(continued from previous)

Maria sat listlessly on her bed. She didn’t feel like doing anything. She wasn’t tired enough to sleep, but she didn’t have the energy to do anything. Sighing, she took a look around her room. It was full of pictures of her with all of her friends, namely Liz. Yeah, she had other friends throughout the years, but Liz and Alex were the only ones that stuck by her every single year since grade school. One picture hanging by the window caught her eye. She stood up slowly and walked over to it. It had been taken last year. She and Liz were dressed in their Crashdown uniforms, making faces at the camera. Maria remembered that day. It was the last day of summer before school started, and the two of them were trying to milk their last few hours of freedom. Next to it was a picture of the two of them at the mall, trying on fancy prom-like dresses and striking poses for the camera. Maria reached out to touch the picture, a sad smile crossing her face. Then she drew her hand away and sighed. She turned her head away and almost had a heart attack when she saw a face just inches away from the window. Letting out a yelp, she tripped over the chair leg and slammed into the glass. She saw immediately who the face belonged to.

“Michael Guerin!” she shrieked, throwing the window open. “Don’t ever do that again! Do you realize how much that scared me?”

He gave a chuckle as he swung a leg over the windowsill. “Sorry.” The smile faded as quickly as it had come, and she knew what was on his mind as well.

“Did you go to the hospital today?”

He nodded. “Alex and I went to get Max out of there. He hasn’t left that place all week except to sleep for a couple of hours at home. He’s really getting bad.”

Maria nodded. “I know.” She looked away. “I feel so bad when I see him. It’s like he’s taking on all this weight for all of us. I mean, I’m her best friend, and I don’t spend near as much time in there as he does. I’ve only been there for a couple visits, and even then they were only a few minutes long. I just can’t stand to see her like that for too long.”

Michael nodded and looked down. “I know.” He sighed. “This was only my second time seeing her since...since she went into the ICU. I guess the first time it didn’t really register or something, because this time....” he trailed off.

She knew what he was going to say. “It really hit hard, huh?”

He nodded. “I mean, the last time I saw her... it was like it wasn’t really her, you know? I just couldn’t believe that just a while ago we were ready for her to come home and then all of a sudden she’s worse off than ever! I guess it didn’t seem real to me.”

“But now it does,” Maria finished for him.

He nodded slowly. “And she’s been hanging on for so long. No one can really tell what direction it’ll go in. But still, she never lets go...” he looked up at Maria, his face filled with awe. “You picked yourself a pretty tough friend.”

“Yeah, well, only the best for me,” she joked.

Michael stared at her earnestly. “Then what are you hanging around me for?”

She sighed and pulled him closer, not answering his question. He relaxed against her, silently thanking God that he still had someone he could count on. If it were Maria in that hospital room, he didn’t know what he would do. Probably commit some act of insanity, like a mass murder or something along those lines. She was his strength and, for the most part, the only thing that kept him grounded. Without her, he would be lost.

***

What is that? It’s down my throat, I can feel it. God, how the hell did that thing get there? It hurts. Christ, what’s happening to my arm? It’s burning! Oh, God...I just want to sleep... she struggled to stay asleep, but the oceans that had been pressing down on top of her head were slowly lifting, and the pain throughout her body was dimly becoming more and more evident. It refused to let her rest. She struggled to lift her eyelids so that she could at least see what was happening. Was her arm on fire?

Nurse Miller suddenly dropped the IV line in shock. Liz’s eyes had opened.

***

“Lizzie?” she heard her mother’s tearful voice and opened her eyes again. Two pairs of damp eyes stared back at her, crinkling into smiles at the sight of her. The rest of their faces were obstructed from her view. “Mom? Dad?” she tried to say. But she couldn’t form the words. Something was stopping her.

“Don’t try to talk, hon,” her dad replied. “They’ve got a tube down your throat. It’s so you can breathe better.” Liz nodded slowly, becoming a little more aware of her surroundings. She realized that her parents were wearing masks over their noses and mouths. What are those for? “Honey, do you know where you are?” She shook her head. “You’re in Intensive Care.” Intensive Care? “You got an infection, Lizzie. We’ve all been worried about you.” We? Who’s we? How long have I been here? How many people know about it? The questions spun in Liz’s mind, but she couldn’t ask them. She was too tired. Her eyes began to close. Her parents looked at each other, seeing that she was quickly becoming tired again. “We’ll let you sleep, sweetie. Feel better,” her mother told her, planting a kiss on her forehead. Her father did the same, and with one last look, they turned and went through the door. Her sleepy eyes followed them, then closed again.

