*A/N: same as the note before Chapter 30*
Chapter 32
[Liz]
I finished wrapping my hair in a dry towel as I left the community bathroom. As I exited, I saw Eileen at the phone, again. She was probably talking to some guy from the military academy down the street from Winnaman. She wanted to get the after-Christmas party organized before everyone left for Christmas vacation. Organized meaning making sure that alcohol would be at the party in the woods.
“Dude, whoever you are, I told you the last time you called,” Eileen said, apparently I was wrong about the party. “No, there is no Liz Parker here.” I froze and knew that Eileen figured it all out. “Oh, hey, Liz?” she called to me. I hesitantly turned around. “There’s someone on the phone for you.” She handed me the phone and walked away.
“Hello?” I said.
“Liz, it’s me,” a man’s voice said.
I knew exactly who it was. The voice…it was one that I could never get out of my head, because I always thought of the man that the voice belonged to. “Max…hi.”
“I miss you,” he sighed. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for a little more than two weeks now.
I gave a little nod even though he couldn’t see me. “I'm sorry that I didn't call,” I said. “It's just that I didn't know what to say after all those horrible things I had said.”
“I don’t care about that. I just want to know that you’re ok.”
I nodded again. “I am,” I assured him. “This place…it’s really good for me, you know? I mean, they even have a biology club here, and this past weekend I went on a ski trip.”
“Last Saturday?”
“Yeah.”
“The Saturday we were supposed to get married,” he pointed out.
I leaned forward and let my forehead hit the wall. “I’m sorry, Max,” I apologized. “But please…please don’t make me feel guilty for doing this.”
“I know,” Max replied. “Honestly, I would have done the same thing you did.”
I gave another nod he wouldn’t be able to see and we both just held our phones to our ears.
“Liz, why did you leave?” he finally asked. “I just want to know why you left.”
I fell against the wall and sighed. “Max, it’s a number of things. I just needed to get away.” I didn’t want to talk about it anymore.
“Ok,” he said softly. “Um…have you had anymore symptoms?” he asked, changing the subject.
“No, um, not since I’ve been here.”
“That’s good,” he said, somewhat cheerfully. “So, maybe you could come home soon.” I jerked the phone away slightly as it started to get staticky.
I stared at my hand in horror as a bolt of electricity appeared. “Oh my God,” I gasped.
“What?” Max said, alert. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” I quickly replied.
“Liz, are you ok?”
I stuck my glowing hand under my other towel and shook my head. “Yeah, Max…I just—I really can’t talk.”
“Can you call me later?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’ll try, I just really have to get off the phone now.”
I could picture Max nodding in disappointment. “Oh…ok,” he said. “Liz?”
“Yeah.”
“I still love you, and I’m going to fight for us.”
The corners of my mouth stretched apart as I smiled slightly. “Um…I love you too,” I finally said. “Bye.”
I hung up the phone and walked back to my dorm. Eileen was waiting for me. She sat on her bed, staring at me.
“Is it Liz or is it Beth?” she inquired.
I closed the door and sighed. “I’ve always gone by Liz…and I’m not from California,” I admitted. “I’m from New Mexico. Roswell.”
“And the part about not having a boyfriend?” Eileen wondered.
I gave a little laugh. “Uh…that guy on the phone? He’s actually the reason that I’m here.”
“See? Just be yourself and we’ll get along fine,” Eileen smiled. “Now, let’s talk about that guy. He’s a persistent one.”
*~*
“So, you were engaged?” Eileen wondered in amazement.
I nodded as I handed her a bowl of popcorn. “Twice actually.”
“That’s…crazy,” she laughed. “I mean, no offense, but you’re eighteen. Do you really love this guy?”
“Yes,” I said, not waiting a heartbeat. Max is my soul mate and no matter what we went through he still loves me and I feel the same way about him.
Eileen shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. “Then what’s the deal? What are you guys? You were boyfriend-girlfriend, then you were fiancées, but now you’re here…and he’s there.”
I stared at a spot on my bed and shrugged. “Boyfriend, uh, ex-boyfriend, I don't know,” I honestly told her. “Max Evans...He's like—He's like such a big part of my life, you don’t even understand.”
“You want to talk about it?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s complicated.”
Max and I had gone through so much. Nobody would be able to understand, not even those closest to us. There was the simplicity of it from someone else’s point of view, but then there was all the baggage attached to it all.
My roommate nodded again and threw a few pieces of popcorn into her mouth. “Look, Christmas vacation is coming up. Last day of school is Friday,” she brought up. “You going back home?” I gave a little nod. “Me too, but I’m coming back the day after Christmas,” she revealed to me. “I’ve got that after-Christmas party to host with the Grant Academy boys. You going to be there?”
“We’ll see how Christmas goes,” I sighed.
Simplicity/Beginnings-M/L**[COMPLETE]**
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hoLLyBEHRy
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Chapter 32
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hoLLyBEHRy
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Chapter 33
*thanks you guys for all the great feedback. i'm lovin it!!! keep it comin! 
*
Chapter 33
{Max}
I grabbed a strip of tape and tore it on the jagged piece of metal on the tape dispenser. The tape held together the wrapping paper that dressed the gift I had gotten Liz, a first edition of Where the Wild Things Are. It was the hardest thing to find. I spent nearly a month trying to track the first edition book down. Last night, I had gotten a call from a friend at work who had found one at a little book shop, in Albuquerque. So, I spent this morning before Christmas Eve driving three hours to Albuquerque. I remembered seeing a flash of Grandma Claudia reading Where the Wild Things Are to a four-year-old Liz. It was her favorite book, and mine. I knew that it would be the perfect gift for her.
“Nervous?” Michael asked.
I jumped in surprise, wrinkling the wrapping paper on the book. “Damn it, Michael,” I growled. “You ever hear of knocking?” I waved my hand over the gift, ironing out the festive colored wrapping paper.
“I would’ve,” Michael replied. “But what’s the fun in that?”
I rolled my eyes and set Liz’s gift underneath my Christmas tree. “What are you doing here?”
“I just dropped off Maria and Ms. DeLuca’s gifts at their house, thought I’d drop by here, see how you’re doing. So…you nervous?” I looked at Michael with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re not,” he sighed. “Liz flies in today. It’s been approximately a month since she left. You two were supposed to be getting back from Santa Barbara today.”
I chewed the air in my mouth and then clenched my jaw shut. Santa Barbara was where Liz and I were going to spend our honeymoon. The day of our planned wedding came and went and it seemed easy. I thought I was going to be able to move on. But I had seen the tickets for our honeymoon on my kitchen counter a few days after the 15th and that’s when I decided to try to call Liz again after many failed attempts. When I heard she went out for a day of fun and skiing on Saturday, the 15th, it broke my heart. It hurt that she was willing to get over us that easily.
“I’m fine,” I finally answered Michael.
He gave a nod of understanding. “You talked to her a few times since she left, right? So, what’s the deal between you two?”
I knew what he meant. Michael wanted to know mine and Liz’s status. I wasn’t even sure what we were, but I decided to state the obvious. “We’re not together,” I said. It was the simplest way to explain it.
“What are you going to do when she gets here?”
“Nothing,” I replied. “Liz is in control. It’s all up to her. Whatever I do, I know it won’t be the right choice. So I’m going to the Parkers’ Christmas party tomorrow as an invited guest of Mr. and Mrs. Parker and I’ll just see her then. I don’t want to pressure her or make her feel uncomfortable, so the ball’s in her court.”
[Liz]
I walked in between my mother and father as we headed down the street from the Crashdown to find a spot near the town square to watch the annual Roswell Christmas parade. I got in all of five hours ago, four of which were spent in a car with my parents, heading back to Roswell. I spent the other hour napping because of the uncomfortable trip from Vermont to Ohio to Roswell.
“Liz Parker!” someone shouted.
I turned at the voice and saw Maria running towards me. My parents left my side as I ran to Maria.
“I’ve missed you,” I smiled as we jumped into each other’s arms.
“No, not as much as I’ve missed you,” Maria argued. “I love Isabel, but I tried to have a long talk with her over a pint of mint chocolate chip, and she fell asleep after the first hour.”
I gave a little laugh. “I hope not because of you.”
Maria shook her head. “No, I guess it didn’t help that we did this at, like, two in the morning.”
“What happened that needed to be discussed at two in the morning?” I chuckled.
“My mother, college, and something about a cruise ship.”
I bobbed my head and smiled. “Ah, I see.”
“What about you? How was the trip?”
“I’ve been flying all day,” I told her. “The first part of my day was Montpelier to Akron where I had a three hour layover. I get on a plane to Albuquerque and I’m seated between the guy with the worst B.O. imaginable and a woman…well, let’s put it this way, Fran Drescher is a singing goddess compared to her.”
Maria laughed and pulled me into her arms again. “I’m so sorry,” she laughed. “Well, you’re here now, and that’s all that matters. I’ve got the whole week planned. And New Year’s—”
“Maria,” I interrupted. “I’m sorry. But, um, depending on how the next day goes, I might leave the day after tomorrow.”
“Max.”
I gave a little nod. “Yeah, ‘cause of Max.”
“No,” she said, pointing behind me. “Max.”
I hadn’t yet turned around, but my heart already began to race. I felt it pound harder and harder as I felt him come closer. The knot in my stomach grew as I swallowed the lump in my throat. It’s how I felt every time I knew Max was around. He was the only one who could make me feel like that. He was the only one that could get my blood going. It was a great feeling.
“Hi,” he said.
I looked at Maria who gave an uplifting smile. It was more of a devious grin, but it made me smile a bit. I slowly turned around and looked up at a 5’10” Max. I missed seeing his face, hearing his actual voice and not his telephone one, and his smile. I missed his smile.
“Hi,” I said back with no more than a little fake smile.
He noticed my dishonest expression and I was forced to look at the disappointed aftereffect on Max's face. “Um…how was your flight?”
“Long.”
By the tone of my voice, Max knew that I didn’t feel like elaborating. “I’m sorry,” he sympathized. “What about…um…you know?”
“No,” I shook my head. “No symptoms. I’ve been feeling better.”
“That’s good,” he nodded. He looked around at the people gathering towards the outside sitting area. “Um…I think the parade is about to start. Listen, I got you a gift, but I left it at home. I didn’t think I’d see you, but I’ll just bring it by the party tomorrow. So, I guess I’ll just talk to you later. Bye, Maria.”
My best friend gave a little wave and then wrapped her arm around me, holding on tight. “What was that?” she asked.
I shook my head. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s like sophomore year all over again,” she sighed as we walked towards my parents and Ms. DeLuca who reserved two seats just for us.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She sighed again, this time rolling her eyes. “The small talk? Pretending that you guys don’t even love each other even though you do? That doesn’t ring a bell?” she asked.
I shook my head.
“Well, that’s how early sophomore year was,” Maria told me. “You guys would talk about completely pointless stuff, dancing around the ever obvious fact that you two were, and are, head-over-heels in love.”
*Chapter 33
{Max}
I grabbed a strip of tape and tore it on the jagged piece of metal on the tape dispenser. The tape held together the wrapping paper that dressed the gift I had gotten Liz, a first edition of Where the Wild Things Are. It was the hardest thing to find. I spent nearly a month trying to track the first edition book down. Last night, I had gotten a call from a friend at work who had found one at a little book shop, in Albuquerque. So, I spent this morning before Christmas Eve driving three hours to Albuquerque. I remembered seeing a flash of Grandma Claudia reading Where the Wild Things Are to a four-year-old Liz. It was her favorite book, and mine. I knew that it would be the perfect gift for her.
“Nervous?” Michael asked.
I jumped in surprise, wrinkling the wrapping paper on the book. “Damn it, Michael,” I growled. “You ever hear of knocking?” I waved my hand over the gift, ironing out the festive colored wrapping paper.
“I would’ve,” Michael replied. “But what’s the fun in that?”
I rolled my eyes and set Liz’s gift underneath my Christmas tree. “What are you doing here?”
“I just dropped off Maria and Ms. DeLuca’s gifts at their house, thought I’d drop by here, see how you’re doing. So…you nervous?” I looked at Michael with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re not,” he sighed. “Liz flies in today. It’s been approximately a month since she left. You two were supposed to be getting back from Santa Barbara today.”
I chewed the air in my mouth and then clenched my jaw shut. Santa Barbara was where Liz and I were going to spend our honeymoon. The day of our planned wedding came and went and it seemed easy. I thought I was going to be able to move on. But I had seen the tickets for our honeymoon on my kitchen counter a few days after the 15th and that’s when I decided to try to call Liz again after many failed attempts. When I heard she went out for a day of fun and skiing on Saturday, the 15th, it broke my heart. It hurt that she was willing to get over us that easily.
“I’m fine,” I finally answered Michael.
He gave a nod of understanding. “You talked to her a few times since she left, right? So, what’s the deal between you two?”
I knew what he meant. Michael wanted to know mine and Liz’s status. I wasn’t even sure what we were, but I decided to state the obvious. “We’re not together,” I said. It was the simplest way to explain it.
“What are you going to do when she gets here?”
“Nothing,” I replied. “Liz is in control. It’s all up to her. Whatever I do, I know it won’t be the right choice. So I’m going to the Parkers’ Christmas party tomorrow as an invited guest of Mr. and Mrs. Parker and I’ll just see her then. I don’t want to pressure her or make her feel uncomfortable, so the ball’s in her court.”
[Liz]
I walked in between my mother and father as we headed down the street from the Crashdown to find a spot near the town square to watch the annual Roswell Christmas parade. I got in all of five hours ago, four of which were spent in a car with my parents, heading back to Roswell. I spent the other hour napping because of the uncomfortable trip from Vermont to Ohio to Roswell.
“Liz Parker!” someone shouted.
I turned at the voice and saw Maria running towards me. My parents left my side as I ran to Maria.
“I’ve missed you,” I smiled as we jumped into each other’s arms.
“No, not as much as I’ve missed you,” Maria argued. “I love Isabel, but I tried to have a long talk with her over a pint of mint chocolate chip, and she fell asleep after the first hour.”
I gave a little laugh. “I hope not because of you.”
Maria shook her head. “No, I guess it didn’t help that we did this at, like, two in the morning.”
“What happened that needed to be discussed at two in the morning?” I chuckled.
“My mother, college, and something about a cruise ship.”
I bobbed my head and smiled. “Ah, I see.”
“What about you? How was the trip?”
“I’ve been flying all day,” I told her. “The first part of my day was Montpelier to Akron where I had a three hour layover. I get on a plane to Albuquerque and I’m seated between the guy with the worst B.O. imaginable and a woman…well, let’s put it this way, Fran Drescher is a singing goddess compared to her.”
Maria laughed and pulled me into her arms again. “I’m so sorry,” she laughed. “Well, you’re here now, and that’s all that matters. I’ve got the whole week planned. And New Year’s—”
“Maria,” I interrupted. “I’m sorry. But, um, depending on how the next day goes, I might leave the day after tomorrow.”
“Max.”
I gave a little nod. “Yeah, ‘cause of Max.”
“No,” she said, pointing behind me. “Max.”
I hadn’t yet turned around, but my heart already began to race. I felt it pound harder and harder as I felt him come closer. The knot in my stomach grew as I swallowed the lump in my throat. It’s how I felt every time I knew Max was around. He was the only one who could make me feel like that. He was the only one that could get my blood going. It was a great feeling.
“Hi,” he said.
I looked at Maria who gave an uplifting smile. It was more of a devious grin, but it made me smile a bit. I slowly turned around and looked up at a 5’10” Max. I missed seeing his face, hearing his actual voice and not his telephone one, and his smile. I missed his smile.
“Hi,” I said back with no more than a little fake smile.
He noticed my dishonest expression and I was forced to look at the disappointed aftereffect on Max's face. “Um…how was your flight?”
“Long.”
By the tone of my voice, Max knew that I didn’t feel like elaborating. “I’m sorry,” he sympathized. “What about…um…you know?”
“No,” I shook my head. “No symptoms. I’ve been feeling better.”
“That’s good,” he nodded. He looked around at the people gathering towards the outside sitting area. “Um…I think the parade is about to start. Listen, I got you a gift, but I left it at home. I didn’t think I’d see you, but I’ll just bring it by the party tomorrow. So, I guess I’ll just talk to you later. Bye, Maria.”
My best friend gave a little wave and then wrapped her arm around me, holding on tight. “What was that?” she asked.
I shook my head. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s like sophomore year all over again,” she sighed as we walked towards my parents and Ms. DeLuca who reserved two seats just for us.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She sighed again, this time rolling her eyes. “The small talk? Pretending that you guys don’t even love each other even though you do? That doesn’t ring a bell?” she asked.
I shook my head.
“Well, that’s how early sophomore year was,” Maria told me. “You guys would talk about completely pointless stuff, dancing around the ever obvious fact that you two were, and are, head-over-heels in love.”
Last edited by hoLLyBEHRy on Thu Apr 01, 2004 6:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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hoLLyBEHRy
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Chapter 34: Part 1
Chapter 34
{Max}
“You got the Parkers what?” I laughed.
“A year’s supply of Tabasco Sauce,” Michael replied. “What’s wrong with that? They’re always running out.”
I gave another chuckle as he and I drove to the Crashdown for the Parkers’ Christmas Eve party. “So, that huge present you put in my trunk was what? A huge crate of Tabasco?”
“Why is it so hard to believe?”
I shook my head while the grin on my face didn’t die away. It had been a long while since I felt like that. I pulled my Chevelle into a parking spot in front of the Crashdown and the two of us jumped out. Michael headed to the trunk while I grabbed my gifts for the Parkers and Liz from the backseat.
We could hear the Christmas music blaring and people laughing from outside. Dozens of people headed towards the diner like we did. It seemed like the whole town was there. The lights were bright and the Crashdown Café was full of people.
“Hey, you guys,” Maria smiled. She leaned over the huge box Michael carried and kissed his lips. “Merry Christmas!”
“It’s only Christmas Eve,” Michael replied grumpily.
I rolled my eyes at him. “Merry Christmas, Maria,” I replied with a smile.
“Come on,” she said. “Let’s get some food.”
Michael placed his gift next to the tree instead of under it since it didn’t fit, and I tucked the case of antique silverware I got for Mrs. Parker’s collection under the tree along with Mr. Parker’s gift, a model of a 1973 Corvette.
I felt like a third wheel as Maria led Michael and I through the diner we knew so well. Every person we passed, we knew. Kids from school, co-workers from B&A, security guards from Meta-Chem. I began to think the whole town really was here. We even saw Brody Davis who I hadn’t seen in the longest time. We exchanged a few words and I even gave a friendly hug to his daughter who I saved from cancer. I saw the face of almost everyone in town, except one.
“She’s upstairs resting,” Maria told me though I didn’t even ask.
I nodded in response. “Jetlag?” I wondered.
Maria nodded back as Michael stuffed a few chips in his mouth. “Man, gotta hate jetlag,” Michael mumbled.
“What would you know about jetlag?” I laughed. “You’ve been on a plane twice in your life. That was to and from Las Vegas, which is barely out of our time zone.”
Michael shrugged. “Just seemed like the thing to say.”
I rolled my eyes as Michael continued stuffing his face with food. Maria and I watched the party, not really partaking in the festivities. I didn’t mind just standing on the side, I wasn’t much of a party guy anyway.
I turned to Michael, ready to ask him something I knew was important, but instead was distracted by something else, someone else. The bluish-green door that led to the break room of the Crashdown was pushed open…and there she was.
“Hey, Liz,” Maria said.
“Mewwy Cwismus,” came out of Michael’s mouth, I think.
And I looked away, pretending to not notice Liz, which was possibly one of the hardest things to do. We spoke yesterday, just before the parade, but it was brief. Liz had just gotten in, and she seemed like she didn’t want to talk, so we didn’t talk for long. That was it. Nothing more than a “hello” and “how are the symptoms?”.
“Hi, you guys,” I heard her say to Michael and Maria. “Hey, Max.”
I finally turned to her as Maria pulled Michael’s arm just as he was about to grab some more food, dropping crumbs on the floor. I gave a fake chuckle as if I cared and faked a smile to Liz. “Merry Christmas,” I said to her. She smiled back and glanced at the gift under my arm, reminding me that it was there. “Oh,” I jumped at the realization and started to hand her the present, “this is for you.”
