"Tay!!!" Zac screamed at him. "Taylor get up!!" Taylor was not going to move. He wished Zac would go away. Taylor was just so mad at his little brother. Why didn't it ever work? Why did everyone want to save him? He had decided since all his previous attempts to commit suicide had failed, he would just stay right where he was, until he finally starved to death. Or the pain in his head killed him, whichever happened first. "Please.. Tay, say something." Zac wondered what was wrong with Tay. Slowly Taylor lifted his pounding head off of the ground. He had no idea where Zac was, he still couldn’t see. "Why did you pull me from the tracks?" Tay asked.
Zachary stared with amazement at his brother who was looking completely the opposite direction of where Zac was sitting. "Taylor, I’m over here." Taylor turned his head to follow the voice. Then asked again. Zachary said "Tay... You’re my brother.. I." Did Taylor really think Zac hated him enough to not even care if he died? "Taylor.. I... I love you.. I don’t want for you to die."
"Ohh right! Mhmm... C’mon Zac, don’t give me that! Just be like everyone else, tell me you hate me, then go home. I don’t want you here! Leave me alone."
"Tay.. I don’t hate you."
"YES YOU DO!!!! I’ve figured that one out a long time ago. I know you hate me, just don’t deny it okay? Just say it and get it over with." Reaching into his pocket, Tay pulled out the remaining two necklaces that he had kept in there ever since. Handing the three cross and soccer ball necklaces to his brother Taylor said, trying not to show the hurt in his voice "Since you and Ike are best friends now, one of you should wear these." Zac saw that Taylor was only wearing his necklace, by itself, he was alone, they were no longer best friends. The promise had been broken, the promise that they had sworn upon so long ago. It could never be mended, they could never be the kind of friends they were before. They might come back to being friends, but they would never share the strong friendship that they had going before. "But... Tay.. I want us to be friends again."
"I think it's a bit late for that now don't you?"
"Can't we atleast try to be friends?"
"You're asking ME?" Taylor couldn't believe Zac was asking him to be his friend, after all that time of ignoring him, all that time of hating each other, and now Zac was asking him. He was now beggining to see again through a blurry vision.
"Please?"
"...But.. I thought you hated me? Why do you want us to be friends if you hate me?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you! I don't hate you!"
Taylor thought for a minute, about all that had happened to him after they had started doing this to him. "I don't think we can ever be friends again." He whispered, then put the necklaces beside his brother and got up shakily. He then turned around and stumbled back across the tracks, he had to get away from his brother. He had to get away from everyone that had hurt him, he couldn't stay here. He had to leave, to go far away, like Isaac wanted him to. His weak legs carried him back into town. Taylor didn't know where he was headed. He dreamed hopefully of living on a deserted island and becoming a hermit. That would be nice, then there wouldn't be anyone there to make me feel like I'm nothing. No, not nothing, below nothing. Way below nothing. He thought. He moved along slowly because of his blurred vision and the sudden feeling of weakness. "Tay, wait up!" Zac caught up with him easily, the necklaces in his hand.
"I told you, it wouldn't work.. we can't be friends...." Taylor trailed off as a sudden wave of nausea caught him off gaurd. And he started to be sick. As it stopped Zachary said "I know we can't be friends.. I know we've ruint that.... I know the friendship is gone.. Probably forever... I know.... But right now, all I am going to be is your brother, and I think we need to get you home" He looked over at his brother "you're sick."
"I'm not sick, and I'm not going home." Taylor had started sweating, despite the coolness of the day. "Tay, c'mon, lets go home."
"NO! You go home, I'm not going back there."
