“Hi,” she said softly.

“Hey, I didn’t wake you, did I?” he whispered back.

“Nope.”

Liz threw the covers off her body and sat up in her bed. Max quickly strode over to her, never taking his eyes away from hers.

“I have something for you,” Max whispered, his face inches from hers.

“You do? What is it?” Liz asked curiously.

Max held out his hand and let his fingers uncurl from his palm. She peered into the cup, which was made by his hand and a huge smile spread across her face.

“Oh, Max! It’s half of the celestial alignment that we discovered last year! But, where did you find it? I mean you can’t buy a necklace like this, can you?” Liz questioned hurriedly.

“No, you can’t. See, I was out at the caves the other night looking for Michael, who had skipped out of school earlier that afternoon, and in the middle of my search I just happen to stumble upon this. And I think that it’s perfect for you.” Max finished with a lopsided smile.

He leaned around Liz and, using his powers, piled her hair onto the top of her head. He then reached his arms around her neck and gently clasped the light chain of which was made from an unearthly metallic metal.

“Thank you,” Liz said simply smiling up at him.

Max looped his strong arms around her neck and crouched down, almost sitting on her lap, and looked directly into her eyes.

“It’s perfect on you, Liz, absolutely perfect,” Max whispered on her lips.

He kissed her once, strong and full on her lips and then pulled away, kissing her neck where the necklace sat.

She stood up; not bothering to pull her tank top hem down, revealing almost all of her stomach area, and without a word slid her lips up to Max’s. Max laced his fingers into her long, brown hair as he deepened the passion of the kiss. As he reached into the depths of her soul with his kisses, she pulled him down onto her bed, kissing him more furiously than ever. She let herself fall backwards, landing on the soft, feathery pillow below. The flame of the candle next to her bed flickered, and with a small burst of power, Max blew it out.

Isabel Evans walked across the hall into her brother’s room, without bothering to knock. She was quite surprised and rather puzzled to find him missing. Automatically, she picked up his phone and called Michael Guerin. The phone rang twice and then the other line was answered.

“What do you want?” The Michael mumbled without a drop of enthusiasm.

“Good evening to you too, Michael,” Isabel muttered sarcastically.

“Hey Iz, what’s up?”

“Max is missing, and he didn’t even leave a clue to where he went.”

“Hmm, lets think. It’s Saturday night at around twelve and he’s a teenage guy with a serious girlfriend. Why don’t I let you piece the puzzle together.” Michael stated bluntly with a strong tone of “duhness” woven into his voice.

Isabel let out a sigh of relief and frustration. “I completely give up on the two of them. They are so into each other, it’s scary!”

“Tell me about it. I mean, I love Maria but you don’t see me sneaking out at twelve o’clock at night just because I want to watch her sleep; though that may not be a bad idea.” Michael said in a way that was meant to tell her that he was going to put his plan into action.

“Uh, thanks Michael, but I have to go, I um,” Michael cut her off before she could even finish her sentence.

“Yeah, I’ll talk to you tomorrow Iz.” Michael threw out, as if he really wasn’t paying much attention to what he was saying.

“Bye,” she said faintly.

“Bye, Isabel.”

Michael walked out of his apartment, not bothering to lock the doors, and ambled down Main Street. He turned down Maria DeLuca’s road, smiling slightly as he approached her house. He walked up her driveway and to the side of her home, where the lattice leading to her window was. He climbed slowly upward, careful not to step on the flowers on either side of him. The window was cracked opened, so Michael pushed it up all the way and crawled through. Maria was awake, mixing new scents on her bed. She was so concentrated on her work that she didn’t even realize that he was there.

“Hey baby,” Michael murmured, a sly smile curving the corners of his mouth upward.

Maria jumped, spilling an almost empty vial of lavender oil on her bed.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to . . .” Michael said, using his powers to clean up the spill. Before he could finish his sentence, Maria rushed up to him, tears streaming down her face. All she could do was fall into his arms and cry. “Shh, it’s okay, I’m here. What is it, Maria? Please tell me.” Michael crooned soothingly into her hair.

“I had the worst dream that I was with you down in the caves and we were just lying there together and someone or rather something came in and killed you.” She sobbed even harder, burying her head in the hollow of his neck.

He wrapped his arms so tightly around her that they began to ache. Michael released her, only to take her hand, and led her over to her bed. He lay back, pulling her down on top of him.

“It was only a dream, just a dream. I’m right here, Maria and I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” Michael said, leaving no room for discussion, though he knew that there wouldn’t be one.

“Good,” Maria sighed and snuggling down deeper into Michael’s chest, fell asleep.

Max looked at Liz and smiled at her. He couldn’t believe what had just happened, it seemed like the whole thing was a dream; but he knew better. Liz smiled back, pushing her body closer to his. Max took her in his arms and held her like he would never let her go.

“I love you,” Liz said quietly.

Max kissed her forehead, “I love you too, Liz.”

“I whish that we could just stay in this moment forever, and I know that’s scientifically impossible, but it’s something that we can wish for.” Liz said with a smile as big as the quarter moon.

Max stroked Liz’s hair and smiled lovingly at her.

“I know, Lizzybeth, and I think that as long as this night is kept in our memory, that it will last forever.” Max murmured soothingly into her long mahogany hair.

As he began to open his mouth to say something else, he realized that her breathing had evened out and she was sleeping contently in his arms. He gathered her closer to him and closed his eyes, though he knew that he wasn’t anywhere near ready for his two hours of sleep, he just wanted to be with her, right where they were as long as he could.

Alex Whittman awoke to the sound of his phone ringing. It was only ten minutes to eight AM, much too early for a call on a Sunday; but he answered it anyway.

