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(Episode opens with a blurry image of a bird flying away. Scene switches to the Evans household where Mrs. Evans, AKA Diane, is cooking dinner) MAX: Why don't you put a little more garlic in that, mom? DIANE: You know how I get when your father's away on business, honey. Fried foods, red meat... MAX: You're a real party animal. DIANE: Oh, shut up. Oh...so, what's that, biology? MAX: Yeah. Everything you always wanted to know about a dead frog. DIANE: Oh...not my strongest subject. MAX: Mine, either. But I have a good lab partner. She's really good in science, so... DIANE: She? MAX: Mom... DIANE: Well, I'm just curious. Does, uh, she have a name? (Mrs. Evans knocks over the bottle of oil and oil is oozing over the counter top towards the skillet) MAX: Liz. DIANE: Oh, right. Liz Parker. Isn't she the one that came by the other day? MAX: Yeah. DIANE: So...what are you, just...friends or... MAX: Yeah. Just... (The oil reaches the skillet and bursts into a giant fireball) DIANE: Aah! MAX: Mom! Watch out! (Mrs. Evans falls to the floor and has her head turned away as Max rushes over and puts out the grease fire with his power) MAX: You all right? You all right? DIANE: Max...oh...I, uh...I...think so. (Opening credits) (Back in the Evans' kitchen, firemen are surveying the damage from the fire) FIREMAN: You're lucky you didn't get hurt. You sure you're all right, ma'am? DIANE: Oh, I'm fine, really. Thank you. FIREMAN: At least we know the security system's working. DIANE: Yeah. MAX: Yeah, thanks. MAX: Sorry you guys had to come out here for no reason. FIREMAN: Oh, no problem. DIANE: You saved my life, Max. MAX: Mom, I...I just... DIANE: ...poured water on it...you told me. MAX: Right. MAX: You look tired, mom. Why don't you just go upstairs and get some rest? (Someone is knocking on the front door) DIANE: Oh, um...I got it. Really, I'm...I'm fine. Who's there? Oh, Sheriff. SHERIFF: Mrs. Evans? DIANE: Won't you come in? SHERIFF: Thank you. Heard you had an incident here. Just want to make sure everything's ok. DIANE: Oh, we're fine, really. Just a ittle grease fire, but thank God my son put it out. SHERIFF: Well, no injuries? MAX: We're fine. SHERIFF: Hmm. MAX: Actually, the, uh...the fire department just came here, so... SHERIFF: Yeah, I know. Well, it never hurts to double-check. MAX: It, uh, it looks a lot worse than it really was. SHERIFF: Yeah. From the damages, I'd say you had quite a fire here. That must've been pretty scary. MAX: Well...yeah. DIANE: For a moment there, sheriff, I wasn't sure what was gonna happen. The flames were coming right at me, and they were...they were high. SHERIFF: How high? DIANE: I don't know. Maybe...5 feet, maybe higher. SHERIFF: But Max saved the day. DIANE: Oh, Sheriff...he didn't hesitate. He just came right in, pulled me out of the way, poured this pot of water on it, and suddenly everything was ok. It was miraculous, really. SHERIFF: Miraculous. The flames were 5 feet high, or maybe higher. And your mom, God forbid, could've caught on fire, and you put the whole thing out with this one pot of water, huh? MAX: Yep. SHERIFF: Boy, I gotta hand it to you, Mr. Evans, I'm impressed. You ought to join our fire brigade. MAX: Really, it was--it was nothing. SHERIFF: No. There's nothing to be humble about. You're a real hero. (Later in Max's room, Max is briefing Isabel on what happened in the kitchen) ISABEL: So what are you saying, that mom could've--I mean, that something could've really happened to her? MAX: It was a pretty close call. ISABEL: What exactly did she see you do? MAX: It happened pretty fast. I don't think she saw it. ISABEL: Ok. MAX: Did she tell you? About, uh...Valenti? ISABEL: Valenti? MAX: The fire tripped off the security system, and he stopped by to check things out. ISABEL: What did he say? Was he suspicious? MAX: I'm not sure. He just kept on looking at mom like his next...project or something. ISABEL: You're really upset. This is bad. MAX: I'm all right. ISABEL: Max, I know you. You only ever listen to the Counting Crows when you're really upset. MAX: It's not just this. It's...everything. ISABEL: You were right to put the brakes on the Liz thing. MAX: Thank you. You mentioned that...like 10 times. ISABEL: It's just that you guys were getting so intense. It's one thing to have a little fun, but...you know, we just can't get attached like that, Max. MAX: I know that. Maybe I just forgot for awhile. I know that now. ISABEL: And you can live with that? I mean...you're ok with it? (At the Crashdown, Liz and Maria are talking about Liz and Max's breakup) LIZ: I'm definitely ok with it. In fact...I'm great with it. You know? 