Chapter 49

Taylor was not in a good mood as he was packing his bags.  Not only was he not wanting to go anywhere near New York, but Marcy's little bombshell last night had left his mind reeling.  He wasn't accustomed to girls not wanting him.  Not that I blame her, he thought.  But he was so used to girls offering him anything he wanted, or didn't for that matter, whether it was drugs, sex, or undying devotion, that her diatribe the night before had kept him awake most of the night.  He knew that tonight would be a make or break for any kind of relationship he may have wanted with her.

Isaac sat in the living room reading over the lyrics again of Taylor's latest creation, his brother may have lost his voice, he thought, but not the ability to get his feelings out.  He looked out the window thinking it would be up to he and Zac to sing them all, as Taylor hadn't even wanted to discuss it when their manager had inquired about selling the rights to some of their songs.  The sun was out in one of those blinding winter days and there were still little patches of snow here and there in the shade.  When the phone rang, he nearly jumped out of his skin.  He reached over and picked it up.  "Hello?"

"Can I talk to Taylor?"  A rather panicky female voice on the other end asked.

"Who's calling please?"  He asked, irritated.

First he heard a sniffle, then, "it's Kim."

Isaac rolled his eyes.  "Hang on a minute."  He walked up the stairs and into Taylor's room where his brother had what looked like every piece of clothing strewn across the room.  He pressed the phone against his shoulder then whispered to Taylor.  "It's your mistress, Kim.  She better not be pregnant."

He watched Taylor's face but saw only confusion.  He handed him the phone.  "Tell her I'm here."  He signed.

Isaac leaned into the phone.  "He's here, talk."

Taylor swatted him and they exchanged looks.  "Taylor?"

"Ask her if you can listen."  He signed.

"Hey, it's Isaac, Taylor wants to know if I can listen or is it some personal crap?"  Taylor now hit him hard.  "Ow, you bastard!"

Suddenly on the other end, she burst into tears.  "What's wrong?!"  Taylor asked.

"He wants to know what's wrong."  Isaac spoke.

"Taylor, I didn't know who else to call...  I got arrested last night.  I've been here for hours and hours."

"What'd you get arrested for?"  Isaac asked.

"Possession."  She sniffled.

"Of what?"  He asked, disgusted.

"Marijuana.  I need fifteen hundred dollars, Taylor.  I'll pay you back, I swear."

"You don't have to pay me back." 

Isaac looked at him.  "He says you don't have to pay him back."

"Well, I'm going to anyway.  I'm down at the third district on 43rd.  Taylor, I'm sorry, I just didn't know who else I could call.  My folks are in Oklahoma City at my aunt's, and it's not like they have any money anyway."

"Don't W-O-R-R-Y about it, we will be right there." 

"He says don't worry, we'll be right there."

"Ok, thanks."

"No problem."  Isaac said and he ended the call.  "Taylor, where are you gonna get that much money on New Year's Day?  The banks are closed."

"D-E-B-I-T  C-A-R-D?"  Taylor signed.

"Well, that'll get you five hundred, there's a limit, you know."  Isaac said.  Taylor gave him the look and pointed to him.  "Yeah, well, if I agree, you're still five hundred short."

"Z-A-C?" 

"Are you kidding?!  Mom and Dad wouldn't let him have one of those!"

Taylor's mind was working, thinking of all his friends, but he quickly ruled them all out.  Most of them were his age and probably wouldn't have much in their bank accounts.  "Well, I'm just gonna have to ask Dad."  He said to himself.

"DAD!!  Did you just say you were going to ask Dad for the money to get your drughead girlfriend out of jail?!  You're crazier than I thought."  Isaac exclaimed.

Taylor looked at him.  "She's not my G-I-R-L-F-R-I-E-N-D!   She's just a friend, I-K-E !" 

"Whatever.  Can I watch?"  Isaac smiled.

"Are you going to L-O-A-N me the money til tomorrow, or not?"  Taylor asked.

"Yeah, I guess.  You do remember you're being staked out by reporters and stuff, don'tcha?  They would love to catch you coming out of the police station with your stoned out girlfriend."

Taylor rubbed his lip a moment, thinking.  Then, he walked out, followed by Isaac and headed to Zac's room.  Taylor clapped his hands in his little brother's face, waking him from a long sleep he'd desperately needed after the sleepless nights of the previous week.  "What?  What's wrong?!"  He jolted awake.

"I need you."  Taylor said.

"You what?"

"I need you to do something for me."  He signed.

