Zac sighed.
It wasn't like he'd thought he liked someone before, it was more or less that he didn't quite understand it this time. What exactly was it about Kristen that he kept coming back to.
There was just something about her he didn't quite get. He liked her, that was obvious, but why, and what was it that had started it this time? She was nice, yes, and she hadn't appeared to have done anything wrong by him yet. But what was inevitable he thought, was that every girl he'd ever seen something in had actually done more to pull the shades over his eyes then help him out.
"Zac are you there?"
"mm…wha?"
"I was asking you what you did today? I tried calling you earlier…"
"I know, I was having a little…problems. Just, nothing really. Tammy and I…and Ike…"
"So how are things going at your brother's house? Are you getting along with him better?"
Zac frowned. She wasn't exactly supposed to know all about Isaac. Well it wasn't really that easy to keep a secret, but he'd only been there for 2 days, and it was already around to Kristen. He was going to need to have a little chat with his friends come morning.
"Uh, they're going okay. I mean, it's not home, they're a little…I don't know…more strict here? Something like that I guess."
He sighed again. He hadn't realized it but having Tammy yell at him actually stung a little. He hadn't exactly MEANT to piss her off. And for an odd reason, he'd actually felt something when SHE had yelled at him. Why was that exactly, why didn't it matter when his own mother said something to him?
"Hey Zac?"
"What."
"You umm…would you….like…I don't know…maybe like.."
"What Kristen…"
"Never mind."
"Whatever."
She scowled. If that's how he wanted to act then so be it. He apparently didn't understand the kind of feelings she had, and that too was okay. She understood not everyone was really all that smart. She and Zac had been through enough as just friends, and if he didn't want it to go farther that was okay.
"Listen Zac, I have to help my mom out, I'll talk to you later."
"Are you going to be around tomorrow?"
"I don't know."
"Well Kristen, surely…"
"I said I don't know."
"Well sorry…"
She shook her head. And growled.
"Whatever Zac."
Before he could get in another word he'd heard a deafening click and his head rolled back on the pillow.
"This can not be good."
Brent sat down next to his friend on the sofa, this time promising not to leave his side.
Wrinkling his nose at the Bud light that had been placed in his hand he sighed.
"Now, this beer just sucks. I mean, it's like panty waist stuff, you can take this on with a chug I'm sure. I'd much prefer a stronger brew, but hell, it's free so I'll make do."
"I don't know Brent…I mean, it's beer. I've had like 10 of these in my entire life."
"Well then. Number 11 here we come."
Taylor shook his head. Not quite sure just exactly how he was supposed to convince Brent that this wasn't such a good idea. The human body could only consume so much alcohol, and as far as Taylor's body was concerned, half a beer would be just dandy.
"Like this Tay, just chug it."
Taylor watched as Brent killed off an entire bottle of beer, barely losing a drop, and not once coming up for a breath.
"Just like that eh. You animal you."
Brent nodded.
"At least 15 more tonight. Now drink up."
Taylor held his cold bottle up at eye level. It didn't even look appealing, and what was that bramble Brent was yammering about how girls liked a sober guy? What was that all about anyway? If Tay was sober AND single, he was probably going to be not even close to sober and REALLY single.
"Taylor man! Just do it!"
Sighing and frowning, Taylor lifted it as he squeezed his eyes closed.
"That was the funniest damn thing I ever saw, hey Tay you remember when we met up with Sarah Liln from high school right after graduation and she almost tripped down those stairs?"
He and Brent broke out, the rest of the group not quite seeing the humor. Tay had a hold of his 9th beer of the night. And considering Taylor Hanson didn't drink beer, that was a lot.
Sighing he leaned back against the wall. He’d moved around, done his fair share of conversing, being around, talking to the folks. Matter of fact, the group he was with now was just fine. They were laughing sometimes. They weren’t too into it though. Not to understanding most of the time.
He’d seen a few pretty girls, he’d mentally checked those in his brain, he probably wouldn’t remember them anyway, with the headache he would probably have, but it was worth staring at them anyway. Brent hadn’t left him for long, once to go to the bathroom, once to get food. Taylor had actually been social, had actually talked to people, moved around. When was the last time he’d done that?
Okay, he thought. This was definitely more fun then sitting around all night, and doing absolutly nothing, other then thinking bad thoughts about the girls that kept walking in and out of the house. But he did have to admit, being drunk would take some getting used to. He wasn't used to feeling lazy and weighed down.
Now he actually had a sense of humor, and people were talking to him. He'd said no to the weed several times, it had come around at least 5, and he was proud that he'd had some limit to this party. But he had to admit, drinking a couple beers definitely had an advantage now. Not nearly as bad as he'd thought it would have been, and he was laughing his ass off. How much better could things get?
