~"at last"~

"How long does it take then?" Zac stood in McDonald's questioning his brothers.

"I don't know Zac" Taylor replied. "Just wait, it will be here in a minute."

"Taylor, I have been standing here for at least three and a half." Zac said impatiently looking at his watch.

"Zac."

"Taylor."

"Zac."

"Guys!" Ike brought himself into the conversation. "Can you please be patient, you are going to make a scene."

"I am hungry Isaac." Zac whined. "I don't think Mr McDonald would like to know what is happening right at this moment."

"Zac! She only said to you that there would be a three minute wait on your Mcmuffin" Ike rolled his eyes.

"All I am saying is that I think that they should speed up at breakfast time." He explained. "It is supposed to be fast foo..."

"Sorry about the wait Sir." Zac was interrupted by the food girl. "Here is your breakfast."

He swung around and took the bag out of the girls hand. "Thanks. I expect it is hot."

"Zac!" Taylor muttered.

"Taylor"

"Zac."

Isaac gave up on the two and went in search of Kayla and Keryn, he found them by the window.

"No, roll the 'r' a bit more, like rrr" Keryn told Kayla.

"Rrr"

"So, it's like 'Oh, okay, so you're Brad Pitt'. Got that?"

"Oh, okay, so you're a rocket scientist" Kayla attempted.

"Mmm, yeah. That's about it." Considering that Keryn had been in the U.S a lot of her life, she had gained a lot their accent.

"Kayla, you have been living amongst American's for a while now, I can't believe you haven't picked some of it up." Ike said. Keryn and Kayla looked up from the table, just noticing that he was looking on.

"I am just experting her on how to properly sing Shania Twain" Keryn explained.

"Oh God."

"Well, I love that song for your information, Ike." Keryn defended the singer. "Where are the others?"

"Fighting over at the counter."

"Oh okay then." Keryn smiled and leaned over at the two. "So, have we decided on a venue for tonight?"

"I think here, what about you Kayla?" Ike said admiring the chain restaurant.

"Oh yes, I love it here." Kayla played along.

"Fine then. Completely leave me out of it. I don't care" Keryn laughed. They were then joined by Zac and Taylor who had trays of food in their hands.

"A bit of help wouldn't of hurt." Taylor said as he rested the trays on the table and sat down. His question went ignored whilst the others went on a hunt for food. "No no, I can do this. I know where everything is." he took over.

"Hurry up." Ike said as he looked at the time and yawned. "We have been here for ages."

"Would of been four minutes less if...." Zac shouted towards the counter.

"Zac, she can't help it" Taylor said.

"Food now."

"Okay okay" Taylor said rummaging through the bags. "Ike egg and bacon. Kayla egg and bacon. Me hotcakes. Zac sausage and egg. Oh my God. What about her?" Taylor said pointing at Keryn.

"Taylor you sound so dramatic" Kayla observed biting into the breakfast. Taylor looked at Keryn for an explanation.

"Sorry, I don't like egg, I don't eat much meat, I don't feel like hotcakes, the thought of a hash brown churns my stomach. I like McDonald's, but I have grown out of the breakfast."

Taylor rolled his eyes. "Well, what do you want then?"

"Do they sell separate muffins?"

"No" Kayla said.

"Well why the hell do they have jam etc. over there?"

"Good question."

"No, I aren't hungry" Keryn made no sense.

"Okay then" Taylor said going back to his allocating of food. "Ike coffee. Kayla orange juice. Me coffee. Zac Coke."

"Ewww. Zac!" Kayla looked over at him.

"What?" he laughed. "As if taste buds will never know the time is."

"Keryn you have nothing again." Taylor exclaimed when he had finished serving drinks.

"I could hack a Coke" Keryn said getting up from the table.

"See! Someone is sane" Zac said smiling over at Keryn.

Keryn came back with orange juice. "Mmm.. I love this Macca's juice."

"You crazy head" Taylor said sitting down next to Keryn.

"That's me." She grinned. "So, Kayla. Where to and when?"

"Keryn!"

"Where to and when what and why?" Taylor asked. He seemed to know what he was talking about.

