She grimaced as the acrid liquid met her tongue. Its intense heat scalded the inside of her mouth and burned its way to her stomach. She drained the cup quickly, then turned to pour another. This time she took the time to pour a bit of cream and a large amount of sugar in to take the edge off of the bitter taste.

Isabel sipped the brew slowly as she made her way into the living room. She checked the clock on the VCR. 2:30 a.m. Her mother and father would think she had lost her mind if they discovered that she was awake at this hour. She turned on the television and began to scan through the channels, desperately searching for something to take her mind off of sleep.

She shuddered as she sat there and thought about the dream. It had been the same thing for the past few nights. It always started the same, with her in the cave. It always ended the same, with her and Michael doing things no brother and sister should be doing.

That is what disturbed her the most. In the dream, she felt almost animal-like. The lust and passion she felt toward Michael seemed to come from some primal area, almost like some deep rooted program. Those feelings were nothing like what she had felt the other day when she had kissed Alex. The warmth and love she had experienced then was far and above anything that she ever felt in the dream.

The thing that scared her most about it was that Michael was having the same dream. Even worse, he seemed to be entirely ok about it. She shuddered again and hugged her knees to her. She took another deep gulp of the coffee and thought back to the last conversation she’d had with Michael.

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

"I had a dream about you," Michael said as he pushed her door open. "It was...um...weird."

Isabel paused. Michael couldn’t have had the same dream as she had. Could he? "So, what was this dream about?"

"Well," began Michael before settling down in a chair. "We were in the cave. And we were together. Intimately."

A sinking feeling overcame Isabel as he uttered the words. "I-I had the same dream," she said slowly.

Michael’s eyebrows rose slightly. "You did?" He rubbed his chin and leaned forward in the chair. He sat for a moment, lost in thought, before replying. "Maybe this is a sign. Maybe this is something telling us our place."

Isabel shook her head quickly. "There is no way. I could never be like that with you...you are my brother."

Michael stood and looked at her. "You don’t really know that. We’ve always just assumed it."

"That’s just it," said Isabel. "I’ve always considered you my brother...In my mind, that’s what you’ll always be. If you and I got involved...it’d be the same thing as me and Max...." Isabel shuddered. "It is just too weird." Isabel turned and looked out the window. "I just hope this dream goes away."

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

Isabel continued to sip her coffee as she watched Tony Robbins go on about the merits of his personal power program. As the minutes passed, her eyelids became heavier and heavier. Soon she was fast asleep.

The dream began as it always did. She was alone in the cave, studying the symbols on the wall. Michael came to her and began to stroke her face. His hands began to roam her body. Their lips met in a fierce kiss. She felt herself begin to grope wildly at Michael. She felt the brush of cloth against skin as he lifted her shirt from her body. She felt an urgent need build within her as she tugged the clothes from Michael’s body. The rock was cold against her bare skin as Michael laid her down. She knew what was coming next...what always came next.

Isabel awoke with a start. The coffee she had been cradling spilled down her front, the warm liquid staining her silk pajamas. Isabel stood quickly, the cup falling to the table and breaking. She ran to the kitchen and ran cold water into the sink. She splashed the jarringly cold liquid onto her face, hoping to jolt the sleepiness from her system.

Isabel went to the table and dumped the remaining No Doz tablets into her hand. Three left. That would have to do. She popped the pills into her mouth and took a deep drink of coffee, straight from the pot. She sighed. Her system’s need for sleep was rapidly overcoming the large doses of caffeine she was putting into it. She scanned the room for something to occupy herself. Her eyes fell upon the computer. She made her way over and quickly connected to the net. She frantically searched for something, anything, to take her mind off of sleeping...and dreaming...

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

Alex walked through the courtyard of the high school. At each table he searched for Isabel, but he hadn’t been able to find her yet. Finally, he spotted her at a table in the back. He quickly made his way over. "Hey Isabel," he said.

Isabel looked up from the book in front of her. "Hey Alex." She motioned to the chair beside her. "Sit down."

Alex studied Isabel as he sat down. She had a weary look on her face and there were dark circles under her eyes. "Are you ok?" he asked. "You look kind of tired."

Isabel shook her head. "I’m fine," she said. "I’ve just been up late studying, that’s all."

"Well, all right then." Alex opened his lunch bag and pulled a sandwich from within. He sat it in front of him, then pulled out some chips and a package of Twinkies. "Want a chip?" he asked as he tore the bag open.

