The Missing Piece (CC, MATURE/ADULT accepted)

[KatnotKath]

~Liz~

I take another look, making sure that I’m not wrong, then quicken my pace slightly as I go over to see what he’s doing here. I can’t imagine why he’s here…I said that we’d talk later, what wouldn’t be able to wait…?

Max smiles as we I approach with Kyle. “Hello Liz…and Kyle…”

I don’t know why, but there’s something in Max’s expression as he acknowledges Kyle. I also don’t like the way that he’s just turned up here though either… I wasn’t expecting it, and I can’t say that I’m happy… I told him I would talk later, when I was ready… I frown as I look over at him. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugs as though it’s not important. “You said we could talk after school. This is after school…”

I actually thought I had said back at my apartment, but even if I didn’t, I’m willing to bet he knew I didn’t intend for him to turn up here… This is my life, and I can’t say I like the fact he’s just walking into it like this…

I want the things he seems to be offering yes…I want family, and I want to know I was always wanted, but I also need time…

Max said that it was probably a lot to take in last night, well he’s right… I still don’t really know what I think, even though I’ve talked it through with Kyle and spent half the night thinking it over in my head. Just when I think I’ve got it straight, I begin to question it all again, and I’m right back to square one… I think I believe…

“I thought I’d give you a lift…”

Max’s offer sounds straightforward and simple…so why do I get the feeling there’s a hidden meaning to all of this… Why is he here…?

Kyle obviously doesn’t like it either, interrupting before I can respond. “What. Wait a minute…how did you know what school she goes to? We have two High Schools in Roswell…”

You know Kyle just made a very good point there… Whatever we may have discussed yesterday afternoon, which incidentally wasn’t all that much, what school I went to definitely wasn’t one of them.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact I’ve always been extra careful given that I have these strange abilities…that I’ve always tried to keep a pretty low profile, but I’m not sure I like this…

Max looks over at Kyle and I can see the questioning in his eyes. How much does Kyle know…well that’ll just have to wait for now…

“It wasn’t too hard…” He responds, his expression pretty much suggesting it was easy. “You do have copies of the yearbook at the local library…”

Hmm…now why do I think that’s probably not how…?

I’m not freaking – well not yet, but I don’t much like the idea that someone seems to know all about me…

Max turns slightly, now obviously addressing only me. “My car’s right over here…” He gestures to a pretty nice looking jeep. It’s probably new, and a whole lot better than most things you see around school… Then again, other than if it’s parents cars, most vehicles parked around here belong to the students who will be working minimum wage jobs to afford them so I guess that makes sense…

Before I get a chance to answer, Kyle jumps in. “That’s okay. I usually give Liz a ride home. Why don’t we just meet you there?” He takes my elbow and although to some extent I don’t like the way he keeps answering for me, I also know that he means well so I can’t be too mad.

Of course I did say he wasn’t going to actually stay, but I’m fine with him dropping me off, and maybe even staying just long enough for introductions…

The expression on Max’s face tells me he’s less than happy at this suggestion though and he shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea…” His tone is calm, but also firm.. “We have some things to discuss that are private. Maybe we could meet with you another day…”

As much as I don’t want to upset Kyle, I have to agree with Max here… I told him last night, this is something that I need to do alone. If it turns bad, I’ll be ok, I’m not completely without my own resources, and I’m pretty sure home turf will be a major advantage…

“Anything you can tell her, you can tell me. Liz and I don’t have secrets between us…”

Kyle tries once more and I really wish he hadn’t said that… Then again of course, it could be worse…he could have been way more specific, and the fact that he ‘knows’ about me, is something right now I think is best kept to ourselves…

I sigh and shake my head, reaching for his hand. “I’ll be fine Kyle…” I tell him softly. “There’s no point you going all that way to take me home, when Max is going that way anyway…”

I turn to Max and smile. “Thanks for the offer, although I have to admit, when I said ‘after school’, I didn’t exactly envision you turning up at the gates…” I tell him lightly. I think there’s enough edge in my voice to show him that I’m not quite happy about all this…

