LEAVING NORMAL

 

 

(Liz writing in diary)

VOICEOVER: It's October 19th. I'm Liz Parker and this is what I've been thinking. Can life ever go back to normal?

(At Crashdown Cafe)

MARIA: It's crazy.

LIZ: It's an orthodontist convention.

MARIA: Why would orthodontists want to convene in Roswell?

LIZ: That's a good question.

MARIA: Uh, Jose. If table 3 doesn't get fed soon, I swear they're going to attack.

JOSE: Busy ladies, very busy.

LIZ: Oh, my God. I forgot to tell you. Grandma Claudia is coming on Friday.

MARIA: I have been going through Grandma withdrawal. I just love Grandma Claudia.

LIZ: I know. She's like the basis of my existence.

JOSE: Table 6.

LIZ: Oh, great....thank you.

MARIA: Jose, what about me?

(Jose blow a kiss at Maria, who rolls her eyes) (Liz serving food to table 6)

ORTHODONTIST: Here she is.

LIZ: Ok, gentlemen. I've got one Venus Meatloaf Platter. There you go. And two Trekkie specials. Enjoy your dinner. Oh, and your space fries will be right out.

(Max enters and sits down at a booth)

ORTHODONTIST: Uh, miss...my colleagues and I were just appreciating your wonderful overbite.

LIZ: Oh...well, thank you....that's a first actually.

ORTHODONTIST: Would you mind if we just take a look at your bite.....for medical purposes.

LIZ: Sure. (Liz shows her wonderful overbite)

VOICEOVER: Part of me wants safety, wants to go back to how things were, to a life that I could predict, where I know how life is going to be. And the other part of me wants to go somewhere else, into the unknown.

ORTHODONTIST: Magnificent.

LIZ: Enjoy your dinner, gentlemen.

(Liz walks over to Max's booth)

["Candy" by Mandy Moore starts playing]

LIZ: It's an orthodontist convention.

MAX: Apparently.

LIZ: So, are you waiting for Michael or...

MAX: No, no. (Max looks over menu)

MAX: I'll just have an Alien Blast.

LIZ: Me, too.

MAX: Excuse me?

LIZ: Nothing...ok, one Alien Blast.

(Jocks look over at Liz and Max)

JOCK: He's the guy.

(Crashdown closes and Max walks across the street where jocks are waiting for him)

MAX: What's going on, guys?

JOCK: Evans, right?

MAX: Yeah.

JOCK: Stay away from her.

MAX: Who?

(Jocks beat up Max)

(Opening credits)

 

MICHAEL: It's those jocks from the football team, right? Kyle and his friends?

MAX: Kyle wasn't there.

MICHAEL: I've seen them giving you those looks. It was them, wasn't it?

MAX: It doesn't matter who it was.

MICHAEL: I'm going to kill them.

MAX: Michael...no.

MICHAEL: So what are we going to do?

MAX: Nothing.

MICHAEL: What do you mean we're going to do nothing?

MAX: Michael, listen to me. This is bad. Kyle does something to us. We do something back to him. This kind of thing gets all over school, all over town. Rumors start flying. The whole thing about what I did to Liz starts coming up again. We get exposed.

MICHAEL: That's exactly what I'm saying. We go and we shut up those guys right now.

MAX: Michael, we have to stick together now, more than ever before. We have to go back into our shells. We can't do anything to those guys. I have to stay away from Liz.

(At school, in hallway, where Liz is looking at a calendar of athletic events)

MARIA: Hey.

LIZ: Hey.

MARIA: So, catching up on upcoming athletic events?

LIZ: Uh-huh.

MARIA: Uh-huh. It couldn't be that Max has PE 4th period and you're conveniently positioning yourself to just happen to run into him?

LIZ: Good bye.

MARIA: Bye.

(Max comes along and Liz walks up to him)

LIZ: Hey, Max.

MAX: Hey.

LIZ: What happened to your face?

MAX: I fell.

LIZ: Are you ok?

MAX: Yeah.

LIZ: When did this happen? It looks really bad.

