'For You To Notice' AU M/L, AN5/13 TEEN[WIP]

[keyelee]

Title: For You To Notice
Author: Kylee
Category: AU, M/L & CC
Rating: TEEN
Disclaimer: Not mine. *pouts*
Summary: I don't want to give much away. Liz is back in town after years of being away. When she returns, her life is turned upside down.
Feedback: Please and Thank-You!!




Yet another amazing banner by Behrsgirl77!
For You To Notice
Part One


The room was dark. The dim lights that were scattered around didn’t do much to brighten the cafe, and the mood was mellow and comforting.

So she says
"Everyone's going to the party,
won't you come if I come
with a friend for your friend?
I'd be so pleased to see you
out of the classroom wearing the smile that I'll bring you.
I was hoping to learn a few things like...

Shaggy hair fell over his face as he sang the words and strummed at his acoustic guitar with ease. Everyone in the room was listening intently, captivated by his unique sound.

Do you do you like dishing the dirt
on the whole class or
talking the big smack or
playing the fool or
wearing all of the latest fashions
or bucking the new trends
or wearing your old threads.
or If you like coffee in the evening...
these are a few things that I’d like to know”

Her eyes were intently focused on him, and she couldn’t tear away if she tried. His words gave her goose bumps. His features were hard to make out, but it wasn’t hard to decide that he was good looking. He had received female attention the entire night, but it didn’t seem to affect him.

So I say...
"I've been scheduled to work but I'll call in
and my friend isn't busy
he'd be happy to join me
and maybe my friend
and your friend
will hit it off or maybe we will?"

His eyes closed as the music his fingers were making took him over. ‘He’s so amazing.’ she thought to herself, her gaze unfaltering. When his eyes opened, and the last verse came spilling past his lips with incredible intensity, she couldn’t shake the feeling that his last words were meant for her. He stared at only her, or so it seemed, and her goose bumps returned with full force.

I'm dying to know
do you do you like dreaming of things
so impossible or only the practical
or ever the wild or waiting through all your bad bad days
just to end them with
someone you care about
or do you like making out
and long drives and brown eyes
and guys that just
don't quite fit in
yeah do you like them?
So yes, I'll see you there.

He went quiet and the room was alive with clapping and whistles within the second. He smiled shyly and left the stage, promising to return after a short break.

“Isn’t he amazing?” came a voice from behind her. He sat down with two drinks in his hand, glowing with admiration for the soulful guitarist.

“He really is, Alex. How’d you find out about him playing here?” She sipped her drink slowly, very interested in this mystery man’s story.

“I’ve been coming here for a long time. He started playing here every Wednesday about a month ago. He has somewhat of a following around here now.” He returned, getting comfortable in his chair. “I’ve been trying to get him to collaborate, but I think that he is a solo type of guy.”

“He looks familiar.”

“You, of all people, should know who he is.”

She frowned. Had she seen him around? ”Why would I know him? I haven’t been home in ages.” She questioned her best friend, her confusion evident.

He started to play along. “Well... he plays here all the time. He works around town, too. I figured that you must have run into him in the few weeks you have been back.”

She accepted this answer and looked up from her companion, silently searching the now crowded cafe for her mystery guitarist. She spotted him trying to sneak away from a blonde who was flirting with him shamelessly. He was blushing, shifting his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably, and searching the crowd desperately for an escape.

Their eyes met suddenly, and she just smiled and shook her head in pity for him. The smile was returned brightly and she felt her body relax. ‘He’s cute’, she thought, breaking her gaze and continuing her conversation with Alex. She just wasn’t going to have a staring contest with a cute stranger. If he wanted to meet her, he would come over and introduce himself.

“I’m glad that I’m finally home.” she offered suddenly, causing her friend to appear somewhat shocked. She looked down immediately, hoping this confession wouldn’t turn into a huge, sappy discussion.

Taking her slightly embarrassed body language into consideration, he smiled at her with a knowing look and reached for her hand, trying to keep the conversation light. “I’m glad, too.”

She had been through a lot these past few years, and Alex knew this better than anyone. The circumstances that brought her back to the town of their childhood weren’t ideal by any means, but she was home nonetheless, and he was grateful for the return of his best friend.

Just then, the guitarist returned himself to his earlier position on stage. His presence excited the slowly settling crowd, and a grin broke across his face. It was no secret that he loved what he was doing; that this is what he was meant to do. She envied that he had found happiness, unlike herself.

“This is a new one... for a certain someone, who I’m sure is completely oblivious. It’s called ‘So Beautiful’.” He smiled, and the crowd searched for who he might be speaking of. Alex only grinned, and nodded his head excitedly in affirmative.

She frowned slightly. He had dedicated a song to someone. Probably his girlfriend or his crush. ‘Hm...’ she sighed, ‘Oh well.’

