Title: You weren't supposed to know
Disclaimer: It's not mine... that's what you think *evil smile*
Summary: Two Letters lead to Two Truths
Author's Note: Short Story! But it's all good!
Category: Jose/Juanita... I mean Max/Liz
DEAR WHOEVER,
I'M NOT SURE WHEN IT HAPPENED. MAYBE IT WAS AFTER TESS CAME TO TOWN. ALL I KNOW IS THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN THE SAME. WHAT I'M ABOUT TO WRITE I COULD NEVER SHOW TO ANYONE, OR SAY OUT LOUD:
NOT OF THIS EARTH. YEP, THAT'S ME ALLRIGHT. I WAS IN THE 1947 CRASH. I LIVED MY ENTIRE LIFE AFRAID OF WHO I WAS AND HOW PEOPLE WOULD SEE ME WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THE TRUTH. MY SISTER AND FRIEND MICHAEL ARE ALSO NOT FROM AROUND HERE. WE WERE IN THESE PODS AFTER THE CRASH, WHEN WE BROKE OUT OF THEM, MY SISTER AND I STUCK TOGETHER BUT MICHAEL WAS SCARED, HE NEVER TRUSTED EASILY. SO WE WERE SPLIT UP. ISABEL AND I LIVE WITH THE EVANS. THEY ARE THE BEST PARENTS I COULD'VE GOTTEN, AND I THANK WHOEVER IS UP THERE, FOR THEM. MICHAEL WASN'T AS LUCKY. HE WAS BOUNCED AROUND TO DIFFERENT FOSTER HOMES THAT ONLY KEPT HIM AROUND FOR THE MONTHLY CHECK. I DON'T KNOW WHO I'D BE IF I HAD BEEN PUT WITH ANOTHER FAMILY THAT WASN'T THE EVANS. WE'VE ALL DEALT WITH BEING ON EARTH DIFFERENTLY. MICHAEL WAS THE TOUGH GUY. NEVER LETTING ANYONE ALL THE WAY IN. NOT EVEN ISABEL AND I AND WE'RE HIS FAMILY. ISABEL EMBRACED POPULARITY AND ONLY BECAME FRIENDS WITH GIRLS WHO DIDN'T LOOK PAST SKIN DEEP. AND ME, MAX EVANS, I WAS THE SCARED, MYSTERIOUS, INNOCENT, AND LONELY BOY WHO ALWAYS TRIED TO BLEND IN AND NOT BE NOTICED. THAT'S WHO I WAS, BEFORE IT CHANGED.
YOU KNOW, IF I HAD KNOWN THAT EVERYONE WHO KNEW MY SECRET WOULD BE AS UNDERSTANDING AND KIND AS LIZ PARKER WAS AND IS I WOULD'VE SHOUTED MY SECRET FROM THE ROOFTOPS. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE YOU ENTIRE LIFE AFRAID AND THEN FIND OUT THAT YOUR FEAR WOULD BE THE THING THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE FOR THE BETTER. IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT FOR ME. THE FIRST TIME I SAW LIZ PARKER I KNEW I WAS A GONER. EVERYTHING ABOUT HER ENTOXICATED ME AND ENTRANCED ME. HER LIPS, HER NAME, HER SMILE, HER LAUGH, HER POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE, AND HER GENTLE NATURE THAT PULLED SO MANY TOWARDS HER. THE DAY IN THE CRASHDOWN CAFÉ WHEN SHE WAS SHOT, IT WAS FATE. THAT BULLET IS WHAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER AND BROUGHT ME OUT OF MY SUFFOCATING SHELL. I KNEW I WANTED HER AND WHEN SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH ME BACK I WAS IN HEAVEN. I WAS READY TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE WITH HER, BUT THEN I REMEMBERED WHO AND WHAT I WAS. AND THE DANGER WAS TO GREAT. IF ANYTHING WERE TO EVER HAPPEN TO HER I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO LIVE. SO I DECIDED THAT BEING ABLE TO SEE HER EVERYDAY WOULD BE BETTER THEN NEVER BEING NEAR HER AGAIN. WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE WAS THAT WHILE I WAS PUSHING HER AWAY I WAS ACTUALLY FALLING MORE AND MORE IN LOVE WITH HER AND VICE VERSA. SO I TOOK DOWN THE STONE WALL. WITH MANY UPS AND DOWNS IN THE PROCESS, WE CREATED A RELATIONSHIP. ON TWO OCCASIONS WE CAME CLOSE TO SHOWING EACHOTHER JUST HOW MUCH WE LOVED EACHOTHER BUT THE FANTASIES WERE STOPPED WHEN TESS HARDING CAME TO TOWN. INSTANTLY I FELT AN ATTRACTION TO HER AND I WOULD HAVE THESE DAYDREAMS OF HER. BUT I DIDN'T LOVE HER. I LOVE LIZ AND I'M THANKFUL THAT SHE KNEW I DID BECAUSE SHE GAVE OUR LOVE ANOTHER CHANCE. ONCE AGAIN WE WERE TORN APART. TESS TOLD US OF A DESTINY, ONE THAT I WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH. I WAS MEANT TO BE WITH LIZ. BUT AFTER RESCUING ME FROM THE SECRET AGENCY THAT CAPTURED ME AND PREFORMED TESTS ON ME, WE RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM MY MOTHER. MY REAL ALIEN MOTHER CONFIRMED THE DESTINY THAT I DIDN'T WANT, AND SHE DID IT IN FRONT OF LIZ. MY STRONG UNSELFISH AND LOVING LIZ LET ME GO SO I COULD FIGURE OUT WHO I WAS AND WHO I AM GOING TO BE.
