Eyes Like Twins Parts 6   

By Ashton

~ chapter 6 ~

Liz couldn't stop the giggles even though her best friends were looking at her like she'd lost her mind.  Joey's next words brought tears to her eyes.  "And, oh my God!  Did you see the look on Ms. Wright's face when Max accidentally sent her special rolling pin flying across the table onto the floor?  I thought she was going to pick it up and beat him with it!"

"I know!"  Liz laughed as she wiped the tears from her eyes.  "And when he was tossing the pizza dough in the air and it fell on his head..."

Joey pointed a slender finger at Liz.  "Hey, now.  That was all your fault.  He was doing just fine until you leaned over to get something and completely broke his concentration.  He took one wiff of your hair and shot straight to Planet Liz."

Kyle nearly choked on his drink.  Maria and Alex exchanged hasty glances and Liz's eyes widened in surprise.  "Planet Liz?"  Liz couldn't stop the grin from spreading over her face.

"Yeah, that's what Leigh Conner said they called it whenever Max got lost in looking at you last year.  She said it's like he goes into this trance and just...worships you.  Trying to get his attention is like trying to communicate with aliens on another planet.  Nearly impossible.  I thought it was kinda funny considering where we are."  Joey tilted her head to the side.  "He gets lost like that a lot, doesn't he?"

Maria, Alex and Kyle had been quietly listening and sharing silent glances for a record five minutes while Joey and Liz relived the Max and Liz Show, Episode 1:Cooking Disasters, that had played in class the period before.  They didn't miss the instant delight that sprang into Liz's eyes when recounting Max's actions and words or the slight blush that swept over her cheeks at Joey's last comment, however.

The consensus was clear among the three without one word being spoken.  Liz Parker had fallen in love with Max Evans all over again in the space of a class period.  Not that she'd ever fallen out of love with him.  It was Joey's next statement that pulled them all into the conversation.

"For what it's worth, I was really glad you asked him to stay.  Even though it's supposed to be just us girls, Max is definitely going to make a humorous and oh-so-gorgeous addition to the class."  Joey wiggled her eyebrows at Liz when Max's looks came into question.  "And of course, with the two of you being partners, we won't be worried about things getting steamed.  Or should I say *steamy*?"

An awkward silence fell over the table and none of her friends missed the guilty look on Liz's face as she glanced at each of them in their turn.  Her gaze faltered and Joey looked from one person to the next.  "What?  Did I say something wrong?"

Maria leaned forward, her gaze settling on Liz.  "You asked him to stay?"

"It wasn't…really like that."  Liz took a deep breath and pushed her hair back behind her shoulders.  "He showed up in our home ec class and well, Ms. Wright put me on the spot.  She said I could choose whether he stayed or went and I…"

"Let him stay."  Kyle finished with a roll of his eyes.  "Unbelievable."

Tears instantly sprang to Liz's eyes as she leaned forward and tried to explain.  "Look, I couldn't just say no.  Max…he…he changed his class list.  Guys, he was scheduled to take every class with me.  I…let him stay as long as he changed all of his other classes back to normal.  What was I supposed to do?  Let him take gym with the girls?  He would have done it, you know.  He's so…determined.  I've never seen him like this before and…and I…I…just couldn't…"

"Liz, babe, it's ok.  It didn't really sound like you had much choice."  Maria began when she saw Liz getting visibly upset but was quickly interrupted by Kyle.  Even though the words were convincing, Maria's tone was less so.

"Sure she did.  She could've kicked him to the curb."

"Now there's gratitude for ya."  Alex chimed in with a sideways glance at Kyle. 

"What?  Look, you're not the one that dried every tear this summer, ok?  I'm just saying all she had to do was say no.  You know, just like the drug slogan..."