I heard that you were home again, but you don't look like your back to me
With your focuses changing, your gaze is transfixed on a point that I can't often see
You've got your new ties, I've got my old knots, you've got your inside lines
But your never happy with what you've got

‘What this hell is this all about.’ she wondered. ‘This doesn’t seem like an endearing declaration of love.’

Careful now,
You're so beautiful
When you've convinced yourself
That no one else is quite as beautiful

Alex began tapping his foot to the beat, and the rest of the crowd quickly followed, engrossed in his emotional song. She just stared, transfixed, perplexed by the meaning behind his song and whom it was directed at. His features were looking ever so familiar, and she was getting a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach.

I heard that you were living well, but you don't look like your living to me
Though the sparkle is gone, the smile is in place so that everyone watching can see
You've got them all convinced, but I know it so well
That you could list your friends, but you can't count on them

Her eyes began to narrow and when his eyes met hers, the emotion in his eyes and face surprised her. He almost looked... remorseful.

Hold it now
You've got everyone convinced that your alright
When no one else is quite as vulnerable

As soon as you got it you want something else
It's not the sale that you love, its the sell
It's not the price that's going to cost you
It's just the weight that's going to bring you
Down, down, down, down

She cringed at his words. Obviously, this guy had some issues.

It's going to bring you down, down, down, down, down

The hoots and hollers from the crowd got loud, and she was feeling exhausted from just listening to his energized song.

Hold it now
You've got everyone convinced that your alright
When no one else is quite as vulnerable

Careful now
Your so beautiful, when you've convinced yourself
When no one else is quite as beautiful

She felt the need to flee. She glanced to Alex, hoping that he might be interested in leaving early, but he was entirely engrossed in the song, along with everyone else. Was she the only one who was feeling uncomfortable by this guy?

As soon as you got it you want something else
It's not the sale that you love, its the sell
It's not the price that's going to cost you
It's just the weight that's going to bring you
Down, down, down, down

It's going to bring you down, down, down, down, down

As soon as you got it you want something else
It's not the sale that you love, its the sell

It's not the price that's going to cost you
It's just the weight that's going to bring you
Down

He completed his song, and looked drained as he sat back on his stool. The entire cafe was on their feet, applauding and hollering at him, and he managed a small smile as they continued to cheer.

She stood slowly, after everyone else was already up, only in hopes of getting a better look at this man’s face. Being quite on the short side, she sat down in a huff, unable to get any sort of view. Within seconds of being reunited with her chair, she felt her entire world crumble.

“I’m Max Evans, and I’ll see you guys next Wednesday.” And, as if it were an afterthought, he added, “And... It was great to see you, Liz.”


Should I continue?

Songs: So Impossible & So Beautiful, both by Dashboard Confessional

[keyelee]

Part Two

“Isabel, I don’t think that you understand. This was Max Evans, THE Max Evans that I...”

“I know exactly which Max Evans you are referring to.” She responded sweetly, turning into her driveway with Liz in the passenger seat. “He’s really talented, isn’t he? And, he looks good, too.”

‘Yes, he does’ she thought to herself. She hadn’t even recognized him at first. His body was built and he had an air of confidence to him, nothing like back in high school. “That is totally besides the point. He wrote a song about me... and it wasn’t very nice at all! What a complete jackass! He knows nothing about me anymore. I’m a completely different person now than I was in high school!”

“You are?”

“Isabel, please, you aren’t helping.” Her voice was shaky as she ran her fingers through her hair. Isabel let out a sigh and turned to Liz as she pulled the keys from the ignition.

“Honey, do you really blame him for writing a song about you that wasn’t exactly nice? You did break his heart into a million little pieces in high school.”

Her mouth opened and then shut again in disbelief. “I did not! It was completely, 100% mutual, Isabel. You know that!”

“Is that what they are calling it these days? Last time I checked, they called it “breaking up abruptly for no good reason with an awesome guy who is crazy about you.”

“Isabel, don’t even go there. You know why I ended it with him, and you agreed with me at the time. Plus, why is Max still dealing with this? It was our sophomore year!” She was beyond angry at this point, and her lie slipped through her lips without a second thought. Isabel had no idea why Max and she had separated, but the lie she had decided upon was known by all who cared, including Max himself. Nonetheless, Max Evans had once again made her the talk of their small town. It was only Thursday, and most of Roswell already knew about Max’s emotional song performance on Wednesday, and that Liz Parker, who was back in town, was the one it was meant for.

“Listen, I’m not taking sides here. But, maybe it would be best if you talked to Max yourself. You aren’t going to get the answers you want from me.” Isabel had a point.

Liz rolled her eyes as she stepped out of Isabel’s car. She made her way towards the porch, continuing their conversation as she waited for Isabel to unlock the front door. “I don’t ever want to speak to him again, ever! I was even beginning to think that coming home wasn’t going to be so bad. I’ve been back for only 3 weeks and I’ve already been wrapped up in pointless drama. When is this ever going to end?”

