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Chapter
8
Taylor lay on the couch, his back to the rest of the room. Melanie walked in, combing out her wet hair. “Is he still pouting?” She said. Camille sat across the room, dressed to go out for the night. She nodded, then stood and slipped her feet into the sandals sitting on the floor in front of her. “C’mon, Taylor.” She said, “If you feed, you’ll feel a lot better. It’s getting late.” “You go on.” He muttered, not moving. |
Camille sighed, then stepped over closer to him, “You promised we’d go out someplace fun tonight. C’mon.”
Melanie lay the brush down on the arm of the sofa, “I can’t believe you killed the table.” She said, sitting on his hip.
“Ouch.” He complained, pushing her down onto his legs.
“Oh, you big baby. Come on! It’s like, eleven thirty! They’re gonna close up the Empire State Building—or wherever it was you all were going.”
“It closes at midnight.” He grumbled.
“Well, then we’ll go to Grand Central Station. It never closes.” Camille said, running her fingers through his hair and peeking over to look at his face.
He pulled his arms up to cover his features. His voice was muffled, “I’m not going!”
“It’s just a bruise. If you feed, it’ll probably be gone before you get back home in the morning.” Camille said softly, kissing his ear.
“Lemme see!” Melanie said, leaning over toward him.
“No, go away.” He said, pushing his face even farther into the soft cushions.
Melanie reached over and tickled him where his arm was raised, causing him to squirm. Soon, Camille joined in, and the three of them ended up in a mass of arms and legs, falling off the sofa onto the floor where the table had once been. When Sonya walked in, she was surprised to see a smile on his face as he lay on top of the two, his arms and legs spread eagle to cover them both. “You’re messing up my hair!” Camille yelled, pulling her arm out from under him and slapping his shoulder.
Sonya stood for a moment, watching him move off the girl and totally onto Melanie, “Say Uncle.” He said. Whatever Melanie replied was indecipherable as his body had totally covered her, including her head. Her red hair could be seen on the floor under him.
Camille stood, and straightened her skirt. “Hey, Sonya.” She said.
“Why are you all still here?” Sonya asked, an eyebrow raised as Melanie continued to complain.
“Taylor says he doesn’t want to go out.” Camille whispered, pointing to her face and nodding.
Sonya rolled her eyes, “Taylor, let her up. She needs to take a breath once in a while.”
As he rose up on his hands, Melanie took the chance to whack him across his face, “Jerk!” She said, rolling out from under him.
“Owww…” Taylor said, holding his jaw. “I think my tooth’s loose and you just hit me in the mouth…” He said, standing.
Sonya shook her head, “Your mouth’s so full of spit, there’s no way there’s anything wrong in there.” She said. She gazed at his face. The left side was bruised and his eye had darkened to a painful looking purplish around it. “Well, you’ve looked better, but I’ve definitely seen worse.” She said, sitting on the couch they’d vacated. “Go drink from some little girl and it’ll heal up like that.” She said, with a snap of her fingers.
Camille stepped in front of him, “You’re still prettier than all the other guys.” She flirted.
“Yeah, right.” He said, embarrassed.
Melanie pulled the brush through her hair again with a vengeance, “You better be glad I went easy on you.” She spat. She threw the brush at Taylor and he caught it. “Now, let’s go. When it gets too late, they’re not fresh.” She said, walking over to the elevator and punching the button.
Camille took Taylor by the hand, pulling him with her. He looked back at Sonya, prompting her to smile at him, “Be careful.” She said softly.
Taylor snorted, “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to get beat up out there or anything…” he said, stepping into the elevator.
~~~~~
Michelle sat in Taylor’s room, pulling the few blouses she owned out of the back pack and laying them on the bed. His closet door was open and she’d pulled out enough hangers to hang her clothes up, the drawers in the dresser still stuffed with his t-shirt collection and socks and things. A knock on the door made her look up, “Come in.” She said.
The door opened and Avery and Jessica both stood. “Hey, Mom told us to come up and see if you needed anything. She’s about to send Ike to the store.”
“Oh, I don’t need anything.” She said.
Jessica shook her head, and the two of them stepped into the room. “You don’t need anything like…toothpaste, or deodorant? What kind of cereal do you like? Any magazines you like to read?”
Michelle looked at them, feeling like an intruder. “I don’t want your folks to buy me stuff like that.”
