Albie and Carlie shrieked. Chrystal's face broke into a huge grin, and she plopped herself down in Jaya's lap. "Good going, girl!"
"What?" Jaya gasped. "I thought you would kill me!"
"No way. Much as I like him, I'm happy for you." Chrystal glanced over at Carlie, who was smiling, if barely. "And I'm sure the rest of us are too, right guys?"
Cameron stood up and moved over next to Jaya, while poking her in the side. "We sure are. But dearie, you're only eleven, don't go too far now!"
"And you thought I had a perverted mind!" Nyle shrieked to Genesis, who lazily shrugged in response.
Then Taira grabbed up a pillow. "However," she began, "I'm sure some people would like to get a little even with you, if you catch my drift." She shot an evil grin to Albie, who suddenly understood. She stood up, grabbing her pillow, and whacked it at Jaya. She missed, and sent Chrystal sprawling.
Chrystal indignantly stood up and grabbed her own pillow, then pounced on Albie. Carlie started to defend her sister, and soon it was an all out war, with only Lana and Ginger standing to the side. They kept shooting each other, 'We could have been doing our hair instead' looks.
The next morning, Jaya woke up with the sun hitting her square in the face. She tried to roll over to get out of its path, but only succeeded in squishing Amber, who was sleeping next to her. Amber sat up, startled, and accidentally kicked Breeze, who just grunted and went back to sleep.
"Sorry Amber," Jaya whispered. The other girl just smiled while yanking her auburn curls out of her eyes. She reached into her overnight bag, which was sitting a few feet away, and pulled a blue hair scrunchie out. Then she stood up, motioning for Jaya to follow her.
The girls left the room quietly. They made their way back into the den, where Amber flipped on the television and started the N64. She handed Jaya a green controller, and took a red for herself. "So do you like Zac?" she asked quietly, intent on the screen. The Mario Kart logo appeared across the screen, and the game began. The volume had been turned down so that they wouldn't wake anyone else in the house up.
Jaya shrugged. "I didn't think I did... until he kissed me, that is. Now I don't know. I think so... yeah..." She chose Yoshi and smiled as her favorite green dinosaur cheered.
Amber herself picked Toad. She frowned. "I can't believe they changed Toadstool's name to Peach," she muttered, speaking of the Princess Mario was always saving. "So have you seen him again yet?"
"No... I haven't, but I hope I will soon. I don't know his phone number, but he's got mine... So we'll see."
Amber nodded thoughtfully. "I've wanted to meet them for a while," she said quietly. "You're lucky."
"At least you're not screaming at me," Jaya returned bitterly. "Like all those other obsessed fans would be. I just hope they don't find out..."
"Then you shouldn't have told Ginger," Amber returned, grinning at the thought. "It'll be all over school by next Monday, you'll see. Even though school's out. She's got a way."
Jaya sighed. "I hope not."
Zac slammed the receiver down for the fifth time that afternoon. He couldn't get up the nerve to call Jaya. He kept getting the awful feeling that he had done something wrong, whether she had said it was okay or not.
Isaac walked into the room as Zac tried again. "C'mon, bud, just call her. Punch in seven numbers, be brave. I know I'm asking a big thing, but hey, if you don't call her, you'll probably never see her again."
Zac squeaked. He got to the sixth number, but his fingers started to tremble. He banged it down again. "Oh Ike, I can't do it."
His older brother rolled his eyes. 'Not again,' he thought miserably. "What's the big deal about calling her anyway? You guys did all right last time, didn't you? You said you played FFIII."
"We did more than that," muttered Zac.
"What did you say?" Isaac asked suspiciously.
"Nothing." Zac remembered that Taylor had told him Isaac had kissed a girl once before, and she hadn't been particularly pleased. Taylor himself had never kissed anyone. He claimed he was waiting for the right person to come along. He wanted his first kiss to be special.
"Ohhh... I ruined my whole life!" whined Zac pathetically.
Isaac looked at him in an amused fashion. "You'll have to tell me what you're talking about before I can answer you, Animal. Speaking of, where's your hyper edge lately? Flown out the window?" He plopped himself down next to his brother, who had sprawled himself out on Taylor's bed.
"I should've gone with Taylor and Kenny," sighed Zac. "Rollerblading would've taken my mind off all this." Kenny was one of Taylor's friends, but Zac knew him too, if not as well.
"All WHAT?" demanded Isaac, his patience wearing thin.
"I kissed her," Zac said meekly, looking to his brother. "After her friend, Chrystal, fell asleep. Right before I left."
Isaac sat back against the wall, letting the information settle. 'Zac kissed Jaya? Okay, now that's a little fast, there. What on earth was he thinking?'
