After Dark (CC, M/L, Mature) A/N (07-26-06) [WIP]

[Crashdown_51]

<center></center>

<center>After Dark</center>

Author: Crashdown_51

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, but I wish I did because the show would still be on.

Genre: CC

Pairings/Couple(s): M/L

Rating: Mature

Summary: What do you do when your best friend dies, your friends don’t believe you when you say he was murdered, and you catch the love of your life all over his destined wife? Cry? Scream? Runaway? Huh, no way. No, you take a breath and wait. Wait patiently until you find the opportune time to commence your revenge. Set em’ up and knock them down and have a blast doing so. At least that’s what Liz Parker’s planning to do. And with the help of the only one that stood beside her, Kyle Valenti, she plans to carry out her vengeance, especially on the one that hurt her the most....Max Evans.

Banner: Crashdown_51

Author's Note: Okay, I wasn't going to post now, but so much has happened to this fic on my disc that I take it as a sign that either I post it now or it'll be erased forever.

Now, unlike my other fics, this one WILL, I repeat, WILL be updated once a week, so what's today? Tuesday? So every Tuesday it will be posted.

Hope you guys enjoy it.

_____________________________________________________________
Song: Life Will Go On by Chris Isaak

<center>Prologue

Taxi Cab - Wednesday, April 25th, 2001 8:58pm</center>


'Liz...if you go. Our friendship is over.'

That argument between Max and me was definitely one of the worst I'd ever had the pleasure of being part of.

How did things get so...fragile between us?

It probably had to do with the precious "destiny" prediction amongst the four Czechs.

"Destiny" picking on me once again, because no matter how much I stepped out of Max's life, I always manage to be sucked right back in it.

‘Liz, what are you doing here?’

What the hell was Max doing there in the first place? He just happened to be leaving Roswell at the same precise moment I was. Where was he going? A question that was the least of my worries now since we are no longer friends.

It’s gonna be a challenge to get use to, to get use to not being able to run to him with news or anything else our friendship contained.

But that’s all over now.

A lot of changes are about to happen...changes that might end up getting the best of me in the end.

Aside from the bad, there was definitely some good news. Not so much as "good" but more "useful" news in anyway. Even though I lost the one thing I cherish the most in my life…Max…something else came out of it.... I discovered that Alex never went to Sweden. Information that had me gloating in anticipation to return to Roswell and announce it to everyone that I was right. Especially in front of Max, who doubted me the most and launched this civil war between our species.

Liz Parker and Max Evans, soul mates forever.

Pft. What a joke.

There’s nothing more I'd rather do then just curl up underneath my blankets and cry for days. But unfortunately, I’m still bound to this cab ride home that seems to be taking an excessive amount of time and the cab driver eyeing me from the rear view mirror wasn't making matters any better either.

‘Liz, don’t get in that cab.’

Shaking his voice from my head, I turn to look out the window and watch the scenery of solitude and rock pass me by. Funny how the desert only reminds me even more of Max and all the heartache I have endured in the past by being with him.

'Liz...if you go. Our friendship is over.'

One thing I could never do was regret meeting him, because without Max, I'd be buried six feet under, in the cold ground. No. I could never regret that, but my weakness I could. Weakness that allowed me to fall for someone who reminded me constantly, along with everyone else, that things between us could never work.

The downside to acknowledging my faults is that it also shed light on the changes that are going to occur in my social life.

No more climbing though Max’s window or seeing him hop over my balcony.

No more late night passionate kisses or feeling the thrill when he would caress my skin or run his fingers through my hair.

No more flashes.

All the things I have become accustomed to this year.

Now, there was no connection between us anymore. Our alien link was still intact. Unbreakable at best, but without friendship…we had no other reason to see each other again, except for him eating at the Crash, which I’m sure he’ll still do just to spite me.

Well, tonight, I plan to fix that.

I once overheard Tess mentioning to Isabel, at the Crashdown, that Max had been routinely visiting Roswell's Observatory every night, ever since Tess had brought him there. God, how she bragged on and on about how it was there that they took their first step towards a deeper friendship, whatever the hell that meant. So what better place to end a friendship officially, than the place where a new one was commencing.

Drifting out of my land of woes again, I noticed that the scenery is still the same.

Cactus.

Rocks.

And dirt.

Glancing at my wristwatch, I calculate the time I had been riding the cab and see that I should’ve been back home already.

Sliding up the seat and gripping to the pleather seat in front of me, I look at the cab drivers’ license taped to his glove compartment and focus on the passport-sized photo attached to it. If pictures are worth a thousand words, why does only one pop into my head when I look at his?

Lonely.

Just how I’ve been feeling since Max and me are no longer speaking to each other.

Amazing how I manage to shift my views from an overweight, grungy cab driver to Max.

Maybe if I look at something else.

How about…a pine tree air freshener? Nothing Max related there…except the whole smelling good thing he has going on and the memories of our make out sessions at Buckley Point, that has pine trees ---

Okay, I’m looking away from the air freshener now.

Looking away to creepy cab driver eyes looking skittishly at me through the rearview mirror.

Okay, more words just popped into my head.

Dead meat.

Ex-con.

Middle-of-nowhere.

Okay, okay, relax. Calm down. Just-just ask him a question, Liz. That way I can do a “voice recognition” when I’m picking him out of a line up. But how can I pick him out of a line up if I’m dead, Miss Know-it-all? Okay, maybe I’m just over reacting. Maybe underneath that ‘I have 5 bodies in my trunk’ exterior, he’s a soft teddy bear…that’s been used to mop up a bar floor.

Teddy bear, Liz.

Teddy bear.

"Um, excuse me.”

Are you a killer by any chance?

“Are we almost there?"

Wow, was that my voice that squeaked like that? I haven't heard a squeak like that in a long time since the last couple of days I’ve been doing nothing but arguing with those I considered my "friends to the end".

And maybe he didn’t hear me.

"Excuse me?"


<center>Roswell's Observatory – 10:14p.m.</center>

Max’s jeep?

He must already be inside.

Funny how I never been here before, all these stars, the cool wind, a really beautiful place…if only I where here on different circumstances.

Damn this is one steep hill. I can actually feel my calves getting a workout.

Come on Liz.

Almost there.

Just a few more steps aaannn…d made it!

Unlocked.

Perfect.

Now which way?

Uh…oh, a map. Let’s see. Um… ‘You are here.’ Good to know. Now all I need is an arrow saying ‘Max is here’ and we’d be in business. ‘Main Examination Room’ That must be where the telescope’s at, and Max, so…that’s…this way.

Okay. What do we got here?

Lab.

Research.

Oh, bingo! Main Examination Room.

All right Liz. Just go in there and tell him everything. Tell him Alex never went to Sweden and that he was a complete jerk and that he was wrong and that…

“Oh my God!”

Max and Tess.

I literally gasp in shock with every bit of air I carried in my lungs before I cover my mouth.

“Liz?”

“Max?”

Damn squeak.

“Liz, I–I…”

Oh, God. I’m gonna be sick.

Tess and Max.

I quickly turn my face away from the disgusting sight and look to the side, with my trembling lips gathered and pinched, as I fought hard to hold back the tears.

Max and Tess.

When I turn back to look at Max, I try to open my mouth to speak but my mouth snap shut, keeping me from crying out loud, from the sight of the two scrambling to get dressed.

Tess and Max.

Looking back to the side, I cover my mouth with my shaking hand and begin tapping my lips lightly with my fingertips before I attempt to look back to Max, but only to react the same way.

“Liz…” He calls out to me, taking a step forward that reflexively makes me take a step back away from him and Tess, who currently appears to be content. “Liz.” Another step towards me but I take another step back with one hand hugging my stomach and the other one extended out for Max to stay away. “Liz…I...” He reaches for me, but I react like shift away from his reach and then look at him…in distrust.

Max and Tess.

Covering my mouth with the back of my hand, I turn on my heel, intending to run away but I feel his hand grab on to my forearm.

“Liz, wait.”

“Don’t touch me!” I shout to him as I push him away and then storm out the room.

I could’ve been a tour guide the way I quickly found my way out. Out the room, down the hallway and before I knew it, I was pushing open the main double door, making the corner of the door collide against the doorstop, and breathing fresh air again.

Max and Tess.


Broken skies, heartaches that flowers won't mend
Say goodbye knowing that this is the end
Tender dreams, shadows fall
Love too sweet, to recall
Dry your eyes,
Face the dawn
Life will go on
Life will go on

All day long thought that we still had a chance
Letting go, this is the end of romance
Broken hearts, find your way
Make it through, just this day
Face the world, on your own
Life will go on, life will go on

[Crashdown_51]

Song: Bitterly by Me'shell Ndegeocello

<center>Chapter 1

Bathroom - Thursday, April 26th, 2001 5:50 am</center>

I stand ashamed amidst my foolish pride
cause for us there'll be no more
For us there'll be no more
and now my look at you bitterly

Bitterly

Bitterly

Max with Tess.

God, the actual thought sickens me.

Back at Prom, where I saw the two kissing…I just thought it was just that, kissing. But to actually think that the two would be on the level of sleeping together just never crossed me. How could it, when all he ever did was swear up and down that he only had eyes for me? That he loves me.

Max and Tess.

God, I feel like such a gullible idiot. I should have known it was too good to be true. And here I thought that because he was different…because he was an alien…he wouldn’t be…I guess it just proves he’s human after all, huh?

But if he’s the jerk, why do I feel like an even bigger one? Guilty even? After all, I made this happen, by making him think that Kyle and me slept together. Maybe Future Max was right. Maybe it was a bad idea and I should have done something else to drive Max away. Maybe then, Max would’ve never…

Twiddling my fingers, I look at the blinking red number on the face of my answering machine. All I have to do is push that “play” button and I can hear his 28 explanations.

But what could Max possible have to say?

That it was an accident?

Destiny taking over?

His past memories coming back?

Tess mind warping him?

Or maybe…that it’s what I wanted?

What ever the reason was, I don’t think I’d be able to face him without breaking down.

Max kissing Tess.

A repulsive fact that brought back the memory again of the first time I caught him kissing her, just in this case, it seemed that they were passed kissing.

If kissing was Roswell, they were all the way in Antar.

Max and Tess.

God, the snap shot images in my head just made my stomach turn.

His hands…

…touching her…

…their lips…

Oh no.

Toilet.

Now.

Going too…

Running to my bathroom, I drop down to my knees and hover over the toilet seat as I vomit out my life.

Max and Tess.

Coughing and crying with the heel of my hand pressing the tension between my eyes and my elbow propped up on the cold lid, I rub my soar stomach from all the heaving with my free hand and wondered why?

What had I done to deserve this?

I guess everything I’m feeling was exactly what Max must’ve felt when he saw Kyle and me in my bed.

But it wasn’t the same.

Mine was justified, to save his race.

What possible justification could there be for “Max and Tess”?

Oh, right. The world doesn’t end…just mines.

Grabbing the corner of the sink, I pull myself off the cold floor and turn the cold water on, catching my pale reflection in the mirror. My eyes are puffy, my lips are dry, and my cheeks are lightly coated with tiny broken vessels from the force of vomiting.

A look that perfectly attires the way I’m feeling.

Max and Tess.

Shaking my head, I look down to the fairly full sink and turn off the water. A few drops escape the faucet and make a rippling effect on the surface of the water before my hands dive into it. Sniffling, I lean closer to the sink and splash my face a few times with the icy water.

I continue to whimper, letting the tiny droplets of water trail down my neck and dampen the collar of my shirt as I reach for the decorative towel that hangs from the towel ring on the wall.

