Just to Be With You

Taking a deep calming breath, Liz braced herself for the confrontation she knew she wasn't ready for, and with one hand pushed the door of the Crashdown open, letting her step into the unknown.

Chapter 2: Calm Before the Storm

Liz blinked and blinked again in surprise. Empty. The Crashdown Café was actually empty at…she looked down at her watch…at six o' clock on a Friday night? Something strange was going on.

Her eyes scanned the empty café, in her mind seeing herself and Maria walking around serving patrons. She saw herself show tourists pictures of "Aliens". There was Michael and Maria arguing by the grill, Alex sitting in a bar stool ordering an orange soda on the rocks. Liz could clearly see Isabel and Tess coming in with shopping bags and big smiles on their faces. There was Kyle and Max fooling around, arm wrestling and other contests to see who the better man was. Then she saw that day, the day when everything had changed, the day when her feelings for Max Evans had begun to change and blossom into the unrequited love she was feeling now.

Now the scene changed to that fateful day exactly one year ago. Michael was at the grill flipping burgers, Maria was walking around taking orders, Alex and Isabel were both in an in depth conversation about music while Max, Kyle, and Tess were sitting at their usual booth eating. She, herself was in the process of showing two tourists a picture of an alien sighting. She was transported back to that time, and she could picture everything, feel every emotion that ran through her that day.

::Flashback::

Amusement. As she told her tale of aliens to the two gullible tourists, and walked away from them.

Annoyance when Kyle pulled her down into his lap, refusing to let her leave until she smiled at him.

Happiness to see Alex and Isabel sitting so closely, knowing that her best friend was beginning to fall for one, Alex Whitman.

Anger as she heard the argument between two shouting customers. Fear to see Maria suddenly fall to the ground in panic.
Horror as a silver glint of a gun suddenly appeared, and everyone else was on the ground, all but her who stood completely still just as the gun went off, sending the bullet straight at her.

Acceptance as she closed her eyes waiting for death to come and take her. Surprise when she felt her body being pushed down to the ground, a heavy weight on top of her.

Confusion when she opened her eyes to see Max's body covering hers, his face merely inches from hers, eyes filled with concern.

Fear when she noticed the blood on her hand. Looking down to see the bullet had hit Max in the side. Tears filling her eyes, as she looked back up to his eyes, seeing nothing but concern and love.

Anxiety as she awaited them to report about Max's condition.

Relief. The bullet did not hit anything vital and wasn't buried deep. He would be fine if he rested for the next few months.

Worry as she continued to take care of him, owing him her life.

'Max?'

'Yeah?'

'Why?'

'Why what?'

'Why did you jump in front of the bullet? You could have been killed.'

'…'

'Max?'

'It was you.'

Happiness…confusion, content, sorrow, love…Love? Revelation. It was true. She was falling for him, perhaps she was already gone. Acceptance, pain, confusion, love. Falling for her best friend? Her brother's best friend…for Max Evans.

'Liz?'

'I'm leaving Max.'

'What? Where? With who? How long? Why?'

'Florida. Aunt's house. No one. The summer.' You wouldn't understand why. Liz thought silently, tears welling up in her eyes.

Comfort as his arms wrapped around her.

'I'll miss you Lizbit.'

Longing as she remembered his love for her was strictly platonic.

'Me too Max. I'll miss you too.'

::end flashback::

Her stay in Florida had been longer than expected. In fact it had been several months longer than expected. Liz sat down at the booth, their booth and her mind wandered once more.

::flashback::

…I hope you come home soon, babe. I miss you so much. I need my best friend here with me! I mean Maria and Tess are cool and all, but they're not you. I can't tell them everything like I can tell you. Speaking of which, let me catch you up on the gossip around here. Tommy and Jane were caught having a little too much fun at the movie theater on Friday. I know. Eeewwwww. Ria and Michael are flirting like crazy and I heard that Kyle caught them making out in Maria's room when we had movie night at their house. Tess and Kyle are still so adorable and disgustingly in love. Alex…well Alex is starting a new band. His songs are amazing I swear. You should see him perform, his eyes glow and they're so beautiful. The way he holds his guitar, the passion on his face….oops I'm rambling. Who am I forgetting? Oh yeah! Max. Well since the shooting, Max has received a lot more attention from the girls. He's a major player now, it's pretty disgusting. I swear he sleeps with a new girl every week! Ewww mental pictures. Sorry babe, I got to go. Love ya!

