Maria, Alex and Liz are walking down the hallway, heading towards their lockers. Maria has obviously been filling them in on what happened.

They reach Maria's locker. She opens it and a paper falls out. It's a flyer for the spring dance. Maria picks it up quickly and shoves it back in the locker.

Liz gestures at the posters advertising the "Spring Blast-Off", dotting the walls.

Liz smiles weakly, trying to show them she is sincere.

Liz laughs, a genuine laugh. Alex smiles, pleased to have cheered her up a bit.

The bell rings and they all head for class.

Cut to:

Liz and Max are having lunch at different tables, gazing longingly at each other. Max is alone, but Maria is sitting with Liz, busy eating her sandwich. Alex comes upon the scene and shakes his head in sympathy. He heads for Max's table and sits down. Max turns towards Alex, and Liz turns her attention to her own sandwich and Maria. Alex places his lunch bag on the table, but doesn't open it.

Alex notices that Max hasn't touched his sandwich.

Max looks down at his uneaten sandwich and smiles sheepishly.

He picks up his sandwich and takes a bite.

Max gives Alex a slightly embarrassed smile and shrugs.

Max looks longingly at Liz again, who senses his shift in attention and turns back to look at him.

Maria captures Liz's attention and Max turns back to Alex.

Cut to Liz and Maria:

Cut to Max and Alex.

Cut to Liz and Maria:

The two of them get into a giggling fit. Michael enters the quad and joins Maria and Liz.

She looks at Michael expectantly. He stares at her, nonplused, not sure what he's forgotten to do. Something dawns on him and he leans down and gives her a peck on the cheek. She's pleased with the public display of affection, but still seems to be expecting something else. Uncomfortable, Michael starts looking around self-consciously, and notices a poster for the dance. He stares at it momentarily. Now he knows for sure what she's expecting and he becomes even more nervous, bites his lower lip, and purposely avoids looking her in the eye.

Michael takes off. Maria looks shocked. Max, who had been watching, looks puzzled. He gets up.

Alex leaves. Max tosses the remainder of his lunch in the trash can, then follows Michael, giving Liz a slight wave and a smile as he passes her.

Liz reaches out, touches Maria's arm, and looks her in the eye.

Liz pats her arm in sympathy.

Cut to:

Michael goes into the boys' room; Max follows.

Cut to:

Michael is at one of the urinals when Max comes in. Max steps up to the empty one on Michael's left. Max and Michael look straight ahead.

They both finish and head to the sinks to wash their hands.

Cut to:

Isabel and Alex are sitting on a bench, looking through one of the local weekly newspapers; the remains of their lunches beside them.

They both relax as Isabel folds the paper.

Alex decides this would be a good time to mention the dance to Isabel.

Alex is disappointed, but understands. He manages to smile back.

Alex's attention is drawn across the street. Isabel notices and turns to see what he is looking at. It's Larry Trilling; he's going up to people, talking to them briefly and then moving on to the next.

One of the people Larry was talking to heads into the park in their direction. Alex knows him and calls out.

Chris looks in his direction; Alex waves him over.

Chris reaches them.

Chris turns to look across the street and sees Larry still talking to people.

At the mention of the tape recorder (not having noticed it before) Isabel and Alex turn their heads quickly to look at Larry. A concerned look briefly crosses Isabel's face, but fades quickly when she turns back to look at Chris as if nothing is wrong. Alex too, tries to remain casual about it.

Chris laughs and Isabel and Alex join in.

Chris leaves.

Alex collects their trash and brings it to a nearby trash can, talking as he walks.

Alex does not hear Isabel's comment. He finishes throwing away the trash, brushes off his hands, and looks at his watch.

He holds out the crook of his arm.

Isabel smiles back. She gets up and takes his arm.

Isabel laughs lightly and they head back to school. As they exit the park, the camera pans over to the sheriff's police cruiser. Valenti is sitting in the cruiser, sipping coffee from his thermos. He watches Alex and Isabel exit the park, then turns to watch Larry interview people as they pass by.

Cut to commercial.

Return to Act I

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