Still getting no response, he tried the handle - locked. He used a small blast of his power to unlock the door, then gently pushed it open. Isabel was under her covers, facing away from him.

"Hey, Is," he said softly.

She stirred but didn't turn to look at him.

"Is?"

"Go ahead without me," she finally answered, her voice muffled by the blankets and pillows. She sounded tired, not herself.

Max sat down on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on her hip. "You okay?" he asked, concern furrowing his brow.

She sighed. "Yeah, I'm just…I don't know."

He leaned over so he could look over her shoulder. She looked pale. "Is something wrong?"

Isabel turned her head so she could look at him. "I don't feel good."

Max was taken aback. They never got sick, and here she was telling him she didn't feel good. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know." She heaved another sigh and laid her head back down on the pillows. Pulling the covers to her chin, she closed her eyes and tried to will her brother away. She just wanted to be left alone. "I'll be okay, Max. Just go to school."

"Are you sure - "

Isabel's dark eyes snapped open as she cut him off. "I said I'm okay, Max!" Her harsh tone caused Max to withdraw. "God, I don't need you hovering over me like some mother chicken!"

Max jumped to his feet, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Okay, but if you need-"

"Jeez, would you just leave!"

With that, he couldn't move fast enough.

"And shut that door on the way out! It was locked for a reason!"

Max closed the door obediently, then stood dumbfounded in the hallway. He and Isabel had fought before, but never had her anger been so aggressive or so unprovoked. And what was with her saying she didn't feel good? In what way didn't she feel good? Sometimes they would get the occasional upset stomach, but as far as serious illness or even the flu was concerned, they'd been immune.

Diane Evans emerged from her bedroom as she was strapping on her watch. Her expression turned to amusement when she saw her son standing outside of Isabel's room looking like he'd just been slapped back into his place. Princess Isabel must have struck again.

"You okay?" she called down the hall.

Max's head jerked up at her voice. "Yeah."

"Was that Isabel I heard yelling?"

"Um, yeah."

"What did you do this time?"

Max tried to give his best innocent smile. "Nothing."

Diane nodded, knowing that her saintly son wasn't always so angelic when it came to tormenting his sister. "Okay, well she better get a move on if she is going to get to school on time. You, too."

Max only nodded and descended the stairs. He wasn't about to tell his mother that Isabel was claiming to be ill - Diane would be in her room in two seconds hovering more than Max had been. And God knows how Isabel would react to that.

______________________________________________________________________

Liz Parker watched Max from across the quad, wondering if she would ever be over him. Maria DeLuca sat to her left, ranting about some English assignment she'd totally booted, but Liz wasn't hearing a word. She was too focused on Max. He was sitting by himself, eating slowly, flipping through his math book as he did his homework. Liz couldn't help but feel sorry for him - how could any one person look so lost? She wanted to walk over to him, put her arms around him and give him a big hug.

But she couldn't do that. Not part of the agreement. At this point she didn't even feel like she could walk over and just say "Hi." He looked as though something was troubling him, even through the concentration of his homework. And, Liz would never admit this to anyone, but since Max had connected with her when he'd healed her last fall she sometimes felt like she could feel what he was feeling. Like getting a vibe from someone, although she didn't feel like she needed to be anywhere near him to get the vibe. Once she awoke in the middle of the night frightened half to death for no reason, then the next day had overheard Max telling Michael about a nightmare he'd had. It was creepy.

"Liz, are you even listening to me?"

Liz looked to Maria, who was in total disgust at the lack of attention she was receiving. "Oh, yeah, Maria. I'm sorry, it's just…"

Maria followed Liz's gaze. "It's just Max Evans," she concluded for her friend. Maria crossed her arms over her thin body. "Liz, we have had this discussion before. Don't make me go through all of it again."

"I know, Maria, I know. It's just…"

"It's just you're pathetic?" Maria offered. "Get over him. Find someone else to date. There's plenty of other guys around."

"I know, they're just not - "

"Max Evans."

"Jeez, would you stop finishing my sentences?"

Maria laughed. "See how predictable you are?" She caught Liz's frown and her expression softened as she placed a hand on Liz's leg. "Look, babe. He gave you the boot. It's time to move on. Some day you'll kick yourself for wasting precious guy-finding time pining over him."