“Why not?” Avery said, sitting on the bed next to her.
“I don’t know.” Michelle answered. “I just…I’d feel funny.”
Jessica put her hand on her hip, “Well, I’m going with him, and I’m gonna pick out some stuff for you, so you may as well tell me what you like.”
“You know, Mom’s really happy right now.” Avery said, leaning back against the pillow. “We haven’t seen her like this for a while now, so, if you’re thinking that, you don’t belong here, or like, Mom and Dad are pissed at you or something, that’s not the way it is.”
“Ave!” Jessica said.
“Oh, and don’t say anything that could be considered a cuss word, because they’ll freak out on you.” Avery added.
Michelle smiled, “Are you sure?” She asked, “I mean, when I got here, your mom didn’t seem to like me much.” She said. She looked down at her hands, “And I mean, I don’t blame her. I’m sure she doesn’t appreciate some girl just showing up—“
“You’re kidding, right?” Avery laughed. “Our Mom, not liking Taylor’s baby? Or babies?” She corrected herself. She smiled, “God, I can’t believe it.”
Jessica pulled Taylor’s desk chair over, “I know!” She exclaimed. “It’s just so…amazing.”
“I can’t believe it either.” Michelle said softly. “I never even thought I’d get to meet him. I mean, other than like, in front of the hotel or something. I always wanted to maybe, just get to tell him how I felt about the music, y’know?” She said, her eyes looking at them for understanding. “I know you all have known them forever. They’re probably just, your brothers to you.”
“Well, yeah.” Avery said. “But, we know you all freak over them and stuff.”
Michelle smiled, “Yeah, I guess we seem like freaks to you.”
“I didn’t say that!” Avery said, sitting up.
Michelle shook her head, “It’s okay.” She said, standing up slowly, her hand on her back. She stepped over in front of Taylor’s desk. “You don’t know what it’s like to want to know someone, that you’ll never ever get to. To listen to their music and want to tell them so bad, what it means to you.” She said, tears in her eyes.
Jessica stood up, “Yeah, we do.” She looked over at Avery. “Just, not Hanson.” She said, smiling.
Michelle, sniffed and pulled a tissue out of the box, laughing through her tears, “Look, I’m using one of Taylor’s Kleenexes!” She said, wiping her nose.
“Be careful, or you might find one of Taylor’s boogers!” Avery said.
All three of them laughed, “He’s perfect, he doesn’t have boogers.” Michelle said. Then her smile faded. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hold in her emotions. “I just wish…” She stopped, looking over at the girls, thinking how much they looked like him. “I wish…”
Jessica stepped closer, “I know, we wish that, too.” She said softly. For a moment, they just sat there, lost in their thoughts, then Jessica spoke up again, “Alright,” She said, sniffing and wiping her eyes quickly, “I’m going. I’m just gonna pick some stuff up that I’d want if I was you.” She said, heading for the door.
“Rolling Stone.” Michelle said. “That’s my favorite magazine.”
Jessica smiled at her, “Got it.” She said, and she left the room, leaving Avery and Michelle alone.
“Are you alright?” Avery asked her.
Michelle turned around to face her, “Yeah.” She said. “My back just hurts some.”
“I can imagine. You’re really little everywhere else. They’re probably pulling your spine all out of whack.” Avery said, moving over on the bed. “Sit down. What were you doing, anyway? Is it something I can do for you?” She asked.
Michelle sighed, “I was just hanging up my clothes.” She said.
“Okay.” Avery said, grabbing the hangers from the closet. “I can do that.” She started putting blouses on hangers and hanging them on the back of the chair as Michelle sat on the bed, pulling her leg up so that her stomach didn’t rest on her lap. “What about your pants?” She asked.
“Oh, I only have one other pair.” Michelle said, putting the pillow on her legs and leaning forward.
Avery looked at her, one eyebrow raised, “You only have two pair of pants? And like, five shirts?”
Michelle smiled, “Well, yeah. Once Kirk made me buy two more, I have five.”
“My gosh, that’s pitiful.” Avery stated, pulling open one of the drawers on the chest. “Let’s look here, I know Taylor had some baggy shirts. Not a lot, mind you, but a few.”
Michelle looked on in awe as the little girl pulled shirts out of the drawer; some that she’d seen before. “Oh my gosh,” She gasped, “Danny’s Music Box!”
