"Why do you keep looking at me like that?"
"Like what?" I asked Taylor. "Like I have an extra head or something. You've been giving me these strange looks," he said. "Oh, sorry," I apologized. I guess I was being a bit obvious when I stared at him since I had realized his true identity. It made me wonder how long Taylor had planned to keep it a secret, but I wasn't going to stir up controversy by asking him. We were walking down his street towards his house. Taylor had invited me over to his house, explaining his parents would be out since he knew I'd feel uncomfortable with his mother there. I wasn't quite sure where our relationship was or if we even had a real one but I would just take it as it came. It wasn't quite noon yet, the heat was still at a tolerable level. He stopped in front of a medium sized house that had toys dotting the lawn. "I take it you have younger siblings," I remarked as we walked up the drive. "You could say that," Taylor opened the door just as a little boy came tumbling down the stairs. He looked up from where he had landed on the ceramic foyer floor and smiled at his older brother. Taylor laughed,"Mac, you little clutz." The 3-year-old looked much like Zac but I couldn't get a good look at him because he scurried back up the stairs and ran to join his sisters in the living room. The two girls sat in the middle of the floor with their barbies spread across the carpet. "Jessie, Avie, this is Sidney," Taylor introduced me to the girls. "Oooo, Tay has a girlfriend!" Jessica teased her brother, making Avery giggle. He rolled his eyes at them and then went to the set of stairs leading to the second floor. "Hey guys, I'm back!" he called to his brothers. Zac came rushing down at the sound of Taylor's voice. "How come you guys didn't tell me you were playing barbies?!" Zac enthusically raced over to his sisters and grabbed one of their dolls. "Hey! Give Susie back!" Avery cried and snatched her doll from his hands. They were the perfect American family stereotype. "..the Brady bunch...the Brady bunch," I softly hummed to myself. "Did you say something?" Taylor asked. I smirked, "No." He shrugged it off and turned to his brother,"Is Ike up there with Brandy?" Zac made his eyes widen and he pointed his finger down his throat as an answer. "Oh, making out again," Taylor knew the gesture well. He nodded and then disappeared upstairs in a flash. "Is Brandy Isaac's girlfriend?" I wondered. "Yeah, she is," Taylor said. "Zac! Get out of here!" I heard Isaac yell at Zac from upstairs. Zac came clambering down the stairs, his oldest brother on his tail. Isaac caught him by the shirt and pulled him backwards. Zac was red and laughing in a fit of hysteria. "It's called knocking you dope. Try it once and a while and maybe we can skip this part next time," Isaac told him sternly. Zac looked strait into his face and again burst out into laughter, "It's not like I WANTED to see you and Brandy sucking face."
"Ike, are you coming back up?" a small voice asked from the stairs. A girl with jet black hair and dark eyes stood behind us. Her face was solid and pale without a hint of emotion occupying it. "Yeah, I am," Isaac sheepishly told her and let go of Zac with a small shove. He went to her and then suddenly noticed me standing next to Taylor. "Oh, I'm sorry. Brandy this is Sidney. Sidney, Brandy" he introduced me to the girl. "Hey Brandy," I said and held out my hand. She looked at my extended arm as if it were an insult. Her face suddenly cracked a smile when her eyes landed on Taylor, "Hi Tay." He smiled back and nodded at her. This made me insanely jealous for some reason. I kicked him slightly in the shin to show this and he gave me an apologetic look. "Come on, Ike," Brandy tugged on his shirt sleeve and started back up the stairs. They disappeared into the bedroom again. Zac was rubbing the red spot on his neck from where his shirt had been pulled tight but then grinned happily to himself. "You shoulda seen his face," he mused. "You need a girlfriend, Zac," Taylor told his brother and then began to walk to the front door. I followed but we were stopped when it opened. Mrs. Hanson appeared in front of us and Mr. Hanson came from behind her, both loaded down with bags of groceries. Her eyes came to focus on me as soon as she stepped inside. "Oh, hello Sidney," Mr. Hanson said and passed his wife to make his way to the kitchen. "Here, let me get those," Taylor took the paper bags from his mother's arms. She was still looking at me. "Hi," I quietly offered a greeting. "Boys! Get down here and help your mother!" Mr. Hanson called upstairs. Ike and Zac came to their father's call and the other children did too. "I'm strong mommy," Mac told her proudly as his tiny arms struggled to drag a bag into the kitchen. The house seemed to errupt in the normal sounds of a productive family, which was too much for me. I escaped it all by retreating to the front step. I spent just a few minutes by myself before Taylor joined me. "I didn't know they were gonna come home so soon," he explained the awkward confrontation between his mother and I. I took a seat on the step but didn't respond. He seemed to be scraping for a conversation piece. "Ya know, we're going camping in a few days like we do every year. It's like a family thing. Would you wanna come with us?" he suddenly inquired. I turned to look at him, my brow furrowed at the question of joining another family in such an activity. He smiled at me, still waiting for an answer. I couldn't help but smile back,"Yeah, ok."
[Chapter Twelve]