Zac ran his finger down the window of the car.
"Your gonna be cleaning it inside and out you do that again."
Tammy's eyes stayed on the road in front of her, a slight grin playing on her lips.
"I'm just bored."
"I know."
"Is there anything to do around your house?"
"Probably nothing a 16 year old would want to do."
"I'm only 15."
"You're almost 16.."
"Yeah I guess."
"We could maybe play cards. You like cards?"
Zac chuckled from his side of the car.
"That's something my parents would do."
"Is it? Oh well I didn't notice."
Zac sighed.
"So what's for dinner?"
"I don't know, I've got to talk to Isaac, something with chicken."
Zac rolled his eyes.
"Chicken?"
"Yeah. Chicken, you got some deal with chicken?"
"I hate chicken."
"Oh, well Isaac said you liked it."
"Shyeah, next time ask Isaac if I'd really like you to gouge my eyes out with a branding iron and he'll say yes."
Tammy looked at him.
"You both do already know I will NOT take either of your crap from now on. You know that right?"
Zac shook his head.
"Not really much you can do."
"Oh really?"
Zac turned to look at her.
"I'm the only one who is keeping you in that house."
"So."
"So, I won't take what you gave your mom."
"So."
"Yeah, so. And I mean it, if you want a place to live you ARE going to live the way I tell you."
"Why, I shouldn't have to live any different from how I did."
"Oh yes you do. If I tell you to you will."
Tammy's face stayed calm, as she booked along a major street.
Zac sat back in the seat.
"We're having chicken for dinner, cause one, I want it, and two, just to spite you and your brother."
Zac folded his arms over his chest and glared forward.
"You can't make us be friends."
"No, but I can try."
Tammy walked in the house first, followed by Zac, who was carrying most of the groceries.
Isaac didn't look up.
"Anybody call for me?"
Isaac shook his head.
Motioning to Zac, he continued reading his magazine.
"Some kid came by here and dropped off two guitars."
"Did the kid have a name?"
Tammy looked down at Isaac.
"Scott or something. Yeah, Scott. Said to give him a call."
Zac shook his head and moved past Tammy into the kitchen.
"When did he come by?"
"Bout an hour ago."
"Thank you."
"Sure."
Tammy rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen.
Zac was slowly putting away groceries, opening cupboards and drawers to find where everything went.
"Oh, that goes up here…"
She grabbed the package of spaghetti noodles and tossed them in the cupboard above the refrigerator.
The two of them continued their unpacking as Isaac walked into the kitchen.
"What's for dinner?"
Tammy turned around, a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her face.
"Chicken."
She cocked her head to one side then turned back around to the food.
"Chicken? You sure you want chicken?"
"Oh yes hun, I do."
"But Zac hates chicken, don't you want to cook something he'll like?"
There was a hint of question in his voice.
"No. because I know you just love it kiddo, so chicken it is."
Isaac's face turned into a frown.
"You shouldn't try to make evil plans dear, they backfire."
"Don't even try it Tay, she's like, 8 years older then you."
"She doesn't look it."
"No but she is it."
Taylor leaned back on the benches woody back.
Tapping his fingers on his leg he whistled a tune.
One of he and Brent's favorite pastimes was to watch chicks. This was their favorite spot, a bench in the food court at the mall.
"Why are we always here?"
"Cause we're always single."
"I know, but maybe all these girls know about us you know…"
Brent sat forward, leaning arms on his legs and looking into the shoe store across from the bench.
"Is that Kyla?"
Taylor sat forward.
Kyla was some girl they had graduated with.
Squinting, Taylor glanced at her.
"I don' t know, that girl is too skinny."
Brent stifled a laugh.
"Let's go see her."
The two jumped up, walking briskly to the store.
Glancing around, they acted as though they too, were shopping for a new pair of the hottest new fashion.
The girl glanced up from her price tag checking and looked over at them.
"Oh my god is that Tay!"
Brent looked at him and gave a quick smile before he looked back at the girl.