"Hoo boy," was all he could say.
Zac sighed, staring at the upper bunk. The wooden slats holding up the mattress were insanely interesting. The little knotholes and discolored wood drew in his attention, and his eyes traced the ring lines. He reached out his hand and ran his finger across the wood, then hastily pulled it back as he got a splinter.
"Yow. I'm glad I sleep on the trundle bed," he exclaimed, examining his finger. He gently drew the splinter out with his teeth.
"I'm glad I sleep on the top bunk," returned his brother. "Taylor got stuck, didn't he?"
"I think he likes it," Zac said, glad that Isaac had forgotten about the kiss. At least, he hoped he had.
But Isaac had done no such thing.
"Taylor, you will not BELIEVE what our brother did to Jaya!"
Taylor raised an eyebrow at his older brother. "Try me," he said, turning back to his computer. After he clicked around a little bit, he suddenly realized Isaac hadn't said anything. He looked at his brother's face, which was a mix of, 'I can't believe this kid,' and 'Will he never get his butt off that computer?' Sighing, Taylor detached his hand from his mouse and gave Isaac his full attention.
"He kissed her... Taylor, before you've even kissed anyone. He said something about ruining his whole life, but I think that was just for effect... Haven't you noticed he's been depressed and moody lately, though?"
As Taylor thought about it, he realized Isaac was right. Zac had been moping around like a dog without a bone. Or something to that effect. "That's... Zac? Why would... gee willikers." He paused. "So what do we do? Not like we're going to tell Mom and Dad about it."
"True. He's been avoiding calling her though. I have a feeling if we invited her over ourselves, that would be kind of.. obvious. Let's arrange a... surprise meeting. Does she rollerblade?"
"I don't think so. How would I know, Ike?"
His brother shrugged. "Umm... let's say... geeze, this is going to be hard." Isaac sighed, falling into the hard, wooden chair next to Taylor's soft, rotating computer one. Suddenly, he got an idea. "Let's leave her a note... from a friend. Zac said earlier her friend's name is Crystal. How hard would that be? Tell her to meet Crystal near McDonalds."
"How do you spell her name?" Taylor wasn't leaving any room for error.
"Gotta be the same as every other Crystal, right? How hard could that be?" Quickly he grabbed a sheet of computer paper out of their printer. "Hand me a pen, Taylor." He did. "Okay, what do we say?"
"You're the genius, you come up with it!"
"Okay, okay. 'Dear Jaya.'... no, that sounds too formal." Isaac erased furiously. "'Hey Jaya, busy today? Hope you're not. Meet me at McDonalds at seven.'" He paused. "How do I close it?"
Taylor spun in a circle, tucking his body in a small ball on the chair. He stared at the ceiling as he went around. Since his neck was stretched, his voice came out with more of an effort that usual. "How about..." he drew another breath, "From... Crystal? Simple, effective,... makes sense."
"That should work. Okay, now how do girls fold these things?" Taylor straightened his head and stopped spinning. She sighed at his brother's incompetence.
"Look." He grabbed the sheet of paper away from Isaac, then folded it on the desk right next to the computer. "In half, like this..." his fingers flew across, and in less than a minute he had an efficiently folded note. Isaac gave him a look. "Michelle taught me a while ago."
"Sure," smirked Isaac. He stood up and made his way out the door. Taylor watched him until he was out of sight.
When Jaya got home from her sleepover, she found a well folded note on her front stoop. Frowning because she didn't recognize the fold, she read it thoroughly. It was signed by a 'Crystal.'
'Now, who would impersonate Chrystal?' Jaya wondered, reading and rereading the note. She knew it wasn't Chrystal herself for four reasons. First, it wasn't Chrystal's handwriting. Second, she wouldn't have spelled her own name wrong. Third, she had just come from Chrystal's house, and there was no way that Chrystal had been to her front walk and back before Jaya herself. And why hadn't she just mentioned it at the end of the party? Lastly, Chrystal always folded her notes a certain way, which wasn't this.
"Hmm. Might as well just go and find out what this's all about," she muttered, making her way into her house.
* * *
Zac wandered down the stairs aimlessly. He still hadn't called Jaya, and he was afraid he never would. Glancing ahead, he saw Isaac and Taylor putting on their coats, laughing with each other. Isaac saw him first.
"Hey, Zac, come with us to McDonalds." Zac leaned against the side of the stairway, hands in pockets.
"Nahh... not in the mood," he said dully.
His brothers exchanged a glance. "Well, we'll go on ahead... if you don't come by seven, we're going to have to hurt you. Besides, Mom's not making dinner for you tonight, so if you don't come, no food," Taylor warned.