"No, you don't understand."  Liz's voice raised in intensity.  "Max would have never turned me away.  How could I have…"

"Wasn't that the whole point of this little exercise of ours?"  Kyle piped up again interrupting Liz's explanation.  "Turning Max away. Getting him to realize you're through?  We can keep him from you all you want, Liz, but how's he going to know it's real if you don't tell him?"

"I can't believe I’m saying this, but…"  Maria spoke calmly but her agitation was clear in the way her fingers had begun to drum on the table.  "…Kyle's right.  Max will never believe it's over unless you tell him."

"Unless…"  Alex eyed Liz carefully.  She had opened her mouth several times to make a statement but had been rudely cut off by all the advice that had begun to fly around.  "…you don't want him to believe it…"

Seeing Liz's friends attack her based on comments she had made, Joey felt a responsibility to defend Liz even though she was clearly in the dark as to the problem.  "I know I'm new and have absolutely no background whatsoever on this subject, but I can tell you one thing...Max absolutely adores her.  And it's pretty obvious she adores him too so, what's wrong with them taking a class together?"

Maria, Alex and Kyle's voices all chimed in at once.  "It's complicated."

"Stop!  Just stop, ok?!" 

All eyes turned to Liz.  She was staring down at her tray, her face flushed with anger and her eyes glazed with unshed tears.  When she raised her head to look around the table a few tears managed to slip down her cheeks unbidden and her hands were shaking.  Although her voice was low, it wavered with emotions she was desperately trying to keep in check.  "God, I can't take this any more!  Don't you understand?  No matter what has…happened….I…still love him.  I…need him.  Even if it's just to sit next to him in a stupid home ec class!  At least I know he's safe!"

Liz ran her fingers through her hair pushing loose strands back away from her face as her anger and frustration gained in momentum.  "And you know what else?  I'm tired.  I'm just so tired of everyone telling me what I should or shouldn't do! It's pretty easy to sit back and give advice and…and pass judgement on me, isn't it?  Or on Max.  To make me feel like I'm wrong because I still love him."  She stood suddenly and leaned forward and her voice lowered with conviction.  "Well, it's not wrong!  Loving Max Evans is the most prefect, right thing I've ever done in my life and if you can't accept that…"

Her tears were coming more quickly now and the words were getting caught in her throat.  Liz reached down and grabbed her book bag.  "If you can't…accept that…then we…have nothing left to talk about…"  With one longing glance in Max's direction, Liz turned on her heels and sprinted out of the quad leaving her table of friends speechless.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Max.  Oh my God.  What's going on…?"  Isabel's words died in her throat.  Max wouldn't have heard them anyway.  The moment he saw Liz's tears he shot out of his seat and headed in her direction.  When she turned and ran he took off after her.

Isabel's gaze shifted to the table after Max and Liz disappeared through the door and she was instantly greeted with a look from Alex.  She could tell by the drop of his shoulders and the sadness in his eyes that all things were not well.  Before she got a chance to make a move, Alex did it for her.  He said something to Maria and Kyle that brought nods of agreement from both of them then got up from his seat and headed her way.

"Hey."  Alex said softly once he reached her table. 

"Hey.  Is Liz ok?"

Alex attempted a lopsided grin.  "Yeah, compared to a nuclear holocaust Liz is just peachy."  Seeing Isabel's eyes drop, Alex let out a sigh.  "I'm sorry.  That was…no, she's not."  He slipped into the seat next to her.  "Isabel…"

"We need to talk, Alex."  Isabel stated authoritatively as she raised her eyes back to his.  "About Max and Liz.  About all of us…"

"I know.  That's why I came over."  Alex reached out tentatively and took Isabel's hand in his.  "This isn't working, Isabel.  The six of us not being together…it just isn't…"

"Not working."  Isabel finished for him.  "I know.  Max has been devastated.  Liz doesn't look much better.  Michael and Maria are in a constant state of anger.  And you…"

A small smile touched Alex's lips.  "I'm ok.  I am.  At least you're not running from me like Liz is from Max or saying mean things behind my back like Maria does with Michael."  His eyes cut to her face as a new thought hit him.  "Wait.  You aren't, are you?"