Love,
Isabel :)

(P.S. Come home soon!)

Liz stared at the letter, rereading the last few lines over and over again. Her heart was beginning to ache. What was wrong with her? So what if Max was sleeping with all these girls? It wasn't anything new. He was a player; Michael had been too…that was until he had begun to have feelings for Maria. She had been used to it, in fact they talked about it sometimes. But now as her heart was racing and the room began to spin. She jumped up and rushed to the bathroom, and heaved up her lunch. When she finished, she leaned weakly against the wall, tears running down her face. She wept and wept and wept, but she knew not what she wept for as her world began to spin out of control.

::flash::

The phone ringing jarred the group from their discussion, and Michael looked down and pulled out his cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Michael?" A familiar feminine voice cried over the line. Michael smiled in joy as he stood up and walked a little ways from the group.

"Lizzie?" He exclaimed excitedly, happy to talk to her sister, having not heard her voice over two months. Everyone else had stopped what they were doing and looked up at the mention of Liz's name. A big smile grew on Max's face as he took an unconscious step forward, closer to his girl best friend's voice.

"Michael?" Liz's voice said again, cracking slightly with the tears in her eyes.

"Liz? What's wrong?" Michael's joyful mood suddenly vanished replaced with alarm and it showed because suddenly everyone was crowding around Michael.

She didn't answer, but just murmured something under her breath.

"Lizzie? What is it? You're scaring me? Lizzie?"

"It hurts...Michael it hurts." Her trembling voice was soft, but it cut through Michael and Max's hearts.

"What hurts? Are you hurt? Is someone hurting you? Liz!" Michael vented out fiercely.

"It hurts. It hurts." Liz repeated.

Max took the cell away from the nerve-wrecked Michael, and put it to his own ear.

"Lizbit? Sweetheart? What's wrong?"

Max's voice reached over the phone, piercing her heart again as she sobbed harder. "I'm sorry Max."

Max stood confused as she began to apologize over and over.

"For what? You didn't do anything, Liz what's wrong?"


Liz stared at the phone for a few moments before she looked down at the empty bottle beside her and sobbed even harder. "I just wanted it to stop hurting. I wanted to make the pain go away."

"Liz what are you talking about?"

Isabel was gripping Alex's arm for dear life and Michael listened as Maria held him, to the Max's side of the cryptic conversation that he had started.

"I'm so tired Max. So sleepy." Her voice became a bit livelier as she said the next words, "The pain's going away Max."

Max's eyes widened in horror as he realized what she had been apologizing for.

"Max I have to go. I'm going to sleep now Max."

"No! Liz! Stay on the phone! Talk to me! Liz! Don't go to sleep! Liz!" His desperate pleas tore at her heart, but the pain was beginning to disappear and her eyelids were becoming heavier.

"I'm sorry Max. I'm so sleepy." Liz sighed as she crawled over to the bed, with the phone still in her hand. Her eyelids began to close, and her breathing slowed considerably. She closed her eyes, and then blinked as she suddenly remembered something. Picking up the phone again, she spoke softly. "Max."

"Liz?" Tears could be heard in his voice.

"Max, I love you Max." She confessed as sleep continued to spread through her body.

"I love you too Lizzie. Stay with me, please. I love you."

Liz laughed softly, before replying sadly, "Not like I love you, goodnight Max."

"Liz! No! Liz!" Max cried out, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks, and the Isabel, seeing her brother's state burst into her own tears, fear gripping her heart.

"Liz!" But his pleas were lost on deaf ears as he heard the soft click of the phone, shattering his already breaking heart. He slumped down to the ground, next to Isabel and pulled her into his arms as tears slipped silently down his cheeks.

::Flash::

"Lizzie? Sweetie where are you? We're home. Lizzie?" Linda called out for her niece as her daughter began to search the house for her favorite cousin.

Linda put the bags down on the table as she began to rifle through the mail, a piercing scream suspending her movement, terror gripping her heart as she ran towards her daughter's screams.

"Anna? Anna! Sweetie what's wrong? Anna!"

She burst through the door of Liz's room and stopped in horror to see Liz's form in bed, limp and pale with a bottle of sleeping pills next to her.

Moments later, the phone was left off the hook, mail was left unread, grocery not put away, and the fading sounds of sirens could be heard as the ambulance sped away, taking with it a precious being.

*****
tbc (you guys tell me, should I continue or not?)