The room was dimly lit, candles mostly. Taylor looked around and noticed only one table lamp, standing in a corner, was on.
The soft glow spread around the room evenly enough. Despite it's light, the room had a loud appearance. There were over 2 dozen scrambling teenagers, walking around, glasses filled with some form of alcohol. There was loud music, freaky people…and drugs.
Taylor found most parties Brent stumbled upon as boring. He occasionally sat back and watched people…something that passed the time just fine. Other times he just danced, listened to the music…ate.
Taylor wasn't a big partier. He went to them just for the sake of doing something. Very few times did he find something good to do.
He rather envied his brother Zac right about now. Zac could party.
Yup, Taylor thought. That kid could find more things to do at a party then Tom Hanks at the Oscars. There were few things Taylor could think of that he wanted badly from Zac, that was one.
Brent walked up and slumped down on the sofa next to him.
"You don't look like your enjoying this one."
Taylor shrugged.
"Not this kind of party anyway."
Taylor glanced around, grimacing at the amounts of people, sitting huddled on the floor, in corners, in the hallway, shooting up and sniffing.
"That just doesn't look appealing to me. More pain then gain that's what I think."
Brent smiled and nodded.
"That's not the only thing to do at parties like these."
Taylor shook his head vigorously.
"None of that stuff is for me dude. If you want to…well then you can, I won 't stop you or rat you out, but I'll sit here till you're done and wait to go home."
Brent patted Taylor on the shoulder.
"You should try it sometime."
Taylor shook his head once more.
"Nope. That stuff is for the birds."
Brent stood, grabbing the bottle of beer that sat between his feet.
"Want some?"
Taylor smiled appologetically.
"Sorry dude. None of that either."
Brent shrugged.
"Your loss dude."
Turning around, Brent walked down the hall to a closed door, he knocked once then entered.
The door shut and Taylor sighed.
"Wow. This is going to be one helluva night."
Diana sighed loudly and spun on her heel.
"Zachary Walker Hanson!"
"Mom! I'm NOT going!"
Zac turned towards the door.
As he reached for the door handle, he paused.
"And what made you think of sticking me with Isaac anyway?"
He turned back, and walked out the door.
As he jogged down the hallway, Diana yelled at him.
"Either say yes now, or everything in this room will be on the front sidewalk when you get back here tonight!!"
He paused for a moment.
"Give it up mootheeer."
He stretched out the word and emphasized 'Give it up.'
Walking to the front door, he pulled it open.
Grabbing his blades he stepped out onto the porch.
"I so badly need a car."
Plopping down on the front steps, he began strapping up.
"She wouldn't kick me out of her house. No way."
He brushed his hair back out of his face.
"Not a chance."
Tammy craddled the phone on her shoulder, while pulling chicken out of the oven.
"Hi honey."
Tammy smiled.
"Hey Diana, what are you up to?"
Diana sighed.
"Oh nothing. Packing a little bit of stuff."
Tammy frowned.
"What stuff?"
Diana sighed again.
"That's what I need to talk to you about hun."
Tammy placed the chicken on the counter.
"Well?"
"You should sit down, cause this is going to be long, and I need your help a little."
Tammy walked to the table, sitting down, she grabbed a kit kat bar from the table and peeled the wrapper off.
"Alright, here goes…"
Isn't that Ironic, she thought. Little Zaccy Hanson thinks his mom wouldn't do anything like put him out of the house.
She laughed again, taking her seat back at the table.
Diana had called with her situation.
Zac had walked away from her (so very Zac like) in the middle of a fight, and she had told him, that if he didn't respond, he was out on the street.
He hadn't responded.
So Diana had called Tammy for help. The object of this lesson was to get Zac to appreciate home a little more. The whole plan, for him to turn to Isaac and Tammy for help. A place to live for a while.
He wouldn't enjoy it, but the whole point of this lesson was to learn something, not to sit back and coast through, reading the Sunday Funnies.
Tammy found it rather interesting, Diana had seemed to be having problems with Zac for quite some time now, Isaac had said something about a family problem that resulted in Public school for all the Hanson children and a 'non-speaking' relationship for the boys.
She had shrugged it off at the time, but had noticed occasionally that Zac seemed to pull more and more rude and disrespecting things at home.
So Diana had stood up this time.
Good for her.
Tammy smiled again.
Now just time to break the great news to Isaac.
"So then."
Zac glanced up.
"So then what?"
"So then, want to go like, hang out with someone?"
Zac shook his head.
"I'm kinda tired Kate."
