Friends Forever (AU CC M/L K/T TEEN) Part4 2009-12-24 [WIP]

[Drogyn]

Friends Forever
by Drogyn


Category: AU wo ALIENS
Couples: CC ALL, but mainly M/L and K/T
Rating: TEEN

Disclaimer: I do not own Roswell, nor any of the characters associated with it. This story was written for amusement purposed only and no disrespect towards anyone is intended.

Summary: After breaking up their three year relationship when facing with college, Kyle and Liz managed to keep in touch and stay friends despite the long distance. Now, two years later, they are both dating other people and it looks like they will finally meet face to face again after all these years. Somehow, their other halves are less than thrilled.

Author’s Note: written in response to a challenge by Kiljoy. I also want to warn you all... I know I am not the most reliable updater. Please don't be mad with me if it takes me awhile between parts.


~~~


Prologue

“Come on Liz, you absolutely have to come!” Kyle insisted, “I need to see for myself whether or not that new boyfriend of yours is real, because to tell you the truth, he sounds like more of a fictional character.”

Liz smiled as she toyed with the phone cord. That had always been one of Kyle’s main strengths; his ability to make people smile. “I didn’t make Max up. I’m not that pathetic,” she argued.

“No, I guess you’re not,” Kyle agreed. “But if he’s a real person, then that means that there’s bound to be something about him I can make jokes about. Does he have a hunchback? Bad breath? A pet hamster named Mickey?”

“None of the above, Kyle Valenti,” Liz said sternly when in reality, she was grinning from ear to ear. “And now that you put it that way, I’m not sure I want to subject Max to your bad influence.”

“Come on Liz!” Kyle pressed. “I haven’t been able to make fun of you for being such a study-dork in almost two years. We have to meet!”

“That’s not true; you did it last week.”

“Not to your face,” Kyle argued. “It’s not the same if I can’t see your annoyed expression.”

Liz let out a short laugh. “Alright, Max and I will try to be there, but it kinda depends a little on whether or not Max is still breathing after meeting mom and dad.”

“Jeff and Nancy?” Kyle asked disbelievingly. “Come on Parker, your parents aren’t that bad.”

“Oh Kyle… so very very naïve,” Liz snickered. “I’ll have you know that I barely managed to convince dad not to commit the great shovel murder of 2004 when I started dating you.”

“What?!” Kyle shrieked. “I thought they liked me.”

“They did,” Liz agreed. “That’s the sole reason you’re still living and breathing… well, that and the fact that your dad’s the sheriff. That helped too.”

“I don’t know whether I should be happy to be alive or incredibly freaked out…” Kyle stammered before recovering. “…but I’m sure they won’t be the same with Max. You’re an adult now.”

Liz let out another laugh. “Not in my parent’s minds. They think I’m still a virgin, never drink alcohol, study every night until ten and then go to bed at ten-thirty in my pink teddybear pajamas.”

Kyle grinned. “Well, in their defense, the studying thing is probably true… and do you really own pink teddybear pajamas?”

“Uh… let’s talk about something else,” Liz suggested. “Will tomorrow be the day I finally get to meet this Tess girl you’re always rambling about?”

“Yes you will… and you can’t just divert the subject from your pink teddybear pajamas.”

“I don’t have pink teddybear pajamas, Kyle!”

Kyle smiled. “I don’t believe you. I guess I’ll just have to ask Max.”

Liz rolled her eyes. “Pfff. Like I would really let a guy I’m interested in see me wearing something like that.”

“Ha! So you do own one!”

Liz sighed. “Yes, “, she admitted. “…but only because mom sent me one last Christmas. Now please, another subject... was it hard to convince Tess to come along?”

Kyle grinned but decided to play along. “Not at all. I just told her that I was meeting my ex-girlfriend in a bar after not having seen her in almost two years, and she offered to come all by herself.”

“Smooth Kyle, very smooth,” Liz muttered. “If she attacks me, do you think I could take her?”

Kyle paused for a second. “Uh… I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that you wouldn’t like the answer.”

“Great. Just great,” Liz mumbled.

“Everything will be fine,” Kyle comforted. “Tess is really great. You two will definitely like each other.”

“I’m sure she’s great, but to tell you the truth, you have told me shockingly little about her. I don’t even know what she looks like. Is she prettier than me?”

“I think she’s the most beautiful girl in Roswell,” Kyle admitted. “But don’t tell anyone I said that; you’ll ruin my reputation.”

“Kyle, I’m not in Roswell so that’s not answering my question.”

“No it isn’t,” Kyle agreed. “You’ll just have to see for yourself tomorrow.”

Liz smiled. “Very well. Sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow, Valenti.”

“Later, Parker,” Kyle answered before breaking the connection.

He smiled; his phone calls with Liz were always filled with pleasant banter. They never had a real argument and both of them were happy dating other people. Yes, breaking up had definitely been the right move.

Kyle chuckled. That wasn’t at all how he had felt when he was with Liz the last time, which was the day before she would leave to college. The both of them had decided that a long-distance relationship could never work and had decided to break up and try to be friends. He had felt terrible, and he knew Liz did too.

It was so strange. Everyone he had talked to had told him that you couldn’t go from being a couple to being friends, but it worked for them. They called and emailed each other regularly, and they had managed to keep it going for almost two years.

About three months after Liz left, he had met a new girl named Tess. She had just moved to town and even though he didn’t want to admit it at first, the spark between them had been instant. Kyle had told Liz about it in their next chatsession and Liz had pretended to be happy for him. He knew better of course, and tried not to bring up Tess too much during their conversations until about a year later when Liz started mentioning another guy as well.

They hadn’t seen each other in person since the day they had broken up though. Liz had come home to Roswell a few times, but somehow, Kyle had been out of town every single time. But not this time. It was summer and Liz was coming home from her second year in college, and he was here too. Tomorrow night, they would finally meet. He would meet Max, and Liz would meet Tess, and the two of them could finally look each other in the eye and tell each other they were happy now.

At least, that was the plan.

TBC

[Drogyn]

It's so nice to see that so many people seem to like this so far.
Without further ado, I present the next part:

Part 1

“Kyle, I have amazing news!” Tess said as she walked inside Kyle’s place, looking at Kyle with a giddy mix of happiness and enthusiasm not unlike that of a six-year-old girl coming to show her mother the presents that Santa Claus had given her this year.

“You finally quit that shitty job at the cheese factory?” Kyle asked expectantly.

