Liz Parker was standing in front of closet trying to find something to wear on her date with Josh. Over the past week, they'd gone out 4 times. She really liked Josh and he seemed to be really into her. He was funny, smart, cute, a good kisser. What else could a girl want?

Max Evans, Liz thought to herself.

She sighed and sat down on her bed. Things with Max were..... complicated. He'd been avoiding her for the past week, ever since they had that brief conversation in the classroom. At the beginning of the week, she would see him at lunch. He would always watch her and Josh interact. He thought she didn't notice him watching her, but she did. She noticed every look that Max Evans had given her. Towards the end of the week, he stopped coming to lunch. She didn't know why. Maybe he didn't like Josh or something. Or maybe it was because he didn't like her.

He never talked to her any more. Their friendship had been reduced to hello's and 'how are you's'. She still loved him though, but she couldn't spend her teenage years pining for a guy who obviously didn't want to be with her.

She got up from the bed and tried again to pick out an outfit for her date with Josh. If Max Evans didn't want her, there were other guys who did. Like Josh. He obviously liked her. A lot. He spent all of his free time with. Coming to the Crashdown after school, staying there late. He was nice.

She decided on a red skirt and a new red low cut top and cardigan that she had bought at the mall with Maria. Maria said she looked sexy in it. She smiled and she thought about what Josh would say when he saw her in it. She got dressed quickly because Josh would be there any second.They were gonna have fun, lots of fun. Josh was taking her to club that had just opened. He said that he could get them in. The doorbell rang and Liz went out to greet Josh. They were gonna have lots of fun.

Max Evans was getting ready for bed at 11:30. He'd spent the night in his room, supposedly doing homework on a Friday night. But he couldn't do homework. He couldn't concentrate. He kept thinking about Liz. She was dating that guy Josh now. Watching the two of them at school had been hell for Max. Watching her smile and flirt with him at lunch. Watching him touching her arm, putting his hand in the small of her back. It was torture for Max. He should be the one touching and laughing with Liz, not Josh.

But she didn't want anything to with him. She liked this new too much. This guy could offer Liz commitment. Something Max couldn't offer her, because he had no idea what would happen to him. She seemed happy with this guy, something she hadn't been in months. That's all Max wanted for her, to be happy.

But it still hurt to see her with another guy. The worst had been when he was walking past Liz's locker on Wednesday and he'd seen Josh kiss Liz. It tore his heart out to see her responding to the kiss. After that, he avoided Liz at all costs. Not going to lunch or to the Crashdown with Michael and his sister. It just hurt to much to look at her and Josh together.

He sighed as he shut off the light and climbed into bed. Hopefully tonight he would get some sleep. He had been restless at night, thinking of Josh and Liz together. He closed his eyes and fell to sleep.

Max awoke to a knocking at his window. He rolled over and looked at his alarm clock and saw that it was 1:13 AM. Someone knocked again. Max climbed out bed reluctantly and whispered "Michael" to himself.

Hank was probably drunk again and Michael wanted to spend the night in Max's room, like he always did. Max walked over to the window and pulled open the drape. "Michael, it's 1:00 in the morn..... Liz," said Max, surprised to see Liz standing outside his window. He opened the window. "What's wrong?" asked Max.

"Can I come in? Please?" asked Liz.

She sounded frightened to Max. "Sure."

Max helped Liz inside. Only when she was inside his room did he notice the cut above her right eyebrow. She was bleeding. Also her right eye was puffy and starting to turn black and blue. Her lip was also split open. He looked down her clothes. She had her arms crossed over her chest, but he still saw that her top was ripped open. Her skirt was also torn,all the way up her thigh. He looked back up at her eyes, and saw fear in them.

"Liz?" he asked quietly, very concerned over her present condition.

"Oh Max....." she managed to get out before the tears started to run. She launched herself into his arms. He held her close as she cried on his chest. A tear slid down his cheek. He didn't know what happened to her.

She was trembling in his arms and his heart just broke at the sound of her weeping. What happened to her? Max wondered to himself as he held her.