***

“Liz? Liz, please wake up again.” She heard Dr. Jacobs’s voice beside her a few hours later. Struggling wake up, she pried open her sleep-heavy eyes to meet hers. The doctor grinned at her, although she couldn’t see it because of the mask over her face. “Well, you’ve finally decided to return to us,” Dr. Jacobs said. “You’ve been a very sick little girl. But hopefully,” she continued, “you’ll get better for good now. No more of this infection business. That’s why your parents had to wear scrubs when they came to see you,” she explained. “We don’t want any extra germs floating around.” Liz nodded to show that she understood. “Now I think it’s time to take this tube out of your throat,” the doctor told her. “I want you to do exactly as I tell you, all right?” Liz shook her head yes. “Take a deep breath when I tell you to. Then when I say, ‘go,’ I want you to blow out as hard as you possibly can. Got that?” Once again, Liz nodded, laughing a little. All she could do was shake her head yes or no. The doctor laughed, too. “I know, Liz. In a couple of minutes you’ll be able to talk.” She moved around a little, taking hold of the tube. “Ready?” Liz took a deep breath. “Go!” Liz blew out as hard as she could as the doctor pulled the tube from her throat. Liz gagged, feeling it rip through her lungs and windpipe and then make its way through her throat. After what seemed like forever, the tube was out and she immediately began coughing, her throat raspy and incredibly sore.

“Thank you,” she tried to say, but her voice wouldn’t work.

“Whoa, hold on,” Dr. Jacobs said. She handed her a glass of water and a straw.

Liz almost choked on it as she drank, the cool water burning her raw throat. Her mouth was dryer than it had ever been, a result of not being able to swallow for a week. When she was finally able to drink something and stop coughing, she set the water back down again. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.

“You’re very welcome.” Dr. Jacobs picked up her chart. “Now, how do you feel?”

Liz grimaced. “Horrible,” she croaked.

“That’s what I thought. Well, the good news is, you’re conscious enough to feel it now. The bad news is, for the next couple of days you’re gonna feel like a wreck. Sorry,” she apologized. “But this time, you will start to feel better. Honest. But for now,” she told her, seeing the girl’s eyes begin to droop once again, “get some rest, and try not to talk too much. Not that you’ll want to--your throat is going to be pretty torn up, along with the rest of you. Just recuperate.” With that, she flipped the chart over and headed for the door. Liz was too tired to notice the other figure standing outside of the window, a huge grin stretched across his face.

***

Her head was pounding. And her entire body ached. Liz felt like she had just lost a battle with a mountain lion. She gave a slight moan and suddenly felt pressure on her hand. Her eyes fluttered open and she immediately found herself staring into two beautiful familiar hazel ones. She felt her breath catch. “Max.”

His eyes crinkled in a smile, and he squeezed her hand even tighter. “Hi,” he whispered. “How do you feel?”

She groaned. “Like a got hit by a truck.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already notified the sheriff. It won’t get far.”

She laughed, closing her eyes against the sudden onslaught of pain it brought to her head. When she opened her eyes again, he was still looking at her. She allowed her eyes to travel up and down his body. He was dressed in blue hospital scrubs. “Nice outfit.”

“Like it?” he modeled it for her. “They gave it to me for free. Said I could be the new model for their clothing line.”

She gave a soft snort. “Well, that’s one way to get your start. Now it’s just a small step up to J. Crew catalogs and Gap commercials.” Her voice came out in a teasing whisper.

He laughed, then held a finger up to her lips. “Very funny. Now be quiet. I’m under strict orders not to let you talk too much.”

She gave him a weak salute. “Yes, sir.”

He smiled shyly. “I have something for you.” He turned around and picked something up off of the heart monitor. When he turned back around again, he was holding a pink rose. “I got it at the gift shop. They didn’t have a vase, though, so I’ll have to go buy one.”

