Brynn bit down on her spoon and glanced at the people sitting in the tables around her. She and Taylor were sitting at a table in the middle of the ice cream parlor. Holly and Mackenzie were at a booth, goofing off in the back of the parlor. Brynn had to laugh at how Holly could relate to seven year old.
She looked around again nervously at the several people who were staring right at Taylor. "Don't you ever get sick of being watched?"
Taylor laughed. "And how do you know they aren't watching you?" He said, glancing at her tight white tanktop and her bright purple skort. He thought she looked beautiful. He could barely take his eyes off of her.
"Because... They're looking at you." She laughed along with him and spooned another dallop of ice cream into her mouth. Then she turned around and glared at the teenager sitting behind her. She was short and round, and was burning holes into the back of Brynn's head. "Do you mind? I'm trying to eat lunch with my friend, Taylor."
The girl's eyes widened and she turned to her mother who was sitting next to her. "It is him!" She whispered.
Brynn rolled her eyes. "No it's not. It is NOT him. Go back to your food."
"But..." The girl reached into her purse and pulled out a pen. Brynn knew what she wanted. She turned to Taylor and sighed. Taylor shrugged his shoulders.
"Don't worry about it." He gave Brynn a quick smile. "I'm used to it." He walked casually to the girl and shook her hand. Then, when she finally finished pumping his hand up and down, she let go and handed him her napkin and a pen. He scribbled his name and a "Nice to Meet You", and then began walking back to Brynn.
"Wait!" She called after him. "I know you don't usually do this but... Can I have a hug?"
Taylor smiled, nodded, and gave her half of a hug, putting one arm around her shoulders. Then, when the girl looked as if she was about to fall over, he smiled one last time and went back to sit with Brynn.
Brynn laughed at the girl. "Doesn't that bother you?"
He shrugged. "Of course it does. But... it made her day, didn't it?"
"I think it made her happy for life." Brynn laughed. Then she smiled widely. "But she apparently doesn't like me very much."
"Aw. Why do you say that?"
"Because she just hit me in the back of the head with a cherry." She reached back and pulled a soggy cherry out of her hair, then she set it down on the table. "That would have come in handy if I'd have ordered a Sunday."
Taylor laughed. He looked over at Holly and Mackenzie. "Do you think they'd mind if we went for a walk?"
Brynn turned and looked at Holly. Holly, somehow knowing what Brynn was thinking, nodded and waved her hand, motioning for her to go away. "I don't think it will be a problem."
Taylor smiled and pushed in Brynn's chair for her, then he followed her outside to the street. They were downtown and there were cars everywhere. Brynn grabbed her sweater from around her waist and pulled it over her head, covering her arms. It was windy outside and her hair whipped around their face as they walked.
She stopped to laugh when a girl stuck her head out the window of her car, screamed, and almost swerved into the next lane. Taylor graciously waved to her.
Brynn sighed and yawned. It was only noon but her time with Taylor still seemed to be going by far too quickly.
"What's wrong?" He asked, staring into her eyes as they walked.
"Nothing."
He nodded and grabbed hold of her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. Then he smiled at her knowing that she was holding his hand as well. Her hand was small, nesting inside of his own, and it was one of the best feelings in the world to be walking down a strange street with this girl. "I want you to come with us." He blurted out.
"What?"
"To Erie. I want you to come. Holly, too."
She shook her head. "I have school... I don't think my mom would let me."
"Screw school. Take the week off. I want you to be with us. We'll get you tickets."
She laughed. "I think Erie is already sold out."
"So, you'll stand off to the side of the stage. It's not like the security guards can kick you out. I don't want to leave you here."
She sighed. "I don't want to watch you go... It's as if all my dreams are coming true and when you leave, it will be like waking up all over again. I don't know if I'll be able to bear it."
"So come with us. I already asked my parents..."
Brynn laughed, surprised. He hadn't left herside since he'd been there. "When?!"
He looked at the floor. "The other night... when you were in the hospital." He glanced down at her cast. He had scrawled a lyric to a song that he was working on. I never found myself, until I found you. I was lost inside my mind, until you fell into my arms. Then, instead of informally signing his name like he had done a million times to a million girls, he printed, simply: TAYLOR.
She sensed that he was looking at what he had written and she smiled down at it. "Everybody else just draws and picture and signs their name... you pour your heart out."
He shrugged. "That's nothing. Give me a couple days."
"I'm looking forward to it." She smiled at him.
Taylor stopped suddenly and looked into her bright green eyes. "Does that mean you're coming?"
"I'll ask my mom." She smiled. "And I'm sure she'll say yes."
Taylor threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly, rubbing his hand against the small of her back. "You don't know how much this means to me. You'll make that one leg of the tour so much better."
She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder, completely unaware that they were hugging on a street corner in front of half of West Hazleton.
Breathing in the scent of her hair, he pushed her away slightly, just enough so that he could kiss her again. More passionately than he'd ever kissed another girl before, he held her as close as he could until another car drove by, honked it's horn, and somebody yelled "WOOHOO!"
They pulled away from eachother and laughed, held hands, and continued to walk to their destination unknown, never wanting to let go of eachother again.
Three hours later, after waiting forever for Brynn and Taylor to come back, Holly grabbed Mackie's hand and walked him back to Brynn's house. Isaac met her at the door, shooed Mackie inside, and then pulled Holly onto the bus. "You're coming with us!" He yelled when she gave him a look of confusion.
"Huh? What? Where? Who? You?"
He laughed. "Erie, you... Brynn... us. You're coming with us!"
"Are you serious?!"
"YES!" He took a deep breath. "Taylor just called on his cellphone. He said sorry they never came back to the ice cream place. They were hanging out in a park. But anyway, he asked mom and dad the other night and they said yes, but he never told me. Butthead. But you're coming!"
Holly screeched and hugged him tightly. "COOL! Two concerts! YEAH BABY!" She yelled.
Isaac laughed and hugged her back. "And maybe... I was thinking... tonight..." He stuttered.
"Speak up boy!" She laughed.
"I mean, if Mackie will let you go for about an hour or so... I was thinking maybe you would come with me to find a place to eat or something."
"Sounds good to me. But I don't really know this town. You forget, I'm not from here."
"Right." He remembered her telling him that she was from Williamsport. "Well then we'll go restaurant shopping."
"Ok. I don't think Mackie will mind. I think he's moved on. I probably wasn't interesting enough for him."
Isaac laughed. "Well then, he's crazy." Smiling at her, they went back into the house to wait for Brynn and Taylor to come home.
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