Stepping towards him, away from Kyle, the latter sticks out his hand and catches hold of my arm causing me to look round again. He looks right at me. “Be careful…”

I smile softly at his concern. “I will…don’t worry…” I pause a moment before adding as an after thought. “I’ll call you later when we’re done…maybe you can come over for a little while…?” I push my hair back from my eyes and smile again as I step away from him. “See you later…”

[isabelle]

*Max*

I manage to keep the smile off my face as Kyle explains that he and Liz have no secrets. I’m sure he thinks that, but I’m not so sure it’s true. After all, Liz has one very big secret and I’m fairly sure she hasn’t shared that one with anyone. Even if she shared part of it; there are secrets she doesn’t even know yet…

“Thanks for the offer, although I have to admit, when I said ‘after school’, I didn’t exactly envision you turning up at the gates…” Liz says with a smile but I can tell she’s not entirely happy about it. Still, she does seem to be coming with me, which does help matters.

“Sorry, if I caused you confusion by showing up here,” I tell her, trying to explain. “You didn’t get a chance to actually say when or where we were going to meet so I came by ‘cause this is where I knew you’d be.”

I watch as she and Kyle exchange good-byes – he urging caution while Liz smiles and promises to meet with him later tonight. I can’t help but notice how he touches her, how he looks at her, how she accepts this and seems to even enjoy his concern for her. It seems to confirm my suspicions about him and my stomach does a slow roll. This was going to be hard enough without a complication like that.

I force myself to relax as Kyle turns away. I’m about to put my hand on Liz’s shoulder to guide her but then think better of it, instead merely gesturing to the jeep. “Can I take your books for you?” I ask.

She shakes her head, prettily. “No, I got ‘em. Thanks.” I nod. Afterall, the jeep is less than 10 yards away. I open the door for her and she climbs in. I carefully shut the door and come round to the other side of the car.

Glancing in the rear-view mirror, I spot Kyle still watching us. “He really does care for you, doesn’t he?” I ask as I start up the engine.

“Yes,” she nods. “We’ve known each other for a long time.”

“That’s really nice,” I say, moving the jeep into traffic, thinking how lame that comment sounds to my own ears. It is nice that she’s close to someone, but if things go the way we’re expected to go, that’ll be over. It’s not fair. I don’t want to hurt her or anyone-else. Not even Kyle, and I don’t even know him. So far, I don’t think Liz has had so much as a second thought about me as a romantic interest. She probably thinks I’m too old for her, and just now, she’s probably right. If she were 24 and I were 28, it wouldn’t matter at all, but right now, it’s more than a bit strange. Although, truthfully, I'm not really thinking of romance just yet, either. She seems to be a fine person and more than attractive. She's actually very beautiful but I can't say that I'm really 'falling in love' just yet.

I glance over at Liz. She was so comfortable with Kyle but she’s a little more tense now. I understand that. The unknown is always a bit un-nerving. “I’ve been really looking forward to seeing you again. We have so much more to talk about and the others really want to meet you, too... Where would you like to meet? We have a two bedroom suite at the hotel so there’s lots of room there, or we could all come to your place, if you prefer. I would suggest a neutral public place but what we have to discuss is best done in private.” I add the last with a grin because I’m sure she understands. I suspect she’ll want to go to her own home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


*Kyle*

I watch Liz ride off in Max’s jeep and I’m not sure what I’m feeling. I’m worried about her although I didn’t get the feeling that Max was a threat, really. Still, I know that if Max and his friends are really aliens – if Liz is really an alien – things are going to be very different around here. If Liz has finally found a real family, then she could be different, too.

I take some comfort in her promise to call me afterwards so we can talk. I do want to know what’s going on. Maybe it isn’t strictly my business, but Liz is my friend and I do want to be able to help her deal with all this. And if they really are aliens, then we’ll face that together, too.

With a shrug, I turn away. I know where they’re going. I could just follow to her apartment or maybe just ‘drop by’ in a little while, but somehow, I’m pretty sure Liz wouldn’t appreciate that at all. Even less than having Max show up here before she was ready for him.

I guess I’ll go find some of the guys and see what’s going on with them while I wait to hear from Liz.

