"Woah! Woah! Woah!" Michael shouted. "You are actually telling me that had I not grabbed that crayon out of your hands, Mr. and Mrs. Evans would have adopted ME and left YOU all alone in that orphanage?!"
Max sighed, his face sorrowful and guilty. "I'm sorry."
"Seriously?!" Michael was still reeling. "My entire life would be different if I had just let you continue your crazy scribbling!"
"You're making him sound like the Beautiful Mind child," Liz commented.
"Well, I guess he kinda was like that," Isobel reasoned. "And our parents thought it was Michael because he was holding the crayon."
"I can't believe this!" Michael said again. "I could've so easily had the family I never had. I could be Max Evans!"
"What?" Liz said.
"Yeah, actually," said Max. "You would be. And MY name would be Michael Guerin."
"That's kinda crazy," said Alex.
"But true," explained Isobel. "They named Michael after the trucker who found us."
"Yup," Michael said. "No one adopted me so I needed a name." He took a swig of beer. "One decision to not help out the weird kid, and I would be living a whole new life as Max Evans."
Alex laughed as he put a hand on Michael's shoulder. "But really," he said. "Your whole life? I mean, you would still be the same person. Would your life really be that different?"
"Oh, Alex!" Michael exclaimed dramatically. "Let's just think about it for a minute. And let me paint you a picture of me. As Max Evans. And this guy." He pointed at Max. "As Michael Guerin."
—
Max convinces Isobel to ride their bikes to find Michael. "He's out here. I can feel it. Can't you feel it?" Max's curly hair flaps in the wind.
"I feel like you owe me both those grape sodas you brought," Isobel responds.
"There he is," Max said, jumping off his bike and staring at the boy sitting on the fence.
"Leave me alone. Get out of here!" snapped the boy, flicking his head to push his straight brown hair out of his face.
"You don't remember us?" Max asked.
"I remember you. I don't know you." The boy jumped off the fence.
"I-I was looking for you. We didn't even know your name."
"Michael Guerin!" he snapped. "After nobody adopted me for a year, they just stuck me with the name of the trucker who found us. But all you gotta know about me is I wanna be left the hell alone!" He pulled out a knife and brandished it. "That's why I'm all the way out here. Because I wanna be alone!"
"Okay, we'll leave you alone, okay? If that's what you want."
Michael Guerin nodded and flicked his knife away.
"But if you change your mind," Max said. "There's this diner, the Crashdown. I'll be there every day. In case you want a burger or something."
Max nodded his curly head to his sister and they picked up their bikes. They left their snacks and grape sodas on the ground.
"Hey! I didn't ask for that! I didn't ask for anything!"
Max would've just walked away. But he was too intrigued and stubborn. "You're welcome, anyway. I'm Max. This is Isobel. Evans."
"Yeah. You two got adopted together. And I didn't." Both Max and Isobel stood with their bikes, turned back towards Michael.
"Well," injected Isobel. "It seems you're back in town. You staying?"
"As far as I know," said the boy defeatedly. He looked up at the sky as if his hope for escaping lay within the stars.
"Well in that case," said Max, "you should hang with us. Since...you know... we..."
"What? We were found in the desert together?" the boy nearly shouted. "Big deal. I have no memories of anything around that time. So you two mean nothing to me."
"I asked my mom about the day we were adopted," Isobel said bravely. "She said that she and dad went to adopt one kid, but they got two instead. And there was another kid there who they thought needed more help and attention than they could give him. Because he was, like, screaming.. and obsessively drawing on the walls."
The boy looked at her as though her words triggered something in his memory.
"I remember that," said Isobel's brother. Apparently, the boy on the fence wasn't the only one whose memory returned after hearing the story. "I wanted to stop you...to take the crayon away."
The boy jerked his eyes toward Max. "So why didn't you?" he asked.
"I-" Max frowned. "I guess I was curious what you were drawing."
The boy shook his head. His sleek greasy hair flapped against his face. "Well congrats! You got adopted and I didn't. I'm the freak. So why don't you just stay away from me?!"
Max held up his hand placatingly. "I'm sorry. But, you can still-"
"No! I don't need anything from you. I want to be left alone!"
Max was silent. He took a step back.
"Come on, Max," Isobel said, hopping on her bike.
Max said, "Hey, remember. The Crashdown Cafe downtown."
Michael scowled as he watched the two Evans kids ride away down the road. He closed his eyes when he saw their silhouettes finally fading into the black night.
—
"Kate Long is having a boy-girl party and everyone's there."
"It's Michael's year to pick the birthday plans, Iz."
"It's not even our real birthday. It's just the random day we were found wandering around in the desert." Isobel set her cards down and carefully stood up inside the tent. "I got to pee."
Once Isobel was gone, Michael turned his eyes on Max. "Your sister has been extra annoying lately."
"So," said Max running a hand through his curls, "I can move stuff around. Iz can get into people's minds. Figure out your thing yet?"
