"Okay, so we chose this skirt, and that shirt?" I asked Anna and Serena. We had spent a little time at Anna's, collected some makeup and accessories that I didn't have, and drove back to my house. It was a half an hour before Taylor was supposed to pick me up and I was a nervous wreck. We had my hair in perfect pin curls, shiny and bouncy with little rhinestones tucked in here and there, and not a single knot untangled. Anna and Serena nodded at me.
"No, I thought we were going with the short black skirt and light blue top?" Anna countered. Serena nodded in agreement, looking at me.
"Oh, yeah. Okay. Well. Shall I change?" I grinned, picking the clothes up carefully. Serena nodded as she and Anna started hanging and folding the rejected garments.
"Go, Cory. Taylor will be here in thirty minutes… no, 29 minutes and 54 seconds. Run, girl. Change!" Anna shooed, after I still hadn't moved. I felt bad that they were putting my clothing mess away. It wasn't their job.
"Okay… You guys don't have to do that, I'll take care of it later," I called, as I walked out of the room and into the bathroom. I undressed carefully in the mirror, watching my stomach and legs. I could have sworn I looked skinnier earlier, but quickly forgot about it as I slipped the short skirt on. I pulled the tank top on over my head, stretching the opening farther than usual so as not to mess up my hair. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror. After making some necessary adjustments, I approved and left the bathroom. Serena and Anna were giggling over something as I walked back into the room. I set down my dirty clothes and looked at them.
"What's going on, you guys?" I demanded. Serena and Anna giggled harder.
"Isaac and Zac are trying to calm Taylor down. He keeps pacing back and forth in their room, and saying 'I've never been this nervous about a girl, I've never been this nervous about a girl!'" Anna imitated, laughing.
"How do you know what he's been saying?" I asked.
"Don't forget I can read lips. Remember? That's how we always used to get information about everything when we were little?" Realization struck me, as I remembered the old time pranks we used to pull by the little unknown talent of Anna Robins.
"Oh, yeah. Well, just knock it o- Taylor's staring at me and talking. I can see it out of the corner of my eye. Anna, peek from around the corner of the window and see what he's saying! And Sari, come here so he doesn't think I'm talking to myself!" I laughed, and Serena came over to me, and turned me around.
"'Isaac she's so hot. How am I going to control the big bulge in-'"
"Anna! Quit it! You jerk! And tell me what he's really saying!" I laughed. Anna was doubled over with laughter and Serena had to stop smoothing out the wrinkles in my shirt because she was laughing so hard.
"Okay, okay… he is saying 'Hey, Ike, what am I going to say-'"
"No! Stop! This is wrong! It's mean, and we're invading his privacy! Put the curtain down. Okay? Put it down, now." Anna closed the curtain like demanded. I shuddered in nervousness and turned back around to face the two.
"Oh dear lord… what if he doesn't like me?"
"Cory! He'll love you! How could he not? Quit panicking. If he didn't like you, then why would he have even asked you?"
"Maybe the fame has gotten to him, and he's really leading me on just to be cruel. Oh, I'd just DIE! Anna! Sari! WHAT IF?"
"Quit the God damned what ifs! Have you any idea of how annoying that is?"
"Sorry, sorry… What time is it?"
"Seven forty-five. He'll be here in fifteen minutes." The phone rang.
"I'll get it!" I stumbled over to the phone in my room and picked it up nervously.
"Hello?"
"Corrine?"
"Oh, hi mom."
"You don't have to sound TOO happy to hear my voice, darling."
"Sorry, I'm just really nervous."
"Why?"
"Um, I have a date in like, fifteen minutes."
"Oh really? With who?" She sounded so interested…
"Um, with, um…" I looked at Serena and Anna for help. Serena grabbed the phone from me.
"She's going out with Taylor Hanson, mom." I could hear the scream from the phone as Serena handed it back over to me.
"You are… Going… Out… With… TAYLOR HANSON?"
"MOTHER! Calm DOWN! You're forty for goodness sakes!"
"But this is so big!"
"Where are you?"
"I'm at the airport." This caught my attention.
"Which one?"
"The one in New York. I'll be home around midnight. And I bought you girls some stuff," she giggled. "Wait until I tell Grandma. She will be ecstatic!"