Kayla and Ike rolled their eyes. "What?" Keryn questioned.

"Ahh, I see where to when what and why!" Taylor smiled to himself. "What should I wear to the wedding?" Zac just sat there laughing.

"You guys." Kayla pleaded.

"When?" Taylor asked.

"Tonight." Isaac and Kayla said at the same time.

"Where?"

"Don't know yet." Ike said.

"Are you getting married?" Zac asked, now seriously. The table just dissolved into giggles.

"Oh shut up." Zac said demolishing the last piece of burger into his mouth. "What are we doing tonight?" Zac looked over at Keryn and Taylor, trying desperately to change the subject.

"What do you want to do?" Keryn asked Zac. He thought for a moment, there were many possibilities.

"Go camping."

"No, something possible."

"I don't want to watch another stinking video."

"Well, pick something good this time. Nothing Jim-Carrey-ized. I hate that man." Keryn cringed.

"Think about it later" Taylor suggested.

"Okay then. Who is with us? Not just the three of us?" Keryn asked.

"Gillian can come if we are not good enough company for you precious Keryn"

"Kathryn as well then." Taylor suggested.

"You know I didn't mean it like that."

"Yes yes." Taylor said shoving the last of his food into his mouth as Keryn and Kayla drank the last of their juice. "Lets go."

"Yep, same." Kayla said getting up from the chair.

"Me too." Keryn followed. No one really cared that Ike still had half a burger in front of him.

"Wait please"

"Ike, that is why they call it take-out. You know? So you can take it out." Zac said, pulling his brother up from his chair.

"Fine. Fine. Let us leave this place" Ike agreed. All five of them headed for the door and out to the parking lot.



"I'm not going" Kayla announced after her eighth fashion parade had failed.

"Kayla, don't be stupid. Go and try this on." Keryn said handing her dark blue jeans and a light pink shirt.

"I'm not wearing that."

"Why?" Keryn questioned.

"Because it is far to casual." Kayla replied.

"Oh yes, true." Keryn realised. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know yet."

"Well then, I suggest you ask, otherwise you will have no clue of what to wear."

"I did. He wouldn't tell me." Kayla couldn't help smiling.

"Oooh, Kayla, this is serious. He is being extremely sweet."

"Totally, it will be a blast! He did say that I should wear something formal. But not too formal."

"Well, that is easy."

"Easy?" Kayla laughed. "You think this is easy? We have been here for about an hour and found nothing."

"Well, don't you think you should have told me Ike's suggestion before?"

"Mmm... Probably."

"Okay," Keryn started hunting through the clothes again. "Try this." She produced a knee length skirt and button up shirt.

"Do you think this to casual?" Kayla examined the clothes.

"Nah, I think it's cool. If you just put a little make up or something on and some kind of scarf around your neck."

"Oh yeah, that might be cool."

"It will. That is what you are wearing dude."

"Okay then, whatever you say, I am going again now I suppose."

"Good" Keryn said as she watched Kayla walk into the bathroom.

"How's it going with Taylor?" Kayla shouted from behind the door.

"The same as it was before."

"How? You were not talking at all before for some stupid reason."

"I had my reasons" Keryn rolled her eyes and remembered the fight.

"Are your reasons gone now?"

"A bit. He seemed okay this morning at Macca's, he was being nice."

"Yeah, I noticed. He almost had puppies when you had no food. And he called you a crazy head."

"Hee hee. He was just getting frustrated cause it dented his organisational process. What were you doing?"

"Listening to your whole conversation."

"Yes, I thought as much" Keryn laughed. Kayla emerged from the bathroom. "See, that's fine. You are wearing that."

"Oh, anything you say" Kayla laughed. "Yep, I am wearing this."

"Cool" Keryn nodded.

"I am freaking. Oh no. I just realised something." Kayla collapsed onto Jessica's bed.

"What?"

"Tonight me and Isaac are going out on a date!"

"Kayla! What are you going on about?"

"What's he going to do? What am I going to do? Am I ready for anything? Does he even like me like I think he does and I do like him?"

"Kayla! Don't stress. It will be a blast! I wish I was in your shoes right now."

