He took Liz's hand and she got out of the chair as he led her toward the back of the house.

"We're gonna go out on the patio if that's okay. I need Liz for a minute." He mumbled and smiled, all the while holding Liz's hand.

Max heard the words "need Liz" and his overactive imagination and hormones was fueled.

He stormed after them as they headed out onto the back porch through the sliding doors. He came out just in time to hear Kyle ask Liz:

"What's wrong with me Liz? Why do all you girls break up with me? What is it about me that's so bad?" he asked in a now worried, sad voice.

Max stopped where he was, suddenly realizing that Kyle's need for Liz was not the need he had thought.

"Kyle...um...what are you talking about?" she asked searching his face, worried about him. She had never seen him drunk before. When they were going out, he had never drank when she was around. Even when his buddies had, he wouldn't.

"Vickie. She broke up with me today. Just like that. No reason. Just one minute she was all over me, and the next I caught her all over that cook of yours, Jose. What's wrong with me?" he asked again. His voice sounded pained and desperate.

Max started to move back into the house when Kyle saw him and turned toward him "Evan! Maybe you can tell me? What is it with me? Or is it the girls? Liz dumped you too right? What's wrong with us?"

Max realized that Liz had no idea how to handle a drunk Kyle, and that Kyle might not appreciate all the things he was telling Liz when he sobered up.

"Come on Kyle. Why don't you come inside with me." He said calmly and led Kyle into the living room where Michael was still seated, drinking down soda.

Liz reentered the house and saw Isabel and Maria in the kitchen and headed that way.

"What is up with him?" Maria asked nodding to Kyle who was heading toward the living room with Max.Liz swallowed. "He's drunk." She said with a worried frown.

"What did he want from you?" Isabel asked.

"He wanted to know what was wrong with him."

Maria gave a laugh. "Does he like, have a few hours?"

"He broke up with Vickie today. Or rather she broke up with him." Liz answered, feeling bad for Kyle.

"Well, Max and the guys will talk to him." Isabel reassured her.

Liz nodded. She knew Kyle was not sober enough to really listen to her if she tried to reason with him so she didn't try to go in and talk to him.

***********

Alex came out of the bathroom and quietly took a seat as he listened to Kyle rant about women. He had to nod in agreement more than once to what Kyle was complaining about.

"You never know what they want from you. First they want you to make eyes at them and be all romantic and shit like that, give them all this attention, then when you finally lower yourself to try to be the wuss they want you to be, they dump you for some other jerk who treats them like crap." He mumbled and reached into his pocket for another long sip from his flask.

Max and Michael were surprised too at how much they related to Kyle Valenti right now. Women were a sore topic for all of them.

"You guys having a party? A couples party huh? Heh..Heh..Heh.. I didn't realized. I wouldn't have interrupted." He smirked.

"No couples!" Michael denied quickly.

"Male bonding. Only Isabel invited the girls to female bond also. So we are sharing the house." Max explained with a small smile.

"Oh! Male bonding...I can do that. Here, take a sip and pass it around." He said to Alex as he held out his flask.

Alex shook his head didn't reach for it. "No thanks."

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

The girls decided to skip the pizza altogether and sit in the kitchen and bond over ice cream sundaes.

"Okay, so what the heck did you guys think of that TAPE?" Maria dug into her bowl and looked around, her flushed face a mix of embarrassment and excitement.

"I don't want to talk about it!" Liz blushed. Isabel laughed. "Yes you do Liz. You pretend to be totally pristine but are you honestly going to tell me you've never wanted to see my brother naked? Never wanted to see his rippling muscles and that big mysterious thing they all have between their legs?"

Liz blushed then had to laugh. They had her there. "Okay. Yeah." she admitted and licked her spoon. Just the thought of Max naked like that guy had been, and spreading her legs like that and sliding himself into her. Liz almost moaned aloud.

"Okay, now let me ask you, have you guys fantasized about what it would be like to, you know, make love with Max or Michael?" Isabel asked, really getting into this, and wanting to know more about Alex.

Maria laughed. "It's kinda hard not to when Michael takes me into the eraser room and kisses me silly, and his hands are running up and down my body, just lightly touching me everywhere, only enough to make me crazy!" she admitted.

Liz's eyes widened at a sudden thought. "Are all guys the same do you think? I mean that guy was huge? Are they all like that?" she asked.

Isabel and Maria shrugged. "All I know is, when Michael pulled me against him, it certainly FELT that big!" she giggled and raised the cold bowl to her flaming face.

"Then it can't possibly fit." Liz whispered matter of factly.

"What about Alex you guys?" Isabel asked.

"What!? How would we know?" Liz and Maria said simultaneously.

Isabel looked shocked then burst out laughing. "No! I didn't mean that! I mean, what does Alex like in a girl? Does he talk about anyone? What does he like to do? You know, just what can you tell me about him. I mean you guys have been great friends forever."

"You LIKE Alex!" Liz smiled in realization.

Isabel blushed but nodded. "Yeah, well, pretty wild huh?" she asked.

"Actually, it makes sense." Maria contradicted. "Alex is a great guy. And a girl would be crazy not to realize that."

Isabel nodded in agreement and smiled dreamily. "I wonder if that movie got the guys as curious and hot as it did to us? I mean, they are always so defensive and closed up. Maybe that warmed them up towards us a little."

Maria and Liz exchanged surprised looks then laughed. "Isabel!" Liz exclaimed in a loud whisper.

"You switched tapes didn't you?!" Maria finished.

Isabel shrugged then laughed. "Okay, so what can I say? I think the guys are being total jerks in not admitting how they feel about you two. And I am just trying to give them a little push in your direction."

"A little push! That movie would be enough to make them jump us!" Maria laughed.

"Not Max." Liz said softly with a sigh. "I've never seen someone with so much control. And like you said Maria, his fascination with me before was probably because I was unattainable, and now that I'm interested, he no longer finds it a challenge." Liz reminded her friend.

Isabel's mouth dropped open. "And you believe that!?" she whispered in surprise.

Liz just looked at her with hope. "Well, yeah, it's true, isn't it?"

Isabel laughed. "My brother is so head over heels in love with you Liz, most of the time his mind is total mush when you're around."

"Is, he hides it well." Liz said, afraid to get her hopes up, but her stomach was fluttering at the thought of Max being in love with her.

"Well, even Michael is pretty stubborn when it comes to giving in and admitting how he feels." Maria sighed. "And if he doesn't want to be in a relationship, then that's fine with me!" Maria exclaimed.

"Uh huh, and if he really did want one? But was afraid?" Isabel asked with a knowing smile.

Maria just shrugged.

Liz answered for them both. "We don't want to be hurt again." She said softly.

"So they win? They get to hide behind their fear and we just say, Okay, if you say so." She stated and watched them frown and shake their heads. "So what are we going to do about it girls?" Isabel asked with a gleam in her eyes.