Tears shone in her eyes. “It’s beautiful. Thanks.” She lifted her gaze to his. His eyes were shining with a happiness she had almost forgotten. It had been so long since they’d been in high spirits like this, making jokes and laughing. It was something she’d have to get used to again.

He knelt down next to her. “Well, I hoped you’d like it. Kind of a shame, though, since it’ll never be as beautiful as the person it belongs to.”

She felt like she would cry. How had she been so lucky to find him and have him stick by her through all this?

“I’m the lucky one, Liz,” he whispered. He didn’t need to explain how he had read her thoughts, and she didn’t question it. He let out a shuddering breath, and she realized just how scared he had been for the past week.

“Max?” she whispered.

He nodded, turning his face to the side so that she wouldn’t see the pain that crossed his features. “I was terrified,” he admitted. “The doctors didn’t know what would happen, and you were so close, Liz....so close...” He closed his eyes briefly.

Liz felt tears well up again in her eyes. She had put everyone through so much. “I’m sorry,” she whispered tearfully.

He gave her a shaky smile. “Don’t be sorry, Liz. It’s not your fault. You’re here.” The words made his smile grow a little more. “You’re here,” he repeated. He gave her hand a small squeeze, but then a tapping sound at the window made them both turn their heads. Max cleared his throat, attempting to lighten the mood once again. “Well, it looks like I have to go,” he said, pointing to the nurse at the window. It was Julie, the Oncology nurse who had a hopeless crush on him. “Apparently the Drooling Love Slave has come up to Intensive Care for the sole purpose of informing me that my time is up.” Liz laughed at the nickname. “I’ll be right out here. And I’ll see you tomorrow,” he whispered, lowering his face to hers. She felt his lips press through the paper mask against her cheek, then curve up into a smile.

She smiled back up at him. “I’ll be waiting.”

He turned back to give her one last grin before walking through the door again to the other side.

***

Liz was due home the week before Christmas. She had spent Thanksgiving in critical condition, but once she had licked the infection, she made a speedy recovery and soon regained the strength she had lost. The hospital staff had promised to get her home by Christmas, which had her overjoyed. Max was excited, too, but a little wary. The last time she was supposed to return home, disaster had struck. He was praying that this time she was out of the woods for good.

A few days before Liz was due to arrive home, Maria caught up with Max at school. “Hey, Max,” she greeted him.

“Hey,” Max returned. “What’s up?”

“Well,” Maria began with a coy smile. “I was just thinking. Liz is coming home on Tuesday, right?”

“Right,” Max confirmed, even though he knew that Maria already knew that. She was just as excited about it as he was.

“Sooo,” she continued, “I know she’s going to be pretty wiped out for a while, but I was thinking she’s probably tired of being cooped up on her butt every day.”

“What’s your point, Maria?” he asked with a smile.

“Well, I bet she’d be really excited to do something on Friday. And it just so happens that Gretchen Walmer’s parents are throwing her this huge Christmas party. They rented out the entire country club for the night. It’s gonna be a really big deal--you know, dressy, formal, the works.”

“You think she’d want to go?” Max asked, his heart leaping.

Maria rolled her eyes. “With you? Max, if you asked her to travel down to Antarctica for the weekend, she’d say yes. Ask her to go, okay?”

“Sure! I mean, yeah, good idea. Are you going?” There was a mischievous gleam in his eye.

“Well, Michael mentioned something, so...” she tried to act casual, but her happiness was evident.

“Just a casual thing, right?” Max asked, trying his best not to laugh.

“Right.” She was not convincing.

“I’ll tell her, Maria. Thanks for telling me about it.”

“Sure, Max.” She winked at him.

***

Max and Isabel walked together through the parking lot, Max fumbling in his pockets for the keys to the Jeep. Isabel was talking excitedly about the party, but he was only half listening. He was thinking about the party, too, but for different reasons. He was thinking that he could finally have a chance to take Liz somewhere, after she had been trapped in her prison for months and months. Maria had said it was dressy...that meant she would look incredible, he knew. Maybe she would wear something long. Or short. It might have spaghetti straps. Or, he mused, no straps at all. Maybe it would be low-cut. Red? No, not red. Blue, maybe. Or green. Or...he felt almost dizzy with the possibilities. Hell, she could show up in a flour sack and he would be satisfied. She would be with him, that was all that mattered. Next Friday could not come soon enough.

