I felt someone shaking me awake. I opened my eyes to see Sadie leaning over Zac and I, trying to wake us. "What is it?" I asked drowsily.

"I told my mom we'd be home by 11:00, it's 9:30 now. If we leave now, we'll be home on time." she said, pulling the covers off of us. Zac woke up cold and shivered a little. I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

"What's going on?" Zac asked, looking over at me.

"Sadie says we have to leave." I informed him. He nodded and got out of bed. I followed him into the living room with Sadie behind me.

"I'll walk you down."

"Okay. Are we ready?" I turned to Sadie. She grabbed her purse off the floor and handed me my bag and nodded. "Let's go then." Zac and I linked hands as we walked down the hall. We passed Taylor's room and I caught a glimps of him making-out with Sheila. �He works fast.' I thought bitterly before tossing the thoughts from my mind and looking up at Zac. He was smiling and looking straight ahead. We reached the elevators and took one to the lobby.

"This is as far as I'm aloud to go without a bodyguard during the day. I'll call you on the bus." he wrapped me in a hug. I took him in mournfully, not wanting to return to my boring life without my new best friend. We hugged tightly for a few minutes before Sadie began to get impatient.

"I'll be home by 1:00. You better call me." I smiled and hugged him quickly again before waving and walking out with Sadie. It took us an hour and fifteen minutes to get home. Sadie scolded me through half the trip about being so mean to Taylor. I kept quiet about the little �incident' we had had earlier. She also blabbed on and on about Isaac and how sweet he was and how cute he was. I thought I would die of boredom until I turned on the radio to block her out. When we got home, I hugged her quickly before leaving the car and hurrying into the house. My dad was reading the paper in his favorite chair when I walked in and my mother was laying on the couch, looking a bit better then she had the last time I had seen her. I let them know I was home and told them a revised version of what happened. I lied and told them that we had met Hanson but only for a few minutes. I said we had gotten backstage with our MOE cards. They believed me. An hour into the conversation the phone rang. I hurried to get it, hoping it was Zac. It was.

"Hey, guess what?"

"What?"

"I found out who slashed the tires. This is really cazy and kind of freaky. Some fans did just to keep us in Chicago a little longer! Are they insane?! And when we left, a lot of girls were asking me who you were. I told them you were just a friend and I think they believed me. I hope they did... oh well! How was the ride home?"

"Sadie chewed me out for fighting with Taylor. But she also couldn't stop talking about Isaac and how sweet he was so that's good."

"Ike won't stop talking about her either."

"Looks like we made a hook-up." I smiled even though Zac couldn't see me. I heard a voice in the background. And Zac began talking to whoever it was, I guessed it was Taylor.

"What do you want?" Pause, "Yeah, it's her.. no! I will not tell her that! Stop being an ass! Go away." Another pause, "What do you mean...?" Pause, "Okay, that's nice, go away." I could hear some movement then Zac was back to talking to me. "Sorry about that. Tay was being his usual ass self. Anyways.. that's cool that we got Sadie and Ike together. Ike needed a girlfriend."

"Cool. So what are you doing now?"

"I'm playing Playstation and talking to you. Aren't I talented?"

"Talented at being conceded."

"Haha, very funny. Shit! I just killed myself." I stifled a laugh at how wrong that came out. "Not literally! On the game!"

"I kind of knew that, Zac." I smiled to myself at how stupid he could be. I heard a beep signaling there was someone on my other line. "Hey hold on, someone's on my other line." I clicked over quickly. "Hello?"

"Did you tell Sadie what happened?" Taylor's voice sounded angry. I was surprised to hear his voice at all.

"How'd you know I have two lines?" I asked, knowing he knew I was talking to Zac.

"I didn't. I just dialed. But did you tell Sadie and maybe someone heard you?"

"No... why?" I was now completely perplexed.

"Because one of the lighting guys just asked me if I got some action with you and he didn't say how he knew."

"What?! Well, I didn't tell anyone. Why would I? I'm ashamed of it! Why would I want anyone to know?"

"Because you're a crazy bitch? I don't know."

