Roswell Fanatics

<center>Chapter 21


~Liz~</center>



Once again, I’m not entirely sure why, but I’m hiding out in my closet. I think its just a place that gives me time to think. In the dark, nothing exists by my thoughts and emotions, so it makes it easier to focus on them.


“Liz? Liz, are you in here?”


Max. Of course he would come looking for me. Not that I’m complaining. But I’m starting to feel like this giant burden to everyone… mostly Max. They shouldn’t have to baby sit me every time I have a nightmare. They shouldn’t have to be protecting me, and Max shouldn’t have to worry about me every time I lock myself in my dark closet.


“OW!”


I hear a giant thump, followed by Max yelling in pain, and I have to wonder what on earth he’s doing out there. But I can’t move. Because if I move, it will make a noise, and he will hear me and then find me in here.


But is that such a bad thing? Out of everyone, Max has been the best so far. Maybe if I just told him what was going on, he would be my night in shining armour, just like he was last night, and he’ll make this entire nightmare disappear.


Don’t I deserve at least at least a little bit of happiness? Just a tiny bit of time when I have nothing to worry about. Where I don’t have to be afraid that every single stranger in the Crashdown could be my potential killer?


But I can’t do that to Max. I can’t make myself even more of a burden. So for now, I’m just going to sit here in the dark, small space of my closet and think, and hopefully Max will leave once he can’t find me.


Now you see, normally, this plan would be flawless. Except for today, as my nose decides that now is the perfect time to become itchy.


I have an itchy nose, but if I move, Max will hear me. My nose has now decided that it will do that annoying thing where it decided to become even itchier, as I am ignoring its itchiness.


Maybe if I focus on something else? How about… my twelve times tables.


1 x 12 = 12,


2 x 12 = 24,


3 x 12 = itchy.


Itchy x nose = extremely itchy nose.


Scratching my nose x not scratching = itchy nose…


Agh! I can’t take this! Must scratch!


Okay, if I’m clever, I can do this extremely quietly, and I can have an un-itchy nose, plus Max won’t be able to find me!


I slowly reach my hand up in front of my face; at least, I think it’s in front of my face? It’s kind of hard to tell in the dark. I move it closer to where I’m pretty sure my nose is situated, but my elbow bumps something beside me, causing what I presume to be a bag to fall over onto some old posters.


Bad move. If Max didn’t hear the loud rustling noise, then he must have gone deaf from all of Tess’s whining. Lucky him!


I don’t hear anything outside, so maybe he didn’t hear? Maybe he’s already left the room, but I was just too busy contemplating how to scratch my nose so I didn’t notice his retreating footsteps.


Taking a chance, I decided to attempt to scratch my nose again, but, as I said before, it’s extremely dark in here, so it’s really no surprise that when I move my hand in closer, it goes straight past my nose and wacks my eye.


I jump upon the impact of my finger in my eye, which of course, emitted another rustling noise. I can feel my eyes welling up with tears. I’m not actually crying, but it’s not like I can stop myself from having an automatic reaction to a finger in my eye! You hurt your eye, and it starts to water in hope that what ever it is that's jabbing into your eyeball will be washed away… simple as that.


I wipe away the water trickling down my cheek, but freeze when I hear the lock on the doors sliding. These closets are quite easy to lock from the inside, which is kind of a good thing, and a bad thing. I remember that I once came here to Roswell to visit my aunt and uncle, and Maria of course, but we were playing hide-and-seek, and Maria hid in here, but she couldn’t get back out, because some time in between when she hid, and when I found her banging on the doors and crying, my Uncle had come in to put something on the desk, and for some unknown reason, locked the closet. Needless to say, she wasn’t to friendly towards the closet for a long time after that.


The doors swing open, the light pouring in, making my eyes go strange from the sudden change of light.


He wow, I can finally see my finger and where my nose is! Take that itch! I bring my hand up to my nose and start to scratch furiously, not paying any attention to the person standing with his hands on both doorknobs whilst he looks down at me with a curious expression. I already know that it’s Max.


For some unknown reason, Max turns around and sits down beside me, pulling the doors towards us, so that they’re only open a crack, giving me just enough light to see the strange expression he’s sending me.


I slowly bring my hand away from my face, where it was furiously scratching my nose and rubbing my eyes. “Um… itchy nose.” I say quietly as I look down at where my feet are cramped in front of me.


“That still doesn’t explain the whole hiding in the closet thing.” He says with a smirk, and I can’t help but give a little smile at the easiness Max carries with him.


“Um, yeah… old habit. I guess I haven’t grown out of it.”


He gives a small chuckle, and then we sit in silence for what seems like forever. I’m dreading leaving this space. Even though there’s only a tiny bit of air, and Max is so close that he might as well be sitting on me, I still don’t want to leave. Because if I do leave, then he’ll go away, and I’ll have to go to Maria's to spend the night.


Because my aunt and uncle don’t get back until tomorrow, Max doesn’t want me in the apartment alone, so Maria offered for me to stay… but after spending all of last night with Max, I’m not so sure I would feel safe at her house.


Last night I felt so safe and protected because Max was there, but if I go to Maria's, as much as I love her and I know that she would do anything to protect me, just like I would for them… I still wouldn’t feel safe.


“Max, can I ask you something?”


“Go for it.”


“Instead of me going to Maria’s tonight, could I stay here?” I ask slyly, trying to sound as innocent as I possible can.


“Why don’t you want to go to Maria's?”


“I just don’t really think that I would be safe if I was there.” I say as I look down at my hands. I hope he gets the hint that I want to stay with him, but I doubt that he’s too focused on my hidden meanings right about now.


“I really don’t think it’s a good idea for you to stay here by yourself. We don’t know if the guys is going to come back and-”


“No! I didn’t mean stay here alone.” I cut him off before he starts to babble. As cute as it is, if I don’t ask him this now, I may loose the courage. “I was thinking that maybe… maybe you could stay… if you want…” I trail off, uncertain of how he’s going to react.


“Only if we don’t have to spend the entire night in here?” He says with a cheeky grin as he motions with his hands to the closet we're still sitting in.


“So, you-you’ll stay?”


“Of course. There’s no where else I would rather spend my Saturday night than with a beautiful girl hiding in a closet.”


He can’t see because of the lack of light, but my cheeks go a deep shade of red at his comment. I know that he’s just being himself, but somewhere, deep down inside of me wants to think that he really means it; that Max Evans really thinks I’m beautiful.


We finally emerge from the closet a few minutes later, and Max goes down stairs to tell Maria that he’s going to stay here with me tonight, and to ask Isabel to cover for him, whilst I stay up here in my room, contemplating what to do.


As much as I really want to tell Max and Maria how screwed up my life is, and that my parents didn’t ‘accidentally’ die in the house fire, as the police report suggests, but that they were killed by the same person who made one of his goons chase me around the streets of Roswell last night, i can't.


I can’t do that to them. I can’t put all this heavy weight on their shoulders and pretend that they can make it all magically disappear. The sheriff can’t even make it disappear, so what can two teenagers do for me?

Hey everyone.

Thank you so much for your replys. I have to make this quick, as i'm sposed to be doing something else right now.

Mezz: Um, thank you.

Just a quick note, this is the part that you're all waiting for... or is it?


<center>Chapter 22

~Max~ </center>


“Max?”


“Hmm…” I mumble as I blankly stare at the TV screen in front of me. I’m way to focused on how Liz is falling asleep with her head on my chest to even notice what we’re watching.


Somehow during the last three hours, we gravitated out of her closet and to the couch in her living room, where we proceeded to watch pointless movies that I’m sure no one has ever seen, or heard of for that matter. And now, she’s lying almost on top of me, with her head on my chest and her hands curled up under her, as I randomly stroke her hair. It feels just like silk against my fingers. I will never get sick of this.


“Thank you.” She says quietly, snapping me out of my thoughts about her silky, chocolate locks.


“For what?”


“For putting up with me.”


Is she serious? I would go to hell and back, just so I could ‘put up with her’ as she so bluntly put it, for even one tenth of a second. I feel I need to address this problem head on… but since I’m such a coward around Liz, I start off with a question.


“What are you talking about?”


Yeah, I know, but it was the only question I could come up with. I mean, if I said ‘how about those Raiders?’, she may have gotten a bit suspicious.


She moves her head back so she’s looking up at me with those big brown eyes, and I just want to drown in them.


“You shouldn’t have to baby-sit me Max. You have a life, all of you do. It’s unfair that I’m such a burden.”


I HAVE NO LIFE, AND YOU ARE NOT A DAMN BURDEN!


But, do I say that? Well, yes… but I quickly add on something at the end so I don’t sound so… sensitive. Damn Michael. All those years of listening to him tell me that I’m too sensitive and that I need to harden up have gone to me head. And just when I actually need some of that sensitivity, my head is full of Michael.


“You’re not a burden Liz. Besides, if I have a choice between baby-sitting you or my cousins, you would win hands down. You’re a lot cuter and you never have those jam fingers that kids always seem to get, even when you have no jam in the house.”


I see a small smile grace her lips and I know that I’ve done my job. But what I said was true. I would give up all the time in the world, just so I could spend it lying on Liz Parkers couch with her falling asleep next to me.


But now I find myself wondering if she’s catching onto my hints. When I said she was beautiful before, did she actually know that I was being serious, and that I think she’s the most gorgeous thing in the universe? Or did she just think I was being a friend and joking?


I look down at her and I notice that she’s falling asleep. “Liz?”


“Mmm…”


“Liz…” I whisper as I gently shake her shoulder, trying to get her to wake up. “I think you should go to bed.”


“I can’t be bothered moving...” She mumbles against my chest, her eyes still closed as her fingers grip my shirt. “…too comfortable…”


He he. She thinks I’m comfortable! I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean, but it gives me a funny, tingly sort of feeling in the pit of my stomach.


“Come on.” I say quietly as I very difficultly lift her up in my arms, and once again find myself walking down the corridor to her room. She wraps her arms around me and buried her face in the crook of my neck, making the strawberry smell of her hair clog up all of my senses.


I somehow managed to make it to her room without tripping over and I pull back the covers of her bed and gently lay her down. I’m now quite thankful that she quickly got changed into her pyjamas before, because I don’t think she would appreciate me attempting to change her, and I don’t’ think it would be to comfortable for her to fall asleep in her jeans and tank top. Not that I wasn’t thankful earlier when she walked out of her bathroom in the oversized shirt and extremely short shorts, but it made it a bit awkward to walk for a little while.


I start to head out of her room, pausing at the door to turn off her light and have one last glimpse of the beauty that is Liz Parker, but her quite voice draws my attention once again.


“Hmm… Max, where are you going?” She rolls over onto her back and sits up on her elbows so she's looking at me in the dark, her long hair cascading down like a silk curtain, framing the sides of her face.


“Uh… I-I was going to sleep on t-the couch.” I manage to stutter out. My God, get yourself together man. Since when did I become a babbling idiot?


Since Liz Parker, that's when.


“You can stay here… if you want.” She says quietly.


She pulls back the covers and motions for me to hope in with her, but I just stand there like the idiot I am.


"Max?"


I absently nod my head as I make my way over to the bed. My heart is pounding like crazy as I sit down on the edge and kick my shoes off, before lifting up the covers and sliding in under them.


I lay completely still, my hands clenched down at my sides and my breathing coming rapidly as I try and move as little as possible, staring up at her white ceiling.


I feel the mattress move slightly as Liz shifts her weight, but I’m too nervous to turn my head to see what she’s doing. So naturally, when I feel her lift my arm up and place it on the pillow next to me, before she move up against my side and wraps her arms around my waist, I’m a little startled.


She rests her head on my chest once again, and I finally work up the nerve to move my arms so they snake around her waist and hold her close to me. I close my eyes and listen to her shallow breathing, knowing that she’s on the edge of sleep. The last thing I hear before falling to sleep is her soft voice.


“Good night Max.”


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



“Thank you for staying last night Max.”


“You’ve already said that, at least twelve times, and once again my response is the same as before: You’re welcome.” I say with a smirk as I tie my shoes. Liz is sitting on the couch next to me watching the morning cartoons, as I get ready to leave.


He aunt and uncle arrived home a little under and hour ago, and were a bit surprised to see Liz already up and watching TV. But I think the biggest surprise was that I was with her.


I stand up and grab my jacket off the coffee table before I nervously put my hands in my pockets. Last night was strange. Everything just felt so natural, the way Liz and I just fitted together when we were laying in bed, the way everything with her feels so comfortable.


She turns off the television with the remote and stands up next to me, a small smile plastered on her face.


“Don’t even say it.”


“Say what?” she asks innocently, as she takes a step closer to me.


“I swear, if you thank me one more time, I’m going to have to hurt you.”


“Not if I hurt you first.”