Isabel gave him a full-fledged smile.  "Well, I did call you a computer geek last night but that was only in most sincerest of compliments."

"Oh.  Well, that's not bad.  I mean, I've been called worse…" 

Isabel's expression became serious again.  "Alex…about Liz and Max…"

"Where do you stand?"  Alex interrupted Isabel.  While watching Liz and Joey talk, Alex had been hit by the unfairness of it all.  Max Evans was the best thing that had ever happened to Liz.  He made her...happy didn't seem the right word.  She was radiant.  Even just talking about him made her glow. Loving him made her...more...somehow.  And the same was true for Max.  That they weren't together was a crime against the laws of nature.  That's when he came up with a plan.  And to pull it off, he would need help.  Before he laid out his plan to Isabel, though, he needed to know if he could count on her. 

"Max loves her.  He's been miserable without her…"  Isabel's eyes teared up and she lowered her gaze to hide her sudden emotion, but Alex picked up on it immediately and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.  Taking courage from his touch, Isabel continued slowly.  "You didn't see him when she left, Alex.  It's like he just...died...inside.  I was so scared for him.  He wasn't...Max."

She reached up and brushed away a tear that had managed to slip out of the corner of her eye.  "After a few weeks like that...well, something happened that snapped him out of it.  I'm not really sure what because he would never talk about it, but even after that he's not really been the same.  It's like he's been on auto-pilot.  Going through the motions, but not really feeling anything." 

Her eyes raised to meet Alex's.  "Until he saw Liz again.  It's like he's been re-born.  Which is kinda funny since we actually *were* re-born."  Isabel returned the smile Alex gave her at her attempt to joke.  "Anyway, I feel like I've got my brother back, you know?  Because of Liz.  And I don't want to lose him again. So, I'll do anything it takes to make sure that doesn't happen."

Alex's grin reached his eyes.  "I'm so glad to hear you say that.  Because I've..."  Alex leaned forward.  "…got a plan."

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I can't believe you!  I thought you were on my side."  Tess whined as she crossed her arms in front of her like a petulant child and leaned backward against the lockers.

"I am, Tess.  I'm just saying from what I've seen it's not going to be as easy as you'd like it to be."  Leaning forward he lowered his voice.  "As much as you don't like to hear this, Evans didn't take his eyes off of her the whole class.  Hell, I don't even know if he realized he was in a class.  With an actual teacher.  An actual teacher that was giving notes.  Notes that'll be on a test…"

"Alright, Ryan.  I get the point."  Tess glared at him knowing all too well how Max acted around Liz.  The longing glances she always received.  The small private smiles that spoke of secret promises shared.

"I'm not sure you do, babe."  Ryan continued as a sly smile played on his lips.  "He's so in to her I really think both of our worlds could fall down around him and he wouldn't even jump as long as he was looking at her."  Ryan shook his head.  "No, Liz will be the key to this.  She's the one giving him the cold shoulder."  He paused remembering that first look he'd observed pass between Max and Liz when she walked into her 2nd period class.  It had been full of longing and desire and…love.  He quickly amended his statement.  "At least she's trying to."

He paused a moment to let the idea sink in to Tess before continuing.  "Look, I'm just saying this isn't going to be any cake walk and it's time you admit that.  Tess?"

Tess let out a 'hurmp' sound and glanced up at Ryan then back to the floor in defiance.  "Ok.  Alright.  So Max has…"  Tess spat the next word out in contempt.  "…'feelings' for her.  And Liz does too.  That doesn't mean we can't break them…"

Ryan chuckled and raised her chin till her eyes were meeting his.  "Oh, you can count on us breaking them, Tess.  We fail our people if we don't.  I'm just saying we might need to change our tactics a little.  Hit where it hurts the most."

A devious smile turned the corner of Tess' mouth upward.  "I like the sound of that."  She leaned forward eagerly.  "What do you have in mind?"

