Roswell Fanatics

ISABEL

I wonder what Alex is thinking about. Maybe he’s annoyed that I’m dragging him out of the club. Maybe he’s thinking about that girl from work. What’s her name again? Oh yeah, I remember. Redheaded whore. Yeah, I hate her.

I need to shop thinking about Alex and focus on something…different. I love my Gucci shoes. I should think about kissing them instead of Alex because they aren’t my friend and they are lovely. They won’t make me feel stupid or like a loser. They make me feel special.

Alex makes me feel special too.

Oh crap. He’s offering me his arm. I don’t want to touch him.

"So, where to Mi'lady?"

Back inside the club, please, because being out here alone with you is a big mistake.

I hesitate before talking Alex’s arm. Okay, that wasn’t too hard and damn, look how cute we look in that shop window. Aww…Wait. What am I saying? Crazy, crazy, crazy.

“This way” I say, dragging him towards the beach, away from all shiny objects.

We in silence for while that suits me fine. After the loudness of the club, its nice to have some peace.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask, because seriously I can only take a minute's silence.

Alex

It's amazing, we aren't 100 feet away from the clubs and yet, almost no one is here, it's like we are the only people in the world. Or me and Isabel stranded on a tropical island. All alone.

I better not go there, if I start thinking about such scenaries, I'll do something utterly stupid and risk ruining my friendship with Isabel and probably end up with her kicking Alex jr.

Looking up, I frown slightly, even though we're a bit away from the clubs, there are still to many lights to see the stars. Oh well, gazing at the stars with Isabel now would have been too corny anyway.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Uh, nothing?" It comes out more as a question then an anwer when I turn back to Isabel in surprise. I can clearly see she's not believing me but seriously, I can't tell her about my 'stranded on a tropical island' phantasies, now can I?

"This will sound stupid and all but ..." I glance down at the sand for a moment, trying to think of something to say before looking back into her eyes again, "... but earlier in the club it ... it looked like you were sad for a moment and I was just curious why. I mean, you seemed to have a good time and then suddenly ..."

I shrug slightly, not knowing how to continue. "Is there anything you wanna talk about? Maybe I can help?"

*Max*

I sit here with Liz, talking about the different ways I'd screwed up on my first week as a teacher's aid. Nothing major really, but it seemed that way at the time. Forgetting the principal's name. A turn-of-phrase that came out all wrong and made me look like a fool. "Then one kid went totally ballistic when I tried to get him to sit down. He laid on his chair on his stomach and started swimming in air!"

That visual seems to make Liz smile and I'm glad. The thing I want most in the world is for her to be happy but from my conversation with Alex the other week, I don't think she likes me at all. Still, I try to be casual and nice hoping I can at least be a friend. It's nothing that doesn't come naturally. I like being nice to Liz. I just have to be careful that she doesn't see how much it's killing me to not be with her. To not touch her silky hair or to kiss her soft lips.

Stop it, I tell myself. That isn't helping.

I glance at the dancefloor where Tess went off to dance with Kyle. He's so annoying, I hope he isn't making her uncomfortable. But no, she doesn't seem to be unhappy at all.

This is so messed up. I should have broken up with her a week ago, because I know it's not going to go anywhere. As much as I like her, she's not going to be 'the one.' A year after this show is over, I don't imagine I'll be sharing more than Christmas cards with her. It's not fair to go on like this with her. It really isn't. I just don't want to hurt her.

I notice Alex and Izzy are talking at the bar. That's nice. It seems that they've found their way back to being friends. The only downside to that is that I can't hang with him tonight like I kinda expected that we would. Still, I can't complain about being with Liz -- even if it is a bit difficult to do, hiding my feelings like this.

I open my mouth to make a comment about Alex and Isabel, but I stop myself. I think I did see her glancing in that direction but I don't want all our conversations to be about other people in the house -- even if getting the two of them together had been the best reason I had to be talking to Liz for the past two weeks.

I look across the small table at Liz. I would really like to be exchanging more than Christmas cards with her when this is over but she'll be in Georgia and I'll be back in New Mexico. Or will she? Maybe she's planning to move somewhere-else when she graduates. No, not likely with her friends and family all there. I bet I could move but there wouldn't be any reason to. She wouldn't ever want that.

It's such a shame that she's alone and hasn't found anyone to keep her company while she was here. Nobody from work or anything. Struggling to be heard over the music, I lean closer to Liz.

"So, if you could vacation anywhere in the world for three weeks, all expenses paid, where would you go?" I ask.

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

We’re sitting at the bar on the side of the dance floor that’s teaming with people doing . . . I don’t know what. It’s not quite dancing, looks a little more than just <I>dancing</I> if you ask me, but that’s just about the only word that could describe it. I turn away from that and instead choose to focus on Max, whose telling me of some of his more amusing days at teaching. A smile teases my lips as he couldn’t get a student to just sit in his seat.

This is nice, getting to know Max, the Max outside of everything now, outside of what he’s done here. Finding out about Max the teacher, Max the not quite disciplinarian. Max. I take a sip of my drink and am about to ask how long he spent as an aide before becoming a teacher, but he beats me to speaking, instead surprising me with a question of an entirely different topic.