I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Oh, mother. Listen, mom, I'm going to let you talk to Serena. Okay? Okay, here she is…" I stuffed the phone into Serena's hand without a second thought. Anna ushered me away from Serena and pulled me into the living room. Anna pushed me away from her, and looked as though she were going to cry.
"I never thought this day would come," she began. I rolled my eyes. "It came so quickly. In just three days! It's amazing. My little girl, Corrine Becker, is dating Taylor Hanson. Oh my lord, I just can't b-"
"Anna! Quit it," I laughed, "and I'm not your little girl."
"Yes you are. Fashion-wise, at least!" I swatted her shoulder.
"I'm plenty fashionable. Anyway, Taylor will be here in-" the doorbell rang, "he's five minutes early," I grinned. The knot in my stomach had just become bigger, and doubled itself. I looked at Anna with wide-eyes.
"This is it."
I stood at the door of Corrine's house. I had a daisy in my hand that I had picked just a minute earlier from my mom's garden. I wondered that if Corrine was as nervous as I was. May sound funny, me being Taylor Hanson and all, but I was still nervous. I looked up at the sky, just as the door opened.
I looked down as quickly as possible. There she stood, as gorgeous as ever. I couldn't comprehend how she managed to look even more beautiful. Her curls shined and sparkled with the rhinestones clad in her thick black hair. I wanted to reach out and run my fingers through the curls, separating each individual ringlet. The rhinestones may have been a bit much, but I wasn't complaining. Her curves stood out ferociously. I fought the urge to take her into my arms. Anyway, I was afraid to hug her too tight. Her skinniness made her seem fragile… almost breakable, like an antique plate, a family heirloom, that no one dares touch.
She was surveying me, just as I her. Reflexes and hormones. At least we're on the same track, I thought, recalling a previous relationship.
"Hey," I smiled softly, handing her the daisy. Cory's face lit up just a little bit more. I watched her as she grinned down at the daisy, then back at me.
"Hello!" she grinned, her curls bouncing at her movement. "Thank you so much, Taylor! Come in, I'll just put this in some water." Classic line, I thought, grinning back at my date.
"You're very welcome. Actually," I said, plucking the daisy from her hand. "I thought it could go in your hair." An opportunity to feel the fineness of her slithering hair.
"Oh, don't be silly! I want to save it! I can't save it if it gets all shriveled with loose hairs and hair spray!" she laughed. I chuckled and stepped inside, as a go ahead to put the flower in some water. I heard Anna and Serena with Corrine. I rolled my eyes, then listened more closely.
"Now, Cory. We already went over everything with you. What to say, how to say it, when is an appropriate time to go and call us to say how every-"
"Anna! I know all that! Okay? Oh my gosh, you guys, I'm so nervous. But isn't this daisy pretty? He is so sweet!" Cory giggled. Well, at least I wasn't the only one who was nervous.
"Well, yeah! She should have gone with the other guy, he was so much better!" I laughed, as Taylor picked me up and put me over his shoulder.
"What are you doing? Put me down!" I laughed and screamed at the same time.
"Nope, sorry, can't do that. She made the right choice going with Matt. Say she made the right choice going with Matt, and then I will put you down."
"No! Never! Greg is so much better! And what are you going to do, carry me home?" I knew that this flirting we were doing was silly and stupid, but what can I say? It was funny.
"If I have to, I'll carry you all the way to the Canadian border," he threatened. And Taylor could. He was very thin, kind of like a twig, but he was also very strong. I hung my arms down and patted his derriere.
"Run, boy, it'll be a while," I laughed. Taylor laughed and set me down gently. He smiled at me.
"Want to go get some ice cream?"
"Sure."
"You're not one of those girls who, like, won't eat anything that's not fat free, are you?" Taylor asked suspiciously.
"Do I look like one?" I joked.
"Yeah." I looked over at Taylor, who was looking at me seriously, but the twinkle in his eye still remained.
"Thanks. Well, I'm not. I'm surprised you didn't already know that! I ate like a pig the other night!" I laughed.
"We all did!"
"That's true. Except for Serena. She was too worried about spilling. You should've seen her before we went over to your house. 'What should I wear?' 'What if I spill?' 'What if I make a complete ass out of myself?'" Taylor laughed.
