Tay just sits there with her in his lap, his eyes showing his discomfort. He tries to regain his cool. Then he kisses her. Rick sighs, "I guess I'll go." He glares at Sara, he looks hurt and angry, but she's too busy looking into Taylor's clear blue eyes.
I look at Tay. He doesn't seem to see whats happening. He knows that his friends don't like her, but he never seems to see her laugh at us, taunt us with him, or he pretends not to. She pushes him so hard to go too far and I can see him wrestle with it. I don't understand why he lets her treat him that way. He doesn't usually let people push him around, yet he lets Sara control him.

Rick comes back in, grabs my arm and drags me out to the backyard. Five boys are playing soccer, Zac and his friends Jaime and Todd, and two of Tay's friends, Chris and Ben, Rick pulls me down on the swing on the back pouch.
"Molly, what do I do? Sometimes I just want to give up on him, sometimes I'd do anything to get him back, away from her. And sometimes I want to change everything, so when we get him back he sees we can live without him."
"The second one we could do, just rearrange everything so it seems as though we all changed! Different people dating, this could be fun..." I sigh, "Man, I hate her. I love him. She's tearing his life down, while he sits there and watches, she keeps him on a leash."
Rick sighs, "I don't get it either. All I know is I hate her for it, and I'm trying not to hate him. You know, sometimes I just don't care any more...he doesn't seem to. Let's just hope he doesn't give her what she wants. I hope he has the brains and the balls to say no. He needs to find someone worth it."

I can't help thinking I wish it was me. That may sound sick to you, but I don't mean it like that! I love him, and lust comes with it, as most of you know. I may sound like a sad, sappy romantic, but not too many people see me this way. Close friends, that's it. I usually seem anitromanic to people..."It doesn't look like he'll break up with her, it's like he's her slave. He squirms but won't say anything about it. Either there's something more to this, Tay's gotten really submissive, or he really likes her."
Rick says. "Let's hope it's not the last one... For my sake?" I look at him sadly, "I don't want him to really like her, for his own good, and for me, too. Not that I'll get anywhere, but he deserves better." "I know, and so does everyone else, maybe he's blind. I mean, he's always with her; Ashley, he gave up calling; Chris won't speak to him; he ignores me, and his own family! You know his keyboard parts for this next song better than he does, he never shows up for practice. His mom should say something to him. She sees it. Well, at least that he's ignoring all his friends and that he's letting the band and his family down." Rick shakes his head.

I just nod. A car pulls in the driveway, the family's home. I smile, Rick then smiles as Ben runs over, and he joins the soccer game. I sit and watch for about five minutes then Tay and Sara walk out the back door. Tay sits next to me and Sara sits on his other side.
Tay shouts at Rick, "What's the score?!"
Rick stops in his tracks and raises his hand to shield his eyes from the setting sun, "It's three to five, wanna play?" Tay looks at Sara. I feel sick. Ben throws the ball at Tay's head, but he catches it and punts it down the field. Sara just pouts and watches.
Tay looks happy to be playing soccer with his friends again, and they look happy to have him back, if just for a second. Sara cheers him on and laughs, I sit quietly watching him smile. The ball comes straight to me and I throw it back to Tay. He laughs, and comes over to me.
"Come on Molly, play! You, too, Sara. "He pulls us both up towards the field.
She giggles and takes the ball from him. She kisses him and runs to the field. I hang back, looking at him as he watches her, You know, love sucks.
"Come on!" he pulls me toward the field, "you gotta play too."
I hug him, which is nothing new. I hug him, and my other friends all the time. This one's no different...