[b]- Part Three -[/b]
Max Evans stared in horror as Liz's gasp alerted him to Kyle's presence. Cold, gnawing dread clenched his insides, and the urge to be suddenly sick caused his eyelids to quiver and close. Taking a deep breath, he simultaneously wished this entire nightmare to be just that - a dream. A horrible dream from which he would soon awake.
He had no such luck.
Max opened up his eyes to find the scene exactly as he'd left it. Completely and truly [I]screwed up[/I]. Fighting the urge to groan, he shot a look at Liz. Her expression mirrored exactly how he felt - aghast with a smidgeon of fear.
What exactly did Kyle see? How long had he been standing there watching him and Liz?
Too long, was the apparent answer as Max took in Kyle's flabbergasted appearance. Way too long.
This was all his fault. If only he had actually considered [I]thinking[/I] before he decided to heal Liz, to heal her in broad daylight - inside a crowded, [I]public[/I] restaurant for Christ's sake! ([I]Though face it,[/I] an annoying voice in his head piped up, [I]You've done it before, and would do it again if you had to[/i]) If only he had just [I]told[/I] Liz what had happened, instead of trying to show her by reversing the connection as he healed her. If only he hadn't allowed the connection to go as far as it did.
Max silently cursed as he recalled just exactly how [I]much[/I] of his soul was bared to Liz a few moments ago. He scowled at the likelihood of it all. Sure, the [I]one[/I] instance where he lost control of his powers and it would be this time. He had only meant to tell Liz that he wasn't deliberately trying to kick her out of his life and to show what had occurred last night, with Hubble's attempt upon his life and the shocking reiteration that Nasedo wasn't someone who you would want to come across. But once more, Liz Parker took complete control of his emotions, thoughts, and actions, throwing him off balance and sending his head spinning.
It was totally exhilarating, freeing and -
And frightening. How was he supposed to keep his distance, keep her safe and free from hurt, and slow things down when she did this to him? When all he could ever think about was when the lights hit her head at a certain angle, her hair simply shined? About the way her brown eyes bore into his, stripping away everything until all there was left was her? About the way she darted her pink tongue out sporadically to wet her lips? About the way those lips had felt pressed against his own?
He used to dream about what it would be like to be able to touch her, allowing himself to imagine what the sensation of kissing her would do to him.
But now that he actually [I]knew[/I], it was driving him slowly insane with the need for more.
And now, thanks to him and his inability to control his damn feelings around her, she was aware of all this, aware of [I]everything[/I]. And he was willing to bet that that particular enlightenment would only prove to hurt her [I]more[/I] when he had to push her away again. And for that, he hated himself, because he had to do it. His heart suddenly felt like lead, sinking down into the pits of his stomach at the very thought. He battled the urge to grab her and kiss the living daylights out of her - Kyle and his astonished wide eyes be damned - and focused instead upon the matter at hand, the result and repercussion of his inherent impulsiveness that seemed inevitable whenever anything concerned Liz.
Kyle Valenti was presently still gaping openly at him, utter shock etched on his features like words chiseled in stone. It looked as if Liz and he had a lot of explaining to do. Guilt washed over him in waves once more as he imagined the expressions that Michael and Isabel would don once they found out what he had done. How he had once more exposed their secret, and however unwittingly, broke their silent yet sacred pact: [I]Tell no one. Never risk exposure.[/I]
Kyle's irregular breathing patterns sliced through the anxious, extremely uneasy silence. Quite ironically, Max almost wished that Hubble [I]had[/I] killed him last night.
Why? Why couldn't it have been anyone other than Kyle? Max mused desperately. Despite himself, Max felt a familiar surge of jealousy flare up as he stared helplessly at the boy. Quickly squashing down upon it, he chastised himself. This was so not the time for that kind of petty crap. The Sheriff's own [I]son[/I] had just walked in on their carefully guarded secret for crying out loud, and all Max could think of was the expression upon both Liz's and Kyle's face as they laughed together in the Crashdown. What the hell was [I]wrong[/I] with him?
Max's shoulders sagged as the new overbearing recollection of just who exactly Kyle was dominated his thoughts. Valenti's son. The offspring of the man who was currently trying to hunt him down and force out his secret, the man who would literally [I]jump[/I] at the chance to be in Kyle's shoes right now - and also the man to whom Kyle would most likely be confiding in after today's little revelation.
Max bit back another sigh. This totally sucked.
"Wha - " Kyle gulped. "What the hell just happened?" His dark blue eyes skittered to and from Max and Liz's stricken forms.
Liz sighed and, darting a look in Max's direction, replied with false ignorance. "What do you mean Kyle?"