“Hello?” Alex moaned.

“Hey, Alex,” Isabel answered, sounding much too cheery for that early in the morning.

“Hi, Izzy, what’s up?” Alex said, obviously more awake than before.

“Nothing, I just wanted to talk to someone, and, you were the first person that popped into my head,” Isabel laughed and continued. “Guess what, Max went over to Liz’s last night, and he still isn’t home.” Isabel let the words slide off her lips like a child would a slide. She giggled again, a smile slightly crossed her mouth, but she kept it shut.

“Do you think either of them will say anything?” Alex questioned.

“Probably not; though they won’t really have to, their aura’s and faces will most likely give the whole thing away!”

“Hey, are we all still meeting at the Crash Down or what?”

“Yeah, at eleven thirty, actually,” Isabel sighed. “I better let you get back to sleep so you’re fully with us later on”

“Yeah, that might not be a bad idea, bye, Iz!”

“Bye, Alex see ya!”

Liz slowly opened her eyes and saw Max’s staring straight back at her. Before she could speak, Max kissed her lightly and smiled.

“Good almost afternoon, sleepy head!”

“Huh? Wait, what time is it?” Liz asked groggily.

“Almost eleven twenty-five, why?”

“Because we have to meet the group down stairs in five minutes!”

Max and Liz hopped out of her bed and scrambled to find clothes. Max slipped on what he was wearing the night before; boxers, khaki pants and a dark blue T-shirt. Liz grabbed her usual jeans and baby tee combo and quickly pulled a brush through her hair. The couple ran out on to her balcony, and down the ladder, just incase her parents were up. Liz took Max’s hand and they walked in to the front door of the restaurant.

“OOOOH,” the whole group crooned in sync.

Liz smiled as her cheeks reddened and she looked at Max. There weren’t any other customers there and Cal, an older woman who could care less about what they were talking about, was the only waitress.

“Cal, can we get two coffee’s, both black with cream, sugar and Tabasco on the side, an extra large pizza, one fourth veggie, one fourth plain one fourth meat and one fourth special, please? And make it fast.” Liz told the woman when she had asked what they were going to have.

“And four Cokes,” Michael added.

“Sure thing, kids,” she responded.

“We don’t even have to ask, do we?” Maria asked with a smile. Neither Max nor Liz responded. “We’ll just take that as a ‘yes’, K?”

“How does it feel to be the first couple in our group to not be Virgins anymore?” Alex questioned in his “Big-shot” reporter voice.

“What you’re trying to ask is what does it feel like, right?” Max asked rolling his eyes.

“Um, yeah, kind of,” Alex answered almost inaudibly.

“To tell you the truth, it is so amazing that I can’t even describe it. Anyway, it’s something that is only between Liz and me, and there aren’t any words that could ever explain that.” Max looked adoringly at Liz and kissed her forehead.

All of the sudden, Maria smiled and began to speak, “ You know what we haven’t done in a while? We haven’t had a sleepover! And Liz, you’re parents are going to be away at the end of this month for that conference, right?”

Liz nodded easily at her best friend.

“So then I think that we should have a ‘friends night in’ shall we say, at the Crash Down, if that is alright with you guys, of course,” Maria addressed the whole group, though she was also asking Liz for permission to use the restaurant at the same time.

“Yeah, we can braid each others hair and paint our nails and gossip about all the boys we like!” Alex said sarcastically.

“No I’m serious, it will be really fun. We never get a chance to spend ‘together time’ anymore,” Maria said earnestly.

“I don’t have any problem with using the Crash Down,” Liz stated in response to Maria’s preposition.

“Good, then it’s settled, two Friday’s from now we will have a sleepover here!” Maria

“That just might be fun,” Isabel suddenly added.

The rest of the three weeks passed rather uneventfully and finally Friday evening of the sleepover rolled around. Maria and Liz offered to work that evening so they could close and set up for the party. Max showed up about half an hour before the restaurant closed with decorations. Liz was playing the roll of hostess when he arrived.

“How many please, sir?” She asked in he best waitress voice.

“Two please, Ma’am,” Max said suavely.

“But sir, I do not see anyone else with you,” Liz mocked distressfully.

“Well, I was hoping that the most beautiful girl, excuse me, WOMAN in the universe would join me!” Max announced, kissing Liz only seconds after.

“Mm, I missed you. What did you bring?”

“Just some decorations, you know, stuff for the party.” Max smiled warmly. “Uh, sweetie, I think you might want to tell me where I can put this stuff because we have a few angry paying customers behind us.” Max said, nodding toward the direction of the door.

“Why don’t you go put everything in the back and get Maria and tell her I want to take my break, ‘K?” Liz murmured slightly into his ear, nibbling on it a bit as she spoke.

“Sure thing, Lizzybeth,” He whispered back with a smile.

Max made his way to the back room and once inside, he was not surprised to see Maria and Michael on the couch, completely lost in each other.

“Eh, ehm,” Max cleared his throat to get their attention. “Liz said breaks over for the both of you. Maria, she wants you up at the front to seat people.” Max said in a really bad boss voice.

“Why, so you two can go at it?” Michael questioned, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, just get out of here,” Max said giving Michael a push.

At about ten thirty, after everyone had arrived and the decorations were up, the six friends were playing tootsie roll (without the alcohol of course!) on the blanket-covered floor of the restaurant. It was Maria’s turn and she strategically chose Liz, knowing that she would have the most interesting confessions and it would be easy to get her and Max to perform some dares that were pretty out there, so to speak. She began to ask Liz to play or confess, when all of the sudden, Liz’s breathing became labored and she broke out in a cold sweat.