Well, just when I thought things couldn’t get anymore hectic, suddenly, without intention, an electric charge of green light sparked from my palm to the towel I was reaching for.

“Oh my God!” I jump back against the wall and watch in astonishment as the peach towel begins to burn and instantly start to release a thick black swirl of smoke into the air.

Now, to be fair, I just caused a fire with the palm of my hand, I’m a nervous wreck, my emotions are through the roof, so all I could do is react to this situation. And by react I mean, I grabbed the burning towel, which bizarrely caused it to ignite even more and burn my hands in the process.

“Ugh!”

The pain is unbearable pain, but I never think to drop the towel. Instead, I push the half-open shower door with my foot, making the glass door screech, and then toss the burning towel into the shower before turning on the water.

“Uh.” I wail in agonizing pain of feeling both the sharp throb of my skin burning and the intensity of the green current flowing through my hands as I slide down to the shower floor.

What the hell is happening to me?

My clothes are soaked and the water is immersing all over me, while I whimper in a cough and curl up in the corner of the shower.

Why is this happening to me?

Resting the back of my head on the peach tiles with the cold water splashing against the side of my face, I weakly look at the shower wall while I hold out my hands underneath the water’s dominion, in order to ease some of the fiery pulsation.

But it doesn’t.

I’m numb because…that’s when it happens.

I turn feebly to the side and see what I could have sworn was Alex standing by the bathroom doorway.

“Alex?”

The sound of his name becomes an aching knot in my throat, a feeling that came suddenly, almost as fast as it took for the image of him to fade away I when I blinked from the drops of water hitting my eyes.

“Alex.” I sob in the corner with my head resting on the foggy tiles and my elbows tucked between my stomach and legs, holding my hands up to keep them from touching anything. “Alex. Why?” I cry “Why did this happen to you? Why to you?”

The hot tears are flowing freely from me now, enough for me to distinguish the difference between water and tears.

“Oh, God. Alex.”

My cries get rougher, like if screaming his name would bring him back. Back into my life. Back to restore the balance in order to make things go back to how they once were before. To a life without betrayal and despair, back to when everyone was still friends.

I have heard it all. The craziest things at best. But I’ve never turn my back on any of them, even when their stories were out of this world…literally.

I risked my life for Max, for all of them, and all I asked for is for a little faith in me.

Alex’s death isn’t right.

Something’s wrong.

But they turn their backs on me.

I don’t understand how they could follow my gut feelings before and now, my feelings are wrong because it was about them.

It has always been about them!

I wonder what if Nasedo would have killed me when he posed as Max. Would they have turned their backs on Maria and Alex or find some ludicrous excuse to cover my death up, like suicide, and just walk away?

And Maria.

Just when I thought things could get any worse, Maria makes it abundantly clear that she didn’t believe me either.

While I was busy working on finding Alex’s killer, Maria was biting my head off over a collage.

A collage!

A collage won’t bring back Alex!

But finding Alex’s killer and making him pay for what he did would.

Maria.

“So you don't believe me, either.”

“I'm--no, I'm sorry, I guess I don't, Liz.”

I just couldn’t believe it. Years of ‘Best Friends Forever’, just to betray it because she wanted to grieve.

Grieve!

Please do.

But don’t tell me I’m wrong when every bone, every blood cell in my body is screaming that Alex’s death was not an accident. And I’m gonna prove it, with or without their help.

It’s the point I’m at now. The point where the grip of sorrow around my heart, the feeling of betrayal, the point of me giving up any chance of fighting for my happiness, all become trivial to my primary objective:

…finding out who killed Alex.

Glancing back to the door, I see him again, well, a figure at least, through the shower glass door that made the figure appear abstract.

“Alex?” I called out softly as I see the form walk closer to me.

“Liz?”

Is it?

Just the sound of a response sends me down an emotional roller coaster.

Numbing me in shock.

“Oh, my God, Liz!”

I was too stunned to move. Too stunned to focus on anything when the pain of my hands multiplied when they were no longer in the comforts of the cool water and out in the rough air in my room.

It’s where I finally realize who’s carrying me.

[Crashdown_51]

<center>Chapter 2

Roswell Memorial Hospital – 6:21 am

Emergency Room</center>

“Can we get a doctor? Please. Can someone get my daughter a doctor?!” I hear my dad shout as I look up weakly at him.

It’s the first time I see him crying.

Looking up at the ceiling, I see we pass under the “Emergency Room” sign before I feel myself being sandwiched between my dad and the cold outside of a desk.

“Sir, calm down,” I heard a woman tell my dad “Chris. John.” She calls out to who I can only assume would be the orderlies.

I can hear the rattling of wheels before two guys appear beside us with a gurney.

“Thank you.” My dad exhales in relief as he helps place me on the gurney.

“You're going to be okay, baby.” My mom assures me as she strokes my cheek and squeezes my forearm.

“Mom, please, don’t call anyone,” I plead as they wheel me off. “Please, promise me.”

Knowing her, her first task while I’m being treated, would be to phone Maria, who would surely tell Michael and then Max. Max tells Isabel on his way out, Isabel tells Tess, Tess tells Kyle and Kyle tells his dad.

The Antarian Domino Effect, I call it.

A.D.E for short.

“Mom, promise me.”

“I promise,” she yells back standing on her tippy-toes and waving good-bye to me before the orderlies push my gurney pass some double doors.


<center>Room # 3 – 6:40am</center>

“Lizzie, what happened?”

I sit up on hospital bed and slowly slip on his coat with his help, “Dad,” I start off and then let out a long sigh before continue, “please, I don’t want to talk about it”.

What am I suppose to say? My ex-alien boyfriend was knee deep in his Antarian wife’s body, rolling around butt naked on that stupid green blanket he keeps in the back of his jeep? Our blanket! And that I was so hurt this morning, all the emotions caused some alien power to spark out of me before I saw Alex in my bathroom?

Pleading the fifth seems more efficient and it keeps me away from a free trip to the nut house.

“Well, when we get home, I’ll make you some tea…”

Shaking my head, I slide up to the edge of the bed and feel my dad’s hand firmly hold my elbow to help me hop down, “no, Mom, I’m late for school”.

Hear it comes, but screw the lecture, I have to see Kyle and it can’t wait. I have to tell him what happened. He’s the only one I have left.

“Elizabeth Parker…I know you do not expect to go to school after what’s happened, I mean, look at you.”

Yes, Mom. I know. I can see my own hands, feel them too. But I don’t think I can stay in my room…not with the insane things I’ve been seeing.


<center>W. Roswell High - 7:05am</center>

School.

And all it took was 20 minutes of begging before they finally gave into letting me go.

So here I am, sitting quietly outside Principal Forrester’s office, just imagining how Max’s morning has been, while my parents make arrangements.

He was probably pacing back and forth in front of my locker, waiting neurotically to speak with me since I ignored all his calls last night.

I wonder what he said in the messages? No doubt explaining what had happened between him and Tess and asking me what I was doing in Roswell when I should’ve been on a flight to Sweden.

I guess I’ll find out later over break up music, a box of Kleenex, and a pint of Double Fudge Ice Cream.

'Rrrriiinnnggg.'

The late bell for 1st period.

Movement catches my eye to the main office’s window that looks out the trophy glass. It’s Kyle with the messenger Principal Forrester sent out.

From his reaction, I can say he’s surprised to see me.

“Liz. Hey. What’s going on?” He asks, taking his hands out from his letter jacket’s pockets before I see his eyes focus on my hands. “Okay? What’s going on Liz?”

But before I had a chance to answer, Principal Forrester and my parents come out from the corner office and looked straight to Kyle in relief.

“Mr. Valenti.” Principal Forrester calls out, shaking Kyle’s hand as Kyle shoots a confused look to me.

“Principal Forrester. Mr. and Mrs. Parker.”

“Kyle, listen. Liz had a little accident in her balcony. You know her and her candles...”

Candles? Way to cover up, Mom. A perfect FBI candidate with her ability to storm up a story as far fetched as a weather balloon crashing and all with that phony smile of hers.

I hate that smile.

“Pier 1 Imports will kill ya.” Kyle replies with a dry tone as he desperately tries to read me while my parents and Principal Forester chuckle in unison.

“Point is Kyle, Liz is indisposed at the moment, and since you seem to share a few classes, we’d appreciate it if you could help her out until she’s recovered.” My dad concluded, taking over my mom’s ballpark of a story.

“No prob. Liz?” Kyle called out to me so we could start heading to class. I get up nervously, feeling all eyes on me and follow Kyle out the office.


<center>Liz’s Locker</center>

“So, let me get this straight. You don’t want me to say anything to the E.T. clan…”

“Or Maria,” I quickly add, seeing his head peek out from behind my locker door to give me a quizzical look, “I just don’t want to talk to anyone right now, okay?”

“Look, Liz. I know with Alex gone and the whole 'I Human, You Alien' argument, your emotions are…”

“Max slept with Tess, Kyle.” It wasn’t what I intended to say, well, not that directly anyhow. But it was the only thing that could save me from one of his Buddha sermons and from a pity look.

“He what?” Kyle coughed out in shock before I muster enough courage to look at him.

There it is.

Pity.

I hate that look too.

I look down to my hands and hear a locker dent in when Kyle leans into it.

He’s waiting for details.

The only question is can I give it to him without breaking down?

“I saw them,” I mumble as I look down to my feet and then glance to him.

Still pity looking back at me.

“I-I just don’t want to talk to anyone right now, Kyle. Okay?”

“Yeah, sure.”

I can’t.

I can’t even explain myself without choking up let alone face anyone right now.

I know the second Max got home he called Michael. Michael called Maria if she wasn’t already at his place and the other half of the guilty party tells Isabel.

A.D.E at it’s finest.

“I just need time…to think.”

“Look, the only classes I have alone with them are Basic Science, U.S. History and Metal Shop. Now, I can cut 2nd and tag along with you to your Film Study class, taking me off of Maria’s radar, but 7th and 8th? Maybe Tess I can avoid, but Michael and Max?” He declared in a worried tone. “I don’t think I can hold off a tag team.”

“You’re not the one that has back to back classes with the leader of the pack.” I huff as he closes my locker and signals me to go before him.

“You go ahead. I’ll meet you there.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have to do something real quick. It’ll just take a second.”

“Then I’ll wait for you here.”

I don’t intend to go in that class alone.

No way.

No how.

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

What the hell does he have to do that’s so important that it can’t wait?


<center>1st Period – Trigonometry</center>

“You ready?” Kyle asks me as he grabs the doorknob and turns it before shooting me a worried look.

“J-Just don’t leave me alone, okay?”

He nods and then opens the door.

The first person I see is Mr. Meichtry in the middle of a lecture before he turns at looks at us.

Here goes nothing.

I cross my wrists, take a deep breath and then head inside first.

"One statement of plane geometry states that a triangle is determined by a side and two angles..."

Silence.

It’s the same awkward silence you hear when you walk into a class late, on your first day, at a new school.

I hate that.

To feel everyone’s eyes on you…to know that Max’s eyes are on me.

“Mr. Valenti? Miss Parker.” Mr. Meichtry calls out in a teacher tone, probably wondering why I’m so late, but then Kyle leans over to Mr. Meichtry’s ear and begins to whisper. I can tell exactly when Kyle drops the bomb on him, because his eyes widen and before I know it, he’s standing beside me with his hand on my shoulder and his eyes averted to my bandage hands. “Just have a seat Miss Parker. We can talk later.” He whispers to me and then looks to Kyle to signal him to take me to my seat.