Isabel pulled her attention away from the book and looked at him. "No thanks." She looked at the little golden cakes in front of him. "I will have a Twinkie....if you don’t mind."

Alex picked up the package and pulled it open. "A Twinkie it is," he said. Isabel smiled and took it from him. She took a bite and chewed it thoughtfully as she studied the page in front of her. Alex glanced over at the book. "What’re you reading?"

Isabel looked up at him. "Huh? Oh...it’s a book on dream interpretation. I got it from the library today."

"Ahhh," said Alex. "So...you’ve been having dreams about me, and you wonder what they mean," he said. "Well...let me tell you. They mean that, subconsciously, you want to ravage me..."

Isabel laughed. "Is that right Mr. Freud?" She flipped the book closed and looked at him. "Quite an interesting analysis. You sure you aren’t analyzing your own dreams?"

"Now...why would I want to ravage myself?" asked Alex, his eyes twinkling.

Isabel picked a fry up from her plate and threw it at Alex. "Smart ass...you knew what I meant." She reached over and snatched his remaining Twinkie. "Just for that I’m gonna eat this."

Alex threw his hands up in mock horror. "Not the Twinkie. Anything but that."

Isabel pulled the cake out of the package and held it in front of her mouth. She stuck her tongue out at Alex and then took a bite out of the Twinkie."

"I see you weren’t playing around," said Alex solemnly. "I think that two can play at that game though." He reached over to her plate and grabbed what remained of her hamburger. "Now then, hand over the Twinkie or the burger gets it."

"I was through with that anyway," said Isabel lightly. She took another bite. "I guess you’ll have to find some other way to get this back."

"Get what back?" asked Michael as he and Max came up to the table.

Isabel’s mood quickly turned somber. She dropped what was left of the Twinkie into the wrapper and gave it to Alex. "Nothing," she said.

Michael and Max sat down. "What’s up?" asked Max as he pulled a small bottle of Tabasco from his pocket.

Isabel looked at Michael for a moment then stood up. She stuffed the book into her bag. "I’ve gotta go," she said. She gathered up the remains of her lunch then turned to Alex. "See you later."

"See ya," called Alex as he watched Isabel retreat.

"What’s up with her?" asked Michael as he splashed Tabasco sauce on his hamburger.

"I don’t know," said Alex thoughtfully. He picked up the Twinkie and popped it in his mouth. "She was fine until you two came up."

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

Isabel sat in her room and tried to study her biology. The words on the page in front of her seemed to blur together as she fought the need to go to sleep. She shook her head and then refocused on the book. As she read about the process of photosynthesis, her eyelids began to grow heavy. Her head drooped lower and lower until it finally rested on the table.

The dream was the exact same as always. The same urgent groping. The same frenzied lovemaking. Then it changed. She felt a tingle in her stomach and heard a baby’s cry somewhere in the distance.

Isabel sat straight up as she awoke. The same strange tingle was still in her stomach. "What did that mean?" she thought as she rubbed her stomach. After a moment, the tingle dulled. She reluctantly went back to her textbook, but she found it increasingly hard to focus. Her brain felt like mush. "Ugh," she thought to herself. "Maybe a nice cold shower will help me focus a bit."

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

Alex sat at his desk and opened his biology book. He was reasonably sure that he knew enough to do well on the test, but a little brushing up never hurt. He quickly skimmed the chapter on plants and photosynthesis. He reached over and flipped on the radio to provide some background music.

There’s a lot of things I understand
And there’s a lot of things that I don’t want to know
But you’re the only face I recognize.
It’s so damn sweet of you to look me in the eyes

Alex paused as he came to a picture marking a place in his book. He picked up the small photo of Isabel and studied it for a moment. God, she was beautiful. His mind wandered back to that morning when she’d appeared at his front door, demanding that he kiss her. That had been like a dream. He still wondered if it had been a dream sometimes. He sighed and put the picture on his desk. It was still thrilling to remember the feel of his lips on hers.

It’s all right. I’m ok. I think God can explain.
I believe. I’m the same. I get carried away.
It’s all right, I’m ok. I think God can explain.
I’m relieved. I’m relaxed. I’ll get over it yet.

He sighed and pushed the picture under a stack of papers. No need to dwell on something that probably never would happen again. Isabel had come to find information about Max, not because she had wanted to kiss him. He slapped himself on the forehead. "You’ve got to get over this!" He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "You know that all she wants to be is friends."

