Greener With The Scenery(AU,M/L,ADULT) COMPLETE 11/7/05

[lizard_queen]

Bovilexia - The sudden urge to lean out the window and yell "Moo!" every time you pass a cow.


Sorry, just had to write that. Anyway, this chapters pretty bad, so just think of it as a space filler...

Thank you for your replys people. I am sick so it makes me feel much better when i see you doing Mr Burn's impersonations. he he

Anyways... chapter 11:









<center>Chapter 11


~Liz~
</center>


“I think I love you Liz Parker.”


My breath stopped at his whispered words, and I was almost positive that I was dreaming. It wasn’t until he turned and started to walk out of the room that I felt brave enough to open my eyes to make sure I was awake. As I watched him walk out my door, I suddenly hit me that I wasn’t dreaming. Max Evans just told me that he thought he loved me.


Granted, he did think I was asleep, and he also ‘thought’ he loved me, plus he has a girlfriend, but that doesn’t make it feel any less real.


But what if this is all some sort of joke? What if this is just something him and his little slut came up with to pay me back. (Yes, I'm quite aware that I have developed Maria's bad habbit of calling Tess a 'slut', but what can I say, it's probably true??) Pay me back for what? I have no idea, but it is a possibility.


But if it is all a joke, why do I feel so comfortable with him? Why does everyone keep on telling me how great he is? Why does he look as if he actually cares?


See, it’s thinking like this that gives me a giant headache. I’m sure crying my heart out to Max probably also played some part in the headache, but for now, lets just blame the thinking.


<center>
~*~*~*~*~*~ </center>



Ahh, Monday mornings. They’re the things that everyone dreads. Mondays mark the start of the long week ahead, and for some reason; they always seem to be the most stressful, tiring, and strangely enough, the longest day in the week. Or does it just seem that way? The theory is that if you can get past Monday, then the rest of the week suddenly comes and goes in a flash, leaving us with once again, a Monday.


I stride over to Maria's locker where I see her and Alex arguing over something. It’s strange that after only a week, it’s like an instinct to meet at Maria's locker. As I get closer, I catch onto the end of their conversation.


“-not his fault he had to work Maria. Give the guy a break. If he spent all of his spare time with you and never worked, he would never get money to pay for his apartment, therefore meaning he would be crashing over at everyone’s houses and sleeping on the street. At least this way, when he’s not working, you to have the privacy of his home to do what ever it is you two do!” Alex gave a shudder as the last words come from his lips, clearly trying to suppress the mental image.


I’m almost too afraid to let my presence be known to them, in fear of having to try and sort out what ever it is that has Maria pissed off at Michael. So I stand back and let Alex take care of it.


I know this may make me seem like a bad best friend, but believe me when I say that I’ll be hearing about this from Maria for at least a month.


I feel arms circle my waist and a breath next to my ear, and my immediate response is to jump away and tell the creep who did it to fuck off… but I relax as soon as the person starts talking, his voice rumbling from his chest against my back.


“What’s going on? Why are we standing back here?”


“Kyle! Crap, you scared me! You really have to warn people when you do that.” He takes his arms from around me and moves so he’s standing beside me, staring at Maria and Alex as he tries to reason with her.


“Maria and Michael have another fight?”


“Is it that obvious?”


“Well, considering your hiding back here, and Maria looks mightily pissed, I would have to say yes. What’s it about this time?” We continue to stand back and stare as we talk, getting strange looks from passers by.


“From what I can gather, Michaels not spending enough time with her because he’s earning a living.”


“As the best friend, aren’t you supposed to be over there with Alex trying to calm her down or something?”


“Nope, Maria’s scary.”


He looks down at me with a small smirk on his face as he crosses his arms over his chest; oblivious to all of the stares the females are giving him. He’s obviously classified as a piece of eye candy at this school.


Kyle isn’t actually that bad looking when you take enough time to notice, which every female in this school obviously has. He average height with light brown hair and blue eyes, and quite a nice body if I do say so myself.


The bell rings overhead and my stomach rumbles with some weird feeling. Excitement that I have biology now? Anticipation because I get to see Max? Or am I just feeling sick?


<center>
~*~*~*~*~*~</center>



I sit in class doodling on my notebook, looking up at the door every five seconds in hope that Max will walk through, but he doesn’t. So here I sit, like a pathetic looser, waiting for him whilst I attempt to listen to Mr Seligman as he waffles on about the genetic code and DNA.


“Ah, Mr Evans, so glad you could join us.”


My head snaps up at his introduction, and I find that he’s staring right back at me. A small smile curves the edges of his mouth before he breaks his gaze and apologises to Mr Seligman.


“Um, sorry sir.” He ducks his head in this cute, embarrassed way and scratches behind his ear in the nervous way that I’ve come to recognise. Max quickly walks over and sits down next to me as Mr Seligman goes back to talking about amino acids.


I take a quick glance at Max only to find him looking straight back at me with a strange expression on his face.


“Max, are you okay?” I ask in a whisper.


“Um, actually, I have to tell you something.”


Something about the way he’s looking at me is making me feel uneasy. But before I can find out what it is he needs to tell me, Mr Seligman interrupts our conversation.


“Mr Evans, since you had the privilege of showing up late to my class, you have been nothing but a disruption. If you would mind continuing your discussion with Miss Parker later, I would like to get on with teaching my class. Is that too much to ask?”


“Um, no sir. Sorry.”


The rest of the period went fast, even with Max’s continuous stares in my direction. I could constantly feel his eyes burning hole in me, and it was a strange feeling. I’m yet to figure out if it’s a good feeling or a bad one.


When the bell finally rings, I pack up my books and start out for the quad, but Max grabs my arm before I can get out the door.


“Liz…”


I turn around and meet his eyes, only to find some strange emotion running through them, one that I can’t quite distinguish, but it almost looks like… fear? What’s Max afraid of telling me?


“Liz, I uh… ibrokeupwithTess!” he looks down at his hands that are joined in front of him, avoiding looking at me. I think I heard what he said, but I have to double check to make sure it’s not all in my head.


“What?”


He looks up from his hands, his deep eyes sparkling as he says in almost a whisper, “I broke up with Tess.”




TBC...

[lizard_queen]

Hey everyone...

Sorry that this ones short, and really bad. I sort of didn't know what to write, and this was the result... It is mostly just Max and Liz talking so sorry...

Thank you all for your replys and i hope that you will keep on and see this story through, even though its pretty much plotless...

Now for the story:


<center>Chapter 12


~Max~</center>



“I broke up with Tess…”


I don’t know why but it was the first thing that came out of my mouth. I came into biology with a plan. I was going to talk to her, get a good conversation going and casually bring up the fact that I am now single. What I didn’t count on was absolutely freezing up and having that come straight out of my mouth.


Liz’s face goes pale as she stares at me, her mouth hanging open as she processes what I just said. I still haven't told Michael or Maria yet, or any of the others. Not even Isabel knows, and she was the first person I saw after I talked to Tess yesterday.


“W-wh-why?” Liz stutters out the word, like she almost afraid to ask.


Because she was a crazy bitch who went around threatening people who I cared about…


Because I felt nothing for her…


Because I’m in love with someone else…


Because I didn’t like who she was…


Because of you…


But did I actually say those things? God no. I mumbled out the first thing that came into my mind, and now I wish I hadn’t.


“It was just time for her to go, you know?”


Someone slap me now.


I can’t believe that's all that my wonderful brain could come up with. It was just time for her to go? If I didn’t want to come off as an asshole, I’m going completely the wrong way about it.


I’m almost too afraid to look her in the eye, but when I look back up, I notice a weird expression across her beautiful features. She almost looks horrified. Oh God! I horrified her? Liz is horrified of me?


Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!


I can’t stand looking at her eyes, knowing that she's horrified at what I did, so I look at my shoes… very interesting today!


“W-was it because of m-me?”


“What?” I snap my head up again at the absurdity of her question. Okay, it’s not really that absurd. I did kinda break up with Tess because of Liz, but all those other reasons plus more are still there to support my case. “Liz no! Why would you think that?”


Apart from the fact that it’s partly true, there are no reasons as to why Liz would think that about me. She has no idea how I feel about her, so there would be no reason for her to think that I broke up with Tess because of her.


She looks down at her shoes to avoid my probing gaze. It occurs to me that this is the first time that I have ever seen Liz so shy. Once again, my mind forces me to bring up the fact that I’ve only known her for two weeks at the most, but I have never once seen her shy. She speaks in a tiny voice, and all I want to do is reach out and take her in my arms, but I know its not going to happen. “I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean to cause you and Tess any trouble. I’m so sorry Max.”


She starts to head for the door but I grab her arm in time, stoping her in her tracks and forcing her to look at me. “Liz, I promise you that you had nothing to do with why I broke up with Tess. I shouldn’t have ever been going out with her in the first place. I hate what she did to you, but its not the first time she's tried something like this, and I know it wont be the last… so I decided to end it before it got worse. I promise you Liz, it wasn’t because of you, it was because my feelings changed. All you did was open my eyes and help me to see how Tess truly is.”


