“No! It’s okay. I’m fine, we’re fine.” Max said interrupting his father and turning first white and then red. God what was Liz going through. “You don’t have to worry okay?” he managed.

His parents let out their breaths and smiled. Then they nodded. “Okay, good.” His mother said and got up.

Max got up too. “Can I go to the Crashdown and meet the gang?” he asked. Not sure if they were done with him.

“Yes, of course.” His father said, not wanting Max to think he was grounded for being a teenager. They just wanted Max to be a responsible one.

Max nodded and grabbing his jean jacket, he too bolted out the door. He had to get to Liz. To find out what her parents had said. He knew it must have been hell for her even more than him.

************

Maria was pacing in the back when Liz came rushing down the stairs. “Is there a fire?” Maria teased but then stopped when she saw how pale her friend was.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It was just…hell.” Liz answered and rolled her eyes.

“I’ll bet. They aren’t going to forbid you to see Max are they?” Maria worried.

Liz shook her head. “No… thank God.” Then she saw how nervous Maria was and frowned. “Never mind me. Are YOU okay?”

Maria threw up a hand and continued pacing. “Guess who’s out there having a dinner date!” she said with disgust.

Liz winched. “Your mom and the Sheriff?” she guessed.

“Ha!” was all Maria could say as she continued to pace.

“Look Maria, if you want to stay back here for awhile, I’ll go wait on them. You’ve been covering for me so I can take over for awhile alone.” Liz assured her friend.

“No. They are not going to make me hide in a back room. But I will let you wait on them.” Maria smiled and they both headed back out front.

When Amy Deluca laughed, Kyle cringed. How much worse could it get than to be on a date at the same place your dad was on his date.

“Do you want to leave?” Cassie asked gently. She could see how uncomfortable Kyle was with his dad and his date so close.

“No. Of course not. It’s a small town. We’re bound to run into my dad again now that he’s …dating.” Kyle assured Cassie.

“But we don’t have to sit here and watch. We can go somewhere else.”

“The movie starts in 20 minutes and it’s right around the corner. It’s okay. And I think I’m not the only one who’s uncomfortable.” Kyle nodded his head towards Maria and Liz as they came out from the back.

Liz went over to wait on Maria’s mom and Sheriff Valenti and Maria made her way over to Kyle and Cassie.

“You guys need anything else?” she asked with a tight smile.

“Nothing that would help. How about you?” Kyle inclined his head toward their parents and Maria laughed for the first time in an hour.

“No offense Kyle, but I don’t like this. It’s just…I don’t know.” She sighed. Kyle grinned. “No offense taken.” he nodded and glanced back over at their parents who were oblivious to their kids.

“I’m sure this can’t be much fun for you Cassie.” Maria felt bad for her.

Cassie just smiled in understanding. “No, but I know it’s nothing compared to how you two are feeling. There’s really nothing you can do about it. Is there anyway you two could just come to accept it? It would make it easier on you guys.” Cassie suggested looking between the two.

Kyle sighed and nodded. “You’re right. I guess it’s something I’m going to have to learn to get used to.” He seemed resigned to it but still not happy.

Maria still looked too worried, and Kyle didn’t understand why. He had seen her fear and worry the other day, and hadn’t understood it. But then he realized that Maria feared his father as the sheriff. And he remembered how his father still had something against Max Evans, and how that was what was probably bothering Maria. After all, if your mom was dating a cop, and that cop was suspicious about one of your best friends…now it made sense to Kyle. And yet, it didn’t make sense as to why his father had this suspicion about Max. At first he wanted to be happy that Max might not be a good guy. So that he could win Liz back. But now that he knew Max and saw Liz and him together, he knew Max was a good guy. And he knew he and Liz had never been meant.

He saw his father’s eyes focus on the front door as it opened and he turned to see what had gotten his father’s attention. Then his eyes narrowed and he looked at his father again. Max Evan had just walked in. What is it dad? What the hell aren’t you tell me? Kyle wondered and wished he knew.

Max saw Liz heading toward the back and he nodded to Maria and followed Liz out back.

“Liz?” Max said as he came through the back and saw Liz at the refrigerator.

Liz spun around and then sighed and leaped into Max’s arms. Max caught her as she literally jumped into his arms, and he chuckled. Then put her down and grew serious.

“How’d it go? They didn’t tell you we couldn’t see each other did they?”

