Angrily Taylor kicked the wooden end table over. His booted feet crunched on the broken glass, digging the shards into the carpet and the sole of his shoes.
   "Didn't like that table?" Zac asked him sarcastically as he twirled one drumstick in his hand. "Or was it simply in your way again?"
   "Shut up, Zac," Taylor growled as his fists clenched tightly. He held his breath as he leaned against a wall and bent one leg so that one foot rested against the wall as well.
   Carelessly Zac shrugged his shoulders and started tapping out a beat on his legs. "Whatever, Tay."
   Isaac walked into the hotel room and glanced around warily. "So what happened?"
   Zac snorted. "Tay got aggravated," he explained dryly.
   "Shut up, Zac!" Taylor yelled as he kicked the wall, leaving a size 13-shoe indent and black mark in its wake.
   Shooting a questioning look to Zac, Isaac rolled his eyes when Zac shook his head. "What was it this time that set you off, Tay?"
   Taylor glared at him. "You're not dad, Ike. So kindly shove it, ok?"
   "I can always call dad for you to talk to him," Isaac offered tightly, growing tired of Taylor's fits.
   Looking around, Taylor felt his breath start coming in shorter gasps.
   Isaac reacted immediately. "Zac, get the bag!" he ordered sharply as he moved towards Taylor.
   Feeling light headed; Taylor put his hand out to grab onto something. Finding nothing, he felt himself slowly start to fall before Isaac caught him and maneuvered him towards the couch.
   Having flown into action himself, Zac had run into one of the bedrooms and came back with a paper bag and bottle of medication.
   Isaac forced the bag over Taylor's mouth. "Breathe, Taylor!" he commanded his brother.
   Taylor looked at him for a moment through slightly glazed eyes before he nodded and started to breathe into the bag. It took long moments before he could feel his chest loosening up and breathing no longer became a chore but a natural action.
   The pounding in his head slowed down to a dull throb. Taking in one last deep breath, Taylor pushed the bag away and sat up slowly.
   Isaac helped him to sit up and when he turned to Zac, he was already handing over a glass of water and a pill.
   Clenching his teeth in reflex, Taylor took the glass and swallowed the Paxil.
   "You ok?" Isaac asked after a moment.
   Feeling guilty and tired, Taylor nodded. "Yeah," he murmured softly.
   Zac nodded and bustled around the room, cleaning things up and righting tables. Isaac leaned back some and stared down at Taylor. "You need to take a rest before tonight," he told him calmly. "We'll get out of your hair for now, but we'll be back in a couple of hours, ok?"
   Not trusting his voice, Taylor nodded and lied back down on the couch. He watched as his brothers got some of their stuff together and headed it out. Closing his eyes he blocked out the sounds of the air conditioner and of the running water from the room next door. The soothing silence felt amazing on his corrupted ears.
   Later on when he awoke, Taylor felt rejuvenated but still apprehensive. When he went out onstage that night, he put everything of himself that he could into the performance. It felt good to give something of himself, but he worried sometimes of not having anything left.
   After the concert, Taylor wiped the sweat from his brow and drank thirstily of his bottled water. He felt tired in a good way, and the adrenaline had yet to even begin to secede.
   "Hey Tay, this is Natalie and her friend Corrine." He heard Isaac introduce the two ladies and trying to control the impulse to sneak away he focused in on them and smiled for their sake.
   He blinked twice when he saw one. "Hi," he responded a little awkwardly.
   Natalie smiled up at him, "Hi."
   Other fans crowded him, and he didn't get to say much else to Natalie. He asked her to stick around if she could, and she nodded her ascent but Taylor was worried that she'd leave before he even got the chance to talk more with her.
   Looking at the faces of other girls, he felt resentment build and his heart began to pound overtime.

   After signing cd's and books with his brother's and his faces on them, Taylor felt his world shake beneath his feet. He was half-afraid of turning around and Natalie not being there.
   Closing his eyes, he cursed himself a coward and turned around so suddenly he nearly knocked Natalie over.
   Instinct had him reaching out to steady her and an apology on his lips. When he looked down at her, he could barely feel his tongue to even manage to say 'sorry'.
   He smiled lightly and she smiled back at him, a teasing comment flowing from her mouth.
   Taylor laughed weakly. "I'm a klutz," he explained feebly.
   She shook her head; "I shouldn't have been sneaking up on you. I don't make enough noise when I walk, I suppose."
   He was gone. When she smiled at him like that and gave the little laugh, he was hooked.

StOrIeS