She looks down at the ground again and I know that she’s thinking about what I said, trying to make up some more demons that she could have caused, but I won’t let her blame herself for the way Tess is.


I can’t resist the need to touch her, to feel her soft skin against mine. Seeing the perfect opportunity, I brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear, letting my hand linger against her cheek for as long as possible. She looks up at me with questioning eyes, and I know that I need an explanation.


“You had a…”


“…hair thing. Thanks…”


I drop my arms so they’re now hanging limply at my sides, still not nearly satisfied by the brief contact I had with her.


“Max… what if she…” She looks up at me, her big brown eyes glistening with unleashed tears, and my heart breaks. “…what if she blames me?”


Oh God. I never thought of that. What if Tess did blame Liz? What if she actually attempted to carry through on her threat? I know that there’s a very small possibility that she would, but Liz is so convinced that the world is out to get her, and so scared of Tess and everyone else. I don’t know what happened to her before she moved to Roswell, but I do know that I will do anything to protect the short brunette that I’ve come to love.


“Liz, I promise you that I won’t let anything happen to you. Tess wont hurt you, and neither will anyone else, okay?”


She bites her bottom lip and softly nods her head. Before I even realize my actions, she's wrapped up in my arms as I hold her close to me.


The only thing I can think of right now is how perfect we fit together… like we were made for each other.







TBC... What do you all think of the word Llama?

[lizard_queen]

Hey everyone...

abbs007 sorry, the kiss wont be for a while yet, but i promise it will happen eventually But first, some of Liz's past will be revealed...

Did that come out sounding as mysterious as i hoped?

Anyway, thank you all for your replys, and now for the million dollar question:

Does any one want to teach me how to make banners? I want to make one for both of my fic's, but i don't have a clue how to make them. Any one who can help is greatly appreciated... and i may even give u a potato for all your hard work!

Enjoy:



<center>Chapter 13

~Liz~</center>



Maria pulls the Jetta to a stop in front of a white house. I look down the street and I notice that every house has perfectly cut grass, every flower looks perfect and fake and the bushes are square and neat.


Something tells me that these people have too much time on their hands.


I look back over to the white house. It has a nice, homely sort of feel to it. I hear a tap on my window and jump at the sound. Maria’s standing there with her arms crossed, looking at me just over the top of her sunglasses that she pulled down so they sit on the end of her nose. Her keys are dangling in one hand, and she looks pretty pissed.


“Liz, don’t just sit there. We’re never gonna get to this movie on time if everyone wants to go slow!” She turns around and huffs up the driveway, and I know I’m in trouble.


Oh, right. I’m supposed to get out of the car now!


After a delirious battle with my seatbelt that wouldn’t unclip, I finally manage to escape the killer car with no air-conditioning, and I follow Maria into the house. I walk in the open door that I saw Maria disappear into not ten seconds ago, to find Kyle sitting on the couch watching a football game, with Michael across from him yelling at the screen.


“Where’s Max?” Maria asks as she glares down at Michael. I think I’ve found the source of her anger. What did he do now?


“Bedroom.” Was Michaels grunt of a reply before he went back to the TV screen. I follow Maria out of the room, but not before she walks behind him and slaps him hard on the back of the head.


As we disappear down a carpeted hallway, I can hear Michael in the lounge room grumbling something along the lines of “stupid bitch with constant PMS” as he rubs his head. I have no idea what Michael and Maria are fighting about now, but I’m almost positive that I’ll be hearing about it later.


The thing with Maria and Michael is that no matter how many fights they have, or how many death stares they give each other in the space of an hour, they love each other, and I can guarantee you that by the end of the day, they’ll be back together.


“Max, you take longer than Isabel to get dressed. What's with that?”


My eyes pop out of my head as I see the sight in front of me. Somehow during my thoughts, we arrived at what I gather to be Max’s bedroom. I didn’t even realise we had stoped until Maria spoke, which lead me to discover Max…


… and the most gorgeous body I have ever seen.


He’s standing over by the window, shirtless, as he rummages around through his dresser. My God I think I’m going to faint.


His golden skin covers taught abs and developed biceps, before cascading down the back of his shoulders, over triceps and finally disappearing underneath the top of his Calvin Cline boxers. As he pulls out a shirt from the drawers, I gasp internally as I watch his muscles ripple from the movement. Max Evans has the most beautiful body I have ever seen.


Is my mouth watering?


He looks up at Maria and I standing in his doorway and gives me a small private smirk, definitely knowing what I’m staring at. Oh God he caught me checking out his body. I can literally feel my face going up in flames. This really can’t be good.


He pulls the shirt over his head and I feel my knees going weak as I once again watch his muscles flex from the movement. I see his raven hair appear through the hole at the top, followed by his amused eyes as they lock back onto mine. Damn him for having so much fun with this!


I tear my gaze away from his, deciding that my shoes were a much better image. Who am I kidding? Nothing could be better to look at than his heavenly body. How the hell is it possible that a seventeen year old can have a body like that? It makes no sense people!


Not that I’m complaining… because I’m definitely not!


“Um… sorry Maria. I only just got home a few minutes ago,” he says as he walks around to the other side of his bed to pull on his shoes.


“Whatever, let’s just get the hell out of here!” She storms off down the hallway and I can’t help but feel guilty for not following her. She’s my best friend, and I should be there by her side, asking her what's wrong and yelling about how we both hate males and what not… but I just couldn’t be bothered. I feel Max’s shadow loom over me as he stands beside me.


“What did Michael do now?” He asks in his deep rumbling voice, and I don’t need to turn around to figure out how close he is to me.


I swallow back the strange feeling I always get when he’s near me and try to calm down my racing heart which is still in shock from seeing him without a shirt on. “I was just about to ask you the same thing.”


Okay, I take a deep breath and turn around slowly and attempt to look at him… but I divert my eyes to the window just over his shoulder. I can see a small path running along the side of the house and a small tree that's next to a wooden fence. There’s a garbage bin about three metres down the fence before a gate leading to the front of the house.


This is good. I’m not looking at his body, but instead studying the placing of his garbage bins and… who am I kidding? Why can’t I just look him in the eye instead of having to look over his shoulder?


I turn my head slightly, intent on looking at his face, but my eyes stop on his shirt clad chest. Even with the material, I can still make out the outline of his strong muscles. I can imagine tracing my fingers over his smooth tanned skin and then, if I feel a little daring, placing a trail of kisses all the way down his abs until finally I…


“See something you like?”


His tone is amused as I snap my eyes up to meet his. They look darker, and I can make out small specks of gold hidden behind the amber depths. God, he caught me staring again. My face immediately heats up with a blush that's as red as Kyle’s car, and I have to swallow that feeling once again. Why is it I can never calm down when I’m around him?


“W-we should g-go before Maria starts yelling…”


I instantaneously turn around and walk down the hallway. Well, it’s actually more of a strange looking run, but the more distance I can put between Max’s body and me, the better…


<center>
~*~*~*~*~*~</center>



Unfortunately, my luck isn’t with me tonight, and I find my self wedged between Kyle and Max in the back seat of Maria's Jetta. Kyle keeps on trying to tickle me for God knows why, and I’m forced to move closer to Max and that body of his. Why the hell can’t I get his body out of my mind?


When we finally reach the movie theatre, I bolt out of the car and rush to Maria’s side. Thankfully, she’s still pissed at Michael so if I can hide from Max by gluing myself to her side, I should be fine.


"I'll buy the tickets if you get the popcorn?" She asks me in what would have to be the friendliest tone she could muster. I silently nod my head and walk over to the line.


After a few minutes, I've moved halfway down the line which now has another ten people standing behind me. My plan for tonight is to wait until Max has already taken a seat, and then sit as far away from him as possible, and make sure that I have Maria and Kyle on either side of me. Maybe I can get through tonight without having to be too close to him, and without picturing his naked chest again...


My hope is short lived as Max manages to cut in the line for popcorn, causing him to be standing right next to me. He looks over to where Michael and Maria are once again arguing and then looks back down at me.


Darn him and his tallness! I’m sick of always being the short one!


A small smile crossed his face before he motions over his shoulder in the direction of Maria and Michael, and then says, “I give it to the end of the adds before they’re making out at the back of the theatre.”


“Sorry. I don’t place bets I know I wont win.”


And it's true. The chance that they'll be back together by the end of the adds is about 99%, the 1% being the very small chance that something happens to cause us to evacuate the theatre, therefore not having the chance to acutally see the adds.


Silence ensues and we take a step forward in the line. I’m starting to feel a little awkward and I find myself staring at my feet again. They’re just the attention seekers today, aren’t they?


“Liz, I… ah…” Max starts, and I tear my eyes away from my shoes to look him in the eye.


He has his mouth open like he’s about to say something, but then he closes it and gives his head a slight shake. “Never mind.” He says, more to himself than me, but I can’t help but feel as if he wants to ask me something, something important…

[lizard_queen]

Hey people!

Don't stop writing or I might ... be very angry! That was a threat in case you were wondering.