“...I just can’t believe this is on such a short notice, though. God, can you imagine the kind of strings her parents must have pulled to get the entire country club for her? But this means I only have one weekend to find a dress, so I’ll be out probably every night trying to find one formal enough...” Isabel talked on and on endlessly, but Max let her. None of them had actually been this happy for a long time. There was an entirely different atmosphere around them now. “Of course I’m going to ask Alex if he wants to go, not that I think he needs to be asked. Hopefully he knows by now that I just automatically think of him when it comes to these things, but it would be good to ask him just to make it official, because you know how Alex is--”

Suddenly she heard someone come bounding up beside her and then a pair of arms came around her. “I heard my name,” Alex accused in a playful voice as he spun her around. He felt almost lightheaded with happiness. Finally, his life was going right.

Isabel laughed joyfully as Alex twirled her around. She felt so uninhibited and free. “I was just telling Max that I was hoping you’d be my date for Gretchen’s Christmas party,” she said.

Alex stopped twirling and took her hand solemnly. “I would be honored, my dear,” he said in a fake accent as his bent and kissed it. Isabel laughed once again.

Max just stared in amazement at the two of them. Was this really his sister? He couldn’t remember ever seeing her this openly giddy. For God’s sake, there were still people in the parking lot, even. She didn’t seem to care that she was babbling away and laughing her head off with other people watching. Not that he minded. He was overjoyed, but found it hard to believe that his usually calm and composed sister was being so open. He shook his head. Wonders would never cease. “Alex, do you need a ride home?” he asked, remembering that Maria had driven off in a hurry to start her shift on time.

“Oh, yeah. That would be great, if you don’t mind,” Alex replied.

“Sure.” Max hoisted himself into the driver’s seat as Isabel and Alex crawled into the back. Starting the engine, he sped out of the parking lot, grinning madly the entire time. Tuesday was only a couple of days away. And just because of that simple fact, he felt like he didn’t have a care in the world.

***

“Oh, God, I can’t believe it. I’m actually here!” Liz looked around her. She was standing just inside the doorway of her house. She hadn’t even climbed the stairs yet, but already the familiar scents and sounds were flooding her senses. From outside of the other door she could hear peppy music and the buzz of customers inside the Crashdown. Her parents stood behind her, beaming. They were so excited to finally have her home. Liz felt like she hadn’t seen the house in decades. She began the climb up the stairs, surprised at just how weak she had become. The once-short climb now seemed endless, and by the time she reached the top, she was breathing heavily. Well, no wonder, she told herself, you haven’t gone any more than a couple steps in the past couple of months. She resolved to start running soon to get herself back in shape. But for now, she was just going to enjoy being in her own home. Everything was so familiar, and yet so foreign. The furniture, the paint, the carpets, the decorations...all of it was burned into her brain, and yet she felt like she was seeing them all for the first time. Her eyes traveled to the many bouquets of flowers sitting on the end tables. “What are those for?”

Her mother smiled through her tears. “They’re from our friends and our relatives, sweetie. They’re all so happy you’re back home.”

Liz crossed the room to the coffee table and read the tag on one of the bouquets. “To Liz--Happy Homecoming. Love, Aunt Clara and Uncle Will.” She turned in surprise. “All of these were sent by people we know?”

Her father nodded. “Yes, honey. There are quite a lot of people who care about you, you know.”

Liz nodded slowly. “I guess so,” she whispered, more to herself than to her parents.

Her mother walked over to her and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Lizzie. And I’m so happy you’re back home with us.” She regretted that she hadn’t been able to say that to Liz earlier. The normal tensions that existed between mother and daughter during Liz’s teenage years had definitely been present before, although Nancy wished they could have talked more. She couldn’t blame Liz; she knew almost all teenagers had problems with their parents. But the thought that those problems would never have time to work out had frightened her. No matter what, Liz was still her baby girl, and the thought of losing her was unbearable.

