Part Two
Day 1 – Monday June 23 2002
We've been on the road for almost 2 hours now and my excitement has not diminished in the slightest. We're having a great time; apart from the tiny argument we had an hour ago over where we should go first. I wanted to go see Chaco Canyon, but Max claimed it was boring and wanted to see the Petrified Forest instead. So, we butted heads for ages until I pointed out that the 'Petrified' Forest had absolutely nothing to do with terrified trees and scary ghost stories, so now we're on our way to the canyon.
Max is driving right now and he's whistling this awful off-key song, which if I weren't so happy and relaxed, would completely get on my nerves and I would just –
"What are you writing in there? Is it about me?" the mischievous voice cuts into my thinking pattern and I stop writing. Damn, it's like he has special 'Liz is writing about me' radar or something.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" I retort, slamming the book shut. Juvenile, I know, but I can't help it. "Why don't you just concentrate on the driving and let me worry about what I'm writing, huh?"
He shakes his head and lets out a low whistle, "Geez, no need to be so uptight, Lizzie! And here I thought we were best friends, embarking on the trip of a lifetime together; but if you're gonna be like this the whole time, then maybe we should just turn back now?"
I whip my head round to face him. "Don't you dare, Max Evans!"
He just rolls his eyes and turns to concentrate on the road again, "I was only joking, Parker. Nothing in the world is going to make me turn around and go back home now." I can see him trying to conceal a smirk at how easily he can annoy me.
I don't say anything, just let out a huff and sit back in my seat to watch the scenery go past. It's pretty much always like this with Max and I. There's such a comfortable atmosphere between us that there's usually a constant, easy banter between us. It's nice, it makes me feel accepted, like I can say whatever is on my mind and I know that Max won't think I'm crazy or anything (I've had bad experiences with people who just don't get me and send me strange looks whenever I come out with something random).
Three hours later, we finally reach Chaco Canyon and as we get out of the jeep to look around, I see it's not really a canyon, but is actually the ruins of an old Native American settlement (Anasazi, I learn later), surrounded by huge rocks.
As we begin walking through the ruins, Max casually slings his arm around my shoulder.
"Wow, this is pretty cool," he says and I find myself biting my lip so as not to giggle. This, coming from the guy who said this place would be boring and why would we even bother stopping here?
"Yeah, it is," I agree and we continue on through the canyon.
By the time we're finished and ready to leave, it's almost sunset and neither of us are really in the mood to drive very much further tonight, so Max suggests we go to the nearest town, get something to eat and find a motel room (yes, a room, one; get your mind out of the gutter, Max and I are friends and besides, it's cheaper to get one room with two beds than to stay in separate rooms).
By 7 pm, we're situated in a small, but nice motel room in Gallup, New Mexico since it was the only town we could find with a decent place to stay. We got take-out pizza and some snacks and are now sitting on Max's bed, the food between us, watching TV. I only manage to eat three slices before I'm totally stuffed, so I leave the rest for Max and lean back against the headboard so I can concentrate on the TV.
A couple of minutes later I notice a prickling sensation at the back of my neck and I can tell that Max is watching me.
I shift, uncomfortable under his gaze, "What?" I ask without taking my eyes off the screen.
"Nothing," I see him shake his head out of the corner of my eye. "It's just…I'm really glad we're doing this, Liz." The teasing tone from earlier has gone; he's serious now. I guess that warrants my full attention, so I mute the TV and turn to face him.
Yeah, me too," I smile. "It's going to be great, isn't it? The best summer of our lives."
He grins and nods in agreement. "That is, if you don't get on my nerves too much," he says, back to joking, but he turns serious again a moment later. He looks at me for a second before speaking again. "I'm really going to miss you when you go off to Harvard, Lizzie."
"Yeah, I'm gonna miss you too, Max." I tell him, for lack of anything better to say.
He sighs, "God, what am I going to do without you around to tease every day?" he wonders.
