*****

I'm Liz Parker. And lately things have been really strange...

She was sitting in her chair on her own personal balcony writing in her journal. Maria entered her room and went directly to Liz.

It was a crisp an clear night, the stars were shining down on them almost as if they were listening to their hearts beat. Her balcony was lighted under candles and christmas lights, everything was almost perfect.

Maria walked to Liz, she could tell something was up because she was oddly short of breath.

"Liz!" Maria gasped.

"What, Maria, what is it?" she said in response.

"It's Max." Maria siad still panting, with worry.

Liz jumped up , trying to stay calm, "Take me to him."

Maria turned and went back into Liz's window and went towards the door.

Liz followed her feeling the panic start to consume her.

How? Could he be..?

All different kinds of questions started running through her mind.

"What happenned, Maria?" By that time they had already reached that old red Jetta that belonged to the Deluca's.

"I don't know, Liz, I mean I went to Michael's so we could talk and then all I found was Max's jacket lying on the floor."

"Maria," Liz gasped, "you mean you found his jacket and you panicked?"

"No, there was some blood on the floor, too!" She said beginning to panic for Max.

"Just drive to to Max's I'll ask Isabel if she knows anything."

*****

The panic settled a little until they passed the jeep that was left along the road.

"Maria, pull over." Liz said worringly. Liz immediately got out the the car. She walked up the the jeep, engine running. She shut the jeep off and took the keys. But nothing, no sign of anyone.

"Maria, get out of the car." Liz called back.

She walked behingd the jeep and to the right, she saw foot prints leading into the desert. With a sigh she began to follow the tracks.

After a few minutes she saw a cave the footprints leading into it. There was light inside. She proceeded in.

It was a deep but well lighted cave with no one in sight.

All of a sudden out of nowhere steps out Max. The love of her life, holding a cake?

Just then her friends jumped out.

"SUPRISE!!!" they yelled in unison.

Maria came up behind her, "Suprise," she said, "Happy birthday!"

Liz looked around the crowd, among them were Alex, Isabel, Michael, Maria, and Max.

Her soul mate had a tender grin on his face.

"Was this your handy work?"

"Yes, it was all worth it I think."

And Liz smiled at that and blew out her candles. She had Max put her cake down.

She leaned to him, getting ready to give him a hug and kiss in thanks, but he got to kiss her first. He kissed her so passionately Liz felt the butterflies in her stomach go crazy.

"Here's your present." He smiled at her.

She began to open the presend when she heard a strange sound.

*****

"Beep. Beep. Beep."

She opened her eyes finding it all a dream.

So she went about her morning routine and set out for school.

She hadn't even realized it was her birthday.

She saw someone, a blonde, curly haired girl Kyle was pursuing. That new girl was a threat.

She knew then that something would change, something she wasn't even sure for the better.

*****

The next day it began, like clockwork, just as her grandmother used to put it. The night Liz's grandmother died, Max was there by her side, and her grandmother made her promise to trust and follow her heart.

Nothing has been the same since, that day of loss. In fact nothing has been the same since that day at The Crashdown.

So, as the day went on she observed, Tess, the new girl, and she knew that Tess was up to no good.

Isabel walked up to Tess, they were conversing and Tess seemed pleased with something. Was it making a new friend? Or plotting something?

Liz sat there not touching her lunch. She watched Tess laugh, and the pride that came from the table of "Isabel's" that they found a new friend to flood with tips, and to just "hang out." The thought of that made Liz shudder.

Max sat down next to Liz, "Hey, are you okay, you haven't been yourself today?"

"I know, Max, it's just that new girl she's different or something, I don't know." She said.

Max kissed his hello to Liz and said "Who? Is it that girl over there by Isabel?"

"Yeah, that's her."

"Well, there's ntohing to worry about." Max said in his sweet, tender voice.

Liz smiled at that and directed all of her attention to Max, who could probably calm her down in any situation by looking at her in her big, beautiful, brown eyes and holding her in his gentle, but strong embrace.

Max leaned to her to hold her for a few moments before lunch ended and their next class began.

Max sat there wondering whether or not to tell Liz of his newly beginning dreams of him and Tess making out.

Max shuddered and the bell rang. He grabbed Liz and led her to the eraser room.

*****

The length of two classes passed by before they left that dark, but lovely room.