SHE KNOWS THAT I NEVER STOPPED LOVING HER AND WHILE SHE WAS AWAY ALL SUMMER MY HEART WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN. I COULDN'T BREATHE AND EVERY NIGHT I WOULD FALL ASLEEP WITH A PICTURE OF LIZ TUCKED TIGHTLY NEXT TO MY HEART WHILE DREAMS OF HER AND HOW I WISH WE WOULD BE FILLED MY HEAD. THE FIRST TIME I SAW HER WHEN SHE RETURNED MY BREATH CAUGHT IN MY THROAGHT. SHE WAS MORE GORGEOUS, IF POSIBLE, THEN I REMEMBER. I PERSUDE HER AGAINST HER WILL, SHE STILL FELT STRONGLY THAT I SHOULD FULFILL MY DESTINY. I KNEW I WAS BREAKING HER WALLS AND SHE WOULD EVENTUALLY CAVE IN. BUT THEN SOMETHING CHANGED; I CAUGHT HER SPYING ON TESS AND I. SHE HAD ARRANGED FOR US TO MEET AND TALK. WHEN I ASKED HER ABOUT THE CONCERT I WAS TURNED DOWN. BUT I DIDN'T GIVE UP, AND A DAY OR TWO LATER MY HEART WAS BROKEN. SHE CAME TO MY BEDROOM WINDOW AND GAVE ME THIS WHOLE SPEECH ON ROMEO AND JULIET AND HOW SHE WANTED TO LIVE AND HOW SHE WANTED HER CHILDREN TO BE SAFE. BUT WHAT HURT THE MOST WAS HEARING NOT ONLY THAT SHE WANTED TO DATE NORMAL BOYS, BUT ALSO THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO DIE FOR ME. LIZ KNOWS WITH EVERY FIBER OF HER BEING THAT I WOULD TRADE MY LIFE FOR HERS IN AN INSTANT, AND I WAS SO SURE SHE WOULD DO THE SAME FOR ME. BUT I WAS WRONG.
I STILL DECIDED TO PERSUE HER; I WOULD NEVER GIVE UP ON OUR LOVE, EVEN IF SHE DID. AS I CLIMBED UP HER LADDER MY HEART WAS THUMPING WILDLY IN MY CHEST. I REACHED THE TOP AND JUMPED ONTO THE BALCONY. I REACHED INTO MY POCKET AND RETRIEVED THE TWO GOMEZ TICKETS. WHEN I LOOKED UP, MY HEART FILLED WITH ANTICIPATION, I WAS CRUSHED AND SO WAS MY HEART, WHICH HAD STOPPED THUMPING AND BEATING AND HAD FALLEN ON THE FLOOR. IN MY PRECIOUS ANGEL'S BED WAS KYLE VALENTI. LIZ'S EX-BOYFRIEND, HIS CHEST WAS EXPOSED AND HE LOOKED LIKE HE WASN'T WEARING ANYTHING. AT LEAST, THAT WAS WHAT MY BRAIN PROCESSED. NEXT TO HIM WAS LIZ. FROM THE GLANCE SHE LOOKED AS IF SHE WAS NAKED UNDER THE COVERS AND SHE WAS LAUGHING WITH HIM. MY HEART SHATTERED INTO A MILLION PIECES AS I LOOKED AT HER LOOK AT ME. SHE DIDN'T LOOK GUILTY WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT IN FACT SHE LOOKED WRECKED. LIKE WHAT SHE HAD DONE, AND THE FACT THAT I HAD TO SEE IT WAS KILLING HER JUST AS MUCH AS IT HAD HURT ME. AND BOY DID IT HURT ME. HAVE YOU EVER CHOKED? THAT IS WHAT IT FELT LIKE. NO AIR COULD ENTER MY LUNGS. IT FELT AS IF MY INSIDES WERE BEING TWISTED AND CUT OUT. IT WAS WORSE THAN ANYTHING PIERCE COULD'VE DONE TO ME IN THAT EXAMINING ROOM. HE COULD'VE TAKEN ME APART PIECE BY PIECE AND MADE ME REMAIN CONSCIOUS ENOUGH TO FEEL ALL OF IT, BUT THE PAIN I FELT WHEN I SAW THEM TOGETHER, WOULD BE 100 TIMES MORE HEART WRENCHING AND PAINFUL.
I'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND IT. I LOVED HER WITH ALL MY HEART, I WOULD'VE GIVEN HER EVERYTHING, ALL SHE HAD TO DO WAS ASK AND I WOULD'VE GIVEN UP THE SEARCH FOR MY HOME AND EVERYTHING THAT HAD TO DO WITH ALIENS JUST FOR HER. I WOULD'VE WALKED AWAY FROM ISABEL MICHAEL AND A SO-CALLED DESTINY JUST TO BE WITH HER. JUST TO LOVE HER. AS I WOULD LIE AWAKE AT THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING ALL THESE QUESTIONS WOULD PLAGUE MY MIND: DID I NOT LOVE HER ENOUGH? WAS IT WHAT I WAS THAT PUSHED HER AWAY? DID SHE EVER REALLY LOVE ME OR WAS IT JUST A FAÇADE. DID SHE ONLY PRETEND TO LOVE ME BECAUSE I SAVED HER LIFE? IS THAT HOW SHE COULD WALK AWAY SO EASILY? THEN I WOULD REALIZE I WAS BEING STUPID AND THE QUESTIONS WOULD STOP FOR A WHILE BUT THEN ONCE AGAIN I WOULD QUESTION EVERYTHING ABOUT THE WAY I ACTED WHEN I WAS NEAR LIZ, THE WAY I TALKED, THE THINGS I DID AND THE THINGS I DIDN'T. ONE THING I KNOW IS FOR SURE, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE HER. NOTHING SHE DOES OR SAYS COULD EVER CHANGE THAT. I JUST WISH I COULD TELL HER ALL THIS.
