Isabel, who was sitting on Max’s bed, looked at Michael knowingly.

“You did it?” Michael asked. Isabel nodded in reply.

“Did what?” Max’s voice was like ice. Carefully enunciating every syllable, he asked again, “What did you do Isabel?”

“Listen, Max.” Isabel’s voice was stubborn, undaunted. During the time it had taken Michael to get to the house she had regained control of her feelings. Besides, she was used to these routine debates with her brother. Just because he chose to be the moral conscience for all three of them didn’t mean she had to listen. “During cheer practice, I saw Liz leaving school early today. She was upset. Really upset. I could see that she was crying.” Isabel saw her brother’s anger being replaced by concern. “The thing was,” she continued, “she was with Kyle Valenti. He was trying to comfort her or something. And then, I saw them drive off together.”

“And you didn’t tell me this until now?” Max’s voice was simultaneously confused and concerned over what he heard his sister telling him. The same question kept repeating in his mind: What had happened at the Principal’s office that made Liz so upset? And why did she leave school with Kyle?

“Max,” Michael spoke up, “It’s no secret how you feel about Liz. Of course Isabel didn’t want to tell you she saw Liz with Kyle.”

“So the next logical step would be to tell you, huh?” Max stared accusingly at Michael and then at his sister, his eyes demanding further explanation.

“Max, it wasn’t like that.” Isabel protested.

“Come on, Max. Get off it.” Michael said. "It’s not like you haven’t kept something from us before.”

“I think you better just tell me what is going on here.” Max was becoming increasingly annoyed with the situation.

“Max, you gotta understand. I wasn’t just going to watch Liz take off with Kyle Valenti and not do anything about it. Especially since his father is enemy number one.” Isabel crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn’t going to let him make her feel bad. She had every right to look into the situation.

“Isabel, just get to the part where you tell me what you did.” Max was tired of going round and round over this. Granted, he was taken back by Isabel’s revelation that Liz left the school with Kyle, but now his concern with what Isabel had done, something she probably shouldn’t have done, was overshadowing his other concerns.

“I dreamwalked.” Isabel paused before clarifying further. “Into Liz’s dreams. I took the chance that she’d fall sleep after crying. God knows, the way she looked she had been crying a lot.”

Max was furious. “Iz, we agreed you weren’t going to do that anymore. It is a total invasion of someone’s privacy. Of Liz’s privacy!”

The bored monotone of Michael’s voice was in direct contrast to Max’s outrage. “So what did you see?” His attitude was careless, flippant.

As Isabel considered just how she was going to word what she said next, she felt a pang of guilt. She had gotten so caught up in defending herself against Max’s anger she had forgotten the gravity of what she saw in Liz’s dream. She looked down at her hands, her hair swinging forward as she slowly began to speak again. “I found out that we don’t need to worry about Kyle.”

“See, Iz. You shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions. Especially about Liz. You know we can trust her. She’s proven that we can.” Max was ready for this entire conversation to be over. If only he could get the image of a crying Liz being comforted by Kyle Valenti out of his mind. His mind raced through the possibilities of why and how—and then, his own memories of the last time he saw Liz cry were there, replaying in his mind. It was on her roof, the night he told her that they shouldn’t be together. God, the memory of it still tore through him like he was there, saying it all over again, causing her to cry all over again. Then, just as suddenly, a different time when he had seen Liz cry came to mind. The night her grandmother had died. He recalled how the tears left trails down her crimson cheeks. How she had been walking to the Crashdown and then unexpectedly turned and wrapped her arms around him. Nothing had felt so perfect in his life up till that moment. Until the next perfect moment came when he first kissed her. But he had ruined that, and now it was possible that she was with Kyle Valenti.

Isabel’s voice brought him back to his room, to the two others in it with him. “But I also saw something else in there.” She paused, took a breath and went on. “I think Liz might be in trouble.”

Max’s eyes froze on his sister’s. “What kind of trouble?”

