"We need to talk about Tess." Max figured there was no reason to skirt around the issue. Isabel was not one for small talk anyway.

"What about her? Is this cause she sat with us at lunch?"

Max bit his lip, he knew she would be upset when he told her that her new friend was not what she appeared to be. "Isabel, Michael and I, we feel things when Tess is around. Things that are not normal, especially me."

Max expected Isabel to defend Tess, but she just sat there quietly. "What kind of things?"

"Well, whenever she is around, I feel like I can't think straight. I also feel.drawn to her. Michael feels her too, just not as strongly." He knew his sister would understand what he meant.

Isabel didn't say anything for a moment, then looked at her brother sympathetically. "I think I know what you mean. From the first time I met her, I felt that she was special. When Tess came up to me that first day, it was like she picked me specifically. I feel connected to her, like she understands me. I mean, it is not like me to bring home new friends, hell, it is not like me to even make new friends. But, it was not really a strong, overbearing feeling in my mind, it was more like a whisper."

Max's face grew troubled, "That is what Michael says he feels too, but not me Iz. When she is around, the feelings I get are really strong. It almost takes over my entire mind. Why me and not you and Michael?"

Isabel just shook her head and shrugged helplessly as Max turned onto Murray Lane, their street. "I think we all need to be really careful around Tess. I am going to see what I can find out about her." He declared.

"I will see what I can dig up too, and knowing Michael, his paranoia will be in full gear." Isabel said. After a beat, she added, "It looks as though our search is going to start earlier than we anticipated."

Max gave Isabel a concerned look as he pulled the jeep into the driveway, next to Tess's car.

Max sighed deeply before entering Biology Lab. The last two days, since they found out about the orb, had been draining. Tess had started to deeply trouble him. She seemed to be everywhere he went-school, home, even the Crashdown. It was not noticeable enough to say that she was following him, but he knew their encounters were not by chance.

Worse, he had not told Liz anything and he knew she was starting to suspect something. He could not help it though, every time Tess was near, his thoughts became muddled and he could not think, at least not about anything but her. He had even had a brief flash of Tess yesterday at his house when she showed up to go out with Isabel. In his vision, he saw her standing in his room, with him beside her. It had shocked him so badly that he had nearly fainted.

Liz was the only one he ever had intense flashes with, and that was because of how they felt for one another. But Tess, he did not feel any sort of emotion for her--with the exception of distrust.

He also felt intense fear. He could not control what was going on, and that scared him badly. There was so much pressure building up, he was afraid how it would be vented, especially concerning Liz.

He had been pulling away from her the last couple of days, afraid she would see or feel the odd sensations he was having. Last night he knew that she had been hurt when he left the Crashdown without kissing her goodbye. He could sense her frustration too. He was sure Liz was starting to suspect something.

Somehow, Max had to find a way to deal with Tess. There were other issues that needed to be faced, none of which he could even think about when she was in the room. Max sighed and said a silent prayer as he entered Biology.

Liz was already seated when Max came in. She smiled up at him, trying to hide the fear behind her eyes. Something was wrong, she knew that, and Max was not telling her what it was, which only caused her to panic more.

"Hi." She said as he reached his new seat in front of her.

"Hey." Max smiled back and held out his hand, waiting for Liz to take it. Leaning her arm out, she laced her fingers with Max's. "Sorry about last night. I was really tired and."

"Preoccupied?" Liz finished, feeling his hand quiver.

"Yeah, I am worried.you know, about the orb and stuff." He said, trying to be as honest as possible. Suddenly, Liz felt his grip loosen and almost pull away. She let his hand go. He turned to stare at the door to the classroom. Liz followed his gaze. There, standing in the entryway, was Tess. His breath caught in his throat.

Max?" Liz asked. "Max?" "MAX!?"

"Huh, I'm sorry Liz, what did you say?" Max said, barely able to tear his eyes away from Tess.

"Nothing, never mind." Liz said, looking down at her desk. He had been staring at Tess--and in front of her! It was almost as though the petit blond girl mesmerized him.

