A/N- Thank you SO much for the reviews and support! Honestly, every time I get a new review a piece of me starts to glow in happiness- you guys ROCK! You only makes me try harder to be creative and actually write. I worked and re-worked this chapter attempting to make it a little more interesting, but unfortunately it's still pretty boring, and I'm sorry. Also, I promise the chapters will start getting longer once I get further into the story and things get more complicated. But, I hope you enjoy this installment of the story, and please keep up with the reviews- you inspire me. :)

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Chapter Three

About an hour later Liz awoke from her deep slumber. She looked up at Max who sat by her side, the questions still racing through her mind. Max explained that she would be staying with Michael, and she nodded, unable to come up with any good question to try and help voice her doubt and clear the confusion blanketing her tired mind.

The two walked out into the living room where the rest of the group sat, and together Max, Michael, and Maria made their way to Michael's apartment.

The ride across town was mainly filled with an uncomfortable silence. At times Maria's words bubbled over the noise of the radio playing softly in the background, her voice attempting to sound carefree came out pinched and strained with uncertainty. Liz sat in the back seat, her eyes gazing sadly out the window, tracing the line of the raindrops as they skittered down the cold glass. Maria's words barely made their way into her brain as they drove down the empty street.

"We're here!" Maria said quickly, as Max pulled the Jeep into a parking space in front of Michael's apartment complex. The four got out of the car and made their way up the stairs and into the apartment.

"Uh, sorry, it's not that clean. I didn't really expect… well, you know," Michael said, nervously raking his hand through his hair.

"He's such a slob," Maria explained with a tight laugh. "Honestly Liz, I feel bad for you. I can hardly stand coming here for a period of a few hours, but you're going to actually have to attempt to live in this place."

"Maria, shut up." Michael said, but couldn't suppress a small smile as he stepped into the apartment, throwing his keys onto the counter. He turned to face Liz who stood looking small and scared, standing in the doorway watching the others. "I know it isn't much, but it's at least something, right? I'll clean it up a little bit. You can stay on the sofa," he motioned to the couch on the opposite wall. "It pulls out into a bed and I have some clean sheets."

Michael finished speaking and the room fell silent. The three stood looking at Liz who still didn't make a move to enter the apartment. Maria felt her heart swell in compassion and she took a step toward her. "Come on in, Liz. I swear you're safe here." She urged, holding out her hand toward the girl.

Liz looked down at Maria's hand in dismay, her heart still fluttering in confusion and trepidation. There was something so distant and familiar that her mind couldn't quite grasp, and it made her stop and question these people around her. She wanted so badly to trust the words of the girl standing in front of her, but something in her heart caused her to halt. Slowly her eyes wandered upward and connected with Max's and she stared at him for a moment, warmth rushing back through her veins. In his eyes she felt a protection and safety that she couldn't quite understand. Something in him stirred something deep inside of her, almost like a dream that you can't quite remember in the morning. She didn't know who he was, but she understood that she could trust him.

Slowly she lifted her hand and placed it in Maria's, allowing the other girl to guide her into the room. They took a seat on the couch and Maria looked at the two men still standing in the entryway.

"Well Max, I think we can handle it from here. You can go." She said, smiling up at him.

"Uh... I was- I mean, I thought I should stay and..." his voice trailed off as his gaze shifted back and forth from Maria to Liz.

"Believe me Max, we have this under control. If there's anything Liz needs right now it's some good old fashioned girl talk. Now, unless either of you has suddenly become a girl," she said, raising her eyebrows in a question. "Then neither of you can really contribute much to this conversation. So Max, Michael, make yourselves useful. Go to the store and buy anything that is going to make this whole thing easier for Liz. Buy her a toothbrush; buy her some food that is actually edible- anything to replace the old, gross expired things that Michael calls food in that refrigerator. While you boys go to the store, Liz and I will stay here."

Max stood staring at Maria as she finished speaking, not making a move toward the door. Michael let out a low chuckle and turned from Maria to Max. "Come on Maxwell, let's get out of her. The lady actually makes some sense." He placed his hand on Max's arm and slowly directed him to the door. "Have fun girls," he called as he closed the door behind him.

Maria let out an exasperated sigh after they had finally left. She turned toward Liz and smiled. "Boys. I swear, they're so useless sometime." She let out a laugh and felt a flood of relief as a small smile formed on Liz's face. "So tell me Liz, are you OK? Like seriously, are you feeling alright?"

Liz nodded slowly, looking Maria in the eye. "I'm fine," she said, her voice coming out small and quiet. "I'm just a little confused. It's hard for me to grasp everything because I just... I don't even know who I am."

"But you know your name is Liz, right?" Maria asked, attempting to clear up some confusion.

"Yeah, I know that my name is Liz." She said. She looked into Maria's eyes and saw the openness radiating from the girl, and Liz's stomach began to relax and the words began to flow quicker from her lips. "It's just so hard, because I don't know how I know that and I don't know anything else. I don't recognize anything and I don't have any recollection of anything before I woke up and you all were around me. How did I even get here? I just wish I had answers for some of the questions."

Maria nodded, taking in the information and attempting to find the right words to voice her questions. "So you don't recognize any of us?" She asked, trying to not sound so blatant in her inquisition.

Liz shook her head, looking down at her hands. "No, I don't recognize anyone. I get this small sort of sense, though. I don't even know what it is. Just a small little inkling..."

"About Max." Maria finished and Liz's eyes shot upward.

"How did you know that?" She asked.

Maria felt her stomach drop and she stumbled over her words, attempting to come up with a good explanation. "I just- I don't know. It seemed like when you woke up that you recognized him."

"I did?" Liz asked, confused. Maria nodded and Liz sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know anything. My mind is just like this black canvas. I woke up without a memory, the only thing blanketing the dark background of the mind were the three letters of my name. Liz. Who even knows if that's correct."

"Well, at least it's a start, right?" Maria asked, smiling. "At least we have something to call you now. Liz... it's a pretty name."

Liz smiled at the girl, feeling the warmth radiating from her as they sat side by side on the couch. She scanned the room around her, feeling lost and alone in this new world. Everyone seemed willing to help her, but she wasn't quite sure why. She knew she could trust them but she couldn't understand where that knowledge came from. She looked down at her fingers as they sat laced together on her lap and only then did her eyes draw toward the scratches. Jagged grueling red lines glared back at her, standing out against her pale white skin on her lower arms. Her heart jumped and quickly she pulled down her worn sleeves, attempting to cover up the only piece to the puzzle of her past. The past that she couldn't yet understand why she was afraid to recall.