“Yeah,” Avery said, holding it up, “I think he has about four or five of those.”
“Really?” Michelle asked, taking it from her. “I just figured it was like, his favorite or something.”
Avery smiled, “Well, he really likes Danny.” She said. “You know what? I don’t think you’d fit into any of these. You’re really big.” She said, stacking the last of the shirts from the drawer on the chair. “But, there’s an empty drawer now that you can put your stuff in.”
“Thanks.” Michelle said, folding the pants and laying them beside her.
Avery looked at her for a moment, taking in her dark hair and eyes, knowing Taylor had always liked brunettes. “How did you and Taylor…you know, get together and stuff?” She asked.
Michelle shook her head, “I’m not even really sure.” She said with a sigh. “Me and my friends, well, when we heard Taylor had been sick—“She said. “God, I can’t believe he’s gone.” She interrupted herself. She looked at Avery, “Okay, anyway. We heard he was back in New York and stuff, and so, we decided to come and see him.” She stopped again, finding it hard to talk about it with his sister. “I don’t even know what we thought was gonna happen, y’know? I just sort of felt like, he needed to know we were still out here, or something.”
Avery nodded, “Taylor always liked the fans. He did.” She smiled.
Michelle smiled back, “He seemed like he did, didn’t he?” The little girl nodded again, “Anyway, um, it wasn’t like anybody had seen him much, just enough to know you all were in the city. But this one night, Kirk and that Melanie girl came up to me and he told me that Taylor had said he wanted to meet me. But, they didn’t take me upstairs, we walked down the street some, and went in this other building.” She looked at Avery, a serious expression on her face, “Really, I was getting scared, y’know? I didn’t know him, I’d never seen him with you guys. It was stupid to go with him, he could have been a serial killer luring me away or something. But, I guess he wasn’t, because he took me to the Penthouse in this place, and he took me to see Taylor.”
“Really? What did it look like?” Avery asked, moving closer.
“What? The apartment?” Michelle asked. “It was very fancy. Nice. Weren’t you all staying there too?” She asked.
“No. Just Taylor.” Avery answered. She did some quick thinking, “He wasn’t doing too good, and my Mom wanted him to get some rest. In a quiet place.”
“Oh.” Michelle said, nodding her head. “Well, it was definitely quiet.” She said. She then looked at the little girl sadly, “I feel so bad, Avery. I didn’t know how sick he was—I never would have gone up there, if I had. He looked just awful. Kirk said it would cheer him up. If I’d known…” She said, closing her eyes.
“Don’t cry.” Avery said, putting her hand on Michelle’s shoulder, “You didn’t know. And I’m sure you did cheer him up. Obviously.” She added.
Michelle had to laugh, though tears ran down her cheeks, “Stop it.” She said. “Nothing happened like that on that first night. We just talked.”
“Yeah?” Avery said, sitting on the floor in front of her.
“Yeah.” She answered. A smile broke out on her face, “I got to tell him how I felt about his music. So, I guess, I feel good about that. I think it did make him feel better, y’know?” She said, wiping her face with the tissue.
“Taylor loved music more than anything.” Avery said.
“I know.” Michelle said.
“Well, when did things get crazy?” Avery asked.
“Would your mom want me telling you this kind of stuff?” Michelle asked.
“Well, I don’t want all the icky details. Just the love stuff.” She said, grinning.
Michelle sighed, “Well, there’s not a whole lot to tell. Hey, did Taylor have a girlfriend? A little blonde girl, great blue eyes?” She asked.
Avery smirked, “Camille? I wouldn’t call her a girlfriend. She worked for us. Sort of like, a body guard.”
“Weird.” Michelle said, “I mean, she was smaller than me.” She said.
Avery snorted, “Yeah, but strong as an ox. Really, you don’t want to mess with her.”
Michelle’s eyes got wide and she leaned in toward her, “Oh, her and Taylor got into some kind of a fight! I wasn’t in the room, but I could hear it!”
“Uh-uh!!” Avery said with delight. “What happened?”
Michelle shrugged, “I don’t really know, but boy was she mad, and then he got mad back and they slammed doors and stuff. It was crazy.”
“I’ll bet. She had a thing for him.” Avery said, a faraway look in her eye.
“When he kissed me, I almost felt like, he was trying to make her jealous or something.” Michelle said, fingering the bedspread. She looked over at the little girl.