"Other than causing a power outage every time I get mad?" Michael said. "Worst superpower ever. I'm defective."
"Are you kidding?" responded Max. "Whenever I have a dirty dream, I accidentally move furniture around...with my brain."
"Yeah well, I get mad a lot."
"Really?" asked Max.
"Yeah. This lady at the group home brought in a priest to expel my demons." Michael turned on the sarcasm for that last phrase as he began to pull his left shirtsleeve up. "Turns out an exorcism kinda hurts." He showed Max a vague shape of a cross burned into the skin on his arm.
"Jeez, Michael," Max stared with wide brown eyes.
"Don't think Jesus had much to do with it," Michael pushed his sleeve back down. "I'm fine. I don't wanna talk about it."
Isobel screamed. The boys ran out of the tent to find Isobel on the ground with some dirty bum on top of her. Max used his telekinesis to push the guy off her. "Isobel?"
"Are you okay. Isobel?"
"Isobel?"
"He's got a knife" Michael warned. He jumped on the man tackling him to the ground. Max yelled for him to be careful. The bum slashed Michael with the knife. Power surged inside the boy and before he could think, Michael's hand was pressing on the guy's chest glowing red. A sound like an electrocution is heard and the man underneath Michael laid still.
"Holy-" exclaimed Max, still standing above Isobel. "Is he dead?"
Michael staggered backwards in disbelief. His powers just killed a man.
The sand began to move to cover the body. Michael turned to see Max concentrating. "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?" Max snapped. I'm digging a grave."
—-
Michael aimed his gun at the empty cans on the car.
"Pull," instructed Max. Michael lifted his gun as Max moved the cans up into the air with his mind. BANG!
"Whoo!" Max exclaimed. "You never miss!"
Isobel was twirling her hair seated a few feet away and added, "Wow. It's like a useful superpower."
The boys kept laughing.
"So, Max," Isobel said. "You haven't told Michael the good news yet."
"What?" Michael turned to Max adjusting his backwards baseball cap.
"Well, despite what you think, Iz," Max said, "I don't like to brag."
"Uh huh," Isobel said, rolling her eyes.
Michael looked down at Max expectantly. "So..." Max started, pushing some of his curls away from his eyes. "I got a full ride to UNM today."
"What?" Michael shouted, pulling Max into a hug. "Dude, that's awesome, man. Oh, I told you your test scores are money."
"You gonna stick with the plan?" Max directed at Michael.
"Yeah," Michael replied. "I'm gonna tutor over the summer and earn enough to travel. Hostels. Backpacking."
"European girls?" Max added.
Michael laughed. "No, I'm just gonna focus on writing." At Max's doubtful glance, he added, "Hey, I got a novel in me, I just gotta find it, okay."
"Isobel, say something. Encourage him to go on his trip!" Max whipped his curly-haired head toward Isobel. She just stared at the boys. She said nothing as she stood and walked away.
Turning back to Michael, Max said, "What is her deal the last few weeks?"
"Maybe she's just freaking out 'cause high school is ending?" suggested Michael.
"Or it's her latest ploy for attention."
"That."
—-—
"Three more shifts at the Crashdown until I can buy the car off of Rosa and then freedom!" Liz was venting to Alex as they walked out of the high school doors. Alex was carrying his skateboard and Liz her backpack.
"What about gas money?" Alex asked innocently.
"You're a joykill," Liz told him as they approached Max's car.
Max was sitting on the hood of his car reading an engineering magazine. He sat up as they approached. "What's up, Liz?"
"Hey, Max! What are you reading?"
"Oh, just about my future career. Given that I'm headed to UNM for free!"
"Congrats!" Liz shrieked. Max leaped off the hood and pulled her into a hug. "All that science club experience looked good on your application I guess!" She swatted his sweatshirt. Even though Max could afford nice jackets, he usually preferred faded flannel and sweatshirts that made him look edgy.
"Well you are the one who makes science club exciting." Max shined his brown eyes at her. "I have you to thank for keeping me intrigued with all of your experiments the past four years."
They all heard running steps coming toward them. "I'll take high school cliches for $500 Mr. Trebek," said Alex mockingly as he stepped aside for Kyle who swooped in to spin and kiss his girlfriend.
"Oh, hi!" Liz exclaimed after Kyle released her. Max and Alex rolled their eyes at each other behind her back.
"I got into Michigan!" Kyle said immediately.
"You got off the wait-list?" asked Liz.
"Yeah!"
"That's amazing!"
A crowd of jocks appeared sweeping Kyle away in a mass of letterman jackets. "Go Wolverines!" Kyle called to Liz as she stared and watched him leave as abruptly as he'd arrived.
—
"Hey!"
Michael looked up from where he sat reading in the back of his truck. Isobel Evans called as she rounded the stairs of the bleachers and came to stand in front of Michael next to the bleachers where his truck was parked.