Kyle shook his head violently, and she fell silent. "Don't try and pull that crap with me Liz." Snapping his gaze to level with Max's, his expression hardened. "I knew something was screwy with you Evans. These past few months, I-I just always smelled something fishy. And it wasn't Fish Fry Friday at the Crashdown." Breaking off, Kyle shoved his fingers through his brown hair, and then used the same fingers to rub his eyes furiously, muttering muffled curses under his breath. After gaining a thin veil of control, Kyle continued with his tirade. "You did something to her just now. And I wanna know what the hell it was."
Max frowned at the steely determination that overrode the horror and fear in Kyle's eyes. [I]Shit.[/I] Kyle wasn't going anywhere without an explanation, and a darn good one at that. What exactly was he supposed to say? Any type of excuse that popped into Max's mind seemed not even remotely plausible. Frantically searching his mind for something, [I]anything[/I] to satisfy Kyle's inquisitive mind, Max realized that all he could do was give it his best shot. And pray that Kyle was as stupid as Max often liked to imagine.
Raising his eyebrows in what he hoped was an innocuous expression, Max looked at Kyle dubiously. "What are you talking about? I was just holding her hand. Do you have a problem with that?" Max longed to also ask if the fact that Liz was in the back of the restaurant with [I]him[/I] and not Kyle himself had anything to do with Kyle's angry accusations, but he held himself in check. Best not piss off the confused jock anymore than he already was, because no matter how satisfying it might be, it probably wouldn't move things in their favor. Probably.
Kyle scowled. "No, what the [I]problem[/I] is Evans, is that you're a goddamn liar! Your hand was [I]glowing[/I]!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, apprehension dawned upon Kyle's face, almost as if he recognized how insane he sounded.
Max almost snorted aloud, because the fact was that it [I]was[/I] all insane. Preposterous and appropriately so. Max suddenly fantasized how the scenario would turn out if he simply blurted everything out right now as blatantly as possible. [I]Well, you see Kyle, my hand was glowing because I was healing Liz's cut with my special powers, just like I healed her gunshot wound last fall in the Crashdown. You remember that, don't you? Oh, and I suppose I should also mention at this time that I'm not exactly from around here. A little green about the gills if you will. Yes, that's right, I'm an alien. You know how every year this town celebrates the Crash Festival, reenacting the supposed 1947 Crash? Well, I came from said crash, surviving in an incubation pod. A little crack and hatch 50 years later and wha-la, here I am. Any questions?[/I]
Oh yeah, that would go over [I]real[/I] well.
Shaking off his tiny reverie, Max blinked at Kyle, trying to further ignite the little seed of doubt that was beginning to form in Kyle's eyes. "Glowing? What are you trying to get at Kyle? Are you trying to imply that I have special powers or something?" Faking a laugh, Max did some quick thinking. "You probably just saw some light reflect off of something onto my hand." Cocking his head, Max faked a concerned look, all the while ignoring the way his heart was beating rapidly in it's struggle to leap out of his chest. "Kyle, are you okay?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Max saw Liz inch slightly forward with baited breath that matched his own. [I]He had to buy this, he[/I] had [I]to![/I]
Max's breath then hitched with hope when Kyle's face wavered with confusion. The other boy expelled a gust of air from his lungs as he stared off into space for a minute, conflicting emotions flitting across his features. Max was about to let out a sigh of relief when Kyle snapped his gaze back towards him, his perplexed expression melting into a smug one.
"Nice try Evans." Max couldn't stop his jaw from clenching, nor could he keep his heart from stopping cold with fear.
Kyle paced slowly and deliberately back and forth along the tiny room. "But where did this supposed light come from? Hmm?" Kyle looked pointedly up at the ceiling. Raising his gaze to follow Kyle's, Max's heart sank just as he heard Liz quietly groan. Indeed there were no light fixtures anywhere near the spot where he and Liz had stood. Kyle was right, damn it, and proud of it. The very idea made Max want to punch him.
Wide realization soon replaced the smirk on Kyle's face, and he sucked in a loud gust of air. "Does this have anything to do with why my father is on your tail all the time?"
Max struggled to keep his face neutral, but as a small sly smile broke out across Kyle's countenance, he knew he was busted. [I]Damn him to hell.[/I]
Kyle took a step towards him, his expression full of menace. "I wonder what my dad would think about this.this little hand glowing.thing. He would probably find this [I]very[/I] interesting, don't you think so Evans?" He stumbled on his terms as to what had just transpired, but his tone was enough to send shivers down Max's spine and anger to his fists. Just as he was getting ready to pound Kyle one, Liz stepped between them.
