Title: Intervention
Author: Drogyn
Category: Alternate Universe without Aliens
Couples: CC All with emphasis on Max/Liz
Rating: MATURE
Disclaimer: I do not own Roswell or any of the characters associated with it. This story was written for amusement purposes only and no disrespect towards any of the owners of Roswell was intended.
Summary: Max Evans doesn’t have the best time in higschool. He has no friends to speak of and gets bullied often. Then one day, Liz Parker intervenes.
Author's Note: Just a short story I couldn't get out of my head.
====
Wherever Max Evans turned, all eyes seemed to almost instantly turn at him. It wasn’t like he could blame them; after all, he was walking through the school halls, carrying a pile of books that went up to his. Some people grinned at the sight of Max Evans barely being able to see where he was walking with all the books in his hands, but most of them just looked for a second and continued with what they were doing. After all, Max Evans was too much of a nobody to pay much attention to.
The moment he stepped outside through the large double doors of the school entrance, a small group of four guys, whose outfits clearly marked them as members of the Roswell High football team noticed him. They smiled at the sight and then walked over to Max, effectively blocking his path.
The quarterback Kyle Valenti was the first one to speak. "Evans, you’re really reaching new heights of nerdiness. Are you building a library at home or something?"
When Max didn't answer, one of the football players 'accidentally' pushed the top book on the floor, grinning because he knew there was no way for Max to just pick it up with the pile of books in his hands.
Kyle picked up the book. "Advanced physics in your sophomore year? Well, you go enjoy yourself at home. Don't party too hard with it, alright?" He placed the book on top, but he could control himself and pushed a little too hard, causing the entire stack to collapse, leaving Max with only the bottom book in his hands and the rest on the floor.
Without a word, Max bent down to pick up his books.
Kyle grinned. "You know Evans, if you think this is less fun for us if you don't say anything, I have some bad news for you," he said with a grin. "In fact, we..."
He abruptly stopped when he saw a petite brunette girl standing only a few feet away from them. "Oh, hey Liz."
Liz looked at him sternly. "Don't hey Liz me, Kyle James Edward Valenti! What do you think you're doing?"
The other three guys exchanged looks. They all knew how this was going to end.
"I'm just joking around with Max here," he just answered.
Liz walked closer to him him. "How do you think Tess would react if she found out you're being an asshole again when you promised her you'd be nicer? And on her birthday?!"
The smile on Kyle's face started to drop. "Come on Liz, just look at the guy. He was baiting me!"
"You know, you can choose not to bite," Liz countered. "Now get lost!"
Kyle looked at Liz defiantly, but Liz already knew she would win. Kyle was the most popular guy in school and a good part of the female school population adored him, but his girlfriend Tess had him completely whipped, and since Liz and Maria were her friends, they shared the profit of being able to bully Kyle around.
After a few seconds, Kyle turned around and looked at his friends with a defeated expression. When he noticed the amused looks on his friends’s faces, he looked at them with an annoyed expression. "Oh just shut up!" he just said as he walked away, his three friends trailing behind him.
Liz turned to Max, who was busy piling up his books. "How about I lend you a hand?" she offered. Without waiting for an answer, she created a second pile and picked it up without much trouble. “So what way is your car?”
The look Max gave could only be described as a mix between embarrassment and fear. "I don't have a car," he said softly. "I always take the bus."
Liz smiled. "Then this is your lucky day. You get to ride in the Lizmobile. Follow me." Again, she didn't wait for confirmation and started walking towards the parking lot.
Max was stunned by her forwardness for a few seconds, but then quickly hurried after her. "You know, you don't have to do that. I can take the bus. I always take the bus."
"Carrying the contents of a small library? Come on Max, let me take you home."
Max's eyes lit up. "You… you know my name?" he asked timidly.
"Of course I do. I share two classes with you," Liz explained. "Ah, here we are."
Max watched as Liz pointed to the red Jetta and opened the trunk. She placed her books inside and motioned Max to do the same.
"You are so lucky that you have a car," Max said, clearly impressed, as he placed his books in the trunk.
Liz shook her head. "Oh no no no! If you witnessed the rude, sexist, unwashed customers I had to serve to be able to afford this car, you'd pity me. Trust me, I earned this car."
Finally, a small smile broke through on Max's face as well. "Liz, I don't think I could ever pity you."
Now, it was Liz's turn to smile. "I see you know my name too."
"Well, how can I not?" Max asked. "We don’t only share two classes, you're also the president of half the clubs in school, and you're friends with all the cool people."
