"I said yes."

"Ok. You said yes. What did you say yes to?" asked Alex, leading Liz into his room.

"I said yes to Max. We're uh…we're going out on Friday."

"Wow, that's great Lizzie!" said Alex, giving her a hug. When she didn't hug him back, he said, "Oh, um, maybe it's not so great? What's wrong?"

"Maria was asking me all these questions. She confused me, and she made me really uncomfortable…"

"What was she asking about?" said Alex with concern.

"Ok, I kind of wanted to tell you this before, but I kind of didn't. I've had a couple of dreams about me and Max, out in the desert. And they seemed so real…he felt so real. And today Maria asked me if I'd been having dreams. The only way that I can figure she knows about the dreams is that Max has had them too, and he told her."

Alex looked blankly at Liz. He didn't know what to say…finally he thought of a question. "Do you have any ideas as to why you and Max might be having the same dreams?"

"No," said Liz, letting out a nervous laugh. "It's not even scientifically possible for two people to have the same dreams. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Maria said Max, and some other people, whom she didn't name, were different."

"Different? How? Did she mean adopted? 'Cause everyone know that Maria and Max are adopted. So are Isabel and Michael."

"I don't know what she meant. She just said she couldn't tell me. But she just…she just made me nervous, Alex. And she made me nervous about Max…"

Alex hugged Liz again, this time getting hugged back. "What would make you less nervous about Max?" asked Alex.

Liz sat up straight. "Alex, are you and Isabel going out again?"

"Yeah," said Alex, a goofy grin spreading over his face. "We're gonna make plans tomorrow. Why?"

"Max and I are going out on Friday. Do you think you and Isabel could go on a double date with us? We could talk to them about it at lunch."

"Sure," said Alex. "I'm up for that."

"Thanks," said Liz. "You're the sweetest brother ever!"

"I know," said Alex, laughing. "Is that all? I'm tired…"

"Yeah," said Liz, getting up to leave. "Oh, Maria said something about how I shouldn't get close to Max and you shouldn't get close to Isabel because 'it just can't be that way', or something like that."

"Ok," said Alex, knowing that would be a problem.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was 7:00 a.m. and Michael was being dragged around the school by Maria. She literally did have to drag him…he wasn't what you'd call a morning person. He didn't even know why he was at school so early except that Maria wanted to talk to everyone.

They saw Max, Isabel, and Tess sitting by a huge tree and walked over. They sat down and then everyone looked at Maria. They were all thinking the same thing, 'This better be important to have dragged me to school half an hour early!'

"I bet you're all wondering why I asked you to meet me here," said Maria. There were groans and grumbles and a few yawns in response.

"It's about Liz Parker."

Max looked up sharply. "What about Liz?" he asked.

"Max, she's also having fantasies, or whatever you want to call them."

"What fantasies?" asked Isabel and Tess at the same time.

"Max has some sex fantasies about Liz," said Michael, smirking.

"They're not sex fantasies, Michael!" said Max. "But they are very intense. Maria, how do you know what Liz is dreaming?" He stood up quickly and glared down at his sister. "Were you dream walking her?"

"No, Max! I just asked her a few questions."

"Why? I already told you, the fantasies aren't alien-related! Why do you have to go butting into my business? You always do this, Maria!"

"Max, if she's an alien, it's not just your business!"

"SHE'S NOT AN ALIEN!" Max screamed.

Other students started to stare at Max and his friends. Michael laughed nervously. "He's just practicing for the play auditions, people, there's nothing to see here." Michael waved people past and gave them dirty looks if they continued to stare. He turned back to Max. "Thanks, Maxwell! You almost revealed our secret lives to the whole damn school!"

"Just get off my back, Michael. You too, Maria. Just leave me and Liz alone!" He walked off.

"I think that went very well," said Tess sarcastically.

"I don't feel that Liz is too suspicious," said Maria. "But we need to watch her…and Alex too."

Isabel looked up. "Why?"

"Because if Liz is an alien, he would be too. They're twins. But he shouldn't be a big problem. You only went out with him once."

"Actually…I agreed to go out with him again."

"Ew!" exclaimed Tess. Isabel gave her an evil look. "What? He's gross…and really nerdy!"

"He's sweet and caring. He's not like all the popular guys that just want to maul me."

"Ok, enough said," Michael said. "I don't want to hear about guys mauling my sister. And I don't think you should go out with Alex. Geeze, can't you people remember that we have an image to uphold?"

"Michael, that's no longer the focal point of my life. You cannot and will not tell me who to date!" Isabel stood up and walked in the direction Max had stormed off.

"I agree with you, Maria," said Michael. "We need to keep a close watch on them."

"I agree," said Tess. "We should follow them sometimes, you know?"

"Ok," said Maria. "We'll talk about this more some other time. Let's get to class."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Alex and Liz walked into the cafeteria, carrying their lunches. They looked around nervously for the table that Isabel and Max would be sitting at. Liz finally spotted them, sitting alone. She pointed it out to Alex and they started to walk over.

"Why aren't they with their siblings and other friends?" asked Alex.

"I have no idea," said Liz. "Who cares? At least now we don't have to look stupid in front of a bunch of people."

"Good point," said Alex. They say down at the table, across from Max and Isabel.

"Hi," said Alex shyly.

"Wow," said Max. "This is a surprise. Having you sit with us, I mean."

Liz smiled a little. "We have a question to ask you. Would you be willing to go out on a double date? This Friday, instead of a single date…it was just an idea…" Liz looked at Alex for support.

"I think it's a good idea," he said. "But it's up to you two."

"Sure," said Isabel, looking at Max.

"Ok," he said. He really wanted his and Liz's first date to be a single date, but if Liz wanted a double date, that's what she'd get.

"How about we go bowling?" asked Isabel. "Bowling is always fun for double dates."

Everyone agreed to meet at the Crashdown on Friday night at 9:00 to go bowling. They finished eating lunch together and right before the bell rang, Alex asked, "Why aren't you two with your whole group?"