I opened my eyes and felt all warm and cozy. Tay and I were sharing his twin-sized bed, and we were all wrapped around each other. My head was resting on his chest and one of Tay’s knees was in between my thighs. I was still only wearing the t-shirt he’d thrown to me. Taylor looked so cute. “Tay,” I whispered, patting his shoulder softly. I heard the voices of little children in the hall, and whispered slightly louder, “Tay...”
He opened his eyes and smiled.
“Tay, I slept in your bed...”
“I know,” he kissed my forehead.
“Tay, you’re family is awake...”
“The door is locked,” he smirked, squeezing me. He started to sing to me as he snuggled against me, resting his chin on my forehead.
It was really sweet, but I had to interrupt him to say, “Tay, your parents don’t know I’m here...”
He stopped singing and bit his lip. “That could be something of a problem.”
“If they see me in your bedroom, wearing only your t-shirt, I don’t think that will go over so well.”
“Well then let’s just not leave my bedroom,” he tilted my chin up toward him and kissed me.
“Taylor,” I sighed, finally pressing his shoulders away from me, “your parents?”
“F#$@,” he sighed.
I rolled out of bed to put my clothes on. Tay grabbed my arm and pulled me on top of him. I remained laying on his chest for a few seconds, but then I smiled, and rolled off him, “I have to get dressed.”
“Dammit, I hate my family,” he sighed, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling as I put my clothes on.
“I’m starting to, too,” I laughed. It almost frightened me to think of what would have happened had they not interrupted us all those times.
“We should go to your house next time,” he laughed.
“Taylor?” a voice called in the hall.
“Sh%!” we both said at the same time. I dashed over and hid myself in his closet.
Tay made sure I couldn’t be seen, and then opened the door. I peered out and could see his mother. “Tay, you should come downstairs. What time did you boys go to sleep last night?”
“Umm, I dunno,” he shrugged.
“I made breakfast,” she kissed the top of his forehead.
“Let me get dressed and stuff...” he closed the door and locked it.
“What are we going to do?” I asked, getting out of the closet.
“I don’t know.”
“Your parents will hate me if they see me. I’m like the corruptor of your family.”
“My parents will freak on me if hey see you.”
“They’ll never let me over here again.”
“You can climb out Ike’s window,” Tay thought, “he used to do it all the time...”
“Ike’s room is across the hall.”
“You can run across when there’s no one around... Wait here.”
Tay went across the hall and went into Ike’s room. After a minute, he came back and said, “Okay. Both my parents, Zoe, and Mack are downstairs. Avery is in the shower, but I don’t know where Jessie is. Wait until I say so, and then run.” Tay stood in the hall for a few seconds. No one came. Tay waved for me to run, and I dashed across the hall into Ike’s room.
“Hi, Ike,” I closed the door quietly behind me.
“Hi,” he shook his head and laughed at me.
“Shut up. I know what you’re thinking, you pervert.”
Ignoring that, but still chuckling to himself, he opened his window and told me to lower myself down onto the garage and then jump to the ground. All of a sudden, as I was about to climb out the window, Tay walked in with Jessie in his arms, his hand over her mouth.
“Hi, Jessie,” I waved uncomfortably.
She tried to wriggle from Tay’s grasp, but he wouldn’t let her go. “She came out of her room when you were running across.”
“What were you doing in my brother’s room?” she asked after Tay had let her down.
I glanced at Tay as I stood up. He was shaking his head for me to keep quiet. “Umm...”
“Did you have sex?” Jessie turned to Taylor.
There was a communal gasp. I guess Ike and Tay didn’t know their sister knew about that kind of stuff. Tay didn’t answer her.
“Jess, I think we have to have a little woman to woman talk. Could you guys give us a sec?” I asked Ike and Tay.
“Robinson,” Tay started to talk.
I covered his mouth with my hand and whispered in his ear, “I’ve got it under control.”
When Tay and Ike were safely out of the room, Jessie repeated, “Did you have sex with my brother? It's was early in the morning, and you and my brother like each other, and you were in his bedroom. You were being secretive,” she shrugged. "It's the only logical explanation."
“No,” I assured her, “I did not have sex with your brother.”
“Why not?”
I almost started laughing, but I took a deep breath. “Well,” I sighed as I recited what sex-ed teachers had drilled into my mind, “before you have sex, you have to be ready. Usually that’s around when you’re ready to get married or something. It’s a big decision because there are a lot of consequences.” When I realized exactly how close we had actually been to having sex, I sighed guiltily.
“Like what?”
“People can spread diseases, or get pregnant, or get really depressed.”
“Okay.”
“Look, don’t tell your Mom or Dad or brothers or sisters about this, okay?”
“Why?”
“Because they probably won’t believe that Tay and I didn’t have sex, and then they will be angry because they know we’re not ready.”
“That makes sense,” Jessie shrugged, getting up off the bed to go outside. She stopped when she got to the door, "Have you ever had sex before?"
"Nope."
"Has my brother?"
"I don't think so."
“Okay,” she shrugged and smiled, leaving the room.
Ike and Tay came in and started asking all sorts of questions, but I figured telling them would probably embarass Jessie, and so I didn't answer their questions. I informed them I would come over later in the day as I climbed out of Ike’s window. I hopped off the garage, hoping that my foot wouldn’t give out under me. I walked quietly around the house, ducking under the windows, just to be safe. I walked on the outside of my foot slowly all the way home to make sure that I didn’t collapse in the woods.
I hopped up the stairs to my room. The telephone rang while I was getting dressed. I had no shirt on, but I covered myself up and grabbed the phone off my nightstand. “Hello?”
“It’s Dave. Are you ready for tonight?”
“Ah! The show is tonight?!” I gasped. I had forgotten all about it. “What time do I have to be at this place and where is it?”
“I guess like... I can pick you up at like four...” he stuttered.
“Are you drunk?” I grumbled.
“Only a little,” he laughed.
“It’s not funny. I hate when you do this,” I sighed.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Dave’s words were slurred.
“You’re not picking me up if you’re like this. Heidi or someone will drive me.”
“No, no, I can-”
“No you can’t. I’ll get a ride. I’ll call Oscar,” I clicked down the receiver. As I finished getting dressed, I talked aloud to myself, “He’s so stupid! How is he drunk and it’s only like eleven in the morning?! He makes me so mad.” I stormed down the stairs to eat some breakfast, and then called Taylor.
“Are you going to come?” I asked after I explained the situation.
“Do you want me to be there?”
I nodded, “It will be mostly drunk people and potheads and molesters...”
“But Dave isn’t going to be the only one there,” Tay laughed.
“That’s evil. Dave is my friend, no matter how weird he may be.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
“So are you coming or not?” I put my breakfast dishes in the sink.
“Of course.”
“I have to go get ready and stuff... Do you need a ride there?”
“Ike can probably take me.”
“Okay.” I got my crutches from the front door where Heidi had left them. Slowly, I made my way upstairs to coordinate some type of outfit and get all ready. I then called Oscar and begged for a ride. He told me he would pick me up early so that we could go over the set list and maybe practice a little.
