After the whole movie of Erica and Taylor making out and Isaac finally getting up the courage to put his arm around Stacie, and her letting him, they all got up to leave.
"Oh Taylor, guess what?" Erica said as they were walking out,"On our way back from the bathroom Stacie and I ran into some of my friends."
"Really? That's nice." he said not really interested.
"We told them to meet us after the movie so I can introduce you and Isaac to them." she explained.
"Okay," Taylor said nodding,"I can't wait."
When he saw Erica's friends it turned out he could've waited...he could've waited a long time.
Erica grabbed Tay's hand and dragged him up to where they were standing. Stacie and Isaac just trailed behind.
"Hey guys!" she shouted.
When Isaac saw that two of her friends were guys he whispered to Stacie,"Oh no...this is not good."
"Huh?" Stacie asked.
"Just watch."
Taylor stood there helplessly as Erica hugged first Justin, then Jared, and threw her arm around Karen.
"Taylor," she announced,"this is Justin and Jared and...well you know Karen."
"Hi." they all said.
"And guys...this is Taylor."
"Hi." he said weakly.
"And Isaac." she finished.
Ike waved. Justin went behind Erica and put his arms around her waist.
"So..." he said,"our little Erica caught you huh?"
"Justin!" she laughed.
Taylor wanted to laugh but he just stared at Justin with hatred. His hands have no business being there. That is how I hold her...not him he thought.
"Taylor?" he heard Erica say.
"Huh?" he asked.
"What's wrong?" she broke away from Justin and wrapped her arms around Taylors neck. He put his arms around her waist.
"Are you feeling okay?" she asked.
He didn't answer. He was staring at Justin trying to control himself so he wouldn't rip off his damn head! How dare he do that! Asshole!
"Taylor?" she pulled back and looked in his eyes.
"What? Oh yeah...I'm a little tired." he answered.
Isaac stared at Taylor. Liar Liar he thought, but kept his mouth shut and pulled Stacie closer.
"Do you want to go?" Erica asked.
"Umm...yeah. I think that would be best." he gave her a weak smile.
"Okay...let me just say goodbye okay?" she kissed him gently on the lips.
"Okay." he nodded his head.
She went and hugged Karen and Justin and Jared. Taylor watched both Justin and Jared's hands to make sure they didn't do anything funny. She walked over and clasped onto Taylor's hand.
"Bye people, call me okay? We'll all get together." Erica said.
"Sure." Karen said.
Then Taylor turned around and pulled Erica away.
Justin watched Taylor drag Erica away,"What a dick" he mumbled to Jared and Karen.
They nodded.
Why would she kiss me if she didn't like me? Taylor pondered in the car. He was laying down in the back seat with his head rested in Erica's lap. He closed his eyes while she ran her hands through his hair. This is so comforting he thought. But I still really should stop this 'hugging other guys' thing with her. He opened his eyes and saw her looking down at him.
"Erica..." he started.
"Shhh..." she said and kept stroking his hair. He closed his eyes and relaxed, while she was with him he didn't have a worry in his head.
A short while later, Taylor felt that the car was stopped and he opened his eyes. No Ike and no Stacie.
"Where's Ike?" Tay asked sleepily.
"Walking Stacie to her door." Erica replied.
"Oh." Tay said through a yawn.
"Well Isaac...I had fun tonight." Stacie said.
"Yeah...uh Stacie...would you like to go out with me some other time...without Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum." he said jerking his head towards the car.
"I'd love to Isaac." she said.
"Call me Ike okay?" he asked.
"Okay...Ike."
He leaned forward and gave her a hug and kissed her cheek,"Well...goodnight." he said.
"Goodnight." she walked inside. After she closed the door she leaned against it and thought Wow...what a gentleman.
"Erica?" Tay said.
"Yeah?" she asked still stroking his hair.
"I don't want you to hug other guys." he blurted out.
"What?" she stopped stroking his hair and looked down at him.
"I don't want you hugging other guys." he repeated.
"Get up Taylor...now!" she ordered.
There was a tone in her voice he had never heard before...so he got up!
"What?" he asked confused by the direction things were now headed.
"Tay, they are just friends and it was just a hug." she explained.
"Justin didn't look like "just a friend" to me!" he said, his voice slightly rising.
"What do you mean by that?" she snapped glaring at him.
"Are you cheating on me?" he asked.
"Are you insane?" she yelled.
"Yes or No?" he said matching her tone.
"NO!" she said,"why would you even ask that?"
