[I] Oh, we're sinking like stones,
All that we fought for,
All those places we've gone,
All of us are done for.
We live in a beautiful world, Yeah we do, yeah we do, We live in a beautiful world, Oh, we're sinking like stones, All that we fought for, All those places we've gone, All of us are done for.
We live in a beautiful world, Yeah we do, yeah we do, We live in a beautiful world Oh, all that I know, There's nothing here to run from, And there, everybody here's got somebody to lean on.[/I]
[b] Don't Panic - Coldplay[/b]
[b]- Part Four -[/b]
[I]Holy Shit![/I]
"Kyle!"
[I]Holy shit .[/I] The thought came once more for perhaps the tenth time in the span of a mere minute. [I]Holy shit.[/I] And again.
"Kyle, please wait!" Liz's panicked voice cut through his mantra of curse words, and despite himself, despite everything he had just heard, he slowed his gait back down to something resembling a carefree stroll, rather than a quickened getaway. His hand clenched where it rested on the swinging door, and he gazed longingly out through the tiny glass pane above him into the bustle of the diner. Suddenly, he wished fervently that he had never left his seat to go to the bathroom. He could have waited until he had gotten back home for God's sake! He sighed inaudibly, inherently knowing that when a Valenti had to go, he had to [I]go[/I]. Still, he could have ignored the voices that came from the break room after he had finished his business. He could have brushed aside his curiosity and gone along his merry way back to his table. Back to where it was normal, sane.
But now?
"Kyle," Liz repeated anxiously.
Normal wasn't even a spec on the radar.
He sighed, loudly this time, yet didn't tear his eyes away from the happily mundane scene in front of him. "Liz," he answered back flatly, every part of him yearning to be somewhere else. [I]Aliens. Either they really did exist, or Evans was trying to put him away permanently in a padded cell.[/I]
"How are ." She cleared her throat and started again. "Uhm, are you okay? I mean, I know it's a lot to take in -"
Kyle's head snapped over his shoulder and he pierced her with an incredulous look. "Okay? OKAY? Liz, are you kidding? I was just informed of some lunatic and completely mind-blowing story telling me that there really was a Crash in 1947! When, for my entire life, I have been told differently!" His azure eyes fluttered shut momentarily, and he unconsciously wished for them to open with the realization that this was some horrid, late night taco consumption-inducing nightmare. "Plus I see Max do something straight of a Steven Spielberg movie, and you expect me to be okay!?"
Liz bit her lip. "I'm sorry," she acknowledged quietly. Kyle started. What was that about? "I know what you're probably feeling right now." He snorted and looked away. What could she possibly know about what he was feeling?
"I do," She went on emphatically, almost as if she was aware of how his thoughts were progressing. "When Max first told me, I thought he was joking." Her eyes lightened in memory and a tiny smile graced her features. "When I realized he wasn't, I ran." Liz's eyebrow inclined pointedly. "Like you're trying to do right now."
Kyle shrugged feebly. "I just - I can't help it. This is something out of a bad science fiction novel."
She didn't smile at his lame attempt at humor, and frankly, he didn't blame her. Absolutely nothing about this moment was even remotely funny, yet that was what made the desire to burst out laughing all the more strong.
Liz's face became gravely serious as she locked eyes with him. "Kyle you have to understand. You can't tell anyone about this. [I]Anyone.[/I] There are people who would try and hurt him because of it."
A realization came like a blow to the head. "Oh my God." His gaze became glued to the floor as his thoughts tumbled together. "My dad." He breathed. Suddenly, everything, all the questions about Max, all the time spent in the office, the random UFO search data that had shown up on their computer history list at home made perfect and undeniable sense.
Liz's grabbed his arm with such force that Kyle let out a strangled yelp. As his eyes met hers, he was immediately quieted by the fearful, frantic expression that danced there.
"Especially not your dad, Kyle! Please. You have to promise. [I]No one.[/I] You cannot talk to anyone about this."
His brow drew together as he questioned the powerful hold Max Evans had over Liz. And once again, it irritated him. "Why should I?" He asked flatly. "My dad's the Sheriff! You've both been lying to him for the past few months. Besides," Kyle lowered his voice and gestured towards the kitchen area where Max had been when he'd left. "How do you know that you're protecting the good guys here Liz? How are you sure of [I]anything![/I]." Her deep calm, the candid way in which she had informed him of aliens indeed walking among them bothered and unnerved him. In fact, MAX had been the one who had seemed more sickened by the idea, it HE was the one who Liz had been talking about!
He shuddered, trying to shake off the memory of what had transpired in the kitchen just mere moments ago. However, as was always the way, the thoughts bombarded his brain, pushing relentlessly through.
