"Hey," said Alex. "Liz just finished her shift. She's upstairs changing."

"Ok," said Max. "You two ready for some extreme bowling?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," said Isabel. "Oh, here comes Liz."

Everyone stood up and looked at each other uncomfortably. "Uh, we should go," said Alex. "We have to get there before all of the good lanes are taken."

Isabel had to contain her laughter once again. Alex was a total bowling guru. Before Max had come in, Alex had been talking nonstop about bowling this and bowling that. He even had his own bowling ball and bowling shoes.

They walked outside to where Max had parked his jeep. He opened the door for Liz as Alex opened another door for Isabel. They all got in and headed for the bowling alley.

They talked on the way there, but everyone noticed that Liz was being extremely quiet. Max brushed it off as shyness or nervousness.

They finally reached their destination and hurried into the building to be met by the sounds of bowling balls rolling, pins crashing, and people cheering.

Alex led them to the main desk, leaned over towards the guy working there, and said, "Hey, Kyle, cuz, can you hook me up with lanes 12 and 13?"

"Sure," said Kyle, collecting their money.

They went to get shoes and Liz explained to Max, "Kyle is our older cousin, so he can always get Alex the lanes he wants."

"Cool," said Max. He didn't know what else to say, and he was a little surprised that Liz had spoken because for the past 10 minutes she hadn't uttered a word.

They all got their dorky little bowling shoes on and walked to their lanes. On the way they stopped and picked out bowling balls to use.

They started to bowl, and everyone started to loosen up and be less nervous around each other. None of them knew they were being watched.

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

"I feel bad," Tess whispered.

"What? Why?" hissed Maria.

"Max and Isabel look so happy with Liz and Alex. I mean, is it really any of our business who they want to start relationships with? And Liz and Alex just look so innocent. Isn't it kind of drastic to be spying on them while they're on a date?"

"No, it's not drastic," whispered Michael, from behind the girls. "It's what has to be done. As for their innocent looks, that could be a cover for whatever kind of secret they're hiding."

"We don't know that they even have a secret to hide!" Tess argued, her voice getting louder.

"Yes we do! Liz had the flashes too! You know that's never happened to anyone other than us aliens. I mean, you hang out with us all the time, and you've never gotten a flash. My point is, spying on them is the key element now to keeping our secret."

"Michael, they'd have more reason to spy on you than you have to spy on them!" Tess turned to Maria. "I agreed this morning to help you, but I've changed my mind. I can't spy on Max and Isabel like this cause they're my friends. And Liz and Alex don't exactly strike me as being some kind of enemy!"

Tess turned to walk out the door and walked right into someone. "Oh, geeze, I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't see you there."

"You're Tess, right? I'm Kyle Valenti, Alex and Liz's cousin. So tell me, why are you spying on them?"

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

Max drove the jeep up to the front of the Crashdown and helped Liz out. Alex and Isabel went off somewhere to talk before Max would drive her home.

Max and Liz walked into the Crashdown. Liz looked around nervously, not making eye contact with Max.

"I should really be going upstairs now," said Liz, turning to go. Max reached out and gently grabbed her arm.

"Liz, do I make you nervous?"

"N-nervous? No. No! I mean, why would you make me…nervous?" Liz stammered.

A concerned look spread across Max's face. "You are nervous. Why? Liz, I really like you. You don't have to be scared of me."

"I'm not. Scared of you, I mean. I'm just…never mind."

"No, what? You're just what?"

"I'm scared of what's happening to me."

"What's happening to you?"

"I feel dizzy…when I'm near you. I-I'm scared of my feelings."

Max nodded. "Liz, I feel the same way around you. It's not scary…it's wonderful."

"No, it's not. I've always told myself I couldn't get involved with "the popular kids". I mean, a lot of people in your group have reputations for using the less popular kids, and then dumping them. I can't let that happen. I can't let myself get hurt. I can't lose control--the way I do when I'm around you."

"Liz, I'm not going to use you and dump you. I'm not like that. Give me a chance. Please. Go out with me again."

"Max, I can't." Liz turned around and walked into the back room and up the stairs, holding back the urge to run back to Max and say that she hadn't meant it. That she'd love to go out with him again.

She walked into her room and grabbed her journal and her favorite pen. She climbed through her window onto her balcony and sat down in her chair. She started writing, the pen flying across the paper. She didn't even hear anyone climb up the ladder.

"Liz." She looked up quickly and slammed her journal shut.

"Max! What-what are you-" She was interrupted by Max's warm lips pressing against hers. She started to kiss him back. Her mind cleared up a little and she pushed him away.

"No, Max! We can't…we can't be together."

She got up to go back into her room, but Max's words stopped her.

"Yes we can, Liz. We just proved it. I kissed you…and you kissed me back. Don't tell me that kiss meant nothing."

"That's not the point. I mean, sure, maybe it meant something. But that's just-that's just not the point here." She climbed back into her room and shut the window.