Chapter 11
“And here I had been hoping that the two of could have gotten back together...” Liz (in Max’s body) confessed tearfully. She’d gone home the night before, numb from the sight that she’d happened upon.
“I’m sorry Lizzie,” Maria apologized trying to offer a comforting smile, though she knew it would be pointless.
As much as she felt bad for Liz, Maria couldn’t say that she had been surprised by the news. While her like for alien queen hadn’t improved, there was no denying that her role in the group was more dominant then it had ever been. She also couldn’t deny her disappointment in Max either. It didn’t seem like it had been so long since the summer months, the months in which she and Max spent time really getting to know one another. He had always been so persistent in his denial of any romantic feelings for Tess,
Despite all the obstacles in their way, Maria had always hoped that Max and Liz would have found their way back to one another. There was just something so magical about Max and Liz when they were together. Aside from that, she could remember ever seeing her friend so happy until she was with Max.
“So...what are you going to do?” Maria asked after a few moments of silence.
“Do? What is there to do?” Liz asked. Max and Tess were already together. There was nothing to be done.
“You know...” Maria trailed off. “You could always fight for him,” she suggested. Maybe Max had no idea how Liz felt about him...
“Maria...” her fight? Did she ever have any right? She’d given up on Max, or so that’s what she made it look like.
“Don’t look at me like that Liz,” the blonde replied. “You know as well as I do that there no way in hell that Max Evans would chose Tess over you if he had all the facts...”
For one brief, uplifting moment, Liz contemplated the idea, but quickly dismissed it. “That wouldn’t be fair,” she announced. The two should at least be able to be together without any interference.
“Neither is the fact that you and Max can’t be together,” Maria insisted.
Liz let out a weary sigh. “I know, but I helped create the situation,” she argued. “And...this has always been my greatest fear...you know, where Tess is concerned. Maybe they’ll try this out and nothing will come from it...”
Maria snorted. “Or maybe something could come from it,” she reminded Liz, not unkindly. “Look, the point is, do you really want to given them an opportunity for something to happen?”
Liz looked away from her friend.
“Look, I know you’re thinking of doing the honorable thing here...but to hell with Tess.”
Shaking her head, Liz sighed once again. “Have you ever stopped to wonder why Yess left in that other world?” She asked. “Because of remarks like that.”
Maria scoffed. “So? She’s still here in this one. Besides, things have changed this time around,” she pointed out. “Where does it say that Tess has to be with Max to be considered part of the group anyway?”
Liz shrugged. “It doesn’t, but can you blame her for feeling that way? We were less then welcoming when she first arrived.” They were all guilty of keeping her at arm’s length. The aliens used her to help further their powers, but in all other capacities, she was alone.
“It’s not exactly as though she was completely innocent,” Maria swiftly reminded Liz. “I mean she used her powers to manipulate the others, and she showed a complete disregard for us lowly humans...”
“She’s not like that anymore,” Liz replied. It was obvious that in the past few months she and Kyle had grown a lot closer.
“Liz, why are you defending her? I know for a fact that you feel the same way I do.”
“I just...if I have to lose Max to her...I at least would like to think that she deserves him,” Liz replied, struggling over her words. She’d hurt Max so much over the past few months, she just wanted the best for him now...even if that came from someone else. “Max deserves the best that this world has to offer...and if Max sees this in her then she must have more to her then what meets the eye.”
Seeing that her friend was pretty much set in her mind, Maria sighed. “For the record, I think you should fight for him,” she added. No, she was sure that Liz would grow to regret her decision if she didn’t fight. “But whatever you decide to do, you know I’ll have your back.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Of all the places to go, and you chose this one?” Maria asked as Alex parked his car in the parking lot for the Crashdown. As soon as they’d driven past the building, her gaze was trained through the front window, looking for the others.
In the back seat, Liz (in Max’s body) visibly flinched. She hadn’t missed the rest of the group either, more importantly, she’d spotted Max and Tess right away. She always knew that Roswell was small compared to a lot of other places, but until that moment it had never felt so. They really needed to branch out and find a new hang out spot.
“You gonna be okay?” Maria asked as she twisted around in her seat.
Her first thought was to begin shaking her head in negative. Was she read to see Max and Tess together as a couple? She didn’t think so...but then again, she needed to get used to the changes. Plus, since Max still inhabited her body, the two couldn’t do anything ‘couple-like’ without bringing major attention to the group. Still...just the thought of being with them after what happened...and what if they shared a look? She knew she really didn’t want to be privy to that. The thought of them alone was too much as it was.
“I’m sorry Liz,” Alex apologized, not thinking about the progress in Max and Tess’ relationship sooner. “If you want we could fo somewhere else...” he trailed off.
Offering Alex a thin smile, she shook her head in denial. “That’s okay Alex,” she denied. “I can’t avoid him forever,” Liz reasoned. No, she needed to do this. It was like pulling off a band-aid. While the pain would be a bit more intense, it would still be less then pulling it off bit by bit and prolonging the inevitable.
“You sure?” Maria asked for a final time, even though Liz was already half way out of the car.
“I’ll be fine Maria,” Liz assured her friend, holding onto her last shred of courage. She appreciated that her friend was concerned about her well being, but damn if her resolve wasn’t beginning to chip away with every inquiry.
Walking with her friends, Liz squared her shoulders as though she was heading into battle. She could do this. So what if Max had finally moved on? She had been preparing for this. Her intent was to get Max and Tess together in the first place. She had been working on building a wall around her heart so that the sight wouldn’t hurt.
Stepping inside the café, Liz started. The quick flash of pain she felt upon seeing the two together was intense. Apparently, all preparation was a futile attempt.
“You can handle this babe...”
The words barely registered as her gaze met Max’s from across the room. She watched as he straightened up. Was he just as uncomfortable as her? It was only then that she noticed that Tess sat on the other side of the booth, she wondered why they weren’t at least sitting together? Maybe they were going to wait until things were back to normal before they told Michael and Isabel...?
“Hey guys...” Isabel greeted despite the tension that had enveloped the group.
Smiling down at Isabel, Alex tried to ignore the flop his stomach did. Would there ever be a time when he didn’t react like that to her presence? So far, she had remained...well, friendly...but nothing more. Why could he just move on? He knew that she wasn’t sitting around thinking about him. “Oh, nothing much...we got bored,” he excused easily, his gaze, involuntarily moving to Tess. He still couldn’t believe that Max and decided to make a go of it with her.
Growing increasingly uncomfortable with the attention she was receiving, Tess decided to make her exit. “Uh...actually, I’m gonna head out,” she excused, standing up from the booth. “I need to get some stuff done to my room...”
“Oh. Okay, so then we’ll see you around,” Isabel replied. Upon on her exit, the seating arrangements changed. Liz (in Max’s body) claimed the seat next to Isabel as Michael offered up his seat to Alex. Pulling up a chair, Maria waited until Michael was sitting before she moved into his lap.
“So...what’s everyone doing tomorrow night for New Years?” Alex asked after a pause in the conversation. Usually, he, Liz and Maria would meet up together later in the night to do something, but he knew that Maria would more then likely like to ring in the new year with Michael. As for Liz, she had been less then festive the past days. He wasn’t even sure she would want to do something, it was the reason why he was only broaching the subject now.
For a second no one said anything as they all traded looks of confusion, assuming that someone would have made the arrangements already. “Well, I have to go to the retirement home and celebrate the new year at ten, but after that I’m free. To be truthful, I hadn’t really thought about it.” In the past, she’d gone to a party to celebrate with her ‘friends’, but she wasn’t really into that year. Quickly, she looked to Max (in Liz’s body). Her brother and Michael usually hung out together, but she didn’t think that the two would be doing that this year...at least not Max. Besides, things were different this year, Michael had Maria to consider...
“We could always hang out at Michael’s,” Maria offered after a moment. While she really wanted nothing more then to find that enigma party, she knew that wouldn’t be a possibility. What friends she had before her life became so consumed with alien situations had all moved on. She had no connections to even find the clues that could lead her in the right direction. Then there was also the fact that she knew that Michael wouldn’t want to be in a place so crowded...and Liz was a bit out of spirits this year.
At Maria’s offer, Michael turned her a bit to look at him, his disbelief apparent on his face. “What do you mean we?” He asked, one eyebrow raised. “It’s my apartment blondie...not yours, so why are you inviting people over?”
“It’s only us...it’s not like I’m advertising for a party or anything,” Maria replied not seeing a difference. “Besides, you spend so much time with Max and Isabel as it is...the only difference now is that Liz, Alex and I will be there.”
“Sorry, no can do. I work tomorrow night,” Michael grunted, hoping that would be enough to chase off the idea that the others could go over. He didn’t like it when everyone came over. Whenever people came over, that lead to messes, and messes were not something he liked dealing with. He was a teenager for pete’s sake. He was barely capable of keeping up with his own messes, he didn’t want to deal with anyone else’s.
Maria rolled her eyes at the others. “So? The Crashdown never stays open past eleven, so you’ll be there right on time.” Acting as if she held all final she turned to rest of the group and smiled. “So, sound good to you guys?”
“Actually...” Liz began, only to stop when she noticed that Max also had some objections to the plan. She knew she really didn’t want to be around the others, she wasn’t in the mood for celebrations and the last thing the others needed was her to drag down their spirits.
Besides, she didn’t want to be around Max and Tess. Associating with them minimally on a day to day basis was one thing, but watching them all ‘couple-like’ on their first holiday as a couple...watching them kiss when the clock struck twelve...no, she was not going to do that.
“You’re going...and that’s final,” Maria replied simply. She was not about to let Liz wallow in her self pity. “It’ll be fun.”
Casting a quick glance in Max’s (in Liz’s body) direction, she frowned. Liz hadn’t missed the fact that he hadn’t looked at her once since she first walked in. “Yeah...a real riot,” she muttered.
Around the former couple, the group continued on with their conversation. If anyone noticed the tension that existed between Max and Liz, no one decided to comment on it. It was something they had gotten used to when any of them were around them. Both Max and Liz, sat quietly, content to let their friends continue on chatting, so long as they weren’t forced to participate.
It was only when Michael’s lunch break ended that things slowly changed. Since ‘Liz’ was still out of commission, Maria was asked to cover for Agnes that night, who didn’t bother to call or show up for her shift. Isabel and Alex tried their hardest to keep the conversation going, but they soon opted for other options. Alex left the table to meet with his former band members as Isabel moved to talk to her old group of friends. What was left at the table, was a very uncomfortable formal couple.
“So...”
Max (in Liz’s body) nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah...”
The two attempted to keep themselves busy by focusing on their friends, the food on their plates or the general decor of the room they occupied.
“Listen Liz...about last night...”
No, she wasn’t ready to discuss this. “I’m sorry,” Liz interrupted, not wanting to hear whatever he had to say, because it was most likely a poor attempt to excuse what she had seen. “I shouldn’t have been out there. I...after our discussion I couldn’t sleep so I decided to go for a walk. When I went to the park I had no idea that you and Tess would be there...” she explained, wanting to defend herself. He didn’t have to know about her spying...no, she could at least keep some dignity...
“It’s okay,” Max (in Liz’s body) accepted. “What happened last night shouldn’t have happened,” he added.
Momentarily, her words slipped her mind as she listened to him speak about the night before. Did that mean that it was all a mistake? “But I thought...” she trailed off, realizing it didn’t matter what she thought. “What do you mean?”
“I just...we were lucky it was only you had seen us,” Max replied. “I mean could you imagine the trouble we’d have to face if it was one of our parents or a person from school?” He asked.
Only you... Liz frowned. Oh, so it was okay that her heart had been shattered? So long as everything was up to the ‘norm’ or at least on the outside, Max could kiss whoever he wanted?
“Right,” Liz agreed tightly, wishing more then anything for the end of the conversation.
Max’s (in Liz’s body) eyes narrowed at the tone of Liz’s voice. Was everything okay with her? Yeah, he knew it wasn’t the most ideal situation, but it could have been a lot worse. Was she still mad that Tess had kissed him? Because, that, he couldn’t help. He had no control over Tess’ actions. Then again, he could only imagine how she felt. If the situation was reversed, he didn’t know what he would have done had he walked on a scene anywhere near similar to that one.
“I suppose it must have been a shock.”
Nodding her head, Liz agreed, oh...it certainly had been. Wait...what was a shock? The fact that she found Max and Tess kissing or the fact that it was her body that Tess had been kissing? Because while the latter was more then enough to upset her, it was the former that she had mostly concentrated on. “Wait...what?”
“Tess and me kissing...er, the sight of your body and Tess...” Max replied, stumbling over his words. He didn’t want to sound presumptuous, but he could have sworn that Liz’s reaction the night before had more to do with the kiss in general then how the rest of the situation looked. At first, he thought her reaction was something akin to shock, which if it had been, he wouldn’t have blamed her. He could only imagine the sort of picture that he and Tess had painted.
“Yeah, it was a little odd,” Liz agreed, “what with the fact that Tess and I could never be considered friends,” she finished. “As for the...you and Tess part, well...that’s not really any of my business. If you want to move on, then you have every right to do that.” God, why did it hurt to say that?
Nodding, Max smirked. “Yes, I suppose I do have the right to move on,” he agreed, reveling in the fact that Liz was jealous. Not that he was happy that she was obviously in pain, it was just a relief to him that for once, she had an idea of what kind of pain he had been feeling since that night in October.
Deciding that she’d had enough of their current conversation, Liz cleared her throat. Aside from their awkwardness through it, she hadn’t missed the intense look that Max would throw her way every so often. No, she didn’t like the look on his face one bit. It was like he was looking inside her and she no place to hide her secrets...
“Uh...what are the chances that you and I will enter the new year being...well, back...” she trailed off, not wanting to alert anyone to the truth of their conversation, incase someone was listening.
At the mention of that horrible device, Max frowned. “I...wish I could tell you that they were good,” he answered.
“But they aren’t...”
“I have no idea what we could do that I haven’t already done,” he admitted, feeling helpless about their situation. If there was one thing he hated, it was being out of control, something that had become a constant in the past few months.
A Tale of Two Bodies (M/L, CC, Teen) AN up 7/12/07 [WIP]
Moderators: Anniepoo98, ISLANDGIRL5, truelovepooh, Forum Moderators
83AlienAngel: It will turn out ok. I've never written a story that ends less then happy.
Emz80m: It should be so simple. LOL.
Sherrie: No hidden agenda here. If I'm going to like Tess and not bash her character (at this point in a story) it's because I've picked up at a point before the writers of the show took that u-turn into the badness. BTW, there's nothing wrong with being a bad girl. LOL
Behrystrwbry: Sorry it was a little confusing! As for the switching back...who knows.
Sternbetrachter: I mentioned the but about friends based on the episode in S3 when Maria pretty much said the same thing. Until then, I never really bothered to consider how the humans' lives had changed.
Katydid: Yeah, big line of miscommunication there, but what would be so fun if everything set into place all at once? LOL
Lab6651: Yeah, that would have made for a scene, then again, with Tess' nifty little power, it wouldn't be remembered...and where's the fun in that?
Shattered Dreamer: Yeah, I was hesitant on the kiss, but I thought it was a hilarious idea. As for Max being respectful, I plan on addressing that at a later time. LOL.
Jesibelle47: Even if Liz wasn't there, it wouldn't have gone any further...that I swear. LOL. Yes, there will be fresh start in the new year.
Hey guys! Thanks for all the well wishes. Sorry it took so long for me to post! I've had half of the chapter all ready written and ready to go and I just finished the last half. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 12
Walking into the living room, Kyle stopped short at the sight of Tess lounging on the couch in front of the tv. She wasn’t one for lounging, never had been...or not that he had known. Frowning, he carried the bag of groceries into the kitchen.
“So...Tess...you have any plans for tonight?” Kyle called from the kitchen.
Never removing her gaze from the screen, the blonde half human only shrugged her shoulders.
Isabel had called her earlier and mentioned that they were going to go over to Michael’s that night, if she and Kyle wanted to stop by. Tess held off on accepting the invitation, not sure if that was what she wanted to do. Growing up with Nesado, he’d kept her pretty separate from anything human. She’d never celebrated any holidays, New Year’s Eve...among them.
While she wouldn’t mind spending more time with Max, she knew it was most likely the last thing he wanted. After their kiss the other night, Tess was finding it increasingly more difficult to keep up with pretenses. She’d been so sure... and having him turn her down, it was a blow. She knew that Max was trying not to make things awkward for her, but it didn’t change the fact that that was how she felt.
“I don’t know what I’m gonna do.” She didn’t have to go out did she? She was a little confused on the tradition of...New Year’s Eve. To her, it was just yet another excuse for humans to get drunk. She would be perfectly content to just lay on the couch and watch tv. “What about you?”
When he finished putting away the groceries, Kyle joined her in the living room. “I’m still narrowing down my options,” he replied jokingly. Man, his social life had really dwindled down since the beginning of the year. He’d been invited by his old team mates to come out with them. He was honestly entertaining the idea, it had been so long since he’d gone out with any of them. On the other hand, he was looking for more then a beer bust and getting drunk. He’d already been there, done that...there had to be something better out there.
“Isabel called earlier, she invited us to go to Michael’s.”
“Oh?” Kyle asked, assuming that Max would also be invited. Wait, if Evans was definitely heading over there then why Tess so iffy on her decision? “And you’re not going?”
Tess shrugged once again. “I’ll think about it,” she answered coolly.
“That’s new,” Kyle muttered as he moved to grab the tv guide from the table.
With a frown on her face, Tess pulled herself into a sitting position and turned to him with an expectant look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” Kyle denied as he concentrated on the page in front of him. It was only when it was pulled from his grasp that he finally looked over.
With one eyebrow arched, Tess stared at him. “Kyle...”
“I just figured that with Max being there, that you would jump at the opportunity to go,” he admitted. He knew that would have been the case just days earlier.
At this point, Tess looked away. She and Max had decided to keep the other night under wraps, and thankfully, Liz wasn’t blabbing her mouth. Looking back, an intense wave of embarrassment crashed through every crevice of her body as the memory entered her thoughts. Tess wasn’t used to feeling such an emotion, she never had before. Not only was she embarrassed for throwing herself out there, the feeling was increased ten fold by the way that it came about.
“So...I take it that you and Max came to an understanding...” Kyle hedged, watching the emotion flitter across Tess’ face.
*FLASHBACK*
“What the hell was that?” Max demanded, resisting the urge to wipe his lips with the back of his...or well, Liz’s arm.
“I...I thought that...” Tess trailed off. “Oh god, did I just actually kiss you in Liz’s form?” She asked, more to herself then anything. What was wrong with her?
“Yeah, you did,” Max answered. “Why would you do something like that Tess?” He demanded, angry that she could be so careless. They were lucky that it was later into the night, because if she had attempted such a thing, chances were someone else would have come along. “I mean...anyone could have come across this...and then what would we have done?” He asked once more, his eyes flaming.
“I’m sorry! I...I’ve been having these feelings and we’ve grown closer...and, stupidly, I thought that you were starting to feel them back.”
Upon her explanation, Max’s gaze softened. She was obviously regretful of her actions. “Tess...” he trailed off. He hated letting her down like this.
Guiltily, she looked into his eyes. “I know...” she allowed, not wanting to hear him let her own once again. “I should have known that I was just setting myself up for disappointment. Everything was just going so good...and you were finally starting to see me.”
“You’re right...I did finally look at you. I finally found the girl...friend I always hoped you’d be,” he answered softly.
Smiling sadly, Tess nodded at his words. “We’re never...I mean there was never a possibility for us...was there?”
Max shook his head in reply. “Tess, my heart’s belonged to Liz from the very first moment I saw her,” he acknowledged softly. “I...I really am sorry that I couldn’t be the person that you expected, but I just...this is the way that it is.”
Tess nodded her head slowly, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her.
*END FLASHBACK*
“I’m sorry Tess,” Kyle apologized, honestly feeling bad for her. While he had known that she really had no chance where Max was concerned, he still wished that she didn’t have to deal with the pain.
“Me too,” Tess added. “I should have known...” she trailed off. “I mean just because you and Liz...that didn’t mean that he got over her.”
Kyle sat back and processed her words. “Well, you know...I don’t think there’s anything that Liz could do that would really turn Max from her.”
“No...apparently not.”
“So...what you just told him how you felt...?” Kyle asked, still unsure as to how the conversation came out in the first place. At her muttered words, he strained his ears to her words. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I kissed him,” Tess bit out, her voice only a little louder.
At her words, Kyle stopped all thought process. “You kissed him...you kissed Max as he was in Liz’s body?” He asked, looking for clarification.
At the emphases that he placed on Liz’s name, Tess rolled her eyes. Yeah...she should have known that was what he would have focused on. “I kissed Max.”
“In Liz’s body,” Kyle added, making sure that she didn’t forget that little fact.
Sighing, Tess nodded. “Yes, it was Liz’s body...but it was Max that I kissed.”
Smirking at the picture that popped in his head, Kyle couldn’t help the pure entertainment and arousal he found. “Not in my mind,” he denied.
Making a face at his words, Tess looked away. “Eww...you are such a...such a...”
“Such a...what?” Kyle asked, finding hilarity at the situation.
“Such a guy!” Tess exclaimed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Maria...” Dianne Evans trailed off as she opened the front door. The last person she expected to see was Liz Parker’s vibrant best friend. “What a surprise. What are you doing here dear?”
Looking around, Maria cleared her throat. “Uh...I thought I was picking Max up?” She asked, feeling more confused then ever. Liz was still there wasn’t she? Or had the plan changed?
“Oh?”
“We’re heading over to Michael’s...” Maria added, her smile back on her face.
At the news, Dianne nodded. “Oh...of course,” she shook her head. Where had her mind gone lately? Of course Max would spend New Year’s with Michael...the two were always together. “But you’re picking him up?” She asked, was something wrong with the jeep?
Before Maria could say anything, Isabel waltzed into the living room where Maria was finally being allowed inside. “Yeah...” Isabel said, answering the question. “Well, Max and I decided that it would be easier for me to drive the jeep tonight since I would be going from one place to another when he was just going to be at Michael’s the whole night,” she explained.
“Oh...you know your father and I would have let you use the Durango...” Dianne reminded her daughter. She and Phillip had meant to buy something for Isabel, in fact, they were still in the process of looking. It was a long, difficult decision...specially when they considered Isabel’s preferences and feelings.
Isabel nodded and smiled at her mother, assuring her it wasn’t a big deal. “I know, but I also know that you and dad would have been worried with me out there on the streets with the added factor of people drinking and driving...and then that would have put a cramp on my good time.”
“I suppose...” Dianne agreed slowly. “So...I take it you’re leaving...”
Isabel nodded as she stepped forward and kissed her mother’s cheek. “I’ll call you guys later. Maria, I’ll see you and Michael’s.”
“Sounds good.”
As the younger Evans’ woman exited the room, the previous two occupants looked to one another with polite smiles. “So...I haven’t seen you around much these past few months...” Dianne voiced.
Maria nodded. “Yeah...well, with Liz back...I spend most of my time with her,” she answered. “And then there’s Michael...”
“That’s right. I almost forgot that you and Michael were...involved,” Dianne supplied jerkily. It wasn’t that she had anything against the young woman before her, it was just that Michael was so...careful and guarded. She couldn’t picture the young man dating anyone, let alone Maria....who seemed to be the exact opposite from him. “How is that going?”
Thinking back to the past few weeks, Maria’s smiled brightened. “Good. It’s a lot better then it was,” she answered. “Now the only question is, how long it will last.”
At the last statement, Dianne frowned. While Michael may have always held back from her, he was her son’s best friend. She had known the troubled young man for years and felt a flair of concern rise up for him. “Oh...things aren’t...”
Maria laughed away Dianne’s concern. “In case you haven’t noticed, Michael and I are very different people,” she snorted. “We argue frequently.” Looking down at the watch that adorned her wrist, Maria frowned. What was taking Liz so long? “Mrs. Evans...do you think I could go gather Max?” She asked.
“Oh, of course dear,” she replied with an easy smile. She had been surprised when she had first met Maria, her son was never one for friends...let alone ones that he brought over to the house. During the summer, Max had been in a mood and it seemed like Maria was the only one he really opened up to...and even that seemed to be stretching it. “You know where his room is...oh, and Maria...”
Maria turned back to Max’s mother.
“You make sure that Michael treats you right...if you have any problems, we can always have Phillip talk to him,” Dianne added, sure that Michael wasn’t the easiest person to get along with.
Maria giggled at the offer. “I’ll have to remember that for future references...” She would definitely keep that in mind. Making her way into the hallway, she headed straight to Max’s door. Without bothering to knock, she threw the door open and stood stock still at the sight before her.
Max, or rather Liz was standing in front of a mirror, topless, her interested trained on the reflection of the mirror. Smirking at the predicament she caught her best friend in, Maria crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. When Liz made no notice of her, Maria cleared her throat a little more loudly then necessary.
At the unexpected sound, Liz spun around ready to apologize for being caught in such a position. “I...Maria! What are you doing here?!”
“Well...I thought we were going to head to Michael’s...” Maria trailed off as she stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. “It is...six,” she added, reminding Liz of the time.
“Oh...I...got side tracked,” Liz excused feebly as she tried to smile and ignore the heat of her embarrassment.
“Yeah, I gathered that,” Maria agreed whole heartedly. “And what a side track it is,” she added pointedly to let her friend know she was still topless.
Liz rolled her eyes and quickly reached for the shirt she had laid out before her shower. “Maria...” Wow, Liz blushed once again, this really was embarrassing. Her first time really allowing herself to peak at...anything and she get’s caught for being the pervert she was. What were the chances?
“No,” Maria replied. “I seriously mean it,” Maria added, not wanting Liz to feel embarrassed for anything. She was honestly shocked that Liz hadn’t peaked sooner, because she knew for a fact that if the situation was reversed, there was no way she would have gone without ‘seeing’.
“Are you oogling me?” Liz asked frowning at the eye that her friend had trained on her muscles.
Maria nodded. “Can’t help it. I may have Michael and Max may be yours, but I have eyes Liz...and that body...those arms and that chest...those pecs...”
Looking away, Liz began buttoning up the shirt to give Max’s body a break she felt her cheeks flame once again. Oh Maria had been on the right track, Max was definitely one fine looking guy. “Maria...please stop looking at me like that,” Liz asked quietly. “It’s one thing for me to look at his body like this, but you...?” Somehow, she didn’t think that Max would enjoy learning that fact. “Besides, he’s not mine,” she added her mood turning somber. “This is Tess’ body now.”
At the mention of Tess and her new found relationship with Max, Maria frowned. “Yeah...ewww.” Casting one last look over the body, Maria tried to brighten the scene. “Seriously babe, how did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Give that up?” She thought back to the night that she walked in on, the one where Max and Liz were looking rather comfortable on Michael’s couch...she hadn’t seen too much, and she’d been so concerned with Liz’s well being at the time that she didn’t have the chance to look as much as she wanted, but she’d always known that Max was ‘in shape’.
Liz frowned at the familiar question. She had been asking herself that since the night she agreed with Future Max’s plan. “Temporary insanity?”
“But you’re still letting him go...so...how temporary can it be?” Maria asked back.
Ten minutes later, the two were out of the house and in Maria’s Jetta. “So...Maria? You won’t tell anyone...that I was checking Max’s body out?”
Pulling onto the road, Maria smirked over at Liz. “That depends...”
Liz scowled. “On?”
“Have you ever oogled any other body parts?” Maria asked.
At the open ended question, Liz grew indignant. “What kind of question is that?” How could Maria possibly ask her something like that? “How...Maria!”
“Oh come on Liz, what’s a little secret between best friends?” Maria goaded.
“I can’t believe you would ask me that...” Liz trailed off. “Oh, wait...yes, I can.”
“Fine...” Maria rolled her eyes. “Don’t answer me, I didn’t want to know anyway,” she muttered. A silence settled over the two occupants of the vehicle for a second before Maria broke it once again. “Have you ever touched it for any other purpose other then going to the bathroom and showering?”
“Oh my god! Maria!” Liz exclaimed. “What is it with you and these questions?”
Maria turned a completely innocent expression onto Liz. “What? They’re perfectly normal questions...I just haven’t asked them before because it was either not the time or Alex was with us...” she excused. “And don’t change the subject.”
“I’m not answering you,” Liz denied stiffly.
At the offensive tone in Max’s voice, Maria’s eyes widened and a wolfish smile engulfed her face. “You did! Liz! You naughty girl! I knew it! You can act as proper as you want, but when it comes down to it, you are as perverted as the rest of us!”
Liz rolled her eyes at Maria’s dramatics. “Okay, first of all...I’m the same as anyone else and I feel...urges just the same as everyone else,” she began, “and secondly, I have touched it, but not for the reason your mind has conjured up.”
Looking over at Liz, Maria gestured for her to continue. “Okay...fine, so what reason do you have?”
“Do you know what a hindrance it is to have an erection? I mean it just pops up on it’s own...and...yeah, so Max told me to tuck it up,” Liz replied in a small voice, growing worried that her words would only spur her friend on further.
Maria scrunched her nose. “Tuck it up...where?”
Did Maria really expect her to answer this? Turning to face her friend, her eyes became pointed as she made her next point. “It’s what guys do when they don’t want anyone else to know that they’re...”
Maria opened her mouth and shut it repeatedly. She wanted to ask further questions, but judging by the interesting shade of pink that Max’s cheeks had turned, she knew her friend was not going to give. “Uh...so, what did it feel like?”
“What?!” Liz exclaimed. “Maria! Come on! Can we find something else to discuss?”
“Seriously,” Maria excused. “I mean I’ve never gone that far, I was just wondering...what does one feel like?”
What was the best answer here? Liz knew she would need to answer it, if she were going to have any sort of peace of mind that night...at least where Maria was concerned. She just didn’t want to say anything that would set Max up for embarrassment...and she really wanted to avoid furthering her discomfort. “It’s...I don’t know Maria...it’s nothing that you’ll ever forget...”
“Wow Liz, you really broke out the big guns with that one,” Maria muttered, rolling her eyes. “Thank you for answering those life altering questions as generically as possible.”
Smirking at Maria, Liz nodded. “I aim to please.”
Emz80m: It should be so simple. LOL.
Sherrie: No hidden agenda here. If I'm going to like Tess and not bash her character (at this point in a story) it's because I've picked up at a point before the writers of the show took that u-turn into the badness. BTW, there's nothing wrong with being a bad girl. LOL
Behrystrwbry: Sorry it was a little confusing! As for the switching back...who knows.
Sternbetrachter: I mentioned the but about friends based on the episode in S3 when Maria pretty much said the same thing. Until then, I never really bothered to consider how the humans' lives had changed.
Katydid: Yeah, big line of miscommunication there, but what would be so fun if everything set into place all at once? LOL
Lab6651: Yeah, that would have made for a scene, then again, with Tess' nifty little power, it wouldn't be remembered...and where's the fun in that?
