posted on 28-Jan-2002 7:16:38 PM by dreamangel
Title: Being Just Friends
Author: Nicole
Summary: AU. No aliens. Best friends forever, something changes, yada yada...
Category: M/L (of course)
Disclaimer: Roswell doesn't belong to me (damn fate.)
Rathing: G to NC-17
Author's Note: 'Kay, this story won by one vote, it was DR 3, but since it's the second one I'm posting, I'm changing it to number 2. Um...Please read now.


Prologue: The Kiss of the Millenium

It was a stupid argument, Liz and Max had been the best of friends since third grade. They never fought about anything. Totally in sync. That’s what everybody said. So why were they fighting now? Neither one had any idea, besides the fact that neither one liked the person the other person was dating. Neither one had any idea why it bothered them either, but it did.

“Okay, okay. Let me get this straight,” Liz Parker snapped, dark eyes fiery. “It’s okay for you to go out with Tess even though I don’t like it, but I can’t date Kyle because you don’t like it.”

“Exactly,” Max Evans snapped back. An angry flush rose in her cheeks.

“That is the most screwed up logic in the world, and I’m not talking to you until you start making some sense.” She started to stalk away, but Max grabbed her arm, stopping her.

“You don’t like me going out with Tess?”

“No,” she said firmly.

“Why?”

“Because you don’t belong together!” she cried. He grabbed her other arm, making her face him.

“Do you belong with Kyle?”

“No,” she said quietly.

“Then why are you going out with him?” he asked, exasperated with her feminine logic.

“I don’t know,” she whispered. She looked down. “He’s just like this good friend I let kiss me sometimes.”

“And do you let all your good friends kiss you?” he asked, scornful and wondering at the same time. The sharp retort on her lips died when she looked up into his intensely burning brown eyes. She felt an excited shiver run through her body. Max was going to kiss her. Max leaned in, giving her room to pull away, but she didn’t want to. Liz raised her lips to his, and they kissed.

Everything exploded. It was the Fourth of July, fireworks, stars exploding, the universe seemed to just fill them. Liz felt dizzy from the rush of emotions and heat coursing through her. Max released his grip on her arms. His hand traveled upward, tracing her cheekbones, twining in her hair, caressing the sensitive skin on the back of her neck. Liz felt herself losing consciousness, she was having a meltdown. She had to touch him back, so she did. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer.

They broke apart, breathing hard, lungs crying out for oxygen. They looked at each other, incredulous. Both not very sure of what had just happened, but both knowing that nothing was ever going to be the same again.
<><><><>

TBC...

Pretty please leave feedback, with Max and Zan and a strawberry cherry on top! *giggle*

[ edited 30time(s), last at 5-Jul-2002 9:04:08 AM ]
posted on 29-Jan-2002 12:55:54 PM by dreamangel
Note: We're going back and forth in time, so try not to become confused with following parts.

Part One: The First Kiss

The year was 1991, the date was August 28th, and it was the dreaded first day of school. Liz Parker was eight years old, and she was not dreading anything about the day. She loved school, she loved to learn, she loved her teachers, and she loved her friends.

Right that very second she was playing with her bestest friend ever, Maria DeLuca. She and Maria had met in kindergarten, when Maria had beat up that awful Kyle Valenti boy for chasing Liz around. Liz had adored her ever since.

They were playing rock-paper-scissors while waiting for school to start. They were both in Ms. Shapiro’s third grade class this year, and the prospect was making them giddy. “Rock beats scissors!” Liz said, smiling.

“Cheater!” Maria exclaimed. Liz laughed and watched as more buses pulled up. Then something, someone actually, caught her eye.

A little boy and girl had come off the newest bus, hand in hand. The girl was blonde, pretty, looking excited, but the boy… He was dark-haired, soft-eyed, and tense. He looked ready to run, as if all the children and noise scared him. The boy looked up and Liz caught his eye, smiling. She wanted to make him feel better.
<><><><>

Max stared back at the little brown-eyed girl. He had noticed her from the window of the bus as they had pulled up. She had been playing some sort of hand game with a blond girl, her long brown hair had been blowing in the wind, laughter had lit up her face, and she had just captivated him.

He hadn’t been able to stop staring at her since he stepped off the bus with Isabel. Which surprised him slightly, all the girls he’d ever known, ‘cept Momma and Izzy, were walking cootie containers. But she was different.

She was smiling now. At him.

Max sucked in a breath and let it out in a whoosh as his sister dragged him away with her as she followed a group of giggling girls with a jump rope. He grumbled silently under his breath and stood back from them, glaring around the playground.

His eyes were caught by the blonde girl she had been playing with, and he looked expectantly for the brown head, but all he saw was the girl and a spiky-haired boy she was chasing.

He sighed in disappointment and then perked up as the bell finally rang. Max enjoyed school, and he missed his old friends, but he could probably make more. Maybe not as fast as Izzy, but girls were so annoyingly talkative it only made sense they got together faster. But he needed to get away from her and her cootie infested friends, otherwise the guys would start making fun of the new guy.

Jebus freezus, being new sucked.
<><><><>

The door to class opened and Liz looked up eagerly. Their teacher, Ms. Shapiro, came in, escorting the boy she had seen earlier. “Class, this is Max Evans. Max, why don’t you tell us something about yourself.”

“Well, um…”

Liz propped her chin up on her hands and peered at him. He was cute for an icky boy. Brown eyes stared at her for a second before they looked away, and then he was blushing. Liz suppressed a giggle.

“I’m Max, my family just moved onto Murray Lane. I have a sister, Isabel, who’s a year older and I like science and basketball. Not necessarily in that order. And that’s about it.”

“Very nice, now, why don’t you take a seat behind Liz and we’ll get class started.”

Max glanced around, looking lost, and Liz raised her hand, showing him the assigned seat. She smiled at him and his ears turned pink. “Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi,” he replied, not looking at her. She frowned slightly, but then noticed his ears were still red. She realized he must be embarrassed, she didn’t actually know what she was doing. Boys and girls did not voluntarily speak to each other unless told to explicitly. Oh, well, if he lived on Murray Lane she’d being talking to him a lot.
<><><><>

Max waited patiently beside his mother. They’d been invited to dinner at their new next-door neighbors house. He was stuck wearing an itchy suit and carrying dessert. Isabel, of course, didn’t have to carry anything. She was on Dad’s back humming off-key, because she had got a new dress to compensate her for leaving her friends.

Girls had so easy. Give them a dress and a Barbie doll and they were set for life. It was so unfair.

The door was suddenly flung open and there stood a flushed, starry-eyed Liz Parker. Max couldn’t talk. “Hi!” she exclaimed, “Welcome to the neighborhood, dinner’s almost ready, please come in and make yourselves comfy. Max, you have to come see my new telescope!” She grabbed his free hand as her father took the plate of cookies, and tugged him into the house.

He barely had time to take anything in as she dragged him up the stairs, leaving his family behind, and to a neatly decorated room upstairs. He gawked at the poster of Earth she had on her wall. He had the same one. And then out a sliding glass door to a balcony.

The balcony was lit up with Christmas lights. There was a chaise lounge chair with a purple blanket draped over it, a little end table with a leather bound book, and then a telescope pointed in the direction of the star-filled sky.

“You said you like science,” Liz said, “I thought you might like the stars too.”

He stared at her, silently, then walked to the telescope and examined it closely (nice model) before looking into it. It was pointed directly at his favorite constellation. He stared at the “V”-shaped formation and then backed away. He stared at Liz, who stared solemnly back at him.

“You’re pretty cool for a girl,” he admitted.
<><><><>

Liz grinned, her fear that he wouldn’t like her insubstantial. “And you’re pretty nice for a boy,” she told him back.

They stood there, smiling at one another for a time, completely in sync with one another.

“You wanna be friends?” Liz asked tentatively.

“Sure,” he responded.

She jumped up form her seat on her chair and hugged him. He stiffened a second and then hugged her back. “Max, Liz! Dinnertime!” her daddy shouted from the first floor.

“Coming Daddy!” she yelled back. Then she mischievously kissed him on the cheek and ran downstairs, giggling uncontrollably. A few seconds later he pounded after her.

They grinned at each other from across the dinner table, ignoring his sister’s disapproving looks at their, what she termed, “childish behavior”. Max didn’t care, Liz didn’t care.

All she knew was that now she had another best friend to love.
<><><><>

TBC...

Please leave me feedback and I'll love you all forever!
posted on 31-Jan-2002 1:59:11 PM by dreamangel
Note: Mr. Raddish belongs to Emily and Kara and the RE world, I just borrowed him for a sec. Hopefully they won't sue, but if they mind, I'll change the name.

Part Two: The Healing Kiss

“Sit down.”

Max slumped into the chair in front of Principal Shaffer’s desk. He glared over at Kyle as he also sat down.

She frowned at them over her glasses and tapped her fingers on her desk. “Now, Mr. Valenti, you have made a habit of picking fights, but Mr. Evans, this is not something I would have expected of you. Now then, from what I understand from your teacher and helpful comments of your fellow students, this particular incident occurred because of Miss Parker. Is that correct?”

Neither boy said a word.

“Tell me what happened or you both will be serving detention time.”

Still nothing.

He was fuming internally. So what if he and Liz had been playing basketball? Kyle had had no right to insult her like that. He had had no right to call Max a girl either, and Max had made sure he realized that.

In fact, now the whole playground realized it. Max had been made fun of since fifth grade
had started and he had put up with it, not allowing Liz to see how much grief he was put
through just ‘cause they were friends.

Suddenly the door flew open and a small, brown whirlwind entered the room, crying. “Principal Shaffer! It wasn’t Max’s fault! Don’t give him detention, please, please!”

Liz was by Max, hugging him close, and Max felt heat come into his face. He was probably red as a radish. “Liz, it’s all right.” He wiped her tears away gently, “Just calm down, okay?”

She gulped and nodded, but didn’t let go of him.

“Elizabeth, would you tell me what happened?” Principal Shaffer tried again, thinking she’d get more out of the girl than the two boys.

“Liz,” Max muttered rebelliously.

“What, Mr. Evans?”

He cleared his throat. “Her name is Liz, not Elizabeth. She hates being called Elizabeth,” he told her matter of factly.

The principal was blinking at him, obviously starting to get a little angry.

“Way to stick up for your girlfriend, Evans,” Kyle said sarcastically.

That was it, Max was up out of his chair and starting toward him. “That’s it, Valenti!” he exclaimed, trying to take a swing. But a weight on his arm was holding him back.

“Max, he’s not worth it!” Liz was crying again, tugging on his arm.

“Mr. Evans! Sit down now!” Everybody stopped and stared at the principal. “Sit down, now, all of you,” she repeated.

“We’re just friends,” Max pointed out, still trying to defend his honor.

“Mr. Evans that is not the issue. Now then, I can see disciplinary measures will have to be taken. Miss Parker please return to your class, the secretary will give you a pass.”

“But Principal-“

“Go, Miss Parker,” she said again.

“Yes ma’am.” Liz sent him one more glance and then walked out the door, quietly shutting it behind her. Max gazed after her until the principal started talking yet again.

“I’m going to have to call your parents, so just sit back and relax. You’re going to be here for awhile.”

Max sighed and flopped back into the chair, glaring at Kyle through his good eyes. Kyle just returned the glare, smirking at him in an annoying manner. Jebus freezus, what a jerk.
<><><><>

Liz had to stop at the girl’s room on her way back to class. She stared in the mirror and stood on her tiptoes to reach the sink (being short sucked!), and twisted the cold water handle to the “on” position.

She sighed heavily, waiting for the sink to fill slightly. Her eyes were red and puffy and she needed to get them back to normal before she went back to class.

She shouldn’t have cried. Max must be disgusted with her right now. But… He had looked so horrible. Kyle had given him a split lip, black eyes, scrapes up and down his face… He shouldn’t have fought Kyle back, it only made it worse.

But she was proud of him for sticking up for himself, for sticking up for her and their friendship. She knew how hard it was for him to be friends with a girl. All the other boys wouldn’t have anything to do with him. Well, except Alex Whitman and Michael Guerin, but that didn’t really help.

Alex was out-casted because he was Maria’s best friend and because of the fact that he followed Max’s sister, Isabel, around like a puppy. And Michael…he wasn’t friends with anybody, truth be told, the only human contact he had was occasional grunts in class, a few words to Max, and the insults he hurled at Maria when he was chasing her around the playground.

Liz didn’t understand it. It was perfectly acceptable to chase members of the opposite sex around the playground (common knowledge, well, her mom, said it was a form of flirting (eww!)), but you couldn’t be friends with them. Mom said in a couple of years it would be okay, but right now ten-year old minds couldn’t handle it. She thought that was completely immature.

She stuck her hands in the cold water and brought it to face, carefully avoiding the bandage above her left eye. Kyle had struck her with something when she had tried to break up the fight, and now she had a cut. Nurse Betty had said she needed to tell her mother to take her to the hospital so that a doctor could look at it. Liz was deathly afraid she’d need stitches.

Once she had patted her face dry, she checked again to make sure she looked presentable, and then left the girl’s room. She slowly made her way back to Mr. Raddish’s classroom and handed him her note.

“We’re having independent study time, Elizabeth. Take your seat and get out a book.”

“Yes, Mr. Raddish,” she replied quietly. She turned away from him and went to her desk next to Maria.

“Are you okay, Lizzie?” her best girl friend asked.

“I’m fine Maria,” she told her, smiling.

“Is Max okay?”

“I don’t know,” she answered worriedly, “He looked so horrible, Maria! And the principal’s going to call his parents, I just know it!”

“Principal Shaffer calls my mom all the time, don’t worry about it. And Kyle looked way worse off than our Max. He won’t be picking on him anymore.” Liz shook her head at the admiration in her voice. But then she smiled.

“He did look pretty bad, didn’t he?”

“Totally.”
<><><><>

“Max, I just don’t understand what got into you!” his mother exclaimed disappointedly. Max sighed as she took his chin in her hand and stared at him with those imploring blue eyes. “Honey, promise you won’t get into a fight again.” He averted his eyes. “Max…”

“Mom, I can’t promise that,” he complained, “Kyle hurt Liz, I couldn’t just let that slide!”

And he hadn’t. Before that had happened, Max had just lain there, taking the beating, but Kyle had hit Liz. And she had been bleeding and crying, and Max just couldn’t bear to see her like that. So he had started hitting back, and then Kyle had been the one kissing asphalt.

“He hurt Liz?”

Max nodded, and followed his mother out of the office. Liz and Isabel were sitting on a bench outside, waiting for them. School had ended ten minutes ago, and Diane had had the secretary call their classes to inform them they had a ride home.

“Oh! Liz, darling, are you alright?” his mother asked anxiously, taking Liz into her arms.

“I’m fine, Mrs. Evans. It’s just a scratch.”

He snorted. Blood was starting to seep through the white patch of bandage on her forehead. She was really hurt.

“Afraid not, Miss Parker.” It was Nurse Betty.

“Betty? How are you? And what do you mean?”

“Peachy keen, Diane, and Liz needs to see a doctor about stitches.”

“I don’t need stitches!” Liz yelled, squirming away for the older women and hiding behind him. He sighed, Liz hated hospitals.

“Now, Liz, if Nurse Betty says you should go, you should. I’ll call your mother and see if I can’t take you right now.”

Isabel made sound of disgust and tossed her blond hair. “I’m taking the bus. I’ll see you at home, Mom.” She walked a few feet and then turned around. “Are you coming Max?” she demanded.

Liz’s grip on his shirt tightened and she burrowed her head into his back. He looked at his mother, who was on the phone with Mrs. Parker, and then turned to his sister. “I’m staying with Liz.”

Izzy rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she snapped, then turned on her heel and stalked away.

He turned around to look at Liz. She slipped her hand into his and smiled at him. “Thank you, Max.” He shrugged and squeezed her hand gently. Like he’d leave her alone in a place out of her nightmares. Those white rooms creeped her out.
<><><><>

Isabel sat in the back of the bus, thoroughly disgusted. The entire busload of students couldn’t stop talking about her brother’s fight with Kyle Valenti. God, fifth graders were so juvenile.

“Your brother is so cute, Isabel!”

She stared in horror at her best friend Tish. “Oh, not you too Tish, please don’t tell me you’ve given into this madness!”

“Izzy,” she giggled, “You have to admit, and those eyes of his are to die for. And they way he stood up to Kyle took a lot of guts. Everyone says so. He’s gonna be so popular!”

“Fantastic,” Isabel muttered and stared out the window, wishing she could bang her head against it. Max was such a doofus. She’d been working since she moved here to be the most popular kid in school, and then her dorky brother gets in a fight over his girlfriend, and he steals what she tried so hard to achieve. Ugh!
<><><><>

Liz swung her bare feet back and forth on the cold table/chair thingy in the doctor’s operating room. She fingered her head gently. The anesthetic was wearing off and she was feeling sore. The bandage had been replaced with a fresh one, but she still felt horrible.

Max hadn’t been able to come in with her, so Mrs. Evans had held her hand, but it hadn’t helped. Diane was nice, but she wasn’t Max. The doctor’s had made her put on the open-backed hospital dress and she sat in the white room while they sewed her back up.

She sniffled, feeling wretched. She hated hospitals. They were so disinfected and sterile. There was no feeling to them.

“Liz?” The door opened and she looked up into her best friend’s worried eyes.

“Max!” she cried.

“Ssh!” he scolded, “I’m not supposed to come back here yet.” She clamped a hand to her mouth and peered apprehensively at the door. He closed it, studiously making sure no nurses were coming.

“You doing okay?” he asked, dragging a chair over to her. She nodded, but felt miserable. She didn’t know what her problem was, she was fixed, and everything was all right. Now could she leave, please?

Max tugged on a piece of her hair and she gave him her attention again. “Sorry I couldn’t come in,” he apologized.

“It’s okay,” she dropped her voice, gazing into his honest brown eyes.

“We’re going to go home soon, Mom just has to clear some things at the nurses’ station.”

“Good,” she stated firmly. He grinned at her and then stood up, pressing his lips to the place where her cut was.

“How’s that?” he inquired, blushing.

“Better,” she whispered, blushing too.
<><><><>

TBC...

Can I get a round of feedback?
posted on 1-Feb-2002 9:22:15 AM by dreamangel
Part Three: The Kiss of Death

Max admired himself in the mirror. He had been working out lately and his muscles were getting pretty dang big. Oh yeah, he’d get Tish Okabe’s attention for sure.

He smiled goofily when he thought about Tish. She was Isabel’s best friend, and at thirteen was just as developed as girls of sixteen. Since two years ago, when Max had beat Kyle on the playground, she’d been saying hi to him, and having actual conversations.

At first, he’d been like, eww, another icky girl…But now, now it was kinda ego-boosting to know the approval of an older woman. Liz always rolled her eyes at him when he started talking about her, about how pretty and sweet she was… But what did Liz know? She was just a little girl, and a tomboy one at that.

He smiled and grabbed a jacket, heading over to his best friend’s house. He wanted to ask her opinion on his new look before he tried it out on Tish.

Max let himself in the Parker’s front door, knowing Jeff and Nancy were working at the Crashdown. He walked up the stairway and headed down the upper hall to Liz’s room. “Hey Liz,” he called and opened her door.

“MAX!”

In a flash he was back outside the door, barricaded from within. He didn’t attempt to reopen the door. He just stood outside, stunned.

Liz had been wearing a bra!

His best friend had boobs!

Aw, Jebus freezus, he hadn’t expected her to turn into a girl!
<><><><>

Liz could not believe him! She grabbed her robe and wrapped it tightly around her body. Then she snatched up a hair scrunchie and pulled back her wet hair. He was such a boy sometimes, not knocking…

“You’re supposed to knock before you enter a girl’s room, Max Evans!” she told him as she opened her door, glaring at him.

“Yeah, but I don’t think of you as- What?"

“Oh, God!” she gasped, laughing her head off. He looked ridiculous.

“What is your problem?” he demanded. She just shook her head and collapsed onto her bed, rolling with laughter.

“You-you look so funny!” she finally managed.

“I do not!” he exclaimed, “I look manly.”

“Right,” she said, trying to be serious, “You’re a big strong manly man!” Then she dissolved into a fit of giggles.

“Liz!” he complained.

“I’m sorry!” She looked him over again and struggled not to start laughing again. His hair was all spiky, which actually looked okay, but he was wearing leather pants, a white wife-beater, and a leather jacket way to big for him. He reminded her of Michael, only more extreme. “What did you want?” There, that sounded normal, no mirth involved at all.
<><><><>

He glared at her. She was still laughing at him, he could see it in those doe-brown eyes of hers. “I wanted your opinion on my new look.”

She started up again.

“Liz! I’m serious!”

“How can you be?” she asked, “I mean, if I looked like that, I wouldn’t be able to take myself seriously.” She pursed her lips and prevented all but a little chuckle to come through.

“Okay, obviously you’re not going to be any help,” he said angrily, getting fed up. He turned to go.

“No, no wait, Max!” she called. He turned around in the doorway and looked at her. She was sitting on her bed, legs sticking out from under the butterfly robe he had gotten her for her birthday last year. (It was a big on her, but she’d grow into it.) He stared at her legs for a moment, hypnotized by the smooth length. “Max? Earth to Max?” He snapped his attention back to her face. “Were you staring at my legs?” she asked suspiciously.

“Did you shave?” he demanded, tangenting from her direct question.

“I’ve been shaving for a year Max.”

“You have?” That was a surprise. She rolled her eyes at him.

“Anyway, what’s with the new…” She waved her hand to encompass him and her lips twitched, “look?"

“I’m trying it out on Tish. You think she’ll be impressed?” He mock posed, and there she went… “Liz!”

“I’m sorry,” she panted, “I can’t help it. I’ll be serious now, I promise.”

“So?” he prompted.

“So, I think you’ll definitely make an impression. I can’t say she’ll be impressed as much as vastly amused.”

“So you don’t think she’ll like it?”

“Max,” Liz sighed and cuddled a pillow in front of her, “It’s not you. You’re not a tough guy. I mean, yes, you can hold your own in a fight, and, according to Maria, you emit “masculine vibes”, but I think you do better as the strong, silent type. You know, just jeans and a T-shirt. Be you, Max, not somebody else.”

“But Tish doesn’t want me. At least, not in a more than friends way.”

“Then she doesn’t deserve you.”

“But-”

“No buts, Maxwell…Besides, there’s something you need to know. About Tish, I mean.”

“What?” he asked sullenly, “Never mind, I’m gonna go home and wallow in self-pity.”

“But Max! It’s important!”

“Bye, Liz.”

“Max!” He tuned her out as he walked back downstairs. She was just gonna try and be sympathetic and understanding. He didn’t need that right now. What he needed were some guy friends, but, lacking those, to go home.

He walked in through the kitchen door, dragging his feet and grabbed a soda from the fridge. Popping it open he turned and froze. Just great, he thought, closing his eyes. That’s just perfect.

For there, sitting at the kitchen table, was his sister and her best friend.
<><><><>

Isabel choked back her laughter as she stared at her brother, but then she couldn’t help it anymore. She and Tish looked at each other and burst out giggling. “Oh, God, Max, do you know how hilarious you look?”

He glowered at her with cold eyes. “Yes, Isabel, Liz has already pointed out that fact already, Several times.” She just laughed harder. “That’s right, yuck it up,” he prodded, “Get it all out now so I don’t have to deal with it later.”

“We’re gonna go to my room,” Isabel said, needing to get out of there before she started snorting or something equally humiliating. She and Tish got up and walked past him.

“Oh, Max.” Tish wiped tears from her eyes and kissed his cheek. Isabel rolled her eyes, oh no…He looked amazed, as if she were a goddess to be worshipped or something. He was such a dork.

“Tish.” Isabel tapped her foot impatiently.

“Coming Iz.” She ruffled Max’s spiky hair and laughed again. “You’re so cute Max, Tim never does stuff like this.”

“Tim?” he echoed, sounding dazed.

“My boyfriend.” She smiled at him, “Isabel’s so lucky to have a little brother like you.” Isabel subdued another giggle. Poor Max. For a minute she felt sorry for him. “Bye, Max.” Tish gave him another smile and a wave and then walked out of the kitchen toward Isabel’s room.
<><><><>

Max flung himself onto his bed and picked up his phone, dialing the number by heart. “Hello?”

“Hey, so I think I know what you were going to tell me about Tish.”

“Found out about Tim Watanabe, huh?” Even over the phone she sounded concerned.

“Yeah,” he muttered, “She said I was cute, like in puppy-dog, little kid cute. That’s like the kiss of death.”

“Poor baby,” she commiserated.

“Are you laughing at me?” he questioned.

“Yes.”

“Great, some friend you are.”

“The best,” she told him, laughing openly, “And don’t you forget it Evans.”
<><><><>

TBC...

Please leave me feedback.



[ edited 1 time(s), last at 1-Feb-2002 3:31:28 PM ]
posted on 2-Feb-2002 7:48:40 AM by dreamangel
Note: ladylou Tish Okabe and Tim Watanabe sre yjeir actual names in the series, and this part, I have used more names from Melinda Metz's Roswell High. So there's my disclaimer, have fun!


Part Four: Kiss Off

“Liz, psst!”

“What Max?” she whispered back, covertly checking to make sure Mr. Tollifson was still busy at the blackboard.

“Are you coming to the game tonight?” Liz gave a muffled shriek and glared at him from her seat. He interrupted her in the middle of a testto ask if she was going to his basketball game!

“Of course I’m coming, now shut up!” She bent over her test again and ignored Pam Troy’s annoying little jabs into her back. She probably wanted to know what the answer to number twenty was, well Liz wasn’t going to help her cheat.
<><><><>

Pam frowned and then glanced at Max. Little Lizzie Parker would pay for disregarding her! An evil little smile lit up her face. One that, had Liz seen it, would have changed her mind about helping.

They were fourteen, freshmen at West Roswell High, and the boyfriend/girlfriend thing was starting. The groping of seniors in the halls putting pressure on the underclassmen. Pressure that Ms. Pamela Troy, school gossip extraordinaire, fueled.

By the time Max and Liz left history class, her little rumor had swept through the ninth grade like wildfire. The knowledge was like shock waves to the female population. The thought that cute, popular Max Evans, would be interested in geeky little Liz Parker (when he had so many other girls begging to be his girlfriend) like
that was absurd.

Everyone knew they were best friends, but Liz was such a tomboy, it was inconceivable that she could get a guy.