I feel the need to lighten the atmosphere a little and give him a gentle nudge, "Hey, that's what this trip is all about, Max. You and me, spending some quality time together before school starts," I tell him. "And just think, by the end of it you'll probably be so fed up with me that you'll be glad to be apart for a while."
He smiles again and shakes his head at me, "Never gonna happen, Parker. You're stuck with me now. We've been friends for what, fourteen years already? You're not going to get rid of me that easily."
With that said, he reaches over to discard the empty pizza box on the floor and scoots up next to me, taking the remote from my hand and turning the volume up once again.
One feature film and half an episode of E.R. later, I'm practically asleep on Max's shoulder. I'm startled though, when he suddenly switches the television off and the room descends into silence.
"Hey, what'd you do that for?" I mumble, my eyes half closed. "I was watching that!"
"No, you weren't, you were half asleep! Your eyes have been closed for the past 20 minutes," he argues. "Besides, I'm tired and we have lots to do tomorrow."
He's right, in the early hours of the morning we'll be setting off for the Grand Canyon, which is a good eight-hour drive from here. We worked out that we should get there in time to watch the sunset from the South Rim, which I've heard is spectacular.
"Fine," I grumble and pull myself up into a standing position. "I'm going to wash up and change for bed, I'll see you in a couple of minutes," I tell him, grabbing my wash bag and pyjamas from my suitcase. I head into the bathroom, leaving Max to change in the bedroom.
When I remerge from the bathroom I notice that Max is already in bed, only his head, bare chest and arms visible. I wonder what the girls at school would think if they knew I would be spending the next few weeks sleeping in the same room as a half-naked Max Evans? I know that most of them find Max completely drool-worthy, but I've never really seen it myself. To me, he's just Max Evans, the boy I used to climb trees with and make mud pies with, not Max Evans, the potential love interest and, dare I say it, sex god.
To be honest, I don't really get what all the other girls see in him. I mean, sure, I guess he's kind of attractive, but you've really got to look at the bigger picture here. He has all these weird, annoying habits that just get on your nerves; like the fact that whenever there's a football game on, you can't pry him away from the screen for the world; even if you're having a major crisis and desperately need his help, he'll make you wait until the game is over before paying any attention to you; and when he's nervous or worried about something, he just about drives you crazy with his anxious pacing and inability to concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds. I don't really know how anyone could be in a relationship with him and not get completely irritated by him eventually.
However, for some reason, they don't seem to have minded so far. Although that might be because none of Max's girlfriends have lasted much more than a couple of weeks; with the exception of the most recent one, that is. Tess Harding was a junior who transferred to Roswell High from Michigan a year ago and had caught Max's eye back in March. They started dating and Max seemed hopeful about the relationship until one day a few weeks ago she just broke it off with barely a word or an explanation.
It surprised me because he had always been the one to finish it, not the other way around. I'm not naïve, he may be my oldest and best friend, but he is a guy and I know what guys are like. I have little doubt that there was sex involved in those relationships and I suspect that Max probably got bored with them after a week or two and then dumped them.
I know its an awful thing to say, but let's face it, I'm sure that a lot of men go through that kind of thing at one time or another in their lives.
I suddenly notice that Max is staring at me strangely and I realise that I have been standing here like an idiot for the last few minutes. I feel my face flush with embarrassment as I quickly cross the floor to my bed and climb underneath the covers.
"Night, Max," I say as he reaches up above his head to switch off the light.
"Night, Liz," he replies, his voice tinged with amusement over my actions.
I fall asleep tonight with one thought on my mind: I can't wait to experience the rest of this trip.
Day 3 – Wednesday June 25 2002
We spent today hiking down the Grand Canyon. This place is amazing and just completely awe-inspiring. Last night, Max and I watched the sunset from the top and just like I'd heard, it was absolutely stunning. Tomorrow we're going to take a helicopter ride down to the Colorado River and a bus tour around the rim.
We're moving on from here Friday morning and will be spending a couple of days in Phoenix (well, Scottsdale actually) – it's going to be kind of a relaxation period before the real travelling gets underway!
