Amanda sighed in disgust as the ignorant waiter once again knocked over her drink.

“Uh,” she coughed in his face.

She received a cold stare from the waiter. Amanda shot one back.

“Excuse me,” she pouted “Don’t you need someone kind-of brain capacity certificate to work in a place like this?”

“You’re in a coffee shop, miss” was the droning response form him.

“Oh! It talks!” she exclaimed in mock surprise, cupping her hands down on her cheeks and raising her eyebrows melodramatically.

The waiter simply sighed in annoyance and muttered an “I’m terribly sorry, miss..” then left - failing to clean up the mess.

Amanda looked down at the puddle of spilt coke and rolled her eyes. Glancing at her watch, she sighed.

“Where IS he??” she asked out loud.

Her gaze snapped to the door of the cafe, as if she was expecting him to arrive on cue.

“Damn” she muttered to herself, looking back down at the table.

“HE IS RUNNING 20 MINUTES LATE, AND STILL ISN’T HERE!” she cried.

“Yes, I am”

“Taylor!” Amanda exclaimed, her head shooting up, “You’re finally here”

“Yeah, I know I’m here, you don’t have to tell me that” he defended, pulling a face.

“Um, yeah ... here, take a seat,” Amanda said, changing the subject and urging him to sit down.

He frowned and scrunched up his face in confusion.

“What? But, where do you want me to take it?”

She laughed nervously.

“No, uh, I meant ... have a seat”

Once again he scrunched up his face, but this time he started to shake his head slowly.

“No, I can’t. They’re the cafe’s chairs! I’m not allowed to have them ...”

Amanda started to get flustered, thinking quickly, she chose her words carefully and eventually pursuaded him to sit down.

“So, how’s things been lately?” Amanda asked pleasantly.

“What things?” Taylor answered.

“Uh, well, just ... life in general,” she finished, smiling.

] “Um, well, I actually live here in Tulsa, just around the block from here,” he explained happily

“Not General”

Amanda closed her eyes slowly and when then reopened, she had decided to go about conversing with Taylor in a very cautious manner.

“How’s life?” she asked, ignoring his last answer.

“Uh, he’s good ... I suppose ... but, I don’t think I know anyone named Life ...”

Amanda was on the verge of hot tears.

“Only joking!” he laughed, “I’m not THAT dumb! Ha!”

She raised her eyebrows. He continued to laugh hysterically at his own joke, while Amanda sat, dwelling in boredom, tapping her newly- painted silver fingernails on the tabletop.
A piercing shreiking sound interupted both of them. Painfull curiosity forced them out of their chairs and onto the street to witness a screaming police vechile tear past them down the street.
In amazement, Taylor exclaimed:

“It’s turning down my street!”

The two of them set of down the street, ignoring the violently angry protests of the waiter - they hadn’t paid.
Running faster then Amanda, Taylor reached the corner first and turned down the street.
Amanda soon caught up with him and they arrived at the scene together.
The police car had plonked itself down outside the Hanson’s house. Right outside the Hanson’s house.

“Oh my god ...” Taylor gasped, his mouth hanging open.

Amanda stared at him and scrunched up her face.

“It’s not THAT big a deal, Taylor, calm down ...” she said.

“But ... but ...” he protested “I haven’t done anything! I don’t wanna go to jail!!!”

With that, he launched himself at Amanda in a state of complete and utter distress. Crying into her shoulder, he whimpered in fear and muttered continual excuses as to why he simply COULDN’T be arrested.

“I’m too young, I’m too young to go to jail...”

Amanda comforted him as best she could - the only thought preventing her from shoving him away and going and licking a toilet seat was the fact that she finally had Taylor Hanson - THE Taylor Hanson in her arms, no matter the situation.
As he whimpered she patted him soothingly on the back. Looking over his shoulder, she noticed a policeman exiting the Hanson’s house. She watched as he turned and thanked Mrs Hanson for her time and then proceeded to walk down the path, get in the police car and drive away.
All this went unnoticed by Taylor, but Amanda wasn’t complaining.

“THEY’RE GONE NOW, TAYLOR!” shouted a voice.