She was 23 years old, and she was still getting herself wrapped up in Max Evans’. Why did she always get this way, and only because of him?

“Just calm down. My suggestion: talk to Alex. He’ll know better than I what to do about Max. I mean, they are best friends after all.”

WHAT!?!?

“He’s Alex’s what?”

“Best friend. They do practically everything together, it’s almost unnatural. They weren’t even friends in high school.”

Since when had her best friend gotten a new best friend? And why didn’t Alex mention anything when they had went to see him last night? All he had said was that there was someone he wanted her to see play. He had made no mention that he was friends with him.

“Where is that no good little sneak?” She shouted as she threw her purse to the floor of the foyer.

“Um... at work?” Isabel had no idea what was going on, but she knew that it wasn’t good at all. Alex and Liz’s relationship was pretty solid, and Alex probably deserved whatever Liz was going to dish out to him, she just hoped that Liz didn’t physically hurt him in the process.

“I’ve got to go, can I borrow your car? I’ll bring it back soon, I promise.” She held out her hand, bouncing her leg as she waited for Isabel to rummage the keys that she had just put away from her bag.

“Be careful, it’s brand new.”

“Yeah, yeah. You car is the least of your worries right now.”

Isabel knew that she meant Alex and gulped. “Okay? Um... see you later.”

“Bye.”

*********
Burn it down till the embers smoke on the ground
And start new when your heart is an empty room
With walls of the deepest blue

He sat in the cafe, like he did most days when he wasn’t working, and strummed his guitar in release. The cafe had just had a rush, and was now nearly empty. The exception was a small, blonde woman who everyone knew to be Tess. She stared at him with piercing blue eyes as she sat quietly, leaning against the wall next to her booth.

Home's face, how it ages when you're away
Spring blooms and you find the love that's true
But you don't know what now to do
Cause the chase is all you know
And you’ve stopped running months ago

He didn’t mind Tess, not at all. She listened intently to everything he said, and critiqued his songs in order to help him during the writing process. It was just that, in the past month, she had been like his shadow. Every time he played, even when it was just during the day and he played around with ideas for Wednesdays, she was there, in her regular booth, listening to every chord silently.

And all you see
Is where else you could be
When you're at home
Out on the street
Are so many possibilities
To not be alone

The front door opened but he was too concentrated to notice. He kept up with the his latest song, closing his eyes to feel the music wash over him. Liz had proved to be important to Max in more than one way. Not only had he been completely in love with her since high school, she had been his muse of sorts since she had made her shocking return to Roswell a month ago. But, she never made any attempt to contact him, so he wrote. His confusion about what was left of his relationship with the brunette only fueled his song writing.

He stopped playing abruptly when he heard her throat clear. There before him stood non other than Liz. She looked completely beautiful... and completely pissed.

“Oh, don’t let me stop you! It’s clear that you don’t care about my feelings at all since you are singing this shit for all to hear, all the while making it completely obvious that it is directed at me!”

With this, she stormed into the back room, screaming at the top of her lungs for Alex.

He sat there for a while, shocked that she had come here. Did she know he was playing here today, and if so, how? He knew Alex had not went in depth with Liz about their friendship, so it wouldn’t have been from him that she heard. But man, did she look good. She had on a simple pair of jeans with an ocean blue razorback tank top. Her hair fell over her tanned shoulders, long and wavy. Even with her simple appearance, she had struck a chord within him, and he felt like the wind had swiftly been knocked from his body.

“She’s really done a number on you, hasn’t she.”

It was Tess, and as she stood there before him, trying hard to look desirable, all he could think about was how her comments were far from welcome at this point.

“It’s complicated, you wouldn’t understand what Liz and I have between us.” He could tell his words had stung her and she winced slightly, but he truly didn’t care. All he cared about was that the woman who he was meant to be with, or so he had thought, had been standing so close to him mere seconds ago. And now she was gone, and furious with him.

He set his guitar down on the stage and stood. “I’ve gotta go. See ya.” With that, he took off into the break room, determined to find Liz and set the record straight. He was crazy about her and he had never stopped loving her, but his feelings of hurt had never dissipated. Instead he felt abandoned and he had never truly gotten over her, and her reason’s for leaving Roswell all those years ago. ‘You wouldn’t understand; you’ll never understand. You’re too wrapped up in yourself to be apart of this.’ Her words had burned holes in him, and he could never forget the bitter sting of her tone as she said them, meaning every word.

He had made it up the stairs to the storage room where he heard Liz’s sweet voice yelling at Alex, and was about to go in when he heard the words that almost knocked him down the stairs.

”I’m sick Alex, really sick. I have been since I’ve been 16 and it isn’t going away any time soon. That’s why I left, that’s why I’m not back until now, and that’s why Max & I are over with.”