Shattered Dreamer: Yeah, I was hesitant on the kiss, but I thought it was a hilarious idea. As for Max being respectful, I plan on addressing that at a later time. LOL.
Jesibelle47: Even if Liz wasn't there, it wouldn't have gone any further...that I swear. LOL. Yes, there will be fresh start in the new year.
Hey guys! Thanks for all the well wishes. Sorry it took so long for me to post! I've had half of the chapter all ready written and ready to go and I just finished the last half. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 12
Walking into the living room, Kyle stopped short at the sight of Tess lounging on the couch in front of the tv. She wasn’t one for lounging, never had been...or not that he had known. Frowning, he carried the bag of groceries into the kitchen.
“So...Tess...you have any plans for tonight?” Kyle called from the kitchen.
Never removing her gaze from the screen, the blonde half human only shrugged her shoulders.
Isabel had called her earlier and mentioned that they were going to go over to Michael’s that night, if she and Kyle wanted to stop by. Tess held off on accepting the invitation, not sure if that was what she wanted to do. Growing up with Nesado, he’d kept her pretty separate from anything human. She’d never celebrated any holidays, New Year’s Eve...among them.
While she wouldn’t mind spending more time with Max, she knew it was most likely the last thing he wanted. After their kiss the other night, Tess was finding it increasingly more difficult to keep up with pretenses. She’d been so sure... and having him turn her down, it was a blow. She knew that Max was trying not to make things awkward for her, but it didn’t change the fact that that was how she felt.
“I don’t know what I’m gonna do.” She didn’t have to go out did she? She was a little confused on the tradition of...New Year’s Eve. To her, it was just yet another excuse for humans to get drunk. She would be perfectly content to just lay on the couch and watch tv. “What about you?”
When he finished putting away the groceries, Kyle joined her in the living room. “I’m still narrowing down my options,” he replied jokingly. Man, his social life had really dwindled down since the beginning of the year. He’d been invited by his old team mates to come out with them. He was honestly entertaining the idea, it had been so long since he’d gone out with any of them. On the other hand, he was looking for more then a beer bust and getting drunk. He’d already been there, done that...there had to be something better out there.
“Isabel called earlier, she invited us to go to Michael’s.”
“Oh?” Kyle asked, assuming that Max would also be invited. Wait, if Evans was definitely heading over there then why Tess so iffy on her decision? “And you’re not going?”
Tess shrugged once again. “I’ll think about it,” she answered coolly.
“That’s new,” Kyle muttered as he moved to grab the tv guide from the table.
With a frown on her face, Tess pulled herself into a sitting position and turned to him with an expectant look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” Kyle denied as he concentrated on the page in front of him. It was only when it was pulled from his grasp that he finally looked over.
With one eyebrow arched, Tess stared at him. “Kyle...”
“I just figured that with Max being there, that you would jump at the opportunity to go,” he admitted. He knew that would have been the case just days earlier.
At this point, Tess looked away. She and Max had decided to keep the other night under wraps, and thankfully, Liz wasn’t blabbing her mouth. Looking back, an intense wave of embarrassment crashed through every crevice of her body as the memory entered her thoughts. Tess wasn’t used to feeling such an emotion, she never had before. Not only was she embarrassed for throwing herself out there, the feeling was increased ten fold by the way that it came about.
“So...I take it that you and Max came to an understanding...” Kyle hedged, watching the emotion flitter across Tess’ face.
*FLASHBACK*
“What the hell was that?” Max demanded, resisting the urge to wipe his lips with the back of his...or well, Liz’s arm.
“I...I thought that...” Tess trailed off. “Oh god, did I just actually kiss you in Liz’s form?” She asked, more to herself then anything. What was wrong with her?
“Yeah, you did,” Max answered. “Why would you do something like that Tess?” He demanded, angry that she could be so careless. They were lucky that it was later into the night, because if she had attempted such a thing, chances were someone else would have come along. “I mean...anyone could have come across this...and then what would we have done?” He asked once more, his eyes flaming.
“I’m sorry! I...I’ve been having these feelings and we’ve grown closer...and, stupidly, I thought that you were starting to feel them back.”
Upon her explanation, Max’s gaze softened. She was obviously regretful of her actions. “Tess...” he trailed off. He hated letting her down like this.
Guiltily, she looked into his eyes. “I know...” she allowed, not wanting to hear him let her own once again. “I should have known that I was just setting myself up for disappointment. Everything was just going so good...and you were finally starting to see me.”
“You’re right...I did finally look at you. I finally found the girl...friend I always hoped you’d be,” he answered softly.
Smiling sadly, Tess nodded at his words. “We’re never...I mean there was never a possibility for us...was there?”
Max shook his head in reply. “Tess, my heart’s belonged to Liz from the very first moment I saw her,” he acknowledged softly. “I...I really am sorry that I couldn’t be the person that you expected, but I just...this is the way that it is.”
Tess nodded her head slowly, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her.
*END FLASHBACK*
“I’m sorry Tess,” Kyle apologized, honestly feeling bad for her. While he had known that she really had no chance where Max was concerned, he still wished that she didn’t have to deal with the pain.
“Me too,” Tess added. “I should have known...” she trailed off. “I mean just because you and Liz...that didn’t mean that he got over her.”
Kyle sat back and processed her words. “Well, you know...I don’t think there’s anything that Liz could do that would really turn Max from her.”
“No...apparently not.”
“So...what you just told him how you felt...?” Kyle asked, still unsure as to how the conversation came out in the first place. At her muttered words, he strained his ears to her words. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I kissed him,” Tess bit out, her voice only a little louder.
At her words, Kyle stopped all thought process. “You kissed him...you kissed Max as he was in Liz’s body?” He asked, looking for clarification.
At the emphases that he placed on Liz’s name, Tess rolled her eyes. Yeah...she should have known that was what he would have focused on. “I kissed Max.”
“In Liz’s body,” Kyle added, making sure that she didn’t forget that little fact.
Sighing, Tess nodded. “Yes, it was Liz’s body...but it was Max that I kissed.”
Smirking at the picture that popped in his head, Kyle couldn’t help the pure entertainment and arousal he found. “Not in my mind,” he denied.
Making a face at his words, Tess looked away. “Eww...you are such a...such a...”
“Such a...what?” Kyle asked, finding hilarity at the situation.
“Such a guy!” Tess exclaimed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Maria...” Dianne Evans trailed off as she opened the front door. The last person she expected to see was Liz Parker’s vibrant best friend. “What a surprise. What are you doing here dear?”
Looking around, Maria cleared her throat. “Uh...I thought I was picking Max up?” She asked, feeling more confused then ever. Liz was still there wasn’t she? Or had the plan changed?
“Oh?”
“We’re heading over to Michael’s...” Maria added, her smile back on her face.
At the news, Dianne nodded. “Oh...of course,” she shook her head. Where had her mind gone lately? Of course Max would spend New Year’s with Michael...the two were always together. “But you’re picking him up?” She asked, was something wrong with the jeep?
Before Maria could say anything, Isabel waltzed into the living room where Maria was finally being allowed inside. “Yeah...” Isabel said, answering the question. “Well, Max and I decided that it would be easier for me to drive the jeep tonight since I would be going from one place to another when he was just going to be at Michael’s the whole night,” she explained.
“Oh...you know your father and I would have let you use the Durango...” Dianne reminded her daughter. She and Phillip had meant to buy something for Isabel, in fact, they were still in the process of looking. It was a long, difficult decision...specially when they considered Isabel’s preferences and feelings.
Isabel nodded and smiled at her mother, assuring her it wasn’t a big deal. “I know, but I also know that you and dad would have been worried with me out there on the streets with the added factor of people drinking and driving...and then that would have put a cramp on my good time.”
“I suppose...” Dianne agreed slowly. “So...I take it you’re leaving...”
Isabel nodded as she stepped forward and kissed her mother’s cheek. “I’ll call you guys later. Maria, I’ll see you and Michael’s.”
“Sounds good.”
As the younger Evans’ woman exited the room, the previous two occupants looked to one another with polite smiles. “So...I haven’t seen you around much these past few months...” Dianne voiced.
Maria nodded. “Yeah...well, with Liz back...I spend most of my time with her,” she answered. “And then there’s Michael...”
“That’s right. I almost forgot that you and Michael were...involved,” Dianne supplied jerkily. It wasn’t that she had anything against the young woman before her, it was just that Michael was so...careful and guarded. She couldn’t picture the young man dating anyone, let alone Maria....who seemed to be the exact opposite from him. “How is that going?”
Thinking back to the past few weeks, Maria’s smiled brightened. “Good. It’s a lot better then it was,” she answered. “Now the only question is, how long it will last.”
At the last statement, Dianne frowned. While Michael may have always held back from her, he was her son’s best friend. She had known the troubled young man for years and felt a flair of concern rise up for him. “Oh...things aren’t...”
Maria laughed away Dianne’s concern. “In case you haven’t noticed, Michael and I are very different people,” she snorted. “We argue frequently.” Looking down at the watch that adorned her wrist, Maria frowned. What was taking Liz so long? “Mrs. Evans...do you think I could go gather Max?” She asked.
“Oh, of course dear,” she replied with an easy smile. She had been surprised when she had first met Maria, her son was never one for friends...let alone ones that he brought over to the house. During the summer, Max had been in a mood and it seemed like Maria was the only one he really opened up to...and even that seemed to be stretching it. “You know where his room is...oh, and Maria...”
Maria turned back to Max’s mother.
“You make sure that Michael treats you right...if you have any problems, we can always have Phillip talk to him,” Dianne added, sure that Michael wasn’t the easiest person to get along with.
Maria giggled at the offer. “I’ll have to remember that for future references...” She would definitely keep that in mind. Making her way into the hallway, she headed straight to Max’s door. Without bothering to knock, she threw the door open and stood stock still at the sight before her.
Max, or rather Liz was standing in front of a mirror, topless, her interested trained on the reflection of the mirror. Smirking at the predicament she caught her best friend in, Maria crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. When Liz made no notice of her, Maria cleared her throat a little more loudly then necessary.
At the unexpected sound, Liz spun around ready to apologize for being caught in such a position. “I...Maria! What are you doing here?!”
“Well...I thought we were going to head to Michael’s...” Maria trailed off as she stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. “It is...six,” she added, reminding Liz of the time.
“Oh...I...got side tracked,” Liz excused feebly as she tried to smile and ignore the heat of her embarrassment.
“Yeah, I gathered that,” Maria agreed whole heartedly. “And what a side track it is,” she added pointedly to let her friend know she was still topless.
Liz rolled her eyes and quickly reached for the shirt she had laid out before her shower. “Maria...” Wow, Liz blushed once again, this really was embarrassing. Her first time really allowing herself to peak at...anything and she get’s caught for being the pervert she was. What were the chances?
“No,” Maria replied. “I seriously mean it,” Maria added, not wanting Liz to feel embarrassed for anything. She was honestly shocked that Liz hadn’t peaked sooner, because she knew for a fact that if the situation was reversed, there was no way she would have gone without ‘seeing’.
“Are you oogling me?” Liz asked frowning at the eye that her friend had trained on her muscles.
Maria nodded. “Can’t help it. I may have Michael and Max may be yours, but I have eyes Liz...and that body...those arms and that chest...those pecs...”
Looking away, Liz began buttoning up the shirt to give Max’s body a break she felt her cheeks flame once again. Oh Maria had been on the right track, Max was definitely one fine looking guy. “Maria...please stop looking at me like that,” Liz asked quietly. “It’s one thing for me to look at his body like this, but you...?” Somehow, she didn’t think that Max would enjoy learning that fact. “Besides, he’s not mine,” she added her mood turning somber. “This is Tess’ body now.”
At the mention of Tess and her new found relationship with Max, Maria frowned. “Yeah...ewww.” Casting one last look over the body, Maria tried to brighten the scene. “Seriously babe, how did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Give that up?” She thought back to the night that she walked in on, the one where Max and Liz were looking rather comfortable on Michael’s couch...she hadn’t seen too much, and she’d been so concerned with Liz’s well being at the time that she didn’t have the chance to look as much as she wanted, but she’d always known that Max was ‘in shape’.
Liz frowned at the familiar question. She had been asking herself that since the night she agreed with Future Max’s plan. “Temporary insanity?”
“But you’re still letting him go...so...how temporary can it be?” Maria asked back.
Ten minutes later, the two were out of the house and in Maria’s Jetta. “So...Maria? You won’t tell anyone...that I was checking Max’s body out?”
Pulling onto the road, Maria smirked over at Liz. “That depends...”
Liz scowled. “On?”
“Have you ever oogled any other body parts?” Maria asked.
At the open ended question, Liz grew indignant. “What kind of question is that?” How could Maria possibly ask her something like that? “How...Maria!”
“Oh come on Liz, what’s a little secret between best friends?” Maria goaded.
“I can’t believe you would ask me that...” Liz trailed off. “Oh, wait...yes, I can.”
“Fine...” Maria rolled her eyes. “Don’t answer me, I didn’t want to know anyway,” she muttered. A silence settled over the two occupants of the vehicle for a second before Maria broke it once again. “Have you ever touched it for any other purpose other then going to the bathroom and showering?”
“Oh my god! Maria!” Liz exclaimed. “What is it with you and these questions?”
Maria turned a completely innocent expression onto Liz. “What? They’re perfectly normal questions...I just haven’t asked them before because it was either not the time or Alex was with us...” she excused. “And don’t change the subject.”
“I’m not answering you,” Liz denied stiffly.
At the offensive tone in Max’s voice, Maria’s eyes widened and a wolfish smile engulfed her face. “You did! Liz! You naughty girl! I knew it! You can act as proper as you want, but when it comes down to it, you are as perverted as the rest of us!”
Liz rolled her eyes at Maria’s dramatics. “Okay, first of all...I’m the same as anyone else and I feel...urges just the same as everyone else,” she began, “and secondly, I have touched it, but not for the reason your mind has conjured up.”
Looking over at Liz, Maria gestured for her to continue. “Okay...fine, so what reason do you have?”
“Do you know what a hindrance it is to have an erection? I mean it just pops up on it’s own...and...yeah, so Max told me to tuck it up,” Liz replied in a small voice, growing worried that her words would only spur her friend on further.
Maria scrunched her nose. “Tuck it up...where?”
Did Maria really expect her to answer this? Turning to face her friend, her eyes became pointed as she made her next point. “It’s what guys do when they don’t want anyone else to know that they’re...”
Maria opened her mouth and shut it repeatedly. She wanted to ask further questions, but judging by the interesting shade of pink that Max’s cheeks had turned, she knew her friend was not going to give. “Uh...so, what did it feel like?”
“What?!” Liz exclaimed. “Maria! Come on! Can we find something else to discuss?”
“Seriously,” Maria excused. “I mean I’ve never gone that far, I was just wondering...what does one feel like?”
What was the best answer here? Liz knew she would need to answer it, if she were going to have any sort of peace of mind that night...at least where Maria was concerned. She just didn’t want to say anything that would set Max up for embarrassment...and she really wanted to avoid furthering her discomfort. “It’s...I don’t know Maria...it’s nothing that you’ll ever forget...”
“Wow Liz, you really broke out the big guns with that one,” Maria muttered, rolling her eyes. “Thank you for answering those life altering questions as generically as possible.”
Smirking at Maria, Liz nodded. “I aim to please.”
Walter: "I used this to extract information from a corpse once. You can do that if they've been dead up to six hours."
Peter: "Yeah, cause after six hours they're REALLY dead."
Peter: "Yeah, cause after six hours they're REALLY dead."
Just a little note, to remind you guys, any parts written in italics are flashbacks. And now...on with the story. I'm sorry I made you guys wait so long, I hope you enjoy it!
And a big thanks to Sherrie for getting this back to me so quickly!
Chapter 13
“Hey, you guys finally made it...” Max grumbled from Michael’s couch. For him, the day had been a horrible one and he was looking forward to the new day, wanting to put it behind him. He had been lazy that day, and Liz’s mother ended up cornering him in the kitchen, wanting to talk.
Not only had Nancy wanted to talk to make sure that her only daughter was doing okay, what with changes in her behavior, but she also brought up that dreaded conversation...the one where birds and bees could be mentioned.
“Uh...what’s up...Mom?” Max asked, struggling over the words as he tried to remain as nonchalant as possible. After her brief line of questioning him on his, or rather Liz’s odd behavior, he thought he would be able to escape scott free...but then he looked at the expression on Nancy Parker’s face.
“I just...you said that you weren’t feeling well. And to tell you the truth honey, you don’t look well either.” At the confession, Max frowned. He thought that Liz’s appearance was fine and that he was taking plenty care of it. “You seem somewhat pale, and don’t think I haven’t noticed the change in your diet,” she warned. “You never eat in the morning...and your clothes...you choose outfits that are loose on you...and between all that and those things that I’ve been hearing...”
As the red headed woman continued prattling on, Max felt his disbelief rise. No, no...Nancy was not going to mention...
“Oh my god! You’re pregnant!” Nancy exclaimed.
Of all of their parents, Max always assumed that Liz’s would be the most calm out of everyone. How had he been so wrong? Here Nancy was, reacting as lively as Ms. Deluca usually did. He opened and closed his mouth a few times as he tried to find his words, but none were swimming to the front.
Upon seeing her daughter’s features freeze and pale, Nancy trembled. “You are, aren’t you?” She asked, this time, her voice much calmer.
Max shook his head negatively. “Mom, I’m not pregnant.”
Nancy’s eyes closed in relief. “Are you sure?”
Max raised his eyebrows. Was he sure? Pretty darn. “Yeah Mom, I’m sure. To be pregnant that would mean that one would have to have sex,” he answered, hoping that it didn’t sound too different from something that Liz would say. “An act that I’ve never experienced,” he shared truthfully, thankful that Liz really was a virgin. Because if she had slept with Kyle that night and Nancy Parker had confronted him in the same way, he didn’t know if he would be able to pull off that lie.
“Truthfully Lizzie?” Nancy didn’t want to get her hopes up, she had ears. “Because there’s been talk that you and Kyle Valenti...”
Max winced, while nothing may have happened between the two, the idea of it still irked him more then he cared to admit. “I know what the rumors say, but that’s all they are. Besides, if I was going to lose my virginity to Kyle...wouldn’t I have done so when we were officially dating? I mean, I look at him as nothing more then a friend.”
Nancy nodded. “I know, I’ve thought all this through, but honey...you have no idea how scary this is for me.” The older woman smiled as she began playing with her daughter’s hair. “The years have just passed by so quickly. I can’t believe how grown up you are...you’ve matured into a very beautiful young woman.”
At the compliment, Max muttered a swift ‘thanks’ before looking away. He wasn’t comfortable with his own parents showing such affection, so with Nancy doing so, he felt even more out of place.
“I still remember last year, when you and Max spent the night out...” Nancy confessed. “You know, I always thought that he would be the ‘one’...you know?” Mrs. Parker smiled. “That Max would be the one to introduce you to...” she trailed off, unable to finish voicing that thought. “Who knows, he may still be that person...and don’t worry Liz, I won’t tell you what I said last year,” she promised.
With his thoughts racing, Max nodded his head in a jerky movement. In the beginning of their conversation, he had hoped that if he pretended to be indifferent then Mrs. Parker would swiftly move on from the subject. When she uttered her last few thoughts though, his ears perked up. His mother had been thrilled when he began dating Liz, in fact, both of his parents were. He was sure that no matter how much she disliked it, that thought had probably crossed his mother’s mind as well. Hell, it was even something that had been at the back of his thoughts...at least until he stumbled upon Liz and Kyle.
“I just...want you to be careful...for when the time comes.”
Max paused in mid nod. No! This was not happening! He dreaded this conversation with his father, but to have it with Nancy Parker as well? How was this fair? He’d already been through this conversation!
“Mom...” he whined, hoping it would get her to back off.
Nancy nodded. “I know, it’s making you uncomfortable...but it needs to be said.”
“You have no idea how uncomfortable I am...” he muttered, agreeing with the first part of her previous statement.
Ignoring the lowly toned words, Nancy continued. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while...”
Max frowned. “Oh? Well, that’s highly...disturbing.”
Pressing on, Nancy once again chose to ignore Max’s responses. “And that’s why I’ve made you an appointment to see the doctor...so we can get you on birth control pills.”
Birth control? But...wouldn’t that mean that the doctor would have to examine him...er, Liz? “Mom...”
“And don’t think that it’s my way of saying that I think it’s okay for you to go around having sex with every Tom, Dick and Harry...” Nancy added quickly.
“As if I’d just go out and sleep with anyone...”
“I know, you’ve always had such good judgement,” Mrs. Parker admitted. “I just want you to be prepared...because as much as I love the idea of being a grandmother...I don’t really want to sport that title for a while yet.”
“When’s the appointment?”
“The second.”
“Yeah...” Maria muttered. “Sorry we’re late,” she apologized, but only for his benefit. She stopped short at the sight of him...Liz’s form sitting on Michael’s couch so relaxed.
Seeing the attention that Maria placed on him, Max frowned. “What?”
“Nothing...it’s just a little unnerving to see Liz’s form looking so...comfortable in Michael’s apartment.” Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she smiled. “How long have you been here?”
“Oh...for a few hours now,” he replied vaguely.
Before Maria could say anything further, her cell phone began ringing. “It’s my mom...” she sighed as she backed out of the main room for some privacy.
It was then that Liz finally stepped fully into the room. If she could, she would have brushed her hair behind her ear. “Hi Max,” she greeted quietly, subtly looking around for any sign that Tess might be there. She had no doubt that the short blonde would be there to celebrate with Max.
“Hi Liz,” Max returned, his voice just as soft. He frowned when he noticed her attention turn to the room around them before he followed her gaze.
“So...are you the only one here?” Liz asked hopefully, not yet ready to see the new couple.
Max shifted his position, straightening up. “No, well, not anymore,” he allowed.
In slow, uneasy movements, Liz nodded at him as she carefully hedged over to the opposite end of the couch and claimed a seat. “So...how was your day?” she asked politely. Silently she prayed that any answer he came up with wouldn’t include Tess’ name.
“It was...” Max trailed off, disturbing...odd...interesting... What was the proper word to fill in there? “Your mother and I had an interesting chat,” he divulged, his voice taking on a pointed tone.
Liz made a face upon hearing the news. “Oh? How so?”
“Well, you have a doctor’s appointment the day after tomorrow. Your mother is putting you on birth control,” he shared feeling somewhat calm. The shock of the conversation had pretty much worn off, instead, he was just concentrating on the fact that it would likely embarrass Liz...sure that a little teasing would help to erase the horrific memory.
“Huh...” Liz trailed off, not expecting that. She never figured that her mother would make such an appointment, as of the previous year, she gathered the feeling that her mother would rather stay blissfully ignorant then anything.
Max continued on. “Apparently, she’s heard the rumors about you and Kyle...”
Liz winced. She had figured it was only a matter of time. The Crashdown was one of the most popular teen hang out spots, and since her parents owned said restaurant, she had suspected that the gossip would get back to them at one point or another.
“And she went off on responsibility and protection,” he added.
“Are you saying that my mother gave you the sex talk?” She interrupted, feeling supremely embarrassed that he was placed in such an awkward situation. She felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment and threw her hands up to cover the horror that was clearly expressed on her face.
Max only nodded, his lips in a thin line.
“I am sooo sorry Max,” she apologized, adding an emphasis to her words. “I can’t believe that my mother actually...”
“She was worried that you were pregnant,” Max offered. Now, hours after the conversation had taken place, he was feeling a bit better about it. In fact, looking back, he compared it to the conversation that he had with his father and he was amazed at the differences.
“She what?!” Liz exclaimed. Didn’t her parents know her at all?
Max nodded. “Yeah, apparently I’m not doing a very good job of fooling them.”
With her mind still preoccupied with everything that he’d said, Liz nodded dumbly. “Yeah, I’m starting to get that.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“So, do you guys have your resolutions decided?” Alex asked. Two hours had passed since that time. Isabel and Alex had joined the three at Michael’s apartment.
After Isabel shared her resolution, Maria followed suit, gathering skeptical looks from Alex and Liz.
“What?” She asked indignantly. “I could do it,” she insisted, hating nothing more then when people told her that she couldn’t do anything.
Liz nodded at Maria. Yes, her friend was capable of doing that, but she also failed to realize that the last two years she failed to actually make her resolution happen.
Alex spoke up, verbalizing Liz’s thoughts. “It’s not a question of you being capable,” he assured Maria, so as she wouldn’t be offended. “It’s just...ever since you’ve been making resolutions, you’ve never been able to stick to one.”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Gosh, do the two of you have to remember everything?”
Alex shrugged sheepishly and turned to Max and Liz. “What about the two of you?”
Trading a look with Max, Liz spoke up. “You mean besides switching back to our own bodies?”
“Touche...”
Looking between the friends, Max broke in. “Speaking of which...” he focused his attention on Liz.
Liz nodded.
“Why don’t we go to Michael’s room for some privacy?” Max offered. Without a word to anyone else in the room, the former couple moved to Max’s suggested place. Closing the door behind him, the two slowly walked to the bed. “I uh, I figured that since we were both here that we could try and get that...object to work,” Max stuttered as he took a seat.
Liz smiled at her companion as she too took a seat. She still felt embarrassment creep up on her for the direction that her thoughts turned, but she couldn’t resist the teasing remark swimming around in the forefront of her mind. “The idea of going to the gynecologist in my place is responsible for this attempt isn’t it?”
Twisting his body in her direction, Max smirked. “Uh...yeah. You know, I know that things have to happen, but I’m not anxious to experience something like that. I think I’ll leave that treat for you.”
Liz snorted. “Treat? I think that is the wrong adjective to use to describe the procedure,” she pointed out.
Well, look at it this way,” Max cautioned. “There will be a lot less pressure when you decide to...to take that final step. Just...don’t think it’s okay to sleep with every Tom, Dick and Harry that comes along.”
At his words, Liz covered her face with her hands. “She didn’t...” she knew those words could have only come from one person, and Max would never dream of saying that to her.
No words were spoken by Max, but his teasing grin was enough of an answer.
“Max, again, I am so sorry,” she apologized. “I mean...I don’t know everything that was said and I feel so embarrassed,” she confessed. How had Max been able to stand the conversation? “And this doctor thing...is just hitting a little too close for comfort. I always thought it was important that the group of us got to know each other better...”
“But that’s going too far,” Max finished off.
Liz nodded. “Way far,” she agreed. Looking down at the offending object that caused so much trouble already, she sighed. “So...should we just do what we did last time?”
Max shrugged, thinking back to the way that everything happened. His thoughts turned to the way that they had been tossed across Brody’s office as though they were nothing more then rag dolls. “You know...the last time we did this, we were thrown across the room,” he reminded Liz. Already, he was trying to think up a solution. One particular way stuck out in his mind first and foremost. He had to admit, it was one idea that he didn’t mind either. He was just afraid to mention it to Liz, worried that he would appear overly eager.
Thinking about the unpleasant headache that accompanied the body switching, Liz nodded. Then there was also the fact that she wasn’t too keen on flying through the air once again. “Yeah, maybe we should ground ourselves.” She paused at the thought that entered her mind. Hopefully Max wouldn’t mind her suggestion, and that Tess wouldn’t get mad. Pouting, Liz looked at her ex-boyfriend. Eh, who cares what Tess thought? She certainly didn’t. “Like, hold on to one another...”
Knowing that Liz felt uncomfortable for just mentioning that, Max turned away to smile. They usually had a similar thought process. Did this mean that she was as anxious by the possibility that they would be so close as he was? “I suppose we could do that,” he agreed carefully, not wanting to sound too pleased with the suggestion.
Looking over at her companion, Liz resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Was it just her, or did he seem all too happy with her suggestion? She bit back a sarcastic response. “So...how do you want to do this?”
“Uh...” Changing his position, he laid down, resting his head on the pillows and stretching out his legs. “Come here.”
In jerky, unsure movements, Lis went around the other side of the bed and mimicked his position, still keeping a distance between them.
Looking into his own eyes, Max saw the slightly nervous expression that Liz wore. Taking a chance, he pulled the tiny body in closer, leaving an arm draped over her waist. “Uh, you’re gonna have to hold onto me,” he instructed in a soft voice, knowing that in her body, he didn’t have much strength as he was used to.
Nibbling on her bottom lip, Liz placed a large arm around her slim body. Briefly, she took notice of the way that her small body fit so well against Max’s larger frame. There was a feeling of rightness there, as though they were two pieces of the same puzzle. Did Max ever feel that way when he held her like so?
Smiling at her hesitant touches, Max tried to make her as comfortable as he could. Moving the bottom arm, he placed it close to his own, that held the unknown gadget. “You uh, you might want to hold on tighter...” he suggested, knowing that her grip wasn’t anywhere near good enough for the force they were likely to experience again.
At his prompting, Liz scooted closer and secured an arm around the much smaller body. “Like this?”
Feeling his body so closely pressed to the one he was inhabiting, Max sent a quick thanks to the heavens above. He was sure that if he had control of his body and they were so close together that Liz would be feeling a reaction. “Yeah...” he cleared his throat to clear away the thoughts. “That’ll do,” he offered lamely.
Finally allowing her body to relax, Liz nodded.
“Are you ready for this?” Max asked, cautioning her before their hands met.
“No, but we still need to get this done,” Liz answered truthfully. “What happens if this doesn’t work?”
“Then we’ll just have to continue fiddling with it until it works,” Max replied with a shrug.
Liz nodded slowly. “So we could be here...like this...for a while then?” Her thoughts took off and she belatedly tried to pull herself away from those enticing ideas.
“Afraid so,” Max apologized, not sounding very sorry in the least.
Liz closed her eyes and moved her hand to cup the object with Max, at the same time, her grip around his waist increased and she braced herself for a reaction.
And a big thanks to Sherrie for getting this back to me so quickly!
Chapter 13
“Hey, you guys finally made it...” Max grumbled from Michael’s couch. For him, the day had been a horrible one and he was looking forward to the new day, wanting to put it behind him. He had been lazy that day, and Liz’s mother ended up cornering him in the kitchen, wanting to talk.
Not only had Nancy wanted to talk to make sure that her only daughter was doing okay, what with changes in her behavior, but she also brought up that dreaded conversation...the one where birds and bees could be mentioned.
“Uh...what’s up...Mom?” Max asked, struggling over the words as he tried to remain as nonchalant as possible. After her brief line of questioning him on his, or rather Liz’s odd behavior, he thought he would be able to escape scott free...but then he looked at the expression on Nancy Parker’s face.
