Chapter 13: Dancing and Shopping are a Girl's Best Friends“Daddy, I’m home,” I called. I went straight to the couch where I had placed my suitcase.
“It’s pretty late,” he called from his bedroom.
“Yea, well, I was wondering if I could go to a club for like, an hour or two?” I called.
“With whom?” he asked.
“Oh, just... this kid that works with the Hansons...”
“All right, but don’t wake me up when you come back in,” he replied.
I searched through my suitcase and pulled out the components to my outfit. I went into the bathroom to get ready. I loved this ensemble. It was these awesome black boots that reached up to almost my knees and a dangerously short black velvet skirt. The top was a shiny silver tube top, but it wasn’t a regular tube top, it had these little straps that you have to tie behind my back to keep it secure. I put my hair in low pigtails with these little silver bands that had little silver feathers and silver beads dangling into my hair and a butterfly mesh choker. I put on this awesome silver body glitter as eyeshadow and silver lipstick. I think I looked pretty cool. I put on my leather jacket with fluffy black faux fur around the neckline.
“Daddy,” I said again.
“Yes?”
“I need more money, only like, ten more,” I said.
“It’s on the counter,” he said from the bedroom.
“Later, Daddy,” I called.
“Take the keys,” he replied.
I grabbed the keys and the ten. I rode the elevator and stepped onto the street. I took the subway because I didn’t want to waste any money. I walked into the hotel. As I rode the elevator, Vince didn’t even recognize me. I walked down the hallway and realized I didn’t know what room Matt was staying in... uh oh. I decided to knock on Ike, Tay, and Zac’s door.
“Who’s there?” someone asked.
“Guess who?” I replied.
Ike opened the door. His eyes grew wide, “Robinson?”
“In the flesh,” I replied.
“But, you’re wearing a dress!” he exclaimed. He opened the door to let me in.
“Yes I am,” I smiled.
“And make-up!” Zac said, surprisedly.
I removed my faux-fur lined jacket and put it on the bed to reveal my silver top. “And I match!” I smiled proudly.
“Hey, Tay, I think you should come here,” Zac called into the other room.
“Ike, um... what room is Matt in?” I asked.
“215, why?” he asked.
“Oh, well, I-”
I was interrupted by Tay walking in. He was reading a magazine. He looked up and did a double-take, “Robinson?”
“Why is it so hard to believe that it’s me?” I laughed.
“Because you’re...” Tay’s voice faded.
“I’m what?” I asked.
“Nothing...” he said uncomfortably.
“So, Robinson, what did you want to know about Matt?” Ike wondered.
“Oh, well... see... well...” I stuttered. It was embarassing. I had a crush on Tay (or whatever) and judging from the way he was gaping at me, he liked me too. “Well, we’re kind of going to a club tonight...”
“You mean like a date?” Ike exclaimed.
“Not exactly, I mean, I had no one to go with,” I shrugged. Tay frowned. “Well, you guys aren’t allowed, is that my fault?”
“We’re allowed,” Zac spoke up defensively.
“Yea, like I want to go to a club with parents,” I wrinkled my face. “We can go again if they let you, but right now, you’re not exactly prepared,” I pointed at his sweat pants.
Matt walked in, “Hey guys,” he was saying. He stopped to look at me, “Whoa,” he sounded surprised.
“Ready to go?” I asked.
“Um... yea,” he was staring at me. As I reached for my coat, from the corner of my eye I saw Tay elbow Matt in the side and scowl at him. I slipped my coat on.
“See you later, guys,” I smiled, “I’ll stop in for a minute when we return. It shouldn’t be past one or one-thirty.”
We exited the door and walked down the hall to the elevator. Vince still didn’t recognize me until I waved to him as Matt and I exited the elevator.
“Let’s go to the Tunnel,” I said as we walked to the subway.
“All right,” he shrugged.
We took the subway and arrived there. We went in. There weren’t too many people there, but there were enough. After sitting down at a table and ordering something to drink (he got soda and I got water), we went out on the dance floor. They were playing the Crystal Method song “Busy Child.” We danced to it. Matt was a pretty good dancer. Then “Block Rockin’ Beats” by the Chemical Brothers came on. We danced to that, too. After both songs, they started to play some song that was slower, and less easy to dance to, and so we went back to our table and sipped our drinks.
“Tay wants you, you know,” he said.
What could I say to that? “Yea,” I mumbled.
“His eyes were bugging out of his head when he saw you tonight,” he laughed.
“I didn’t notice,” I said. Of course, I had, but that’s besides the point.
“You shouldn’t surprise a guy like that, you could give him a heart attack.”
“What do you mean?”
“Show up wearing clothes like that,” the motioned to my tube top.
“What do you mean?” I laughed.
“Your skirt, or lack of one,” he laughed.
“Hey, I like my skirt,” I pouted.
“Yea, I do too,” he smirked dangerously.
“You think Tay did?” I wondered.
“I think so...” he seemed pretty sure.
“Wanna dance again?” I asked.
