"So Darren's having this party, and we're all invited. I thought it'd be kind of cool, or fun, maybe, if we went." Isaac stared nervously at his two younger brothers. He knew what they were, and that neither of them seemed to be enjoying it too much. He couldn't help wonder though, would they try and turn him? And did he want to turn? What would this do the band?

"Sounds like fun." Zac said, coldly. Taylor nodded, unenthusiastically.

"Um…great…so, you just have to ask mom." Zac got up and left. He didn't like Isaac. Isaac was the "goody-goody" of the family. Sure he was nice, nice enough anyway, but he was still a prissy, perfect brat. He'd never done anything wrong. When Taylor stole the neighbor's toys, Isaac was the one to tell on him. When Zac had snuck a girl into their bedroom Isaac had been the one to tell on him. It wasn't like he'd done anything wrong anyway. How could sex be wrong? His parents did it all the time, and they were noisy too! At least he had had the courtesy to keep it quiet. But his parents had said that 11 was just too young to be having sex.

Taylor hadn't really spoken to his mother since he changed. The used to be able to talk about anything, he wondered why she hadn't brought it up.

"Hey mom?"

"Hi, sweetie. What's up?"

"Well, um, Ike found out about this party, and I was wondering if it'd be alright if I went."

"I think it's a wonderful idea. You haven't been out much. You're so pale, and you've been so quiet I think you need to be around some people." She hugged her son, and Taylor smiled. She was just like she always had been, warm and smelling like flowery perfume. "Baby, are you alright?"

"Huh? What makes you think I'm not?"

"Honey, you're crying."

He swiped at his nose, to find it wet and salty. He hadn't even known he was crying. He laughed. "I didn't even know. I guess, I just missed us being so close. I felt like you didn't love me as much anymore."

He felt like a 2-year-old, as his mother sweetly held him in her arms and whispered to him. "You're just growing up. It's my job to let go, to let you live on your own. But I'll always love you, always. I'm so proud of you. You're my angel baby." He sighed, content in her arms.

"Hey, sorry to uh, ruin the moment." Zac laughed, walking around the corner.

"Oh that's fine, Zac." Diana let go of Taylor and he walked out of the room.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm going with Tay and Ike to that party."

"Oh, you're informing me, are you? Did you get permission?"

"But you just told Tay he could go, so I figured it'd be the same with me."

"I would have let you go, but that's not the point. It's the principle of manners. It's respectful for you to ask me for permission, and it’s rude for you to just come in her and proclaim to me things, which I have not granted you."

"Sorry, mom."

"I don't think that will cut it, young man. I don't think you should be able to go to the party. For the past months you have been a rude, mean boy, and you don't deserve to go out."

"You're grounding me?"

"Yes."

"I didn't do anything wrong!"

"You've been rude and disrespectful to me. That's wrong enough to ground you."

"That's not fair!"

"Well I'm sorry to inform you, life's not fair."

"You're only doing this because you don't like me. If Taylor had said that you would never ground him!" Zac growled.

"Don't you dare use that tone of voice with me."

"If Taylor was 'rude and disrespectful' you'd let him get away with it!" Zac repeated.

"No I wouldn't."

"Yes you would, he's your 'angel baby.'" He accused.

"Zac, don't bring Taylor into this. He has nothing to do with your behavior."

Zac laughed. "If only you knew." She stared at him, confused. "I'll be back around 1, with Taylor and Ike."

"You're not going!"

He waved her off. "Yeah, whatever."

Isaac wore khakis and a dark green shirt, Taylor stood next to him, clad in black and red. Zac stood behind them, pushing to get out of the door before Diana came after him. Climbing out of the window, to sneak out, was a lot harder, now that he wasn't 4'11 anymore.

"Zachary Walker Hanson! Where in the hell do you think you're going?" Mr. Hanson stood behind his son.

"Just outside for a bit."

"You're not going to that party. Now get upstairs."

