"That was great." Isaac said as he and Stacie walked out of the afternoon movie. He had his arm around her.
"Yeah it was ok." she said.
"I wasn't talking about the movie, I was talking about being with you for two hours with no teenagers exploring all of the places that hands and mouths can be put." he said smiling.
Stacie bit her lip to try not laugh in respect for her cousin.
"Come on," Ike coaxed her seeing that she wanted to laugh,"Smile, laugh, be happy...don't worry be happy now...Don't worry...be happy." he sang.
That was it! Stacie burst out laughing,"You had me when you quoted that stupid song." she told him.
As they walked throught the parking lot Stacie slyly reached her arm around Isaac and into his jacket pocket, emerging with his keys,"I'm driving!" she yelled taking off in a mad dash for the car.
"No way!" he yelled back laughing and took off after her.
She was unlocking the door when he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her away from the car door. She laughed as he picked her up and ran her around to the other side of the car and plopped her in the passanger seat. Then he went back around the car and got into the drivers seat to start the short drive back to her house.
"Zac which broccolli do you like better? Whole or chopped?" his mother asked.
"Both are pretty nasty if you ask me." he said walking to the other side of the aisle to study the ever so delicious frozen, microwavable pizza, while his mom stood there contemplating the two choices of broccolli. He asked himself how he got put into this position in the first place. Oh yeah...now he remembered, his two brainwashed brothers would rather hang out with girls than with him. What could they do with girls that they couldn't do with him? Then it hit him.
"Oh gross!" he exclaimed in the middle of the supermarket.
Mrs. Hanson's head darted up,"What's the matter Zac?" she asked.
"Well...uh..." he stalled, his eyes frantically searching for a perfect excuse, when they rested on it,"Mackie picked his nose and ate it!" he declared.
Mrs. Hanson sighed,"He's little Zac...he does strange things." she said.
Mackie just smiled at the people walking by him, oblivious to what was going on.
Thump
Taylor woke up. What the hell...? he thought. He heard it again.
Thump
He started to get up when Erica's door opened and he tumbled inside the room because he had been leaning against the door. She tripped over him but caught herself on the doorframe before she fell. She made her way out of the room and headed towards the stairs, one hand clutching her glass of water and the other, slinking along the wall for support. Taylor got to his feet and went to help her. As soon as he touched her she shoved him away, but he didn't go far seeing as she was sick.
"Get away from me." she said.
"Look, being as sick as you are there is no way you are getting down those stairs, so just let me help you." he told her.
She glared at him narrowing her eyes, and she lowered her voice a few octaves,"Watch me." she growled.
She started to go down the stairs, and much to Taylor's surprise, was doing fine. When she was about three steps from the botton she tripped. Taylor rushed forward to catch her but it was to late. Her hands hit the floor with a thud and the rest of her body followed after, the glass she had been holding shattered into a thousand pieces. She ended up in a heap at the botton of the stairs. Taylor rushed to her side.
"Erica? Are you okay?" he asked her.
Erica simply curled into a ball and tucked her head down and didn't answer.
"Erica answer me! If you're hurt I need to know!" Taylor yelled frustrated.
I am hurt she thought, you hurt me Taylor. You hurt me so much! How could you say that? How could you call me a slut and then pretend to be my hero and Mr. Fuckin Wonderful? God damn you Taylor! God damnit! I can't even be mad at you. Oh God, please let me be mad at him.
"I'm fine." she told him before started to quietly cry.
He wasn't sure if he should be glad she was okay or sad that she fell. He wasn't sure what to do so he just sat there.
Please God... Erica thought, please, if you are ever going to let me do anything then let me be mad at Taylor. Please, if you're listening to my small meek prayer, please, just let something happen...anything...good or bad. Please God, please...
"T-Taylor?" she finally said.
He picked up his head, that had been resting in his hands,"Yeah?"
