Well kiddies, here's the next part. Enjoy. 
Keep on truckin'
Syke
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The lunch crowd was almost gone when Max made his way into the dining area. An aroma of greasy food filled the air causing Max’s stomach to grumble. He hadn’t realized how hungry he really was.
“Max your booth is open,” Jeff Parker said clapping Max on the back as he went towards the grill.
“Thanks,” Max smiled. “But I think I’ll sit at the counter today…if that’s alright.”
Jeff looked over at the younger man, Max actually looked refreshed and possibly glowing a little. Max’s smile actually reached his eyes. It seemed that letting him spend the night in Liz’s room turned out to be a pretty good idea.
“Yeah, yeah. That’s fine, I’ll grab your burger.”
The backroom doors burst open as Maria rushed through quickly trying to tie her alien-head apron around her waist. Her meeting with the school councilor had run long making Maria late for her shift.
“Geez, Mr. Parker I’m so sorry I’m late,” Maria apologized slipping behind the counter.
“It’s not a problem hon, we weren’t that busy,” Jeff was lying but he didn’t want to give Maria anything else to worry about. The teen’s parents had all gotten together to discuss how to handle what had happened, Jeff knew that Maria was taking sleeping pills to get through the night and her grades had been steadily dropping. Mr. Parker had tried to get Maria to take some time off but the blonde girl was stubborn and refused to leave the Parkers understaffed…but he knew that wasn’t the only reason. He knew that she needed to be near Liz, just like Max did, just like he did.
“Can I get you another cola sir,” Maria asked the customer at the counter but when he looked up she gasped. “Max! What are you doing at the counter?”
He offered her a crooked mile, “Just thought I’d shake things up a little bit.”
The pretty blonde smiled back. They’d seen each other everyday but this was the first time Max had talked to her in almost a week. Hell, it was the first time he’d talked to anyone besides Jeff Parker since the funeral.
“So,” she started unsteadily. “How goes it?”
Max smiled again, “Um…good, I guess. You?”
Maria wanted to tell him the truth. She wanted to let him know that she could barely eat, sleep, or breathe without thinking of her two lost friends. She wanted to say that she cried every night and had to see the school councilor every day and still barely functioned. But she didn’t.
“Good, I’m doing good too.”
The boy smiled briefly and Michael stood watching his best friend and his girlfriend from the grill. Maybe things were getting better after all. He worried about Maria constantly; she had gone from his fiery blonde pixie to a walking zombie. She acted fine for the sake of everyone else but he knew the truth, Michael knew because she stopped letting him see her when they kissed. Maria was hiding from him and he hated it.
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The hours passed and Max stayed, but this time he had been talking and joking with Maria and Michael instead of staring into nothingness. He had even gotten Nancy to smile once, which was one more time than she had since talking to Jim Valenti that fateful night. The dinner crowd began to arrive so Max pulled out his homework to keep himself occupied. Jeff glanced over and noticed that this time Max was actually writing instead of staring blankly at the pages in front of him.
“You seem to be in a pretty good mood today Mr. Evans,” a soft voice giggled beside him.
“What can I say, I kinda got laid last night,” Max replied with a sly grin.
“Kind of?!?!” She whispered in a slightly offended tone, “
I thought it was pretty clear-cut.”
Max finally looked over at the petit brunette seated beside him. Liz was glaring at him and he couldn’t help but think of how gorgeous she looked. When she realized the glare wasn’t working she quickly switched tactics and fixed him with a pout, even threw in a quivering lip for good measure. Max smirked and leaned in giving Liz a quick kiss.
“It was amazing,” he whispered earning a brilliant smile from Liz.
“Eh, it was OK.”
It was Max’s turn to glare before she giggled again but she soon sobered, “You can’t keep doing this Max.”
“What?” he asked, but he already knew.
“This Max,” Liz said motioning to herself. “They’re gonna think you’re going nuts if you keep talking to me out in public.”
A deep sigh left Max’s chest as he looked around the café, Michael was looking at him strangely. He offered his best friend a small smile, which Michael returned and went back to the grill. “Maybe I am losing it, Liz.”
“Max,” she whined. “You were fine earlier, even had Maria laughing, you don’t need me Max.”
“I’ll always need you!” Max whispered harshly before his face softened, “I just…seeing you, this you, it’s just easier to cope.”
Liz inhaled sharply before smiling at the alien next to her, “Just try to keep it out of public babe.”
Max smiled back, “I’m a rebel Liz Parker. I make no promises.”
She cocked an eyebrow and smirked, “You better not forget the one you made last night.”
“Never.”
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Closing time came quickly for the staff at the Crashdown Café and it didn’t take long for the three teens to get everything cleaned up.
“Thanks for your help guys, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jeff smiled as he walked toward the backroom.
Michael, Maria, and Max stepped out into the night as a cool breeze kicked up around them.
“Where’s the Jeep Maxwell?” Michael asked looking around the empty streets.
Max shrugged, “Isabel has it, I’m just gonna walk home.”
“Are you sure cuz I can drop Maria off and come back?”
Maria stepped up glancing at Max, “Actually I could use some fresh air after that shift…do you mind some company?”
“Maria, I have a bike-oof,” she effectively cut off his sentence with a smack to the gut.
Max adjusted the strap of his backpack and looked between his two friends, “I don’t mind.”
Michael didn’t argue, he just kissed Maria on the cheek and said he’d see them both tomorrow.
The first few blocks were walked in comfortable silence but since Maria was involved it didn’t last long.