After a moment's thought, Zac replied, "Okay, I'll come in fifteen minutes.. that'll be quarter of seven. It'll be so busy... but fine... if you insist."
"We do," smiled Isaac, and he and Taylor marched out the front door.
Zac meandered down the streets of Tulsa on his way to McDonalds. It was the appropriate time for the want of food, and he could see several families in cars, apparently going out to dinner as well. He just hoped they weren't all heading to the same restaurant. His thoughts suddenly took an unexpected turn, as they happened to those days. He could see Jaya in front of him, looking perfect, even though he knew she really wasn't. His mind tended to blow her out of proportion, though when he was with her, he really didn't care either which way.
She was smiling at him in his mind, beckoning him to follow her. They raced through a meadowland together, barely stopping at a stream. She seemed to fly over it, and when she reached the other side, she turned to Zac, and motioned for him to continue. But the small stream suddenly became a huge river, and Zac couldn't cross... Jaya's illusion gave up in disgust and turned into the forest which was on the other side of the swiftly flowing current. Zac was about to call out--
When he suddenly realized he had made it to McDonalds. Sighing, he wondered why he couldn't control his daydreams... Why was it that they always ended up with her just out of reach? Was it his subconscious mind that kept him from being near her?
Jaya ambled down her street toward the McDonalds, staring at the bright stars. Her eyes flickered over their patterns, which changed so often over the course of a year. Smiling, she found Cassiopeia the Queen, Andromeda's stepmother who had her chained to the rock. She really wanted to know the rest of the story, but kept forgetting to look it up. She found Greek and Roman mythology fascinating and exciting.
She continued down the street, fingering her pocket. After letting her hands linger for a moment, she dipped within and pulled out the false note from Chrystal. She studied it as she walked, trying to figure out who had left it for her. The handwriting was awful, though legible, but it wasn't that of any of her friends.
Sighing, she refolded it and put it back. She would figure it out soon enough. She could see the McDonalds in the distance. Jaya quickened her pace and hurried to the fast food joint.
Zac looked around for his brothers. They weren't in the normal meeting place, beneath the eves near the door. He couldn't see them sitting on any of the benches outside in the courtyard, either. He frowned. Something wasn't right. He proceeded through the courtyard and to the side door of the restaurant. He made his way through the random assortment of benches, chairs and tables, and walked to the front, near where people were ordering their food. Taylor and Isaac were nowhere to be seen.
'This is wacky. They're trying to pull something on me,' thought Zac, still peering around intently. He heard the door behind him open and close again, but no one passed him by. Thinking it was one of his brothers, he turned on the person angrily.
"What do you-- Jaya?!" he gasped. She was standing there staring at him, eyes wide and green. After a second of shock between the two, Jaya began to glare at him.
"Oh, really funny Zac. Leave me a note from Chrystal just to drag me here, when you perfectly well know my phone number. You scared me half to death! I didn't know who this was from!" She marched up to him, sticking the note in his hand. He looked at it blankly.
"I didn't--"
"Enough," she interrupted him, brushing past him to get in line for food. She stood there, staring down at her shoes as if they were insulting her. Then she closed her eyes briefly.
Zac, baffled, opened the note. He read it through, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. He walked over to Jaya slowly, hoping to get some things straightened out without her screaming at him.
"Jaya?" he said softly when he was near enough to touch her elbow.
"What?" she returned, wheeling around. The look on her face made Zac feel weak in the knees, but he kept on.
"This is Ike's handwriting," he managed to say, "And I'm sorry I didn't call you, but I couldn't get up the nerve. You're really nice, Jaya..." he paused. "Well, most of the time--" Jaya giggled. "And I really like you. I guess my brothers knew that and set this meeting up."
The look on Zac's face was one Jaya wouldn't forget. He was totally unsure of himself, looking to her for approval. She probably wouldn't ever see the bashful side of Zac again. She moved up with the line, still intent on getting herself some dinner.
"Oh, all right, Zac, you're forgiven, don't give me puppy eyes." Jaya smiled, and Zac's face lit up. She reached over to hug him.
Zac, trapped in Jaya's embrace, didn't know what to do. Tentatively, he reached his arms up and circled them around her, holding her close. He smiled, then suddenly tense as he heard someone snicker behind him. Jaya felt it and broke away, looking over his shoulder. Then she smiled and followed the line as it moved up.
Turning around, Zac found himself staring at Taylor and Isaac, who had been hiding in one of the bench seats which was surrounded by a wall. He stuck his hands on his hips, glaring at them, and they waved back cheerily, perfectly happy with what they had done.
Shaking his head, Zac followed Jaya to order his dinner.
