destinyc - Thank you so much for the feedback. I hope you enjoy what have in store for Max and Liz next.
Janetfl - You’re so right, Jan.
begonia9508 - Right now Liz is very torn between her friendship with Maria and wanting to be there for Max. And as for Pam Troy…you’ll just have to wait and see.
Lena7 - Thanks, Lena. I’m glad you liked it.
Hunter - Thanks so much for the feedback, hon. I’m really happy you enjoyed it.
Alien_Friend - Though Max doesn’t want Liz to get too close, he cares a lot about what Liz thinks. Because she’s the first person who’s ever made Max feel anything besides pain. That’s why he’s willing to do what she wants.
keepsmiling7 - Max is going through a lot. He just needs time.
DaleStateShorty - Great feedback. And you were right on the money. I really wanted to show that it wasn’t one sided, and that Max is really a complicated character.
Chapter Eight
Liz was silent as she, Maria and Isabel walked to the quad for lunch. Her mind was still focused on everything Max had told her, and she felt so torn between her heart and her guilty conscience. Liz’s stomach fluttered every time she was near Max or even thought about him. He made her feel alive for the first time in her life and she didn’t want those feelings to go away. But Maria was her friend. Were these feelings worth losing her in the process?
“Earth to Liz?” Maria said in Liz’s ear, finally grabbing her attention.
“What?” Liz looked over at Maria and Isabel and could see the amused smiles on their faces.
Maria chuckled. “What’s going on in that head of yours, Liz?”
Liz shrugged and looked away from her friends. “It’s nothing important.” As they walked out to the quad, Liz spotted Alex putting some flyers up on a wall. “Hey, what’s Alex doing?” She asked.
Isabel and Maria both looked over at where Liz was staring and spotted Alex. Isabel looked over at Liz and frowned. “I don’t know,” she said and the three of them walked over to him.
“Hey, Alex,” Liz greeted, making Alex turn around.
“Hey, guys,” he greeted back before pulling Isabel into his arms and kissing her.
Liz couldn’t help but notice how sweet they looked together. Alex wasn’t as attractive as Isabel was, so it could be hard for some people to see what those two see in each other, but it was as clear as day to Liz. She could see how in love the were. They showed it in every kiss, every look. It made Liz smile to see.
“What are you doing?” Maria asked, interrupting the moment between Alex and Isabel.
Alex handed them each a flyer. “Looking for a new lead singer for the band.”
“You’re in a band?” Liz asked in surprise and Alex nodded his head. He didn’t look like the type that would be in a band.
“Yes, he is,” Isabel said, beaming proudly at her boyfriend. “They’re called the Whits.”
Alex smiled and pulled Isabel in for a deep kiss. Liz and Maria looked away from the public display of affection. Just because they were cute together, didn’t mean Liz wanted to see the all of each other all the time.
“Michael’s in the band too,” Maria told Liz as Isabel and Alex broke apart again.
Isabel finally stopped looking at Alex long enough to look at one of Alex’s flyers. “So why are you looking for a new singer?” She asked. “What happened to Vicki Delaney?”
“Don’t even mention that little traitor’s name to me again,” Alex said in disgust. “The diva got a demo deal at some small record company and basically kicked us to the curb.”
“Ouch! Was she at least kind about it?” Isabel asked.
Alex scoffed. “Her exact words were, ‘I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me, but it’s time for me to move on to bigger and better things.’ We were just small potatoes.”
“I knew I never liked that bitch,” Maria said in annoyance. She wished she could Vicki little blonde ass so much right now.
“Yeah,” Alex shook his head, not wanting to think about Vicki any longer. “So we’re looking everywhere we can for a new singer.”
“Hey!” Maria’s excited squeal made Liz, Alex and Isabel all jump in surprise. “Liz can sing for your band Alex.”
Liz’s eyes widened in shock. “What? No, no, I-I can’t.”
“Do you sing, Liz?” Isabel asked.
“Well, I…” Liz truly wished that the earth would open up and swallow her whole as she stood there awkwardly in front of her friends. She loved her music with her heart and soul, but it was very personal to her. It wasn’t something she shared with the whole world. And she sure as hell had never sung in a band before. But before she could tell them all of this, Maria’s big mouth spoke once again.
“Of course she sings,” she said, unaware of Liz’s unease. “She also writes songs.”
Liz shot a look at Maria, feeling both surprised and annoyed at that moment. “Maria, how do you know that?”
“Tess told me,” Maria answered simply. “Also I
can hear you singing when you think no one’s around. I know how good you are.” Maria then looked to Alex, who didn’t seem too sold on the idea just yet.