[I]"Kyle," Max had taken a deep breath during the brief lull that had occurred, but now all that air absconded out into the kitchen as Max sighed and began to speak. "I'm not from around here."
Kyle rolled his eyes. "That's real nice Evans, but I know what you're trying to do, so quit stalling." He was so sick of the half-answers and the creepy magic shit. It was time for the truth, and he was beyond ready for it.
However, his flippant reply to Max's random admission did not get the response he thought. No, if he wasn't mistaken, Max was sighing in helpless frustration and looking like he wanted to shoot Kyle and himself. In that order.
It was Liz who stepped once more in between them and the growing level of testosterone to spell it out for him. "Kyle, where Max is from has **everything** to do with what you saw."
Kyle folded his arms and glared at Max expectantly. This had better be good. He bit back another sigh and decided to cooperate. For now. "So Max, where are you from." He slowly enunciated each syllable as if he was speaking to a five year old. From the way Max seemed to gnash his teeth together, Kyle was betting that the other boy was not amused. The thought made him smirk.
Max glanced at Liz before closing his eyes again. Kyle felt a flicker of concern ripple through his chest. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that the poor guy looked like he was about to throw up. Carefully, Kyle took a step back. If Evans got any puke on his varsity jacket, he would kill him.
Slowly, surely, Max held up one index finger. His eyes snapped open with a quiet resignation to met Kyle's.
Kyle's gaze traveled up towards the direction where Max was pointing. The ceiling? Why the hell was Max telling him that he was from the ceiling? Subsequently, Kyle chuckled. "Oh no, Max. We went over this." He widened his eyes and said his next words slowly. "There are no light fixtures up there. Your little cover story is not going to cut it." The smart alecky tone in Kyle's voice died when he looked at Max's face. A face that looked .scared for lack of better adjectives. Terrified. Before Kyle could ponder that, Max's eyes darted towards Liz helplessly, and she sighed before taking over.
"Kyle? What Max is trying to say is that," she paused, and Kyle internally groaned. For the love of pizza, nothing could be as bad as they were making it out to be! "Is that he's an alien."
Oh man. Kyle had been wrong. Dead wrong. There was no way in hell that he was ready for this.
Every cell in his body came to a screeching halt and a cold trickle of apprehensive slid down his spine. "Wha -" He felt his eyeballs curve into huge circles, so much that they felt like they were about to fall out of his head. "What?"
And so it had come out. In short, chopped sentences, Kyle was informed of incubation pods, unknown facts of origin, lies, truths, a shooting, a healing, a Crash .and of a world never to be looked at the same way again.
His response had been the one predictable thing about the whole experience. "Holy shit."
Liz glanced at him anxiously, while Max continued to look like he was going to bolt at any minute. Kyle stared at both of them, hysteria rising in his throat. Languidly, he began to inch for the door, keeping his gaze locked on Max and his movements cautious least he provoke an attack. Oh God! An attack! Alien powers! Ahh!
For once in his life, Kyle was left without something to say in retort and not a thought in his head other than the one screaming for him to run. Fast.
Liz started forward, worry etched on her features. "Kyle."
He shook his head vehemently. "No. No. I have to go. The entire world has just gone crazy, taking everyone with it, and apparently, I missed the memo. So go me. I mean I've gotta go." And with that, he bolted for the exit, echoes of profanity resounding through his mind.[/I]
That is, until Liz had called out to him. And he'd stupidly stopped.
"How am I sure that I can trust him?" Liz's voice brought Kyle forcefully back to the present.
Her tone softened perceptively, lowering to an intimate whisper. "He saved my life Kyle. He's saved me in all the ways that count, in ways that I've never even dreamed."
Kyle felt his chest tighten painfully. "Like how he [I]saved[/I] you from being with me?"
Liz's face fell, and he immediately regretted what he'd said. "Kyle, you know that's not what I meant."
Kyle nodded, refusing to meet her gaze head on. She was right. He knew that she didn't mean to hurt him. It wasn't her way. But the thought didn't make the whole matter hurt any less. Oh, sure, it wasn't like he wanted to win her back or anything. He did still have some residual feelings for her, but that's all they were now. [I]Residual.[/I] The desire for what had been.
No, what really hurt was the fact that his first serious relationship was over. The first time he had actually felt like he could open up to a member of the opposite sex, the first time that he had been truly happy to see a girl at the end of the day for a reason other than that she filled out a sweater nicely, the first time he felt like he could truly [I]care[/I] for someone - it was all gone. And the manner in which it had ended was a sharp blow to the ego. He hadn't of been good enough for her, and that sucked.
All in all, it was the [I]principle[/I] of the matter.