[KatnotKath]

OOC: formatting later, hope this works for you Isabelle. hopefuly I'll get Alex out this evening too

~Liz~

Kyle’s hand lingers on my arm for a few moments, and then he nods reluctantly and lets go. He nods in response to my goodbye and smiles. “Yeah, see you later…” He steps back and begins to turn away from me.

Almost as soon as he’s gone, the space at my side is filled by Max. He seems to raise his hand for a moment, the look on his face making it look as though he’s considering something, but eventually he must becide against whatever it is and simply gestures towards the jeep and then the books which fill my arms. “Can I take your books for you…?”

I shake my head slightly. Not that I’m not grateful for the offer, but I don’t really see the point… “No, I got ‘em…” I assure him softly.

Togther, we walk over to his ‘car’ and he opens the passenger door for me. Give him a little smile as I climb in and get settled. “Thanks…”

Making no verbal response, Max simply seems to return the smile and then close the door after me, before coming round to the other side and climbing into the drivers’s seat.

For a moment, he seems distracted, although I don’t know why. “He really does care for you, doesn’t he?”

I realise immediately that he has to be talking about Kyle, who, as I look round I see hasn’t left quite yet but is stood watching us. I smile in his direction and give a little wave before turning back to Max. What a strange question…

I nod slightly. “Yes, we’ve known each other a long time…” It’s as simple as I can put it…we’ve known each other so many years, that our friendship is something more…

“That’s really nice…” Max responds a little stiffly as he steers the vehicle back into the stream of traffic that’s already heading away from the school.

There’s something going on here, but I can’t quite put my finger on it…the way that he’s been talking…the way he looks… I can’t say it scares me, because it doesn’t…but right now I have to admit I am a little unnerved…

He seems to drift off into his thoughts for a few moments and we lapse into silence but before long he looks over at me again. “I’ve been really looking forward to seeing you again. We have so much more to talk about and the others really want to meet you too…”

I nod slightly. “I’m looking forward to meeting them too…” I respond, although perhaps that is a little too enthusiastic…I am looking forward to it I guess, but I also feel so incredibly nervous about it…

What if this is all some bad joke…what if I get offered everything I always wanted, to find in the end it’s not true…? I’m not sure I could bear that… I bite my lip slightly trying to think positively but I have to admit, it’s not that easy… What if they are for real, but decide they don’t want anything to do with me…? What if I get this close, and then have it all taken away again…?

“Where would you like to meet? We have a two bedroom suite at the hotel so there’s lots of room there, or we could all come to your place, if you prefer. I would suggest a neutral public place but what we have to discuss is best done in private.”

I nod, understanding what he means about private… I have to say, I don’t think I’d go for a neutral public place in his shoes either…

One thing that is for certain, is that I told Kyle I was meeting them at my apartment though, and although I’m not scared of them, I do feel that I will be a lot happier there than somewhere unfamiliar… I look back at him. “Thanks for the offer, but I think my place would be better…” I respond after a moment.

I lapse into silence for another moment, unconsciously wanting to put off the inevitable but in the end I know it’s no good. Whatever he wants to tell me, it’s obviously big… I take a breath, playing first with my hands, and then my hair for a moment before looking back up at him. “So…I get the feeling there was another reason behind turning up at school for me…something you want to tell me…?” I ask him lightly, trying to keep the tension I feel out of my voice.

[isabelle]

*Max*

“Thanks for the offer, but I think my place would be better…” she says and I nod, taking it as a good sign. One of the reasons for taking the hotel would be easy escape if she doesn’t like what she hears. It would be easier to just leave by herself than to get rid of five people in her house. But she’s obviously not thinking that way, so it’s a good thing.

“Great. I’ll let them know,” I say. Then I turn my thoughts outwards *Isabel, she wants to meet at her place. Why don’t you give me half an hour and then meet us there?* I glance over at Liz and have another thought. *Maybe you should bring a couple pizzas or something. She’ll probably be hungry.*

*You got it, Max. See you then.* Isabel answers. I can hear the cheerful tone in her mental voice. I’m guessing she and Alex are having a nice time. Last I heard they were going to check out the neighborhood around the new place. It’ll probably take them half an hour or more to collect Maria and Michael from the hotel and pick up the food, anyway.

