"We all gotta get together sometime soon," Taylor suggested.
"Yeah," Alisha agreed, "that'd be cool. Well, we gotta jet in 15 minutes."
"Ok," Zac sighed. "Um...Lish? Can we talk for a sec?"
"Yeah, we need to talk," she said quietly. Gwen and Taylor left the room so they could be alone.
"Listen, Alisha, I'm really sorry about what happened the other night," Zac immediatly apologized.
"No, Zac, it wasn't your fault...things just got a bit out of hand." Alisha vaguely recalled making out with Zac at the party, but not going any further.
"Um...Alisha...do you want to, ya know," Zac started.
Alisha knew what he was getting at. "Zac, I'm sorry, but I don't know...I'm just really confused about things right now. I know it makes no sense, but please try to understand. Can we just be friends for now?"
Zac smiled slightly, respecting her decision. "Yeah," was all he could think of to say.
Alisha walked closer to him, put her arms around his waist, and rested her head on his shoulders. "Thanks," she whispered in his ear. There was a long silence that was broken by Gwen and Taylor walking back in the room.
"Hey guys, we really gotta go now," Gwen said when Zac and Alisha let go of eachother.
"Ok," Alisha said softly. The four kids piled into the car to head to the bus station. After a silent ride that seemed like forever, they finally pulled into the station.
"When does your bus leave?" Taylor asked.
Gwen glanced at her watch quickly. "Five minutes."
"Ok, we'll hang out here until you leave," Taylor said.
Alisha and Zac were silent, not really knowing what to say. Zac broke the silence. "Well, I'll call you sometime, maybe we can get together."
"Ok," Alisha replied just as the bus pulled up.
"Bye guys," Gwen said and hugged Taylor, followed by a gentle kiss on the lips.
"Bye," Taylor said.
"Thanks again!" Alisha shouted as they began to get on the bus.
Alisha and Gwen walked up the steps, handed the driver their tickets, and took some seats in the back. Alisha glanced out the window at Zac. "You like him?" Gwen questioned quietly.
Alisha slowly nodded her head with a blank face. "Oh well, it doesn't really matter, does it? We'll probably never see them again."
Gwen just shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? Tay and I were talking...we really wanna see eachother some more."
"Cool," Alisha replied and fell asleep on with a headache.
**********The next Thursday********
Rrrriiiinnnnngggg...rrrrriiiiiinnnnnngggg....
Gwen ran downstairs to answer the phone. "Hello?" she asked breathlessly.
"Um, is this Gwen?" a male voice asked.
"Taylor!" she exclaimed. "I didn't think you'd call!"
"Why wouldn't I?!" he laughed.
"I dunno, most guys don't!" she replied with a laugh.
"Yeah, well, I'm not like most guys. Hey, listen, are you and Alisha doing anything this weekend?" he asked.
"Nah, I don't think so, why?"
"Do you guys want to come down for the weekend?"
"What about your parents?" Gwen inquired.
"They're all still gone, won't be back for another 2 weeks," he replied.
"Cool!" she said excitedly. "I'll call Alisha, ok?"
"Ok, call me back after," he responded. He gave her his phone number and they said their temporary good-bye's. Gwen immediatly picked up the phone and speed dialed Alisha's number.
"Hello?" Alisha asked when she picked up the phone.
"Hey, Lish, guess who just called me?" Gwen asked excitedly.
"I dunno, who?"
"Taylor!" she exclaimed.
"Whoa, are you serious?!"
"Yeah, he and Zac want us to go down there for the weekend. Their family is still gone," Gwen informed her.
"Um...yeah, probably, hold on." Alisha set the phone down and Gwen heard muffled conversation in the background. Then Alisha came back on. "Ok," she said breathlessly, "I'm in."
"Cool! I'm gonna call Taylor back, talk to ya later."
"Bye Gwen," Alisha said and hung up the phone. Wow, she thought to herself, what's gonna happen between me and Zac?