Liz tightened her arms around her mother, knowing exactly what she was feeling. “I love you, too, Mom,” she told her. “Thanks.” She pulled back, seeing tears in her mother’s eyes. “I think I’m going to go up to my room now. I need some time alone to take this all in.”

“Okay,” her mom agreed. She gave her one last kiss and then bent over the table to rearrange one of the bouquets. Liz kissed her father as well and then headed for the stairs leading to her room. Now that her parents’ eyes were off of her, she allowed herself to stop halfway up and rest for a second before continuing. She let out a shaky breath, realizing that even though her illness was gone, there were still many reminders of it that she had to deal with.

Once she found the strength to finish the stairway, she pushed open the door to her room and found herself staring at a dozen red roses sitting on her nightstand. Stunned, she crossed the room and picked up the card attached to the roses. As she read it, a smile began on her face and slowly grew wider. Finally, she sat down on her bed with a thump. Grinning madly, she pulled up the quilt her grandmother had made her and stretched it over her shoulders while she lay down. She made sure to lie facing the nightstand so that she could see the roses as soon as she woke up. And Liz fell asleep in her own bed, with her own quilt, with a happy, lazy smile stretched across her face. Had she looked over, she would have seen Max watching her from the window, the same smile mirrored on his lips.

***

“Liz! The girls are here, honey!” Liz heard her mother’s voice float up the stairs, then heard her footsteps coming up. She opened her door to find her mother standing in front of it. “Should I tell them to come up?”

“Sure, Mom. That would be great.”

Nancy eyed her daughter sternly. “Did you rest?”

She sighed. “Yes, Mom. I slept for a couple of hours earlier.”

“Good.” Nancy gave her a kiss. “I don’t want you to exhaust yourself.”

“I won’t.” Liz smiled up at her and watched her head back down the stairs to notify the girls. Although her mom annoyed her sometimes, she knew she was only justifiably worried about her well-being. Still, she was tired of being treated like glass. She hated having people hovering over here 24 hours a day. But at least now those people were her parents and not some strangers.

Footsteps came bounding up the stairs, and Maria and Isabel appeared, loaded down with bags, perfume, jewelry, hair supplies, and makeup kits. “Lizzie!” Maria squealed. “I’m so excited. I could hardly sit still in school today.”

Liz laughed. “That’s hard to believe,” she teased.

Maria smacked her arm playfully. “Shut up. I’m just happy for you.” She spread out all of the supplies. “Okay. Now to get down to business. What time are you two leaving?”

“We have dinner reservations for 6:30,” Liz replied. “That way we can go out and eat and still be pretty much on time for the party.”

“Okay. So that gives us, like, three hours. We can do this. Ready, Isabel?”

Isabel laughed. “You sound like you’re getting ready for battle, Maria.”

“Well, I am!” Maria’s eyes were sparkling. “We’re gonna knock the whole school of their feet.”

“What about you guys?” Liz asked. “Will you have enough time to get ready?”

“Oh, don’t worry about us,” Maria replied with a wave of her hand. “We’ll have an hour and a half once you leave to get ourselves ready. Plenty of time.” She picked up the hairbrush. “All right, Lizzie. Now I’m gonna have to ask you to put complete trust in me. Is that clear?”

“Maria, do your magic. I know it’ll look good,” she replied.

“Good!” She turned to Isabel. “You’re gonna do her makeup, right?”

“Right.” Isabel nodded, picking up the makeup brush. “Here we go, Liz. Get ready for your transformation.” Liz giggled, just enjoying sitting in her room with her two best girl friends. It felt so good to be doing something normal, for once.

***

At six o’clock, the three of them stood in front of the full-length mirror, admiring their work. Half of Liz’s hair had been twisted back, and the rest fell loosely in big, loopy spiral curls to her shoulders. Her makeup was picture-perfect. It was elegant and noticeable, but not over-the-top. Isabel had brushed a soft, dark color onto her eyelids and then lined both lids with dark liner to highlight her huge eyes. Her skin looked flawless, with just a hint of blush on top of her cheekbones. Her lips were a dark burgundy color that matched her dress exactly. Maria and Isabel were grinning away like fools. Liz smiled, too, but then frowned as her eyes traveled down. “Guys, look at me,” she complained. “I have no curves left! Nothing! I’m too skinny.”

