The Seeker

"So that's it?" Dylan asked.

"That's it," Michael answered. He started to pull away, but Maria tightened her arms around him.

"There is the kissing thing," Maria said. She lifted her head and stared up at Michael again.

"The kissing thing?" Dylan repeated in horror.

"Yeah, sometimes during a slow dance people kiss," Maria said.

Michael's eyes drifted down to her lips. The color of them reminded him of raspberries. He wondered how they would taste.

But kissing was a whole different deal than dancing. Dancing was kind of a borderline. You could be friends and dance together. But if you started kissing, you crossed the border from being friends into… something else.

"I think you've learned enough for one night," Michael told Dylan.

Max glanced at the clock. Almost eight. Was Liz changing clothes right now, trying to decide what to wear to UFOnics, trying to figure out what Jerry Cifarelli would think was hot?

"What do you think of a display on the Hollow Earth Society?" Ray asked. "Maybe right over there, next to the one on the Elvis-alien co

"I don't know what that is," Max admitted.

Maybe Liz and Jerry are already at UFOnics, dancing to some slow song, Max thought. Why had Maria told him that Liz was going out with Jerry tonight? If she wanted to torture him, why didn't she just pull out his fingernails or drip water on his forehead?

"And you call yourself an alien," Ray scolded. "Don't you know we've been colonizing the hollow center of the earth for hundreds of years?"

"Wait. What? When were you pla

Ray shook his head. "Max, Max, Max. You really should have told me you'd gone in for that lobotomy. I'd have given you the night off."

Oops, Max thought. "I guess the words hollow center of the earth should have tipped me off, huh?" he said. "I don't have much of a sense of humor tonight."

"Don't worry about it," Ray said. "And just for the record, as far as I know, you, me, Michael, and Isabel are the only aliens on earth."

"So what's this Hollow Earth Society deal?" Max asked. He wanted to check the time again, but he wouldn't let himself. If he kept thinking about Liz and Jerry, he really would need a lobotomy.

"Just one of the wackier human theories," Ray explained. "You want to hear about it-or you want to tell me what's got you in such a fever?"

"Nothing really to talk about," Max said. What was he supposed to say? That he was losing his mind because Liz-the girl he told he wanted to be just friends-was going out with someone else tonight?

"If you change your mind, you know where to find me." Ray glanced at his watch. "Blow the whistle-it's quitting time," he said. "You go ahead and take off. I'll close up."

"Thanks," Max said. He bolted out to his Jeep and swung into the driver's seat. Now what? he wondered. Go home and spend the night imagining Liz in Jerry's arms? He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. I'll go to a movie, he decided. That will keep my mind off what Liz is doing with Jerry.

He pulled out onto the street and headed toward the mall. When he made a left onto Cordova, he could see UFOnics' bright orange neon sign, with its spaceship crashing over and over. Max pla

Now what's the plan, you big idiot? Max asked himself as he maneuvered the Jeep into one of the last parking spots. He couldn't just go inside and stare at Liz.

Unless…

With a soft whispering sound his hair began to grow. Max stopped it when it got to his shoulders. Black, he decided. He tilted down the rearview mirror and watched as his blond hair turned a molted orange, then darkened to a muddy brown, and finally became a deep shiny black.

Not too shabby, Max thought. He couldn't do the changes as fast and smooth as Ray yet, but still, not too shabby. He turned his attention to his face, and his skin began to bubble. It didn't hurt or anything, but it looked repulsive. Max squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, his cheekbones were higher, his nose was smaller, and his skin was several shades darker.

What everyone at the Aliens Among Us conference downtown wouldn't give to see this, Max thought as he climbed out of the Jeep and headed inside. He promised himself he'd just take a quick look. He pushed his way through the crowd and found a spot at one of the little tables circling the dance floor. He hated the chairs in this place. They were designed to look like gigantic moon rocks and they always wobbled.

Craig Cachopo stalked up and asked Max what he wanted to drink. As much as he hated the chairs Max loved seeing some of the school elite dressed in the world's dweebiest, bad-sci-fi-meets-bad-disco-glitter uniforms. The expression on Craig's face made it absolutely clear that no comments on his shiny purple spandex space suit would be tolerated.

Max ordered a Lime Warp. He was actually starting to like them now that Ray had forced a few down his throat. When Craig stomped off in his orange half boots, Max saw what he came there to see but didn't really want to see-Liz and Jerry on the dance floor. At least it was a fast song, so he didn't have to see them actually touching.

She is so utterly beautiful, Max thought. Liz smiled at Jerry, and Max felt his heart constrict. He wished he could get a clearer look at her aura to see if she was enjoying herself as much as she seemed to be. But UFOnics' flashing colored lights made everyone's aura difficult to read.

Max drank three Lime Warps and ate an order of extreme pile-on-everything nachos, watching Liz every moment. With the face of some other guy he could stare at her as much as he wanted.

Liz and Jerry sat down at a nearby table, and Max kept his eyes locked on her. He realized he hadn't really looked at her in days. Lately when he talked to her, he kept his eyes focused slightly to the side of her face. That's how bad things had gotten between them, how awkward and uncomfortable. He had totally screwed up with that kiss at the mall. That heart-pounding kiss.

Liz glanced up-right at him. Her deep brown eyes locked on his as if she were staring straight into his soul.

Oh no, Max thought frantically. She'll kill me for following her here!

He looked away, pretending he hadn't seen her. She can't know it's me, he told himself. I'm completely disguised. She can't know.

When he allowed himself to look at her again, Liz was leaning close to Jerry, whispering something in his ear.

A slow song started up, and Max felt every muscle in his body tense. Were they going to dance? Liz stood up. Jerry reached out, like he was going to take her hand.

Max bolted. He shoved his way through the crowd and out into the cool night air. He'd seen enough. He didn't need to see Jerry put his arms around Liz, slide his fingers through her hair.

I could go back in there and stop it, Max thought suddenly. He could bump into Jerry, make a quick co

He immediately felt disgusted with himself. To even think about using his power to do harm was totally sick. He jammed his hands in his pockets and started toward the Jeep.

"Max," a voice called behind him.

He turned around and saw Liz. He had no trouble reading her aura this time. She was furious.