“Thanks,” she smiled, taking it from my hand. “Listen, I have a gift for you too. But it’s upstairs. Let me just…”
I nodded in understanding and watched Liz disappear into the back room. I patiently waited, once again watching the people having a fun time at the party. At the current moment…I wasn’t having as much fun.
I decided to stop the people gazing and walked into the back room. Liz was coming down the stairs with three gifts bundled together.
“Couldn’t wait out there?” she asked.
I blushed slightly and nodded. “It’s kind of loud,” I lied. It was some sort of excuse.
Liz seemed to buy it anyway and nodded in reply. “Here you go,” she said, handing me the gift.
“Should we…?” I asked, referring to opening the gifts.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” Liz replied. “Should we go somewhere private?”
I gave a look around the room and noticed all the people rushing into the backroom to get to the kitchen. “Maybe we should. The Chevelle?” I suggested.
We both nodded and the two of us walked out of the room and hurried through the party to get outside. I led Liz to my car and opened the door for her. I rushed over to the driver’s side and quickly shut the door to lock out the cold.
{Michael}
Maria’s eyes followed Max and Liz as they walked through the crowd and out of the diner. “Where are they going?” she wondered.
I shook some Tabasco onto a chip and tossed it in my mouth. “Beats me,” I shrugged.
“I hope they’re not going to leave,” Maria sighed. “I want to be close when I find out they’re back together.”
God knows I love Maxwell like a brother. Maria knows I love the guy. I wanted him to be happy and that was with Liz. I wanted nothing more for them to be together, but as I played with a small box in my pocket, I didn’t really care about Maxwell and Liz. I cared about Maria.
“They have to get back together,” Maria continued. “They will, right?”
I pulled the box out of my pocket and held it under the table. “Maria, can we just not talk about Max and Liz for once?”
“I’m sorry,” Maria apologized. She ran her hand over mine and squeezed. “Let’s talk about you. What was that huge box you brought in?”
“I want to talk about you,” I told her instead.
Maria’s eyebrows rose. “What?”
Nervously I cleared my throat and continued to hold the small box in my sweating hand under the table, concealed from Maria. “I want to talk about you,” I said again. “I mean, really talk about you. I really want to talk to you.”
“Ok, then,” she laughed. “What about me?”
I slid my hand out from under Maria’s and wiped the sweat from my forehead. “We’ve been together for what? Two, almost three, years?”
“On and off,” Maria nodded.
“And we’ve been through everything together,” I sighed.
Flashes of me taking Maria’s car; kissing her for the first time; those red sneakers she had when she was little; all the shit with Hank and her taking me into her home; letting her go; us working together to help Laurie; surprising her at prom; helping her cope with Alex’s death, holding her as Tess left; loving her.
Max and Liz weren’t the only ones who got flashes.
“Just about,” Maria nodded.
I gave a little smirk as she looked into my eyes. She had kept them on me and never let them wander.
“You really care about me,” I realized.
Maria laughed. “Of course I do.”
I grabbed Maria’s hand again and let my thumb rub the back of her hand. “Thank you, Maria.”
She looked at our hands and at my thumb affectionately rubbing the back of her hand. “Where is this going?” she wondered.
Finally pulled my other hand out from underneath the table and placed a ring box on the tabletop. Maria’s eyes shot to the box.
“Before you say anything,” I told her. “It’s not what you think.”
Maria slightly pulled away. “If some Antarian artifact is sitting in that ring box where a ring is supposed to be, I’m not opening, Michael.”
“Oh, give me a break, Maria! I’m trying to do something special here.” I picked the box back up and opened it. “Here,” I sighed.
It wasn’t much and I still hadn’t completely paid it off, but it put a smile on Maria’s face, a wide one. Her beautiful smile escaped and lit the room, brighter than it already was.
“It’s a promise ring,” I explained. I took the box from her hand and took the ring out. “Give me your right hand,” I told her.
With the smile still on her face and her cheeks a bright red, Maria gave me her hand.
“I love you, Maria,” I said as I put the ring around her ring finger. “You know that. This is to show you how much I love you and how much you mean to me.”
“Michael…” Maria sighed dreamily.
The ring slid onto her hand perfectly and I gave the small diamond a little kiss. “I love you, but that doesn’t mean that I want to marry you just yet,” I explained.
“Thanks,” Maria laughed as if it was an insult.
“Maria,” I sighed, rolling my eyes.
She grabbed my face and pulled me close. “I’m sorry,” she said with a little pout. “I love it, Michael, and I love you.”
I gave a smile and pressed my lips against Maria’s.
{Max}
“You can go first,” Liz offered, looking at the present in my lap.
But I shook my head. “No, ladies first,” I suggested.
Liz gave a little chuckle. “Why don’t we open them at the same time?”
“Sounds like a plan,” I smiled.
We looked into each other’s eyes, letting the other know that we were ready. So, we tore at the wrapping paper at the same time. Liz took her time for the one gift while I tried my best to open the three quickly so that we both revealed our gifts at the same time. Finally, all the wrapping paper was on the floor.
“I love it,” Liz immediately said, gazing at the book on her lap. “It’s my favorite.”
“I know,” I grinned. “Grandma Claudia used to read it to you.”
Liz looked up me and smiled back, figuring out how I knew. “But this must have cost you a fortune,” she said, shaking her head. “This is a first edition, Max. I—I can’t accept this.”
It really did cost me a fortune, but I wanted Liz to have the book. So, I wasn’t about to tell her how much it cost.
“Please,” I told her. “Just keep it. I’d be insulted if you didn’t.”
“Fine,” she sighed playfully. “What about you?” she asked. “Do you like your gift? I knew that you didn’t have those in your collection.”
I looked at the DVDs in my lap and nodded. The Color of Money, The Verdict, and Nobody’s Fool were laid out in front of me. “I love them,” I smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I know that Paul Newman’s your favorite actor.”
We sat in awkward silence with me looking outside my car and Liz flipping through the book. I gave a little smile as I remember the story that the book told.
“The little boy’s name is Max,” I playfully pointed out.
Liz laughed and bobbed her head. “I did happen to know that,” she smiled.
“Yeah, my mom read it to me, I think, around my first Halloween,” I told her. “So, I convinced her to make me a wolf costume, but it ended up looking like a lamb. I thought I’d be able see the wild things, but I never did.” I looked at Liz with her red face as she tried her best to hide her laughter. “You’re laughing at me,” I realized.
“No,” she lied. “I’m just picturing you in a wolf/lamb suit.”
“It wasn’t like it was last Halloween,” I chuckled. “I’m talking about when I was six.”
“I know,” Liz nodded. “It’s just…you must’ve been so cute.”
I rolled my eyes and gave a little sigh. “Hey, I never make fun of you and your cupcake dress,” I joked.
Liz gave me a playful push and we started to quarrel. I poked at her side where I knew she was ticklish and Liz did the same in return, but I was much stronger and I was overpowering her, causing her to fall back. Then we abruptly stopped when I found myself leaning over Liz.
We stared into each other’s eyes for what seemed like minutes when in actuality it was a second or two. I backed away, embarrassed. Liz ironed out her clothes as she sat up.
“I—I’m sorry,” I apologized.
But Liz shook her head. “No, it’s ok, Max. There’s nothing to be sorry about. I miss this; us just having fun.”
She was the only one that I ever had actual fun with. Liz brought out sides of me that I never knew existed. One of them was the one who was tickling her and having fun.
I nodded in agreement. “Me too.”
We shared a moment of just smiling and staring at each other.
Liz gave a little laugh. “We should probably get back to the…”
“Party,” I finished.
I gave a little grin and got out of the car, quickly running to the other side where I opened the door. I held out my hand for Liz, to help her out of the car. She stared at my hand as I patiently waited. I finally figured out what Liz was looking at and coolly tried to switch hands, holding out my right hand instead of my left.
“The rubber band,” she said. I stuffed my hands in my pocket and looked away. “You took it off.”
I shamefully nodded and swallowed the lump in my throat. “I…”
“It’s ok, Max,” she told me, getting out of the car herself. “It’s just like me giving back the engagement ring. It’s ok.”
Was it really ok? I had taken the rubber band off that night I went to visit Maria. She told me that Liz wanted to cancel the wedding plans. So, when I got home, the rubber band came off even though Maria still had hope for Liz and I and only postponed the wedding instead of canceling it.
Taking off the rubber band was the hardest thing to do. It was only a piece of rubber, it held no significance. Yet, it really did. I never took the rubber band off when I put it on. The only time I did intend to take it off was the moment before walking down the aisle to take my position up at the alter. I just couldn’t understand how Liz would find it “ok”. Why didn’t she want fight for us?
“So…” she said. “The party awaits us.”
TBC
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*i know the maria and michael part up there was a little out of place, but i just wanted to have a little more of them to break up the monotony.*
{Max}
“You got the Parkers what?” I laughed.
“A year’s supply of Tabasco Sauce,” Michael replied. “What’s wrong with that? They’re always running out.”
I gave another chuckle as he and I drove to the Crashdown for the Parkers’ Christmas Eve party. “So, that huge present you put in my trunk was what? A huge crate of Tabasco?”
“Why is it so hard to believe?”
I shook my head while the grin on my face didn’t die away. It had been a long while since I felt like that. I pulled my Chevelle into a parking spot in front of the Crashdown and the two of us jumped out. Michael headed to the trunk while I grabbed my gifts for the Parkers and Liz from the backseat.
We could hear the Christmas music blaring and people laughing from outside. Dozens of people headed towards the diner like we did. It seemed like the whole town was there. The lights were bright and the Crashdown Café was full of people.
“Hey, you guys,” Maria smiled. She leaned over the huge box Michael carried and kissed his lips. “Merry Christmas!”
“It’s only Christmas Eve,” Michael replied grumpily.
I rolled my eyes at him. “Merry Christmas, Maria,” I replied with a smile.
“Come on,” she said. “Let’s get some food.”
Michael placed his gift next to the tree instead of under it since it didn’t fit, and I tucked the case of antique silverware I got for Mrs. Parker’s collection under the tree along with Mr. Parker’s gift, a model of a 1973 Corvette.
I felt like a third wheel as Maria led Michael and I through the diner we knew so well. Every person we passed, we knew. Kids from school, co-workers from B&A, security guards from Meta-Chem. I began to think the whole town really was here. We even saw Brody Davis who I hadn’t seen in the longest time. We exchanged a few words and I even gave a friendly hug to his daughter who I saved from cancer. I saw the face of almost everyone in town, except one.
“She’s upstairs resting,” Maria told me though I didn’t even ask.
I nodded in response. “Jetlag?” I wondered.
Maria nodded back as Michael stuffed a few chips in his mouth. “Man, gotta hate jetlag,” Michael mumbled.
“What would you know about jetlag?” I laughed. “You’ve been on a plane twice in your life. That was to and from Las Vegas, which is barely out of our time zone.”
Michael shrugged. “Just seemed like the thing to say.”
I rolled my eyes as Michael continued stuffing his face with food. Maria and I watched the party, not really partaking in the festivities. I didn’t mind just standing on the side, I wasn’t much of a party guy anyway.
I turned to Michael, ready to ask him something I knew was important, but instead was distracted by something else, someone else. The bluish-green door that led to the break room of the Crashdown was pushed open…and there she was.
“Hey, Liz,” Maria said.
“Mewwy Cwismus,” came out of Michael’s mouth, I think.
And I looked away, pretending to not notice Liz, which was possibly one of the hardest things to do. We spoke yesterday, just before the parade, but it was brief. Liz had just gotten in, and she seemed like she didn’t want to talk, so we didn’t talk for long. That was it. Nothing more than a “hello” and “how are the symptoms?”.
“Hi, you guys,” I heard her say to Michael and Maria. “Hey, Max.”
I finally turned to her as Maria pulled Michael’s arm just as he was about to grab some more food, dropping crumbs on the floor. I gave a fake chuckle as if I cared and faked a smile to Liz. “Merry Christmas,” I said to her. She smiled back and glanced at the gift under my arm, reminding me that it was there. “Oh,” I jumped at the realization and started to hand her the present, “this is for you.”
“Thanks,” she smiled, taking it from my hand. “Listen, I have a gift for you too. But it’s upstairs. Let me just…”
I nodded in understanding and watched Liz disappear into the back room. I patiently waited, once again watching the people having a fun time at the party. At the current moment…I wasn’t having as much fun.
I decided to stop the people gazing and walked into the back room. Liz was coming down the stairs with three gifts bundled together.
“Couldn’t wait out there?” she asked.
I blushed slightly and nodded. “It’s kind of loud,” I lied. It was some sort of excuse.
Liz seemed to buy it anyway and nodded in reply. “Here you go,” she said, handing me the gift.
“Should we…?” I asked, referring to opening the gifts.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” Liz replied. “Should we go somewhere private?”
I gave a look around the room and noticed all the people rushing into the backroom to get to the kitchen. “Maybe we should. The Chevelle?” I suggested.
We both nodded and the two of us walked out of the room and hurried through the party to get outside. I led Liz to my car and opened the door for her. I rushed over to the driver’s side and quickly shut the door to lock out the cold.
{Michael}
Maria’s eyes followed Max and Liz as they walked through the crowd and out of the diner. “Where are they going?” she wondered.
I shook some Tabasco onto a chip and tossed it in my mouth. “Beats me,” I shrugged.
“I hope they’re not going to leave,” Maria sighed. “I want to be close when I find out they’re back together.”
God knows I love Maxwell like a brother. Maria knows I love the guy. I wanted him to be happy and that was with Liz. I wanted nothing more for them to be together, but as I played with a small box in my pocket, I didn’t really care about Maxwell and Liz. I cared about Maria.
“They have to get back together,” Maria continued. “They will, right?”
I pulled the box out of my pocket and held it under the table. “Maria, can we just not talk about Max and Liz for once?”
“I’m sorry,” Maria apologized. She ran her hand over mine and squeezed. “Let’s talk about you. What was that huge box you brought in?”
“I want to talk about you,” I told her instead.
Maria’s eyebrows rose. “What?”
Nervously I cleared my throat and continued to hold the small box in my sweating hand under the table, concealed from Maria. “I want to talk about you,” I said again. “I mean, really talk about you. I really want to talk to you.”
“Ok, then,” she laughed. “What about me?”
I slid my hand out from under Maria’s and wiped the sweat from my forehead. “We’ve been together for what? Two, almost three, years?”
“On and off,” Maria nodded.
“And we’ve been through everything together,” I sighed.
Flashes of me taking Maria’s car; kissing her for the first time; those red sneakers she had when she was little; all the shit with Hank and her taking me into her home; letting her go; us working together to help Laurie; surprising her at prom; helping her cope with Alex’s death, holding her as Tess left; loving her.
Max and Liz weren’t the only ones who got flashes.
“Just about,” Maria nodded.
I gave a little smirk as she looked into my eyes. She had kept them on me and never let them wander.
“You really care about me,” I realized.
Maria laughed. “Of course I do.”
I grabbed Maria’s hand again and let my thumb rub the back of her hand. “Thank you, Maria.”
She looked at our hands and at my thumb affectionately rubbing the back of her hand. “Where is this going?” she wondered.
Finally pulled my other hand out from underneath the table and placed a ring box on the tabletop. Maria’s eyes shot to the box.
“Before you say anything,” I told her. “It’s not what you think.”
Maria slightly pulled away. “If some Antarian artifact is sitting in that ring box where a ring is supposed to be, I’m not opening, Michael.”
“Oh, give me a break, Maria! I’m trying to do something special here.” I picked the box back up and opened it. “Here,” I sighed.
It wasn’t much and I still hadn’t completely paid it off, but it put a smile on Maria’s face, a wide one. Her beautiful smile escaped and lit the room, brighter than it already was.
“It’s a promise ring,” I explained. I took the box from her hand and took the ring out. “Give me your right hand,” I told her.
With the smile still on her face and her cheeks a bright red, Maria gave me her hand.
“I love you, Maria,” I said as I put the ring around her ring finger. “You know that. This is to show you how much I love you and how much you mean to me.”
“Michael…” Maria sighed dreamily.
The ring slid onto her hand perfectly and I gave the small diamond a little kiss. “I love you, but that doesn’t mean that I want to marry you just yet,” I explained.
“Thanks,” Maria laughed as if it was an insult.
“Maria,” I sighed, rolling my eyes.
She grabbed my face and pulled me close. “I’m sorry,” she said with a little pout. “I love it, Michael, and I love you.”
I gave a smile and pressed my lips against Maria’s.
{Max}
“You can go first,” Liz offered, looking at the present in my lap.
But I shook my head. “No, ladies first,” I suggested.
Liz gave a little chuckle. “Why don’t we open them at the same time?”
“Sounds like a plan,” I smiled.
We looked into each other’s eyes, letting the other know that we were ready. So, we tore at the wrapping paper at the same time. Liz took her time for the one gift while I tried my best to open the three quickly so that we both revealed our gifts at the same time. Finally, all the wrapping paper was on the floor.
“I love it,” Liz immediately said, gazing at the book on her lap. “It’s my favorite.”
“I know,” I grinned. “Grandma Claudia used to read it to you.”
Liz looked up me and smiled back, figuring out how I knew. “But this must have cost you a fortune,” she said, shaking her head. “This is a first edition, Max. I—I can’t accept this.”
It really did cost me a fortune, but I wanted Liz to have the book. So, I wasn’t about to tell her how much it cost.
“Please,” I told her. “Just keep it. I’d be insulted if you didn’t.”
“Fine,” she sighed playfully. “What about you?” she asked. “Do you like your gift? I knew that you didn’t have those in your collection.”
I looked at the DVDs in my lap and nodded. The Color of Money, The Verdict, and Nobody’s Fool were laid out in front of me. “I love them,” I smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I know that Paul Newman’s your favorite actor.”
We sat in awkward silence with me looking outside my car and Liz flipping through the book. I gave a little smile as I remember the story that the book told.
“The little boy’s name is Max,” I playfully pointed out.
Liz laughed and bobbed her head. “I did happen to know that,” she smiled.
“Yeah, my mom read it to me, I think, around my first Halloween,” I told her. “So, I convinced her to make me a wolf costume, but it ended up looking like a lamb. I thought I’d be able see the wild things, but I never did.” I looked at Liz with her red face as she tried her best to hide her laughter. “You’re laughing at me,” I realized.
“No,” she lied. “I’m just picturing you in a wolf/lamb suit.”
“It wasn’t like it was last Halloween,” I chuckled. “I’m talking about when I was six.”
“I know,” Liz nodded. “It’s just…you must’ve been so cute.”
I rolled my eyes and gave a little sigh. “Hey, I never make fun of you and your cupcake dress,” I joked.
Liz gave me a playful push and we started to quarrel. I poked at her side where I knew she was ticklish and Liz did the same in return, but I was much stronger and I was overpowering her, causing her to fall back. Then we abruptly stopped when I found myself leaning over Liz.
We stared into each other’s eyes for what seemed like minutes when in actuality it was a second or two. I backed away, embarrassed. Liz ironed out her clothes as she sat up.
“I—I’m sorry,” I apologized.
But Liz shook her head. “No, it’s ok, Max. There’s nothing to be sorry about. I miss this; us just having fun.”
She was the only one that I ever had actual fun with. Liz brought out sides of me that I never knew existed. One of them was the one who was tickling her and having fun.
I nodded in agreement. “Me too.”
We shared a moment of just smiling and staring at each other.
Liz gave a little laugh. “We should probably get back to the…”
“Party,” I finished.
I gave a little grin and got out of the car, quickly running to the other side where I opened the door. I held out my hand for Liz, to help her out of the car. She stared at my hand as I patiently waited. I finally figured out what Liz was looking at and coolly tried to switch hands, holding out my right hand instead of my left.
“The rubber band,” she said. I stuffed my hands in my pocket and looked away. “You took it off.”
I shamefully nodded and swallowed the lump in my throat. “I…”
“It’s ok, Max,” she told me, getting out of the car herself. “It’s just like me giving back the engagement ring. It’s ok.”
Was it really ok? I had taken the rubber band off that night I went to visit Maria. She told me that Liz wanted to cancel the wedding plans. So, when I got home, the rubber band came off even though Maria still had hope for Liz and I and only postponed the wedding instead of canceling it.
Taking off the rubber band was the hardest thing to do. It was only a piece of rubber, it held no significance. Yet, it really did. I never took the rubber band off when I put it on. The only time I did intend to take it off was the moment before walking down the aisle to take my position up at the alter. I just couldn’t understand how Liz would find it “ok”. Why didn’t she want fight for us?
