by Melinda Metz
Maria smiled at him, an all-out, I'll-be-your-best-friend smile. "Okay."
*** 14 ***
"Max, you are aware that we live in Roswell, not LA?" Isabel asked. "This is a little touchy-feely woo-woo, isn't it?"
"Let's just start," Liz said.
Max glanced around at Isabel, Michael, Alex, Maria, and Liz. They stood in a circle in the center of the cave, all of them looking uncomfortable.
"I think we should all hold hands," Max said.
"Oh, please," Isabel muttered.
"Tell me again why we're doing this?" Michael asked. He sounded like a five-year-old who needed a nap.
"We're doing this because before we can come up with a plan to deal with Valenti, we have to know we can trust one another," Max explained. "It's like we're going into battle-and we have to know who is covering our backs."
Alex looped his arm around Michael's shoulders. "I already have complete faith in this Power Ranger." Michael shoved him away, but Max noticed that Michael couldn't stop a grin from breaking across his face.
Max shook his head. Michael and Alex had discovered they shared the same sense of humor. Spending much time around them could get ugly. "If we hold hands, I think I might be able to form a connection between all of us-the way I do when I'm healing," he explained.
Isabel sighed loudly. "He's never going to shut up until we do it." She grabbed Max's fingers and squeezed them as tight as she could. His sister was not a happy camper. But she was a big reason Max wanted to try to make the group connection. Isabel needed a jump start to allow her to trust the humans.
Max reached for Alex's hand. He was kind of glad Liz wasn't on his other side. Touching her might make it hard to concentrate on the whole group. When he was around her, it was hard for him to focus on anything or anyone else.
He took a deep breath and began searching for a way in, a way to connect.
***
Liz could hardly believe they were all in one room-well, sort of a room, a cave room-together. When she first showed up, she almost wished she had a metal detector so she could check everyone for weapons. Although that wouldn't really work for aliens because they basically carried their weapons around in their heads.
And now, now they were all holding hands. It was like the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! where all the little Whos down in Who-ville stood around and sang their song welcoming Christmas. The song that made the Grinch's heart grow.
I hope this works on Isabel's heart, she thought. But that wasn't the right attitude to go into this thing with. Liz took a deep breath and tried to let go of all her thoughts, the way she did when she made the connection with Max. She imagined all the mean thoughts and prejudices and fears slipping away, becoming unimportant.
And then she heard the music.
***
Isabel recognized the notes echoing off the cave walls. They were the sounds of the dream orbs. She could pick out the tone of each of their orbs in the music.
The sound of each orb alone was beautiful. But together… Isabel let the music fill her. There was no way anyone could listen to it and feel afraid or angry. The music took the place of all her negative emotions, filling her with a sense of peace, of rightness.
The music wouldn't sound this way if there was someone here who wanted to do harm, she realized. She heard the high sound of Maria's dream orb playing follow the leader with the lower sound of Isabel's orb. I guess this means I'm going to have to be friends with her or something, she thought. And across the circle she caught Maria smiling at her.
***
Maria wished she could stand there forever, listening to the music. No, not listening to it. Feeling it. It washed through her in waves, sweeping away all the garbage. The thoughts about the test she had tomorrow, the anger at her parents over the divorce, and most of all her fear of Isabel.
She was as afraid as I was, Maria thought suddenly. The thought just appeared in her mind, and she knew it was true. An image flashed into her head of Isabel curled up in the corner of the cave, terrified that Valenti was coming after her. Maria felt a wave of sympathy. It was all an act. All Isabel's threats were just to hide how scared she was. She was never going to hurt me.
Maria caught a hint of cedar in the air. No, not just cedar, cedar and ylang-ylang. And cinnamon. And almonds. And eucalyptus. And roses.
It's like the music is making the perfume, she thought. Then she realized the truth. It's all coming from us.