MAX EVANS
MAX EVANS PUT DOWN HIS PEN AND PAD AND STARED OUT HIS WINDOW. HE HAD TO WRITE THAT LETTER, HE HAD TO PUT HIS FEELINGS ON PAPER OR HE WOULD'VE EXPLODED. HE WENT OVER TO HIS DAD'S OFFICE AND TOOK AN ENVELOPE. HE WANTED TO SEAL THE LETTER AND KEEP IT WITH HIM ALWAYS. HE CLOSED THE ENVELOPE AND SLIPPED IT INTO THE BACK POCKET OF HIS BINDER. HE SIGHED AND CLOSED HIS EYES AND TRIED TO PREPARE HIMSELF FOR MONDAY WHEN HE WOULD HAVE TO SEE LIZ AGAIN. HE READIED HIMSELF FOR ANOTHER SLEEPLESS NIGHT.
********************
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
MAX'S ALARM CLOCK ANNOYINGLY BUZZED AT HIM. HE QUICKLY SHUT IT OFF AND HEADED TOWARDS THE BATHROOM. HE SHOWERED AND GOT DRESSED THEN HEADED DOWNSTAIRS FOR BREAKFAST. AT 8:00 HE WAS OUT THE DOOR WITH ISABEL AND HEADING FOR SCHOOL. MAX WAS PREPARED FOR ALL THE CLASSES HE DIDN'T HAVE WITH LIZ BUT WHEN BIOLOGY HAD STARTED HE REALIZED HOW HARD THE REST OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WOULD BE. LIZ SAT NEXT TO HIM AND STARTED TAKING OUT HER CLASS SUPPLIES. MAX JUST STARED AT THE WORK STATION AS TEARS FILLED HIS EYES. HE KEPT THE TEARS BACK DURING THE CLASS BUT AS SOON AS THE BELL RANG HE WAS OUT THAT DOOR SO QUICK YOU COULDN'T EVEN SEE HIM LEAVE. HE RAN PAST STUDENTS AND ADMINISTRATORS TO THE MEN'S BATHROOM AS IF IT WERE HIS SANCTUARY. LIZ RAN OUT OF CLASS JUST IN TIME TO SEE HIM TURN THE CORNER, TEARS STREAMING DOWN HIS FACE.
LIZ FELT LIKE SHIT. SHE KNEW WHY MAX WAS CRYING. SHE KNEW WHY HE WAS RUNNING TO THE BATHROOM. IT WAS BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE NEAR HER. HE HATED HER FOR WHAT SHE DID AND HE HAD TO GET AWAY FROM HER. JUST THEN LIZ LOOKED DOWN. AT HER FEET WAS A PLAIN WHITE ENVELOPE. SHE BENT DOWN AND PICKED IT UP. SHE PLACED IT IN HER BACKPACK AND WALKED TO HER NEXT CLASS. SHE WOULD READ THE LETTER WHEN SHE GOT HOME.
MAX WAS FRANTIC. AFTER SPENDING 5TH PERIOD IN THE MEN'S ROOM, HE LOOKED FOR THE LETTER HE HAD RECENTLY WRITTEN. HIS MOUTH DROPPED WHEN HE REALIZED IT WASN'T IN HIS BINDER. HE LOOKED ALL OVER, IN HIS BAG, IN THE HALLS, HE EVEN ASKED THE OFFICE, BUT HAD NO LUCK. WHEN THE FINAL BELL RANG HE RAN TO HIS JEEP AND SAW ISABEL ALREADY WAITING FOR HIM. THEY GOT IN THE CAR AND DROVE HOME. ONCE THEY ARRIVED HOME, MAX SEARCHED HIS ENTIRE ROOM FOR THE LETTER, BUT STILL COULDN'T FIND IT. HE WAS A DEAD MAN. IF THAT LETTER GOT INTO THE WRONG HANDS HIS SECRET WOULD BE OUT. HE SANK TO HIS KNEES AND CRIED. MAX CRIED FOR HIMSELF, FOR ISABEL, FOR MICHAEL, AND FOR LIZ.
LIZ PARKER HAD JUST FINISHED READING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LETTER SHE HAD EVER SEEN. MAX EVANS POURED HIS SOUL INTO THAT LETTER. OF COURSE, SHE WASN'T INTENDED TO SEE IT BUT SHE WAS GLAD SHE HAD. THAT LETTER MADE HER FEEL SO LOVED AND BEAUTIFUL THAT SHE WAS OVERWHELMED. SHE WANTED TO RUN OVER TO MAX'S HOUSE AND TELL HIM THE TRUTH AND DECLARE HER UNDENYING LOVE FOR HIM BUT SHE HAD A BETTER IDEA. SO LIZ TOOK OUT A PAD AND PEN AND BEGAN TO WRITE.
