The next morning Zac woke up and lay in bed for a few minutes before jumping up to watch cartoons. The previous night flashed in front of his eyes, and he smiled as he streched. He sat up, threw on a t-shirt, then padded downstairs for some breakfast.
"Well good morning sleepyhead." Diana said as her son walked into the kitchen.
"Good morning." He mumbled, his eyes still not open.
"I saved you some pancakes." Diana said, setting a plate in front of him as he flopped down at the kitchen table.
"What time is it?" He asked with a yawn.
"Nearly ten thirty." She said.
"Huh?"
"You heard me." She said with a grin.
Zac just shrugged. "late night last night?"
"Oh be quiet." Zac said with a sarcastic smile.
"I heard you come in." Diana said. "And then I heard you boys up until at least three." She added.
"Yeah." Zac said with a sheepish grin.
"I don't care." She said. "You're only a teenager once." She said.
"Thanks mom." He said, stuffing a pancake into his mouth whole.
"That's my boy." She said, patting him on the back.
Zac just nodded, trying to chew, pancake falling out of his mouth. "If only Katie could see you now." She said with a tight smile.
Zac swallowed and nearly choked, then took a deep gulp of air. He smiled at his mother, then neatly cut his remaining three pancakes into little squares and at them, careful to chew with his mouth shut.
"There ya go." She said.
He smiled at his mother, then turned back to his pancakes.
A few minutes later, Taylor walked into the kitchen. "Hey." He said, grabbing a cold pancake off the counter.
"Hey." Zac said.
"Listen, I was thinkin." Taylor said.
"Uh oh." Zac said.
"Shut up." Taylor said with a grin. "What are you doing?" He asked as Zac daintily cut his pancakes into small squares.
"I'm dining to impress." Zac said, his voice breaking for a second.
"You're a trip." Taylor said.
"I try." Zac said with a grin.
"So anyways, I was thinkin." he began. "Maybe we could, you know, do something with the girls tonight." Taylor said.
"Like what?" Zac asked.
"I dunno, like, a date or whatever." Taylor said.
"Okay." Zac agreed.
"What should we do?" Taylor asked.
"Uh, you're asking me?" Zac asked.
"Yeah." Taylor said.
"I've never been on a date before in my life." Zac said.
"Oh yeah." Taylor said.
"Yeah." Zac mumbled, getting up to thow his plate into the sink.
"We could take them to the movies, then out to pizza or whatever." Taylor said.
"I guess."
"So that way you and Katie wouldn't have the pressure of an actual date." Taylor said, leaning on the counter.
"Uh, okay." Zac said. "I think we could do fine by ourselves though." He said.
"You say that now." Taylor said with a laugh.
"Okay I'm sorry, the dating expert." Zac said, teasing his brother.
"Come on, let's go call them." Taylor said, motioning for Zac to follow him.
"Now?" He asked.
"You have so much to learn about girls."
"How's that?" Zac asked.
"You have to call them now." Taylor said. "They're funny about things like that. You can't just call them a couple hours ahead of time. Taylor said.
"Why not?"
"I dunno." Taylor said with a shrug. "They're just weird like that sometimes." He said.
"Oh." Zac said, following Taylor into the family room, where they had a phone.
Taylor picked up the phone and dialed their number. As usual, Judy picked up, then screamed up the stairway to Morgan.
She picked up the phone and screamed at Judy to hang up the phone. Taylor held the phone away from his ear. Zac smiled, then sat next to him on the couch.
"Hello?" She asked groggily.
"Mo?" He asked. "Are you awake?
"I am now." She said.
Zac snickered, and Taylor smacked him on the arm.
Zac laughed quietly as Taylor talked to Morgan.
"Sorry babe."
"That's okay." She said.
"Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight?" He asked.
"Uh...sure." Morgan said.
"Well i thought it could be kinda a double date for Katie and Zac." He said.
"Oh good idea." She said.
"No pressure for them." He said.
"Speaking of the devil." She said. Katie had just walked into Morgan's room.
"What?"
"Katie just walked in here."
"Oh i want to talk to her!" Zac said.
"Just a second." Taylor said. Morgan giggled, then told katie she was on the phone with Taylor.
"They're cute." Taylor said.
"Yes they are."
"I assume you had the same talk with Katie last night."
"yes i did." Morgan said.
"What's she saying?" Zac asked, grabbing at the phone. "Are you guys talking about me?"
"No." Taylor said.
"Yeah, we'd love to do something." Morgan said.
"Okay, how bout movie and ice cream?" Taylor asked.
"Sounds good." Morgan said.
"Great." Taylor said. "We'll pick you ladies up at eight."
"We'll be here." Morgan said.
"I want to talk to Katie." Zac said.
"You'll see her tonight." Taylor said.
"No, I wanna talk." Zac said.
"See you guys at eight." Morgan said.
"Okay." Taylor said.
"Katie says bye."
"Zac has a boner." Taylor said with a wicked grin.
"What?"
"Nothing." Taylor said. "Ow!" He exclaimed when Zac hit him.
"Uh..."
"See ya later."
"Bye."
"Bye."
With that, Taylor hung up.
"What'd ya do that for?" Zac asked.
"You were bugging me."
"Still." Zac said.
"She didn't hear."
"I do not have a boner."
"Oh like you've never thought about her that way before." Taylor said, getting up.
"No, as a matter of fact, I haven't." Zac said.
"Uh huh." he stole a sideways glance at Zac.
"Okay, so maybe I have."
"That's what I thought."
"A few times."
"Zac, you perv." Taylor said, shoving his little brother playfully.
"Dude, I could take you." Zac said with a grin as they walked into the room they shared.
"Actually you probobally could now." Taylor said. "What are you, six ten now?" He asked.
"No." Zac said shrugging. "I went to the doctor two months ago and I was five foot ten." Zac said proudly, sitting down on his bed.
"Dang, I gotta look out." Taylor said, laying down on his bed. "I'm only an even six." he said. "You're fillin out little bro. "
"I know."
"Ya little ladies man."
"Yup." Zac agreed.