capitulo once:

Liz layed in her new bed and looked over at all of the suitcases that had yet to be unpacked. She just groaned and rolled over.

Why is my life so fucked up right now? she thought to herself. Please, god... I've lost my parents, please don't take Graven away from me. I'll do anything... please...

She was interrupted by Diana's voice outside the door. "Honey are you sure you don't want to come out to eat with us?"

"Yes, thank you," Liz choked out. It was going to take a long time for her to become completely comfortable with the Hanson's and right now, she was not ready to take on any more obstacles. She'd jumped through enough hoops for one week.

"Okay, well, we'll be out rather late, and Isaac and Taylor should be home any minute. They just went to buy shoes. Zac is at his friend's house, and all the numbers you might need are on the fridge."

On the fridge. Just like her mom had always done. "Thank you. Have a nice time."

"Can I come in for a moment?"

"Sure," Liz said, fixing her shirt and smoothing down her hair.

Diana walked in and shut the door behind her. "Are you alright?"

"No, not really," Liz said with a little forced laugh.

"Well, I understand, but you know that everything will be alright with Graven don't you? I mean, the doctors say she's doing great progress!"

Liz smiled. "Yeah... I just can't wait for her to come back and move in."

"It won't be much longer," Diana patted Liz on the back and stood up. "But we've got to get going, I'll bring you back something to eat if you like?"

"No, it's okay, I'll just find something here," Liz smiled.

"Okay." Diana was gone and Liz once again stared up at the cieling.

"I don't want another shot, I'm fine!" Graven moved as best she could although she was attached to about a million and two cords.

"It's okay, it'll just be a second," the nurse injected Graven for the fifth time that day, and somehow she knew it would not be the last.

"When can I get out of here?"

"Not long, hon, not long."

brrrrrrriiiiiiiing

The nurse bent over and picked up the phone in the room.

"Hello? Um, yes... I don't think she's-" she glanced ober at graven and covered the phone with her hand. "There's a Mark here to see you, would you like him to come up?"

Graven contemplated. She did need company. And this cheesy nurse was not cutting it. "Yes, please send him in."

"Okay, she says to come on up. Yes... yes, okay."

A few minutes later, Mark appeared in the doorway. "Hey, you," he said smiling.

"Hi, Mark!" Graven said as she watched the nurse leave the room.

He sat on a chair right next to the bed, and placed his hand over Graven's. "How are you?"

"Shitty," she simply replied.

"I know, but everything's going to be fine."

Graven felt herself lash out again. "How can you say that? Why does everyone say that?! You don't know that, Mark, you DON'T!"

"I'm sorry... Graven, calm down. But I talked to the doctors and they said that you're coming along great."

"Yeah well that's in the medical field. In the mental feild, I'm not so sure." Graven said bitterly

"Hey," they both answered. "What's wrong? We're you crying?" Those two questions were probably the most ridiculous things that had ever come out of Taylor's mouth. Of course something's wrong and of course she's crying! "Can I do anything?"

He seemed so concerned that Liz had to smile. "I'm fine really. I'm okay." Poor Taylor, he doesn't deserve me dumping my problems onto him all the time. He's got enough on his mind. "Let's see what you got," said Liz in an effort to change the subject. She poked through the multiple plastic bags that contained the new pairs of shoes.

Isaac walked off into the kitchen and Taylor and Liz were left alone. "You know, I've been thinking," Taylor started. "I guess I haven't really felt much like doing anything for the last little while. I think... I know it might be good for you to get out of the house for a little while. What do you say we go to a movie or something tonight."

Liz bit her lip. It wouldn't be right to go anywhere with Graven in the hospital. On the other hand Taylor might be right. A movie might make the time pass faster, and give her other things to think about. Since the night of the concert Liz felt as if she'd aged a hundred years and had almost forgotten what it was like being a real teenager. She nodded. "Sure. Thank you for thinking of me."

Taylor smiled and took her hand. "I'm starved aren't you?"

Liz shook her head.

"Come on, you've got to eat something. I think Zac made some cupcakes earlier. Little punk tried to hide them but I know where they are." They headed into the kitchen. I'm feeling better already. It's Taylor, I know it is.

"I'm sorry," Mark knew when to quit and he knew that now was the time to quit. "Do you want me to call Taylor?"

Graven almost laughed. "Taylor can't fix everything for me, you know Mark."

"I think you should give him a call."

Graven sighed. "I know, I will."

"Good girl."

"Including herself," They both said at the same time. Liz blushed. "This is a really nice car," she said.

"Thanks, my parents gave it to me on my sixteenth birthday." They finally reached the darkened corner of the lake where Graven's house sat. Taylor quickly found the dog dish and filled it with kibble and water while Liz watched Chuckles circle the dock wildly. Finally they whistled for the dog and left again. "Why so quiet?" he asked her softly.

"No particular reason. Taylor? Is this a date?" She almost regretted asking and she was glad the darkness hid the pink glow that was spreading through her cheeks.

Taylor didn't take his eyes of the road. After the accident that had claimed the life of Liz's parents and Graven's parents he had felt a little uneasy driving and he knew if he felt that way, then Liz must feel even more nervous. "Sure is." Taylor knew she liked him and vice versa. Taylor wasn't often rejected so he could be a little smart-alecky and still sweet.

