Keryn bounced out of her bed the next morning feeling like a new person. For the past three or four days her eyes had barely seen daylight and the only time she ever saw anyone was when she needed more headache tablets or some water to drink. "I feel great" she whispered to herself as she rummaged through the cupboard for something to wear. She had a whole day ahead of her.

Choosing black peddle-pushers and a black tee she raced down the hallway and got into the shower. She closed her eyes as the hard water hit her, she was so cheerful and began to hum songs under her breath Jack, Jack, Jackie! MMMbop! I will just make up songs in my head la la la!. When she was out of the shower she changed and brushed her teeth. As she opened the bathroom door she felt the cool air press on her face. She shivered, and, feeling like a child again she raced down to her room.

She examined her hair in the mirror. Today is....ummm....a pony-tail day she said to herself as she pulled the hair off her neck and looped it at the back in a hair tie. She smiled into the mirror, amazed with her health. "Ready".

Keryn walked into the kitchen to find Kayla and Zac eating their breakfast. "Good morning everyone!" she smiled.

Zac looked up. "Ahhh. You’re alive!"

"Oh Zac, what would I do without you?" she looked at Kayla who was moving towards the sink. "Morning Kayla"

"Mornin’" she replied without looking up. Keryn noticed her un-cheeriness and jumped over to Kayla at the sink.

"And what’s the matter with you on this fine morning?"

"Keryn, it’s raining outside"

"Ahh..but I am up and I feel great!"

Kayla snapped back into reality. "Oh, how are you?"

"Fine Kayla, what’s on your mind?"

"Nothing. I just didn’t sleep all that well last night. Zac snores you know." she said looking in Zac’s direction.

"Oh, I know. I could hear him from downstairs, and believe me, I thought someone had broken into my room and fell asleep on the floor." she loudly whispered to Kayla.

"Oh come on" Zac defended. "Don’t blame me for your sleeping problems. You were sleeping Kayla. I could hear you. ‘Ike, oh Ike’" Zac laughed.

Kayla however looked quite horrified and shot Zac a filthy look. Keryn slid into one of the chairs at the table.

"Zac!" she mouthed. "Don’t, she is not ready for Ike jokes." Zac rolled his eyes.

"I don’t know what she sees in him anyways."

Keryn decided this was the time to change the subject. "So Zac, how’s it going with Gillian?"

"I have not seen her and do not plan to see her until I get a full apology and when that happens I will still not talk to her."

"Oh Zac, she is your neighbour, you cannot avoid her for the rest of your life."

"Wanna make a bet?" Zac would never eat again to win a bet.

"Hmmm...no thanks." Keryn drifted off for a second. "Zac!" she said.

"Keryn!" he replied.

"Zac how about we hit the mall today and shop for a new skateboard or whatever you want?"

Zac’s face brightened. "That sounds great. We can take Tay’s car!"

"Cool." Keryn turned to Kayla. "Wanna come?"

Kayla thought for a moment and joined the two at the table. "Sounds like a plan. I need new clothes."

"Uh uh. No way. I am not following you through all the shops. Never!"

"Zac, do you want to go or not?" Kayla said. "I only need a couple of shirts."

Zac sighed and gave in. "Okay. I suppose."

"Sounds great." Keryn lept up and got a plate out of the cupboard. "Kayla, where did you put the vegemite and that?" Kayla got up and opened one of the cupboards.

"Here ‘tis" she said handing Keryn the spread. Keryn took the spread as she flung her pony-tail around her shoulder. "Oh my gosh!" Kayla stared at the back of Keryn’s hair. By the way she was staring she could have had a deadly spider climbing across the back of her head. There was nothing she could do.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Keryn screamed. "GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF NOW!"

About three seconds later she heard Ike, who had joined them in the kitchen. "Kayla, what’s the matter with her?" his eyes went to the direction of Kayla’s. "Ahh. No." Keryn let out another high pitched scream. "Ike, help!"

"Keryn, calm down. You are freaking me out."

Keryn tried to get herself into a slightly calmer state. "Tell me what it is. Now!"

Kayla motioned for Ike to walk away. With this, you are better safe than sorry. "Keryn," she began. "I’m afraid it looks like you have the chicken pox. Your neck is covered with spots."

Keryn looked at Kayla with disbelief. This was the last thing that she needed. "Oh, you can’t be serious." she looked at Kayla.

"I think I am. Justin had them a couple of months ago, ‘member? It started on his neck."

"But I am over this whole sickness thing"

"Perhaps that was just a virus or something. Ya never know. It’s lucky you have not really been hanging around the past few days." she turned and looked at everyone in the room, they were now joined by Taylor who raced down the stairs at the second scream expecting to find someone dead on the floor. "Ike, have you had em?"

"I think....umm..nah. I don’t think so."

Keryn’s face fell.

"Zac?"

"I think I have. You could call Mom, but I am pretty sure I had them".

Keryn’s face brightened.

"Well, I have had them. What about you Taylor?" Kayla said looking at the half dressed, sleepy figure in the doorway.

He shook his head. "Nope."