“I doubt that.” Avery said. “He had plenty of chances to make her jealous. Taylor didn’t mess around with girls like that. At least, not that I ever knew of.”
“Really?” Michelle asked, hopefully. She tossed the pillow back onto the bed, “Well, anyway, that day, Kirk had come to find me again, ‘cause he said Taylor wanted to see me again, and they thought it would make him feel better. And so, I did, and he kissed me…and then, stuff happened.” She smiled. “And then, he got all weird afterward, and sort of…snuck us out of the place. He told me he was sick and they didn’t want him leaving. And he was barefoot! And he jumped out of a window and he made me jump out too, and he caught me!” She shook her head, “It was insane.” She said.
Avery was fascinated, “It sounds like it.”
“And then, he walked me to my car, and he made me promise to go home and to not come back there again, and he gave me this.” She said, pulling the little wooden cross pendant out of her blouse. “And that’s the last time I saw him.” She said sadly.
Avery stood, and took the cross in her fingers, feeling the silky surface. “He always wore this.” She said, looking into the girl’s face. “He must have thought you were special to have given it to you.” She said. She smiled, “I can’t believe we’re gonna have twins!” She said, excitedly.
Michelle smiled at her, “I know. I can’t believe it either. I just never imagined anything happening to me like this.” She looked at the room around her, “Never.”
~~~~~
“God bless, I can’t believe we’re gonna be needing diapers again.” Isaac sighed, looking over shelf after shelf of “new and improved” and “more absorbent” brands of infant attire.
“I know!” Jessica said, picking up one with Sesame Street characters dancing across the tiny waistband. “I just wish Taylor was here, y’know?” She said softly.
Isaac stopped and looked at her, “Yeah.” He said, then he shook his head. “This is just so unbelievable. I mean, the time frame, according to Mom, means it happened after Camille and Sonya did what they did to him. Mr. Jones said it’s pretty much the first time he knows of it ever happening.”
Jessica narrowed her eyes at him, “Does he think maybe it’s not…well, that they might not be Taylor’s?”
“He says if Sonya says it is, then it is. She’s his sire or whatever, and she has no reason to lie about it, because obviously, it complicates things for all of them.” He began to push the cart again, “You know what it is—it gets in the way of their big Taylor Plan. They know if he finds out about it, then he’ll be wanting to raise babies instead of exterminating old vampires for them.” He said bitterly.
“Well, according to you and Zac, he’s the one that decided that it was too dangerous for us to be around him. Maybe they’re just trying to do what he’d want them to.” She reasoned.
“Hmph.” He grunted, “I think he deserves to know it if he’s got two children.”
Jessica grabbed some diapers, both cloth and disposable as well as a package containing two matching pacifiers and tossed them in the cart. “You better mind your own business. I don’t think Sonya would hide something like that from him if she didn’t think it was best.”
Isaac turned to her, “Am I the only one that remembers that she killed him?”
“No, a-hole, you’re not. But, I just think that she cares about him now, and that she tries to do what’s best for him. And if I have to take two stinky little babies in his place, then I guess I’ll just have to deal.” She sighed, “I just keep thinking, eventually, he’s gonna come back to us.”
Isaac shook his head, “You weren’t there. It was scary stuff that went down and when he told me he didn’t want us around him ever again, he meant it.”
“Well then, I think you’re gonna have to abide by his wishes and keep your nose out of it.” She said, and she took the cart away from him and began to throw things in it. Isaac just watched her for a moment, then he walked on to meet up with her, grabbing a bottle of baby shampoo and smelling it’s soothing scent before adding it to the growing pile of things needed for a new baby, times two.
~~~~~
Taylor was always awestruck when he stepped into Grand Central Station, but this time, he was looking at it with a vampire’s eyes, and smelling and hearing it with those heightened senses as well. He welcomed the dimness of it also, having been self conscious on the subway as the garish lights made his bruises bloom into a rainbow on his fair features. “Oh God…” he uttered, “somebody’s making those almonds.” He looked over at Melanie, “They’re all cinnamony…like Christmas.” He said, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply.
“Christmas in July.” She smiled at him. She then looked around at the people; some actually travelers, others tourists taking in the architecture and the feel of the old building. “Let’s find us some presents to unwrap.” She said, a glint in her eye.
