Erica groaned.
Taylor opened his eyes. He was wearing the clothes he had been wearing yesterday. He rolled over and his head hit Erica's nightstand. He groaned and grabbed his head. Why the heck was he on her floor? All of a sudden, through his newly aquired headache, he remembered that he and Erica had gotten back together and she had asked him to spend the night. Why did she want him to spend the night? Then he remembered that she was sick. Then he remembered that the reason he woke up was because she was awake. He pulled himself up off of the floor and grabbed Erica's hand. She looked at him and gave him a weak smile.
"You didn't leave." she said in astonishment that he had actually spent the night on her bedroom floor in concern for her well-being.
"Nope." he said kissing her hand.
The smile suddenley faded from her face,"Taylor," she began.
"Yeah?"
"I'm going to...to..."
"What?"
"Throw-up." she finished.
"Oh." his eyes widened and he helped her sit up.
"I can't walk and make it there in time." she moaned, wishing her stomach would stop churning so she could just lay back down.
Without thinking, Taylor scooped her up in his arms, surprised that he was strong enough to carry another person his body weight, and clapped his hand over her mouth so she wouldn't throw-up on him, and ran her into the bathroom. He left her in there and waited outside the door until she finished. He was pretty sure that she didn't want him in there and he was definatley sure that he didn't want to see her emptying her stomach out. She walked on shaky legs and opened the door to find Taylor waiting there. He helped her back to her room, knowing that in her sick and weakened state she wasn't able to walk by herself. It was really weird to have her depending on him for something as simple as walking. It made him feel like he was needed and that he was important.
After Erica was settled back in between her soft, cool sheets Taylor offered to get her a drink.
"Do you want something to drink?" he asked.
"If it's not too much trouble could I have a glass of water?"
"Sure...just yell if you have to...you know."
She nodded,"Okay."
He padded downstairs on the soft carpet and into the kitchen. Her parents were in the kitchen. Her father put the paper down,"Hi Taylor." he smiled.
Erica's mom turned around,"Oh hi hon, your mom said to call her when you woke up."
Taylor let out a deep breath,"Oh good, she knows where I am."
"Yes of course dear. We came home yesterday and Stacie and Karen said you were with Erica. When we went upstairs we saw that both of you had fallen asleep and we couldn't bare to wake you up so I called your mother and told her it was alright if you spent the night here with us, seeing as how you had already fallen asleep anyway. She was fine with it." Erica's mom informed him smiling.
There was simply no denying that Erica and her mom looked alike. True she got her height from her father but when it came down to looks, Erica definatley had her mothers face. They both had the same intense brown eyes that always revealed caring and understanding. Taylor believed that Erica's eyes were the key to her emotions, you could always tell what she was thinking and feeling by the look she gave you at that moment. They both had the same smile that seemed to make the darkest skies bright and make the bad days seem full of hope. Yes, Erica was definatley her mothers' daughter.
"Is Erica doing alright?" her father asked. "I was just about to go up and check on her."
"She looks a little better, but she's kind of losing her stomach. I told her I'd bring her some water."
"Taylor, do you think you could do Erica's father and I a big favor?" her mother asked.
"Sure." he said while he filled a glass with water.
"Do you think you could stay with Erica while we are at work? We'll pay you for your time of course." she said.
"Sure I'll stay, but I won't take your money. In fact, I was going to volunteer to stay." he said.
"Oh thank you so much hon." her mother said smiling.
"Your welcome." he smiled back.
"Your a good kid Taylor, your parents raised you well." her father informed him.
"Thank you." he said blushing at a compliment he felt he didn't really deserve. After all Erica was his girlfriend and friend, he was supposed to act like this, he didn't believe that there was any other appropriate behavior when someone you care about is involved.
"Well..." Taylor said,"I'll bring her her water and then run home, check in, and change, okay?"
"Sounds like a plan." her mother nodded.
