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"Ok," Michael said, "Just for the
record those outfits you got on there do not count as
pajamas."
"What?" Isabel demanded, "I sleep
in this."
"You're wearing pajama pants and a
shirt." Alex protested.
"Key word being pajama." Isabel
retorted
"Yea," Maria agreed, "It's not our
fault you guys imagined us in some skimpy little negligee
thing."
"Look, we weren't expecting
Victoria's Secret or anything, but you guys would wear that to school."
Michael argued.
"Excuse you," Isabel said, "I
would not wear this to school! The pink on the pants clashes with the
brown of the shirt." Alex rolled his eyes.
The girls were on one side of the
spacious living room and the guys were on the other. Michael had picked
Max up and had driven over to Alex's to work on cleaning the house a little
before the girls came. Liz, Isabel and Maria drove over half an
hour later to meet up with the guys, bearing movies
and microwave popcorn. The guys had eagerly greeted them, but were
very disappointed to see that the promised pajamas
were only a little more revealing than normal clothes. Isabel had on
loose pink pajama pajama pants and an old brown
t-shirt that she hadstolen from Max years ago. Maria had on stretch
pants and a huge white shirt with a giant smiley face
on it. Liz was clad in purple shorts with several black cats and a purple
t-shirt with a large cat that said "purrrrfect". The
guys were very disappointed, having spent several hours imaging the girls
in much more compromising attire.
"Anyway," Liz said, trying to be
the peacemaker, "Should we get started? This place needs a lot of
work."
"Yea, I guess." Alex said, sadly.
"Max and Liz take the upstairs bedrooms, Maria and Michael take the
downstairs rooms. Isabel and I will take the kitchen and the backyard." He
turned to Isabel, "You do know how to clean a pool, right?"
"You can't just hire somebody to
do this?" Isabel asked.
"My parents didn't give me enough
money to hire anyone and believe it or not they would know if some was
gone. But I can order us a pizza later."
"Goody." Isabel
grumbled.
"A lot later," Liz said, smiling,
"You've paired us up to get the least amount of work done."
"As long as we're gonna clean, we
might as well enjoy ourselves." Max said.
"Yea," Michael joked, "Have fun
cleaning the bedrooms."
Liz groaned, "Let's just get
started, ok?"
Two hours later the six friends
sat around the low coffee table that was set up in the rec room and
devoured two large cheese pizzas.
"I'm so tired." Maria mumbled, grabbing
another slice of pizza.
"Good thing you're not letting it
slow down your pizza intake."
Liz teased, winking at her friend.
"Up yours." Maria replied. "I'm
beat and famished. I earned my food."
"Yea," Alex agreed. "We all did
great. Thanks you guys. I couldn't have done it without you."
"No problem," Max said, clapping
his friend on the back, "It was a great party."
"Ok, movie time!" Isabel cried,
jumping to her feet. She hurried to the living room to get the bag of
movies. She returned a minute later and stood in the doorway of the rec room, announcing
the plan to the guys. "We each rented a movie, we figured we'd let you guys pick. The choices are," She paused for
emphasis, "City Of Angels, When Harry Met Sally and Dirty Dancing."
"I nominate Dirty Dancing first!"
Liz said. "Let's watch and if the guys haven't left yet we can watch
another."
"You only say that because you're
in love with Patrick Swayze." Maria teased.
"And you want to be Jennifer
Gray." Isabel added.
Max looked at Liz, surprised. "All
right, I admit it. Max, I like you a lot, but Patrick will always be my
first love. But at least I'm not head over heels for Nicholas Cage and Billy Crystal
like some girls in this room."
"Nice, Liz." Maria said, "Pick on
Nicholas. Tell me there isn't something sexy about an angel getting all
hot for you."
"Or two best friends realizing
they love eachother." Isabel added, darting a shy glance at
Alex.
"Ok, how gross did Billy Crystal
look in that beard? And Nicholas Cage, how old is he? Like 40?" She
grinned when her friends sent her dirty look. "Fine, fine. Dirty Dancing first, then
I'll discuss the finer points of Nicholas and Billy." Liz
said.
"Fine." Isabel said, fishing the
movie out and putting it in the machine. She hit the lights and sat down
on the couch next to Alex. Maria moved from the floor to Michael's lap in an
oversized armchair and Max moved off the couch onto the floor next to Liz, who brushed against him before laying her head in his
lap. The girls were ready to watch the movie and, with luck, the guys were too distracted by the girls to really care
about the plot.
"Yes, I had the time of my life"
The girls cried along with the movie, "No, I never felt this way before. I
swear, yes, it's true, and I owe it all to you!"
