A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, I really appreciate it. As I'm sure you all know, that's what determines how fast you get the next part hehe. One of you asked it they were human or alien in this. They are all human. This is just a fun little high school, all human, fic. So hope you all enjoy and please keep with the reviewing! Thanks.

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The Problem with being Popular

Part 5

It was Monday morning, and Liz thought it strange that as she drove to school she was actually looking forward to being there. Usually she dreaded it, having to fake nice with all the tess-likes, having to go through the day with the mind numbing smile plastered to her face. But today was different, today she wanted to be there. Wanted to see Max. See his friends. Talk to Maria, who she found to be quite an interesting person. First was her biology class, and she couldn't be happier.

She practically skipped into class she was so excited. She didn't see any of her so called friends on her way to her locker or class, today had started out great. She took her usual seat next to Max and looked over to see him smiling at her. He looked just as happy to see her as she did him.

"Max I wanted to thank you again for yesterday. I couldn't have made it through the day without you, and Maria, Alex, Isabel and Michael."

"Liz, really it was our pleasure. So please stop thanking me. Actually, even Michael admitted that it was a lot more fun than he thought it would be."

"Wow. Really, Michael. He complained the whole time." Liz said surprised.

"That's kind of the way he is. He's an interesting character once you get to know him."

"Looking forward to it." Liz stated simply as the teacher started the class and all attention was directed towards the front of the room.

Max was still in heaven. The past three days had been amazing. He'd actually gone out with his dream girl. How many guys could say that. It all felt like a dream to him. Like something was missing, not quite right. Why now, why after all this time did Liz decided that she liked him now. It was all very strange, but Max was taking it for what it was, the best time of his life.

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"So your saying that you haven't heard anything about it?" Michael questioned, for the fifth time.

"Yes! How many times do I have to tell you! I haven't heard anything about Liz Parker and Max Evans. Can I go now?"

"Whatever." Michael said walking away. He was going to get to the bottom of this, if it was the last thing that he did. Max was all ready sucked in and he didn't want to see him get hurt. He needed to know why Liz was doing this. Sure he could be the pollyenna that every one else was and believe that the head cheerleader, would throw herself at the class geek, sure happened everyday right. Wrong. Something was going on, and Michael was going to get to the bottom of it. No matter how many of the tessettes he had to talk to.

He'd already wasted the greater part of his day trying to find the answer, when he finally decided to go to the source. It was going to be hard, he'd have to swallow his pride. But for Max, he'd do it, he'd talk to Tess. But first he had to meet the gang for lunch. None of them could know what he was doing. They would be furious, especially Maria. Michael could tell that not only was Max forming an attachment to Liz, but so was his one and only. She wanted to become friends with Liz, Michael couldn't let her get mixed up in all of this as well. He had to keep up appearances, couldn't let any of them suspect anything.

Michael took his seat next to Maria at their usual lunch table out on the grass, away form all the drama of the court area, it was a somewhat secluded area. Alex and Isabel were all ready there. The last one to join them was Max. He sat down across from Michael, with the grin from yesterday still plastered to his face.

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Liz had her lunch and in was following her normal routine as she walked over to her always table. Just as she started to approach she saw Max sit down with his friends. It hit her that she didn't want to go through the torture of sitting with the tessettes today, she wanted to be happy, not talk about the latest school gossip, or that 'pink was so the new red' but have real conversations. So right before she was going to sit with them she turned and walked away, to Max.

Max saw Liz walking towards him, and was beside himself. He wasn't sure if she would actually be seen with him at school. He knew that she had a reputation to keep, and that him not exactly being Mr. Popular wouldn't help her out in that respect. With all of that on his mind he hadn't expected her to even talk to him outside of biology while they were at school. But here she was on her way to sit next to him. In front of everyone.

Liz sat next to Max as if it were something that she did everyday. She said a quiet, sweet, hi to him before she was caught up in conversation with Maria. They were talking about some movie that her and Michael were going to see that night. Max watched as she talked to her, and soon Isabel was in on the conversation, followed by Michael, and Alex. Max couldn't help but to smile. She fit right in. Who would have guessed, other than him in every fantasy he ever had.

"Liz, you and Max should come with us!" Maria said excited, for the chance to spend more time with Liz. They were instant friends. To Maria it felt like she'd always known, and talked to Liz. Maria never really had a best friend who was a girl. The closest thing she had was Isabel. It seemed like Isabel just wasn't always there though. She had other friends outside the group that she hung out with a lot. Isabel was actually very popular at school. She could eat anywhere she wanted, every clique would accept her with open arms. She chose to eat with them because she loved Alex, and Alex and Maria had been friends forever. So when they started going out about a year ago, Isabel had started eating with Maria, Alex, and Michael. Max soon followed, after him and Michael had gotten detention together, a first for Max, definitely not Michael though. Max was an outcast. But they accepted and came to love him. And that's the way that their group had been since.

Liz looked at Max, who nodded the affirmative that they should go. Did he really want to see 'The Notebook'? Not at all. Was he going because he wanted to spend time with Liz. Most definitely.

"I'd really like that." Liz agreed. Completely content in the moment. She was being accepted by a great group of people, and she couldn't have been happier.

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Tess was furious. She couldn't believe what was happening. Her best friend had just ditched her for a dare. She'd noticed it all day, the looks that Max and Liz would share when they passed one another in the hall. How could this be happening, was Liz really falling for the biggest nerd in the school! No. She wouldn't stand by and watch it happen. As she watched Max and Liz eat their lunch, she was positive that she had some information, that Max wasn't privilege to. Being the biggest gossip in the school, Tess felt it was her right to tell Max about the dare. Who was she to exsclude him from the goings on of West Roswell High.

With that Tess had her mind made up. Not only would she tell Max, in the most awful way that she could think of, but she would make sure that Liz was there to witness it. A small smile spread across Tess' face as she watched the scene play out in her head.

TBC