When we got there, I went up to a lady at the desk. The guys had told me in the hallway that they refused to do anything remotely girly and insisted I talked to the lady.

“Hello? Can I help you?” she asked.

“Hi, um, can we have...” I realized I had no idea what we wanted.

“Well, first, you guys need some parental permission, and you need to make and appointment. We have the next ones open for four tomorrow,” the lady explained.

I turned to Ike, Tay, and Zac. Ike said, “Well?”

“Tomorrow we have to be at the venue all day,” Tay almost whined.

I turned to the lady, tapped my hand on the counter and shrugged, “Thanks anyway.”

We exited the spa. “I wanted a massage,” Zac pouted.

“Me too,” Ike and Tay said in unison.

“I can give you one,” I said. I didn’t know how to do it technically, but I’ve seen it done and I think I could do it. Besides, they’d never know the difference.

“Cool,” Ike replied.

So, we decided to go back to the hotel room. “Hey, Robinson, guess what?” Zac asked as we waited for the elevator.

“What?” I replied as we stepped onto the elevator. I saw the bellboy.

“That’s what,” he yelled, noticing me see the bellboy.

“Shut up, Zac,” I mumbled in a sing-song voice.

The bellboy stared at me. I turned my back to him, to face Ike and Tay who were standing in the corner. I gave them a pained expression. Tay bit his lip to keep from smiling and Ike looked at the ceiling.

I tunred around and noticed the bellboy whip his head around in the opposite direction. I looked over at Zac who was trying his best to contain his growing need for laughter. I couldn’t look at him. Finally the doors opened and we were on their floor. We stepped out of the elevator. The door closed.

“Robinson,” Zac burst out, “Do yourself a favor,” he paused to take a deep breath, “wear more clothes next time you go on the elevator.”

“What?” I laughed.

“And also, don’t ever turn your back to him when you’re wearing shorts as short as those,” Ike pointed to the little shorts I was wearing.

I laughed.

Ike used the key-card to unlock the door. We entered the room. Zac went over to the cabinet that was filled with snacks and started to munch on some chips.

“Me first!” he yelled, plopping down on the bed and rolling onto his stomach. He continued to munch and crunch on chips.

“Okay, but first you have to sit up so I can massage your shoulders.”

So, Zac sat up. Ike and Tay decided to hook up and play Playstation, which they had brought with them. They were playing games as I massaged Zac’s shoulders. When I was done with his shoulders, Zac lay down on his stomach and watched them play a car racing game (I think it was Grand Turismo). I couldn’t quite get do it right from sitting on one side of him, so I swung one leg on each side of him and sat on his butt.

“You’re gonna lose, Tay,” Zac teased when Ike had almost lapped him in the game.

Tay looked at Zac, probably to say something nasty, but when he saw me sitting on top of Zac, he started to laugh. “That looks nice,” he smiled devilishly.

Ike turned around too, “Is it my turn yet?” he wondered enthusiastically.

“Oh, shut up and turn around,” I grumbled.

So, I massaged Zac for about another fifteen minutes until he said, “I have to pee. Robinson, I think you’re sitting on my bladder.”

I swung my leg off him and started to laugh (a lot). While he was in the bathroom, I started to massage Ike’s shoulders. Zac took Ike’s place on the floor.

“Now you’re gonna win, Tay,” Ike laughed, “Zac sucks at this game,” he laughed.

“Nuh uh,” Zac whined and turned to scowl at Ike.

When I was done with Ike’s shoulders, he lay down on his stomach as Zac had. Because Ike was taller, my arms couldn’t reach his neck, and so I sat more on his lower back. “Ew, Robinson, you’re all wet,” he complained.

“I did just get out of the pool, Ike,” I retorted.

“Yea, well,” was all he said.

I rubbed the palms of my hands into his lower back. When I presseed my knuckles into his side, he started to laugh.

“Ike’s ticklish,” Zac said from the floor without looking up.

“You are?” I asked slyly.

“Please don’t,” he implored.

“What?” I said innocently. A ran my fingertips up his side. He laughed and squirmed from my touch.

“Stop,” he whined. I did it again, but on the other side. “Please?” he begged, choking through laughter.

