"Zac listen, I know it was real wrong of Brent to bring him here, Brent should've known better, and I bet Tay knew that this was like one of your spots, so don't be too rough on him, don't hit him either, I don't think I could stand to see you guys fight with fists, just ask him why he's here and tell him it'd be real nice if he left…"
Kate jogged along beside Zac and tugged at his sleeve as he walked out the room and down the hallway.
"No physical contact got it? I'm going to go find Brent so those two can leave. That means you four keep your hands off Zac."
Kate stopped in the middle of the hall and watched as he continued on.
"I mean it Zac. No hands!"
Zac seemed to ignore her.
Taylor had stood up, being either ready to run or ready to fight, whichever came first. Scott had been pretty much ready to kill him, Tucker and Mark watched, throwing in their comments and insults.
"Look you three I'm getting ready to lea…"
Taylor stopped as he watched Zac enter the room.
"Damn!"
Taylor sighed and sat back down on the sofa.
He figured he probably wouldn't be leaving any time soon, and with the glazed and determined look in Zac's eyes, he figured he'd be lucky if he left in one piece.
Shoving his friends out of the way, Zac stepped in front of Taylor.
"FUCK YOU TAYLOR!"
Taylor once again rolled his eyes folded his arms across his chest.
"Why the fuck do you always manage to screw my life up? I was having a fine time without your bitch ass here to fuck it all up!"
Taylor waited while Zac paused.
"You KNOW I come here, you KNOW this is one of my hangs so why the hell do you make yourself at home?"
"Zac shut up for a minute."
Taylor watched as the fire in Zac's eyes flickered, then practically exploded.
"Don't tell me to fuckin' shut up."
Taylor stood.
"I'll tell you what I want to. I'm still your brother and I'm still older then you."
"Not as far as I'm concerned your not."
Taylor was surprised to notice how tall Zac actually was. And how big he really was.
"How bout you move outta Tulsa, get a new name, a new life, and stay the hell outta mine? No one wants you here Taylor."
"Fuck you Zac, I'll stay if I want, and there are too people in this town that think I should stay here, you may not be included but as far as I can tell I think you've been bumped out of my mind entirely."
Zac let out a growl and stepped closer.
"Get outta my face Zac."
The two stayed put, all of Zac's friends standing, watching in awe at what their friend and his brother might actually accomplish.
"I mean it Zac I'm gonna hit you if you don't."
Just then Kate trotted up to the two of them, Brent close on her heels.
"Zac! What'd I tell you damnit!"
She grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him away from Taylor.
Brent quickly stepped in between the two and gave Taylor a quick shove, landing him on the sofa squarely.
When he had accomplished placing Taylor where he wanted him, he walked around Kate and grabbed Zac by the colar.
"I don't give a fuck who you two think you are, I don't really care who started it, and I could care less if you two wanted to kill each other. You stay away from Taylor, and I'll make sure he stays away from you. Got it."
Zac shoved Brent's hands away and scowled at him. He turned, not looking at the rest of his friends and began to walk away.
Taylor watched him go, and as his three bandmates followed, couldn't resist yelling at them.
"Yeah! You take your piece of shit band and leave Zac, you know you're not half as fuckin' good as we were!"
Brent reached over and slapped Taylor upside the head, and waited for Zac's return.
Instead he got Scott.
"What'd he say?"
Brent shooed him away.
"No no no no…what'd you say asshole?"
Taylor opened his mouth to repeat, as Brent reached down and hit him again.
"Go away, we're leaving. Don't worry about Taylor anymore."
Scott brandished his middle finger at Taylor then spun around.
"Taylor I better not catch you alone."
"I heard it all."
She watched as he angrily rubbed at his eyes.
"Don't cry okay…"
She listened to him as he sniffled, and sat curled up, his knees snug against his chest.
"Zac?"
Kristen rested a hand on his back and gently rubbed.
"Zac I don't know what to say to you…I…"
She looked up as the rest of them walked into the room.
"Where's Kate?"
Tucker sighed.
"Out talkin' to Brent."
She nodded.
The three guys sat down around Zac, giving him friendly pats and asking him to cheer up.