“Sure,” he replied. We danced to a couple more techno-type songs. Then, the dj started taking requests. After a few minutes, (after that disgustingly-earshattering remix of “My Heart Will Go On”) we danced to about five more. Then, it was one-thirty.
“We should go,” I said.
“Do we have to?” he whined.
“Can’t resist the pull of the City, right?” I laughed.
“Nope,” he laughed.
“All right, let’s stay a little more,” I gave in.
As we danced, we talked. I learned that Matt liked some of the same music I did. He was really nice and funny. I was having a lot of fun.
“So,” I asked while we danced to “Out of My Head” by Fatboy Slim, “Where are you guys going next?”
“You mean they didn’t tell you?” he asked.
“No.”
“They’re going back to Oklahoma for like, four days for a gig at some stadium and rest,” he said.
“Awesome,” I smiled. We danced for a bit and then I asked, “So, Matt,” I asked, “Are you a straightedge?”
“A what?”
“No drugs, no sex, no rock and roll, you know... you don’t smoke or drink or anything,” I explained.
“Well, I’ve had a cigarette, but I don’t smoke. I’ve never had drugs, but as for alcohol...”
“You’re and alcoholic?” I laughed.
“No, I’m just... fond of the bottle,” he said.
“I’m a straightedge, by definition I guess, but I'm not some kind of freak who beats people up if they do bad things.”
"Good."
"But since I'm a good girl, I guess I'm basically a drag at parties."
“I’ll bet you’re not,” he smiled. The song changed again.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“Almost quarter to two,” he frowned.
“Oh,” I whined.
“Let’s go,” he grumbled.
“Yea, we’d better.”
We went back to the table to get our coats. Matt paid for the drinks (even though mine were free). We walked a block to the subway and took it home.
By the time we got to the hotel room, it was almost two-thirty. “Should I see if they’re still awake?” I whispered in Matt’s ear as he unlocked his door.
“Hold on,” he went to the door that connected that room to Ike, Tay, and Zac’s. “The TV’s on,” he said.
“Okay,” I nodded. “Thanks for coming with me,” I said before I knocked on the other door.
“No problem, thanks for not being like every other chick on the face of Earth and inviting me.”
“Bye,” I smiled.
“Bye,” he replied.
I knocked softly on the door. There was no answer. I began to walk away when someone opened the door.
“Hi,” it was Tay.
“Oh, hi,” I smiled, walking back to the door.
“It’s late,” he stated.
“Yea, sorry, did you wait up for me?” I asked.
“Yea, but it’s okay,” he shrugged. “Did you have fun?”
“Yes.”
“So, what did you guys do?” he asked, leaning on the door.
“Well... we danced,” I laughed.
“Yea, right, stupid question,” he agreed.
“So, is everyone else asleep?” I asked.
“Not really, Ike is watching TV. I think Zac fell asleep not long ago,” he shrugged.
“You guys have stayed up all this time?”
“Yea.”
“Waiting for me?”
“Yea.”
“That’s so sweet,” I smiled, feeling special. A piece of blond hair fell into his face. He reached up to push it out of the way, but I reached up and tucked it behind his ear for him. I looked him straight in the eyes, which were a pretty Florida-sea-in August shade. We stood that way, looking into each others eyes, my hand lingering by his face, until I heard Ike call something from inside.
Tay turned his head, but didn’t stop looking into my eyes, “Yea?” I finally took my hand away from his cheek and looked away. “Okay.” He answered Ike.
I crossed my arm over my chest and bit my thumb self-sonsciously. “What did he say?” I said in a soft voice.
“Do you want to come in?” he asked.
“Sure.”
He opened the door wider and let me in. “Hey, Ike,” I said.
“Hey, did you two have fun?” he asked.
“Yea,” I watched as Tay sat down on the bed. I stood by the edge.
“Sit down,” he invited. I did.
“Why don’t you just crash here tonight, Glamor Girl?” Ike laughed.
“Well, I guess so...” I said reluctantly. “My dad didn’t tell me to come home, and I can call him in the morning.”
“You look really tired,” he stated.
“I am,” I yawned. “Aren’t you?”
“Yea,” he stretched. He went over to the cot where I guess he was sleeping and lay down. I went into the bathroom and washed the silver lipstick and sparkles off my face.
“Tay?” I asked as I pulled off my go-go boots.
“Yes?”
“Tomorrow night will you guys come with me to a club?”
“I thought we weren’t allowed,” he teased.
“Please? I’ll protect you from the teeny boppers,” I sat next to him on the bed.
“I’ll ask my father,” he said.
“Beg him,” I said, closing my eyes and leaning my head on the headboard.
“We can go to an alterna club where no one will know who you are,” I yawned, leaning my head on his shoulder.
“Good idea,” he laughed.
I drifted into sleep. I was slightly awake, but not really later that night when Tay was whispering, “Robinson?” I think he wanted to lay down (I had fallen asleep with my head on his shoulder). He moved me carefully and pulled a blanket over me. Then I fell into a deeper sleep.
