The other students have left the room. Max, Liz, Maria and Alex are packing up their things, having finished their project.

He picks up his things, including the apple.

The kids continue packing things away.

They finish putting everything away. Alex and Maria get their jackets on first and head out the door, Maria calling behind her.

Liz has finished putting on her jacket and is picking up her backpack.

She starts to head for the exit. Max is still at the lab table, putting on his corduroy jacket. He absentmindedly puts his hands in his pockets.

Liz stops in her tracks and turns towards Max.

He sighs heavily and seems crestfallen. He doesn't make any move to leave.

She places her thumb and index finger a pinch apart for emphasis.

He raises his arm as if he's about to reach out and touch her hair, then lowers it as he continues.

Liz gently places her fingers on his lips, to halt his lament.

Maria sticks her head in the classroom.

Max and Liz look at each other. Liz flexes her muscles and mouths to Max "Be strong". He rewards her with a smile and they all exit the classroom.

Cut to:

Deputy Blackwood is behind the front counter. A good-looking man with brown hair, in his mid to late twenties, dressed in a deputy's uniform, is there with him, collecting files. Sheriff Valenti enters and approaches the counter. The younger deputy leaves for the file room with the files under his arm.

Valenti smiles, knowing how much that would bother his taciturn friend. Then a look of concern crosses his face.

Cut to:

Michael, is sweeping the kitchen floor when he notices the clock on the wall--5:45.

Michael puts the broom aside and gets out the ingredients to make himself a double-decker cheeseburger. He throws a couple of patties on the grill. While he waits for them to cook, he notices the empty baking soda box on the top of the trash, in the trash can. He stares at it, deep in thought, then inconspicuously checks the pass-through window. Kyle and Tommy are gone, as are the rest of the customers. He glances towards the kitchen exit, to make sure there is no one nearby to observe him. When he is sure, he looks around the kitchen for an appropriate object; he focuses on a spoon lying on a table in the kitchen. He takes another quick look around then steps toward the spoon, with his arm outstretched, as if trying to grab it; nothing happens.

Cut to the camera's POV from the kitchen doorway, which Michael's back is to, as Michael repeats the motion two more times. Each time nothing happens.

Michael jumps a mile, totally wigged out that he was seen; for a split second he thought Jeff knew he had caught him in the act of attempting to use his powers. By the time he turns to look at Jeff he realizes his mistake and the expression in his eyes changes from fright to embarrassment. The camera switches to Michael's POV and we see Jeff standing in the kitchen doorway, whose expression changes from puzzled to slightly amused.

He gestures towards the grill.

Michael relaxes and tries to act casual.

Jeff is about to leave when he notices the shelf above the grill.

Michael tenses.

Jeff gives Michael a long look, then smiles and leaves the doorway, chuckling and shaking his head. Michael goes over to the grill to flip his burger patties. Jeff heads up the stairs to the apartment on the second floor. As we hear the apartment door close, the back door opens. Maria and Liz come through the back door, a few minutes before their dinner shift begins. Michael sees them and signals for them to come into the kitchen. He is obviously agitated.

Michael turns his head to hide a tiny smile, then turns back again.

She waits a beat, while she enjoys the discomfort he's having at dealing with his new-found jealousy.

Michael still seems tense.

Michael visibly relaxes, then walks over to the table to begin preparing his burger--opening the buns, adding lettuce, tomato, pickles, Tobasco sauce, etc.

Michael stops preparing his burger and looks up.

Michael goes to the grill with his prepared buns, takes the patties off and places them on the bun, double decker style.

Michael is about to take a bite of his burger when he hears the front door open. He looks through the pass-through window as a noisy crowd of customers enters the Crashdown. He puts down the burger.

Liz turns to see the crowd fill several booths.

Liz heads for her locker in the back room.

Michael gives her a "you've got to be kidding" look.

Maria heads for her locker.

Cut to:

Maria is sitting at the kitchen table; Amy is pacing back and forth in the kitchen. She is obviously agitated, but trying to speak calmly.

Maria looks back up, with tears in her eyes.

Amy releases a breath she didn't even realize she was holding.

Maria's eyes light up with pleasure and she gives Amy a big smile.

The light in Maria's eyes dims slightly and her smile turns to a pout.

Maria's eyes widen and her mouth drops open.

Maria rolls her eyes.

Cut to:

Sheriff Valenti is walking past the file room. The door is closed but Valenti notices a stream of light coming out from underneath, and pauses. He looks at his watch with a puzzled expression on his face, as if wondering why someone would be in there at this hour. He opens the door.

Cut to:

The new deputy is looking through a file while standing by an open file drawer. He is slightly startled when the door opens suddenly. He looks up and smiles when he sees Valenti standing in the doorway.

The deputy casually closes the file he was perusing and places it back in the middle of the file drawer.

The deputy notices the time on the clock on the wall--9:30--and closes the drawer he was looking through.

He heads for the exit, passing Valenti as he leaves.

Valenti watches him for a beat, until he is sure he is gone, then steps into the file room. He heads for the file cabinets and opens the drawer the deputy was looking in. He flips through the files in the middle of the drawer, trying to determine which one the deputy was perusing. There is a file folder sticking up slightly as if it was hastily replaced. Valenti puts his hand on the folder to look at the label, which reads "Frazier Woods Sighting". He seems puzzled, but relieved that this is the folder the deputy was reading. He's about to close the drawer when he notices what else is in the cabinet--a few files further is a file marked "Hubble, Everett". Valenti puts his hand on the file. A look of concern crosses his face. He pauses, then pulls the file out of the drawer, closes the drawer, and exits the file room with the Hubble file tucked under his arm. Kyle almost runs into him in the hallway. Valenti holds the file protectively.

The camera follows Valenti and Kyle as they walk back and into his office, then close the door. The camera zooms in on the closed door.

To be continued ...

Return to Act III

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