Sorry- really, really, really sorry- about not updating in over a month... I feel really bad about that- trust me! I know I promised to update soon and didn't and I don't want this to sound like a totally crummy excuse but I have been kinda busy lately... Sorry! Anyways, I will try to update within the week. Hope you like the next part. :)
"Where are they?" Were Jack's first words as he walked through the door.
"Who?" Pacey asked, momentarily confused.
"The jerks who ruined Liz's life." Jen answered, entering right behind Jack.
"Oh. They're staying in their rooms, which seems like a pretty good idea. I think they realized that they're not exactly in the most friendly of places right now." Joey said. "Where's Dawson and Andie?"
"Right here!" Andie chirped. "Is Liz OK?"
"Some of her friends, her real friends, are talking to her right now. I think she'll be fine." Joey said.
"That's good." Dawson said. "So we can all go see the movie that's playing tonight at the Rialto. It's a classic."
"Dawson..." Joey rolled her eyes. "Now might not be the best time for a movie."
"But it's a classic!" Dawson whined.
"It'll be showing later!" Joey insisted. "We'll see it then."
"But it opens tonight!" Dawson continued.
"That it does, Dawson, but I think what our dear friend Joey is trying to say is that... tonight could be a bad time to go out because, quite frankly Liz might not want to or she might not feel up to it." Pacey interceded.
"Might not feel up to what?" Liz asked from behind them. Maria and Alex were flanking her on both sides. "What are you guys talking about?" Dawson grinned.
"Liz! We were just talking about a movie that opens tonight at the Rialto. It's a classic!" He coaxed. Joey glared at Dawson momentarily, he was not on her good side right now.
"Of course, we don't have to go if you don't want to." She said.
"Which we would completely understand." Andie added.
"Why wouldn't I want to?" Liz asked innocently. "It's not like anything huge happened." She turned to her Maria and Alex. "My friends came to visit me, they came with a complete jerk but other than that... nothing's changed."
"So you're OK?" Pacey asked carefully. Liz nodded.
"Definitely!" She assured him, but everyone knew she was lying.
"All right then... I guess we're going to the movies then?" Jack asked. Everyone nodded. The Capeside crew's gaze shifted to Liz's friends.
"Guys, these are my friends Maria and Alex. Maria, Alex, this is Jack, Jen, Andie- Jack's twin-, and Dawson." Liz introduced everyone. "Isabel, Michael, and Max are in their rooms I presume."
"Yeah." Joey paused. "Max, is the dark haired one?" Liz nodded. "He looks a lot like a guy that lives here in Capeside, Chris Wolfe."
"He looks exactly like Chris Wolfe, actually." Pacey amended. "But hopefully their personalities aren't alike."
"So what about the others- Isabel and Michael?" Jen asked. Liz waved her hand.
"Don't worry about them. Michael may be annoying sometimes" Maria snorted. "but they're harmless. They're usually OK."
"So, how long until the movie?" Alex asked. "I feel like getting out. I've been cooped up in a car for a while now so I really need to do something."
"It doesn't start until 6." Dawson said. "It's about 11:15."
"So we have lots of time." Andie said. "What would you like to do?"
"Tour of the city?" Maria suggested.
"That would take up all of 15 minutes." Pacey told her. "And it'd be pretty useless." Suddenly his eyes lit up. "How do you guys feel about boats?"
"Boats?" Maria raised an eyebrow.
"Oh!" Joey caught on to what Pacey was thinking. "True Love! That's a great idea, Pace."
"True Love?" Alex asked. "What is it like the Tunnel of Love- Capeside version?" Liz smiled and shook her head.
"Actually, True Love is Pacey's boat. He bought it a while ago and has been fixing it up for... a long time."
"Oh." Alex said. "A boat, cool." Maria nodded in agreement.
"So, what do you do on it? Take girls out?" Max asked jealously. Everyone whirled around to see him. Pacey's eyes narrowed.
"More like sail around the harbor." He said. "Of course I'm sure you'd take the opportunity to whisk girls away, until you drop them for the next one of course." Max looked to Liz, figuring out what she'd said. 'She thinks I dumped her for Tess.' He realized. He shook his head.
"That's not what happened." He said. "I wouldn't do that."
"Of course not." Jack interjected. "You'd just start making out with the next girl, you wouldn't bother to even dump the other one."
"That's not what happened." Max repeated more slowly for emphasis.
"Look, it doesn't even matter. Our point is- leave Liz alone and stay the hell away from us." Jen broke in.
"You may have come here for her, but as long as we're around you're not getting anywhere near her." Joey added. Max looked pointedly at Liz, who only shifted her gaze downward. Everyone was quiet in tense silence for what seemed like eternity.
Michael whistled.
"Woah! What happened in here?" He asked aloud, breaking the awkward silence. Isabel followed him and looked at Max, then Liz.
"Doesn't take a genius to figure out." She muttered. This gained attention from everyone. She approached Max. "Max, oh brother dearest..." She said somewhat sarcastically. "Why don't we go explore Capeside? Just you, Michael, and me?" Max frowned, he didn't want to leave Liz. Upon seeing her hopeful look at Isabel's suggestion though, he began to rethink. He could use some time to figure out how to fix everything.
"Aw, c'mon Maxie. We're not that bad." Michael cajoled, realizing what Isabel was trying to do. Max sighed.
"Fine." He barely even whispered. He turned to walk to his room, but quickly turned again to address Liz. "But we will talk later." He promised. Liz merely watched him go with both hate and love in her eyes. His reappearance had sparked a familiar feeling inside her, but she struggled with herself to end it. To end whatever she had felt for Max. All it led to was betrayal and that hurt Liz more than she had ever been hurt, or could ever be.
"Let's go." She said softly and led the way out the door. The others watched her go, understanding in their own ways, and followed her quietly.