I woke up the next morning before anyone else. I had my arm draped over his chest. When I tried to move it, it was all cramped in that position. I managed to bend it, but not without making a little “ow!”. I tucked my arm under myself and went back to sleep. I woke up again I guess, an hour or something later. It was six o’clock. I tip-toed to the phone to call my father.
“Daddy?”
“Tay, is that you?”
“No, it’s a fried banana.”
“Why aren’t you here?”
“I fell asleep here last night by mistake,” I said.
“Okay, well, when are you going to be home?”
“Um... well, I don’t know. I don’t think they have anything to do today, and so I think I might stick around here.”
“All right, I have to go to work anyway. Call your mother,” he demanded.
“I will. Bye,” I said.
“Bye.” I hung up.
Knowing I was not going to be able to go back to sleep, I turned the TV on, turned the volume down all the way, and started to play CoolBoarders2 on Playstation. After about a half an hour, no one had woken up. I was bored. I was tired, and so I lay back down on the bed. I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep (I mean how many hours of sleep did I get? Three?). But, I couldn’t fall asleep. I rolled over and opened my eyes. Tay was sleeping peacefully by my side. I just lay there staring at him and day dreamed. After a couple of minutes, Tay opened his eyes and smiled.
“When people stare at me while I sleep, I wake up,” he whispered.
I blushed. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay,” he rolled over to face me.
“I’ve been up since six,” I said.
“Why?”
“I can’t sleep,” I shrugged. I turned and lay on my back, staring at the ceiling. “You can go back to sleep,” I yawned.
“What are you going to do?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I shrugged, “Hum?”
“Hum?”
“Yea, singing would be too loud,” I laughed.
“Aren’t you uncomfortable in those clothes?” he wondered, pulling the blanket up to hims chin.
“A little, the only thing is, I’ll probably have a big elastic mark all across here,” I put my hand over the tube top where it had the elastic band, right above my chest.
“Do you want a shirt?” he asked.
“I’ll be all right,” I shrugged and turned to him, “Go back to sleep.”
“Why?”
“Because you stayed up late last night, and you need sleep,” I explained.
“Well, so did you,” he noted.
“Yea, but... but... well, I’m not tired,” I stammered.
“Yea, well, I’m not either,” he yawned.
“Yea, you’re full of crap,” I laughed.
“I am,” he agreed.
“So, go to bed,” I giggled, pulling the blanket over his head and sitting up.
He reached out from under the blanket (without taking it off his head) and put his hand on my shoulder. He pulled me (or attempted to) back into a laying position. Instead, I smacked my head on the headboard. I grabbed my head, attempting not to laugh.
“I’m sorry,” he pulled the blanket away from his face he was smiling slightly.
I took my hand away from my head and looked at it to pretend to check for blood. “I think you cracked my head open,” I rubbed the back of my head.
“I’m sorry,” he closed his mouth to keep from laughing.
“Stop,” I pouted.
“Okay, I’m sorry,” but he burst out laughing.
I couldn’t help but laugh with him. I smacked him over the head with my pillow.
“Ow,” he laughed.
“You deserved it,” I stuck my tongue out at him. Out of nowhere, he smacked me in the face with his pillow. I hit him again for retaliation. I went to hit him, but he blocked with his pillow. “Oh, so it’s going to be like that now?” I asked. I stood up on the bed and smacked him really hard over the head. He stood up, too. He was taller than me. “Crap!” I squealed and jumped off the bed. He smacked my legs while I was airborne, causing me to tumble loudly onto the floor.
“Shh!” he put a finger to his lips.
As he did, I knocked him over with my pillow and ran around to the other side of the bed (between Ike and Zac’s cots were). “Can’t get me here,” I stuck my tongue out. Tay swung his pillow at me. I tried to dodge it, but I tripped over Ike’s cot and fell directly onto Zac’s back.
“What the hell!” he exclaimed, waking up.
I stood up, “Sorry.”
“You hurt me!” he yelled, sitting up and putting his hands on his back.
“I’m really sorry,” I said in a hushed voice.
“What’s going on?” Ike asked sleepily.
“Uh, nothing, you can go back to sleep,” I turned to him.
“What did you do to Zac?” he pointed to Zac who was scowling in pain.
“I fell,” I said.
“How did you fall?” Ike asked.
I pointed at Tay and pouted, “He hit me.”
“You hit her?” Zac raised his eyebrow.
“Well, yea,” Tay shrugged.
“Don’t hit girls,” Zac scolded.
“Are you saying girls are weak?” I asked.
“She hit me first,” Tay said.
“That’s only because he smashed my head into the headboard,” I stated.
“Well, then why did you do that?” Zac asked.
“Um...”
“Zac, are you trying to say that girls are weak?” I asked again. He ignored me.
“Jeez, Tay, now I’m never going to able to fall asleep again,” Zac grumbled.
“Zac, answer my question,” I insisted.
“God, you’re annoying!” he snapped at me.
I frowned and said quietly, “I’m sorry,” I walked around to the other side of the room.
