Kyle must have realized it too because as he waited by Liz's locker seventh period and realized that she wasn't coming he walked over to Max. Kyle had thought things through over the weekend too. He had been tempted to ask Liz that night in the hospital that night what exactly Max was doing there, but he knew it wasn't the time. Or the place. He'd come to his on conclusions. Max was being a good friend. He'd seen Liz on his way to see his cousin and stopped to see what she was doing there. That's what Kyle told himself, that's what he kept telling himself. So what if Max was Liz's friend. Alex Whitman was Liz's friend. Liz could have guy friends, that wasn't what bothered Kyle. It was the way that she had been around him. For that brief momment of time. Part of his head told him to forget about it, not to think too hard about Max's presence the other night. Max was a good guy. He was quiet and he didn't stir up trouble. He wouldn't get mixed up with Liz. Especially if he knew Liz was with him. And the entire school did. Max was just Liz's friend. He could live with that

"Hey Max," Kyle walked up towards Max and Max stiffened up. "You know where Liz is?"

"I uh....no," Max stuttered and he looked towards Kyle. He didn't look like he was coming over to interrogate Max or to threaten him. He looked casual so Max tried to be casual too. "I was about to ask you," he added in jamming his hands in his pockets.

"You heard from her at all?" Kyle chewed his gum and Max just shook his head. "Huh..." Kyle mumbled to himself, scratching his head and walking away. Max stood with his feet rooted to the spot, standing next to Liz's locker as Kyle continued down the hall. He eyed Maria out of the corner of his eye as she walked down the hall with Alex. If Kyle came to him for something must be up. He called Maria's name urgently, walking across the hall towards her. Max barely talked to Liz in school and he never talked to Maria to begin with. He called her name again and she continued to walk, almost seeming to dismiss it as a figment of her imagination. If Maria was confused, Alex was even more confused - completely unaware that Max and Liz were even friends. Last time he checked they were lab partners and that was all. Maria continued down the hall and Max jogged past her so that he was standing in front of her as she walked forward. "Where is-" he suddenly caught himself and attempted to sound less pressing than he knew he had, "where's Liz today?" he questioned.

Maria tried to suppress the smile she knew would emerge. Wait 'til Liz heard about this. Max interrogating her about where she was. Liz needed news like this to help cheer her up. Hell, Maria needed something like this to cheer her up. Grandma Claudia was almost like her own grandmother. "Is she - is she okay?" Max continued, "I mean I know about.." his voice grew quieter. "Is she alright?"

Maria was about to burst and she was surprised she wasn't smiling from ear to ear as Max continued his interrogation about Liz. Alex just watched and listened to everything with open ears, completely confused by Max Evans' sudden interest in Liz's life. Maria chose her words carefully. "I think you should probably ask her yourself..."

Max walked around to the back entrance of the Crashdown - to the backdoor of Liz's house. It was mid-evening. The commotion in the Cafe had begun to die down and it was just barely beginning to get dark. He knocked on the door softly, afraid of the state which he would find Liz. He was expecting bad news as Maria hadn't answered him directly. Mrs. Parker opened up the door, and Max was caught a bit off guard. She looked tired and Max was sure under different circumstances the meeting would have been a bit more awkward, but she just smiled meekly. "Hi uh..." he mumbled. "Max right?" Mrs. Parker said with a sense of exhaustion. Max just nodded his head, shifting from foot to foot nervously. "Liz isn"t really -" Mrs. Evans began to say but Liz appeared behind her. "It's okay mom," Liz dismissed her mother, walking towards the door. "I'm okay." "You sure Lizzie? You should go rest -"

"Mom, I'm good..really," she looked at Max standing outside the door, "I'm fine."

"So..." Max inquired softly as the two walked down the street. "So she hasn't woken up yet," Liz finished, saying it with a shakiness in her voice that had Max thinking she was about to break down any minute.