~A/N~ I REALLY want to thank all of you who have reviewed this story so
far. I really like this story and know exactly where it is going. Things
are kind of dull this chapter but I promise after this things are going to
pick up. The alien part of this story is also going to be brought up and
that whole scenario will become better and you'll even learn the answers to
your questions about Max.
This chapter is pretty long- at least long for me. I couldn't really find a good place to break it in the middle so enjoy! :o)
So thank you again and I ask you to please review this story? Without reviews I have no will to write and if you would review, even to flame, it would help immensely.
Disclaimer: Roswell: Not mine, Unrecognizable characters and the story: Mine
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~ Late that night ~
Maria awoke with a start. She stared out into the pitch black room, her breathing was uneven and her heart was racing. Something had startled her awake but as she stared into the quiet room where she, Liz, and Isabel had slept she saw nothing.
After the fight none of them had said anything about it and all of Maria's questions had been left unanswered. It was like it had been practiced- after the fight they all acted like nothing had happened and Maria had just imagined the gruesome fight that had affected them all so much. Liz asked what movie they wanted to watch and popped it in. They all watched in silence not saying anything.
Out of the corner of her eye through the darkness Maria saw a slight movement and immediately her head flicked toward it and she saw Michael sitting on the floor near her.
The boys had decided to stay over for the night in the family room because by the time the movie they had been watching was over it was around one o'clock in the morning.
Maria looked at him confused as to why he was in here. "What are you doing here Michael?" She whispered quietly trying not to wake the two sleeping girls across the room.
His eyes darted over to the two also. "I need to talk to you," he said as he looked back at her again before lifting himself off the floor soundlessly and heading for the door. Maria got up slowly and walked after him closing the door quietly before walking down the hall. They passed the family room where Maria saw Alex and Kyle sleeping soundly.
Michael led her out onto the small wood porch that the Parker's had off the second floor apartment above the café. The night was eerily quiet as the heat of the summer night wrapped around them both. The only noise heard was from the chirping crickets and Michael hadn't said a word.
She looked over at him and saw him gazing up at the sky and she too looked up at the bright beauty of the stars.
"I know you have questions Maria, I can see it in your eyes. I could see it after the fight and I can see it now," Michael said breaking the silence and tearing his eyes away from the sky to look over at her. "I know you want to know who Max is- was," he quickly corrected himself.
Maria nodded, "I was kind of wondering that."
"The truth is we don't talk about him anymore. Izzy especially, she won't utter his name. We haven't talked about it for a year and it's just been building up inside us all and today I could tell we just couldn't take it anymore.
"Max was my best friend, Isabel's brother, and Liz's boyfriend. We were all so extremely close- Izzy, Liz, Alex, Max, Kyle, and me- inseparable. We'd been friends for so long, so long I can barely even remember. Max and Izzy and I were friends first and as the years of schooling went by we acquired Liz, Kyle and Alex and it got to the point where I didn't know anyone but them. They were my friends and nothing else mattered.
"It was a year ago that it happened. Max was killed and it sort of tore our friendship apart. When Liz started dating Kyle it really broke us all up. I haven't really been friends with Liz since. We hang out but really we aren't even close to what we were before. Izzy, Liz, Kyle, and Alex have all stayed pretty close friends. Me, I just broke away."
Maria watched as Michael finished. His eyes were glazed over and she could tell talking about Max had upset him more than he was letting on. She noticed how he skipped around in the story and how he tried to cover it up. He never said how Max died and he never truly explained the extent of the friendship between the different parts of the group.
"So I hope that answers your questions Maria," Michael said pulling her out of her thoughts as he looked back at her.
Maria nodded, "it does. Thanks Michael- it means a lot to me that you would share that with me." She paused before going on. "I need to tell you something, something about why I didn't talk about my father." Michael nodded urging her on and she continued, "my father died not long ago- cancer. It- it's just been really hard for me to accept. My mom too and that's why I didn't mention it. We don't really talk about it anymore."
