Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: [email protected]
Disclaimer: Obviously they are not mine. They belong to Melinda Metz, Jason Katims, the WB...*Sighs* This is just for entertainment so please don't sue me. You wouldn't get much anyway because I'm but a poor college student who can barely afford the insurance on her car.
Rating: R for language, sexual content, adult situations
Spoilers: Possible for the first five books of Melinda Metz's Roswell High, up through "Blood Brothers" of the tv series, and my fic, "Matters of Trust," which this story is the sequal to. If you haven't read "Matters of Trust," you're going to be really lost.
Author's Note: This is going to be really long and will deal with a lot of stuff with Liz. It will, of course, deal with all of the other characters...and I'm a total conventional shipper so...it will have a lot of M/L, some A/I, and M/M...If this isn't your thing, bail out now.
Thanks to Linda, Mel, Bec, and all the other people who have supported and given me feedback on my stories! :) Thanks, guys! :)
Ghosts (Part Four)
Liz tied her tennis shoes and got a bottle of spring water out of her mini-refridgerator that set on her dresser. Then she grabbed her keys that were on a necklace, put the necklace on, and left her dorm room. She went out the back door of her dorm hallway and walked to the track behind her dorm building.
Liz set her water on the ground by the track, took in a deep breath and started to run. She had tied her hair back in a ponytail so her hair wouldn't get in her face as she ran. She made sure to breathe in with each pace, inhaling and then exhaling rhythimically. It was a cold morning, but the sky was cloudless and the sun was starting to rise. And she was so focused on running that the cold didn't really bother her.
She'd been at it for about fifteen minutes when she felt someone coming up behind her. She wasn't surprised. Blueridge University had a lot of early morning joggers when the weather was decent. But she quickly realized that it wasn't just any early morning jogger. She knew that without even turning around.
Before long, he'd fallen in step with her, and kept pace right beside her. Liz didn't even bother to look over at him. "Are you going to keep ignoring me? What's a guy got to do to get some attention?" he asked breathlessly.
Liz didn't bother responding. She increased her speed a bit and he fell behind. A few minutes later, he had caught up with her again. "Do you hate me?"
Liz stopped in her tracks and he did the same. She turned to face her next-door neighbor's boyfriend. "No, Pete, I don't hate you. But I don't appreciate being followed."
Pete stared at her. "I wasn't following you. I like to jog."
Liz narrowed her eyes, a look that sent chills down most people's spines. "Look. I don't know what you want, but I want you to leave me alone."
"What did I ever do to you?" Pete demanded.
Liz ignored the question and started jogging again.
"Hey, I was just trying to be nice!" he called after her. He glared at her as he backed off the track. He backed right up into someone and then he turned to see who it was.
Alex Whitman was looking at him coldly. But then Alex moved past him and started jogging to catch up with Liz.
Pete's eyes narrowed, locking on Liz's figure. She'd pay for being rude to him.
"Hey, Parker," Alex said as he easily caught up with her.
Liz glanced over at him. "Hey, Alex."
"You're not usually one to jog alone," he commented, glancing sideways at her. "What's up?"
"Just have some stuff on my mind. That's all." She stared straight ahead, letting her feet hit the gravel with the same pace she'd been at for the past two laps.
"Pete bothering you?" he asked, casting a glance over to where the guy was still standing, staring at them.
"He gives me the creeps," she admitted as she stopped where her water bottle was laying. She picked it up, loosened the cap, took it off, and took a long, cold drink.
She offered a drink to Alex, but he shook his head and waved the bottle away. Alex kept his eyes locked on Pete. "Want me to say something to him?"
"No. Let's just get some breakfast."
"Yeah, the cafeteria should be open by now," Alex agreed, glancing at his watch. It was 6:30 a.m. On the way, he kept glancing at Liz. He could tell something was bothering her, but he wasn't sure what. "Hey," he said, stopping as they reached the exterior door of the college cafeteria.
Liz looked up at him in surprise. "Yeah?"
"You know, if you want to talk...I'm here for you, Liz," he said gently.
"I know. I'm just not ready to talk to anyone about it yet. Okay?"
Alex nodded. "Whenever you are..." he let his voice trail off. He didn't need to say anymore. Liz would talk to him when she was ready.
Max watched Liz throughout breakfast that morning. She'd been unusually quiet when he'd gone back to her room the previous night, after he'd finished his paper at the computer lab. Alex and Maria had come over and watched er with them, but instead of talking about the plot on the commericals like they did every Thursday, Liz had remained silent while Alex and Maria had talked.
And when he'd gotten ready to leave to go back to his room for the night, Liz had hesitated. Like she'd wanted to say something, but couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Are you all right?" he asked her.
"Yeah...I'm just...kind of restless, you know?" She leaned against her doorframe as he stood out in the hallway.
He looked at her in concern. "Well, if you need anything, call me, okay?"
"I will."
Max leaned down to kiss her, but instead of reaching up to meet him halfway as she usually did, Liz stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest and holding on tightly. Max, surprised, wrapped his arms around her and leaned his chin on the top of her head. When she pulled away, Max leaned in and kissed her forehead gently. "Good night, Liz."
"Night, Max," she whispered as she stepped back into her room and closed the door. He waited until he heard the lock turn, and then he leaned against the wall opposite her door for a moment, staring at her door. Then, shaking his head, he left the hallway and headed back to his own dorm.
"Earth to Max," Isabel said, waving a hand in front of his face.
Max blinked and stared back at his sister, who was looking at him in concern. "I'm here."
"Yeah, you are now. Where did you go?" she asked in confusion.
"Sorry. I was...thinking about my history paper," he lied. He wasn't even sure why he lied. He glanced across the table at Liz, who was taking a sip of orange juice. She looked back at him in concern, as well. "I'm okay," he said. Liz nodded carefully.
Alex raised an eyebrow and glanced back and forth between the two of them. Then he stood up and picked up his tray. "Well, I'm off to the wonderful world of computers. Ms. Evans, Ms. Parker...You ladies have a beautiful day. Max, I'll see you before you guys head home for the weekend?"
"Yep."
"All right. Catch you later." Alex walked away.
"Well, I have a rough draft due in approximately two hours," Isabel said, glancing at her watch. "So, I have to get back to my room and get busy. See you before we leave?" she asked Liz.
Liz smiled. "Count on it."
"Okay." Isabel smiled back at her, stood up, and carried her tray away.
Max and Liz looked at one another for a moment. "You better get to calculas," he reminded her. She sighed a barely audible sigh, but Max heard her. He reached across the table as Liz started to stand up, and he caught her wrist. "Liz, are you all right? Really?"
Liz met his eyes and saw they were filled with worry. She reached across the table with her other hand and touched his cheek gently. "I'm okay, Max. Really. I'm just going to miss you this weekend."
He nodded. "I'll miss you, too," he said quietly. He stood up and leaned across the table and their lips met in a soft, loving kiss.
"I have to get to class," Liz whispered.
"Okay," he whispered back, kissing her again.
He heard a chorus of wolf whistles and clapping and pulled away from Liz, rolling his eyes. She grinned and carried her tray to the drop-off window. He watched as she fastened her bookbag onto her back and turned to wave at him as she stepped through the cafeteria door. He waved back. And had an overwhelming urge to run after her as a bad feeling washed over him.
Go to Part 5