Rosie, i'll make you a deal, as i'm being nice and updating like you asked, you have to update your story, and HURRY UP AND PUT MAX IN IT! I'm sorry, i love the angst in your story, but God i miss Max.

So now, as i'm updating, i want you to update! Please?

purpleant and roswellluver: You're welcome.

mezz: Once again, quite an impressive reply. I'm going to put what actually happened during the breakup with Tess and Max later in the story... hopefully. Thank you for going to trouble of writing all that, and i'm glad you enjoy this fic.


It makes me feel all warm inside when i get replys! Sorry, i couldn't help myself.

Anyway, i wrote a few more chapters of this last night, when i was sposed to be working on Something of Value, but I'm starting to think that this fic is going to loose intrest once i post them.

So just a warning: MAX AND LIZ WILL GET TOGETHER! i promise you that they will, but they just have to go through a bit of shit before its all sunshine and lollypops! After all, it would be a bit boring if nothing bad happene between them , right?


Anyway, your probly all sick of me, so now, onto the story once again:



<center>Chapter 14


~Max~</center>



“Liz, I… ah…” I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out with me?


The words were so close to spilling from my mouth… but then I looked down into her big chocolate eyes, and I couldn’t do it. She was looking up at me with so much innocence that I just couldn’t ask her.


I know I sound like an idiot right now, but when you think about, it makes sense. Some may even say it’s logical.


You see, I just broke up with Tess, who threatened Liz’s very existence if she tried to steal me away. And then the first person I told was Liz. I felt as if I owed it to her to tell her that I was no longer lowering myself to the standards of someone like Tess, but Liz didn’t react the way I thought she would. She didn’t react all happy that my psychotic girlfriend was now my ex. No, instead she broke down and started to cry, blaming herself for breaking up my relationship, even though it wasn’t her fault.


Now, if I was to ask Liz out right about now, a) it would seem as if I jump from girl to girl, and that I’m not heartbroken that my girlfriend and I just split (which I’m not, surprised? Because I’m not!) and b) that I lied when I said that I didn’t break up with Tess for Liz, which we all know I did.


I was watching her and Kyle in the car on the way here, and I couldn’t help but get a pang of jealousy. How is it that he can be so friendly around her and not have sweaty palms every time he sees Liz, and I can’t? When she's around, everything just goes into slow motion and it feels like I can’t breath, because I know that if I did, it would be one breath closer to having to say good-bye, and you never know when your last chance to tell someone how you feel is going to be.


But I think it’s too soon. I want to get to know everything about her. I want to spend as much time with her as I can before I decided to ask her out, and possibly ruin all of my dreams in the process when she tells me ‘no’. Just because she couldn’t stop staring at my naked chest earlier is no basis to assume that she’ll accept.


“Never mind.” I mumble to myself, and she turns back around. We buy our food and walk back over to our friends without saying another word. The silence is deafening, which is sort of weird. How can silence be deafening? I guess that without the sound of her voice, or her laugh, I can’t hear anything else around me. Is it possible that I’ve become so dependant on just seeing Liz Parker that if anything was to happen to her or me, or our friendship… I would die?


“Max, can I talk to you for a minute?” I turn around to see Kyle standing behind me nervously.


“Um… sure.” We walk a fair distance away from where everyone else is waiting for the doors to open before I turn to him, rasing my eyebrow in the way I’m told I do so well. Its like I can ask a question with a just a look.


“What's up?”


“Um… listen, I know that you and Liz have been getting real close lately and stuff, so I… uh… I thought that maybe you would be better to ask you than Maria…”


“Ask what?” And what’s it got to do with how close Liz and I have been getting lately?


There are many possibilities floating around in my head right now, but the main one I’m thinking of would cause all of my organs to shut down from shock, my legs to cave and a look of horror forever imprinted across my face.


“I want to ask Liz out.”


And there they go… yep, you hear that clicking sound? It’s my internal organs periodically shutting down…


“Max?”


Kyle has obviously seen the look of horror forming on my face and now feels that he has to find out what's happening to me.


Kyle wants to ask out Liz. Liz Parker. My Liz. Well, she actually not my Liz yet, but I promise to God that she will be. The shock is slowly seeping in.


“W-why are y-you telling m-me?” God, is that my voice? Someone give me some water. I feel the need to run home to my mother, throw myself at her and cry my little heart out.


But I wont. I’ll stand here and try and form a coherent sentence, meanwhile plotting ways to make Kyle’s death look like an accident.


“Why not t-tell Maria. She’s known Liz a lot longer t-than me.”


“I know that. But, well, Liz tells you stuff. And plus, Maria's in a really pissed off mood today, so I’m sort of afraid to approach her, and the chances of her telling Liz that I like her are a lot bigger than you…”


“So I’m the safe option?”


“Yeah, sort of. I just want to get to know her… and since she’s been hanging around with you a lot since we first got here, I sort of figured you were the one to ask. I mean, she doesn’t really talk about her life and her parents and stuff with the rest of us, so I wanted to see what you know and what you can tell me.”


“Maybe that’s because she can’t, Kyle. And there’s no way in hell I’m going to tell you Liz’s private things just so you can get her to go out with you. I’m sorry but I tend to value my friend ship with her more than you getting a date!”


Ouch, I didn’t mean it to come out sounding so harsh… but maybe I did. Doesn’t he realise that if she wanted everyone to know about what happened with her parents, she would have told them by now?


Even Maria's on a need-to-know basis when it comes to Liz’s parents and all the shit that was going on when she lived in Sante Fe. As for me, I have the ‘she’ll tell me when she’s ready’ attitude. I’m not going to force Liz explain to me why she broke down last week at the Crashdown… it’s her own personal problems that she needs to deal with in her own way, and no one, especially Kyle, who said himself that he knows nothing about her, has any right to make her come out with it.


“Max, I know that you just want to protect her, and I get that, I really do, but maybe…”


“No Kyle! There are no maybes. If Liz wanted you to know about her past, she would have told you, but she doesn’t, so stay out of it!” And with that, I storm away.


I don’t know why I just yelled at him… well, yeah, I sort of do. I’m jealous and worried that I’ll loose my chance with Liz if Kyle gets involved, but my earlier statement still stands: I’m not going to ask her out just yet. Give me a while to see what develops between us and then I’ll try again. But that doesn’t mean that I wont try and keep Kyle away from Liz, because I think its pretty clear that I don’t want to take any chances.


I walk into the theatre and I can hear Kyle following, but I shrug it off and look around the room. I see everyone sitting in the back row, including Isabel and Alex who we were meeting here. I notice that Liz is sitting next to Maria, who has Michaels tongue down her throat… again. There are two free seats in the row, obviously for Kyle and me. There’s one in between Michael and Alex, and one next to Liz, on the aisle.


I can see in the corner of my eye that Kyle is intending to take the seat next to Liz, so I speed up my legs, beating him to it by seconds. I flop down into the seat and give Kyle a small sarcastic smile. I know that by the end of tonight, there’s a really good possibility that I’ll have a broken nose, but I don’t particularly care at this point.


I feel Liz tense up beside me, and immediately all my attention is on her.


"Liz?"


Her face goes pale and her knuckles white as she grips the arm rest with such force it looks like its about to break off. She’s staring at something over my shoulder and I’m almost afraid to look myself.


I immediately regret it when I do. I turn around, away from Liz so I’m looking at the aisle, and my eyes meet with a pair of cold blue ones.


Tess Harding is standing there… and she looks pissed.







TBC... No one ever answered me about the Llamas!

[lizard_queen]

Man, this chapter really sucks. No... i'm serious. I didn't realise how much this one sucked until i re-read it. I'm sorry everyone. I try and make these chapters good for all of you, but then it fails miserably. I promise you, the chapters i'm writing right now will be much better.

Thank you for your replys and stuff. Tess will get whats coming to her, but i can't promise you anything just yet...



<center>Chapter 15


~Liz~ </center>



“What the hell do you think your doing with MY boyfriend?”


Oh God help me now. I knew it was a bad idea to let Max sit there. Fuck! Why me?


“Well?” She spits down at me as her babbling bunch of sheep come up to stand behind her. Maria calls them the ‘blonde boobs brigade’, but I just call them scary. Even though everyone around me keeps on telling me that they’re harmless and they can’t even remember what day it is… it doesn’t stop the fear from eating at me. “Oh come on! Don’t tell me that mousy little Liz Parker doesn’t have anything to say when she's caught red handed?”


“Tess…” Max stands up from the seat beside me, blocking my view of Tess’s face. “What the hell do you think your doing?”


“What does it look like Max? I’m stopping that little SLUT from touching MY boyfriend!”


“First of all, you and I are no longer together! I broke up with you four days ago! Second of all, you have no right to walk in here and say any of that to Liz!”


“Stop defending her Max. I know that she’s trying to steal you away from me and it wont work!” She takes a step around him so she face to face with me.


Yikes! Not even an excessive amount of make up can help this girl. I can see every little detail on her face as it’s so close to me, and all I can say is…. shudder. No wonder Max broke it off with her.


“Listen here,” she spits as she pokes my chest. I can see Max form the corner of my eye, running a frustrated hand through his hair.