*****************
LIZ WALKED DOWN THE STAIRS AND INTO THE BACK ROOM OF THE CRASHDOWN. SHE QUICKLY CHANGED INTO HER UNIFORM AND STEPPED INTO THE NEARLY EMPTY RESTAURANT. AT THEIR USUAL BOOTH SAT MAX, ISABEL, MICHAEL, TESS, AND EVEN ALEX. LIZ WALKED BY ONLY HEARING BITS OF THE CONVERSATION.
"...THE LETTER WAS IN..."CAME FROM MAX
"...DID IT SAY?" ASKED ISABEL.
"...SAID EVERYTHING..."HE REPLIED.
LIZ HAD THE LETTER HE WAS MISSING AND SHE COULD GUESS WHY HE WAS SO UPSET. SHE WENT TO HER LOCKER, PULLED OUT A WHITE ENVELOPE AND WALKED OVER TO THEIR TABLE.
"HI GUYS, I, UH...JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THIS MAX," SHE HANDED HIM THE ENVELOPE THEN CONTINUED, "I SAW YOU DROP IT AFTER BIO, TODAY AND I PICKED IT UP SO I COULD GIVE IT TO YOU. I DIDN'T READ IT." AND THEN SHE WALKED AWAY.
"THANKS." MAX WHISPERED AFTER SHE WAS GONE. MAX TURNED TO THE GROUP. "I HAVE TO GO GUYS, I'LL TALK TO YOU LATER." THEN HE LEFT AND HEADED FOR HOME.
WHEN HE ARRIVED AT HIS HOUSE HE RAN UPSTAIRS TO HIS BEDROOM. HE TOOK THE LETTER FROM HIS POCKET AND CAREFULLY OPENED IT. TO HIS SURPRISE THE LETTER WASN'T HIS, INSTEAD IT WAS CAREFULLY WRITTEN IN LIZ'S SWEET AND SMALL SCRIPT. HE COULD SMELL LIZ ON THE PAPER AND HE HAD TO CLOSE HIS EYES TO KEEP FROM CRYING FOR HIS LOSS. WHEN HE HAD HIMSELF UNDER CONTROL, HE READ HIS LOVE'S WORDS.
MAX,
I KNOW I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO FIND YOUR LETTER. THE TRUTH IS I'M GLAD I DID. IF I HADN'T, THEN I WOULD BE SITTING ON MY BEDROOM FLOOR CRYING ABOUT WHAT I HAD TO DO. MAX, I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU THIS BUT I HAVE TO AFTER READING YOUR LETTER. I DIDN'T SLEEP WITH KYLE. I'M SURE THOSE ARE THE WORDS YOU'VE BEEN HOPING WOULD COME OUT OF MY MOUTH. WELL, THERE THEY ARE. IT WAS A SETUP. I NEEDED YOU TO GO TO TESS. I NEEDED YOU TO FUFILL YOUR DESTINY. I TRIED EVERYTHING MAX. I TRIED GETTING YOU CLOSE TO TESS, I TRIED TELLING YOU HORRIBLE THINGS, WHICH BY THE WAY WERE NOT TRUE. I WOULD DIE FOR YOU IN AN INSTANT IF NOT SOONER. EVER SINCE TESS CAME TO TOWN, WE HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT MEAN TO HER. BUT WE CAN'T DO THAT, NO MATTER WHAT, SHE IS ONE OF YOU GUYS. SO KYLE AND I WAS A SETUP. IT WAS MEANT TO HURT YOU, MEANT TO PUSH YOU AWAY, BECAUSE I WAS SCARED. I WAS SO SCARED THAT IF YOU PUSHED HER AWAY SO FAR THAT SHE LEFT, THAT YOU ALL WOULD HURT BECAUSE OF IT. THAT ONE DAY YOU'D REALIZE THAT YOU REMEMBERES TESS AND THAT YOU LOVED AND LOVE HER. I WOULD STAY AWAKE NIGHT AFTER NIGHT WHILE I WAS IN FLORIDA WONDERING IF WHEN I CAME BACK FROM FLORIDA, YOU'D BE LOVING AND KISSING TESS THE WAY YOU USED TO DO FOR ME. IF THAT HAPPENED I WOULD'VE DIED, AND I MEAN YOU GUYS WE'RE LITERALLY MADE FOR EACHOTHER SO THE ATTRACTION WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN, SO I PREPARED MY SELF FOR THE WORST AND I PUSHED ALL MY FEELINGS SO FAR AWAY. IT WAS A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE AS SOON AS I CAME BACK AND SAW YOU THOSE FEELINGS SURFACED. AFTER YOU SANG TO ME, I REALIZED THAT PRETTY SOON I WOULD CRUMBLE, AND I COULDN'T BECAUSE WE DIDN'T BELONG TOGETHER, NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE LOVE EACHOTHER, SO I NEEDED YOU TO BE WITH TESS, SHE CAN HELP YOU IN WAYS I CAN'T. SHE CAN HELP ALL OF YOU. JUST GIVE HER A CHANCE. BEFRIEND HER; SHE'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW. THAT'S WHY I MADE YOU THINK THAT KYLE AND I SLEPT TOGETHER, BECAUSE I REALIZED ALL THAT, EVEN WHEN YOU DIDN'T. I LOVE YOU MAX, WITH ALL MY HEART AND I JUST WANT WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU. I ALWAYS HAVE.
