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Title: Before It All Began
Author: Lea Petherick
Parts: 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Roswell or any of the characters in this story.
Rating: G, PG-13, its nothing bad!
Summary: How life was like before that fateful day at the CrashDown when Liz was shot.
Authors Note: This is my first fanfic story and it would be so great if when you are finished reading it you could quickly email me to tell me what you think of it! Thanx!
Email: alle_sparkles@sogold.au.com
Category: Max/Liz
"It’s July 23rd and I’m Liz Parker. Everything in my life is complete. I have great friends and a great boyfriend. So why aren’t I as happy as I should be?”
Liz Parker opened her locker after second period and put some of her books away. Suffering from a major headache from the maths lesson she just had, she grabbed one of Maria’s herbal remedies stashed up the back of the locker.
As she breathed in some jasmine and sandalwood oil two hands came from behind her and covered her eyes.
“Guess who.,” a soft voice whispered in her ear. Playing along she pretended not to know who it was.
“Umm, let me think….” She replied smiling. “ Are you of the male species?”
“Yes..”
“On the wrestling team?”
“Yes..”
“And the basketball team?”
“Yes..”
“And are you presently going out with Liz Parker?”
“Well, I’ll have to think about that one…!”
Liz spun out of his reach and playfully hit him. “Kyle!!” she exclaimed.
Kyle Valenti was grinning from ear to ear. “Liz!!” he cried with mock surprise.
Then he turned serious.
“How’s my girl?” He asked, giving her a quick kiss.
Liz looked at her watch and gasped.
“At the moment she’s very late for class, so I’ll talk to you later okay?! See you later Kyle.”
Kyle watched as she ran off down the hallways, dodging out of student’s way with her long brown hair streaming behind her. Then glancing at his own watch realized he was probably going to be late too so hurried off in the opposite direction.
Liz was so worried about the biology exam she had next that she didn’t even see Max Evans until she bowled him over. They fell in a tumbled heap on the floor and lay there for a few seconds groaning from pain. She was so embarrassed and just kept apologizing over and over again until she saw that he was laughing.
He offered her a helping hand off the floor and she took it. When their fingers met Liz suddenly saw a flash in front of her eyes. It only lasted a second or two, but long enough to see what was happening.
It was her and Max in third grade and he was helping her up off the ground after she fell off the swing.
Liz just stared at Max with wide eyes and wondered if what just happened to her had happened to him as well.
He looked at her normally and she shook her head and told herself not to act crazy.
Liz looked up at him with a small smile playing on her lips. Then suddenly feeling shy she lowered her head.
“So you forgive me then?” She asked.
Max bent down to pick up his and her books off the ground.
“Consider it forgotten.” He said placing her books in her open hands.
“We have bio together don’t we?” Liz remembered seeing him in her class. He had been transferred from another class or something.
“Yeah…” She said, and then grimaced. “And we have a test now as well.” Max grinned and said
“ Somehow I have a feeling we don’t.” Liz looked at him slightly amused.
“What, are you psychic now or something? Because I have it imprinted on my brain that it’s today.”
Max opened the door to the lab.
“Not if we have a substitute teacher. I think that’s what the conditions said.”
Liz looked in and sure enough there was a strange teacher standing in Mr Manes’s place. She passed a smug Max on her way in and gave him a ‘smart ass’ look. He pretended to be hurt. She plonked her books down next to her best friend Maria Deluca and gave her a fright.
“Nice, Liz.” She said with her eyebrows raised. Liz gave her a fake smile, the one that nearly always makes her friend laugh. Maria just shook her head sadly. Then she noticed that Liz’s brown eyes were sparkling brighter than usual and she looked flushed.
“Where have you been girl?” She asked. “You’re glowing all over!”
Liz seemed lost in thought for a second when she realized that Maria was talking to her.
“Huh? Sorry Maria, what did you say?”
Concerned for her friend Maria held her hand up against Liz’s forehead, thinking she might be burning up or something. But she seemed fine, apart from a bit embarrassed.
“Liz, what happened between second and third period?” She asked suspiciously.
Liz shook her head.
“Nothing Maria. I saw Kyle for a few seconds at my locker and then, then, I nearly killed Max coming in here, which was so unbelievably embarrassing….”
“Wait wait wait Liz, back up a bit. Who’s Max?” Maria asked confused. Liz tapped her friend on the head lightly as if making out that it was hollow.
“Duh! Max Evan’s! He’s sitting right there.” Liz pointed to one of the lab benches where Max was sitting with one of his friends. Maria frowned.
“Oh Max! I don’t remember him being in this class.” She said matter-of-factly.
“He was transferred here about a week ago from one of his other classes or something.” Liz shrugged.
