It was a sunny morning when Isaac woke up the following Wednesday. After recovering from the events the music awards had produced, he was looking forward to spending the next few days ‘Amanda & Joselyn-free’, or undisturbed altogether. His wish was granted - at least up until late in the afternoon..
The knock on the Hanson’s door came unexpectantly. Seeing as Taylor was closest to the door, according to Isaac, who was sprawled on the far couch, whereas Taylor had been in the armchair, he was forced to answer it.
Taylor walked daringly towards the door, being very cautious - due to past experiences. He inched towards the door and ‘peeped’ through the peephole they had recently installed. Taylor frowned at what he saw, and, without thinking - a habit that had begun to plague him, opened the door.
Isaac, who was still collapsed over the couch, heard a startling cry come from the hallway. Alarmed, he sprang to his feet. He ran to the door and found Taylor lying flat as a pancake on the floor, with a stranger standing in the doorway.

Isaac gave Taylor a gentle kick.

“Tay?”

He looked up to the person still standing in the doorway.

“Um, can I help you?” he asked timidly.

The man in the doorway frowned as if Isaac had said something wrong.

“It’s ... me,” the stranger said “David ... your cousin”

Isaac squinted, looking closer at him.

“Davie?” he said, awarkedly.

“Clarkey?” the guy answered.

Isaac grinned and reached out for a handshake. Looking him over again he started to question.

“What have you done to yourself? You’ve gained a bit of weight since the last time I saw you,”

“Yeah,” David replied “More than just a bit...”

“No kidding! You’re huge!” Isaac commented, brutally.

“I know...” he said, head down, “I’d rather not talk about it...”

“You’re absolutely massive!” Isaac said, failing to notice his cousin’s embarrassment.

David continued to stare at the doorstep. After a brief silence, Isaac finally invited him inside.

“So, what are you doing around these parts, anyhow?” he asked, as they seated themselves on the couch.

David frowned and half-smiled.

“Clarkey, did you read that in a book or something??” he questioned.

Isaac’s facial colouring changed to a bright red.

“... um ... yeah I did actually ...” he stuttered quietly.

David nodded, struggling a bit from restraining his laughter.

“ANYWAY,” Isaac spoke up, “Just why ARE you here, after what ... 5 years since the last visit?”

“Well, I’ve been busy. I’ve been working in DacMonalds in China - real big job there, yep.” David answered in a casual manner.

Isaac frowned.

“Um, don’t you mean MacDonalds?”

“No,” he explained “It really IS called DacMonalds ...”

“Yeah, of course. Entirely my fault” Isaac answered him in awareness of the bizzareness of the conversation.

“Some people think it’s weird, but ya know, the only difference is the fries are purple ...” David said.

Isaac’s mouth dropped open.

“Tryin’ catch flies, are ya?” David laughed, at the sight of Isaac’s open mouth.

Isaac shook himself like a dog after a swim.

“WHAT?” he said “You know, I don’t understand ANYTHING you’ve been saying!”

David simply laughed.

To Isaac’s releif, a voice interupted them.

“Um, hello? I think there’s an unconscious Hanson brother lying here”

Isaac slapped his forehead and rushed to the door muttering “Oh, I completely forgot..”

“Oh, hi Joselyn, um, you’ll have to excuse Taylor ...”

“... Because he can’t excuse himself at this point?” Joselyn suggested.

He laughed nervously, and vaguely agreed with a weak nod.

“Uh, is Zac here?” she questioned politely.

“Ye-ah ... uh, I think he’s out back ...” was the answer within the commotion of deciding how to get Taylor inside, or even better, awake.

“Kewl. Can I go through?”

“Yep, just right through there ...” Isaac directed her.

Joselyn made her way through the Hanson’s house, on the way being greeted by a large man in the lounge room who questioned her with “How’s it goin’?” which prooved quite disturbing, then proceeded to yell out to Isaac something about fries not actually being purple...
Finally she reached ‘out back’ and began to look for her targetted personnel.
Just as she was about to yell out “ZAC???” she heard a voice around the corner of the house.
The words were murmurred and blurred and Joselyn couldn’t make out what the person was saying. That was until she heard an unmistakeable : “I love you, you love me ...”

Bursting with submerged giggles, she jumped around the corner to finish the line.

“ ... let’s get a gun and shoot Bar-neee!”

Falling to the ground in hysterical laughter, she looked up to see a shocked old lady standing over her, blushing so much you’d swear she was sunburnt.

Stopping in ‘mid-roll’ she looked up, shocked and embarrassed herself, and muttered an “I’m s-sorry...” before fleeing back into the Hanson’s backyard, crashing into Zac.

He looked at her in confusion.

“What are you doing?”

She looked at Zac, paused and then burst out laughing again. Pulling him aside, she retold the story to him, including the fact that she thought it was him at first, and by the end of it they were both on the verge of fertilising the garden. *think pee*

Suddenly Zac stopped.

“But ... WHY would an old lady be down the side of someone elses house, singing Barney songs?” he turned to her, “and why MY house?”

“I have absolutely no idea” Joselyn said.

They looked at each other and burst into a fresh batch of laughter.
Zac stopped and cried out.

“I reckon, we should call the police!” he shouted.

“Zaaaaac ...” Joselyn groaned.

“No!” Zac corrected, sticking his finger in front of her face to silence her, “Call me Barney”

Joselyn tossed her head back and laughed in his face.

“Ok, Barney” she agreed, smiling.

***

“Teey-laarr?”

“Slap ‘im”

“Slap him? I can’t slap him!” Isaac protested.

“Then chuck a bucket of water over ‘im ...” David reeled off another suggestion.

“But, that’s his best shirt!” Isaac explained.

David squinted, looking closer at the shirt.

“A good shirt? It’s disgusting!”

“Well, that’s Taylor for ya” Isaac replied.

“Just go ahead and slap ‘im then. Or do you wanna stand around here all day?”

Isaac was doubtful.

“Ok...” he said slowly.

Unsurely, he inched closer to his brother and looked down at him. Cringing, he raised his hand to strike...

“Ahhh! I can’t do it!” Isaac winged like a baby, and broke down into tears.

David stood and watched him, and couldn’t help but laugh.

There was a stir from the heap on the floor - Taylor was waking up. Slowly, he rolled over and opened his eyes groggily. Looking up, he saw the stranger from before with his brother who was oddly enough ... crying.
Bolting upright he cried out suddenly.

“I’M ALIVE!!!”

Silence and strange looks from the other two.

“It’s ok,” Taylor murmurred, “I’m alive”

He reached over to his brother and placed his hands on Isaac’s shoulders.

“Don’t worry, it’s O-KAY... I’m alive” he assured him “You don’t hafta cry for me, I’m alive now, it’s ok”

“I’m fine, Tay” Isaac answered “I wasn’t crying for YOU, ya dickhead!”

“Yeah, it was because of his personal weaknesses, eh, Clarkey?” David interjected.

“Who ... who ...?” Taylor uttered, looking up at David.

“That’s your cousin, David. Remember?” Isaac told his bro.

Taylor’s eyes widened.

“Davie?” he said “Ha! Your funny, Ike. Good one”

Isaac frowned.

“No, it really is David” Isaac insisted.

Taylor looked up at David, stared for a a few seconds, beleived, and proceeded to pass out cold, returning to his position on the floor. The two left standing responsible finally came to the conclusion that Mr Hanson would find him upon returning home, and could bring his son in .. if it seemed necessary.

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