"Taylor...." He was interrupted
"Just go away Zac, leave me alone!!!" His feet had carried him to the park where he had met his parents after he had run away. He didn't stop there, but kept walking. Wishing his little brother would go home by himself. He started running, trying to lose Zac. I'm always running, always trying to get away. Why can't I ever get away from here? I'm trapped, I'm trapped in this place. I'll never get out. Tay thought. He was running as fast as his weak legs could carry him. Taylor tripped over a rock and went flying. He fell hard against the ground. Tay didn't move, he wouldn't be able to out run his younger brother feeling like this. His vision hadn't come completly back to normal, and he still had a feeling like he would be sick at any moment. He just lay there, sprawled out on the grass. What was I like before? Before all of this? How was my life? It must have been so perfect. So great and wonderful. I don't even remember... where did it all go? Zachary had come up beside him. "Tay, are you okay?" He didn't reply. "Taylor?" Nothing. He just lay there, looking the other way, his head lying on the ground. "Tay, Isaac didn't really mean what he said to you." Zac must think I'm a complete idiot to think I'll believe that. Isaac meant every word he said. He hates me.. they all hate me.... If they hate me, why wont they let me just die? I'm not even worthy enough for death.. everything has rejected me. I'm alone.. I'll have to live like this for all eternity. I'm a faliure, I was an accident, I wasn't even supposed to be born. I wasn't supposed to be alive at all. Taylor thought with certanty, he was sure what he was thinking was true. "Taylor?" Zac knelt down beside him and looked at his face. Tay closed his eyes. "Are you okay? Talk to me, Tay."
"ZACHARY HANSON!" Someone yelled excitedly from the other side of the park. Zac turned around to see who it was. "Is that you?" The woman came closer. He now recognized the lady. Taylor had recognized Mrs. Parker's voice the moment he heard it. She was an old friend of the family's. Their parents had known her, even before Taylor was born. This was not who he wanted to see right now. Zachary didn't know what to do, he didn't want her to see Taylor laying on the grass acting the way he was. But he couldn't just walk off and leave Tay there. "Hi, Mrs. Parker, how are you?" She came closer, and saw Taylor laying there. "What are you kids doing?"
"Uh... nothing really." Zac answered quickly. She walked around Taylor, looking at him. "Taylor, are you all right there?"
Right now he didn't even care if it was God talking to him. He wasn't going to answer anyone. He wasn't going to speak. Taylor figured the only way someone could hurt him was if he spoke back. He was already full enough of that. Tay wasn't going to talk ever again in his life.
"Yeah, he's fine..." Zachary said, but then took it back, thinking that she might convince Tay to come back home with him. "He's sick and he needs to come home. But he wont come back with me."
His little brother had done it, he had brought someone else into their lives. Now she was going to ask more, and soon she would know everything about him. "Taylor, what's wrong? If you're sick you really should get on home."
Ignoring her, Taylor felt like he was going to be sick again. He opened his eyes, to see he was staring into her face.
"He wont listen." Zac told her.
"Taylor, why wont you go home?" Tay turned his head suddenly as the nasuea slammed into him again. He had to sit up because of it. She knelt down beside him. It didn't last long and soon it had stopped. He sat with his knees up to chest. "Tay, let me take you home. My car's just over there, I'll drive you. Come on, get up." She tried again. Tay stared straight past her. She stood up and held out her hand to help him up. He didn't move. "Lets go home Taylor."
"Can't you just pick him up or something? Cause he wont go with you." Zachary tried to tell her.
"Why wont he come?"
Zachary couldn't explain all that to her right now, especially since he didn't exactly know Taylor's side of the story. "Just.. because.... It'll take to long to explain right now. We just need to get him home."
"Okay Zac.. come here." She moved away from Tay, and Zac followed. She said "I'll go and get your parents. He'll listen to them. You stay here with him. Okay?" Zachary nodded. Then she walked off in the direction of her vehicle. Zac went over and sat by his brother. "Tay, why won't you talk to me?" he asked after a little while. Taylor had been almost asleep and then Zac spoke and woke him up. Closing his eyes again he left himself drift off. The darkness surrounded him. It was a comforting feeling, he had been so tired. "Tay! Taylor get up!" He opened his heavy eyelids. His father was standing beside him. Ignoring him he closed his eyes again hoping they would be quiet and just let him sleep. "Taylor!" Walker tried to get his son to move. "Dad" Zac pulled on his father's sleeve. Walker looked down at him. "I think he's a little out of it. He's sick." Their father looked back at Taylor who was now fast asleep on the grass. Figuring Zac was right he knelt down beside him and picked him up slowly. Taylor's eyes snapped open at the feeling of being lifted. He felt like he was spinning. "No, dad, no." he tried to warn him but it was too late and Taylor started to throw up. Walker stopped immediately and gently put his son back on the ground. Waiting for it stop. It took all of Tay's strength just to keep himself upright. A couple minutes later it was over and Walker picked him up once more and put him in his car. Tay felt himself being placed in the passenger side. As soon as his father had buckled him up and shut the door, he leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes.