"Oh," Liz smiled and took his hand when he reached out for hers.

When they got to the movie theater, Taylor opened the car door for Liz, and they both walked up to the huge teal building together.

"What do you want to see?" Taylor asked Liz who was staring at her feet like they were the most interesting thing on Earth.

"Um... it doesn't matter to me," she said glancing up at him, only to bring her head back down. "I haven't seen anything that's playing."

"Okay," Taylor thought about his options. He decided that a scary one probably wouldn't be the best thing since Liz was basically living a horror flick... He walked up to the girl who had noticably figured out who he was. "I'd like two tickets for Austin Powers II, please?"

Liz walked up next to him. "No, Tay, it's okay, I brought mone-"

He just smiled and ignored her. "Thanks." He grabbed the tickets and handed one to Liz.

"Thank you."

"No problem..."

As they made their way to the actual theater, questions and thoughts wouldn't stop flowing effortlessly through Liz's mind. She was nervous as hell, and she felt unbelievably guilty for going out and trying to have fun when Graven was having so much trouble... She just kept looking down at her feet as they entered the dark room. Taylor walked all the way to the back of the theater. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah," Liz whispered. The previews had already begun. A few girls giggled a few rows down as they noticed that Taylor Hanson was in the theater, but he was used to it. However, the odd stares and whispers pointed in their direction were making Liz rather uneasy.

She's gotta loosen up.

Graven heard Zac's cheery voice on the other end of the phone line. It made her want to puke... or maybe that was all the medicine she had taken. "Hey, Zac." The words weakly stumbled out of her mouth. "Is Tay there?"

"Hey Gravie! How are you? Um, no he's not."

"I'm shitty... okay..." She was rather dissapointed that he wasn't home, but she figured that talking to Liz would probably help her a lot, also. "Okay then, can I talk to Liz?"

"Um, well she and Tay are at the movies or something... I think... I don't know exactly where they went, but neither are here."

"Oh."

"Sorry, Graven, but I'll have them call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, I guess." She spit the words out without even realizing what she was saying. "Bye, Zac."

"Bye, feel better!"

"Thanks."

"Graven," Nurse Cathy said with a smile, "It's time for another shot... I can tell you've been having more mood swings."

Surprisingly, Graven didn't yell or shout. "No, I've just been thinking about my parents, that's all."

Cathy's heart sunk. It had done that so many times that night that she was quite positive it had reached her toes. "Oh, Graven... Well, I do have some good news for you!"

"Yes?" Good news?! What the hell is that?

"Well, the doctors said that as long as you feel up to it, and you have to stay with the Hanson's because you need supervision, you can go home the day after tomorrow."

Although Graven didn't especially want to go to the Hanson's house, it was much better than staying in that hospital. The sewer would be a step up from that. "Oh, Cathy, that's great... thank you so much."

As they left the theatre Taylor slid his arm around Liz's waist nonchalantly. "What did you think of the movie?"

"Huh?" Liz wished he hadn't asked the question. She hadn't really been paying too much attention during the show. Just the thought of sitting in a darkened movie theatre with Taylor's face just inches from hers was enough to send her mind spinning. "It was great," she lied.

Taylor smiled. He himself had been having difficulty paying attention. "Do you want to go get something to eat or something?"

Liz noticed he said 'or something' a lot. "Sure."

Graven paced the hospital room impatiently. She was bored out of her mind and the new round of drugs she'd gotten after dinner were making her antsy. "I'm always too late to say things that need to be said. I didn't tell Mom and Dad I loved them that night. I needed to say it and they needed to hear it but I was too busy getting ready for the concert. They died and I never said anything. Now I'm too late to tell Taylor," Graven muttered. "I can't let anyone else I care about not know," she said almost cheerfully. The sound of her voice frightened her a little. I'm not supposed to be happy. She picked up the phone and dialed the Hanson's number again. "Zac? It's me again."

"Hi Gravie, Taylor and Liz aren't home yet."

"That's okay. I called to talk to you and Ike."

"Uh great, what's up?" Zac thought she sounded too happy.

"I just wanted to tell you I love you Zac. You and Isaac are very important to me."

"Aww! Thanks Graven. I love you too."

"Thank you Zac. I just wanted to tell you that. Is Ike around?"

"Yeah, one sec please." Zac put the receiver face down on the table. He heard the unmistakble sound of loud humming. "Ike?" His brohter was sitting on the couch reading a magazine. "Graven wants to talk to you," then in a lower voice he said: "She's humming Stevie Wonder."

Isaac went over to the phone. "Hey Graven, how're you feeling?"

"Not so bad since they doped me up again," she giggled. "I love you Ike."

"I love you too," he answered, confused.

Graven started humming again then broke out into full-fledged singing. "I just called to say I loooove you. I just called to say how much I caaaaare..."

"Graven are you okay?" He didn't think she was.

"Yup. Listen, I got to go. I think I need more medicine now. Tell Zaccie I love him for me will you? And Taylor and Liz when they come home?"

"Will do. Take care alright? We love you too, very much."

"Bye Ike." She hung up.

Isaac put down the phone and turned to Zac. "Graven's flipped out."

*capitulo doce
*what do you think so far?
*home