Part 4 It had been a few days since they had arrived in Roswell. All of their things had come via trucks. The house was still a mess, but at least everything had arrived. Max sat in the kitchen feeding Noah some bananas. It was a week before school officially started. Max and Isabel would be starting their senior year. Isabel stumbled into the kitchen and headed straight for the fridge to grab a glass of orange juice. She sank down beside Noah. Giving him a kiss on his cheek, Isabel went about reading the want ads. “So, how you holding up Iz? You liking this place?” Isabel lifted her eyes from the paper in her hands. “I don’t know, it’s certainly not California, but it seems ok.” She took a sip of her juice before continuing. “How about you? How do you like it?” Max just shrugged his shoulders. He grabbed his dirty dishes and began washing them. “I’m not really sure. It seems like a nice place. It’s great for Noah. He’s definitely enjoying the yard. And I definitely love the bigger room. That way me and Noah aren’t so cramped with all of his things.” Isabel smiled. “I know what you mean. Gotta love that extra closet space.” Max just laughed and threw the dish rag at her. “So you comin’? I’m going job hunting.” “Sure, just let me grab a bagel and I’ll be set.” ************ Max and Isabel began to drive around the local establishments looking for part time jobs. They had just about given up when they drove down Main Street. On one side was a cafe called the Crashdown Cafe. On the other was a UFO Center. Max pulled up into a parking space. “Ok, so I’m gonna head into the UFO Center. You go to the Crashdown and I’ll meet you there.” Max was about to open his door, but Isabel grabbed his arm. “Excuse me, what makes you think I’m going to apply at a fast food service? Why don’t you go in there and I’ll apply at the UFO Center.” Max sat in his seat and tried to hide the smirk on his lips. “Ok, if you think you can handle being around plastic alien dolls all day. You know, with their big heads and those black beady eyes and those elongated fingers- Max was about to go on but Isabel slapped him across the shoulder. “Just stop. I don’t want to hear anymore.” Isabel visibly shivered at the thought of being in an environment like that for hours on end. She had always been creeped out at stuff like that. Isabel tugged on her seatbelt. “Fine, you win. But know this Max Evans, I know where you live.” Max just laughed as he watched his sister make her way towards the cafe. He got out of the jeep and crossed the street to the UFO Center. **************** Isabel entered the Cafe and looked around her. Wasn’t there anything in this city that wasn’t alien themed? Before she could contemplate her thoughts any further, she was greeted by a pixie-ish blonde wearing a turquoise uniform and silver antennas. Isabel bit back the laugh that wanted to come out. Instead, she listened as the blonde introduced herself. “Hi, welcome to the Crashdown. I’m Maria, I’ll be your server. Would you like to take a seat?” Maria motioned to the empty tables around her. “Actually, I was hoping to speak to the manager.” Maria eyed her for a moment before yelling out to Liz in the back room. “Liz, there’s someone who wants to talk to you.” Liz walked through the swinging doors, her hair in a lose ponytail. She was also wearing the same uniform, minus the antennas. She walked towards them with a smile on her face. Reaching out her hand, she introduced herself. “Hi, I’m Liz.” Isabel gladly shook her hand. “Isabel. It’s nice to meet you.” Liz grinned, her genuine interest in Isabel showing. “So, Isabel, what can I do for you today?” Isabel’s brow knotted in confusion. “Are you the manager?” Liz gave a little laugh. “Just part-time. That is, when my parents aren’t here.” Isabel nodded. “You see, I’ve been driving around all morning looking for a part time job. Something to keep me busy when I’m not in school.” Liz studied her for a moment before offering her a seat in one of the booths. “Well, we could use a part-timer. Have you ever had any experience waitressing?” Isabel shook her head. “No, but I have had other jobs. I’m willing to learn and I’m a really hard worker.” Liz’s smile got wider. “Well, you’ve convinced me. How about you stop by tomorrow so you can meet my dad and we can train you?” “That sounds great. You have no idea how grateful I am for this job.