It was nearing 10:00pm when Liz finally got back to her room. After showering and changing, she decided to call Isabel. This was major. Isabel and Max needed to know. She dialed the number slowly and brought the phone up to her ear. Liz was silently praying that Max wouldn't pick up when Mrs. Evans answered the phone cheerily.

"Hello?" she said a little breathlessly.

"Um, may I speak to Isabel, please?" Liz ventured, trying not to give herself away.

"Of course, hold please!" Liz had always liked Mrs. Evans. They didn't know each other well but she had always been kind to Liz, for the single reason that Max cared about her.

There was static on the line and the sound of one phone hanging up and another picking up.

"Hello?" Isabel said, sounding happy to Liz.

"Isabel, it's Liz."

The tone immediately changed in Isabel's voice. "Liz? What's wrong?"

Liz took a deep breath. She didn't even know where to begin. "Um, I need to talk to you. But not on the phone. It's about your dreams."

"I'm on my way." Isabel had almost hung up the phone before Liz stopped her.

"Isabel!" she yelled abruptly.

"What?"

"Bring Max," Liz mumbled shortly. She hated involving Max, but this kind of situation called for him, and Liz knew he would be outraged if no one told him.

"Liz, I thought we agreed not to involve Max until we knew what all of this was about, and if it was even real-"

Liz interjected then, "Isabel...it's real." That was all Liz had to say before she heard the phone slamming down.

The wait for Isabel and Max seemed like an eternity to Liz. Fifteen minutes after Isabel hung up, Liz heard the familiar sound of the Jeep's engine in the alley below. In under a minute, Isabel and Max had climbed the ladder and were standing on Liz's balcony. Liz automatically felt a mixture of nervousness and guilt upon seeing Max. 'I can't think about that right now!' Liz scolded herself. Isabel was the first one to speak.

"I told Max everything on the way here." Somehow, Liz knew that by the look of annoyance and worry on Max's face. They all stood silent for a moment on the balcony; Liz trying to find a starting point and Max and Isabel waiting for Liz to begin.

"Okay..." Liz began, sitting down in the nearest lawn chair. "Um..." she took a deep breath. Max and Isabel were getting impatient.

"Liz! What happened??" Isabel asked suddenly, pulling up a lawn chair, and Max doing the same.

Taking a deep breath, Liz started from when she saw the men at the park and told them the rest of the story. They listened intently and absorbed every word she said until she was finished.

"Liz, you're not safe," Max said firmly. In an odd way, Max's protective tone was somewhat comforting to Liz. It reminded her of "old times" as she now referred to them.

"I know," Liz spoke hoarsely.

"You both should have told me sooner," Max said, hinting the slightest bit of anger.

"I'm sorry," Isabel began, "I just didn't want to worry you anymore than you already were if this wasn't real..." she trailed off. They were all silent for several minutes. None of them had any clue as to what was going on.

Max began to speak, "Liz," she could tell he was struggling with what to say. He looked at her and then back down to the ground. "I don't know what any of this means. I won't know what to do until we know who these men are." Liz knew Max hated saying that; he was supposed to be the leader and he had no idea what they should do.

"Liz, just be careful, okay? Don't go anywhere by yourself. Michael, Isabel, Tess, and I will figure out who these men are and what they want. Tell me exactly what they looked like."

Liz described the men in as much detail as she could remember and Max seemed half-satisfied now that they had a plan. "Okay...I guess that's all we can do for now," Max said shortly as he stood up and Isabel followed.

They walked to the ladder to climb down and leave, but Max stopped before climbing down after Isabel. Liz stood watching him, wondering what his next words would be.

"Liz, just be really careful, okay? I don't want anything to happen to you," he mumbled the last part as his eyes drifted from the ground to Liz's room.

"Okay, Max," Liz whispered, feeling tears spring into her eyes. Max quickly turned around and left, but Liz just stood there. A thousand thoughts were screaming in her brain trying to figure out what Max had meant.

'Does he actually care about what happens to me?? Of course he does, that's just how Max is! He cares about what happens to everyone. But maybe he meant more than that...maybe he still cares about me, like I care about him. But then, why would he? He thinks I slept with Kyle!' Liz felt her heart begin to sink into the point of desperation she felt about this time every night. She sank into the nearest lawn chair and pulled out her journal to write...

"I'm Liz Parker, it's January 16, and something really weird is happening, although no one, inclusing myself, really knows what it is yet. And even with this weird thing happening, which I should probably be worrying about right now, I'm still thinking about Max..."

It was the end of the day on Monday. Liz was sitting in her seventh period class (advanced chemistry) abd trying to pay attention. Sunday had passed without a single sighting of the men in suits. Isabel came by and called several times to make sure Liz was okay. Maria called and Liz explained everything that had happened, and of course, Maria was miffed about Liz not telling her sooner. That morning, Isabel and Max asked her again if she had seen the men (which she hadn't), and Max had made sure that Liz wouldn't be going anywhere or doing anything alone (which she wouldn't be since Maria had found out about the whole incident and made a "never be alone" plan). But still, not a single sighting.

Liz's thoughts were interupted when suddenly her name came over the loudspeaker.

"Elizabeth Parker, please report to the office," one of the school secretaries droned. The office? Liz had never been called to the office before.

When she opened the door to the office, Liz's eyes widened and her mouth dropped opened.

Standing beside the principal, Mr. Green, were the two men in suits.

"Liz!" Mr. Green greeted her, "there are some people here to see you."

Liz swallowed and tryed to not look nervous, which was pretty much impossible. The principal ushered the two men into his office and then motioned for her to follow. Liz didn't move.

"Liz, they want to talk to you alone," Mr. Green still stood, holding his hand towards the door, waving her in.

Liz took small, slow steps toward the door. 'They wouldn't do anything to me here, would they? They can't! Mr. Green is standing right outside! Maybe I can find out what they want....maybe they actually have a legitimate reason for being here...." Liz really wished she could believe that one.

Just as soon as her last foot was inside of the room, Mr. Green had shut the door and one of the men was closing the blinds to the window that viewed the office. Liz's knees buckled and her throat went dry.