"Ooooh, Tess…"  Shaking his head slightly, Ryan's smile was almost devilish.  "…I've already taken the first step."

Just then a slamming door echoed in the hall.  Ryan and Tess instinctively turned in the direction of the noise to see the female half of their discussion round the corner with tears running down her face.  The moment she headed for the girls' restroom, Ryan leaned down and whispered in Tess' ear before pushing her forward.  "Time for you to do your part, sweetheart.  Make sure she goes to her locker."

Tess nodded once and followed Liz into the restroom leaving Ryan to raise his eyebrow in interest when Max suddenly came into view…

"Liz!  Liz!  Wait…"  Max called after Liz, but she had already rounded the corner and headed toward the girls' restroom.  He caught sight of her dark hair as she slipped through the door and let out a frustrated growl when he saw Tess head in directly behind her.  "Dammit!"  He shouted to no one in particular.  The two of them in the same room together was not going to be good.  Especially not after the way he blew Tess off earlier.

Max didn't even pause to think about what he was doing.  He just acted on instinct.  His shoulders were squared and his step was determined as he headed straight for the girls' restroom.  Stepping through the door, Max sent a few girls running for cover…Tess included…while others stood and stared with their mouths open at the sight of shy, quiet Max Evans standing in the middle of the girls' restroom yelling into the open air.   

"Liz!  Liz!  Where are you?"  Max called out his voice echoing against the tile walls of the restroom as he slowly turned around trying to take in, but *not* take in, his surroundings.

"Max?"  Liz rounded the corner and came face to face with him.  Her eyelashes were still wet with tears and her eyes were wide with shock.  "Oh my God!  What are you doing in here?" 

His chest fell as he let out a loud sigh when he saw her.  A brief smile touched his lips when he saw she had calmed and only the remainder of tears and not brand new ones were hanging onto her long dark lashes.  "Liz, I found you."

Liz squelched the desire to laugh at his simple statement…at their predicament…at the adorable little-boy look on his face.  If she did, she knew she'd never have the chance to walk away from him.  Especially not after the way she'd declared her undying love for him to her friends only moments before.  So she rejected the familiar feelings of love that washed over her when she was within 100 miles of Max and took refuge in the foreign emotion of anger.  Liz put her hands on her hips and shook her head in disbelief.  "Yes, Max.  You found me.  IN THE GIRLS' BATHROOM!"  Pointing emphatically toward the door, Liz gave Max a direct command.  "God, Max, you've got to go!  You've got to leave right now!"

Max shook his head and took a step forward.  "No.  Not until we talk. Not until you tell me what's going on..."

"What's going on, Max?  What's going on is that you are standing in the middle of the girls'..."

"I don't give a damn!"  Max's voice raised and he took another step toward her, reaching out and taking her arms in his hands as he leaned down in earnestness.  "I'm not leaving until we talk.  And I don't care if it takes all day and all night or even into next week.  You are going to stop running, Liz Parker.  You're going to stop running and you're going to tell me what is making you so scared.  That is the least I deserve!"  His anger dissolved in one loud shaky breath and concern took its place.  "I can't..."  Max's eyes began to shine and his voice cracked with emotion.  "I can't...stand to...see you cry and not...do something about it."   

The sound of 'awww's filled the room and Max and Liz glanced around them to see a group of spectators lining up to watch their little drama.  Heads were peeking over the doors of stalls and around corners of the walls and eyes were trained on them through the mirrors as girls stopped washing their hands to catch every word.  Max ducked his head in embarrassment and Liz's cheeks colored as she looked up into his eyes, her own softening with emotion.  She shook her head in awe and smiled up at him softly.  "God, you're amazing.  Do you know that?"

Max's eyes matched her in emotion and his voice lowered to a whisper as his hand automatically moved to cup her face.  "If I am it's because I learned it from loving you."

