capitulo cinco:
Graven just stood in the vast hall and watched Taylor walk away. Shit! Now what the hell am I going to do? She decided staying there probably wasn't the best choice.
When Graven reached the lounge that her closest friends were sitting in she noticed that Taylor and Liz were already talking and she hoped that he hadn't told her anything yet.
"Yeah, I just kinda hope they get here soon, because like I told Ike," she motioned towards him, "I'm getting really worried."
"I'm sure it'll all turn out okay," he smiled, "Graven's parents always come through."
Liz glanced at him, a little confused. "What?"
"Well, she just told me when we were getting the food."
"Oh," Liz smiled and looked over at Graven. She still couldn't believe that she was here talking to the Taylor Hanson.
Taylor shot Graven the nastiest look she had ever seen, but she was dead set on keeping up this little charade. She was stubborn when she wanted to be and she was not budging.
"So..." Zac tried to ease the tension, "you wanted water, Liz?" He ignored the water that Taylor had already brought in.
"Yeah, I can get it... where is it?"
"Um, through that door, is a little kitchen. There should be cups next to the sink if Mackie hasn't broken them all."
Liz laughed a little, "Okay."
After she stepped out, Taylor blew up. "So, you're not gonna tell her? Fuck, Graven, I'm going to tell her, and I'm not kidding!"
"Taylor, what's your problem?" Isaac said, trying to calm him down.
"This has gone on for long enough, damn it, and I'm not going to sit here and take it anymore!" Taylor didn't really want to admit that what made him angry was the fact that Graven had called Liz her best friend.
"Will you watch your language?" Graven snapped.
"Why?!"
"Because I said so."
"Okay, mom," Taylor replied more than rudely.
Before Graven could get in another smart ass comment, Liz walked back in with a glass of water.
"Everything okay?" Liz asked noticing that Graven's eyes were filling with tears.
"I accidentally stepped on her foot," Taylor said slowly realizing that he had taken things too far. "I'm sorry Graven."
Graven smiled awkwardly. "Ow. That hurt," she said. She was really hurting, but it wasn't her foot that was giving her pain. "Excuse me." she said hurrying to the bathroom not bothering to explain why she knew her way around the Mabee Center backstage area so well.
Liz looked at the brothers wondering what had just happened. Nervously, she gulped down some water. "Man Taylor, how hard did you step on her foot?"
Taylor didn't answer her right away. Instead he looked over at his brothers who were looking over at him, clearly telling him with their eyes to do something. "I feel terrible," he started. "I'm going to go apologize to her."
"Good idea!" Zac yelled from the couch. They all watched Taylor leave, then Isaac and Zac sighed inwardly. Let Tay and Graven fight it out elsewhere. "Liz any idea when your parents are coming?"
"They were supposed to be here hours ago! Shit! I've been so excited about meeting you three that I've hardly given it a second thought to why we're here." she drummed her fingernails against the glass. "My parents better have a good explanation for this."
"Why do you care? I don't care. If your parents had showed up on time I wouldn't be in the presence of two hot girls!" Zac tried to keep Liz's mind off her parents. Maybe they've had too much to drink or something and they're waiting ‘till they're sober to come for them. Or maybe... Zac knew it was wise to stop his ‘what if' stories, if he went on too long he might go on forever.
"Grave, please open the door." Taylor asked, not really thinking she would.
Graven surprised him by opening the door quite calmly. "Does she hate me yet? Or would you like me to go back in there with you so that she can spit in my face when she hears the big news?" she asked sarcastically.
"Why the hell are you being this way for?" Taylor was getting angry again and he felt it best that he calmed down. "Graven," he said more softly. "You don't need to worry. I won't say anything. Yeah, I'd like it if you admitted it to her yourself but if it's really important to you I'll keep quiet. I just want to know something, and I won't bring it up in there. Who is your best friend Graven?"
Graven smiled. "Taylor Hanson,"
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Just you, only you."
"I'm glad you said that." he said pulling Graven's hand as they both walked back into the lounge. "If you want to know a secret I was really jealous."
"Of Liz?"
"Yeah," Taylor paused feeling funny saying anything to Graven since she knew Liz. "Graven?"
"Hmm?"
"I think... that maybe I might like Liz."
"What?" Graven's heart fell to her knees. Taylor had a crush on Liz? She couldn't believe her ears. Oh man, I need some alcohol. I need to get wasted. Maybe it will all go away. As she passed by the kitchen again she opened the mini bar and withdrew seven little bottles of vodka. Taylor's eyebrows shot up in surprise but he didn't say anything. He'd had enough fights with Graven for one night.
Back in the lounge Graven suddenly became aware that Taylor was flirting with Liz, who was looking at him as if he were the most wonderful human being alive. He's such a bad flirt. God they do look right together. I've lost. As Isaac hit ‘play' on the VCR she tried not to think about the fact that Taylor had just tucked a piece of Liz's hair behind her ear. He likes her. And as she looked at Liz she realized that she liked him too.
Graven stared blankly at the screen where Pulp Fiction was playing. Usually right about now she would have been complaining her ass off... but she didn't even realize what was going on around her. She had gulped down all of the liquor that she had taken from the fridge, and was sweating. The room was spinning...
"Graven! Graven, wake up!" she felt someone slap her face rather harshly and opened her eyes to see Liz hovering over her.
"What- Wh-"
"Oh god, Graven!" Liz pulled her into a hug, "I was so worried about you..."
Liz glanced over at the empty bottles. "How much did you drink, Graven?!"
"I- I- I don't remember..." The first thoughts in her head were Where is Taylor?
Liz answered her unasked question. "Taylor went to get some water to splash on your face. You've been out now for about 10 minutes.. GOD I was so scared!"
Graven smiled. I love Liz... what would I do without her? She suddenly remembered what Taylor had told her. I know what I'd do without her, I'd be with Tay... Her smile faded.
"Grave, you okay?"
"Yeah."
Just then Taylor ran into the room with a huge bucket of ice cold water and before thinking dumped it on Graven's head.
"Taylor!" Liz shouted, "She was already up!"
Taylor's eyes grew wide. "Um... shit, I'm sorry, Graven!"
She just mumbled something to the effect of 'get away from me'.
"I'll get you a towel."
Taylor arrived back with the towel, and before giving it to Graven, he wiped a few drops of water that had landed on Liz's cheek.
"Hello?! I'm the one that's soaking here!" Graven snapped. Give me a break...
"Sorry..." Taylor handed her the towel and she grabbed it quickly.
"God, will you look at me, I look like a drowned rat!"
"Hey," Taylor began, "You're the one who drank all that, I just wanted to get you conscious!"
"Yeah, yeah..."
It had been 5 hours since Graven and Liz's parents were supposed to arrive.
Liz looked out the window like she had been doing for the last 15 minutes.
Taylor walked up next to her. "You okay?"
She looked down. "Not really."
"Listen, everything will be okay... I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation to why they're not here yet." He smiled reasurringly.
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Okay, so unstick yourself from the window, and come sit by us."
Liz smiled back at him, "Okay."
Graven rolled her eyes. Just seeing them within a mile radius of eachother made her want to puke. Or maybe that was the vodka...
Just then the phone rang, and Taylor picked it up. "Hello?... Yeah that's me... um, yeah they're here... uh-huh... yes, about 5 hours ago..." Taylor turned white. "What?" he looked over at the other 4 teens inhabiting the room with huge eyes. "Are you sure, I mean maybe it's some kind of-... yes, sir. Okay... yes... thank you, officer."
*capitulo seis soming soon!
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