She watched Michael and was surprised as he smiled at her. "Thank you for that too Maria. I know that was hard for you and thanks," he said smiling again.
Slowly he reached his hand up and brushed his thumb up against her cheek and held it there for a moment before quickly pulling away.
It had been so quick Maria almost didn't believe it had happened before Michael turned and slid open the patio door but the feel of his touch still lingered on her cheek as she followed him inside.
~ Two days later ~
Maria lay perfectly still on the bed as her mind reeled as it had been for fifteen minutes. None of what they had said made sense.
Quickly she glanced over at the glowing red numbers that stood out in her dark bedroom. It was 12:34 and she wasn't anywhere near sleep.
Her mind went back to the night in Liz' bedroom and she tried to remember what they had said. She could tell there was more to the story than Michael had let on. 'You're not the leader over me! I don't care what THEY say Michael you'll NEVER be the leader!' Liz's statement came back to her and Maria could almost hear the venom in her words as she said it. 'They.' Who was they? Was it Isabel, Alex, and Kyle?
'It's your fault Liz. You practically KILLED him and you know it! He died for you and you are so extremely ungrateful!" None of the pieces added up, especially not the conversation with Michael in the middle of the night. 'Max was killed,' Michael had said. Killed- not died. Did that mean that Max had been murdered? Or did it just mean that he was in a car accident or something of that sort? It all confused her to no extent and all she wanted was for someone to tell her the truth for once.
*Tap tap*
The noise startled Maria and she quickly sat up and looked in the direction from where the noise had come. She felt her heart speed up as she saw Michael crouched outside of her window looking in at her. She knew that he wanted to come in so she quietly walked over and slid open the window.
"Michael what on earth are you doing here?" Maria whispered just loud enough for him to hear her in fear that she might wake her aunt and uncle.
"I, uh, I was wondering if I could talk to you." It was more of a question than a statement. "I didn't wake you did I?"
"No you didn't wake me. You can come in but you have to be quite alright? If you wake Maggie and Don they'll kill you first and then kill me." Maria said and Michael chuckled as he slid through the window and into her room.
He looked around and Maria was grateful that she had put the fourteen bottles of pills that usually adorned her desk away before she had gone to bed.
They sat on her bed, the pool of midnight that fell on the floor in front of them the only thing illuminating the room.
"Uh, what did you want to talk about Michael?" Maria asked suddenly feeling self conscious as he looked around her small room.
She watched and in the light of the moonlight she could just barely see him blush as he looked at her. "I- I was just wondering if you wanted to do something with me tomorrow?"
Maria laughed, "and that couldn't wait until the morning?" She asked playfully. She was shocked he had asked her. She had liked Michael since the minute she had met him but he had never given her a hint that he thought anything about her until the night after the fight.
"I was just thinking about it and I knew if I didn't do it right away I would chicken out," he admitted smiling slightly.
This was a whole side of Michael that Maria hadn't ever seen in the times she had spent with him. At this moment she saw anything but the mysterious yet powerful boy that had hung out with them and lurked in the shadows only talking when asked questions. Michael was nervous and for some reason it made Maria more inclined to say yes than she had been before.
"Of course I'll do something with you tomorrow Michael. I'm glad you asked."
A bright smile broke out on Michael face as he slowly got up from the bed. She got up too and walked him over to the open window. He looked at her before he climbed out. "There's something about you Maria. . . I don't even know what it is," he said shaking his head slightly as he slowly climbed out of the window. "See you tomorrow."
Maria watched as he walked away disappearing into the darkness. She felt her stomach flip as she fully realized what had just happened. Michael had just asked her out on a date. A giddy feeling she hadn't had since before she got sick filled her insides and she smiled as she headed back to bed. There was something about Michael too and Maria couldn't help but want to find out what it was.
