Interlude 5

"Hey Ike, you will never guess what happened to me today!" Taylor yelled running the bedroom him and his brothers shared.

Taylor couldn't wait to tell his brother that he won a drawing down at the sports store and won a two hundred and fifty dollar girt card. He couldn't even begin to think of the possibilities he and his brothers had. He knew Isaac would be so ecstatic he had to tell him first thing. "Oh hey, Tay. What happened?" he asked as he checked himself in the mirror in their bathroom.

"I won a two hundred and fifty dollar gift card from Steve's sport shop. I couldn't wait to come home and tell you and Zac. Just think of the cool stuff we could get. Come on let's go get Zac," he went to run out of the room thinking Isaac was right be hind him.

However, when he turned around Isaac wasn't there. "Are you coming Ike?" he asked.

"Tay that is really awesome and it is gonna be so fun, but I have plans already today,” Taylor looked at him incredulously.

He had never heard that phrase spoken by Isaac. "Oh, well why didn't you just say that. Where are we going, who are hanging out with.” it wasn't like Isaac to not tell him where they were going.

It was kind of an unspoken thing between the three of them. Almost always they hang out with the same people together. "You don't understand Tay. I'm hanging out with my friends, you know, Pete, Lisa, her friends and well, you don't really know them and well they are older and more mature. I just don't think you would have a good time. So you and Zac should go to the store without me and pick out something cool and when I get back we can hang out and play with it together." he smiled at Taylor regretfully.

Taylor just stood there and stared. He felt like he had just been smacked in the face with something hard. He was mad at Isaac for not wanting him to come, but that feeling was nothing compared to the hurt Taylor felt. Isaac had been his best friend as long he can remember and now at 13 he felt like he had been betrayed.

Isaac on the other hand, did feel bad about not bringing Taylor. He was so close to Taylor and he would never deny the fact that his little brothers were his best friends. They did share the common interest in music and played hours upon hours of music together, but they also hung out together and enjoyed it. Now though Isaac was 15 and one big thing began to happen that his brothers didn't understand, girls.

Isaac had always been the romantic type wanting to marry when he was eight but there were never those attractions that he feels now and most importantly, now they’re interested back. He knew Taylor was upset, it was written all over his face and under any other circumstances he would have asked Taylor to come, but Lisa was going to be there.

Lisa was the girl he has had a crush on for years and from he what he was being told, she was starting to feel that for him now. He wanted to seem mature and cool and he was sad that he thought this but his brothers hanging around were not going to help him. But he really liked her and he had to do it.

Taylor didn't know what to do or say he still felt so shocked. "I'm really sorry, Taylor” Isaac told him.

"Oh, no it's cool. I'll just go hang with Zac or something. Have a good time," he said and began to walk out of the room.

"Really Taylor, it's not you it's just..." Isaac said behind him, but Taylor did not turn around.

He just kept walking till Isaac was out of earshot and headed straight to the back door. He felt so strange. Isaac was like his ultimate companion and it never ever occurred to him that one day Isaac might not want to hang out with him all the time. Taylor had always thought that Isaac enjoyed his company as much as he enjoyed Isaac, but now he guesses he was wrong. All he wanted to do was sit in the tree house alone.

********
“Zac you’re my best friend, you have to show me!” Joley whined as they sat facing each other on the floor of the tree house.

Zac swallowed deeply and stared at her. God she was so pretty and he got feelings all over him when he looked at her. But she was still a girl and he was a boy. They were lucky Zac could still be cool and be her friend. “I don’t know Jo Bear, I mean don’t you think you should wait and get this shown by your boyfriend?” he asked.

“I don’t have a boyfriend retard!” she said pushing his shoulder.

“Then why do you need to know how to kiss?” he asked her incredulously.

“Because when I get one I want to know how to kiss! Really Zac just kiss me,” she demanded getting annoyed that he was being difficult.

“I don’t know how to kiss either though,” he said nervously.

He hated when Joley got so demanding but a part of him loved it. He just couldn’t get enough of the look on her face when she demanded things. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to actually do this. Kissing was a big deal and he just wasn’t sure if he was ready for it. “Zac,” Joley said touching his leg, “Please. Do this for me?” she batted her eyes slightly at him, never breaking there eye contact.

He was no match for her. “I guess.... but what if I’m not good?” he asked nervously, looking down.

“Then I’ll never know cause I am gonna be just as bad as you,” she laughed.

She did want to learn how to kiss. She was getting older and wanted to get more experience and she couldn’t think of anybody she wanted to do this with besides Zac. He was staring dead in her eyes and he took a shaky breath, “Ok...” he trailed off.