In fact, looking at her right now didn't really do anything for him. She wasn't the same girl he had gone out with over the summer. Now she was .brighter, for a lack of better description. Complete. [I]Unrecognizable. Secretive[/I]. And all because of Max Evans.
Max Evans. An [I]alien.[/I] [I]Oh dear God.[/I] Kyle felt his breath hitch again and the panic surge deep in his gut. [I]This is me,[/I] he thought dully. [I]This is me trying really hard not to freak out.[/I]
"Kyle, the fact of the matter is that he risked [I]everything[/I] to save my life." Her eyes were suddenly shining with tears, and for some reason it made him feel guilty. Him! As if he'd done something horrible! "What kind of person would I be if I turned him in for it?"
He stared hard at her, her words causing the sensation of being kicked in the gut to apply. But ultimately, it was her unspoken words that were the [I]real[/I] kicker.
What kind of person would [I]he[/I] be if he revealed who, and what (the very thought made him momentarily pinch the bridge of his nose, making sure he wasn't completely insane) Max Evans was to his father, the freaking Sheriff, the [I]governed law[/I]? And moreover, what kind of person would he be if he didn't?
A ripple of anger bubbled up in his stomach as he thought about his father. That is, if the man even deserved the title. All Kyle had heard at home since the shooting was alien this, UFO sighting that, and Max Evans this, Max Evans that. Quite frankly, he was sick of it. He was sick of the interrupted dinner conversations, the cryptic warnings, the absentmindedness. But most of all, he was sick and tired of being a low priority. To Jim Valenti, Kyle was nothing more than an on going reminder of how his long estranged wife had bailed. Lately, Kyle had been wondering if Jim would have rather of had his mother take custody of him all those years ago. And that [I]hurt.[/I] It was as annoying as hell, but it also [I]hurt.[/I]
So why should he let his father know what he'd been dying to discover about Max Evans? Why should he give his father yet another reason to blow him off?
Kyle shifted uncomfortably and his gaze darted all over the room, coming to rest on the kitchen area where Evans was still standing dejectedly. Unexpectedly, his heart lurched as he watched the other boy - the [I]alien[/I] - run a shaky, sweaty palm over his face. Kyle was struck with how normal, how [I]human[/I] Max looked.
Nothing was making any sense.
"I want, no. I [I]need[/I] to trust you right now, Kyle," Liz said fervently, following his gaze. "We both do."
His cerulean eyes were burning with tumultuous emotions as he started forward, brushing past her. "I have to go," He muttered quietly.
"Kyle!" Once again, the raw [I]terror[/I] in her voice tore at him. [I]What the hell does she want from me? I didn't sign up for this![/I]
"Look," He snapped. "I won't say anything about his and your precious secret." [I]Not yet anyway[/I], he added silently, mystification and trepidation clouding his thoughts. "I got to [I]go[/I] Liz. I can't," He sighed deeply, and rubbed at his temples. They were pounding with a frightening force, demanding his attention. "I can't be here right now. I have to be alone, okay?" His words came out more harshly then he intended, but he couldn't find in himself to care much about anything except getting out of there.
Liz nodded, her relief entirely palpable as her shoulders sagged. "Thank you."
He didn't acknowledge her thanks, not quite sure that he deserved it yet and caught up in the myriad of conflicting emotions and thoughts that were racing through him.
A random conception was shoved to the front of the jumbled mess inside his brain. [I]Grandpa was right.[/I] All this time. [I]He had been right.[/I]
Kyle sort of wished he could appreciate the irony.
* * * * * *
The familiar burning sensation in his muscled thighs engulfed his senses. His heart thudded rhythmically against his chest in a comfortingly steady rate as he arms pumped in sync with the pounding of both his heart and the sound of his feet slapping against the pavement. Somehow, running always made him feel less stressed, allowing his mind to blank blissfully out as he concentrated on nothing except beating his best time.
Kyle had run into his dad outside the Crashdown after leaving it. The situation had been so awkward, to him at least. His dad probably hadn't even noticed that Kyle was not as calm as he normally was. Jim had seemed extremely pensive, oblivious to everything except his thoughts. Troubled almost [I]Not that that was anything new.[/I] Kyle snorted mentally. Small talk had been made, and Kyle had then taken it upon himself to make up a sorry excuse about homework before jogging home. Once he had plopped down on the couch, however, he found that he was filled with restless energy and about five million questions - each more unapproachable than the last. Flipping through an endless array of cable channels had done nothing to relax him. Not eating, not thumbing through his 'adult magazines,' not even attempting to do his homework early for once had done it. Nothing.
That is, until he saw his running shoes strung haphazardly across his desk chair.
Kyle sighed as he rounded the corner onto the next block, not really focusing on the scenery in front of him. Not really focusing on anything except his movements, on maintaining his speed. And on keeping his thoughts completely neutral.