Song: You're Heart is an Empty Room: Death Cab For Cutie. Thanks for all of the feedback. I'm really glad that everyone likes it. Since I'll be continuing, I'd love a banner. Would anyone be interested?If so, PM me. Thanks and I hope you liked this part.

[keyelee]

Thanks so much for the feedback!!
Part 3

Alex sighed in frustration as he set the papers down on his desk. Since opening his cafe 2 years ago, things had went pretty smoothly. Business was still continuing to be good, but bills and such were never Alex's strong point. “I need to just break down and ask Isabel for help.’

He knew that his fiancé would be more than happy to help him in the areas he lacked patience, but his pride got in the way. He wanted to prove to Izzy that he could take care of her and have a successful career with ‘The Constellation Cafe’. He knew he could provide Isabel with the life she deserved, and with their upcoming marriage, he felt the need to prove to her that she would always be taken care of.

He sat back in his chair and rubbed his temples in attempts to relieve his ever present headache. When had life gotten so stressful. First, Liz comes back to town. Everyone is in an uproar about it. Now, Max is playing his songs for the whole town to hear, causing Liz to be upset. He still hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to her about Max and his performance. She had been silent for the entire ride home, seeming to be deep in thought. He knew that she would talk when she was ready, or at least he hoped. She still hadn’t told him the real reason she had left seven years ago.

When Liz’s screams reached his ears, he knew that she was finally ready to talk, and that he was in big trouble. His eyes went wide as he heard her stomping up the stairs that led to his office/ storage room and grimaced as a furious Liz flew through the door.

“Why is he here? Why did you take me here last night if you knew that he was going to be here? Are you trying to drive me away or something?” At this point, she was crying, and as much as he wanted to comfort her, he didn’t regret his actions.

Alex knew that Liz and Max had been crazy about each other in high school. And when Liz had broken his heart all those years ago and left town, Max had been devastated. Alex had been upset and bitter about Liz’s sudden disappearance, and had bonded with Max over their loss. Since then, they had been close friends, and Alex now considered Max to be his best friend over Liz. He would never tell her this, of course, but he couldn’t help that her leaving did irreparable damage to their friendship.

But, Alex still cared about her a great deal. He knew that while she was away, she had lost her passion for life. She used to be so much fun, and so optimistic. Now, she was always viewing the glass as half empty, and never wanted to leave the house. He had to practically drag her to the cafe last night, and he knew that she would probably never let him take her anywhere again. She also used to be an amazing guitar player. That is why he had taken her to the cafe last night to see Max. Not only did she need to know that Max had been damaged because of her, but he was hoping that hearing him might help her rediscover her passion for song writing.

His anger began to flare as her last words registered in his brain. “Drive you away again? Are you kidding me, Liz? When you left last time, we were completely devastated. You left all of us, including Max, and none of us know why. Besides that, you left me here by myself. You left your best fucking friend behind without a reason. Do you know what that does to a person? You were so fucking selfish, I hope you know that. And if you think you are just going to walk out of our lives again, do it now before any of us get attached to the idea of you being home.”

She appeared hurt by his words, but her anger got the better of her mouth. “You wouldn’t understand, none of you would! You were all too wrapped up in your own lives to help me with mine.”

“You know what Liz, you’re sick. If you for one second you thought that we wouldn’t have been there for you, you were crazy. Did you even consider us to be your best friends? We would have been there for you, no conditions. You should have known that.”

Tears began to fall as she heard his words, and she felt the pangs of regret in her gut. “You’re right.” Silence filled the room for a few minutes before she continued, bitterness laced in her words. “I’m sick Alex, really sick. I have been since I’ve been 16 and it isn’t going away any time soon. That’s why I left, that’s why I’m not back until now, and that’s why Max & I are over with.”

He stood there silently, before she forced her last words out. “Is that what you wanted to hear? I’m a cruel person, I get that.” He shook his head in frustration, not sure if he should hate her or not.

Suddenly, the door swung open and a sobbing Max straight to Liz. He threw himself in her arms and had quickly drenched her shoulder. “I’m s-so sorry Liz! Oh God, Liz!” She rubbed his back, trying to comfort him, as she shot a confused look to Alex. He looked just as confused as Liz, and he couldn’t help but ask.

“Um... Max? Are you okay? What’s wrong?” He began to walk closer, and Max’s grip got visible tighter around Liz with every step he made. He didn’t realize his strength in his emotional state, and Liz’s face was sporting a painful expression, so Alex stayed away, for Liz’s sake.

“How could you not know? You were her best friend? Oh, Liz, I’m so sorry! I should have been there for you. I should have known! How could I not know?” He choked out his words, his tears never stopping.

Liz was more confused with every word that came out of his mouth, but she felt the strange need to comfort him. “Max, sweetie, what are you talking about?” Her caring words confused her more than anyone, and as Max lifted his head to meet her eyes, she could tell that he was moved by her kind demeanor.