LIZ
Disclaimer: It's not mine... that's what you think *evil smile*
Summary: Two Letters lead to Two Truths
Author's Note: Short Story! But it's all good!
Category: Jose/Juanita... I mean Max/Liz
DEAR WHOEVER,
I'M NOT SURE WHEN IT HAPPENED. MAYBE IT WAS AFTER TESS CAME TO TOWN. ALL I KNOW IS THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN THE SAME. WHAT I'M ABOUT TO WRITE I COULD NEVER SHOW TO ANYONE, OR SAY OUT LOUD:
NOT OF THIS EARTH. YEP, THAT'S ME ALLRIGHT. I WAS IN THE 1947 CRASH. I LIVED MY ENTIRE LIFE AFRAID OF WHO I WAS AND HOW PEOPLE WOULD SEE ME WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THE TRUTH. MY SISTER AND FRIEND MICHAEL ARE ALSO NOT FROM AROUND HERE. WE WERE IN THESE PODS AFTER THE CRASH, WHEN WE BROKE OUT OF THEM, MY SISTER AND I STUCK TOGETHER BUT MICHAEL WAS SCARED, HE NEVER TRUSTED EASILY. SO WE WERE SPLIT UP. ISABEL AND I LIVE WITH THE EVANS. THEY ARE THE BEST PARENTS I COULD'VE GOTTEN, AND I THANK WHOEVER IS UP THERE, FOR THEM. MICHAEL WASN'T AS LUCKY. HE WAS BOUNCED AROUND TO DIFFERENT FOSTER HOMES THAT ONLY KEPT HIM AROUND FOR THE MONTHLY CHECK. I DON'T KNOW WHO I'D BE IF I HAD BEEN PUT WITH ANOTHER FAMILY THAT WASN'T THE EVANS. WE'VE ALL DEALT WITH BEING ON EARTH DIFFERENTLY. MICHAEL WAS THE TOUGH GUY. NEVER LETTING ANYONE ALL THE WAY IN. NOT EVEN ISABEL AND I AND WE'RE HIS FAMILY. ISABEL EMBRACED POPULARITY AND ONLY BECAME FRIENDS WITH GIRLS WHO DIDN'T LOOK PAST SKIN DEEP. AND ME, MAX EVANS, I WAS THE SCARED, MYSTERIOUS, INNOCENT, AND LONELY BOY WHO ALWAYS TRIED TO BLEND IN AND NOT BE NOTICED. THAT'S WHO I WAS, BEFORE IT CHANGED.
YOU KNOW, IF I HAD KNOWN THAT EVERYONE WHO KNEW MY SECRET WOULD BE AS UNDERSTANDING AND KIND AS LIZ PARKER WAS AND IS I WOULD'VE SHOUTED MY SECRET FROM THE ROOFTOPS. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE YOU ENTIRE LIFE AFRAID AND THEN FIND OUT THAT YOUR FEAR WOULD BE THE THING THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE FOR THE BETTER. IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT FOR ME. THE FIRST TIME I SAW LIZ PARKER I KNEW I WAS A GONER. EVERYTHING ABOUT HER ENTOXICATED ME AND ENTRANCED ME. HER LIPS, HER NAME, HER SMILE, HER LAUGH, HER POSITIVE OUTLOOK ON LIFE, AND HER GENTLE NATURE THAT PULLED SO MANY TOWARDS HER. THE DAY IN THE CRASHDOWN CAFÉ WHEN SHE WAS SHOT, IT WAS FATE. THAT BULLET IS WHAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER AND BROUGHT ME OUT OF MY SUFFOCATING SHELL. I KNEW I WANTED HER AND WHEN SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH ME BACK I WAS IN HEAVEN. I WAS READY TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE WITH HER, BUT THEN I REMEMBERED WHO AND WHAT I WAS. AND THE DANGER WAS TO GREAT. IF ANYTHING WERE TO EVER HAPPEN TO HER I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO LIVE. SO I DECIDED THAT BEING ABLE TO SEE HER EVERYDAY WOULD BE BETTER THEN NEVER BEING NEAR HER AGAIN. WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE WAS THAT WHILE I WAS PUSHING HER AWAY I WAS ACTUALLY FALLING MORE AND MORE IN LOVE WITH HER AND VICE VERSA. SO I TOOK DOWN THE STONE WALL. WITH MANY UPS AND DOWNS IN THE PROCESS, WE CREATED A RELATIONSHIP. ON TWO OCCASIONS WE CAME CLOSE TO SHOWING EACHOTHER JUST HOW MUCH WE LOVED EACHOTHER BUT THE FANTASIES WERE STOPPED WHEN TESS HARDING CAME TO TOWN. INSTANTLY I FELT AN ATTRACTION TO HER AND I WOULD HAVE THESE DAYDREAMS OF HER. BUT I DIDN'T LOVE HER. I LOVE LIZ AND I'M THANKFUL THAT SHE KNEW I DID BECAUSE SHE GAVE OUR LOVE ANOTHER CHANCE. ONCE AGAIN WE WERE TORN APART. TESS TOLD US OF A DESTINY, ONE THAT I WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH. I WAS MEANT TO BE WITH LIZ. BUT AFTER RESCUING ME FROM THE SECRET AGENCY THAT CAPTURED ME AND PREFORMED TESTS ON ME, WE RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM MY MOTHER. MY REAL ALIEN MOTHER CONFIRMED THE DESTINY THAT I DIDN'T WANT, AND SHE DID IT IN FRONT OF LIZ. MY STRONG UNSELFISH AND LOVING LIZ LET ME GO SO I COULD FIGURE OUT WHO I WAS AND WHO I AM GOING TO BE.