“You have a point. Get in,” Liz said as she stepped into the car. Max hesitated for a second but decided to step in the car as well.
~~
A few minutes later, the car stopped in front of Max’s house. The drive had been a little awkward; Max was obviously not very comfortable around her, or anyone of the other sex for that matter, but they had managed to talk a little about physics, which seemed to calm Max down a little.
“Well, we’re here,” Liz said.
Max looked almost disappointed, but did his very best to hide it. “Thanks,” he muttered.
“Max, what are you doing tonight?” Liz suddenly asked, seemingly out of the blue.
“Well, I’m… I was planning to…I’m not sure,” Max stammered, looking genuinely confused.
Liz smiled. “What I meant was, do you have any parties on your agenda tonight?”
“No,” Max just muttered.
“Excellent, then how about you come with me to Tess’s birthday party? Come on, it’ll be fun!” Liz proposed.
“What? No!” Max said empathically, sounding more sure of himself than he had all day. “I mean, you’re talking about Tess Harding, right? As in Kyle Valenti’s girlfriend.”
“Uh huh,” Liz said, nodding affirmatively.
“And doesn’t that mean that’s he’s going to be there tonight?”
Liz’s smile widened. “He will if he knows what’s good for him.”
“Liz, connect the dots!” Max said exasperated. Sure she could understand why he wasn’t looking forward to spending an entire evening in the presence of Kyle Valenti.
“Max, don’t worry about Kyle. If Tess catches him being mean to you, she’ll kick his ass right then and there. He’ll be nice.”
Max smiled uncomfortably. “I just don’t know… why would you want me to come anyway?”
Liz sighed. “Max, if there is one thing that Tess loves, it’s to play matchmaker. She’s going to drag me from one disgusting nitwit to the next and I can’t say no to her because it’s her birthday. However, if I have a nice, friendly, goodlooking date sitting next to me, she might back off.”
“You hang with Alex Whitman pretty often. Can’t he fulfill the role of protector?” Max asked. He felt strange about this whole proposal. He liked Liz and spending an entire evening with her sounded like absolute
heaven, but at the same time, it filled him with mortal dread.
“No, because Tess knows that nothing will ever happen between Alex and me. Besides, Alex is totally hung up on someone else.”
“Well…” Max stammered, but he couldn’t think of any more excuses.
“Good,” Liz said happily. “I’ll pick you up at eight.”
~~
That night, Liz picked Max up and drove them towards the mansion-type house that Tess lived in. After parking the car, she dragged Max to the front door and rang the doorbell. After a few seconds, Tess opened the door. She was dressed in a beautiful red dress that definitely made her the queen of the party.
“Liz!” Tess shrieked happily before noticing Liz wasn’t alone. “Max? Max Evans?”
“Hi,” Max said timidly.
“I asked Max to join us. You don’t mind, do you?” Liz asked.
Tess smiled politely, but the disappointment was apparent. “Of course not. I just didn’t expect to see you arriving with a date. You never bring a date.”
“Hey!” Liz said in a fake indignant voice. “You make me sound like a dateless loser.”
“Your words, not mine,” Tess quipped. “Well, come in. Come in.”
When they stepped in, Liz pulled him towards the living room. There, the party was already well underway. There were several people dancing, several groups of people were talking and apparently having a good time, while the stereo blasted early Britney Spears music.
“Sorry for Tess’s taste in music,” Liz apologized and then noticed her friends on the far side of the room. “Come, I’ll introduce you to the gang.”
Liz made her way to a small group of people, who immediately noticed her and greeted her. “Hey Liz, happy Tess-day,” Maria joked before seeing Max. “Oh my God, Liz brought a date!” she squealed.
Aside from the music, everyone went quiet and turned towards Liz. For the first time that Max remembered, Liz actually looked a bit embarrassed, but it quickly passed. She took Max by the arm and looked around the room. “My date!” she said possessively. “So hands off ladies! That means you too, Serena!”
Several people began to giggle and turned back to their earlier conversation. “Wow,” Max whispered to Liz. “I wish I could deal with people like that.”
Liz turned back towards the group and saw Maria looking at her expectantly. “Everyone, this is Max. Max, this is everyone.”
Maria frowned. “That introduction doesn’t do me justice,” she argued. “I’m Maria and I’m awesome.”
“Hey Max, nice to see you outside the classroom for a change,” Alex said as he semi-covertly looked across the room, obviously waiting for someone.
