Re: I'll Look After You (AU,M/L,ADULT) Ch. 14 5/20/18
Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 1:32 pm
keepsmiling7 – Maria’s feelings are definitely going to complicate things for Liz and Max.
clueless – I’m glad you enjoyed and I hope you enjoy this next part.
L-J-L 76 – Things will be coming to head with Maria in the next few chapters.
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* Song: Since You Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson *
After placing the closed sign on the Crashdown doors, Liz came over to the booth and set her bag down in the seat across from Max before offering some asteroid pie. He begrudgingly accepted as he pulled his notebook out of his backpack. Though he tried to keep himself focused on the table in front of him. His eyes had a mind of their own and kept wandering over to where Liz was behind the counter. Finally, he gave up and allowed himself to study Liz as she moved around putting slices of pie onto plates before grabbing two cups and filling them with soda. She was still wearing her uniform and her hair was a little messy with a few strands of brown hair escaping from her ponytail. She was beautiful and all he wanted to do in that moment was stride over to her and kiss her senseless. As she came back to the booth holding a tray of food, Max quickly averted his gaze, not wanting her to catch the desire in his eyes.
Liz set a glass of cherry cola and pie down beside Max before setting her food and drink on the table as well. She sat down across from Max and started rummaging through her back. “So, do you want to talk about why you couldn’t show up this afternoon like we planned?” She asked, avoiding his gaze as she pulled out her notebook and opened it up.
“Let’s just get this over with,” he muttered, pushing his plate to the side and opening his notebook.
“Fine.” Liz rolled her eyes and looked through the questions on her work sheet. “Question one: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?”
“Pistachio. Yours?”
“Vanilla.” She finished writing his answer down when she looked up and caught the slight quirk in Max’s lips. She glared. “What? Is there something wrong with vanilla?”
Max shrugged and wrote her answer down. “Didn’t say anything. Next question. What’s your favorite television show?”
“I don’t know. I don’t really watch a lot of television. I mostly read. You?”
“Same,” he replied without looking at her.
“Then I guess we’ll skip down to question six. Who’s your favorite author?”
“Anything by Steinbeck.”
“He’s my favorite author too.”
They both looked up from their work sheets to look at each other and a moment passes between them, making them both uncomfortable. He looked away quickly and that’s when he noticed a blue flier sticking out between the pages of Liz’s notebook. When Liz saw where Max was looking, she tried to tuck the paper, but he was faster than her and snatched the flier from the notebook.
Max studied the paper. “Who are the Whits?”
“Just a band that Alex and Michael are in,” she answered. “They’re playing this Friday at the Quake
“Are you going to see them?”
Liz cringed in embarrassment just then. “Actually, I’m going to be singing for them.”
Max looked at her and for the first time that evening, a full smile spread on his lips as his eyes danced with amusement. “What?”
Liz’s cheeks reddened even more. “Alex and Michael asked me to sing with them.”
“Elizabeth Parker, you do surprise me,” he said with a chuckle. “I didn’t know you could sing.”
Liz laughed as well. “Shut up! Friday is going to be a disaster.”
“No, you’re going to be great,” he said.
The sincerity in Max’s voice touched her and another moment passed between them. With a smile, she leaned forward to grab the flier back when her hand knocked into his glass of cherry coke, making the ice and cold liquid spill onto his lap. Max jumped in surprise as the soda splashed onto his t-shirt and jeans, soaking through the clothes.
“Crap! Max, I’m sorry. Let me help you.” She quickly pulled napkins out of the holder and began helping Max clean his shirt. As he leaned down to grab more napkins, his shirt rose slightly, and Liz caught a flash of a strange, purplish mark on his stomach. “Max, what is that?”
Before he could stop her, Liz grabbed his shirt and lifted it, revealing a large bruise on his stomach. The horrified gasp that escaped her throat instantly made Max jerk away from her.
“Max, what happened to you?” She asked, feeling her heart clench with worry. All she wanted to do was sit him down and take care of him, but as he continued to clean soda off him, pointedly avoiding her gaze, she knew that the gesture wouldn’t be welcomed.
“It’s nothing,” he replied flatly, crumbling up the napkins in his hand tossing them on to the table as he sat back down. “Let’s just get back to work.”
Finally, it clicked for Liz and her expression suddenly went from horrified to angry. “Did your dad do this to you? Is that why you were so late?” Even as the words left her mouth, she already knew what the answer was. Max’s silence only further confirmed her suspicions. “Why do you let him do this to you, Max? You should go to the police.”