Mouthing off to his mother was one thing. She wasn't threatening, and if she threatened she wouldn't ever carry it out. But his dad, he was the authority. Even though Walker had never laid a hand on any of his children, they knew he would if he was pushed far enough. Zac had pushed the line all his life. If there was a line with sides labeled good and bad, Zac would be the one jumping from side to side to see if he'd get in trouble.

"Dad." He whined.

"Go." Zac hung his head and walked up the stairs.

The music thumped and the people laughed. Isaac stood by Taylor, his brother? Obviously he was his brother. Just because he wasn't "human" didn't mean he wasn't his brother, right? Or did it mean that? He was so confused.

Girls laughed, guys chatted. It was a clean party; no drugs, no drinking, and no sex. Well, maybe a little sex.

Isaac drifted towards a few of his friends and was soon engulfed in a conversation. Taylor swayed between a few groups of girls, but soon realized he'd have to stay away or else the urge to feed would be too strong. He was glad Zac wasn't there. With almost 30 teenage girls, all in revealing tank tops, and a bed room 50 paces away, there could have been a lot of trouble with him there.

"Hi. My name's Rachel." She was blonde. He hated blondes. Not that there was anything wrong with them really, it just seemed like everybody wanted to be a blonde. The last kind of girl he wanted was one that wanted to be "just like everybody else." It was the same want that had made Venisa so attractive to him.

"Hey, I'm Tay."

"I'm a big fan. I just wanted to let you know that. And I'm really looking forward to when you start doing appearances and stuff again."

"Well thanks, um…"

"Rachel."

"Yeah, Rachel. Thanks, we can't wait to start playing again either." He smiled and walked away. He just didn't feel like interacting.

"She cannot keep me in here. I'm not some fucking circus animal." Zac paced across his floor. "Ya' know what? Fuck it! I'm not staying." And he went to his window. The rope ladder they had still hung down the side of the house and Zac began to crawl down. "This was so much easier when I was 10." He muttered.

Safely one the ground he looked at his room. The lights were turned off, but the window was open. It was a hot summer night anyway, nobody would care.

Taylor sipped another soda, he shouldn't be drinking so many. He'll have to spend the rest of his night peeing. Oh well, at least it was something to do. Someone would come up to him and he'd say, "Excuse me, I have to get another soda." It was an escape. Not that he didn't want to talk to the people, some of them were really interesting people, but he needed to feed and he needed it bad. He wouldn't allow himself to take someone who was a friend. He wouldn't do what he did to Phoenix, ever again. But he needed something.

The door slammed open, the sound even louder than the music. Taylor looked over his shoulder. Zac. "What are you doing here?" He asked, attempting to be casual but obviously angry.

"Nice to see you too, bro." He grinned. "Mom, changed her mind."

Taylor was about to say something when Zac turned away. He didn't need anymore "mother-in-training" comments from Taylor.

"Hey." Taylor stared blankly as a short red-headed girl started talking to him. "My name's Tamera."

"Huh? Oh hey, I'm Tay." Taylor glanced at the girl before searching the party for Zac.

"Nice to meet you." She extended her hand. When she realized he wasn't planning on shaking her hand she pulled it back, shyly. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Yeah, sorry." He said sweetly, realizing he'd hurt her feelings. "I'm looking for my brother."

"Which one?"

"Zac."

"Oh, he went out back with some girls."

"Is he still out there?"

"Probably."

"Thank you so much." He threw the pop can at her and left.

"What's your name again."

"Kara. Like 'Care-a'."

"Oh ok, it's nice to meet you."

"And I'm Lacie."

"Hey." Zac nodded at the three girls around him.

"Hey I'll be right back." The third girl, Rachel, grabbed Lacie and headed back into the house.

"So, Kara, what's up?"

Kara stared at the ground. "Nothing."

"You've got to look up."

"What?"

"How can you see what's up, if you're looking down?"

"Oh, well, um…I don't know." She laughed a little.

"That was the cutest laugh I think I've ever heard." He grinned. He liked how she made him feel the way he felt before the turn. He reached out to her. He leaned against the banister of the porch and pulled her to lean against him. "Do you want to go somewhere?"

"Where?"

He kissed her cheek. "Away."


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