***Tay’s View*** After I got off the phone with Sam, I ran upstairs, or at least tried to. Zac had somehow gotten through all the locked doors & inside & he, Jessie, Avie & Mac were playing tag. Mac wasn’t really playing, sometimes one of them would pick him up so he wouldn’t be in the way & then he’d toddle over to them. When I finally got upstairs, I retreated into the peacefulness of my room. Ike was over at Krissy’s, so I was alone for a while. I started ‘Ooh, on the TLC tip’, the CD I borrowed from Sam, & sat down don a nearly foot tall pile of clothes. I grabbed a notebook that was open against the wall & a pen off the dresser & started writing. I didn’t exactly know what it was, just a bunch of words jumbled together, making absolutely no sense. Suddenly, I got an idea. We were still working on ‘Man from Milwaukee’, so I picked out some words for it, since the lyrics weren’t done. We needed some colorful words in it, it seemed kinda boring now. I skimmed through the list, circling any words that sounded good. Annihilated. No. Hallucination. Yes. Paralyzing. No. Remembering. No. Insane. Yes. Gasping. No, it didn’t sound quite right. I changed it to Hyperventilating circled it. I went through the rest of the list, changing & adding words on the way. I put the notebook on the dresser & sat down my bed. I could barely hear Zac & Avie screaming as they ran by the door. Sometimes I wished they could just be normal kids, not hyper freaks. But normal is in the eye of the beholder. I wanted to know what time it was, but I wasn’t taking my chances out there, I’d get mauled by wild animals. The clock hadn’t been set, so it was flashing 9:47 am. Yeah, right. I turned on the radio, but all it was was static. I turned the knob until I finally found a station. We’d done an interview-type thing with that station when we were younger & we were pretty faithful listeners. I waited through a few songs until a DJ came on. They said it was 5 till 6. I turned off the CD & listened to the radio for a while. Natalie Merchant’s ‘Carnival’ came on, so I just had so sing along. “Have I been wise, to shut, my eyes & play the part.” “Shut up Tay-tay. You sing too much,” Jessie said from the open door. I hadn’t realized I’d been singing so loud. Suddenly Jessie let out an ear-piercing scream & ran away. Less than a second later, Zac whizzed by. I sighed & got up to shut the door, but decided to go downstairs instead. I didn’t bother to turn the radio off, someone would go by later & listen to it anyway. Soon as I got downstairs, I barely heard the phone ring over the insane screaming. I didn’t waste my time telling someone else to get it, they were in their own little worlds. “Hello?” “Hello, may I speak to Isaac?” It was Emily. “Hi Emily!” I exclaimed. “Oh, hello Taylor,” she said, sounding disappointed. “Is Isaac there?” she asked again. “No, he’s at Krissy’s. Bet they’re makin out right now,” I said. It was worth getting my ass kicked by Ike to get Emily. “That damn slut,” she mumbled. “Well, tell him to call me back. Bye,” she said & hung up. Yeah, like I was gonna tell him. He wouldn’t call her anyway. As soon as I hung up, it rang again. “OK Emily. I’ll tell Ike you want to get to know him better.” “Umm, Taylor?” Jason asked. “Uh, hi, Jason. I-called-I mean, Ike, dammit!” “Fine Taylor, don’t say hi to me. And I do NOT want to know Ike better! I know him just fine thankyouverymuch!” Sam complained. “Oh, hi Sam. Emily called just before you did & usually she tells me to tell Ike she wants to get to know him better & she didn’t this time so I thought she called back so I’d tell him. But she didn’t I guess.” “I guess she didn’t. Taylor did you know your younger siblings look like escaped asylum prisoners?” Sam observed. “Huh?” I asked. “Look in the front yard.” I pushed the curtains back & looked through the window. Sure enough, all the kids were running a muck through the yard, screaming & shouting at eachother. “Oh my God,” I mumbled. “Hold on, I gotta see this,” Jason said. “I’m goin outside.” A few seconds later, he cracked up. “Gee Tay, they take after you!” he mused. I banged on the glass & Avie looked up. I signaled her to come to the window & I opened it. “What?” she asked innocently. I knew better than to tell them to go in the back yard because they’d all probably end up in the creek. I wasn’t about to tell them to come inside & torture me, so I hit the mute button on the phone & said, “You guys go over to Sam’s house & run around her house, K?” “Okay!” she said & ran back to the others. Within seconds they vanished.
