Zac carefully rolled over, trying to get comfortable. He sighed, knowing it was no use. Diane’s words kept running through his head. He felt tears well up in his eyes, but forced them back down.

He sat up, giving up on getting comfortable. He pulled the blanket tighter around his body, trying to force out the cold. Ever since Diane had said those words, he’d been so cold. So cold and numb.

“Zac?”

Zac looked up, trying to locate the hidden voice.

Taylor emerged from the shadows. “Zac? Why don’t you come sleep upstairs?”

Zac looked away from Taylor. He stared straight ahead, debating silently with himself as to whether or not to tell Taylor about the current situation.

“Please, Zac? Ike said he’s sorry. What happened between you guys, anyway? He wouldn’t tell me.”

Zac licked his lips and stood up, still wrapped in the blanket. “Okay, let’s go.” He followed Taylor up the stairs and into the bedroom. He closed the door behind him and walked over to his bed.

“I’m sorry.” Isaac’s voice cut through the darkness.

“Diane called me today,” Zac said, deciding he didn’t want to deal with Isaac right then. He could practically sense Taylor and Isaac tense up.

“Yeah? What’d she say?”

“She’s late.”

“Late for what?” Taylor’s voice was clueless.

“What do you think?” Zac spat out.

“So, you guys hooked up?” Isaac asked.

“I don’t know! If she’s pregnant, then she will have had to have hooked up with somebody.” Zac clenched his teeth. He was tired, cold, and slightly grouchy, and Isaac’s voice was just making it worse.

“You never should have gone to that party.”

“Oh, what the hell do you know!”

Isaac tried to stay calm. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know, okay?”

“I should have went and picked you up when you weren’t home on time,” Isaac muttered, more to himself than Zac.

“I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself now.”

“Well, obviously not too well!”

Zac stood up, letting the blanket fall back. Now he was hot, burning up. “I never should have come up here.” He walked toward the door.

“Oh, that’s right, just run away.”

“Ike, shut up. Let him go.”

Zac shut the door. There were no tears this time; only anger. He locked himself in the bathroom for the rest of the night.

Zac sighed as he pulled out another shirt. He made a face but knew he was running out of options, so he threw it towards the bed anyway. He grabbed a few more shirts, most long-sleeved, and walked over to the bed. He was packing his suitcase. They would be leaving in a few days, on Monday.

He sighed again as he pushed the sleeves of his shirt up unconsciously. The sleeves fell right back down again. It was just as well, he thought. That way no one would see it. The night before, he’d retreated to the bathroom and had soon pulled out another blade. He’d gotten a little carried away this time and had slashed the lower parts of his right arm, too.

Taylor barged into the room, his face dark and stony. He threw himself down on his bed and just lay there, lost in his own thoughts.

“What are you so pissed off about?”

Taylor shot Zac a death glare then went back to his sulking.

Zac made a face at him before returning to his packing. He knew that Taylor hated leaving home; he absolutely hated it. It was pure hell being trapped in the car with him as they rode to the airport. Of course, once they reached their destination, Taylor always perked up.

He wasn’t sure why, but he felt like cussing. It wasn’t something he did a lot of, but he just felt like doing it today. Zac smirked to himself, knowing it would piss Ike off if he did it around him. The smirk quickly disappeared. He and Isaac still hadn’t made up yet, and it was killing him.

He and his brothers had always been close. They had never really fought, but now it seemed like they fought more and more. Seriously fought. And Zac wasn’t the only one who had ever gotten physical about it. Isaac rarely did, but Taylor had done more than his fair of pushing and sometimes punching. Of course, they always made up right away and nobody ever knew the difference.

Zac impatiently shoved the hair out of his face. Spying a hair tie, he grabbed a brush, pulled his hair back, and secured it loosely. He set out to find Isaac, even though he wasn’t sure they would make up. He could at least try.

He found Isaac in the garage, strumming his guitar. He approached him cautiously. “Ike?”

Isaac looked up. He stiffened slightly when he saw who it was.

“Look, Ike, I’m sorry. I was being a jerk and I wasn’t-”

“It’s okay,” Isaac interrupted. “I know. I’m sorry, too.” Isaac turned back to the guitar, ending the conversation.