MAX: Yesterday. Uh, look, I got to get going. I have an English midterm. Bye.

LIZ: Bye.

(Kyle walks up to Liz)

KYLE: Liz, hey.

LIZ: Hey.

KYLE: So, tonight's movie night, right?

LIZ: Yes.

KYLE: Video store at 6?

LIZ: Sounds great.

KYLE: All right. Ok, see ya.

Jocks walking down the stairs, Michael walks toward them and runs into one of them)

JOCK: Hey, watch where you're going.

MICHAEL: Dude, I'm sorry.

["Then the Morning Comes" by Smash Mouth starts playing]

(Michael watches as the jock he touched starts getting this nasty itch while talking to a cheerleader he's trying to impress)

(At Crashdown Cafe, where Mr. Parker is singing to an old song)

(Grandma enters)

LIZ: Grandma!

GRANDMA: Honeybear! Oh, hello Jeffrey....oh, you're still listening to them. You're dating yourself.

MR. PARKER: Well, you know, some things defy time.

GRANDMA: Oh, look at you. LIZ: What? GRANDMA: Last year when I left, you were a child. Now I come back to find a beautiful young woman.

LIZ: Grandma, let me help you upstairs with your stuff.

GRANDMA: Oh, Jeffrey will get it, won't you dear? (Mr. Parker nods)

LIZ: I thought you weren't supposed to be here until Friday.

LIZ: Ok, so tell me what's going on. Did you finish that book you were working on last time?

GRANDMA: Oh, book, schmook. Let's dish.

(Mrs. Parker walks down the stairs with a basket of laundry)

MRS. PARKER: Hey Claudia.

GRANDMA: Nancy, oh it's so good to see you. Hey, come with us. We're going upstairs to catch up.

MRS. PARKER: Really? Should I?

LIZ: Yeah, definitely. C'mon mom.

MRS. PARKER: I don't think so...I have a lot of laundry to do so...

GRANDMA: We'll be back just as soon as Liz has told me about all the boys who are head over heels in love with her.

MRS. PARKER: Don't waste your time because she never talks about that stuff.

(In Liz's room)

LIZ: So, in any case, Kyle's not somebody that I'm going to marry or anything. But it's...you know. We have a good time together. It's good.

(Grandma waits for Liz to say more)

LIZ: What?

GRANDMA: Well, not every relationship has to be the be-all and end-all.

LIZ: Right....it doesn't?

GRANDMA: No...everybody wants to find her soul mate, but there's so much time for that. I think it's nice that you have somebody you can have fun with.

LIZ: What if there was something else?

GRANDMA: Something else?

LIZ: Someone else.

GRANDMA: Now, this is worth the price of the airfare.

(Liz looks a bit embarrassed)

LIZ: What if this someone else could potentially be...you know, what you said.

GRANDMA: Is there?

LIZ: But what if were like complicated...like incredibly, incredibly complicated?

GRANDMA: Well, one thing I can tell you....if it isn't complicated, he probably isn't a soul mate.

(Maria opens the door and enters)

MARIA: Grandma!

GRANDMA: Oh, Maria! Look at you. Another beauty. God help this poor little town with you two running around.

MARIA: Ok, I love this woman.

LIZ: Wait...look at this. It's an article on the first findings of the Navajo Indians in hundreds of years. Lost Treasures by Claudia Parker. It's going to be in the American Journal of Archaeology.

MARIA: That is so cool.....ok, alright, so let's talk about me. The hair thing...does it work for you? I kind of see it as a Meg Ryan style after an electric storm.

GRANDMA: I think it's you.

MARIA: She's good. Ok, so what were you guys talking about?

LIZ: Nothing.

GRANDMA: Boys.

MARIA: Oh...Kyle or Max?

(Liz gives Maria a "gee, thanks alot" look)

LIZ: Thank you...

GRANDMA: Aha...Max.

LIZ: No...Max...he's so not possible. He's just like this whole different...

MARIA: Life form?

LIZ: Type.