Oh God, I just remembered Mr. Meichtry’s “sit anywhere you feel like” seating chart. And for the way Destiny has been, I couldn’t be more surprised that from all the seats in the world, three were empty…one behind Max and two beside him.

He probably reserved them.

“Where was I? Ah yes, trigonometry. A word a majority of you have yet heard of.”

I sit in the seat furthest away from Max, leaving poor Kyle to sit in the seat between us.

"By the looks of some of you're homework assignments, I only pray that the career you choose won't need simple Geometry and Trigonometry, or I'd say we're in for a..."

Once again, the class’s attention, as well as Mr. Meichtry’s, focuses on the door when it abruptly opens and in comes Michael, strolling in with an expression that almost seems like he wasn't sure if he belongs in the class.

"Ah, Mr. Guerin. The pillar of my worries." Mr. Meichtry sarcastically comments as he holds on to his left lapel. "I can see how you can be confused, it being the second time all year that you grace us with your presence, both ironically being accidental visits."

I remember that.

We all laughed at him when he told us that he had completely forgot that he had this class with us and blamed the whole event on Maria. According to him, Maria told him to meet her in the Eraser Room, so on his way there, he spotted, who he thought was his 1st period teacher at the time, standing in the hallway, so he snuck into our Trig class to hide out. It turned out that the teacher he was hiding from was indeed his 1st period teacher, but from last year, and it’s been a running joke ever since, amongst the teacher’s and students.

"So, can I sit down or are you gonna rag on me all day?"

That’s Michael for you.

But I know the only reason why he even showed up was to help Max out. How, I don’t know because there isn’t anything that either of them can say or do that can make me forget what I saw.

"Thankfully, this class has only 38 minutes left, but I can begin to understand how you might consider it an eternity."

Nice.

"Sit-down, Mr. Guerin." Mr. Meichtry commands, looking over the brim of his reading glasses and then back down to his lesson plan as he pulled out a handful of torn out notebook papers. " If there is anything that distinguishes trigonometry from the rest of geometry,” he continues his lesson as he moves to the front of each row to pass out the papers, “it is that trigonometry depends on angle measurement and quantities determined by the measure of an angle. Of course, all of geometry depends on treating angles as quantities, but in the rest of geometry...Miss Parker…"

A+

Shocker.

Okay, I know Max is looking because I can feel Kyle tense up beside me. From the corner of my eye I can see Michael leaning over Max’s shoulder and whisper something to him before Kyle does the same to me.

“I’m so dead.” He gulps.

I can actually hear the panic in his voice.

“You will be once I tell you how this happened.” I whisper back, slipping my hands underneath my desk as he turns to face me and gently peeks underneath the gauze.

It’s an action that isn’t missed by neither Max nor Michael, who are desperately trying to see over Kyle’s body that’s blocking the view.

Thank God x-ray vision isn’t one of their powers.

And speaking of powers, a question has been turning my brain to mush ever since my little accident.

Why did I get burned?

Max, Isabel, and Michael have used their powers countless times in front of me and I haven’t seen or once heard of their powers hurting them.

“Uh, Liz” Kyle whispers to me before he shows me a folded piece of paper. I just give him a quizzical look and he leans in closer, giving me view of Max from over the brim of Kyle’s ear. “You gonna read it?”

I shake my head and then look out the window, seeing the reflection of Max, Michael, and Kyle whispering before Kyle turns back to face me and taps me on my shoulder.

“Michael said alien things will happen to me if you don’t read it,” He informs me as he widens his eyes “I like being human. So, I’ll just open this for you,” he whispers as he opens the folds of the paper and then pushes it to me.

‘Liz, we have to talk.’

I push the letter back to Kyle and then lean to him.

“You want me to write back something for you?”

“No, I want you to stomp on the paper.”

“Stomp on the paper?”

“Stomp on the paper.” I confirm and then watch as he turns skeptically to face Max.

Now, I’m sure I told Kyle to stomp on the paper because I’m not sure what the hell he just did, all I know is it made me snort a laugh.

“Um, Kyle?” I giggle softly as he leans closer, “I told you to stomp on it.”

“I did.”

“Really? Here I thought you were putting out a fire.”

“Hey, I didn’t know there was a manual to stomping on a letter.”

“Apparently, there needs to be.”

“Funny. Now, I’m just gonna have to give someone else your surprise.”

“Surprise?”

“Nope. Nope. Now my mind is made up.”

“Kyle, come on.” I giggle as I nudge him. “What surprise?”

“You’ll see.”

[Crashdown_51]

<center>Chapter 3

3rd – College English</center>

It turned out that Kyle’s big surprise was switching our film study selection with a copy of Mars Attacks.

Another surprise was to have a few of the football players come by at the end of each class and escort us to our next class.

It’s genius, really. Max would never discuss anything in front of anyone that isn’t part of the ‘I know an alien’ club or I guess now the ‘I am an alien’ club.

Unfortunately, this class is a minute from ending and I don’t have 4th or 5th with any jocks, just one big alien cheating jerk.

'Rrrriiinnnggg.'

Okay.

Here goes.

This class was no sweat because Kyle had it with me. He made me laugh the entire time about the movie, but 4th and 5th?

Oh yes! Here comes Tommy…in pads and cleats?? Not a good sign.

“Hey Liz,” Tommy waves to me before he looks to Kyle. “We got practice man.”

“Crap,” Kyle curses beside me and then turns to me, “I can take you real quick.”

Whoever said “life was a bitch” was completely wrong. Destiny seems to be holding that title and from the looks of it, will remain winner and Champ until I cease to exist.

“That’ll be great.”


<center>4th – Astronomy AP</center>

“I’ll pick you up after 6th okay?” Kyle reminds me at the door.

“Okay.” I answer, seeing him wave good-bye as he jogged around the corner and out of sight.

Okay, Liz.

It’s now or never.

Walking into the class, my eyes move straight to Max, who was waiting eagerly by our lab section.

I take a breath before I start making my way down the isle and to my stool.

The second I sit down, that’s when he starts.

“Liz…”

Ignore him.

We’re here to learn about stars, not why aliens cheat, so pay attention to Mr. Selgiman.

“Liz, just let me explain.”

I can’t hear you on account of my heart breaking so loud.

“Liz?”

La la la…la la la.

“Liz?”

Okay, I need a distraction.

Um, a song.

Um, something something, and drank them both up.

“Liz, can you just look at me?”

Put a lime in the coconut and drank them both up.

“Liz?”

I said ‘doctor, ain’t there nothing I can take.’

“Can you at least tell me if you’re alright? What happened to your hands?”

I said ‘doctor, to relieve this bellyache.’

“Liz?”

Put the lime in the coconut and call me in the morning.

Yes!

I see Mr. Selgiman coming to us and from his sudden silence, Max must see him too. Probably to ask me what happened, but who cares, at least Max stopped calling me.

“Miss Parker, if you can’t make it to the field trip…”

“Field trip?”

What field trip?

Mr. Selgiman presents me with a permission slip to go to the one place I would never dream of returning to…

“Roswell’s Observatory. Mr. Evans, can you put this in her pocket?”

Oh, that is just...fantastic.

And of course, without hesitation, Max takes the form and puts it in my jean pocket when Mr. Selgiman continues to handout the forms to the rest of the class.

“Liz. I’m sorry.”

I’m sure you are. Sorry that you got caught.

“If you would let me explain…”

“Max.” I call out in aggravation between my teeth, seeing his mouth close the second I say his name. “Don’t---talk-to-me.” I order, pronouncing each word with hate and then see his jaw tighten before I turn and look back to the front of the class.


<center>5th – Chemistry AP</center>

You know. It wasn’t until today that I realized my school schedule sucked.

Two science classes back to back, in the same room and with the same lab partner…his Royal Cheating Highness.

Thank God this class is almost over, cause I don’t know what I was thinking coming here.

Tomorrow, I’ll be absent for sure.

'Rrrriiinnnggg.'

Quickly, I make my way around Max and out the door, thinking I was home free until I felt someone grab my arm and pull me into the Eraser room.


<center>Eraser Room</center>

“Let go of me,” I order to Max, pulling my arm out of his grip as he locks the door behind us.

“Liz, can you just let me explain…”

“Max. I don’t want to hear it, okay. Seeing it was enough, I don’t need to hear the audio version of it.”

“It was an accident.”

“Oh. I see. An accident. So what Max, you-you just happen to trip over your spaceship and her naked body just happened to break your fall, right?”

“Liz…”

“Max, stop calling my name, okay. You know what, better yet, just stop talking to me period!” I shout, turning around to open the door.

Again, my emotions are high thus excusing the genius idea of opening the door with my own hands.

But second I apply pressure to turn the knob I feel an aching pain on my hand like they were on fire again.

“Owww,” I cry and Max pulls me back by my shoulders to get in front of me, “let me out,” I shout in tears, looking anywhere but him.

“Let me heal you.”

“No. Don’t touch me.” I shout, pushing his hands away with my forearms.

“Liz.”

“Get away from me Max.”

I might’ve well been talking to myself because Max was right in front of me like a protester and the Eraser Room door being an ancient tree.

Well, chop it down.

Chop it into little pieces like he did my heart.

“I’m not letting you leave until you listen to me.”

“Max, don’t make me scream.” I threaten.

And I will.

I’ll scream alien if I have to.

“Then…just let me heal you.” He sounds defeated.

I want to say ‘no’, but hey, if he heals me, then I can get out that door a whole lot quicker.

“Be careful, Max.” I whimper.

“Just hold still,” He advises me as he gently grabs my wrists and carefully removes the bandages from my hands revealing my burns “How did this happen?”

“It’s none of your business,” I answer bluntly, hearing him sigh before he softly placed his hands underneath and above one of mine and then waited a second before a white light appeared.

Doing the same to the other, I watched quietly as I prayed he didn’t get a flash of what happened because then he’d really stop me from leaving.

“You’re okay now,” Max murmured in the same softness as the first time he ever healed me and then moved his hands away from mine to allow me to examine my hands.

“Thank you and good-bye,” I add as I move to the door, opening it just enough to catch a breath of the chalk-free air before Max’s hand pushes it shut again.

Goosebumps rush all over me by his husky voice and the warming feeling of his breath when it hit the crook of my neck, “wait”.

Feeling that just made me angrier.

How dare he make me feel that way again?

To make me want him and forgive everything just to feel his lips again.

Lips that were on Tess.

I don't know why seeing them together again is effecting me so much. Maybe I'm making excuses to explain my sudden act on impulse, but a day ago, I would've never did or had the courage to do what I did next.

Slowly, I turn around and then look up at him, seeing him actually look happy that I listened and then…wham! My hand collides against the side of his face, slapping him as hard as I could before I turn around and run out the room.

[Crashdown_51]

Song: Changes by 3 Doors Down
Song: Fall To Pieces by Velvet Revolver


<center>Chapter 4

Room</center>

My intentions where just to run to Gileyfield and watch Kyle practice since I had 6th period lunch.

But for some reason, my legs had a plan of there own…to run home.

So here I am, sitting in my closet, listening to music from one of Alex’s old CD player he gave me a year ago, trying to figure out what to do.

I'm not supposed to be scared of anything,
but I don't know where I am
I wish that I could move
but I'm exhausted and nobody understands (how I feel)

How do I fix things?

I'm trying hard to breathe now
but there's no air in my lungs
There's no one here to talk to and the pain inside is
making me numb

Alex, I need you so much right now.

I try to hold this
under control
they can't help me
Cause no one knows

Then suddenly my hands start to spark a green current, giving my closet that “glow stick” effect.

Oh God what’s happening to me?

