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Chapter Three By 5 o'clock, the family was in the hotel pool, working off all the fast food and the sight seeing the day had held. The pool had been reserved for them from five to six and then again from eleven to midnight. Jessica rolled her eyes as she sat down at the table next to her mother. "What's up?" Diana asked, looking up from the novel she was reading. "Don't they ever give up?" Jessica answered, gesturing towards the girls that had gathered outside the windows. Diana glanced at them, then turned back to her daughter, "Just ignore it—you should be used to it by now. And, to answer your question, no, they probably will never give up—unless of course, Isaac gets married, Zac cuts his hair, or Taylor loses his voice." Jessica shook her head and leaned back in her seat, "Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen." She looked over at the pool, Avery was on top of Taylor's shoulders and Mackenzie was on Zac's and they were playing a game of chicken. Over on the steps, Isaac and Zoë were having a tea party. "Well, Isaac will get married…" she said to herself. |
~~~~~
In the same hotel, room 1213, a debate was raging. "Camille, are you trying to turn him? 'Cause you can only drink so many times before the change will start." The tall blonde was standing next to the window, watching through the blinds as the sun slipped below the horizon. She turned to the smaller girl who lay sprawled out on one of the beds.
"I haven't decided yet." She said smugly, "But Sonya, he's so sweet, I want him to last. I may have overindulged the last time though," she giggled, "I think it made him sick."
"You THINK?!!" Sonya exclaimed loudly.
"Stop yelling at me," she pouted, "there's nothing wrong with it, it's what we DO. Melanie does it all the time."
"Not like that, she doesn't. I just don't think it's right to prey on them like that. If you're gonna kill him, kill him. Like Melanie. But don't drive him crazy first, 'cause you won't like him much afterwards," her green eyes took on a faraway look, "Believe me, you won't."
~~~~~
At six o'clock, Diana packed up all her family's belongings and herded them out of the pool, bodyguards took their places and after some waving and smiling for the girls who'd congregated outside the room, they were on an elevator and discussing where to eat dinner. The doors slid open and the boys went to their room, the younger children to theirs and Diana joined her husband in theirs.
Isaac managed to be the first in the shower. Zac plopped down on the bed as Taylor shook his head, "Just make sure that's your side of the bed you're soaking." He said.
Zac turned over and looked at his brother, "Uh, I think I had to sleep with you last night—tonight, Ike has to do it."
Taylor furrowed his brow, "Thanks man, you really make me feel loved." He said sullenly.
Zac grinned, "I love you man, I just don't want to sleep with you. You're too pointy." Taylor just looked at him. Zac switched channels on the television 'til he found MTV, "Hey, it's the Britney Christina Hour." He snickered.
Taylor looked at the screen, there a scantily clad girl was singing and undulating for the camera. "You know Zac, I think we should do that in our next video. You could look into the camera and lick your lips and Ike could get his belly button pierced."
Zac laughed, "Uh-huh, and what would you do? No—I know—you could lay on a bed and roll around in the sheets with no clothes on, feeling yourself up. The girls will love it!"
"Ew, I know I don't want to see that one." Taylor got up and pulled a magazine from his backpack as Zac continued to watch the television.
"Hey Tay—" Zac said, "here's U2's new one." Taylor didn't respond and Zac looked up to see him sitting at the table staring off into space. "Tay, don't go away on me now." Still, his brother remained motionless, eyes wide.
~~~~~
"Are you calling him!!?" Sonya demanded. Camille sat, eyes closed, her lips moving. As the bathroom door opened and a girl, thin with long, straight red hair walked out, Sonya put her hands on her hips.
"What's up?" the girl asked, towel drying her hair.
"She's calling him." Sonya stated.
Now, Camille opened her eyes and looked at the other two, "Melanie, tell her I can do what I want to do."
The girl threw the towel on the floor, then sat on the bed, "Sonya, she can do what she wants to do." She said dully. Then she turned back to Camille, "What are you doing?" she asked, picking up some red nail polish and painting the nail of her big toe.
