Chapter 27: I Don't Care What Dave Says
“Hi, Tay,” my mom said. “Feeling all right?”
“I’m a little angry, but my foot is fine. I didn’t have to use my crutches at Oscar’s
at all.”
“You shouldn’t go that long without them. Remember what happened at that
party?”
“I know, Mom, but I don’t want to be stuck with these things forever.”
“Taylor called. They’re having a barbecue. He wants you, Heidi, and I to come
over.”
“Cool. I’m going to get changed.”
“What’s wrong with what you’re wearing?”
“Nothing. I just feel like changing.”
I made my way up the stairs (it took me a minute or two, but I got it) and into my
room. Picking out a short white sundress with little eyelet lace at the bottom, I got out my
wicker sandals that lace up my legs. I looked at myself in the mirror. Dave was crazy. I
wasn’t going to let anything like he’d said happen to me. Besides, Tay wasn’t like that at
all. He’s a sweetheart. What does Dave think, I’m an idiot. I’m no idiot. Am I? He was
right about one thing, I only get to see Taylor every so often... But that doesn’t mean he’s
trying to take advantage of me. I guess that other night in the poolhouse... but it’s not like
I was trying to stop it... It wasn’t like we really did anything anyway. And what if we do?
Dave already said he doesn’t care what I think, and so what should I care what he thinks?
“Tay?” Heidi knocked on my door.
“Yea?” I opened it, and then returned to the mirror to brush my hair.
“Are you going to the barbecue?”
“Yep,” I ran the brush through my hair one last time before I stood up to follow
her out. As we walked- I on my crutches- (my mother was staying at home to make emergency nacho dip) I
told her about my little fight with Dave.
“It sucks that he’s like that,” she shook her head.
“Yea, cuz now he’s got me all thinking about like, you know...”
“Maybe he really does care,” she suggested as we entered the backyard.
“I dunno...”
“Hi guys!” Avie ran up.
“Hi!”
“Daddy’s making hamburgers,” Mack tugged on my arm.
“Yum.”
“Isaac and Taylor and Zac are inside. They’re helping my mom,” Avie informed
us.
“Wanna go say hi?” Jessie asked.
“Sure.”
They lead us into the kitchen, “Hi guys,” I waved, “Hi, Mrs. Hanson.”
“Hi, girls. Don’t you look lovely?” she smiled, motioning with her hand to our
dresses. “Don’t they look lovely?” Mrs. Hanson asked her children.
“Yea,” everyone said at the same time.
Tay winked at me as he stuck a piece of lettuce into his mouth, “Hi guys.”
“Hi,” Heidi and I said at the same time.
“Want some help?” I asked them, smiling at Tay.
“Sure,” they replied.
“Oh, Mrs. Hanson, my mom is bringing over some nachos and nacho dip.”
“She didn’t have to.”
“That’s okay,” I shrugged. Mrs. Hanson grabbed the huge bowl of salad off the
counter and took it outside.
“How was band practice?” Ike asked.
“I was so scared,” I leaned on my crutches while they were finishing
doing stuff.
“What songs are you singing?” Zac asked, putting some ice into a pitcher.
“Right now all I know is ‘I Want You to Want Me.’”
“You spent all morning singing that?”
“No. I spent all morning sitting on the couch being verbally and physically
attacked. I sang the song once.”
“Attacked by whom?” Taylor took a bottle of soda out of the fridge.
“Dave,” I sighed, “Don’t worry about it. It was really dumb.”
“Okay.”
“Someone go get more soda,” Ike said, tossing an empty bottle into the garbage.
“I’ll get it,” Taylor volunteered, eating another piece of lettuce. “Wanna come?”
he asked me. I nodded in reply and followed him into the basement. “So what
happened?” he asked when we reached the bottom stair.
“You don’t wanna know. It will piss you off...”
“Well now I definitely want to know.”
“He thinks you’re using me for sex and that you’re going to break my heart.”
“And he’s serious?” Tay asked incredulously as he turned around to look in the
closet for some soda.
“I think so,” I said softly.
“What?” he turned around. As I shrugged and looked away, Tay took my hands,
“You don’t seriously believe him, do you?”
“No...”
“Robinson?” he lifted my face.
“No, Tay, it’s just that...” I shifted my weight from leg to leg, “I just don’t know.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Well it just made me think, that’s all. I don’t like it... I mean, you are
going to leave... I don’t know...”