She turned to look at him. Seeing his face she completley crumbled. He suddenley looked alot older than fourteen. His face was creased in worry and despair. She couldn't stand to be mad at him. She couldn't stand to hate him either. She felt too much for him, she cared too much for him.
"I'm so sorry." she said letting a few left-over tears escape from her eyes.
Taylor studied her for a minute, he found the warmth and caring in her eyes once again, and he knew that she actually forgave him. He knew that she had no other reason for apologizing for her behavior except for the fact that she was afraid she would lose him just as he was afraid he would lose her.
He held out his arms and Erica eagerly fell into them. It had been so long since they had held each other close, and it felt so good and so reasuring. They couldn't help but relish in the moment.
"So...do you wanna come in?" Stacie asked.
"I don't know," Isaac smirked,"do I?"
"Come on." she said gesturing that Ike should come in.
Isaac turned off the car and walked with Stacie up to the door. While she was unlocking the door he took notice that there were no cars in the driveway.
"Ummm...Stace...where are your parents?" he asked.
She turned and grinned at him slyly,"Not here," she said grabbing his hand and pulling him through the door.
"Have a seat." she said motioning towards the couch as she locked the front door. He walked over and plopped down. She studied him.
"Thirsty?" she asked.
"Yeah." he said.
"What do you want to drink?" she asked, taking off her coat and hanging it on the coat rack.
"Ice water is fine." he said surveying the tiny shirt she had on underneath that big jacket.
She nodded and headed towards the kitchen,"Okay, I'll be right back."
Why the hell didn't I notice that too small shirt before? he thought while he waited. He absentmindedly tapped his foot to a tune in his head. That shirt was pretty damn short. I wonder where the hell you buy a shirt like that. Maybe some kids store. HA! Now that would be something I want to see. Wait a minute! Ike are going postal? You're wondering where she got a shirt? Who cares where the hell she got it. She looks damn good in it, that's all that matters. Isaac nodded his head as if agreeing with his thoughts.
"Okay." Stacie said handing him a glass of ice water.
Isaac looked up, startled. He hadn't heard her come back. He sliently prayed he hadn't been thinking outloud, which he had a tendency to do. She sat down next to him just sipping her water. Isaac decided all was good and started to drink his water too.
"How about some music?" Stacie asked out of the blue.
"Okay." Isaac said, glad to finally break the silence.
Stacie walked over to the stereo system and started fliping through the stations. She found something slow.
"Dance with me?" Stacie asked staring at Isaac's with big puppy dog eyes.
Isaac practically choked on an ice cube, "Now? Here?" he asked.
"Yes." she said walking over and grabbing his ice water from him, not waiting for an answer. She set the glass on the end table and pulled him to his feet, leading him to the middle of the room. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he, in turn. wrapped his arms around her waist. Then she rested her head on his shoulder, they swayed to the music for awhile until, once again, Stacie broke the silence.
"Isaac?" she asked softly.
"Uh-huh?" he breathed.
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes,"Aren't you going to kiss me?"
"Excuse me? Ma'am?" the cashier said to Mrs. Hanson.
"Yes?" Mrs. Hanson replied.
"Tell your daughter it is not a good idea to put plastic bags on your head. She could suffocate."
"My daughter?" Mrs. Hanson asked confused.
"Yes, that little girl right there." she said pointing at Zac.
Zac, who had been listening through his "alien helmet", ripped off the plastic bag to see a finger pointed at him.
"Excuse me! First of all...this is an alien helmet...but I wouldn't expect you to know that I mean you being a cashier at the supermarket and all and, I am NOT a girl!" Zac exclaimed.
The cashier glanced at Mrs. Hanson who was trying not to laugh.
"That is my son, Zac." Mrs. Hanson said.
"See...her son!" Zac pointed out for the stupid cashier in the ugly green smock.
"Zachary! Do not be rude!" Mrs. Hanson scolded.
"Me? Rude? She's the one mixing up people's genders!" Zac screamed.
"Not another word!" his mother silenced him.
