Max and Michael walked into The Crashdown and sat down in their usual booth.

Maria walked over to their table. "So guys, what do you want?"

"You" thought Michael, but instead he said: "Cherry cola".

"The same for me…where is Liz?" said Max.

"I don't know." said Maria.

But then Liz came in, dressed in her uniform. "Hi Maria, hi Michael" she said and walked up to the counter.

"What was that about?" asked Maria, and looked at Max. " I don't know, you tell me." he said, and looked at Liz, who avoided looking at him. "Well, I'll get your Cherry cola, and then I'll ask her, what's wrong." she said and walked up to the counter.

Michael stared at her as she walked away, and realised how much he missed her. He remembered all too well how wondeful it was to hold her in his arms. He would almost give everything, if he then could kiss her again. She was the only one he'd ever really cared about. Of course, he still had Max and Isabel, but that wasn't the same. He remembered the first time he kissed her. The night, when Max and Liz went out to see River Dog, he said that it was just to calm her down, but actually it was something, he'd wanted to do in a long time. Damn, why the hell did he break up with her? "I can't get too intense?" How lame is that? Max was so much better to handle women then he was. He was so good at that romantic stuff.

I wanna know you, like I know myself
I'm waitin' for you, there ain't no one else
Talk to me baby, scream and shout
I wanna you, inside out

"Hey Liz, what's wrong?" Maria was cleaning the counter and Liz was counting the money. "Wrong? What do you mean?" asked Liz and looked at her best friend.

"I mean, why are you mad at Max?" said Maria as she locked the door.

"I'm not mad at him, Maria; I just think that it's a good idea that we don't see each other for a while."

"Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Liz Parker?" Maria was looking at Liz, like she was gone crazy.

"I just think, that it will be the best for both of us." Liz went out and shifted into her normal clothes.

"Are you crazy? He's going mad without you. And besides, it's pretty unfair that you haven't told him why you are avoiding him. He can't figure out what he has done wrong."

"Okay Maria, it's crystal clear. I'll go talk to him tomorrow"

Max was lying at his bed, thinking about Liz. Why was she mad at him? As far, as he knew, he hadn't done anything wrong. So why is it, that she doesn't even look at me anymore? On the other hand, she has every right to do so. I'm not the right guy for her. But then, why the hell do I hurt so much? Because you love her, you fool. I, Max Evans, am totally lost in Liz Parker. I'm just not so sure, that she is having the same feelings for me.

Maria walked into her room, and turned the light on. Ah, home, sweet home. She was so tired, that she felt like she could sleep for a week. She put on a red tank top and som white shorts and went to bed. She closed her eyes, and tried to fall asleep. But for some reason, she kept seeing Michael's handsome face in front of her eyes over and over and over again. Maria DeLuca, stop now! He dumped you, and he doesn't even care about you. But she could still feel his strong arms around her waist, his wonderful kisses on her lips, on her neck, on her face…..yeah, like his kisses were wonderful. It was like being kissed by a pig….who are you trying to fool, Maria? You would love to kiss him again.

I wanna dig down deep, I wanna lose some sleep
I wanna scream and shout, I wanna know you inside out
I wanna take my time, I wanna know your mind
Ya know there ain't no doubt, I wanna know you inside out

Liz sat on her rooftop, thinking about Max. She hated to be separated from him like this, but there was no other way. She really loved him and that's why she did it. Because some day, he'll maybe leave her and it would hurt to much, so it was best to be separated now, before they got too intense.

She grabbed her journal, and began to write: I'm Liz Parker, and yesterday, I made the hardest choice in my life…I've chosen to let Max Evans, the man that I adore, go. I'm avoding him and he doesn't understand why. I have to talk to him tomorrow. I just hope that he'll understand why i'm breaking our contact and friendship off like this. I will also tell him how much I love him, how much I want it to be us. It's usually Max, who's playing this role, but now it's my turn to break it. We're just……different. She put the journal back in the safe hiding place, and wiped a tear off her cheek. Then, she went to bed.