“So…I get the feeling there was another reason behind turning up at school for me…something you want to tell me…?” Liz says, sounding a bit uncertain.

I smile at her in a way I hope will be re-assuring. “Yeah, I do actually. There’s a lot to tell. But before I get into anything new, did you have any specific questions about what we talked about yesterday?” I can actually think of a dozen things she might ask. We’ll probably cover all of it later, anyway, but I’m happy to settle any immediate concerns first.

“Not really. I mean, I want to know all about it but I don’t have any actual questions right now,” she says.

I nod, pinching my lips together. That’s my cue to continue the explanation and I’m not exactly looking forward to that. I want her to know, but as much as I’ve rehearsed it, I still haven’t come up with the perfect words for telling her about everything.

Luckily, I’m spared an immediate response as we are just about at her apartment. “Here we are,” I say, pulling into her parking lot. “We’ll talk some more inside.”

Liz seems to accept that as she climbs out of the jeep and I follow her to the front door. As we step inside, she again offers tea and gestures towards the end table in the living room. “There’s the phone,” she says as she puts on the kettle of water. I nod but I have no need to call anyone so I’m not sure what she’s on about. She sees my confusion and adds, “So you can call your sister and your friends to tell them to come here.”

“Ah,” I say, understanding. “I don’t need to call. I already told them.”

“How did you do that?” she asks, raising an eyebrow as she comes round to take a seat by her small table.

“Well,” I say, slowly. Obviously she never experimented with that. Since she was alone, I guess that makes sense. I explain, “We’re all telepathic. I told them -- ” * -- like this* I finish the phrase telepathically and watch for her reaction...

[KatnotKath]

OOC: nothing major, but something to start Alex and Izzy off, hope it's ok for you Storm

~Alex~

Well I guess that Max will probably have got to the school by now… I wonder how Liz is going to take him just turning up there. I know he said that she hadn’t specified exactly where we were going to meet, but at a guess I’m willing to bet it wouldn’t have been her school…

I mean how is Max going to explain knowing which school she’s even at if it comes to it…? There are two schools in Roswell, if she’s got any sense at all I’m pretty sure that she won’t accept it without question…

I sigh and shake my head. I know that Max needed to talk to her again before meeting with Michael… He hadn’t managed to tell her about ‘who’ she was during their earlier meeting, and I can’t see Michael keeping quiet about it once they’ve met…

Still, at least Max isn’t trying to rush things… I know that Michael didn’t like his mention yesterday about getting jobs, and taking time…but in truth if this is going to happen at all, I think it’s going to need to be done right…

I mean this is a sixteen year old girl we are talking about here…and a twenty year old man… Michael might think it’s all fine and dandy, but it’s really not as simple as all that… I mean if I were sixteen, I think the mere mention of getting married would freak me, never mind all the other stuff that’s going to come with that…

So in the end, I can’t say I don’t agree with the way that Max is handling it…taking time to get to know her, let her get to know him… Hopefully they’ll find they like each other I guess…

Suddenly, the honk of a horn brings me back from my thoughts and I realise that Isabel’s stood looking at me. She is so beautiful… I try my best to look apologetic. “Sorry…I guess I spaced a little…” I smile and put my arm around her waist as we continue to look round. I might not like the way we got the place we’re going to be renting…I can’t say that I liked the way the landlord was looking at her while we were looking round, but at least I know I have nothing to worry about. In truth I know she doesn’t like doing things that way either…

“So…” I sigh and take in the surroundings. “To say that Roswell is such a tourist town, this area doesn’t look half bad don’t you think…?” I ask her smiling

[KatnotKath]

~Liz~

I almost get the impression that Max is surprised by my decision about where to meet…relieved even…? I don’t see why, unless he’s reading far more into my choice than I am… Basically I feel comfortable at home…and the look on his face tells me the more comfortable I am, the better, cos somehow I don’t think I’m going to like what he has to say…

The way he smiles, I get the feeling he’s trying to be reassuring as he confirms he has something to tell me, but I saw his expression earlier, and it’s not so easy. “There’s a lot to tell. But before I get into anything new, did you have any specific questions about what we talked about yesterday…?”

