"Liz, hey!" Maria exclaimed as she opened Liz's door.

"Maria, hey!" Liz hurriedly placed her journal under some blankets.

"So...I guess you just finished your shift." Liz held a bowl full of nuts and candies up to Maria, offering her friend some. Maria turned down the offer and sat down on the edge of Liz's bed.

"Yeah. Serving up Valentines' Day alien-themed food was getting so -- tedious! I think I'm going to be sick if I have to serve one more red martian cocktail. Sickening!" Maria complained. A smile formed on Liz's face. She couldn't help but think of Max. He was so perfect beyond words. Whenever she was with him it was as if time stopped and the moments they spent together were like this eternal bliss. No matter what happened, those moments would hold her together and everything would be all right.

"Yeah--" Liz trailed off.

"Oh, Liz...in honor of Valentines' Day...which...I know, I think it's a totally ridiculous holiday, but...I just have to show you this." Maria reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a rubber duckie. Liz cocked her head and shot an odd glance at her friend.

"Don't you remember? 4th grade...February 14th...Bobby Anderson..."

"He had such a crush on you!" Liz started laughing. She remembered how Bobby had a not-so-secret crush on her best friend and had given Maria his favorite childhood toy. A rubber duckie.

"Yup, he gave me this." Maria tossed the rubber duckie up in the air and caught it. The two started laughing when they recalled that day.

"And you still have it," Liz told her friend.

"...Yeah, well...I don't throw anything away," Maria said defensively. The two continued talking about their plans for the big day, about life, about school, about boys...

"I need that cute red dress I saw at the mall, Mom!" Isabel said as she stomped her foot down on the floor. Max rolled his eyes.

"But sweetheart...I just lent you all that money for those shoes...you know, those boots."

"But Mo-om!" Isabel folder her arms across her chest and frowned.

"Is, can it," Max told her. Isabel stopped and sat down next to her brother when she realized she was being slightly irrational.

"I'm home!" Mr. Evans bellowed as he stepped into the house. He was carrying a heart-shaped box full of chocolates. "These are for the family to share in honor of Valentines' Day," he told everyone.

"Oh, honey, how sweet." Mrs. Evans told him. He placed the box down on the table and sat next to his kids. He started to remove his jacket.

"So, who has a date?" He asked them. His children rolled their eyes and ignored the question. Max certainly wasn't a big talker. Isabel didn't want to let anyone know that she was finally a couple with Alex. No one really expected it and she didn't want anyone to know or make a big deal about it, so she kept quiet. "Oh, come on now... you don't tell your father anything anymore," he said as turned on the TV. A commercial for Viagara came on. Max and Isabel quickly glanced at each other and started cracking up hysterically. "Okay...come on...now don't you roll your eyes at me. You two are so immature." Mr. Evans informed them. He stood up and walked over to the refrigerator as Max grabbed the remote and started flipping through channels while Isabel slowly opened the box of chocolates. She and her brother started picking out chocolates to eat and went upstairs. Mr. Evans returned to the table and was taken aback.

"Now where did all those nuts go??" He asked his wife.

"Hm?" She uttered.

"The chocolates with the nuts in them--my favorite. I think one of the kids took them." He shrugged his shoulders and closed up the box and handed it to his wife. "Happy Valentines' Day!" He smiled.

Max lay awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Does Liz feel the same way about me that I feel about her? Does she care about me so deeply that everything she sees and does she makes some sort of connection to the love we feel? Does she get the same rush that I do when I look into her eyes?

In the room next door, Isabel rolled over in her bed. She had been dreaming. It was perfect. She was a normal 16-year-old girl. She had the same hopes and dreams but she could go about achieving them without living in fear that every little step along the way was risking exposing their existence. She could run up to her boyfriend and hug him and she would know every detail about his hopes and dreams and he would know her heart and soul and all of her secrets -- she really didn't have any. "Hello, Alex." she would say as he held her in his arms. She was dating Alex now, but she was still terrified to talk to him about her secret. She didn't feel comfortable sharing with him at all -- which wasn't how it should have to be.

Michael sat with his hands on his lap. He couldn't stop thinking about Maria. He knew it was wrong and he didn't want to get attached. He felt like a big sap sitting there. He tried to force those thoughts out of his head but I couldn't stop thinking about that night at the Crashdown during the heat wave. She was so perfect. Why did he have to feel this way? He felt confused...he didn't know where these feelings would leave him and he couldn't show any emotion. He closed his eyes and got into bed.

Max jumped out of bed spontaneously and rummaged through his room for paper and a pen. He sat down on his chair and started thinking. He feverishly scribbled down some thoughts and then crossed them out. He was getting frustrated and running out of time. After sitting a while, he finally thought of the perfect thing to do. He smiled to himself. He closed his eyes and conjured up images and memories as he became one with the pen. He spoke with his heart and poured his emotions out onto the paper. Things flowed so perfectly and as he finished, he was astounded with what he had written. He threw on some clothes and slipped out of the house. As he reached his destination, he slipped his work under the door and quietly left as if he has never come.

"Oh Michael, I love you too! Oh, yes I do..." Maria mumbled in her sleep. Liz opened her eyes. Maria was staying over Liz's house for the night. Ever since they were young, at their earliest sleepovers, Maria had been notorious for talking in her sleep. Liz closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but she couldn't -- it was Valentine's Day! She slowly slipped out of bed, careful not to wake her friend. She slipped on her robe, brushed her hair and teeth, tip-toed down to the café. The sun hadn't yet risen but she felt so awake. She wanted today to be the most perfect day even though she had her subtle doubts. She grabbed a broom and began sweeping the floor and dusting everything in sight. She stopped when she noticed a piece of paper by the door. She propped the broom up against a table and picked up the paper.

Liz

Her soft skin, her luxuriant hair
Her beautiful eyes, her deep, sexy stare
It sends chills down my spine as her eyes stare into mine
Her beautiful face and her skin; so fine
When I feel lost and seek home
I see you and know I'm not alone
For never have I saw
Such a beauty without a flaw
Liz you make my existence here worthwhile
I know I'm home when I see you smile
You ease my pain, what more can I say?
Wishing my love a happy Valentine's Day

Love, Max
PS- I think I've been struck by little alien cupids...I'm in love!

Liz held the note close to her body as she started to cry over the mushy love letter. It was so sweet and so perfect. She was a hopeless romantic and a sucker for love letters like this. She closed her eyes for a minute and then turned around. She saw Max at the door. She was a little startled, then was overwhelmed with joy. She opened the door and as he stepped in, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He was a little shocked with her forwardness.

"Max..." she said through tears. "This means so much to me. I never knew -- I never thought that I could mean this much to you." Liz cried. Max smiled and touched her hair. He took out of his coat pocket, a little package and handed it to her. She smiled as she opened it up to find chocolate candies with nuts wrapped in tinfoil. She started laughing.

"I know you like chocolate and nuts, so I --"

"Max, I want to thank you. For everything. My life has drastically changed since I really got to know who you are. I wouldn't have a life it weren't for you." Max bent down and engaged in a brief kiss with Liz.