SHE KNOWS THAT I NEVER STOPPED LOVING HER AND WHILE SHE WAS AWAY ALL SUMMER MY HEART WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN. I COULDN'T BREATHE AND EVERY NIGHT I WOULD FALL ASLEEP WITH A PICTURE OF LIZ TUCKED TIGHTLY NEXT TO MY HEART WHILE DREAMS OF HER AND HOW I WISH WE WOULD BE FILLED MY HEAD. THE FIRST TIME I SAW HER WHEN SHE RETURNED MY BREATH CAUGHT IN MY THROAGHT. SHE WAS MORE GORGEOUS, IF POSIBLE, THEN I REMEMBER. I PERSUDE HER AGAINST HER WILL, SHE STILL FELT STRONGLY THAT I SHOULD FULFILL MY DESTINY. I KNEW I WAS BREAKING HER WALLS AND SHE WOULD EVENTUALLY CAVE IN. BUT THEN SOMETHING CHANGED; I CAUGHT HER SPYING ON TESS AND I. SHE HAD ARRANGED FOR US TO MEET AND TALK. WHEN I ASKED HER ABOUT THE CONCERT I WAS TURNED DOWN. BUT I DIDN'T GIVE UP, AND A DAY OR TWO LATER MY HEART WAS BROKEN. SHE CAME TO MY BEDROOM WINDOW AND GAVE ME THIS WHOLE SPEECH ON ROMEO AND JULIET AND HOW SHE WANTED TO LIVE AND HOW SHE WANTED HER CHILDREN TO BE SAFE. BUT WHAT HURT THE MOST WAS HEARING NOT ONLY THAT SHE WANTED TO DATE NORMAL BOYS, BUT ALSO THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO DIE FOR ME. LIZ KNOWS WITH EVERY FIBER OF HER BEING THAT I WOULD TRADE MY LIFE FOR HERS IN AN INSTANT, AND I WAS SO SURE SHE WOULD DO THE SAME FOR ME. BUT I WAS WRONG.
I STILL DECIDED TO PERSUE HER; I WOULD NEVER GIVE UP ON OUR LOVE, EVEN IF SHE DID. AS I CLIMBED UP HER LADDER MY HEART WAS THUMPING WILDLY IN MY CHEST. I REACHED THE TOP AND JUMPED ONTO THE BALCONY. I REACHED INTO MY POCKET AND RETRIEVED THE TWO GOMEZ TICKETS. WHEN I LOOKED UP, MY HEART FILLED WITH ANTICIPATION, I WAS CRUSHED AND SO WAS MY HEART, WHICH HAD STOPPED THUMPING AND BEATING AND HAD FALLEN ON THE FLOOR. IN MY PRECIOUS ANGEL'S BED WAS KYLE VALENTI. LIZ'S EX-BOYFRIEND, HIS CHEST WAS EXPOSED AND HE LOOKED LIKE HE WASN'T WEARING ANYTHING. AT LEAST, THAT WAS WHAT MY BRAIN PROCESSED. NEXT TO HIM WAS LIZ. FROM THE GLANCE SHE LOOKED AS IF SHE WAS NAKED UNDER THE COVERS AND SHE WAS LAUGHING WITH HIM. MY HEART SHATTERED INTO A MILLION PIECES AS I LOOKED AT HER LOOK AT ME. SHE DIDN'T LOOK GUILTY WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT IN FACT SHE LOOKED WRECKED. LIKE WHAT SHE HAD DONE, AND THE FACT THAT I HAD TO SEE IT WAS KILLING HER JUST AS MUCH AS IT HAD HURT ME. AND BOY DID IT HURT ME. HAVE YOU EVER CHOKED? THAT IS WHAT IT FELT LIKE. NO AIR COULD ENTER MY LUNGS. IT FELT AS IF MY INSIDES WERE BEING TWISTED AND CUT OUT. IT WAS WORSE THAN ANYTHING PIERCE COULD'VE DONE TO ME IN THAT EXAMINING ROOM. HE COULD'VE TAKEN ME APART PIECE BY PIECE AND MADE ME REMAIN CONSCIOUS ENOUGH TO FEEL ALL OF IT, BUT THE PAIN I FELT WHEN I SAW THEM TOGETHER, WOULD BE 100 TIMES MORE HEART WRENCHING AND PAINFUL.
I'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND IT. I LOVED HER WITH ALL MY HEART, I WOULD'VE GIVEN HER EVERYTHING, ALL SHE HAD TO DO WAS ASK AND I WOULD'VE GIVEN UP THE SEARCH FOR MY HOME AND EVERYTHING THAT HAD TO DO WITH ALIENS JUST FOR HER. I WOULD'VE WALKED AWAY FROM ISABEL MICHAEL AND A SO-CALLED DESTINY JUST TO BE WITH HER. JUST TO LOVE HER. AS I WOULD LIE AWAKE AT THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING ALL THESE QUESTIONS WOULD PLAGUE MY MIND: DID I NOT LOVE HER ENOUGH? WAS IT WHAT I WAS THAT PUSHED HER AWAY? DID SHE EVER REALLY LOVE ME OR WAS IT JUST A FAÇADE. DID SHE ONLY PRETEND TO LOVE ME BECAUSE I SAVED HER LIFE? IS THAT HOW SHE COULD WALK AWAY SO EASILY? THEN I WOULD REALIZE I WAS BEING STUPID AND THE QUESTIONS WOULD STOP FOR A WHILE BUT THEN ONCE AGAIN I WOULD QUESTION EVERYTHING ABOUT THE WAY I ACTED WHEN I WAS NEAR LIZ, THE WAY I TALKED, THE THINGS I DID AND THE THINGS I DIDN'T. ONE THING I KNOW IS FOR SURE, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE HER. NOTHING SHE DOES OR SAYS COULD EVER CHANGE THAT. I JUST WISH I COULD TELL HER ALL THIS.
