Disclaimer : I still don't own HSM or Roswell, just playing around in New Mexico .

Friday night was not going to be alright.

Sharpay and Zeke had decided on throwing an impromptu Friday night party at the Evans house since the folks had flown to New York for a charity function which was the perfect reasoning . It would also be their first party thrown as a couple which was something of a big deal as it meant his sister would be helping her boyfriend dump potato chips into bowls and fill coolers with ice . Ryan would have been amused by this new change in his sister if he wasn't busy freaking out wondering if Kelsi intended to make an appearance .

He knew she had been invited but Ryan couldn't imagine that Kelsi would feel much like dancing and hanging out with their friends . It had been a little more than a week since their break up and things were thick with tension between them .

Kelsi, who once was teasing and playful with him, now was utterly quiet and spoke to him only when necessary which was at rehearsal for the play .

It was killing him !

Someone had discovered his Mom's old record collection and had got the old turn table going as the Boss sang about his Glory Days from the living room as Martha had pulled Taylor and Gabriella into a girl circle of dance . Zeke pulled out an old Starship album while Sharpay eased her way between Chad and Troy who were debating which action movies heroes kicked butt better .It felt surreal .

Ryan took a drink of Coke and idly grabbed a handful of chips though he wasn't really hungry . It was something to do . Troy kept shooting him dirty looks and the dancer almost wished the basketball player would deck him , it'd be simpler .

Easier on them all is what he figured .

If the girls in the group had had Death rays he would surely already been dead .

Noticing the forlorn expression on Ryan's face, a sym pathetic Jason walked over to him , determined to be a pal . Ryan had been a jerk everyone all agreed but the way he figured it wasn't on purpose , the dancer just hadn't figured everything out until he mucked it all up with Kelsi .

Jason could relate to that considering how'd he'd accidentally flirted with Kelsi a few time so that Martha didn't see that it was really her that he was into - big , stupid mistake and it hadn't taken that long to fix .

' Hey Ryan, you look about as mad as a bear ,' said the gentle young man ,' you might want to work on that .'

Ryan dropped the chips as he lifted his gaze to scowl at his friend .' Mad at myself though if you know a hungry bear, send it my way '

Jason frowned and plopped down on the leather ottoman .' Feeling sorry for yourself is kind of pathetic, Ryan '

Ryan ran a hand through his blonde hair making it stand upright .' Well turning into more of a jerk doesn't seem like the smart thing to do and Kelsi still wont speak to me un less it involves her music and my ideas on new choreography .'

' You could apologize again '

An annoyed expression flashed across Ryan's face and he scowled again .' Kelsi doesn't care how many more times I apologize to her . She made that clear , Jason, and I don't know how to get her make me like her again so I can work on getting her back .'

Big, splashy romantic productions to show her he cared was in his wheelhouse but Ryan felt like it wouldn't do much good right now . He wasn't good at sitting still and not do anything but dammit, this whole thing sucked the big one !

' You hurt her '

' I know that ! It's like we're strangers again ' muttered Ryan, wishing he drank to help drown the pain he was feeling ,' Kelsi even times it so that she isn't at the lockers when I am …..that makes it that much worse !'

He felt a jolt as a hand slapped the back of his head .' Bastard '

Ryan turned his head and found Taylor glowering at him from behind .' Taylor '

Taylor's lips twitched, slightly .' You don't deserve sympathy but I suppose since Jason is one of your kind ,' started the conservative yet well spoken young woman,' he is the nicer of the lot of you guys , its to be expected . '

' Hey '

Taylor took a sip of her bottled water . ' You do realize that there is absolutely no chance of Kelsi showing up here tonight since you are clearly here, Ryan '

' It's my house '

' You could leave ' offered Taylor, matter of fact . Truth be told, it was starting to feel a bit on the sad side watching the ex-couple avoid each other when it was clear they so obviously still cared for each other but she wouldn't give Evans the benefit , not until he proved his little tryst with Josie hadn't be going on all along . She hadn't wanted to believe he had been doing the playboy angle by using Kelsi since he had seemed so sincere but Taylor had to be loyal to Kelsi , first and foremost .

This whole debacle had turned into an ugly, nasty thing .

.

' Fine ,' spat out a perturbed Ryan, rising angrily from his seat,' you got it , Taylor , I'm not exactly in the mood to party . Out of here !'

Since locking himself up in his room felt stupid and childish , Ryan snagged the keys to the BMW , unsure of his destination, as he drove through the residential streets of Albuquerque , his thoughts racing .

Okay he was a world class jerk, he owned up to his mistakes but it had been a kiss .

It didn't mean a damn thing !

How had that been any different than Kelsi kissing him when she was still dating, er, involved with Maxwell ? Ryan still believed firmly that he and Kelsi were supposed to be together .