GRANDMA: How intriguing. A dangerous man?

MARIA: Spacey man.

GRANDMA: A mystery man.

LIZ: Ok, you two...you're out of control.

GRANDMA: So, what are we doing tonight?

LIZ: Tonight...

(At UFO center, where Max is stuffing tubes into an alien's stomach)

ISABEL: Whatcha doing?

MAX: Some kid pulled these out.

ISABEL: Great job you've found, Max. Real dignified.

MAX: Gotta feed the monkey.

ISABEL: Seventeen people at school already told me about your face....oh my God...what happened?

MAX: Michael and I...

ISABEL: He already told me the story of you falling on the basketball court....what really happened, Max?

MAX: Some guys roughed me up last night.

ISABEL: Why?

MAX: They're friends of Kyle's. They think Kyle must be upset about me and Liz.

ISABEL: You were just going to tell me some story like I couldn't handle the truth?

MAX: I guess I knew how upset you'd be and I don't want you to get mad. We have to stay inside now. We have to be careful.

ISABEL: Max, this whole thing with Liz and the sherriff's son. It's just...

MAX: I know, I'm staying away from Liz.

(Isabel looking over Max's injuries)

ISABEL: Pretty raw...why don't you just get rid of them?

MAX: Because they have to heal normally...everything has to be normal.

(Kyle and Liz on street walking towards Crashdown Cafe)

LIZ: I can't believe you actually rented this. This looks like the worst movie in history.

KYLE: Well, ok, for your information, "Massacre at Sunset Village" is a modern day classic. And the serial killer homes in on this retirement community so it's got something for your grandmother.

LIZ: I am not showing this to my grandmother.

KYLE: Well, twenty minutes of "Wings of Boringness" and we'll all be ready for some action.

(There's a crowd gathered outside the Crashdown and an ambulance is outside)

(At hospital, nurses are wheeling in Grandma on a stretcher down the hall)

DOCTOR: What have we got?

NURSE: Patient complained of weakness in her left side and her family members noticed slurred speech before she lost consciousness. BP 160, pulse 100, respiration 20

DOCTOR: Gimme an EKG....keep them out of here, please.

NURSE: I'm sorry, I need to have you wait.

MR. PARKER: That's my mother.

NURSE: I understand that, but I need you to wait out here.

(In hospital lobby where Parker family and Kyle are waiting for news about Grandma)

LIZ: I'm gonna go...

(Liz buys a soft drink and decides to call Max)

MAX: Hi, it's Max...I'm not here right now, but please leave a message.

LIZ: Hi, Max...it's Liz. I'm at the hospital. Something happened to my grandmother. We don't know if it's serious, but it seems really bad. I'm just scared. Look, I don't even know why I'm calling you. I guess I just wanted to hear your voice or something.Now I just feel completely stupid. Look, don't come here or anything because everyone is here. I'll just see you in school tomorrow. Sorry for the weird call. Bye.

(In hospital lobby again)

MR. PARKER: Dr. Sanchez.

DOCTOR: Jeff, hi. Nancy.

MRS. PARKER: Thank you for coming...we're so glad you're able to be here.

DOCTOR: Of course.

MR. PARKER: How is she?

DOCTOR: Jeff, your mother's had a stroke. This is serious, but she's been responding really well. Her vital signs are good. She's stabilized.

MR. PARKER: Is she going to be ok?

DOCTOR: A lot of people fully recover from a stroke like this, but it's early. We're going to need some time to determine what the repurcussions are.

MRS. PARKER: Thank you.

DOCTOR: We have reason to be positive here.

MR. PARKER: Ok, thanks.

(Dr. Sanchez leaves and Max enters)

LIZ: Max.

MAX: Hey.

LIZ: My grandmother just had a stroke.

MAX: Oh, I'm sorry...how are you doing, you ok?

LIZ: Yeah, thanks...everyone this is Max.

MR. PARKER: Hi there.

MAX: Hi.

KYLE: So, what are you doing here?

MAX: My cousin got into a car accident.

LIZ: I'm sorry.