"Stop it! Kyle, just stop it!" Liz cried. Taking a deep breath, she fixed him with a resigned stare. "We'll tell you everything, but -"
Max's eyes grew wide as he spun towards her. "What?"
Liz blew out an exasperated sigh. "What else can we do Max?"
Max fell silent. She was right, of course. [I]What else could they do?[/I] Lie until they were blue in the face? Deny everything until Kyle left it alone? Let Kyle go off without any explanation, so he could go and tell his father that he saw [I]something[/I], regardless of the fact that he had no clue what it was?
None of those would suffice. Max knew it, Liz knew it, hell even [I]Kyle[/I] knew it. Yet the alternative didn't look anymore promising. How could he be expected to tell Kyle everything? To let him in on their carefully guarded secret? Michael and Isabel were going to murder him on the spot. Hot, fresh guilt swooped down again, and Max grimaced.
And moreover, how could they expect Kyle to be okay with it all? To keep it to himself, and not turn them into his father? To simply accept the fact that aliens did indeed walk among them, and that absolute secrecy was needed?
[I]Liz and Maria did it. Alex did it, even when he was feeling betrayed and hurt. They've all come through for you in ways you could have never even thought of. Maybe Kyle will prove to be the same, maybe, just maybe, telling him won't be such a bad thing.[/I] That annoying voice in Max's head decided to nag at him again. Max immediately told it to shut up. Was he insane?! Of COURSE telling Kyle was bound to blow up in his face! How could it not?
But as Max watched as Liz looked at him helplessly, and as Kyle folded his arms, clearly not going anywhere for a while, he knew that he had no other option right now. And there was no time to try and compose a new one. Swallowing hard, Max opened his mouth to begin.
All he could do now was pray that fate would be kind, and if not that, at least be merciful.
It was only later that Max realized just how foolish that kind of wishful thinking was.
* * * * *
Isabel Evans smacked Michael's hand as he tried to sneak one of her space fries. Giving him a cold look, she then tossed her golden hair over her shoulder and sighed, staring out the window onto Main Street. Her expression sobered a great deal, and one could only guess at what sort of turmoil plagued her soul and caused that little crinkle to form in between her forehead - the crinkle that usual meant deep pensive thought was occurring.
And also, the crinkle that left one with the desire to rub all problematic thought away so that her beautiful features would be unmarred by such qualms.
[I]Stop staring,[/I] Alex Whitman scolded himself. [I]For the love of God man, control yourself and salvage what's left of your poor mangled dignity![/I]
This was quickly becoming absurd. So Isabel wanted some space. He could do that. He could do that without making a fool of himself. He could be more distant around Miss Isabel. He could cut back on the obsessive-like behavior. He could be un-romantically involved. He was as a cool as a cucumber. Hell, cucumber should have been his middle name! He was aloof. He was calm. He was collected. He was -
A goner. A complete and total goner. He suppressed the urge to groan.
[I]Okay, so lying to yourself isn't working. Try diversionary tactics[/I] Movement flashed out of the corner of his eye, and he turned his attention onto Maria, who was using the lull in business to wipe down nearby tables. Now, [I]this[/I] was where his focus should be. On his friends, on the people who actually had some sort of need for him. It was obvious that all this alien crap was getting to his two best girls. And he had just the remedy for that.
Alex's eyes narrowed, however, when he noticed the sporadic glances Maria kept stealing behind her towards the break room. He sighed softly. Now what? He watched her silently for a few more minutes, trying to ignore the mild exasperation he felt while watching her take a few more suspicious peeks. This was almost as bad as watching someone pace back and forth; as the nervous energy coming off of Maria was painfully palpable.
He pursed his lips as she shot yet another look towards the back of the Crashdown. This was getting ridiculous. Now she was making even [I]him[/I] nervous! "Maria, would you cut it out? Liz is fine."
Maria shook her blonde head, her antennae bobbing along for the ride. Her wide green eyes shone with wary concern as they sought out his blue ones. "They've been back there for a really long time, Alex."
Girls. They say one thing one in one moment, and the next they're off on another tangent.
Alex raised a dubious eyebrow at his friend. "Maria? Weren't you the one who, like five minutes ago, said that 'judging from the look on Liz's face, they were going to be back there for a while?'" He gave her a knowing look as she shrugged sheepishly. He leaned down to take a gulp of his orange soda, the sound of ice tinkling on the glass echoing loudly in the near- empty diner.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that all the Czech cloak-and-dagger mumbo jumbo was going to your head." He joked. Immediately, he regretted it when he saw Maria's face fall as she slumped down onto nearby bar stool.
