It took her about two hours in the bathroom, but she had done it all herself. Impressed, she opened the bathroom door. She hoped they wouldn't mind what she'd decided to wear, and the small changes to make it look half way pretty. After all, she felt all masculine with all their products. While she had been snooping around in their bathroom, she'd been lucky enough to come across a small cosmetics bag stashed under the sink. Was it a sister's or maybe a girl had left it. She hoped it was Jessi's or Avery's. It had just enough for her to get by. Stepping into the hall way, she almost expected them to be hovering by the door, but nobody was there. Maybe they had gone back outside to finish what they'd been doing when she fell into their lap. She began her way slowly down the hall towards the living room and made it two more steps before she heard them behind her. She paused, then turned. Taylor and Zac were stairing at her.
"There you are. Here Taylor, these didn't fit at all, but thanks." She held out the jean cut offs. He took them slowly, dazed. Isaac elbowed his brothers.
"Are you hungry Bria?" Isaac asked. "I'm starving."
"Yeah, I could eat some." She smiled at Isaac.
"I'll get that ready then." He squeezed through between his statued brothers, past Bria, and into the kitchen with a smile on his face. Man his brothers were acting stupid.
"So. You guys have a lot of products in there." She smiled. Maybe she shouldn't have come out wearing the tee shirt rolled up at the sleeves all the way to her shoulders, the beater underneath, and boxers. At least she wasn't wearing heels. She laughed to herself. "It was nice to be able to use my usual shampoo." She grinned, teasing. When they didn't say anything, she turned and made her way slowly down the hall, trying her best not to limp. Joining Isaac in the kitchen, she could hear Zac and Taylor arguing quietly.
"Hey Bria." Isaac greeted when she stood next to him at the counter.
"Hi Isaac."
"Where are the other two?"
"Last I saw they were still frozen. But I can hear them arguing now." She picked up a cherry tomato from the ones he had washed already. "What are you making?"
"Salad, chicken, rice and bread."
"Sounds awesome. You do most of the cooking?"
"Taylor and I share, mostly. Zac just burns or undercooks everything." He smiled when she laughed. She leaned in, placing a hand on his shoulder to get a better look at the ingredients of the salad being washed when Taylor and Zac came in and saw them like that.
"See?! I told you!" Taylor said, giving Zac's arm a strong slap.
"You froze like an animal in headlights too dumbass." Zac reminded.
"Zac cooks by buying things, mostly, when it's his turn."
Bria laughed. "Well, I'll have to make it up to you guys, so I'll make you something nice sometime."
"We can try for tomorrow night. You know you'll be sore as hell tomorrow, so you won't be able to leave." Isaac said. Bria's heart softened. "Aw, thank you Isaac." She raised herself up on her toes and gave him a kiss on his cheek. He smiled back at her.
"He's putting the moves on her right under us." Taylor said under his breath to Zac.
"Not any more." Zac said, and went to stand by Bria. "Hey Bria. Feeling any better?" He boosted himself up onto the counter to face her. "Yeah, I do. Relaxed. Not so sore. That or the Tylenol's kicking in." She smiled.
"Great. I see you found Jessi's secret stash. Looks good."
"Thanks. Yeah, I was really excited when I found it."
"Bria. Why don't you sit down and conserve your energy." Taylor suggested, pulling out a chair at the small rectangle table.
"You're right." She slowly took the two steps to the chair Taylor had for her. "Thanks." Taylor sat next in the chair next to her.
"So what did you want to do in LA?" Taylor asked, trying to keep her attention.
"Oh, everything. Act, mostly. Model, sing, dance a little."
"Really? Sing and dance? I mean, I already know you could model. You're gorgeous." He smiled, flirting. She blushed softly. Little did he know she had acted to get here, and to stay in their house, and pretending she didn't know them.
"Thank you," she said, returning his smile while looking at him through her lashes. Zac took the chair opposite of Taylor next to Bria.
"Could you sing something for us? Do you feel up to that?" Zac asked. Bria looked down at her hands.
"Well, I suppose I could try something. It's kind of old, but I love it." Taylor and Zac nodded, looking at her intently while Isaac chopped vegetables at the sink. "Don't you know I can see what you're doing, running around with your cheap talk, cheap talk, yeah." Isaac dropped the knife in the sink and turned around to watch Bria sing. "What I need is a man who can do me right, do me right. If you've got what I need I can guarantee to return all the love that you've given to me, but I've got to be sure that you're always going to be around, always be around. Do you know what it takes to love me, do you know what it takes to do me right, do you know what it takes to love me, baby, baby." She looked at the three boys, then smiled when she saw that their jaws were on the floor. Two seconds later, they began clapping and whistling. She laughed quietly. "But acting is my passion." Isaac returned to the vegetables.
"Bria, please let us sign you." Taylor said, leaning in to her. "You're amazing."
"Sign me?" She was shocked. No way. She couldn't though. As much as she wanted to, she had to get back for 'Desert Fire'.
"Yeah. We have our own indie lable. And Taylor's right. You're amazing." Zac said. Her head was reeling. She didn't think this would happen. She really only sang in the shower. She knew she was good, but wow. "Could you sing another?"
"Uh, I guess. Any requests?"
"Just whatever comes into your head." Taylor said. Well, that was obviously not going to happen. She couldn't sing 'MMMBop'. Laughing to herself, she tried to think of another she was good at singing. There was always her anthem, by Tevin Campbell.
"Alright. This is a song off of a Disney cartoon soundtrack." She couldn't believe she was going to sing this song. For Hanson! Taking a deep breath, she started singing. "Open up your eyes and take a look at me. Get the picture fixed in your memory. It ain't a question of if, just a matter of time, before I move to the front of the line. Mmm, you're watching every move that I make, you gotta believe I got what it takes, to stand out, above the crowd, even if I gotta shout out loud. Till mine is the only face you see, I gotta stand out, till you notice me."
"You certainly stand out." Zac said, smiling.

Chapter Seven