Zac sat up.  He pushed his hair, which had been in a ponytail when he'd gone to bed, out of his face.  He rubbed his eyes and stared sleepy-eyed at his brothers.  "What's up?"  He asked.

"Go get G-R-E-G for me." 

Zac looked at him and blinked.  "Greg Gutman?"  Taylor nodded.  Zac looked at the clock.  "Tay, it's 8:20 on New Year's Day, don't you think he's still in bed?"

Taylor stooped down.  "I need him N-O-W.  Tell him K-I-M is in T-R-O-U-B-L-E.  He will come." 

Zac got up and pulled on the jeans he'd thrown on the floor the night before, "What happened?  Is she ok?"

"She got arrested."  Isaac said, watching Zac tie his shoes and stand up.

"What!?  What for?!"

"Guess."  Isaac said.  Taylor looked at Isaac with eyes that Zac thought would have caused him to back up, but Isaac ignored the look.  "Uh, I have no idea."  He answered.  "Drug possession, naturally.  At least it wasn't prostitution..."

Taylor cut him off with the stomp of his foot.  "We haven't gotten into it in a long time I-K-E, but if you don't L-A-Y off her, I will S-L-A-P the S-H-I-T out of you.  Just give me your C-A-R-D so I can get the money and you can go F-U-C-K L-E-E or whatever." 

Zac watched the two, it was true they seldom fought.  Isaac was always quick to speak his mind so things didn't usually go unresolved and Taylor was very easy-going and in general, preferred to avoid confrontation, but once pissed off, he could be a formidable opponent.  "Yeah, right.  You want the money, I go with you.  I'm not going to give you my p.i.n."  Zac stepped over just in time to see Taylor's nostrils flare, but before he said or did anything, Isaac said, "Look Tay, I'm sorry, ok?  I just don't want you getting in any trouble and she is like temptation in human form, y'know?"

Zac nodded and Taylor looked over at him.  "Why are you still here?"  He asked.

"Well, I didn't want to miss anything.  What do you want me to tell Greg?"

"We need him to drive and go in and stuff." 

"Alright..."

Taylor grabbed his arm.  "Try not to let M-A-R-C-Y know about this, ok?" 

Zac smiled.  "Yeah, sure.  You are gonna be in deep shit, man."  And he went out the door, leaving the other two.

~~~~

Taylor stood in thought for a moment, wondering if it would be smarter to ask his mother for the money.  Isaac watched him.  He turned. "Do you think it would be B-E-T-T-E-R to ask M-O-M?" 

Isaac snorted, "It depends.  If she asks you what it's for, and she will," he added, "you're screwed.  Besides, she went to pick up the kids."

Taylor nodded and slowly walked out of the room and down the stairs.  He heard the television on in the living room and there on the couch, his father sat with the newspaper on his lap and his eyes closed.  He stepped over and sat next to him, gathering up the courage to ask his father to lend him five hundred dollars. When Walker was awakened by Taylor's hand on his arm, the dream he was having abruptly flew from his mind.  He opened his eyes to the sight of Taylor looking at him.  "Dad?"  He mouthed.

Walker blinked his eyes a few times, sat up straight, and rubbed his eyes,  "Yeah Tay, what's up?"

"I need to talk to you about something."  He signed.

"Ok, shoot."

"Can I borrow some money from you until tomorrow?" 

"Uh, sure.  How much do you need?"  He asked, reaching for his wallet.

"Five hundred." 

His dad snickered, "It almost looked like you said 'five hundred'."  Taylor nodded and his father just looked at him.  "Do what?!"

"I need five hundred dollars." 

"Uh, can I ask what for?"  Taylor blinked a couple times.  "Tay, I know you heard me.  What do you need that much money for?"

"My friend got A-R-R-E-S-T-E-D last night and needs it for B-A-I-L." 

"Good grief, who?"

"You don't know them." 

"Well, what did he get arrested for?  That's kind of steep."

"P-O-S-S-E-S-S-I-O-N." 

"Of what?"

"W-E-E-D."  He signed.

"Damn, Tay.  I mean, your mother and I aren't totally naïve...  some of our friends were into that kinda stuff, but, damn."  Taylor watched as his father struggled.  "Who is it?"

"K-I-M." 

"I don't know her."  Taylor nodded.  "Is this a close friend?"  Again, he nodded.  "Dammit!  When is this gonna end?  I'm afraid I don't know you anymore Taylor."  He looked at his son.

"Dad, she really is just a friend.  I can't stand to think of her in J-A-I-L .  Her parents are out of town.  She said she would pay me back, but I don't want her to." 

Walker sighed, "Does she have a lawyer?"  Taylor shrugged his shoulders.  "C'mere."  Walker said, and he got up and walked into his office with Taylor following.  He grabbed a piece of note paper and scribbled something down, then handed it to Taylor.  "Here's the name of our lawyer here in town.  Tell her to call him right away.  And when you get back, we're gonna have a little talk."  Taylor nodded, if a talk with his father was the price of getting Kim out, he would gladly do it.  "Here's my card, call me when you get to the ATM and I'll give you the number."

"Thanks, Dad."  He signed.  "Love you." 

His father hugged him in a way that was very much like a head lock and said into his ear, "Yeah, well, you should.  Don't forget, we're gonna talk."