"You like Ike?"

"No no, not like that."

"Taylor?"

"No no, not even that. I mean in general."

"So, you are saying that I have a good thing going on here?"

"Oh yes. Don't stress," Keryn said getting up. "I am off in search of drummer and keyboard freak to see what is going on tonight. I will see you before you go out with guitarist."

"Keryn, you are crazy."

"I know. I know" she headed out into the corridor.



"Okay, we're going now" Ike called to Keryn, Taylor, Zac, Gillian and Kathryn.

"Have fun!" Keryn shouted. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Oh God, that means they could do anything" Taylor said.

"Ha ha, shut up you keyboard freak."

"What?" he was confused.

"Never mind." Keryn laughed. "Bye guys."

"Bye" shouted Kayla, who was genuinely nervous. She still had no idea of what would happen tonight.

Ike and Kayla walked out the front door.

"What's the matter Kayla?" Ike asked.

"Nothing, nothing at all." Kayla nodded.

"Serious?"

"Yes Ike, I am just a little nervous, thats all."

"Okay then, don't be, this will be fun." As he said that he produced a single red rose and gave it to her. "I didn't want to give you this inside, but here you go."

"Oh my gosh, Ike! You are so sweet!"

Ike blushed. "Shut up" he laughed. The two got into the car and started to drive down the street. Kayla's nervous feeling had all but disappeared and she could tell that this what about to form into one of the best nights of her life.



"Press play!" Kathryn screamed at Zac. He had been annoying her all afternoon and he hadn't told anyone the name of the movie that he and Gillian had chosen. Kathryn and Gillian were sitting on the floor and Zac was trying to annoy everyone from up on his lounge chair. Keryn and Taylor were sitting on the sofa, rather bored with Zac's antics.

"Do it Zac" Taylor told him.

"Okay okay, I am sure that Keryn will like this very much."

"What is it?" She asked, interested.

"You'll see."

Taylor turned to Keryn, "It could be anything, you know that, don't you?"

"Yes, I hate to think."

"No no, I am sure you will like it." Zac overheard them. "Very very good film."

"I hope so." Keryn looked towards the screen. The previews finally ended and the production company logo flashed across the screen. Corny music, strangely blue sky, a blockbuster type of movie... "Zac! I am going to kill you!"

Zac just sat there with a big, goofy smile on his face. "What? I like this movie."

"I pleaded, no Jim Carrey. I hate this stupid Truman Show crap!" Keryn whined.

"Zac, I hate this too." Taylor followed.

"I know, but I like it, why do you guys always get to choose?"

Zac, Gillian and Kathryn started to sink into the movie and Keryn and Taylor were sitting with extremely bored looks on their faces.

"I'm bored." Keryn whined to no one in particular. "He is such a freak. Why are you laughing Zac?"

"Shhh.." Zac said through uncontrollable laughter.

"What was so funny about that?" Keryn demanded. She looked at Taylor. "Why are you laughing?"

"It was funny!"

"You guys are warped."



Over the other side of town Ike and Kayla were sitting in a high class restaurant eating chicken.

"Why did you order chicken?" Ike laughed.

"Because I love chicken. This is no nice!" She put some more into her mouth. "I have never tasted anything like it."

"I am glad you like it."

"I do." She smiled.

"You look nice tonight." The statement shocked her a bit causing her to swallow chicken too early and break into a coughing fit. Taking a glass, she started to drink some water until she came around. She guessed she was still a bit nervous.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am fine. I just was a bit taken back by that. Ike, you, yourself look very lovely." She admired his black suit with dressy blue shirt underneath.

"Lovely?"

"Yes" she laughed. "You always look lovely!"

"Ha ha, is that good to hear?"

"Oh, of course." She happily sighed as Ike cleared the rest of his plate. "Thanks for taking me here Ike. It is great." She looked around at the restaurant.

"Beats McDonald's, hey?"

"Sure does... Although, I don't think that Zac would wait for the food, you know?"

"Now, that is a very true fact" Ike agreed.

"Yeah!"

"But, tonight is not about Zac. It is about us."

