+chapter.one+
She was talking about the girl that was coming to live with us. Her parents died in a car crash just two weeks ago. Mom and Dad were taking this girl in as somewhat of a favor. My aunt works for a foster care center. The thing was they didn't have any homes open. So, my aunt, Margie, called my parents and asked if they could take this girl in. Mom and Dad told Isaac, Zac, Jessica, Avery, Mackie and I about her just a few days ago. The doorbell rang and Mom and Dad went to go answer it.
"Margie, so good to see you again," Dad said.
"You too, Walker, Diana," Margie replied. Margie turned and pushed a girl, about 5' 4" in front of her. I only knew because I was hiding behind the stairs. "Tara, these are the people you're going to be living with for awhile." Tara nodded and stuck out her hand. "Hi," she said, practically whispering. "Hello," Diana and Walker replied.
“Well, I better be going."
"Okay, bye, Margie," Mom said.
"Bye Marge," Dad echoed.
"Bye Aunt Margie," all of us chorused.
Tara waved slightly, looking down at the floor. "Good luck," Margie mouthed to my parents. Mom nodded.
After Margie left, there was about ten seconds of silence. "Well, we better show you to your room," Dad said, picking up her bags.
"It's already five o' clock. I better whip something up for dinner. Do you like hot dogs?"
Tara nodded slowly. "Yes, ma'am," she said, just above a whisper.
"You can call me Diana, Hon," Mom said.
Tara nodded and followed Dad. "Your room is right next to the boys' room."
"The boys?" Tara asked quietly.
"Isaac, Taylor, Zac, and Mackie," Dad replied.
Tara nodded as if to say she understood.
Dad opened the door to what used to be the guestroom. "This is going to be your room while you're here. Make yourself at home, put your things where you like."
"Okay. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Meanwhile...
I was in the kitchen with Mom and Isaac. Ike was sitting at the table across from me. We each had a can of Pepsi. Mom took out the batch of hot dogs. Avie, Jessie, and Mac all wanted grilled cheese.
"Mom, I just don't know how to start a conversation. I feel so bad for her," Ike said quietly.
"Just say that. Tell her how you feel. That has to start something. And you all have to get to know each other somehow. She's going to be here for awhile," Mom replied.
Ike and I nodded. "You boys can eat in your room if you want. I would be nice if you went and introduced yourselves to Tara."
"Kay, thanks Mom," I said and took my dinner and Pepsi with me to my room. Ike followed me with his dinner.
After a minute, we saw Mom walk by with a plate and glass of pop. She knocked on the door and walked into the room Tara was in. "I brought you a hot dog and Pepsi. I hope you like it. If not, just tell me and we'll get something else for you."
Tara nodded. "Thank you...for everything. It means a lot."
"Oh, Hon, it was nothing. Really."
"Can I just ask you something?"
"Sure," Mom replied.
"Why did you take me in? You already have...seven children to take care of."
"True. I wanted to help out. You most of all."
Tara nodded. "Thank you again."
Mom smiled warmly. "If you need anything, you can come to Walker, the boys, or I. One of us should be able to help."
"Okay," Tara took a small bite of the hot dog and put it on the plate.
Mom smiled and left the room.
+chapter.two+
I had just finished dinner and was goofing off with Ike; he was being a total retard, as usual, when Tara suddenly crossed my mind. "Maybe one of us should go talk to her," I spoke.
"You want to go or me?" Ike asked.
"I will," I said. I stood up and walked out of the room. I knocked on the door softly. "Can I come in?" I asked.
"Yea," Tara replied.
I walked in and stood on the side. "You can sit down. I don't bite," she said quietly.
I smiled a bit and sat down on the bed. "Oh, I'm Taylor. You can call me Tay though."
"I'm Tara. You can call me Tar or T. Whichever is okay," she replied.
I nodded. "I'm...I'm really sorry about what happened."
Tara took a deep breath. "Thanks."
"You're welcome."
There was a silence between both. "Soo..."
"Soo..." she said. "Do you want this? I'm not really hungry."
I looked at the half-eaten hotdog. I shrugged. "Sure." I smiled at her and she smiled, slightly, back.
I finished the hotdog in less than a minute. "You haven't met my brothers yet, have you?"
"No," she replied.
I smiled. "You have to meet Ike and Zac. They're both really fun."
She smiled back, then it faded. "I can use some fun...considering..."
"I know...you don't have to say," I replied. She got up and started to walk out of the room with me. I put my arm around her. She looked at me and smiled. She put her arm around me and put her head on my shoulder.
We walked into my room. Ike was in there, conveniently Zac was too. They were battling it out in some Play Station game. "Zac, why do you bother? I'm going to beat you," Ike said.
