"We're going Max! And that's final!" Philip Evans called after his son, his voice finally raised to a yell.

Isabel Evans flinched as her brother slammed his bedroom door. Music suddenly blared from behind it - Metallica if she was not wrong...Darn Michael! She thought...Why did he have to give that CD to Max for Christmas?

She curled up in the corner of the couch, pulling her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. She eyed her father and mother, who were still staring after Max, angry and hurt expressions reflected on their faces.

Why does Max have to be such a jerk all the time? Isabel asked herself for the thousandth time...Why doesn't he care how much he's hurting everyone?

Because he doesn't care about anything anymore, a little voice in the back of her mind told her, and he hasn't for almost a year...ever since Liz Parker walked away from him.

Diane Evans sank into a recliner near Isabel, taking her daughter's hand. "We're sorry that you got pulled into the middle of this again Izzy." Tears were beginning to form in her mother's blue eyes..."We just think that this trip might be good for your brother. He never leaves his room anymore, only to go to school...."

And barely even there, Isabel thought wryly to herself. She couldn't remember the last time she had actually seen Max at school...she knew for a fact that he had almost flunked three of his classes in first semester.

"It's okay mom," Isabel squeezed her mother's hand. "We did have fun last year, right Daddy?" Philip Evans turned and smiled weakly.

"We sure did Iz." Suddenly his face lit up. "Hey! Do you think Max might want to come if we ask Michael along?"

Isabel nodded reluctantly. Max and Michael were still inseparable. However, she was not currently Michael's biggest fan. "Yeah, probably dad." Philip nodded enthusiastically.

"And you can invite Tess..." Isabel raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure that camping is exactly Tess' thing." She muttered. But Isabel knew that if Tess knew that Max was going, she would come. Isabel wasn't really sure she cared one way or the other. Yes, Tess was technically her best friend, but really only due to circumstance.

Isabel felt a brief pang..."Alex..." But she quickly supressed it. It was too painful. Their break-up had been doubly brutal, because not only had he been her boyfriend, he had been her best friend too - the only non-alien she could really depend on, the only one who had known - and loved - the real her. They had tried so hard to stay together, despite all that destiny crap, but what with Max and Liz, and Michael and Maria...it had just been impossible...

Isabel thought she might have been able to handle it if she had had someone to talk to, but there was just no one...Michael was impenetrable, Tess was annoying and Max....