Sonya looked at the two and shook her head, sitting down at a table near the window, "She's torturing him, that's what." She said.
Camille's eyes flashed, "I'm not doing anything wrong!" she spat.
Melanie looked up at the two, "Why don't you just get it over with and move on." She asked the small blonde.
"Cause I love him." Camille replied, smiling. Now, both girls were taken aback.
Melanie laughed as Sonya quietly said, "If you loved him, you'd leave him alone."
Melanie added, "Hmph! You love the TASTE of him! I might have to try me some of that." And she smacked her lips loudly.
In a flash, Camille stood in front of the girl, "Don't even THINK about it!" she threatened.
Melanie smiled, showing two small fangs, "Well, he's got two brothers, right?"
~~~~~
"Tay?!", Zac stood up and walked over to his brother, "Hey man—" he said and he snapped his fingers in his face.
Finally, Taylor looked up, "I gotta go." He said, and he stood up and brushed past Zac.
"Whaddya mean ya gotta go? Where ya going?" he asked. Dressed only in swimming trunks, he walked toward the door. "Dude," Zac said, "you're going somewhere dressed like THAT!!?" Taylor didn't look back, , he opened the door and walked out. "Your hair's gonna turn green!!" he called to his back. Zac shook his head, thinking his brother was totally nuts.
~~~~~
In the stairwell, she waited, searching the darkness for the familiar form she knew would come. Above her, the door creaked open and she looked up to see the hand of the boy she knew so well on the banister. He was twelve floors up, and he was coming down floor by floor as she watched. Finally, he made the turn and faced her. Sweat dripped off his chin and down his bare chest. Her nostrils flared as she inhaled his scent. "Come to me." She said, though her lips never moved.
~~~~~
"Where's Taylor?" Isaac asked, stepping into the room and pulling on a clean shirt over his head.
Zac shook his head, then looked up from the television, "He had to go."
Isaac looked at him, perplexed, "Go where?"
"I don't know—he just said he had to go and he took off." Zac answered.
"And you let him go?" Isaac said, getting upset.
"Ike, what the heck was I supposed to do, sit on him? He's a pretty big boy these days, in case you hadn't noticed. Maybe he just went for a coke." And with that, he got up and went into the bathroom, and shut the door, leaving Isaac to figure out whether to worry about Taylor, or be envious.
~~~~~
When Walker and Diana knocked on the door to gather everyone for dinner, Taylor still hadn't returned. After a half hour waiting for him, the younger children were so hungry and whiny they decided they had to leave without him. An hour later, their dinner having been cut short due to everyone's uneasiness, they hurriedly returned to their floor and the boys' room. There Taylor lay in bed, covered from head to toe by the white sheets. Diana walked over and pulled the sheet back. His skin was pale and glistened with a sheen of sweat. She pressed her lips to his forehead, expecting him to have a fever, but instead, it was unnaturally cool. "Taylor?!" she gasped. Everyone rushed over to see why she sounded so alarmed. "Walk, I think he's really sick. We probably should have taken him in last night." She said.
Taylor stirred, and opened his eyes, looking into the concerned faces of his family. "What happened?" he croaked.
Diana smiled, relieved, "We don't know, you tell us—where were you?"
He sighed, "I went for a walk and I fell asleep. I think whatever I had for lunch didn't sit well or something. I feel like crap again."
"Do you need to go to the doctor?" his father asked, pushing his hair out of his face.
"No, I'll be alright. I don't suppose anybody's got a ginger ale on 'em, huh?" he asked, looking at Zac.
"Alright," Zac said, reaching into his pocket for change, "Come on Mac, let's go get a drink for Tay."
And they left, Jessica and Avery following and going to their own room. Diana, satisfied he was going to survive, left as well, kissing him on the cheek and telling Isaac not to keep him up all night with the television. Walker and Isaac looked at each other then back at Taylor, who'd laid back down, "Well, I guess I'll go on—I think I'll go to bed early tonight and you all probably should too."