Max and I have been getting on great so far, well apart from the little arguments over who gets to drive (Max has been insisting on doing it all himself no matter what I say – I think he's worried that I'll crash his precious jeep or something. As if!) and what we should listen to on the radio – I won that one since he wouldn't let me drive.
Uh oh, I have to go now. Max is hungry and is shooting annoyed glares in my direction.
Oh well, I guess that's it for today.
I roll my eyes at Max as I close the journal and stash it in my suitcase. I know he's curious about what I've been writing in it, but it's private, full of my personal thoughts and feelings and for my eyes only. I'm sure he thinks I write all this stuff about him in it and he's paranoid about what I really think of him (insert exaggerated roll of my eyes here). It's kind of sad really, considering that most of what's written in there has less to do with him and our friendship and more to do with what we're doing on our trip and my feelings about going to college on the other side of the country, away from my family and friends.
Max groans as I search for my jacket. It might be the middle of summer, but it still gets cold out here at night.
"Come on, Liz! Hurry up!" he eventually bursts out. "I'm starving here."
I finally spot the coat lying on the floor, half underneath my bed and quickly scoop it up.
"Alright, alright. I'm ready. No need to get so impatient!" I exclaim and grab his hand, pulling him towards the door. Although I haven't admitted it to him, I'm starving too.
We eat at a small all-night diner we passed earlier in the day. The meal takes place in relative silence; we're both exhausted from walking all day in the summer heat and I barely have enough energy to lift the fork from my plate to my mouth, let alone enough to make conversation.
An hour later, completely worn out, I practically fall into bed back in our motel room. Max has decided that he's not yet sleepy enough to go to bed and promptly turns on the TV. Usually this would elicit a not-so-pleasant reaction from me on the importance of him being quiet when I'm trying to sleep, but tonight it doesn't matter, I'm asleep practically the second my head hits the pillow.
Day 6 – Saturday June 28 2002
This is the life!It's about 95 degrees here in Scottsdale, Arizona and right now, I'm lazing by the hotel pool in a tank top and shorts – I couldn't find my bikini this morning. It's 10.30 am and it's a Saturday which means that Max is most likely still in bed. However, I've been sitting out here in the gorgeous sunshine since 9 am, so I haven't seen him yet 're staying at the Days Inn, which is next to this really great shopping mall. We checked it out (well more like I had to drag Max around it) yesterday and then last night we ate dinner at this gorgeous Italian restaurant called Oregano's. The food was the best I've ever tasted; the only sell one dessert there: half-baked cookie dough topped with ice cream but it was so good that I think I'm gonna have to make Max eat there every night we're here…
"Excuse me?" I'm interrupted from my journal writing by a soft, masculine voice.
I close the book carefully and peer up in the direction of the voice. It belongs to a tall, well-built guy with sandy blond hair. He's standing a couple of feet from me in just a pair of swim shorts and a towel slung around his neck. If I had to guess, I'd say he was about twenty. I can't stop my eyes from leaving his face and drifting lower, wandering down over his chest. I take in the rippling stomach muscles and I let my gaze fall to the trail of hair that begins at his belly button and snakes down beneath the waistband of his shorts...
I suddenly realise what I'm doing and quickly raise my eyes back up to his face. I can feel a blush forming on my cheeks and I hope that he hasn't noticed. However, his lips are curled up in a smirk and I know that he knows exactly what I was just thinking.
"Sorry to interrupt," he speaks again. "But I was wondering if this seat was taken?" he says, gesturing to the sun lounger on my left.
"No, it's not taken," I say, although a quick glance around the pool indicates that, apart from a middle aged couple at the other end, we are the only people here and there are about twenty-five other free loungers that he could have taken.
"Thanks," he replies and takes a seat on the edge, still facing me. He holds out his hand, "Hi, I'm Aiden."
I reach over and shake his hand, "Liz."
"Nice to meet you, Liz," he says, a dazzling smile breaking out over his tanned face.
I smile back, "You too."
"So, where are you from, Liz?"