"And Brent too! Wow! What a surprise!"
She did a funny little walk over to them and embraced the two of them in an akward hug.
Taylor gave Brent a wry look and shrugged.
"It's SO weird seeing you guys here! Like, this is the place I would NEVER expect to see anyone I knew, cept maybe like, Benny or matt, but they are like, mall rats, they live here. So what are you two doing!?"
Her face was all lit up, a twinkle in her eye.
"Oh, we were just looking for some shirts, stuff like that."
"Oh you goof balls! There aren't any shirts in a shoe store!"
Taylor gave an exagerated embarassed look.
"For real? I didn't realize."
"Yeah, you silly guys, hey! Lets go walk a little and talk?"
She patted both of them on the shoulders and led them from the store.
"You two like my new look? I lost 27 pounds, pretty sweet eh? Now if I can just keep it off!"
The two of them followed behind her like puppies.
"Have you guys had lunch?"
She turned back to them, waiting for an answer.
They had, but they weren't planning on telling her that.
"Nagh, we haven't eaten since breakfast."
"Oh boys, lets go get some chow."
Scott and the other members from their band sat around Kate's living room.
"I don't know! Ask him, I'm not his answering service."
"You act like it."
Scott was lead singer/guitarist in their band, and thought he was the best to lead the entire group period.
"Zac'll work it out, it's no biggie guys."
Mark was another guitarist, rather the neutral one, didn't matter to him what went on much. He just liked the music.
"Look guys, I'm tired of sitting around here talking about your personal proffesional problems alright?"
Kate stood up from her spot on the couch.
"It's a Saturday night, there IS a party on at Mike's, It's supposed to be good, I say we load all our asses up in my car, go pick up Zac, and head on over."
Everyone sat in silence.
"Well?!"
Mark shrugged.
"Shyeah, sounds like a plan to me man, lets go."
He nodded his head in content agreement and stood, heading for the door.
"Come on you three! Follow Mark and get a move on."
"What?"
Zac was rinsing dishes in the sink, and placing them in the drainer as they came.
"I was wondering, maybe I could like, go out somewhere tonight?"
"I thought you were going to help me at my office tomorrow."
She looked at him a little irritated, placing another plate into the rinsing side of the sink.
"Yeah I know, but I decided I can't tomorrow."
"Oh…and you think that's responsible?"
"No, I didn't say it was…"
"Fine. Don't go, I don't need your help anyway. But don't commit if you aren't going to do it."
Tammy turned back to her scrubbing, a scowl written on her face and her jaw moved with gritting teeth.
Zac frowned.
"Fine then, I'll go tomorrow! Damn! I just asked if I could go!"
"No! NO! don't let me stop you from having your fun. Go on! Just don't expect me to take your word for anything anymore."
Zac sighed.
"I said I would co…."
"Nope. I don't want your company. Just stay here tomorrow."
Zac threw a handful of silverware down in the sink.
"I said I'd go!"
"And I said I didn't want you to ruin your plans!"
Zac stomped his foot.
Turning on his heel, he stormed out of the kitchen into his room, slamming the door behind him.
Tammy sighed and let her head rest against the cupboard above the sink.
Isaac hurried into the kitchen.
"What was that all about? I heard a door slam…I was reading upstairs."
Tammy turned to him.
Taking a deep breath, she smiled and shrugged her shoulders cheerfully.
"Oh nothing Isaac honey. Nothing at all."
Isaac raised an eyebrow and shook his head.
"I don't think that's what happened."
"Oh trust me babe, that's what went on."
He shrugged and turned from the room.
"I'll be up in a little, as soon as I finish these dishes."
She heard his heavy footsteps as he proceeded up the stairs.
The door quietly shut with a click and she placed her hands at her sides.
Walking to Zac's door she swung it open.
"You slam another door in this house, I'll have you staining them all with a tooth brush and an eye dropper."
She turned around and quietly shut the door, leaving Zac to stew in his own thoughts.
