Melinda Metz - The Outsider

"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.

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.

"Let us through," Maria begged. She and Liz squeezed their way past the rows of people crowding around Alex. He sat on the ground, a dazed expression on his face.

"I thought you said he was stabbed," Liz cried.

"He was," Maria insisted. But there was no wound on Alex's throat. And the blood on his skin was already starting to dry.

"I want all of you back in the gym," a loud voice ordered. Maria didn't have to look to know that it was Sheriff Valenti. "Now," he barked.

"I guess we'd better go back," Liz said. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked Alex.

"Yeah. Go on."

Valenti pushed his way through the retreating crowd. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?" he asked Alex. "I got a report that you were stabbed, but that's obviously not what happened. "

Alex pushed himself to his feet and leaned against the closest car. His legs felt a little rubbery. "I came outside because the gym was really hot. Some guy came up from behind me and told me to give him my wallet. I told him to forget it."