“Liz, it’s almost summer. What do you expect?” her best friend, Maria, answered.

“We’ve still got a month to go! Agh! I give up! My hair is never gonna cooperate!” She threw her hands down, more in frustration than resignation.

“Here, let me do it.” Maria brushed it straight back and pulled it tightly while twirling it up into a french twist. “Makes me wonder why I’m growing my hair back out,” she mused, securing her masterpiece with a clip.

“Because you look fabulous with long hair, that’s why. What time is it?”

“You have ten minutes before you have to meet Max.” Maria made a face of pure disgust, which Liz immediately saw.

“I know, I know. He’s an alien. Look Maria, I know that you don’t trust any of them, but I do. I trust Max.” Liz got that far away, dreamy look that she always got when someone mentioned Max.

“But it’s unnatural!” Maria argued, pulling Liz back into reality.

“Unnatural? Maria—“

“He’s a different species! I mean, you don’t see a dog and a cat getting it on, do you?”

At that, Liz started giggling which, in turn, made Maria join in.

“A dog and a cat, Maria?” They both laughed harder. Liz remained unfazed throughout Maria’s whole argument. She had gone through this many times before with her friend. Once the two stopped their laughing, a comfortable silence followed. Liz hated to break it but she needed to go downstairs to the Crashdown for her third date with Max.

“Look Maria,” she began, knowing that this was a futile effort. Maria would never accept them. “Maybe it’s our destiny to help them.”

Maria scoffed and said, “Not mine babe,” before heading downstairs to start her shift.

When Liz entered the restaurant, through the kitchen door, she saw that he wasn’t there yet. Trying to push away her disappointment, she decided to use this opportunity to continue the discussion with Maria.

“I’m sorry that I keep forcing you into this conversation, I just want you to see them the way that I do.”

“No, Liz, I don’t want to see them through your clouded, idealistic eyes. I already see them for what they are.”

“And how is that?”

“A pretentious Ice Queen Bitch, a dark and creepy guy who is always glaring at us, and a quiet control freak who is slowly taking my best friend away from me.”

“Maria—“

“Save it. He’s here, with THEM, and I have customers to help.”

Liz watched her walk to a table of people, and closed her eyes, pained. When she opened them again, she saw Max peering down at her with his gorgeous brown eyes.

“You ready, M’Lady?” he asked.

Liz nodded and took his arm. She glanced back at Maria, who was watching, and gave an apologetic smile, which was returned. Sighing in relief, she happily left with Max.

***

Maria watched her go and felt jealous. She wished that she had someone to go out with that night. Instead, she was stuck working. Trying to push away all her thoughts, she quickly scanned the room to see who needed help. She was dismayed to find that the only ones were the other two from the trio, Isabel and Michael.

Grabbing one of her oils from behind the counter, she inhaled the thick scent. She didn’t care which one she grabbed because at this point, it didn’t matter. Nothing was going to help her. Putting on her bravest, uncaring face, Maria reached their booth.

“What can I get you?” She wasn’t sure who made her more nervous, Isabel, with her haughty and cold attitude or Michael, with his deep and intense eyes. She shivered as she felt them bore into her, as if he were seeing into her soul.

“Just get me some fries and a coke,” Isabel ordered.

Maria unwillingly moved her gaze to the tall teen to her right. His eyes never left hers as he spoke.

“I’ll have the Chewbacca Burger with fries and a coke.”

She dumbly nodded and then scurried off to the safety of the other side of the restaurant.

***

“Do you have to do that?” Isabel asked, her voice in full testament to the annoyance she felt, after the blonde waitress had left.

“Do what?” Michael mumbled, his eyes still following Maria.

“Stare at her like that. God, it even makes me uncomfortable.”

“Isabel, she knows,” he said simply.

“Oh, and creeping her out completely is going to keep her from telling? Give me a break! If anything, she may confess everything to Valenti, just to get you to stop staring at her like a stalker.”

“What do you suggest then, huh?”