“Is that a threat Miss Parker?” I take a step towards her, so we’re now only inches away. She’s looking up at me with those big brown eyes, a giant smile plastered across her face, and all I want to do is kiss her right now. All I have to do is lean down and…


“Lizzie, are you going to come down and have some breakfast?” Mr Parker says from the doorway that leads down to the Crashdown, and I immediately take a step back, scratching behind my ear like I always do when I’m nervous.


“Um, sure Uncle Jeff. I’ll be down in a minute.” She says as she ducks her head in embarrassment, obviously aware of how close we just were.


“What about you Max? It’s on the house?”


As tempting as that sounds, I have to get out of here before I do something that would definitely involve me throwing Liz down on the couch and ravishing her. Damn teenage hormones.


“No thank you, Mr Parker. I have to get home to take Isabel shopping.”


He gives me a sympathetic look. “I feel for ya’ Max, I really do. Don’t be too long Lizzy.” I watch as he retreats down the hallway, dreading leaving this house and Liz, just so I can go and chase Izzy around from shop to shop for four hours.


Why doesn’t Alex have to do this? He is her boyfriend after all?


I slowly make my way to the front door, with Liz trailing behind me. I open the door and turn around so I’m facing her, knowing that she’s probably going to thank me one more time. I don’t know why though. I’m more than happy to camp out in her bedroom for the rest of my life if she wanted me to.


“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay whilst you tell them?” I ask, really worried about how her aunty and uncle are going to react when Liz has to tell them that she was stalked while they were out of town.


She takes a deep breath before giving a small nod as her answer. Before I even register what I’m doing, I have her small body crushed up against mine and my arms wrapped around her waist in a tight embrace. She hugs me back just a fierily, burying her face in the crook of my neck.


I take in the scent of her hair and scan it in my memory, so on all those lonely nights when I’m lying in bed, staring up at my ceiling as I think of Liz, I can remember how good her hair smells.


“Thank you Max.” She says quietly, and I let out a small chuckle at how predictable she is. I pull back slightly so I can look at her face, and the smile fades away as I stare into her intense eyes. My eyes avert down to where she’s licking her lips, the same lips that are just inches away from mine…


Stop it! You can’t do this! Slowly back away from the girl and no one will get hurt!


I know that I can’t kiss her, because I doubt that anything good will come from it. Well, not the me kissing Liz bit, that would definitely be good; but it’s the after effects that I’m worried about.


Tess would unquestionably make Liz’s life a living hell, and, as much as Kyle pissed me off yesterday, I still can’t do that to him. He really likes Liz. There’s also the fact that Liz made it pretty clear yesterday when Kyle asked her out that she wasn’t really looking for a relationship right about now.


I slowly de-tangle my limbs from hers and take a step backwards, and another, and another, until I’m outside on their little balcony. Liz is standing there, looking a bit confused, but I don’t know what to say to her. So, I just lift up my hand in a small wave before taking another step backwards so I run into the railing of the stairs.


“I-I’ll see you tomorrow.”


That's all I say before I basically bolt down the staircase. I hear her lightly shut the door behind me and I slow down once I reach the bottom of the steps.


This is insane. I’m in love with the girl of my dreams, but I’m too afraid to kiss her because I’m worried about Kyle and Tess? Tess is a bitch, and she can go to hell for all I care. If she’s going to try and stop me from being with Liz, then she can go ahead, but I promise you that nothing, except maybe myself, will stop me from being with Liz.


As for Kyle, he had his chance. He asked Liz out and she said no, so it only seems fair that he moves aside and lets me have my shot.


But what if she turns me down? What if I kiss her and totally humiliate myself because she just wants to be my friend. What if she’s a lesbian?


I mean, it’s not exactly like she's shown much interest in any of the guys in Roswell since she arrived. What if I kiss her, and then she tells me that she’s into chicks? I don’t think I could handle the girl of my dreams being gay.


I turn around at the bottom of the staircase and look up at the door I just came out of. All of the things she said to me, all of the times she flirted with me and all of the times she cried against my chest or curled up with her arms around me come flooding back. Would she really act like that towards me if she wasn’t interested? I don’t see her acting that way towards Michael or Alex or even Kyle.


“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?”


Maria's words come flooding back to me, circling around in my head over and over. What if she’s wrong? What if we all just mistook Liz’s behaviour for something more than it really is?


Screw it!


I take a deep breath and run back up the stairs, knowing that this one simple act will either make me the happiest man in the universe... or the stupidest.

THE PART YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!

Well, actually, it should be two parts you've all been waiting for. I'm sorry that the way they get back at Tess is a bit pathetic, but there IS more to come. Now, onto the thank you's and what not:

Chosen~Now wrote: I'll keep updating if you do! What do you say? I think it's a good deal, but then again I'm going crazy from all this not updating your doing right now! Also I want you to think about one thing... ebola! I'm obsessed with it and you should be to! It's the most disgusting horrifying disease ever, that's all I have to say.

I say: HELL YES! You left it at a really good part in your story, and i want Max! I miss him. Bring him back, please? Also, elbola is a cool word, and an excellent virus!

And, just for all you ppl who have no idea what the ebola virus is, i will now give you a brief explanation (yes, its from a dictionary):

E·bo·la virus; n.

An extremely contagious filovirus causing an acute, highly fatal hemorrhagic fever and spread through contact with bodily fluids or secretions of infected persons and by airborne particles; carried by animals; can be used as a bioweapon.

Coley452 wrote:Is Liz's Aunt and Uncle going to say something about Max being there when they got home? Its gotta be suspicious if he was there that early, I don't know any parents or parent-like people who wouldn't at least say something about that...

They will eventually. Actually, the chapter i'm half way through writing now will have a talk involving Liz and her uncle in it.

Crashdown_51 wrote:I'm kinda bumbed that a little more didn't happen in either sleep over. You owe me big. I'm on strike! No more FBBL until I see some action.

You're really not good with these strike things, are you? Because i'm posting another chapter, you have to give us a sequel to the sequel!! You must! You have no choice!

Thank you everyone else:

roswellluver
CherryFlavoredChica
dreamer19
Mariael311
FSUMSW94
Jason's Lover
XoXoDreamerXoXo

I think i'm going insane. I just re-read this chapter, and the word 'kiss' looks like its spelt wrong to me. Is that strange? I think i'm haveing a dyslexic day

Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for:



<center>
Chapter 23


~Liz~</center>


Some quotes taken from "Independence Day", courtesy of Crashdown.com

I think I just had a moment with Max Evans. The second one in the space of five minutes. Twice, his lips have been so close to mine that all I had to do was lean in a little bit, and the one thing that I’ve been dreaming about ever since I met him would have happened.


But every time we get that close, every time I’m so close to him that his smell blocks my senses and everything around him fades into nothingness, so it’s just him and me… he moves away.


I’m not sure if its because he doesn’t want me, or because he’s just afraid, but I don’t think I can take this any more. Haven’t I given him enough clues already?


Maybe I’m just reading him all wrong. Maybe he’s just being friendly. Maybe this is the way he acts towards all the girls he knows. Maybe I’ve been completely wrong about all of this, and he just wants to be friends.


There’s a loud knock at the door that snaps me out of my pondering, and I stand up on my toes to look through the little hole in the door.


It’s Max. He’s standing there with his hands in his pockets, biting his lower lip as he moves around in an antsy fashion. I think he’s nervous.


I open the door with a small smile on my face as I tease him. “Let me guess. You forgot someth-”


I don’t have enough time to finish my sentence as his lips came crashing down on mine. At first I have no idea what the hell is happening, but soon all of my senses come back into focus, and its then that I realise that Max Evans is kissing me.


Max Evans is kissing me!!!!!!!


I’m so stunned at the revelation that it takes me a moment to realise that I’m just standing there like an idiot. His lips are soft against mine as he kisses me slowly and softly, in what would have to be the most tenderly passionate kiss I have ever experienced. I can feel his uncertainty, but it probably doesn’t really help that I’m just standing there.


He’s only been kissing me for at least three seconds, but I can feel him start to retreat, thinking that I didn’t want this to happen. Of course I haven’t exactly given him any reason to think that this was what I wanted. God, I’m not even kissing him back, I’m just standing here.


He takes a step back, slowly removing his lips from mine. Everything around me is going in slow motion. I realise that he’s stopped kissing me, and I hate it.


I pull his lips back to mine and wrap my arms around his neck so he can’t move. He immediately threads one of his hands through my hair and his other arms goes around my waist as he pulls me flush against him.


He runs his tongue along my bottom lip, and I open my mouth, granting him his request. I feel his tongue do a quick sweep of my mouth before he pulls away. I have no idea what the hell is happening at this point in time. My mind is still back to when he just kissed me out of nowhere when I was talking.


I cautiously open my eyes, and they meet a pair of deep amber ones. His eyes are darker than before, and his face is flushed as he slowly takes his arms out from around my waist. Max takes a small step backwards as I stand there still looking at him like a stunned mullet.


He gives behind his ear a small scratch before he mumbles something under his breath.


“Sorry. I…ah… I’ll see you later.”


And just as fast as he was kissing me, he’s gone. It almost feels as if I imagined all of it. I absently close the door on his retreating figure, and let out a deep breath as I collapse against it, my fingers touching my lips lightly as I remember the way Max Evans just kissed me.


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



“HE WHAT?!”


Yes ladies and gentlemen, that is my so-called best friend screaming as we walk down the hallway of school on Monday and I tell her about yesterday’s events. I cover my ears with my hands as she starts jumping up and down and squealing at the top of her lungs.


“Oh My God! It’s about time he finally did something! I can’t believe he just kissed you like that! No warning, no nothing! Oh my God!!!”


“Maria!” I hiss, noticing the looks that everyone is giving us. “Will you cut it out? People are staring!”


She stops dead in her tracks and looks around at all the attention we’re receiving. “Oh...uh…sorry.” she laughs as a crimson blush colours her cheeks. We slow down once we reach her locker, and I lean against the rows of lockers as she rummages around through hers. I never knew that it was possible to fit so much crap in such a small place.


“Oh My God. That is so something Max would do! And it’s about bloody time. I mean, you two have been doing that stupid little dance for how long now?”


“Yeah…” I sigh, not really into the conversation all that much. I’m seriously having doubts as to whether the kiss really meant something to Max. Did he just do it as a spontaneous, heat of the moment thing, or did he do it because he actually likes me?


Maria has obviously picked up on my lack of enthusiasm. She turns to me with a pointed stare and a small bottle grasped tightly in her hand. “Oh no! No! Don’t even do that!”


“Do what?”


“Think that it meant nothing to Max!”


“But what if he just did it because he misses Tess? What if I’m just the rebound chick? I don’t want to be a rebound chick Maria.” I mean, if it really meant something to Max, then why did he just run away straight after? This makes no sense.


She grabs my palm in her hand and shoves the small bottle on it, before coiling my fingers around it tightly.


“Maria, what is this?”


“What is it? It’s grief relief!”


Okay, this is just strange. “What?”


“I got it at my mothers shop. It’s this herbal remedy that shocks the body back into reality when the minds gone into overload. Veterinarians use it to calm wild animals.”


“Oh well, that’s great.” Huh? I really don’t see the point to this. Why can’t she let me just mope and think the world is coming to and end in peace? Damn best friends. Who needs them?


“Here, you can have it, and any time you feel yourself spiralling out of control, I want you to put 4 drops under your tongue.”


“Spiralling out of control? Maria, I’m not spiralling out of control, I’m just not sure that-”


“You’re doing it now.” She cuts me off as she crosses her arms over her chest whilst giving me another evil glare. How does she do that?


“I’m doing what? Please help me out and tell me what the hell I’m doing Maria?” I say exasperated with this conversation.


I’m so confused right now. I don’t know what the hell Max was thinking yesterday when he kissed me. I don’t know what I was thinking when he kissed me. I don’t know if I should be screaming for joy or curled up on my bed crying my eyes out because the boy I’m in love with is just using me as a rebound for his psycho ex-girlfriend! And Maria is really not helping me right now!


“You are not Max’s rebound chick okay Liz. Max has been mooning over you ever since that damn Halloween party! Why do you think he broke up with Tess?”


“Because he hated how she treated his friends. And now he’s regretting that decision, otherwise he wouldn’t have kissed me!”


“He likes you! He can’t stop talking about you! Every time you walk into a room he’s always staring at you and drooling. Its quite pathetic!”


“Maria-”


“No. You can’t just stand there and tell me that it meant nothing to either of you. Why can’t you two just admit that you like each other and go out for Christ’s sake?”


Oh, she's really starting to piss me off. Max only thinks of me as a friend, I’m sure of it. He’s just lonely and missing his girlfriend, and I seem to be the only solid thing around.


“My two most favourite ladies. What's all the commotion about?” Alex asks as he walks up to us and puts his arm around my shoulder. I stand there with a clenched jaw, hugging my books to my chest as I try and death stare Maria. I’m not very good at this.