“So…” she said. “The party awaits us.”
TBC
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*i know the maria and michael part up there was a little out of place, but i just wanted to have a little more of them to break up the monotony.*
Last edited by hoLLyBEHRy on Thu Apr 01, 2004 6:22 am, edited 3 times in total.
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hoLLyBEHRy
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Chapter 34: Part 2
Chapter 34: Part 2
[Liz]
Buddies. That’s all Max and I were going to be for now. He knew it too. He had taken off the rubber band around his ring finger. So, we were on the same page.
I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t hurt somewhat by seeing Max's bare finger. During our engagement, looking at the single piece of rubber, it gave me security. Max was really in it for the long haul. Now, seeing it off his finger, it seemed like he had given up hope on us.
Buddies. That’s what I’d have to settle with. And that’s how we were for most of the night. After opening our gifts in his car, Max and I returned to the party and joined Maria and Michael at a booth while everyone continued to have a good time. Isabel and Jesse joined us at one point, but left for more dancing.
It was good to hang out with Max as just a friend, with nothing attached. It still hurt that the rubber band was off, but I had actually forgotten about it when Max and I rejoined Michael and Maria after opening our gifts in his car.
Max and I continued to play around like friends. Maria even pulled me aside at one moment, showing me the promise ring Michael got her and then wondering what happened when Max and I disappeared to go open our gifts. I had told her that Max and I had an “understanding”. Then the rest of the night continued on.
“So, are you guys going to the midnight mass?” Maria asked.
I gave a little nod and then the two of us looked at Michael and Max for their answers. I knew both Michael and Max's situation concerning religion, but they’d changed. Michael gave a hesitant nod, because we all knew that Maria was making him go anyway, and then doused his eggnog with Tabasco Sauce, giving it a pinkish tint.
“Not me,” Max replied.
“Aw, come on,” Maria pleaded.
But Max shook his head and played with grains of salt on the table. “Nah, I think I’ll just head home.”
“Going to wait for Santa?” Michael joked.
Max gave a fake laugh. I could always distinguish between his sincerity and his…well…fakeness. Lifehouse’s “Everything” came on and I decided to have a private chat with Max.
“Come on,” I told him. “Let’s dance.”
He backed away but I managed to grab his arm. I pulled him out of the booth and led him through the Crashdown, which was twice as large as it was months ago.
“Liz…” Max tried to argue.
But it was too late, I had already brought him into the middle of the dance floor. I grabbed his hand and put my free hand on his shoulder while he slid his right hand just above my waist. We danced a fair distance apart not like how we used to dance before where we held each other in a solid, close embrace.
“Why don’t you want to go the mass tonight?” I finally asked Max.
He gave a little shrug and looked away. “I don’t believe in God.”
“You went last year.”
“I know. I—I don’t—It’s…” he began to fumble.
I nodded my head in understanding. “It’s because of me,” I realized. “We weren’t together this time last year either. You’re here with me now. What’s the difference?”
“It’s a little more complicated than that,” he sighed.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” I told him. “We’re fine being friends, Max.”
He stopped moving and looked deep into my eyes. “I want us to be more than friends.”
I looked at him in shock. “Max, you know it can’t be like that now.”
“Why not?” he wondered. He had raised his voice and looked around the room to see if others noticed, no one did. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “Listen, I screwed up things between us really bad by doing what I did with Tess. I hurt you. I’ve never forgiven myself, and I don’t think I ever will. But you did, Liz. You kept our love alive and you gave me a second chance. And it was like a second chance at life. A life that I want with you.”
I stared into his eyes full of passion as he continued to stare into mine. It was like looking into his soul again. It had been a while since I had done so, a month maybe. It was damaged. His soul was incomplete. Yet, as I unceasingly stared into Max's eyes, it seemed like his soul was gradually being rejuvenated.
Max leaned forward and…
[Liz]
Buddies. That’s all Max and I were going to be for now. He knew it too. He had taken off the rubber band around his ring finger. So, we were on the same page.
I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t hurt somewhat by seeing Max's bare finger. During our engagement, looking at the single piece of rubber, it gave me security. Max was really in it for the long haul. Now, seeing it off his finger, it seemed like he had given up hope on us.
Buddies. That’s what I’d have to settle with. And that’s how we were for most of the night. After opening our gifts in his car, Max and I returned to the party and joined Maria and Michael at a booth while everyone continued to have a good time. Isabel and Jesse joined us at one point, but left for more dancing.
It was good to hang out with Max as just a friend, with nothing attached. It still hurt that the rubber band was off, but I had actually forgotten about it when Max and I rejoined Michael and Maria after opening our gifts in his car.
Max and I continued to play around like friends. Maria even pulled me aside at one moment, showing me the promise ring Michael got her and then wondering what happened when Max and I disappeared to go open our gifts. I had told her that Max and I had an “understanding”. Then the rest of the night continued on.
“So, are you guys going to the midnight mass?” Maria asked.
I gave a little nod and then the two of us looked at Michael and Max for their answers. I knew both Michael and Max's situation concerning religion, but they’d changed. Michael gave a hesitant nod, because we all knew that Maria was making him go anyway, and then doused his eggnog with Tabasco Sauce, giving it a pinkish tint.
“Not me,” Max replied.
“Aw, come on,” Maria pleaded.
But Max shook his head and played with grains of salt on the table. “Nah, I think I’ll just head home.”
“Going to wait for Santa?” Michael joked.
Max gave a fake laugh. I could always distinguish between his sincerity and his…well…fakeness. Lifehouse’s “Everything” came on and I decided to have a private chat with Max.
“Come on,” I told him. “Let’s dance.”
He backed away but I managed to grab his arm. I pulled him out of the booth and led him through the Crashdown, which was twice as large as it was months ago.
“Liz…” Max tried to argue.
But it was too late, I had already brought him into the middle of the dance floor. I grabbed his hand and put my free hand on his shoulder while he slid his right hand just above my waist. We danced a fair distance apart not like how we used to dance before where we held each other in a solid, close embrace.
“Why don’t you want to go the mass tonight?” I finally asked Max.
He gave a little shrug and looked away. “I don’t believe in God.”
“You went last year.”
“I know. I—I don’t—It’s…” he began to fumble.
I nodded my head in understanding. “It’s because of me,” I realized. “We weren’t together this time last year either. You’re here with me now. What’s the difference?”
“It’s a little more complicated than that,” he sighed.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” I told him. “We’re fine being friends, Max.”
He stopped moving and looked deep into my eyes. “I want us to be more than friends.”
I looked at him in shock. “Max, you know it can’t be like that now.”
“Why not?” he wondered. He had raised his voice and looked around the room to see if others noticed, no one did. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “Listen, I screwed up things between us really bad by doing what I did with Tess. I hurt you. I’ve never forgiven myself, and I don’t think I ever will. But you did, Liz. You kept our love alive and you gave me a second chance. And it was like a second chance at life. A life that I want with you.”
I stared into his eyes full of passion as he continued to stare into mine. It was like looking into his soul again. It had been a while since I had done so, a month maybe. It was damaged. His soul was incomplete. Yet, as I unceasingly stared into Max's eyes, it seemed like his soul was gradually being rejuvenated.
Max leaned forward and…
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hoLLyBEHRy
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Chapter 35
*Hi you guys. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to post. I really hadn't noticed that I posted that chapter with the cliffhanger on April Fool's Day 
. It was an honest coincidence. Thank you all for the great FB! Sorry to leave you all hanging for so long, but here you go...Chapter 35! Thanks again. I'll let you get to the story now.
Chapter 35
[Maria]
“Michael!” I gasped. “He kissed her!” My eyes were glued to Max and Liz the moment she pulled him away to the dance floor. I had a feeling something was going to happen between the two.
“So, what?” Michael mumbled. “They kiss all the time.”
“Not when they’re not together,” I argued.
I caught Michael rolling his eyes. “They say they’re not together, but you and I know that they’re not apart, either.”
He did have a point. An odd and out-of-characteristic-for-Michael point…but it was still a good point, a very good point. To fully understand it, you’d have to look at the two not only physically but emotionally and mentally. They were always together, despite being miles apart. Max and Liz were always on each other’s minds. Liz and Max always let me know. I was the one they came to. I didn’t mind. It amused me.
My attention went back to Max and Liz. She had pulled away as she looked into Max's eyes for reasoning. She was shocked. Her face showed it. Max still held her, and I knew that he thought he had gotten her back, but he didn’t. Liz pushed Max away and broke free of his hold, running to the break room.
“Well, does that happen all the time?” I asked. “Liz just pushed him and literally ran away.”
Max looked after Liz, at the invisible path that she left behind. Michael finally caught on as Max chased after her.
“Do you think something’s up?” Michael wondered.
He and I locked eyes for a brief second and, in a flash, we bolted out of the booth and after Max and Liz.
“What just happened out there?” Max asked Liz as Michael and I walked in.
The break room was empty and so was the kitchen. The voice we heard was coming from upstairs. I guessed that Liz tried to retreat to her room and Max followed her upstairs without an invitation.
I slowly walked towards the stairs and took a seat with an ear facing the top of the stairs.
“Maria, we shouldn’t be doing this,” Michael told me. “Let’s go. This is between Max and Liz.”
“Those are my best friends up there,” I argued.
Michael nodded. “Mine too and I want them to remain my best friends. We should—”
“Max, you can’t just kiss me,” Liz practically shouted.
That’s when Michael leaned against the banister and listened as intently as I did.
“Why not?” Max wondered.
“Because you just can’t. It’s too late.”
I imagined the scenario upstairs. Max and Liz standing in front of each other, having a loud verbal match.
“What do you mean ‘too late’?”
“It’s just too late,” Liz sighed. Her sigh was loud enough for Michael and I to hear from a story below. “You never tried to—”
“You wanted me to chase after you?” Max questioned, realizing Liz’s hidden meaning. “You wanted me to track you down to Vermont and chase after you.”
“I wanted you to do something.”
“You didn’t want me,” Max argued. “I found out where you were, I got the number, and I called. You didn’t want me,” he repeated.
There was a short pause, which I imagined Liz used to take a seat on the Parkers’ living room couch.
“I’m sorry,” Liz finally said.
Michael and I exchanged looks of disappointment. Both our lips sealed, not knowing what to say or what to do for our best friends. And Michael and I thought we had problems.
“You left with a short letter,” Max continued to lecture. “No number. No address. It’s not like you made it easy.”
“It’s not supposed to be easy, Max.”
There was a little more silence.
“What are we doing, Liz?” Max finally asked. “Why are we doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“We’re playing these stupid little games. We never used to do this. You know I love you. Do I have to prove it to you by chasing after you?”
“It’s better than sulking around and being depressed.”
“Hey!” Max said, getting defensive. “You just picked up and left. It hurt, Liz. What was I supposed to do? Maybe you should have left me a list of what to do and when to do it. You should’ve attached it with the engagement ring you left for me in the envelope.”
“Don’t act like this, Max!” Liz ordered.
Again, both Michael and I looked at each other as the battle started to get ugly. I knew Michael thought what I thought. Were Max and Liz going to make it?”
“You’re leaving me choice!” Max shouted.
Once again, no one spoke.
Max finally sighed heavily. “Why did you leave, Liz? You didn’t have to, but you did,” Max said sadly. “You always walk away.”
Liz gave a small chuckle of disbelief. “That’s really unfair, Max.”
Max ignored her statement. “I know you talked to Danny the night before you left,” he stated.
“Don’t use him as a scapegoat for our problems, Max.”
“Then don’t tell me that he didn’t influence you somewhat into going to Vermont.”
And Liz couldn’t disagree, because I knew that Danny did help her decide what to do. Liz couldn’t lie to Max who I imagined bobbing his head.
“That’s what I thought,” he had replied.
“He didn’t make me go,” Liz argued. “I’m the one that decided to get on the plane.”
“And why did you?” Max quickly asked. “If someone had to leave, it should have been me. I’m the one that screwed up. Not you.”
“Max, can we stop this?” Liz requested. “I don’t want to do this, not on Christmas Eve. Please leave.”
“What?” Max asked in shock.
“Please,” Liz begged.
No one spoke for a few good seconds. Both Michael and I stared at each other, wondering what was going on above us. Then Max showed up at the top of the steps and Michael and I jumped up.
“Maxwell,” Michael gulped. “Uh…hi.”
Max marched down the steps and right between Michael and I without a word.
“Max?” I called to him.
Instead of turning towards the door that led to the party, Max opted for the backdoor that led to the back end of the Crashdown.
“Should I…?” Michael wondered, pointing his thumb in Max's direction.
“Yes,” I nodded. “Go after him.”
{Michael}
“Maxwell!” I shouted. “Max!!!”
He had gotten far by just walking. It took me a pretty good sprint just to get behind him.
“You’re not stopping me, Michael,” he said.
I laughed to lighten the mood. “Do you want to tell me what I would be stopping you for?”
Max took a brief moment to look away from his straight ahead stare and glared angrily at me. I don’t think I had seen him that angry/revengeful in his life, except for when he found out what Tess did.
“I’m going to relieve my stress,” Max finally answered.
I grabbed Maxwell’s arm and pulled. “What happened up there?” I demanded to know.
“You heard everything,” Maxwell told me. “It’s that simple.”
“No,” I argued. “No, it’s not. Go back there and fight for her.”
Max shook his arm free from my hand and continued walking even though his car was in the other direction. “I told you, Michael,” he said. “The ball was in her court. She wants us to stop discussing us then we stopped discussing us. That simple. There’s nothing I can do.”
“So, where are you going?” I wondered.
The two of us turned onto the main street and started heading towards the town square. The seating for the midnight service was already set up and a stage with a canopy over it was built in the middle of the town square. It was still a good hour until midnight, and I wondered why we were heading towards the place where the town service was being held.
“Michael, leave,” Max ordered.
I shook my head and walked backwards in front of him, hoping that maybe I’d be able to stop him. “Maxwell, what are you going to do? Why are we heading this way?”
I didn’t stop him soon enough. We were already at the town square, behind the rather large stage that would host the Christmas pageant and the midnight service. Max stopped and looked around the set up. I did the same. Then Maxwell spotted a tent off to the side and started to march his way over. I jogged to catch up with him once more, meeting up with him as he entered the small, white tent.
As soon I stepped into the tent, I finally figured out why Max wanted to come here. “What are we doing here?” I asked Max anyway.
Danny Hughes looked up from a legal pad, welcoming our presence. “Max,” he said, cautious. “Hi. And Michael right?” I gave a little nod. Danny smiled and stepped out from behind a portable table. “What can I do for you guys?”
“Liz came back from Vermont,” Max said.
“Is that where she went?” Danny wondered.
I looked at Maxwell as he stared down Father Hughes. “Liar,” he growled. “You knew damn well that Liz went to Vermont a month ago.”
“What are you talking about, Max? Michael, what is he—?”
I shook my head as Max continued on. “You told her that I was holding her back,” Max said angrily. “So, she left for boarding school. You knew that. What you said to her helped her decide to leave. Now, we’re not engaged anymore. It’s your fault.”
Danny shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. “Max, this is between you and Liz. I only counsel.”
“You counseled her to leave me,” Max quipped back as he walked away from me and approached the clergyman. “We were supposed to be married already. But I’m spending my Christmas alone because of you.”
“Hey,” Danny replied defensively. “She shouldn’t be held down. Liz shouldn’t even be getting married. Not yet anyway, and not to you.”
“MAX, DON’T!!!” I shouted.
But Max's next action was impulsive and too quick. In one quick motion, Max pulled his arm back and then forced his fist forward into Danny’s face. Danny stumbled back, tripping over a chair and falling to the ground. His hand moved up to his face, feeling for blood, which he found around the cut on his now red, left cheek.
“You don’t know me,” Max growled, standing over Danny. “You don’t know what Liz and I have been through. I would never hold her back. I’ve always let her done what she wanted and was able to do. You don’t know me. So, don’t tell me that Liz and I shouldn’t be getting married. I love her.”
Maxwell stared down the priest he just punched then turned around and left the tent. I rushed over to the fallen minister and gave him a hand.
“What the hell is wrong with him?” Danny wondered.
I helped him to his feet and sighed. “You really don’t know what Maxwell and Liz have,” I told him. “They’re good for each other. You were too quick to judge. You’re supposed to be Liz’s friend.”
“I am,” Danny bickered.
“No, you’re not,” I laughed. “Because you wouldn’t have told Liz that the man she loved was someone that he isn’t. She was sick and you took advantage of her conscience. I don’t even know why she listened to you.”
Danny shook his head. “Because I was obviously right.”
“Do you want a second black eye?” I asked. “You don’t know them,” I said, slowly stating each word. “You ruined a couple of people who were genuinely in love. One half of the couple went to you for an innocent conversation and you ended up influencing Liz to leave Max. What kind of priest does that? You’re supposed to help relationships, not break them up. Just because you never tried your luck with Liz, doesn’t mean that you can ruin what she has with Max Evans. Merry Christmas,” I said, disgusted.
. It was an honest coincidence. Thank you all for the great FB! Sorry to leave you all hanging for so long, but here you go...Chapter 35! Thanks again. I'll let you get to the story now. Chapter 35
[Maria]
“Michael!” I gasped. “He kissed her!” My eyes were glued to Max and Liz the moment she pulled him away to the dance floor. I had a feeling something was going to happen between the two.
“So, what?” Michael mumbled. “They kiss all the time.”
“Not when they’re not together,” I argued.
I caught Michael rolling his eyes. “They say they’re not together, but you and I know that they’re not apart, either.”
He did have a point. An odd and out-of-characteristic-for-Michael point…but it was still a good point, a very good point. To fully understand it, you’d have to look at the two not only physically but emotionally and mentally. They were always together, despite being miles apart. Max and Liz were always on each other’s minds. Liz and Max always let me know. I was the one they came to. I didn’t mind. It amused me.
My attention went back to Max and Liz. She had pulled away as she looked into Max's eyes for reasoning. She was shocked. Her face showed it. Max still held her, and I knew that he thought he had gotten her back, but he didn’t. Liz pushed Max away and broke free of his hold, running to the break room.
“Well, does that happen all the time?” I asked. “Liz just pushed him and literally ran away.”
Max looked after Liz, at the invisible path that she left behind. Michael finally caught on as Max chased after her.
“Do you think something’s up?” Michael wondered.
He and I locked eyes for a brief second and, in a flash, we bolted out of the booth and after Max and Liz.
“What just happened out there?” Max asked Liz as Michael and I walked in.
The break room was empty and so was the kitchen. The voice we heard was coming from upstairs. I guessed that Liz tried to retreat to her room and Max followed her upstairs without an invitation.
I slowly walked towards the stairs and took a seat with an ear facing the top of the stairs.
“Maria, we shouldn’t be doing this,” Michael told me. “Let’s go. This is between Max and Liz.”
“Those are my best friends up there,” I argued.
Michael nodded. “Mine too and I want them to remain my best friends. We should—”
“Max, you can’t just kiss me,” Liz practically shouted.
That’s when Michael leaned against the banister and listened as intently as I did.
“Why not?” Max wondered.
“Because you just can’t. It’s too late.”
I imagined the scenario upstairs. Max and Liz standing in front of each other, having a loud verbal match.
“What do you mean ‘too late’?”
“It’s just too late,” Liz sighed. Her sigh was loud enough for Michael and I to hear from a story below. “You never tried to—”
“You wanted me to chase after you?” Max questioned, realizing Liz’s hidden meaning. “You wanted me to track you down to Vermont and chase after you.”
“I wanted you to do something.”
“You didn’t want me,” Max argued. “I found out where you were, I got the number, and I called. You didn’t want me,” he repeated.
There was a short pause, which I imagined Liz used to take a seat on the Parkers’ living room couch.
“I’m sorry,” Liz finally said.
Michael and I exchanged looks of disappointment. Both our lips sealed, not knowing what to say or what to do for our best friends. And Michael and I thought we had problems.
“You left with a short letter,” Max continued to lecture. “No number. No address. It’s not like you made it easy.”
“It’s not supposed to be easy, Max.”
There was a little more silence.
“What are we doing, Liz?” Max finally asked. “Why are we doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“We’re playing these stupid little games. We never used to do this. You know I love you. Do I have to prove it to you by chasing after you?”
“It’s better than sulking around and being depressed.”