Questions…sure I have questions, but nothing I want to ask right now I don’t think… Talking with Kyle brought up a few things, but they’ll wait… I shake my head slightly, returning his smile, albeit a little hesitantly. “Not really…I mean, I want to know all about it, but I don’t have any actual questions right now…” I assure him, indicating, with my words, that he can continue.

He nods, but doesn’t do so immediately. Why do I get the feeling he really doesn’t want to tell me…? First of all he turns up at school, insisting that we do need to talk some more, but now I’m here, in his ‘car’ with him, he doesn’t seem so chatty… I look at him curiously, about to press further when max looks at me.

“Here we are…”

I look around and am surprised to find that we’re back at my apartment block. I’ve never known the journey go so quick…

“We’ll talk some more inside…”

I nod, still not really knowing what to expect as I climb out of the jeep. I wait for Max to join me and then head towards the steps at the front of the building. My apartment’s on the second floor, so it’s not that long before we’re both stood in front of my door and I pull out the key from my pocket.

I love doing this…opening the door to MY home… I know it’s not much of a place, and most kids at school would turn their noses up at it, but for me it really couldn’t be more perfect… Turning the key in the lock, I push open the door and step inside, closing the door behind Max as he follows me.

I think if it’s possible, Max might look as nervous as I feel…and that’s saying something… Of course if he knows what he’s going to say, and loks like that, I can’t say I’m looking forward to hearing it myself… “Do you want a drink, a cup of tea maybe…?” I ask casually, trying to stay calm and not lose it.

Max nods and I manage a small smile. “Ok, it won’t be long then…make yourself at home…” Leaving him to take a seat, I slip behind the counter into my small kitchenette area and grab the kettle, filling it with water and then switching it on. I could always use my powers of course, but I tend to find it doesn’t taste as nice, and besides, I’m more than grateful for something to do that will keep me occupied for a few more moments. I turn to get some mugs out of the cupboard above my head and then look back over at Max. I remember his mention of calling his sister and friends and point out the phone. “There’s the phone…”

Instead of moving towards it as I expect, he nods but remains where he is, maybe even looking a little surprised himself. “So you can call your sister and your friends to tell them to come here…” I clarify although I can’t see that he’s forgotten about that part already…

“Ah…” Max nods and shakes his head. “I don’t need to call. I already told them…”

Already told them…now how could he have done that…? I have to admit I’m curious… I don’t remember seeing him with a cell phone, although I’m sure he will have one of course… Besides, even if he did have one, as far as I’ve seen, he hasn’t used it since we decided they’d come here, and before hat supposedly he was leaving it up to me, so unless he can read my mind or something like that, it was still open then… “How did you do that…?” I ask softly, finding myself surprisingly eager for answers as I leave the kettle to boil and come to take a seat at the table with him.

“Well…” He seems to hesitate a moment and I can’t think what he’s going to tell me. “We’re all telepathic….”

Telepathic…ok, this stuff just gets stranger and stranger…then again, I guess you don’t get much more strange than my little party trick… If only I really knew how to control that one… The others are so much easier…but I think part of that is that I have some semblance of an idea as to how they work…with the latest, well I’m still drawing a blank…

”I told them –“ For a moment I think that he’s trailed off, but then I hear him finishing. *-- like this..* Only thing is, I’m looking at him, and he’s definitely not moving his mouth… Unless he’s a great ventriloquist, it’s looking like he’s for real about this stuff…

I blink a few times, taking some deep breaths and just trying to stay calm. “H-how did you do that…?” I ask a little nervously. I notice my voice is starting to shake a little, no matter how I try and keep it level. I frown and purse my lips together, breathing in and out until I think I’ll be able to do it without that. “You think I should be able to do that too…?”

[isabelle]

*Max*

Liz is obviously shocked, although she's trying to contain it. With her secret, I'm certain she's used to hiding things and I'm guessing she doesn't want to seem to naive about what she is, either. It makes me think she's very brave.

