
Title: " Smoke and Mirrors"
Author: Diehard (rosgmom)
Category:
This story takes place after the window scene at the end of Chchanges. But Liz didn't go to Vermont and Max didn't die to become Clay... who didn't die to become Max. . . .
It is written from several POVs, but starting out from the Protectors POVs
Rating: ADULT
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with anyone or anything Roswell. Nor do I have any desire for any said affiliation.
My philosophy is that by the middle of season two, anyone could have written it better. Many have given it a shot over the last three years. Some have been wonderful, but somehow left me needing more. So many questions where never answered to my satisfaction. Of course there will always be a few that remain unanswered and some answers weren't worth finding anyway.
The lyrics in the first part are Daniel Bedingfield's.
PROLOGUE
For the last forty years I've put all my effort into recreating myself and becoming who I am today. I've worked my tail off for everything that I own. It's all mine. Everything I need. People respect me. I didn't fight my way to the top by being stupid. When I speak now, they listen. Tinsel town's been very good to me, and I've taken this twobit town for everything I could. I live in a thirty room mansion in BeverlyHills. I have a chauffeur that drives me anywhere I want to go whenever I want to go there. I have it made in the shade. I've wheeled and I've dealed my way to the top. ... I need nothing and no one. So why was I now suddenly agonizing about the past, especially at this late date. Can't eat, can't sleep. You know why Kal, my man? Of course you do.... it's all his fault. Trackin me down the way he did after all this time. His royal highness. What a joke, what a selfcentered egostical twerp he turned out to be. I shoulda put the boyking out of his misery when I had the chance.
Of course, there's a few things that were stopping me at the time. Like this foolish possiblity that I could still somehow, a few years from now, step in and make things right when it was my turn to take control, oh yeah, also the pure fact that I had so long ago sworn an oath to protect him..to protect them all.
Memories I hadn't let myself think about for over a quarter of a century were pounding in my head. We took a calculated risk when the stabilizing controls were fried. I guess you could say we zigged when we shoulda zagged. The ship was out of control . I can still see the side of the mountain rushing up to meet us. Of course we had known the risks, we all did. There was always the chance that this journey would have ended up being a oneway trip. Even the fear of being trapped on a unhospitable planet seemed far better than returning to a home world which had spiraled so much out of our control.
Our assignment was to perform the procedure, using the genes of suitable human donors for each essence. Then mix in the crystals that had traveled through time and space with us. Simmer and stir so to speak, wait two months to see if the technology would take, and Voila. This is how life was to begin again for the deserving royal remnants that were so far from their home. This was to be their second chance. Once the steps were all completed we were then to place the pods in a safe secluded area, after of course, we were absolutely sure that the conception was successful.....sounds so simple, doesn't it? Yaa well things don't always go as planned.
First, right before we enter the earth's atmosphere, our enemies catch up to us, and they stayed hot on our tail until one lucky shot hits our guidance gyro. Then we loose control of the ship... crashing into the side of that freak'n mountain, losing three of the team on impact. Then the Air Force lakeys are on us like flies on the peverbial shitpile, and then, and then... the unthinkable happens...after a successful conception one of the sacks goes and gets itself damaged during the long and hairy trip up to the safety of the mountains.
Life was fading pretty fast in the sack before us. What was left of the essence had to survive of that there could be no question. We did what we had to do, afterall our soul purpose was to protect the four entities before us. Yep, that's who we were, the protectors. Fine job we were doing so far, huh?
~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER ONE
The monarchy had reigned unthreatened and unchallenged for a millenium. But people get restless, they think they need change. They become territorial and greedy. Mix in a powerful troublemaker and what have you got? Chaos. Along came a swarthy yet somehow charming resistance leader. He charmed the pants right off the heads of state and slowly began poisoning Zan's mind against his own people. Of course, he had alot of help from the prince's own sister, Vilondra, but that's a whole nother story.