“Aw, come on, Robinson,” Zac said reluctantly, “You know I didn’t mean it.”
“You seemed pretty serious to me,” I pouted.
“Well, you did wake me up,” he stated.
“Yea, but I didn’t mean to,” I whimpered.
“All right,” he admitted, “I’m sorry.”
“Ha!” I yelled.
“What?” he asked.
“I just proved that girls are definitely not weak!” I smiled smugly.
“But you just acted weak,” Zac didn’t understand.
“Yea,” I hopped onto the bed by him, “but you know what that did?”
“No,” he shook his head.
“She just totally conned you into saying you’re sorry,” Ike laughed, getting my point. I went over by Ike’s cot and high-fived him.
I flashed a peace sign at Zac and said, in my best Spice Girls impression, “Girl Power!”
Zac’s mouth hung open. Tay laughed and spoke up, “Congratulations, Zac, you have just been manipulated by your first girl,” Tay patted him on the shoulder.
“That’s not fair,” he whined.
“That’s life, bucko,” I laughed, “And soon, you’ll be putty in my hands.”
“I don’t think I like girls very much,” Zac pouted. But then, when he noticed the suspicious looks we were giving him, he added, “But I do like kis”
I interrupted him before he could say anything that would really embarrass me, “Zacky, we know what you meant.”
“I’m never going to be able to go back to sleep,” Ike whined.
I got an idea, “Do you guys want to go see a play today?”
“A what?”
“Les Miserables, the musical,” I suggested.
“What’s that about?” they asked.
“Oh, it’s awesome, it’s got like, convicts and whores, and this love triangle, and it occurs during the French Revolution, Oh, you guys, the music is awesome, and the songs are great!” I knew I was starting to get excited, and so I was talking fast.
“Whoa, speedy, chill out,” Tay laughed.
“No, really, you guys want to go?”
“You’ve seen this play?” Zac asked.
“Are you freaking kidding me? You mean I never told you?” I exclaimed.
“What didn’t you tell us?” Tay wondered.
“You guys, I was in it from fourth grade until eighth grade.”
“Really?”
“Yea,” my speech started to speed up, “And if I was in it now, I would get to be a hooker. But, when my parents got divorced and we moved to Jersey, it was harder to get me there every night, and so I had to quit.”
“Okay, so like, how much is it?” Ike asked.
“Wait, did you just say you were going to be a hooker?” Zac wondered.
“Yea,” I laughed. “I might be able to get us some kind of discount,” I thought out loud, “but I can also ask Daddy for some dough... or Mom.”
“Well, it’s only seven o’clock in the morning,” Tay pointed out.
“Yea,” Ike nodded.
“Well, there’s no way I’m getting back to sleep,” I shrugged.
“Me neither,” Tay shoved his hair out of his face.
“Let’s do something then,” Ike said.
“Let’s go to my house,” I suggested.
“Why?” Zac said, getting off his cot.
“So that I can get changed. How long have I been wearing this?” I asked, pointing to my tube top. “It’s making red marks all over me,” I complained. I pulled on it slightly to show where it had made little red indents in my skin.
“Whoa, okay, we’ll go to your house. Just keep your clothes on,” Ike laughed.
“Look,” I pointed, turning to Tay (he was blushing).
“That’s... peachy,” he raised his eyebrows at me and shook his head. He went over to his suitcase to get some clothes.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Ike shook his head.
“What?!” I repeated, laughing.
“You don’t have to show us your boobs to make us go to your house,” Zac said.
“I didn’t show you my boobs,” noticing how all three of them weren’t looking, I added, “If I wanted to show you my boobs, I would’ve went like this.” I didn’t do anything. All three of their heads turned quickly to look at me. “Wow, guys, did you get whiplash?” They all blushed. I opened my hand and pointed to my palm. “See that? You’re all right there, in the palm of my hand.”
“Oh, shut up,” Zac grumbled.
“What?” I put my hand to my ear. “What, Zacky?” I hopped across the bed and over to him. I grabbed him and put him in a headlock, “What, Zac, I didn’t hear you?”
“Ow, let go!” he whined.
I tightened my arm, “What? I think I’m a little hard of hearing, what did you say?”
“Nothing,” he muttered.
“Nothing what?”
“Nothing, oh great and powerful Robinson...”
“Good,” I smiled as I released him. I straightened my top and smoothed my skirt. I sat on the bed while they all got dressed and stuff. “Guys, are we going to take the subway or a cab?”
“Cab,” Tay said, sitting on the corner of the bed to pull on some shoes.
“Yawn...” I said.
“Yea, well, I’d like to live to see tomorrow,” he said.
I stuck my tongue out at him. “Aren’t you guys going to get in trouble for leaving without permission?” I asked.
“I don’t think Mom or Dad is up yet,” Zac stated.
“Leave a note,” I shrugged.
“It’s not the same as it is with your parents, you know,” Tay said.
“Yea, but you’ll only be gone for a half hour or so,” I explained.
“I guess,” Tay scribbled something on a piece of parer and taped it to the door that joined the two rooms.