“Tess-” Max pleads with her. I can feel Maria standing next to me, suddenly not so attached to Michael’s mouth.


“You may have fooled every body else here,” she says in a low voice so only I can hear,” but you didn’t fool me. I know that you want Max… and no goody-two-shoes is going to steal my boyfriend from me. You can try all you want, but remember, I know people who can make your life a living hell, no matter where you are. Don’t play with fire my friend… you never know who might get burnt…”


She takes a step backwards and looks down on me, before saying loud enough so everyone can hear. “Stay away from Max!”


With that she and her blonde boob brigade turned around and walked down the aisle, before kicking an elderly couple out of their seats near the front so they could sit down.


Max turned around to look at me, his eyes pleading. I could feel the start of tears forming in the corner of my eyes and I knew I had to get out of there. Maria placed her hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off. The last thing I want right now is their pity.


I pushed my way past Max, even though he tried several times to grip my arm so I couldn’t leave. I could hear his voice right behind me as I walked down the aisle but I shrugged it off.


“Liz… Liz please…”


I kept my eyes focused on the dimly lit carpet before me, which was probably why I didn’t see her foot come out and trip me.


I stumbled down the steps after coming into contact with Tess’s high heel shoe. Strong arms enveloped me, stopping me from landing face first on the ground. I don’t need to be a genius to know who had caught me.


Max pulled me upright, letting his arms linger around my waist for longer than was necessary, needless to say, Tess, who was sitting metres away, wasn’t to pleased.


“Are you okay?” He asked tenderly as he brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen across my face. It felt so right to be in his arms right then, like there was no one else in the room but us… but it was wrong. He had a girlfriend, and it wasn’t me. No matter what my heart was telling me right then, my mind was right. Max and I could never be. There were just too many obstacles. Mainly… Tess. The girlfriend that he told me was now his ex.


This was just a big joke to him. He never actually broke up with Tess; it was just some sort of sick joke. Tess was probably in on it too. Everyone was probably in on it, trying to make my life more of a living hell, if its possible.


Everything around me feels to closed off, too tight. I feel as though I’m suffocating. The only thing I really know for sure is that I have to get out of here, and fast.


So I ran.



<center>~*~*~*~*~*~</center>



“Liz?”


My head shoots up from looking at my hands at his voice. I’m in the Crashdown bathroom, sitting up on the sink as I cry.


I know it sounds pathetic and sappy, but that's how I am. I had nowhere else to go after I ran from the theatre, so I came here. I’ve only been in Roswell for three weeks, but it’s really not that hard to navigate around the streets. So here I am, sitting on the bathroom sink.


A dark head of hair appears through the crack in the doorway, and his eyes immediately search me out.


I know who your hoping it to be, and for some weird, twisted reason, I’m hoping it’s him aswell, but it’s not.


“Lizzie bear?”


My uncle pushes open the door further and walks inside, a concerned look in his eyes. He immediately wraps his arms around me in a tight hug, yet its so familiar. Just like my dad.


“Sweetie, what's wrong? What happened?”


My uncle and aunty took me in after my parents died, but not just because it was their duty as God Parents, but because that's the kind of people they are. They may have been ten years younger than my mum and dad, but I’ve always thought of them as like a second pair of parents.


When I was younger, they were always taking trips to Sante Fe to see me. My aunty was always bringing me little presents like crystals or bracelets or something small. I’ve always been able to talk to my uncle a little bit more than my dad, especially when it came to boys.


I used to love having hugs from Uncle Jeff; I used to thrive on them. I would base my entire day on getting a hug from my favourite uncle… but now its just too familiar. It’s too much like my dad.


The thought makes me start to cry again, something which I had managed to suppress doing about ten minutes ago.


I can feel his hand running through my hair, the same way that my dad used to do, the same way that Max did…


“Lizzie, what happened?” He questions as I pull out of his embrace. I just can’t do this. There are to many things going around in my head that I just can’t cope. I want to just break down and curl up into a ball, but I can’t.


“Nothing.” I say as I wipe my eyes with the back of my sleeve. Good thing I’m not wearing mascara.


“Sweetie, you’ve been in here for over twenty minutes. Maria’s outside going bananas, and there are some angry customers who need to use the bathroom.”


“I’m sorry. I’ll just go…” I go to stand up but he holds me down so I can’t leave.


“Liz, tell me what happened?”


“It was nothing Uncle Jeff.”


“Are you sure?”


I quickly nod my head and he lets me go. Sliding off the bench top, I straighten my clothes, give my eyes one last wipe, before following him out of the bathroom, ready to face the wrath of Hurricane Deluca.







TBC... Llamas people! Llamas!

[lizard_queen]

Hello all.

Ahh... holidays are fun, arn't they? Well, they usually are, when you haven't got to study for MAJOR EXAMS! So, naturally, i'm spending all my time reading fan fic, instead of attempting to understand the gradient of a straight line and quadratic equations. I DONT GET ANY OF THIS DAMN MATHS!

Anyway:

Llamas?

WTF? The only thing that comes to mind is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The subtitles for the opening credits.

Ahh yes Kara. You have no choice but to love Monty Python. I love the moose bit in the credits aswell. He he, she carved her innitals into the back of a moose with the sharpened end of a toothbrush!. he he. I may just go and watch that after i've posted this.

Are there aliens in this fic?

Um... only in the Roswell 'i saw an alien' sense. Max and everyone arn't Aliens, so no. But, if i get bored a bit later and want a change, i may just insert an alien somewhere.

P.S. Llamas rule!!

Yes, indeed they do. Someone asked me the other day why i though Llamas were so cool, and my reply was: "Any animal with the name Llama would have no choice but to be cool."

Anyway, thank you everyone else for your replys. I hope you all like this bit. It may not be exactly what you were looking for, but i hope this can satisfy your 'Max needs to stand up to Tess' hearts.

Also, can i just mention that what you have to understand is, Liz just lost her parents, and then she goes to this new school where the only one she knows in Maria, and this hunk of a boy shows some intrest in her, but it turns out that he has a bitch of a girlfriend, who then proceeds to threaten her.

Liz is shy and still a little shaken up about her parents (which i promise more will be revieled about in the next few chapters), and she doesn't know who to trust. She doesn't know any of these people, and for all she knows, they could all be out to get her, and this thing with Max could just be one big joke that everyones playing on her. Anyway, that probly didn't explain much, but it should get clearer eventually. I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Kristen.


<center>Chapter 16


~Max~
</center>


“Liz!”


There’s no point… she’s already gone. I saw her figure retreating around the corner as I burst through the theatre doors, but I still had to call out. It was like some small little part had hoped that she would stop and come back, all because of my voice… but deep down I knew that it wouldn’t happen.


I run a shaky hand through my hair and I kick the ground, cursing everything that has gone wrong these past few days.


“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!”


I swear, if Tess weren’t a girl, I would have punched her ages ago. She thinks that she has the right to anything, mainly: me.


I had a feeling that when I broke up with her on Sunday, she wouldn’t take it lying down… and I was right. She did blame Liz. Tess didn’t blame me, or even herself, but Liz, the one person who didn’t deserve any of this.


Liz never did anything to Tess. I’m almost positive that she’s hardly even said a word to Tess, let alone made any attempt of stealing me away from her… which, she can no longer do as I belong to no one.


I am once again single and free… and it sucks.


I want to be with Liz. But how can I be with someone who a) only thinks of me a friend and b) who will quite possibly be getting a restraining order against me soon because of my ex-girlfriend.


When I caught Liz after Tess tried to trip her, and she looked up into my eyes… there was no mistaking the horror in her deep brown orbs. She looked so betrayed, so confused.


Is it strange that I just want to break down and cry at the thought of having Liz hate me?


I knew that when I broke things off with Tess, she wouldn’t make it easy on me, but Liz had nothing to do with it! Why can’t Tess see through the peroxide fog clouding her brain cells and see that she’s the problem, not some innocent angel who has enough to worry about in her life and doesn’t need some stupid cheerleader giving her petty threats at every opportunity?


“Max?”


“Fuck!” I yell, as I turn around, startled by the hand placed on my shoulder. “Shit Maria, you scared me!”


“Sorry.” She looks down the street to the corner she obviously saw me staring at, a knowing look plastered on her face. Michael comes up and stands beside her, giving me a sympathetic glance, but quickly turns away before anyone could catch him showing compassion.


“She’s gone, isn’t she?” I say, turning to look down at the street corner. I look back to Maria once she starts to speak.


“She probably hasn’t gone too far. She just got a little freaked, that’s all.”


“She thinks I lied to her! She thinks that I never broke up with Tess! She doesn’t trust me Maria!” Its only as I watch them flinch at my harsh tone that I realise I’m yelling. I run a shaky hand through my hair and let out a deep breath, before muttering a quite “Sorry.”


“Max, the thing that you have to understand about Liz is that she doesn’t trust people easily. Look, I’m pretty sure that she went back to the Crashdown, so I’ll go and find her okay?”


“What makes you think that she’ll believe you if she doesn’t believe me? She probably just thinks you’re in on the ‘game’ aswell!”


