Part 2

Liz glanced up from packing her backpack when she heard the sound of Maria’s car pulling up to the front of the Crashdown. A second later Maria honked the horn and Liz slung her backpack over her shoulder and left her room at a quick walk.

"Michael! Come on, Maria and Alex are here!" she yelled in the direction of the kitchen, where she knew Michael was talking with their parents. She didn’t want to interrupt, she knew they had a lot to talk about, since he’d disappeared for a few days and their mother had been worried. But she also wanted to give her brother an easy out. Michael poked his head around the corner, shooting her a grateful nod and he came out, followed by their mother, who handed Michael his bag and kissed him on the cheek gently.

Liz gave her mother a quick hug before she walked towards the door.

"Bye Mom!" they both called.

"Bye kids, have a good first day of school," she replied.

Liz and Michael practically raced down the stairs and Michael maneuvered around Liz to get to the front door of Maria’s Jetta before she could. Liz gave a sound of protest and Maria shrugged from the driver’s seat, her eyes sparkling at Michael’s return to his normal playful self. Alex rolled down his window and grinned at Liz.

"Come on Parker, the backseat has your name all over it," he reassured her. Liz wrinkled her nose in fake disgust.

"But, doesn’t that mean I have to sit next to you?" she asked. Alex rolled his eyes and she grinned, walking around the back of the car to get in behind Maria. As soon as everyone was safely inside Maria pulled away from the Crashdown and headed towards the high school.

"Hey, guys, we have to find Max and Isabel Evans before school starts this morning. I promised we’d show them around," Alex said. Maria looked at Liz in the rearview mirror and they shared a secret smile.

"This wouldn’t have anything to do with your sudden infatuation with this Isabel Evans, would it?" Maria teased. Alex tried not to smile and he leaned back, stretching his arms along the backseat of the car.

"Nope, not at all," Alex said nonchalantly. Liz nodded, trying to look like she believed him. Michael glanced back at his best friend and then looked at his sister.

"Ok, I know I’ve been out in the woods for a few days, but what the heck are you guys talking about?" Michael asked, his eyes puzzled.

"New kids at school. Isabel and Max Evans just moved back to town from Aspen. They lived here like ten years ago, but left before any of us met them," Maria explained as she effortlessly pulled her car into one of the parking spaces at school. They all piled out and headed for the open green grass of the front lawn. Michael put an arm around Maria and she put her arm around his waist, chatting happily with her friend. Liz smiled at them, wondering if they realized how much they looked like a couple when they "casually" touched each other. She didn’t even think that either of them knew how much they really meant to one another.

Suddenly, she was ripped out of her thoughts by Alex pulling her around by her waist. She dropped her bag and giggled out loud as he turned her in a circle. Alex took every opportunity he could to spin her around, he knew how much she’d loved the merry-go-round at the playground in elementary school. After a few minutes Liz’s stomach ached from laughing so hard and she and Alex tumbled to the ground, leaning against one another as they gasped for air. Maria knelt down and helped Liz up.

"Looks like trouble. Kyle Valenti has been staring at you since we got here. He looked especially unhappy when Alex grabbed you," Maria whispered in her ear. Liz glanced back where Maria was looking and saw the stormy look in Kyle’s eyes. She sighed and shrugged.

"Kyle’s harmless. I just need to explain to him today that we were just a summer thing. I’m sure he’ll understand," Liz said, doing her best to reassure Maria. Maria looked at her skeptically, but finally nodded. Maria finally brightened and she tugged at the front pocket of her bag, pulling out her schedule.

"Ok, now what classes do we have together?" Maria asked excitedly. Liz grinned and pulled out her own schedule, huddling with Maria over the papers. Maria groaned out loud.

"Oh my God, we have P.E. first period? Isn’t that cruel and unusual punishment? Can you just imagine running the track field in the middle of winter at 8am?"Maria lamented. Liz smiled and patted Maria’s arm gently. They went back to examining their schedules when Liz heard Alex call across the lawn.

"Isabel! Over here!"

Isabel looked at her brother’s sullen face as they pulled into the high school where they’d be spending the next three years of their education. She sighed.

"God Max, could you look any unhappier?" she asked, climbing down from the jeep. Max sighed out loud and rested his head on the back of the seat, not really watching as his sister began to walk across the grass towards Alex, the guy they’d met last night. Max closed his eyes and soaked up the feeling of the sun on his face.

Maybe he should just try and make the best of things. It couldn’t be that bad, and Alex had seemed like a really cool guy. He straightened up and searched behind his chair for his backpack, finally finding it. Besides, Alex had said he hung out with a group of fun people. His best friend Michael and Michael’s sister and her best friend. He frowned, he couldn’t remember if Alex had mentioned their names.

He shrugged and started to climb down from the jeep, surveying the direction Isabel had gone in a few minutes ago. He saw her talking with Alex in the middle of the lawn and nearby another guy and two girls stood. He could see the face of the blond girl and the guy, they were facing another girl with long brown hair as they all looked at their schedules.

