Hey, guess what? Someone has a brilliant idea that involves you, but she wants me to tell you about it. Tomorrow Alex is driving to some kinda special superduper underground music store they opened just out of town... No, "underground" like that's the kind of music they sell, not like the actual store is underground. Anyway, this nameless person realized that you two never had your little buddy movie last year... No, never mind, don't ask, just do this. So Maria - I mean, heh, the nameless person - thinks the only way to rectify that situation is to get some bonding time in between you guys. Break down some barriers, get away from it all for a couple of hours. Who knows, maybe you guys can hook up and you'll get a little nookie- OW! Dammit, Tess, that's a pressure point! Jeez.... No, it's okay, I'm fine, don't worry about it. Seriously, I did almost die with Alex and all. Trust me, he can be a pretty cool guy.

This is what Maria said:

Come on, you've been talking about this store for a month since I found that flyer for you. What's the difference if you go by yourself or take one other person? Listen, Alex, it isn't just for you and her, it's for the good of the group. Just keep repeating that to yourself. Max and Liz are getting all cozy and, like, teetering on the edge of the inevitable and I'm just worried about Tess being sort of isolated... What? It's not like I hate her, I do care about her- okay, here's the truth: There's certain things I can't entirely tell you but it's just really important that she feels welcome here, so she doesn't want to leave or anything. That would be very very- just trust me, okay? Understand?

This is the problem: They both had to throw trust in there. That was so unfair.

***

"This is completely unfair." Tess announced, harshly enunciating each word.

"Don't worry, it's only a couple... dozen miles."

She sighed as loudly and purposefully as she could and leaned back in her seat. Yet another problem: she had already done that twice before, and they weren't even past the UFO center yet. She folded and unfolded the piece of paper in her hand. "So where'd you get these weird questions from anyway?"

"I dunno, Maria gave them to me. It's before your time. See, back in the day..." Alex looked up from the steering wheel and saw her rolling her eyes. "Alright, long story short? It was a school assignment a while back, for history or something. Everybody ended up paired off together. Maria was with Michael, so eventually she put all the questions and answers in the Michael file-"

"The Michael file?"

"Yeah, that's a shoebox. Aaaaand I just remembered I'm not supposed to tell anyone about it, so shush."

"Secret's safe with me, buddy."

"Anyway, all the Cool In-On-The-Alien-Stuff people who count did it except us. So..."

"Mmm. Fascinating. And such important questions too. I mean - What's your favorite ice cream flavor?"

"Rocky Road."

She shot him a look that made him sorry he didn't have a tail to put between his legs. "Uh, you don't honestly wanna do this, do you?"

"No," he fake laughed. "No, of course not.... I mean, it's just if we get bored or something.... If you wanted to..."

She sighed again, this time adding a little annoyed grunt at the end. "No, no, you've obviously got your hopes up. If we're gonna do this, let's at least go through it fast, okay? Favorite relative."

"My uncle Jeff. He was a-"

"I don't really care," Tess mumbled. Alex winced. It's for the good of the group, the good of the group. "Favorite subject in school."

"Electronics. It's alright, you know. We don't have to do this. In fact, we don't even have to go if you don't want to. I mean, I want to go get some indie CDs, but I'll take you back home and I'll give Maria her money back later."

Tess suddenly looked up from the sheet. "She paid you to take me?" Oops. She blinked a couple of times, then looked back down. "Favorite TV show."

"The Simpsons. Listen, don't take the payment thing in a bad way, like bribery or something. She's... Maria's kind of a friendship pimp."

"Well, it sounds so sweet when you put it that way. Favorite movie."

"I- I don't know. Didn't you get paid?"

"Nope. Cheapskate. Favorite movie."

"Groundhog Day? I don't know, I just saw it, it's in my head. Hey, if you didn't get paid, then... why are you here?"

She shrugged. "Don't start flattering yourself. I was bored, I wanted a ride."

"Oh, glad I could help then. So what's the next question?"

Tess glanced back at the survey "I'm sick of this already."

Alex bit his lip and smiled. For. The good. Of the group. "Let me ask you one, please? What was the first one again? Ice cream?"

"I don't think so."

