by Paul Ruoitis
The pair drove along, enjoying the beautiful weather and shifting their conversation to the subject of absolutely nothing important for a while. Max couldn't help but enjoy spending time with Liz when there was no alien threat or their occasionally overbearing parents for the foreseeable future. He actually laughed out loud several times, which he knew he had not done for a long, long time, as they talked about their plans for senior year of high school and regular teenage stuff. But, before too long their ride was coming near the end as they passed a sign welcoming them to Artesia.
«The Lyleses' ranch is on the other side of town," Liz explained as they drove past a huge oil refinery and into the city proper. «Just keep driving along this road and we'll come to a turnoff.»
«Gotcha," he replied.
«I forgot what a nice town this is," Liz said, admiring the view. «Have you ever been here before?»
«Just driving through," Max replied. «Never stopped.»
«The town is named after the artesian wells that were discovered in 1903," she explained. «The town thrives on its cattle and sheep ranches and its alfalfa, cotton, chili, and pecan fanning.»
«What? Did you memorize a tour guide?» Max smiled at her wealth of information. «Can you quote me facts on population and climate?»
«Population is around twelve thousand residents," Liz answered. «The climate is dry, with around twelve inches of rain annually.»
Taking his eyes off the road for a second, Max looked at his girlfriend, both frightened and impressed by her geek-like knowledge of the town.
«When Jason moved here, I helped him pull together all this information so he wouldn't be so afraid to leave Roswell for some unknown place," she explained. «He insisted that I keep a copy of it too so I would always remember where he lives. I found it this morning when I was going through some stuff.»
«And here I was just thinking that you were showing off how smart you are," Max said, giving her a pat on the leg.
«I was.» Liz giggled. «There is one other interesting piece of information. In nineteen eighty-nine, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center opened here to educate people from all over the world in specialized law enforcement practices.»
Max felt a rock in the pit of his stomach. «Funny how you failed to mention that part until we got here.»
«Come on, Max.» Liz got serious for a moment. «There's absolutely nothing to worry about. We're just having a normal weekend of baby-sitting.»
Famous last words, he thought.
Liz pointed out the turnoff, and Max followed her directions, eventually pulling his convertible into the looping driveway of a beautiful, large, ranch-style house. Admiring the property, he parked directly behind a high-priced, limited edition Land Rover. The back door was open, and a few overnight bags were already inside. Obviously Mr. and Mrs. Lyles were readying the car for their trip.
«You're here," a man's voice said from the house as soon as Max turned the engine off. «Good, we'll be able to get on the road right away.»
«Hello, Mr. Lyles," Liz said as she got out of the car.
Max immediately noticed that her voice had fallen into a tone she usually reserved for teachers and law enforcement agents. He watched as Mr. Lyles gave a nod of hello and proceeded to put another duffel bag into the SUY shifting the bags so they were nicely organized. Max couldn't help but think that the man was just stalling so he wouldn't have to come over to say hello.
«Liz!» a voice excitedly shouted from the house.
Max turned to see a woman about his own mother's age come running out of the house and embrace Liz in the type of hug usually reserved for close family members.
«Aunt Jackie.» Liz's voice immediately returned to the warm tone that Max knew and loved. «It's so good to see you.»
«And who is this fine young man?» she asked as they
broke their embrace. Max was getting out of the car, and the sudden attention made him blush.
«This is Max," Liz began the introduction. «He drove-"
«Yes, I've heard all about you, you little heartbreaker," she said in a friendly, nonthreatening tone as she made her way around the car to give him a hug. «George, come here and say hi.»
In response, Mr. Lyles nodded hello as he slammed the rear door closed on the SUV «We should get going, Jackie. It's a long trip to Santa Fe.»
«Santa Fe?» Max asked with immediate interest. «Is that where you're going?»
«They have this great arts festival," Jackie said, still holding on to Max's hand.