“Don’t let Isabel hear you saying that.” She says as she slams her locker shut and picks up her bag from her feet.


“Saying what?” Alex asks confused.


“That she's not one of your favourite girls.”


“Good point. Anyway, I came over here for a reason.” He says as we start to walk down the hallway slowly. His other arm is now around Maria's shoulder, and everyone is giving us a strange stare as they try and get past us. I think we should have a wide load bumper sticker.


“So, you didn’t just come over to say hi because you missed us so much and couldn’t live without us?” I ask as I flutter my eyes at him.


“No, sorry.” He turns to Maria and starts to talk in a lower voice. But not so low so that I can’t hear him. “You know that thing that you and I did… well its about to commence very soon… so if we want to be there to witness that thing’s shining moment…”


I’m utterly lost, but Maria seems to understand what the hell he’s talking about because she stops abruptly and a giant smile spread across her face.


I know that smile. That's Maria’s evil smile. It’s the same smile she had in kindergarten when she snuck up on James Phillips when we were playing in the sand pit, and dumped a big bucket of sand on his head. What is she planning?


Before I have time to come up with a list of possibilities, she grabs my arm and drags me down the corridor, with Alex trailing behind us. We turn the corner and stop suddenly just outside the girls toilets, with a perfect view of the front door.


“Maria, what on earth is going-”


She slaps a hand over my mouth and points to the door where Tess is walking in, followed by a bunch of her little sheep that she so often likes to refer to as friends. I have no idea why we’re standing here watching Tess Harding enter the building, but I have a really bad feeling about this.


She walks over to her locker with her ‘friends’ trailing behind, but my attention is momentarily diverted as I see someone walking down the corridor towards us. His deep amber eyes connect with mine, and a giant smile spreads over his face.


I feel myself smile back at him. Maybe I’ve had this all wrong. Maybe Max wanted to kiss me. Maybe I’m not just some re-bound. I guess only time will tell.


Maria squeezes my arm and I turn my attention away from the Greek God still walking this way and back to Tess, who’s now laughing it up with her friends. Why do the popular people always have to be bitchy as hell, and they have to have that damn ear-piercing laugh? I swear, all of the glass in the school is breaking right now!


Tess is talking to Pam Troy as she undoes her locker. As she pulls the door open, I notice a bucket suspended above her. It tips as its activated my the wire that was cleverly placed inside her locker, and Tess is automatically drenched in red paint.


“Agh!!!! What the hell?” she screeches as everyone around her starts to laugh. Tess is standing there in the middle of the hallway as the thick paint drips off her. Her hair is matted down on her head and she brings her fingers up to her eyes to wipe the liquid out of them.


The paint is everywhere, dripping off her drenched body as she just stands there. She's crying to her friends in that damn whiny voice, and even though I know it’s cruel, I can’t help the small chuckle that escapes my mouth.


Maria turns to me with a satisfied smile, and she confirms what I already suspected with her next words. Maria and Alex planned this as a way to get back at her for how she treats everyone, especially me.


“It’s house paint aswell, so unless she bathes in turpentine, she’ll be red for a few days.”

Hello all!

Chosen~Now wrote: Wow, I couldn't stop doing that girlie giggle that I do when a good Max/Liz moment happens. I love you! And just for that I will update today, I loved that one very ... great (wow my vocabulary is seriously lacking). I'm gonna get a thesaurus, ok it was ... supreme, divine, astounding, sensational and very groovy! Ooo, another thing about ebola is that is it basically liquefies you plus your eyes fill up with blood and then get this ... you weep blood. How awsome is that?

He he. I cracked up laughing when i read that. You do the girly giggling thing aswell? Do you also look around the room embarrassed straight after, trying to make sure that no one heard you?

As for the ebola virus... is it strange that i want some as a pet? Really, when you think about it, it would be so much better than a guard dog...

As for everyone else, thank you all so much for your feedback. You guys can be extreemly funy when you want to be . I hope that this part satisfies you for the time being. I should be back with an update on Monday, yay me! I now have an updating schedule! I'm so proud!

Anyway, thank you:

Jason's Lover - i love ur pic! he's so hot! he he
Crashdown_51
mezz - i would laugh aswell.
FSUMSW94
Mariael311
dreamer19
Butterflies
Coley452
CherryFlavoredChica
XoXoDreamerXoXo
roswellluver





<center>Chapter 24


~Max~ </center>



As soon as I walk through the doors of the Crashdown, my eyes immediately seek out hers. I haven’t been able to talk to her all day. I almost got the chance, but then Tess got the bucket of paint tipped on her head, and when I turned back to where Maria, Alex and her were standing… they were gone.


As I scope out the café, all I see is waitresses busily taking orders and hungry patrons who really don’t need any more junk food sitting impatiently. One of whom is Michael. I take a last glance around the café, certain that she isn’t here before walking over and sitting opposite him.


He grunts as I sit down, dipping his chip in tomato sauce before putting it in his mouth. He looks up at me as he chews, and I swear no one has ever taught him how to chew with his mouth shut. What Maria sees in him is beyond me, but maybe its because a) I’m a guy, and b) I’m his best friend that I just don’t find him attractive.


“Remind me to thank your girlfriend next time I see her. If it weren’t for the lovely stunt that her and Alex pulled today, I would have had time to study for my exam tomorrow. But instead I spent it with the rest of the school trapped in the hall for two hours of detention!”


“Yeah, Maria told me about that. I would have loved to be there to see Tess’s face.”


“Maybe if you actually came to school for more than one day a week, you would have.”


He just shrugs as he picks up another chip, dipping it in sauce before saying, “Meh. Who can be bothered going to school when there’s a Smack down marathon on?”


Now it’s my turn to grunt in response. I don’t know how someone can sit in front of the TV for hour after hour, watching guys beat the crap out of each other. But then again, that’s just who I am. Although some days, like the ones when your incredibly pissed off, its fun to vent all your anger by watching it. Yeah, I know I’m strange.


Michael’s mouth all of a sudden drops open as he stares past my shoulder. At first I’m self-conscious, thinking I have something in my hair, but after running a hand through it, I’m completely stumped.


“What?”


I turn around to see what he’s staring at, but all I can see is the line for the bathroom and the employee lounge door swinging from someone walking through it. I turn back around to face him, only to find that he’s still staring behind me, obviously forgetting to swallow the chip that he was previously chewing.


Michael’s suddenly brought back to reality and he quickly swallows, the sound audible even from the other side of the café.


“Um, Max…”


“Yeah?” He’s acting strange… stranger than usual.


“You know how sexy I think Maria looks, right?”


“Um… sure?” Okay, an extremely odd start to the conversation, even for Michael.


“…And you know how hideous the uniforms are here, right?” I take a quick glance to my right, where a waitress is serving a customer her lunch, and I nod my head. Sure the food here is great, and the service is excellent, but the uniforms that the waitresses have to wear… I cringe at the thought of them. Not to mention the alien antennas to top it all off… yuck!


“Right…. and… you know how Maria and the Crashdown uniform just don’t work together, right?”


“Michael, what the hell are you talking about? No one and the Crashdown uniform work together.”


“It seems Liz doesn’t have that problem!” He points a shaky hand in the direction over my shoulder and I turn around to see what he could possibly be talking about… when my entire system shuts down.


Liz is standing at the counter, talking to Maria, both of them wearing a Crashdown uniform. Now it’s my turn to audibly swallow as I stare at perfection. Liz’s long hair is tied back in a loose bun, with a few strands draping just in front of her ears, bringing out her dark eyes. The dress fits her flawlessly as it shows off her magnificent figure, stopping at mid thigh, showing off her long legs and smooth skin. Even the antennas do her justice.


It takes me minute to realise that they’re both heading this way, and only thanks to Michael kicking me under the table when he notices that I’m still staring. As soon as my eyes connect with Liz’s, I’m immediately fascinated with the table design. I can feel my cheeks going bright red.


“Okay, you know all that stuff I said about being polite and friendly to the customers? When it comes to these two, you can be as nasty as you want. In fact, a favourite past time of mine is spitting in Spaceboy’s food when I’m angry at him.” Maria says as she plonks herself down on the seat next to Michael.


“Would you like anything, Max?” Liz asks me quietly as Maria and Michael start to argue about God knows what.


Only you. I only want you! I’m so tempted to say that, but my brain isn’t functioning properly today, so instead I say the only thing I can think of whilst I shake my head.


“No Thanks.”


We sit in comfortable silence for a while. Well, I sit, she stands, Maria and Michael argue. It’s all really the same thing in the end.


“Why are you working here?” I manage to ask Liz as she sits down next to me.


“Oh, um… Agnes called in sick, and my uncle needed another waitress, so I volunteered.” She says quietly.


I notice her hand placed palm down on the seat next to my thigh, and I’m tempted to cover it with mine, intertwine our fingers and I don’t know… kiss her knuckles? I’m so pathetic.


I’m starting to wonder what she thought of the kiss? I mean, sure, she smiled as soon as she saw me walking down the corridor today, but was it a smile because she was happy to see me, or because she was nervous because I kissed her and she doesn’t know how to let me down nicely?


“Lizzy? Can you come and help me with something for a minute?” Mr Parker calls from the employee lounge door.


She stands up quietly and makes her way into the back room. I watch her the entire time. I watch how she swings her hips as she walks, and how she nervously pushes back a strand of hair behind her ear, and how she…


“Ow!” I yell as a chip hits the back of my head. I turn around to glare at Maria and Michael who have suddenly stopped arguing, but I’m met with a hostile stare from Maria.


“Make your move already Moon-Doggie!”


“What?”


“She thinks that you didn’t want the kiss to happen. She thinks that you miss Tess and you’re just using her as your rebound!”


I haven’t once thought about Tess since I broke up with Liz. I don’t even think I thought about Tess when we were together.


I know I must sound like a dick every time I talk about Tess like this. When we first started going out, I actually liked her. She was sweet and innocent and you could hold a conversation with her and not just have her talking about what hair product she used.


But then something happened. I’m not entirely sure what, but it was like the real Tess all of a sudden immerged, and what I used to think was sweet and cute was now bitchy and irritating. She was far from innocent, and I had heard rumours from some of the guys around the school about how she had cheated on me, but I couldn’t really care. It wasn’t until Liz that I actually realised how she was though. It was like all that time that I was with her; a giant fog was blocking my view, clouding her actions from me.


Not that I can really complain. I didn’t exactly put any effort in to keep the relationship we started off with. But, if I look back on it now, I realise that it was doomed from the beginning. Which I guess is why I can’t really say I feel anything for Tess anymore.


I obviously felt something for her in the beginning, but its just faded over time. I don’t regret breaking up with her, I don’t miss her, I don’t wish things would have turned out differently. I knew from the start that she wasn’t the one.


And then there’s Liz. I’m in love with Liz Parker. I finally kissed the girl of my dreams… and she thinks it meant nothing to me. Damn insecurities.


“Why would she think that?” No harm in asking, right?


Wrong.


“Well it’s not exactly as if you’ve given her any reason to think that you actually like her, have you? Stop being such a girl and ask her out already! It’s getting pathetic listening to you two whine about each other!”


Ask her out. Right. I was planing on doing that… eventually. I guess that I’ve had so much on my mind lately that I never even thought of asking her out. I just presumed that I would kiss her and we would automatically be together… or something to that effect.


I think I need some time to work on a strategic way to ask her out that will both surprise her and blow her breath away at the same time, guaranteeing me a ‘yes’ answer.


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



Just walk over there, come on, you can do it! Just act casual! What are you worried about? You’ve done this a million times before, what so different about this time? This time it’s her!


I take a few steps towards where she’s talking to some of her friends and I get a strange feeling in my stomach. I turn around when I get within twenty metres of her and hurry back the other way, cursing under my breath. My paces slow down and I eventually stop.


Yes ladies and gentlemen, this was my brilliant plan. Walk up to her before class today and just ask her if she wants to go with me to Michael’s party tonight. Guaranteed to surprise her and take her breath away… yeah, sure!


Come on, I can do this. I can do this! I turn back around and walk towards her and her friends. This time I get within fifteen metres before I turn around and start to walk extremely fast in the direction of the jeep, fumbling in my pockets for the keys. I abruptly stop dead in my tracks when I feel a hand on my shoulder.


“Max?”


I slowly turn around to see her standing there with a concerned expression on her face. I don’t even have enough time to ponder how she made it all the way over here that fast and is not gasping for breath. My heart skips a beat when the corners of her mouth curl up in a sympathetic smile. I can’t help but stare at her lips, so red, so soft. I want to just lean forward and kiss her, but I shove my hands in my pockets, scrunching them up into fists as I restrain myself.


“Are you okay?”