“I think someone may be harassing Liz.” Isabel voice was hesitant, unsure.

“You mean harassing her about us?” Michael inquired.

“Michael! It’s not always about us, okay? For once, it is not about where we came from or why we’re here!”

“Then what do you mean by saying you think someone is harassing her?” Michael was put out by Isabel’s outburst, but at least now he was intrigued by where this was going.

“I don’t know exactly. It was all fuzzy in there, in her head, in her dream. Everything was shrouded, and no one had any faces.” Isabel's voice was beginning to lose some of its confidence, her words coming at a more rapid pace. “And there was just this total claustrophobic atmosphere, like she was trapped. I felt her fear, and it was different from any kind of fear I’ve ever felt. I didn’t understand why until...” Isabel’s voice faded off.

“Until what?” Max urged her on.

“Until this person, this guy came. The stench of alcohol on him was absolutely nauseating, and he kept...he kept...bugging her. He wouldn’t leave her alone.”

“Exactly what are you saying, Iz?” Michael asked.

“I think someone is harassing Liz...sexually.” There she said it. She had dreaded it, and she could barely believe it herself, but for the fact that she was in Liz’s dream. She had seen it, and felt it, and it was horrible.

Michael’s casual attitude was gone. He couldn’t believe his ears. Was it possible? Was it possible that Iz was saying Liz’s perfect existence was actually not so perfect? It couldn’t be. He had read her diary. Her entire diary, and it was just filled with the philosophical ramblings of an emotional teenage girl. Then he thought again. It had been months since he had actually read it though.

He must have heard Isabel wrong, Max thought. She couldn’t have just said what he thought she did. Liz? Someone was pushing himself on Liz? But she was so strong. Why would she let—how could someone get away with doing that to her?

“Max, relax.” Michael saw his friend’s hands curling into tight fists. “It was just a dream, remember? Not reality.”

Isabel protested, “Michael, I know what I saw in there.”

“Isabel,” Michael retorted, “It was only a dream. You said so yourself. No one had any faces and everything was fuzzy. Anyway, half of the time people’s dreams are just fantasies. The mind sorting through the events of the day in its own haphazard way.”

“If that’s the case,” Max interjected, “Then what exactly is going on with Liz to make her dream something as horrible as Izzy just described to us?”

Just then they were interrupted, startled from their conversation, by the sound of the front door bell ringing. Michael, still relatively close to the window from which he had climbed in, moved the curtains aside and looked out. “Red Jetta.” He said simply.

—————

Alex and Maria were sitting next to each other on the couch in the Evan’s living room. Max, Isabel and Michael were sitting in two chairs and the floor, respectively. All of their faces were grim. Each one knew why they were all there together, even though neither of the two groups had spoken and it wasn’t planned.

Max broke the silence. “What is going on?”

Alex answered the question. “I saw Liz leaving with Kyle during school today. She was crying.” Looking directly at Isabel, he continued. “I know you saw it too, Isabel.”

Confusion clouded Isabel’s face. “How?”

Gesturing casually with one hand like it was no big deal, Maria explained to Alex’s complete chagrin. “Oh, he watches you during cheer practice from his U.S. History class.”

Alex could feel his face flush, including his ears, and wished he had a big enough cork for Maria’s mouth. He heard Michael snort and saw Isabel’s mouth curve into a small smile.

Max was too concerned about Liz to care. He questioned them again, “Is Liz okay?”

“Well, yes and no.” Uncharacteristically, Maria didn’t expound further. She was uncomfortable with this entire situation. It didn’t really have anything to do with them except that Kyle Valenti got all of their alien alarms going off. She turned to Alex. “I feel like we’re about to expose someone’s dirty laundry, except we don’t even know whose laundry it is.”

“I know, Maria.” Alex answered her. He took her hand in his and squeezed. “But we’ve all got to be able to help Liz through this.”

