Max raised his eyebrows. "Oh, really?" he teased.
"Okay, every once in a while, like when I'm sick or something, I still sleep with him," Liz admitted, blushing. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"
"Lucky guess. You sounded just a little defensive when you said you put him on your dresser," Max explained. "It really bothers you that I got images from your mind, doesn't it?"
Liz looked down at her boots. Even though Max had only seen stupid little things from her childhood, it did bother her. What if he were just being polite, telling her the stuff that wasn't important? What if he really had seen everything, like how angry she felt at her sister for dying? He would think she was a horrible person-and she couldn't bear that.
Max wouldn't lie to me, she told herself. If he says he only saw the ugly cupcake dress, then he means it.
"Maybe I overreacted," Liz said slowly. "It's not like you were intentionally spying on me. But, well, how would you feel if I knew all your secrets?"
Max stared at her as if she were an idiot. And suddenly Liz felt her face flush. How could she have said that? She did know Max's biggest secret, something much more intimate and personal than anything he knew about her.
Max sat down on the little bench. He patted the spot next to him. "Come on, I want to try something."
"O-kaay." Liz wished that hadn't come out sounding so apprehensive. Why couldn't she remember how to act around Max anymore?
She sat next to him. Her shoulder brushed against his. She wanted to move back, but she held herself perfectly still. If she kept jumping away from him, Max might think she was afraid of him or something.
And I'm not, she thought. Not much.
She wanted to feel completely comfortable around Max, the way she used to. But it was like there was a loop in her head playing the words he's an alien, he's an alien over and over.
"I've never tried this before, but I thought maybe I could make the connection go the other way," Max told her. "So that you could invade my privacy and get some images from me."
Liz blinked in surprise. What would it be like to see into Max's thoughts? I'd probably be the first human to ever see into the mind of an alien, she thought. The scientist in her was totally excited by the opportunity. But it wouldn't be fair to Max.
"You don't have to do that, Max," Liz said softly. "I was being a jerk about the whole thing. You saved my life-I should be down on my knees thanking you, no matter what your method was."
"No, we have to try this," Max insisted. "Think of it as an experiment. Or as a free movie-the Max Evans Show."
He sounded like a little kid trying to convince his babysitter to let him stay up until eleven. He's trying so hard to make me feel okay about what's happened, Liz thought. Why can't I do that for him?
"I have to touch you, okay?" Max asked. "That's how I make the connection."
If he can heal with a touch, can he kill with a touch? The question leaped into Liz's mind. Without thinking, she backed away from Max on the bench.
Instantly his blue eyes grew darker, as if a thick black curtain had fallen over his emotions.
"Never mind," he said quickly. "It was a stupid idea. Why would you want to be connected to me?"
Max started to stand up, but Liz grabbed his arm. She couldn't let him feel this way, feel as if she were disgusted by him.
"I want to do it. Really," Liz told him.
Max sat back down, smiling. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ears, then gently cupped her face with his hands. Liz felt a shiver rush through her body. And it didn't feel quite like a frightened shiver.
Max leaned close, so his face was inches from her own. His gaze drifted to her lips, and for one long, shocking moment she thought he was going to kiss her. Instead he began to speak, his voice low and soothing. "Now take deep breaths, and try to let your mind blank out."
Her heart was beating so hard, she could hardly breathe at all. Liz concentrated on pulling in a long, deep breath, then she let it out.
Max matched each of his breaths to hers. She could feel the warm puffs of air on her face each time he exhaled, and the smell of his wintergreen Life Saver filled her nose.
She'd never seen such intense blue as his eyes. It was almost like looking through a deep, deep pool.…
Liz realized she was leaning toward him, wanting to be closer, wanting to see through those amazing eyes.…
She closed her eyes, but she could still feel his eyes on hers. She tried to focus all her attention on her breathing. If thoughts began to intrude, she imagined them drifting away, soundless and weightless.
She heard her heartbeat slow as her relaxation grew deeper and deeper. Slowly she became aware of a second heartbeat. Max's heartbeat. It was like they shared one body now.
An image appeared against the dark screen of her eyelids. A child with bright eyes ripping free of something that looked like a cocoon. Another image quickly replaced the first. A Mr. Wizard junior chemistry set. The images came faster and faster. A sky filled with acid green clouds. A bowl with two turtles sunning themselves. A pair of almond-shaped eyes without whites or irises, just pure black.
Then Liz in the elementary school library, her dark brown braids touching the page of her book. Liz, a little older, swinging at a baseball. Liz standing proudly in front of her ninth-grade science fair project. Liz dressed up for the junior prom. Liz smiling, frowning, giggling, crying. Liz lying on the floor of the cafe. Liz staring at Max with an expression of horror on her face.
Liz opened her eyes and found her gaze locked with Max's. She reached up and slid his hands away from her face. She pressed her fingers together to keep them from trembling.
"Did it work?" he asked. "Did you see anything?"
Liz nodded, not trusting her voice. She'd seen everything. She knew everything.
Max was in love with her. He had always been in love with her.
Liz read the question for the third time. "What were the benefits of the gold standard?"
I did study for this test, she thought. I looked at my notes and reread the key parts of the chapters. So why do I have no memory of what the gold standard even is?
Liz skipped down to the multiple-choice section and sighed. A, B, C, and D all sounded like reasonable choices. But even E, none of the above, was a possibility.
Where was her head? Yeah, like I haven't had any distractions lately, she thought. I only almost died. And then found out a guy I've known half my life is an alien. And then found out that this alien guy loves me.
Max Evans loved her. Liz was still trying to wrap her mind around that.
She glanced at the clock. Only twenty minutes left. Maybe she should flip a coin-if she could figure out how to flip a coin for multiple-choice questions. Maybe heads on the desk-A, tails on the desk-B, heads on the floor-
Liz felt a tap on her shoulder. "The principal needs to see you right away," Mr. Beck said softly. "Take your things."
Liz grabbed her backpack. She knew everyone was staring at her as she made her way to the door. They were probably all trying to figure out why honor student Liz Ortecho was getting called to the principal's office.
Why would Ms. Shaffer call her out of class? she wondered as she hurried down the hall. It had to be something big. She swung open the office door-and saw Sheriff Valenti lounging against the long counter that divided the room. His mirrored sunglasses hid his eyes, and his face was expressionless as usual.
"Sheriff Valenti needs to ask you a few questions," Ms. Shaffer said.
Liz jumped. She hadn't even realized the principal was there. The second Liz entered the room, her eyes had locked on Valenti.
"Let's go." Valenti pushed himself away from the counter and headed out the door. He didn't say a word as Liz followed him down the hall, out the main doors, and over to the parking lot. He didn't say a word as he opened the back door of his car for Liz or as he slid behind the wheel and started to drive.