Maria looked at the brown haired guy and then told Liz that she was lucky.
Liz looked dumbfounded.
“Lucky? How am I lucky Maria, I’m going to have bruises for a week!!”
“ Argh, Liz, look at him!! Can you stand here and tell me he’s not gorgeous?! I’m just saying you’re lucky to have had the privilege of running into him!”
Liz gave Max a long hard look. She had to agree with her friend that there was definitely something about him that gave him a certain charm. And that was aside from his obvious good looks. She couldn’t remember ever hearing him going out with anyone, although she doesn’t know why. If he asked her out she would say yes without hesitating.
Liz blinked and shook her head. ‘I shouldn’t be thinking that’ she scolded herself. ‘I have Kyle. And I really like Kyle, a lot.’ Then she sighed. If she sounded any less convincing she would have to kick herself next time.
“Class!” The teacher clapped her hands. “Class, as you can see Mr Manes is away today so I am filling in for him. But do not despair, he has kindly left instructions for me.” The class groaned in unison.
“First off what I need to do is put you all in the seating plan that he has organised. Apparently your seating plan partner will be your lab partner for the rest of the semester.”
The class was now booing loudly, accompanied by Maria, who was among the loudest.
The teacher pulled out a sheet and cleared her throat.
“Right, lets begin. O’Brien with Hendrickson, Taylor with Barton, DeLuca with Whitmire, Parker with Evans, Selicic with Kingsman…” She kept going but Liz was no longer listening. She was going to be Max’s lab partner for the rest of the semester. It made her feel all tingly inside. She quickly shook the feeling away and looked over to where he was sitting. He was staring at her. She looked away quickly, embarrassed he had caught her looking. Maria noticed that he was looking at Liz and leaned over to say something to her friend.
“Don’t look now, but Mr Gorgeous over there is checking you out! Go over and talk to him now, before I make you!” She said quietly and pinching her friend lightly on the arm. “Go!!”
Liz jumped up rubbing her arm in mock pain and turned to come face to face with her good friend Alex Whitmire.
“Alex!” She exclaimed. “What’s up?”
Alex looked at her with his head cocked to one side as if he was studying her.
“I’m Maria’s lab partner actually.” He replied.
“Oh…okay then, see you!” Liz walked over to Max’s bench and sat down next to him shyly.
He turned to her and gave her a smile.
“Looks like you’re stuck with me for the rest of the semester.”
She smiled back.
“Stuck with you? Hey, if anything you’re stuck with me!”
He didn’t say anything for a few seconds and Liz thought she had said something wrong.
“I don’t mind then.” He suddenly replied, looking away.
Liz felt her cheeks turn red, not from embarrassment, but from pleasure. Max Evans liked having her for a lab partner! Somehow it got her thinking about what happened earlier. It was like when she touched Max it triggered her memory of when they were young. Because that was definitely a memory, it wasn’t something she made up.
She hardly knew him back then, like she hardly knew him now. He and his friend Michael always seemed to be whispering about something and Max just seemed closed off all the time. His sister Isabel on the other hand was popular and well known, the envy of every girl at Roswell High.
Liz couldn’t remember there ever being a time when her friends didn’t surround her.
Maybe now that she would be spending a little more time with Max she might get to know him a little bit better. ‘Just to be friends.’ She reminded herself. Just to be friends.
Maria watched Liz’s every move and before deciding she could handle herself. Maria had never really known Max. He was always hanging around that guy with the hair, what was his name, Michael or something. He creeped her out big time.
She had seen those two plus Max’s sister Isabel at the CrashDown all the time.
They always looked like they had something of importance to discuss. It often made her want to laugh how serious they looked. But it was none of her business.
Maria remembered how back in 6th grade Michael made fun of her when she had her long, blonde hair cut short and he told her she looked like a boy.
She cried for days about it. Maria began to realize that she had been avoiding him since that day. Suddenly the bell rang for the end of the period.
Maria gathered up her things and walked out with Alex. On the way they picked up Liz, who was in the middle of a conversation with Max.
Maria waved a hand in front of Liz’s face.
“Hey Liz, you know that ear splitting sound you heard before? Well, that means it’s the end of third period and I for one am starving. C’mon!” She grabbed Liz’s arm and pulled her away.
Liz gave Max an apologetic smile.
“Bye Max.”
“See ya Liz.” Max returned the smile and watched Maria walk her out the doorway, complaining about her empty stomach. His eyes caught sight of Michael standing in the doorway waiting for him. Max grabbed his books and went out to meet him.
Michael watched Maria and Liz walk away as well. He was trying to remember who the blonde was.