“I just...you said that you weren’t feeling well. And to tell you the truth honey, you don’t look well either.” At the confession, Max frowned. He thought that Liz’s appearance was fine and that he was taking plenty care of it. “You seem somewhat pale, and don’t think I haven’t noticed the change in your diet,” she warned. “You never eat in the morning...and your clothes...you choose outfits that are loose on you...and between all that and those things that I’ve been hearing...”
As the red headed woman continued prattling on, Max felt his disbelief rise. No, no...Nancy was not going to mention...
“Oh my god! You’re pregnant!” Nancy exclaimed.
Of all of their parents, Max always assumed that Liz’s would be the most calm out of everyone. How had he been so wrong? Here Nancy was, reacting as lively as Ms. Deluca usually did. He opened and closed his mouth a few times as he tried to find his words, but none were swimming to the front.
Upon seeing her daughter’s features freeze and pale, Nancy trembled. “You are, aren’t you?” She asked, this time, her voice much calmer.
Max shook his head negatively. “Mom, I’m not pregnant.”
Nancy’s eyes closed in relief. “Are you sure?”
Max raised his eyebrows. Was he sure? Pretty darn. “Yeah Mom, I’m sure. To be pregnant that would mean that one would have to have sex,” he answered, hoping that it didn’t sound too different from something that Liz would say. “An act that I’ve never experienced,” he shared truthfully, thankful that Liz really was a virgin. Because if she had slept with Kyle that night and Nancy Parker had confronted him in the same way, he didn’t know if he would be able to pull off that lie.
“Truthfully Lizzie?” Nancy didn’t want to get her hopes up, she had ears. “Because there’s been talk that you and Kyle Valenti...”
Max winced, while nothing may have happened between the two, the idea of it still irked him more then he cared to admit. “I know what the rumors say, but that’s all they are. Besides, if I was going to lose my virginity to Kyle...wouldn’t I have done so when we were officially dating? I mean, I look at him as nothing more then a friend.”
Nancy nodded. “I know, I’ve thought all this through, but honey...you have no idea how scary this is for me.” The older woman smiled as she began playing with her daughter’s hair. “The years have just passed by so quickly. I can’t believe how grown up you are...you’ve matured into a very beautiful young woman.”
At the compliment, Max muttered a swift ‘thanks’ before looking away. He wasn’t comfortable with his own parents showing such affection, so with Nancy doing so, he felt even more out of place.
“I still remember last year, when you and Max spent the night out...” Nancy confessed. “You know, I always thought that he would be the ‘one’...you know?” Mrs. Parker smiled. “That Max would be the one to introduce you to...” she trailed off, unable to finish voicing that thought. “Who knows, he may still be that person...and don’t worry Liz, I won’t tell you what I said last year,” she promised.
With his thoughts racing, Max nodded his head in a jerky movement. In the beginning of their conversation, he had hoped that if he pretended to be indifferent then Mrs. Parker would swiftly move on from the subject. When she uttered her last few thoughts though, his ears perked up. His mother had been thrilled when he began dating Liz, in fact, both of his parents were. He was sure that no matter how much she disliked it, that thought had probably crossed his mother’s mind as well. Hell, it was even something that had been at the back of his thoughts...at least until he stumbled upon Liz and Kyle.
“I just...want you to be careful...for when the time comes.”
Max paused in mid nod. No! This was not happening! He dreaded this conversation with his father, but to have it with Nancy Parker as well? How was this fair? He’d already been through this conversation!
“Mom...” he whined, hoping it would get her to back off.
Nancy nodded. “I know, it’s making you uncomfortable...but it needs to be said.”
“You have no idea how uncomfortable I am...” he muttered, agreeing with the first part of her previous statement.
Ignoring the lowly toned words, Nancy continued. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while...”
Max frowned. “Oh? Well, that’s highly...disturbing.”
Pressing on, Nancy once again chose to ignore Max’s responses. “And that’s why I’ve made you an appointment to see the doctor...so we can get you on birth control pills.”
Birth control? But...wouldn’t that mean that the doctor would have to examine him...er, Liz? “Mom...”
“And don’t think that it’s my way of saying that I think it’s okay for you to go around having sex with every Tom, Dick and Harry...” Nancy added quickly.
“As if I’d just go out and sleep with anyone...”
“I know, you’ve always had such good judgement,” Mrs. Parker admitted. “I just want you to be prepared...because as much as I love the idea of being a grandmother...I don’t really want to sport that title for a while yet.”
“When’s the appointment?”
“The second.”
“Yeah...” Maria muttered. “Sorry we’re late,” she apologized, but only for his benefit. She stopped short at the sight of him...Liz’s form sitting on Michael’s couch so relaxed.
Seeing the attention that Maria placed on him, Max frowned. “What?”
“Nothing...it’s just a little unnerving to see Liz’s form looking so...comfortable in Michael’s apartment.” Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she smiled. “How long have you been here?”
“Oh...for a few hours now,” he replied vaguely.
Before Maria could say anything further, her cell phone began ringing. “It’s my mom...” she sighed as she backed out of the main room for some privacy.
It was then that Liz finally stepped fully into the room. If she could, she would have brushed her hair behind her ear. “Hi Max,” she greeted quietly, subtly looking around for any sign that Tess might be there. She had no doubt that the short blonde would be there to celebrate with Max.
“Hi Liz,” Max returned, his voice just as soft. He frowned when he noticed her attention turn to the room around them before he followed her gaze.
“So...are you the only one here?” Liz asked hopefully, not yet ready to see the new couple.
Max shifted his position, straightening up. “No, well, not anymore,” he allowed.
In slow, uneasy movements, Liz nodded at him as she carefully hedged over to the opposite end of the couch and claimed a seat. “So...how was your day?” she asked politely. Silently she prayed that any answer he came up with wouldn’t include Tess’ name.
“It was...” Max trailed off, disturbing...odd...interesting... What was the proper word to fill in there? “Your mother and I had an interesting chat,” he divulged, his voice taking on a pointed tone.
Liz made a face upon hearing the news. “Oh? How so?”
“Well, you have a doctor’s appointment the day after tomorrow. Your mother is putting you on birth control,” he shared feeling somewhat calm. The shock of the conversation had pretty much worn off, instead, he was just concentrating on the fact that it would likely embarrass Liz...sure that a little teasing would help to erase the horrific memory.
“Huh...” Liz trailed off, not expecting that. She never figured that her mother would make such an appointment, as of the previous year, she gathered the feeling that her mother would rather stay blissfully ignorant then anything.
Max continued on. “Apparently, she’s heard the rumors about you and Kyle...”
Liz winced. She had figured it was only a matter of time. The Crashdown was one of the most popular teen hang out spots, and since her parents owned said restaurant, she had suspected that the gossip would get back to them at one point or another.
“And she went off on responsibility and protection,” he added.
“Are you saying that my mother gave you the sex talk?” She interrupted, feeling supremely embarrassed that he was placed in such an awkward situation. She felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment and threw her hands up to cover the horror that was clearly expressed on her face.
Max only nodded, his lips in a thin line.
“I am sooo sorry Max,” she apologized, adding an emphasis to her words. “I can’t believe that my mother actually...”
“She was worried that you were pregnant,” Max offered. Now, hours after the conversation had taken place, he was feeling a bit better about it. In fact, looking back, he compared it to the conversation that he had with his father and he was amazed at the differences.
“She what?!” Liz exclaimed. Didn’t her parents know her at all?
Max nodded. “Yeah, apparently I’m not doing a very good job of fooling them.”
With her mind still preoccupied with everything that he’d said, Liz nodded dumbly. “Yeah, I’m starting to get that.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“So, do you guys have your resolutions decided?” Alex asked. Two hours had passed since that time. Isabel and Alex had joined the three at Michael’s apartment.
After Isabel shared her resolution, Maria followed suit, gathering skeptical looks from Alex and Liz.
“What?” She asked indignantly. “I could do it,” she insisted, hating nothing more then when people told her that she couldn’t do anything.
Liz nodded at Maria. Yes, her friend was capable of doing that, but she also failed to realize that the last two years she failed to actually make her resolution happen.
Alex spoke up, verbalizing Liz’s thoughts. “It’s not a question of you being capable,” he assured Maria, so as she wouldn’t be offended. “It’s just...ever since you’ve been making resolutions, you’ve never been able to stick to one.”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Gosh, do the two of you have to remember everything?”
Alex shrugged sheepishly and turned to Max and Liz. “What about the two of you?”
Trading a look with Max, Liz spoke up. “You mean besides switching back to our own bodies?”
“Touche...”
Looking between the friends, Max broke in. “Speaking of which...” he focused his attention on Liz.
Liz nodded.
“Why don’t we go to Michael’s room for some privacy?” Max offered. Without a word to anyone else in the room, the former couple moved to Max’s suggested place. Closing the door behind him, the two slowly walked to the bed. “I uh, I figured that since we were both here that we could try and get that...object to work,” Max stuttered as he took a seat.
Liz smiled at her companion as she too took a seat. She still felt embarrassment creep up on her for the direction that her thoughts turned, but she couldn’t resist the teasing remark swimming around in the forefront of her mind. “The idea of going to the gynecologist in my place is responsible for this attempt isn’t it?”
Twisting his body in her direction, Max smirked. “Uh...yeah. You know, I know that things have to happen, but I’m not anxious to experience something like that. I think I’ll leave that treat for you.”
Liz snorted. “Treat? I think that is the wrong adjective to use to describe the procedure,” she pointed out.
Well, look at it this way,” Max cautioned. “There will be a lot less pressure when you decide to...to take that final step. Just...don’t think it’s okay to sleep with every Tom, Dick and Harry that comes along.”
At his words, Liz covered her face with her hands. “She didn’t...” she knew those words could have only come from one person, and Max would never dream of saying that to her.
No words were spoken by Max, but his teasing grin was enough of an answer.
“Max, again, I am so sorry,” she apologized. “I mean...I don’t know everything that was said and I feel so embarrassed,” she confessed. How had Max been able to stand the conversation? “And this doctor thing...is just hitting a little too close for comfort. I always thought it was important that the group of us got to know each other better...”
“But that’s going too far,” Max finished off.
Liz nodded. “Way far,” she agreed. Looking down at the offending object that caused so much trouble already, she sighed. “So...should we just do what we did last time?”
Max shrugged, thinking back to the way that everything happened. His thoughts turned to the way that they had been tossed across Brody’s office as though they were nothing more then rag dolls. “You know...the last time we did this, we were thrown across the room,” he reminded Liz. Already, he was trying to think up a solution. One particular way stuck out in his mind first and foremost. He had to admit, it was one idea that he didn’t mind either. He was just afraid to mention it to Liz, worried that he would appear overly eager.
Thinking about the unpleasant headache that accompanied the body switching, Liz nodded. Then there was also the fact that she wasn’t too keen on flying through the air once again. “Yeah, maybe we should ground ourselves.” She paused at the thought that entered her mind. Hopefully Max wouldn’t mind her suggestion, and that Tess wouldn’t get mad. Pouting, Liz looked at her ex-boyfriend. Eh, who cares what Tess thought? She certainly didn’t. “Like, hold on to one another...”
Knowing that Liz felt uncomfortable for just mentioning that, Max turned away to smile. They usually had a similar thought process. Did this mean that she was as anxious by the possibility that they would be so close as he was? “I suppose we could do that,” he agreed carefully, not wanting to sound too pleased with the suggestion.
Looking over at her companion, Liz resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Was it just her, or did he seem all too happy with her suggestion? She bit back a sarcastic response. “So...how do you want to do this?”
“Uh...” Changing his position, he laid down, resting his head on the pillows and stretching out his legs. “Come here.”
In jerky, unsure movements, Lis went around the other side of the bed and mimicked his position, still keeping a distance between them.
Looking into his own eyes, Max saw the slightly nervous expression that Liz wore. Taking a chance, he pulled the tiny body in closer, leaving an arm draped over her waist. “Uh, you’re gonna have to hold onto me,” he instructed in a soft voice, knowing that in her body, he didn’t have much strength as he was used to.
Nibbling on her bottom lip, Liz placed a large arm around her slim body. Briefly, she took notice of the way that her small body fit so well against Max’s larger frame. There was a feeling of rightness there, as though they were two pieces of the same puzzle. Did Max ever feel that way when he held her like so?
Smiling at her hesitant touches, Max tried to make her as comfortable as he could. Moving the bottom arm, he placed it close to his own, that held the unknown gadget. “You uh, you might want to hold on tighter...” he suggested, knowing that her grip wasn’t anywhere near good enough for the force they were likely to experience again.
At his prompting, Liz scooted closer and secured an arm around the much smaller body. “Like this?”
Feeling his body so closely pressed to the one he was inhabiting, Max sent a quick thanks to the heavens above. He was sure that if he had control of his body and they were so close together that Liz would be feeling a reaction. “Yeah...” he cleared his throat to clear away the thoughts. “That’ll do,” he offered lamely.
Finally allowing her body to relax, Liz nodded.
“Are you ready for this?” Max asked, cautioning her before their hands met.
“No, but we still need to get this done,” Liz answered truthfully. “What happens if this doesn’t work?”
“Then we’ll just have to continue fiddling with it until it works,” Max replied with a shrug.
Liz nodded slowly. “So we could be here...like this...for a while then?” Her thoughts took off and she belatedly tried to pull herself away from those enticing ideas.
“Afraid so,” Max apologized, not sounding very sorry in the least.
Liz closed her eyes and moved her hand to cup the object with Max, at the same time, her grip around his waist increased and she braced herself for a reaction.
Walter: "I used this to extract information from a corpse once. You can do that if they've been dead up to six hours."
Peter: "Yeah, cause after six hours they're REALLY dead."
Peter: "Yeah, cause after six hours they're REALLY dead."
Thank you for all the feedback! Hopefully I haven't made you wait too long!
Chapter 14
“Liz...”
Groaning, Liz slowly moved her head from one side to the other. A moan of protest sounded from her lips upon the fresh wave of pain that rolled over her. “My head...”
“I know,” Max nodded. He’d felt the same way upon waking up. “Open your eyes and I can help you with that,” he added in a gentle, coaxing tone.
As Max’s velvety voice filtered through her sleepy haze, she felt hope rise in her chest. This wasn’t a dream was it? Because if it was, it was a cruel one. She opened first one eye and then the other, ignoring her urge to groan as the light bit at her pain. Upon seeing his handsome face without looking in a mirror, she smiled sleepily. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes...”
Max nodded down at her. He’d felt the same way the minute he laid his eyes on her. Moving closer, he brought a hand up to her forehead. “You know the drill,” he reminded her, thinking back to the process that lead to healing. Brown eyes locked with amber ones and a connection was formed as the healing began. Max subconsciously sucked in air upon the flash that he received. As soon as he was able to, he pulled away from her, severing the connection. “Better?” He asked in a husky tone, his thoughts still on the flash.
A small frown pulled at her mouth and Liz nodded. Had he seen something? “Much. Thank you.”
Pushing the flash in the back of his mind for another time, Max moved to help her sit down.
As he pulled away from her, Liz offered a small grin. “How do you feel?” When she felt as though she had her bearings, she made a move to stand. As a wave of dizziness crashed over her, she teetered on her feet.
Seeing her movements, Max was there to steady her as she crashed into his body. Gazing into her eyes, he had the most intense desire to move his head down and capture her lips.
Pulling her eyes from Max’s chest, Liz looked up to his face, an apology formed on her lips. She felt butterflies in her stomach upon seeing the way that his eyes darkened and the mood between them shifted to something else entirely.
Unbeknownst to him, Liz was being put under the same spell he was feeling. A loud laugh filtered through the door and it was enough to pull Max from the moment. With soft, but firm movements, he pulled out of Liz’s vicinity and cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry,” Liz apologized softly. “Apparently I’m not very good on my feet...” she added, poking fun at herself.
“That’s okay.” And just like that, what tension that flowed between them only seconds earlier, dissipated.
“So...you never answered me before,” Liz observed, not wanting to slip into another uncomfortable silence. “How do you feel?”
Taking a breath, Max smirked. “Tall.”
At his pointed words, Liz narrowed her eyes at him as she playfully swatted at his chest. “Funny.”
Max’s only response was to shrug. While his comment was meant to be teasing, he did feel that way. It had been an adjustment to go from being almost six foot tall to Liz’s height. “What about you? You glad to be back?”
Liz nodded as she grabbed her breast, just to double check that she was in the right body. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so grateful to have these back,” she answered with a smile. “Even if they are smaller then I’d like,” the last part was said in a low tone, but Max heard it all the same.
Turning away from Liz, Max made his way to the bedroom door. “Oh, I don’t know, Liz...” he began. “I didn’t think there was anything wrong with them. They looked and felt right to me.” With those last words, Max departed from the room.
As the implications of his point hit her, Liz’s eyes widened. Her mouth opened, ready to call him out, but when nothing came forth, she closed it. Had that meant that he possibly did more then peek at her body? She had tried to respect his privacy and not look too much, but the situation had gotten the best of her. She certainly wouldn’t have blamed him if he had looked. Just the thought caused conflicting emotions to flare up in her. She didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or hopeful. He certainly hadn’t sounded like he had objections to her assets. It was the one thing that Max had always been able to do to her. She knew that she didn’t have as much to offer as the other girls her age did, but Max never seemed to notice. He always treated her as though he treasured her. Looking at his back, his last words finally caught her attention. Since the door was open and he was nearing the others, she resisted the urge to question him. They felt right to him? So how many people had he felt up for a comparison? Deciding not to wallow on the question, Liz followed him.
Emerging from the room, Max looked to the others. He’d purposely left Liz to her thoughts, certain that she was shocked by his compliment.
“So...did you guys make out okay?” Kyle asked, being the first one to notice his presence.
At Kyle’s choice wording, Max’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I think what Kyle’s trying to say is that the two of you looked awfully cozy,” Alex spoke up. He had to admit that Kyle had a point. Once things in Michael’s room had gone silent, the rest of the group had taken turns checking on them. He personally had been a little confused at the intimacy that appeared between them. It was a far cry from the fact that just weeks earlier, scarcely two words had been exchanged between the two.
“Cozy?” Max asked dumbly. Damn the rest of them for being so nosy! “Just because we were holding onto one another?” Max finished his question with a shake of his head. “We thought it would be wise since last time we came into contact with it, we were thrown across the room,” he excused, pulling off an air of indifference.
Unannounced to the others, Liz joined them in the main room. A frown pulled at her mouth at the direction of the conversation. She had hoped...but then, why would that have affected Max? He had already moved on, of course he wouldn’t be moved by his ex-girlfriend.
At Max’s insistence, the group nodded their heads, even though none believed the words.
Maria was the first one to voice their doubts. “Right girlfriend, that’s why we couldn’t tell you from him...” she threw in, still not knowing that the switch had taken place.
Max frowned. “Will you guys just get over it?” The last thing he wanted was for Liz to overhear things and second guess her decision. He didn’t want her to pull back anymore then she already had.
Liz felt her heart twist painfully at Max’s reaction. Despondently, she realized that it had just been her who felt something. She’d allowed herself to forget about Tess and the new significance that she held in Max’s life. Of course their last moments shared in each other’s bodies didn’t mean anything to him. At least not anywhere compared to what he would share with his new girlfriend.
“Besides, it worked,” Max added, sharing the news.
At his revelation, Isabel jumped over to him. “You mean you and Liz are back to normal?!”
“Yup.” He laughed at the ecstatic way that Isabel threw herself into his arms.
“Thank god!” She’d missed Max. Haphazardly, she noticed Liz standing in the background. “No offense Liz, it’s just...”
Liz nodded in understanding. “I’m a poor excuse for the real thing.”
Isabel smiled gently at her, glad that Liz knew where she was coming from. Her brother may be a reincarnated king, but sometimes when she looked at him, she still saw that scared little boy their first day of school.
Maria locked arms with Liz as she pulled her away from the rest of the group. “So chica, how do you feel?”
Liz shrugged, truthfully, she couldn’t pinpoint just one emotion. “Max took care of my headache,” she shared first with a contented sigh as she looked to the alien. Belatedly she realized that upon her separation from the group, that Alex and Kyle followed her. “It feels good to be home. I just look forward to being able to pee sitting down,” she confessed.
Maria wore an audacious expression as she looked to her best friend for clarification. “That’s what you’re most glad about?” She asked. Of everything Liz could have said...and she chose that?
“Well, that and the fact that I no longer have to deal with erections,” the small brunette added, acting as though it was a completely common comment for a girl to say.
“And that bedroom thing?” Kyle broke in when she finished talking. In the past few days, his ‘odd things to say’ meter had heard some doozies, so her previous statement wasn’t nearly as odd as it would have been before the switch had taken place.
Before Liz could answer, Maria jumped in. “And don’t tell me that you didn’t enjoy that,” she warned.
Had she enjoyed being so close to Max? Most definitely. Did Maria and the others really need to know that? Liz looked to her soulmate. His vehement denials quickly flashed through her thoughts. Smiling tightly, Liz shook her head. “It’s just as Max said,” she answered in a hard voice.
Maria and Alex exchanged concerned glances. Neither missed the tone that Liz used, but they both knew that it was neither the time nor the place to question her further on the subject.
Pointedly ignoring her childhood best friends, Liz’s gaze moved to the clock. It was almost eleven thirty. Wow, she’d been out three and a half hours? Once Max had worked his magic, she’d felt so refreshed, something that had been lacking since the body switch. “What time did you get here?” She asked Kyle.
“Probably about an hour ago. I met up with the guys earlier, but...” he trailed off with a disgusted sigh. “You remember what those parties were like,” he offered, not wanting to go further into it.
Liz nodded, yes, she did. Kyle had taken her to plenty over the brief time that they dated. “And what about Tess?” She’d noticed the alien’s absence since she first emerged from Michael’s room. She’d honestly expected her to be at Max’s side with bells on once he joined the others.
Kyle shrugged. “She wasn’t sure if she was going to stop by,” he replied. While it was completely out of character, he understood her decision. He knew what it was like to put himself out there only to be rejected. While Tess tried to act like nothing phased her, he knew that Max’s rejection really hurt her.
Maria arched an eyebrow. “You mean she had something better to do?” She asked, confused as to the alien’s absence as well. She couldn’t possibly be with anyone else. Outside of the group, she had no friends, she could barely stand the human race.
“What’s with the questions?” Kyle asked, frowning at the blonde’s tone. He knew that the two were never friends, but Maria was always so hard on her.
Looking from one person to the other, Liz shook her head as she looked imploringly at Alex. “Well, as much fun as this conversation is...”
Nodding at Liz, Alex smiled. “You must be thirsty, let’s get you something to drink.” After Alex poured her a drink, he watched in amusement as she downed it in just two gulps. “There’s nothing like a little body switching to really bring on the thirst...” he joked.
Liz smiled at his lame attempt at humor.
“You now,” Alex began after a quick glance around. “You aren’t as happy as I thought you’d be,” he pointed out, glad that no one was around to overhear his thought.
“Oh? And what do you expect me to do?” Liz asked, honestly confused by his thoughts. “Some cartwheels and back flips?”
Alex grinned at her question. “Well, maybe not so much the physical,” he excused. “But I thought there’d be more...eagerness.”
As Liz opened her mouth to respond, a knock at the front sounded. Working out the math, she realized that Tess was the one knocking. As Michael made his way to answer it, Liz began to wish differently, but all thoughts stopped as the blonde stepped in and made her way over to Max. “Figures...” she muttered in a tight voice.
Alex looked between the scene and Liz and offered her a small, understanding smile as he gently touched her hand to grab her attention back. “So...no eagerness?” He asked, hoping to distract her.
A thick blanket of sadness settled over her as she watched the easy conversation flow between Max and Tess. “I don’t know,” Liz hedged. “I feel like...I don’t know,” she paused as she tried to find the right words to convey her feelings. “It almost feels like I lost something,” she finished, bringing her gaze to Alex. Upon hearing her words verbally expressed, Liz smiled and rolled her eyes. “Which really makes no sense. If anything, I gained something...my life back. And, I didn’t lose anything...except an appendage between my legs.
Alex nodded. “Naturally,” he agreed, noticing the way that Liz was trying to make sense of her feelings. He knew that she wasn’t looking for any advice, so he didn’t offer any. Instead, he resolved to wait patiently until she was finished.
“And what are you two talking about?” Isabel asked as she made her way over to the counter.
Alex smiled easily. “How glad Liz is to be a girl again.”
At the response, Isabel nodded with a small giggle. “I bet.” She was sure she’d feel the same way.
“What’s that?” Liz asked, looking at the bottle Isabel held in her hand.
“Sparkling cider. I picked some up before coming over...figured we could toast to the new year,” she explained.
By the end of her explanation, she’d popped the cork, garnering attention from everyone.
Michael rolled his eyes. “What the hell is that?” He wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but he knew that Isabel was going to make sure they all participated.
“Cider to toast,” she replied in the same hostile tone he’d used.
As she explained what he was sure was a girlie tradition, Michael rolled his eyes.
“Ooh,” Maria clapped her hands together happily. “Sounds good.” She watched as the former princess poured glasses for everyone. During that short time, Max and Tess made their way to her without any prompting. With a swift roll of her eyes, she looked to Kyle and Michael who didn’t move an inch. “Come on you two,” she ushered. “There’s only one more minute...” and she didn’t want to miss the toast.
When the eight stood together, they all exchanged glances. “What do we drink to?” Tess asked when no one said anything for a toast.
“The promise of a good year?” Alex asked. He’d been around Liz and Maria long enough to no longer feel embarrassed for being the first guy to so eagerly go along with something so...feminine.
Isabel smiled in thanks for his participation. “How about the fact that we survived this last one?” She asked, thinking back to skins and dupes they’d faced.
Eying Tess next to him, Max spoke up. “New relationships?” He asked, thinking of their new friendship. He forced himself not to look at Liz, but he hoped that she realized that he’d also been thinking about her upon making the suggestion.
Michael rolled his eyes once again. “It’s good to know that you haven’t lost your feminine side...”
Max shot the other guy a dirty look at the same time that Maria moved her arm to smack him across the arm. “Michael!”
“Seriously,” Kyle broke in. “Is it just me or this all too 90210-ish?”
“See,” Michael grumbled pointedly. “I’m not the only one that feels this way.”
Maria smiled innocently at first Kyle and then Michael. “Yeah...and you aren’t the only one I can slap,” she threatened.
Michael shrugged. “The man had a point.”
It was Maria’s turn to roll her eyes. “Just once Michael...could you just go with the flow this once?” Why did he have to find fault with everything?
Looking away from the sparring couple, Liz’s gaze traveled to the tv behind Alex. She noticed that their local news was showing fireworks and people celebrating. “Uh, happy New Year’s guys,” she broke in.
The other seven turned to the tv to double check the time before turning back to one another. Maria was the first to react by throwing her arms around Michael’s neck.
“Happy New Year!”
Unable to keep his gruff facade up around Maria’s over bubbly attitude, Michael relaxed. With a tiny smile, he hugged her back. “You too Blondie.”
Resting her chin against his shoulder, she smiled back as well. “Hopefully there’ll be less intergalactic sluts this year.”
Michael nodded against the top of her head. “Hopefully.” He had no problem with that wish.
Following Maria’s example, Isabel stepped around Liz and over to Alex, wishing him a happy new year as she embraced him. Their relationship had become so strained after the past few months, it wasn’t until recently that she realized just how much she missed him. She hoped that the new year would bring them back together.
For a moment, he stood stiff in her arms. He wasn’t sure what was going through Isabel’s mind, and he was honestly surprised that she had been the one to make the first move. “Uh, yeah...you too,” he replied feeling somewhat awkward. He just hoped that she didn’t think that he was going back to being what Maria affectionately called him ‘bitch boy’. He’d had enough of that over the past few months, but he knew this was not the time nor the place to have that conversation. Instead, he allowed himself to revel in the feeling of having her in his arms.
As the others broke into couples, Tess and Max turned to one another. “Did you mean what you said?” Tess asked, thinking back to his toast.
Max nodded. “I did. I just hope that will be enough for you,” he answered in a firm, but gentle voice. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he wanted to make sure she knew what he meant.
Tess’ smile became strained. She didn’t expect any different from Max. In fact, she knew that she was lucky that he was even speaking to her after the past few days...but it didn’t make it hurt any less. It was hard to let go of a dream, specially one that she had been holding onto for so long. Looking at him though, she knew that she would, she wanted to find someone to love her the way that she had grown up loving the idea of Max Evans. As she opened her mouth to reply, she was pulled into a pair of strong arms.
“Happy New Year Tess.”
Closing her eyes, she melted against the familiar frame. “Happy New Year Kyle.”
Turning away from them, Max looked to Liz. Around her, the others broke off into couples and embraced one another. A grin tugged at the corner of his lips upon seeing the uncomfortable look on her face. He liked to think it bore resemblance to one he was sure she wore after his last comments in the bedroom.
Hesitantly, Max made his way over to her. “Hey.”
Looking up to Max, she smiled in gratitude. She couldn’t even begin to explain how much of a loser she felt like as the others around her embraced. “Uh, hey,” she greeted, wondering why he was with her instead of Tess. “So...this was a good start to the new year...”
Max nodded. “Yeah. You happy?”
Shrugging, she smiled softly. “It’s a beginning,” she acknowledged.
With his hands in his pockets, Max nodded once again. “Yeah, I suppose it is,” he agreed as he stared into her eyes. He noticed a lock of hair in her face and without a second thought, he moved to push it behind her ear.
At the unanticipated action, both froze.
Clearing his throat, Max broke the moment. “You uh...had a...”
At his familiar words Liz nodded. “A hair thing,” she finished, a wave of memories flooding her thoughts. Choosing not to focus on them, she smiled. “Happy New Year Max.”
“Happy New Year.”
Chapter 14
“Liz...”
Groaning, Liz slowly moved her head from one side to the other. A moan of protest sounded from her lips upon the fresh wave of pain that rolled over her. “My head...”
“I know,” Max nodded. He’d felt the same way upon waking up. “Open your eyes and I can help you with that,” he added in a gentle, coaxing tone.
As Max’s velvety voice filtered through her sleepy haze, she felt hope rise in her chest. This wasn’t a dream was it? Because if it was, it was a cruel one. She opened first one eye and then the other, ignoring her urge to groan as the light bit at her pain. Upon seeing his handsome face without looking in a mirror, she smiled sleepily. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes...”
Max nodded down at her. He’d felt the same way the minute he laid his eyes on her. Moving closer, he brought a hand up to her forehead. “You know the drill,” he reminded her, thinking back to the process that lead to healing. Brown eyes locked with amber ones and a connection was formed as the healing began. Max subconsciously sucked in air upon the flash that he received. As soon as he was able to, he pulled away from her, severing the connection. “Better?” He asked in a husky tone, his thoughts still on the flash.
A small frown pulled at her mouth and Liz nodded. Had he seen something? “Much. Thank you.”
Pushing the flash in the back of his mind for another time, Max moved to help her sit down.