As Max looked around the room, he noticed someone walking towards him; the only person he really hoped he wouldn’t have to deal with tonight. “Max Evans? What are you doing here?” Kyle asked, with a strange mix of emotions in his voice. Surprise, amusement, but also a tiny bit of fear.
“I’m here with Liz,” Max just said, shooting a glance at Liz for moral support.
“Good for you,” Kyle said before softly adding. “Evans, can I talk to you for a second… in private?”
As soon as Max stepped away from the table, Maria looked at Liz with an amused expression. “Liz, you invited Max Evans. What on earth are you thinking?”
Liz glanced over towards Max and Kyle, and when she was satisfied that the two wouldn’t kill each other, she turned to face Maria. “I just figured he could use a night out, and he’s not bad company.”
“Well, he did save you from Tess’s matchmaking madness,” Alex helped. “She already had a route mapped out for you that would have led through all single guys here. I think she even scheduled the bathroom breaks.”
Maria just stared at Liz as if she was trying to read her mind. After a few seconds, Maria’s eyed widened. “Oh my God, you like him, don’t you?” Maria asked softly. Liz, the girl who hadn’t been on a date in over a year and who many guys in school dreamed of dating, showed up at a party with the biggest nerd of the school. You could say what you want… it was weird. But if Liz really liked the guy, who was she to judge?
Maria DeLuca, that’s who. “Liz, this is Max Evans; the king of the nerds; the guy who blushes whenever a girl comes within ten feet of him.”
“I know,” Liz said softly. “But he’s nice and smart and he’s not an asshole. What’s not to like?”
Maria was about to answer when Alex intervened. “Absolutely nothing. Max is great guy,” he said, looking at Maria sharply, silently telling her to drop the issue. Liz and Maria has known each other for a few years, but Liz and Alex went back to kindergarten and he could tell that Liz had feelings for Max. He wasn’t lying though; Max wasn’t exactly a social butterfly, but he was a nice person and that was all that really mattered. Besides, he had a feeling that with Liz at his side, Max would come out of his shell soon enough.
When Max rejoined the group, Liz looked at him with a smile. “Look, you’re still alive. Arms still attached and no black eye.”
“Very funny Liz,” Max said. He couldn’t help but grin.
“So, did Kyle ask you not to tell Tess about what happened today?” Liz asked.
Max smiled. “More or less,” he admitted.
Liz laughed out loud. “Kyle has got to be the most predictable guy I’ve ever met… except for Alex, of course.”
“Of course,” Maria agreed.
“Whoa whoa, what do you mean by that?” Alex said indignantly.
“Alex honey,” Maria started. “You’re currently watching the door like a hawk, waiting for Isabel to come in. When she does, you’ll watch at her from afar while she pretends she doesn’t notice and when you finally do speak to her, you open with hey Isabel, nice to see you here. That’s predictable.”
“I… wait a minute, are you saying she notices me looking at her?”
“A blind person could notice. But don’t worry Alex, I think she secretly likes it,” Liz said comfortingly.
“You really think so?” Alex asked timidly.
“Yes. Absolutely,” Liz and Maria said.
“So, do you think I should ask her out?” he asked cautiously. “Max, what do you think?”
“It’s worth a shot,” Max just answered.
Alex looked at Max. “That answer really doesn’t help. Have you ever talked to her?”
“Sure. I mean, she is my cousin and all,” Max started.
“Whoa!” Maria loudly interrupted before lowering her voice to a normal level. “How come I didn’t know that?”
“Well, it never really came up. We don’t exactly hang in the same circles and the fact that we’re related won’t exactly do wonders for her social status here,” Max answered. “But I do know that there’s more to her than the Ice Queen act she’s putting on.”
Alex smirked. “I know. She’s really great,” he said dreamily. “Ooooh, maybe I’ll take her stargazing.”
Liz smiled. “You know, you do need to ask her out before you can do that, and we all know you’re too chicken for that.”
“Hey! I am not chicken,” Alex said indignantly.
“Yes you are,” Maria answered.
“Little bit,” Liz added.
“Well, you are wrong. I am not chicken and I will ask Isabel out tonight,” Alex insisted until he noticed Max’s amused expression. “What?”
Max smiled. “They were right; you really are predictable.”
Alex let out an indignant laugh. “Max… you have a lot to learn about the guy-girl social system. When it comes to arguments in a setting with two guys and two girls, it should be two against two. If you switch to the enemy side, it’s three against one and that is not fun.”