The scent of Vaseline in the summertime
The feel of an ice cube melting over time
Well, the world seems bigger than both of us
Yet it seems so small, when I begin to cry

Alex pulled the picture out slowly. He held it in front of his face and stared at it a moment. If only she wanted him the way that he wanted her then his life would be complete. He laughed and threw the picture down. What an absurd thought: Isabel wanting him. He knew that she was above him in every way, but it still didn’t stop the realization from hurting a bit.

It’s all right. I’m ok. I think God can explain.
I believe. I’m the same. I get carried away.
It’s all right. I’m ok. I think God can explain.
I’m relieved. I’m relaxed. I’ll get over it yet.

Alex snapped his book closed. He could do this. He could be friends. That was a start at least. Even if it went no further than that, it would still be a better situation than what he had before...admiring her from afar.

I’m so much better than you guessed.
I’m so much bigger than you guessed.
I’m so much brighter than you guessed.

"That’s it," thought Alex. "I can do this. I can be ‘just friends.’" He turned his attention back to his biology book. "And, while I’m being a friend, I can dazzle her with all those qualities that will make her fall head over heels in love with me," he thought, laughing.

It’s all right. I’m ok. I think God can explain.
I believe. I’m the same. I get carried away.
It’s all right. I’m ok. I think God can explain.
I’m relieved. I’m relaxed. I’ll get off of your back.

He looked at his book again. It suddenly hit him. There was a biology test tomorrow. Isabel had biology. What better time to demonstrate his ability to be ‘just friends’ than now. He could go help her study, and then he could test his own resolve. He picked up the phone and dialed the Evans’ number. After about six rings Isabel answered.

"Hello?" she said, breathlessly.

"Um, hi Isabel. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

Isabel laughed. "Alex, hi! No...I was just getting out of the shower when the phone rang. I had to throw on a towel and run to the phone."

Isabel in just a towel. There was an image he didn’t need if he was going to think about her as just a friend. "Oh, sorry to interrupt your shower, but I was wondering if you’d like to have a study session for the bio test tomorrow." Isabel didn’t answer for a moment. "If you don’t want to that’s ok," Alex said.

"No no. I want to," said Isabel. "What time can you come over?"

"I can come right now," said Alex. "Well...after I give you enough time to get dressed that is."

Isabel laughed. "Okay then. I’ll see you in a minute."

I think God can explain
I think God can explain

Alex hung up the phone and stared at the picture again. This was going to be hard, but he could do it. He slid the picture into the top drawer of his desk and began to gather some things to take over to Isabel’s. As he picked up his notebook, the book underneath it slid to the floor. He picked it up and looked at it. It was an astrology book. The twin of the one he’d given Isabel. He quickly shoved it into his desk drawer. Perhaps one day he’d be able to explain the weird relationship he had with Isabel. He hoped so anyway.

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

Isabel hung up the phone and hurried upstairs. For the first time she was glad that everyone else was gone. She hurried into her room and pulled open her closet door. After rummaging through everything, she decided on a simple pink top and black slacks.

After she’d dressed and put on a bit of make-up, Isabel returned to the kitchen and the book she’d left behind. She started to scan some pages, to get herself in the studying mood. After a moment she paused. "Why did I get all dressed up for Alex?" she thought to herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She opened the door to reveal Alex’s lanky form. "Hey Isabel," he said. "You ready for a killer study session?"

Isabel smiled. "Yeah. I sure am." She motioned Alex inside. "We can study in the living room." Isabel watched Alex walk into the other room, then she closed the door. She went to the kitchen and gathered her books from the table. When she entered the living room, she found Alex sitting at one end of the couch, rummaging through his book bag.

Alex looked up as Isabel came into the room. He pulled his book from the bag and sat it on the table in front of him. "So, what do you want to start with?"

Isabel sat at the other end of the couch and opened her book. She flipped through the pages a moment then replied. "Let’s start with chapter fifteen."

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

Alex took a long drink from the glass of water. He checked his watch. 8:30. They’d been studying for two hours. He rubbed the back of his neck and drained the rest of his water. He sighed and then walked into the living room. Isabel was fast asleep on the couch. He sat on the chair opposite her and studied her sleeping form.