I take a seat next to her, resting my elbows on the table and extending a hand towards her but not yet touching her. Just being there if she wants to take it.

"Yes, I'm sure you can," I assure her. I know her body is like ours and her mind is made to be able to do this, too. I have no idea if her lack of practice will affect her ability but I'm hoping it'll be only a short-term effect, if any. I don't want to create a stumbling block by mentioning it. Maybe she'll take to it naturally as long as she's expecting to be able to.

Then again, I haven't picked up any stray thoughts yet. She's somehow been shielding naturally. Part of her instinct to hide, no doubt. That could be a problem if she can't drop it, but she did hear me, so again, I think that's good reason to think she'll do fine, afterall.

"First, you just picture the person you want to talk to. Hold that image in your mind until you 'feel' them. Then you push your thoughts in that direction," I explain. I could create images of Isabel or Michael but I don't think it will help her to try to talk to a stranger. Not to mention how surprised they would be.

I complete my reach and take her hand in mine. "Look at me. Focus. Then see if you can send me your thoughts."

[KatnotKath]

OOC: hope this works for you Isabelle, if you want me to change anything just say. I'll format tomorrow


~Liz~

“Yes, I’m sure you can…” He sounds so confident…I wish I could be so sure. I can’t even control all of the powers I know about completely… I really do have to try and practice my party trick sometime…only I don’t like messing with people’s minds like that… I know that Kyle said he didn’t mind, but I get the feeling that even he is a little freaked by it. Not that I can blame him… I do it, and it still freaks me…

I sigh, resting my head in hand and pushing my hair back as some falls onto my face. I see him holding out his hand, but for now don’t take him up on the offer. I don’t really know him well enough yet…

Max appears to think for a moment, maybe working out how to explain, then looks back at me. "First, you just picture the person you want to talk to. Hold that image in your mind until you 'feel' them. Then you push your thoughts in that direction,"

I listen to his explanation, and I think I follow…but I don’t know how I’m going to do it…

Maybe Max senses my trepidation, for a moment later, his hand reaches out again, this time taking hold of mine and squeezing it in what I presume is meant to be a reassuring manner. "Look at me. Focus. Then see if you can send me your thoughts."

Now…? My eyes widen. I know that I asked if I could do it, but I never meant to try now…it was just one of those questions you ask… I wasn’t expecting to get to test out his answer quite so soon… “Now…are you sure it’s a good time…?”

Max seems a little amused and nods slightly. “Go ahead…” He tells me softly.

I nod hesitantly, resisting the urge to pull my hand away as I close my eyes, concentrating. I summon up an image of Max in my mind and do as he says, holding it and waiting… Despite his instruction to ‘feel’ whoever it is you’re trying to ‘talk’ to, I’m not getting anything… A big fat zero… I sigh and shake my head at him. “I can’t do it…maybe it’s something I’m not meant to anyway…?” I suggest although I don’t really believe it.

Max looks at me, and I can tell he’s not going to accept me giving up so easily. I nod. “Okay okay, I’ll try again…” Going through the same process, I get to the stage of the picture in my mind and try to blank everything else out as I begin to feel ‘something’… Is that what I think it is…? I don’t really have anything to compare it to, so it’s pretty difficult to say for certain… I guess the only way is to try… *Max…?* I try to push the single word in his direction, but it just seems to rebound back…not making it out of my head it seems. I look at him and shake my head. “It’s no good…I can’t do this…”

“Yes you can…” His words are simple and clear. He squeezes my hand and I know he wanting me to try again.

I bite my lip, unsure if I’m ever going to get this and close my eyes once more, running through the instructions again. I try another two times, and then on the third, I notice a change in Max’s expression. Did it actually work…?

[isabelle]

*Max*

I wait as Liz closes her eyes and tries to do as I've told her. I'm surprised when she suddenly looks up and announces that she can't do it. I know she can. It's just a matter of finding the way. Like riding a bike. Tricky only until you find your balance, then it's easy.

"You can," I promise her. "Try again." I don't know if she's trying to hard, or not enough. But I know she can do this. I wait, listening for her, hoping to hear her mental voice. Instead, she answers physically, giving up again, or trying to. But I don't think she really wants to stop. Maybe she's just embarrassed that it's not working right away.

