Roswell Fanatics

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ALEX

Opening the door, I almost run over Max and Liz who are outside the girls' room. They are too far away from the door to be listening to what Isabel and I said ... not that they'd ever do something like that. That would just ... that's just something that Max and Liz wouldn't do.

We three are staring at each other for a moment in silence before I smile and step away from the open door. I bet they are mighty curious about what Isabel and I talked about. Not that it was that exciting, aside from the jealousy bit. And that is more confusing than exciting I guess. And leaves so many possibilities of what ...

"Sorry for kicking you out Liz, but I'm already leaving so I guess you can go in again. Good night, see you in the morning, little lady."

*Max*

I finally get the question out. I'm feeling so exposed as I wait for her answer. What is Liz going to think? Do I sound like some conceited fool? Am I expecting too much, imagining things? Damn. I wish I hadn't said anything. I feel like I'm sixteen again. So damn nervous about it all. The first day, the other three girls were all over me and now I'm thinking that NONE of them are interested. And Liz isn't either. She hasn't been from the start. What is she going to think now?

Suddenly, the door of Liz's room opens and Alex steps out. I bite my lip and swallow my emotions. Now I'll probably never know what Liz would have said. She probably thinks I'm an idiot, anyway.

I force myself to push those thoughts down and think about the Alex situation as I turn to meet his eyes. He looks as unsettled as I'd expect, but he doesn't look mad. He doesn't look -- crushed.

"Sorry for kicking you out Liz, but I'm already leaving so I guess you can go in again. Good night, see you in the morning, little lady." Alex says, not addressing anything that happened between him and Isabel yet.

"Are you okay, Alex?" I ask.

ALEX

"Are you okay, Alex?"

I turn back to the two since I already was about two steps away from them. I briefly glance to the open door, wondering if Isabel's listening to what is being said out here.

"I'm fine, Max. No need to worry about me." I tell him and Liz with a shrug and a smile. "Isabel and I talked about ... the basics of the situation you could say, I guess and we'll talk some more about it when we both had some time to think about it all."

Okay, I think that was diplomatic enough to not cause me problems in case Isabel is listening.

*Max*

Alex answer is a bit vague but not troubling. Good. He seems pretty level. Hopefully, things will be better with it out in the open. I don't want to see more crushed emotions like Isabel was when I first walked into her room tonight.

For just a moment I flash on that teasing conversation I'd had with Liz -- when she was supposed to pass on a kiss from Isabel. I have a feeling neither she nor Isabel will be repeating such sentiments.

"All right," I say carefully. I glance at Liz and say. "I guess I'll head for bed, too. I'll see you in the morning," I say. I don't know what I thought she would say to my question, anyway. It wouldn't be what I wanted to hear. I want to hear her say that she likes me that way, but I know that she doesn't...

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

“Do you think that Tess likes me?” he asks. “Do you think she likes someone else?” Is that even possible? He looks almost lost, as though he really can’t figure anything with Tess. I don’t even know what to say. How can I answer that question? I don’t really know Tess that well. I haven’t really had much time to talk to her.

Luckily I’m saved from having to give him an answer when Alex comes out of the room. I look at his face, and, if anything, he looks more tired than upset. As odd as it sounds, Max looked more lost less than a minute ago than Alex does now. After Max’s questioning, Alex vaguely explains where things stand with him and Izzy. I wonder if the vague explanation is more Alex not knowing exactly where things stand than Alex wanting to keep things private between them.

With a few quick words Alex proceeds to head to his room, and Max follows after saying, “I guess I’ll head for bed too. See you in the morning.”

I take a few steps to follow him, reach out and grab his wrist, and say, “Max.” He turns, his gaze first coming to where my hand is resting on his wrist then coming to my face. He doesn’t say anything, just stands waiting for what I wanted to say.

“I . . . I just wanted to say that . . .”

Just do it.

“I just wanted to say that everything is going to be okay. It will all work out.” I lean up and kiss his cheek briefly. “Everything will work out.”

ALEX

Falling face down on my bed, I try to clear things up a bit.

1) Isabel knows that I like her thanks to big mouth Valenti
2) Isabel is in shock about this so I guess I wasn't as obvious as Tess feared
3) Isabel was also jealous about Ashley
4) Isabel is very confused about that
5) Isabel does not like sport bars

I think i can leave the last out for now, which still leaves me with my secret open, a confused (and jealous?) Isabel and no clue as to what to do. Things were so much easier this morning! Hopefully, Isabel won't avoid me now or ignore me like she did at the beginning, I don't think I could take that.