'Cause we always knew that it couldn't be, that it was this total impossibility, so I'm glad that we were both able to finally just, you know, get it out there. (Liz has been drying a glass incredibly thoroughly) MARIA: Liz, the glass is clean. LIZ: Right. Look. I mean...sure, you get caught up in the excitement of it all, but...I'm over it. MARIA: Are you sure? 'Cause it seems like you kind of got over it pretty quickly. LIZ: Well, there's just no reason to let it fester, you know? You gotta just move on and--and not look back. (Liz is scooping coffee into the tray for the coffee maker) MARIA: Good. So you're not hurt. LIZ: Hurt? MARIA: Well, by the way it happened. I mean, it kind of seems like it was more his decision than yours. (Liz scoops more and more coffee into the tray) LIZ: No, not at all. Ok? I mean...yes, technically, he is the one who ended it, but...no. It was mutual, you know? It was, like...it was, like, 90% mutual. MARIA: Liz, that's enough coffee. LIZ: Yeah, ok. (Michael and Max are walking through the halls at school) MICHAEL: You used your powers in front of your mother? That is not fine. MAX: Michael, I'm handling it, all right? MICHAEL: Well, I hope so, because dealing with frick and frack over there is one thing, but we can't bring adults into this and expect them to handle it. Adults are the enemy, Max. Remember that. MAX: Michael, you say everyone is the enemy. MICHAEL: They are. LIZ: Hey. MAX: Hey. MICHAEL (to Maria): Hey. MARIA: Yeah, whatever. (Maria and Michael walk off in opposite directions) MAX: So how's it goin'? LIZ: It's great. It's, um...it's really great. MAX: Good. LIZ: So, um...you know, about the game today and the fact that we all have seats together? You know, the way that I see it, it's just a basketball game. We'll go, and we'll watch, and then we'll leave. It doesn't have to be a big deal. MAX: I agree. It's no big deal. LIZ: It doesn't...have to be this whole awkward thing. (A group of jocks come through the hall led by Kyle and he notices Liz as he walks past her) KYLE: Hey. (At Evans home, Mrs. Evans is watching a video of Max and Isabel feeding birds) YOUNG MAX: Come on birdies. Come on, birdies. Come on. YOUNG ISABEL: Come on. YOUNG MAX: Come on, birdies. YOUNG ISABEL: Max! Mom, look! ISABEL: Mom, just promise me you're not gonna get all nostalgic. DIANE: I won't. So...your brother...he's always been so private, don't you think? ISABEL: Private? DIANE: Yeah. I mean, he's always just got his guard up a little bit. ISABEL: He's Max. It's who he is. He's always been that way. DIANE: Right. And that's what sort of worries me. I mean, why do you think he's always been so secretive? ISABEL: Mom, I don't know. DIANE: Isabel. Have you ever noticed anything about your brother? Anything...unusual? ISABEL: Like what? DIANE: Well...I don't know. Anything that...maybe you were unable to explain. ISABEL: Mom, what's this about? DIANE: Oh. Forget it. Never mind. I guess I'm...I'm just a bit shaken still from the fire. ISABEL: Mom... DIANE: No, forget it. I'm fine. Get to the game, honey. You're late. ISABEL: Yeah, ok. DIANE: Isabel? (Isabel looks up at her as if to ask "what?") DIANE: Your sweater. ISABEL: Oh. (At the basketball game) LIZ: Go, comets! Whoo! MARIA: Boys, boys. (Comets make a basket) MARIA (standing up): Whooohhh! MARIA: I'm sorry. I retract...that last "whooh." MICHAEL: Humans. MAX: What? MICHAEL: How excited they get over someone throwing a ball through a hoop. It's ridiculous. (Isabel arrives at the game with her 2 clique friends) ISABEL: Is there room for us? ALEX: Um...yeah. Excuse me. I'm sorry. Sorry. Excuse me. Excuse me, can you just scoot, like, uh...yeah just all... So, welcome to the