“Hey!” Max said, getting defensive. “You just picked up and left. It hurt, Liz. What was I supposed to do? Maybe you should have left me a list of what to do and when to do it. You should’ve attached it with the engagement ring you left for me in the envelope.”
“Don’t act like this, Max!” Liz ordered.
Again, both Michael and I looked at each other as the battle started to get ugly. I knew Michael thought what I thought. Were Max and Liz going to make it?”
“You’re leaving me choice!” Max shouted.
Once again, no one spoke.
Max finally sighed heavily. “Why did you leave, Liz? You didn’t have to, but you did,” Max said sadly. “You always walk away.”
Liz gave a small chuckle of disbelief. “That’s really unfair, Max.”
Max ignored her statement. “I know you talked to Danny the night before you left,” he stated.
“Don’t use him as a scapegoat for our problems, Max.”
“Then don’t tell me that he didn’t influence you somewhat into going to Vermont.”
And Liz couldn’t disagree, because I knew that Danny did help her decide what to do. Liz couldn’t lie to Max who I imagined bobbing his head.
“That’s what I thought,” he had replied.
“He didn’t make me go,” Liz argued. “I’m the one that decided to get on the plane.”
“And why did you?” Max quickly asked. “If someone had to leave, it should have been me. I’m the one that screwed up. Not you.”
“Max, can we stop this?” Liz requested. “I don’t want to do this, not on Christmas Eve. Please leave.”
“What?” Max asked in shock.
“Please,” Liz begged.
No one spoke for a few good seconds. Both Michael and I stared at each other, wondering what was going on above us. Then Max showed up at the top of the steps and Michael and I jumped up.
“Maxwell,” Michael gulped. “Uh…hi.”
Max marched down the steps and right between Michael and I without a word.
“Max?” I called to him.
Instead of turning towards the door that led to the party, Max opted for the backdoor that led to the back end of the Crashdown.
“Should I…?” Michael wondered, pointing his thumb in Max's direction.
“Yes,” I nodded. “Go after him.”
{Michael}
“Maxwell!” I shouted. “Max!!!”
He had gotten far by just walking. It took me a pretty good sprint just to get behind him.
“You’re not stopping me, Michael,” he said.
I laughed to lighten the mood. “Do you want to tell me what I would be stopping you for?”
Max took a brief moment to look away from his straight ahead stare and glared angrily at me. I don’t think I had seen him that angry/revengeful in his life, except for when he found out what Tess did.
“I’m going to relieve my stress,” Max finally answered.
I grabbed Maxwell’s arm and pulled. “What happened up there?” I demanded to know.
“You heard everything,” Maxwell told me. “It’s that simple.”
“No,” I argued. “No, it’s not. Go back there and fight for her.”
Max shook his arm free from my hand and continued walking even though his car was in the other direction. “I told you, Michael,” he said. “The ball was in her court. She wants us to stop discussing us then we stopped discussing us. That simple. There’s nothing I can do.”
“So, where are you going?” I wondered.
The two of us turned onto the main street and started heading towards the town square. The seating for the midnight service was already set up and a stage with a canopy over it was built in the middle of the town square. It was still a good hour until midnight, and I wondered why we were heading towards the place where the town service was being held.
“Michael, leave,” Max ordered.
I shook my head and walked backwards in front of him, hoping that maybe I’d be able to stop him. “Maxwell, what are you going to do? Why are we heading this way?”
I didn’t stop him soon enough. We were already at the town square, behind the rather large stage that would host the Christmas pageant and the midnight service. Max stopped and looked around the set up. I did the same. Then Maxwell spotted a tent off to the side and started to march his way over. I jogged to catch up with him once more, meeting up with him as he entered the small, white tent.
As soon I stepped into the tent, I finally figured out why Max wanted to come here. “What are we doing here?” I asked Max anyway.
Danny Hughes looked up from a legal pad, welcoming our presence. “Max,” he said, cautious. “Hi. And Michael right?” I gave a little nod. Danny smiled and stepped out from behind a portable table. “What can I do for you guys?”
“Liz came back from Vermont,” Max said.
“Is that where she went?” Danny wondered.
I looked at Maxwell as he stared down Father Hughes. “Liar,” he growled. “You knew damn well that Liz went to Vermont a month ago.”
“What are you talking about, Max? Michael, what is he—?”
I shook my head as Max continued on. “You told her that I was holding her back,” Max said angrily. “So, she left for boarding school. You knew that. What you said to her helped her decide to leave. Now, we’re not engaged anymore. It’s your fault.”
Danny shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. “Max, this is between you and Liz. I only counsel.”
“You counseled her to leave me,” Max quipped back as he walked away from me and approached the clergyman. “We were supposed to be married already. But I’m spending my Christmas alone because of you.”
“Hey,” Danny replied defensively. “She shouldn’t be held down. Liz shouldn’t even be getting married. Not yet anyway, and not to you.”
“MAX, DON’T!!!” I shouted.
But Max's next action was impulsive and too quick. In one quick motion, Max pulled his arm back and then forced his fist forward into Danny’s face. Danny stumbled back, tripping over a chair and falling to the ground. His hand moved up to his face, feeling for blood, which he found around the cut on his now red, left cheek.
“You don’t know me,” Max growled, standing over Danny. “You don’t know what Liz and I have been through. I would never hold her back. I’ve always let her done what she wanted and was able to do. You don’t know me. So, don’t tell me that Liz and I shouldn’t be getting married. I love her.”
Maxwell stared down the priest he just punched then turned around and left the tent. I rushed over to the fallen minister and gave him a hand.
“What the hell is wrong with him?” Danny wondered.
I helped him to his feet and sighed. “You really don’t know what Maxwell and Liz have,” I told him. “They’re good for each other. You were too quick to judge. You’re supposed to be Liz’s friend.”
“I am,” Danny bickered.
“No, you’re not,” I laughed. “Because you wouldn’t have told Liz that the man she loved was someone that he isn’t. She was sick and you took advantage of her conscience. I don’t even know why she listened to you.”
Danny shook his head. “Because I was obviously right.”
“Do you want a second black eye?” I asked. “You don’t know them,” I said, slowly stating each word. “You ruined a couple of people who were genuinely in love. One half of the couple went to you for an innocent conversation and you ended up influencing Liz to leave Max. What kind of priest does that? You’re supposed to help relationships, not break them up. Just because you never tried your luck with Liz, doesn’t mean that you can ruin what she has with Max Evans. Merry Christmas,” I said, disgusted.
Last edited by hoLLyBEHRy on Thu Apr 01, 2004 8:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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hoLLyBEHRy
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Chapter 36
Chapter 36
[Maria]
Michael ran after Max and I jogged up the stairs to Liz’s room where I knew she would be. I knocked twice and opened the door myself.
“Liz?” I called out.
“Come on in,” she replied, knowing it was me at the door.
I pushed open the door and let myself in. Liz was pacing around the room, walking back and forth around the corner of her bed.
“I noticed you left the party,” I said. “Is everything ok?”
Liz stopped and shook her head. “No, it’s not. Everything’s definitely not ok.”
“So, I take it you’re leaving in two days.”
My best friend looked into my eyes. “I’m sorry,” she apologized.
“No,” I shook my head. “Don’t apologize. I won’t force you to stay if you don’t want to. I just want to know if you’re ok.”
“I don’t think I am, Maria,” Liz replied.
Concern appeared on my face. “Why? What happened between you two?”
“You heard Max and I talking? Everything?” Liz asked.
I gave a nod, ashamed.
“Then you know everything. It’s that simple, Maria.”
“Well, I don’t get what happened,” I explained. “You told him to leave. I don’t what that means.”
Liz’s eyes wandered back to the floor. “I don’t know either, Maria. All I know is it’s not good.”
“It doesn’t have to be like this,” I told her. “Just—can’t you guys just say you’re sorry and make up?”
“It’s not that simple, Maria.”
“It can be,” I urged.
Liz shook her head and continued to stare at the floor. “We don’t know what simple is. Nothing we’ve ever done is simple. It’s like we can’t do anything simple, like we’re not allowed to. We don’t know what the word means.”
“We can learn, starting with you and Max,” I suggested. “Go to him, tell him you love him, he’ll tell you he loves you, and then you’ll kiss and make up. He’ll ask you to marry him again and you’ll be engaged for the third time. In a month or two, we’ll have the wedding and you and Max will finally be married because you guys need to be married,” I rambled on. “No, you know what?” I realized. “We do know what simple is, because it is so simple for you guys to just walk away and take the easy road out of a fight, just like tonight.”
“No, no it isn’t,” Liz tried to contest. “Walking away is one of the hardest things to do.”
“You just told me ‘It’s that simple’. Why is it so simple to walk away or tell someone to walk away, yet, so hard to just say admit you screwed up?”
Liz knew I had an argument. It was something she couldn’t answer, and it made her think. Liz stared at me for a moment and finally got off her bed.
“Where did he go?”
A smile appeared on my face. “Um…I don’t know,” I replied. “Michael went after him though.”
Liz gave a solid nod and started to pace around again. “You’re right, Maria. I should just admit that I messed up. I shouldn’t have left Roswell.”
Damn straight she shouldn’t have left. If anything, it caused more problems. But it wasn’t just Liz’s fault. Both she and Max were at fault.
“Don’t just blame yourself. Max screwed up too. You guys just have to talk it out.”
“You’re right,” she said to me again.
I noticed her uneasiness and tension. I reached inside my pocket for my Cyprus oil, but realized I had left it in my purse downstairs. “Listen,” I said. “You need to calm down. So, let’s just go downstairs, grab my eucalyptus oil, and wait for Michael to come back with Max.”
“Good idea.”
I grabbed Liz’s arm and linked mine through. Together we walked down the stairs to the backroom. I grabbed a small vial out of my bag and handed it to Liz, but she refused, saying that she’d be fine with just waiting out where the party was. So, the two of us rejoined the party.
Instead of hopping onto the dance floor, we spotted Kyle at a booth and joined him. He had about two plates of food in front of him and three empty glasses that looked like they held water.
“All that dancing makes me hungry,” he explained.
Liz had lightened up since we talked in her room earlier and gave a little laugh at Kyle’s excuse. “That girl dry spell fading away?” she grinned.
“Looks to be so,” he replied, with a conniving smile. “But you know,” he said with his mouth full, “I’ve still got my heart set on one girl.”
Liz and I rolled our eyes. “Isabel,” we said in unison.
“Kyle,” I continued on, “I don’t want to sound rude, but just drop the whole pining over Isabel thing, ‘cause she’s married now.”
“I know,” Kyle nodded his head. “Would it be wrong if I dreamed about it?”
“Yes!” both Liz and I shouted.
The three of us laughed and Liz started to tease Kyle on the issue. But something caught my attention. Michael was at the back room door with his head sticking out, searching the dining room. I tapped Liz’s hand and jerked my chin towards Michael.
“What?” Kyle wondered. “What is it?”
But Liz and I ignored him and slid out of the booth. Kyle choked down a few fries and followed closely behind us.
“Are you ready?” I asked Liz.
“Ready for what?” Kyle bothered.
{Michael}
I discreetly stuck my head out the door and scanned the floor. I couldn’t find him. I honestly don’t know why he’d be here, but I figured I might as well take a look anyway.
The Crashdown was much bigger than before and the place was packed with people. From right to left, my eyes moved across the room. I looked right in front of me and there was Maria, Liz, and Kyle right in my face.
“Geez!” I jumped. “Don’t do that.”
“Hi to you too,” Kyle smiled.
I rolled my eyes and continued to scour the room. “Have you seen him?”
I glanced down and noticed Maria and Liz give each other worried looks while Kyle licked his teeth clean.
“Seen who?” he asked.
Maria grabbed a hold of the door with one hand and a hold of my jacket with the other and started to push me back into the break room. For a girl only a few inches over five feet, Maria was pretty strong. “Why are you asking us if we’ve seen him?” she asked. “I thought you went after him.
“I did,” I argued.
“Then where is he?” Liz asked. She was slightly rude, but since she was concerned about Maxwell, I let it slide. “What happened?”
I heaved a sigh as I took off my jacket. New Mexico winters were pretty cold, but all the walking and running around I did made me sweat. It was late and I was tired. I fell back on the couch. “Long story,” I finally replied.
“Then give us the abridged version,” Maria insisted.
I nobly nodded. “Maxwell’s half way down the street by the time I open the door—”
“I said summarize, Michael,” my girlfriend interrupted. “Abridge means to shorten, not—”
“I know what it means,” I snapped. “I catch up with Max as he keeps on heading for the town square, which was where he was heading when I caught up with him. Now, I promise, I had no idea where we were going and I tried to stop and convince him to come back here, but by the time I’m done with my speech, we’re at the town square in this tent behind the main stage. Just so happens, I find myself in Father Hughes’s tent with Maxwell.”
“You guys went to see Danny?” Liz questioned.
“Hey!” I said defensively. “I told you, I didn’t know we were going to see the town priest.”
“Well, what happened?” Kyle wondered.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. “Maxwell starts bitching at Danny, chewing him out.”
“What?” Kyle laughed in disbelief. “What does Max have against Danny?”
“Long story,” I heard Maria whisper to him. “What did Max say to Danny?” she asked me.
I scratched my brow as I shook my head. “Stuff about Liz,” I finally admitted. I looked up at Liz who stared away as she listened to me speak. “Maxwell brought up Liz,” I elaborated. “Danny pretended like he didn’t know what Max was talking about. Max blamed Danny for why Liz left and Danny said something like how Liz shouldn’t marry Max.”
No one said anything. I looked up at Liz again, and noticed the distress on her face. I knew that she was taking the blame for everything gone wrong tonight.
“Is that really what he said?” she asked me.
I gave a little nod that she didn’t even see. “I think Danny said to Max, ‘Liz shouldn’t even be getting married. Not yet anyway, and not to you.’” I had remembered the words precisely.
“Then what happened?” Maria wondered.
I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. I didn’t want to remember that detail, but I couldn’t lie. So, I just didn’t say anything. I hesitated to speak.
“What happened, Michael?” Liz asked politely, wanting to know.
I looked into her eyes, her eyes that were completely earnest and innocent. I knew the guilt would eat me up if I lied to her. “He…” I practically sang. “Maxwell—he punched the guy, Liz,” I finally spat out. “Max clocked Danny in the face.”
“He did what?” Kyle laughed.
I had been looking at Liz and her response, but as I heard Kyle’s laugh, my attention went to him. “Kyle!” I shouted at him. “Shut up!”
And he did. He put his hand into a loose fist and brought it to his mouth like he was about to chew his nails. It was a gross habit he had, especially when his hands were dirty with grease whenever he did it while he was at work. It shut him up though.
“Is Danny ok?” Maria wondered.
I gave a little nod. “Max gave Danny a few more words and then marched out of the tent. I stayed back and helped Danny up.”
“You didn’t hurt him, did you?” Maria asked.
I rolled my eyes and sighed a laugh. “I just told you, Maria. I helped the minister onto his feet. But I did give him a piece of my mind also.”
“What?!” my girlfriend gasped.
“I didn’t bitch him out,” I explained. “I just told him what I thought because in all fairness, Maxwell had a point. I’m not condoning the violence towards Father Hughes, but Danny is supposed to guide and make a relationship stronger, not convince a partner to leave the other.”
“Liz?” Maria said.
Liz hadn’t said anything in a while, not since she asked me what happened between Maxwell and Danny, and I had to tell her that Max almost knocked the guy out. She just stood there, continuously staring at the same spot on the floor. Finally, she looked at the clock on the wall.
“It’s almost midnight,” she finally said. Maria, Kyle, and I looked at the clock and realized it was ten ‘til. “We should go to the town square now.”
I hadn’t realized it, but the party had calmed down. I stood up off the couch and looked out the diamond shaped window on the swinging door and noticed that most of the people had left. Pretty much all the people. The caterers were the only ones left in the diner along with Mr. Parker who was supervising the cleanup.
I put my jacket back on and wrapped my arm around Maria as Liz started towards the diner. Kyle followed behind all of us, probably trying to figure out all the loose ends he couldn’t tie together.
[Liz]
The walk down the street was quiet. Even others who walked over were quiet also. The candles lining the aisles in the seating area were lit and quaint lanterns were placed strategically to give the seating area and the stage adequate lighting. We found the Evanses with my mom, Ms. DeLuca and the Sheriff. Technically, Valenti wasn’t the sheriff, he was the deputy, yet, I knew that everyone still called him Sheriff.
We sat in the row of chairs behind the parents, next to Isabel and Jesse. Neither of us—Michael, Maria, Kyle, or I—dared to tell Isabel that Max was MIA. She would definitely flip out, but I somehow knew that Max was safe. I didn’t know exactly where he was but Max was safe. I really shouldn’t care whether he was or not because of what he had done, but I had an overbearing feeling.
The white, fold-out chairs were soon filled up with the whole town. Others opted to stand and took up a position in the back. My father was the last person to arrive at the town square. He joined all of us and took a seat next to my mom. No one had wondered where Max was, but everyone had known Max’s opinion of religion and God. So, I assumed no one was going to press the issue.
Everyone hushed as the Christmas pageant started. Joseph and Mary (played by some of Roswell’s finest and most adorable tikes) walked down the main aisle and onto the stage. The backdrop was the desert at night painted onto wooden boards and a handcrafted mini-manger was positioned in the middle of the stage. At the top of the stable was a large star that shined brightly. Around the manger were dogs dressed up as goats, lambs, horses, and cows. I guess we didn’t have access to fake, plastic barnyard animals this year.
Minutes later and baby Jesus was born. Mrs. Thompson’s newborn son played the newborn king. Everyone cheered and applauded for the wonderful presentation put on by the kids as they were rushed off stage. A few quick changes on the stage and the area was set up for the service.
Everyone’s heads turned to the back as we all stood up. Altar boys holding candles led the procession while Danny walked behind them in a white robe. My family and I didn’t go to church religiously, but I still remembered the customs and ways of the church. I knew the reasons why Danny wore white and why one of the alter boys carried burning incense in what kind of looked like a ball and chain. It was quiet as the procession continued down the main aisle. The altar boys climbed onto stage and shoved their candles into the stands while Danny took his position at the pulpit. Then everyone sat back down.
It was dark but with the candles and lights, I knew that everyone noticed Danny’s black eye. We sat rather close to the stage and I could see the shape of the large bruise around his left eye. I even noticed a cut on his cheek. Max hurt him pretty badly.
“I welcome you all to the midnight mass celebrating Christmas,” Danny said into the microphone. He cleared his throat and tried to hide the left side of his face. “I apologize for my appearance tonight.”
Danny looked out at the crowd, specifically in the back, like he spotted something. That’s when something went off in my head. Something called to me. I looked over my shoulder and looked all the way to the back where people were standing. There he was. Max stood with his hands in his pockets looking at me. I quickly turned away and looked back at the stage, at Danny. He had spotted Max too.
Danny cleared his throat again and went back to his opening statement. “I had a little…” he started, looking at Max and then spotting me. “I had a little accident.”
[Maria]
Michael ran after Max and I jogged up the stairs to Liz’s room where I knew she would be. I knocked twice and opened the door myself.
“Liz?” I called out.
“Come on in,” she replied, knowing it was me at the door.
I pushed open the door and let myself in. Liz was pacing around the room, walking back and forth around the corner of her bed.
“I noticed you left the party,” I said. “Is everything ok?”
Liz stopped and shook her head. “No, it’s not. Everything’s definitely not ok.”
“So, I take it you’re leaving in two days.”
My best friend looked into my eyes. “I’m sorry,” she apologized.
“No,” I shook my head. “Don’t apologize. I won’t force you to stay if you don’t want to. I just want to know if you’re ok.”
“I don’t think I am, Maria,” Liz replied.
Concern appeared on my face. “Why? What happened between you two?”
“You heard Max and I talking? Everything?” Liz asked.
I gave a nod, ashamed.
“Then you know everything. It’s that simple, Maria.”
“Well, I don’t get what happened,” I explained. “You told him to leave. I don’t what that means.”
Liz’s eyes wandered back to the floor. “I don’t know either, Maria. All I know is it’s not good.”
“It doesn’t have to be like this,” I told her. “Just—can’t you guys just say you’re sorry and make up?”
“It’s not that simple, Maria.”
“It can be,” I urged.