***
Michael swayed on his feet. The music and the smells were making him sort of dizzy. He needed to go outside. He needed to be alone for a minute. It was too intense in here.
Max's plan had worked. Michael was convinced that no one here was dangerous. So couldn't this thing end? He didn't know about the rest of them, but he didn't like standing here with his guts spilling out. That's what it felt like. He stared over at Max, trying to signal him that it was time to break the connection.
As he watched, Max's aura began to glow and shimmer. It was like a liquid emerald. It wasn't clouded by any emotions. It was just a jolt of one hundred percent pure Max.
Michael felt his anxiety start to fade as he lost himself in the color. He caught a glimpse of something shining to his left. He turned and saw that Maria's aura had started to glow, too, the blue of a mountain lake.
He gazed around the circle, taking in the deep purple of Isabel's aura, the warm amber of Liz's, Alex's sunny orange, and his own brick red. We really look like a rainbow…, he thought. And he laughed. He felt the others laughing with him.
***
It's like a total multimedia event, Alex thought. He tried to come up with a word for the mix of colors, music, and scents, but nothing felt right. What he was feeling went beyond language.
Alex had never felt so connected to other people, so accepted. He didn't have any friends who had known him since practically birth, friends the way Liz and Maria were friends. He'd switched schools so many times that he hardly had any friends at all. And his brothers were all older and so different. He always felt kind of like a freak around them.
Maybe this is what it's like to have lived in one town your whole life.
He'd always wanted to have a home in a place where everyone knew him.
***
Max slowly loosened his grip on Alex's and Isabel's hands, allowing the connection to fade.
"Whoa," Alex muttered. "All I can say is whoa."
"Yeah," Maria agreed. "Whoa."
"I think I finally know how my dad feels at a Grateful Dead concert," Liz told them.
"If we could make that in a pill form, we could become drug lords and make a billion," Michael added.
"Thanks, Max," Isabel said softly.
"So I guess now we know we can trust everyone here." The connection left Max feeling calm and hyperalert at the same time. He felt ready to take on Valenti. "Anyone have any ideas about how to handle the sheriff?"
"Actually," Michael answered, "yeah."
*** 15 ***
"Everyone knows what they're supposed to do, right?" Max asked. In less than an hour, if everything went the way they planned, Valenti would be off their case forever.
"I rehearsed in the shower," Maria told him.
"We've been over it a thousand times already, Dad," Isabel answered. "Can we please just go back into the dance? They're about to announce the homecoming queen, and I want to be there to act all surprised and happy."
"We know our stuff," Alex agreed. "Let's go. We wouldn't want Isabel to miss the big moment, right, Michael?"
"Right. That would be horrible," Michael said.
Max caught the scent of jasmine as Liz moved past him. He followed her across the parking lot and into the gym. He tried not to stare at her, but she looked so gorgeous in that dress. All long legs, and smooth shoulders, and shiny dark hair. The green material of the dress was making him crazy. At first glance it looked really sheer, almost see-through. But it wasn't really see-through because there was some kind of lining under it.<
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Being around Liz was like torture. It was so much worse now that he'd kissed her. It was bad enough when he used to look at her and imagine what it would be like to feel her in his arms. But now that he knew, it was driving him crazy. He wished he knew what she thought about those moments in the parking lot. He felt as if every sensation were tattooed on his brain. But she could have forgotten all about it. Maybe all she remembered was that it had been a good way to get rid of Kyle.
"I have to say, I'm so impressed by the decorations," Alex said. "It was a bold move to use yellow and brown crepe paper and big autumn leaves for the homecoming dance."
Michael snorted.
"Does anyone see Stacey Scheinin?" Isabel asked. She craned her neck, trying to see over the people in front of them.
"She's right over there, crammed between two football players," Maria answered.
Isabel moved next to her. "Oh yeah. Now I see her. Good. I want a view of her face when they make the announcement that I'm this year's homecoming queen."
