Author's Note: Well, it took me long enough. Happy Thanksgiving!!!! This hasn't been beta read yet. This is your warning. I'm not sure how much more I'll update this, but I'll try. Also, I completely changed the plot line I started with.
Personal Messages:
Perfectangel- Glad you like the name change thing.
Skigrrrrrrrl- I'll try to update this as much as I can, when the mood to write strikes.
ChiChi22- I'm trying to update. I really am.
Victori- Glad you like it. The first chapter is more laid back then the last few chapters will be though.
Lizzie- AU means Alternate Universe. Different story lines than the show gives you.
Julie- I've said this before, but I'll try to continue.
Bvabyblugoddess7389- I tried to find your story, but I couldn't. What's it called?
~LM~ We'll see, I'm not sure what ship this story will favor.
Julie- Don't know if you're the same Julie as before and you said almost the same thing.
Loserrrfreak- Love the name. Reminds me of Boy Meets World. I'm trying to keep writing.
Aurora- I promise I'll write whenever the mood strikes me and muse decides to like me.
Rachella- I'm continuing.
Kirsty- Thanks for the advice, but when I posted this, no episodes had aired stating her middle name so I had to make one up. I'm gonna keep it as Rose though. I'm kinda turning the LM universe into my own little world.
Chapter Two
"You're in my math and history classes, right?" Asked Liz after taking a minute to figure out where she'd seen him before.
"I think so. Third period with Henderson?"
"Yep. Did you forget something?" She asked realizing that he was going back into the room instead of leaving like everyone else.
"Yeah, my book." He said as Liz realized that she was blocking the door. She stepped aside and let him into the room. "Are you new here?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Hill Crest isn't exactly the largest school ever. You tend to notice anything different." He was right, Hill Crest only had about five hundred students.
"It's gonna take a lot of getting used to. My old school had twice an many people in it." By now they had left the room and Liz had unconsciously directed them toward her locker.
"Did you go to Wellington?" Asked Gordo. Naming one of Hill Crest's biggest rivals.
"No, I went to school in the Twin Cities, Minneapolis to be exact."
"Must have been hard to move here in your senior year, huh." He commented.
"A little. I miss my friends and my family. But it was my choice to move here."
"You don't live with your family?" Gordo asked, sounding surprised.
"No. Yes. Sort of. I live with my aunt and cousins. Stop here." They'd reached her locker.
"Why did you move?"
"I wanted to go to college here and it's cheaper if I live here so my parents let me move in with Aunt Alex." She finished putting her books in her locker and looked at her watch. "I'm sorry, I've got to go. My cousin's gonna get pissed off and leave without me if I don't hurry."
"See you."
* * *
"What took you so long?" Demanded Jared when he saw Liz walking toward the car.
"I was talking with someone. Can we go now, I've got biology homework."
"Who were you talking with?" Asked Amber. "I noticed that you make friend's fast."
"What can I say? I'm talented. I literally bumped into this guy in our math class. Said his name was Gordo."
"I know him." Said Amber. "He's helped me out in math a few times. He's kind of a geek though."
"He seemed nice enough though." By now they had pulled into their driveway and Jared parked the car.
"That's what I like about you, you make your own judgements about people." Said Jared.
"That had better not be the only reason you like me."
"Oh, don't worry, it's not. I also like you because you've already made friends with one of the hottest girls in school."
"Pig." Declared Amber.
* * *
"He guys, sorry I'm late." Said Alex. Amber and Liz were watching TV in the living room and Jared was working on his English homework. He was the first one to notice the pizza box in his mom's hands.
"You didn't have to by pizza, if you would have called we could have made something." Said Liz.
"Keep quite, will ya. The only pizza Mom ever buys is the frozen stuff. This is so much better." Said Amber.
"I know you would have made something." Said Alex, pointedly ignoring her daughter. "But those two can't cook for shit and you've made dinner the past three nights in a row."
* * *
"Well, how was school?" Asked Alex when they'd all sat down to eat. Jared grunted something the sounded like 'fine' and went back to his pizza.
"Great!" Said Amber enthusiastically. "Me and Nikkie have five classes together." Nikkie was Amber's best friend and Liz was certain that they were born joined at the hip. "And Zane Wood is in two of my classes." Jared groaned, choosing the minute that Amber started talking about Zane Wood to actually start listening to their conversation.
"What's a Zane Wood?" Liz asked Jared.
"Her current obsession."