As he pulled away from her, Liz offered a small grin. “How do you feel?” When she felt as though she had her bearings, she made a move to stand. As a wave of dizziness crashed over her, she teetered on her feet.
Seeing her movements, Max was there to steady her as she crashed into his body. Gazing into her eyes, he had the most intense desire to move his head down and capture her lips.
Pulling her eyes from Max’s chest, Liz looked up to his face, an apology formed on her lips. She felt butterflies in her stomach upon seeing the way that his eyes darkened and the mood between them shifted to something else entirely.
Unbeknownst to him, Liz was being put under the same spell he was feeling. A loud laugh filtered through the door and it was enough to pull Max from the moment. With soft, but firm movements, he pulled out of Liz’s vicinity and cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry,” Liz apologized softly. “Apparently I’m not very good on my feet...” she added, poking fun at herself.
“That’s okay.” And just like that, what tension that flowed between them only seconds earlier, dissipated.
“So...you never answered me before,” Liz observed, not wanting to slip into another uncomfortable silence. “How do you feel?”
Taking a breath, Max smirked. “Tall.”
At his pointed words, Liz narrowed her eyes at him as she playfully swatted at his chest. “Funny.”
Max’s only response was to shrug. While his comment was meant to be teasing, he did feel that way. It had been an adjustment to go from being almost six foot tall to Liz’s height. “What about you? You glad to be back?”
Liz nodded as she grabbed her breast, just to double check that she was in the right body. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so grateful to have these back,” she answered with a smile. “Even if they are smaller then I’d like,” the last part was said in a low tone, but Max heard it all the same.
Turning away from Liz, Max made his way to the bedroom door. “Oh, I don’t know, Liz...” he began. “I didn’t think there was anything wrong with them. They looked and felt right to me.” With those last words, Max departed from the room.
As the implications of his point hit her, Liz’s eyes widened. Her mouth opened, ready to call him out, but when nothing came forth, she closed it. Had that meant that he possibly did more then peek at her body? She had tried to respect his privacy and not look too much, but the situation had gotten the best of her. She certainly wouldn’t have blamed him if he had looked. Just the thought caused conflicting emotions to flare up in her. She didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or hopeful. He certainly hadn’t sounded like he had objections to her assets. It was the one thing that Max had always been able to do to her. She knew that she didn’t have as much to offer as the other girls her age did, but Max never seemed to notice. He always treated her as though he treasured her. Looking at his back, his last words finally caught her attention. Since the door was open and he was nearing the others, she resisted the urge to question him. They felt right to him? So how many people had he felt up for a comparison? Deciding not to wallow on the question, Liz followed him.
Emerging from the room, Max looked to the others. He’d purposely left Liz to her thoughts, certain that she was shocked by his compliment.
“So...did you guys make out okay?” Kyle asked, being the first one to notice his presence.
At Kyle’s choice wording, Max’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I think what Kyle’s trying to say is that the two of you looked awfully cozy,” Alex spoke up. He had to admit that Kyle had a point. Once things in Michael’s room had gone silent, the rest of the group had taken turns checking on them. He personally had been a little confused at the intimacy that appeared between them. It was a far cry from the fact that just weeks earlier, scarcely two words had been exchanged between the two.
“Cozy?” Max asked dumbly. Damn the rest of them for being so nosy! “Just because we were holding onto one another?” Max finished his question with a shake of his head. “We thought it would be wise since last time we came into contact with it, we were thrown across the room,” he excused, pulling off an air of indifference.
Unannounced to the others, Liz joined them in the main room. A frown pulled at her mouth at the direction of the conversation. She had hoped...but then, why would that have affected Max? He had already moved on, of course he wouldn’t be moved by his ex-girlfriend.
At Max’s insistence, the group nodded their heads, even though none believed the words.
Maria was the first one to voice their doubts. “Right girlfriend, that’s why we couldn’t tell you from him...” she threw in, still not knowing that the switch had taken place.
Max frowned. “Will you guys just get over it?” The last thing he wanted was for Liz to overhear things and second guess her decision. He didn’t want her to pull back anymore then she already had.
Liz felt her heart twist painfully at Max’s reaction. Despondently, she realized that it had just been her who felt something. She’d allowed herself to forget about Tess and the new significance that she held in Max’s life. Of course their last moments shared in each other’s bodies didn’t mean anything to him. At least not anywhere compared to what he would share with his new girlfriend.
“Besides, it worked,” Max added, sharing the news.
At his revelation, Isabel jumped over to him. “You mean you and Liz are back to normal?!”
“Yup.” He laughed at the ecstatic way that Isabel threw herself into his arms.
“Thank god!” She’d missed Max. Haphazardly, she noticed Liz standing in the background. “No offense Liz, it’s just...”
Liz nodded in understanding. “I’m a poor excuse for the real thing.”
Isabel smiled gently at her, glad that Liz knew where she was coming from. Her brother may be a reincarnated king, but sometimes when she looked at him, she still saw that scared little boy their first day of school.
Maria locked arms with Liz as she pulled her away from the rest of the group. “So chica, how do you feel?”
Liz shrugged, truthfully, she couldn’t pinpoint just one emotion. “Max took care of my headache,” she shared first with a contented sigh as she looked to the alien. Belatedly she realized that upon her separation from the group, that Alex and Kyle followed her. “It feels good to be home. I just look forward to being able to pee sitting down,” she confessed.
Maria wore an audacious expression as she looked to her best friend for clarification. “That’s what you’re most glad about?” She asked. Of everything Liz could have said...and she chose that?
“Well, that and the fact that I no longer have to deal with erections,” the small brunette added, acting as though it was a completely common comment for a girl to say.
“And that bedroom thing?” Kyle broke in when she finished talking. In the past few days, his ‘odd things to say’ meter had heard some doozies, so her previous statement wasn’t nearly as odd as it would have been before the switch had taken place.
Before Liz could answer, Maria jumped in. “And don’t tell me that you didn’t enjoy that,” she warned.
Had she enjoyed being so close to Max? Most definitely. Did Maria and the others really need to know that? Liz looked to her soulmate. His vehement denials quickly flashed through her thoughts. Smiling tightly, Liz shook her head. “It’s just as Max said,” she answered in a hard voice.
Maria and Alex exchanged concerned glances. Neither missed the tone that Liz used, but they both knew that it was neither the time nor the place to question her further on the subject.
Pointedly ignoring her childhood best friends, Liz’s gaze moved to the clock. It was almost eleven thirty. Wow, she’d been out three and a half hours? Once Max had worked his magic, she’d felt so refreshed, something that had been lacking since the body switch. “What time did you get here?” She asked Kyle.
“Probably about an hour ago. I met up with the guys earlier, but...” he trailed off with a disgusted sigh. “You remember what those parties were like,” he offered, not wanting to go further into it.
Liz nodded, yes, she did. Kyle had taken her to plenty over the brief time that they dated. “And what about Tess?” She’d noticed the alien’s absence since she first emerged from Michael’s room. She’d honestly expected her to be at Max’s side with bells on once he joined the others.
Kyle shrugged. “She wasn’t sure if she was going to stop by,” he replied. While it was completely out of character, he understood her decision. He knew what it was like to put himself out there only to be rejected. While Tess tried to act like nothing phased her, he knew that Max’s rejection really hurt her.
Maria arched an eyebrow. “You mean she had something better to do?” She asked, confused as to the alien’s absence as well. She couldn’t possibly be with anyone else. Outside of the group, she had no friends, she could barely stand the human race.
“What’s with the questions?” Kyle asked, frowning at the blonde’s tone. He knew that the two were never friends, but Maria was always so hard on her.
Looking from one person to the other, Liz shook her head as she looked imploringly at Alex. “Well, as much fun as this conversation is...”
Nodding at Liz, Alex smiled. “You must be thirsty, let’s get you something to drink.” After Alex poured her a drink, he watched in amusement as she downed it in just two gulps. “There’s nothing like a little body switching to really bring on the thirst...” he joked.
Liz smiled at his lame attempt at humor.
“You now,” Alex began after a quick glance around. “You aren’t as happy as I thought you’d be,” he pointed out, glad that no one was around to overhear his thought.
“Oh? And what do you expect me to do?” Liz asked, honestly confused by his thoughts. “Some cartwheels and back flips?”
Alex grinned at her question. “Well, maybe not so much the physical,” he excused. “But I thought there’d be more...eagerness.”
As Liz opened her mouth to respond, a knock at the front sounded. Working out the math, she realized that Tess was the one knocking. As Michael made his way to answer it, Liz began to wish differently, but all thoughts stopped as the blonde stepped in and made her way over to Max. “Figures...” she muttered in a tight voice.
Alex looked between the scene and Liz and offered her a small, understanding smile as he gently touched her hand to grab her attention back. “So...no eagerness?” He asked, hoping to distract her.
A thick blanket of sadness settled over her as she watched the easy conversation flow between Max and Tess. “I don’t know,” Liz hedged. “I feel like...I don’t know,” she paused as she tried to find the right words to convey her feelings. “It almost feels like I lost something,” she finished, bringing her gaze to Alex. Upon hearing her words verbally expressed, Liz smiled and rolled her eyes. “Which really makes no sense. If anything, I gained something...my life back. And, I didn’t lose anything...except an appendage between my legs.
Alex nodded. “Naturally,” he agreed, noticing the way that Liz was trying to make sense of her feelings. He knew that she wasn’t looking for any advice, so he didn’t offer any. Instead, he resolved to wait patiently until she was finished.
“And what are you two talking about?” Isabel asked as she made her way over to the counter.
Alex smiled easily. “How glad Liz is to be a girl again.”
At the response, Isabel nodded with a small giggle. “I bet.” She was sure she’d feel the same way.
“What’s that?” Liz asked, looking at the bottle Isabel held in her hand.
“Sparkling cider. I picked some up before coming over...figured we could toast to the new year,” she explained.
By the end of her explanation, she’d popped the cork, garnering attention from everyone.
Michael rolled his eyes. “What the hell is that?” He wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but he knew that Isabel was going to make sure they all participated.
“Cider to toast,” she replied in the same hostile tone he’d used.
As she explained what he was sure was a girlie tradition, Michael rolled his eyes.
“Ooh,” Maria clapped her hands together happily. “Sounds good.” She watched as the former princess poured glasses for everyone. During that short time, Max and Tess made their way to her without any prompting. With a swift roll of her eyes, she looked to Kyle and Michael who didn’t move an inch. “Come on you two,” she ushered. “There’s only one more minute...” and she didn’t want to miss the toast.
When the eight stood together, they all exchanged glances. “What do we drink to?” Tess asked when no one said anything for a toast.
“The promise of a good year?” Alex asked. He’d been around Liz and Maria long enough to no longer feel embarrassed for being the first guy to so eagerly go along with something so...feminine.
Isabel smiled in thanks for his participation. “How about the fact that we survived this last one?” She asked, thinking back to skins and dupes they’d faced.
Eying Tess next to him, Max spoke up. “New relationships?” He asked, thinking of their new friendship. He forced himself not to look at Liz, but he hoped that she realized that he’d also been thinking about her upon making the suggestion.
Michael rolled his eyes once again. “It’s good to know that you haven’t lost your feminine side...”
Max shot the other guy a dirty look at the same time that Maria moved her arm to smack him across the arm. “Michael!”
“Seriously,” Kyle broke in. “Is it just me or this all too 90210-ish?”
“See,” Michael grumbled pointedly. “I’m not the only one that feels this way.”
Maria smiled innocently at first Kyle and then Michael. “Yeah...and you aren’t the only one I can slap,” she threatened.
Michael shrugged. “The man had a point.”
It was Maria’s turn to roll her eyes. “Just once Michael...could you just go with the flow this once?” Why did he have to find fault with everything?
Looking away from the sparring couple, Liz’s gaze traveled to the tv behind Alex. She noticed that their local news was showing fireworks and people celebrating. “Uh, happy New Year’s guys,” she broke in.
The other seven turned to the tv to double check the time before turning back to one another. Maria was the first to react by throwing her arms around Michael’s neck.
“Happy New Year!”
Unable to keep his gruff facade up around Maria’s over bubbly attitude, Michael relaxed. With a tiny smile, he hugged her back. “You too Blondie.”
Resting her chin against his shoulder, she smiled back as well. “Hopefully there’ll be less intergalactic sluts this year.”
Michael nodded against the top of her head. “Hopefully.” He had no problem with that wish.
Following Maria’s example, Isabel stepped around Liz and over to Alex, wishing him a happy new year as she embraced him. Their relationship had become so strained after the past few months, it wasn’t until recently that she realized just how much she missed him. She hoped that the new year would bring them back together.
For a moment, he stood stiff in her arms. He wasn’t sure what was going through Isabel’s mind, and he was honestly surprised that she had been the one to make the first move. “Uh, yeah...you too,” he replied feeling somewhat awkward. He just hoped that she didn’t think that he was going back to being what Maria affectionately called him ‘bitch boy’. He’d had enough of that over the past few months, but he knew this was not the time nor the place to have that conversation. Instead, he allowed himself to revel in the feeling of having her in his arms.
As the others broke into couples, Tess and Max turned to one another. “Did you mean what you said?” Tess asked, thinking back to his toast.
Max nodded. “I did. I just hope that will be enough for you,” he answered in a firm, but gentle voice. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he wanted to make sure she knew what he meant.
Tess’ smile became strained. She didn’t expect any different from Max. In fact, she knew that she was lucky that he was even speaking to her after the past few days...but it didn’t make it hurt any less. It was hard to let go of a dream, specially one that she had been holding onto for so long. Looking at him though, she knew that she would, she wanted to find someone to love her the way that she had grown up loving the idea of Max Evans. As she opened her mouth to reply, she was pulled into a pair of strong arms.
“Happy New Year Tess.”
Closing her eyes, she melted against the familiar frame. “Happy New Year Kyle.”
Turning away from them, Max looked to Liz. Around her, the others broke off into couples and embraced one another. A grin tugged at the corner of his lips upon seeing the uncomfortable look on her face. He liked to think it bore resemblance to one he was sure she wore after his last comments in the bedroom.
Hesitantly, Max made his way over to her. “Hey.”
Looking up to Max, she smiled in gratitude. She couldn’t even begin to explain how much of a loser she felt like as the others around her embraced. “Uh, hey,” she greeted, wondering why he was with her instead of Tess. “So...this was a good start to the new year...”
Max nodded. “Yeah. You happy?”
Shrugging, she smiled softly. “It’s a beginning,” she acknowledged.
With his hands in his pockets, Max nodded once again. “Yeah, I suppose it is,” he agreed as he stared into her eyes. He noticed a lock of hair in her face and without a second thought, he moved to push it behind her ear.
At the unanticipated action, both froze.
Clearing his throat, Max broke the moment. “You uh...had a...”
At his familiar words Liz nodded. “A hair thing,” she finished, a wave of memories flooding her thoughts. Choosing not to focus on them, she smiled. “Happy New Year Max.”
“Happy New Year.”
Walter: "I used this to extract information from a corpse once. You can do that if they've been dead up to six hours."
Peter: "Yeah, cause after six hours they're REALLY dead."
Peter: "Yeah, cause after six hours they're REALLY dead."
LOL behrluv32. I'm glad I could get you to pump your fists in the air. 
Chapter 15
“So...that was it?” Tess asked, as the group walked towards their cars. Half an hour after the stroke of midnight, Michael kicked everyone out of his apartment. He’d worked the late shift that night and was asked to work the early shift the following day. “That was what humans go on about?” She was rather confused. It wasn’t nearly as awesome as she had expected it to be. It didn’t even feel like a new year...and what was the point of those...what were they called? Resolutions? She’d never participated in any holiday traditions, save the time she lived with the sheriff, but she’d overheard things. Mostly about how people ended up breaking their resolutions.
Ahead of the others, Maria and Liz walked arm in arm, both rolling their eyes at one another. Maria, out of pure dislike for the blonde alien, Liz, out of spite.
“It all depends on what you do,” Isabel replied. “There are parties galore that night...sometimes they can be fun.”
“Plus, it’ll get a lot better when we’re older,” Alex added. He was sure of it. Once he was off in college and out of his parents’ house...he couldn’t wait to let loose. Or at least that’s what his alter ego believed. He wasn’t ever sure if he could let loose. He’d never been one for partying, and his responsibility had only grown since becoming part of the ‘I know an alien’ club.
By the time Kyle and Tess branched away from the group, Maria and Liz were already in the Jetta, engine started. Liz had spent enough time in the same room as Max and Tess, and Maria made sure not to leave her friend alone with her less then pleasant thoughts.
With the window rolled up and music blaring, the brunette could only watch her ex-boyfriend with his current love interest. Looking at the couple, her mind conjured several vomit inducing conversations between them at that very moment.
With a wistful look on her face, Liz managed to pull her gaze away from the others. “Do you think they’ll be happy together?” It was little thoughts like that, that constantly tormented her.
“Liz...” Maria said, ready to try and cheer up her friend.
Ignoring Maria, Liz continued asking her questions. “What about Michael and Isabel?”
At the mention of the two, Maria’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “What about them?”
“Do you think that they care that Max and Tess are together?” She clarified. “I mean, they were so against me and Max...” she reminded her childhood friend. “Maybe since Tess is one of them, they might be happier?”
Maria snorted. “Please Liz, Kyle’s the only one who really trusts Tess,” wisely, she left Max’s trust in the girl unsaid. “And, it’s not like any one of us cares about the couple.”
Alex approached the passenger side of the car and knocked on Liz’s window. “You two ladies gonna say goodbye...or what? Why are you two huddled in there?”
“We were cold,” Maria excused, all the while her eyes and face told him a different story.
Seeing the way that Maria’s gaze moved to Max, Alex nodded. “Ah, I see.”
“You getting a ride home with us or Max and Isabel?” Maria asked after a slight pause in conversation. She knew that she needed to get Liz out of there as quickly as possible.
Alex straightened and looked at the siblings a few feet behind him. “You’re more then welcome to come with us Alex,” Max welcomed.
Max’s words almost made Alex consider the option, but when his eyes momentarily landed on Isabel, he grew tense. Deciding that the best thing he could do was place a little distance between himself and Isabel, he looked to Maria and smiled. “You, of course.” With their final goodbyes, the trio of childhood best friends pulled away from the apartment complex. “You okay Liz?”
Laying her head against the cool glass of her window, she haphazardly shrugged. “Can we just talk about something else?” She asked, though she knew that even if their conversation would pick up, her mind would still be on Max. “You and Michael seem pretty tight these days, Maria...”
The driver knew her friend’s tactic very well. Liz often pushed away from attention by turning questions around, but she was side tracked at the mention of her boyfriend. “Things are going great,” she shared simply. She was still on cloud nine where her Christmas present was concerned. She honestly had no idea that Michael would buy her something so expensive. Not that she didn’t appreciate any other gift he’d ever given her, but this one enticed her more then anything else.
“It looked like it,” Alex chimed in.
“I’d keep going on, but the last time the three of us were together like this and I shot my mouth off, we broke up like...two days later,” she admitted. She knew that she and Michael would never have the tortured, soulmate thing that Max and Liz had seemingly perfected, and she was okay with that. It was just frustrating, being with someone so difficult. One day they were good, and then the next they were fighting over anything and everything.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“How was your night?’ Liz asked, as she stepped into her apartment. She couldn’t begin to express how happy and relieved she felt to finally be home. At the same time though, she still felt a little nagging feeling that she’d grown used to experiencing while in Max’s body.
Jeff Parker shrugged. “Oh...you know...” he trailed off. “We rung in the new year at ten with the customers and then once everything was cleaned, you mother and I settled on the couch and watched some tv.”
Looking around, Liz tried to spy her mother. “Mom already in bed?”
“Of course,” Jeff laughed. Nancy was usually in bed before him, and she was never one to stay up late. “She was in bed minutes after the clock struck twelve.”
Letting herself fully unwind in her father’s presence, Liz laughed. It felt so good to feel so relaxed around her father once again. She silently wondered if Max felt that constant tension when he was around her father.
“You have fun with Maria and Alex and the others?” He asked, hoping his voice was light. Earlier, she’d only said that she was meeting up with the group. He had been less then thrilled when he learned that Nancy didn’t get the specifics...mainly if a certain Evans would be there.
Liz shrugged. “Oh...it was okay. I mean nothing spectacular happened,” at least nothing he needed to know.
A quiet settled upon father and daughter for a few moments. “So...your mother told me that she’s taking you to the doctor...”
Scrunching her nose, Liz shook her head. That was what he came up with as a source of conversation? “Dad...”
“Liz...” Jeff replied, using the same tone as her.
“We seriously aren’t going to talk about this, are we?” She asked, horrified at the thought.
“I just want to make sure that your mother covered all the bases,” he defended.
Making a face, Liz silently thanked God for not having to go through that particular conversation. “Dad...seriously...” At his pointed stare, Liz rolled her eyes. “I’m being put on birth control,” she reminded him, ignoring the way that he flinched at her words. “I think that all the bases are pretty much covered.”
Jeff shook his head. Didn’t she realize that he wasn’t questioning her for small talk? “Liz, this isn’t a joke.”
“No, you’re right,” she acknowledged. “There certainly isn’t anything funny about this conversation, but I don’t think this is something that you and I need to discuss.” She thought of the horror Max must have felt when talking with Nancy. “As difficult as this was to talk about with Mom, just...multiply that by a hundred and that is how I’m feeling right now.”
Jeff nodded, it wasn’t as though this was exactly a walk in the park for him either. “I know sweetie, but you’re my baby girl. I can’t help but worry.”
Upon hearing his feelings, Liz’s protests died. A part of her melted. Stepping over to him, she kissed his cheek. “I love you Daddy, but trust me when I tell you that you have nothing to worry about.” Judging by the way Max and Tess were by each other’s side for most of the night...no, there certainly wouldn’t be any sex going on. At least, not between herself and Max, or anyone else for that matter.
“I love you too Lizzie,” he responded, hugging her back. “But trust me sweetie, I will always worry about you,” he shared. “Even years from now,” he stressed, “when you’re married and you have your own family.”
Catching his point, Liz rolled her eyes at him. “Good night Dad.” After he returned the sentiment, Liz made her way to her room. Immediately, she pulled out her pajamas, wanting nothing more then to feel as peaceful as possible. As nice as it was to be back in her own body, after days of feeling so tense and out of place, she wanted to soak up as much comfort as she could.
Haphazardly, she removed her clothes and tossed them to the floor. As she lifted her arms to place her top on, she stopped short at the sight of her reflection in the mirror on the wall. Max’s words earlier that night jumped out at her and she frowned. Had he really looked at her? A part of her wanted to feel angry at the knowledge, but the other part knew it was a moot point. She’d done plenty of looking at his body, and it was only natural that he would look at her body. Then again, he was more appealing to the eye then she was, so, of course, she would take advantage of that fact. But why would Max want to look at her? She was so...not up to par where some other girls their age were. The only thing she felt at that moment was mortification. What if he was just being polite? She always worried that she wouldn’t be enough for him, and thinking of such...
He was with Tess now, so why was he checking out her body? Tess was so much more...all around. With her blonde locks and ice blue eyes...her chest was bigger, her outfits were more appealing...the complete opposite from her. Would he compare them once they got together? While she and Max hadn’t gone all the way, they went far enough to have seen some things, or at least felt them. Would he get with Tess and then wake up and realize that she was nothing more than something similar to a training bike?
A dark cloud settled over her features as the thought of Max and Tess entered her mind. Ugh. As if she didn’t obsess about them often enough. Couldn’t she just have a little reprieve? Just this one night? New Year’s Eve was supposed to be a good time. Of course the joy of it had been hindered by the thought of the couple. What was Max thinking anyway? “New relationships...” Liz muttered with a pout on her face. Could he possibly throw their relationship in her face anymore? And like Maria had pointed out, it wasn’t as if anyone in the group, save Kyle, really cared about them as a couple.
That night, sleep alluded her as thoughts of Max and Tess taunted her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“So...you still feeling okay?” Isabel asked quietly, as she and Max made their way to their front door. “Your headache, I mean.”
Nodding, Max rolled his eyes as he moved to unlock the door. “Yes. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t cure.”
Isabel smiled thinly. “And everything else is okay too?”
Okay? Max wasn’t too sure about that. He had a feeling that he’d really screwed things up with Liz. After their toasts to the new year, she had pretty much avoided him until leaving Michael’s. He opened his mouth to mention something to Isabel, but at the last moment, decided against it. His sister was nosy as it was, did he really want to give her ammo to go digging even further? “I’m fine...oddly relaxed. I feel like I could sleep for days,” he fibbed.
“Too bad we can’t put that to the test,” Isabel murmured, feeling quite tired herself. “I am so not ready to go back to school,” she whined. It felt as though the break had flown by.
Max smiled at her point, he had to agree. Though silently, he bet that she was better rested then him. Opening the door, he motioned for her to step through first.
“Hi kids, how was Michael’s?” Dianne Evans asked as Max and Isabel trudged into the living room.
Max shrugged. “The same,” he replied. “You and Dad have fun?”
“After dinner, your father and I went to the Henderson’s party for a bit...but we were home before twelve. We wanted to celebrate the new year by ourselves,” she replied, a big smile lighting her face.
Seeing the look on her mother’s face, Isabel turned to her brother with a grimace before turning back to her mother, a small smile painted on her face. “Well, I’m off to bed,” she excused, kissing her mother’s cheek. “Night Mom.”
“Night sweetie.” Dianne smiled at her daughter as she watched the young woman depart from the room. She couldn’t believe how quickly the years passed. It seemed like it was just yesterday that she and Phillip found the two wandering in the desert.
At the time, she and Phillip had already been trying to get pregnant for three years. When nothing had happened, they’d gone to a fertility specialist for help, but it was a useless attempt. Phillip’s sperm was very weak, and if by a miracle that it would make it’s way to one of her eggs, Dianne had what the doctor had called, ‘a hostile environment’. He’d said that she’d miscarry the child. It was then, that they considered adoption as their only source of hope for a family. While she and Phillip knew that there were so many children out there who needed to be adopted, they, like other hopefuls, wanted an infant. They were driving into town after visiting a private adoption agency when they happened upon two children wandering in the desert, nude.
Seeing Max and Isabel that night though, it changed their thought process. Dianne and Phillip realized that if they wanted children, they may very well have to consider the older children as well. In the few short hours that Max and Isabel spent with them that first night, Dianne felt a bond grow between them. Somehow the two children had captured their hearts.
In the beginning, Dianne was so concerned that the two would suffer from emotional issues due to something that may have happened in those forgotten years. She dealt with it by devoting her life to teaching them. As the years passed, her fears lessened. Isabel and Max adjusted just fine...for the most part. Isabel was growing into a very strong and beautiful young woman. She never had to worry about Isabel. Her daughter was able to adapt to any situation and strived to protect the people closest to her heart. While Dianne knew that she and Isabel would share their love for holidays and shopping, Isabel was a daddy’s girl.
Dianne already considered her children miracles, but Max...he was special. In the beginning, she had been so worried for him. He was always so much more quiet then his sister, and he seemed to feel things so much more intensely. He’d grown into a caring and loving young man, and she found her concern lessening. She didn’t expect any different, he was always so aware of everything around him, his caution had only increased in the last few years.
Thinking back to the past few days, his temporary ‘home’, it was enough to finally make him realize how lucky he was to have his mother. He was feeling a bit confused, and he knew he needed to talk to someone, but the question was who? Isabel was already so protective of him when it came to Liz, Michael was never one for heart to hearts, and the rest of the plausible people were more Liz’s friends, than his. It was under that thought process that he opened his mouth and turned to his mother. It was something he would have never even considered doing a year ago, then again, everything was different now. “Hey Mom...do you have a minute?”
Turning her attention to her son, Dianne tried to keep her shock hidden. Max was never one to need advice on something, he normally showed excellent judge of character. In the few instances where he needed some advice, he’s always gone to Isabel...or maybe even Michael. “Of course, Max. What can I help you with?”
Plopping down on the couch, he focused on his hands. “I think I really messed things up with Liz,” he confessed.
Her interest piqued, Dianne sat down next to him. She had to admit that she was always curious what had happened there. Her son had always been so quiet and kept to himself, she couldn’t believe her relief when he began dating Liz Parker. The two were obviously enamored with one another, and she could honestly say that she couldn’t remember ever seeing him so happy. It was for those reasons that she was completely shocked when the two had broken up. What shocked her even further, was when Tess Harding made her presence in Max’s life more prominent. She liked Isabel’s friend well enough, but she never made him as happy as he was when he had been with Liz. “Oh?”
Max nodded. “Yeah...you see, I thought that she’d gotten back together with her ex-boyfriend for a while,” he began. “I was hurt, you know? I mean I still had feelings for her...”
Dianne wanted to say something to help him, but it was obvious that he was struggling with his feelings, or at least telling her about them. Instead, she settled on placing a hand over his.
Pausing shortly, Max offered his mother a small smile of gratitude. “It hurt when I thought they were back together, but I still loved her. I knew that if I had the chance, I’d take her back,” it was the one thing that he’d come to terms with. “But then...I found out that she lied.”
“Lied? About what?”
“She never got back with her ex. She only wanted me to think that she did,” he replied.
Dianne frowned. “Why?” Liz purposely lied? She hurt Max on purpose? Now, she didn’t know Liz very well, but from what she knew of the teenaged girl, it was very out of character.
At the question, Max smiled uncomfortably as he scratched behind his ear. “She...thinks that I belong with Tess,” he indulged in an awkward manner. “She’s been trying to push us together for a while. I guess when nothing worked, she came up with that lie.”
Dianne nodded, though still very confused as to the excuse. Why on Earth would Liz think something like that? “But...now you know the truth...you two can always work it out...”
“I guess,” he hedged awkwardly.
“But?”
“I just can’t get over the fact that she lied to me. I mean, she used my feelings against me.”
“That’s perfectly understandable, Max.” She smiled reverently. “And you still have feelings for her and it’s killing you...”
Max slowly nodded. “I just don’t know if I can trust her again.”
“Okay...so far, I’m not hearing anything that you are at fault for,” his mother began. “So, how have you messed things up?”
Sighing, the reincarnated king looked to his mother. “Liz wants...” he trailed off. “I don’t know what Liz wants,” he finished, adding a bitter laugh. Once upon a time, he could have sworn that no one knew her better then he did, but now...? It was as though she was a complete stranger. “She’s apologized and...”
“She wants another chance,” Dianne finished.
“I...I guess,” Max replied.
“And?”
“I was just so angry with her for all the pain I went through...all the pain that she caused me,” he explained, hoping that she would acknowledge how he felt when he’d done what he had. “Liz and I were talking one day, and I kind of let her believe that Tess and I are now an item.”
Dianne shook her head. “Max...”
Her son nodded at the disappointment he heard in her voice. “I know. It was wrong of me to do,” he agreed. “I guess I wasn’t thinking at the time.”