bleachers. Glad you decided to be a bleacher bum. MICHAEL: How you doin'? MARIA: Fine. Hey, Elliot, can I switch seats with you? ISABEL: I need to talk to you for a second. (Isabel and Max walk to a quieter section of the floor) ISABEL: Mom knows something. MAX: What? ISABEL: She was asking all these questions about you. She said you had secrets. MAX: She said that? ISABEL: Yeah. She was watching this video of us from when we were kids. MAX: But she always watches videos when dad goes away. She gets sentimental. ISABEL: No. It was like she was looking for something. We have to deal with this, Max. MAX: Deal with it how? ISABEL: Look, I know that we agreed never to tell her, but-- MICHAEL: But what? If your mom finds out about us, our lives are a ticking bomb. It'd only be a matter of time before she told the wrong person. MAX: Michael, relax. No one's telling anyone anything. LIZ: Come on! Kyle! (Kyle falls to the floor trying to get a loose ball and sprains his ankle) KYLE: God! Ohh! Ohh! (Max notices Liz's obvious concern for Kyle) (At Crashdown, Liz is packing up a pie to go and Max greets her) MAX: New home delivery service? LIZ: Oh. No, actually, I was just bringing a pie over to Kyle's. MAX: Oh. LIZ: Yeah. I heard that he, uh, broke his ankle, so... MAX: That's too bad. LIZ: Yeah. I kind of, uh, feel a little bit responsible because I distracted him at the game and...anyway...it's not a big deal. It's just... MAX: A pie. LIZ: Right. Uh...I'll see you. (Sheriff stops by at Evans home to check up on Mrs. Evans) DIANE: It's nice of you to come by, Sheriff. I'm much better today. SHERIFF: Good. Thank God Max was here, huh? DIANE: I know. SHERIFF: Max is a nice kid, and...special. DIANE: He is. SHERIFF: I hope he's doing ok. Seems to have been around a couple of near misses lately. DIANE: A couple? SHERIFF: Yeah, well, you remember that whole shooting incident at the Crashdown Cafe back in September? DIANE: Yeah. I remember. What does Max have to do with that? SHERIFF: He never mentioned that? DIANE: No. SHERIFF: Huh. DIANE: Sheriff, was Max involved in that somehow? SHERIFF: It's just water under the bridge, I guess. DIANE: You seem to have some sort of interest in my son. I'd like to know why that is. I mean, if Max was involved in some sort of crime, Sheriff, I think-- SHERIFF: Mrs. Evans, I didn't come here to alarm you, ok? I just wanted to make sure that you're feeling better, and I, uh...I also want to drop off this pamphlet on household emergencies. I highlighted the section on grease fires for you. It's helpful information, that's all. I'll let myself out. You have a good day. (In the woodshop work area, Maria is having problems with her project) MARIA: Damn! (Michael has been observing Maria from across the room) MICHAEL: You're doing it wrong. You're gripping the wood too tight. MARIA: Look, I know how to grip, ok? MICHAEL: Apparently you don't. MARIA: Look, I have to finish this, all right? It's my final project, and it's a disaster, so... MICHAEL: It doesn't look that bad. MARIA: Oh, yeah. I'm a regular Bob Vila. MICHAEL: No, I'm serious. I mean, it's actually pretty good. Once you put it together, the shoes can go right... MARIA: Shoes? What do shoes have to do with this? MICHAEL: You're making a shoe tree, right? MARIA: No. I'm making a napkin holder. MICHAEL: Oh. Well...sure will be nice once you put it together. MARIA: Look...do you have something you want? MICHAEL: I just saw you in here and I wanted to say hi, but...apparently it was the wrong move. I'll never do it again. Sorry. Good-bye. MARIA: Fine. Run away. Perfect. MICHAEL: What the hell's going on with you? All right, I mean...what did I do? MARIA: Nothing. That's the problem. MICHAEL: What? MARIA: Michael...we saved your ass. Ok? You were all flunked out, sweating, you know, running 112-degree temperature and, like, dying. I could have walked away and never looked back. But I didn't. I did not walk away. There I was, dragging your sweaty, gross body through the Indian reservation, you know, getting my clothes all muddy and...and worrying. 