Liz had high hopes of being together once school was over her and Max had talked and decided that it would be safe to be together then. And Maria and Michael had decided the same thing. Liz had barely been able to count the days till graduation and when her and Max could be together. They had all gotten to be such good friends in the last couple years that they had all applied to the same schools and they had all been accepted to UCLA.

But she shouldn't have gotten so happy, Liz had a feeling deep in her heart that all her hopes and dreams were going to crash down around her, and she knew that there wouldn't be a damn thing she could do about it.

They had decided a while back to have group meetings whenever anything serious needed to be discussed or when they needed to regroup and talk about things, and Max had called for a meeting the night of their graduation.

********

They had all walked up and gotten their diploma's as they looked out into the audience. They had seen their parent's crying and everyone was excited. Michael was finally part of a family ever since the Evan's had taken him in, and they were as proud of him as they were of Max and Isabel. Kyle was a part of the gang now, he had a girlfriend named Stacy that he had been seeing since the end of his Junior year and they were in love but they were going to Stanford, Kyle for basketball and she was going just to be with him. They both had been let in on the secret awhile back when it had been proven that they could be trusted. Kyle had saved Isabel and Max's life, but that is another story. Sheriff Valenti and Amy DeLuca were still dating, but neither of them new the secret.

They had planned to meet out at the old cave grounds where they usually met, but this time it was going to be different. They all felt that they were now adults about to embark on the real world.

Maria and Liz were the first to arrive, whoever was first had to gather the wood and start a fire, so that's what Maria and Liz did.

As they gathered wood Maria looked at Liz, "Tonight's meeting, do you get the feeling that it's not good?"

Liz looked at Maria and nodded, "Yeah I've been getting that feeling ever since Max called it."

"Me too."

They continue to gather wood and when they go back to their spot they see Kyle and Stacy and Alex and Isabel, and pulling up is Max and Michael. Kyle and Alex help to start the fire and finally get it going.

Kyle reaches into the bag he brought and pulls out some vodka and fresh chilled orange juice. He smiles "I brought this for whoever is game." He pulls out some cups and everyone else passes except for Stacy.

They sit there talking about the graduation, then Liz finally looks at Max. "So why did you call this meeting Max?"

He looks at her and then looks at the ground, "Well the reason I called this meeting is that Michael and I decided to go to N.Y.U."

Liz and Maria gasp and everyone else looks startled.

"What brought this on you guys?" Kyle asks.

Michael looks at Maria and then quickly looks away because of the tears in her eyes.

"We just wanted to, I mean we're all friends, we can see each other any time," Max tells them.

"Can we Max?" Liz asks quietly.

Max looks at her, "Yeah Liz, I mean nothing has changed were all friends."

"Friends? I thought that after graduation we were going to take a step up from that?"

"Yeah what happened to that Michael?"

Michael looks at Maria and sighs and then gets an angry look on his face, "Hey I'm alone and that's the way it has to be, I've told you that before."

"Yeah well you also told me that it was too dangerous for us to be together here in Roswell because of the asshole sheriff," Maria looks at Kyle, "no offense Kyle."

Kyle shakes his head, "none taken."

"So what happened to wanting to be together after graduation, huh Michael?"

"I changed my mind," he says while looking at the ground.

Maria snorts a laugh and tears are falling down her face, "Well don't you think that would have been nice to know before you came over and fucked me last night, but now in another way you're fucking me right here in front of everyone, I got to tell you last night was much better." Maria grabs the bottle of vodka from in front of Kyle tilts it back and chugs some. She comes away gasping and then sits down on the ground.

Liz looks at Max from across the fire, "Why are you doing this Max?"

Max feels like he's dying inside but he remembers Michaels words.

"Look Liz I don't owe you any explanation, you can't dictate my life to me, I make my own decisions and I decided to get away from Roswell and away from you."

Liz gasps and jerks back, feeling like Max has slapped her across the face. Liz gets up and moves away from the group, she goes over to some bushes and the rest of them can clearly here her getting throwing up. She comes back and Max is looking at her with concern, Liz sits down next to Maria and takes the bottle from her, Maria halfway to being drunk reaches for it, "Hey that's mine."

"Shut up Maria," Liz says fiercely, then she puts the bottle to her lips drinking so much that it leaks out the corners of her mouth.

Kyle watches as she does this knowing that she is hurting, he goes to take the bottle but Maria reaches it first and chugs some more. She then passes it back to Liz who swallows a lot. Max looks at Liz and so does Michael.

"Hey Maria quit drinking so much." Michael says.

"Oh yeah like all of a sudden you're worried about me, well why don't you go off and do what you want, you're going to anyway."

Max looks at Liz, "Liz you never drink."

"Yeah well I decided that there is a lot of things that I never do, or have done, and some of the things that I haven't done are thanks to you, and besides wasn't it you that just told me that you make your own decisions, well let me make mine, I'm pissed and I'm hurt and if I want to get drunk to stop the pain that you put there then that's what I'm going to do okay?!?!" she says very loudly.

Max just nods his head.

A half hour has passed and the girls are sitting there talking to Stacy, Liz and Maria are bombed and Michael and Max are watching them and they're not too happy.

Liz stands up and weaves from side to side, she looks down at Maria, "You know what Maria I was thinking about what you said earlier, about Michael fucking you."

Maria nods her head and glares at Michael.

"Well at least you got to enjoy it, I mean sweet Max over here" She walks to where Max is and stands in front of him looking at him and then looks at Maria, "Well Max here sure screwed me, I mean I thought we were finally going to be together but no, he had other plans." She goes and sits back down.

Maria looks at Michael and then at Kyle then back at Michael watching him while she says, "Hey Kyle, Tommy has always had a thing for me hasn't he?"

Kyle drunk and not really realizing what he is saying says, "Oh yeah Tommy has wanted to get with you for ages, but you were too wrapped up in Guerin."

"Well tonight is his lucky night, I'm not anymore," she says, and she watches as Michael's hands clench into fists and his jaw tightens and she can tell that he wants to say something.

"See Michael you can't hide it, you say that you have to be alone, but the thought of me with another guy pisses you off." She stands up and swerves, "WELL THAT'S TOO BAD!!!! You made your decision, go off to New York, and when you get lonely I want you to think of me, and think of me in someone else's arms, him holding me and loving me at night because you're to scared to." She walks away from them.

Liz stands up and looks at Max, "I want to thank you Max for saving my life, but I also want to tell you that as of now your dead to me, I waited for you for two and a half years, thinking that you would finally be with me when you thought it was safe, but now I just realize your a coward, so you remember the same thing Max, when your alone in bed because your to scared to be with someone, well you think of me, and know that I'm getting on with my life." She looks at him and then walks toward Maria then looks at Max, "I HATE YOU MAX EVANS AND I HOPE I NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN!!!!!!" Liz is sobbing and gets her keys out of her purse and runs to the car with Maria, they get in and she peels out.

Isabel looks at the guys and Alex jumps up running to his car, "I'm going to follow them."

Isabel jumps up and runs after him and then back at Max and Michael, "I can't understand either of you, both of you are so wrong and you know it." She jumps in the car and they drive off speeding to catch up with them.

Kyle looks at both Max and Michael, Michael has tears in his eyes, and Max is openly crying, no shame about it.

"We're doing the right thing Maxmillian!"