I checked my watch for the hundredth time in the past five minutes, wishing that time would speed up so that my calculus class could get out already. Fifty minutes wasn’t even a long time, but actually sitting there and listening to the professor drone on and on about math made it seem like fifty hours. “…and then you take this number here and move it here …” my professor said, as he demonstrated some math problem on the board. I didn’t even know what was going on. I just copied down the example of a word problem that I would never use in my life and wondered what I was going to eat. Finally, the shuffling of the students packing made our teacher realize that it was time to go. I could’ve jumped for joy to get out of that class. Not only was it my last class of the day, but it was Friday and I was going to see Taylor’s new place for the first time. He had moved in two weeks before but was busy organizing things and getting settled in, so I didn’t see him those first two weeks. Plus this would be the first time in a long time I’d get to see Isaac and Zac. I followed the students out of the lecture hall and squinted in the bright sun. I took out my cell phone, checking to see if I had any missed calls. None. No text messages or anything. Was I supposed to call Taylor after class or was he going to call me? I couldn’t remember. I dodged a skateboarder as I started heading back to the dorm, unlocking my phone keys and hitting Taylor’s number on the speed dial. He picked up after the first ring. “Hi!” he said cheerfully. “Just get out of class, sweets?” “Yep!” “Awesome. I’m almost there, about ten minutes away. Are you all packed up and ready to go?” “Yup … all my bags are packed and I’m ready to go …” I started to lightly sing. Taylor laughed. “… I’m standing here outside the door …” he sang. I giggled. “So, have you eaten yet?” he asked. “Ah, not yet but –“ “Good! After I pick you up we’ll eat on State Street. I’m craving something from Ruby’s.” I grinned. “Sounds great. Anyway babe, give me a call when you’re at the car loop –“ “You’re gonna hang up on me and make me drive in silence?” “Well I thought that I’d distract you or something –“ “’Course not! Stay on the phone with me until I get there, okay?” I smiled; my boyfriend was too cute for words sometimes. “Okay, Tay.” After lunch at Ruby’s and a quick drive up and down State Street, we got onto the freeway to head to L.A. We got stuck in traffic for a little bit, but it didn’t take long for us to go flying along again. And by flying, I meant flying – Taylor drove on those freeways like he owned them. And while I tended to drift off after a half-hour, I was awake this whole time. Taylor asked about school and talked about the plans they had while they were going to be in L.A. He sounded so excited and so enthusiastic that I couldn’t help but smile. When the familiar sights of L.A. began surfacing, I felt my heart do a weird flutter and my mind reeled back to what had happened two summers before. All the stuff that happened between Zac and me. All the stuff that happened between Taylor and me. “What’cha thinkin’?” Taylor asked, as we took an exit. “Nothing, just … how much I missed L.A.,” I said weakly, offering a small grin. “You know, I missed the … the … the smog.” He laughed. “Really now?” he grinned, giving me an amused look. “The smog is what you missed?” “Yeah, because you know … I don’t like my lungs that pink anyway …” I stammered, not really knowing what was coming out of my mouth. Taylor laughed again, shaking his head. “Excited to see our new place?” he asked. “’Course I am!” “I have a nice, big bed you know. And it’s really comfortable and soft,” he smiled, winking at me. “Oh really? So when I spend the night I have more room to myself, huh?” “You mean we’ll have more room.” We pulled up to the apartment complex a few minutes later and Taylor took out my small suitcase, even though I could’ve carried it myself. He locked his car and we went to his place, which wasn’t far from where he parked. I took in the place, which was in a really nice part of L.A., and inhaled the smog-free air. It was a beautiful day outside, the way a Southern California day should be. “Lucy, I’m home!” Taylor called out in his best imitation of Ricky Ricardo. “Hey, I’m in my room!” Isaac called out. Isaac! I hadn’t seen him in forever! I wanted to push past Taylor and run up to Isaac and just give him the biggest hug ever. But I took a deep breath. “Babe, I’m going to say hi to Ike, okay?” I asked, flashing him a big smile after he put my stuff down. “Okay. I’m going to make a sandwich to eat. Want anything?” he said, rubbing my back a little. “I’m good, thanks.” Taylor kissed me lightly and grinned. “Have fun saying hi to Ike.” I nodded and walked into the direction where I heard the voice come from. I heard a radio on and opened the door – only to find the wrong Hanson brother in there. At the sound of his door opening, Zac turned around. He was sitting on his bed, his back to the door, a bunch of papers around him. He looked very