While she cleaned his wound, Zac learned that the girl was Diandra Dorsey, or Andi, the 'next door' neighbor. She struck him as being quite odd, actually - unlike anyone he'd ever met. He notice that she tended to talk a lot, and fast. What he'd heard in the barn was no fluke. Yet, the more she talked, the more he liked her unquenchable personality. She had a quick smile, and a comeback to almost anything you could throw at her. Her wide blue eyes gave her an innocent look, which her wild hair directly contradicted. Her eyes reminded him of Taylor, and he felt a dull ache deep in his heart.  I'm not going to see Taylor all summer, he thought. Man, I miss him already!  He also felt an undeniable fear for his quiet, unassuming older brother.  New York is dangerous. What if he gets hurt? Or killed?? What if I never see him again?!  He felt a sense of panic and helplessness. There was nothing he could do for Taylor; he was on his own now. Zac could only pray that there were people like Andi in New York, and that Tay would find them.

He looked up, startled, when Andi brushed her thumb lightly across his cheek. He was even more surprised when he realized she was wiping away tears.

Sensing it wasn't the scratch on his arm that was bothering him, Andi wrapped her arms around him in a gentle hug. "What's wrong?" she whispered in his ear.

He was surprised at how comfortable he felt with her. He laid his head on her shoulder as his tears continued to fall. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to--"

"Shh, shh, it's okay," she interrupted him. "Missing Tulsa?"

"My brothers," he conceded.

She stroked his hair softly. "Are you guys really close?"

"Yeah. Best friends."

"Wow, that's awesome," she commented. "I mean, it's gotta be tough to be apart, but you're lucky to have such a close relationship with them."

His lips curled up in a sweet smile. "Yeah, I know. They're great brothers." He finally lifted his head from Andi's shoulder and wiped the tears from his face.

Looking into his eyes again, Andi asked, "You and your brothers... you have a band, right?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, Jake told me. He said you guys are really good," she stated.

He flashed a full smile. "The last time Jake heard us was right after Tay's voice changed, when we played at our family reunion. It's been a year since he heard us play."

"Now, what instrument do you play?"

"I'm the drummer," he informed her, a hint of pride in his voice. "I can speed up the songs, and there's nothing they can do about it!"

She laughed. "Cool! I'm a pianist... or keyboardist, whatever you prefer."

"Tay's our piano man," he said. He looked into her eyes. "Your eyes remind me of his a little bit," he uttered quietly.

She nodded in sudden understanding. "Ohhh, is that why...?"

He nodded.

"You aren't going to cry every time I look at you, are you?" she teased, tucking his hair behind his ear.

He blushed and looked down. "You have pretty eyes," he murmured.

She continued to stare at him.  Why is it that every time I look at him I want to hug him? she wondered. She smiled. He's such a doll! Maybe, just maybe... and he lives in Tulsa, she thought ruefully. My luck never ceases to amaze me. She sighed softly and squeezed his shoulder as there was a knock on the door.

"You guys better come out of there before I start to get suspicious!" Jake called.

They looked at each other and grinned, then exited the bathroom.

"What were you doing in there that took fifteen minutes??" Jake inquired.

Andi raised an eyebrow at him. "Uh... talking."

He laughed. "Oh, yeah, I've heard that one from Ben and Ann before! How often can they just talk?"

"We're not Ben and Ann," she pointed out plaintively. "Ben and Ann have known each other for years. They're the hottest item this town has ever seen. There's a difference somewhere in there."

Zac smiled at her straight-faced sarcasm, which this time reminded him somewhat of Ike.  Great, he thought. It just doesn't stop...

"Well, we should be going about now. You kiddos ready?" Jake asked.

"Did you prep him? Give him a crash course in dealing with our friends?" Andi demanded.

He rolled his eyes. "If he can deal with you, he can deal with any of them. Let's go."

Chapter 4
Zac's road
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