“Okay, okay,” I giggled.

I finished massaging Ike’s back. “You’re not so bad at that,” he said, stretching, “Except for that whole tickling thing.”

As he stretched and arched his back, sticking out his stomach, I tickled his stomach. He let out all the air he was yawning in and bent forward. “I’m going to kill you,” he laughed reaching for my neck.

“You wouldn’t,” I said, letting his fingers curl around my neck.

“I know,” he let go and took his place by Zac.

I started to massage Tay’s shoulders just as I had everyone else. Then, I sat on his back and massaged his back. In the middle of the massage, we heard their mom calling, “Boys?” I leapt off Tay and crossed my legs Indian style so that when she came in, I was sitting next to Tay.

“Boys, I just wanted to tell you that Tayler’s mother called and we’re going out for the evening tonight, and so you have to babysit. Tayler, you are going to stay here, and probably sleep in with the girls,” she explained.

“Cool,” I replied.

She left.

“Robinson, I don’t think I”ve ever seen you move as fast as you did when you heard her coming,” Tay laughed.

“I didn’t want her to be well... suspicious,”I said quietly.

“Of what?” Tay turned to ask me.

“Nothing,” I said, climbing back on him.

“No, really, you think my mother would think we’re...” he waved his finger between himself and me.

“Well, maybe if she saw me on top of you, she’d wonder a little,” I said, grounding my fist into his spine.

“Hello, ow?” he tried to turn to look at me.

“Oh, sorry, but you have a knot,” I said, rubbing the place more softly with my palm.

“A what?”

“Knot, a muscle knot,” I explained.

“Oh.”

A few minutes later, I said, “Almost done.”

On purpose, he rolled over so that I fell off him. He was then laying on my leg. “Ow?” I said, trying to free my leg.

“Oops,” he said innocently. He rolled off my leg and stooded up. He rolled his shoulders back.

“Feel better?” I asked.

“Yes, I do,” he stretched and cracked his knuckles.

“Ah!” I yelled, pulling his hands away from each other.

“What?”

“Don’t crack your knuckles!” I exclaimed.

“Why not? My fingers hurt,” he shrugged.

“You idiot! Don’t you know that cracking your knuckles stretches the cartilage in your fingers and can eventually cause the early onset of arthritis?” I asked. Ike and Zac were looking at me from the floor.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Well, it can and being a piano player, you don’t need that. Come here,” I said, patting the bed next to me.

He sat down. I grabbed his hand. “This should make them feel better,” I said. Jan and I used to give hand massages all the time, and I like to think we perfected the art. “There, is that better?” I asked when I’d finished.

“Yea, it is,” he said, wiggling his fingers.

“See, what did I tell you?”

“You were right,” he shrugged.

“So, you guys, we’re baby-sitting,” I said.

“Want me to go get a movie for the tikes?” I asked.

“From where?” they asked.

“The video store, the one we belong to, you only need your phone number for.”

“So, you’re going to go out there?” Tay asked, going to the balcony and peeking out at the city.

“Yea, I used to live here, remember?”

“I know, but it’s so... dangerous,” Tay said, stepping away from the balcony.

“Common misconception. It’s actually one of the safest cities around. Besides, I love it.”

“Yea, but...”

“I’ll be fine, Tay,” I said. “Now, someone find me some pants,” I said, rummaging aroung, looking for the pile of the clothes I’d left.

“Here,” Zac threw my pants at me.

“No!” I yelled, but it was too late. My bra (which I’d hidden in my pants) flew out on the floor. “Nice one,” I grumbled as I picked it up off the floor.

“Oops,” he laughed inncoently.

I put my bra over by my shirt and slipped my pants on over the shorts. “Where did I put my coat?” I asked, searching.

“Over there,” Zac pointed.

“What would I do without you?” I asked, patting him on the head.

“Go naked,” he shrugged.

“Now, one last question, where did I put my shoes?”

Tay fished them out from under the bed, “Here.”

I put my shoes on and zipped my coat, “What movie should I get?” I asked.

“Like, one of those Disney...Wait a sec,” Ike started to say. Then he went into his parents’ room where Avie and Mackie were playing some kind of game. “What movie do you want to see?”