~ The next night ~
Maria could feel the eyes on her the whole meal, when they sat in the corner of the restaurant she could see the people looking at them. She could almost hear their thoughts about what was going on between her and Michael.
It had been evident in Liz earlier that day that what was going on between them was a rarity.
*Flashback*
"So what are you doing tonight Maria?" Liz asked as she lazily wiped down the counters of the Crashdown getting ready for opening. Maria could tell something was on her mind, ever since the fight Liz had been distant.
"Actually I'm going out with Michael," Maria said as she took a sip from the milk shake Liz had whipped up for her earlier.
Liz stopped wiping and looked at her strangely, "you're going out with Michael? When did this happen?" She asked curiously her voice full of uncertainty.
"Actually he asked me last night," Maria said casting a questioning gaze at Liz, "is that bad or something?"
Liz shook her head quickly with a look of guilt on her face as if she had spilled some deep secret, "oh no not at all. It's just Michael hasn't been out on a date since- well, a really long time ago. Michael rarely even goes out anywhere. It was just a surprise," Liz quickly turned away obviously not wanting to expand on the topic and Maria was left with even more questions.
*End of Flashback*
Maria looked out the window at the miles of baron desert that stretched before her and wondered for the millionth time where they were going. After dinner Michael had ushered her out and wouldn't tell her where they were going.
Maria tried to ignore the familiar pain that was constantly plaguing her stomach. She had excused herself at dinner and taken pills that didn't seem to be helping her at all. She knew things weren't going good for her healthwise. The stomach pains had been coming more often and stronger every day but Maria didn't want to think about what she knew was coming.
They had been driving for almost 15 minutes to the undisclosed destination and just as she was beginning to wonder when they were going to get there Michael's voice broke the silence.
"We're here," he said as he killed the engine in the car and looked at her before opening the door.
As Maria got out of the car she wondered where exactly "here" was. All she saw was more sand and scrubby bushes. "Uh, Michael where are we going?" Maria asked as she quickly followed behind Michael as he began walking through the desert.
"Be patient Maria, you'll see." Michael said and even in the dark she could see his smug smile.
They walked in silence side by side for about five minutes, Maria looking around and trying to figure out where they were going and Michael leading the way confidently.
Finally he stopped and Maria looked over at him questioningly. She saw him staring out into the distance and turned her head to see what he was looking at. She gasped as she saw what he was looking at.
They were on a cliff looking over a deep canyon. Down below she saw the reflection of the small river that had formed the canyon and the peacefulness of where they were instantly put her at ease.
"Max and I used to come out her all the time, especially when we were little," Michael said as he took a few steps forward and sat down near the edge of the canyon. Maria kept silent as she sat next to him hoping he would go on.
"We'd make a day trip of it and it bugged Izzy more than you can imagine not knowing where we went. One day she begged and begged us to take her wherever we went and finally we gave in and allowed her to come along with us," Michael chuckled as he remembered. "She was so demanding back then, she could get anyone to do anything."
Maria smiled at the wistful look on his face and she could tell that he was remembering his childhood and yearning to have Max back with him.
"After Max left I didn't come out here for so long. I couldn't bear to be here when he wasn't- it didn't seem right to go to our place when one third of us was gone. Izzy still hasn't been out- she can't come to terms with the fact that Max is dead yet. It took her so long to even admit that he wasn't here and I don't expect her to be able to come out here for a long time."
He shook his head as if to shake the memory out and looked over at Maria. "I don't know what it is about you Maria but you made me want to show you this place. Liz, Kyle, and Alex haven't even been here before. Yet, for some reason I felt I had to bring you here. You do something to me Maria, you make me want to let down my guard. For me, letting down my guard is never a god thing," he admitted as he continued to look at her.
"You know you can tell me anything Michael," Maria said quietly wishing he would continue and tell her more about the mysterious past she long to know.
He shook his head slowly gazing down at the river's water below. "No Maria, I've already told you too much."