And Liz was lost.  Once again, surrounded by complete love and held by sheer determination, her gaze met his and held speaking words she'd longed to say for so long without uttering a sound.  It was as if time disappeared and they were once again just Max and Liz.  High school students in love.  A Czechoslovakian prince and his Earth-girl.

She couldn't look away.  She couldn't walk away.  She couldn't deny the truth.  Max was right.  He did deserve an explanation.  He deserved to know what had been going on.  Maybe together they could find a way to work things out.  Maybe together things wouldn't be so scary.  There was only one thing to do.  Liz took a deep breath and snapped out of the moment, her eyebrow raising as she tilted her head to the side.  Compromise had worked once today, maybe she'd get lucky and have it work again.   "Fine.  I'll talk to you on one condition."

Max eyed her warily.  "Name it."

She could no longer hold back the happiness bubbling inside her and her eyes began to dance with laughter.  "Get out of the girls' bathroom and promise to never come back!"

Max joined the chuckles that erupted all around them.  "I can safely promise that I will never, ever enter the girls' bathroom again."  At the sound of clapping, Max held his finger up.  "On two conditions."

Liz rolled her eyes as a light whisper surrounded them in the room.  She had so missed her playful, lighthearted Max.  He rarely came out and it was clear from the twinkle in his eyes at this moment he was in full swing.  "Alright.  What conditions?"

"As great as our audience has been, I really don't think we should bore them with the rest of the Max and Liz Love Connection show."  This statement drew groans from the waiting crowd but Max continued after holding up a hand for silence.  "So, first, you speak to me alone.  Away from here."  Max gave her a pointed look letting her know he meant away from the school. 

Liz nodded.  "Fine."

"And second, you know I keep my promises.  So, if I promise to never come in here again, you have to promise to never use this as your hiding place if we ever need to talk."

Liz crossed her arms in front of her and nodded once after only a moment's thought.  "Done."  She answered with little hesitation.  After all, she still had the girls' locker room.  "Now, go!  I'll meet you outside the door in a few minutes."

Max was grinning from ear to ear.  His happiness couldn't have been masked if he'd tried.  "Ok."  He began backing up toward the door his eyes never leaving Liz's face.  "In a few minutes…"

Liz nodded her confirmation.  "In a few minutes."

Max took a few more steps backward.  "Outside the door…"

Liz began to chuckle.  "Outside the door."

Max stopped mid-stride and his eyes began to shine.  "Wait.  Why don't we make it by your locker instead?"

Liz's eyebrows furrowed.  "What are you up to, Max Evans?"

Max masked his expression with mock innocence.  "Me?  Nothing.  Nothing at all."  His smile returned complete with a wink as a happy sigh of contentment escaped him.  His next statement came out in an excited whisper.  "I'll see you by your locker."

Before he even disappeared through the door, Max Evans was applauded by a group of girls for the second time that day.  Also for the second time, one girl did not join in.  Instead, her eyes danced with delight.  "Get prepared, little Miss Lizzie.  You're world's about to crash down around you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two pair of eyes watched quietly from the shadows of a classroom doorway…

Max was pacing in front of Liz's locker anxiously.  She said it would only be a few minutes, but for Max, it seemed like eternity.  He jumped when he heard Isabel's voice behind him.  "Trying to wear a hole in the floor?"

Max stopped and turned to Isabel abruptly.  "Do you have to go to the restroom?"

"What?"  Isabel looked at Max like he'd lost his mind. 

"Liz.  She's in there and she told me she'd be out in a few minutes so we can talk, but it's been a while…"

"Hey."  Liz's voice behind Max brought an instant smile to his face.  He turned to face her and let out a quick breath. 

"Hey.  I thought you might not…"

"We had a deal, right?"  Liz looked past him to Isabel.  "Hi, Isabel."

"Hey, Liz.  How've things been?"

Liz's gaze moved back to Max's face and a slight smile played on her lips.  "Kinda strange considering your brother apparently has a new desire to get in touch with his feminine side."