They were soul mates, God dammit!

Not Mr. Fancy Pants AssHole from New York !

It pissed him off to watch her talk with Max during rehearsal these days knowing and still not comprehending their past relationship added to his mad . What if he had driven her back into Maxwell's arms ?

Ryan slapped his hand on the steering wheel, swearing at his stupidity .

.

He found himself driving past her house and couldn't help wondering if his sweet composer was holed up in her bedroom working on a new song or out somewhere with someone who wasn't him. Wasn't that a cheery thought ?

God, were they regressing ?

He didn't want to go backwards to them barely talking , to Kelsi being timid and shy and him being a shadow of who he really was , it was all wrong but Ryan had no freaking idea how to get them back to some form of good .

Mrs. Nielsen stepped outside , a glass of iced tea in her hand , and sat on the porch swing and as she did , couldn't help but notice the familiar car on the curb , lifted a hand in a acknowledgment wave .

Ryan groaned but waved before driving away before Kelsi's Mom reported him for stalking her daughter . Maybe he would just go to the park and think though he was getting tired of that over thinking .He needed to take action . Do something .

How could he go about earning Kelsi's trust again ?

***************************EHS************************************

He was a master manipulator , an exceptionally talented musician, and an even more talented actor if the role was important to his goals as this new one clearly was with his delightful Pixie Girl . Though Maxwell had been tempted to push and punish Kelsi , he understood this wouldn't be the way to get back into her good graces or to reclaim her as his own .His sincere apology had befuddled her and opened the door just a crack and now with her backbone down, Max knew he had found the perfect angle .

He had put aside the nasty business of threats - forgetting his own hand in the car accident with Kelsi's dearest best gal pal, Martha , as if he hadn't a hand in it at all and focused on showing her he was a changed man .

Focus and intent went hand in hand .

Maxwell contemplated the brand new pair of denim jeans with disdain along with the light blue Ralph Lauren polo shirt he had purchased at the outlet mall to his own pressed khakis and designer navy short sleeve button down shirt which was his staple outfit .

It was a classic look with the gold Rolex watch that stated he had the power to be .

There was a curt knock on the door then a woman with rich caramel colored hair dressed in a scarlet red silk sundress that flattered her trim figure breezed in his bedroom appraising him , critically .Cecile Donovan taking her monthly turn at mothering .

' Maxwell, dear, what are you still doing home on a Friday evening ? ' She placed a strategic hand on her waist in a pose she considered just about right ,' We've been here for months and don't tell me you haven't gotten in with the popular young people .'

Maxwell tossed the jeans on a chair before throwing himself down on the edge of the bed .as he considered what to say to appease her . While the old man was reinventing himself into a( cough, laugh ) legitimate business man, he knew his mother had been smoozing with the best women of this stupid desert town with all the busy work helping with various charity functions and committees . Neither of his parents could understand him or who he was though Cecile tried her best at being a mom figure to him .

She didn't do warm and fuzzy .

.

' Mother , the popular clique here bore me ,' stated Maxwell, pausing to study the picture of Kelsi behind the piano that he had taken from the yearbook cast offs to frame for his own personal needs ,' None of them have my talent or my intelligent . I refuse to take an intrest in all of those ridiculous Wildcats sports ..how droll.'

Cecile touched a hand to her ruby red earring .' A bit of change and maturity wouldn't hurt you, my boy .'

She noticed the cast off polo shirt with a lifted brow .' Are you trying to fit in by wearing a horrible , off the rack cast off ? I am sure the Evans will recognize this knock off immediately …..honestly , Maxwell .'

Max held the beloved picture close to his chest .' I don't give a damn about Ryan or his diva slut of a sister , Mother . Nor do I care to be hanging out with them and the yuppie cool kids tonight and if you must know , I am trying to appeal to Kelsi's better senses to win her back .'

He thought the casual , worn jeans, old tee shirts , laid back style might strike her fancy and her artistic soul . The Jimmy Collins type which wasn't him in a million years but he could be adaptable until he got her back .He could be cunning if need be.

Reinvention just might be the key here .

He might raise considerable speculation about the sudden change but Maxwell was a consummate actor . He could pull it off easily enough with the idiots at this East High.

Cecile laid a cool hand to the side of his face. ' Oh Maxwell, there are other just as lovely young women in New Mexico . Let Kelsi go, please , darling '

She loved her only son dearly but sometimes he frightened her in the worse of ways but Cecile didn't like to concern herself too much with that horrid thoughts .

. Thinking of what had happened back in New York, thinking of his former girlfriend brought a shudder up her spine as what had occurred had prompted their leaving the city for the desert in the first place. .Nonetheless , it was in the past .

Past was over , this was now .

