It's been an interesting month. Max and Isabel have been giving me lessons. Why we never thought of this before, I don't know. Perhaps the need for our powers was small and so not important in the big scheme of things. Now though, with enemies looming on the horizon, we all need to be at the top of our game. At least that is the argument they gave me to try and convince me that they weren't treating me like a charity case. I'm not convinced, but I let them believe I was because I really, really, really, want to be able to do these things. It is, after all, part of who I am and I know that until I learn to control it, I will never have peace and never be happy with myself. It's been a humiliating, humbling, exciting experience. I'm making progress, slow progress, but real progress. We go out into the desert twice a week and I practice, while Liz, Maria and Alex stand guard against any intruders or aircraft that might witness my bumbling attempts at changing molecular structure.

Roswell high School has a new student present and accounted for in every available science class. The teachers are slightly confused by my sudden attendance and interest, but so far have been helpful in giving extra help and credit. I'm devouring science texts like a sponge. Maria has searched the internet and Liz has tutored me patiently as I search for understanding of what lies behind my powers. Maria has taken to tutoring me in English and Alex helps out with the math. Knowing the structure of what I am manipulating has been extremely helpful. I don't know why that little obvious nugget of information never occurred to me before.

As usual, Maria to the rescue. She was the one to suggest that perhaps my lack of control was not because of an inability to visualize or concentrate but rather because I had nothing to visualize. She pulled out her biology book showing me diagrams of the chemicals and elements in the periodical table and something clicked in my brain. It was like a huge trap door had been sprung and the possibilities had been endless. For the first time, I had a new approach to take, instead of stumbling blindly with vague descriptions. I could do something to help myself. For the first time ever, I wanted to learn something from a textbook rather than from experience. It was a new world for me. I'd never experienced the joy in learning something in school that could have a practical application in my life.

Since I was there, I began to thirst for knowledge about other things and decided if I was going to attend school, I might as well go all the way. I'd always been a reader, James Joyce being my favorite, but reading to learn? No, new concept altogether.

Strangely, Liz and I, through long hours of study and her quizzing me, had developed an easy rapport. I think she'd always been a little afraid of me or at least uncomfortable around me. I knew she couldn't understand what Maria saw in me and I couldn't blame her. Neither did I. But we have now found a new respect for each other. She even told me I was smart and that it's enjoyable to discuss her passion for science with someone who can understand the 'higher concepts.' Who'd of thought? Max knows how Liz feels about him and so was not threatened by all the time we spend together. There is no physical attraction there anyway. It's not that kind of admiration we've found for each other. Just a mutual respect. My tastes in women run toward tiny, blonde women with creamy white skin, light eyes and pouty lips! We six seem to work together like a well-oiled machine, whatever the project. And just now, I am their project. Yesterday, I got suddenly overwhelmed when I got my report card. Biology, Chemistry, Trigonometry, English Lit, Environmental Science and European History. These are my classes, all six of them, a full plate. I couldn't open the report card. I'd been carrying it around in my pocket for two days.

We were all standing around in the CrashDown. Liz and Maria had locked up for the night. I had been carrying the report card around since it arrived in the mail. I hadn't opened it yet. Maria finally decided to push. And as usual, what Maria wants, Maria gets.

"Look, Michael, it's time. It's going to be the same whether you open it now or next month." I just stared into her baby blues.

"What if it sucks?" I asked in my usual diplomatic fashion. I still have a flare for words! She smiled indulgently.

"It won't suck Michael, I'm sure of it."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I am, that's why and on the off chance that it does … suck …" (this was said teasingly) "it will just be a challenge to us to redouble our efforts. It's just grades, right? I mean it has no real bearing on what you know or what learning all this is all about. It's what you've gotten out of it that counts, not the grade. For once in your life, you're using that 160 IQ of yours for something constructive. So let's just see if our hard work has paid off." Who would have ever thought Maria could apply such calm logic to this and make it seem like no matter what the results were, it would be O.K. That was more like Liz. But I knew that if it sucked, I would lose my enthusiasm. I would be crushed. I didn't want the five most important people in my life to see me fail … again. I wouldn't be able to take it, not after all they had selflessly done for me. I knew I didn't deserve all that they had done. I felt like I might let them down and I couldn't stand the thought of it. Maria put her hand on mine where it laid on the counter and squeezed gently.