Liz shook her head and continued to stare at the floor. “We don’t know what simple is. Nothing we’ve ever done is simple. It’s like we can’t do anything simple, like we’re not allowed to. We don’t know what the word means.”
“We can learn, starting with you and Max,” I suggested. “Go to him, tell him you love him, he’ll tell you he loves you, and then you’ll kiss and make up. He’ll ask you to marry him again and you’ll be engaged for the third time. In a month or two, we’ll have the wedding and you and Max will finally be married because you guys need to be married,” I rambled on. “No, you know what?” I realized. “We do know what simple is, because it is so simple for you guys to just walk away and take the easy road out of a fight, just like tonight.”
“No, no it isn’t,” Liz tried to contest. “Walking away is one of the hardest things to do.”
“You just told me ‘It’s that simple’. Why is it so simple to walk away or tell someone to walk away, yet, so hard to just say admit you screwed up?”
Liz knew I had an argument. It was something she couldn’t answer, and it made her think. Liz stared at me for a moment and finally got off her bed.
“Where did he go?”
A smile appeared on my face. “Um…I don’t know,” I replied. “Michael went after him though.”
Liz gave a solid nod and started to pace around again. “You’re right, Maria. I should just admit that I messed up. I shouldn’t have left Roswell.”
Damn straight she shouldn’t have left. If anything, it caused more problems. But it wasn’t just Liz’s fault. Both she and Max were at fault.
“Don’t just blame yourself. Max screwed up too. You guys just have to talk it out.”
“You’re right,” she said to me again.
I noticed her uneasiness and tension. I reached inside my pocket for my Cyprus oil, but realized I had left it in my purse downstairs. “Listen,” I said. “You need to calm down. So, let’s just go downstairs, grab my eucalyptus oil, and wait for Michael to come back with Max.”
“Good idea.”
I grabbed Liz’s arm and linked mine through. Together we walked down the stairs to the backroom. I grabbed a small vial out of my bag and handed it to Liz, but she refused, saying that she’d be fine with just waiting out where the party was. So, the two of us rejoined the party.
Instead of hopping onto the dance floor, we spotted Kyle at a booth and joined him. He had about two plates of food in front of him and three empty glasses that looked like they held water.
“All that dancing makes me hungry,” he explained.
Liz had lightened up since we talked in her room earlier and gave a little laugh at Kyle’s excuse. “That girl dry spell fading away?” she grinned.
“Looks to be so,” he replied, with a conniving smile. “But you know,” he said with his mouth full, “I’ve still got my heart set on one girl.”
Liz and I rolled our eyes. “Isabel,” we said in unison.
“Kyle,” I continued on, “I don’t want to sound rude, but just drop the whole pining over Isabel thing, ‘cause she’s married now.”
“I know,” Kyle nodded his head. “Would it be wrong if I dreamed about it?”
“Yes!” both Liz and I shouted.
The three of us laughed and Liz started to tease Kyle on the issue. But something caught my attention. Michael was at the back room door with his head sticking out, searching the dining room. I tapped Liz’s hand and jerked my chin towards Michael.
“What?” Kyle wondered. “What is it?”
But Liz and I ignored him and slid out of the booth. Kyle choked down a few fries and followed closely behind us.
“Are you ready?” I asked Liz.
“Ready for what?” Kyle bothered.
{Michael}
I discreetly stuck my head out the door and scanned the floor. I couldn’t find him. I honestly don’t know why he’d be here, but I figured I might as well take a look anyway.
The Crashdown was much bigger than before and the place was packed with people. From right to left, my eyes moved across the room. I looked right in front of me and there was Maria, Liz, and Kyle right in my face.
“Geez!” I jumped. “Don’t do that.”
“Hi to you too,” Kyle smiled.
I rolled my eyes and continued to scour the room. “Have you seen him?”
I glanced down and noticed Maria and Liz give each other worried looks while Kyle licked his teeth clean.
“Seen who?” he asked.
Maria grabbed a hold of the door with one hand and a hold of my jacket with the other and started to push me back into the break room. For a girl only a few inches over five feet, Maria was pretty strong. “Why are you asking us if we’ve seen him?” she asked. “I thought you went after him.
“I did,” I argued.
“Then where is he?” Liz asked. She was slightly rude, but since she was concerned about Maxwell, I let it slide. “What happened?”
I heaved a sigh as I took off my jacket. New Mexico winters were pretty cold, but all the walking and running around I did made me sweat. It was late and I was tired. I fell back on the couch. “Long story,” I finally replied.
“Then give us the abridged version,” Maria insisted.
I nobly nodded. “Maxwell’s half way down the street by the time I open the door—”
“I said summarize, Michael,” my girlfriend interrupted. “Abridge means to shorten, not—”
“I know what it means,” I snapped. “I catch up with Max as he keeps on heading for the town square, which was where he was heading when I caught up with him. Now, I promise, I had no idea where we were going and I tried to stop and convince him to come back here, but by the time I’m done with my speech, we’re at the town square in this tent behind the main stage. Just so happens, I find myself in Father Hughes’s tent with Maxwell.”
“You guys went to see Danny?” Liz questioned.
“Hey!” I said defensively. “I told you, I didn’t know we were going to see the town priest.”
“Well, what happened?” Kyle wondered.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. “Maxwell starts bitching at Danny, chewing him out.”
“What?” Kyle laughed in disbelief. “What does Max have against Danny?”
“Long story,” I heard Maria whisper to him. “What did Max say to Danny?” she asked me.
I scratched my brow as I shook my head. “Stuff about Liz,” I finally admitted. I looked up at Liz who stared away as she listened to me speak. “Maxwell brought up Liz,” I elaborated. “Danny pretended like he didn’t know what Max was talking about. Max blamed Danny for why Liz left and Danny said something like how Liz shouldn’t marry Max.”
No one said anything. I looked up at Liz again, and noticed the distress on her face. I knew that she was taking the blame for everything gone wrong tonight.
“Is that really what he said?” she asked me.
I gave a little nod that she didn’t even see. “I think Danny said to Max, ‘Liz shouldn’t even be getting married. Not yet anyway, and not to you.’” I had remembered the words precisely.
“Then what happened?” Maria wondered.
I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. I didn’t want to remember that detail, but I couldn’t lie. So, I just didn’t say anything. I hesitated to speak.
“What happened, Michael?” Liz asked politely, wanting to know.
I looked into her eyes, her eyes that were completely earnest and innocent. I knew the guilt would eat me up if I lied to her. “He…” I practically sang. “Maxwell—he punched the guy, Liz,” I finally spat out. “Max clocked Danny in the face.”
“He did what?” Kyle laughed.
I had been looking at Liz and her response, but as I heard Kyle’s laugh, my attention went to him. “Kyle!” I shouted at him. “Shut up!”
And he did. He put his hand into a loose fist and brought it to his mouth like he was about to chew his nails. It was a gross habit he had, especially when his hands were dirty with grease whenever he did it while he was at work. It shut him up though.
“Is Danny ok?” Maria wondered.
I gave a little nod. “Max gave Danny a few more words and then marched out of the tent. I stayed back and helped Danny up.”
“You didn’t hurt him, did you?” Maria asked.
I rolled my eyes and sighed a laugh. “I just told you, Maria. I helped the minister onto his feet. But I did give him a piece of my mind also.”
“What?!” my girlfriend gasped.
“I didn’t bitch him out,” I explained. “I just told him what I thought because in all fairness, Maxwell had a point. I’m not condoning the violence towards Father Hughes, but Danny is supposed to guide and make a relationship stronger, not convince a partner to leave the other.”
“Liz?” Maria said.
Liz hadn’t said anything in a while, not since she asked me what happened between Maxwell and Danny, and I had to tell her that Max almost knocked the guy out. She just stood there, continuously staring at the same spot on the floor. Finally, she looked at the clock on the wall.
“It’s almost midnight,” she finally said. Maria, Kyle, and I looked at the clock and realized it was ten ‘til. “We should go to the town square now.”
I hadn’t realized it, but the party had calmed down. I stood up off the couch and looked out the diamond shaped window on the swinging door and noticed that most of the people had left. Pretty much all the people. The caterers were the only ones left in the diner along with Mr. Parker who was supervising the cleanup.
I put my jacket back on and wrapped my arm around Maria as Liz started towards the diner. Kyle followed behind all of us, probably trying to figure out all the loose ends he couldn’t tie together.
[Liz]
The walk down the street was quiet. Even others who walked over were quiet also. The candles lining the aisles in the seating area were lit and quaint lanterns were placed strategically to give the seating area and the stage adequate lighting. We found the Evanses with my mom, Ms. DeLuca and the Sheriff. Technically, Valenti wasn’t the sheriff, he was the deputy, yet, I knew that everyone still called him Sheriff.
We sat in the row of chairs behind the parents, next to Isabel and Jesse. Neither of us—Michael, Maria, Kyle, or I—dared to tell Isabel that Max was MIA. She would definitely flip out, but I somehow knew that Max was safe. I didn’t know exactly where he was but Max was safe. I really shouldn’t care whether he was or not because of what he had done, but I had an overbearing feeling.
The white, fold-out chairs were soon filled up with the whole town. Others opted to stand and took up a position in the back. My father was the last person to arrive at the town square. He joined all of us and took a seat next to my mom. No one had wondered where Max was, but everyone had known Max’s opinion of religion and God. So, I assumed no one was going to press the issue.
Everyone hushed as the Christmas pageant started. Joseph and Mary (played by some of Roswell’s finest and most adorable tikes) walked down the main aisle and onto the stage. The backdrop was the desert at night painted onto wooden boards and a handcrafted mini-manger was positioned in the middle of the stage. At the top of the stable was a large star that shined brightly. Around the manger were dogs dressed up as goats, lambs, horses, and cows. I guess we didn’t have access to fake, plastic barnyard animals this year.
Minutes later and baby Jesus was born. Mrs. Thompson’s newborn son played the newborn king. Everyone cheered and applauded for the wonderful presentation put on by the kids as they were rushed off stage. A few quick changes on the stage and the area was set up for the service.
Everyone’s heads turned to the back as we all stood up. Altar boys holding candles led the procession while Danny walked behind them in a white robe. My family and I didn’t go to church religiously, but I still remembered the customs and ways of the church. I knew the reasons why Danny wore white and why one of the alter boys carried burning incense in what kind of looked like a ball and chain. It was quiet as the procession continued down the main aisle. The altar boys climbed onto stage and shoved their candles into the stands while Danny took his position at the pulpit. Then everyone sat back down.
It was dark but with the candles and lights, I knew that everyone noticed Danny’s black eye. We sat rather close to the stage and I could see the shape of the large bruise around his left eye. I even noticed a cut on his cheek. Max hurt him pretty badly.
“I welcome you all to the midnight mass celebrating Christmas,” Danny said into the microphone. He cleared his throat and tried to hide the left side of his face. “I apologize for my appearance tonight.”
Danny looked out at the crowd, specifically in the back, like he spotted something. That’s when something went off in my head. Something called to me. I looked over my shoulder and looked all the way to the back where people were standing. There he was. Max stood with his hands in his pockets looking at me. I quickly turned away and looked back at the stage, at Danny. He had spotted Max too.
Danny cleared his throat again and went back to his opening statement. “I had a little…” he started, looking at Max and then spotting me. “I had a little accident.”
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hoLLyBEHRy
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 215
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Chapter 37
Chapter 37
{Max}
The service lasted for about an hour, or so Michael told me. I was there for the beginning when Danny took his place behind the podium. I knew I had hit him pretty damn hard and there definitely would be a mark. I wondered how he would explain it. And he didn’t, not truthfully, anyway. Danny blatantly lied to the people of Roswell. He claimed it was an accident that caused his black eye, but it wasn’t. I intended to hit him. Yet, Danny covered my ass and told the town that he had an accident, which consisted of opening a closet full of junk and a not-so soft softball.
I left after that announcement, going home to my apartment. An hour or so later and Michael showed up. First thing he did was lecture me on disappearing right after the incident with Danny. He told the me that he went back to the party at the Crashdown where he had to tell Liz the truth, which I respected him for. I didn’t want Michael to lie for me. I hit Danny, I shouldn’t have, but I did, and I take complete responsibility for doing so. Michael told me how Liz reacted to my reckless action. Well, he tried to explain Liz’s reaction, but from what I gathered, Liz didn’t say much. I had seen her at the service, sitting between Maria and Kyle. She saw me too, and she wasn’t pleased.
“Morning, Maxwell,” Michael greeted as I walked out of my bedroom. He folded up the blanket he used while he slept on the couch and put it away into the linen closet. “Merry Christmas!”
I stared at him with a raised eyebrow. “When did you get so into the holidays?”
“It’s Maria’s fault,” he sighed. “Love the hair, by the way.”
I looked up as if I could see my bed head. I could feel my hair pushed to one side, creating a part in my hair where it didn’t belong. I let my hands rub over my head. “What are you up to today?” I wondered.
“Going over to Maria’s,” he replied. “Going to spend most of the day with her and her mom, and then over to the Parkers’ for the dinner. You’re still going, right? ‘Cause her parents still invited you to come.”
I shrugged my shoulders. I was almost positive that Liz wouldn’t want me to be there. “I don’t think so, Michael.”
“It’s Christmas,” he said. “Your parents and Isabel and Jesse are going tonight. I’m going with Maria and her mother and Kyle’ll be there with his dad. Who are you going to spend Christmas with? I won’t let you spend it alone.”
{Michael}
“Michael, she’s not going to want to see me,” Maxwell said to me.
I gave a little shrug. “If I was Liz, I wouldn’t want to see you either,” I replied. “But your family and friends are all going to be at this special dinner that her parents invited you to. So, you have to come.”
The Parkers really didn’t know why Liz went to boarding school. It was because of Maxwell, but Mr. and Mrs. Parker had no idea. They assumed that Liz wanted to get her grades up, so they sent Liz to Vermont without pressing the issue. What they did know was that Liz had broken off the engagement, but they assumed that we just postponed everything because Maria had postponed the wedding arrangements.
“I was fine staying at home,” Max continued to complain.
“To watch Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer ?” I laughed. “I don’t think so. Save the claymation for a rainy day.”
I caught Maxwell rolling his eyes as we walked down the street, the huge Crashdown Café UFO sign brightly lit just ahead of us. “Wait a second,” he ordered. “How do I look?” I stepped in front of him and looked at him for a moment. I reached for his tie and pulled. “Hey,” he said. “What are you doing?”
I was reaching for his tie when he stopped me. “Take off the tie,” I explained. “You’re not going to work, Maxwell. Now, unbutton the first button.”
Max rolled my eyes yet again and took off his tie and unfastened the collar button. “Can I ask you a question, Michael?” he wondered as continued walking.
“Hmm?” I hummed.
“What I did last night, and if you were Liz, how mad would you be?”
I slowed down slightly and considered the question at hand. After a minute or so, I sighed. “Pretty damn mad,” I realized. Taking a moment to consider the actual matter in another person’s shoes, I got an honest answer. “You punched a guy,” I said, explaining my answer. “And for no apparent reason, Maxwell. Yeah, the guy is an asshole, but like I told you before, punching him would only make things worse.”
Max nodded in understanding. “Would you forgive me?” he wondered.
The two of us stopped in front of the doors and I took another moment to ponder his question. “You really shouldn’t be asking me,” I told him. “You should ask Liz.”
[Maria]
“Are you going to come down?” I asked Liz.
“Is he still down there?” she wondered. I regretfully nodded and Liz shook her head slowly but solidly. “Then nope,” she replied.
“Dinner’s going to start soon. You probably won’t even have to talk to him, and if you do, just stuff a spoonful of mashed potatoes in your mouth.”
I managed to make Liz crack a smile. “Fine,” she sighed.
She dragged herself out of bed and I playfully pushed her out of her room. We could hear everyone in the diner as we made our way down the steps. Mr. Parker caught us coming down from the kitchen.
“Ah,” he smiled. “Glad you ladies could finally come down and join us. Dinner’s about to be served.”
“It smells great, Mr. P,” I told him.
Liz’s father smiled appreciatively and Liz and I finally made it to the dining room. The loose tables that used to be scattered around the diner were now gathered together to form one long table. The Crashdown was closed for the night for a special family and friends Christmas dinner. It was still adorned with Christmas decorations.
Liz stuck close by me as she spotted Max. He was sitting in a booth with Michael, Kyle, Isabel, and Jesse, but keeping to himself. He had spotted us also and once he did, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of Liz.
The Evans’, Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Ramirez, Valenti, and my mother sat around the table, making conversation while they waited for the food to be serve. Instead of joining the youth group over to the side, Liz and I took our seats at the table. She took the seat next to her mother and I made sure to grab a chair on the other side of her.
Mr. Parker kicked the swinging door open. “Dinner’s served!” he announced.
Everyone cheered as the food came out, carried out on the Parkers’ best China by waiters and waitresses hired by Liz’s father. Our friends over at the booth slid out and joined us at the table. I had a little chat with Kyle about the situation with Max and Liz, so he did what I had requested him to do, and sat down in the seat in front of Liz to prevent Max from sitting there. Instead, Max sat in front of me.
“Are you ok?” I asked Liz.
I know that I should have let Max sit next to Liz or at least across from her, but I knew that Liz didn’t want that.
She looked up at Max who stared at the empty plate in front of him. “Yes,” she finally nodded. “I’ll be ok.”
[Liz]
“Dinner was great,” Valenti smiled.
Our dirty plates were carted away by one group of waiters while another group came with dessert.
“You really outdid yourself this year,” Mrs. Evans commented.
“Yes,” Estelle, Jesse’s mother agreed. “Thank you for having me.”
I looked over at my mother and father who smiled. “Thank you all for coming,” my dad replied. “Our kids are a tight group of friends, why not the parents? We’re all one big family.”
I wish I could smile along and agree with my father, but I couldn’t. From my point of view, things were horrible. My life was totally out of control. I tried to remain quiet throughout the dinner, but there was always someone asking me about Vermont. I’d try to find the best reply that would answer that single question and so much more.
The same went for Max. I looked over at him a few times during dinner, wondering if he was feeling as uneasy as I was, which it seemed like he did. He tried to keep to himself again, but like in my case, someone asked how work and school was going and how work at B&A was.
That’s all Max or I spoke about; school, Vermont, medical school, and work. Then we went into our respective shells and continued to eat our dinner. Dessert was now served and the night was almost over.
But it had been one long night already. Max was just sitting a few seats away from me. I tried my best to not think about him, about the kiss, about him punching Danny, but I couldn’t. Max was always on my mind, the kiss was weighing me down, and the image of Max punching Danny just kept on flashing through my mind.
I guess that’s what made the night seem like it dragged on. Just having myself surrounded by constant thoughts of Max just made every second move slower and slower. In ways, I loved it, because I loved Max and I loved to think about him. In other ways, I hated it, because I wanted to hate him right now. I wanted to hate him for having another destiny, for being alien, for sleeping with Tess, for getting her pregnant, for hurting me several times, for punching Danny, for everything.
“So, Liz,” Ms. DeLuca said, “what time’s your flight?”
I used my fork to play with a loose pecan that fell off my pie. “Um…in a few hours actually,” I answered, and I could see Max about to drop his fork in shock. “My flight’s at 1:45, so I should be leaving for Albuquerque in, like, an hour or so.”
For the first time tonight, Max and I locked eyes. When I spent most of the party with Max last night, I had fun. It was honest, good fun, and I believed that I was going to stay until New Year’s. But then there was that slight falling out.
“That’s a shame,” Mr. Evans sighed. “You won’t be able to attend the formal New Year’s Eve party we’re holding at the country club.”
“Winnaman’s got her working hard,” my father tried to explain.
I looked away from Max's stare and put on a false smirk. “You could say that,” I nodded. Everyone bobbed their heads perceptively and went back to their dessert and continued the small talk. I looked around the table and couldn’t feel more uncomfortable.
{Max}
“Excuse me,” Liz said.
She left her uneaten pie on the table and left for the break room. I didn’t know what she was going to do back there, but she was going to be alone. I needed to talk to her, explain my brazenness, and apologize for every single mistake I had made. There was only an hour to do it because Liz was leaving because of me again.
I looked around the table and no one had really noticed Liz leave the table. So I got up without excusing myself. My eyes were glued to the swinging door that led directly to the break room, but instead I turned into the bathroom where, inside, was another door with to access the back room. I knew that if Maria had seen me follow Liz into the break room, Maria would follow also and then I wouldn’t have my chance to apologize.