“Yes!” Tess cheered before letting herself fall down on the couch, a satisfied expression on her face. “I got a job as a waitress. I know it’s nothing glamorous, but I couldn’t be happier with it at the moment. Finally… no more boring monotonous work, no longer will the smell of cheese make me want to vomit and best of all, no more asshole supervisor who stares at me like I’m a friggin’ piece of meat!”

“That’s fantastic,” Kyle agreed. He realized that Tess hadn’t really had a choice, but how she had managed to work in that hellhole for six months was beyond him. It wasn’t like Tess hadn’t tried to find another job, but since she was relatively new in town and without a specialized education, she hadn’t had a lot of luck with it.

“Yeah, it’s great,” Tess agreed. “Kyle, I cannot describe what an enormous relief it was to quit my job at the cheese factory.”

“You mean you didn’t videotape it for me?”

Tess giggled. “Sorry, I forgot. Can you ever forgive me?”

“I’m sure I can do that,” Kyle said, a smile planted on his face. “So what restaurant are you going to endanger?”

“The Crashdown.”

Kyle smirked widely at the thought of Tess in a Crashdown uniform. “You do know what the waitresses there wear, right? It’s totally unsuitable for anyone but me to see you in.”

Tess looked at Kyle and shrugged. “Yeah, but I don’t care. I was being stared at at the cheese factory too… at least now being stared at might increase my tips.”

“I really didn’t want to know that,” Kyle joked. “So when do you start?”

“Monday,” Tess answered before falling back on the couch again. “I still can’t believe he hired me when I’m pretty sure there were many other, more qualified people, who wanted the job too.”

“I guess Jeff just recognizes talent when he sees it.”

Tess smirked widely. “Suckup!”

“No no. That’s your job,” Kyle joked, earning him a pillow to his face. “What?”

“You are incorrigable, Kyle Valenti,” Tess scolded, a smile still planted on her face. “But onto more serious matters… have you talked to that ex-girlfriend of yours?”

“Liz? Yes, she and Max are meeting us tomorrow night at Lonzell’s.”

“And you still think that’s a good idea?” Tess asked.

“I think it’s a great idea. Seriously, you’re gonna like her. She might even be able to offer a few tips for working at the Crashdown.”

The smile instantly disappeared from Tess’ face. “Liz worked at the Crashdown?”

Kyle winced at the sudden mood change. He shouldn’t have said anything, but it was too late for that now. “Yes, she worked there pretty much all her life. Her dad kinda owns the place.”

“Wait a minute,” Tess said, making a stop gesture with her hand. “Are you trying to tell me that Jeff Parker is Liz’s father?”

“Uh, yes,” Kyle said cautiously.

“So I’m going to be working for the father of your ex-girlfriend?” Tess asked again.

Kyle smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry about that; Jeff’s cool… well, as long as you’re not dating his daughter anyway.”

“If you say so,” Tess muttered, the earlier happiness nearly gone.

“Hey,” Kyle said softly as he walked towards her and sat down next to her. “I’m sorry for ruining your moment, but I swear to you that Jeff Parker will not treat you differently just because you’re dating me. And if he would, he would probably give you a raise just for keeping me away from his daughter.”

Tess smiled again. “Maybe you’re right. I just don’t know your ex-girlfriend. I don’t even know what she looks like. Is she prettier than me?”

“No.”

A smile appeared on Tess’s face again. That Kyle Valenti was far too slick for his own good. “Well, if she annoys me, would I be able to kick her butt?”

Kyle shook his head in amusement. “The two of you are more alike than you think. And I would prefer it if you two didn’t attack each other.”

^You didn’t answer my question. Could I take her?”

“That depends on whether or not her boyfriend stops you,” Kyle answered.

Tess’ eyes lit up a little. “Boyfriend? She has a boyfriend?”

Kyle smirked. Tess could be really predictable from time to time. “Yes, that’s the Max I mentioned earlier. She’s actually taking him to see her parents. Poor guy.”

Tess smiled. “Alright then. Let’s meet them. Who knows, maybe she really is a nice girl… and if she isn’t, you distract the boyfriend while I kick her ass.”

“That’s the spirit,” Kyle said with a smile before getting more serious. "Tess, I understand that you don't like her, but she’s no longer my girlfriend; she’s one of my best friends now. I really hope you two can become friends, or at least tolerate each other.”

"You're right," Tess replied. "I don't like her and I think it's just plain weird how the two of you went from being boyfriend and girlfriend to bosom bodies, but I do trust you and I’ll attempt to be nice to her.”

"Thanks," Kyle said softly. "Actually, to tell you the truth, I'm also a little curious about Liz's boyfriend."

"Why's that?"

"Well, seeing as how you and Liz have the same fantastic taste in men, I'm kind of hoping you don't like the guy too much."

Tess grinned. "You have nothing to worry about. I like what I have."

“Good to hear. So you’re not worried anymore?”

Tess gave Kyle a reassuring smile. “I’m fine.”

--

“No, I’m not fine!” Tess squealed loudly. “He’s seriously excited about meeting his ex-girlfriend. Excuse me if I’m a little freaked out!”

Maria smirked as she watched her friend pace through her living room. “Tess, you’re the calm one who thinks things through… I’m the irrational rambling one.”

Tess let out a deep breath and sat down on the couch. “Maria, I could use a solid piece of best-friend advice right about now.”

“Stop stressing! Liz was my best friend in highschool. She’s not the type to steal your boyfriend from you.”

“Is that what you would say if I told you Michael had a date with his ex tonight?” Tess countered.

“He what?!” Maria shouted as she jolted up from her seat. “It’s that filthy skank Courtney, isn’t it?” She then seemed to snap out of it, sat down again and offered Tess an embarrassed smile. “You were speaking hypotheoretically, right?”

“The word is hypothetically, Maria,” Tess corrected. “And yes, I was… but good to see you’re on the same page as me.”

“Oh no no no,” Maria denied, making a stop-motion with her hand. “There’s no comparison between Michael’s exes and Liz. Courtney is a bitch who would attempt to seduce Michael just to piss me off.”

“Meow!”

“No seriously,” Maria insisted. “I am not worried because I know Liz.”

“Maria, they haven’t seen each other in almost two years. What if they meet and they fall in love again? You can’t control who you fall in love with. I can’t blame him if he falls for her.”

“Tess, Kyle is happy with you and Liz has a boyfriend. You’re just being paranoid.”

Tess looked at Maria apologetically. “I know, but I can’t help it.”

“Do you want me to tag along tomorrow?” Maria offered. “Because I can do that. I can kick Kyle in the nuts whenever he looks at Liz… you know, behavioral conditioning to create an aversion to Liz.”

“It’s more likely that you’ll create an aversion to Maria with that,” Tess noted.