"What do you want, Isobel?" he asked looking back down at his poetry book.
"Just wondering if you're still coming to prom with us this weekend," said Isobel casually as she leaned against his trunk.
"I said I would," Michael replied, annoyed. "Now if you don't mind."
She crossed her arms. "So-rry. Didn't mean to interrupt your emo existential poetry reading." Michael dropped his book to look at her again. The pink strands in her hair stood out amidst her blond pigtails.
"Sorry. I'm just tired," Michael replied. He tried to shuffle to block the blankets sleeping bag behind him so Isobel couldn't see.
"You been finding places to crash?" she asked, uncrossing her arms revealing the graphic punk band tee she was wearing. "Because I told you. I can talk to our parents about-"
"Yeah, I told you," Michael covered quickly. "I'm fine." He pulled his oversized brown jacket closer to himself. He decided deflecting would be his best tactic to get her to drop it. "Where's your brother?"
Isobel rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Off being perfect with his science club buddy. Probably talking about their full rides to college and their straight As and how they're making mommy and daddy proud." Isobel's sarcasm was too predictable.
"You know, I heard you skipped your AP History class the other day," Michael said.
"Yeah, so?"
"So, you've been acting more angsty than usual," Michael replied. Isobel crossed her arms again and averted her gaze. Michael wasn't deterred. "It seems more than your usual rebellious stunts out of sisterly jealousy." Michael raked a hand through his flat hair and focused his eyes on Isobel. "So, what's up?"
"Nothing." Isobel looked blank and shrugged. "Let's just get through the rest of the year, okay?"
—
Liz cursed in Spanish as she set the beaker down. The air conditioning in the science lab wasn't strong enough to withstand the fumes Liz was contending with right now. She whipped her goggles off and spun around to unbutton her lab coat when she saw someone staring in the doorway. The figure noticed and departed immediately.
Liz finished situating herself and started out the door after him. In the hallway she caught sight of a brown coat turning the corner. She raced around, her shoes echoing in the empty halls.
"What were you doing?" she asked. Liz had caught up to him. The brown coat turned around revealing a ragged Michael Guerin looking defeated.
Recognizing her classmate, Liz asked, "What the hell, Guerin? You can't just creepily spy on people in the science lab."
Michael shrugged. "I was gonna come in and research something."
"Well, yeah," Liz was caught off guard at Michael's implication that he was interested in science. "But I was working on my own project that was private. And the way you were just, like, staring in through the window. Not gonna lie, that was creepy, Guerin."
Michael shrugged. "Sorry."
Liz chuckled. "What? Do you not have anything else to do? Nowhere else to go?"
Michael shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground. Liz dropped her smile, realizing that some of what she said might be true.
"You're kinda lucky," she said sympathetically. "Things at my house kinda suck right now. Rosa is constantly fighting with Papi and I just wish my mom..." Liz awkwardly started to turn around, but she thought for a moment and stopped. "The Crashdown is always open. Even late at night. It's warm and sometimes I just hang out there and listen to music when things get bad. So.."
Liz turned and walked back around the corner, hoping that that wouldn't be the last she'd see of Michael Guerin.
—
Max, Isobel and Michael went to the prom together. When Michael mentioned that high school was almost all over, Isobel got moody and walked away. The boys were outside when they heard a commotion.
"Where the hell are you going, Manes? What are you so afraid of?" Kyle Valenti called.
Max tugged one of his curls out of his eyes and saw Alex stalking toward them looking upset. A few yards ahead of them, Alex turned to face Kyle and his varsity friends who had followed him. The alien boys could hear everything Alex and Kyle were saying.
"Say it again," Alex demanded.
"Oh, I don't see what the big deal is, Alex. We just have different tastes. I like tacos, and, well, you like...hot dogs."
"That's not what you said."
"What did I say!?"
"Kyle!" Liz shouted.
Kyle looked at his girlfriend quickly, but turned back to Alex. "I just think you're blowing this whole thing way out of proportion, Manes."
"So, you don't want Liz to know what you called me? You're gonna be one guy with your friends and another with her? You are a coward. You always have been." Alex shoved Kyle. Kyle took a swing and landed a punch. Alex punched him right back.
That was enough. One of Kyle's friend's tried to pull him back. Max ran up to Alex and yanked him away. "Get off!" Max yelled.
Alex turned and faced Max. Max lowered his voice, fixed his brown eyes on Alex and asked, "Are you okay?"
Alex said nothing, but wiped his mouth and stalked away. Liz started after him. Kyle called for her.
"Don't follow me," she yelled at him. "Alex is right, you need to grow up!"
Later, Max found Alex sitting on a bench all alone, clearly upset. "Alex," he spoke softly.
Alex had heard him because he lifted his red-rimmed eyes and said, "Max. Hi."
"You want to be alone?"
Alex shook his head and that gave Max permission to sit down next to him, though a respectful gap was between them. Max could tell he had been crying at some point.
