"Coming," Liz said from the hall. She walked in and grabbed one of the drinks from Max's hand and sat down on the bed.

"Where were you?"

"Restroom."

"Oh," Max blushed at her response. Get a grip Max, it's not like she'd leave you, he thought.

"Now where were we?" Liz said scooting over on the bed toward Max.

"Really thirsty," Max said. He didn't want to get into full make-out mode just yet. He wanted to get a grip on his emotions first. "Toast?"

"Sure. What should we toast to...I have one."

"What?"

"I know this is beyond cheesy, but to 'us'."

"I can't think of anything better." Max and Liz clinked soda bottles and drank them quietly. Their eyes never left each other's the whole time.

"Max! There you are!" Isabelle walked up to her brother. Max had just left Liz's and was heading for his Jeep.

"What is it?"

"Did you forget? Mom and Dad wanted to go do a family bonding thing today in the form of a picnic."

"Oh God! I completely forgot."

"It's okay. Come on, I told them to go on and meet us there. You're driving." Isabelle and Max hopped in the Jeep and left for the Animal Reservation where they always had picnics. Max spent the time there trying to figure what had happened that morning. But no matter how much he thought about it he couldn't quite figure it out. After the picnic, the Evans' decided to get dessert at the Crash Down. Isabelle rode with Max again.

"Isabelle?" Max said breaking the silence.

"Yeah?" "Umm...did you and Alex figure out what you're gonna do? You know, after what happened."

"We're gonna take it slow. No rushing. That way if destiny is stronger than our feelings we wont get hurt as much."

"Wow, you guys figured it out."

"You know how I said I couldn't sleep, so I made breakfast this morning?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I spent the night on the phone with Alex. Hanging up several times. Anyway, we managed to figure that whole thing out. What about you and Liz?" Isabelle asked trying to change the subject. Last night wasn't one of her favorite memories. She had hung up on Alex so many times. She was feeling really guilty right now. But he's the one who broke my heart, Isabelle thought. Keep telling yourself that Izzy, you know that he didn't choose that destiny.

"We're basically picking up where we left off. You know, before Tess."

"Yeah, funny how all this started when she moved here. That's one of the worst coincidences ever."

Max's eyes opened. How could Isabelle be talking like this wasn't all related to Tess? Before she showed up none of them even knew they had a destiny of any kind. "Yeah, some coincidence."

"Quit talking like it's her fault. All she did was accidentally see Liz use her power."

What, Max thought. He freaked and lost control of the Jeep. It swerved. Max regained control and pulled over on the side of the road. "What?!"

"Max, you okay?"

"Yeah. Now what about Liz using her power!"

"Tess saw Liz use her power to heal a bird's broken wing. That's how she found out that Liz was an alien, or so we thought. Come on, Max, you were there when Liz's mom told her that she died and her essence was cloned and put in a human body."

"Oh my, God," Max said leaning back against the seat.

"It's just sunk in, hasn't it? You know, you should teach classes on denial. You've practically mastered it." Isabelle said trying to make a joke. It didn't work.

"Isabelle?"

"Yeah?"

"You drive." Max handed her the keys and got out. Isabelle climbed over to the driver's seat and started it up. How is it that Liz is an alien, Max wondered. Does this make me a human? Or is she just another one? Wait, Isabelle said that it was Liz's mom that told her that they were aliens, but no longer are. So that would mean that Isabelle and I are now normal. Or not? Max was extremely confused by that. He was going to have to have someone explain it. And fast. Today, after getting shakes with my parents, I'm going to get Liz to explain this, Max thought. I just hope I can last that long at the Crash Down. Isabelle pulled into a parking spot at the Crash Down. Their parents had already gotten there. It looked like they had just gotten there though. Max was relieved that he wouldn't have to give another excuse for why he was late.

"So how late were we?" Max asked trying to make sure his parents didn't figure out how freaked he was right then.

"Two minutes and...thirty-two seconds," Max's dad said looking at his watch.

"I thought we got a five minute lapse?" Isabelle asked sitting down. They were all acting silly, but that's what's great about family, you can act as silly as you want around them.

"You did, that's on top of it," Mrs. Evans said smiling.

"Oh, so did you order already?"

"Not yet, we thought we'd be nice and let you guys order your own this time," Mr. Evans said.

"Cool," Max said sitting down. He grabbed the menu and made a big show out of looking at each option. "Lemme see, should I choose this? Nah. This one? Nah. Ummm..."

"Blood-of-Alien smoothie?" Isabelle asked predicting what he'd order. "Yeah, that sounds good," Max said handing her the menu.

Isabelle handed it back to him.

"So four Blood-of-Alien smoothies?" Mr. Evans asked before waving the waitress over. Everybody nodded. Mr. Evans ordered their smoothies. "Ok, so where do you guys want to go to this summer?" The Evans always went somewhere new each summer and they always made it a family decision.

"Cancun?" Isabelle always suggested someplace she knew they could never afford to go. She did that, then Max would suggest someplace less expensive. Usually what Max would suggest the Evans wouldn't go to if it were suggested first. But Isabelle buttered them up with the outrageous suggestions. Max and Isabelle would always decide where they wanted to go before they had this conversation with their parents. That way they always went someplace they wanted to go.

"Sounds good to me," Mrs. Evans said.

Max did a double take. That had never happened before.

"Don't you think it's a bit expensive?" Max asked. He and Isabelle had decided on Florida. They wanted to go back there since that's where their parents took the picture of them drawing the symbol in the sand.

"Actually it's not that expensive at all, if you know where to go. I was talking to Maurine this morning and she was telling me about her vacation there last month. You guys remember Maurine, right? From college? Anyway, she said it would only cost about seventeen hundred dollars per person. And that's including money to spend on souvenirs. It is a bit more than we've spent before, but you guys are getting older, I think you deserve better vacations.

"Cancun it is," Mr. Evans said.

"Ok, but if Isabelle and I get drunk you wont be able to blame it on me."

"Honey, I'd rather you be able to learn how to handle alcohol now. That way you wont get alcohol poisoning when you turn 21." Mrs. Evans smiled at her son. Sometimes he was just too by the book on everything. Granted, she was glad that she didn't have to worry about him getting into trouble that much, but he should be a teen while he was a teen.

"Oh, I can see it now. You, drinking Tequila at Senior Frogs. You take a shot, and they knock you on the head and shake it," Isabelle said demonstrating on Max.

"That's what they do?!" Max said taken aback that his sister knew this.

"Yup, Katie went to Mexico last year and brought back pictures. It's a riot!"

Mr. and Mrs. Evans laughed at their daughter's demonstration. "Max, lighten up. You wont have to go there," Mr. Evans said after he saw his son's expression.

"I know " Max saw Liz head out the back. He wanted to talk to her. "Would you excuse me?" Max said quickly before getting up.

Isabelle leaned out into the aisle and looked where Max was heading. She saw Liz disappear into the alley behind the Crash Down then leaned back into the booth.

"What's up with him?" Mrs. Evans asked Isabelle.