MAX: I don't think it's serious. I better go find out how he's doing.

(Outside the hospital, Max starts car and sees Kyle waiting to talk to him)

KYLE: So, how's your cousin?

MAX: He's going to be ok.

KYLE: Your cousin wasn't in an accident, was he?

MAX: It was a mistake.

KYLE: Max...I know that something happened between you and Liz the day of the shooting. That you helped her out or whatever. She was shaken up and you calmed her down and I appreciate that. But what I don't appreciate is that ever since then, you've been all over her. I see it, Max. My friends see it, the entire school sees it. Now, I like Liz...a lot, and I don't want you around her.

MAX: Believe me, I can see that.

(Max drives off)

(At Valenti home, Sherriff walks in carrying a bag of groceries)

SHERRIFF: Hey, improving your mind, eh?

SHERRIFF: How was your day?

KYLE: Just got back from the hospital.

SHERRIFF: The hospital?

KYLE: Liz's grandma had a stroke.

SHERRIFF: I'm sorry to hear that.

KYLE: They think she's going to be alright though.

SHERRIFF: Give my regards to the family, will ya?

KYLE: Yeah....

SHERRIFF: Kyle, is something bugging you?

KYLE: Just girl troubles...nothing you'd understand.

(Sherriff turns tv off)

SHERRIFF: Why don't you try me?

KYLE: Alright, let me just ask you then. When you and mom, back when things were good if you can remember that far back, did you ever feel like you didn't know what was going on with her? Like she was just going through the motions, like there was something else on her mind all the time?

SHERRIFF: Is that what's going on with Liz? Is something on her mind?

KYLE: Why am I talking to you about this? I'm like deranged.

SHERRIFF: What else is on her mind? School stuff?

KYLE: No, no...just like someone else, maybe.

SHERRIFF: Does this have anything to do with that Max kid?

KYLE: What...the entire country knows?

SHERRIFF: Kyle, listen to me. I don't want you getting mixed up with that kid.

KYLE: What are you talking about? What do you care about Max Evans?

SHERRIFF: Kyle, I don't want you around him. Do you hear me?

KYLE: Yeah.

(Exam going on in classroom)

(Michael changes answers of one of the jocks that beat up Max)

(At Max's locker)

LIZ: Max, hey.

MAX: Hey, how's your grandmother?

LIZ: We're waiting, but I think she's going to be ok. I mean, if anyone can pull through this, it's her. She's so full of life. I was thinking that when she gets better, I'd really love for you to meet her.

MAX: I hope she's ok.

LIZ: So, about last night.

MAX: Yeah, I shouldn't have come. You told me.

LIZ: No, I'm glad you did. It really meant a lot that you were there. I'm just really sorry that it got so awkward.

MAX: It was a mistake. I mean, you had your family there...and Kyle.

LIZ: I know I shouldn't have called...

MAX: Yeah, you shouldn't have probably. We said we agreed to, you know...see ya later, Liz.

(Max leaves a bit frustrated)

(In bathroom, Max knocks down a stall wall)

MICHAEL: Ow.

MICHAEL: Gandhi feeling frustrated?

MAX: Shut up.

MICHAEL: Let me guess...you're in love with a girl and she's with another guy.

MAX: You realize that you can be really annoying, right?

MICHAEL: I got something else that's gonna cheer you up.

(Kyle can't open his locker)

MAX: What the hell are you doing?

MICHAEL: What am I doing?

MAX: What are you doing?

MICHAEL: I'm helping you out.

MAX: No, you're not helping me out. You promised me that you wouldn't do anything to those guys.

MICHAEL: I promised I wouldn't hurt those guys.

MAX: You're putting us in danger, Michael.

MICHAEL: You're the one who put us in danger when you saved Liz. You're the one who screwed up.

MAX: Yeah, and I'd do it again right now.

MICHAEL: Let's hope we can trust her.

MAX: We can trust her.

MICHAEL: Well, I don't trust anyone these days.

(Liz is sitting on a couch in a hallway at school and Maria comes by)

MARIA: Liz, how's she doing?