“Well, I can only try, right?” I can see a tiny glint of hope in her green eyes, and since I’m really not in the mood to argue right now, she’s basically my last hope of getting Liz to trust me.


“Thanks Maria.” I say quietly as she gives me a sympathetic hug before quickly kissing Michael good-bye and heading down the street, tracing the same path that Liz used only moments before.


“Buddy,” Michael says as he slaps me on the back. “If this chick can’t see that you’re head over heels for her, then she’s almost as stupid as Tess.”


Tess.


The thought of her makes me visibly cringe as I follow Michael back into the theatre. Instead of going back to my seat (who could sit through a movie after what just happened anyway?), I take a detour and stand right in front of Tess. She looks up at me with those piercing blue eyes and I shudder internally at the thought of once thinking that they were beautiful.


I know, makes you sick to the stomach aswell? I must once again express that at the time I was drunk (Michael throws a lot of parties), and wasn’t thinking clearly.


I grab Tess by the arm and pull her outside, shoving her up against the wall near the bathrooms. I’m not a violent guy, and I would never hit anyone unless they deserved it, and I definitely would never hit a female, so it surprises me that I could be so harsh on Tess, even if she deserves it.


I push her back against the wall hard, but not enough for her to feel any pain and scream abuse to the world. I think she takes my forcefulness as something else, as she starts to look at me seductively… well, as seductive as she can.


Her face actually kinda resembles a potato when she's trying to be seductive, something that I never noticed until now… until Liz.


“What the fuck do you think your doing Tess?”


She rubs her hand suggestively up and down my thigh, and I have to smack it away before she makes me sick. “I’m only taking back what's mine…”


“I was never yours Tess. Even when we were going out, which might I add, WE ARE NO LONGER DOING, I was never yours, nor will I ever be, so stay the hell away from Liz. She doesn’t deserve this shit, especially from you and your brainless hackle of sheep that you so often refer to as friends. Got it?”


“Oh, I’m sorry Max, did I make poor Lizzy-poo go crying home to daddy? Oh, that's right, he’s dead!”


I have to fight back the bile rising in my throat at her harsh words. How did I ever see anything in her? I must have been drunk at the time.


“I mean it Tess, stay the fuck away from her…”


With that I walk away, leaving Tess standing stunned against the wall.


My God that felt good!



TBC... Three cheers for the Llamas!

[lizard_queen]

Hey everyone. Thank you all for your replys.

Max is very angry at the moment so ranted lots of insults but Tess must have filled some need of his. What was it? The general character of Max doesn't seem to be thoughtless or a user so what was his need? He stayed with Tess inspite of the fact that ALL his friends and family openly disliked her. Why? Will that weakness affect his relationship with Liz?

Umm.... can i get back to you on that? You have to remember that Max really didn't like Tess very much, but he was just too lazy to break it off with her because there was no point in throwing away what he already had. Max had nothing against Tess, and they left their relationship casual, never really commiting or anything, so he didn't really have any good reasons himself to break it off with her. The only reasons he had were the ones other people were giving him, until Liz came... if that made any sense? I get what your saying Mezz, and believe me, i'm trying extreemly hard to make Tess more 3D, but what can i say... i really dont like the chick!

Sorry . Anyway, i have a question to anyone who's willing to answer it (and sorry, this one isn't about the llamas).

I finally got photoshop installed on my computer, and i made my first banner 2day! yay for me! Anyway, i need to know how i can post it on here, so you can all see my crappy piece of art?

if anyone knows how it can be done, please pm me or something?

Oh yes one more little tid bit concerning the Llamas!
A few years ago I was out at the barn where my friend Jennifer used to keep her horses and they had llamas there... anyway we were walking back to the stables through the pasture when one of the llamas mistook our other friend Julie for... I don't know I guess as a hot Llama chick becuase... he got a little fresh with her by jumping on her back!!

OMG, i cracked up laughing when i read that! Did that honestly happen? That was so funny... but it kinda makes you re-consider the coolness of llamas. Would you really want a llama coming onto you?

Okay, now back to this chapter. I'm sorry, i can't really write scary/violent scenes, so sorry, but i hope you like it anyway:






<center>Chapter 17

~Liz~</center>



“What did I do to deserve a life like this?” I say as Maria gently runs her hands through my hair. I’m lying stretched out across her bed, my head resting in her lap as we have what we so often like to refer to as ‘Girl Time.’


I know, clichéd and all, but it still helps me vent.


“Oh sweetie, you did nothing to deserve this okay? Tess is just a fucking bitch, and her friends are just too brainless to realise that being like her isn’t a step up in life. Don’t for one moment think that this is your fault.”


“I just want to go back to before…” I say quietly to myself, forgetting for a brief moment that I wasn’t alone.


“Oh Chica’, I know that you do, but I promise you that Tess will get what's coming to her, and soon. Don’t worry, Alex and I are already working on it.”


“Why am I afraid to ask?”


“Because you know me too well, and you know what my plans generally consist of.”


“Fair enough.”


“But now, onto more pressing matters… you and Max Evans!”


Max Evans.


His name sparks a giant fireball of mixed emotions in me that it would quite possibly obliterate a small village. He lied to me. I told him things that I have never told Maria about my parents and how they died, and then he just goes and throws it back in face.


“There is no me and Max Evans, Maria. He’s a self-centred, manipulative asshole who has you all fooled.”


There's a brief pause as i wait for her to respond. She gives a small sigh before saying the last thing i expected her to.


“But you’re in love with him…”


Damn her and her ability to read me like a friggin book. With a small sigh, I give in and confess to the one person who I know I can trust, with no question.


“…but I’m in love with him. Maria, I don’t want to be. I don’t want to have these feelings for him when he’s going out with Tess, and he only thinks of me as some one good to torture…”


“Wait just one minute missy! First of all, I can assure you that Max and Tess have been through since Sunday afternoon when he broke up with her in front of the entire cheerleading squad and some spectators, including Alex and me.”


“Why were you two at a cheerleading practice?”


“Because Alex wanted to go and watch Izzy practice, but Alex being Alex, he was too scared to go by himself, so he dragged me along, and I can assure you, Max made his feelings perfectly clear. What ever delusions that Tess has about her and Max, I promise you, are just that… delusions.”


I stare at my hands clasped together against my chest as I think about what Maria just said.


Max seemed so sincere today when he was begging me to listen to him, begging me to trust him… but it was all just so confusing. My mind is telling me one thing, but my heart is telling me another. I feel as though I’m being pulled in too many directions, and if I don’t scream out at the top of my lungs and tell them to stop, I’ll break.


“How do I know that he’s not lying to me Maria?” I say as I look up at her, desperately trying to keep the tears from falling as I realise that maybe she was right.


“Babe, you just gotta trust me when I say that Max would never try and hurt you like that. Tess; definitely, as she doesn’t have a heart, but Max; never. Even if you were his worst enemy, he would never hurt you. It’s not in his nature.”


I sit silently as Maria rants on and on about how Max is such a saint, and I realise how stupid I’ve been.


Max was so gentle with me, so friendly and I threw it all back in his face because I was afraid to trust him. I made up my mind then and there: tomorrow, I’m going to go and make amends with him, and hopefully he’ll forgive me and give me another chance to prove myself to him.


<center>
~*~*~*~*~*~</center>



An hour and a half, and a few cookie dough packets later, I’m walking down the street in the dark, on my way home.


Home. It’s probably the first time that I’ve ever even considered the Crashdown as a permanent fixture.


I turn at the park and walk through the gateway, my path suddenly darker as I no longer have the streetlights to illuminate my way. I suddenly get a strange chill up my spine, but I shrug it off, thinking its just nerves.


As soon as I hear the rustling of leaves, the chill is back, and all the hair on the back of my neck is standing up. I stop mid walk and take a deep breath as I look around in the darkness. I can see a garbage bin and a park bench, but no ugly monsters that are going to jump out and rip my guts out… which is probably a good thing.


I start walking again, cautiousness in my step as I stare at the other side of the park. I can see the light from the street beaming through the entrance, and I know that if I can just get to the other side without being attacked by something, then I’ll be fine. The Crashdown is just a few blocks away from here…


Maybe if there weren’t so many trees and a few more lights, I would feel a bit safer.


I immediately speed up when I hear movement behind me, the heels of someone’s shoes clinking in fast strides as they come into contact with the pavement.


“Miss Lizzy Parker, where ya’ going?” the man says in a slow southern accent, and I almost faint right then and there at the familiar voice. “I’m sure your mamma and pa are looking forward to seeing you again.”


No. No, this can’t be happening. Not again. How did they find me? No.


I quicken my pace as I reach the entrance to the park, hoping that he’ll just leave me alone if there are people around… I round the corner and run.


I don’t even realise where I’m heading until I’m a few streets in the wrong direction from the Crashdown, with him approaching me fast from behind. I have to get away from him. I know that if I just turn down the street just ahead of me, I’ll be safe.


I can feel my heart in my throat as I run desperately down the street. I keep looking over my shoulder, seeing him behind me as he follows at least forty metres behind me.