“Honey, purposely inflicting pain on someone...”
“She hurt me first!” Max argued, though he knew it was a childish point.
Dianne offered him a sad smile. “Two wrongs don’t make a right,” she reminded him. “I’m not saying that what Liz did to you was right, but you knew how much that hurt...yet you went ahead and inflicted the same kind of pain on her.”
Max nodded, as though he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “I know.” As bad as it was to admit it, it was what he’d been going for at the time.
“I guess...it’s fair to say that it worked?” Dianne asked after a pregnant pause.
“A little too well,” Max admitted, thinking back to the expression on Liz’s face when he’d told her the news, or when she saw him and Tess together. “What do I do?” He asked. “How do I fix this?”
“Well, first of all, I think that you need to apologize to Liz for hurting her,” she answered. “And secondly, you need to sort out your feelings before actually doing anything,” she advised thinking about his conflicting emotions.
Max nodded, he’d already figured as much. “And then?”
“You need to forgive and forget or move on. You can’t stay in this place,” Dianne observed. “And neither should Liz.” She always thought that her son and Liz would have found their way together again. “I just want to see you happy, whether that lies with Liz or with someone else.”
Max nodded, though his mind was already preoccupied.
Chapter 15
“So...that was it?” Tess asked, as the group walked towards their cars. Half an hour after the stroke of midnight, Michael kicked everyone out of his apartment. He’d worked the late shift that night and was asked to work the early shift the following day. “That was what humans go on about?” She was rather confused. It wasn’t nearly as awesome as she had expected it to be. It didn’t even feel like a new year...and what was the point of those...what were they called? Resolutions? She’d never participated in any holiday traditions, save the time she lived with the sheriff, but she’d overheard things. Mostly about how people ended up breaking their resolutions.
Ahead of the others, Maria and Liz walked arm in arm, both rolling their eyes at one another. Maria, out of pure dislike for the blonde alien, Liz, out of spite.
“It all depends on what you do,” Isabel replied. “There are parties galore that night...sometimes they can be fun.”
“Plus, it’ll get a lot better when we’re older,” Alex added. He was sure of it. Once he was off in college and out of his parents’ house...he couldn’t wait to let loose. Or at least that’s what his alter ego believed. He wasn’t ever sure if he could let loose. He’d never been one for partying, and his responsibility had only grown since becoming part of the ‘I know an alien’ club.
By the time Kyle and Tess branched away from the group, Maria and Liz were already in the Jetta, engine started. Liz had spent enough time in the same room as Max and Tess, and Maria made sure not to leave her friend alone with her less then pleasant thoughts.
With the window rolled up and music blaring, the brunette could only watch her ex-boyfriend with his current love interest. Looking at the couple, her mind conjured several vomit inducing conversations between them at that very moment.
With a wistful look on her face, Liz managed to pull her gaze away from the others. “Do you think they’ll be happy together?” It was little thoughts like that, that constantly tormented her.
“Liz...” Maria said, ready to try and cheer up her friend.
Ignoring Maria, Liz continued asking her questions. “What about Michael and Isabel?”
At the mention of the two, Maria’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “What about them?”
“Do you think that they care that Max and Tess are together?” She clarified. “I mean, they were so against me and Max...” she reminded her childhood friend. “Maybe since Tess is one of them, they might be happier?”
Maria snorted. “Please Liz, Kyle’s the only one who really trusts Tess,” wisely, she left Max’s trust in the girl unsaid. “And, it’s not like any one of us cares about the couple.”
Alex approached the passenger side of the car and knocked on Liz’s window. “You two ladies gonna say goodbye...or what? Why are you two huddled in there?”
“We were cold,” Maria excused, all the while her eyes and face told him a different story.
Seeing the way that Maria’s gaze moved to Max, Alex nodded. “Ah, I see.”
“You getting a ride home with us or Max and Isabel?” Maria asked after a slight pause in conversation. She knew that she needed to get Liz out of there as quickly as possible.
Alex straightened and looked at the siblings a few feet behind him. “You’re more then welcome to come with us Alex,” Max welcomed.
Max’s words almost made Alex consider the option, but when his eyes momentarily landed on Isabel, he grew tense. Deciding that the best thing he could do was place a little distance between himself and Isabel, he looked to Maria and smiled. “You, of course.” With their final goodbyes, the trio of childhood best friends pulled away from the apartment complex. “You okay Liz?”
Laying her head against the cool glass of her window, she haphazardly shrugged. “Can we just talk about something else?” She asked, though she knew that even if their conversation would pick up, her mind would still be on Max. “You and Michael seem pretty tight these days, Maria...”
The driver knew her friend’s tactic very well. Liz often pushed away from attention by turning questions around, but she was side tracked at the mention of her boyfriend. “Things are going great,” she shared simply. She was still on cloud nine where her Christmas present was concerned. She honestly had no idea that Michael would buy her something so expensive. Not that she didn’t appreciate any other gift he’d ever given her, but this one enticed her more then anything else.
“It looked like it,” Alex chimed in.
“I’d keep going on, but the last time the three of us were together like this and I shot my mouth off, we broke up like...two days later,” she admitted. She knew that she and Michael would never have the tortured, soulmate thing that Max and Liz had seemingly perfected, and she was okay with that. It was just frustrating, being with someone so difficult. One day they were good, and then the next they were fighting over anything and everything.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“How was your night?’ Liz asked, as she stepped into her apartment. She couldn’t begin to express how happy and relieved she felt to finally be home. At the same time though, she still felt a little nagging feeling that she’d grown used to experiencing while in Max’s body.
Jeff Parker shrugged. “Oh...you know...” he trailed off. “We rung in the new year at ten with the customers and then once everything was cleaned, you mother and I settled on the couch and watched some tv.”
Looking around, Liz tried to spy her mother. “Mom already in bed?”
“Of course,” Jeff laughed. Nancy was usually in bed before him, and she was never one to stay up late. “She was in bed minutes after the clock struck twelve.”
Letting herself fully unwind in her father’s presence, Liz laughed. It felt so good to feel so relaxed around her father once again. She silently wondered if Max felt that constant tension when he was around her father.
“You have fun with Maria and Alex and the others?” He asked, hoping his voice was light. Earlier, she’d only said that she was meeting up with the group. He had been less then thrilled when he learned that Nancy didn’t get the specifics...mainly if a certain Evans would be there.
Liz shrugged. “Oh...it was okay. I mean nothing spectacular happened,” at least nothing he needed to know.
A quiet settled upon father and daughter for a few moments. “So...your mother told me that she’s taking you to the doctor...”
Scrunching her nose, Liz shook her head. That was what he came up with as a source of conversation? “Dad...”
“Liz...” Jeff replied, using the same tone as her.
“We seriously aren’t going to talk about this, are we?” She asked, horrified at the thought.
“I just want to make sure that your mother covered all the bases,” he defended.
Making a face, Liz silently thanked God for not having to go through that particular conversation. “Dad...seriously...” At his pointed stare, Liz rolled her eyes. “I’m being put on birth control,” she reminded him, ignoring the way that he flinched at her words. “I think that all the bases are pretty much covered.”
Jeff shook his head. Didn’t she realize that he wasn’t questioning her for small talk? “Liz, this isn’t a joke.”
“No, you’re right,” she acknowledged. “There certainly isn’t anything funny about this conversation, but I don’t think this is something that you and I need to discuss.” She thought of the horror Max must have felt when talking with Nancy. “As difficult as this was to talk about with Mom, just...multiply that by a hundred and that is how I’m feeling right now.”
Jeff nodded, it wasn’t as though this was exactly a walk in the park for him either. “I know sweetie, but you’re my baby girl. I can’t help but worry.”
Upon hearing his feelings, Liz’s protests died. A part of her melted. Stepping over to him, she kissed his cheek. “I love you Daddy, but trust me when I tell you that you have nothing to worry about.” Judging by the way Max and Tess were by each other’s side for most of the night...no, there certainly wouldn’t be any sex going on. At least, not between herself and Max, or anyone else for that matter.
“I love you too Lizzie,” he responded, hugging her back. “But trust me sweetie, I will always worry about you,” he shared. “Even years from now,” he stressed, “when you’re married and you have your own family.”
Catching his point, Liz rolled her eyes at him. “Good night Dad.” After he returned the sentiment, Liz made her way to her room. Immediately, she pulled out her pajamas, wanting nothing more then to feel as peaceful as possible. As nice as it was to be back in her own body, after days of feeling so tense and out of place, she wanted to soak up as much comfort as she could.
Haphazardly, she removed her clothes and tossed them to the floor. As she lifted her arms to place her top on, she stopped short at the sight of her reflection in the mirror on the wall. Max’s words earlier that night jumped out at her and she frowned. Had he really looked at her? A part of her wanted to feel angry at the knowledge, but the other part knew it was a moot point. She’d done plenty of looking at his body, and it was only natural that he would look at her body. Then again, he was more appealing to the eye then she was, so, of course, she would take advantage of that fact. But why would Max want to look at her? She was so...not up to par where some other girls their age were. The only thing she felt at that moment was mortification. What if he was just being polite? She always worried that she wouldn’t be enough for him, and thinking of such...
He was with Tess now, so why was he checking out her body? Tess was so much more...all around. With her blonde locks and ice blue eyes...her chest was bigger, her outfits were more appealing...the complete opposite from her. Would he compare them once they got together? While she and Max hadn’t gone all the way, they went far enough to have seen some things, or at least felt them. Would he get with Tess and then wake up and realize that she was nothing more than something similar to a training bike?
A dark cloud settled over her features as the thought of Max and Tess entered her mind. Ugh. As if she didn’t obsess about them often enough. Couldn’t she just have a little reprieve? Just this one night? New Year’s Eve was supposed to be a good time. Of course the joy of it had been hindered by the thought of the couple. What was Max thinking anyway? “New relationships...” Liz muttered with a pout on her face. Could he possibly throw their relationship in her face anymore? And like Maria had pointed out, it wasn’t as if anyone in the group, save Kyle, really cared about them as a couple.
That night, sleep alluded her as thoughts of Max and Tess taunted her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“So...you still feeling okay?” Isabel asked quietly, as she and Max made their way to their front door. “Your headache, I mean.”
Nodding, Max rolled his eyes as he moved to unlock the door. “Yes. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t cure.”
Isabel smiled thinly. “And everything else is okay too?”
Okay? Max wasn’t too sure about that. He had a feeling that he’d really screwed things up with Liz. After their toasts to the new year, she had pretty much avoided him until leaving Michael’s. He opened his mouth to mention something to Isabel, but at the last moment, decided against it. His sister was nosy as it was, did he really want to give her ammo to go digging even further? “I’m fine...oddly relaxed. I feel like I could sleep for days,” he fibbed.
“Too bad we can’t put that to the test,” Isabel murmured, feeling quite tired herself. “I am so not ready to go back to school,” she whined. It felt as though the break had flown by.
Max smiled at her point, he had to agree. Though silently, he bet that she was better rested then him. Opening the door, he motioned for her to step through first.
“Hi kids, how was Michael’s?” Dianne Evans asked as Max and Isabel trudged into the living room.
Max shrugged. “The same,” he replied. “You and Dad have fun?”
“After dinner, your father and I went to the Henderson’s party for a bit...but we were home before twelve. We wanted to celebrate the new year by ourselves,” she replied, a big smile lighting her face.
Seeing the look on her mother’s face, Isabel turned to her brother with a grimace before turning back to her mother, a small smile painted on her face. “Well, I’m off to bed,” she excused, kissing her mother’s cheek. “Night Mom.”
“Night sweetie.” Dianne smiled at her daughter as she watched the young woman depart from the room. She couldn’t believe how quickly the years passed. It seemed like it was just yesterday that she and Phillip found the two wandering in the desert.
At the time, she and Phillip had already been trying to get pregnant for three years. When nothing had happened, they’d gone to a fertility specialist for help, but it was a useless attempt. Phillip’s sperm was very weak, and if by a miracle that it would make it’s way to one of her eggs, Dianne had what the doctor had called, ‘a hostile environment’. He’d said that she’d miscarry the child. It was then, that they considered adoption as their only source of hope for a family. While she and Phillip knew that there were so many children out there who needed to be adopted, they, like other hopefuls, wanted an infant. They were driving into town after visiting a private adoption agency when they happened upon two children wandering in the desert, nude.
Seeing Max and Isabel that night though, it changed their thought process. Dianne and Phillip realized that if they wanted children, they may very well have to consider the older children as well. In the few short hours that Max and Isabel spent with them that first night, Dianne felt a bond grow between them. Somehow the two children had captured their hearts.
In the beginning, Dianne was so concerned that the two would suffer from emotional issues due to something that may have happened in those forgotten years. She dealt with it by devoting her life to teaching them. As the years passed, her fears lessened. Isabel and Max adjusted just fine...for the most part. Isabel was growing into a very strong and beautiful young woman. She never had to worry about Isabel. Her daughter was able to adapt to any situation and strived to protect the people closest to her heart. While Dianne knew that she and Isabel would share their love for holidays and shopping, Isabel was a daddy’s girl.
Dianne already considered her children miracles, but Max...he was special. In the beginning, she had been so worried for him. He was always so much more quiet then his sister, and he seemed to feel things so much more intensely. He’d grown into a caring and loving young man, and she found her concern lessening. She didn’t expect any different, he was always so aware of everything around him, his caution had only increased in the last few years.
Thinking back to the past few days, his temporary ‘home’, it was enough to finally make him realize how lucky he was to have his mother. He was feeling a bit confused, and he knew he needed to talk to someone, but the question was who? Isabel was already so protective of him when it came to Liz, Michael was never one for heart to hearts, and the rest of the plausible people were more Liz’s friends, than his. It was under that thought process that he opened his mouth and turned to his mother. It was something he would have never even considered doing a year ago, then again, everything was different now. “Hey Mom...do you have a minute?”
Turning her attention to her son, Dianne tried to keep her shock hidden. Max was never one to need advice on something, he normally showed excellent judge of character. In the few instances where he needed some advice, he’s always gone to Isabel...or maybe even Michael. “Of course, Max. What can I help you with?”
Plopping down on the couch, he focused on his hands. “I think I really messed things up with Liz,” he confessed.
Her interest piqued, Dianne sat down next to him. She had to admit that she was always curious what had happened there. Her son had always been so quiet and kept to himself, she couldn’t believe her relief when he began dating Liz Parker. The two were obviously enamored with one another, and she could honestly say that she couldn’t remember ever seeing him so happy. It was for those reasons that she was completely shocked when the two had broken up. What shocked her even further, was when Tess Harding made her presence in Max’s life more prominent. She liked Isabel’s friend well enough, but she never made him as happy as he was when he had been with Liz. “Oh?”
Max nodded. “Yeah...you see, I thought that she’d gotten back together with her ex-boyfriend for a while,” he began. “I was hurt, you know? I mean I still had feelings for her...”
Dianne wanted to say something to help him, but it was obvious that he was struggling with his feelings, or at least telling her about them. Instead, she settled on placing a hand over his.
Pausing shortly, Max offered his mother a small smile of gratitude. “It hurt when I thought they were back together, but I still loved her. I knew that if I had the chance, I’d take her back,” it was the one thing that he’d come to terms with. “But then...I found out that she lied.”
“Lied? About what?”
“She never got back with her ex. She only wanted me to think that she did,” he replied.
Dianne frowned. “Why?” Liz purposely lied? She hurt Max on purpose? Now, she didn’t know Liz very well, but from what she knew of the teenaged girl, it was very out of character.
At the question, Max smiled uncomfortably as he scratched behind his ear. “She...thinks that I belong with Tess,” he indulged in an awkward manner. “She’s been trying to push us together for a while. I guess when nothing worked, she came up with that lie.”
Dianne nodded, though still very confused as to the excuse. Why on Earth would Liz think something like that? “But...now you know the truth...you two can always work it out...”
“I guess,” he hedged awkwardly.
“But?”
“I just can’t get over the fact that she lied to me. I mean, she used my feelings against me.”
“That’s perfectly understandable, Max.” She smiled reverently. “And you still have feelings for her and it’s killing you...”
Max slowly nodded. “I just don’t know if I can trust her again.”
“Okay...so far, I’m not hearing anything that you are at fault for,” his mother began. “So, how have you messed things up?”
Sighing, the reincarnated king looked to his mother. “Liz wants...” he trailed off. “I don’t know what Liz wants,” he finished, adding a bitter laugh. Once upon a time, he could have sworn that no one knew her better then he did, but now...? It was as though she was a complete stranger. “She’s apologized and...”
“She wants another chance,” Dianne finished.
“I...I guess,” Max replied.
“And?”
“I was just so angry with her for all the pain I went through...all the pain that she caused me,” he explained, hoping that she would acknowledge how he felt when he’d done what he had. “Liz and I were talking one day, and I kind of let her believe that Tess and I are now an item.”
Dianne shook her head. “Max...”
Her son nodded at the disappointment he heard in her voice. “I know. It was wrong of me to do,” he agreed. “I guess I wasn’t thinking at the time.”
“Honey, purposely inflicting pain on someone...”
“She hurt me first!” Max argued, though he knew it was a childish point.
Dianne offered him a sad smile. “Two wrongs don’t make a right,” she reminded him. “I’m not saying that what Liz did to you was right, but you knew how much that hurt...yet you went ahead and inflicted the same kind of pain on her.”
Max nodded, as though he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “I know.” As bad as it was to admit it, it was what he’d been going for at the time.
“I guess...it’s fair to say that it worked?” Dianne asked after a pregnant pause.
“A little too well,” Max admitted, thinking back to the expression on Liz’s face when he’d told her the news, or when she saw him and Tess together. “What do I do?” He asked. “How do I fix this?”
“Well, first of all, I think that you need to apologize to Liz for hurting her,” she answered. “And secondly, you need to sort out your feelings before actually doing anything,” she advised thinking about his conflicting emotions.
Max nodded, he’d already figured as much. “And then?”
“You need to forgive and forget or move on. You can’t stay in this place,” Dianne observed. “And neither should Liz.” She always thought that her son and Liz would have found their way together again. “I just want to see you happy, whether that lies with Liz or with someone else.”
Max nodded, though his mind was already preoccupied.
Walter: "I used this to extract information from a corpse once. You can do that if they've been dead up to six hours."
Peter: "Yeah, cause after six hours they're REALLY dead."
Peter: "Yeah, cause after six hours they're REALLY dead."
Erinkatie: Well, look who Tess grew up with, can we really blame her for being so ignorant of certain things. As for the the dreamer action, we're getting there.
AntarianKing: You've brought up some interesting points, most of which will be addressed here.
Sternbetrachter: Thank you for reading, I hope you're enjoying this!
Natalie36: We're on the road to recovery.
Emz80m: You're right, but the bottom line is, Liz hurt him too. It will be addressed in this chapter. Hope you like it!
Timelord31: Thanks. I hope you like the next one as well.
behrluv32: LOL. You have to keep in mind that they are just teenagers, who sometimes act irrational and immature.
NotYourChick: Yes, he was wrong. There's no denying that. There will be a bit of a confrontation in this chapter...so, I can't wait to see what you think.
Ellie: Thank you. I had a difficult time writing that conversation. If it wasn't for my beta, I don't know where it would have turned.
ShatteredDreamer: Well, I'm hoping you'll like the next part!
83 AlienAngel: Advice taken!
Big thanks to my beta, Sherrie for all the help!
Chapter 16
“You ready?” Maria asked Liz, as the two entered West Roswell.
Blowing out a deep breath, Liz shrugged. “Truthfully...no,” she admitted softly. “But, it doesn’t really matter though, does it?” Her stomach was in knots as she worried about what Monday morning would bring, the closer it came, the more her stomach clenched. Surprisingly, she hadn’t seen Max since New Year’s Eve, but there was little comfort in that fact. She knew that once school started again, she would be stuck in the same building as him for seven hours, which would make avoiding him very difficult.
Maria offered the brunette an encouraging smile. She knew Liz was dreading seeing Max again. Nothing seemed right anymore, not since the fall. She missed the days when everything was simple...or more as simple as they could be after the news the group learned in May. Then again, they couldn’t go back...could they? Too much had happened, too many things were learned.
As the two made their way through the halls, Liz trailed behind her friend, hoping to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. Inwardly, she mused over the fact that the school seemed so much smaller, as compared to the way it looked two weeks prior. She supposed it was due to the events that had taken place over winter break...which meant that she must have learned something...right? Wasn’t that how it was in movies? Once characters conquer something or grow with a life lesson, things from their childhood and adolescence seemed smaller?
After both girls made their way to their lockers to grab the necessary materials for their morning classes, they met up with Alex.
“How are my two favorite girls on this most dreaded of school days, barring days with tests and exams?” Alex asked the two, as the three met among the sea of students.
“Ugh, this is like the worst day ever,” Maria complained. It wasn’t as though anything had taken place to make it so, it was just the adjustment of being back to school. “Today is going to be very bad,” she predicted for herself.
Alex pursed his lips and nodded, before turning to Liz. “Well, it’s good to know that you’re giving this negativity thing, you’re all, Maria,” Alex observed.
“Whatever Alex, you know you feel the same way,” Maria replied, with a toss of her long, blonde locks.
“Maybe so,” he admitted, “but you don’t go into something expecting the worse.” That was just a recipe for disaster...wasn’t it?
“Why not?” Maria asked back. “At least that way you aren’t let down when things go bad.”
Hearing the defeated tone that was so not something she was used to hearing from her friend, Liz frowned. “Okay, who are you...and what have you done with Maria?” She actually felt a smile quirk at the corner of her lips at the audacious look her friend was giving her in reply. “Seriously, where’s your positive, nothing can keep me down, side?”
“It’s there, you just...have to dig really deep,” Maria replied. She knew that she had a habit of being bubbly, but she found it difficult trying to be that way when school was involved.
Instead of questioning his blonde friend any more, Alex turned to his other best friend. “What about you Liz? Do you predict a bad day as well?”
Shrugging, Liz mulled over her thoughts. “I’m kind of looking forward to it,” she admitted, or at least certain aspects of it.
At her words, Maria scrunched her nose. “You are like...so weird.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “Not because of that...it’ll just be nice to have something to occupy my thoughts,” she explained.
Moments later, the bell rang to signal the start of school. Maria departed from the two in the direction of her first period. Alex and Liz turned around in the opposite direction. “So...any sight of Max and his...queen?” Alex asked, lowering his voice towards the end of his inquiry.
“No...surprisingly.” She couldn’t deny how much she missed seeing her ex-boyfriend hanging around the Crashdown. He had pretty much been avoiding it since her set up with Kyle. She would have figured that upon moving on, Max would have returned to the Crashdown. “I guess they must have been too wrapped up in their new relationship...” Liz added darkly.
“Liz, why do you torture yourself like this?” Alex asked.
“Maybe ‘cause I’m a glutton for punishment?” She supplied after a moment of thought. She’d asked herself the very same thing, and the only thing that she could come up with, was that she punishing herself for taking control the way that she had. That night would forever haunt her. She didn’t regret doing what she did to save the world, she was the only person that Max trusted to do that, but it wasn’t until she’d finally accomplished that, that she realized just how much she had given up.
“You could try and ignore it...” he offered, trying to help her find a coping mechanism, because so far, she wasn’t dealing very well. Hearing Liz confirm his thoughts that the rumors about her and Valenti were just that, he couldn’t help but feel bad for his friend. It was obvious that she was hurting...more then she needed or deserved to. He was still a bit confused as to the reason why she would do what she did, he’d held off on questioning her about it since their last conversation about it though. He remembered the look on her face, or Max’s, when he asked about everything the first time...the haunted look that her eyes held. It was becoming a familiar thing these days. He wanted nothing more then to help her cope, but it was as though she wasn’t even trying. Sure, Liz tried to play it off like she was, but instead, she was torturing herself with thoughts of Max and Tess.
“Ignoring it won’t make it go away,” she replied quietly. “And even if I thought that way, I don’t think I could ignore it.” As they approached the hallways where their classes were, the two split off. “Listen, I’ll catch you later Alex.”
Alex stopped outside the door to his classroom, he opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. Instead, he settled for something else. “Liz...it’ll get easier. There’s only so much crap one can get thrown on them...” he offered, feeling useless.
Across the small hallway, Liz hovered outside her class as she looked back to Alex. Her eyes softened and she offered him a small smile of gratitude.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“You know...I can’t help but wonder what today would have been like if the two of you didn’t switch back,” Maria admitted as she, Liz, Isabel and Max sat around the lunch table.
Taking a sip of her soda, Liz shook her head upon hearing Maria’s words. “Yeah...no, I like it better this way,” she replied.
Careful to keep his voice neutral, Max looked to Liz, trying to gather her attention. “Me too,” he added, once he realized that she wasn’t going to meet his gaze. Lunch had barely started, but with the way that she seemed to be avoiding him, time felt as though it was more sluggish.
“What do you like better?” Alex asked, as he, Michael and Kyle approached the table.
“Us, being switched back,” Max answered.
Taking a quick glance around the table, Kyle frowned when he noticed that one person was missing. “Where’s Tess?” He inquired.
Max shrugged. “She said something about going to the library. We have a paper due in a few days...”
“No, seriously, could you guys imagine it? Liz, in the locker room with all the guys and vice versa?” Maria asked, clarifying her thoughts. “Just imagine the possibilities...”
Liz and Max blushed simultaneously as they imagined that scenario.
“Yeah right,” Kyle snorted. “People would begin wondering what side they buttered their bread on.”
At the phrase he used, Isabel frowned. Since when did Kyle say things like that? “No way,” she denied. Sure, there had been some thoughts going on around school about how much time Max and Michael spent together, but surely that was squelched once Liz entered the picture.
“Like you wouldn’t look if you had the opportunity,” Kyle argued. He could see it now... ‘Max’ checking out all the other guys in the locker room. Yeah, that would definitely raise some interest and concern from everyone.
“Do we have to talk about this?” Liz asked. “Seeing as how it’s not going to happen...?”
“Oh come on Liz, like the thought didn’t cross your mind,” Maria argued back. “Just imagine the things you could share with us...” she added, playfully waggling her eyebrows. “You know, just where guys measured up...”
“Yeah, because that’s not the least bit obtrusive,” Alex threw in, between bites of his sandwich.
“You are aware that it’s not like what you see in movies...right?” Kyle asked.
Maria grew confused at his words. “What? You mean your...” she trailed off.
Kyle rolled his eyes at her question and snorted in amusement. “Yeah, because all those guys are different from us,” he answered quickly and sarcastically. “No, I mean that we don’t walk around the locker room naked or with just small white towels around our waists.”
Maria shrugged upon hearing the news. “Oh well, it’s a nice thought anyway.”
“You do realize I am sitting right here, don’t you?” Michael asked, having had enough of her topic of conversation.
Sighing Maria, looked to him and nodded. “Yes, I’m aware of that Michael. Though I bet if we were talking about the interesting things Max could learn in the girl’s locker room, you’d be an active participant in the conversation.”
Mulling over his girlfriend’s words, Michael settled for a nod. She certainly had a point there.
Seeing that a lull in the conversation was fast approaching, Max broke in. “Hey, Liz? Do you think that we could talk for a minute?”
For the first time, Liz allowed herself to look at her ex-boyfriend since sitting down to lunch. “Uh...okay?”
He looked around at the others, ignoring their curious expressions before turning back to the brunette in question. “Alone...” he added. This was not something he wanted to do in front of anyone else.
Liz considered his question. He genuinely looked like he needed to talk, but she wasn’t sure if the best thing was to be left alone with him. Things were so precarious between them, and chances were, she wasn’t going to enjoy their conversation. After all, if it wasn’t a sensitive matter, Max could say it in front of the rest of the group.
“Uh...sure.” Slowly, she gathered her things. “Where did you want to...?”
Max lead Liz out to the baseball fields located at the back of the school. Usually students weren’t permitted to wander around school property during the lunch hour since class was still in session for the other half of the students. He’d chosen that particular area because it was secluded, he didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing them...there was also the added fact that the hall monitors never walked that area unless it was between classes.
“Okay...” Liz said as she set her things down and sat on the metal bleachers. “What did you want to talk about?”
After putting his things next to Liz’s, he straddled the bleacher next to her. “Wow, you really want to get down to business...”
“Max...” Liz trailed off in warning. She wasn’t sure what to expect from him, and she was feeling rather unnerved. Hadn’t he hurt her enough all ready?
Taking the hint that she was less than pleased to be alone with him, Max decided to just go for it. “About the reason I wanted to talk to you...it’s about Tess,” he began.
At the mention of his alien bride, Liz narrowed her eyes and huffed. “I don’t really want to hear about this,” Liz argued as she stood up and moved to gather her things.
“Liz, it’s not what you think,” Max protested, gently grabbing her arm to keep her from walking away. “See...I said that-”
“You’re together now, I know,” she told him, interrupting him from saying the words that she didn’t want to hear.
“Could you please just sit back down?” He asked in a soft tone, releasing her arm. He wanted to keep her there with him, but he knew he couldn’t force her to do anything.
Liz hesitated, until she looked at his face. His eyes were imploring with her to sit down. “Fine.”
Max waited until she was sitting once again, before he tried for the third time to tell Liz the truth. “Tess and I aren’t together.”
Upon hearing the news, Liz was pulled into two different direction. On the one hand, she inwardly sagged with relief, but it didn’t last long as her confusion settled in. “Oh...” She stopped, unsure of what else she could possibly say. If he was looking for an apology from her, he wouldn’t get one. She certainly didn’t care that they were broken up. “And you felt that this needed to be said without the others around, why?”
“Tess and I were never together,” Max admitted in a low voice. He honestly wondered how she would handle hearing the news. Liz had every reason to be angry with him, especially when she learned his reasoning for allowing her to believe it, but he hoped that her reaction would be better than that.
“Excuse me?” Liz asked, straining to hear him. Had she heard him correctly? They were never together? “But what about that kiss that I saw at the park?”
“It was Tess trying one last time to...get my attention,” he supplied awkwardly. “I planned on breaking it, but you said something before I ever could. We were never together.”
“But...you two have been like...inseparable since,” Liz pointed out, thinking back to the amount of time she’d seen Max and Tess hang out. Then again, it did explain a few things; why they were close, but never touched, the way that Max still held a certain indifference for the blonde girl.
Max shook his head in denial. “She was worried that she’d offended me,” he answered. “We’re nothing more then friends, and I think that she’s really beginning to understand that we will never be more.”
Staring into the space before her, Liz let out a sigh. It was then that something occurred to her. “So...when we talked...and I assumed that you two...”
Max nodded at Liz. “I let you believe that we were together,” he admitted shamefully.
