Friday 17th August 2012, Crashdown Café and West Roswell High School

'Are you sure?' Jeff, seated at the counter asked his daughter in an apprehensive voice. 'Your mom and I don't mind if you stay home today, Lizzy.'

'I know dad,' Liz smiled, 'but I'm fine really. Even the paramedic said it's only a scratch. I saw Dr Rawlings after it happened and had the wound dressed. The bullet only just broke the skin. Apart from being a little sore, I feel fine.'

'What about emotionally' Jeff asked hesitantly. 'Lizzy, what occurred yesterday scared the life out of me and I wasn't even here at the time. It must have had some kind of effect on you too.'

Allowing a slight, shy smile, Liz remembered exactly what transpired and how it affected her. While getting changed for bed last night she'd noticed faint slivery marks on her stomach. It looked like four fingers and a thumb. Rubbing her hands over it, she felt connected to the person who'd placed it there. Thinking about Max Evans she caught a wisp of something, it sounded like a though from his mind. It disappeared just a quickly.

Dressing for school this morning she once again looked at the print. It had started to glow with a pearly luminescent as she slept. Wanting to make the handprint disappear, Liz looked down and imagined it gone. Closing her eyes in concentration, Liz covered the mark with her own hand. When she opened them a shocked expression encompassed her face. All trace of it disappeared.

Liz felt even more nervous about facing Max Evans with her current discovery. Nothing, not even her anxiety would keep her from getting an explanation from him. Elizabeth Parker's mind refused to accept her memories or the fact she could communicate with him telepathically especially without any physical proof. There just had to be some logical explanation for all of this and she intended to get it.

'Maria's picking me up,' Liz informed her father, coming out of her daydream. 'We'll talk about it on the way to school. Really, Dad, I'm okay. It's Maria I'd worry about.'

'Well,' Jeff still didn't look convinced, 'I'm glad I invested in that new ordering system.'

'It saved my life,' Liz suddenly felt a wave of sympathy for her father, almost as thought she'd empathically picked up his emotions. Going to the man, she hugged him tight. 'I'm glad you got it too. See you tonight, Dad. Maria's here.'

'So,' Maria asked the moment Liz climbed into the car. A look of expectation covered her face. 'You going to tell me what really happened?'

'Maria,' Liz gave her friend an exasperated look. 'You were there and saw it all happen. I'm the one who should be asking you.'

'Come on Liz, Max was like all over you! I didn't see anything either,' the girl took her hands off the steering wheel. Flying through the air, Liz returned them and Maria's attention to her driving. 'Not that it means anything but he knew what to do. I've never seen him so, so in control and dominating. You could have died and I just stood there like a frozen statue. I thought you did!'

'Stop being so melodramatic,' rolling her eyes, Liz looked out the window. She understood just how close she came to dying yesterday. Only Max had saved her and she intended to get some answers from him today. Until then Liz refused to think about the events of last night any more. 'I'm lucky I had the electronic orderer in my pocket.'

'How are you feeling,' Maria asked, finally able to stop her babbling to look at her best friend. Liz looked a little pale but otherwise unaffected.

'I little sore from the impact,' Liz found her hand going to her stomach. 'Dr Rawlings said it would bruise. At least I get out of PE today.'

'I was so scared,' Maria finally allowed tears to well in the corners of her eyes. The shock of what occurred finally setting in. 'Honestly, I thought I'd lost my best friend. Look, Liz, you're on the fast track to be Valedictorian and have a career as this amazing, world renowned scientist who's going to discover a cure for anything and everything. I'm going to be your crazy sidekick who tags along on your success. I guess I saw that slipping away.'

'I'm still here and so are you,' Liz stated calmly. 'Sheriff Valenti thinks the men who did this won't come back. Everything is fine, Maria.'

Only it's not, Liz thought. Nothing is normal and I'm not in control. I need answers but first I have to find the right person and ask the right questions. Until then, I can't assume anything.

'I don't know how you can be so in control at a time like this,' Maria stated once again taking her hands from the steering wheel. 'Yes I do,' she sighed deeply, returning her attention to driving. 'This is just so you, Liz, cool, calm and logical.'

Liz felt anything but in control as third period commenced. Every moment she didn't see Max left her wondering if he bothered to come to school or actively avoided her. Usually they bumped into each other in the halls. Today she'd been scanning for him. Liz knew they had the next period together and it set her emotions into turmoil.

Making her way to biology lab, she slipped into her chair before the rest of the class entered. As the room filled with students, she felt something, no, someone approaching the door hesitantly, anxiously. From the gentle pressure in her mind and the pulsing sensation on her stomach, she knew the identity of the person but didn't question her ability. Max waited on the other side. She could sense him and feel the nervousness emanating from his mind.

'Okay,' Miss Hardy began talking and walking round the class the moment the bell rang, 'we've spent the last week talking about genus and phylum, and now we're going to get a little more specific and talk about the difference between species. For today's experiment you'll be working with your lab partner.'

Max, Liz tried to direct her thought to the boy on the other side of the door, I know you're out there. You can't hide from me forever.

Letting out a huge sigh, Max reached for the door handle. He knew he'd have to face Liz at some point today. Hearing her mental plea, he knew she wouldn't let this go. As if he didn't know that about her before linking with her mind, he knew it now with all certainty. He hadn't expected the depth of bond to last past the healing. Obviously he'd been wrong. Brushing against her mind all morning he realized the link might be permanent. Like a feather, her mental touch tickled his conscious but he couldn't read her thoughts with any distance between them. Finally picking up the courage, Max walked into the room. Taking his usual seat beside Liz, he stuck a pencil in his mouth and started to flip through his books nervously. Truly, he had no idea what to say to her.

'Mr Evans, so nice of you to join us,' Miss Hardy called attention to the young man attempting to slip into her class unnoticed. 'Okay, everyone on the right prepare a slide with the vegetable sampling, everyone on the left, take a toothpick and get a sample from your cheek.'

Visibly shocked, Max began to stand. Although he'd only just sat, he needed to leave. He couldn't do this. Reaching out, Liz griped his forearm and gave him a look that said don't you dare. In that moment, she read his thoughts.

I need to get out of here, his mind concentrated on how to achieve his goal.

Why, she asked in a direct link before she could think about it. Why do you need to get out of here? Why can I talk to you like this?

Liz, he glared. Astounded at the clarity of the commination, Max froze. You don't understand. I shouldn't be able to do this. You shouldn't be able to talk to me like this. You're not one of us.

One of who? She enquired, eyes locking with his, her hand still resting on Max's bare forearm.

'It's very easy to look on the outside and say what differentiates humans from other species,' Miss Hardy droned on, 'but what about what's on the inside? Everyone, look at the human cells and describe everything you see on your lab sheet.'

Reaching over, Liz broke the physical contact which diminished the strength of the bond but didn't ameliorate it altogether. Taking the pencil out of Max's mouth, she still felt his trepidation. Determined to find out what secrets he hid, Liz made the slide as Max watched each and every move. Looking at the cells, they didn't appear normal to her untrained eye. Handing the microscope to her partner, she prepared another slide, this one from the scraping of her own cheek. Replacing the slide, she looked down the barrel. Gasping, Liz sat back.

'What,' Max asked, concerned at the sudden paleness of Liz's skin.

Nodding to the microscope, she indicated he should look. Swallowing hard, Max placed his eye over the lens. What he saw shocked him to the core.

'How,' he asked astounded.

You tell me, Liz once again connected them physically in order to speak mentally.

AN – Please give me a review or two and tell me what you think. Is this worth continuing?