Now I'm going through changes, changes
God, I feel so feel so frustrated lately
When I get suffocated, save me
Now I'm going through changes, changes

“It’s not your fault Liz.”

I take off my headphones and look around. Swearing I’d just heard someone whisper something to me.

“I’m-losing---my mind.”

“No, you’re not.”

Turning my head to the right, I can literally feel my heart skip a beat, “Alex!” I shout, overwhelmed with happiness as I wrap my arms around his ghostly image, expecting him to disappear once I touched him.

But he didn’t.

His body was solid, warm, and he was hugging me back.

“Alex. Alex. Alex.” I repeat over and over, hugging him as tight as I can “Oh my God Alex!” I exhale as I pull back and cup his face to get a better look at him.

“Wow, I should die more often.”

“No,” I quickly plead in tears “don’t say that.” Hugging his torso and resting my ear over his heart to actually hear it beating, “don’t leave me”.

“I never did.” I hear him say softly, with his voice echoing in his chest as he hugs me for assurance.

“You don’t know how much I’ve missed you,” I sniffle out and then look up at him “No one believed me, Alex. No one. Not Maria. Not Max. Nobody.”

“It’s okay, Liz. The point is that you believed.”

“I knew you couldn’t commit suicide.”

“Yes, you did,” Alex says with a chuckle as I hug his torso again to hear his soothing heartbeat that had the effects of a lullaby, causing my eyelids to weigh down on me “You’re falling asleep.”

“No. No, I’m not,” I say shaking my head without moving my ear off of his chest.

But the truth is, I am, probably from all the crying.

From all times too, it had to be now.

When my best friend rises from beyond the grave.

“It’s okay. I’ll be back later.”

“No, don’t leave me. Please.”

“Liz, I promise, I’ll be back. I promise.” He vows, hugging me tight.

I look up at him to see the sincerity of his eyes and lower my head in acceptance, “Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?” I ask desolately as I lace my fingers with his.

“Okay.” He answers with an amused chuckle and then leans back against the wall as I snuggle into his arms.

“Come back to me,” I whisper as I started to doze off, feeling Alex lean over to my headphones and place them back over my ears.

I fall to pieces, I'm falling
Fell to pieces and I'm still falling
Every time I'm, falling down
All alone I fall to pieces

I keep a journal of memories
I'm feeling lonely, I can't breathe
I fall to pieces, I'm falling
Fell to pieces and I'm still falling
Every time I'm falling down
All alone I fall to pieces

All the years I've tried
With more to go
Will the memories die
I'm waiting
Will I find you
Can I find you
We're falling down
I'm falling

"Falling,” I hum with a smile before an abrupt line of light shines over my eyes.

“Liz?” I hear as I squeeze my eyes tight.

“Mom?” I question, only seeing spots from the opened closet door.

“Liz, what are you doing in here? We’ve been worried sick.”

Sitting up, I quickly turn to look beside me and frown when I see that Alex is no longer there.

“Was I dreaming?”

“Liz?” I hear my mom call out again as I look mystically at my hands, turning them front to back to see that the green current was gone as well “Liz, are you okay?”

“I’m---I’m fine, mom.”

It’s weird.

I really do feel fine.

At ease even.

Like a terrible weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

“Liz?”

Slowly, gripping at the sides of the doorway, I pull myself out and then straighten my clothes as my mom follows me quietly to my vanity seat.

“I’m fine mom,” I assure her in a soothing tone and then look to the reflection of my alarm clock in the mirror.

How long have I been sleeping?

I then become aware of my reflection, seeing my eyes twice as puffy as they were before, with dry, white streaks of the trails my tears took down my cheeks and the sudden feeling of thirst in my mouth.

“No, you’re not. I’m gonna go get your father.”

“Mom!” I shout turning around in my seat to see her stop by the door and turn to look at me “I’m fine…okay?”

“Okay,” She finally answered with a defeated shrug. I shake my head at her 'too little too late' attempts to worry about me, “okay,” she repeats again to convince herself and then leaves.

Okay?

She didn’t even notice my hands were healed.

Mommy Dearest, eat your heart out.

I turn back around and look at my reflection again, only there was something a little different about me. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but there was. Pensively, I get up, and move to the shower. I turn the knob to the hot water and let the water run freely from the showerhead.

‘I’ll have an alien blast.’

“Yeah, me too.” I say out loud with an irritated huff as I slip out of my clothes and step into the shower.

The water beats down against me, sending a chill down my spine before it starts to warm me up. I press my palms and forehead against the tiles, letting the water cascade down my back and then let out the deepest sigh.

I stand like that for what feels like hours.

Thinking.

That is, until I finally hear my phone ringing.

Stepping out of my shower, I quickly throw on my robe and make it to the phone base in time to hear the message.

‘…and you just leave. What was I suppose to tell your folks? That…’

“Hello? Kyle? Yeah, sorry about that. Long story.”

‘Yeah, when am I gonna hear this long story?’

“Tomorrow. I’ll pick you up after school.”

‘Pick me up? Since when did you have a car and what do you mean tomorrow?’

“Kyle, please.” I answer him as I roll my eyes at his sarcasm. “I can’t talk right now. I have something really important to do. Okay?”

‘Liz, you better not hang up on me.’

“Thanks Kyle. See you tomorrow.”

‘Liz…’

Sorry Kyle.

But right now I have somewhere I need to be.

[Crashdown_51]

<center>Chapter 5

Roswell Cemetery</center>

It’s a dark kind of funny to be back at this place with a complete 180 of emotions flowing through me. I have an odd sense of security surrounding me now. Security that felt like it was growing stronger the closer I got to Alex’s gravestone. A sense of security that I seemed to be lacking the last time I was here. It hardly feels like I’m about to visit the site where my best friend’s body lies. It feels more like I’m meeting him to go on one of our trick-or-treat adventures instead.

I stop at attention in front of his headstone, looking at the engraving announce something my mind has yet to grasp.

That Alex is gone.

Sitting down, Indian style, I brush of the withered leaves and dried rose petals away and then tuck my hands in my pockets.

Waiting.

“Alex, I know you said you’d come back to me, but I need you right now,” I plead as I look up to the sky, seeing all the stars scattered across it and couldn’t help but cringe.

“I thought you liked the stars.” I hear behind me.

“Alex!” I call out with glee before I jump up into his arms and then entwine my hand with his as we both sit down on the ground.

“May his song always be heard,” He read out with his head tilted to the side in curiosity “Nice. Who came up with that?”

“Alex, I have to ask you something. I know that there’s a chance you can’t answer it directly, but I have to ask anyway,” I ramble with nerves as I play with his knuckles.

“Do I know who killed me?” He asks with a small laugh.

My head snaps up at the sound of the question, that’s been lingering in my head since my closet, being asked out loud and then look at him anxiously for the answer.

“It’s not why I’m here Liz.”

“Wha…I…I don’t understand.” I ask, scrunching up my nose in confusion as he looks down at my hand.

I start to theorize what he could possibly mean in my head.

From what I gather, Alex was a spirit stuck in limbo because his soul can’t rest until he finishes whatever reason it is that’s keeping him in this plain. To my knowledge, that reason has to be finding out who killed him.

It has to be.

“I’m here because of you, Liz.”

“Because of me?” I repeat in surprise.

“Liz,” He starts and then turns more to face me “I’m here because my best friends’ heart’s broken,” he explains.

I lower my head as I feel my eyes start to water and then feel his finger curl under my chin to make me look at him. Just to see him looking at me sadly broke all control I had on my tears and felt the first one trail down my cheek before they started to flow freely.

“You cried so hard that it was hurting me so much that not even death could stop me from coming back.”

“Come back for what?” I sob as I wipe my tears away “The only way you can go back is if I’m feeling better, but…but I’ll never be,” I confess as I squeeze tighter to his hand.

It may not be a bad thing after all.

Sure I may not have Max anymore, but if it means Alex staying in this plain, with me, it’s a price I’m willing to pay.

“There’s no such thing as never, Liz. Take it from me.”

“Things can’t get better, not now. Things have gotten too complicated,” I declare with my head lowered in surrender and then look up at him “Max slept with Tess,” I inform him, with expectation of him defending my honor like he did Maria’s.

To call Max a jerk.

An alien.

To threaten his safety, anything to show he cared…anything but utter silence.

“Funny how that doesn’t seem to be a big deal to anyone but me.”

“Hey, do you remember when you lost your journal?” He asks in a daze that caught me off guard.

Clearly it really wasn’t a big deal to anyone but me.

I let out a sigh and then let his dodging question register.

“Lost? More like stolen.”

“How did it feel when you lost your journal?” He asked with a reporter’s interest.

What’s that?

It’s when a reporter pretends to be interested while they set up the real question they wanted to ask.

“Um, scared I guess. I had written private things, about me and about what had happened at the Crash.”

“And that scared you?”

“The feeling of them being exposed because of my carelessness…well, I felt imbalances again.”

“Again?” He repeats in a tone like I have just said something earth shattering.

“Well, technically, the first time wasn’t my imbalance.”

“Who’s was it?”

“Max’s,” I answer sadly at the sound of his name being said from my lips and the memory the question was refreshing me with “He said he didn’t feel balanced when he was around me. Whatever that means.”

“Maybe you should try and figure it out.”

“Maybe we should be finding out who killed you instead of worrying about Max,” I snap back defensively and then take my hand away from his to cross my arms “Max and I are never going to be. I’ve accepted that already.”

“Like I said Liz, there’s no such thing as 'never',” he replies with a shrug and then took my hand again.

“And sometimes there is.”

I know I’m being difficult but it’s irreversible now.

Tess can have him for all I care.

Wait, anyone but Tess can have him.

Yeah, yeah, end of the world, so okay, she can have him then, only because of that.

“And sometimes you have to go back to where you lost your balance in the first place to see clearer,” he advises as he stood up, still holding my hand.

“Where are we going?” I ask as I stand up after him.

“We?” He laughs in amusement and then hugs me “You are going to find your balance and then you’ll get your butt back home before you give your parents a heart attack.”

“I don’t want to leave you,” I confess as I hold him tighter.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he vows as he pulls me back by my shoulders and then points me in the direction of the exit, “go.”

I want to stay but my feet decide for me and start to move.

I look back at him as I walk, tucking my wild hair behind my ear when it temporarily cloaks my eyes, and then stop in dejection when Alex was no longer there.

“My balance will help me see clearer?” I repeat with hopes that maybe the riddle would decipher itself if I said it out loud.

I shove my hands in my pockets and start to walk again while I ponder on the million-dollar question.

Where did I lose my balance first?


<center>Mescalero Indian Reservation</center>

Quite the Chinese puzzle box this “balance” quest, that’s manages to take me back here.

The place where according to Max, we lost our balance in the first place.

To this cave.

Hopefully the answers come quick because my feet can’t take anymore walking.

I definitely need a car.

Note to self: refund that plane ticket and by myself a car.

I can feel my body try to adjust to the cold, damp temperature of the cave’s atmosphere. I mentally kick myself for not bringing a flashlight because the further I walk into the cave, the darker it gets and the louder that annoying sound of dripping water gets.

Seeing I have no choice, I improvise by trying to provoke my hands to light up in green sparks again.

“Come on.”

Um, Tess.

Max.

Max and Tess.

Max and Tess naked and rolling around in our green blanket.

That one did the trick.

I watch in amazement as my hands start to flicker small sparks of green light, just enough to see what was ahead of me.

Regrettably, it failed to show me what was below me.

A big gorge that I happened to falling into.