Seeing that Liz wasn’t going to let this go, Max got up and shoved his notebook roughly into his backpack. “Forget this, I’m out of here.” He slipped his backpack over his shoulder and started to leave when Liz quickly stepped in front of him.
“Max, I’m serious. What if one day he goes too far?” She said, desperately hoping he would listen. The rage boiling up inside of her was overwhelming. How could any parent do this to their child? She just didn’t understand. And she couldn’t understand how Max could be so calm about it.
Finally, Max looked at Liz, and the anger and bitterness in his eyes surprised her. “Do you really think people don’t know?” He snapped. “You think cops haven’t been called? That social workers haven’t come? They have. They don’t care.”
Liz could hear the hopelessness in his voice and it broke her heart, but she wasn’t about to give up. “You know, Michael’s dad is a lawyer,” she said. “And Michael told me once about how his dad helped this kid get permission to live on his own.”
“Fuck, why won’t you drop this?” Max bit out in frustration. “Why do you even care? Are you so bored with your perfect little life that you need to take on a charity case?”
The harsh tone in Max’s voice made something snap inside of Liz and her expression turned hard. “My life is NOT perfect.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m sure your life is full of all kinds of hardships,” he scoffed, his tone becoming more mocking. “What is it? Can’t find the perfect dress for prom? Stressing about which fancy college you’re going to get into? Did mommy and daddy get divorced? Well, don’t sweat it. At least now you’ll get two ponies for Christmas.”
“My mom killed herself,” she said evenly, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her, which was easier said than done. She could already feel the wetness beginning to build in her eyes, but she pushed through it. “That’s why we moved back here. Does my life still seem perfect to you?”
Max stood there, unsure of what to say. In all the time they spent together, she never talked that much about her parents. And now seeing Liz standing there, her eyes beginning to glisten, he felt like a jackass. With a defeated sigh, he slumped back down in his seat. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “Look, let’s just get this over with.”
Biting back her tears, Liz returned to her and focused on her worksheet. They didn’t say much to each other the rest of the evening.
“How’s everyone doing?” Maria asked as she came into the dressing room, plopping down next to Michael.
“Liz looks like she’s about to puke,” Michael said, looking at Liz worriedly. They last thing he wanted was her to blow chunks all over the stage.
“Shut up, Michael.” Maria slapped Michael on the shoulder in annoyance and got up to go sit by Liz. “She’s going to be great. Aren’t you, Liz?”
Liz nodded and gave them all a small smile, trying to ignore the urge to vomit. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little stage fright.”
“You’ll do great, Liz,” Alex said as he walked over her and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. “If it helps, just picture the audience naked. It’s what I do.” Then he gave her an amused grin. “Particularly the hot girls.”
Just then Maria cleared her through and both Alex and Liz caught the look she was shooting in Alex’s way. “Do I need to have a word with Isabel?” She asked in warning.
“No, ma’am,” Alex replied, looking sheepish.
Michael chuckled at how wimpy his best friend was then smiled at Liz. “Seriously, though, Liz, we appreciate you doing this for us. And I promise that once you’re up there, you’re going to forget all about your stage fright.”
“I hope so,” she muttered as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Just then a male voice played over the loud speakers.
“EVERYBODY GIVE IT UP FOR THE WHITS!”
“All right break a leg, guys,” Maria said, giving Michael a quick peck on the cheek and giving Liz’s shoulder a comforting pat before leaving. Liz and the guys left the dressing room and took their places on stage. Liz got up in front of the mic, looked out at the crowd of people on the dance floor, and felt like she was going to pass out. What the hell had she been thinking offering to help Alex and Michael? She could see Maria, Isabel, Tess and Kyle standing in the front row offering cheers of support, but it did nothing to quell the panic that was beginning to take her.
As the music started, the audience quieted down to listen. But as Liz’s part came up, her mouth refused to open. Her entire body was paralyzed as she stared at the expectant crowd. Her worst fear was happening. She was going to ruin this whole night for everyone. Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes and tried to summon up some courage and that’s when a memory hit her. She couldn’t stop it even if she tried…
A ten-year old Liz Parker sat alone in her bedroom crying. Never in her life had she felt so embarrassed. Today was supposed to her big moment. Today was the day of the annual talent show. She’d been practicing all week to perform Wind Beneath My Wings and everything had been perfect. Then the moment came for her to get on stage and she froze. She looked out at the faces of the students, the teachers and the parents and she felt fear like she’d never felt before. It was terrible. She ran off the stage in tears, ignoring the snickers of her arch nemesis, Leanna Walsh and her friends as she escaped to the girls’ restroom. Eventually her mother found her and carried her to the car. Her parents tried to cheer her up on the drive home, but after a few unsuccessful attempts, they let the rest of the drive pass by in silence.
