capitulo trece:

Taylor left his house at quarter to six the next morning with his hand in his pants' pocket to prevent his car keys from jingling. He hadn't really slept much the night before. Thoughts were whirring around his head so rapidly that he hardly had time to take them in. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and got up from his bed and soundlessly exited the house. He figured he'd drive around some, pick up Graven, then take her out for breakfast. They could discuss what ever she had needed to talk to him about and then he'd announce that he was going out with Liz.
Half an hour later he parked in the hospital's curved driveway wondering if it was illegal to do so and if he'd get ticketed.

Graven thanked some of the nurses that were on duty that morning and watched as Taylor walked through the doors. He was right on time too. She couldn't remember a time when she'd been happier to see him. "Poor baby," she called to him. "Is it too early for you?" As he got closer Graven put 'the look' into action. Girls like Graven generally know this 'look' and it works wonders for them. She tossed back a lock of his long blonde hair, smiled and batted her eyelashes at him in a way that was a mixture of playful and flirty.

Taylor was delighted she was in a good mood. It made him slightly less uncomfortable with that seducing look she was giving him. "Morning," he reached over to hug her long and hard. All this time she'd been gone he been constantly worried and lonesome for her. He thanked the nurses also and he and Graven walked out into the pale early sunshine. "How about some breakfast?" he asked, leading the way to the car. She was still a little unsteady in her walk, which he'd been assured was perfectly normal, so he helped her along and opened the car door for her trying not to stare at the angry red gashes on her arms.

Graven caught him looking at her arms and pulled away. "I'm sorry," she said.

Taylor was caught off guard. "What for?"

"For doing this to myself. I can see you're upset by it."

"I'm just glad you're okay Grave. If something happened to you I'd... die."

She smiled. That was a great answer. "How about that breakfast you promised me? I'm starved!"

A few minutes later they were sitting across from eachother at the International House of Pancakes ordering juice and coffee. Taylor cleared his throat. "Guess what?"

"I hate guessing games, know that Tay," Graven answered staring at her pineapple juice with distrust.

"I asked Liz to go out with me," he stated proudly.

Graven was glad she didn't actually have juice in her mouth at that moment because she almost choked on her out saliva. "Excuse me?" This was too horrible to be true.

"I asked Liz to be my girlfriend," Taylor said slowly but happily.

It took every ounce of acting skill Graven possessed to keep from screaming obsenities. "That's great!" she was lying through her teeth. How could Liz go behind my back like this? Wait... I never told her. Graven felt a thousand emotions surge through her at once.

"D-d-did she say yes?"

"Um... yeah..." Taylor was a little confused. He thought that Graven would of certainly been a little more excited.

"Great."

Taylor looked around the room for a moment before speaking again. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Taylor. I want to leave."

"Graven, what's your problem? We're not leaving until you tell me."

"NOTHING is wrong!" with that she stood up and stormed out the door.

Isaac walked into the living room and saw Liz laying on the sofa sleeping. He figured he'd better not wake her up... she needed the rest. All of a sudden, he heard the front door slam, then open again. He heard Taylor yell Graven's name, and then the door close again.

"Ugh!" Taylor came walking into the kitchen.

"Shhh... Liz is sleeping. What's wrong?"

He glanced into the living room from his position in the kitchen and looked at Liz for a second before looking back at Isaac. "I have no idea."

"Huh?"

"I don't know. Graven is being a bitch and I don't know why."

"Taylor! Don't say that! God, she's just been through hell, you could be a little supportive."

"I've done all I can do, Ike! I mean, shit, I don't deserve this. This is hard on me, too, you know. Always having to put a smile on my face so that she doesn't get depressed. Having to act like everything will be alright... and god damn it, I don't know if everything will be alright! I don't even know if I am going to be alright... I can't take this anymore." He sat down at the oak kicthen table and put his head in his hands.

"Tay... I... I didn't know you were having such a hard time."

Graven walked past Liz's room. She wanted to go in to talk to her. She needed to talk to someone... She's not here...

After checking in the bathroom, she decided just to forget it. She would probably just blow up at her like she did at Taylor.

She walked into her new room with as much luggage as she could bring in at once. She glanced around the room that she used to love so much. It was filled with such memories... but now it just made her upset. No one knows what I'm going through.

"It's like she thinks that she's the only one having problems! She's not thinking about you or Liz or me... She's the only one that is being upset by this whole thing."

"Taylor, you have to understand that she just lost her parents! I mean for God's sake have some pity."

"You know what, Ike?" Taylor was on the verge of tears. "I have pity. I HAD pity... but you should have seen the way she was talking to me in the car. God, Isaac, I can't take much more of this."

"Well, I think that it would do you two good to have a little time away from eachother."

"That won't solve anything. Besides, we're living in the same house, that might be a little hard."

"Okay, but Taylor, I'm telling you right now, you can't be an asshole. No matter how much you think you're winning, you'll just dig yourself deeper into the fight. You know how Graven is - she has to win..."

Taylor just looked up at Isaac as a solitary tear strolled down his cheek.

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