“Ok,” she said trying to hide the smile. She liked her lips and stared her right in the eyes, “How do we do this?” she asked moving close.

“I guess I’ll just do this,” Zac said thinking out loud and moved into put his lips to hers.

Joley closed her eyes and almost fell over when she felt Zac’s puffy moist lips touch her softly. He pushed them a little more into her and she did the same action back. She didn’t really know what she thought of it but she knew she loved kissing Zac.

Suddenly, they both heard foot steps coming up the stairs and they both moved away from each other as quickly as they could not wanting anyone to know what was going on.

“Oh, hey guys I didn’t know anyone was up here,” Taylor said to preoccupied to notice the awkwardness in their body language.

“Oh hey Tay,” Zac said trying to get up as quickly as possible, “We were just leaving,” he said gesturing for Joley to follow him.

“Well...,” Taylor said not wanting Zac to desert him too, “where are you guys going. Maybe I’ll want to come,” the feeling of wanting to be alone finally leaving his body.

Zac looked a Joley and tried to see if she was coming up with something, “ Umm, we were gonna go back to my house for awhile,” Joley chimmed in.

“Oh to do what?”

“Oh we are gonna play tea party,” Zac said suddenly knowing what I big moron he must have sounded like but also knowing Taylor would never come.

“Oh,” Taylor said with a look of amusement on his face. He kind of want to laugh, “Oh no thanks then. Tea party isn’t really my thing,” he almost laughed in Zac’s face.

“Yeah, well maybe when we are done we can hang, but we’ll see you later, Tay” and he walked out of the tree house gesturing for Joley to follow.

“That was really smooth Zac. Now Taylor is gonna tell Isaac and they are gonna make fun of you forever. Why did you tell him that he could have came and hung out with us?”

“No, he couldn’t have,” Zac said not looking at her.

“Why not?”

“Because how could we have practiced this kissing thing if Tay was there?” he said nonchalantly and Joley as shocked as she was gonna say a word and just go with it.

********
Taylor didn’t know what else to do but he didn’t want to just sit around and cry waste away the day because of Isaac. So he decided to go to the park maybe something cool would be going on there. He walked on into the park trying not to think about Isaac. He didn't want to think about how much fun he was having without him.

Taylor walked by the lake and decided he wanted to go sit on the set of swings no one sits on. He was to busy thinking about this whole Isaac thing to notice the group of boys that were infamous in Tulsa.

Everyone knows who these boys are. They are rude, obnoxious and most of all trouble makers. On any other day they would have been talking to him and Isaac would have nipped that in the butt immediately telling them where to go, but today was different. He wasn't there to make the right choice for Taylor. "Hey Hanson," Taylor heard someone call out.

He stopped and looked around. He saw them in the distance and stared for a moment. "Hanson we are talking to you, come here!” they yelled.

"Who me?" Taylor said back nervously.

"Of course you!" They got off the bench and walked towards him.

Taylor swallowed hard cause he knew this probably wasn't a good thing. He didn't know what would be worse them coming over to beat him up or talk to him.

He knew if Isaac saw him with them he would be angry. "Sup Hanson?" they said as he approached them.

"Nothing," he said quietly.

"Your Taylor right?"

"Mhmm," he responded nervously.

"You wanna hang with us," asked.

Taylor didn't have to be told that he was by far the leader of this group. "Uhh… I … well my…" Taylor really didn't know what to say or do.

"Oh what's the matter? We are cool guys. All those things they say about us are not true. We just have a cad rep. Come on we think your cool hang with us,” … said knowing what to say to persuade the young Taylor.

"I just… my brother…"

"Your brother? Is that what your worried about Taylor?"he laughed, "Where is Isaac, by the way?" he asked.

Taylor had no idea what to say. He suddenly felt embarrassed that he was even considering not hanging with them because of Isaac even after Isaac just ditched him. "He had other plans," he responded quietly.

"Oh hanging out without you, huh? That must really suck you seem close to your brother. Sorry kid," told him patting him on the shoulder.

Taylor was surprised at this random act of kindness and told himself they couldn't be as bad as everyone says. Taylor knew they hated Isaac and Isaac hated them, but then again maybe he would see Taylor as being even cooler maybe even cool enough to hang out with his friends because he was hanging out with older kids.

“What are you guys doing?” Taylor asked not wanting to go into the whole Isaac thing.

They all looked at each other and then turned and smiled at Taylor. “Well come hang with us and you will find out kid.”

“Ok,” he said getting up.

Even though a part of him was telling him this was a bad idea he went anyway having no idea that it was probably one of the worst decisions in his life.



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