“Through what?! What are you guys talking about?” Michael said, exasperated with the entire situation. Why couldn’t they get to the point? He realized that if what Isabel thought of Liz’s dream was true, it would certainly be hard for her two best friends to share with anyone, but this waiting was seriously trying his patience. He nervously ran his hand through his hair.

Maria prompted the friend sitting next to her. “You tell them, Alex.”

Alex began to speak, informing the other three about the events in Liz’s life during the past few weeks: The TeenLine, the girl caller, and her recent suicide. Occasionally, he paused to let Maria fill in additional details. When they were done, everyone was silent, each reviewing what had been said and imagining all that Liz must be going through.

—————

Liz was sitting on the couch in the back room of the Crashdown, taking a break. She hadn’t gone to school today. She couldn’t. She didn’t want to hear the other students gossiping about Sarah. They’d all know by now. It was probably in the morning paper. Fortunately, her parents had understood when she didn’t emerge from her bedroom that morning. That’s why they were so surprised to see her getting ready for work that afternoon.

Getting up off the couch, Liz walked into the rest room to look in the mirror. Her eyes were still red-rimmed, with dark circles underneath. She had cried so much yesterday, and had barely slept the night before. The only rest she had gotten was the fitful nap she had taken after getting home from school. Even then, her dreams were filled with disturbing thoughts of Sarah Frank and what she must have gone through. Liz reached in her apron for her compact and applied some more powder, trying to hide the shadows under her eyes. She was exhausted, but her mind wouldn’t stop going over what she could have done better to help Sarah.

Work had seemed like the perfect solution. While the customers were different, the routine was always the same. Liz had hoped that would help distract her thoughts. It did for awhile. Until she had heard some customers talking about the girl who had committed suicide. Roswell was too small a town for people not to gossip about Sarah. She should have known better, Liz thought.

She returned a few stray hairs back to their place and smoothed them down with her hands. Only a couple more hours to go. Then she’d be done and she could escape under the covers of her bed once more. She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep at first, but hoped the exhaustion of the day would finally take over. She washed her hands, then stepped out of the bathroom and back out to the main part of the cafe. It was time for the next wave of customers to come in, those looking for a late dinner.

As Liz scanned the cafe for new customers in her section, Maria approached her. “Hey, Liz, you holding up okay?”

Liz just nodded. She didn’t really want to talk right now. Her eyes stopped at a booth toward the front which had been empty before. Max was sitting there with Michael and Isabel. He was looking at her, and their eyes met. He knew. She could see from the sympathy in his eyes. She turned her head to break away from his gaze. The last thing in the world that Liz wanted was for anyone to feel sorry for her.

The front door of the cafe opened and she watched as two men walked in. The shorter one was leaning on the other, obviously too inebriated to walk on his own. Awkwardly, they moved toward an empty table in her section. Someone had too much fun during happy hour, she thought, as she walked toward them with two menus.

Max sighed as Liz turned her gaze away from him. She looked so tired and worn. He, Michael and Isabel had listened in silence as Maria and Alex told them what had happened. He had been immensely relieved to discover that what Isabel had seen in her dream wasn’t actually happening to Liz. Still, Max knew he couldn’t possibly imagine what Liz was feeling, or how hard it must be on her. He wished he could talk to her, let her know that he was here for her, whenever she needed a listening ear or a warm shoulder to cry on. His eyes went to her figure again. She was waiting on the two men who just walked in. Stumbled in was more like it, he thought to himself. It was apparent that one of the men was trying to sober up his friend.

As Liz moved on to another table, Max’s eyes wandered to look at who else was in the cafe tonight. His eyes stopped as another pair of eyes met his. It was Kyle Valenti. Kyle had already been here when he walked in with Michael and Isabel. He was eating dinner with a group of his buddies from the basketball team. Kyle considered Max coldly, but Max noticed it didn’t go any farther than that. Max supposed Kyle’s usual anger had been subdued a little by what was going on with Liz. After all, the guy did get to comfort her and take her home yesterday. A pang of jealousy went through Max with that thought, and he saw Kyle turn away as Liz approached his table.

