Max also refused to give up his job at the so-called UFO Museum, saying that things had to appear normal. He also spent a lot of his free time with Liz, which really sent her into a tizzy.

She couldn't imagine how any of them would have survived growing up with Nesado as their guardian as she had, especially Isabel. Isabel worked hard on her powers, but she still busied herself with things that would be of no importance to them in the long run. Things like shopping, and hanging out with that geek Alex. She wondered what she even saw in him.

What Tess didn't know was that the group just didn't like spending time with her. They often found excuses not to spend time working with her. Instead they would either work on their own, or meet up somewhere without her knowing about it.

As the last week of school approached, the days were getting hotter and more uncomfortable for them all. The six finally returned to normal when Michael finally given in, and let Maria back into his life, officially that is. She was never really out of his life, because Maria wouldn't give him a moments peace. Wherever he went, whatever he did, she was always close behind. The only exception being during classes they didn't share at school, which she couldn't do anything about. She even convinced Liz to schedule her and Michael for all of the same shifts at the Cafe'.

There was another change to the group. Actually two, Kyle took to gracing them with his presences every now and again. That and the unwelcome litchee, Tess Harding. To an outward observer, she was one of their group. In reality she was merely tolerated. She really didn't cause any problems, other than the cold menacing glares she sent Liz's way when the others weren't looking.

Liz always shunned it off, determined not to let Tess get under her skin. Besides she was more than certain Tess wouldn't try anything really drastic that could in anyway be linked back to her.

~*~*~*~

Monday, only three more days of school before summer vacation. Max stands waiting for Liz beside her locker before their lunch break. He knows how stressed they both have been with finals, and decided they needed sometime relaxing to do away from the others. He spots her coming his way with a big grin on her face. "Max, what are you doing here? I thought was I going to meet you in the quad."

Max acts hurt, "What? I can't meet you at your locker? Are you trying to hide something from me?"

She raises her eyebrows and looks at him through the corner of her eye while spinning the combination on her locker and playfully responds. "As if I ever could. I just thought you were going to reserve our usual table in the back corner."

Max tilts his head to the side with a goofy grin on his face. "Not today, I have other plans for us."

Liz finished placing her books in her locker and pulling out what she will need for the class that follows lunch, and closes her the locker saying, "Like what?"

Max takes Liz's hand in his. Walking backwards, he pulls her along with him. "Come on." He turns and continues to pull her down the hall toward the student parking lot. "What are you planning Max?"

"It's a surprise." The two of them head out the door to Max's jeep, where he helps her climb into the passenger seat. As Max rushes around the jeep, climbing into the driver's seat. Liz looks into the back seat to see if she can find any clue as to what he has planned for them. In the back seat she sees a small ice chest and a blanket resting in the back seat. Smiling to herself, she starts putting the pieces together. *Max packed lunch for us, which means he planned this out in advance. There aren't to many places we can go and have time to eat and get back to school before our next class, which I know he realizes we can't miss any classes this week.* Liz glances over at Max, licks her bottom lip subconsciously, and asks innocently, "Max, what's that?"

Max smiles, feeling pleased with himself for helping her to forget about the tests they have been studying for all weekend and alleviating the stress she has been putting on herself, even if it is only for a little while. He starts the jeep, and sifts it into gear, as he pulls out of his parking spot answering simply, "Lunch."

Max loves the way Liz is squirming in her seat in anticipation of his surprise for her. She looks like a child Christmas morning preparing to unwrap her first gift of the morning. He only drives a few blocks from the high school into one of the newer residential areas, makes a few turns, and stops beside of a small park with green lush grass, and lots of trees for shade.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Back in the quad, because Max didn't reserve their table, Michael and Maria are sitting at a table in the middle of the quad rather than their usual one in the back corner. They don't seem to mind to much since they don't seem to notice anyone besides each other as they stare into each others eyes.

Alex, Isabel, and Tess ascend on their table, after searching throughout the quad for them. "Why are we sitting here and not at our usual table?" Tess asks with animosity, in her irritatingly high- pitched voice.

Annoyed at Tess for breaking hers and Michael's trance, and her constant need for theatrics, Maria rolls her eyes says, "A Table is a Table Tess, gees get a life all ready."

"Speaking of my life, where is Max?" Tess probes as she continues to search the quad for him.

"Well let's see, my guess would be, with Liz." Maria answers sarcastically as looks away from Tess, to Isabel and Alex. Her eyes settle on Isabel with concern noticing how warn out and stressed she looks.

Being her normal snooty self, Tess retorts, "That much is obvious Maria, the question was, where?"

