CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"Jessie that’s my piece."

"No Mack! Your piece is that one over there."

"No! I don’t like that one…"

"Ike? Ike I don’t like pineapple…take it off!"

"Why don’t you take it off?"

"Zac!! You want me to touch it??!"

"Ok Avie, just let me get Lara’s drink."

"I didn’t want a drink!"

"I did, and I’ve already got it."

"Huh?"

"Hey, who kicked me?"

"Sorry Zac."

"I’ve…still…got…pineapple."

"Mack, fine, have it."

"No I don’t want it anymore!"

Shannon glanced at Taylor, and he rolled his eyes. She smiled, and laughed. It was insane...and she loved it.

_ _ _

Isaac sat down with a sigh, and Lara jumped onto the couch beside him with the remote control.

"What movie did you guys get?" Taylor asked, settling into the corner of the neighbouring couch and kicking off his shoes. Shannon sat beside him with a pillow.

"Armageddon." Lara replied, pressing play.

Zac entered, looking sceptical.

"It’d better be good." He said.

Shannon caught Zac’s eye, and offered him a smile. He sat on the other side of her. They hadn’t spoken properly since the tree incident. Shannon threw her pillow across him, and lay down in his lap. Zac paused for a moment, and then touched her side gently.

"I’m sorry about before. You know…in the tree. You could’ve been really hurt and I didn’t mean it and I’m so sorry." He whispered sincerely.

Shannon turned her head and smiled at him. He was so sweet. She raised a hand and patted his chest.

"It’s ok Zac. I’m ok. And even if I wasn’t, I would never ever blame you." She whispered.

Zac smiled. He’d needed to get that apology out for hours. With a sigh, he snuggled down beneath her, and turned his attention to the movie. Shannon felt his arms around her, and became totally at ease with her best friend.

_ _ _

Taylor couldn’t help it.

He was almost paranoid over it.

It just frustrated him so much.

It made him angry and hurt and….everything.

He hated that.

Once again, his cold eyes glanced over across the room.

There were Isaac and Lara, snuggled together. Every now and again one would whisper something, and then they’d kiss affectionately before turning back to the TV. Who gave them the right to be so completely and utterly happy? He certainly didn’t. But at least they were kind of watching the movie…unlike Shannon and Zac. They were deep in another secret whispered discussion from which they always came out giggling and smiling.

Zac always seemed to make Shannon happy.

Taylor hated that.

He hated it that she preferred Zac’s company to his…especially now that he had become so close to her.

With a last look over the two contented pairs snuggled happily together, Taylor turned back to the movie feeling neglected, and very very alone.

_ _ _

"Oh ZAC gross!"

Zac giggled as Shannon slapped him.

"I can’t help it!"

She rolled her eyes.

"Can’t you eat something? Please!?"

"I don’t think that’ll help!"

"I don’t care!" She exclaimed, moving away from him. "You have no idea how disgusting your stomach is when it gurgles in my ear…"

"Ok ok!" He laughed, standing up. "I’m thirsty anyway. Anyone want anything?"

A mumbled ‘no’ emerged from the others. Zac shrugged, grinned at Shannon, and left the room.

Shannon glanced over at Taylor. She wasn’t oblivious to the looks he had been giving her, and suspected that he was less than impressed with her at the moment. A chill went through her spine as she recalled the feeling of his fingertips on her neck. If only Taylor knew that he was the prime thing her and Zac had been discussing for the past hour perhaps that irritated look in his eyes wouldn’t be quite so intense...

Shannon reached a foot across the couch and nudged his side. He looked across at her.

"You ok?" She whispered, moving nearer to him.

He shrugged, and looked away.

"Tay?" She stated, raising her eyebrows.

Taylor looked into her eyes cheerlessly. Somehow, he charmed her when he sulked. Shannon gave him a friendly punch before throwing the pillow across him, laying her head down, and snuggling into his lap. She closed her eyes for a moment. He smelt so good. Taylor wrapped his arms around her, holding her there. Shannon looked up at him.

She ached to say ‘I love you’.

"I’m sorry." She whispered.

He was transfixed by how it felt to hold her in his arms, and didn’t register her words until a considerable pause had passed.

He screwed up his nose and smiled a little.

"For what?"

Shannon shook her head and shrugged. Even she didn’t know. It just felt like something that had to be said.

She touched his arm softly, and turned back to the movie.

Taylor took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

He’d never felt safer then he did right then.

_ _ _

Taylor smiled as Shannon glanced around at him. She was still lying in his lap as the credits began to roll and Aerosmith’s song filled the room.

"Are you ok?" He grinned.

She laughed, and sat up, closing her eyes for a second.

"Oh man. That was like the saddest thing I’ve ever seen."

"Guys! You are so pathetic. It’s supposed to be an action movie." Zac stated, throwing up his arms.

"As if! I can’t believe that guy died!" Lara exclaimed, wiping her eyes and snuggling deep into Isaac’s chest.

Shannon sighed, and flopped back down into Taylor’s lap. She yawned.

"I’m tired now."

"Ooh ooh! Idea!" Zac suddenly exclaimed, jumping up.

He grabbed Shannon’s legs and dragged her off the couch.

"Hey!? Zac, what the…"

"Just trust me! Tay…off."

Taylor pulled himself up. He had a pretty good idea what his brother was doing.

Zac flipped a lever and lifted a hatch and suddenly the couch turned into a bed, onto which he promptly flung himself.

"Cool!" Shannon exclaimed, jumping on after him and pushing him to one side.

Zac wailed in protest, and the two began wrestling with each other for bed space. Shannon squealed as he took her in a head lock, and she pinched his sides. He started laughing and squirming uncontrollably, and they eventually just collapsed in each other’s arms on the bed, giggling.

"Wow this is so awesome." Shannon exclaimed, lying back as Isaac changed the TV channel to MTV.

"HmMMmph!" Zac agreed with a bizarre noise, and giggled.

Shannon started giggling, and then laughing. Sometimes, everything Zac did became hysterical.

After a while they calmed, and Shannon sighed loudly. She realised that Taylor had resided to sitting with his legs drawn dejectedly to his chest on the floor. He always went to extremes to show her when he was feeling left out. She reached out a foot and tapped the back of his head gently. He turned, and looked up at her. Shannon shifted a little, and patted the space next to her. He took her invitation, and pulled himself up onto the bed to lie beside her. Shannon smiled. On her left was Taylor, the one she loved, and on her right was Zac, her best friend…it couldn’t possibly get any better than this.

There hadn’t been a thunderstorm in LA this intense for months. They could hardly hear the songs on MTV, and consequently turned the television off so they could chat instead. Zac had dimmed the lights to add to the effect, and the five of them lay chatting cheerfully as flashes of light invaded the room and rain pounded against the windows. Wind howled noisily through the trees. The storm was getting closer.

Shannon jumped a little as a crack of thunder shook the house. Taylor knocked her arm with the back of his hand.

"You ok?"

She turned to him. His blue eyes were gleaming with mysterious luminosity and shadow in the pale light.

"Uh huh." She smiled. "Just freaked me out a little."

"I thought you liked thunderstorms."

"I do!"

"Well why…"

"Taylor!" She complained before he could interrogate her.

He laughed a little.

"Guys," Zac groaned, "I’m so tireeeed. I think I’m gonna go to bed."

After mocking him playfully, everyone said goodnight, and Zac embraced Shannon briefly before heading upstairs to his room.

"We should probably go too." Lara yawned.

Isaac agreed, and the couple departed, leaving Taylor and Shannon with the room to themselves.

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