Maria started to fill up a soda. “Nope, she’s not due back for another,” she checked her watch, “um, 60 minutes, give or take.”

Kyle nodded. “Where’d she go?”

Maria turned her back on him. If her could see her face, he would’ve known she was mocking him. “The movies.”

Kyle made a show of mocking Maria and waited for her to respond, when she didn’t, he asked, “with?”

“Alex,” she said as spun to look at him. “They hang out, you know.”

“No, didn’t know,” Kyle replied sarcastically.

Maria was about to respond when Michael walked up behind Kyle and sat down at the counter.

“Hey, Valenti. Nice impression of Maria you got there,” he said, indicating that Kyle had been making fun of her.

Maria seethed and glared at Kyle, making threats with her eyes. Kyle just growled in Michael’s direction and stormed out of the café.

“I hate that guy,” Maria said in a low growl.

“The one thing we have in common,” Michael admitted.

Maria eyed him and retrieved her coke from the machine. “You’re admitting we have things in common?” she asked in a cautious voice.

Michael amended her. “One thing.”

Maria glanced back at Max in his booth, then smiled. “You might wanna make that two things.”

Michael eyed her. “What are you talking about?”

Maria just shrugged. “You’ll see.” Then she walked away.

Michael glanced into the direction Maria had looked and stopped short. Was she looking at Max?! No way, Michael decided. Maria wouldn’t go for Max. She would want a guy who was more outrageous. Max was ‘Mr. Caution Man’. Michael gave a little laugh and went back to his table, shaking his head the whole time.
****************
Max wondered around the streets of Roswell thinking of her. It was weird, but it was like she had some pull over him. He couldn’t not think about her. And he didn’t even know her name. All her knew was that she was friends' with that Maria girl that Michael hated, and goes out with Alex.

Max sighed. He should’ve known she had a boyfriend. But something was off. Yeah, her and Alex were chummy, but in all the times he had seen her, which was now two, he had never seen her hold his hand or even kiss him; which Max was more then grateful for.

The more he thought about, the more she seemed to be perfect for him. It was indescribable, how he felt about her. He couldn’t even explain it to himself. Max gave a little laugh. Isabel would kill me if she knew what I was thinking, he thought.

“Hey, Max!” Alex walked up to him. “It is Max, right?”

Max nodded. “The one and only.”

Alex smiled. Max knew he was an ok guy, even more, but he was still weary about him. If he was dating her, then Alex was the enemy.

“Cool,” Alex said. “Um, ok, I need a favor,” Alex blurted.

Max eyed Alex. “What kind of favor?” he asked.

Alex seemed a little uncomfortable, but kept going. “See, I have this problem. And the more I thought about who I could got to with this problem, the more you sounded like the person to go to; with the problem,” Alex said in a rush.

“What’s the problem?” Max asked.

“You and Isabel are just friends, right? I mean, you’re not dating her, are you?”

Max nearly choked. “No man! She’s my sister,” he explained.

Alex seemed relived. “Oh! So you can totally help me.”

Max stopped and looked straight at Alex as a thought occurred to him.

“Wait—you like Isabel?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah…I was just wondering if she was dating anyone.”

Max’s mind was now on overload. If he was asking about Isabel, then he wasn’t dating his dream girl. “Um, Isabel’s free. I mean, she’s not going out with anyone,” he amended.

“Great. I though she might have been going out with you or Michael,” Alex explained.

Max laughed. “Isabel and Michael? Never gonna happen.”

“Why? Isabel is beautiful. Any guy would give an arm and a leg to just get near her,” Alex said in awe.

Max looked at Alex. “Yeah,” he said a little weary. “But Michael and Isabel are like brother and sister.”

Alex nodded. “That’s like me and friends.”

Max stopped walking again and turned to face Alex. He was about to ask about her when Alex looked at his watch.

“Oh, man. I gotta go. Thank’s for the help!” he called as he jogged away.