Twenty minutes later, everyone arrived at the Crashdown. Jeff and Nancy
Parker were sitting with Phillip and Diane Evens, talking about the
election results when the group walked inside.
"Liz! What are you doing here?" her mom asked walking over and giving her a hug. "Are you still on Spring Break? Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"
"Max! You're home. Where have you been, Isabel said she hadn't seen you in two weeks." Diane Evens said walking over to him and giving him a hug as well.
"Hi Mom, hi Dad." Liz said as Max told his parents hello.
"Hello Max." Jeff said standing next to his wife, "How are you?"
"I'm fine Mr. Parker. I hope you don't mind, I went back to Vermont and picked up Liz and Maria to bring them home."
"Maria, you were with Liz? What happened to the record deal?" Nancy asked.
"It wasn't like I thought it was going to be. I wouldn't compromise my songs so I told them I was out of there, and went to see Liz." Maria said sitting down in a chair.
"Oh, good for you. I wish it could have been different though." Nancy said as everyone sat down, Liz sat down next to Maria, and Max sat next to her, earning an evil glare from Mr. Parker, everyone else was gathered behind the three of them.
"So, how was the trip? It took you guys a while to get here." Jeff said.
"It was good, we didn't force ourselves to go further than we really should, and we stopped for a short sight seeing excursion." Liz told them.
"Really, did you guys enjoy yourselves?" Diane asked.
"Yeah, we had lots of fun. There is something we need to tell you guys, and please don't start a scene." Liz told the adults.
"Of course sweetheart." Nancy said, wondering what she was talking about.
"Mom, Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Evens, Max and I got married three days ago." Liz said taking Max's hand.
Diane's mouth dropped open and her eyes got huge, and Phillip asked, "Are you two crazy?"
Nancy looked at her daughter and said, "Liz are you nuts, you're only eighteen years old."
Jeff stood up with his fists clinched and yelled, "You did what? I'm going to kill you!" he cried as he advanced towards Max. Liz quickly stood up blocking Max from her father.
"Daddy, please sit back down, let us explain. I love Max, and Max loves me." Liz began.
"We know that Liz, but you're only eighteen." Nancy said interrupting her.
"I know Mom, but we got married, because we knew that you wouldn't let us be together when I came home." She tried again.
"Liz, he's not a good influence, he got you arrested." Jeff said, his voice filled with anger.
"May I say something?" Max asked
"Stay out of this boy!" Jeff sneered
"Don't talk to my son that way Jeff." Diane said standing up.
Liz sighed as she sat down and rubbed her hands over her eyes once, then she began to talk again. "Dad, you have to forgive Max, Utah was a mistake, but don't judge him on one mistake, remember everything else that he has done over the last two and a half years."
"But Liz." He began interrupting her once more.
"No Dad, there are no buts to this, yes we got arrested in Utah, but Max wasn't the only one there. He didn't force me to do anything. It was a stupid mistake, but I knew what I was doing. It's just as much my fault as his."
"Liz, are you two sure about this, what are you going to do about school?" Diane asked, purposely changing the subject as she sat down.
"Yes we're sure, and we are going to finish school. We're going to get a small apartment here in town and finish our last three months at West Roswell. Then, we are going to take everyday as they come."
"Liz, what about Harvard?" Jeff asked finally sitting down.
"I'm not going to go to Harvard Dad, I knew that before I went to Vermont." She said, then quickly continued before he could interrupt again. "I don't have to be a molecular biologist to be happy, all I need is Max, my friends, and hopefully my family. But, I'll be honest, if you guys won't accept Max, I'll choose him. I love both of you, but I need Max. I realized that when I was back east." Liz said quietly, her voice full of conviction as she looked straight at her parents.
"Max, do you feel the same way?" Phillip asked, finally allowing Max to talk.
"Yes Dad. Liz is the most important person to me. I never intend to let her go again, unless she chooses to go. If you guys don't accept that now, I hope that you will in time. Isabel and all of our closest friends support us, if need be, that's enough for me."