LIZ: She's ok...we're just going to wait and see.

MARIA: Come here. So what are you doing at school?

(Liz lies down on Maria's lap and Maria starts twirling Liz's hair)

LIZ: I was at the hospital all night. My parents just wanted me to take a break. My mom said she'd page me if anything changed.

MARIA: Well, you know, you should be at home then...binging on junk food and Rosie.

(Liz sits up)

LIZ: Maria, I'm getting this really weird feeling from Max.

MARIA: What kind of feeling?

LIZ: It's like he's pulling away or something...he can't even be pulling away because we're not together to begin with, but I feel him like avoiding me.

MARIA: Well, wasn't that the whole agreement, that you guys wouldn't be seen together for awhile.

LIZ: Yeah, but it's different. I saw Max before and he had this...like this tone like I was his enemy or something.

MARIA: Maybe you're just reading into this too much. I mean, with everything that's going on.

LIZ: Maybe.

(Bell rings)

LIZ: So, I'll just, I'll see you at work.

MARIA: Work? No way you're working tonight, Liz.

LIZ: No, Stephanie's on vacation, Karen's pregnant, and those tooth people are going to invade. I cannot leave you by yourself.

MARIA: Liz, you should be with your family, ok? I can handle the Crashdown.

LIZ: Are you sure?

MARIA: Absolutely, and besides, I'm not alone. I have Agnes.

(At Crashdown...the place is packed and there are some frustrated customers)

["Mistaken" by Save Ferris is playing]

CUSTOMER: I've been here half an hour.

MARIA: Enjoy your meal. Enjoy your meal.

CUSTOMER: Thanks.

CUSTOMER: Miss, can I order now, please?

MARIA: Yes, one second.

MARIA: Hi, what can I get for you, sir?

ORTHODONTIST: Well, lemme ask you. Would you recommend the Will Smith burger over the Tommy Lee Jones Bacon basket?

MARIA: Agnes, can you get that guy's order, please?

ORTHODONTIST: So which one would you recommend?

MARIA: The first one.

ORTHODONTIST: The Will Smith? (Agnes walks out, Maria follows)

MARIA: Agnes! What are you doing?

AGNES: I'm on break. MARIA: Break? You're on a break? You just had a break!

AGNES: They'll get their food when they get their food.

(Maria gets out her cedar oil and starts sniffing it)

MARIA: Oh no. No no no no no no no.

(Isabel walks by with two of her friends)

MARIA (TO AGNES): Isabel.

MARIA (TO ISABEL): Isabel.

ISABEL: I'm sorry, do I know you?

MARIA: I need to talk to you.

ISABEL: I'll meet you guys at the movie.

ISABEL: I thought we agreed that you would never address me until we'd established complete privacy.

MARIA: Ok, I am going to hate myself for this but I need to ask you for a favor that will leave me forever endebted to you. I am so dead here. Will you help me wait tables?

ISABEL: You're kidding, right?

MARIA: Please.

ISABEL: To put this as succinctly as possible, I'm not really a service oriented person.

MARIA: Wait wait wait. Liz's grandmother is in the hospital. Ok, and if she doesn't think that I can do this, it's just going to give her one more thing to worry about. Please. Look, it's not for me, it's for Liz.

ISABEL: Well, since you put it that way...no.

(At hospital)

MR. PARKER: Well, your grandmother was hiking in Yosemite. And she came across this guy who was deer hunting.

MRS. PARKER: And it wasn't even deer season.

MR. PARKER: Well, I think it was. But anyway, he's hunting inside the national park.

MRS. PARKER: And it was off season, too.

MR. PARKER: Anyway, she arrested him.

LIZ: Who, the hunter?

MR. PARKER: Yeah, it was him and his brother and their buddy, too, right?

MRS. PARKER: Right.

MR. PARKER: Made a citizen's arrest.

MRS. PARKER: And you should have seen your grandma. She's dragging these 3 gun-wielding, beer-guzzling hunters into the sherriff's office. It made national news, right?