“Little Mermaid!” Avie yelled.

Ike groaned.

“X-Men!” Mackie giggled.

Ike groaned again. “Where’s Jess?” he asked.

“Potty,” Mack pointed.

Jessie emerged from the bathroom, “I want to see the Baby-Sitters Club.”

Ike shrugged.

“Which one should I get?” I asked.

“Get the Baby-Sitters Club and you can get one for us for after they go to sleep.”

“Okay, I’m gone,” I said, opening the door of the room to leave. “Oh Ike-ey,” I sang before I left.

“What-ty?” he replied.

“I need money,” I smiled sweetly.

He fished a twenty out of his pocket and forked it over.

“More,” I smiled.

“Why?”

“Cab fare.”

“I thought you like the subway?” Ike said skeptically.

I went over by Tay and asked, “Would you really want to see me go in that dark, dingy subway tunnel with all the rush hour traffic and homeless beggars?”

“Of course not,” Tay pinched my cheeks and talked to me like a Grandma does.

“See, Ikey?” I smiled.

“Okay,” he grouched and handed over an extra ten.

I left the room.

“Have fun in the elevator!” Zac laughed as I walked out.

I walked into the elevator, “Lobby, please,” I smiled.

“Hi,” the bellboy smiled.

“Hey.”

“So, um,” he asked, “Do you live around here?”

“I used to, I came to visit my dad for Christmas. I’m friends with the Hansons, and so tonight I’m helping to baby-sit.”

“That’s cool. My name’s Vince,” he stuck out his hand.

I shook it, “I’m Tayler, but as you might have noticed, they,” I looked up to the floor we had just left, “call me Robinson.”

“Because isn’t one of them named Taylor too?”

“Yea,” I nodded.

The elevator dinged. I stepped off. “See you,” he said.

“Yep.” I walked out the lobby doors and waited on the sidewalk. A bellhop hailed a cab for me. “Thanks,” I said. I told the cabbie that I wanted to go to the video store and told him the address. It took almost twenty minutes to get there because of the traffic. When I stepped out of the cab, I handed him ten bucks and said, “I’ll be right out.” I ran inside and grabbed “The Baby-Sitters Club” and “An American Werewolf in Paris,” one of my favorite movies. I quickly paid and saw that my cabbie was about to accept a new passenger. “Excuse me, sir,” I said, “I had this cab reserved.” I climbed right in and told the cabbie to go back to the hotel. It took almost twenty-five minutes to get back. It had started to snow a little bit when I got out of the cab. I went inside and caught the elevator.

“Hi,” Vince smiled.

“Hello.”

“So, it’s snowing out?” he asked.

“How’d you know?” I wondered.

“It’s on your coat and in your hair,” he said.

“Oh,” I brushed it off.

“Do you do this all day?” I asked, pointing to the elevator buttons.

“Most of it. I get off at 11,” he shrugged.

“Wow, this must be fun,” I said sarcastically.

“You’ve got no idea...”

The doors opened and I stepped out onto the floor. I waved good bye and removed my jacket as I walked down the hall. I knocked on their door.

“Who is it?” Ike asked.

“Robinson,” I sighed, shaking my head to get out the snow.

“What’s the password?” he asked.

“Let me in,” I sighed.

“Say ‘Ike is cool,’” he instructed.

“Ike is cool,” I repeated.

“And he rocks on guitar,” Ike continued.

“And he rocks on the guitar, and he’s awesome at everything, and I want him,” I sighed.

“You do?” he opened the door.

“No,” I stuck my foot in the door so he couldn’t close it.

“Dirty trick,” he scowled as I pushed my way past him.

“Yea, I know,” I smiled as I plopped my coat in the corner and removed my shoes.

“I got the ‘Baby-Sitters Club’ and ‘An American Werewolf in Paris,’” I explained as I plopped down on the bed next to Tay, who was watching Zac play some game.

“Okay,” Ike shrugged.

“I love that movie,” I sighed.

“‘The Baby-Sitters Club’?” Tay asked.

“No, silly,” I laughed.

“Oh ‘An American Werewolf in Paris,’” he laughed at himself.