[I]Nice going Whitman,[/I] he reprimanded himself. [I]Good way to get her mind off of everything so you could both enjoy a normal, Czech stress-free day[/I]
"Maria," he started sorrowfully while mentally kicking himself. "I didn't mean -"
She shook her head forcefully. "No, you're right." She glared over at a certain booth in the corner. "Knowing Mudboy over there has put me in a perpetually paranoid state of mind." Still glowering, Maria whipped her order pad out from her silver apron and slammed it vehemently atop the counter in front of her. Alex winced at her brute force, but stayed silent, choosing to keep his perplexities about the moniker "Mudboy" to himself.
"Can we talk about something else please?" She complained, her eyes darting everywhere but towards the "Mudboy" in question. Suddenly, realization dawned upon Alex, and her abrupt worry for Liz made perfect sense.
Diversionary tactics. She was attempting the very same thing he had tried to do just now, to take his mind off of Isabel by forcing his thoughts elsewhere. Maria was trying to get her mind off of Michael, and in doing so, latched her attention onto Liz, and her earlier disappearance into the break room with Max.
Goners. Both of them, goners. So far Liz was the only one of them to tackle one of the Czechs head on.
"Sure," Alex replied to her question. "I wanted to ask you something anyways." Maria turned her head towards him, letting him know she was listening. "I was thinking that we need a Girl's Night Out." He paused, and then amended. "Or a Two Girls and A Guy Night out. Whatever." Grinning when he saw the amused smirk break out across Maria's face, he continued. "Just a night to relax, pig out, watch extremely cheesy teen flicks, and basically just be normal teenagers, you know?"
Maria smiled. "That actually sounds like the best idea I've heard all week." Her smile dimmed however, as she looked across the diner. "Now if only Kyle would get his ass out of the toilet and pay, I could get off this shift and be able to help you plan."
Alex wrinkled his nose. "Jeez, how long has he been in there?" He paused. "Scratch that. I'd probably be better off not knowing. Some things are better left unsaid." Scrunching up his face even more, he groaned. "Oh, yuck! The visuals, eww, the visuals!"
Maria laughed outright and smacked his shoulder. "Alex! That's gross!"
"Yeah well." Isabel and Michael ambled out of their booth and made their way over, and Alex's words died off right as Maria's laughter did. [I]Czech incoming[/I], Alex thought wryly as Isabel walked right up to Maria and placed the bill on the counter, then began to dig through her purse. A tight silence settled over the small group as Maria picked up the check and made her way over to the nearby register, Isabel not far behind. Which left Alex and Michael by themselves at the bar.
Alex cleared his throat nervously after a minute. "So," he started. Michael jumped slightly, his form inquiring silently as to why Alex was deeming to make small talk. "How's it going?"
Michael merely shrugged. [I]Typical,[/I] Alex thought, but then was surprised when Michael answered verbally as well.
"It's going, I guess." The spiky hair boy replied dully as the bell to the front door jingled. Four heads swiveled towards the door and all immediately stiffened when the tall, grim form of Sheriff Valenti filled their views.
The Sheriff's eyes scanned the tiny diner, finally coming to rest upon Michael Guerin. Taking off his large, dark sunglasses, he made his way over to the bar stools. Alex wished briefly for a knife, so he could cut through all of this palpable tension hanging in the air, but his thoughts halted when he felt Isabel come up to stand beside him.
[I]So not the time Whitman.[/I]
The Sheriff came to a stop once he reached them, keeping an ample amount of distance between them, but also remaining close enough to be intimidating. He smiled weakly, almost seeming to sense the tension himself. "Hello Miss Evans, Mr. Guerin, Mr. Whitman, Miss Deluca." He nodded respectively to each of them. "Is Max around?"
Okay, if Alex's heart wasn't beating double time before, it most definitely was now. He sensed Isabel stiffen next to him, and he longed to take her hand, touch her arm, anything that could comfort her. He restrained himself however, reiterating inside his mind her need for space.
"Why?" Isabel queried in a seemingly casual manner, but Alex caught the steely undertones of apprehension that managed to waver through.
The Sheriff's gaze jumped from Michael to Alex to Isabel and then back to Michael. "I thought he might be here, since he wasn't at your home when I called." He paused, taking in their reactions, his blue eyes widening slightly when he realized how that must have sounded. "I just have some information I thought he'd might want to know."
Michael stepped belligerently forward. "I could pass it on to him."
The Sheriff pressed his lips together, seeming to weigh his options. For some odd reason, the hairs on the back of Alex's neck pricked up.
"All right," the Sheriff began. "I suppose you, Mr. Guerin, would want to be informed of this as well." When Michael nodded bemusedly, Valenti took a deep breath and dropped the bombshell.
"It appears that Mr. Everett Hubble is still out there somewhere."
