Liz wondered what Max was doing now. If he and Isabel had gone home, or if they had left town. She wanted to call him, but she stopped herself, knowing that the decision she made at the cave was the right decision no matter how much it hurt now. Liz turned on her light and picked up her journal and began re-reading what she wrote earlier. Trying to decipher her feelings, looking for a way to make it through this pain which never seemed to end. After a little while, Liz got up and put the journal in her normal hiding place. When she got back in bed, her mind was still spinning but after a couple of hours she was finally able to fall asleep.

When Liz woke up again, it was almost 11am. She knew her parents probably weren't home. It's a weekday, so they are busy with the Crashdown. Liz was relieved they didn't make her get up and go to school. She didn't think she could face classes today. Everyone asking where Max is, and why we aren't together. At least there are only a couple of weeks left in school.

Liz wondered if Maria and Alex had gone to school. She knew Maria must be incredibly upset after what Michael had said to her in the UFO Museum. As she started to pick up the phone, it rang. She almost jumped out her skin, thinking it could be Max, but no, it was Maria. She and Alex had gone to school, and they wanted to know if Liz was up for company after school. Liz knew she couldn't put off telling Maria and Alex any longer. Even though Max, Michael, and Isabel couldn't be a part of their lives anymore, Maria and Alex needed to know the whole truth. So Liz told Maria she would meet them in the Crashdown after school. Maria also informed Liz that Max, Michael, Isabel, and Tess were not in school and neither was Kyle, making Liz wonder again if Max had decided to leave town after all.

When Liz got up and went to the kitchen for some food, she was surprised to see her Mother working at the kitchen table.

"Good morning, honey. I hope you had a good rest. You looked so tired when you got home yesterday," Nancy looked up from her work to look at her daughter.

"Yeah, I was," Liz said quietly reaching into the fridge for some milk.

"Look, about this camping trip you and your friends took. You scared the living daylights out of me and your Father. I talked to the Sheriff yesterday and he explained everything, but I thought we had an agreement. You aren't supposed to keep things from me and your father. That's why we let you go out with Max Evans, despite the trouble you two got into when you first started dating. You can't lie to us Liz, or neglect to tell us things," Nancy Parker explains as she looks at her daughter.

"Mom," Liz starts wondering how she can handle this without lying too much to her Mother. "Max and I broke up. He and I have decided we can't be together. We aren't going to date anymore." Liz is fighting to hold back the tears.

Nancy stands up and walks to her daughter and pulls her into her arms. "Oh, Liz, what happened?"

"It's hard to explain," Liz says as she lets the tears start. "We just determined that despite how we felt, we were different and it would be better if broke it off now."

"Honey, what kind of differences?"

"Mom, it's hard to explain."

"You're both young, what kind of differences can keep you apart now."

Liz began to see how hard this was going to be. What kind of differences keep normal teenagers apart? The only credible reason was another girl, and she knew it. Despite the need to keep Tess out of this, she knew the only way she can justify this decision to her Mom would be to bring Tess into the picture.

"It's that new girl at school…Tess," Liz said as she pulled away from her Mother and wiped her tears, hoping that her Mom wouldn't see that she was lying.

"Oh, Liz, I'm sorry. I had no idea. I can't believe Max would do something like that. He seemed like such a nice boy."

"Can we not talk about it now, Mom? I just want to grab some breakfast and maybe do some homework so I don't get too far behind."

"Sure, you go ahead," Nancy said as she started gather her paperwork. "I'm going to take this downstairs to the office and leave you in peace."

"Thanks, Mom."

After her Mom left, Liz promised herself she would not break down and cry again. She could do this. She had to be strong and move on with her life. Her Grandmother, before she died, had told her to follow her heart and Liz promised her that she would. But, right now her heart is lost and does not know where to go or what to do. She loves Max, but she doesn't belong in Max's world and in her heart she knows that. Liz knows that Max brought excitement to her life. But somehow she must find excitement on her own without Max. She needs to go back and rediscover what it is to be a normal teenager again.

When Liz went downstairs to meet Alex and Maria, they were in a booth waiting for her. Maria looked somewhat frazzled and Alex looked solemn. When Maria saw Liz, she got up and hugged her. It took all of Liz's strength not to start crying again. But Liz was tired of crying, tired of feeling sorry for herself. Right now she needed to be there for her friends and help them through this. When Liz pulled away from Maria, she saw tears had started to form in Maria's eyes. She must be tearing herself up over what happened in the UFO Museum yesterday.

Liz and Maria sat down in the booth with Alex. He looked at his two companions and decides it is time to lighten the mood. "So anyway, I was in gym today when Jarod, you know that really big football player, the one who makes the rest of the football team look as skinny as me. Anyway he nailed me in dodge ball and I have this bruise forming. You wanna see?"

Liz smiled thinking, 'Good old Alex, always trying to lighten the mood.'

Maria smiled as well, relieved that no matter what she would always have Alex and Liz. They would never leave her. Never run away from her. "Thanks but no thanks Alex."

"You don't want to see it. It's purple mixed with green and I only got it this morning," Alex says smiling mischievously.

Liz and Maria look at each other and start laughing and in unison say, "NO, Alex!"

Liz was glad she decided to meet Maria and Alex and knew that they would get each other through this somehow. After the waitress took their order, Liz looked at Maria and Alex knowing they shouldn't put off this conversation any longer. She needed to explain to them what happen at the cave. She was about to start when Kyle walked into the Crashdown. He saw Liz right away and headed straight for their table.

Liz looked at him frozen, knowing he is going to have a lot of questions about her and Max and what happened last fall here in the Crashdown. She knew she had to tell him what he wanted, but she wasn't sure she could face him now.

Maria turned to see Kyle on his way and then whispered to Liz knowing what she must be feeling, "Don't worry Liz, we're here for you."

Kyle stopped at their table and lifted up his shirt to show a silver hand print on his chest "Looks like I know what happened here last fall," Kyle says looking at Liz and referring to the hand print that he saw on her stomach after Max healed her.

"Kyle, do you mind not doing that here. Who knows who could be watching?" Maria exclaims while pulling Kyle's shirt and looking around to make sure no one noticed what he did. "Sit down already!"