While Tess was extremely friendly to Isabel, Michael, and especially Max, she barely showed any recognition for Liz's friends. As for Liz, Tess was almost hostile to her. Liz knew whatever Max was not telling her had to do with this girl. Was Max interested in her? Was something going on behind her back? Stop it! Liz commanded herself. Max had risked everything for her and was completely devoted to her, or had been until two days ago. A dreadful feeling simmered in her stomach. She looked up to see Max gazing at her.

"Liz-please tell me what you were going to say." His voice sounded apologetic. "I am sorry--about everything. I am sorry I have not been myself lately. I am just.really stressed out."

Liz looked into his eyes, and her doubts were almost forgotten immediately. "I am just worried about you. You don't seem very happy with me lately-"

Max cut her off in mid sentence and jumped off his chair. He walked up behind her and softly whispered into her ear, pulling Liz's hair back and running his fingers through it, "No one could make me as happy as you do Liz. Not one day goes by that I don't thank God for having you in my life."

She turned to look at him. His eyes were staring intensely into hers. Liz smiled and placed her hand on his chest. "That beats only for you." He said, placing his hand over hers on his heart.

She could not help but blush.

"Everyone to their seats please!" Mr. Seligman announced, entering the class and shutting the door behind him.

Max slipped away from Liz and took his seat, still looking at her. "So, what were you going to ask me?"

"I was going to see if I could talk to you about Biology." She said, pointing to her book and the project assignment.

Max nodded, "Sure, you want to come over and study tonight? My house, around seven?"

"It's a date." Liz replied as both of them smiled and then turned their attention to the teacher's lecture.

Tess looked from Liz to Max, neither one of them had noticed that she had taken her seat during their conversation. Pretending to listen to the teacher, she began to stare intently at Max.

Max sat uncomfortably in his seat. He knew something was about to happen, he could feel his mind begin to stray. He tried to calm himself, but it was not working. What is wrong with me?! He wondered apprehensively, sweat trickling down the side of his face.

"Max, are you alright?" Tess whispered, placing her hand on his arm.

That did it.

The minute her flesh touched his, the images flashed through his mind like lightning. First Max just saw a vision of Tess, then one of him. He tried to shake his head, shake away the flashes, but they kept coming. Next he saw himself holding Tess, laughing with her, whispering in her ear. He saw himself touch her the way he touched Liz.

Max jerked back from his seat, pushing Tess's arm away and holding his head. One last image flashed through his brain. He was touching and kissing Tess. He was doing things to her that he had never done with a girl, not even Liz. The worst thing was that not only did he see the flashes, but he felt the emotion behind them too. He could feel the heat, the passion, the primal hunger.

Max's hand flew away from his head.

SMASH!

He heard the sound of glass breaking. He heard Mr. Seligman's voice, then Liz's.

Then, as quickly as they had come, the visions and fog surrounding his brain were gone. Max opened his eyes to see Mr. Seligman's disapproving glare and Liz's concerned eyes. He looked to the floor to see a beaker broken into a thousand pieces.

"Mr. Evans, what seems to be the problem?" Mr. Seligman asked, a touch of concern in his face.

"Max? Are you Okay?" Liz asked questionably.

Max looked up at her, then over at Tess. A nauseating feeling rose through his body as Tess gave him a secret sympathetic smile. He could not stand to be this close to her, not after the visions he just had. He needed to sort this out away from all these people, away from Tess and Liz. "I.need to go home."

Mr. Seligman nodded. "Gather up your things and go to the office then."

Max trembled as he zipped his bag. He scribbled a note on a piece of paper, slid it into Liz's hand and walked toward the door. As he opened it, he glanced back at Tess. She sat at her desk, her blue eyes sparkling at him. The color drained from Max's face. He couldn't explain it, but he knew that she knew about the flashes. Swiftly, Max disappeared through the door, not looking back.