To Be Continued.
Max Evans stared in horror as Liz's gasp alerted him to Kyle's presence. Cold, gnawing dread clenched his insides, and the urge to be suddenly sick caused his eyelids to quiver and close. Taking a deep breath, he simultaneously wished this entire nightmare to be just that - a dream. A horrible dream from which he would soon awake.
He had no such luck.
Max opened up his eyes to find the scene exactly as he'd left it. Completely and truly [I]screwed up[/I]. Fighting the urge to groan, he shot a look at Liz. Her expression mirrored exactly how he felt - aghast with a smidgeon of fear.
What exactly did Kyle see? How long had he been standing there watching him and Liz?
Too long, was the apparent answer as Max took in Kyle's flabbergasted appearance. Way too long.
This was all his fault. If only he had actually considered [I]thinking[/I] before he decided to heal Liz, to heal her in broad daylight - inside a crowded, [I]public[/I] restaurant for Christ's sake! ([I]Though face it,[/I] an annoying voice in his head piped up, [I]You've done it before, and would do it again if you had to[/i]) If only he had just [I]told[/I] Liz what had happened, instead of trying to show her by reversing the connection as he healed her. If only he hadn't allowed the connection to go as far as it did.
Max silently cursed as he recalled just exactly how [I]much[/I] of his soul was bared to Liz a few moments ago. He scowled at the likelihood of it all. Sure, the [I]one[/I] instance where he lost control of his powers and it would be this time. He had only meant to tell Liz that he wasn't deliberately trying to kick her out of his life and to show what had occurred last night, with Hubble's attempt upon his life and the shocking reiteration that Nasedo wasn't someone who you would want to come across. But once more, Liz Parker took complete control of his emotions, thoughts, and actions, throwing him off balance and sending his head spinning.
It was totally exhilarating, freeing and -
And frightening. How was he supposed to keep his distance, keep her safe and free from hurt, and slow things down when she did this to him? When all he could ever think about was when the lights hit her head at a certain angle, her hair simply shined? About the way her brown eyes bore into his, stripping away everything until all there was left was her? About the way she darted her pink tongue out sporadically to wet her lips? About the way those lips had felt pressed against his own?
He used to dream about what it would be like to be able to touch her, allowing himself to imagine what the sensation of kissing her would do to him.
But now that he actually [I]knew[/I], it was driving him slowly insane with the need for more.
And now, thanks to him and his inability to control his damn feelings around her, she was aware of all this, aware of [I]everything[/I]. And he was willing to bet that that particular enlightenment would only prove to hurt her [I]more[/I] when he had to push her away again. And for that, he hated himself, because he had to do it. His heart suddenly felt like lead, sinking down into the pits of his stomach at the very thought. He battled the urge to grab her and kiss the living daylights out of her - Kyle and his astonished wide eyes be damned - and focused instead upon the matter at hand, the result and repercussion of his inherent impulsiveness that seemed inevitable whenever anything concerned Liz.
Kyle Valenti was presently still gaping openly at him, utter shock etched on his features like words chiseled in stone. It looked as if Liz and he had a lot of explaining to do. Guilt washed over him in waves once more as he imagined the expressions that Michael and Isabel would don once they found out what he had done. How he had once more exposed their secret, and however unwittingly, broke their silent yet sacred pact: [I]Tell no one. Never risk exposure.[/I]
Kyle's irregular breathing patterns sliced through the anxious, extremely uneasy silence. Quite ironically, Max almost wished that Hubble [I]had[/I] killed him last night.
Why? Why couldn't it have been anyone other than Kyle? Max mused desperately. Despite himself, Max felt a familiar surge of jealousy flare up as he stared helplessly at the boy. Quickly squashing down upon it, he chastised himself. This was so not the time for that kind of petty crap. The Sheriff's own [I]son[/I] had just walked in on their carefully guarded secret for crying out loud, and all Max could think of was the expression upon both Liz's and Kyle's face as they laughed together in the Crashdown. What the hell was [I]wrong[/I] with him?
Max's shoulders sagged as the new overbearing recollection of just who exactly Kyle was dominated his thoughts. Valenti's son. The offspring of the man who was currently trying to hunt him down and force out his secret, the man who would literally [I]jump[/I] at the chance to be in Kyle's shoes right now - and also the man to whom Kyle would most likely be confiding in after today's little revelation.
Max bit back another sigh. This totally sucked.
"Wha - " Kyle gulped. "What the hell just happened?" His dark blue eyes skittered to and from Max and Liz's stricken forms.
Liz sighed and, darting a look in Max's direction, replied with false ignorance. "What do you mean Kyle?"