His feet were just touching the ground when the other girl turned around to pull Alex and Isabel into their circle, her long, straight hair swinging gently as she moved. He froze as his eyes locked on her face.

God, she was beautiful.

She looked like a vision that he only could have conjured up in his imagination or dreamed about at night.

She was laughing at something, an easy smile revealing perfect teeth and a round mouth. She looked so tiny and her petite frame moved with ease and comfort around the people she was with. Her hands were gesturing in the air, fingers moving excitedly as she talked to the other guy with Alex, a tall guy with spiky hair.

But Max’s attention was drawn to the angel standing in the middle of the group, at her laughing eyes and how even though she was easily the smallest person, she almost seemed to bring his gaze towards her. It was like gravity, how she was almost pulling him towards her.

But he couldn’t get his feet to move, to walk over and talk to her. So he watched from a distance as Alex pulled Isabel over to her and they were introduced. The girl had such an open smile and he watched as his sister leaned forward and gave her an answering grin. Isabel wasn’t usually that open with strangers, but this girl seemed to make it easier. Isabel turned to meet the other girl, the one with short blond hair and the three girls formed a circle, effectively shutting out the two guys. Alex traded glances with the other guy and rolled his eyes, trying to look irritated though Max could see he was pleased the three girls were already getting along.

Just when he thought he might be able to walk over to the group, the girls started to break away and head for the school buildings. His heart dropped as he watched her go, wanting with every fiber of his being to run after her and grab her shoulder, turn her around and lean his head close to hers. Close enough that he could feel her eyes looking up at him, close enough that he could smell her perfume and examine the facets of her face. Close enough that he could touch her.

Shaking his head, Max tried to clear his vision. He’d almost run after a girl he didn’t even know. He didn’t know her name, he didn’t know if she had a boyfriend. His eyes turned cloudy as reality came crashing back. The only thing he did know for certain was that he couldn’t ever run up to her like he wanted. Because he could never be normal, like she was. But she’d made him forget, if even for a few seconds.

Max looked up as Alex and the other guy approached. He suddenly felt embarrassed, he’d been standing by the jeep, just watching the group for awhile. Now he probably looked even more weird than before. Alex clapped him on the back and pulled the other guy over. Max tried to push thoughts of the dark haired girl out of his mind and concentrate.

"Max, this is Michael Parker, my best friend. Michael, this is Max Evans, my new across the street neighbor," Alex introduced. Max looked up at Michael and thought he felt a flash of recognition. Impossible, he thought, he never would have met Michael before. They’d barely lived in Roswell before they’d moved years ago.

"Good to meet you Max. Your sister said that you’ve got P.E. first like the rest of us. We thought we’d all go together," Michael replied as the warning bell rang in the distance.

"Thanks, that would be great. Alex mentioned you last night, have you lived here all your life?" Max asked. When Michael paused for a minute before answering Max was a little surprised. But then he spoke up and Max thought maybe he’d imagined it.

"Pretty much. My sister and I live at the Crashdown Café, which our parents own. She and Maria are waitresses there and I do a lot of the odd jobs around the restaurant," Michael replied. Max listened carefully, wondering if the dark haired girl was Maria or Michael’s sister. He didn’t want to ask too many questions, so he thought he’d try to piece together as much information as possible.

"And I am a professional booth warmer. I mostly hang out at the Crashdown and watch my friends work," Alex joked. Michael grinned and punched him in the arm.

"You know if you want a job my parents would hire you," Michael pointed out.

"But you see, that’s the idea. I don’t want a job. And besides, you know I go there to enjoy the view," Alex replied. Michael gave him a stern look.

"Hey, that’s my sister and Maria you’re talking around. And you know Liz and Maria would come after you if they heard you say that in front of them," Michael replied as the three guys casually walked towards the gym. Max had been enjoying the comfortable conversation until his ears perked up at the sound of the other girl’s name. Liz? Was the dark haired girl, his Dreamgirl, was she Liz? Something inside him, some kind of recognition, told him said that she was.

"That’s why I don’t say that kind of stuff in front of them," Alex grinned as he pushed the doors to the gym wide open. They filed in and found the gym classes scattered over the basketball courts, everyone talking and laughing over their summer activities. Max followed Michael and Alex closely, but also scanned the heads of as many students as possible. They were waiting for the teachers to show up and take role when Alex left and came back with a basketball, dribbling it in front of them.

"Did you see the girls?" Michael asked. Alex shook his head.

"They’re around here somewhere, we’ll catch up to them. Hey, did you see Kyle Valenti staring at Liz this morning? What’s his problem?" Alex asked. Michael turned to Max to explain.

"Liz and Kyle sort of went out over the summer and even though she’s kept things casual, he’s got them married with 2.5 kids already. She’s going to tell him she wants to just be friends today," Michael explained. Alex nodded and the two guys began a game of one on one. Max watched them for a minute until Alex motioned him over and he smiled, joining the two guys. He’d find his Dreamgirl soon enough, and he had a feeling he’s know when she was close.