Her voice breaks me out of my trace and I look up into her eyes. So brown, so full of emotion. I just want to stare into them for all eternity. “W-what?”


“I said are you okay?”


“Um… yeah, fine, absolutely great, why do you ask?”


Way to go at acting casual. Why don’t I just wear a big sign that says ‘vacant lot here’ with a giant arrow pointing to where my brain should be?


“I saw you start walking towards my friends and then you sort of ran off. Are you sure your okay?”


“Yeah, I just… didn’t want to interrupt your conversation, that’s all. You looked so… involved, I didn’t want to disturb you!”


If she actually buys that excuse she stupider than Tess, which is the equivalent to saying that she had the IQ of a traffic cone.


“Oh… okay.”


Wait; was that… did she just look disappointed? Maybe it was just my overactive imagination? Awkward silence filled the air around us as she looked down at the ground, her books held tightly against her chest, smothering her breasts. God, how I wish I was her Maths text book right now, so close to her skin…


I quickly wipe at my mouth to make sure I’m not drooling before trying to come up with a subject that won’t make me look like a complete dick head.


“So… are you going to Michael’s party tonight?” Too late!


Michael became an emancipated minor two years ago after his foster father Hank disappeared for a week after he tried to shoot Michael. Luckily, Hank can’t survive without being intoxicated, so the bullet missed Michael by about twenty metres, but ever since then, he’s been living on his own… and he likes to throw a lot of parties. Tonight is just another example of how much freedom he has.


“Yeah, Maria’s is dragging me along. Are you?”


“Yeah, Michael’s making me.”


“Right…” Her gaze dropped back to the ground as I stared nervously at her legs. So long, so sexy. God man, get a hold of yourself!


“I should probably…” she points back over her shoulder to her group of friends who are still standing around talking across the grass from us.


“Yeah…”


Now! Ask her out now! What are you waiting for? It’s the perfect time! Ask her now before you loose your chance!


“Well, I guess I’ll see you tonight then…”


“Yeah…”


She nodded slightly before biting her bottom lip and turning away, walking back to where her friends were. I hate it when she does that; bites her bottom lip, it makes my stomach do back flips! My mouth somehow took on a life of its own, not informing my mind of its decision to yell out to her, stoping her in her tracks.


“Liz!”


“Yeah?” She says as she turned back around. I quickly jog over to where she’s standing and take a deep breath, paying no attention to the sickly feeling that was coming on strong in the pit of my stomach, and after a extremely large internal debate, I went for it, I asked Liz Parker out on a date!


“I-I was kind of… sort of… h-hoping that maybe… if yo-you wanted to… we c-could… maybe… g-go out some time?”


There, I said it! At least I think I said it. Judging by the look on her face, I said something completely stupid. Her eyes were wide as she stared at me somewhat resembling the way you would look at a clown. Before I knew what was happening, she was clutching her stomach in a fit of laughter, tears forming in the corner of her eyes as her face went red from lack of oxygen.


She obviously saw the look of horror that was now a resident on my face as she started to laugh even harder, if that was possible…


“What? What’s so funny?” I scratch my head, trying not to look hurt that she’s laughing at me.


“Your… Your face is just so-” she wiped away the stream of water that fell down her cheek as she continued to laugh at me, finding me hilariously funny.


This would have to have been one of the weirdest responses I have ever had. I don’t exactly have girls flocking at my feet, but no one has ever laughed at me when I asked them out on a date before. Sure, I’ve been rejected once or twice, but they usually don’t start to laugh at me until I’m out of earshot, but this is just mean! I knew this was a mistake!


I muster up all the courage I have and speak, hopefully for the last time so I don’t have to witness her finding me so funny for much longer.


“Listen Liz, if it’s all the same to you can we just forget this ever happened? I think I’m just gonna collect the last threads of my dignity and leave…”


I turn to leave but I’m stopped when she grips my wrist.


“Max…”


“What? Want to go and get a camera so every time you need a good laugh you can just look at my picture?” My voice came out a lot harsher than I intended, but on the bright side, she did stop laughing at me.


“Max, I’m sorry. But you just looked so nervous! I couldn’t help it…”


“Yeah, thanks a lot!” I pull my wrist out of her grasp and turn to walk away once more, but just like last time, she grabs me by the hand and pulls me around. What is it with her and stopping my grand departure? She doesn’t get that I’m trying to the stalk-away-angry-thing.


You’re not supposed to stop the stalk-away-angry-thing!


I turn around fiercely and bark at her. “What?”


Before I know what's happening, her lips are crashing down on mine and her arms are going around my neck, holding me in place so I can’t run. I would never dream of running! Her lips are just like I remember; soft, warm, sweet…


She breaks away and I take a huge breath of air, my heart pounding out of my chest just like in those ridiculous cartoons I used to watch. Her forehead is touching mine and her arms are still around my neck. Somehow during this entire episode, my hands have found their way to her waist, and I never want to let go, ever!


“Pick me up for Michael’s at eight!” she whispers breathlessly before kissing me once more and leaving, walking back to her group of friends whilst I stand there dumbfounded, my brain still trying to process what had just happened.


Did she just accept my invitation for a date?








TBC...

Hey everyone. There's a really big storm going on outside, so i'm quickly posting this before i loose power, like i know i will. This would be so much easier if my light stopped flashing!

A quick thankyou to everyone who posted some feedback. At least i know some people are enjoying this fic:

Emz80m
dreamer19
Coley452
Crashdown_51
QBon
Jason's Lover
FSUMSW94
Chosen~Now - i know the feeling, but everyone just assumes i'm crazy when they see me giggling. Keep the Ebola facts coming.
XoXoDreamerXoXo
roswellluver

Authors Note: The poll that i have at the top went stupid, and it keeps on repeating the first option, and i don't know how to fix it The second one is supposed to read "Future Max", meaning that when future Max came back and yada yaday yada... but i can't fix it! I'm sorry!



<center>Chapter 25


~Liz~</center>


“You laughed at him?” Maria sits opened mouthed on my bed as I rummage around in my closet, desperately trying to find something to wear. Why is it that all of my good clothes are suddenly dirty when I have the date of my life?


“I didn’t mean to. It’s just, he looked so scared that I would say no to him. How could he even think I would say no?”


“I don’t know. It’s probably because he’s hung around Tess too much. The blondes starting to go to his brain. Or you know what… it could have been that you told Kyle that you just wanted to be his friend because you just weren’t really up to a ‘relationship’ at this point in time?”


“Well, what I meant was that I wasn’t up for anything from anyone unless it was Max, which now, it is!” I say with a giant smile permanently fixed over my mouth.


I know, pathetic, but I haven’t stopped smiling all day. It makes me wonder what Max sees in me. I mean really, how geeky could I possibly be?


“Oh God Maria! What if he thinks I’m a loser? What if I completely freak out and don’t talk the entire night? Or what if I do talk, but its absolute nonsense and he decides that it was a mistake ever asking me out in the first place? What if he thinks I’m boring? What if he wasn’t actually asking me out on a date, but he just wanted to know if I was going and if I wanted to arrive with him? Or what if he sees someone else at the party who he likes more than me and goes off with them? I don’t think I could handle him going off with someone else when-”


Maria firmly clamps her hand down over my mouth and shakes my shoulders harshly with her free arm.


“Liz! Snap out of it! Max doesn’t think you’re boring! He absolutely adores you. It’s so sickening to see the way he looks at you! If only Spaceboy could get a clue. Now, you are going to stop all this babbling and panicking, as it is my job and no one else’s. You are going to go and have a shower and use that strawberry shampoo that always makes Max go weak at the knees, and the vanilla moisturiser, and then you are going to get dressed up in something sexy as hell, and go downstairs to wait for Prince Charming himself. Deal?”


I nod my head shamelessly and she cautiously takes her hand away from my mouth. See, this is why I have Maria as my best friend. She’s good in the situations when you’re panicking, not her. When it’s the other way around, well… your kinda screwed.


“Okay. Now, I’m going to go home and get ready, and I will meet you at the party. But, I do not expect you to talk to me or even look at me, because if you do, then I know that Max isn’t doing his job and keeping you focused on him, which I really don’t think will be too hard to accomplish.”


She stands up and picks up her bag off my bed. I walk over to her and give her the biggest hug I can muster without letting her see how badly my entire body is shaking. Why am I so nervous? It’s just Max.


‘But its not just Max’ that annoying voice in the back of my mind says. ‘It’s a date with Max Evans, the sweetest, kindest, sexiest guy you have ever met. And he likes YOU!’

Damn voices in the back of your mind. Who needs them?


“Thank you Maria.”


“Its what I’m here for Chica. Now go, get all pretty!” She orders as she points to my bathroom door.


I grab my towel off my bed and walk into the bathroom. Well, it’s more of a shuffle, as Maria is basically pushing me from behind. She slams the door behind me, and the last thing I hear is her muffled voice saying “Max is gonna be sticking up as much as Everest after he sees you, if you catch my drift.”


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



I sit drinking a coke as I play with my straw, waiting for Max. He’s not due for at least another half hour, but I can’t help myself if I like to be ready on time. I take a sip of my drink as I feel a figure sitting down on the stool next to me.


“Hey Lizzie. Wow, you look great sweetie.” My Uncle says as he sits down next to me.


The outfit Maria picked out for me was a deep red halter-top and black jeans. My hair went wavy from getting out of the shower, and all I had to do was add a little hair spray and walla, it looks like I put effort into my hair!


I actually look quite good, if I do say so myself. But that doesn’t mean that Max will think I look good. Maybe, everyone else will think I’m absolutely ugly in this. I mean, just because my uncle says I look nice, it doesn’t really count. He is my uncle after all.


“What's up Uncle Jeff?”


“Nothing really. I was just wondering what’s been going on lately. We haven’t really had any chance to talk, you know?”


“Yeah. Things have been a little busy lately.” I say quietly as I continue to play with my straw. The truth is, I haven’t exactly out any effort in with my uncle and aunty.


I love them more than anything, and I really appreciate what they’re doing for me, but I just can’t ‘talk’ to parental figures. I go all strange and end up saying something that wasn’t meant to come out. With my own parents I was fine, because they were my own parents. I felt comfortable with them, talking to them. I just get shy around people I don’t know.


I’m aware of that not exactly being the best excuse for to wanting to talk to my Uncle. He is my family and I should be able to talk to him, but I just freak out in situations like this.


“So, I’ve noticed that you’ve been spending a lot of time with Max Evans lately?”


Oh Dear God!


Why oh why did he have to start the conversation with Max? You generally ease your way into topics like these, not tackle them head on, old man! Hasn’t anyone ever taught you this?


“Um...” I say as I swallow past the lump forming in my throat. “Yeah.”


“He’s a good boy Lizzie. When we had to go to Sante Fe for the funeral, Max and Michael took care of this place for us. We offered him a job here, but he said no. He still helps out whenever he can though. He’s an extremely good boy, you’re lucky to have him.”


I can’t help but internally chuckle at the thought of how everyone around here thinks of Max. He’s like a Saint or something. He would probably go as far as to help little old ladies cross the road just so he could trick everyone into thinking how good he is.


Not that he isn’t good. Max would have to be the nicest guy I have ever met, and then some, but the way my uncle just described him… it sounds a little strange.


“We’re just friends Uncle Jeff.”


‘But hopefully, not for long’ that annoying voice in the back of my mind says again.


“I know that. I meant that you’re lucky to have him as a friend” he says and follows it with an extremely unsubtle wink in my direction.


“Listen Lizzie, I know that we don’t really talk about it much and I understand that it may be a but hard to do this, but if you ever want to talk about your parents or anything, I’m always here.”


“I know that.”


“We love you Liz, and we want to know what's happening in your life. We want you to be able to come to us with any problem you have, no matter how small. We want to keep you safe and make sure that nothing like what happened when you walked through the park the other night will happen to you again.”


I can’t help but reach out and give him a hug. I miss my parents, so much sometimes it hurts, but having Uncle Jeff and Aunt Nancy here, its almost like they never left.


It was so hard when I had to tell them what happened to me, because I knew that I couldn’t tell them the truth. No one in this town knows what happened to me, except the sheriff, and that's only on a need-to-know basis.


It was also kinda of hard to explain to them that Max had spent the night, but of course I left out the part where we slept in the same bed. At first they were angry that I didn’t ring them as soon as I got to a phone, so they could come home and make sure I was safe. But then I gave them the puppy-dog eyes and fed them some crap about panicking and not really thinking clearly… and they melted.


But of course, you and I both know that the only thing on my mind was getting somewhere safe… getting to Max.


Ahh, speak of the devil. I feel the room temperature change, and someone staring fiery holes into my side, and I turn around to come face to face with the Adonis himself.


He looks so good. He’s wearing a black button up shirt which shows off his muscles perfectly, his brown leather jacket and khaki pants. His hair is all messed up and his bangs are doing that cute little wavy thing that makes you just want to brush them off his face.