Zac stomped his foot in frustration, and turned on his heel to go and pout by the candy machines. He bumped right into someone.
"Watch it!" he exclaimed.
"Hey! You bumped into me!" the other person protested, matching his tone.
For the first time, he took a look at the girl before him. She was pretty short and she had hazel eyes and blonde hair. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Zac was hit with this feeling that was unfamiliar, he felt all tingly and warm. He wasn't sure if he liked it.
"No I didn't!" he said lowering his voice slightly.
"Get over it." she said rolling her eyes.
"Kerri! Come on we have to get home." a woman yelled.
"That's my mom." she said.
"Well duh...Kerri." he said.
"Zac! Help me with these bags!" Mrs. Hanson yelled.
"Well, that would be my mom." he said.
"Well duh...Zac." she imitated.
He turned around and walked away. When he was just within earshot he heard Kerri yell,"Zac! You're cute! See ya around!"
He whirled around. She smirked and dashed off towards her mother.
"Please...Erica stop it!" Taylor said.
Erica looked up and grinned,"What?" she asked innocently.
"If you read one more embarrassing story from your seventeen magazine I think I'll be sick!" he said.
"Oh really?" she asked.
"Yeah...hey...how come they all end with I thought I was going to die?" he asked.
"I don't know. Why didn't you ask when you guys got your picture taken for the magazine?" she asked.
"Oh don't start with that now." he moaned.
She laughed,"I have to put up with you every day, now you're popping up in my magazines...what's up with that?"
"Oh be quiet." he said laughing at her.
Erica glanced back down at her magazine,"Oh look! Here's a good one!"
"No!" Taylor yelled grabbing the magazine and throwing it across the room,"I should not have to endure this unexplainable torture!"
"Okay, okay, don't spaz out Tay." she said smiling.
He reached out and grabbed her hand and then shifted his position in his chair once again.
"Comfortable?" Erica joked.
"Not really. I mean you have this soft bed to lay in and I am sitting in this hard wooden chair." he said.
"Aww...poor baby." she mocked.
"That's it!" he stood up and climbed on her bed.
"Tay? What are you...?"
"Just one second." he said.
He sat her up and moved her pillows against the headboard. Then he climbed behind her and and leaned back against the pillows. He pulled her back so she was resting against him and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Look," he announced,"I'm Tay-Pillow!"
She started to laugh at him, but was interrupted by a coughing fit.
"Are you...?" Taylor started to say, but she covered his mouth and reached for her water. She took a sip and calmed herself down.
"See Taylor...no biggie." she said.
She felt his muscles relax, he sighed,"I guess not."
They sat for awhile until Taylor got bored. He leaned down and kissed the top of Erica's head, and then her cheek.
"Umm...Taylor?"
"Hmm?"
"What do you think your doing?" she asked.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" he asked kissing her neck.
"I don't think so...I'm sick."
"So...?" he asked, kissing her cheek again.
"And you're the babysitter." she said smiling.
He stopped kissing her and sat up,"You killed the mood." he said.
She snickered,"Why don't we talk?" she suggested.
"About what?"
"Our relationship."
Taylor groaned,"I'd rather hear more horror stories from those magazines."
"I'm serious Taylor, we really need to talk."
"Why?" he mumbled.
"I can't believe you have the nerve to even..." she started.
"Okay, let's talk." he said trying to prevent an argument.
"Okay then...first of all...we need...rules...or actually, they are more reminders than rules." she said.
Oh this should be good he thought, "What kind of reminders?"
"Like...I can hug other guys because they are only friends." she said cautiously.
"Erica...you know how I feel about that." he said calmly.
"Just because I hug other guys doesn't mean that I like them more than you. If I did...why would I be going out with you?" she asked.
"I know, but the thought of another guy hugging you..."
She cut him off,"You know, this isn't limited to me...you can hug girls."
"Yeah...but won't you care?" he asked confused.
"Of coarse I'll care...I'll always care. Don't you realize how great you are? Any minute someone better than me can come and snatch you up, but I don't want to hold you back." she said.