The small pockets of resistance from four different worlds united. All hell broke loose. The monarchy tumbled, nothing short of a massacre. Timing was hell too. The Prince and his love were about to be married when Kivar's troops literally crashed the ceremony. Ava was the first to die. Zan didn't fight, he stayed with her til the last moments. I'm not sure to this day that he had the slightest desire to even try to survive without her. The hopes and dreams of every free Antarian died that day. The following morning, with the red dust clearing, found the fortress all but destroyed. Despite the heroic efforts of all, the monarchy fell. The last time I saw Vilondra she was wiping the blood from Rath's face as he lay dying. It was my understanding, even though I didn't personally witness her death, that Vilondra later died at the hands of her lover who had betrayed her in much the same way as she had betrayed her family and an entire kingdom. Somehow a fitting reward for her highness, yeah, you guessed it, she was someone I was never very found of. Enough about all that right now.
About me, I became Kal Langley, presently producer extraordinaire. One of Hollywood's finest. Kolt, my partner in survival, well he took on the indiginous farmer personna and called himself John Brown. Not too original on the name, but he became a natural at raising cattle and farming. Pretty much stayed up in the highlands of central New Mexico not far from where the crash occured. There was alot that happened to both of us in those early days here, after the Quad was safely planted up in a nice little chamber in the mountains of northern Roswell.
I guess you could say, that John had lost the coin toss... he was to take the first watch. The first twenty years of the Quad's life. I was greatful for the toss, it gave me time to make my mark in this new world and my first million plus. The overall plan was that I would quit the business and retire somewhere staying close to Roswell in order to follow the comings and goings of the Quad for the next twenty years or until it was time to tell them the truth.
Well that was the plan. There isn't time now for reminicing about all those things that had transpired in those first ten years after our arrival here, not just yet. There would need to be a telling of those things soon enough. It all began so long ago and so far away. Another lifetime, without a doubt, another life.
Well the Quad was quickly approaching their eighteenth year. And by rights I still had a good two years before my half of the deal was to start. At least that's the way I thought yesterday. Things had been progressing pretty close to the way John and I had expected, give or take a crisis or two along the way. Except now here she was, leaving messages with my secretary. Two voice mails last night and two more already today and it wasn't even 10 AM yet. She didn't say the word, but the urgency was clear in her voice.
I had told Max that I never wanted to hear his name again. Whether he knew it or not, he had nearly destroyed me..my world. None of this was supposed to happen yet. But with these latest developments, it seemed they just weren't going to go away. She was here, in LA and she called herself Liz Parker. But I already knew her name. I knew alot more about her then she could ever have dreamed. What to do, what to do. I held this darkhaired beauty's life right in the palm of my hand, and she hadn't even officially met me yet. I had learned from John Brown that she was a strong one. But ya see my question held so much more weight ... Elizabeth Parker, really, just how strong are you?
I pressed on the intercom, "Janine, will you return Ms. Parker's call for me. Tell her that I can spare her a few minutes around one this afternoon at the Casa de Sun."
"Sure thing, KL," the typical gumsnapping voice replied. Kal kicked back in his chair contemplating just what this meeting would hold for him and the future of the Quad. He wasn't sure why she was here, but he did know that whatever the reason, the ball was in his court. Tapping the intercom again, "Sweetie, put a call in to John Brown too will ya?"
~~~~~~~~~~
~~If you’re not the one then why does my soul feel glad today?
If you’re not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?
If you're not mine then why does your heart return my call
If you're not mine would I have the strength to stand at all
I don’t want to run away but I can’t take it, I don’t understand
If I’m not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?~~
It was a beautiful afternoon, the sun was high in the sky. Kal sat writing notes in his palmpilot, as Liz stared at him from behind a flowering crepemyrtle that provided plenty of cover. The terrace was buzzing almost as loud as the buzzing in Liz's head.
The pressure pains were coming and going alittle less frequently since she had left Roswell two days ago. So this was Max's great protector? Short balding stocky, and let's not forget mouthy, little man. First on the palmpilot, then on the cell. Even from this distance she could hear every loud demeaning word he was firing at the poor person on the receiving end of their oneway conversation. She gathered all her strength about her, took a few deep reassurring breaths and headed on in.
Hiding behind his FosterGrants, he saw her coming before she realized. As he nonchalantly kicked the chair out opposite him and ended his conversation on the cell, Liz lowered herself into the chair. Before she could open her mouth the waiter was beside her. Kal didn't hesitate, ordering them both a latte. "I'd rather have something cold with ice. A coke will be fine," she broke in, speaking directly to the waiter. Kal waved him on.
