Author: Blue*Soul
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: Mature
Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine. Inspiration is also borrowed from a movie.
Summary: Liz and Max were friends since childhood. Max was the popular high school jock, whilst Liz was his side kick- the feisty, in yer-face tom-boy. They had a pretty unique relationship…but it was un-named. Back then, Max and Liz, were slightly less then lovers but more then just friends. They did everything together. Knew every secret about one another. Amongst all the frolicking, arguing, and banter- a type of love began to grow. Liz was the first to realise how much she felt for Max….but not before it was too late. Another girl arrived into their life and she changed everything. From that point on, things were never the same. Liz left town, Max, and his friendship forever. We meet Liz at high school reunion.
Guess who she meets?
Banner by Josephine/ Max and Liz believer
Time Changes Everything.
Chapter 1
Liz groaned as Sadie walked past. She had no idea she would have to dodge so many people.
The sun was a horizontal, orange across the sky. Music blasted in her ears as she dashed around the gardens making chit-chat, with a glass of red wine to keep her company. Kyle was around somewhere too. Probably making chit-chat, and enjoying it to the maximum, aswell. She sighed. She wasn’t like her boyfriend; making chit-chat, or faking chit-chat. It was all the same to Liz. She smiled politely as the hundredth person complimented her. Told her how beautiful she looked. How much she had changed since she had last seen them. How much she was glowing.
Of course Liz had changed. Possibly because high school had been ten years ago. Mainly because now she was nothing like the tongue in cheek, short haired, quick tempered, tom-boy, that she used to be. It was all under wraps now. Liz had learnt the unspoken rule of social conduct. How to put on a façade. How to act. How to smile and be polite.
Boy, it killed her too… but mom was pleased, to say the least.
The men kept eyeing her. Wondering who the pretty girl, with mane of shiny hair and flawless olive skin was. There was Tommy, and Josh Kent, and even Aaron Curtis.
Curtis. Gee. How much she had hated him. Liz gave him a nod as he smiled at her unwittingly. She tried to suppress the laughter raging inside her. Social conduct and all. Liz would never be able to forget the look on his face when she and Max had put slices of ham under his duvet cover, on the camping trip. Or when she had run off with Aaron’s clothes, whilst he was skinny dipping, whilst Max was decoy.
Those were the days. Fun. Laughter—and Max.
Max.
The only reason she had decided to come was because Maria had forced her and as much as she hated to admit it, because Max wasn’t going to be here.
---
“Liz! you have to come!”
Liz didn’t bother look up from the paper she was reading.“Blah.”
“No, Liz. No, blah. This was high-school.”
“Exactly Maria. I’m 26 now.”
“Don’t tell me you’re not even the slightest bit curious if any of your predictions have come true? I for one, am dying to know how big Aaron’s big beer belly has become, If Darren Choo and Rory McGregor are still together, and if Tia has turned to prostitution to make ends meet.”
“You’re the only person I kept in contact with, that’s the way I like it.”
“ Don’t give me that crap. You mean the only person who bought a house across the street from you, and you couldn’t help but keep contact with.”
Liz shifted uncomfortably. Maria was right. When Liz had left Roswell to live in Washington, she had imagined, and hoped that she would ever see any of those faces again.
“Please Liz?”
“Hmm.”
“Max won’t be there.”
Liz sat up, taking interest. “He won’t?”
“He won’t. The last time I heard, he had moved to England with the wife.”
Liz had agreed. She hadn’t asked how Maria had heard this piece of information. When this event had happened, and how… even though she had desperately wanted to. She had wanted to ask so many questions.
Too many questions.
****
Miriam had been acting strange. Again. Trust her to send him on a wild goose chase. Back to high school no less, especially when he had been on the run all day. He was always on the run. Constant travelling and relocating on behalf of his company insured that. He had come anyway. Obviously he had said yes to Miriam. No questions asked. He couldn’t say no to her. He didn’t see how any man could. She was that beautiful.
Max stopped in his tracks breathlessly and looked around the school gardens incredulously. It was all...so much smaller. So much quieter.
“Late again, Max Evans?”
“Michelle?” Max laughed, kissing his ex flirt buddy on the cheek. Trust it to be Michelle. He should have known it would be Michelle. She had always been around and um, available.
“Looks different doesn’t it?” she nodded around her.
“Sure does.” Max agreed. “It seems so long ago since I was the king around here.”
“I see you still possess that old modesty of yours.” She laughed, “I take it lifes been a ride, just like high school?”
Max let out a bitter chuckle. “You could say that.”
****
“Having fun?” Kyle pulled Liz to him, and she enjoyed a familiar kiss with that warmish feeling that accompanied it. It had been four years. Four years since Liz had met him at her mothers barbecue party. Irritated at her mother, who had decided to play match maker, yet again... Liz had told Kyle (when he had tried his chance at making friendly conversation) that under no circumstances was she interested in any type of relationship what-so-ever. As well as asking him why, in the name of god, he was wearing a thong.
Back then, she had been repulsed by Kyle’s, play-boyish behaviour. But something about his ease with words, and a rather blunt honesty and genuineness about him, had charmed her in a way that no man had been able to do for years. They had become fast friends, and then more.
Liz smiled, as Kyle widened his eyes questioningly, “You definitely are.” She nodded at the even-more-bleached-then-before- Tia.
“Oh she’s just…” Kyle waved his hand dismissively. “I have eyes only for you baby.” He grinned, making smoochy noises at her.
Liz playfully shook her head, as Kyle went off to refill her glass, looking around the garden, until her eyes stopped short.