“I overheard. You’re sick, Liz. And that is why you left. I’m so sorry, Liz.”

She cracked a slight smile. “You must not be very good at overhearing, because you missed the entire conversation. I’m not seriously sick, I never have been. It was just... a misunderstanding.”

Alex’s head dropped and he managed a loud groan. “I called her sick, as in, sick in the head for leaving without a good reason. And she admitted that she was sick... as in, sick in the head for leaving without a good reason.”

Max’s eyes narrowed and he looked, surprised, from Alex to Liz, in need of reassurance. She nodded in agreement, and Max’s faced quickly went from vulnerable to embarrassed. “Oh.” He croaked out, shoving himself away from Liz’s embrace. She immediately felt cold, and wrapped her arms around herself, unable to make eye contact. “I’ve gotta go.” He ran out of the room, and Liz shoved her self onto the office couch.

As she began to cry loudly, Alex sat down next to her. He rubbed her back and whispered comforting words, and her cries gradually softened. After a long while, she finally lifted her head and stared at Alex in regret.

“I’m so sorry, Alex. But, when Isabel told me today that you were Max’s best friend, I got so jealous. I should have told you why I was leaving.” He nodded, wishing she had told him. “And, I’ll tell you...” He looked at her, hopeful, and she began with her story.

After about 10 minutes or talking, her story was winding down. “... and, that is why I left.” She finished, and he sat back slowly, his hands coming up to cover his face.

“I’m so sorry, Lizzie. That must have been terrible to go through alone.”

She nodded. It had been very tough, and she’d be lying if she said that there hadn’t been nights when she didn’t think she could go on.

“I would have stood by you, Liz. Hell, I would have went with you.”

Her cried picked up again, and he held her close. “I know that now. I’m so sorry for putting you through so much. You were right, I was selfish for leaving.”

He needed for her to hear this, but he didn’t want to upset her, so he chose his words carefully. “Can you imagine how Max must feel?”

“I know, I know. I’ve got to tell him. I owe that to him.”

tbc...

I hope that I didn't confuse too much. Basically, Liz isn't sick, Max overheard wrong. And, I haven't said what happened yet that made her leave. Hope that clears things up. Lemme know what you think.

[keyelee]

Sorry about the wait, but, school hates me.

Part Four

*seven years ago *

She sat in her room, the door closed and all lights off, staring at the wall. What was her life becoming? How could everything spin out of control so quickly. Her thoughts drifted to what she considered to be the beginning of the end, and she groaned in regret at how things had played out.

~2 weeks prior~

“Hey babe! I’m almost on my way over, I just have to stop home quickly and change.” She grinned into the phone, relieved that she was finally able to spend some time with her boyfriend.

“Huh?”

“I said that I’ll be leaving soon to come over.”

The other line was silent for a moment. “Did we have plans?” He asked timidly, and her smile shattered. He didn’t remember.

She sighed, her good mood rapidly deflating, as she feigned resolve. “Well... it is kind of a special nig...” He interrupted her hastily and voices could be heard in the background.

“Can we do this another time, like tomorrow night? I have a few people over to watch the game.”

“I have to work tomorrow night, and the night after that. You know that I barely ever can get time off to see you anymore.” She whined, feeling very close to tears.

“I know, I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Gotta go.” The phone clicked, and as quickly as it had begun, the conversation ended.

Instead of hurt or sadness, she felt nothing but anger. What a prick! It was their anniversary, and he was too busy watching sports with his friends to spend time with her? And, he hadn’t even remembered! Fuming, she threw the phone against the passenger side window. Rethinking her destination, she made a quick U-turn and headed to the only person who would understand her frustrations.

“ISABEL!” She screamed as she entered the house without knocking. She ran up the stairs, full of energy, and through the door to Isabel’s bedroom.

“Hey babe.” She greeted evenly, adjusting her earrings in the mirror. “Shouldn’t you be at Max’s by now?”

“That fucker forgot. As in, did not remember our anniversary. And then, he decided that we should ‘reschedule’ because he was watching the game with his friends.” She paced the floor in front of Isabel’s bed, her hands balled into fists.

“What a jerk.” Izzy offered, and then turned to face her. “Does this mean you are coming with me to Brian’s party?” She asked hopefully.

“Hell yes. I need to get my mind off of that asshole.”

With her words, Isabel’s mood skyrocketed. Tonight was the the first of what was sure to be many frat parties that she was to attend this year. Brian was her latest fling, and even though he was older than she, he was just her type. He was in charge of a big party at UNM tonight, and she was planning to spend the weekend in Albuquerque getting her mind off of things. The fact that Liz was going with her only made things better, because now she would have a companion for the trip.

“You can borrow some of my clothes, but we won’t be back until Sunday. Do you have to work this weekend?”