"Dad, we've got the pool again at eleven—you think it's ok if we go down?" Isaac asked.
He looked from Isaac to Taylor then back again, "I don't know Ike—see what happens, he looks pretty bad, I can't imagine him feeling like swimming, but, whatever, use your own judgment." He turned to leave, then turned back around, "If you and Zac leave though, make sure there's a bodyguard left here with him."
"Ok Dad." He answered and his father waved and went out the door.
~~~~~
At eleven, Zac and Isaac were ready to go swim without their siblings. Taylor had been sleeping off and on, but now, he felt cold and decided to get another blanket from the closet. When he sat up, he noticed both his brothers in swimming trunks again, "Where you goin' guys?" he asked.
Both of them looked at him, then Zac spoke, "Well, we thought we'd go out and shovel snow—it snowed while you were asleep."
Taylor got a confused look on his face, "Really?" and he stepped toward the window.
"Oh good grief, Tay!" Isaac exclaimed, "Get back in bed, you are so out of it."
Zac was laughing, "Where does it look like we're going Sherlock?" and he shook his head and picked up the towel from the chair by the door.
"Oh." Taylor answered glumly, "Uh, do they have a hot tub? I can't seem to get warm." He said, rubbing his arms and grabbing a sweatshirt from his suitcase, which lay open between the beds.
"I don't know Tay—" Isaac said, glancing at Zac, who shrugged his shoulders.
"C'mon man, I feel funky, I don't want to be by myself up here, all alone 'n stuff." And he used his eyes on his brothers in that way that only he could.
"Don't look at me like that, I'm not Mom. If you can walk down there, you can go. I don't care." Isaac said, opening the door.
"So," Zac said as they eased themselves down into the hot water, "What did you really do when you disappeared?"
Taylor slid deeper into the water, lay his head back and stretched out his long arms, "Oh God, this feels good." He groaned and then he closed his eyes.
Isaac punched the button on the wall then dropped down into the now churning water with his brothers, "Well? You gonna fess up? Were you with a girl?" he sang.
Taylor opened his eyes and peered at his brothers' expectant faces, "Sorry to disappoint you, but I wasn't lying—I fell asleep." He closed his eyes again, "Man. I hope I feel better tomorrow, the show's gonna suck if you have to prop me up behind the keyboard."
~~~~~
Outside the door to the pool, one of the boys' bodyguards sat in a chair shaking his head, "Please girls, give 'em a break. They'll be in and out all day tomorrow, they'll make some time to sign a few things, you'll get your chance."
One girl said, nearly crying, "Is Taylor sick? He doesn't look good and they said on the net, he like, passed out on stage last night."
The man sighed, "He didn't pass out, he just got a little sick—so, he's trying to get some rest, so, how 'bout it? Tomorrow's another day—right?" He smiled and after a little more coaxing and the realization that the boys really were just going to sit motionless in the tub, they left.
~~~~~
"Ike, if I don't get something to drink right now, I think I'm gonna die." Zac suddenly stated.
Isaac swallowed, "Me too. Let's go get something."
And they both climbed out of the water and walked out the door leaving Taylor asleep in the warm water. At the soft drink machine, a tall girl with blonde hair in two buns was attempting to get a drink as well. She looked up at the two, "This one's out of order." She said.
"Damn." Zac cursed.
Isaac looked at her—her green eyes sparkled, "I think there's another one upstairs," she said sweetly, "Come with me."
And they did.
~~~~~
Later, when they'd try to recall the events of that night, they'd both say they found themselves a floor above the pool, feeling like they'd just awoken from a long nap.
"Zac," Isaac looked at his watch, "hurry up—we need to get back there."
Zac gulped down the Mello Yello he'd just pulled from the soft drink machine, then threw the can in the recycle bin by the door. "Alright, alright, hold your horses."