What if Max wasn't as passive as he seemed? What if he was some horrible creature thing, like from those late night movies, the ones that had little green tentacles swarming out to suck -
[I]Stop it![/I] He rolled his eyes to himself. So much for letting his mind blank out.
Kyle concentrated on breathing in and out. In and out. Immediately, he felt better. In control. Sane.
[I]I swear to God, if Evans comes at me with anything resembling a probe, I'm so outta here.[/I]
Groaning, Kyle stopped abruptly on the sidewalk and stared hard at the neighborhood around him, breathing heavily. This was insane! Aliens did NOT exist. He was going to wake up in a minute with one hell of a headache and a good laugh.
Right?
Wrong.
That was it. Kyle was just going to have to go home and tell his father everything. This entire thing was by far way too big for him to handle by himself.
[I]But you promised Liz .[/I], a small voice piped up, the words nagging at him.
[I]Shut up![/I] Kyle snapped at the tiny, irritating voice.
What were promises anyhow? His mother promised to love his father until death did them part. His father promised that he would always be there for him. The point was that some promises broke, for better or for worse. Sometimes breaking a promise was the right thing to do. But honestly, how was he supposed to know [I]when[/I] it was the right thing? And moreover, [I]how[/I] was he supposed to know?
[I]I don't want to think about this right now.[/I] Above all, that thought was the one that was the most prominent. Maybe ignoring the whole hullabaloo for a bit would help with perspective.
[I]Or maybe it will just further your insanity[/I], the annoying voice offered non-too helpfully.
[I]Shut it you.[/I]
Kyle sighed, stretched his well-toned arms for a minute and took off again at full speed, running with all his might to escape the questions, to escape the uncertainties.
But most of all, to escape that damn pipsqueak that was currently residing inside his head.
He was so preoccupied with escaping, that as he cut across a lawn onto the next street over, he didn't see where he was heading.
And knocked the wind out of an innocent pedestrian.
The sharp pain of bodies clashing together so forcefully sent a shocking gust of air right out of his lungs. Tripping blindly, Kyle managed to steady himself, and he winced, looking down to see what damage he caused to the other person.
He blinked. Unadulterated horror clenched his gut as he heart began to pound wildly.
He had just about taken the head off of a girl. A very pretty girl. Who was currently sprawled on the ground, muttering darkly about stupid humans or some other inanity. Kyle didn't quite catch her irritated words, for some one else was berating him at the moment.
[I]You unbelievable IDIOT![/I] Apparently, his sprinting had done nothing to squash the nasty little voice.
[I]Do something![/I] He thought frantically, struggling to remember the last time he felt so completely disorientated and tongue tied.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" He said anxiously, reaching out a hand to help her up. "Are you er - alright?"
The girl stared at his hand strangely, almost as if she were unaccustomed to such kindness. After a moment, she glanced up at him, a beautiful smirk on her face. Taking his hand firmly, she yanked herself up with all the grace of a tipped cow.
He had never been more captivated.
"Well, considering how you almost dislocated both my knee caps, I'd said I was as right as rain," she quipped sarcastically. Her smirk was still in place as she arched a perfectly shaped blonde eyebrow at him, her blue eyes twinkling.
Kyle was momentarily taken aback before his own brow inclined in wry amusement. "Yeah, uh, sorry about that. I guess I wasn't really watching where I was going." It was then that he realized he was still holding her hand, her very soft hand. He quickly dropped it as if the skin had scorched him.
"Lot on your mind?" She smiled at him knowingly, her cerulean eyes clouding with sadness.
He started, wondering at her astuteness. "Yeah. Yeah, you could say that."
She nodded. "I know the feeling." The expression of loss in her clear eyes intrigued him. Unconsciously, he inched closer before remembering what he had been previously doing - running. Which meant that he more than likely smelled like a hot afternoon on a goat farm. Discreetly, he shifted back to where he had originally stood.
Kyle raised his head slightly and was startled when he collided with her impossibly blue gaze head on. And for the first time that day, he achieved what he had been trying desperately to do.
His mind went blissfully blank.
"Well, I have to go, my fa -" She stopped and a glum shadow slid over her features. "I need to get back."
He frowned. "Did you just move here?" He didn't remember seeing her at school (and he definitely would have remembered), and she looked to be about his age.
"More or less," was her cryptic answer as she titled her head at him. "Well, it was nice meeting you. However unconventionally." The smirk was back. His heart skipped a beat and he chuckled at her comment.
"Yeah, again, I'm so sorry about that."
She shook her head. "Don't mention it." With a toss of her blonde strands and one last twinkle in her blue eyes, she brushed past him, her shoulder lightly grazing his.
