Roswell Fanatics

OOC -- I thought we were skipping ahead a week. But I guess we can do arriving at the house. Does anyone know what happened to our Tess? She hasn't posted in over two months! If we RP Saturday it's gonna be tough since Max and Tess will be alone...


*Max*

I pull up to the house next to Alex's car. I get out with a smile. "That seemed to have gone well," I say to both Tess and to Alex and Kyle. "At least for Liz."

My smile fades as I think about Maria's apparent illness and the hard to gage progress on the Isabel/Alex front. It had looked so good after Jake showed up, in spite of her date with Kyle. Now, I really don't know.

I give Tess's hand a squeeze as the four of us walk into the house. She's been so completely quiet for most of the night. Almost as bad as Maria, actually. I wonder what she's thinking about. Am I in trouble for inviting others on our trip even 'though nobody accepted? Has she changed her mind about wanting to go to the Keys at all?

"We're getting up 'early' tomorrow," I say as we get to the foot of the stairs. It feels funny to use 'early' to describe eight o'clock, but Alex has already indicated he's sleeping quite a bit later than that. "So I guess we should head for bed. Are you going to be up much later, Alex?" I ask.

Sorry I haven't been posting as often. Things have been a little crazy of late. I will try harder. I promise I will try.

<center>~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Liz ~*~ ~*~ ~*~</center>

The ride back to the house with Maria was uneventful and relatively quiet after we got through the simple pleasantries, which is what I had planned for it to be. I wanted it to be quiet for her and her head. I’m sure it was still pounding even without her voicing it. Not to mention that I had told her earlier that I would just keep her company and neither demand anything of her nor would I request anything from her.

She pulled in and gently placed the car in park and shut off the engine before I had realized that we were finished with the drive back. Truth be told, I wasn’t paying much attention to the drive as much as I was thinking about recent information revealed to me.

“Looks like everyone beat us back,” I say quietly as I unbuckle my seatbelt and step out of the car. I look to Maria over the roof of the car and she smiles weakly, but a smile nonetheless. “I, umm, I wanted to ask Max something,” I say as I look between her and the door to the house, “hopefully before he goes to sleep,” I add not sure how to leave her without appearing to be rude.

Hopefully I haven’t missed my window of opportunity, I think to myself. We couldn’t have fallen that much behind everyone else, could we? Surely he’s not sleeping yet.

OOC -- Borrowing Tess 'cause we haven't seen her in ages...


*Max*

I walk Tess up the stairs and she's still not really talking. We pause at the door to the bedroom she's sharing with Maria. I gently touch her face, pushing her soft blonde hair back. "Is everything okay, Tess?" I ask her softly. "You've been awfully quiet."

"What?" She says, seeming to come out of a daze. "I'm fine. Just a little ... pre-occupied."

I nod slightly. She does seem to be lost in thoughts. I wish I knew what was on her mind. "Anything you want to talk about?" I ask her. If I know what's bothering her, maybe I can help.

"No," she says gently, her smile returning. "I'm fine. Really."

"Then you're not mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?" she asks, tilting her face to accent the question.

"I don't know. Maybe about asking Kyle and the others to come with us tomorrow. I should have asked you if that was okay, first," I admit.

She nods but she doesn't look upset. "That's okay. It might have been fun."

"Okay," I say, feeling relieved. "I'm really looking forward to our trip." I've never been to the Keys or anything like them, and besides the way she's fallen so quiet tonight, Tess has been a lot of fun to be around. I'm sure this is going to be a very nice experience.

MARIA

I nod at Liz’s words as we walk towards the house. “I’m going to head to bed so I guess this is good night.”

“Night, Maria.” Liz says with a warm smile before she disappears into the house to find Max, I guess.

I walk up the stairs slowly, relieved to be back at the house. I’m looking forward to putting on my pjs. I can’t wait to crawl into my bed and put this whole day behind me. I’m sure that everything will seem better in the moment. After all didn’t Scarlett O’Hara say that tomorrow is another day or was that just name of a bad James Bond movie? God, I’m tired.

Tess and Max are stood outside of the bedroom I share with Tess, blocking the entrance. I smile weakly at the couple, hating to interrupt them.

“I was just heading to bed.” I murmur. “And I think that Liz is looking for you, Max.”

*Max*

"Oh, yeah, sure," I manage to say as Maria comes by. Tess and I step back so she can go inside. "I guess you need to get to bed anyway. We're starting out early," I add with a smile.

Then I turn to Maria. I'm not sure what to think about Liz looking for me. "Any idea what Liz wants?" I ask, trying not to sound as uncertain as I feel.

well ... can I send Alex and Kyle to bed for this day? (Ruby, I mean each one in his own bed )

*shakes head* Trude, do you always have your mind in the gutter? The thought of Alex and Kyle in bed together never even crossed my mind!

lol, okay so I lie!

MARIA

“I think she wanted to ask you something,” I say with a shrug. “I’m not sure though.”

Max nods and I leave him and Tess to say their good nights alone.

Grabbing a pair of pjs, I head to the bathroom, taking the chance to have a few moments completely to myself. I strip off, glad to be rid of the smoky club smell that clung to them. Hopping into the shower, I sigh as the warm water cascades soothing over my body and wish that I could let all my problems wash away as easily.