Truth be told, Liz wasn’t a tomboy. She was just as fond of skirts as any other girl, and there were several boys who would’ve loved to go out with her. But she always hung out with Max, and none of them thought to compete with him. Except one…
<><><><>

Liz slammed her locker shut as Maria came bounding up to her. “Are you and Max going out?” she asked bluntly.

“No!” Liz exclaimed, “Where on earth would you get an idea like that?”

“Duh! Lizzie, the whole school has the idea. Pammy got her claws out early.” Maria rolled her eyes, she hated Pam Troy as much as Liz did.

“What? That…that total witch! How dare she start rumors about ma and Max! We’re just friends! How hard is that to comprehend?” she demanded, practically yelling down the hallway. Several students stopped and stared. “Ugh! I can’t believe people would believe something so…so utterly preposterous!"

She stalked down the hall to catch the bus home, feeling particularly anger and wrathful. Maria stared after her in surprise for a second, muttered, “The lady doth protest to much, methinks.” And then skipped after her.

“Lizzie, wait up! We’re going to the game together tonight, right?”
<><><><>

“Just heard, Evans, good going!”

“What?”

“Evans…Very smooth.”

“What?”

“Hey Evans, heard you scored with Parker! Nice job, man!” Doug Highsinger slapped him on the back.

What?”

“Pam Troy said you and Liz were dating.” He turned to the newest voice, trying to sort out the confusion.

“What are you talking about Kyle?” he demanded, hating that Valenti was the one to retrieve him from bewilderment.

They were the only two freshmen to make the Varsity basketball team, and had begrudgingly agreed to work together for the good of the team. But that didn’t mean they liked each other.

Kyle’s blue eyes were cold. “You heard me,” he said.

“You meant it?”

“Yeah,” he said gruffly.

“But that’s ridiculous.” He shook his head. “There’s no way anyone would believe that.”

“Evans!” Rick Montes’ head popped over the lockers from the next row, “Congrats, Parker’s been lookin’ very fine.”

“Hey!” Max exclaimed, standing up on one of the benches as he pulled his jersey on, “That’s my best friend you’re talking about!”

“Sure, Evans.”

“Yeah right, dude.”

The chorus of disbelief went around the boy’s locker room.

“I mean it!” he protested, “Liz and I are just friends, there’s nothing like that going on.” Sympathetic groans went around.

“Too bad, man.”

“Yeah, but you’ll get some soon, she doesn’t look that frigid.”

“Tight,” Montes said, “But not frigid.”

Max snapped, he was up and over the lockers in an instant and Rick was lying on the floor, cupping his bleeding nose. “Take it back, Montes,” he demanded.

“Jeez, man, I’m sorry, okay. I’m sorry.” He got up, glaring at Max and holding his nose upwards to stem the bleeding. Max slowly relaxed out of his fighting stance and returned the older boy’s glare.

“Woo, Evans, nice right hook,” Doug commented, whistling with admiration.

“All right, men, gather round,” Coach said as he came out of his office, “Montes, what happened to you?”

Before Rick could say anything, Doug butted in. “He had an accident Coach.”

“Well get cleaned up.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Everybody, just remember, teamwork, and send any three-pointers Evans’ way. Got it?”

“Got it Coach!” everybody said.

“Then get out there and play!” he roared. Yelling and general guy pumping up ensued, and the team made there way to the gym.

“So you and Liz aren't together?”

Max spun around, looking at Valenti suspiciously. “No.”

“Good.” Kyle shoved past him and Max studied his back for a minute. What did he mean by ‘good’? Shaking it off, Max trotted out, ignoring the cheering for his inner anger. He stored it away, building it up, it would make him more aggressive on the court.

“Max? What’s wrong?”

He looked at the blue and gold clad cheerleader. “Pam Troy started a rumor that me and Liz were together.”

“What?”

“That’s what I said.” He smiled at her. “Go cheer Isabel, I’ve got a game to win.”

“Evans!”

“Coming Coach!”

“Good luck, baby brother,” she called after him.

Max made a face. “Try not to fall off the top of the pyramid!” he yelled back.
<><><><>

Liz clapped frantically as Max made another basket. He was doing great, and West Roswell was up by twelve points. “Go Max!” she cheered from the bleachers. Maria, Alex, and even Michael echoing her cry.

The rest of the bleachers took up the cheer and a wave went through their team’s side, blue and gold pennants and pom-poms waving crazily for their favorite player. Max Evans was the team sweetheart.

He stopped before continuing to the face off, blushing and waving up at the crowd of supporters. Everyone cheered more. He met her eyes through the din and grinned. Then he inclined his head toward the sidelines.

Liz made her face scrunch up, mystified, and he did it again. She looked over and subdued a giggle.

The whole JV cheerleading squad was approaching the freshmen one, Isabel Evans in the lead.
<><><><>

“Oh, Pam?” Isabel asked sweetly.

Pam Troy turned around. “Isabel!” she squealed. She rolled her eyes at Tish, who was looking properly bored. She looked back down at the freshman and gave her a once over, her lip curling up in distaste.

The rest of Pam’s squad saw this and backed away from their leader, not willing to incur the fury of the Isabel Evans. She might only have been a sophomore, but she was head cheerleader of the JV squad, and every girl in the school either adored and envied her or hated her. The freshmen cheerleaders were in the first group.

“I heard you were spreading rumors about my brother and Liz Parker,” she stated frostily. Her squad fanned out behind her, glaring icicles. Pam paled and took a step back. “It stops now,” she continued, “And I expect an apology for trying to ruin my brother’s and his best friend’s reputation.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“I didn’t hear you.”

“I’m sorry!” she repeated, louder this time.

“That’s better.” The whole squad turned in unison, but Isabel paused and turned back, causing the other girls to stop too, intimidating the younger girl. “And Pam, it better not happen again.”

“It won’t” she appeased, “I promise.”

“Good.” Like her word was worth diddly squat. “And Pam…”

She gulped, “What?”

Isabel blew her a kiss, eyes glacial. “Buh-bye,” she said pleasantly.
<><><><>

TBC...

Will everybody leave me feedback? Please...

[ edited 1 time(s), last at 2-Feb-2002 7:49:22 AM ]
posted on 3-Feb-2002 9:56:33 AM by dreamangel
Part Five: The Kissing Game

The party was doing moderately okay, the new girl wouldn’t make it onto West Roswell’s top ten popular list, but she wouldn’t be snubbed. Something was just missing to make it perfectly scandalous. There were no fights, no horribly loud break-ups, no nothing…Just pleasant talking and assorted eating from the well-furnished snack table.

Liz was perched on the arm of a couch, her legs in Max’s lap. Maria was on the other side, with Alex at her feet. Michael was hovering a few inches away, glaring hatefully at everyone. Isabel and Tish were grouped with the cheerleader and the jocks, including Kyle Valenti, and were discussing the new girl’s potential as lackey.

“Okay everyone!” Attention turned to Pam Troy, who was standing in the middle of the room, holding two bowls. “Time for a little fun. I have here boy’s names and girl’s names in these bowls, and we’re going to play ‘Seven Minutes in Heaven’, so, let’s let our lovely hostess have the first pick.

“Tish Okabe and Tim Watanabe,” she read in a sugary little voice. Everyone groaned as the couple (five years running) headed for the closet. There was no suspense as to the outcome of that little tête-à-tête.

“Now,” Pam said, locking the closet door, “Someone start timing. The rules are simple. You’re locked in a closet for seven minutes with the picked partner, what you do inside is your business, but everyone’s going to find out anyway. So have fun!”

Seven minutes passed and Tish and Tim came out, clothes awry and make-up smudged. “Next,” Pam picked, “Isabel Evans and Alex Whitman.” Liz and Max joined in the catcalls as Izzy got up regally and stalked to the closet, Alex followed, blushing red as a tomato, and Pam locked them in.

Another seven minutes went by and they were let out, Isabel walked out as serenely as she’d gone in, and Alex came out, looking slightly dazed and staring at Isabel as if she were a deity. Liz and Max exchanged glances, giggling.

“Michael Guerin, and…” She concentrated on picking out a girl name. Liz watched, lips twisting as Michael glowered at the female populace and crossed his arms. “Drum roll please,” Pam asked, smirking as she finally pulled out a name. Jocks obliged her and Pam waved the piece of paper, holding back laughter. “Maria DeLuca!”

There was absolute silence.

Michael and Maria stared at each other in shock, then started yelling. “No way!” Maria shrieked, “No way on earth I’m getting into a closet with him!”

“Same here Blondie, I didn’t even sign on for this game, I’m outta here.” He started walking away, but Pam placed on well-manicured hand on his chest.

“Hold it, Guerin, rules state that once a game is started there is no backing out.”

“C’mon, Michael,” Max called, “Don’t be a wuss.” Michael turned his fearsome glare on his friend, but Max just smiled at him.

“Fine,” he grumbled, walking into the closet, “Ya comin’ Cheesehead?”

Maria was trembling with rage and she turned pleading eyes to Liz. She slid off the arm and went to Maria. “It’s okay, Maria, you don’t have to do anything.” Green eyes regarded her seriously and she nodded.

Straightening she stalked to the closet, “Of course I’m coming Dorkbutt, keep you pants on. Please,” she added.

Everyone watched with apprehension as the door was locked. There was peace for about one minute and then muffled screams and raised voices erupted from the interior. Knowing grins were exchanged and everyone settled down for a good Michael/Maria argument
(highly entertaining). It was just getting good when suddenly…nothing.

Complete nothing.

Four minutes later Pam cautiously approached the door. “If they killed each other, I assume no responsibility,” she informed them, hand on the knob.

“Just open it!” everyone hissed. She took a deep breath and flung the door open, everyone peered anxiously inside, but was shocked at what they saw.

Michael’s hand came out the door, obviously seeking for support, but, finding none, he tumbled to the floor, Maria beneath him. There was a breathless pause and Liz asked, “Maria?”

She swiped blond hair out of her face and pushed Michael off of her. They both got up, blushing, lips swollen, Maria with a dark patch on her neck. She looked around and responded to everyone’s stunned gazes, “What?”

The hushed crowd didn’t reply.

“Who’s next?” she continued.

“Oh, um…” Pam dazedly pulled the next two names, “Kyle Valenti and Liz Parker.”
<><><><>

There was quiet amid there little group. Alex was still gazing adoredly at Isabel, Michael and Maria wouldn’t look at each other, and Max’s focus was on the closet door. The barrier that held his best friend trapped with his arch nemesis.

He really, really wanted to march over there and rip it open and then tear Valenti to shreds. He knew what that pervert thought about Liz, always smiling at her and asking her questions about her day…The bastard.

He glanced at his watch. Thank God. “Time’s up,” he called.

“No,” Pam said, “Nikolas has to call it.”

“I said, ‘time’s up’,” he repeated, “Open the door now.”

She blanched at his stony tone and hurriedly opened the door. Kyle and Liz walked calmly out, smiled at each other, and went to their respective groups. Max watched Valenti closely, noticing the way his gaze lingered on Liz’s hips. He also noticed a smudge on Valenti’s cheek about the same color as Liz’s lipstick.

“Max Evans and…” He snapped his attention to Pam, who was grinning coyly at him. She pulled the name out of the bowl and pouted. “Tess Harding,” she finished, disappointment evident in her voice.

He reluctantly got up as Liz sat down. “Good luck,” she told him cheekily.

“Yeah,” he muttered, staring at her intently, not making a move to leave.

“Max, you have to go,” she told him.

“What happened with you and Kyle.”

“Oh,” she rolled her eyes at him, “We talked, Dad, that’s it. Okay, now get going, you have a bimbo panting for you.”

“Liz,” he whined.

“Shoo, oh god of men.” This time it was he rolling his eyes and she grinned. He walked to the closet and winced as it shut behind him.

Max looked at the girl he was stuck with and gave her a small smile. “So, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced, you being new and all. I’m Max Evans.” He held out his hand.

“I know who you are,” she told him, laughing, “Everyone knows the star of the basketball team.”

He blushed, “I’m not really the star.”

“Don’t be so modest, I saw the last game. You were awesome.”

“Oh, thanks…Tess.”

“So,” he said.

“So,” she echoed, stepping closer to him. He was up against the door and had no where to go. “Aren’t you going to kiss me, Max?”

He studied her. She was cute, blue eyes, bleached blonde hair, big pink lips. Her skin was white like porcelain and she was nicely shaped, a little taller that Liz. He guessed one kiss couldn’t hurt.

Slowly he leaned forward, just brushing his lips over hers. She tilted her chin up, and instigated the second kiss. He responded on instinct, not having a lot of experience, and kissed her back, gently letting his tongue explore her mouth. She giggled and ran her hands up the back of his shirt.

The door opened and Max spun around. Everyone applauded as they took in his disheveled state and lipstick smeared face. Tess wiped her lips and then sucked the lip stuff of his face. More cheering and a chant of “Evans!” from his teammates. He blushed and gave Tess one last glance before going back to his friends.

Alex and Michael were giving him hell and Liz just looked at him, something in her eyes dead. He ignored the boys and sat down beside her. “What’s wrong?” he asked worriedly, “Were you lying to me before about Valenti, because if he did something, Liz-”

“You have lipstick on your ear, Max,” she interrupted, rubbing it away. He blushed again.

“Yeah, Tess went kinda suck-crazy back there.”

“Didn’t look like you minded,” she said coolly. He gave her a strange look and was about to ask her what her problem was when Michael started talking to him.

“Man, she manhandled you worse than Maria did to me.”

“Excuse me!” Maria cried, “I believe I was the on being manhandled you caveman!”

“Oh, yeah right, I only kissed you to shut you up, after that it was all you!”

“Not even!” she shrieked, and went for him. Michael bounded away and Max grabbed Maria before she could get to him.

“Guys!” he shouted, “Quit the schoolyard flirting and just admit you’re hot for each other.” Maria gasped and hit him, Michael gave him a dirty look. They both tread to opposite ends of the room, where Maria started batting her eyelashes at some random guy and Michael glowered at them.

He sighed and flopped back down beside Liz. He glanced between the two and then at Alex, who was still openly staring at his sister. “Aren’t you glad we don’t have that type of problem,” he asked Liz.

“I think you’re about to get one,” she enlightened him, pointing to Tess, who winked at him and licked her lips. He flushed and looked at Liz. Her brown eyes were back to normal, sparkling amusedly.

“Jebus freezus,” he muttered, “Can’t a guy get a break?”

“Not if he looks like you, Max, there’s no chance in hell.” He frowned at her and she just smiled at him, ruffling his hair. “You’re such a sex fiend!” she teased.

“Liz!”
<><><><>

Isabel got her books out of her locker, complaining about her homework load to Tish and Tess, who they had decided to adopt.

“Hey, Isabel!” Alex said, walking by.

“Hi Alex,” she called after him. The girls watched him walk away.

“He’s got it so bad for you,” Tess told her.

“He’s sweet,” Isabel said, looking at Tish, who was staring down the hall, on the prowl for Tim. She turned her attention back to Tess.

“Sweet as in nice guy, or sweet as in potential love connection?”

Isabel shrugged, “Sweet as in I don’t know. What about you? You’ve been here for a couple of weeks, you must have somebody on your radar.”

“Still soaking it all in. Although, I have to admit, I’m a little bummed about your brother being unavailable. I’m sort of into those serious mooded guys.”

“He’s not unavailable.”

“But, what about Liz Parker? They’re always together.”

“They’re just friends,” she told her airily, “They’ve been best friends since they were eight, but it’s nothing more than that.

“So, he’s up for grabs?”

“Most definitely.”

“Good.”
<><><><>

TBC...

Please leave feedback.




posted on 4-Feb-2002 5:43:14 AM by dreamangel
Part Six: Kiss and Tell

Liz grabbed her backpack from her locker and started filling it. She had a Science Club meeting in ten minutes and she couldn’t be late.

“Hey, Liz.”

She glanced up and smiled. “Hi Kyle.” They had hung out a few times recently, and Liz considered him a good friend. “What’s up?”

“Actually,” he shuffled his feet, “I was wondering if you were busy tonight. Are you?”

“Nope,” she replied, looking at him curiously, “Why?”

“Liz, we’ve been hanging out, and we’ve had fun right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, the thing is…I like you Liz, in a more than friends sort of way, and I wanted to know if you would go to the movies with me tonight, and maybe another night…Like a girlfriend/boyfriend thing.”

She was stunned and looked into his hopeful blue eyes, and she couldn’t bring herself to day no. “Sure,” she said.

“Really?” he asked, eyes lighting up.

“Really,” she said, smiling at him. He grinned widely and kissed her lightly on the lips, when he pulled back his grin was even broader.

“Well, I have to get to practice, I’ll pick you up at eight?”

“I’ll be ready,” she told him. And he kissed her again and walked away. She sighed and turned back to her locker. She could do this, it wasn’t like she hated him, and he was a good kisser. She could be his girlfriend. It’s not like there were guys lined up the block for her, she thought wistfully.

“Hey Liz!” Her head shot up again and was faced with her best friend, basketball shoes slung over his shoulder.

“Hi Max,” she responded, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu.

“You wanna hang out tonight?”

“Can’t, I have plans.”

“Plans?” he repeated, sounding skeptical.

“Yup.”

“And these plans are more important than hanging out with me, your bestest friend in the whole world?”

“Yup,” she teased, grinning at him.

“Well, fine,” he huffed and walked away. Liz stared after him, a little shocked at his attitude. But then shook her head, he was probably PMSing or something. Guys were so weird sometimes, Max most of all.

Shit! She needed to go or she’d be late.
<><><><>

Max parked his Jeep in the driveway and climbed out. He had just got home from a make-out session at Tess’. He hadn’t had anything else to do since Liz had ‘plans’. He snorted. What could possibly be more important than her best friend? He shook his head and was about to go in the house when a red Mustang came ripping down the street.

Valenti, Max thought, hands clenching. What was he doing on Max’s street?

The Mustang pulled into the Parker’s driveway, and Max watched slack-jawed as Kyle got out and then went to the passenger side door, opening it. His jaw dropped farther when Liz appeared and walked hand-in-hand with Kyle to her front door.

With growing anger he watched as Valenti touched Liz’s face and kissed her. Kissed Liz! His Liz!

What the hell was she thinking letting Valenti maul her like that?!

The next day after school he confronted her at her locker. “Kyle Valenti?” he demanded, incensed.

“What?”

“Kyle Valenti was more important than me?”

“Max, I went on a date, it’s no big deal.” She shrugged her shoulders and he just snapped, not comprehending how she could brush off such a huge deal.

“It’s Valenti, Liz, Kyle Valenti. You remember, the boy who gave you that scar in elementary school!” He pointed to the mar above her brow.

“That was an accident Max, and we were like ten years old, get over it. Besides,” she continued, “You have no right to talk, what with Ms. Vapid and Shallow…”

“Tess is not vapid,” he protested.

“Right, Max, keep telling yourself that.” She rolled her eyes, and he threw up his hands, frustrated with her obtuseness.

“Liz, you can’t go out with Valenti.”

“And why not, Max?” she inquired, and he heard the anger in her voice, but pressed on anyway.

“Because I don’t like him,” he told her. She rounded on him, eyes wide.

“I don’t like Tess,” she said. He frowned, not expecting that.

“What does that have to do with anything?”
<><><><>

Max lay silently on his bed, pondering the disturbing events of this afternoon. Events that were roiling around in his mind nonstop, events that could change everything he’d ever known for the past ten years.

He had kissed Liz Parker.

He had kissed his best friend!

Max groaned and rolled over onto his back. He glanced to the side to stare at his nightstand, and grabbed the picture resting on it. The image of Liz and himself was all he saw, and he realized, quite suddenly, that they looked good together.

No!

He put the picture back, facedown, and chewed his bottom lip. He had to stop thinking these thoughts. Had to stop thinking about how soft her lips had been, and how perfectly her body had melted against his.

He needed to talk to someone, and since his best friend would only compound the problem, he dialed the number of the only other person he could trust with a crisis like this.

“Hello?”

“Have you ever though about kissing Maria?”

“What? Max is that you?”

“Yes, Alex, it’s me, now have you?”

“Of course not, what kind of question is that?” Alex sounded disturbed. “Besides, Michael would kill me if I even looked at her funny.”

“Alex!” he cried, aggravated, “I didn’t ask if you would, I asked if you’d ever thought about it.”

“Well,” he paused, “I guess, when we were younger, I wondered. I mean, she really has great lips, and she was the only girl who paid attention to me…” he cleared his throat, “Why?”
<><><><>

Isabel grabbed the portable phone, needing to call Tish to find out what she was wearing to Fling, and turned it on. She brought it up to her ear to check the dial tone, and froze as he brother’s voice came over the line.

“I kissed Liz!”

“What?!” That was Alex Whitman.

“I kissed her,” Max repeated, “Just today, after school. We were arguing and I just kissed her.”

“What did she do?”

“Kissed me back-”

Isabel turned the phone off and placed it on the end table, looking at it as if it were a snake set to bite her. She thought of Tess’ obsessive behavior with Max, Liz and Max’s sappy relationship, and then remembered that Tess was one of her best friends.

“I so did not just hear that,” she told herself.
<><><><>

“Max kissed me,” Liz stated quietly.

“WHAT?!” Maria screeched.

“He kissed me Maria, on the lips, with tongue and everything.”

“You are so not serious.” Liz just looked at her, serious as could be. She didn’t blame Maria’s reaction. She could barely believe it her self.

Max Evans had kissed her.

It was wrong, best friends kissing was just wrong, especially when said best friends both had a significant other. It was wrong…

But it hadn’t felt wrong. If anything, it had felt right. Right like nothing in her life had felt right before…

She stared at the strip of pictures stuck in the frame of her dresser mirror. It was from her sweet sixteenth. Max had escorted her around the school carnival. Just him and her.

Maria had followed her gaze and she stood up and took the pictures from the mirror, then walked back to Liz’s bed, studying it. “Well chica,” she said, placing them in Liz’s hands, I always thought you two made a picture perfect couple.”

Liz didn’t answer, she just stared down at the picture in her hand. Stared at the laughing couple (or what looked like a couple, but was really two best friends hanging out), who looked like they were on a date.

She sighed, remembering how content she felt that night, and how safe she had been with Max. Then she remembered the kiss that afternoon and her sigh grew deeper. She had felt just as safe and content then, even with all the sizzling emotions that the kiss had stirred up.

Liz just had to face it, she had a mega-huge crush on Max Evans, her best friend in the world. And that was just impossible.
<><><><>

TBC...

Next part is going to be the 16th birthday, leave feedback if you want to know what happens. Now, I must go update my other stories.
posted on 5-Feb-2002 5:34:46 AM by dreamangel
Part Seven: The Kissing Booth

The sun was shining brightly, and the wind that swept through offset it so that the people of Roswell were at a stable temperature, neither too hot nor too cold. It was the perfect day for a carnival.

West Roswell High had joined up with the annual carnival that came to Roswell, and were advertising clubs and raising money at provided booths throughout the regular carnival. Liz was stationed at the Science Club’s booth, and Max made his way there without distraction from the amusements.

He spotted her and Alex sitting at their booth, Maria dancing around behind with cotton candy in her hand. He hurried over and ducked into the booth, signaling to Maria to be quiet he slipped his hands over Liz’s eyes. “Guess who?”

She laughed and pretended to think hard. “I have no idea, could it be my bestest friend, Max?”

“Got it in one,” he exclaimed leaning on the booth counter, “Alex told you, didn’t he?” He looked accusingly at Alex.

“Not me, man,” Alex said innocently, turning to his newest customer.

“How’s business?” Max asked, watching as Alex was drawn into a serious lip-lock with some freshman girl.

“Pretty good, we’ve raised a lot of money to fund our field trip to UNM.”

“Great!” He rubbed his hands together in anticipation, “Then let’s go birthday girl, I‘ve got a fun-filled day all mapped out.”

“Max,” she laughed, “I’m not done yet, I’ve still got one more kiss to fill my quota.”

“You have a kissing quota?” he demanded, incredulous.

“Uh-huh,” she nodded, “And I have one more kiss to give before Maria takes over.”

“Where’s Alex’s replacement?” He looked at his friend, who shrugged.

“Don’t have one,” the boy said sadly, “Unfortunately, I’m the only male member of the Science Club kiss worthy.” He sighed and then drew himself up, “It’s a hard burden to bear, but I can handle it.”

“I’ll just bet you can,” he teased, smiling. He turned back to Liz, “C’mon Liz, it’s just one kiss, no one will ever know. Maria and Alex won’t tattle on you, I promise.”

“I’ll know, Max, and I refuse to shirk my duties. In case you have forgotten, I am club president!”

“Fine,” he muttered, staring out over the crowd. He started randomly calling to guys to come get a kiss, but they just looked at him funny. He realized they must thing he meant from him. He made a face and glared at his laughing friends. “It’s not funny,” he whined.

“Yes it is,” Liz giggled, “Just be patient Max, okay, we’ll be out of here in next to no time.” He nodded acquiescence and leaned against the booth again, idly scanning the crowd. He caught sight of Kyle Valenti striding forcefully through the crowds of people, his eyes on Liz, who was utterly oblivious.

Max frowned and glanced at Liz, and then back at the fast approaching Kyle. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a dollar. “Here,” he said, slamming it down on the counter. Then he pulled Liz up and brushed her lips against his, ignoring the tingling sensation her body caused in his. “Let’s go, kissing quota is reached, tally-ho and all that…” He babbled some more as he pulled her away from the booth as fast as her short legs could go.

Ha glanced back as they stood in line for the Gravitron, and smirked as Kyle looked wildly around, befuddled. Score, he thought, Liz was safe for another day. Valenti had been showing way too much interest in her doings lately, and Max didn’t like it.

He didn’t like it one little bit.
<><><><>

Isabel approached the Science Club’s kissing booth with her usual air of self-importance. She wasn’t sure what was had possessed her, but she was headed there with the intent to kiss Alex Whitman. She was making up suitable excuses for the behavior in her head, the main one was that she was supporting her brother’s best friend’s extracurricular activities.

So lame, she thought, but she didn’t have time to come up with another one as she was standing in front of the booth already.

She fidgeted slowly, waiting for someone to take notice of her. Alex’s attention was on Maria, who was yelling at Michael Guerin. Michael was blocking her side of the booth from customers, glowering at any boy who dared try to make an approach.

“Michael! You dorkbutt! Move! We need the money!” Michael didn’t even look at her, just crossed his arms as Doug Sahn made to walk around him. “Michael!”

“It’s for your own good, Cheesehead,” he finally grumbled in that low voice of his, “You wouldn’t want all the boys to think you were easy, would you?”