"Do you want me to open it?"

"No, I want Liz to open it," I replied. Liz's eyes got wide and she graced me with one of those delighted smiles. Everyone was grinning now. I removed the envelope slowly from the inside pocket of my denim jacket and just as slowly placed it on the counter and pushed it across to Liz. I felt stupid suddenly, silly for being this way.

Liz picked up the envelope and quickly ran her thumb under the flap, ripping it open. She paused with a mischievous smile on her face and raised her eyebrow at me, causing everyone to twitter with nervous laugher. "Drum roll please," she said with all the seriousness of an academy award presenter, looking pointedly at Alex. He happily obliged and began deftly drumming an intricate drum roll on the counter with his hands and fingers. Liz ripped the paper out of the envelope with a flourish and held it up close to her face and then let out a startled gasp.

"OH MY GOD!"

"WHAT? WHAT?" we all asked at once. She peered over the top edge of the paper, her eyes darting back and forth. She looked like Kilroy. My heart was slamming against my rib cage. I couldn't believe what a wuss I was being about this!

"WHAT?!" I yelled again. She ticked them off slowly.

"Biology - (pause) - A; Chemistry - (pause) - A; Trigonometry - (pause) - A; English Lit - (pause) - A; Environmental Science - (pause) - A;, and last but not least, European History - (pause, pause) - AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

All five of them erupted into cheering and clapping. Maria wrapped her arms around my waist and started jumping up and down. I just stood, numb, in the middle of the shouts. "WAY TO GO MAN." Alex slapping me on the back. "WHOO, HOOOO!" Liz beaming like a maniac. "Friggin' Amazing." Isabel saying through her laughter. "I knew you could do it, bro." This quiet statement from Max accompanying a big smile on his face.

I looked down at Maria and she was beaming me that mega-watt smile that always causes butterflies in my gut. She shouted, "MICHAEL, I'M SOOOO PROUD OF YOU - GOD - I'M SO PROUD OF YOU! YOU GOT STRAIGHT A's!"

Maria was proud of me? Too much. No one had ever said they were proud of me. And this was Maria, the one that mattered the most. My sweet Maria. I felt the lump in my throat and the sting in my eyes a second too late. Then I did the unthinkable. I cried. Right there in front of everyone. I wrapped my arms around Maria, buried my face in her hair and sobbed. I MEAN SOBBED! My body shook with spasms from my effort to contain the emotions coursing through my body. Maria held on tight, her lips to my ear. "Shhh, Shhh, Love, it's O.K., Shhh. I'm so proud of you. We all are."

They had all quieted around me. I couldn't' raise my head yet. I saw Isabel and Max out of the corner of my eye exchanging a look of stunned belief. I had never broke down in front of them, not even them, ever, let alone sobbed. And here I was, hunched over this little wisp of a girl who'd made me lose it because she was proud of me. She slowly dislodged my head from her neck where it had taken up residence and wiped the tears off my face with her thumbs and then she put me in a knee melting lip lock that made me stagger and grab the counter with one hand for balance. We came up for air at the sounds of suppressed giggles around us.

I turned to them, a shaky breath shuddering out of me, wiping my face on the sleeve of my denim shirt. "Sorry, guys," I replied sheepishly. They all just beamed smiles at me, amused. I looked at each of them in turn. "What the hell did I do to deserve you guys? Uh, thank you, all of you. I don't know what to say. I'm, I'm, oh hell, I'm really grateful to al of you and I don't know what the do with it." Maria was beaming at me again. Isabel, in that special, affectionate snobbery of hers, managed to take the heat off.

"Good lord, Maria, you're turning him into a cream puff. If he gets any more grateful, I just might puke. If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't have believed it." They were all chuckling again. I couldn't look at them. I took sudden interest in my high top sneakers, and started counting lines in the tile in the effort to regain my composure and some measure of dignity. Isabel piped up again. "Get out of here you two, go celebrate."