“Well, it’s worth a try,” Maria offered.

Tess smiled. “Well, thanks for the offer, but I don’t think taking reinforcements will make the evening any less uncomfortable, especially not if she damages parts of my boyfriend’s body that I happen to like.”

“Well, if you change your mind, let me know,” Maria offered.

Tess paused a few seconds.”Maria… tell me something real about Liz.”

Maria raised her eyebrows in confusio. “Like what?”

Tess raised her shoulders. “I don’t know. Whenever I ask Kyle something about her, he always talks about how great and perfect Liz is and how I would definitely like her. How is she really?”

Maria grinned. “Well, she wouldn’t have been my best friend if she wasn’t great, but contrary to what Kyle says, Liz has her not-so-pleasant sides.”

Tess’s interest was definitely peaked. “Do tell.”

Maria let out a laugh. “Well, for starters, let’s just say that Liz is not exactly a morning person.”

“Meaning?”

Maria grinned. “Meaning that I pity the guy who’s there when she wakes up.”

Tess grinned too. “Oooh, I like getting the dish on her. Anything else?”

“Tons, but I’m not going to bore you with them. My point is that Liz is great, but she’s far from perfect and Kyle knows that better than anyone.”

“Oh come on! Just one more,” Tess pleaded.

“Alright, how about we do this…” Maria started. “I’ll give you the dirt on Liz, and then I call Liz and give her all the dirt I have on you.”

Tess smiled. “What dirt? I’m as clean as a newborn baby.”

“Oh, I don’t know… I seem to remember an incident involving pink Victoria’s Secret lingerie.”

A look of shock appeared on Tess’ face and she squinted her eyes. “You wouldn’t!”

Maria grinned. “Your choice.”

Tess shot Maria a pouting glare. “I never thought you’d throw that in my face again.”

Maria let out a laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m just trying to make a point.”

“Yeah, I guess you have a point,” Tess reluctantly admitted. “I guess I should just meet her and then decide for myself whether I will like her or kill her.”

“Exactly,” Maria agreed. “Though you might want to remember that murder is technically a crime.”

Tess smiled. “Technically?”

“Just give her a chance. Liz and Kyle are not a couple anymore. They’re good friends, but nothing more than that; there’s nothing to be jealous about.”

“Jealous?!” Tess exclaimed. “I’m not jealous!”

Maria just looked at her for a few seconds.

“Alright, so maybe I’m a little jealous. A teensy tiny bit.”

“Fair enough,” Maria said. “But I have to go now. I promised Liz that I’d pick her and Max up at the airport.”

“Alright, I’m gonna get going then. See you tomorrow,” Tess said as she got up from the couch and walked out of the room.

Maria smiled. “Tomorrow?” she said softly. “No way am I gonna miss tonight’s show.”

~~

“Liz!” Maria squealed when she noticed Liz and Max step into the large hall.

With a smile, Liz hurried towards her friend and hugged her tightly. “It’s really good to see you again. I missed you.”

“I missed you too. It’s been way too long,” Maria agreed. She then smiled and looked at Max. “And who’s this handsome stud?” she asked.

Liz smiled widely. It’s a good thing Michael wasn’t here to hear that. “This is Max. He’s my uh… my boyfriend.” Liz smiled nervously. It still felt a little weird to say.

“Well, it’s a real pleasure to meet you,” Maria said with a smile. “I’m Maria.”

“I’m Max… but you already knew that,” Max muttered.

Liz shot her boyfriend a smile and turned to Maria. “He’s a little nervous. I think I rambled on a little much about how overprotective my dad is.”

Maria let out a laugh. “And your mother is what… the picture of emotional calmth? Remember how she wanted to have you homeschooled when she saw you walking hand-in-hand with Alex when you were ten years old?”

“I remember, but it was dad who threatened to put bars in front of my window when I started dating Kyle because he was afraid I’d sneak out and have ‘the sex’.”

Maria let out another laugh. “Well, he was right, wasn’t he?” Only then did she remember that Max was standing right next to them. “Sorry, sometimes I speak before I think.”

“Sometimes, she omits the thinking thing alltogether,” Liz added, eliciting an agreeing nod from Maria.

“Don’t worry about it,” Max answered. “I know I’m not her first boyfriend. I can live with that.”

“Good,” Maria said with a satisfied smile. “Then you’re definitely gonna have fun tonight when you’re going out with Kyle and Tess.”

Liz smiled. She gave up long ago to question how Maria always knew everything going on in town. “Well, first let’s see whether or not Max is still alive after meeting mom and dad.”

“Of course he will. It’s not like Jeff and Nancy would be stupid enough murder him right there and then,” Maria argued. “If they want him dead, they’ll use a slow-working poison. He can still have fun tonight.”

Maria glanced over at Max and smiled. “You still breathing, girlfriend?”

“Uh huh,” Max mumbled.

“Excellent. Shall we go then your stuff then?” Maria suggested and walked away before waiting for an answer.

Liz looked at Max with a smirk on her face. She wanted to say something but Max beat her to it. “Wow. That was your best friend in highschool?”

“Yep,” Liz said. “She makes quite an impression, doesn’t she?”

“Indeed,” Max agreed. “But she’s nice. I like her.”

“I’m glad you do,” Liz said as she planted a soft kiss on his mouth. “And don’t worry about mom and dad. We’re just kidding around.”

“Get a room, you two!” Maria’s voice sounded. “Come on!”

“Patience is a virtue that is completely lost on Maria,” Liz whispered.

“Ah, I’m staring to understand why the two of you like each other,” Max said with a smirk.

“Hey, I’m not that bad,” Liz said indignantly.

“You’re not?” Max challenged. “Do you not remember what happened when you helped Serena get ready for her first date with Rick. When she didn’t pick a dress fast enough, you barked at her so loud that she was afraid to go near you for a week!”

“Fast enough?! That was two and a half hours, Max!” Liz countered. “One hundred and fifty minutes of pure unadulterated indeciviseness!”

Max laughed. “How long exactly did we spend going from store to store when you needed a new laptop last month?”

“Uh…” Liz stammered. “I don’t remember exactly.”

“I do. Would you like me to tell you?” Max pressed, the smirk still firmly planted on his face.

Liz sighed. “Alright, you win.”

“It was four and a half hours.”

“I said, you win,” Liz repeated.

“Two hundred and seventy minutes of pure…”

“Hey!” Liz interjected loudly. “Stop being mean to me.”

“I’m just saying.”

Liz and Max started walking towards Maria, who by now was staring at them sharply.

“I did apologize to Ser,” Liz mumbled.