MAX EVANS
MAX EVANS PUT DOWN HIS PEN AND PAD AND STARED OUT HIS WINDOW. HE HAD TO WRITE THAT LETTER, HE HAD TO PUT HIS FEELINGS ON PAPER OR HE WOULD'VE EXPLODED. HE WENT OVER TO HIS DAD'S OFFICE AND TOOK AN ENVELOPE. HE WANTED TO SEAL THE LETTER AND KEEP IT WITH HIM ALWAYS. HE CLOSED THE ENVELOPE AND SLIPPED IT INTO THE BACK POCKET OF HIS BINDER. HE SIGHED AND CLOSED HIS EYES AND TRIED TO PREPARE HIMSELF FOR MONDAY WHEN HE WOULD HAVE TO SEE LIZ AGAIN. HE READIED HIMSELF FOR ANOTHER SLEEPLESS NIGHT.
********************
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
MAX'S ALARM CLOCK ANNOYINGLY BUZZED AT HIM. HE QUICKLY SHUT IT OFF AND HEADED TOWARDS THE BATHROOM. HE SHOWERED AND GOT DRESSED THEN HEADED DOWNSTAIRS FOR BREAKFAST. AT 8:00 HE WAS OUT THE DOOR WITH ISABEL AND HEADING FOR SCHOOL. MAX WAS PREPARED FOR ALL THE CLASSES HE DIDN'T HAVE WITH LIZ BUT WHEN BIOLOGY HAD STARTED HE REALIZED HOW HARD THE REST OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WOULD BE. LIZ SAT NEXT TO HIM AND STARTED TAKING OUT HER CLASS SUPPLIES. MAX JUST STARED AT THE WORK STATION AS TEARS FILLED HIS EYES. HE KEPT THE TEARS BACK DURING THE CLASS BUT AS SOON AS THE BELL RANG HE WAS OUT THAT DOOR SO QUICK YOU COULDN'T EVEN SEE HIM LEAVE. HE RAN PAST STUDENTS AND ADMINISTRATORS TO THE MEN'S BATHROOM AS IF IT WERE HIS SANCTUARY. LIZ RAN OUT OF CLASS JUST IN TIME TO SEE HIM TURN THE CORNER, TEARS STREAMING DOWN HIS FACE.
LIZ FELT LIKE SHIT. SHE KNEW WHY MAX WAS CRYING. SHE KNEW WHY HE WAS RUNNING TO THE BATHROOM. IT WAS BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE NEAR HER. HE HATED HER FOR WHAT SHE DID AND HE HAD TO GET AWAY FROM HER. JUST THEN LIZ LOOKED DOWN. AT HER FEET WAS A PLAIN WHITE ENVELOPE. SHE BENT DOWN AND PICKED IT UP. SHE PLACED IT IN HER BACKPACK AND WALKED TO HER NEXT CLASS. SHE WOULD READ THE LETTER WHEN SHE GOT HOME.
MAX WAS FRANTIC. AFTER SPENDING 5TH PERIOD IN THE MEN'S ROOM, HE LOOKED FOR THE LETTER HE HAD RECENTLY WRITTEN. HIS MOUTH DROPPED WHEN HE REALIZED IT WASN'T IN HIS BINDER. HE LOOKED ALL OVER, IN HIS BAG, IN THE HALLS, HE EVEN ASKED THE OFFICE, BUT HAD NO LUCK. WHEN THE FINAL BELL RANG HE RAN TO HIS JEEP AND SAW ISABEL ALREADY WAITING FOR HIM. THEY GOT IN THE CAR AND DROVE HOME. ONCE THEY ARRIVED HOME, MAX SEARCHED HIS ENTIRE ROOM FOR THE LETTER, BUT STILL COULDN'T FIND IT. HE WAS A DEAD MAN. IF THAT LETTER GOT INTO THE WRONG HANDS HIS SECRET WOULD BE OUT. HE SANK TO HIS KNEES AND CRIED. MAX CRIED FOR HIMSELF, FOR ISABEL, FOR MICHAEL, AND FOR LIZ.
LIZ PARKER HAD JUST FINISHED READING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LETTER SHE HAD EVER SEEN. MAX EVANS POURED HIS SOUL INTO THAT LETTER. OF COURSE, SHE WASN'T INTENDED TO SEE IT BUT SHE WAS GLAD SHE HAD. THAT LETTER MADE HER FEEL SO LOVED AND BEAUTIFUL THAT SHE WAS OVERWHELMED. SHE WANTED TO RUN OVER TO MAX'S HOUSE AND TELL HIM THE TRUTH AND DECLARE HER UNDENYING LOVE FOR HIM BUT SHE HAD A BETTER IDEA. SO LIZ TOOK OUT A PAD AND PEN AND BEGAN TO WRITE.