Now here she lay in her bed, staring at up at the ceiling and feeling like a total fool. She could never show her face in school after this. Everyone would make fun of her. Leanna would have a field day tormenting her. Liz-scaredy-cat-parker. That’s what she’d be called for the rest of her life. More tears slid down her cheeks as she heard a soft tapping on her bedroom door.
“Yeah,” she choked out between tears.
The door opened, and her mother poked her head in. “Hey, baby. Can I come in?”
Unable to speak through the tears, she gave a quick jerk of her head before rolling onto her side, turning her back to her mother. But she didn’t stay that way because before she knew, Nancy was scooping Liz up into her arms and holding the little girl against her chest. “I’m sorry, mom.”
“Why, baby? You did nothing wrong,” she said, softly stroking her daughter’s hair. “I’m so proud of you.”
Liz then pulled away and looked at her mom in confusion. “Why? I failed. I was too scared to sing in front of all of those people.”
With a warm smile, Nancy shook her head. “No, you were brave. You tried.”
“I don’t feel like I did anything,” Liz said, wiping a tear from her eye. “I just stood there.”
“I wouldn’t have even been able to do that,” Nancy replied with a chuckle. “Sweetie, there’s no shame in being scared. It’s good that you tried and were willing to put yourself out there. And the next time you’re up on stage, you’ll be amazing.”
“Nu-uh!” Liz cried out petulantly, folding her arms across her chest. “I’m never going to sing again.”
“Never say never.” She gave Liz a kiss on her head. “I know that one day you’ll be up on stage again and when that happens, you’ll blow everyone away. Just have more faith in yourself…
A hand on her shoulder brought Liz back to the present and she opened her eyes to see Alex staring at her in concern. It was then that she noticed that the music had stopped and everyone on stage and in the audience was watching her in confusion.
“Are you okay?” Alex asked sympathetically.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” She looked at her bandmates. “Start the music. I’m fine.”
With a nod, Alex went back to his spot and picked his guitar back up. When the band started playing again, Liz felt different. All her fears and insecurities melted away as she allowed the music to flow through her.
Here’s the thing
We started out friends
It was cool, but it was all pretend
Yeah, yeah, since you’ve been gone
You’re dedicated, you took the time
Wasn’t long till I called you mine
Yeah, yeah, since you’ve been gone
And all you’d ever hear me say
Is how I picture me with you
That’s all you’d ever hear me say
But since you been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I’m so moving on
Yeah, yeah
Thanks to you
Now I get what I want
Since you been gone
How can I put it? You put me on
I even fell for that stupid love song
Yeah, yeah, since you’ve been gone
How come I never hear you say
I just want to be with you?
Guess you never felt that way
But since you’ve been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I’m so moving on
Yeah, yeah
Thanks to you
Now I get, I get what I want
Since you’ve been gone
You had your chance, you blew it
Out of sight, out of mind
Shut your mouth, I just can’t take it
Again, and again, and again, and again
Since you been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on
Yeah, yeah
Thanks to you (thanks to you)
Now I get, I get what I want
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on
Yeah, yeah
Thanks to you (thanks to you), now I get (I get)
You should know (you should know)
That I get
I get what I want
Since you been gone
Since you been gone
Since you been gone
The audience let out a series of hoots and applause as the song came to end and Liz smiled at the crowd in amazement. She couldn’t believe the reaction she was getting or how much she loved it. And as much she didn’t want to admit it, she knew she had her mother to thank.
“Liz, you were amazing,” Isabel said happily as they all exited the club.
Marcos and Nicky’s cars were parked right next to the club, so they quickly said their goodnights before getting their vehicles and driving off. Meanwhile, Liz and her friends continued walking towards the parking lot across the street.
“She’s right,” Alex said as he walked alongside Isabel, his arm draped over her shoulder. “You have to sing with us permanently, Liz.”
Liz’s cheeks reddened. “I don’t know about that.”
“For real, Liz, your exactly what our band needs,” Michael chimed in. “I mean, did you guys see that crowd tonight? Vicky never got the crowd going like that. Please think about it.”