“What are you talking about, babe?” Maria cried, aghast. “You’re gonna have every girl in that place wishing she was you tonight. Trust me, hon, you look fabulous.”

“She’s right,” Isabel agreed. “Max is going to be knocked off his feet. And,” she added, “I have a feeling quite a few other guys will, too.”

“Oh, and what about you?” teased Liz. “I’ve seen your dress, my dear. And I must say--wow!”

Isabel laughed. “Well, you know. Just trying to keep Alex on his toes.” She smiled, picturing Alex’s face when he saw her dark blue strapless dress. She had thought of him immediately when she saw it at the store.

Liz hugged her. “Well, I’m sure that mission will be accomplished.”

Isabel returned the hug, her smile widening. All the times she did girl things with Gracie and Maggie, it was never like this. It was always more of a competition--my dress is more revealing, my hair is prettier, my makeup is sexier. Liz and Maria were the complete opposite. She felt completely at home with the two of them.

“Liz?” Nancy knocked at the door. “Max is here.” She pushed open the doorway to find three smiling, laughing girls: two dressed in old sweatshirts and jeans, and one in the middle looking like a princess. “Oh, Liz,” she whispered. The ever-present tears sprang to her eyes once again.

Liz twirled around, giving her mother the full effect. “Like it?”

Nancy just stood with one hand covering her mouth, thanking God that her beautiful little girl had been given one more chance to grow up. “You look beautiful, honey. Absolutely gorgeous.” She tried to put a sterner expression on her face. “Now, you know what I told you. Don’t tire yourself out too much. I want you to have a good time, but I also want you to stay healthy for the rest of the holiday.”

“Okay, Mom,” Liz told her. “I promise I won’t overdo it.”

“We’ll keep an eye on her, Mrs. Parker,” Maria said with a wink.

She laughed. “Thanks, girls.” She stepped to the side of the doorway. “Now then, I believe there’s a very attractive young man waiting eagerly at the bottom of the steps. How about going down there and gracing him with your presence?”

“I think I’ll do just that,” Liz replied with a coy smile. “Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome. And Liz?”

Liz turned from where she had been walking towards the steps. “Yes?”

“Have fun tonight.”

Liz smiled at her. “I will.”

***

Maria practically skipped down the hall, stopping at the top of the stairway. Max caught sight of her and gave her a grin. “Hey, Max,” she said. “You ready?”

He nodded. “Ready and waiting.”

“Well, then,” she announced with fanfare, “may I present to you....the one and only....Liz Parker!” She ran down the rest of the steps, stopping at the bottom so she could watch Liz come down.

Max was suddenly unable to breathe.

There stood Liz, looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her. He forced himself to swallow as she made her way down the steps, her eyes locked with his. Once she reached the bottom, she outstretched her hand and he took hold of it, still looking straight into her eyes. “Liz, you look--you look--” unable to find the right words, he suddenly swept one hand behind her back and dipped her as low as he could, kissing her square on the lips.

Liz felt her knees go weak and thought that it was a good thing Max was holding her so tightly. She closed her eyes, wanting the moment to last forever. Her head was spinning, but this was nothing like the dizziness she had experienced in the hospital. This was heaven.

When he lifted her back up to a standing position once again, he could see her eyes shining. Maria was still standing behind them, clutching hands with Isabel and bouncing up and down excitedly. Isabel met his eyes for a moment and winked at him. He smiled at her, clearing his throat. “Well,” he said. “Ready to go?” She smiled at him and linked her arm through his. Giving a small wave back to the others, she stepped through the door that he was holding open for her and ventured into the night.

***

Something was wrong, Liz thought to herself. The night was passing too quickly. Dinner was already over, and she and Max were making their way into the party. Dinner had gone well. She had ordered a salad and had actually been able to finish over half of it, an accomplishment for her. Max had noticed her next-to-nothing dinner, but hadn’t mentioned it. He knew it was hard for her to talk about, and he didn’t want anything to spoil the evening.

