It all started with the ringing of the bell hanging on the door of the Crashdown Café…the moment that changed things between Max and Liz all over again.
The Crashdown had always been a catalyst between them…it was always the place where everything started, or everything ended. Everything started the first time around with a gun going off in the Crashdown…with Liz getting shot, and Max being in the right place at the right time to heal her, to reveal his love to her. Their first kiss was on Liz's balcony above the Crashdown…their first breakup. And more recently, it was where Liz shattered Max's hopes…and later helped him put the pieces back together.
And today, it was the day where they would start over again…for what seemed like the hundredth time to those around them…but was new as an early morning sunrise to Max and Liz.
This time it started with the bell ringing, as Max walked into the café a mere five minutes into Liz's shift…he had stood there after school beside his car, running over his options in his head…go home, then go to the Crashdown…or go straight from school to the Crashdown. The decision hadn't been hard for him. He wanted to see Liz as soon as humanly possible. All afternoon he had felt like he couldn't breathe, after not seeing her…he couldn't wait to breathe again.
The bell rang, and Max walked in, his eyes attaching to Liz like a magnet…almost like instinct. He walked in, saw her, and without thinking twice about it, sat down in a side booth, facing the kitchen so that he could watch her as she moved around the room.
Liz froze at the sound of the bell…she didn't even have to turn around from where she stood at the kitchen window, talking to Michael…she just knew it was Max. She had no idea how she knew…she could just sense it…and instantly it was like she was on another planet, drinking in the feeling of his presence, a dreamy look sweeping across her face.
"Well what are you waiting for?" Michael chuckled. "Go take his order, Liz."
Liz grinned at him, taking a deep breath, and turning to make her way towards Max. He met her eyes nervously…and instantly Liz's heart began to pound in her chest, and she felt a little light headed.
How could he make her feel so out of control after only one day?
Determined not to over think things, Liz shook her head, clearing out all of the questions. With Max, she was just going to listen to her heart, follow her feelings, and go with whatever happened. Over thinking things just didn't seem to work, with her memory loss…it tended to just confuse her more.
"Hi." Liz greeted him with a shy smile. "I didn't expect to see you so soon…you came straight from school?"
"Yeah." Max replied sheepishly. "To tell you the truth, Liz…I couldn’t wait to see you again."
Liz blushed at his sweet words, wondering silently to herself if he was too good to be true.
"I'm glad you came." Liz replied softly, nervously studying her order book, almost afraid to meet his eyes again…because she knew she would loose herself in them.
"So…" Max started uncertainly. "Can you sit down for a minute?"
"I'd like to." Liz replied honestly. "But I really shouldn't. We just had the shift change, and I really can't leave Maria with all the customers."
"Oh…right. Work." Max mumbled…a little put out with himself for forgetting that simple fact. "What about after your shift ends? Do you want to go on a walk…talk a bit or something?"
"Yeah." Liz smiled shyly. "That would be really nice."
"Great." Max beamed. "It's a date."
"A date." Liz repeated. "Yeah." She fell silent, trying desperately not to jump up and down and scream in excitement. Refocusing her mind, she stared blankly at her order book for a long moment before remembering where they were. "Soooo…can I get you anything?" Liz asked, gesturing to the pad of paper in her hand.
"Oh…yeah. Umm…" Max mumbled uncertainly, pulling out the menu and quickly searching it for a long moment. "How about space fries and a cherry coke?"
"Okay…sounds good. I'll be back with your drink in a minute." Liz grinned, folding up her order book and heading to the counter.
Max's gaze lingered with her departing figure, until he got distracted by the face leaning out of the kitchen window. His brow furrowed in surprise at the sight of his best friend standing there.
When Liz came back a few moments later and placed his drink in front of him, Max turned to her curiously.
"Michael works here?" Max wondered.
"Yeah…he's one of the cooks." Liz replied, her eyes lifting in surprise. "You didn't know? I thought he was your best friend."