"So, you think, but I turned psychic! And I predict I will win!" Zac exclaimed using a gypsy voice.
Tara smiled as we entered the room.
"Hey guys," I said.
Ike paused the game and he and Zac turned around. "Heeeeey Taaaaaay," Zac greeted. "Hey Tara."
"Hi," we both replied.
"Tara, this is Zac, and the other dork is Ike," I introduced.
Ike smiled. "Great to meet you."
"What he said," Zac spoke.
"Likewise," Tara replied softly.
"Tara, I'm really sorry about what happened," Ike said sympathetically.
The same reaction as what I got. Another silent pause. "You can call me Tar or T, whichever you like."
"T," Zac said simply. "I like that."
Tara smiled as Zac started on his sugar high. "Yo, man, don't get all up in her face, man. T's my homie. I stick by my homies man."
Tara smiled and I could have sworn I heard her giggle.
Ike grinned. "He's...he's retarded."
Tara smiled again. We all took a seat wherever we could in the semi-messy room.
"So, Tara, do you want to tell us about yourself? Or would you like to know about us first?" Zac asked.
"You first if you don't mind," Tara spoke from her seat on my bed.
"Well, I'm seventeen, Tay is fifteen, and Zac is thirteen," Ike spoke.
"Yea, he's gonna be legal in less than a month," Zac said. "Sad, ain't it? If all legal people are like him."
Ike laughed. "Don't go there."
We all shared a smile.
"Well, considering you're going to have to travel with us, we're part of this music group. It's actually pretty big," I said.
"Yea. We're Hanson," Zac said.
Tara looked at us in disbelief. She laughed a bit. "You're funny."
"We're serious," Ike replied.
"Wow...cool," Tara spoke.
"Are you like, into our music or something?" Zac asked.
"Actually, no. My friend was really into you guys," Tara replied. She got this look on her face like she was reminiscing.
"Tara, are you okay?" Ike asked.
Her head shot up. "Yea, fine."
"Are you sure?" I asked. "You can talk to us about anything you want."
Tara looked, at first me, then Ike and Zac, unsure. "Are you sure? I feel like too much of a burden as it is," she spoke. "I don't want to go spewing my problems on you now."
Zac put his hand on her shoulder. "You're family now. Families stick together and talk things out if they need to."
She smiled ever so slightly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Zac replied. "Do you want to talk now?"
Tara nodded. "Very much so."
"Go 'head then. We're all listening," Ike said.
Tara took a deep breath. "Well, you all know why I'm living with you. Obviously, I have no family," she paused. "My parents died in a car accident two weeks ago." She looked at me, her eyes filled with tears ready to spill over. "I miss them so much," she had to whisper her last line. Ike got up from the floor and sat down next to her on the bed. He put his arm around her as she buried her face in his shoulder.
"It's okay. Shhh," he tried to comfort her.
She sniffed and looked up from Ike's shoulder. "And then everyone's like, remember the good times. They'll get you through. They just seem to make it worse." Ike slowly raised a hand to her face and wiped a few stray tears and nodded, knowing what she meant by her last statement.
I didn't know what to say. She had to have been going through hell.
Ike gave her a tight hug. "It'll be okay. At least you loved them and they knew it and they loved you and you knew it."
Tara nodded and sniffed. "Thank you," she whispered. "All of you. For listening...and being like brothers."
"We are your brothers now," I said. "We're not going to let anything happen to you. Ever." I meant that too. I was ready to beat up any guy that even hurt her feelings let alone make her cry.
"Thank you," Tara hugged Ike once more then got up to hug Zac and I.
We each smiled. "It's really nothing, Tara," Zac spoke.
"To me it is," she said, sitting back down by Ike. We started to talk and she laid down behind Ike.
"So, how old are you?" I asked.
"Thirteen. Fourteen in December," Tara replied.
"Cool! For a month and a half it'll be like havin' a twin sister!" Zac exclaimed. We all laughed.
Tara smiled softly from her spot on my bed. I looked down at my watch. It was already seven o'clock. I laid down on the floor and yawned.
"Hey, Tay," Zac whispered.
"What?" I whispered back, somewhat mocking him.
"Tara's asleep on your bed."
I looked up at Tara sleeping on the bottom bunk. She looked so innocent. I smiled. "That's okay. If I have to, I'll sleep in the other room."
Ike got up quietly. "A shame something so tragic had to happen to her."
I nodded. "Yea, she's so nice."
Zac agreed. "Man that's my twin, T."
Isaac smiled slightly and walked out to the linen closet. He pulled out a clean blanket and walked back into the room and draped the cover over Tara. I smiled a bit. "Let's let her sleep," Ike said. Zac and I nodded. We walked out of the room and went our separate ways, closing the door behind us.
