?" Tess's eyes were still wide from the near death experience. "You nearly killed me!"

Liz rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Tess stop being so over dramatic." She slung her bag over her shoulders. "If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead."

With that, Liz took off leaving Tess to gaze after her friend in shock.

***

Liz entered the school building and ran smack into Max.

"Mr E," Liz muttered, feeling all of her senses just fade away at the mere sight of him.

Max steadied the girl who nearly crashed the both of them to the ground again. "Liz," He said with a slight smirk. "I thought we talked about this."

Liz nodded. "We did and you're just messing with me again, right?"

Max smiled before shaking his head. "Actually not this time." The smile fell and it was replaced with slight worry. "I saw what happened in the parking lot."

The color drained from Liz's face. "No one was hurt!" She blurted out in defense.

Max shook his head and gave her a scolding look. "That's not the point, Liz. You were speeding and you nearly hit Tess. It was reckless and you could've killed her."

Liz turned away from him and put her face in her hands as she struggled to not lose it in front of him. Her morning had already been terrible and she didn't think she could take anymore criticism.

"Liz," Max wasn't trying to be cruel, but he needed her to get what she'd almost done and so far it just looked like she was trying to ignore him. "Listen, yo--"

Liz spun around, her emotions on full force. "What?!" She shrieked, causing Max's eyes to go wide. "What do you want from me, huh?! You wanna tell me how disappointed you are in me?! You wanna tell me what's wrong with my dress and how I just suck at everything I do?!"

"Liz, please lower your voice.“ Max advised, noticing the other kids starting to stare. “What’s going on?" He asked softly. "Why are you getting so upset here? I'm just talking to you. You're not in any trouble."

Liz covered her face with her hands to try and stop the tears. "I don't know what to do anymore," She cried brokenly.

Max looked around and with all the students crawling around, he didn't see this as the best place to have a discussion that he clearly needed to have with her.

Something else was clearly going on with this girl or else she wouldn't have gotten so upset. He had this need to council a student whenever they were in any type of distress and it wasn't just that, he thought to himself. He liked this girl for reasons that went far beyond anything that they should have.

"Okay," Max spoke gently, placing his hand on her shoulder as if to calm her some. "C'mon, Liz. Come with me."

The second bell rang and Liz quickly wiped her tears. "I can't," She choked out. "I'm really sorry for going psycho on you but I have to get to class. I can't be late."

Max knew he should probably let her go, but for reasons that were selfish he couldn't. He needed to know what was wrong with her.

"I'll write you a pass, okay?" Max assured her. "C'mon, come with me for a few minutes."

Liz nodded. "Okay, I'll come with you."

***

"So," Max said leading Liz into his empty classroom and shutting the door behind him. "have a seat."

Liz walked over to one of the desks in the front row and sat down.

Max walked around and sat on his desk in front of her. "Wanna tell me why you got upset back there?"

Liz sighed a little embarrassed. "It's been a bad morning, Mr E." She began softly. "That's not an excuse for me to endanger other people with my driving, nor was it an excuse to completely lose it on you back there." She looked up at him with a tiny smile. "I'm really sorry."

"Apology accepted." Max nodded. "I'm sorry for whatever I said that upset you. I wasn't trying to make you feel bad about yourself."

Liz nodded. "I know. You have to know that my outburst back there had nothing to do with you, okay? It's been an awful morning and what you saw and heard was the direct result of a bad fight with my mother."

Max raised his eye brow in concern. "You're having problems at home?"

Liz laughed. "I'm always having problems at home, Mr E." She quickly rushed to explain on when she noticed the frown and deep concern on her teacher's face. "No, no! It's nothing like that, I assure you. They don't beat me, I'm not in any danger."

Max didn't appear to be convinced. "Listen, if something like that ever does happen, I don't want you to be afraid to tell so--"

"It won't and it never has!" Liz said loudly, before calming down. "Listen, sadly there is no great bond between my parents and I but they have never laid a hand on me." Max nodded, seeming to be convinced. "Not that they need to. Why beat me, when their words can do it for them?"

Max looked concerned again. "They verbally abuse you?" That was a whole nother issue all together and in his book verbal abuse was just as bad if not worse than physical abuse.

Liz sighed as she stood up. "Listen, there is nothing going on at home that I cannot handle, okay? Can this just be considered as like a teacher/student confidentiality thing?" She saw Max's hesitancy. "Please," She begged. "I am not in danger and they do not hurt me. If you were to tell someone, you'd be the one that was hurting me."

That seemed to convince Max, although he was still hesitant. "Okay, but I have to tell you if I ever see a mark on you or if I suspect that they are hurting you, I will have no choice but to tell someone. That's not just my job as your teacher, that's my job as your friend."

Liz stood still, seeming to be in shock at that last statement. "We're friends?"

Max smiled warmly. "I'd like to think so."

"Isn't there like some kind of rule on teachers and students being in a relationship? Even a friendship one?" Liz asked curiously.

Max got up and walked over to her. She felt her heart flutter in her throat.

"Don't tell anyone, but there are some rules I don't follow. And since we're friends now you can call me Max, at least when we're not in class." He said with a softness and Liz could've sworn there was some kind of huskiness to it as well.

Liz smiled as she felt something wonderful shift in what was becoming such a bad day for her. "Okay, Max. Your secret is safe with me."

Max smiled in return. "As are yours, Liz." He than took a step back from her. "I'll go get that slip."

"But I didn't even tell you the whole story." Liz said somewhat confused.

"I didn't need the whole story." Max responded.

"You didn't?" Liz asked.

Max shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, you ever wanna talk I'm here, and I'd like to hear it sometime, but that's not why I insisted on bringing you back here for a few minutes."

"Than why did you?" Liz asked curiously.

"I didn't want you to go to class until I was sure you were okay, and I...." Max trailed off.

"You what?" Liz asked, her curiosity peaking.

Max seemed to contemplate telling her this. "Can you keep another secret?"

Liz smiled as she nodded. "Of course. I can keep lots of secrets."

Max grinned. "Okay, I..." His face turned slightly serious. "I wanted to make you smile."

Liz looked stunned and Max winked at her and turned around to get the slip.

Liz felt herself almost slump into the seat of the desk.

This was definitely new and terrifying territory.

She was on the fast paced road of falling in love with her teacher, and from the way he was looking at her, she had a feeling that maybe just maybe he was on that road with her too.
bellaresop
Enthusiastic Roswellian
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:50 pm

Re: Running Alone {M/L, AU, Adult} Chp2 Pg1 12/23/12

Post by bellaresop »

I had some free time, so here's another chapter :) I hope you like it and please, please continue to review. They mean so much as a writer. Thank you!


Chapter 3



"Hey, Liz over here!"

Liz turned around, she had her lunch tray in hand as she recognized the familiar voice of her best friend.

She walked over to her best friend, Maria DeLuca's table and almost wished she'd pretended she hadn't heard her when she saw the others she was greeted with.

"Hey, Maria!" Liz forced herself to gush as if happy as could be. "What's up, everyone?"

"Actually, we wanted to ask you that, Liz." Maria replied.

Liz took a seat and remained nonchalant. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Tess mentioned that you almost ran her over?" Maria gave her friend a pointed look.

Liz inwardly grimaced. She should've realized Tess would spill that little tid bit. She was the gabbiest one in the whole bunch.

"Yeah," Liz laughed nervously. "Sorry about that, Tess."

Tess shrugged. "It's cool. So, what was up with you disappearing with Mr E for a half hour?"

I knew I should've gone out for lunch, Luz thought to herself. But no I decided to eat in the lunch room with the firing squad.

"He uh..." Liz ran a hand through her hair. "He saw me nearly hit you and reprimanded me about it."

"Wow," Tess said surprised. "He always seemed to easy going."

Liz shrugged. "Yeah, well all's not as it always seems. He's a jackass and a loser." She inwardly felt bad about badmouthing someone who had recently become a good friend to her, but she couldn't let them think she had anything going with Mr E.

Sure, they were all nice to her, but they could be lethal. She didn't want them getting the wrong impression or spreading false rumors around.

"I'm sure you told him who your parents are, right?" Maria spoke up. She saw something she couldn't quite place in her friend's eyes. This was all a front. Why, she could not figure out.

"I don't want any special treatment because my parents happen to own half this town," Liz replied tensely.

"I don't get you, Liz." Another girl from the table who was sitting next to Tess spoke up. "If I had your kind of power, I'd be using that right up. Why don't you?"

"I don't believe in abusing something just cause you have it," Liz replied tersely. "I'll see you all later."

"Liz," Maria called confused. "You just sat down. We have like forty minutes left."

"I think it's the lunch room or something guys," Liz replied, the lie rolling right off her tongue. "I'm starting to feel stuffy."

"Do you want us to come with?" Maria asked concerned.

"Maria, she doesn't need you to hold her hand every five minutes," Tess teased.

Liz forced a fake smile. "It's cool, Maria. I just need some air. See you all later,"

With that, Liz took off out of the lunch room.

"You'd think she hates being around us or something," Leslie spoke up.

Maria looked at the girl sitting next to Tess before nodding her head. "Yeah, that's exactly what you'd think..."

***

Liz briskly walked from wing to wing until she was onto the junior wing.

"I don't know what's happening to me," Liz whispered to herself. "I hate my friends..." She ran a hand through her hair as she shook her head. "No," She corrected herself firmly. "I hate who I become when I'm around my friends and that's just the simple truth."

Liz sighed as she slid down the lockers to the ground.

It was like whenever she was around them, she felt like she had to tell them what they'd want to hear.

It was no new thing, she'd been doing it ever since middle school. So, what had changed? Why was this bothering her now?

Than, it suddenly hit Liz like a ton of bricks.

It was Mr E...Max...her teacher....it was him.

He was rapidly becoming one of her best friends and she cared about him. For the first time since becoming best friends with Maria, she cared about someone more than she cared about herself or her stupid social rep.

That's why lying about him in such a negative manner had bothered her so much that she'd high-tailed it away from all of her friends.

It had hurt her to lie about him and that was the honest truth.

"Maria, where do you think she went?"

Liz inwardly grimaced as she recognized Tess's voice.

"God, can't I have like five minutes to myself?!" Liz groaned. She quickly stood up and scampered off in the opposite direction.

Ten minutes later, Liz was still dodging her friends and it looked to her like she'd wound up right where she'd started off at.

With a sigh, she leaned against the lockers.

"You can come in here if you want."

Liz's head snapped up at the familiar voice, she looked over and saw Max Evans sitting at his desk with a bunch of papers.

Liz slightly smiled as she walked over to his door. "And why on earth would I want to spend my remaining lunch time with you?"

"Hey, it's your choice." Max shrugged. "Don't feel obligated or anything, but if you continue to run through the halls, another teacher might ask you to give up all of your lunch time and not be as nice as I'm being." He looked up at her with a slight smirk. "But, hey it's your choice."

Liz walked into his classroom and sat at the desk right in front of his.

"Wise move," Max acknowledged with a smile.

"Was I really running?" Liz asked.

Max smiled. "Actually more like sprinting, but that doesn't change the fact that you still aren't supposed to be playing musical chairs in the hallways while other classes are in progress."

Liz nodded. "I know, I know. Not the brightest move on my part."

"So, why were you?" Max asked.

"I really wasn't playing a game or trying to interrupt a class, I was just trying to get a little peace." Liz admitted.

Max furrowed his eyebrow in concern. "What's going on?"

Liz sighed. "It's my friends....they can be a little too much at times. I needed some space from them."

"You're avoiding your friends?" Max asked her confused.

Liz nodded. "I love them, Mr E, do not misunderstand me, but...."

"But?" Max encouraged.

"But sometimes I wanna push them off a cliff!" Liz blurted and than let out a breath. She felt some kind of relief at saying that, finally she had one person in her life she could be honest with.

Max looked at her stunned before letting out a slight laugh. "Um, I gotta be honest Liz, you caught me off guard with that one..."

"Sorry," Liz laughed. "That was a little over dramatic, but you have no idea what it's like not to be able to be real with anyone. It's exhausting and it even makes you feel like sometimes you're going just a little crazy."

"You can be real with me, Liz." Max told her seriously.