"That's not true, no one can be better than you." he said.
"See what I mean? So are we clear now? We can have friends...who we hug?" she asked.
"Yeah, that's cool." he said smiling.
Why? Isaac asked himself, Why did I decide to kiss her? Well, maybe because she kisses so good. No! What am I thinking? I have to stop this...in a second.
Stacie managed to maneuver it so that her and Ike were by the couch. Then she slowly sat down, bringing Isaac with her. Stacie pulled slowly back and looked into Isaac's eyes before reaching for the top button on her shirt. It took Isaac less than a second before he realized she was undressing herself.
"What are you doing?" Isaac asked.
Stacie looked at him confused, and the smiled as if realization had dawned on her,"Oh...you wanna take my shirt off." she said.
She reached out and grabbed his hand and started to pull it towards her. He pulled it back.
"No, I don't even want you to have your shirt off." he said.
Now she was really confused.
"It's not that I don't ever want that but...we just met two days ago, don't rush things." he said.
"Isaac Hanson..." she said,"you have got to be THE sweetest guy I have ever met." she said, her eyes welling up with tears.
She leaned forward and embraced him. He held her tightly. He felt a tear on his neck and looked at her, she was crying.
"Are those happy tears?" he asked.
She shook her head no and a slight whimper escaped from her lips.
"Then what's wrong?" Isaac asked confused,"Did I...?"
"No," she gasped out,"it's not you."
"Then why are..." he started to ask when he heard the grandfather clock chime five o'clock. Isaac glanced at his watch.
"Shit!" he announced,"I have to go babysit Jessie, Avie and Mackie for my parents."
Stacie nodded calming herself down. Isaac brushed his lips gently across hers. He wiped away the tears on her cheeks before embracing her once again. Then he left.
"Okay mom, I'm here to sit for you." Isaac said.
"Great, you got home right on time." his mother said.
"Yeah, where are they?" he asked.
"Well Jessie and Avie are playing dolls in their room, Mackie is watching cartoons in the den, Zac is off riding bikes with his friends and Taylor is still at Erica's, but, I want him in this house at six-thirty." his mother answered.
"Yes ma'am. And what time am I expecting Zac?" Ike asked.
"Around six-fifteen." his mom said.
Walker came into the room,"Come on Diana we are going to be late." he said.
"Okay hon," she turned her attention back to Isaac,"we'll be home at ten."
"Okay have fun." he told his parents.
"We will." Mrs. Hanson said kissing her sons forehead.
"See ya slugger. Don't let the house catch on fire." Mr. Hanson said tousling Isaac's hair.
"Da-ad!" he whined,"I'm too old for that name."
Mr. Hanson just smiled and ushered Mrs. Hanson out of the house,"No joy-riding in the car." he called over his houlder.
Isaac rolled his eyes Joy-ride this he thought as he grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator and walked into the den to watch Power Rangers with Mackie.
A red faced Zac walked into the kitchen and over to the sink panting. He grabbed a glass and filled it with water. Isaac walked into the kitchen, still shocked about the violent content of children's programs these days. He watched as Zac turned around and instead of drinking his water he threw it in his face. Water trickled from his face and hair and clothes and into the big puddle at his feet.
"Zac! Can't you be normal and drink a glass of water instead of showering with it?" Isaac asked.
"It's to boring to be normal." Zac said putting his now empty glass in the sink.
"Well you won't be bored anymore because you can clean up all of that water." Isaac said giving him a fake smile.
"Yea! More cleaning!" Zac said sarcastically grabbing the mop from the kitchen closet.
Jessica and Avery walked into the kitchen having an argument about why Malibu Barbie was better than Totally Cool Barbie.
"Where's mommy?" Avery asked after taking a quick survey of the kitchen.
"She went with daddy to the art show." he said hoping his sister wouldn't break into her unfamous tantrum phase and pout because her parents didn't tell her they were going out.
