Max sighed, "Michael, we have to be--"

"Normal," Michael finished for him, exasperated. "Yeah, yeah, everything's gotta be normal. Max, did you know the national rate for teens dropping out of school is up by 15% from last year? It's normal for people not to go to school these days."

Max reached his locker and opened it with a swift jerk on the handle and put his bag inside, all the while staring at Michael. "We're not dropping out of school. Discussion over."

"What discussion?" Isabel asked as she walked over to them. She looked at their faces and rolled her eyes, "You two aren't at it again, are you?"

"At what again?" Michael asked, annoyed.

Isabel sighed in frustration, looking at the both of them. "Look you guys, this is getting old. REALLY old. What were you two fighting about today?"

Michael opened his mouth, but Max quickly stated, "Michael wants us to drop out of school."

Michael rolled his eyes and muttered, "Here we go..."

Isabel's eyes widened at Max's statement and she turned to Michael. "Is that true?! You want to quit school?! Look Michael, I know this hasn't exactly been a memorable experience for you, but what would people think if all of us dropped out of school suddenly, for no reason at all?"

"Who's dropping out of school?" A voice interrupted and they all turn to look at Maria, who was looking at the group inquisitively.

Max half-smiled. Maria had to know everything. No matter what it was about, she had to know. He admired her, she wasn't hesitant to ask about anything.

"Obviously nobody," Michael murmured, looking away. He didn't want to look at Maria, this was the last place to be having the 'forbidden' feelings. He had told her things between them weren't going to happen, now he had to stick to what he planned. And his plan was turning out harder than he thought.

Maria noticed him looking away and she smiled, "Oh, interesting conversation then." She then turned to Max and Isabel, "So, anything new in the Czechoslovakian crisis?"

"Huh?" Isabel asked, confused.

Max smiled and shook his head. Maria had let him in on the 'secret' word she and Liz used to refer to the aliens in public. Liz, oh god he was thinking about her again. The smile disappeared from his face, and the solemn, quiet expression returned.

It was getting harder and harder for Max to stay away from her. He could feel the tension building. Whenever she was around all he could think about was her. How it felt to kiss her, to be with her, to love her. Oh who the hell was he kidding, he thought about her even when she wasn't around. How did she expect him to just forget everything? All the heated gazes at each other when they refused to give into their feelings, the connection they shared when he healed her, getting in the car accident, their first kiss on her balcony after the rave, her teaching him how to play pool, the both of them getting caught in the eraser room.... them finally admitting their love for each other the night he escaped from the white room.

Max sighed and looked at Maria. She must have read his mind or something, because he saw deep sympathy in her eyes. It was as if she were saying, 'Don't worry, you two will make it.'

"Well I have to go, I'll see you guys later," Isabel said to all of them, then walked off towards her first class. Michael mumbled a 'C'ya later' and walked off, too.

Max was about to say good-bye and head to his first class when he looked over Maria's shoulder and saw her. Liz was walking through the front doors, a smile on her face. She looked like an angel. Max swallowed, fighting the urge to walk over to her, drag her into the eraser room, and kiss her until they both forgot why they weren't together in the first place.

Ironically enough, the reason they weren't together picked this instant to walk into the building. Max saw Tess walking right behind Liz and he straightened. *How can this be?!* his mind screamed. *I'm completely in love with Liz, but I'm supposed to love Tess.* He looked back to Liz and nearly lost his balance when he saw she was looking back at him with an intensity in her eyes that let him know she was dying inside, too.

Liz stopped a few feet away from him, her eyes never leaving his. Tess walked over and smiled to the both of them, glad she stepped in before something happened. By the look these two were sharing she wouldn't be surprised if they started making out right here in the hallway.

"Hi Liz..." She shifted her gaze to Max, "Hi Max."

Max slowly took his eyes off Liz and reluctantly looked at Tess and said hello. He knew she could read the look he and Liz shared, always shared, and he could smack himself for being so insensitive. Tess had lost the only person that she had been with her whole life and all she knew was the destiny she had been told she had. She never knew that the man she was destined to be with would fall in love with someone else.

They all looked away uncomfortably and fortunately the bell rang.

Liz almost sighed thankfully, but caught herself. *Get a grip Liz! Control yourself!* her brain reminded her sternly. *You still have to get through Trig..... with Max.*

The three of them exchanged glances and without saying a word, Max and Liz walked away in seperate directions, leaving Tess standing in the middle of the hallway.

Tess sighed, and muttered sarcastically, "Well at least it isn't awkward anymore."

----------------

Liz sighed to herself as she walked down the main hallway towards her next class. She had gotten through half the day, but the class right after lunch was always the hardest. She had trig with Max. But it wasn't bad enough that she had to be in a room with him for a full hour, their desks were side-by-side. It was pure torture everyday, but in a way she was happy. It sounded selfish of her, but she was grateful that none of her other friends were in that class. Sometimes she would just sit at her desk and sneak looks at Max, imagining they were the only people sitting in the room.

Liz quickly snapped out of her daydreaming when she entered the class and saw Max already sitting in his desk. It was as if he sensed her because he instantly looked up at her with those intense brown eyes of his.

She forced her legs to move, but it was hard under the pressure of his gaze. As she slid into her seat she looked up at him and gave him a smile.

