Eve
Roswelllostcause
sarammlover
Lizzie
dreamon
carolyn
Tashchen 
Thank you so much for all you awesome fb! I love writing this Max, thanks dreamon!
chapter three
Watching Max through transparent glass, laughing, so full of life, playing with children who were severely disfigured, suffering unimaginable pain, left Liz wondering if she really knew him at all.
Completely unaware of her presence he goofed around, not caring what he looked like, he danced like Michael Jackson, mooning walking across the room causing the kids to literally fall over hysterically laughing.
It was beyond heartwarming, and clear that he would do anything in his power to help these children.
She had never seen anything more selfless and beautiful, especially from a teenage boy.
Pretending to be hurt by their ridicule, he grabbed his chest, holding his heart, as if it were broken.
“So cruel! And I thought kids were supposed to be kinder than adults! Well that’s the last time I dance for you little minions, and to think I ordered you pizzas today! Guess I’ll just have to cancel, it’s nothing but meatloaf and watery peas and carrots for you ungrateful little monsters!”
Liz couldn’t help but laugh as they all ran towards him, hugging him, showering him with apologies, begging for their pizza.
Narrowing his eyes, Max stroked his chin as if he needed to consider their pleas.
“Well, maybe just a few slices… just for the ones that didn’t laugh so hard, Bennie, you get nothing, I saw you rolling on the floor. You too Chrissy, you practically fell out of that wheelchair, Patty would’ve had killed me if you got hurt.”
After several more minutes of pleading, and begging, Max finally relented.
“Ok, pizza for everyone, now it should be here in a few minutes, what would you all like to do till then?”
Joey, a ten year old, who was missing an arm, with half his body covered in thick scars spoke up first.
“A fort!”
More small voices joined in with enthusiasm all around him giving him something she had never seen from him before today, an actual smile.
“Max! Max! Make us one of your famous magical forts!”
“Yeah! With fairies and talking toads!”
“And Pirates!”
“And Mermaids!”
“Singing fireflies, and dancing lions!”
Nodding slowly, Max took a deep gravely breath, that seemed painful as he backed up quickly to search of a chair.
Straining to speak, he answered them in a harsh whisper, as he held his chest.
“Yeah, that’s a great idea, especially the pirates, they’re always fun, I’m sure some of you are due to walk the plank.”
Their happy expressions began to fade, having seen this before.
Grasping his hand a little seven year girl told an older boy to get the nurse.
“Don’t worry Max, Patty will be here soon, we can make a fort another day.”
Shaking his head he coughed forcefully, “No, no, that’s ok Shannon, I’ll be alright, no need to bother Patty, I just need a minute sweetie.”
“Well maybe I can help.”
Liz couldn’t stand by unnoticed any longer, truly concerned for him, watching as all the blood drained from his face when he saw her standing there.
Pushing the door open, all eyes were on Liz, she felt the tension in the room immediately, from all the children as well as Max.
Her voice wavered anxiously, unsure why everyone seemed wary around her.
“I’m sure I’m not as skilled at fort architecture as Max here, but I’ll do my best.”
Fifteen little faces gazed up at Liz nervously before backing up to cower behind Max, wrapping their arms around him anyway they could, by his arms, legs, shoulders, as if they were hiding, afraid.
Still stunned by her unexpected presence, Max struggled to get his wheezing under control.
Liz thought back to yesterday, with the notebook, and realized that it did seem strange that they would be running into each other again like this.
“Hey, I swear I’m not stalking you, I volunteer here, this just usually isn't my day to work, I … swapped with another girl.”
Quietly he spoke as he wrapped his arms around two of the youngest ones pulling them protectively up on his lap, while the others remained gathered around him close.
“I know... you’re here on Sundays, and Wednesday nights, plus they've never assigned you down here before… I guess we’re just a little surprised to see you.”
Liz nodded, trying to seem like it was totally normal that he knew her schedule cold.
“Yeah, that’s right… I understand if the kids are used to the same people. Maybe I should just go.”
Panicked that she would leave, and even more worried of what would happen if she stayed he lowered his voice, like the husky deep tone in her dream immediately bringing her back to that feeling, that warm, familiar sensation of having him close.
Liz froze, not sure how or what any of it meant.
What she did know is that she could never grown tired listening to that sultry, sweet voice, that held so much emotion, and vulnerability
Her heart nearly jumped as he continued on.
“No, I-I mean, you don’t have to leave… they’re just a little shy around new people, not everyone…
understands.”
“I completely… understand, but still I think I should go.”
Giving him his code word right back to him, showing that she truly got that most people would be cruel, treating the children from the burn unit as if they were different, and just how much that would hurt.
Feeling as if she were intruding on their special time with Max, she worried that she had upset the kids, when she turned to walk away, before a little hand reached up to touch the tips of her fingers.
It was Noah, a four year old boy, who had spent over a year in the hospital healing from third degree burns over eighty percent of his body.
With most of his body wrapped in protective gauze keeping his fresh skin grafts clean, there wasn't much showing but his big blue eyes and long dark eyelashes.
Kneeling down she lovingly smiled at him, curling her fingers around his little hand an empathetic gaze lifted up to Max.
“Well I’m not sure how Max feels, but I’d like to stay, if that’s alright… this magical fort sounds exciting!”