“Fine. I’ll think about it. Goodnight, guys.” She waved as she continued to walk past the full parking lot to where her car was parked around the corner.
“Wait, you’re leaving?” Maria pouted. “I thought we could celebrate you joining the band.”
Liz rolled her eyes and gave her friend an amused grin. “First, I said I’d THINK about it. Second, it’s late and I still have my history assignment to finish.”
Maria’s expression darkened a little bit as she looked at Liz. “With Max?”
Ignoring the mixed emotions that stirred inside of Liz at the mention of Max’s name, she quickly shook her head. “No, I have everything I need to finish the report myself. Night, guys.” Liz turned to walk away, but not before catching the relieved look on Maria’s face, bringing her mood down a little.
As she made it to the end of the sidewalk, she turned the corner to where her car was parked and froze. Leaning against the passenger side was Max with a smile on his lips, and Liz’s heart immediately started pounding in her chest as she took in his appearance. Standing there in faded black jeans and a black t-shirt that showed off his muscular arms quite well, Liz did her best not to let her see how much he affected her. Easier said than done when he looked at her like that. This was the second genuine smile he’d given her in weeks and it left her confused.
“You were great,” he said as she walked over to where he stood. His smile got even bigger when he caught the look the surprise on her face.
“You watched?”
Max shrugged, moving off her car. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see Liz Parker in action,” he joked. “I hope you’ll still remember us little people when you’re famous.”
Liz rolled her eyes and laughed. “Very funny.” For a moment, it felt like everything was normal between them again. They were just Max and Liz. But then her mind went back to the last few weeks and she frowned. “Why are you being so nice to me now?”
Max’s smile faded a bit and he suddenly looked nervous and unsure—two things that she’d never expected to see from Max. Awkward silence hung in the air between them as Max’s mind struggled to form words. “I wanted to apologize,” he finally said. “I’ve been a jerk to you and you don’t deserve it. It’s just my home life…it’s personal and not something I feel comfortable sharing with people.”
“I get it,” she said, giving him a small nod. “It’s why I never told anyone about my mom.”
Max looked away in shame, remembering the way he talked to her the other night. “I’m sorry about your mom, Liz. And I’m sorry about the way I talked to you.” With a frustrated sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair. “Look, I’m not good at this, Liz. All this touchy-feely stuff. If you hadn’t noticed, the friends I have aren’t big on “Let’s express our feelings.” Most of the time, that’s why I like them, but with you…”
Finally, he looked at her and hoped she could see the sincerity in his eyes. “I don’t want it to be like that with you. I want us to be friends again, Liz.”
Every single part of Liz wanted to say yes. The past few weeks had been miserable without Max. It was like losing apart of herself. But then the look on Maria’s face earlier flashed in her mind and the guilt came crashing back. How could she put her happiness above her friend’s feelings? With an ache in her chest, she took a step back from him. “Max, I don’t this is going to work out.”
Max frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Maria,” she answered sadly. “She still has feelings for you.”
Max gave Liz a skeptical look and shook his head. “No, she doesn’t. Liz, she hates me.”
“Max, it’s not hard to tell when a girl has feelings for a guy. And Maria has been such a good friend to me. I can’t do anything that would hurt her.”
Inside, Max felt like he’d been punched in the gut, but he didn’t show it. Instead, he gave Liz a small smile and nodded in understanding. “I get it.”
Max and Liz stared at each other in silence, neither one of them ready to say goodbye to each other. More than anything, Liz wanted to run into his arms and tell him how she truly felt about him. She wanted to tell him that the only thing that mattered to her was them being together and that nothing would stand in the way of that. But she couldn’t do that, and Max couldn’t ask her to.
But just as she was about walk past him to get into the driver’s side of her car, Max did something completely unexpected. Summoning all the courage he had, Max strode over to Liz, cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips down on hers. Without thinking, Liz immediately gave in to the kiss, moving her lips against his. The feel of his soft lips on made her entire body come alive in ways she’d never felt before and all she wanted was for it to go on forever. But almost as quickly as he started, Max stopped kissing her and slowly stepped away.
“Goodbye, Liz.”
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving Liz breathless. As soon as he disappeared around the corner, Liz felt the sadness begin to engulf her as she realized how deeply she had fallen in love with him. “Goodbye, Max.
clueless – I’m glad you enjoyed and I hope you enjoy this next part.
L-J-L 76 – Things will be coming to head with Maria in the next few chapters.