Isabel's brows furrowed in confusion.  "His feminine side?"

Seeing Max's cheeks color, Liz couldn't resist the urge to tease him a little.  "Yeah, he's suddenly taken an interest in cooking and sewing and just a few minutes ago…he took a wrong turn into the girls' restroom."

A loud gasp escaped Isabel.  "You did what?"

Liz nodded never once taking her eyes from Max.  She had to bite back her laughter at the adorable look of embarrassment that passed over his expression.  "Yeah, I can't decide if he's simply gone crazy or if this is a new unnamed Czechoslovakian trait that's suddenly rearing its head…"

Max spoke for the first time since Liz began her teasing assault on him.  "It's neither.  I'm well aware of what's causing these actions.  Its called love."

Isabel smiled to herself and inwardly jumped for joy when she saw the look of returned admiration on Liz's face.  Their gazes locked on one another, it wasn't hard to see neither heart had strayed in the past three months.  Despite everything they'd gone through together and separately, one thing still rang loud and clear…Max and Liz were still as in love with each other as the day they'd said good-bye.  With the way things were looking, they may not have to put Alex's plan into motion after all.

"Well, guys.  I'm going to just…"  Seeing that neither Max nor Liz were paying any attention, Isabel started to back away.  "Yeah.  Right.  You guys couldn't care less.  So…I'll just…go..."

Once Isabel was out of earshot, Max took a step toward Liz, his voice softening to that tone he always used with Liz…just Liz.  "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For agreeing to talk to me.  I know things have been…"

Liz raised her hand and silenced Max by putting her fingers against his lips.  He closed his eyes and swallowed hard at her gently touch.  "Let's wait, ok?  There's too much to say..."

Max nodded in understanding.  The bell rang overhead and people began filtering into the hallway.  Not wanting to waste any time, Max nodded toward Liz's locker.  "Why don't you get whatever you have to get from your locker then we can go."

"Ok."  Liz reached her hand out and spun the dial on her combination around while Max anxiously bit his lower lip.  She glanced at him and smile.  "You ok?  You look a little nervous."

"No.  No, I'm fine.  Now that I'm with you…"  Max answered back quietly, his eyes never leaving her face. 

Liz's smile deepened as she unlocked her door and pulled up on the handle then started to open the door when she heard a voice behind her.  "Liz?"

Liz glanced back to see Kyle.  "Hey, Kyle."

"You ok?  What's going on?  Got kinda worried about you the way you ran away at lunch…" Kyle nodded in Max's direction.  "Hey, Max.  What are you doing here?"

"Kyle."  Max responded curtly.

Liz nodded.  "Yeah, I'm fine."  Glancing over at Max, she mumbled under her breath.  "Really fine."  She turned back to Kyle.  "Look, Max and I are going to go talk so can you take notes for me in English?"

"You're going off together?"  Kyle asked as his eyebrow raised.  "Alone?"

"We need to talk, Kyle.  No arguments."  Liz responded with determination and a warning in her eyes for Kyle not to start anything.

Kyle shook his head and glanced at Max with a mixture of admiration and disdain.  After all the tears he'd been a witness too…all of the desperate pleas for help and weeks of steeling herself to stand firm against Max Evans…it had only taken Max a matter of two days to break her down.  Two days to reach her heart again.  Two days to make her his.  How did he do it?  Looking in Max's eyes as he quietly watched every move Liz made, Kyle had his answer.  Max simply…loved her.

Kyle shrugged and did the only thing he could do at that point.  He supported his friend's decision.  "I'll…uh…bring the notes to you at the Crashdown tonight."

Liz's smile was full of relief.  "Thanks, Kyle.  I owe you one."

"Sure."  Kyle nodded to both Max and Liz then turned and walked away. "Take care of her, Evans." 

Three steps later, a blood-curdling scream split the air…

Tbc…

Part 7