CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Shannon’s mouth dropped open in disbelief, as did Zac’s.

"Taylor?" She questioned.

He glanced at her, his intensity not stirring as their eyes met. Zac let out a cry of warning as the dark figure of Shane thundered past Shannon and flew into Taylor, throwing him against the concrete wall with such force that it knocked his breath away. Taylor was quick to respond, and their two bodies toppled heavily over the steep rows of seats. A few people were gathering now to watch the boys slug it out, and Shannon stared in horror. Zac ran down to where they were sprawled between the seats, grabbed Taylor’s top, and dragged him out. Taylor went to hurl himself back onto Shane but Zac held him back.

"Taylor." Shannon cried, shaking her head.

She was terrified to see him like this. His blond hair was falling across his face in dishevelled pieces, framing his flushed cheeks and enraged, glinting eyes. His chest heaved almost savagely, and his hot breath encouraged more blood to flow from his lip down his face. He glanced up at Shannon’ distressed expression, and ripped himself furiously out of Zac’s grip. But he didn’t go for Shane again. Instead he paced glaringly up the stand and out of sight down the back stairs. Shannon closed her eyes in stunted relief. Her hands were shaking.

"What the hell is going on?" Rachael exclaimed.

She had arrived just in time to see Taylor leave. Shane had not escaped unscathed, and a deep black eye was already developing on his face. Shane was unwilling to discuss the fight, and stormed off in the same way as Taylor had. Zac ran up to Shannon and took her hands imploringly.

"Go and find Taylor."

Shannon shook her head wearily, avoiding Zac’s compelling chocolate stare.

"Shan, he did it for you. Remember that. He did it for you. Go and find him. I’m going to have a talk to Rach ok?"

Zac gave Shannon a brief hug before leaving to catch her twin before she went after Shane.

Shannon slowly walked up the stand and down the stairs, glancing around for Taylor. She had no idea what to expect when she found him.

She had to pause for a moment when she did. He was sitting on the dirty concrete steps of a back entrance to the stadium, partially hidden by dark shadow. He sat in a dejected slump, wiping his shattered lip on his sleeve dismally. A dirty hand raised to push disordered blond hair behind his ear, and he bitterly closed his faded eyes. Shannon bit her lip. This couldn’t be Taylor. Shannon remembered pictures from magazines which she had kept. She remembered that glowing complexion with its rosy, healthy cheeks. She remembered those impossibly bright sparkling eyes which charmed with their enticing twinkle. She remembered his dazzling smile which brightened her unloved heart. He had changed her life, and now he had been reduced to this. She couldn’t let this happen any longer. She wouldn’t let it.

"Hey." She said softly, walking over to him.

He glanced up at her for a moment before looking back to the ground.

"Hey."

Shannon sat down beside him.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I’m fine." He said, shrugging a little.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, really, I’m ok."

They both sat in acknowledged silence for a moment.

"Thankyou." She whispered.

Taylor looked up into Shannon’s eyes for a moment, the corners of his mouth turning up a little, and he nudged her.

"Hey it’s my pleasure. Anytime, you know."

Shannon smiled a little as he dropped his eyes back down to the concrete.

"Did I hurt him?" Taylor asked indignantly, scuffing his shoes on the concrete.

Shannon grinned.

"You gave him a black eye."

Taylor smiled.

"Sweet." He exclaimed, but grimaced as his lip reopened, and he raised his blood soaked sleeve to it again.

"That looks pretty bad." Shannon said softly. "What will your parents say?"

Taylor shrugged.

"I’ll just say I got hit with a ball or something. I can’t tell them the truth. I’ve screwed up too much already…"

He trailed off a little, and Shannon didn’t push him. He spoke after a short silence.

"You know, I never actually spent much time with Kai. But now that he’s gone, I miss him so much."

Shannon’s heart was racing as the words escaped from Taylor’s whispering lips. She had wanted to talk to him so badly, and now that she was, she was lost. He continued.

"Maybe that’s just the way I’m supposed to feel, but….I dunno."

"I think you’re handling it all really well Tay." She said softly.

Taylor glanced at her, and sighed. They sat in silence for a moment, watching the soft wind dancing with fallen leaves.

"I never thanked you properly at the hospital that day." Taylor said softly. "Thanks."

"That’s ok, you made up for it today." Shannon replied with a small smile.

"Yeah, and I’ve got the wounds to prove it." Taylor smirked.

Shannon smiled, watching the sun ever so slowly invading the dark shadow they were shrouded in. Sunset was approaching.

"Hey you guys!" Zac’s voice exclaimed.

Shannon smiled warmly at him as he walked over.

"Hey."

Zac turned to his brother.

"You ok Tay?"

"Yeah, fine."

"You sure? It looks pretty bad."

"I know. It’s ok though."

Zac nodded.

"Hey, I was thinking we go back to our place and order pizza…coming Shannon?"

Zac nodded his head vigorously at her from behind Taylor’s back. She grinned.

"Um…yeah ok sure but what about Rachael?"

"She’s going home with Shane."

"Ok then, let’s go." She said.

"Yeah, and you drive Shan, I don’t particularly want psycho action figure Taylor behind the wheel."

Shannon grinned, and thumped Zac. Taylor just raised his eyebrows, and dragged himself up from the dirty ground.

"No Zac, I’ll drive. Shannon’s stomach…remember?"