Taylor walked from the room and over the soft carpet again and back up the stairs to her room,"I'll be back." he told her as he set her water down,"I'm just going to run home and change."
"You don't have to come back." she said quietly.
"Are you kidding? I can't leave you, you're sick." he replied.
She pretended to be interested in this piece of lint she was trying to pick off of her bedspread,"No really...it's okay." she said trying to convince him.
"Actually it's not.Your parents hired me as a sort of...well...babysitter." he smirked.
Her head shot up and she stared at him,"They did what?"
He grinned,"Be back!" he called, dashing from the room.
"Where's my brush?" he wondered aloud getting on his hands and knees to search underneath his bed.
"Where were you?" Isaac demanded, appearing in the room out of nowhere.
Taylor jumped about a mile in the air,"Give me a heart attack why don't you." he scolded.
"So...?" Isaac prompted waiting for his brother to answer his previous question.
"So...what?" Taylor asked.
Isaac's patience was wearing thin,"Where were you last night?"
"Aah! There it is!" Taylor exclaimed suddenley finding his brush. He started to run the brush through his hair.
"Taylor!" Isaac snapped.
"What? Oh I was at Erica's." Taylor said.
"All night?" Isaac asked in wide-eyed disbelief.
Taylor gave him a strange look as if it was completley normal for a girl's boyfriend to spend the night at her house while her parents are fully aware,"Yeah."
"And mom and dad and her parents knew you were there?" Isaac asked still in shock.
Seeing the course that Isaac's mind was about to wander down Taylor quickly cleared things up,"Get your mind out of the gutter! She's sick and I slept on the floor. She didn't want me to leave."
Isaac frowned,"My mind isn't in the gutter." he scowled.
"Whatever man." Taylor said waving his hand as if to erase the comment that Isaac just made from his memory as he bent down to tie his boots.
"Well where are you going now?" Isaac asked.
"Back over there." Taylor said as if Isaac was the stupidest person on the face of the planet for not knowing that himself.
"Why?"
Taylor froze, this was the question he had been dreading,"Cause I am kind of her...uh...babysitter." Taylor replied quickly glancing at Isaac.
Isaac just stared at him for a minute as if trying to decide whether or not to laugh at his brother. He obviously chose the latter,"You're... you're..." Isaac didn't even finish his sentence before he collapsed onto Taylor's bed in a fit of laughter.
"Shut-up you loser! She's sick! I am only there to keep her company!" Taylor said rolling his eyes.
"Keep who company?" Zac asked walking in the room.
"Erica." Taylor answered.
"Doesn't she have the flu or something? Isn't she like puking?" he asked walking over to the closet.
"Yeah." Taylor said slowly.
Zac turned around,"So you watch her blow chunks?" he made a disgusted face.
"You guys! She's sick! Am I the only mature one?" he screamed.
"You just want her back." Zac said knowingly.
"For your information piss rag we are already back together."
"She must be delirious from her fever. What would she want with a loser like you?" Zac asked.
"Ha Ha...I'm leaving." Taylor said walking to the door.
"Bye bye...babysitter!" Isaac choked out before collapsing in another fit of giggles.
"Babysitter?" Zac asked,"You're her babysitter? Oh this is priceless." he said chuckling.
"Yeah, yeah eat it up guys," he said walking from the room,"but remember this..." he paused dramatically before shutting the door,"I may be her babysitter, but I am the only one in this room with a girlfriend." and with that he shut the door.
He pressed his ear against the outside of the door straining to hear anything...silence...their laughter had stopped.
When Erica was sure that Taylor was out of her house Erica picked up her phone to call to call the person she knew would have all the answers to her problem...Stacie, her cousin and best friend.
Stacie answered the phone,"Hello?"
"Hi Stace...it's Erica."
"You're sick you should be resting." she scolded.
"Just listen to me...right now I need a friend not a mother and a lecture."
"Okay..." Stacie reluctantly gave in,"What's on your mind?"