Liz shook her head and smiled. “Not that it would matter, but no.” she said and lifted her head up to his for a kiss.

Max smiled down at her and gently kissed her sweet lips. He had been so afraid that her parents would forbid them to see each other, and then they would really have trouble.

“How about you? What did your parents say?” Liz asked, kissing Max were the open V of his shirt was near his neck.

Max sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying their closeness. “You don’t want to know.” He chuckled just glad it was over.

Liz smiled against his chest and then looked up. “At least they didn’t want you to go to a doctor.” Liz teased.

Max stared at her. “You too?” he swallowed.

Liz nodded, her eyes wide. “What are we going to do Max. What if they make us go to the doctors. I mean, normally we should. I mean we are active and I’m… but we can’t.” Liz bit her lip.

Max swore hating that Liz couldn’t be looked at by a doctor. They definitely needed to see Jordan and see if Jordan could recommend someone to check Liz out. And probably him as well.

“We’ll get Jordan to recommend someone don’t worry.” He whispered against her hair.

“But we won’t be able to go this weekend.” Liz frowned.

“Why?”

“My parents didn’t tell us we couldn’t see each other, but I doubt they’ll let me go overnight with you anywhere soon. And we’d never make it there and back in one day.”

Max nodded knowing she was right. “We’ll think of something. But either way, we will go the following weekend. Maybe by then they will have calmed down some about all this.”

Liz hoped so. They had so many questions for Jordan. And Liz needed to know why she was having nightmares or foreboding feelings lately. *******************

“Hey guys, so did you ask Cassie about tonight, Liz?” Isabel came up to Maria and Liz the next afternoon at the Crashdown while Maria and Liz were working.

“Yeah. Cassie seemed hesitant at first, like she couldn’t imagine why we would want to invite her to hang out with us for a girls night, but she said okay.”

“Hmmm.” Isabel said. This Cassie sounded a lot like herself when it came to having never had a close girl friend before. Cassie was in for a treat. Isabel thought and smiled, remembering how overwhelmed she had been the first time she had really starting becoming part of the Liz-Maria girls club. But she had secretly loved it as well. Now Isabel couldn’t imagine not having girl friends to talk things over with. There was nothing like it. If you found someone you could trust that was. Isabel thought.

“Does she know you want to do a make over on her?” Maria asked Liz.

“Well, I didn’t tell her that it was her exactly, I just told her that we usually talk guys and listen to CD’s and hang out and do girl things like try out new hair styles or make up an stuff. Which is all true.” Liz answered.

“In other words, not exactly.” Maria teased.

They all turned as the guys came in together, and three connections were made. The guys sat at their booth and the girls came over.

“You guys have a break coming up?” Michael asked Maria and pulled her into the seat with him.

“Agnes and Dale came in for their shift about 10 minutes ago so I guess we can take a little break what do you think Liz?” Maria teased.

Liz was already seated on Max’s lap on the chair he had pulled up, and Isabel had made herself comfortable with Alex.

“What can I get you guys?” Liz asked as she looked around.

“Let Agnes get their orders, Liz.” Maria frowned over at the lazy waitress that she didn’t like.

“Yeah, and then they would never get their food Maria.” Liz laughed.

“True.” Maria agreed with a dry smile.

When Maria and Liz came back out with the food, the six dug into the fries and drinks as if they hadn’t eaten in days. “So Max, Alex, what do you guys have planned tonight since the girls are doing another girls night?” Michael asked across the table.

“I’ve gotta work late.” Max answered with an apologetic look. Then laughed when Michael rolled his eyes at him.

“Well at least someone works Michael.” Max threw back at him.

Alex laughed when Michael frowned. “Well I’m not doing anything but homework which I don’t really need to do. What do you have in mind Michael?”

As the guys talked over the girls, and the girls talked around the guys, the table became noisy.

Liz was drinking her chocolate milk and reached for a fry. She suddenly wanted mustard on it. She tried to reach across the table to get it, but couldn’t. She started to ask Michael for it, but he laughed and didn’t hear her. Liz tried again to reach for it but when she couldn’t she frowned at it.

Suddenly Liz’s eyes widened as the bottle started moving toward her on it’s own.

It whizzed across the table and came at Liz and Max. Only Max’s quick reflex and catch stopped it from hitting him in the chest. They all stopped and stared at Liz.