8:00 AM: Max and Isabel waited impatiently in the parking lot. Everyone had promised to meet them there before school. Max paced, and Isabel just sat in his Jeep picking at her nail polish. She hadn’t been able to reach Liz last night and Max didn’t like it. The connection had convinced Tess of her importance to the group and she had been surprisingly easy about the whole Max/Liz thing. Max wasn’t sure how true that impression was, but he was sure that Tess wasn’t going to go off and leave them now. Now all he wanted was to go after Liz and bring her home.

Alex arrived with Michael in tow, and Kyle was right behind with Tess. They parked beside the Jeep and jumped out. Alex went right for Isabel. Michael took his time sauntering over to Max, and Tess looked preoccupied as she and Kyle joined them.

“Where’s Maria?” Michael asked. A screeching of tires behind them announced Maria’s arrival as she turned into the parking lot on two wheels. “I am soo sorry I’m late!” She called as she jumped out and hurried to the group. “Did you like, talk to Liz again last night? Is she coming home? What did she say?” She looked from Max to Michael to Isabel. “Oh God, nothing has happened has it?”

Michael grabbed her around her waist and hugged her to him. “Calm down for Pete’s sake. Everything’s fine.” Maria relaxed into his side, feeling like nothing could be wrong as long as Michael was with her. But she looked suspiciously at Max. “Is that ‘everything’s-fine-we-talked-to-Liz?’ or ‘everything’s-fine-so-Maria-won’t-freak-out, fine?”

Alex grinned and opened his mouth, but Maria turned on him. “Don’t start Alex. I want to know what’s up with Liz… no matter how it came out, you know what I meant.” Alex shut his mouth and looked at Max. They all did.

Max looked down and shifted his feet. Then looked up through his eyebrows. “I’m going after Liz.” He held up his hand before there could be any questions. “Isabel couldn’t dreamwalk Liz last night. That doesn’t mean anything bad, but it has made me decide to go. I can feel that she’s off in that direction somewhere. I plan on driving in that direction and following the feeling until I find her.”

“Uh, has anyone noticed that it’s Monday? You know, school?” Alex asked. “I mean, how are you going to get your parents to agree to let you take off for… how ever long it takes, where ever it takes… or whatever?” ‘Great!’ He thought, ‘Now I’m starting to sound like Maria.’

“Oh my mom is going to be sooo pissed.” Maria said. When Max looked at her like she was crazy, she added. “You do not think I am going to let you go off after Liz without me, do you?”

“I’m game.” Michael said. Max looked about to protest. “She goes, I go.”

Isabel got out of the car and faced Max. “I decided to go too, Max.” She said. “I think I can dream walk her while we drive and maybe I can convince her it’s okay.” She talked fast, as if to convince herself more than Max.

Now Tess spoke up. “I’m the one that needs to go with Max. I can convince her that I’m cool with the whole ‘in love forever’ thing that she and Max have.”

Now Alex stood there shuffling his feet. If they were all going, (translate that Isabel was going)… “You guys are not leaving me to hold the bag. Everyone’s parents will be down on me like Tabasco on fries. I’m going too!”

Max held up his hands. “Wait a minute.” Everyone was talking about which cars were going, who would ride with who, and how long it would take to pack. No one was listening to Max. “HOLD IT!” He yelled. “Just hold it.” He said softer, as everyone shut up and looked at him.

“I’m going. You are all staying. Is, you can dreamwalk me every night and keep trying Liz too. You will be my go-between for everyone.” He looked around at all his friends. “We don’t need a town full of freaked out parents. This way things stay more or less normal around here. Tell Valenti the truth so he won’t try too hard to find me. I’ll call every chance I get.” Max moved around to get into the Jeep.