Aiden and I spend the rest of the morning in pleasant conversation. I discover that he is actually twenty-one and a Geography major at the University of Phoenix. He's also really easy to talk to and I find myself having fun with him. It takes my mind off my most recent boyfriend (well, ex-boyfriend) Kyle Valenti and our unpleasant break-up a few weeks ago.
Kyle and I started going out a few months ago and although we became very close, he just wasn't the right guy for me. We're still pretty good friends, but looking back I think that's probably all we've ever been. Maybe there was an attraction between us, but I wasn't in love with him, not really. He didn't make my breath catch whenever I saw him and although his kisses were nice, they weren't filled with raw passion or anything.
Aiden and I are still sitting in the same positions when I finally spot Max standing just behind our chairs. His hands are in the pockets of his shorts and he's wearing his favourite Nirvana t-shirt, which has definitely seen better days. As I smile at him and wave him over, I notice that he has this weird look in his eyes. It's an expression that I haven't seen on his face before and it strikes me as kind of strange. But, when he realises that I've noticed him standing there, his face changes and a smile appears. As he approaches us, I scoot up on my seat to make room for him at the end.
"Morning, sleepyhead," I smirk at him when he sits down.
However, he's not looking at me; all his attention is focused intently on the guy sitting opposite me. I frown, wondering what's wrong with him today. He's usually cheery and polite when he's meeting someone new.
I glance over at Aiden, who is looking at me quizzically and I shrug. "Max, this is Aiden. We just met this morning. He was just telling me all about the joys of student life at the University of Phoenix. Aiden, this is Max, my best friend."
Aiden holds out his hand, "Nice to meet you," he says pleasantly. But Max just stares at his outstretched hand for a minute or two, before finally, he smiles and shakes Aiden's hand.
"You, too," he replies tersely.
Now I'm really confused. I don't know what's got into my best friend; he's never been rude to anyone like this before.
I turn to him, "So, are you here to join us in this gorgeous sunshine, Max? Maybe take a dip in the pool?"
Max finally turns to look at me, his expression unreadable, "You know what? I'm just gonna go take a shower; freshen up. I'll see you later, Liz."
He stands up and with a slight nod in Aiden's direction, he leaves quickly. I just stare after him in a state of bewilderment, before turning back to face Aiden.
"Sorry about him," I apologise.
"Hey, no big deal," he dismisses it casually. "Seems like a nice guy though." His tone is serious, but I see the doubt in his expression. He raises his eyebrows as he speaks, which causes me to burst out laughing, which then makes him chuckle and within minutes we both have tears in our eyes from laughing so hard.
We sit together by the pool for a while longer, but then I decide I'd better go see how Max is doing. As I make my way back to our room, I think about what a great guy Aiden seemed to be. Even though Max and I are leaving Arizona tomorrow, I exchanged phone numbers with him and we agreed to keep in touch. Who knows, maybe something will come of it in the future?
I find Max sprawled on his stomach on his bed, staring intently at the TV.
"Hey," I announce my presence, quietly clicking the door shut. "What's up?" I ask as I take a seat next to him on the bed.
"Nothing," he mumbles, his eyes not straying from the screen.
"Come on," I nudge him. "I know when something's wrong with you."
He sighs and twists round on the bed so he can sit up and face me. "It's just…this is supposed to be our holiday, Liz. You and me, having fun, together," he says, but he's not looking me in the eye.
"What are you talking about? This is our trip," I say, but then something occurs to me, "This isn't about me talking to Aiden this morning, is it?" He just fixes his gaze somewhere over my shoulder and doesn't reply. "Max, we were just chatting! He came over to say hi, that's all."
"Yeah, well," he huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.
I stand up. "Look, if you're gonna be like this all day, I'm going shopping," I say, reaching for my purse and heading for the door.
He makes no move to stop me and I wonder briefly if there's something else going on with him, something he's not telling me. But I'm not going to push the subject right now, he probably wouldn't tell me anything anyway. We've been pretty much attached at the hip so far on this trip; maybe we just need to spend a few hours away from each other.
TBC...