"Ms Parker, it is my deepest pleasure to meet you. I'm really glad that you could visit. What can I do for ya. Hope it's not much... cause I'm a busy man." He had taken off the shades and his gaze never quite met her eyes.
Liz straightened herself up on the edge of the chair and slowly pushed up the sleeves on her pullover as the green glow sputtered and crackled from her fingertips up over her lower arms.
The color slightly drained from Kal's face as his palmpilot crashed to the terrace.
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CHAPTER TWO
Liz instinctively reached down to rescue the broken electronic wonder scattered near her chair. "Leave it..." Kal's voice was almost inaudible. As she sat back up taking another deep breath and trying not to be noticed, she slid her sleeves down as far as possible covering most of her hands. The static under her skin and deep in her head quieted, as the waiter delivered their order.
"Can you do something about this?" her voice shook slightly, but her poise remained stronger than ever.
"Max still has a big mouth I see."
"Mr. Langley, I have no where else to turn. Believe me, the last place I want to be is in your company, or so far from my home while I'm feeling this way."
"Ms....may I call you Liz," he asked not waiting for a reply. "What makes you think that I know how or for that matter would want to help you with...with this problem of yours?"
"How about... because this is extremely painful, and I was hoping your compassionate side would take over and tell me what I could do to get this to stop. Or, because my parents, teachers and friends are going to start asking alot of questions since I seem to have no control over it. I know you're the flamboyant type, Mr. Langley, but I doubt that even you have a need for those kinds of questions, or any other answers that may come up." She settled back taking her soda in hand. "I tend to see this problem right now as ours, not just mine."
Kal sat staring for the longest time at the small portion of Liz's now normal looking fingers exposed from the end of her sleeves. "I have no idea what's happening to you. Can't promise you a thing but there are a few things I may be able to try."
"Forget the healing stones, Max already used them. They seemed to make things worse."
"So ya know about the healing stones." John Brown had failed to mention in any of his reports that the healing stones had been discovered or that the Quad had them.
"Tell ya what I'll do. Come to my home," scribbling on a napkin, "around 5 today. You said you came here alone? That wasn't a safe thing for ya to do, Liz" he said in answer to the nod of her head.
"What do I have to lose at this point? There is one thing, though, I don't want Max involved in this at all." She stood sliding the napkin into her back pocket, and turned to leave. "I'll see you in a few hours."
I watched her walk away. She was strong, JB was right about that. Alittle unnerved, but who could blame her under the circumstances. And why was it so important that Max not know she was here? Apparently there was trouble in paradise, that was not a good thing. One problem at a time was all I wanted to deal with right now, at least til I sorted some things out in my head. After finally meeting Liz, I could see how the boyking had fallen so hard. From somewhere deep inside came an almost uncontrolled sigh of relief. I guess they had done a pretty good job afterall. A slightly sly yet proud smile passed over his face. Whatever was going on with Liz, she was right about one thing, he was probably the only one who could help her.
~~~~~~~~~
Max woke in a cold sweat. He had been laying in bed thinking of Liz and those moments of confrontation in the desert. It was long overdue. So many times he wanted to do nothing more than sit down and completely clear the air. But he had no idea where to start. There were no answers that could ever justify what he had put her through, what he had put them through. He had no answers but he knew they needed to talk it out. He wanted to believe that Tess had had some kind of control over him, but even now he would never know for sure. He couldn't make Liz understand what he himself couldn't grasp.
No one could believe that he had sunk low enough to sleep with Tess. But there it was, he had. End of story. He had forever destroyed any trust that had existed between them. Somehow he'd find a way, he had to. She was all he ever wanted. So much a part of him from the beginning. He was mesmerized by her from that very first day in the third grade, and he was going to do whatever he had to to convince her that he was still the Max who would have given his life for hers that day in the Crashdown.
The problem was he had no idea where she was. Maria either didn't know or was playing out the good friend scenario by refusing to tell him. He had lost count of the messages he had left in the last twenty four hours on her cell. Of course he knew that if he had any balls at all, he'd drag himself out of this pity bed and go confront Mr. Parker about his daughter's whereabouts. No, he wasn't ready to confront him yet, because he knew that everything Jeff Parker believed about him had been true. All he had done recently was hurt his daughter. No, somehow he'd have to seriously correct things before talking again to him. And he wasn't at this point sure that that would ever again be possible. Maybe he'd try calling Kyle at the garage. Kyle he could handle.