“I don’t know, Maria,” he said hesitantly. “I mean, The Whits are looking for a
real singer with experience. No offense, Liz.”
Liz breathed a sigh of relief. “None taken. I completely understand, Alex.” Just when Liz thought she was out of the woods, Isabel smiled and gave Alex a little nudge.
“Come on, Alex,” she said sweetly, giving Liz a little wink. “Give her a shot. It’s not like you have another option.”
Alex looked at Liz for a moment before he spoke. “Would you mind, Liz? You’d really be helping the band out.”
Liz looked at the three hopeful faces around her and just didn’t have the heart to tell them no. “Sure,” she said, trying not to sound as bummed as she felt. “I’m happy to help.”
Alex smiled and put his hand on Liz’s shoulder. “Thanks, Liz.”
“No problem,” Liz said, putting on a fake smile. The four of them walked to a little table at the center of the quad and sat down. Soon Michael came to join them and took a seat beside Maria. While Maria told Michael the good news, Liz just sat there, quietly picking at her food. She wasn’t feeling so hungry anymore as she thought about standing up in front of actual people and singing for them. She felt downright nauseous thinking about it.
“Looks like you’ve saved the day, Liz,” Michael said as he took big bites of his burrito.
“It’s really no big deal,” Liz said shyly.
“No, he’s right, Liz,” Alex said with a smile. “You’re really helping us out.”
Liz nodded and gave him a little smile. Though she really wasn’t looking forward to singing in front of, well, anyone really, it still made her feel good to help out her friends. She finally gave up on trying to eat and put her little plastic fork down on the tray. “I’m going to get going, guys,” she said and got up from her seat, taking her tray with her.
Alex, Maria, Michael and Isabel all said goodbye to Liz as she walked away. Liz threw her food in the garbage can and started to leave the quad when she felt someone watching her. She turned around and saw Max sitting at table with his friends on the other side of the quad. His eyes are completely focused on her and the way he was smiling at Liz made her heart want to melt. He was too gorgeous for words. Without hesitating, she smiled back at him and gave him a little wave. Liz then felt someone else watching her and her eyes reluctantly left Max’s face and landed on Pam Troy, who was sitting right beside Max. And the look she was giving Liz wasn’t as friendly. This woman looked like she wanted to strangle Liz.
Liz looked away from both of them and quickly walked out of the quad.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
After gym, Liz went with the rest of the girls in her class to the shower room to clean up. Fifteen minutes Later, Liz turns off the water and steps out of the shower area wrapped in a towel along with the rest of the girls. Liz finished getting dressed and was putting her shoes on when she looked up and saw Pam Troy standing in front of her, looking suspiciously friendly.
“You’re name’s Liz, right?” She asked.
Liz nodded her head, eyeing Pam warily. “Uh, yeah.”
“Hi,” she greeted cheerfully. “I’m Pam Troy.”
“Yeah, I know who you are. I’ve seen you around school.”
“Right.” Pam watched as Liz finished putting on her shoes and stood up from the bench. She eyed the brunette up and down, wondering why Max couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of her. Max didn’t think Pam noticed all the looks he’d been giving Liz, but she did. She just couldn’t figure out why Max seemed to
want to gawk at Liz Parker like he wanted her. She was nothing special. And she certainly didn’t compete with Pam’s beauty. But it didn’t matter what Max saw in her, Pam figured. She just had to put a stop to it. “So, how are you liking it here?” Pam asked in a sugary sweet voice.
Liz shrugged, still wondering what Pam wanted from her. “It’s okay. It’s different from L.A.”
“Well, let me just say that Roswell can seem pretty boring at first, but this place really grows on you. And the people are really friendly here,” she said, going in for the kill. “Like, you should meet my boyfriend Max. He’s really great.”
“Your boyfriend?” Liz asked with a chuckle as she realized why Pam Troy suddenly felt the desire to be buddy-buddy with her.
“Yeah,” Pam said with a frown, not expecting Liz to laugh. But it didn’t sway her from her mission. “We’ve been together for awhile. Have you met him?”
“I’ve met him,” Liz said. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she walked over and opened her locker, grabbing her backpack from it. Obviously Max and Pam’s relationship wasn’t as casual as Max thought.
“Anyway, I just wanted to personally welcome you to Roswell. And if you ever want to hang out sometime, I’m available.”
Liz could see the fakeness oozing off of Pam as she slung her backpack over her shoulder and closed her locker. She’d met enough vapid, shallow California girls to know what it looked like. “Aww, thanks. That’s so sweet,” she said, in the same faux friendly tone that Pam was using.