“You are sick.” Taylor said, shaking his head and stuffing his hands in his pockets, but he too had begun to look at those around him with their drinkability in mind.
As they walked up the steps to get a better view, Camille spotted two girls, watching them and twittering. Even a bit ragged, Taylor was able to attract females. “Chicadees at 11 o’clock.” She said. Walking over to the balcony, they looked back, eliciting embarrassed giggles from the girls as they tried to hide the fact they’d been staring. “Probably Hanson fans.” Camille stated. “That one is drinking a Dr. Pepper.”
“Hanson fans aren’t the only people who drink Dr. Pepper.” Taylor said, wrinkling up his face.
“Yeah, but a young girl, drinking a Dr. Pepper and staring at you like you’re the Messiah probably is.” Melanie said, leaning her elbow on the banister.
Taylor rolled his eyes. “Whatever. How do you know they’re not a couple of lesbian voodoo queens trying to give me the evil eye so I’ll go away and leave you all alone with them?”
“Look at me.” Melanie said, turning toward him. He did and she looked into his eyes at his pupils, then his nose, pulling his upper lip down, then she picked up his hair and looked at his ears. “Nope, no brains oozing out of there.”
“Shut up.” He said, pushing her away with his elbow.
“They know who you are.” Camille said seriously.
“I’m dead. They just think I look like me.” He said, watching them watch him.
Camille looked over at him, wishing she could just get him out of her system. Even with his face showing the results of a pretty intense beating, she found him to be beautiful. And his child-like manner at times she found so endearing, when she should have found it maddening. “Taylor, why don’t you ever use your senses? I know you can hear them if you want to. And why do people always assume Hanson fans are stupid? They know that it is you.”
He looked back at her, “I don’t like to listen, because what they think is none of my business. Besides, I have enough on my own mind that I don’t need to have everybody else’s problems swarming around in there.” He said, looking back over to the girls. “I know the fans aren’t stupid.” He said softly. “But, even if they think it really is me, they’re wrong, because everybody knows I’m dead.”
“It doesn’t even take a fan to know that.” Melanie stated. “It was all over the news.”
“But, the fans know him better than all the other people.” Camille said, gently pushing his hair out of his eyes. “They know you’ve got that little space in your teeth right here.” She said, pointing. “They know you’ve got those laugh lines that you shouldn’t have had ‘til you turned, like, thirty or something.”
“Well, he doesn’t really have those things anymore, Camille.” Melanie said, throwing her leg over the rail. “He’s perfect now. No scars, no wrinkles—“
“A laugh line is not a wrinkle, thank you.” The girl said back, indignant.
“Perfect? You’re kidding, right?” Taylor snorted. “Do I look perfect right now?” He asked.
“No, but that’s because you let Robert beat the shit out of you for some reason.” Melanie said, perching precariously on the rail. “Besides, once you feed, you’ll look perfect again.” She said, tapping her fingernails on the wood.
“Whatever.” He said, turning away from the eyes of the two girls. He looked over at Camille, “Let’s see if they’ll follow a dead guy, and ask for his autograph.” He then started walking back down the steps.
Camille shook her head as Melanie slid back down off the rail, “He just doesn’t get it...” she said, watching him just ahead of them.
Melanie shook her head as well, “Nope.” She said. The girls had casually gone over to look at a schedule as Taylor walked passed them and toward the archway that led to different gates and little shops and such. Sure enough, when he was just far enough ahead of them, they began to follow him. “He walks like a pimp.” Melanie commented, watching him lead them all down a quiet corridor.
“I think that’s a little limp he’s got going on.” Camille said. “He bounced off some of those steel beams down in the basement, if you remember.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Melanie replied. “He’s still a pimp though.”
“He is not!” Camille said.
Rolling her eyes, Melanie held her hand out, as they slowed down. Taylor had plopped down on a bench outside the restrooms and the girls had suddenly come face to face with their quarry. “Hey, what’s up?” He asked them, a smile on his face.
Obviously, they’d been caught, and neither of them wanted to try and lie their way out of it. The taller girl, dressed in a Boston Celtics t-shirt let out a sigh, “Uh, I know this sounds stupid, but you just really really look like someone we know…well, sort of know.” She said, looking over at her friend for a moment, then back to Taylor.
“Yeah?” He said, leaning back and putting his leg up on his knee.
“Yeah.” The second girl said.
“Well, how do you know I’m not him?” He asked.
