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Disclaimer: Takes a small scene from "Tess, Lies, and Videotape."
Chapter 3: Mind Games Take Flight
One minute Ms. Trident was talking about the reading assignments and the next Max felt immense pain connecting to the frontal lobe of his brain.
He felt like something crawled in between nerve cells and twisted them together, causing a disturbing electrocution that shocked him to the core.
"Antar," he whispered, confused about the odd word origin.
Where had it come from? Where did he know it? Why did he feel as though it wasn't a person or a thing, but a place, a place he had actually been to, a world that his alien soul recognized.
"It's our home."
Inside the unoccupied men’s bathroom, having gotten teacher’s permission pass, Max studied his bewildered expression in the dirty, fogged mirror. Among scrawled phone numbers with “good time” promises, water splotches, and other questionable stains, Max studied splotchy reddened sclera wrapped around mossy greens of honeyed brown irises and grimly lined mouth centered around slackened jaw muscles. His fingers rubbed annoying ache gathered from freshly formed sweat at temples, healing strange pain immediately. One minute, he was sharing his book with the new girl and the next he was suffering through startling, unexplained sensations. Almost alien in nature, the culprit behind sudden outburst puzzled him.
Yet, not once did he believe that the blond had anything to do with the cause.
“Who is she anyway?” He wondered, turning on the sink and splashing water on his face.
************
Tess stood outside, waiting patient. Max hadn’t returned to class. It worried her.
The bell had rung for final period, but she hadn’t begun to break up star crossed lover land. After her plans succeeded, and she was sure they would, she and the king would hightail it back to rule the beautiful Antar planet with an heir onboard the Granolith. It was set in stone, in black and white, carved into the place where her human heart beat. The hunger sunk its teeth into her soul and she couldn’t wait to greedily devour the benefits.
“It was too much strength,” she sighed.
Nasedo would kill her if he knew that she amped up the dose more than they planned, but she was desperate.
Bad things would happen if she didn’t stop Max’s pursuit of Liz.
If she had eavesdropped correctly, the two of them were already receiving flashes from each other and that signified an upcoming end of Tess's destined place in Max's world.
The minute he came out, she turned the corner, following him.
Thankfully, they shared the last class.
**************
“I’m what the beings back on the reservation call Nasedo,” the alien stranger snarled as if Michael should already know him.
“Interesting,” Michael said, narrowing his eyes at snippy rudeness.
“You’re a lot like me,” Nasedo continued. “May I?”
“Be my guest.”
Nasedo plopped down on the couch and crossed one leg over the other.
“How are you like me besides the obvious?” Michael pointed his thumb upward. Nasedo rolled his eyes.
“You don’t trust easily. Neither do I.”
“It’s a trait everyone should have.” Michael stayed standing, placing his hands across his chest, studying the other alien, irrefutable hope blooming in his hardened heart. He had longed for family outside of Max and Isabel for a long time, too long. By the time he was emancipated, he had been done waiting. His hope concluded at the library. With fate dealing him such a bad hand, he wasn't going to be quick to fall for this unexpected twist.
“That’s why you were such a good asset to the king," Nasedo said proudly, "a good, cautious general to the end.”
“General?” Michael’s brows rose, skeptical. “Come again?”
“You know absolutely nothing of your past and it’s my job to tell you the truth.”
“Why don’t you wait until Max and Isabel get here?" Michael eyed the ugly cat clock Isabel had given him, attached to the wall, staring without blinking due to malfunctioned eyelids. "School will be out soon.”
“That’s a wonderful plan, and I mean to talk to them," Nasedo continued, slapping his palms against his legs, trying to calm his sudden irritability, "but it’s you who is most important right now.” He then tilted his head towards the back. “You can tell your human friend that I mean no harm.”
Alex chose that moment to fall out into the room, tripping on a dirty sock amid his eavesdropping.
“Way to make an entrance,” Michael said, refraining from releasing laughter bubbled in his throat.
“It wasn’t smart for you to bring humans in the mix,” Nasedo growled, his eyes narrowing on Alex. “These things can’t be trusted, but no matter, we’ll be leaving them soon enough.”
“What do you mean?” Michael asked.
"Hey!" Alex squealed. "I'm one of the most trustworthy humans on this planet."
Nasedo sneered at him. Alex properly zipped his lips, finding this to no longer to be fun, humorous afternoon.
“Soon, we’ll be leaving Roswell," Nasedo announced, "and possibly this measly planet forever.”
"What if I don't want to leave?" Michael asked, again ignoring the overwhelming light growing faster inside him. He wanted to go home so bad.
"You want to leave this place more than I do and I have been walking around here for fifty two years." Nasedo's nonexistent lips curved into an ironic smile. "Thank you for the message at the library."
******************
Mr. Seligman looked at Max and Liz, not hiding aversion, watching them smiling at each other, holding hands, bringing forth all the typical signs of frivolous teenage lust to his science class.
“We have a new student, Tess Harding,” he started off, “and since Alex Whitman decided not to join us today, I suggest that Mrs. Parker sit next to Mrs. Deluca. I’m sure Mr. Evans would be delighted in having a new partner for the remainder of the day.”