“Don’t mention it,” Pam said as Liz pushed past her and walked out of the locker room. Pam hoped that Liz would take the message and get that Max Evans belonged to her.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“The entire band is thrilled that you’re going to be their new singer, Liz,” Maria told Liz on the phone.
Though Maria couldn’t see her, Liz still faked a little smile anyway. “I’m glad,” she said as she sat at her desk and flipped through her science book. She could hear rustling noises and the sound of another voice on the other end of the phone, and knew that Maria wasn’t alone.
“Michael, stop it,” she could hear Maria mumble on the other end of the phone.
Liz smiled, realizing what was going on. “Hi, Michael,” she greeted loudly over the phone so Michael could hear her. She could hear some more rustling sounds before she could hear Michael’s voice clearly from the receiver.
“Hey, Liz,” he greeted back. “We really do appreciate what you’re doing for the band.
Liz nodded her head, still smirking. “And now you’re trying to show Maria how thankful you are that she came up with the idea?”
Michael let out an embarrassed chuckle. Liz didn’t even need to see Michael to know that he was blushing. “Well, what can I say? I have needs,” he said, and Liz could hear Maria in the background, gasping in shock and mortification.
“Ewww, I don’t want to know about those needs,” Liz said, laughing. “Well, let me talk to Maria a little bit longer and then you can commence with the dirtiness.”
“Sounds good to me. See ya, Liz.”
Liz could hear someone, she assumed Michael, moving around before Maria’s voice cam through on the other end. “Sorry about that chica,” she said. “The man just can’t keep his hands off me.”
“It’s sweet,” Liz said with a smile. “He’s obviously very in love with you.”
“Yeah.” The happiness in Maria’s tone did not go unnoticed by Liz. “What about you, Liz? Have you ever been in love?”
“No, not really,” she answered. She still didn’t know what she felt for Max yet, but she smiled as she thought of one person she wished she could’ve loved. “There was this one guy, Kyle Valenti. I wasn’t in love with him, but I really wanted to. He was such a great guy.”
“What happened between you two?”
“We both just realized that we were better off as friends,” she said simply. She then heard a strange tapping sound on her window. “Oh, geez!” Liz yelped when she looked up and saw someone sitting outside her window, staring at her. She jumped out of her seat and fell to the floor, dropping the phone in the process.
“Liz, is everything okay?” Maria asked in a concerned voice. “What’s going on?”
Liz sat up and grabbed the phone beside her, holding it to her ear. “I’m fine, Maria I just saw…” Liz didn’t finish that sentence when she looked at the window and realized that the strange man staring at her was Max. “Nothing. It was nothing, Maria. Uh, hold on a sec.”
Before Maria could protest, Liz placed the phone on her bed and walked over to her window. Max was smiling at her as she unlocked and opened the window. “Did I scare you?” He asked with a chuckle.
“No of course not. I always fall on the floor when I’m expecting creepy stalkers at my window,” she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
Max’s smile then turned into a playful pout. “I’m not a stalker, I’m your friend. Aren’t friends allowed to visit?”
Liz felt that familiar excitement rush through her as she looked at Max. he was so adorable and she couldn’t help but smile at him “Normally yes. But friends also use the front door.”
“There’s no fun in that,” he said in a playful tone, giving her a little smile.
Max and Liz were silent for a few moments, just smiling at each other, enjoying the comfort and excitement they felt at being in each other’s presence.
“So, you want to come in?” Liz asked, stepping aside for him to come in.
“I’ve got a better idea. How about you come out here?” He asked.
Liz thought about that for a moment and then answered. “I’m not sure you’re
girlfriend would be too happy about you sneaking out with me.”
Max suddenly looked at Liz like she was crazy. “My girlfriend? What are you talking about?”
“Pam. She introduced herself to me today. She was very…
nice.”
“Nice?” Max chuckled in disbelief. “Where would you get that idea?” Pam Troy was known to be many things, but
nice was never one of them.
“Well, it wasn’t genuine,” Liz said. “I could see right through her. Anyway, she told me that you were her boyfriend. I think she was trying to mark her territory.”
That was the Pam that Max knew. Keeping her friends close and her potential enemies closer. He knew that Pam didn’t give a damn about him, so he didn’t know why should feel the need to go so far as to “mark her territory” with Liz. And it pissed him off that she’d actually have to nerve to do what she did. But he wasn’t going to focus on it now, not when he was staring at the most beautiful creature on the planet. “Well, you know she’s lying right? We’ve never been a couple, and we never will be.”
Liz nodded her head. “I know that. But I also know that she must’ve had a reason for coming to me.”