"Oh please. Don't be such a sour patch."
"I'm not."
Kate grabbed the collar of Zac's shirt, a grin spread across her face.
"Oh yeah?"
She leaned forward and planted a kiss firmly on his lips.
"Still tired?"
Zac smiled.
"Uh huh."
She frowned.
It was kind of interesting, she thought. She and Zac weren't really dating, no, they had never dated. They were just best of friends. Like, the very best of friends. They did everything together, partied, went to the movies. She couldn't honestly say she loved him, because you sincerely can't love your best friend. She then had to remark that it was a different kind of love. It was love, but not the 'lets have kids and get married' love.
"You're too weird Zac."
"Why."
She sighed.
"Never mind. Wanna stay for dinner?"
Zac shrugged.
"I should really be getting home. My mom and…"
She kissed him again.
"Kate!"
She sat back.
"You can't do that! Sheesh!"
She shrugged.
"Why not?"
"I don't know. It feels strange. Like you shouldn't be."
"Mm. Okay. Whatever then."
Zac shook his head.
"Sorry."
"No. It's okay. Really."
The two of them stood up.
"You don't have to be all snotty about it."
Kate glared at him.
"All snotty?"
"Whatever I said."
"Shyeah. I would kiss my butt."
"Or not."
She shook her head at him.
Grabbing his sleeve she led him to the kitchen.
"How was school?"
Tammy walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Tiring."
He sighed and turned around, embracing her in a fairly snug kiss.
"Before we get all comfortable and happy with eachother, I need to discuss things with you."
Isaac frowned and let her go.
"What kind of things?"
"Ooohhh, just small family problems your about to take on."
Isaac took a step back.
"I don't really like the way that sounds."
"Yes well, you should get used to it for a while, cause it's going to be a long haul ahead."
He shook his head.
"Stop talking in fragments."
"Zac is gonna come live with us for a little while…"
She paused as she walked to the fridge, the way she sounded, it was more or less a fact, already decided and nothing was going to change it.
"first he has to come begging, or something of the sort, your mother said she wanted him to have to ask…Ike honey, why are you looking at me like that? I need to finish filling in the details."
She gave a brisk warm smile to him and then continued.
"He told her this morning, that he refused to come stay with us while they went to visit your aunt, and told him if he walked away from her, she would kick him out. Needless to say sweet buns, he walked away. So all of his stuff is piled outside I do believe."
Isaac's head began to slowly shake.
"That's a good joke Tammy, really it was, too bad you didn't save it for April fools or something."
He laughed uneasily.
"No joke."
Isaac's face went pale.
"Tammy, baby, we can't take Zac."
"We are now."
"Tammy! You haven't had to live with this kid! You don't know what it's like!"
Tammy shrugged.
"Well. I will soon now won't I?"
Isaac threw up his arms.
"No! This is my house too!"
"Ah yes! But also mine, and I've said yes already, he's your brother. He's staying here."
Isaac growled and stormed from the room.
Tammy leaned on the counter.
Sighing, she watched him leave, and heard a door slam.
"Sometimes Zac, you are such a dork I swear."
Zac shrugged.
As they pulled up in front of the house, Zac felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.
Kate slowed down.
"What's the deal?"
Zac stared at the boxes sitting on the sidewalk.
"Fuck!!!!"
Kate slammed to a stop as Zac jumped out of the car.
Running across the lawn he jumped onto the porch and tried the door.
Trying to turn the handle, he realized it was locked.
Pulling out his house key he jammed it in the lock and tried again.
"Damn!"
He ran around the house to the back door, only to find it also locked.
Running back to the front of his home, he stopped in front of it.
"Zac what's wrong?"
Kate stepped out of her car and walked towards him.
Zac sat down, his jeans getting drenched by the recently watered lawn.
Putting his head in his hands, he sat very still.
"Zac?"
He jumped up.
"I'm fucking over this place! Fucking people!"
He pointed balled fists at the house.
"Shit!"
He spun around, walking to where the boxes were stacked.
"Zac! Answer me!"
He turned around.
"She kicked me outta my own house!"
He sounded hysterically upset.
"Out of my own goddamn house!"
She frowned as a tear rolled down his cheek.
She walked to him, placing her arms around his body, and held him.
"Mom! I don't want to go damnit!"
"Hello?"
Tammy let out a sudden chuckle as she hung up the phone.
Kate slid off the bed where she and Zac had been sitting.
Isaac set down the bag of groceries on the kitchen table.
Kate pulled up the street laughing.