“I know you did,” Max said as he comfortingly wrapped his arm around her.

TBC

[Drogyn]

Thanks for all the kind replies everyone.

Yes, Maria really loves being the outsider here, and it'll get worse.
And for those of you who think Max is not phased by the whole Kyle thing, you're in for a big surprise.

Part 2

With one fluent move, Maria parked her bright-red BMW in the one small parking spot available near the Crashdown. “Home sweet home, Liz.”

Liz looked at Max. “Alright, this is it. Are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be. Any tips?” Max asked nervously.

Maria smiled. “Don’t introduce yourself as I’m the one doing your daughter.”

“That’s actually a good tip,” Liz agreed before a smirk broke through. “Just be your charming self, Max. They’ll love you.”

The three of them all exited the car and walked towards the entrance to the Crashdown. When they stepped in, a strong smell invaded their senses. Max cringed, but Maria and Liz didn’t even seem to notice.

“Hey Liz! Welcome back,” a voice sounded from one of the booths. Max looked to where the voice came from and noticed a lanky guy of about Liz’ age sitting in the first booth with a tall blonde woman. Both their heads were turned towards him and Liz.

“That’s Alex. He’s been our friend since kindergarten,” Maria whispered to Max as Liz walked to Alex to greet him. “The girl with him is his sort-of girlfriend Isabel.”

“Sort-of girlfriend?” Max whispered back.

“She still tries to deny that she’s madly in love with him,” Maria explained. “However, they spend practically all their free time together and the way she stares at him when he’s not looking… she’s a total goner.”

“Hey Alex,” Liz said as she hugged her friend. She then turned to the woman at the table. “Hey Isabel.”

“Hey Liz,” Isabel answered kindly.

Alex wanted to say something, but then noticed Max and Maria staring at them. “Who’s that?” Alex asked, nodding at Max. “Is that the new boyfriend we’ve heard so little about?”

“Well…” Liz stammered, but Alex and Isabel didn’t even let her finish and rushed over to Max.

“Hey, I’m Alex,” Alex introduced himself to Max. “And this beautiful woman is Isabel.”

Max smiled as he noticed Isabel beaming at the compliment. Yeah, she was a goner alright. “I’m Max,” he said. “It’s really nice to meet you.”

“Liz?” another voice sounded. Liz looked around and noticed Sean DeLuca at the counter, eating what passed for a hamburger in this place. She walked towards him, leaving Max, Maria, Alex and Isabel where they were.

“Believe it or not, that’s my cousin,” Maria said softly.

“Yeah, and he’s had a thing for Liz since he could crawl,” Alex added.

“Liz turned him down so many times that I’m surprised he’s not five feet tall,” Isabel said with a smile on her face.

“Well, you gotta admire his persistence,” Alex offered.

Isabel looked at Alex like he’d gone crazy. “The guy should get a clue. Any other girl would have told him to take a hike. Liz is just too nice sometimes.”

Max watched as Liz greeted Sean. For some reason, he actually felt a little sorry for the guy. He understood all too well what he saw in Liz, but Liz didn’t feel the same way… thankfully… and he couldn’t let go. He seemed like a decent guy.

“Thinking of ways to kill him?” Maria asked.

“Not really,” Max answered calmly. “Are there any Liz-worshippers in this town that I should watch out for?”

Maria smirked. “Well, there’s Kyle… and Jack and Hugh… probably Dan… and of course Matt and Peter… and…”

“Come on Maria. Don’t be mean,” Alex interrupted.

“Liz is nice, smart and beautiful. What’d you expect?” Maria countered.

“Well,” Isabel jumped in. “For starters, I would expect that you don’t start making up names.”

Maria let out a laugh and turned back to Max. “Well, a lot of people like Liz, but she’s only ever dated one person before you. You have nothing to worry about.”

“You mean Kyle? Yes, Liz did mention him. How long did they date?”

“About three years,” Maria said casually.

“Three years?!” Max repeated loudly, causing Liz to break off her sentence to Sean and turn back towards him. For some reason, she knew exactly what Max had just found out.

“Thirty seconds alone with Alex and Maria. Less than one fucking minute!” Liz softly cursed to herself.

When Liz arrived at the group again, she turned towards Max, who immediately asked the question that was burning on his lips. “You dated someone for three years? Why didn’t you tell me that little detail?”

“I told you Kyle and I dated. What does it matter how long we dated?”

“You broke up with him?” Max asked.

“No, we’re still together,” Liz said sarcastically.

“I mean, was it your choice or his?” Max pressed.

“Max, do you really want to get into that in the middle of the Crashdown, two minutes away from meeting my parents?” Max’s expression said enough. “Alright fine. We both agreed to break up when I left for college.”

Max’ expression suddenly softened. “I’m sorry. I’m being irrational here.”

“It’s alright Max; you’re just nervous. Why don’t we go upstairs and get it over with,” Liz offered. With a friendly smile towards her friends, Liz guided Max towards the double doors that lead to the backroom.

When they stepped out of sight, Maria looked at Alex and Isabel. “So what do you think?”

“Yum-mie!” Isabel said with a smirk, causing Alex to frown. “Liz has good taste.”

“I don’t know… he’s got really big ears,” Alex countered.

Maria let out a laugh, mostly directed at Alex’s obviously jealous remark. “I guess you’re right. So… any of you want to come watch the show?”

“What show?” Isabel and Alex asked simultaneously. They looked at each other in amusement.

“You two spend too much time together,” Maria noted. “And I’m talking about tonight. Liz and Max are meeting Kyle and Tess at Lonzell’s.”

Isabel smirked. “And how does Tess feel about that?”

“She feels like killing Liz,” Maria said bluntly. “And to tell you the truth, I can’t say I really blame her. In fact, if it had been anyone other than Liz, I’d be loading the gun right now.”

“Max seemed a little uncomfortable around the Kyle subject too,” Alex noted.

“Yeah, he really did,” Maria agreed. “So who’s with me?”

Alex glanced towards Isabel and then looked sharply at Maria. “Are you saying that you’re inviting us to watch our friends have the most horrible double-date in the history of mankind and just sit back and watch?”

“Yeah.”

Alex smirked. “We’re in.”

~~

Max could have sworn that the Darth Vader tune was playing in the background as he climbed the stairs to the first floor of the Crashdown. The minor argument about Kyle completely forgotten, Max just felt very nervous.

When they arrived at the first floor, Liz opened the door to the Parker residence and the two of them stepped inside.

“Lizzie!” The enthusiastic voice came from behind the dining room table where Jeff Parker was sitting with a truckload of paperwork in front of him. Smiling, he approached his daughter and gave her a long hug.

