"Hey, Max!"

Max looked up to see Michael coming out of some double doors. Max walked up to him. "Hey, where's the gym?"

"Here."

"Oh…so, what's up?" Max asked.

Michael thought a sec then said, "um…I guessing you saw Liz and Kyle this morning."

Max grew stiff and just nodded. Oh, yeah, he saw. He saw how that guy had his hands all over Liz. Shall we remember how Liz was letting him have his hands all over her? He thought.

A group of guys were trying to get into the gym doors, so Michael and Max moved down a little.

"I just wanted to say don't give up," Michael said finally.

Max looked down and mumbled, "She has a boyfriend."

"Who's an ass. Look…I'm just saying that things aren't running smoothly for her them-"

"Where'd you hear that?" Max asked.

Michael sighed. "I just know, ok? Look, this is good news. You're in the game," he added.

"What game?" Max asked. "Michael, the last girl I actually crushed on like this was when I was six. I don't even know what the game is."

Michael sighed again. "Think about it." Then he walked off.

Max shook his head and finally walked into his gym class. He noticed a bunch of guys over by the basketball hoop, talking and roughhousing. Max started to walk past them when one of them called out his name. "Yo, Max, right?"

Max turned to see Liz's boyfriend walking away from the group a little and toward him. Max froze and immediately felt guilty.

"Kyle Valenti. We met at the Crashdown," he said, offering his hand.

Max finally came out of his trance. "Oh, yeah, it's Max. Max Evans." He shook his hand.

Kyle nodded and gestured toward the hoop. "You play?"

Max shrugged, not really wanting to talk to Kyle. "Um…a little."

Kyle shrugged back. "I'm on the team. We practice today-if you're interested you should come by."

Max was ready to blurt out 'no' but stopped himself. Instead he asked, "People are allowed to watch you practice?"

Just then, one of the guys from Kyle's group said, "Our girls watch."

Max suddenly realized they could hear their conversation.

"Parker coming today?" another asked.

Parker? Max immediately looked at Kyle, knowing they were talking about Liz.

"As if she would come. She hasn't ever before," another stated.

Max felt his heart rise a little at that-but only a little. What Kyle said next stamped it right back down.

"Hey…her name is Liz," he said forcefully first, then added, "and yes, she is." Kyle then turned back to Max. "You know Liz, right?"

Max didn't know what to say. Him and Liz had only spoken, and it was tense at best, but he felt guilty, so he went with an easy out. "She hangs with my sister."

One of the other guys whistled at that. "Your sister's that Isabel chick, right?"

Kyle shook his head. "You have to excuse the Neanderthals," he said to Max.

Max nodded. "Um, yeah she is," he answered.

"She's hot. Does she have a boyfriend?"

"Guys…I'm sure Max doesn't want to answer questions like that about his sister," Kyle said.

All of the guys backed down and walked off a little. Max looked over at Kyle. "Thanks," he mumbled.

Kyle just shrugged. "No biggie. Catch ya later?"

Max nodded as Kyle walked away. Great, the guy had to be semi-nice, and respect Liz. Why couldn't he just be an ass? It would be so much easier, Max thought. But this was still ok. Max now knew his enemy: Kyle Valenti.***

Isabel opened her locker and looked at it. She dug around her purse until the found her mirror, then a rubber band, and finally a paper clip. She rigged the mirror up so it would hang, then check her make-up.

"Perfect, as always," a voice said behind her.

Isabel shifted until she could make out the face of a guy with bright blue eyes. Isabel turned back to the reflection. "Was that a compliment?"

The guy chuckled and Isabel could feel his breath on her neck. "I would hope so, or I just totally failed on trying to impress you."

Isabel shrugged. "Guys don't need to impress me," she said mater-of-factly.

"Ok…so how does a guy know how to get your attention?" he asked.

Isabel shut her locker and looked at him. He was tall-well tanned and built. He had black hair and bright blue eyes. A definite plus. "Nothing. He'll know when he has it." Then she spun on her heel and walked off, leaving him there watching her leave.

Isabel smiled and walked out the side door and toward the thongs of students lunching out in the quad. She walked around a little, trying to spot someone she knew. A few guys, more then a few actually, acknowledged her, but Isabel kept her glances short and inciting, never landing one anyone long enough to let them think she was approachable.

Isabel felt a pair of eyes on her and she saw Alex trying to get her attention. Isabel met his eyes and he nodded. She saw he was about to join Liz. Isabel smiled back and glanced around for Max. He was at a table by himself, his face hidden behind a book.

Isabel sighed and started toward her brother. Halfway there she heard a group of girls talking about Max.

"He's quiet," the first one commented.

"The quiet ones are the ones that surprise you," the second girl said with satisfaction.

"How about I surprise him," the last one purred, who Isabel had learned was Pam Troy.

"Dream on, Pamy," Isabel mumbled as she walked past the table. Pam looked up at her, then smiled.

"Hi! You're the new girl, right?!" she asked in a super-fake voice.

Isabel smiled back. "That's right." she was about to walk on when Pam stopped her again.

"That's your brother?" she asked, pointing at Max.

Isabel nodded. "As far as I know."

Pam seemed confused by her response, but went on. "Um, ok. Anyway, I was wondering if you could tell him that Pam Troy says hello and that the whole cheerleading squad hopes he loves it here in Roswell. And hoped he liked our impromptu cheer we did a minute ago."

Sorry I missed it, Isabel thought sarcastically. She made a little pout. "Oh…I'd love to, but my brother is deaf. He couldn't hear it."

One of the other girls made a face. "Really?"

Isabel nodded. "He had an accident a few years ago. Very sad."

"He seems so well adapted," the other one said.

Isabel would've laughed if she thought it wouldn't give her away. "Yes, well, he really likes it if people don't acknowledge the problem."

Pam and the other nodded, looking at Max like an experiment. Isabel gave one more smile before walking off. That should keep her at bay.

"So, I need your help," Isabel said, sitting down across from Max.

"With what?" Max asked, not looking up.

Isabel thought that this might blow her impromptu lie, but she just shrugged. Pam seemed too involved to care. "Michael needs to get his feelings for Maria out in the open."

Max chuckled. "Like that would happen."

"If you help it might."

He finally looked up. "If I decide to help, and that's a big if, what would I have to do?"

"Nothing. Just help me throw some hints at them," Isabel said, noticing Pam Troy and her followers coming toward them.

"Isabel, I forgot to tell you about tryouts this week. You would be perfect for the squad!" she said in her chipper voice. She then looked at Max and said slowly, making sure to move her mouth a lot, "Do you like it here in Roswell?"

Max looked at her then at Isabel who just shrugged. He gave Pam a pointed look, then said, "I guess."

Pam smiled. "Good. I really thinks it's great that you come to our school and everything."

"Yeah, it shows great strength," the brunette said in the same tone. Then all three walked off.

"Ok, what was that?" Max asked.

Isabel shrugged. "You know cheerleaders. So, you gonna help?"

Max sighed. "Maybe. Let me think about it."