Chapter Eleven – Proof of the Thesis
Liz sat on her patio, wrapped up in a blanket, rereading the journal entry she had just written. A cool breeze blew, causing her to pull the blanket more tightly around her.
Max Evans told me something today, she read. I'm not sure if I believe it, but how can I not? As a scientist, I shouldn't reject any theory out of hand, but everything inside of me screams that this can't be true. Max Evans cannot be an alien. He was not brought to Earth in the '47 crash, and he did not emerge from some sort of incubation pod ten years ago. It didn't happen, it couldn't happen. This is real life, not some bad science fiction television program.
And it isn't just him, it's his sister Isabel Evans, the Ice Queen of West Roswell High, as well as Maria's new nemesis, Michael Guerin.
Liz paused from her reading to remember some of the interactions and byplay that occurred between her best friend and Max's best friend. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear there was some deep hidden passion lurking underneath their animosity. She lifted her glance to the starry sky above and wondered at the rest of Max's pronouncement. Was it possible that one of those far away distant planets was actually home to Max Evans? With a sigh, she returned her gaze to her journal and continued reading.
Maria did not handle Max's announcement very well, in fact she insisted we leave the quarry immediately.
"Liz? Liz, are you up there?" a voice called. Liz, blanket and all; walked over to the edge of the roof and looked down to see Max Evans standing on the street below.
"H-hi," she called, trying to quell the nervous, but exciting feeling that enveloped her each time she came in contact with Max. "What are you doing here?"
"We didn't really get to talk today," said Max, climbing the fire escape to her rooftop patio. "I know you said you had some questions."
"Some?" said Liz. "More like thousands, especially after our conversation today."
"Yeah, look about that," said Max.
"Don't tell anybody," said Liz. "Don't worry, I mean, who'd believe me anyhow?"
"What about Maria, can she be trusted to keep quiet?" Max asked.
"Quiet, no," said Liz. "But can you trust her with you secret, of course."
"Can you come for a ride?" Max asked.
"Now?" asked Liz. "I don't know, it's kind of late."
"Please, Max asked. "It's really important."
Liz looked into Max's brown eyes and felt her resolve wavering. She remembered Michael's taunting comments about her never doing anything wrong, and she decided to throw caution to the wind.
"Give me a minute," she said. "I'll meet you downstairs."
"Hey," Max said softly, when Liz opened the back door of the CrashDown. "Thanks for coming down."
"Yeah, well," Liz said, feeling suddenly shy. How did one talk to an alien anyhow, or at the very least, someone who thought he was an alien.
"Yeah, well," Max repeated, unsure of what to do next.
"Do you want to go for a walk?" Liz asked while at the same time Max asked,
"Do you want to go for a drive?"
The two laughed self-consciously and Max smiled down at Liz, the dark night masking the two spots of color that burned on his cheeks. There was something about this girl that drove all intelligent thought right out of his mind.
"A walk it is, then," he said. He reached down in an unconscious gesture and took Liz's hand in his and they began to walk down the deserted city streets.
"So, where are we going?" Max asked.
"I don't know, the park, maybe?" Liz offered, pointing to the darkened entrance.
"Sounds good," said Max. "That is if you trust me enough to go into a deserted park late at night."
"Max, you saved my life," said Liz. "How can I not trust you?"
"What?" asked Max. "Liz, what did you just say?"
"I said you saved my life, but that's not right, you saved Maria's life," said Liz. She sat down on the edge of the fountain and trailed her fingers through the chilly water. "Max, I keep having all these weird, God, I don't even now what to call them. It's just weird."
"I know," said Max. He put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed gently. "We'll figure this out, I promise."
Liz sighed gently and relaxed against the strong lean body of Max Evans. She felt safe in his arms, which was odd as she'd never been in his arms before. Nevertheless, being with him evinced a feeling of safety and security like she'd never felt before, didn't think she'd ever feel again.
"Max? How did you heal Maria?" Liz asked, hating to end the quite moment she shared with Max, but knowing it had to be done.
"We, Michael, Isabel and I can manipulate molecular structure. I'm not really sure how it works, but I could just visualize the bullet dissolving inside of her, and the damaged areas of her body healing."
"That's like incredible," said Liz. "What else can you do?"
Max removed his arm from Liz's shoulder and stood up. She watched as he walked away from the fountain, missing the weight of his arm more than she cared to admit. He touched a street lamp and the light began to revolve, almost like a glittery disco ball. A kaleidoscope of dazzling light danced around the park.
Liz brought her hand up to her mouth and laughed gleefully at the shimmering display of lights.
"Max, stop it, what if someone sees you?" she whispered.
As quickly as it began, the dazzling light display ended and Liz sat on the edge of the fountain looking bereft.
"What's the matter?" Max asked.
"I don't know," Liz admitted. "Seeing that made me realize how alone you must have felt, keeping this secret to yourself."
She stood up and walked the short distance to the lamppost where Max still stood.
"But you're not alone anymore."
Max took her in his arms and held her tightly, looking down into her soulful brown eyes. He lowered his head to kiss her when the blaring of a nearby car alarm jarred them apart.
"We, uh, we should probably be getting back," he said regretfully.
"Yeah," said Liz, her voice ripe with disappointment and longing.
"Thanks for talking with me," Max said as he and Liz began to walk down the path. "You're right, I always have felt so alone. Talking to you really helped."
Behind a tree, Nicholas watched, his face contorting in an evil grimace. It wasn't working, they were still coming together. He had to keep them apart, he had to make this time line a reality before he died. He felt himself grow weaker and weaker with each passing hour. If he died before he killed Liz, all hope would be lost.