***Sam’s View*** “Taylor? Taylor?” There was a click on the line. “Jason?” “Yeah, I’m here. Tay this ain’t funny. Hey, maybe a murderer guy’s trying to kill him & he cut the phone line,” he decided. “Get off the phone or pay the consequences,” a voice growled. “Funny Tay. Hey, where’re the kids-” “Shh!” Taylor interrupted Jason. “Sam, how’d you know the kids were in the front yard?” asked Taylor. “Duh Einstein. There ARE windows in my room, ya know. I have a perfect view or your yard from here, you don’t live THAT far away.” Suddenly I got suspicious. “Guys, hold on a sec.” I hurried upstairs & grabbed the cordless. “OK, I’m back,” I said as I walked back downstairs to hang up my phone. “Had ta change phones.” “Obviously.” “Hi Mat!” I exclaimed. “Uh, hi.” As soon as I back upstairs, all I could hear was screaming. Kids screaming. I glanced out the window & saw blonde maniacs streaming all over the yard. In fear of being seen, I retreated to the bathroom. “Hey Sam, ya still there?” Jason asked. “Not mentally,” I replied. “Taylor, why the hell are the little maniacs in MY front yard now?” I asked. “Uh, I dunno?” he mumbled. “Did you tell them to come over here?” “Um, maybe,” he stuttered. “Dammit Taylor!” I yelled, almost smearing the makeup I was putting on. “Why do you insist on torturing me so?” “Because it’s so easy, dahling,” he drawled in a fake accent. I finished my makeup & emerged from the bathroom. I could still hear them screaming. “Okay Tay, call off the scream patrol.” “Oh, fine, ruin all my fun. I’ll be back in a sec.” I sighed & closed the blinds. I wasn’t about to let Taylor see me like this, even for a second. I heard a loud shriek at the door. “God, did you guys hear that?” I asked. “Yeah, it’s..... the screaming squad!” Mat exclaimed. “Oh yeah. Oh-waaoo!” Jason hollered. “Shh...” I hushed them. Silence. Then there was a knock at the window beside me. I knew it was Taylor, so I stuck my hand in front of the window & flipped him off. He pounded the window again. “Sam?” Jason whispered. “Huh?” “Is the murderer guy over there & gonna kill you too?” he asked. “No, Taylor’s tryin to be funny,” I told him. I took a chance & peeked out the window. Nobody was there. ‘Good’ I thought. “OK, I’m back,” Taylor said a few seconds later. “Obviously,” Mat observed. “You have a pretty bird, Sam,” Taylor said. “Oh, shut up.” “Huh?” Jason asked. “Inside joke.” “Hey. who all’s comin to tha party?” Mat asked. “Hmm, well,” Taylor hesitated. “You guys, & a bunch of other people,” he decided. “Oh, that’s nice,” Mat said. “No, seriously Taylor, who’s comin?” I asked. “I’m not tellin, it’s a suprise,” Taylor teased. “Fine then, Mr. Smartass,” I said. I was glad that my mom & sibs had gone out to see a movie, but I had no clue where my father went. I didn’t really care he went, long as it wasn’t alcohol-related. Jason yawned. “Guys, I getta get off,” he groaned. “Jason, we don’t really need to know what you do in your personal time,” Mat said. “Oh shut your fuckhole Mat. Seriously, I’m soo tired. I need sleep desperately,” he moaned. “Okay, fine. I better get some rest too. This recording stuff is gonna kill me...” Taylor mumbled. “Well, let’s all go sleep on our lazy asses then!” I exclaimed. Mat started fake snoring. “Fine,” I said, sniffling. “If you don’t like me anymore, then-” I hung up. I leaned over, put the phone on the receiver & stood up. I saw it was only a little past 7. The kids would be back from the movie in an hour, so I had time to kill. I went downstairs, locking the door, just in case my father came home, & watched TV.