LIZ: She's so incredible.

PA/INTERCOM: CODE BLUE, ICU, ROOM 104, CODE BLUE, ICU, ROOM 104.

MR. PARKER: Oh my God. It's her.

DOCTOR: Charge 200...clear.

ASSISTANT: Nothing.

DOCTOR: Charge 300....clear.

ASSISTANT: Nothing. DOCTOR: Charge 360...clear.

(Later on at the hospital, after Crashdown closed, Maria visits)

MARIA: She could still come out of it.

LIZ: Well, the doctor doesn't think so. I saw it in his eyes.

LIZ: I can't believe this. I mean, you saw her yesterday, you know? She was so full of life.

MARIA: I know.

LIZ: I can't believe I went out. I was out all day. I wasted all that time in the video store. I had all this time that I could have just spent with her and I left. What was I thinking?

LIZ: I know, it's irrational. I'm being irrational.

MARIA: Liz, I'm glad you're being irrational. I mean, this is hard. This is really, really hard. Are you sure you don't want me to stay?

LIZ: Yeah, it's fine, but thank you.

(Maria hugs Liz)

MARIA: Ok, I love you.

LIZ: I love you, too.

(At school, janitor opens up Kyle's locker)

JANITOR: Whoa, that's weird.

KYLE: What?

JANITOR: Looks like it melted.

(At Evans home, Max is lying on bed and and sees Isabel looking down at him while wearing a Crashdown uniform)

MAX: No way!

ISABEL: Shut up. Temporary situation.

MAX: Why are you...? You're covering for Liz, aren't you?

ISABEL: So...depressed? Feeling sorry for yourself? Angry at the world?

MAX: All of the above.

ISABEL: Listen, I heard Liz's grandma isn't doing so well. She could probably use someone to talk to.

MAX: She's got Maria. She's got Kyle.

ISABEL: Who did she call when she first found out?

MAX: You're the one who's always telling me I have to stay away from her. What are you saying, Is?

ISABEL: I'm just saying that, you know, if something like this happened to grandma or grandpa, I wouldn't want to be kept away from who I really needed. So anyway, wish me luck. Or should I say, wish the orthodontists luck.

(At Crashdown, customer is trying to get Isabel's attention)

["Someday" by Sugar Ray playing]

CUSTOMER: Excuse me, ma'am.

ISABEL: Ma'am? Look, you're not going to get anywhere calling me ma'am.

CUSTOMER: I ordered this burger well done. Well. Not rare. Well.

(Isabel leaves with plate and heats the food with her power)

ISABEL: It looks well done to me.

ISABEL'S FRIEND #1: Isabel Evans? Cleaning people's remains?

ISABEL'S FRIEND #2: Isabel...image means everything is this world, you know that.

ISABEL'S FRIEND #1: We base our lives on that.

ISABEL'S FRIEND #2: And if you're seen in this capacity, it's not just you that suffers. It brings us all down.

ISABEL: Chill out.

(Maria comes by with a cup of coffee)

MARIA: Hi, can you heat this? You're a genius.

(At Max's house)

LIZ: Can I talk to you for a second?

LIZ: So I've been thinking about why I called you, you know, that day from the hospital. Because I knew it was against the rules and it led to that whole awkward moment. But, I called anyway. Sort of couldn't help it. Because when something like this happens, what's happening to my grandmother, you don't listen to logic to what you're supposed to do. You listen to your heart, and my heart told me to call you. Because you were the one person in the world that I really wanted to talk to. Max, I've been thinking something, and I'm really not going to be able to get it out of my head unless I just say it. I'm really sorry for asking you this, but is there, is there anything that you could do for my grandmother, you know, do?

MAX: Liz, when I saved you, it was because you were shot, and there was a bullet in you. Something was happening to you that wasn't supposed to happen. It was before your time. But I can't just heal people. I'm not God.

LIZ: I know.

(Outside school where Kyle and his football friends are walking down a path)

KYLE: So the locker just melted closed. How do you explain that? Metal's got to be like 500 degrees to melt.

