~*~*A/N: Yay for Roswell!! (This chapter brought to you by De.)
~*CHAPTER FIVE: Crashdown Mayhem*~
-*-
The double doors that lead into the back room of the Crashdown swung gently as Liz and Maria lead Charlotte towards the locker area.
"There's probably an old uniform around here somewhere," Liz said, starting to rummage through a few nearby drawers. Charlotte sat on a rumpled couch, watching the two waitresses search thoroughly. Finally, Maria let out a triumphant cry, and pulled out a wrinkled, yet wearable, blue Crashdown uniform and matching antenna headband.
"Kind of a short skirt," Charlotte commented, glancing at the apron and then down to her long flowing skirt, looking somewhat doubtful.
"Well, think of it this way," Maria said with a grin, "you'll get great tips from 50% of our customers!"
"Maria!" Liz said, lightly hitting her arm. Charlotte had to laugh, and she took the uniform from Maria willingly.
"Why don't you put it on?" Liz suggested. "You could start right away if you'd like."
"Okay," Charlotte agreed. Liz directed her towards the bathroom, and then pulled Maria back out to the kitchen to resume work. Jodi was perched on a stool at the counter, scanning a menu. Liz ventured over to her, oder pad in hand, while Maria crossed the room to wait on more tables.
"Can I get you anything?" Liz asked. Jodi glanced up, pushing a few strands of her brown hair out of her face.
"A coke, sure."
Liz nodded, a bit put off by her clipped words. Jodi wasn't exactly as warm or friendly as Charlotte, and Liz didn't know how to react to her odd tone of voice. When it was clear that Jodi was not about to speak any more, Liz turned, dropping all thoughts of attempting to make small talk.
The doors of the back room opened, and Charlotte emerged, clad in the space-esque uniform. Maria and Liz glanced her way, eager to get a glimpse of their new waitress, dressed for the part.
"I feel half-naked," Charlotte said with a laugh.
"You look cute!" Maria assured her confidently. "The uniform fits you perfectly."
"Why don't you show her around the kitchen," Liz suggested. "The crowd is pretty thin out here; I can handle it."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Go."
Maria grinned at her friend, and grabbed Charlotte's arm, leading her towards the back again.
"Come on," she said. "I'll show you the in's and out's of the Crashdown's grease kitchen. Trust me, you won't eat fast food ever again."
Liz laughed, rolling her eyes slightly as Maria and Charlotte disappeared from the main room of the restaurant. She flipped her order pad to a fresh sheet and started for a table in the corner. She paused halfway through her journey to the other side of the Crashdown as she neared the spot where she had lay, back in September, after getting shot. Liz couldn't remember the exact way the blood trickled down her stomach (for it must have - there was a gunshot), but she remembered the emotions. The fear...the panic...the final acceptance that she was, in fact, going to die...and then...the relief and amazement, as Max Evans, just as tall and broad as ever, stood over her, and then knelt down to save her.
Liz was practically lost in the moment, as it replayed itself in her mind, but she was dragged back down to earth at the sound of Maria calling her name.
"Liz," she said, sticking her head in from the kitchen, "you have a phone call back here. Why don't we switch? I can show Charlotte around behind the counter if you want to take a break."
Liz nodded, briefly wondering how long she had zoned out for. It could have been three seconds...and it could have been three hours. When thinking about Max, she always seemed to lose track of time.
~*~
The last bits of evidence of daylight were beginning to fade just as the members of The Whits began to trickle down Alex's driveway, in their own personal directions towards home. Soon enough, Alex was left with just Isabel, and he watched her silently as she circled the garage, touching the instruments absentmindedly. He admired the way her blonde hair shimmered in the pale moonlight as she walked through the various white streams seeping in through the cracks of the garage door. Thankful for the dim lighting to hide his blush, Alex began to work words in his mind, mentally tripping over what to say to her next. Should he offer to drive her home? *Walk* her home? After all, she didn't live too far away.
Licking his lips nervously, Alex took in a breath of air, preparing to speak, but Isabel beat him to it.
"Well," she said, turning towards him, "I guess I'm going to head out. Thanks for inviting me to your band's practice. I really had a good time."
