Chapter 9: A Cautious Risk-Taker



Later that night, we (Ike, Tay and I) were all laying in bed, but we couldn’t sleep yet. Isaac had slept in the van and wasn’t tired anymore. I hardly ever get tired it seemed, and Tay was hyper.

“Zac, I can’t believe you let Kat take a picture of me and Joey like that,” Taylor scolded me.

I put my hands up in front of me, showing that didn’t do anything. “I had no part in that whatsoever, so I expect you to put the full blame on Kat. She had the camera, she had took the initiative.

“Sure...” Taylor nodded his head sarcastically.

“By the way, when the heck are you and Joey getting together?” I asked suddenly.

Taylor shook his head. “I really don’t know. We have this little cat and mouse game going on. She does something sweet, I do something sweet. It goes back and forth, but it always seems something, like cameras for instance, ruin the sweetness of it. I swear I was this close,” Taylor held up his fingers that were about an inch apart, “to kissing her on the waterslide, but a lifeguard ruined it all. It would have been amazing. We were really close, I could feel her heart beat, and then the stupid guy in red shorts had to go and screw it all up. After that, she didn’t get near me until the ride home.”

“Wow. Tay, want some brotherly advice?” Isaac then offered.

Taylor snorted. “Sure. I need all I can get.”

“Go for it. I’ve noticed that Joey is a pretty girl. She’s going to have tons of offers, and if you don’t go for it right now, the whole chance might pass you by, and you might end up getting the all-too-familiar ‘I Really Like You, But I’m Involved With Someone Else’ speech. Trust me boy, it’s a heartbreaker.” Isaac offered.

“Well, I’m just so....so afraid of rejection that I don’t want to ruin our friendship right now,” Taylor made an excuse.

“Taylor, I may only be 12, but right now, it sounds to me like you need to stop making excuses and get the girl. Come on, you are 15 and you’ve only had one real girlfriend? Give me a break. You have to go after her. Take a chance. Yes I know there’s a possibility that you’ll come away heartbroken, but the possibility that you find a great relationship in all this is even greater,” I said. I was amazed at the advice I had just given. I didn’t know where it had come from, but I still hoped in impacted Taylor.

I heard Tay sigh a heavy sigh of defeat. “Okay, fine. I’ll do it. She invited me over tomorrow, so I’ll try to do it then. I’m going to tell you right now, though, if I come back with my heart completely shattered and my hopes of ever having a girlfriend in this lifetime lost, then someone’s face will be thoroughly mutalated.”



I could have sworn my stomach was in a million knots. Taylor was coming over. Taylor was coming over. My parents were leaving because I told them Taylor was just a friend. They had said I could invite a friend over, and then they found out that they had to go up to Bartlesville for my dad’s oil company and the kids were staying over at my aunt’s house. I told them nothing would happen, because Taylor and I were just friends, and they completely believed me. The fact was, I had no clue as to what would happen. They left around eleven in the morning, and I quickly tidied up my room for when Taylor came.

When the doorbell rang, I nearly screamed. I was happy, scared, and worried all at the same time. It was nerve-racking. I ran to the door and opened it to let Taylor inside. He smiled warmly and there was a very strange silence. Finally, I spoke.

“Um, do you want a drink or something?” I offered.

“No thanks,” he refused.

“I’ll give you the grand tour, then,” I suggested. Judging by our rocky start, I wasn’t sure the day would go so well.




“And the final stop is my room,” I led him into my now-clean room. I was somewhat obsessed with roses, so my room was decorated accordingly. My bed had a bedspread with roses on it, matching sheets and pillows. My curtains were made of a sheet with a rose print on them. The whole room was still mine, because Tara hadn’t moved in yet.

"Wow, it's, uh, rosy. I love your house. And Chris is so cute." Taylor said. I wasn't sure if it was a compliment to my room when he said it was "rosy." And I had shown him pictures that were on the wall of my family.

"So, what do you want to do?" I asked, changing the subject.

"What do you have to do?" he asked.

"Board games, video games, computer games, childish games.." everytime I suggested something he shook his head. "Uh, tapes, c.d.'s, video's...." I was beginning to go blank.

"Well, actually, I was thinking more along the line of.....well, something like Truth, or something." he spoke kind of softly and blushed. I knew something was up.

"Why would you want to play Truth?" I asked, suddenly intrigued by his suggestion.