Leaving Kyle to stare after her, kicking himself for not asking her name.
To be continued...
We live in a beautiful world, Yeah we do, yeah we do, We live in a beautiful world, Oh, we're sinking like stones, All that we fought for, All those places we've gone, All of us are done for.
We live in a beautiful world, Yeah we do, yeah we do, We live in a beautiful world Oh, all that I know, There's nothing here to run from, And there, everybody here's got somebody to lean on.[/I]
[b] Don't Panic - Coldplay[/b]
[b]- Part Four -[/b]
[I]Holy Shit![/I]
"Kyle!"
[I]Holy shit .[/I] The thought came once more for perhaps the tenth time in the span of a mere minute. [I]Holy shit.[/I] And again.
"Kyle, please wait!" Liz's panicked voice cut through his mantra of curse words, and despite himself, despite everything he had just heard, he slowed his gait back down to something resembling a carefree stroll, rather than a quickened getaway. His hand clenched where it rested on the swinging door, and he gazed longingly out through the tiny glass pane above him into the bustle of the diner. Suddenly, he wished fervently that he had never left his seat to go to the bathroom. He could have waited until he had gotten back home for God's sake! He sighed inaudibly, inherently knowing that when a Valenti had to go, he had to [I]go[/I]. Still, he could have ignored the voices that came from the break room after he had finished his business. He could have brushed aside his curiosity and gone along his merry way back to his table. Back to where it was normal, sane.
But now?
"Kyle," Liz repeated anxiously.
Normal wasn't even a spec on the radar.
He sighed, loudly this time, yet didn't tear his eyes away from the happily mundane scene in front of him. "Liz," he answered back flatly, every part of him yearning to be somewhere else. [I]Aliens. Either they really did exist, or Evans was trying to put him away permanently in a padded cell.[/I]
"How are ." She cleared her throat and started again. "Uhm, are you okay? I mean, I know it's a lot to take in -"
Kyle's head snapped over his shoulder and he pierced her with an incredulous look. "Okay? OKAY? Liz, are you kidding? I was just informed of some lunatic and completely mind-blowing story telling me that there really was a Crash in 1947! When, for my entire life, I have been told differently!" His azure eyes fluttered shut momentarily, and he unconsciously wished for them to open with the realization that this was some horrid, late night taco consumption-inducing nightmare. "Plus I see Max do something straight of a Steven Spielberg movie, and you expect me to be okay!?"
Liz bit her lip. "I'm sorry," she acknowledged quietly. Kyle started. What was that about? "I know what you're probably feeling right now." He snorted and looked away. What could she possibly know about what he was feeling?
"I do," She went on emphatically, almost as if she was aware of how his thoughts were progressing. "When Max first told me, I thought he was joking." Her eyes lightened in memory and a tiny smile graced her features. "When I realized he wasn't, I ran." Liz's eyebrow inclined pointedly. "Like you're trying to do right now."
Kyle shrugged feebly. "I just - I can't help it. This is something out of a bad science fiction novel."
She didn't smile at his lame attempt at humor, and frankly, he didn't blame her. Absolutely nothing about this moment was even remotely funny, yet that was what made the desire to burst out laughing all the more strong.
Liz's face became gravely serious as she locked eyes with him. "Kyle you have to understand. You can't tell anyone about this. [I]Anyone.[/I] There are people who would try and hurt him because of it."
A realization came like a blow to the head. "Oh my God." His gaze became glued to the floor as his thoughts tumbled together. "My dad." He breathed. Suddenly, everything, all the questions about Max, all the time spent in the office, the random UFO search data that had shown up on their computer history list at home made perfect and undeniable sense.
Liz's grabbed his arm with such force that Kyle let out a strangled yelp. As his eyes met hers, he was immediately quieted by the fearful, frantic expression that danced there.
"Especially not your dad, Kyle! Please. You have to promise. [I]No one.[/I] You cannot talk to anyone about this."
His brow drew together as he questioned the powerful hold Max Evans had over Liz. And once again, it irritated him. "Why should I?" He asked flatly. "My dad's the Sheriff! You've both been lying to him for the past few months. Besides," Kyle lowered his voice and gestured towards the kitchen area where Max had been when he'd left. "How do you know that you're protecting the good guys here Liz? How are you sure of [I]anything![/I]." Her deep calm, the candid way in which she had informed him of aliens indeed walking among them bothered and unnerved him. In fact, MAX had been the one who had seemed more sickened by the idea, it HE was the one who Liz had been talking about!
He shuddered, trying to shake off the memory of what had transpired in the kitchen just mere moments ago. However, as was always the way, the thoughts bombarded his brain, pushing relentlessly through.
[I]"Kyle," Max had taken a deep breath during the brief lull that had occurred, but now all that air absconded out into the kitchen as Max sighed and began to speak. "I'm not from around here."
