“Hi!!” I hobbled out of the way as I opened the back door. Zac gave me a hug as Ike and Tay entered.
“How are you feeling?” Ike referred to my foot.
“Better. I can shower by myself now,” I laughed.
“Damn,” Ike pretended to be disappointed.
“What, you wanted to help me?”
“Hell yes,” he laughed.
“So how are you?” I asked, looking especially at Tay.
“Fine,” was the consensus.
“So,” I fished for my crutches, “How long are you guys staying for?” I slid my crutches under arms to lead them up to my room.
“A month and a half,” Tay said, following me out of the kitchen.
“Are you kiding me?!”
“Nope. We recorded the album for all that time, and now we get to chill before it’s out.”
“Phat!”
“We’re going camping and dirt biking,” Zac informed me.
“Cool!” I rounded the corner to the bottom of the stairs, and then said, “Ike, let me get on your back.”
I hoisted myself up so that it wouldn’t take a year and a day for me to make it up to my room. Zac bounded up first, and then Ike and I, and then Tay. I let go of Ike’s neck and reached out my hand to Tay. I winked at him as he held it. He smiled.
“So where’s Heidi?” Zac asked, opening the door to my room for me.
“She’s in this play that one of her friends wrote. It sounds funky... Anyway, she has practice everyday, but promises she’ll do something with all of us.”
“Cool,” Ike replied as he plopped me on my bed.
“You guys, I want to go to a party so bad. Dave’s friend Dean Armandi has them like every day, and my mother won’t let me go. Also, this girl from my school had one like two weeks ago, and I wasn’t allowed to go to that one either...”
“Well if your mom won’t let you go...” Tay said, sitting down next to me and taking my hand again.
“Then you guys will just have to convince her for me.”
“Us?” Zac asked, plopping onto the floor.
“You’re honest, trustworthy kind of guys... my mother might actually trust you with me...”
“She doesn’t trust Dave with you?” Tay asked.
“He always gets drunk.”
“Oh...”
“So you see, if you guys bring me, then I bet she’ll let me go.”
“We can always give it a try,” Ike nodded.
Sighing and rolling over onto my back, I asked, “So what do you guys want to do today?”
“Sleep?” Ike replied.
“We can chill and watch movies,” I suggested, “That’s all I can really do, anyway,” I pointed to my foot.
“When is that going to be better?” Tay asked.
“Well they said it could be up to three months... It’s been like six weeks already...”
“Has it gotten any better?” Zac asked.
“Yea. It used to hurt a lot. My nerves would get all tight or something... but now it only hurts when I try to walk on it too much.”
“That’s good,” Tay smiled.
“You guys, I’m so happy to see you! I mean, I’m so excited, you have no idea,” I smiled, turning my head to Ike and Zac, but squeezing Tay’s hand.
“Hey, we’re glad to be back,” Tay responded, squeezing my hand in returned.
Just as I was about to ask all about their trip, the telephone rang. I picked up the portable, which I kept near my bed. “Hello?”
“Hey baby, what’s up?”
“Hi,” I couldn’t help smiling at Dave’s voice.
“I know that I just saw you like three hours ago, but I forgot to tell you we’re doing a show tomorrow night.”
“Awesome.”
“I was going to ask you a favor...”
“What?” I asked, twirling my fingers through Zac’s hair.
“Well, Travis kind of can’t go, and so I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come sing?” he asked carefully.
“Me?!” Everyone raised their eyebrows at me.
“Well, we won’t have a singer, and you sing, and you know all the songs, and plus we all love you and-”
“Dave?” I interrupted.
“Yea?”
“You want me- a high school chick- to sing at one of your hardcore college shows?” At this Tay and I ke started to nod encouragingly at me, but I ignored them.
“Well, yes... It’s not really a college show... It’s at the firehouse.”
“I don’t know, hon,” I said doubtfully.
“You don’t have to, it’s just that-”
“I’ll think about it. I don’t know if I’m brave enough.”
“If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I’m not going to pressure you. I’m sure we could find someone else, but since I love you more than some drunken pothead, I thought I’d ask you first.”
“Babe, you are a drunken pothead...”
“Shut up,” he laughed.
“I gotta go. I’ll think about it.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”
As I hung up, I considered the possibility. I’d love to sing with them. Too bad I was such a chicken. Sighing, I turned back to Ike, Tay, and Zac. “Anyway...”
“I wanna go home and just do nothing,” Ike flopped over onto his side.
“Let’s go then,” Zac stood up, stretching.
“Okay.”
“You guys go ahead, I’ll help Robinson down the stairs,” Tay said, ushering his brothers out of the room.
“Smooth,” I smirked when Tay shut the door.
Smiling slightly, but still biting his thumb thoughtfully, Tay walked over to my bed and sat on the corner.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“Robinson, I’m sorry I’m such an-”
“Taylor, don’t worry about it.”
“Yea, but-”
“Look, let’s just admit we’re both idiots, and have fun while you’re here.”
“I’m sorry,” he admitted.
“Me too... Enough of that crap, come here,” I giggled, pulling him over to me. “You know what?” I said in between kisses.
“What?” he smiled.
“I wanna party hearty tonight.”
“I bet some random person I know is having a party or knows of one. But what about your mother?”
“Do I really have to tell her I’m going to a party? I can just tell her I’m hanging out with all y’all.”
“You’re willing to risk getting in trouble? Then she might not let you hang out with us...”
“Don’t worry,” I smiled slightly deviously, puling his mouth to mine again. After a few minutes, I sat up (causing Tay to roll off me) and said, “Dude, Ike and Zac probably think we killed each other or something...”
“Who cares?” he smiled, pushing me back down ont o my pillow, covering my mouth with a kiss.
Not really wanting to protest, I didn’t push Tay off me again. “Tayler!” Heidi’s voice called. Before I could respond, Heidi opened my door, not giving Tay any time to move.
“Um, hi,” I sat up, biting my lip, embarrassed.
“Hi, Heidi,” Tay blushed as he removed his hand from under my shirt to wave to her.
Shaking her head and trying not to laugh, she said, “Did Dave talk to you?”
Holding back giggles myself, I nodded.
“Are you going to?”
“I’m kind of scared...”
“I could sing with you,” she offered.
“Hey, why didn’t he just ask you in the first place? More people at school know you than me...” I thought out loud.
“Maybe he just likes you better,” she laughed, and went into her room. Hmm... I considered her words.
“Robinson?”
“Hm?”
“Wanna go now?”
Smiling about the little incident and the look on Heidi’s face, I nodded. Collecting some party clothes, just in case, I hopped onto Tay’s back, and we departed.