"Taylor, don't start with me you little asshole. If we get into another fight, Zac will hear you yelling and wonder why you're talking to me. Besides, I'm making Zac wait right now. Can we discuss this later?"

"No, we can't. And Zac isn't even paying attention to the phone. He's playing Playstation. In fact, he doesn't have it, Ike does. Anyway, are you sure you didn't tell anyone?"

"No! Maybe you did. I know I didn't."

"Well, then how'd the lighting guy find out?"

"I don't know! Ask him. Dumbass."

"Shut up slut!"

"You know what, Taylor?"

"What?" I hung up on him and clicked over to the other line. "Okay, I'm back. Sorry about that, my dad needed the phone for a minute."

"That's okay. This is Ike. I need to talk to you about something."

"What?" I heard a struggle.

"Look bitch! If you ever hang up on me again, I'll beat your ass, do you hear me?!" Taylor yelled into the phone. I had to pull the phone away from my ear for the sake of my ear-drums.

"I heard you loud and clear. And so did Zac and Ike! But guess what fucker! Goodbye!" I hung up the phone angrily and turned on my television. The phone rang but I ignored it, knowing it was Taylor calling to yell at me again.

"Gya! Phone!" my dad yelled from the kitchen. I grudgingly got up and went to the kitchen.

"Who is it?"

"Some boy. He doesn't sound happy."

"Ask him who he is."

Dad picked up the phone, "Who may I ask is speaking?" There was a pause. "He says his name is Zac. I didn't know you knew anyone named Zac." my father looked confused.

"Uh yeah..." I grabbed the phone and walked back to my room. "Hello?"

"You know what?" It was Taylor.

"You lie a lot, you know that?"

"You wouldn't have picked up if I said it was me, duh bitch."

"I have a name."

"Yeah, it's bitch. Look, you don't talk about what happened between us to anyone. Not Sadie, not Zac, not anyone. Got it?"

"Same with you. And don't tell your slutty little girlfriend because she just looks like a bitch."

"Sheila is not a bitch!"

"Neither am I!"

"You are aggravating! God!"

"If I'm so aggravating then why are you calling me?" I pointed out snottily, hoping to get rid of him.

"Because if Sheila found out what happened, I'd be a dead man."

"Man? Nice fantasy..." I snickered.

"You weren't saying that when I was kissing you..." I could visualize the smirk I knew was on his face.

"You little shit! Don't bring that up anymore or I'll kick you ass!"

"Whatever, just don't tell anyone because as soon as anyone finds out, Sheila will know. She's got like radar or something."

"Fine blondie, now go the hell away and put Isaac on, he was telling me something before you took the phone away."

"Fine, bye bitch."

"Bye asshole." I coated my voice with a thick layer of sarcastic sweetness. I heard the phone being handed over.

"Hello?" I heard Isaac voice.

"Hey, you wanted to tell me something?"

"Oh yeah... why were you talking to Taylor?"

"Don't ask, it's too controversial. Anyway, what were you saying?"

"Uh, did Sadie talk about me after you guys left?"

"She didn't shut up about you."

"Was it good or bad?"

"What do you think?"

"Uh.. I don't know."

"Well, Isaac, she hates your guts and she wishes she'd never met you..." I rolled my eyes at my cat who happened to be sleeping on my bed. "She adores you, don't worry."

"Okay, cool. I like her too. She's really nice."

"Yep."

"And she's gorgeous and smart and amazing..."

"Isaac, if you're going to talk my ear off about her, please don't. Go, tell Taylor, I'm sure he'll l-l-o-o-v-v-e-e that. Put Zac on." I smirked to myself.

"Hey," Zac greeted lazily. I could hear the music of his game in the background.

"You winning?"

"Yep. Why were you talking to Tay? And why'd he go in here and take the phone away from Ike and start yelling at you about hangin' up on him?"

"Nothing, we were fighting over the phone. He called just to be an ass. Don't worry about it. So what's up?"

"Nothing much. Hey, can I let you go? We just stopped at a Burger King for lunch."

"Sure, talk to you later."

"Kay, bye." We both hung up.


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