Many of the characters within this story, and the universe they inhabit, are the intellectual property of Jason Katims Productions.
Roswell: Re-Imagined
Written by Horatio Jaxx
Chapter 17: A New World
"What's wrong with you, Liz?" Kyle complained as much as he queried.
Liz had just returned to her home from a date with Kyle. They had gone to the theater to watch a show and were then standing outside the front door of the Parker's residence.
"I don't know what you mean," Liz timidly responded as she evaded his stare. "Yes, you do, Liz," Kyle contradicted. "You know exactly what I mean."
It was a Saturday night and three weeks had passed since Liz's return to school. This was the first date that she and Kyle had been on since before the shooting. He had made numerous requests for dates and to just be with her, but Liz had, up until then, always found an excuse she could use to evade him.
"I practically had to drag you out of the house," Kyle began to tirade. "And then you spent the whole evening acting like you rather had been someplace else."
"I told you it was too soon for me to be out," Liz countered halfheartedly.
"What do you mean?" Kyle disputed. "It's been a month."
Liz knew that everything Kyle was saying was true. She also knew that her excuses had become obvious, and this was all just her way of avoiding what she really wanted to do, which was break up with Kyle. This was not because she disliked him. Kyle was, in the beginning, her idea of the best choice for a boyfriend. The problem was that she was not particularly interested in having a boyfriend in the beginning. School work and grades had been Liz's number one concern for as long as she could remember. It was the pressure of friends and the upcoming proms that caused her to entertain Kyle's advances. These motivations would probably still be nudging her to stay with Kyle had it not been for one new situation, Max Evans.
For the first time in Liz's life, she was infatuated with a boy. Her studies were suffering for her constant thinking about Max. She dreamed about him at night and daydreamed about him during the day. School was suddenly about something other than learning. This was the one time when she was almost guaranteed a chance to see him. For the first time, her whole life revolved around being close to a boy, and what made this whole event even more excruciating, she knew that he felt the same way about her.
"You know Kyle," Liz began after a large inhale of courage. "I think we should break up."
"Break up," he repeated back in an alarmed tone of voice. "Just like that, you want to break up with me."
"Things obviously aren't working out," Liz defended insecurely. "And you deserve to be with someone who's not distracted."
Kyle was made visibly upset by Liz's suggestion that they break up, and he grew suddenly angry with Liz's attempt to explain it as some personal problem she was having. A second after she spoke, he expressed this anger vocally.
"Oh, distracted as in Max Evans?"
Liz became instantly alarmed by Kyle's mention of Max. The last thing she wanted was for him to think that this break up was about another boy, least of all Max.
"No, Kyle," Liz cried out in a panicked voice. "Max has nothing to do with this."
"You don't think I haven't seen the way you two have been looking at each other," Kyle continued without regard for Liz's denial.
"It's not what you think, Kyle," Liz argued back defensively.
"Hell, Liz, it's exactly what I think," Kyle disputed loudly. "You nearly jump out of your skin every time you see him."
Kyle paused to give Liz a look of incredulity and then he continued again in a quiet and faintly pleading tone of voice.
"I know he saved your life, Liz. But he didn't do anything a dozen other people wouldn't have done if they had gotten to you first."
"You're wrong, Kyle," Liz answered back with finality. "This has nothing to do with Max saving my life."
Kyle could see that nothing he say was going to change Liz's decision. He took a couple of steps back with a mixture of hurt and resignation on his face.
"Okay, Liz, whatever you say."
Kyle turned about and set off for his car at an unhurried pace. He stopped to look back at Liz after he opened the driver's door. A second later he climbed inside his car and raced off for home. Liz, in turn, went into her home and to bed relieved and anxious about being a free girl again.
Max was not the only person who had been getting surreptitious glances from Liz Parker. Michael and Isabel were victims of her increased attention over the past three weeks. They both were annoyed by this attention and gave Liz angry glances to communicate their displeasure. Liz, in turn, did her best not to look at them every time they came around a corner or entered a room that she was in. She failed in this miserably and the angry frowns persisted.
Max discontinued his practice of lunching at the Crash-Down Café immediately after the shooting. Since that time, the only time Liz was likely to see him was at Roswell High School. On the Monday after her Saturday night date with Kyle, she returned to school even more anxious to see him than any time before. That was due to her new relationship status. The report of her breakup with Kyle was circulating around the school. Maria got that ball rolling after Liz told her the day before. By the time Liz and Max's mutual lunch period began, she had seen him twice, and nothing was said between them. Liz expected nothing to be different here.
"So, are you going to talk to him?" Maria questioned from across the table from Liz.
Max had just entered the cafeteria and sat down at his usual table with his back to Liz. She followed his movement from the moment he entered the cafeteria with repeated glances his way. Maria noted this attention with a smile. Isabel was monitoring the situation as well. She was sitting with her usual small clique of girlfriends a couple of tables away.
"No," Liz responded unconvincingly.
"Then why did you break up with Kyle?" Maria asked with a bewildered expression.
"That had nothing to do with Max," Liz softly asserted before returning to the food in her tray.