Liz turned to Max, her face expression contorted. Beneath black lab table, her hands grasped his solace, for he too suffered in this sorrowful penance, having waited for this blissful class all day, for their moment together. Her eyes drifted close, savoring small bit of pleasure his warm, electric fingers brought. Max couldn’t help watching her sooty lashes against her olive complexion, her flustered cheeks replicating seasoned red roses. Her demure actions comforted painful severity of harsh separation. Oh, how they wished to never part, to not be high school students, to be alone somewhere far from interfering professors still holding grudges.
“Any time, Mrs. Parker.”
“Yes… yes, Mr. Seligman.”
Some people laughed, heightening her embarrassment.
She immediately released Max, took her books, strapped her bookbag across her shoulder, and slumped down in the vacated chair next to Maria.
“I wonder where Alex is,” Maria mumbled into Liz’s ear.
“I wonder that too,” Liz stated. However, concerned about their missing part of the trio, Liz concentrated on Tess taking her position, sitting next to Max, hovering near his beaker and tools. Her troubled thoughts stated that this minor separation couldn’t be problematic. It certainly didn’t help that her cells were on fire. She was close to him yet so distant, her resolve weakening, her vision blurring, her body needing to be nearer, her moistening lips hungry for his.
Max looked back and stared at her then, a wounded animal with his wet mossy eyes tormented, sharing his desire, his need with her.
And to think afterwards, she would have to head straight home. He would have to do the same.
Then it would start again tomorrow and the following days after.
Tess was pleased. It had been easy to intercept the teacher’s mind. He valued Liz’s perfection in class and believed Max, despite he too being an excellent student, was a bad influence on the future valedictorian.
“Humans and their simple emotions,” she thought, grinning appreciatively.
Mr. Seligman asked the class to watch and learn as he conducted a lab experiment that he wanted them to repeat verbatim.
As the students begrudgingly prepared, Liz's head started aching sharply. She turned in Max's direction, her strangled lungs in agony, watching as he shoved everything off the table, and threw Tess on top, kissing her with madly aggressive passion.
Liz gasped, running out of the classroom, her head and heart exploding.
"Max!" Tess yelled seconds later, delighting in her triumph. "You're on fire!"
Max immediately came to, and doused his scorching shirt in the beaker water. When he turned around, searching for Liz, he met Maria's confused observation instead, her head gesturing for him to go outside. He then recalled her storming out of the classroom and feeling immobile, powerless to stop her.
"Mr. Seligman...."
"Yes, Max?"
"I need to... to get a bathroom pass."
"Fine. But you had better be back in five minutes. And when you find your girlfriend, let her know that she has detention."
***************
Max found Liz in the girl's locker room, sitting near the lockers, sobbing quietly.
His heart broke seeing her this way.
He knew the fault was his alone.
“I saw…. I saw your fantasy,” she said, choking with tears, not looking up. She could feel and smell him. “You want her. You want, Tess.”
“Liz, no," he disagreed, kneeling near her, "I could never. I only see you in my dreams, in my heart.”
“Well, explain what happened.”
He cringed for only a minute, taken aback by her acrid tone.
“I don’t know how.” He traced the sleeve of her sweater and closed his eyes as strawberries took over his nostrils. "One second, I was jotting down notes and the next, I felt incredibly still, Liz. It was as though I had no power over what was happening in that classroom..."
Liz didn't want to listen, hearing the sounds of Max and Tess's joined lips and moans in her mind, the way his hands cradled her voluptuous body....
She shoved the white rose back at him, but he stole her palm, placed her gift back inside, and clasped her fingers over it.
“This is yours. I’m yours, Liz. Always.”
“Max, I-”
He knew one way to prove himself. One imperative way.
His mouth devoured her response, kissing her urgently, requesting entrance and a taste of her tongue. She denied him nothing, opening further, kissing him back fully, giving her all. She saw herself in the flashes, saw his feelings for her-- the sweet, affectionate side of him and the wild, erotic desire of his secret fantasies. It was all of her, for her.
And she was sure he could see every last past of her heart's longing for him and him only.
Unfortunately, the dismissal bell shrilled, dissolving momentary passion.
Liz rested her forehead against Max’s. She breathed evenly, counting numbers in her head, smiling as his desperate fingers sifted through her long hair as though mentally and physically reminding himself of its detailed length and texture. She smelled his scent and saved it for her own personal collection. She clutched at his lapels, wishing she never had to let him go.
“I’ll… I’ll see you tomorrow,” she whispered, kissing his cheek.
Liz hurried off, afraid to give him another glance, racing towards a waiting Maria.
Max stilled, looking at her retreating back, rubbing the pleasing memory of her lips against his skin.
“No Liz,” he whispered. “I’ll see you tonight.”
**************
Isabel’s long tresses blew in the breezy gust of light wind. She huffed, sitting in the jeep’s driver’s seat, impatient for her passengers, praying it wouldn’t rain. After all, she had control of the vehicle for the week, needed the coolness of the top being down, and was destined to shop til she dropped at the mall.
Tess ran over, taking the passenger side.
“Hi,” she exhaled breathlessly.
