capitulo cuatro:

Graven prayed to every god she knew of that Liz wouldn't see the guys standing there. Her friend continued to laugh and she knew that she had to do something before her whole life was ruined.. She continued laughing for Liz's benefit and shot the trio, specifically Taylor a dirty look. I can't believe him, he promised!

"God, what the hell are we laughing at again Grave?" Liz said between a fresh set of giggles.

Taylor leaned in the doorway, breathing in the fresh night air. If Graven wants to act this childish, let her. This is my concert venue and I can stand here if I want.

Isaac nudged both his brothers remembering their promise to Graven. He and Zac stepped back indoors but Taylor was being stubborn and refused to go inside. He glared right back at Graven for a moment or two.

Liz shook her hair out of her ponytail. She'd gotten so hot in the theatre from all the dancing, clapping and screaming she'd had to put it up. "Earth to Graven, what on earth are you looking at?"

Graven turned back to her. "Nothing," she quickly replied.

Liz turned looked towards the door Graven had been staring at "Ohmigod! Grave look!"

Graven cringged. Taylor cringged. Liz felt herself turn red as she saw the object of her affections standing about twenty feet away. "Graven, why the heck didn't you tell me?" She whispered in awe.

Shit, shit, shit! Taylor knew that now he'd have to go out there and ‘meet' Graven and her friend. If he didn't he'd seem stuck-up to Liz and the reprimanding he'd get from Graven later would be for nothing. He hadn't meant to actually stay in that doorway for as long as he had. But there was something that had enchanted him and held him in place. That Liz girl has a nice laugh. He gave the girls a little wave and a big smile instead, convinced that he had to make up for his mistake. Here goes nothing. He walked out of the building into the empty parking lot towards the girls.

"Hey there, I'm Taylor." Graven almost sighed in relief because he held out his hand for a handshake, pretending not to know her.

"I know. I'm Graven. It's nice to meet you."

Taylor smiled and went on to Liz who was slightly hidden behind her friend. "Hey, I'm Taylor. "

"Liz, it's good to meet you Taylor" Her face was red as she touched his hand.

"You too. It's always great to meet the fans. You guys waiting for rides?" Asked Taylor although he already knew the whole story. Graven had complained non-stop about it.

"Yeah, our parents are really late though. Something like an hour late." Graven answered, checking her watch.

"Why don't you two come inside?" He paused for a second searching for approval in his best friend's face. "I mean it's really late and it looks like it might rain. We were heading back home, but we'll wait for you guys."

"Really?" If it had been anyone other than a member of Hanson Liz would have said, ‘oh thank you but I don't want to be a bother.' Right at that second though she couldn't think of anything she'd rather do than spend some time with Hanson.

"Yeah, no problem." He held the door open for Liz who stepped inside as if in a trance, and Graven who punched him in the stomach when Liz wasn't looking as a vengance.

As they were walkig through the halls backstage, Taylor fell into step with Graven. "What was your name again?" He asked sweetly.

"Graven," She answered him thinking how well this was all going.

"That's a pretty name."

"Thanks."

Liz couldn't bear to be left out of the conversation. "Where are Isaac and Zac?"

"In the lounge. We're almost there now. Just that second door. This place is huge isn't it?"

Liz and Graven agreed it was and they all walked into the brightly lit lounge. "Hey Tay, who've you found out there?"

"Fans. Guys meet Graven and Liz." Taylor stepped back as his brothers ‘intoduced' themselves to Graven, then Liz.

"Hi, I'm Issac," Isaac said, slightly smiling to Graven.

"Yeah, nice to meet you Isaac."

"I'm Zac." Zac extended his hand for Liz to shake.

"Oh man, I can't believe this is happening to me. I'm Liz." She smiled.

The two brothers switched and introduced themselves to the other girl.

"So, um," Taylor looked around the room nervously, "You guys want to watch a movie or something? They give us a ton of 'em around here..." he began to look through a shelf filled with videos.