Liz smiled softly. "Thanks and that means a lot to me. I'm so tired of pretending with them and I kind of felt like I just couldn't do it anymore today, so I ditched them."

"Do you wanna talk about why?" Max asked, his eyes studying her gently.

"I, um..." Liz sighed as she decided to just be honest and upfront with him. "I kind of owe you an apology."

"For what?" Max asked her confused.

"At lunch, I was sitting with my friends and I said some bad things about you." Liz admitted and rushed on as if to stop him from thinking the worst of her. "I didn't mean them though!" She ran a hand through her hair. "I didn't mean any of them. I just...God this is gonna sound so lame and superficial, but I only badmouthed you to my friends because I didn't want them to think there was something between us and start spreading false stuff around."

"What's superficial about that?" Max asked her. "It sounds like your heart was in the right place."

Liz sighed. "It was but it wasn't."

"Okay?" Max was confused once again.

"Okay," Liz placed her hands in front of her as she leaned forward. "this is the part where you're totally gonna think less of me..."

"I doubt it," Max interrupted with a soft smile.

He was completely convinced that this girl was alot harder on herself than anyone else could ever be and he worried about what that kind of thing was doing to her self esteem.

Liz paused and than looked up into his eyes. "Why?"

"Why do I doubt that I'll think less of you?" Max asked.

"Why…all of it?" Liz asked him. "From the first day that I carelessly knocked you over making the both of us late...you've never been anything but nice to me. Why? Why are you always so nice to me?"

Max slightly frowned. What had happened to this beautiful girl to make her think so less of herself? The more he thought about it he realized it had to be a who. It was a question of, who had happened to her. "Why do you think I shouldn't I be?"

"Because...." Liz sighed. "I'm a fake and a fraud. I'm not this great person that you think I am. You shouldn't want to be friends with me Mr..." She paused as she remembered that he told her she could call him Max as long as class wasn't in progress. That made her feel worse. He truly thought of her as a friend. "Max," She stressed. "You shouldn't want to be friends with me, you should want to get as far away from me as you can."

Max looked at her sadly and his heart went out to her. "Why?"

"Because I'll just wind up disappointing you." Liz admitted. "I disappoint everyone. All I am is a disappointment..."
bellaresop
Enthusiastic Roswellian
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:50 pm

Re: Running Alone {M/L, AU, Adult} Chp3 Pg1 12/24/12

Post by bellaresop »

You all are such amazing reviewers!! There will be much more insight into Liz's relationship with her parents. If I didn't explain it in the summary, they are one of the most if not richest family in the town. So, that's where the 'power' lies. More on that to come. I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter :)
A/N: The second half of this chapter will contain some more adult content in it and is when it's gonna get a little controversial. As Always, I appreciate all reviews. Please, let me know what you think :)


Chapter 4



“A disappointment?” Max stood up and walked around his desk and took a seat in the one right beside Liz’s. “Oh, Liz. I’m sure that’s not true.” She was beautiful, warm and kind. He couldn't see how she could ever be a disappointment and it saddened him beyond words that she thought so little of herself.

“Oh, but it is.” Liz chuckled bitterly. “Heard it my whole damn life.”

“Liz,” Max was at a loss of what to say to her, of how to help her. She seemed so cynical and underneath her tough façade, he could see an innocent broken hearted girl trying to deal with a lifetime of pain and abandonment.

“Well,” Liz plastered on a fake smile. “Thank you for letting me hide out in here. This was a great talk, Mr E.”

Max frowned. She was shutting him out and that worried him. She needed to let somebody in or the pain was gonna consume her. God help him, he desperately wanted to be that somebody. “It’s Max, remember? We’re not in class right now.”

“No,” The fake smile on Liz’s face was replaced by sadness. A sadness that broke Max Evans’s heart. “we’re not. But uh…” She folded her hands in front of her which Max could tell was a defensive stance, almost as if she was hesitant to tell him something. “Look, I don’t think this friends thing is such a great idea.”

“Why not?” Max almost demanded.

Liz ran a hand through her hair as she looked anywhere but into his eyes. “You’re my teacher. It’s just not a…”

“Don’t.” Max cut her off sharply. “If you don’t want to tell me why, that’s fine. I won’t force you, but do not lie to me, Liz.”

“Alright.” Liz replied with a hard edge laced in her tone. “You want the truth? Here it is. You’ve been really nice to me from day one. You’ve listened to me and I appreciate it. I truly do. I just…I honestly don’t have any room in my life for a new friend.”

“Oh.” Max said softly.

“I’m sorry.” Liz stood up, grabbed her bag and turned around to leave.

“Liz, wait a second.” Max stood up.

Liz sighed. He really wasn’t making this easy for her. “Max, please.”

“I never asked you to be my friend, you know.” Max spoke softly behind her. “I never asked you to take on my problems, carry my burdens. I never asked you to do any of that and I wasn’t about to start now.”

Liz slowly turned around, confusion written all over her face. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. You don’t want to be friends?” Despite what she'd just said to him, him not wanting to be her friend hurt her way more than it should have.

Max took a step closer to Liz. “I want to be your friend, Liz. I want to take on your problems and I want to carry your burdens.”

Liz’s eyes were filled with unshed tears. “You…you…you want…” A tear rolled down her face and she quickly wiped it away. “You’re asking to be my real friend, but you’re not asking me to be yours?” Max nodded. There was disbelief written in Liz’s eyes. “Seriously?!”

“Yeah.” Max breathed deeply. “Seriously. I wouldn’t lie to you, Liz. I would never lie to you.”

“Why?” Liz demanded. “Why would you? You must want something.” Her tone took on a desperate one as she couldn’t believe that someone could be so selfless for her. No one ever had before. “Everybody wants something.”

“Not me.” Max said softly.

“Come on.” Liz laughed bitterly. “You’re a guy, aren’t you?”

Max's eyes met Liz’s and read the insinuation in them. It shocked, saddened and disgusted him above all else. “I’m your teacher, Liz. What you are suggesting is completely unethical not to mention wrong and depraved on so many levels.” He spat at her harshly.

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Liz muttered.

Max’s eyes went wide and wave of intense anger washed over him. “Excuse me?!” He suddenly had the strongest urge to go find whoever had made her feel like she couldn't talk to someone without strings being attached and beat the shit out of them.

“Nothing.” Liz quickly shook her head. She’d opened herself up enough and was already regretting it. In her experience, you let someone in and it gave them license to shatter you. In her family, opening up, caring, shedding tears…they were all weaknesses. Liz Parker hated being weak.

Max glared at her and Liz sighed. “Okay, not nothing. I don’t feel like sharing though. That cool?” With a softer tone she added, "Maybe I'll tell you someday."

Max nodded. “Fair enough.”

“So, if you don’t want anything from me than why are you offering to be my only real friend?” Liz asked.

It saddened Max that he would be her only real friend. She was too special, too beautiful not to be surrounded by a bunch of real friends. “You want the honest truth?”

“If you can bare it.” Liz said, her tone hard and tough.

Max smirked. She was definitely a far cry from being Pollyanna, but he honestly believed that she was worth it. She was worth the time and the trouble. She was special and he was determined to make her see that, to make her believe that. “The honest truth is that I care about you. I honestly like you and…and you need me.”

Liz scoffed indignantly. “Please. I do not need anybody. I’m not some damsel in distress. “It’s a tough world, remember? And this life is no fairytale, the only one who is gonna take care of me is myself. ”

“That’s it!” Max shouted excitedly as if he’d just won something.

Liz frowned and looked at him as if he’d grown two heads. “What’s it?”

“That’s why you need me, Liz Parker.” Max grinned. “You are a cynical, self deprecating girl with absolutely no belief in happy endings.”

Liz glared at Max. “You insult all your friends this way or am I just special?”

“You are.” Max said seriously, the smirk gone from his face. He needed her to take this if nothing else he ever says to her seriously. “Special, that is. You are a very special girl.”

Liz scoffed, that wasn't the first time somebody called her special but it was the first time she refused to believe the words. She was never going to be played a fool again by anyone . “Please.” She turned to walk away and Max lightly grabbed her arm.

“That’s why you need me, Liz.” Max said gently, he brushed a few strands of her hair back. “You gotta let somebody in.”

Liz swallowed roughly and turned around to meet his gentle and caring gaze. The caring, the gentleness, and the intensity in his eyes were all too much for her to take.

Liz yanks her arm out of his grasp and turns around flees from the room.

She never once turned around.

Max sighed deeply. And leaned back against his desk.

“I won’t give up on you, Liz Parker.” Max softly spoke aloud. “You have to let somebody in, you just have to. I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Liz ran straight into the women’s restroom.

She stopped in front of the mirror.

She was breathing heavily.

Tears were streaming down her face.

She was gasping…choking on the sobs that were rising in her throat.

He’d gotten to her.

Max Evans had really gotten to her and his words had terrified her.

“You gotta let somebody in.”

“Why?” She asked aloud despairingly. “Why in the hell should I let him or anyone else into my life, into my heart? Why? So they can shatter me even more than I already am?!”

Liz shook her head and roughly wiped away her tears.

“No way in hell am I letting that happen.” Liz firmly spoke aloud.

“Letting what happen?”

Liz spun around, startled. “Maria.”

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Maria asked in a voice full of care and concern. “Me and the girls have been looking everywhere for you.” She looked over her friend’s fragile appearance. “You look a mess.”

“It’s nothing.” LIz replied. “I’m just having a really bad day is all.”

“Well, what’s going on?” Maria pressed. "You know I'm here for you."

Liz sighed as against her better judgment she began to spill what was troubling her to her friend. “It all started this morning. My mom was a total bitch and she totally criticized my appearance like she always seems to do. I wound up leaving completely pissed and upset.”

“Well, I’m sorry Sweetie but how long has your mom been a bitch for? Like forever, right? Isn’t it time you got over letting her upset you?” Maria pointed out.

Liz blinked back the tears that were caused by her own best friend not getting her. “Yeah, right.” She answered weakly. “That wouldn’t have bothered me, but then there’s Mr E.”

“You’re still upset cause he yelled at you this morning?” There was criticism written in Maria’s eyes and Liz regretted ever opening up to her. “Liz, not to be a bitch because you know I love you, but when are you gonna stop being such a drama queen? I really believe that if you could just let the little stuff go, you could actually be happy.”

“Yeah,” Liz wiped away a stray tear and plastered on her world famous fake smile. “you’re absolutely right, Maria. I need to stop being so ridiculous and I will.”

Liz quickly hugged Maria and pulled back, rushing toward the door before she completely broke down.

“Liz?” Maria called out. “You’re okay now, right?”

Liz turned around, the fake smile plastered across her features. “Never been better.”

Liz leaves and Maria watches her go, still slightly worried but shrugs it off. She really didn’t have time for any mini dramas.

****

Liz took off down the hall.

She needed to see the one person who understood her, the one person she was scared to death of letting in and the one person she feared had already fought his way in.

Liz stopped right in front of his classroom.

She hesitated a mid second before knocking lightly on his door.

“Come in.” She heard him call out.

Liz opened his door, walked in, and gently shut it behind her.

“Liz,” He said surprised. The smile instantly fell from his face and was replaced by worry when he saw her tear filled face. “What’s wrong?”

“I um…” Liz swallowed roughly. “I have a free period.”

Max’s frown deepened. That wasn’t an answer. “So do I.”

Suddenly Liz launched herself into his arms and gripped him tightly, burying her face into his chest.

Max’s arms instantly wrapped around her shaking form, but his expression was confused and still very concerned. “Liz? What is it, Kiddo?”

“Don’t.” Liz choked out as she cried stormily into his chest. “Please, don’t tell me that this is wrong or inappropriate or that I’m being a total drama queen or whatever.”

“Okay, okay.” Max said soothingly as he held on to her a little bit tighter. If she needed to be held than that is exactly what he would do. "It's alright, Sweetheart."

“You said that I needed to let somebody in and as much I hate it, I think you’re it. So, can you…can you please just hold on to me and not let go?” Liz hiccuped against him as she held on for dear life. “Can you please just not let go?” She whispered.

“Of course.” Max said gently without hesitation. In the state that she was in, he would've promised her anything. He would've promised her anything in the entire world to make her pain stop. “I won’t let go of you Sweetheart, I promise.”

