Part 17

The next day, Liz walked through the hallway at school, her lips curled upwards in a slight smile, as she strolled past her classmates, heading for the girls locker room to change for gym class.

She smiled remembering that the new girl, Alyssa was in her gym class. Liz was really looking forward to seeing her again, maybe getting to know the girl a little better. There was something about her…Liz wasn’t sure what it was, but she felt like the girl was a good person…the kind of person that Liz looked for in a friend.

Liz frowned suddenly, remembering who else was in her gym class…Tess. Liz shuddered at the thought of the skin who had tried to squirm her way into her husband’s pants.

The thought shocked Liz, and she stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the hallway, drawing several strange looks, as she shook her head slightly, trying to clear her thoughts.

Her boyfriend…not her husband…not yet at least.

A dreamy smile slipped back onto Liz’s face as she thought back to the past few days with the love of her life. She and Max were spending almost every second of the day with one another…whenever they weren’t in class, but it still didn’t seem like enough time together. Moments like now when she wasn’t with him, Liz missed him so much that her heart ached, wishing he was right there beside her.

Every moment she spent with him was like a cherished treasure which she held dearly close to her heart. After everyone had left the night before, they found themselves alone in Max’s room. No words were needed…they just took comfort in each other’s presence, as they sat silently doing their homework, and casting dreamy gazes at one another, until they couldn’t take it anymore…then they made beautiful love to one another reverently, praising every inch of one another, making sure to show each other just how much they were in love. They fell asleep in each other’s arms…sleeping soundly in each other’s presence, until they woke up in time for school this morning.

Ever since they had found out that their true destiny was to be together, there were no more hesitations between them, no more doubts. They were finally operating as one, two halves of a whole. When they were apart, everything just felt wrong…but every moment that they were together, it was as if everything seemed right in the world, in their lives.

Even if the reality was far from perfect.

After a dodgeball filled period, Liz found herself in front of the mirror in the locker room, brushing out her hair and reapplying her make up. Her next class was science lab, with Max…and Liz wanted to knock him off his feet when he saw her.

Gym had definitely been an ackward class. Tess had been glaring at her the whole period, sending her deathly murderous glares…and Liz knew to take them seriously. Tess was capable of anything. She hadn’t confronted Liz face to face yet…but Liz could almost feel the upcoming war that would rage…just the thought of it made Liz shiver.

"Trying to make yourself pretty for Max?" A snide voice broke into Liz’s thoughts, and she whirled around, preparing herself for a confrontation.

"Tess…" Liz greeted her evenly…her mind whirling a mile a minute, as she realized all at once that the confrontation was going to happen here and now…and there was nobody here to protect her except herself…and Tess was capable of anything.

"Now, what I want to know…" Tess started, as she began to circle Liz, staring at her like a predator eyeing it’s prey. "…is what initiated this change of heart, Liz? A few days ago you were desperately pushing Max away, completely aware that he needs to follow his destiny…to me. Now, why would you stupidly go back to him now, knowing that he belongs to me?"

"He doesn’t belong to you, Tess."

"I’m his destiny, plain and simple. How can you even try to fight something that strong? Do you like knowing that you’ll never be enough for Max? He may claim to want you, may pretend he’s happy…but deep down inside of him, he’s always going to have an underlying desire for me, Liz. You may control his human side, but his alien side will always belong to me."

"Really?" Liz asked incredulously. "I don’t know what you see Tess, but when Max and I are together, he’s like a completely different person…he’s happy, complete. He can do anything. In the 4 months that we were apart I didn’t see him coming crawling to you for comforting. Why do you fool yourself into thinking that there’s actually something between you two, Tess? Anyone with eyes can see that there’s no comparison."

The hatred in Tess’s eyes darkened more, making her look almost murderous, and Liz swallowed nervously. Why had she said that? Tess was capable of killing her with a touch, and Liz couldn’t protect herself. She should be trying to keep Tess from getting angry, not pushing her to her limits.

But inside she knew why she was doing it. She wanted, no, needed to fight for Max. She loved him, and he deserved her absolute loyalty on everything. By denying what they had together, it would be like betraying him, even if it was to protect her from the snake standing beside her.

Tess opened her mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by another voice approaching them from behind.

"Hey Liz, Tess! Liz, we’re going to be late for class if we don’t go now!"

Tess’s evil eyes whipped around to face the intruder, and narrowed on the new kid at school….Alyssa Johnson, or something. She refocused on Liz, knowing that this was over…for now.

"Don’t think I’m going to let you get away with this. You’d better watch your back…because one day when you least expect it, I’ll be right there to shatter your idealistic little world."

Alyssa watched Tess stalk away angrily, with a concerned look on her face.

"Are you okay, Liz?" Alyssa asked her new friend. "What’s her problem anyways?"

"I’m fine…don’t worry about Tess. Just stay away from her. She hates me because I have something that she wants, but don’t worry..."

"Okay…well let’s get to class…you wouldn’t want to miss an hour of sitting with Max, right?"

Liz grinned at her new friend, who was chuckling mischievously at her.

"Come on." She insisted, pulling Alyssa down the hallway towards the lab room.