"Kyle used to be my best friend," Alex said. "I thought maybe...at some point he'd grow up and stop with all that crap."
"I'm sure you'll work it out," Max tried, but he doubted what he was saying was true.
"No, we won't." Alex shook his head.
"I'm sorry you're hurting," Max said gently.
Alex looked at him. "I wasn't crying because of Kyle...Things at my house suck." Max didn't have anything to say. What could you say when someone had been crying about a parent causing pain instead of taking care of their child? Max wished he could reach out and pull Alex against him to comfort him. Unfortunately, Max felt trapped by a stupid social stigma. If Alex was a girl, he wouldn't have felt uneasy comforting him with physical touch.
Instead he said, "It was pretty cool when you punched Valenti, though."
Alex laughed in spite of himself. He smiled at Max, who was mirroring his smile, one of his curls falling in eyes.
Michael interrupted them, running up and shouting, "Max! Isobel straight up vanished." Max looked at Alex, hesitant to leave him. "And I have a bad feeling," Michael continued, urging Max to understand the urgency.
"Go, go," Alex told him. "I'm fine."
Max nodded, stood up and said, "Good night, Alex," before running to meet Michael.
—
Michael jumped as the door opened.
"Guerin, relax. It's just me," said Liz. Michael sat back down in the booth where he was reading. The lights were still on in the Crashdown despite the doors being locked with a closed sign hanging on them. "I was just hanging out."
"I know. It's good that you've been hanging here. It gets cold at night."
Liz walked over and handed Max a little blank book. "It's my sister's. She likes to sketch but this one's small. I don't know. I thought maybe you'd use it."
Michael smiled at her. "I also brought this." Liz set down a milkshake as she sat down across from him. "Little Green Man with whipped cream and two cherries."
"You remember my shake order?" Michael smiled as he played with the straw inside the mint milkshake.
"Yeah. My brain is my superpower," Liz said, recalling the times she had seen Michael in here ordering Little Green Man milkshakes despite the fact that he barely had enough money for regular food. "What do you like so much about our milkshakes?"
"It's not just the shakes," Michael admitted shyly. He pushed his book aside so as not to drip whipped cream on it. "There's always been something about this place." Liz smiled, inviting him to go on. "Used to meet Max and Isobel here all the time."
"Well, stay here as long as you like."
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
"People don't always have an agenda. They can just be nice to each other for no reason sometimes." Clearly, Liz wanted to show Michael kindness that had seemingly been absent in his life so far.
Michael shook his head and his long brown hair covered his eyes. "Not in my experience."
Liz put her hands on the table and folded them together. "Well, yeah, sometimes people can let you down."
Michael ran a hand through his flat hair. "Are you talking about Kyle? And what he did at prom?"
She took a deep breath and tried defending Kyle, claiming that becoming football captain and homecoming king had inflated his ego.
"Uneasy is the head that wears the crown, I guess," Michael said.
Liz then explained that she had a tough day and that she wanted her mom. Michael nodded and gave her a soft reassuring smile. She went on to talk about her mother's drinking and how she wasn't done being taken care of. He tentatively reached out to lay a hand on hers. Liz looked into Michael's eyes. He held his breath as she parted her lips. "Was that Shakespeare?" Liz asked. "The thing you said about the crown?"
"Henry IV, Part 2."
Liz laughed. "You are something else, Michael Guerin."
—-
Alex stomped into the music room and slammed the door. Breathing hard he ran his fingers through his hair spun to lean his back against the wall that didn't have the shelves of instruments.
"You okay?"
Alex jerked his head up. He was surprised to see he wasn't the only one taking refuge in the music room. Max Evans sat on the far side of the room, guitar on his lap, the curls of his hair unnaturally out of place.
"What are you doing here, Evans?" Alex said, stunned.
"Could ask you the same thing, Manes," Max deflected.
Alex didn't take the bait. "You're sitting in the corner like you don't want anybody to walk by and see you in here."
At this, Max sighed. He frowned and grabbed his guitar so that it turned and rested on the floor, his left hand still gripping the neck. "Only thing that makes me feel quiet. Playing music," Max said finally.
"Quiet?" Alex asked. He started walking toward Max and sat down next to him in an empty chair.
"I have all this chaos going on inside me and...all I want to do is get away from myself. But then I play and my entropy changes. And it gets quiet."
Alex nodded. Then he frowned. "Is that my guitar?"
"I was gonna put it back. Plus, it was out of tune, so, you're welcome."
Alex actually laughed. "I didn't know you play. How did I not know that?"
Max simply shrugged. "Maybe there's more to me than you thought."
"So, you're really the classic genius kid who secretly just wants to play music?"
Max smirked and looked back at Alex. "All the rumors about you true?"
Alex diverted his eyes. Max shifted nervously. He hadn't meant to make Alex uncomfortable. "Apparently I'm not the only one who likes to use music to escape, though," he said sympathetically. "Something happen?"