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* Song: Since You Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson *
Chapter Fifteen
After placing the closed sign on the Crashdown doors, Liz came over to the booth and set her bag down in the seat across from Max before offering some asteroid pie. He begrudgingly accepted as he pulled his notebook out of his backpack. Though he tried to keep himself focused on the table in front of him. His eyes had a mind of their own and kept wandering over to where Liz was behind the counter. Finally, he gave up and allowed himself to study Liz as she moved around putting slices of pie onto plates before grabbing two cups and filling them with soda. She was still wearing her uniform and her hair was a little messy with a few strands of brown hair escaping from her ponytail. She was beautiful and all he wanted to do in that moment was stride over to her and kiss her senseless. As she came back to the booth holding a tray of food, Max quickly averted his gaze, not wanting her to catch the desire in his eyes.
Liz set a glass of cherry cola and pie down beside Max before setting her food and drink on the table as well. She sat down across from Max and started rummaging through her back. “So, do you want to talk about why you couldn’t show up this afternoon like we planned?” She asked, avoiding his gaze as she pulled out her notebook and opened it up.
“Let’s just get this over with,” he muttered, pushing his plate to the side and opening his notebook.
“Fine.” Liz rolled her eyes and looked through the questions on her work sheet. “Question one: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?”
“Pistachio. Yours?”
“Vanilla.” She finished writing his answer down when she looked up and caught the slight quirk in Max’s lips. She glared. “What? Is there something wrong with vanilla?”
Max shrugged and wrote her answer down. “Didn’t say anything. Next question. What’s your favorite television show?”
“I don’t know. I don’t really watch a lot of television. I mostly read. You?”
“Same,” he replied without looking at her.
“Then I guess we’ll skip down to question six. Who’s your favorite author?”
“Anything by Steinbeck.”
“He’s my favorite author too.”
They both looked up from their work sheets to look at each other and a moment passes between them, making them both uncomfortable. He looked away quickly and that’s when he noticed a blue flier sticking out between the pages of Liz’s notebook. When Liz saw where Max was looking, she tried to tuck the paper, but he was faster than her and snatched the flier from the notebook.
Max studied the paper. “Who are the Whits?”
“Just a band that Alex and Michael are in,” she answered. “They’re playing this Friday at the Quake
“Are you going to see them?”
Liz cringed in embarrassment just then. “Actually, I’m going to be singing for them.”
Max looked at her and for the first time that evening, a full smile spread on his lips as his eyes danced with amusement. “What?”
Liz’s cheeks reddened even more. “Alex and Michael asked me to sing with them.”
“Elizabeth Parker, you do surprise me,” he said with a chuckle. “I didn’t know you could sing.”
Liz laughed as well. “Shut up! Friday is going to be a disaster.”
“No, you’re going to be great,” he said.
The sincerity in Max’s voice touched her and another moment passed between them. With a smile, she leaned forward to grab the flier back when her hand knocked into his glass of cherry coke, making the ice and cold liquid spill onto his lap. Max jumped in surprise as the soda splashed onto his t-shirt and jeans, soaking through the clothes.
“Crap! Max, I’m sorry. Let me help you.” She quickly pulled napkins out of the holder and began helping Max clean his shirt. As he leaned down to grab more napkins, his shirt rose slightly, and Liz caught a flash of a strange, purplish mark on his stomach. “Max, what is that?”
Before he could stop her, Liz grabbed his shirt and lifted it, revealing a large bruise on his stomach. The horrified gasp that escaped her throat instantly made Max jerk away from her.
“Max, what happened to you?” She asked, feeling her heart clench with worry. All she wanted to do was sit him down and take care of him, but as he continued to clean soda off him, pointedly avoiding her gaze, she knew that the gesture wouldn’t be welcomed.
“It’s nothing,” he replied flatly, crumbling up the napkins in his hand tossing them on to the table as he sat back down. “Let’s just get back to work.”
Finally, it clicked for Liz and her expression suddenly went from horrified to angry. “Did your dad do this to you? Is that why you were so late?” Even as the words left her mouth, she already knew what the answer was. Max’s silence only further confirmed her suspicions. “Why do you let him do this to you, Max? You should go to the police.”
Seeing that Liz wasn’t going to let this go, Max got up and shoved his notebook roughly into his backpack. “Forget this, I’m out of here.” He slipped his backpack over his shoulder and started to leave when Liz quickly stepped in front of him.