"How was your day?" Amber asked, turning to Liz.
"Usual, went to classes, got really heavy books, got bored out of my mind and found a date for Saturday night."
"Not bad for a day at school. Who asked you out?"
"Mark Lewis." She was about to say something else when she was interrupted by Jared choking on his coke.
"Mark Lewis? As in my friend Mark?"
"Yeah, something wrong with that?"
"No, he just hasn't gone out with anyone since Tara." Liz wanted to ask who she was, but thought it would be better to leave it alone.
* * *
"Amber! Come in here for a minute!" Yelled Liz.
"What?" She asked, walking into Liz's room through the bathroom that connected their rooms. "I'm on the phone with Nikkie." She held up the phone for emphasis.
"What shirt?" Liz held up two different tops.
"Black peasant top." Said Amber, already turning to go back to her room. Then the doorbell rang.
"Dammit! He's early." Cursed Liz, shooting a glance at the clock on her desk. She heard Jared open his bedroom door just as the doorbell rang again. "Jared, keep him busy!" Called Liz. Her voice was slightly muffled because her mouth was full of toothpaste, but Jared got the message. "Amber, can I borrow your hairbrush?" Liz poked her head into Amber's room.
"Where's yours?" Amber threw her brush at her cousin's head. Liz caught it and started running it through her hair.
"It's under my bed and it's dusty down there, and I'm wearing black, and dust shows up really well on black." Explained Liz quickly, stressing the word 'really.'
"Sorry I took so long. Ready?" Liz asked as she picked up her purse from the table.
"Yeah, lets go. The movie starts in twenty minutes." They'd decided ahead of time to go and see The Ring.
* * *
"So, did you like the movie?" Asked Mark.
"Scary, but I did like it."
"It scared the shit outa me." Admitted Mark. "Have you ever been to The Diner?"
"I haven't been there yet."
"Well, what do you say to malts and burgers there then?" Mark took her hand in his and they walked the three blocks from the theater to The Diner like that.
* * *
"Why don't you snag that booth in the back corner and I'll go order for us." Offered Mark.
"So, what's good here?"
"Everything."
"You're so helpful. I think I'll just have a coconut malt." Liz slid into the booth in the back corner that Mark pointed out to her. It was a great place to sit, she could see the entire restaurant from where she was sitting. The wall of The Diner that faced the street was a giant window. The inside had booths along two of the back walls and the floor in front of the windows had a mix a square and round tables. The last wall was a counter with stools in front of it. Around the counter, there was an alcove off the main room of tables. Booths surrounded the walls in the alcove and there was an old-fashioned juke box in a corner. Almost all of the tables were full of groups of people from school. Liz recognized a few of them from her classes.
She saw Mark walk up to the counter, place their orders, take a plastic marker with a number on it and come back to their table.
"What's the number for?"
"They bring the food to us." A few minutes later a waitress brought over the malts and Mark's burger. They ate quickly and fifteen minutes later, Liz was spooning the last few spoonfulls of ice cream out of her malt glass.
"Wanna dance?" Asked Mark, eyeing the couples that were dancing in the alcove.
* * *
"Are you as thirsty as I am right now?" Asked Mark.
"Yeah, I'll go and get us some cokes." Offered Liz. Five minutes later she slid into the booth next to Mark. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and sipped his coke. Liz let herself relax and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Aren't you moving a little fast?" Asked someone, jolting Liz back to reality.
"Hi Kate, Ethan." Said Liz.
"Hey Liz." Replied Ethan. Kate didn't acknowledge her.
"It's been over six months, Kate."
"How could you?" Demanded Kate quietly.
"I've started to move on, you need to accept that." Said Mark, matching Kate's quiet tone.
"At least you could have chosen someone who wasn't a slut." Said Kate forcefully.
"Bitch" Said Liz. "Mark, why don't you take me home now." Suggested Liz. They walked back to the theater, where Mark's car still was. It was a silent ride home.
"I'll call you." Said Mark once they were at Liz's door.
"You better." Liz leaned in to kiss him, but Mark wrapped his arms around her in a hug.
"Goodnight Liz."
"Night Mark." Said Liz when she stepped inside.
"I'll call you." He said again, right before Liz closed the door.
Author's Note 2: Everyone check out http://www.free-your-sould.net It's my friend's site and she'd really appreciate it if you joined. Any In A Heartbeat fans click on my pen name and read my other stories. Same goes for Dark Angel fans.