[Crashdown_51]

<center>Chapter 6

Mescalero Indian Reservation - Cave</center>

“Ugh,” I strain as I slowly try to get up, feeling my body ache from the fall “Thanks a lot Alex.” I curse under my breath as I rub the back of my head, looking up at the gorge in animosity before I freeze at the sound of something moving around me in the darkness “Hello?”

My eyes open wide, feeling that uncomfortable Spider-sense of someone watching me and the tiny hairs in the back of my neck prick up in falter.

I couldn’t help but recall all the countless times I’ve seen this same situation happen in Alex’s selections in our movie night. Some psycho lingering in the dark, watching obsessively as the “watchee” struggles to see whoever’s watching them. Silence of the Lamb, Pitch Black, they all ended the same way. The “watchee” was either eaten or made into a ‘Little House In the Prairie’ outfit by the “watcher” and mostly because the “watchee” was calling out ‘hello’ instead of running.

Just like I did.

The shiver down my spine tells me it’s time to go, so I look to where I imagine my hands are in the dark and try to emit a charge, replaying every possible angle of the memory of Max and Tess’s encounter in the observatory, but nothing happens.

I’m more scared than angry and I figure it’s the fear that was clouding my focus to my new gift.

Well, curse if anything.

Its just one more thing Max Evans has engraved permanently into me to remind me of him, aside from the feeling of his touch…his kisses…his scent, feelings that didn’t belong to me anymore, feelings that now belong to his destined-to-be wife, Tess.

God, I hate her. I hate her so much for how much she can hurt me, how she can get to me with little effort. A hate my body obviously agrees with when I notice my hands start to spark again from my wild emotions.

“Interesting.” I hear echo in the darkness. My head snaps up, immediately noticing an outline of someone standing in the dark, too far from the light my hands are producing to reveal the person’s identity but close enough to make their presence noticed.

“Wh-what’s interesting?” I ask, trying hard not to blink to prevent losing track of the figure that refuses to move for the moment.

“Wow, I expected a ‘who are you’ or a ‘don’t hurt me’ instead of that. It ruins the whole dialogue I had planned to say.”

“Okay, then. Who are you and don’t hurt me.”

“Now you’re just humoring me. That kills the anxious feeling the questions are suppose to have.”

Wow, a picky cave…person? The echo of the voice makes it hard to determine if it’s a guy or a girl that’s speaking, but I’m pretty sure all this back and forth bantering will lead to an unveiling.

“What do you want?”

“Doesn’t have the same pizzazz as the other questions, but I guess I can live with it.”

How generous of...“it”?

“I want what you want.”

“And what do I want?” I ask, humoring the voice. For some reason, the feeling of fear has washed away from me, leaving me oddly cleansed with a comfortable sense of immunity.

“To see Max Evans pay.”

Make Max Evans pay?

I guess I can safely label this encounter “alien related”. I just need to know if it’s a good one or a bad one. Well, the voice did answer with a hint of bitterness, so maybe it’s a good encounter. Wait, what am I saying? I may hate Max for what he did, but I don’t hate him enough to have something bad happen to him.

Tess? Sure, go ahead, have fun, I’ll help.

But Max…definitely a bad encounter.

“Who are you?”

“Perfect. ‘The question isn’t who I am, it’s who you are, Liz’.” “It” answers sounding a bit rehearsed. I guess it really did have this dialogued mapped out, that notion and the sound of my name echoing around me, I could almost swear my heart stopped for a second time. This person knows me and knows Max, but do I know them?

“Who am I?” I ask, feeling my nerves change the steadiness of my voice.

“You’re one of us.”

Jesus, it’s like one big riddle, this mission. When am I gonna get a straight answer?

“And what are you aside from annoying?” I ask in irritation as look to my hands and watch the light dim out.

“An Orchadaen.”

“Or-what?”

“Orchadaen.” The voice repeats louder and I feel like “it” wants to say something else but can’t.

“Can I see your face?”

“I-I don’t want to frighten you.” I hear almost in a tone of embarrassment.

“I’m in a cave, in the dark, talking to someone I can’t see and don’t know but obviously knows me. How more scared can I possible get?”

I had to ask, didn’t I?

The figure steps out from the shadows with a conjured aura of light in “it’s” hand and I gasp, falling back in shocked disgust, which causes the figure to look away in shame.

“Wait. I’m sorry,” I apologize, reaching out for the creature to stay.

Hesitantly, “it” turns around and then lets me take a moment to take in the sight…the height…the characteristics…to adjust myself to “it” in order to continue our witty conversation without tension. “What-what are you?” I ask in a tone of dazed amazement as I push myself off the cold ground and walk up slowly to “it”.

“I’m an Orchadaen.” ‘It’ answers with a shyness that surprises me because in the shadows, it was extremely presumptuous and now that it’s in the light, it’s barely able to look at me in the eyes.

“What is that?” I ask as I stand before “it” and feel uncomfortably small at the moment, more than I would when I would stand beside Max or Isabel.

“A rare alien species.” ‘It’ replied as “it” turns and starts to head in the direction it stepped out of.

I stand still for a second, hearing the ground mush underneath the heavy boots “it” was wearing, before I follow closely behind it to stay in the light. Hugging myself, I look nervously side to side as “it” leads me further into the cave, taking in the astonishing scientific sites of the cave’s texture before I notice something written on the rocky walls.

It wasn’t Antarian.

Well, maybe not.

The symbols don’t match the ones that I have gotten sick to my stomach of seeing from that stupid Destiny book. They were more complex, like computer coding but with an extraterrestrial twist.

For being allured by the scripture, I fail to notice the creature stop abruptly and I collide face first into “it’s” hard back.

“Ugh,” I puff as I fall back on the ground and then look up to the creature when “it” moves to the side of the cave to take the aura from “it’s” hand and set it on a claw-like piece of wood lodged into a crack in the wall.

Once it steps away, the light spills into the surrounding area causing my jaw to drop in splendor. If I thought I was amazed by “it’s” impossible existence, I was wrong. The cave lights up in gold light, illuminating millions of symbols etched into the rocks’ surface, making it hard to close your mouth from astonishment.

“What-is this place?” I ask in awe as I rise to my feet and turn a full circle, slowly with my eyes on the walls before they settle on the creature to hear “it’s” answer.

“It’s where I live.” ‘It’ answers with both a sense of sadness and pride.

“You live here?” I ask before I’m aware of the other surroundings.

There’s a blanket laid out beside a chess set. The pieces are made from carved stones on top of a dirt-drawn board.

“For how long?”

“11 years.” It answers as it moves to sit down on the woven blankets.

11 years of living unnoticed in this cave?

Seems like a short amount of time compared to Nasedo’s and Courtney’s 50 plus years of living here and the Royal Four’s 17.

Now, would it count as 17?

Max said the came out looking like 6 year olds. That makes it…11 years too. Unless…unless I count the years that passed after their shipped crashed which pretty much has them labeled here the same amount of time as Nasedo.

Ugh, too much math and not enough science.

I move quietly to sit down beside “it” like I was 4 years old and it was story time. I want to know more but then I notice the Mescalero patterns on the blanket that brought me to the conclusion that I’m not the only one that knows about this phenomenon.

“You know River Dog?”

The creature turns to look at me and that motion confirms my speculations.

I knew I recognized the patterns.

Looking around at the walls again, I hug my legs and wonder “who” and “what” else has River Dog hidden in the mysteries of this cave.

“Um, if you knew me, why didn’t you talk to me sooner? I mean, I’ve been here twice and I’ve never seen you.”

“You weren’t ready to see me, and besides, on both trips you had a lot to deal with.”

True.

The first time I came, Max found the Antarian map and the second, we were reviving Michael from a web-slinging grave, so we really didn’t have an opportunity to explore.

“Orchadaen?” I blurt out subconsciously.

“What?”

“You said Orchadaen is a rare alien species. Why? Isn’t the alien species a rarity in itself? Why are Orchadaen’s so special?” I ask curiously the question that has been gnawing at me since it told me what it was.

“Because we’re not suppose to exist.” ‘It’ answers, but I guess picked up on my confusion and turns to face me.
Good.

Explanation time, because last time I checked, aliens aren’t supposed to exist either so I need a little history lesson right now.

“Back in Antar, back when the Royal’s were still alive, they had a law. A specific law for those known as Healers.”

“Healers like Max?” I connect, seeing “it” nod in corroboration.

“Healers being very rare themselves, the law forbids them from healing anyone who wasn’t of Antarian royal descent.”

“Why?” I ask feeling the last puzzle piece hanging over me when I predict that this has everything to do with Max and me. After all, he is a Healer and he did heal me, so why is it so wrong? Ava skimmed over the subject when she was here, just saying he wasn’t suppose to, but she never had the chance to explain why.

“Because it changes who they heal, all except Antarian species. Skins, shape shifters…”

“Humans,” I finish and then look up to see “it” nod ‘yes’. “Changes how?” I gulp out, feeling my heart start to pulse faster by the way “it” looks at me.

“You know how.” ‘It’ answers, giving me a suggesting look that causes me to look at my hands. “You’re already changing.”

“I don’t understand. So you’re saying that-that I’m turning into-into an Orchadaen?” I ask in a panic, fearing I’m looking at what I’m changing into.

Not at all the 3 feet, big headed, green skin aliens you see in the movies.

Instead, it’s skin was pale as snow, it had a long forehead that supplied hard dreads to match the long string-like feelers that dangle from the sides of it’s nostrils, kind of like a catfish. It does have similar human characteristics, which is probably why Max and the rest of the Royal 4 were engineered so perfectly into humans, that is if that’s what Antarian’s look like as well.

It had two eyes, a nose, a mouth, hands, well, kind of. They looked like a freak crossbreeding of human hands and “Dr. Moreau” fins.

Probably an aquatic species judging from the two joined digits that replace the index and middle finger topped with a sharp fingernail, hence looking like a catfish.

“I’m not an animal.” ‘It’ points out in offense from my obvious evaluation.

“No. You’re amazing.” I answer with my eyes lit up in fascination.

“I’m not a science project either.”

“I’m sorry.” My fascination was probably making it uncomfortable, but I can’t help it. “Do all Orchadaen’s look like you?”

“No, so don’t worry. You won’t look like me.”

That almost sounded like resentment.

“I-I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay. It’s a normal reaction for those who see us. They see us as an abomination but we’re quiet the opposite,” the Orchadaen states with a proud smile.

I know I offended “it” but I can’t help but feel relieved to know that I wasn’t changing to appear like “it”.

“Which is…”

“Transcendental.”

“I-I don’t know what that means,” I confess in embarrassment as I pick at my fingernails.

“It means “supernatural”, at least that’s the term used to explain the unexplainable here, right? We can do things that Antarian's couldn’t even dream of.”

“Like what?” I ask looking at it pensively.

“Well, for starters, we have the ability to adapt what ever gift the Healer has, followed by a few other tricks up our sleeves.” It whispers to me before it nudges me and winks.

Ow. “It’s” just as strong as “it” looks.

I rub the spot “it” elbowed me in, hard I might add, and then continue with my questions.

“Max healed me, so…that means I can heal now?”

“Technically, no.” ‘It’ answers causing my eyebrow to arch up skeptically. “Okay. Okay, so it’s a carved-in-stone “no” if you want to get all technical. A Healer can’t create a Healer. It has never happened.”

“There’s no such thing as never,” I mutter softly as I rest my chin on my knee and then look back at the Orchadaen. “A friend told me that…the greatest friend.” I correct myself before I let out a small chuckle of amusement for using his words I stubbornly disagreed with.

“Well, changing structures is a different story.”

“That’s the same thing as manipulating genetic structures, right?” A term I’ve heard far too many times to repeat it with assurances. “But, wait. What’s the difference? I mean, I always wondered why Max was always able to do both, heal and change structures, and Michael and Isabel can’t?”