surprised to see me, to say the least. His eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened – I think mine did the same. “Oh um, um, sorry,” I stumbled, feeling my face turn red and my brain turn to complete mush. God, he looked really good. “I was looking – looking – for Isaac –and—“ “His room’s next door,” Zac said. I detected a sparkle in his eyes even though he wasn’t smiling. “Right, uh, right. S-s-orry to um, interrupt you.” “It’s okay.” I shut his door and took a deep breath, going to the room next door. That wasn’t exactly the way I wanted our first meeting in a while to be like. Jesus Christ, that was embarrassing. I opened the right door this time and sure enough, there was Isaac, his back against his headboard and his eyes closed, rocking out to his iPod. He was singing along to the music, which I understood as “Louie Louie, ohhh baby sayin’ we gotta go!” I knocked loudly on his door, watching him and giggling. The knocking made his eyes fly open and he flailed his limbs in surprise, yanking the earpieces from his ears, his face turning bright red as he realized he was caught. I saw his eyes brighten though when he realized that it was just me at his doorway. “TRISH!” he cried out excitedly, leaping from the bed and coming over to give me the biggest hug ever. “Where the hell have you been?! I haven’t seen you since like, you started college! How are you? Are you an alcoholic now?” Then he gave me a playful shove. “And why haven’t I seen you all this time?!” I laughed, throwing my arms back around him and giving him a tight hug. “I’ve been in college, I’m good, I’m not an alcoholic and I haven’t seen you because –“ I dropped my voice to a whisper – “you know how Taylor is.” Isaac chuckled, hugging me back. “Well, I’m glad I got to see you before I became a senile old man.” He held me at arm’s length and looked me up and down. “You haven’t changed much, but you do look older.” “Um, thanks?” Isaac give me that grin of his and kissed my forehead. “You’re welcome. You say hi to Zac yet?” “Eh, kinda. I thought it was your room I was running into and it was his instead …” “Ooh, that had to be awkward.” “Yeah, just kinda.” He grinned, hugging me again. I missed my Isaac hugs. I took a deep breath, inhaling his cologne. Boy, did I miss his cologne. I said goodbye to Isaac, letting him be alone with his iPod and took a deep breath, knocking on Zac’s door. I missed him and I expected our first time seeing each other going much more smoothly than it actually did. I didn’t picture myself being the stumbling idiot that I was a few minutes before. The door opened slowly, as if he were afraid what would be on the other side. I saw him peek around and then open the door wider. He stood in front of me, gazing at me, a small smile on his face. I felt my heart skip a beat and I almost wanted to turn around and run away. I wasn’t ready to see him again. I wasn’t ready to look him in the eyes and see what I used to see. “Hi,” he said quietly. “Hey,” was my reply. And then we just stood there, staring at each other. I took him in – he was definitely a sight for sore eyes. He always looked so much more mature each time I saw him, even though he insisted he hadn’t grown much in past few years. But this time, there was something different in his eyes that I couldn’t explain. Then he held his arms out slightly, beckoning me for a hug. And how could I resist, really? I gladly obliged; it gave us something to do besides stand there and not say anything to each other. I let him take me in his arms and let my arms go around him as well. He hugged me tightly and I think it took me by surprise. He held me close against him for a while and then we drew apart, just looking into each other’s eyes. I didn’t know what to say or do; I was torn between wanting to run away and wanting to bring him in close to kiss him, to see if what we had over the summer was still there. “I missed you,” he finally said. I had to practically choke out my reply; it felt so good to hear that from him. “I … I missed you too,” I said. “You, you look good.” “So do you,” he said, a small grin on his face. There was silence between us again and I felt my heart flutter as we locked eyes again. Then I felt my heart jump as Taylor’s voice broke the silence. “Baby! Where are you? Your Taybear’s lonely …” Taylor called from the kitchen. “Hold on, babes!” I yelled back. I turned to Zac. “I better go,” I said. “But I’ll see you around and stuff.” “Well, seeing as how Tay and I do live in the house, I’m sure I’ll see you around in the next few hours,” he winked. “But how about one more hug?” I nodded and wrapped my arms around him, feeling his go around me and letting him hug me tightly. I could feel myself lightly melting into his arms, remembering how good it felt to be held by him. “Swishyyyyy …” Taylor whined. I let go of Zac. “Okay, I better go. ‘Bye Zac.” “Bye,” he said quietly. I tore myself away from him to join Taylor in the kitchen, my heart pounding and my head spinning, unsure of what was going to come. |