“I’ve never seen it,” Tay said.

“It’s awesome,” I said enthusiastically.

“Like me!” Ike yelled. He went into his parents room to collect the children.

“Yea, right,” I rolled my eyes. “But I think we shouldn’t let the little people see it because it might give them nightmares.”

“They’re tough,” Tay shrugged.

“It gives me nightmares,” I laughed. “And there’s some... um... sexual content... partial nudity...”

“Yea! Nudity!” Tay cheered.

“Pervert,” I mumbled.

“Excuse me?” he put his hand to his ear.

“You heard me.”

As Zac died in the game the was playing, he chucked the controller on the floor, jumped to his feet, and cursed at the television screen.

“Are you okay... mentally?” I asked him as he ran around the room in anger.

“No,” Tay answered.

After Zac finished running around, the plopped down on the bed next to me and Tay. He sat next to me and kept nudging me over until I was squished into Tay. “Can I have a little room please?” I asked.

Zac smiled devilishly and shoved me once again until I was practically in Tay’s lap. Tay moved over a until he was at the corner of the bed. Then, Zacky started to push me again, until I almost was in Tay’s lap.

“We’re going to fall off,” I laughed. I shifted so that half of me actually was on Tay’s lap. Zac laughed.

“You think this is really funny, don’t you?” Tay asked, leaning past me so that he could see Zac. Zac gave one final shove, causing Tay to tumble off the bed onto the floor, and in turn, me to tumble onto the floor onto him. Zac laughed and spread his arms and legs out, taking up the whole bed.

“Did I hurt you?” I asked as I rolled off Tay.

“Not as much as I’m going to hurt Zac,” he sad warningly.

Tay leapt onto Zac and they started to wrestle.

Ike led all the kids into the room. Mr. Hanson gave all the directions about where they’d be, etc. Then, their parents left.

“Tayler,” Jessie asked, “Do you want to play dress up with us?”

“Sure, do you have dress up clothes?” I asked.

“She always has dress up clothes,” Ike said, lugging a suitcase into the room.

Jessie, Avie, and I sat on the floor and we started to sort through the clothes. There were lots of old, used clothes as well as some sparkly tutus and dance costumes.

“I want to wear this one,” I said, holding up a black tutu with silver specks in it and a matching top that wasn’t attatched. I slipped it on top of the clothes I was wearing and helped Avie put on one of her mother’s old dresses.

“Ta da!” she sang, spinning in a circle for everyone to see. Neither Tay, Ike, nor Zac looked. They were about to set up some kind of game. “Look at me!” she yelled.

They all turned their heads and exclaimed about how prettty she looked and clapped for her. “My turn!” Jessie yelled. She was wearing a green skirt and bright yellow shirt with about twenty pink necklaces. Everyone clapped for her as well. “Your turn, Tayler,” Jessie said.

“No, it’s okay,” I resisted.

“Everyone look!” she sang.

Ike, Tay, and Zac looked at me. “Whoa, Robinson,” Tay held back laughter, “You look nice.”

“Shut up!” Avie yelled.

“Thank you for defending me, Avie, but maybe you could say that in a way that doesn’t use such harsh words,” I said.

“Okay,” she thought for a second, “Please, Taylor, don’t be so mean. She looks pretty.”

“That’s better,” I said.

“Now let’s change,” Jessie instructed.

“Why don’t we be old English women at a tea party?” I suggested.

“Okay!” They said enthusiastically.

“And Zoe will be my cat!” Avie said, attempting to pick up her plump little sister.

I picked up Zoe for her and put her in my lap. “Zoe will make a good cat,”I said, and then I placed Zoe on the floor next to me. “Jessie,” I asked, “Will you help me?”

“What?” she said, searching through the suitcase.

“Hold down my black shirt while I take off this ballet costume?” I asked.

“I’ll help,” Tay volunteered.

“That’s okay, Tay, I like Jessie better,” I scowled at him. Jessie grabbed the bottom of the black tank top that I had worn swimming and I wiggled out of the ballet costume. “Thanks,” I said.

“Hey, wait,” Jessie said with a puzzled look on her face.