Liz sat at her desk, stunned. What had just happened? She had never seen Max look so bewildered. She looked up at Tess, who had focused her attention on the teacher once again. Could it be about her? She wondered. Slowly, Liz unfolded the crumpled paper max had given her. Three lines had been scrawled on it:

See you at seven Not feeling well I will be okay, don't worry

As Liz put the note in her pocket, she did start to worry. Isabel had once said that they did not get sick. So, what was happening to Max? Sighing, she checked her watch. Seven o'clock seemed like light years from now.

Diane Evans looked over at the bowl of cold soup on Max's nightstand. He had barely touched it.

"Not hungry." Max said, watching his mother eye the soup.

"Honey, is there anything I can do for you? Do you want to go to the doctor?" She asked, laying the back of her hand against his cool forehead. "Maybe I should take your temperature."

Max sat up in his bed, slightly alarmed, "No Mom. I think it was just something I ate.and I have just been really tired lately. I think I just need to lay down."

"Alright, but you let me know if you need anything." Diane neatly pulled the covers up to his chin and then kissed his cheek.

Max nodded, "I will, thanks." He held out his hand and squeezed his mother's arm.

Diane closed the door to Max's room. This was the first time her son had ever come home sick. Glancing back at his room, she headed down stairs to finish her work. Knowing her son like she did, he would not bother her even if something was wrong. She decided she would check back in a couple hours.

Max laid on his bed, trying to sleep. He could not believe how scared he had gotten. The flashes had felt so real. Why was he even thinking about Tess? She meant nothing to him. Yet, he was connecting with her. Max decided he had no choice but to talk to Isabel and Michael about it. He did not know what would happen if he had another vision like that.

Max desperately wished Liz was there. He needed to hold her, feel her by his side. What about Liz? He asked himself. A wave of guilt flooded over him. How could she possibly understand what was going on when even he did not? The last thing Max wanted to do was hurt her, and he knew the flashes with Tess would. He had to hide it better though, it was getting out of control. Max closed his eyes, willing his mind to stop thinking about the visions, about Tess. He just needed a little sleep, then he would be able to think more clearly.

Isabel waited impatiently for Tess in the school parking lot. At lunch both Tess and Liz had relayed the message that Max had gone home early. Tess had offered Isabel a ride and, instead of calling her mom, she accepted.

Isabel still felt the connection with Tess. She tried hard to keep her guard up, but felt so comfortable with her. She was tired of pushing people away, and Tess Harding was just what she needed: a friend, a real friend.

"Hey Isabel!" Tess exclaimed, walking up and looping her arm with Isabel's.

"Hi." Isabel smiled, she couldn't help it. "Thanks for the ride"

The two girls got in Tess's car and Tess began to pull out of the lot, "no problem. I just hope Max feels better."

Isabel nodded in agreement. She couldn't wait to talk to her brother. Something was up, that much was obvious. Feeling a twinge of paranoia, she looked over at Tess, who was fiddling with the radio. Every time she was with her, her doubts just faded away. There was just something about Tess Harding. Isabel wanted desperately to believe that Max was wrong, that there was nothing wrong with Tess. She just wanted a perfect friendship, like Liz had with Maria, and Tess was her chance.

"So, are we going to study for English tonight?" Tess asked, pulling into Isabel's driveway.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. How about we study at your house?" Isabel asked. She thought that maybe if she could look around, she could prove Max wrong.

Tess shook her head, "My dad usually brings his work home with him. I don't know if he would appreciate me bringing home a friend, it might.interrupt him. Is it a problem if we study at your house?"

Isabel assured her it was fine. It did seem odd though, Tess always had a reason to be at Isabel's house. "How about 8?" She asked, sliding out of the vehicle.

Tess wrinkled her nose. "I think that may be a little late. I mean, you know how we do more talking than studying! How about, um, six-thirty?"

Isabel nodded and waved at Tess as she pulled away. She felt slightly odd as she walked into the house though. It had almost seemed that Tess had set up the whole study date, as if she had an agenda. Isabel tried to laugh at herself, that was totally ridiculous! After all, why would Tess want to come here?