***Sam’s View*** At about nine o’clock, I heard the kids go to bed. The house wasn’t insulated very well, so if I kept quiet downstairs, I could hear everything. I crept upstairs & looked into the living room. There, watching TV, were my mother & father, sitting at opposite sides of the room. I decided it was now or never, so I cleared my throat. My mother looked up. “May I go to Jessica’s birthday party on Saturday?” I asked. My mother thought for a second & said, “If you bring your brother & sister with you.” They were planning on going anyway, so I didn’t care. I got ready for my next question. “May I have a birthday party?” My father’s eyes snapped off the television & onto me. “No,” he sternly said. “But it’s her thirteenth birthday,” my mother protested. He glared at her. “No,” he stated again. His eyes went back to the television, signaling that the conversation was over. “I’m sorry, dear,” my mother apologized. “Maybe next year.” “It’s all right,” I assured her. “I think I’ll go to bed now.” As I walked by my mother, I quietly picked up the cordless & brought it downstairs with me. ***Tay’s View*** “Boys!” my mother called up the stairs. “What!” Isaac replied. “Come downstairs,” was the reply. We pulled ourselves away from the video game & ran downstairs. “I thought we told you to get the dishes done,” my mom complained. “Well...” I tried to explain, but Zac took over. “See, this big, huge spaceship landed in the backyard & the aliens abducted us. They wanted to do a lot of tests on us, but we refused. So, the actual Hanson kids are up in space somewhere, we’re just the decoys. Oh no! I’ve said too much!” He clamped his hand over his mouth. “Don’t alien boys have to do dishes too?” she asked. “We don’t use dishes, we eat with our feet. Wanna see?” Zac asked. Ike made a face. “Uhh, not really. You boys need to get the dishes done tomorrow.” “Okay Mom!” Ike & Zac yelled & ran back upstairs. I went into the kitchen & grabbed the cordless & brought it upstairs with me. I didn’t know why, I just did. I sat down behind the two & watched them play Mortal Kombat for a few minutes before I decided to call Sam. Just when I was about to dial, the phone rang. “Hello?” “Hi Tay! Whatcha doin?” Sam asked. “Oh, not much. Ike & Zac are havin Mortal Kombat night, so I’ll never get any quiet with them yelling at eachother,” I complained. “Sounds like fun,” she said sarcastically. “So, are you gonna have a birthday party?” I asked. “My parents won’t let me. They said I might be able to next year.” “Taylor!” Jessie yelled from downstairs. “I gotta use the phone!” “You can later!” I yelled back. “That stinks.” The I got an idea. “Your parents said you can’t have a party, right?” I asked. “Taylor!” Jessie yelled. “Yeah” “Did they say anything about someone having a party for you?” “Taylor Hanson, you better tell me what the hell you’re thinking about!” “You’ll find out soon enough. Jessie wants the phone, bye!” & I hung up. Just then the door burst open & a mad Jessica stormed in. “Since you were on the phone now I have to go to bed & I was supposed to call Amy!” she yelled & slammed the door shut. Then we heard Mom coming upstairs. Zac turned off the Nintendo & Ike jumped up to his bed. I tossed them each a book off the floor & we were all peacefully reading by the time she came in & checked on us. “Nice to know you boys are improving your educational skills instead of playing Nintendo,” she said. “Isaac, I’m glad you find joy in reading ‘The Adventures of Lamb Chop & Friends’,” Mom said, looking at the back of the book Ike was reading. “Especially upside down.” “Yeah, well,” he stuttered. “I’d like to cover the wide variety of, um, books.” I heard Zac snickering from the corner of the room, but I kept my nose buried in my book, whatever it was. I turned the page, hoping to find out what it was. I skimmed through it & I could immediately feel my face turn red, so I turned another page, hoping Mom wouldn’t notice. She did. “Taylor, what’s wrong?” she asked. “Are you running a fever?” “No Mom, I’m OK.” “What’re you reading?” I silently thanked God that the cover of the book was ripped off. “Just an old book of Ike’s, Mom,” I replied. “All right. Better get ready for bed, boys,” she said, closing the door as she left. When I heard her in talking to the girls, I threw the book down. “What were you reading, Tay?” Zac asked, crawling up & grabbing the book, just before I could hide it. Ike snatched it from him & flipped through the first few pages, looking for a title. He stopped, grinned & closed the book. “Why Taylor, I didn’t know you liked to read Mom’s romance novels!” he exclaimed. My face got redder. “You’d better turn it in to her before she finds out it’s missing,” he scolded. “Don’t even try to pull me into this one, oh elder brother,” I said. “I know you stole this from her for your own, um, educational purposes.” He got a shocked look on his face, dropped the book & went back up to his bed. “So kiss my ass,” I added. I rolled over & tried to get out of my bed, but Zac had already pulled out his trundle. While Ike & I were talking, he’d gotten changed & he was trying to get in bed now. “Zac, move your bed,” I warned. He ignored me & laid down. “Zac!” He pulled the blanket over him. “Fine, have it your way.” I pulled myself up & walked over his bed, purposely stepping on his leg. “Ow! What the hell was that for?” he questioned, sitting up. “Oh, did I wate up poor Zac-man? Oh, I’m sowy,” I said in a baby voice. He flipped me off & laid back down. I got changed & got back into my bed. “Isaac?” I asked. No response. “Isaac,” I said, reaching up & poking his arm. Nothing. ‘He must’ve already fallen asleep,’ I thought. I punched his arm. “Dammit Taylor! Turn the light off your own damn self!” he complained & rolled away from my reach. ‘Maybe he wasn’t asleep,’ I thought. I got out of my bed, stepping on Zac again & getting knocked off his bed onto the floor. I flicked the lights & somehow managed to get to my bed without disturbing Zac. I realized how extremely tired I was & fell asleep.
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