Taylor held onto Carter's hand and led her, blidnfolded, through the door of her bedroom. He flicked on the light and grinned, knowing she couldn't see a thing through her blindfold. "This isn't going to be like the time you led me out to the pool and shoved me in, is it?"
"I was 7... and no. I don't really plan on torturing you. Besides, we didn't go down any stairs so you should know we're still inside."
"Right." She sniffed the air lightly. "I smell paint. What did you do?"
"You'll see." He grabbed her other hand and walked her to the center of the bedroom. Then, he nodded. "Ok, here we go." He slowly slid her blindfold off of her face and stepped back so she could see.
"Oh my god." She whispered and blinked hard. "What did you do?!"
"I talked your dad into hiring a pro. He finished it up in two days."
Carter thought back to earlier in the week when Zac and Taylor had talked her out of going to her room. They said it would be too depressing. "Oh my god." She looked around her. Melissa's new bed was set up in one corner of the room and Carter's was pushed against the back wall. The furniture had been rearranged. There was new carpeting, a deep shade of maroon. Also, the walls had been painted a color that was almost blood red.
"I talked your dad into letting me paint your walls red because I know you've always wanted them that way."
Carter nodded lightly. "He's never let me paint them anything but white."
"I guess he thought it was time for a change." He smiled. "They got everything done yesterday and then I did the paint job overnight. It should be dry by now but you'll still have to stay at my house another night because of the fumes."
"How late were you up?" Carter eyed him carefully.
"Not that late." Taylor lied, not telling her that he hadn't even been to bed yet.
Carter beamed. "Wow, this is amazing. Thank you so much. But... why's the tent still up?" She asked, eyeing the tent that was in the corner of the bedroom, next to her bed.
"Uhm... I figured you liked it and wanted it there."
Carter tilted her head to the side.
"And... I couldn't figure out how to take it down." He laughed and Carter laughed along with him. "Hey, do you want to put all of your posters back up? I can help." Taylor grabbed a stack of posters off of her bed and held them out.
"Sure, thanks." Carter walked over and climbed up onto her bed and stood there.
"What are you doing?"
"Well, the John Mayer, Michelle Branch, and Vanessa Carlton posters go on my ceiling. They're kind of my young, talented, musician inspirations."
"Right, but why on the ceiling?"
"I get all my best ideas for music while I'm laying in bed. They're kind of my idols and it helps to look up at them and realize that I might actually have a chance at music, too."
Taylor nodded. "Good enough." He smiled and handed Carter the posters one by one until the last one was almost thumb tacked into place. As Carter was pushing the last thumb tack into the ceiling, it broke off and cut into her finger.
"OUCH! SON OF A..!" She stumbled on the bed, tripped over a blanket, and flew sideways, taking Taylor down with her as he tried to catch her. They both flipped over and crashed into the tent, breaking two of the poles and tearing the fabric in half.
"Holy shit." Taylor mumbled, his voice cracking. He looked up at Carter who was now laying on top of him. "Are you ok?"
Carter nodded and frowned, holding out her finger. "I gots an ooboo."
"An ooboo?" Taylor laughed and blushed. When he was younger, that's what he called a booboo. He took hold of her finger and brought it to his mouth, kissing it lightly.
Carter blushed back at him and pulled her finger away. "Well, we got the tent down."
Taylor laughed and reached up, putting one arm around her back, and one on the side of her face. As uncomfortable as he was, with a broken tent pole poking him in his back, he didn't want to get up. But Carter fidgeted uneasily.
"Ok, this is a little weird." She pushed off of his shoulders and leaned up so she was sitting on his waist.
Taylor frowned and stared up at her.
"Oh." Carter laughed. "Sorry. I didn't mean weird... I meant..." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm just really nervous."
"Nervous about what?"
"This. You."
"Why do I make you nervous?"
Carter took another deep breath and let it out quickly, whispering the words, "Because I like you."
Taylor didn't say anything. He wasn't even sure if he had heard her right.
"And because I shouldn't be liking you." She shook her head and climbed off of him, suddenly aware of their position. "It's too soon."
"Who says?"
"Everybody." Carter frowned. "When Nique and her brothers tell me I just go from one guy to another... all of whom live in the same house. I don't want to confirm that. I don't want to seem like a whore just because of my feelings for somebody." Taylor nodded and watched her as she twirled a piece of her dark hair between her fingertips. "But you can't help who you like. Can you?" She looked at him for reassurance.
He shook his head.
"And I can't let other people run my life with their opinions. Can I?"
He shook his head.
"Stop that!"
"Stop what?!" He asked, looking guilty.
"You're agreeing with everything I say. You never do that."
"No. You're just rambling, trying to convince yourself that it's ok. I'm just letting you do that."
"Oh." She nodded and smiled. "Well, in that case..." She leaned down and wrapped her arms around Taylor, nuzzling her face into his neck. "Thank you for my room."
"Your welcome."
Carter looked down at him and ran her hand across the side of his face. For a minute, he thought she was going to kiss him, but the phone in her bedroom rang and she jumped up to grab it, almost kneeing him in the crotch.
"Whoa! Watch out where you're jumping!" Taylor screeched, guarding himself while Carter laughed and answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey." A slightly familiar voice came from the other end of the phone. She didn't know who it was at first, but she was sure she knew him.
"Hey. Who's this?"
"It's Todd."
Carter's eyes widened and she made a face at Taylor. He laughed and watched.
"Hi, Todd. What's up?"
"I need you." The phone broke up slightly.
Carter made another face and almost dropped the phone. For a moment she wanted to put him on speakerphone so Taylor could hear but finally decided against it. "You, what?"
"I said, I need you to come to the hospital. Can you come here?"
"What? Why?" Carter shook her head. "Why is your phone all scratchy?"
"I'm on a cellphone."
"In the hospital? I don't think you're supposed to do that?"
Taylor sat up and looked at Carter, slightly concerned at hearing the word, "hospital".
"I don't really care." The phone continued to crackle. "Can you get here?"
"Why? What's going on?"
"My sister and Jade were out driving and I guess she was drinking and they flipped the car when they went around a curve."
Carter sat up straight. "Which sister?"
"Abby. I don't even know what exactly happened because the doctors aren't talking to me. Bianca isn't home and I can't find anybody else. I didn't know who else to call."
Carter nodded. "I can get there. My car isn't working right but I can get somebody to drive me. Is Jade ok?" Carter suddenly remembered that Jade and Todd were involved. She'd almost forgotten.
"I have no idea. Like I said, nobody is telling me anything. My dad and Abby's mom are away and I couldn't get a hold of Jade's parents or her aunt and uncle. It's like everybody fell off the face of the planet."
"Alright, alright." Carter nodded and started pulling on her boots. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Ok?"
"Thanks Car, I know you aren't that fond of me. I just didn't know who else to call."
"No problem. Hang in there. I'm on my way." Carter said goodbye and put the phone down.
Taylor looked up at her questioningly. She explained what Todd had said and Taylor offered to drive her. Carter threw her arms around him and lightly kissed his cheek. "I promise you, I won't let what other people think of me get in the way of this. I mean, us."
Taylor smiled. "I know you won't. Come on, let's go." He grabbed her hand and left for the hospital.