"Hello sweetie." Diane said, seeing Isabel come in.

"Hi mom, where is Max?"

"He is sleeping in his room. Actually, I thought I might go up and check on him." Diane said, moving closer to the stairs.

"No, I will do it." Isabel held up her hand and then quickly moved up the stairs. She opened Max's door quietly. He was there, lying in his bed, sleeping. He seemed restless though, he kept rolling and pushing his hands through the air. Isabel thought of waking him, but decided to let him sleep. As she closed the door, she heard him moan softly. That must be some dream she thought as she stepped into her room

Max held Liz close to him, smelling her sweet skin and gently running his hands through the waves of brown hair, as he always did. She turned and smiled at him, a special smile. Her eyes were filled with love and devotion; they mirrored his own. Slowly, she twisted away from him, slipping her hands out of his grip. Max reached for her, but felt only air slip through his fingers. He ran toward her and even though she had been there a moment ago, he could no longer see her.

Reaching out into the darkness, he found a small hand and clamped onto it. He again pulled Liz to him, holding her tight. With amazing intensity, Max firmly grabbed her face and kissed her. It was unlike any kiss they had ever shared. He felt a spark, a deep, raw passion. Pulling back, he gasped. It was not Liz; it was Tess.

Confused, Max tried to step back, but he couldn't. Instead, he became more entangled with Tess. His hands were running up and down her body, groping for skin. She pushed against him, forcing him to hold her close. Max buried his head in her blond curls for a moment, then looked up to see Liz.

Horror filled his entire body. Liz was there, staring, watching him with Tess. Her eyes looked into Max' s with a sadness he had never imagined. Max wanted to go to Liz, but he couldn't. Again, he struggled against Tess's body, but he felt tangled, as if in a spider's web.

"I hate you! You make me sick!" Liz yelled at him before turning and running.

"Liz!" Max shouted for her, but no sound came out. He tried to run after her, but his legs would not move. He was paralyzed. He felt claustrophobia creeping up on him as he looked around for a way out. Instead, all he could see was Tess.

Max's eyes flew open and he jumped from the bed. He was breathing heavy and drenched in sweat. The nightmare repeated in his head. Trying to control his emotions, Max swallowed deeply and took a breath, it did little to calm him. I need to get out of here, Max thought as the claustrophobic feeling crept into him again.

Reaching into his closet, he began to change quickly.

Max slipped quietly out the window. The last thing he wanted to do was have to explain to his mom that he was going out for a little bit.

Max wondered the streets aimlessly. He was so deep in thought that he was surprised to find himself at the park. It was nearly empty now, most kids were home eating dinner with their families. Where I should be, Max thought, sitting down on the merry-go-round. He pushed the ground with his feet and it slowly turned, creaking loudly.

Max closed his eyes, willing the confusion to leave his body. Whatever was going on, he did not like it. He needed to put a stop to it, put a stop to thinking about Tess. Max decided right there that he would do whatever necessary to stay away from her. He knew deep down that this was impossible, especially since she was his Biology partner. He was also concerned about Isabel. Although she said she was hanging out with Tess under the guise of finding information, Max knew his sister desperately wanted to keep this girl as a friend.

For a moment anger welled up inside of him. A burst of hatred passed through his heart, followed by guilt. How could he hate Tess? He couldn't even prove she was doing anything to him.

Almost unconsciously, Max held his hand against the merry-go-round and felt a surge of power. He tucked his legs underneath him as it began to turn on its own. He could not help but think of Liz now. Just the thought of her brought a smile to his face; yet everyday he lived in fear. He feared that the dream would end. He just never imagined it would end because of another girl. NO! I won't let anyone get between us, Max thought fiercely.

For a while, Max sat there and thought of Liz and eight years of memories. She made him feel normal, accepted. Liz truly did care about him, even knowing what he was.