I locked the bathroom door behind me and continued walking towards the break room. There was Liz, sitting on the couch. She jolted when I popped out of the bathroom.
“Sorry,” I apologized.
“Max, we have nothing to talk about,” she said immediately.
But I completely disagreed as I approached her. “Maybe you don’t,” I told her. “But I do. I have to apologize.”
“You’re damn straight,” she said offensively. “What were you thinking punching Danny?”
I shook my head, ashamed, taking a few steps back. “I—I wasn’t,” I stuttered. “I messed up again, Liz. You don’t know how sorry I am.”
“Well, you should be,” Liz continued to scold. “Max, Danny had nothing to do with us. Me leaving had to do with me and not Danny. You had no right to punch him.”
“I know!” I shouted. I knew I had just shouted loud enough for the Parkers’ and their guests to hear. “I know,” I said softer. “Liz, I messed up. I’m beating myself up because I screwed up again. There was that chance where we could have just settled with being friends where we could have grown off of that. But I screwed up,” I mumbled. “I ruined the only chance of us getting back together or of us returning back to somewhat normal. Bottom line? I’m sorry. I let my anger loose and I ended up hurting someone who didn’t deserve to be hurt. I’m sorry for everything.”
“I can’t forgive you,” Liz said to me.
I nodded my head in understanding even though I didn’t want to believe it. But I did. I had been so lucky that Liz had forgiven me so many times before, I couldn’t blame her for not forgiving me this time. I screwed up too many times.
“I understand,” I finally told her.
“I can’t forgive you, yet,” she somewhat clarified. “Max, I left because I needed time and space, and I still need that. And you know what? You shouldn’t even apologize to me. Danny’s the one with the black eye.”
I nodded. “I already apologized,” I told her.
After Michael left my apartment this morning, I had gone to find Father Hughes with the advice and help Michael had provided with me earlier. I hesitantly apologized for the punch, but told him that I meant every single word. Danny, on his road to righteousness, forgave me. He and I weren’t ever going to be friends, but it was decent of him to accept my apology.
Liz’s tense face had eased up. I don’t think she thought that I would have done that, but I did. I swallowed my pride and asked for forgiveness. Somewhere in the back of my head still told me that it wasn’t enough to have Liz forgive me also.
“Well, I still need that time and space,” she said, which is what I figured. “So, I’m going back to Vermont tonight, and I won’t be back until the spring. Max, it’s time that we need apart.”
“So, that’s it?” I wondered. “We continue spending time apart as what?”
“Not as fiancées,” she quickly replied. It’s like she was trying to hurt me. “I don’t think that we can even be friends right now.”
I nodded again because I knew that she didn’t want to argue and neither did I. The ball was in her court.
“So, then how can we become more than friends?” I asked.
Liz pushed off the couch and shook her head, wiping away the tears with a few swipes. “I don’t know,” she cried.
She walked past me with her head hung low to avoid looking at my anguished face. Up the stairs she went without a goodbye. My head dropped as I cleared my throat, trying to remain strong even in the presence of no one. It was done. There was no other point of being here. Merry Christmas, I thought. I turned towards the door and found Mr. Parker leaning on the bathroom doorframe.
“Hi, Max,” he said.
I cleared my throat again and nodded. “Hi, sir,” I replied.
Mr. Parker looked up the stairs and then walked towards me. “So, you were the softball.”
“Yes,” I shamefully nodded. “I’m sorry, I probably ruined your dinner.”
“Yeah, you did,” Mr. Parker sighed. “But that’s not what I’m concerned about. I’m concerned about my daughter, Max.”
I nodded again. “I understand. I won’t see her if you don’t want me to.”
“You know, I wondered for a while if your marriage to my daughter would last or not. You knew my daughter since third grade. You two finally became good friends in tenth grade. The same year, you started dating. It was on and off for…going on three years now. I wondered how the two of you would last.”
I looked down at my pocket and reached in, pulling out a small box. I always carried it with me, actually believing and hoping that I would be able to put it back on Liz’s finger. I never knew I was so naïve. “You might want this back,” I said to him.
He pushed my outreached hand back towards me and shook his head. “No, that’s yours to give to Liz,” he reminded me. “It still is.”
“But—”
“No, ‘buts’,” Liz’s father insisted. “I know my daughter, Max. She’s trying to be strong and adamant, but the truth is, she’s just as scared about everything as you are. That’s what it comes down to. The two of you are scared.”
“Actually, sir. I think we were both ready.”
“You told yourself that,” Mr. Parker said. “But both of you were, and still are, scared mostly because of the mistakes the two of you made. You’re trying to protect each other. You’re afraid that you might make a mistake that would hurt the other to a point of no repair, kind of like tonight. But everyone makes mistakes, Max, and the thing is, we make mistakes to learn from them. I got that from good friend who convinced me that you aren’t an awful guy. So, what you’ve got to do is fight even though Liz claims she needs time and space, don’t give up. You hold onto that ring, wait for a rainy day.”
{Max}
The service lasted for about an hour, or so Michael told me. I was there for the beginning when Danny took his place behind the podium. I knew I had hit him pretty damn hard and there definitely would be a mark. I wondered how he would explain it. And he didn’t, not truthfully, anyway. Danny blatantly lied to the people of Roswell. He claimed it was an accident that caused his black eye, but it wasn’t. I intended to hit him. Yet, Danny covered my ass and told the town that he had an accident, which consisted of opening a closet full of junk and a not-so soft softball.
I left after that announcement, going home to my apartment. An hour or so later and Michael showed up. First thing he did was lecture me on disappearing right after the incident with Danny. He told the me that he went back to the party at the Crashdown where he had to tell Liz the truth, which I respected him for. I didn’t want Michael to lie for me. I hit Danny, I shouldn’t have, but I did, and I take complete responsibility for doing so. Michael told me how Liz reacted to my reckless action. Well, he tried to explain Liz’s reaction, but from what I gathered, Liz didn’t say much. I had seen her at the service, sitting between Maria and Kyle. She saw me too, and she wasn’t pleased.
“Morning, Maxwell,” Michael greeted as I walked out of my bedroom. He folded up the blanket he used while he slept on the couch and put it away into the linen closet. “Merry Christmas!”
I stared at him with a raised eyebrow. “When did you get so into the holidays?”
“It’s Maria’s fault,” he sighed. “Love the hair, by the way.”
I looked up as if I could see my bed head. I could feel my hair pushed to one side, creating a part in my hair where it didn’t belong. I let my hands rub over my head. “What are you up to today?” I wondered.
“Going over to Maria’s,” he replied. “Going to spend most of the day with her and her mom, and then over to the Parkers’ for the dinner. You’re still going, right? ‘Cause her parents still invited you to come.”
I shrugged my shoulders. I was almost positive that Liz wouldn’t want me to be there. “I don’t think so, Michael.”
“It’s Christmas,” he said. “Your parents and Isabel and Jesse are going tonight. I’m going with Maria and her mother and Kyle’ll be there with his dad. Who are you going to spend Christmas with? I won’t let you spend it alone.”
{Michael}
“Michael, she’s not going to want to see me,” Maxwell said to me.
I gave a little shrug. “If I was Liz, I wouldn’t want to see you either,” I replied. “But your family and friends are all going to be at this special dinner that her parents invited you to. So, you have to come.”
The Parkers really didn’t know why Liz went to boarding school. It was because of Maxwell, but Mr. and Mrs. Parker had no idea. They assumed that Liz wanted to get her grades up, so they sent Liz to Vermont without pressing the issue. What they did know was that Liz had broken off the engagement, but they assumed that we just postponed everything because Maria had postponed the wedding arrangements.
“I was fine staying at home,” Max continued to complain.
“To watch Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer ?” I laughed. “I don’t think so. Save the claymation for a rainy day.”
I caught Maxwell rolling his eyes as we walked down the street, the huge Crashdown Café UFO sign brightly lit just ahead of us. “Wait a second,” he ordered. “How do I look?” I stepped in front of him and looked at him for a moment. I reached for his tie and pulled. “Hey,” he said. “What are you doing?”
I was reaching for his tie when he stopped me. “Take off the tie,” I explained. “You’re not going to work, Maxwell. Now, unbutton the first button.”
Max rolled my eyes yet again and took off his tie and unfastened the collar button. “Can I ask you a question, Michael?” he wondered as continued walking.
“Hmm?” I hummed.
“What I did last night, and if you were Liz, how mad would you be?”
I slowed down slightly and considered the question at hand. After a minute or so, I sighed. “Pretty damn mad,” I realized. Taking a moment to consider the actual matter in another person’s shoes, I got an honest answer. “You punched a guy,” I said, explaining my answer. “And for no apparent reason, Maxwell. Yeah, the guy is an asshole, but like I told you before, punching him would only make things worse.”
Max nodded in understanding. “Would you forgive me?” he wondered.
The two of us stopped in front of the doors and I took another moment to ponder his question. “You really shouldn’t be asking me,” I told him. “You should ask Liz.”
[Maria]
“Are you going to come down?” I asked Liz.
“Is he still down there?” she wondered. I regretfully nodded and Liz shook her head slowly but solidly. “Then nope,” she replied.
“Dinner’s going to start soon. You probably won’t even have to talk to him, and if you do, just stuff a spoonful of mashed potatoes in your mouth.”
I managed to make Liz crack a smile. “Fine,” she sighed.
She dragged herself out of bed and I playfully pushed her out of her room. We could hear everyone in the diner as we made our way down the steps. Mr. Parker caught us coming down from the kitchen.
“Ah,” he smiled. “Glad you ladies could finally come down and join us. Dinner’s about to be served.”
“It smells great, Mr. P,” I told him.
Liz’s father smiled appreciatively and Liz and I finally made it to the dining room. The loose tables that used to be scattered around the diner were now gathered together to form one long table. The Crashdown was closed for the night for a special family and friends Christmas dinner. It was still adorned with Christmas decorations.
Liz stuck close by me as she spotted Max. He was sitting in a booth with Michael, Kyle, Isabel, and Jesse, but keeping to himself. He had spotted us also and once he did, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of Liz.
The Evans’, Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Ramirez, Valenti, and my mother sat around the table, making conversation while they waited for the food to be serve. Instead of joining the youth group over to the side, Liz and I took our seats at the table. She took the seat next to her mother and I made sure to grab a chair on the other side of her.
Mr. Parker kicked the swinging door open. “Dinner’s served!” he announced.
Everyone cheered as the food came out, carried out on the Parkers’ best China by waiters and waitresses hired by Liz’s father. Our friends over at the booth slid out and joined us at the table. I had a little chat with Kyle about the situation with Max and Liz, so he did what I had requested him to do, and sat down in the seat in front of Liz to prevent Max from sitting there. Instead, Max sat in front of me.
“Are you ok?” I asked Liz.
I know that I should have let Max sit next to Liz or at least across from her, but I knew that Liz didn’t want that.
She looked up at Max who stared at the empty plate in front of him. “Yes,” she finally nodded. “I’ll be ok.”
[Liz]
“Dinner was great,” Valenti smiled.
Our dirty plates were carted away by one group of waiters while another group came with dessert.
“You really outdid yourself this year,” Mrs. Evans commented.
“Yes,” Estelle, Jesse’s mother agreed. “Thank you for having me.”
I looked over at my mother and father who smiled. “Thank you all for coming,” my dad replied. “Our kids are a tight group of friends, why not the parents? We’re all one big family.”
I wish I could smile along and agree with my father, but I couldn’t. From my point of view, things were horrible. My life was totally out of control. I tried to remain quiet throughout the dinner, but there was always someone asking me about Vermont. I’d try to find the best reply that would answer that single question and so much more.
The same went for Max. I looked over at him a few times during dinner, wondering if he was feeling as uneasy as I was, which it seemed like he did. He tried to keep to himself again, but like in my case, someone asked how work and school was going and how work at B&A was.
That’s all Max or I spoke about; school, Vermont, medical school, and work. Then we went into our respective shells and continued to eat our dinner. Dessert was now served and the night was almost over.
But it had been one long night already. Max was just sitting a few seats away from me. I tried my best to not think about him, about the kiss, about him punching Danny, but I couldn’t. Max was always on my mind, the kiss was weighing me down, and the image of Max punching Danny just kept on flashing through my mind.
I guess that’s what made the night seem like it dragged on. Just having myself surrounded by constant thoughts of Max just made every second move slower and slower. In ways, I loved it, because I loved Max and I loved to think about him. In other ways, I hated it, because I wanted to hate him right now. I wanted to hate him for having another destiny, for being alien, for sleeping with Tess, for getting her pregnant, for hurting me several times, for punching Danny, for everything.
“So, Liz,” Ms. DeLuca said, “what time’s your flight?”
I used my fork to play with a loose pecan that fell off my pie. “Um…in a few hours actually,” I answered, and I could see Max about to drop his fork in shock. “My flight’s at 1:45, so I should be leaving for Albuquerque in, like, an hour or so.”
For the first time tonight, Max and I locked eyes. When I spent most of the party with Max last night, I had fun. It was honest, good fun, and I believed that I was going to stay until New Year’s. But then there was that slight falling out.
“That’s a shame,” Mr. Evans sighed. “You won’t be able to attend the formal New Year’s Eve party we’re holding at the country club.”
“Winnaman’s got her working hard,” my father tried to explain.
I looked away from Max's stare and put on a false smirk. “You could say that,” I nodded. Everyone bobbed their heads perceptively and went back to their dessert and continued the small talk. I looked around the table and couldn’t feel more uncomfortable.
{Max}
“Excuse me,” Liz said.
She left her uneaten pie on the table and left for the break room. I didn’t know what she was going to do back there, but she was going to be alone. I needed to talk to her, explain my brazenness, and apologize for every single mistake I had made. There was only an hour to do it because Liz was leaving because of me again.
I looked around the table and no one had really noticed Liz leave the table. So I got up without excusing myself. My eyes were glued to the swinging door that led directly to the break room, but instead I turned into the bathroom where, inside, was another door with to access the back room. I knew that if Maria had seen me follow Liz into the break room, Maria would follow also and then I wouldn’t have my chance to apologize.
I locked the bathroom door behind me and continued walking towards the break room. There was Liz, sitting on the couch. She jolted when I popped out of the bathroom.
“Sorry,” I apologized.
“Max, we have nothing to talk about,” she said immediately.
But I completely disagreed as I approached her. “Maybe you don’t,” I told her. “But I do. I have to apologize.”
“You’re damn straight,” she said offensively. “What were you thinking punching Danny?”
I shook my head, ashamed, taking a few steps back. “I—I wasn’t,” I stuttered. “I messed up again, Liz. You don’t know how sorry I am.”
“Well, you should be,” Liz continued to scold. “Max, Danny had nothing to do with us. Me leaving had to do with me and not Danny. You had no right to punch him.”
“I know!” I shouted. I knew I had just shouted loud enough for the Parkers’ and their guests to hear. “I know,” I said softer. “Liz, I messed up. I’m beating myself up because I screwed up again. There was that chance where we could have just settled with being friends where we could have grown off of that. But I screwed up,” I mumbled. “I ruined the only chance of us getting back together or of us returning back to somewhat normal. Bottom line? I’m sorry. I let my anger loose and I ended up hurting someone who didn’t deserve to be hurt. I’m sorry for everything.”
“I can’t forgive you,” Liz said to me.
I nodded my head in understanding even though I didn’t want to believe it. But I did. I had been so lucky that Liz had forgiven me so many times before, I couldn’t blame her for not forgiving me this time. I screwed up too many times.
“I understand,” I finally told her.
“I can’t forgive you, yet,” she somewhat clarified. “Max, I left because I needed time and space, and I still need that. And you know what? You shouldn’t even apologize to me. Danny’s the one with the black eye.”
I nodded. “I already apologized,” I told her.
After Michael left my apartment this morning, I had gone to find Father Hughes with the advice and help Michael had provided with me earlier. I hesitantly apologized for the punch, but told him that I meant every single word. Danny, on his road to righteousness, forgave me. He and I weren’t ever going to be friends, but it was decent of him to accept my apology.
Liz’s tense face had eased up. I don’t think she thought that I would have done that, but I did. I swallowed my pride and asked for forgiveness. Somewhere in the back of my head still told me that it wasn’t enough to have Liz forgive me also.
“Well, I still need that time and space,” she said, which is what I figured. “So, I’m going back to Vermont tonight, and I won’t be back until the spring. Max, it’s time that we need apart.”
“So, that’s it?” I wondered. “We continue spending time apart as what?”
“Not as fiancées,” she quickly replied. It’s like she was trying to hurt me. “I don’t think that we can even be friends right now.”
I nodded again because I knew that she didn’t want to argue and neither did I. The ball was in her court.
“So, then how can we become more than friends?” I asked.
Liz pushed off the couch and shook her head, wiping away the tears with a few swipes. “I don’t know,” she cried.
She walked past me with her head hung low to avoid looking at my anguished face. Up the stairs she went without a goodbye. My head dropped as I cleared my throat, trying to remain strong even in the presence of no one. It was done. There was no other point of being here. Merry Christmas, I thought. I turned towards the door and found Mr. Parker leaning on the bathroom doorframe.
“Hi, Max,” he said.
I cleared my throat again and nodded. “Hi, sir,” I replied.
Mr. Parker looked up the stairs and then walked towards me. “So, you were the softball.”
“Yes,” I shamefully nodded. “I’m sorry, I probably ruined your dinner.”
“Yeah, you did,” Mr. Parker sighed. “But that’s not what I’m concerned about. I’m concerned about my daughter, Max.”
I nodded again. “I understand. I won’t see her if you don’t want me to.”
“You know, I wondered for a while if your marriage to my daughter would last or not. You knew my daughter since third grade. You two finally became good friends in tenth grade. The same year, you started dating. It was on and off for…going on three years now. I wondered how the two of you would last.”
I looked down at my pocket and reached in, pulling out a small box. I always carried it with me, actually believing and hoping that I would be able to put it back on Liz’s finger. I never knew I was so naïve. “You might want this back,” I said to him.
He pushed my outreached hand back towards me and shook his head. “No, that’s yours to give to Liz,” he reminded me. “It still is.”
“But—”
“No, ‘buts’,” Liz’s father insisted. “I know my daughter, Max. She’s trying to be strong and adamant, but the truth is, she’s just as scared about everything as you are. That’s what it comes down to. The two of you are scared.”
“Actually, sir. I think we were both ready.”
“You told yourself that,” Mr. Parker said. “But both of you were, and still are, scared mostly because of the mistakes the two of you made. You’re trying to protect each other. You’re afraid that you might make a mistake that would hurt the other to a point of no repair, kind of like tonight. But everyone makes mistakes, Max, and the thing is, we make mistakes to learn from them. I got that from good friend who convinced me that you aren’t an awful guy. So, what you’ve got to do is fight even though Liz claims she needs time and space, don’t give up. You hold onto that ring, wait for a rainy day.”
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hoLLyBEHRy
- Addicted Roswellian
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Chapter 38
*thanks everyone for all the FB!!! *
Chapter 38
[Liz]
Vermont wasn’t my home and the saying always goes, “It’s good to be home.” So, I guess I’d have to say, “It’s good to be in Vermont.”
By the time I got in, it was already past noon. I still had plenty of time until Eileen’s party started. I didn’t think that I was going to come back to Winnaman this soon and I knew for sure that I wasn’t going to attend the illegal party, but what happened yesterday and the day before that, a party soliciting underage drinking seemed like something I needed.
I spent the whole afternoon napping. Again, the flight was just as horrible as it was on the way to New Mexico. As soon as I hit the most uncomfortable bag of cotton I called my bed, my eyelids shut for a good few hours.
“Liz?” someone called.
I slowly opened my eyes and saw Eileen bent over in front of me and staring. “Hi,” I groaned.
“Morning,” she smiled. “Well, evening, but same difference.” I sat up and showed something less than an enthusiastic expression on my face. “Didn’t have a good vaycay?” she wondered. I looked her in the eyes and shook my head. “That bad?” the redhead asked me.
“Disappointing,” I replied.
“Wow. I take it things didn’t go too well with the…uh…”
I took a moment thinking of what she was about to say, and realized the truth. “The ex,” I finally said for her. “Things didn’t go well with the ex at all.”
“I’m sorry,” Eileen sympathized. “You know I’d love to sit and chat about the trip to Roswell, but I’ve got that party to get to. I just wanted to see if you came in or not and—”
“Yeah, that party…it sounds like a good idea.”
