Chapter Two
The next day, across town, Max Evans sat infront of his television watching the last of the double bill re-runs of Friends after a hard day's work at the station. His flatmate slammed the front door just seconds later as a way of a greeting. "What's up?" he asked.
"Nothing much, Kyle. How's the new job?"
"Interesting." Kyle now worked as a adviser in the art gallery across town.
"How come?"
"There's a new artist that's all. Her works are surprisingly good. She is only about thirty or so. Just your type."
"Kyle, I told you. Don't try to set me up with anyone."
"Look, Liz left a long time ago, as with Tess. You should just forget them." Tess had comforted him after Liz had left, but they broke up a few short months later when he, ironically, caught Tess in bed with the milkman. He could laugh about it now, but he could never forgive her. So she skipped town and took destiny with her. He knew he still was not completely over Liz, even after eighteen years.
Eighteen years was a long time, but the war between the planets was now officially over, and Tess was redeemed to be the evil twin after what she did to Max. Max had wondered thousands of times over the years what Liz was up to. He knew Maria must have kept in contact but she never talked to him as she used to before Liz left. Max and Isabel weren't telling him anything either, although he knew something was going on, especially that week. Isabel and Maria had been more secretive than usual and immediately stopped talking whenever Max came close to them.
"I can't." He muttered quietly as Kyle went into his bedroom.
Across the street, the Whitman's doorbell ring, and Isabel let two raven- haired women into the house. Max watched everything. He wondered what his sister was up to, but his curiosity could wait a bit longer.
Kyle emerged from his room only moments later, wearing a new t-shirr and trousers, heading towards the door.
"I'm just going over to Alex's he said he wanted me to come over after I finished work. You want to come?"
"Isabel just let two women into their house, so I'm guessing she wants you to meet them."
"Wow, your observative today."
"Thanks. I don't think I'll go."
"Come on, it'll be a laugh. You haven't been out in ages. I'm surprised you haven't become a hermit."
"I went to work this morning."
"That's not the same. That's the law, well, only in your case." Max worked as a police officer nowadays, despite his many convictions when they were all kids.
"Whatever Kyle."
"Come on, get your ass in gear. Are you going to come or not?"
"I might join you later."
"You always say that and never do. Come on."
"I said no."
"And I said yes. When was the last time you spoke to Isabel?"
It was Saturday. "Um, sometime last week."
"Exactly. Now get some more suitable clothes on, I'm afraid your uniform just won't do."
Max grudgingly got up and trudged through the house and into his room. He took some shirts out of the wardrobe, and picked a nice purple one to go with his black jeans. Max still did not have very much fashion sense.
Kyle and Max crossed the street together and rang the bell before Alex opened it. "Hey guys, glad you could make it. Everyone is out back."
"Okay, cool." Kyle replied. He had been told of the 'special guest', but really it would be a big shock for Max himself.
Max was only a few metres behind Alex and Kyle, when he heard high pitched squeals coming from the garden, "Kyle!"
Liz hugged him tightly, then held him at a distance. "My, you've changed."
"So have you Lizzie. And who is this divine species?" He asked her. She sighed, always the charmer. This is my daughter, Ciara."
"Wow, she's grown up so much since I last saw her."
"I remember you. You brought over alien masks one time." Ciara laughed and smiled at the older man.
Max stepped into the sunlight, as Liz put on a brave face to greet him. She had to confront him sometime sooner or later. Ciara screwed her face up at the newcomer, not recognising him, but seeing some distinguishable features that he and her Auntie Isabel shared.
"Hey Max, how have you been?" She asked in the light husky voice her remembered. He still loved the way she said his name gently.
"I'm fine."
"Typical return greeting." Ciara mocked her mother.
Max screwed up his eyes in confusion, while Liz thought that this certain trait must ruin in the family. Kyle saw the similarities between the two and stared at them before Isabel nudged him hard in the ribs.
"Would anyone like a sausage?" Alex asked, breaking the awkward silence that had drifted between them all.
Ciara broke the eye contact and turned towards Alex, holding out her buttered roll. "Thanks Uncle Alex. This looks great." She replied before smearing Tabasco sauce over the whole thing. Max stared in interest but most of all in wonder. What other kind of people did he know that loved a hell of a lot of Tabasco sauce? Oh yeah, he remembered, Aliens.
