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Liz
writes in her journal: It's October 19th. I'm Liz Parker and this is what I've been thinking. Can life ever go back to normal? Wednesday, 13 October 1999 In Crashdown Café Liz and Maria are contending with an orthodontist convention. Liz tells Maria that her Grandma Claudia is coming for a visit. Maria is excited because she has been going through Grandma Claudia withdrawal. While serving customers, who are asking to see her "wonderful overbite", Liz notices Max come in and sit at a booth. She thinks to herself that part of her wants safety and to go back to how things were and the other part of her wants to go into the unknown. As Liz takes Max's order, two teenage boys sitting at the counter notice them. The Crashdown closes and Max leaves. While walking home he is met by four boys who block his way, tell him to "stay away from her" and proceed to beat him up. Thursday, 14 October 1999 Michael learns that Kyle's friends beat up Max, whose face is a mass of cuts and bruises. Michael wants to retaliate but Max says that it would just escalate things out of control, that people would talk, his involvement in the shooting at the Crashdown might come up again and they could get exposed. He warns Michael not to do anything to those guys and says he will stay away from Liz. At school, Liz asks Max what happened to his face, he tells her he fell then brushes her off. Kyle reminds Liz that they are watching a video that evening. Michael "accidentally" bumps into one of Kyle's friends that beat up Max and then surreptitiously watches as the guy starts itching and scratching all over as he is trying to talk with a cheerleader. Later at the Crashdown, Liz and her father greet Grandma Claudia. Liz wants to know if she has finished writing her book but Claudia wants to know what's happening with Liz. They go up to Liz's bedroom and Liz tells her about Kyle, that he is not her true love but they have a good time together. Claudia says everyone wants to find their soul mate but it is nice to have someone to have fun with in the meantime. Liz implies that there might be someone else but it is very complicated. Claudia says if it is not complicated then he is probably not a soul mate. Maria comes in and reveals that Max is the mystery man in Liz's life. Max is working at the UFO Centre when Isabel comes in to talk to him. She does not believe his story of falling while playing basketball and wants to know what really happened. Max tells her about Kyle's friends and that he has decided to stay away from Liz. Isabel wants to know why he has not "healed" the cuts and bruises and he replies that they have to heal normally, everything has to be normal. Liz and Kyle are returning from the video store when they see an ambulance outside the Crashdown taking Claudia to the hospital. While waiting at the hospital, Liz phones Max and leaves a message on his answer machine. She tells him about her grandmother, that she is not sure why she called, maybe just to hear his voice but that he should not come to the hospital because everyone is there. Max has been listening to the message as she is leaving it. The doctor comes in to tell them that Claudia has had a stroke, she has stabilised but that it is still too early to predict the outcome. Max comes in. Liz is surprised and pleased that he came by. She introduces him to her parents. The moment becomes awkward and Max says he is there to see a cousin who was in an auto accident and leaves. Kyle, who is not pleased that Max came, confronts him in the parking lot. Kyle tells Max he appreciates that Max helped Liz calm down after the shooting at the Crashdown but he does not appreciate that Max is continuing to stay in the picture. He tells Max that he likes Liz a lot and does not want Max around her. Max tells him he can see that and drives off. Later at home, Kyle tells his father that Liz's grandmother had a stroke and that Liz seems to have someone else on her mind. Valenti guesses that it is Max and warns Kyle to stay away from him. Friday, 15 October 1999 At school, Michael's class is taking a test. One of Kyle's friends turns in his paper and Michael waves his hand over the his paper and changes all his answers. Liz meets Max at his locker and thanks him for coming to the hospital, apologises that it was so awkward and says perhaps she should not have called him. He agrees that it was a mistake for her to call and reminds her they had an agreement. He walks off into the boys' room, punches the wall of one of the stalls, which falls on Michael who is inside. Michael points out that "Ghandi's" frustration is due to the fact that he is in love with a girl who is with another guy. He says he has something to show him that will cheer him up and brings him in view of Kyle's locker. Kyle is unable to open his locker. Michael is pleased with his handiwork but Max is angry and drags Michael into an empty classroom and demands to know what Michael is doing. Michael says he was helping out and Max says this is not helping and that he promised not to do anything. Michael says he promised not to hurt them. Max tells Michael he is putting them in danger and Michael reminds him that it was Max who put them in danger when he saved Liz. He tells Max that he was the one who screwed up. Max overreacts, grabs Michael and shoves him against the wall saying he'd save Liz again right now; then he realises he is pinning Michael against the wall and steps back. Michael hopes they can trust her and Max assures him they can. Michael looks Max in the eyes and says that he does not trust anyone these days. Maria asks Liz why she is at school. Liz says her parents wanted her to take a break and they would page her if necessary. Liz tells Maria that she thinks Max is avoiding her. Maria reminds her they had agreed to stay apart but Liz says his tone with her was more like he was treating her as an enemy. Liz says she will see Maria at work and Maria insists that Liz go to the hospital - she and Agnes can handle the orthodontists alone. At the Crashdown, where Agnes is no help, Maria is unable to handle things alone. Maria sees Isabel and, in desperation, asks her to help wait tables. Isabel thinks Maria must be joking and tells her that she is not service oriented. Maria hopes to elicit sympathy by saying she would be doing it for Liz whose grandmother is in the hospital, but she refuses. At the hospital, Jeffrey and Nancy are regaling Liz with one of Claudia's heroic exploits that made national news when they hear over the speakers that she has gone code blue. Monday, 18 October 1999 At school, maintenance opens Kyle's locker and he discovers it was melted shut. Isabel walks into Max' bedroom dressed in a Crashdown Café waitress uniform; Max is amazed and then realises she is covering for Liz. She tells him Liz's grandmother is not doing well and perhaps he should talk to Liz and that since she called him from the hospital she obviously needed his support in this. At the Crashdown, Isabel uses her powers to cook underdone burgers and reheat coffee. Maria really appreciates her help. Isabel's friends remind her that "image is everything" and if she is seen doing this they will all suffer. She tells them to "chill out". Liz visits Max at home. She tells him that the reason she called him from the hospital was that she was listening to her heart, not logic and her heart told her he was the one person in the world she really wanted to talk to. Then she says she is really sorry for asking, but could he use his powers to help her grandmother. He tells her he is not capable of healing Claudia's illness, that he is not God. Tuesday, 19 October 1999 At school, Kyle learns from his friends that they beat up Max. He is very angry with them. That evening at the hospital, Kyle apologises to Liz for his friends beating up Max and swears he had nothing to do with it. Liz is very angry when she learns how Max really got hurt. Kyle thinks she and Max are together. She denies it but says they are not together either. Kyle warns her that Max is trouble and his father is watching him. Liz goes back to her grandmother and suggests to her parents that they take a break and get some air. Max comes to her grandmother's room. He says he cannot stop what is happening but maybe he can help her say goodbye. He touches Claudia and she has an out-of-body experience; both Max and Liz can see her. Liz tells her how much she means to her. Claudia asks Liz to promise her to always follow her heart, no matter where it takes her. Liz agrees. Claudia's heart monitor flat lines and she is gone. Max drives Liz home. Crying, Liz thanks Max, says goodnight and turns to go into the Cafe. Then she turns back and they embrace. |