~ The next day ~
Maria should have known that telling him he could tell her anything was a bad idea. After that they had left the canyon and trudged back to the car and headed back to Roswell.
Maria walked into the building and instantly felt a pang of guilt as she looked around the small library. She knew she was going against Michael's wishes but she, for some reason, felt she had to know more about what had happened.
She walked over and took a seat at the computerized cataloguing system that held the old newspapers for Roswell back into the late 1970s. She took a look around the almost empty library before taking a deep breath and typing "Max Evans" into the search engine.
The computer whirred as it pulled up the information and in a matter of seconds a headline flashed across the screen. Maria quickly scanned it and instantly knew she had found exactly what she was looking for.
Local Teen Dead
"Late Thursday night police found the body of local teen Max Evans in the ally between the Crashdown Café and Annie's Quick Stop. The mysteries surrounding Evan's death have yet to be solved and police are asking anyone for information to please call them.
Evans was found seemingly unharmed with no sign of struggle or any beating. His body had no scratches or bruises but the family has asked for no autopsy to be done."
The rest of the article went on to tell when funeral services would be held. Maria sighed as she reread the article and felt the hope in her cease. The article was as mysterious as the fight between Isabel, Michael, and Liz.
Maria was about to exit out of the site when a small link at the bottom of the page caught her eye reading "related articles." Maria clicked it and in a minute another article was staring her in the face.
Two Found Wandering the Desert
"Two weeks ago at around 10 o'clock Diane and Philip Evans were driving on a baron stretch of desert road when they came upon the last thing they ever expected to see.
Two young children were wandering naked, hand in hand down the high way. They spoke no English an didn't know who they were.
Since their discovery the Evans have kindly decided to take the two into their home and adopt them. Naming them Max and Isabel Evans the couple has begun to teach the quick-learning pair English and basic skills of life. . ."
Maria stopped reading her mind reeling. Isabel and Max found naked in the desert when they were just kids? Where did they come from? There were so many unanswered questions now that Maria almost wished she hadn't come to investigate the death of Max Evans. She wished she had just kept her nose out of their business and never wondered what the secret that Isabel, Michael, Liz, Kyle, and Alex held ever was.
This chapter is pretty long- at least long for me. I couldn't really find a good place to break it in the middle so enjoy! :o)
So thank you again and I ask you to please review this story? Without reviews I have no will to write and if you would review, even to flame, it would help immensely.
Disclaimer: Roswell: Not mine, Unrecognizable characters and the story: Mine
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~ Late that night ~
Maria awoke with a start. She stared out into the pitch black room, her breathing was uneven and her heart was racing. Something had startled her awake but as she stared into the quiet room where she, Liz, and Isabel had slept she saw nothing.
After the fight none of them had said anything about it and all of Maria's questions had been left unanswered. It was like it had been practiced- after the fight they all acted like nothing had happened and Maria had just imagined the gruesome fight that had affected them all so much. Liz asked what movie they wanted to watch and popped it in. They all watched in silence not saying anything.
Out of the corner of her eye through the darkness Maria saw a slight movement and immediately her head flicked toward it and she saw Michael sitting on the floor near her.
The boys had decided to stay over for the night in the family room because by the time the movie they had been watching was over it was around one o'clock in the morning.
Maria looked at him confused as to why he was in here. "What are you doing here Michael?" She whispered quietly trying not to wake the two sleeping girls across the room.
His eyes darted over to the two also. "I need to talk to you," he said as he looked back at her again before lifting himself off the floor soundlessly and heading for the door. Maria got up slowly and walked after him closing the door quietly before walking down the hall. They passed the family room where Maria saw Alex and Kyle sleeping soundly.
Michael led her out onto the small wood porch that the Parker's had off the second floor apartment above the café. The night was eerily quiet as the heat of the summer night wrapped around them both. The only noise heard was from the chirping crickets and Michael hadn't said a word.
She looked over at him and saw him gazing up at the sky and she too looked up at the bright beauty of the stars.