Max looked up, startled at the gust of wind that blew around him. Glancing up at the sky, he noted that it was getting dark and a storm was brewing. He wasn't sure of the time, but he feared it must be late, that at least a couple hours had passed. Jumping off the merry-go-round, Max headed home. He continued to think about Liz and vowed that he would make tonight special.

Max tried to push away the cold shivers that ran through his body as he walked across the park. Must just be the cold, he told himself, hoping he would believe it.

Max opened the door to his room and peered out, the hallway was empty. It appeared as though no one had noticed his disappearing act. He quietly slipped across the hall into the bathroom, locking the door, and turning on the shower. He quickly undressed and threw his clothes in the hamper. Pushing back the curtain, he stepped through the steam into the shower. Warm water ran down his body and the cold shivers disappeared. He picked up the bottle of shampoo, squeezed some into his palm, and ran it through his hair. Max started to feel better, much better. His mind was starting to feel as clean as his body.

After soaping his body and washing his face, Max continued to stand in the stream of hot water, letting it wash over his body. His mind was actually clear for once, and he did not feel so stressed. Turning the knob so it would let out hotter water, Max leaned against the tile, letting it thoroughly cleanse him.

Isabel checked her watch as the door rang: six thirty exactly. She knew it had to be Tess. Opening the door, her thoughts were confirmed. She let her in and the two headed to Isabel's room.

Tess eyed Max's room as the girls walked past it. "Where is your brother?" She asked casually.

Isabel waited for Tess to walk into her room, then closed the door. "I don't know. He was lying down, but when I checked on him a little while ago, he was gone. I am sure he will be back, I think Liz is coming over."

"Oh." Tess said, opening the English book. "I guess we should study."

About 20 minutes passed before Tess spoke again, closing the book and pushing it away from her. "How boring!" She announced.

Isabel agreed. "We still have another 30 pages to go!" She noticed that Tess had become distracted. "Is something wrong?"

Tess shook her head, "No, nothing. Let's get back to studying." Both girls opened their books again. Looking up from her page though, Isabel caught Tess sliding her hand into her pocket and pulling out two long green pills. Tess, pretending to cough, slid them into her mouth and swallowed. Isabel quickly looked down at her book, avoiding Tess's gaze.

"Can I use your bathroom?" She asked Isabel a moment later. Isabel nodded. Tess got up and walked to the door, "I will be back in a minute." Smiling at Isabel, she closed the door behind her.

Isabel kept her eyes on the door. Max was right, something was going on. She had felt that weird feeling her brother had described right before Tess had left the room. Instead of looking at her book, Isabel continued to stare at the door, waiting for Tess to return.

Liz approached the Evans' door. It was a few minutes after seven, Max should be expecting her. She was surprised when, after she knocked, Mrs. Evans greeted her. "Hello Liz! Is there anything I can get you?"

Liz shook her head, she just wanted to see Max.

"Well, Max should be upstairs in his room, do you want me to get him?" Mrs. Evans asked.

"No, I will just go up, if that is okay. We have a lot of studying to do." Liz said, holding up her Biology book.

"No, go right up! I hope all the resting he did this afternoon made him feel better."

"Me too," Liz replied, heading up the stairs.

Tess shut the door to Isabel's room and walked down the hall. She could hear the water running and knew Max was in the bathroom. She tried the knob: locked. Tess pivoted. so she was facing the door across from the bathroom, Max's room, and turned the handle. Swiftly, she stepped inside and closed the door.

Max reluctantly turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Pulling the two towels off of the counter, he began drying off. Max tied one of the towels around his waist and ran the other one through his hair. Max wiped the steam from the bathroom mirror and looked at his reflection. He immediately noticed his color was back. Satisfied that his shower had cured whatever illness he had felt earlier, Max unlocked the bathroom door and stepped across the hall to his room. For a moment, he felt a haze enter his brain, but he pushed it down. Loosening the towel at his waist, Max opened the door and stepped into his room-and froze.