“Hi.” He says with that crooked smile from ear to ear, and I can’t help but blush when I see the way his eyes take in what I’m wearing.


“Hi.”


“Hem hem.” My uncle clears his throat behind me, and I instantly turn around to address him, but Max beats me to it.


“Hey Mr P.”


Mr P? What the hell?


“Max, its great to see you again. So, where are you taking my little Lizzie?”


“Oh, um... Michael’s having a party so…”


“Okay, well don’t be home too late.” He turns and says to me, as I just stand there dumbfounded.


What happened to the scrutinizing looks he’s supposed to be giving to any guy who even looks at me?


What happened to the threats of breaking their balls if they try anything?


What happened to the lecture about no drugs or alcohol that i'm so used to getting?


This entire episode seems way too friendly to me. I think I’m in the twilight zone or something. This is just odd.


“Well, I’ve gotta go and clean the grill. Have fun Lizzie.” Uncle Jeff says before giving me a quick kiss on my cheek and walking off.


I suspiciously turn back to Max who’s just standing there with a huge smile on his face, obviously satisfied with the encounter that just happened.


“What did you do to him?”


“What do you mean?” He looks at me innocently and flutters his eyelashes in an extremely girly fashion, and I can’t help but break out in giggles.


Max leans down and whispers in my ear so only I can hear his husky voice. “You look absolutely beautiful.”


I can feel my cheeks redden even more than before, and I wonder how on earth I’m going to survive tonight without blushing so much that I spontaneously combust?


“Ready to go?” Max says as he straightens back up.


“Um, yeah.” I say quietly as I bite my bottom lip. I can’t help it; it’s a bad habit.


Max grabs my hand in his and entwines our fingers before pulling me out the doors of the Crashdown, commencing what will go down in history as our first official date.


TBC...

Hey everyone. Thank you all so much for your replys.

Chosen~Now wrote:I know the more I say this the less it means but I can't think of anything else except I love this story, Max is so sweet and Liz is so cute that I keep doing that girlie giggle I'm so ashamed of.

It means just as much everytime you say it, maybe even more... so plz don't stop. Don't worry about the girly giggle thing, i do it just as much, but i have it down to a fine art when in public. To hide my freaky little giggle, i do one of the following:

1. Put my hand over my mouth straight after and cough alot whilst looking around to make sure no one see's my suspicious behaviour. That way, if they do, they just think i'm some crazy person who's having a coughing fit and looking around suspiciously, and they're oblivious to the entire giggle senario that i previously experienced.

2. Giggle a who lot, so they just think i'm a crazy person who can't control their giggling. And then i generally break out into full on laughter.

3. Death stare anyone who looks at you strangely when your giggling, and then, once they turn away, yell out "Just because you havn't accepted giggling in your life!"

Otherwise, the only other advice i can give you is to never leave the house, or better yet, the room with the computer in it, so you can write more fan fic and UPDATE!!!!!!!! Plz update! i want Max!

He he. Ebola is funny.

dreamer19 wrote:I loved the last line that Maria said about Max, I wonder what she was refering to.

I think you know

Crashdown_51 wrote:Max and Liz better lock themselves in a closet to get some alone time without any interruptiions and maybe a few smooches? Hey it didn't hurt to ask.

Eventually.

Anyway, i don't really like the next two chapters of this, and try as i might, i just can't seem to fix it, and its peeing me off! So i'm so sorry guys, especially since this is their date BUT i promise i will make up for it in the future

Thank you for your replys:

trueblue27
Jason's Lover
roswellluver
Mariael311


And if there are any lurkers who can be bothered reaidng this, plz dont hesitate to drop by and leave some fb, even if it has nothing at all to do with my fic!










<center>
Chapter 26


~Max~
</center>


Just remember to breath. If you stop breathing, the entire night will be over before it’s even begun. Just breath…


I don’t know if I can get through this night without fainting or something. I’m still not entirely sure how I mustered up the courage to take Liz’s hand in mine when we left the Crashdown, and I’m even more surprised that I was able to tell her just how beautiful she was without my voice breaking like it did when I reached puberty, which thankfully, I never have to go through again.


Right now she's sitting beside me as I drive towards Michaels. I’m so nervous, I can feel the sweat on my forehead, and I have to resist the urge to reach up and scratch behind my ear. I think by now Liz has realised that it’s my trademark action for when I’m nervous, and I don’t want her to know how nervous she makes me. I want her to have a good night, free of my sweaty palms and anxiousness.


I don’t want the night to be over yet, I never want it to be over, but I just want it to hurry up. It seems as though I have been driving for hours, never getting any closer to Michaels.


I look over at Liz who's sitting beside me, looking up at the stars as the wind from the roofless Jeep plays with her hair. She unconsciously brushes a strand behind her ear, and I wish so much that I was the one who did that.


I want to reach out and touch her silky hair. I want to feel it between my fingertips. I want to feel the smoothness of her skin again… but if I do any of that, she’ll probably just think I’m strange and ask someone else to take her home.


Oh God, what if we get to the party and she goes off with some other guy? I don’t think I could handle that!


Calm down Max. Take deep soothing breaths and calm down. Remember what Isabel and Maria said: Stop stressing and have fun. She’s probably just as nervous as you are.


We finally reach Michaels and find a park down the street. I can already hear the music from all the way down here, meaning that it’s going to be extremely loud once we get inside.


I park the Jeep and quickly jump out and run around to open the door for Liz. She gives me a small smile and takes my hand as she reaches the ground.


“Ready?” I ask quietly, secretly hoping that she says no so we don’t have to be here, and we can just hop back into the car and go somewhere else. But instead she nods her head and tightens her grip on my hand.


I know that she’s nervous about this. Not just the fact that we’re on a date, but she's nervous about how everyone will react. She's nervous because of Tess and what her reaction will be. But I think she's also just as nervous as I am when it all comes back to us, and this being our first date.


First date. I’m on a date with Liz Parker!


“Liz?”


“Yeah?”


She stops walking and turns to face me, her hand still in mine. Before I know what's happening, I’m leaning down towards her and giving her a soft kiss as I frame her face with my spare hand.


I fell her arm come up around my neck and she threads her fingers through my hair as she kisses me back. It’s only a soft kiss, but I feel as though it’s all I need before I’m practically drugged on her.


I pull away when oxygen becomes necessary and rest my forehead against hers as I try and slow down my pulse.


“Sorry. I just… really wanted to do that.” I say impishly, my cheeks burning bright red as I realise that your not supposed to kiss until the end of the first date, when your saying goodnight.


She's playing with the hair on the nape of my neck, sending a tingle down my back as she smiles at me, before kissing me back softly. Liz pulls away and starts walking again, dragging my stunned form along by the hand.


Michael’s apartment is on the ground floor of a two-storey place, and it opens up into the giant courtyard that most of his parties are situated in. The good thing about his place is that he only has two neighbours, one who is only ever there on holidays and the other who works night shifts as a security guard, so there’s generally never anyone to complain about the parties.


We walk up the pathway leading to the apartment hand in hand, and I’m all of a sudden overcome with a stack of butterflies in my stomach. I haven’t had that since I had to read out my speech about my pet frog when I was in the third grade.


As we enter through the open door, my senses are assaulted with the smell of alcohol, the smoke filling the room from the cigarettes and the blearing music. Liz squeezes my hand and I look down at her with a reassuring smile.


I drag her out into the courtyard where we see Michael, Maria, Isabel and Alex all sitting around on the grass talking. Despite how ever many people always show up at these things, our group always manages to break away from everyone and just have it as us.


“Its a lot quieter out here.” I half yell into Liz’s ear to be heard about the music which is getting quieter the further we move away from it. We walk through the thin crowd of people that are congregated in the yard and head for the guys sitting over on the grass.


“Liz! Max!” Maria yells when she sees us as she sits up against Michael’s chest, waving her hands frantically in the air like we’re a mile away and we can’t see her, when in actual fact we’re less than five meters away.


Everyone’s heads turn to us as we approach, and I see Isabel raise her eyebrow at me when she notices our joined hands. Its then that I notice the two or three empty bottle next to Maria, and I figure out why she's acting stranger and louder than usual.


“Would you like a drink?” I ask Liz quietly, and get a small nod in response.


“Anyone else want a drink?” I ask everyone else, and there’s a murmur of yes’s and no’s from everyone, before they all go back to their previous conversation. I look at Michael who quietly nods his head and stands up to come with me, causing Maria to fall back with a ‘thump’ onto the grass.


“MICHAEL!” She yells as she gives him a scolding look, which he just shrugs off before turning back to me. Everyone cracks up laughing around us, but it’s Liz I’m focused on. The smile gracing her lips and the sound of her laughter makes all of this seems so unreal.


Is this some crazy parallel dimension? Am I dreaming all of this up? I swear, if I see a penguin walk past serving drinks, I know I’m delirious.


“Maxwell, we going?” Michael asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.


“Yeah,” I say, before I give Liz’s hand one last squeeze and let go, murmuring in her ear and kissing her cheek gently, “I’ll be right back.”


We walk into the apartment and head for the kitchen, bumping past several people who are either drunk or making out. The good thing about Michael’s is that it’s a one bedroom place, so when he has parties here, all we have to do is lock his room and then he hasn’t got to worry about people having sex in there before he gets to.


Even though Michael and Maria have been dating on and off for ages now, she still hasn’t given in to him, which is fun in some ways, because he hates the fact that they can be getting so far one minute, and as soon as it gets too much for her, she can stop and turn around like nothing had ever happened.


It’s entertaining to watch.


“So, Maria started the party a little early I see.” I say casually, easing into the conversation I know he wants to have with me.


“Yeah.” Is the only response I get as he grunts at me whilst I take out two cans of cheery cola from the fridge. “You and Liz seemed extremely cosy. Still as nervous as before?”


Yeah, I may have forgotten to mention that before, when I was getting ready at home, I had a complete breakdown and rang up Michael needing advice. He wasn’t very helpful, but thankfully Isabel was home.


“God yes. I think my palms are sweating. Michael, what if I blow it?” I say with wide eyes full of fear.


“You’re not gonna blow it Maxwell. Just be yourself, try not to mention the sweaty palms thing, and you’ll be fine.”


“Right.” I say absently as we head back out to where everyone is. I watch Liz as she laughs at something Alex just said, and I feel my breath catch in my throat at how beautiful she looks tonight.


I slowly walk over and sit down next to her, handing her a cherry coke as Michael gives everyone else their drinks. Her fingers brush mine as I hand her the can, and I could have sworn I just heard her sharp intake of breath from the contact.


We sit there for at least an hour, talking about nonsense that we’ll never actually remember in the morning. I’ve somehow managed to end up lying on my back as I play with Liz’s hand. She sits next to me, leaning on me as she talks to Alex.


She looks down at me and gives me one of those alluring smiles, and I can’t help the goofy grin that spreads across my face. This is what she does to me.


We sit there, staring at each other for what seems like forever, both of us afraid to look away, when I hear the familiar violin chords that start a Gomez song. The same Gomez song from the Halloween party, where I first met Liz Parker.


We came, we came, we came again
To stem the tide and point the blame
Came back for more
Came back to see what you had in store
Everyone join the line, everyone

I stand up abruptly and pull Liz with me, not wanting to let the chance disappear again. I drag her into the house and into the living room where the floor is scattered with couples dancing.


“Max? What are you doing?” She yells at me over the loud music, and my only response is to pull her flush against me and wrap my arms round her waist as we slowly start to sway in time with the music.


“I’m having our first dance again.” I say simply with a smile. I can tell when realisation dawns on her because her eyes go wide as a small smile graces her lips before she wraps her arms around my neck.


Yeah, so you wanna spin the world around?
So you wanna spin the world around?
And anybody else
Cut em down


Yeah, So you wanna spin the world around?
So you wanna spin the world around?
And anybody else
Come around


She rests her head against my chest and lets out a small sigh, which prompts me to pull her tighter against me. My senses are once again flooded with her intoxicating scent and I internally groan at the feel of her soft skin touching mine.


So you wanna make catastrophe?
Don't you send it right over to me
I got some time
Everybody come alive


I look down at her face to see the smile gone and her glaring at someone across the other side of the room. “Liz?” I ask softly as I slowly stroke my hand in circles over the exposed skin on her back from where her shirt had ridden up.


She immediately straightens up from my voice and looks up at me with those big brown eyes. “What's wrong?”


Liz gives a small nod to over the other side of the room, and I turn to see what it is that caused her sudden change. And that's when I see her.


Yeah, so you want to spin the world around?
So you wanna spin the world around?
And anybody else
Come around


Tess is dancing with a guy I have never seen before. She's wearing a miniskirt and a top that might as well be a piece of string as it covers hardly anything. She’s practically on top of him as she dances; completely destroying the serene feel the song creates.