Alex marveled at the simple elegance of her silken hair spreading across the dark fabric of the chair. His eyes followed the delicate curves of her face. "God, she’s beautiful," he said to himself. "What are you doing," he thought to himself. "What happened to ‘just friends’?"

He sighed and sat back in the chair. He’d been doing so good too. He had gone the entire night without thinking of how great her shampoo smelled or how nice she looked in her black slacks. He leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. Maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe he couldn’t just be friends.

Alex noticed that Isabel was shifting around in her sleep. She shook her head back and forth. Suddenly she sat upright and screamed, "Noooo." Alex jumped up and moved to Isabel’s side. "What’s wrong?" he asked. "Bad dream?"

Isabel shuddered and looked at Alex. "Yeah. You could definitely say that." She drew her knees to her chest and hugged them to her. "I wish it would go away."

Alex sat down. "Is it anything you wanna talk about?"

Isabel studied him for a long moment before answering. "I-I’ve been having these dreams. Um...sex dreams...about Michael."

Alex shifted around uncomfortably. "Oh...I see."

Isabel put a hand on his arm. "That’s not all," she said. "Michael’s having the same dream. The exact same dream."

Alex looked confused. "How is that possible?"

Isabel sighed. "I really don’t know." She looked down at her stomach. The tingling sensation was there again. The end of her dream flashed in her mind again. The image of a baby crying. "There’s more Alex. I think I may be pregnant."

Alex looked more confused than ever. "How...how...what...huh?" He looked at her in silence for a moment. "Why do you think that?" he asked finally.

Isabel shrugged. "I really can’t explain it. It’s just a feeling." She rubbed her eyes. "It’s just...the dream changed the last few times. It ends with me having this strange feeling in my stomach....and with a baby crying. I still have that feeling when I wake up."

Alex nodded slowly. "I see." He stood up and walked over to the window. "So...have you taken any tests to find out?"

"No...it hadn’t really occurred to me." Isabel looked thoughtful. "I wonder if it would even work on me?"

Alex opened his wallet. "There’s only one way to find out." He thumbed through the money inside and then looked at her. "I’ll be back in a minute. Then you’ll know for sure, one way or the other. Then you won’t have to waste any time wondering."

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

Thirty minutes later, Isabel was pacing nervously outside the bathroom door. "How long has it been Alex?"

"Not long enough," said Alex. He turned around and looked at her. "Come in here and watch television. It’ll help take your mind off of it."

Isabel walked to the couch and sat down beside Alex. She leaned her head onto his shoulder. "God. This is killing me."

Alex nodded. He put his arm around her and hugged her. "Whatever the result, you’ll be ok. You’ll get through it. I will help you."

Isabel smiled. "Thank you Alex. Thanks for everything."

"Everything?"

"Thanks for putting up with all my crap. For being there for me no matter how hard I try to push you away. And, most of all, for being here for me now."

Alex looked at the top of Isabel’s head for a moment. He gently stroked her hair as he answered. "I’ll always be here for you. No matter what."

Isabel nodded against his chest. "I know," she whispered.

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

Isabel looked at the test again to make sure. She squealed happily and ran from the room. "Alex!" she called. "I’m not having a baby!"

Alex met her in the hallway and through his arms around her, hugging her tightly. Her arms slipped around his neck as she returned the hug fiercely. "I told you it’d be okay," he said softly.

Isabel drew back slightly. "Yeah...but that doesn’t get rid of the dreams." She stepped back and looked Alex in the eye. "How do I get rid of it?"

Alex looked down to the ground. "I’m sorry Isabel, but I don’t know." He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he continued. "Maybe we can get on the ‘net and find something."

Isabel looked doubtful, but she nodded. "It’s worth a try," she conceded.

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

After an hour of searching, Alex decided that it was time to give it up for the night. He powered down the computer then switched it off. He checked his watch. 11:45. "Where is everyone at Isabel? Aren’t your parents usually home by now?"

Isabel looked up from the two drinks she was finishing. "Usually they are. But tonight they had an overnight business meeting in Albuquerque." She dropped a couple more cubes of ice into the glasses and then walked over to Alex. "I don’t know where Max is though."

Alex took the drink Isabel offered and took a big swallow. "Ah. I see." He walked into the living room and slid onto the couch. "So...what do you want to do now?"

Isabel paused in front of the couch. She looked down at Alex then took her seat. "Well...I was thinking that, maybe, you could stay here tonight to help me stay awake...if you don’t mind that is."