Glancing at the wall that separates my room from Isabel's, I briefly wonder what she is doing right now. Is she looking out the window? Also lying on her bed? Did she already make up her mind about the whole situation? Will she talk to me tomorrow? Damn, there is no use in worrying about this before I get to talk to her again and yet, I know that I will be worrying the whole night.

Turning, so that I'm on my back, I glance at the door. I wonder if Max will come in soon to hear about what happened or if the and Liz will talk to Tess or do ... something else.

*Max*

Liz doesn't seem to be too interested in my confusion over Tess. I can't really blame her. It's not something that affects her, is it? The trouble with Isabel and Alex is far more immediate.

But as I start to leave, she calls me back, offering some encouraging words -- although I don't know if she's talking about Tess or Isabel and then ...

Then...

She kissed me!

I really can't believe I'm still standing here looking at her. She KISSED me!

It was soft and quick and sweet ... it felt real ... not just some nothing. What did it feel like to her? I'm still trying to think. Have I remembered to breathe? That was so wonderful. I don't want to end this by speaking. I need to savor this memory 'cause there may never be another like it.

"Why?" I ask after a long moment. My voice is soft as I look into her eyes for some clue about what she was thinking. What she is thinking. ".... Why did you do that?"

::shrugs:: I hope this is okay. Everyone's have been so great, that I'm worried this isn't up to par.

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

“Why?” he asks after I pull back. That was not quite the reaction that I was going for, the dumbfounded, confused, what just happened here reaction that I received. I do not even know what reaction I expected in the first place. And to make matters worse, I have no clue as to how I’ll even begin to answer the simple three-letter question he asked.

Why?

Because I’ve wanted to since we started teasing each other about it after Izzy called tonight? Maybe even before that.

Why?

Because almost all I have been wanting to do is to slip my hand into his, letting my fingers thread through his just to see how it will feel.

Why?

Because I like him, and I do not want to see the lost and confused, almost helpless, look that was on his face. That I would try just about anything to wash away the expression that was on his face before Alex walked out of my room.

“Why did you do that?”

I shrug lightly, an attempt to keep things light—an attempt to hide. “Because Izzy asked. And after the night she has had, I do not think it wise to not follow through with one of her requests.”

I lie. I lie, and I hope that he believes it and does not see what I am trying desperately to hid. I lie. Something I have been getting better at since I have been here. I look down at the floor, my hair falling past my shoulders and framing my face. I look back up at him but careful not to look in his face. “Because you were nice enough to help me with handling Izzy’s problem. It was nice of you.”

I lie. But now I am beginning to feel like I am lying more to myself now than I am lying to him. Even worse, I am worried about when I start believing the lie as truth.

I tuck my hair behind my ears as I give him a light smile. “Good night,” I say to him, taking another tentative step back, and after a beat I say his name, “Max.”

*Max*

My heart falls as Liz says that she only kissed me because Isabel asked her to earlier in the evening. That makes it just a friend-kiss. Not only because it would have been a friend-kiss if it came from Isabel, but because following her suggestion would be a fun, friendly thing -- nothing more.

She follows up by saying it's because I helped her with Isabel. Hell -- Isabel's trouble were as much my fault as hers. Maybe more mine since I started with helping Alex before Liz got involved. There's no need to thank me for that ... It seems a strange thing for her to say.

I wait for a beat, wondering if she'll offer another reason. If there were three, then I'd know all of them were lies. With two ... it's not so clear.

But she's done. She looks down at the floor and then up at me again before saying goodnight and stepping back.

"Wait!" I call softly, quickly stepping forward so I'm next to her again. I don't even know why I asked her to wait... just because I don't want to see her leave yet. I don't want to lose sight of her face right now. She's slightly flushed, embarrassed. I don't know why she's embarassed, I just don't want to say good-bye yet.

I catch her hand in mine and everything stops. My mind seems to be on full stop and racing ahead at the same time. What can I tell her about why I asked her to wait? ...

"I just ... thank you ... for everything. The cookies, Isabel ... all of it."

Sternbetrachter wrote:KYLE

"Weird, you'd think Maria would be the one who's out the most and partying the most since this is her home town, instead of brooding in her room."

*Michael*

"Yeah, well, I don't have any idea what's up with her," I say. And I don't. Honestly. I thought I had an idea of what made her tick but she's nothing like I expected her to be. Glad I've decided it's not my problem anymore.

I get up from the sofa and trudge towards the door, ready to head for bed. Before I get there, I pause and turn back to Kyle. "Hey, for tomorrow night I was thinking of going back to that same club we went to last Sunday. You and Izzy wanna come along?"

That was the place I met Candy and it will be Sunday again. I lost her number when I pulled Maria from the pool. Maybe she'll be there again and I can start something that'll actually get somewhere with her.