~~~~

Zac had crept around the Gutman's house hoping to figure out which room was Greg's.  It being early morning on New Year's Day, he didn't want to wake their parents or get the wrong room.  Finally, he gave up and went to the front door and knocked softly.  When he got no response, he knocked again, a little louder.  Presently, the door opened and there stood Marcy.  "Shit."  He said.

"Good morning to you too."  She said.

"Sorry.  I was sort of looking for Greg."

"Hmmm, well, then, you got a problem, 'cause he's not here.  They never came home last night."

"They didn't get arrested, did they?"  Zac asked, his eyes wide.

"I don't think so, they spent the night at Sonya's because they drank too much or something.  what's up with you?  Why're you looking for Greg?"

~~~~

Taylor went back up the stairs and into his room.  Isaac sat up from where he'd been laying on Taylor's bed.  "Well?"  He asked.  Taylor held up his father's debit card.  "Damn, what I wouldn't do if I had your face."  He said.  Taylor looked at him, puzzled.  "Nothing, forget it."  Isaac said getting up and grabbing a sweater off the back of a chair.  "Hey, this is mine."  He said.  Taylor gave him a dismissive gesture and Isaac rolled his eyes.  "Well, come and get me when your ride gets here."  He said and he walked out and down the hall towards his own room.

Taylor grabbed a baseball cap off a hook in his closet and stuck it on his head, pushing his bangs up under it, made sure he had his wallet, then slipped his father's card in it, and headed back down the stairs.  When he walked into the living room, he was startled to see Marcy coming in through the front door.  He shot a look over her shoulder at Zac, who shrugged his shoulders looking helpless.  "So,"  she said, smiling, "I hope you're gonna change before we go out tonight."

He walked over and hugged her as Zac signed to him, "G-R-E-G not there." 

"Alright,"  she said, "what's this all about?  What God-awful thing has happened to have you two up and about so early?"  She looked at the two of them.

The boys looked at each other then Taylor began to sign, "tell her we need a ride."

"I did."  Zac signed back.

"Look guys, I'm getting pretty good at that, I don't think we need this third party thing.  Taylor, you look guilty, just spit it out."

He sighed and Zac smiled as he watched his brother's cheeks turn pink, the least little thing could make him blush.  "I'll go get Ike."  Zac said, and he started out of the room.

Taylor grabbed his arm.  "S-T-A-Y."  He said.

"Taylor, geez, it's not like I'm gonna beat you up or something!"  Both Zac and Taylor looked back at her.  "That was ages ago!!"  She exclaimed.

Taylor raised his eyebrows.  "Ten M-O-N-T-H-S ago!!"  He signed back.

"Whatever.  What the hell is up?  Tell me now, or I'm leaving and you can call a cab."

For a moment, he thought about doing just that, but then he decided to just tell her, she'd find out anyway, she always did.  "K-I-M got arrested and she needs us to get her out."  He looked up at her through his bangs and Zac smiled again thinking he'd never seen Taylor looking more like Zoe, just like when she'd pooped behind the drapes.

"Hmph!  At least you weren't with her."  She went and flopped down on the couch.

~~~~

Zac went upstairs thinking Taylor would have to handle this one alone.   When he got upstairs, Zac could hear Isaac and his father talking.  "I don't really know her, Dad."

"Well, how close a friend are we talking here?"

Just then, Zac stepped in.  Both looked at him.  Then Isaac said, "close."

"Not anymore, Ike."  Zac stated.

"How do you know?"  Isaac asked.

"I just do."  He retorted.

"Zac..."  His father said, then he stopped.  "Nevermind, I'll just ask Taylor later."

A whistle from downstairs let them know Taylor was anxious to leave.  The three looked at each other.  "Well, go on.  Man, I'm glad your mother's not here, she'd be having a cow.  I just know I'm gonna be in trouble for this."  Walker shook his head and followed his sons down the stairs.
 
 
 

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