"Are you kidding me," Maria whispered back across the table. "You can't keep your eyes off of him."
"Well, he saved my life," Liz explained under her breath and with a shake of her head. "We can't help but notice each other."
"Please, Liz, you're talking to me, your oldest and dearest friend," Maria retorted with exasperation. "Are you planning on going through the whole school year like this? And what about the prom?"
Liz had no immediate response for that. She was not giving any thought to the prom, but the idea of spending her entire school year looking at each other but not talking did seem a little absurd to her.
"I can't," Liz reported after several seconds of thought.
"Why?" Maria questioned with incredulity. "He's sitting right over there."
"It's complicated," Liz countered with a hint of finality.
"No, it's not," Maria quickly asserted. "You're just making it complicated."
Once again Maria had made a comment that caused Liz to rethink what she was doing. It made sense to her that this awkward situation should be alleviated. Each time she grappled with that argument in her mind, she concluded that her mind was just rationalizing ways to move forward with her infatuation. Her fear was that Max would see right through her silly little lovesick stare.
"Besides," Maria continued after consuming a bite of food. "He's obviously more in love with you than you are with him."
Maria had suddenly made a point that pushed Liz over the top. She suddenly realized how silly it was for her to be uncomfortable about her feelings for Max. She knew that he was attracted to her, and that he was trying just as hard as she to suppress it.
"Okay, you're right," Liz confidently concluded after her thought.
"I am?" Maria questioned back with a shocked inflection.
Without saying another word to Maria, Liz gathered up her tray and went over to the table where Max was sitting alone.
"Hi, Max," Liz announced as she sat down across from him.
Max noted her appearance with a look of surprise. After choking down a morsel of food, he responded to her greeting with his own.
"Hi."
"Max, I was thinking," Liz began innocently as she searched his eyes for signs of disapproval. "It seems silly to me for us to spend the entire school year trying not to talk to each other."
"I know, Liz, and I'm sorry," Max replied apologetically. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"But that's just it," Liz countered. "It did happen and maybe we shouldn't be trying so hard to pretend that it didn't. I've known you since grammar school. We shouldn't have to be strangers to each other."
"I'm not sure this is a good idea," Max counseled softly.
"Why?" Liz questioned back with curiosity in her voice.
In his mind, Max began fumbling with an answer to this question. It was at this moment that Michael sat down beside him.
"Why are you here," Michael questioned Liz brusquely the instant he sat down. "Isn't your table the one over there with that ditzy chick?"
"Michael," Max admonished quickly. "We're just talking."
"If you mean Maria, then yes we usually sit together," Liz pleasantly injected her reply to Michael's question.
"Don't mind Michael," Max instructed Liz in a soft voice.
"This shouldn't be happening, Max," Michael gruffly declared.
"Why?" Liz queried Michael with a look of surprise.
"Because it shouldn't, that's why," Michael retorted to Liz. "So, you should just go back to your table and stay there."
Max was just about to give Michael a stern rebuke when Maria suddenly slid into the chair next to Liz and opposite Michael.
"Hey guys, what's happening over here?" Maria questioned with an ill at ease tone of voice.
Maria had noted Michael's addition to the table and quickly decided to come to the aid of her friend and balance out the number.
"Wow, this is great, Max," Michael reacted sarcastically, "really great."
"What's great?" Maria questioned with an inflection of confusion.
"Nothing," Max quickly interjected ahead of Michael. "We were just talking about how great Liz looks."
Maria felt she was on sure footing for the first time since sitting at the table. That topic of discussion was something she knew about and could easily converse on. And her habit of talking when she was nervous made doing so an imperative.
"Thanks to you," Maria pointed out with a hint of excitement.
Liz was just about to excuse herself from the table, taking her friend with her, when Maria tossed out a humorous comment.
"So, Super-boy, have you mind melded with anyone else lately?"
Max, Michael and Liz were taken by surprise by that comment. All three of them glanced at back and forth at each other with looks of shock. Maria was confused by the change in their expressions and quickly queried about it.
"What's wrong?"
"I thought you said she wasn't going to tell anyone," Michael grumbled angrily in Max's face.
Max looked quickly to Liz for some explanation. She, in turn, jumped at the chance to give it.
"I told Maria the day after I got shot. She's my best friend."
Maria was growing more confused by each new remark she heard.
"What?" Maria questioned with a wide eye expression. "It's not like any of it is true. She was delirious, end of story," she added in an off-the-cuff manner.
"This isn't going to work," Michael declared in an exasperated tone.
Michael suddenly stood up after that remark, glared down at Max for all of two seconds and then set off for the cafeteria exit at a hurried pace.
"What's his problem?" Maria questioned with a look of incredulity.
Max gave no thought to Maria's inquiry. He was too busy entertaining questions about Michael and what he was about to do. After a second of contemplation, he too got up on his feet and followed Michael at a hurried pace.
"What just happened?" Maria asked, more confused than ever.
