"Damnit Taylor stop that!"

Brent stood up, walking to the miniature TV and readjusting it's antenna.

"I can't help it. I'm bored."

"Go find something to…."

Brent's voice trailed off as his gaze fixed on the television screen.

"Must be a damn good game going on."

Taylor jumped up from his position on the floor and walked to his kitchen.

"Why am I even coming in here? No food."

Taylor walked back into the carpeted living room.

"Want to go party tonight?"

"Taylor there is nowhere to party."

Taylor picked up the tennis ball at his friend.

"Damnit Tay!"

Brent jumped up, a grin on his face.

"I'm gonna shove this where the sun ain't never gonna…"

Taylor tripped backwards and landed on his butt, his teeth clenching down around his tongue.

"Shit!"

His hand went to his mouth and a wince of pain appeared on his face.

Brent flopped down on the floor laughing.

"Gee Tay! That's like, a little girl thing to do."

Taylor swung at his friend.

"Vewy Funny."

Taylor talked with his tongue half out of his mouth.

"Now that's a look for all Cirenda down at the campus."

"Bite me!"

Brent rolled back, laughing even harder.

"No no, you achieve that just fine!"

Taylor swung again as he stood up.

"Anyway. You mentioned a party?"

Taylor nodded, wincing again as he touched his tongue.

"Now that I think of it there are a couple downtown. They don't start til later, but I bet we could get in."

Brent moved to the tv again.

As Taylor walked to the bathroom, Brent followed him with his eyes.

"It'll be a good chance to meet girls."

Taylor shivered at the sink. Girls were a bad thing. Bad experience. All of them, he was quite sure, were some raw form of the devil. Out to kill man…or at least try, and if they didn't succeed, they were going to make his existance on earth on living…well…hell.

He glanced at himself in the mirror.

He had cut most of his hair off, when was it? About 4 months ago he'd guess. It wasn't all gone, no, he still had a good amount, but not enough to look like Zac. That had been Zac's thing. First, the three of them had been glued to each other, hair somehow linking them. Then after the ordeal of Taylor's girlfriend, Isaac had quickly chopped his no longer than 3 inches, Zac was going to, till Taylor had. So Zac had kept his long.

Taylor smiled.

One of those stupid things you noticed, when you had nothing better to think about.

Then of course there was school. Taylor had just graduated, which would be why he was on his own. In a smelly old apartment where he ate cornflakes and eggs every meal. His bed consisted of a matress lying on his bedroom floor, and what did he need a dresser for? Just something more to take up his space…he could just as easily throw things on the floor.

He sighed.

Closing the bathroom door and locking it, he looked back in the mirror.

Sighing again, he reached for a washcloth sitting in a heap on the sink.

Frowning, he leaned foreward.

"Why do things have to be this way?"

Diana laughed merrily.

"Oh fine, he's been busy lately. He went out to dinner with some of his buddies tonight, he said, 'sorry I couldn't come and all.'"

Tammy turned to Isaac and smiled.

Isaac picked up the mashed potatoes and laddled a spoonful onto his plate.

"Mom, this is some good food. Thanks for having us over..."

He paused, and looked up as she smiled weakly.

"But for an odd reason I have this feeling…"

His mother sighed.

"Mom, anything you want to tell me, ask me maybe?"

She rested her hands by her plate. Staring calmly into his face she shook her head.

"Your dad didn't want me to ask you…he said it would be too much of an inconvenience to you, well that and the fact that it would be utterly disasterous."

"What is it mom."

"Well, see the thing is, well, you know your aunt, she's kind of lonely up in Oregon without your Uncle around anymore…"

Isaac glanced at Tammy, who had continued eating, trying to ignore the conversation.

"and well, she called last week and asked…she asked if we could come and visit."

Isaac shrugged.

"How is that an inconvenience to me?"

"I'm not through yet."

Isaac frowned.

"All your sisters wanted to go, well of course we'd take Mackie too, and Zoe has to come, Jess asked to stay but she couldn't find someone to stay with so she decided to come, but that leaves…"

Isaac shook his head more vigorously with every shake.

"No No no no no no NO!"

Diana stopped talking and looked down at her hands.

"Isaac, listen. You don't understand. I think he would be miserable up there, I mean, it's way in the middle of nowhere, he's got no friends there, at least av and jess have friends…"

"Find him somewhere else to stay mom. I'm not taking him."

"Hear me out! It's only for a couple weeks, not an eternity, you're never home anyway, you're at school!"

"Mom listen to me, Zac can not stay at my place. He's almost 16! It's the middle of summer. I don't want to have to watch him, anyway, you know he doesn't listen to me."

"Nor does he me or your father."

"Mom?"

"What."

"This isn't just about you guys going to Oregon is it."

She sighed deeply.

"Is it mom."

She shook her head.

"I need a break Ike. He's always out with that girl, what her name? Kathrine? Katy? Something like that. Either way, he's running us ragged. I don't know how to deal with him. Sneaking out of the house, locking himself in his room. Yelling. Insults, he's starting to act like Taylor. It's like I try to get him under control and he just fights out more.

"So what then mom, makes you think he'd listen to me?"

"I don't know. You're his brother."

"That excuse would have worked a few years ago mom."

"Your about the last place I have to look Isaac."

Isaac shook his head.

"Mom I can't. I swear if I took him there'd be problems."

"I'll pay you."

Tammy turned her head toward Isaac.

"Mrs. Hanson, may we be excused real quick? I need to have a word with your son."

Diana looked surprisingly at her son's girlfriend.

"I guess."

Tammy grabbed Isaac's arm and pulled him into the hallway.

"Clarke Isaac!"

"What! What is that for!"

"Listen to your mother! Take Zac for a couple weeks, give her a break! It can't be that bad, he can be a nice kid."

Isaac shook his head.

"No."

"Please!"

"No!"

"Isaac. You walk in there and tell your mother you're taking your brother or I'll go to lunch with Taylor."

Isaac scowled.

"That's not a funny joke."

"Well then. I'm not joking. Go tell her."

Isaac huffed and walked out of the hallway.

"Well christ. I'll be here to pick the little jerk up as soon as you call me."

"Oooo I love you!"

Chapter three ~*BACK*~