Max’s smile grew wider. “It is if you’re on the winning side.” He didn’t know where it was coming from, but he felt like he had found some sort of self-confidence here. He had never been this straightforward with anyone, but he definitely liked it.
“You tell him, Max,” Liz encouraged.
Alex sighed and turned to Maria. “When is Michael gonna be here?”
Maria let out a laugh. “You think you’re gonna get support from Michael? Well, he has a late shift at the Crashdown, so he’ll be here in about an hour. Oh look it’s Isabel!”
Alex jerked his head towards the door, but there was no Isabel there. He turned back to the now smirking Maria and gave her a stern look. “Bad Maria!” he scolded as another girl came standing right next to him.
“Hey everyone,” Tess said as she joined the group. “How’s everything here?”
“I’m being mocked again and Max is not taking my side,” Alex complained.
Tess smiled. “I see we have a smart one in our midst,” she said, turning to Max. “I’m sorry if I didn’t sound very hospitable at the door. It just took me a little by surprise to see Liz bring a date.”
“It’s alright,” Max offered. “Great party.”
“Thanks. I picked out the music. Great huh?” she asked cheerfully.
From the corner of his eye, he could see both Liz and Maria signalling him to say yes. “Yes, the music is great.”
“Finally, someone who appreciates good music!” Tess squealed. “Come on, let’s dance,” she said as she pulled Max to the dancefloor. His last look at Liz and Maria showed them barely containing their laughter.
“Such a rookie mistake,” Alex deadpanned, causing Liz and Maria to laugh out loud.
When Tess had pulled Max to an empty spot in the room, designated for dancing, it didn’t take more than a couple of seconds for several couples to join them. “So… you and Liz. Dish!” Tess said as she started to move to the rhythm of the music.
“Uhm… not much to tell. We’re just friends,” Max said.
“Uh huh,” Tess said disbelievingly. “You don’t really expect me to believe that, do you?”
“I don’t know what to say,” Max said apologetically. ”I like Liz, but we’re just friends.”
“Alright,” Tess said. She was still convinced there was more going on, but she figured she’s find out soon enough, so she decided to change the subject. “So I saw you talking to Kyle. Do you two know each other?”
“I… guess you could say that,” Max answered.
Tess narrowed her eyes at the vague answer. “He hasn’t been acting like an ass again, has he?”
“No, no,” Max quickly denied. “I just meant that we run into each other from time to time. He knows my name and I know his. Nothing special.”
“Oh really?” Tess said, clearly not buying Max’s answer.
“Yeah, Kyle’s an alright guy,” Max insisted.
“Yes he is, isn’t he?” Tess agreed. “You know, he gave me this for my birthday,” she added as she looked at the silver necklace that was dangling just north of her bosom.
Max followed her gaze and smiled shyly. “Looks beautiful.”
“I know!” Tess said excitedly.
Max felt a soft tap on his shoulder. When he turned around, he noticed Kyle Valenti standing behind him. “Mind if I cut in?” he asked.
Max stepped aside and after shooting Tess one last smile, he made his way back towards Liz, Alex and Maria.
“So what do you think of him?” Kyle asked Tess.
“He’s nice… and he totally covered for you,” Tess said calmly.
“What? What do you mean?” Kyle asked innocently.
“I was referring to you harrassing him this afternoon,” Tess said calmly. “Serena and Lane saw it happen. They even made pictures,” she explained.
Kyle was silent for a few seconds. “Sorry,” he apologized.
“You know, I have this feeling that Liz didn’t bring him here just because she felt sorry for him.”
Kyle smiled and glanced over at Max, who was rejoining Liz, Alex and Maria. He then turned towards Tess and looked at her as if she just said the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. “Liz? And Max Evans? No way!”
“Why not?”
“Why not?” he repeated. “Liz is the coolest girl I know… except for you of course…” he quickly added when he noticed Tess’s look. “And the words cool and Max Evans do not belong in the same sentence.”
“And what if she’s not looking for cool? What if she wants someone who likes romantic movies, who listens to her and who doesn’t hit on anything with a skirt?”
Kyle looked confused. “And you really think Liz likes him?”
“Yes, and I’m never wrong about these things. I predicted Michael and Maria, didn’t I?” Tess reminded.
“Yeah, I never pictured those two together,” Kyle admitted.
“Well, the same thing will happen to Max and Liz. Mark my words.”
Kyle grinned. “I always do.”