“Long story.” The first girl said. “God, you sure do look like him, though.” The second girl said. “You sound a little like him, too.”
“Well, what’s his name, maybe we’re related.” Taylor said.
“Are you from New York?” The first girl asked.
Knowing he didn’t have the distinctive accent, Taylor shook his head, “No, but I live here.” He said. He then scooted over on the bench, “Ya wanna sit?” He asked.
“Oh, no, that’s okay.” The second girl said. She then smiled, “I don’t know why we followed you—you just…it’s really weird how much you look like this guy.”
Taylor stood up and looked down at them, “You all must be into Hanson, right?” He asked. Neither girl said anything, but both of them looked embarrassed. “Don’t worry about it, it’s cool. I get that all the time, especially now that it was all over the news and stuff. So, don’t sweat it.”
“I’m sorry.” The first girl said.
“That’s alright, really. So, what are you girls doing out this late, anyway?” He flirted.
“Just sight seeing.” The second girl said, looking up at him. “So, what happened to you?” She asked, gesturing toward his eye.
He smiled again, dimples showing up as he leaned in toward her, “I got my ass kicked.” He said and they both laughed.
Melanie and Camille both watched from around the corner. “So, is he gonna share, or what?” Melanie asked.
Camille raised an eyebrow, “Ha! You can try that, but I’ll just stay right here, thank you.” She said.
Melanie snorted, “Oh, pffft. That was just some kinda freaky thing—he shares with me all the time.”
“Well, the first time he growls at you like a wolf or something, you’ll keep your distance too.” Camille replied, leaning back against the wall.
“He can growl all he wants, it’s not like he can actually turn into a wolf and attack you, y’know.” Melanie said, peering around the corner again.
“Hmph. If you say so.” Camille muttered.
“C’mon.” Melanie said, “He just gave me the look.”
As the two girls came around the corner, Taylor looked up at them, his eyes catching the light letting them know he was ready to feed. “Hey, these are my sisters, Lisa and Julie.” Taylor said, nearly laughing. “Guys, this is…hey,” he said, looking down at the two girls, “I didn’t catch your names.”
“Ashley, and Amanda.” The first girl said, gesturing first to herself, then to her friend.
“Ashley, and Amanda.” Taylor repeated. He then looked at both Melanie and Camille, “They think I look like—“
“Don’t tell me—that kid that croaked on stage down south, right?” Melanie blurted out, laughing. “Hahaha, we hear that all the time!”
“Hey,” Amanda said, “would you take a picture of us together?” She asked Camille, handing the camera to her.
“Sure.” She said, “Of course, I don’t know why you’d want your picture made with our jerk brother, but, if you insist.” She said, backing up. Taylor put his arms around both girls’ shoulders and smiled, his fangs glinting in the light. Camille nearly burst out laughing, wondering what would happen if either of them looked up at him at that moment. She snapped the picture, then handed it back to the girl. “There ya go.”
“Thanks!” Amanda said, dropping it down into her bag.
“No problem.” Camille said, gazing at the girl’s pink throat. She’d obviously gotten some sun in the park earlier. She looked up at Taylor; he was looking down the hallway, making sure they were alone. He then took his arms away and looked into the first girl’s eyes.
“Camille, you get the other one. Go in the restroom, this is too open here...” He said, stepping toward the door and opening it. “Mel, go on in, and save me some.” He shot her a look. “I’ll keep watch.” He said softly as they one by one walked passed him and into the women’s restroom.
~~~~~
Isaac watched as Jessica pulled things from the bag; girl shampoo, and girl deodorant, and girl underwear and all sort of other girl things--some of it for pregnant girls and some for girls in general. Michelle seemed surprised and very grateful for all of it. When tiny baby gowns and impossibly small socks started to come out of the bags, all three girls plus Diana, a grown woman, turned into cooing, babbling masses of emotion. Zac stepped in and stood next to him just as she pulled out two baby bottles, covered in pastel coloured stars. He sighed and looked up at his brother, “Here we go again.” He said.
“Yep.” Isaac answered.
“Dad just told me that you and me are gonna bring up some boxes and get rid of Taylor’s stuff, so there’s room for her stuff and for baby stuff, too.” Zac said.
“Hmmm, well, I guess it’s time. I can’t believe Mom hasn’t had us do it before now.” Isaac replied, shifting from one foot to the other.