At first, Alex shook his head like he didn't want to talk about it. He looked up at Max who gave him such an open, understanding look that he sighed. "I just passed Kyle in the hall."
"What an asshole." Max gave Alex a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry he makes you uncomfortable. And about… stuff at your house."
Alex took a deep breath. "You know, you can borrow my guitar whenever you want to...quiet down."
Max looked down at the guitar. "Thank you," he said awkwardly.
"You're welcome." Alex looked directly into Max's brown eyes. Alex leaned closer, almost close enough for Max to feel his breath on his face. Max suddenly sucked in his breath and scooted away slightly. Lifting the guitar back on his lap, Max began to play.
—
Later that afternoon, the boys were discussing Isobel at the Crashdown. They came to the conclusion that she is scared of high school ending and having both Michael and Max plan for futures outside of Roswell. With the idea of high school fleeting and making every moment count, Michael asked Max a question.
"Hey, what do you think if I...asked Liz out?" Max gasped dramatically. It was no secret that Michael was harboring a long crush on the younger Ortecho sister. "It's just- we had a moment... but I don't know if I could make that into something."
"Hey," Max encouraged. "You should definitely ask her out. That's the kind of moment that means something. Believe me," he added with a sad smile. "I know those moments."
Their discussion was interrupted by Rosa and Liz loudly arguing about the car and then their mother. Michael saw an opportunity.
"Hey! Um, I can take you. To the desert," Michael offered, walking up to Liz. He hoped that driving out into the middle of nowhere with the homeless kid wouldn't be something that Liz would find creepy, like she did his staring at her in the science lab. With courage he didn't know he possessed, he added, "And I have to do the project too."
"Nah," Liz shook her head. "Screw the bio project. Let's have an adventure."
Out in the desert, Liz pulls a six-pack out of Michael's truck and sits in the hood of it, popping open two bottles.
"This is your big adventure?" Michael asked, fixing his baseball hat and peering around the open space.
"Hey, Liz Ortecho would never skip school to drink a beer with a boy!"
"Okay!" Michael says as he takes a beer from her. He pops open the cap and she responds with a "gracias." "So, you gotta tell me, where'd you get the fake?"
She pulls out a fake ID from her pocket and says simply, "Rosa. I almost used it to get into a Fallout Boy concert."
"Sasha Jimenez. Age 25," reads Michael.
"That's me," Liz says with a bow. "And, uh, you are?"
"Michael Guerin," he says confidently.
"Fine!" Liz exclaims dramatically. "Tell me about yourself, Michael Guerin, age 25."
"You first," says Michael looking up at her and smiling.
"I... am a dancer," she says, pretending to click castanets. "And you?"
"I," says Michael nervously. "...am a writer. I mainly do novels."
Liz drops her pretense and asks, "Super pretentious literary novels?"
"No," Michael shakes his head and looks down at the sand. "I wanna write something you can disappear into. Something that makes you feel like home, you know that wraps you up when it's cold...kind of like I never had." He adds the last part quietly.
"I bet you'll be an amazing writer," Liz said seriously.
"And you'd be an amazing dancer."
Liz smiled. She jumped off the car and took his hands. "I will show you."
Liz attempts to teach Michael proper quinceanera dance steps. He doesn't do well. A song comes on the radio and she and Michael begin to slow dance, holding each other tight.
"I wanna kiss you," Liz says when the song is about to end.
"Oh, okay. Yes." Michael smiles eagerly.
"But I...it doesn't feel right," Liz explains. "I mean it's not you. It's just too late."
"What do you mean too late? We've got all summer."
Liz pushed him away a little. "No, but we don't. After graduation I'm going on a road trip. You know I want to see this country. My parents risked everything to get us here and I've never even left Roswell. I want to see the ocean. But I don't think I can kiss you and then leave. I don't want to be a leaver like my mom."
"So, stay?" Michael looks at her with sad green eyes.
"I also don't want to be the girl who changes her plans for a boy." She puts a hand on his cheek. "Our timing sucks." Michael pulls her into a hug and she fits just below his chin.
Sitting back on the hood of his truck, she admits she'll do the bio project tomorrow.
Michael says, "What if I- ?"
"What if what?" Liz asks curiously.
Michael wants to say he would change his plans for her. But he didn't know if she would like that. He hardly knew Liz. He didn't have any money to go on the road. He never had anyone adapt their life for him before, save Max and Isobel. So he decided Liz was right. Their timing sucked.
"Nevermind."
—
Max took a deep breath. He ran a hand through his curls before he walked up to the museum ticket box. "Hey. Can we talk?"
"Um, yeah, I guess," replied Alex from inside, sporting the black and green visor he wore for work.
"Somewhere private, maybe?"