“It’s great to see you too, dad,” Liz said as she returned the hug.

After a few seconds, they let go of each other and Jeff turned his attention to Max. Jeff was about to say something, but Liz beat him to it. “Dad, this is Max.”

Jeff held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you Max.”

“It’s nice to meet you too mr Parker,” Max said politely.

“Please call me Jeff. Mr Parker makes me sound old,” Jeff proposed. “And please, no wiseass comments on that,” he added, turning to Liz.

“Did I say anything?” Liz asked innocently.

Max smiled. “Jeff it is.”

“I thank you,” Jeff said. “So… you’re Lizzie’s new boyfriend. How long have the two of you been dating?”

“Come on dad,” Liz pleaded. “Can’t you give him a minute before bombarding him with your questions?”

“About four months now,” Max answered. “Liz is my lab partner in advanced chem.”

Jeff smiled. “So you want to be a chemist, just like Lizzie?”

“Molecular biologist, dad,” Liz corrected.

“Actually, chemistry is more like a hobby for me. I plan to major in economics,” Max explained.

“Economics? Don’t tell me you’re gonna be one of those slick Wall Street guys with your expensive Armani suits and Rolex watches, looking down at the working class because they actually have to work for a living.”

Max grinned. “Pretty much… except that I wouldn’t look down on the working class.”

Jeff smiled. “Well, then at least you’ll be able to support Lizzie when she’s sitting at home with her diploma, wondering why there are no job openings for young chemists.”

“Molecular biologists,” Liz muttered under her breath.

Max was stunned for a second. Did Jeff really just say that about his own daughter? “I’m sure Liz will find a good job in no time. She’s smart, dedicated and the top of almost every class she takes.”

“That’s really nice of you to say, Max,” Jeff said kindly.

“Dad is still a little disappointed that I choose not to take over the family business,” Liz explained.

“You’re damn right I’m disappointed!” Jeff confirmed. “Running the most popular restaurant in town isn’t good enough for Liz. She just has to become a chemist.”

“Molecular biologist!” Liz exploded. “I’m going to be a fucking Molecular Biologist and you know what?!… You and mom agreed to let me do my thing, so I don’t understand your need to bring this up the moment I step in the fucking room!”

Jeff wanted to respond when Nancy came in from downstairs. “Liz!” she said happily before walking over and giving her daughter a short hug. “And could this be Mark?” she asked, turning towards Max.

“Max. It’s Max,” Liz corrected.

“He’s Liz’ lab partner in chemistry,” Jeff added.

“Oh, that’s nice,” Nancy said. “And don’t mind your father too much. He a little grumpy because he had to fire yet another employee today.”

“Why’s that?” Liz asked. “I thought business was going well.”

“It is,” Jeff agreed. “And business will keep going well as long as the waitresses aren’t rude, incompetent and complete kleptomaniacs.”

Liz let out a laugh. She knew exactly who her father was talking about. “I told you not hire Pam Troy, dad. I warned you.”

“Yes, I should have listened to you,” Jeff agreed.

Liz smiled and turned to Max. “You heard that too, right?”

“I sure did,” Max supported and then turned to Jeff. “So what are you going to do now?”

“I’ve hired a new waitress. She has no experience, but she was very excited to work here and she seemed friendly. You can’t teach a person to be friendly.”

“Any kleptomaniac tendencies?” Liz asked.

“Michael vouched for her,” Jeff just said.

Liz looked shocked. “You mean our cook and assistant manager Michael, who rarely likes anyone and who certainly never trusts anyone? He vouched for someone? I would like to meet that person.”

“Well, just come around on Monday and follow the sound of the broken plates,” Jeff offered.

“While talking about work is a great deal of fun,” Nancy interjected. “What about Max? How long is he staying in town?”

“Just a couple of days. My uncle Kal offered me a summer job at a bank.”

“Alright. So where are you staying?” Nancy asked.

“Here,” Liz said pointedly.

“We have no spare rooms here, Liz,” Nancy said innocently. “And you cannot suggest that the boy should sleep on the couch.”

“I would appreciate it if you called the boy by his name… and he’s sleeping in my room.”

“Unless you plan on sleeping on the couch yourself, that is not going to happen,” Jeff said. “It is totally inappropriate for two people who are not married to sleep in the same room, no matter how much they can restrain themselves.”

“Well, I wasn’t really planning on restraining myself that much,” Liz quipped.

“Liz Parker!” Nancy scolded, making Liz smirk widely.

“You know, if it’s too much trouble, I can just get a hotel room,” Max offered.

Liz looked at her parents. “Excellent idea Max. Just imagine having a whole hotel room to ourselves without any interruptions. Hmmmm, the possibilities.”

Jeff looked at his wife and then back to Liz. “Alright fine, he can stay here, but if he tries anything funny, I will take my shotgun off the wall and put it to good use.”

“It’s a plastic replica, dad,” Liz argued.

“Just keep it PG-rated,” Jeff warned.

It was silent for a few seconds before Nancy spoke up. “So… coffee anyone?”

TBC

[Drogyn]

Hey everyone. Here I am with a new part.
I'm not really sure whether or not I actually like what I've written, but if I don't post it now, it might never happen.
So have fun with part 3.

Part 3

About an hour later, Liz and Max found themselves together in Liz’s room, unpacking their stuff.

“So… those were your parents,” Max said casually, a smile forming on his lips.

“Indeed they are,” Liz said as she put a pile of clean clothes in the closet. “I think they liked you.”

“Didn’t your dad threaten to shoot me?”

“Only if he caught you doing bad things with me,” Liz said with a smirk. “He still thinks I’m six years old and that you are the dirty old pervert who’s gonna deflower me or something.”

Max let out a laugh. “Dirty old pervert? You’re two months older than me! And besides, it’s not like you were a virgin or something.”

“Max, don’t try to rationalize his thinking. Dad sees only what he wants to see.”

“And what does he want to see exactly?”

“Well, for starters, he wants me here where he can keep an eye on me,” Liz explained. “It can be so incredibly frustrating. And there’s no point in arguing with either of them; it’s like they are physically incapable of hearing what they don’t want to hear.”

“Well, they obviously care about you a lot. That should count for something,” Max offered.

Liz smiled. “Yes, I guess it does.”

“Good,” Max continued as he sat down on the bed. “Now onto the next order of business. What’s gonna happen tonight?”

“Well, there’s this nice little bar not too far from here called Lonzell’s. It’s a cool scene and it’s even got a pool table. I came there a lot when I still lived here.”

“You mean you came there with Kyle?” Max asked.