The same, the same, the same again
To steal the time and haunt the graves
Just because he's there
Don't mean you see it anywhere
Maybe it's a trick of the light
Maybe

The way they are dancing is not right for this song. It’s not right for most songs. It looks as though they’re having sex right on the floor because of how close they are. Now normally, I wouldn’t care about how people are dancing, let alone how Tess is dancing. But this is different.


It’s different because not only has it distracted Liz from our dance, but as Tess is dancing, she’s looking straight at me, and it’s a little freaky. The intensity in her eyes as she stares at me whilst the anonymous guy she's dancing with openly gropes her is enough to turn me off eating for at least four years.


Yeah, So you wanna spin the world around?
So you wanna spin the world around?
And anybody else
Come around



So you wanna make catastrophe?
Don't you send it right over to me
I got some time
Everybody come alive


I feel the bile rising in my throat from the way she's looking at me and immediately turn back to Liz. I can see the start of tears in her eyes, and I hate it.


“Max, why don’t you just go and dance with her. Its obviously what she wants.” She says in a defeated tone as she avoids looking me in the eye.


I gently lift her chin so I can see her face and I pull her closer to me, desperately wanting everything in the world to just fade away until its just us left. This is supposed to be one of the best nights of my life, and I wont let Tess ruin it for me, or Liz.


Yeah, so you wanna spin the world around?
So you wanna spin the world around?
And anybody else
Come around



So you wanna make catastrophe?
Don't you send it right over to me
I got some time
Everybody running high


“But it’s not what I want. Liz, I’m here with you. The only person that I want to dance with is you, not Tess. It’s you that I want.”


I gently brush away the stray tear that’s fallen down her cheek and I see her give me a small smile. I take that as my cue and slowly pull her to me once again, wrapping my arms tighter around her waist as we dance to what's left of the song.


So you wanna spin the world around?
So you wanna spin the world around?
And anybody else
Come around


So you say we haven't turned around?
So you say we haven't turned around?
Just everybody else is going wrong
Going wrong


“Max?” Liz says quietly as a new song starts up and she pulls out of my arms. I immediately want to reach out and pull her back to me, but I restrain myself, trying desperately to listen to what she has to say.


“Yeah?”


“Do you… I mean, would you… do you wanna get out of here?” Liz asks as she looks up at me hopefully with a small smile.


“Let’s go.” I grab her hand in mine before pulling her out the front door.




TBC...

Hey everyone. As promised, a new chapter. You can all thank Chosen~Now and Crashdown_51 for this...

Okay, first of all, a little bit of shameless plugging:

I have a new story! Yay me! I really don't need another story to write right now, but it was like something took over my body and i posted a new story before i knew what was happening.

It's called Walking By and its CC in Max and Liz's POV. There's no point of me posting a summary here, it'll just take up too much room, so plz go and check it out if you have nothing else to do. ( <-- the links in the name)


Also, if you can't find Something Of Value , it's because it was move to Alein Abyss, because it doesn't quiet fit in with CC anymore, but more about that later.

Last of all in my shamless plugging is that i now have a work by author thingy, and the links in my sig... but its pretty bare as i only have three fics so far.

Now, onto business:

Bixie wrote:Can somebody kick that GERBIL to another planet or something!!!!
And why did Michael invite her to his party?? I thought everbody hated her, or did she just sneek in uninvited?

Yeah, sorry about not making this clear. It was just one of those parties where its come if you want sort of thing. You know when someone at school is just going around saying 'Party at blah blah's on Friday night!' sort of thing. It was open to anyone who heard about it, and Tess just happened to be one of those people.

Crashdown_51 wrote:AAAAAWWWW. I thought it was an update. I guess I can wait.

Mwa ha ha.

Crashdown_51 wrote:Hey, sorry it took so long. Something's wrong with my computer. This is the second time I had to reboot.

Now to the GO-GO dancer Tess. Why doesn't Michael escort her from his apartment? Preferablly with extreme force so it could finally get in her head that she's not wanted. Did she snake herself in like the python she is? It's creepy the way she's looking at him. I'm getting the feeling of "Swimfan" here. LOL.

Well, I'm off the write for COTT and AR2R...and my new fic "The Vanished". Sorry, didn't mean to promote here.

a) kick it. One of my favourite past times is kicking my computer. After about the twenty-ith kick i think it got the message because now it's purring like a kitten.

b) Okay, i just completely by-passed that part in this chapter, but you'll find out what happened to Tess later... once i figure out what happened to her and write it. Its funny, because the chick in swimfan was a shortish blond aswell, and extreemly freaky.

c) Meh. Promote all you want. Shameless plugging's more than welcome here. (See above for my shameless plugging.)

Thank you so much to everyone else who left feedback. If i knew who all of you were i would locate you and give you all a big hug!:

Jason's Lover
XoXoDreamerXoXo
abbs007
dreamer19
mezz - I'm glad you liked it, but i still think it was a crappy effort from me. But not as crappy as this next chapter. Eeeek! Someone help me!
FSUMSW94
Chosen~Now - Glad to see you updated! Yay! Just out of curiosity, how do you know the monkey will break my heart after its passed on a deadly disease? Personal experience? I think we need a new fatal infection. Suggestions anyone?

Okay, last little bit. Now, you know how i said i hated the last chapter? Well, i hate this one more, like, with a vengance. I would obbliterate it, along with a small village if i had the chance. It's really crap and boring and jumpy, but i had nothing else to write and i made that rediculous deal with Chosen~Now, so i was forced to post it. I'm so sorry everyone, and i promise i will make it up to you in the next chapter.

<center>
Chapter 27


~Liz~</center>



Max’s deep laughter fills the air around us as we walk down the street towards where the Jeep is parked. I don’t know why, but I just felt an overwhelming urge to get out of there, away from the crowd and the blaring music. I just wanted to be alone with Max for a bit.


“And then Michael woke up and looked in the mirror, and I swear he screamed like a girl when he saw what Isabel had done to him. I think he would have been able to handle it if she had just shaved one eyebrow. Sure, he would have been pissed for a few weeks, but he would have gotten over it eventually. But, because it was both of his eyebrows that were missing… well, lets just say that he never sleeps over anymore if Izzy is going to be home.”


“What did Maria say when she saw him?”


“Typical Maria response. She cracked up laughing every time she looked at him. Needless to say, he was more pissed than usual at everyone for about three weeks.”


We come to a stop in front of his jeep and I’m instantly drawn to look into his eyes. How is it possible that someone could have eyes that beautiful? Max’s face turns serious as he takes a step closer to me, staring back at me just as intently.


“So…” he says, and I quickly dart my tongue out to moisten my really dry lips. How is it that all he has to do is look at me and everything around me heats up at least fifty degrees?


“So…”


His deep amber eyes darken as he looks down at my lips and then back up at my eyes. Max leans down towards me, and just as I’m about to reach up and touch my lips to his, a rustling noise catches my attention.


“Max! Liz!” Someone yells out in a startled voice.


I turn around quickly to see Kyle in the back of a parked pick up truck, along with a half naked blonde. Kyle’s face turns bright red when he sees us standing there, and as he straightens up his shirt, he gives us a small wave before saying. “Um… enjoying the party? He he...”


He looks away from us, trying to avoid meeting our eyes as he gives a nervous chuckle. I hear a deep rumbling behind me to find Max laughing at him.


“Kyle, you, uh… you might want to um...” Max says as he waves his hand in the direction of Kyle’s crotch. He looks down and sees his zipper undone before grabbing the blonde’s shirt that she was just about to put back on and holding it in front of him.


“We ah, we should go…” I say with a giant smile on my face, desperately trying not to laugh at the predicament Kyle was in, but failing miserably as soon as I see the blond yank her shirt back from Kyle and jump out of the truck in a huff.



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



“So Miss Parker? Where to?”


“What, so now I’m supposed to have a location to go to aswell? Nah uh. I was the one who suggested we leave, so now it’s your turn to pick a place.”


I look over at Max with a giant smile plastered on my face. He looks back at me with that sexy grin of his and I know he’s up to something.


“My choice huh?”


“It’s only fair.”


“Hmm…” With that he turns the wheel so we do a u-turn, taking us in the direction of nothing but desert.


“Where are you taking me?” I ask curiously. I’m not scared that he’s going to take me to some secluded place and murder me or anything, I just hate surprises. And sure enough, I hate his answer to my question. That's what I get for being curious.


He looks at me once again, his evil smirk getting bigger as he answers.


“It’s a surprise.”



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



“Wow.”


“Yeah.”


We’re standing in front of this giant rock formation that Max drove me to somewhere in the middle of the desert. It’s one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Another of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen is standing right beside me, watching me staring at the rocks.


“Come on.”


He takes my hand in his and leads me up a rocky path until we’re half way up the rock formation. We take a turn onto a smaller ledge and eventually end up on a small cliff that looks over the vast desert.


But instead of sitting down like I thought we were going to do, Max turns around to face a crack in the rock. It’s about as tall as me, and at least fifteen inches wide, with smooth edges running down until it reaches the bottom.


He gives me a small smile before stepping closer to the rock and bending over, giving me a perfect view of his ass. And what a nice one at that! I can feel my mouth watering already.


Max puts his arm in through the crack and rummages around for a bit until his hand lands on what it is he was looking for. He shuffles back a bit, still crouching down, and then pulls out a giant black thing that slightly resembles a pillow.


He stands up next to me and un-ravels what I now assume is the blanket before laying it neatly across the rocky ground. Now that I can finally see if, I realise that it’s not a pillow or a blanket, but a sleeping bag that was already un-zipped.


“Ta da!” he says with a smile and outstretched arms as he shows off his resourcefulness. “Michael and I found this place a few years ago when he was having some problems with his foster dad, so we kinda got used to keeping supplies here, hence the sleeping bag.”


He kicks off his shoes next to the rock and sits down on the sleeping bag, looking up at me with hopeful eyes as he waits for me to join him.


We lie down and stare up at the stars in the sky, surrounded by complete silence, with the only noise from the occasional wind and our breathing.


Tonight is a beautiful night for star gazing. They all looks so bright, so beautiful that I can’t help but star in awe at their magic.


I feel Max shift beside me, followed by his fingers entwining with mine and I let out a small sigh at how right this feels. We stay like this for at least an hour before I finally speak.


“My Grandma Claudia always used to say that each star represents the soul of someone who has passed away, and when you see a shooting star, it’s that persons soul being reincarnated.”


We sit in silence for a few more minutes, and I know that he’s thinking. I don’t know what about, but when I look over at his face, I see the way his brow is wrinkled and I can tell that he’s thinking. I go back to staring at the millions of stars above me, so vast and far away, but so close at the same time. The universe is a mysterious thing.


“Do you ever think about them?” He asks suddenly, taking his eyes off the sky and directing his gaze to me.


“Who?”


“Your parents.”


“I never stop.” I say quietly, and more to myself than Max.


And its true. Despite how much it hurts to think about them, to know that I should have die along with them, I just can’t seem to block them out. It’s not that I want to forget about them; they’re my parents and I love them more than anything, but I just wish that I could have one moment when I could concentrate on something other than their memory…


And that moment comes sooner than I expected. My thoughts are silenced when Max lips touch mine in a sweet kiss. He pulls me closer to him, wrapping his arms around my waist as his lips continue to caress mine.


I feel him run his tongue along my bottom lip, asking for access that I’ll easily grant. I wonder if Max knows just how good a kisser he is? Does he know that I practically melt every time I think about his soft lips touching mine? Or his tongue brushing against mine as he kisses me with so much passion I think I’m going to faint?


I so have to stop thinking about these things and concentrate on Max… kissing me… on the best night of my life.



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



His lips part from mine softly as he rests his forehead against mine. I stare into his deep amber eyes and can’t help but lean up to capture his lips once more. I can’t get enough of him, and I don’t think I want to let him go…


“Thank you. I had a great night.” I whisper against his lips as he tucks a strand of my loose hair behind my ear. I lean into the soft caress of his skin against mine and before I can control myself, I let out a soft moan.


“You should go before your uncle comes out and chases me away with a broom.” He says with a smirk before giving me one last kiss and taking a step back.


I’m so tempted to take a step forward so I'm back in his arms, or to tell him to meet me on my balcony… but I don’t, because even though this thing between us feels so right I’m not sure how I ever lived without it, its still new, and I don’t want to do anything that might ruin it.


“Good night Max.” I say eventually as I kiss his cheek and disappear through the Crashdown doors, taking one last glimpse and then running up to my room before I give in to temptation and attack him with kisses.


Max Evans, what the hell are you doing to me?





TBC... pft

Howdidily Doodily everyone...

Freaky, we got pruned! Agh! Take cover!

Sorry... too much sugar

I probaby won't be able to post until maybe Wednesday next week, so sorry everyone

Thank you all for your feedback.