Kyle rolled his eyes. "That's real nice Evans, but I know what you're trying to do, so quit stalling." He was so sick of the half-answers and the creepy magic shit. It was time for the truth, and he was beyond ready for it.
However, his flippant reply to Max's random admission did not get the response he thought. No, if he wasn't mistaken, Max was sighing in helpless frustration and looking like he wanted to shoot Kyle and himself. In that order.
It was Liz who stepped once more in between them and the growing level of testosterone to spell it out for him. "Kyle, where Max is from has **everything** to do with what you saw."
Kyle folded his arms and glared at Max expectantly. This had better be good. He bit back another sigh and decided to cooperate. For now. "So Max, where are you from." He slowly enunciated each syllable as if he was speaking to a five year old. From the way Max seemed to gnash his teeth together, Kyle was betting that the other boy was not amused. The thought made him smirk.
Max glanced at Liz before closing his eyes again. Kyle felt a flicker of concern ripple through his chest. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that the poor guy looked like he was about to throw up. Carefully, Kyle took a step back. If Evans got any puke on his varsity jacket, he would kill him.
Slowly, surely, Max held up one index finger. His eyes snapped open with a quiet resignation to met Kyle's.
Kyle's gaze traveled up towards the direction where Max was pointing. The ceiling? Why the hell was Max telling him that he was from the ceiling? Subsequently, Kyle chuckled. "Oh no, Max. We went over this." He widened his eyes and said his next words slowly. "There are no light fixtures up there. Your little cover story is not going to cut it." The smart alecky tone in Kyle's voice died when he looked at Max's face. A face that looked .scared for lack of better adjectives. Terrified. Before Kyle could ponder that, Max's eyes darted towards Liz helplessly, and she sighed before taking over.
"Kyle? What Max is trying to say is that," she paused, and Kyle internally groaned. For the love of pizza, nothing could be as bad as they were making it out to be! "Is that he's an alien."
Oh man. Kyle had been wrong. Dead wrong. There was no way in hell that he was ready for this.
Every cell in his body came to a screeching halt and a cold trickle of apprehensive slid down his spine. "Wha -" He felt his eyeballs curve into huge circles, so much that they felt like they were about to fall out of his head. "What?"
And so it had come out. In short, chopped sentences, Kyle was informed of incubation pods, unknown facts of origin, lies, truths, a shooting, a healing, a Crash .and of a world never to be looked at the same way again.
His response had been the one predictable thing about the whole experience. "Holy shit."
Liz glanced at him anxiously, while Max continued to look like he was going to bolt at any minute. Kyle stared at both of them, hysteria rising in his throat. Languidly, he began to inch for the door, keeping his gaze locked on Max and his movements cautious least he provoke an attack. Oh God! An attack! Alien powers! Ahh!
For once in his life, Kyle was left without something to say in retort and not a thought in his head other than the one screaming for him to run. Fast.
Liz started forward, worry etched on her features. "Kyle."
He shook his head vehemently. "No. No. I have to go. The entire world has just gone crazy, taking everyone with it, and apparently, I missed the memo. So go me. I mean I've gotta go." And with that, he bolted for the exit, echoes of profanity resounding through his mind.[/I]
That is, until Liz had called out to him. And he'd stupidly stopped.
"How am I sure that I can trust him?" Liz's voice brought Kyle forcefully back to the present.
Her tone softened perceptively, lowering to an intimate whisper. "He saved my life Kyle. He's saved me in all the ways that count, in ways that I've never even dreamed."
Kyle felt his chest tighten painfully. "Like how he [I]saved[/I] you from being with me?"
Liz's face fell, and he immediately regretted what he'd said. "Kyle, you know that's not what I meant."
Kyle nodded, refusing to meet her gaze head on. She was right. He knew that she didn't mean to hurt him. It wasn't her way. But the thought didn't make the whole matter hurt any less. Oh, sure, it wasn't like he wanted to win her back or anything. He did still have some residual feelings for her, but that's all they were now. [I]Residual.[/I] The desire for what had been.
No, what really hurt was the fact that his first serious relationship was over. The first time he had actually felt like he could open up to a member of the opposite sex, the first time that he had been truly happy to see a girl at the end of the day for a reason other than that she filled out a sweater nicely, the first time he felt like he could truly [I]care[/I] for someone - it was all gone. And the manner in which it had ended was a sharp blow to the ego. He hadn't of been good enough for her, and that sucked.
All in all, it was the [I]principle[/I] of the matter.
In fact, looking at her right now didn't really do anything for him. She wasn't the same girl he had gone out with over the summer. Now she was .brighter, for a lack of better description. Complete. [I]Unrecognizable. Secretive[/I]. And all because of Max Evans.