~~
The next day, Max dragged his books back through the hallways of Roswell High. This time, he had prepared himself and was carrying a large bag that held his books. When he had almost made it to his locker, he saw Liz Parker coming towards him.
“If you keep dragging your books home every day, this is gonna be a very tiresome year for you,” she remarked as she walked the last few yards to his locker.
Max smiled at her. “You’re right. I’m gonna keep them in my locker from now on. I promise.”
“Good… now, I’m sorry but I need to set up some stuff in chem before class so I gotta go. I’ll see you later, Max,” she said before walking away.
“Bye,” he said, waiting until she was out of sight. “And you look really beautiful today,” he softly added.
“Oh my God!” Max cringed as he heard the voice behind him. He knew that whoever it was overheard him. When he turned around, he noticed Isabel Evans standing there with a big smirk on her face.
“What?” he asked sharply.
“Oh nothing,” Isabel said sweetly. “It’s just that most girls prefer to actually hear a compliment like that. You could have opened with it.”
“Yeah right!”
“Come on, Max. Take control of your destiny. What’s the worst thing that could happen,” Isabel insisted.
“She could hear me.”
Isabel sighed and decided a different tactic. “So, I noticed you had a good time at the party last night.”
Max’s eyes immediately lit up. “Yeah, it was great. Maria, Alex and Michael were really nice and Liz was just amazing.”
“Good, I’m happy for you,” Isabel said. “Now this would be the time where you take the next step. Ask her out.”
“I don’t think so,” Max said quickly before another thought entered his head. “Why do you care anyway?”
“You’re my nephew. You’re family,” Isabel said.
“Isabel, you haven’t talked to me in school in… well, never. What do you want?” Max insisted when suddenly, he knew what she wanted. “Do you want me to convince Alex to ask you out or something?”
“What? No!” Isabel denied a little too empathically. “I mean, would you?”
Max grinned. “Why don’t you ask him out yourself? You know, take control of your destiny, like you said.”
Isabel looked at Max sternly. “Guys should ask out girls; not the other way around.”
“And how convenient that you’re on the side who can just sit back and wait,” Max mocked. “I guess Alex controls your destiny, huh.”
Isabel’s mouth dropped in amazement and she smiled. “You know, I kinda like this new Max.”
Max also smiled. “I kinda like him too.”
“And what is new Max going to do now?” Isabel asked.
“New Max is going to class because he has an American History class. If I’m not mistaken, a certain mr Whitman is taking that class too,” Max teased.
“Really? You have a class with Alex?” Isabel asked.
“Actually, I have several classes with him. Should give me plenty of opportunities to warn him about you.”
Isabel pouted. “New Max is a little mean.”
Max couldn’t help himself and grinned widely. He had never seen Isabel come even remotely close to have a relaxed conversation with anyone, but here she was. “Sorry,” he offered.
Now it was Isabel’s turn to smile. “Don’t worry. I have Math with Liz Parker next period. Hmmmm, the things she and I could talk about.”
“Yes, calculus, geometry, statistics,” Max summed up.
“I was thinking more along the lines of how she would feel about you becoming her smooching-buddy,” Isabel corrected.
“We’re both mean today,” Max noted.
“Maybe. But anyway, I gotta go. See ya later Max,” Isabel said as she walked away. After a few feet, she stopped in her tracks. “Breathe a word of this to Alex and you’re deader than dead!”
Max just smiled and walked away in the other direction.
~~
It was always crowded in the school cafeteria around lunch time, but today it seemed even more so. Max carried his tray through the crowd, finally spotting a free spot in the corner of the cafeteria.
“Hey Max!” he heard a voice shout. Max looked around and saw that Liz was looking at him, motioning to come join her and her friends. Max smiled and walked towards them. He noticed that the whole group was there except Kyle Valenti, who was having lunch with his football friends a few tables over.
Max took a seat on the only empty chair at the table. “Hey.”
“Hey Max,” Tess greeted. “I hope you had fun last night.”
“Absolutely,” Max said. “I had a great time. It was a really great party.”
“Suckup!” Michael coughed.
Tess shot Michael a glare that made him wish he hadn’t opened his mouth. “He’s just saying it as it is. It was a great party!”
“So Max, I’m dying to know something,” Maria said, earning her a grateful look from Michael. “When Liz dropped you off last night, did you and Liz…”
“Maria!” Liz shrieked. “I already told you nothing happened.”
Maria smiled at Liz. “Well, if that’s true, then there’s no harm in asking Max, is there?” she countered.
