Either did he.

The Dentras had left about a week ago, promoting their new album, called victims, and so, taylor, being lonely, had called up lissa to hang out.

"So Tay, what did you think of the interview?"

He smiled. Mercy had looked stunning.

Lissa had known quite well by now taylor liked her best friend. It was quite obvious at that.

"Oh wait, never mind, you weren't paying attention to the interview."

She lightly bumped his chin with her fist.

He blushed.

"You blush over everything kid."

He smiled.

"Not true."

"Liar."

They had just come from his house, where they watched the Mtv interview. Entirely caught up in it, lissa had been some what left to herself as he absorbed every word his friends said.

"They'll go far, they have some talent."

Taylor said it with almost pity in his voice, a sort of sadness.

"You should be happy for them kiddo. It's not like they wouldn't be happy for you guys."

"Don't get me wrong liss, I am happy for them. Sad sorta too."

"Tay. She's one weird girl, she's not wide open to certain....."

He cut her off.

"It's nothing to do with her being open or not. I think I've realised it's more some infatuation then a real life thing. There's no way I could possibly get her. No way."

"If you talk like that there isn't."

He sighed.

"Taylor I, I know how you feel okay. I'm not just saying that either. She may be very nasty to you, but I don't think she does it intentionally."

"Well it doesn't make the slap sting less now does it."

He looked at his Dr. Pepper.

Reaching across the table, lissa pushed the small lock of hair out of his face.

"Kid. No matter how mean she is to you, no matter how nasty and un-civilized she may be, don't ever call it just an infatuation. Talk some sense into her. I know damn good and well you have a brain in that scull kid, and I swear, if you don't stop talking so negative about this then I'm gonna have to wop it with a rock or something."

He grinned.

"Now. Mey may not be easy to talk to. But believe me. She's not closed minded, and I promise you Mr. Taylor Hanson, you will, I repeat will, talk to her sensibly and you will, get a response. I have faith."

She smiled and winked at him.

Feeling in better spirits, they stood, and she grabbed him by the arm and made him escort her from their table to the car.

Mercy's retort from the back seat made Zac shake his head.

"Mey. SHUT UP!"

Before she had the chance to hit him he lept from the car.

"HAN THE MAN!"

Zac Hanson jumped up from the porch, racing towards his friend arms outstretched. Smiling in a demented way, they embraced, then shoved eachother away as if disgusted.

Mercy grabbed her back pack, stepping out of the car and onto the side walk.

Rumaging through the back seat, while dorin and Jeremy ran to the house and walked in. Zac had since disappeared.

"Hey Mey."

Mercy stood up fast, slamming the back of her head on the car door frame.

"Damnit!"

Rubbing the back of her head and wincing in pain she turned around.

"What do you want?"

He grinned.

"Same ol' same ol' greeting eh Mey?"

She frowned. He was acting weird.

"I, well, I, what are you talking about?"

Taylor watched her face twist in confusion. He was laughing inside.

"Oh nothing. Just wanted to say hello."

"Whatever."

She turned back around, leaning back into the car.

"Mey."

Popping her head up fast, she smacked it again, this time a little harder then the last.

"What! Leave me alone!"

"Nope."

She scowled at him. Getting ready to turn back around, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

She stopped. He did not just touch her.

Picking his hand off her shoulder with irritation, she dropped it.

"What is your problem today? I think you've gone pyscho."

He stared at her.

"WHAT!"

"We need to talk."

She pulled back from him. He was being way weird. He now made her nervous.

"'Bout what?"

"A lot of stuff."

He pulled her away from the car gently and pushed the door shut. Taking both of her shoulders, he pushed her in front of him, walking down the sidewalk in a stiff pace.

"You wouldn't really. Not like I was like..."

Mercy stare at her feet. She and Taylor sat on the park swings, letting the breeze move them back and forth.

"So then how come you had to tell me all this then?"

He shrugged.

"So maybe you'd be just a tad nicer to me. Instead of being so devilish."

"I'm not devilish...."

"Yeah you are."

He sighed. Looking back up at Mercy, he watched her for a while.

"Sorry tay."

"S'okay. I only minded it it a little."

She paused for a while.

Standing from her swing she began to walk away. Turning back around she looked at him.

"It doesn't mean I have to be nice to you does it?"

He grinned. There was mercy for you.

Waving her off, she continued moving home.

Mercy's greeting at the front door of their house was not all that caring.

"I was at the park with..."

"You didn't even tell us where you were going, we had no idea what happened to you!"

Mercy was taken aback.

"I was fine, I...."

"Mercy, I dont' know if you've realized it or not, a lot of people know who we are now, and I'm not about to let you leave without telling us."

"Dorin I..."

"No but's about it!"

He turned, storming upstairs to his room, and slamming the door.

With a frown on her face, she turned to zac, who sat on the sofa next to Zac hanson.

"Don't worry bout him mey, he's just stressed."

"Why is he so bad though? I mean, I wouldn't expect it to lay THAT much stress on him."

"Oh, it's not the trip."

"What is it?"

Just then the phone rang.

Walking towards the kitchen, Zac yelled at her.

"Don't answer it!"

She looked at her little brother.

"Why?"

He took a deep breath.

"Last week, I got this weird call right, like before we left. And so we walk in the door right, and the phone is ringing off the hook, so I pick it up, and no one is on the line."

Mercy crossed her arms over her chest. Curious about Zac's tale.

"Well, it went on for about a half hour then stopped. Started back up again about an hour later! So we went and got an answering machine. Turned off the ringer. Someone is calling our house..."

Mercy grinned. Great.

So. Until we can either add another line, or get that one unlisted, then we aren't answering the phone.

Mercy sighed. The life of a music teen pop star.

"Hey Mercy."

Mercy looked down at Zac Hanson. He never said hi to her.

"Hey."

With a strange look on her face, she started up the stairs.

Closing the door quietly behind her, she sat down on the carpet.

Thinking about what taylor had told her, and how it had changed her views on him, she sighed.

She told herself a hundred times she didn't like him, couldn't like him. But with every time she said it, it seemed harder and harder for her to believe it. What was she going to do now?

Exhaling deep, she took off her shoes and pants and slipped under the covers of her bed. Clicking off the light, she shut her eyes. Not really tired.

Chapter 27 ~*BACK*~