“Yes, I came there with Kyle,” Liz admitted. “In fact, one of the bartenders was a friend of Kyle’s dad. I actually wonder if he still works there.”

Max smiled. “So you got someone on the inside supplying the booze?”

Liz smiled. “Sadly no. Our sheriff has always had a very low tolerance for bars serving alcohol to minors.”

“Wasn’t the bartender his friend?”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t give his friend a fine so big that his grandchildren would still be paying for it.”

Max laughed. “Nice friend.”

“Anyway, we’re meeting Kyle and Tess there at nine,” Liz said.

“Tess, that’s his girlfriend, right?” Max asked.

“So I’ve heard.”

Max checked his watch and smirked. “It’s now six o’clock. What are we going to do until nine?”

“Don’t get any funny ideas Max. Dad really will kick in the door and throw you out the window if he has even the slightest suspicion something is going on here.” Liz smirked at the expression on Max’s face. “Besides, I was planning on having you taste some of the Crashdown specials.”

Max gave Liz a suspicious look. “And what might those be?”

“Just wait and see,” Liz answered before grinning.

Max looked at Liz suspiciously. “What’s so funny?”

“I just remembered the first time I cooked a Crashdown meal for Kyle,” she started, a wide grin covering her face. “I accidentally spilled some cayenne pepper on his Will Smith, but I thought that since it was only a pinch or so, that he wouldn’t notice.”

“And let me guess… he did notice,” Max guessed.

“Of course he noticed; it’s cayenne pepper! The tiniest bit of that disgusting stuff is enough to ruin any meal,” Liz answered. “The face he made when he took a bite… priceless!”

“And you’re planning an equal torture for me?”

Liz smirked. “No, I’ll ask Michael to cook us up something special. He’s not always the friendliest person, but he is a god in the kitchen.”

“He’s not friendly?” Max asked confused.

“Well, he’s really friendly to me, but that’s mostly because I’ve known him a long time and he’s like a brother to me… and also because he’s Maria’s boyfriend and she would kill him if she found out he was being rude to me,” Liz added.

“He’s a brave man,” Max joked.

“Michael and Maria are perfect together. Seriously, they can bicker an entire evening and then end up making out right in front of you.”

“Sounds like they’re a great couple then. It’s important that people in a relationship can disagree,” Max noted.

Liz smiled. “Absolutely… as long as I win the argument in the end.”

Max smiled as well. “This is not the debate club, Liz. You don’t have to always win.”

Liz’s smile grew bigger. “I know I don’t have to. I just want to. Now come on and let’s get something to eat.”

~~

Ten minutes later, Liz and Max sat in a booth downstairs at the Crashdown. It was a strange experience for Liz, who had almost never eaten here. She preferred normal food to the strange, not to mention greasy, alien-themed grub. But she gladly made an exception today.

A short while later, Michael came out of the kitchen to bring Liz and Max their food. Liz knew Michael and she knew that Michael never got out of the kitchen to serve the food he made, so she could only surmise that he wanted to meet Max. He placed the plates on the table and looked at Liz.

“Hey Liz,” he just said.

“Michael, it’s really good to see you again,” Liz said, standing up and giving Michael a brief hug.

“It’s good to see you too Liz,” Michael said. “Is that your new boyfriend?”

Liz smiled. Michael sure knew how to get to the point. “Yes, this is Max. Max, this is Michael.”

Max also stood up and offered Michael a hand. Michael took it and firmly shook it. “Nice to meet you,” he said, gripping Max’s hand a little too tight for comfort. “I’m gonna get back to work. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Yeah, see you later,” Liz said as she sat down again. “Wait a minute! What do you mean, you’ll see me tonight?” she asked two seconds later.

Michael stopped walking towards the kitchen, turned around and walked back to Liz. “You’re going to Lonzell’s tonight, right? I mean, Maria was really incoherent when I talked to her on the phone, but I got that I had to be there and that you were gonna be there too.”

“Ah, Maria,” Liz muttered in realization. “Alright, see you tonight Michael.”

Without another word, Michael turned around and walked through the double door into the kitchen.

“Are Michael and Maria coming too tonight?” Max asked, confused. “I thought it was just us and your ex-boyfriend and his girlfriend.”

“I’ve been away from Roswell for too long. I had forgotten about the Maria principle,” Liz explained. “You see, the normal-person’s way to deal with this situation would be to stay out of it, but Maria considers this situation funny, and the Maria principle would then be to…”

“To sit back and watch the disaster?” Max finished.

“Pretty much… and it’s not going to be a disaster,” Liz corrected.

“We’ll see about that,” Max mumbled. “Now, was it me or did he not like me very much?”

“It wasn’t you. Michael doesn’t like anyone at first and he can be a little protective of me and Maria,” Liz explained. “But don’t worry, he’ll learn to like you soon enough.”

Max smiled and looked at the food Michael served. “Now, is this a test of devotion or is this goo actually incredibly well-disguised food?”

“It’s food, Max.”

“Doesn’t look like food.” Max complained.

“It’s food… and I’m sure it’ll be on the side of edible. It might even be tasty,” Liz insisted.

Max smirked. “Are you trying to convince yourself or me?”

Myself mostly. You see, Kyle wouldn’t be above asking Michael to sprinkle my meal with Cayenne Pepper just to get back at me for that incident many years back. He’s got a weird sense of humor that way.

“And Michael would help him?”

“Not directly, but Kyle would convince Maria and Maria would force Michael. That’s how things go here.”

Max let out a laugh. “I’m starting to like this place

Liz smiled. “Good. Now eat your goo.”

~~

“Come on Max!” Liz pushed as they both stepped out of the car. Jeff had agreed to let Liz borrow his car, but the traffic had been crazy for such a small drive, so they had arrived a little later than planned.

“Liz, it doesn’t matter if we’re two minutes late. They will wait.” The deadly look he got from Liz was enough to make him hurry though. Liz absolutely hated being late for anything. Usually a good quality, but sometimes she took it a bit too far.

“They won’t have to wait, because we’re going to be there in time. Now move, move, move!” Liz yelled. Max supressed the grin that was threatening to appear on his face and hurried after Liz.

At exactly nine o’clock, Liz and Max stepped through the door into Lonzell’s bar.

“Nine o’clock sharp. You haven’t changed a bit,” a voice sounded from close by.

Liz didn’t have to recognize the voice to know who it belonged to. She turned around and saw Kyle and a blonde girl sitting at a small table just next to where they were standing. “Hey Kyle,” she said.

Kyle stood up and gave Liz a warm hug. “I missed you Liz. It’s been way too long.”