Kyle shook his head violently, and she fell silent. "Don't try and pull that crap with me Liz." Snapping his gaze to level with Max's, his expression hardened. "I knew something was screwy with you Evans. These past few months, I-I just always smelled something fishy. And it wasn't Fish Fry Friday at the Crashdown." Breaking off, Kyle shoved his fingers through his brown hair, and then used the same fingers to rub his eyes furiously, muttering muffled curses under his breath. After gaining a thin veil of control, Kyle continued with his tirade. "You did something to her just now. And I wanna know what the hell it was."
Max frowned at the steely determination that overrode the horror and fear in Kyle's eyes. [I]Shit.[/I] Kyle wasn't going anywhere without an explanation, and a darn good one at that. What exactly was he supposed to say? Any type of excuse that popped into Max's mind seemed not even remotely plausible. Frantically searching his mind for something, [I]anything[/I] to satisfy Kyle's inquisitive mind, Max realized that all he could do was give it his best shot. And pray that Kyle was as stupid as Max often liked to imagine.
Raising his eyebrows in what he hoped was an innocuous expression, Max looked at Kyle dubiously. "What are you talking about? I was just holding her hand. Do you have a problem with that?" Max longed to also ask if the fact that Liz was in the back of the restaurant with [I]him[/I] and not Kyle himself had anything to do with Kyle's angry accusations, but he held himself in check. Best not piss off the confused jock anymore than he already was, because no matter how satisfying it might be, it probably wouldn't move things in their favor. Probably.
Kyle scowled. "No, what the [I]problem[/I] is Evans, is that you're a goddamn liar! Your hand was [I]glowing[/I]!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, apprehension dawned upon Kyle's face, almost as if he recognized how insane he sounded.
Max almost snorted aloud, because the fact was that it [I]was[/I] all insane. Preposterous and appropriately so. Max suddenly fantasized how the scenario would turn out if he simply blurted everything out right now as blatantly as possible. [I]Well, you see Kyle, my hand was glowing because I was healing Liz's cut with my special powers, just like I healed her gunshot wound last fall in the Crashdown. You remember that, don't you? Oh, and I suppose I should also mention at this time that I'm not exactly from around here. A little green about the gills if you will. Yes, that's right, I'm an alien. You know how every year this town celebrates the Crash Festival, reenacting the supposed 1947 Crash? Well, I came from said crash, surviving in an incubation pod. A little crack and hatch 50 years later and wha-la, here I am. Any questions?[/I]
Oh yeah, that would go over [I]real[/I] well.
Shaking off his tiny reverie, Max blinked at Kyle, trying to further ignite the little seed of doubt that was beginning to form in Kyle's eyes. "Glowing? What are you trying to get at Kyle? Are you trying to imply that I have special powers or something?" Faking a laugh, Max did some quick thinking. "You probably just saw some light reflect off of something onto my hand." Cocking his head, Max faked a concerned look, all the while ignoring the way his heart was beating rapidly in it's struggle to leap out of his chest. "Kyle, are you okay?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Max saw Liz inch slightly forward with baited breath that matched his own. [I]He had to buy this, he[/I] had [I]to![/I]
Max's breath then hitched with hope when Kyle's face wavered with confusion. The other boy expelled a gust of air from his lungs as he stared off into space for a minute, conflicting emotions flitting across his features. Max was about to let out a sigh of relief when Kyle snapped his gaze back towards him, his perplexed expression melting into a smug one.
"Nice try Evans." Max couldn't stop his jaw from clenching, nor could he keep his heart from stopping cold with fear.
Kyle paced slowly and deliberately back and forth along the tiny room. "But where did this supposed light come from? Hmm?" Kyle looked pointedly up at the ceiling. Raising his gaze to follow Kyle's, Max's heart sank just as he heard Liz quietly groan. Indeed there were no light fixtures anywhere near the spot where he and Liz had stood. Kyle was right, damn it, and proud of it. The very idea made Max want to punch him.
Wide realization soon replaced the smirk on Kyle's face, and he sucked in a loud gust of air. "Does this have anything to do with why my father is on your tail all the time?"
Max struggled to keep his face neutral, but as a small sly smile broke out across Kyle's countenance, he knew he was busted. [I]Damn him to hell.[/I]
Kyle took a step towards him, his expression full of menace. "I wonder what my dad would think about this.this little hand glowing.thing. He would probably find this [I]very[/I] interesting, don't you think so Evans?" He stumbled on his terms as to what had just transpired, but his tone was enough to send shivers down Max's spine and anger to his fists. Just as he was getting ready to pound Kyle one, Liz stepped between them.