The phone on the nightstand rang just as he reached for it. He closed his eyes for a second hoping it was her. "Liz?" he said in almost a whisper.
"No, it's me, Kal. Look boy, I don't have alot of time to chat. I have alittle bit a news for ya, thought you'd wanna know." Kal had decided he didn't want to bare the brunt of whatever was coming next without the boywonder being informed.
"... about the ship?.. or ...about my son?" Max's head was spinning again.
"No it's not the damn ship. For the love of God, leave it alone." It had only been fifteen seconds and Kal's patience was already fading fast. "Listen Max, ya wanna hear me out or what?"
Max ran his hands through his hair and tried to think rationally. This was Kal, the Kal that never wanted to see him or hear his name again. "Yes of course I do.. yes. What is it? Look I'm sorry I'm just alittle jumpy and well. . .I'm worried. Things aren't going very well here. My friend is. . . well she's. . .."
"...that would be, maybe. . missing?.." Kal finished for him. Kal ran his index finger over the blue willow priceless vase on the table in front of him to sooth his nerves.
"How do you know that? Where is she?"
"Cause, she's here and light'n up like a freaking Christmas tree. I'm gonna see what I can do, well . .because I like her. She seems like a sweet kid. I wanted you to know that I'll do what I can for her."
"Kal, I wanted to bring her to you. She wouldn't talk to me. I don't know what's happening to her. I tried to heal her, but it wasn't working. I don't know what to do! You have to help her!" Max's words were frantic and spilling out all over the place.
"Max. MAX!" he yelled into the phone. Patience Kal Patience.
"Don't let anything happen to her, promise me, Kal. She's been through too much already because of me." His eyes locked onto Liz's eyes in the picture frame facing him on the dresser. "She doesn't believe it anymore, but she means more than life to me."
"I know that Max. I don't intend to let anything happen to her if I can help it, Max. I'm calling to tell you this because I'm good, but contrary to what you might want to believe, I'm not the know-all be-all. All I can promise you is I'll do my best." There. That was their first civilized honest conversation in over fifty-five years. Kal despite himself, felt good about that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER THREE
It was hot in the car. Liz sipped on the coke from the restaurant, wondering just what the rest of the day would bring. She wouldn't let herself think of Max, it wasn't happening. Things could never be the way she had dreamed. Since she could remember she had dreamed that a love greater than herself would come along and they would live happily ever after. There never was a doubt, even in her young mind, that there was someone coming for her, only for her. She had found all that in Max, but he had betrayed her.
He had betrayed everything she had ever dreamed of, everything she believed in. The dreams of that little girl so long ago. Innocent. Full of hope and spirit. That was just about gone now, and she was having a difficult time facing up to all the facts. She had always given him the benefit of the doubt and yet she never quite understood why. She glanced at her watch as the crackle slowly again began. Taking deep breaths she rode out the hot searing pain running through her veins. It hadn't gotten worse, but it wasn't getting any better either. It went on for exactly four minutes this time. She was always exhausted after the bigger episodes.
She closed her eyes for a few minutes knowing that it was close to one oclock and she would be going to Kal. "Please God, please help him to help me. I don't know how much longer I can go on like this."
~~~~~~~~~~~
She seemed really tiny standing there on the porch. Kal stood back looking out through the sheer curtain, waiting for her to ring the bell. He waited for the second ring. "Liz, welcome. Come in." he lightly touched her arm as the energy rose up her left side. "Woah," it surprised him. The heat was intense.
"Sorry, I can't control it," her voice sounded hoarse. "What's happening to me? I know you don't know me, Mr. Langley, but I had to come. Max healed me three years ago. I was shot and he healed me. It's got to be that, right?" her voice no longer sounded strong. Her knees began to buckle under her and her eyes closed. Kal was there with perfect timing. A wave of his hand and her decent to the floor slowed down long enough for him to grab her in his arms before she hit the floor.