“I know what you mean. It’s been too long,” she agreed. “This is Max,” she introduced. “Max, this is Kyle.”

Kyle and Max politely shook hands. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you, Max. Liz has told me very little about you.”

“Likewise,” Max said. He wasn’t amused, but neither Liz nor Kyle seemed to notice.

“This is Tess,” Kyle said.

“Hi,” Tess said softly.

“Hi, it’s really nice to meet you,” Liz offered. “To tell you the truth… from everything Kyle told me, I half expected to see a halo float above your head and a harp in your hands.”

Tess smiled. “Well, I left my harp and halo at home.”

“So have you seen Maria around here yet?” Liz asked.

“Maria?” Kyle asked confused. “No, why?”

Liz shrugged. “Well, she found out about this meeting and now she’s going to watch the awkwardness unfold, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she convinced half Roswell to join her.”

“Maria wouldn’t do that,” Kyle insisted.

“Oh yes she would,” Tess disagreed, beating Liz, who was about to say the same thing. At that point, something on the other side of the bar caught her attention. “In fact, she did,” she continued, pointing at the far side of the room, where Maria and Michael were having a drink with Alex and Isabel.

Liz couldn’t help but smile and walked over towards them with Kyle, Tess and Max following her. “Hello again, Maria,” Liz said. “What a coincidence that we’re all meeting in the same place.”

“Not really,” Maria said calmly. “I knew you were gonna be here, so I’m here to watch how this double date from hell is going to turn out.”

“Nothing like being honest,” Liz said.

“My thoughts exactly,” Maria said happily. “Now why don’t you get back to your disaster and leave the spectators out of it?”

“It’s not a disaster!” Liz said exasperatedly. “Why does everyone keep thinking that me meeting my friend Kyle is going to usher in some kind of apocalypse? “

“Remind me… what exactly happened with you and Kyle again on the day you left for college, after you had already broken up?” Maria asked. The question was rhetorical; she knew what had happened. Liz had broken up with him a few days before she had to leave, but on that day, she visited Kyle several hours before she actually had to be in the car. Well, let’s just say they weren’t doing crossword puzzles those last few hours.

“Maria, that was almost two years ago. I’m not with Kyle anymore; I’m with Max now. In fact, I’m going to get back to Max now.” And with that, she turned around and walked back to Kyle, Max and Tess.

This was going to be a fun evening.

TBC

[Drogyn]

Thanks for all the great feedback.
Just a small part this time.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Part 4

“Oh my God; you suck at this,” Tess laughed when Kyle failed to make the simplest shot imaginable at the pool table. “Now I know why you and I never played pool together.”

“I’m still better at it than Max,” Kyle defended, pointing at the score, where he was indeed one point ahead of Max.

“You play a lot of pool, Tess?” Liz asked. She had quite a few more points than Max and Kyle combined, but she was nowhere near as good as Tess.

“Not anymore, but we used to have a pool table in our old house,” Tess explained.

“That is so cool. I never managed to convince my dad to get a pool table,” Liz said.

“Like you really needed the practice to kick my ass at this game,” Kyle scoffed. “Though I do remember winning a game every now and then.”

“You let him win?!” Tess shrieked at Liz.

“She did not let me win,” Kyle denied. “She just didn’t have her day and I was on a roll and… she totally let me win,” Kyle finished, looking at Liz with a sudden realization.

“Well, I didn’t want you to feel totally and completely humiliated, especially if your football buddies were around,” Liz explained. “You know, it wasn’t easy letting you win without you noticing.”

“I’m shocked and hurt,” Kyle said, feigning indignation. “Max, help me out here.”

“Liz let you win… that is so cute,” Max said with a grin on his face.

“Max, let me explain to you how this works,” Kyle said. “You, as a guy, are supposed to be on the guy team here. Making fun of your teammates is not the way to go here, Max.”

“Well, your side is the losing side here,” Max answered.

Kyle grinned. “Hey, you still have less points than me. We’re both losers here.”

“No argument there,” Tess quipped as she took a shot that earned her another point. “So Liz… you play a nice game of pool. Did you used to play a lot?”

“Not really, but pool is just physics.”

“True, but knowing how you want the ball to roll and making it so are two different things,” Tess argued.

Liz smiled. “That’s why you’re winning and not me.”

“Must be a new experience for you,” Kyle quipped.

“What do you mean?” Max asked.

“Liz never loses at anything. It doesn’t matter if it’s pool, chess, playstation or friggin armwrestling. For some reason, she always wins… and that’s a good thing, because she hates to lose at anything.”

“I knew that last part,” Max noted.

“I do not always win at anything,” Liz said indignantly.

“Apparently not,” Tess said as she smoothly made another shot and scored yet another point. “By the way… Kyle, did I hear you wrong or did you actually say armwrestling?”

“My God, I really just said that, didn’t I?” Kyle groaned. “Well, in my defense, Liz is freakishly strong.”

“Freakishly strong?” Liz said, quite amused. “I was not that strong, and it actually surprised me that the school’s star athlete had so little strength in his arms that a girl could beat him.”

“Hey!” Kyle protested.

Liz put up a sugary sweet smile. “Sorry, did I say anything that wasn’t true?”

Kyle let out another groan. “Never mind. Let’s just change the subject to something a little less humiliating.”

Liz smiled in agreement. “So Tess, how do you know Maria?” she asked.

“Maria is my best friend… at least, she was until tonight,” Tess said, throwing a glance to the table Maria was sitting at.

“I understand your sentiment,” Liz agreed, also glancing towards Maria. “But this is just who she is. I’ve accepted it years ago.”

“I know, you’re right,” Tess agreed. “It’s just that she keeps surprising me. I know Maria, but I still didn’t expect her to show up here tonight.”

Liz smiled. “Yeah, that’s Maria for you.”

“Maybe we could discuss some way to get even with her,” Tess suggested.

Liz laughed, but shook her head. “Oh no, I know better than to challenge hurricane DeLuca.”

Now it was Tess’s turn to laugh. “Hurricane DeLuca… I have to remember that one.” She made another shot and smoothly scored another point.

“So Kyle, what do you do for a living?” Max asked.

“I’m a deputy at the local sheriff station,” Kyle said. “Low pay, long hours and a father who looks over my shoulder the whole livelong day. My dream job.”

“Don’t pay any attention to him,” Tess offered. “He loves his job.”

“And you?” Liz asked.

“Well, I used to work at the cheese factory, but I start as a waitress on Monday,” Tess said.

Liz raised her eyebrows. Coincidence was something she didn’t believe in. “Would that be at the Crashdown by any chance?”

