“Hey!” Max said smiling when he saw her. “What are you doing here? I thought you were working. Is something wrong?”

“No. I’m just on a break. I wanted to talk to you about tonight. You know, Michael’s party.”

“You mean Maria’s party at Michael’s place. What about it?”

“I don’t want to go.” She said.

“Why not? Everyone’s going to be there.” Max said puzzled.

“You know that they are just going to fight and spoil the mood. I just thought we could spend a quiet night alone. Maybe watch Dick Clark and the ball drop at midnight. Possible sharing a midnight kiss or two.” She said smiling.

Max pulled her to him and kissed her forehead.

“You know, mom and dad have that party that they are going to in Clovis. And they’ll be staying overnight. Isabel’s going to the party. My house will be empty. We can be alone there.”

“Perfect. Can you pick me up at nine, then?”

“Sure.” Max said kissing her goodbye.

***** “What do you mean, you’re not going to the party?” Maria asked Liz.

“We kinda made other plans.”

“Liz, this is the first year our parents have other plans. They won’t be checking up on us and you want to miss it?’

“We just want to be alone. We’ve spent so much time apart this year, Maria. Can’t you just give us this one night?” She said pleading.

“Okay. Okay. I understand how you feel. But you owe me big. Are you two going to at least show up for breakfast?”

“Yeah. Eight-thirty, right?”

“Yep. I hope you have fun-but not too much fun.”

“Maria, nothing is going to happen. Don’t worry.”

***** Max knocked on Liz’s front door at 8:59, expecting one of her parents to answer. Instead it was Liz who opened the door.

“Max, hey. Let me grab my bag.” She said lifting an overnight bag from her sofa.

“Let me get that.” Max said. “Liz, where are your parents.”

“They left about fifteen minutes ago.” She said with a smile.

“Obviously they didn’t know I was coming to pick you up. So, what are you not telling me?”

“They know I’m staying over at your house. They just think it’s a sleep over with Isabel. I kinda told them you were going to be at Michael’s tonight. Don’t look at me that way, Max Evans. I couldn’t say that I was staying with Maria. She told her mom she was going to be with Isabel, too.” She said with a laugh.

“I didn’t say a word.” Max said smiling.

***** “Are you hungry?” Max asked as he unlocked his front door.

“A little. Do you want to order a pizza or something?”

“No, I had something else in mind.” He said pulling Liz into the dining room.

The room was aglow in soft candlelight. The table was set with the Evans’ good china with matching crystal stemware.

“Oh, Max. It’s so beautiful. Is that from Senor Chow’s?”

“I just wanted tonight to be special.”

“It is. Just being with you, here, tonight, makes it special.”

After dinner they sat in the living room on the sofa talking.

“Was Maria mad when you told her we weren’t going to be at the party?”

“Was Michael?”

“Just a little. He didn’t want to baby sit in his words ‘a bunch of drunk humans’ all night.” Max said laughing.

“Maria says that I owe her big for bailing.”

“So, what do you want to do now? We still have an hour before Dick Clark comes on.” Max said.

“Is it ten-thirty already?! Wow! I don’t know. What do you want to do?”

“There’s so much I want to do. Most of all I just want to stay right here and kiss you.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

Liz and Max started kissing. First softly, then with more passion. Soon, hands began wandering and Liz moaned. At that moment they connected.

Max saw the future version of himself asking Liz to help him. He saw Liz asking Kyle to help her. He saw Kyle and Liz in her bed-talking. He saw Liz crying on her roof. He saw his future self telling Liz about their future. He saw the wedding dance.

He pulled away from Liz and looked deep into her eyes. She could see the tears forming in his eyes.

“Max, what is it?” She asked worried.

“You gave up everything because I asked you to.” He said finally understanding.

“What?” Liz asked.

“I saw everything, Liz. You never slept with Kyle. Never betrayed us. You did it all for me.”

“Yes. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through it alone.”

“I wasn’t. I had you in my heart, guiding me.”

“10…9…8…7…” The countdown began.

“I should have trusted my heart. I knew something was wrong.”

“6…5…4…”

“But, eventually you did. That’s all that matters now.”

“3…2…1…HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!”

“Happy New Year, Max.”

“Happy New Year, Liz.”

He gave her a long amazing kiss. He bared his soul to her in that kiss. When he finally pulled away, she was literally breathless.

“Liz, we need to make a resolution, just between us.”

“And what might that be?”

“No more secrets. Even if they do involve saving the world.”

“Deal. As long as you don’t go on anymore extended vacations.”

“Agree.” He said kissing her.

An hour later, Liz began to yawn.

“Tired?”

“Just a little. I’m going to go change.”

“Use my room.”

Liz was in Max’s room for about five minutes when he heard her yell. He rushed up the stairs worried.

“Liz, is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Come on in. I have a small problem, though.”

“What?”

“In my rush to pack, I forgot to include something to sleep in. Do you think I could borrow something of Isabel’s?”

“Is that it?” Max said walking to his dresser. He pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of boxers. “Isabel would kill me if I loaned anything of hers without asking. They might be a little big.”

“That’s okay.” She said taking them. “Can you turn around so I can change?”

“Yeah.”

“You can turn around now.”

When Max saw Liz standing in his room wearing his clothes, his heart swelled. He knew that he would always love this girl. No matter what.

“Are we sleeping in here or in the living room?”

“He-here. I mean if you want to.”

“Okay.” She said.