"Sure," he replied with a casual shrug. "No problem."
"I'll see you in school, Alex," Isabel said with a smile that he could see clearly, even in the dark setting. He just knew it was there.
Alex sighed as he heard Isabel walk away, down to the sidewalk. When she was out of earshot, he sighed again, and threw down his guitar pick, mumbling to himself.
"Would you like me to walk you home, Isabel?" he muttered bitterly, reaching down to pick up the pick. "Idiot. How hard would that have been?"
~*~
Liz placed the phone back on the receiver, making a mental note to tell her father that his former friend in college had called. Suddenly, she jumped upon hearing Maria's voice once again.
"Liz," she hissed, "Valenti's out there."
"What's he doing?" Liz asked curiously.
"Getting a burger."
"So?"
"So! It's Valenti!"
"Come on, Maria," Liz said, rolling her eyes. "Even police officers can get hamburgers on a weeknight."
"No," Maria replied pointedly, "they're supposed to get donuts."
Liz laughed and pushed past Maria to get a glimpse of the sheriff for herself. Sure enough, he was seated at the counter, a few seats down from Jodi, and Charlotte was standing on the other side, posed with her order pad.
"So," Jim was saying, "you're new in Roswell?"
"Yes," Charlotte replied, placing her order pad in her apron, and tucking a strand of long red hair behind her ear. "My twin sister Jodi and I moved here from Canada." She gestured to Jodi, who lifted a hand in greeting.
"Twins?" he said with a laugh. "Well, be sure not to cause double the trouble."
Maria and Liz shared a look, silently groaning. Could he get any cornier?
"How much trouble could one cause in Roswell anyway?" Charlotte said with a half-grin, reaching to fill a glass with coke, as Jim had ordered.
"Oh, you'd be surprised," he replied, and suddenly his tone changed as his eyes flicked over to Liz, who blatantly avoided his glance. Charlotte, though, missed the entire exchange, as she quickly went across the room to help someone else with their order, completely unaware that the Sheriff had placed the Harvey girls into his mental list, for any new visitor in Roswell was cause for suspicion.
~*~*A/N: Go, go, go Jess!*~*~
~*CHAPTER FIVE: Crashdown Mayhem*~
-*-
The double doors that lead into the back room of the Crashdown swung gently as Liz and Maria lead Charlotte towards the locker area.
"There's probably an old uniform around here somewhere," Liz said, starting to rummage through a few nearby drawers. Charlotte sat on a rumpled couch, watching the two waitresses search thoroughly. Finally, Maria let out a triumphant cry, and pulled out a wrinkled, yet wearable, blue Crashdown uniform and matching antenna headband.
"Kind of a short skirt," Charlotte commented, glancing at the apron and then down to her long flowing skirt, looking somewhat doubtful.
"Well, think of it this way," Maria said with a grin, "you'll get great tips from 50% of our customers!"
"Maria!" Liz said, lightly hitting her arm. Charlotte had to laugh, and she took the uniform from Maria willingly.
"Why don't you put it on?" Liz suggested. "You could start right away if you'd like."
"Okay," Charlotte agreed. Liz directed her towards the bathroom, and then pulled Maria back out to the kitchen to resume work. Jodi was perched on a stool at the counter, scanning a menu. Liz ventured over to her, oder pad in hand, while Maria crossed the room to wait on more tables.
"Can I get you anything?" Liz asked. Jodi glanced up, pushing a few strands of her brown hair out of her face.
"A coke, sure."
Liz nodded, a bit put off by her clipped words. Jodi wasn't exactly as warm or friendly as Charlotte, and Liz didn't know how to react to her odd tone of voice. When it was clear that Jodi was not about to speak any more, Liz turned, dropping all thoughts of attempting to make small talk.
The doors of the back room opened, and Charlotte emerged, clad in the space-esque uniform. Maria and Liz glanced her way, eager to get a glimpse of their new waitress, dressed for the part.
"I feel half-naked," Charlotte said with a laugh.
"You look cute!" Maria assured her confidently. "The uniform fits you perfectly."
"Why don't you show her around the kitchen," Liz suggested. "The crowd is pretty thin out here; I can handle it."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Go."
