Chapter Nine-A Couple Of Unearthed Secrets.

Isaac

"You're too romantic. She'll be grossed out. She'll be so grossed out, she'll throw up, all over you," Zac told his brother, nodding his head at the fact he had just realized.

"That is despicable. Zac, you are disgusting. Unlike Tay," Britt cooed.

Zac and Isaac looked at each other. Tay? Not disgusting?

Isaac looked away from Zac at the couple on the couch. Britt was snuggled into Taylor's side and was holding onto his arm. Taylor was staring off into space and hadn't heard what Britt had said.

"Tay, darling. Didn't you hear me?" she continued, sticking her bottom lip out into a full-fledged pout.

"Uh hmmm," Tay muttered, not breaking his trance.

Britt grinned and snuggled closer. Taylor looked helplessly at his brothers. He had already inched over as far away from her as he could possibly get without falling off the couch.

Ike didn't blame Tay for Britt's presence, even though he had wanted to talk to his brothers alone. But, Britt had shown up and had been hanging off Taylor and following him around like a lost puppy ever since. Taylor hadn't been thrilled by this. In fact, he'd seemed annoyed.

Isaac parked the car, and did some good old fashioned door opening for Shae.

"Thank you," she said, gazing at where Ike had parked the car. It was really the middle of nowhere.

"Come on," Isaac said, taking her hand and leading her to a hill. Up the hill they went. Isaac sat down on top and so did Shae.

"Wow," she whispered.

From their perch on the hill, they had quite a view. Since it was 9:30, the stars were out, and they danced above the lights of Tulsa.

Isaac smiled at her. "Shae, would you tell me something?"

"Sure, Ike," Shae replied, hugging her knees to her chest, and resting her chin on top.

"Who's the father?"

"What?" Shae asked, sitting up straight. A shocked expression had claimed the calm, happy one that had been there only seconds later.

Isaac felt rather guilty for asking. He hadn't planned on it. But, the curiosity had gotten the better of him.

"Who's the father?" he repeated, before adding, "Nevermind. You don't have to tell me."

Shae bit her lip and stared at the stars.

"His name was Jonathan Laurier. I thought I loved him," she shrugged at that, "He had big dreams that he wasn't ready to give up. Football player. You know, the kind every girl wants to go out with?"

For some reason, Ike nodded. Shae wasn't looking at him, and he had the feeling that she had forgotten he was there.

"We'd been going out for two years," Shae continued, so quietly that Ike had to strain to hear her. Her voice was level, and calm, but very soft, and hurt, "Do you know what? He just didn't go out with me those two years. And I knew it too. But I didn't dump him. How bad is that?" she laughed dryly, "I should've, you know. He did once he found out I was pregnant. In fact, he spread very nasty rumors about me. Anyhow, the afternoon he broke up with me, he made his and Kara's "friendship" public."

Shae turned to Ike, "You're different, you know. Jonathan wouldn't have listened to me. That's all you do. You really let me vent. This is stuff I haven't told anybody, and it's not like I don't trust my friends. God knows Tracey would understand. She's been there. But I think I'm afraid they'll all turn their backs on me when I need them, like Mom, Dad, Whitney, my old school friends. But I don't think you would."

Isaac looked at her, right into her troubled, lonely eyes, and whispered, "I won't, Shae. I promise that I'll never leave you like that."

Shae smiled peacefully, looking in a sort of awe at Ike. It was right then, on a hill, under the stars, that Shae and Isaac shared their first kiss.

Taylor

"Tay, who's Cheyenne Spring?" Zac asked, sitting by Taylor on the couch.

"Cheyenne Spring? Doesn't ring a bell."

"Oh."

Taylor flicked the station, and the boys became more interested in Baywatch than Cheyenne Spring. After Pamela Anderson had finished running across the beach, Taylor turned back to Zac.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Zac asked.

"Why do you want to know about Cheyenne Spring?"

"Because I found this piano book on the piano bench, and it had that name on it."

Piano bench? So, No Name had a name. A pretty name. But why the secrets?

ZacCheyenne Spring hadn't bothered him. He sensed that it had bothered Taylor, because as soon as Zac had mentioned the piano bench, Taylor had been quiet, and had just left the living room in search of a telephone book.

It was too late to go anywhere, and there was nothing on TV.

"I'm bored," Zac told the TV control.

"You're boring," Zac told the TV.

With that, Zac marched to Tay's room, yelling, "Tay, I'm using your laptop!"

Gonna read some fan e-mail. Those always cheer me up.

Whistling a little made up song, Zac prepared to do just that. He skimmed the subjects, trying to find an interesting one. Finally, he found one and began to read it.