“What?” I replied.

“Isn’t that my shirt?” she asked.

“Oh,” I giggled, “yes. You’re mother let me borrow it and a pair of shorts to go swimming in.” Tay, Ike, and Zac were laughing.

“Oh.”

I helped Jessie and Avie into some “old lady” dresses, and I put one on myself. Then, we went over by the table where Ike, Tay, Zac, and I had eaten lunch. We set up a pretend tea party.

“Good day, girls,” I said in my best British accent.

“Hello,” Jessie and Avie said in unison with pretty good accents themselves.

“Would you like a spot of tea?” I asked.

“I would say so,” Jessie said, holding an invisible cup.

I poured the pretend tea, “And Miss Avery?”

“Right-o,” she smiled. I poured tea for her too.“My cat would enjoy a saucer of milk,” she added.

I poured a pretend pitcher of milk into a saucer and placed the “milk” in front of Zoe on the floor. I walked over to Ike, Tay, and Zac where they were playing Playstation. “And you, young chaps, would you like some tea?”

Tay answered, using a fairly authentic accent, “No thanks, but do you have any scones?”

“Regrettably no, but I have a couple macaroons if you’d like them.”

“I only eat scones,” he replied, not taking his eyes off the screen.

“All right, anyone else?” I asked.

“No, you’re bothering me, go away,” Zac waved his hand in my face. I stuck my tongue out at him and went back to Avie and Jessie.

Mackie, who had been playing with his X-Men action figures, came over by us. “Can I watch a movie?” he asked.

“Sure, why don’t we all watch it?” I asked, going back to my regular voice.

“Okay,” Jessie and Avie said in unison. They shed their dress up clothes, and I did likewise. We went into their parents’ room.

“Why don’t we put on our pajamas and we can sit on the bed and have a slumber party?” I asked.

“Cool!” was the basic reply.

While they got dressed, I went back into Ike, Tay, and Zac’s room to get Zoe, who was still sitting on the floor. I rested her on my hip, “Does anyone want to come watch the movie?” I asked.

Zac put his controller on the floor, “I’m losing anyway.”

He followed Zoe and I into the other room.

We sat down on the bed. Avie, Jessie, and Mack came and sat all around us. I pressed the “Play” button. We watched the movie for about forty-five minutes when I noticed Mack was sleeping. I leaned over to Zac and whispered in his ear, “Where does he sleep, in here?”

“No, they have another room,” he got up off the bed and opened the door that connected the children’s room.

I picked up Mack (he was pretty heavy)and placed him onto a cot that was set up in the room. Zac got his suitcase and said, “I’ll get him in his pj’s. Go check on Zoe and change her diaper.”

“Goodie.” I exited the room and picked up Zoe, who was slipping in and out of sleep. I brought her into the bathroom, changed her diaper, and put her in the pajamas that Jessie had brought in for me. I brought her into the room where Zac was pulling the covers up to Mackie’s chin. we tucked her in, too. Jessie and Avie finished watching the movie, brushed their teeth, and then we sent them to sleep.

Quietly, Zac and I went into the room where Tay and Ike were playing Playstation. “What’s up, guys?” I asked.

“I beat Ike twice!” Tay said excitedly.

“I beat Tay five times!” Ike laughed.

“I’m so happy for you,” I said unenthusiastically.

“Can I have your shirt, Ike?” I asked.

“Why?”

“Fine, can I have your shirt, Tay?”

“Okay,” he said he instantly, but unbuttoned the longsleeved shirt he was wearing (just in case you’re wondering, he was wearing a black t-shirt underneath). He handed it to me.

I put it on and opened the door to the balcony. I went out there and leaned on the railing. After a few minutes, Tay joined me out there. “Do you smell that?” I said, sniffing the air reminicently.

“It smells like puke and piss,” he scrunched his nose.

I laughed, “It smells like home,” I smiled.

“You really do love it here, don’t you?”

“You bet. There’s always something to do and somewhere to go,” I smiled at the Empire State Building in the distance. Tay stretched out his hands like he was about to crack his knuckles. I grabbed his hand before he could. “What did I tell you about that?”

“It hurts,” he whined.