His cell phone rang just as he was lowering her onto the crushed velvet couch in the library. "Yoah," he answered when he recognized the voice on the other end of the line. He turned away from Liz, wiping his forehead. "Nice of ya to get back to me in such a timely fashion, JB. Where the hell have you been? Nevermind, just listen. The girl, Liz, she's here and she's got something going on with her, she's snapping and glowing. How soon can you be here?" The voice on the other end had no time to respond before Kal continued. "Just get here. What? Of course I'm not gonna hurt her, John. What do you think I am? I don't have a clue what's wrong. I'm gonna do a couple things. I just don't know if I can get her back to normal....and then what happens if I do? Do you have any more news with that other problem you were check'n out?" He paused, listened, then continued. "Alright fill me in when you get here. Yea, I called him. I know, I know. I just want to get some things straight before we consider circling the wagons. No more talk, just get here.."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Five hundred miles away on the outskirts of Roswell a goodlooking man with a dark complexion and big brown eyes sat at an oversized wooden desk. As JB put the phone down, he scribbled a few words on paper and left it on the desk. He didn't know how long he'd be gone and he couldn't just leave without letting anyone know. He reached down unlocking the bottom desk drawer. He took out a brown weathered binder, picked up a pack of TicTacs and went to grab a cold one before he left the ranch for LA.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kal sat acrossed from the couch watching as Liz's labored breathing came back to normal. She stirred, and he was standing beside her as she opened her eyes. She started so quickly that she almost fell off the couch. He quickly reached down touching her shoulder and she felt a slight charge radiate out through her shoulder to her chest. A somehow calming charge. It was difficult to explain the mixture of tingling, yet relief. She couldn't help thinking of the energy she had felt from Max when he healed her. So the protector could heal too.
She glanced down and noticed a few odd rocks on the floor by the leg of the couch. Not the amber color of the healing stones. No, these were different. First off, they were blue not amber. Violet, wait....they were changing from blue to violet. Swirling color. Quite beautiful. She was groggy, and her head felt like it was full of cotton. She tried to sit up and noticed that her upper body weighed a ton.
"Relax. Don't try to get up yet. The cure it seems can be as dibilitating as the problem. But you'll feel more like yourself in a few minutes." he smiled down at her as he helped her get comfortable.
Slowly Liz responded, " Wow. I feel..I feel ....drugged."
"It can have that kind of effect. It's how you feel after it wears off that really counts." He looked at her relieved. "I think you're gonna be okay. I'm not saying that it will keep this ..whatever away indefinitely, it may even come back from time to time. But that's all I know to do right now."
"Do you know what was happening? Was it because of the healing or the reverse connection?" she asked nervously. She wanted this to be anything BUT alien related even though to think it was caused by anything human just wasn't being realistic. There was something about the look in his eyes when he looked back at her. She felt safe.
"Reverse connection? It's possible," he tried to keep his voice in an even tone. No matter what happened in the next few hours, he had decided that he wasn't telling Liz Parker anything that she didn't need to know. We just weren't going there, if it wasn't absolutely necessary. No, we were laying this at Max's feet for now. Yep, for now this was something that Max had given her. "Maybe it has something to do with intimacy, sex or," okay now, let's get this girl talking, "..... pregnancy." There, he bluffed and took a flying leap.
" Pregnancy? Max and I haven't even had sex yet. I'm not the mother of Max's long lost son, Kal," she exclaimed. "I can't believe this. You just assumed it was me? Why would you assume it was me. You don't even know me." She went from hurt to outrage to sullen silence. "No Kal," she said slowly, "that was Tess." He pulled over a side chair and settled in now to hear what the young lady had to say. Liz was about to find out that Kal was an excellent listener.
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CHAPTER FOUR
Close to three hours later he was helping her to the door. She felt much better. Being able to get the hurt of the last months out of her head. To talk, to say the words outloud. She was amazed at how relaxed and comfortable she felt around him. It was liberating. Kal never even tried to stand up for Max during those three hours. As a matter of fact, he was genuinely upset. Who wouldn't feel upset hearing how low Max had sunk, how irresponsible he had been, but most of all his deliberate destruction of everything they had ever felt for each other. She could never trust him again and that they could never go back. She knew in her heart that this was the part that hurt her the most. It was somewhat freeing to say the words outloud and have someone listen. Her head had cleared. She feet like she could run the block a few times.