"Stop it! Kyle, just stop it!" Liz cried. Taking a deep breath, she fixed him with a resigned stare. "We'll tell you everything, but -"
Max's eyes grew wide as he spun towards her. "What?"
Liz blew out an exasperated sigh. "What else can we do Max?"
Max fell silent. She was right, of course. [I]What else could they do?[/I] Lie until they were blue in the face? Deny everything until Kyle left it alone? Let Kyle go off without any explanation, so he could go and tell his father that he saw [I]something[/I], regardless of the fact that he had no clue what it was?
None of those would suffice. Max knew it, Liz knew it, hell even [I]Kyle[/I] knew it. Yet the alternative didn't look anymore promising. How could he be expected to tell Kyle everything? To let him in on their carefully guarded secret? Michael and Isabel were going to murder him on the spot. Hot, fresh guilt swooped down again, and Max grimaced.
And moreover, how could they expect Kyle to be okay with it all? To keep it to himself, and not turn them into his father? To simply accept the fact that aliens did indeed walk among them, and that absolute secrecy was needed?
[I]Liz and Maria did it. Alex did it, even when he was feeling betrayed and hurt. They've all come through for you in ways you could have never even thought of. Maybe Kyle will prove to be the same, maybe, just maybe, telling him won't be such a bad thing.[/I] That annoying voice in Max's head decided to nag at him again. Max immediately told it to shut up. Was he insane?! Of COURSE telling Kyle was bound to blow up in his face! How could it not?
But as Max watched as Liz looked at him helplessly, and as Kyle folded his arms, clearly not going anywhere for a while, he knew that he had no other option right now. And there was no time to try and compose a new one. Swallowing hard, Max opened his mouth to begin.
All he could do now was pray that fate would be kind, and if not that, at least be merciful.
It was only later that Max realized just how foolish that kind of wishful thinking was.
* * * * *
Isabel Evans smacked Michael's hand as he tried to sneak one of her space fries. Giving him a cold look, she then tossed her golden hair over her shoulder and sighed, staring out the window onto Main Street. Her expression sobered a great deal, and one could only guess at what sort of turmoil plagued her soul and caused that little crinkle to form in between her forehead - the crinkle that usual meant deep pensive thought was occurring.
And also, the crinkle that left one with the desire to rub all problematic thought away so that her beautiful features would be unmarred by such qualms.
[I]Stop staring,[/I] Alex Whitman scolded himself. [I]For the love of God man, control yourself and salvage what's left of your poor mangled dignity![/I]
This was quickly becoming absurd. So Isabel wanted some space. He could do that. He could do that without making a fool of himself. He could be more distant around Miss Isabel. He could cut back on the obsessive-like behavior. He could be un-romantically involved. He was as a cool as a cucumber. Hell, cucumber should have been his middle name! He was aloof. He was calm. He was collected. He was -
A goner. A complete and total goner. He suppressed the urge to groan.
[I]Okay, so lying to yourself isn't working. Try diversionary tactics[/I] Movement flashed out of the corner of his eye, and he turned his attention onto Maria, who was using the lull in business to wipe down nearby tables. Now, [I]this[/I] was where his focus should be. On his friends, on the people who actually had some sort of need for him. It was obvious that all this alien crap was getting to his two best girls. And he had just the remedy for that.
Alex's eyes narrowed, however, when he noticed the sporadic glances Maria kept stealing behind her towards the break room. He sighed softly. Now what? He watched her silently for a few more minutes, trying to ignore the mild exasperation he felt while watching her take a few more suspicious peeks. This was almost as bad as watching someone pace back and forth; as the nervous energy coming off of Maria was painfully palpable.
He pursed his lips as she shot yet another look towards the back of the Crashdown. This was getting ridiculous. Now she was making even [I]him[/I] nervous! "Maria, would you cut it out? Liz is fine."
Maria shook her blonde head, her antennae bobbing along for the ride. Her wide green eyes shone with wary concern as they sought out his blue ones. "They've been back there for a really long time, Alex."
Girls. They say one thing one in one moment, and the next they're off on another tangent.
Alex raised a dubious eyebrow at his friend. "Maria? Weren't you the one who, like five minutes ago, said that 'judging from the look on Liz's face, they were going to be back there for a while?'" He gave her a knowing look as she shrugged sheepishly. He leaned down to take a gulp of his orange soda, the sound of ice tinkling on the glass echoing loudly in the near- empty diner.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that all the Czech cloak-and-dagger mumbo jumbo was going to your head." He joked. Immediately, he regretted it when he saw Maria's face fall as she slumped down onto nearby bar stool.
