"Yeah. Yeah."
Isabel nodded, then she stood up. "I'll be right back," she said, then she headed toward the locker room. That's the first time kissing Alex didn't make the rest of the world disappear, she thought.
Liar, a tiny voice in the back of her head answered. Kissing Alex hasn't been like that since you went into Michael's dream and saw him with his arms around you.
"I wish I was a… you know," Maria told Liz. She snapped an order on the metal wheel and gave it a spin toward the kitchen. "They don't want cheese on that Mother Ship Burger," she called to Stan, the cook.
"Actually, I don't know," Liz answered. "A what?"
"A you know," Maria repeated. She glanced around the Crashdown Cafe. There were only a few customers at the flying-saucer-shaped tables, and no one seemed to be paying any attention to her and Liz. But Maria still didn't think it was a good idea to use the a word.
Liz shook her head. "Can you act it out for me or something? Because I have no idea what you're talking about."
"A you know, like, you know, Isabel and Max and Michael," Maria whispered.
"Really?" Liz adjusted the scrunchie holding her long, dark hair away from her face. "Even after everything that's happened? Earth hasn't exactly been the friendliest place for them."
"It's just that Isabel and Max can feel Michael all the time," Maria explained. "They know a little bit of what he's going through. They know…" She hesitated. It felt almost like it would be bad luck to finish the sentence. "They can feel inside them… that Michael's still alive."
Maria was going psycho with worry. Michael was all she could think about. What was happening to him in the compound? What was Valenti doing to him?
It's not like Isabel would have the answers to those questions. But at least she'd know if Michael was experiencing pain, if he was scared or angry. At least Isabel still had some connection to Michael. Maria had nothing. Just an aching empty place inside her chest that felt like it got bigger with every second Michael was away from her.
"He's not going to die. Think about it. He's way too valuable to Sheriff Valenti alive. For one thing, Michael has information Valenti wants. He would never kill him until he found the other… you knows." Liz took a deep breath, then continued. "And we're going to get him out of there before that happens."
Maria nodded. "I know. I know. I still just wish-"
The opening bars of the Close Encounters theme interrupted her. She glanced toward the door to see who was coming in. Alex. Good. Maybe Alex could get them onto another subject.
"So, what do you think of months-of-the-year underpants?" Alex asked as he slid onto one of the stools lining the counter.
"What?" Liz cried.
"I'm making a list of very bad business ideas for my web site," Alex explained.
"Who changes their underwear every month?" Maria asked. "Now if they made some that just had the year on them, those would sell like crazy." She held on to her straight face for half a second, then started to giggle.
"Is she mocking me?" Alex asked Liz. "I think she's mocking me."
Maria kept giggling. She couldn't stop. She giggled so hard, her stomach started to hurt and tears stung her eyes. She wanted to stop. But she couldn't.
Liz shoved a glass of water into her hand, and Maria took a swallow. It went down the wrong way and she started to choke, her nose and throat and lungs burning as she coughed and sputtered.
Alex leaned across the counter and pounded her on the back. Maria gave one more cough and managed to pull in a breath. She grabbed a napkin out of the dispenser and wiped her eyes and then her running nose.
"Are you okay?" Liz asked.
"Yeah. Just totally embarrassed," Maria answered. She folded the napkin and wiped her eyes again. The tears wouldn't stop streaming. God, she really was going psycho. She took a quick glance around the cafe. "Everyone is staring at me."
"Order up," Stan called from the kitchen.
"I'll get it," Liz told Maria. She grabbed the plates and hurried into the dining room.
"You sure you're okay?" Alex asked. He pulled another napkin out of the dispenser and handed it to her.
"Yeah," Maria answered. "So, um, why are you here?" she asked, trying to sound sane. "I mean, I thought you and Isabel were going to the mall after she got done with practice."
"She wasn't in the mood," Alex said, obviously frustrated. "She also wasn't in the mood to come here. Or in the mood for me to hang out at her house," he added.
"You're not thinking it has anything to do with you, right?" Maria asked. "I'm sure she just needed some time by herself. She's totally freaked about Michael."
"Yeah," Alex agreed. "It's just that…"
"It's just that what?" she asked.
"It's just that even before Michael was captured, I had the feeling she was, I don't know…" Alex said. "Take that party we went to last week. Isabel disappeared on me for, like, an hour."
"Wow, a whole hour?" Maria teased gently. But her stomach was curling up in a little ball. She knew where Isabel had been. She had been out in the backyard, standing very close to Michael.
Was Isabel the reason Michael hadn't said anything-well, much of anything-when Maria had told him she loved him?
Michael's eyes snapped open when he heard the door of his cell open. What now?
"We thought you two might want to play cards or something," one of the guards said. He stood back and let Adam walk into the cell, then locked the door behind him.
Do I look like a complete moron? Michael thought. Do they think that I don't know why they're doing this? They're looking for information. They're hoping I'll let something slip that will help them track down the others. Or that their little tame alien will make another connection with me and get better stuff than he did the last time.
Yeah, Adam saw Isabel when he made the connection in the lab. But he didn't see anything that indicated she was anything but a hot human chick that Michael had an image of in his brain. So Isabel should be safe for now. But Michael needed to be on guard around Adam. As much as he looked like a harmless kid-Michael had to keep reminding himself they were around the same age-Adam could be very dangerous.
Michael shot a glance at him. Adam was standing with his back practically pressed against the cell door. He looked like he wished he was anywhere but here. I wonder what they told him about me? Michael thought. I wonder what they told him about himself? Does he even know he's from another planet? Or does he just think that everyone hatches out of a metal cocoon and grows up in little glass cells?
"You want to play cards?" Michael asked, trying to sound reassuring without slipping into that Mr. Rogers-speak Valenti used with Adam. "Come on, we'll play." He slid down to the end of the bed so Adam had some room. Adam hesitated, then he walked over and sat down across from Michael.
"You know that game we played in the lab?" Michael asked. Adam immediately reached for Michael's hand to make the connection, and Michael jerked away. "I don't like that game. Don't ever try to play that game with me unless I say it's okay. You understand?" he asked.
Adam nodded, his green eyes wary. "Good," Michael said. "So what game do you want to play?"