"Um, thanks Taylor, but we really should be waiting outside," Graven said turning around.

Liz gave her a look to kill. As if to say What the hell are you doing?!

"Liz, what if our parents come and they don't know where we are?"

Now Graven was really beginning to upset Taylor. He really wanted to see what Liz was like, and try to get Graven to admit that they were friends. "You don't have to worry, we can see where your parents were going to pick you up through this window." He pointed to a large window behind where the TV was positioned.

Liz walked over to the window to get a better view. Graven mouthed "Stop it!" to Taylor, and he just rolled his eyes.

Liz walked back, "What do you say, Grave?"

Taylor chuckled a little bit at the fact that Liz, too, had this nickname for Graven.

Graven looked at him, "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing," he said, "That just sounds so morbid."

Liz gasped, then laughed a little, "That's just what she says!"

"Yeah, what a coincidence!" Graven faked a smile and threw her hands up in the air.

Liz smiled and looked straight at Taylor. His eyes are so beautiful. "She gets so mad at me about that."

Taylor wanted to say "Me too," but he knew that he couldn't. Instead he just smiled and said "I can imagine."
By this time Graven had calmed down enough to realize that Taylor wasn't going to let her down. "So what movie do you guys want to watch?" Usually she would have yelled "Don't even think about saying Pulp Fiction again. I'm not sitting through that again."

Zac took advantage of Graven's situtation and popped Pulp Fiction into the VCR. "Want anything to eat?" he asked everyone.

"Yeah bring out some of that pasta salad we were eating earlier will you?" Isaac said from his reclining chair.

"Yeah that sounds good to me too," Taylor jumped up to help Zac. "Ladies?"

"Just water please," Liz answered keeping her green eyes on Taylor's blue ones.

"Coffee." Pipped Graven who'd taken off her shoes and was stretched out comfortably on the couch. Not a moment too soon. I will never wear those damned heels again.

"Zac why don't you get the food? I'll take care of the drinks," Taylor paused for a moment. "Graven would you help me please?"

She stood up uncertainly. "Sure," she said quietly and followed her friend down the hall.

"So Liz, how old are you guys?" Isaac asked nodding towards the doorway where Taylor and Graven had disappeared from a second earlier.

"I'm fifteen, she's sixteen. We go to the same school though. St. Vincent's."

"Oh yeah? My brother wanted to go there. Taylor I mean, not Zac."

"Really? Wow that would've been cool. Why didn't he?"

"He couldn't get optional attendance." Isaac lied, preferring not to embarrass Taylor by telling Liz about the screaming fights he had had with their parents that had ended in door slamming, Taylor and Diana in tears, and on one ocassion a severe one week grounding a few months earlier.

"What's that?"

"Optional attendance? It's when you live far away from the school so you might be in some other school district."

"Oh I get it. But Graven did get optional attendance, she lives way out by Lake Tenkiller. She used to take a bus before she got her licence."

"That's weird, isn't it?" Isaac pretended to ponder. "How long have you and Graven been friends?"

"About a week," Liz laughed. "But she's a really nice person. I don't really have many friends and I don't think she does either so..."

"Well I guess there is such a thing as a ‘whirlwind friendship'."

"Must be. I mean the day I met her, we exchanged phone numbers and she called my up that night and invited me to your concert. You guys were excellent by the way! She says her dad gave her the tickets."

Isaac smiled. Graven's dad?Is Tay's new nickname ‘Dad'? "Must be a nice guy."

"Nice except when he and my parents forget to come get us," Liz stared out the window. "Now I'm getting worried Ike. They're almost two hours late."

"Don't worry they'll be here soon."

Liz smiled. "I just hope they're alright. I'm not in any hurry to leave."

Isaac looked at Liz. This was the Liz that Tay had bitched about all week long. He'd actually expected someone who was actually out to steal Graven away from Taylor. Now he knew how wrong he'd been. Note to self: Don't go by what Taylor says.

*capitulo cinco
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