"Okay, the moment you've all been waiting for," Ms. Shaffer called from the stage at the front of the gym. The microphone whined, and she winced. "This year's homecoming queen and king are… Liz Ortecho and Max Evans."
Isabel stopped in midsqueal. "What?" she cried.
"Go on up there," Maria exclaimed. She gave Max a push.
"Let's go." Liz sounded as surprised as Max felt. She took his hand and led the way up to the stage. Ms. Shaffer was reading the names of their court, but Max couldn't focus. How had this happened? He could understand why Liz won. Liz was the most beautiful girl in school, plus she was totally popular, definitely one of the elite-it only made sense that she got a ton of votes. But who would have voted for him?
He climbed up the steps and headed over to Ms. Shaffer. Everyone in the gym was clapping and whistling. He could hear Michael and Alex hooting louder than anyone. They had to be loving this. Its not like any guy really wanted to be homecoming king.
Ms. Shaffer handed Liz a bouquet of roses and placed a dime-store rhinestone tiara on her head. Max leaned down so she could put the crown on him. Liz kissed his cheek, and he could tell she was trying not to giggle by the way her lips were vibrating.
Some love song started to play, and a spotlight hit Liz and Max, blinding him. "We're supposed to dance," Liz whispered.
Max jumped off the stage and held his hands up to Liz. She let him swing her down to his side. He felt kind of awkward. He would have loved to slow dance with Liz by themselves or even in the middle of a big crowd. But everyone had cleared a circle in the center of the gym floor so they could start off the dance alone.
Liz reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, and her body brushed against his. Max felt as if his blood had turned carbonated, popping and fizzing in his veins. He placed his hands on her waist. He didn't try to pull her closer. We're friends, he told himself.
"I felt sort of frozen up there," he said. He thought it would help him do the friend thing if he talked. "You know, like a polar bear at the zoo. All those people watching me."
Liz chuckled. "Why?"
"Because I've always been the quiet guy," Max answered. "If a total unknown can become homecoming king, it has to be a joke, right?"
"You're not a polar bear." Liz smiled. "You're too good-looking-like you should be on Baywatch or something," she answered.
"Everyone still thinks I'm strange." Max knew it was true, but he didn't really care.
"They think you're quiet." Liz started playing with the hair at the back of his neck.
Wait, Max thought. What was that? Does a girl who wants to be friends play with your hair like that?
"I was thinking that we should kiss. People are going to be expecting it-since we're king and queen and everything," Liz said. She sounded like she was half teasing, but half not.
Max couldn't believe this was happening. Liz Ortecho wanted him to kiss her. "If you really think we should," he said, grateful he could speak at all.
He lowered his head and brushed his mouth against hers. Liz's lips parted, welcoming him, deepening their kiss. Max kept his eyes wide open. If he shut them, it would feel too much like a dream.
***
"Maybe I need to get contacts," Stacey told Isabel. "Because I didn't see you up there."
"You weren't up there, either." Tish jumped to Isabel's defense.
Isabel felt like she'd slipped into an alternate universe. Her brother had just gotten elected homecoming king, and Isabel was standing on the sidelines. Hello-what was wrong with this picture?
"They're playing our song."
Isabel glanced over her shoulder and saw Alex standing behind her. Uh-uh, she thought. Just go away, little man. I am not in the mood.
"They're playing our song," she repeated, mocking him. "Are you auditioning for a part on the new Love Boat?"
"Ouch," Alex answered. "Don't tell me you don't remember dancing with me right here in this gym to this song."
Why is he asking if I remember something that only happened in his dream? Is he a moron? Or has he been talking to Michael? she thought suddenly.
She noticed Stacey and Tish listening to their conversation without even bothering to pretend they weren't. "Fine. I'll dance with you."
"Your humble love slave thanks you," Alex answered. He pulled her firmly against him.
"You heard that?" Isabel asked. She had thought Alex was out of the gym that time she had made fun of him.