He wasn’t sure what had hurt her so bad to send her running to him for comfort, but he was thankful that she had to come to him. He was thankful she was opening up to him. He wanted to help her so badly. It was scaring him how much he cared for her. He was determined not to cross that line, he’d never cross that line. He was going to be her friend and if after graduation he still felt this strongly for her, than he’d tell her. He wasn’t going to take advantage of her, he’d never hurt her like that.

“I’m here, Liz.” Max gently whispered, his hand reaching up to gently hold her head. “Everything’s going to be alright. I’m here and I won’t let go of you.”

Liz whimpered against him as her tiny fist clutched his shirt even tighter in her grip. “Thank you.” She weakly whispered.

Max gently stroked her hair. “I won’t abandon you. Ever.” He fiercely promised her.

Liz pulled back and looked at him aghast. What in the hell was he doing promising her that? “Don’t! You can’t…you can’t promise me that! What are you doing promising me something that you know you're gonna end up breaking?”

Max gently brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. “I can keep this promise.”

Liz shook her head furiously. She was furious. She was furious at him for making her need him to the point where she’d run to him when she was this upset and she was furious at him for making fake shit promises that he was no doubt going to be taking back the minute she was no longer here. “You don’t know that! What about when I’m gone?! What about when I’m no longer your student, Max?!” She shoved against his chest angrily. “What about when I’m no longer in this school or when it’s the weekend even?! You can’t--”

“I can!” Max interrupted her, framing her face in his hands. He needed her to believe him. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep, Sweetheart. I can keep this promise. I am here, LIz. Even if we’re not…even if I’m not here in this class room, I’m still here ya know?”

Liz looked at him stunned and amazed. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

“I’m here.” Max firmly repeated, still gently holding her face and wipes away her fallen tears. “I will never abandon you, Liz. I am here.”

Liz tearily smiled at him as she reached out and touched his face in awe. No one had ever looked at her this way before and made her promises with such raw honesty.

“You’re here.” A half laugh, half sob escaped her. All of this was still so unbelievable to her. If anyone were to ever ask Liz Parker years later, she would tell them that this right here, right now was the specific moment she fell for Max Evans and fell hard. “No one’s ever…”

Suddenly Liz crashes her lips to Max’s, kissing him intensely and desperately.

Max stiffens at first in both surprise and knowing that this was wrong no matter how right that it felt. His brain told him to push her away right now and stop this but the moment her tongue slides into his mouth, he instantly responds.

The attraction and the care he felt for her completely overrides his head. He grips her hips, pulling her closer to him. His hand reaches up and tangles in her hair.

He pulls her with him as he falls back into one of the chairs, his lips never leaving hers.

Liz grinds herself against Max’s growing hardness.

Max groaned, as he gripped her body to his even tighter.

God, he wanted her. He wanted her now. He wanted to come inside her and feel her warm heat all around him.

His hand reached up inside her shirt, cupping her soft breasts in his hand.

“Max,” Liz moaned.

“God, Baby…” Max looks up into her passion filled eyes and an intense wave of guilt comes over him.

What in the hell was he doing?!

His eyes scanned the atmosphere around them.

This was his classroom.

The same classroom that he taught in every single day and here he was about to fuck…no. He shook his head. He couldn’t associate that crude word with the intense feelings that he felt for Liz. He was falling for her. He almost made love to her…

A student.

He wanted and he almost made love to a seventeen year old student right here in his class room and the worst part was, he wouldn’t have been able to regret it.

He didn’t regret it.

Max looked into Liz's desperate and unsure eyes as he realized that she must or would soon be having a wake up call herself about what almost transpired between them.

Christ, what am I doing? Max thought to himself ashamed.

Liz had come on to him clear as day the way she had kissed him, but he should have known better.

Liz was young and vulnerable. She was a seventeen year old child for Christ’s sake. She’d come in here…she’d come to him distraught and in need of comfort. She needed a friend. She needed someone to hold on to her. She had not needed some perverted older guy taking complete advantage of her the way he’d just done.

For the millionth time he asked himself, What is wrong with me?! Just moments earlier I’d swore that I’d never do this and than I go and almost do it?!

He felt Liz’s lips pressed against his neck and her hand was working the buttons on his shirt.

Max had completely come back to his senses and was painfully aware of how wrong this was despite how good and how right that it felt. He gently pushed against her. “Liz.” His voice was gentle yet urgent at the same time.

Liz was so caught up in how much she wanted this man that his voice and his hands pushing against her weren’t registering. She placed her lips against his and she felt Max seize her by the shoulders, completely pulling away from her lips. He forcefully held her a few inches away from him, so that there was actual space and actual distance between them.

“Liz, we have to stop. I’m so sorry, but we can’t do this, okay?” Max was gentle and his eyes grew pained at the devastation he saw in her eyes.

“Oh God.” Liz’s eyes were filled with horror as she immediately got up off of his lap and straightened her skirt.

What was wrong with her?! This guy was her teacher for crying out loud. He was just trying to be her friend, he’d probably felt sorry for her and she goes and takes that as an invitation to throw herself at him like some kind of whore? What must he think of her?

Liz’s entire head was filled with self deprecating thoughts. Max's reaction was like a slap in the face, but it was also the reality check that she’d needed. She needed to stop wanting him, stop letting him in. Now was the time to shut him out and shut him completely. He was never…there was no future for them.

“Max--” Liz breaks off, realizing she needed to set things back to their proper order. “Mr E…”

Max shook his head, pained at the barriers that she was putting back up between them. She was letting him in and than he ruined it. Why did he let her kiss him? Why did he kiss her back? Why didn’t he push her away? What in the hell had he been thinking? “Liz, please. You don’t have to…”

“Yes, I do!” Liz interrupted him strongly. “My God.” She shook her head, utterly disgusted and ashamed of herself…of her actions. “What you must think of me…”

“Liz, no.” Max said sharply. He refused to let her take any of the blame and put herself down. He was the adult here. He should’ve pushed her away. “This isn’t your fault. I don’t think less of you. I could never.”

Liz looked at him in disbelief. “How could you not?!” She cried out. “I kissed you! I…I almost had sex with you! You! My teacher!” She held her head in her hands. “If you hadn’t pushed me away…”

“I did though.” Max pointed out. “ I did push you away and this…” He motioned between them. “what almost happened here isn’t all on you. I kissed you back. I pulled you on top of me…”

“I don’t need a replay!” Liz shouted. “I was there!”

Max sighed. “So was I. My point is I was here with you. I almost…I almost crossed a serious line and I am so sorry. It would’ve been the biggest mistake of my life to have---”

Liz cut him off, unable to hear him tell her what a mistake she almost was to him. “You know what? We don’t have to rehash this or make a big deal.” She grabbed her things and headed for the door. “I won’t tell anyone. You don’t have to worry. I won’t let what almost happened between us ruin your life or your career.”

The last thing Max wanted was for Liz to leave here thinking that she was some kind of mistake to him. He’d wanted her, he’d wanted her badly. Making love to her wouldn’t have been the mistake. The mistake would’ve been taking advantage of her vulnerability and hurting her. He knew he should let her go, but his heart couldn’t bare the thought of her believing that he thought she was a mistake.

Max battled between his heart and his head for a few moments. He saw her hand touch the door knob and he quickly rushed over to her. He couldn’t let her leave this way. His heart had won out.

Max’s hand gently covered Liz’s.

“Liz, please wait.” Max said gently. “That didn’t come out right. You would not have been the mistake, being with you would not have been the mistake. The mistake would have been hurting you.”

Liz shook her head. “I almost ruined your career.”

“I don’t…I care about you, Liz.” Max said softly and truthfully. “I care about you.”

Liz’s eyes were pained as she shook her head. “Max, I’m not worth it.”

Liz pulled her hand out of is caring grasp and ran from the room, her mouth covered with her hand as tears streamed down her face.
Last edited by bellaresop on Tue Dec 25, 2012 7:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
bellaresop
Enthusiastic Roswellian
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:50 pm

Re: Running Alone {M/L, AU, Adult} Chp4 Pg2 12/24/12

Post by bellaresop »

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!! I hope you guys like this next chapter :)


Chapter 5




“Liz, wait!” In a flash, Max quickly caught up to her, grabbed her hand and slipped her a piece of paper.

“Wh--?” Liz choked, tears were streaming down her face. She felt embarrassed to be caught crying, especially in his presence. Especially after what had almost happened.

“It’s my cell phone number, Liz.” Max said quietly. “I always have it on me and I’ll always answer. I meant what I said about wanting to be your friend, I do. I care for you so much and I know that something…something other than what happened back there is hurting you. I want you to call me when you need to talk.”

Liz stared at him stunned. No one had ever done that for her before. No one had ever cared. “I don…”

“It doesn’t matter how late it is or what time it is.” Max continued. “Nothing even has to be wrong okay? You can call me anytime for anything.”

Liz wiped away her tears. “Anything?”

“Anything.” Max confirmed. “If you’re stuck some place you don’t wanna be or you need a way out…call me and I’ll come get you.”

Liz took a step back in disbelief. “Mr E, this has to go way beyond…teachers don’t do this type of thing. Teachers don’t give their students their cell phone number and pretty much offer themselves as a taxi service. Why are you doing this for me?”

“I told you, Liz.” Max said softly. “I care about you and this is what friends do. They look out for each other.” He sighs. “Look, I know that none of this is conventional. From a technical stand point, I should have let you go. I should’ve never told you to call me Max, I should’ve never kissed you back and I shouldn’t be giving you my number, but I did and I am. I don’t regret any of what’s happened with you. My only regret is that I didn’t meet you sooner.”

Liz chuckled and Max noticed that it was a sad one.

“What is it, Liz?”

“It’s just…are you for real?” Liz asked, running a hand through her hair. “Seriously, are you for real cause the last time I checked knights and good guys died off a long time ago.”

“I’m no knight.” Max replied with a shake of his head. “I’m just a man, Liz. I’m just a man.”

“It’s nice of you all the same.” Liz said. “I have to go.” She turned away and turned back around. “I um…I care too.” She looked up into his warm and caring eyes. “Way more than I should.” She turned back around and left.

Max felt himself smile as he watched her walk away, her brown hair bouncing against her shoulders.

She cares about me too, Max thought and felt his heart flutter.

Flutter…

Max’s smile dropped as he realized what was happening, what had already happened.

It was in this moment that he realized that he had fallen hard for Liz Parker.

Max backed into his classroom, shutting the door and sliding down against it.

“Oh, shit.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Hey, Liz!”

Liz sat in the desk as she pulled out her history book. “Oh, hey Maria.” She forced a fake smile. She was still hurt from their last encounter.

Maria grinned back, completely oblivious. “So, me and the girls were talking….and you know what I think is the perfect solution to your downness?”

Liz sighed. No, she thought to herself slightly annoyed. But I’m sure you’re gonna tell me. “What’s that, Maria?”

“A party!” Maria chirped full of bubbliness.

Oh God. Liz thought to herself semi horrified. She hated parties. It was just another function she had to fake more happiness at. She was so tired of pretending all the time to everybody that she was happy when in fact she was fucking miserable.

“No offense, Maria but I’m really not in the party mood…”

“You’re coming, Liz!” Maria stated authoritatively . “Quit being such a stick in the mud. This is our senior year!” She grinned. “Senior! You know how long we’ve waited for this year, it’s the perfect time to have a party.”

Liz ran a hand through her hair as she fought to search for some way to get out of this thing. “It’s like only our second week, Maria.”

Maria frowned. “So?”

“So, as awesome as this party sounds….” Liz put all her enthusiasm into sounding like she cared. “Don’t you think it would be even more awesome if you had this at the end of this year?”

Maria appeared thoughtful and Liz had a smidgen of hope that her friend was listening to her for once. “Oh my God, Liz!” Maria had the hugest grin on her face and it terrified Liz. Liz knew that grin. What had she just put into her head? “You are like a genius!”

“Oh God,” Liz muttered under her breath in disdain.

“We’ll have two parties!” Maria gushed. “We’ll have a party tomorrow night to celebrate how amazing this year is gonna be and on graduation we’ll have a graduation party! Oh my God, you so rock Liz!” Maria leaned across the isle to squeeze her friend tightly before letting go to pull her books out.