Michael walked down the hall, heading for Maria's locker. He hoped that he -accidentally- could bump into her there. He just needed to see her, to be near her. And he was lucky. Just as he turned around the corner, Maria bumped into him, and fell backwards. "Oops, are you okay?" he asked and tried really hard not to perform a happy, little dance.

"Yeah, you moron…what are you smiling at?" she grumbled and rubbed her butt. "Ow, that did really hurt".

Michael realised, that he had a big smile plastered over his face. "Nothing." he answered, and looked at her. She looked really hot in that blue and black, zebra striped blouse. Say something, Michael……"Um,are you heading for class now?" He asked. Wow, well done Guerin, how lame did that sound?

"Yeah, why?" She looked at him, like he'd just fell down through the roof or something. "Just curious." He answered and tried to look busy. "Well, see ya.", she said and headed towards class.

"Yeah…see ya." He said quietly, turned around and walked away.

The saddest song you ever heard, the most you said with just one word
The loneliest prayer you ever prayed, the truest vow you ever made
What makes you laugh, what makes you cry
What makes you mad, what gets you by
Your highest high, your lowest low
These are the things, I want to know

Liz sat on her rooftop and waited for Max. She had called him and said that there was some things they needed to talk about. He had just agreed and said, that he would be there in 5 minutes.

"Liz, are you there?"

She looked down at the street. There he was, the man that she loved so much. "Yeah, i'm here" she answered and Max began to climb up the ladder.

When he made it to the top, he crawled onto the rooftop. There she was, the girl he had loved his entire life. She was even more beautiful when she stood in the light of the moon and the stars. But her eyes were red, and he could see, that she had been crying.

"Liz, what's wrong?" he asked softly, and took her in his arms.

"Max, I don't think it's such a good idea if we see each other anymore…" she said, and the tears began to ran down her cheeks. He froze.

"What are you saying?" he asked, and looked down to her face.

"Max, someday you may be able to go home and I know, that it will hurt so much. So it's best if we break off the contact, before it gets too intense." she said and began to sob. "No…I don't want this…Liz" he said an felt, how the tears began to roll down his cheeks too.

"Max, it's the best…for both of us. You don't know how much I love you…how much I wanted to be us".

"Then don't give up….don't give me up Liz" he cried, and squeezed her harder.

"Max, you know it's the best…" she tried, but he interrupted her.

"Liz, maybe i'm leaving tomorrow, maybe I'm leaving in 50 years, but it dosen't matter to me. All I want is you. I love you, Liz. I've always loved you."

"And I love you." she said and kissed him. He answered the kiss, and gently touched her hair. "Max… if you really think this is the right for us…..."

"It is the right for us, trust me. If you leave me, you might as well kill me, 'cause life is not worth living without you." He looked down in her face and gently brushed her lips with his own.

"I'm not leaving you, Max……never."

I wanna know you, like I know myself
I'm waitin' for you, there ain't no one else
Talk to me baby, scream and shout
I want to know you, inside out

Maria walked towards her locker to get her books. The bell rang, and she opened it and grabbed the books. And then her eyes grew wide. In her locker, there was a red rose and a note. She picked it up. It said:

Dear Maria
This was Max's idea, so don't think i've gotten soft or anything like that. I just want you to know that I'm sorry for what I've said to you and ask for your foregiveness. And then I was wondering if you want to do something together with me on Friday. Please don't respond in the negative.

Yours, Michael

P.S: You're still a bubble head.

When she had read the note, she put it back in her locker, and closed it. She was too late for class, and she ran down the hall. When she reached the class, she knocked on the door, and went in. "Ah, Ms. DeLuca, it was nice that you could come." said the teacher.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Smith." she answered, and then she went over and sat down next to Michael. "Well, now we can continue…" said Mr. Smith and wrote something down.

"Hi spaceboy." she said, and smiled at him. "Hi earthgirl." He answered and smiled back. Later, when the bell rang out and he got up, she said: "Hey, Michael?"

"Yeah?"

"I would love to do something with you on Friday".

"Deal…and by the way…"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Everything."