"Because of what I saw tongiht!"
"Oh...and what exactly did you see tonight?!?"
"You all over some other guys!"
"What? I hugged them! They are my friends!" she yelled.
"I want it to stop." he said leaning back in the seat and crossing his arms across his chest as if what he said had the power to end the conversation.
Erica wasn't about to back down though,"No! They are my friends! And you can't order me around!" she screamed.
Taylor glared at her for a moment and before he could stop to think what he was saying the words flew out of his mouth,"What are you some kind of slut?"
She smacked him clear across the face.
"Jordan Taylor Hanson! How do you have the nerve to even say that?" tears were stinging her eyes.
"You hit me." he said dumbfounded.
"Yes I did."she answered.
"Why?"
She stared at him in disbelief,"What do you mean "Why?"? We're over Taylor." she said.
"What?"
"I said we're over, this relationship, you and me, all of it! OVER!"
She leapt out of the car and ended up in front of Isaac.
"Erica?" he asked wondering why she got out of the car. Then he noticed the tears streaming down her face,"What's wrong?" he asked.
She leaned against him and he put his arms around her in a comforting, friendly hug.
"Just take me home. Okay?" she sniffed.
"Okay." he staretd to open the back door.
"Wait!" she said grabbing his arm,"Can I sit in the front?"
He gave her a strange look, but pulled open the front door,"Sure."
He sat her in the car and closed the door. As he walked around the car he thought Damnit Tay! What did you do?
Halfway home in the silence of the car, Taylor got over his shock and realized what was happening. He leaned forward in his seat.
"Erica?" he said.
She didn't turn back to look at him.
"Erica...please...listen to me?" he asked.
No response
"Please? I'm so sorry just look at me please?" he begged.
He reached out his hand and placed it on her shoulder, but she wriggled away.
"Please Erica?" He felt tears well up in his eyes and his voice got very shaky and very small.
"Erica don't do this please?" he was crying now.
Isaac glanced at his brother quickly. He felt so horrible that his brother was in so much pain but he couldn't do anything. He wanted to shake Erica and make her listen to him but he knew he couldn't. He knew none of this was his business and he couldn't butt in.
"Look at me Erica. Please baby? Come on. Just turn around?" he was pleading through tears.
Erica started to cry but never turned around. It's over she thought Over
Isaac pulled up in front of her house.
"Thanks Isaac." she said.
"No problem." he replied.
She got out and closed the door.
"Go after her Taylor! Stop her!" Isaac directed.
Taylor leapt out of the car and ran up to Erica. Isaac pulled into the Hanson driveway and sat in the car watching the saga unfold through the rearview mirror.
"Erica please?" he jumped in front of her,"Don't do this."
She tried to side step him but he blocked her.
"No! What do you want? I am so sorry! Do you want me to beg?" he got on his knees,"Please Erica? Please? Look at me! I'm on my knees!"
She looked at him. Tears were running down his face and staining his cheeks. She wanted more than anything, to kneel down beside him and hold him close. She wanted to forgive him. She wanted to forgive him so bad that it hurt. She watched as he continued to beg.
"I don't know what I'd do with myself without you! Please?" he dropped his head in his hands amd let his whole body shake with his deep-throated sobs. Just the thought of not being able to hold her made him want to die.
"Get up Taylor." she said calmly.
He got up and looked at her. His bloodshot blue eyes pleading with hers. She put both hands on his shoulders and spoke very clearly.
"Taylor..."
"Yeah?" he sniffed.
"It's over. That's it. It's over." she leaned forward and kissed his forehead and then walked past him.
"No," he said turning around,"we can work it out."
She paused and let a few tears fall down her cheeks and then she looked at him. He saw that she was crying too.
"No Taylor..." she said practically choking on her words,"don't make this harder than it is." She seemed to fly up her steps to the house. She opened the door.
"Erica..." he started to go after her, but she closed the door.
"NO!" he shouted banging on the door.
Inside she slumped on the floor against the door, thankful that her parents weren't home.
"Please..." he yelled,"don't do this!" he fell against the door and leaned against it crying. Hoping, praying that she would hear him and open the door.
He kept mumbling but she heard every word and cried with him.
"Don't do this...please...you can't...come back...come back..." he kept repeating come back and Erica felt like she was dying everytime she heard it.
Taylor felt someone picking him up by the shoulders.
"Come on Taylor...get up." Ike said.
Taylor struggled to his feet and looked at the door which Erica never opened.