So, we caught a cab outside the hotel (still felling kind of guilty about that whole thing with Zac, I didn’t even look at Vince in the elevator). The cab dropped us off in front of the building. Once we were in the apartment, I directed them to sit in the living room. I grabbed my suitcase off the couch and started to search through it for some clothes. I pulled out a pair of jeans, but then asked, “Wait, are we going to the show or not?”
“Why? Does it matter?” Ike shrugged.
“Yea, I wanna dress nicely if we go, but if we go to the matinee, then I don’t need to dress as well...”
“Just wear whatever,” Tay said impatiently.
“Fine,” I stuck my tongue out at him for the millionth time that day. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweater.
“Why don’t you bring clothes in case you have to change?” Zac suggested.
“You’re so smart!” I smiled. I went into the bathroom, brushed my hair and teeth and got dressed unto the cherry red cardigan sweater with black-feathery collar. I brought the black skirt from the previous night for later in case we went to the show. I tugged my hair into a high ponytail like they used to wear in the ‘50s. I went back into the living room. “Do I look beautiful?” I asked, spinning around.
“As usual,” Tay smiled. Maybe he meant it as some kind of joke, but it made me smile on the inside as well as on the outside.
“Thank you,” I did a little curtsy. I put the velvet skirt, some bright red lipstick, a hairbrush, red nail polish, a bunch of money that I found on Daddy’s dresser with my name written on a piece of paper next to it, and my black go-go boots in a canvas bag that I think Daddy uses for groceries. “Okie dokie, let’s go.”
“Do you have something to drink?” Zac asked.
“Here,” I tossed him a can of Pepsi from the fridge. He tried to catch it, but it sailed by him and Ike reached out to catch it. “Nice catch, Zac.” I rolled my eyes.
When we got down to the street, Zac popped open the can. The liquid fizzed and fuzzed out all over his hand. It ran over the top of his hand and went all over his shoe. “Aw, man!” he wailed.
“You’re such a dork, Zac,” I shook my head and laughed.
“I didn’t do it!” he shook his hands off.
I shook my head again and laughed. I went to the curb, stood on my toes, and waved my hand in the air. There weren’t any cabs in that direction, and so I turned and looked the other way. “Looks like we’ll just have to wait a second,” I went back to them on the sidewalk near the building.
“All right,” Ike shrugged.
“Robinson,” Zac whined pathetically, “I’m all wet and sticky.”
I rolled my eyes, “I’ll be right back.” I handed my canvas bag full of clothes to Ike. I jogged to the hot dog stand and asked the guy for a napkin and a bottle of water. I paid him with a dollar that I happened to have in my pocket, and I jogged back to “the boys.” Ike handed me my bag. I handed the bottle of water and napkins to Zac.
“What?” he asked.
“You are so ignorant,” I giggled and took the bottle from him. I poured some of the water on the napkin and held it out for him. “Don’t ask me to clean you because I’m not your mother.” He handed me his Pepsi while he mopped off his hand. “Ew, Zac, it’s all gooey,” I switched hands that I was holding the soda with.
“I told you,” he laughed, handing me the napkin he just used to clean his own hands and wiping off the can itself as he took it from me.
I wiped off the ickiness and chucked the napkins in a garbage can nearby. “Shall I try for a cab again?” I asked.
“It would be a good idea,” Tay said.
I went to the curb and hailed a cab as I had before. Finally, I saw one turning the corner towards us. “Here we go, guys,” I called to them, continuing to wave my hand until I saw the cabbie look at me.We all smushed into the back seat. I was in between Ike and Tay. “Tell him where,” I said to Ike.
“You tell him,” he said.
“Why me?” I asked.
“Well, why me?” Ike responded. Tay spoke up and told him where to go.
“Thanks, Tay,” I smiled.
“Why didn’t you just do it?” Ike asked.
“Because I didn’t want to,” I shrugged.
“Ow, Robinson, don’t shrug, it hurts,” Tay tried to shift.
“Sorry,” I apologized. “Zac, close your legs, you’re taking up all the room,” I said.
“Yea, Zac, you’re taking up a lot of space,” Tay kind of shoved over into some of the space Zac was hogging.
“I am not,” Zac sipped his Pepsi.
“If you can sip your Pepsi like that, then you are,” I shoved Tay over into Zac.
“At least now I can breathe,” Ike said.
After at least ten minutes of benevolent bickering about space and whose foot was on whose and who should put or not put their hands where, we reached the hotel. Ike paid the cab fare (luckily, he’d taken some money before we left the hotel). We all went up to their hotel room. I don’t think their parents had even woke up yet.
“What now?” I tossed my bag into the corner.
“We could always have sex,” Zac proposed.
“Give it a rest, you hornball,” I hopped onto the bed and bounced on my knees.
“I was kidding,” he laughed.
“I know that,” I said indignantly.
“Now, now, kiddies,” Tay teased, “Let’s not fight.”
“So, what are we going to do?” I asked, hopping off my knees and laying on my stomach on the bed, propping my head on my hands.