“I don’t think she wanted to believe that he wasn’t coming back.” Zac said.
“But now, she’s got something even better. Two somethings, even.” Isaac said back.
“Yeah, I guess.” Zac breathed. He smiled then, “I wonder what she’ll do when you move out?”
Isaac snorted, “She’ll probably turn my room into a playroom for the children.”
“You’re sounding kinda bitter there, dude.” Zac whispered, his eyes following his sisters flitting around the room as Michelle sat on the bed, looking uncomfortable. “She actually seems pretty nice to me.” He said to his brother.
“I know. She does seem nice, and she doesn’t seem to me like she was expecting any of this.” Isaac said. “Because really, I was figuring she’d be looking like the cat that caught the canary right about now. But, she looks as freaked out as we do.”
“Yeah, she does.” Zac said. “God, she’s huge. She can barely sit up straight. That would suck majorly.”
“Yes, it would.” Isaac said, looking at her. A sound behind them caused them both to turn and see Kirk standing there.
“Hey, what’s up?” Kirk asked.
“Nothin’. Just girl stuff.” Zac answered.
“Oh. Well, your Dad asked me to bring up a couple boxes.” He lowered his voice, “If you guys want to, I can just put this stuff in my car, and I’ll take it to Taylor.” He smiled. “It’d probably make his day.”
Isaac looked over at the girls one last time, then pulled Zac out into the hallway with Kirk, “How’s he doing, anyway?” He said softly.
“He’s doing pretty good. He took some kinda trip with Sonya, and they’d just got back when I left.” Kirk answered.
“Is he still living with Beatriz?” Zac asked.
“Oh yeah. I mean, I don’t see that changing for a while. It seems to me like they said that her and the last guy she had were together for like, a hundred years or something.”
He was met with two pair of eyes taking in his comment. “That’s too bizarre for me to comprehend.” Isaac said, shaking his head.
“Was it you?” Zac asked.
Kirk laughed, “Me and the Lady? No way. I’m below her.”
“And Taylor’s not?” Isaac smirked.
“He’s at the top of the food chain. He didn’t have to claw his way up like everybody else.” Kirk reasoned.
Zac shook his head, “Why not? That’s just goofy. I mean, because he was a rock star?” He laughed, “Not even a rockstar, more like, a couldabeen a rockstar-eventually, maybe.”
Kirk dismissed the comment, “That’s got nothing to do with it. Beatriz was like, a farmer’s daughter or something like that. It’s all about the powers, man.” He said.
“Zac, we’ll never understand it, so don’t even try. It’ll fry your brain. He’s our goofy, clumsy, blonder than blonde brother to us, and he always will be.” Isaac said.
“He’s not really all that blonde anymore.” Kirk said, his face serious. “Lack of sunshine’ll end that pretty quick.”
Zac smiled, “Oh, he’ll always be blonde. It’s part of his charm.” Isaac nodded, smiling.
Diana stepped out to look at them, “What are you guys doing?” She asked.
“Um, Dad told us to pack up all Taylor’s junk, to make room for the baby and stuff.” Zac said, holding up a box.
“He did?” She said, softly.
“Yeah. He said two babies will take up a lot of space.” He answered.
Diana didn’t say anything. She looked back into the room and her sons watched as tears came to her eyes. “Kirk says he’ll take it to him, Mom. So, it’s not like we’re throwing it away, y’know?” Isaac said, putting his arm around her.
She sniffed, and wiped her eyes, “I know.” She said. “It just feels sort of…final, or something.”
“I know.” Isaac said back.
Diana took in a breath, then called to her daughters, “Girls, your brothers need to get in here, so let’s go down and make cookies or something, okay?”
Slowly, Michelle pulled herself up off the bed and made her way over to the doorway as the girls stepped out, “Mrs. Hanson—“ she started.
“Call me Diana, honey.” She replied, placing her hand on the girl’s arm.
“Are you alright?” Michelle asked, seeing the tears in her eyes.
Diana smiled at her, “Of course I am. What did you want to ask me?” She said, trying to look like she wasn’t upset.
“Well, I just wanted to thank you. You didn’t have to do this for me. I feel like, an intruder here.” Michelle said, looking from her to the boys.