Liz jumped up and hit the stop button
on the VCR and took out the tape. "That movie just gets better every time
I see it."
"You'd think after 15 times it
would stop getting better," Maria teased, "But no, it just keeps
improving."
Maria reluctantly climbed out of
Michael's lap and started picking up the plates and cups scattered across
the table. "We better get this stuff picked up before bugs come for
it."
"Ok," Michael said, "You girls
better get to work."
"Hey!" Liz protested, "Why do we
have to do it?"
"You made us sit through a chick
flick, the least you can do is pick up some dirty dishes."
"Ok, he's got us there." Liz said,
grabbing some pates, "We'll be right back."
Isabel was humming "Hungry Eyes"
as she collected some glasses.
She made her way into the kitchen, following Liz and
Maria. The girls deposited the dishes in the sink and Liz rummaged
through the drawers trying to find a bag to put the
pizza in while Maria rinsed off the dishes. Isabel leaned against the
marble counter a sappy look on her face.
"What are you thinking, Isabel?"
Liz asked. Isabel always teased Liz about her love of Dirty Dancing, but
she secretly loved it, too.
"I'm thinking I'm going to do that!"
Isabel said.
"Learn stunning dance moves?" Liz
asked.
"Fall in love with a boy from the
wrong side of the tracks?"
"Go on a vacation to the Catskills
and live like it's 1962?"
"No," Isabel said, not at all
bothered by her friends teasing. She did a clumsy piroutte "I'm going to
dance on tables and break hearts." She did a little jump and landed hard on both feet,
"I'm going to break hearts" she wrapped her arms around herself and twirled in lazy circles. "I'm going to live out great
romantic tradgedies. It's going to be great."
Liz and Maria applauded politely
and Isabel, flushed with excitement, bowed happily.
None of the girls saw Alex
standing in the doorway with another glass. They didn't see the way he
looked at Isabel or the look on his face. At that moment, Alex wondered if he might be in
love with her.
Later, the girls returned to the
den and sat with the guys. Liz sat down on Max's lap and smiled when he
put his arms around her waist. "What next, guys? City of Angels or When Harry
Met Sally?"
"I can not stand to watch another
chick flick." Alex protested, "How about we play a game?"
"What, like, Scrabble?" Michael
asked.
"Oh, we could play dirty word
Scrabble!" Maria suggested.
"I'm not playing dirty word
Scrabble." Liz said.
"No, I know a better game." Alex
insisted, "It's kinda like truth or dare, only better. It's a drinking
game, but I don't want to have a bunch of underage drunks on my hands, so we'll play with out
drinks."
"Just tell us how you play." Maria
prompted.
"Ok, you ask if the victim wants
truth or dare. If they want truth you ask a question and they have to tell
the truth." Alex explained.
"Hmm, sounds familiar." Liz
teased.
"With dare you have to do the dare
and make a confession. If someone knows you're lying you have to do
another dare and make two confessions."
"Sounds easy enough." Isabel said,
"Let's play."
"Ok," Alex said, "I'll go first."
He grinned and looked at his friends. "Liz truth or dare?"
"Would you rather have sex with
Patrick Swayze or Max?"
Liz blushed. She couldn't answer
that! Either way she would get grief. "Is it too late to pick
dare?"
"Aw, let her pick dare." Isabel
said.
"Fine." Alex mumbled. "I dare you
to kiss Michael on the lips."
"Not a problem." She leaned over
and kissed Michael lightly on the lips. "The question was good, but the
dare needed work." Max pulled her against him. He didn't want anyone's lips on
Liz besides his.
"Now for your confession." Alex
prompted, ignoring the hateful look Maria was shooting him.
"Ok…Oh, remember when Alex tutored
me in math in 10th? I had a crush on him."
"You did?" Alex asked,
amazed.
"Yup. Smart guys turn me
on."
"No way!" Maria said. "You told me
he was a know-it-all and annoying as hell."
"And that is exactly why I didn't
tell anyone." Liz responded, and everyone laughed at the accurate
description of Alex.
"Ok, Maria truth or
dare?"
"Dare!" She said,
bravely.
"Ok, kiss Isabel on the
lips."
"Thanks" Isabel mumbled. Maria and
Isabel quickly kissed, getting shouts of approval from the guys. "You are
all pigs." Isabel announced, indignantly.
"And my confession is…Isabel isn't
the only girl I've shared a moment with. Liz and I kissed at Nina's 15th
birthday party. Remember?"
"You've just kissed everybody,
haven't you?" Max teased.