«I know," Max said, and couldn't help but smile along with the contagiously happy woman. «My parents are going down tomorrow. They go every year.»
«Well, I finally convinced George to take me," she said with a smile, although it was obvious to Max by the look on Mr. Lyles's face that she hadn't succeeded in convincing him that he'd have a good time.
«It's getting late," Mr. Lyles said, consulting his watch.
«Oh, I thought we were early," Liz said.
«You are," Jackie said, shooting her husband a glance but never losing her smile for a moment. «It's just that no one's ever early enough for him.»
«Max, it was nice meeting you," Mr. Lyles said, still standing a short distance away by his SUV «Liz," he said, and nodded to her. Then he got into the car and started the engine.
Aunt Jackie's smile faltered for an almost imperceptible
moment when she heard the engine revving. «Jason's in his room," she said as she started back around the car to give Liz another hug. «Sorry we have to leave so quickly. Max, it was nice meeting you. I'll see you Sunday when you come to pick up Liz.»
Max watched as she hurried into the SUV As soon as the door was closed, Mr. Lyles was pulling away.
«Well, that was easy," Max said as he came around the car to join Liz.
«For once," she added.
Max and Liz entered the house through the still open front door. The place was larger than they were used to, with an actual second floor, which none of their friends had in their respective homes and apartments. Max marveled at the size of the place, and the expensive-looking furniture all in pristine condition. This was especially notable since there was a preteen living in the place.
Something else he couldn't help but notice was the pure whiteness of it all. Stepping into the living room, he immediately fixated on the fluffy white couch and matching chair, as well as the bright white paint on the walls and the sheer white curtains. He felt like he should take a shower and change his clothes before he sat down on anything.
«Clean, huh?» Liz asked, reading his mind.
«Are you sure a kid lives here?» he asked.
«It took a while for me to get used to it too," Liz replied, looking around. «Jason must not know I'm here yet," she said, attempting to explain the absence of her young friend.
«Don't you think it's strange how his parents didn't say
good-bye before they left?» Max asked, following.
«They must have said it before," she replied. «Aunt Jackie wouldn't have gone anywhere without making sure Jason was okay first. Wait till you meet him. He's the sweetest kid you'll ever know.» She started up the stairs to where she remembered his room to be. «I'll be right back.»
While Liz was upstairs getting her friend, Max continued his tour of the first floor. From the living room, he peered into an office. It wasn't as bright white as the room he had come from, but was pristine nonetheless. He assumed this was where Mr. Lyles did his telecommuting.
Continuing the tour, he walked through the dining room and into the kitchen, finding each room to be even cleaner than the last. The chrome accents in the kitchen actually glistened because they were so sparkling clean. The stovetop looked as if it had never been used, and so did the microwave, which he confirmed by opening the door and looking inside. Dinner was still hours away and he was already worried about spilling food.
His self-guided tour eventually led him back to the living room, where he real
ized that it was taking Liz an awfully long time to return with Jason. Assuming they were just catching up, he gave them a few more minutes before finally deciding to see what was going on. Making his way up the stairs, he followed the voice of his girlfriend and found her pleading with a closed door.
«Come on, Jason," Liz said to the door. «Let me in.»
Silence.
«Problem?» Max asked as he joined her.
«Jason won't open the door," she looked to Max, who took his own turn knocking on the door without a
response. Again, Max had that same sense of foreboding he'd had earlier.
«Jason," he said. «This is Liz's friend, Max. Is anything wrong?»
Silence.
This is not going to be a fun weekend, Max thought with a sigh.
Kyle's eyes were drooping slowly as he sat on the couch watching some of the most painful daytime television he had ever seen. Another night with only a few hours of restless sleep left him so tired and dragging that he actually didn't mind sitting through the cheating spouses threatening to throw chairs at each other on the ridiculous talk show with the lame host. Well, my life could always be worse, he thought. I could be one of those people.
