In my head it made sense. Tay would return soon, and he would have broken up with his girlfriend. We’d both be single, hang out a little bit, and then make out. We’d start going out again and he’d fix all the crap that was wrong with me, and then we’d run off and get married even though we were too young, and then I’d get pregnant and have a beautiful baby.
But of course, that didn’t happen. When we told D.C. that we weren’t going out anymore, she seemed to get happier, and she and I got along much better. But nothing really changed between Dave and me. We were still under obligation to get half naked and make out at least once a day for the play. He went to more parties, I guess, and he probably had sex with random women, but other than that, things were still the same.
The Hanson family returned. I was lying in the backyard with Heidi, stretching my legs, when I heard cars pull up. I gave each of them a big hug, including Taylor, in order to show how normal I felt to be around them. It was, in fact, anything but normal. I was so excited that they were home… more excited than last time because I wasn’t worried about seeing Tay again. We were friends now.
“Wanna come see me sing tonight?” I asked.
They agreed, of course, the music lovers that they are. I was really excited. The band was doing really well since they made me a “permanent” fixture. My permanence was contingent on whether Travis came back, of course, but with the way he was acting, I was in for the long haul.
Dave and I sang a lot like we used to before we were going out… which wasn’t that different from the way we sang when we were going out. We were playfully flirty, but not over the top. It got the crowd into it. Afterward, I went right down the stairs and into the crowd to find all my friends without even going backstage.
“Wonderful as usual,” D.C. hugged me and swung me around.
“I’m impressed,” Zac nodded.
Ike agreed, “You guys kicked way more ass than last time.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s like you’re really part of it now. You look a lot more comfortable.”
“Well, thanks… So is there a party after all this?” I asked D.C.
“Hell yes.”
I adjusted the white terry cloth with two blue stripes sweat band that was covering my injured wrist and asked, “Will there be alcohol?”
“Tayler!” someone was calling my name in the crowd. “Tay!” Dave came jumping through the crowd, shoving people out of the way.
“What?”
He lifted me up and twirled me around like crazy. “We got a record deal!” He screamed.
“No way!” I lost all feeling in my body. A record deal?! A friggin record deal!
“Yes!” he hugged me close and lay a long, hard kiss on my mouth. Everyone was too stunned and excited to remember we weren’t going out anymore.
“A record deal!” I screamed, hugging Oscar and Muf who came running through the crowd as well.
I don’t know what happened. Everyone was jumping up and down and screaming and hugging and kissing. I think I almost fainted. I think I almost threw up and danced around at the same time. Somehow, we left the gig and made our way back to Dave’s house. Muf and Oscar were on the phones with their respective girlfriends, D.C. and Heidi were singing one of our songs. Ike, Tay, and Zac were full of nothing but “Congratulations!” and “Way to go, Robinson.”
Dave put on one of the demo tapes he and Travis made, blasted the stereo, and we all rocked it out. I was so excited that I forgot about beer, bulimia, and even boys.
Someone drove us back to our houses when it was too late to go to a party (too late meaning too late for Ike, Tay, and Zac… not for Dave or D.C.). I was all high on adrenaline, and so they asked me to come over. We chilled in the basement. I almost couldn’t even sit down. I had the jitters.
“I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time,” Tay laughed as I danced around the room.
“You haven’t seen me in a long time,” I reminded him.
“What are you doing?” Ike asked as I pulled him up off the couch and danced around the room with him.
“I’m so excited!” I let him go and bounced around him, full of energy.
“No… really?” Zac laughed.
I threw myself onto the couch, right next to him, “I’m so happy I can’t even say anything nasty.”
They knew there was no use getting me to fall asleep, and so they put in a movie and I talked through the whole thing and they all kept throwing things at me. It was just like old times.
“Stop whining,” Ike’s laughed.
“I’m not whining,” Zac whined. He definitely was whining.
“Yes you are,” I assured him. “Come sit here by me,” I patted the couch next to me. He pouted, looking like a kid that had gotten scolded for being naughty. “What’s the matter?” I wrapped my arm around him, “You tell Tayler. She’ll make it better.”
“You’re a freak,” he grumbled.
“What’s the matter?”
“Shhhh…” Ike waved his hand at us, “This is the best part.”
“Yoy know they get it on, Ike. Why bother watching?”
“It’s the best part,” he repeated.
“That’s just the problem,” Zac grumbled, “I’m never gonna get any.”
“Get any what?... Ohhhhh…” I almost laughed, but I tried to remain serious for his sake, “Sure you will.”
“When?”
“I’m not a psychic.”
“You suck.”
“Just be patient.”
“Patient my ass… I don’t want to be patient.”
“Shut up!” Ike hushed us, his eyes glued to the screen.
“Zac…”
“How about you get it on with me?”
Tay turned around, shocked. I think he wanted to laugh, but he couldn’t find the right sounds. I looked over at him and shrugged and then looked back at Zac, “Umm… yea, sure… okay…”
“Right now?!” Zac got all happy like someone had bought him a pony.
“Umm, no, not right now,” I looked back over at Taylor, who’s eyes were even wider because of my answers.
“When?”
“Umm… maybe later.”
“But why? Can’t we do it now?” He started tugging at the button on his jeans.
“Whoa, Zac, chill!” I jumped away.