“Yay me.” Liz muttered dryly.

Just then the teacher came in, and the class quieted down.

Liz spent the rest of that class and the next for that matter wondering what in the hell she was gonna do now.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


It was about four thirty when Liz pulled into the driveway of her mansion.

She sat in her car for a few more moments, her head still spinning from her conversation with Maria.

“A party.” Liz spoke aloud. “I have to go to not one, but two fucking parties?!” She groaned and than her eyes lit up a bit as a thought struck her. “What are the odds she’ll believe I’m sick?”

Liz shook her head, she’d figure something out. She always did.

She grabbed her bag and got out of the car, walking up the driveway and inside her house.

“Liz!”

Liz was taken aback by her parents cheeriness. “Hello.”

“How was school?” Jeff asked.

Liz dropped her bag in shock. “You never ask me that.” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “What do you want me to do?”

“Oh, Liz must you always be so paranoid?” Nancy asked in dismay.

Liz shrugged, she’d never figure those two out. “Oh, well it was good. History was----”

“We just got off the phone with Maria’s mother.” Nancy interrupted.

Liz just smirked. Of course. She knew there was no way in hell they actually gave a damn about her day at school. They always wanted something from her. “Yeah, about that….I think I’m coming down with somet--”

“Liz Parker, you’re going to that party.” Jeff interrupted her firmly. “It’s time you do something for this family other than for yourself.”

Liz just looked at them agape. When had she EVER done something for herself?! It was always ‘we need this, we need that.’ There was never any TIME for her to be selfish.

Jeff and Nancy got up. “We have a ballet to go to. I do expect for you to go shopping tonight or tomorrow and get yourself something suitable.” Nancy told her as she eyed her appearance critically. “You have a name to uphold.”

With that they left, shutting the door behind them.

Liz picked up her bag and walked up the stairs, to her room. She shut the door and slung her bag on her chair.

“I’m so sick of living for everybody but myself!” Liz shouted angrily.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out Max’s cell phone number. He had told her she could call him for anything at anytime. She really did need someone to talk to.

It wasn’t just that, she thought to herself. She wanted to hear his voice, needed to hear his voice. It always brought a calmness to her.

She grabbed the cordless and began to dial.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Max Evans had just gotten inside the door of his house, when he heard his cell going off.

He placed the groceries on the counter, as he grabbed his cell and noticed that it said “Parker”

He tried to ignore the small excitement he felt at the prospect of talking to her.

He pressed talk. “Hello?”

“Um, hey.” Liz’s voice sounded slightly unsure. “It’s Liz. You said that I could call you…”

“Of course.” Max quickly said. “You can call me. Is….Is something wrong?”

“Kind of…sort of…” Max could hear the trouble in Liz’s voice.

“What’s going on?” Max asked concerned.

“You’re not a teacher right now, right?” Liz asked timidly. “I mean, anything that I say…you’re not gonna…”

“Anything that you choose to tell me, strictly stays between the two of us.” Max assured her. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything.” Liz admitted. “My friends and my parents they want me to do something. They want me to go to something, but I don’t wanna go, Max. If I go, than I have to pretend I’m happy and I think you and I both know that I am not…”

“Where do they want you to go?” Max asked. “I mean, if you want to tell me. You don’t have to if…”

“No, it’s fine.” Liz replied. “Maria is having this party…to celebrate senior year. I thought I’d talked her out of it,” Liz chuckled bitterly. “but what I wound up doing was giving her the astounding idea of having two f--” She broke off. “Sorry. Two parties.”

Max laughed softly. “It’s alright. We’re not in class, you can speak freely.”

“Okay,” Liz replied. “If I can speak freely, than I fucking hate this! My friends…my parents….they all want me to be something I’m not! And the worst part is…I don’t think they care! I know my parents don’t.”

“Liz,” Max had a very hard time believing that her parents were really as heartless as Liz made them out to be. “of course your parents care. Did you try talking to them?”

“Yes!” Liz shouted. “I tried and they told me that I needed to stop being selfish and think of the family. They said I have a name to uphold.”

Max frowned. “Wow, that’s…I’m really sorry, Liz. So, you have ‘those’ parents, huh?”

“What do you mean?” Liz asked confused.

“I mean, you obviously…I mean, it sounds like you have socialite type parents. You know, the kind that care more about what people will think of them and their status, then they do….” Max trailed off, not wanting to say it.

“It’s okay, Max.” Liz replied. “You can say it. They care more about their status than they do me. It’s cool.”

Max frowned. “It’s not okay and how can you be cool with that? They’re your parents, Liz. I don’t care that they were born with a silver spoon up their ass or not…it’s their job to take care of you, to put you first. And they are not.”

Liz lightly chuckled at the silver spoon part, and than her tone came out in sadness. A sadness that broke his heart. “Max…I made my peace with my parents not loving me a long time ago.”
bellaresop
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Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:50 pm

Re: Running Alone {M/L, AU, Adult} Chp5 Pg2 12/25/12

Post by bellaresop »

It's Christmas :) I just finished it a half hour ago, thought I'd share it. It's....not sure how I feel about it to be honest....lol. But here it is :)


Chapter 6




“Max, I made my peace with my parents not loving me a long time ago.” Liz said sadly.

Max felt his heart break at that statement. No one should ever feel or even think that their own parents don’t love them. It was just devastating. “Liz, that can’t be true, Sweetheart.”

There was silence and after a few moments had passed, Max was sure she may have hung up. “Liz?”

“You uh…” He heard Liz chuckle slightly, a hint of disbelief and nervousness. “You just called me ‘Sweetheart’.”

“Oh, uh…” That’s brilliant, dumbass, Max thought to himself sarcastically. How the hell do you explain that one away? “I’m sorry, Liz. I didn’t….you know…” Max closed his eyes, cringing over his words and how he had no idea how to explain this to her. “I use it a lot with my friends and I just wasn’t thinking. It was inappropriate and I apologize.”

“Right.” Liz’s voice sounded overly cherry in a fake way and he could’ve sworn he heard a slight tremor in her voice. “You know what? I’ve gotta go.”

Shit. I’ve hurt her. Damn it to hell. “Liz, what’s wrong? I didn’t mean to…”

“No, you’re fine!” And there it was again, that damn fake cheeriness. “It’s just…” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “It’s stupid.”

Max felt his heart dropping and he felt himself panic over not knowing what he did or how to fix it. “What’s stupid?”

“Me…I am…” He heard her voice get choked up slightly and it brought a tear to his eyes. “It’s stupid of me to think that you could ever…”

Max closed his eyes pained. “Liz, swe…” He cursed himself again as he nearly did it again. It was becoming hard for him now that he’d realized that he truly had fallen for her. “That’s not…”

“Max, it’s fine.” Liz insisted once again, her voice sounding more controlled. “I really do have to go.”

“No, wait.” Max almost shouted, his voice desperate. “Tell me what’s wrong. You called me because everything was wrong. Please, just talk to me.”

“I already told you!” Liz shouted and than calmed herself. “I have to go to this party that I don’t feel like going to and now I have to go buy a dress that MY parents and everyone else will deem acceptable…”

Max shook his head, angry with her parents and everyone else in her life that made her feel like she had to be everything but herself. “Liz, you don’t have to do anything…you don’t have to be anything for anyone but yourself.”

“That’s a nice fantasy, Max but…”

“It’s not a fantasy!” Max snapped before taking a breath. “Please, listen to me. You matter, they don’t. You are the most important thing and don’t’ let anyone ever tell you differently.”

“Why couldn’t I have met you later?” Liz muttered. “Why couldn’t you have just been an ordinary guy?”

Max knew what she meant, but he selfishly wanted to know where her head was at, how she felt about him. “I am an ordinary guy…”

Liz chuckled bitterly. “That’s not what I….forget it. I do have to go and shop for that dress. I’ll talk to you later?”

Max sighed. “Of course you will. You can call me anytime for anything, you know that. I’ll see you in class tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Liz breathed before hanging up.



It was the next day, well more like the end of the day. That conversation had gone through Max's mind all day.

Earlier in his class she’d seemed just miserable and distant. She hadn’t even come in to see him during lunch and that had him worried.

She was so young and so vulnerable and her life was just in shambles. She didn’t have anybody and he wanted to be her somebody.

He was falling for her and he knew that it was crazy. He’d only known her a week and he had had other girlfriends, but he’d never felt for any of them a fraction of what he felt for Liz. Their conversation last night had Max thinking that maybe just maybe she was falling for him too.

He had to be her teacher, her friend and he had to be fair to her. He had to let her be a teenager and if after graduation he still felt this way for her and he still felt like she did too, than he would tell her. After graduation he would go to her and he would tell her what was in his heart for her.

“Max?”

Max turned around, startled at the familiar voice and he was stunned at the appearance of Liz.

Make that stunned at the drop dead gorgeous version of Liz. She was in a blue dress that went above her knees and her straps were spaghetti. She was stunning.

“Liz.” Max breathed. “You…you look beautiful.”

Liz slightly blushed. “Um, thanks. You look great too.”

Max smirked. “You saw me a few hours ago. I didn’t change.”

Liz shrugged. “Yeah well um…I just meant…” She walked further into the room. “So, I’m going to that party.”

“Yeah, I figured that. I mean, by your appearance and all.” Max smiled and than he frowned.

“What?” Liz asked worried.

“You sure this is what you want?” Max asked her. “Last night, you were so conflicted and you said you didn’t want to go.”

Liz shrugged again. “Well, I don’t necessarily want to go to school either, but do I have a choice in that?”

Max chuckled. “Not the same, Sweetheart.” Max sighed as he saw her eyes dim at the name. “I’m sorry, I…”

“It’s fine, Max.” Liz replied. “You can call me whatever you want.”

“No, I can’t.” Max replied tightly. “You’re my student and it’s completely inappropriate for me to call you…for me to call you anything but your name. I’m sorry.”

“Oh.” Liz said quietly. “Right. I um…I kind of liked it is all.”

“Oh.” Max said softly.

“No one’s ever called me that before.” Liz admitted. “It was kind of…nice is all. It made me feel…”

“What?” Max asked, despite objections telling him not to.

“Special.” Liz breathed.

Max took a step closer to her. “You are special, Liz.”

Liz shook her head as she took a step back. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe when he was close to her. She did impulsive things, like throwing herself at him. “No, I’m not.” She turned away, tears stinging in her eyes.

Max gently grabbed her arm, turning her to him and cupping her face in his hand tenderly. “You are special…Sweetheart.” He repeated gently.

Liz breathed and she caught his scent. God, his scent was intoxicating. He was so close to her again, so close like last time. “To you?”

She noticed a dark haze come over his eyes as he nodded. “Yes.” He whispered roughly. “To me.”

“Max,” Liz breathed. “I…” Here came impulsive again, because before Max could even blink, Liz had jumped into his arms, her arms wounding tight around his neck and was crashing her lips to his.

Max caught her in his arms, he kissed her back heatedly.

God, she was so beautiful and she felt so right pressed up against him. He’d never wanted anyone more in his life.

“Liz,” Max groaned against her lips. “baby…what are you doing to me?”

“I…” Liz lifted herself up to wrap her legs around his waist. “I want you.”

Max’s eyes widened, there had been signs and he had felt it but just hearing her say those words to him…it did something to him. “You don’t…” He pushed her against the wall lightly, her still wrapped around him. “Oh God, you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Max…” Liz grabbed his hand, placing it on her thigh. He groaned. “Please.”

Max still fought against the desire he felt for her, still feeling like this wasn't right. “Liz, this can’t…”

“I’m falling for you!” Liz blurted and Max’s eyes went wide and he looked shocked. “I want you! I want this! I only feel…I only feel close to being happy when I’m with you.”

“Oh, Liz.” Max looked at her sorrowfully, her confession like a bucket of ice water on him. He let go of her and untangled himself from her. “This isn’t…I’m not the one for you.”

Liz shook her head. “You are! You’re the only one I can be real with and you’re always there for me. You gave me your number…”

Max sighed. She was saying all these things that he wanted to hear her say to him, but it was too early. She was still his student and he couldn’t take away her youth by allowing her to be with him. “I want to be your friend, LIz. I am your friend. That’s it. There’s nothing else between us other than that. There can‘t be.”

