Surprise: Halloween Treats Ch1/1 10/31

[behrluv32]

Title: Halloween Treats
Rating: Teen
Couples: CC
Summary: Max and Liz have Halloween banter before her shift
A/N: Think of this story along the time frame between Leaving Normal (when Liz’s Grandma died) and Missing (when Michael stole Liz’s journal). No one know anything about who they are, Liz and Kyle just broke up, no one’s kissed, and Topolsky is still just another school counselor. The biggest thing anyone has had to deal with is the Atherton hand print photo and the sheriff on Max’s back. Max and Liz are in that awkward we like each other phase although no one is doing anything about it and with all that said here’s the story…

Surprise: Halloween Treats

Chapter 1/1



“Trick or Treat,” Max’s silky voice penetrated through my whole body and the first smile I have had in days forms on my face.

“Well considering the week I’ve had, uhm I’m defiantly going for treat. Although, it’s awfully early for Halloween games,” I say wondering what Max is doing at the Crashdown at 6:00 in the morning. Not even our hand-full of regulars show up for another half hour.

“Nope, Halloween officially started hours ago. Now you picked treat, I was hoping you would. Now pick a hand,” Max insisted. A playfulness that few have ever truly witnessed from Max was coming out loudly today and I just couldn’t help but smile. His attitude was infectious.

“Max what are you up to,” I ask giggling.

He rolls his eyes and says, “I know you’ve played this game before Liz. I have a treat hidden behind my back and you have to pick…”

“Max I know what the game is,” I interrupt feeling a little dumb and then punching him slightly on the arm.

“Do I take that to mean your picking right,” he asks and I merely shake my head.

“Sure, why not?” I say now curious as to what he has to give me. “What’s my treat?” I ask now getting a little excited.

When Max pulls his hand from behind his back I shriek in sheer joy and begin to laugh, “Oh my god, Max you didn’t!”

“Well I thought it was appropriate. Here, turn it around and move its hair out of the way a little,” Max says and that’s where I find a third eye. Max got me a little stuffed green alien doll with jet black hair and honey-colored eyes. It’s the cutest thing I have ever seen. “I know it’s not slimy, but I thought you’d appreciate it like this a little more. You know people don’t usually like to keep things that are oozing on their counters.” God how cute is he? He’s even blushing. “Do you like it?” He asks like I could possibly say no.

“Are you kidding? I love it! I’m going to sleep with this; it’s not going on my counter. I’ll even name him Max.” I laugh. He smile brightens at my comment. “How’d you find a little alien that looks like you? It’s so cute.”

His ears turn red when I say so, but he doesn’t really answer; he just waives his hand through the air indicating he used his own skills to tweak little characteristics of the alien stuffed toy. “It even has your big head,” I tease, “You should’ve given him your ears to match.”

“Hey,” he scoffs mockingly. “If I recalled correctly that was what you thought I really looked like,” Max says reminding me of our first little rendezvous in the Eraser Room.

“I’m kidding, plus that was so Maria. I was merely passing the questions along.” When he gave me a ‘yeah right’ look I just laugh, roll my eyes and shove him again. “Oh shut up,” I say even though words did not actually leave his mouth.

That’s when I first heard it. It was the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. Max was laughing—a true guttural laugh that just made me want to leap in his arms and kiss him. The atmosphere around us changed then, but as much as I wanted to reach up and press my lips to his, I didn’t. It wouldn’t have been right. We weren’t a couple and I had only broken up with Kyle earlier that week. However, I couldn’t help what I did next. How could I? Putting one hand on his cheek then reaching across to his other one, I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you. This is very sweet,” I say looking into his eyes.

My hand was moving off of his face slowly, but he caught it in his hand and moves my hand up to his lips—his beautiful, soft lips. He kisses my hand and says, “Thank you,” I’m the one blushing now.

He lets my hand drop and then I realize he still has one hand behind his back, so I ask, “What would I have gotten if I picked the other hand?”

I think he forgot that he was still holding onto something else because rather sheepishly he said, “Oh, well you know it being Halloween and all uhm candy,” and pulls out a king sized piece of Almond Joy.

“Oh that’s my favorite,” I say reaching out for the treat as he pulls back his hand.

“Hey, hey, hey, you already got your treat. This is mine,” he’s only teasing, but I pout anyway.

“That’s not fair. How ‘bout we share? It comes with 4 pieces,” I goad him, but he barely budges.

“Well maybe I’ll give you one piece,” he says as if he’s pondering whether to share or not. “Okay, I’ll give,” I smile in triumph and place my hand out asking for my treat but he shakes his head in the negative and continues, “on one condition.” A devilish smile crosses his lips.

‘God he’s beautiful,’ I think, but that’s neither here nor there.

“You have to do one thing for me,” I smirk wondering where he’s going to take this. “I want you to see an original Liz Parker performance,” he says but I have no idea what he’s talking about.