"Cause, it's easy to find out things about people." he simply stated.

"Oh, well, can't we do something else, I dug myself in a hole last time I played Truth. I don't like the game at all."

"Oh." his face fell. We sat and brainstormed for awhile.

"Do you draw?" he asked.

"I doodle."

"We could have a coloring book celebration or something."

"That is a good idea. It's not boring, it's fun and it's childish. It's perfect, I'll be right back." I retrieved the coloring books and some blank drawing paper. I also brought pens, pencils, colored pencils, and crayons. "Choose your weapon." I laid out the objects onto my floor. He picked up a pencil, and a blank sheet of paper. I grabbed a "Doggies are Cute" coloring book and began to color. After about an hour and a half, I noticed Taylor kept looking up at me, then at the paper. I was coloring on my fifth puppy.

"Are you drawing me?" I inquired looking up at him.

"Yes." he said, looking at me, then at the paper again.

"Let me see." I hopped over next to him.

"Nope, sorry can't do that. This artist never reveals his work until it is done." he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Not even for moi?" I asked, placing a hand on my chest and looking up like I was so innocent or something.

"Not even for toi." he said.

"You know French?" I asked, trying to take his mind of the picture so I could steal a glance at it.

"A little. I've been there a couple times with dad. And of course when we went on our world tour." he pulled the paper closer to him. I guess he noticed me eyeballing it. "Okay, I'll make you a deal. If you go back over there and color one more picture, it will be done. Deal?" he asked. I thought for a minute.

"Sure." I walked back over to my spot and began coloring. I kept seeing the picture of Rose when Jack was drawing her. I hoped mine looked as beautiful as that.



About twenty minutes later, Taylor called my attention. I had been so caught up in what it was going to look like, imagining it, I forgot about it.

"I'm done." he said, scribbling something at the bottom. I figured it was his signature. "Here." he handed it to me and I quickly grabbed it from his grasp. When I finally saw it, it was more magnificent than I had pictured. I looked better in the picture than I did in real life. Then, I read where he had scribbled. It said, “Jo, you don't realize how much you mean to me. I have been wanting to tell you this, but I never had the guts. My art pours out my feelings though, and these of which I write are true and great. Will you be the one I would call my girlfriend? Love, J. Taylor Hanson.”

"Taylor, it's so beautiful, of course I will." I said, my heart almost bursting. He had put it so soft, so elegantly, and with the picture; he just melted my heart. I leaned over to him, sat on his lap, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I kissed him softly and quickly once, but it was immediatly addictive and I wanted more. I gave him another and another and another and another. With each kiss, our breath became shorter and my hands began to run themselves through his hair and his hands found the way to the back of my shirt, steadily moving upward. And right when it got more intense and I was ready to give him the slip of my tongue, the doorbell rang.

"DAMN DOORBELL!" I yelled in the frustration that no one else could get the door. For once I was comfortable with being so close to a guy and something ruined it.

"Ignore it." Taylor said with a lust in his eyes, trying to kiss me again.

"I can't. No one else is home. Just give me a minute." I reluctantly pushed him away. I looked at him longingly once more before I got up, left the room, trudged down the stairs and opened the door. There stood Kat.

"Hi." she chirped.

"Thanks for pulling me out of my intense love session with my new boyfriend." I stated flatly.

"You are welcome. Who's your new boyfriend?" she queried.

"Uh, think a minute weirdo! Who have I hung around the last few months...?" I watched her eyes get wide and her mouth shape into and "o".

"Really?" she gaped. I nodded my head, I couldn't hold back the smile. Then someone grabbed my waist. It was Taylor. He had snuck up behind me and now had his hands around my waist and his head on my shoulder.

"Hey Kat." he greeted her.

"Hey Tay." she replied. Then Kat yelped. Zac, had snuck up behind her. I guessed he had either followed her or had called and found out Kat was here. But what I was certain about, was that he had been dropped off somewhere.

"Hey Zac." Taylor snickered. I joined in on the laughing.

"Hi Zac." I said.

"THAT WAS MEAN! You scared the crap out of me." Kat crossed her arms and stuck her nose into the air. She wouldn't even look at Zac.

"Awww....Kat, come on, I was just playing. Pleeeeeeeese look at me?" Zac begged for her attention.

"No." she closed her eyes.