Before he could think anymore about it Max was at his side. Michael had seen the way Max was looking at Liz.
“ So what’s up with the Liz chick?” He asked Max first up. Max was surprised.
“What do you mean, what’s up with her?” He looked at with a confused expression on his face.Michael shrugged his broad shoulders.
“Nothing, you two just looked pretty close is all. I think you like her.”
Max laughed as if it was the funniest thing he had heard all day.
“I don’t like her, she has a boyfriend you know. Kyle Valenti.”
“Ahh….yes..Kyle-ass-kissing-Valenti. Well, if she’s going out with him they must deserve each other.”
Max sighed.
“Look Michael, I don’t know her that well but I know well enough that she is nothing like him. There’s something different about her………what?” Michael grinned knowingly.
“You like her.” Was all he said.
After school Maria and Liz worked in Liz’s parents diner, called the CrashDown. It was a popular alien themed restaurant that attracted mainly local students and tourists.
Liz tipped another bunch of strawberries into the glass bowl and continued her story to Maria.
“Then after I had apologized, like about a hundred times he offered to help me up.” She stopped what she was doing and looked directly at Maria.
“When our fingers met it like, brought back memories in flashes, right in front of my eyes from when we were younger, in about third grade. I had just fallen off the swing and while everyone else laughed, Max gave me his hand and helped me up. Which was what he was doing again, only on a much more embarrassing scale. How weird does that sound?”
Maria stood in front of Liz and put her hands on her shoulders.
“That does sound pretty weird and all, but Liz, I would honestly would not think too much about it. It was probably just a flash of déjà vu.” She replied with a slight shake of the head. Liz sighed.
“We should get back out there in case business picks up a bit.” She said, indicating to the dining area.
Just as they walked back out, the main door jingled and Kyle walked in and looked around. When he caught sight of Liz he broke into a grin and walked towards her.
“Lizzy! I missed you today, where were you?” He asked, giving her a big kiss. When they stopped Liz playfully scolded him.
“How many times have I told you not to call me Lizzy?! That was my childhood nickname and you know how much I hate it!” She turned her nose up at him and he apologized.
“So what’ll it be?” She asked him.
Kyle studied the menu. As he was doing that Max and Isabel walked in laughing and Max caught sight of Liz serving Kyle. As much as he hated to admit it, he was developing a kind of crush on her, even though he knew it was wrong.
Liz saw him coming her way and felt her heart do a little skip. She immediately felt guilty but still said hi to Max when he walked past her. He gave her his charming smile and said hi back. She could feel her cheeks turning red again.
“I’ll have an Alien Blast.” Kyle announced.
Liz jotted it down on to her little notepad.
“I’ll be right back with your order, sir.” She replied with a smile.
Then she walked to Max and Isabel’s table and asked them what they would like to order.
“A Coffee Crash and a Cherry Cola, thanks Liz.” He said straight away.
“Okay I’ll be right back.” She said as she wrote it down.
True to her word she was back just a few minutes later with the drinks. She served Kyle first then served Max and Isabel.
Max swore he saw her give him a little smile.
Kyle watched her walk off, unaware that Max was doing the same.
Max was watching Liz’s aura. Each person has an aura, but Max found Liz’s particularly interesting.
Most bits were pink with satisfaction, but there were a few splotches of purple, which meant she was obviously confused about something. He hoped it wasn’t about the flash they had earlier that day when he helped her off the floor.
He could tell she saw it too, them as children, and it even surprised him that he actually made a connection with her. It rarely, if never happened before with anyone else besides Michael and Isabel, but they were like him.
Max was wondering what it could mean when he realized it was getting later and later and Michael still hadn’t showed up yet.
“What time did you tell Michael to meet us here?” He asked Isabel. Isabel looked at her watch.
“About half an hour ago, considering we were late.” She looked worried.
“What did he want to talk about?”,p>
“Something about this stone he found. He thinks it might mean something.”
She started to dig around in her bag looking for something, until she produced an unusual looking rock.
“He made me haul it around all day.” Isabel complained.
“I told him that I had better things to put in my bag besides rocks, but he - “
Isabel stopped in mid sentence and drew in a sharp breath, still holding the rock.
She closed her eyes as this strange feeling came over her and suddenly she saw Michael, lying in the quarry where they sometimes met.
There was something wrong with him, he was in pain and she could feel every last bit of it. As suddenly as it came it was gone and so was the vision.
Isabel grabbed Max’s arm.
“Michael’s in trouble. We have to get to the quarry.” She jumped out of her seat and quickly headed outside. Max reached into his pocket for some money and handed it to Liz at the counter.
“I’m in a hurry, so keep the change, ok? See you tomorrow Liz.”