“How was the pie? Good?” Liz asked the table of high school jocks. She tried to avoid Kyle’s searching gaze. Her question was rewarded with praise from his friends.

“It was great.”

“Yeah, awesome.”

“So, if there isn’t anything else I can get you, I’ll just set your check down here.” Liz tore a piece of paper from her order pad and left it on the corner of the table. She started to walk off to kitchen to pick up an order but Kyle stood up and followed her.

“Liz.” Kyle called after her. She turned around and faced him. “When do you get off? Maybe I can swing back by and we can talk.”

She smiled sadly at him. “Thanks, Kyle, but no. I didn’t get any sleep last night and I am pretty worn out. I’m going straight to bed when I get off.” She turned back and walked to the kitchen window.

Kyle walked back to his table of friends. “Hey, you guys ready to go?” Two of his buddies got up to leave, but the last one was still finishing up his dinner.

“I just gotta finish my fries, man.”

“Fine.” Kyle’s voice was impatient. “Give me some money so the rest of us can take care of the bill. We’ll wait for you outside.” The jock handed Kyle a few wadded up dollar bills that he pulled from his pocket and then went back to eating. The rest of the guys went to the register where Maria rang up their check.

“How is she doing?” Kyle asked the blonde waitress.

“She’s holding up, but overall, I don’t think she’s doing too good. She’s barely spoken five words to me all day. The customers are getting more than that.” Maria shook her head as she took the cash Kyle held out to her. The register drawer opened and she started to get his change. “Kyle, just how long had Liz been answering calls from Sarah?” Maria had been wondering that since she found out what was going on from Mrs. Parker. Her curiosity increased after reading the article in the paper and with hearing the talk at school. Kyle seemed to be the only one who would really know.

“A little over a month. In fact, I think I remember Liz saying she had first talked to Laura,” Kyle interrupted himself to explain, “Laura was the name Sarah gave Liz when she called. Anyway, Liz said that it was only her second night volunteering at the TeenLine when she first talked to her.”

As Maria handed Kyle his change, she smiled at him. “Thanks for the info.”

“Sure. Hey, if she needs anything, let her know I’m here for her.” With that, Kyle walked out of the Crashdown with his friends.

Isabel watched as Maria smiled at Kyle and handed him his change. She noted how sad the smile looked. The fact of the matter was, they were all upset over what had happened. Isabel had known Sarah as well. They shared math class together. Isabel had never really bothered to get to know the girl since they didn’t share the same social status, but she remembered how Sarah always seemed to be smiling. A wave of guilt spread through her as she thought of how alone that poor girl must have felt to do what she did. She should have acted friendlier, kinder to the soft-spoken girl. Now, all she could do was try and help Liz in whatever way she could. She knew Max was probably already agonizing over how he could help.

Isabel looked away from the register and searched the cafe for Liz. There she was, bringing a pitcher of water over to those two men. God, Isabel thought, isn’t there a law against public drunkenness?

Liz sat the pitcher of water down on the table and pulled two silverware settings from her apron. Just a few more hours. The thought kept repeating in her head. She just had to get through this shift so she could crawl into the dark warmth of her bed. As she finished laying out the second setting she froze, her body stiffening. Someone’s hand was on her rear.

Across the room, Isabel grabbed Max’s hand. “Max!” She whispered frantically. “Look!” She pointed over to where Liz was standing. Max’s eyes opened wide as he saw the drunk guy’s hand resting on Liz’s rear.

Liz was incensed. In a second all of the despair she had been feeling had turned into pure rage. “Get your filthy hand off of me,” She said, her voice loud enough that everyone in the Crashdown heard.

The drunken man’s friend yelled at him. “Christ, Sam! Get your hand off of the girl. You are going to get yourself arrested, you damn fool. She’s not even of age.” But Sam just smiled, and gave Liz a little squeeze.

