It’s been a long time since I have felt anyone following us, so I let my guard down, and decided to act normal for once. It’s our junior year of college, and I have been going out with Liz Parker for about 6 months now. (I wasn’t sure if sophomore was the second or third year. I’m using it in the third year sense.)

Ever since I had to take a step back, it’s been very rough around Liz. It’s been almost 5 years. It was really hard when she started dating again. I was really jealous. Even more jealous than the time I got drunk and she went out with Mr. Shallow, or correction Chellow.

When I told Liz I didn’t remember anything I was lying. I remember bits and pieces. Mostly when I was fooling around with Kyle is all I remember.

// (meaning flashback)

BEGINNING OF SENIOR YEAR OF HIGHSCHOOL

"God, Liz. You look so calm!"

"Thanx Maria. I’m actually sorta nervous."

"I don’t know why your nervous. Before the whole Czechoslovakian thing you were fine around Kyle."

(hehehe. Remember from blind date after Max said ‘we’ve got to win her back!’ and Kyle says ‘what Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays,, alternate Saturdays?’ that was hilarious! Max and Kyle should get drunk together more often!)

" I know but he was such a jerk after our break- up." Liz said.

"Yea, but remember when he apologized to you last month? And said that he had gotten over the whole thing, and that he at least wanted to be friends? And bought you a dozen roses? If only Michael would do something like that."

Liz thought to herself.

"If you didn’t want to go out with him again, then why did you accept when he asked you?" Maria added.

" I’ve been seeing Kyle in a whole new light then when I first started going out with him before the shooting."

"What kind of light? A Grandma Claudia soulmates light, or a maybe just a friends/fling thing?"

" something in-between the two. I mean Kyle’s always been sweet and nice to me, and you know he was always civil to you."

"Yeah, but what’s Max gonna do when he finds out about your date tonight?"

"What can he do?" Liz said suddenly angry." Kyle will be out with me so he can’t drunk again, and besides he gave up the right to stop me from doing anything when he hurt me. I can go out with whoever I want to, whenever I want to! Max Evans does not rule my life!"

"OK. Just chill. I only meant it in the lateral sense. Meaning what’s Max gonna do to himself?"

"Probably listen to the Counting Crows for a week, and brood. It’s his own fault you know. He’s the one that wanted to take a step back." Liz said suddenly defensive.

"OK, let’s just move away from the subject of our Czechoslovakian friend, and move on to a topic ,more Karmatic."

"You’ve been talking to your mother again haven’t you?" Liz said.

"She’s on this Quest for inner peace kick. She even makes me do Yoga with her in the morning, and makes me eat all of this health food stuff, like tofu. Some of it’s not that bad." Maria said

"Like what?"

"Like the buckwheat noodles. Those are OK."

"What you don’t like the 99.9% lard meals you can get at the Crashdown?"

"I’m surprised Michael, Max, and Isabel aren’t as fat as sumo wrestlers with the amount of stuff they eat there."

"I know! I have always wondered that! But I asked Max once and he said that Isabel does Kickboxing."

"Wow! Kickboxing. From now on I am going to be nicer to Isabel, or else she’ll kickbox me all the way to the planet she’s from!"

For some reason that struck both of the girls as terribly funny, and they started laughing till their eyes were streaming.

"Liz! Now look what you’ve done! You’ve ruined your makeup!" Maria cried.

"Hey it’s not my fault! Your the one who brought on the laugh attack, with that silly remark!"

"OK, let’s get you cleaned up!"

THE NEXT DAY AT SCHOOL

Max is walking in the Roswell High Quad, early for school because he has a question to ask the biology teacher.

"Well, well, well, if it isn’t Max Evans!" Kyle said in that sort of sing song sarcastic voice he had reserved for Max only.

Max bristled as he heard it.

"Kyle, I’m really in a hurry….."

"Well, aren’t you gonna ask me where I was last night?" Kyle said.

"I don’t know Kyle, it’s your life."

"I was out with your stalkee. Me and Liz had a wonderful time last night. I had been expecting you and her wouldn’t last long. We went to the carnival and we talked and I even won her one of those stuffed aliens. We actually get along better now than before we broke up!"

"Got nothing to say, Evans? Thought so. And if I ever catch you stalking or staring at her again, you better be ready for a fight." And with that Kyle walked off, leaving Max, staring after him.

THE NIGHT BEFORE AFTER MARIA LEFT LIZ’S

Liz thought to herself after Maria had left Liz’s house.

Liz couldn’t stop thinking about everything after Max had healed her.

She couldn’t stop staring after Max. right before he had left he gave her a tiny smile, a private smile meant only for her. She couldn’t stop thinking What did you do to me? how?…’

She remembered that her brain had felt like it was humming, vibrating at a really low frequency. That it had been hard to think.

