"So how many siblings do you have?" Jenn inquired.
"There's seven kids including us," Taylor answered promptly.
"Really? Whoooa...what're their names?" Alex asked in disbelief.
"Jessica is 10, Avery is 8, Mackie is 4, and Zoe is 1," Ike listed the names, ticking them off on his fingers.
"That's cool. Do you all have your own room?"
"I wish...." Ike said, "but Tay, Zac, and I still share a room, Jessica and Avery share a room, Mackie has his own room, and Zoe is in the nursery."
"Ugh....a little crowded isn't it?" Jenn wrinkled her knows.
"You bet it is," Ike said all too seriously.
"I don't know if I believe you," she went on, "Three teenage guys sharing one small bedroom? I mean honestly, you guys are millionairs, you'd think you would at least have seperate rooms."
"Yeah, but it emphasizes the closeness of our brotherly bond," Taylor rolled his eyes. "But really, we don't spend that much time in our room except when we sleep in there, which isn't that often."
"I heard one of the fans say that you guys had bunkbeds. Bunkbeds?! Your room is that small? And Zac sleeps in a trundle bed?"
"Yeah...so?" Taylor looked at her.
"I mean....a trundle bed..." In Alex's mind, she was picturing Zac's trundle breaking when it was pulled out and he was forced to curl up in the corner on the hard floor in a potato sack. She laughed suddenly....the mental image was so funny. "Hey.....what's so funny?" Taylor asked.
"Nothing.....it's just that you guys are all squished in there.....are they like tiny wire camp bunkbeds? And since you guys are so tall...do your feet like stick off the end two feet so that you have to pull a little stool up to hold them up?"
"No!" Ike and Tay said together.
Alex and Jenn continued laughing.
"It's not funny okay? It's not Zac's fault that he sleeps in a trundle...."
"Well what if it breaks? Has it ever broken?"
"Yeah....."
"And where did he sleep?"
"On a blanket.....on the floor....."
They laughed even harder. Teen 'heartthrob' Zac Hanson, millionaire famous boy, sleeping curled up in a little ball on a thin blanket next to Tay and Ike who were too big for their bunkbeds....
"IT'S NOT FUNNY!!"
"Okay okay, " Jenn gasped, "we're sorry!"
"Fine....now can we just watch the movie?" Ike asked, exasperated.
"Sure....how does Cruel Intentions sound?" Alex pointed at the movie poster.
"Sounds good to me..." A dreamy look cast over Taylor's face, he mumbled softly, "Sarah Michelle Gellar sounds good to me..."
"Oh...so you DO like Sarah Michelle Gellar!" Alex put her hands on her hips and turned to Jenn, "I told you so!"
"I do not!" Taylor was immediately defiant.
"Yes you do....." Ike insisted.
"Oh...but you can't tell me that you honestly weren't looking....I mean, we were standing right over her, and you could see right down her tube top..." Taylor had that glazed look again.
"Well....." Ike remembered too and smiled.
"Hey!" Jenn poked his arm. "I'm sorry that I'm not Sarah Michelle Gellar, but I'm here NOW, so could we uh.....possibly see the movie? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...I mean all we've been doing is arguing, " she pointed out.
"NO!" Ike and Taylor protested in unison.
Jenn and Alex were taken aback by their tone.
"Okay Ike..." Jenn said. She stopped and touched his hand gently for a moment, then added softly, "we'll stay...."
Ike smiled and slowly and unsurely reached for her hand. She turned it over so that they could link their fingers. "Let's go see the movie."
Minutes later....
"I'm sorry....we're sold out..." the ticketperson said.
"All right," Ike sighed, "Well what IS open?"
"Let's see....Stepmom and My Favorite Martian."
Taylor folded his arms. "I've seen Stepmom three times."
"Me too," Jenn said.
"Same here......I saw it with her," Alex frowned.
"I saw it twice," Ike said, "I was getting my hair done and it was going to take a LONG time, so they went without me."
"Yeah, it always takes a LONG time to do Ike's hair. They have to put all this crap in it so that it doesn't frizz up." Taylor grinned and looked at his brother.
"That's not true!" Ike touched his hair and tightened his ponytail that was sticking out of his baseball cap.
"Yes it is!" Taylor laughed, "you look like a poodle if the hairdressers don't do it for you!"
Ike shoved his hair quickly under his baseball cap.
"It's okay Ike," Jenn whispered, "your hair is fine...it's cute." She really didn't think so, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings.
"Thanks!" Ike looked proud that someone had complimented his hair.
They bought tickets to My Favorite Martian and headed into the theatre.
The two couples found seats in the last row, so that they wouldn't attract attention.
As they sat down, Jenn told Ike, "You know, I heard that this movie got 1/2 of a star. It's some crappy Disney turn-out."
"1/2 of a star?" Ike said, "is that even possible?"
"Apparently, because that's what this movie got," Jenn whispered as the curtain went up and the movie started.
Ike lifted his arm up casually, and placed his arm around Jenn. Taylor did this moments later.
Taylor tucked a strand of hair behind Alex's ear. She smiled at him. Taylor reached for his drink, trying to keep eye contact with her. All four of the teens had given up any hope of actually watching the movie, it was WAY too stupid.
Taylor knocked over his Diet Coke, and the ice clinked as it splattered to the ground. "Shit," he mumbled, attempting to wipe it up.
"Taylor," Alex grabbed his hand, "leave it." They didn't let go of eachother's hands, and Taylor leaned in slowly, kissing her tenderly on the lips. She pulled away instantly on impulse.
Taylor's ears turned a bright red that she could still make out even in the darkness. "Sorry," he said, "Y--you didn't want me to....uh...kiss you?" He looked slightly hurt.
Alex silently scolded herself for pulling away. He just shocked her a little, that's all. "No, I'm sorry Taylor, can we um, try it again? The truth is...I've always wanted to know what it felt like to kiss you."
This made Taylor even more nervous. Now the stakes were high, the pressure was on. He couldn't disappoint her, she seemed to be expecting a lot. Taylor turned a way for a second and pretended to cover his mouth in a yawn. He was really popping a breathmint in his mouth.
"Taylor..." Alex nudged him. He turned and met her lips. Slowly he parted his lips, and her tongue found its way inside. The inside of his mouth tasted sweet. When they parted, she smiled.
"Was it......what you thought it would feel like?" Taylor asked hopefully.
"What kiss with Taylor Hanson doesn't live up to its name?" Alexandra answered.
He smiled and leaned in to kiss her again. Ike and Jenn were already sharing a long kiss. Soon they parted, and Ike whispered something into her ear. She giggled softly and kissed him again.
That was where it all began.
All The Way To Albertane
You Are My Hope
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