Max returned her smile, then the teacher started talking and he turned his attention to the front of the class.

Liz had made it through the whole lecture without looking at Max, well... with the exception of a few little peeks, but that was beside the point. She remained calm until Mr. Singer gave them their assignment.

"Now, for today's assignment I want all of you to pair up with a partner, go to the library, and research the famous mathematician I assign to you. I will expect your papers next Monday." Mr. Singer explained, "Now as for your partners, to make the matching process as painless as possible, you'll be paired up with the person sitting on your--"

*Please don't say left, please don't say left, please don't say left!!* Liz's thoughts silently pleaded. She didn't know if she could take sitting next to Max and not touch or kiss him. It would nearly be impossible, especially now that he let her know he was after her.

"Left," Mr. Singer finished and a few moans were heard around the class.

*Is God trying to punish me or something?* Liz let out a shaky breath and looked over to Max, who was doing his oh-so-cute half smile. Liz slightly smiled back and they both got up from their seats to head towards the library.

As Liz walked to the school library with Max at her side, she suddenly began to feel a knot in her stomach. She put her hand over her stomach and the pain increased. She held out her hand to Max, to motion him to stop, but when she looked over at him his eyes were squeezed shut and she saw a grimace of pain on his face.

"Oh my god, Max! Are you okay?" Liz asked as she grabbed his arm. Max had put his hands to the sides of his head as if it were about to explode.

Liz's heart was beating a mile-a-minute and she was about to scream for help, when all of a sudden the expression of pain left Max's face and it was replaced by a look of confusion.

"Max, what..." Liz asked, taking in shaky breaths, "What just happened?"

Max looked around, then pulled her into the nearest room, closing the door behind them. He looked around and realized just where they were: the eraser room.

Liz looked at him, concerned. "Max, what just happened to you out there? Did you have a flash or something?"

Max nodded his head slowly, still shocked at what he'd seen in his mind a few seconds earlier. "It was odd. I couldn't control it. It just... happened."

"Did it hurt?" Liz asked.

"Yeah, but it was my fault." When Liz gave him a confused look, he explained. "When it started I tried to fight it, but it was like something or someone was making me see it."

"Someone like... Tess?" Liz questioned him and he shook his head.

"No, it wasn't like mind control. It was definitely a flash, I know it," Max said with a certainty that made Liz wonder just what exactly he saw.

"So, what did you see?" Liz asked hesitantly. She wasn't quite sure if Max wanted to talk about it or not.

Max walked around the room, then stopped and looked at her. "People. Teenagers, like us. They were coming out of the pod chamber."

Liz raised her eyebrows in shock. This was definitely not what she had expected to hear. "Did you recognize them?"

Max shook his head, but continued to look into her eyes. "No, but I did feel an intense connection with one of them. But the flash ended so soon I couldn't figure out which one it was."

"What are you gonna do?" she asked him slowly.

Max took a deep breath. "Let's go get the others. We're going to the pod chamber."

-----------

Max, Liz, Tess, and Michael drove silently in the jeep towards the pod chamber. Maria, in the Jetta, was right behind them with Alex and Isabel.

"So Maxwell, exactly how many people did you see in the flash?" Michael asked.

Max was silent a moment, picturing the flash in his mind. "Three. Two girls and a guy."

"And none of them looked familiar?" Michael asked, wanting to make sure.

"No, I told you before, Michael. I just felt an intense connection with one of them," Max insisted and kept staring at the dirt road ahead of him.

The group fell silent again and Max looked over at Liz, who was sitting right across from him. Her features were stiff, he could tell she was worried. He tried to think of something to say that would make her feel better, help ease her worries. His heart told him what would make her feel better, so he said it.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Max stated as he glanced over at her. He remembered saying those exact words to her over the phone last spring when she was trapped in the house with Nasedo and Tess, before the group knew who Nasedo really was. He was relieved when he saw her smile as a result of what he said. He loved being the reason a smile was on her face.

She glanced over at him and smiled slightly. It was amazing at how well they knew each other, but this time Max was wrong. "I'm not worried about me, Max. I'm worried about you." After she said that she immediately regretted it and bit her lip. That was not a good way to have Max follow his destiny. Instead it just let Max know that she was caving in. That what he said in the Crashdown a few weeks earlier was finally starting to sink in. He was after her, and right now, he was winning.

Liz turned her attention to the road, making sure not to look at Max. She suddenly realized they had arrived just outside the pod chamber. Everyone quickly got out of the jeep and stared in amazement. The pod chamber door was open.

Max walked over to the entrance and put his hand over the glowing handprint. The flash was so fast it was over almost right when it began, but the effect it had on him almost made him speechless.

"Max!" Liz screamed as she saw him stumble backwards after touching the handprint. She ran over to him, holding on to his arm to help him regain his balance.

"Oh my god, what happened?" They heard Maria shriek as she came running towards them from her car.

"They came--" Max tried to talk, but the impact of the flash had made him feel like he used a high amount of his powers. "From the Granolith. They're..." His voice trailed off as he looked past his friends.

Everyone looked at him questioningly, then followed his gaze. What their eyes saw surprised them. Standing a few feet away from them were the two girls and guy that Max had described. One girl was standing in front, while the other two were standing behind her.