'Sometimes, I wish I knew what they were thinking when I look back on what has been. Max, Isabel, and Michael, that is. Their abilities had advantages and disadvantages, as does everything in life. The eight of us understood each other, trusted each other, and put our lives on the line for each other. We even loved each other. I guess it's ironic to me, how even after all we had been through, it was still THEM and US. ALIENS and HUMANS. THEM and US. Never WE.
Never WE.'
-from the later journals of Elizabeth Parker
Max squinted as he pulled the drapes open. Michael rolled his eyes and stopped tapping on the glass pane, waiting impatiently as Max opened the window and motioned him inside.
"You know, the sun is out. You can use the front door like a normal person." Max sighed, rubbing his eyes. Michael stopped in mid-motion as if he was suddenly struck with a thought, and then shrugged.
"Since when have I been normal?" Max gave him a smile that didn't reach his eyes. None of his smiles were actually genuine since before Kyle.
"Figure of speech."
"I know. Listen; get Isabel because we need to talk about what happened. I didn't get any sleep and-"
"So none of us slept last night," Isabel stated, startling both Max and Michael who turned to see her standing in the doorway. "I agree. We definitely have a lot to talk about." They followed Isabel in to the living room. Max sunk down onto the couch and put his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. Isabel could see his weariness in how he held himself. Slumped over, wishing he could just fade away, rubbing the inner corners of his red and swollen sleep depraved eyes. Michael sat down in the chair across from him, looking like his usual self. Then again, Isabel had always doubted that he ever slept at all. She sat down next to Max and crossed her legs, her left arm draping loosely over the side of the couch. "So what exactly happened last night?" she asked carefully.
"I think it's safe to say that Liz freaked out," Michael said, making sure Isabel was able to note his sarcasm. She made a face.
"You know what I mean. What happened to make her lose it like that? She's usually so collected." She locked eyes with Max as she said this.
"It was the song playing on the radio," he responded quietly.
"Huh?"
"It was that song by Sheryl Crow," he stated, his voice a little stronger. Michael jumped in.
"Yeah, what was with that? Maria only asked me to turn off the radio, but it was like she was asking for something that was a matter of life and death."
"No, there's got to be more to it than that. I mean, no one flips out like that just because they don't like the song" Isabel countered.
"Maybe it wasn't the song in general," Max said. Michael and Isabel looked at him, confused. "What I mean is, back when Liz and I were... happy, she had told me how much she loved that song. That it struck a chord in her somehow, like it would come to mean something to her someday. So what if it wasn't the song itself, but what the song represents? What if that song has to do with whatever it is that's hurting her?"
It continued on like this for a while, the three of them talking about what happened until Michael brought up what Maria had told him after everyone had left. He knew Maria would probably kill him for it later, but Michael couldn't keep the information a secret from Max. He knew somehow that the information Maria had divulged was a pertinent piece of the puzzle. He could feel it whispering along his brain and forcing his mouth open with intense furor. After Michael finished telling what he had heard, he turned to Max, who looked like he wanted to either cry or explode in anger. Max jumped to his feet and began pacing the room frantically.
"But why wouldn't she want to connect with me? Does she hat me that much?" Michael patted him on the shoulder and shook his head knowingly.
"I know what I felt last night Maxwell. Trust me, hate wasn't one of them."
Isabel stepped in. "I agree. Maybe there's something she doesn't want you to know. Something she doesn't want anyone to know."
"Except Maria?" Max asked, his voice laced with sarcasm and anger. "This is so stupid. How can she keep secrets from us? She been lying to us for the past month and I'm sick of it!"
"We all are," Michael agreed, attempting to comfort him.
"It's like I don't even know who she is anymore. She's like two different people. I know I can trust her to help us find out more about ourselves and I know I can trust her to put her life on the line for us, but I can't trust her has a friend anymore." Isabel said, becoming frustrated by her conflicting feelings. Max nodded.
"She's a total stranger to me, and I'm pretty sure I don't like the person she has become."
All responses to Max's statement were cut short when an angry shriek bounded through the room. "I should have known, you fucking backstabbing traitors!" Maria yelled angrily as she flung hot coffee at their feet.