Tess curiously looked around Max's room, opening a drawer here and there. She was disappointed to find nothing of interest. Walking over to his nightstand, she opened the drawer and found nothing, except a picture of Liz. Tess held it for a moment, then threw it back in the drawer with disgust. Max's Biology book rested on the top of the dresser, she picked it up and thumbed through the project notes he had been writing, doing on his own.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Tess slammed the book shut and whirled around to see Max standing a few feet from her. He was dripping wet and had nothing but a towel wrapped around him. Tess assessed the situation quickly and walked over to where he was standing, still holding the textbook in her hands. "Max! I, um, I am sorry. I was waiting for the bathroom."

"What are you doing in my room, with my stuff?" He asked, his voice full of anger and surprise.

Tess took another step closer to him. She was almost touching him now and could feel the heat radiating from his body. "I thought this was the bathroom at first. I guess I was wrong." She smiled at him as he continued to frown.

She noticed his gaze lock on the Biology book. Tess held it up. "I saw it on your desk and thought I would see how our project was going. You know, I thought we were going to do this together."

"We are. I was making some notes to help Liz. Now, can I have my book?"

Tess held her arm out, textbook in hand. Max reached out to grab it and Tess pulled it back from his grasp. Max did not think the game was funny. He reached out with his other hand and grabbed the book. Tess, losing her balance, let it go. She fell forward, bumping into him. Max let the book fall to the floor as his arms instinctively went out to support Tess from falling.

Max felt his heart begin to pound. He realized what this must look like. He was standing semi-naked in his room, his arms wrapped around Tess. He felt her hands move across his chest, touching the bare skin. Max's first instinct was to jump back, but he could not. It was as if something was holding him there, hypnotizing him.

"Max." Tess whispered his name and he could feel her breath against his body. He felt his mind start to tangle with hers, visions of the two of them filling his head. He could feel her fingers prying the towel loose. Suddenly he heard his name again, this time it broke the spell.

"MAX?!"

Both him and Tess turned to find Liz standing in the doorway of his room, her eyes wide with confusion and hurt. Max felt deja vu from his dream. Liz had that same look. The look that made his heart fall into his stomach. Regaining his senses, Max pushed away from Tess, tightly gripping his towel around his waist.

"Liz." His voice trailed off. "This isn't what it looks like, I swear."

She said nothing, her lips trembling. Her eyes looked from Max to Tess, trying to think of any reason that would justify the situation. Liz began to retreat out of the room.

"No! Liz don't leave!" Max walked over to her quickly and grabbed her arm. Pulling back, she twisted out of his grasp.

"Tell her Tess! Tell her what happened! Tell her it was an accident!" Max turned to look at the slim blond girl, his eyes wide with fear.

Reluctantly, Tess gave a short, monotone explanation, "It really was just an accident Liz. I thought his room was the bathroom. I saw his Biology book and started to look through it when he came in. We were.looking at the book and I lost my balance, Max caught me. That is when you came in, nothing happened."

Max turned back to Liz, "See, it was just a.misunderstanding. You believe me, don't you?"

Liz swallowed, looking into his face. The seconds ticked by. "I guess." She said quietly, obviously uncomfortable.

"What is going on?"

All three of them turned to see Isabel in the hall, her eyes wide with confusion and shock.

"Nothing is going on." Max said, looking at Tess, "Your friend thought my room was the bathroom."

Tess walked across the room and squeezed by Liz and Max, brushing his body. "My mistake." She said, joining Isabel in the hall. "I guess we better get back to studying."

"Don't you have to use the bathroom anymore?" Liz asked, noticing Tess's gaze fixed on Max.

Tess flashed her a wicked smiled, then walked to the room across the hall and shut the door. Isabel, her face still riddled with confusion, walked back to her room.

"Give me a minute to change, then we can study-talk-okay?" Max looked desperately at Liz. She nodded, stepping out of the room to allow him to close his door.