It was what she’d been figuring, but hearing Max say the words hurt her heart. How could he purposely lead her to believe that? Had she really hurt him that much, so much so that he felt he had to retaliate against her like that? She knew that what she did hurt him, she didn’t hold any misconceptions about that, but...she’d done it to save the world. What Max did was just plain mean. Did he honestly enjoy hurting her? She felt so strong a wave of confusion and shock over his admission, anger wasn’t even present in the moment. “How could you do that?” Her voice held no anger, only disappointment and resignation.
“I...I was so angry when I learned that you lied,” he reasoned. “I know it doesn’t excuse any of it, but...it’s what I was feeling at the time. I mean I wasn’t only questioning you, but you made me question myself. I was just so angry that you did that to me. I mean you just went straight to the heart of the matter, and then you continued to kick me when I was down. I wanted you to feel some of that pain.” He wasn’t proud of what he did, and he’d known almost the second after he allowed her to believe that he and Tess were a couple, that it was wrong.
Shaking her head, Liz felt tears prick her eyes. “So what do you want? To know if it worked? Well, congratulations, Max...you succeeded in hurting me.”
“That’s not it...I didn’t want you to go on thinking that Tess and I...”
Liz let out a humorless laugh as she ignored his previous statement. “You wanted me to hurt? Didn’t you see the pain I was in already?” She demanded. “I mean, how do you think I felt this entire time? Do you really think I enjoyed giving that...girl insight on how to gather your attention or that I took any joy in saying those things to you?” She shook her head. “I knew how much that was going to hurt you. I mean, you’re the reason that I’m standing here today and...that whole Kyle thing was just...I knew what I was giving up when I did that. That made things even worse for me!”
Max looked down, ashamed of his actions. “No,” he answered, once she was finished sharing her feelings. “I didn’t notice how you were feeling. I was...too wrapped up in my own pain to pay any mind to yours.”
Quickly, Liz wiped her eyes before her tears could fall. “You so aren’t the person I thought you were,” she muttered.
Hearing her words, Max grew rigid. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He demanded.
“It means that the Max that I know and love, would never have done something so...hurtful,” she denied. Max just wasn’t that kind of person, he was too caring. Even when Kyle’s friends went after him the previous year, he never retaliated against them. She met his eyes and stiffened, no... ‘her’ Max would have never done that, but then again, she’d broken him with her stunt. She was the reason why he did what he did.
“I made a mistake, Liz,” Max demanded. “I was hurting!” He knew that if he was thinking clearly then he would have never done that. “I’m only human.”
Liz snorted at his choice of words and Max corrected himself.
“Okay, half human...but human all the same. Look, it’s no different from what you did,” he stood up.
His reasoning made her stop all movement and whip herself around to face him. “Are...you kidding me? No different? Um, I happen to think it’s a lot different.”
“No, we both lied to hurt the other person.” Technically, he hadn’t lied, but he’d grouped it into the ‘lie by omission’ category.
“No, what I did was to save the world, you just did it because you were being petty and looking to score some payback,” Liz argued. If he had never come back from the future, she would never have done what she did.
“And how did you accomplish saving the world?” Max asked back. “By lying to me...by purposely hurting me...see, that’s irony right there Liz.”
“You can look at it anyway you want Max,” Liz told him after a pause in their conversation. “The fact of the matter is, you lied to me...purposely. You set out to hurt me.” She shook her head. “I...just, I can’t believe that you would do that to me!”
At her continued insistence that he was in the wrong, while she had an excuse for her actions, Max grew angry once again. He knew what he did was wrong, he admitted that. He thought that it said a lot, that he was trying to correct that...but, he wasn’t about to let her place full blame on his shoulders for their predicament.
“Why not? You did it to me...isn’t that the way it works? What goes around, comes around and what not?”
Liz shook her head, not able to wrap her thought around the fact that he was so interested in hurting her. Had she really been the one to cause this? She knew that she wasn’t blameless in anything, but she still found a huge fault with his reasoning. She looked at her companion with new understanding, her rose colored glasses being taken off for the first time. How could she have even wanted to get back together with him?
“How can you even justify what you did?” Liz asked, not able to comprehend that.
Max shook his head. “I’m not justifying anything, but I don’t need to listen to this crap! The fact of the matter is Liz, you screwed me first. You lied to me, you hurt me!” His voice gradually grew louder with each reminder.
“But I was trying to save the world, it wasn’t as if I did it for some sort of pleasure!” Liz denied.
“Maybe not Liz,” Max acknowledged. “But the fact is, you hurt me. The fact is, even knowing that you had noble intentions, there’s a part of me that still doesn’t care,” he shared. “It’s just like you to do something like that...” he muttered, moving to his feet.
Liz’s eyes widened upon hearing the darkly voice words. “Excuse me?” He did not just say that! “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that you put everyone else ahead of us! You didn’t fight for us! Though, I suppose it’s a common thing for you by now. Ever since May, you’ve done nothing but give up and run away.” If he was the one asked to save the world, he wouldn’t have done it. He never wanted to be king, he didn’t want to deal with all that added trouble. All he wanted was Liz, and even if it only lasted fourteen years, he would have taken it. So what if it made him a selfish person? He wasn’t raised as a king, he was raised as a human...more then that, a normal person.
Liz’s eyes narrowed at him, as she threw herself to her feet and stalked in front of him angrily. “Can you honestly stand there and say that, after everything I’ve done and been through?” She’d always stood by his side and supported him, even if it didn’t seem that way at the time.
“It’s true!” Max roared, not about to apologize. “I’ve been the one fighting for us.” Liz ran away that summer to sunny Florida, while he was stuck in Roswell pining after her. Upon her return, he was the one that pursued her, not the other way around.
Liz shook her head, a sarcastic laugh breaking the silence that followed his statement. “Is that what that was when you came back fourteen years from the future, telling me that I had to make you fall out of love with me or the world would end?” She asked in a taunting manner.
Not backing down, Max only grew more upset. “I had nothing to do with that!”
“Neither did I!” She cried out. “Do you think I enjoyed pulling away from you? I hurt just as much as you.”
Some of Max’s anger drained as he listened to her last comment. “It’s not about hurting, Liz,” he explained with a defeated sigh. He was tired of fighting with her. He just wished things were back to the way they once were...before Tess, before destiny. “I know that you’ve been hurt...but, it’s just like...every time that things get tough, you pull away. You never stay and fight.” Just once, he wanted her to do that, fight for him...act like she cared that they weren’t together. When she came back to Roswell that previous summer, he made his intentions known...and she’d done her best to keep her distance from him.
“Never fight? Max, don’t you realize that you have a destiny that’s about so much more than just you and I? I thought I was doing the right thing by walking away,” she explained sadly.
Hearing Liz mention his destiny all over again, made his blood boil. Max stepped back from her. Didn’t she realize that he wanted no part of that? “Fuck destiny!” He exclaimed, grabbing his things and turning his back on her.
She stared at his back for a few short moments before falling to the metal bleachers behind her. She stared at the deserted baseball field, trying to keep her tears at bay. It was a futile attempt though. Within seconds, she was reduced to a mass of blubbering sobs and cries.
Destiny! He cursed Nesado and Tess and the day that they arrived in Roswell. Who needed destiny? He thought his life was going pretty well without it, he’d finally ‘got the girl’, he was happy. Though, as his thoughts turned to Liz, he stopped walking. He needed to go back. Nothing was ever going to be solved if they both continued to walk away. With that decision, he turned around and headed back for the bleachers.
The closer her got to Liz, the more he noticed that her shoulders were shaking. Was...was she crying? Had he made her cry? Max’s shoulders slumped. That hadn’t been his intention at all. He hated seeing Liz cry...even once they’d broken up. It tore him up inside to her hurting.
With cautious footsteps, Max placed his bag down and claimed a seat next to her.
Liz turned her face to him, wondering what he was doing back. She was surprised when he cupped her face in his hands, and wiped her tears away. Her sobs stopped, and she tried valiantly to hold back the fresh wave of tears that threatened to spill over after his quiet action. When he made no move to speak, Liz turned back to look at the baseball field. No words were shared, but she thought that the fact that he returned, the fact that he wiped away her tears said plenty.
Following her gaze, Max turned to stare at the deadened grass. Small patches of green struggled to be seen through the grayish tinted yard. It was still winter, but baseball season was just around the corner. It wouldn’t be long before the gardeners had the field back to it’s bright green color.
In silence, the two sat side by side for the duration of their lunch period. Neither knew what to say at that moment, but that was okay. Sometimes what a person needed was a little time for reflection.
AntarianKing: You've brought up some interesting points, most of which will be addressed here.
Sternbetrachter: Thank you for reading, I hope you're enjoying this!
Natalie36: We're on the road to recovery.
Emz80m: You're right, but the bottom line is, Liz hurt him too. It will be addressed in this chapter. Hope you like it!
Timelord31: Thanks. I hope you like the next one as well.
behrluv32: LOL. You have to keep in mind that they are just teenagers, who sometimes act irrational and immature.
NotYourChick: Yes, he was wrong. There's no denying that. There will be a bit of a confrontation in this chapter...so, I can't wait to see what you think.
Ellie: Thank you. I had a difficult time writing that conversation. If it wasn't for my beta, I don't know where it would have turned.
ShatteredDreamer: Well, I'm hoping you'll like the next part!
83 AlienAngel: Advice taken!
Big thanks to my beta, Sherrie for all the help!
Chapter 16
“You ready?” Maria asked Liz, as the two entered West Roswell.
Blowing out a deep breath, Liz shrugged. “Truthfully...no,” she admitted softly. “But, it doesn’t really matter though, does it?” Her stomach was in knots as she worried about what Monday morning would bring, the closer it came, the more her stomach clenched. Surprisingly, she hadn’t seen Max since New Year’s Eve, but there was little comfort in that fact. She knew that once school started again, she would be stuck in the same building as him for seven hours, which would make avoiding him very difficult.
Maria offered the brunette an encouraging smile. She knew Liz was dreading seeing Max again. Nothing seemed right anymore, not since the fall. She missed the days when everything was simple...or more as simple as they could be after the news the group learned in May. Then again, they couldn’t go back...could they? Too much had happened, too many things were learned.
As the two made their way through the halls, Liz trailed behind her friend, hoping to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. Inwardly, she mused over the fact that the school seemed so much smaller, as compared to the way it looked two weeks prior. She supposed it was due to the events that had taken place over winter break...which meant that she must have learned something...right? Wasn’t that how it was in movies? Once characters conquer something or grow with a life lesson, things from their childhood and adolescence seemed smaller?
After both girls made their way to their lockers to grab the necessary materials for their morning classes, they met up with Alex.
“How are my two favorite girls on this most dreaded of school days, barring days with tests and exams?” Alex asked the two, as the three met among the sea of students.
“Ugh, this is like the worst day ever,” Maria complained. It wasn’t as though anything had taken place to make it so, it was just the adjustment of being back to school. “Today is going to be very bad,” she predicted for herself.
Alex pursed his lips and nodded, before turning to Liz. “Well, it’s good to know that you’re giving this negativity thing, you’re all, Maria,” Alex observed.
“Whatever Alex, you know you feel the same way,” Maria replied, with a toss of her long, blonde locks.
“Maybe so,” he admitted, “but you don’t go into something expecting the worse.” That was just a recipe for disaster...wasn’t it?
“Why not?” Maria asked back. “At least that way you aren’t let down when things go bad.”
Hearing the defeated tone that was so not something she was used to hearing from her friend, Liz frowned. “Okay, who are you...and what have you done with Maria?” She actually felt a smile quirk at the corner of her lips at the audacious look her friend was giving her in reply. “Seriously, where’s your positive, nothing can keep me down, side?”
“It’s there, you just...have to dig really deep,” Maria replied. She knew that she had a habit of being bubbly, but she found it difficult trying to be that way when school was involved.
Instead of questioning his blonde friend any more, Alex turned to his other best friend. “What about you Liz? Do you predict a bad day as well?”
Shrugging, Liz mulled over her thoughts. “I’m kind of looking forward to it,” she admitted, or at least certain aspects of it.
At her words, Maria scrunched her nose. “You are like...so weird.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “Not because of that...it’ll just be nice to have something to occupy my thoughts,” she explained.
Moments later, the bell rang to signal the start of school. Maria departed from the two in the direction of her first period. Alex and Liz turned around in the opposite direction. “So...any sight of Max and his...queen?” Alex asked, lowering his voice towards the end of his inquiry.
“No...surprisingly.” She couldn’t deny how much she missed seeing her ex-boyfriend hanging around the Crashdown. He had pretty much been avoiding it since her set up with Kyle. She would have figured that upon moving on, Max would have returned to the Crashdown. “I guess they must have been too wrapped up in their new relationship...” Liz added darkly.
“Liz, why do you torture yourself like this?” Alex asked.
“Maybe ‘cause I’m a glutton for punishment?” She supplied after a moment of thought. She’d asked herself the very same thing, and the only thing that she could come up with, was that she punishing herself for taking control the way that she had. That night would forever haunt her. She didn’t regret doing what she did to save the world, she was the only person that Max trusted to do that, but it wasn’t until she’d finally accomplished that, that she realized just how much she had given up.
“You could try and ignore it...” he offered, trying to help her find a coping mechanism, because so far, she wasn’t dealing very well. Hearing Liz confirm his thoughts that the rumors about her and Valenti were just that, he couldn’t help but feel bad for his friend. It was obvious that she was hurting...more then she needed or deserved to. He was still a bit confused as to the reason why she would do what she did, he’d held off on questioning her about it since their last conversation about it though. He remembered the look on her face, or Max’s, when he asked about everything the first time...the haunted look that her eyes held. It was becoming a familiar thing these days. He wanted nothing more then to help her cope, but it was as though she wasn’t even trying. Sure, Liz tried to play it off like she was, but instead, she was torturing herself with thoughts of Max and Tess.
“Ignoring it won’t make it go away,” she replied quietly. “And even if I thought that way, I don’t think I could ignore it.” As they approached the hallways where their classes were, the two split off. “Listen, I’ll catch you later Alex.”
Alex stopped outside the door to his classroom, he opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. Instead, he settled for something else. “Liz...it’ll get easier. There’s only so much crap one can get thrown on them...” he offered, feeling useless.
Across the small hallway, Liz hovered outside her class as she looked back to Alex. Her eyes softened and she offered him a small smile of gratitude.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“You know...I can’t help but wonder what today would have been like if the two of you didn’t switch back,” Maria admitted as she, Liz, Isabel and Max sat around the lunch table.
Taking a sip of her soda, Liz shook her head upon hearing Maria’s words. “Yeah...no, I like it better this way,” she replied.
Careful to keep his voice neutral, Max looked to Liz, trying to gather her attention. “Me too,” he added, once he realized that she wasn’t going to meet his gaze. Lunch had barely started, but with the way that she seemed to be avoiding him, time felt as though it was more sluggish.
“What do you like better?” Alex asked, as he, Michael and Kyle approached the table.
“Us, being switched back,” Max answered.
Taking a quick glance around the table, Kyle frowned when he noticed that one person was missing. “Where’s Tess?” He inquired.
Max shrugged. “She said something about going to the library. We have a paper due in a few days...”
“No, seriously, could you guys imagine it? Liz, in the locker room with all the guys and vice versa?” Maria asked, clarifying her thoughts. “Just imagine the possibilities...”
Liz and Max blushed simultaneously as they imagined that scenario.
“Yeah right,” Kyle snorted. “People would begin wondering what side they buttered their bread on.”
At the phrase he used, Isabel frowned. Since when did Kyle say things like that? “No way,” she denied. Sure, there had been some thoughts going on around school about how much time Max and Michael spent together, but surely that was squelched once Liz entered the picture.
“Like you wouldn’t look if you had the opportunity,” Kyle argued. He could see it now... ‘Max’ checking out all the other guys in the locker room. Yeah, that would definitely raise some interest and concern from everyone.
“Do we have to talk about this?” Liz asked. “Seeing as how it’s not going to happen...?”
“Oh come on Liz, like the thought didn’t cross your mind,” Maria argued back. “Just imagine the things you could share with us...” she added, playfully waggling her eyebrows. “You know, just where guys measured up...”
“Yeah, because that’s not the least bit obtrusive,” Alex threw in, between bites of his sandwich.
“You are aware that it’s not like what you see in movies...right?” Kyle asked.
Maria grew confused at his words. “What? You mean your...” she trailed off.
Kyle rolled his eyes at her question and snorted in amusement. “Yeah, because all those guys are different from us,” he answered quickly and sarcastically. “No, I mean that we don’t walk around the locker room naked or with just small white towels around our waists.”
Maria shrugged upon hearing the news. “Oh well, it’s a nice thought anyway.”
“You do realize I am sitting right here, don’t you?” Michael asked, having had enough of her topic of conversation.
Sighing Maria, looked to him and nodded. “Yes, I’m aware of that Michael. Though I bet if we were talking about the interesting things Max could learn in the girl’s locker room, you’d be an active participant in the conversation.”
Mulling over his girlfriend’s words, Michael settled for a nod. She certainly had a point there.
Seeing that a lull in the conversation was fast approaching, Max broke in. “Hey, Liz? Do you think that we could talk for a minute?”
For the first time, Liz allowed herself to look at her ex-boyfriend since sitting down to lunch. “Uh...okay?”
He looked around at the others, ignoring their curious expressions before turning back to the brunette in question. “Alone...” he added. This was not something he wanted to do in front of anyone else.
Liz considered his question. He genuinely looked like he needed to talk, but she wasn’t sure if the best thing was to be left alone with him. Things were so precarious between them, and chances were, she wasn’t going to enjoy their conversation. After all, if it wasn’t a sensitive matter, Max could say it in front of the rest of the group.
“Uh...sure.” Slowly, she gathered her things. “Where did you want to...?”
Max lead Liz out to the baseball fields located at the back of the school. Usually students weren’t permitted to wander around school property during the lunch hour since class was still in session for the other half of the students. He’d chosen that particular area because it was secluded, he didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing them...there was also the added fact that the hall monitors never walked that area unless it was between classes.
“Okay...” Liz said as she set her things down and sat on the metal bleachers. “What did you want to talk about?”
After putting his things next to Liz’s, he straddled the bleacher next to her. “Wow, you really want to get down to business...”
“Max...” Liz trailed off in warning. She wasn’t sure what to expect from him, and she was feeling rather unnerved. Hadn’t he hurt her enough all ready?
Taking the hint that she was less than pleased to be alone with him, Max decided to just go for it. “About the reason I wanted to talk to you...it’s about Tess,” he began.
At the mention of his alien bride, Liz narrowed her eyes and huffed. “I don’t really want to hear about this,” Liz argued as she stood up and moved to gather her things.
“Liz, it’s not what you think,” Max protested, gently grabbing her arm to keep her from walking away. “See...I said that-”
“You’re together now, I know,” she told him, interrupting him from saying the words that she didn’t want to hear.
“Could you please just sit back down?” He asked in a soft tone, releasing her arm. He wanted to keep her there with him, but he knew he couldn’t force her to do anything.
Liz hesitated, until she looked at his face. His eyes were imploring with her to sit down. “Fine.”
Max waited until she was sitting once again, before he tried for the third time to tell Liz the truth. “Tess and I aren’t together.”
Upon hearing the news, Liz was pulled into two different direction. On the one hand, she inwardly sagged with relief, but it didn’t last long as her confusion settled in. “Oh...” She stopped, unsure of what else she could possibly say. If he was looking for an apology from her, he wouldn’t get one. She certainly didn’t care that they were broken up. “And you felt that this needed to be said without the others around, why?”
“Tess and I were never together,” Max admitted in a low voice. He honestly wondered how she would handle hearing the news. Liz had every reason to be angry with him, especially when she learned his reasoning for allowing her to believe it, but he hoped that her reaction would be better than that.
“Excuse me?” Liz asked, straining to hear him. Had she heard him correctly? They were never together? “But what about that kiss that I saw at the park?”
“It was Tess trying one last time to...get my attention,” he supplied awkwardly. “I planned on breaking it, but you said something before I ever could. We were never together.”
“But...you two have been like...inseparable since,” Liz pointed out, thinking back to the amount of time she’d seen Max and Tess hang out. Then again, it did explain a few things; why they were close, but never touched, the way that Max still held a certain indifference for the blonde girl.
Max shook his head in denial. “She was worried that she’d offended me,” he answered. “We’re nothing more then friends, and I think that she’s really beginning to understand that we will never be more.”
Staring into the space before her, Liz let out a sigh. It was then that something occurred to her. “So...when we talked...and I assumed that you two...”
Max nodded at Liz. “I let you believe that we were together,” he admitted shamefully.
It was what she’d been figuring, but hearing Max say the words hurt her heart. How could he purposely lead her to believe that? Had she really hurt him that much, so much so that he felt he had to retaliate against her like that? She knew that what she did hurt him, she didn’t hold any misconceptions about that, but...she’d done it to save the world. What Max did was just plain mean. Did he honestly enjoy hurting her? She felt so strong a wave of confusion and shock over his admission, anger wasn’t even present in the moment. “How could you do that?” Her voice held no anger, only disappointment and resignation.
“I...I was so angry when I learned that you lied,” he reasoned. “I know it doesn’t excuse any of it, but...it’s what I was feeling at the time. I mean I wasn’t only questioning you, but you made me question myself. I was just so angry that you did that to me. I mean you just went straight to the heart of the matter, and then you continued to kick me when I was down. I wanted you to feel some of that pain.” He wasn’t proud of what he did, and he’d known almost the second after he allowed her to believe that he and Tess were a couple, that it was wrong.
Shaking her head, Liz felt tears prick her eyes. “So what do you want? To know if it worked? Well, congratulations, Max...you succeeded in hurting me.”
“That’s not it...I didn’t want you to go on thinking that Tess and I...”
Liz let out a humorless laugh as she ignored his previous statement. “You wanted me to hurt? Didn’t you see the pain I was in already?” She demanded. “I mean, how do you think I felt this entire time? Do you really think I enjoyed giving that...girl insight on how to gather your attention or that I took any joy in saying those things to you?” She shook her head. “I knew how much that was going to hurt you. I mean, you’re the reason that I’m standing here today and...that whole Kyle thing was just...I knew what I was giving up when I did that. That made things even worse for me!”
Max looked down, ashamed of his actions. “No,” he answered, once she was finished sharing her feelings. “I didn’t notice how you were feeling. I was...too wrapped up in my own pain to pay any mind to yours.”
Quickly, Liz wiped her eyes before her tears could fall. “You so aren’t the person I thought you were,” she muttered.
Hearing her words, Max grew rigid. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He demanded.
“It means that the Max that I know and love, would never have done something so...hurtful,” she denied. Max just wasn’t that kind of person, he was too caring. Even when Kyle’s friends went after him the previous year, he never retaliated against them. She met his eyes and stiffened, no... ‘her’ Max would have never done that, but then again, she’d broken him with her stunt. She was the reason why he did what he did.
“I made a mistake, Liz,” Max demanded. “I was hurting!” He knew that if he was thinking clearly then he would have never done that. “I’m only human.”
Liz snorted at his choice of words and Max corrected himself.
“Okay, half human...but human all the same. Look, it’s no different from what you did,” he stood up.
His reasoning made her stop all movement and whip herself around to face him. “Are...you kidding me? No different? Um, I happen to think it’s a lot different.”
“No, we both lied to hurt the other person.” Technically, he hadn’t lied, but he’d grouped it into the ‘lie by omission’ category.
“No, what I did was to save the world, you just did it because you were being petty and looking to score some payback,” Liz argued. If he had never come back from the future, she would never have done what she did.
“And how did you accomplish saving the world?” Max asked back. “By lying to me...by purposely hurting me...see, that’s irony right there Liz.”
“You can look at it anyway you want Max,” Liz told him after a pause in their conversation. “The fact of the matter is, you lied to me...purposely. You set out to hurt me.” She shook her head. “I...just, I can’t believe that you would do that to me!”
At her continued insistence that he was in the wrong, while she had an excuse for her actions, Max grew angry once again. He knew what he did was wrong, he admitted that. He thought that it said a lot, that he was trying to correct that...but, he wasn’t about to let her place full blame on his shoulders for their predicament.
“Why not? You did it to me...isn’t that the way it works? What goes around, comes around and what not?”
Liz shook her head, not able to wrap her thought around the fact that he was so interested in hurting her. Had she really been the one to cause this? She knew that she wasn’t blameless in anything, but she still found a huge fault with his reasoning. She looked at her companion with new understanding, her rose colored glasses being taken off for the first time. How could she have even wanted to get back together with him?
“How can you even justify what you did?” Liz asked, not able to comprehend that.
Max shook his head. “I’m not justifying anything, but I don’t need to listen to this crap! The fact of the matter is Liz, you screwed me first. You lied to me, you hurt me!” His voice gradually grew louder with each reminder.
“But I was trying to save the world, it wasn’t as if I did it for some sort of pleasure!” Liz denied.
“Maybe not Liz,” Max acknowledged. “But the fact is, you hurt me. The fact is, even knowing that you had noble intentions, there’s a part of me that still doesn’t care,” he shared. “It’s just like you to do something like that...” he muttered, moving to his feet.
Liz’s eyes widened upon hearing the darkly voice words. “Excuse me?” He did not just say that! “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that you put everyone else ahead of us! You didn’t fight for us! Though, I suppose it’s a common thing for you by now. Ever since May, you’ve done nothing but give up and run away.” If he was the one asked to save the world, he wouldn’t have done it. He never wanted to be king, he didn’t want to deal with all that added trouble. All he wanted was Liz, and even if it only lasted fourteen years, he would have taken it. So what if it made him a selfish person? He wasn’t raised as a king, he was raised as a human...more then that, a normal person.
Liz’s eyes narrowed at him, as she threw herself to her feet and stalked in front of him angrily. “Can you honestly stand there and say that, after everything I’ve done and been through?” She’d always stood by his side and supported him, even if it didn’t seem that way at the time.
“It’s true!” Max roared, not about to apologize. “I’ve been the one fighting for us.” Liz ran away that summer to sunny Florida, while he was stuck in Roswell pining after her. Upon her return, he was the one that pursued her, not the other way around.
Liz shook her head, a sarcastic laugh breaking the silence that followed his statement. “Is that what that was when you came back fourteen years from the future, telling me that I had to make you fall out of love with me or the world would end?” She asked in a taunting manner.
Not backing down, Max only grew more upset. “I had nothing to do with that!”
“Neither did I!” She cried out. “Do you think I enjoyed pulling away from you? I hurt just as much as you.”
Some of Max’s anger drained as he listened to her last comment. “It’s not about hurting, Liz,” he explained with a defeated sigh. He was tired of fighting with her. He just wished things were back to the way they once were...before Tess, before destiny. “I know that you’ve been hurt...but, it’s just like...every time that things get tough, you pull away. You never stay and fight.” Just once, he wanted her to do that, fight for him...act like she cared that they weren’t together. When she came back to Roswell that previous summer, he made his intentions known...and she’d done her best to keep her distance from him.
“Never fight? Max, don’t you realize that you have a destiny that’s about so much more than just you and I? I thought I was doing the right thing by walking away,” she explained sadly.
Hearing Liz mention his destiny all over again, made his blood boil. Max stepped back from her. Didn’t she realize that he wanted no part of that? “Fuck destiny!” He exclaimed, grabbing his things and turning his back on her.
She stared at his back for a few short moments before falling to the metal bleachers behind her. She stared at the deserted baseball field, trying to keep her tears at bay. It was a futile attempt though. Within seconds, she was reduced to a mass of blubbering sobs and cries.
Destiny! He cursed Nesado and Tess and the day that they arrived in Roswell. Who needed destiny? He thought his life was going pretty well without it, he’d finally ‘got the girl’, he was happy. Though, as his thoughts turned to Liz, he stopped walking. He needed to go back. Nothing was ever going to be solved if they both continued to walk away. With that decision, he turned around and headed back for the bleachers.
The closer her got to Liz, the more he noticed that her shoulders were shaking. Was...was she crying? Had he made her cry? Max’s shoulders slumped. That hadn’t been his intention at all. He hated seeing Liz cry...even once they’d broken up. It tore him up inside to her hurting.
With cautious footsteps, Max placed his bag down and claimed a seat next to her.
Liz turned her face to him, wondering what he was doing back. She was surprised when he cupped her face in his hands, and wiped her tears away. Her sobs stopped, and she tried valiantly to hold back the fresh wave of tears that threatened to spill over after his quiet action. When he made no move to speak, Liz turned back to look at the baseball field. No words were shared, but she thought that the fact that he returned, the fact that he wiped away her tears said plenty.
Following her gaze, Max turned to stare at the deadened grass. Small patches of green struggled to be seen through the grayish tinted yard. It was still winter, but baseball season was just around the corner. It wouldn’t be long before the gardeners had the field back to it’s bright green color.
In silence, the two sat side by side for the duration of their lunch period. Neither knew what to say at that moment, but that was okay. Sometimes what a person needed was a little time for reflection.
I am so sorry for taking so long to update! After my vacation, it took me a few days to get back in the habit of writing, and then the kiddies got sick. Although I am back (obviously). Also, I've already sent chapter 18 to my beta, so the next update won't take so long. Also, thank you for the fb!
Sherrie, thanks again for this! I just love your thoughts on my story!
Chapter 17
With her nerves shot, Isabel stormed into her brother’s room, slamming the door open. “What is that annoying noise?” She demanded. She’d been trying to get a paper done for one of her classes, but her attention was splintered when she heard every annoying tap, something coming from his room.
Throwing the tennis ball against the wall that separated their rooms, Max caught it before turning to Isabel with a pointed look. “This?”
Isabel nodded. “Yeah, that.” He had on a wounded face, which she knew it could only mean one thing...Liz. “Uh, since when do you...do this?” She asked, referring to the ball. Max used to turn to the Counting Crows or something equally as annoying, but she’d learned to phase it out...but this? No, this just wasn’t acceptable.
Max shrugged. “I’m trying something new,” he answered simply.
“Well...find something else,” she told him gently. Isabel knew that he was in a funk, so she tried to be as polite as possible with him, but her nerves were just...frayed. She watched as he simply dropped the ball and lay back against his bed, staring at the ceiling. “Max, do you want to talk?” She offered.
“No.” No, he knew that opening his mouth right now would only upset his sister. She’d always been so against Liz. While that dislike had lessened and she developed an uneasy friendship with his ex-girlfriend, any development stopped when the rumors of Liz and Kyle began circulating. He loved his sister dearly, really, he did...but sometimes she could suffocate him when she took on her ‘mother hen’ role.
“Are you sure?” She double checked, noticing his hesitancy.
“No, yeah I’m sure...maybe another time though...” He was tempted to talk to her, to anyone, but he couldn’t. At least, not without revealing certain facts that he and Liz had to discuss at length.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Slamming the plates down in front of her customers, Liz belatedly realized her mistake. She offered a small, half sincere smile of apology. “If you need anything else, just let me know.”
