behavior stuff,' Liz suggested.
Isabel shot another look at Adam. He didn't seem to be offended. She wondered if he even got what Liz meant. He wasn't stupid or anything, but he'd just had so little experience.
'Yeah, Adam,' Max said. 'Remember what I told you about using your powers? You can't connect to people except us, okay? People don't like it if you know things about them they haven't actually told you.'
'I have one,' Maria jumped in. 'No matter what, you must always leave the toilet seat up after you pee. If you don't, people will get suspicious.'
'Don't mess with his head like that,' Isabel told her.
'I'm not. I'm trying to help him figure out what typical guy behavior is,' Maria protested.
'What else?' Adam asked. 'I need to know this stuff.'
Isabel smiled. Adam was starting to talk a little more. He must be starting to feel more secure around them.
'Okay, Maria's right,' Isabel said. 'Most guys leave the seat up. But if you want to be the kind of guy who is able to, say, attract a girl, then you should resist your natural guy instincts and put the seat down.'
'What else?' Alex asked, without looking at her. 'I'm curious to know what else a guy needs to do to attract a girl.'
Aw, someone needs a Band-Aid for his poor trampled feelings, Isabel thought. Then she immediately felt bad. She'd been kind of relieved that yesterday's fight had exploded into a breakup, but it's not like she was happy that she'd hurt him.
'Come on, Isabel. I really want to know,' Alex said.
Isabel promised herself she'd say something to Alex later, some kind of it's-not-you-it's-me thing to try and take away some of the bad feeling between them. But she wasn't going to do it in front of everyone.
'All right,' she answered. 'If you want to be a typical guy, fart whenever you want and then make some stupid joke about it, like, 'I'lll have to stop feeding the dog so much cheese.' But if you want to be the other kind of guy, one who actually can get a girl, leave the room when you have to do that kind of thing.'
Was that a satisfying answer? Isabel wondered.
'We're here,' Max said. He pulled the Jeep to a stop. 'Adam, Alex and I will tell you all the guy behavior stuff later, when there are no girls around.'
Isabel climbed out and grabbed the tan tarp from under the backseat. She helped Max cover the Jeep so that it wouldn't attract any attention.
'There's something I want to ask,' Adam said as they all started hiking over to the cave entrance.
'Yeah, anything,' Max said.
'What's going to happen to Michael?'
'We're going to get him out,' Isabel promised. 'We've just been waiting for the right time.'
'I want to help,' Adam said.
'We need you to,' Alex answered. 'The thing that would help the most right now is for you to tell us everything you can about the compound. The more we know about the layout, the better plan we'll be able to come up with.'
'Will it make you feel bad to talk about it?' Maria asked, before Isabel could ask the same question.
'No, it's okay.' Adam adjusted his sunglasses. 'Michael's cell is in one big room that has a bunch of other cells, too.'
Isabel assumed that Michael had been kept in a cell or a cage or something. But hearing Adam say it sucked all the air out of her lungs.
'Are any of the other cells occupied?' Alex asked.
'Only one. There's this girl, Cameron,' Adam answered.
'A girl?' Maria asked. 'Who is she? Why is she there?'
'I don't know. She got there right after Michael. Da-Sheriff Valenti brought her in. The doctor made her do stuff with us.'
'What kind of stuff?' Isabel demanded.
'Like breaking things without touching them,' Adam answered. 'Or saying what number card the doctor was holding.'
'Do you think she could have been one of us? From a different planet, I mean?' Max asked.
'I don't know,' Adam answered, his voice strained. 'I don't know anything.'
'That's not your fault,' Alex said.
'This crack in the ground leads to the cave,' Max explained to Adam. 'You can just swing yourself down. There's a big rock pretty much right below the opening that you can feel with your toes.'
Adam scrambled down with ease. Isabel followed him. It felt so strange to be in the cave without Michael. It had always been more his place than anyone's. He'd spent a lot of nights out here when he couldn't deal with one of his assorted foster homes.
'What else can you tell us about the compound?' Max asked Adam after they were all settled. 'How many guards are there?'
'There are always two guards outside the cells. There are always guards in the lab, too. And guards escorted me, and Michael, and Cameron everywhere. We were never alone.'
'Do you know how many exits there are?' Alex asked.
'I think maybe I could find the one I came out of, but that's all I know,' Adam answered, starting to sound angry at himself again.
'We can stake out the area around the compound and see if we can find any other entrances,' Isabel said.
'Maybe we should check out Valenti's house,' Alex said. 'Maybe he has something on his computer or some paperwork that would give us info about the guards' schedules and maybe even some more details about the architecture of the compound.'
'Before we launch into a major planning session, I have to go outside for a minute,' Max said.
'We just got here,' Isabel protested.
'I bet he has to feed the dog some cheese,' Alex joked. He stood up. 'I'm going, too. I have to take advantage of the lack of toilet seats.'
Maria rolled her eyes. 'Guys,' she muttered.
Talking about the compound was making Isabel tense. She stood up and wandered around the cave, trying to work out a little nervous energy. She stopped dead when she spotted Michael's jacket lying on top of his sleeping bag.
She knelt down and lifted the jacket up to her face, pulling in a deep breath. It still smelled like him. She slid the jacket on and wrapped her arms around herself. For just one moment she wanted to pretend that they were Michael's arms around her, making her feel safe the way nothing else could.
Isabel heard a scuffling sound behind her. She turned around and saw Maria.
'I-' Maria shifted her weight from foot to foot. 'I heard about you and Alex, and I just wanted to say I'm sorry. You guys seemed like a good couple.'
'Thanks,' Isabel murmured. She didn't want to talk right now. She wanted to hold on to the fantasy that Michael was really there with her.
'Was it…' Maria hesitated. 'Is it something you think you'll be able to fix?'
Isabel shook her head. She shoved her hands in the pockets of the jacket. Maria just kept standing there.
She's thinking about that dream of Michael's we both saw, Isabel finally realized. She's wondering if I broke up with Alex because I want to be with Michael.
Isabel wasn't really used to having girlfriends yet. But she was pretty sure that when you knew one of your girlfriends had a crush-a life-threatening crush like the one Maria had on Michael-you weren't supposed to go after the guy yourself.
Maria's friendship was important to her. More important than she could have imagined a few months ago. But Michael. Isabel had to at least find out what would happen if they kissed each other. She thought it might change her life forever. And if that change meant she couldn't be friends with Maria anymore, well…