Maria turned a brilliant tint of red and tried to leap over the booth counter. “You jerk!” she shouted, reaching for him again, “You take that back now, Guerin! Or else…”

“Or else what?” he taunted.

“Hello Michael.”

He blanched and turned around. “Hi, Mrs. DeLuca,” he squeaked, “I was just…um…going. Bye Maria!” And he ran off.

Isabel could no longer contain her laughter and let it go, peels echoing across the fairgrounds. “Isabel?” She looked into Alex’s surprised face.

“One please,” she said, handing him a dollar. He looked at it and then her, shocked. Then he gulped loudly.

“You want a kiss?” he inquired, as if he couldn’t quite believe it. She giggled some more and fluttered her eyelashes at him flirtingly.

“In the name of science an all,” she told him, glad she had come up with a better excuse.

“Oh…right.” He blushed and leaned forward, lightly teasing her lips with his own, then he found a good position and deepened it slightly. Isabel let him too, in fact, she let the kiss go on longer than she had thought she would let it.

His lips were soft and pliant, not too wet or sloppy either, just kinda perfect. She stepped back slowly, releasing his lips a bit at a time. She smiled at him approvingly and licked his lips. He blushed and rubbed the back of his head, grinning at her goofily.

“Bye Alex,” she whispered, before sauntering away.

“Thank you for your contribution!” he yelled after her. She turned back and he blushed again. She laughed happily and continued on her way.

“What’s so funny?” Tish asked, as she and Tess met up with Isabel.

“Science,” she responded cryptically, and headed toward the lemonade stand. Tess and Tish exchanged glances, shrugged, and followed their leader to cool refreshments and shade.
<><><><>

It was getting late, Max and Liz had done practically every ride in the whole carnival. They were saving the Ferris Wheel for last, as per tradition. Right now Liz was eating a Pronto Pup and following Max as they weaved through the games.

He bypassed the darts and squirt guns, the baseball and football, and headed straight to the basketball game, where he, and she, knew he ruled.

The guy at the booth handed Max three balls, explaining to him the rules as Max adjusted hid grip on the unfamiliar equipment. He glanced at Liz, grinned, sized up the distance to the basket, rebound factors, and whatever other sport-type stuff that went though a guy’s mind, and shot.

He sunk one after the other, nothing but net, and grinned at the guy. Then he turned to Liz, “Well, birthday girl, pick your prize.”

She deliberated over all the prizes and Max got bored, so he paid and got another three shots. Again, swoosh, there it was. “Pick a bigger one,” he told her.

She smiled and pointed to the medium-sized prize she had been eyeing and now could get. The carnie handed it to her and she smiled happily, holding the plush toy close. “Thank you, Max!” she exclaimed, hooking her arm into his, “He’s perfect!”

They headed to the Ferris Wheel arm in arm and got on in relatively no time, because it was getting late and the crowds were going home. They settled in comfortably and the ride started. They went around one rotation and were at the top again, when the ride stalled.

Sighing heavily, Liz wrapped her arms around her gift and stared up at the sky. “Why does this happen every year?” she asked.

Max shrugged, “Tradition.”

They waited in silence for awhile, looking at the stars, and then Max made a funny sound in his throat. “What?” she asked.

“I can’t believe you picked an alien, that is so redundant,” he said sarcastically.

“Hey!” she exclaimed, cuddling the stuffed animal closer, “He’s adorable, and I love him, so take it back!”

“Liz, look at it!”

She did. He was soft and snuggly, with neon green fur and big, black, oval eyes in his big head. “He reminds me of you,” she said finally, “I think I’m going to name him ‘Lil Max.”

“What?!”

“You heard me,” she said, tossing her head.

“What on earth could remind you of me when looking at that!”

She glared at him, angry that he was insulting her present. “You both have big heads.”

“I do not!” he exploded, “And I look nothing like that…that mockery of a toy.” He crossed his arms and “harrumphed”. Liz hugged ‘Lil Max closer and refused to look at Max.

“I’m not speaking to you until you apologize,” she informed him.

“Apologize for what?”

“For making fun of your namesake.”

He made a sound low in his throat, “Fine, I’m sorry.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Liz! It’s a stuffed toy!

“He’s my birthday present,” she said stubbornly, “Now apologize.”

“I’m sorry, Liz. Okay, really, I didn’t know it…he meant so much to you.”

She looked at him seriously and he stared back at her honestly. “Okaay,” she agreed slowly, “Apology accepted.”

“Good.”

“But only-” she started.

“Oh Jebus freezus, what now?” She giggled at his use of his childhood cry of exasperation.

“You hurt his feelings,” she informed him, “You have to kiss him to make him feel better.”

Max stared at her, “You’re not serious?”

“Do it!” she commanded, holding ‘Lil Max up to him. He griped under his breath and leaned forward.

“You tell anyone I did this and you’re a dead woman,” he said, “Remember, I know where you live.”

She giggled some more, “Just do it already!”

He leaned in again, lips puckered, and the ride jerked to a start, causing him to miss the alien completely and graze her cheek. They met each other’s eyes for a surprised instant and then looked away blushing.

When the attendant at the bottom of the ride opened there gate and apologized for the delay, they both had regained their composure and their easy attitudes. “Just warn us next time,” Max told the guy, leading her away.
<><><><>

He led Liz to the parking lot, trying to spot his Jeep. “Max!” and she tugged his hand urgently.

“What now?” he asked, thwarted of his need for a nice, warm bed.

“A picture booth!” she exclaimed, “Let’s go!” He followed her willingly, glad she was having a good time, and put money in the machine. Then he climbed in and pulled the curtain. She maneuvered her way in to the tiny booth after him, having to sit on his lap, the alien doll in hers.

A few laughing minutes later they tumbled out and waited for their pictures to develop. The little strip came out and Liz snatched it up happily. “Hey, I paid for them!”

“It’s my birthday,” she retorted, sticking her tongue out at him. Then ran giddily to the parking lot, Max following closely behind her.

The ride home was filled with the sounds of their attempts at singing along with the radio and the occasional “remember when” conversations about birthdays and carnivals past.

They clambered out of the Jeep in the Evans’ driveway and Max stuck his hands in his pockets. “You want me to walk you home?” he asked.

“I think I can handle it,” she teased, “Besides, I’ve got ‘Lil Max to protect me.”

He made a face and gave the little alien a fierce glare. Tempted to grab him away from Liz and taunt her a little by holding it out of her reach, but he decided to save that for another time. “So you had a good time?”

“My best birthday ever,” she told him, smiling, “Thank you.”

“Hey,” he shrugged, “I’m your best friend, it’s my job.”

“Lizzie!” Mr. Parker called from next door.

“Coming Daddy!” she called, “Bye, Max, see you tomorrow.” And then she went over to her own home.

“’Night, Liz!” he shouted before she went inside. They waved again and then she disappeared indoors and Max headed inside himself. Broke, but happy. Man, being friend’s with a girl was expensive!
<><><><>

TBC...

Next part reverts back to present day, and guess what happens? Send feedback and you won't have to guess! You'll know in a day or two! *giggle*

posted on 6-Feb-2002 9:12:01 PM by dreamangel
Part Eight: The Break-Up Kiss

Liz woke up early and just lay in bed for a while, contemplating what she was going to do. She turned over and stared at her clock, Maria would be here in half an hour. She groaned and picked up the phone.

She knew Max wouldn’t be up yet, so she’d just leave him a message saying she had a ride and not to worry about her. It was a diversionary tactic. She knew it, and he would know it. But she couldn’t deal with what had happened yesterday.

True, she had sat up half the night mulling everything over, trying to figure out how it had occurred. So far she got nothing that seemed feasible, just an overemotional outlet. They had been fighting, it was only natural to release that anger in a tangible form, and since kissing was more pleasurable than fisticuffs…That’s what they had done.

But logic had no place when she thought about how his lips had felt on hers…How she had shivered when he had touched her…He had been so gentle, so soft…

NO!

“Max? This is Liz, Maria’s picking me up this morning so don’t wait for me. See ya at school.” Then she hung up and breathed a sigh of relief, glad that that was over.

Slowly making her way out of her bed, she headed to the shower. When she came back out she threw on a pink sundress, a pair of leather sandals, curled her hair, and dabbed on some lip-gloss. Then she packed her book bag, making sure her homework was done, and placed it on her desk table.

Finally she made her bed, smoothing down the lilac sheets and fluffing the matching pillows. Then she grabbed her stuffed alien and positioned him in his place of honor, on top of the pillows, and sighed.

“Well ‘Lil Max,” she said, “Wish me luck.” He just stared at her with those black eyes. She smiled, “Thank you.”

Maria was honking in the driveway and Liz seized her backpack, throwing it over her shoulder and running out of her room. She took a strawberry pop-tart from the cabinet, her jean jacket from the coat tree, gave her mom and dad a quick kiss good-bye, and headed out the door to meet Maria.

She caught a glimpse of Max staring at her from his living room window, and then Maria had peeled out of the driveway and was half way down the street, chattering away, and completely unmindful to her friend’s silence.
<><><><>

Max watched her go, not moving a muscle from the window until the Jetta had disappeared completely. Then he sighed and walked to the kitchen, where his mom had made another new breakfast from a recipe out of a Martha Stewart magazine (he could kill Isabel for buying her that subscription).

Luckily, he was oblivious to the disgusting food, and chewed it without thought, his mind on his best friend.

He had played her message this morning and just winced. She was going to avoid the subject, he guessed that yesterday, but he hadn’t thought she’d completely avoid him. Fortunately, it was impossible to ignore him if he set his mind to making you notice. And Liz was going to have to notice. What had happened yesterday had been…really big.

They had kissed. Not just those little pecks on the cheek, but a full-blown, tongue tangling, tonsil hockey, spit swapping, shivers down your spine, kiss! That’s not something that happened everyday.

Not to best friends, and most definitely not to Max and Liz.

But it had, and he had liked it, a lot.

The conversation with Alex yesterday had made that fact clear to him. He liked kissing Liz. Jebus freezus, he loved kissing her. He loved the way she had sighed, how she had trembled against him, clung to him…

Max sighed and looked up, afraid that if he relived the whole experience he’d need another shower, and he didn’t have time. Time! Shit! He gulped down his orange juice, ran down the hall to his room, grabbed a red and white plaid shirt and threw it on over his white T-shirt. Then he sprinted to the bathroom, gave his teeth a quick brush, the checked his hair. Good.

“Bye, Mom!” he called as he ran for the door.

“Max, wait!” Isabel called, struggling with her backpack and her pom-poms. “Bye, Mama!” And then she pushed past him and jumped in the Jeep.

“Bye, you two,” his mother called from the garage door, “Have a good day at school.”

“We will,” they chorused. And then Max shifted into reverse and they were gone.
<><><><>

She stuffed the blue pom-poms in her lockers, the strands adhering to her hands as she tried to straighten them. Just then Tess came rushing up, the yellow JV pom-poms fluttering at her pace. She came to a stop next to Isabel and opened her locker.

Once she had everything in order she turned to Isabel and sighed heavily. “What’s up?” Izzy asked.

“I called Max last night,” she replied, tugging at the short skirt of her uniform that they had to wear on game day, “And he told me he was too busy to talk, so I just informed him that my Fling dress was going to be black, and what does he do?”

“What?” she inquired, smiling.

“He says, ‘Fling?’ Like I didn’t tell him about it last week! So I said, ‘You know, the dance at school next Friday? The one we’re going to? You said you already had a suit and corsage ordered.’ And then he says, ‘Right, I don’t really want to go to that.’ I tell you Isabel, I just about broke up with him.”

She was laughing at how guy-like Max was sometimes. Most of the time Tess proclaimed him the most romantic boyfriend any girl could ask for, but sporadically…She just ranted. But that last line stopped her giggles, remembering the phone conversation she had overheard yesterday afternoon.

“Izzy? What is it?”

“Nothing, Tess,” she said, but obviously not convincing Tess, who turned concerned blue eyes onto her.

“Isabel, tell me.”

She sighed and bit her lip. “Are you really into my brother?”

Tess gave a laugh, “Of course I am, Izzy, what kind of question is that?” Isabel didn’t say anything, just kinda stared off into space. “Isabel,” Tess sounded anxious, “What happened? Seriously, is Max gonna break up with me? Is that why you’re so quiet?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted, “Just…It’s high school, Tess, you know relationships don’t last. If something does happen, just remember it’s not the end of the world. You’re pretty, popular, and sweet, you’ll never be lacking in the guys department.”

“But-“ she paused, tears coming to her eyes, “You mean he does?”

“No, I’m saying I don’t know Tess, but it’s a possibility. I overheard a phone call to Alex yesterday…Just be prepared.”

“I don’t understand,” she said, lost, “Just two days ago everything was fine, we were making out on my couch! And now…It could be over. Oh, wow…I think I need to go to class now.”

“Tess-“

“No, Isabel, I’m fine, thank you.”

“At least talk to him, to know for sure!” she called down the hall. Tess didn’t turn around, but she did nod and wave as she walked away.

Damn it, she shouldn’t have said anything. She should have kept it to herself or forgotten it. Really, Max and Liz? That was so not happening…
<><><><>

The shot arced perfectly through the air, over the reaching hands of the Guffman Rockets Varsity team, and landed on the rim. The crowd watched, suspense building as the balled rolled around the rim three times and dropped gently through the hoop just as the buzzer went off. Therefore, winning the came for the West Roswell Comets by one point.

Screaming Comet fans came pouring down from the bleachers, the team hoisting Max Evans up onto their shoulders, chanting his name, the cheerleaders started cheering, going into their most difficult routines, and the hero of the game was looking from one place to another, trying to find his best friend.

He spotted her with relief, and gave her a wave. Liz smiled and waved back, her little blue and yellow pennant shaking. Max felt incredibly comforted that their kiss had not disrupted their traditions. She had still come to see him play, to support him…

“I’ll meet you outside!” he shouted to her as the team started towards the locker rooms, placing him back on the ground. He glanced back before he got swept away in the crowd, and saw she nodded. Thankful that she wasn’t going to evade him any longer, he allowed his teammates to drag him away.

They had to talk.
<><><><>

Liz waited nervously outside the locker room. Max had told her to, and she had relented, and here she was, waiting.

Her stomach was in knots, butterflies were fluttering under every inch of her skin… She couldn’t believe that all this was happening just because she was waiting for Max. This wasn’t good. Her whole ‘logical progression from anger’ theory was not applying at the moment.

She wasn’t angry at him now. She wanted him now. Wanted him pressing her against the lockers, plundering her lips with his, his hands roaming her wildly, hiking up her skirt as he pushed his knee between her thighs…

The noise of hyper, testosterone charged boys dragged her from the fantasy playing out in her mind. She unclenched her fingers from the skirt, smoothing down the pale fabric. She looked timidly at the door, knowing Max would be one of the last ones out. Carefully she fixed her hair, and pulled her jacket tighter, feeling vulnerable.

She looked up as the door opened once again, and everything started going in slow motion. He was walking toward her, his hair wet from the shower, T-shirt clinging to his perfect muscles, and smiling just for her…

She could hardly believe this was her Max. The boy she had grown up with, the boy who had protected her from bullies, kissed her hurts, and took her out for her birthday (making each one more special than anything she’d ever experienced). He had turned into the man of her dreams without her knowledge.

Liz straightened and stepped away from the lockers and towards him. His smile grew and she smiled back shyly, and then a cheerleader came rushing past her and jumped into his arms.

She stood frozen, hurt and confused, as she watched Tess lean up to kiss him deeply. “Liz?”

She looked up, surprised and say Kyle shifting from foot to foot next to her. He must have left the locker room behind Max, but she hadn’t even noticed him. “Hi, Kyle,” she replied, feeling guilty.

“You wanna go for ice cream?” he asked, kicking at invisible dust and peering at her behind his bangs hopefully. She glanced once more at the serious action between Max and Tess and smiled.

“Sure.” He grinned back at her and took her hand, leading her away.
<><><><>

Max tried to dislodge himself from Tess’ tight embrace. She backed away, looking at him as if her worst fears had been confirmed. He ignored the look and gazed around, desperately trying to find Liz again.

He caught sight of her back, walking hand-in-hand with Kyle Valenti.

Damn.

“Tess, I can’t talk right now, I need to catch up with someone.” He attempted to move away, but she moved in front of him, blocking his path. “Tess!”

“Is it another girl?”

“What?” he asked, stopped in his tracks.

“Another girl? Max, something is wrong, I know. I can tell. I mean, you didn’t even kiss me back just a second ago!” she exclaimed, “I want to know if it’s another girl?” He looked at her and she sighed. “When?”

“Yesterday,” he admitted, ashamed he hadn’t told her right away, “It wasn’t planned Tess, it just kinda happened.”

She nodded, tears forming. “So, are we breaking up?”

“I guess,” he said, “Don’t cry, Tess, we both knew this wasn’t going to last forever.”

“I know,” she cried, “I know, I didn’t expect it to be the be all and end all…But I did expect it to last longer.”

“Tess.” He hugged her gently. “You were the first girl I kissed, the first girl I ever dated, the first girl I made out with…” She gave a little giggle and he smiled. “And you were my first girlfriend, that’s never gonna change. But yesterday…I don’t know, she just…She took my soul, Tess, and that’s something I never felt with you…I’m sorry, I should have handled this better, but it’s never happened before and I don’t even know if it’s going to work out with her-“

“Max,” Tess interrupted his babble, “It’s okay, I understand.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” She nodded some more and wiped her eyes. “I’ll cry for a few days, pig out on all things chocolate, and bash you with my friends, but I’ll get over it.”

“That’s the spirit,” he agreed, trying to boost her morale.

“You are going to be a hard act to follow, though,” she insinuated, elbowing him slyly.

“Yeah. I am pretty great.” He smirked at her and she frowned at him mockingly, then slapped him lightly.

“So, we’re breaking up?” she asked, needing closure.

“Yeah, this is it.” He stuck his hands in his pockets, feeling awkward. They stood there for a while longer, people coming and going around them. Finally Tess stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

“Good-bye, Max,” she whispered and then walked away.

Max sighed, a little sad, but then he ran to the parking lot doors. His eyes sought out Kyle’s Mustang, Maria’s Jetta, or Alex’s Rabbit, but none of them were there. Feeling dejected he went to his Jeep, knowing he wasn’t going to get the chance to talk Liz tonight. She was out with Kyle.

He frowned and got in beside Isabel, who was doing her nails in the passenger seat, and started the car, trying to figure out a way to get rid of the problem commonly called Kyle.

He really didn’t like Valenti.
<><><><>

TBC...

Question: Do you guys want me to add more little Max and Liz parts or just continue on the 'now' timeline? Leave feedback to inform me of the final decision. Buh-bye!

posted on 8-Feb-2002 5:53:26 AM by dreamangel
Author's Note~

Sorry, I've been feeling wretched these past couple of days. I'm gonna rty to get a new part out later tonight, but if I don't, it will be up tomorrow, I promise.

By the bye, if you could all go check Like Father, Like Son (you don't have to read it), I just finished it and there's a story list for what's going to replace it.

To all the loyal LF, LS fans who also read this fic, THANK YOU! And I'm sorry, but you guys kinda have conflicting opinions and that puts a cramp in my "majority rules" style. So, I'm enlisting foreign aid. Don't hate me.

This has been an announcement of the dreamangel broadcasting center, thank you for your time.

~Nicole
posted on 8-Feb-2002 4:39:01 PM by dreamangel
Note: Tess is actually not going to be a problem, because I don't really want to deal with her.


Part Nine: The Stolen Kiss

Isabel picked up her phone and hit #2 on her speed dial. The phone on the other end rang three times before it was picked up.

“Hello, Harding residence.”

“Hi Mr. Harding, it’s Isabel, is Tess available?”

“One moment, please.” She waited, and rolled her eyes when she heard him call ‘Tessie’, knowing Tess hated that nickname.

“Hello?”

“Hi Tess,” she greeted perkily.

“Oh, hey, Isabel, what’s up?”

“Just wanted to see how you were doing. Do you need anything?”

“No,” Tess replied quietly, “I’m okay. I’ve got comfy sweatpants and my teddy bear, plus chick-flicks, tissues, and chocolate. I’ll be fine by Monday, promise.”

“Monday?” she repeated, “You’re not coming to school today?”

“No, I don’t really want to be the object of gossip and hear it. I’ll lay low for the weekend, that okay?”

“Fine,” Isabel said. “Do you want me and Tish to get your homework?

“Please, we can hang out this weekend too, if you wouldn’t mind…”

“Of course I wouldn’t mind!” she exclaimed, “I’m your best friend, it’s my job to spend girl’s night with you.”

“Thanks, Izzy.”

“So…” Isabel traced the pattern on her comforter. “Have you decided whop to ask to Fling now that Max is kinda…”

“I don’t think I’m going to go,” Tess said quickly.

“Oh, come on Tess! You have a dress and a hair appointment, and there are plenty of guys who’d go with you, even this last minute. You can take John Andrews.”

“Isabel, John is your date,” Tess pointed out, giggling.

Izzy smiled, “Don’t worry about it. He’ll be more than willing to go with you…He asked you first if you recall, I was just second best.”

“Isabel…If John wants to go with me, then I guess I’ll go.”

“Good.”

“But what about you?” she inquired curiously.

“I’ve already got it covered,” Isabel assured her.

“Well…”

“Tess!”

“Okay!” she agreed. “I’ll see you tonight?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Cool, bye Izzy.”

“Bye, Tess.” And Isabel hung up her phone. She smiled, now that John was out of the way and Tess was back in the saddle again, she could ask the boy she really wanted to go with. Her smile grew as she predicted his reaction to her question. This was going to be fun!

“Isabel!” Max called from downstairs, “We’re gonna be late!”

“I’m coming!” she shouted back, disgusted with his guy-like impatience.
<><><><>

Max entered the library stealthily (the theme song form ‘Mission Impossible’ playing in his head), looking around to spot his quarry. Aha! There she was. He stopped behind the card catalog and watched her. She was bent over a book, the French side braids dangling over her shoulders, studying intently.

She was so cute, he thought, and then began to plan his attack. Making his way toward her area of study (ducking behind bookshelves and deftly avoiding civilians), he snuck up behind her, about to surprise her when Kyle Valenti popped up out of nowhere.

What was up with this guy? Did he have some kind of Liz radar or something that let him know when Max was actually going to get a chance to talk to her?! Valenti was such a pain.

“I got a printout from a website, thought it might help.”

“Thank you, Kyle,” Liz whispered, always one to follow library rules. Number 1: Be Quiet, Number 2: No talking, Number 3: No Color Printing, and Number 4: No Food or Drink in the Media Center.

He had always been tempted to see what the book Nazis (commonly called librarians) would do if one of these rules were broken. Sometimes he just wanted to spill some kind of liquid on those keyboards…

But that was off topic. What was on topic was getting Subject A (Liz) away from Subject B (Kyle) permanently, and then get her to hook-up with Subject C (him). Why was he speaking in codes? Jebus freezus, he yelled at his little voice if logic, I’m on a covert operation, that’s why!

“All right.” He observed her through the shelf. She was stacking her note cards together. “I’m going to put this encyclopedia away, I’ll be right back.”

Encyclopedia. Where did they put the encyclopedias? His gaze followed her progress and then he body went along the path of his eyes. Reference section!
<><><><>

Liz crouched down, looking at the row of hardcover books. “A…B…C…D…E…F…”

“G.”

She stood and spun around. “Max!” she gasped.

“Ssh!” one of the librarians hissed at them.

Liz glared at him and smacked his arm, saying ‘Look what you did, you jerk’ with her eyes. He just smiled at her. Her body started tingling, becoming hyperaware of his presence, so close to her own. “What are you doing here Max?” she whispered, clutching her book to her chest like a shield to protect her from these odd feelings he was producing.

“I have free period,” he whispered back, glancing at the librarian, “I came here looking for you. I knew you had independent study.”

“Why were you looking for me?” she asked, frightened of the answer and yet the fact was thrilling her to her very soul. He hadn’t come for her as a best friend, she knew that like she knew the back of her hand.

“Why do you think?” he responded teasingly, then turned serious. “You didn’t wait for me after the game last night.”

“You seemed a little…occupied,” she retorted dryly. She frowned, remembering the hurt she’d felt from watching them together.

He shook his head and braced his arms on either side of her, leaning closer. Liz backed up, into the bookshelf, and looked warily around, but the librarians and Kyle were busy.

“I broke up with Tess.”

Um…What was she supposed to say to that? “I’m sorry,” she offered, her heart soaring.

“Liz…”

“Max.” She gulped as he stepped closer.

“Liz…” he whispered again, breath tickling her skin, his eyes boring into her. She trembled, clutching the encyclopedia harder.

“What Max?”

“When are you breaking up with Kyle?”

“Why should I do that?” she asked, having trouble getting oxygen to her lungs. He smiled, leaning further, his mouth hovering over hers.

“Because you belong with me…” His lips brushed over her softly and she gave a little gasp, shivering yet hot. So hot…

“Max,” she protested, “What, what happened between us Wednesday…It…”

“It what, Liz?” he inquired, his hand tracing her jaw.

“It was a…We were, um, arguing…you know, and…things just escalated…It was just a natural response to high levels of arousal… The theory, not um…bodily, and it…it didn’t mean…anything…” she finished lamely, staring at his lips as they came closer.

Finally they met hers, and she melted, wrapping her arms around him as he devoured her. The book fell from her hands, forgotten as she twined them into his jet-black hair. His tongue caressed hers, and she gave in, loving the feel of him against her.

“Max!” she gasped, wriggling closer to him. He moaned something in response, pulling her harder to him, pressing her back into the bookshelf. His hands wandered up the back of her shirt and she took a quick intake of breath as the coolness met her fevered skin…His mouth drew her back, working her over until she felt as if she’d been turned inside out with need.

When he concluded the kiss, she groaned in frustration, these feelings he invoked in her… She’d never felt anything this intensely before and she realized that was exactly why he had done it, to prove to her she couldn’t just rationalize away their connection.

“Tell me that didn’t mean anything,” he told her, “Tell me and I’ll stop. We’ll just be friends. That’s all. That’s it. Can you live with that?”

She stared at him, knowing the answer was ‘no’. He meant everything to her, he always had. As her best friend, and now…as something else. She didn’t know what yet, but they couldn’t be just friends. Not anymore, not ever again.

He nodded, reading the answer in her eyes, and, smiling, bent down to kiss her again. She stood on tiptoe to meet him, but… “You two!”

Liz started, guiltily as a librarian rounded the corner. “Yes, Ms. Mitshel?”

She scowled at the, “Is that any way to treat library property?” She tapped her foot, glaring at the forgotten encyclopedia.