“I don’t know, it’s only like, eight o’clock in the morning,” Ike lay on his back on the bed next to me.
“Let’s go shopping for Christmas presents,” I suggested.
“It’s three days before Christmas,” Zac said, “do you even think you’ll be able to get into a store, let alone buy stuff from one?”
“You still haven’t bought presents?” Tay asked surprisedly.
“Nope,” I shook my head.
“Well then, you should go shopping,” Ike laughed.
“But we can’t go without parents or people,” Zac whined.
“So, why don’t you just go, and come back when you’re done?” Tay wondered.
“But how will you live without me?” I giggled.
“I’m sure we’ll manage,” Zac rolled his eyes.
“All right, I’ll be back in not too long,” I swung my coat over my shoulders.
“Don’t get raped,” Tay warned.
“I’ll call you if I do,” I stuck my tongue out at him.
I shoved the money in my pocket and trotted out. In the elevator, Vince smiled at me. I was still a little worried about that little Zac thing. I smiled slightly as I left the elevator. I walked down the street to the subway station because I wanted to save money for buying presents. I got the idea to get off the subway by my friend Janelle’s house to see if she wanted to come shopping. I walked up to her apartment building and buzzed her house.
“Hello?” someone asked.
“Hi, this is Tayler, is Janelle there?” I asked.
“Oh, hi, Tay. Yea, she’s here. Come on up,” the person (I think her twelve year old brother Jared) replied.
I entered the building and rode the elevator to Jan’s apartment. I knocked on the door. Jared answered. “Hey!” I smiled.
“Hi, Tay, how are you?” he let me in.
“Good.”
“You live in Oklahoma?”
“Yes. I missed New York so much,” I sighed.
“Tay!” Janelle appeared from her room.
“Hey!” I gave her a quick hug.
“Wanna come shopping with me, for my parents’ presents?” I asked.
“Well, I’d like to, but I’m baby-sitting,” she pointed at Jared.
“I hardly need to be sat for,” Jared grumbled, sitting down on the couch.
“Yea, well, Momma says you do.”
“Why don’t you just bring him along?”
“I guess,” she shrugged.
“Hey, Jar,” I said, “Want to come to the village with us?”
“I guess,” he grumbled.
“Let me just get dressed. Come on,” Janelle led me into her room. She sifted through a pile of clothes. I sat on her bed. I envyed her. She’s really pretty. She had long kinky black hair that she straightened with a blow dryer and creamy chocolaty skin. She put on a funky blue velvet shirt and jeans. “How, ya been?” she smiled, fixing her hair.
“Good,” I smiled.
“Are there hot guys in Oklahoma?” she giggled.
I blushed.
“Ooh,” she smirked, “Tay... tell me.”
“Well, you... you know that group,” I burst into laughter. It just struck me as funny at the point in time.
“What group?”
“The music group, um...” I giggled again, “Hanson?”
Her face crinkled, “What about them?”
“Well, I’m like, we like... they’re like my friends...”
“Yea, right,” she shook her head.
“No, I swear,” I said seriously.
“How’d you meet them?” she asked, pulling her shoes on.
“I was just sitting in the woods one day, and Zac just came up to me and we started talking.”
“Cool,” I don’t know if anyone else in the world would have believed me, but Janelle and I could read each others’ mind or something.
There was a knock on the door. It was Jared, “Are we gonna go or not?”
“Yes.”
Jan wrote a note to her parents in case they came home. We went down the street to the subway station and got on the next train that would take us to Christopher Street (in Greenwich Village). On the train, Jared was playing his Gameboy. Janelle turned to me and asked, “How come when I asked you about hot guys, you started talking about these so-called ‘friends’ Hanson?”
“What do you mean?” I blushed. I knew very well what she meant.
“You condsider one of them hot?” she smirked.
“Well...”
“Tay’s got a crush on Hanson!” Janelle sang. I elbowed her in the stomach. She giggled. Jared looked up from his Gameboy briefly.
“Not on Hanson as a whole...”
“Who? Which one?” she asked excitedly, leaning towrd me.
“Well...” I could tell her about Zac, but it was kind of embarassing.
“What did you do, Tay? I know that look.”
“Moi?” I said innocently.
“You gave me that same look when you had a crush on George Maxton and you were embarassed to say so.”
“Oh.. well... Let’s just say that... umm...”
“Tay,” she laughed warningly, “What did you do?”
“I kind of... well...”
“You didn’t!” she said surprisedly.
“What?” I laughed.
“I don’t believe it!”
“Dammit, Jan, why can you read my mind?” I shook my head.
“Which?”
“Umm... Zac,” I whispered.
“Which one is that?”
“The... um... young one,” I said, barely audible.
“How young?”
“Thirteen,” I mouthed, not even making a sound.
She jumped out of her seat, “What?! But that’s like... a year older than him!” She laughed as she pointed to her brother. He scowled at her, not knowing or caring what she was raving about.
I made a face. I never thought of that. “I... I,” I stammered uncomfortably. People were looking at her.