“You see her don’t you?” the blonde asked eyeing Max beside her.
Max scratched behind his ear, he seemed unsure of how to answer her question. When he finally did it was barely more than a whisper, “Yes.”
Maria nodded, “Does it make it easier?”
“Sometimes…but sometimes it makes it worse, seeing her but knowing she’s not really there,” he conceded glancing towards Liz’s best friend.
“I miss her so much,” Maria cried the tears in her voice evident. “Why didn’t she come to me, I thought I was her best friend.”
Max quickly pulled Maria into his arms trying to sooth her, “She loved you Maria, so much, so much. This wasn’t your fault and neither was Alex.”
Suddenly Maria stiffened and pulled back, “What if Liz was right, what if this was some alien thing and she got in the way.”
Max swallowed, staring into Maria’s big green eyes. “I’m not blaming you, any of you. I love Michael and Isabel and you…but what if something else is here.”
“Maria,” Max was shaking his head.
“Max
please just listen to me,” the small girl pleaded. “You know Liz wouldn’t, wouldn’t…
kill herself. Alex wouldn’t either. Will you please just look through Liz’s things? Maybe she found something.”
His face was unreadable so Maria gave him a pout, “Fine, Maria, fine. I’ll take a look.”
Maria flashed him a smile and leaned up to give Max a quick kiss on the cheek, “Thanks.”
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It was after eleven when Max finally made it home, he had stopped at Maria’s to let her get some of it out in the open. They’d sat in Maria’s living room sharing stories about Liz and talking about how much they missed her. Max thought that it might have actually helped him as much as it had Maria. When he finally left she was sound asleep on the couch, no sleeping pills needed. Max made his was quietly into the house only to find Isabel watching TV in the living room.
“Hey, you’re home.”
He offered his sister a small smile, “Yeah, had to break in my new walking shoes.”
Isabel sat up frowning, “You walked. Why didn’t you call for a ride?”
“It was fine, I walked Maria home,” he said brushing off her guilt.
“You talked to Maria?” Isabel couldn’t help but feel a little jealous, Max had barely spoken to her since Liz’s funeral but at least her was talking to someone.
Her brother shrugged, “How’ve you been?”
Isabel blinked a few times before answering, “Just taking it day by day. Mom and Dad are worried about you…so am I.”
“I’ll be OK Izzy. It’s just gonna take some time,” he offered her another smile. “Night Iz.”
“Night Max,” she whispered but he was already out of the room.
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Max sank down into his computer chair with a heavy sigh. Going through Liz’s research was the last thing he wanted to do but he’d promised Maria he would. He decided to start with Liz’s journal but instead of turning to her latest entries Max opened to her first one.
September 23rd, Journal entry One.
I’m Liz Parker and five days ago I died. After that things got really weird.
Max had been reading her journal for almost an hour and it was killing him. Knowing what Liz Parker really thought of him, the way she loved him was incomprehensible. The only thing she wanted in life was for him to be happy, she wanted what was best for him that’s why she had gone to Florida last summer. Liz had loved him completely and he again wondered what had changed. When she came back she’d written about his advances and how desperately she wanted to be back in his arms. Then why had she invited Kyle into her bed? Why had she betrayed him as completely as she’d loved him?
The next entry was tear stained and many of the words were smudged.
I’m Liz Parker and tonight I lost my future-
“Whatcha readin’ Max?”
Max snapped the journal shut and guiltily looked up at Liz. Even though he knew it wasn’t really her he still felt like he was invading her privacy. “I just, um, I promised Maria I’d go through your notes about Alex.”
Liz raised her brows, “Are you getting a lot of information from
last years journal entries?”
“Sorry,” he whispered setting her journal on his desk.
“You don’t need to be sorry Max. I just don’t think it’s a good idea to be drudging up all of those memories…and feelings,” Liz moved forward straddling his lap. “It’s not going to help you move on.”
“And what if I don’t want to,” Max’s voice was strained and filled with hurt, longing.
A tear slipped down her pink cheek and was soon followed by many more. Max couldn’t help himself as he leaned forward and kissed her tears away. Liz was warm and soft and he once again forgot that she was nothing but air. She moaned softly pushing herself against him.
“Liz,” it was a growl and she knew what was coming. He swiftly picked her up and moved them onto his bed.
“Max, we shouldn’t.” Her plea was soft and he stilled for a moment. There was a definite smirk on Max’s face as he answered.
“Hey, at least I’m keeping it out of public.”
She couldn’t help the smile that came at his words even as she shook her head, “Maxwell.”
It was his turn to pout and she couldn’t deny him any more than he could her. Liz tugged at the hem of his shirt and he complied by sitting up and pulling it off. They shed their remaining clothes quickly but made love slowly. Afterward, Max lay with his head cushioned on Liz’s soft stomach while his eyes began to drift shut. Though he couldn’t help the pang of hurt that shot through him as his mind once again drifted to a night months ago where his saw this very girl in a similar position with her former flame.
“I always hoped we’d share our first times together,” he felt Liz pull in a shuddering breath beneath him. “Why’d you do it Liz? I…he…
why did you sleep with Kyle?”
She stayed silent and Max began to give into to his physical and emotional exhaustion. The thought came to him that she couldn’t answer because he didn’t know; there was not a single scenario that had gone through his mind that he could accept as the truth. Max could feel himself slipping into the blackness so he couldn’t even respond to the teary whisper he wasn’t even sure he heard.
“Because you asked me to. You asked me to save them by destroying us.”