Mariael311
Chosen~Now - Nope, sorry missy. You can't get out of it that easily. I expect an update from you tonight... otherwise: No more G/S until i get two new chapters. Mwa ha ha.
abbs007
roswellluver
FSUMSW94
dreamer19
tijuana_lady
XoXoDreamerXoXo
Emz80m
Bixie - Thats all i need to hear.
Crashdown_51 - Blah blah woof woof?
Jason's Lover







<center>Chapter 28

~Max~</center>



I kiss all over her bare stomach, moving upwards towards her naked breasts. She giggles underneath me as I tickle her with my tongue, lapping at her skin much like a cat does with milk. Which, now that I think about it, is a bit odd, considering the fact that cats are lactose intolerant. But anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the naked perfection that’s lying underneath me. Well, half naked anyway. I haven’t quite gotten to removing the bottom half of her clothing, but I assure you that it won’t be on for long.


I take a puckered nipple into my hot mouth and she softly moans, arching into my mouth. I trace lazy circles around her breast before taking it into my mouth and sucking. This may be new territory for both of us, but I do watch TV and movies, and I have a strange instinct that when she moans my name and curses under her breath, I must be doing something right.


I give each breast the attention it deserves before moving upwards, planting kisses all over her hot skin, and finally stopping at her mouth. Somehow during the fevered kiss, she’s managed to flip me over onto my back so she’s now on top. Hey, I have no complaints!


She trails kisses down my bare torso, her hands playing with the elastic on my boxers, before dipping inside, heading strait for my hard erection. “Mmm… Liz… Yes…”


After a few moments of mumbling praise, I finally realise that she hasn’t got me yet. Her fingers brush against my straining flesh before she removes her hands from my pants. She grabs the waistband and pulls them down, exposing a very naked and extremely hard me. I arch my head back and close my eyes, waiting for the feeling of her hand wrapping around me… but it never comes.


I slowly opened my eyes and look at her in confusion, watching as she sits there, straddling me, biting her bottom lip in the way that turns me on so much. “What?”


“Um… Max… where is it?”


Okay, what the hell is she talking about? “Where’s what?”


“Your…um…” she waves her hand in the direction of my groin, blushing furiously. I support myself by my elbows so I’m half sitting up, and that’s when I see it, or rather; have to squint to see it. You need a magnifying glass to see my penis!


“Agggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!”


I sit up immediately in my bed, looking around frantically to see where the hell I am. I wipe at the sweat forming on my brow, my hands shaking as I try to calm myself down. It’s okay… it was just a dream… it’s okay…


I automatically lift up the blankets, along with the band on my boxer shorts, making sure that it was a dream. Oh thank you god, it was just a dream…


My head flings back in relief and I flop back down on my pillows. I suddenly feel extremely warm. I take deep breaths to try and get my breathing back to normal and my pulse rate down.


That was the fucking freakiest dream I have ever not had the pleasure of dreaming. It felt so real, and so good… until my dick was the size of a thumbtack!


I am so not getting back to sleep tonight.



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


I walk nervously down the school corridor, dreading seeing Liz again, but also anticipating it. It took me a while to get back to sleep last night after that freaky dream I had, so I’m pretty sure I look like shit right now.


I’ve dreamt about Liz millions of times before. I sit in class behind her and stare at the back of her head as my mind fills up with fantasies of all the things I wish she was doing to me right then, but none of those dreams or fantasies were ever as good as the dream last night was, pardoning the ending of it.


I turn the corner and I see her standing with Maria and Michael at her locker. God, she looks so damn beautiful this morning, which isn’t very hard for her to achieve. She could be covered in mud and I would still think she is the most gorgeous creature in the universe.


Liz turns around and sees me cautiously approaching with a small smile on my face as my grip tightens on the item behind my back. My mind flashes back to the dream again and I feel my cheeks redden as I try and keep my mind on anything but what I imagine Liz to be like half naked and lying underneath me.


A beautiful smile graces her lips as I get closer, and I remember what it felt like to kiss them last night, so soft and sweet. But today is completely different from last night. I don’t now how to act around Liz right now. I don’t know if we’re officially going out, or if we’re just casual. I don’t know if she wants me to kiss her right now and show the rest of the school that she's mine, or if she wants to keep us a secret right now.


I don’t even know if there is an us. But if I have my way, there definitely will be.


“Hey.” I say softly as I gaze into her smiling eyes.


“Hey.”


We stand there smiling at each other for what seems like eternity before Maria snaps us both out of it by clapping right next to my ear, scaring the shit out of me.


“Fuck Maria!”


She just stands there and shrugs her shoulders as Liz goes bright red from embarrassment. Did I mention she's beautiful?


I can feel myself floating off into fantasyland again, so I quickly shake me head to snap myself out of it, desperately trying to keep focused on the task at hand.


“So Max, what’s that you have behind your back there?” Maria asks curiously with a giant smirk on her face.


I can feel my cheeks going bright red, and its times like these I wish I was a murdering fiend, just so I could get rid of Maria.


“Oh... um…” I mutter as I stumble with my words.


Liz looks up at me with inquisitive eyes and that beautiful smile. Knowing that it’s too late to just bolt in fear, I take a deep breath and show Liz the item that I was hiding behind me.


She gasps as she sees what I’m holding and her eyes go wide in what I presume is fascination. I can hear Michael giggling next to me and I have to seriously resist the urge to punch him.


Thankfully, Maria does my work for me when she slaps him across the back of the head with such force that the sound echoes all around us. If Michael wasn’t brain dead before, he sure as hell is now.


“Come on Spaceboy, walk me to class.” She says as she drags his cursing form down the hallway, thankfully giving Liz and I some privacy.


“Um… this is for you.” I say quietly as I thrust it out in front of me, motioning for her to take the white rose from my hand.


Maria mentioned the other day when we were having one of our conversations about how pathetic I am when it comes to Liz, that she loves white roses. It’s stupid and yes, pathetic, but I couldn’t help myself. Besides, from the giant smile on her face I think she likes it.


Liz abruptly jumps up and engulfs me with a giant hug, which I eagerly return, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck as she stands on the tip of her toes. You know, for such a little person, she can definitely suffocate you with her hugs… not that I mind or anything.


She pulls back slightly and kisses my cheek. Her lips are so soft and warm against my skin, and I hold her body tighter against mine as she continues to hug me. She leans in closer and puts her mouth right next to me ear, her hot breath bouncing off my skin and making the hairs on the back of my neck sand up straight from all the feelings she's inducing.


“Thank you.” She whispers seductively in my ear.


I pull back a fraction so I can see her eyes and its then I realise how close my lips are to hers. My forehead is touching hers, our breaths mingling… and my willpower fails as I close the inch between us and seal my lips to hers.


She kisses me back eagerly and if its possible, tightens her grip around me as her fingers lightly thread through my hair. This feeling is heaven. Just being in Liz’s presence is absolute bliss, but when we kiss its like an entire other worldly effect.


“Hem hem.”


Someone clearing their throat behind us breaks me out of the trance that is Liz Parker and I reluctantly let her go, cautiously turning around to come face to face with Mr Seligman.


“You two should hurry up and get to class.” He says with a stern look, and I can guarantee that he’ll be talking to us about this later. Damn adults. They always have to come along and ruin all of the good moments in life.



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


I walk up behind Liz as she's walking out with Maria to our lunch table, and quickly grab her on the arm before she gets too close to where everyone else is. I really don’t want an audience for what I’m about to ask her.


I’m nervous enough about being shot down as it is. I really doubt that the presence of Michael and Kyle there would make it any better.


“Max!” She says brightly as she turns around to see who just grabbed her arm.


Maria turns around aswell when she notices that Liz stopped walking and sends me an questioning look.


“Moon doggie. What’s up?”


“Um… I was actually wondering if could speak to Liz for a moment?” I say, and all she does is fix me with a smile and blink. Not knowing if she got the message and is just being evil, or if she really is a natural blonde, I’m forced to add “Alone?”


She lets out a dramatic sigh and stalks off, but not before giving me a quick hug and whispering “Good luck” in my ear. Damn it. She already knows what I’m going to ask Liz. That’s the last time I ever talk to her about private matters.


“What's up?” Liz asks, and I’m drawn out of my thoughts by her honey sounding voice.


“Oh…um… I-I wanted to ask you s-something important.” I stutter, feeling that nervousness in my stomach that makes me think of… not butterflies, but bats. Giant bats that just wont stop flying about.


Liz just stands there looking up at me with wide eyes, waiting for me to continue. Damn it. Why didn’t I write this down on my hand? But then again, with the way they’re sweating at the moment, it would have probably washed off by now.


“Okay…um… Liz, I really, really like you. And I had a really great time last night, and I hope that you did too… and it’s cool if you say no and everything… I mean, I don't expect you to say yes or anything... I don't want to pressure you into something you don't want to do...I would never want to pressure you into anything...” I start, looking everywhere but at her face as I nervously wring my hands in front of me.


“Max?” Liz questions softly as she takes a step closer and places her hands one either side of my face, forcing me to look at her.


“Yeah?”


“You’re babbling.”


“Oh.”


“What is it that you want to ask me?” She tentivly asks, and I’m drawn to her big brown eyes once again.


“Um… w-would you… ah…wouldyouliketobemygirlfriend?”





TBC...

Hey all. I figured that i better post soon before you all start getting restless... so here i am. Yay!

Thank you all for your wonderful feedback, and i hope that Liz's answer doesn't dissapoint you


<center>Chapter 29


~Liz~</center>



The first thing I do without even one second of a coherent thought is jump into Max’s arms and seal my lips to his. I think my reaction surprised him because it takes him a minute to wrap his arms around my waist and kiss me back.


He pulls me flush against his strong body and burries his hand in my hair as he slants his mouth against mine. I can feel everything he’s doing to me… but it all seems so enhanced, better than usual, and I don’t know why.


Not that I’m complaining. God knows that as long and Max is kissing me, I wont complain about anything else for the rest of my life. Its just strange that all of a sudden kissing him is ten times better than it was before… and believe me when I say that before, it was perfect.


I break away once oxygen becomes necessary, but obviously Max hasn’t got the same problem as he chases after my lips once again. I kiss him briefly once more before pulling back and taking a much-needed breath of air.


He pulls me tighter against him, if it’s even possible, and manages to pant out, “So… should I take that as a no?”


I look up at him with a shocked face and my mouth hanging wide open seriously not believing that for one minute he honestly thinks that was a no. A giant smirk plays across his features when he sees my stunned face and he takes it as his opportunity to seal his lips back to mine.


“That…was… definitely…a…yes!” I manage to whisper out in between his kisses.


This man is like a God. I swear I’m getting addicted. He’s like a drug… or alcohol… or chocolate!


Max runs his tongue along my bottom lip, and I eagerly open my mouth, granting him access as his tongue rubs against mine in a sensual way that has all of my senses alive and running.


Its just as the kiss is getting good that something hits the back of my head. I pull away from Max and look at my feet to see what the offending object was.


A hot chip. Someone threw a hot chip at me!


Still standing in Max’s embrace, I look around to see that everyone is staring at us. Basically the entire quad was watching Max and I go at it.


My cheeks flush red and I tighten my grip on Max’s shirt as my eyes land on the only two people who aren’t staring at us. Talk about trying to be inconspicuous.


Maria and Michael are practically falling all over each other with laughter as they sit staring in the completely opposite direction of us. Now, normally, I would just think that they had better things to do than watch me and Max kiss in the middle of the school, either that or they just don’t want to see it…


But unfortunately for them, they forgot to hide their box of hot chips in all the commotion of them laughing at us.


Maria cautiously turns around when see feels my gaze penetrating the back of her head. A soon as her eyes meet mine, all traces of a smile are gone off her face and she quickly turns back around, knowing that I’ll be having a talk to her later.


I feel Max tracing circles on my back as he watches Maria and I exchanged silent words and I’m immediately drawn back to him. I realise that his hand has made it under my shirt at the back and is now caressing my skin. His touch is like fire and I can feel myself blushing just from thinking about where else I would like him to touch me.


I don’t care that we’re standing in the middle of a crowded quad with an audience. I just want to drag him onto the ground and have my wicked way with him… except we’ve only been officially going out for about ten minutes…


Wait a minute. He’s my boyfriend.


Oh My God. Max Evans… sex god… is my boyfriend!


Just for that he deserves another kiss, which I gladly give him. He tries to deepen the kiss but being the tease I am, I pull away completely from his embrace, taking a step back to guarantee space.


Boys are so predictable, and Max proves this point when he takes a step towards me, giving me the puppy dog eyes, trying to get me to go back to him as he reaches for me. Instead, I turn around and start towards our lunch table, with him trailing behind. I feel like a sadist doing this to him… but there’s already going to be enough rumours floating around about us by tomorrow. Besides, I have a plan to make it up to him later.