'Cause, you know, I...I really...I thought...you weren't gonna make it. Look...I went out on a limb for you...and you hug Max and Isabel, and it's all about the three of you. I mean...I mean, were you...were you even gonna thank me? MICHAEL: Thank you. MARIA: It's too late, pal. (Liz knocks on the front door to the Valenti household where Kyle is watching TV) KYLE: It's open. LIZ: Hey. KYLE: Oh, it's you. LIZ: Um, look, I know how much you like the pie at the Crashdown, so I, um...I, uh...ok, I'll just put it down right here. Sorry. Look, and I brought...I brought you the study notes for Ethics. I thought you might need them for the midterm. Um...Kyle, uh...I'm really sorry about your ankle, you know...I know how much...basketball means... KYLE: I'm not really in the mood to talk about it. Ok? LIZ: Ok. Sure. See ya. (Liz looks back as she's leaving to see if Kyle would turn around, but Kyle doesn't...til after she leaves) (It's late at night in the Evans household and Max is painting over the burn marks on the ceiling) DIANE: Max, you don't have to do that. MAX: It's no problem. What are you doing up so late? DIANE: Mm, couldn't sleep. Boy...this could have been a real disaster. Thank God you were here. MAX: Mom, really. You're gonna give me a complex if you don't stop talking about it. DIANE: Tell me again, Max. Tell me how you did it. MAX: How I did it? DIANE: Yeah. You saw the flames, and then you did what? MAX: Well, I...I ran to the stove, I grabbed the pot of water that was sitting there and threw it at the fire. That's all I did. DIANE: It was a grease fire, Max. The Sheriff stopped by today and gave me this pamphlet. And the thing is, it says right here, water doesn't put out a grease fire. Water makes a grease fire spread. Max, what did you DO? ISABEL: I'm home. I thought I heard voices. What's everyone still doing up? (Max and Isabel go off somewhere to talk) ISABEL: Oh, Max! The more time we spend doing nothing about this, the more time it gives Valenti to make her curious about us. MAX: Isabel, we are dealing with two people who don't know anything. ISABEL: We're dealing with two people who know something isn't right. We can't just do a Max on this thing. We can't just sit back and passively watch. MAX: I'm not passively watching. ISABEL: Max, snap out of it, ok? We're in trouble here. We have to do something. MAX: Do what? ISABEL: Tell her the truth. Look, I understand how you and Michael feel. But I've wanted to tell mom. I've wanted to tell her every day for the last 10 years. MAX: Isabel, I know how you feel. ISABEL: I don't think you do. I'm her daughter. A mother and a daughter...it's just different. Don't you see? We're not just hiding it from her now. We're...now we're lying to her. I don't know how much longer I can do that. MAX: What if mom found out it's all been a sham? If we took her family away from her, it would destroy her. ISABEL: Maybe it would make us all closer. MAX: I don't think so. ISABEL: What are you saying, that if we tell mom the truth about us, she won't love us anymore? MAX: I'm saying we'll never know the answer to that question. ISABEL: Max. This isn't just your decision. MAX: I know that. ISABEL: Do you? (In the morning, Isabel is testing out different shades of lipstick in the mirror) DIANE: Knock, knock. ISABEL: Oh, God. Mom, you startled me. DIANE: Sorry, sweetie. I certainly didn't mean to. Isabel...can you tell me what you remember? I mean, we've never really talked about this much...about you and your brother before daddy and I came into the picture. ISABEL: Well...I don't remember much, mom. DIANE: Well, I know, honey. You've told me that. And I've always accepted it. But, honey, you were 6 years old. There must be something about your life before us that you remember. ISABEL: Well...I remember the orphanage. Um...I most clearly remember seeing you and daddy the day that you came to adopt us, and you were wearing this yellow sweater. And I remember thinking that it looked like the sun. That you were like the sun. Mom, I don't know if you can understand this, but...the day that you and daddy came for us...that's when our lives began. (Maria is fiddling around with her woodshop project at a picnic bench and Michael comes up to her) MICHAEL: Interesting. MARIA: What? MICHAEL: This whole idea that I have to apologize