“Actually yes,” Tess offered, grinning widely as she succeeded in making a particularly difficult shot.

“So let me get this straight…” Liz started. “You’re dating the guy I used to date, you have the same best friend I have and you’re going to work at the same place as I did?”

“Don’t worry, I’m not about to dye my hair and have people call me Liz,” Tess offered. She smiled as she said it, but she couldn’t help but be a little annoyed at the insinuation. It wasn’t like she had planned it this way.

Liz looked at Tess with a stern gaze for a few seconds before her gaze softened and she suddenly burst into laughter. “Sorry, I just couldn’t help picturing it… and I suppose I was being a little defensive.”

“Just a tad,” Tess agreed. “But I swear I didn’t know you used to work at the Crashdown until Kyle told me, which was after I already got the job. To tell you the truth, I’m still not sure why your dad hired me of all people.”

“You got a good recommendation,” Liz said, grinning as she waiting until Tess was ready to make another shot. “From Michael.”

“What?!” Tess yelped, the stick shifting at the last second, completely messing up her shot.

Liz laughed. “Oh my God; you’re one of those,” she said in realization. “There’s hope for me to win yet!”

Tess ignored her. “Michael? Are you serious?”

“I heard Liz’s dad tell her with my own two ears,” Max helped.

“Wow,” Tess mumbled. “I mean, I like Michael, but he’s always a little…”

“Distant?” Liz helped. “Yeah, that’s Michael. But he can be incredibly nice and protective. I remember when I started dating Kyle, Michael had a talk with him.”

Kyle took an intake of breath. “Oh my God, I had completely repressed that. Protective Michael is one scary person to be around, you know.”

Liz started laughing too. “Poor Kyle was afraid to come within five feet of me.”

“Hey, that wasn’t funny! I was afraid he was gonna murder me in my sleep.”

“Well, I solved it, didn’t I?” Liz said proudly. “I told him that if he ever scared you like that again, I was going to kick his ass in front of the entire school.”

“And he believed you?” Tess asked disbelievingly as she laughed out loud.

Liz stepped closer to Tess and looked at her sternly. She leaned closer and whispered. “If you do that again, I am going to beat you to death with a shovel.”

Tess looked at Liz with a shocked expression and gulped, causing Liz to grin. “See? I can be scary when I want to be,” Liz explained. “Michael believed me, and he was smart to do so because I really would have kicked his ass.”

“Let’s not get carried away, Liz,” Kyle argued, though he couldn’t supress a grin when visualizing little Liz Parker beat up Michael Guerin in front of the entire school.

Liz shrugged her shoulders. “Well, I guess we’ll never know.”

“Well, he’s right over there. You can give it a try,” Kyle suggested.

Liz looked at them and shook her head. “No, Maria’s with him. I can’t fight her; she’s gonna hit back.”

Kyle grinned. “Speaking of Maria, she also gave me her version of the if you hurt Liz, I am gonna hurt you speech. Somehow, it made less of an impact than Michael’s one.”

“That’s because you didn’t know how dangerous Maria can be. You do remember what happened when Alex was dating this Leanna girl and he caught her cheating on her. Maria spread a few embellished rumors and within a day, the whole school referred to Leanna as the whore of Roswell.”

“Maybe you have forgotten how Michael can be,” Kyle countered. “Do you remember what happened when Billy something tried to kiss Maria at that Christmas party in our senior year? The poor guy ended up in the hospital.”

“Michael only pushed him once, and the guy tripped when he ran for the exit,” Liz explained.

“Oh,” Kyle said softly. “I didn’t know that.”

Liz just smiled widely at the now slightly embarrassed Kyle.

“Come to think of it, Alex warned me too… and Isabel… Serena… your parents,” he summed up. “You know, I’m lucky to be alive after dating you.”

“Yes, you’re a real survivor,” she mocked, lining up a shot on the table, which smoothly earned her a point. She then walked around the table and made another shot, which also earned her a point.

Kyle frowned. “I feel like you and Tess have an unfair advantage in this game.”

Liz smiled. “Would it make you better if we played with a blindfold?”

Kyle considered it for a moment. “No. Knowing my luck, you or Tess would still win and I’d never live down that humiliation. Don’t you agree, Max?”

He looked around for Max and noticed that he and Tess were sitting at the bar, ordering some drinks. He turned back to Liz. “Don’t we have the most awesome dates?”

“Yeah,” Liz said as she nodded in agreement. “Most guys wouldn’t give us this kind of space.”

“True. And most girls wouldn’t let you out of their sight the entire evening. See, they’re not even glancing this way,” he said proudly.

Liz agreed. She had been so nervous about seeing Kyle again after all this time and the fact that their other halves weren’t acting strange or jealous had made things so much easier.

~~

At the bar, Max and Tess had ordered a drink and now sit at the bar in silence.

“Don’t you just hate uncomfortable silences?” Tess quipped.

Max just smiled at her.

Tess covertly glanced at Liz and Kyle before turning back to Max. “It’s nice to see them getting along so well after all this time, isn’t it?”

Max frowned. “Yeah, fantastic,” he mumbled.

“Though I have to admit they are awefully comfortable around each other for ex-lovers who haven’t seen each other in years,” Tess admitted. “But Kyle and me are happy together. I have nothing to worry about.” She sounded a lot more sure than she was.

“So are Liz and me. She wouldn’t do anything stupid,” Max agreed, not sure whether he wanted to convince Tess or himself.

Tess and Max both glanced at Liz and Kyle. Liz was standing behind Kyle in an effort to teach him how to make a good shot.

“Hello children,” Michael said as he positioned himself between Max and Tess and signalled the bartender for four drinks.

“Hello Michael,” Tess greeted while Max gave him a friendly smile.

Michael looked at Liz and Kyle. “Wow, you two really are bigger persons than me,” he said. “If Maria was acting that way around someone else, I wouldn’t be sitting at the bar, looking at them.”

“Michael, they’re broken up,” Tess argued. “They’re just happy to see each other again.”

Michael grinned. “Yeah, that reminds me of Liz’s last night in Roswell before she went off to college. She and Kyle were broken up then too, but that didn’t stop them.”

Both Max and Tess shot Michael an angry look, but Tess was the first one to speak. “You know how you wanted me to remind you when you share information you should be keeping to yourself? Well, this is that moment!”

“Sorry,” Michael said apologetically. When the bartender handed him his drinks, he quickly scurried off.

Max stared at Liz and Kyle for a few seconds. “I can’t say I like Kyle very much.”

Tess stared at the couple too. “Not the biggest Liz-fan at the moment either.”

TBC