Maria grinned at her friend, and grabbed Charlotte's arm, leading her towards the back again.
"Come on," she said. "I'll show you the in's and out's of the Crashdown's grease kitchen. Trust me, you won't eat fast food ever again."
Liz laughed, rolling her eyes slightly as Maria and Charlotte disappeared from the main room of the restaurant. She flipped her order pad to a fresh sheet and started for a table in the corner. She paused halfway through her journey to the other side of the Crashdown as she neared the spot where she had lay, back in September, after getting shot. Liz couldn't remember the exact way the blood trickled down her stomach (for it must have - there was a gunshot), but she remembered the emotions. The fear...the panic...the final acceptance that she was, in fact, going to die...and then...the relief and amazement, as Max Evans, just as tall and broad as ever, stood over her, and then knelt down to save her.
Liz was practically lost in the moment, as it replayed itself in her mind, but she was dragged back down to earth at the sound of Maria calling her name.
"Liz," she said, sticking her head in from the kitchen, "you have a phone call back here. Why don't we switch? I can show Charlotte around behind the counter if you want to take a break."
Liz nodded, briefly wondering how long she had zoned out for. It could have been three seconds...and it could have been three hours. When thinking about Max, she always seemed to lose track of time.
~*~
The last bits of evidence of daylight were beginning to fade just as the members of The Whits began to trickle down Alex's driveway, in their own personal directions towards home. Soon enough, Alex was left with just Isabel, and he watched her silently as she circled the garage, touching the instruments absentmindedly. He admired the way her blonde hair shimmered in the pale moonlight as she walked through the various white streams seeping in through the cracks of the garage door. Thankful for the dim lighting to hide his blush, Alex began to work words in his mind, mentally tripping over what to say to her next. Should he offer to drive her home? *Walk* her home? After all, she didn't live too far away.
Licking his lips nervously, Alex took in a breath of air, preparing to speak, but Isabel beat him to it.
"Well," she said, turning towards him, "I guess I'm going to head out. Thanks for inviting me to your band's practice. I really had a good time."
"Sure," he replied with a casual shrug. "No problem."
"I'll see you in school, Alex," Isabel said with a smile that he could see clearly, even in the dark setting. He just knew it was there.
Alex sighed as he heard Isabel walk away, down to the sidewalk. When she was out of earshot, he sighed again, and threw down his guitar pick, mumbling to himself.
"Would you like me to walk you home, Isabel?" he muttered bitterly, reaching down to pick up the pick. "Idiot. How hard would that have been?"
~*~
Liz placed the phone back on the receiver, making a mental note to tell her father that his former friend in college had called. Suddenly, she jumped upon hearing Maria's voice once again.
"Liz," she hissed, "Valenti's out there."
"What's he doing?" Liz asked curiously.
"Getting a burger."
"So?"
"So! It's Valenti!"
"Come on, Maria," Liz said, rolling her eyes. "Even police officers can get hamburgers on a weeknight."
"No," Maria replied pointedly, "they're supposed to get donuts."
Liz laughed and pushed past Maria to get a glimpse of the sheriff for herself. Sure enough, he was seated at the counter, a few seats down from Jodi, and Charlotte was standing on the other side, posed with her order pad.
"So," Jim was saying, "you're new in Roswell?"
"Yes," Charlotte replied, placing her order pad in her apron, and tucking a strand of long red hair behind her ear. "My twin sister Jodi and I moved here from Canada." She gestured to Jodi, who lifted a hand in greeting.
"Twins?" he said with a laugh. "Well, be sure not to cause double the trouble."
Maria and Liz shared a look, silently groaning. Could he get any cornier?
"How much trouble could one cause in Roswell anyway?" Charlotte said with a half-grin, reaching to fill a glass with coke, as Jim had ordered.
"Oh, you'd be surprised," he replied, and suddenly his tone changed as his eyes flicked over to Liz, who blatantly avoided his glance. Charlotte, though, missed the entire exchange, as she quickly went across the room to help someone else with their order, completely unaware that the Sheriff had placed the Harvey girls into his mental list, for any new visitor in Roswell was cause for suspicion.
~*~*A/N: Go, go, go Jess!*~*~