"Well, if it helps, you're a
better kisser than Michael or Maria." Liz said.
"Thanks, but this conversation
just got a little too weird."
"All right, my turn." Maria said.
"Max exactly how long have you carried a torch for Liz?"
"Um, I don't really know." Max
said, looking at the ground.
"5 years maybe?" Max said, making
it sound more like a question than an answer
"5 years?" Liz asked. "Why did you
wait this long to tell me?"
"It never seemed like the right
time."
"Max, if you've liked me since 8th
grade—"
"Talk on your own time." Michael
said, "We're playing a game here."
"Fine." Max said, "Michael, truth
or dare?"
"Dare!" He said, bravely, "Too
many truths."
"Was my kiss that forgettable?"
Liz asked, making everyone but Maria and Max laugh. Liz leaned over
and whispered something into Max's ear.
"You want to see that?" He asked
her, amazed. She whispered something else and he shrugged and turned to
Michael. "You have to do a strip tease to a song on the
radio."
Michael rolled his eyes. "Bring it
on."
Alex jumped up, "I'll go put a
song on." The Whitman's house had an amazing speaker system, with hookups
all through the house. When Alex turned the music on from the living room it
blasted into the den. Everyone started laughing when they heard the song Alex had selected.
Michael groaned and took off his
shirt as Right Said Fred sang "I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my
shirt."
When he was done Isabel, Max,
Maria, Alex, and Liz were howling with laughter.
Isabel wiped tears from her eyes,
"That was so funny I almost peed my pants."
"Thanks." Michael grumbled,
pulling on his shirt. He sat down in the circle, his cheeks bright red.
"Ok, for my confession…I have a thing for Jennifer Gray." Everyone laughed.
"Isabel, truth or dare?"
"Do you have a crush on anyone in the
room and if so, who?" Michael asked, grinning. He knew Isabel had a thing
for Alex. You would have to be blind not to notice the
looks they exchanged and Maria was always going on and on about how
they would make such a great couple.
"Dammit, Michael." Isabel
complained.
"Just answer the
question."
"Fine." She took a deep breath and
looked at the floor. "I have a crush on Alex."
"Really? Alex and Max said in
unison.
"Yea. Max, truth or dare?" Isabel
asked in a hurry, anxious to move on.
"No way, I already went. Everyone
has to go before you can do seconds." Max said.
"I'm the only one left." Alex
said.
Isabel rolled her eyes. She knew
she should just ask some dumb question about his most embarrassing moment
or do some silly dare. But she had to know if he felt the
same way she did. "Truth or dare?"
"Do you have a crush on anyone in
the room and if so, who?"
"Actually, I have a crush on you,
Isabel." Alex said, shyly
"You do?" She asked,
stunned.
"Oh, no." Max said, making
everyone laugh.
"Cool." Isabel said, looking Alex
in the eye. "Very cool."
"Ok," Isabel said, "Max, truth or
dare?"
"Have you ever had any fantasies
about Liz and what were they?" She saw Max hesitate and quickly said.
"Don't even think about picking dare, that's even worse!"
Max cursed under his breath. He
was pretty sure Isabel was bluffing, but should he risk it? The dare could
be uncomfortable and he would have to make a confession.
He was about to go ahead and pick dare when he saw Liz's
curious look. Almost like she wanted to know the
answer. He sighed and said, "OK, I had this one fantasy where Liz was
hanging out after school because she missed the bus. I asked
her if she needed a ride home and she said ok. She said she didn't
want to go home right away and asked if we could
drive around for a while. I took her to the beach and we just hung out and
talked for hours. She told me that she was secretly
in love with me, but had been to afraid to tell me. And I told her how I
felt and all about my life and family. Then I took her
home and the bookstore was closed, so we went to the back of the store
where her favorite chair is and kissed and…kissed.
And we just were together for hours." By the time Max finished he was
red.
"That's nice, Max." Liz said,
taking his hand. She couldn't believe someone like Max had spent his time
dreaming of her!
Max grinned at her, then turned to
the rest of the group "So, who's next?"
Eventually they stopped playing
the game and just told silly stories and embarrassing secrets. Everyone
was laughing and having a fun time and enjoying being teenagers. After an hour
or so Maria stood up. "As much fun as this is, I'm afraid we have to break it up, I haven't even started my English project
and I know it's going to take forever."
"Oh, Maria!" Liz scolded. "You
mean the really long one that's due Tuesday?"
"Yea, I know, I'm going to be up
all night." She said brightly.
"Michael, you're driving me, right?
"I better be getting home, too."
Max said, he turned to Liz "Want a ride?"