“No, Ms. Mitshel,” Liz said blushing, “I’m sorry, I’ll pick it right up.”

“Good.” And then she spun on her heel and walked briskly away. Liz picked up the book and bent down to the shelf, placing it between the ‘R’ and the ‘T’.

“There,” she said quietly, “I have to go back to my table.” She blushed, looking up at him.

He smiled, “I should get going to, call you tonight?”

“Around ten,” she agreed. He nodded, brushed a kiss against her forehead, and then disappeared.

She headed back to the table, where Kyle was sitting forlornly, clicking a pen. “Sorry,” she told him as she sat back down.

“It’s okay,” he assured her, “What took so long.”

“The encyclopedias were out of order, Ms. Mitshel asked me to put them back alphabetically.”

“Book Nazi,” he muttered.

“Yeah.”

“So I’ll pick you up at eight for the movie?” She opened her mouth to tell him but the bell rang. “Oh, gotta go. Remedial science class, see ya later!”

She watched him go helplessly. She’d have to explain the situation to him tonight. Liz felt a mix of remorse and excitement. Her and Max? Who woulda guessed?
<><><><>

TBC...

Okay, so I've mapped out twenty parts, but that's only if you guys are okay with having some be flashbacks and some NC-17, alright? Leave feedback and let me know, I don't want to offend anyone's virgin eyes by printing dreamer smut when they didn't want it. (I can't imagine why they wouldn't, but to each their own...)

Bye,
~ Nicole

[ edited 1 time(s), last at 8-Feb-2002 4:40:05 PM ]
posted on 9-Feb-2002 4:05:11 PM by dreamangel
Part Ten: The Good-Bye Kiss

Kyle walked her to her front door, and they stood there for a minute. “Well, goodnight,” Liz said, looking anywhere but at him.

“Oh, right, right…Listen Liz, you’ve…You’ve been somewhere else all night,” he told her quietly, shuffling his feet.

“I know,” she agreed, hoping to lead the discussion to what she needed to tell him, “And I’m sorry, really, but Kyle, I need to talk to you-”

“Yes,” he interrupted.

“What?”

“Yes,” he said smiling, “I’ll go to the dance with you. It took you long enough to ask.”

“Oh. OH! Kyle, no, that wasn’t what I was going to say,” she corrected him, starting to feel really guilty.

“It wasn’t?” he asked, confused.

“No, I-”

“But do you want to?” he interrupted again.

“Want to what?” she repeated, feeling that the conversation was getting away from her.

“Go to the dance with me?”

“Kyle…” She bit her lip and looked him in the eye. “I can’t go to the dance with you.”

“Why not? Do you not have a dress or something? ‘Cause I don’t care what you wear, I just-”

“Kyle, no,” she said firmly, “I can’t go to the dance with you. I can’t go out with you again. I’m sorry, but this, you and me, it’s not working.”

“What?” He stared at her, blue eyes astonished.

“Kyle we have fun, but…I don’t feel about you the way I should feel about a boyfriend.”

“I don’t understand,” he stuttered.

“I…You’re a good friend Kyle, a really good friend, but we can’t be boyfriend/girlfriend. I just…can’t pretend that I feel that way about you.” She was trying to express that she couldn’t feel for him what Max made her feel, without mentioning Max’s name. Because if Kyle found out…he and Max would get into a fight and Kyle would get hurt.

“So you’re saying we can’t go out?’

“No, we can, just as friends. I don’t want to lose you as a friend, Kyle.”

“Um…I don’t really know what to say,” he said.

“Do you hate me?” she inquired in a small voice.

“No!” he said forcefully, “No, I could never hate you Liz. I’m just processing right now, could you give me a minute?”

“Sure.” She looked around, catching the light from Max’s bedroom. She stared hopefully and finally caught a glimpse of him. He was getting ready for bed.

Heat rose in her cheeks as he stripped off his shirt and pants, leaving him in his boxers. She gulped, following the line of his body with her eyes and starting to feel achy. She tore her eyes away as he starting doing pull-ups on his bar in the doorway.

“Okay.” She looked at Kyle. “So, then no more Kyle and Liz?”

“Right.”

“But we can still hang out?”

“Right.”

He nodded, “I can deal with that.”

She smiled, “Thank you.”

He nodded again. “So this is good-bye?”

“Right.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek before cheerfully unlocking her door and walking in. That hadn’t been so bad.
<><><><>

Max looked up in surprise at the slamming of the doors. Kyle walked up, black of mood, and tense. He jerkily went through the motions of opening his locker and grabbing his uniform and smashing the locker shut again. Then he pounded on the red metal a few times, cursing.

“Whoa!” Max said, holding his arm, “You’re gonna hurt yourself, man.”

“Like you care,” Kyle muttered.

“I care if it screws up my starting line-up,” Max replied, speaking as Captain of the Varsity team. “What’s you’re problem anyway?” he asked as other members of the team started pouring in, sleepy.

“Why do we gotta get up this early?” Tommy Hoag complained.

“Because we want to keep out Number One position in nationals,” Max answered, “And I thought I told everybody to go to bed early last night, play-offs start in two weeks, we can’t let our guard down now.”

Everybody grumbled some more, and Kyle snorted. Max rounded on him, “Look Valenti, I don’t know what happened to you, but leave it outside. I don’t need you bringing down the rest of the team with your bad attitude!”

“Yeah right you don’t know,” Kyle said glaring at him, “She probably called you up the minute she shut the door.”

“She?”

“Liz,” he clarified, “She dumped me last night.”

“She did?” Wow. That was quick, he thought pleased, hiding his smile by opening his locker.

“Yeah, she did,” he said glumly, “She said we could be ‘friends’.”

Max didn’t reply, just kept his head in his locker, trying to muffle laughter. Turning the boyfriend into the friend and the best friend into the boyfriend. Jebus freezus, life was ironic, wasn’t it?
<><><><>

Isabel joined her fellow cheerleaders in celebrating another victory for the Comets. They were doing great this season, mostly due to her brother’s ability to whip the other players into shape.

Sometimes she thought his leadership abilities made him bossy enough that he thought he was king of the world or something, and other times (like being team captain, or group projects…) where his natural domineering self benefited all involved.

Tess hadn’t come to the game this morning, and Isabel and Tish were heading over to her house afterwards. But she had something to do first. She scanned the crowd of fleeing spectators as the rest of the squad headed toward the girl’s locker room.

Aha!

“ALEX!” she called. He froze and started at her in disbelief. She walked quickly to him, but not fast enough that people watching would think she was hurrying. “Hey,” she said, flashing him a dazzling smile.

“Uh…Hi,” he offered.

“I’ve been trying to reach you,” she told him.

“Why?” he asked, “Not that I mind, but…um, why?”

“Well, it seems as if I’m in need of an escort to the Fling dance this Friday, and I was hoping you could take me.”

“Why?!” he exclaimed.

“Did you not want to go?” she asked, alarmed that he would turn down an invitation from her.

“No, no, I want to. I‘d love to,” he assured her, “But, why me? I mean, there are so many other guys, popular guys-”

“Alex!” she giggled, “I asked you because I want to go with you, not some other guy.”

“Really?” he inquired, looking at her suspiciously.

“Really,” she promised, “I gotta go.” Tish was calling her from the doorway to the locker room. “I’ll talk to you Monday at school, okay?”

“Okay,” he said, grinning and looking a bit confused.

“Bye, Alex.” And she sashayed away, aware that he was watching her.
<><><><>

TBC...

Please leave feedback.
posted on 10-Feb-2002 10:57:03 AM by dreamangel
ForeignLoveMonkey~ DR 1 doesn't have anything to do with this fic, but it's up on the repost board if you want to read it, under Distorted Realities.



Part Eleven: Secret Kisses

Liz stood in front of the open Eraser Room door. Her eyes scanned the hallway for any sign of Max. He was here, she knew, she had seen him leave this morning. She had had a doctor’s appointment, so she hadn’t been able to tell him about Kyle.

He was near though. She could feel it in the way her body started to hum. But that didn’t stop her cry of surprise as strong hands grabbed her and pulled her into the Eraser Room.

The door closed behind her and she heard it lock. He was holding her hard against him, and her whole body was tingling with the contact.

“Good morning,” he whispered, voice husky.

“Morning,” she whispered back, breaking his grip to turn and face him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her closer, until her head was resting on his chest. She listened to the even beat noting how it was beginning to pump faster.

She looked up at him and it smiled at her. That tiny, half smile of his. The shy, hesitant, private smile that he’d only ever given her. The smile that was reserved for her. It was a bedroom smile, she realized suddenly, a bedroom smile to go along with those bedroom eyes of his… She blushed and buried her head in his chest.

“I heard you broke up with Kyle,” he said softly, hands running through her hair. She shivered.

“I did.”

“So…”

“So what?” she asked innocently.

“Sew buttons on ice cream and see if they stick, what do you mean ‘so what’?” he rejoined tartly, holding her away to look at her better.

“I don’t actually think they would stick,” she responded calmly, not at all upset by his tone.

“What?”

“Buttons on ice cream. The ice cream would melt and they’d fall off, so it essentially wouldn’t work.” She looked at him seriously and he was looking at her funny. “What?” she asked defensively.

“We weren’t talking about that,” he told her, “We were talking about how you broke up with Valenti.”

“Yes,” she said, “And I told you I did do that.”

“And…” he prompted.

“And…Now I’m a free woman,” she tried hopefully.

“No, you’re not,” he countered, slowly gathering her back into his arms.

“I’m not?” she asked, shivers of happiness running down her spine.

“You’re mine.”

A simple statement. But one that that sent her stomach to her knees, liquidated all her internal organs, and took all the breath out of her lungs. He wasn’t so much claiming possession of her, rather just taking what was his since eternity began.

She was his. She had been since she was eight years old and had caught his eyes against the playground. He had put a force on her and she was finally falling in love, with her best friend.

“Max,” she whimpered, needing him to kiss her like he had in the library last week. He smiled the half smile and reached out, gently touching her cheek. Liz breathed deeply, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. She wanted nothing more than to fling herself into his arms and stay there for all time. But she’d wait for him to make the first move, too caught by the way his hand was tracing her features, as if memorizing her.

Finally, she thought, with a rush of giddy excitement as he started leaning down. He tilted her chin up, so that she met his blazing golden eyes. And they were gold at the moment, liquid molten gold that set her blood boiling.

She felt a blush creep up her skin, the sudden warmth making her shiver. Her heart began beating crazily as he bent closer, his lips just brushing hers. She gave a sigh of frustration and lifted onto her tiptoes, telling him she wanted more.

He laughed, a low, rumbling chuckle that sent lightening to her core, making her wet and achy. “Max, please,” she begged, “don’t tease.”

He laughed again, “I don’t ‘tease’, I foreplay.”

“Foreplay?” she repeated.

“Uh-huh,” he replied, kissing her neck.

“And how often have you done this to label it ‘foreplay’?” she demanded, affecting anger.

“It’s ingrained knowledge,” he assured her.

“Really?” she inquired playfully.

“Oh yeah.” He angled his head to meet her lips and she melted against him. His mouth was warm and soft, tasting of Max and peppermint toothpaste, and she giggled sweetly when he ran his tongue over hers.

He sat her up on the actual eraser cleaner machine and spread her thighs, stepping between them to gain batter access. His mouth claimed hers again and his hands began to roam up her back, tracing her spine and making her quiver. Her legs clamped unconsciously around his waist, bringing his arousal close to her heat.

She gasped, breaking the kiss and staring at the bulge in his jeans curiously. “Liz,” he whined, blushing. And then he lifted her face back to his, refusing to let her study him. “Don’t look at me like that,” he told her, “You’ll make me explode.”

“Don’t you want to explode?” she asked, knowing release in males was gratifying. (Reproductive Health had to come in handy on some occasion, right?)

He gave a strained laugh. “Not in my jeans and most definitely not at school.”

School! She had forgotten they were in school. “Oh, Max!” she exclaimed, wriggling against him to reach the door.

“Liz!” She froze, and looked at him, a little hurt by the edge in his voice. “Sorry, but please don’t move.”

She just gazed at him, thinking ‘what?’, and then remembered his problem. “Oh.” She blushed, “Sorry.”

He shook his head. “What’s the matter?”

“We’re gonna be late for A.P. Bio.”

He smiled that smile again and kissed the side of her neck. “Who cares?” he asked. Liz was about to respond that they should, but the things he was doing with his mouth distracted her.


“We could get caught,” she whispered against his lips in a futile last effort. His hands were beginning to discover the buttons of her cardigan, and she wasn’t really caring about academic records anymore.

“Who cares?”
<><><><>

Isabel “accidentally” bumped into Alex as he made his way out of the band room. “Hi!” she exclaimed.

“Hey, Isabel,” he replied, blushing shyly.

“Can we talk?” she asked.

“Oh, um…sure.” He nodded his head to indicate they go back into the band room. “Mr. Pierson has lunch this period, so we’ll be fine in here.”

“Okay,” she said, smiling as she followed him.

He leaned against the band teacher’s desk and looked at her as she stood in front of him. He was frowning a bit, but otherwise inscrutable. Isabel peered at him anxiously, he didn’t seem to want to talk to her, and that surprised her.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“I wanted to talk to you about Fling-“

“Don’t!” he raised his hand and stopped her from continuing. “I know what you’re going to say.”

“You do?” she questioned slowly.

“Yeah, and let me just say I expected better out of you, Isabel. This is just really mean,” he told her self-righteously.

“Wait.” She waved her hand, not understanding him. “How is telling you what color my dress is, mean?”

“It- What?”

“My dress. The color. You know, so you can get me a corsage,” she elaborated.

Oh. You mean you’re not gonna tell me it was a joke and you would never in a million years actually go out with me?”

“No!” she cried, “I can’t believe you think I would do that!

“Sorry,” he said apologetically, “I just couldn’t believe you actually asked me to the dance.” He looked down at his feet. “I’ll understand if you don’t want to go now.”

Isabel rolled her eyes and started to leave. She paused in the doorway and turned to look at him. He appeared so dismal, that she stifled a giggle. “It’s red,” she called back to him.

“What?” he asked, staring at her with surprise.

“My dress is red.”

He grinned, “You look good in red.”

She smiled back. “I know.” Then she tossed her hair, blew him a kiss, and was gone.
<><><><>

Max slipped through the hedge separating their houses and ran to the side of the house and up the stairs leading to Liz’s balcony.

“Liz!” he cried, pounding on her sliding glass door. No answer, he cupped his hands around his face and pressed against the glass, peering in. She wasn’t there.

Well, darn, where was she? Really, she was gone all weekend visiting Grandma Claudia, it’s not like she had anywhere else to be. And why was the slider locked? It was the middle of the afternoon, and Max was in Romeo-come-to-the-window-and-serenade mode. She should be there, Juliet had been there when Romeo came a’callin’ after all. She-

“Liz!”

She jumped in surprise and dropped the towel she had been drying her hair with. “Max!” she exclaimed. She hurried to the door, the gap in her robe showing certain parts of her, and opened it. “What are you doing here?” she asked, not letting him in.

“I had an idea,” he told her, a little distracted by the fact that she had grown into the butterfly robe nicely, and the fact that she was very likely naked underneath it.

“What’s your idea?” she queried coyly.

“We should go on a date.”

“A date,” she repeated, a slow smile coming to her face.

“Uh-huh.” He slipped his hands down to her waist, toying with the belt that was preventing him from ravishing her. It would be so easy to just-

“Where would we go?”

“Probably dinner, movies…bowling…whatever.”

“Whatever?”

“Well…” he blushed, “We have fun no matter what Liz, I’m just saying we should do more things as a couple than as best friends.”

“So…You’re saying we do everything we’ve done before, but this time kissing is involved?”

“Exactly.”

She smiled, “I can live with that.”

“So, test date Wednesday, and then Fling Friday?”

“I’m game.”

“Cool.” He paused, eyeing her puppy-doggily. She laughed and leaned up to kiss him.

“Go home, Max,” she whispered when they broke apart, “I have to get dressed.”

Jebus freezus! Mental picture…very nice… “I…um,” he gulped, “I could stay and help?”

“Thanks for the offer, but no. Now go.” She waved him off, laughing. And he went, though reluctantly, and contented himself with the knowledge that at least he had some self-control when it came to Liz Parker.

Not a lot, but she didn’t know that…
<><><><>

TBC...

Please leave me feedback.
posted on 17-Feb-2002 10:19:50 AM by dreamangel
Note: The Count of Monte Cristo does not belong to me, which sucks 'cause it's the awesomest, and my most favorite movie ever!


Part Twelve: The Good-Night Kiss

The movie theater was crowded, but Max and Liz found two seats in the back row. They settled down next to each other, laughing as they tried to juggle their two jumbo-sized popcorns, large cherry cokes, Liz’s Raisinets, and Max’s Reese’s Pieces.

Luckily they had made it to the movie in time for previews (Max’s favorite part), despite the debating at the concession stands and the half-hour they had spent playing air hockey in the game room. Now, Liz’s attention was locked on the screen as the son of Count Mondago appeared on screen.

“Ooh,” she breathed, “He’s cute.” Max frowned at glared at the screen. Cute? He was scrawny with funny hair and funny outfits and really funny blue eyes. And Liz thought this guy was cute?

He grabbed some popcorn and pouted, feeling ignored. He glanced at Liz out of the corner of his eye, but she was watching the movie with rapt concentration, studying each move of the guy made.

Max didn’t care about this Albert fellow. His mom was pretty hot though… Not as hot as Liz… He glanced at her again, to find her practically drooling. He looked down into his popcorn, and then back up at her, and smiled evilly.
<><><><>

“MAX!” she shrieked and grabbed some of her own popcorn, chucking it at him as he tried to leap over seats. “Evans, you get back here now!”

“No chance Lizzie, if you want me, you have to come get me!”

She grinned happily and danced to the aisle of the empty theater. She tore after him as he ran to the front, throwing popcorn behind him at her pursuing figure. They faced each other across the room, the screen playing D3: The Mighty Ducks ignored.

It was her fifteenth birthday and Max had brought her to the movies. It had been a stroke of luck that they were the only two people who decided to see this particular movie at this time. They had the whole theater to themselves.

“We’re gonna get in trouble,” she whispered to him.

He just shrugged, grinning at her. Then he tossed a few kernels at her. “The ushers need something to do.”

She ran across the front of the theater and then up to him. “What if they kick us out?” He looked at her in disbelief and then wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

That's what you’re worried about?” he demanded, “That we’ll, oh-no, get kicked out? Liz we’re paying customers. We paid like twelve dollars to see this movie, we should get to do whatever we darn well please!”

“But-”

“Besides,” he interrupted, “You should be worried that I’m going to dump this bucket of popcorn on your head…”

“Max!” she cried again, and tried to get away, but he held fast, and down came the jumbo-sized popcorn container onto her beautiful brown hair. She stood, bucket over her eyes, butter dripping down onto her new shirt. For a minute she thought she was going to cry, but then she looked up into Max’s smug face and got an idea. “I can’t believe you just did that!” she said, not feigning the upset tone of her voice.

The smirk left his face and he tilted the bucket up to stare into her flashing eyes. “Jebus freezus,” he breathed, “You really are mad.”

“Max,” she exclaimed mockingly, “You should know by now; I don’t get mad…I get even.” That being said, she poured her soda over his head.

He blinked for a moment, mouthing wordlessly, his expression one of shocked disbelief. Liz giggled, feeling a lot better. Max glared at her. “You think this funny?” he asked with mock indignation.

She nodded, “Yes.”

“Well…” He reached for her and grabbed her before she could get away. “You’re going down Parker!” And then he began tickling her. Liz shrieked some more, and struggled, unable to get up a formidable defense to his onslaught.

A throat clearing paused them in their actions and they stared up at the new source of light. A cute usher stood in the aisleway near the door, looking at them bemusedly. Liz blushed, knowing what a sight they were, an interesting, funny, if slightly frightening tableau. “Um…Hi?” she offered.

“Hi,” he said back, smiling.

“Can we help you?” Max asked the older boy, picking her up off the ground. He stood to his full height, pulling his wet T-shirt away from his body, and trying to look manly. Liz giggled.

“Actually, the management has asked me to intervene and to request, ever so politely, that you exit the premises.”

“We’ll go,” Liz said quickly, blushing, “We’re sorry.”

“I’m not,” Max stated, defiantly staring at the usher.

“Max, the movie’s over anyway, and I need a shower.” She started walking away, got past the usher, and then turned at looked at him impatiently, tapping her foot. He sighed and followed her, dropping the macho act. Liz sent the usher one last smile and then exited.

“Normally I have to worry about teens making out, not having a food fight.” She heard him whisper before the door swung closed. She giggled a bit, thinking how funny it would be to make out with Max. He was her best friend for Pete’s sake!
<><><><>

“Don’t even think about it,” she hissed.

Max froze, arm in mid-toss, and looked at her, surprised she had seen him. “What?” he asked innocently.

“I can see you, you know, don’t give me that crap,” she whispered, “You were gonna chuck popcorn at me!”

“I’m shocked you stopped drooling long enough to acknowledge my existence, and it was only one piece, I swear!” He looked forward, watching the swordfight, pretending he didn’t see her glaring in the dim light.

“I was not drooling!” she said loudly, “And you have a lot of nerve pulling that stunt, Max, we got kicked out last time, remember?”

“Ssh!” the guy beside her shushed.

He grinned, knowing she was blushing, and lowered his voice to talk. “Well,” he said, shrugging, “I had to do something, I mean it’s not like we can make out with all these people around.”

“Max!”

“Ssh!” all the people around them yelled.

Liz slapped him across the chest and then slumped down in her seat, obviously pouting and ignoring him. “I hate you,” she muttered rebelliously.

His grin grew, and he slumped down too, and leaned over her. “No you don’t,” he said, whispering against her ear. He felt her shiver and he turned her head slightly, eyes soft and shy.

“No, I don’t,” she agreed quietly, smiling. He kissed her cheek gently and sat fully into his own seat, taking her hand as he did so, and for the rest of the movie, Liz’s attention was fixated wholly on him.
<><><><>

She was completely elated. For some reason, the thought that Max was jealous of a guy she’d never meet, would never even think about after tonight, made her giggle. So she decided to play with him a little. “Wait,” she told him as he began to grab their coats.

“What? Why? The movies over,” he said, confused, gesturing to the credits playing on screen.

“We should wait until the crowd thins out a little,” she suggested plausibly. He looked at the blockage of the aisles and she could tell he was picturing the parking lot in his head. Finally he nodded and sat back down next to her, an arm draped proprietarily over the back of her chair, and glaring at some freshman boy who was in Science Club with her. She smiled and leaned closer to him, eyes on the screen.

Presently she said, “Okay, we can go now.”

Max looked at her, confused again. “It’s been less than a minute since you said we should wait, the crowds are still gonna be there.”

She shrugged and walked around his legs, taking her coat and bundling into it. He got up behind her and grabbed his own coat. “Sometimes, Parker, I just don’t get you.”

“You’re a boy, Evans,” she replied, “I’m a girl. You’re not supposed to get it.”

“Well at least I’m doing something right,” he said glumly. She smiled and took his hand, pulling him into the aisle beside her.

“Wasn’t Henry the cutest?” she asked, hiding her smile.

“Who’s Henry?” he demanded, looking around as if to ward off any cute guys.

“The guy in the movie,” she informed him airily.

“I thought his name was Albert!” Max exclaimed, stopping at the door. She rolled her eyes and left him there, tossing her garbage in the can and picking up a mint from the bowl held by an usher. “Liz!” he called, coming after her.

“In the movie it is,” she explained, “But in real life, it’s Henry Cavill.” She sighed dreamily and batted her eyelashes at Max. He frowned, grumbled, and started walking faster. “Max!” she cried, and had to run to catch up (due to the fact that his legs were way longer than hers), “I was just playing with you. He’s not anywhere near your hotness.”

He smirked at her over his shoulder, “I know.”

“You are so egotistical,” she notified him, “I don’t know why I put up with you.” But she belied her words by linking her arm into his and walking closer as they headed to the Jeep. He opened her door for her and she climbed in.

“It’s because you love me,” he said as he shut the door. Liz sat back, knowing he was right, she did love him, and because of that, she’d put up with him. She looked at him as he clambered into driver’s seat.

“You’re right, I do.”

He looked at her and smiled that little half-smile. “Good,” he said infuriatingly.

“Max!”

“What?” he asked, putting the car into gear, “You already know I love you too, what’s the point in saying it again?” Liz sighed and said nothing.

“Liz?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.”

She smiled and placed her hand over his on the stick shift. “Good.”
<><><><>

Isabel placed the clean clothes on Max’s dresser and switched the phone to her other ear. She glanced out his window and sighed, “Oh God.”

“What?” Tish asked on the other side of the phone.

“Max and Liz just got back from their date.”

“Date?”

“Uh-huh,” she said, walking to the window and pulling the curtains. “An actual date.”

“A boyfriend/girlfriend date?”

“Exactly,” she said, “They’ve finally evolved from the ‘just friends’ stage.”

“Can’t say I’m surprised,” Tish commented.

Isabel nodded (even though Tish couldn’t see her), and examined her nails as she headed back to her room. “Me either.”

“Does Tess know?”

“No,” Izzy said, flopping onto her bed, “No one knows except them, our parents, me, and now you.”

She heard Tish’s intake of breath through the line. “How do you think she’s going to take it?”

“I don’t know,” Isabel said, “I mean, she’s been pretty okay about the whole thing. She came over yesterday and she and Max joked around like nothing ever happened between them…”

“How do you think Kyle’s going to take it? He’s been hung up on Liz for awhile…And I heard he was pretty pissed off when Liz dumped him.”

“Who cares? Max is more than capable of dealing with Kyle.” She rolled over so that she was on her back. “Remember when we were in sixth grade?”

“Oh…” Tish giggled, “That was about the biggest thing to happen that year. Max became so popular.”

“It was ridiculous,” Isabel scoffed, “I mean, really, he got in a fight…How immature is that?”

“Izzy,” she laughed, “He was 11, we were 12, we were immature.”
<><><><>

Max and Liz paused outside Liz’s front door and looked at each other under the porch light. He smiled at her, his girlfriend, his best friend, and leaned down.

“I don’t normally kiss on the first date,” Liz murmured as his lips first came into contact hers.

He kissed her anyway, deeply, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and drawing her up against him. She gave a little sigh, and opened her mouth to his, letting him access her deepest corners. Slowly, requiring oxygen, he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers.