Eileen looked at me and gave a little laugh. “For real?”
“For real,” I grinned. “Just wait for a minute?”
My roommate nodded as I crawled off my bed and headed for the bathroom. A lot of the girls were gone for the winter break, but some still lingered in the hallways and in their dorms. I walked into the surprisingly empty bathroom to splash some cool water on my face.
Life was so complicated. My life was anyway. The cold water just made me realize it more. I knew that there were people in world that were worse off than I was. I wondered how they dealt with it all.
Looking into the mirror made me realize just how selfish I was. I had a great childhood, parents who loved and supported me, friends who stuck by my side, and a boyfriend who loved me like no one else could. Well, I used to have one anyway. Max wasn’t a boyfriend and for now, he wasn’t even a friend.
“Liz?” I gave a little jump and looked to the door. “Are you ready?” Eileen asked.
“Yeah,” I answered.
Eileen walked towards me and wrapped her arm around me. “I’m am going to help you forget all about that Max-guy.”
{Max}
“She got to Vermont safely,” Maria said.
I gave an appreciative smirk. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“I thought that you should know, so I called.”
I paced around my apartment as I held the phone to my ear. “Thank you,” I said to Maria again. “I didn’t think that you were going to speak to me after what I did.”
“I thought about it,” she admitted. “You messed up, Max. What were you thinking?”
It almost seemed like I was fighting with Liz again. I didn’t want to remember anymore of last night.
“I wasn’t thinking,” I told Maria. “I just wish everyone would stop telling me that. I know I screwed up. Hitting people is a big no-no.”
Maria gave an exhausted laugh. “You got that right,” she quickly replied.
“I just want to forget about it. Danny’s willing to because we both admitted that we did and said things that we shouldn’t have,” I said. “Why can’t everyone else forget about it?”
“Because nobody believed that you would actually do that,” she told me. “And you did. Max, you’re going to have to learn from this mistake.”
Now Maria sounded like the lecture Mr. Parker gave me the night before.
“I’ve heard that one too, Maria. Listen, you’ve got to help me figure out how to win her back.”
“What?” she laughed and I immediately rolled my eyes. “Max, we all heard the conversation you two had last night. She wants time and space.”
“I know,” I said for the umpteenth time. “I talked to Mr. Parker afterwards. He told me that the problem with Liz and I was that we were scared. He told me to fight for her. Maria, I’m not scared anymore. I want to be with Liz so that we could face our problems and mistakes together. You have to help me.”
Maria sighed loudly on the other end.
*Chapter 38
[Liz]
Vermont wasn’t my home and the saying always goes, “It’s good to be home.” So, I guess I’d have to say, “It’s good to be in Vermont.”
By the time I got in, it was already past noon. I still had plenty of time until Eileen’s party started. I didn’t think that I was going to come back to Winnaman this soon and I knew for sure that I wasn’t going to attend the illegal party, but what happened yesterday and the day before that, a party soliciting underage drinking seemed like something I needed.
I spent the whole afternoon napping. Again, the flight was just as horrible as it was on the way to New Mexico. As soon as I hit the most uncomfortable bag of cotton I called my bed, my eyelids shut for a good few hours.
“Liz?” someone called.
I slowly opened my eyes and saw Eileen bent over in front of me and staring. “Hi,” I groaned.
“Morning,” she smiled. “Well, evening, but same difference.” I sat up and showed something less than an enthusiastic expression on my face. “Didn’t have a good vaycay?” she wondered. I looked her in the eyes and shook my head. “That bad?” the redhead asked me.
“Disappointing,” I replied.
“Wow. I take it things didn’t go too well with the…uh…”
I took a moment thinking of what she was about to say, and realized the truth. “The ex,” I finally said for her. “Things didn’t go well with the ex at all.”
“I’m sorry,” Eileen sympathized. “You know I’d love to sit and chat about the trip to Roswell, but I’ve got that party to get to. I just wanted to see if you came in or not and—”
“Yeah, that party…it sounds like a good idea.”
Eileen looked at me and gave a little laugh. “For real?”
“For real,” I grinned. “Just wait for a minute?”
My roommate nodded as I crawled off my bed and headed for the bathroom. A lot of the girls were gone for the winter break, but some still lingered in the hallways and in their dorms. I walked into the surprisingly empty bathroom to splash some cool water on my face.
Life was so complicated. My life was anyway. The cold water just made me realize it more. I knew that there were people in world that were worse off than I was. I wondered how they dealt with it all.
Looking into the mirror made me realize just how selfish I was. I had a great childhood, parents who loved and supported me, friends who stuck by my side, and a boyfriend who loved me like no one else could. Well, I used to have one anyway. Max wasn’t a boyfriend and for now, he wasn’t even a friend.
“Liz?” I gave a little jump and looked to the door. “Are you ready?” Eileen asked.
“Yeah,” I answered.
Eileen walked towards me and wrapped her arm around me. “I’m am going to help you forget all about that Max-guy.”
{Max}
“She got to Vermont safely,” Maria said.
I gave an appreciative smirk. “Thanks for letting me know.”
“I thought that you should know, so I called.”
I paced around my apartment as I held the phone to my ear. “Thank you,” I said to Maria again. “I didn’t think that you were going to speak to me after what I did.”
“I thought about it,” she admitted. “You messed up, Max. What were you thinking?”
It almost seemed like I was fighting with Liz again. I didn’t want to remember anymore of last night.
“I wasn’t thinking,” I told Maria. “I just wish everyone would stop telling me that. I know I screwed up. Hitting people is a big no-no.”
Maria gave an exhausted laugh. “You got that right,” she quickly replied.
“I just want to forget about it. Danny’s willing to because we both admitted that we did and said things that we shouldn’t have,” I said. “Why can’t everyone else forget about it?”
“Because nobody believed that you would actually do that,” she told me. “And you did. Max, you’re going to have to learn from this mistake.”
Now Maria sounded like the lecture Mr. Parker gave me the night before.
“I’ve heard that one too, Maria. Listen, you’ve got to help me figure out how to win her back.”
“What?” she laughed and I immediately rolled my eyes. “Max, we all heard the conversation you two had last night. She wants time and space.”
“I know,” I said for the umpteenth time. “I talked to Mr. Parker afterwards. He told me that the problem with Liz and I was that we were scared. He told me to fight for her. Maria, I’m not scared anymore. I want to be with Liz so that we could face our problems and mistakes together. You have to help me.”
Maria sighed loudly on the other end.
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hoLLyBEHRy
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- Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2004 12:00 am
Chapter 39
Chapter 39
[Liz]
We drove about ten miles down the road in a car Eileen had borrowed from a friend outside of school. By the look of the car and the contents inside, I didn’t really want to know who the friend was. Eileen drove us down to a campground area that was a popular spot for the locals in Fairfield, but mostly everyone was vacationing outside the small town and so the campground was free to use without paranoia of getting caught. She led me deep into the woods to the farthest campsite where cars, people, and music were waiting for us.
One large bonfire that lit up the darkness was the center of the party along with the people making out around it. Off to the side were two pickup trucks with their ends latched down. Two silver barrels sat on each truck bed. The beer keg center. I looked around me and I noticed that everyone had already made a few rounds to the beer kegs.
That’s where Eileen brought me straight to where a few guys from the military school were operating the kegs. “Here,” she said, handing me a plastic cup full of beer. “It’s not apple juice now, so go easy.”
I stared at the cup in my hand. Never had I drank before and now with my new powers, I wondered if I was able to drink. I took a swig anyway. The taste was bitter and as soon as the liquid touched my tongue, I squinted my eyes in distaste.
“Looks like it was the newbie’s first gulp,” one of the guys laughed. “Don’t think she can handle it, Burrows.”
I opened my eyes to stare down the guy and then took a larger gulp, downing the rest of the beer in the large cup. “Fill ‘er back up,” I told the guy.
“What was that, Logan?” Eileen grinned. “I bet she’s already had more than you and you’ve been here for an hour now.”
The guys around us laughed at the diss as the guy called Logan refilled my plastic cup. “Ok,” he said to Eileen. “I’ll stop riding the greenhorns. But in my defense, the last tenderfoot you brought almost got us all caught.”
Eileen nodded in agreement and leaned towards me. “Last newbie I brought with me ended up getting wasted. She pursued a lifelong ambition of streaking though.”
“Nice,” I laughed.
“Listen, I’ve got to go mingle really quick. Will you—”
I nodded. “I’ll be fine,” I told her.
Eileen flashed a quick smile and leaned towards me again. “If I were you, I’d only hang around these trucks to get my cup refilled. You want to stay away from Logan.”
She left my side and ran towards a group of people smoking near some cars. I don’t know what they were smoking, but I bet it’s safe to say they weren’t Marlboros.
Instead of taking Eileen’s advice, I hopped onto the truck bed and took a seat. I didn’t know anybody else at the party. Maybe I did, but I wasn’t about to disturb the people making out to get a better look at their faces. So, Logan was going to be my new friend. His fair tan, sky blue eyes, and beach blonde hair told me that he wasn’t from New England.
“California?” I wondered.
Logan drew his attention towards me with dazed eyes. “What was that?”
“I said, ‘California’,” I told him. “You don’t look like you’re from around here. Are you from the west coast?”
The guy who was probably my age, maybe a little older, nodded. “West coast; yes. California; no. I’m from Hawaii.”
“Really?” I said, intrigued. “I’ve never known anyone from Hawaii.”
“Well, now you do. I’m Logan Michaels…from Hawaii,” he grinned.
“Liz Parker,” I smiled back, shaking his hand.
His coy smile grew wider. “Nice to meet you, Liz Parker. You don’t look like you’re from the New England area, either. Where are you from?”
“New Mexico.”
“Also in the west,” Logan bobbed his head. “Now, I know you’re going to ask me this question, but I’m going to beat you to it: What are doing all the way over here in Vermont?”
I took a long gulp when Logan asked me the question. “I needed to get away,” I sighed.
“Family problems?” he wondered.
I shook my head and took another mouthful of beer. “Uh…boyfriend problems, but um, I don’t have a boyfriend anymore.”
[Maria]
Max took the entrance ramp onto Interstate 40 and headed west with me in the passenger seat. The clock on the dashboard was giving the time I knew that Max didn’t really want. His foot pressed down harder on the gas.
“Max, we’re in a Chevelle, not a rocket ship,” I warned.
He nervously tightened his grip on the steering wheel and kept his eyes locked on the road. “We’ve got to hurry.”
“It’s only a few more miles and we’ll be there.”
Max shook his head doubtfully. “What if I get in too late?” he wondered.
“You shouldn’t,” I assured him. “The Concorde will get you there in a couple hours and that won’t be too late, and if you do get in too late, then just wait until the time is right.”
“What if this doesn’t work?”
I knew Max saw me rolling my eyes in frustration. And I bet he knew that I was getting irritated by his excessive questions but he didn’t mean to pelt me with question after question. Max was just having doubts.
“It will work,” I sighed. “You two will have no other choice but to face these ridiculous problems you have. Be grateful, Max. You asked me for help and this was the only idea that I could come up with. You should’ve done this in the first place.”
Max nodded and placed an appreciative hand on my shoulder while he kept his free hand on the wheel. “I’m am grateful, Maria. And this is a good idea.”
[Liz]
“Ah,” Logan said from the throat, making it sound like a growl. “How long? How long was the relationship?”
I took the keg’s spout and placed it over my cup and pushed the little knob, a stream of beer rushed into my cup. “Um…this would have been two or three years of dating on and off.”
“Wow,” Logan said not so enthusiastically but still somewhat surprised. “That serious, huh?”
I nodded as I took a gulp. “Serious enough for us to get engaged…twice.”
“Whoa,” the blonde laughed. “Do you want to talk about it?”
It was so hard to “talk about it”. It was so hard to explain and it was just one, long story. I mean, even if I were to clearly explain mine and Max's story, whoever I told it to would never be able to really understand it. I shook my head and continued to chug down my alcoholic beverage. “Let’s stop talking about me. What about you, Logan? What’s your story?”
He gave a little chuckled as he stared at the dirt floor, shoving some snow and mud around with his foot. “You don’t want to know that about me. It wasn’t a good time.”
“I gave you a little piece of my story,” I told him. “So, I think that maybe I should get a little from you.”
“Are you sure you want to hear it? I don’t think you’d believe it,” Logan told me. I gave a little nod and finally placed my cup down. “I almost killed a guy,” he said succinctly.
“What?!”
“I almost got a guy killed,” Logan clarified. “My brother to be exact.”
My cup jumped back in my hand and I took another gulp of beer to wake me up, so to speak. “You’re going to need to explain,” I told him.
Logan gave another chuckle. “I don’t think so.”
“Oh, come on!” I laughed. “You can’t just tell me you almost killed your brother and then expect me to move onto another subject.
He continued to laugh. “Fine, fine,” Logan finally caved in. “You know, I like you. You’ve got spunk.”
“Just carry on with the story,” I grinned.
Logan rolled his eyes as he wore a sly smile on his face. “Well, let me just ask you a quick question.”
“Shoot.”
“What was your first job?”
“Waitressing at my father’s diner,” I answered.
Logan bobbed his head. “Ok, well, while you were doing that to earn some cash,” he began. “I was dealing drugs.”
“You’re kidding me,” I told him.
“No, not really,” Logan quickly replied. “Anyway, my little brother looks up to me,” he said regretfully. “I told him he shouldn’t because of what I did. I didn’t want him to get involved into the drug business like I was. I had been doing it for a few years. I, myself, wanted to get out.”
Logan’s smile died away as he spoke. I watched him closely, and his wide grin vanished a little more after he spoke each word. He wasn’t kidding about his brother. It hurt him to speak about the experience. I felt horrible for making him tell me about it.
“You don’t have to keep going,” I told him. “I think I’ve got the idea.”
But the tall man standing next to me who had revealed so much already shook his head. “You might as well know the rest,” he grinned.
“If you say so,” I said as politely and sympathetically as I could.
Logan nodded and continued to stare at the ground. “Um…so, anyway,” he continued. “Justin goes behind my back and finds his own supplier. On his first run, I follow him to make sure he’s ok. He had made a deal earlier that day and that night he was delivering. I didn’t know who he made an arrangement with, but I knew that the buyer approached him. I should’ve known that it was one of them and I should’ve stopped Justin.”
“One of them?” I wondered.
“One of my suppliers,” Logan replied. “Drug dealing, it’s a competitive industry. It’s all about territory and getting business first.
“Justin did business with one of my suppliers who was going undercover. Once my brother flashed the goods, his ‘buyer’ pulls out a gun. I come out from behind the dumpster where I was hiding and tell my brother to run. Stupid on my part. If I came out from behind the dumpster, I should have scared the ‘buyer’ off ‘cause he couldn’t see my face, it was too dark. Instead, I screamed for my brother to run. My brother got shot in the back. The bullet hit a nerve. So now Justin’s stuck in a wheelchair.”
“Oh my God,” I gasped. My hand had gradually made it’s way up to my mouth. I was in complete shock.
Logan continued. “But my brother was lucky as hell, ‘cause he had lost a lot of blood. We weren’t sure if he was going to make it. My father blames me for him getting shot, and I couldn’t disagree. I should’ve put my foot down when I first found out what Justin was doing. But I didn’t. I had led my brother into a world that was nothing but danger. It was all my fault.”
The words Logan chose, it made him sound like Max, how Logan led his little brother into a world of drug dealing reminded me of how Max led me into a world of other worldly beings and things I never could imagine.
The silence between Logan and I seemed to eat him up. He cleared his throat and gave a little laugh. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“No, I’m so sorry,” I apologized.
Logan gallantly shook his head. “No, it’s ok. It wasn’t your fault.”
“No, but it is,” I insisted. “I shouldn’t have made you recall that obviously painful memory. I’m so sorry.”
“Really, it’s ok,” Logan reiterated.
Logan and I looked at each other with small, apologetic smiles on our faces.
[Liz]
We drove about ten miles down the road in a car Eileen had borrowed from a friend outside of school. By the look of the car and the contents inside, I didn’t really want to know who the friend was. Eileen drove us down to a campground area that was a popular spot for the locals in Fairfield, but mostly everyone was vacationing outside the small town and so the campground was free to use without paranoia of getting caught. She led me deep into the woods to the farthest campsite where cars, people, and music were waiting for us.
One large bonfire that lit up the darkness was the center of the party along with the people making out around it. Off to the side were two pickup trucks with their ends latched down. Two silver barrels sat on each truck bed. The beer keg center. I looked around me and I noticed that everyone had already made a few rounds to the beer kegs.
That’s where Eileen brought me straight to where a few guys from the military school were operating the kegs. “Here,” she said, handing me a plastic cup full of beer. “It’s not apple juice now, so go easy.”
I stared at the cup in my hand. Never had I drank before and now with my new powers, I wondered if I was able to drink. I took a swig anyway. The taste was bitter and as soon as the liquid touched my tongue, I squinted my eyes in distaste.
“Looks like it was the newbie’s first gulp,” one of the guys laughed. “Don’t think she can handle it, Burrows.”
I opened my eyes to stare down the guy and then took a larger gulp, downing the rest of the beer in the large cup. “Fill ‘er back up,” I told the guy.
“What was that, Logan?” Eileen grinned. “I bet she’s already had more than you and you’ve been here for an hour now.”
The guys around us laughed at the diss as the guy called Logan refilled my plastic cup. “Ok,” he said to Eileen. “I’ll stop riding the greenhorns. But in my defense, the last tenderfoot you brought almost got us all caught.”
Eileen nodded in agreement and leaned towards me. “Last newbie I brought with me ended up getting wasted. She pursued a lifelong ambition of streaking though.”
“Nice,” I laughed.
“Listen, I’ve got to go mingle really quick. Will you—”
I nodded. “I’ll be fine,” I told her.
Eileen flashed a quick smile and leaned towards me again. “If I were you, I’d only hang around these trucks to get my cup refilled. You want to stay away from Logan.”
She left my side and ran towards a group of people smoking near some cars. I don’t know what they were smoking, but I bet it’s safe to say they weren’t Marlboros.
Instead of taking Eileen’s advice, I hopped onto the truck bed and took a seat. I didn’t know anybody else at the party. Maybe I did, but I wasn’t about to disturb the people making out to get a better look at their faces. So, Logan was going to be my new friend. His fair tan, sky blue eyes, and beach blonde hair told me that he wasn’t from New England.
“California?” I wondered.
Logan drew his attention towards me with dazed eyes. “What was that?”
“I said, ‘California’,” I told him. “You don’t look like you’re from around here. Are you from the west coast?”
The guy who was probably my age, maybe a little older, nodded. “West coast; yes. California; no. I’m from Hawaii.”
“Really?” I said, intrigued. “I’ve never known anyone from Hawaii.”
“Well, now you do. I’m Logan Michaels…from Hawaii,” he grinned.
“Liz Parker,” I smiled back, shaking his hand.
His coy smile grew wider. “Nice to meet you, Liz Parker. You don’t look like you’re from the New England area, either. Where are you from?”
“New Mexico.”
“Also in the west,” Logan bobbed his head. “Now, I know you’re going to ask me this question, but I’m going to beat you to it: What are doing all the way over here in Vermont?”
I took a long gulp when Logan asked me the question. “I needed to get away,” I sighed.
“Family problems?” he wondered.
I shook my head and took another mouthful of beer. “Uh…boyfriend problems, but um, I don’t have a boyfriend anymore.”
[Maria]
Max took the entrance ramp onto Interstate 40 and headed west with me in the passenger seat. The clock on the dashboard was giving the time I knew that Max didn’t really want. His foot pressed down harder on the gas.
“Max, we’re in a Chevelle, not a rocket ship,” I warned.
He nervously tightened his grip on the steering wheel and kept his eyes locked on the road. “We’ve got to hurry.”
“It’s only a few more miles and we’ll be there.”
Max shook his head doubtfully. “What if I get in too late?” he wondered.
“You shouldn’t,” I assured him. “The Concorde will get you there in a couple hours and that won’t be too late, and if you do get in too late, then just wait until the time is right.”
“What if this doesn’t work?”
I knew Max saw me rolling my eyes in frustration. And I bet he knew that I was getting irritated by his excessive questions but he didn’t mean to pelt me with question after question. Max was just having doubts.
