" Um, Terry?," Zac said, hesitantly.
" Terry, are you all right?," Taylor asked.
"Huh? What?," Terry said, startled.
"Are you okay? What's wrong?," Taylor asked gently.
"Wrong? What makes you think something's wrong? I'm fine! Nothing's wrong! I thought I heard your mom say dinner's ready. Let's go, I'm starved!," Terry stammered. Then stopped to take a breath. After an awkward silence, she asked, " By the way, what are you doing here?"
" We live here!," Zac joked.
"Um, we wanted to tell you that it's time to eat," Isaac answered," Also, we wanted to ask you if you would like us to show you the fun sights of Tulsa."
"That sounds fine," Terry said, " Come on, let's eat. I think I'm gonna meet the rest of your family and then go to bed. It's been quite a day."
The guys smiled weakly, then followed Terry into the dining room. What had that been all about?
After dinner, the guys were hanging out in their room. Taylor was writing in his journal, Isaac was working on some chords for a new song they were working on, and Zac was drawing in his sketch pad. They were supposed to be getting ready for bed.
They were all thinking about the days events (what do you think Taylor was writing about in his journal?). Even though she had gotten to know the rest of the family better and had even joined in conversations a little, Terry still seemed distant and closed-off. Zac put his sketch pad down.
"Okay guys, it's later," Zac said," So what do you think of Terry?"
"I can't stop thinking about when we went to get her for dinner," Taylor said.
"Yeah, really," Isaac added," I mean, what was that she was saying? ' They can't find out'? What can't we find out? What's she hiding?"
"That's what I wanna know. That, and why is she so afraid of us. Does she think that because her father hit her, that we will too?," Zac wondered.
"That is a possibility, but we can't force her to trust us. She's gonna have to do that on her own," Taylor replied
"Let's just concentrate on being her friend, guys," Isaac said, " She'll tell us if she want's to and we'll just do what we can to make her feel at home."
Taylor and Zac both nodded in agreement. They went back to what they were doing, but soon turned the lights off. Taylor and Zac were soon asleep.
Authors note: This next portion is pretty sappy, but it was unavoidable.
Isaac tried to sleep, but he only tossed and turned. He couldn't seem to relax. Maybe if I get something to drink. He thought. While drinking a glass of juice, he thought about the conversation with his brothers. How can we get her to realize she can trust us? He wondered. Come on, Ike! It's only been a few hours. Then again, it's obvious that she doesn't trust anyone. Mom also repeatedly warned us that she didn't. But why would she think that because her father hurt her, that we would? When Zac went to hug her, she had recoiled in fear, eyes wide, and held her arms up to shield her face, as if blocking a blow. Maybe all she knew was her dad, or he had friends like him. Isaac shuddered at the thought. He barely knew her, but it made him angry to think about the way she must have been treated and he knew it made his brothers angry, too. Without realizing it, Isaac had started to wander around the house and found himself in the den, where Terry was sleeping. But she was sleeping fitfully, moaning and thrashing on the bed. He rushed to her side and gently shook her awake.
"Terry! Terry, wake up!"
Her eyes fluttered open, then widened. She jumped back.
"Please, no! Leave me alone!"