“So, if you could vacation anywhere in the world for three weeks, all expenses paid, where would you go?”

“Anywhere in the world?” I ask, and he nods. I look down at the table top, as though the answer is written there if only I could read it. Worrying my lip I look up at him and ask a question, “Would I be alone or could I bring someone else be with me?”

*Max*

“Anywhere in the world?” Liz asks. “Would I be alone or could I bring someone else be with me?”

"You could bring anyone with you that you like," I say with a smile. That was actually going to be my next question -- Who she'd want to bring along on her exotic trip. We can combine them if that makes it easier for her to think it through. "Up to say ... four other people if you want that many or just one special person, if you prefer."

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

“You could bring anyone with you that you like,” he replies, smiling. “Up to say . . . four other people if you want that many or just one special person, if you prefer.”

He answered that too quickly. The answer doesn’t really impact my answer. I was just using it as time to try and think of an answer. Anywhere in the world. Anywhere. Everything is open—available. All those sights, all those places, how am I to choose one over the other?

“Well, one person, to start with,” I tell him with a smile. “If too many people are there, it’s harder to please them all. Much easier to handle the wishes and desires of just one other person to have as company, to share the experience with, don’t you think?” I ask but continue on without giving him time to answer.

“And as for where . . .” I trail off, biting my bottom lip, closing my eyes as sights flash over the dark curtain of my closed lids, Paris, Rome, London, Cairo, Tokyo, Hong Kong, New York.

“Everywhere,” I answer with a wide smile that I hope he won’t be able to argue with. “But I think I might have trouble finding that one special person. I don’t think I know someone that’d want to go everywhere with me.” I look at him over the small space of the table between us, watching as the lights of the club wash over him at different intervals, shadows playing over his face.

*Max*

I nod as Liz decides on one person. I'm about to comment but she goes right on with her musing, finally deciding to go ... everywhere. I have to smile at that but I try not to laugh.

“But I think I might have trouble finding that one special person. I don’t think I know someone that’d want to go everywhere with me.” she adds and I can't help but think I saw a flash of sadness in her eyes.

"Everywhere?" I repeat, raising an eyebrow, wondering which 'everywheres' were on the top of her list. "You might need more than three weeks then, but since this is imaginary, I'll give you all the time you want."

"As for who would go with you," I say slowly, reaching out to lay one hand over hers. "I really don't think that would be hard. You're so perfect. Pretty and nice and intelligent and a great sense of fun. There have to be two dozen people at the station who would love to be with you. Isn't there anybody that you're interested in?" I search her face while trying to fight the demons in my stomach. The ones rioting at the thought of Liz with anyone-else. But I want her to be happy. I'll even help her get together with someone-else if that's what she wants -- at least I think I would, but it might kill me.

Isabel

Thank God, he is not a mind reader. If only he knew what had been running through my mind just before my moment for ‘sadness’.

Do I want to talk about it? Yes. No. Maybe. No. God, this must be how Alex felt before I found out about his…feelings for me. I wonder if he still feels anything for me. I probably crushed his feelings with my stupid giant feet.

I turn and look out towards the darkness of the sea. The waves crashes against the rocks and I’m sure at, any other time, I would find the scene captivating. But not now and not here. Not with Alex standing so close to me. “I don’t know. It was probably the fact my eardrums were about to burst.”

I lie, because it safer than saying I thought you were going to kiss me, but then you didn’t.

edited it 'cause I thought of something better

Alex

“I don’t know. It was probably the fact my eardrums were about to burst.”

"Aww, poor baby." I tease her, rubbing her right shoulder affectionately with a big grin on my face. I then turn serious, since Isabel hurting is a very serious topic for me.

"Are you feeling better now? Is there anything I can do to make it better?" I ask doubtfully, as I lean a bit closer to Isabel so I can get a better look at her. Not really thinking about what I'm doing, I reach up with my hand, letting my fingers brush against her temple in a - hopefully - calming manner.

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

“Everywhere?” he asks, an eyebrow raised to accent the question in his tone. “You might need more than three weeks then, but since this is imaginary, I’ll give you all the time you want.”

My head falls forward, trying to hide the blush that he might see even in the low light.

“As for who would go with you,” he continues, and I can barely hear him over the music pumping through the room. And then I feel the warmth of his hand cover mine, a gentle pressure of his palm and fingers. I look up into his eyes and wait for him to finish. “I really don’t think that would be hard. You’re so perfect. Pretty and nice and intelligent and a great sense of fun. There have to be two dozen people at the station who would love to be with you.”

Maybe, but I don’t want to be with them. I don’t want to go everywhere with those two dozen people at the station. All I can think of is one person I’d like to see all those places with.

“Isn’t there anyone you’re interested in?”

“I don’t know about those two dozen people. And you sound so sure, make is sound like traveling with me is so great. What about you, Max? Would you go everywhere with me?”

And before I can think better of it, I imagine going everywhere, seeing everything with Max--laughing and joking and smiling and always my hand in his.