“It will work,” I sighed. “You two will have no other choice but to face these ridiculous problems you have. Be grateful, Max. You asked me for help and this was the only idea that I could come up with. You should’ve done this in the first place.”
Max nodded and placed an appreciative hand on my shoulder while he kept his free hand on the wheel. “I’m am grateful, Maria. And this is a good idea.”
[Liz]
“Ah,” Logan said from the throat, making it sound like a growl. “How long? How long was the relationship?”
I took the keg’s spout and placed it over my cup and pushed the little knob, a stream of beer rushed into my cup. “Um…this would have been two or three years of dating on and off.”
“Wow,” Logan said not so enthusiastically but still somewhat surprised. “That serious, huh?”
I nodded as I took a gulp. “Serious enough for us to get engaged…twice.”
“Whoa,” the blonde laughed. “Do you want to talk about it?”
It was so hard to “talk about it”. It was so hard to explain and it was just one, long story. I mean, even if I were to clearly explain mine and Max's story, whoever I told it to would never be able to really understand it. I shook my head and continued to chug down my alcoholic beverage. “Let’s stop talking about me. What about you, Logan? What’s your story?”
He gave a little chuckled as he stared at the dirt floor, shoving some snow and mud around with his foot. “You don’t want to know that about me. It wasn’t a good time.”
“I gave you a little piece of my story,” I told him. “So, I think that maybe I should get a little from you.”
“Are you sure you want to hear it? I don’t think you’d believe it,” Logan told me. I gave a little nod and finally placed my cup down. “I almost killed a guy,” he said succinctly.
“What?!”
“I almost got a guy killed,” Logan clarified. “My brother to be exact.”
My cup jumped back in my hand and I took another gulp of beer to wake me up, so to speak. “You’re going to need to explain,” I told him.
Logan gave another chuckle. “I don’t think so.”
“Oh, come on!” I laughed. “You can’t just tell me you almost killed your brother and then expect me to move onto another subject.
He continued to laugh. “Fine, fine,” Logan finally caved in. “You know, I like you. You’ve got spunk.”
“Just carry on with the story,” I grinned.
Logan rolled his eyes as he wore a sly smile on his face. “Well, let me just ask you a quick question.”
“Shoot.”
“What was your first job?”
“Waitressing at my father’s diner,” I answered.
Logan bobbed his head. “Ok, well, while you were doing that to earn some cash,” he began. “I was dealing drugs.”
“You’re kidding me,” I told him.
“No, not really,” Logan quickly replied. “Anyway, my little brother looks up to me,” he said regretfully. “I told him he shouldn’t because of what I did. I didn’t want him to get involved into the drug business like I was. I had been doing it for a few years. I, myself, wanted to get out.”
Logan’s smile died away as he spoke. I watched him closely, and his wide grin vanished a little more after he spoke each word. He wasn’t kidding about his brother. It hurt him to speak about the experience. I felt horrible for making him tell me about it.
“You don’t have to keep going,” I told him. “I think I’ve got the idea.”
But the tall man standing next to me who had revealed so much already shook his head. “You might as well know the rest,” he grinned.
“If you say so,” I said as politely and sympathetically as I could.
Logan nodded and continued to stare at the ground. “Um…so, anyway,” he continued. “Justin goes behind my back and finds his own supplier. On his first run, I follow him to make sure he’s ok. He had made a deal earlier that day and that night he was delivering. I didn’t know who he made an arrangement with, but I knew that the buyer approached him. I should’ve known that it was one of them and I should’ve stopped Justin.”
“One of them?” I wondered.
“One of my suppliers,” Logan replied. “Drug dealing, it’s a competitive industry. It’s all about territory and getting business first.
“Justin did business with one of my suppliers who was going undercover. Once my brother flashed the goods, his ‘buyer’ pulls out a gun. I come out from behind the dumpster where I was hiding and tell my brother to run. Stupid on my part. If I came out from behind the dumpster, I should have scared the ‘buyer’ off ‘cause he couldn’t see my face, it was too dark. Instead, I screamed for my brother to run. My brother got shot in the back. The bullet hit a nerve. So now Justin’s stuck in a wheelchair.”
“Oh my God,” I gasped. My hand had gradually made it’s way up to my mouth. I was in complete shock.
Logan continued. “But my brother was lucky as hell, ‘cause he had lost a lot of blood. We weren’t sure if he was going to make it. My father blames me for him getting shot, and I couldn’t disagree. I should’ve put my foot down when I first found out what Justin was doing. But I didn’t. I had led my brother into a world that was nothing but danger. It was all my fault.”
The words Logan chose, it made him sound like Max, how Logan led his little brother into a world of drug dealing reminded me of how Max led me into a world of other worldly beings and things I never could imagine.
The silence between Logan and I seemed to eat him up. He cleared his throat and gave a little laugh. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“No, I’m so sorry,” I apologized.
Logan gallantly shook his head. “No, it’s ok. It wasn’t your fault.”
“No, but it is,” I insisted. “I shouldn’t have made you recall that obviously painful memory. I’m so sorry.”
“Really, it’s ok,” Logan reiterated.
Logan and I looked at each other with small, apologetic smiles on our faces.
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hoLLyBEHRy
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CHapter 40: Part 1
*Maybe this is a little spoiler but: I never did like the whole story line with Clayton and Meris Wheeler. I thought it was all kinda weird. So…with some of the elements from that story line intact here, my story continues.*
Chapter 40
[Liz]
“You know, you can handle beer pretty well,” Logan told me. I looked at my now empty cup and shrugged. “Though, you kind of slowed down there,” he continued. “Your first three cups went down pretty quick, but the next two were a little slower.”
I shook my head as my eyes rolled to the back of my head. The five cups I had tonight were enough to numb all the pain in me, and that’s exactly what I wanted. I didn’t want to feel all the pain that Max had brought me and I felt responsible for the pain that Max brought to Danny, that needed numbing too. And the great thing after five beers, I didn’t even feel the least bit drunk. So, I guess I was going two for two.
“Liz!” someone shouted. My eyes roamed from staring at Logan’s spikey locks to Eileen who jogged over to us. “Hey,” she smiled. “Listen, everyone’s heading back to the schools now. The friend I borrowed the car from came over and he’s going to drive us back to Winnaman.”
I was about to slide off the truck bed but Logan lightly grabbed my arm. “I can take her back, Burrows,” he said.
I looked at the cup in his hand and shook my head. “No, you can’t,” I told him. “You drank more than I did.”
Logan gave a little laugh and bent down and picked something up off the ground. “I’ve been drinking non-alcoholic cider the whole night,” he chuckled, showing me the bottle. “Do you want to ride with the perv that Eileen’s riding with, or do you want to make it safe and hop into my truck?”
“Hey!” Eileen cried, pointing a finger in Logan’s face. “That’s my uncle you’re talking about.” I watched Logan stare down Eileen incredulously, and Eileen finally nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you’re right. Uncle Petey is a pervert.”
The three of us laughed as Uncle Petey himself drove up to the truck. Eileen kissed my cheek and I told her I’d see her in a minute or two. Then I hopped off the truck bed and popped the door back into place.
“So…” Logan sighed. “You really want to go back to Winnaman right now?”
I looked at him sluggishly and nodded. “It’s pretty late and I think I need to hug a toilet now.”
Logan gave a little laugh and helped me into the passenger seat of his truck. “I’ll try my best to make the ride as pleasant as I can.”
One corner of my mouth lifted up slightly, making a small smirk on my face. Logan shut the door and ran to the other side. Logan did as he said he would and avoided all bumps and ditches in the wooded area, which made the drive to Winnaman a little longer than the drive from Winnaman to the wooded area. I was definitely grateful though. I went from feeling great that I had drank the beer to feeling like I needed to get rid of it, quickly.
Logan parked in front my dormitory and shut off the engine. “Well, we’re here,” he announced.
I sighed heavily and unbuckled my seatbelt. “Thanks, Logan. Thank you for the ride, the talk, and…yeah,” I ditzily replied.
Logan laughed and reached across me to open the door. In the process, I caught a whiff of his cologne. He smelt so much like Max, which was odd, because Max had a naturally unique aroma. The door popped open and the images of Max in my head vanished, completely waking me back to reality.
I looked over at Logan, smiled, and started to get out of the truck. I guess I didn’t plant my foot on the step as much as I thought I did, because I found myself on the asphalt. Logan rushed out of the truck and ran to my side.
“Maybe I should help you to your room,” he laughed.
I nodded in agreement as he grabbed my arm and helped me up. The ride had gone smoothly and I felt no need to release the contents of my stomach, but as I got out of the car and fell on my bottom, the urge came back. Logan hurried me up the three flights of stairs to my floor and down the hallway.
“Do you have your key?” he asked. I shook my head as he started to pound on the locked door, but he got no response. “Uncle Petey might have taken Eileen out for an early breakfast. I hope your dean doesn’t mind me breaking down the door.”
“No!” I jumped. “No, I don’t think you should do that. I think Dean Hawkins would be really upset. The door’s probably jammed,” I lied. “I can get it, but it’s…um…a secret, so you’ll have to step back.”
Logan showed his hands to the door and backed away graciously. I gave a little smile and looked over my shoulder to make sure he was a good distance away. I hope this works, I thought. I placed my hand over the lock in the doorknob and concentrated hard. Max had once told me that using their telekinetic powers was just wanting something to do something and picturing it happening in your mind. So, that’s what I did. I pictured inside the doorknob and the miniature latches becoming unlocked. When I felt that I had done it, I turned the knob, expecting it to turn, and it did.
“There we go,” I said relieved.
Logan gave a little laugh. “Nice,” he grinned.
I grinned back. “Thanks again for everything.”
“You know,” Logan said slyly, “I think that maybe I should wait with you until Eileen comes back.”
I nodded and let Logan walk in. He looked around my somewhat decorated room and seemed impressed.
“It’s actually not much,” I told him.
Logan laughed and sat down on my bed. “It’s a whole lot better than what we’ve got at Grant’s. If you think it sucks having a roommate, try having three in a dorm three-fourths the size of this room.”
I shut the door and took a seat next to Logan. “If you hate it at Grant so much, why don’t you just leave?”
Logan’s smile died away again. I sure knew how to kill someone’s joy. “I need Grant Academy,” Logan said. “I need it to shape up my life. I couldn’t let anyone else get hurt because of the lifestyle that I led, so I needed to change it.”
In a night that I hoped I would forget about Max Evans, I was constantly reminded of him. Max would never be able to change his lifestyle, but the people that loved him, including me, found ways to adjust to it. We were all going to get hurt somehow because of Max, Michael, Isabel’s lifestyle, which I would have to adopt also being what I have become. We all knew the consequences and benefits, and we agreed to them all, good and bad.
“You’re a great guy, Logan,” I told him.
Logan flashed his great smile. “Thanks,” he nodded. “You know, tonight, I’ve shared more with you than anybody in my life.”
“I shared a lot with you too,” I smiled back.
Logan looked at me with his blue eyes that, even in the dark, you could tell were a light blue. Then after holding onto an eye lock, Logan leaned forward and kissed me. His warms lips touched mine, opening while he tilted his head for a different angle. We continued to kiss as he continued to lean forward and I leaned back, holding onto his shirt to ease myself towards my bed.
He started to lift his hand up my blouse and I started work on his shirt, unbuttoning each button slowly while we kissed. I realized I came to the last button and that’s where I stopped. This wasn’t right. He wasn’t Max. Logan might have smelt like Max and almost had the same charm as my ex-fiancé, but he wasn’t Max, the Max that I wanted to have my first time with. It didn’t feel right kissing Logan because kissing him felt like nothing to me. And it tasted odd, which I realized later was alcohol. Logan lied when he said he drank, because I could taste alcohol in his mouth and it wasn’t the beer I had, it was a strong liquor.
I had gotten so used to Max's kisses. Kisses that set off sparks inside of me every single time our lips touched. Kisses that let me see into Max soul, that let him see into my soul. It was a kiss from Max that had bound my soul to it’s soul mate, his. And a kiss from Logan made me realize how much I missed and wanted one from Max. I wanted Max, only Max.
“I can’t do this,” I said, pushing Logan off of me. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“What?!” he asked shocked. “Come on.”
I shook my head and continued shoving at Logan’s chest. “I don’t want to do this. I thought I did, but I don’t.”
Logan forced himself down on and kissed my neck. “It’ll be really quick,” he said. “I won’t hurt you.”
“I’m serious, Logan. Get off!”
He continued kissing my neck as he continued to try to take off my blouse. I tried kicking and pushing, but Logan was way bigger than I was and much stronger. The more exhausted I got, the more I got scared.
“Please!” I started to cry.
“Liz, relax,” Logan ordered.
As he continued kissing my neck. I was relieved to hear the door open. The light in the hall silhouetted the figure who wasn’t Eileen. I was blinded by the light and couldn’t see the stranger. But as soon as the stranger spoke, I knew who it was.
TBC
Chapter 40
[Liz]
“You know, you can handle beer pretty well,” Logan told me. I looked at my now empty cup and shrugged. “Though, you kind of slowed down there,” he continued. “Your first three cups went down pretty quick, but the next two were a little slower.”
I shook my head as my eyes rolled to the back of my head. The five cups I had tonight were enough to numb all the pain in me, and that’s exactly what I wanted. I didn’t want to feel all the pain that Max had brought me and I felt responsible for the pain that Max brought to Danny, that needed numbing too. And the great thing after five beers, I didn’t even feel the least bit drunk. So, I guess I was going two for two.
“Liz!” someone shouted. My eyes roamed from staring at Logan’s spikey locks to Eileen who jogged over to us. “Hey,” she smiled. “Listen, everyone’s heading back to the schools now. The friend I borrowed the car from came over and he’s going to drive us back to Winnaman.”
I was about to slide off the truck bed but Logan lightly grabbed my arm. “I can take her back, Burrows,” he said.
I looked at the cup in his hand and shook my head. “No, you can’t,” I told him. “You drank more than I did.”
Logan gave a little laugh and bent down and picked something up off the ground. “I’ve been drinking non-alcoholic cider the whole night,” he chuckled, showing me the bottle. “Do you want to ride with the perv that Eileen’s riding with, or do you want to make it safe and hop into my truck?”
“Hey!” Eileen cried, pointing a finger in Logan’s face. “That’s my uncle you’re talking about.” I watched Logan stare down Eileen incredulously, and Eileen finally nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you’re right. Uncle Petey is a pervert.”
The three of us laughed as Uncle Petey himself drove up to the truck. Eileen kissed my cheek and I told her I’d see her in a minute or two. Then I hopped off the truck bed and popped the door back into place.
“So…” Logan sighed. “You really want to go back to Winnaman right now?”
I looked at him sluggishly and nodded. “It’s pretty late and I think I need to hug a toilet now.”
Logan gave a little laugh and helped me into the passenger seat of his truck. “I’ll try my best to make the ride as pleasant as I can.”
One corner of my mouth lifted up slightly, making a small smirk on my face. Logan shut the door and ran to the other side. Logan did as he said he would and avoided all bumps and ditches in the wooded area, which made the drive to Winnaman a little longer than the drive from Winnaman to the wooded area. I was definitely grateful though. I went from feeling great that I had drank the beer to feeling like I needed to get rid of it, quickly.
Logan parked in front my dormitory and shut off the engine. “Well, we’re here,” he announced.
I sighed heavily and unbuckled my seatbelt. “Thanks, Logan. Thank you for the ride, the talk, and…yeah,” I ditzily replied.
Logan laughed and reached across me to open the door. In the process, I caught a whiff of his cologne. He smelt so much like Max, which was odd, because Max had a naturally unique aroma. The door popped open and the images of Max in my head vanished, completely waking me back to reality.
I looked over at Logan, smiled, and started to get out of the truck. I guess I didn’t plant my foot on the step as much as I thought I did, because I found myself on the asphalt. Logan rushed out of the truck and ran to my side.
“Maybe I should help you to your room,” he laughed.
I nodded in agreement as he grabbed my arm and helped me up. The ride had gone smoothly and I felt no need to release the contents of my stomach, but as I got out of the car and fell on my bottom, the urge came back. Logan hurried me up the three flights of stairs to my floor and down the hallway.
“Do you have your key?” he asked. I shook my head as he started to pound on the locked door, but he got no response. “Uncle Petey might have taken Eileen out for an early breakfast. I hope your dean doesn’t mind me breaking down the door.”
“No!” I jumped. “No, I don’t think you should do that. I think Dean Hawkins would be really upset. The door’s probably jammed,” I lied. “I can get it, but it’s…um…a secret, so you’ll have to step back.”
Logan showed his hands to the door and backed away graciously. I gave a little smile and looked over my shoulder to make sure he was a good distance away. I hope this works, I thought. I placed my hand over the lock in the doorknob and concentrated hard. Max had once told me that using their telekinetic powers was just wanting something to do something and picturing it happening in your mind. So, that’s what I did. I pictured inside the doorknob and the miniature latches becoming unlocked. When I felt that I had done it, I turned the knob, expecting it to turn, and it did.
“There we go,” I said relieved.
Logan gave a little laugh. “Nice,” he grinned.
I grinned back. “Thanks again for everything.”
“You know,” Logan said slyly, “I think that maybe I should wait with you until Eileen comes back.”
I nodded and let Logan walk in. He looked around my somewhat decorated room and seemed impressed.
“It’s actually not much,” I told him.
Logan laughed and sat down on my bed. “It’s a whole lot better than what we’ve got at Grant’s. If you think it sucks having a roommate, try having three in a dorm three-fourths the size of this room.”
I shut the door and took a seat next to Logan. “If you hate it at Grant so much, why don’t you just leave?”
Logan’s smile died away again. I sure knew how to kill someone’s joy. “I need Grant Academy,” Logan said. “I need it to shape up my life. I couldn’t let anyone else get hurt because of the lifestyle that I led, so I needed to change it.”
In a night that I hoped I would forget about Max Evans, I was constantly reminded of him. Max would never be able to change his lifestyle, but the people that loved him, including me, found ways to adjust to it. We were all going to get hurt somehow because of Max, Michael, Isabel’s lifestyle, which I would have to adopt also being what I have become. We all knew the consequences and benefits, and we agreed to them all, good and bad.
“You’re a great guy, Logan,” I told him.
Logan flashed his great smile. “Thanks,” he nodded. “You know, tonight, I’ve shared more with you than anybody in my life.”
“I shared a lot with you too,” I smiled back.
Logan looked at me with his blue eyes that, even in the dark, you could tell were a light blue. Then after holding onto an eye lock, Logan leaned forward and kissed me. His warms lips touched mine, opening while he tilted his head for a different angle. We continued to kiss as he continued to lean forward and I leaned back, holding onto his shirt to ease myself towards my bed.
He started to lift his hand up my blouse and I started work on his shirt, unbuttoning each button slowly while we kissed. I realized I came to the last button and that’s where I stopped. This wasn’t right. He wasn’t Max. Logan might have smelt like Max and almost had the same charm as my ex-fiancé, but he wasn’t Max, the Max that I wanted to have my first time with. It didn’t feel right kissing Logan because kissing him felt like nothing to me. And it tasted odd, which I realized later was alcohol. Logan lied when he said he drank, because I could taste alcohol in his mouth and it wasn’t the beer I had, it was a strong liquor.
I had gotten so used to Max's kisses. Kisses that set off sparks inside of me every single time our lips touched. Kisses that let me see into Max soul, that let him see into my soul. It was a kiss from Max that had bound my soul to it’s soul mate, his. And a kiss from Logan made me realize how much I missed and wanted one from Max. I wanted Max, only Max.
“I can’t do this,” I said, pushing Logan off of me. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“What?!” he asked shocked. “Come on.”
I shook my head and continued shoving at Logan’s chest. “I don’t want to do this. I thought I did, but I don’t.”
Logan forced himself down on and kissed my neck. “It’ll be really quick,” he said. “I won’t hurt you.”
“I’m serious, Logan. Get off!”
He continued kissing my neck as he continued to try to take off my blouse. I tried kicking and pushing, but Logan was way bigger than I was and much stronger. The more exhausted I got, the more I got scared.
“Please!” I started to cry.
“Liz, relax,” Logan ordered.
As he continued kissing my neck. I was relieved to hear the door open. The light in the hall silhouetted the figure who wasn’t Eileen. I was blinded by the light and couldn’t see the stranger. But as soon as the stranger spoke, I knew who it was.
TBC
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