"If it's ok with Alex I'd like to just
hang out here for a little while and talk." Isabel said.
"That'd be great." Alex
agreed.
"It's starting." Max said.
"Isabel—"
Liz put a reassuring hand on his
arm, "Ok, have fun you two."
"Yea, I'll see you all Monday."
Alex said.
"Monday." Liz sighed. "Doesn't it
just seem wrong to have to go back to school after a wonderful weekend
like this?" She gave Alex a hug, "Thanks for everything."
"He's the one that should be
thanking up!" Max corrected, "We're the ones that worked our butts off
cleaning the place!"
"Yea!" Liz agreed, laughing, "We
should charge him next time."
"Right." Maria chimed in, "He
could pay us in pizza and chick flicks."
Everyone said their goodbyes and
made their way out to the cars. Liz curled up in the passenger seat of the
jeep and sighed contentedly. She smiled at Max. "That was such
a blast."
"Yea, it was." Max
agreed.
"But I'm glad Isabel decided to
stay with Alex. I like having your undivided attention."
"You always have it, it doesn't
matter how many people we're with." Liz smiled at her boyfriend and gave
him a quick kiss when they stopped at a stop sign.
They sat for a moment in silence
before Liz looked seriously at Max. "You know what I'm thinking,
right?"
"About why I waited so long to
tell you I liked you." Max said.
"Right! I mean, 5 years, think of
the time we wasted! What made you wait to long?"
"Remember near the end of 8th
grade when we did that report together?'
"Yea, for social studies, we made
the pyramids of Egypt and did a report on the Pharos. It was a great
report."
"Well, that's when I started to
like you. I figured it was just a crush and I would get over it. But then
when 9th came around and I still liked you I decided to tell you. I was getting my
courage up to tell you and then…My dad died." Max sounded so lost when he said that. Liz tried to put her arm around him, but it
proved too difficult with him driving, so she rested her hand on his upper arm. "Things got so complicated all of a sudden!
Everything was out of control and…I just couldn't tell you. I wanted to, but I couldn't." He didn't add that he was so tired when
he got home from work he fell asleep exhausted, he didn't tell her how his mother needed him he didn't know what he had to
give Liz. "We moved…Everything was so hard."
"You're not telling me something."
Liz said.
"Isabel has a secret, too." She
thought it over. "Will you tell me someday?"
"Yes." Max promised. "Someday." He
forgot all the reasons he and Isabel had sworn to keep it a secret, why he
hadn't let anyone in on the big bad secret. But he had
sworn not to, so he didn't tell Liz.
"Anyway, that brings us to maybe
10th grade. What then?"
Max shrugged, "You were friends
with Isabel. You confessed who you liked, who you thought was cute. She
came home and told me a lot of it, she was so thrilled to have
an upper classman's attention. It was never me. So I didn't
bother."
Liz smiled sadly. Already they
were seniors in high school and the real world was approaching fast. They
wasted so much time…She shrugged, she wouldn't make Max feel bad about it,
the past was the past and at least they were together now. "Well, I'm glad we finally got together. We have now, that's
something."
"Yea, it is." Max smiled again,
and it reached his eyes this time.
"Did you really fantasize about
me?" Max wasn't sure how to answer, but she rushed on without waiting for
a response. "Because, what you said in there, well, it was really sweet. And
nice." She laughed lightly, "And just like you. I didn't know I
was the kind of girl guys fantasized about. Espically
guys like you. Anyway, it was kind of nice."
Max stopped at a red light then
and leaned down to kiss Liz.
It was supposed to be a soft, quick kiss. But when
his lips brushed against hers he couldn't help kissing her harder and
slipping his tongue between her teeth. He forgot
where he was until several car horns blared at him and he smiled
sheepishly and realized the light was green. Liz laughed
happily, all in all, it had been a good day.
Monday after school Max found Liz
sitting on one of the benches outside the main office. "What's up,
Liz?"
"Oh, hey, Max." She said, glumly.
"I stayed after to talk to my teacher and I missed the bus. I'm waiting
for the late one. I was just sitting here for a few moments moping, then I'm going to
go up to the library."
"Well, I can give you a ride." Max
offered, surprised she hadn't immediately come to him.
"Sure." He was confused by how
surprised she sounded.
"Great." They walked out to the
jeep and got in. "I don't really want to go home right away." Liz said.
"Do you think maybe we could drive around for a while?"
Liz wondered if Max had caught on
to the fact that her plan for today was straight out of his own
imagination. Even if he never caught on, she would make sure tonight would be a night Max
didn't forget for quite a while |
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