Liz felt her heart constrict painfully. “But you…you said I was special. You kissed me back! You were…” She blinked back tears as she looked at him desperately. “You have feelings for me, right? I know that you do!”

Feelings? I’m fucking in love with you, Max thought to himself angrily, but he couldn’t tell her that. It wasn’t the right time. He couldn’t be selfish.

“Liz,” Max forced his voice to sound controlled and not like it was about to break. “I am your teacher there is nothing…for you and me.”

Liz's face completely fell and for a second Max thought she was going to cry but instead she masked her face with a coldness. A coldness and an indifference that broke his heart and almost made him take it all back. And if he knew what things would be like…what she would be like the next time he saw her, he would’ve taken it back. He would’ve taken it all back and confessed.

“Oh.” Liz said softly, coldly. “I see. Sorry, I bothered you.”

With that, Liz took off, almost running out of the room.

It took everything Max had not to just run after her and pull her into his arms and tell her that it was a lie and that he did love her. He loved her so much.

He wanted the best for her, and a relationship with her high school teacher who couldn’t even take her out publicly was not the best for her. After graduation, he would tell her. He would tell her what was in his heart and what she was to him. He only prayed it wouldn’t be too late by then.
bellaresop
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Re: Running Alone {M/L, AU, Adult} Chp6 Pg2 12/25/12

Post by bellaresop »

Officially last chapter of the night as I am tired out from writing out 3 or 4 chapters today LOL. Thought it might be a nice Christmas present for those enjoying this story :) This was a pretty hard chapter to write and it does deal with rape, so it gets kind of graphic. Please review and let me know what you all think :)


Chapter 7



“Liz!” Maria chirped cheerfully as she threw her arms around Liz’s neck. “You’re here!”

“Of course!” Liz forced out with fake happiness. “Where else would I be?”

“Oh!” Maria pulled back, not even questioning her friend‘s happiness. “This is gonna be the greatest party ever!”

“Yep!” Liz forced a grin.

Maria frowned as she looked her friend over. She knew Liz well enough to know when she appeared to be hiding something. “Hey…you okay?”

“Course!” Liz lied, putting on her best fake smile. “Never better.”

Maria smiled, content with the lie her friend had just given her. It was pretty much what she’d wanted to hear, so she didn’t even question it. “Awesome. Well, I gotta go find Michael, why don’t you go grab a drink and you just enjoy the party.”

Liz nodded. “Yeah, okay.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Meanwhile over at Max's house, he’d called his sister Isobel to come over for dinner.

Truth was, the last encounter with Liz had him so upset and so tied in knots. He needed an outsider’s point of view on the whole thing.

“Okay, so you really care for this girl? This….uh…Liz, right?” Isobel asked. Her brother had been talking to her about this girl for quite some time. She had tried to tell him that it wasn’t the best idea falling for an underage student, but she knew how her brother was when it came to his heart, he didn’t think rationally, never has.

Max sighed. “Care? Izzie….I…” He runs a hand through his hair. “Jesus, who the fuck am I kidding? I love her, Isobel.”

Isobel appeared stunned but there was no judgment, and that was saying a lot considering she was a police officer but Max was her brother. She may not condone this but she would never judge him. “Wow. That uh…that’s…”

“Fucked up, I know.” Max cut in sharply. “Believe me, I’ve tried to get her out of my heart and it’s just not happening...”

“Hey,” Isobel held up a hand. “I never said that, Max. I would never judge you, I hope you know that.”

“How could you not?” Max continued on. “How could you not think it’s fucked up or judge me?” His eyes went dark and Isobel could see the self loathing in her brother's eyes. “She’s seventeen, dad! She’s a child, she’s my student!”

“We can’t help who we love, Max.” Isobel replied honestly. “We can’t choose who we love, it just happens. And while I‘m inclined to agree with you that this is ten thousands types of wrong and illegal, I might add,” She chuckled. “It might also just be ten thousand types of right…for you.”

“Well, does almost having sex with that student just happen?” Max threw out, not missing his sister's shocked look. “Does it?! And is that ten thousand types of right?! Because it has almost happened twice with her! Twice, Isobel! I…I wanted her! My God, I want her and I know that it’s wrong and completely unethical and a thousand other things, but it doesn’t change the fact that I want her. It doesn’t change that I love her!”

Isobel sighed. “Max…” She wasn’t sure what to say to her brother other than the obvious. “I can’t give you an easy explanation. I agree with you, this is pretty crazy but the heart isn’t always the most sane thing in our body.”

“I am a horrible person, Isobel.” Max choked out, blinking back tears. When he thought of the look on Liz‘s face tonight when he rejected her, when he did what he knew was best for her…it just broke him up inside.

Isobel was pained to see her brother so upset. “No, Max. You are not, you are a good man. A man I am proud to call my brother. If you weren't a good man, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. You wouldn't even be feeling remorse for this situation that you‘re in.”

Max shook his head, roughly wiping away his tears. He didn’t deserve to cry. He wasn’t the one who literally had no one and had just been rejected by the one person who swore he’d never abandon her. “I hurt her. I hurt Liz. I broke her heart, I know I did. The look in her eyes…”

“How so?” Isobel asked.

“She poured her heart out to me. She told me that she was falling for me, that she wanted me.” Max breathed deeply. “If you knew her…She doesn’t trust anybody. She doesn’t have anybody and I told her that I would never lie to her, never abandon her. I convinced her to believe in me and than I told her we had nothing.”

“I’m sure you had your reasons. You feel bad for loving her because she’s so young, right?” Isobel assumed.

“She’s a senior in high school. This is supposed to be the greatest years of her life.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t let her give all of that up to be with a man who can’t even take her out in public. We’d have to constantly hide. What kind of life is that for her? And as you so tactfully pointed out before….it‘s ten thousand types of illegal.”

Isobel sighed. “And if you remember, I also said it could very well be ten thousand types of right for you, Max. Maybe you need to treat her like an adult and let her make her own decisions. You love her and if she loves you, than maybe you shouldn’t fight that.”

Max cocked his eyebrow at his sister curiously. “Are you giving me permission to hook up with a seventeen year old?”

Isobel laughed. “Um, no. I am telling you to follow your heart. I want you to be happy and if it’s her, that’s great. I hold no objections. Just…if this does happen to work out with her, I only suggest you hold out on being intimate with her until she’s of age. Just to…just to cover your ass.”

Max chuckled and then turned serious. “So, you think I should tell her that I lied? You think I should tell her that I do love her?”

“I think you should be honest with her.” Isobel replied. “I think you should tell her what’s in your heart and what you want for her. If you think it’s wise to wait to get together until she graduates than tell her that. Don’t wait. If you wait until graduation to tell her all of this, you could lose her. Could you handle that?”

Max took a deep breath before shaking his head. “No. No, I couldn’t handle that. I love her too much to lose her forever.”

Isobel smiled. “You are a good man, Max. You know the right thing to do. I’m not talking about the right thing society wise, I mean the right thing for you and for her.”

Max nodded. “Yeah, I uh…I do know. I have to be straight with her. I have to tell her that I love her.” He sighed deeply. That was gonna be difficult with how cold he’d been to her tonight. He saw in her eyes that she’d believed him when he told her that they’d had nothing. What if he couldn’t convince her of the truth?

Isobel frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“I just…I just keep picturing her face when I told her there was nothing between us. It was…she got so cold, so detached. I failed her, I let her down.” There was deep regret and sadness in Max’s eyes. “I promised her I would never abandon her and in one quick motion I did everything I promised her I wouldn’t do. What if she doesn’t forgive me?”

“If you don’t tell her the truth, Max you may never get the chance to find out.” Isobel pointed out. “And believe me….you don’t wanna have that kind of regret. You don’t wanna wake up one day and realize you let the only person you could ever really love truly vanish from your life.”

Max nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. I just…I just pray to God that she forgives me.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


It had been an hour into the party and all Liz could think about was Max and what he’d said to her.

Liz downed a shot of tequila, determined to forget about him, about everything. She just wanted to go numb for a little while and than go home and crawl into bed.

She’d had seven shots so far and she was feeling the effects of the alcohol.

“Liz?”

Liz spun around at the voice, nearly losing her balance.

Yeah, she was feeling pretty drunk off her ass.

Her gaze focused on the person in front of her. “Um…Kane?”

He laughed. “Uh, no. Kevin, actually. Kevin Dawson. You were close though.”

Liz shot him an apologetic look. “Oh, sorry. Kevin, of course. You’re in one of my classes, right?”

Kevin grinned. “Yep. History and psych. So, wow!”

“What?” Liz asked confused.

“You just look so beautiful tonight, Liz.” Kevin replied. “Your dress and your hair….wow, I must sound so lame to you.”

Liz blushed slightly. “It’s okay. Thanks, Kevin. That’s a sweet thing to say.”

“So, I came over here and noticed that you seemed really down.” Kevin commented. “Wanna talk about it?”

Liz chuckled. “Uh, no. Just a bad day is all. Trying to relieve a little anxiety here.”

Kevin nodded. “Yeah, I hear that. You uh…”

“What?” Liz asked curiously.

“You wouldn’t wanna dance would you?” Kevin asked.

“Well, I kind of do need to be finding my friends…” Liz trailed off.

Kevin smiled. “C’mon, Liz. Just one dance?”

Liz looked up into his eyes. They seemed so nice and so not Max. Maybe if she danced with him, it would take her mind off of how hurt she was.

“Okay.” Liz smiled. “I’ll dance with you.”

Kevin grinned. “Alright.”

Kevin took a hold of her hand and pulled her in close to him. Tightly. Almost a little too tight for Liz’s comfort level.

Liz was beginning to feel her head sway and he was pretty much holding her up.

Her friends….

She really should find her friends. It had been at least a couple of hours.

The song had ended and Kevin pulled back from her. “You wanna go for a quick ride with me? Have some fun?”

Liz liked this guy, he was cute and all, but she really needed to find her friends and there were alarm bells that were instantly going off in her head at the prospect of being alone with this guy. She barely knew him and he was coming on kind of strong. “I really should be finding my friends. It‘s been over an hour and I need to get some studying done.”

“C’mon,” Kevin smiled his charming smile. “just a quick ride. I wanna show you something and than I promise I will bring you back.”

Liz looked hesitant.

“C’mon,” Kevin coached. “Come with me and I’ll guarantee you the best fun you’ve ever had.”

Liz looked up at him intrigued. “How could possibly guarantee something like that?”

Kevin grinned. “Come with me and I’ll show you.”

Again, Liz was hesitant. She was kind of drunk and once again she was reminded that she barely knew this guy. Going off with him alone wasn’t something she should be doing. “Kevin, I really should…”

“C’mon, Liz.” Kevin once again insisted. “Just one car ride.”

Liz, don‘t do this, She could hear Max‘s voice in her head and in that moment she desperately wanted his voice out. “Okay,” Liz gave in. “just a ride, but not long.”

Kevin grinned. “Oh, trust me. This won’t take long.”

Liz went with him and he showed her to his car. She got in and closed the door. Kevin came around on the other side.

“Okay, you have got to try this, Liz.” Kevin handed Liz an unmarked bottle.

“What is this?” Liz asked curiously.

“It is the greatest drink you’ll ever have.” Kevin smiled. “It’s totally got a kick to it.”

Liz opened the bottle and had she been sober, she would’ve never done this but she was still so distraught over the Max thing and she desperately wanted to feel anything else.

Once she drank it, she really began to feel things spin.

“You okay?”

Liz shook her head. She felt like she was gonna pass out. “Kevin, I…I really think I need to lay down.”

“Sure thing.” Kevin replied. “I’ll help you to a room.”

Liz nodded, beginning to feel really out of it to even bother to question what kind of motives this guy might actually have. “Ok.”

A few minutes later, they were up the stairs and into a room.

Kevin shut the door. “Finally, all alone.”

“What do you mean?” Liz’s head felt heavy and she couldn’t really focus too well on anything.

“Well, now the party can really begin.” Kevin smirked as he walked closer to her, grabbing her and forcing his lips roughly to hers.

