Part 97 ***************** Liz walked through the halls of West Roswell with an air of confidence, almost as if there was an extra skip in her step. The smile she wore on her face was undeniable. The swing in her hips tantalizing. The rock on her finger shimmered in the fluorescent lights hanging above her. Her classmates watched, whispering behind notebooks. “Is that Liz Parker?” “Wow! Check out Liz Parker!” “Is that a ring on her finger?” Liz had to bite back the grin from her lips. She rounded the corner, walking towards her locker. *********** Pam Troy stood with her little minions, talking about how prom had been. Vickie Delanie ran down the corridor, screeching to a halt. “Omigod! You guys won’t believe what I just heard.” Pam rolled her eyes, taking a nail file from her purse. “We already heard about Paulie getting drunk and throwing up all over Mr. Singer. It’s old news.” Vickie grinned, shaking her head. “Nope. This is better than that. Way better.” Pam flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Well, what is it? I don’t have all day.” Vickie stuck her tongue out at Pam when she wasn’t looking. “Well, I just heard that Liz Parker and Max Evans eloped after prom. Supposedly, they went to Vegas and got married at the Elvis chapel.” She smirked when she saw Pam’s jaw fall to the floor. Pam began sputtering, trying to find a way to disprove what Vickie had just said. “Whatever. That’s just a load of crap. I don’t believe it. Unless she’s wearing a ring on her finger, then everything is just hearsay. Liz Parker would never be able to land a guy like Max. It’s only a matter of time before he gets bored with her.” She began filing her nails, muttering to herself, hoping to convince herself. Stacy spoke up, her voice sounding a little timid. “I don’t know about that. I mean they have been going together since the beginning of the school year. And besides, Max hasn’t laid eyes on anyone but Liz. Even he didn’t fall for you.” The other girls snickered as Pam’s face flared with a crimson red. “Max is just playing hard to get. He’s a bad boy at heart. He’s pretending to tone down his image by being with little miss scientist. I mean he’s gonna be looking to be getting some, and I’m pretty sure that that prude of a girl isn’t putting out. When Max decides he wants to be with a real woman, he knows where to find me.” She smiled, her teeth glistening. Vickie rolled her eyes. “I hate to break it to you, Pam but I just don’t think Max is interested. Besides, I saw Liz with my own eyes and she was sporting a diamond on her finger. And I talked to Andrea who has Max in her first period English Lit, and apparently, he was sporting a wedding band on his left hand.” Vickie raised an eyebrow at Pam, her lip curling into an almost evil smile. “So I don’t see how all of this info is just hearsay.” Pam huffed. “I don’t care what Andrea says. Who died and made her the school gossiper? And besides, Liz wearing a ring on her finger means nothing. For all you know, she could have gotten that ring from a gumball machine. I mean she is desperate after all. I mean how pathetic can one girl get? Spreading rumors about herself to get attention.” Pam gathered her things together. “I think it’s time to put Liz Parker in her place.” She walked purposefully down the hall, heading towards Liz’s locker. Liz had her head buried in her locker, unaware that Pam and her friends had circled her. “Hi, Liz.” Pam spoke in a fake sugary sweet voice that would make anyone’s skin crawl. Liz closed her locker, turning around to face Pam. She was in too good of a mood to let Pam ruin her day. Whatever Pam had come to say, she wouldn’t let it get to her. Pam frowned, making a pouty face. “What’s the matter, Lizzie? Not going to say hi?” Liz glared at her. “What do you want, Pam?” Pam grinned, never letting it reach her eyes. Her eyes burned with an animosity that boiled deep. She reached for Liz’s left hand, turning it an angle. “Oh, what a pretty ring. Where’d you get it? The gumball machine?” She laughed a mechanical laughter, causing the other girls around her to follow in her footsteps. Just as it happened in the movies, the knight in shining armor came to save his princess. Well in this case, Max towered behind Pam, pushing her aside. He glared at her, taking Liz’s hand in his. He smiled at Liz, placing a kiss on her ring finger. He turned back to Pam while he put his arm around Liz. “If you must know, I gave it to her.” Pam was stunned speechless. She had never anticipated Max walking in and ruining her moment of glory. Max grinned a feral grin. “You like it?” He began placing a kiss on Liz’s temple, making his way down her face. Stacy spoke up. “We heard that you guys eloped in Vegas.” Max chuckled, his kisses descending down the column of Liz’s neck. “You heard right.” He held up his left hand, the gold wedding band glowing against his bronzed skin. Max pulled Liz’s chin up, his lips fusing with hers. The small whimper of surprise coming from her lips made him smile. His hands drifted down her sides, coming to stop at her waist. He pulled her body against his, making the other girls uncomfortable being around them. Pam was the only one left, still staring, dumbstruck. Max looked up at her, as he continued to ravish Liz against her locker. “What?” “Huh?” Max smirked. “I hate to break it to you Pam, but I’m not really into voyeurism. You think you could take your gawking somewhere else and give me and my wife some privacy?” Pam felt her cheeks flush. She ran down the hall and out the doors, not looking back. Max returned to kissing Liz, his hands dancing dangerous close to the edge of her skirt. “She’s gone.” Liz opened her eyes, returning to herself. She saw the compromising position she and Max were in, causing her to blush. She pushed him out of the way, trying to give him an admonishing look, but failed. Instead, she smiled, shaking her head at him. “You do realize that you are a very bad boy, right?” Max gave her a half smile, grabbing her hand. “Yeah, well Pam deserved that. She’s had that one coming.” They walked through the double doors, into the quad to meet their friends for lunch. Liz giggled, laying her head on his shoulder. “Well after that stunt, everyone at school is definitely going to think that we eloped.” Max stopped walking, looking down at her. “Would that be so bad?.....You know, if people thought that we were already married?” Liz felt her heart clutching in her chest at the vulnerability in his voice. She cupped his cheek, placing a kiss on his lips. “No, it wouldn’t.” They exchanged smiles, walking towards their table. Together they sat down, refusing to lose contact. Alex was the last to walk to the table, a rather confused look on his face. “Today has got to be the weirdest day.” Michael looked up from the sandwich that he was inhaling. “Why?” Alex pointed in the direction of the school. “Well, since first period, I’ve heard rather elaborate stories about why Max and Liz are both wearing their rings.” Maria almost choked on her food. “Oh, my favorite one is the one where they stole some guy’s Harley, took it for a joy ride, wearing leather might I add, and then heading down to Vegas to get married.” Kyle laughed. “I didn’t hear that one. I liked the one with the Elvis chapel.” All of the friends laughed heartily with Max and Liz joining in at the ridiculous stories that were running amuck the school. Alex held his stomach, trying hard to keep the milk from coming out of his nose. “This one is my favorite. I heard it on my way out here. Apparently, Max grabbed Liz and had his way with her at her locker. That has got to be the best one.” When Max and Liz didn’t laugh, instead holding their flushed cheeks down, their friends turned curious eyes towards them. “Liz?” Maria raised her eyebrow, waiting to hear something. When Liz looked up, her mouth moved but words didn’t escape. Maria held her hand to her mouth. “I cannot believe you two! There is an eraser room, you know,” she finished jokingly. Max and Liz blushed some more, the pinkish tint in their cheeks making their friends laugh. “We definitely need to get you guys hitched soon.”