She was looking up at him, on tiptoe, eyes wide and star-filled, gaze rapt. Max drew in a breath and began to lean down again, needing her…

“But…” Kiss. “I guess…” Kiss. “I could…” Kiss. “Make…” Kiss. “An…” Kiss. “Exception…” Lllooooonnnngggger kiss.

Her small hands worked their way up his chest, finally circling his neck, he tilted his head, lifting her off the ground to get a better angle, delving into he sweetness as if it were everything…

He distantly heard a door open, and a throat clear. Breaking the kiss, he looked up and saw Mr. Parker standing in the doorway, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised.

“Hi, Mr. Parker,” he said, putting Liz down lightly.

“Max.”

“Hi, Daddy.”

He smiled, “Hi sweetie. How about you say good-night, now, okay?”

“Okay,” she said amiably, “Good-night Max.”

“’Night, Liz.” He gave Jeff a glance and then leaned down quickly and gave her a peck on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She gave a little wave as he backed down the porch, and then slipped past her father into the house.

“Good-night, Max,” Mr. Parker called after him.

“Good-night Mr. Parker!” he responded, heading for his Jeep. Man, that had not been good. What if Jeff didn’t let him see Liz anymore? Panic swept over him, followed by his logical voice. His logical voice said Jeff couldn't do that. After all, it had only been one date, a simple good-night kiss, it wasn’t like Mr. Parker was going to hold that against nine years of friendship.

Right?
<><><><>

TBC...

Please leave feedback.
posted on 22-Feb-2002 5:37:50 PM by dreamangel
Part Thirteen: Kiss Me Once, Kiss Me Twice...

Max loped up the porch steps and rang the Parker’s doorbell. It was immediately opened by Mr. Parker. He took one look at Jeff’s expression and began to fidget. “Hi, Mr. Parker,” he said squeakily.

“Come in, Max, we need to have a little chat.” He followed Jeff (nervously) into the family room just off the hall. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but Mr. Parker hadn’t said anything yesterday about forbidding Liz to see him.

“What’s up Mr. P?”

“Max, we’ve been neighbors for nine years, and you’ve been my daughter’s best friend for the same amount of time, right?”

“Right,” Max agreed instantaneously.

“And form what I observed on the front porch two nights ago, it’s turned into a more than just friends thing, right?”

“Right,” Max said again, and then he blushed, remembering the kiss Jeff had interrupted.

“I need to know that you’re sure of this working out Max,” Jeff told him.

“What working out?” he inquired, mystified.

“You and Liz.” Max was about to speak, to assure him that he had no doubts about where the relationship was going, but Mr. Parker continued. “You two have been best friends for a long time Max, you’re the person she runs to whenever she has a problem, and I don’t want that taken away from her if you two have a fight and break up. Because that would break her heart Max, and I don’t want to see that happen.”

“I won’t hurt Liz, Mr. Parker, I promise.”

They stared at each other for a moment, Max earnest and willing Jeff to see his sincerity, Jeff measuring the boy who had kept his daughter’s heart for nine years. Finally (to Max it was an eternity), Jeff smiled and offered him his hand. Max took it with relief, and grinned back.

“Daddy? Is Max here? I saw the limo out front…” Max looked up and gulped, eyes glued to the angel descending the steps.

Liz looked fantastic. She was wearing a pink dress, a full skirt, and a bodice that cut sideways over the skirt. Flowers were embroidered in darker and lighter shades of the color, growing up from the hem of both pieces a little ways. The light from the top of the stairs illuminated her from behind, glittering off the pink stones in her upswept hair.

“You…You look…really, really beautiful, Liz,” he finally managed to tell her. She came up next to him, smiling and blushing.

“Thank you. You look very handsome yourself.” She giggled and fingered his tux. He blushed, heat rushing to his ears, and he tugged on the stifling collar. He looked down at her, and she looked up at him.

They stared at each other for a while, eyes soft and loving, until Mr. Parker clapped his hands and told them he needed to take pictures for Nancy and Diane, and they needed to get to the dance before it was over.

Max and Liz rushed into action, he placed the corsage on her slender wrist, they posed, pictures were snapped (Max about had a heart attack when he saw Liz’s top was held on by three thin ties.) And they were out the door, Mr. Parker calling after them to behave and he reminding Liz that he and Nancy were going to Clovis later that night, so she needed to lock the house down.

“I thought we were never going to escape,” Liz sighed as they got into the limo. She snuggled up next to him on the seat. “I can’t believe you rented a limo,” she teased, “It’s only Fling.”

“It was Michael’s idea,” Max admitted, “He wanted to show Maria he wasn’t a totally bad boyfriend, but he couldn’t afford it on his own. We have to pick them up, by the way.” She shrugged and kissed his cheek.

“And here I thought you were just trying to sweep me off my feet.”

He grinned and kissed her deeply. “No, that happens later, when we’re not expecting company.” She shivered at his husky tone and leaned forward again for another kiss.
<><><><>

Isabel laughed as Alex twirled her around the gym, not caring if they bumped into other couples. She was having such a good time, and she didn’t care if people were sending them weird looks.

Okay, yes, it was a little odd for the head cheerleader to come to a dance with the head of the Computer Club, but it wasn’t as if Godzilla was attacking Tokyo or anything. People would get over it, accept it, forget it…

Alex dipped her without warning, and they crashed to the floor, tangled up in each other. “Are you all right?” he demanded, looking as if the sky had fallen. She just laughed and laughed, letting him pull her up.

“Isabel!”

The couple glanced up as Tess and Tish hurried over, black and white dresses flying, dates trailing behind, trying to keep up. “Hi guys!” she exclaimed, glowing. They exchanged looks and then turned back to her.

“Are you okay?” Tess asked, “That was a pretty nasty fall.”

“I’m fine,” she told them, “And Alex broke my fall.”

“Luckily I’m very flexible,” Alex piped up. Her friends just smiled and nodded. Just then a slow song came on and Tim asked Tish to dance, and John took Tess away. Izzy looked shyly at Alex, who grinned and took her hand.

She rested her head on his shoulder as they swayed slowly to the music. His hands traced the low back of her dress and she started to relax, feeling very content, and wondering what else he could do with those amazing hands of his…
<><><><>

Max leaned against the drink table and watched Liz. She was really into the music, gyrating her hips and swaying seductively. He took a long drink of his punch, never-taking his eyes of her.

Occasionally she’d glance towards him and smile, blowing him a kiss. He wanted to join her, but he was sweating to much already in this stupid tux. (He couldn’t believe his mom had made him wear it.) And he was more than happy to just watch her, even though it was doing interesting things to his libido.

“Hey…”

He looked away from Liz and into blue eyes. “Hey Tess,” he replied, smiling at her, “Having fun?”

She nodded, “Yeah…John’s really nice. I like him a lot.”

“That’s good.” He trailed off, feeling kinda awkward. “So…”

“So…” she repeated. They turned their attention to the dance floor, well, Max turned his attention to Liz, and Tess followed his eyes. “Liz, huh?”

“Yeah. Liz,” he said, sighing softly. Then, suddenly aware of who he was talking to, “It just kinda happened…”

She shrugged, expression kind of sad. “It’s okay, Max,” she reassured him, “I understand.”

“Tess!” John Andrews came walking up to them. He took Tess’s hand possessively, glaring at Max. “Evans.”

“Andrews.” Max nodded unconcernedly, “How’s it going?”

“Fine,” the other boy said, tone slightly less jealous, but he was still eyeing Max suspiciously.

“Well, it was great talking to you two,” Max said, throwing his cup into a garbage can fifteen feet away. “I’m gonna go find my girl before Valenti gets up the nerve to try and steal her back.”
<><><><>

Liz felt his hands on her, and she moved against him, grinding her lower body into his. She heard his groan and smiled, turning to cuddle into his arms. “You’re gonna be the death of me,” he whispered as her put her arms around his neck.

“But what a way to go,” she teased, her hands toying with the hair at the base of his neck. She gave her own little moan when his large hands crept beneath the strings of her top, tugging the bows. “Max!” she hissed.

He chuckled and pulled her up and closer, so that she was flush up against his body, dancing on tiptoe. She gave a little gasp as she felt his arousal press into her softness. “Don’t tease me right now, Liz,” he growled in her ear, “I might do something drastic.” She shivered against him, his gravel in velvet voice sending frissons of electricity throughout her.

“Max…” she breathed.

“Can I cut in?” a voice asked sharply.

They paused and looked at the intruder. “Hi, Kyle,” she offered weakly, not really liking the look in his eyes. He held out his hand for her to take, and she glanced from him to Max uncertainly. The decision was taken from her however, when Max moved in front of her, blocking Kyle’s advancement.

“We were dancing Valenti. Why don’t you go find your own date?” Max said mockingly. Liz closed her eyes and wished he didn’t have to be such a guy sometimes. She pulled on his jacket sleeve, trying to get him to pay attention to her. Finally he looked back at her and she shook her head.

Max rolled his eyes, but relaxed his stance. “C’mon Valenti, we need to talk.” He started walking and Kyle followed, fists clenched. Liz watched them go anxiously, Maria and Michael behind her.

“Where’d Kyle go?” Vicky DeLaney walked up, punch glasses clutched in her hands. “He said he was going to talk to you for a second.” Liz looked up at the tall, willowy blond, and smiled gently.

“He went to the bathroom, Vicky, he should be back in just a minute.”

Blue eyes looked at her closely, and finally she nodded. “Okay.”
<><><><>

“What did you say to Kyle?” Liz asked him as soon as Michael got out of the limo. Max sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to let it go. She had been too curious when he and Kyle had come back to her and Vicky.

“I just explained to him that it wasn’t anything personal, on either side, and that it just kind of happened.”

“Just kind of?” she mocked, eyebrows raised.

“In a nine years coming kind of way.”

“Oh, that way,” she said sarcastically.

“Liz…” He twirled a strand of hair around his finger, and she looked at him, brown eyes laughing. “I told him I loved you, and you loved me, and nothing he could do was going to change that.” Then there had been a swinging of fists and ducking and then a chokehold in order to get him calmed down enough to listen to his rationale. “He pretty much just accepted that.”

“Really?”

Her tone indicated disbelief. “He wants you to be happy, Liz. And if you’re happy with me, or with him, you’re still happy, and that’s what matters.”

“Max…” She had tears in her eyes, which indicated she knew he had made that last part up. She undid her seatbelt and slid closer to him, kissing his mouth gently. “I’m happiest with you.”

He smiled and pulled her onto his lap so that she was straddled over him. Their mouths fused, and soon he was out of his seat and so was she, and they were lying on the floor of the limo, minutes away from their houses, Max between her thighs, his hands untying the bows of her top, her hands working frantically at the tie and buttons of his shirt.

“Max…” she pleaded, wiggling upward. He sucked in a breath and captured her lips. She shuddered against him, hands caressing his now bare chest. “Should we be doing this?” she asked when they broke apart, “I mean…” she trailed of, groaning as his mouth worked slowly down her throat, “We’ve only been going out for what? Five days? We’ve only had one date… We probably shouldn’t be leaping into this…”

“Liz,” he said, leaning up on his elbows and staring down at her, “We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“But I do want to,” she admitted, tracing his abs. He dropped a kiss on her lips, marveling at the softness of her.

“I want to too,” he told her.

“But it’s not right to. I mean…” She flushed, and he waited, knowing she was trying to organize her thoughts. “We just started this relationship. Getting physical this early isn’t the best way to establish life-long bonds…” Her eyes widened as she realized what she had said. “Not that I’m expecting that type of commitment, I just meant I don’t want to break up this weekend or…something…”

He shook his head and kissed her gently again. “Liz,” he said, “I know what you mean. But think of it this way; We’ve been friends for nine years. Best friends. We tell each other everything, we’re perfectly comfortable with the other’s little personality quirks, and we can be together forever and not run out of thing to talk about, or we can sit in silence and not feel awkward. If you think about it, we’ve basically been dating for nine years, and we’ve achieved what even most married couples can’t. We know each other Liz, inside. And all we’re doing now is finishing that. We’re memorizing the outside.”

He let her think on that, as he lay above her, kinda pleased with his logic. All of which was completely true. They knew each other’s heart, mind, and soul. They just hadn’t bothered getting to know each other’s bodies.

The limo stopped and they looked at each other. Max slowly got off of her, helping her up. He slid his jacket around her shoulders and worked on getting his shirt buttoned. Tiny hands suddenly appeared, making quick work of the task, and then smoothed down the white material.

He trapped her hands in his own and met her eyes as they knelt on the floor. She shifted her hand so that it took his, and then she pulled him toward the door. They stood outside and the limo took off. He looked at her curiously as she stepped closer to him, kissing his cheek. Then she gave him a shy smile.

“My parents aren’t coming home tonight.”
<><><><>

TBC...

Guess what's next? *Tee-hee* Please leave feedback.
posted on 1-Mar-2002 8:34:17 PM by dreamangel
Part Fourteen: Kissing the Night Away

Liz washed the make-up off her face and then stared at herself in the mirror. She let down her hair, taking the jeweled bobby pins out carefully, and then brushed out the curls until they shone in the light.

She pretended Max wasn’t in the other room (her bedroom!), waiting for her to come out of the bathroom so that he could make love to her. She pretended this was just he, and she wasn’t nervous, or shivering in anticipation, or wondering what Max looked like naked, what he’d feel like…

She shook her head and focused on herself again. She wanted to surprise him. She wanted to be sexy, not plain little Lizzie Parker.

She had discarded Max’s suit jacket on the chair in front of her desk and then left Max there, in her room, to get ready. Well, as ready as she could be. She had retied her top, undid her hair, and washed her face. Now what?

She bit her bottom lip, dabbed some strawberry lip-gloss on, and slipped off her full skirt. She folded it and lay it on the toilet seat, then looked in the full-length mirror on the back of the door, judging her reflection.

What she saw didn’t impress her. A small, brown-haired girl, with big eyes, glossy lips, and an underdeveloped body was what she saw. Tears of frustration welled in her eyes. She wasn’t going to grow anymore. She was stuck with a B-cup for life.

But Max doesn’t care, she reminded herself. He’s known you forever, and he’s never cared about your looks. He just cared about Liz.

She squared her shoulders and decided she didn’t care. This was who she was. She was Liz Parker, with all her mousy looks and innocent pink panties, and Max was just going to have to deal.

She took a deep breath and opened the bathroom door, walking out to confront Max in her four-inch pink FMPs (fuck-me-pumps, as Maria had deemed them earlier at the dance). He was staring out her sliding glass door, his white shirt unbuttoned, and the moonlight was streaming in, caressing his perfect abs and making his eyes shine like stars.

She sighed a little with the thought that this was her best friend, the man she loved. The man who loved her.

Her sigh drew his attention and he turned to her. “Jebus freezus…” he whispered, jaw hanging open. She blushed and twisted her hands together behind her back, unaware that the act made her chest protrude.

His eyes ran over her body in a way that made her tingle, and suddenly it was obvious that all her fears in the bathroom had no substance. He wanted her. She could read it in his beautiful eyes.

“Say something,” she pleaded, voice no louder than his had been.
<><><><>

Say something? What was he supposed to say? She was a freaking goddess for Jebus’s sake!

He couldn’t really get his vocal cords to work at the moment though. He just stood there, drinking her in. She was still wearing her heels, which laced up her shapely legs, and his gaze traveled further, skimming the line of her panties (he smiled when he saw the cute embroidered flowers), and up to where the curve of her breasts showed from above her bodice, and finally up to her face. She tucked her soft hair back behind her ear and licked her kissable lips, glancing at him shyly.

Max groaned. “Liz…” he rasped, “I can’t…I don’t have…the words…” He shook his head and strode over to her, showing her with his lips and hands what he couldn’t say with his voice.

“Max…”

“You’re perfect,” he told her, finally finding the right words. She gave a little laugh and ran her fingers up the opening in his shirt and moved them up to his shoulders, pushing it off. Her eyes asked for permission and he took one of her hands and kissed it, telling her it was all right to touch him.

Her hands ran along his abs and up his chest, her touch so light it was almost like a feather caressing him. They trailed along his shoulder blades and down his arms, squeezing gently on his lean muscles. When she reached his hands he clasped them, keeping her near him.

“Should we be worried about your parents?” she asked, eyes flicking to the sliding door. He shook his head, leaning down to kiss her.

“Dad’s in Marathon for a case, Izzy’s staying over at Tish’s, and I told Mom not to wait up for me.”

“Did you know you were getting lucky tonight?” she teased.

He smiled, “I told her I’d either get home really late or I’d crash at Michael’s house.”

“Sneaky,” she commented.

He wiggled his eyebrows up and down, hands roaming her body, “Very.”

“Max?” she asked as he directed her toward her bed, placing soft kisses on her lips with every step.

“Hmm?”

“Did…um…” He could feel her blush under his hands.

“What is it, Liz?”

“Did you bring protection?” she blurted out, then clapped a hand over her mouth, staring at him as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just said.

He took his wallet out and pulled out a condom, “It’s covered.”

“Oh…” her attention was now on the thing in his hand. “Do you normally carry that around?” She sounded a little hurt.

“My dad gave it to me after my first date with Tess, I told him I didn’t need it, but he told me to keep it handy, just in case.” They’d both been redder during that conversation, than at the sex talk.

“Is it the same one?” she inquired suspiciously.

He rolled his eyes. “No, it’s the fifth,” he said sarcastically. She looked up, alarmed, and he gave her a disbelieving grin. “Of course it’s the same one silly,” he scolded her teasingly, “I’d never make love to a girl I
didn't love. You know me better than that.”

She gave him a smack on the arm and bounced backward onto her bed, so that she was looking up at him, her head level with his…um…cough…manhood…Which was doing some very interesting things to said part of body, and he knelt before her before she could see.

“Liz-”

“I thought you were going to make love to me,” she interrupted.

“I am!” he exclaimed, surprised.

“Then why aren’t you!” she retorted, smiling at him.

“Ugh! You are so impossible, woman!” She giggled and kissed him, her lips pliant against his. He took control of the kiss, tilting her head to open her mouth. She let him slip his tongue into her mouth, meeting it with her own.

He moaned, wondering that if her mouth were this warm and sweet and welcoming, what would her body be like. Would the rest of her respond like this to him? Max wasn’t sure he could wait to find out. He broke the kiss and met her eyes. Her lips were swollen and even more tempting, but he’d get there soon enough.

Max reached down, taking her tiny foot in his hand. God, she was so small, all of her, she seemed so incredibly fragile…
<><><><>

Liz held her breath as his big hands held her foot gently, as if it were something precious. Then he moved, as if reaching a decision, and unbuckled her shoes, tossing them away. She trembled as he slowly worked his way up her legs, over her knees, to her thighs, and finally, his hands came to rest on the junction where her panty hem met skin.

He rose, towering over her, but not in an overwhelming sense, more like he was protecting her. She reached out and undid the zipper on his pants, and waited while he got out of them. When he came back to her he was wearing only a pair of black boxers and a half-smile.

God, he was huge! She reached out, running a hand over him, eliciting a groan from him. She suddenly found herself hauled up into his arms, wrapped tightly against his body, his mouth devouring her…

And just as quickly his hands were at her back and then her top was gone, and his mouth was on her. She gave a little shriek of surprise and then melted against him, spearing his hair with her fingers and dragging him up to her mouth.

She was aching, as she had been in the Eraser Room and the limo, aching for him, his touch on her. She wanted him in her most intimate places, and she wanted him there now! She leaned back, forcing him to let them fall on the bed, never breaking their lip-lock. His hands moved over her body, making her feel as if fire were tracing over her skin.

“Max!” She wriggled against his hard body, needing the barrier of cloth between them gone. She felt him nod against her neck and he reached down, ripping her panties off. They broke apart, panting, and stared at the scrap of material.

“Sorry,” he apologized, blushing. She took them from him and tossed them to the ground, instead focusing on getting his boxers off of him and him into her. She was feeling a little surprised at her need, at the intensity of it, but most of her didn’t care. She loved him, he loved her, it was all right.
<><><><>

Max’s body had created its own rhythm as he stroked in and out of her tight body, which matched him in every move he made. They had had a few fumbling starts, neither one knowing what they were doing, but they had laughed their way through it and now seemed to have got the situation under control.

Liz’s legs were wrapped around his waist, her lower body thrusting upward as his thrust down, her arms were moving up and down his back in a restless motion, occasionally they’d meet in a kiss, but mostly…

Well, mostly her lips were on his neck and his were on her breasts. He couldn’t get over how sweet they were, and how perfectly they fit in his hands. How perfectly her whole body fit against his.

Their hearts were lined up, and he could hear hers pounding (or was that his…). He could barely tell the difference anymore, whether it was him or her. They were one right now, one person, one soul…

He felt her walls beginning to clamp down on him, and she whispered his name. He took her lips in his and let his hand wander between them, rubbing her swollen clit until she shuddered against him and screamed his name.

“Liz!” he echoed her cry of ecstasy as he felt his own release come upon him.
<><><><>

They hadn’t talked a lot during the actual act, and they weren’t talking a lot now, but she was perfectly content. She was spooned against his body, his fingers trailing patterns over her arms as the cuddled under the covers together.

“I like this,” she told him quietly, grasping his wandering hand. He chuckled and sat up a little, kissing her cheek.

“I like this too,” he replied. They smiled at each other softly, and the blanket of comfortable silence descended again, letting them soak in each other without distraction.

“It’s three o’clock in the morning,” she told him, feeling sleepy.

“Yeah…” he agreed, “I should probably go home…” he sounded reluctant, and hugged her body closer.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked hopefully.

“Today,” he corrected her, a smile in his tone.

She smiled too, “Today then.”

He gave a deep sigh and moved away from her. She turned over, watching him possessively as he dressed. “You gotta stop staring at me, Liz,” he told her, “Otherwise I’m not going to be able to zipper my pants.”

She blushed and sat up, holding the lilac-colored sheets to her chest. “Sorry…”

He smiled at her and shrugged into his suit jacket. Then he came over to her and kissed her deeply, tongues tangling, and then he was gone.

She got up, the sheets wrapped around her naked body, and followed his progress through the hedges to his window. He turned at the sill and looked toward her sliding glass door, blowing her a kiss. She blushed and blew him one back, waving until he disappeared completely from her view.

Then she sighed and crawled back into bed, physically exhausted and loving it.
<><><><>

TBC...

Please leave feedback.
posted on 6-Mar-2002 8:44:13 PM by dreamangel
ILYMEFOREVER- They do use protection! I just didn't go into detail about the putting it on, but I did mention use of a condom, I did!

Caution- If you're going to have sex, use protection, if you're not then good. Abstinence is the best policy (unless you're married or living together and other special circumstances). Always practice safe sex! (That was my plug to my ninth grade sex ed. class).

Now, what you've been waiting for...

Part Fifteen: Eskimo Kisses

Max groaned loudly and burrowed farther under his blanket. It had done the unheard of yesterday. It had started snowing. In Roswell! And he was refusing to get out of his bed until it was as warm outside it as it was in it!

He heard a thunk against his window and immediately tossed his covers back, ready to face an intruder. But then the cold air hit him and he shivered, grabbing his sheets and comforter until he was bundled up again. Then he glared at his window, which was covered in snow from a well-aimed snowball.

Laughter echoed from outside his house, and his ears perked up, recognizing the laugh as Liz’s. What was she doing up on a day like this? Oh well, he couldn’t let her freeze to death alone.

Steeling himself he threw away the covers and jumped out of the bed, heading without delay to his closet, which held his warmest (and ugliest) sweaters. He decided being a fashion victim didn’t matter on a horrid day like this.

When he was properly bundled up (which meant four shirts, two sweaters, long underwear, flannel pants, jeans, three pairs of wool socks, boots, a winter (fleece-lined) coat, a scarf Liz had made him when she first learned to knit, and a hat that covered his ears), he trundled outside to find his girlfriend up to her elbows in snow, building a fort.
<><><><>

She stared out the window of her upstairs room, watching her brother and his girlfriend and their juvenile behavior. They were building a fort. Next thing, they’d probably make snow angels or have a snowball fight. It was all so…third grade.

“Izzy?”

Isabel turned away and looked at her mother inquisitively. “Yeah, Mom?”

Her mom came to stand beside her and she watched the wackos outside too. She started chuckling and Isabel glanced at her, her own mouth quirking upward. Her mom’s blue eyes were crinkled with laughter. “I’m surprised your brother managed to make it out of bed the way he was carrying on earlier.”

“I know.” Isabel rolled her eyes. “But Liz was outside, so of course he went. You wouldn’t catch me out in this weather.” She crossed her arms over her pink sweater and tossed her long blond hair.

“Remember when he and Liz were nine and he-”

“Mom!” she interrupted, “Please don’t talk about that! It was so traumatizing to see that!”

“Oh Izzy…” her mother laughed.

“What did you come up here for?” she asked, knowing she was being rude, but wanting to get away from the topic of December 1992. It was still a sore subject for her. She couldn’t believe Max had done that-

“Alex called.”

“What?” she demanded, “When?”

“When you were in the shower,” he mom said, smiling knowingly.

“Well, what did he want?”

“He wanted to know if you might be interested in joining him at the skating rink at 12:00 and then do an early dinner. I told him you’d call him back.”

Isabel shrieked and flew to her portable phone, forgetting about her mom. “Alex?” she asked breathlessly, “Hi! I would absolutely love to go skating with you today! Um-hmm…” She listened to him talk about their plans for the day, smiling happily and feeling very childish and giddy suddenly.
<><><><>

Liz crawled into the fort after Max, and they lay on the snow covered ground, not really feeling the cold and wet at the moment. But then again, body heat was the best kind there was. She giggled and propped herself up, leaning down to kiss him deeply. His warmth welcomed hers and his hand came around to brace the back of her head, making it so that she couldn’t move away from him. Not like she wanted to…

Her long brown hair fell around them like a shield, protecting them from the incoming snow. They hadn’t put a roof on their fort, as they had learned the hard was that that wasn’t a good idea. In fact, they had received a long lecture from their parents about the danger of snow that time in fourth grade.

She giggled, remembering the incident clearly. Isabel had been livid, their mothers had been worried sick (kissing and hugging them until they were blue in the face, and not from the cold), and the father’s had looked at them sternly and explained how if the ceiling had fallen they could have been killed…

“What’s so funny?” Max asked her.

“I was thinking about that one time when we were little, and I just got that new parka and it had just snowed-”

“No!”

“What?”

“Don’t you dare bring that up!” he told her, his face turning red.

“It was cute,” she told him, kissing his cheek.

“I try not to think about it,” he told her seriously, “In fact, I don’t even remember it at all. It’s just a blur.”