"Zac was practically the same way. He was worrying about the same stuff. It was funny. Because, I mean, he's a guy, so…"
"Yeah. Well, they are fourteen and fifteen, so it's to be expected," I grinned. We got to the car and, after Taylor unlocked it and opened my door, got in. Taylor looked at me.
"Which parlor?"
"How about the one on the Riverside?"
"Cherries?"
"Yeah, that one."
"'Kay." Taylor started the car and the movie theatre grew smaller as he drove away. I watched him while he drove. The layers in his hair fell across Taylor's eyes, and Taylor shook his head to get them out of his eyes. They didn't budge so, daringly, I reached over and tucked them behind his ear. Without looking at me, he smiled. His eyes darted around on the street, looking out for cars and pedestrians. His eyebrows bent in a thoughtful manner, and it was only then that I realized Taylor was human. He was not just one of the famous MMMBop boys. He was a real live human being. And he was my date.
Taylor licked his lips as he finally pulled into the Cherries Ice Cream Parlor parking lot. He parked quickly, and got out of the car, and ran over to my side. Geez, I thought. This boy was taught how to treat his women! I got out of the car, and took his hand. We walked up to the parlor doors and realized it was closed.
"Oh… Sorry," Taylor sighed. He was acting quite strange, and I wondered what was wrong.
"Uh, that's… fine," I frowned. Taylor led me back to the car, unlocked it, and opened my door. I got in, and then so did he. But something was wrong. I could sense something.
"Taylor, excuse me if I'm being too straightforward, but, is something wrong?"
"What? No!"
"Oh. Sorry…" The rest of the ride home was pretty much silent. I focused my attention on Serena's situation. She liked Zac. Zac liked her. The two should hook up!
Taylor turned onto our street and parked the car in his driveway. All of the lights in the house were turned off, if one was on, it didn't betray itself to the eyes of the outside world. Taylor turned and looked at me.
"Thank you for dinner and the movie, Taylor. I had a lot of fun."
"So did I. But it's not time for good-byes, yet. We have ice cream inside," Taylor grinned, getting out. I hopped out quickly before he could come around to my side. I didn't want to overwork him with all of this running around the car just to open up my door. Taylor was by my side as soon as I had shut the door.
"I was going to open your door for you," he pouted.
"You're so sweet," I grinned. "But I don't want to overwork you!"
"Overwork me? My lady, it is an honor to open your door," Taylor said in a fake British accent. I giggled as we walked in the front door. The familiar scent hit me like a brick wall. It was so homey and warm and good. So un-like mine.
All of a sudden Zac walked by. He grinned at us, laughed his little giggle, and walked on. Taylor blushed and shook his head. Then Zoe toddled over to us and clung to my legs.
"Cory!" she screamed. I bent over and hugged her. When I straightened back up, Taylor wrapped his arm securely around my waist, and guided me to the kitchen. Zac's butt stuck out at us when we entered, as the front end of Zac rummaged around in the refrigerator. Taylor sighed and shook his head.
"Zac, for once please stop eating."
"What? Why? I'm hungry!" Right on cue Isaac and Jessie came in, arguing over who had the last Dr. Pepper.
"For goodness sakes, Jess, I'll buy some more! Anyways, you had the last Dr. Pepper!"
"No, you did, Ike. And you prooomised I could have the last one! But noo! You had to go and eat it!"
"Eat it, Jess?"
"I mean drink it! Anyways…" Pretty soon Diana and Walker and Zoe and Mackenzie came into the kitchen, looking for more popcorn. And then, to top it off, in trooped Avery and Simon the rat, looking for more lettuce. And what were Taylor and I doing? Watching.
In some ways, I wished my family were like this. Everybody was so close, and their guests were just enveloped into it. Everyone who witnessed this close-knit group had to be envious.
Taylor looked down at me apologetically, and then back at his family.
"Alright," Taylor yelled, startling everybody. " Everyone out! I am on a date, and we want ice cream. So please leave!" The family blinked at Taylor twice, and filled out on command. Only Zac lingered. He handed Taylor the ice cream, and then continued about on his quest for food.
"Zac," Taylor said calmly. "Please." Zac turned around, glared a little, and then marched out of the kitchen, food in hand.
