It was between classes, and Alex was heading towards the computer lab. Ms Topolsky may have been an undercover agent intent on uncovering the secret that bound their little group together, but she kept her word. Of course, in hindsight it was obvious that the whole AP tutorial thing was just an excuse for Ms Topolsky to get whatever it was she wanted from him, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. It wasn't often that opportunities like this one fell into his lap. Besides, his dad was happy. And that was no mean feat.

With these thoughts running through his head, Alex didn't see the door to the janitor's closet open and the arm reach out to grab him until it was too late. One minute he was walking down the hallway, the next he was standing face to face with Isabel Evans.

"Whoa, hey what is the emergency?" Alex said, hiding his anger at being summarily yanked into the closet. Ever since discovering Tess's secret identity (*Was anybody normal is Roswell?* Alex wondered), Isabel had become increasingly more distant. Not that they'd been that close to start with, but he'd thought that they were getting somewhere. But they were nowhere near having the right to do what Isabel had just done to him.

"Alex, I’ve been thinking," Isabel said.

Alex looked away, dismay colouring his tone. Every time one of those aliens does some serious thinking, it usually ends in trouble. "Oh, this can’t be good."

Isabel ignored him. "You know how I said I wanted to take things slow?"

Alex nodded. "The word glacial comes to mind."

Isabel pushed Alex backwards, pressing him against the doorframe. "Maybe it’s time to melt the ice." she said, trying to sound seductive.

"Whoa, wh... what?" Alex said, taken aback. Way aback.

"I’m ready. For a relationship," Isabel said "and I want it to be with you." She looked away, her eyes dimming slightly as she remembered those dreams she'd been having. The dreams with Michael. The dreams she'd rather not be having. "Not with anyone else I know."

Wait. Who else was she considering having relationships with? "Well...there’s someone else?" Alex asked, confused.

Isabel looked up at him. "No!" she exclaimed, a little to forcefully. She calmed down, practically started purring. "No, absolutely not. Only you."

"Oh, well...This is like...whoa, this is monumental." Alex said. He tried to process all this information. "You know. I mean we...we’ve got to go about this the right way. You know, romance." Isabel was nodding in agreement. He thought quickly. "Um, how, uh, how about tonight?"

"How about right now?" Isabel said, her mouth inches from his.

"Okay," he agreed, and she kissed him. Hard.

Alex knew that something was going on here. Isabel was acting very weird. But he was a sixteen year old guy, in a dark room with a girl he, well, okay, lusted after, and when Isabel started to kiss him, Alex really wasn't thinking with his brain any more. So he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back, just as hard.

A few minutes later, Isabel leaned back, breathing hard. "Wow," she whispered.

Alex agreed with her. It was entirely wow. He'd been waiting for something like this for a long time, and the anticipation was worth it. *Definitely worth it* he thought.

Isabel rose up on her toes, leaning in to kiss him again, but Alex tilted his head to the side, thwarting her. Isabel looked at him, wondering - and some what mad at - why Alex didn't want to kiss her again. Alex smiled down at her.

"Don't you think we should head to class? We can finish this another time," he said.

Isabel grabbed his wrist and looked at his watch. If they hurried, they might make it to class before the late bell. Might. She sighed and agreed, stepping away from Alex and unlocked the door.

Alex coughed behind her. "So, uh, what about tonight?"

Isabel turned. "Tonight?" She arched an eyebrow.

Alex swallowed nervously. "My dad's gone to a conference in Alburquerque. He won't be back until Friday. I was thinking that maybe you could come over tonight."

Isabel thought quickly. This was perfect. But she wasn't going to let Alex know that. She decided to tease him a little. "And do what?" she asked innocently.

Alex tried banished all the thoughts from his head and aimed for innocence, too. "Oh, I don't know. How about pizza and a video?"

Isabel smiled, letting him off the hook. "Sounds good. What time should I come around?"

His eyes widened at the fact that she'd said yes. "Oh! Um, about seven?" he asked.