Ring, ring...
"Ugh," Jayden groaned, dashing down the stairs,"I'm coming!"
She reached the phone seconds before the answering machine came on.
"Hello?" Jayden said breathlessly.
"Hey, Jayden?" Zac asked,"Why are you breathing so heavy?"
Sitting down on the couch Jayden asked,"Zac? Is that you?"
"Yep."
"Oh, ok. I was just running to catch the phone before the machine picked it up," Jayden explained, slightly confused. Why is Zac calling me? He never has before, unless he's looking for Tay... Or what if-?...
"What happened, Zac? What happened to Taylor?" she asked, panicked. Why else would he be phoning but to give me bad news...
Zac quickly calmed her down,"Nothing's wrong, Jayden. Don't worry."
Jayden felt her heart rate slow down considerably and warmth return to her face,"So when did he finally get home? Oh, and how long is he grounded for?"
"Uh, he hasn't come home yet. I was just calling to see if you had heard from him at all," Zac said.
Jayden's face fell,"Oh, no. I-I'm sorry, but I haven't heard anything."
"Hey, you don't have to apologize," Zac said quickly,"Mom's just freakin' out a little and I thought I'd just see if you knew..."
Looking at the VCR clock, Jayden found she had been asleep for nearly 6 hours since her mother had called. No party lasts that long, at least not any party Taylor would be a part of...
"Jayden?" Zac broke her thoughts.
"What? Oh, yeah, I'm here," Jayden said,"I really wish I could help you, Zac, but-"
Zac sighed,"I understand. But if you know anything, or he tries to call you, anything..."
Jayden paused, not knowing what to say. Should I tell him about our fight? About how Taylor was joking around about running away? she thought. Nah... I mean, he couldn't have been serious about that, not Taylor. Not the guy who lives for music. Especially after what I did to him; he'll probably beg for the tour to start a day or two early just to get away from me...
"Zac?" Jayden spoke up.
"Yeah?" Zac said.
Jayden bit her lip,"It's about yesterday afternoon, Tay and I, we..."
"Had a little fight?" Zac finished.
"Yeah, except it wasn't all that little..."
Zac exhaled heavily,"Did you two break up?"
"Sort of..."
"Sort of?" Zac echoed,"Well, not to be pushy and rude, but did you or didn't you?"
Jayden didn't know how to reply. I'm talking to my ex-boyfriend's brother about our fight. How's that for ironic?
"I don't really know for sure... I sorta stormed off so fast- we didn't really talk," she said softly, tears welling up in her eyes.
On the other end of the phone line, Zac wasn't sure how to handle the situation. He was exactly Mr. Romance Expert, having been able to count the number of dates he'd had on one hand. Just don't make her cry he coached himself Once she starts, she'll never stop...
"Oh, Zac! I was such an idiot!" Jayden burst out, releasing a huge sob.
Damn it! Too late! Zac thought. Ok, now just be nice and gentle... Sensitive to her emotional needs... 'Sensitive to her emotional needs'?? Where'd I come up with that trip line?
"I'm sure everything's gonna be all right," he said nervously,"Taylor's never been known to hold a grudge."
Jayden frowned,"Yeah, but until yesterday, he wasn't known to run away either..."
"Run away??" Zac piped up,"He ran away?"
Shit Jayden thought I leaked it...
"Jayden? What do you mean he ran way?" Zac asked firmly.
Reaching for a tissue, Jayden tried to cover her slip-up,"No, Zac. He- well, maybe. I don't know-"
Zac kept pressing her for details,"But where'd you come up with that idea so fast? I mean, he must've said something to you!"
Jayden gave in,"Zac, promise not to tell your parents about this? Or Ike?"
"I don't know, Jayd. Mom and Dad are really worried..."
"Please?" Jayden said, her voice quivering but forceful. The last thing she needed was Mr. and Mrs. Hanson blaming her for Taylor's disappearance.
Zac sighed,"Ok, I promise. Now can you tell me what's going on?"
Taking a deep breath, Jayden recalled the entire conversation she and Taylor had held the day before; How he had been upset over having to leave her to tour... Talking about the two of them running away so they could be together, though he said it as a joke. And finally, with tears streaming down her face at this point, Taylor's abrupt proposal.
"He proposed?" Zac cried, obviously surprised,"Woah... What did you say?"
Jayden swallowed the lump in her throat,"I told him that I loved him, but I-I just couldn't. We're 16, Zac! 16! I have no idea what I want to do with my life and-"
"Calm down, Jayd. Don't defend your decision," Zac said softly,"That's an awfully big question to spring on you..."
Jayden reached for yet another tissue,"Yeah... But you didn't see his face. It was like I could see his heart breaking right in front of me. And I'm the one who did that to him..."
Ok, this is getting just a bit too weird for me Zac thought, mind whirling,First Tay asks a girl to marry him and then he disappears...
"That must be why he ran away," Jayden declared,"Sure he made it sound like a big joke, but maybe he really was serious... and I just finalized his decision."
Zac once again found himself trying to comfort her,"It's not your fault... I mean, he must've been dreading the tour long before to make him do something like that... It wasn't just a sudden idea."
Woah Zac thought, I can't believe Tay would do this. He loves music and getting to see all of the fans... His running away just doesn't seem to fit the equation... A beeping sound broke into the silence that hung in the converstaion.
"Oh, that's my call-waiting Zac," Jayden said,"Thanks for calling... I really needed that."
Zac tried to hold in his sigh of relief,"Uh, yeah. No problem..."
"And remember, you promised not to tell anyone..."
"Yeah, I remember," Zac chorused,"But Jayden, I really think that we should tell my mom and dad about this, especially if Tay doesn't get home soon-"
Jayden knew she was in for a guilt trip, so she cut off the conversation,"Zac, I've got to answer the other call before they hang up, ok?"
"Yeah, sure. Bye" Zac said, frustrated, before hanging up.
Jayden pressed the call waiting button reluctantly. She was not in the mood to talk with anyone...
"Hello?"
"Hello! I'm Candy Bauer from Lil' Miss Sweet Cosmetics!" said a sickeningly-cheerful voice,"Would you-"
"Not interested," Jayden said rudely before punching the 'Off' button. Telemarketers... Ugh, where do they get so much energy from??
~Chapter 22~
~Chapter 20~
~HOME~