"Yeah…he is." Max muttered. "He told me he worked in a restaurant with his girlfriend, but he never mentioned that it was the same one as you."
"That's really weird." Liz agreed. "I wonder what that's about?"
"I don't know…but I'm going to definitely bug him about it later." Max sighed, his mind processing this new information and filing it away with the little that he had already picked up this afternoon. It was just another strange clue to whatever was going on behind the scenes. Isabel and Maria didn't want him and Liz meeting each other…and apparently Michael had gone along with it too…until today.
Max wondered just what had happened between he and Liz that turned everyone so against their friendship…or more than friendship.
But instantly he shook the dark thoughts out of his mind. The past was the past. Neither he nor Liz were the same people they were before…they didn't even remember whatever had happened. He shouldn't let it effect the present.
Especially when it was the one thing he wanted the most in the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Max expected the afternoon to be painfully slow, as he waited for Liz's shift to end…and he knew it would have been if he was at home waiting…but in reality, he savored every moment of the wait, sitting and watching as Liz smoothly danced her way around the restaurant, moving between the tables to her various customers, smiling to each and every one, treating them all kindly, attentively. Max marveled at her how genuine she was with each and every one…and his heart soared every time she looked his way, or managed to find her way to his table, be it for a refill or just a casual hello.
And when her shift finally ended, Max almost thought it came too soon, if it weren't for the fact that he was so thrilled to have her all to himself for a span of time.
She ran upstairs, quickly changed her clothes, and came down a few minutes later, grinning to Max before gesturing to the door of the restaurant. Sliding his jacket over his shoulders, Max followed Liz outside, and slowly they started strolling through town.
It was still early evening, but the town was quiet since it was a weeknight, and Max and Liz found themselves mostly alone as they crossed through the town, heading towards a local park.
For the most part they kept the conversation light, discussing school, and work, and their friends and family. Liz stayed clear of any awkward subjects on purpose…she was so comfortable with Max that she knew the moment she started, she would pour out all her fears to him…and she didn't want to burden him with the intensity of her situation.
Still…it would be so easy.
And he made it even easier when, he paused, and turned to her with concerned eyes, and asked her in a gentle voice the one question that made her stop and falter.
"Liz…how did you lose your memory?"
"I…I don't know." Liz hesitated, turning and looking up into Max's eyes in frustration. "I've gone over what I can remember so many times, but I can't figure it out…there's just so many unanswered questions. It was at the end of July…I was out in the woods…I don't know why, no one seems to know why. I woke up there alone one morning…apparently I had lost consciousness or something. Maria found me and took me home…I had no idea who she was at the time. Everything I know about myself from before comes from her and my parents. They tell me what they can…but it's like meaningless information to me. It means nothing."
"It must be really frustrating." Max sighed sadly.
"Yeah…it is." Liz mumbled. "Nothing is helping at all. I've been trying so hard to remember whatever I can…anything. I spent all of August asking them questions, listening to their stories…trying to find something, anything to jar my memories…but nothing is working…so I've stopped asking. I think they think that I'm not trying hard enough anymore…that I don't want to get better…but that's so far from the truth. I want to be better more than anything…but I can't keep searching for something that isn't there…I have to try to live the life I do have…you know?"
Liz met Max's sympathetic gaze…and couldn't help noticing a distant, pained look in his eyes. Her gaze faltered, reminding herself that she wasn't going to do this to him.
"I'm sorry, Max." Liz mumbled. "I swore to myself that I wouldn't put this on anyone else…I don't know why I just told you all of that…I guess you're just easy to talk to…but it's my problem…not yours. I don't know why you're being so wonderful about listening…"
"Because I understand." Max murmured, searching out her gaze again, and meeting her eyes in determination.
"That's impossible." Liz cried out insecurely. "No one understands…it's like a curse."
"Liz…I understand…" Max insisted firmly, his eyes flashing brightly into her own. "…because the exact same thing happened to me. I lost my memory too."