I started to massage his hands as I had earlier that day. “So, where do you guys go after New Year?”

“I think we go to like, Chicago or something,” he shrugged.

“You are so lucky,” I said, letting go of his hand and sitting down in one of the three plastic chairs that was out on the balcony.

He sat down next to me and put his hand out for me to continue massaging. “I know, we tried for a long time and we finally got it. It took hard work,” he stated.

“I know.”

“Tomorrow, are you coming to our concert?” he asked.

“I haven’t been invited,” I said, turning his hand over in mine.

“Do you want to come to our show tomorrow?” he asked.

“That would be cool,” I said, letting go of his hand and pointing to the other one.

“My dad has extra backstage passes,” he said, “Can we switch seats so I don’t have to reach across myself?”

We switched seats. “That’s awesome, so I can be backstage with you guys?”

“Yea, and help baby-sit.”

“Cool,” I nodded.

“I was joking,” he informed me.

“Oh, well, I’ll probably help anyway, I don’t mind.”

I was alomst done massaging his hand when Ike popped his head out, “We want to watch the movie.”

“Okay,” I replied, “Come on, Tay, I’m getting cold anyway.”

We went inside and all lined up in a row on the bed. Ike pressed the play switch.

“I’m so excited!” I bounced on the bed.

“Why?” Ike wondered.

“I freaking love this movie!” I smiled.

Nobody talked much through the beginning of the movie.except for the few times when I said things like, “I love this part” or “This is sooo funny.” When we were about halfway through the movie (at the part where Andy wakes up after he’s bitten) I said, “Um...”

“What?” Zac asked.

“I’m afraid,” I whispered.

“Why?” Ike wondered.

“Well, remember that nudity I was talking about-” I got cut off.

Tay laughed, “Whoa!” when the girl whipped her shirt off.

“There it is,” I held back a giggle.

“And why were you afraid?” Zac said, not looking away from the screen.

“Because I knew you would react like that,” I laughed.

“I like this movie,” Tay said.

“Shut up,” I nudged him in the ribs. “I don’t want to sit by him anymore,” I whined.

Ike and Zac laughed.

“Tay’s a hornball,” I yelled (not too loud).

“What?” Tay started to laugh.

“A hornball.”

At the one of the many parts where Andy was in his underwear Tay said, “You say I’m a hornball? You haven’t peeled yourself from that screen in five minutes.”

I said nothing, I just put another potato chip in my mouth.

“You know I’m right,” he laughed.

“Can I help it if he’s hot?” I tunred to him.

“Could I help it if she took her shirt off?”

“It’s not the same,” I shook my head.

“How is it not the same?”

“Well, I’m cooler than you are,” I shrugged.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Ha!” I yelled triumphantly, “You didn’t say that I wasn’t cooler than you! I’m cooler than Tay!”

Tay just rolled his eyes. At the end of the movie, Zac said, “You’re right, Robinson, that movie was good.”

“Let’s play truth or dare!” I said, working off my nightly hyperactivity. They agreed. “Me first!” I yelled. “Tay, truth or dare?

“Truth.”

“Who do you think is beautiful? And if you say Pamela Anderson, I’m going to have to throw you off the balcony.”

He thought for a second, “Um, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Bunton, Cindy Crawford-”

“Okay, I’ve heard enough,” I laughed.

He turned to me, “Robinson, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Who do you think is beautiful?”

“Billie Joe Armstong,” I began.

“The Green Day guy?” Zac asked in surprise.

“Yea,” I smiled.

“And Will Smith, Anthony Ketis-”

“Who’s that?” Tay asked.

“Lead singer of Red Hot Chilli Peppers,” Ike answered.

“Harrison Ford-”

“Isn’t he old?” Ike asked.

“That doesn’t mean he’s not beautiful,” I said, “Tom Everett Scott, you know from this evening’s movie, Steven Tyler...”

“Steven Tyler?!” Tay exclaimed.

“Yes,” I said almost shyly.

“But he’s so...” Tay made a face.

“Shut up,” I put two fingers over his lips. “Umm... ooh, Mark McGrath,” I smiled brightly, “Bradley Nowell, Brad Renfro, Fred Durst, Ben Affleck, Pauly Shore, Seth Green, Carson Daly, and Joshua Jackson.”