Alex glanced away, then back at Max's brown eyes. He turned the sign on the glass to say "back in 5 minutes." Alex led Max into the back in one of the museum exhibitions. He turned to face Max nervously clutching his visor in his hand. "Okay, talk."
Max looked at Alex and swallowed hard. Instead of saying anything he quickly stepped forward and pulled Alex into a kiss. It was quick and unexpected, but Max's lips moved slowly against Alex's. When he pulled back, his hands were still on Alex's face. Alex stared at Max only a second before he wrapped his arms around him and enthusiastically pulled him into more kisses, dropping his visor in the floor.
After a while, Alex took a breath as he broke the kiss. Max smiled but held on to Alex's shoulders. "You wanna take this somewhere else?" asked Max.
"Sure. There's an old tool shed behind my house. I go there sometimes to be alone."
"Well I do want to be alone with you." Max kissed him again. Suddenly, a thought occurred to Max and he broke their kiss. "Wait, you said...things at your house suck. That mean...your dad?"
Alex didn't answer, but pursed his lips together and avoided Max's gaze. That was all the answer Max needed. "Hey, better idea," Max said. "My parents are going out of the house all day."
"What about Isobel?"
"She wouldn't care. She owes me for covering for her, so." Max shrugged. "She's probably also out with her new friend Rosa."
"Rosa Ortecho?" Alex asked incredulously.
"Long story," Max said, kissing Alex again. "Tell you later.
When Max finally brought Alex to his bedroom, they crashed together in a flurry of fervent kisses. They wasted no time and Alex had Max's shirt off before the door closed, silencing them from the rest of the house.
"Have you ever done this before?" Alex asked, thinking he knew the answer.
"Um," faltered Max, "actually, no, not really." Alex gave him a surprised look. "Well, I guess I've been focused on school and stuff...plus I was always kinda nervous bringing a girl home."
"Oh, I see," Alex said. "But you've had girlfriends."
"Well, yeah," Max confirmed. "But no one that I've liked as much as I like you."
Alex smiled and grabbed Max's face to pull him into another kiss. Max fell onto his bed, his curly hair spread across the pillow and Alex hovered above him, taking in the sight.
They made love in Max Evan's bedroom. It was new and exciting and safe. No one interrupted them. No one walked in. No one got hurt.
—
Later that night, Max and Michael sense Isobel was in trouble. Michael is the first on the scene. He sees Isobel kill Rosa.
When Max enters, he runs to his sister. "Don't just stand there, Michael, do something!"
Michael, having seen Isobel just kill someone and knowing she probably killed the other two, is frozen on the spot. Max pleads with him to try and heal Rosa. When Michael finally tries, he says he's not strong enough. Max suggests calling the cops or his parents. Michael tells him that's a bad idea because Isobel was not in her right mind. Max agrees that they will cover this up.
Max uses his telekinesis to move the three bodies into a car. Isobel wakes up and catches them putting the girls into the seats.
When she asks what happened, Max asks her if she remembers what happened. Isobel shakes her head and Michael turns to her. "I uh, I messed up, Iz."
"What?" Isobel shouts.
"Michael," Max shakes his curly head at him. "What are you doing?"
"How?" Isobel demands.
"I got in a fight." Michael explained. "And I went and got drunk and I ran into those girls And my electromagnetic-power just went nuts, just like it did that night we were camping. It was an accident, Iz."
Max tells his sister to take his car and leave them to handle it. Isobel says that she won't leave them. Max uses his telekinesis to crash the car. Before they can leave, Isobel tells Michael to set the car on fire.
Isobel thought that Michael had actually caused the death of the sister of the woman he loved. She went to her brother Max and said that something needed to be done, because it was only a matter of time before the guilt would eat Michael alive and he would tell Liz everything. Max agreed and Isobel influenced Liz to leave town before Michael could persuade his guilty conscience. After he learned Liz left, Michael was devastated. He did everything he could to forget Liz and forget what happened with Rosa. Michael started a frequent habit of picking fights, stealing things and getting drunk.
—
Alex and Max were kissing in the backseat of Max's car.
Max was pulling Alex closer by the lapels of his black sweatshirt. Alex was running his hands through Max's curls. Alex laughed.
"Evans, your phone is buzzing," Alex said in between kisses when he caught his breath.
Max did not stop. "It's been buzzin' all day."
"Aren't you gonna answer?" Alex asked playfully.
Max hummed an "uh-uh" and encircled his hands around Alex's neck. Alex creeped his hand along Max's jeans. Reaching his hand quickly in his back pocket, he pulled out the small device.
"Hey!" Max protested as Alex broke their connection to stare at Max's phone. He clicked a button and read the screen.
"You've got a missed call from Isobel," Alex reported.
"I'll get back to her later," Max said, refocusing on Alex.
Alex put a hand on his chest to stop him. Still looking at Max's phone, he said, "Actually, you have a lot of missed calls from your sister...and your parents."
Max sighed. "Yeah, okay...but I'm a little busy right now."