to you. What's that really about? MARIA: What is it about? MICHAEL: I'll tell you what it's about. It's a tactic. MARIA: Oh, it's a tactic. MICHAEL: That's right. It's your way of making me think that I owe you something, that I'm indebted to you. Let me tell you something. I'm not indebted to anyone. MARIA: Interesting. You know, you should get yourself massive doses of therapy, like immediately. (Michael grabs Maria's woodshop project) MARIA: What are you doing? MICHAEL: I'm gonna fix this stupid thing and call it even, all right? So what color do you want, huh? Green? White? Blue, maybe? MARIA: Give it. MICHAEL: No way. MARIA: Give it to me. Give it to me. (Maria and Michael try to gain possession of the "napkin holder" and wind up pulling it apart) MARIA: No...great. MICHAEL: What is your problem? MARIA: It's cheating. You can't just wave your hand over a problem and make it go away. Why don't you figure out what's really going on with you, Michael...why you can't just piece together an apology like any normal human being. Oops. Maybe that's the problem. (At the Crashdown, Liz is serving a table as Kyle walks in) LIZ: Hi. There you go. KYLE: Hi. I figured it out. LIZ: You figured what out? KYLE: It's guilt, isn't it? LIZ: What are you talking about? KYLE: The pie, the study notes. It's guilt. You feel responsible for my ankle. LIZ: No, Kyle, I don't feel...I don't feel responsible for your ankle. KYLE: I just found out that I'm gonna miss the rest of the season. LIZ: Kyle...I'm sorry, Kyle. I, I... KYLE: Ooh. LIZ: I admit it, ok? You know, I feel a little bit responsible. I was sitting there, and I was...I was watching you at that basketball game, and you were getting completely trampled. Look, Kyle, I know what it feels like to have somebody, like, break up with you, and I just...I just wanted to say that I'm...I'm really sorry, you know, about how all of it ended and everything, and I am...incredibly sorry about you missing the rest of the season. KYLE: I'm only gonna be out 2 weeks. I just said that to prove a point. Anyway, about...what happened with us...I just wanted to say, you...you were pretty straight with me. And you...you told me it was over, and...and...and I, I didn't listen. I didn't let it go. LIZ: Is, um, excuse me? Are you apologizing to me? KYLE: I guess. LIZ: Wow. I...you know, I wasn't aware that this was part of your repertoire. KYLE: I didn't either. LIZ: So, then, what changed? KYLE: I don't know. I, I was, like...I was just laying there for like 2 days, and it gave me some time to think. And then there was this whole thing on Sally Jessie. You know, "ex-es on a rampage," and it just...it gave me some perspective, so...but anyway, I just...I think it would be great if...you know, if we could, you know, maybe we could be friends. LIZ: Well, it...um...sure. We could...you know, we could work towards that. KYLE: So...anyway, about, uh, about lunch... LIZ: Oh, yeah. KYLE: I was hoping for something high in both fat and cholesterol and lacking in any inherent nutritional value. LIZ: I think that you are just in luck. Let me show you. Right here on the menu us our fatty section. This right here, there's, like, 4 pounds of sugar... (Max arrives at the Crashdown and sees that Liz and Kyle are becoming friendly with each other again) (Mrs. Evans shows up at the police station at the Sheriff's invitation) SHERIFF: Thanks for coming in, Mrs. Evans. DIANE: Of course, Sheriff. It sounded important. SHERIFF: It's just there's something i thought you should see. It's the police report from the incident at the Crashdown Cafe. DIANE: Max was there? SHERIFF: A few people identified him. DIANE: It says he fled the scene. Why would he do something-- SHERIFF: You see, that's the thing, Mrs. Evans. There doesn't seem to be any reason for him to have fled. If you turn the page, there's some testimony...from a Larry Trilling and Jennifer Kattler. Now, granted, they're a couple of tourists with a serious credibility issue, but they both said they saw a waitress get shot in the stomach. DIANE: Liz Parker? SHERIFF: Yeah. And they also claimed that they saw someone go up to her...kneel down over her...put his hand over her, and heal