“ “You should remember that when we start training you.” The two girls continued to laugh before they were joined by Maria. “Is this a private laughing party, or can anyone join?” Liz looked up at her best friend and pulled her down into the seat next to her. “Isabel, this is my best friend Maria.” Isabel held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” Liz motioned to Isabel. “She’s our newest waitress.” Maria gave her a smile. “Nice to have you on board. Although, I have to warn you about two of our busboys. They can be a little obnoxious at times, but it’d do you best if you just ignored them.” Liz playfully hit Maria on the arm. “Come on Maria, Alex and Kyle aren’t that bad. Besides, Alex is our best friend, and Kyle happens to be your brother.” “That’s step brother, but you’re right, they’re not that bad. The person you really have to watch for is Michael. He’s the cook. He can gets cranky very easily, but what can I say? He’s my boyfriend and I love him.” Isabel enjoyed the exchange between the two girls. She missed having a best friend of her own. Liz interrupted Maria and began asking Isabel some questions. “So Isabel, I have to say, I haven’t seen you around before. Are you new in town?” “Yeah, my family and I just moved here from California.” Maria sat up in her seat. “That’s right. You’re the Evans’ right?” Isabel gave her a weird look. “Yeah, how did you know?” Maria threw her hands up in the air. “It’s a small time, news travels fast.” Isabel felt her throat tightening. If news traveled that fast, how would they react when they found out about Max and Noah, that is if they didn't already know. “So, are you going to West Roswell?” Liz decided to change the subject. Isabel had seemed a little uncomfortable and she wanted her to feel welcome. There was something about her that just screamed they were going to be good friends. Isabel cleared her throat. “Yeah, my brother and I are starting our senior year.” Maria’s eyes got wide. “Brother? So you guys are like twins?” Isabel just nodded. Maria kept smiling but gently nudged Liz with her elbow. Liz turned to Maria and gave her a smile before kicking her under the table. Liz cleared her throat. “We’re gonna be seniors too. Maybe we’ll have some classes together.” “Yeah, that would be nice.” The jingling of the front door signaled a customer. Everyone turned to see who it was. Max strode in, his eyes searching for Isabel. He stopped when his eyes landed on a petite brunette sitting in a booth. She had long dark hair and these piercing brown eyes. It was as if the world had faded away. He was mesmerized by her. Liz sat in the booth and stared at the guy that had walked through the door. He was tall, dark, and handsome. It sounded like a cliche, but that was the best way to describe him. He had these amazing amber colored eyes that made her feel like she was drowning. They continued to stare at each other until Isabel broke the spell. “Max!” Max’s eyes lingered on Liz’s a moment longer before he reluctantly walked towards Isabel. He stood next to her, jamming his hands into his pockets. Isabel noticed the difference in Max. He was usually a very quiet person, but he was even quieter than usual. It was as if he was nervous. She cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. “Max, this is Liz and Maria.” Max gave a little wave. “Hi.” Liz felt a shiver run down her spine at his deep velvety voice. Isabel turned to the girls. “Maria and Liz, this is my brother Max.” Before either one of them could respond, Max’s pager went off. He reached around his waist and unclipped it from his waist. His home phone number flashed across the tiny screen along with the numbers 911. His mother only ever used 911 when it was an emergency. He felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. Isabel watched as the color drained from her brother’s face. “Max? Is everything ok? What’s wrong?” Max clipped his pager back onto his belt. “Uh, we have to get out of here. Mom just paged.” Isabel heard the slight tremor in his voice. She slid out of the booth and stood next to her brother. “Let’s go then.” Max nodded and fished his keys from his pocket. He was about to walk towards the door when Liz’s voice stopped him. “I hope everything’s ok.” He turned to look into her angelic face. His stomach did a flip flop, but it confused him as to why it did. “Thanks. I’m sure it is.” Liz graced him with a beautiful smile that showed her perfect white teeth. “It was nice meeting you.” Max stumbled through the double doors with a half smile on his lips.