“Pam’s a bitch,” Max said simply. “She probably just felt the need to screw with someone today and you happened to be in her vicinity at the time. Just don’t let her get to you.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“So, you want to come out with me?” He asked again.
Liz was about to say yes when she suddenly remembered that Maria was still on the phone, waiting for her. “Oh, crap! Wait there a second.” Liz walked back over to her bed and picked up her phone. “Hey, Maria…yes, I’m still here.”
Max slipped into Liz’s bedroom while she talked on the phone with Maria. He knew how Maria would react when she found out about Liz’s friendship with him and a part of him wondered again if he should just stay away from Liz. He no longer cared what Maria thought anymore. He’d already given up trying to earn her forgiveness, but he also didn’t want Liz to suffer because of his screw ups. It wasn’t her fault that he was a useless punk. He tainted everything around him, and it would break his heart if he tainted Liz. His worries grew as he listened to Liz on the phone with Maria.
“I’m not feeling that well, Maria,” Liz lied, trying to get Maria off the phone so she could go out with Max, “I think I should get some sleep.”
“Really?” Maria asked, her voice filled with concern. “Is everything all right?”
Liz officially hated herself for lying to Maria, but she didn’t have any other choice. She needed Max in her life right now, and Maria just wouldn’t understand. “Yes, I’m fine. Just a little tired that’s all.”
“Okay, well, you get some sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Liz nodded. “All right. Good night, Maria.” After Maria said good night as well, Liz hung up the phone and tossed it down on her bed. She turned to Max and saw the strange look he was giving her. “What’s wrong, Max?”
“You’re lying,” he pointed out, his eyes looking to the phone behind Liz before turning them back to her. “You’re lying to your best friend just to hang out with me.”
Liz shrugged it off. “It’s not a big deal, Max. I mean, we’re friends too.”
“If it’s not a big deal, then you shouldn’t have to be lying.” Max shook his head and turned away from Liz. Max wouldn’t lie, he wasn’t the most selfless person in the world. And the idea of being selfish with her was so tempting. He wanted to keep her for as long as possible. But the idea of her risking her friendship with not only Maria, but the rest of the group as well, for him didn’t feel right. “Liz, I’m not sure this friendship thing is such a good idea anymore,” he said, turning back to her.
Liz looked at him as if he were insane. “What?”
“Maria is a great friend, but she’s also a hard one to keep. When she’s been hurt by someone, she doesn’t her trust or forgiveness back easily,” Max said, trying to make Liz understand. “And in my case, she never forgives.”
Liz ran her hand through her hair in frustration. “See, that’s the thing, Max. What happened between you and Maria was just as much her fault as it was yours. And if she could just completely end our friendship over this, then I don’t know if she was ever my friend.” Max didn’t say anything, so Liz continued. “I care about Maria. I don’t want to lose. But I
can’t lose you. The way you make me feel…I just can’t lose you.”
This revelation shocked Max to his core. He didn’t think
anyone could ever need him. But she did. She needed him as much as he needed her. “Why?” He felt himself asking.
“I have my reasons,” she stated simply. “Why can’t you stay away from me?”
Max didn’t answer. He wasn’t ready for her to know everything about him, and he could tell that she wasn’t ready to reveal too much about herself to him either. He sighed, knowing that he wasn’t going to win this fight. And to be honest, he didn’t want to. She felt the same connection to him that he did to her. Just knowing that made him want to grab her and kiss her right there, but he kept himself under control. They were still friends and he wasn’t quite ready to be anything more than that, despite how much he wanted her.
But as a friend, he was going to help her make the right decisions. “Okay, but if we’re going to be friends than you have to tell Maria,” he said firmly. She started to argue, but he stopped her. “You said you cared about her. And if you care about her, than you should be honest with her about this. Friends deserve honesty.”
“And if she really does end our friendship?” She asked, knowing that was probably how it was going to go. She didn’t say it out loud, but she was scared that she was going to lose Maria.
“It might not be that bad,” Max said gently, trying to comfort her. “She might handle our friendship better than we think. I just know that it would be worse if she caught us hanging out or found out from someone else.”
Liz thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. “I’m not ready yet. I’ll tell her eventually. I’m just not ready yet.”
Max nodded, deciding to let it go for now. “So, are we going out or what?” He asked, that playful little smile returning on his lips.
Liz felt her knees go weak as she stared at Max’s sexy little smirk. She didn’t think he was aware of what he did to her. He was like a drug that she just couldn’t get enough of. She had to have him around her as much as possible. Giving a him a little smile of her own, Liz took Max’s hand and they both climbed out the window.