Snapshot · (Roswell Fanfiction) · √

5. Swimming with the Sharks

A/N: Thank you, everyone, for reading!

Kevin Marsters' Residence
Saturday evening
(2004) Max is 19, Liz is 18

"Man, this party rules!"

Max's eyes landed on the hand that had clamped down on his shoulder and followed it up towards a shoulder and then a face. Will Richards.

He shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

"Where's the booze?"

Max sighed. That guy was definitely high. He made an uncommitted point in a general direction, causing Will to laugh triumphantly and walk off.

"Hey, Evans!"

Max turned towards the voice and saw one of his teammates making his way towards him. "Hey, Jones."

Mark Jones placed a beer bottle on the table Max was leaning up against. "Isn't that Parker's sister?"

Max frowned and turned his head into the direction Jones was looking. Coming out from the house, a beer bottle in her hand, was Liz.

"She sure grew up nicely," Jones said, but Max was not listening. Within seconds he was standing next to his best friend's sister.

"What are you doing here?"

Surprised at the voice, she looked up at him, but relaxed when she saw it was him. "I'm pretty sure this party had an open invitation."

Max pulled the beer bottle out of her hand. "You're 18. This is a college party."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm allowed to be here just as much as you are." He was after all only one year older than she was. "Stop treating me like a child, Max."

"Does Michael know you're here?"

"He's with Maria."

"He would kill you."

"He's not my father."

Max narrowed his eyes. She was acting very much out of character. "Why are you doing this?"

"Can't I have some fun for once?"

"Go bowling. Watch a movie. Play some Playstation."

"Funny." She straightened up and pushed past him. "Now, leave me alone."

He grabbed her arm. "Just watch what you drink."

She turned fiery eyes to him. "I can take care of myself, Max."

He watched her walk away, his fists clenching at the sides of his body. She was being more annoying than normal.

The party continued around them and Max caught up with some of his friends. By midnight, the party had taken a turn. Voices and laughter had gotten louder. People were sleeping in the beach chairs next to the pool. Some girls were swimming topless in the water, with some very attentive guys at their beck and call. Some people were throwing up in the bushes and some were in lip-lock, slowly moving to music they didn't really hear.

Max had been keeping an eye on Liz on and off since their first encounter, but towards the end of the night, he had lost track of her. It had been about an hour since he had seen her last and he was starting to worry. He wanted to brush it off. He wasn't her keeper. If she thought she was old enough to take care of herself, let her. He wasn't going to stand in her way.

But he couldn't quite shake the feeling that she was getting into trouble right that second. Speaking of Liz...

"Dude, did you see Parker? That's one fine piece of-"