“Hey Tess,” Isabel coolly replied.
“Thanks for offering me a ride. My dad said my car should be out of the shop by Wednesday.”
Isabel felt a bit of envy.
“That must be so cool to have your own wheels.”
“Yes. My father spoils me.”
“Why did he lose his privileges anyway?”
“Curious about my brother, huh?”
“I just wondering why anyone would just casually lose one of the most independent joys of teenage life. I’m dying to drive my car. Taking the school bus this morning was a real chore.”
“That sucks. Why don’t we just swing by your place and pick you up until you get your car back?”
“Really? It’s not out of your way or anything?”
“Roswell is a small town. I’m sure we can pick you up and drop you off.”
“Thank you, Isabel. I appreciate it.”
Isabel smiled.
She turned her head, spying her brother approaching, his dark head bent down.
She dropped her voice to a conspiratory whisper, “now as to how he lost his driving privileges, it’s a long, boring story. I’ll summarize—a boy, a girl, and breaking the curfew.”
“That bad huh?”
“Yes.” Isabel laughed. “Trust me, I’ve seen enough of my lovesick brother and his puppy dog moon eyes over Liz Parker to last a lifetime.”
Well, it will be my pleasure to make that stop, Tess thought dreamily, pursing her lips together.
Max stood by the jeep and gave Tess a brow raise.
“What’s going on?”
“This is my new friend, Tess,” Isabel said.
“We’ve met,” Max sputtered out, avoiding the piercing blue eyes that had unnerved him for several hours straight. He certainly wasn’t looking forward to the drive home.
“Nice to see you again, Max.”
Isabel studied Tess, noting whimsical tone and fixated staring at her brother. Isabel would have to give the girl a talking to once they were alone. Max didn’t need to be caught up in a love triangle when the world was still looking at him through skeptical lenses.
He climbed in the back and settled, but not before seeing Liz and Maria leave the school building together.
Her doe brown eyes locked with his glowing amber depths, her occupied staring shared immense pleasure and awe, touching the corners of his devoted soul, taking them out of the context of the cruel world, into a created universe of their own making. All he saw and felt were the glorious pull of her emotional weight and it still stunned him that her pure heart opened and offered up so much to him.
“We’re leaving, Max,” Isabel sighed irritably, putting the jeep in gear. She had no time to play a supporting role in their soap opera drama. There were shoe sales and new dress arrivals on the line.
Max held out his hand and waved to Liz.
She tentatively repeated.
But her eyes turned sad, reminding him of her earlier hurt. She had obviously seen Tess in the jeep with them and was none too happy.
**********
Liz wasn’t sure what was happening.
Before starting her shift, she took a moment in her bedroom to read a bit of
Romeo and Juliet whilst stroking her pendent, vividly imagining herself as the beautiful heroine pursued by the handsome rogue, her beloved Max. She hoped that the bit of chaste romance would stop nightmarish visions from being interrupted with the sight of Max and Tess kissing on top of the lab table, going at it like they were on an episode of a hot, raunchy Cinemax nighttime soap.
"He chose me," she championed, fighting self-doubt, closing the book and removing narrow wedge where her journal resided. It seemed appropriate that the two cherished things must exist together, be together-- her private writings on the nature of these poignant growing feelings and the second special gift he gave her. She rested
Romeo and Juliet atop and gently pushed back the wedge over prized possessions.
Naturally, Liz thought that small reprieve would grant her pleasure and relieve any lingering agonies.
Yet after putting on her uniform and starting evening shift, she seemed to not control her mental planning.
All she kept seeing was Max and Tess on repeat.
“That’s the third order you’ve messed up since we started an hour ago,” Maria uttered, “and your father won’t stop looking this way.”
“I must be going out of my mind,” Liz groaned helplessly, after apologizing to a customer for giving them a Will Smith burger with onions, pickles, and ketchup. It was supposed to be without all three.
“Maybe it has something to do with the new blond and her cantaloupes.”
“Cantaloupes?”
Maria pulled Liz into the back and cupped her hands against her chest, pretending she held giant fruit.
“Oh,” Liz mumbled shyly. “It’s not like I noticed them or anything.”
Maria gave her the stare.
“Okay. So she’s one upped me in the chest department, how could I not feel worthless?”
“Why would you feel worthless, Babe? You have the attention of one of the most gorgeous boys at school and you have that soulmate thing going that all girls dream of having.”
Liz snorted and shook her head.
“Seriously. You shouldn’t feel threatened at all.”
“The thing is that I am being threatened, Maria. I saw Max’s fantasy of her while we were in class.”
“Oh. That’s why you stormed off.”
“It was the single most horrid moment of my life.”
“But Max reassured you that nothing was remiss, right?”
“Yes. He did. It’s just… they gave her a ride.”
"A ride?" Maria scoffed. "That means nothing!"
Liz sighed, praying that her best friend was right. Otherwise, her heart, unused to this kind of battle, had to prepare itself for the ultimate fight of its life. Her soul screamed that all wasn't innocent with the new girl, that her armored guard must be up often.
Max Evans, the boy who saved Liz's life and at the same time, stole her reason for living, was number one on the agenda.
And Liz would find out why.