“What?” I have to ask.

“Reenact what you usually do for Halloween,” he says as if it makes any sense what-so-ever. As he explains I become mortified, “Well, Maria mentioned something and then I remembered something I saw when I connected with you.”

My eyes widen and I wonder what images he received of me. “What did she say?” I ask instead.

Max smiles again, but I’m not too sure I like this smile as much as the others. “You see I’m recalling a trip you, Maria, and Alex take every Halloween night after ‘Trick or Treating’.

“Oh my god,” mortified no longer explains my feelings, what’s just a notch above that? Horrified maybe? “I can’t believe you saw that. I lost the bet last year.”

“Bet?” Max asks, but I have a sneaking suspicion he knows more than he’s letting on.

“Yeah. Every year we get dressed in alien costumes, any alien. Last year Alex was Jeff Bridges from Starman, Maria was the daughter from Coneheads and I was The Great Gazoo.” He has a huge smile on his face then and I’m a little embarrassed I just admitted that. “We bet to see whoever gets the most candy after rounds. We’d count all our candy out in Frasier Woods around a camp fire. The person with the least candy had to do an embarrassing or stupid dance out in the middle of the Roswell High football field,” I explained. But by the look he’s giving me I have a feeling I’m not going to like the next words out his mouth.

“Well if you want this treat, I want the treat of watching you reenact that dance,” he says with a jovial triumphant smile.

I scoff then walk dangerously close to him, completely invading his personal bubble. I tip toe up to his ear and begin running my hands up his chest, over his shoulders and down his arms, whispering I say, “Not on your life,” before making a mad dash for the candy in his hand.

Max may have been temporarily dazed, but I did not account for how quick he was. He caught me before I could get further than a few steps and grabbed the candy back. “I see someone’s got the trick part of this holiday down,” Max teased as he walks over to the counter opening the candy as he goes, “For that you can just sit there and watch me eat my treat.”

Opening the Almond Joy wrapper, Max broke one of the candy pieces in half then reached for the Tabasco bottle and drizzle the hot sauce over the broken pieces. I voiced what my head was thinking before my mind could catch up, “You're not really going to eat that, are you?”

He just smiles before popping it into his mouth. “Halloween candy dripping with Tabasco... there's nothing better,” he says then offers me a piece.

I look at it with equal parts disgust and curiosity, but curiosity got the better of me. I take the candy into my mouth chew a few bites then spit it out. “That is so an alien thing,” I say as I run over to the drink dispenser to wash this taste out my mouth. All the while, Max is just chucking it up as he watches me go.

“I’ll give you a regular piece if you do a little bit of that dance for me,” he says waiving a piece of candy around.

I shake my head, “Not gonna happen,” I say again.

He laughs again but relents, “Okay, I think I can live with just the memory in my head.”

I look at him; humiliation is clearly written all over my face, “Max,” I whisper, “You need to stop with the teasing. It’s not good on my ego.”

We laugh and talk a bit as I watch him eat the last piece of candy. When the first customer walks in I know my time with Max is just about over. “I’ll be with you in a second Mr. Ruth,” I say as the elderly man sits with his paper in hand.

“Duty calls,” I say to Max as I point over to the next person that walks in right behind our cook Jose.

“Yeah, I guess I’ll let you get back to work,” Max says as he starts to make his exit.

“You know you can always stay for breakfast,” I compel.

“I’d like that, but I have to get home. You know… uhm, if you want to have lunch…I mean on your lunch break with me, you know…”

Before he can turn that sentence around anymore I say, “Yes,” he grins, gives me a quick peck on the cheek, and runs out the Crash before I can even contemplate what anything meant.

I can’t wipe the grin off my own face as I service the next few customers. I’m too giddy for words. I walk to the back room and can’t help but do my little happy dance. Yes people I have a ‘Happy Dance.’

“Petunia,” I hear behind me. I have to stop myself from jumping in fright, “Maria, you scared me,” I yell. I may still be on my Max high, but it’s still embarrassing that she caught me dancing like that.

Laughing she says, “I can see that. So what’s got you so excited that you’re doing your little happy dance there? Does a certain tall, dark, and alien beau of yours have anything to do with it?”

“Nothing and no,” I say, unconvincingly even to my own ears, then try to go onto ignoring her completely. I open my locker and get another surprise that day. Inside there is a king sized Almond Joy and holiday card that reads:

A sweet candy treat for the sweetest girl on any planet. I can’t wait for lunch.
Happy Halloween.
~Max

“No, of course nothing my ass,” Maria smiles as she reads the card along side me. “It seems you don’t even have to go trick or treating. The sweets seem to just come to you,” Maria teased.

I continue to ignore her of course, but the smile that has been with me since Max walked in that morning was my real treat. I open the candy offering Maria a piece of my Halloween treat all the while thinking, ‘This is turning out to be a very Happy Halloween.’




Happy Halloween All!!!

The End