As they walked back, they realized they were on the second floor and they grabbed the first elevator down. As the doors slid shut, both boys suddenly had a feeling of dread come over them. When the doors opened again, they shot out and into the hallway, running toward the pool. The bodyguard, still sat in front of the door, looking bored.
"Gimme your card, Zac." Isaac said, holding out his hand.
"I don't have it, I thought you had it." Isaac looked in the window at the table where their towels were draped on the chairs, there were two keycards, laying on the table, then his eyes went to the hot tub and Taylor. He was sitting up, his hands covering his face and blood running from between his fingers and down his chin, dripping into the water and onto his bare chest. Isaac instinctively began yanking on the door handle, though it was locked, "God! Open up!!—DAN, you got your card?!" he asked the bodyguard who still sat calmly in the chair.
Now Zac saw Taylor as well and began banging on the glass. "What card?" the man asked.
Isaac shook his shoulder, "C'mon man! Wake up!" With that, the man's eyes, which were glazed over before, started to come to life, and he shook his head,
"What happened?"
"That's what we're all asking—we need your keycard, something's wrong with Taylor!" Zac shouted in his face.
Now the man stood up and pulled the plastic card from his back pocket, "Oh no, what happened?!" he said, panicking, as he slid the card in.
The green light flashed and Isaac rushed through the door and over to his brother—the jets had gone off and the water was still and a sickening shade of red. Blood continued to drip from Taylor's hands. Isaac jumped down into the water, "Tay, oh God, what happened? Are you alright?" he asked, pulling his hands away from his face. Zac and Dan got there in time to see blood pouring from Taylor's nose and his eyes tightly shut. He was pale and sweaty. "Zac! Help me get him up!" Isaac ordered. Both Dan and Zac pulled on each arm as Isaac pushed him up out of the water and within moments, he was sitting on the edge of the pool. Immediately, his hands flew to his face again. "Taylor, what happened?" Isaac demanded.
His brother shook his head, his voice muffled behind his hands, "I don't know,…I just… I think I fell. Why did you leave?" he groaned.
Zac was near tears, "God, Tay, it's bad." He said, just before he ran to the bathroom, sickened by the sight of all the blood.
~~~~~
Sonya stood out on the roof, talking to a very wet Melanie, "What the hell happened?!" she raged.
Though the cold wind blew over her soaked clothes and hair, the girl didn't seem affected. "They came back. It wasn't exactly gushing or anything y'know—Camille really sapped him earlier—I can't believe he was able to walk." She smiled, "And I don't blame her—he is sweet as sugar." She said, then she wiped the corner of her mouth and slowly closed her hazel eyes.
"Well, what's with the nosebleed?" Sonya questioned.
Melanie giggled, "I hit him." Then she proceeded to wring out her long cranberry skirt.
Sonya watched and put her hand on her forehead, "Why exactly did you hit him?"
"They were coming—I had to do something! You didn't want them to think all that blood was from someone biting him on the neck, did you?! Besides," she continued, "I really thought he'd drown. He's a very tough little guy."
Sonya just stood staring at the girl for a moment, disbelieving, "You all are so cold sometimes—you were supposed to give him a moment of ecstasy, then end it quickly. Done. Finis. Instead, you try to drown him."
"Look Sonya," the girl stated, "you didn't give me enough time. You had two perfectly delicious little appetizers and you couldn't make it last longer than ten minutes?"
"I didn't take any." She said softly.
"Why the hell not?!" Melanie asked aghast, as water dripped down her forehead.
"I just want this to be done with, no strings attached. I never should have let her go after him. He's too young, he's very famous—it's too complicated. This is exactly the kind of thing I was sent here to keep her from doing. And, now that she's had him, she's not gonna give up. And yet, she doesn't want to kill him. The old ones will have a fit." Sonya said quietly.
"Piss on them! Who gives a fuck what they think?!"
"I do!!!" Sonya said fiercely, "and you better too, or you'll find yourself at their mercy—not a good spot to be in." she said, pointing her finger at the girl. She then spun on her heel and marched off uttering, "If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself."