Roswell Fanatics

Title: The Ex Factor: A Lesson in Growing a Pair
Author: Sweetbrowneyes a.k.a Tiffany
Category: M/L Max/Danni Liz/Chase
Rating: Mature
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. Roswell doesn’t belong to me, but it if did a lot of things would be different…
Summary: A young relationship goes sour. Years later you realize that sometimes you just need to grow a pair.
A/N: Dreamer Insured for those who worry lol.



June 1994

He had always admired her from afar. Had always admired her outspokenness, the way she seemed to capture everyone’s attention when she walked into a room. She was everything he wasn’t and yet when she was alone, when no one was looking, he could see a little bit of himself. Deep down, he knew that she wasn’t the person everyone else saw.

Though she had a plethora of friends and adoring minions he could see the inkling of sadness and loneliness lurking just on the edges of her presence. He had always wondered what caused it. Always longed to take that look out of her eyes because he knew how it felt.

But he never got close enough. To him, she was larger than life. She was one of the beautiful people, part of the “in” crowd that had shunned him since he could remember.

But she seemed different. To him, she was special. He fell in love. And his fall started on a clear night in the seventh grade…
********

Max scanned the group of kids that surrounded the camp fire looking for a familiar, friendly face.

Once their tents were set up, everyone had dispersed into their cliques, leaving Max standing alone. He had no idea why he let Kyle talk him into this. As he watched the other kids laughing and enjoying themselves he felt out of place. He wondered why he was the only one feeling the way he was.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder. He jumped, barely containing a yelp at being startled. He turned to see the smiling face of his best friend. “Max! There you are. I was looking for you.”

“Kyle, I can’t believe you talked me into this. I’d rather be home watching TV.”

Kyle snorted and shoved a bag of marshmallows in Max’s hands. “You always watch TV.”

“It’s educational.”

Kyle raised a brow in disbelief. “Watching cartoons is educational?”

Max blushed and Kyle groaned, walking away to find a spot around the fire, knowing Max would follow.

Max had to roll his eyes when he saw the spot Kyle had picked. Right next to Kelly Keen.

“Hey Kelly.”

The young girl smiled, fluttering her flashes. “Hi Kyle.”

Never forgetting his friend, Kyle gestured to Max. “You remember Max, don’t you?”

Again the girl smiled. She was nice, one of the few wealthy kids who didn’t act like she was above everyone else.

“Sure I do. Hi Max. How’s it going?”

Max flushed and opened his mouth to stutter out, “I’m going…its going great. Thanks.”

Kyle sighed and leaned over to whisper to his socially challenged friend. “Max, will you chill out on the blushing. We’re men now. We can’t be going around with our cheeks all red.”

“I can’t help it.”

“Well, un-flush your face. You’re making me look bad.”

Max quickly forgot about his embarrassment and smirked at Kyle. “I thought you didn’t like her.”

“I don’t,” he growled defensively before his tone returned to its usual friendly manner. “Look, I know you hate this kind of thing and I thank you for coming with me but we’re only here for two nights. Let’s make the best of it.”

Sighing as he looked around the crowd of his peers, Max reluctantly nodded.

Tugging at the sleeves of long sleeved shirt, Max tried to join the conversation between Kyle and Kelly. But apparently, flirting only involved two people. Instead he watched his friend, wondering how Kyle struck up a conversation so easily and why people seemed to gravitate to him while Max was always…forgotten.

He prayed that this little camping trip would go by as smooth as possible so he could go back to his simple life unscathed.
***********

Max quietly crawled out of his tent with his flashlight and made the trek towards the restrooms. Watching his best friend have fun was thirsty business and now he was feeling the effects of the many waters he’d had.

Feeling lighter when he was finished, Max stepped out of the restrooms, wondering why who ever kept the campsite clean didn’t bother to clean the bathrooms.

As he stepped outside, he spotted several flashlight beams bouncing off the tree trunks nearby and the silhouettes of several girls huddled together as they headed back to the site.

He was just close enough to hear their conversation.

“We should go back.”

“And get lost? I don’t think so.”

“Liz is smart. She knows moss grows on the east or something…”

“We’re going to get in trouble.”

“It’s her fault for taking the dare. I say we leave her out there. Little miss perfect will find her way back.”

“What if a bear eats her?”

“There’re no bears…”

“What if she’s captured by aliens...”

He heard their giggles as they continued and then disappeared among the trees. His gaze swung to the direction in which they came from.

He remembered a time when girls disgusted him. Now at twelve Max was smitten with his first crush.

And now Liz was lost.

He had the opportunity to be her knight in shining… Well, he wasn’t noble and brave enough to be a knight and he didn’t own anything shiny enough to be considered armor.

Nonetheless, she would notice him after this.

Flipping on his flashlight, Max started in the direction opposite the campsite.

He’d be her court jester in long johns and pajamas.

TBC……

Thanks for the feedback!

L-J-L 76
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I'm aiming to post every Thursday until I finish writing this. I meant to post yesterday, but my muse wasn't working properly lol

<center>Part 2</center>

13 Years Later

Liz walked the busy streets of the city, enjoying the sun’s rays beaming down, weaving in between the buildings and landing on her; as if they were looking just for her.

Of course it wasn’t the golden flakes that flickered and floated down from the sky that she found beautiful, it was the fact that the beams of light brought out the new highlights she just had put in her hair.

Her hairdresser thought that the contrast between her naturally dark tresses and light brown highlights accentuated her tanned skin and made her blue eye contacts stand out. As she caught her reflection in a store window when she passed, she couldn’t agree more. She was pleased, as she should be considering she was paying him a fortune every few weeks for touchups.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance as the traffic light turned green and she was forced to stop her stride and wait at the corner. The pedestrians crowded around, also waiting for the light to change. Liz stepped to the side, her disdain at having to walk creeping on her.

Her driver had come down with the flu. And none of her father’s other employees were available. So it was either walk or take a cab. And she’d rather die before climb into one of those unkempt yellow things again. They were almost as bad as the subway.

Amongst the noisy bustle of the city, her cell phone rang. Shifting her shopping bags in her hands she dug around in her brand new Louis Vuitton purse.

“Hello?”

“Hey Liz. Where are you?”

The light finally turned and she crossed the street. “I’m headed home. I had to do a little shopping.”

“Did you get those heels Morgan was eyeing the other day?”

Liz grinned as she ducked through the crowd of common people. “Among a few other things.”

Lynn laughed into the phone. “She is going to kill you when she finds out that you got them. You know how much she wanted them.”

“Tough luck kid. Survival of the richest.”

After a quick agreement, Lynn gasped deeply. “Oh my God! Guess who I saw today?”

“Who?”

“Trini, Trixi, and Tasha!”

“The Scott triplets? Where?”

“They were at the Coffee Bean looking as slutty as ever.”

“I thought they were in Europe? What are they doing here?”

“I didn’t talk to them. Morgan was whining again because she wanted to go get pedicures so I didn’t get a chance. But before we left I did see something interesting.”

Seeing Liz headed his way, the doorman in front of her apartment building hastily opened the door for her. “How do you do this afternoon Miss Parker?”

Gracefully slipping through the door, Liz gave him a look of distaste. The doorman simply smiled as she disappeared through the doors.

One day someone was going to knock her off her high horse and he was going to enjoy watching it. Until then, he’d happily take her pity tips. He had a wife and new born to feed.

“What happened, Lynn?”

“I saw Trini flirting with your boyfriend.”

“What?!” Granted he wasn’t really her boyfriend per se. But he would be if he’d just notice her… “What did he do?”

She stepped into the private elevator and leaned against the railing as her stomach dropped when she began to rise.

“I didn’t get to see much, but from what I saw, he didn’t look like he was enjoying it.”

“And who would in the company of someone like her?”

“Exactly. Can you believe we actually hung out with those losers in high school?”

Crunching her face in disgust, Liz clicked her tongue as if she had a bad taste in her mouth. “Yeah well, they were cool back then. I mean it’s only natural that our group split up. They were always jealous of us.”

At the other end of the line, Lynn laughed and the elevator chimed. At the top floor to her building, the doors opened, and Liz stepped into her penthouse apartment.

“When are you going to talk to that guy anyway? It’s been like three weeks since you’ve been silently after him?”

“I’m pacing myself, giving him subtle hints before I go in for the kill.”

Lynn rolled her eyes and thought ‘yeah right.’ She knew Liz wouldn’t admit that she was nervous about going up to this guy because she really liked him. “What’s his name anyway?”

Liz shrugged as she went about putting away her newly purchased items in her room. “I’m not sure, I just know that his family owns that hotel chain. I didn’t catch his name, but I’ll find out soon.”

“Yeah, okay,” she answered with a touch of disbelief. “Hey are you coming out with us tonight?”

“Definitely, I have to show off my new shoes.”

“You are so bad girl!”

Liz was smiling when she spotted the blinking light on her answering machine. She kicked off her shoes, making a note to have someone massage her feet later and replayed her messages.

There were several from a few guys that she was considering going out with followed by one from her father asking her to call him back as soon as possible.

“Lynn, I’ll call you back later. Daddy wants me to call him.”

“Okay. I’ll see you later tonight.”

“Yeah. Later.”

After she hung up she dialed her parents’ number. It rung three times before their butler, Thomas, picked up.

“Parker’s residence.”

“Where’s Daddy?”

“Oh Miss Elizabeth, one moment please. You father is just wrapping up another phone call.”

Liz rolled her eyes at having to wait. A few moments later, his familiar voice rumbled over the line. “Lizzie!”

“Hi Daddy.”

“How’s my favorite girl in the world?”

“I’m good. Hey I thought me and Mom tied for your favorite girls.”

“Yeah well, she’s being temporarily demoted. She won’t let me have any steak. Just leafy green crap.”

“Daddy, you’re on a diet. You have to watch your health.”

“I know. But still… It’s not fair.” She could just picture her father pouting. Anyone would be startled to see one of the most powerful businessmen in the world whining because his wife wouldn’t allow him to eat what he wanted. But that was Jeffery Parker, he was tough, but had a big heart at his core.

“So, was there something you needed to talk to me about Daddy?” she asked sweetly, her tone mimicking the one she used when she was trying to coerce him into getting something for her.

“Yeah. I wanted to let you know that you’re mother and I will be visiting in a few days. We’re going to be doing business with your Uncle Nathan. We’re all getting together for dinner so make sure you don’t have anything planned for the sixteenth.”

Liz sighed, dreading having to be trapped at a table while her parents and Uncle talk business and politics. “But Daddy, I think I have plans for that day.”

“Well cancel them. Family’s more important. Besides, your mother and I have something to talk to you about.”

Regrettably, she agreed. As long as he kept paying all her bills, it didn’t really matter. “Okay. I gotta go Daddy. I’ll talk to you later. Kiss Mom for me.”

“Will do Princess. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

She hung up the phone, tossed it aside and yelled for the cook. With a bowl of grapes, she relaxed along the couch, living like the queen she thought she was.

TBC……..

Hey everyone... I'm like three minutes late, but I'm here lol. Thanks for the feedback!

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Enjoy

<center>Part 3</center>

The diner was overflowing with activity, every table filled and every seat at the counter occupied.

Kyle strolled in, gliding pass the cramped space, dodging rampant kids and chairs as they backed away from their tables. He nodded at the waiters and waitresses as he made his way to the back room.

The office door was closed and he knocked once before he stepped inside.

“Hey Max.” His friend sat behind a large wooden desk, the top covered with numerous papers and documents. The office had just been redecorated and the cabinets and other furniture were matched nicely with the light wood of his desk. Just as the entire diner, it was welcoming and the overstuffed, comfortable chairs always looked so inviting that every time Kyle visited, he made it a point to flop down on the couch that was pushed against wall.

Max looked up briefly from his work to smile fondly at his long-time friend. “Hey Kyle.”

As he flopped onto the couch, Kyle ran his eyes across the numerous pictures of Max’s family, friends and employees on the wall.

“Hey! How come I’m not up there?” Kyle asked, pointing to the photos. “We’ve known each other since kindergarten and this is how you treat me?” He gasped, as he stood to get a closer look at the pictures. His face, one that he thought was so handsome and worthy of being in pictures, was missing from the wall.

Rolling his eyes, Max calmly grabbed a framed photo on his desk and turned it toward Kyle, revealing a picture that was taken of both of them not too long ago at a local park.

“Happy?”

Kyle made a face. “Are you sure that’s appropriate? I mean a picture of your guy best friend on your desk where you can stare at it all day? That’s… I mean I’m just saying that’s a little weird…”

Sighing, Max shoved the photo in his desk drawer and slammed it shut. “That better?” He said, raising his brow in amusement.

“That’s the only other option I get?”

“It’s either on the desk or in the drawer. All or nothing.”

“I hate you,” he laughed sinking back down on the couch. “So you’re hiding out back here while all of your minions run the chaos outside?”

“I know it’s bad out there. How crowded is it?”

“Very. There’s not an empty seat in the place. How long have you been holed up back here?”

“I’ve been crunching some numbers. I’d better get out there and help.”

Max grabbed his apron and headed for the door. Before he could leave, Kyle stopped him.

“Hey, you’re coming out with us tonight though, right?”

Max shook his head, turning to regard him. “I don’t know.”

“Come on Max. We’re celebrating. Michael’s girlfriend is moving here from Boston. It’ll be a while before he can hang out with the guys again.”

With a cocked brow, Max queried, “And why is that?”

“Come on Max, you can’t be that naïve. They haven’t seen each other in months. I’m sure he’s spent lots of time enjoying himself when no one is around if you know what I mean,” he said, moving his hand in a gesture that was clearly vulgar and had Max flushing.

“Yeah, didn’t need to know that.”

“Don’t act like you don’t do it too. It’s encoded in a male’s genetic structure.”

“What do you know about genetics? The only genes you know are the ones on your ass,” Max joked.

Kyle smiled, though he tried to frown. “That was lame, Max.”

Max slipped out of the office, hoping Kyle would get the hint and leave. Instead, he followed him into the kitchen.

“Not to say that Michael didn’t have any offers coming his way though. Remember that one girl at that thing… and oh! Danni wanted a piece of that too…”

Max whirled around, halting the process of stuffing his hair in a hair net. “What?!”

“Your girlfriend’s hot. I admit I’d jump on that in a second too.”

Max grabbed the nearest object, a wooden spoon, and threateningly waved it Kyle. In a calm yet threatening tone he asked, “You wanna say that again?”

Kyle laughed at the image of his normally, calm, gentle friend beating him with a wooden spoon. “Chill out man. I’m just kidding.”

Max relaxed and set his weapon back on the counter. “Good. And she’s not my girlfriend. I don’t like her like that.”

Kyle followed him as he moved through the kitchen. “Yeah right. And all that spoon business was for nothing.”

“Yeah well, you keep your paws off her. I’m sure she wouldn’t like you corrupting her.”

Kyle smirked and hopped onto the counter beside Max, winking at Ashley, one of the other chefs as she giggled and waved flirtatiously. “Who says that I corrupt women? I’m a good guy.”

Max ignored him and concentrated on the other cooks and people coming in and out of the kitchen.

After Max bullied Kyle into helping out, the crowd thinned out as afternoon turned into late evening. Max left Jacob, the assistant manager and head cook, in charge of the staff and retreated back into his office. He packed up and left for the night, hoping to hole himself in his apartment before the guys came over and dragged him out.

He wasn’t inside his apartment for two minutes before the doorbell rung. He contemplated not answering on the off chance it was them. But he knew better. They would find a way in, one way or another.

“Yeah?” he called through the door.

“Hey Max. It’s me.”

Max immediately smiled at the voice that was distinctly not Michael, Kyle, or Alex’s. “One second!”

He hurried into the bathroom. He looked pitiful, he thought as he checked himself in the mirror.

He quickly ran a comb through his thick locks, freshened his breath and rolled on some deodorant.

He returned and calmly pulled the door open.

“Hey Danni.”

“Hey. Sorry to just drop by. I called but I didn’t get an answer.”

He stepped aside and let her slip by him. She was wearing the perfume he bought her for her birthday. “I just got home…”

“Oh… do you feel like company then?”

“Yeah. Maybe you could help me distract the guys.” He helped her slip off her jacket and then led her over to the couch. His hand lay gently on the small of her back, his fingers slightly stroking her smooth, skin.

Danni was a petite African-American woman, barely reaching Max’s shoulder in height. She had a pretty, youthful face and she often complained when people mistook her for a teenager, though she was twenty-two. Her brown, curly hair fell almost to the middle of her back and he loved to play with it, pulling a strand straight before letting it bounce back into place. Her complexion was a smooth, glowing brown that enhanced her delicate, feminine features.

She smiled when she dropped onto the couch, her big beautiful green eyes landing on him. They never failed to get his heart going which he ignored. “You want anything to drink?”

“I’m cool for now.” As he sat next to her, she turned to face him. “So what did the guys do?”

“They want me to go out tonight and I don’t feel like it.”

She laughed. “You never feel like it.”

“So what? I’m just not a party guy. Is there anything wrong with that?”

Shaking her head, she replied, “No. There’s nothing wrong with preferring to hang out with a few close friends than being around a bunch of strangers all night.”

Max threw his arm across the back of the couch, his fingers landing gently on her shoulder.

“I’m glad you agree. There’s nothing wrong with a little quiet time. Why’s everyone so caught up in going out and getting smashed? You know that’s what they’re going to do.”

She laughed, pleased when he pulled her against his chest. “That’s not all you do. I mean what about the dancing, the music, and the new people you meet?”

“Yeah well I’m not a very good dancer so when I do dance that usually scares all those new people away.”

She burst into giggles, failing to stifle them when she caught sight of his stern look. “I’m sorry. You really can’t dance? I don’t believe it. Let me see…”

“No! My feet aren’t in my control when music is involved so…”

“Aww, I won’t make you do it then. But will you demonstrate some other time? You know if I’m ever in need of a good laugh?”

“You think you’re so funny, don’t you, Danni?”

“I try to find humor in everything.”

He was smiling, a pink blush tinting his cheeks. It was what she liked about him. There weren’t many guys that were as bashful as him; at least the ones she’d encountered. He had a way about him of making her smile with just one look. He didn’t seem naïve, but he had a certain look of innocence which drew her to him.

They met at Max’s diner where she is a regular. It had taken him weeks to get the courage to talk to her and after he did, he never had the balls to take their friendship any further, mostly because he denied it to himself and everyone else. It was obvious to everyone besides Danni and Max that he had feelings for her.

His intercom rung and Max grudgingly let Danni slip from his arms.

“What?” he barked into the speaker.

“Let us up man, we’re all ready to go.”

Reluctantly, he buzzed them in and turned to Danni with a pout. “I don’t wanna go,” he whined.

She giggled. “Well what am I supposed to do?”

“Some friend you are.” Glaring at her back, he watched as she disappeared into the bathroom. It wasn’t that he didn’t like hanging out with his friends, he honestly did. It was just clubs weren’t for him. Besides, he would rather spend the night hanging out with Danni.

Michael, Kyle and Alex rushed in when Max opened the door. All were set to go and were about to haul Max out the door before his protest stopped them.

“Guys, tonight’s not a good night,” he said, backing away from the door as he quickly came up with an excuse, “the diner’s understaffed and I need to figure out what to do…”

He was met with dubious looks from his friends. “And you’re going to spend your Friday night doing that?” Alex asked in disbelief.

“Well, I…” he stumbled, darting his eyes around the apartment as if it’d help him find a better excuse. “See…”

“Max?” All four guys turned to the soft, feminine voice flowing into the living room. “Baby, the tub’s all filled. I’ve got the candles and…oh!” Danni paused, seemingly startled to see anyone other than Max standing in the doorway.

They all got a glimpse of her bare leg peeking out from beneath Max’s robe she was now sporting before she quickly wrapped it around her. Four pairs of eyes scanned over her body, hoping that if they looked hard enough, the robe covering her body would disappear.

Considering Max’s larger size, his robe hung off her, slipping off her right shoulder, exposing bare, golden skin for all to ogle.

“Damn Danni!” Kyle hissed in appreciation.

Danni smirked, and then cleared her throat, effectively bringing everyone’s eyes back to her face. “Um, hi guys. What are you doing here?”

Alex was the first to possess the ability to speak. “Uh, we were just… um going out… tonight…”

Putting on a good show, Danni pouted and she glided across the room and came to a stop beside Max.

She latched onto his arm and leaned in close to whisper in his ear, but spoke loud enough for the other men to hear her. “Max, I thought you said that we’d be all alone tonight. Remember that massage I promised you?”

She made a show of rising on her toes and kissing his jaw. She nearly laughed out loud when a soft curse reverberated around the room. She couldn’t tell who it had come from.

Michael backed away and chuckled quietly. He gestured for Kyle and Alex to follow. He was glad Max had found a great girl like Danni. “We’ll all go out some other time. You stay here and um… take care of your business.”

Not waiting for Max’s answer, the three men filed out of the apartment, happy their friend was about to get some action he desperately needed.

Danni laughed once she and Max were alone once more. She slipped out of Max’s robe and tossed it causally over the back of the couch. Under the robe, she had rolled up her jeans just enough so that they wouldn’t be seen and slipped the strap of her tank top off her shoulder to give the illusion that she wore nothing underneath.

“Like child’s play,” she cackled.

Max watched her in awe with a slow grin forming on his lips. “Oh, you are very good,” he said, ignoring the effect of the thought of her naked wearing his robe had on him.

“I know,” she gloated.

TBC………

Sorry! Classes started yesterday and I was exhausted after I got home. But here's a new part and I thank all of you who have left feedback and the lurkers who are reading.

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martine: Hey! Lol I know Liz seems a bit bitchy now, but she's not bad. She's just... a little misguided. lol
Tamashii: We'll see what happened that day in the woods soon.

Enjoy!

<center>Part 4</center>

Liz sighed and flipped her neatly trimmed bangs out of her eyes. She had been here for an hour, listening to her parents and uncle drone on and on about the economy and how it had affected the real estate business, the very business her father and uncle made their millions.

Her uncle Nathan, her mother’s brother, was a handsome man He was about two feet taller than her mother and a bit wider, though his height hid his extra weight. Like her mother, he had a thick head of hair which Liz had inherited, and his locks were peppered with gray, giving him a distinguished look. With his wealth and good looks he could get any woman he wanted. And he did so until he met his wife.

Liz sighed as they continued to drone on. She had passed up a date with a guy she had wanted to be with for some time now and she wondered what the purpose of her presence was. It wasn’t a secret to anyone that Liz hated business, anything related to business, and any labor whatsoever.

She was a socialite. She didn’t work for people, people worked for her. She was rich. What did she need to work for?

Moments later, she was saved however when she saw the familiar face of her cousin rushing toward their table. Hopefully she could offer some exuberance to this otherwise mundane night.

“Hey everyone. Sorry I’m late. There was some issue with the plane and my flight was delayed.”

Nathan stood and wrapped a heavy arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “You see this everyone?” he boasted, speaking in a volume where the people surrounding them could hear. “This is the future, this talented young woman here.”

Maria giggled, letting herself be engulfed in her father’s embrace. “Dad, you’re embarrassing me.”

“Yeah well. I’m proud of you, buttercup.” Maria blushed and Liz wanted to throw up. This night just kept getting worse, she thought as she reached for another glass of wine. She had always liked her cousin… well tolerated her. She was sort of cool, dressed well, was seen with the right people. But once they were in the same room together and people kept going on about Maria attending Harvard, she realized how much Maria annoyed her. Maria thought that she was the center of the world, always flaunting her education and dropping the name of her prestigious school whenever she could. Who cared about Harvard?

“Where’s mom?” Maria asked.

“She wasn’t feeling too well. I told her to stay in bed and you’ll visit with her later.”

“Definitely.” Amy Deluca was twenty years younger than her husband and by no means was it love at first sight when they met. She was outspoken and told him off the first time they met because she thought that he was an arrogant, pompous ass because he had money and only wanted her for a trophy girlfriend. It took him awhile before he could get her to talk to him, but once they did, they were inseparable.

As Maria greeted the Parkers fondly, exchanging warm hugs, someone exaggeratingly clearing their throat interrupted. All eyes turned to the man Maria had dragged along to the table and promptly forgot about amongst the small family reunion.

“Oh! I’m so sorry, how rude of me,” Maria said as she rejoined her companion at his side. “Michael, this is my family; my cousin, Liz, her parents, Jeff and Nancy Parker and my Dad. Everyone, this is my boyfriend, Michael Guerin.”

“Nice to finally meet you,” Nathan said, impressed by the young man’s firm handshake. He caught Jeff’s eye as Michael moved passed him to greet Nancy and Liz. Both men nodded in approval.

“Likewise.”

Nathan motioned for them all to sit down. He noticed how Michael pulled out the chair for his daughter and gently guided her into her seat. So far, he was impressed. It wasn’t often that a young man was such a gentleman. He knew he wasn’t at Michael’s age.

Michael took a seat between Nathan and Maria and across from Liz. She couldn’t help but look him over. She supposed he was good looking, though she didn’t care for his long hair and his clothes looked as if he got them from a thrift store. And he looked a bit Neanderthal-ish, but she believed that his looks would get manageable over time. Her cousin picked well.

“So Michael,” Nancy started as she smiled politely at him from across the table, “What do you do? Do you live here in the city?”

“I do actually. Right now I’m working at a night club,” he said, shooting Liz a quick glance when she snorted. He promptly ignored her and let Maria do all the glaring. “Studio 4.”

Nathan chimed in, “I’ve heard of that place. Are you a bartender?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good man!” Nathan exclaimed, slapping Michael on the back. “Jeff and I used to bartend in college. Are you in college?”

“He’s working his way through medical school,” Maria said, smirking at Liz when she seemed surprised. As if someone like Michael wouldn’t be in college. “Michael’s going to become a pediatrician,” she beamed proudly.

“Really? Well keep at it son! I’m sure you’ll make a fine doctor.”

“Thank you sir.”

“Are you staying for dinner Michael? We’d love to get to know the man that has Maria so enamored,” Nancy said, winking at Maria as she giggled.

“I wish I could, but I have to be at work in a little while.” He kissed Maria’s cheek before standing. “It was nice to meet you all.”

When he left, Nancy dove in. “Oh he’s nice, Maria. Where’d you find that hunk?”

“Mom!” Liz shrieked, mortified that her mother had just said “hunk.”

“We had a class together freshman year. I don’t know. We just hit it off. But he had a death in his family, so he transferred here second semester our sophomore year to be closer to them.”

“And you guys did the long distance thing?” At Maria’s nod, Nancy sighed. It was so romantic!

Rolling her eyes, Liz interjected. “Okay, but that doesn’t explain why you’re here,” her tone held a little bite to it.

“Didn’t Daddy tell you?” Maria said. “Since I graduated, Daddy is opening another branch here and giving me a good start in my career. I’m going to be working under the assistant manager there.”

Liz snickered. “It’s your dad’s company. Why aren’t you running the place?”

“I thought it’d be a good experience for her to work under some people with more experience first,” Nathan said with a slight frown. He loved Liz, but he often wondered how she turned out to be the way she was. He was just glad that Jeff and Nancy were finally going to do something about it. Not just about how she treated people, but her attitude in general.

“I want to work my way up, Liz. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Maria said, her tone a little more than annoyed.

“There certainly isn’t,” Jeff agreed. His eyes met his wife’s as she squeezed his hand under the table. “Speaking of working your way up, we’ve wanted to talk to you about something, Liz.”

“Jeff, maybe this is something you three need to discuss privately. Maria and I…”

“No Nathan. You’re family too.”

“Jeff,” Nancy whispered lightly, “Why don’t we do this in a more private setting?” She gestured around the crowded restaurant.

“Do what?” Liz queried. “What’s going on?”

“We’ll explain it all soon, sweetie,” Jeff assured her as he waved over the waiter.

Liz nodded, though she couldn't help but be a little curious and nervous. She had seen her mother grabbing her father’s hand and she got the sense that this was something big.
************

Max lounged on Kyle’s couch, gulping down a tall, cold glass of beer as he watched Alex and Kyle play Mortal Combat on Kyle’s Sega.

Max chuckled as Kyle won, his player ripping out Alex’s heart. “Mortal Combat!!” he screamed.

Alex huffed and reached for his beer. “Kyle, why do you still have this? I mean do you not have Wii?” He ignored the fact that just a few minutes ago, he was jumping up and down, anxious to play the game he once dominated as a kid.

“The Wii’s overrated. The Sega is a legend.”

“Legend or not, it’s my turn. Me against you, Kyle,” Max challenged, already moving to grab the controller.

“Na uh.” Alex quickly swooped in, grabbing the controller before Max could get to it. “It’s time for a little guy’s talk.”

Max frowned. “Guy’s talk? Since when do we have guy’s talk?” He moved to snatch the controller from Alex, but he slithered away.

“Since now,” Kyle agreed. “So… let’s chat.”

“Let’s chat. You sound like a chick, Valenti. Now give me the controller so I can kick your scrawny ass.”

Alex tossed him the controller, but Kyle turned off the game system, leaving Max growling in frustration. “We’re not playing until you tell us what happened with Danni.”

“What are you talking about?”

Alex shot him a sly smile. “Oh you got that innocent act down pact. We know something happened between you two that night we were all supposed to go out.”

“Did you two hook up?” Kyle asked excitedly. “I’ve been waiting for you to move in for the kill. If you didn’t, I was willing to.”

Alex was nodding in agreement and Max rolled his eyes. “We didn’t do anything. We’re not even together.”

Both men snorted as if to say, “yeah right.”

“Come on Max,” Alex urged, “She was in a bathrobe, your bathrobe. You mean to tell me that you didn’t even attempt to make a move? What about that massage?”

“Yeah man. Don’t leave us hanging!”

Max laughed. They were completely ridiculous. “There was no massage, no hooking up. We were just playing around.”

“Yeah you were.” Alex laughed as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Max’s eyes widened when he realized how his statement sounded. “No! That’s not... We were just fooling…. No. We were… There’s nothing going on at all.”

Kyle shook his head. He had known Max for so long, he knew him better than he knew himself. It sounded cliché, but it was true. But something like this, it was just too obvious. Max liked Danni and he just didn’t want to admit it to himself or anyone else.

“Are you sure about that, Max?”

Max bit his lip as he nodded. “We’re just friends. Nothing more.”

“Great!” Kyle said. “Then you won’t mind if I asked her out?”

“Uh… Um, I don’t think you’re each others type…”

“How do you know she even has a type? And she could definitely become my type. Come on Max, she’s hot.”

“Kyle….”

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t ask her out.”

Alex looked on as Max opened and closed his mouth while he tried to find reason. He knew what Kyle was doing and he would applaud him if it didn’t interrupt them.

“Is it because she’s your friend and you think I’ll hurt her?” Kyle offered, knowing full well that this wasn’t the case. “Max you’ve known me since kindergarten.”

“That’s not why. I don’t know. It’s weird.”

“Aright,” Alex intervened. “I know how we can settle this. You fight to the death.”

Alex gave both men a controller and turned on the game system. “Kyle wins, he gets to ask Danni out. Max wins, and then he doesn’t.”

Kyle agreed and before Max could respond, Kyle’s character was top of his. They played the best two out of three and when it was over, Kyle stood up and threw his arms in the air.

“MORTAL COMBAT!”
***********

Liz’s gaze darted between her parents as they sat together on the couch in their hotel suite. Maria and Nathan had opted out of joining them to discuss whatever it was that they were supposed to be discussing, saying that it was between the three of them only.

“Could you guys tell me what’s going on now please? What’s happened?”

With a final glance at his wife, Jeff spoke. “Nothing’s happened sweetie. There’s just something we need to discuss with you.”

Nancy jumped right in. Sometimes it irritated her how he coddled Liz, but then there were times when she caught herself doing the exact same thing. Liz was now a grown woman and it was time they started treating her like one and she knew that they were both partly to blame for this situation now.

“Your father and I have been getting complaints about you.”

“What? From who?” Liz screeched, wondering who would have the gall to complain about her.

“From your maids, the rest of the staff that works in your apartment building, your attitude is awful, Liz.”

Liz sat dumbfounded. “What do you mean?”

“Liz, you can’t treat people like they are less than you just because you may be wealthier than them,” her mother reasoned.

“I don’t,” she lied. “I’ve done nothing wrong.” Her parents warned her about this before but she never took it seriously. She always thought her parents thought she was a sweet and innocent person and for some reason her guilt for treating people the way she did was lessened. But now that they knew, she felt as if she disappointed them.

“That’s not all. Liz, we’ve been looking at your credit card bills and you’ve been overdoing it. You’re not working, you dropped out of college, what are you going to do with your life?”

Liz sputtered as she tried to answer. “Sweetie,” Jeff opened his arms, wanting her to sit between himself and his wife. When she did, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “What we’re trying to tell you is that you’re spending too much. And it’s not like you have a job to balance it out, you’re just spending carelessly.”

“And we know you’re a smart woman, Liz,” her mother added, “and that’s why we want you to be more responsible, more self-sufficient. It’s not good for anyone, especially a woman to be relying on someone else. It’s time for you to make your own decisions and not depend so much on us to pay for everything.”

Liz felt her heart drop. She had a dreadful feeling and she knew whatever they were about to say next would be devastating. “So what are you saying?”

Her parents glanced at each other before Nancy dropped the bomb. “We’re saying that you won’t be allowed access to our money anymore.”

“What?! Why?!”

“For the reasons we’ve stated and because you need to learn some responsibility. You won’t get anymore money unless you go back to college. We’ll pay for your books, tuition and room and board, but everything else is up to you.”

Liz jumped to her feet, feeling as if the world was crashing down around her. “How could you do this to me?! What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to support myself?”

“If you choose not to go back to school, we’ll give you one credit card which you are responsible for paying and your own account in which we’ll deposit enough to get you started….”

“No! You can’t do this to me. I’m your daughter…”

“Lizzie, this is for your own good. You need to get a job, we’ll help you find another apartment that you can afford and we can help you learn how to budget…”

Liz literally shuddered at the thought of budgeting. Her whole reputation would be ruined.

“No, I can’t believe this.”

Jeff stood, pleading with his daughter. He hated seeing her upset with him. She was his only little girl. “Lizzie, please, soon you’ll see this is good for you. Please, come sit…”

He was cut off when Liz stormed out the door. Deep silence stretched over Jeff and Nancy as they stared after her.

“You think we did the right thing?” Nancy asked as her husband slowly sank down on the couch.

“I hope so Nance. I really hope so.”

TBC………

I would've had this posted eariler, but I got caught up watching a US Open tennis match. lol

begonia9508
clueless
martine: It's never too late to change. lol
tinie38
Tamashii
Emz80m

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Enjoy!

<center>Part 5</center>

Max watched Kyle, Alex and Danni through the cook’s window as they dined. They had just walked in and were being waited on. Kyle had his arm thrown across the back of Danni’s seat and Max wondered what he was saying to her to make her smile. He wished he wasn’t stuck in this stupid kitchen so that he could spy on them more closely.

He knew Kyle was going to ask her out and the fact that it bothered him so much had him thinking. Did he really have feelings for Danni? And what was he going to do about Kyle asking her out?

“Hey, Max!” He jumped and turned to face Steve, the only other cook that was working. “I’m not sure if you’re trying some new dish or not, but I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to cook salad.”

Max noticed the bowl of salad he was supposed to be setting out to be served was now laid over the stove. Steam rose from the bowl and the dressing was boiling.

He silently cursed and tossed the salad out. He went about making another, sure to avoid looking out the window before he slid it to the waiting waiter.

“Max you’ve been a little off. Why don’t you take a break? It’s not that busy and I can handle it.”

Max nodded. “Yeah. I think that’d do me some good. Thanks Steve.”

After tugging off his apron, Max tried to casually stroll out of the kitchen and into the diner. His plan was to calmly walk into the front of the diner, pretending not notice Kyle, Alex and Danni as he checked on various customers, until he accidentally stumbled upon their table.

But, his plan as quickly foiled. Alex got up and headed for the restrooms, leaving Danni and Kyle, who was leaning towards her a little too much. She laughed at something he said and he knew Kyle was about to ask her out. He had won that bet after all, and Max didn’t have a reason to stop him. But he liked her. He really liked her.

Kyle leaned in to whisper in her ear and suddenly, Max found himself standing before them.

He grabbed Danni’s arm and pulled her to her feet. “Max!”

“Can I borrow you for a second?” Not missing a beat to wait for either of their responses, he dragged her into his office, as far from Kyle as he could get without leaving the building.

He closed the door behind her and pulled her into the middle of the room where he dropped her arm and stood there, staring at her stupidly.

For a few moments they stood in silence until she giggled softly. And he frowned. “What?”

Pointing to his head, she smiled. “Nice hat you got there.”

Realizing he was till wearing his hair net, he yanked it off, tousling his hair in the process, and tossed it carelessly away.

“Are you okay, Max?”

“I like you Danni,” he blurted out, his cheeks flushing. “I like you a lot, and I would really like it if you would go out with me.”

Her eyes brightened and her smile widened in excitement. She had been waiting for this for a long time but wasn’t sure that he felt that same way about her as she did for him. “Really?”

“Will you go out on a date with me, Danni?”

“Yeah, I’d like that,” she beamed, having a hard time containing herself.

His eyebrows rose practically to his hairline and a slow smile began to spread across his face. “Really?”

“Yeah,” she said, reaching out to smooth down his hair. “Why do you look so surprised?”

“Because I… I don’t know.” He shrugged, but then continued to smile as he realized that they were actually going to do this. She was actually going to go out with him.

“So… we’re going to do this huh?”

“Yeah. Um… I’ll call you later and we can work out um… everything.”

She laughed at his lack of ability to form an intelligent sentence and he rolled his eyes. He hadn’t been on a date in so long and the last time he did, he didn’t like the girl as much as he liked Danni.

After knocking, Kyle poked his head inside of the room. He smirked when he saw Danni and Max standing so close. “So, are you done with her, because we were in the middle of something?” He tried to sound annoyed, but from the look on his best friend’s face, he got the feeling that he had done something that he had wanted to do for a while now.

“Actually. I have class in a little bit so I have to get going.”

“Hey Danni, did you think about what I asked you?” Kyle asked with a twinkle in his eye. He ignored Max’s glare and focused his attention on Danni.

“Actually, Max and I are going to go out Kyle, so… I’m sorry.”

Kyle made a show of looking disappointed and Max wasn’t far from punching him in the eye. “Too bad. I’m sure I could’ve shown you a better time than Evans can.”

“Yes well, that’s great and all, but I’m still going to have to stick with Max,” she teased, relieved that he wasn’t really upset.

Gasping dramatically as he stepped further into the office, Kyle grabbed his chest in mock pain. “Damn, you really know how to make a grown man hurt.”

Laughing at his antics, she turned to face Max, stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Talk to you later?”

“I’ll call you.”

“Bye Kyle.”

“See ya, Danni.”

Both men watched her slip out of the office and Kyle closed the door behind her.

Max guiltily stared down at his feet as he and Kyle stood in silence in the middle of his office. He heard Kyle chuckling and looked up in time to see him trying to contain the smile on his face.

“Man, I’m so good, I don’t even know what to do with myself,” he gloated.

Max eyed him warily. “You didn’t really want to go out with her, did you?” he asked, even though he wasn’t even near entertaining the idea of giving her up so his best friend could have her.

“Just giving you a push in the right direction, dude. Are we cool?”

“Yeah we’re cool.” Max relaxed and melted into one of the chairs in front of his desk. Kyle had already slithered into his chair at his desk and was now going through his drawers. “So this was a set up? You were never going to ask her out, were you?” he asked, realizing he should have known that his best friend knew him well enough to tell that he had a crush on Danni even if Max didn’t admit to it himself.

“You know I’m not one to step on another’s shoes. Although if you two go out and you realize maybe she’d be better off with me….” He pulled a magic 8-ball from the desk and shook it. ‘Outlook not so good,’ it read.

“No Kyle,” he quickly rejected the idea, “She’s not some cheap hand me down. She’s a good girl.”

“I know. Which is why she’s perfect for you.”

Max smiled. “Thanks.”

“But I can’t understand why it took you so long to realize that you liked her.”

Max shrugged. “It’s been a long time since I’ve liked anyone as much I like Danni. I guess I was just… I mean the last time I felt like this was…”

“I know dude,” Kyle said, seeing the lingering hurt in his friend’s eyes. “But she’s a good one. I can feel it.”

“I think so too.”

Kyle propped his feet on the desk. “Is Max going to get laid in the near future?” he asked the magic 8-ball. “Don’t count on it,” he read aloud with a laugh.

“Stupid ball,” Max mumbled quietly.

“What about me?” he asked and then shook the ball. “Signs point to yes. Score one for Valenti!!”
**********

Liz, Morgan and Lynn sauntered to the checkout at the Gucci store, arms full of clothing, shoe boxes and hand bags. Liz had been so upset about her parents’ decision the night before she called the girls and went out for a night of partying. The next morning, once their hangovers had resided, they headed out for a day of therapeutic shopping.

She figured that her parents were just bluffing on this threat, but she couldn’t bring herself to go home in fear that all her belongings would be in boxes, ready to be moved to whatever rat hole her parents had found for her.

She couldn’t believe they were doing his to her. Aren’t parents supposed to take care of their kids?

Liz sighed as she turned her attention back to Lynn and Morgan. Morgan shoved her way in front of the other two girls and dropped her items on the counter for the cashier to ring up.

While they waited, she turned to Liz with a smirk. “You know Liz it’s just too bad that that blouse didn’t seem to fit you the way you wanted,” Morgan teased unkindly, yet with a pleasant smile as the cashier rung up the very blouse she was speaking of. “If only they made it in a smaller size.” As she said this, she jutted out her breasts in an obvious attempt to make Liz jealous.

Liz rolled her eyes. She had to admit that Morgan was a beautiful woman, but she was small, shorter than Liz and Liz didn’t tower over anyone herself. But what Morgan lacked in height, she made up for in other assets. She had curves that suited her small stature and her bust was a nice full size. Her hair was a wavy mass of red flowing down her back which gained the attention of many men who believed she was as fiery as her hair.

“If only,” Liz agreed. “But then again, my ass didn’t hang out of those jeans you were looking at. They looked like they were made just for me.”

Liz smirked when Lynn nodded in approval. She didn’t even know why she hung out with Morgan seeing as she always seemed to find a way to grate on her nerves. But as it was, she was her best friend, behind Lynn who was her best friend throughout high school. Morgan knew all the hot spots of the town. She knew all the right people and to be associated with her was good for Liz.

Morgan paid her bill with her credit card, whipping it out with a flourish.

Lynn stepped up next once Morgan was finished paying and dropped her load on the counter.

Lynn towered over both Morgan and Liz. She was slender with curves in the right places and her blonde hair and blue eyes could get her anything. She had a supermodel look with delicate features, long legs, small waist and nice sized breasts. Not only was she sought after by men but photographers and agents as well, urging her to get into the modeling business permanently as she had done a few jobs just for fun.

Liz stepped up to the cashier last and when the woman told her of her total, which was a couple of thousand, she handed over her credit card.

The cashier frowned. “I’m sorry Ms. Parker, but your card has been declined,” she said as she handed Liz the card back.

“What? No that can’t be. Try it again.” After tapping a few keys on the computer, the woman tried once more with the same result. “You must be doing it wrong,” she accused, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

She was never denied. She always had money and to be told that she couldn’t afford what she wanted was embarrassing, especially in front of Lynn and Morgan, she’d never hear the end of it.

Liz pulled out another card and handed it to the cashier. That card was also denied along with a third card.

“Is there a problem, Liz?”

“Um…” she rummaged through her purse for another card, near panic. “No. I just… my dad is probably doing something with the account… you know he must have upgraded it and… You know I’m just going to leave these here until I get this figured out… you will hold them for me, won’t you?” she asked, glaring at the cashier, challenging her to say no.

“Yes. Of course Ms. Parker.”

Nodding, Liz stalked out of the store and onto the street where Morgan’s driver was waiting with her SUV.

Morgan and Lynn followed with their hands full of shopping bags, silently and unintentionally mocking her. “Everything okay, Liz?” Lynn asked, her tone lacking the concern that should have been present.

“Yeah. I just have to talk to Daddy. Um, his hotel is just down the street,” she said, backing away from them. “I’ll call you guys later.” She took off, not waiting for their response and within moments, she was on her way up to her parents’ room.

“Okay, I learned my lesson!” She said as soon as the door was opened. She stepped passed her mother and headed for the couch. “I won’t spend as much. I promise. Now can I please have my credit cards back?”

Her eyes were wide and bright, full of artificial innocence as she looked at her father as he came of the bedroom. If she was going to get her life back, her father was the one to plead to. “Daddy, I’m your little girl. You can’t just put me out in the streets. I promise I won’t spend like I used to.”

Jeff’s bottom lip trembled as he looked as his beautiful daughter. He couldn’t deny her and he looked to Nancy for help, knowing that he was about to cave. He didn’t like this no more than Liz did, but to him, this was necessary.

Nancy gently took Liz’s hand in hers. “Lizzie, honey it’s not just that your spending has gotten out of hand, it’s everything else. Liz we didn’t raise you to be this… snobby, for lack of a better word. Now we don’t know where you learned this, but this has to stop.”

“And sweetie,” her father added, “I know this is cliché, but your mother and I want you to be the best that you can be. You’re a very smart, strong woman and we want you to be able to stand on your own two feet like Maria. You shouldn’t have to depend on us for everything.”

Liz just about screamed out. Who cared about Maria? She wasn’t Maria and she never would be. “So this is all because Maria decided to take the paper pushing job instead of owning the new branch? Is this why I’m being punished? Because of Maria?”

“No, honey. You’re not being punished,” her father assured her. “We… I know this sounds like the end of the world, but believe me, it’s going to be worth it.”

Sniffing, Liz wiped away the few tears that trailed down her cheeks. “I’m losing everything,” she cried.

Nancy’s heart broke at the sight of her daughter and she took her into her arms. “Only material things honey. That’s what we want you to understand. Life isn’t about the things you have. Sure it’s good when you do have nice things, but that’s not what supposed to make a person happy. And I promise you what material things you do gain, it’ll more satisfying because you earned them yourself.”

Through her tears, Liz just about rolled her eyes. She didn’t need to hear some stupid, cheesy inspirational speech.

What would her friends think? How was she supposed to be happy? All she knew was, her life, as she knew it, was over.

TBC…….

Hey everyone. I'm posting this now because I'm not sure if I will have the time tomorrow.

clueless
begonia9508
Emz80m
martine
Alien614
Tamashii

Thanks for the feedback. I truly appreciate it.

Now we're finally going to go back and see what happened when they were young, continuing from the 1st part. We're going to go back in time in some parts, so there's going to be more M/L...finally lol

Enjoy

<center>Part 6</center>

Max smiled at his co-workers as he entered the break room. They greeted him warmly and made room for him to join them, but he declined and opted to take a seat alone in the back of the room.

He was good friends with his employees, but his looming date with Danni was weighing heavy on his mind. He liked her, he really did. He wouldn’t have asked her out if he didn’t. He wondered if their date were to go badly, what it would do to their friendship.

Max didn’t have much experience with women. In fact, in recent years, having a date wasn’t normal for him. Since he’d inherited his diner, he was always putting his time and effort into it. But now that the diner was bringing in a profit and had a good following among his customers, he had a bit more free time on his hands and he realized that there was something missing.

As he pulled his sandwich free from its container, Max recalled the girlfriends he’d had. There were a total of four in all of his twenty-five years, not including Danni; one was his very first girlfriend, two were serious relationships in college and one that almost really didn’t count if he wanted to get technical.

Sometimes he wondered how girls saw him. Why didn’t he attract girls like Kyle and Alex? He thought he was a pretty good looking guy. He wondered if a woman would ever see him.
************

June 1994

Max crept through the woods, ducking under and hopping over braches, logs, and large tree roots that clawed from beneath the earth. His flashlight beam stretched out in front of him cutting through the darkness. He had no idea where he was going, but he wasn’t going back until he found Liz.

He called out for her, loud enough for anyone close by to hear, but not so for those back at the campsite to take notice of. It was for purely selfish reasons that he would feel guilty about later. He wanted to be Liz’s hero. He wanted to save her and then maybe, she would notice him.

“Liz!”

He stopped when he heard rustling and then howling in the distance. He quieted his breathing and stayed perfectly still until he was sure that whatever was making that noise was no where near him. Once he confirmed this, he shakily started forward though he briefly thought of turning around and going back the way he came. There would be other times to get Liz to notice him. He shouldn’t have to put his life in the hands of a vicious bear or wolf. He was only twelve. He had a lot of life to live.

But Liz needed him. He was scared, he admitted that, but he couldn’t leave her out there by herself.

“Liz! Are you out here?!”

He received no answer, but he kept going. He had no particular direction and as he got further into the woods, he realized how stupid he was to come out here alone. He was going to get lost himself. He should’ve brought Kyle with him.

A while later he was beginning to lose hope that he wouldn’t find anything out here. He turned around, attempting to go back the way he came, but realized that he had no idea where that was.

He looked up. The sky peeked through the canopy of trees and what little bit he could see was full of a cluster of stars. Wasn’t he supposed to use the North Star or something to find his way if he got lost? Which one was the North Star, he had no idea. So, he picked a direction and went, calling out for Liz as he walked.

It was by pure luck that he heard a small cry in the distance. He stopped and twirled this way and that, trying to figure out which direction it had come from.

“Liz! It’s Max. Is that you?”

He heard it again.

“Keep calling out so I can follow your voice!” She did and soon he was standing at the opening of a cave.

He stood warily, his flashlight beam shining in first. He felt like he was in a horror movie, like he would hear that distinct, dramatic music playing just before danger arrived any moment. He gulped and took a step forward.

He cleared his throat to speak. “Liz?” His voice still cracked and he wasn’t sure if it was because of puberty or fearfulness.

His light hit a small figure shivering a few feet ahead of him. Her tears glistened in the light and his heart broke.

“Liz…”

Liz just about wailed in relief when she saw a familiar face standing at the entrance of the cave. She didn’t know how long she had been sitting out here in the dark. The constant dripping of water deeper in the cave against the silence was getting to her and she was now near hysteria.

“Wait Max,” she cried, holding out a hand to stop him from coming forward. “Be careful.”

His eyes fell on an abrupt drop in the ground a few feet from him. Liz was sitting below him, where the ground seemed to level off.

He moved carefully to where she was. “What happened?” he asked as he reached her side.

Sniffling, her bottom lip quivering, she stuttered out, “T-They dared m-me to come in here alone.”

She wasn’t a wimp. She could get down with the best of them and she wanted to prove that she wasn’t just prissy, prim Lizzie Parker. But now she was stuck in a dark, dirty, stinky cave with a boy she hardly knew. Her friends had abandoned her and she wondered if they ever really cared for her.

She felt really stupid for agreeing to the dare. Were they going to leave her out here all night and forget about her?

“You were really brave to do that,” Max said breaking her thoughts and shuddering at their surroundings. “I don’t think I could’ve done it.” He would have been terrified out of his mind. “And with no flashlight?”

Behind her tears, her lips curled up in a semblance of a smile. She was brave, wasn’t she? Or maybe just plain stupid.

Seeing she was shivering, Max took off his sweatshirt and wrapped it over her shoulders. He frowned, seeing her just sitting on the ground. He figured she would at least get up and move away from the dripping stalactites beside her. “Are you hurt? Can you walk?”

“I didn’t see the drop and I think I twisted my ankle when I fell.”

“Okay.” He took a look at her ankle. She still had her shoes on, but he could clearly see her ankle was swelling. He had no idea how to fix something like this and again he wondered why he decided to come out here alone.

Her breathing heaved and his eyes swung to her. He realized how scared she really was. Making up his mind, he tentatively wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. We’ll get you out of here.”

To his surprise, she leaned against him, one small hand clutching his sweatshirt around her shoulders and her other arm wrapped around his waist.

“Does your ankle hurt bad?”

She nodded, her bottom lip trembling in fear and pain. His heart went out to her and he figured it wasn’t the best time to tell her that he had no idea how to get back to camp.

“Okay,” he said, quickly trying to figure out what to do. “Let’s at least move from here. It’s too wet and dark down here.”

Once he got her permission, he untangled himself from her and stooped before her, gesturing that she climb on his back. She did, whimpering when her ankle was disturbed by the movement, but otherwise she stayed silent.

As gently as he could, he set her down at the entrance to the cave and then moved to settle down beside her. Her pretty face was streaked with tears and he hesitated, his hands fidgeting in his lap before he reached over and wiped them away while offering her a soft smile.

“It’s going to be okay, Liz.”

Sniffling, she looked up at him with watery eyes. “Do you know the way back to camp? What if we’re never found?” She’d never see her family, her friends, or her room again.

“Don’t think like that, okay?” he returned, trying to sound positive though he was thinking the same thing she was. “We’ll wait until it’s light outside before we try and find our way back. I’m sure they’re going to be looking for us.”

“Okay,” she whimpered, finding comfort in his eyes.

Liz had seen Max around school a few times, but she had never paid him much mind or any of the other students that weren’t in her circle of friends. As he helped her slip his sweatshirt over her head to keep her warm, she wondered why he was here helping her when they were practically strangers to one another.

“How did you find me? How did you know I was out here?”

Max blushed and frantically worked to come up with an excuse. She would think he was some kind or weird, stalker, dork if he told her the truth.

“Um,” he mumbled, his thoughts colliding together in his brain. What good reason was there for him to be out in the middle of the woods late at night, by himself? Unless he was insane, which he was almost completely sure that he wasn’t.

Before he could finish thinking, he found himself telling her the truth. “I overheard your friends saying that they left you out here and I thought that I would come and see if you needed help.”

Not knowing how she felt about that, Liz simply nodded. The fact that a perfect stranger cared enough about her to come and find her when her friends…. She didn’t want to think about it.

She would have never done the same as he had. And only one question entered her mind. “Why?”

“Cause…” he shrugged his shoulders, unsure about how much of the truth to tell. “If I were out here by myself I’d want someone to help me. I thought that you might want a friend to be lost with.”

She smiled softly, curling closer to him for warmth as she shivered. “Thank you, Max.”

He attempted to wave off what he did as nothing but was foiled when his breath was stolen from his lips as he felt warmth against his cheek before her lips even made contact. He sat still, his eyes wide and glazed and he fought the silly grin that threatened to take over his lips.

Tonight might be a change for him, he thought as Liz began to fall asleep, warm and cuddled against him. He held her tight and smiled. Yeah, he thought, tonight was definitely a good night.
*****************

Max went about flipping the chairs on top of the tables as his memories ran witlessly through his mind. He still remembered that night so clearly. How she looked when they woke the next morning and he carried her piggyback through the woods until they were found.

She had thanked him and her parents had even invited him over for dinner for helping their daughter. Max almost laughed at his younger self. He had thought that everything would change, but it hadn’t. After Liz’s ankle healed, everything went back to the way it was.

“Max!”

Max jumped, startled out of his thoughts by Alex’s loud shouting.

“Dude, where is your head tonight?”

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. He finished clearing the floor and went about sweeping and mopping. There were usually two people closing the diner every night, one person cleaning the kitchen and the other out front. But since they were short staffed, most nights only left one person and it was usually Max. Kyle and Alex sat at the counter, sipping on their drinks that they swore they would pay for though Max knew otherwise.

“So your date with Danni is almost here. Are you nervous?” Alex asked once Max was finished and took to wiping down the counter.

“Yeah, he’s nervous,” Kyle answered with a chuckled.

“No one asked you!” Max denied. “How would you know what I’m feeling?”

“Max, did you really forget who you were talking to? I know you, and I know you’ve been obsessing over everything that could go wrong.”

“I have not,” he replied in a small voice, not even having the strength to fully defend himself.

“Max, just relax. She likes you or she wouldn’t have agreed to go out with you,” Alex reasoned. “There’s no reason for you to not be confident. You’re independent with your own business, you’ve got your own car, a nice apartment, a good personality… you’re a catch, Max.”

“Someone has a crush,” Kyle sung, nudging Alex with his elbow.

Alex sighed dreamily and fluttered his lashes. “You’re just so irresistible, Max.”

“Get the fuck out!” Max laughed.

“And,” Alex continued, “you do your own laundry.”

“Yeah. I’ve been meaning to ask you how you keep your whites so white and your colors so bright.”

Max smiled at his friends. What they were saying was true. What reason did he have to be worried? Unless something went horribly wrong on the date… No! He was a good guy and he had no reason to feel insecure. But he still did, and he hoped that with time he could work through them.

The three of them continued to chat until they were interrupted by a knock at the front doors. It was Michael with a woman wrapped protectively under his arm. Alex got up to let them in.

“Hey Michael.”

“Hi guys.” He said and he stepped into the diner. “I want you to meet my girlfriend Maria. Maria, these are my dimwitted, less attractive friends, Alex, Max and Kyle.”

After glaring at Michael for his comment, the men greeted Maria warmly, pleased to meet the woman who meant so much to their friend. Kyle, as usual, went the extra mile, sliding off his stool to take Maria’s hand.

Bending down to kiss her hand he said, “It’s always nice to meet such a beautiful lady.”

“Oh well,” Maria giggled, flattered, “it’s nice to meet you too, Kyle.”

“Tell me, why is it that you waste your time with a brute like Michael when you can have a great squire like me,” he continued, knowing he was getting a rise out of Michael.

Michael stepped between the two. “You can’t even spell squire, idiot,” he said as he ushered Maria towards the counter.

“S-q-u-i-r-e. Squire.”

“Smartass,” Michael mumbled.

“Leave him alone, honey. He’s just being friendly,” Maria scolded gently.

“Yeah honey,” Kyle parroted, his tone sickening sweet.

“I hate you, Valenti,” Michael laughed.

“So Max, I heard you make a great blueberry pie. Do you mind if I try a piece?” Maria asked.

Max smiled, already moving over to the container. “Sure.” He lifted the lid to the container of pie and sliced a healthy serving. “It’s on the house,” he said as he slid the plate in front of her.

Maria thanked him. She closed her eyes in bliss when the pie melted in her mouth. She moaned in satisfaction, nodding at Max in approval.

“Hey, Maria’s having a housewarming party next weekend. You guys should come.”

“Yeah,” Maria chirped up after swallowing a mouthful of pie. “It’s next Saturday. If you guys can make it I’d love for you to come. It’s mostly going to be family, but bring a friend if you’d like.”

“I’m there!” Alex whooped, up for any party.

“Max, you should bring Danni,” Michael suggested. “I think you would really like her, Maria.”

“Who is she?”

“Max’s lover,” Alex immediately replied.

Kyle snickered. “He wishes.”

They all shared a laugh over Max’s reddening cheeks. He hid his face in his hands and wondered exactly why his friends loved to torture him.

TBC……..

Sorry I'm late. I'm not even going to bother with excuses lol. Thanks for the feedback.

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Enjoy!

<center>Part 7</center>

Max causally leaned against the elevator wall. His clammy hands were stuffed in his pockets and his heart thumped loudly against his chest, but he had hoped that if he appeared to be calm and cool that he really would be, but so far, that wasn’t the case.

The elevator jerked to a stop and the doors slid open. Max took a deep breath and stepped out into the hall. This was it, he thought. He was about to pick Danni up for their first date.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he slowed his pace as he pulled it free. It was a text message from Kyle.

‘Just be yourself, have fun and tap that ass. Good luck,” it read. Max smiled, flipped his phone closed and walked the rest of the way to her door with a little more ease.

Inside her apartment, Danni was frantically running around trying to get ready. Running around with shaving cream on her leg, a razor in one hand and a brush in the other, she had a feeling she wouldn’t be ready by the time Max showed up.

Just as she finished shaving and made a grab for her clothes, she heard a knock at the door. Cursing loudly she tossed on a robe and hurried towards the door.

“Hey Danni,” Max said, his eyes quickly wandering down her body before returning to her face. “Nice outfit,” he joked.

“Max. I’m so sorry. My stupid professor was being a dumbass and wouldn’t shut up. The lecture went long, I got home late and it completely threw off my getting ready ritual…” she rambled as she ushered him into her living room. “I… I’m sorry Max. I don’t mean to make you wait. I promised myself I wouldn’t be one of those girls that make the guy wait for hours on end. I’ll be five minutes, tops!”

Max chuckled, relaxing even more when he realized that he wasn’t the only one that was nervous. “It’s fine Danni. Take your time. Make yourself look pretty.” Realizing what he had said might have offended her, he backtracked. “Not that you don’t already look pretty. I mean you could leave just like this and you’d look perfect.”

Danni nodded, not even noticing his blunder as she was too busy being embarrassed. “Have a seat. Help yourself to anything in the fringe. I’ll be right out!” she called as she scurried into the bathroom.

Max wandered around Danni’s living room. The walls were a soft yellow which blended into a soft green as you progressed into the kitchen. He remembered when her roommate moved out to live with her boyfriend and he had helped Danni redecorate her apartment. If he remembered right, he wasn’t too fond of her choice of color. But it was her apartment, and he had to admit, her style grew on him.

She had absolutely refused to have any of her walls white or any variation of it. She said that she had been living in white walls since she was young because of her parents’ lack of style when it came to decorating. Like colors, she’d said, life was too vibrant and assorted to just stick with one choice.

Danni reappeared ten minutes later, looking stunning in a simple deep purple camisole and a denim cuffed mini skirt. It’s what he liked about her. She could wear the most ordinary thing and make it look high end. She had straightened her hair and left it loose to flow all the way down her back. Max couldn’t wait to get his hands on it.

“You look great… amazing,” he stuttered.

“Thank you,” she giggled. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

Her eyes drifted down his lean body. His jeans fit him to a tee, hugging all the right places and she almost pouted when his jacket hide his biceps that popped out of his yellow t-shirt.

The ride down to the car was filled with nervous silence and stolen glances. Whenever he caught her green eyes peering back at him, he couldn’t stop the rush of emotion he felt and he didn’t want to. Before the date officially started, he had a good feeling about this.

Like a gentleman, he opened her door and helped her step up into his truck. She smiled gratefully, and then watched him walk around the front of the car.

“So where are we going?” she asked once he started the truck.

“Nothing too fancy,” he answered vaguely, smiling down at her purple flip flops. “I know you.”

She was a jeans and t-shirt type of girl. “You do,” she agreed happily.

“But as much as I know you, I must admit that I’m a little nervous.”

“Really?” She was thrilled that she wasn’t the only one. “Why?”

His shrug was her only answer, but she felt that she had a fairly good idea. “Have you ever dated outside your race before?”

“No. I… haven’t but that’s not why I’m nervous,” he said. Obviously he had no problem with interracial dating. “It’s always the first date. I know you as a friend, but this is uncharted territory.” He glanced at her out the corner of his eye. “I’ve… actually haven’t dated that many girls. So…”

Swiveling in her seat to face him, couldn’t hide her surprise. “Really? That’s hard believe.”

Max blushed at her subtle compliment. “Yeah well, I… I guess I’m just picky.”

“So I guess I’m just one of the very few you chose. I should feel proud, huh?”

“Extremely,” he laughed. “So… what about you? Have you ever been in an interracial relationship?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Yeah. I’ve been with a lot of guys… but...” she blushed when she realized what she had just said. “I mean… not like that… um…”

Max burst into laughter. “Max! I didn’t mean it like that. I meant that I’ve dated outside of my race a few times. But I’ve never dated a white guy before.”

“Really?” He contemplated this new piece of information, examining it closely before a smile stretched across his face. “So, I’m your first?”

“Yeah,” she laughed. “I guess so.”

“Cool!”

“God… I just basically called myself a whore there.”

“I wouldn’t think that about you.”

After returning his smile, Danni turned to look out the window, biting her lip in an attempt to hold in her excitement.
***********

She watched with a scowl as her things were packed away into boxes and stacked by the front door. She had just come home from having lunch with her friends. In the middle of their meal, her mother called her, telling her to make sure she was free for the rest of the afternoon so that they could go apartment hunting. She had put on a brave face for the remainder of her lunch, but as soon as she walked through her door and saw the boxes, the reality of the situation hit her.

Her parents were really ruining her life.

She had stomped and kicked, ranting to anyone that would listen. She quickly realized that no one was and she lowered herself onto her couch and pouted.

She noticed a large, burly mover going into her bedroom. She followed him as he made a beeline to her closet. She stomped after him. If he touched her shoes…!

“Hey asshole, what the hell are you doing?” she screamed. He was just throwing her belongings in a box like… like she was just some random person. “Those are Gucci boots and if I see one scuff mark…”

“You’ll what, lady? Look I’m just trying to get my job done. Will you lay off a minute?” he shot back.

Liz was left sputtering and looking for a response. The power that she once thought she held over people was dissolving away and she wasn’t sure how to handle it.

“Liz!” At the sound of her father’s voice, Liz shot one last nasty glare at the mover before stomping out to meet her parents at the door.

“Mom, Dad, this is completely ridiculous!” she argued once more. “I’ve learned my lesson. I promise please don’t… how can you just kick me out of my apartment?”

Her eyes watered as she prepared to continue her begging.

As she rubbed her temples, Nancy let her eyes fall shut slowly. She felt the beginning of a headache and she wasn’t up to hearing her grown daughter whining like a child. “Liz, don’t start,” she snapped.

Liz gaped. Her mother never talked to her like that. “But Mom…”

“Liz, I am not in the mood today.”

Liz turned pleading eyes to her father as a last effort. “Dad…”

“Let’s go, Lizzie,” he said, his tone much gentler, but firm.

It had taken a very, very large credit card bill and a look at how well Maria was doing for Nancy and Jeff Parker to realize what they turned their daughter into. At twenty-five, as much as they hated to admit it, Liz was a spoiled brat and they were pretty much to blame. They hadn’t seen it, or chose to ignore it altogether before. But they grew tired of being around friends and colleagues who constantly talked about all the amazing things their offspring were doing. And they finally understood what Liz was missing out on.

Because they gave her everything she needed and wanted without so much as a fuss, she never had to work hard for what she had. Sure the Parker’s wanted to give their daughter all the things that they never had growing up but, not like this. They were to only provide a means for her to be successful so that she could spread her wings, so to speak, and do it through hard work as they did.

Because they had worked so hard to get to where they were, Jeff and Nancy never took anything for granted and they wanted to demonstrate that same thing to Liz.

As Liz rode with her parents in the elevator, pouting behind them, she did her best to tune them out. They were being completely unreasonable. She had no idea what had gotten into them, though she was sure that it had something to do with her do-no-wrong cousin.

“We found a few places around the city that we think that you’ll be able to afford,” Jeff said, “Have you been looking for jobs?”

“Yeah,” she lied.

“Are you sure?” Nancy said, knowing she wasn’t being truthful. “It’s very difficult to get an apartment without a job and if you do get one, how are you going to pay your rent? You’re on your own now. You have to be out of your apartment in a few weeks.”

“How is that fair?” she argued, following them through the lobby and out the front doors where her father’s truck was waiting. “What if I just can’t find a job? How am I supposed to support myself?”

Jeff climbed into the driver’s seat and started his brand new SUV. It purred as the engine came to life. “You’ll have the money we put in your bank account, but if that’s not enough, we’ve pulled some strings at Mickey’s. They’ll have a position open for you.”

“The fast food place?!” she shrieked. “I can’t work there!” Her friends ate their once in awhile. The one time they decide to help her out and this is what they do.

“That’s why you go out and apply for jobs that you might like so you won’t have to work at Mickey’s.”

“But Mom…”

“Liz! Seriously! This city is filled with millions of people who manage to do it. Your father and I did it. So I’m pretty sure you’re smart enough to figure it out,” Nancy snapped. After inhaling deeply, she turned in his seat, her gaze apologetic as she spoke. “Look, we know this is a big change for you, but it’s the right thing. You’ll see.” Nancy patted her daughter’s knee, and then turned around in her seat.

Liz sneered at her parents from the backseat. They looked so proud of themselves for coming up with this. She felt this overwhelming need to scream at them. What they were doing to her… they didn’t understand. She’d be the running joke among all her friends. Her reputation would go straight to hell, her life crumbling with it.

“Like we said, we’ll help you budget. When you get your bills, we’ll show you what to do….”

“Bills?!” Feeling lightheaded, Liz rested her head against her seat. And as her father pulled into a small unkempt looking apartment complex, she held her hand to her forehead and prayed that this was all a dream.
*************

Max was grinning by the time he pulled in front of Danni’s apartment. He had such a wonderful night with her and he couldn’t believe that it was almost over.

After dinner, he had taken her to a new horror movie that just had opened that weekend. Danni was the only girl he knew who instead of cowering in her seat when the scene got intense, sat forward, eyes wide with excitement. Instead of screaming, she laughed when the villain jumped out from the shadows and came within seconds of giving Max a heart attack.

Afterwards, she bounced around him, squealing about how fun movie was. Max, who was still recovering from his near heart attack, could only nod in agreement. They left the theater shortly after and walked to a nearby ice cream parlor. Over their cones, they discussed the movie.

Now, watching Max open the door for her, Danni wished that she didn’t have to bid him goodnight because their date had exceeded her expectations. Good guys were so few and far between, especially the available and straight ones and she was humbled that he chose her.

She slipped her hand in his and twined her thin fingers with his larger ones. He smiled at her, his grin brightening up his face. She sighed. He was so gorgeous.

“So…” he started when they reached the front of her apartment building. Max turned to her, smiling softly as he took both of her hands in his. He glowed in the soft light burning above their heads. “Tonight was… great

Max mentally chastised himself. That was all he could come up with? Tonight was great?

“Yeah. I had fun too.”

“Great. Because Michael’s girlfriend is having a housewarming next weekend and I was wondering if you would like to go with me.”

Her emerald eyes sparked as she nodded. “I’d really like that.”

Max nodded, though his eyes had drifted from her down to her lips. Gently sliding on hand around her waist, coming to a stop at the small of her back, Max gently pulled her closer as his head fell forward.

Her lips twitched upwards in excitement, her heart pounded beneath her chest. She could feel his natural warm comforting her and she leaned closer, burying herself into him until her chest met his and their lips made contact.

As they deepened the kiss, Max wrapped both arms around her waist. His fingers bunched in her shirt, itching to touch the exposed, teasing skin of her back, but he withheld, not knowing if it was too much too soon.

Danni slid her arms around him so that her hands rested on the strong muscles of his back. Through his shirt, she felt his solidity, his strength that defined him as a man.

Needing air, Danni pulled away, smiling softly at him before laying her head over his heart. His hands rubbed her back and she closed her eyes at the tingly feeling he made her feel.

Moments later she lifted her head. “Goodnight, Max.”

“Night, Danni.”
******************

Arms folded, pout in place, Liz walked behind her parents as they walked through yet another ramshackle looking apartment. The entire apartment could fit comfortably in her bedroom. She’d feel so claustrophobic and… poor if she was made to stay here.

For two days they had been all around the city, looking for an apartment for her and every one they saw, Liz had turned down. She figured that maybe if she turned down every option they showed her, they’d have no choice but to let her stay in her old apartment. They wouldn’t put her out on the streets. At least she didn’t think they would.

The landlord was busy droning on what was included in the rent, the features the apartment had, and how nice the other tenants were. Liz could care less. Sighing in boredom, she left her parents and the landlord in the bedroom while she wandered down the narrow hall and into the living room. The afternoon sun was shining through the glass doors that led out to a small balcony.

For some reason she was drawn forward and she found herself leaning against the railing, the sun warming her face as she looked out over the city. There was a slight breeze that whipped around her and she breathed in the fresh air. The apartment was just outside the city so the noise was absent and it left her ears straining to here the sounds of sirens, or car horns that she was used to. But it was almost nice.

Her gaze swung down to the parking lot as an old looking truck pulled into a parking spot under the metal canopy that housed the spots reserved for residents. From above all she could see was a mop of dark hair but the obvious lean body was distinctly male. Talking on a cell phone, he stepped out onto the sidewalk, turned, and engaged his car alarm. Liz laughed. As if someone would want that piece of trash car.

She turned her attention back to the city and the blue sky above until her parents called her back inside.

TBC……….

I'm here on time for once. lol.

Emz80m
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Thanks for the feedback everyone and welcome new readers! Hello to the Lurkers. I hope you enjoy!

<center>Part 8</center>

Lost deep in thought, Max rapped his pen against his desk and his knee bounced anxiously beneath the table top.

Alex watched him closely. He was staring off to nowhere when just moments ago they were in a middle of a thriving conversation. Once it had dwindled down, Max had gone off to wonderland. And for the life of him, Alex couldn’t figure out what was going on in that brooding head of his.

“If you frowned any harder, those wrinkles are going to be permanent,” he said, watching his friend closely.

Max jumped slightly as Alex’s voice intruded in his deep thoughts. Max spied the suspicious look he wore and realized he was still tapping his pen. He dropped it immediately and began fidgeting with his employees’ schedules for the coming week.

“Did something happen on your date with Danni?”

Licking his lips, Max scooted up to his desk and tried to finish his work he was doing before Alex came in to visit. “I told you, Danni was great.”

As his ears perked up, Alex’s hope that Max had gotten laid hit the roof. “It went great?”

“It went great,” he replied, but quickly backtracked when he clearly saw the wheels spinning in Alex’s head. “Not that great, Alex! Damn!”

Alex looked visibly crushed and Max had to hold back a laugh. His friends were more interested in him having sex than he was. Not that he didn’t want to do it, he did. He just wasn’t as vocal about it.

“It’s just you’re so tightly wound. It’s like your panties are in a knot and poking you in the ass.”

Max decided to ignore him. “I guess, Alex,” he sighed.

With a glare at his friend, Alex sat back in his seat. Max had the same routine everyday. He went to work and came home. Occasionally he’d visit a friend’s house, but other than that, Max did nothing and he seemed content with nothing. Alex just wished that he would get out and enjoy life. He was too young and too much of a good person to hide away in his apartment.

“Aren’t you at least going to tell me why you’re all broody today… more than usual?”

“Hello ladies!” The door swung open, making a loud smack against the wall as Kyle made his entrance. “The Kylster is in the house!!”

“Kylster?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s lame, man,” Alex laughed.

“It’ll grow on you,” He promised with a wink.

Kyle took a seat next to him on the couch and Alex recoiled. “Ew! Don’t wink at me like you do the hordes of women hanging off your balls!”

Kyle retort was a grin before he regarded Max. “Hey man, what’s with the extra broodiness?” Kyle said, immediately noticing a slump in his best friend’s mood.

Abandoning his work once more, Max explained his heavy mood with one phrase. “I think Liz is here.”

“Parker?!” Kyle shrieked.

Alex frowned. “Who’s Liz Parker?”

“Why? Did you actually see her?”

“I think. I was pulling into my apartment yesterday, when I was on the phone with you, Kyle. And I could’ve sworn I heard somebody laughing, but I was the only one on the sidewalk. Then I looked up and there she was…”

“Who is she?” Alex said, desperate to be included in the conversation.

“…standing on a balcony just… just there. I didn’t know what to do, but before I could decide, she went inside the apartment.”

“You sure it was her…?”

“Who is she?!”

“… I mean what reason could she have to be at your apartment building? If remember Liz Parker, she should be living in a huge castle with the other witches.”

“Okay, I’m just not going to talk anymore since you guys won’t tell me what’s going on.” Alex huffed and folded his arms in front of him.

“What if I run into her, Kyle? What am I supposed to say to her?”

Kyle shook his head, a little angry to see his friend affected by this all these years later. “Max, you’re a different person than you were in high school. Hell, I’m sure we all are. If you run into her, and she’s still as much of a bitch as she was, then you stand your ground. You’re not some nerdy little high schooler anymore.”

However right Kyle was, they both paused to look at Alex as he tried desperately to hold in a snicker.

“Max was a nerd in high school!” he teased. Unable to hang on, he let out a jet of giggles.

Max couldn’t keep from smiling at his friend’s gentle ribbing. His was skin thicker now and he easily flipped Alex off, which made him laugh harder causing Kyle to join him. Laughing himself now, he continued with his work.
*************

September 1998

Max always got a certain feeling in the pit of his stomach when he walked into chemistry class. As he set his books on his lab table, he slid onto the stool and waited for his partner to arrive.

School had been back in session from summer break for about a week now. But it was yesterday that had Max feeling so giddy about school. The dreadful feeling he usually felt about having to walk through the halls of high school was gone.

Yesterday in chemistry, partners were chosen at random. As his luck would have it, he was partnered with his longtime crush and when she had slipped onto the stool beside him, giving him a small hint of a smile before she turned to talk to a friend, he knew that this semester would be different.

She walked into the classroom, chatting with friends. His heart sped up and he tried not to stare as she made her way towards him.

She was wearing her cheerleading outfit because of the game after school and the short skirt gave him a splendid view of her shapely legs. She set her books on their shared lab table before she hiked across the room to be with her friends before the bell rang.

“Liz, what are you doing? Go back over there and talk to him!” Lynn urged, already pushing her back across the room.

“I don’t think I can do this,” Liz said. “I mean, how do you know this will even work?”

Trini, the oldest of the Scott triplets, rolled her baby blue eyes. “It will. You want Seth to notice you right?” At Liz’s nod, she continued. “Then you have to make him jealous. Guys always want what they can’t have. He sees that you’re off limits because of four eyes over there, then he’ll dump that slut he’s with now and get with you.”

“Yeah, Liz,” Lynn agreed, “Just get on his good side, then we can work on fixing him up. Because that hair of his… does he use the whole bottle of gel in one day?” she laughed.

Gaining a sense of confidence, Liz hiked her chin and started towards her lab table where Max was looking through his notes. She needed someone that she could change, and inevitably dump when she got Seth’s attention. The fact that she was partnered with Max as a chemistry partner was a blessing. Not only did she find someone who could help her in her scheme, but he could also help her bring her GPA up, which was currently sagging.

She studied his back as she made her way over. He was cute, in a geeky sort of way. He had potential and with the right clothes and hair, he could almost be popular and enough to make Seth jealous.

“Hey Max,” she said with an uneasy smile. She felt guilty the moment he looked up at her with those innocent eyes.

Adjusting his glasses, he offered a shy smile. “Hi Liz.”

She looked back at her friends. Lynn gave her thumbs up and Trini was primping in her mirror. Liz plowed forward. “First time we have a class together and we get partnered together. What good luck I have,” she beamed.

He looked down at the lab table, but when his eyes returned to hers, she couldn’t miss the slight disappointed look she saw. “Actually… um we’ve had a few classes together last year. Math, biology, phys ed, and um….”

“Okay, I get the point,” she mumbled. “Sorry. I guess I’ve never really…um….”

“It’s okay. I don’t stand out very much.”

Max leaned away, wondering what she was doing when she suddenly scooted closer. He relaxed with her soft smile comforting him and she reached out to fix the collar of his shirt.

“Well I think that’s changed now, Max Evans. You stand out to me.”
*************

Present

Hung over and grumpy, Liz literally rolled out of bed. She thought of calling for her butler to bring her some aspirin, but as she lay on the floor, her mouth open to yell, she remembered that she had no more servants. And she also recalled that tomorrow was her last day before she moved out of her palace and into a rat hole.

Since Liz had refused to chose an apartment, knowing that her parents wouldn’t just kick her into the street if she had no where to stay, Nancy and Jeff chose for her. They picked the cheapest and smallest place, the furthest away from the city. She put a down payment for an apartment she didn’t want to pay for and signed a lease she dreaded signing for.

She had also found a job as a bartender at a sports bar ways away from the city. Despite the fact that she had to work, it was perfect for her because she wouldn’t be seen by anyone she knew. Her first day was next week.

To drown her sorrows, Liz had partied. Lynn and Morgan joined her, though they unintentionally and unknowingly assisted her in wallowing in self-pity. She hadn’t told them about her sudden lack in fortune so she had to keep up appearances. After she went back and bought the clothes she left at the Gucci store the other day, she splurged on bottles of expensive champagne in the VIP section of the hottest nightclub in town.

Liz showered, dressed and still with a hang over, headed out of her apartment and walked the few steps to the Coffee Bean on the corner of her block. She ordered her favorite blend, only to find her card denied. Embarrassed, she pulled out a few bills from her purse and then settled at a table by the window. She must have already spent the last allowance her parents had given to her. More than a few thousand was gone.

The only thing she had left was the credit card they gave her.

Without the usual disturbance of her friends chattering beside her, she sipped on her mocha and silently watched the people out and about in the city. She was supposed to be a part of this. Somehow she was supposed to find a way to make it on her own. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was a little scared.

“Mind if I join you?”

Looking up into a pair of gorgeous blue eyes, Liz sucked in a breath and eagerly nodded. “Sure.”

“You seemed like you could use a little company.”

“I suppose I could,” she flirted.

“I’m Chase Thompson.”

Shaking his hand, Liz smiled sweetly as he sat across from her. She had her eyes on him for the longest time but could never summon the nerve to talk to him. Now he was sitting across from her in all his blonde hair, blue eyed gorgeous, glory!

“Liz Parker,” she said. “Hey are you the same Thompson from Thompson Towers? The hotel chain?”

“That’s my grandfather’s company, yeah,” he laughed softly. “I hope that doesn’t put you off.”

“Oh not at all,” she replied quickly.

“It’s just I see you in here a lot with your friends and I’ve been meaning to introduce myself, but I guess I was just waiting to get you alone so I could get to know you better. You know, one on one time.”

Underneath the table, her leg gently brushed against his. “Well I’m glad you did.”

Liz couldn’t believe her luck. She felt confident all of a sudden. Her parents wanted to see her being responsible. So, she would do it. And once she proved that she could, they’d cave. This was a test, she was sure of it. And she would pass. But first, she had to ask them for more money.
************

Her parents hadn’t been much help.

“You’re on your own now,” was their response. “You can’t spend like you do anymore.”

As much as she bargained with them, they wouldn’t budge. “If we give you any money, it will be treated as a loan. You’ll pay us back with interest, just as you would a bank.”

They refused to give her any leeway and as she left their hotel room, she felt completely and utterly alone.

Now in a bad mood, she was being dragged to her cousin’s stupid housewarming party. Pouting behind her parents, Liz scuffed at a cheery Maria and headed straight for the alcohol.

It didn’t help that Maria’s apartment was gorgeous. It wasn’t particularly large, but it was spacious enough with three rooms and had a majestic look about it. Meanwhile, in just a couple days time, Liz was going to be stuck living in a one bedroom place with a closet barely large enough to just fit her shoes. The more she thought about it, the more depressed she got. She reached for another cup.

Besides Max and his friends, there weren’t many other people mingling around Maria’s spacious living room. After the initial tour of the apartment, Michael, Alex, Kyle and a few other guys situated around the television to play the gaming system, a touch to the apartment that was sure to be Michael’s influence.

Standing not too far off, Max was trying to tell himself to relax. He had seen Liz walking in with her parents and promptly went the other way. It wasn’t that he couldn’t hold his own now, because he could. He wasn’t the same as he was in high school. But he never thought that they would ever cross paths again.

Instead, he turned his attention to the beautiful woman in his arms. But his eyes often wandered to where Liz was standing with her parents. He hadn’t seen her in almost a decade. Though she had filled out a bit and her hair was a bit longer, she looked the same, beautiful and wealthy, if being wealthy had a specific look.

Kyle spotted her as well and hissed when Max sat beside him, “What the hell is she doing here?”

“I don’t know.”

Kyle snorted, “Knowing her, she’s just here to ruin everyone else’s time.”

Max failed to retort as he was too busy watching her interact with Maria and her parents. There was a time when he had been so enamored with her that he didn’t know what to do with himself. He could’ve sworn that underneath the act she played for everyone that there was something deeper to her, that she wasn’t all flash and no substance.

And as much as he didn’t want to admit it to himself or anyone else, he was still a bit disappointed that she didn’t turn out to be something more than what she was.

Max surrounded himself with his friends and gave Danni most of his attention. But it wasn’t until he was alone, fixing a small plate for Danni and himself at the buffet, that Maria stepped up to him, dragging Liz behind.

“Max, there you are! I was just introducing my cousin to everyone,” she said, smiling kindly. “Max, this is my cousin Liz.”

Liz kept her outward appearance straight. She had become a master of training herself to do so. She had spotted him minutes after she’d arrived and even after all these years, she felt a pang of guilt, though she wouldn’t admit it. So she had avoided him at all costs and she was doing well until her stupid cousin decided to introduce her to her mundane friends.

“We’ve met before,” Max said blandly, his steady gaze trained on Liz. She still wore her blue eye contacts that looked so out of place on her. He couldn’t tell if she recognized him or not but he wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t.

Maria turned bright eyes towards her cousin. She had hoped that maybe if she introduced her to her new friends that she’d click with at least one of them and stop hanging out with those stuck up wannabes that she was always associated with. “Really? Why didn’t you tell me, Liz?”

Rolling her eyes, Liz turned away and called over her shoulder. “I’ll be near the alcohol.”

Max snorted. She hadn’t changed a bit.

“Sorry about her, Max. She’s…”

“I know. We weren’t the best of friends in high school,” he said dryly.

“Oh. Bad experience? What happened?”

“Just… It’s nothing that needs to be discussed right now,” he replied, his eyes sweeping across the room until her found her. Looks could deceive and he had learned that the hard way.

It was late in the evening when he decided to take Danni out on Maria’s balcony. It stretched across the length of her apartment and offered a beautiful view of the city lights. He hadn’t encountered Liz the entire night, though she didn’t seem concerned about anyone else at the party as she was glued to the bar.

“Having fun?” he asked her, swinging her into his arms. They swayed slightly to the music flowing out from the open patio door.

“I’m having a blast. Maria’s a sweetheart and my date is the best company. Thank you from bringing me, Max.”

He answered with a soft kiss. They danced closely until the song ended and she stepped away.

“I’m thirsty, do you want anything?” she asked, tugging on his hand as she walked backwards.

“I’m good, thanks.”

Max stopped short of entering the house. “Are you coming in?”

“In a minute.” He pulled her close for one last kiss before he let her go. The balcony was softly lit with lamps hanging from the side of the apartment. The night was cool and the sky was clear. He leaned against the railing and closed his eyes, enjoying the soft breeze.

He felt the presence of someone standing beside him. He smiled, thinking it was Danni.

“I thought you were thirsty.” Imagine his surprise when he opened his eyes and saw a short brunette, looking at him with glazed blue eyes.

“Liz.”

“Hey Max.”

TBC………..

Sorry for the wait. RL sucks and all that. lol

Emz80m
clueless
begonia9508
martine
roswell3053
Tamashii
mirae01

Thanks for the feedback. And just to defend Liz a bit, she not a bad person, keep that in mind. She just misguided. She get better though.

Enjoy!

<center>Part 9</center>

Hey Max? After all these years, ‘hey Max’ is what she had to say to him.

Max couldn’t help it, but he felt anger boiling in his blood. The heartache that this woman had put him through and that’s all she had to say? He supposed that he should just let it go. It had been almost a decade, but he still felt remnants of the hurt that he felt when he was sixteen. He hated it, but Liz Parker still got to him.

“That’s all you have to say to me?”

Leaning her heavy weight on the railing, her eyes squinted in an attempt to clear her blurry vision. “What are you talking bout? Just be glad I ‘member your name.” She giggled, bringing her glass to her lips.

“Are you kidding me? After what you did to me, I can’t even get an apology? You practically ruined me, Liz.”

“Hey, hey! Tone down the volume a bit there buddy. My head hurts.”

“I can’t believe you’re still the same even after seven years.” Frowning, Max started to walk around her to go inside the apartment. However, her hand tugging on his shirt stopped him and with a sigh, he returned in front of her.

“No wait, Max!” Her initial guilt that she felt all those years ago returned full force and the alcohol enabled it to shine in her eyes. “If had known how you really felt…” Her slurred words fell away as a surge of dizziness washed over her. She had way too much to drink and she rested her forehead on Max’s arm, still clutching at the cloth of his shirt as she wanted for the faintness to pass.

She swallowed, hoping to wet her dry throat and keep whatever was trying to force its way up down. She looked up. Max was looking at her strangely, one arm dangling where she held it between their bodies and the other wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling.

“I just wanted to say that… um I…” Standing on her tiptoes, she moved to whisper in his ear. “I’m really, really drunk.”

Giggling once more, she swiveled around and made an effort to lean against the railing. She missed and awaited the ground meeting her face. It was a awhile before she realized that Max was dragging her towards a swing that hung off the side of the porch where he dumped her unceremoniously.

Through eyes half mast, she smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

If looks could kill, she thought. He turned his back and stalked away without another word.
**********

Liz stood in the middle of her new apartment just as the movers finished bringing in all her things from the moving van outside. She felt so out of place. Not only was the place tiny, but it just didn’t feel like home.

At least her parents let her keep all of her old furniture. She also had all the essentials that she’d need, cups, plates, utensils etc. But her couches and bed took up so much room, it made the place look even smaller and left little to no room to move about without having to crawl over a piece of furniture.

As she plopped down on her oversized couch, she mulled over her next move. She had to do something to show her parents that she was responsible so that she could get out of this hell hole. She’d pay a few bills, look like she’d changed and before she knew it, she’d be back in the money.

Her cable hadn’t been installed yet so she wandered aimlessly around the apartment, scuffing and glaring at walls as if that’d make them expand into the apartment she used to love.

Boredom had fully set in by the time her parents showed up, having just come from visiting with clients. They looked on with some amount of pride. Their daughter was about to officially start her adult life.

“Lizzie?”

She stood when she saw her parents, biting back the urge to beg to make all of this go away. “Hey Mom. Dad.”

“Look at you, Liz,” Nancy beamed. She handed Liz a potted plant as a housewarming gift. Liz set the plant in the kitchen. When she returned, she ushered her parents into the living room to have a seat. “How do you feel?”

“Okay I guess. I’m just trying to get used to this.”

“You will,” Jeff assured her. “Maria said she’d be over in a little while.”

“Great,” she muttered, not bothering to hide her disdain. She was surprised that Maria wasn’t upset with her for getting plastered at her housewarming. After she walked through the door and headed for the liquor, she couldn’t remember a thing. She must’ve behaved herself.

Nancy sighed. “Why don’t you two get along, Liz? You used to be so close when you were younger.”

“We’re just different people Mom. That’s all.”

“Either way, she’s bringing over groceries for you. You’ll have a full refrigerator your first night here. Isn’t that nice?”

“Wonderful,” she said through her teeth. “So, I start my new job on Wednesday.”

“That’s so great, honey!” her father exclaimed.

“Yeah. See, I’m being responsible. I can make it on my own,” she replied, enticing smiles from her parents. If she could keep this going for maybe a week, then they’d finally see that she could do it and she’d be back living the life she had become accustomed to.

“We know you can, darling,” Nancy said, “which is why we did this. There’s nothing like working hard and making it on your own. You’ll appreciate everything you get even more.”

“Yeah,” she agreed indifferently. She had no idea what her parents were talking about, but since she was going to be back in her old lifestyle within a week’s time, she’d go along with this.

As Nancy glanced around the tiny apartment, she couldn’t contain her smile. She knew that Liz wouldn’t enjoy it at first, but it would grow on her. She could remember her and Jeff’s first apartment which wasn’t much bigger than Liz’s. They didn’t have much, but they learned hard lessons and enjoyed their time together in their small safe haven. She only wanted Liz to experience the same things. Money could buy a lot of things, but the experiences that she and Jeff had were priceless.

After chatting for awhile, Nancy noticed the time and gently tugged on Jeff’s arm. “I’m afraid we have to be leaving in awhile, Lizzie. We have to get back to the hotel and pack before our flight home in the morning. Do you want us to help you unpack a bit before we go?”

“No. I think I can get it done on my own.”

She stood when her parents did and walked them to the door. “Call us if you need advice, Lizzie. We know this is a big change for you and we just want you to understand where we’re coming from.”

“I know, Mom,” she said through a tight smile. “I’ll be fine.”

After she saw her parents out, Liz dragged herself back to the couch and dropped face first on the cushions. Five minutes hadn’t gone by before she was interrupted once more.

Picking up her phone, she flipped it open. “Hello?”

“Liz! Where are you? I’ve been trying to call you for like ever! I called your house, but the phone was disconnected.”

Biting her lip, Liz scrambled to find an excuse. “I know Lynn um… the phones are down and um… you’re just going to have to call me on my cell phone from now on until they get it fixed.”

“I guess. But anyway, there’s this party tonight…”

Liz winced. She didn’t have the money or the strength to put up the façade of being her normal socialite self. “I’d love to go, but my parents are leaving tomorrow morning and they want me to spend the day with them. You know how parents are.”

“I know. Well you gotta keep Daddy happy. Whatever keeps that money coming right?” Lynn laughed.

“Right,” Liz agreed half-heartedly. She almost felt like crying. Her whole life would be turned upside down now. “Listen, I have to go, but I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Don’t bother. I plan on staying in bed nursing a massive hang over I know I’m going to get. Bye bitch.”

“Bye,” Liz said weakly, closing the phone and dropping it onto the coffee table.

She poured over how she was going to keep this act up. And she was no closer to a solution when her doorbell rung.

“Hey Liz!” Maria, with her cheery, I always do good self was bouncing on the other side of the door, grocery bags in hand.

“Maria.” Liz stepped aside to let her in the apartment. “You just missed my parents,” she said as she led her into the kitchen.

“I saw them in the parking lot. They’re really proud of you, Liz.” Maria set the grocery bags on the counter and began to put things away. “This place looks nice, Liz. I think you’re going to like it here.”

Liz didn’t have much of a dining room since her table back at her old apartment was too big for the kitchen. Maria saw one of those small retractable tables at the store and was close to buying it for her, but thought better of it. She knew that Liz probably despised her buying her groceries, but she just wanted to get along with her cousin.

Glowering, Liz stood in the doorway, arms folded with a frown as she watched Maria put the perishables in the refrigerator. She hoped that she didn’t expect her to help her put the stuff away.

“So, last night was fun,” Maria started. “How weird is it that you, Max and Kyle all went to the same high school?”

Max? “Max was there,” she stated, getting an image of him standing on a balcony, holding her up. She hadn’t remembered.

“Yeah. So what happened between you two? I’ve gotten to know him, and he’s a really good guy. I think you could be…”

“Maria, butt out.”

Sighing in defeat when she realized that she wasn’t going to get any answers, Maria moved on.

“Where do you want this?” Maria held up a few cans of microwavable soup.

“I don’t care,” she growled.

Maria ignored her tone. She was determined to make nice. “When I first moved out on my own, I couldn’t even find my way around the kitchen. I figured you’d be the same way so I bought mostly things you can just warm up in the microwave. But I got you some meat and chicken, things like that you can put in the freezer. I was thinking that I could come over and show you how to cook it. I also got you a recipe book…”

“What is wrong with you? Do you really think that I’m going to cooking my own food? Let alone with you?”

“Unless you’re willing to starve, I thought…”

“No Maria, this is a temporary situation. I don’t plan on being here long enough for you of all people to be teaching me anything.”

“I was just trying to…”

Liz advanced toward her, her face turning red as she grew angry. “No, I know what you were trying to do, Maria. You’re patronizing me…”

“How am I…”

“You think this is funny don’t you? The fact that I’m stuffed into this little sardine can like I’m some regular person. You think you’re so perfect just because you went to that stuffy school…”

Frowning, Maria halted her task of putting away the groceries and regarded her cousin with a scowl. She would make nice, but if Liz was going to be so unreasonable, she wasn’t about to let her walk over her.

“Who said I thought I was perfect? And as far as I’m concerned, I think it’s great that you’re setting out on your own. There’s nothing wrong with working for what you have and I’ve worked my ass off to get into that “stuffy school” as you called it.”

Liz snorted with a sarcastic laugh. “Whatever. You’re always so self-righteous about everything. You know what you’re doing Maria. You come over here with groceries, rubbing it in my face that I’m just like everyone else.”

Rolling her eyes, Maria wondered when Liz was going to have some sense knocked into her head.

“I’m just trying to help you because that’s what family does, Liz. But if you don’t want me to, then that’s fine. Just tell me so. You don’t have to insult me in the process. And honestly I couldn’t care less about what you think about me. I had the opportunity to better myself and learn how to stand on my own two feet rather than rely on my parent’s money. You seem to do a lot of taking, but that’s going to have to change because if you keep up you’re going to find yourself alone. Why don’t you grow up and join the rest of us in the real world.”

Maria stormed out of the apartment, leaving Liz huffing in her wake.
************

“Way to go, Max!” Kyle whooped.

Max laughed. Gathered in Kyle’s living room, he just finished telling Kyle, Michael and Alex about what transpired with Liz that weekend. But since he had met Michael and Alex in college, they had no idea why Max had any reason to have animosity with some random woman and he ended up filling them in on the relationship that he and Liz once shared.

He never told anyone who wasn’t there because he didn’t feel the need to rehash old feelings that he had buried a long time along, so he just never told them. It wasn’t until he saw Liz again that those feelings of betrayal and hurt came rushing back.

While Kyle loudly praised his friend, Michael sat back with an almost satisfied smile. Though he had only just met Liz and hadn’t been in her presence long enough, he couldn’t deny that she rubbed him the wrong way.

Alex, on the other hand still couldn’t believe what Max had just told them. “I don’t think… not that you’re like this peppy hippy or something but, I can’t even picture you upset with someone.”

“Well if she’s anything like she was in high school, she deserved it,” Kyle said.

“This is the short brunette you’re talking about?” Alex lifted his hand just under his chin to indicate Liz’s height. “I’m just going to say it, however inappropriate it may be but, she did look hot.”

Kyle got up and wandered into the kitchen, yelling over his shoulder as he went, “If she didn’t annoy me so much, I’d have to agree with you.”

“Speaking of hot, I met this amazing girl the other day,” Alex announced, his grin stretching wide across his face.

Michael snorted. “You say that everyday, Alex. You’re known for falling in love at least five times a day.”

Max snickered in agreement. “No! I’m serious. Look at this woman,” he pulled out his phone, intending to show them a picture of her from the camera on his phone. “She’s gorgeous, funny, smart… I think she’s the one.”

The guys piled around Alex to catch a glimpse of one of the many girls Alex had fallen for. There had been three already this week, and it was only Monday.

The woman in the picture was a tall, curvy blonde. She was beautiful indeed and looked worthy of Alex falling for her. “Her name’s Isabel and I met her at a Starbucks. And you,” he glared at Michael, “tried to convince me coffee wasn’t good for me.”

“Not when you drink eight cups a day you idiot!” he retorted.

“Not to mention your ass is already hyper without coffee involved,” Max added.

Alex ignored them. “I’m going to marry this one.”

The other guys exchanged looks of disbelief. Tomorrow there would be others that would capture Alex’s eye. He just loved women too much and his greatest weakness was a beautiful woman.

“As much as I’d love to sit here and stare at you losers all night, I have a date with Danni,” Max said as he stood to stretch.

“Again!?”

“She’s cooking me dinner at her place.”

“Whew!!!”

“Get that ass, man!”

“Bring me back a plate!”

Laughing, Max ignored the various catcalls and random outburst from his friends and showed himself out of Kyle’s apartment with a smile.
************

“This is really nice.”

Max smiled against Danni’s neck, enjoying her moans and mews as he nibbled on her neck. After a filling dinner, they had settled down on the couch for a movie, but never got around to choosing which one to watch.

“I wanted to talk to you,” he managed to stutter out before his lips met hers. It was all that was said for minutes until the need for air presented itself.

Emerald met amber and Max melted. It had been so long since he felt this way about someone, since he felt this excited about being near a woman. He thought he finally got it right this time.

Though she did care about whatever Max wanted to talk about, she couldn’t help her eyes from drifting down to his lips. His kisses were like candy and she loved candy! “You wanted to talk.”

“Yeah,” he breathed, working up his nerve. “I was thinking… and you don’t have to agree if you don’t want. It’s totally fine…”

“Max, just say it,” she urged gently.

“I was just thinking that I really like you and I don’t plan on seeing anyone else. I think… I mean I was wondering if you wanted to be my girlfriend and we’d see each other exclusively.”

She smiled, and didn’t hesitant to answer. “I’d really like that.”

And as he leaned for to peck her lips, briefly looking uncertain, she wondered what, or who it was that shattered the confidence of a man that looked as if he should have self-esteem oozing from his ears.

She’d find out in due time and then, she would help him get it back.

TBC………

Thanks for the feedback!

martine: Just hold onto your dearmer insurance. lol Max and Danni won't be thrown in your face, but they do exist as a couple for a little while.
begonia9508
mezz
clueless
Emz80m
roswell3053
behrluv32: Lol. That pretty much sums up Liz. She just hasn't gone through those milestones most of us have gone through to mature. Not to mention how little help the people she chooses to be around are...
Tamashii

Enjoy

<center>Part 10</center>

September 1998

Liz giggled girlishly at Max’s attempt to tell a joke.

Max blushed and stuttered, “I told you it was stupid.”