“Do you remem-“

“No.”

“Well,” she huffed, staring to move away, “Someone got ice in their pants.”

“Liz!” he protested, tugging her back down. She pouted, and he caught her bottom lip in a kiss. She soon forgot what they were talking about and kissed him back. “I can assure you, “ he murmured, turning his head to suck on an earlobe that had escaped her headband. She gasped, moaning his name. “There is no ice in my pants, though you may wish there had been…”

He drew her down further, so that he was laying across her, bodies tight against one another. Her eyes widened as she realized he was aroused, and she couldn’t believe she could feel it through what she knew was layers of clothes. “Max…” she whispered.

“Hmm?” he inquired, tugging on the zipper of her jacket, trying to reach her neck.

“My father’s home!” she hissed, “We can’t…”

He stopped kissing her, and his body went limp with defeat. Presently, he rolled over. “I know,” he said, “But you were looking all sexy with that bottom lip, I just couldn’t help myself.” He smiled at her, and she melted, snuggling back up to him.

“You’re forgiven,’ she announced. She felt his response as a kiss to the top of her head. They were quiet for awhile, but then Liz decided to provoke him some more. “Some blizzard for March, huh?”

“I’d say,” he grumbled.

“Worse than that December-”

“Jebus freezus!” he shouted, sitting bolt upright, “Can’t you just drop it?”

“Nope,” she replied, grinning.
<><><><>

Max wandered around his yard. He had come to the decision to see Liz. She had been his best friend for a little of a year now, and she was fun. Sometimes, he even managed to forget she was a girl.

“What’cha doin’?” he asked when he spotted her. She was scooping up the good, packing snow (and he knew it was good, because he’d nailed Valenti with it earlier that week), and making something.

“Making an igloo,” she said matter-of-factly, allowing her attention to be distracted for a moment.

“An igloo?” he repeated. Cool, at least she wasn’t doing some stupid girly thing like making snow angels. “Why?”

“Because Inuits live in them,” she explained to him.

“Inuits?”

She gave a little sigh of exasperation and turned to him, mittened hands on her hips. “They’re an Eskimo tribe, my Grandma Claudia stayed with them. She told me all about it.”

“Cool,” he conceded, “Can I help?”

“No,” she told him.

“And why not?” he challenged.

“Because you’re not dressed properly, duh,” she said.

“Dressed properly?”

“Yeah, you know, you’re not wearing the right clothes.” At his befuddled expression she relented. “See,” she twirled, showing off her fur-lined parka, “My Grandma sent this to me. It’s what Eskimos where, and you have to be an Eskimo to live in an igloo.”

Max digested this information and was struck by an idea. “I’ll be right back!” he told her, and then rushed back to his house.
<><>

Liz stared after him wondering what he was doing. Did he have to go to the bathroom? Because her mom always said you had to do that before you put on all the winter things…

She gave a little laugh when he came out again, but she didn’t let him hear. He was wearing what looked like Isabel’s coat. It was a bright pink, with white fur lining the hood.

“Will this work?” he asked, face red, whether from the exertion of a quick change or from embarrassment, she wasn’t sure.

“I guess…”

An hour later their igloo was complete and they stared at it, walking around and inspecting every angle, brushing off a little snow there, a little snow here…until they were completely satisfied with their creation.

“What now?” Max asked her.

She shrugged. “Grandma Claudia said they go ice fishing and hunt and stuff.”

“But we can’t do any of that stuff,” he said, wrinkling his nose. They were silent for a little longer, both wondering what they could do.

“Dog races?” Liz suggested, but then shook her head, “No dogs, no sleds…”

“I have a cat,” Max offered, “But she’s not allowed outside.”

Liz shook her head to that too. “No.” She stared at all their hard work. “I suppose we could go in it,” she decided, “We could play house.”

Max rolled his eyes. “House is for girls!”

“I am a girl!” she retorted, “And besides, I don’t see you coming up with any bright ideas!”

He turned red and crossed his arms, glaring at her. “Fine,” he agreed through gritted teeth.

She smiled, assured of victory, and crawled into the igloo, Max following. “You get to be the wife,” she told him.’’

“What?” he questioned loudly, then came an “Ow” as he hit his head on the ceiling, “No way!”

“You’re wearing pink,” she pointed out, “That’s a girl color.”

“But you're a girl!” he cried.

“Fine,” she said, “If you’re going to be such a big baby about it, I'll be the wife.” She lifted her head to his expectantly.

“What are you doing?” he asked suspiciously.

“You’re supposed to kiss me hello,” she told him.

“Eww!” he exclaimed, “No way! I’ll get cooties!”

“Max! We’re husband and wife, our parents don’t have cooties, do they?”

He was quiet, “I never thought of that.”

“And anyway, it’s not even on the lips, it’s just an Eskimo kiss.”

“Eskimo kiss?”

“You rub noses,” she enlightened him.

“Oh.” They looked at each other, then hesitantly leaned forward, brushing their noses together. “Your nose is cold,” he told her when they pulled apart.

She giggled, “Yours is red.” They smiled at each other and leaned forward again.
<><>

Isabel watched furiously as her mother frantically pulled on her boots. She had spotted Max and Liz from the kitchen window and had tattled to her mother. Mainly because Max was wearing her new coat! But her mom had freaked out and started hollering about unstable snow and being buried alive.

He was probably getting snow all over it! Didn’t he know things as nice as that coat weren’t meant to be played in?

She’d give him a harsh talking to when Momma dragged him back into the house. She glared as Momma and Mrs. Parker ran outside all frazzled, trying to save their precious babies, the nerve of him…Ooh…
<><><><>

“You just had to bring that up,” he sighed.

“Of course,” she retorted gleefully, “You just looked so cute in pink!”

“That’s it, Parker,” he growled playfully, pulling her down on top of him.

“And what are you gonna do about it, Evans?” she asked as their lips got closer.

“Liz.”

They pulled apart and he groaned. Mr. Parker was giving him the ‘Look’. “Hi Daddy. What’s up?”

“Agnes called in sick, I need you to take her shift. That okay?”

“Fine.” She looked down at him and gave him an Eskimo kiss, he cold nose rubbing against his own. “Bye Max!” she called as she got up and linked arms with her father, walking away.

He lay there for a couple more minutes before getting up himself. His jeans were soaked through and he suspected he was getting a head cold. What on earth had possessed him to go outside on a day like this?

His mom opened the door to let him in, a steaming mug of hot cocoa in her hands. “Here you go, baby,” she said, smiling in that motherly way of hers, “Drink this, get out of those cold clothes, and then you take a nice, long hot shower and crawl back into bed.”

“Thanks, Momma.”
<><><><>

TBC...

Please leave me loads of feedback!

Oh, yeah, I'm banned from the computer for awhile, so *sniffle* be strong for me.

posted on 14-Mar-2002 5:35:57 PM by dreamangel
Okay, HI! I'm back. Obviously, if I wasn't I wouldn't be typing this. Just to let you know I'm not completely satisfied with this chapter, but I'm having a little problem with my muse, so that could be expected. Don't hate it, all right? Cool.

Now, shout-outs...

Araxie: she didn't disappear, just being difficult

alienchica: lil' bro...exactly my prob, exact same situation as you, too

ps_dreamer: Yes, the parents know about M/L dating

ladylou: You guessed it, 'cept it wasn't really too much time on, just that I don't understand PDM.

And, without further ado...

Part Sixteen: Hershey's Kisses

Liz lay in her bed for a while, toying with the hem of her lavender sheets. She was having a problem with conflicting emotions. One being that she was seventeen today, and she was happy about that. The other one was confusing.

Max hadn’t said anything about her birthday all month. No even when she’s subtly hinted at it yesterday night when they were making out. She was starting to wonder if maybe he had forgotten. But he’d never do that. Right?

She shook her head fiercely. He was probably planning a big surprise for her. He wouldn’t have forgotten. There was no way.

And with that she threw back her covers decisively. Getting up, she then made her bed and grabbed Lil’ Max from where he had fallen during the night. “It’s our anniversary,” she told him, “I’ve had you for a whole year.” He just stared at her. She shrugged and started getting ready.

In the shower, she meticulously lathered, rinsed, and repeated with her vanilla shampoo and conditioner, then she soaped her body up with strawberry scented body wash, and carefully shaved her legs. She didn’t want any cuts, bumps, or dry skin.

She refused to look anything other than perfect today.

When she was done, she towel-dried herself and let her long hair begin to air-dry. She spread her strawberry moisturizing lotion all over to make her skin soft and smooth, and then began to blow-dry her hair straight. Max liked her hair straight.

Then she went to her closet and stared at her clothes. What did she want to wear on this, her special day? She pulled out a dark, royal blue sweater and held it up in front of her, facing the full-length mirror. Nodding, she set it aside on her bed and searched for the pair of black leather pants Maria had made her buy. She’d never worn them before, but she’d dare losing her patented ‘innocent’ look for just one day.

She pulled her clothes on and started with her make-up. As usual, she went light on the eye shadow and blush, but made sure her lips were shiny and pink and would stay that way for the rest of the day.

Liz brushed out her brown hair, trying to decide what to do with it. Max preferred it down, but did it go with her outfit? Deciding it didn’t matter, she left it down and grabbed her shoes. Maria had also forced her to buy them. Luckily they weren’t too high, but they’d definitely make it so the top of her head reached Max’s nose instead of his chin.

A horn beeped from outside and her father yelled up to her, “Max is here!”

“Coming!” she shouted back. She gave herself a once over, spritzed on some Victoria’s Secret Strawberry & Champagne body spray, found her book bag, tread carefully down the stairs, and kissed her dad’s cheek. “Bye!” she called, before he could protest her pants, and shut the door.

“Don’t you look nice,” Max commented as she joined him in the Jeep, he smiled sexily, “What’s the occasion?” She froze and looked at him. He raised an eyebrow, not comprehending the reason for her sudden sad face. “Hey? You okay?” he asked worriedly. She nodded and meekly accepted his good-morning kiss. Then she slumped into the passenger seat and stared out the window despondently all the way to school.

He hadn’t remembered.
<><><><>

Max slung an arm around his girl as they walked to their lockers. She was stiff, yet slumped, and sad looking, yet incredibly hot. He hadn’t even known she owned a pair of leather pants!

He also didn’t know how she could ever think that he’d forgotten her birthday.

He was a man with a plan, one with collaborators who were more than willing to keep up his charade. Isabel nodded at him as they passed her, Tish, and Tess. He grinned, Phase A complete.

Max looked forward to Maria and Alex, who smiled and winked respectively. “Uh, Liz, I have to use the bathroom. I’ll meet you in class, okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed glumly. He hid a smile and kissed her cheek. Then he headed to the men’s room, leaving his friends to finish Phase B.

“She buyin’ it?”

“Yeah.” He looked at Michael, frowning. “She looks so sad though, I’ve never-”

“Suck it up Maxwell,” Michael told him gruffly, “If you insist on doing all this romantic crap in the name of your energy source, giving the rest of us males bad names by the way, the least you could do is go through with it.”

“I know,” he said, “It’s just we’ve always celebrated her birthday together. Just the two of us. All day, non-stop fun. And now that we’re going out, it’s different. We can’t just go to the movies or the Crashdown. I have to make it special.”

“Did she say you had to?”

“No, but-”

“Stop,” Michael interrupted, “You mean to tell me you’ve put all of us through hell for the past two weeks, caused Maria to start riding ass about ‘proper boyfriend etiquette’ as she terms it, planning your surprise, and you didn’t have to do it?”

Max just stared at him blankly. The warning bell rang. “Gotta go!” he announced quickly, dashing out the door. Saved by the bell.
<><><><>

“So, Max didn’t say anything?” she asked again. Maria and Alex just shook their heads. Liz sighed and banged her head against her locker. “I can’t believe he forgot.”

“I’m sure he didn’t chica,” Maria soothed, “Maybe he’s just trying to find the right time to say it.”

“Right time?” she scoffed, “How hard is it to say ‘Happy birthday, Liz’?”

Alex and Maria exchanged glances. “Well,” Alex suggested, “Why don’t you hang with us tonight? We’ve never been allowed to have that big party Maria’s always wanted to throw.”

“Yeah!” Maria cried, bouncing up and down and clapping her hands. “Please Lizzie?”

She sighed and opened her locker. “Okay. I guess I could…” she trailed off, taking the gift from her locker. It was a rose. Not a real one, but one of those roses made of Hershey’s kisses with the red foil over it.

“I knew he wouldn’t forget!” Maria crowed.

“It’s not from Max,” she said faintly, “This isn’t his handwriting.” She held out the little card to her friends.

“Ooh,” Maria breathed, “You’ve got a secret admirer Lizzie. I am so jealous.”

The warning bell rang and they all scrambled to their classes. Liz walked to her room in a daze. If not Max, then who?

“Hey,” her boyfriend said, “What’s that?” She gave it to him.

“It was in my locker.”

“Why?”

She shrugged and took it back. At least someone knew what day it was, even if she didn’t know who yet.

“Weird.” He made a face at her present.

“I guess.”
<><><><>

Isabel nodded at Maria, who was chattering away. “I said we’d come, just chill,” she finally demanded. The spritely blonde recoiled and stared at her, surprised by the harsh tone. Isabel sighed. “Sorry, Maria, I just don’t like sneaking around putting those roses everywhere. God, doesn’t Liz think someone’s stalking her by now?”

Maria shrugged, “I put off her freaking out by suggesting they were from Kyle, trying to win her back. She pretty much just accepted that.”

“Hi ho, ladies,” Alex greeted as slid next to them, lunch tray edging closer to Iz, who smiled at him.

“Hey Alex,” the girls chorused.

“How’s it going?”

“Smoothly,” she told him, opening her water.

“What phase are we on now?” he inquired, scarfing Cosmic Crunch cheese puffs, “I can’t keep track.”

Isabel rolled her eyes. “Who even knows? This whole thing is too Mission Impossible for me.” She glanced around to where Tish and Tess were hovering and beckoned them over.

“Max just came in with Liz and Michael, we’re gonna lunch with them.” Isabel nodded and they got up.

“You are com-”

"Yes, Maria, yes."
<><><><>

“I said I was sorry!”

She shook her head. “The one year I have you as my boyfriend, and you forget! It’s ridiculous!”

“Liz-”

“Forget it, Max.” She paused out side the Jeep. “Will you at least come to the party tonight? It’s at the Pizza Pan at eight.”

He winced, “I have to work tonight.”

“That just figures!” she cried, throwing her hands up, “This has been the worst day of my life!”

“We’ll do something tomorrow,” he said, obviously trying to placate her. It wasn’t working. She glared at him violently, promising him hurtful things if he said just one more word about it.

She jerked open the passenger door and stopped. Another rose was lying on her seat. That made four today. The one in her locker, the one in her gym desk, the one on her lab table, and now this one. Who was sending them?

“You got another one?” Max asked, looking at her as she sat down.

“Yeah.”

“Who’s sending them?”

“I don’t know!” she exclaimed, “Obviously someone who cares enough to remember my birthday!”

He eyed her warily, “Are you PMSing or something?” he asked. She screamed and crossed her arms, refusing to even look at him. He was such a boy sometimes, and how insensitive had that comment been? “It better not be Valenti,” he continued darkly, “Or else…”

Liz tuned him out for the rest of the ride. She didn’t want to deal with his masochism crap, not today. She didn’t want to cry today either, but she could feel tears pricking. How could he have done this to her?
<><><><>

Max was feeling like a horrible person at the moment. Liz had been crying when he dropped her off at the Crashdown for her shift. He had almost broken down and admitted everything, but he held fast. Knowing he’d make it up to her later.

He hoped.

He was having doubts about the final phase of his master plan. What if his gift wasn’t good enough? Now that he was thinking about it, it wasn’t really anything special…She’d probably give him one of those fake birthday smiles and forced ‘thank you’.

He buried his head under his pillow and let out a scream, the pillow acting as a buffer. Then her pulled out the box containing her present. It was to late to change his mind about giving it to her. Maybe he could offer to buy her something else if she didn’t like it? That would work, right?

He nodded and hid it back under his bed. Then he got up, he had to make sure Maria had everything under control for tonight, phone the Parkers to let them know the finalized plan, and pick up the last part of Liz’s gift.
<><><><>

Liz dragged her bags of presents from Maria’s Jetta and waved good-bye to her friend, then trudged up to her house. That had been her first birthday party since she turned eight years old. Normally it would just be her and Max, and while the party had be a blast, it couldn’t compare.

She had begun to get suspicious when so many people showed up on such short notice, and figured maybe Max had orchestrated this whole affair, but as the night wore on, there was no sign of him.

A dozen Hershey’s roses had been delivered to the party, making that sixteen total, the card attached read ‘I’ll see you tonight.’ She shivered just thinking about it. It hadn’t been Kyle who sent them, and Max obviously had no idea the way he was acting today. It was somebody she didn’t know, and she was a little frightened.

“Hey honey bear,” her dad said, smiling as she walked in the house.

“Hi Daddy.”

“How was your party?”

“Fun,” she told him, forcing a smile, “But I’m kind of wiped, I think I’ll head to bed.” Her father nodded and kissed her head.

“Happy birthday Lizzie,” he whispered, “By the way, you might want to tell your guest good-bye before you go to sleep.”

“Guest?”

“He’s upstairs.”

He. Was it Max? It had to be. Her dad wouldn’t just let some strange guy up in her room. But what was he doing here? Didn’t he say he had to work? She ran up the steps and into her room. She dropped her bags and stared.

A Hershey’s rose lay on her bed.

A noise behind her made her turn and she swung around, confronted by her boyfriend. Max smiled his half smile at her and she turned to mush. He was wearing a plain white, long sleeved, button down, a pair of worn jeans, holding a white rose and a package, and he looked scrumptious.

“Did you really think I’d forget?” he asked quietly, walking toward her, present in hand.

She shook her head. “No, but you were being so…horrible today, I didn’t know what to believe anymore.” Tears pricked her eyes.

“I know,” he said, sounding miserable, “I wanted to tell you, but it would’ve ruined everything. And we’ve been working on this for weeks.”

“We?”

“Me, Maria, Alex, even Michael and Isabel pitched in.”

“You started freaking me out with those roses,” she said.

He grinned, “I thought you like flowers in the middle of the day, and Hershey’s kisses are your favorite.”

Your kisses are my favorite,” she enlightened him, moving closer so that their bodies brushed. Max leaned down, placing the box behind them, and met her lips. She kissed him eagerly, having missed his drugging taste all day.

When they broke apart he asked, “Are you going to open your present?” She laughed and went to work on the wrapping paper. “If you don’t like it I’ll understand,” he said anxiously, “It’s not-”

“Oh, Max,” she breathed, taking the letterman’s jacket out and putting it on. “It’s perfect. How do I look?” He had this enchanted look on his face and she blushed, cuddling into the oversized jacket.

“Cute. Very cute, and very mine.”

She rolled her eyes. “Are you claiming me as your property Mr. Evans?” she flirted.

He just smiled and pulled out another gift. This one he opened, revealing his class ring on a thin gold chain. She pulled her hair up obligingly and let him fasten it around her neck. She sat on her bed, gazing up at him shyly. He picked up the real white rose and handed it to her.

“Happy birthday, Liz.”
<><><><>

TBC...

Please leave feedback.

[ edited 1 time(s), last at 14-Mar-2002 5:39:02 PM ]
posted on 1-Apr-2002 10:26:47 AM by dreamangel
Part Seventeen: K-I-S-S-I-N-G Town

“Max, stop!” Liz shrieked as she nearly went tumbling off her bed. Of course, he didn’t listen to her. She giggled harder as his hands gently swept over her bare sides. “Please,” she gasped, “Please, no, don’t…stop!”

“Don’t stop?” he teased, and gripped her firmly, fingers digging into soft flesh, then running lightly over her back…

The tickles slowly turned into soft, long caresses as they reached her neck. She gave a soft sigh as he leaned forward to kiss the sensitive flesh. “Max…” she breathed.

“What Liz?” His question was low and husky as he went back to kneading the oil into her skin. Liz didn’t reply, just gave a soft moan and arched into his fingers.-

SCREEECH! The video goes black and the sudience is left wondering what on earth went wrong. Where Did Max and Liz go?

Nicole enters through a back door, blushing and stammering. "Attention, due to unforeseen events, I will not be finishing this story. Sorry."

She turnes to leave surrounded by booing and rotten fruit, but then spins, eyes flashing and...

"April Fools!" she yells, grinning wildly, "Part 17 is just a little further down."

Had ya fooled huh?

See ya!
~Nic

[ edited 1 time(s), last at 1-Apr-2002 10:38:07 AM ]
posted on 1-Apr-2002 10:28:08 AM by dreamangel
Part Seventeen: K-I-S-S-I-N-G Town

“Max, stop!” Liz shrieked as she nearly went tumbling off her bed. Of course, he didn’t listen to her. She giggled harder as his hands gently swept over her bare sides. “Please,” she gasped, “Please, no, don’t…stop!”

“Don’t stop?” he teased, and gripped her firmly, fingers digging into soft flesh, then running lightly over her back…

The tickles slowly turned into soft, long caresses as they reached her neck. She gave a soft sigh as he leaned forward to kiss the sensitive flesh. “Max…” she breathed.

“What Liz?” His question was low and husky as he went back to kneading the oil into her skin. Liz didn’t reply, just gave a soft moan and arched into his fingers.

Max grinned, he knew this had been a good idea. Massage: the perfect ‘I’m-sorry-I-made-such-a-mess-of-your-birthday’ treat. And using Maria’s essential oils had been a stroke of genius on his part. (He was just sorry it took him a week to come up with it.)

He dripped a few more drops of the jasmine scent onto Liz’s naked back and slowly began to work it into her skin. He studied his girlfriend all the while, making notes to remember all the spots that made her moan and sigh and gasp for later use.

Her skin was smooth, taut, there wasn’t an ounce of fat on her…He found it hard to believe that he had been her best friend for so many years and never managed to notice how beautiful she was. (Chalk it up to general male idiocy, and particular Max denseness in his case.)

Liz wiggled a little as his fingers grazed her most ticklish area, the joint between her thighs and derriere. A wicked little smile crossed his face and he deterred from his strategy to give her a head to toe massage by slipping his hands beneath the one shred of clothing that she was wearing.

“Max!” she exclaimed, “Don’t you dare start again-” She broke of with a muffled breath as he slid the red cotton panties down her legs. “Max, what are you doing?” she asked as she turned over, legs getting tangled around his waist.
<><><><>

She watched him grin, tossing her underwear on the floor and standing on her bed to let her sort herself out. She wanted to laugh at him as he stood there, head almost bumping the ceiling, but she resisted and sat up, knees to her bare chest and he dropped down beside her.

“Thank you for the massage,” she murmured.

A smirk spread on his face and she suddenly had the feeling he was far from finished with her. “I’m not done yet,” he told her, confirming her suspicions. He placed his large hands on her knees and tried to coax them apart.

But Liz would have none of it. “We don’t have time Max!” she scolded, exasperated, “I have to be up to the school at seven!”

“It’s only six Liz, you have plenty of time,” he assured her, his hands traveling further to stroke her thighs. Her legs trembled in response and she felt herself becoming wet again. He leaned over her, his strong body hovering, and he kissed her neck, sucking on the skin gently.

“You’re gonna give me a hickey,” she told him, trying to sound stern, but failing miserably. Her slender arms wrapped around his fully clothed back, fingers raking the cotton-poly blend of his plaid shirt until her nails caught and held.

He chuckled into her neck and moved to the hollow at the base of her throat. She gave a low growl of defeat and allowed her knees to open, his lean body dropping from the loss of obstruction. She felt his arousal through his jeans and suddenly it seemed as if they had all the time in the world.

“Max,” she demanded now, her lower body rising impatiently, “Take your clothes off.”

“No,” he said, and dropped his head to her breasts to continue his tender ministrations.

“We barely have half an hour,” she told him incredulously, “If you want to do this we have to start now, otherwise we won’t finish in time and I’ll be late!”

Max shook his dark head and ran his tongue over her erect nipple. She gasped as he did the same to her other breast causing her to bend upward into his body. “Liz, be patient,” he chided, smirking, and began to travel lower.

“Max what are you doing?” she asked again, alarmed as he started pressing kisses near her curls. Her hands moved from his back to spear through his hair, trying to bring his mouth back to hers, but he held fast, his inner strength winning, and stayed put, pressing a kiss on her folds.

Liz gave a small scream and totally relaxed, her hands flying from his head to her headboard, gripping it tightly as his tongue began to lick the wet channel between her legs. “Max!” she whispered, trembling from the pressure he was building within her, “I don’t think you should be doing that.”

He stopped (making her cry out in protest) and peered up at her, “Do you really want me to stop?” he inquired, surprised, “Cause I don’t really want to.”

“No,” she told him, voice cracking.

“No you do or no you don’t?”

“No, I don’t want you to stop,” she informed him, feeling a little mortified. It was one thing to have him buried in her, but quite another to have him…eat her out…She let out another cry as he sucked on her clitoris. Thrashing, she lifted her hips, her legs wrapping around his neck and holding him fast to her as she exploded.

When she became aware of her surroundings again Max was lying beside her, hand playing with the class ring that hung on a chain between her breasts. She blushed and turned her head from him, surprised when she felt him press kisses on her neck, lifting her hair out of his way.

“Max…”

“We’ll finish this later, love, right now you need to get dressed and get to school.” She shivered with his promise, a plan already forming in her mind as to how exactly they’d finish it. It wasn’t fair for him to just pleasure her after all…
<><><><>

At seven-thirty the curtain rose on a backdrop of New York City. Max sat in the lower deck of the auditorium seats, eyes peeled for Liz, Alex, Isabel, and Maria. Maria was easy to spot, she was playing the lead, Alex and Izzy would come later because they also had main characters, but Liz was playing various roles and right now she was pretending to waitress at a small Brooklyn café.

At nine-thirty the curtain closed on West Roswell’s production of The 10th Kingdom and all the extras bowed, (Max cheered loudly for his shy girlfriend) and then the supporting cast members.

“Can you believe Maria wanted me to try out for the Troll king?” Michael snorted beside him, shaking his head at the poor schmuck in make-up and tights.

“Yeah, actually I can,” Max replied, grinning. Before Michael could respond Alex, Isabel, and Maria came out, still in costume. His sister had made a great Wicked Queen, and Maria and Alex had done well in the parts of Virginia and Prince Wendall.

The house lights came on and everyone rose, giving the cast a standing ovation. Maria kept bowing and smiling until Alex dragged her backstage. “We better go meet them outside,” Max suggested, rising, and Michael followed suit.

