NoAngel4

�So uh you want to go on a walk or something?� Tess suggested.
�Oh sure. Yeah, that�d be good.� Max agreed and they both got up.
They decided to walk through the park. After a while, they sat down on a bench.
�So�how�s Liz doing?� Tess asked, desperately trying to make conversation. Not that she even cared about Liz, but at least that was something Max liked talking about.
�She�s fine. I haven�t really seen her that much. She seems kind of distant.� Max told her.
�Probably because of me.� Tess whispered to herself. Max heard her and turned his head towards her.
�What?� He asked her.
�She probably doesn�t want to see you because of me.� Tess said louder. �Because of our destiny.�
�You think she really believes that?� Max asked as if he was denying his destiny.
�Well it�s true. As much as you don�t want it to be, it IS true. I can�t help it, you can�t help it. It�s just there and there�s nothing we can do to change it.� Tess gently laid out what she�d always wanted to tell him.
�I don�t believe it. How can my future already be laid out for me? Only I can say what I�m going to do.� Max defended himself.
�I know it�s scary Max. But you just have to learn to accept it. I have.� Tess kept her voice low.
�No Tess! I�m not going to accept it! You and I are NOT going to happen.� Max told her sternly. Tess� eyes shimmered in the starlight. They were glossy from all the tears she was keeping from falling. She didn�t want Max to see her cry. To see her weak. No. She would stay strong and not show him how much his words hurt her. Max saw her hurt though. Immediately after he finished talking, he regretted the way he�d told her. �I�m sorry Tess. I didn�t mean for it to come out like that. It�s just that I get so worked up when I�m told how my life is going to turn out. I just want to go through life not knowing what�s at the end.�
�Don�t you think I feel that? Do you think that I enjoy being told that you�re my soul mate, that I can never go out with another guy because I�m supposed to be loyal to you? Max, I feel everything you do. I HATE it that my life is mapped out already. But growing up with Nasedo has taught me to accept anything that comes my way. That anything is possible and that we can get through anything in life. We just have to stick together. I may not have Nasedo anymore, but I do have you, Isabel, and Michael. Nasedo always told me that if anything ever happened to him, we would be fine because as long as we are all together, we have the strength to defeat anything. Can you at least let me be your friend?� Tess poured out her feelings to Max. He looked at her as if he�d never seen her before. This wasn�t the Tess he thought he knew. This Tess was different, more vulnerable. He felt a need to protect her from the evils of the world; to not let anything hurt her. He gave her a warm smile.
�You�ll always be my friend.� Max said sincerely.

A month passed and life went on as normal. Max became much closer with Tess, only as a friend. They were often found at the Crashdown having supper together or just munching on some fries, discussing the daily aspects of their lives. Max told Tess how he felt about Liz and how badly he wanted to get Liz back. Although she hated every moment of it, Tess helped Max on his quest to get back Liz. She went to the florist to arrange bouquets that Max would give Liz each week. For a whole week, she sat down with Max each day after school and helped him memorize a long Ballad that he performed for Liz at the end of the week. When that didn�t work, when Liz just turned her back away, Tess was there behind the corner to comfort him. Often in the evenings, she would write romantic love letters and would bring them over to Max. When he saw them, he thanked her heartily and then would bring them over to Liz�s house. Near the end of the month, Max was getting more desperate.
�This Wednesday is our one year anniversary of when we kissed. I�ve got to get her back on Wednesday. Can you help me find something to give her? Like a necklace or something? I know you�re good at that sort of thing.� Max asked Tess on that Monday evening over the phone.
�Well�I don�t know.� Tess was hesitant to help again.
�What do you mean you don�t know. Please Tess, you�ve got to help me. I suck at shopping for jewelry.� Max pleaded.
�I think that if you�re going to get her something for an anniversary, it should come from YOU. From your heart. Not mine.� Tess told him.
�Tell you what, I�ll pick out a few different necklaces, then you can help me pick from them. Okay? Please Tess. Please say yes.� Max sounded desperate.
�Alright. I�ll meet you tomorrow at 6 in the evening. Okay? Good. See you tomorrow at school.� Tess said by and then hung up. Max put down the phone satisfied. As long as Tess was there to pick out the perfect gift, everything would be perfect. She had excellent taste in everything and was always successful in making Liz smile, even if it WAS short lived. Tess lay down on her bed and closed her eyes letting a single tear slip out from under the crack.
At the Evans� house, Isabel was standing in the hall when she heard Max pleading to Tess. When he hung up, she stomped into his room and slammed the door behind her.
�Hey! What was that all about?� Max jumped at the sound of the door banging.
�You tell me! Look, you can�t just go around breaking Tess� heart over and over by making her work with you to get Liz back. She�s a person too Max! She�s not just some robot where you can tell her to go do errands and do all your love work.� Isabel yelled at Max. She was so sick of seeing Max use Tess.
�What are you talking about? Tess volunteers to do these things for me. I don�t beg her to do anything. Okay, so I may have asked excessively this time, but that�s it. I�m not breaking her heart. If I was, she would�ve told me.� Max tried to defend himself, but knew that all he said just sounded stupid.
�What is wrong with you Max! Can�t you see the girl is madly in love with you? That�s why she�s helping you. Because that�s the only way that she can be with you. But in the end, she�s only betraying herself. I can�t believe how na�ve you are! You are so stupid Max. Just think about it. Think of all the pain she�s gone through this passed month. Man! You don�t deserve her friendship. I�m sorry, but that�s the truth.� Isabel turned around after her explosion and walked out the room without a word from Max. He was too speechless to say anything.
It�s a little short, but it�s just to keep you guys busy till the next part comes out.

~*~ Next evening ~*~

Max picked up Tess at her house and then drove over to the local mall. Once there, they walked toward the jewelry store where Max would buy Liz�s gift. They looked at all the rings, but non of them attracted the two. So they went to the bracelets, but soon walked away because they both had no interest in bracelets. Finally after half an hour of searching, they landed in the necklace area.

�Do you think she�d like platinum or gold?� Tess asked Max. He gave her a dumbfounded look.

�I have no clue. Um�.gold?� He guessed.

�Okay. Over here I saw some very nice gold necklaces.� Tess led him over to a counter full of gold necklaces. �Personally, I really like this heart shaped one with the diamond in the middle. It shows your love for her through the golden heart rim. And then the diamond shows that you paid a fortune for her.� Tess explained. Max took a closer look at the necklace and saw how magnificent it truly was. The thousands of sparkles in the tiny diamond shined brighter than the millions of stars in the sky.

�It�s perfect.� Max said speechlessly.

Fan Fic