Alex smoothed circles on Max's shoulder. "Any particular reason you are avoiding your family?"
"I'm not avoiding them. I'm just not used to constantly checking my messages." Max lowered his brown eyes and smirked at Alex. "And for a second, I forgot about everything...except...you." Max emphasized the last word with a cheek kiss.
That brought a smile to Alex's mouth. He pressed his lips to Max's once more. Alex smiled at Max's sweetness. But, he collected himself and said seriously, "I can't be your medicine."
"What?"
"You've changed. Why don't you wanna talk to me? You used to... You're pulling away from me."
"What? No I'm not."
"Then why haven't you had me over to your house since that first time? Why haven't you introduced me to your parents?"
"You're the one who said we need to keep this secret from your dad. It's just easier, then, to keep it a secret from everyone."
Alex looked down. That was true. He still wanted to keep his father from finding out about Max and so they had been sneaking around. Alex looked again at Max. "And you're not going to UNM?"
"That's a money thing."
"You got a scholarship! I like doing this with you. But not if you're using it to forget about something else. Like your family. Or how you and Michael haven't hung out at all this summer…" Alex hesitated. Then said, "Are you in love with Michael?"
"Are you serious?" Max said scoffing.
"You can tell me," Alex said. "You two were close. Like really close."
"Not like that," Max argued. "It was more than that. It was less than that. We were friends…when we were kids. But now? Michael reminds me of a bunch of stuff I'd rather forget. Now the only thing we have in common is Isobel."
"I want to be with you," Alex told him. He watched as the wind coming in from the open window blew one of Max's curls. "But not if you're wasting your life, okay?"
Max smiled and pulled Alex into another kiss.
—
Alex had been debating with himself whether to join the Air Force. Despite his begging, Max continued to pull away from him. Max deferred UNM and didn't even start to make plans career-wise. Alex saw Max struggle but could never figure out what it was or how to help him. Meanwhile, Alex was receiving pressure from his father to enlist in the Air Force.
One day, Alex came to see Max at his house. Max opened the door after Alex had knocked for a third time. Max was on the phone but he motioned for Alex to come in anyway.
"How long is he gonna be there?" Max was saying into the phone. Alex closed the door behind him and watched Max pace around the entryway. "How do you not know, Isobel?….Well, why the hell was he attested in the first place?….What's he doing stealing hubcaps?!….Yeah, he's just screwing around with Valenti…Liz's ex, you know,…Man, this is gonna cost him, though…Hey, Iz, I gotta go…Yeah, thanks for telling me. I will handle it….Okay, see you when you get home."
Max hung up the phone and turned to face Alex. "Sorry about that."
"No problem." Alex had his hands in his jean pockets. "Sounds like it was important."
"Not really," Max told him. "Michael just got himself into trouble again. Isobel's worried. I'll bail him out after I let him sit at the station for a few hours."
Alex nodded his sympathies. Max raked his brown eyes over Alex, only just now realizing something was off. "Why do you look different?" he asked.
Alex shrugged and looked down. His usual punk accessories were absent. He wore a plain black t-shirt and blue jeans instead of a colorful sweater or band T. He wore none of his jewelry, his eyes were missing eyeliner and his nails had been stripped of black polish. "Well, I….I need to tell you…I saw your parents weren't home. Can we talk?"
Max nodded and led him into the house. Alex followed Max into the living room but did not sit on the couch or make himself comfortable. "What's up?" Max asked, his curly head turned away from Alex.
"Well, I…" started Alex. "I've made a decision…I thought I would let you know that…I'm joining the Air Force."
Max whipped his gaze toward Alex. "What?!"
"I'm leaving tonight."
"WHAT?!" Max shouted. "And you're telling me this now?"
Alex just stared at Max with sad eyes. "Well, I haven't seen you in a couple weeks…"
"I'm sorry- I've been just…" Max sputtered but didn't know how to finish the sentence. "Why? When did you decide this?"
"My dad's been pushing for me to go. Even recruited my brothers to convince me it would be a good idea."
"Why the hell are you listening to him?! You know he just wants you to join the military because he thinks it will turn you less gay! And make you into- what he thinks- is a 'real Manes man!'" Max shouted. He was starting to get mad. He usually could control his temper pretty well, but now that control was slipping away just as Alex was seeming to slip away.
"But he's wrong! He can't change who I am or who I love," Alex confidently said. "And I want to enlist partially to show him that. To show him and my brothers that I am just as capable as they are. Just as much of a man."
Max shook his head and his curls fell over his eyes. "Like they actually care about you? Your dad tried to actually beat the gay out of you!"
"Exactly! I'm tired of being everyone's punching bag! At home. At school. I want to be the person who wins battles for a change."
"And you're gonna go thousands of miles away to fight those battles?"
Alex shrugged. "Another advantage is leaving Roswell and getting away from him."
Max took a step closer to Alex and said softly, "And me."
