"You gonna come?" he asked hopefully and Isabel just shrugged, seemingly busy as she applied makeup and searched through he closet. Max just sat down on the bed, a tired and frustrated expression on his face and Isabel just looked at him curiously.

"Max, it's not that big a deal if I -"

"No, it's not that..."Max dismissed quietly, "it's just this whole thing with..."

"-Liz," Isabel finished, "Look Max,"

"Kyle came up to me," Max suddenly sputtered and Isabel looked at him wide-eyed.

"What'd he say?" she asked urgently.

"He just...he told me to stay away from her - he doesn't want us being friends - I mean he thinks, he thinks we're together."

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing."

Isabel and Max made their way to Michael's in near silence. Max just kept his eyes on the road as he made his way to the trailer park to pick up Michael. The conflict with Kyle had been bothering him, but he didn't say anything.

"So are you going to do anything?" Isabel finally broke the silence. "I mean -"

"I don't know," Max said quickly, "I don't want to -" Max faltered, "I just..it's safer to back down."

"Max, if I've learned anything from you the past two weeks, it's not to back down. You know- not staying in the shadows," Max continued driving. "If anything that we've gone through the past weeks means anything...you'll stand up for yourself." Max glanced over towards his sister.

"What're you suggesting?" Max smiled, "I fight Kyle?"

"That you, 'get in the game' you know? Exactly what you said to us - don't sit back and passively watch. You tell Michael and I to go out and get involved and okay, we're taking a risk. We're going out...Michael, God do you even know what a big step this is for him?"

"I realize that."

"Do you? I mean - Max you want to be with her, that's what this whole thing was about - "

"It wasn't."

"It's what prompted it...you wanted to be with her." Max beeped the horn as he stopped the jeep in front of Michael's trailer. Isabel could even confront the issue. That made Kyle, Michael and Isabelle. Hell, even Maria and Alex now. So why couldn't he. Why couldn't Liz.

"I can't," he said cautiously.

"You have to stand up for yourself!" Isabel turned to her brother. Max, who always got beaten up in the sixth grade because he had refused to hit back. "You take this huge risk, you go join the basketball team and you can't even stick up for what you want!" Max was silent, "You can't back down from this, from him...I mean, who is he to control your life - to control Liz's life?"

"I don't blame him - I mean I have been hanging around her a lot."