I trip on a crack in the concrete and fall down hard on the ground, the gravel biting into my skin on my hands and knees. I’m terrified to death of what will happen if he catches up to me, but I wont let him.


I gather my breath as I struggled to get up, pushing my self of the rocks below me and continue running. I can feel the stitch in my side getting bigger, leaving me gasping for air as I run with everything I have, but I wont give up yet.


Just a little bit further and then I’ll be there. Just a little bit further and then I’ll be safe.


I speed up when I see my destination in sight, the light streaming out the window into the dark night. I run up the path that leads up the side of the house, past the hedges and stop when I see the garbage bins right across from the window.


I pound the glass with my fists; the urgency to get somewhere safe was eating me alive. Everything seemed to go in slow motion, nothing was happening fast enough. I keep on looking back to the road, hoping with everything I have that he didn’t see which house I disappeared down the side of.


The curtains are quickly pulled away from the window as he undoes the latch on the windowsill.


“Michael? What do you…” His breath catches when he realises its me standing there. “Liz?”

[lizard_queen]

Hey everyone.

Ahh! We got prunned! It's scary and small looking now...

Anyway, thank you for all your replys, which i managed to save! Yay me! I have them right now in front of me...

Coley452: Damn, nothing gets by you people, does it? Yes, you are possibly correct about the fire and the connection between the stalker dude...

Also, yesterday, i went for a drive in the blue mountains (i live in Sydney, Australia for those who don't know where the blue mountains are located.) And guess what i saw on the way there....

LLAMAS! Plus, i saw these evil looking donkey's grazing in a paddock. One of them gave me a death stare. It was really strange.


So... we all want to know who's after Liz now do we? Well, i could tell you right now, but that would ruin all the fun... so i'm going to make you wait... just for the fun of being evil

Enjoy:



<center>Chapter 18


~Max~
</center>


I stood there gaping at Liz as she stood outside my window. Her face was pale and she was shivering wildly. I quickly opened my window and held out my hand for her to take. She placed her trembling hand in mine and I helped her inside, catching her when she tripped because her foot got caught on the windowsill.


She looked up at me with those big brown eyes and I was left stunned. They didn’t look warm and inviting like they had so many times before, but now they were filled with something terrifying, something painful, something that resembled…fear?


She clung onto my shirt as she shook, forcing me to pull her closer and put my arms right around her small body. I didn’t mind. I gently stroked her hair as I pulled the window closed before moving her over so she was sitting on my bed. I stood up to close my door when her grip tightened on me. I gently pulled her fingers out of the death grip they were in on my shirt and looked into her eyes.


“I’ll be right back, okay?” I said in a quiet whisper, almost too afraid to speak louder in fear that I might just break her fragile form.


Reluctantly she let me go and I quickly ran over to lock my door. We really don’t need anyone walking in on us right now. I started to walk back to her when I noticed her shivering even more than before, if it was possible. Using quick thinking, something that I’m not really known for (I like to think things through for a while before I make any snap decisions. I get the annoying habit from my father), I grab my tangled doona cover off my bed and pull it around her small shoulders.


After some great difficulty with her death grip on my hand, I manage to lie back against my pillow and pull her down next to me so were lying on my bed, her body spooned in next to mine and the doona covering both of us. I gently stroke her silky hair as she cries into my chest. I want to ask her questions, I want her to explain what happened, but the questions only stirred around in my head, never making it out of my mouth.


What happened?


Why was she here when she made her feelings towards me pretty clear earlier at the movies when she ran away from me, without letting me explain?


More importantly, why was she crying, and why did she look so scared, so small?


Who would do something like this to her?


“Liz?”


She looks up at me with those puppy dog brown eyes, now glistening with tears and I’m left breathless… I know it’s the wrong time, but all I want to do is kiss her, and then when I’m done kissing her, I want to kiss her some more. Instead, I manage to form a coherent sentence and blurt out one of my questions.


“Liz… what happened?”


My heart broke as she spoke. Her voice was so soft, so small, I would never believe that she would be capable of sounding so fragile, so scared…


“He… he was following me…”


My entire body tensed at her words. Someone was following her? Who? Why? Where are they so I can go and beat the crap out of them?


“What?” My voice came out as a barely audible whisper; something I never knew I was capable of doing. I’ve never been able to whisper. It’s one of my greatest weaknesses… Isabel can always hear what I’m saying when I don’t want her to. It’s amazing that it’s right now that when I find out my new talent!


“I-I was walking home from Maria’s, through t-the park, and, I-I felt someone following m-me…”


“So you ran all the way here? Liz, the Crashdown’s closer than here! Why didn’t you go home? God, even Michael’s is closer than here!”


“I-I don’t know…”


I couldn’t help but smile. She could have gone home, back to Maria’s, or even Michael’s, but instead she came to me… For some reason I got an odd sense of satisfaction out of that thought and pulled her closer, trying to fight off her demons the best I could.


If only Kyle could see this now. That's right Valenti; she came to me, NOT YOU! Ha ha!


Then something dawned on me: Tess.

Did this have something to do with those threats she was giving Liz? Did Tess cause all this, simply because she was pissed that I broke up with her?


Liz’s small sobbing noises bring be back to reality; a reality which consists of the girl of my dreams, here, in my room, on my bed, with me. If she hadn’t just been stalked while she was walking through a park with little-to-no lighting, at one thirty in the morning, and was now crying herself to sleep in my arms… this would almost be perfect.


“Shh… it’s okay. You’re safe now.” I say as I gently rub her back. I can feel her feet next to mine under the doona, and I can’t help but entwine her legs with mine. She snuggles further into me, and I know that she doesn’t mind how close we are.


“Max… I-I don’t want to b-be alone tonight. C-can I s-stay here?”


My heart, along with my ego, swells to an enormous size at her words, and I pull her closer against me and place a small kiss on her forehead. “Definitely.”


She snuggles further into me, her head resting against my chest as she holds onto me with a deathly grip, as if she's afraid that I’ll disappear. I want to tell her that she’s okay now; that I’m not going anywhere and I’ll protect her, but as I look down into her sleeping face, I realise that she's already fallen asleep…


<center>
~*~*~*~*~*~</center>



“Max honey, wake up!”


I seep into the world of consciousness at the sound of my mothers voice out in the hallway. My pillow feels soft and silky against my face, which is strange considering it’s not a silk pillowcase that I have on. I try and turn over onto my back, but there’s something weighing me down into the mattress.


I slowly open my eyes, finding this the strangest morning so far, and fully expecting to see my sister in bed next to me. When we were younger and Roswell had thunderstorms, Isabel would always come downstairs and hop into bed with me… but she hasn’t done that for years, plus, I don’t recall any storms last night.


I rub the sleep out of my eyes, and when I open them, I come face to face with the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Liz is lying curled into my side, her arms pulled up close against her chest as she grips my shirt. Her dark hair is splayed out all over my pillow, and with the way the light from my window is hitting her, she looks angelic.


As I study her closer, I notice the faint outline of tear streaks running down her cheeks, and its then that everything chooses to come flooding back to me. I remember the way she was frantically banging on my window, how scared she looked when I was helping her inside, and how violently she was shivering when I sat her down on my bed. Most of all, I remember that I was the one she chose to come running to, and how I was the one that she wanted to stay with last night. It makes me think that maybe there is some hope for us after all.


“Mmm… Max?”


Liz’s eyes flutter open as she drifts out of sleep and back into reality. She buries herself further into the blankets, trying to hide against my chest as she wakes.


“Hey.” I say gently as I run my warm hands up and down her back. She lifts her eyes up to mine, and I can’t help but gasp at the pain and fear I can see shining in her big brown orbs. I gently brush away the silent tears that are falling down her cheeks, knowing that she’s reliving in her mind what happened last night.


“Hey, please don’t cry… Liz you’re okay now. You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.”


Woops. That was obviously the wrong thing to say, as she's now crying twice as much as before. I pull her tight against me and wrap my arms around her small body, the need to protect her growing stronger with every breath.


“I’m so sorry Max.” She mumbles against my chest.


“What? What for?” Why is she sorry? What does she have to be sorry for? I’m so confused right now I think I may just explode.


“For yesterday… at the theatre. I’m sorry… I-I just had to get out of there…”


Before I can reply with something witty and charming, as is my way, I hear a loud knock on my door, followed by my mums voice once again.


“Max… are you awake?”


Liz immediately tries to jump out of the bed, but I hold her close to me before she can trip over and hurt herself. Knowing that she wont be able to get out of my grip, she pulls the covers up and over her, hiding from the outside world.


“Yeah mum, I’m awake!” I yell, just in case my mother is having a random day and feels the need to wake me up personally, all because I didn’t announce that I’m already awake. “Liz… It’s okay, she never comes in.” I say with a smirk as I pull the covers off her, exposing her deep crimson cheeks as she blushes from embarrassment.


I hear retreating footsteps down the hall and I turn back to where Liz is once again snuggling under the blankets.