His boss at the shop had noticed his lackluster performance over the past few days and had figured that a sleepy worker in an auto shop was a dangerous combination, so he had told Kyle to take a long weekend off. Almost an entire day still ahead of him, Kyle knew that he should try to get some extra sleep, but every time his eyelids met each other, the same thing would happen.
Flash.
Alex falling to the ground in Kyle's bedroom.
Flash.
Alex, lying bloody in his wrecked car.
Flash.
Kyle sitting alone in his room. The door locked.
Knocking.
In his dream and in his ears as well. Kyle's eyes shot open as he thought he heard his name being called by a familiar and friendly voice. Back in the realm of the living, Kyle realized that someone was at the door. «Come in!» he yelled without moving from the couch.
«It's about time," Isabel said as she showed herself into his house. «I've been standing out there for a minute… You look like crap.»
«Funny how you're not the first person to have mentioned that to me lately," Kyle said, trying not to be offended. She had spoken the truth. «What do you want?»
«Maybe we should try this again," Isabel said, referring to their less than stellar greetings. «Good morning, Kyle, what's new?»
«Good morning, Isabel.» He tried to match her revised mood, but failed miserably. «Absolutely nothing is new since the other night.»
«That's why I'm here," Isabel said.
«You've changed your mind.» His body finally perked up as he sat up straight on the couch. «You're going to dreamwalk me? End the nightmares?»
«No, Kyle," she said gently, sitting beside him. «But I thought we could spend the afternoon together. Maybe take your mind off your troubles, as they say.»
He tried not to look too disappointed. After all, she did care about him, and was only doing what she thought best. But once again he failed miserably as his body slumped back into the couch.
«Isabel, it's been about two months since I remembered Alex's death," he reminded her. «We've been through the trauma of Max's child and your canceled departure-to say nothing of final exams. Somehow, I don't think one afternoon is going to do it.»
«That's because you don't know what I have in store for you.» She stood with a gleam in her eye. «Come on, what have you got to lose?»
Since Kyle couldn't argue with that logic, he finally got up off the couch. Grabbing the remote, he put an end to the torturous screams of the woman dressed entirely in Lycra on the television. Now III never know if she forgives her two-timing husband. He smirked. Darn.
«I walked over here," Isabel explained as they left the house, «so we're going to need to take your car.»
Kyle reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys, handing them to Isabel. «You'd better drive. My reflex time is a little slow this morning.»
«Mind if I put the top down?» she asked as they got into the red convertible.
«Why not?» he went along.
Isabel started the engine, and Kyle indicated the button that she would need to push. His convertible was one of the best parts of living in Roswell. Being in a desert meant that he rarely needed to drive around with the top up to protect him from rain-which he figured probably also explained why Max kept getting vehicles without roofs as well.
Kyle continued to fight against sleep as Isabel drove his car through the streets of Roswell, talking about her mysterious fun plans for the afternoon. The smooth rolling of
the car was lulling him as he listened to his friend.
Flash.
The vultures were circling overhead.
His eyes popped open once again as Kyle woke from his daytime nightmare. He looked over to see if Isabel had noticed, but she was still going on about how much fun they were going to have. In actuality, Kyle felt that whenever people talked about the amount of fun they were going to have, it probably meant they weren't going to enjoy themselves at all. However, for Isabels sake, he decided to keep an open mind. Anything would be better than a day of bad television and nightmare flashes.
«Here we are!» Isabel pulled him out of his musings.
«The Crashdown?» Kyle said as the car pulled into an empty spot beside their favorite hangout. «That's your big plan?»
«For starters," she replied as they got out of the car. «Trust me.»
Walking in the door of the restaurant, it was immediately clear they had come in during the lunch rush. Summer was always a little more hectic in there, since it was the tourist season and the theme restaurant really catered to the specific tastes of most out-of-town visitors. Conveniently, Isabel saw a pair of tourists getting out of a booth, and hurried Kyle over to it. «I thought Michael and Maria might want to join us after their shift is over.»