“Don’t you feel like that. You’re welcome here. We wouldn’t have allowed you to stay here if we didn’t want you here.” She paused. “Taylor can’t be here, but you can, and you’re carrying what’s left of his life.” She said, tears springing anew in her eyes.
As things got sticky, Isaac, Zac and Kirk moved into the room, away from the scene they were pretty sure was going to take place. Diana shoo’d Jessica and Avery downstairs to get things ready to make cookies. “Diana,” Michelle started, “I’m really really sorry about Taylor. I mean, it makes me sad, and he wasn’t my son or my brother. I’m glad I can give you his babies. And I swear to you, he is the only person that could be the father.”
“I believe you.” Diana said softly. “And I’m sorry if you loved him—“
Michelle sighed, “I’m not that stupid or naïve, Mrs. Hanson.” She said, leaning up against the wall. “Taylor didn’t know me, or care about me anymore than he did any other fan. He tried to make me feel special by telling me I was his first…” She stopped. “But, I know he was lying. And I know that there was no way we could have been in love.” She sniffed, holding in her emotions as best she could. “We didn’t even know each other.”
“You know Michelle, ever since this thing happened to us, we just keep hearing ourselves tell each other, that things happen for a reason, and maybe it’s true with you too—maybe you and Taylor were supposed to meet. We never really know God’s plan for us until it happens.”
“So, you think this is God’s plan, huh?” Michelle said, looking down at her swollen belly.
Diana reached over and hugged her, “Maybe so.” She said.
Inside Taylor’s room, his brothers listened to every word, and Kirk’s ears took in every little breath the women took in, as well as the emotions behind them. If any of them doubted Michelle before, they didn’t now.
When she walked back in, she watched them taking clothes out of the drawers and placing them in the boxes. She sat on the bed again and took another Kleenex from the box and wiped her nose, “You know, I don’t need all that much room here. You don’t have to get rid of any of that.” She said.
Isaac stood up straight, “It’s alright, we really should have done it a while ago.”
“Well, just don’t be doing it for me, okay?” She said.
“Mom and Dad think it’s time, so we’ll just box it up and move it.” He replied.
Zac closed up a box, folding the lid in. He then stood and started to take books and CD’s off the top of the dresser. “Oh!” She said, standing. “Please, can you just leave that stuff?” She asked. He stopped what he was doing and looked at her, prompting a tear to fall. “I just sort of thought, maybe, since I didn’t really get to know him before, that maybe, I could find out a little about him by looking through his things, you know?”
Kirk felt emotions in the room getting tense and took it as a sign that he should go, so he picked up the box and went out the door, giving Michelle a smile before he went.
“I don’t know.” Zac said, looking at her. “It just feels weird for someone that we don’t know, suddenly living here and nosing around in his stuff.”
For a moment, she just stood there, then she put her hand on her hip. “That’s cool. I’m sure I’d feel the same way.” She said. Then she walked between them and opened the drawer Avery had put her clothes into. “I’m just gonna take a shower, alright? That way, you all can sort of, be alone while you do this.” She walked toward the bathroom, then she turned back around, “I really am sorry about everything. I’m sure it’s changed your whole life, and your future and stuff.” She laughed, but it was bitter sounding, “He changed my life too, and I only met him twice.” The smile left her face, “But, all three of you changed my life the moment I heard fricking mmmbop. I just want you to know, that I didn’t plan any of this and it really has always been about the music for me. That’s why I wanted to meet you all, just to tell you that. So, I’m sorry that, things got all weird along the way.” And with that said, she turned and went into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.
“Shit.” Zac muttered. “I didn’t really mean that to come out the way it did, I don’t think.”
Isaac shrugged, “Well, I sort of agree with you, even if you did say it sort of…blunt.” He said, shoving old tennis shoes down into his box. He looked back at his brother, “Taylor was always better than you and me at saying things in a nice way, but, he’s not here, so c’est la vie. She’ll be alright, she’s got Mom and the girls here to be all nicey nicey and stuff.”
Zac stood up straight, still looking at the bathroom door and listening as the water was turned on, “Yeah, I know, but I still feel sort of bad now.” He then looked around him and sighed. “Man, seeing all this stuff again—“ He smiled at Isaac, “all these stinky shoes and his clothes and stuff…” He paused, “it makes me miss him again.” He said softly.
Isaac shook his head, “You never stopped, Zac.” He said softly. “Nobody has.” And he took his foot and pushed the box out into the hallway.