She sat back down and waved to all the people who looked to see what the disturbance was, “Tay, you are one sick perverted freak! Tell me all about it!”
I laughed. Might as well spill. It would feel good to tell someone. “Well, I met them like, the week before Halloween. And we were like, good friends and all. We like, went to the movies and stuff. Then, on November sixteenth, the day before Ike’s eighteenth birthday, Zac came over to my house because he was depressed...” the conductor announced we were about to come to Chrstopher Street. “And so we like, talked for a while and stuff...” we stepped off the train into the station.
“And?” she hit me in the arm for keeping her in suspense.”
“And well..” I looked at her and then at Jared, “Well, you know...”
“So who kissed who?” she asked as we went up the stairs to the street. Jared turned to see what I would say.
“I kissed him,” I mumbled under my breath.
“Nuh uh,” she giggled.
“What did you expect? He’s only...” I didn’t want to say it so Jared could hear, “He’s younger.”
“So you two are like...” we turned the corner and stopped in front of a store that had all kinds of earthy, eclectic stuff. We went in. “Like, you guys are a couple or something?”
“Hell no,” I laughed.
“Well, then, what happened after November sixteenth?” she wondered.
I sifted through a bunch of necklaces on the wall and some hand-knit blankets. “Well, the next day, Zacky was- Did I just say Zacky? ‘Cuz I meant Zac...” I smiled, “Anyway, Zac was still depressed and then I went to talk to him,” I sniffed some incense, “and then we...”
“You’re bad,” she shook her head, checking the price of a wool sweater, “that’s like statutory rape.”
“Ew, no, I didn’t mean we did that,” I turned to her incredulously.
“Neither did I,” she erupted into laughter.
“I knew that... Anyway, so then we... you know...”
“You kissed him again?”
“He asked me to,” I looked at some painted terra cotta pots.
“He did?”
“Yea, and then he... well, then he kissed me...” I looked through some Celtic cds.
“And you two are not going out?”
“Nopers,” I shook my head.
We left that store and went into one that sold records, t-shirts, and sheet music. “And then what?”
“Well, the other day...” I flipped through some records. I’d never heard of any of them. “I kissed this elevator guy on the cheek because he did us a favor, and Zac got all mad at me- not without reason I guess- and so then,” I stopped to breathe and look at the price of a t-shirt, “we kissed again in the stairwell. And that’s the end of that.” I shrugged.
She shook her head at me disappointedly, “And what do his brothers think of all this?”
“Oh, they don’t know,” I shook my head. We all trudged back out into the street. We entered into a store that sold just little junky kind of stuff.
“Oh, why didn’t you just tell them?” she picked up a rubber chicken and threw it at her brother.
“Because I kind of... you’re really gonna laugh at this one... I kind of have a little tiny, itty bitty crush on... um...” I paused to inspect a pair of yellow suspenders.
“Who?” she said it more as a statement than a question.
“Taylor?” I answered.
“Same names,” she pointed out.
“Yea, they don’t call me Tay, they call me Robinson,” I smiled.
“Let’s go to the bookstore,” Janelle suggested.
"Okay.”
While we were out on the street, she said, “Tay, you’ve got yourself in some love triangle thing.”
“I know. I need your advice.”
“On what?”
“Well, Zac got mad at me when I kissed the bellboy on the cheek becuase he thought that I would just kiss anyone. He got all mad and called me names and stuff. It was like this huge fight, but then we made up and kissed in the stairwell and decided that we’d just go with the flow and if we kissed we kissed and if we didn’t, we didn’t.”
“Now that’s what I call a friendship,” Jared laughed.
“Butt out,” Janelle shoved him. “And so Tay, what do you want advice on?”
“Well, I want to know how I can tell little Zacky... I mean Zac...”
“That you have a crush on his brother?” Jan finished for me.
“Exactly.”
“Well, first of all,” she said, leading us all to stop at the crosswalk, “You need to find out if Tay returns your... feelings,” we crossed the street.
“I don’t really know. I mean Matt says he does-”
She interrrupted me, “Matt?”
“Their back up guy. We went to the Tunnel the other night,” I commented.
“Like, a date?”
“No, Ike, Tay, and Zac just can’t go unless their parents do, and I really wanted to go, and so I invited him.”
“And he told you that Tay likes you?”
“He said ‘Tay wants you, you know,’” I laughed, “But I don’t know...” I said doubtfully.
“Well...” Jan stopped to think as we entered the Barnes and Noble. We scanned the section new books. I picked up a book in a series that my mother liked. It was ten bucks. Perfect.
“Hey, do you wanna go to a club tonight?” I asked.
“I don’t know if I can...”
“Ike, Tay, Zac, and I might go to one, but like, their parents might have to come,” we walked over to the area on where they have instructional books.
“Ooh, parents, that could cause some dating friction,” she mocked a radio dj’s voice.
“Tell me about it,” I giggled.
I bought the book for my mother and then we went to a hot dog stand and got hot dogs and drinks (water for me, thanks). It was probably about noon. We went into another little store, like, a place that sells funky shoes. For the fun of it, I tried on these platform shoes made of clear plastic with water and fake goldfish in the chunky heel.