Max Evans. An [I]alien.[/I] [I]Oh dear God.[/I] Kyle felt his breath hitch again and the panic surge deep in his gut. [I]This is me,[/I] he thought dully. [I]This is me trying really hard not to freak out.[/I]
"Kyle, the fact of the matter is that he risked [I]everything[/I] to save my life." Her eyes were suddenly shining with tears, and for some reason it made him feel guilty. Him! As if he'd done something horrible! "What kind of person would I be if I turned him in for it?"
He stared hard at her, her words causing the sensation of being kicked in the gut to apply. But ultimately, it was her unspoken words that were the [I]real[/I] kicker.
What kind of person would [I]he[/I] be if he revealed who, and what (the very thought made him momentarily pinch the bridge of his nose, making sure he wasn't completely insane) Max Evans was to his father, the freaking Sheriff, the [I]governed law[/I]? And moreover, what kind of person would he be if he didn't?
A ripple of anger bubbled up in his stomach as he thought about his father. That is, if the man even deserved the title. All Kyle had heard at home since the shooting was alien this, UFO sighting that, and Max Evans this, Max Evans that. Quite frankly, he was sick of it. He was sick of the interrupted dinner conversations, the cryptic warnings, the absentmindedness. But most of all, he was sick and tired of being a low priority. To Jim Valenti, Kyle was nothing more than an on going reminder of how his long estranged wife had bailed. Lately, Kyle had been wondering if Jim would have rather of had his mother take custody of him all those years ago. And that [I]hurt.[/I] It was as annoying as hell, but it also [I]hurt.[/I]
So why should he let his father know what he'd been dying to discover about Max Evans? Why should he give his father yet another reason to blow him off?
Kyle shifted uncomfortably and his gaze darted all over the room, coming to rest on the kitchen area where Evans was still standing dejectedly. Unexpectedly, his heart lurched as he watched the other boy - the [I]alien[/I] - run a shaky, sweaty palm over his face. Kyle was struck with how normal, how [I]human[/I] Max looked.
Nothing was making any sense.
"I want, no. I [I]need[/I] to trust you right now, Kyle," Liz said fervently, following his gaze. "We both do."
His cerulean eyes were burning with tumultuous emotions as he started forward, brushing past her. "I have to go," He muttered quietly.
"Kyle!" Once again, the raw [I]terror[/I] in her voice tore at him. [I]What the hell does she want from me? I didn't sign up for this![/I]
"Look," He snapped. "I won't say anything about his and your precious secret." [I]Not yet anyway[/I], he added silently, mystification and trepidation clouding his thoughts. "I got to [I]go[/I] Liz. I can't," He sighed deeply, and rubbed at his temples. They were pounding with a frightening force, demanding his attention. "I can't be here right now. I have to be alone, okay?" His words came out more harshly then he intended, but he couldn't find in himself to care much about anything except getting out of there.
Liz nodded, her relief entirely palpable as her shoulders sagged. "Thank you."
He didn't acknowledge her thanks, not quite sure that he deserved it yet and caught up in the myriad of conflicting emotions and thoughts that were racing through him.
A random conception was shoved to the front of the jumbled mess inside his brain. [I]Grandpa was right.[/I] All this time. [I]He had been right.[/I]
Kyle sort of wished he could appreciate the irony.
* * * * * *
The familiar burning sensation in his muscled thighs engulfed his senses. His heart thudded rhythmically against his chest in a comfortingly steady rate as he arms pumped in sync with the pounding of both his heart and the sound of his feet slapping against the pavement. Somehow, running always made him feel less stressed, allowing his mind to blank blissfully out as he concentrated on nothing except beating his best time.
Kyle had run into his dad outside the Crashdown after leaving it. The situation had been so awkward, to him at least. His dad probably hadn't even noticed that Kyle was not as calm as he normally was. Jim had seemed extremely pensive, oblivious to everything except his thoughts. Troubled almost [I]Not that that was anything new.[/I] Kyle snorted mentally. Small talk had been made, and Kyle had then taken it upon himself to make up a sorry excuse about homework before jogging home. Once he had plopped down on the couch, however, he found that he was filled with restless energy and about five million questions - each more unapproachable than the last. Flipping through an endless array of cable channels had done nothing to relax him. Not eating, not thumbing through his 'adult magazines,' not even attempting to do his homework early for once had done it. Nothing.
That is, until he saw his running shoes strung haphazardly across his desk chair.
Kyle sighed as he rounded the corner onto the next block, not really focusing on the scenery in front of him. Not really focusing on anything except his movements, on maintaining his speed. And on keeping his thoughts completely neutral.