Kal laughed, "Easy, kiddo. Try walking first for a while. Not too much too soon." She looked at him and laughed slightly. That was funny, she hadn't realized she had said anything outloud. He walked her down the front steps. After listening to Liz, Kal couldn't believe how much Max had fucked things up. He couldn't possibly be that stupid. Max was at least half Zan, and Zan had been intelligent, too intelligent to fall for such an obvious job of smoke and mirrors. Even Max's human donor had appeared to have all his wits about him too, never would have chosen him otherwise. And what made matters worse was that JB had been recaptured by the special unit during most of this stage show. Lousy timing.
"I don't know how to thank you," she said. " I apologize if I offended you earlier at the cafe. I was pushed to my limit." Her eyes winced at the memory of the pain she had been in, not to mention the empty threats she had made to this alien standing before her now. She wondered if he could have just zapped her into oblivion at the cafe, had he chosen to.
She smiled and Kal took a deep breath, what a beautiful smile she had. "No thanks are necessary, Liz. You needed help, and I did what I could. I will say that I'm not so sure this is just about you being around Max. Especially since it's happening here too and we're three states away. There's been no symptoms for over three hours now. I think it's under control."
She had no idea why, but found a need for a tight but quick hug with this man, who hopefully had just saved her life or at least saved her from alot of pain. Well the physical pain anyway. She walked down the walk all the while feeling Kal's eyes watching her til she drove away in the Jetta.
Kal turned back to the house. He flipped a silver coin into the air and caught it. Nothing to do now but wait for JB and put in a call to Max. JB said he wanted Max here when he got here. So here Max would be.
Kal hadn't actually been in the same room with JB for almost seven years. He was dependable about calling and relaying information about whatever the Quad was up to, but they were sure that it wasn't wise or safe to be in the same place at the same time. We couldn't afford for both of us to be caught again by the Special Unit. JB had spent a total of four months in captivity, two different times. He's gotten to be somewhat of a pro at it. In fact Kal didn't even know that it had happened again this last time. There had been no way to get a message back to him. The rest of the time he's been there diligently protecting and watching the Quad. Trying not to interfere in their 'normal' lives.
JB had been there for Rath, the one called Michael, when he was being abused by his alcoholic foster father. He had tried to save Kathleen Topolsky, which is how he was captured the second time. He was there the morning after Liz's memory had found the orb. But he had never mentioned that they had found the healing stones.
Apparently somehow the fab four had found RiverDog, a Mesalika Indian, at the reservation outside of Roswell. John had left the stones with the then young Indian, while running from the shapeshifter who called himself Ed Harding. Harding had worked for Kivar. He had once been one of Kivar's protectors on Antar, and had spent years and years coming and going between there and here. His mission for Kivar was to locate either the Quad itself or the protectors. He must have gotten his sorry ass killed.. JB had lost track of him after crisis number two, around the time Nicholas arrived center stage.
At any rate, Max was about to have alot of listening to do. We were going to put alot on his plate. It was a few years early, but it was time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Liz looked up from her books long enough to see her father's face beaming from behind the counter at the Crashdown. "You look like the cat that swallowed the canary, Dad. What's up?" she laughed.
"Well. Sweetie, I pulled a few strings and your ole Dad managed to get you a second interview with a representative from Harvard." Mr. Parker beamed as he handed Liz the interview letter.
"W-What?" she shrieked. It wasn't often that she found herself totally speechless. Jumping up from the booth, she threw her arms around him. "I don't know what to say!"
"Weeell, tell me that you'll get enough sleep tonight so things go easier on you than they did at the last interview. It's scheduled for tomorrow, Liz. He's making a special trip out here for you." He was genuinely concerned about his daughter's health as well as her future.
"I promise, Dad." Another big hug and she grabbed her books and went upstairs.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The morning came beaming across Liz's bed as she woke. After showering and dressing, she stood at the mirror doing her makeup. She was hoping that the dark circles under her eyes would be hidden well enough with alittle coverup. As she leaned into the mirror, her vision began to cloud. "What the..., not again! Oh please, no." She quickly raised her arms in front of her. No green glow anywhere, but she could almost swear she heard a voice somewhere out there in front of her. She pushed her two fingers to her right ear and what she had thought she heard was suddenly gone.
"It's just nerves, Liz Parker, you're doing this to yourself. You are not going to unconsciously sabatoge or sacrifice anything else for Max Evans or anything to do with him! You're going to ace this interview. You will have this man begging you to attend his fine institution." She straightened up and checked herself out. Satisfied with her reflection she headed to school.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~