“Max, I’m serious. What if one day he goes too far?” She said, desperately hoping he would listen. The rage boiling up inside of her was overwhelming. How could any parent do this to their child? She just didn’t understand. And she couldn’t understand how Max could be so calm about it.
Finally, Max looked at Liz, and the anger and bitterness in his eyes surprised her. “Do you really think people don’t know?” He snapped. “You think cops haven’t been called? That social workers haven’t come? They have. They don’t care.”
Liz could hear the hopelessness in his voice and it broke her heart, but she wasn’t about to give up. “You know, Michael’s dad is a lawyer,” she said. “And Michael told me once about how his dad helped this kid get permission to live on his own.”
“Fuck, why won’t you drop this?” Max bit out in frustration. “Why do you even care? Are you so bored with your perfect little life that you need to take on a charity case?”
The harsh tone in Max’s voice made something snap inside of Liz and her expression turned hard. “My life is NOT perfect.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m sure your life is full of all kinds of hardships,” he scoffed, his tone becoming more mocking. “What is it? Can’t find the perfect dress for prom? Stressing about which fancy college you’re going to get into? Did mommy and daddy get divorced? Well, don’t sweat it. At least now you’ll get two ponies for Christmas.”
“My mom killed herself,” she said evenly, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her, which was easier said than done. She could already feel the wetness beginning to build in her eyes, but she pushed through it. “That’s why we moved back here. Does my life still seem perfect to you?”
Max stood there, unsure of what to say. In all the time they spent together, she never talked that much about her parents. And now seeing Liz standing there, her eyes beginning to glisten, he felt like a jackass. With a defeated sigh, he slumped back down in his seat. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “Look, let’s just get this over with.”
Biting back her tears, Liz returned to her and focused on her worksheet. They didn’t say much to each other the rest of the evening.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Friday was finally here, and Liz felt like her stomach was filled with lead as she sat in front of vanity in the band’s dressing room. Michael and Alex sat together on a bench in the corner of the room, chatting excitedly about something. Nicky was tightening the strings on his guitar while Marcos was sitting at the other vanity, fiddling with his drumsticks. Closing his eyes, Liz took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.“How’s everyone doing?” Maria asked as she came into the dressing room, plopping down next to Michael.
“Liz looks like she’s about to puke,” Michael said, looking at Liz worriedly. They last thing he wanted was her to blow chunks all over the stage.
“Shut up, Michael.” Maria slapped Michael on the shoulder in annoyance and got up to go sit by Liz. “She’s going to be great. Aren’t you, Liz?”
Liz nodded and gave them all a small smile, trying to ignore the urge to vomit. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little stage fright.”
“You’ll do great, Liz,” Alex said as he walked over her and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. “If it helps, just picture the audience naked. It’s what I do.” Then he gave her an amused grin. “Particularly the hot girls.”
Just then Maria cleared her through and both Alex and Liz caught the look she was shooting in Alex’s way. “Do I need to have a word with Isabel?” She asked in warning.
“No, ma’am,” Alex replied, looking sheepish.
Michael chuckled at how wimpy his best friend was then smiled at Liz. “Seriously, though, Liz, we appreciate you doing this for us. And I promise that once you’re up there, you’re going to forget all about your stage fright.”
“I hope so,” she muttered as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Just then a male voice played over the loud speakers.
“EVERYBODY GIVE IT UP FOR THE WHITS!”
“All right break a leg, guys,” Maria said, giving Michael a quick peck on the cheek and giving Liz’s shoulder a comforting pat before leaving. Liz and the guys left the dressing room and took their places on stage. Liz got up in front of the mic, looked out at the crowd of people on the dance floor, and felt like she was going to pass out. What the hell had she been thinking offering to help Alex and Michael? She could see Maria, Isabel, Tess and Kyle standing in the front row offering cheers of support, but it did nothing to quell the panic that was beginning to take her.
As the music started, the audience quieted down to listen. But as Liz’s part came up, her mouth refused to open. Her entire body was paralyzed as she stared at the expectant crowd. Her worst fear was happening. She was going to ruin this whole night for everyone. Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes and tried to summon up some courage and that’s when a memory hit her. She couldn’t stop it even if she tried…
A ten-year old Liz Parker sat alone in her bedroom crying. Never in her life had she felt so embarrassed. Today was supposed to her big moment. Today was the day of the annual talent show. She’d been practicing all week to perform Wind Beneath My Wings and everything had been perfect. Then the moment came for her to get on stage and she froze. She looked out at the faces of the students, the teachers and the parents and she felt fear like she’d never felt before. It was terrible. She ran off the stage in tears, ignoring the snickers of her arch nemesis, Leanna Walsh and her friends as she escaped to the girls’ restroom. Eventually her mother found her and carried her to the car. Her parents tried to cheer her up on the drive home, but after a few unsuccessful attempts, they let the rest of the drive pass by in silence.