"C'mon Zac, it's 3 in the morning, I bet if you talk real nice to Kristen she'd make it worth your while…"
Kristen smiled sarcastically at Mark and flipped him off.
"Zac things are gonna be alright soon enough okay?"
He shook his head.
"Zac?"
He looked at her.
"Things don't usually get good after stuff like this."
Taylor sat in his seat on the sofa and watched Kate and Brent fight.
"Do what?"
"Bring him here you asshole! You know better! This is Zac, not Taylor, you shoulda left him home! Asshole!"
"Don't call me an asshole Kate, I brought him cause it's a party."
Kate looked over at Taylor. Taylor was not a partier, never was, and she knew that.
"Brent. Don't lie to me damnit."
"Fine Kate, I'll call ya next time I think I should come to a party…you know just to make sure."
"Fine then."
Kate stood back as Taylor stood up.
"Sorry Taylor."
He shrugged and turned away from her.
Brent walked to Kate and gave her a hug.
"Sorry I pissed you off Kate."
"No problem. Just think next time."
He nodded.
"Lets go Tay."
She watched as the two made their way down the steps and to his car.
Yawning, he stretched his arms high into the air and stood, looking back at Zac's bed, he shook his head. He and Tammy had fallen asleep in Zac's room.
Walking to the kitchen he stumbled, then figuring that he needed to pick up his feet, he hurried to the phone.
"Morning babe, hope I didn't wake you."
Isaac chuckled.
"Oh no, not at all, I only stayed up till about 4 with you last night. I'm real tired. I don't know how you can get up at 7 every morning. Are you tired?"
"Nagh, I feel great."
"What time is it?"
"Eight. Hey is Zac home?"
Isaac sighed, not that I'm aware, I think there would have been problems if I had been sleeping in his bed when he came home.
Tammy's voice dropped.
"Okay."
"Listen Tammy, don't get your hopes up okay? I mean, when he goes out like this, he usually doesn't come home for a while, you'll be lucky if he's home for dinner okay?"
Tammy sighed.
"Ike I can only hope though, He's gotta go a different direction then the way he's going."
"I know."
There was a long pause.
"Ike hon, I have to go, someone just came in, so I'll let you go and would you please call me if he comes home before 9:30?"
"Sure babes."
She thanked him and told him she loved him, then hung up.
Isaac hung up the phone then looked at Zac's bedroom door.
"For her sake Zac, be home soon."
Sitting up straight, he looked around the room where he had fallen asleep.
No one here. He remembered he had fallen asleep crying, he hated when he cried, what an awful feeling. Especially about Taylor, he hated to think there was actually that big a part of him that actually cared what went on between himself and Taylor.
He stood, and waited for a moment.
His whole body felt stiff, probably from sleeping on the floor all night.
Walking to the door, he paused.
"I hope no one says anything about it."
Pulling open the door, Zac walked out into the hall.
He was sort of shocked to notice the house was clean, there were no drunk high kids sitting in the hallway, no candy wrappers or chip wrappers, no empty coke cans or beer bottles. Even the living room looked just the way Mike's parents would have left it.
"Morning dude."
Mark waved to him as he kept his eyes intently on the video game he and tucker seemed so excited about.
"Kate and Scott and Mike are in the kitchen."
Zac nodded, stepping over marks legs to get to the dining room which lead into the kitchen.
Just as Mark had announced, the three teens sat around the table, eating cereal and drinking orange juice.
"Morning."
Mike smiled at him and then went back to his eating.
"Have a nice sleep?"
Nodding quietly Zac took a seat across from Kate.
"Is Kristen still here?"
Kate frowned.
"You really must've been out cold then, she left about an hour ago. Had to go to work, said she'd call you or something."
"Oh."
Zac picked at a tear in the table cloth.
"Hey Kate?"
"Yeah?"
He watched her as she shoveled in another spoon full.
"What time is it?"
She lifted her arm up to view the sports watch.
"It's 8:47. Why?"
Zac's face lit up and he smiled.
"Kate…"
"What Zac?"
"Would you do me a favor?"
"What's that?"
"Take me home please?"
"Why?"
"Because if I can still make it I'd like to prove Ike wrong."
She shrugged, drinking the last of her orange juice then standing and putting the empty glass in the sink.
"Sure. Get your stuff and get in the car."