I walked in the door, after being kissed goodnight by Taylor. It was amazing. Sparks and fireworks still shot up and down my body.
As soon as I had shut the door, my mom, Anna, and Serena jumped out at me, all asking questions. I didn't answer any. Actually, I don't think I really even heard any. I was in a daze. I walked past the three, and up the stairs. I went into my room, and closed and locked the door. I went over to my bed, and fell down on it. I spent the entire night dreaming of Taylor.
"Yes, Ike, she was amazing. And no, I am not going to tell you if we kissed. I do not play kiss and tell, thank you," I answered turning back around to the computer. I was checking my e-mail, and in the process of getting on-line, had woken up Isaac and his interrogations.
"And what was everybody doing up at midnight? Especially Zoë and Mac! Why were they up?"
"Um, because Zoë couldn't sleep without you reading her a book, and Mackie has an ear infection. Simon was keeping up Avery because he was hungry. Jessie, mom, dad, and I were watching a movie, and Zac was, too, until we had to kick him out because he was eating so loudly," Ike explained. I nodded, noticing a new address in my box. I wondered how some of these people got around the list, because only certain people were allowed to e-mail us. I double-clicked on it, and waited for the e-mail to show itself.
"Hey, Taylor! It's Corrine. I just wanted to thank you for a great time last night. I had SO much fun! The movie was awesome and dinner was yummy, and your family rocks. I wish my family was that close! Anyways, if you're wondering how I e-mailed you, Zac put me on the list. My screen name is CorCorDiva1510 on AOL, so if you want to IM me, please do. Well, see you later! Love, Cory."
I smiled, and then turned around as Mac entered the room.
"Hey," I said. He came up to me and tugged on my arm.
"Tay, Cory's down stairs, and so is Serena. Serena's with Zac, though," Mac informed me.
"Okay, do you want a piggy back ride?"
"Yeah!" Mac yelled, as I bent down. He hopped on my back and we were off. I galloped down the hallway and down the stairs.
"Faster!" he yelled. I trotted a little faster, and was soon in the living room. Zac and Serena were sitting on a couch, laughing at something, while Cory was sitting opposite them on the love seat, her head in her hands, and shaking her head.
"Hey," I grinned, setting Mackie down. He ran off, so it was just the four of us now. I sat down next to Cory, and put my arm around her. On cue, her face jumped into a puddle of red. I thought it was cute, how she blushed whenever I touched her. Then again, I blushed a lot, too.
"What's so funny?" I grinned. Cory turned to me.
"Zac farted, Serena burped, and my stomach growled. For some reason, my stomach just made everything even more funny." Zac and Serena howled with laughter. Unfortunately, it was contagious. Soon, we were all doubled over in hysterics.
"Oh… you guys," Corrine chuckled. "How about some lunch? We can go over to my house and fix ourselves some…thing… oh…" Cory trailed off and Serena started shooting her looks.
"Uh, why don't we go out to lunch? It's on Corrine!" Serena laughed. Cory rolled her eyes, and looked out the window. It was facing her house.
"Hey, what's wrong?" I whispered.
"Nothing… my dad came back…" Corrine whispered in a daze, still staring out of the window. I rubbed her shoulder and kissed the top of her head, but her attention wasn't on me. Her mind was out floating in the sky with the birds and the clouds. Finally Corrine looked at me, and up into my eyes. The glaze over her eyes had melted away.
"I'm sorry," I apologized, a little more loudly. She wrapped her arms around me, in an awkward hug. I returned the favor.
"It's not your fault," she mumbled.
"We haven't seen our dad since we moved. Occasionally we'll get a letter or a phone call, but over the past three years, we've only gotten two phone calls and two letters. So…" Serena explained. Zac and I nodded.
"Then why aren't you guys over there with him?"
"Because my mom and him are fighting. We just prefer to stay out of it," Corrine sighed.
"Oh."
"Anyways, onto a lighter subject. Where shall we go for lunch?"
"I say we go over to your house, Corrine. True, I don't know the entire story, but it seems to me you are running away. So Zac and I will take you guys over there and then leave," I said. I knew I was probably being too harsh and shouldn't have been saying anything but I also thought I was doing the right thing. Zac was staring at me with a glare, and I knew one of his rage fits was about to attack. Corrine and Serena as well were looking pretty irate. I looked down at my hands. Oops.
"You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, Taylor Hanson! You do not have any right to go bossing us around! Where to you get off, Taylor? I know you think you're pretty macho and know everything you arrogant creep, but you don't! I should have known better than to come here! Serena, come on. Zac, you're welcome to join us," Corrine said. She then looked pointedly at me. "But you aren't." She and Serena stalked out of the living room. My mouth was wide open. Zac stood up and looked down at me.
"Why do you have to be such an asshole, Taylor?" Zac followed the two angry girls. My face burned. Why did I have to be such a moron? I never think before I talk.
I sighed, and ran down to the studio to cry through my piano.
"Where does he get off, Zac?" I complained as the three of us ate lunch. We had decided to go to the creamery for lunch, and as I bit into my burger, was quite fond of our decision.
"Oh, I don't know. He gets these little spurts of what Ike and I call KIAS- Know It All Syndrome," Zac told us, rolling his eyes in accommodation. "It's just the way he is, Corrine. Normally he's not like that. But sometimes he gets that way. I don't know. You're his girlfriend. Talk to him." Zac proceeded to finish off his bacon burger and milk shake. I was close to finishing, as well as Serena.
"Okay," I sighed. I didn't want to have to have to talk to Taylor. Not if he was going to be like that.
"Anyway," Zac continued. "What's going on with your dad?"
"Well, our dad practically abandoned us for three years. We got very few letters and phone calls. He didn't even send child support. Our mom wanted to sue him, but we wouldn't let her. If he wasn't sending child support it was probably because he had no money. So we went on, for three years, never seeing him. When he did send a letter, or telephone, he would say he would be coming to see us in a few weeks. We waited, and waited. We set up the guest room and bathroom, preparing for his arrival, but he never came. Two weeks ago, he called, and said he would come. We knew he wouldn't come, so we didn't get ready. And then, like, two hours ago, he shows up on our doorstep, expecting hugs and kisses," I explained.
"So you left him to your mom?"
"Just fed him to the wolf!" Serena laughed. Zac and I chuckled a little.
"How sad. How could he just abandon you guys?"
"I don't know. Apparently he has a girlfriend, named Bunny. Can you believe it? Her name is Bunny! Who would name their child Bunny, of all the half-decent names there are in the world? Bunny!" Serena scoffed. Zac laughed and hugged Serena. Serena smiled, but her smile fell as she stared across the room.
"What?" I asked. I turned around. A bunch of girls were huddled at a booth, whispering and pointing at us. I grinned at them turned around, and looked back at Zac and Serena.
"I'm going to over there!" I exclaimed, and before either could protest jumped up and strolled over to group.
"Hello," I smiled. The girls looked at me, and through gritted teeth and fake smiles, responded.
"I saw you guys had an eye on my cousin," I grinned, using a fake southern accent. The five girls exchanged glances and nodded.
"I'll tell you what. Well, would you like to meet…" I trailed off. The girls started giggling.
"Why was he hugging that girl?" One of them spoke up.
"Oh why was she hugging my cousin? Because! Duh! Whenever one of us says yes, the other has to hug the other. It's a weird little tradition my cousin and I have with Zacarina."
"Wait, who's uh, Zacarina?"
"The blonde girl, of course!"
"That's a girl?"
"Uh huh, you bet. Who'dja think it was?"
"Zac Hanson?"
"Who? Never heard of him. Now, if you'll excuse me, looks like my cousin and Zacarina are beckoning me," I sighed, still using the accent. I waved and walked away, my face turning red from the jailed laughter. "Zacarina" and "my cousin" had looks of concern playing on their faces.
"What was that all about?" my sister hissed.
"Oh, nothing, I just told them that Zac was actually a girl named Zacarina, sorry, Zac, and that the reason why you hugged Serena, Zac, is because whenever one of us says yes, one of us has to hug that person." Zac and Serena burst out laughing.
"Yes, I know, it's funny," I said, giggling a little myself. Zac shot up, and threw his arms around me. I shrugged him off within a matter of seconds, laughing. Serena got up also, and the three of us left the Creamery to go back to deal with the ego and KIAS of Jordan Taylor Hanson.