“So…She never comes in, hey?” Liz asks, and I can hear the embarrassment still in her voice. I can tell that she's holding back, trying not to show me any sign that she's afraid, any sign that shows that she's weak, and instead she's covering it up with light conversation, hoping that it will all go away.


Deciding to play along with her game for a while, knowing that I wont let her go home until we’ve talked about everything, I gently reassure her. “Nope. Never.”


Just then, my door flings open, revealing a stunned blond as she looks back at us with large eyes. I can tell you now, this wont turn out to be good.

[lizard_queen]

Hello all.

Thank you all for your replys. So, i'm going to make this short and sweet for now. I promise you that it will get more interesting in about... oh... two or three chapters (wink wink, nudge nudge)

I'll leave you all to interpret that however you choose. But for now, all i will ask is this: Is it Isabel who just barged in? Mrs Evans... or maybe even Tess?


Read and find out: (woah, i'm being all mysterious today. he he. fun)







<center>Chapter 19


~Liz~</center>



“Liz… It’s okay, she never comes in.” He says gently as he looks up at me with those deep amber eyes. I could stare into them for all eternity… but that's not going to happen.


I’ve finally come to the conclusion that yes, Max may have broken up with Tess, but like he said, it had nothing to do with me. He broke up with her because he was sick of her, he hated the way she treated people that he cared about. He didn’t break up with her because maybe, he too, thought that there was something between us.


So for now, I’m just going to have to keep on imagining scenarios where he walks up to me in class, or while I’m at the Crashdown and confesses his undying love for me, because I know that that’s all they ever will be… my imagination.


“So…She never comes in, hey?” I ask, still feeling kind of embarrassed, but most… afraid. Not just afraid that I’ll have to tell Max why a simple stalker got me so scared, but afraid that is his parents do find me in HIS bed with HIM, I’ll have to tell them why a simple stalker got me so upset, and I’ll therefore have to tell my uncle and aunty, and of course… Maria. Max, I can handle. I know that he’ll just listen, and he wont push me to tell him anything I don’t want to. I feel safe and protected with him. But I don’t think I can cope if everyone else finds out.


“Nope. Never.”


His door is swung open with a loud *thump* as it hits the wall, scaring the crap out of both me and Max.


“Max! Maria just called! Liz is miss-” She stops dead in her tracks as she sees me in bed with Max.


“Unfortunately, the same rule doesn’t apply to Isabel.” Max says as he rubs a hand down his face. I just sit there as she stares at both of us. Max has clearly seen both of our faces and a small smile come to rest on his lips. “Isabel, close your mouth, you’re drooling.”


“Hey Isabel.” I say quietly as I give a small wave, trying to avoid eye contact with both of them. Of course, this had to happen to me! How did she get in anyway? I thought he locked that door?


Max sits up beside me and leans back against the headboard, folding his arms across his chest. “So, what brings you by Izzy?”


Isabel takes a deep breath and looks between Max and I, clearly in a stake of shock. “S-s-she’s not m-missing?” she chokes out, and I can’t help but blush at the awkward situation. God, I’m never going to hear the end of this! It's only then that I notice the screwdriver grasped tightly in her hand, and all my questions about the door are answered.


“I-I should go.” I say as I attempt to get out of the bed, but Max once again grabs my arm and pulls me back down next to him. I have a feeling that I’m not going anywhere for quite some time.


“Liz, wait, please?” He asks me, and all I can do is give a small nod. God, am I pathetic?


“Do I even want to ask why she’s in your bed?” Isabel says as she takes a cautious step into the room, her hand reaching for the doorknob for support.


“Get your head out of the gutter. We’re fully clothed!” Max says pointedly and motions for her to shut the door. I don’t know what's worse: leaving the door open so their parents can walk past and see me in their sons bed, or having the door shut, therefore leaving me trapped in the room with both Max and Isabel.


Max stands up and walks over to where Isabel is standing. He whispers something in her ear before closing the door, with her out in the hallway. I don’t know what he said to her, but from the look I saw on Isabel’s face, I don’t think that Max will be keeping my secret for very long.


He turns back towards me and sits down on the bed, looking directly at me, his eyes burning into my skin. Nervously, I brush a strand of hair behind my ear and cross my legs underneath me, all the while looking at the bedspread.


Silence ensues, and I know that he’s trying to think up a casual way of asking me about last night. I want to tell him everything. I want to tell him about how my parent’s death was no accident. I want to tell him that I was supposed to be in that house with them when it was set on fire, that I’m not supposed to be here right now, living and breathing. I want to tell him why I got so freaked last night at the familiar voice when I was walking through the park.


Taking a deep breath, I open my mouth to tell him something. Anything. I don’t care what, but I need to tell someone. But before the words can get out, he speaks first, destroying what was about to be a profound moment in history for me.


“Liz…”


My heart is pounding in my head as I look at him, my breath harsh and ragged as I try and calm down. I was about to confess everything that I’ve been feeling these past two months to someone who I hardly know. God, I can’t even tell Maria this stuff… so why I feel the sudden urge to scream it all out so Max can hear everything I’m going through, everything I’m feeling right now, is beyond me.


“I-I was thinking.” He sounds so nervous, and all of a sudden his face goes bright red. This is getting a little strange. “W-we don’t really know who the guy in the park last night was. I mean, he could have just been some random drunk looking for some one, anyone at all, who just happened to walk past him, or for some weird reason, he could have targeted you…”


I swallow an enormous ball of guilt, knowing that that's the exact reason. I was targeted. I’m not supposed to be here right now. If he had done his job properly two months ago, I would be dead. But, because I wasn’t home, he now has to work overtime just to find me and finish what he started.


“… so I was thinking that m-maybe… you should have some protection… or something?”


“Protection? Like, a gun or something? Max, I’m sure that he was just looking for some innocent girl out on her own late at night, and that he-”


“No! I don’t mean a gun or anything. I mean like, body guards or something.”


“Body guards?” Did I mention that this was getting strange? I’m not entirely sure if he’s joking or being serious. On the one hand, he looks incredibly serious. His brow is even doing that weird thing where it wrinkles up, like when he’s thinking hard. And he is looking directly at me. But the absurdity of this conversation has me leaning towards the joking bit, which would involve him being an incredible actor. I’m extremely confused right now.


He’s doing this really cute bashful thing right now, his cheeks are blushing and his averts his eyes down to his hands in his lap.


“Yeah. Not like expensive suits and guns or anything… more like Michael, Kyle, Alex… and me.” He looks up at me when he says ‘me’, and I internally gasp at the sparkle in his eyes. How can anyone say no to those eyes?


“You-your serious about this?”


“Why not? I mean, we don’t know who the guy was. We don’t know if he’s going to try something again, so if you have us with you wherever you go, at least you’ll be partially safe. Even Maria and Isabel can be pretty feisty. Ask Michael about Maria’s right hook!”


“I…ah…”


What do you say to something like that? He looks so cute, and so worried that I’ll turn him down. But I don’t know if this would work. I know these people, and I know that four teenage boys aren’t going to stop them if they really want me dead.


“Just for a week. And not all the time. And I promise you; we won’t be like glued to your side and growling at anyone who walks within a five-metre radius. It’ll just be like normal, except you won’t be walking home in that dark any more.”


I really have no idea what to do now. This could just put them in even more danger than I’m already putting them in, but it’s what Max says next that makes me finally decide.


“Please Liz? I just… I want you to be safe. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”


Puddle of Liz goo at your service! God, I just want to jump him. He’s looking at me with those adorable puppy dog eyes, and all I can do is nod. See, pathetic!


<center>
~*~*~*~*~*~ </center>



“Hey Liz.”


“Kyle. Hi.”


I’m sitting in one of the Crashdown booths with my arms crossed over my chest, feeling a tad bit self-conscious. Max and everyone else are standing about ten metres away, and he’s relaying his bodyguard plan to them all. The more that I think about it, the stupider it seems. But it is kind of fun to have Max acting so protective towards me.


“I heard about last night. I hope your okay.”


Wow. This is a strange side of Kyle. The entire time I’ve known him, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him acting so concerned towards anyone. Don’t get me wrong, Kyle is a great guy but… he’s just…


… he’s not Max!


There, I said it! I Liz Parker, have fallen for the guy with the psychotic ex-girlfriend and those fucking amazing amber eyes.


I look up to see Kyle staring at me intently, and I realise he’s waiting for me to answer. “Oh um… yeah, I’m fine.” I say, going back to looking at the space ship on the table in front of me as I tighten my grip around myself.


“So um… I was wondering… maybe, tonight, if your not doing anything, we could go and see a movie or something… like on a date?”


As soon as he says the word ‘date’ my eyes snap back to his. His expression is so hopeful, so sure of himself, that it makes me feel even more guilty to have to turn him down.


“Oh Kyle… I’m sorry… I just… I don’t really think now is a good time, you know? You’re a really great guy, and I’m sure that any girl would be so lucky to have you, just…”


“...not you.” He finished for me, looking down at his own hands. God, I feel so awful for doing this to him.