"I know you have questions Maria, I can see it in your eyes. I could see it after the fight and I can see it now," Michael said breaking the silence and tearing his eyes away from the sky to look over at her. "I know you want to know who Max is- was," he quickly corrected himself.
Maria nodded, "I was kind of wondering that."
"The truth is we don't talk about him anymore. Izzy especially, she won't utter his name. We haven't talked about it for a year and it's just been building up inside us all and today I could tell we just couldn't take it anymore.
"Max was my best friend, Isabel's brother, and Liz's boyfriend. We were all so extremely close- Izzy, Liz, Alex, Max, Kyle, and me- inseparable. We'd been friends for so long, so long I can barely even remember. Max and Izzy and I were friends first and as the years of schooling went by we acquired Liz, Kyle and Alex and it got to the point where I didn't know anyone but them. They were my friends and nothing else mattered.
"It was a year ago that it happened. Max was killed and it sort of tore our friendship apart. When Liz started dating Kyle it really broke us all up. I haven't really been friends with Liz since. We hang out but really we aren't even close to what we were before. Izzy, Liz, Kyle, and Alex have all stayed pretty close friends. Me, I just broke away."
Maria watched as Michael finished. His eyes were glazed over and she could tell talking about Max had upset him more than he was letting on. She noticed how he skipped around in the story and how he tried to cover it up. He never said how Max died and he never truly explained the extent of the friendship between the different parts of the group.
"So I hope that answers your questions Maria," Michael said pulling her out of her thoughts as he looked back at her.
Maria nodded, "it does. Thanks Michael- it means a lot to me that you would share that with me." She paused before going on. "I need to tell you something, something about why I didn't talk about my father." Michael nodded urging her on and she continued, "my father died not long ago- cancer. It- it's just been really hard for me to accept. My mom too and that's why I didn't mention it. We don't really talk about it anymore."
She watched Michael and was surprised as he smiled at her. "Thank you for that too Maria. I know that was hard for you and thanks," he said smiling again.
Slowly he reached his hand up and brushed his thumb up against her cheek and held it there for a moment before quickly pulling away.
It had been so quick Maria almost didn't believe it had happened before Michael turned and slid open the patio door but the feel of his touch still lingered on her cheek as she followed him inside.
~ Two days later ~
Maria lay perfectly still on the bed as her mind reeled as it had been for fifteen minutes. None of what they had said made sense.
Quickly she glanced over at the glowing red numbers that stood out in her dark bedroom. It was 12:34 and she wasn't anywhere near sleep.
Her mind went back to the night in Liz' bedroom and she tried to remember what they had said. She could tell there was more to the story than Michael had let on. 'You're not the leader over me! I don't care what THEY say Michael you'll NEVER be the leader!' Liz's statement came back to her and Maria could almost hear the venom in her words as she said it. 'They.' Who was they? Was it Isabel, Alex, and Kyle?
'It's your fault Liz. You practically KILLED him and you know it! He died for you and you are so extremely ungrateful!" None of the pieces added up, especially not the conversation with Michael in the middle of the night. 'Max was killed,' Michael had said. Killed- not died. Did that mean that Max had been murdered? Or did it just mean that he was in a car accident or something of that sort? It all confused her to no extent and all she wanted was for someone to tell her the truth for once.
*Tap tap*
The noise startled Maria and she quickly sat up and looked in the direction from where the noise had come. She felt her heart speed up as she saw Michael crouched outside of her window looking in at her. She knew that he wanted to come in so she quietly walked over and slid open the window.
"Michael what on earth are you doing here?" Maria whispered just loud enough for him to hear her in fear that she might wake her aunt and uncle.
"I, uh, I was wondering if I could talk to you." It was more of a question than a statement. "I didn't wake you did I?"
"No you didn't wake me. You can come in but you have to be quite alright? If you wake Maggie and Don they'll kill you first and then kill me." Maria said and Michael chuckled as he slid through the window and into her room.