“What about Hanson?” Zac teased.

“Yea, I guess them, too,” I shrugged. Zac caught me in a headlock.

“Zac,” I said when he let go of me, “truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Do you walk the dog?” I laughed.

“What?” Ike and Tay were cracking up. “What dog? I don’t have a dog,” Zac said confusedly.

I started to crack up, “Okay, different question.”

“I don’t believe you just asked my little brother that!” Tay said, gasping from laughter.

“What does that mean?” Zac asked. feeling left out.

“I’ll explain it to you later,” Ike said. Ike shot me a “thanks a lot” look.

“Oh, Zac is going to learn some interseting things this evening-” I stopped to cough.

“What were you smoking out on the balcony?” Ike asked.

“Okay, for real, Zac, have you ever seen a girl naked?” I laughed.

“Do you count?” he laughed.

“You see, that’s the way I get in trouble, Zac, don’t go aorund saying things like that.”

“Do you mean in person?” he wondered.

“Yes. Porn doesn’t count.”

“Well, in that case, no,” he laughed. “Robinson, truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“Okay, I dare you to go get the elevator guy’s phone number,” he smiled wickedly.

“Fine, come with me,” I said, getting up.

“You’re going to do it?” Tay asked surprisedly.

“You bet,” I smirked, “Zac, bring these.” I handed him some headphones.

“We’ll be back,” I called as Zac and I walked down the hallway.

When the elevator came, Zac stepped into the corner and pretended to listen to music.

“Hey, Vince, we’re going to the lobby,” I smiled.

“Hello, Tayler,” he looked in Zac’s direction.

“He can’t hear,” I pointed at him. I yelled, “Zac!” really loudly, but he pretended not to hear, “See?”

“So, what’s up?” he asked.

“Nothing, look, I was wondering, you know, could I maybe have your phone number? If there’s any day while I’m here that I’m free, I’ll call you,” I smiled. I handed him the pen I’d brought and asked him to sign my hand.

“Okay,” he wrote it down.

When the elevator stopped, I grabbed Zac by the hand and led him into the lobby.

“I don’t believe you did it!” he laughed.

We went to the desk and ordered an extra cot for room 213. After that, we waited around a few minutes, and then we got back on the elevator. There was a whole family in there, and so I didn’t get to talk to Vince. When we reached our floor, Zac and I ran to the door and Ike let us in.

“She actually did it!” Zac laughed.

“I did,” I displayed my hand for Ike to see. It said: Vince (212) 675-8976.

When I walked up to Tay, he grabbed my hand and examined it, “You actually did?”

“Yes.”

“You’re crazy!” he laughed. “Are you actually going to call him?”

“I don’t know,” I shrugged.

“You could get ink poisoning from that,” he said, rubbing the number off.

“Hey! Stop!” I said, jerking my hand away.

“Why?”

“Because there’s no such thing as ink poisoning, silly,” I laughed.

“You guys, let’s do something,” Zac said, all hyper.

“Let’s listen to music!” I said. “Did you bring cds?”

“Yea, in there,” Tay pointed to one of those black cd holders.

I flipped through it. Aerosmith, Cheryl Crow, Fastball... “Ooh, Counting Crows! Hip! Almost as hip as Hootie and the Blowfish! All right, Barry Manilow!” I teased. “Can we listen to this?” I held up a Beatles compellation.

“Sure,” Zac took it from me and put it in the Playstation.

As “Love Me Do” came on, we all started to sing. After the second song, during “She Loves You,” I started to dance (using all those corny moves like the Animal, that ‘Swim’ one, and a bunch of other ones). Ike, who’s always in the mood to be goofy, joined in. Sooner or later, Zac joined in. Tay refused, “You all look crazy!”

“Come on, Tay,” I prodded.

“Nope,” he shook his head. The song “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” came on.

“Yea, you’re way too cool,” I rolled my eyes.

“You bet,” he nodded.

“Come on, Tay,” I said, pulling his arm.

“I don’t want to,” he pulled his arm away from me.

