" Ike! Pizza guy's here!," Zac announced.
" Well, open the door for him," Isaac told him.
" I don't have the money. You do."
" Here then." Isaac handed him two twenties.
" Oh, sure. Leave me to do the dirty work," Zac joked.
" Hey, I ordered the pizza, you can bring it in."
" Someone better get the door before the pizza guy leaves," Maddy broke in.
" Yeah, like the Janet Jackson video for Go Deep. ' Hey! Dude! Your pizza's gettin' cold!' ," Zac intoned.
" Get the door!," Isaac and Maddy said in unison.
***************************************************
Taylor smiled when he heard the debate on answering the door. He realized he was hungry and quickly dropped some ice into the sodas he had just poured and left to get some pizza. The soda hadn't even been put in the fridge, so he was gonna let it cool before taking it in to the others.
Everyone was so busy trying to find the kind of pizza they wanted, amid shouts and laughter, that no one noticed Erin sneaking into the kitchen.
***************************************************
" Hey Terry, don't you ever eat any kind of pizza besides plain cheese?," Taylor asked.
" Sometimes I eat hamburgar," Terry said, taking a big bite. " Hey, where's the Coke?"
" Oh! I forgot all about it. I was letting the ice set in it, but it should be fine now. Be right back," Taylor excused himself.
***************************************************
Erin heard footsteps approaching and quickly hid the bottle in the pocket of her over-sized JNCO's. She turned to see Taylor giving her an odd look.
" Hi,' he said," I thought you were in your room."
" What, is there some kind of law that I have to stay in there or something? I just came in here to find something to eat, if that's all right with you!," Erin said sarcastically.
Taylor struggled to remain polite. Just ignore her, just ignore her! he told himself.
" We've got plenty of pizza if you want any and we're about to start one of the movies. Why don't you join us?," he offered.
" No, I'm not hungry anymore," she said, and ubrubtly turned and left.
Taylor shook his head and picked up the tray of drinks. He noticed that the glasses were a little fuller then before.
I guess the ice melted more then I thought.
***************************************************
" Hey Terry, can I talk to you real quick? Before we start the movies?," Isaac asked her.
" Yeah, sure." She got up and followed him to the front hall. He remained silent for a moment. She stared at him expectantly.
" I really don't know how to say this," he finally said.
" Just say it then," she encouraged.
" Well, it's kinda embarrasing, really," he admitted. He was silent again, then blurted, " It's about when you and I kissed. I haven't been able to stop thining about it."
" I know. Me neither," she said softly.
" I-I really liked it."
" So did I," she smiled. Isaac realaxed when he saw her smile. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard after all. He smiled too.
" What I wanted to talk to you about was, I was just wondering if you wanted to go to the movies with me, like on a date," he said in a rush. He held his breath, waiting for her answer.
Terry stared at him, totally perplexed. It was the last thing she had expected. She had been hoping her would ask her, but she hadn't counted on it. She was in shock, she couldn't seem to answer him. Yes! Say yes! her mind screamed.
Her silence had the wrong effect on Isaac. He shifted uncomfortably. " Never mind, maybe this was a bad idea," he turned to leave.
" Isaac, wait," she grabbed his wrist," I'd love to go to the movies with you. On a date."
He grinned broadly. " Really? Great!"
***************************************************
Taylor balanced the tray of drinks from the tray and grabbed one for himself. He took a long drink and froze when a strange taste filled his mouth. He took a smaller sip, carefull not to swallow any of it, and slowly swished it around his mouth. It tasted aweful. He frowned. He knew the soda had been fine before, he'd had some ealier. Did someone do something to it?
Erin!
He set the tray and the glass back on the counter, spit and rinsed his mouth, and went to find Zac and Isaac.
" Where's the soda?,' Felicia asked.
" Guys, will you come here for a sec?," Taylor indicated his brothers, ignoring her question.
"What do you wish of us, oh master?," Isaac joked once they were in the kitchen.
" Try this," Taylor ordered, holding out the glass," Don't swallow it, just taste it."
Isaac stared at him, perplexed. But he took the glass and did as he was told, then he passed it to Zac. They both made a face at the taste.
" Taylor, what did you put in this?," Zac gagged.
" I didn't."
" But it was fine a while ago. I know. I had some," Zac argued.
" I know, so did I. I think Erin might have done something to it."
" What are you talking about? She's in her room. She has been since the cigarette incident!," Isaac argued.
" Not really. When I came to get the soda, she was standing near it and was acting really secretive. It looked like she was trying to hide something," Taylor explained," She said she came to find something to eat. I offered to let her have pizza with us and she said she wasn't hungry anymore, then she left."
They glanced at each other and under some unspoken agreement, headed in the direction of Erin's room. Her door was half-way open and she was holding something in her hand, a pleased smirk on her face.
" Hey Erin, what's that you've got, there?," Isaac asked, walking into the room.
" Don't you know how to knock?," she glared at him," It's nothing, now get out." She hid the object behind her back.
" Let me see it," he held out his hand.
" Why? I told you, it's nothing!"
" If it's nothing, then there's no problem with me seeing it."
" I'm not letting you see it because it's none of your fucking buisiness! Now leave me alone!"
" Erin, let me see!" He tried to grab the item, but she jerked away. He grabbed her arms and put her in a tight hold, while Zac managed to snatch the object from her hands. He stared at it in disbelief.
" Rum!?," he exclaimed," You spiked our drinks with Rum?"
" Oh darn, I knew I should have gone with the Vodka," she said sarcastically," then you wouldn't have been able to taste it."
Isaac let go of her arms and took the bottle from Zac. He glared at her, his face slowly turning red.
" What the hell is your problem? We've never done a thing to you, but you have been nothing but a little bitch since you got here!"
" So what?," she challanged smugly," Now get out."
" Is that the only vocabulary you have? ' Get out, go away, fuck you' ?," Isaac sputtered.
Taylor was pretty angry himself, but Isaac looked about ready to explode. He'd better get him out of there befor he did or said something drastic.
" Ike, Zac, come on. We'd better get back to the girls."
" Taylor! How can you act like this is no big deal or something?," Isaac asked.
" It is a big deal. That's why we're gonna let our parents take care of it. Erin, you need to stay in here."
Isaac stared at him, aghast. " Taylor, how can you even-"
" Isaac! Move it!," Taylor pointed upstairs. " Come on, Zac."
Zac didn't wait to be told twice. Taylor followed them out, closing Erin's door behind him. He met up with his brothers in the kitchen. He could see that Isaac was calming down, despite the fact that he still seemed upset.
" Look man, I'm sorry," Taylor began," But I was afriad that you would do something that you might regret."
" Man, Tay, I'm the one who's sorry. I don't really know what came over me. It's just that she really pissed me off," Isaac quickly apolegized.
" We could see that," Zac spoke up.
" Dang, I just can't believe that she put Rum in the drinks. I was so ready to hit her," Isaac admitted.
" You sure looked like you were going to. You know what's really weird, though? She's gone out of her way to make trouble for us in just a few days, but she doesn't even speak to the little kids," Taylor observed.
" Which is really good for her. Because if she pulls any of the same shit with them that she's pulled woth us, I will do more then smack her," Isaac vowed, almost menacingly.
No one said anything for a moment.
" So now what do we do?," Zac finally asked.
" Like Tay said: Watch the movies with the girls and let Mom and Dad take care of it when they get home."