Alex frowned. "I know." He looked up into Max's face. "We haven't been good for a while now, Max. I've been begging you to get it together, but….at some point you stopped being that guy."
Max looked away. "You know that has nothing to do with you, though? Doesn't mean that I don't still-"
"-I know," Alex said quickly, understanding. "But, maybe my leaving will be good for you too. You can stop hiding from your problems with me."
"How can you say that you leaving would be good for me?!" Max said, leaning into his anger again. "You didn't talk to me? You didn't ask me!"
"Would you have listened? Would you have opened up to me?" Alex retorted.
Max said nothing, but gave Alex a sad, longing look. "So you've made up your mind? Nothing I can do to change it?"
Alex shook his head. "No. I'm going to serve my country. I'm gonna try being brave…and helping people. I'm…proud of that."
Max smiled at Alex as if he was proud of that too. "You've always been brave. If you go…I'll miss you."
Alex took a step forward. "I'll miss you too."
Max took a deep breath and looked at the floor in between them. "You said that the Air Force won't change who you are. Or who you love."
"That's right."
Max lifted his eyes to Alex. "Did that ever mean me?"
Alex gave Max a small smile. He stepped closer so that he could put his hands on Max's shoulders. "Of course it did. It does."
Alex ran his hands down Max's arms and caught his hands. He looked into Max's brown eyes. "I love you," Alex said.
Max smiled. "I love you too, Alex."
Alex leaned forward and kissed Max slowly. Alex could feel Max putting all his emotions into the kiss. Alex began to kiss more fiercely. Max caught on and brought his arms up to pull Alex into him. Max held on to him tightly as their kisses became harder and deeper. Alex knew Max would miss him. And he would miss Max. And this kiss was their goodbye.
When eventually they slowed down, Alex brought his hands to Max's face. They broke the kiss and looked into each other's eyes. They knew they were saying all the things they were feeling but couldn't speak out loud. Alex let his hands fall and began to turn away. As Alex walked over to the door, opened it, looked back at Max briefly, and closed it behind him, Max never looked away.
—-
"We shouldn't come here anymore," Max said to Michael.
"I like to check on Mr. Ortecho."
"In case something bad happens to him?"
Max and Michael were sitting at the Crashdown. Max knew Michael was worried about Liz's father, even after his crush had left town. When Michael just sighed, Max switched topics.
"I think we should tell Isobel I did it," Max said. His curls were tucked into his backwards hat so Michael could see the seriousness in his face. "It's not fair she thinks it was you."
"She'd never believe you," Michael countered. "If you take credit for a triple murder, the person who knows you best is gonna ask questions." Isobel had always had a contentious relationship with Max, somewhat born out of jealousy regarding his aptitude and subsequent parental praise. However, Michael knew that growing up together still formed a bond between the Evans twins.
"My power is the one that kills," Michael added for good measure. "I am the hothead. You're the hero. It's always been that way. Just embrace it."
"Well, someone has got to clean up your messes," Max said. "You stole the hubcaps off Kyle Valenti's graduation present. Both his parents are cops! You wanna end up in jail tonight? Huh?"
"Where'd you get the bail money? I'm gonna pay you back Friday. I got a gig lined up at Foster Ranch this summer."
"Yeah, I know." Max nodded.
"How?" Michael asked.
Max shrugged. "My dad said they were hiring. I didn't want the job. But, I know you love the place." Although Max was admittedly good with his hands, he knew Michael had spent much of his time out on the ranch. He thought that Michael really liked the open space where he could be miles away from people (that caused him pain) and stare at the sky (where he still looked for answers). Michael, however, didn't seem to appreciate Max's thinking of him.
"I didn't ask for that, Max." Michael stood up and backed away from the table. "I never asked for you."
—
After Michael walked out of the Crashdown, Max found himself wandering around downtown. He was trying not to think about how Alex leaving and breaking his heart was his own doing. He should've talked to him more. He should've opened up. He should've been figuring out what to do with his life since he had given up on college. Instead he had just fallen deeper and deeper into his alien calculations and research, searching for answers and only finding more questions. Alex at least had made a decision about what to do with his life after the summer ends. Alex was going to be a respected soldier, fighting for his country. Despite Max's sorrow at letting Alex go, he really admired the path Alex was taking and some of the reasons why he had chosen it.
As Max crossed the street, he saw Sheriff Valenti clad in her uniform and hat walk into the police station. He wondered if she was the one who had handled Michael's theft despite the conflict of interest. Max stopped outside the door where he had seen the sheriff disappear. On the window of the door there was a poster advertising the sheriff's office's need for additional officers and deputies. This gave Max an idea. Michael was starting to go down a bad road. Getting in trouble with the law could potentially put too much attention on Michael or his abilities. He was going to need someone to protect him. Alex was pursuing a career as an enforcer of the law, a defender of the people. Maybe Max could be inspired to be brave and help people too.