Liz pushed at him, weakly standing up. “No. You got…you have the wrong idea.”

“No, I think I have the right idea.” Kevin grinned as he shoved her onto the bed, getting on top of her.

“No!” Liz pushed at him again. “You’re going too fast. I don’t want this.” This was stupid. She was so stupid. Why did she go off with him? Why did she come to this party to begin with? She should've just listened to Max.

“Too bad,” Kevin replied. “I do.” He took his shirt off and pushed her back again, attacking her neck, his lips roughly bruising her skin,

“No!” Liz yelled, panic sweeping over her as she shoved at him. This couldn’t happen. Not to her. She wasn’t gonna let this happen.

She reached behind her, trying to feel for her phone so she could press the one dial that would go straight to Max’s phone, so someone would know she was up here, but she felt nothing. Than, she was struck with the horrifying reality that she didn’t have her phone. She’d left it downstairs with her bag, turned off. “Get off me now! Get off!”

Kevin grabbed Liz’s hands, pinning them above her head roughly. “Look, Liz, I’m much stronger than you. You won’t win. Just lay back and enjoy it.”

But Liz wouldn’t. She couldn’t. She’d never had sex before and she’d be damned if it would be this way and with this ass. “No!” Liz lifted her leg up, kicking him directly in the balls.

Kevin groaned. “Stupid bitch.”

Liz got up from the bed and ran to the door, opening it. “MARIA, HEL---!” The door gets slammed back shut by Kevin who had just come up behind her.

Kevin spun her around roughly, pinning her against the door. "Don't make one more fucking sound!" He hissed. "I always get what I want, Liz."

"No," Liz whimpered as she felt him kiss her neck. "No, please!" She was full on sobbing now and felt any hope of getting out of this situation die. This was really going to happen to her and there was nothing she could do about it, there was no one who was going to come to her rescue.

"Always," Kevin repeated and threw her down on the bed and got on top of her. He put his hand over her mouth. "this time will be no different,"

Liz’s screams became muffled against his hand, she kicked and kicked with all of her might but his stronger legs trapped her weaker ones down.

Kevin roughly shoved her dress up. “No underwear, huh?” He smirked as she cried against him. “I knew it. You want me. You dressed this way for me, my whore…”

Max, Liz thought hopelessly. I dressed this way for him and he didn’t…he doesn’t want me…he doesn’t love me.

“No!” Liz shouted again. “I don’t want you! Get off of m--!”

“Shut up!” Kevin roared, slapping her across the face hard. His hand went to his jeans, unbuckling them, the sound making Liz cry even harder. “See, I was gonna be nice about this, but who am I kidding? A girl like you…who dresses the way you have…you don’t deserve nice.”

Kevin pulled out his hard cock and jammed it inside her as she screamed out in pain. The agony of this act, of this violent act being how this would be her first time to just tearing her in two.

All she could think about was Max. She’d wanted it to be with Max, but he didn’t love her, he didn’t want her.

After this….

After this she was certain no one ever would again.
bellaresop
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Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:50 pm

Re: Running Alone {M/L, AU, Adult} Chp7 Pg2 12/25/12

Post by bellaresop »

A/N: First of all thank you to everyone who's been reviewing this story. I love hearing all of your thoughts. I've noticed that most of you aren't too enthused with the idea of Max/Liz being together because of all the problems and catastrophe it will bring....I don't want to give too much away of the story but some of that will eventually come to a head. I have alot planned for this story, alot mapped out. So, I just hope that all of you bear with me and this story. Oh..and just to be clear I would never support the idea of a student/teacher relationship in real life lol. I just thought it would make for an interesting story. Ok. Enough of my rambling. On to the story :)


Chapter 8



Liz Parker came to about fifteen minutes later.

She opened her eyes and tried to focus.

Everything was hazy and distorted.

Liz turned to look next to her and saw the sleeping form of Kevin.

Instantly, flashbacks of the rape came hurling at her. She whimpered as she scurried off of the bed and ran over to the door.

She yanked the door open and stumbled out. She noticed a phone sitting on a table in the hallway. She walked over to it and picked it up, shakily dialing 911.

“911, what is your emergency?” Came a calm female voice.

Liz was breathing heavily, part of her still felt drunk and not in a good way. “I need…” She grabbed the table for support. “I need help.”

“Could you please state the nature of your emergency, maim?”

“What?” Liz’s head was pounding and the voice on the other end was starting to sound more and more far away.

“Are you injured? Is there someone after you?” The voice stayed calm to explain. There was not a single hint of frustration.

“There’s someone.” Liz said before she felt her remaining strength fade away and darkness completely overtook her.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


“Thank you for everything, Sis.” Max said as he opened the door for Isobel. “You have no idea how much you’ve helped me tonight.”

Isobel smiled. “Well, I’m happy I could help you, big brother. I love you, I just want you to be happy.” She smirked as a glint of amusement came into hereyes. “Even if your happiness is with a seventeen year old who could get you thrown in jail.”

Max groaned. “You know something, I’m actually not…”

Isobel raised her hand in understanding. “Not ready to joke about it yet? Say, no more. Seriously, though…I am happy you’ve finally found love.”

“That is if she ever forgives me.” Max sighed.

“Hey, she’s gonna forgive you, Max.” Isobel assured him. “You just tell her everything like you told me. She’ll get it.”

“I really hope so, Sis.” Max said softly.

Just then, a beeping starting going off.

“Are you on duty?” Max asked curiously.

Isobel groaned. “I am now. Have I mentioned how thrilled I am that you didn’t follow in my footsteps and become a police officer?” Max chuckled. “Seriously, I have almost no time to myself. I’m just lucky Alex has always been so understanding.” Isobel picks up her walkee. “Yeah?”

“Whitman, there’s some kind of commotion over at the DeLuca’s. There was a 911 call and it dropped. It’s probably some kids messing around come to think of it, but you are the only officer in the area right now. Can you---?

“I’m on it, Valenti.” Isobel replied. “Copy that.”

Max frowned. “You’re going to Maria DeLuca's?”

Isobel nodded. “Yeah, there was a 911 call and it dropped. I gotta check it out.”

“I’m going with you.” Max stated.

“What? Why?” Isobel demanded.

“Liz is over there.” Max explained, his eyes filled with worry. “What if something’s wrong with her?”

“Max,” Isobel began in a stern voice. “I really don’t think this is a good idea. How would you explain your being there?”

Max sighed. Damn it, his sister did have a point. How would he explain that?

Isobel sensed her brother's growing apprehension. “Look, I’m going, there’s no need for you to go and jeopardize everything when we don’t even know what’s what, right?”

Max was hesitant. “I guess, but…” If Liz was hurt or something and he didn’t go because of his reputation, he would never forgive himself. When it came down to it, she mattered more than any of that.

“Listen, I’ll personally track her down when I get there myself and see to it that she is fine.” Isobel assured him. “If she’s not, than I promise you I will call you myself.”

“You’d do that?” Max’s eyes were filled with gratitude.

Isobel just shook her head with a small laugh. “Of course, I would, Max. I know how much she means to you. If it were Alex, I would be the same way.”

Max breathed deeply. “Okay, but you promise if?”

“If there is something wrong, I will call you.” Isobel repeated firmly.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


*Approximately, fifteen minutes later…*


There were voices.

Liz hazily registered frantic voices all around her.

Kevin?

Liz kept her eyes shut tightly. If there was a chance that Kevin was among those voices, she just wanted to pretend she was dead. Death was better than ever having to be presently awake for him to rape her again.

“Liz! C’mon! You have to get up!”

She recognized the worried but slightly annoyed voice of the girl who was usually so cheery.

Maria?

Liz slowly opened her eyes and she moaned at the pain that she felt from in-between her legs when she tried to sit up.

“Liz!” Maria snapped urgently, grabbing her friend’s arm. "Come on!"

It was the way that Maria grabbed her arm in anger that sent Liz flying back into a flashback of Kevin grabbing her arm in that same manner.

Liz flinched and scooted back away from her, there was terror in her eyes and Maria just stared at her in confusion.

“Liz?” Maria sighed as she realized that for reasons that she did not get, she was scaring her friend. “What’s going on? What happened? Are you okay?”

Maria threw the questions at her so quickly that Liz couldn’t quite answer them. Her bearings were not all there and honestly having a crowd of people hovering over you after…after what she’d just been through was not easing her panic in any way.

“Hey…Liz is it? Are you okay?”

Liz’s head came up at the soft, gentle voice. She looked up into the eyes that looked very much like Max's. At least that’s what it reminded her of. In her haze she almost thought that maybe the figure that she couldn't quite make out yet was Max. She began questioning if she was dreaming all of this.

“Ma…Max?” Liz rasped out, her hand coming up to hold her head. God, it pounded.

“Liz, who the hell is Max?!” Maria shrieked. Nothing was making any sense with her and she was getting more than a little upset.

“I’m Isobel.” The young blonde police officer offered kindly, looking Liz over worriedly. The girl did not look well. “Evans.” She added, deciding not to use her married name as she saw some sort of recognition fly into the girl’s eyes. “I’m an officer. We got a call for help.”

Maria chuckled nervously. “And like I explained to this kind officer here, there is no need for any help.” A flash of anger flied into the girl’s eyes. “Seriously?! Who called the freaking cops?!”

“It must’ve been Parker!” One guy snapped.

Maria looked at Liz in shock. “Liz? He’s wrong, right? You didn’t call the police did you? I mean, why in the hell would you? There’s no need for--”

Liz snapped, she couldn’t stand her friend flying out questions at her anymore. She just wanted Maria and everyone else to just shut up. She wanted to go home. “Yes!” Liz blurted loudly, and than moaned as she felt shooting pain in her skull. “Yes, I called them.”

“So, you made the call?” Isobel’s tone was not judging nor were her eyes. “Liz, right?” Liz nodded weakly. “What’s going on? The caller said that there was someone after her.”

“What?!” Maria yelled. “That is crazy! Liz, c’mon! Tell them this is a mistake!”

“Maria, I am talking to Liz.” Isobel calmly replied, giving the girl a stern look. "I'd hate to have to arrest you for interfering in a police investigation." That last part shut Maria up faster than anything ever had before and for a split second Liz felt incredible relief.

“There’s…” Liz cut off as she noticed someone standing far back in the crowd of students. It was Kevin and he was glaring at her. He moved his finger across his neck and mouthed the words ‘If you tell, you’re dead’.

Liz’s body began to shake and she put her head in her hands and began to rock. She was willing his monstrous face to go away.

“Liz?” Maria reached out to pry Liz’s arm away from her face and she screamed.

“Don’t touch me!” Liz screamed as she practically crawled up against the wall. “Get away from me!”

“Maria, why don’t you give her some space?” Michael stepped in, eying the friend of his girlfriend in deep concern.

“Space?!” Maria yelled. “She just fucking admitted to calling the cops!”

“Maria, baby lets just take a--” Michael began trying to calm her, even though he knew it was absolutely gonna be no good. God love her, but once his girlfriend got fired up about something, there was nothing that was gonna calm that rage down.

“No!” Maria snapped. “Officer Whitman or Evans or whatever here just fined my parents! My parents, Michael! I’m gonna be in fucking hot water for like ever! Not to mention what began as an awesome party is now tainted!” Maria turned from her boyfriend and pointed an accusing finger at Liz. “It’s all because of her!”

Hot tears fell down Liz’s face. Maria hated her, everyone hated her. She wanted to speak so badly about what had happened to her, but with Kevin standing five feet away, she was terrified to.

What if no one believed her and he wound up doing something worse to her?

Maria stepped closer to Liz until she was practically in her face. “Liz, we’ve been friends for a pretty fucking long time, right?”

Liz nodded, intimidated by the close proximity of her angered friend. “Yes.”

Maria lowered her to voice to almost a whisper, so that Isobel couldn’t hear. “It’s because of the long time we have been friends that I haven’t decked you yet, but I swear to God if you do not give me a really fucking good answer as to why you just ruined my party, I will fucking kick your ass out of my house and you’ll never be welcomed back.”

“Liz,” Isobel pressed, her tone still gentle. “I really need you to talk to me here. You don’t have to be afraid. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“I’m sorry,” Liz whispered, wiping away her tears. “the truth is I didn’t mean to call.”

