"Please, don't go. I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I wanted to talk with you about…well everything." Tess seemed genuine, her eyes flashing with sincerity.
"Look, Tess, I haven't got time to talk about this right now and I really don't feel like it either. I can imagine how many questions you have for me about what I am and where I came from but sadly, I don't know either." Those defenses let themselves be known.
"I didn't really want to talk about that."
Tess intervenes, shocking Isabel with what she is saying.
"Sure, it was a big deal, really, but it's really not that important. Don't get me wrong, I love Liz, she's great and everything, and if she thinks you guys are worthwhile then so do I. But that's not why I couldn't care less about whatever it is you guys might be. I'm not so different to you myself, I'm extremely unlike everybody around me, I mean really. Just because I'm not from another planet doesn't mean I'm not…alien. Anyway what I guess I'm trying to say is, I kind of get what you're all about as much as you do and as for the rest of it, who cares. It's that simple." Isabel just stares at Tess in disbelief.
"Well, I wasn't expecting that."
"Yeah well life is full of surprises huh?"
Isabel's big beautiful eyes swim with happiness.
"Before I forget, me and Liz are having some sort of girly night later on at her place, you know the kind, Brad Pitt movies, the talking of guys, assorted flavors of chip. Anyway, you should come."
Isabel smiles and tilts her head slightly to one side, looking at Tess.
"Maybe I will."
The girls sit under the tree, mild sunlight touching their skin and gentle, irregular breezes refreshing them, continuing their conversation till they have to leave for their next class.
A few hours later school was over, the humans and hybrids has shared some classes and even some conversations. Things were looking up and Isabelle seemed much brighter, shining just that little bit stronger than everyone else again. There was definitely a feel-good-factor sharing around the Roswellians. After a short shift at The Crashdown, Maria and Tess went home to get ready for the girly party at Liz's. Isabelle had already been getting ready from the moment school ended, she was so excited. None of her friends so much as knew some surface details about Isabelle, but these newcomers knew about the biggest part of her, and while they where a great liability, they were her first and only real shot at having real friends. Max found her new-found human-like behaviour unusual and a little disturbing as she ran circles around him while getting ready for the night. Max decided he would catch some much needed sleep without Isabelle or Michael around to disrupt it, he reckoned he owed it to himself, always having to think for everybody else. Michael was trying to figure out an excuse for visiting Max but was struggling to come up with anything concrete.
Back at Liz's room, the night had aged, and all the girls has arrived pajama clad. At first Isabelle found herself a little uncomfortable but everybody was entirely sincere with her and understood how naked she must feel. Everybody was really understanding and empathetic towards her. It was the first time she'd ever felt so real. The girls ate dozens of types of different snack foods that aren't good for anybody, watched a few movies with commonly adored Hollywood hunks in them and even discussed girly things like who their latest crunch was, and what kind of men they like. It was fun and although surreal Isabelle wished that more nights like this would come her way. Somebody put another movie on…it was The Faculty…a film about aliens. The topic of conversation changed accordingly. Isabelle looked a little fragile at first.