Cecile had wished , hoped so desperately as Mothers do that the small town hustle and bustle of New Mexico, the change in pace, in the different kinds of young people would be good for Maxwell. She hoped it would change his cold and sometimes manipulative nature .

She couldn't bear it if something awful happened here as well .

Max's lips curved in a smile that was chilling .' You want me to be happy , Mother ,' replied Maxwell, his tone eerily calm ,' Don't you ? I love my little Pixie girl and I've got to do everything in my power to get her back '

Cecile let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding then pressed a kiss against his cheek .

' Promise me , you will listen to Kelsi's feelings and take her into consideration . Be the good boy that I know you really can be, Darling .'

Praying that Maxwell had actually listened to her this time, Cecile left him alone , just missing him turn over his palm which held the dangly silver stars earring that belonged to Kelsi as he brought it to his lips in a gesture of possession .

Mine .

******************************Wildcats***************************************

Feeling bummed , depressed, and all consuming emotions and not wanting to return to the party at his own home, Ryan found himself pulling into the nearly empty parking lot of Hubs with the intent of brooding and junk food .

An angst ridden 90's song blasted through the diner bemoaning the trials of Superman which fit his mood as the dancer sidled up to the counter to order a double cheeseburger, French fries, and the biggest chocolate shake they could make him .

He was heading to seat himself in a nearby booth to begin the said brooding when Ryan lifted his green eyes finding Kelsi alone watching her pistachio /vanilla ice cream sundae melt as she scribbled in her notebook .It seemed as they had the same idea which gave him the tiniest bit of hope which he jumped on , immediately .

His heart thudded painfully as he briskly strode over to you .' Hi '

Kelsi dropped the spoon in the melted ice cream and willed the desperate yearning and longing to dissipate .She smoothed her lips together and somehow managed a small smile .

' Hi'

' You don't have to avoid me, Kelsi,' replied Ryan, wanting to make his intentions to her clear ,' I wont make a scene . I'll stay away from the party tonight which you should go to as everyone is wondering where you are at ..'

' I'm not really up to hanging out with everyone tonight but thanks for the bulletin ' muttered Kelsi, putting her hands on her lap before he could see them shake .' I've done a lot of thinking recently about us . We managed to be civil to each other long before we got involved and I think its best if we just go back to that, Ryan .'

There , it was logical and quite mature and Kelsi was proud of herself for putting it out there . It had worked fine before and in time, those feelings would just go away . Already girls were sniffing around Ryan now that he was single once more and what they had would be only a memory . He would move on with someone else and she would go back to focusing on her music . It would be so much better this way .

Best to clarify things now and stick with them .

Ryan placed his hands on the back of the booth to stare at her .' Back ? You want us to what, Kels, pretend our relationship didn't matter ? '

She wanted to scream at him ' It didn't when you were with Josie ' but refrained from humiliating herself more than she already had . She didn't want to have this conversation with him at all but she recognized the stubbornness in Ryan's face which meant he wasn't going to be walking away soon .Better to deal with him now .

Kelsi choked back the painful hurt with a slight nod .' It's not as if we had gotten serious ,' Oh, how much that ached ,' Let's just agree not to complicate and muddy things up anymore than they already are, Ryan . '

Ryan wanted to reach out for her , beg, plead, scream at her to forgive him - anything but this aloofness from her . Sad oozed out of her and he had to stop himself from pulling her in and drawing her close in his arms .

' You weren't serious about me ? I sure as hell was serious about you, about us '

Kelsi reached for her bag, ready to escape .' I told you I don't want to do this , Ryan , and I wont . Enjoy your milkshake .'

She stole one last look at the crestfallen expression on his face as she forced herself to walk to the door , fighting the sudden urge to cry .

' Kelsi,' called out a heavy hearted Ryan ,' can we try a little more harder ? I know this is my fault but I'm not ready to give up on us , I know what we have between us is special . '

Tears glistened on her eyelashes .' I just don't know anymore, Ryan '

' I don't want to be the guy I used to be before you ' admitted Ryan, under his breath,' God, Kelsi, we managed to be in each others lives when you were dating Maxwell Slick so why the hell don't I deserve another chance ? '

Briefly their eyes locked .' You mattered more and I'm hurt more '

' We need to fight harder ' declared a passionate Ryan to the now empty diner as Kelsi had already left but the pounding in his heart remained the same . He all but fell into the booth she had vacated , noted her silly ice cream combination with affection as Ryan couldn't t help but notice her scribbling on a napkin .

He read the lyrics , quietly ,' Two A.m, , eyes open, ticking clock, falling rain . Thoughts of you drifting through my mind ….'

Hope came alive as he clutched the napkin in his fist .' That's all the proof I needed to know ….'

I cant stand to fly

I'm not that naïve

I'm just out to find

The better part of me

The better part of me was Her .

'