As they sat at the still messy table, Maria hurried over with a bus tray to clear away the plates. Isabel did not envy her for spending the summer clearing dishes and serving the bustling summer tourist trade. Then again, Isabel remembered that she needed to start thinking about
possibly getting her own job soon. After graduating early from high school, she had spent some time helping out in her dads law office, but that had gotten complicated when she started seeing Jesse. Since Isabel wasn't really interested in law, she recently thanked her dad for the opportunity, but told him that she was going to pursue other employment. Unfortunately she hadn't had the time to do any serious job searching, and it looked like she was going to have to put it off a little while longer. There was cheering up to be done.
«Hey, Maria, what are you and Michael up to this afternoon?» Isabel innocently asked.
Suddenly the plates that had been gently placed in the tray were now being slammed together. «I don't know what he's planning to do, but I'm thinking of coloring my hair. How do you think I'd look if I dyed it black?»
«Awful," Kyle said abruptly and honestly.
Maria didn't seem the least bit offended, which suggested to Isabel that their friend was considering making that particular change purely for the shock value. Of course, that translated into the fact that Maria and Michael were obviously still fighting. When is Maria ever going to learn that Michael notices her even if she doesn't do crazy things?
«If you'd like to see," Isabel suggested conspiratorially «I can do it for you with no lasting effects.»
«That's okay," Maria said as she wiped down the table. «It was only an idea.»
«So do you want to join us?» Isabel asked.
«I wish I could," Maria said, «but my mom's been on me to help her catalog her new alien autopsy artifacts. Sorry.»
The apology was obviously directed to her inability to join them as well as to the way she'd be spending her day.
Isabel always felt strange
around Maria's mom. She liked the woman well enough, but couldn't get over the fact that Ms. DeLuca was profiting off jokes based on the single biggest tragedy of Isabel's life. Then again, so is ninety percent of the town of Roswell, she thought as she surveyed the patrons of the Crashdown eating their alien-themed meals.
«Do you guys want anything to drink?» Maria asked as she balanced the bus tray on her hip.
«A Rocket Root Beer Float," Isabel said, figuring today was the kind of day to ignore calories and pig out. Comfort food always worked for her, so she figured that it could easily help Kyle as well.
Kyle just nodded as if to say, «Make it two.»
Isabel could tell that Maria was about to make a comment but apparently had thought better of it. Instead, she turned with the tray and went back behind the counter to make the drinks. Isabel then focused her attention on Kyle, who looked rather pitiful slumped down on his side of the booth.
A long, very uncomfortable pause ensued.
Kyle's fingers drummed on the table.
Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap.
«I'll go check with Michael," she said, getting up from the booth.
As Isabel walked across the restaurant she silently hoped that Michael would be up for their little afternoon adventure. Kyle's miserable attitude was beginning to make the task of cheering him up seem impossible, so she thought that bringing another person along could help her
effort. Of course, Michael wasn't exactly the first person who came to mind when the task involved having a positive attitude.
Reaching the large service window, Isabel leaned into the kitchen to find her friend in his usual position flipping burgers on the grill. «Hey, Michael!»
«What do you want?» he said in a surly tone as he dropped a basket of fries into the boiling grease, keeping his back to her as he concentrated on food preparation.
«Never mind.» She spun around and headed back for the table. One miserable person is enough for the day.
«That was fast.» Kyle seemed to be slumped even lower when she returned.
«Michael wasn't exactly in the kind of mood I was looking for," Isabel replied. «Then again, he never really is.» Was that a slight smile on Kyle's face? Maria returned to the table with their drinks and to take their lunch order. She seemed only mildly happier then Michael, although, as a waitress her job was to be perky as to ensure the better tip, so she just grinned her way through whatever the problem was this time. Isabel never bothered to ask about their situation, because she knew that it would work itself out eventually. It always did.
