Title: Closets, Kisses, and Lies
Author: alianora
Email: alia@silverspiral.net
Disclaimer: *Checks tag in Michael’s jeans* M-A-R-I-A. Nope, still not mine
Spoilers: Riverdog
Author’s Note: I blame Reese for this. She handed me a challenge, which I twisted completely out of recognition. But this is still her fault.

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

She doesn’t remember.

One of the best kisses of my life, and she doesn’t remember.

At first, when she grabbed me and dragged me into the janitor’s closet, I honestly thought that I had dreamt the whole break up and Max Evans thing.

I should have known better.

No, she didn’t want to kiss and make up. She wanted to talk about Max.

She wanted to be sure I wasn’t going to tell anyone about the little pow wow she was having down in that gross hotel.

She didn’t even know what I was talking about. She doesn’t remember kissing me here.

She doesn’t even remember me. Or us. Or even the fact that there was an us, not too long ago.

She was my first real kiss. Sure, I had kissed some girls before, but never one I actually liked.

Liz was different. She was smart and pretty, and I was actually getting a B in science for the first time in my life.

I hated the tutor idea at first, but Coach told me that I couldn’t play football if I failed science again.

I don’t think Liz was too thrilled either. The first day she threw her notes in my face and told me to copy them. And then made me redo them three times because they weren’t neat enough. I swear I think she’s obsessive compulsive. Her notes have footnotes, and diagrams, and paragraphs of information. I don’t think some of that stuff was talked about in class either. Or maybe I just slept through more class than I realized.

But after that, it was ok. She wasn’t very patient, but she definitely knows more about biology than anyone should. And once Coach threatened to kick me off the team, I actually started reading the textbook and passing the tests.

Plus we studied at the Crashdown most of the time, and I think better when I’m eating. Hey, I’m a growing boy.

So we were spending a lot of time together, and I really started to notice how much fun she could be.

I swear; Liz has a wicked sense of humor. She might not look it, but she can be completely evil. And that little innocent look of hers got her out of most of the pranks she pulled. Of course, I generally got blamed for them, but it turns out I’m a sucker for her innocent look too.

I was trying to take it slow with her. Picking up the check at the Crashdown, studying at my house and getting movies I know she likes. Stuff like that.

And yeah, even though I think its crazy, she insisted on paying for food at the Crashdown unless she was working. Go figure. I probably would have fed the entire football team everyday for free if my dad owned the place. But she did give me free food while I was waiting for her, so that was cool.

So I was hanging around her, trying to be subtle. DeLuca told me later that I was about as subtle as a brick in the face, but she was kind of pissed that Liz and I were dating. Anyway, so I attempting subtle, and I guess Liz just got sick of it.

On the last day of school, I was trying to act cool. Accidentally ran into her in the halls, and stuttered half way through an invitation to go to a party, while she stood there and just smiled at me. I didn’t even get the words out, before she grabbed my hand and hauled me into the janitor’s closet.

Liz Parker, a tease. I never would have guessed.

But she was giving me a little bit of a come hither look, and my brains and vocal cords had frozen by then, so I gave up and kissed her.

And then she kissed me back.

Never in a million years did I think I would be in the janitor’s closet making out with Liz Parker. Valedictorian Liz Parker. Making out with me, a jock who can’t pass freshman biology on his own.

The world had tilted on its axis, and was rotating backwards. I know which way the world tilts because of Liz, of course.

So we were dating. And like I said, I was trying to take it slow. I’m a jock, on the football team, and all that, so I wasn’t exactly new to the world of dating and sex, but this was Liz Parker. One of the town’s most prized possessions. She’s smart, she’s pretty, she works at the Crashdown, and everybody in town knows her.

And anyway, I didn’t want to scare her off, and she didn’t seem all that comfortable when I tried to take her shirt off. So we stopped there, and I was ok with that.

And so we dated all summer long. I thought about her a lot while I was at football camp, and I wanted to call. I’m not much of a talker, I’m a little more prone to foot in mouth disease, but I wanted to call and tell her I missed her. But I felt stupid, so I didn’t.

Maybe I should have. I got back from football camp, and school started before I talked to her. I called after the whole Crashdown thing, but she never called back. I just figured that maybe she was still freaked out.

And then she and Max walked into the band room while I was in there. Studying for midterms, my ass. Midterms aren’t usually in September, and somehow I don’t think Max needs any help in biology.

And yeah, I got a little worried. I thought maybe she wanted to break up and just didn’t want to tell me. And then she starts avoiding me, standing me up on our dates, and interrupting me when I was trying to tell her things. And, of course, hanging out with Max Evans.

I was just trying to tell her that she wasn’t just any girl, that I cared about her, and that I was worried about her. Liz Parker isn’t exactly the lying type, and I figured she would just tell me if she had been seeing Evans over the summer.

But she cut me off, and probably headed off to see her precious Max again.

I don’t get it, I honestly don’t.

I know they are involved in something weird. But I can’t figure out what it is.

Liz doesn’t seem the type to get into drugs, but anything’s possible, I guess.

But I’m going to figure it out.

I do feel bad about Max getting beat up. But that has mainly to do with the fact that I would rather kick his ass on my own. And up until then, Liz and I were still sort of dating. I’m pretty sure that’s why she finally broke up with me, even though she said it wasn’t. I also thought it might have something to do with her Grandma dying, but Max was at the hospital with her too, so I really don’t know. I even tried talking to him, but it didn’t do me any good. She didn’t even look sad or regretful when she broke up with me. She just looked pissed. And then, surprise, Max and Liz are dating, and the whole situation is getting weirder.

So I decided I had to know what the hell was going on with Liz Parker, and stupid me just wanted to talk to her. But she wasn’t at home, she wasn’t at Maria’s, and I drove by the Evans, and they weren’t home either. And then my dad gets really weird about Max. And if I shouldn’t be anywhere near that kid, neither should Liz.

What were they doing at that hotel anyway? I knew Liz was hanging out with Max and Isabel, but I didn’t know that Maria and that Guerin kid were involved in it too. I guess I should have guessed. Maria and Liz are generally attached at the hip, but whatever they were doing down there completely wrong. They were fighting when I walked in, but I didn’t really hear anything. And then Guerin threw me across the room, which I still can’t figure out. He doesn’t look that strong.

I know Liz is involved in something bad.

And all she is interested in doing is making sure that her new boy toy doesn’t get in trouble for whatever the hell he is doing to her.

She doesn’t even remember us kissing in here. I seriously can’t believe it. I never knew one person could change so much so fast.

I still want to know what’s going on. And I’m going to find out.

Max Evans is up to something. And sooner or later, he’s going to get caught.

And I’ll be damned if I let him drag Liz Parker down with him.

END