"Yeah, I heard," Alex said. "I also heard how you like to go into people's dreams and play little games with them."
"I'm going to kill Michael."
"Don't you want to know why your plan didn't work first?" Alex asked.
Isabel narrowed her eyes at him. "What plan?"
Alex traced the line of her dress's low back with his finger. She felt a little shiver rush through her, but she refused to be distracted. "What plan?" she repeated.
"Project Homecoming Queen," Alex answered. His fingers moved higher, sliding under her hair and rubbing the back of her neck.
Isabel felt as if she were losing the ability to think. But she forced herself to focus. "You were supposed to vote for me. Every guy in school was supposed to vote for me."
Alex leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I'm sure they would have-if Michael and I hadn't come up with a counterattack. He went back into all the guys' dreams and showed them another side of Isabel Evans."
Isabel pushed back from Alex and glared up at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Let's just say most guys find a homecoming queen picking her nose sort of a turnoff."
Isabel was speechless.
Alex continued to grin at her.
He hadn't. He had! Isabel thought about storming off in a huff. But she was discovering that Alex had pretty amazing hands-and she kind of wanted to see what he'd do with them next.
***
Isabel shot Michael an evil glance. Then she rested her head on Alex's shoulder and closed her eyes. Michael laughed. It was good for Izzy to get put in her place once in a while.
And that night hanging out with Alex had been pretty fun. They had eaten their way through every flavor of chips-Michael had dipped his in chocolate sauce-while they came up with really gross images of Isabel to put into the guys' dreams.
They had done their strategy session in the cave, not at their homes, because it turned out that Alex's dad was pretty much a jerk, too.
"Max and Liz look amazing together," Maria said. "He has that whole blond-Viking thing going, and she has that dark, dark hair and eyes." She sighed. "Isn't it romantic?"
"So a guy is sort of like a walking accessory? You just choose one that looks good with your hair? Is that it?" Michael teased. "Because if it is, you should be dancing with me. I have that dark, dark hair, and you're almost blond enough to be a Viking. I can definitely picture you in one of those helmets with the horns."
He pulled her out onto the floor. She smelled good. Sweet, like vanilla.
"Are you sure I'm not too innocent for you?"
Michael stared down at her. "What are you talking about?"
"That day at Michael and Isabel's. You said I was too innocent to know all the ways Valenti could make someone talk," Maria reminded him.
"You make it sound like I called you something horrible." Michael didn't get it.
"Innocent is like cute," Maria insisted. "A word you use for kittens."
"Well, I hate to tell you this," Michael said, "but I think you're cute, too."
Michael pulled her closer and rested his cheek on the top of her head. He heard her give a little sigh as she snuggled up against him. Just like a little kitten, he thought. A nice, soft, warm kitten. But he didn't bother telling her that.
He glanced at the clock. About twenty minutes to go before we start the plan. He felt his stomach tense.
"Are you okay?" Maria mumbled.
"Yeah." He let himself relax in the sparkling blue of her aura. Yeah, he was okay. Because no matter what happened, he wouldn't have to face it alone.
The connection Max had formed among the six of them in the cave hadn't completely broken, even though it had been two days. He could still feel the others around him. It was like he finally had a family. And he would do whatever it took to protect them-all of them.
*** 16 ***
Maria scanned the gym wildly. Where was Kyle Valenti? She had to find Kyle, now.
She spotted him near the stage and ran toward him, pushing people out of her way. "Kyle, call your dad! Someone stabbed Alex in the neck. He's out in the parking lot. Hurry!"
Kyle didn't say a word. He turned around and bolted for the pay phone against the back wall.
Half the people in the gym were trying to shove their way over to the big double doors leading to the parking lot.
"This way" Liz appeared at Maria's side. She grabbed her hand and dragged her out the side door. They ran down the hall, their footsteps echoing in the empty building. They burst out the main entrance and tore over to the parking lot.