What if Max wasn't as passive as he seemed? What if he was some horrible creature thing, like from those late night movies, the ones that had little green tentacles swarming out to suck -
[I]Stop it![/I] He rolled his eyes to himself. So much for letting his mind blank out.
Kyle concentrated on breathing in and out. In and out. Immediately, he felt better. In control. Sane.
[I]I swear to God, if Evans comes at me with anything resembling a probe, I'm so outta here.[/I]
Groaning, Kyle stopped abruptly on the sidewalk and stared hard at the neighborhood around him, breathing heavily. This was insane! Aliens did NOT exist. He was going to wake up in a minute with one hell of a headache and a good laugh.
Right?
Wrong.
That was it. Kyle was just going to have to go home and tell his father everything. This entire thing was by far way too big for him to handle by himself.
[I]But you promised Liz .[/I], a small voice piped up, the words nagging at him.
[I]Shut up![/I] Kyle snapped at the tiny, irritating voice.
What were promises anyhow? His mother promised to love his father until death did them part. His father promised that he would always be there for him. The point was that some promises broke, for better or for worse. Sometimes breaking a promise was the right thing to do. But honestly, how was he supposed to know [I]when[/I] it was the right thing? And moreover, [I]how[/I] was he supposed to know?
[I]I don't want to think about this right now.[/I] Above all, that thought was the one that was the most prominent. Maybe ignoring the whole hullabaloo for a bit would help with perspective.
[I]Or maybe it will just further your insanity[/I], the annoying voice offered non-too helpfully.
[I]Shut it you.[/I]
Kyle sighed, stretched his well-toned arms for a minute and took off again at full speed, running with all his might to escape the questions, to escape the uncertainties.
But most of all, to escape that damn pipsqueak that was currently residing inside his head.
He was so preoccupied with escaping, that as he cut across a lawn onto the next street over, he didn't see where he was heading.
And knocked the wind out of an innocent pedestrian.
The sharp pain of bodies clashing together so forcefully sent a shocking gust of air right out of his lungs. Tripping blindly, Kyle managed to steady himself, and he winced, looking down to see what damage he caused to the other person.
He blinked. Unadulterated horror clenched his gut as he heart began to pound wildly.
He had just about taken the head off of a girl. A very pretty girl. Who was currently sprawled on the ground, muttering darkly about stupid humans or some other inanity. Kyle didn't quite catch her irritated words, for some one else was berating him at the moment.
[I]You unbelievable IDIOT![/I] Apparently, his sprinting had done nothing to squash the nasty little voice.
[I]Do something![/I] He thought frantically, struggling to remember the last time he felt so completely disorientated and tongue tied.
"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" He said anxiously, reaching out a hand to help her up. "Are you er - alright?"
The girl stared at his hand strangely, almost as if she were unaccustomed to such kindness. After a moment, she glanced up at him, a beautiful smirk on her face. Taking his hand firmly, she yanked herself up with all the grace of a tipped cow.
He had never been more captivated.
"Well, considering how you almost dislocated both my knee caps, I'd said I was as right as rain," she quipped sarcastically. Her smirk was still in place as she arched a perfectly shaped blonde eyebrow at him, her blue eyes twinkling.
Kyle was momentarily taken aback before his own brow inclined in wry amusement. "Yeah, uh, sorry about that. I guess I wasn't really watching where I was going." It was then that he realized he was still holding her hand, her very soft hand. He quickly dropped it as if the skin had scorched him.
"Lot on your mind?" She smiled at him knowingly, her cerulean eyes clouding with sadness.
He started, wondering at her astuteness. "Yeah. Yeah, you could say that."
She nodded. "I know the feeling." The expression of loss in her clear eyes intrigued him. Unconsciously, he inched closer before remembering what he had been previously doing - running. Which meant that he more than likely smelled like a hot afternoon on a goat farm. Discreetly, he shifted back to where he had originally stood.
Kyle raised his head slightly and was startled when he collided with her impossibly blue gaze head on. And for the first time that day, he achieved what he had been trying desperately to do.
His mind went blissfully blank.
"Well, I have to go, my fa -" She stopped and a glum shadow slid over her features. "I need to get back."
He frowned. "Did you just move here?" He didn't remember seeing her at school (and he definitely would have remembered), and she looked to be about his age.
"More or less," was her cryptic answer as she titled her head at him. "Well, it was nice meeting you. However unconventionally." The smirk was back. His heart skipped a beat and he chuckled at her comment.
"Yeah, again, I'm so sorry about that."
She shook her head. "Don't mention it." With a toss of her blonde strands and one last twinkle in her blue eyes, she brushed past him, her shoulder lightly grazing his.
Leaving Kyle to stare after her, kicking himself for not asking her name.
To be continued...