"We're back together...not we as in me and you but we as in me and Taylor." Erica babbled.
"Yeah...I kind of figured that out." Stacie said trying to act as if this was news to her.
"Well..." Erica prompted.
"What?" Stacie asked confused by what Erica was trying to imply.
Erica sighed,"Did I do the right thing?"
"How would I know?" Stacie said shaking her head at how Erica expected her to know all the answers in life.
"I need to know," Erica persisted,"Should I have waited?"
It was Stacie's turn to sigh,"Erica, I can't tell you what to do. You have to feel it. I don't have all the answers. You have to think about things before you do them."
"I thought I did." Erica said absentmindedly wrapping the phone cord around her finger.
"So if you weren't sure then why are you two back together?" Stacie asked.
"It was a spur of the moment thing. He was so sweet sitting there and holding my hand. I mean he actually cared that I was sick. And even though I told him to leave he wouldn't go. There is just something about his determination that drives me crazy."
"You really have to control what you say when you feel it. That is going to get you in alot of trouble." Stacie advised.
When Erica was just about to continue her side of the arguement and tell Stacie how wrong she was...the front door slammed.
"Oh shit! Stacie he's back. I gotta go."
"Bye, good luck," Stacie said hurridly.
Erica could hear his footsteps coming up the stairs,"Okay bye."
She quickly returned the phone back to its cradle. But before she could pull her hand back Taylor walked in the room,"What are you doing?" he asked staring at her outstreched hand.
"Uh...I was uh..." she stammered. She spied her glass of water sitting on the table next to her,"I was just trying to get my water." she finished.
"Oh," he said walking over and handing her her glass,"here you go."
"Thanks." she said giving him a small smile.
Ding Dong
Stacie ran and opened the front door,"Hi Ike." she said pulling the door open.
He grinned,"Hi...are you ready?"
"Yeah" Stacie said grabbing her coat off of the hook next to the door.
Isaac waited as she locked the door and shoved her keys in her pocket,"Let's go." she said smiling.
"Okay." he said taking her small hand in his and walking her to the car. He even opened her door and closed it after she sat down. Then he walked around the car and got inside.
"So..." he said starting the car and pulling away from the curb,"can you believe Erica and Taylor got back together that quickly?"
"Maybe." she said fiddling with the zipper on her jacket.
He took his eyes off the road and glanced at her quickly,"Uh-oh. What do you mean maybe?"
Stacie sighed,"Well I just got off the phone with her before you came...it didn't sound to good."
"Oh no," Isaac moaned,"Well what's the problem?"
"Well from what I see..." Stacie was about to give Isaac her brief analysis of the situation but quickly changed her mind seeing as she was no expert,"nevermind."
"No tell me." Isaac insisted.
"Well..." Stacie said before reluctantly letting her womanly gossiping urge take over,"he smothers her. He is all over her. I think they just need to cool it. Back off for a bit you know? Stop making out and see if they can have a decent conversation."
Isaac crinkled his brow and looked deep in thought,"Yeah that is true but...I know they can have decent conversations I mean they have been really close friends since...forever. Now they just get their turn at the fun stuff that goes with being a couple. It will probably cool down after awhile but it is a new relationship and it's gonna be hot and interesting for awhile."
He glanced at Stacie who was staring at him. He realized he sounded a little perverted knowing so much about his brothers relationship with girls. He coughed,"At least that's what I think."
"You know what?" Stacie said out of nowhere,"I think we should focus on us today instead of your brother and my cousin." she smiled at him.
He smiled back,"Agreed."
"Mom?" Zac called.
"What?" she replied, her voice echoing slightly from her head being inside the dryer from which she was pulling clothes out.
"There's nothing to do!" Zac moaned.
"Why don't you help me?" she asked as she folded yet another pair of pants,"I swear we go through so much laundry." she mumbled to herslef.
"Really?" Zac asked sarcastically,"you mean I get to help you with the laundry?"