JOCK: Maybe it was that Max guy, getting back at us.

KYLE: Getting back at us for what?

JOCK: We beat the crap out of the bastard.

KYLE: What?

JOCK: You're the one that told us he was hitting on Liz.

KYLE: Idiots.

(At hospital, outside Grandma's room)

KYLE: How's she doing?

LIZ: She's ok.

KYLE: Listen, I need to talk to you.

(Outside hospital)

KYLE: Liz, I'm sorry. I know you have other things on your mind right now, but I just wanted to tell you that I had nothing to do with what happened to Max.

LIZ: What happened to Max?

KYLE: You know...Tommy and Paulie, those guys. They're degenerates and I had no idea they were going to do that.

LIZ: Do what?

KYLE: You know, beat him up. You didn't know?

LIZ: Why would they do something like that?

KYLE: I don't know why. They were just trying to help out.

LIZ: Help out? How would that help out?

KYLE: I told them it was wrong, Liz.

LIZ: How could you be friends with people who would do that?

KYLE: C'mon Liz. They're good guys. You...

LIZ: No, they're not good guys.

KYLE: Why are you getting like this?

LIZ: Like what?

KYLE: I'm trying to explain something to you and you're letting it get all out of hand.

LIZ: You must have said something to them about Max. They must have had a reason to do what they did.

KYLE: Why are you so damn worried about Max?

LIZ: Because he got attacked for no reason. He's the last person in the world who would ever want to hurt someone.

KYLE: So, that's it, isn't it? You and Max are together.

LIZ: No, we're not...neither are we.

KYLE: What?

LIZ: Kyle, I just, I really don't think that we should be together anymore.

KYLE: So, you're going to break up with me because my friends knocked Max around?

LIZ: No, it's complicated.

KYLE: It's because of Max.

LIZ: No, I told you that Max...

KYLE: Listen, Max is trouble. My dad's got an eye on him.

LIZ: I have to go see my grandmother. I'm sorry Kyle.

(In Grandma's room)

LIZ: Mom, Dad? Hi guys. I got you a cup.

MRS. PARKER: Thank you.

LIZ: Got it?

LIZ: Why don't you guys go outside and get some air?

MR. PARKER: You sure?

LIZ: Yeah, I'll be fine, ok?

(Liz sits down next to Grandma's bed)

LIZ: Grandma...grandma...

(Max enters)

MAX: Hey.

MAX: I can't stop, you know what's going to happen, but maybe I can help you say goodbye.

(Max tries to revive grandma, but can't)

MAX: I'm sorry.

LIZ: Thank you.

GRANDMA: Honeybear.

(Liz looks up and sees her Grandma, then looks back to the bed and sees her Grandma still lying on bed)

GRANDMA: Let me guess...Max.

LIZ: Grandma, I guess the thing I wanted to say to you more than anything else is just how much you mean to me, and somehow you just always manage to make me feel really special, and I, I just don't know what I'm going to do without you.

GRANDMA: You're going to do just fine, and I want to tell you something. When I look at you so excited about life, I see myself, and that's a gift, a gift that I will take with me, that I'll always treasure. Promise me one thing, that you'll follow your heart wherever it takes you. Trust it. Will you do that?

LIZ: I will.

(Flatline)

(Outside Crashdown Cafe)

["I Love You" by Sarah McLachlan starts playing]

VOICEOVER: The tough thing about following your heart is what people forget to mention, that sometimes your heart takes you to places you shouldn't be, places that are as scary as they are exciting and as dangerous as they are alluring, and sometimes your heart takes you to places that can never lead to a happy ending.

LIZ: Max, thank you for...

MAX: Shhh. It's ok.

LIZ: Good night.

MAX: Good night.

VOICEOVER: And that's not even the difficult part. The difficult part is when you follow your heart, you leave normal, you go into the unknown.

(Liz turns around and hugs Max.)

VOICEOVER: And once you do, you can never go back.

(Scene fades out with Liz and Max hugging each other under the Crashdown Cafe sign)