His hands slipped up the back of her sweatshirt, his fingers sending bolts of fire through her entire nervous system. Maria ran small circles with her own hands over his shirtless chest, loving the feel of his muscular pecs.

"Oh Michael," she moaned into his mouth as their tongues slowly danced.

"Maria," he moaned back, the sound of her name on his lips sending warmth all the way down to her painted toes.

She whimpered when he pulled back and then opened her eyes. In that instant, her head cleared and the world shattered before her eyes.

"Michael? What the hell was that?" she pushed him away. "You're playing games with me again! Why are you doing this to me?"

Michael stepped back and reached to put his hands in his pockets but it didn't work to well because there were no pockets in his swim trunks. "Maria, I'm not. I'm not playing games."

"What are you doing then?" she cried. She didn't allow herself to hope that he really wanted to be with her. That would be too much. Besides, they had been down this road before and it always led to her inevitable heartbreak. He didn't answer right away and every second that passed sent knife-blades slashing through her heart. "What Michael? What are you doing? What?"

Michael cleared his throat and walked over to her bunk, sitting down. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. He looked uncomfortable when he spoke but Maria could tell that he meant every word he said. "I don't know what I'm doing, Maria. But I know for one thing that I'm not playing games. Look, I'm supposed to be with Isabel, that's who I was intended for by my people, but I'm so confused because she may be my destiny but you're the one I want. You're the one I've always wanted. And when I held you just now, all the things I've ever felt for you just came rushing back and I was kissing you before I knew it."

Maria nodded because the same thing had happened to her. She walked over to sit next to Michael and grabbed his hand, playing with his fingers. She kept her eyes on his had as she spoke. "If that's true, than the only question there is to ask is this: what are you going to do about it?"

*****

"What was she talking about Max?" Tess demanded as Max climbed out of the lake.

Max crossed his arms over his chest and looked her in the eye. "I think you know exactly what she was talking about and if you don't, you're more dense than I thought."

"What?" Tess cried, still not getting it.

"Let me spell it out for you Tess. I don't want to be with you anymore. I don't love you, I love Liz."

Tess's mouth fell open. "But, that can't be. You and I, were destined for each other. We have to be together! You have to be with me!"

"I don't have to do anything, Tess. I tried it with you because I thought that we were destined for each, that we were planned for each other but it didn't make me happy. You don't make me happy. Only Liz can do that. I think we should just be friends."

"You'd be willing to go against your people's plans for you because of a human? She's not even the same race as you!"

Max smiled. "Yeah, I would. I think you forget Tess, I was raised human, with a normal human life, normal human parents, and I want my anything - but - normal human girlfriend." He shrugged. "Sorry."

Tess gritted her teeth. "You're serious? You'd rather dump me, someone who is beautiful and popular, for that frumpy little waif, that braniac?"

Max nodded. "Yeah, I would."

Tess was seething. She balled her fists at her sides and gave him the look of death. She let out a cry of frustration and then pushed him back in the water. When he broke the surface, she spat, "I hate you Max Evans!" And then she stalked away leaving Max and Isabel staring after her.

Isabel turned to look at her brother. "Are you sure?"

Max sighed. "Yes, Iz. I'm sure. I just can't do this anymore."

"But doesn't it bother you that you're going against our people's plans for us?"

Max shook his head. "No, it doesn't. You and Michael can lie to yourselves all you want but I'm done lying. Liz is the one I want and no one is going to tell me I have to be with someone else. Think, Izzy, if we hadn't found out about our so-called destiny, we would have all been happy with the way things were. Like I said, I'm sick of living a lie. Aren't you?"

*****

Liz and Alex couldn't find Maria anywhere so they figured that she had gone back to the cabin. They decided to walk back to the lake to get theirs and Maria's things before checking at the cabin and one their way, they ran into a fuming Tess.

She was walking up the path, muttering to herself and when she saw Liz, her eyes narrowed and she stalked up to her.

"What do you want Tess?" Liz asked impatiently when the girl didn't say anything to her.

"Bitch!" the blond girl swore and slapped Liz hard across the face. Liz's head snapped back and it took a moment for her vision to clear.

"What the...what is your problem?" Alex yelled, grabbing Tess by the arm and swinging her around to face him.

She glared at him. "I hate you! All of you! You're nothing but human trash!" Using her powers she easily swatted him away like a fly and then turned on Liz. "Fucking Bitch! I hate you!" She grabbed Liz by the hair and drew her fist back.

The last time, Liz had been taken by surprise but this time, she was prepared. Something snapped inside of her and her hands reached out for Tess' shoulders. She rose one of her legs up and landed her knee in Tess' stomach and Tess released her as she fell to the ground on her knees and doubled over gasping.

Liz maneuvered so that she was standing in front of Tess and she smacked her just as hard as Tess had smacked her. The girl's head snapped back with pop and when she looked back, Liz could see her own hand print on the girl's face. "I don't know why the hell you're freaking out but this has nothing to do with me and if you ever and I mean EVER touch me again I will kill you!"

Alex's eyes widened. He had never seen Liz like this. The Liz he knew would never hurt a fly but he knew that when her heart got broken, things about Liz had begun to change and her temper had been one of them.

"Go to hell!" Tess shot back. "I'm gonna..."

"You're gonna what Tess?" Liz growled, yanking on the girl's hair. "You're gonna kill me? Hurt me? Spit it out! You already did the worst thing you could to me, taking Max away from me so there is really nothing else you can do that could hurt anymore than that. Make all the threats you want but I'm not going to stand around and take it anymore!" She released Tess and her leg shot out, shoving Tess to a heap on the ground.

"Come on," Alex urged, wrapping an arm around Liz.

Liz nodded and let her breath out in a shudder. "Yeah, let's go."

The two left Tess lying on the ground as they continued on to the beach to get their stuff. Alex glanced at Liz as they retrieved their stuff. "So, are you okay?"

Liz looked up and said, "Actually, I feel sick to my stomach. I don't know what happened back there. I just snapped."

"Why do you think she attacked you?"

"I can tell you the answer to that," a new voice said and both their heads whipped around to see Isabel and Max standing a few feet away.

Alex stiffened and turned back towards Liz. "Come on, let's get you back to your cabin."

Isabel appeared at Alex's side. "Wait. Can we talk?"

Alex's body flooded with tension as her hand touched him lightly on the arm. "We have nothing to talk about, Isabel," he muttered.

"I think we do," she protested. "Please just give me five minutes and if you don't like what I have to say, you can leave."

Alex considered for a moment but then shook his head. "No, It's getting dark. I want to make sure that Liz gets back to her cabin safely."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she gets back okay," Max said, his eyes locked on Liz's.

Alex looked at Liz to see if that was okay with her and she nodded. "Go ahead. I'll be fine."