"Goodnight Erica." he whispered.
Isaac walked with Taylor across the street and stopped him before they went inside.
"The only way you are going to get upsatirs is if you act like you had a good time tonight Taylor." Isaac explained.
Taylor nodded, not wanting to speak.
Isaac opened the door and hurried Taylor inside.
"Mom? Dad? We're home! Taylor's tired so we're going to bed now!" Ike yelled.
He hurried Taylor up the stairs.
"How was your night?" their dad yelled.
"Unbelievable!" Isaac yelled back and then shut the bedroom door behind him. Zac sat up.
"Isaac? Taylor?" Zac asked just waking up.
Ike flipped the light on and put Taylor on his bed. Taylor dropped his head in his hands and Ike changed out of his clothes.
"Taylor?" Zac asked,"What's wrong?"
Taylor lifted his head to reveal tears streaming down his face and then put his head back down.
"Isaac what's going on?" Zac asked confused.
"It's over." Tay said.
"Huh?" Zac asked.
Isaac sat by Taylor. Zac looked at them eagerly waiting for an explanation as to why Tay was crying.
"Okay Taylor...whole story...right now." Isaac told him.
"Okay..." Taylor wiped his eyes and began from where Isaac left the car to walk Stacie to her door.
Zac interupted,"You called her a what?" he asked wide-eyed.
"A...a slut." he said.
"Erica?" he asked innocently.
"Yeah."
"Oh man Tay, how could you say that?" Ike asked.
"It just...popped out."
"Of all the things to pop out!" Zac said.
"Oh God what was I thinking?" Taylor asked aloud.
"What happened after that?" Isaac asked.
Taylor repeated everything, including what Isaac saw for Zac.
"She wouldn't open the door?" Zac asked.
"No."Taylor said. He started to cry again.
"Taylor...Taylor don't cry." Zac said.
"It hurts guys. It hurts alot."he said.
"Think how she feels Tay." Isaac reminded him.
"What?" Taylor looked up.
"I mean at least you have us to listen to you. She is probably killing herself over this." Isaac said.
"You're right," Taylor laid back on his bed,"What have I done?"
"Can you fix it?" Zac asked.
Taylor got up and walked over to the chair in the corner of the room and picked up his jacket.
"What are you doing?" Zac asked.
"I'm going to fix it." Taylor said.
"Now?" Ike asked.
"Yeah."
"But it's 1:30 in the morning." Zac argued.
"Look...cover for me I'll be right back."
Isaac started to protest,"I don't..."
Taylor looked at him with tears in his eyes.
"You have ten minutes. Hurry up and be quiet! If mom or dad asks I don't know you!"Ike said.
"Thanks."Taylor gave Ike a small smile.
He hoped after sneaking out of his house that the worst had passed. He found her window and threw small rocks at it. The light flicked on. She opened the window and leaned out.
"Taylor?"
"Yeah...come outside for a second...please?"
"Okay."
Why am I doing this? she thought while walking down the stairs. You're mad she reminded herself. You will not melt into his gorgeous blue eyes or his sweet words...you will be strong... she thought.
She opened the door and he was there. They sat on her porch swing. She looked anywhere but at him.
"Erica?" he said.
"Yes?" she said very coldly.
"Look..." he began,"I can't apologize enough for what I said..."
She cut him off,"That's right you can't...Goodnight." she got up.
He pulled her back,"Please just listen?"
She turned and stared at him,"Alright...I'm listening."
"Look...I know me saying I'm sorry doesn't make it right..."
Erica snorted in an attempt to hold back her laughter.
"But...in the depth of my heart I am sorry. And I know you want to forgive me."
"Oh really Taylor..." she said,"you are so sure that is what I want?"
"Maybe not in your mind but you do in your heart. I know you do. If you have ever felt anything for me then you have felt it in your heart...and I hope that that is what is going to help you forgive me."
"You're right Taylor. I did feel something. Unfortunatley my head is in charge of thinking...not my heart."
He looked at her intently.
"And I can't forgive you. My brain won't let me."
Before she could stop him he leaned forward and kissed her. She pulled back.
"I am not doing this to hurt you." she said.
He lowered his head.
She felt her eyes well up with tears which she refused to let him see. She swallowed hard and then kissed the top of his head,"We have to move on," she said getting up and walking towards the front door.
He looked up,"What if I don't want to move on?" he asked her as she opened the door.
"Well...you don't always get what you want." and with that she closed the door.
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