"Ohhh boy," Zac exclaimed in mock dread, and began walking away slowly, "Do up your seatbelts passengers…"

"No guys, we’re catching a taxi because Zac and I didn’t even come in a car."

Zac stopped.

"Oh yeah! We don’t have a car! Ohhh no thrill rides with Taylor."

Shannon glanced at Taylor, who rolled his eyes a little. She laughed. Her heart was fluttering…she was going to spend a whole evening with Taylor!

_ _ _

"Where’s Taylor?" Diana sighed.

She felt bad for speaking harshly to him earlier about his lip and his unwillingness to donate information.

"Outside in the garden house." Zac explained.

She shook her head tiredly, and glanced at her watch. It was too late to deal with him now.

"Oh, just leave him there if he wants." Then her eyes moved to Shannon. "Hey, it’s getting a little late Shannon…would you prefer to just stay the night?"

Zac’s eyes lit up.

"Yeah stay!! It’d be cool fun!!"

"Um, yeah that’d be great, if you’re really sure it’s ok." Shannon said politely, smiling.

"Oh sure, it’s fine honey! Just make yourself at home."

"Thanks."

"Well goodnight everyone!!"

"Goodnight Mum."

"Goodnight Mrs Hanson."

Then everything was quiet for a moment. The first silence of the evening. Shannon, Isaac and Zac had sat talking for hours about anything and everything. Shannon enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Isaac a little better and was a little touched by his warm personality. Needless to say, he had also been a little surprised by Shannon. After ringing her parents, she related the sentence which had been lingering on her lips all night.

"Hey, I’m going to go and see what Taylor’s up to."

Isaac and Zac glanced at each other, and grinned.

Shannon laughed.

"Guys! Don’t look at each other like that!" She said as she walked away.

"Hmm, what he’s up to eh?" Isaac smiled sweetly.

Shannon gave him a threatening look, and closed the door behind her.

"Goodnight Shannon!" Zac yelled after her.

They heard her laughing, and giggled.

"Ohhh, she’s so sweet." Isaac exclaimed. "Do you think Taylor will ever see that?"

Zac just gazed at the door thoughtfully.

"I dunno." He said softly. "I really don’t know."

_ _ _

"Taylor?" She whispered into the darkness.

The lights were off, and she wondered if he was asleep. She was just turning back when there was some movement.

"Shannon? Hey, I didn’t know you were still here."

"Yeah, your mum invited me to stay the night so I thought I’d come visit you. Were you asleep?"

"Nah, just looking at the stars. Come see, it’s amazing."

It was then that Shannon noticed the glass panel in the roof. She moved underneath it and realised that the ground was soft with mats.

"Lie down." He said softly. "It’s a really clear night."

Cautiously, her heart racing, she lay down near Taylor, and looked up into the sky. It was beautiful. The moon shone bright and true, and the hundreds of stars shimmered and glittered in the deep royal blue night. They became almost hypnotic after a while.

"So how is Rachael?" Taylor asked after some time, distaste thick in his voice.

"Do you still miss her?" Shannon replied.

Taylor was silent for a moment.

"No." He sighed. "Not her…that cow."

Shannon nodded, her heart pounding almost eagerly. She didn’t know what to say, but he continued.

"Oops, I mean, um…sorry. I didn’t mean to say that about your sister."

Shannon laughed quietly.

"That’s ok!"

They were silent for a moment.

"I just feel so empty sometimes, you know?" He whispered suddenly.

Shannon looked over at him. He looked so amazing in the moonlight.

"But Taylor look at what you’ve got. You don’t need her. You’ve got more than I could ever dream of. You’ve got a fantastic family, a platinum record, millions of fans…you’re so lucky!"

Taylor shook his head a little, a look of tired despair on his face, and closed his eyes for a second. Shannon knew his problems reached deeper then that, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say. Taylor continued.

"I just…miss being happy. Every day used to be like a dream…and oh…we had so much fun. But now? God, sometimes I just…I get so sick of living like this each day. I’m so sick of things stuffing up."

His voice was slowly developing that anguished emotional edge and threatening waver, which Shannon had learnt to recognise. She glanced up at him, his eyes glistening desolately in the light of the moon, and his expression forlorn and tired. She wanted to hold him so badly.

"I just don’t know how to fix it. I can’t go on like this, but I don’t know how to change it either…and…I don’t know what to do."

Shannon was aching beneath the heavy words falling from his lips. Her need to console him was a choking pressure in her throat, killing her slowly. She awaited his next words as if on a cliff edge.

"And I miss Kai so much…" His whispered voice broke with emotion, revealing exactly how near he was to tears.

Unable to bear it any longer she shifted nearer to him. Her head unintentionally touched his shoulder, and she froze in that position.

"I know." She whispered.

They stayed there for a moment, both breathing deeply. Shannon awaited his next move, her chest pounding so much that she felt sick. She stirred in alarm as she felt fingertips graze her wrist. Carefully, Taylor’s warm hand found hers, and held it almost longingly. Her heart pounded in her head and rang loud in her ears. She could feel his aching need to be comforted and loved as he feebly held her fingers, and she squeezed his hand gently. Taylor suddenly felt something which he had never felt with Shannon, or even Rachael. A need to hold someone just for the sake of being held back. A need to give a hug in order to receive one, and to feel safe. But instead, they just lay there, gazing up at the everlasting night sky, somehow connected, yet somehow apart. And for the first time in weeks, Taylor fell into a sleep of peace.

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