"So you do support this Is?" Diane asked
"Yes Mom. They love each other, maybe even more than Jesse and I do. Max and Liz are true soul mates, nothing could keep them apart. And I know that there is nothing they can't conquer together. " Isabel told them honestly.
"Alright then. Liz, welcome to the family." Phillip said standing up and giving Liz a quick hug.
"Thank you Mr. Evens, Mrs. Evens." Liz said stepping back, relief showing in her face, before she turned to her parents, "Mom? Dad?"
"I'm sorry Liz, but I can't accept this. You can have your job back if you want it, but I'll never be able to forgive you for this." Jeff said standing up and walking out of the room.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, I have to follow your father's wishes. You can leave your stuff here until you get your own place; I wish you both a wonderful life. Always remember that I love you Liz, but I just can't go against him. If you would like your job back, leave a note in the office, I'll put you back on the schedule, Maria, the same goes for you." She said looking at Maria, and then turned back to her daughter. "Give him time." She said getting up and walking out of the room after her husband, leaving Liz standing by her chair.
"Well, she's right. Give him time. Where are you two going tonight?" Diane asked standing up and giving Liz a hug.
"We're not sure yet, Jim offered to let us stay at his place." Max said standing up and pulling Liz close.
"Jim, thank you for offering, but if the two of you will agree, you're welcome at our house. There is a bit more room." Diane said looking at her husband, who nodded his approval. "We would love to have you until you can get on your feet."
"Thank you Mom. I think we'll take you up on that. Jim, thanks for the offer, but it does make a bit more sense to go to my parents' place, that way Kyle can keep his room." Max said with a smile, and Kyle snorted a laugh.
"Your welcome Max, now I think we all had better get on home. It's been a long day for all of us." Jim said, and everyone began to leave the Crashdown, except Max and Liz. Liz stood facing the back door, and softly whispered, "Goodbye Daddy." She then turned back to Max and the two made their way outside, where a new life waited.
"Liz! What are you doing here?" her mom asked walking over and giving her a hug. "Are you still on Spring Break? Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"
"Max! You're home. Where have you been, Isabel said she hadn't seen you in two weeks." Diane Evens said walking over to him and giving him a hug as well.
"Hi Mom, hi Dad." Liz said as Max told his parents hello.
"Hello Max." Jeff said standing next to his wife, "How are you?"
"I'm fine Mr. Parker. I hope you don't mind, I went back to Vermont and picked up Liz and Maria to bring them home."
"Maria, you were with Liz? What happened to the record deal?" Nancy asked.
"It wasn't like I thought it was going to be. I wouldn't compromise my songs so I told them I was out of there, and went to see Liz." Maria said sitting down in a chair.
"Oh, good for you. I wish it could have been different though." Nancy said as everyone sat down, Liz sat down next to Maria, and Max sat next to her, earning an evil glare from Mr. Parker, everyone else was gathered behind the three of them.
"So, how was the trip? It took you guys a while to get here." Jeff said.
"It was good, we didn't force ourselves to go further than we really should, and we stopped for a short sight seeing excursion." Liz told them.
"Really, did you guys enjoy yourselves?" Diane asked.
"Yeah, we had lots of fun. There is something we need to tell you guys, and please don't start a scene." Liz told the adults.
"Of course sweetheart." Nancy said, wondering what she was talking about.
"Mom, Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Evens, Max and I got married three days ago." Liz said taking Max's hand.
Diane's mouth dropped open and her eyes got huge, and Phillip asked, "Are you two crazy?"
Nancy looked at her daughter and said, "Liz are you nuts, you're only eighteen years old."
Jeff stood up with his fists clinched and yelled, "You did what? I'm going to kill you!" he cried as he advanced towards Max. Liz quickly stood up blocking Max from her father.