Their friends were waiting for them, laughing and hugging as random people came up to congratulate them. “I guess opening night was a success,” Max said as he approached, holding a white rose out to his girlfriend. She took it with a smile and planted herself underneath his arm.

Max then gifted Maria and Isabel with a yellow and purple rose respectively, and Michael produced a slightly wilted pink one to give to Maria, who smiled at him as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

“You two are invited to come to the cast party if you want,” Alex told them, “It’s actually at your house Max.”

“Speaking of,” Isabel exclaimed, “We need to get going.” They took off for the dressing room, but Liz hung behind.

“I’m going to stay and help stage crew clean up, okay? Can you swing by and pick me up after you drop them off?”

“Sure,” he agreed, nodding.

“Thanks.” And she gave him a quick kiss on the lips before disappearing after their friends.

About an hour later, and he hoped Liz wasn’t mad at him for the delay, he was back at school, in the auditorium parking lot. Hurrying into the building, he went backstage, searching for his apparently missing girlfriend. “Liz?” he called.

“On stage,” was the reply. And he walked through one of the door in the revolving stage until he found himself on a darkened one, facing a non-existent audience. The lights suddenly flicked on as he blinked in the rosy glow, staring at the pink, purple, red, and white decorations of the set. “Welcome to Kissing Town,” Liz whispered from right beside him.

He spun to see her smiling at him seductively, still dressed in her costume. “Aren’t you ready to go?” he asked.

She stepped closer to him, draping her arms around his neck and playing with the collar of his shirt. “Not yet,” she murmured, leaning up to suck on his earlobe. Max gulped audibly.

“Liz-”

She cut him off with a deep French kiss and pressed him against the backdrop. “I believe you promised me we’d finish what you started at my house. Didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but…Here?” he questioned. He stared out into the dark seat of the audience, it was like hundreds of eyes were on him, watching them as Liz seduced him on stage. Jebus freezus, he thought, annoyed with himself when the thought of it began to turn him on.

“Yes, here,” she said, laughter in her voice, “It’s payback time Evans.”
<><><><>

She examined his wide-eyed expression innocently, knowing she had thoroughly shocked him with this one. He stared down at her and she saw his eyes run appreciatively over her breasts, the built-in push-up bra sewn in her serving wench’s dress causing them to appear bigger.

Deciding to play with him a little more, she reached up and pulled the pins out of her hair, making it fall down around her bare shoulders. She toyed with a strand, bringing it forward and trailing it across her left breast. He stifled a groan and she took one of his hands, sucking on his finger coyly before resting it on the front of her bodice.

“But-”

“But nothing, Max,” she interrupted, “We’re completely alone. The janitors aren’t even here.”

“H-how?” he queried, voice hoarse as his hand tightened convulsively on her breast.

“The principle trusts me to lock the school up. After all, what could little Lizzie Parker ever do wrong?” She forestalled his response by kissing him again, then she slyly began to undo the button and zipper on his now tight jeans. Her tiny hand slid inside, between his boxers and his skin and she wrapped it around his hard shaft.

“Liz!” he sucked in a labored breath.

“What?” she asked guilelessly, slowly running her fingers along his length. He felt like velvet incased steel, soft and strong.

“I didn’t bring any condoms,” he informed her, as he held himself tense.

“Don’t worry, Max.”

“But we have-Did you go on birth control?”

“No.” She started loosening his jeans, slipping them off his hips.

“Then, we have to stop,” he said, grabbing for her hands. But she was too fast for him. She pulled his pants and boxers down as she knelt in front of him. “Liz!”

“We’re not going to be making love, Max,” she enlightened him, gazing up at him as she slowly tipped forward to touch her tongue to his now fully aroused manhood. A drop of pre-cum came out and he quivered as she again licked it away.

“Liz-You shouldn’t…you can’t-”

“Can’t what Max?” she asked, enveloping him in her warm mouth. He let out a cry and tangled his dexterous hands into her chocolate hair. She released him with a wet pop. “Can’t make you lose control?”
<><><><>

Was she serious? Whenever she looked at him he got a hard-on for Pete’s sake! “No, Liz Parker,” he said, “You can definitely make me lose control.”

“Then what can’t I do, Max?” she inquired again, and again stopped his protests by taking him into her mouth. His grip on her silky hair tightened as she slowly began a rhythm, making him groan with every stroke her tongue made. Her hands were groping his buttocks as she forced his body to move against her.

She couldn’t do this, his mind was saying as his body took command of his reactions. What if she choked or he hurt her or something? But his brain’s arguments were washed away when her fingers drifted from digging into his backside to fondling his front and he came.

His wordless scream died down as he went limp against the set. He gaped openly at Liz, who was still kneeling before him, flushed and gorgeous, her lips swollen. She licked them while she gazed up at him, making him grunt with desire. “Liz…”

She smiled and stood, pulling up his pants as she went. She pressed against him, her lips finding his again in a loving kiss. He enfolded her in his arms not releasing her as she attempted to pull away.

“I can’t believe you just did that,” he whispered.

“Believe it,” she countered, “Payback’s a bitch Evans.” She slipped from his embrace. “I’m going to change, meet you by the Jeep.”

Max watched after her for a moment, trying to get his bearings, because he couldn’t exactly get his legs to work. (But then, if he had been able to walk, he probably would have gone after her and they would never get to the party…) He couldn’t believe she had just done that! But that proved her point, no one ever suspected perfect Liz Parker of anything considered ‘naughty’.

He grinned and shook his head, heading out to his Jeep to wait for his girl. She had gotten so unpredictable since they started going out. But he had to admit, he was liking it. A lot.
<><><><>

TBC...

Ooh...How'd you like them apples? *giggle* I don't know what just made me write that. PLease give me tons of loving praise (that means feedback people)!

posted on 13-Apr-2002 6:20:27 PM by dreamangel
OKay, so my beta and I are having a miscommunacation due to our e-mail server and I'm just going to have to post this part as it is, without her input, because I don't know what it is. I'm angry with hotmail at the moment.

Oh, and I'm not doing a part about the party because nothing happened. There were tons of people and Mr. and Mrs. Evans were chaperoning.


Part Eighteen: Kiss dee Girl

“Sha-la-la-la-la-la, don’t be scared, you got the mood prepared, go on and kiss dee girl…Aw, Jebus freezus,” he muttered to himself, “What’s wrong with you Evans? Singing The Little Mermaid, could you be more of a dork?”

Probably not, he concluded. It was really bad if a seventeen year old guy, a senior in high school, knew every word to every part in a Disney movie and could even do the voices…He shook his head, darkly cursing his inability to resist Liz Parker, even when she had been ten. And it hadn’t helped that Maria and Alex were hooked on the darn things either.

So here he was, setting the mood for a romantic desert picnic, and he had Disney songs in his head! This anniversary thing had him tied up tighter than a sailor’s knot. He couldn’t believe he’d been with her for a whole year.

And what a year it had been…

The cuddling, the kissing, the…um…rapport he and Liz shared. They had evolved together this past year, evolved into something more lasting than even friendship.

He was well aware that a year was nothing to the amount of time he and Liz had been best friends, but a year as boyfriend/girlfriend was serious. It was huge. And considering he was planning on their relationship going on for a long, long time yet, every year was just going to make it even more gargantuan.

This year was the picnic. He had found a secluded spot, protected from the wind, and he laid the large blanket down, placing large candles on each of the corners to weigh it down. He’d light them later, when he brought Liz and the food, which he had yet to order. Though he had made a chocolate silk pie with whip cream and strawberries for dessert, and that was safe in the Evans family refrigerator, covered by Saran wrap and a large sign that read ‘Hands off’ and then in smaller lettering, ‘This means you Isabel!’

There was no doubt in his mind that Isabel would make him pay for that later. In fact, he probably shouldn’t have done it, but he couldn’t resist taunting her. She had started a fruits and veggies fast last week, and actually started running around the town. Just yesterday she’d run three miles. That was probably his fault though, considering he had told her she was getting a little pudgy around the middle (but hey, what are little brothers for?)…

He then sternly commanded himself to forget his sister. Today was not about Isabel, it was about him and Liz. Max rose and wiped his dusty hands on his jeans, leaving behind chalky handprints. Oh well, he’d change later.

Checking his watch, he sighed. He still had hours and hours left. Considering his options, Max decided not to see Liz yet, he didn’t want to blurt out his surprise (and she knew he was planning one this time, she still got sore about her birthday…), and resolved to head home and do some homework. After all, there was a first time for everything, right?
<><><><>

“I am not sick Maria,” Liz protested.

“You’re flushed,” she retorted, prancing around her friend and placing a hand on Liz’s forehead, her lips forming an ‘O’.

Liz rolled her eyes, “I’m just excited. It’s our one year anniversary.” She gave a deep sigh and went dreamy.

“Like I didn’t figure it that out the first fifty times you told me,” Maria teased, and put her hand down, “But you are burning up, chica.” Liz frowned and slapped Maria’s hands away from her.

“I do not have a fever. I am not sick,” she looked Maria dead in the eye, and pulled herself up to her full height, “And I will not miss out on whatever it is my boyfriend has planned for tonight!” She gave a decisive nod, ignoring the way it made her feel light-headed.

“Michael?” Maria purred, leaning on the order-up counter and batting her eyelashes at her boyfriend. He flipped a burger and glanced toward the two girls suspiciously.

“What?” he grunted and turned back to the grill.

“Don’t you think I’m right?” He turned slightly to let them see his raised eyebrow.

“Maria!” Liz objected, “You can’t bring him into this. He doesn’t even know what we’re talking about.”

Her friend opened her mouth to retort, but Michael butted in. “You know Parker, you’re not looking too good,” he pointed to her, “Kinda pale, but you’re cheeks are really red…”

Liz’s mouth fell open and Maria’s closed into a smug smirk. “I told you so.”

Liz glared fiercely at both of them and snatched the plate of food for table six off the counter, dismissing her shaking hands and legs. They didn’t know what they were talking about, she was perfectly fine. Nothing wrong with this girl, no siree!

But she had to pause in her purposeful stride to the table and focus her mind at what she was doing. No, no, no she griped in her head as the room began to sway and then spin, not tonight… But her pleads went unanswered and green spots began to appear before her eyes. “Maria,” she whimpered as blackness beset her.

Her friend’s scream of “Mr. Parker!” was the last thing she heard as she drifted into oblivion.
<><><><>

“Isabel! You’re just the person I wanted to see!” Isabel froze in her pursuit of happiness in the form of Mercury Milkshake and a Sigourney Weaver with Saturn Rings. She stifled a groan and figured it was for the best. After all, she was on a diet, one that did not allow for greasy, alien-themed food.

Plus, she didn’t need to give Max another reason to ridicule her…

“You were?” she asked Maria suspiciously. The smaller blond nodded, green eyes full of innocence that immediately raised Izzy’s hackles. They had never been friends, casual acquaintances yes, but good friends, no, and Maria should not be smiling at her like that if they weren’t friends.

“Uh-huh,” Maria confirmed, putting an arm around the wary cheerleader and leading her towards the back, “You see, we, the employees of the Crashdown, need your help.”

Her eyes widened as the tough spitfire hauled her toward that turquoise door with its diamond-shaped window. Isabel dug her heels in and jerked herself from Maria’s grasp. “Oh no, I know where this is going, and I will not be a party to it. No way.” She shook her head, ponytail swaying from side to side.

“Isabel,” Maria whined, “Liz is sick, her dad had to carry her home. It’s Saturday, the busy night, and we’re short staffed.”

Isabel glanced around wildly, spotting an older lady wearing a uniform and seemingly doing nothing. “What about her? She actually works here!”

“Who? Agnes?” Maria said incredulously, “She doesn’t work. She takes cigarette breaks.”

“But…but, I can’t wait tables!” She wrinkled her nose at the table housing two harried parents and three rowdy kids. “I’m not a service oriented person.” She gave a final nod to end the discussion and turned on her heel to stalk out, but Maria grabbed her arm. The look in Isabel’s eyes when they turned on her could have frozen Hell five times over.

“Please Isabel, I’ll be indebted to you forever if you do this to me.”

She thought it over. “Well, since you put it that way…” Maria’s expression turned hopeful. “No.”

“This isn’t even for me, Isabel, it’s for Liz. Won’t you at least do it for Liz? Your brother’s beloved girlfriend?”

Isabel glared at her, but Maria just clasped her hands together in front of her body and turned puppy eyes on her. “Ugh,” she scoffed and placed her hands on her hips, looking away, but actually thinking it over. It would mean wearing those horrid outfits, and if she did do it, Max would owe her. She’d make him owe her (and maybe she could get some free food…yum). Mind made up, she gave her attention back to Maria, who perked up again. “Fine.”
<><><><>

Max frowned over the Calculus problem and rubbed his eyes. He’d been stuck on this problem for a whole quarter of and hour. That’s fifteen minutes of the same stupid math problem. Why’d he have to know about derivatives anyway? It wasn’t like they’d apply to him in the real world…

“No way!” he exclaimed, his wandering attention caught by the sight of a Crashdown uniform. On his sister.

She put a hand on her hip and sent him a defiant stare. “Shut up. Temporary situation.”

“Why are you...?” he trailed off, gesturing at the ensemble and hiding a smile.

“I covered for Liz. She fainted in the middle of her shift.” Isabel sat on the bed, taking off the antenna headband. Max felt his heart speed up.

“She fainted?” he demanded, feeling like he was going to faint himself.

“Yeah,” Izzy said, studying her nails and not noticing her brother’s strident tone, “Apparently she’s majorly ill or something. Oh! I chipped a nail!”

But Max was already on his way out the door. Liz was sick, Liz was sick, Liz was sick…Jebus freezus let her be okay. He crossed the yard as if he were flying and rapped sharply and repeatedly on the door to the Parker’s house.

It opened and Mrs. Parker looked up at her daughter’s boyfriend. “Max?”

“Is Liz okay?” he blurted, shifting anxiously.

Nancy nodded and gave him a sympathetic smile. “It’s just the flu bug. She’s sleeping now.” Max let out a heaving sigh of relief. “But she won’t be able to go out to dinner with you tonight. I’m sorry Max.”

He looked into her blue eyes and smiled as a new plan began to form. “Maybe she can’t come out, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have dinner.”
<><><><>

Liz woke up groggily, something was off. She moved her head and then let out a groan of pain.

“You all right?”

She opened her eyes and smiled up at worried amber-brown eyes. “What are you doing here?” she inquired, feeling a little happier.

“It’s our anniversary,” he said, looking at her as if she were insane, “Where else would I be?”

“Away from the sick person,” she told him dryly. He gave her that half-smile and helped her sit up. “Seriously,” she said, “I might be contagious.”

“Suck it up Parker,” he teased, “I’m not leaving. Besides, you’re parents had a dinner party to go to and I volunteered to take care of you.”

“Did you?” she teased back and cuddled into him.

“Yeah, and in a little bit, I’ll think about getting up and serving you the soup I made, but right now, I don’t want to move.” He moved his body so that it was under her, and she was resting comfortably, ear above his heart. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the steady beat.

“Mmm,” she murmured and clung closer to his warmth as a chill hit her. He pulled her lilac comforter up over them and wrapped one arm around her to hold her close, then he used the other one to grab her remote and flicked on the t.v. at the end of her bed.

The opening notes of her favorite Disney film made her squeal and she struggled to turn her head so that she could focus all her attention on the red-headed mermaid swimming under the sea. Max chuckled and turned the volume up slightly, singing “Kiss the Girl” under his breath.

Liz smiled, he may claim to hate them, but she knew he secretly watched them all the time. Disney was just not something that could be resisted. She kissed his cheek, distracting him from the scantily clad animated woman. “Thank you.” He gave her a soft smile and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Happy anniversary.”
<><><><>

tbc...

Please leave feedback.
posted on 2-May-2002 4:54:45 AM by dreamangel
Ohmigod, I'm sorry for taking so long! PLease, forgive me? I'll try not to make the wait as horrible next time, I just haven't been that inspired to write, but I'm working on it. Thank you everybody who bumped. Here is your reward...

Part Nineteen: Butterfly Kisses

“Why are you crying?” Max demanded, looking at his best friend with disgust. She was sniffling, and more than likely making wet spots on his pillow. “Don’t cry on my bed!”

Liz glared at him, brown eyes wet, and purposefully buried her head into the pillow. Max let out an exclamation and bolted up from the computer desk, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her off his neatly made bed. “Max!” she shrieked and struggled to hit him.

He let her go abruptly and she landed on his floor with an “oomph”, her glare intensifying. “Jebus freezus, Liz, don’t mess up my bed. I don’t need your girlie tears all over it.”

Her jaw dropped open and she picked herself up off the floor, gave him a look, and then flung his covers back and slide beneath them, cuddling his pillow. She sent him a triumphant smile in response to his horrified face.

He sighed loudly and laid down beside her, on top of the covers. They had just gotten to that age when their moms started worrying about what their precious babies were doing behind closed doors. (They had had a two-hour giggle fit after that lecture, and still would start chuckling if either implied the topic.) Like he was gonna try something on Liz… Yeah right, in distorted reality maybe…

It wasn’t that he had anything against her as a girl. She was a great one, in fact, he considered her the best girl in the world, and she was pretty, he’d concede to that. But she was his best friend, had been since they were eight. He had stopped thinking of her as a female a long time ago. Now she was just Liz, his best friend, and their parents had nothing to be worried about.

And that was why he ignored the fact that his heart was racing from the sight of her in his bed.

“And now you’ve stopped,” he commented. What was up with that? Were girls just born with the ability to cry at a whim and then turn the waterworks off just like that? He knew Isabel did it (like five times a week to get her way), but he had no idea Liz had the capability also.

“The song’s over,” she informed him, yawning.

“Song? What song?” he asked, completely confused.

Butterfly Kisses," she said simply. He gave her a blank look. She raised her eyebrows. “Michael Bolton?” she elaborated. He shook his head, mystified, and she gave one of those muffled, frustrated shrieks girls were so fond of giving. “It was just on the radio, Max!”

“I was typing up a report Liz, I wasn’t listening to that mooney-eyed crap you turned on,” he replied with dignity. Love songs, humph. He glared at her, “And you better not leave here without switching my station back,” he warned. She giggled, the soft sound a welcome relief from the shrieks and the crying.

They lay there for awhile, Liz starting to doze off and Max in that in between world, the one in which his superego was informing him he had a paper to finish, his id wanted to sleep, and his ego was blanking out. So he was staring at the screen saver and listening to Liz struggle to stay awake.

“Was it a sad song?” he asked finally, voice barely audible, hesitant to break the Sunday lull permeating the room. He turned his head slightly to look at her.

“Hmm?” she inquired, brown eyes fluttering open, “What? No, it was just sweet.” He hated when she did that; made it so that it seemed like she didn’t hear his question and then he’d get all ready to ask again and she’d go and answer! “It was about a girl growing up and her father remembering her as the little girl who gave him butterfly kisses every night.”

He frowned. “And you cry over this?” He made sure his disbelief was evident.

Her jaw dropped, “Of course, it’s so…” she trailed off, confusion wrinkling her brow, “It just gets to you Max, the music, the words…” She put a hand over her heart, “It’s an in here thing.”

“Or maybe it’s just one of your dumb girlie things,” he concluded, giving a long suffering sigh. It was times like this when he realized Liz was like Isabel and Maria sometimes, random things just set them spinning off in various non-applicable directions.

“I’m going to dance to it at my wedding.”

As shown by that comment.

“What?!” he demanded, “Where did that come from?”

She gave a shrug and sent him a dreamy smile, “Don’t know. All I know is that it’s going to be me and Dad’s dance at my reception.”

He snorted, “You are such a…”

“Such a what, Max?” she challenged, rising up, eyes flashing, “Such a girl?"

Ugh, he knew this would happen. Why oh why couldn’t he have taken Michael up on that camping offer? Or went with Alex to see that concert? But no, he had chosen to sit in his room typing while Liz gloated over how she’d had her report done a week ago, and could she please change the station for some good music, and boo-hoo, boo-hoo… He rolled his eyes. “Who would want to marry you anyway?” he mumbled, not looking at her.

“Oh!” she gasped, “You jerk!” She grabbed one of his pillows and started bashing him over the head with it. “You take that back!”

“Never!” he cried as he rolled off the bed, snatching the other pillow for ammo. He stood quickly and started whacking her in retaliation. She shrieked again, making him wince, and stood, battering him back. Soon a full fledged war was going and it continued, insults flying back and forth, until the pillows both burst into a shower of cotton.

Max and Liz stared at each other in shock as the white fluff rained down on them from their battle, neither sure which had come out the victor. Then they burst out laughing, and slowly slid to the floor, clutching their sides and leaning on each other for support.

“My mom’s gonna kill us,” he finally managed to say. They stopped giggling, looking around and blanching at the thought of Diane on the warpath, then they gazed at each other.

“It’s a shame you don’t have alien powers,” Liz said, “Then you could ‘poof!’ and everything would be clean.”

“Yeah,” he whispered back, “But then my mom would probably have them too, and that wouldn’t be so good.” They grinned at each other suddenly.

“Alien death rays!” Liz shouted.

“Yeah,” Max agreed, “She’d take one look at my room and then glare at us and BAM! Death rays shoot out of her eyes and we’re incinerated!”

“Dust!” Liz giggled, Max joined her and then just as suddenly as the laughter started, it stopped and they were sober, “You know,” Liz told him, “That’s not that funny.”

“Definitely not,” Max concurred, shuddering at the thought of his mother with alien powers. They were silent for about five more minutes and them Max turned his contemplating eyes on Liz, who gazed back at him curiously. “What are butterfly kisses anyway?” he wondered idly.
<><><><>

He grinned as he remembered Liz’s exasperated sigh, and that imperious response: “They’re like Eskimo kisses, ‘cept with eyelashes.”

“You rub eyelashes?”


And then she’d given another exaggerated sigh and turned, taking his face between her tiny hands and leaning toward him. His grip tightened on the steering wheel when the feeling of her soft eyelashes brushing against his skin came back full force. He had turned red, he recalled. She had caused his first conscious erection with that action, not that she’d ever know…

Max shook his head fiercely, staring at the stop sign a beat before turning onto his street. He turned his glare at the radio, where the song that had prompted that episode was still playing. It really was touching, and he could put up with it, but it wasn’t good to recall moments with Liz while driving. He could go into a stupor of sexual fantasies and drive into a ditch, or through an intersection, and then no more Max. Which wasn’t something he wanted, so, driving time was a no Liz time.

Unless he was giving her a ride, or they were at Buckley Point...Or…

He pulled into his driveway shaking his head. He just had to face it, there was no time in his life that wasn’t Liz time.

The house was dark when he entered, his parents had some work to finish up in Clovis, Izzy was on a date with Alex and she was sleeping over at Maria’s after that. He considered taking a shower and heading over to the DeLuca’s, Liz was supposed to be there…But Maria would probably switch into Hurricane mode if he crashed their girl’s night…

He didn’t bother turning on his light when he got to his room. He just stripped his work uniform off and was working on the button of his pants, trying to shake the feeling of someone watching him, when a low laugh echoed around the room.

Max looked up and his jaw dropped. Liz smiled at him from her position on the bed, “Don’t stop on my account,” she informed him, waving one hand to continue, “I was enjoying the show.” She licked her lips and moved forward.

He immediately grew hard and resisted a groan. But it was apparent, by her smug smile, that she was quite aware of what she was doing to him slinking on his bed in a black lace teddy with matching thong and heels.

“I...um…I thought you were supposed to be at Maria’s?” he said lamely, eyes never leaving the curve of her breasts and she crawled a little closer. He instinctively took a step forward, and then another when she stopped at the edge of his bed. When he was close enough she raised her arms and his body gravitated toward her open body, pulling her upwards so that he could sweep his lips across the smooth expanse of her shoulder.

“Do you want me to be at Maria’s?” she asked, nibbling his ear. He sucked in a breath, arms tightening around her. She gave another breathy laugh, “Because, I always thought a girl was supposed to be with her boyfriend on his birthday.” She trailed a wet kiss over his jaw, “Especially when he’s home all alone.”

Max was frozen as she ran her fingers over his chest, her mouth working gently at the hollow between his clavicles. She moved, lips pressing fleeting kisses on his neck before landing on his lips. He snapped out of it as her arms wrapped around his neck and he opened his mouth to her seeking lips, but she pulled away before he could fully respond.

Her brown eyes stared up into his questioningly, then she pursed her lips. “You forgot it was your birthday, didn’t you?” He shrugged. “Your eighteen Max,” she enlightened him, obviously angered over his lack of caring, “I can’t believe you forgot.”

He smiled, reaching out a hand to unclasp her teddy, and she swatted his hands away, placing them on her hips. “It’s not like I’m the only one Liz,” he reminded her. He pushed the slight feelings of hurt away and gave her puppy eyes. “Can I open my present now?”
<><><><>

She relented with a smile, unable to resist him when he was being cute. His hands stretched eagerly for the bindings of her little dominatrix outfit and she let him take it off her, loving the way his eyes lit up when her skin came into view.

He drew the silk and lace off slowly, gently, and placed it neatly on his nightstand. She watched him lovingly as he touched her softly, making her shiver in response. He gave her a half smile, the amber eyes hooded beneath heavy lashes.

He moved even closer, pulling her body flush against his and feasting on her neck. Liz gave a shuttered sigh and speared her fingers through his dark hair while wrapping her legs around his waist, rubbing against his very obvious arousal. She squirmed against him, “Jeans,” she panted, “off.”

He chuckled and laid her down on the bed, she pouted, staring up at him with need. He still smiled, even as he leisurely started to take off his pants. “You know,” he said, tone indolently musing, as he paused. She stifled a groan of impatience. “This could actually be termed statutory rape,” he told her, “Being as I’m now legally an adult and you’re still a minor,” he raised an eyebrow, smirking, “I could get arrested.”

Oh, he was too much! “Max!” she hissed, reaching for him, but he spun away, still smirking. “Oh, stop being ridiculous,” she ordered, “I’m eighteen in a few months anyway.” He gave a low laugh and took a step back, closer to her. Good. She knew he was just playing, but she wasn’t in the mood, and if reason was the only way to get him into bed, so be it!

She tilted her body to the side, watching him as a predator watches her prey, and suddenly his eyes darkened, and she knew she had won with her deductive logic tactic. He wanted her, and the law wasn’t going to stop him from getting what he wanted. Not tonight.