“Yeah.” I say softly. He looks up at me with those sad puppy dog eyes, but they don’t have the same effect as Max’s. All Max had to do this morning was give me those eyes and I gave in, but Kyle will definitely have to work a bit harder.


“I should…um,…” he mumbles as he points over his shoulder to where everyone else is talking. Before he stands up, I manage to wrap my arms around him and pull him in for a big hug. He’s a bit taken back at first, but soon returns the hug.


“Thank you Kyle.” I whisper in his ear, and he pulls back to regard me.


“For what?”


“For being a great friend.”

[lizard_queen]

Okay,

Because i'm bored and i don't want to study for the big exams i have in two days, i'm going to be nice and post two chapters.

Sorry if these kind of drag on for a bit. I'm not entirely sure of the point of them, but, if you just bare with me, i can promise you that one of the things that you have been waiting for will happen! So please just wait it out because i promise you it's coming soon.

Did that make any sense?

Anyway, thank you all for your replys. I'm sorry if this is turning out to be a bit angsty. IT WILL GET BETTER!!!!

And on that note:




<center>Chapter 20

~Max~</center>


“Have you talked to the Sheriff yet, Max? Maybe he could help with this whole ‘lets be Liz’s body guard because we’re too chicken shit to ask her out already’ thing?”


“Thank you for that Michael. Very enlightening.” I say, sarcasm dripping off my voice. I’m sitting down at the table with Maria, Michael and Isabel as I watch Kyle and Liz in out of the corner of my eye.


I have this really bad feeling that it’s too late. I can tell by the way he’s sitting that he’s nervous, which Kyle only ever gets around a girl that he actually likes. When all he wants is ten minutes in the eraser room, he’s mister smooth, but when it comes to someone that he could potentially care about… well, lets just say that unless he’s had a lot of alcohol, he generally has a bad case of ‘foot in mouth’.


God, all I want to do is walk over there and give Liz the most passionate kiss of her entire life before throwing her on the table and doing all the things I dream about doing to her, thus securing her as mine forever, and showing Kyle that he can have anything… just not her…


But instead, I’m over here, only half paying attention to what everyone is saying whilst I secretly hope that he gets so nervous that he blows it completely with Liz so that in about a month, when I figure that enough time has passed, I can finally ask out the girl of my dreams, literally.


Every night since the Halloween party, I have not stopped dreaming about her. She haunts me. Every time I close my eyes, my mind flashes with images of her, her voice echoing through my memory, her laugh, her smile, the way she screams my name when…


“MAXWELL!”


I turn my gaze back to the giant oaf standing across from me, yelling into my face that is inches away from his. Once satisfied that he has my attention, Michael sits back down and crosses his arms over his chest, waiting for someone else to start speaking.


“Max, did you just hear anything we said?” Isabel asks, a concerned look on her face. Wow she reminds me of my mum sometimes, which is kind of strange, considering she’s not really my biological mother…


“Max!”


I realise that I just spaced out again, and I look at the ground sheepishly, feeling my ear heating up as they turn bright red. “Sorry… I guess I just need some sleep.”


“Is she going to talk to the sheriff about this? I mean, a stalker is a big thing Max, especially since he followed her all the way back to our house. I really don’t think that a few teenagers will stop who ever it is, if they really want to hurt Liz.”


Isabel’s words float around in my head, and I know that I’ll need them for later, if not to prove something to Liz. I asked her this morning if she wanted to go see the sheriff, but she declined, a little too fast for my liking. It was almost as if she knew I was going to ask her.


“I don’t know Iz. In the end, it doesn’t matter what we want her to do, it’s Liz’s choice. It’s her life we’re talking about here.”


“Exactly Max. It’s her life.” Maria says, putting extra emphasis on the word ‘life’. “I’ve known her since I was born, and I know how stubborn she is, which means that no amount of whining from me will make her change her mind. But you, on the other hand…”


Um... what on earth is she getting at here? I don’t whine. There are many things I will do, but whine is not one of them! And why would that have any effect on Liz’s decision anyway? Maria is her best friend. If she can’t get through to Liz, how the hell am I supposed to?


Maria obviously saw the confused look plastered across my face. She throws her hands up in the air with exasperation before continuing.


“Max! The girl likes you! She’s mad about you! Why the hell do you think she ran halfway across Roswell last night when some crazy guy was chasing her? If anyone has any chance of convincing her to talk to the sheriff, then it’s you!”


I didn’t hear the last part of her ranting. My mind was still stuck on the bit about Liz being mad about me. Liz, mad about me? After my ex-girlfriend threatened her and I just stood back and did nothing. After all the times Liz has said that she hates me. Even though Kyle is over there asking her out as we speak… and she’s mad about me?


“NO! No Maria, I think you’re seriously mistaken. Liz just thinks of me as her friend.” I say in a defeated way, averting my eyes down to the table so Michael will have nothing to tease me about later.


“Maxwell, grow some balls and ask the chick out already!” Yep folks, looks like my wonderful friend Michael has found something to tease me about. It’s not so much what he said that pissed me off, but more the volume that he said it. If he didn’t just shout it out, then I think I would be alot happier.


I chance a glance over to where Liz is sitting, oblivious to the rest of the world around her. She leaning against the wall of the booth, her legs pulled up against her and her arms wrapped around her waist, just staring off into space.


Kyle blocks my view as he stand next to Michael, an extremely pissed off look on his face. Wait a minute, when did he stop talking to Liz?


“Didn’t go so well, huh?” Maria asks with a smirk on her face as she picks up a chip from her plate. Interesting… it’s almost as if she anticipated Liz’s reaction…


“She tried to feed me all that ‘You’re a great friend, and anyone would be lucky to have you’ crap. And then she tried to tell me that, maybe later; we could go out as ‘just friends’!” He says as he pulls up a chair, sitting down so I can finally see Liz again. If I look hard enough, I can see the silent tears welling up in her eyes, and I’m seeing red.


I can't believe that he has the nerve to even say that about Liz. She just had to go through hell, and then Kyle thinks that she would suddenly be all happy and worry free, just becasue he asked her out!


“Kyle, she just got followed at 1:30 in the morning, terrified out of her mind. Her parents were killed three months ago, and she still has to live with it. She was up crying all fucking night. To make matters worse, she has to tell her aunty and uncle what happened when they get back from Phoenix tomorrow… and you’re sitting here, pissed off because she wouldn’t go out on a date with you! Get over yourself!”


I stand up, fully ready to punch the guy if he has anything to say back to me, but he just sits there, with an unreadable expression. Maria is sitting there staring up at me with her mouth wide open, her hand holding a chip in mid air. Isabel is just staring in front of her with a giant smile on her face, and then I turn to Michael.


He’s sitting back on his chair with his hands behind his head, an evil smirk across his face. I see Liz stand up and walk through the employee door at the back of the restaurant, and I’m so tempted to follow her, but I’m stopped by Michael’s voice.


“It’s about time Maxwell. I was wondering when those things were going to drop!” He says, and the smirk gets even bigger.


I’m more than pissed off now. I look at Kyle once more, challenging him to say something to me, anything, but he just sits there in silence. I’ve had enough of this shit for tonight. I grab my jacket off the back of my chair and storm towards the back door, knowing that all I need to do is look at Liz’s face and I’ll calm down.

<center>

~*~*~*~*~*~</center>



“Liz? Liz, are you in here?”


I drop my jacket on her bed as I walk around her room. She wasn’t in the lounge room or kitchen, so I figured the next place she would go would be here. I quickly look around and see the door to her bathroom closed. Figuring that it would be a perfect place to hide, I swiftly walk over and turn the knob, thinking that it would be locked so no one could disturb her. But, as I go to turn it I put all my weight on the door, and to my surprise, it opens, and I fall forward, landing face first on the tiles.


“Ow…” I mumble as I slowly stand up, taking a quick look around the room to make sure she’s not hiding behind the shower curtain laughing at me. Seeing no sign of her, I walk back out into her room, and my eyes catch her balcony.


The windows are latched shut from the inside, so there’s no way she could have gotten out and then locked them. I’m just about to give up when I hear a rustling coming from the corner of her room.


I slowly walk over to the middle of the room and stop. In the corner, there’s her desk and her closet. I can see under the desk from here, and unless she’s turned the size of a fairy, then she’s obviously not there. I mean, she is short, but not that short.


Which only leaves the closet. The doors are pulled shut and it’s locked, but I know for a fact that these sorts of doors are quite easy to lock from the inside. What can I say, I used to hide in Isabel’s a lot when I was younger and we were playing hide-and-seek.


I’m not entirely sure why, but I take a deep breath as I move closer. Maybe I’m anticipating her not being there. Maybe she didn’t run up the stairs like a I thought she would have, but instead she ran out the back door and into the ally. For all I know, she could be on her way to Mexico, trying to escape Roswell and everyone here. She could have walked out that door, and stalker guy could have been waiting for her. She could be dead.


I hear another rustle inside the closet, which brings me back to the task at hand. Either Liz Parker is hiding in her closet, or it’s an extremely large mouse. Did I mention that I’m not too fond of mice?


I take another deep breath, again for no reason, before I unlatch the lock and swing the doors open.