As they stepped inside the doors of the country club, Liz looked around for familiar faces. There were a number of people standing around, and judging by the soft din coming from the room inside, even more out of sight. Liz drew in a nervous breath. There were so many people she hadn’t seen for such a long time. Max sensed her anxiety and squeezed her hand. “Ready?” he asked quietly. He knew, without even asking, why she was nervous. This was a huge step. Most of their friends from school were there, and hardly anyone knew she was coming. How would they react when they saw her?

He felt a slight shiver go through her, but then she tilted her face up to meet his. “Ready,” she answered.

He placed a hand on her back as he gently led her to the doorway. “I’m here,” he whispered in her ear as they stepped inside.

Their arrival did not go unnoticed. Almost immediately, many of her close friends swarmed over to her, shocked to see her. When had she gotten out of the hospital? they wanted to know. Oh, what a surprise! They were so happy for her. How did she feel? Fine? Was she coming back to school after Christmas break? Yes, she was planning on it. Oh, how exciting! And she looked so good! Had she lost weight? Yes, as a matter of fact, she had. Well, they were jealous. Jealous, Max thought bitterly. Try one day of the diet she’s been on and you won’t be jealous any more. He kept a smile on his face, though, not wanting to show his bitterness. He knew her friends really were happy to see her and only trying to make her feel good. Liz bravely stood up to their barrage of questions, smiling and laughing with all of them. Max stared at her, amazed. He didn’t know how she could smile so easily and laugh with them like old times. She never faltered, never let on that anything was wrong. An casual onlooker would never have known that anything had been wrong in the first place. But a closer look would have revealed her hand clutching his through it all, never letting go. She held on to it like a lifeline, and he rubbed his thumb over her knuckles comfortingly.

Once the people had drifted away, Liz sighed and allowed herself to relax in the safety of Max’s arms. “You okay?” he asked her, gliding his hands up and down her arms.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied. “Just a little overwhelmed, that’s all. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen any of them.”

“Liz, if you start to get tired or anything, just let me know and we can sit down somewhere--”

“Shh.” She silenced him with a finger over his lips. “Not tonight,” she whispered. “Tonight I just want to be normal and forget that any of this has ever happened. I just want to have a good time.”

He smiled at her to show that he understood. Liz would take care of herself. “Okay.”

***

As the night passed, Liz’s smile never faltered. She was so happy, she thought she would burst. Max had his arms slipped gently around her waist so that she was pressed up against him, and they were dancing to the slow music that was playing. Lifting her head from its spot on his shoulder, Liz looked around. She spotted Isabel and Alex dancing, and gave Alex a wink. He grinned back at her, giving her the thumbs-up sign. She giggled softly, watching him and Isabel for a moment. Isabel looked breathtakingly gorgeous, as usual. Liz had been right when she predicted that Alex would go wild over her dress. The strapless, midnight-blue ball gown looked stunning on her. Her hair had been swept up, leaving her shoulders bare. Liz smiled, glad that her two friends had found happiness in one another.

Right next to the two of them were the other missing links to their group. Michael and Maria. Liz watched the two of them for a moment, gazing at her oldest and closest friend. Maria’s silky green dress was perfect for her. Absolutely perfect. Michael, too, looked even better than normal. He was wearing a nice tux, and even his wild hair had been tamed by a comb. My, he cleans up nicely, Liz thought to herself, giggling. She met Maria’s eyes and knew that Maria was reading her mind. They shared a silent laugh together. Who said only Czechoslovakians could read each other’s minds? Although those connections do come in handy once in a while...

Max leaned over so he was whispering in her ear. “I already told you, Liz, we don’t read minds.”

She playfully hit him on the arm. “Max! Stop it!” she giggled. He laughed as well, and she could feel the low rumble deep in his chest. She closed her eyes against him once more when suddenly they both heard a voice behind them.

“So did you hear Liz Parker is here?” It was the voice of a girl, eager to spread gossip.

“No!” her companion replied. “Are you serious? I thought she was dying or something like that.”

Max felt Liz’s back stiffen under his fingers. He ran his hands down her back lightly, trying to reassure her that it would be okay. She felt him start to move as if he were about to say something to one of the girls, but stopped him with just a look. She didn’t feel like getting in the middle of it all.