He looked around and Maria was grateful that she had put the fourteen bottles of pills that usually adorned her desk away before she had gone to bed.
They sat on her bed, the pool of midnight that fell on the floor in front of them the only thing illuminating the room.
"Uh, what did you want to talk about Michael?" Maria asked suddenly feeling self conscious as he looked around her small room.
She watched and in the light of the moonlight she could just barely see him blush as he looked at her. "I- I was just wondering if you wanted to do something with me tomorrow?"
Maria laughed, "and that couldn't wait until the morning?" She asked playfully. She was shocked he had asked her. She had liked Michael since the minute she had met him but he had never given her a hint that he thought anything about her until the night after the fight.
"I was just thinking about it and I knew if I didn't do it right away I would chicken out," he admitted smiling slightly.
This was a whole side of Michael that Maria hadn't ever seen in the times she had spent with him. At this moment she saw anything but the mysterious yet powerful boy that had hung out with them and lurked in the shadows only talking when asked questions. Michael was nervous and for some reason it made Maria more inclined to say yes than she had been before.
"Of course I'll do something with you tomorrow Michael. I'm glad you asked."
A bright smile broke out on Michael face as he slowly got up from the bed. She got up too and walked him over to the open window. He looked at her before he climbed out. "There's something about you Maria. . . I don't even know what it is," he said shaking his head slightly as he slowly climbed out of the window. "See you tomorrow."
Maria watched as he walked away disappearing into the darkness. She felt her stomach flip as she fully realized what had just happened. Michael had just asked her out on a date. A giddy feeling she hadn't had since before she got sick filled her insides and she smiled as she headed back to bed. There was something about Michael too and Maria couldn't help but want to find out what it was.
~ The next night ~
Maria could feel the eyes on her the whole meal, when they sat in the corner of the restaurant she could see the people looking at them. She could almost hear their thoughts about what was going on between her and Michael.
It had been evident in Liz earlier that day that what was going on between them was a rarity.
*Flashback*
"So what are you doing tonight Maria?" Liz asked as she lazily wiped down the counters of the Crashdown getting ready for opening. Maria could tell something was on her mind, ever since the fight Liz had been distant.
"Actually I'm going out with Michael," Maria said as she took a sip from the milk shake Liz had whipped up for her earlier.
Liz stopped wiping and looked at her strangely, "you're going out with Michael? When did this happen?" She asked curiously her voice full of uncertainty.
"Actually he asked me last night," Maria said casting a questioning gaze at Liz, "is that bad or something?"
Liz shook her head quickly with a look of guilt on her face as if she had spilled some deep secret, "oh no not at all. It's just Michael hasn't been out on a date since- well, a really long time ago. Michael rarely even goes out anywhere. It was just a surprise," Liz quickly turned away obviously not wanting to expand on the topic and Maria was left with even more questions.
*End of Flashback*
Maria looked out the window at the miles of baron desert that stretched before her and wondered for the millionth time where they were going. After dinner Michael had ushered her out and wouldn't tell her where they were going.
Maria tried to ignore the familiar pain that was constantly plaguing her stomach. She had excused herself at dinner and taken pills that didn't seem to be helping her at all. She knew things weren't going good for her healthwise. The stomach pains had been coming more often and stronger every day but Maria didn't want to think about what she knew was coming.
They had been driving for almost 15 minutes to the undisclosed destination and just as she was beginning to wonder when they were going to get there Michael's voice broke the silence.
"We're here," he said as he killed the engine in the car and looked at her before opening the door.
As Maria got out of the car she wondered where exactly "here" was. All she saw was more sand and scrubby bushes. "Uh, Michael where are we going?" Maria asked as she quickly followed behind Michael as he began walking through the desert.
"Be patient Maria, you'll see." Michael said and even in the dark she could see his smug smile.
They walked in silence side by side for about five minutes, Maria looking around and trying to figure out where they were going and Michael leading the way confidently.
