Michael put his arm around her and steered her into the Crashdown and sat her down. “You are going to make me crazy if you don’t sit still for a moment.”

Maria put her hands on her hips, “Oh and I don’t suppose you are worried at all?” She demanded heatedly.

Michael put his hands in his pants and shrugged, trying to look unconcerned, but the tight look on his face said it all. With all the worry and wondering about alien ‘others’ showing up, it was not an easy thing having one of the inner group missing. ‘What if...’ Kept popping up in all their minds.

The phone rang and Maria leapt to take it. “Liz!” She yelled into it. “Oh Max, have you… Oh, where all have you looked? Yeah we checked there too. Yeah, okay.” She handed the phone to Isabel and walked back to the booth. One big tear hanging off the end of her nose. “Oh I’m going to shake her and shake her.” She muttered.

***
Albuquerque, NM:
5:05 PM: The driver of the bus waited until all the passengers had filed out, before walking to the back of the bus. He had seen the curious looks given by some of the rear passengers to the right back seat. He gazed down at the wee figure of the girl curled up there asleep. She looked so vulnerable lying there. He sighed and sat down next to her. His daughter would be about her age if she were still alive. He gently reached down and placed his hand on her shoulder and shook it.

Liz woke up slowly, wondering why she felt so cramped. Then she realized that she was in a strange place and sat up with a start.

The bus driver held his hands up at her wild look. “Whoa there, I come in peace!” He said with a smile.

Liz smiled shakily back and pushed her hair back from her face. “I guess I sort of fell asleep. Didn’t I” She said shyly.

“I guess you sort of did!” He stood up and held out his hand. “Come on, we need to talk, and you probably need to eat. I’m buying”

Liz shook her head. “Oh no I couldn’t…”

He cut across her, “I’ve never seen a teenager yet that couldn’t eat more than any two kids or three adults. And I’m hungry!” He smiled again. “Come on, you aren’t going to make a liar out of me are you?”

Liz smiled a real smile this time and gave him her hand.

“Is that yours?” He added, looking at her bag. “Better bring it along.”

Inside the café, at a back table, they wrapped themselves around two colossal burgers and talked. The driver gave his name as Henry, and tried to coax Liz’s story from her.

Liz tried to tell him as much as she could without telling him too much. No she wasn’t running away from home, and no she couldn’t go back yet. There was an impossible situation back home that had to have time to work out. “ I just have to stay away for a while.” She finished miserably.

“Where do you plan to go?” He finally asked.

“I don’t know, maybe Los Angeles.” She answered.

“Oh I wouldn’t recommend that.” The bus driver returned. “There are birds of prey that haunt bus and train depots looking for wrung out kids to take advantage of. And if you won’t take it too badly, you look like the kind of kid they would jump for.”