TBC...
The next day, across town, Max Evans sat infront of his television watching the last of the double bill re-runs of Friends after a hard day's work at the station. His flatmate slammed the front door just seconds later as a way of a greeting. "What's up?" he asked.
"Nothing much, Kyle. How's the new job?"
"Interesting." Kyle now worked as a adviser in the art gallery across town.
"How come?"
"There's a new artist that's all. Her works are surprisingly good. She is only about thirty or so. Just your type."
"Kyle, I told you. Don't try to set me up with anyone."
"Look, Liz left a long time ago, as with Tess. You should just forget them." Tess had comforted him after Liz had left, but they broke up a few short months later when he, ironically, caught Tess in bed with the milkman. He could laugh about it now, but he could never forgive her. So she skipped town and took destiny with her. He knew he still was not completely over Liz, even after eighteen years.
Eighteen years was a long time, but the war between the planets was now officially over, and Tess was redeemed to be the evil twin after what she did to Max. Max had wondered thousands of times over the years what Liz was up to. He knew Maria must have kept in contact but she never talked to him as she used to before Liz left. Max and Isabel weren't telling him anything either, although he knew something was going on, especially that week. Isabel and Maria had been more secretive than usual and immediately stopped talking whenever Max came close to them.
"I can't." He muttered quietly as Kyle went into his bedroom.
Across the street, the Whitman's doorbell ring, and Isabel let two raven- haired women into the house. Max watched everything. He wondered what his sister was up to, but his curiosity could wait a bit longer.
Kyle emerged from his room only moments later, wearing a new t-shirr and trousers, heading towards the door.
"I'm just going over to Alex's he said he wanted me to come over after I finished work. You want to come?"
"Isabel just let two women into their house, so I'm guessing she wants you to meet them."
"Wow, your observative today."
"Thanks. I don't think I'll go."
"Come on, it'll be a laugh. You haven't been out in ages. I'm surprised you haven't become a hermit."
"I went to work this morning."
"That's not the same. That's the law, well, only in your case." Max worked as a police officer nowadays, despite his many convictions when they were all kids.
"Whatever Kyle."
"Come on, get your ass in gear. Are you going to come or not?"
"I might join you later."
"You always say that and never do. Come on."
"I said no."
"And I said yes. When was the last time you spoke to Isabel?"
It was Saturday. "Um, sometime last week."
"Exactly. Now get some more suitable clothes on, I'm afraid your uniform just won't do."
Max grudgingly got up and trudged through the house and into his room. He took some shirts out of the wardrobe, and picked a nice purple one to go with his black jeans. Max still did not have very much fashion sense.
Kyle and Max crossed the street together and rang the bell before Alex opened it. "Hey guys, glad you could make it. Everyone is out back."
"Okay, cool." Kyle replied. He had been told of the 'special guest', but really it would be a big shock for Max himself.
Max was only a few metres behind Alex and Kyle, when he heard high pitched squeals coming from the garden, "Kyle!"
Liz hugged him tightly, then held him at a distance. "My, you've changed."
"So have you Lizzie. And who is this divine species?" He asked her. She sighed, always the charmer. This is my daughter, Ciara."
"Wow, she's grown up so much since I last saw her."
"I remember you. You brought over alien masks one time." Ciara laughed and smiled at the older man.
Max stepped into the sunlight, as Liz put on a brave face to greet him. She had to confront him sometime sooner or later. Ciara screwed her face up at the newcomer, not recognising him, but seeing some distinguishable features that he and her Auntie Isabel shared.
"Hey Max, how have you been?" She asked in the light husky voice her remembered. He still loved the way she said his name gently.
"I'm fine."
"Typical return greeting." Ciara mocked her mother.
Max screwed up his eyes in confusion, while Liz thought that this certain trait must ruin in the family. Kyle saw the similarities between the two and stared at them before Isabel nudged him hard in the ribs.
"Would anyone like a sausage?" Alex asked, breaking the awkward silence that had drifted between them all.
Ciara broke the eye contact and turned towards Alex, holding out her buttered roll. "Thanks Uncle Alex. This looks great." She replied before smearing Tabasco sauce over the whole thing. Max stared in interest but most of all in wonder. What other kind of people did he know that loved a hell of a lot of Tabasco sauce? Oh yeah, he remembered, Aliens.
TBC...