“She just dropped me off, Maria,” Max said.
“See? I told you,” Liz said.
“That’s too bad,” Maria said.
“I’m getting confused. What are we talking about here?” Max asked innocently.
“Nothing,” Liz quickly said, shooting her friends; most particularly Maria a stern glare to keep them quiet.
“Alright,” Max said, obviously a little confused.
“Max, could it be that I saw you talking with Isabel?” Alex asked excitedly.
“Yes, that would be possible,” Max answered calmly.
“So… did she say anything about me?” Alex pressed.
“Sorry Alex, but I can’t talk about that. Isabel would be less than pleased if I told you what we were talking about,” Max said, hoping that it would be enough for everyone to drop the issue. Clearly, he didn’t know them very well.
“Less than pleased?” Tess asked.
“Her exact words were that I would be deader than dead,” Max explained. “I’m not sure what that means exactly, but it sounds scary.”
“That’s not good enough, Evans,” Maria interjected. “As our friend, you are required to tell us everything you know.”
“Well… I…” Max stammered.
Michael gave him a pitying look. “You might as well give in. Nothing can stop hurricane DeLuca when she wants something.”
“I don’t think so,” Max said, sounding pretty unconvincing at this point.
“You know you want to,” Liz tried.
Max grinned. “Let’s just say that she wouldn’t say no if Alex asked her out.”
Maria let out a laugh. “And since that will never happen, what are the chances of her asking him out?”
“About zero,” Max said truthfully.
A panicked look appeared on Alex’s face. “But I can’t just walk up to Isabel Evans and ask her out!”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s Isabel Evans!” he said exasperatedly. “Do you not know what happened when Heath Rogers asked her out? She eviscerated him and stomped on his heart until he cried!”
“Or so he says,” Max reminded.
“Well… why would he lie about something like that?” Alex asked.
Max looked at him with an amused smile. “You’re really asking me that?”
“Never mind,” Alex said softly. “It’ll happen someday; I just know it.”
~~
That evening went by way too slowly for Liz Parker’s liking. One of the waitresses had called in sick, so Liz had been stuck with a shift from the moment she arrived home from school to eleven in the evening. Being the boss’s daughter definitely had its disadvantages. By now, the last customers had cleared out and she and Maria were tidying up the place, so they could finally close off.
Liz sighed tiredly as she sat down on one of the chairs. “Maria, I need a break. I am wiped out!”
Maria smiled. Her shift had started at six, so she wasn’t as tired as Liz. “Your dad’s a real slavedriver, you know?”
“Yes I know, but I get paid extra for these long shifts, so I can’t complain.”
Maria grinned. “Sure you can. He’s not here.”
“God, this is the day that never ended,” Liz wailed.
“Alright, now that we’re finally sitting here taking a breather… there is something I’ve been dying to ask you all day,” Maria said as she sat down as well.
“Let me guess… it’s about Max?” Liz queried knowingly.
“I’m sorry. I know you had this huge crush on him when you were like, ten, but I thought that was all in the past,” Maria explained.
“It was in the past, and I cannot believe that Alex actually told you that,” Liz said. “Max needed a friend and I wanted to be his friend. It’s really quite simple.”
Maria snorted. “Come on Liz! I haven’t known you as long as Alex, but I know you and there is no way on Earth you’re going to convince me you just want to be friends with the guy.”
“Maria, would you let it go. We’re just friends!” Liz insisted.
Maria pointed to the window. “Then that over there doesn’t bother you?” she asked.
Liz turned around to see what Maria was pointing to and that’s when she saw Max and what looked like Serena Scott, walking next to each other towards her car, which was parked right in front of the Crashdown.
The devastated look on Liz’s face confirmed everything Maria already knew. “I’m sorry, Liz.”
Liz turned away from the window. “It’s… it’s alright. It’s nice that he has a date. I’m happy for him.”
“So the fact that you look like you want to cry means nothing?” Maria pushed.
A single tear trickled down Liz’s face. “I don’t know,” she whispered.
Maria smiled. Maybe this hadn’t been such a bad thing if it made Liz realize how she felt. “Just ask the guy out!” Maria said loudly.
“It’s not that simple,” Liz argued.
Maria smiled. “What? You mean because of Serena? Give me a break! Max is smart enough to have realized what kind of bitch she is after spending an entire evening with her.”
“No, not beause of Serena,” Liz explained. “Because… I don’t know.”