her. DIANE: Who? Oh, Sheriff, what are you trying to tell me about my son...that he has some kind of healing powers? SHERIFF: I just thought you should see this report. (Max is listening to Counting Crows again. He turns down the volume and hears the videotape of when he and Isabel were playing with the birds when they were young) MAX: Can't sleep again? DIANE: Max. I want to show you something. Here it comes. YOUNG DIANE: Max! YOUNG MAX: Mom, look. YOUNG ISABEL: The bird is hurt. Something's wrong with its wing. YOUNG DIANE: Ok, guys. No, no, Maxie, get away from the bird. He could be sick. Look at his wing. Ok, just leave it alone. I think its wing is broken. Max, honey, just put it down. Please. (Young Max holds the bird in his hands, heals the wing, and lets the bird fly away) YOUNG DIANE: Philip. Philip! Did you see that? Did you see that? DIANE: Can you...can you help me, Max? Can you tell me what just happened? The bird had a broken wing...and when you touched it...it flew away, honey. It came to life. MAX: Mom, that was 10 years ago. DIANE: And I've thought about it. I mean, it's just one of those things that happened. I mean, I never really understood it, but there was nothing I could do about it at the time. So I tried to forget about it. But some things you never forget about. And when that kitchen fire happened...I thought about it all over again. MAX: Mom, why are you doing this to me? DIANE: I'm not doing anything to you. MAX: Yes, you are. DIANE: I just want to know. MAX: Why? You're supposed to be my mother. DIANE: I am your mother. MAX: You're not supposed to investigate us. DIANE: I'm not investigating you. MAX: Yes, you are! DIANE: I just want to...I just want to talk to you about this. Why can't we... MAX: Mom, I can't, all right? I can't talk about this with you. DIANE: Max, please, just tell me. MAX: Mom, no! DIANE: Max, where are you going? MAX: Out! (Max slams the door on the way out) (Max, Michael, and Isabel meet at one of their special places, a quarry area, to discuss what to do) MICHAEL: You healed a pigeon. Great. Now you're Dr. Dolittle. MAX: Michael, I was 6. I didn't even know I had powers yet. It just happened. MICHAEL: So what's the plan? MAX: That's what we're here for...to discuss it. MICHAEL: Well, the first thing is obvious. We get that videotape and we destroy it. All right, after that, it's her word against ours. ISABEL: Her word against ours? Michael, she's our mother. MICHAEL: She's not your mother. She's not related to you in any way. Know that. ISABEL: But if there's any adult that we can trust, it's her. MICHAEL: What, are you suggesting we tell her? MAX: No, she isn't. ISABEL: Max, would you let me speak for myself, please? MAX: Look, Isabel... ISABEL: No, look. Maybe it'll help us out one day to have an adult on our side. MICHAEL: Here's the problem...when you tell her, she's not gonna be on your side. Maybe she loves you now, but there's no such thing as unconditional love. ISABEL: Michael, maybe you really don't understand, but she does love us. It is unconditional. MICHAEL: Are you sure about that? MAX: Isabel, we are not telling her, all right? Stop it. ISABEL: Stop speaking to me like that. MAX: Like what? ISABEL: Like you're the final word on everything. MAX: I didn't say I was! ISABEL: Listen to yourself! MAX: Michael's right. She's not our mother. We are alone here. We always will be. Stop pretending it's different. ISABEL: Max, don't you see what's happening? We're losing her. We're losing our mother. I can't lose her. I need her. MAX: We're not telling her, Isabel. That is final. (Isabel walks off and Max throws a rock into the water in frustration) (Maria opens her locker to find a beautifully made napkin holder. There is a note attached to it that reads "Handmade by Michael - Thanks") (Michael has been waiting in the hallway for Maria to come out of class) MICHAEL: Hey. MARIA: Hey. MICHAEL: So you get your final assignment evaluated? MARIA: Yeah. MICHAEL: How'd you do? MARIA: I flunked, as predicted. MICHAEL: What? MARIA: Yeah. I guess I can, uh, safely rule out any career paths involving wood. MICHAEL: Didn't you get my thing? MARIA: Yeah, I got it. MICHAEL: Well, that's