And with that he ran out the door, leaving a bewildered Liz behind.
“Okay, bye….” She looked at the money stuffed into her hand and realized he had given her a twenty dollar bill. That was at least sixteen dollars change! It was too much; he had obviously made a mistake. A good enough excuse to go after him.,p>
“Maria, I’ll be back in a minute!” She yelled as she headed out the door to her car.
As Liz got in she could see Max’s jeep driving off down the road. She quickly started the car and put it into reverse. As she backed back she prayed she wouldn’t accidentally hit anyone’s car. By some miracle she didn’t and soon was speeding off after them.
Max and Isabel drove quickly to the quarry, unaware that Liz was right behind them.
“What did you see Isabel?” Max asked calmly.
“It was like a premonition or something, and Michael was lying on the ground in pain. I could feel his pain Max. It was awful. We have to get there soon.” Isabel found it hard to stay calm.
“Did you see what did it to him or why he was in pain?” Max had to keep Isabel calm or she would become hysterical.
Isabel shook her head no. She didn’t want to talk; she just wanted Max to drive faster so they could get to Michael.
Meanwhile Liz was having a hard time keeping up. She was trying to think of where they were going and what she was going to say to Max when she showed up. Just then she passed the old sign announcing the area was under construction.
They had stopped mining there years ago; she doesn’t know why someone just doesn’t pull the sign down.
Suddenly Liz saw them turn off at the quarry entrance.
She slowed the car down and watched them drive in. After only a moments hesitation she followed them. She saw them park the car and get out. What were they doing?
She parked the car behind some bushes in the shade and got out with Max’s change in hand.
Max and Isabel were leaning over a fallen Michael when Isabel heard the car door slam. She turned to the noise and saw Liz walking towards them with a concerned look on her face.
“Dammit Max, that waitress is coming!” Isabel put her hands over Michael’s chest.
Max looked up and saw Liz walking towards them.
“Quick Isabel, we have to heal him. Hurry!”
They put their hands over him and concentrated on his pain.
In a few second’s Liz would reach them. Suddenly Michael stirred and slowly opened his eyes.
“What happened?” He asked Max and Isabel. Max shushed him just as Liz rushed to their sides.
“Oh my god,” she exclaimed. “What happened here??”
Michael suddenly realized what was going on .
“Um, it’s nothing, just the damn weather. It was so hot I keeled over, must have been sunstroke or something.”
They helped him to his feet and moved him into the shade of the Jeep. Max took Liz aside.
“Liz, what are you doing here?” Liz was at a loss of words.
“I came to give you your change. It was sixteen dollars so I thought you would probably want it after all.” It all seemed like such a stupid thing to do now, after Michael being hurt and everything.
Max smiled.
“Thanks Liz. I should probably, you know, go see how Michaels doing.”
Liz felt so embarrassed, which Max observed as the deep red splotches in her aura.
“I’ll just go now okay?” Liz said backing away.
“Maria need’s me at the diner.”
Max waved good-bye as she walked back to her car. Then he turned back to Isabel and Michael who were watching.
A couple of days later Max, Isabel and Michael, who had recovered from his snake bite, were sitting at the CrashDown quietly discussing what happened at the quarry.
Michael was not happy.
“It was too close Maxwell.” He exclaimed. “Next time you decide to make new friends, make sure they won’t follow you around like a dog, okay? It could get us all in deep water.”
Max could feel his anger rising.
“Liz is not following me around, she was there for a reason.”
Michael shook his head.
“No, I think it went a bit deeper than bringing your change. And I don’t think we should get attached to anyone. Humans are the enemy.”
Max rolled his eyes to the ceiling.
“I’m not getting attached to anyone Michael. I don’t like her that way; she has a boyfriend for that. Remember Kyle?”
“I’m just warning you, man, for your own sake.” Michael said as he got up to head off.
Max looked at Isabel.
“What do you think?” He asked. Isabel looked at Liz who was wiping down a table nearby.
“I have to say I agree with Michael.” She replied turning her gaze to Max.
“The closer we get to other’s, the harder it will be to leave them.”
She left Max there staring at Liz and thinking. A few moments later he got up and with one last look at Liz, left the diner.
Liz stared after them and watched as the three of them got into the Jeep and drove off. When they went out of sight she turned and looked at Kyle in the corner with some of his friends, cheering on some guy who was chugging some drink they concocted together. She sighed and looked out the window again.
“July 25th. I’m Liz Parker and I’m not sure about anything anymore. I feel like my whole world has been tipped upside down and I’m tumbling along with it. My head is battling with my heart and I don’t know which to follow. Can anything ever happen between Max Evans and me? I guess only fate can decide.”
TBC
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