Zac stared at him, absently starting to push up his sleeves. He stopped himself just in time. He sighed, and left, knowing Isaac wasn’t going to say anymore. He wondered if it was safe to go up to his room. Knowing that it probably wasn’t, he decided to venture up there anyway.

“Hey, Tay, what are you doing?” he asked, flopping down on Taylor’s bed.

Taylor glared at him. “Get off my bed and go away.”

“Aw, now is that any way to talk to your brother? No, I don’t think so.”

“I mean it, Zac. I’m not in the mood.”

“In the mood for what?”

“Get off my bed!” Taylor said, shoving Zac.

Zac fell onto the floor. He stood up, brushing himself off. “Why are you so damned pissed off?”

“Zachary Hanson, you watch your mouth!”

Zac jumped slightly. He ducked his head guiltily. “Sorry Mom.” He decided to take that as a cue to leave. He slunk by his mother and out the door. He ran down the stairs and sat in the living room and was instantly attacked by Mackie and Avery, each wanting them to play with him.

“Mack, don’t, that hurts,” he said, trying to disentangle the little boy’s fingers from his hair.

Suddenly, a door slammed upstairs and a very angry Taylor came storming down the stairs. Zac stopped Avery from going over to him; he knew Taylor would probably just knock her over on accident. Taylor crashed out the door, and Zac soon heard his car start up. Just that like, Taylor was gone.

Diana paced across the floor, wringing her hands. “Oh, where is he.”

Taylor had left over six hours ago, and nobody had seen or heard from him sense. Walker and Isaac had left to go look for him.

“Mom, stop. Why don’t you come sit down?” Zac suggested. He picked up a fussing Zoë and tried to stop Avery and Mackie from killing each other, which they looked very ready to do. “Jess! Get down here!”

Jessica came halfway down the stairs. “What?”

“Take Avery upstairs with you, will you?”

Jess sighed, but nodded. “Come on, Ave, let’s go upstairs.”

Zac shot her a grateful look and set his attention on Mackie. “Hey, Mack, why don’t you go get Mommy something to drink. Can you handle that?”

Mackie nodded and set off to the kitchen.

Zac turned back to Diana. “Mom, come on, please. Just sit down and relax. Taylor’s fine, he’s just out driving somewhere.”

Diana turned on him, her eyes flashing. “Don’t you know how dangerous that is? Don’t you? He was so upset, he could have been in an accident! He could have gotten lost! He could have been mobbed! Anything could happen to him and I am not going to relax until I see with my own eyes that he’s okay.”

Zac stepped back, startled by her outburst. Zoë started crying, and Diana’s face softened.

“Oh, I’m sorry baby,” she soothed, taking the child from Zac. She sighed. “I’m sorry, Zac, I just…”

“I know, Mom. Please sit down?”

Diana nodded and let Zac guide her to the couch. Mackie came in, carrying an almost full cup of water. Zac took it from him and handed it to his mother.

Mackie tugged on Zac’s pant leg. “Why was Mommy yelling?”

Zac stooped down to his level. “Mommy is just upset. But she’s not mad at anyone, okay bud? You know what would help Mommy?”

“What?”

“If you would play quietly and not bother Jess or Avery. Can you do that for me?”

Mackie nodded solemnly and hugged his brother. Then he ran off to play.

Zac stood up and looked at his mother. Zoë had fallen asleep, and Diana was trying to keep a hold of her and rub away a headache at the same time. “Here, I’ll lay her down.” Zac took the sleeping girl from Diana and gently laid her in a playpen in the corner of the room. “Do you want some Tylenol or something?”

Diana shook her head. “No. I’m okay. Where do you think he is, Zac?”

“I don’t kn-”

Zac was cut off by the arrival of Taylor. He slammed the door open and started up the stairs.

“Taylor-”

“Leave me alone.” Taylor ran up the stairs.

Zac ran after him, despite his mother’s protests. “What it your problem? Where were you?” he asked, bursting into the room. His eyes widened at what he saw. “Tay!”