Liz Parker glanced up from the table she was wiping down. Max Evans was pacing back and forth in front of her, more agitated than she had ever seen him. In all the years she had known him – as a casual friend since third grade, as a lab partner since sophomore year in high school, as something indefinably more since the day he saved her life – Liz had rarely seen Max less than reserved, less than controlled.

But now he looked almost panicked. “Max. I haven’t,” Liz said slowly. “What’s going on?”

Max dragged a shaking hand through his hair. “I don’t know. Isabel and I both got this feeling that we needed to find Michael … that something was wrong.”

“Does she know where he is?” Isabel asked, startling both Liz and Max who hadn’t heard her follow Max into the Café.

“What’s going on?” Liz repeated, glancing from Max to Isabel then back to Max. “You guys are beginning to scare me.”

Max shot a questioning look at Isabel, who shook her head almost imperceptibly in response. He tried to smile at Liz reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Liz. It’s probably nothing. Everything’s probably fine.”

Liz laid her dishcloth carefully on the table. “Max. I’m not going to fall apart if you guys tell me what’s going on. I don’t understand why you’re so worried about Michael. I mean, Michael goes off all the time without checking in with you guys. He’s just like that, I thought. You know. A loner.”

Max shot another look at Isabel before answering. “This is different. I can’t really explain it.” Over Liz’s shoulder, Max could see Isabel jerk her thumb towards the door. Returning his gaze to Liz, Max said gently, “We have to go. Don’t worry, Liz.”

Confused and not a little frightened, Liz watched Max and Isabel walk out of the Café.

* * * *

Maria DeLuca found Liz holding a dry cloth and staring into space when she walked into the Crashdown Café thirty minutes later. She pulled the cloth out of Liz’s hand. “Snap out of it, Liz,” she advised. “What’s up, or should I guess?” When Liz didn’t respond, Maria grinned. “Let’s see.” She began to tick off her conclusions on her fingers. “Max Evans came by the Crashdown. You stared longingly at each other. He looked down shyly. You looked down shyly. He said something adorably awkward. Then he left. Now you’re spacing out, trying to figure out what’s going to happen between you two.” She rolled her eyes. “I can’t understand why Max is so stubborn about your getting together. Anyone with quasi-reasonable eyesight can see the way you look at each other. You adore each other. You’ve adored each other forever. He eats you with his eyes. You do the same to him. Half the time, I feel like I’m too young to be in the same room as you guys.”

“Maria!” Liz exclaimed, surprised out of her reverie. “You are so shocking sometimes. And you’re definitely not one to talk.”

Maria wagged her index finger at Liz. “Don’t change the subject, girl. As your best friend, I know what’s on your mind. It’s in the job description.” Her grin widened. “And I know what’s on your mind is almost always a certain tall, dark, and handsome Czechoslovakian.”

“Stop, Maria. Enough,” Liz laughed. Then her smile faded as she remembered Max and Isabel’s abrupt departure earlier. Frowning, she considered whether she should ask Maria if she had seen Michael. Liz knew that Maria’s feelings for Michael Guerin ran deeper than she would ever admit, and she didn’t want to worry Maria unnecessarily.

“Watching you try to decide whether to tell me or not is making nervous,” Maria remarked as she rinsed Liz’s dishcloth. “I’ll get it out of you no matter what you decide, Liz, so just spill. What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Uh. Something.” Liz took a deep breath, nervously re-tucking her hair behind her ears. “Maria. You can’t get upset or worried on me, okay?”

“Okay—“

“Max and Isabel were here earlier—“

“I know that part, Liz. I’m going to turn twenty before you tell me what’s going on if you keep going at this rate—“

Liz shifted uncomfortably. “Right. Max and Isabel were here. They were looking for Michael—“

“Big woo, Liz. What else is new? Michael doesn’t show up for class except in leap years. He takes off for Texas – in my car, with me in it as his oh-so-accommodating kidnap victim – at the drop of a hat. He is not the most dependable, predictable person in the world—“

“No, Maria. This is different. I’ve never seen Max and Isabel like that. Max was shaking. He said that he and Isabel both felt that something was really wrong. Like Michael was hurt or something.”

Maria dropped the cloth in the sink and snapped off the faucet. She fixed Liz with a fierce look. “What are you talking about, Liz? Michael’s just probably off somewhere, doing Michael-type things—“

Liz grabbed Maria’s hand. “Listen to me, Maria. Max and Isabel were not just worried. They were frightened—“

“Why would they be frightened? Liz, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”