There are so many things that I have to do tomorrow and thinking about them now is going to make my head ring again so instead I shut off the shower and start getting ready for bed. Once my hair is dried, my teeth are brushed and I’m in my comfortable pjs, I’m ready to crash out completely.

*Max*

I nod as Maria disappears into her room. She hadn't even been completely certain that Liz was looking for me. Why would I think that she would know the reason? I look down the hallway towards the stair, but I don't see Liz approaching yet.

I shrug, internally and then turn to give Tess a warm smile. "I'll see you i the morning then," I tell her softly. I lean forward to give her a kiss. Concious of the camerawoman over my shoulder, I keep it more brief than I might have if I were home. I've shared many kisses with Tess already and I've enjoyed it a lot, but sometimes the camera is a bit of a bother. Other times, I'm almost glad of it. It keeps me from doing anything I'd regret -- anything that would get me in trouble with my job back home. And right now, my mind is still stuck on Liz, anyway.

"Sleep well," I say.

"Good night, Max," she smiles and turns to go into her room after Maria.

I stand there in the hallway for a moment, feeling like a fool. I had been planning on heading for bed, but if Liz needs to talk to me, then I guess I need to find her. She and Maria came together, so she can't be too far away...

With a sigh, I run my hand through my hair and then start walking towards the stairs.

<i>I borrowed Max the slightest bit. If you have any problem with it, if you had anything thought out and this interferes with that, please let me know Iz, and I'll be more than happy to change it. I had a thought and went with it.</i>

<center>~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Liz ~*~ ~*~ ~*~</center>

“Night, Maria,” I say to her before I walk into the house to begin looking for Max. I don’t even know where to begin.

I lie.

I know where to begin. To begin would be to check and see if he’s upstairs. The bedrooms are upstairs. The bedroom he shares with Alex . . . And the bedroom Maria shares with Tess. I tell myself that I don’t want to intrude on any moment he might be having with Tess for their sake of “privacy.” However, telling myself this is different from actually believing it. I don’t know even what to believe. Is it to give them privacy? Or is it not to subject myself to seeing them together.

Just because they are happy, doesn’t mean that I need to watch their happiness more than I have to. Nor does it mean walking in on what I am sure would have been a private moment.

I walk past the stairs and head to the back of the house: to the pool, to the garden, to the quiet of the evening.

Instead of walking, I choose to sit by the edge of the pool. I sit in the quiet night, listening to the sounds of the wind as it softly tumbles past, carrying with it the faint scent of roses. The distant sound of traffic, and the quiet buzz of electricity emitting from the street lamps all mingle together in a very unobtrusive manner. There is a light sound of footsteps on the pavement, but then they stop some distance away.

“Hey,” I say quietly, letting him know I heard him. “I was looking for you,” I continue without turning to reaffirm that it was indeed Max. Something told me that out of the six of us in the house, he would be the only one that would see me and stop before coming over. Maria went straight to her room. Tess would want to try to get to bed as early as she could since she would be waking up early. Alex would definitely be sleeping. And Kyle, Kyle would have continued on and sat next to me. That is, if he hadn’t already announced his presence by speaking as he walked over.

“It looks like you found me,” I say with a smile in my tone.

OOC -- I half expected to find out that Liz had seen what happened between him and Tess. I know that would have hurt her so it's better she didn't, eh?



*Max*

Liz looks so beautiful out here by the water, under the stars. Her dark hair seems to have a soft glow about it, making it look so soft and 'touch-able.' I want to touch it so much ... I want to see her soft beautiful smile. I want to kiss her. But we're not like that. We haven't been. Until tonight, I've tried to avoid thinking about it ... and failed almost every time...

I'm not at all sure what Liz wants to talk to me about, assuming she does. I'd love to talk to her myself, to try and figure out how much of what Kels was saying is true. Does she 'like' me in spite of the great show of 'only friends' we've both been doing? Tess is a really nice girl. She's fun and she's beautiful and I know we'll have a nice adventure tomorrow... But I don't get this feeling in my stomach when I see her, the way I do when I see Liz. Like she's something I need...

But what if Kels is wrong? I'm going to be with her for weeks. I'd rather be just friends than to ruin anything between us ...

I come closer so I can sit on the bench next to Liz and we can talk, but I pause there, not sitting down yet. "I don't want to interupt or anything," I tell her, feeling uncertain. I know she's sitting here alone but everyone needs some alone time now and then. If she wants to think about something, or just contemplate her birthday hopefully enjoying the memories, I don't want to spoil that.

"Maria thought you wanted to talk to me?" I say, making the statement into a question.

<center>~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Liz ~*~ ~*~ ~*~</center>

He walks closer at my words, coming to stand beside me but does not take the seat that he is more than welcome to take. “Maria thought you wanted to talk to me,” he says as a matter of explanation, I assume. As though his presence would be anything but—

No. I cannot allow myself to think that way.

I look up to him at his words and smile as I reply, “I did. I do. Did you want to sit?” I look at the open seat on the bench and wonder if he would take the seat offered or prefer to continue to stand.

Just find out why, I remind myself. Why he did what he did. Why he went to the trouble. Why he kept it a secret. Why he cares so much that he thought of it.

Why.