**********Friday night, around 8:45********
"Hey guys!" Gwen and Alisha exclaimed as they hopped off another short-yet-long bus ride. Zac and Taylor quickly walked up to them and hugged them.
"So what's up?" Alisha asked.
"Not much, how 'bout you guys?" Zac replied.
"Nothing," Gwen said with a grin.
Taylor just said, "C'mon, let's get back to the house."
"I hope you're not planning anymore parties while we're here!" Alisha exclaimed while walking to the car.
"Nah," Taylor reassured her, "don't worry, we decided to pass that idea!"
"Good choice," Gwen laughed.
The 15 minute car ride back to the house they just talked about...well...nothing really interesting. They later pulled into the driveway and took their stuff in the house.
"So," Taylor started, "your parents didn't care at all that you spend the weekend with 2 boys they've never met?!"
"Actually," Gwen said with a guilty look on her face, "they think you guys are a friend of Alisha from camp."
"Ohhh, I see," Zac said with a smile.
"Damn," Taylor laughed, "you guys just got here and we're already bored!"
"Excuse me?!" Gwen asked sarcastically. "Are you saying we're boring?!"
"No, no, no," Taylor quickly said, "I was just saying...oh, nevermind!"
"Ok...!" Zac said. "You're weird Taylor."
"Gee, thanks for pointing that out, little bro."
"Anytime," Zac replied.
"So, what are we going to do now?" Tay asked. "Oh yeah," he continued, "I almost forgot!"
"What?" Alisha asked.
"Mom is making Ike check up on us tomorrow, so you guys can meet him," Taylor said.
"Oh great, Chewwy is coming," Zac sighed exasperatedly.
"Zac, you're so mean!" Gwen exclaimed sarcastically.
"Leave him alone, Gwen," Alisha defended her buddy and put an arm around him with a girn.
*****Zac*****
Wow. When Alisha put her arm around me I felt a rush of adrenaline. But I thought she just wanted to be friends? That seemed like a more-than-friends-arm-around-the-shoulder. God, I hope she wants more. When Tay and I went to pick her and Gwen up from the bus place I swear, I was so close to running up to her and holding her. But I held myself back. Just friends, I keep telling myself, that's all. No more, no less.
**********
It was around 11:00 am on Sunday. Gwen and Alisha weren't leaving until 7:30, so them and Tay and Zac were going to hang out with Ike for the rest of of the day.
"Where the hell is he?!" Zac asked. "He was supposed to be here...like 15 minutes ago." Just as he was about to pick up the phone, it rang. "Ike? Where are you?" he asked and picked up the phone.
"Um...Zac?" a feminine voice asked on the other line.
"Whoops," Zac said sheepishly. "I thought you were Ike." Oh my god, he said to himself, that's Jenna.
"That's ok," Jenna, Zac's ex, laughed. "So what's up?"
"Mmm...nothing," Zac said slowly. He didn't really want the others to know he was talking to her.
"Hey Zac, I was wondering if you want to go to a movie tonight," she asked him.
"I'm really sorry, I can't, I'm busy tonight. Sorry, I gotta go," he said quickly and hung up the phone. Wow, he thought to himself, that was really rude.
"Zac, who was it?" Taylor asked.
"Alex," he replied slowly.
"Oh."
Just then the phone rang again. Please don't let it be Jenna, Zac thought. "Hello?" he asked cautiously.
"Hey Zackie, is Tay there?" Phew. It was Mike.
"Yeah," Zac said, "hold on." He put the phone down and said, "Tay, it's Mike."
"Ok," Tay responded and sauntered over to the phone. "Hey Mike...yeah...I know...no! No parties! I don't think so Mike...no..." The conversation went on with "yes"s and "no"s and finally the door opened. "Mike, I gotta go, call ya, bye." He hung up the phone and saw Ike walk in. "Hey Chewwy!"
"Shut up, Tay," Ike laughed and came in the kitchen. "Hi," he said and smiled at Gwen and Alisha. He was especially eyeing Gwen.