Taylor jumped, startled, and wrenched himself away from Amanda.

His mother assured him the police were gone. She explained that Zac had rung the police for some reason, even though whatever happenend, happenend yesterday.

“But why would he ring a day later?” Taylor whimpered.

“I don’t know dear” Mrs Hanson said gently and coaxed him inside.

Amanda stood on the doorstep, slightly embarrassed.

“Oh, would you like to come in, Amanda?” Mrs Hanson asked as politely as she could.

“Uh ... if that’s alright. Is it?” she replied.

“Yes, that’s fine if you want to come into my house” Mrs Hanson said with gross dislike towards the girl.

“Well, thankyou then. Would it be possible to come in a little further than the doorstep?”

Mrs Hanson stopped suddenly as a idea struck her.

“N ..o ..” she said slowly, “just wait a second ...” she paused to think.

Amanda frowned.

“I’ll do you a deal,” Mrs Hanson said cunningly, “You came come in ... if you clean our toilet”

Amanda’s jaw dropped open in disgust and pure shock at the suggestion.

“Well?” Mrs Hanson prodded.

Standing and thinking about it, Amanda considered all the cons. She decided their were 3 main ones.
1. She would have to clean out a toilet. 2. She would have to clean out a toilet. 3. She would have to clean out a toilet.

Mrs Hanson waited paitiently at the doorstep for Amanda to make her decision.
Cringing, Amanda spoke.

“O ... o ... k ... k ... kkay ...”

Mrs Hanson grinned a triumphunt grin.

“Come right on in, Amanda ... Amanda ...” she stopped, “Uh, what’s your last name, dear?” she asked.

Amanda brushed past her and stepped inside.

“Oh, uh ... don’t ‘ave one” she said casually as she started to walk down the hall.

Raising her eyebrows in suprise, yet she partly wasn’t at all surprised that this strange girl lacked a surname, she muttered a sarcastic “That’s normal ...” and followed Amanda into the house.

Noticing Amanda heading towards the lounge room where Taylor was, she called out.

“Uh, Amanda! The bathroom’s this way ...”

Amanda turned slowly and smiled grimly.

“Of course,” she said.

“Didn’t forget about our little deal, did we?” Mrs Hanson asked, enjoying every minute.

“No,” Amanda said.

“Well, then. You stay here, and I’ll go get the cleaning stuff” she said.

When Mrs Hanson returned with the cleaning stuff, Amanda was shown what to do and instructed to finish the job in her own good time. Mrs Hanson obviously wanted to make her suffer as much as possible.
Amanda sighed in disgust and new-found hate for another member of the Hanson family. Scrubbing away, Amanda sneezed and kept going, determind not to let Mrs Hanson get the satisfaction of taking ages to clean the toilet.
It was really quite a disgusting job, but then again, when has cleaning a toilet ever been an appealing task?
Amanda picked up another scrubbing brush and she heard a noise. Someone was coming down the hall. Her eyes widened, hopefully it would be Taylor, then she could somehow con him into cleaning it for her, then afterwards he could take her out for that coffee that been previously interrupted.
But to her suprise, the door opened and it was Isaac. Didn’t he know that she was in there? Amanda had thought Mrs Hanson wouldv’e warned the family about the situation, but no, obviously not.
As she was crouched down by the toilet bowl, he didn’t notice her and started to undo his fly.

“Omigod! Isaac, no!!!” she yelled as she sprang up from her position on the floor.

Startled, Isaac leaped back, holding his crutch.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?” he yelled, still in shock and going red from embarrassment.

“... Cleaning the toilet ...” she said meekly.

“Oh, that’s normal” he said harshly.

“Well, well ... YOUR MUM MADE ME!!!” she shreiked.

“Oh, sure,” He said sarcasticly, “Now get out, I’ve gotta take a pee!”

Amanda left quick enough alright.
With rubber cleaning gloves on and messed up hair, she went into the lounge room and flopped down on the armchair oppisite Taylor. He was fast asleep. And she was tired too.
Probably because of the exhausting events the day had produced.