Alex didn’t hesitate as he answered. "Yes. Of course I will stay." He looked around for a phone. "Just let me call my parents."

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

Isabel groaned as she studied her reflection in the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes had gotten worse. Her entire face seemed to sag under the weight of sleep deprivation. She shook her head and splashed cold water on her face. It splashed away her sleepiness, for a moment anyway.

Isabel patted her face dry with a hand towel. She walked back down the hall. "What’s happening on the infomercial?" she called. "Did it take the stain out?"

She re-entered the living room to find Alex fast asleep on the couch. She quietly walked to the chair and took a seat there. She grabbed the remote and lowered the volume on the television. "Sleep well, Alex," she whispered. "You deserve it."

Isabel studied his sleeping form for a moment. He looked so peaceful. She envied him. She longed for the days when she could sleep without fear.

As Isabel sat there, she began to think about Alex. She remembered the safety she had felt when he hugged her. She remembered the good feeling she got whenever he was around. She remembered the kiss.

The kiss. She still wondered exactly why she’d gone to his house that day. She had told Alex it was because of Max, but that had been just an excuse. Isabel thought back to what she’d seen then. The images of her that had been transferred from his brain. She had never looked as beautiful as she had in his mind.

It had thrown her for a loop then. She’d never expected Alex to still have such intense feelings for her after the way she’d treated him. Her "Princess Isabel" routine had done nothing to curb his feelings.

Isabel didn’t know why she was kidding herself. There was no doubt why she’d turned up on Alex’s doorstep that day. She liked him and had wanted to see just how it would feel to have him kiss her. Not surprisingly, she had liked it. She had wanted to keep kissing him, but had forced herself to leave. There were too many obstacles.

As Isabel sat and watched Alex sleep, realization hit her. There weren’t as many obstacles as she’d like to think. Max and Liz had been going hot and heavy for the past few days. God, even Michael and Maria had. What was stopping her? She knew she liked Alex. She liked the way he made her feel. She liked that he saw past her looks and saw the person within. She liked the person he was, and the person that she was when she was around him.

Isabel stood and jumped onto the couch. She reached out and shook Alex awake. "Huh? Wha...what’s going on? He said groggily.

Isabel smiled. "I have something to tell you," she said.

Alex shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "Okay Isabel. Shoot." Alex’s eyes widened in surprise as Isabel leaned in and kissed him lightly.

"Wow," Alex said. "What was that..." He was interrupted as Isabel leaned in and kissed him again. He closed his eyes and lost himself in the moment. He felt Isabel’s hand at the base of his neck, urging him into the kiss. His fingers slid into her hair, pushing them through the silken strands.

A moment later she broke the kiss. He stared at her for a moment. "What?" she said.

Alex didn’t answer. He pulled her to him again. Their lips met hungrily. Isabel’s hands moved up and down Alex’s back pulling him towards her. His tongue flitted out and probed at her lips. They parted, and soon their tongues were moving around in an intricate dance.

Isabel fell back on the couch, pulling Alex on top of her. As they pressed into each other, Isabel felt a tingling sensation inside. It felt as though an immense knot had been untied. She pulled Alex closer to her, holding him in place as their lips continued their work.

"Ahem," came a voice from behind them. Alex jerked back and pushed himself off of Isabel.

"Oh, hi Max," he said, recognizing the figure standing behind the couch.

"Hello brother," said Isabel, clearly annoyed at Max’s intrusion. "What are you doing coming in so late? Engaging in a little extracurricular activity?"

"I could say the same thing about you," he said.

Alex nervously gathered his stuff. "I think it’s time for me to go," he said. "I’ll talk to you tomorrow Isabel."

Isabel stood and walked past Max, giving him a dirty look as she went by. "I’ll walk you out." They went out onto the front step, and Alex turned to her.

"I’m not exactly sure what just happened in there, but I hope I wasn’t just dreaming."

Isabel smiled at him. "Believe me Alex, it wasn’t a dream. I would know." She leaned in and kissed him lightly on the mouth. "You sure you’ll be okay getting home? I could drive you over."

Alex shook his head. "No, I’ll be fine. You need your rest. Besides, I could use the walk to process this totally unexpected chain of events."

"Okay then," said Isabel. "I will definitely see you tomorrow then."

Alex pulled her close and kissed her. "Oh, yes. We’ll talk tomorrow. If only to confirm that I haven’t been dreaming this whole thing."

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