"Yes, here fold this." she tossed a shirt at him. She either didn't pick up his sarcasm or chose to simply ignore it,"And after that," she continued,"you can come food shopping with me."
"Oh joy." Zac mumbled under his breath regretting his decision to complain to his mother about having nothing to do.
"Well that settles it!" Taylor announced turning the T.V off,"There is officially nothing on T.V."
Erica coughed as Taylor was setting the remote down, he jumped up,"Are you okay? Do you need some more water?" he asked.
Having nearly lost Erica for good Taylor was now determined to do everything in his power to be the perfect boyfriend. He didn't care what it took or how much time he had to spend with her, doing things for her, or buying things for her. He was not going to take another chance at losing her. Because next time her might not be so lucky, next time he might lose her for good.
"God Taylor quit it!" Erica snapped.
Taylor's expression clearly showed he was hurt,"What?" he asked.
"You jump every time I make the slightest noise! Quit treating me like I'm going to break!" she scolded.
"That's only because I care." Taylor said softly.
Erica immediatley felt bad for snapping at him but he was trying too hard to be nice,"Look Taylor..." she said and tried to sit up, but once she got there she had to lay back down. She put her hands on her head,"Ooh...that was not a good idea."
Taylor just stared at her confused. He didn't get it. Even when he was extremley kind she still got mad at him. Was he just not good enough?
"You're just making me nervous." Erica said, far too worn out to argue with him.
They both sat in silence for awhile. Erica wishing her headache would go away and Taylor wishing he knew what he could do to make everything right.
"Look..." they both said at the same time.
"You go ahead." he said.
Seizing the oppurtunity to speak Erica asked the question that had been plauging her,"Why are you here?" she asked.
"What?"
"Why are you here?" she repeated.
"Because you're sick." he answered.
"That's all?" she asked not believeing him for a minute.
"And because you asked me to stay." he reminded her.
"That's not why you're here." she said shaking her head.
"Yes it is!" he insisted.
"No...I know why and that's not it."
Taylor could hardly believe his ears,"Oh, so since you're the expert on why I do things please, oh enlightened one, tell me why I am here."
"Because you feel guilty." she informed him.
He stared at her as if she had no idea in her right mind what the hell she was talking about.
"Don't give me that look. You feel guilty about calling me..."
"Don't say it please!" he pleaded.
"A slut." she continued,"when the truth most likley is you were going to break up with me anyway, but you felt bad about the way it happened. Then all of a sudden, I got sick. So you felt bad and came here trying to save a friendship that never could have lasted and got thrown back into this relationship by a girl, me, who was too blind to see this all before. But all I want to know is one thing. Do you know what that is?"
His blank stare showed he didn't.
"Who is the other girl that you fell for that put you through this?" she asked.
Now Tay was really confused,"What girl?"
"God Taylor! You know what girl!" she screamed.
Taylor was taken aback by her tone,"There's no other girl!"
"What's her name huh?" Erica pressed.
"There's no girl!" he repeated.
"Huh? What's her name?" Erica persisted.
He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look in his eyes,"Listen to me! There is no girl...I don't even know how you could think that."
"Go away." she muttered turning away from him.
"No." he said.
She glared at him and pushed his hands off of her shoulders,"Leave me alone!" she yelled.
"I'm not going anywhere!" he said defiantly.
"Get the hell out of my room!" she flung a pillow at him.
"I'll leave your room," he compromised,"but I'm staying outside the door." he handed the pillow back to her. She didn't bother to take it. She pulled the covers over her head and made no effort to hide her loud sobs. He wanted so much to hold her and comfort her, but he thought the better of it and left her room. He sat outside her door, deeply lost in thought about how this relationship was falling apart. He couldn't believe that this would be how things would end. He wasn't going to give up. He still wanted this so much, too much to just turn his back now. So every relationship has it's rough times. This is just ours he thought as he sat outside her door nodding off to sleep.
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