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?" he whispered into her ear. She gave in then. Right after Zac did that, she got a whole body shiver and turned around and hugged him. A little turned on, Kat? I thought to myself. I leaned my head back and rested it on Taylor's neck. He squeezed me a little tighter.

"Who wants to go for a walk?" Kat asked suddenly. We all agreed to go for a walk in our calm, tree-filled neighborhood. We also had a park nearby.

We had a nice walk, then Taylor and I returned to my house, and Kat and Zac went to Kat's place. It was so cute how they walked hand in hand.

Chapter 10: Questions, Answers and New Experiences



"Zac," I asked as we walked back to my house, "do you ever wonder what love is?" Yes, I admit, it was a strange question, especially to be asking a 12 year old that. But he answered the best he could.

"Sometimes....I mean, I really wonder how long it takes to have something become a serious relationship. I guess that could mean I wonder what love is like. I mean, I've gone out with some other girls before, but....I don't know, I guess I do sometimes. But I'm only twelve and have a long time to think about things like that." he looked down. I dropped his hand and applauded him.

"That was a good answer Zac, a very good answer." I kissed him on the cheek and then we walked up to my front door. We walked in we began up the stairs to my room.

"Honey, is that you?" my mom called from the kitchen.

"Yeah," I stopped on the stairs.

"Oh, hi Zac." she noticed him. Then she smiled and winked. I loved the relationship I had with my mom.

"Hello Ms. Leverington." he said politely. Since my mom and dad broke up, mom has taken her maiden name.

"Zac, please call me Susan." she smiled. It was kinda' like the warmth I felt when Diana smiled at me. "Honey, why don't you invite Zac to stay for dinner. We are having macaroni and cheese, steak and mashed potatoes."

"Zac?" I turned around and smiled at him.

"Sure, if I can call my mom and ask." he made his way back down the stairs.

"That would be wonderful. Now there will be three people to dinner." she added. Zac went into the kitchen and took the phone off the hook and began to dial. Then my mother took me just out of his earshot and started talking to me. "I love him, he is so cute. Is he yours yet? Will you have a small party and invite him and a couple other people over. I like that idea, a coed sleep over. Will you?" she asked. This is one of the reason's I love my mom so much. She trusts me and gives me usually suggests fun things to let me do. Sometimes she gets mad at me when I don't want to do something like that. In return, I feel obligated to do my duties in the house.

"Yes, he's mine," I laughed at her reaction, "and if you will lend us the basement, I will certainly have a coed party." I made my half of the deal.

"Yes, but please don't go too far. I will make exceptions for spin the bottle and MAYBE seven minutes in Heaven, but you have to promise nothing TOO bad on truth or dare." she put up her half.

"Deal." I said. Then we shook on it.

"She said I could." Zac interrupted our huddle.

"Oh, that's wonderful Zac." my mom said and walked back into the kitchen.

"Your mom sure is nice." Zac piped in after the few seconds of quietness.

"Yeah, she wants me to have a coed party."

"Coed party?" Zac asked confuesed.

"Girls and boys, a sleep-over, for both." I added. His eyes widend.

"Really, who are you inviting?"

"You, Tay, Jo, Ike, and if he has one, his girl, and some other people."

"Yeah, Ike has that girl he was talkin' to at the water park, Kelly." Zac rolled his eyes.

"I take it you don't want me to invite them."

"Not really."

"Okay, lets go up to my room and do something." I suggested. He followed me upstairs and to the right. I never did understand why we had a two-story house with five bedrooms and only her and I lived there.

"I love your room." Zac said as he had done every other time he came into my room. I had it painted, literally, by me. It started out as white, but my mom told me "It's your room and you can do anything but harm it." So, since we have wood floors, I got out some paint and began to paint it. Mom got this house about a year after the incident between her and dad. I was about 4, maybe a little younger, maybe a little older. So, lots of painting had been done on it.

"At my party, maybe everyone could paint something." I said as the idea formed in my head.

"Great."

Then we sat down and started to talk.



"Are you goin' to Kat's party?" I asked Zac. Then I realized what a completely stupid question.

"Do you realize what a completely stupid question that was Tay?" Zac rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Actually I was just thinking that exact same thing."

"So, did you do it?"

"Do what?" I asked innocently.

"Did you ask Jo?"

"Nope..."

"Chicken."