Maria’s smile got bigger. Clearly, she was starting to get amused. “Don’t tell me that confident Liz Parker is too afraid to ask a guy out,” she mocked.
Liz shot Maria a look. “Not afraid, just…”
“Afraid,” Maria helped. “You know, scared, filled with fear, mortified…”
“Stop!” Liz chimed in. “Alright, so maybe I’m a little nervous. What if he says no? If I tell him I like him, we can kiss any chance of a normal friendship goodbye.”
“Maybe,” Maria said softly. “But one of these days, a girl that is not a complete bitch will ask him out, and he might like her enough to ask her be his girlfriend. And he will invite her over to our table, and you can watch while he holds her hand and kisses her neck and rubs…”
“Alright!” Liz yelped, breathing heavily. “You made your point.”
“Good,” Maria stated before smiling. “Oh, we can double date! Hell, we can ask Tess and triple date!”
Liz smiled. “Wouldn’t that be just hanging out?”
Maria nodded and was silent for a few seconds. “Oh, little Lizzie is gonna get a boyfriend. This is so exciting!”
~~
The next night, after her shift at the Crashdown, Liz drove over to Max’s place. She had been stressing about it all day and she couldn’t deny to herself that she wanted to be more than friends with Max. Even though it might be too late now, she had to try.
She took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. After a few seconds, an older woman, who Liz guessed was Max’s mother, opened the door. “Good evening,” she said kindly. “Can I help you with anything?”
“I hope so. I’m Liz. Is Max home?” Liz asked.
The fact that a girl came here and asked for her son visibly pleased Diane. “Yes he is. Please, come in, come in.”
“Thank you,” Liz said politely as she stepped inside.
“You’re Liz Parker, aren’t you?” Diane asked.
“I see my reputation precedes me,” Liz quipped.
Diane smiled. “I’ve seen you at the Crashdown, though I have to admit I don’t come there very often.”
Liz also smiled. “Can’t say I blame you.”
“You know, you can go upstairs. Max’s room is the first door on the right,” Diane offered, looking visibly happy with the situation when Liz walked up the stairs.
When Liz reached the top of the stairs, she turned right and stopped in front of the door to Max’s room. After standing there for a few seconds, she knocked on the door twice.
“What is it mom?” Max asked.
“It’s me,” Liz said through the door.
A few seconds later, Max opened the door. “Liz. Hi.”
“Hi,” Liz mirrorred. “Can we talk?”
“Sure,” Max said softly, stepping aside so Liz could enter. He then closed the door.
“So I heard you went on a date,” Liz said as she sat down on the bed. She wasn’t the kind of person who would dawdle around a subject, so a direct approach seemed best.
“Yes. My first real date. Can you believe it?” Max said semi-proudly.
“Well, I saw it with my own damn eyes,” Liz grumbled, softly enough for Max not to hear it.
“So uh…” Liz said cautiously. “What happened with you and Serena last night?”
“Well, we went to see a movie and it was a really good movie. It’s just too bad I couldn’t enjoy it because Serena is such a bitch!” Max said.
Liz chuckled and smiled and if she could have yelled hallelujah without looking stupid, she definitely would have. “You already figured that out, huh?”
“Well, she sounded nice when she asked me to go to the movies with her,” Max started. “But the moment we arrived at the movie theater, she started being really mean to Laurie DuPree, who was standing in line right in front of us.”
“Oh, I like Laurie. Who was she dating?” Liz asked.
“No one.”
“Oh, I see,” Liz said understandingly. “So did you leave too?”
“No. I figured since I hadn’t been on a date in… well, never… I shouldn’t run away before we set foot in the theater. That was a mistake, because she spent half the movie talking about nailpolish colors and half of the movie insulting the people around us.”
Liz smiled. “So can I take it that was your first and last date with Serena?”
“You got that right,” Max said agreeingly.
“So… do you have any other dates planned?” Liz asked cautiously.
“Just one,” Max said, not failing to notice Liz’s face drop. “But the thing is that I haven’t asked her yet.”
Liz’s face lit up again. “Oh really? And why haven’t you?”
“I’m a little afraid that she’s going to say no… or actually a lot afraid.”
Liz looked at Max with a hopeful expression. “We are… we are talking about me, right?”
Max smiled widely. “Yes.”
“Good,” Liz said with a smile. “Would it make things any easier if I promised to say yes?”
“Yes. Yes, that would,” Max said anxiously. “Liz, would go maybe consider to like, go out with me… sometime.”