"Daddy, please sit back down, let us explain. I love Max, and Max loves me." Liz began.
"We know that Liz, but you're only eighteen." Nancy said interrupting her.
"I know Mom, but we got married, because we knew that you wouldn't let us be together when I came home." She tried again.
"Liz, he's not a good influence, he got you arrested." Jeff said, his voice filled with anger.
"May I say something?" Max asked
"Stay out of this boy!" Jeff sneered
"Don't talk to my son that way Jeff." Diane said standing up.
Liz sighed as she sat down and rubbed her hands over her eyes once, then she began to talk again. "Dad, you have to forgive Max, Utah was a mistake, but don't judge him on one mistake, remember everything else that he has done over the last two and a half years."
"But Liz." He began interrupting her once more.
"No Dad, there are no buts to this, yes we got arrested in Utah, but Max wasn't the only one there. He didn't force me to do anything. It was a stupid mistake, but I knew what I was doing. It's just as much my fault as his."
"Liz, are you two sure about this, what are you going to do about school?" Diane asked, purposely changing the subject as she sat down.
"Yes we're sure, and we are going to finish school. We're going to get a small apartment here in town and finish our last three months at West Roswell. Then, we are going to take everyday as they come."
"Liz, what about Harvard?" Jeff asked finally sitting down.
"I'm not going to go to Harvard Dad, I knew that before I went to Vermont." She said, then quickly continued before he could interrupt again. "I don't have to be a molecular biologist to be happy, all I need is Max, my friends, and hopefully my family. But, I'll be honest, if you guys won't accept Max, I'll choose him. I love both of you, but I need Max. I realized that when I was back east." Liz said quietly, her voice full of conviction as she looked straight at her parents.
"Max, do you feel the same way?" Phillip asked, finally allowing Max to talk.
"Yes Dad. Liz is the most important person to me. I never intend to let her go again, unless she chooses to go. If you guys don't accept that now, I hope that you will in time. Isabel and all of our closest friends support us, if need be, that's enough for me."
"So you do support this Is?" Diane asked
"Yes Mom. They love each other, maybe even more than Jesse and I do. Max and Liz are true soul mates, nothing could keep them apart. And I know that there is nothing they can't conquer together. " Isabel told them honestly.
"Alright then. Liz, welcome to the family." Phillip said standing up and giving Liz a quick hug.
"Thank you Mr. Evens, Mrs. Evens." Liz said stepping back, relief showing in her face, before she turned to her parents, "Mom? Dad?"
"I'm sorry Liz, but I can't accept this. You can have your job back if you want it, but I'll never be able to forgive you for this." Jeff said standing up and walking out of the room.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, I have to follow your father's wishes. You can leave your stuff here until you get your own place; I wish you both a wonderful life. Always remember that I love you Liz, but I just can't go against him. If you would like your job back, leave a note in the office, I'll put you back on the schedule, Maria, the same goes for you." She said looking at Maria, and then turned back to her daughter. "Give him time." She said getting up and walking out of the room after her husband, leaving Liz standing by her chair.
"Well, she's right. Give him time. Where are you two going tonight?" Diane asked standing up and giving Liz a hug.
"We're not sure yet, Jim offered to let us stay at his place." Max said standing up and pulling Liz close.
"Jim, thank you for offering, but if the two of you will agree, you're welcome at our house. There is a bit more room." Diane said looking at her husband, who nodded his approval. "We would love to have you until you can get on your feet."
"Thank you Mom. I think we'll take you up on that. Jim, thanks for the offer, but it does make a bit more sense to go to my parents' place, that way Kyle can keep his room." Max said with a smile, and Kyle snorted a laugh.
"Your welcome Max, now I think we all had better get on home. It's been a long day for all of us." Jim said, and everyone began to leave the Crashdown, except Max and Liz. Liz stood facing the back door, and softly whispered, "Goodbye Daddy." She then turned back to Max and the two made their way outside, where a new life waited.