“Yeah, tomorrow and Sunday. But, I guess I can get Maria to cover my shift...” She sounded doubtful.

“Do it, babe! We are going to have a lot of fun this weekend, Lizzie, just you wait!” Isabel cried dramatically as she threw skimpy clothes from her closet at Liz, “This weekend will change our lives!”

TBC

[keyelee]

It took a little longer than expected, and it isn't as long as I was hoping... but it's something, at least. I wasn't super thrilled about how this part came out, but I hope you guys don't think it's too bad. The song is "My Slumbering Heart" by Rilo Kiley

Part Five

Back in the Present

It seemed different from the last time she had been there. The air smelled of dust and it was clear that the upkeep or their apartment had been a battle toward the end. A framed picture of herself sat on the dresser, but she couldn’t bring herself to more closely inspect the contents of the room. It stung too much to see what had happened to the family she had left behind.

Leaving her parent’s room, she headed down the very familiar hallway into her childhood bedroom. It felt the same, and standing in the doorway, it took all of the will she had not to break down right there. She could clearly remember more simple times with Alex or Isabel... and Max. Moving to her bed, she allowed herself to fully take in all that she had missed about her safe haven. She sat in silence, her feet dangling over the edge of the bed, and her eye caught on something she hadn’t seen in ages. The goose bumps she felt were no surprise. It had always made her feel like that.

Without moving, she stared at it for a long time, contemplating her next move. Should she go to it, see if it still worked? If the feeling it had always gave her was still there? Ultimately deciding it was far too risky, she quickly found herself on her feet, rummaging through the drawers of her night stand. She had been given the somber task of deciding what she wanted from the apartment and moving it home or into storage. It wasn’t like she knew exactly where home was anymore, because going back to Vermont seemed pointless now. And, truthfully, if she were to leave Roswell, there would be little reason to ever return. She wasn’t exactly sure if she was ready for that.

The Crashdown was set to be sold. Her parents had been forced to close it nearly two years before their accident, and as far as Liz was concerned, it didn’t deserve to collect dust. She had had amazing times growing up there. It deserved to be brought back to life, and by someone who would love it as much as the Parkers had. God knew that she lacked the patience or business sense to be the one to revive the place, but she promised herself that she wouldn’t sleep until the restaurant was in the right hands.

Old photos slipped through her fingers, but she couldn’t let herself focus on what they had captured. There were pens that hadn’t been used in years, loose guitar picks, and some old batteries. She didn’t need any of this stuff. As she prepared to close the drawer and move on, she felt her finger slide across the edge of a sheet of paper, and blood was soon to follow. Cursing, she put her injured finger in her mouth and grabbed the paper that had done the damage. ‘Of course,’ she thought. It was sheet music.

The title of the song she had written before things had gotten so messy made her smile wider than she had in ages. “My Slumbering Heart.” She whispered and without thinking, she grabbed the guitar she had earlier engaged in a staring contest, set the music in front of her on her bed, tuned it quickly, and began to strum the uplifting tune while singing along.

In my dreams, I see myself hitting a baseball
In a green field somewhere near a freeway
I'm all tan and smiling and running from 3rd base

Her memories were quick to flood back and she remembered the first time she had played for Max, and it had been this song. He hadn’t been able to keep the grin off of his face and he had kissed her hard and applauded afterward. He had told her she was brilliant.

And it's hot and the kids keep on playing the driving game
And they're singing the same goddamn refrain
And the sky is a blueish grey.

He had encouraged her to play more often and share with the world what she had written. She remembered quickly writing it off and explaining that it was far too personal. Maybe she’d play for Alex or Izzy, but no one else.

In my dreams
I see you at the foot of some mountains.
And we're taking some pictures or something
And we'd better hurry up

Later that week, Alex had been over, laying on her bed and whining about how Isabel would never notice him, as usual. She had asked him if he would be interested in hearing some stuff that she had wrote. He had looked at her like she had been crazy.

And it's late and
The sun keeps on shooting through pine trees
And the grass stains are wet on your new jeans
And we'd better hurry up

His answer made her laugh in remembrance. “Are you kidding me. Hell yes! Play it, Lizzie!” He had eagerly jumped up, sat indian style in front of her, and folded his fingers in his lap.

In my dreams
I see you asleep on a twin bed
The covers pulled up over your head
Am I asleep or awake?

As she had strummed, singing to him shyly, he had closed his eyes, letting her lyrics paint a picture in his mind, slowly nodding his head.

And it just feels good when you're waking up
And it just feels good when you're next to me
And it just feels good when you're coming home
And it just feels good when you're waking up

When she had finished, he had clapped loudly and began hounding her to start a band with him. She had laughed it off, but he had never given up, even when she had been preparing to leave.

The thoughts about her departure roughly brought her back into reality, and she realized exactly what she had done. Staring at the well used acoustic in her hands, she sat back in a daze. Her emotions were running wild and her heart pounded in her chest. It had felt so good, thinking about and feeling those better times.