[I]Nice going Whitman,[/I] he reprimanded himself. [I]Good way to get her mind off of everything so you could both enjoy a normal, Czech stress-free day[/I]
"Maria," he started sorrowfully while mentally kicking himself. "I didn't mean -"
She shook her head forcefully. "No, you're right." She glared over at a certain booth in the corner. "Knowing Mudboy over there has put me in a perpetually paranoid state of mind." Still glowering, Maria whipped her order pad out from her silver apron and slammed it vehemently atop the counter in front of her. Alex winced at her brute force, but stayed silent, choosing to keep his perplexities about the moniker "Mudboy" to himself.
"Can we talk about something else please?" She complained, her eyes darting everywhere but towards the "Mudboy" in question. Suddenly, realization dawned upon Alex, and her abrupt worry for Liz made perfect sense.
Diversionary tactics. She was attempting the very same thing he had tried to do just now, to take his mind off of Isabel by forcing his thoughts elsewhere. Maria was trying to get her mind off of Michael, and in doing so, latched her attention onto Liz, and her earlier disappearance into the break room with Max.
Goners. Both of them, goners. So far Liz was the only one of them to tackle one of the Czechs head on.
"Sure," Alex replied to her question. "I wanted to ask you something anyways." Maria turned her head towards him, letting him know she was listening. "I was thinking that we need a Girl's Night Out." He paused, and then amended. "Or a Two Girls and A Guy Night out. Whatever." Grinning when he saw the amused smirk break out across Maria's face, he continued. "Just a night to relax, pig out, watch extremely cheesy teen flicks, and basically just be normal teenagers, you know?"
Maria smiled. "That actually sounds like the best idea I've heard all week." Her smile dimmed however, as she looked across the diner. "Now if only Kyle would get his ass out of the toilet and pay, I could get off this shift and be able to help you plan."
Alex wrinkled his nose. "Jeez, how long has he been in there?" He paused. "Scratch that. I'd probably be better off not knowing. Some things are better left unsaid." Scrunching up his face even more, he groaned. "Oh, yuck! The visuals, eww, the visuals!"
Maria laughed outright and smacked his shoulder. "Alex! That's gross!"
"Yeah well." Isabel and Michael ambled out of their booth and made their way over, and Alex's words died off right as Maria's laughter did. [I]Czech incoming[/I], Alex thought wryly as Isabel walked right up to Maria and placed the bill on the counter, then began to dig through her purse. A tight silence settled over the small group as Maria picked up the check and made her way over to the nearby register, Isabel not far behind. Which left Alex and Michael by themselves at the bar.
Alex cleared his throat nervously after a minute. "So," he started. Michael jumped slightly, his form inquiring silently as to why Alex was deeming to make small talk. "How's it going?"
Michael merely shrugged. [I]Typical,[/I] Alex thought, but then was surprised when Michael answered verbally as well.
"It's going, I guess." The spiky hair boy replied dully as the bell to the front door jingled. Four heads swiveled towards the door and all immediately stiffened when the tall, grim form of Sheriff Valenti filled their views.
The Sheriff's eyes scanned the tiny diner, finally coming to rest upon Michael Guerin. Taking off his large, dark sunglasses, he made his way over to the bar stools. Alex wished briefly for a knife, so he could cut through all of this palpable tension hanging in the air, but his thoughts halted when he felt Isabel come up to stand beside him.
[I]So not the time Whitman.[/I]
The Sheriff came to a stop once he reached them, keeping an ample amount of distance between them, but also remaining close enough to be intimidating. He smiled weakly, almost seeming to sense the tension himself. "Hello Miss Evans, Mr. Guerin, Mr. Whitman, Miss Deluca." He nodded respectively to each of them. "Is Max around?"
Okay, if Alex's heart wasn't beating double time before, it most definitely was now. He sensed Isabel stiffen next to him, and he longed to take her hand, touch her arm, anything that could comfort her. He restrained himself however, reiterating inside his mind her need for space.
"Why?" Isabel queried in a seemingly casual manner, but Alex caught the steely undertones of apprehension that managed to waver through.
The Sheriff's gaze jumped from Michael to Alex to Isabel and then back to Michael. "I thought he might be here, since he wasn't at your home when I called." He paused, taking in their reactions, his blue eyes widening slightly when he realized how that must have sounded. "I just have some information I thought he'd might want to know."
Michael stepped belligerently forward. "I could pass it on to him."
The Sheriff pressed his lips together, seeming to weigh his options. For some odd reason, the hairs on the back of Alex's neck pricked up.
"All right," the Sheriff began. "I suppose you, Mr. Guerin, would want to be informed of this as well." When Michael nodded bemusedly, Valenti took a deep breath and dropped the bombshell.
"It appears that Mr. Everett Hubble is still out there somewhere."
To Be Continued.