Finally he stopped and Maria looked over at him questioningly. She saw him staring out into the distance and turned her head to see what he was looking at. She gasped as she saw what he was looking at.
They were on a cliff looking over a deep canyon. Down below she saw the reflection of the small river that had formed the canyon and the peacefulness of where they were instantly put her at ease.
"Max and I used to come out her all the time, especially when we were little," Michael said as he took a few steps forward and sat down near the edge of the canyon. Maria kept silent as she sat next to him hoping he would go on.
"We'd make a day trip of it and it bugged Izzy more than you can imagine not knowing where we went. One day she begged and begged us to take her wherever we went and finally we gave in and allowed her to come along with us," Michael chuckled as he remembered. "She was so demanding back then, she could get anyone to do anything."
Maria smiled at the wistful look on his face and she could tell that he was remembering his childhood and yearning to have Max back with him.
"After Max left I didn't come out here for so long. I couldn't bear to be here when he wasn't- it didn't seem right to go to our place when one third of us was gone. Izzy still hasn't been out- she can't come to terms with the fact that Max is dead yet. It took her so long to even admit that he wasn't here and I don't expect her to be able to come out here for a long time."
He shook his head as if to shake the memory out and looked over at Maria. "I don't know what it is about you Maria but you made me want to show you this place. Liz, Kyle, and Alex haven't even been here before. Yet, for some reason I felt I had to bring you here. You do something to me Maria, you make me want to let down my guard. For me, letting down my guard is never a god thing," he admitted as he continued to look at her.
"You know you can tell me anything Michael," Maria said quietly wishing he would continue and tell her more about the mysterious past she long to know.
He shook his head slowly gazing down at the river's water below. "No Maria, I've already told you too much."
~ The next day ~
Maria should have known that telling him he could tell her anything was a bad idea. After that they had left the canyon and trudged back to the car and headed back to Roswell.
Maria walked into the building and instantly felt a pang of guilt as she looked around the small library. She knew she was going against Michael's wishes but she, for some reason, felt she had to know more about what had happened.
She walked over and took a seat at the computerized cataloguing system that held the old newspapers for Roswell back into the late 1970s. She took a look around the almost empty library before taking a deep breath and typing "Max Evans" into the search engine.
The computer whirred as it pulled up the information and in a matter of seconds a headline flashed across the screen. Maria quickly scanned it and instantly knew she had found exactly what she was looking for.
Local Teen Dead
"Late Thursday night police found the body of local teen Max Evans in the ally between the Crashdown Café and Annie's Quick Stop. The mysteries surrounding Evan's death have yet to be solved and police are asking anyone for information to please call them.
Evans was found seemingly unharmed with no sign of struggle or any beating. His body had no scratches or bruises but the family has asked for no autopsy to be done."
The rest of the article went on to tell when funeral services would be held. Maria sighed as she reread the article and felt the hope in her cease. The article was as mysterious as the fight between Isabel, Michael, and Liz.
Maria was about to exit out of the site when a small link at the bottom of the page caught her eye reading "related articles." Maria clicked it and in a minute another article was staring her in the face.
Two Found Wandering the Desert
"Two weeks ago at around 10 o'clock Diane and Philip Evans were driving on a baron stretch of desert road when they came upon the last thing they ever expected to see.
Two young children were wandering naked, hand in hand down the high way. They spoke no English an didn't know who they were.
Since their discovery the Evans have kindly decided to take the two into their home and adopt them. Naming them Max and Isabel Evans the couple has begun to teach the quick-learning pair English and basic skills of life. . ."
Maria stopped reading her mind reeling. Isabel and Max found naked in the desert when they were just kids? Where did they come from? There were so many unanswered questions now that Maria almost wished she hadn't come to investigate the death of Max Evans. She wished she had just kept her nose out of their business and never wondered what the secret that Isabel, Michael, Liz, Kyle, and Alex held ever was.