"Us?"

"Us."



Zac chuckled along with Kathryn and Gillian as the movie moved into its second hour. Keryn had drifted off to sleep with her head and arms rested all over Taylor and despite his discomfort, he was almost asleep too.

"I thought you two were fighting?" Kathryn whispered to Taylor.

"Huh? What?" Taylor was just about asleep as he deliriously answered Kathryn.

"You and Keryn."

"We are sort of okay now" Taylor partly woke up.

"That's good, everything sorted out?"

Taylor realised Keryn must've told Kathryn everything as well, he didn't care though. "Yeah, basically."

"That's good" she smiled and turned back to the movie. Taylor closed his eyes again and tried to go to sleep. He thought about what had happened that morning and whether or not he told the truth. When he said to Keryn that he didn't want to be anything more than friends. He thought he was serious, but then the way she made him laugh made him a bit crazy and now she was practically lying on top of him and there was something strange and comfortable about it. His thoughts drifted to Ike and Kayla. He wondered what they were doing right now, whether or not they would come home a couple. Taylor pondered for a while.

"Taylor, I'm cold." He heard Keryn whisper.

"Zac, can you get me that blanket thing?" Taylor said pointing at the quilt next to Zac. "Zac?" He repeated.

"Yeah, yeah, sure." He said throwing it at Taylor.

Taylor threw the blanket over the both of them and closed his eyes again.

"Thanks Tay. You're so sweet."

"Aww.. thanks" he laughed. "Are we happy again now?"

"The both of us?"

"Yes."

"Definitely Tay, this whole friends thing is so nice."

"Totally," he agreed. "It's the best." He smiled and snuggled down under the blanket.

"Friends it is" she said hugging him.

"Friends it is." They drifted to sleep.



"Mikala?"

"Yes Ike?" Kayla looked up at him. They had driven to the park after the restaurant and were now going up and down on the swings.

"Did you have fun tonight?"

"Of course I did!" Kayla squealed. "I had the time of my life!"

"That's good to hear. So did I."

"Kayla, you know why Keryn arranged this whole little outing don't you?"

"Well, it was either for her and Taylor to be alone, highly unlikely... Or it was because of what everyone in the house has been going on about for the couple of weeks, highly likely."

"Yes, I agree with the second one." Ike looked up at the trail of stars that scarred the night sky.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"It's the best. I love night. When its all silent, you can think, you can do anything and it is so peaceful."

"Tell me about it." She agreed.

"Kayla?" Kayla seemed to know what was coming next. She could feel that she was waiting for the words that were about to come for at least two weeks. Ever since she had first seen Ike, not in the media, in real life, she knew that there was something there. Something that would melt her totally whenever he looked into her eyes.

"Isaac?"

"Kayla. You know how I feel. I told you that day."

"Isaa.."

"No, let me finish," he cut her off "I told you that day how I felt and I still feel the same way. Nothing will ever change that. Never. But, you keep saying that you aren't ready. You know I will wait. I will wait for as long as you want."

"Thankyou Ike, I am not ready." She watched disappointment smear across his face. The look made her heart tangle into thousands of sections.

"Oh."

"Ike?"

"What?"

"I need you too." Something came over her. She realised in that second that she was over Dan, she was well and truly crazy for Ike. There was no point in waiting.

"Kayla, I need you too."

"No, I mean I need you now." A smile broke across his face and he jumped up off the swing.

"What?"

"I am not saying it again, Ikey's."

"Oh, you can call me that whenever you want." He leaned over and hugged her, taking her off the swing. "Let's dance."

"Ike, you're crazy."

"Crazy in love!" He screamed. Kayla broke into giggles and followed his lead in the weird jumping dance across the park.

After about two minutes Ike collapsed, taking Kayla soaring through the air after him and thumping onto the ground.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she screamed.

"Me too!"

"Me TOO!" The two dissolved into giggles before they embraced in a hug.

"You're the best Kayl" Ike said leaning over and gently kissing her on the lips. Kayla felt joy surge through her body.

"No Ike. You are."

Chapter Sixteen HOME Chapter Eighteen
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