“Fine,” I pouted. I went over and changed the song to “Ticket to Ride,” which is one of my favorties.

I started to dance with Zac. It was fun. We were just being silly, spinning each other and dipping each other until we almost fell over.

“Can we put on some of the weirder stuff?” Ike asked, holding up a blue Beatles cd.

“Okay,” Zac and I shrugged. We stopped dancing.

I sat next to Tay, “Please, dance with me, Tay?” I pouted. “Strawberry Fields Forever” came on. We all started to sing (it’s not a real dancing song).

“We can’t really dance to this song,” he said.

“Yea, but to another one?” I begged.

“Why?”

“Because it’s fun, right, Zac?”

“Yea!” he bounced on the bed.

When that song was over, Ike, Zac, and I started to dance to “Penny Lane,” even though it’s not that easy to dance to.

“I think Tay has PMS,” I said.

“What?” Tay asked.

“You heard me,” I laughed, waving my arms in his face.

I started to dance with Ike. Zac skipped the song ahead to “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” It was really funny, becuase Ike and I were dancing really fast, but the actual verses of the song are slow. When the song got to the chorus, we were right on the beat though.

Another slow song, “A Day in the Life” came on. I started to jump on the bed with Zac. I fell to my knees next to Tay. “What’s up?” I asked.

“Nothing.”

“That’s because you’re boring,” I whined and flopped over backwards on the bed, acting dead.

“Robinson, I just don’t want to dance,” he sighed.

“Why not?”

“Because you all look like idiots,” he laughed.

“So? If you dance with us, you won’t know what we look like.”

“Maybe later,” he shrugged.

“Okay,” I went over to the Playstation and changed it to “I am the Walrus.”

“Cool,” Zac said.

“I love this song!” I started to dance.

“It’s awesome!” Ike agreed.

“Yea,” Tay smiled.

Zac and I started to jump on the bed again. I was playing drums on Tay’s head. “What are you doing?” he laughed.

“Drumming,” I laughed. I continued. At the end where they have all those “oompahs” and stuff, Ike, Zac, and I were headbanging.

“Tay,” I sang.

“What?” I sat on the bed behind him and pushed him off with my feet. He was about to sit back on the bed, but I grabbed his hands and pulled him so he was standing. “Hello,Goobye” was on. Ike and Zac were already dancing.

“Dance!” I commanded.

He did the funniest little dance like that corny guy does in the Offspring video “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy),” after he was done he sat back down. I totally cracked up.

“Was that good enough?” he asked.

I plopped on the bed next to him, cracking up. “That was really funny,” I wiped tears from my eyes.

“Are you satisfied?”

“Nope. Right, Zac?” I called. I knew Zac hadn’t been listening, but he just gave me a thumbs up sign. “Lady Madonna” came on. “I love this song!” I exclaimed. I yanked Tay to his feet.

“Robinson,” he said in a warning tone.

“Just dance, dammit,” I said.

And finally, he did. We did all those little spins and stuff, and all the corny 60s-70s moves we could think of. When that song was over, “Hey Jude” came on. Tay, Ike, and Zac sat down. “What are you doing?” I asked them. “You have to dance with me to this song!” I whined.

“Why?” Ike asked.

“It’s only like, the best song ever! Don’t leave me hanging!”

Ike was the only one who had courage enough to say, “Oh, all right.” It’s not like we did any serious dancing, but you know, like kind of that boring slow dance stuff, but he dipped me and spun me around a lot. It was fun.

“Ike is the most courageous. But, now you have to dance with me, or else it’s not fair,” I pointed to Zac and Tay at the end of the song.

“You mean like, actually touch you?” Zac said.

“Way to boost my self esteem,” I grumbled. “Come on,” I pulled his hands.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because if not, Ike might feel funny,” I smiled at Ike, who was drinking a Dr.Pepper, obviously not feeling funny. “The song’s over.”

“Revoltuion” came on. Everyone danced to that one. It’s fast and really fun. “Fine, then both of you owe me dances,” I shrugged. “Let’s go swimming again!” Ike suggested.

We decided that was a very good idea. We grabbed some towels and headed toward the elevator.

Chapter 11:A Slight Altercation

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