The question derives in honor of Michael.

All his beatings from Hank and he could never heal himself. He always had Max do it. I just took it as Michael’s inability to focus on his powers by his impatience, but then Isabel couldn’t do it either…or could she?

“Their powers derive from their individual personalities. Michael is a warrior and warriors kill, they don’t heal. Plain and simple. Max on the other hand is special. When Max heals, his powers embed something into your bloodstream when he changes structures. The cells evolve with time, in some, faster than others. Emotions are what speed up the process. You’ve heard of the term “blood boiling”? Well, the pressure you cause in your bloodstream when you’re angry triggers the dormant cells to activate.”

Note to self: examine my blood cells.

“Is that like the Gandarium?”

“I see you’re briefed a little more than what I expected, but no. The Gandarium is an engineered parasite that’s soul purpose is to utilize its host and destroy it by spreading like the black plague until there’s nothing to spread to. It’s a dormant parasite that only operates when it comes into contact with certain oxygen-based hosts or…”

“Certain water-based hosts.”

“Impressive, yet again.”

It explains why Larek ordered an evacuation when he heard our ecosystem was almost exposed to it by a compatible host, Laurie. Maybe Antar is an aquatic planet? It would explain the Orchadaen’s fin digits and the similarities the Gandarium had with human waterborne parasite, Nigleria Filarae.

But does that mean Max is half fish?

Um, maybe I should just stick to knowing he’s “alien”, that’s a milestone in itself.

“We had a little run in with some Gandarium. No big deal.” I wave off when I finally snap back to the conversation. “So basically, what you’re saying is that when Max heals someone, like me, he leaves a signature inside me. Like Michael does with the Cadmium-X.”

“Yes, its called Purodium,”

“Can it be erased? I mean, the Gandarium parasites could be killed and the Cadmium-X isotopes can be erased. What about the Purodium?”

“Unfortunately, since your conversion is rapidly progressing, it can’t be. It’s too risky and not to mention excruciating. Trust me, I should know. Attempting to extract the Purodium’s from your bloodstream has life altering side effects.”

“Like…”

“Like disfigurement.”

“Oh,” I mouth and then lower my head.

I must admit that I did have a small feeling of hope, before the Orchadaen answered me, that I could be 100% human again. But at least it did shine a light of hope for Kyle. After all, he too was healed by Max and has yet to showing signs of alien progression. Maybe it has to do with his new love for Buddhism?

“Wait, did you say progressing?”

What else can possibly be happening to me?

“Max, Liz.” It points out in surprise “You can’t expect to be healed by the Antarian King and not expect to have “extra perks”.”

Again with the painful nudging.

“What kind of perks?”

I think I just felt one of my ribs…in my stomach.

“Perks that I’ve had the honor of possessing when the real Zan healed me.”

Wait, what?

Who?

The real Zan?

So this means I have to fill out another membership right?

The ‘I was healed by an Antarian King Club’.

“So…so who exactly are you, anyway?”

“Who?”

“Yeah, like your name. What’s your connection to the Royal’s?”

And why does ‘it’ want revenge on Max?

“I was one of Larek’s top ranking scientist.”

Okay…

“And your name?”

Ladies and gentlemen, and the mystery guest is…

“My name…my name is Serena.”

Right.

Didn’t see that one coming.

[Crashdown_51]

<center>Chapter 7

Friday, April 27th, 2001 5:02 am</center>

Serena.

Just hearing the name again made the memories of Future Max come flooding back with an irking feeling of having a bad hangover while at a heavy metal rock concert.

“Serena…she’s gonna be a friend of yours someday.”

He was right.

Now if he would have only told me “when” and “where” I would’ve been a bit more prepared. Like, for example, I would’ve brought a bathing suit to wear when I fell into a crater of dirty water when I was leaving the cave, finally discovering where that annoying dripping sound was coming from.

But no.

Instead I have to walk home, at 5 in the morning, completely drench in muck.

“Liz?”

My head snaps up to see Isabel take a step back and shield her face with her hand when a mist of water sprinkles off me, from the movement, to her.

“Ugh.” She screeches in repulsion.

I want to laugh, but I don’t.

I don’t say anything at all.

I just look at her in her running gear as she scans me up and down, probably memorizing my appearance for when she reports back to Max and you can always count on Isabel to give a detailed description.

It’s her forte.

“What the hell happened to you?” She finally asks with more of a repulsed gawk than a concerned one.

I wanted to tell her it was none of her business or maybe even tell her it was human related and she wouldn’t understand. Another part of me wanted to tell her the truth, to tell her I was a part of something that she could never be.

‘You can’t expect to be healed by the Antarian King and not expect to have “extra perks”.’

What I would give just to see her reaction when I tell her that one of the perks to being healed by the Antarian King is you’re considered royalty in Orchadaen eyes.

What I would give to scream it at Tess.

To shove that “Queen” title right up her royal ass.

But instead, I look down at my feet, shaking my vengeful thoughts from my head and then look back up to Isabel with a smile of courtesy before I walk right past her.

Words can be interpreted into a lot of things, but silence…it’s golden. It can make a person twist and turn, like that unscratchable itch on the tip of your nose when your hands are restrained, tormenting you with endless thoughts of curiosity.

‘Beeep Beeep.’

“Get in, Parker.” Sean ordered as he leaned over to the passenger side and opened the door for me.

I’m still choking on my startled heart by the loud obnoxious horn belonging to his pea-green Volkswagen that appeared out of nowhere. But if I don’t leave, Isabel is sure gonna press me for some answers.

Taking on last glance at Isabel, who’s watching attentively, I climb in the car and look completely straight out the windshield as Sean drove pass her.

“What the hell happened to you and what the hell is that smell?”

“Um, Senior Chow’s,” I quickly answer “They have a “do-it yourself” Sushi bar.” I say with a nod and a nervous smile as he eyes me in suspicion.

“Sushi? At 5 in the morning? Come on Liz, I’ve told my priest better lies than that. If you’re gonna lie to me the least you could do is make it believable.” He advises as he turns into the street leading to the Crash.

“Okay…I was abducted by aliens?” I answer with uncertainty and an innocent shrug that gets a roll of the eyes from him as a response.

“Now, you’re just being a smart ass.”

“Sean, I’m sorry,” I laugh as I make a motion with my hand and send another mist of water to shower against the side of his face “Oh! Sean, no, it was…total accident, I swear. I’m so so sorry.”

For some reason I can’t stop laughing.

Poor Sean.

Still laughing.

“Parker, you’re getting to be a little dangerous to be around, and I’m not talking about bad girl, rebellious dangerous. I’m talking, Final Destination, hope you got insurance, dangerous and I don’t.”

“Sean, I said I was sorry.” I repeat with my laugh dying out and my body turned to face him while he continues to drive, looking straight at the road while he spoke with one hand.

“What’s going on with you Parker? Why is a pretty girl like you asking for rides back and forth to the cemetery in the middle of the night, and I should really say “forth” and not “back” because I went back and you weren’t there. I waited an hour Liz.”

“Sean…”

“I’m on parole Liz. Do you know what that is?”

It was Maria all over again.

‘God, you know, you're doing this for Alex, but you don't care whose life you screw up in the way.’

‘That's not true.’

‘Oh, it's not? How about Sean? Have you even thought about him for a second since he ruined his probation for you? God, I don't even know you anymore.’

Funny, I don’t know a lot of people I thought I did too.

Including her.

“So when parents start freaking out to cops, cops who practically have my mug shot framed in their patrol cars, that their daughter’s missing and I’m the last person to see you…it kinda puts a strain on this whole not being strip searched in an 8x10 thing I got going on here.”

“Sean, I know and I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” I plead.

I know I screwed him over by getting caught breaking into the school and standing him up at the cemetery when I asked him to pick me up. But how was I suppose to know that I was gonna go on a spiritual mission suggested from someone from beyond the grave?

“Yeah, well, I can’t wait 5 to 10, Parker, because that’s how long you’re gonna be grounded for when you’re parents see you and what-the-hell is that smell!”

“Um, I’m pretty sure it’s guano” I giggle with embarrassment as I tuck a damp strained of hair behind my ear and then twiddle my fingers on my knees nervously.

“Guano?” He repeats with a confused frown.

“Um…” I hum before I lean forward and whisper the simpler term in his ear.

“Bat shit?!” He exclaims as he jerks away from me in disgust and suddenly swerves on the road.

“Sean, look out!” I shout as I quickly grab his shoulder and the roof of the car, until he regains control of the car and then looks repeatedly from me to the road.

“Bat shit.”

“I was doing a little site seeing,” I say with an innocent shrug.

“Where, in the Bat Cave?”

I wouldn’t be surprised is River Dog new Batman too. He seems to be quiet the popular one when it comes to confiding secret identities with anyone.

“I swear, Liz. You better have Batman’s autograph or you’re walking the rest of the way home,” he threatened with his finger pointing straight at me and wiggling in parental warning, “I’m serious Liz.”

“Fine, I’ll walk. We’re here anyway.” I shrug indifferently as he pulls up by my balcony and then step out of the car.

Good thing too, because I’m pretty sure the customers at the Crash wouldn’t appreciate the scent of old guano mixing in with the scent of their Orbit Rings.

“You got off lucky, Parker.”

“Bye Sean.” I laugh, walking backwards as I wave good-bye to him and then rush up my ladder to find my mom and dad waiting for me at the foot of my bed with their arms crossed.


<center>5:53 a.m.</center>

Smelling like guano has its advantages. It got me time to shower, eat, and time to plan what to tell my pissed off parents as my reason for running off in the middle of the night.

“…the police, Maria, the Evans’…”

“The Evans?” I cut off and look from my dad to my mom “Dad, you told Max’s parents? Ugh-wha-was Max there?” I stutter from the shock of the news.

“Yes, he was. And do you know how embarrassing it is to say my daughter ran off in the middle of the night with some hoodlum?”

“Dad, it wasn’t like that. Sean wasn’t even there. He just gave me a ride to the cemetery.”

Just typical of him, judging Sean for the mistakes he made in the past.

“Cemetery?” My mom gasps, adding more drama than necessary.

“What the hell were you doing at a cemetery, young lady?” My dad shouts, causing me to flinch from the power of his voice.

“Jeff, please.” My mom pleads as she touches his shoulder to calm him.

Sure, calm what you provoked with your dramatic instigation.

“I-I…I went to visit Alex, Dad.” My voice starts to crack as I pick at my nails nervously with my head tilted and then look up at him from underneath my eyelashes to see his face soften. My mom covers her mouth and quickly looks to my dad, almost as if she’s waiting for his reaction in order for her to imitate it. “I just,” letting out a deep sigh, I throw my hands in defeat and then begin pacing back and forth as I hold small handfuls of my hair, “I just needed to talk to him. Things have been going so miserable since he’s been gone, and I thought…I don’t know what I was thinking or expecting. Maybe, something.”

“Liz, if you needed to talk to someone, I mean, I know you really can’t talk to me, but there’s Maria, Max, counselors…”

“I needed to talk to Alex.” I answer back coldly as I give my mom a resentful look. “Forget it. You wouldn’t understand.” I mutter as I throw myself on my bed and cover my face with one of my pillows. “You’ll never understand.” My voice and words are muffled from the pillow but I know they heard me, and I take their silence as a signal that they were caught of guard by my explanation.

It stays quite.

I assume they were thinking of what to say to me or that they probably left the room, but I’m too afraid to look, that is until…

“Boo!” I hear as some one pokes me in the stomach.