And when the paramedic had knelt down in front of Liz, blocking her view of the fleeting Max, she had thought ‘No!’ and she had struggled to stand up. She remembered that she had needed to keep Max in her sight until she couldn’t see him anymore, because he had made her feel….. safer.

She had remembered that when she was lying on the floor, she had had the feeling of rushing away from the café, from her father and Maria—from everything and everyone familiar. And somehow Max had brought her back.

She had remembered when she had talked to Max in the art room the next day, and he had changed that sculpture all around. How she had had a list of Questions to ask him, and when she had asked where he was from, and he pointed up she just assumed he meant Up North. But then he had pointed up North still. He was from beyond the stars.

How the night of the Crash festival, she just couldn’t hold it in any longer, and she had to tell Maria. How Maria had run screaming from the Crashdown, in her green alien Costume and green hair, and then they had met Max, Michael, and Isabel in the alleyway, how She had told them about her plan.

She remembered that she didn’t think it would work, and then when Max had come up to her on the hill, and said that they should just be friends.

About when her Grandma Claudia had had a stroke. She remembered how he had been the one she had called first. About how she hoped he would come even after she had said in her phone message that it was a mistake to call him and that he shouldn’t come. But he did anyway.

She remembered that her Grandma Claudia had said that if it wasn’t complicated then you weren’t soulmates. she thought.

About how Max had healed her for the second time, after Nicolas had knocked her unconscious. About how she and the others had helped Isabel get over him after Valenti had shot and killed Nicolas. (see author’s note)

About how after her journal had gone missing, she couldn’t let Max see it, cause she had wrote down how she felt about him in there.

When she, Max, and Isabel had walked in on Michael and Maria in that hotel. About how she had felt when she and Max were in that car accident. Terrified, scared, and terribly worried. Her heart had wrenched when she saw him lying in the hospital bed, unconscious.

About only she and Max had gone to see River Dog, and that she had to Follow her own path.

About that Heatwave, when Max had saved her from that drunk, and how she had laughed with him, about how they had almost kissed.

About being in jail with Alex and she had to tell him the truth. Alex had been so brave to stand up to Valenti like that. About how she had Alex only a week before had gotten Ms. Topolsky fired because they had discovered her identity. How Alex had given blood to save Max.

She remembered talking with Isabel, and had realized that Isabel was just scared and wanted to fit in. not be different. That she wasn’t always Princess Isabel.

When she and Max had broken up. About how she had been scared that the fever would happen to Max like it did to Michael. About being to scared to help Michael.

About going on the camping trip with her father, and then helping Max and Isabel get away, her and Maria pretending to be lost. About how her father had thought she was on drugs. How she and Maria had lied to Max and Michael, saying that they had College dates and that they were meeting them in Alberuque.

About how everyone had gone crazy about aliens at the UFO convention. About how Larry and Jennifer had always been watching her and Max. About how Max stared at her from the safety of his Alien costume when he thought no one was looking.

About the blind date and about when Max was drunk and he had painted that heart on her wall. M.E + L.P. about how he said he didn’t remember anything. About how well Maria could sing.

But the one question that kept repeating in her head was, "What would Max think?"

The doorbell rang. Liz went downstairs.

NEXT DAY AT SCHOOL - LUNCHTIME

"Liz! Wait up!" Isabel Evans called.

"Oh, hey Isabel what’s up?" Liz said trying to act casually.

"You know what’s up. I’m just trying to get to you before Max and Michael do. Max is pretty upset, and Michael is very pissed."

"You’ve seen Max? Is he all right? Why would Michael be pissed? Hey, why aren’t you mad at me?"

"Max will be fine, but I have no idea why Michael is pissed. Probably something to do with Maria. But I’m not mad at you, Girls have to stick together! You helped me get over Nicolas, and I helped you get over Max. I’m glad to see your dating again, but Kyle Valenti? You can do better, Liz!"

"I know. But he was always nice to you, because your a cheerleader, and he’s always been sweet to me. We won’t have to worry about him finding out your secret because let’s face it Kyle has the looks but he’s not too smart. (I had to make Kyle a little dumber for this or else the plot line wouldn’t go)."

"I hear ya on that one." Isabel said with a smile.

"Isabel!" Alex called from across the quad.

"See ya! Alex awaits!" Isabel called over her shoulder as she walked away to go talk to her boyfriend and leader of the Whits.

Then from across the Quad, Liz spotted Hurricane Michael.

Michael walked straight toward her, and sat down on the bench.

"Look, Michael. I know what your gonna say."

"Really?" Michael said with an interesting pique.

"Your gonna say that I really hurt Max’s feelings, and I shouldn’t have gone out with Kyle, because he’s Valenti’s son." Liz stared at him, looking for confirmation.

"Actually, No." Michael said. His face not giving away anything.

"You were gonna say that you need help to get back together with Maria?" Liz said.

"Nope. Actually I was gonna ask you……………"