Liz smiled widely. “Yes. Yes, I would like nothing more,” she said.
Max smiled too. “I can’t believe I’m going on a date with Liz Parker!” he exclaimed happily.
“Me neither,” Liz agreed happily. “For a moment there, I was afraid that you didn’t think of me that way.”
“Liz, I’ve had a crush on you since I was ten,” Max admitted.
“You did?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t until you saved my life that I saw how beautiful you really are.”
“I didn’t save your life, Max,” Liz argued. “I helped you a little and you did the rest all by yourself.”
“Yes, you did save my life,” Max said, suddenly very seriously. “Without you. I wouldn’t be here today.”
Liz smiled awkwardly. “Max, you’re giving me too much credit here. All I did was try to be your friend.”
Max hesitated for a second and Liz could tell that the next words out of his mouth were going to be tough. “Liz, I want to be honest with you. I don’t want any big secrets between us,” he said.
“I want that too,” Liz agreed.
“Alright, then in the spirit of honestly, I think I should tell you that…” he said, taking a deep breath. “I was going to… kill myself.”
Liz’s mouth opened in shock. “What?” she whispered.
“The day you saved me, I was so tired of everything. I had decided to empty my locker to save my mother the embarrassment of having to come to school, and I was planning on ending it that night. When Kyle started picking on me, I didn’t care. It wasn’t like it was anything new to me.”
Max waited for Liz to say something, but when it became clear that that was not about to happen, he continued. “You may not have realized it, but you saved me, Liz. You saved me just by being the person you are. You offered to help me and be my friend and you gave me a chance to see that life really isn’t so bad.”
“Max,” Liz whispered. “You’re not still planning to…”
“No,” Max said. “I’ll never even think of doing something that stupid ever again. I swear.”
“Good,” Liz said as a single tear trickled down her face. She looked deep in his eyes and leaned in to give him a soft kiss.
Max smiled shyly.
“Max, you’re an amazing person. Why you think so low of yourself is beyond me,” Liz explained.
Max smiled as he looked in Liz’s eye. “If I’m dreaming, please don’t wake me up.”
“You’re not dreaming,” Liz whispered.
All Max could do was stare at Liz loveingly.
“Thank you for trusting me,” Liz said gratefully. “I promise I’ll never tell anyone.”
This time, it was Max who leaned in.
~~
The next day at lunchtime at school, all eyes turned towards the door when Liz and Max walked into the cafeteria, holding hands. The two of them both considered walking hand in hand a little cheesy, but it was an efficient way to let the entire school know what the deal was here. When they arrived at their regular table, six surprised expressions stared at the new couple.
Tess turned towards Kyle. “See? I told you.”
“Yes, you told me. I won’t ever doubt you again,” Kyle said dutifully.
Only then did Liz notice Isabel Evans sitting at the table next to Alex. “Isabel, nice to see you here.”
Max leaned in close to Liz. “I called her last night after you left and threatened to hook up Alex with Laurie,” he whispered.
Liz grinned widely, barely managing to contain her laughter, causing Maria to look at Max sternly. “You know, I’m an information-oriented girl and whispering in my presence is just plain mean!”
“Information-oriented?” Alex asked questioningly. “Don’t you mean nosy?”
“Information-oriented!” Maria repeated before turning to Max and Liz. “So what happened with the two of you? Didn’t you go out with Serena Scott last night?”
“I did… and that was one highschool experience I could have lived without.”
“So… tell us everything,” Tess asked excitedly. “Who asked who? Where? How?”
Liz grinned. “Wouldn’t you all like to know.”
“Liz!” Maria scolded. “Information-oriented, remember?!”
“Aw, poor little nosy person,” Liz mocked. “Well alright, Max asked me.”
“Way to go Max!” Alex cheered.
“But enough about us. What about the two of you?” Liz asked, indicating Isabel and Alex.
“Well, Isabel called me Saturday night and asked me out,” Alex said excitedly. “So we went on our first date yesterday.”
“Yes we did,” Isabel said. She tried to act cool, but the perpetual smile on her face made all those efforts moot. “It was fun.”
“Wait a minute!” Tess said as she looked around the table. “No one here is single anymore. Who the hell is going to be my next project?!”
When the other turned towards her, Tess gave an embarrassed smile. “I mean, yay!” she tried meekly.
“Yay indeed,” Liz agreed, taking Max’s hand into her own, smiling back as he smiled at her.
Yay indeed.
The End