“No, it wasn’t stupid,” she said, internally rolling her eyes. “It was just…”

“It’s one of those jokes that are so unfunny that it actually loops back around and becomes funny.” He slightly shook his head. When did he become so lame? “I saw it on a TV show.”

“I bet,” she mumbled beneath her breath. “So, I’m really glad you’re in this class now. There’s no one in here that I really know.”

It was third period English Lit and it was full of nerds and geeks that she couldn’t care less about getting to know. But when Max had walked through the door, saying that he’d been transferred into the class, she’d barely contained her squeal of delight and she immediately dragged him into the empty seat in front of her.

Not only would she have someone to talk to, she’d have an extra class with him to work on her “project” as her friends liked to call it and she could get him to help her in one of the many classes she had trouble with. Not that she couldn’t get any of the other desperate, panting nerds to do her homework for her. She could play the damsel in distress that she knew Max wouldn’t be able to resist.

“Yeah, I had sociology, but the class was too full. It was either this or drama.” Even now, Max shuddered at the thought.

“Well,” she drawled out flirtatiously as she laid her hand on top of his which was resting on the back of his chair, “I think you made the right choice. Don’t you?”

Gulping, Max flushed, completely under her spell. He was lost in her blue eyes, but he found himself wishing for the natural brown beneath the contacts. “Yeah. Um…I-I’m really glad about this too. Sharing the class I mean.”

His eyes were drawn to her hand laying gently over his. Her hand was so small and her fingers slender compared to his. Her nails were done perfectly, the tips perfectly rounded, and the nails painted a light blue to match her outfit.

“I like you, Max.”

His brows raised in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that any of this was happening. Liz Parker hadn’t talked to him since that time they went camping in the seventh grade. And now, she was sitting here flirting with him, touching him.

“You like me?”

“Yeah.”

Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “Why?” What does it matter!? he thought. But as the question hung in the air, he wondered what she would say.

Taken by surprise, Liz pulled away slightly. She had never been asked that, therefore didn’t expect that as a possible response. She was used to guys just taking what she said at face value and going with it.

“Um… Because I… I think you’re very different from the other guys I’m usually around,” she said in all honesty. “I mean, you’re smart, nice, and you’re not phony.”

“Oh,” was the only thing he could think to say.

“So I was thinking that maybe you and I could have lunch together. We could go out by the football field so we can talk without any distractions.”

Max gulped, sure that the hand she was holding was dripping with sweat by now. He wanted to pull away but he didn’t want to risk that she wouldn’t grab it again. He supposed he should be curious about why all of a sudden she was paying any sort of attention to him, but he figured he could examine all of that once he woke up from this dream.

Before he answered, the bell rung and he was forced to turn around in his seat when Mr. Baltwell called for their attention.

Throughout the remainder of the class, Max stared straight ahead, unable to concentrate on a thing the class discussed. To busy trying to decide what to do, he wagered that she was either genuinely interested because of their shared classes, or she was setting him up.

He didn’t think that Liz would do the latter. So, he decided to take a chance and as soon as the bell sounded, signally the end of class, he turned to her with a semblance of confidence.

“I’d love to have lunch with you, Liz.”

Liz grinned as she gathered her things. “Great! How about we meet on the bleachers?”

“Okay. Um, so I’ll see you there.” He immediately winced at how lame he sounded. But Liz didn’t seem to notice. With one last smile at him, she left the classroom and Max had a hard time containing his smile as he made his way to his next class.
**************

Max answered the end of his class with a deep breath. Again, he had been unable to concentrate, his mind wandering to his impending lunch with Liz.

He took his time gathering his things before he left his class. He didn’t want to seem too eager, waiting for her like a dork and scare her off. So instead, he strolled leisurely through the halls, taking his sweet time at his locker, exchanging books for the ones he’d need after lunch. He appeared calm, but inside, he was a ball of nerves.

On his way to the football field, he ran into Kyle.

“Dude, why don’t we go off campus for lunch? Let’s go find Jake and Tess… you know the arcade is completely deserted right now…”

“I can’t Kyle. I sorta have plans,” he explained quietly.

As they walked through the halls, he spared a glance at his best friend and expectedly saw him staring in surprise.

“You have plans? With who and how come they’re more important than me?”

“I’m having lunch with Liz Parker.”

“What?! Wh…How…When did this happen?” Kyle knew of Max’s crush on Liz and he knew that Max and Liz shared a lab table in biology class. But he wasn’t aware of when Max finally grew a pair and asked the girl out.

Max grinned, his eyes sparkling. “They switched my classes. I have English Lit now and she’s in my classes so earlier she asked me if I wanted to have lunch with her.

“Oh so you didn’t ask her?”

“You disappointed?”

“No. Um… that’s, I’m happy for you Max. Just be careful okay?” Kyle didn’t think that highly of Liz. If fact, he was wary of that whole crowd she hung with.

Max frowned, not understanding what he needed to be careful about, but he shrugged it off, bid his farewell to Kyle and trekked the rest of the way to the football field with a bounce in his step.

On the other side of the school, Liz studied herself in a bathroom mirror.

“Don’t come on too strong,” Lynn advised as they both reapplied lip gloss. “The one thing Max has going for him is that he’s smart and you don’t want him getting too suspicious. So don’t do too much flirting, but let him know you’re interested.”

“I know! You act like I’ve never talked to a guy before,” she snapped.

“Don’t get all bitchy,” Tasha, the youngest of the Scott triplets chimed in. She was considered the nicest one out of the three.

Agreeing with her sister, the middle triplet, Trixi, spoke up, “She’s just trying to help. Besides, trying to get him to like you is the least of your worries. I’ve seen him eyeing you before.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Figures you’d attract the nerds,” she giggled. Tasha and Lynn smiled along with her. “The thing that I’d be concerned with is that you have to make out with that nerd,” she laughed.

Snickering, Lynn tossed her cosmetics in her purse. “Yeah Liz. When you two become a couple, he’s going to want a taste. You know how guys are.”

“At least he’s kinda cute already,” Tasha reasoned. “I mean especially after you finish working with him; get him a hair cut, some better clothes and get rid of those God awful glasses, I wouldn’t mind a few kisses here and there.”

“Yeah it’s not like he’s one of those scrawny computer geeks. He has a nice body underneath those Kmart sweaters he wears,” Trixi pointed out.

“Just keep your eyes on the prize, Liz.”

Liz smoothed down her hair, in an attempt to hide her nerves. She felt a lump of doubt in her stomach, something telling her she shouldn’t be doing this. She didn’t know Max that well, but from talking to him the past few days, she’d come to find out that he was really a nice guy.

But as Lynn guided her out of the bathroom, she spotted Seth at his locker in all of his blue-green eyed, muscular glory. He was captain of the football and basketball team and the most popular guy in school. She was one of the head cheerleaders and it’d be perfect and only right for them to get together. But first she had to get him to notice her and away from his horrid girlfriend.

With a few words of encouragement from Lynn, Liz made her way towards the football field.

She got there just as Max was arriving, making his way up the stairs leading to the first row of bleachers.

She stopped, wondering why he wasn’t there earlier, waiting on her like she would’ve thought, but she shook it off.

Taking a deep breath, she shook off the final nerves and pasted on a smile. “Hey Max.”

Spotting her, he immediately smiled. “Hi Liz.” He held out his hand, intending on helping her up the steps.

Her soft, small hand slid into his larger one, but instead of acting as her rail so that she wouldn’t fall on the stairs in her heels, she tugged gently. “It’s really hot out, let’s find some shade.”

Max hated to let go of her hand, so with his free hand, he swung his book bag over one shoulder and let her guide him down the steps and into the long expanse of grass between the football field and tennis courts.

They stopped underneath a large tree where branches hung low allowing the leaves to act as a shield around them, giving Max and Liz privacy though there were few people out to spy on them.

Max caught her eye and smiled softly. He offered her one of his text books for her to sit on, knowing that she might not want to sit on the grass and ruin her skirt.

“So…” She had no idea what to talk to him about now that they were alone. When they were in class, they could always chat about the specific class they were in. Now, they actually had to converse and she was supposed to act as if she really cared about getting to know him.

“Um, the cheerleading squad has a new routine we’re doing,” she announced. “We’re testing it out with the crowd before we decide if we want to take it to regionals.”

“Oh, that’s really…”

“I mean it’s not a bad cheer. I don’t see why we even have to test it. Just because I came up with the majority of it, Trini and Trixi don’t want us to do it. Urg! They are so… I swear they’re just jealous because coach liked my ideas better than theirs.”

“Um…”

“Oh! And last week…”

Max tried to pay attention as she rambled on about the cheerleading team. To spend time with Liz, the girl he had a crush on since the seventh grade, he once thought it to be a once in a lifetime experience. But as she continued to talk about herself, Max’s mind began to wander elsewhere. This surprised him because he thought that if he ever was blessed with any quality time with Liz, he’d be happy with anything she wanted to do or talk about. And he supposed that he should be happy that for whatever reason, she decided to take a liking to him. She was his dream girl.

Liz paused in her monologue, sparing a glance at Max just to make sure he was paying attention. His head was dropped low, but he looked up the moment he realized that she had stopped talking. The expression on his face was one that she had rarely, if ever seen on someone’s face when they were around her. He looked, completely and utterly bored.

Frowning, she scrambled to figure out what to do. Obviously she needed to take another approach.

There was an awkward silence that stretched over a few long minutes. Finally, she turned towards him and said the first think that came to mind.

“So… are you coming to the game Friday?”

“Uh, I usually skip the football games… and the basketball games… and anything that could be mistaken as me having school spirit.”

Sometimes she felt that same way. “You do realize that you’re talking to a cheerleader, the ultimate symbol of school spirit.”

“Yeah well, I think that I can put aside my mild hatred for school spirit if it means spending time with you.”

“I’m honored,” she replied, giggling.

“No, the pleasure’s all mine,” he said quietly and widened his eyes in surprise. He was flirting with Liz Parker. And she was smiling. He was doing well and decided to keep it up.

And he would have, if not for the loud obnoxious grumbling of his stomach. He blushed wildly and crossed his arms over his middle, in hopes of calming his hunger pains. It didn’t help because his stomach roared for attention.

Max smiled and said sheepishly, “I guess acting like you didn’t hear that would be fruitless, huh?”

She laughed. “Pretty much.”

When his stomach growled again, Max gave up trying to look cool and reached into his back pack for his lunch that was wrapped in a brown paper bag. His mom had taken the liberty of drawing a smiley face on the front and back. He rolled his eyes. He’d have to thank her later for embarrassing him without even being present.

Max decided to ignore it and hope that she didn’t see it. “You didn’t bring anything to eat?” he asked.

“No I usually buy my lunch,” she replied distractedly. She was eyeing the smiley face on his bag. He was such a dork, she concluded.

“Oh. You should’ve gotten something. Are you hungry? We could share…” He pulled out a thick ham sandwich and held it out to her. She looked at it as if it had grown a head. “It’s really good, I promise. My mom put…”

She raised her perfectly shaped brow, “Your mother?”

Flushing, he managed out, “Uh, well yeah she likes to make my lunch for me. I mean, not that I couldn’t do it, because I totally can, but the mornings are just so hectic and I never have the time. And she says that she’s suspicious of the nutrition value of the food the school offers so…”

Max stopped as he let out a nervous laugh. He had just embarrassed himself in front of his longtime crush. Here he was sixteen carrying around a smiley face lunch bag and seemingly incapable of packing his own food. Some man he was.

“I think that’s sweet,” she replied genuinely. She had always been given money to buy her lunch. “At least you don’t carry one of those lunch boxes with the action figures on it,” she giggled.

“Hey don’t laugh!” he pouted. “Those were pretty cool. I used to have one of those when I was younger.”

“Okay, that’s fine for when you’re young, but there are some people who just can’t let go of their Pokemon thermos and lunch box.”

Max laughed when she made a face. “So do you want half?”

She glanced at the sandwich once more before meekly nodding her head. He grabbed another text book from his bag and set it in between them. Grabbing a napkin from his lunch bag, he spread it over his book and cut the sandwich in half. He also had some sliced apples and grapes which he set out for them to share.

“I only have one juice, but you can have it.” When he looked up from his task, he found her watching him intently, “I bought a drink from the vending machine earlier so I’m not that thirsty…”

They ate in silence, shooting glances across their makeshift textbook table, Max wanting to burst because he was sharing his lunch with his crush and Liz feeling guilty. Max was a nice guy.

She couldn’t do this.
***********

“Well, you’ve become a stranger,” Kyle said as he and Max walked through the hallway. Max was on his way to biology. As usual, he couldn’t wait to see Liz.

“I haven’t. You still see me everyday.”

“Yeah, but for the past week and a half, you’ve been strangely absent at our lunch table. Me thinks you’re abandoning us for the popular crowd.”

Max stopped mid-stride. “Okay, first of all, don’t say “me thinks.” It’s neither funny nor grammatically correct…”

“Smart ass.”

“Secondly, I’m not abandoning you Kyle. It’s just you know how long I’ve liked Liz and now she seems to like me too. I’d never turn my back on you.”

Sighing, Kyle knew he was right. And as they continued walking he said, “I know and I just…now I know how you feel when I leave you to talk to some girl. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

“Just… be careful okay. Girls like Liz… I don’t want to see you hurt.”

The two stopped in front on Max’s biology class. “I know Kyle, but Liz is different. I know she is. You’ll see.”

“If you say so Max. I’ll see you after school?”

“Definitely.”

After a complicated handshake that they’d been doing since elementary school, Max walked into his class. Liz was already seated at their table and looked up with a smile when he entered.

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

“Lunch was great today,” she said, looking at him from beneath her lashes. Initially, after their first lunch together, Liz had wanted to back out on the plan. She knew he was going to get hurt in the end and Max didn’t deserve it.

She looked back a few tables to Lynn and Trini. Her friends had been the ones to talk her back into it, reminding her of what hooking up with Seth would do to her reputation and how much she liked him. It was just what was meant to be and as they saw it, it was written in the high school social rules somewhere.

During their lab, Max and Liz worked together, Max showing her what to do as she wasn’t that great with chemicals. And when the bell rung, signally the end of the school day, they gathered their things and together walked out into the hall.

“Hey, I was thinking that you and I should hang out this weekend,” she said.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Maybe you could come over to my place tomorrow. You know we could go for a swim and then watch a few movies afterward.”

“Oh…um... t-that would be great.”

“Great?”

“Awesome.”

“Okay, cool. How does three sound?”

“It sounds…Three’s great.”

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Bye Liz.”

“Bye Max.”

Max waited until she was out of sight before he took off in a sprint towards the parking lot where he knew Kyle would be waiting. He was going to need some serious help.

TBC……….