“It sucks, I know. If I could stay, I-”
“No,” I interrupted him, “Don’t say that. Music has been in your life a lot longer
than I have. It will proably stay a lot longer than I will, too.”
Before I could say anything more, Tay kissed me and said, “Let’s just go back
upstairs and have fun.”
“Okay.”
That’s what we did. My mother brought over her nacho dip, and we all ate and
laughed for like two hours. Then Jessie, Mack, and Avie got out their bubbles, and we
blew bubbles until the soap made our fingers wrinkle. We played catch and tag (which
were interesting in a dress) and then when it got dark, Mr. Hanson passed out sparklers
and we had our own little fireworks show. It was great.
When everyone started to clean up, Zoe was put to sleep, and the yard was deviod
of parents, Tay asked me if I wanted to stay over again that night. “I can’t,” I whispered.
“I have to go to band practice.”
“Skip it,” he whispered back, putting his hand on my thigh. The yard was black
except for the light of Mack’s sparkler.
“You have no idea how much I want to,” I leaned my forehead on his shoulder,
“but I promised.”
“I know,” he grumbled, taking his hand off my thigh as his father walked out of
the house.
“Maybe when I’m done there, I’ll come over.”
“You’d better.”
“I have to go,” I whispered, laying a discreet kiss on the tip of his nose as I stood
up. I followed my mother and Heidi back home, cursing myself for not staying. Then
what would Dave say? I’d be like, “Sorry, I can’t come to the practices that you’re having
for me because I want to cuddle with Taylor Hanson.” That ish would not fly. I dressed in
red plaid flares, Doc Marten boots, and a black muscle t-shirt- cute punk attire- and
called Oscar’s house.
“Is Dave there?”
“Yea, but he’s not exactly in the best state of mind,” Oscar replied, giggling.
“Well are you guys still practicing?”
“Are you kidding? Dave plays his best when he’s rocked.”
“Well then someone sober has to come pick me up.”
“I will.”
Oscar arrived at my house and told me that Muf taught him how to play a couple
songs that I would sing for them. The first thing I noticed when we reached Oscar’s
house was that the scent of marijuana permeated the entire basement. There were empty
beer cans in a pile next to the couch on which Dave was sprawled out.
“That’s really cute,” I said sarcastically. “Can we practice now?” I almost added
“because I have better places to be,” but I didn’t because I didn’t feel like being ridiculed
again.
“Calm down, chica,” Dave said, he speech slightly slurred.
I rolled my eyes. He was useless when he was like that. “What songs did you
decide on?”
Muf, who was also intoxicated, but to a lesser degree, replied, “Can you sing
‘Ex-Girlfriend’ by No Doubt?”
“Uh huh.”
“What about ‘Bath Water?’”
“Sure.”
“ ‘Get Out’ by Sublime?”
“Is not Sublime my favorite band?”
“I’m gonna sing most of our own songs,” Dave informed me, sipping some
alcohol.
“Okay.”
“I taught Oscar how to play ‘Saw Red,’ and so you and David can do a little
duet,” Muf smiled, taking a drag of a stog.
“Okay.”
“So did you have fun?” Dave asked.
“Don’t start...”
“I was just asking,” he held up his hands, pretending to be innocent.
“His family had a barbecue.”
“Is that what you wore?” he pointed to my clothes.
“No, why?”
“Cuz I can’t picture you wearing that while hanging around your little Hanson
clique.”
“I wore a dress.”
“I know one pop-sensation who had blue balls,” he laughed.
“Shut up!” I threw an empty beer can at his head.
“Chill, woman!” he blocked the can from hitting him in the head, “I’m just
joshing with you!”
“Leave me alone. Can we practice now?”
“Hell yea. I hear my bass caling me!” Dave sat up.
“I think that’s just the voices in your head, hon,” I teased.
“Probably,” he srugged as he slowly made his way over to his instrument.
We practiced those songs for a while, and then added on a bunch. Dave and Muf
finished teaching Oscar some stuff. To make me get over my stage fright, they made
Alise come down and listen to me sing. I almost started crying, but in the end I was all
right, I guess. Anyway, so they told me that the gig was the next day, and that tomorrow
Muf and Oscar had to work all day. We’d probably get one last practice in some time
about twenty minutes before the show, but that was it. Alise drove me home since
everyone else was basically trashed. It was like 10:30 when I entered the front door.