If every party he went to from then on was like this one, he’d have to strongly consider not having anymore beers. He’d have to think long and hard on how boring it was before, sitting all by himself and watching people puking on the carpet, cause now he could sit on the sofa, surrounded by people, and watch people barf.
Turning his head slowly to limit the gloshing around his brain, he watched the people in the room. He felt awfully sluggish, but that was to be expected. He'd just filled himself with the shittiest tasting (at least that's what Brent had told him) beer on the planet. Yawning he tapped Brent on the shoulder.
"Wha?"
"I'm a little tired, maybe we should…like go or something."
Brent sighed and nodded.
"Wha time is it."
Taylor whipped his hand up to his face at a rate that was incomprehensible to him, and tried to focus on the hands.
Sighing Taylor smiled and showed his watch to Brent.
"What time is it?"
"It looks like it's 4, but that can't be right, it's not light out."
Brent frowned.
"4? As in 4 am?"
Taylor sighed and smiled.
"Oh yes…that'd be why it's not light out. You know, time really goes fast when you have a couple beers in ya."
Brent shook his head.
"Uh oh Tay, exactly how many drinks have you had tonight?"
Shrugging and yawning once more, Taylor used his fingers to count in a very slow manner.
"Nine. I'd like one more but I'm not so sure I can get up anymore."
Brent winced.
If Kate knew about this he'd be dead for sure. It was bad enough seeing ONE Hanson drunk and drugged, she had admitted, that there was really nothing to be done about Zac. And he'd been doing THAT for quite sometime. It had been agreed however, not to drag Taylor into any of their affairs, that wasn't fair, they were too good of kids, they'd been raised too well. As of then, Kate was trying her damndest to wean Zac off of whatever it was that was really inappropriate anyway, so it was totally uncool that he was allowing Taylor to get like that.
"Taylor…you don't think 9 beers is a little much for you?"
"No no no…they're very tasty. I'd like another please."
Brent shook his head.
"I can only imagine the hangover you'll have in the morning."
Taylor nodded as Brent stood up. Turning to the other people they had been sitting with he smiled.
"Listen, um…We've got to jet."
They nodded, suggesting they understood the cause and left it at that.
"C'mon Tay. Time to go home."
Taylor wasn't much help at getting himself to stand, and it was quite comical to watch Brent trying to lift him, but eventually the two made it out to Brent's car, as Taylor was shoved into the passenger door and seat-belted in.
"This is the last time you're going to drink alright?"
Taylor shook his head.
"You don't look so sure Taylor."
Taylor yawned once more.
"Aww man, I'm gonna be in so much shit."
"Where's Isaac?"
She sat up abruptly, noticing her Isaac wasn't still laying next to her.
Patting the blankets as if he might have shrivled to nothing or something of that sort she frowned.
Standing from the bed she walked to the door of the room and opened it, hearing laughter downstairs, she shook her head.
"Must be another of Isaac's College buddies. He's going to piss Zac off royally if he's not quiet. I'm going back to bed."
Before she had made it back to her side of the bed, she heard a loud crash, and the sound of pieces of glass clinking all over the floor.
"Oh damn, what have they done now?"
Racing out the door and down the stairs, Tammy ran through the living room and into the kitchen. What she saw was more surprising then angering.
"What are you two doing?"
Isaac looked over at Tammy, a sheepish grin plastered on his face.
"Well see, I woke up this morning, a little early you see, but I came downstairs and Zac was already up, so we decided to…to…"
She sighed as Isaac broke into a fit of giggles and waved his hands around.
"What Ike is trying to say is we were TRYING to make you breakfast, but….well…"
Zac started laughing as he motioned towards the glass covering the floor.
"We had a little accident just now. You see, our favorite mixing bowl landed on the floor, just missing Isaac's toes."
The two started giggling again and waited for an uproar from Tammy.
As she looked on, checking to make sure she was safe from glass where she was standing she started to smile. She had thought that the two brothers were a little angry at each other. Whatever happened to that? And why on earth were they in the kitchen, a 20, almost 21 year old, and an almost 16 year old, giggling over broken glass? She could only imagine the way her pancakes would have tasted, if she hadn't gotten up just then.
"I thought you two were mad at each other?"
The giggling stopped as the two Hansons turned back to Tammy.
Shrugging Zac sighed.
"It wasn't like we were intending on coming in here and laughing our guts up. It was just an idea. Not something we planned to enjoy ourselves with. I know how to make pancakes better then Ike does anyway."
Isaac frowned.
"No way. Who used to make them for our entire family every Sunday? Certainly not you."
"Yeah, well yours aren't very good anyway, I used to feed mine to Mackie all the time! He was the only one who would eat them! Even then they had to be soaked in syrup."
Tammy shook her head. Would the bickering never stop?
"Enough you two. Just clean up this mess and I'LL make the pancakes."
The two snorted in agreement and bent over, picking up the big pieces first.