Isobel’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean you didn’t mean to call? You dialed 911, did you not?”

The students snickered while Maria still looked pissed as ever and Michael wore nothing but sympathy for Liz.

“I…” Liz breathed. “I was feeling sick and I was trying to call a cab to take me home but the numbers looked blurry and I…” More tears stung at her eyes. “I’m really sorry. I’m sorry for troubling you and…” She looked into Maria's pissed off eyes. “ruining everything.”

Isobel was hesitant to believe her but what could she do? She couldn’t force her to say anything she wasn’t willing to say. She’d have to buy this excuse. For now anyway. “Liz, you realize you could get into an awful lot of trouble for making a false call for help?”

Liz nodded. “Yes…I know. I really am sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Isobel nodded. “Well, I’m gonna let you off with a warning. You made an honest mistake and you have no priers. I suppose it could happen to anyone. You really don’t look well. I’m gonna take you home.” She saw Liz’s stunned look at her kindness and she just faintly smiled at her. “And the rest of you, I suggest you all call your parents. I’ve already let them know about what’s happened tonight.”

All the students groaned and shot daggers at Liz.

“Nice going, Parker.” A couple guys said snidely as they brushed by her.

“Maria,” Liz choked out. “I’m really…”

“Don’t,” Maria said sharply backing away from her. “talk to me. Ever. I’m gonna be in a shit load of trouble that’s gonna last a fucking lifetime for me because you got,” She lowers her voice to a mimics. “wasted and confused.” She shook her head once again in anger. “Fuck you, Liz.”

Maria stalked off.

“I’m sorry, Liz. I’ll try to talk to her.” Michael said kindly before walking off to follow his girlfriend.

“Come on, Liz.” Isobel held out her hand for Starr to take. “I’ll take you home.”

Liz stood up, refusing her hand. “I can walk on my own.”

Isobel nodded and she followed her out.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Ten minutes later, Isobel had pulled into Liz’s driveway.

“Thank you,” Liz said softly.

Isobel nodded. “You’re welcome. You know, I did call your parents.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah and they said you were seventeen nearly an adult and that they had more pressing concerns than dealing with an over indulgent child.” Isobel had a look of anger at the words and flashed her an apologetic smile. “I feel like I should apologize to you.”

“For what?” Liz asked puzzled. “It’s how they are. It’s no one’s fault, certainly not yours.”

“You know, if I could arrest them for being uncaring selfish beings, I so would.” Isobel stated. “I’m really very sorry.”

Liz shrugged it off. “Like I said, it’s how they are.”

“You know…” Isobel hesitated on whether she should say anything but than felt it was only right. “My brother…Max…he cares a great deal for you.”

Liz struggled to look indifferent. “Well, I’m his student. He has this thing about helping his students…”

Isobel shook her head. “Liz, I know, okay? He told me how conflicted he is, how much he loves you.” Liz looked at her in shock. “He’d probably kill me for telling you this, but with how noble he is, it’ll take him until next year to tell you.” She lightly chuckled. “He made me promise that if you were at the party, I would find you and make sure you were okay.”

Liz’s eyes widened. “He did? Really? He said all that?”

Isobel nodded. “My brother’s a good man, Liz. And I believe that you are a good person. You guys just met a little early is all, but there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Liz blinked back tears. Everything was different now. What would Max think if he ever knew what happened tonight? “I should go in. Thank you for what you did tonight.”

Isobel nodded. “You should call him. Let him know that you are alright. It’d mean more to him to hear your voice than to hear me tell him for sure.”

Liz merely nodded before getting out and disappearing into her house.




A/N: I know alot of you are going to think I wrote Maria totally out of character....but it was kind of needed for what's next in this storyline. I'll be redeeming her at some point I'm sure but it's gonna take some time. I can't remember if I mentioned this at the beginning of this story or not but some of this is loosely based on the novel "Speak". The idea that a girl gets raped at a party, calls the cops and than all of her friends completely turn on her. The rest of it is all from my brain. Anyhow, hope you're still enjoying the story :)
bellaresop
Enthusiastic Roswellian
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:50 pm

Re: Running Alone {M/L, AU, Adult} Chp8 Pg3 12/26/12

Post by bellaresop »

A/N: First off I wanna thank Ginger for the very long review :) You rock! Although, I feel the need to point out that while Liz is only 17 and not exactly a 'grown up', it has nothing to do with why she didn't report the crime. She didn't report it because she was afraid no one would believe her and that something worse could happen to her, which is the exact same reason why I didn't report my sexual assault and I was 22 years old. Anyhow, not to get too delved into real life, but just wanted to point that out. And yes Isobel is definitely breaking the law by choosing to support her brother's love for Liz...so it is pretty tangled and only gonna get more tangled lol. Anyhow enough rambling on to the next installment :)

Chapter 9



Liz slowly and painfully crawled her way up the stairs to her room. She’d lost the last of strength she’d had pretending she was fine with Isobel.

She was on her knees as her hand gripped the handle of her door knob. She slowly pushed herself up and she whimpered at the extreme soreness she felt from between her legs.

The door opened and she walked inside. She gasped and tears sprung to her eyes.

“Hello, Liz.”

Kevin was standing right in front of her, a smug smile on his face.

“No, no.” Liz shook her head desperately. “How do you know where I live?”

Kevin quickly made his way to her and Liz quickly ran to open the door but his hand slammed it shut just like earlier. “I live inside you, Liz.” He laughed, breathing against her neck.

“No, no, no, no, no!” Liz whimpered, fighting against him. She spun around to kick him but her foot met air. She tripped and fell down.

She sat on the ground dazed for a moment. She felt her body still shaking. He’d looked so real, he’d felt so real.

She let out a light chuckle at the fact that she’d thought he was actually there in her bedroom. He didn’t know where she lived. She’d only met him tonight.

The chuckle turned into a laugh, the laugh turned into a hysterical laugh, and the hysterical laugh soon turned into deep heart wrenching sobs.

Liz sobbed into her hands, her small body curled up into the corner.

I live inside you, Liz.

Liz abruptly stopped sobbing.

God, she still smelled him. She still felt him on her, still felt him in her. He’d touched every part of her body in the most repulsive way and in this moment all she wanted to do was to scrub him off.

She quickly stood up and ran for her bathroom that was adjoined in her room. She shut the door tightly behind her, locking it.

She pulled the dress over her head and tossed it to the ground, making a quick note to throw it away and she would. That beautiful, blue, spaghetti strap dress was now a painful reminder of this horrible night and what she had lost.

Liz pulled the shower curtain back and stepped in, turning the water on. She stepped under the hot spray and let the water pour over her. She closed her eyes.

“Liz,”

Liz spun around and was stunned see Max standing in front of her, his arms were wrapped around her. “Oh my God, Max,”

Max’s eyes were soft and pained. “Why, Liz? Why did you let him touch you?”

Tears sprang to Liz’s eyes. “Max, I didn’t…I didn’t want him to. I’m sorry I‘m so sorry! You have to believe me!”

“We don’t have a chance now.” Max softly said before backing away from her.

“No!” Liz shrieked, reaching out for him desperately. “No, Max! Don’t leave me, please! I told him no, I swear to God I told him no!”

Max just continued to shake his head sadly. “It never would’ve worked, Liz,” And then he chuckled and his eyes changed from sad to a taunt. A taunt at her. “You’re nothing but a spoiled immature child. What would I have possibly wanted with you other than the obvious? That’s gone…and so am I.”

“Max, why are you saying this?! I fought him! Please!” Liz cried brokenly, as she reached out to grab him, her hand hit the wall.

Liz looked around the stall for Max but he had vanished.

“Max,” Liz cried as she once again realized that he had been a hallucination just like Kevin had been. The only difference was she’d wanted Max to be real.

Liz slid down the wall as she began to quietly sob into her hands. “Please.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I can’t do this alone.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


“Isobel,” Max stood up eagerly as he saw his sister walk through his front door. “what happened? Is everything okay?”

Isobel wore a wary expression as she shook her head. “I wouldn’t call this night an okay one, no Max.”

“Well, what happened?” Max pressed. “Is it Liz? Is she--?”

“She’s safe at home, Max.” Isobel quickly assured her brother.

Max breathed a sigh of relief. “Good….that’s …that’s good. She should be home.”

Isobel just shook her head. “I’m not sure home is any better than where she was.”

Max nodded in agreement. “No argument from me there.”

“You know about her parents, then?” Isobel surmised.

“Some.” Max replied. “Liz has talked some about them and what she has told me….” He sighed sadly. “Are they really as awful as she makes them out to be? I mean, I don’t think she’s lying or anything, Iz….but…what kind of parents don’t give a damn about their own child?”

“The selfish kind, Max.” Isobel replied solemnly. “The kind that are so into money that nothing else seems to matter. You see, Nancy and Jeff Parker are elite socialites and unfortunately Liz is paying the price for it.”

Max’s eyes went dark. “It’s not fair, Iz. I never went one day thinking that you or mom could care less about me and Liz…she thinks like that every day. She has…she has her fake parents and her fake friends. She doesn’t have anyone.”

“She has you.”

Max nodded in agreement. “She does. If she ever forgives me that is. I just…I feel like each second that goes on with her in the dark thinking that she means nothing to me is another second for her to shut me out completely.”

“It’s a possibility.” Isobel agreed, thinking back on what had occurred tonight.

“That can’t happen. I have to…I have to tell her something. I mean, I can’t tell her the truth…not yet, but I have to…” Max was caught between his desire to tell her everything and his desire to do right by her.

“There may not be any time for you to do damage control, Max.” Isobel said. “I think I need to tell you something. You’re uh….you’re probably gonna be pretty pissed at me, but if I tell you….if I tell you about that party…I think you might understand where I was coming from.”

Max groaned. He knew that tone all too well. It was the ‘don’t be pissed, I did it for your own good’ tone. “Oh God. What the hell did you do? Did you… you didn’t tell her to stay away did you?” At Isobel’s shake of her head, his eyes went wide. “Oh God, it’s worse! You told her it was all lies, didn’t you?!” At his sister’s guilty look, Max punched the wall in anger. “You did! You didn’t tell her I loved her, did you? Please, please tell me you at least did me that one courtesy!”

Isobel shook her head once again, knowing what was coming next.

“Well, fuck, Isobel!” Max snapped, running a hand through his hair. “How the hell am I supposed to convince her of anything now?”

“Max, I get that you’re pissed but there’s a whole lot more going on with Liz than just her teacher being in love with her.” Isobel stated. “You didn’t see her at that party. She was…something definitely happened.”

The anger left Max’s eyes and was replaced by worry. “Well, what happened to her?”

“The 911 call I got, that was Liz.” Isobel confessed.

Max’s eyes widened in shock. “Liz, called 911? Oh my God, what happened to her? I thought you said she was okay!”

“She is, Max.” Isobel stated calmly. “At least physically anyway. I kept trying to get to her to tell me what happened. She was passed out when I got there and when she came to…well, it wasn’t just me who wanted answers. Maria and the others got pretty shitty with her for calling the cops.”

Max’s eyes darkened in anger at the thought of those bratty self centered kids. “Well, it doesn’t matter what they think. I know, Liz okay? I know her better than anyone and she would never do something like that if she didn’t have a good reason.”

“She claimed it was an accident.” Isobel recounted. “She said that she’d had too much to drink and accidentally called 911. I didn’t believe her, but what could I do, Max? I couldn’t force the girl to admit to something that I had no idea of even happening. Maria kept grabbing her and it scared her. At one point she completely freaked out and told her not to touch her.”

“Maybe it was the alcohol?” Max assumed. “I mean lots of kids get really drunk and they don’t like it when someone tries to yell at them or tell them what to do.”

Isobel shook her head. “In any other case, I’d say maybe, but…you didn’t see her eyes when she said it. They weren’t full of confusion, they were full of terror. I know intoxication and I know when someone’s scared. That girl was scared. She wouldn’t talk to me though and Maria told her she was no longer welcome in her house, so I drove her home.”

“Wait a minute.” Max’s eyes turned angry once again. “So, Liz called the cops because something obviously happened and instead of being concerned, Maria just tells her to get out?! What the hell kind of best friend is she?!”

