I didn't realize I grew up fast until I turned about thirty. Adult. I never thought of it as a scary word, except for the time when I shoplifted with a couple of my buddies.

When I was seventeen I had a change of heart. I had found out that Max Evans, whom I had hated for so long, was an alien. So was his hottie sister, his weird violent friend, and the new girl. I didn't really know what to do. So I turned to religion. After studying a few of them, I settled on Buddhism. It seemed right for me at the time.

So on things went for a few months. No major changes, despite the general alien weirdness. You know, the girl I liked left off with her alien destiny-mate or whatever. But that was inevitable.

Really, to be honest, I avoided them as much as possible. I hung out with my other jock friends, just to get away from the aliens and anyone who had to deal with it. Unfortunately, I was one of the people involved with them.

But the government took Michael, the freaky one, and I missed most of that action. I was hiding out in my room. Mostly to get away from Amy DeLuca-Valenti, my step-mother. It's not that she wasn't nice or anything. It was just that she was my step-mom. I was used to it just being dad and me. And then Tess for a while as well. I don't like change. And Maria moving in the house. The tension between her and Tess was scary. I was afraid that Tess was going to kill her on more than one occasion.

Amy found out she was pregnant. it was really great. I can't say that it wasn't, but I wasn't as happy as she or my father. Maria didn't really give a shit no matter what.

Soon after that the Skins began an all out war. War. I was scared out of my wits, but my dad went into battle with Evans, Michael, Isabel, and Tess. Soon after that four more came. I never really knew them.

Dad wasn't there when Sophia was born, so I sort of filled in. It was the first time I saw a baby being born. Buddhism had teached me to appreciate life, but this was life at it's purest. I hadn't seen life so pure in my entire life. I took a new appreciation that day.

About four months after Sophia was born, they all came home. Isabel had her baby, Thommy, who I had to say, was a much more well behaved baby than Sophia. After he was born Max and Tess, Isabel and Michael, were married. It was weird. We were all like nineteen, and they were getting married.

I can remember talking to Liz that night, before she got totally wasted. She was sitting in the ground crying. I asked her what was wrong, thoroughly concerned for her. She told me that it was her wedding day. That it was her that was supposed to be getting married. I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Then she told me this crack pot story about how Max had come to her from the future and all this shit. And with all that had happened to me in the past five years I believed her.

And she told me, "Kyle, this is my wedding day. Max and were supposed to get married when we were nineteen. That's what he told me." It was hard to understand her through her tears.

That was the last time I ever saw my father. I said good-bye. I didn't tell him that I loved him. I remember so clearly, not saying it. He walked away next to Evans, and the words were in my mind. I wanted to shout them out, but I didn't. I was too proud.

The day I found out. I remember the phone was working that day. It was a big deal. I was sitting on the couch, watching Maria playing with Sophia. It was one of Maria's good days. Amy was making an apple pie. I can remember the smell of the apples and cinnamon baking together in the oven. I was reading this book of short stories that I had borrowed from Maria. I was reading one about this girl who was a compulsive liar. And all of her lies came true. And things all got screwed up because they weren't lies anymore. I remember reading the line "He died because she said he wasn't alive any longer.", when the phone rang.

Amy answered it. It wasn't long before she began crying. Maria walked right in. First, I picked up Sophia, and then I walked in behind her. Amy was holding the phone in one hand, and holding her head in the other. I set the baby down in her high chair and took the phone from Amy. I could hear a dial tone, so I hung the phone up. For a while Maria and I sat on the floor watching Amy cry, wondering what the hell was wrong. And after what seemed to be hours, but was probably about fifteen minutes, she told us. My father had died in war.

I think somewhere inside of me I knew. I woke up quiet that morning. Like he woke me up and told me. And I went back to sleep, not really remembering, but when I woke up, wondering, 'did I dream that?'. I didn't cry. I packed my things. I ran. I ran like the coward I was.

I couldn't run from the war. The signs of it where everywhere. At first I went to Canada. I remember I saw a moose for the first time in my life, and it was the most amazing thing in the world. It was so stupid, but it was normal. It was something that was innocent.

After Canada, I went to Cincinnati. I have never been to a place like Cincinnati. It was like the was wasn't there. It this little oasis from the rest of the world. People there were actually happy. It was like the Skins had never even heard of the place. I stayed in Cincinnati for about two and half years.

I met a girl. Her name was Lydia Mason. The thing I really liked about her was the way she laughed. It was like if I could hear her laugh, I didn't think about my father. I didn't think about this war. But what I liked most about her, was that she reminded me of Liz Parker in almost every way. If everyone has a twin out there somewhere, Lydia was Liz's twin.

Two and a half years, I spent with Lydia. I was in love with her. We were actually engaged. But when the war ended, I knew I couldn't stay in Cincinnati. But it was she who broke it off. I think she knew that I was leaving. I think she took it upon herself to break her heart. Or not being an ego manic, she just wanted to dump me for someone who wasn't a loser.

I went back to Roswell. After three years of being away, a lot had changed.

My step-sister Maria completely lost it. I haven't seen her since before I left. They put her in an institution. She's still there.

Evans and Tess had a baby. They moved to Texas, and had another baby.

Michael and Isabel couldn't have anymore kids. So they adopted one and moved to a nice little house near mine.

I came back and I looked at Liz. I looked at her, and I saw something that Lydia didn't have. She didn't have that spark in her eyes that Liz has. That wanting to find something new. Wanting to discover something. Wanting to help people, even if it meant getting her hands dirty.

Liz and I began dating (again) a few weeks after I returned.

Maybe nine, ten months after that, Evans, Tess, their kids, Isabel, Michael, and their kids came over to Liz's house. They were going to the planet they came from. I was there that night. I didn't talk to Liz at all until the next day. I had grown up enough to understand that she needed to have her time with Evans. She spent the next day in my arms, crying her eyes out.

Liz took legal adoption of Michael and Isabel's adopted son, Caleb. Soon after they left I proposed to her. And to my surprise, she said yes.

So now, six years after our alien friends left, Liz and I live in Roswell, New Mexico. I'm the sheriff now. We live across the street from Amy and Sophia. We live there with our children, Jimmy, Evan, and Caleb.

So, I'm married to the woman of my dreams. I may not be the man of her dreams, but I'll take second place. If it means to be with Liz. Then it's worth it.