Janelle felt like running around her room and hugging herself. Taylor had asked her out to the Valentine's Dance! She squealed and ran over to her stereo, still half unpacked and sitting on a cardboard box next to her bed. She turned up the volume and started dancing away with Will Smith's MIB theme. When he'd asked her, she had been so surprised, she was left completely speechless$B)(J She couldn't wait till Friday$B)(J This would be her chance to get to know Taylor more. She really liked him, but hadn't been sure, about whether or not he felt the same way too. She smiled remembering his voice over the phone$B)(J(apparently, if you remember, Taylor thought he had sounded 'croaky' over the phone$B)(Japparently Janelle didn't). "Janelle! Turn down the volume! I can feel the ceiling shaking!" Her mother called from downstairs. Janelle went over to her stereo and called back, "Sorry Mom!" She turned off her stereo, and clumped downstairs. She saw her mom in the living room watching Oprah. "Aww mom, don't watch Oprah! Watch Rickie Lake, she's way cooler." Her Mom said, "I like the topic that they're talking about today. It's about parenthood and impulsive teens." Her mother looked at her from the corner of her eye. Janelle laughed and said, "C'mon Mom, I'm not 'impulsive,' that's Brenden. He's the 'impulsive and spontaneous one'!" Her mom smiled and said, "Hey I'm gonna go meet that old college friend mine in about 15 minutes. You want to come along? I'm bringing Ethan, because Diana has a son about his age." Janelle thought about the possibility of watching her mom and her old friend talk about 'the good ol times when they were young and impulsive and spontaneous' themselves. She thought against it, but then realized that there was nothing to do at home, so she said, "Yeah, sure, okay."
Janelle stepped out of the car, along side with her mom, as they both walked up the steep driveway and up the front porch. Her mother rang the bell causing Janelle to remember Jessica and Avery's little incident earlier that morning. All of a sudden the door opened, and she saw none other than Taylor. His eyes opened wide as if he'd just seen Mr. Bill and the first Lady parked out on his front lawn. He blinked his eyes and gave a weak smile, "Hey Janelle." Janelle smiled back and said, "Hey," she nudged her head in her mom's direction and continued, "Apparently, your mom's my mom's old lost college friend." Mrs. Landers looked at them quizzically and said, "You two have already met?" "Yup, you bet Mom. It's a long story, I'll tell ya later." She grinned at Taylor who smiled back and said, "Well, come on in. My mom's been expecting you guys."
Just then, Zac came herding through the backyard with his hockey puck in hand. "I got it," he cried out triumphantly. Isaac looked down at Zac's shoes which were covered in dirt$B)(J And azalea petals. "Zac, what's that all over your shoes?" Zac looked down at his feet and replied, "Uh, dirt and flower petals." Taylor prodded, "You mean you're wearing Mrs. Greene's Flower bed on your Nike Airs?" Zac looked helplessly from the puck, back to his shoes, "Uh, yeah." His two older brothers were tormenting him, and they knew it, yet they continued on. "Tell me Zac, how did you get your puck back?" Isaac asked. "By, uh, stepping over the flowers," Zac replied sheepishly. "Apparently, you've ruined Mrs. Greene's flowers," Taylor added, "She's gonna get very angry." Jessica and Janelle started giggling when they saw Zac's helpless face, but were soon interrupted by a shriek and a holler from the other side of the fence, "Who stepped all over my Azaleas?!" came an elderly cry. "Yikes!" cried Zac, "gotta run!" and disappeared into the house.
"Awesome layup Brenden!" shouted Jordan. Brenden, Jordan, Aaron, and another guy called CJ were playing a game of B-ball after school. Brenden walked over and gave Jordan a high five, "Thanks." He threw the ball to him when Jordan spoke up, "Hey Brenden, your sister, Janelle, is one good lookin' chick," he paused," Ya think she'd lemme take her out to the dance this Friday?" Brenden shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I dunno 'bout that$B)(Jyou gotta ask her." Jordan cracked his knuckles, "Yeah, I think I will do that$B)(J I think I will."