Isabel snaps, and in a no nonsense voice, she announces, "Cut it out you two. I am not listening to this today." Maria raises her hands in the air in a gesture of surrender, she doesn't want to add to whatever is bothering Isabel.

Tess doesn't like that Isabel is still seeing Alex, or that Michael and Maria are back together. It's making things that much harder on her to get them together to practice. Here feelings about this aren't any secret amongst the group, and it comes out in her tone once again, "Yeah right, whatever."

Isabel doesn't care what Tess wants or doesn't want, she has a strong feeling that Tess is still up to something. No matter how many sweet smile, or offers of help with their powers she gives are going to convince her otherwise. Isabel has enough on her plate today, so she decides to ignore her statement for now, and rests her head against Alex's shoulder closing her eyes.

"Rough day Issy?" Alex asks with concern as he wraps his arms protectively around her shoulders and strokes her long blonde hair.

Opening her eyes to look up at Alex, she answers tiredly, "You could say that. I've already taken two finals this morning, and I still have one more today. Then to top it all off, I'm exhausted from studying all weekend." She covers her mouth and yawns as she closes her eyes once again hoping to catch twenty winks.

Maria completely sympathizes with Isabel. "Finals week, I tell you this has to be the worst week of the whole school year."

"I don't know, I kind of like it." Responds Michael playfully. "It's the one week of the year I blow my teacher's minds. They can never figure out how I miss most of my classes all year and still ace all the finals."

Looking at Michael perplexed, Maria questions, "How do you do that anyway? I mean I study all year and still never get anything above a B minus."

"What can I say, I'm smarter than I look."

"That's not saying much." She responds playfully.

****************************

Max and Liz finished the lunch Max had prepared for them, and now lay beside each, staring dreamily into each others eyes. Liz hasn't felt this relaxed in what seems like weeks. The pressure she has put on herself to get high marks on her finals has taken its tole on her stress level. How Max always seems to know what to do amazes her. Liz leans in to kiss him. "Thank you Max, this was just what I needed." Liz says it so softly, that it comes out as a whisper, before she closes the final distance to him brushing her lips softly across his.

"Anything to keep you happy." He says with a wide grin as he slides his hand to her waist.

"I'm happy just being with you Max."

"Ditto." He leans to kiss her once again, relishing in pure bliss at the feeling of her soft lips touching his. The touch of her lips under his, sends a surge of tingling little sparks through his body from the top of his head down to his toes. Within moments he wants more, needs more of Liz, and begins to trace her lips with his tongue silently requesting further access into her mouth. At the same time his hands venture under the back of her shirt, caressing her soft warm skin freely.

The combined scent of his aftershave, and his own unique fragrance is enough to make Liz forget everything with the exception of his presence. Then you add his tender strong hands, lovingly exploring her body, her head is now swimming in ecstacy. She's never felt more alive then she does at this moment. Absent mindedly, she wonders if this is what it would feel like to float among the clouds. Liz's responds are willing and eager, she opens her mouth anxiously as she tilts her head farther back allowing him complete access to anything he want.

Needing to feel more of his warmth, she untucks his shirt from his pants and slides her hand under his shirt, slowly over the contours of his washboard abs. and incredible pectoral muscles. The whimpers and moans of ecstacy escaping their lips are abruptly halted as they are startled back to reality when a ball hits Max in the shoulder. He pulls back quickly only to see two small boys coming their way to retrieve the ball. Sitting up, he grabs the ball and throws it back to them. "Thanks." One of them calls before they turn and run the way they came.

Liz looks down at her watch, checks the time, and sits up quickly putting things back in the ice chest. "Oh shoot Max, we have to get back, class starts in eight minutes."

They quickly gather up the items from lunch, loading them back into the ice chest. Max grabs the small chest while Liz grabs the blanket. Taking Max hand they both run back to the jeep and rush back toward the school.

Once parked in the student parking lot and the ignition is turned off, Max and Liz both jump out of the jeep and rush into school, and down the hall to their history class. They only make it half way down the hallway before hearing the tardy bell ring. It causes them both to cringe at the idea of walking into class late, knowing good and well that Michael, Maria, and Isabel will probe them for answers about where they were, and why they're getting back late. Upon reaching the door to class, Max quickly opens the door holding it open for Liz. They enter expecting a lecture from their teacher about being late yet again, accompanied by those looks from their friends that have become expected.

Max opens the door, holds it open for Liz, and follows her into the room. They have both been in such a rush to get to class, that neither of them noticed the combination of their make out session, and the jeep ride back to school, has taken its toll on their appearances.