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her.
    â€œSorry,” Liz whispered. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”Tears filled her eyes, blurring her view of the road in front of her. Drawing in a shuddering breath, she swerved over to the curb and stopped. Her heart pounded in her ears. It was beating so hard, she could feel it in her fingertips as she clenched the steering-wheel with both hands. She slowly let out her breath.
    Okay, just calm down, she thought. Maria’s house was only a few more blocks away. Liz checked the rearview mirror; she checked the side mirror; she looked over her shoulder and checked her blind spot. Then she slowly started back down the street.
    She concentrated on driving the same way she had the day she took her driver’s test. She made sure she stayed exactly at the speed limit, not one mile slower or faster. She came to a full and complete stop at the next stop sign. She clicked on her turn signal early enough — but not too early when she reached Maria’s street, and she did a perfect parallel-parking job in front of Maria’s house.
    Made it, she thought. She climbed out of the car and hurried up the front walk. She rang the bell, waited one second, and rang it again.
    â€œI could have used you two minutes earlier,” Maria said when she opened the door. She led the way into the living room, still talking. “My mother just went out on a date looking like some rock star. I told her she should change, but of course she wouldn’t listen to me. Maybe if you had — ”
    â€œI talked to Max,” Liz interrupted.
    â€œYou look awful,” Maria exclaimed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even notice — I was in total rant mode. What happened? What did he say?”
    Liz sat down on the overstuffed couch. There was no good way to tell her, so Liz just blurted it out. “He said he was an alien.”
    Maria giggled.
    â€œI’m serious”
    Maria giggled louder. “Does . . . does he have antennae?” she asked, cracking herself up. She plopped down on the couch next to Liz and rocked back and forth, her shoulders shaking with laughter.
    Liz waited. When Maria was in one of her laughing fits, she was pretty much unstoppable.
    â€œDid he let you see his laser gun?” Maria laughed so hard, she snorted, which made her laugh even more. Her cheeks turned red, and tears stood out in her eyes.
    Finally she noticed that Liz wasn’t laughing, too. “Oops. I’m sorry.” She gave one last giggle. Then she sat up straight and blotted her eyes with one of the couch’s little throw pillows. “Tell me what really happened.”
    â€œI just did,” Liz said. She rushed on before Maria could start laughing again. “Think about it. You said yourself that I was about to die, that blood was pouring out of me. Max healed me. He closed up the wound just by touching it. What human could do that?”
    Maria stared at Liz in astonishment. At least she knows
I’m
being serious, Liz thought. “I know it sounds crazy. I thought Max was jerking me around when he told me that. I thought he was just handing me a totally lame story.
    â€œBut then he touched my silver bracelet, and it melted.”
    Maria’s eyes were wide and frightened.
    â€œDo you know how hot silver has to get before it melts?” Liz asked, her voice rising. “Nine hundred and sixty-one degrees Celsius. And the bracelet didn’t even get hot. It didn’t even feel warm. It’s impossible! It should be impossible — but Max did it.” She broke off, rubbing her wrist. There wasn’t a red mark or anything where the bracelet had been.
    â€œI . . . I think we need some of my special antistress tea,” Maria said. She stood up and headed toward the kitchen without another word.
    Liz followed her. “Are you okay?”
    â€œUh-huh. Yeah. Definitely.” Maria grabbed the copper teapot and carried it over to the sink. She turned on the