“That’s what I thought, too, but everyone is talking about how they saw her here.”

“Oh, wow. Where is she?”

“I don’t know. Cheryl said she was wearing a red dress, though. And she came with Max Evans. Of course.”

“It figures. Everyone in school is practically throwing herself at him, but he doesn’t even pay attention. I don’t get it.”

“Me either. But I mean, really, he must be doing it all out of pity. He probably feels sorry for her because she’s been sick for so long.”

“Oh, come on. That’s mean. I’ll agree with you that I don’t understand it, but don’t start making fun of her now, too. She doesn’t deserve it. Oh, did you see what Lisa Hart was wearing? Oh, my God. Now there’s a girl that definitely deserves it...”

Max pulled Liz even closer. “Liz, those girls have no idea what they’re talking about,” he whispered. “I’ve dreamed about a night like this for so long, and you being here with me has finally made my dream come true.” He felt her relax slightly, but she was still tense. “And I mean, come on,” he grinned. “Anyone can see that your dress is burgundy, not red.”

Liz threw back her head and laughed.

***

When the night was drawing to a close, Max could see that Liz was beginning to wear out. He drew her close. “You ready to go?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yeah, I think so.” She was leaning against him a little. He knew she was tired, but decided not to push it. Liz knew not to let herself get too exhausted. Tonight had been the “normal” night she had been looking forward to for so long. And it had gone above and beyond both of their expectations.

He led her over to where the other four were standing. “Guys, I think we’re gonna head home,” he told them.

Maria looked over at them. “Yeah, I think we will in a while, too.” She glanced at Liz, concerned. “You don’t mind if we stay for a couple more minutes, do you?”

“Maria! No. Stay as long as you want. Have fun,” Liz replied. “Don’t worry, my feelings won’t be hurt.”

“Okay,” Maria replied. She leaned over to give her a hug. “I love you, my Lizziebug.”

Liz laughed at the childhood nickname Maria had used for her. “I love you, too, Nina-pinta-santamaria.” It was a name she had given her in back in Mr. Raddish’s fifth-grade class. They both smiled at the memory. The two girls hugged for a minute, then pulled apart.

Michael, who was standing next to Maria, gave her a rough nod. “G’night, Liz.” He reached around Maria and gave her a one-armed hug.

Liz laughed and returned the gesture. “Goodnight to you, too. Don’t you go keeping Maria up all night, now.” She laughed at the redness that crept up his face.

Isabel gave Liz a smile. “Thanks for having me over tonight, Liz. That was a blast.”

“Sure, Isabel. Let’s do it again,” Liz replied, hugging her as well.

Isabel leaned down to whisper to her. “Well, the way Max has been looking at you all night, I’d say he won’t object to that.”

Liz grinned back at her. “Oh, as if Alex didn’t look like a dazed puppy dog this whole time.” They giggled.

Alex groaned. “All right, girls. I know you think that us guys are dense, but we can tell when you’re talking about us, you know.”

“Ha!” Liz teased. “You wish.”

Alex gave her a wry smile. “Keep it up, Parker, and you won’t have any guys around to talk about.” He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, squeezing her tight. “Get home safe,” he murmured, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“I will,” she replied.

When they pulled back, she turned to Max, who was smiling at her. “Ready?” he asked.

She took one last look around at everyone at the party. Her friends. People who cared about her and who had been happy to see her again. Smiling, she turned back to Max, placing her hand in his. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

***

Later that night, Liz sat on her roof, snuggled in her flannel pajamas and a blanket. She replaced the cap to her pen and closed her journal. Climbing back inside the window, she looked around her room. It still amazed her that she could sleep in her own bed, after so many months of sleeping in the hospital’s. With her own things all around her. Her gaze fell to the bouquet of flowers still sitting on her nightstand. Smiling, she crossed the room and picked up the card that was attached to them. She opened it, rereading it for what seemed like the hundredth time:

Liz,

I’ve spent my whole life wondering why I was here. Why I was put on this strange world that I didn’t belong to. But now I know the purpose. No matter what anyone else says, there was a reason that I was put here on Earth.

It was you.

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