In an instant he was over her, jeans and boxers gone, her thong half way down her legs, and he was devouring her the way her eyes had promised him he could. But then he stopped again, eyes now black as he stared down at her hungrily. “I don’t know,” he growled, a teasing note still in his voice. He bent his head, long lashes sweeping her sensitive skin in a butterfly kiss. She shuddered and arched up against him.

“Max!” she wailed, not ashamed to beg. (Those damned eyelashes of his…) She didn’t know how he managed, but he had turned her from the seducer into the seduced. It wasn’t fair! Why was he so much better at this than she was? “Max, please?” she whispered, curling her fingers together so that they clasped around his neck.

His lips twisted and he gave her a thoughtful look (ha-ha! It was her turn to give puppy dog eyes and pout!) and then he trailed a hand down her body, smiling as she trembled. “Well…” he stated slowly, “Technically, I’m not eighteen until 11:47, so…” He grinned down at her, “I suppose it would be all right…”

She was on him in a flash, her mouth meeting his in a hot, wet kiss, hands clinging wherever they could reach. He broke away for a second to find a condom and then slid into her welcoming warmth. She clung to him, waiting, but he made no movement. She frowned up at him, “Max!” she cried, demanding to know why the hell he had stilled.

He just gave that low chuckle again, kissed her forehead, and began to gently thrust. Liz sighed, finally! “You know,” he commented as sweat broke out on his forehead, and his movements became more forceful. His big hands moved upward, grasping hers as she shuddered in response to her first climax.

She gazed at him through dazed, euphoria filled eyes. “What?” she queried.

His grin grew, “This is the best birthday present I’ve ever gotten.”
<><><><>

tbc...

Two more parts left, won't it be so sad to see it go? Don't worry, I've got like 1,2,3...15 other waiting backstage, not counting Kalila and YMD...God, I'm never gonna finish! *sniff*

Please leave feedback.
posted on 14-May-2002 9:59:07 PM by dreamangel
I'm coming, promise, I've already started 20. I just want to get further along on Kalila first, and then you'll get more. Next week for sure. This week is just so hectic, I can barely think straight.

Please be patient.

~nic
posted on 19-Jun-2002 5:05:46 PM by dreamangel
Okay everybody, I just sent part 20 to Araxie to beta, hopefully I'll be able to post it tomorrow or friday.

~Nic
posted on 21-Jun-2002 9:40:36 AM by dreamangel
Okay...

1. Thank You everybody for the bumping.
2. This part is a little controversial.
3. There will be a happy ending.

I promise a happy epilogue. And there may be some criticism on this part, but I feel, if Max and Liz could stay together through her supposed cheating, her lying, his actual cheating, and resulting child in real life (the show), then they can certainly manage to stay together through whatever challenges I pose them.

And now that you are all thoroughly scared to continue...


Part Twenty: True Love’s Kiss

It was Saturday night, Liz was lounging on the couch, playing with Max’s hair. He was sitting before her on the floor, bent over the coffee table, proofreading her valedictorian speech. They were graduating Tuesday, and for some reason she wasn’t all that excited.

She’d miss hanging with the group at lunch, miss the Science Club meetings, miss her teachers (yes, she knew how dorky that was…), but most of all she’d miss Max.

She would miss walking hand-in-hand with him down the halls of West Roswell High. She’d miss skipping class to pull him into the Eraser Room. She’d miss the notes he hid in her locker between classes, miss the way they worked together in lab, the way he waited to drive her home after school…

Everything was going to change after this week. Max would be going to UNM with Michael and Maria. Isabel was returning to UCLA with Alex in tow as well as Tish and Tess, and Liz was going to be all alone at Harvard…

Max dragged her from her pitying reverie by moving. He gave her one of his patented heart-rending, soul-stealing half smiles, and kissed her hand, which was lying limp against the side of the couch since he moved.

“It’s good,” he told her quietly, obviously serious, “Very real.”

She smiled back at him, but she could tell it didn’t reach her eyes by the way he suddenly frowned, scrutinizing her intently. She couldn’t muster up the right expression to convince him she was fine. She was feeling too lost at this stage in her life, so very alone. She was going to be separated from all she’d known her entire life in a matter of weeks, and it all seemed like everything was happening too fast for her to comprehend.

Tears stung her eyes as she looked at her boyfriend, her best friend. Max shifted so that he was kneeling, one hand coming up instinctively to wipe away the tear slowly falling down her cheek. “Liz, what’s wrong?” he demanded, sounding distressed, and more tears came to her eyes as she thought about how wonderful he was to her.

“I don’t want everything to change,” she whispered, ashamed to find that her voice had cracked.

His brow furrowed in that familiar way and she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. “What do you mean?” He stood and then scooted her over on the couch so he could sit. She wrapped herself around him, resting her head on his thigh and he absentmindedly began to run his fingers through her hair.

What if they never got to be like this again? “After we graduate…” she said, “Everything’s gonna change. We’re going to different colleges Max. What if something happens and you don’t love me anymore? What if you meet some tall blonde with big breasts and killer legs and she fawns all over you? What if we see each other at break and you realize I’m just a little brown mouse and you don’t know why you were ever attracted to me in the first place? What if-”

“Hold it,” Max interrupted, clamping a hand over her mouth. She looked up at him, eyes wide over his hand. “That’s not going to happen.”

“It could.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head, “It couldn’t. First off, I prefer brunettes. Secondly, you resemble a deer more than a mouse, and third, I could never not love you, Liz Parker. I fell in love with my best friend, and she’s always gonna be my best friend, and I’m always gonna love her. Do you hear me, Liz? I’m always, always going to love you.” He cupped her jaw, “Distance isn’t going to change that.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

He made an exasperated sound in the back of his throat and rolled his eyes. “I do know that for sure.”

“No,” she said, “You don’t.”

Max suddenly frowned, causing his forehead to furrow in the most adorable way. “Why aren’t you sure, Liz?” he asked, “Are you having doubts…about us?”

“No!” she exclaimed, sitting up fast and wrapping her arms around him, “No, Max, not about us.”

“Obviously you do, or going to different colleges wouldn’t be an issue,” he pointed out, “Besides, everything you’re saying could apply to you too. What if you meet some dumb jock or a rocket scientist and suddenly I’m not looking so good, huh? What if you come back on break and you want to be “just friends”?”

“Max,” she laughed, “That’ll never happen.”

“How do you know?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She shook her head, brown locks flying, “I just do.”

He gave her a triumphant smirk and leaned back, hauling her onto his lap. “See, just like I know I’ll never fall for a bimbo. We’re it, Liz, there’s never gonna be anybody else. If I know it in my heart, and you know it in yours, there’s no reason for all your doubts.”

She smiled and cuddled into him, resting her ear against his chest so that the even beating of his heart could calm her. “You’re right,” she conceded.

“Aren’t I always?” he inquired, sounding miffed, but she could hear the laughter in his voice and his smile grew.

“No,” she replied serenely, “But, back to what I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I guess it’s going to be weird not seeing you everyday.” She tilted her head up and kissed his neck, “I might go through Max-withdrawal.”

He chuckled, “That won’t happen. We’ll talk everyday on the phone.”

“That could get expensive.”

“Fine, we’ll e-mail each other, and write letters…” he trailed off, “We won’t go through withdrawal.”

“But-”

“Jebus freezus,” he cried, “No buts, Liz. No more insecurities, no withdrawal, the discussion is over.”

Liz rolled her eyes at his tone of finality and opened her mouth to continue her “but”, but Max took advantage and kissed her deeply, his tongue slipping intimately against hers, and she forgot what she was going to say.

She did remember, in the brief moment before she gave herself over to him, that her mom was coming home in about half an hour. “Max,” she whispered.

“No,” he murmured as he pushed her onto her back, “No more talking.” He settled himself between her thighs, she could feel his erection through their jeans, and she wrapped her legs around him.

“But my mom…” she practically purred as his mouth found that spot on her neck that made her tingle. She went limp beneath him, hands tangled uselessly in his hair. He lifted his head to stare down at her, his eyes molten gold, and she moaned in protest.

“What about your mom?” he asked.

“Hmm?”

“You said something about your mom,” he reminded her, and bent his head to kiss the side of her mouth.

“She’s coming home soon,” Liz told him, tugging him back for a kiss, “So we probably shouldn’t do this…right now.” She slid her hands up the back of his T-shirt and pressed a kiss to his throat.

He gave a little groan and kissed her again, pressing her deeper into the couch. “How about we just don’t take out clothes off,” he suggested, “Parents can catch their kids making out, right? I mean,” and his breath hitched as she bit his ear gently, “they expect it. They have lectures all prepared.”

That sounded reasonable to her, “Uh-huh.”

“So,” he continued, “The logical thing would be to give them an opportunity to use those lectures, right?”

Oh, God, his hands… “Right,” she agreed breathlessly, wiggling against him. Liz felt him nod, and then he was unbuttoning her shirt.

“Right.”
<><><><>

Max and Liz were not caught making-out by Mrs. Parker. They heard her car in the driveway, straightened themselves up, and turned on the television. Nancy invited Max to have dinner with them that night, and he agreed, straight-faced.

Graduation came and went, Liz hung her royal blue robe up in her closet (she was so happy they had voted for the blue rather than the gold for the girls, that way everybody had matched and her High Honors cords had shown up), her blue and gold tassel was hanging from her rearview mirror, and her open house had been a success.

The summer was spent going to other open houses, writing thank-yous, going to college orientations, and spending time together. Max was worried about not having enough Liz-time to last him a whole semester, and Liz didn’t want to go through Max-withdrawal.

They did spend time with their other friends, having pool parties and random celebrations, Maria and Michael provided hours of entertainment with their fights, and then there were nights alone…

Everything seemed so much sweeter with the upcoming separation. Every kiss was more passionate, every touch more tender, every look more loving… And when they made love, Liz could see stars the pleasure was so exquisite.

But the day of departure loomed ever more closely as each day passed, until there was only one day left…
<><><><>

Max cut between the hedges separating 6025 Murray Lane and 6023. Liz was leaving for Harvard tomorrow. She had the second part or freshman orientation and then classes on Monday. He, Maria, and Michael would be leaving later that week for the University of New Mexico, but still, that was a whole week without his Liz, and then months…

Truth was Max was having his own set of doubts. He knew he had told Liz not to worry, that nothing was going to happen to them, but as the weeks had worn on, he’d started having anxiety attacks. Liz was an attractive young female, what rocket scientist in his right mind wouldn’t be interested?

He shook his head and clambered up the wooden steps to Liz’s balcony. There she was, curled up in her chaise lounge, writing in the leather-bound journal he had given her years ago after she had filled up her old one. “Hey,” he whispered.

She looked up, surprised, and smiled, “Hey.”

“I’m not interrupting, am I?” he asked. She had been really engrossed in whatever it was she was writing.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. He smiled and walked over, sitting on the end of the chair. She was wearing a red pajama tank and drawstring pajama bottoms with chili peppers all over them. She looked cute. “What’s up?” she inquired as she set her journal aside.

“You’re leaving tomorrow,” he stated.

She gave a confused smile, “I’ll see you in the morning for good-byes, and I’ll call you as soon as I get there.”

“I know, it’s just…I don’t want to say good-bye.”

Her smile softened and she held out her arms. He crawled into them and rested his head on the soft cushion of her breasts. He was more than likely crushing her, but if she couldn’t move, she couldn’t get up, and then she couldn’t leave him…

“Max, tell me what’s wrong,” she urged, stroking her fingers through his hair.

“I just don’t want you to go,” he murmured.

“Weren’t you the one who said we had nothing to worry about?” she asked, sounding amused, “Weren’t you the who said nothing would change?”

“I lied,” he muttered.

“Max,” she sighed, “Sit up.” He didn’t move. She patted him on the back, “Come on.” He stubbornly stayed exactly where he was. “Max!” She whacked him on the shoulder.

“Ow!” he exclaimed, sitting up. He rubbed his arm, “Jebus freezus, Liz, that hurt.”

“Oh,” she said, eyebrows raised, “And you crushing my lungs didn’t?” He didn’t say anything. “Tell me.”

He stood up and shoved his hands through his hair, messing it up, and then looked at her, where she sat staring up at him, brown eyes large and earnest. He reached down and wrapped her ponytail around his hand, letting the feel of her silken hair sooth him for a moment. Then he untangled his hand and let it slide down her arm, taking her hand and hauling her up beside him.

“We’ve been best friends since we were eight years old,” he informed her. Liz gave him a look that said, ‘I know’. “Let me finish,” he insisted, and she nodded, he took a deep breath, “That’s ten years, soon to be eleven, and no matter what happens, I don’t want to lose you as my best friend, Liz.”

“You won’t, Max,” she assured him.

“You promise,” he said, staring at her deeply, “You promise, no matter what happens, we’ll always be best friends.”

“I promise.” She cocked her head to the side, “What’s this all about, Max?”

Another deep breath…He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out the ring, and then went down on one knee.

“Max!” she gasped.

He licked his lips and prayed for courage. Then he took her right hand and slid the band with the star-shaped diamond onto her ring finger. “It’s a promise ring,” he said and looked up at her, covering her hand with his own, “I saw it and it reminded me of that first night, when you showed me your telescope.”

“Max, I-”

He placed a finger over her lips. “I know, we’re young, things could happen. But I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else, Liz. When the time is right I’ll move it to your other hand, that is, if you want…”

“Max…”

“Will you marry me, Liz?”

There were tears in her eyes, “Yes,” she whispered, and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him thoroughly, “Yes, Max, I’ll marry you.”
<><><><>

TBC...

Remember my happy ending promise, college will not destroy them, I have a plan!

Oh, and please leave feedback, but don't be too harsh.
posted on 23-Jun-2002 2:29:26 PM by dreamangel
Hey everybody, guess what, I've decided to write an "Interlude" to give a glimpse into Max and Liz's college life. It's not really a part, but I'm going to post it before the epilogue and not with it, like I did in DR #1.

Okay, gotta go to my cousin's open house.

~Nic
posted on 1-Jul-2002 2:33:23 PM by dreamangel
I just sent the Interlude and Part One of the Epilogue to Araxie (she's my beta) yesterday night, as well as the next part of "You're My Destiny", I'll post as soon as she e-mails corrections and comments back to me.

Thanks for all the bumps and for your patience.

Luv ya all,
~Nicole*wink*
posted on 3-Jul-2002 7:42:23 AM by dreamangel
Interlude: Moonlight Kisses…

The study group consisted on four people, Liz Parker, Doug Shellow, Eileen Burrows, and Jesse Ramirez. It was nearing the end of the summer semester, and they were studying for exams. Professor Winnamen had told them if they wanted to help her in the lab in the fall, they needed to get the classes required done before next semester, so Liz had stayed the summer.

She was appropriately bummed. In truth, she was going through the dreaded Max-withdrawal. Summer was the only time they spent together nearly continuously. When they went home for breaks throughout the year there were always relatives to see and tests to study for when they returned to their respective universities, but summer…

Summer was waking up to Max flipping through channels on her TV after he snuck in through her balcony, summer was going for long drives with no set destination, summer was cuddling on the couch talking (before the making out ensued…), summer was lying on the hood of Max’s new car and gazing at the stars over the desert…

Summer was Max and Liz.

True, they e-mailed each other constantly with updates, but it just wasn’t the same as just being together. She missed him.

“It’s getting late,” Doug said, shutting his book with a loud SNAP, “You girls want us to walk you back to your dorm?”

She exchanged a look with Eileen, who was her roommate, and nodded. Both girls hated walking across campus at night. They packed up the books and left, giving the librarian a wave.

The campus was deserted. More people had stayed for summer session this year, but most never hit the books this late. The walk was nice, there was a cool breeze ruffling her hair, and the conversation of her three friends provided a hum of background noise to her thoughts. She hung back, walking leisurely (oblivious to the longing glances Doug was shooting her), staring up at the night sky and wishing on the stars.

The thumb of her right hand was twisting the promise ring on her second finger absently, it had become a habit for her, just as staring at the star-shaped diamond and smiling dreamily had. She couldn’t wait until the day Max switched it to her left ring finger and they could announce their engagement.

“You know…it’s not a good idea for a pretty girl to walk around at night,” a low voice whispered from behind her. Liz froze, left hand flying to the class ring on the chain around her neck, she could hardly breathe, could hardly dare to hope…

The rest of her group had stopped and turned so that they were facing her and the man behind her. Jesse’s face was cautious, Eileen’s a mix of surprise and lust, and Doug’s was threatening, his fists were clenched, and he was tense. Doug took a step forward and she heard an amused chuckle from behind her.

He wasn’t a dream.

“MAX!” she cried and spun, throwing herself into his arms.
<><><><>

He smiled as she flung herself at him, and he captured her lips into a deep kiss, and when they parted, he anchored her firmly to his side. One of the other men was eyeing him with distaste, obviously jealous.

Liz didn’t notice. Max could tell that when he looked down at her and she was staring back at him with rapt attention. “Hey,” he whispered.

An adorable smile crossed her face, and snuggled closer to him. “Hey,” she said back, as if she hadn’t just jumped him.

“Um, Liz?” The two lovers looked over to where the forgotten group of three was still waiting. The jealous man’s voice was mistrustful, “Who is this guy?”

The girl beside him was studying Max closely, and it made him a little uncomfortable, but he had gotten used to it (and by ‘it’, he meant women checking him out) over the past few years, and just ignored it. She made a clucking sound with her tongue. “Is this the famous Max?” she asked, directing her question to Liz.

“Famous?” he inquired, grinning at her before she could answer.

Liz blushed, and nodded. “Eileen Burrows, Max Evans. Max, this is my roommate Eileen and our lab group, Jesse Ramirez and Doug Shellow.” She pointed to each man in turn. Jesse offered Max his hand, but Doug continued to glare. “Jesse, Doug, this is Max Evans, my…um…boyfriend…”

Shallow turned pale. Max grinned, and was about to elaborate by saying ‘fiancee’, but realized they hadn’t made it official yet. He’d have to remedy that situation.

“Nice to meet you,” Eileen said, grinning suggestively, “Liz has told me all about you.” Max felt himself blush, and hoped by ‘all’, Eileen hadn’t meant all all. He looked at Liz again, and she gave him a sheepish smile.

“I was drunk,” she stated.

His blush deepened. “Well,” he stammered, “Um…”

“I’m tired,” Eileen interrupted. She hooked her arms into Jesse and Doug’s. “We’ll just leave you two alone to catch up.” She sent a wink Liz’s way and pulled the boys in the direction they were headed. Max could see Doug about to protest, but the saucy girl stepped on his foot and gave him a hard tug. Max smothered a grin.

Eileen reminded him of Maria. Doug reminded him of Kyle. Max still really didn’t like Kyle, and he suspected he really wouldn’t like Doug that much either.

But they didn’t matter right now. Liz mattered. He met her gaze again and smiled. She was so beautiful. He had missed the way her eyes lit up when she saw him, and the way she smiled at him, and blushed at him… He had missed the way she loved him.

The silence surrounded them as they drunk in the other’s presence. “So,” Liz finally said, “What are you doing here?”

He gave her a wicked grin. “I go here.”

She blinked repeatedly, and he wanted to kiss her again. There was something so alluring about her eyes… “What?”

He gave a shrug. “You know how I’ve been interning at my dad’s office during the summers?” She nodded and then he nodded, and then he continued, “Well, I really like doing that type of stuff, and I had the GPA, extracurriculars, and everything to get into to Harvard, and since it’s one of the best law schools in the country, I figured I might as well join you.”

She was staring at him wide-eyed, mouth working at forming a coherent sentence. She managed to make a few vowel sounds, but couldn’t manage a whole word. His smile grew. “Surprise.”

“You’re serious?” she demanded, “You’re coming to stay? To go to school here? With me?”

He nodded and put his arms around her. “I’m staying. Here. With you,” he confirmed.

Another exclamation of joy squeaked by her, sounding an alarming bit like her girlhood shrieks of exasperation… “I can’t believe it!” she cried, throwing her arms around him and kissing him wildly.

“Believe it,” he assured her, and swung her around, kissing her back gently. “I’ll be matriculating with you for two or three years. And I’ve already rented an apartment, one that’s big enough for two…you know, as a trial run…” (Hopefully there wouldn’t be a shunning for not consulting her…) He set her down and looked at her, serious. “So now there’s only one thing left to do.”

“What?”

He picked up her right hand and slid the promise ring off of it, then he picked up her left hand and slid it on the ring finger of that hand. Liz bit her lip and gazed up at him. He clasped her hands in his and gave her a sweet smile.

“Announce our engagement.”
<><><><>

tbc...

Ahh, together again, everybody smile. Smile and leave feedback.

posted on 5-Jul-2002 9:02:44 AM by dreamangel
So here it is, the last update of DR2, Being Just Friends. After the fic will be an 'option' list so that you, my readers, can choose the next story in the Distorted Realities saga. And now, the epilogue...


Epilogue: “You May Now Kiss The Bride”

The living together thing had worked out well, so they bought a house in Roswell. Of course, this was after graduation, and after they both had jobs, and after the wedding plans had already been set in motion…

Liz had spent the better part of the past year rising in the ranks of scientists at Meta-Chem Industries, planning the wedding, and decorating her new home. Max had become a partner in Mr. Evans’ firm (after proving that he could do his job and do it well so that no one could accuse Phillip of nepotism), and spent that same year distracting his fiancée from stressing out over the wedding and there house.

Finally everything was set. The house was ready, Maria, Isabel, and Eileen had their bridesmaid’s dresses (a rich purple shade, and cut so that they flattered all three of them), Max, Michael, and Alex had their tuxes, Liz had her gown, and rehearsals had gone smoothly (which may have been a bad omen if they were actors, but they weren’t, so no worries), and the ‘Big Day’ had finally arrived.
<><><><>

“Max and Liz have written their own vows,” the priest addressed the guests, most of which had tears in their eyes from the beauty of the ceremony already, and then he gestured to the couple pledging their lives to each other.

Max smiled at Liz and clasped her hands tighter. “Liz, when I first saw you, on the first day of third grade, I knew you were special, even if you were just some icky girl.” There was scattered laughter, and Max’s smile grew. “Since then, I’ve fallen in love with you, first as a friend and then as something more. I love you, Liz. I love the way your nose wrinkles when you’re going to sneeze, and the way your eyes light up when you’re talking about science. I love the way you wear your hair down, just for me, and the way you smile, and the fact that today is the only day you haven’t worn my class ring since I gave it to you on your eighteenth birthday. I love the fact that I’m marrying my best friend, and I promise,” he turned serious, “To always honor and cherish that friendship, that love, until the day I die.”

He took the gold band off the ring-bearer’s pillow and slid it tenderly onto her ring finger beside her engagement ring. Liz gave a choked laugh and held his hand tightly. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, and smiled brilliantly.

“Max,” she started, “Today you’re making me the happiest woman in the universe, because happiness is being married to your best friend, and you’ve been my best friend for forever. I’ve loved you for just as long, and I’ll love you for an eternity longer. I’ll love the way your ears turn red when you blush,” there was more laughter from the crowd, and Max’s ears turned red. Liz’s smile grew. “I’ll love the way you hold me, the way you make me feel like the only woman in the room, the way you save that half-smile of yours just for me. Just for me,” she repeated, her voice dropping to a fierce whisper. It was obvious she was only talking to him. That the rest of the church had faded, and he gave her that slow, infuriatingly sexy, half-smile, so that she faltered in her vow. She sent him a glare and continued primly, “I love you, Max Evans,” she declared, “And I promise to always honor and cherish our friendship, our love, until the day I die.”

She took up the thick gold ring left on the red velvet pillow and placed it onto his finger. Then she looked up at him, and met his smile with one of her own.

“By the power vested in me by the state of New Mexico, I now pronounce you man and wife.” Max and Liz looked at him expectantly and he gestured them together, “You may now kiss the bride.”

Max’s grin would’ve blinded the sun as he leaned down and gave his new wife a very gentle kiss. They parted amid clapping and turned to the people sitting in the pews.

“May I present Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell Evans.”
<><><><>

The reception was a nice affair, the speeches were heartfelt and tearful, dinner was delicious (provided by Michael’s catering service), and there were many glass-clinking kisses by the bride and groom.

After dinner the dancing began. The first song was Sheryl Crow’s “I Shall Believe”, sung by Maria. Max and Liz shared the dance lost in each other’s eyes. Then, Max signaled the DJ and gave Liz up to her father with a grin as Michael Bolton’s “Butterfly Kisses” started playing. Songs also included Angela Via’s “Picture Perfect” and Disney’s “Kiss the Girl” to which the happy couple were seen dancing to, laughing merrily.

Afterwards they left in a limo, bubbles bursting around them, to catch their honeymoon cruise to the white sand beaches and turquoise waters of Bermuda.
<><><><>

The End


Okay, no tbc..., but if you'll scroll down just a little farther...

* DR 3: Fading Away...Max Evans just moved to Roswell, and he has his eye on the pretty Liz Parker. She’s had a hard life, introverted, mute, he wants to draw her out of her shell.

* DR 4: Changing the Past...AU, book version. Liz Ortecho got sucked into the wormhole and went back in time. To save Max from the hardships of the future, she takes matters into her own hands and plays the bitch.

* DR 5: Living Among the Invaded...The aliens have invaded Earth looking for their long lost Royals, but the Four won’t step up, and the Antarians have instated a breeding program. CC couples are paired up.

* DR 6: Acting the Bitch...Liz was raped at 14, turning her into a teasing bitch. When she moves and somebody’s hands manage to steal her breath away, will she be able to resist?

* DR 7: Finding the Truth...The shooting never happened, but Liz is drawn to Max. Tess comes, one day Max gets drunk and tells Liz everything. Making out (and more) ensues.


And that's all I have for my DR series. I have ten other fics in the wings that haven't been started, but you get the pick of those until I finish Kalila and "You're My Destiny".

So, please, pick one of the above (and you don't have to go in order), and tell me your choice in you feedback, and I'm expecting heaps of it.*wink*

See ya,
~Nicole
posted on 8-Jul-2002 4:14:24 PM by dreamangel
Okay, the voting booths are now closed, I will now tally the votes...

DR 3: Fading Away...22
DR 4: Changing the Past...3
DR 5: Living Among the Invaded...22
DR 6: Acting the Bitch...7
DR 7: Finding the Truth...21

As you can see, there is a tie between DR #3 and DR#5. So I'm going to vote, and my choice is...

#3, because I already have 1/3 of it written. So, expect the prologue of Fading and another part of Kalila later this week, or early next week, it depends on how much time Araxie has to beta my fics. She's so great!*happy*

Thanks everybody for reading Being Just Friends. Love,
~Nicole