Now here she lay in her bed, staring at up at the ceiling and feeling like a total fool. She could never show her face in school after this. Everyone would make fun of her. Leanna would have a field day tormenting her. Liz-scaredy-cat-parker. That’s what she’d be called for the rest of her life. More tears slid down her cheeks as she heard a soft tapping on her bedroom door.
“Yeah,” she choked out between tears.
The door opened, and her mother poked her head in. “Hey, baby. Can I come in?”
Unable to speak through the tears, she gave a quick jerk of her head before rolling onto her side, turning her back to her mother. But she didn’t stay that way because before she knew, Nancy was scooping Liz up into her arms and holding the little girl against her chest. “I’m sorry, mom.”
“Why, baby? You did nothing wrong,” she said, softly stroking her daughter’s hair. “I’m so proud of you.”
Liz then pulled away and looked at her mom in confusion. “Why? I failed. I was too scared to sing in front of all of those people.”
With a warm smile, Nancy shook her head. “No, you were brave. You tried.”
“I don’t feel like I did anything,” Liz said, wiping a tear from her eye. “I just stood there.”
“I wouldn’t have even been able to do that,” Nancy replied with a chuckle. “Sweetie, there’s no shame in being scared. It’s good that you tried and were willing to put yourself out there. And the next time you’re up on stage, you’ll be amazing.”
“Nu-uh!” Liz cried out petulantly, folding her arms across her chest. “I’m never going to sing again.”
“Never say never.” She gave Liz a kiss on her head. “I know that one day you’ll be up on stage again and when that happens, you’ll blow everyone away. Just have more faith in yourself…
A hand on her shoulder brought Liz back to the present and she opened her eyes to see Alex staring at her in concern. It was then that she noticed that the music had stopped and everyone on stage and in the audience was watching her in confusion.
“Are you okay?” Alex asked sympathetically.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” She looked at her bandmates. “Start the music. I’m fine.”
With a nod, Alex went back to his spot and picked his guitar back up. When the band started playing again, Liz felt different. All her fears and insecurities melted away as she allowed the music to flow through her.
Here’s the thing
We started out friends
It was cool, but it was all pretend
Yeah, yeah, since you’ve been gone
You’re dedicated, you took the time
Wasn’t long till I called you mine
Yeah, yeah, since you’ve been gone
And all you’d ever hear me say
Is how I picture me with you
That’s all you’d ever hear me say
But since you been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I’m so moving on
Yeah, yeah
Thanks to you
Now I get what I want
Since you been gone
How can I put it? You put me on
I even fell for that stupid love song
Yeah, yeah, since you’ve been gone
How come I never hear you say
I just want to be with you?
Guess you never felt that way
But since you’ve been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I’m so moving on
Yeah, yeah
Thanks to you
Now I get, I get what I want
Since you’ve been gone
You had your chance, you blew it
Out of sight, out of mind
Shut your mouth, I just can’t take it
Again, and again, and again, and again
Since you been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on
Yeah, yeah
Thanks to you (thanks to you)
Now I get, I get what I want
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on
Yeah, yeah
Thanks to you (thanks to you), now I get (I get)
You should know (you should know)
That I get
I get what I want
Since you been gone
Since you been gone
Since you been gone
The audience let out a series of hoots and applause as the song came to end and Liz smiled at the crowd in amazement. She couldn’t believe the reaction she was getting or how much she loved it. And as much she didn’t want to admit it, she knew she had her mother to thank.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Despite it being midnight when they all finally left the club, Liz felt wide awake. The band had performed four more songs before joining Isabel, Maria, Kyle and Tess out the dance floor for the rest of the evening.“Liz, you were amazing,” Isabel said happily as they all exited the club.
Marcos and Nicky’s cars were parked right next to the club, so they quickly said their goodnights before getting their vehicles and driving off. Meanwhile, Liz and her friends continued walking towards the parking lot across the street.
“She’s right,” Alex said as he walked alongside Isabel, his arm draped over her shoulder. “You have to sing with us permanently, Liz.”
Liz’s cheeks reddened. “I don’t know about that.”
