"So they're still seeing each other, then?"
"Yeah." I nodded at Mira. "It's weird though. Isla is really keen, but Taylor seems kind of casual about it." Ichewed on my muesli, thinking. "I bet she was a full-on teenybopper when she was younger."
Mira grinned. "I can see that!"
We were enjoying a late breakfast in the cafeteria, gossipping. I should really thanks Isla for making me stay in Mira's room that night. We're really close now, and Mira is a fantastice friend. We were just starting to talk about the pending visit of Mira's mother, when Taylor stopped next to us. We looked up.
"Hey" he said, smiling. "How are things?" This was directed more towards me, and I smiled.
"Okay. Yourself?"
"Pretty good. Can I join you?" We both nodded, and he pulled out a chair and sat down. Recently, we'd become more friendly, but I still felt a bit awkward around him. Hey, I despised him when we first met - I think it's quite impressive to now be on civil terms with him.
"Are you looking for Isla?" I asked. He shook his heas.
"I was just visiting Ian, thought I'd come by and get something to eat." He gestured to the candy bar he was holding, and took a bite. Then he smiled at Mira, and I realised I hadn't introduced them.
"Oh, sorry - Mira, this is Taylor. Taylor, Mira."
"Hey" he said, holding out his hand.
"Hi" she smiled, and shook it. Then he noticed Isla coming in the door, and after saying goodbye, left to sit with her.
Mira looked over at me as I watched them sit down together.
"You know," she said, thoughfully, "he's very good-looking."
"I guess," I said, turning back to my muesli. "I hadn't really noticed."
"And he's charming," she added, smiling at me. I raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, you're a fan now, are you?"
She laughed. "Sure, why not? He seems nice enough. But the realy question is, are you a fan?"
I shrugged. "I can hold a conversation with him now, which is a huge improvement."
Mira spread some jelly on her toast. "If I didn't know better," she said, waving a jellied knife in my direction, "I'd say you had quite the crush on Taylor Hanson."
I dropped my spoon. "What?! Where did you get that idea from??"
She thought for a moment. "I think it's the way you smile at him."
I laughed it off, telling her she was losing it. But for some reason, I kept glancing over at Taylor and Isla's table. I think Mira noticed.

"Brynn, phone for you" Isla was standing in the doorway, calling down the hall. I tore myself away from "Sesame Street" and padded down the hall to our room.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Brynn. It's Beth Thomson here."
"Oh, hi." "Of course," I replied, "When?"
"Well, is tomorrow at 4pm okay for you?"
"That's great."
I wrote down the address, and hung up. This was going well!

The next day, I arrived at the address to find a modern-looking, quite large townhouse. I rang the doorbell, and heard barking and running footsteps from behind the door.
The door was opened by a boy who looked around four, with beplastered knees and a mop of very blonde hair. A small, fur-ball like puppy wiggled around his feet.
"Hi," I said, smiling, "Are your Mum and Dad here?"
He nodded. "What's your name?"
"Brynn. What's yours?"
"My name is Clarke." I grinned, and couldn't help thinking his parents had made a perfect choice. 'Clarke' suited this little boy very well.
A tall man, with wavy dirty blonde hair, came up behind Clarke, and swept him up.
"Hello, you must be Brynn." He said, holding out his hand. "I'm Isaac Hanson. Come on in." I shook his hand, following him into the house. And then it hit me. Taylor had a brother named Isaac...
"Isaac Hanson?" I asked. "Are you Taylor Hanson's brother?"
He grinned. "Unfortunately, yes I am. Do you know him?"
I nodded. "Yeah, we met recently."
"Poor you," Isaac guipped. "Well, come in through here. My wife is just fixing a snack. Would you like some graham crackers and apple juice?"
I followed him into an impressive kitchen, where a tall blonde woman was standing at a bench, pouring juice.
"Brynn, hello! I'm Beth. I see you've already met the male contingent of the family." I nodded. "Maggie's asleep upstairs, but she should be up soon. She's two. And this little tyke," she said, taking Clarke from his Dad and sitting him at a breakfast bar, "is four."

It was a pretty informal interview, as interviews go. We chatted over cups of juice, and crackers. I think they were basically checking to see I was a normal person.
"Well," said Beth, as they showed me to the door, "I don't think we need to discuss it." She glanced at her husband, who shook his head. "You've got the job, Brynn. If you still want it."

chapter four

"And that's it for today," the Professor said, glancing at his watch.

[part three]
[kansas]
[comments]