His eyes widened, as he turned away to use his inhaler, trying his best to hide it from her.
Clearing his throat, he bashfully walked towards her, brushing his long hair away from his eyes.
“Kids, this is Liz, she is my… well, I mean she… we go to school together.”
Blushing, he walked backwards knocking into her cart on his way out the door.
“I’m just going to check on that pizza, I’ll be right back everyone, be polite to Liz, she’s a nice girl, I’m sure she makes a great fort.”
Turning the corner just out of sight, Max leaned up against the wall out of breath as his heart raced uncontrollably.
He couldn't believe she was there, after all these years of watching her, staying in the shadows, just out reach, doing anything to be close to her, she walked straight into his world.
This was twice in two days that she actually spoke to him, it was overwhelming, her voice, as much as he’d heard it before sounded sweeter than any symphony, and her eyes, a sight he’d witnessed too many times to count suddenly looked completely different, as if they were made from the stars that he studied at night, flickering with light, harnessing a magic he always knew she possessed.
Feeling his chest tighten, he realized he left his pills at home.
With his head lowered, feeling like a coward, knowing in truth that it wasn' the only reason why he was leaving, he softly whispered to Patty at the nurses station.
“I need to get going, the volunteer for today is with the kids… just tell them I had an emergency.”
Turning to leave, Patty called out to him, worried, never quite seeing that level of sadness in his eyes before.
“Max, honey, are you alright?”
Looking back, he gave her a weary smile. “Yeah, I’m fine, it’s just been a strange day.”
~~~~~~~~
Waiting for the bus, soaked to the bone from the storm that hadn’t let up, Max shivered as his thoughts drifted to her.
He pictured her laughing with Maria and Alex, looking so free, and happy, completely unaware of his presence just a few feet away, away just a few feet away, invisible… obscure in the realm of the popular, the kids who belonged to this world.
It wasn't until the third time she yelled his name that he actually heard her against the pounding rain.
Looking up the blue old station wagon with the Grateful Dead stickers on the back window, amazingly, wondrously, she was there, again.
Leaning on the open window, she smiled brightly, in a way, that he was sure if she chose to, could stop the world from spinning just to witness the beauty of it.
“Hey, are you ok?”
Nodding as rain drops slipped one by one down his drenched dark hair over shivering lips, that for a moment she found herself mesmerized by.
“No you’re not, you’re freezing… get in, I’ll drive you home.”
Max tensed, his fingers curled tight around the bench beneath him, terrified that she’d see where he lived.
“No, really that’s ok, the bus goes right by my house.”
Leaning closer, nearly taking his breath away, she tilted her head to the side, giving him a lopsided grin, one that, in his imagination was made just for him.
“I’m not taking no for an answer, get in here before you turn into one big icicle.”
Reluctantly, Max shuffled towards her car, looking down at his clothes, his torn sweatshirt, dirty sneakers, mortified he got into the car as she moved back behind the wheel.
Keeping his eyes down, he cracked his knuckles, unsure what to do with his hands.
“So, where am I going?” she spoke fiddling with the heat, and the defrost buttons.
Stealing a glance he nodded towards the windshield.
“Umm, just go straight until you pass under Riders bridge, then take a right, I’m just passed the railroad tracks on the right.”
Pulling out into traffic, Liz slammed her hand in frustration into the dashboard, when the controls failed to work.
“Damn I hate my dad’s car, I should’ve borrowed my mom’s, nothing ever works in here.”
Wiping the widow with her sleeve, barely able to see the road ahead of her, Liz, noticed him reaching out to detach the panel, pulling at the wires underneath.
“Oh, no that’s ok Max, my dad will fix it sooner or … “
Her words trailed off as warm air suddenly popped on instantly clearing the windshield.
Impressed she watched as he quickly put it all back as if nothing had been disturbed.
“How did you know how to do that?”
Shrugging, Max stared out the window dreading the fact that soon they’d be at his house.
“I’m not sure actually, just something I picked up I guess.”
Adjusting the heat she smiled, as it began clearer by the minute that he was full of surprises, absolutely nothing that she expected at all.
Getting visibly upset Max pointed to the side of a barren stretch of road.
“This is fine, you can drop me off here, I can walk the rest of the way.”
Ignoring him she kept on driving, watching the rain come down harder, making it almost impossible to see.
“Max it’s raining so hard we might need an ark soon, I have to take you home, I’m not going to be responsible for you coming down with pneumonia”
The second the words left her mouth she regretted it, clearly there was something wrong with him, between his coughing and breathing fits and that doctor from the hospital talking about a serious illness, she was sure she struck a personal nerve.
Placing his hand on the door handle he opened the door while the car was moving, desperate to make her stop now.
“Max! Oh my god, wait!”
Slamming her foot on the brakes, she managed to get to the side of the narrow road just before the train tracks approached.
Whispering low, his gentle voice was drowned out by booming thunder as he stepped out of the car.
“Thanks for the ride.”
Liz stared at him as he walked off until he crossed the tracks at a distance that would keep his residence a secret, at least for now.
Sitting back in her seat, staring at him, watching as he shoved his hands in his front pockets, hunched over against the battering storm that veered at his back, she couldn't take her eyes off him.
She wanted to know more, wanted to know…
him.