“For real, Liz, your exactly what our band needs,” Michael chimed in. “I mean, did you guys see that crowd tonight? Vicky never got the crowd going like that. Please think about it.”
“Fine. I’ll think about it. Goodnight, guys.” She waved as she continued to walk past the full parking lot to where her car was parked around the corner.
“Wait, you’re leaving?” Maria pouted. “I thought we could celebrate you joining the band.”
Liz rolled her eyes and gave her friend an amused grin. “First, I said I’d THINK about it. Second, it’s late and I still have my history assignment to finish.”
Maria’s expression darkened a little bit as she looked at Liz. “With Max?”
Ignoring the mixed emotions that stirred inside of Liz at the mention of Max’s name, she quickly shook her head. “No, I have everything I need to finish the report myself. Night, guys.” Liz turned to walk away, but not before catching the relieved look on Maria’s face, bringing her mood down a little.
As she made it to the end of the sidewalk, she turned the corner to where her car was parked and froze. Leaning against the passenger side was Max with a smile on his lips, and Liz’s heart immediately started pounding in her chest as she took in his appearance. Standing there in faded black jeans and a black t-shirt that showed off his muscular arms quite well, Liz did her best not to let her see how much he affected her. Easier said than done when he looked at her like that. This was the second genuine smile he’d given her in weeks and it left her confused.
“You were great,” he said as she walked over to where he stood. His smile got even bigger when he caught the look the surprise on her face.
“You watched?”
Max shrugged, moving off her car. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see Liz Parker in action,” he joked. “I hope you’ll still remember us little people when you’re famous.”
Liz rolled her eyes and laughed. “Very funny.” For a moment, it felt like everything was normal between them again. They were just Max and Liz. But then her mind went back to the last few weeks and she frowned. “Why are you being so nice to me now?”
Max’s smile faded a bit and he suddenly looked nervous and unsure—two things that she’d never expected to see from Max. Awkward silence hung in the air between them as Max’s mind struggled to form words. “I wanted to apologize,” he finally said. “I’ve been a jerk to you and you don’t deserve it. It’s just my home life…it’s personal and not something I feel comfortable sharing with people.”
“I get it,” she said, giving him a small nod. “It’s why I never told anyone about my mom.”
Max looked away in shame, remembering the way he talked to her the other night. “I’m sorry about your mom, Liz. And I’m sorry about the way I talked to you.” With a frustrated sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair. “Look, I’m not good at this, Liz. All this touchy-feely stuff. If you hadn’t noticed, the friends I have aren’t big on “Let’s express our feelings.” Most of the time, that’s why I like them, but with you…”
Finally, he looked at her and hoped she could see the sincerity in his eyes. “I don’t want it to be like that with you. I want us to be friends again, Liz.”
Every single part of Liz wanted to say yes. The past few weeks had been miserable without Max. It was like losing apart of herself. But then the look on Maria’s face earlier flashed in her mind and the guilt came crashing back. How could she put her happiness above her friend’s feelings? With an ache in her chest, she took a step back from him. “Max, I don’t this is going to work out.”
Max frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Maria,” she answered sadly. “She still has feelings for you.”
Max gave Liz a skeptical look and shook his head. “No, she doesn’t. Liz, she hates me.”
“Max, it’s not hard to tell when a girl has feelings for a guy. And Maria has been such a good friend to me. I can’t do anything that would hurt her.”
Inside, Max felt like he’d been punched in the gut, but he didn’t show it. Instead, he gave Liz a small smile and nodded in understanding. “I get it.”
Max and Liz stared at each other in silence, neither one of them ready to say goodbye to each other. More than anything, Liz wanted to run into his arms and tell him how she truly felt about him. She wanted to tell him that the only thing that mattered to her was them being together and that nothing would stand in the way of that. But she couldn’t do that, and Max couldn’t ask her to.
But just as she was about walk past him to get into the driver’s side of her car, Max did something completely unexpected. Summoning all the courage he had, Max strode over to Liz, cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips down on hers. Without thinking, Liz immediately gave in to the kiss, moving her lips against his. The feel of his soft lips on made her entire body come alive in ways she’d never felt before and all she wanted was for it to go on forever. But almost as quickly as he started, Max stopped kissing her and slowly stepped away.
“Goodbye, Liz.”
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving Liz breathless. As soon as he disappeared around the corner, Liz felt the sadness begin to engulf her as she realized how deeply she had fallen in love with him. “Goodbye, Max.