Liz shrugged, the frown still on her lips. "Yeah, I guess." She'd agree with Maria if it got her to stop trying to talk her out of her feelings. She couldn't help the way she felt - she didn't choose to love Max. She didn't have a choice in the matter - she loved him and it was as simple and as complicated as that.

"Oh, my God."

Liz's head snapped up at Maria's gasp. She followed her gaze to the other side of the quad where Isabel was cuddling up to some of the football players. They were starting to cause a commotion. Isabel was wearing a very short skirt and a very low-cut, skin-tight top. Her hair was teased, and her makeup looked like it had been put on with a trowel. Liz saw one of Isabel's hands curve around the butt of one of the jocks. Liz looked to Max just as he turned around to see what the fracas was about. He'd barely turned around when he was on his feet and over to the group.

Max grabbed Isabel by the arm and drug her away from the group of guys. "What're you doing?" he whispered loudly.

Isabel's eyes were cold as she shook off his hand. "Leave me alone, Max." Her voice was like ice water. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and started back to the group. "I'm making new friends."

Max grabbed her arm again. "Let's go home," he demanded, knowing something wasn't right.

Isabel whirled, her hand balled into a fist. Max let go of her arm as the fist made contact with his nose. He heard the crunch of bones and was sent sprawling on the ground. A roar of laughter erupted from the football players as Isabel sauntered her way back over to them.

Liz was on her feet and running for Max before Maria could stop her.

"Hey, Evans," came a stab from one of the jocks. "Gonna let your sister beat you up like that? What a wuss."

Liz knelt on the ground, holding out a napkin to Max. There was blood pouring from his nose - it had spattered his shirt and cheeks, and Liz thought she even saw some in his hair. The force with which Isabel had struck him must've been incredible.

"Max," Liz said, trying to dab away the blood. "Are you okay?"

Max had struggled to a sitting position, his world spinning partly from the blow, partly from the fact that Isabel had done this to him. There was a persistent ringing in his ears and a steady throb in his head. Through his distorted vision, he though he saw an angel…it looked a lot like Liz Parker.

"I think so." He looked over to where Isabel was leaving the quad with the jocks. This was bad. He started to get to his feet to follow them, but found himself letting Liz lead him to a bench instead.

"Here, put your head back," Liz was saying, trying to hold the now saturated napkin over his nose.

Maria appeared at Liz's side. "Get him inside," she warned, her eyes rolling toward the door where the vice-principal had appeared.

Max gently pushed Liz's hand away. "I'll take care of it," he said, then disappeared into the building.

In the bathroom, Max waited until everyone was gone, then healed his broken nose. He left some abrasions since so many people had seen the incident. God, what was that all about? First Isabel's open hostility to his concern that morning, then her dressing up like a streetwalker to come to school, then her attack on him. And where had she summoned that much strength? Isabel would never strike Max - especially not in public and especially not in the nose - and even if they did get into a little rough-and-tumble, she'd never been stronger than him.

Max half-jokingly wondered if Isabel had an evil twin.

"Maxwell."

Max looked to the door where Michael Guerin had entered. Michael was systematically checking under the stall doors for occupants.

"I heard," he said once he'd established privacy. "What's going on?"

Max shrugged. "I don't know." He relayed the events of the morning to his friend, and of the incident that had just transpired.

Michael scratched his head. "Wicked case of PMS?" he ventured.

Max cocked his head, wondering if Michael dared voice that thought in Isabel's presence. "It's not like her. Something is wrong."

______________________________________________________________________

Max walked through the front door of the house. He could hear the TV in the living room and cautiously looked around the corner. Isabel was sitting on the couch, her legs pulled up beneath her, a magazine in her lap. She was no longer wearing the shirt and mini skirt - she had on a pair of sweat pants and one of Max's sweatshirts. She didn't look like she'd been anywhere.

Max decided to play it cool. "Hey, Is."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Hey, Max."

"Are you feeling better?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I was just tired, I guess." She studied his face. "What happened to your nose?"

Max tried to conceal his shock at her question. "Gym." There was no reaction from her. "I got elbowed."

"Oh, sorry." She looked back to her magazine.