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LIZ WALKED DOWN THE STAIRS AND INTO THE BACK ROOM OF THE CRASHDOWN. SHE QUICKLY CHANGED INTO HER UNIFORM AND STEPPED INTO THE NEARLY EMPTY RESTAURANT. AT THEIR USUAL BOOTH SAT MAX, ISABEL, MICHAEL, TESS, AND EVEN ALEX. LIZ WALKED BY ONLY HEARING BITS OF THE CONVERSATION.
"...THE LETTER WAS IN..."CAME FROM MAX
"...DID IT SAY?" ASKED ISABEL.
"...SAID EVERYTHING..."HE REPLIED.
LIZ HAD THE LETTER HE WAS MISSING AND SHE COULD GUESS WHY HE WAS SO UPSET. SHE WENT TO HER LOCKER, PULLED OUT A WHITE ENVELOPE AND WALKED OVER TO THEIR TABLE.
"HI GUYS, I, UH...JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THIS MAX," SHE HANDED HIM THE ENVELOPE THEN CONTINUED, "I SAW YOU DROP IT AFTER BIO, TODAY AND I PICKED IT UP SO I COULD GIVE IT TO YOU. I DIDN'T READ IT." AND THEN SHE WALKED AWAY.
"THANKS." MAX WHISPERED AFTER SHE WAS GONE. MAX TURNED TO THE GROUP. "I HAVE TO GO GUYS, I'LL TALK TO YOU LATER." THEN HE LEFT AND HEADED FOR HOME.
WHEN HE ARRIVED AT HIS HOUSE HE RAN UPSTAIRS TO HIS BEDROOM. HE TOOK THE LETTER FROM HIS POCKET AND CAREFULLY OPENED IT. TO HIS SURPRISE THE LETTER WASN'T HIS, INSTEAD IT WAS CAREFULLY WRITTEN IN LIZ'S SWEET AND SMALL SCRIPT. HE COULD SMELL LIZ ON THE PAPER AND HE HAD TO CLOSE HIS EYES TO KEEP FROM CRYING FOR HIS LOSS. WHEN HE HAD HIMSELF UNDER CONTROL, HE READ HIS LOVE'S WORDS.
MAX,
I KNOW I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO FIND YOUR LETTER. THE TRUTH IS I'M GLAD I DID. IF I HADN'T, THEN I WOULD BE SITTING ON MY BEDROOM FLOOR CRYING ABOUT WHAT I HAD TO DO. MAX, I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU THIS BUT I HAVE TO AFTER READING YOUR LETTER. I DIDN'T SLEEP WITH KYLE. I'M SURE THOSE ARE THE WORDS YOU'VE BEEN HOPING WOULD COME OUT OF MY MOUTH. WELL, THERE THEY ARE. IT WAS A SETUP. I NEEDED YOU TO GO TO TESS. I NEEDED YOU TO FUFILL YOUR DESTINY. I TRIED EVERYTHING MAX. I TRIED GETTING YOU CLOSE TO TESS, I TRIED TELLING YOU HORRIBLE THINGS, WHICH BY THE WAY WERE NOT TRUE. I WOULD DIE FOR YOU IN AN INSTANT IF NOT SOONER. EVER SINCE TESS CAME TO TOWN, WE HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT MEAN TO HER. BUT WE CAN'T DO THAT, NO MATTER WHAT, SHE IS ONE OF YOU GUYS. SO KYLE AND I WAS A SETUP. IT WAS MEANT TO HURT YOU, MEANT TO PUSH YOU AWAY, BECAUSE I WAS SCARED. I WAS SO SCARED THAT IF YOU PUSHED HER AWAY SO FAR THAT SHE LEFT, THAT YOU ALL WOULD HURT BECAUSE OF IT. THAT ONE DAY YOU'D REALIZE THAT YOU REMEMBERES TESS AND THAT YOU LOVED AND LOVE HER. I WOULD STAY AWAKE NIGHT AFTER NIGHT WHILE I WAS IN FLORIDA WONDERING IF WHEN I CAME BACK FROM FLORIDA, YOU'D BE LOVING AND KISSING TESS THE WAY YOU USED TO DO FOR ME. IF THAT HAPPENED I WOULD'VE DIED, AND I MEAN YOU GUYS WE'RE LITERALLY MADE FOR EACHOTHER SO THE ATTRACTION WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN, SO I PREPARED MY SELF FOR THE WORST AND I PUSHED ALL MY FEELINGS SO FAR AWAY. IT WAS A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE AS SOON AS I CAME BACK AND SAW YOU THOSE FEELINGS SURFACED. AFTER YOU SANG TO ME, I REALIZED THAT PRETTY SOON I WOULD CRUMBLE, AND I COULDN'T BECAUSE WE DIDN'T BELONG TOGETHER, NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE LOVE EACHOTHER, SO I NEEDED YOU TO BE WITH TESS, SHE CAN HELP YOU IN WAYS I CAN'T. SHE CAN HELP ALL OF YOU. JUST GIVE HER A CHANCE. BEFRIEND HER; SHE'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW. THAT'S WHY I MADE YOU THINK THAT KYLE AND I SLEPT TOGETHER, BECAUSE I REALIZED ALL THAT, EVEN WHEN YOU DIDN'T. I LOVE YOU MAX, WITH ALL MY HEART AND I JUST WANT WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU. I ALWAYS HAVE.
LIZ