"Are you sure that this is what you want for your birthday?" Stacie asked Erica again.
"Yes!" Erica insisted as she waited for Joan to come and cut her hair. Joan had been doing her mother's hair ever since her mother was pregnant with Erica. Joan had wanted her mother to name Erica, Heather and to this day calls Erica "her little Heather." Funny, how she had a daughter and didn't name her Heather. But anyway, she had been cutting Erica's hair too, well ever since there was hair to cut.
"I just can't believe you want to cut your hair. You were so adimant about growing it out." Stacie sighed.
"Yeah, and now I want it cut, it's that simple. If you like long hair then grow yours out." Erica said adjusting the plastic, barber cape-thing.
Stacie swiped at her flat, shoulder-length hair,"Nah." she said.
Joan walked over,"So am I just trimming Heather?"
Erica smiled at her through the mirror,"Nope, you are hacking it all off. I am getting older, it's time to get rid of this long hair. I want it short, I want to look sophisticated." she said.
Stacie rolled her eyes.
"Well," Joan said,"let's see what we can do for my little Heather, I think I know something that would look really cute on you..."
"Don't tell Isaac." Erica reminded Stacie once again as they drove back to her house.
"I won't." Stacie said impatiently as she waited for the light to turn green.
"Okay, because I don't want Taylor to find out until I see him this w..." she trailed off.
Stacie put her foot on the gas as the light turned green,"See him when?" she asked glancing briefly at her cousin.
"Uh, nevermind." Erica said turning the volume up on the radio.
Stacie clicked it off,"Why are you seeing Taylor this weekend?"
Erica winced,"The guys are flying us and some of their friends to see one of their concerts and spend the weekend there."
"Oh really?" Stacie asked raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah, but you know nothing until Isaac tells you!" Erica warned as they stopped in front of her house.
"No problem." Stacie said shutting off the engine.
"Oh, Fatality! You lose!" Jeff jeered at Taylor.
Taylor growled,"Yeah well, I don't get much practice."
Jeff mimicked him and then turned his attention to Dylan,"Come on Dyl, I'm ready to kill you too."
Dylan grabbed the control from Taylor and plopped on the floor,"Yeah right."
"I can't believe you let Erica go to the dance." Jeff said making small talk as Mortal Kombat loaded.
"Well, what I was I supposed to do? I mean, you kept an eye on her, she didn't do anything with that guy." Tay said flopping on the hotel bed.
Dylan laughed,"I would have been like,'Woman, get in the kitchen and make me a sandwhich.' that's exactly what I would have said."
Jeff elbowed him,"That's why you don't have a girlfriend." he snickered.
Taylor laughed,"Oh yeah and the girls are really knocking down your door Jeff."
Jeff nodded,"I know, they're probably sitting around my house in pools of tears cause I'm not there."
Dylan rolled his eyes,"I'm sure they're doing just that."
Jeff changed the subject,"Anyway, to get back on subject, this kid was Mike Holandale. Tay, this fucker is huge!"
"Oh shit, she went with Mike?" Dylan laughed at Taylor,"Sucks to be you."
"So what's the big deal." Taylor asked rolling on his back and letting his head hang off the edge of the bed.
"She'll probably dump you for Mike,"Dylan observed,"he's one of those guys that gets every girl he wants, and he must be getting serious about her. He took her to the friggin dance for God's sake!"
"Yeah?" Tay said inquisitively and then quickly lost interest,"Well I'm not worried. Me and Erica are like this." he crossed his fingers.
Jeff raised an eyebrow.
"Well, not exactly like that, you know what I mean." Taylor sighed.
Dylan took his eyes off of the screen,"Yeah, but this is Mike, not just any guy."
"Oh! Animality!" Jeff yelled throwing down his controller and laughing.
Kerri ran out of the elevator ahead of Stacie and Erica,"Come on guys! We haven't seen them in two months!" she cried.
Stacie and Erica laughed,"Which is why two minutes to walk down the hall doesn't seem that long." Stacie reminded.
They reached the door and Stacie knocked. The room inside seemed unbelievably silent and then, all of a sudden, footsteps were heard pounding to the door. When the door flung open the three boys were standing there grinning from ear to ear and Jeff and Dylan were seen slowly getting up in the background.
"Hey girl!" Zac screamed tackling Kerri to the floor.
"Hey babe." Isaac said kissing Stacie quickly.
"Oh God, your hair! It's gone!" Taylor said staring at Erica, his mouth hanging open in shock.
Isaac glanced over,"Oh well would you look at that. It looks good on you Erica." he said smiling.
She smiled back,"Thanks Ike."
"Wha, what...why?" Taylor asked.
Erica shrugged,"It's a change."
"Oh God, don't start me on changes." Stacie said rolling her eyes.
"Oh chill, Stace." Erica said.
Taylor shrugged and hugged Erica,"I guess I'll get used to it." he sighed.
Erica pulled away,"So you don't like it?" she asked.
"No it's great but I just liked it better long." he pouted.
"Well, Mike likes it. He's happy I cut it." she said raising her eyebrows.
Taylor scowled,"Well Mike can shove it up his..."
"Okay," Isaac said loudly cutting Taylor off,"do you girls want to put your stuff in your hotel room?"
"Yeah!" Kerri said pushing Zac of her.
"Okay," Isaac said picking up Stacie's suitcase,"Follow me."