I swing my hips to a Metallica song that Michael had blearing out of his speakers that are connected to his Discman, and I hear Max groan behind me as he watches me walk. At least I know how to get a reaction out of him.


I start to laugh as I hear a very low growl escape his throat as he walks up behind me and possessively wraps his arms around my waist so no one else can see my dancing.


It’s a little freaky that we’re acting as if we’ve been going out for months rather than minutes… but everything with Max just feels so natural. Its as if I’ve been wrapped in his protective arms all my life.


“Please stop dancing.” He whispers into my ear as I wiggle my hips, causing my butt to brush up against his groin, guarenteeing the desired reaction in his lower regions.


“Why?” I ask with a devious smirk as I turn around to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck and fluttering my eyelashes as I try and convince him I’m pure and innocent.


“You know why.” He replies in a husky voice before leaning down to kiss me once again.


“Hem hem.” Just as his lips are about to connect to mine, someone next to us loudly clears their throat… to loud for it to be because they actually needed to. I swear, if this isn’t for a good reason, who ever interrupted us will be wishing they were choking.


“What?” Max barks as I internally sigh and rest my head on his chiselled chest. Once again I find myself asking how its possible for a seventeen-year-old boy to have a body like his?


“Max, as much as we’re glad you two have finally gotten your act together and are now what I presume is an item… it doesn’t mean that we want a show, so I would prefer it if you could keep it in your pants. Thanks.” Michael shrugs before going back to the box of hot chips.


I feel Max tense and wrap his arms tighter around me as Michael just carries on eating his chips. What I wouldn’t give to go over and tip them all over his head right now…


I swipe my gaze over the quad as I turn back to Max, but stop suddenly when my eyes fall upon someone watching Max and I.


He looks so confounded and I feel that familiar pang of guilt run through my veins as I watch Kyle tighten his grip around his folder before he slumps his shoulders in a defeated manor and heads in our direction.


“Kyle…”


I take a step towards his devastated self, desperately wanting to explain to him that what he saw wasn’t what it looked like… but how can I when it’s exactly what it looked like? I chose Max over him. I lied to him. I said I wasn’t ready for a ‘relationship’, when it’s exactly what Max and I just agreed to have.


He walks right past me, ignoring my pleading face and shrugging off my hand when I try to grab his wrist. No one else seems to notice his coldness towards me except Max who just raises his eyebrow in my direction, and I know it means we’re going to be talking later.



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


“Max, how can I make Kyle understand?” I say softly as I stare at my feet. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him after lunch, as I was too busy trying to get Kyle to talk to me. I tried to ring him about an hour ago but he just hung up on me as soon as I spoke.


Max rang about five minutes later and I couldn’t stop myself from breaking down and telling him how guilty I feel. I felt even worse after he asked me if I wanted to put us on hold for a while until Kyle was okay with it.


Putting Max and I on hold is the furthest thing from my mind, Kyle or not, there’s no way I’m giving us up just to make someone else happy. Especially since we only just got together.


“He’ll get over it eventually Liz. Just give him some time and he’ll come around.” Max replies sincerely, and I sink further into my pillow as I listen to his soft voice and feel the butterflies in my stomach once again come to life. Ahh, what this man does to me.


“Lizzie?” My uncle asks as he sticks his head into my room and notices me talking to Max on the phone.


“Hold on a sec.” I say to Max before turning to my uncle. “Yeah, Uncle Jeff?”


“Mail.” He states simply as he walks over to where I’m lying on my bed and hands me an envelope. I flip it over in my hand, trying to find the senders address but its blank. There isn’t even a post stamp, just ‘Liz Parker’ written in scrawled handwriting across the front.


“Thanks.” I say absently as my uncle walks out of the room, most probably back to the starving Crashdown customers demanding their food downstairs.


I tear the top open by making a hole and sliding my finger in, successfully breaking apart the paper so I can get the letter inside. I pull the small piece of paper out and turn it over in my hands.


It’s small, much too small to need an envelope the size of the one it was in. I flip it to the other side and my stomach lunges as I realise why the paper is so small.


Scrawled in what looks like red blood is the word ‘Soon.’




Dum dum dum... catch you all later

Mwa ha ha. Doesn't it just kill you when i leave it at a climax in Liz's POV, then go on to have an entire Max chapter with no relevence to the climax... just so you have to wait for two more chapters?

Its such and anti-climax. He he

Crashdown_51 wrote: 1. So who's it from? Did it have a return address? (Hmm, if it was just a blank envelope it makes me think that they must be somewhere near the vecinity. )
2. How "soon" are they coming?
3. Will we get hints?
4. Would this mystery guest be putting a damper on the Max/Liz factor?

In your words Yahtzee! For #1. For # 2... you'll just have to guess, and yes, you will get hints.... hopefully in the next chapter.... depending on what i feel like giving away to you. And as for # 4.... i'm not that mean!

Crashdown_51 wrote:5. When is Tess gonna find out?
6. Is she gonna do something stupid or crazy to hurt Liz or break them up?
7. Are Kyle and Max gonna fight? (Love it when a guy establishes dominance )
8. Nookie? Uh, PLEASE.

#5.... find out about what? Max and Liz, or the letter? I think she could have already guessed about the M/L factor... but she wont find out about the letter.... unless i change my mind

#6 = YAHTZEE! (he he, i can understand why u think this word is so cool. But i think i need my own word. How about BINGO? Nope... didn't think so) but, thats coming later.... like.... heaps later.

#7 This chapter is as much as they'll fight... for now.

#8: Um... YES!




behr_able - um.... no notes to my Mumsy please. I get in enough trouble as it is without her knwoing about some more. I love your display pic. Its so kooky.



Welcome to the new readers and i'm glad your liking the story.

Everyone else, thank you so much for your feedback, and i'm sorry if this is getting a bit stupid and stuff.... but i'll try and make it better.


<center>Chapter 30


~Max~ </center>


Where the hell is that fucking bastard?


I just got off the phone with Liz after she went all weird and told me that she would call me back later, and I’m pretty sure it had something to do with that Son of a bitch Valenti. We were halfway through talking about how to fix this thing with that jerk and then all of a sudden she was in tears, said she would ring be back later and then hung up before I could respond.


“Valenti!” I yell as I walk up the steps onto his terrace and in through the open door to find him sitting on the couch watching a football game.


He turns to look at me with a raised eyebrow before simply stating, “Evans.”


Okay, that was the last straw. He can be pissed off all he wants, but as soon as he starts making Liz cry and he talks to me like that… it’s time to open up a can of whoop ass on his butt.


“What the fuck do you think your doing?” I bark.


“Watching the game.” He says simply, never once taking his eye off the screen or showing any sign what so ever that he feels like decking me.


“I meant the way your acting towards Liz you asshole!”


“Didn’t realise you cared El Presidentae.”


“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”


He gives a sigh before grabbing the remote and turning the television off. He yawns and stretches as he stands up and turns to me with a less than amused expression on his face.


“It means that you have everything Max. Ninety nine percent of the school bows down to you and they would kiss your feet if they weren’t so muddy. The teachers love you and are always trying to kiss your ass. Basically every guy at the school would back you up if you were in a fight because you’re ‘just so damn decent’. You have girls clinging all over you, throwing themselves and their phone numbers at your pathetic self… yet you still feel the need to take the one thing I want!” He’s now yelling at me, giving me all the ammunition I need to make sure my point get across.


“I didn’t take her from you Kyle!”


“So what the hell was that at school today? Huh? Just felt like making out with the chick one of your best friends is after?”


“I didn’t take her from you because she was never yours to begin with! She turned you down Valenti. She plainly told you that she wasn’t interested so you have no right to insinuate that I took anything from you.” I say as I point my finger at him, far more than pissed now.


“Yeah, see how things change once your involved? It shouldn’t matter that she turned me down Evans; the point is that I really liked her… I still do… and you had no right to just waltz in and take over! Unless…” He says as his eyes fill with fear.


“Unless what?” I state with a sigh.


“Unless you two have been together since she came here and just haven’t told anyone…”


“Kyle, we’ve only been going out since this afternoon.”


“So what was that at Michaels party then? Let me guess, you two were ‘just friends’ then aswell?”


Oh, thank the Gods above. Now finally he brings up something that I can retaliate with. “What the hell should it matter to you what Liz and I were to each other at Michael’s party? You didn’t seem to care about her too much when you were with that Cindy girl in the back of your dad’s truck! God, Liz didn’t even care! She even said to me afterwards that she was glad you were having fun!”


His face pales at my words as realisation dawns on him. That's right, I win!


Kyle unconsciously sits back down on the couch and stares at his hands. Thinking that I’m safe from him causing me any physical harm, I walk over and sit down next to him, running a frustrated hand through my hair as I let out a deep sigh. How did my life turn into such a damn soap opera?


“I was drunk.” He whispers quietly, guilt lacing his voice.


“That doesn’t matter. If you really like Liz as much as you say you do, you should have been trying to get her into the back of the truck, not Cindy Moloney.” I say with a smirk, thanking God that Liz was with me and not Kyle at Michael’s party, otherwise I would be the one in Kyle’s position right now.


“Liz must think I’m an ass.”


“Yeah, but so does everyone else. Its like a ritual.” A small smile graces his lips and I know that now’s the time to bring up Liz and me, together. “Kyle, I really, really like Liz. I have since the first time I saw. She just has this thing about her…”


“I know.” He nods his head in agreement with me and gives a small sigh. Ahh, what she does to us?


“And I’m really sorry if it feels like I took her away from you or anything like that… but I’m not going to give her up just because of your bruised ego. Not just when I found her. I-I love her Kyle.”


Whoa, that's the first time I’ve ever admitted it to anyone that wasn’t Michael. Kyle looks up surprised from my words, his mouth hanging open as he stares at me with a speechless expression on his face.


“Y-you love her?” He lets out a bitter laugh and runs a hand down his face before fixing me with a deadly glare. “Well, would you look at that?” His voice gets louder as he stands towering over me, but still I don’t flinch as I look up at him from my seat on the couch. “El Presidentae loves her! News flash Max, you’ve been going out with her for less than six hours, how can you already love her? If you love her the way you supposably loved Tess, then I feel for the poor girl, she has no idea what she's just gotten herself into!”


“Just because we haven’t been dating for more than a day doesn’t mean that I haven’t had feelings about her for a long time, Kyle! And as for Tess, yeah, I made a mistake ever getting involved with her, but I never felt anything for Tess like I do for Liz. They don’t even come close Valenti!” I say forcefully as I stand up so now I’m the one towering over him. Intimidating, isn’t it?


“I swear to God Max… if you hurt her…” He swallows back his words and looks away from me, clenching his fists at his sides so he doesn’t accidentally feel the need to punch me.


“Kyle, I promise you that I would never even dream of hurting Liz. She means too much to me. I promise that I’ll keep her safe…”


“Fine, but the moment you so much as make her feel the need to cry, I’ll be on you faster than you can say ‘Nirvana are the rock Gods.’”


“Deal.” I pat him on the shoulder and sit back down on his couch, reaching for the remote in a silent understanding so we can finish watching the football game.



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



I’m walking down the street, past the police station as I head towards the Crashdown to watch my favourite waitress work when someone’s hand on my shoulder stops me. I turn around to face them and let out a bitter chuckle when I see who it is.


“Tess.”


She immediately wraps her arms around my waist in a tight hug as I just stand there, feeling repulsed at how close she is. “Max, I was so worried about you. You haven’t called me for days and you’ve been avoiding me at school.” She places a kiss on my cheek that snaps me out of my statue like daze.


I instantly pull away from her like I’ve been burned and furiously wipe at my cheek as I dramatically try and get her germs off me. Can STD’s travel in saliva?


“What the hell are you doing Tess?”


“I’m telling my boyfriend I was worried about him and how much I missed him. Gees, I didn’t know it was a crime to hug your partner in the street?” She says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Either this girl has some serious denial issues or she’s lost her short-term memory.


“Tess, I’m not your boyfriend! We broke up a month ago! Are you seriously that dense or just a natural blonde? We’re over, no more!”


“What?” She gasps.


“Stop trying to play your little games Tess, they don’t work!”


“This is all because of that little Parker bitch, isn’t it?” She spits Liz name out like it’s a fowl tasting thing and I see red.


“You leave her out of this! I swear to God Tess, if you come anywhere near Liz or I ever again…”


I leave the threat hanging, because I honestly don’t know what I’ll do apart from scream like a little girl and break down crying. Damn me and my sensitivity.


“You don’t have to worry about a thing Maxie boy.” She says in what I’m pretty sure she assumes is a seductive tone as she pats me on my chest and walks away. I just stand there dumbfounded, not for one second believing that our exchange just occurred.


Once again I ask you, how did my life turn into such a soap opera?