“Guys, can we go home soon?” Jared complained, “Not that I don’t just love your little stories, Tayler,” he rolled his eyes.
“Shut up, Jared,” Janelle growled.
“As soon as I find a present for Daddy, we’re free to go,” I said, putting my shoes back on and taking the bag from Barnes and Noble. We went back outside and then into another music shop.
“I’d really like to go with you guys, but I don’t think I can,” Janelle complained. “Jared and I are together until our parents get home at like, eleven or midnight. They went to Auntie Lewis’s in the hospital...”
“That’s too bad,” I frowned.
“But maybe tomorrow or something...”
“Christmas Eve?” I said doubtfully.
“Oh, yea, true that. I almost forgot. Presents!” she smiled.
I picked out and bought a George Harrison record for my father. “Jan, do you think I should get something for Ike, Tay, and Zac?”
“Nothing big,” she shrugged. I’d bought her present in Oklahoma. It was this awesome white t-shirt with “And what?” written in sparkly silver letters.
“What should I get them?” I wondered.
Jared growled. “Can we hurry this up?”
“Jared, what do you want for Christmas?” I asked.
“The movie ‘Barney Goes to Hell’,” he scowled.
“Okay,” I laughed, “What do you really want for Christmas?”
“Um... I don’t know...”
“He wants Playstation,” Janelle said.
“Well, I can’t afford that, and plus they already have it.”
“Get them a movie,” Jared suggested.
“What movie?”
“How about...” Janelle stopped to think.
“’Barney Goes to Hell,’” Jared supplied.
I laughed, “I don’t think so.”
“Let’s go back to that crazy store that sold all that junk,” Janelle suggested.
We walked all the way back. Inside, I bought a this neat gel stuff that you put in your hair to make dreadlocks (washes out, of course) and two packges of Pop Rocks candy (Jared suggested them) for Zac. I bought this cool silverish ring that was a skull with little red jewely eyes and crossbones for Ike. For Tay I bought a wallet (it was cool, it had a a silver alien’s head on it) and the chain to go with it. All these things were pretty cheap, and so I also bought a bottle of green hair dye for them to share. I also picked out a whole bunch of those little cpasules that you put in warm water and they dissolve into little animal sponges for the rest of the Hanson kids to share.
"Now they're all going to be little punks," I smiled as I shelled out the cash at the counter.
"Now can we go home?" Jared whined.
"Sure." We took the train back to Jan's house where I wrapped the presents. After chilling for a while, I confessed to Jan that I would have to go home. I hopped the next train back to the hotel.
"Did you get raped?" Taylor asked as he let me in.
"Yea," I said sacrastically as I plopped my bags on the floor.
"What'd ya buy?" Zac asked.
"Stuff," I smirked.
"It took you that long to buy stuff?"
"Shut up."
"Oh, hey," Ike said, "We asked if we could go to you play."
"Can you?"
"Yep."
"That's really phat. I know you guys will love it."
"I'm sure it will be just great," Zac said rather unenthusiastically.
"That was cool!" Zac said as we exited the theater.
"I told you."
"I'm sure you liked it because it was educational," Mr. Hanson teased.
"I liked the bombs and gunshots!"
"How did I know?" Zac's dad laughed.
"Hey, do you guys want to go behing stage?"
"Oh yea, like they'll just let us in," Ike said doubtfully.
"Heidi can get us in."
"Who's Heidi?"
"My step sister," I said as I lead them to the stage door.
"You have a step sister?" Tay was surprised.
"Well my dad and her mom aren't married yet..."
"I never knew that!" he laughed.
"You never asked," I smiled as I knocked on the stage door. "Is Heidi McPhailen inside?"
Some lady nodded and went inside to get her. Heidi emerged, pulling a sweatshirt over her pale gray t-shirt. She was wearing loose gray sweatpants and blue hush puppies. I've always admired her. She can wear sweatpants, but still look really cute. It's probably bacause of her pale, creamy sking, pale blue eyes, and dark cropped hair. She's one of my best friends. We met when we were in Les Mis together. That's actually how our parents met and started going out. Her freshman and sophomore years in high school, she struggled with bulimia, and we grew a lot closer because she'd really only confided in me about it. Anyway, when Heidi saw me, she yelled, "Tay!" and swung her arms around my neck. "When did you get home?"
"How are you?" I laughed.
"All right. What are you up to?"
"These are my friends, Ike, Tay, Zac, and their dad."
Heidi shook hands with them all. "So what are you doing tonight?" she was excited.
"I'm not sure. I was hoping we could go to a club," I said slyly, eyeing Mr. Hanson.
"Maybe," he smiled.
"Wanna join us... if we go?" I asked her.
"Sure. My mother is sleeping over your dad's tonight. That's lucky because your father will let me go out," Heidi sheilded her eyes from the sun.
"Hey guys," I turned to them, "Why don't you work on your sweet old daddy, and I'll go home with Heidi?"