Taylor stood outside of the room that the girls shared. He could hear Erica talking on the phone.
"Yeah I'm here okay. Sorry, I forgot to call, it's a good thing you beeped me..."
She has a beeper? Taylor thought.
"Yeah he saw it...he doesn't like it...yeah I should have said that..." she laughed.
Should have said what? he thought.
"I miss you too, there's no one here that understands things like you Mike..."
That fuckin asshole! Taylor thought.
"Okay...yeah, I'm gonna go now. Okay bye." she hung up.
Taylor looked at the birthday card for her in his hand. He could feel the present in his pocket. Sure he was late, but at least she would get it. That counts, doesn't it? He stood there for two minutes before actually knocking on the door.
Erica opened it,"Taylor? Uh, hi." she said glancing quickly behind her.
Taylor squeezed past her and into the room,"Thanks for inviting me in." he said sarcastically.
"What, what are y..you," she took a deep breath,"What are you doing here I thought everyone was going out for McDonalds." she said nervously.
"I'm fine, how are you?" Tay said rolling his eyes.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be so crude." she apologized.
Taylor was about to accept her apoloy when he paused,"What's that smell?" he asked as he sniffed the air.
"Huh? What smell?" she asked nochalantly.
"You don't smell that?" he asked as he stuck his nose in the air and sniffed like a bloodhound.
"Uh, no." she said sitting down on the edge of the hotel bed.
Taylor shrugged,"Oh well, anyway..." he stopped again when he saw the sliding glass door open,"Hey maybe it's coming from outside." he started to walk over there.
She jumped in front of him,"No it's not, I was just out there."
Taylor glanced past her and then scrutinized her,"What are you trying to hide?" he asked.
She stared at him nervously,"Nothing."
He broke their gaze and walked past her towards the balcony, depositing her present on the table on the way out.
"No, Taylor don't go out there!" she said grabbing his arm.
He continued walking, he pulled her along as if she wasn't even there. He stepped onto the balcony. There, on the table, was a lit cigarette and an ashtray,"What the hell?" Taylor asked looking at her, his eyes piercing.
"Uh, how did that get there?" Erica mumbled.
He put it out and stared at her, almost through her,"Are you smoking?" he asked not wanting to believe it.
"No." she lied.
Taylor walked over to her mechanically and reached his hand into her front pocket.
"Excuse you, what do you think you're doing?" she asked, pushing him away, but not before his hand emerged with a pack of cigarettes.
"What the hell is this?" he asked holding them up.
"Uh..." she started.
"If you say 'How did those get there?' I swear to God..." he trailed off.
She lowered her eyes, unable to look at him.
"So you smoke now?" he asked her.
"Well gee Taylor what do you think?" she snapped.
Taylor shook his head and walked past her into the room.
"Where are you going?" she asked as she followed him.
He didn't answer. He was hurt, frustrated, upset and angry all at the same time. He walked into the bathroom. She followed him in there. He pulled up the lid of the toilet, pulled a cigarette out of the pack, broke it and threw it in.
Erica grabbed his arm,"Stop it." she said trying to grab the pack from him.
He held it from her reach,"It's for your own good." he told her.
"And since when did you become my parent?" she asked tugging on his arm.
"Since when did you change?" he growled back.
She let go of his arm,"I'm allowed to change."
He pulled another out and broke it,"You cut your hair," he said throwing it in,"you started smoking," he threw another in,"you got a beeper," and another,"you talk to Mike on the phone about how nobody fuckin understands you!" he screamed throwing the pack on the floor and stomping on it.
"You were eavesdropping?" she asked in disbelief.
"Geez Erica, do you want him?" he asked.
She just stared at him as he threw the pack of cigarettes in the toilet and then she turned and walked away.
"Answer me!" he said following her.
She ignored him and started looking through her bag.
He grabbed her arm tightly,"Answer me!" he yelled.
"Get the hell off of me Taylor! You don't control me! I don't know what the hell makes you think that you do!" she screamed prying his hand from her arm.
Taylor backed up,"Go run to Mike, why don't you just go and fuck Mike and fuck up both of our lives!" he yelled.
"This isn't about Mike you fuckin ass!" she screamed.
He got quiet,"I didn't come here for this. I came to give you your birthday card and present." he said picking them up off of the table where he had previously dropped them.
"Well take it back because I don't want it." she said.
He tossed the card at her,"Open it."
She raised her eyebrows,"No."
He reached over and grabbed it and ripped it open,"Erica," he started reading aloud.
"I don't want to hear it." she said covering her ears.
He pulled her hand away from one of her ears,"I'm sorry I missed your birthday," he continued,"I would have given anything to be there. I care about you and maybe someday I'll find the words I've been trying to say." He let go of her arm,"Maybe someday." he repeated.
She looked away.
He tossed the card down on her bed,"Happy Fuckin Birthday." he mumbled.
"Great, thanks." she snapped back.
"What the fuck do you want from me Erica?" he yelled.
"I don't want anything from you! I don't need you!" she yelled. Right after the words left her mouth, she regreted them.
Taylor felt an incredible pain in his chest. It hurt so bad. He sat on her bed,"Good." he said quietly.
Tell him that you do need him. Erica thought, don't let this continue.
Taylor bit his lip and closed his eyes. His heart was breaking more and more. In a matter of time he felt that it would be impossible to breathe.
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