Liz’s hand came flying through the air and slapped the man squarely across the face. She stepped away, removing his hand from her body. She addressed the drunk man’s friend. “Forget your food. Just get your friend and get out.”

The man was apologetic. “I’m so sorry, Miss. Yes, of course we’ll leave. Come on, Sam. What a mess you’ve made out of this one.”

However, Sam was still smiling stupidly at Liz, rubbing his cheek where she had slapped him. He reached out for her, saying as he did, “That’s okay, hon. I like my women feisty.”

Liz saw the man reach out for her. Before he got a chance to touch her again she grabbed the pitcher of water from off the table and threw it’s contents all over him. Then, she turned and walked away.

Maria couldn’t believe her eyes when she first turned at the sound of her friend’s enraged voice. Now, she wanted to cheer and jump up and down to congratulate her friend for what she did to that disgusting drunk. Serves him right, she thought. But when she saw Liz walking toward her, Maria saw tears streaming down her best friend’s face. Maria’s excitement faded and died, and soon anger welled up in her toward all men. Men like the drunk who just accosted her friend, and men like the one who abused Sarah.

“Maria?” Liz said, her voice hoarse with emotion. “Will you please help me out and mop up the mess I just made?”

“Sure, Liz.” Maria didn’t know what else to say. So much was going on in her friend’s life that she didn’t know what words would help ease the pain. She watched Liz walk through the swinging doors leading to the back room of the Crashdown and heard the door to the back alley slam shut. Abruptly, her attention was diverted by the sound of someone’s chair screeching as they forcefully shoved it back. Maria’s eyes narrowed as she watched the last of Kyle’s friends bolt out the front door of the cafe, almost knocking down the drunk and his friend, the friend desperately trying to maneuver Sam without getting himself wet. She made a hissing noise, partly because of the drunk and partly at the noise, and then started toward the back room to get the mop and bucket.

Max had finally gotten Michael’s attention once Liz had left the room. Before, his friend had been just as spellbound by what was going on at the table across from them. “Michael, move it so I can get outta here.” As Michael slid out of the booth to let Max out, Isabel grabbed Max’s hand.

“Max,” Isabel said. “That guy just ran out to get Kyle, so whatever you’re going to do, do it quick.” Max nodded at his sister and started to run toward the back of the Crashdown.

—————

Max was running after Liz, past the tables, past the swinging doors to the back of the cafe. All he could think about was comforting her. Holding her in his arms once again. But the was stopped short by Maria. She was standing in front of him, one hand on her hip, a mop in the other and a bucket at her side.

Maria knew what had to be said. She wished to God that she could be the one to go out and comfort her friend, but at the same time, she recognized it may not be what her friend needed right now. It certainly didn’t help that they were the only two waitresses on the floor tonight either. However, if Max was going to rush out and try to help Liz, no matter how noble his intentions were, she was going to make sure that he didn’t do more damage in the long run.

“Stop, Max. Stop and think of what you’re doing.” Her eyes challenged him. “That is my best friend out there, and right now she is in a world of pain. If you go out there and play the hero for fifteen minutes of feeling good about yourself—you’re just as bad as the jerk she just doused in there.” Maria gestured with her head out past the swinging doors back into the cafe. “If you go and comfort her, Max, be sure you'll still want to two days from now. She can’t handle you leaving her again, not on top of everything else.” Maria reached down and grabbed the bucket’s pull handle. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some water to mop up before someone slips and breaks their neck.” With that, she left Max alone in the back room.

Max felt as if he had been slapped in the face by the force of Maria’s words. She was right, and he knew it. He couldn’t play games with Liz’s heart. He had to decide if he was ready to be with her, and if he wasn’t, he had to walk away. He hesitated. Every gut instinct told him to run out to Liz, but his ingrained habit of always remaining in control held him back. He didn’t know how to control his feelings for Liz. They were too powerful, overwhelming even.