Keryn’s face fell again. This was just marvelous. One of the main, extreme reasons she came home to Tulsa for a while was to see Taylor. Now she was not going to see him, or Ike, for about a week or so. "I am gonna die" she whined.

"Well," Kayla started with her doctor skills. "I think perhaps you should stay away from Ike and Taylor for the next week. The last thing these guys need is to get the pox."

"I know, I know" Keryn sighed and began walking to her room. She turned around, as if for the last time. Ike had disappeared around the corner, keeping his distance and Taylor was still standing in his position. His face broke into a grin.

"Bye" he whispered.

Keryn lifted her hand and slowly waved back at Taylor and found her way into her downstairs bedroom.

Keryn plonked herself on the bed. When things had settled down and everyone had eaten Kayla burst into the room. "Geez you are a crack up!"

"What?" Keryn looked up at her with sad eyes. She couldn’t believe that this was happening. It was the last thing that she needed at the moment.

"Oh, lighten up." Kayla laughed.

"What were you laughing at?"

"You walked into this room as if you were going off to war. You looked so funny."

"Oh, thanks." Keryn said shoving a pillow at Kayla. "You and Zac have to put up with me for the rest of the week you know. Better live up to my standards."

"Ooh, that will be hard." Kayla joked. "Hey, what are you going to do for the rest of the week?"

"Avoid Ike and Tay. God, imagine if I gave most of Hanson the chicken pox. Ahh. I would be known world wide."

"Ha ha."

"Do you think they would have caught it?"

"I don’t know. If it was just a virus that you had, perhaps not, but I think that you are contagious now."

Keryn drifted off into space. She sat there thinking for a while. "I need supplies dude!"

"Ahhhh. We are going to have fun."

"Do you think Ike and Tay would mind going somewhere to get a list of stuff that I will need?"

"Like?"

"The television from their room, a bunch of trashy teen mags.....ummmm....The movie, Clueless, Candy, lots of it. What else?"

"There’s heaps. I am going to start a list. Oh, by the way," Kayla said as she was walking out the door "Zac has rung Diana to fill her in on the situation."

"Oh, cool."

"Yep."

"Hey, there is money in there" she said throwing her wallet at Kayla. "Go for your life."

When Kayla left Keryn just sat on the bed staring into space. You could tell by the look on her face that she dreaded spending anymore time in her room. She needed to get out. She knew the patterns on the wall off by heart and she had listened to every one of her CD's till she was sick of them. "Why me?" she moaned as she crashed her head into the pillow. "Why meee?"

Keryn drifted off to sleep for about an hour. She was woken from her slumber by a familiar voice.

"I won’t tell if you won’t" Taylor said.

"Oh God, Tay, get out!"

"Nahh. I will be okay."

"Tay, you are not staying long" Keryn said wiping her eyes. "The last thing that you need is the chicken pox." she pushed Taylor off the bed and over to the other side of the room.

"Don’t ya want me?" he said with his goofy grin and puppy dog eyes.

Keryn looked at him. Fworrrr she thought to herself. Look at him. I still can’t get over this whole change, he seems so much sweeter and more intelligent than he was when I left. Not to mention his spurt in the looks department.

"Oh God, I’m delirious." she accidentally said out loud.

"Huh?"

"Nothing" he was now sitting across the other side of the room on the floor. "Of course I want you to stay" she smiled. Keryn stretched and sat up on the bed.

Taylor smiled and started picking at the carpet. "A week hey?"

"Arrggh. Don’t remind me. This will be hell."

"Nah, I will visit."

"Oh Taylor. You know you can’t. What did your Mom say on the phone?"

"Well...." he drifted off.

"See. I don’t want to get in trouble and to tell you the truth I do not want to make you sick. You should not be in here."

"Oh. I am going to go in a minute. Don’t you want me here?"

"I said I did!"

"Well, you are not being very welcome."

"What do you want me to do?" she said, her voice, along with Taylor’s was getting a bit moody. "Go over there and give you a big kiss?"

"Would be nice" he laughed at her.

"Oh Taylor. If you insist." she pretended to get up.

Taylor got up and sat on the bed. "I am going to have to go now." he looked towards the door. "If Ike or Kayla catch me in here I am as well as dead." Keryn laughed.

"Oh, if you must."

"I must" he looked at her. She saw the blue eyes light up as he smiled at her. "Gotta go".

"If you have the chicken pox, it is not my fault" Keryn said, reaching up and messing Taylor’s hair.

"No, it is mine." he said as he took the clips that were holding her hair together.

"Tayl..." her speaking was stopped as he leant over and looked into her eyes. Their lips brushed together and moved into a kiss as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. Both teenagers were completely caught up in the moment. Taylor broke away. His cheeks were red. So were Keryn’s, she could feel it.

They stared hard into each others eyes. Each not knowing what had just happened. Taylor moved Keryn’s hair behind her ears where it had fallen.

"Sorry" he whispered and disappeared out the door.

"Don’t be" Keryn whispered as she fell down onto the bed. She landed on the pillows in disbelief. "Don’t be."