“Wha-“ I scramble off the bed from the unexpected noise and press up against the door, “Who-who are you?” My chest is puffing in and out and my heart starts to beat at rhythms uncharted at the sight of someone who amazingly looks just like me.

“Shh. It’s me, you want your parents to come back?”

“Who-who are you?”

“It’s me, silly. Serena.”

“Serena?” I gasp with my eyes almost popping out from their sockets at the sight of the creature in human form.

In “Liz” form.

“Yeah.”

“But…how?”

Was she a shape shifter and if she is, why didn’t she shape shift sooner?

“One of many perks, Liz.” She answers with a giggle as she looks around my room curiously. “Interesting design.”

“How did you get here?” I ask as I rush to look out my door to see if the coast was clear and than turn to look at her while she looks at herself in my full-length mirror happily.

It’s weird.

Almost like my long lost twin.

“Kyle,” she answers as she checks out the circumference of her butt and then turns to give me a ‘thumbs up’, “he thought I was you and when…oh, there he is,” she announces as she points to the window and then returns to the fascination of her appearance.

I quickly turn around to catch him jump over the ledge just as Max had done so many times and then open the window for him to come in.

“Oh, good. I see ‘Single White Female’ made it up already.” Kyle comments after climbing in and pointing to Serena with his chin while giving her a skeptic look.

“Kyle.” I nudge him back in amused display and then look to Serena to give her an apologetic look. “Ignore him.” I order as I shake my head in embarrassment and then look back to Kyle, who looks completely nauseous. “Kyle?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you okay?” I ask as I touch his shoulder.

“You got to admit Liz, this is a little weird,” he whispers as he points to her, “I was like a minute away from calling “El Presidente” to tell him his ex-girlfriend has been body snatched and then went and got some work done.”

Kind of hard to tell that he’s freaked out with his head tilted curiously to the side as he eyes Serena’s assets.

“Pig.” I push him away softly with a giggle and then pull him back to sit on the ledge of my window with me. “So, my parents went to your house, huh?”

“Yeah, and let’s just say that I grounded myself for being involved in your little escapade, that’s how pissed your parents were.”

“And Tess?” I ask as I roll my eyes and huff in disgust.

“She was on the phone the second your parents left, probably phoning home or whatever it is they do.” He answers while looking at Serena the entire time from the corner of his eye and then signals for me to look at her.

When I turn, I see her twirling around with one of my dresses against her and I immediately stand up.

“No, not that one.” I shout and then cover my mouth when she turns to look at me with a frightened expression.

I turned to look at Kyle, who was looking at me skeptically and then look back to Serena.

“Uh, I, uh, wore that…Max…” I didn’t know how to explain it. The dress was the same dress I wore to Senior Chow’s when Toplosky had tricked me into meeting her. I know it wasn’t a Max dress, like a dress I wore when he kissed me or something romantic like that. But at the time I wore it…Max and I were…happy.

He would walk me to class and kiss me out of the blue.

I loved that.

I miss that.

“I’m sorry.” Serena apologizes and then quickly puts the dress back inside my closet.

“No. I’m sorry. For being stupid.” I sob and then rush to bury myself in depression and bed sheets.

“Are you guys having like a Tampon moment? Because I can wait in car.”

I quickly sit up and throw one of my throw pillows at him, which he catches effortlessly like a football and twirls it between his hands.

“Seriously, Sean’s probably still driving around looking for a new place to break into.”

“Jerk,” I retort with a small chuckle and then look to Serena, who’s smiling at us.

“So.”

“So.” She repeats and looks to Kyle when he snaps his fingers and points to me after scratching his eyebrow.

“So, what’s this I hear about you meeting Batman?”

[Crashdown_51]

<center>Chapter 8

Room – Friday, April 27th, 2001 6:13a.m.</center>

“For how long?” Serena giggles as she takes another spoonful of the vanilla hot fudge we have set between us.

“Um, it was a casual thing,” I blush as I reminisce about the short period I was going out with Kyle.

“And what happened?”

“Max happened,” I answer before I insert my own spoonful of ice cream into my mouth and look around nervously to avoid the sympathetic look she was giving me, “So…what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Tell me more. What’s it like, Antar?” I ask curiously as I hug the pillow in my lap and open my eyes in wonder.

“It’s a beautiful place. A place I’m sure a scientist like you would’ve enjoyed.” She answers, as she looked down in the direction of my blankets in a desolate daze. “There was always something new to explore.”

“What exactly did you do there? I mean, you said that you were Larek’s top scientist…”

“Well, you’ve seen some of my work.”

I look at her in confusion as I try to ride out my brain freeze before I take another spoonful and then shrug at her to let her know I was utterly clueless.

“The hybrids. Their incubation pods. I was in charge of making sure they were safely protected to reside on Earth.”

“But…the other aliens.”

“What other aliens?”

“Michael said that two of the aliens died when the ship crash.”

“No. They were executed.”

“E-ex-executed?” I gulp and open my eyes wide in shock.

“Last transmission we received from their ship was a distress call. ”Nasedo” is it?” I nod and take another spoonful of ice cream into my mouth without breaking eye contact with her. “We later got a message from the other surviving protector. He reported that “Nasedo” and Khivar had a mutual agreement that apparently no one else agreed with, so he eliminated the threats. The surviving protector managed to flee, but we gather that he didn’t get to far because that was the last we heard of him.”

A second Nasedo’s out there?

Why didn’t Max tell me?

Oh.

Right.

Forgot.

“And the mutual agreement being?”

“That we never found out. It was kept strictly between “Nasedo” and Khivar. But the day the ship crash, everyone, enemy and friend alike, set out to find that ship. Antar deployed about a hundred ships that very day” She shrugged and then stabbed her spoon into the half-melted ice cream before letting out a snort.

A hundred ships?

If Max’s ship carried the four of them, plus four other clones, and four unknowns…that’s twelve per ship.

That’s 1200 aliens on earth!

Wait Nasedo’s dead, so that’s 1199.

Courtney’s gone too so 1198.

Whitiker too so that’s 1197,

Tess, crossing fingers, number 1196, come on down.

“He was afraid of you, you know.”

“Who?”

What were we talking about again?

Ah, yes. Nasedo.

Wait, Nasedo’s afraid of me?

“Nasedo?”

She nods, but I’m still clueless to why he would be.

“You made Max disobey his calling and that scared him,” she says with a grin.

She gives me too much credit.

“Max doesn’t need my permission or guidance to do anything. The only thing that I’m curious about is why you’re against Max? I mean, he’s never met you as far as I know, so what did he do that was so wrong?” I ask curiously as I twist the corner of my pillow.

“Let’s just say the DNA doesn’t fall far from the King.” She huffs as she continues to stab the ice cream and then stops when she notices me staring at her. “Okay, if you really want to know.” She pauses as she sets the ice cream aside and then lays on her stomach before waving her hand to turn off my lights and light my candles.

“How did you…”

“I’ll teach you later,” she winks at me and then tucks her hair behind her ears like I do.

Like I said, long lost twin.

Kind of ire in a way.

“Where to start? Oh, I know where. When I first met Zan.” She broadcasts as she lightly slaps my knee. “I was working in our research facility with Larek. We needed to collect samples of their blood to study and test how to combine human DNA to our DNA. I got stuck with taking Zan’s sample. I say “stuck” because, at the time, I detested him. According to everyone he was a pain to endure, but in reality, he was the complete opposite. Timid, charming, surprisingly funny, but most of all attractive.”

Yeah, tell me about it.

I sigh absentmindedly before I shake the image of Max smiling at me from my head and return my attention to Serena.

“Word got out to the underground rebels of the research we were doing and our lab was attack by a group of activists called the Yakeira. I was injured badly and Zan healed me.”

“Why did they attack you?” I ask, stunned by how greatly different her healing story was from mine. She was attacked to prevent her from researching genetic adaptations and compatibility’s, meanwhile, I on the other hand, was attacked while trying to serve a basket of greasy Orbit Rings and stale coffee.

“They believed that under Zan’s rule they would parish, so they supported Rath for his leadership, but he never accepted it.”

“You’re talking about Michael worshippers, aren’t you?”

Skins, like Courtney, that worship Michael with picture shrines for some odd reason.

You know…

I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what that whole box of pictures of Max was.

Tess’s starter worshiping kit.

“Well, not all of them are “Michael worshippers”. Some worked for Khivar himself.”

Nicholas.

“By destroying our research, they would ensure Khivar’s campaign to become ruler of Antar while the Yakeira pressed to get Rath into power.”

“So, what happened?”

“Neither of them succeeded. Zan moved our research facilities to a location he only knew of and Larek and I spent years in closed quarters until we developed a shaky but workable prototype of the Gandarium.”

“Years?”

“Developing a compatible link to combine human DNA and RNA, with ours, didn’t just happen over night, Liz. It took years to develop a successful version of the Gandarium and during those years, the only visitation we were allowed was from Zan himself.”

Wow.

So she’s basically been in hiding even when she was in Antar.

“I was still affected by the connection he ignited in me the day he healed me, so naturally, one thing led to another and before I knew it, Zan and I became…involved.”

Story of my life.

“I gave my entire self to him and for a brief moment in my life, I thought I was happy.”

It’s like my thoughts were being voiced through her.

That same moment must’ve been embedded into Max’s genes, to insure he did the same to some helpless human girl, and it hurts me to say that that human girl turned out to be me in the end.

Seeing she’s still in her daze, I could only assume she was reliving their moments inside her head and can’t help but sadly see a glimpse of what I will soon turn out to be.

A heartbroken girl who does nothing but reminisce about what happened and what could’ve happened.

All because of Max or her version of him anyway.

“And Ava?”

I know it was an opened wound for her because her eyes twitched at the sound of her name. A reaction I can relate to but I sense the moral of her story coming along and that moral being in the shell of Tess, or Ava in her case.

“The night I confessed my love to him, he rejected me and told me he was to be wed to her.”

A tear escapes her and I can’t help but shed a few before I move to hug her for support.

It’s when she hugs back that I naively tell myself that she’s comforting me with my pain, but at that moment, my woes seem completely trivial after hearing her experience.

“I told myself that it was the Antarian in him to be cold and cruel. I mean how else could he be interested in Ava if he wasn’t cold and cruel?” She sniffles as she pulls away and wipes her tears away.

It’s what I told myself when I saw Max kiss Tess in the rain.

That it’s the alien in him driving him to her.

“But then Max turns out to be the same…”

“Almost the same,” I snort as I roll my eyes.

He didn’t marry Tess, but maybe marriage is something he'd consider now that he slept with her. I've seen Species. Human sex doesn't even remotely hold a candle to Alien sex. Ever since our scavenger hunts for the orb, I wondered what it would be like...what it would feel like if Max and I had reach that point in our relationship. I mean, if being his first kiss made me see the past and outer space, I can't imagine what making love with him would do to me.

It would've probably kill me.

I guess it's nothing I should be worrying about now.

I know I’m naïve and selfish to think that Max’s virginity belongs to me.

No.

Screw that.

“It did,” I blurt out firmly.

“What did?”

“Uh, I mean…”

Can I embarrass myself anymore?

“Max and Tess…seeing them together…in a way Max and I never had the chance to be in…it’s just…”

“Difficult.”

“It’s more than that and now from all things, we have a fieldtrip to the landmark where it was happening at Saturday.”

When Mr. Selgiman told me where our trip was going to be at, the first thing that popped into my head was that it was one of Tess’s mind warps. If it wasn’t for the fact that I remembered him talking about it last week, I could almost swear it was a mind warp.