Max stood there in the back room of the Crashdown, immobilized by the quandary before him. It took only seconds, but within those few seconds, fate decided for him. Someone rushed by him, pushing him aside roughly. He stumbled from the force of the blow, and as he regained his balance, he saw who it was. He watched helplessly, dumbfounded by his own inaction, as Kyle dashed out the back door of the Crashdown and into the alley to comfort Liz. To hold her in his arms and wipe away her tears, as Max desperately wanted to do himself.

Stunned by the rapidity of everything that just happened, Max remained standing in the back room of the Crashdown. He wondered if this was to be his destined lot in life: To be alone, watching those around him experience all the wonders and heartaches of life. Of being human. That was the catch, wasn’t it?

Max’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the back door of the Crashdown forcefully swinging open.

Liz stormed in, wiping tears from her face. When she had run outside before, she hadn’t been crying because of what had happened. She had been waiting on tables long enough that she had learned how to deal with male customers coming on to her. Instead, she had been crying out of frustration and grief. In those few moments, she’d had a small glimpse into what things might have been like for Sarah Frank. The shock from being taken advantage of while being completely off guard. The humiliation and degradation of having someone’s unwanted hands on you. Except she didn’t feel humiliated. She had felt anger, and had reacted by lashing back. The circumstances of the past few days had definitely triggered a harsher reaction than what she normally would have done. Seconds after she had finished pouring the pitcher of water on the inebriated man, the grief hit her. The grief over the fact that Sarah wasn’t able to defend herself as she had just done. And that was what made her break down and run out to the back alley crying. But now the tears were fueled by anger as well.

“Kyle, I just want to be left alone!” Liz said heatedly. Neither she or Kyle had noticed Max was in the room with them. They were too involved with the conversation which had begun outside.

“Liz, just let me help you.” Kyle’s arms were outstretched toward Liz, attempting to overcome her refusal, his face pleading with her to let him help.

“No.” Her voice was harsh. “You just don’t get it. I’m fine, okay? I am absolutely fine. It was Sarah who needed help and she didn’t get it. I wasn’t able to help her. She needed comforting, she needed someone to take care of her. I don’t. Just leave me alone to deal with this in my own way.”

“But, Liz,” Kyle protested, “You’re wrong. You did try to help and you aren’t responsible for the choice she made. You can’t blame yourself for her death.”

Liz put her hand out to stop Kyle. “Don’t. I don’t want to hear it. Just leave, okay? I just want you to leave.” She turned to leave and noticed Max standing there. She didn’t seem shocked to see him, but her eyes didn’t welcome him either. Without a flicker of hesitation she said, “Max, that goes for you too. Please, just leave, both of you.” Then, she turned and walked into the employee rest room and locked the door behind her.

Kyle turned to Max, glaring at him. “What are you looking at, Evans?” He said, his tone acidic. Then, he stomped back out into the main area of the cafe.

Max exhaled. Had he been holding his breath this whole time? It seemed like an eternity. Yet, he noticed wryly, he was relieved. Relieved that Maria had stopped him from going out to Liz when he certainly would have gotten the same response Kyle did. More than that, he was relieved to see that Kyle wasn’t able to comfort Liz. His heart had stopped when he saw Kyle walk out that door instead of him. He had been so afraid that Kyle was going to erase whatever connection he and Liz had. Now that the moment had passed, some clarity was returning to his thoughts and he realized that wasn’t possible. What he and Liz had was enduring. It would be a part of him as long as he breathed, no matter where he was. Circumstances might be keeping them apart now, but he wouldn’t let it stay that way forever. He just prayed that given some time, Liz would let him use the bond they shared to help her get through this ordeal, to help her heal.

Max sighed and shoved his hands into his jean’s pockets. He better get going. Isabel and Michael were waiting for him. They were probably anxious to leave. Even though that was the last thing he wanted, he was going to honor Liz’s request. Because that was all he could do for now.