“Have a nice day!” Maria wished cheerfully as her customer walked out the door. With a quick glance, she looked around to the rest of her tables, making sure that they all had what they needed before she met Liz behind the counter. “Gee, Liz,” she began, “you got a bug up your butt or something?” She asked. Liz was never so mindless around the customers.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liz denied, in a deceptively innocent voice.
Maria snorted. “Right.” It wasn’t the first time that Liz had acted so carelessly during their shift. “You do realize that you just flushed away any chance of a tip, don’t you?”
Liz rolled her eyes. “Ugh, screw the tip.”
Maria opened her mouth to question Liz, but stopped when Jose rang the bell to signal that her order was up. “I’ll be right back, and then you are going to tell me what happened to rustle your feathers.”
As the blonde moved away, Liz rolled her eyes. “Can’t wait,” she muttered darkly.
She and Maria hadn’t had a chance to talk before their shift started, though she knew that the blonde wanted to know what happened at lunch during her conversation with Max.
Liz was grateful for the escape from her determined friend. It gave her a chance to collect her thoughts and stew in her anger. She was still furious with Max’s actions, and hurt by his motives. It was such a purposely malicious action, and malicious was not an adjective that she would have ever used to describe him.
More than that, he did it to her. Why her? Why not to one of the others? He supposedly ‘loved’ her, he wasn’t supposed to purposely hurt her. People don’t do that to the ones that they love. Yes, she did hurt him, but there were extenuating circumstances to that. It wasn’t as though she woke up that morning with the intent to hurt him.
That was another thing that nagged at her. Max’s words struck a cord in her. He made her question her actions, and that further upset her...because she knew that he was right. She did hurt him, very badly. Ever since it happened, she tried to explain it away, but deep down, she was beginning to realize that she was no better than him.
“But the fact is, you hurt me. The fact is, even knowing that you had noble intentions, there’s a part of me that still doesn’t care.”
His words were constantly at the forefront of her mind. No matter how much she tried to ignore them, they wouldn’t go away. Then a picture of his face, at that moment, would enter her mind. The sadness and hurt etched on his features pulled at her heart strings. The rest of her day had pretty much sucked from then on. She’d had a pop quiz in fifth period, something that she knew she failed...miserably. She couldn’t concentrate in her sixth hour class. Now, she was feeling completely miserable. The last thing she needed or wanted, was to deal with customers when she was in this funk. Three hours into her shift, and she only had a very small amount of tip money, something that was so off. She was usually pretty happy with her tips, but not today.
“Okay, I’m back...so what happened?”
Liz shrugged. “What’s there to say? We talked.”
Maria shook her head. “You talked? And this...talking is what is making you act like this?” No, there had to be something else to this.
“Okay, so we kind of...vented with one another more then anything,” Liz allowed.
All right, now she was getting somewhere. “Okay...well, what did Max have to say?”
“You know, I really don’t want to discuss this right now, Maria.” She was already in a bad enough mood, she knew that talking about it was not what she needed to improve her mood.
“Liz...”
Cutting her friend off before she could say anything further, Liz spoke up. “Maybe later. Now just...isn’t the time, or the place.” Aside from that, the more time that she reflected on the words she shared with him that afternoon, the more she realized that she was in the wrong. She certainly didn’t need Maria to tell her so, as well.
Knowing that Liz was set in her decision, Maria didn’t press any further.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hearing the knock on the front door of the restaurant, Liz sighed. Didn’t people know how to read? The closed sign was right there. “We’re closed!” She called out, not even bothering to look up and see who was at the door. Instead she focused on her task, she wanted nothing to do but go upstairs and take a bath, so it was that temptation that had her working furiously to achieve it.
Again, there was a knock on the door. Spinning around from the milkshake machine, Liz placed her hands on her hips, ready to give someone a piece of her mind. It was only when she saw Max that the words died. For a moment, she just stood there stupidly, gazing at him through the window.
“You gonna let me in?”
His voice broke whatever spell she’d been under. Tossing the rag down on the counter top, Liz slowly moved to the door and opened it for him.
After Max stepped inside, Liz locked the door behind him. “What’s up Max?” She asked, hoping that her voice was light and breezy. She was honestly surprised to see him there. The last time they’d spoken, they were both so angry. She just hoped that this was not going to be another repeat of that.
Looking towards the back, Max listened for any sound, “Uh, you here by yourself?”
“Yeah, Jose was here before, but he had to get home to his family, so he skipped out a little early. Agnes was supposed to close with me, but she figured that when the customers left, she could too.” As long as it took to clean up by herself, Liz didn’t mind the silence.
She’d been avoiding Maria for the past two days. After their conversation, Liz had successfully gotten away from Maria in all cases. At school, she avoided her friend, last night, she’d been off, and tonight, Maria was.
“Oh.”
Moving to swivel chairs at the counter, Liz claimed a seat. “What’s going on, Max? I doubt you’re here to talk about my coworkers.”
Walking closer to her, Max stopped a few feet away. “I was thinking, and I think that maybe you should tell the others, about what happened in October.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Liz replied easily, and quickly. There was no way she could do that. Telling Max was one thing, but she knew that if he’d gotten that angry, then chances are Isabel and Michael would flip their lids.
“It couldn’t hurt, besides, don’t you think they should know...and be able to prepare themselves?”
“Prepare themselves against what?” Liz asked quietly. “I don’t know who the enemies are, that he was referring to. Tess is still here, so things aren’t gonna go down the way they did before. Why mix up the pot when we don’t have to?”
“Liz, if it had been anyone else, wouldn’t you want to know about it?” Max asked, trying from another angle.
“I get what you’re saying, but Michael...and probably Isabel, are going to skin me alive,” she admitted, her true fear coming to surface.
“They won’t,” Max denied. At the audacious look on her face, Max back peddled. “Okay, so they might try, but I won’t let them.” He understood Liz’s concern, but as far as we was concerned, there were too many secrets among the group as it was. Something that needed to stop.
Seeing the imploring look on his face, Liz looked away from Max and let out a weary sigh. “I’ll think about it, Max.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Okay, what are we doing?” Kyle asked, as the group congregated in Michael’s one bedroom apartment.
Hearing the question, Michael perked up. He was wondering the same exact thing. When Max made the arrangement for everyone to meet there, he was quiet about his reasoning. “Excellent question,” he agreed, with a pointed look at Max.
Turning away from Michael, Max resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Well, this is Liz’s show,” he answered, gesturing to his ex-girlfriend. Since arriving, he’d avoided looking in Liz’s direction, finally seeing her, he noticed that she was a ball of nervous energy.
With one last uneasy smile at Max, Liz turned to the others. To say that she was nervous and anxious, would be an understatement. Telling Maria was one thing, she was her best friend, of course Maria would understand! Liz knew that she could undoubtedly count on Alex, but the others? That’s where she grew uneasy. Max’s reaction had not been the greatest, to put it lightly. She knew that if his reaction was...as it was, that Michael and Isabel would be much worse. The two had always been so protective of Max. As for Tess, she was iffy. Liz knew that despite what Tess told Max, that the blonde still had lingering feelings for him. Liz feared that Tess would use the situation to her advantage. Kyle, she didn’t much worry about him, he was resilient.
Grabbing her hand, Maria offered Liz a reassuring smile. Inwardly, she was worried about Michael and Alex’s reactions. Alex was her best friend, but she worried that he would be angry with her for withholding the truth. Both she and Liz had never gotten over almost losing Alex for the lies. Michael...well, Michael was another story all together. Her relationship with him was so precarious. The smallest incident could set their world off balance. There was also the slight anger she felt for Liz for putting her in the position of lying to him in the first place. On the other hand, Liz was her best friend first and foremost, she would do anything for her. She just hoped that Michael would understand that...
Taking a deep breath, Liz tried to gather her thoughts...and courage. She absolutely hated the idea of Michael and Isabel’s reactions. If she had her way, she would never say anything to the others. Since her argument with Max, days earlier, the only time that he’d spoken to her was to tell her that the others needed to know. Deep down, she knew that he was right, she just didn’t want to be the person to break it to them.
Letting out a loud, impatient sigh, Michael turned his demanding look to Liz. “Well?”
Seeing that her friend was already becoming flustered, Maria stepped in to defend her. “Chill, Michael.”
At her order, Michael turned to his girlfriend with a probing expression. “You know what it is, don’t you?”
Tossing him a ‘duh’ look, Maria nodded. “Hello, best friend here...of course I know.”
Giving Maria a thankful smile, Liz turned to the others. “Umm, okay, so...well, I would ask you all to wait for me to finish my story before saying anything. Although, something tells me that’s not going to happen.”
Alex offered the speaker a tentative smile. “What’s going on, Liz?”
“Look, I know that what I’m about to say is going to sound insane, but try and keep an open mind,” Liz warned.
Breaking in before she could continue, Kyle voiced his opinion. “Hmm, with a beginning like that, I’m not feeling that this is gonna be good news...”
Ignoring his attempt to break the tension in the room, Liz continued. “In October, I had a visitor.”
“And this involves us, how?” Isabel asked, unsure of what Liz was trying to say.
“It was Max, from the future.”
At the unexpected news, the room fell silent. For a few moments, no one even exhaled.
It was Michael that broke the silence, with a snort of disbelief. “Right, afterwards, he took me out for a beer.”
“I’m serious, Michael,” Liz argued quietly, having expected his reaction, or at least a sarcastic one from him.
Looking from her blood brother to the guy she considered one, Isabel blinked. “How do you know it was Max?” With their lives, there were numerous possibilities.
“I think I would know Max,” ‘what with seeing into each other’s souls’, Liz replied, keeping the last part to herself.
“Okay, hold on,” Kyle said, moving forward from his sitting position. “Uh, I may be stuck in remedial science here, but a future version of Max? That isn’t possible...is it?” He asked, noticing that everyone turned to Liz for her scientific view.
“That’s all a little unclear,” she admitted.
“So, then how do you know it was a future version of him...as opposed to a shape shifter or something else?” Alex asked.
“Time travel doesn’t exist when dealing with human technology, but we’re dealing with aliens here, anything is possible,” she reminded them.
At the word ‘alien’, Michael, Isabel and Tess jumped to attention. “Excuse me?” Tess demanded.
“He used the granolith.”
“The granolith?” Michael asked. “It’s a time machine?” As of yet, the group was still pretty much clueless about it and it’s designs.
“No, but it holds a lot of power,” Liz replied. “He modified it so it could tear a whole through space. It was definitely him...believe me.”
“So he came back for what...a walk down memory lane?” Kyle broke in.
“To warn me. In his time line, things played out differently.”
“How differently?” Alex asked, knowing it was on everyone’s mind.
“The world ended, fourteen years in the future. Your enemies attacked and you weren’t strong enough to defeat them.”
Michael began firing off questions. “Who were our enemies? More importantly, how come we couldn’t defeat them?”
“I don’t know who your enemies were, but the reason why you weren’t strong enough is because Tess had left.” Upon seeing the confused expressions on Michael and Isabel’s faces, she explained further. “The four of you are a unit. Since Tess was absent, your powers were incomplete.”
“Why’d I leave?” Tess asked in a small voice.
Max and Liz exchanged significant glances across the room. Liz didn’t reply, what could she say? “Uh...” she trailed off. She still felt an irrational anger towards Tess, over a decision the small blonde hadn’t even made.
“Because I couldn’t handle you and Max...” Tess finished. She knew that because she felt the same way. At one point, she considered leaving Roswell.
Liz nodded slowly.
Focusing on something else, Isabel brought up another question. “This happened in October, and you’re just now telling us?”
Again, Liz nodded. “I know it sounds really bad...”
Isabel interrupted her before she could continue. “Damn right it does! How could you keep this from us for all these months?”
Looking over at Liz, Max could literally see her shutting down with every word that Isabel said. He knew that look, and he knew that if the accusations kept coming, then Liz would more than likely book it out of there. “Isabel...”
Hearing the tone of her brother’s voice, Isabel rolled her eyes. “No, Max.” She refused to back down...not this time. “This needs to be said.”
“I’ve already talked things through with Liz,” Max replied quietly.
“Oh...really?” Isabel inquired. Somehow, she didn’t believe that.
“Really,” Max shot back. He knew his sister was angry. He could tell by the way her eyes were narrowed, and he could bet that Michael was, as well. Max knew it was warranted, but he refused to let them use this as another reason to go against her. He’d already spoken to Liz, and as much as he didn’t agree with the way she handled the situation, he knew she only did what she thought was best.
“How can you sit there and be so calm?” Isabel demanded, in a strangled tone. She was livid, and she knew by Michael’s quiet demeanor, he was as well.
“I was furious when I first found out,” he admitted, “but what is there we can do? It already happened. And as much as I hate to say this, Liz didn’t have to tell anyone what happened.”
“Oh, so we should give her a gold star for effort?” Michael shot back, his eyes shooting daggers at the girl in question.
“Look,” Liz began unsurely. As Michael and Isabel’s cold looks settled upon her, she almost wished she hadn’t said anything. “I know you are both angry, you have every right to be, but you have to know...I tried to do what I thought was best.” She knew that she’d let her Max down repeatedly, but she didn’t want to do the same for his older version.
“Don’t tell us how we should react,” Michael spat back.
Having had enough of the accusations, Maria finally stood up and went to her friend’s side. “Hey buddy, maybe you should calm down here. Let’s not forget that she saved the world in the process, and along with it, your ungrateful asses.” Michael and Isabel had lost point of the main thing, and she knew that Liz would never throw that into their faces. She was too nice for that, no, instead she’d take their words at face value and then spend the next month re-evaluating herself based on them.
“What?” Tess asked, turning to Maria. She hadn’t said anything to Liz, because she knew she had no right to. Essentially, she knew that she was the one to start the whole thing by not sticking around, all Liz was guilty of, was trying to fix the mistakes that had been made. For one brief second, she felt her spirits soar with the realization that she and Max were needed to be together, but she knew that was not the case, nor would Max stand for it.
“Everyone died, including Michael and Isabel,” Maria replied, her eyes turning to her boyfriend and Isabel, daring them to argue against that.
“And the rest of us?” Kyle asked, with a frown. “I’d like to know that I’m gonna live past the year 2014.”
Liz shrugged at him. “I don’t think we have to worry about that anymore. I put a plan into motion that seems to have...worked. Tess is still here. As for whoever else died...I don’t know. He only specifically mentioned Isabel and Michael. Maybe it was because they were the last of the group to die before he came here. I kinda got the impression though, that the rest of you were already dead.”
At the first part of Liz’s statement, a look of clarity claimed Kyle. “That night...” he trailed off. Un-freaking-believable! Hey, he’d helped save the world! Eat that, Max Evans!
“What night?” Tess asked, looking between Liz and a very proud looking Kyle.
“Kyle and I never slept together. It was a ruse. Future Max knew what time my Max, er, this Max would be coming by. So I had Kyle come over to...”
“Hurt my brother?” Isabel asked, one eyebrow arched in demand.
Looking down to the floor, Liz nodded, biting her lower lip.
“Do you have any idea how much you hurt him?” Isabel asked once again, as she thought back to the past few months. “You broke his heart.”
Sherrie, thanks again for this! I just love your thoughts on my story!
Chapter 17
With her nerves shot, Isabel stormed into her brother’s room, slamming the door open. “What is that annoying noise?” She demanded. She’d been trying to get a paper done for one of her classes, but her attention was splintered when she heard every annoying tap, something coming from his room.
Throwing the tennis ball against the wall that separated their rooms, Max caught it before turning to Isabel with a pointed look. “This?”
Isabel nodded. “Yeah, that.” He had on a wounded face, which she knew it could only mean one thing...Liz. “Uh, since when do you...do this?” She asked, referring to the ball. Max used to turn to the Counting Crows or something equally as annoying, but she’d learned to phase it out...but this? No, this just wasn’t acceptable.
Max shrugged. “I’m trying something new,” he answered simply.
“Well...find something else,” she told him gently. Isabel knew that he was in a funk, so she tried to be as polite as possible with him, but her nerves were just...frayed. She watched as he simply dropped the ball and lay back against his bed, staring at the ceiling. “Max, do you want to talk?” She offered.
“No.” No, he knew that opening his mouth right now would only upset his sister. She’d always been so against Liz. While that dislike had lessened and she developed an uneasy friendship with his ex-girlfriend, any development stopped when the rumors of Liz and Kyle began circulating. He loved his sister dearly, really, he did...but sometimes she could suffocate him when she took on her ‘mother hen’ role.
“Are you sure?” She double checked, noticing his hesitancy.
“No, yeah I’m sure...maybe another time though...” He was tempted to talk to her, to anyone, but he couldn’t. At least, not without revealing certain facts that he and Liz had to discuss at length.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Slamming the plates down in front of her customers, Liz belatedly realized her mistake. She offered a small, half sincere smile of apology. “If you need anything else, just let me know.”
“Have a nice day!” Maria wished cheerfully as her customer walked out the door. With a quick glance, she looked around to the rest of her tables, making sure that they all had what they needed before she met Liz behind the counter. “Gee, Liz,” she began, “you got a bug up your butt or something?” She asked. Liz was never so mindless around the customers.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liz denied, in a deceptively innocent voice.
Maria snorted. “Right.” It wasn’t the first time that Liz had acted so carelessly during their shift. “You do realize that you just flushed away any chance of a tip, don’t you?”
Liz rolled her eyes. “Ugh, screw the tip.”
Maria opened her mouth to question Liz, but stopped when Jose rang the bell to signal that her order was up. “I’ll be right back, and then you are going to tell me what happened to rustle your feathers.”
As the blonde moved away, Liz rolled her eyes. “Can’t wait,” she muttered darkly.
She and Maria hadn’t had a chance to talk before their shift started, though she knew that the blonde wanted to know what happened at lunch during her conversation with Max.
Liz was grateful for the escape from her determined friend. It gave her a chance to collect her thoughts and stew in her anger. She was still furious with Max’s actions, and hurt by his motives. It was such a purposely malicious action, and malicious was not an adjective that she would have ever used to describe him.
More than that, he did it to her. Why her? Why not to one of the others? He supposedly ‘loved’ her, he wasn’t supposed to purposely hurt her. People don’t do that to the ones that they love. Yes, she did hurt him, but there were extenuating circumstances to that. It wasn’t as though she woke up that morning with the intent to hurt him.
That was another thing that nagged at her. Max’s words struck a cord in her. He made her question her actions, and that further upset her...because she knew that he was right. She did hurt him, very badly. Ever since it happened, she tried to explain it away, but deep down, she was beginning to realize that she was no better than him.
“But the fact is, you hurt me. The fact is, even knowing that you had noble intentions, there’s a part of me that still doesn’t care.”
His words were constantly at the forefront of her mind. No matter how much she tried to ignore them, they wouldn’t go away. Then a picture of his face, at that moment, would enter her mind. The sadness and hurt etched on his features pulled at her heart strings. The rest of her day had pretty much sucked from then on. She’d had a pop quiz in fifth period, something that she knew she failed...miserably. She couldn’t concentrate in her sixth hour class. Now, she was feeling completely miserable. The last thing she needed or wanted, was to deal with customers when she was in this funk. Three hours into her shift, and she only had a very small amount of tip money, something that was so off. She was usually pretty happy with her tips, but not today.
“Okay, I’m back...so what happened?”
Liz shrugged. “What’s there to say? We talked.”
Maria shook her head. “You talked? And this...talking is what is making you act like this?” No, there had to be something else to this.
“Okay, so we kind of...vented with one another more then anything,” Liz allowed.
All right, now she was getting somewhere. “Okay...well, what did Max have to say?”
“You know, I really don’t want to discuss this right now, Maria.” She was already in a bad enough mood, she knew that talking about it was not what she needed to improve her mood.
“Liz...”
Cutting her friend off before she could say anything further, Liz spoke up. “Maybe later. Now just...isn’t the time, or the place.” Aside from that, the more time that she reflected on the words she shared with him that afternoon, the more she realized that she was in the wrong. She certainly didn’t need Maria to tell her so, as well.
Knowing that Liz was set in her decision, Maria didn’t press any further.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hearing the knock on the front door of the restaurant, Liz sighed. Didn’t people know how to read? The closed sign was right there. “We’re closed!” She called out, not even bothering to look up and see who was at the door. Instead she focused on her task, she wanted nothing to do but go upstairs and take a bath, so it was that temptation that had her working furiously to achieve it.
Again, there was a knock on the door. Spinning around from the milkshake machine, Liz placed her hands on her hips, ready to give someone a piece of her mind. It was only when she saw Max that the words died. For a moment, she just stood there stupidly, gazing at him through the window.
“You gonna let me in?”
His voice broke whatever spell she’d been under. Tossing the rag down on the counter top, Liz slowly moved to the door and opened it for him.
After Max stepped inside, Liz locked the door behind him. “What’s up Max?” She asked, hoping that her voice was light and breezy. She was honestly surprised to see him there. The last time they’d spoken, they were both so angry. She just hoped that this was not going to be another repeat of that.
Looking towards the back, Max listened for any sound, “Uh, you here by yourself?”
“Yeah, Jose was here before, but he had to get home to his family, so he skipped out a little early. Agnes was supposed to close with me, but she figured that when the customers left, she could too.” As long as it took to clean up by herself, Liz didn’t mind the silence.
She’d been avoiding Maria for the past two days. After their conversation, Liz had successfully gotten away from Maria in all cases. At school, she avoided her friend, last night, she’d been off, and tonight, Maria was.
“Oh.”
Moving to swivel chairs at the counter, Liz claimed a seat. “What’s going on, Max? I doubt you’re here to talk about my coworkers.”
Walking closer to her, Max stopped a few feet away. “I was thinking, and I think that maybe you should tell the others, about what happened in October.”
“No, I don’t think so,” Liz replied easily, and quickly. There was no way she could do that. Telling Max was one thing, but she knew that if he’d gotten that angry, then chances are Isabel and Michael would flip their lids.
“It couldn’t hurt, besides, don’t you think they should know...and be able to prepare themselves?”
“Prepare themselves against what?” Liz asked quietly. “I don’t know who the enemies are, that he was referring to. Tess is still here, so things aren’t gonna go down the way they did before. Why mix up the pot when we don’t have to?”
“Liz, if it had been anyone else, wouldn’t you want to know about it?” Max asked, trying from another angle.
“I get what you’re saying, but Michael...and probably Isabel, are going to skin me alive,” she admitted, her true fear coming to surface.
“They won’t,” Max denied. At the audacious look on her face, Max back peddled. “Okay, so they might try, but I won’t let them.” He understood Liz’s concern, but as far as we was concerned, there were too many secrets among the group as it was. Something that needed to stop.
Seeing the imploring look on his face, Liz looked away from Max and let out a weary sigh. “I’ll think about it, Max.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Okay, what are we doing?” Kyle asked, as the group congregated in Michael’s one bedroom apartment.
Hearing the question, Michael perked up. He was wondering the same exact thing. When Max made the arrangement for everyone to meet there, he was quiet about his reasoning. “Excellent question,” he agreed, with a pointed look at Max.
Turning away from Michael, Max resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Well, this is Liz’s show,” he answered, gesturing to his ex-girlfriend. Since arriving, he’d avoided looking in Liz’s direction, finally seeing her, he noticed that she was a ball of nervous energy.
With one last uneasy smile at Max, Liz turned to the others. To say that she was nervous and anxious, would be an understatement. Telling Maria was one thing, she was her best friend, of course Maria would understand! Liz knew that she could undoubtedly count on Alex, but the others? That’s where she grew uneasy. Max’s reaction had not been the greatest, to put it lightly. She knew that if his reaction was...as it was, that Michael and Isabel would be much worse. The two had always been so protective of Max. As for Tess, she was iffy. Liz knew that despite what Tess told Max, that the blonde still had lingering feelings for him. Liz feared that Tess would use the situation to her advantage. Kyle, she didn’t much worry about him, he was resilient.
Grabbing her hand, Maria offered Liz a reassuring smile. Inwardly, she was worried about Michael and Alex’s reactions. Alex was her best friend, but she worried that he would be angry with her for withholding the truth. Both she and Liz had never gotten over almost losing Alex for the lies. Michael...well, Michael was another story all together. Her relationship with him was so precarious. The smallest incident could set their world off balance. There was also the slight anger she felt for Liz for putting her in the position of lying to him in the first place. On the other hand, Liz was her best friend first and foremost, she would do anything for her. She just hoped that Michael would understand that...
Taking a deep breath, Liz tried to gather her thoughts...and courage. She absolutely hated the idea of Michael and Isabel’s reactions. If she had her way, she would never say anything to the others. Since her argument with Max, days earlier, the only time that he’d spoken to her was to tell her that the others needed to know. Deep down, she knew that he was right, she just didn’t want to be the person to break it to them.
Letting out a loud, impatient sigh, Michael turned his demanding look to Liz. “Well?”
Seeing that her friend was already becoming flustered, Maria stepped in to defend her. “Chill, Michael.”
At her order, Michael turned to his girlfriend with a probing expression. “You know what it is, don’t you?”
Tossing him a ‘duh’ look, Maria nodded. “Hello, best friend here...of course I know.”
Giving Maria a thankful smile, Liz turned to the others. “Umm, okay, so...well, I would ask you all to wait for me to finish my story before saying anything. Although, something tells me that’s not going to happen.”
Alex offered the speaker a tentative smile. “What’s going on, Liz?”
“Look, I know that what I’m about to say is going to sound insane, but try and keep an open mind,” Liz warned.
Breaking in before she could continue, Kyle voiced his opinion. “Hmm, with a beginning like that, I’m not feeling that this is gonna be good news...”
Ignoring his attempt to break the tension in the room, Liz continued. “In October, I had a visitor.”
“And this involves us, how?” Isabel asked, unsure of what Liz was trying to say.
“It was Max, from the future.”
At the unexpected news, the room fell silent. For a few moments, no one even exhaled.
It was Michael that broke the silence, with a snort of disbelief. “Right, afterwards, he took me out for a beer.”
“I’m serious, Michael,” Liz argued quietly, having expected his reaction, or at least a sarcastic one from him.
Looking from her blood brother to the guy she considered one, Isabel blinked. “How do you know it was Max?” With their lives, there were numerous possibilities.
“I think I would know Max,” ‘what with seeing into each other’s souls’, Liz replied, keeping the last part to herself.
“Okay, hold on,” Kyle said, moving forward from his sitting position. “Uh, I may be stuck in remedial science here, but a future version of Max? That isn’t possible...is it?” He asked, noticing that everyone turned to Liz for her scientific view.
“That’s all a little unclear,” she admitted.
“So, then how do you know it was a future version of him...as opposed to a shape shifter or something else?” Alex asked.
“Time travel doesn’t exist when dealing with human technology, but we’re dealing with aliens here, anything is possible,” she reminded them.
At the word ‘alien’, Michael, Isabel and Tess jumped to attention. “Excuse me?” Tess demanded.
“He used the granolith.”
“The granolith?” Michael asked. “It’s a time machine?” As of yet, the group was still pretty much clueless about it and it’s designs.
“No, but it holds a lot of power,” Liz replied. “He modified it so it could tear a whole through space. It was definitely him...believe me.”
“So he came back for what...a walk down memory lane?” Kyle broke in.
“To warn me. In his time line, things played out differently.”
“How differently?” Alex asked, knowing it was on everyone’s mind.
“The world ended, fourteen years in the future. Your enemies attacked and you weren’t strong enough to defeat them.”
Michael began firing off questions. “Who were our enemies? More importantly, how come we couldn’t defeat them?”
“I don’t know who your enemies were, but the reason why you weren’t strong enough is because Tess had left.” Upon seeing the confused expressions on Michael and Isabel’s faces, she explained further. “The four of you are a unit. Since Tess was absent, your powers were incomplete.”
“Why’d I leave?” Tess asked in a small voice.
Max and Liz exchanged significant glances across the room. Liz didn’t reply, what could she say? “Uh...” she trailed off. She still felt an irrational anger towards Tess, over a decision the small blonde hadn’t even made.
“Because I couldn’t handle you and Max...” Tess finished. She knew that because she felt the same way. At one point, she considered leaving Roswell.
Liz nodded slowly.
Focusing on something else, Isabel brought up another question. “This happened in October, and you’re just now telling us?”
Again, Liz nodded. “I know it sounds really bad...”
Isabel interrupted her before she could continue. “Damn right it does! How could you keep this from us for all these months?”
Looking over at Liz, Max could literally see her shutting down with every word that Isabel said. He knew that look, and he knew that if the accusations kept coming, then Liz would more than likely book it out of there. “Isabel...”
Hearing the tone of her brother’s voice, Isabel rolled her eyes. “No, Max.” She refused to back down...not this time. “This needs to be said.”
“I’ve already talked things through with Liz,” Max replied quietly.
“Oh...really?” Isabel inquired. Somehow, she didn’t believe that.
“Really,” Max shot back. He knew his sister was angry. He could tell by the way her eyes were narrowed, and he could bet that Michael was, as well. Max knew it was warranted, but he refused to let them use this as another reason to go against her. He’d already spoken to Liz, and as much as he didn’t agree with the way she handled the situation, he knew she only did what she thought was best.
“How can you sit there and be so calm?” Isabel demanded, in a strangled tone. She was livid, and she knew by Michael’s quiet demeanor, he was as well.
“I was furious when I first found out,” he admitted, “but what is there we can do? It already happened. And as much as I hate to say this, Liz didn’t have to tell anyone what happened.”
“Oh, so we should give her a gold star for effort?” Michael shot back, his eyes shooting daggers at the girl in question.
“Look,” Liz began unsurely. As Michael and Isabel’s cold looks settled upon her, she almost wished she hadn’t said anything. “I know you are both angry, you have every right to be, but you have to know...I tried to do what I thought was best.” She knew that she’d let her Max down repeatedly, but she didn’t want to do the same for his older version.
“Don’t tell us how we should react,” Michael spat back.
Having had enough of the accusations, Maria finally stood up and went to her friend’s side. “Hey buddy, maybe you should calm down here. Let’s not forget that she saved the world in the process, and along with it, your ungrateful asses.” Michael and Isabel had lost point of the main thing, and she knew that Liz would never throw that into their faces. She was too nice for that, no, instead she’d take their words at face value and then spend the next month re-evaluating herself based on them.
“What?” Tess asked, turning to Maria. She hadn’t said anything to Liz, because she knew she had no right to. Essentially, she knew that she was the one to start the whole thing by not sticking around, all Liz was guilty of, was trying to fix the mistakes that had been made. For one brief second, she felt her spirits soar with the realization that she and Max were needed to be together, but she knew that was not the case, nor would Max stand for it.
“Everyone died, including Michael and Isabel,” Maria replied, her eyes turning to her boyfriend and Isabel, daring them to argue against that.
“And the rest of us?” Kyle asked, with a frown. “I’d like to know that I’m gonna live past the year 2014.”