As Maria was speaking her question, Isabel was rising from her seat. As soon as she got to full stance, she excused herself to her friends and set off for the exit behind Max. Liz took note of her exit as Maria continued to query her about what was going on.
"I should never have told you about what Max did," Liz advised Maria with a quick turn of the head in her direction. "You have to promise me, Maria, don't tell anyone about what I said, please."
Maria noted the sincerity and desperation in Liz's voice and responded to that more than what she had said.
"Okay, I won't."
No sooner had Maria given that promise did Liz jump up onto her feet and took off after Max, Isabel and Michael. Still confused about what was going on, Maria got up and took off after her. Watching all of this from a distance was Kyle. He was situated within a group of male juniors at a table in a far corner of the cafeteria.
Max caught up with Michael in the school parking lot. He jumped in front of him to check his forward advance.
"Come on, Michael, don't do something stupid."
The suggestion that he might do something stupid drew in Michael's ire. He stopped to respond to this with an emotional outburst.
"Stupid, like tell some stranger all about us, you mean stupid like that, Maxwell?"
Just as Michael was speaking, Isabel caught up with them. Racing toward them all at a jog from behind, were Liz and Maria.
"What's wrong?" Isabel inquired in a voice full of worry.
"Liz told motor mouth over there all about us," Michael answered sarcastically and with a point toward Maria.
"What?" Isabel reacted with a shocked expression.
Isabel took two steps back as she studied Liz and Maria with a terrified expression. A couple of seconds later she turned her attention to Max and verbalized her feeling.
"I thought you said she wouldn't tell anyone, Max. What are we supposed to do now?"
The look of fear on Isabel's face gave new power to the memories that Liz collected from Max's head. She recalled the worry that was in Max's thoughts the day they linked their minds, and she remembered the depth of his concern for Isabel and Michael. At that moment Liz knew that she had to relieve Isabel's fears.
"This was before I knew I shouldn't," Liz blurted out quickly.
"Who else has she told, Max?" Isabel queried with a bewildered expression.
"I didn't tell anyone else," Liz insisted in a voice desperate for Isabel's belief.
"And what about her," Isabel questioned in a startled tone of voice and a quick look to Maria?
The sudden turn of everyone's attention towards Maria caused her to go wide eye with wonder.
"What?" Maria questioned in an alarmed tone of voice.
"Tell them that you haven't spoken about what I told you," Liz urged with a resolute stare.
"Wait a minute," Maria reacted with a look of disbelief. "Why does it matter that you thought Max healed you with his mind?"
"Be quiet!" Michael sternly ordered in a hushed voice.
"Listen, Buddy," Maria countered defiantly. "I don't like being told what to do. Besides, what's the big deal? So, I told a couple of people. Who cares? Nobody believes it."
Michael turned to Max and gave him an, I told you so look. Max was not equally perturbed by Maria's declaration, but Isabel was shocked into a verbal outburst.
"Oh no!"
Max quickly took note of Isabel's concern and Liz took note of his, in turn.
"Now do you see why we have to leave?" Michael questioned Max with an amazed expression. "This thing is just going to keep getting bigger."
Max had no ready answer for this question. His only reaction was to look to Liz with worry.
"No, it's not," Liz spoke up quickly. "Maria won't tell anyone else," she continued with a turn to her closes friend. "Tell them; tell them you won't talk about this to anyone again."
Maria quickly came to the realization that no one here was joking with her. Despite this she was still did not believe anything that had been said. She took one last look into the faces of Max, Isabel and Michael for some sign that this whole thing was in jest. After a few seconds of worried looks and fixed stares she decided to play along.
"All three of them?" Maria questioned Liz blandly.
"Tell them you won't repeat what I told you to anyone," Liz insisted with an inflection of urgency.
"Okay, okay I won't tell anyone," Maria relented. "What's the big deal? It's not like any of it is true."
A moment of pause followed Maria's assurance and skeptical remark. Max looked to Isabel for evidence that she was okay with what she heard. After a hand full of seconds, he put her to the question on it.
"Okay?"
"Yeah, Max, this is just perfect," Isabel responded with sarcasm and scowl. "This is just peachy-keen."
No sooner had she spoken those words did Isabel set off for the school in a huff. Frustrated by what he was seeing, Michael tossed his hands into the air before verbalizing what he was feeling.
"I don't believe this," Michael announced as he turned about for the school entrance. Max watched Michael go into the school before turning about to look at Liz.
"It's going to be okay, Max, I promise," Liz assured him quietly in response to his look.
Max was not sure of anything, and he knew this only too well right then. It was his hope that everything could stay as they were, but he was beginning to believe that was an unrealistic hope.
"I need to get back inside," Max spoke up mildly.
Liz responded to that with a nod of her head, and then Max turned and walked away.
"What just happened?" Maria asked as soon as Max was out of earshot.
"Not now, Maria," Liz answered with a shake of her head.
Liz turned towards the high school entrance and started toward it with Maria by her side.
"Okay, but we're talking about this tonight," Maria insisted.
"Okay," Liz answered softly.
"And I want to know everything, Liz," Maria asserted with scowl.
"Okay."