“Do you always have to question everything I say?” he asked, annoyed. “Why are you so persistent to seek my company?” she shot back.

“Why do you always have to answer a question with a question?” he asked her, slyly. She hesitated and then looked at her books, and turned around and faced Michael. “I guess I might as well accept your invitation, seeing it’s the only way to get you off my back.”

She got up, gathered her things, and sat across from him in the booth.

“What are you studying?” he asked her, as she opened her textbook. “Geometry.” she answered. “Need help?” he asked. “No, I don’t need your help.” she said, rudely. “Look, I’m trying to be nice. I just wanted to give you a hand.” he explained. “A hand?” she asked. “You mean this?” she asked as she swept her hand above her sheet of work, and all her work changed around. “Okay, nevermind” he said looking at her sheet of paper.

Jenna sat back and closed her eyes, her expression turned to embarrassment and sorrow. “Look, I didn’t mean to be so rude to you. I just, you know…” she continued. “This is just all happening to fast, you know, finding out about all of you, and learning to gain your trust. I just need time to adjust. This is all new to me. I can’t just trust all of you so quickly. I mean, I hardly know you, or anything about you.” she explained.

“I know what you mean.” he assured her. “I have a issue about trusting people too. For instance, dumb and dumber over there,” he said indicating Maria and Liz who stood behind the counter talking. “it took me awhile to finally find confidence in them. There are only a small number of people I can trust, which was hard for me at first. So, you see, we’re not so different.” “I still can’t believe people know about you. About who you are, I mean, what you are.” “Yea, well, you can thank Max for that.” he said annoyed.

“This whole attempt to bond is really interesting and all, but I don’t have all day, but why don’t we get straight to what you want from me.” she interrupted.

“Huh?” he asked surprised. “As long as it’s legal, non-pornographic, doesn’t involve any foreign objects and goes against my morals…” she continued as he looked at her amused. “I’ll think about it.” she told him as he smiled.

“Man, your better at this mind reading thing than I am.” he confessed. “Who said anything about reading your mind?” she asked him, as he smiled at her. “Are you smiling?” she asked mockingly. “My god, this is scary. Must be something urgent.” she said, referring to what he wants from her. “Okay, here’s what I need.” he began, “I want to go back to the cave. I had a dream about it, about him. We missed something. I think there’s more there besides that message, and I need you there in case I need something translated.” he explained to her.

“That’s it?” she asked. “That’s all you want me to do?” “Well, yea.” he said. “And you thought asking me out or sucking up to me would get you a sure ticket? You have a lot to learn, spaceboy.” she said sarcastically with a grin. Michael smiled as he answered, “We’ll go tomorrow.” he announced.

Liz and Maria talked behind the counter. “What do you think they’re talking about over there?” she asked Liz as she watched Michael and Jenna talking. “Why?” Liz asked. “I don’t know, I just don’t trust her. I mean, all of a sudden she pops up from God knows where and, like everyone wants to be her best friend, all the guys sweat her like there’s no tomorrow, and to top everything off, she turns out to be a alie-...well, you know.” Maria complained.

“Maria? Why the sudden hatred towards Jenna?” Liz asked shocked and curiously. “Oh, come on, Liz, you couldn’t stand the girl last week because you thought she was moving in on Max.” Maria told her. “But that’s different, because…she’s not, so therefore…I’m not. I mean, I like her, I mean I never disliked her.” Liz tried to explain as Maria looked at her confused.

“This sudden annoyance with Jenna doesn’t have anything to do with Michael, does it?” Liz quickly asked.

Maria looked at Liz in shock and embarrassment, as she said “Wha- No, no. That’s ridiculous. Michael? Come on, Liz, really- No. Uh-oh.” she finally said shaking her head. “I don’t know Maria, ever since he…abducted, I mean kidnapped you, you always seem to look at him a little differently, you know, like you’re a bit more interested.” Liz said with a smile.

Maria turned around in Michael’s direction. “I think I’m gonna go say ‘Hello’” she said as she grabbed a pot of coffee and headed in his direction.

Maria walked up to Michael and Jenna’s booth, holding her coffeepot in one hand and adjusting her hair with the other. “Hey, guys.” she said casually. “Hey” Michael said as he looked up. “Refill?” she asked Michael.

“Sure.” Michael said. Maria began to pour coffee in his cup as she watched him. He stared at the cup being filled, and he began to make his spoon turn in the cup without his hands, as he looked up and caught Maria staring at him.

Maria turned away quickly and said, “There’s some Tabasco sauce over-“ she reached across the table for a bottle of Tabasco sauce, knocking over Michael’s cup of coffee onto his lap. Maria jumped up and gasped.

“Oh my god!” she said embarrassed as her face turned red. Jenna began to laugh. “You think that’s funny?!” Michael yelled. “Oh, don’t be such a baby,” Jenna continued as she laughed, “just pick it up.” Maria got a handful of napkins in her hand and reached over to help Michael wipe the coffee off his lap.

“Don’t bother.” he said pushing her hand away. He looked around the café to see if anyone was watching then swept his hand over his lap and the coffee disappeared from his pants and shirt. “See, now was that so hard?” Jenna asked.

"I’m so sorry.” Maria apologized. “I’ll go get you another cup of coffee.” she offered. “No, thanks. I don’t think I’ll be drinking coffee for a while from now on.” he said annoyed. “She’s only trying to be nice” Michael heard Jenna say in his head. Michael looked up at Jenna. “She likes you.” “How do you know?” he thought. “Trust me” she assured him.

“Sorry.” Maria said as she began to walk back to the counter. “You know what? I think I will take that coffee.” he told her. Maria turned around and smiled. “I’ll be right back” “Ask her out.” Jenna suggested. “Maria?! I don’t think so.” he said. “Why?” “There you go again, with the questioning.” he said annoyed. “Don’t change the subject.” she insisted. “She’s weird, and…she’s…” “Excuses, excuses.” she said shaking her head. “I’ll tell you what, you take Maria out on a date, and I’ll help you out on translations.” she suggested.

“That’s blackmail.” he said angry. “I know, isn’t it fun?” she added sarcastically, with a grin. Maria arrived with another cup of coffee.

“Thanks.” Michael said as she placed it on the table. “Now’s your chance.” Jenna said to him in her mind. “I’ll do it later.” Michael thought. “Okay, if that’s the way you want it.” she thought as she kicked his leg under the table, a loud thud was heard throughout the café. “Ugh! I mean, uh…” he said looking at Maria. “So, I was thinking...maybe, if you weren’t busy, you’d want to maybe, do something.” he suggested to her, uninterested. Another thud was heard, this time shaking their table.

“Ugh! I mean, would you like to go to dinner…with me…sometime.” he said. Another thud was heard from under the table as it shook. “Soon.” he said to her, painfully, groaning a bit. Maria smiled, “Uh…sure.” she said a bit surprised. “Okay. Well. Bye.” he said quickly. “You must like the feeling of your chin being kicked repeatedly.” he heard Jenna say in his head. “I mean, I’ll talk to you about it later. To, you know, set it up.” he told her. “Okay.” she said as she started to walk away with a grin on her face.

“That wasn’t so hard.” Jenna said with a smile. “Hard? No, but extremely painful.” Michael watched Maria, as a smile formed on his face. Maria turned back and looked at them. She caught Michael watching her and smiled. “You know, I’m only doing this so you’ll help me.” he said. He looked up from Maria’s direction and in Jenna’s, “Yea, sure you are.” she said. Jenna smiled as she started to work on her homework.