Liz shrugged at him. “I don’t think we have to worry about that anymore. I put a plan into motion that seems to have...worked. Tess is still here. As for whoever else died...I don’t know. He only specifically mentioned Isabel and Michael. Maybe it was because they were the last of the group to die before he came here. I kinda got the impression though, that the rest of you were already dead.”
At the first part of Liz’s statement, a look of clarity claimed Kyle. “That night...” he trailed off. Un-freaking-believable! Hey, he’d helped save the world! Eat that, Max Evans!
“What night?” Tess asked, looking between Liz and a very proud looking Kyle.
“Kyle and I never slept together. It was a ruse. Future Max knew what time my Max, er, this Max would be coming by. So I had Kyle come over to...”
“Hurt my brother?” Isabel asked, one eyebrow arched in demand.
Looking down to the floor, Liz nodded, biting her lower lip.
“Do you have any idea how much you hurt him?” Isabel asked once again, as she thought back to the past few months. “You broke his heart.”
Chapter 18
Disclaimer: The song used in this chapter is called ‘If You Leave’, by Nada Surf.
“So...tonight was pretty bad,” Alex voiced hesitantly, as he pulled to a stop in the back of the Crashdown.
Liz could only nod, her thoughts distracting her. She’d been silent the entire ride home, Alex had tried to coerce her into a conversation, but so far, she hadn’t responded. Even though it was a futile attempt, Liz was thankful for his attempt anyway.
If you leave, don’t leave now
Please don’t take my heart away
Promise me just one more night
Then we’ll go our separate ways
We always had time on our sides
Now it’s fading fast
Every second every moment
We’ve gotta make it last
“Liz, I’m sure it was just the shock of things,” he tried to excuse, though personally, he was a little surprised with Isabel’s reaction.
He knew that things between Liz and Isabel were a bit uncertain, something that had lessened in the past few months, but Isabel’s reaction still shocked him. Isabel had allowed him to see a side to her that only Max and Michael had ever known. The girl that was at Michael’s tonight, she bore no resemblance to the Isabel he’d grown to care so much about.
Inwardly, Liz rolled her eyes. Isabel’s reaction had nothing to do with shock. It was all about Max, that’s what it was always about.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry things worked out the way that they did,” Alex apologized.
Liz felt the corners of her mouth lift up into a smile for the first time since everything blew up in her face. “Me too.”
“So...the end of the world, huh?” Alex asked, after a moment of collective silence.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner,” Liz apologized in a small voice. “And I’m sorry that you had to hear about it with everyone else.”
Alex nodded, he knew that Liz never set out to hurt anyone, even if it turned out that way. “I know. It’s a pretty big deal, I can’t imagine that it was easy to open up to everyone.”
No, it sure wasn’t. “True, but you deserved to tell hear that privately. I don’t like hiding things from you, Alex.”
Alex shrugged. He honestly didn’t mind this time. “Eh, you told Max privately, and that’s all that matters.”
Distracted with her thoughts once again, Liz barely nodded. “I guess.”
“So, what are you gonna do now?”
At the inquiry, Liz paused. Good question. What was she gonna do? “I don’t know.” She’d pretty much driven Michael and Isabel away with her revelation that night. She didn’t pretend to be ignorant of that. She had a feeling that it would be a while before there was any sort of comfort around them. At least she had Maria and Alex...and even Kyle. “I’ve spent so much time, waiting for the other shoe to drop, and now...I just have to pick up the pieces.”
“What about Max?”
I touch you once I touch you twice
I won’t let go at any price
I need you now, like I needed you then
You always said we’d still be friends
Shrugging, Liz looked over to Alex with a small, painful smile on her face. “I don’t know what the hell we are to one another now.” Other then his surprising appearance after closing the other night, they’d pretty much avoided each other. “I really hurt him, and I don’t know how to go on from that,” she confessed. “Aside from that, he hurt me too.” Upon seeing the confused expression on her companion’s face, she explained further. “We...did a bit of sharing. Needless to say, we’re both hurt and...I just don’t know what to do, Alex. I love him, I do. I just have this...feeling, in the back of my head that, when we do start talking again, it’s never gonna be the same.”
“No, probably not,” he agreed.
“How did we get like this? I know that the eight of us have had differences over the past year, but it’s like everything’s falling apart. You know, in another time line, Max and I were together at this time, most likely joined at the hip...or our lower extremities,”
she corrected herself, trying to smile. “Now, we can’t even stand to be in the same room with each other...and it’s all my fault.”
“The situation sucks Liz, but you know...even if all we can really focus on right now is the small picture, it’s gonna get better. You may have made a few waves, but we’ll ride them and soon, everyone else will get over it. It’s just gonna take time.”
“That’s what my mind says, I just wish that someone could explain it to my heart,” she replied, anticipating the upcoming weeks as, well, for lack of a better term, bad. “I just don’t know how to go about fixing things.”
“Liz, you need to learn to let things play their course. You can’t fix everything, and it’s not always up to you to do that. Sometimes people have to meet you half way,” he argued gently. He was not about to let Liz take all the blame without even seeing the other side to the story.
Having been friends with Alex long enough, she knew he was referring to Michael and Isabel. “And, what if they don’t?” She didn’t want to be on the outs with Max’s sister and best friend. Despite the fact that they may never become close friends, she still wanted their approval, she felt as though she needed it. It was the way she’d always felt.
“Then they don’t deserve to have you in their lives,” it was as simple as that, or at least to him, it was.
Leaning over, Liz hugged her best friend and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Alex. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“So, you and Liz never...” Tess brought up, hoping that her tone held enough nonchalance to it so that Kyle wouldn’t become suspicious. Over the past few weeks, she’d been looking at Kyle in a different light, and the idea that he and Liz had been intimate, began nagging at her.
“Nope.” Liz wasn’t that kind of girl. Not to say that she was a prude or anything, but he knew her view on sex, and they certainly never had the sort of relationship that would tempt Liz into sharing that part of herself. “If I didn’t get it from her when we were together, I sure as hell wouldn’t get it from her after being broken up. The truth is, I’ve seen more of her at various pool parties.”
If you leave, I won’t cry
I won’t waste a single day
But if you leave, don’t look back
I’ll be running the other way
Seven years went by under the bridge
Like time was standing still
Heaven knows what happens now
You’ve gotta say you will
“Oh.” She was still having a hard time understanding human relationships, at least from a non-judgmental stand point. She rationalized her want of Max, Michael and Isabel as a way of survival. It was the four of them against the world. Watching everyone interact with each other around her though, she was still confused. Where did such loyalty come into play? “Why’d you agree to help her out before you even knew what she wanted?”
“‘Cause it was Liz. She’s one of the best people that I’ve ever known. When we were together, I was kind of a jerk to her,” he admitted. He wasn’t the worst boyfriend in the world, but she had deserved better, he knew it then, like he knew it now. “Despite that, she still stayed by my side and gave me the benefit of the doubt. I’m just glad that I could repay her.” At the time, he’d been all about image, his popularity really played an important roll in his life. It wasn’t until he and Liz got together that he began seeing himself in a different light.
“So...you really love her, huh?”
Pulling up the driveway, Kyle turned off the engine. “Sure, she’s a great girl.” Inwardly, he mused at the way Tess frowned. He had known from the moment her questioning began, that she had an ulterior motive. While he knew it was wrong to mess with her, he couldn’t help himself. She was just so darn adorable.
“I’m really glad that you and she are close,” Tess found herself choking over the words.
Pulling the keys out of the ignition, Kyle turned to Tess. “You know, I always thought that I wanted to marry someone like Liz.”
Tess startled at the comment. “Really?” Liz? Sure, Tess didn’t know her very well, and yeah, the girl must have done something right to have so much loyalty from her friends, but wasn’t Liz kind of...boring? “Aren’t you a little young to be thinking about marriage?”
“But I realized I was wrong,” Kyle continued as though he hadn’t heard her.
“How so?” Tess wasn’t sure why she wanted to know, but his words captivated her.
Kyle nodded, still playing things off. “Yeah, I realized that her hair is too dark, and she’s too human,” he shared, with a twinkle in his eyes.
Her heart jumped in her throat. “And, how long have you felt this way?” She questioned, inwardly cursing herself for feeling so strongly about this. She wasn’t used to putting herself out there, and the first time she had, she’d been shot down. Needless to say, she was more than nervous at the moment.
“Since this former, alien queen moved in with me and my dad,” he replied, as though it wasn’t a big deal. The fact was, that he’d always found Tess attractive, but there was something about her that just called to him. He honestly hadn’t expected his feelings for her to develop into something so significant.
As the implication of his words hit her, Tess felt momentarily giddy. The feeling didn’t last long though. As much as she wanted to let her guard completely down, she knew she couldn’t. “Kyle...” Even though she hated to admit it to anyone, she was still allowing herself to learn human emotions, and on top of that, there was Max to consider. Her feelings for him still lingered, and she knew that Kyle deserved better than that.
As if sensing her thoughts, Kyle nodded. “You did tell me once that your lamp needed trimming. I just want you to know, that I’m up for the challenge, whenever you are.” He tried to play the moment off so that the moment didn’t seem so heavy, he just hoped that she understood his seriousness in the statement.
As Kyle moved to the front door, Tess watched in the passenger seat, beaming at him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Since being left alone in the apartment, Maria anxiously claimed a seat on the couch. She tried to sneak out with the others as they left, but Michael had caught her arm. For the past ten minutes, he’d done nothing but pace around the living room. It was enough to irritate Maria. “Michael, would you please stop doing that?”
At the question, Michael stopped and spun around to face her. “I...I can’t believe that you didn’t tell me about this!”
At his demand, Maria raised an eyebrow. Well, that was rich, coming from Michael. “Excuse me? Look, Liz needed a confidant and...I couldn’t break that trust. And, aside from that, you’ve always held back from me...so why should I have run to you with the story?”
“What about when I learned about all that stuff from Hal?” Michael argued. As much as he wanted to tell Max and Isabel, he’d gone to Maria first.
“Yeah, and what about that whole...Courtney thing?” Maria argued. She understood his anger, but honestly, he’d done the same thing himself countless times.
At the mention of the deceased woman, Michael’s shoulders slumped. “Are you ever gonna let that go?”
Letting herself relax a bit, Maria approached him. “I wasn’t saying that to hurt you,” she clarified. “It’s just...you’ve always held stuff back from me, so that earlier statement is just...wrong.”
Michael shook his head. “But this generally affected me!” He retorted, not grasping her point.
In frustration, Maria threw her hands in the air before moving away from him, incase the urge to bitch slap Michael became too much. And to think, she thought she was getting somewhere with him! “You know, just because I don’t come from another planet, doesn’t mean that things don’t affect me too,” she reminded him. “And this was more than just an alien thing. It was personal for Liz. How do you think she felt, getting in front of everyone and laying it all out on the table?”
Michael didn’t say anything, but the exasperated sigh he let out, was more than enough answer to Maria. She knew she was breaking his resolve.
“They were married, they had this perfect little life...until the end of the world,” Maria said, once again approaching him. “Imagine knowing all that, and then having to break the heart of the person you love, in order to save the world,” she continued in a gentle voice. “I know it hurts, that things were hidden from you, but Liz didn’t do it to hurt anyone, she was just...trying to make the best out of a bad situation.”
Running a hand through his hair, Michael stepped back from Maria. He had to admit, his girlfriend had a pretty convincing case, but that didn’t mean he was ready to forgive or forget. “It doesn’t make what she did, right,” he threw in.
Maria nodded as she once again walked up to him. “I know, but Michael...if the situation was reversed, what would you have done?”
I touch you once, I touch you twice
I won’t let go at any price
I need you now, like I needed you then
You always said we’d still be friends someday
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Day, day, day
“How come you stopped me from saying anything more?” Isabel demanded as she stormed into her house, Max, dragging his feet, behind her.
Max was thankful that their parents were out to dinner. The last thing he needed was for his parents to question them about the noise. “Did you see the way Liz was reacting to you?” He demanded. Though he and Liz were no where near a resolution, he still felt oddly protective of her. “If you’d continued on, we wouldn’t have gotten anymore answers,” he reminded her.
“I just don’t understand you,” Isabel confessed. “She broke your heart, she purposely hurt you and you defend her. You shouldn’t take it easy on her.” Her brother had always been blind where Liz was concerned. He’d always held an irrational crush on her, something that only multiplied when they got together.
“I love her,” was the quiet reply.
At the confession, Isabel’s eyes widened. “You have got to be kidding me! Max! Are you just...like a glutton for punishment or something?”
“It’s the way I feel,” Max denied. “I can’t just turn off my feelings, however much I may have wanted to,” the last part was muttered, but still loud enough for his sister to hear. “I understand you are angry Isabel, and I don’t blame you for that. When Liz first told me, I was furious.”
“And you aren’t now?” Isabel asked. Liz had messed with their lives. Not that she wasn’t appreciative for the save and all, but who knows what sort of complications could arise, by messing with things.
“It’s not that, I’ve just had a bit more time to process it all. I understand things a bit better. I’m sure that once you think it over more, your anger will lessen.” At least that was what happened for him, he just hoped that it was the same for Isabel.
A quiet settled between the siblings as they stared at one another, a silence that was broken by the door bell. Shifting his eyes away from Isabel’s Max moved to the door.
I touch you once, I touch you twice
I won’t let go at any price
I need you now, like I needed you then
You always said we’d still be friends someday
“Alex, hey...what are you doing here?”
Alex offered a tight smile to his greeter, but it died as his gaze focused on the person behind Max. Without an invitation, he stepped into the house. “How dare you?”
Isabel startled when Alex spoke to her, his eyes betraying an anger that she’d never seen before, or at least not at her. “Alex?”
“What was that back there? How could you be so...mean? Liz was trying to share something private with you guys, and you just chewed her up and spit her out!” After leaving Liz’s, he made his way to Murray Lane. He wasn’t about to let the night pass, before saying what he needed to.
Tensing up, Isabel took on her famous ‘ice-queen’ persona. “This is none of your business.”
“I am so tired of hearing that! It is my business,” he shot back. “I am an active member in the ‘I know an alien’ club. More than that, Liz is my business and right now she’s not doing so well, so I’m making this my business,” Alex warned. “Where do you get off, treating Liz that way? After everything she’s done for you guys in the last year?” He, Maria and Liz had given up so much because of their ‘friends’, though at the moment, Alex wasn’t even sure if that’s what they were.
Hating to see him so upset with her, Isabel back pedaled. “So, I may have been a little rude...”
Alex let out a sarcastic laugh before she could continue. “A little? Isabel, what the hell was that? You have never spoken to me like that, never! Once upon a time, you and Liz were friendly with one another and now you’re just, like...not,” he trailed off weakly. “And by the way, do you remember the whole, Vilandra fiasco?” He demanded, thinking back to the secret that Isabel had harbored from the others, something that came back and bit them in the ass.
“That’s different,” Isabel denied.
“Really? How so?” Alex didn’t see any differences in the situation. “You lied to us, you kept everyone in the dark. Lonnie and Rath used it against us and almost killed Max, so tell me Isabel, how is it different?”
“I-”
“Let me tell you something Isabel. I don’t like being pushed to the side when something better comes along. I’ve stayed quiet up until now, but you’ve gone too far this time. You are not this cold hearted person, so stop pretending to be. Your brothers, Tess, Liz, Maria and Kyle...are all you have,” he reminded her. “Maybe you should be careful before you push anyone else away.”
Isabel frowned. Anyone else? What did that mean? “Alex, what are you saying?”
Feeling his heart break, Alex stared into her beautiful brown eyes. He didn’t want to say it, but he felt the overwhelming urge to. He couldn’t let things continue on, he deserved better than that, better than her. “I’m saying that I want nothing to do with you. When you see me in the hall at school, look the other way. Don’t try to seek me out, because it will be useless. Unfortunately, we are bound by this secret, so when we are needed to get together, I’ll be there, but not for you.”
(Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha)
If you leave
If you leave
Don’t look back
Don’t look back
Disclaimer: The song used in this chapter is called ‘If You Leave’, by Nada Surf.
“So...tonight was pretty bad,” Alex voiced hesitantly, as he pulled to a stop in the back of the Crashdown.
Liz could only nod, her thoughts distracting her. She’d been silent the entire ride home, Alex had tried to coerce her into a conversation, but so far, she hadn’t responded. Even though it was a futile attempt, Liz was thankful for his attempt anyway.
If you leave, don’t leave now
Please don’t take my heart away
Promise me just one more night
Then we’ll go our separate ways
We always had time on our sides
Now it’s fading fast
Every second every moment
We’ve gotta make it last
“Liz, I’m sure it was just the shock of things,” he tried to excuse, though personally, he was a little surprised with Isabel’s reaction.
He knew that things between Liz and Isabel were a bit uncertain, something that had lessened in the past few months, but Isabel’s reaction still shocked him. Isabel had allowed him to see a side to her that only Max and Michael had ever known. The girl that was at Michael’s tonight, she bore no resemblance to the Isabel he’d grown to care so much about.
Inwardly, Liz rolled her eyes. Isabel’s reaction had nothing to do with shock. It was all about Max, that’s what it was always about.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry things worked out the way that they did,” Alex apologized.
Liz felt the corners of her mouth lift up into a smile for the first time since everything blew up in her face. “Me too.”
“So...the end of the world, huh?” Alex asked, after a moment of collective silence.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner,” Liz apologized in a small voice. “And I’m sorry that you had to hear about it with everyone else.”
Alex nodded, he knew that Liz never set out to hurt anyone, even if it turned out that way. “I know. It’s a pretty big deal, I can’t imagine that it was easy to open up to everyone.”
No, it sure wasn’t. “True, but you deserved to tell hear that privately. I don’t like hiding things from you, Alex.”
Alex shrugged. He honestly didn’t mind this time. “Eh, you told Max privately, and that’s all that matters.”
Distracted with her thoughts once again, Liz barely nodded. “I guess.”
“So, what are you gonna do now?”
At the inquiry, Liz paused. Good question. What was she gonna do? “I don’t know.” She’d pretty much driven Michael and Isabel away with her revelation that night. She didn’t pretend to be ignorant of that. She had a feeling that it would be a while before there was any sort of comfort around them. At least she had Maria and Alex...and even Kyle. “I’ve spent so much time, waiting for the other shoe to drop, and now...I just have to pick up the pieces.”
“What about Max?”
I touch you once I touch you twice
I won’t let go at any price
I need you now, like I needed you then
You always said we’d still be friends
Shrugging, Liz looked over to Alex with a small, painful smile on her face. “I don’t know what the hell we are to one another now.” Other then his surprising appearance after closing the other night, they’d pretty much avoided each other. “I really hurt him, and I don’t know how to go on from that,” she confessed. “Aside from that, he hurt me too.” Upon seeing the confused expression on her companion’s face, she explained further. “We...did a bit of sharing. Needless to say, we’re both hurt and...I just don’t know what to do, Alex. I love him, I do. I just have this...feeling, in the back of my head that, when we do start talking again, it’s never gonna be the same.”
“No, probably not,” he agreed.
“How did we get like this? I know that the eight of us have had differences over the past year, but it’s like everything’s falling apart. You know, in another time line, Max and I were together at this time, most likely joined at the hip...or our lower extremities,”
she corrected herself, trying to smile. “Now, we can’t even stand to be in the same room with each other...and it’s all my fault.”
“The situation sucks Liz, but you know...even if all we can really focus on right now is the small picture, it’s gonna get better. You may have made a few waves, but we’ll ride them and soon, everyone else will get over it. It’s just gonna take time.”
“That’s what my mind says, I just wish that someone could explain it to my heart,” she replied, anticipating the upcoming weeks as, well, for lack of a better term, bad. “I just don’t know how to go about fixing things.”
“Liz, you need to learn to let things play their course. You can’t fix everything, and it’s not always up to you to do that. Sometimes people have to meet you half way,” he argued gently. He was not about to let Liz take all the blame without even seeing the other side to the story.
Having been friends with Alex long enough, she knew he was referring to Michael and Isabel. “And, what if they don’t?” She didn’t want to be on the outs with Max’s sister and best friend. Despite the fact that they may never become close friends, she still wanted their approval, she felt as though she needed it. It was the way she’d always felt.
“Then they don’t deserve to have you in their lives,” it was as simple as that, or at least to him, it was.
Leaning over, Liz hugged her best friend and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Alex. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“So, you and Liz never...” Tess brought up, hoping that her tone held enough nonchalance to it so that Kyle wouldn’t become suspicious. Over the past few weeks, she’d been looking at Kyle in a different light, and the idea that he and Liz had been intimate, began nagging at her.
“Nope.” Liz wasn’t that kind of girl. Not to say that she was a prude or anything, but he knew her view on sex, and they certainly never had the sort of relationship that would tempt Liz into sharing that part of herself. “If I didn’t get it from her when we were together, I sure as hell wouldn’t get it from her after being broken up. The truth is, I’ve seen more of her at various pool parties.”
If you leave, I won’t cry
I won’t waste a single day
But if you leave, don’t look back
I’ll be running the other way
Seven years went by under the bridge
Like time was standing still
Heaven knows what happens now
You’ve gotta say you will
“Oh.” She was still having a hard time understanding human relationships, at least from a non-judgmental stand point. She rationalized her want of Max, Michael and Isabel as a way of survival. It was the four of them against the world. Watching everyone interact with each other around her though, she was still confused. Where did such loyalty come into play? “Why’d you agree to help her out before you even knew what she wanted?”
“‘Cause it was Liz. She’s one of the best people that I’ve ever known. When we were together, I was kind of a jerk to her,” he admitted. He wasn’t the worst boyfriend in the world, but she had deserved better, he knew it then, like he knew it now. “Despite that, she still stayed by my side and gave me the benefit of the doubt. I’m just glad that I could repay her.” At the time, he’d been all about image, his popularity really played an important roll in his life. It wasn’t until he and Liz got together that he began seeing himself in a different light.
“So...you really love her, huh?”
Pulling up the driveway, Kyle turned off the engine. “Sure, she’s a great girl.” Inwardly, he mused at the way Tess frowned. He had known from the moment her questioning began, that she had an ulterior motive. While he knew it was wrong to mess with her, he couldn’t help himself. She was just so darn adorable.
“I’m really glad that you and she are close,” Tess found herself choking over the words.
Pulling the keys out of the ignition, Kyle turned to Tess. “You know, I always thought that I wanted to marry someone like Liz.”
Tess startled at the comment. “Really?” Liz? Sure, Tess didn’t know her very well, and yeah, the girl must have done something right to have so much loyalty from her friends, but wasn’t Liz kind of...boring? “Aren’t you a little young to be thinking about marriage?”
“But I realized I was wrong,” Kyle continued as though he hadn’t heard her.
“How so?” Tess wasn’t sure why she wanted to know, but his words captivated her.
Kyle nodded, still playing things off. “Yeah, I realized that her hair is too dark, and she’s too human,” he shared, with a twinkle in his eyes.
Her heart jumped in her throat. “And, how long have you felt this way?” She questioned, inwardly cursing herself for feeling so strongly about this. She wasn’t used to putting herself out there, and the first time she had, she’d been shot down. Needless to say, she was more than nervous at the moment.
“Since this former, alien queen moved in with me and my dad,” he replied, as though it wasn’t a big deal. The fact was, that he’d always found Tess attractive, but there was something about her that just called to him. He honestly hadn’t expected his feelings for her to develop into something so significant.
As the implication of his words hit her, Tess felt momentarily giddy. The feeling didn’t last long though. As much as she wanted to let her guard completely down, she knew she couldn’t. “Kyle...” Even though she hated to admit it to anyone, she was still allowing herself to learn human emotions, and on top of that, there was Max to consider. Her feelings for him still lingered, and she knew that Kyle deserved better than that.
As if sensing her thoughts, Kyle nodded. “You did tell me once that your lamp needed trimming. I just want you to know, that I’m up for the challenge, whenever you are.” He tried to play the moment off so that the moment didn’t seem so heavy, he just hoped that she understood his seriousness in the statement.
As Kyle moved to the front door, Tess watched in the passenger seat, beaming at him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Since being left alone in the apartment, Maria anxiously claimed a seat on the couch. She tried to sneak out with the others as they left, but Michael had caught her arm. For the past ten minutes, he’d done nothing but pace around the living room. It was enough to irritate Maria. “Michael, would you please stop doing that?”
At the question, Michael stopped and spun around to face her. “I...I can’t believe that you didn’t tell me about this!”
At his demand, Maria raised an eyebrow. Well, that was rich, coming from Michael. “Excuse me? Look, Liz needed a confidant and...I couldn’t break that trust. And, aside from that, you’ve always held back from me...so why should I have run to you with the story?”
“What about when I learned about all that stuff from Hal?” Michael argued. As much as he wanted to tell Max and Isabel, he’d gone to Maria first.
“Yeah, and what about that whole...Courtney thing?” Maria argued. She understood his anger, but honestly, he’d done the same thing himself countless times.
At the mention of the deceased woman, Michael’s shoulders slumped. “Are you ever gonna let that go?”
Letting herself relax a bit, Maria approached him. “I wasn’t saying that to hurt you,” she clarified. “It’s just...you’ve always held stuff back from me, so that earlier statement is just...wrong.”
Michael shook his head. “But this generally affected me!” He retorted, not grasping her point.
In frustration, Maria threw her hands in the air before moving away from him, incase the urge to bitch slap Michael became too much. And to think, she thought she was getting somewhere with him! “You know, just because I don’t come from another planet, doesn’t mean that things don’t affect me too,” she reminded him. “And this was more than just an alien thing. It was personal for Liz. How do you think she felt, getting in front of everyone and laying it all out on the table?”
Michael didn’t say anything, but the exasperated sigh he let out, was more than enough answer to Maria. She knew she was breaking his resolve.
“They were married, they had this perfect little life...until the end of the world,” Maria said, once again approaching him. “Imagine knowing all that, and then having to break the heart of the person you love, in order to save the world,” she continued in a gentle voice. “I know it hurts, that things were hidden from you, but Liz didn’t do it to hurt anyone, she was just...trying to make the best out of a bad situation.”
Running a hand through his hair, Michael stepped back from Maria. He had to admit, his girlfriend had a pretty convincing case, but that didn’t mean he was ready to forgive or forget. “It doesn’t make what she did, right,” he threw in.
Maria nodded as she once again walked up to him. “I know, but Michael...if the situation was reversed, what would you have done?”
I touch you once, I touch you twice
I won’t let go at any price
I need you now, like I needed you then
You always said we’d still be friends someday
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Day, day, day
“How come you stopped me from saying anything more?” Isabel demanded as she stormed into her house, Max, dragging his feet, behind her.
Max was thankful that their parents were out to dinner. The last thing he needed was for his parents to question them about the noise. “Did you see the way Liz was reacting to you?” He demanded. Though he and Liz were no where near a resolution, he still felt oddly protective of her. “If you’d continued on, we wouldn’t have gotten anymore answers,” he reminded her.
“I just don’t understand you,” Isabel confessed. “She broke your heart, she purposely hurt you and you defend her. You shouldn’t take it easy on her.” Her brother had always been blind where Liz was concerned. He’d always held an irrational crush on her, something that only multiplied when they got together.
“I love her,” was the quiet reply.
At the confession, Isabel’s eyes widened. “You have got to be kidding me! Max! Are you just...like a glutton for punishment or something?”
“It’s the way I feel,” Max denied. “I can’t just turn off my feelings, however much I may have wanted to,” the last part was muttered, but still loud enough for his sister to hear. “I understand you are angry Isabel, and I don’t blame you for that. When Liz first told me, I was furious.”
“And you aren’t now?” Isabel asked. Liz had messed with their lives. Not that she wasn’t appreciative for the save and all, but who knows what sort of complications could arise, by messing with things.
“It’s not that, I’ve just had a bit more time to process it all. I understand things a bit better. I’m sure that once you think it over more, your anger will lessen.” At least that was what happened for him, he just hoped that it was the same for Isabel.
A quiet settled between the siblings as they stared at one another, a silence that was broken by the door bell. Shifting his eyes away from Isabel’s Max moved to the door.
I touch you once, I touch you twice
I won’t let go at any price
I need you now, like I needed you then
You always said we’d still be friends someday
“Alex, hey...what are you doing here?”
Alex offered a tight smile to his greeter, but it died as his gaze focused on the person behind Max. Without an invitation, he stepped into the house. “How dare you?”
Isabel startled when Alex spoke to her, his eyes betraying an anger that she’d never seen before, or at least not at her. “Alex?”
“What was that back there? How could you be so...mean? Liz was trying to share something private with you guys, and you just chewed her up and spit her out!” After leaving Liz’s, he made his way to Murray Lane. He wasn’t about to let the night pass, before saying what he needed to.
Tensing up, Isabel took on her famous ‘ice-queen’ persona. “This is none of your business.”
“I am so tired of hearing that! It is my business,” he shot back. “I am an active member in the ‘I know an alien’ club. More than that, Liz is my business and right now she’s not doing so well, so I’m making this my business,” Alex warned. “Where do you get off, treating Liz that way? After everything she’s done for you guys in the last year?” He, Maria and Liz had given up so much because of their ‘friends’, though at the moment, Alex wasn’t even sure if that’s what they were.
Hating to see him so upset with her, Isabel back pedaled. “So, I may have been a little rude...”
Alex let out a sarcastic laugh before she could continue. “A little? Isabel, what the hell was that? You have never spoken to me like that, never! Once upon a time, you and Liz were friendly with one another and now you’re just, like...not,” he trailed off weakly. “And by the way, do you remember the whole, Vilandra fiasco?” He demanded, thinking back to the secret that Isabel had harbored from the others, something that came back and bit them in the ass.
“That’s different,” Isabel denied.
“Really? How so?” Alex didn’t see any differences in the situation. “You lied to us, you kept everyone in the dark. Lonnie and Rath used it against us and almost killed Max, so tell me Isabel, how is it different?”
“I-”
“Let me tell you something Isabel. I don’t like being pushed to the side when something better comes along. I’ve stayed quiet up until now, but you’ve gone too far this time. You are not this cold hearted person, so stop pretending to be. Your brothers, Tess, Liz, Maria and Kyle...are all you have,” he reminded her. “Maybe you should be careful before you push anyone else away.”
Isabel frowned. Anyone else? What did that mean? “Alex, what are you saying?”
Feeling his heart break, Alex stared into her beautiful brown eyes. He didn’t want to say it, but he felt the overwhelming urge to. He couldn’t let things continue on, he deserved better than that, better than her. “I’m saying that I want nothing to do with you. When you see me in the hall at school, look the other way. Don’t try to seek me out, because it will be useless. Unfortunately, we are bound by this secret, so when we are needed to get together, I’ll be there, but not for you.”
(Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha)
If you leave
If you leave
Don’t look back
Don’t look back