Avery simply posed a question,"But I am supposed to take a bath...who is going to wash my hair?"
Isaac glanced wide-eyed at Zac who simply shrugged his shoulders.
"I have to take a bath too," Jessice spoke up,"but I can do it myself. Mommy showed me how to work the shower."
"Yeah," Isaac agreed,"you are old enough, so you go ahead and Zac and I will figure out what to do about Avery." Isaac finished.
"O-Tay." Jessica said and dashed upstairs.
Isaac turned around to throw his empty water bottle in the garbage when he glanced at the clock. It was six twenty-six.
"Oh, Zac run across the street and get Taylor." Isaac ordered.
"Why can't you?" Zac asked glancing up from his water puddle which appeared to be getting bigger with every growing second.
"Because I have to watch the kids." Isaac retorted,"I'll finish mopping that up. Not like you started, you've just been pushing the water around in circles."
"I have not!" Zac shouted.
"Yes you have." Isaac insisted holding out his hand,"Now give me the mop."
Zac simply let the mop drop to the floor and mimicked his brothers voice,"Zac do this, Zac do that, Zac you can't clean for shit. Zac you're only being a mess, Zac you're impossible, Zac shut-up," he let his voice go back to normal,"You'll be sorry when I'm gone. They'll be no one here to stop this cleaning disorder you all have." he said shutting the door behind him.
Isaac shook his head and laughed.
Ding Dong
Erica woke up and felt Taylor squirming under her. She sat up.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I was trying to answer the door without waking you." he replied.
"Oh." she said waiting until he got up to lay back down on her bed.
Taylor bounded down the stairs and opened the door to reveal Zac.
"Took you long enough. What? Couldn't get your pants on fast enough?" Zac quipped.
"Oh you are so funny...what do you want?"
"You have to come home." Zac told him smiling.
"What? It's only six-thirty!" he exclaimed.
"Geez, Tay. You can fornicate later, just come home now. Is she even sick? Or have you been banging her on her bed?" Zac joked.
Taylor scowled,"She's sick."
Zac raised his eyebrows and pushed past Taylor into the house,"I'll have to investigate."
"Don't you dare!" Taylor said blocking the staircase,"Wait outside, I'll be right out."
Zac eyed his brother,"Okay, but you better come out fast or Ike will give us a lecture about behaving when he's in charge."
Taylor winced,"Oh God. I'll hurry."
Zac walked outside and Taylor darted up the stairs to say goodbye to Erica. She was sleeping. He smiled and grabbed her empty glass of water and went downstairs to refill it. He dropped a couple of ice cubes inside it and then grabbed a box of tissues. He carried all of it back upstairs and set it down on her nightstand. Then he gently leaned forward and kissed her forehead. She stirred but didn't wake up.
"Get well soon." he whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek.
"Hmmm..." she said in response.
"Ikey?" Avery asked,"Why do I gotta do this?"
"Don't ask. Just finish putting on your bathing suit." he said through the door.
"Come in. I'm done." she called.
Isaac walked in and started to run the bath water. He put Avery in the bathtub and started to shampoo her hair. Taylor burst through the bathroom door.
"Get out! I gotta go!" Taylor demanded.
"We can't Tay, just go into the other bathroom." Isaac answered.
"I can't! I really gotta go! NOW!" Taylor said.
"Tinkle, tinkle." Avery said and started to giggle. Isaac laughed.
"Isaac! I'm gonna explode!" Taylor yelled jumping back and forth from one foot to the other.
"Well...Avery cover your eyes." Isaac instructed.
"Gross Isaac!" he exclaimed.
"Taylor, you can do it this way or pis your pants running down the hall. Do whatever your little bladder desires." Isaac joked.
"This is disgusting." Taylor muttered.
Avery covered her eyes and Isaac focused all of his attention on Avery's hair. After Taylor relieved himself he heard Avery giggling.
"Tinkle, tinkle." she said again.
Taylor stormed out of the bathroom before he could hear any further comments.
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