"Come on, how about a deal? There's a nice little diner on the way to this place. But we can't stop and get any ice cream unless..."

"You're a crafty guy, aren't ya? But they won't have it anyway."

"You're favorite ice cream flavor is just so incredible and amazing it can only be purchased at certain locations?"

"Yep."

"Now I'm dying of suspense."

Tess groaned and leaned back, but she was now smiling a little. "Starbucks gellato - caramel and cream.'' Her smile faded and she shook her head nonchalantly. ''Okay, whatever, you can give me the stupid questions."

"Alright, Lightning Round." He looked away from the red traffic light and she held up the questions for him to see. "Favorite relative."

"I'll mark a little N/A next to that one."

"Gotcha. Favorite subject in school."

"History's the easiest to sleep through."

"Charming. What's your favorite television show?"

It was probably the reflection of the traffic light, but for a second it looked like Tess was almost blushing. "America's Most Wanted."

"Excuse me?"

"It's... shut up, it's a thing. You have to watch it with other people, just- never mind."

"Ohhhhhhhh, okay."

"Shut up."

"What's your favorite movie?"

"If you say one word about this - Edward Scissorhands."

"I like that movie. I've got nothing to say. I respect other people's thoughts and feelings, Tess. Apparently, it's a rare thing nowadays, at the start of the 21st century, in this car..."

"Green light, o respectful one."

He turned back to the road and drove until he saw the jolly green alien billboard inform them they were Now Leaving Roswell, New Mexico. "What's the next question?"

"What's the best thing that ever happened to you?"

"Okay, don't rush me. That takes a little thought."

"Whenever you're ready." She looked up and began giving him a Glare Of Death.

He flinched and tried to concentrate on the road. "Don't - stop it - come on, you're gonna make me say something stupid. Going to Sweden? Yeah, that's it."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it. I can't explain how incredible it was. Not the country itself, but seeing new things, learning and growing, I - it was like really finding myself for the first time in my life."

"And here I thought it was all about the Swedish babes."

"Eh, for the most part the babes are overrated."

"No!"

He caught himself genuinely laughing. "So what's the best thing that happened to you?"

"I don't have one. I'm waiting for it."

"But in the meantime..."

"No, I don't need a best thing yet. It'll come."

Some part of Alex's brain knew he should leave it at that, but for some reason it wasn't properly getting through to his mouth. "Yeah, okay, but what if it doesn't or it takes a really long time to come? When do you stop waiting for it and be happy?'' She only sighed again in response. Oh brother. "Listen, when I was away, I really got in touch with everything around me and-"

"You sound like Buddha Boy."

Alex ignored her and started waxing philosophical. "I just think each person has the potential for a very cool life if they do something with it and don't focus on bad things. Every day you wake up and you're alive and you don't, like, get your ass kicked is a good day. You start with that and go from there."

"Gee, that's poetic. I'll write that down and underline it. Can we go to the next question now? It's 'What's the worst thing that ever happened to you?' Now see, that one I've got. Probably- probably Nasedo dying." Her face scrunched up "Oh, and getting kidnapped."

They sat in awkward silence for a minute. Alex muttered, "Those don't translate too well onto a college essay, do they?"

"Nuh-uh." Tess cracked a little relieved smile - she did look kind of cute like that.

"So you wanna know mine?"

She paused as if she was actually, physically thinking about it. "Yeah, I guess."

"Okay. It was being left out. You don't remember - you weren't here yet. I don't know if anybody really told you all the..." Tess shook her head no. "Well, there was this weird, like, couple of months after everything with Liz. There was always me and her and Maria since we were little kids watching cartoons - well, that's not a good choice of words, some of us are still watching them, but anyway... All of a sudden, I was this outsider, like I wasn't good enough to be in on the big mysterious secret. It was pretty bad. Doesn't rank anywhere near - you know - but it was bad. That's my worst thing. It just feels weird when you're not really in. I would talk to them and they always knew something I didn't and lied and avoided and acted like I was that creepy kid they didn't want to hang out with-"

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"You do? Oh right, yeah, you do." He caught himself. "I mean, you're kinda - not in a bad way, you're just-"