She set the guitar on her bed and returned to the night stand she had been rummaging through. Finding more music, she glanced over the words and her expression turned grim. Feeling almost sick to her stomach, she finally understood how much of a hypocrite she had been.

Writing had always been a release for her. A way to deal with feelings that she couldn’t express any other way. It helped her come to terms with the things that she knew she could never control or predict. It had helped her so much and she didn’t know what she would have done without it.

It was exactly the same for Max. Shutting her eyes, feeling like an idiot, she shut the door roughly and exited the room, determined. She needed to talk to him.

TBC
Feedback, pretty please.

[keyelee]

Thanks for your feedback guys!:
begonia9508
Emz80m
jamy21
Elci

I'm having a lot of trouble with this and finding it very hard to write, at least compared to FBD. I'll try my very best to move past this writers block and keep you updated on my progress with this. I've decided that I don't plan on making it terribly long, so once I brainstorm a little bit and get my thoughts in order, I'll be updating more frequently.


Part 6

Having borrowed Alex’s car, she prepared herself for a possible Max encounter. Not knowing where he might be, she decided to head toward the only place she had seen him since her return, Alex’s cafe.

The only problem, so far at least, was her timing. It was about 5 o’clock in the afternoon, and the downtown streets of Roswell were packed with people attempting to go home after a long day of work. After sufficiently frustrating herself by getting caught in this traffic, she sat back in frustration, dreading the time wasted.

Flipping through a cd case she had found on the floor of the passenger seat, her interest piqued as she spotted a burned cd that was entitled ‘July 4’. Grabbing it out of it’s protective slot, she popped it into the player installed in Alex’s car. As the beginning sounds came flowing out of the state-of-the-art speakers system, she groaned as her head found the steering wheel. How embarrassing!

The cd was of a Fourth of July celebration when they were barely teenagers, maybe 13 or 14 years old. Liz had went with Alex and his family to their uncle’s cottage for a week, and had decided to put on concert of sorts for Alex’s extended family. The best friends had to beg their parents for weeks to allow Liz to accompany Alex out of town, due to their differences in gender. Although they had been having sleep overs for ages, this seemed to be a bit too strange. But after countless hours of begging, their wishes had been granted. Liz could go.

Thinking back, she remembered that Alex had gotten a tape recorder for his birthday a few weeks before the trip, and Liz vaguely remembered him setting it up before their show.

“Hello ladies and gentlemen. My names is Alexander C. Whitman, many of you might know me since I am of your own flesh and blood, but you may not be acquainted with my lovely musical partner, Ms. Liz Parker. Give her a round of applause!”

Clapping and a few whistles were heard from the crowd, and she could remember the blush that she had sported following Alex’s introduction. She was always the shy one of the pair.

“Now, let’s get this show on the road, shall we!?”

Their first song had been a classic, and one of their all time favorites. They had played it many times after that night. ‘Handle with Care’ by the Traveling Wilburys. Liz was strumming the chords as Alex began to sing.

Been beat up and battered around
Been sent up, and I've been shot down
You're the best thing that I've ever found
Handle me with care

She heard the mistake she had made while switching chords, and she recalled hoping that she was the only one that noticed the minor slip-up. They continued to play together and Alex belted out more lyrics.

Reputations changeable
Situations tolerable
Baby, you’re adorable
Handle me with care

She heard her own young voice jump in with the chorus, sounding nervous and innocent.

I’m so tired of being lonely
I still have some love to give
Won’t you show me that you really care

Everybody’s got somebody to lean on
Put your body next to mine, and dream on

Alex had looked over his shoulder, sending her a reassuring smile as he had taken the lyrics back over.

I’ve been fucked off and I’ve been fooled
(‘Alexander Charles Whitman!’ could be faintly heard in the background)
I’ve been robbed and ridiculed
In day care centers and night schools
Handle me with care

Been stuck in airports, terrorized
Sent to meetings, hypnotized
Overexposed, commercialized
Handle me with care

Again, Liz sang the chorus, this time sounding much more confident and in control of her voice. Her younger self caused Liz to smile. She had actually sounded good.

I’m so tired of being lonely
I still have some love to give
Won’t you show me that you really care

Everybody’s got somebody to lean on
Put your body next to mine, and dream on

As Alex finished with the rest of the song and had joined on the last of the chorus, she realized, not for the first time, what she had given up upon moving across the country. Her very best friend. The person whom had been her partner in crime since the very beginning. It was painfully clear that her once unbreakable friendship with Alex had been damaged beyond repair by the selfish things she had done in the past. And as the tears ran down her face, she felt more alone than she had ever felt in Vermont, even at the worst of times. Alex had replaced her, and there wasn’t anything she could do about it. They could never go back.