Liz pushed her hair behind her ears, as she did when she was nervous. Part of her wanted to turn and stomp out of his house and get mad. But she knew that was wrong. When she had looked into his eyes, she could see the honesty there. She trusted Max, it was Tess she did not trust. The question she needed to answer was if she trusted them together.

Liz sat quietly at the foot of Max's bed, looking intently at the Biology book. Max sat a few feet away, resting against the headboard of the bed. He looked up every few seconds at Liz, he wanted to say something to calm her, but was at a loss for words. She was still visibly upset.

"What?" She asked, pushing her hair back, only to have it fall in her face again.

"Nothing, you have just been really quiet." His eyes looked into hers. No matter how hard she tried to hide her emotions, Max could see them in her eyes.

Liz bit her lip for a moment, then her head twisted to face him. "How am I suppose to be Max? You have been acting weird all week and then I come over to find you practically naked in the arms of a girl you assure me nothing is going on with. A girl that seems to be everywhere you are!" Liz pursed her lips, trying to keep from saying more things she might regret. She looked away from Max, her eyes getting watery.

Max sat there in shock for a moment, then tossed the book to the ground. He stared intently at Liz and reached out to take her hand. "All this is my fault Liz. I have been seeing weird things lately-visions-only I don't know what they mean. It is like a fog in my mind, not at all like what I see when I am with you. They scare me Liz, I just-just didn't want you to worry."

Liz turned to Max and took his reaching hand. Concern graced her face, "Max.you should have told me! I could have at least been here for you. Do you know what is causing them?"

Max looked away from her for a moment, "No." He could not lie to her face, but he did not want to tell her he thought the visions were originating from Tess either. "As far as Tess is concerned, my.heart feels nothing for her. I can not control what she wants, but I know what I want-what I have always wanted-and that is you Liz."

The last part made her smile. How could she ever doubt him? Liz set her book down and scooted closer, until there was no space between them. "Max, I am sorry for even thinking that you would go for Tess-"

Max cut her off in mid-sentence. He placed his lips gently on hers. At first their kisses were slow and deep, but became more urgent. They could both feel the intensity as their bodies touched. Max placed his hands on either side of her slim waste and pulled Liz on top of him. Liz shuddered in passion as Max's hands slid under her shirt and touched the skin on her back.

Boldly, she pulled up his T-shirt, touching his smooth chest. Kissing his jaw line, her lips trailed away from his mouth as she sucked his ear. He leaned into her, kissing her soft neck. Max rolled over, placing Liz beneath him. He sat with Liz's legs between his. He leaned up from her hungry mouth for a moment and, in one fluid motion, he discarded his shirt.

Liz wrapped her arms around Max and pulled him back down to her. Her hands began to explore his exposed flesh. She could feel his fingers exploring her stomach under her shirt while his other hand slid under the first few inches of her jeans. Liz loved the feeling of his body against hers. They were so in sync. It seemed as though they each knew what the other wanted.

Liz could feel her mind humming. She did not see any flashes.yet. She just felt the warmth of their bodies and minds connecting. She wanted more, hungered for a deeper connection. "Max." She whispered to him in between fevered kisses.

Max could barely hold himself back, he wanted her so badly. His hands begun exploring her body, diving deeper than he had ever ventured to go before. It was what Liz wanted, what both of them wanted, he could feel it. He could feel their connection encircling them. Every part of him tingled, his heart was beating so quickly he thought it might burst. Max closed his eyes, the passion taking over as he kissed her fervently.

He heard her moan in his name. It was on the tip of his tongue to say hers, but then it happened. An image formed in his mind, it was fuzzy at first, but then became clear.

It was Tess.

Suddenly his whole body went cold. His eyes sprang open and he looked at the girl below him. Her head was thrown back, her body entangled with his. There was only one problem with the picture, the girl beneath him had curly blond hair and milky white skin. As her eyes opened, Max knew what they would look like: blue sparkling crystals. It was not Liz beneath him, but Tess. Leaning back, he inhaled a deep breath in horror.