"Wow, who is that guy?" Isabel asked, gesturing her head towards a tall guy sporting a varsity jacket. Maria and Liz critiqued him quickly.

"Scott Johnson. Junior, quarterback on the varsity football. Very cute," Maria replied. Liz wrinkled her nose.

"Yeah, but he cheated off of me in Algebra last year," Liz replied.

"Maybe he just has trouble in math," Isabel said hopefully.

"And Physical Science. And History. And English. Need I continue?" Liz asked. Isabel giggled and shook her head. Maria smiled at the other two girls and then they returned to their guy watching. Isabel couldn’t keep the smile off of her face. They’d been in town only a few days and she’d already met a group of people she felt like she could be friends with. Especially Maria and Liz, she desperately wanted them to accept her. Because no matter how much she tried not to think like Max, she was different, and her insecurities sometimes came to the surface and she worried just as much as Max that everyone might discover who they really were.

"Hey, Isabel, where’s this brother of yours?" Maria asked. Isabel frowned and searched around for Max, hoping he wasn’t sitting off to the side somewhere by himself.

"I don’t see him," she replied.

"Well, what’s he look like?" Maria prodded.

"Um, well, he’s kind of tall, dark hair, brown eyes. Just look for someone that isn’t smiling," Isabel said dryly.

"Well, ok, how bout cute? Is he cute?" Maria continued to press. Isabel looked at her as though she’s sprouted another head.

"I don’t know, I guess so. I don’t look at him like that! Would you call your brother cute, Liz?" Isabel asked. Liz smiled and gave Maria an evil glance.

"I don’t know, what do you think Maria?" she asked innocently. Maria blushed widely and avoided the question.

Suddenly, Maria bounced up and gestured to them.

"I’m going to check out the girl’s bathroom. See who’s smoking now, who got who over the summer and when we can expect the next big breakup in the quad during lunch," Maria announced. Liz smiled, deciding to let Maria get away with avoiding the Michael issue this time.

"I’ll go with you, I need to find all these gossip hot spots," Isabel replied. Maria nodded.

"Liz?"

"I think I’ll stay here and just wait for you guys. I don’t think I can handle some of that heavy chatter right now," Liz replied, looking up from her journal. The other two girls nodded and moved off, leaving Liz to write in her journal.

The sounds of the people in the gym around her seemed to slow down and fade as she absorbed herself in writing down her thoughts. The talking kids, the dribbling of a basketball, it all became background noise. She was so oblivious to the world around her that she didn’t notice for a few seconds when someone sat next to her. She looked up with a smile over her face, expecting Michael or Alex. She tried not to let the smile fall when she saw it was Kyle. And he did not look happy.

"Kyle."

"Liz."

"So, how’s it going?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"What were you doing with Alex Whitman this morning?" he asked angrily. Liz was confused. What was he talking about?

"What? Kyle…"

"What the hell were you doing, letting him touch you like that?" Kyle asked, his voice becoming ugly and mean. Liz recoiled a little, but stopped when she felt his hand grip her arm in a tight hold that would probably leave a bruise. She winced.

"Alex is one of my best friends. We play around all the time," she insisted in a calm voice, hoping to settle Kyle down. His face only hardened further.

"Not when you’re my girlfriend you don’t," he replied, leaving no room for argument. Liz felt her back stiffen at his words. He had no right to treat her like that.

"Fine. Then I’m not your girlfriend. Not that I ever was."

Max was grinning as he raced around Alex to reach the basketball hoop. His sneakers squeaked against the floor until he leapt off the ground and threw the ball, aiming for the basket. As it fell through with an almost silent swish, Max gave a whoop and high fived Alex. Michael leaned on his knees with his hands, panting slightly as he glanced at the two guys.

"I’m not sure that was fair, you didn’t say Max could play basketball," Michael pointed out to Alex, who merely shrugged. Max grinned and felt the rushing of his blood starting to slow down again when he looked across the gym. What he saw make his heart pound with fury.

Some guy was shoving and pulling the dark haired girl, his Dreamgirl, out of her seat. The guy pushed her against the wall despite her struggles. Max clenched his fists and took off towards them when he heard Alex call after him.

"Max, what’s going…"

"What the hell is Kyle doing to my sister?" Michael replied, his voice full of anger. Max didn’t have to look behind him to know that Alex and Michael were following close behind now. They cleared a path towards where she was, pinned against the wall and the guy, her eyes wide and frightened as she looked into his face.

Max didn’t know what he was doing. Isabel would be shocked at his behavior and even though he might regret acting so quickly later on, one look at her face told him otherwise. Because he couldn’t stand to see her so scared. He knew it wasn’t a good idea, that she had Michael and Alex. But somehow he could sense that even though they could protect her, that she’d be fine under their care, that she needed him.

And that he needed to help her.