"So how long have you been playing B-ball, Jan?" Taylor asked as they headed down to the high school basketball court followed by Ike, and another friend, Nikki. It was only 4 o'clock and Janelle's mom had said it was ok for her to join the guys at the basketball court. Unfortunately, Zac couldn't come, because he was helping Mrs. Hanson cut up vegetables$B)(J Since he had practically demolished Mrs. Greene's flower patch. Janelle replied, "'Bout 5 years now," she passed the ball to Taylor and continued, "I used to be on the school's team, but I had to quit when we moved over here." Taylor passed the ball back to Janelle and said, "Well, hey, I've seen you play, you're real good, why dontcha join this high school's team? I know you'll do 'em some good." Janelle grinned and said, "Yeah, I was thinkin' bout doing that$B)(JBut I was kinda worried$B)(J Y'know, being the new girl and all$B)(J They had approached the school entrance, and were headed towards the court. "Hey looks like some other people are having a game of basketball too," Nikki noticed," Maybe we can join 'em."
As they approached the court, Janelle began to recognize the figures, "Uh, hey guys, maybe we should go play on the other court," she pointed in the opposite direction, "You know, on th other side of the school." Taylor noticed Jordan and his gang and said, "Uh, yeah, good idea$B)(Jlet's go." The swiftly turned around and began walking away, Ike and Nikki following suit, when they heard a shout from behind, "Hey! Superstar Boy wonder!" Taylor winced and slowly turned around. He nudged Isaac, "There he is," pointing his head toward Jordan, "Dennis Rodman himself." Isaac started getting all defensive, "Hey, he isn't all that big$B)(Jif he gives you trouble, I'm gonna go in and get him." He started rolling up his sleeves. Janelle called out to him, "Whaddaya want Jordan?" Jordan put on a big grin and shrugged his shoulders, "Apologizing!" he bent down and faced Janelle eye to eye, "Isn't that what you wanted me to do?" Janelle glared at him and threw the basketball into his stomach, "Then hurry up and get it over with." Jordan stood back up and turned around to face Taylor, "Hey Hanson boy, sorry 'bout the other day," he ran his hand through his blonde locks," No hard feelings?" Taylor licked his dry lips and replied, "Uh, no$B)(Jno hard feelings." Jordan jumped and sent the ball cleanly through the hoop, then turned back to him and said, "Good, see ya later then." Taylor looked back, dumbfounded almost, and replied, "Yeah, later."
Janelle was grateful that Jordan hadn't picked a fight with Taylor that afternoon$B)(J Yet she still felt that he was the most annoying guy she'd ever met. *Beep!* "Hey Janelle, can ya hold on a sec? Call waiting," Taylor said. "Yeah sure." The line fell silent for a couple of seconds then she head him come back online. "Crap, it's Steph$B)(J Remember her?" Janelle giggled and said, "Looks like she really likes ya." Taylor cringed and replied, "Yeah, I don't even know how she got my number, wait hold on." She heard the line go silent again and then a couple of static cracks over the phone line, then Taylor came back on, "Sorry, I just told her I'd call her back later. Sheesh." Janelle smiled then said, "Speaking of Barbie, guess who sits next to me in English class?" Taylor groaned and said, "No, wait, lemme guess," he paused for emphases then said," Steph!" Janelle laughed and replied, "Oui mon ami, c'est vrai!" "Oooh, she can play ball and she can speak French," Taylor teased, "I like that." Janelle laughed and replied, "Beginner's French you mean."
Taylor sat in his room trying to figure out the algebraic problems that his mother had given him. He stared at the x's and the z's and rubbed his eyes. Math, he just didn't get it. Who needed math anyway? Well, addition and subtraction were vital, but not all that algebraic geometrical crap. He leaned back in his chair and stretched. He picked up his pencil again and attempted another problem. He smiled and remembered his phone conversation with Janelle. It hadn't been that bad$B)(Jhe had to give himself some credit for not croaking this time. "Hey Tay, have ya asked Jan to the dance, yet?" Isaac had just walked in through the door. "Yup, just this afternoon, what bout you? Didja ask Melanie out yet?" Isaac sat down and started twirling a pencil. He had had a crush on Melanie Roberts for like 4 straight months now, except he had never gotten the nerve to actually ask her out on a date. He ran his fingers through his hair and replied, "Yeah, I just called her." "Way to go big brother!" Taylor said," so what'd she say?" Isaac laughed and replied, "She said yeah, she'll go," he set the pencil down and headed towards the bathroom," I actually thought that she was gonna say no or something, but it turned out she said she'd love to go." Taylor replied from his desk, "I know, dontcha just love it when girls surprise you like that?"
Go To Chapter Eleven