Her thoughts of Max had quickly vanished as she knew what needed to be done before she confronted Max. She needed to speak with Alex.

She heard the applause and Mrs. Whitman scolding Alex for cursing in front of his grandmother, and decided that she couldn’t take much more of the cd. Shutting the radio off, she focused on the road.

After at least 15 minutes of mumbling under her breath at the ridicules traffic volumes, she pulled into the cafe’s parking lot and practically jumped out of the car and ran to entrance. Upon reaching the door, she quickly halted all movement.

‘It’s now or never.” She thought to herself as she mentally prepared. Slowly, after a few deep breaths, she opened the door to the cafe.

Stepping inside and glancing around, she couldn’t spot him anywhere. The only person that she recognized was someone she never wanted to encounter again. Tess Harding.

Looking up, the blonde quickly noticed Liz and narrowed her eyes in undisguised hatred. As she stood and strutted her way toward Liz, only one thought flew through Liz’s mind.

This is not going to be pretty.

TBC...

[keyelee]

Sorry for the delay. Thanks for the feedbacks and bumps. This part is short, but I guess it is better than nothing. This is winding down... Hoping to update more frequently. Also, I'll hopefully be updating FBD soon, too.

Part 7?

A blur of blonde curls flew past him as he took his seat on the small stage, beginning to tune his guitar. He didn’t think much of it. Tess had always been hyperactive, and it was not unusual for her to be bouncing around the cafe to visit with the regulars. He didn’t even bother to look up. That is, until her heard her shrill voice reach a painful pitch.

‘What the...’ He thought as he watched the scene unfold in front of his eyes. Tess Harding, his friend and almost-stalker, was in a heated argument with the woman of his dreams, Liz Parker.

Seeing her made him cringe. He couldn’t believe the way he had jumped to conclusions about her heath the day prior, especially the way he had forced himself on her in his emotional state. He groaned as he remembered that he had been crying pretty hard. He must have looked like such a girl.

What surprised him though, was that Liz had been so tender with him. She had rubbed his back and attempted to comfort him. Maybe there was still something there after all.

Focusing back on the women in front him, his eyes widened as he watched Tess reach for a chunk of Liz’s luscious brown locks. Hair pulling? Was that really necessary?

Setting his guitar down, he moved quickly toward the two ladies, planning to break it up. They had succeeded in getting the attention of everyone in the cafe. Alex must have also heard because he was running out of the back room.

Before he could reach them, though, Liz took control of the situation. With all of her might, she leaned back and focused all of her strength into punching Tess right in the nose. The noise that came from Tess was one for the books. The entire cafe took a step back at the offending noise, and Max had almost done the same. But, he caught sight of the blood. And there was a lot of it.

Liz stood there, looking calm and collected. She brushed herself off slightly and adjusted her hair before raising her head, finally noticing the crowd. They had all witnessed the incident. Groaning to herself, she knew exactly what was to come of her getting so out of hand with ‘the gerbil’. The entire town would hear about how Liz Parker had attacked innocent local, Tess Harding for no reason. Or, maybe, they will even throw in a love triangle between herself, Tess, and Max. That would make for much better gossip.

She noticed Max rushing to Tess’s side. Great. Romeo over here is going to come and take care of his little Tessie Bear. Just what she needed right now.

“Oh my god! You broke my fucking nose!” She half sobbed, half wheezed.

Shrugging, she answered with an uncomfortable grin. “You started it.” She mumbled.

Pushing past Max, Alex grabbed Liz in a hug, shaking her gently. “You aren’t allowed to knock the customer’s lights out!” He teased, pulling her away from the scene.

“She started it!” She repeated, looking him in the eye to stress her excuse. “She came up to me, screeching about how I wasn’t welcome around here. So, I told her that I’m friends with the owner and besides that, she has no business dictating where I’m allowed to be. So, she told me that Max didn’t want me here...”

She trailed off, suddenly not meeting his eyes. “And then...” He prodded gently.

“And then... I told her that I don’t take orders from Max or his poodle.”

Snorting, he shook his head good-naturedly. “And then, she pulled your hair?” She nodded. “And then, you punched her.”

She again nodded before adding with a grin, “Yeah, and I broke her nose.”

He rolled his eyes, slinging his arm around her shoulder. “Let’s get you out of here before you cause anymore damage.”

Remembering her early purpose of speaking with him, she knew that now was as good of a time as any. “Yeah, I need to talk to you anyway.”

“Sure. We can go upstairs. Do you want something to drink?” She shook her head in the affirmative.

“Yes, please. How about a carmel apple cappuccino?”

“You got it! Head on up and I’ll meet you up there in a second.”

She nodded in agreement, but before she could exit through the back, she stole one more look over her shoulder in his direction. He was holding back his laughter as Tess retold the story. Letting out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding, she trudged through he swinging doors, completely missing the look of longing Max sent her way.