Jaya slid herself down into the bench seat, placing her tray in front of her. Zac sat opposite her with his own tray, but decided to reach across and steal some of her fries. Jaya didn't protest, but instead nabbed some of his own.
Taylor and Isaac walked up casually, hands in pockets, smug looks plastered across their faces. "So, Animal," began Taylor, a satisfied tone to his voice, "looks like you and Jaya will be seeing more of each other, am I right?" He sat himself down on the bench next to Jaya and grinned at her before looking back to his younger brother.
"Let me ask you one thing guys," Jaya started before Zac could say anything. "Did you honestly think I would believe this note was from Chrystal?"
Isaac looked startled. "What do you mean?"
Jaya rattled off every reason why it wouldn't be Chrystal's note. "Finally, you spelled her name wrong."
Isaac blushed and sat down in the chair next to Zac. "You were right, Taylor, there WAS another way to spell Crystal. With an H, I guess?"
The girl nodded while dipping her chicken nugget in her ketchup.
"Uhh, guys?" Zac asked, looking to each of his brothers. "You wanted us to get together, am I right? Well, then leave us ALONE!"
Jaya giggled at the expressions on Taylor and Isaac's faces. The surprise was evident, and the disbelief followed slightly after that. It was Zac's turn to look smug. Taylor stood up and grudgingly left, while Isaac shot Zac a thumbs up sign that Jaya wasn't supposed to see. She did anyway.
After they were gone, Zac shook his head, as if in apology. "Forget those loons. They're great, but they don't always have their heads on straight," he said. "I, on the other hand, am the brain of the group, always right, every time!" He closed his declaration with an enthusiastic slam on the table.
Jaya smiled, taking a sip of her slice. "Zac, you're something else. I'm not sure whether that's good or not, yet, but I'm sure it will be."
Zac put on an expression of mock-outrage. Jaya grinned, glad that she was seeing him again.
Chrystal slid the receiver of the phone back into the cradle. She sighed, hanging her head in her hands. Jaya was usually never out this late, and Chrystal was bored out of her mind. She had tried calling Jaya for the past half hour, but to her, it had seemed like the past four years.
Rolling over in her bed, Chrystal reached for a magazine. She didn't realize which one it was until a picture of Hanson flipped into view. She sat up, startled, eyes still on the magazine. "That's where she is. She's got to be with Zac! Finally!"
Chrystal pushed herself from her bed and dashed across her bedroom to her closet, where she tried to find something to wear. Then she paused, realizing that she couldn't just barge in on the two. She didn't even know where they were. Sighing again, she flopped herself down on the floor in a jumble of arms and legs. A soft knock came on her door, and she called, "Who is it?"
"Me," was the response. Chrystal, of course, recognized the voice. It was Austin. She stood up and opened the door for him, and he stepped inside. His eyes roamed over her messy floor for a few seconds, then turned to Chrystal's face.
"Chrys, what're you up to? I'm bored."
"Funny, so'm I. I can't think of a single thing to do." She kicked her way through a pile of dirty laundry and over to her desk, where she ruffled through her magazines again. "I've read all these twice through, I'm sure of it," she muttered, loud enough for Austin to hear.
"Want to come with me over to Brett's house? We're going to lie around bored for a bit. Well, until ten, that is. Then I'm going to come home."
"Oh, why not?" she asked herself, crossing back to the door, scattering more clothes as she went. She followed Austin out of her room and down the hall to the garage door.
"Say, Chrys, isn't that Jaya?" Austin asked, pointing out his window. Chrystal looked across the car and over his arms, trying to see through the darkness of the night. There was, indeed, someone with bright red hair walking down the street, and Chrystal assumed it would be her friend. Especially since next to her was a blonde boy.
"Pull over, Austin, it's got to be her." Austin obliged.
Jaya and Zac frowned as the car that had just passed them turned around and doubled back, shining its bright headlights around them. They both turned, shielding their eyes from the glare, trying to see in the windshield.
Then the lights were by, and the car pulled to a stop beside them. "Jaya!" came a voice. Jaya instantly realized the car held Chrystal, and if Chrystal was in it, it was a safe bet Austin was driving.
"Chrys? What're you doing?" Jaya asked. Zac stood back behind her, not wanting to intrude in the conversation.
"I was going to ask you the same thing. Mind if I join you guys? It sounds a lot more interesting than going to Brett's house for no reason."
Jaya turned to look at Zac, who shrugged his acceptance. She turned back and answered, "Sure, c'mon, let's go to my house."
Her friend bounced out of her brother's car, slamming the door shut with a loud bang. She turned and started talking into the window. Jaya and Zac couldn't hear her, but a few minutes later, Austin pulled away, Chrystal waving happily behind.