“I’ve been there,” Serene mumbles as she looks down to her fin-free hands.

Where? The Observatory?

“To try and find a logical reason for his betrayal, a reason other than he’s destined to be with her.”

Oh.

Right.

There.

“Well, I’m over it.” I shrug indifferently and then climb off the bed to look out my window.

“It sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself more than me.”

“I am over it. Over him…so he should just leave me alone…”

“And do what?” She exclaims, crossing her arms and giving me a disappointed look. “Live happily ever after in her arms while you drown yourself in your sorrows and a carton of ice cream and get fat?”

Fat?

Whoa, who’s getting fat?

“I’m sorry Liz, but I can’t…I won’t see you drag down to my level of depression. I let Zan and Ava make a fool out of me, I won’t let Max and Tess do the same to you.”

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks.

She was right, but it’s too late to do anything.

“What am I suppose to do?” I shout back unintentionally as I throw my hands in defeat and then pick at my nails. “It hurts to see him…because…because I love him so much…and I can’t…I can’t believe that he would hurt me like that. What am I suppose to do?”

I find myself on my knees and crying hysterically in my hands while she hugs me for encouragement.

“You are gonna stop crying, you’re gonna get up, and we are gonna make Max wish he never met Tess after we’re done,” she answers with a sparkle of mischief in her eye as she cups my face.

“And how are we gonna do that?” I ask with intrigue as I wipe my tears away and then push myself off the ground to straighten out my clothes.

“Come on. You got to get dressed. You wouldn’t want to be late for school now would you?”

[Crashdown_51]

When Liz met the fish alien, I never thought that it could be Serena.....
and it's a really great surprise!..... Is she going to stay Liz twin?.... bc it could be so funny: one goes in school and the other one shattered Max's life f.e..... (just kidding!)

I like where your heads at.

Ellie ~ All I got to say is someone better get you a Egyptian chariot-type chair and star feeding you grapes. I like the way you think.

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

Author's Note: I'll be having an Author's Chat on the 29th, 8pm EST at DAS in case you guys wanted to ask me anything about any of my fics.

<center>____________________________________________

Chapter 9

School Gym</center>

“Did you take your picture yet?”

“No not yet,” he answers as he looks behind me, to the far end of the court to look at his fellow athletes and coaches, taking individual photos for the school paper tomorrow. “What’s with the bandages? I thought Max healed you?” Kyle asks as he points with his chin to my hands that I have hidden with me sleeves.

“That’s why,” I answer as I stare at the fresh set of gauze I have around my hands, remembering why I have them in the first place. “Principal Forrester told all my teachers about my little candle accident,” I quote visually, “so how do I explain having burned hands one day and then not burned hands the next.”

“You still haven’t told me how it happened.”

“Do you have practice today?”

“No.”

“Eat lunch with me. I’ll tell you then.”

He nods and continues dribbling the ball up to the hoop and then shooting it before returning back by me.

“Aren’t you gonna go to class?” He asks as he dribbles a brownish basketball around and then hops up to sink it in the basket.

“Eventually,” I shrug indifferently as I play with a strand of my hair.

“Liz Parker, cutting class. It must be the end of the world.”

“Feels like it,” I answer bitterly and then shake the thought from my head as Kyle picks up the ball from the hard wood floor.

“So what’s wrong? Besides this chaos that’s going on around us…or to us…you know what I mean,” he huffs, shaking his head and giving up at the attempt to correct himself as he continues to shoot and dribble the ball.

“I probably should’ve told you this earlier, but, I found out Wednesday night that Alex never went to Sweden.” I look up at Kyle, who has suddenly stopped dribbling the basketball to stare at me as I subconsciously start to rock myself back and forth.

“What? Liz, why didn’t you tell me? Does Max know?”

I shake my head ‘no’.

He’s stunned and maybe even a little aggravated by my hesitation to tell him, judging from the rough way he ran his fingers through his hair.

“Heads up. Maria’s coming.” Kyle mutters as he rubs the side of his face to cover it.

I glance quickly behind me to see Maria walking away from the yearbook president, that was taking pictures of the coaches, and then I quickly turn to Kyle.

“Please, don’t say anything,” I plead in a whisper.

I can see Kyle doesn’t like my sudden secrecy, but he nods in agreement anyway and then looks up to Maria when she stops by us.

“What’s going on?” Maria asks in a more demanding tone rather than a curious one.

Now I admit, I know I look like I’ve been through hell, my wardrobe said it alone. I had changed into one of Alex’s hooded sweaters with a pair of baggy cargo pants and my favorite Converse gym shoes, that reminded me of Alex even more.

I was just waiting to hear her snap some comment about it.

Alex.

Why couldn’t he be here?

Why can’t he end all of this by telling me who killed him instead of worrying about Max and me?

“Nothing,” I finally hear Kyle answer as I watch him twirl the basketball in his hand before he turns to shoot it.

“Liz?” She calls out to me in a skeptic tone as Kyle jogs after the ball.

“Nothing.” I repeat indifferently as I continue to watch Kyle goof around with the basketball.

“Nothing, huh? What happened to your hands?”

I shrug and continue to watch Kyle.

“So, you’re not gonna tell me. What happened to best friends tell each other everything?”

“I guess it died along with best friends believing in each other no matter what,” I snap back bitterly, trying to hold back the tears before I take one look at her and then stand up. “Kyle, I’ll talk to you later,” I wave weakly before I rush out the gym and turn sharply around the corner, slamming head on into someone’s chest. “Oh,” I blurt out from the impact when I fall to the floor.

“Are you okay?” A guy asks me with his hand extended.

“Yeah, it was my fault,” I answer, before I look up to see it was Chris, Alex’s friend and drummer to their band, “the Whit’s”.

“What? You look like you’d just seen a ghost.”

“Um—it’s just, weird that I run into you,” I reply in a daze as I accepted his hand and feel him pull me up.

<center>5th Period – Advanced Chemistry</center>

“Why weren’t you in 4th period?” Max whispers to me as we both look quickly to see Mr. Selgiman grading papers and then look back down at the lab were working on.

I had a long chat with Chris about Alex.

I don’t know if it was Alex’s way to let me know he was still hanging around, but talking to Chris, it gave me the assuring and hopeful sense that I’d find Alex’s killer soon.

“I’m sorry. I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” I answer in the same low tone as I draw a double helix on the corner of my worksheet.

I wonder what Serena’s doing.

“Liz, it is my business. You might not believe it, but I still care about you.”

I let out an irritated snort and roll my eyes to his confession as I continue to scribble on my sheet.

“Liz, what you’re doing is dangerous…”

“Max, spare me one of your King lectures, because I’m not Isabel or Michael. I don’t have to nor do I want to hear it.” I retort, looking up at him coldly and then back down to my paper as I rub my temples from the extreme migraine I was suddenly getting, quite possibly from all the built up anger.

I have to stay calm.

I don’t need my powers to make an appearance.

“Liz, it doesn’t have to be this way…”

“No, Max. It does. Remember, that’s what your stupid book says and you seem to be following it pretty well.” I sneer, feeling a thick pulse in my head.

“Liz, what happened between me and Tess was a mistake. I’ve apologized for it, nothing happened.”

“Yeah because I walked in,” I snicker under my breath and then look underneath my lashes to see Mr. Selgiman still with his nose in his grade book. “The DNA doesn’t fall far from the king.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing, now.”

“Well, at least you walked in before and not after,” he retorts, which causes me to blink in surprise and look at him.

“What?” I ask just in case my ears’ deceived me, because I could’ve sworn that was anger behind his sarcastic voice.

“You heard me. I’m sick of apologizing for something you did as well.”

The way he’s looking at me is probably the same way I’ve been looking at him for the last couple of days, and it hurts.

“You slept with Kyle. Why should you care who I sleep with? Better yet, why should I care that you do, you obviously didn’t care about me when you went and slept with Kyle.”

Oh God, where’s Serena? I don’t think I’ll be able to hold myself together if he keeps talking.

“Absolutely no faith.” I manage to mouse out through the knot in my throat.

“What?” He questions harshly but our attention is moved to the door and suddenly I feel like letting out the biggest sigh of relief.

Serena’s here.

“Mr. Segliman?”

How does she do that?

“Yes?” He replies as he looks to Serena.

“I’m Liz Parker’s cousin. May I have a word with you?”

Quickly, I gather my bag, shoving my lab sheet inside and noticing Max watching me attentively while Mr. Segliman steps out side.

“Where are you going?” Max asks me but I refuse to look at him let alone talk to him “Liz?”

My name is no longer coming out of his lips softly and full of love, it’s coming out with anger and resentment, a tone I wasn’t prepared to handle. Then, the door opens again but before Mr. Segliman has a chance to speak…

'Rrrriiinnnggg.'

“Liz?” I hear Max call out to me as I push pass him and bolt out the door.

“Hey Liz!” Serena waves to me brightly.

“Serena, what are you doing here?” I rush to give her the biggest hug like I haven’t seen her in years and then pull back to see her puzzled expression. “Never mind, I’m so happy to see you.” I admit in relief and then jump and clap my hands like a kid in a toy story.

“Oh, oh,” she mouths as her eyes look behind me, which could only mean one thing...

“Liz?”

Max…with Michael magically by his side.

“Come on Liz. Let’s go.” Serena suggest as she eyes the two.

“Right,” I answer her with a nod as I take a step forward and then feel Max grab hold of my arm with his strong...soft...

Focus Liz.

Focus.

“Hey,” I hear Serena warn in my defense.

“Watch it,” Michael threatens as he takes a step forward beside Max.

“Look, just leave her alone. She doesn’t want to talk to you anymore.”

“Who the hell are you? Her bodyguard?” Michael questions suspiciously.

“None of your business,” both Serena and me answer simultaneously before we attempt to leave again, but Max refuses to let go of my arm.

“What’s going on?” I hear Maria asks before she appears at Michael’s side, but I keep my eyes on Max the entire time. “Who’s the clone?”

“She said she was Liz’s cousin.”

“Yeah, and I’m Ricky Martin,” Michael huffs after Max, who’s eyeing Serena skeptically before he looks to me.

“You don’t have any cousins, Liz,” Maria tells me firmly.

“Long lost cousin,” Serena answers and I can’t help but snort a laugh that is joined by Serena’s humoring laugh as well.

“What the hell is going on with you Liz?” Max questions, shaking me a bit by my arm.

“I don’t know Max, remember, I slept with Kyle. Why should I care who you do with? Isn’t that what you said? Better yet, why should you care when it’s obvious I didn’t care about you when I went and had mindblowing sex with Kyle. Actually, it was earth shattering, orgasmic, out of this world, spine shivering…”

“Let’s go,” he commands angrily, taking me in the direction of the snack area exit while I continue retorting to him sarcastically.

“…addictive, mezmerizing, spellbinding, erotic sex ever. Choose your SAT word Max, because it was all of that.”

“Who the hell is she?” I can still hear Maria questioning about Serena.

“Let go of me.” I demand before I look back and see Michael holding Serena back.

I keep my eyes on her, seeing Michael and Maria arguing with her in the crowd before Max pushes pass the double doors and pulls me in the direction of his Jeep that's parked, unfortunately, near by.

“Get in.”

“I don’t want to,” I declare as I try to pull my arm away but he’s holding on tightly to me and then picks me up off my feet. “Max!” I call out startled and then grab on to the bar above the passenger side door as he sits me down on the seat, putting on my seat belt and melting the ends together so I wouldn’t get out while he moved to his side. “Max! You can’t be serious” I shout in a warning tone as I cross my arms and watch him start the car and pull out. “Where are you taking me?”