"It's okay. You're going to get this." I tell her, rubbing the back of her hand with my thumb. *I know you can,* I add silently. Demonstrating for her, once again.

I see her biting her lip again. I can tell she's getting upset and that's really not going to help. *Relax. Just trust me. You can do it.* Maybe it's my fault, asking her to try too soon, before she knows me well enough to really make that connection for the first time, but I'm sure she can do it.

She nods again, her eyes shut. The silence seems to stretch on for minutes and I wait. I can almost feel her struggle. I feel I know her frustration. There's a featherlight connection and for a moment, I think I'm about to get another set of flashes from her but instead, I hear her silent voice.

*Max? Can you hear me? Are you there?*

*I hear you, Liz,* I tell her, beaming. She opens her eyes, eyes filled with wonder and surprise. My grin grows even wider and I feel inexplicably proud of her. *I knew you could, princess.*

.

[KatnotKath]

OOC: usual message, formatting later, hope this works for you Isabelle, tell me if you want me to change anything.

~Liz~

*Max? Can you hear me? Are you there?*

If it hasn’t worked this time, I’ve already made up my mind to give up… Perhaps not permenantly, but at least for tonight. Afterall, Max said there was something he wanted to talk to me about, and from the fact he came alone to the school I have to assume that he wanted to do that without extra company… If that’s true, we’re fast running out of time and he still hasn’t said anything more…

Then, just as I’m about to announce defeat, I hear him again, clear as day. That’s not so surprising, given that I even heard him the first time… I seem to be set on receive without transmit at the moment if I liken myself to a radio… The thought causes me to smile wrly, but as I listen to what he has to say this time, the content does surprise me. *I hear you Liz…*

I did it…? I really did it…? I open my eyes, looking up into his and I notice Max’s smile is probably even bigger than mine, if that’s possible anyway… *You really heard me, I really did it…?* Maybe it’s pushing it a little far trying again so soon, but then again maybe practice will make it easier…I know it did with my other powers… I mean my blasting used to be pretty much completely random, but after so many practice sessions out in the desert, with Kyle on watch of course, I have that pretty well down…

Although he doesn’t actually say anything, Max’s slight nod tells me all I need to know. That wasn’t just my imagination, I actually did it… I smile widely at the satisfaction, although that smile might be in danger of slipping just slightly as I begin to consider the consequences of that. If he knows my powers better than I do, what does that mean…?

I’m not scared that he’s going to physically ‘hurt’ me, or anything like that, but although I want to, I’m still somewhat hesitant to believe the story he gave about the four of us last night… I bite my lip slightly.

*I knew you could, princess…*

Okay, now that I’m definitely not sure I like… Max might be trying to be supportive and nice, but I think it’s a little early for pet names… In fact, given the age difference between us, I’m not even certain it will ever seem appropriate… I pull back. “Can you not call me that please…I do have a name…” I tell him softly, removing my hand from his as I stand up and head back over to the kettle that’s now boiling. I spend a few minutes busying myself with getting the tea and sugar out, then set both cups down on a tray and add the bottle of tobasco sauce and a tub of honey from my cupboard. Putting one spoon for each cup on the tray also, I lift it up and carry it over, trying to keep a calm front.

Look at me, is it obvious I waitress or what…? Instead of carrying things over separately, I’ve put everything down on a tray and I carry the tray. A lot of people would be worried about spillage, but I’m not really, and that’s not cos I’m going to use my powers.

Taking a deep breath, I set the tray down on the table and place one mug in front of each seat, putting the tobasco and honey in the middle and then taking the tray back to my kitchen area. “Help yourself…I didn’t know how much you used…” I tell him lightly as I head back over and take a seat once more.

After he’s done, I season my own drink as well, before looking over at him. “So…from the fact that you came to school alone, I can only guess that some of what you want to tell me, you want to tell me without the presence of your friends…” I pause a moment and indicate the clock. “I don’t know what time you told them to come at, but if you do want to do that, I’m pretty sure we’re fast running out of time…if you still want to talk about whatever it is…?”