"Did I say I was done? I simply said I didn't ask her. I actually wrote her. I drew a picture of her and signed it with a question." I smiled.

"You did it?"

"No Zac, I just made that little part there up to make you happy, of course I did it stupid."

"Oh, cool."

"Yeah."

"So, what's going on with you and Kat?" I nosed around in Zac's business.

"Uh, she Frenched me."

"What was it like?" I asked, very attentively.

"Well, it was wet, but not, like, slobbery or anything." Zac said, beginning to look a little uneasy.

"Zac, is something wrong?"

"Tay, if I tell you something, do you promise not to tell anyone?" he asked. I nodded and peaked out the door. After that, he closed the door and locked it. Then he started whispering.

"Zac, why are you so hush-hush about this."

"Cause its embarassing!" he yelled in a loud whisper.

"Okay, tell me."

"Promise me, pinky swear, that you'll never tell a soul." he was very serious. I rolled my eyes.

"Tay promise." he whined, but it was accompanied by a great forcefulness. I was almost scared.

"I promise." I grabbed his pinky in mine.

"You can't just promise, swear." his eyes got more and more wide. I was afraid they would pop out soon.

"Shit."

"Funny wise ass, now swear." he said. When Zac cussed, you knew it was serious.

"Okay, I swear, geez, tell me already, and don't cuss."

"Okay, remember when we went to the reunion? Well, in order to ask Kat out, I had to be somewhere private. So we ended up behind the bathroom. I only figured I would just ask her out, she would say yes and then we would leave. I asked her out, after a bunch of stuttering problems, she said yes, but then we didn't leave. She kissed me. Well, at first I thought, 'Hey, it's not like we haven't done this before,' but then it got worse. My hands seemed to have a mind of their own and they started wandering. Before I knew it, they were up her shirt. I was just like, right, like... um...." Zac slowed.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"Just give me a second," Zac paused and took a breath. "I was right under her swimsuit, when I began to get that feeling--like something was about to happen in my pants, understand?" Zac said, his face turning red. I simply nodded. "Well, it did. I thought she'd look down and burst out laughing, but instead, she was really nice about it. REALLY nice--with her hands, if you catch my drift..."

"Oh...my....God," I breathed. My little brother had felt the sacred touch of another woman. I wanted to puke. It wasn't gross or anything, it just made me feel so naive for my age. "Then what happened?"

"Well, I let her be nice for a little, but then I told her I was going to be sick and ran to the bathroom, to um...um...you know," he blushed a blazing crimson.

"Yeah, relieve yourself," I filled in.

"Oh, man. I can't believe I'm even telling you this..." Zac sighed. He was more embarrassed than I have ever seen him.

"Zac, I'm your brother, you don't have to be embarrassed. It's natural, " I condoned him.

"Well, anyway, after that I was fine. Kat kind of looked at me funny when I came out, but she didn't ask and I didn't tell. It was a weird experience for me. What I was wondering was if..." at that moment, Ike walked in.

"Wondering if what?" Isaac asked, nibbling a carrot.

"None of your business, Bugs," Zac retorted.

"Geez, sorry, I could probably help," Isaac offered.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'm just....really confused, I guess. Tay, you tell him the story," Zac said, putting his head in his hands.

"To make a long story short, Zac's soldier stood at attention for Kat, and she tried to put him 'at ease,' but apparently General Zac did it himself," I said quickly. I suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of my head where Zac had whapped me. "What?" I asked innocently.

"God, you had to put it like that!" Zac accused. I snickered a bit, but felt slightly sorry for the kid. He did seem to have a rough time of it.

"Let me guess, now you're wondering what to tell Kat about it? Or if you should even talk to her at all about it?" Isaac guessed.

"Exactly," Zac nodded.

"Zac, if it bothers you that this happened and you feel that you need to explain yourself, do it, but let me tell you something. Kat is 14 years old, right? Well, that means she's probably had a little experience in this field, especially since she knew what to do when it happened," Isaac offered.

Zac scrunched his brow, thinking for a moment then looked back at Isaac. "I think I'll just leave it alone for a while."

"Do whatever makes you comfortable. You don't always have to explain yourself to people, you know," Isaac patted Zac on the shoulder.

"Thanks, guys, you've been a huge help," Zac said, but I could still tell he was slightly uncomfotable with the whole thing.

Chapter 11-12
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