She could only see the back of his head. But she’d recognise that stance anywhere. The way he leaned to his left. The way he ran his hand through his hair every couple of minutes (she had always teased the hell out of him about that). How his head would turn to the left when he laughed, before he made eye contact again. It was all a part of his subtle charm.
She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe the way her heart had just jumped into her mouth. The way her fingers had started tingling. The way she had started shaking uncontrollably. She almost stopped breathing.
Liz had never had this reaction to a man before and it almost made her run to the opposite direction.
But there was no way she was going anywhere. Not now. She was here, and so was he.
Max Evans. Her Max Evans.
Before she could stop herself, she had covered the distance between them and was tapping him on the shoulder.
*****
Max turned and stared blankly at the pretty girl in front of him. No, wait. Really Pretty girl in front of him.
She stared right back, with huge challenging, brown eyes.
“Yes?” he asked politely. She was inherently familiar….but…but…
“Not yes, you moron, who!” She blurted, then blushed profusely, scratching her left brow, like she had spoken too soon.
Christ. No.Way. Hell, there was no way! However, there was no mistaking the only person that would speak to him like that. And now that he knew, there was no mistaking that cross expression, that determined tilt of the chin, or those almond, expression filled eyes.
“Parker!” Max mouthed, his jaw dropping agape, and completely ignoring, Michelle Steward, who he had just been talking to for the last hour.
Liz nodded excitedly. Max lunged forward. Liz squealed in delight.
They hugged then, squeezing the life out of one another. Rejoicing. Relishing. Forgotten, for a few precious seconds were the many years, that had passed between them. The pain and the losses that had come with it.
They were Max and Liz who first met at the tender age of five. Max, who had been intrigued by her instant outspoken temperament, and her ability to pick up snails/slugs/worms/slimy creatures, and chase him around kindergarten with them. And Liz, who had 'liked Max’s sneakers'. They were the Max and Liz in fourth grade, when Max took her side when girls made fun of Liz because she looked like a boy.
They were Max and Liz, in high school again.
---
Liz sat in the corner of the classroom crying. She pushed her scraggly dark hair out of her face, and it stubbornly fell into her eyes again.
She hated her hair.
Stupid hair. Stupid face. Ugly Liz. Boyish Liz. Stupid Liz!
Tia was right. She was ugly, and she was never going to get a boyfriend! Not that she cared. Who needed boys anyway? Not Liz. Never Liz.
For some reason this made Liz cry harder.
“Parker? Liz. Hey, Liz?”
She heard Max’s voice and she quickly wiped away her tears.
“What?” Liz tried to sound like she hadn’t been crying, but her voice came out all funny.
Liz looked up at Max, terrified at the what she had just given away. Max looked at her red eyes, and both of them quickly looked away.
Liz was crying. Max had looked all over for her, for ages. But he hadn’t expected her to be crying! “I’m sorry about Tia.”
“I don’t care about Tia.” She said heatedly.
Max nodded quickly, “I know. But she made you cry.”
“No she didn’t!”
“But... you were crying.”
“No I wasn’t!”
“I don’t care if you’re boyish you know…” Max looked down at her, and bit his lip. “In fact I’m glad you are. I think your hair looks quite nice.”
For some reason, that made Liz feel a lot better. “Mum cut it herself. She doesn’t like the hair dresser, says she charges too much.”
Liz could see the thinking look on Max’s face. “You don’t like Tia do you?” he asked suddenly.
“She’s okay.” Liz said fleetingly, “Anyway, I know you two are going out.”
“No we’re not.”
“Tommy said he saw you two kissing behind the bike sheds.”
Max blushed. He knew Tia kissed a lot of boys. He had wanted to try it too.
Liz looked at him, eyes narrowed. “Do you love her?”
“What? No way! I'm dumping her anyway”
“Why?”
“She has bad hair.”
----
They finally pulled apart, breathing hard and both took a step back, disbelievingly.
Liz blushed hard. She couldn’t believe she had just jumped on Max Evans in front of everyone. It had been so long since she had let go like this. Michelle Steward stared at her. Max grinned.
Max was at a loss of words. Where to start? It had been 10 years after all. He had almost come to believe that he would never see her again. That was the worst part. The losing hope part. No part of his brain had even comprehended the idea that she might be here! But she was... and suddenly, he loved Miriam even more.
There were too many questions. Way too many to cover in a sentence. Where had she been all this time? Where had she gone? Why had she gone? Why hadn’t she contacted him? Had she missed him?…God. He had missed her. Why had she left him? Where to start? Where to start?! Fortunately for him, she beat him to it.
“You look as bad as ever Max.”
Her eyes were scanning, taking him in. Time had only improved his appearance. His body had only become more sculpted, his face had a certain stubbled, ruggedness about it. There was more casualness in his appearance, like he wasn’t trying to impress anymore. And to Liz, that was the sexiest of all.
Max laughed at her comment. She hadn’t changed one bit, but at the same time so much.
His gaze travelled from her absolutely blemish free (it actually looked moisturized) skin, down the length of her shiny locks, and off the shouldered black top with a curved neckline- showing cleavage, small pert breasts--
Liz Parker had cleavage! Jeez. Time had moved on. Miriam reminded him how much every day.
He quickly looked back up. “Your hair actually suits you long.”
Liz touched it self consciously, “Surprise?”
Max shook his head.
Surprise indeed.
***
Lazy people rock!….Thanks Mom! A fourth grader would be around 9…..right? Ellie- Miriam is not his secretary. lol. That’s all I’m saying for now. FSUMSW94- Liz not looking the same, will be important on a number of levels in this story. Anonymousarfan- I guess you’re even more upset with Max now, right? Thanks everyone for reading! 
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