ridiculous. I worked my ass off on that thing. It was beautifully crafted. It was spring activated to secure the napkins. It redefined the term napkin holder. MARIA: Yeah, I know, it did. MICHAEL: Well, how could he have flunked you? I mean...Wh-- MARIA: Because I, um, I...I didn't use yours. I kept it. Thank you. (Maria starts to walk away) MICHAEL: I have something to say to you. If anything like that happens to me again, like when I got sick, don't help me. I can't get indebted to anyone, and I can't get entangled. I got to be a stone wall. And when I'm around you sometimes, I don't feel like a stone wall anymore. MARIA: Well, what do you feel like? MICHAEL: I don't know. Like confused. MARIA: Like human? MICHAEL: Yeah, and I don't want to feel that way. (Max watches Liz through the window of the Crashdown Cafe and then taps on it softly) LIZ: What's up? MAX: Nothing. How's it going? LIZ: Fine. Are you all right? MAX: Yeah. Yeah. MAX: I just...I want you to know that it's ok. I mean...you don't have to feel uncomfortable if you and Kyle get back together. LIZ: What? MAX: I saw you two together at the Crashdown yesterday. LIZ: Ok, um...Max, first of all, that couldn't be further from what's happening, and secondly...if it was happening, I wouldn't need your permission, Max. MAX: I'm getting out of here. Now you sound like Isabel. LIZ: Why do I sound like Isabel, Max? MAX: She's got this thing all of a sudden that I'm controlling. LIZ: Oh, so it's HER thing. MAX: What? LIZ: Max, just take a psych class, because you ARE controlling. MAX: Hey, I am who I am. I've got a lot going on, and I'm trying to make things work. LIZ: Max, you know what your problem is? You put everything on yourself...on your own shoulders. Maybe you should have some faith in the people around you. (Sometime the next day we see Mrs. Evans is sitting at a bench in a park and Max walks up to her) MAX: I thought you might be here. DIANE: Max. Honey, sit down. I'm glad you're here. I've been wanting to talk to you about...something we've never discussed before. Have you ever thought about trying to find your...your real parents? I mean, because...I've been thinking, I mean, maybe there's a reason why you can't talk to me. Maybe you need real parents for that. Maybe your father and I just...aren't enough for you. MAX: Mom, I don't think we'll ever find our real parents. And...maybe it would, you know...give us some answers, but...please don't ever think that you're not enough. I mean...without you, I...I don't know where I would even be. DIANE: Max...nothing you are could ever turn me away from you. I mean...I love you. And you're my son. Do you understand that? MAX: Yeah. DIANE: Then why...why can't you just tell me your secret? (Max unfolds his jacket and gives his mom the item that was in it) MAX: This is for you. Sorry...for the wrapping. DIANE: Oh...your house. MAX: I remember my first few nights in our house so well. I hated it so much. For Isabel it was different. She saw you and dad, and from the very first moment, she knew she was home. But I would lie in my bed all night and cry. DIANE: Because you wanted to go home. MAX: Yeah. And you gave me this. And you said that it was a magic house...that if I held onto it, it would take me home. But the thing is, it would never bring me home, because I don't know where home is. I don't remember. That's the truth. And if you can't accept that, then I understand. I could leave. DIANE: Leave? Max, please... MAX: Mom, please don't ask me about this anymore. It's nothing bad. It's nothing dangerous. I beg you to trust me. I mean...you're my mother. Please, mom. (Max drives back to the secluded canyon area where Isabel is waiting) MAX: So I guess we had an argument. ISABEL: Yeah. MAX: It was interesting. I'm sorry, Iz. ISABEL: Did you talk to mom? MAX: Yeah. It's gonna be ok. ISABEL: You told her? MAX: No. (Isabel starts to tear up in the eyes and cries softly) ISABEL: I'm sorry. I just...I just wanted her to know. I wanted it so bad. MAX: I know. I know you did. We have each other. We're gonna be ok, Iz. We're gonna be ok. (Scene fades out with Max and Isabel hugging each other)
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