Chapter 14


I pushed open the pool doors and saw Taylor coming down the slide with Mackenzie. He helped his brother out of the pool and then pulled himself out, he pushed his wet hair back out of his face well I tucked my own hair behind my ears self consciously.

"Hey, are u guys coming in?" he asked us just as Zac came ripping down the slide drenching us all."

"Were already in." I said making a face since we were now already drenched.

Taylor laughed as Zac started shrieking, "I got you guys!!!! Especially you Lauren! I got you lots today he said referring to the salt incident earlier.

"I glared at him, "I will get you back Zac Hanson, I can promise you that!" I said jumping into the pool. I floated under water for a few seconds ready to come back up when I felt a weight on my shoulders holding me under, I waved my arms frantically having a hard time breathing I came up taking a deep breath sending Zac flying off my shoulders.

Taylor bent down from where he was still talking to Stephanie out of the water at the edge. "Damn it Zac! I told you not to do that to people! Are u stupid or something?" He yelled to his brother.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, well they definitely weren’t the same perfect little brothers that get along perfectly like I’d seen in interviews.

Zac made a face at him and ran back up to the slide.

"Stupid kid never calms down." Taylor muttered under his breath.

Taylor canon balled back into the water and of course the ever so obsessed Stephanie was right in after.

"Get him back!" Taylor told me referring to Zac.

I smiled and jumped out of the water and ran up to the slide where he was Isaac was walking up with Jessica where he had just come in the side door.

I whizzed by him. I turned around quickly, "oh, hey Ike."

I continued up the stairs where Zac was about to go down the slide. He saw me running quickly towards him and he slide down I slide down right after him only inched behind.

"Zac!!!!!" I screamed, my voice echoed down the long slide, "your gonna get it!"

I heard a splash at the bottom and I came down only 2 seconds later and grabbed Zac’s wet hair, I jerked him gently and pushed him under the water jumping on top of him. He waved his arms and legs kicking, I let him up a few seconds later.

"Hey!"He yelled, "that wasn’t funny!"

Taylor was laughing "You get what you deserve!"

I shook my head with satisfaction, "there that should teach him."
Zac came up from under water. "OK, OK, were even! "He said.

I smiled with satisfaction, "Fine were even." Then I grinned, "How could anyone stay mad at somebody with such a cute little face?" I cooed jokingly pinching his cheeks.

Zac made a disgusted face and touched his cheeks. "There now we are definitely even, I HATE when people do that!"

"Hey! Race ya to the slide and down! " I yelled at him running up the stairs.

Hey! No fair! You got a head start!" He said running after.

I ran up the stair with Zac close on my heels. I slide down the slide quickly only inches in front of Zac. He tried to squeeze himself in front of me I slide first.

"HaHa! What a LOSER!" I yelled almost of breath as I came out of the tunnel to find Stephanie trying to flip of Tay’s shoulders, which didn’t seem to be working because "somehow" he ended up catching her and she shrieked with laughter. She looked over at me, "hey Lauren, do you guys toss this ball with us?" She asked me then screamed getting splashed by Isaac and Taylor at the same time. "I’ll get you guys!" She yelled forgetting all about me. "I….I..gotta go to the uh bathroom." I said even though no one was listening, I grabbed my towel and room key and slammed the pool door. I wrapped my towel around me and walked down the hallway as my eyes started to sting with hot tears, I had left just in time, I walked slowly down the hall, "I Will Come To You" filled my head, Taylor’s strong smooth voice seemed to get louder and louder, I shook my head but it stuck, I made my way up to my room starting to feel sick that song….I usually loved having it in my head, but I really needed to clear my head at that moment, but it stuck louder and louder, I fumbled with the key to unlock the room, "YOU WON’T HAVE TO REACH OUT FOR ME" Taylor seemed to scream in my head, I gulped and wiped the tears from my eyes not even slamming the door I fell onto the bed.

"I’LL REACH OUT AND TAKE YOUR HAND," I ran my hands through my hair, I wanted it to stop, visions of the video went through my head, that video had always made me cry. The boys walking down the street dressed it black ran through my head in slow motion over and over again. I lay on the bed in my wet bathing suit shivering, not even caring. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, what did I expect, Taylor to fall in love with me in a day or something? And even if something like that did happen, it wouldn’t be to me cause Stephanie always got the guy.. not me……I wiped my eyes where tears were running hot down my cheeks. I closed me eyes, finally I had calmed down the music was stopping….I felt exhausted.

"I’ll close my eyes for just a sec." I told myself.

Suddenly (about a half hour later) I felt a hand on my cheek I opened my red puffy eyes slowly to see Taylor sitting on the bed beside me in dried swim shorts and a black T-shirt.

"How did you get in here?" I whispered softly.

"I noticed you’d left so I said I was going to get another towel and I came to look for you, you left the door open." He told me, his eyes were deep with concern.

"Lauren, what’s wrong with you?" He asked in all seriousness.

I didn’t know what to say…"I…um….I…I…just didn’t feel very well….so..I uh, came back…and uh……" I trailed off and closed my eyes.

Taylor didn’t quite believe, "that’s all?"

I wanted nothing more than to tell him and let him know how I felt. I opened my eyes, my mouth quivered back and forth, he handed me a clean towel, "here, your freezing."

"You can tell me." He said assuringly.

So, I did, I took a deep breath and told all, everything.

I took a deep breath when I finished and looked away, "I’m sure you’ve heard it al before a million times." I said.

"But not from you." Taylor whispered into my ear.

"When I saw you….I don’t know, it was different, I was so amazed that you didn’t freak out on me." He smiled shyly.

"But….Steph, you make it so obvious……" I trailed off.

Taylor smiled, "She’s cool, I didn’t know how to act around you, so I guess, her being not shy and all, I just kinda hung around her more." He told me.

Lauren laughed and wiped her eyes she held the towel around her.

"Listen, we’d better get going back there, can you meet me later on tonight? I know it sounds crazy, but it would mean a lot to me." Taylor told her.

Lauren smiled, "I’d love to."

"k, then, we have to wait till my parents are asleep, so maybe about 12:30?" Tay said.

I smiled, "12:30 will be just perfect…."

And with that we walked back to the pool as though nothing had happened.

Email: levans@autobahn.mb.ca