“She was very upset about the fine and the probability of her being grounded for the rest of her high school career.” Isobel explained with a roll of her eyes.

“Well, boo-hoo!” Max snapped, not having any sympathy for that girl. “Maybe she should’ve thought of that before throwing a party with lots of alcohol that Liz never wanted to go to to begin with! She’s really blaming Liz for a party that she threw and was her idea?!”

“She’s blaming Liz for ruining the party and getting her ass in hot water along with the rest of the student bodies.” Isobel nodded.

“That’s incredibly selfish.” Max stated with a roll of his eyes. “No wonder Liz said she’d like to throw her friends off a cliff.” He muttered.

Isobel’s eyes widened. “She said what?!”

Max just waved it off. “We were joking one day and….nothing, forget it. So, you took her home. Is that where you decided to make yourself God and tell her I lied and that I loved her?”

“Still mad about that, huh?”

Max nodded. “Yeah, I’m a little peeved. I’ll get over it.”

“I told her to call you.” Isobel said. “I don’t know what happened to her, but I do know that she should talk to somebody.”

Max nodded. “Well, thank you. I mean that, by the way. Thank you for getting her home safely and thank you for….” He chuckles. “I’m even thanking you for telling her my feelings for her.”

Isobel smirked. “Well, you’re welcome. I do have to go though, I promised Alex I’d at least be home by one.”

Max nodded with a finger pointing towards his door. “Go to it.”

Max’s cell starts to go off.

He grabs it off the table and it says “Liz”

“That’s Liz.” Max said with a mixture of relief and concern.

Isobel smiled softly. “Well, good luck.” With that, she leaves, shutting the door behind her.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Liz was all wrapped up in her terry white robe after her long shower.

She was curled up under the covers in her bed, with the phone pressed to her ear.

She needed to hear his voice.

She needed to hear the only voice that ever soothed her, with the hope that maybe just maybe it could even soothe her now.

“Hello?”

Liz moved her lips to say something, but it’s like it wouldn’t come out. It’s like her vocal cords were paralyzed or something.

She heard Max sigh and she knew he knew that she was on the line.

“Liz, I know you’re there.”

This time something did come out but to her horror, it was a whimper from her. Tears were rolling down her cheeks and she realized that she was crying.

It wasn’t bad enough that she had broken down like an idiot and called him and said nothing but now she was crying?!

God, she was such a loser.

“Baby,” She could’ve sworn she heard his voice slightly break. “Please…please, don’t cry. Just…just talk to me, please.”

Liz didn’t say anything, couldn’t say anything. She didn’t even know where to start.

Did she start with how he broke her heart, how that party and Kevin had completely ruined her life, or with how Isobel claimed he really did love her? There was just too much and she didn’t know how to say any of it.

She heard him sigh and for a moment she was terrified he was going to hang up. Selfish as it was of her, his voice was the only thing keeping her grounded, the only thing that was keeping Kevin away.

“I’m glad you called me. I wasn’t sure if…after what….” This time she was definitely sure she heard his voice break and it caused her to cry a little more. “Oh, baby I’m so sorry. I didn’t…I meant nothing that I said to you tonight, okay? I want…I want everything that you said. It’s still not…damnit it’s still not what I want for you! It’s not what I think that you deserve, but damn it I love you and I almost don’t care.”

Liz cried harder at his words. He was saying everything she’d desperately wanted to hear but it was too late now. If he…if he knew about Kevin, he’d never want her.

“Baby, I know I hurt you. I know that. I am just…I am so sorry. We could…we could have something real. I know we could. I know we do. Just, please…I need you to talk to me. Say something, anything.” His voice was desperate and urgent.

This time words did come out but they were the last ones she’d ever meant to say and she would never figure out why out of everything she could’ve said to him, these were the ones that popped out.

"I lost my virginity tonight."

There was silence for what felt like to Liz to be the longest time. She was so sure that he'd maybe even hung up...and then she finally heard him speak.

"What?" He sounded like he was out of breath.

Liz wiped away tears that were coursing down her face. "I bet you're glad it wasn't you. You..." She chuckled bitterly. "You really dodged a bullet, huh."

"Liz, I don't understand." There was confusion in his voice and it was mixed with something else that Liz couldn't quite pinpoint. Was it anger? "Why are you saying all of this? What happened tonight?"

"I already told you," Liz replied, tears still stinging her eyes. "the rest doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters!" Max snapped. "You matter to me! Don't you see that? Haven't you seen that all along? All those weeks that we spent together, that we talked..." He breathed deeply. "Did you really not see it or have I hurt you that badly?"

Liz covered her mouth for a moment, willing her sobs to just disappear.

"Liz, please..."

Liz took a deep breath. “Max, I want you to forget you ever knew me. Forget all of it, because you were right. We don't belong together, we never did. Just stay away, Max.”

"Liz, wait.."

With that, Liz hung up and turned her cell phone off, carelessly tossing it a few feet away.

It was then and only did she let the heartbreaking sobs break free.
bellaresop
Enthusiastic Roswellian
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2012 2:50 pm

Re: Running Alone {M/L, AU, Adult} Chp9 Pg3 12/26/12

Post by bellaresop »

A/N: Ginger: I did not take it as a criticism :) I just wanted to explain as a writer and as someone who had once been through such a thing where my character's head was at. I thank you very much for your kind words. It took awhile but I got through it.
Eve: Thank you for taking the time review as well :) I don't wanna give too much away but it's gonna take awhile before things are back on track for Liz. It's gonna be a long road.


Chapter 10



“Liz, what on earth---?”

Liz was at the bottom of her stair case, dressed for school and just in time to see the disdain in her mother’s eyes. “Morning.” She said stiffly.

Nancy just scoffed. “That is the ugliest shirt I’ve ever seen. Please go change into something else. Something that won’t embarrass your father and I.”

Liz just rolled her eyes. “It’s school, mom. Not a fashion party. I doubt anyone will care how I look.” And they wouldn’t care how she looked. After last night, nothing would ever make her look right again.

“People always care, Liz!” Nancy snapped. “Even when they say they don’t, trust me they do! Now change!”

Normally Liz would just sulk and go back upstairs and change but ever since what happened…ever since her rape, she didn’t care about being obedient anymore. There was nothing she was scared of because the worst had already happened to her. And…Liz Parker was in a defiant mood.

“No.” Liz answered softly.

“Excuse me?” Nancy asked in an incredulous tone. “Young lady now is not the time to be playing games with me, now go change!”

“No!” Liz yelled, taking another step down. “I am not playing games with you, mother and I am not changing!”

Nancy’s eyes narrowed to glare at her in anger and disapproval. “And why not?! Why are you choosing today to be defiant with me?!”

“I’m not choosing, I just am.” Liz replied.

“Not good enough.” Nancy replied briskly. “I want an honest reason why you won’t change out of that hideous outfit!”

“Okay.” Liz said simply.

Nancy was wary. “Okay?”

“You want an honest reason? Here’s one.” Liz licked her lips and picked up her bag. “I like this outfit. I feel comfortable in it, and I am choosing to wear it. So, since I am the one who is being seen in it and who has to walk around all day, I am choosing what I want to wear. I don’t tell you what to wear.”

“Honestly, Liz must you be so contrary?” Nancy asked in disgust. “You have a name to uphold.”

Getting fed up with her mother’s constant put downs, Liz slams her bag down and stalks up to her mother.

Nancy almost looks intimidated. Almost.

“I am well aware that I have a fucking name to uphold.” Liz spat venomously. “You and father never fail to remind me every day, every minute of my fucking life!” Nancy's eyes were wide. “Today, I am going to hold up my name. My name is Liz, mom. It’s not Nancy and Jeff Parker. It’s Liz.”

Liz went back to where her bag set and picked it up, swinging it over her shoulders. She walked over to the door.

Nancy was too shocked to say anything. She just stood there staring out into space.

Liz stopped at the door and turned around. “In short, mother…I am done falling in line.” With that, Liz stormed out and slammed the door.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Liz pulled into the school’s parking lot and for the first time she really, really hoped she didn’t run into Max.

She’d hung up on him and he hadn’t tried to call her back. She didn’t really know what she was so surprised about. She’d basically told him to get lost after he’d confessed his love for her.

What guy would call back?

Hell, I wouldn’t have called me back, Liz thought to herself in disgust as she walked up the steps and inside the school.

The truth was that it was just easier to let him believe that she hated him. It was easier because if he was mad at her and wanted nothing to do with her, it made it that much less painful than spilling the truth to him and having him look at her in pity for the rest of the year.

Liz was momentarily torn away from thoughts of Max when she saw Maria over at her locker.

She took a deep breath and walked over toward her. She didn’t really know what she was going to say but she owed her something. She felt horrible about what she’d caused to happen at her best friend’s party.

“Maria,”

Liz was cut off from whatever she was about to say as Maria angrily shoved her to the ground.

Liz just sat there winded and shocked. “Maria--”

“Don’t,” Maria cut her off sharply with hatred in her eyes. “Do not get up, do not address me. How about from now on, I don’t exist to you, okay?” She stared Liz down with disgust. “Because you sure as shit do not exist to me.”

With that Maria stormed off leaving Liz on the ground, tears forming in her eyes.

Liz wasn’t sure how long she just sat on the floor quietly crying into her hands. Suddenly she felt a hand lightly touch her shoulder and she flinched away.

Oh God, was it him? Was she alone with Kevin?

“No, No,” She whimpered, curling herself against the locker.

“Liz? Sweetheart?”

It was that voice. That velvet voice that was always so gentle. She slowly looked up, hoping against all hope that it was her angel and not that monster.

“Max,” She breathed slowly.

Max nodded gently and patiently. He looked her over in deep concern and sadness. “I was worried about you. You hung up last night...I actually wasn‘t sure if you‘d even be here today.”

“I have a name to uphold,” Liz whispered, just staring straight ahead.

Max’s heart broke. What was she looking at?

He breathed deeply and took a seat next to her on the floor. He didn’t grab her hand or touch her like he wanted to. He just sat with her.

“Why are you sitting on the floor crying, Sweetheart? Did something happen?” Max asked gently.

Liz blinked back more tears as she struggled to get control of her emotions. “Just my life.”

Max frowned at that. She didn’t deserve any of the sorrow that had been bestowed upon her in her life and he really wished he knew what had happened last night, so that he could help her. “How about I take you home, Liz?”

Liz finally seemed to snap out of her trance and she got up. “I thought I told you to stay away from me.” She picked her bag up and walked into his classroom.

Max immediately got up and went in after her, closing the door behind him. It was his free period so he didn’t expect any students and he really didn’t want to be interrupted talking to her.

“Besides you shouldn’t be using your free time to take some basket case home anyway,” Liz continued darkly. “I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors.”

Max’s eyes darkened. “You’re not a basket case. I hate when you talk about yourself like that. And I don’t exactly listen to gossip, Liz.”

“Why are you even talking to me anyway?” Liz asked. “I told you to stay away.”

Max let out a wry smile. “Well this is my classroom, Liz.”

Liz opened her mouth to retort but realized he was right. This was his classroom. “Fine, I’ll leave.”

Liz moved to go to the door and Max quickly followed her, placing his hand against the door, practically caging her against it.

Liz knew that this was Max and that he wouldn’t hurt her but she was more than a little uncomfortable that he was this close to her. “Max,” She breathed shakily. He’s not Kevin, he’s not Kevin, he’s not Kevin. “What are you…what are you doing?”

“I can’t let you leave like this,” Max shook his head, not even realizing that his actions were causing her to shake like a leaf. “You called me last night crying and than you told me to forget I knew you and hung up on me.”

“Max,” Liz breathed, the memories of last night were beginning to overtake her as she felt trapped against this door. “please let me go.”

“I know I hurt you,” Max continued, still not realizing that he was actually scaring her. “but I didn’t mean any of what I said to you. I thought I was doing what was best for you. I was thinking with my head instead of with my heart.” He reached out and gently grasped her cheek with his hand. It was when he touched her that he felt her violently shaking. Was she…was she actually afraid of him?

Liz shoved him away with all her might and he actually did stumble back, not from her strength but from the realization that the girl he loved more than anything was actually scared of him.
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