CHAPTER TWENTY

She felt a soft hand, followed by breezy lips on her forehead. Shannon opened her eyes slowly, and looked straight into Taylor’s sparkling blues.

"Good morning!" He exclaimed cheerfully, smiling warmly.

Shannon’s heart pumped surprised adrenalin through her body, and her heart jumped. Now that was one way to wake up in the morning!

Shannon grabbed a pillow and pushed it into his face, turning away from him. He giggled, and pinched her side. She let out an anguished cry.

"Come on Shan. I’m gonna cook us pancakes for breakfast!"

"You’re what?"

"You heard me!" He laughed.

"You?" She exclaimed disbelievingly.

"Yes!" He stated, jumping up.

"You are gonna cook? You?" Shannon repeated.

Taylor rolled his eyes.

"Yes, me! I'm really good." He said indignantly. "Come on, get up …"

He slapped her back and left the room for the kitchen.

Shannon shook her head, and sat up slowly.

"This is not happening." She whispered disbelievingly to herself, remembering the night’s events.

After freshing up in the bathroom she joined Taylor in the kitchen, where he was shaking up the instant pancake mixture and singing to himself.

She loved it when he sang.

"Hey, where is everyone?" She asked, seating herself behind the bench.

Taylor shrugged.

"I dunno. Sleeping I guess. Mum and Dad were here before but I think they’re gardening…or Mum was…I don’t know really. Somewhere. It’s only 9:00 you know. That's pretty early."

Shannon dropped her head to her arms.

"Yeah, I know. Why’d you wake me up, I need my sleep!"

Taylor tapped her head with a spoon.

"Hey, I’m hungry ok? And you can’t make pancakes for yourself and no one else… because that is sooo sad."

Shannon smirked affectionately.

He sure had some strange values.

As Taylor poured into the frypan, a large clump of unmixed powder fell into the middle of the pancake. They both froze in surprise for a moment. Taylor took one look at Shannon’s expression, and burst into laughter.

"Taylor!" She exclaimed. "You didn’t mix it properly!"

"Oops!" He giggled.

He scooped up a little bit of flour and flicked it onto her T-shirt.

"Tay!" She exclaimed, brushing it away.

"Oh look, here’s more!" Taylor exclaimed, flipping another spoon full of powder onto Shannon. Only then did he realise that the spoon had contained liquid pancake mix as well, and the goo dripped down her top slowly. Taylor pressed a hand over his laughing mouth as Shannon’s expression turned to one of horror.

"Taaaaylor!" She exclaimed through clenched teeth.

"I….I….um…"He stuttered.

Shannon grabbed another spoon and hurled a wallop of mixture at him. It hit his chest and splattered up onto his neck. His mouth dropped open in disbelief. Shannon smiled contentedly.

A devious smile crept onto the corners of Taylor’s lips, and he grabbed the bowl of badly prepared mixture. Shannon reflexively grabbed the plastic container containing the original mix. With a shriek from Shannon and a yelp from Taylor, they began hurling the mess at each other.

_ _ _

"Hey, where’s Tay?" Shannon asked Isaac.

Isaac smirked.

"Whilst you were in the shower Mum yelled at him for the mess in the kitchen."

"Oh….that!" Shannon grinned. "Did he have to clean it? Oops, I was going to help him. Oh well."

"Yeah, so now he’s slunk off somewhere, I dunno. We’re just keeping out of his way."

Shannon laughed inwardly. She loved the way Taylor’s moods controlled the household…and how he had no idea.

It was really quite amusing.

Shannon found him out the back in the band room, pensively playing his keyboard. He had moved it to the ground so he could sit on the floor up against the wall and play.

He liked doing that.

She knocked on the open door, and he looked up.

"Hey Tay." She said.

He looked up.

"Hey."

"Sorry I wasn’t there to take the wrap with you about the kitchen."

He shrugged uncaringly, and patted the space beside him.

Shannon smiled, and walked slowly over to him, weaving through the room crowded by countless instruments, amps and wires. She sat down beside him on the floor with a sigh.

Taylor began playing around with a few tunes with one hand absent mindedly, and Shannon listened silently.

"You know, I can play chopsticks." She whispered.

Taylor smiled refreshingly at her, his eyes glancing up into hers.

She grinned back, and he continued playing.

It was so good to be able to make him smile.

"Written any songs lately?" She asked after some time.

He leant back with a sigh.

"Yeah, kind of." He murmured.

Shannon waited silently for him to continue, and he did.

"I um….I think I’m writing one for Kai."

He glanced at her to see her reaction and she nodded slightly, encouraging him.

"It’s….I’m not really sure what it’s going to be. But the ideas are there and they keep eating at me…so I guess I’ll probably end up with…something."

"Yeah, I think you will, and it’ll be amazing. Things like that always are. You’ll have to show me some time."

"Yeah, of course." He whispered.

For just a moment he looked a little pale and distant, and Shannon took his hand and shook it a little.

"You ok?"

He blinked.

"Oh…uh huh."

Shannon realised his grip had tightened on her hand.

They sat in silence a few minutes more.

Suddenly, he looked at her strangely.

"What?" Shannon laughed.

"You’re wearing Zac’s clothes."

She giggled.

"Yeah, I know!"

"Only that T-shirt is not Zac’s, it’s mine. I’ve been looking for that for ages."

"Oh really?! Yeah, well, mine are somewhat less than clean, no thanks to you."

Taylor smirked and squeezed her hand a little. They sat silently again for a moment.

"I wonder where we’ll all be in like…ten years time." He suddenly stated. "I mean, what is everyone going to do after school and stuff? It’s going to be so weird watching everyone’s lives change and evolve whilst we’ll always be doing the same thing."

"Oh, but you’re so lucky for that." Shannon breathed. "You’re so lucky that you know what you want to do with your life, and you’re doing it, and loving it. I’d give anything to have that."

"You’ll find something Shan. Everyone does."

"Yeah, but that’s everyone. I’m just me. Shannon. Boring. Society doesn’t need people like me." Shannon said, and she stared down at the ground, fiddling with Taylor’s hand intensely.

Suddenly, he removed his hand from hers, and extended it around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

"Shannon!" He exclaimed, "Don’t say that. If there’s one thing I truly hate about you, it’s when you put yourself down. You know that."

"Taaayy…" She began to whine in complaint. He always lectured her. Taylor interrupted her before she could continue.

"No, really, I’m serious. Stop it."

He glanced at her expressionlessly for a second before squeezing her shoulders affectionately, and dropping his gaze to the keyboard. Shannon smiled at his serious expression, and sighed. She found herself leaning up against him, and allowed her head to drop to his shoulder. His body felt so warm, and his familiar smell drew back breathtaking memories of other times they had been this close.

The warm band room lights filtered through the sea of instruments. It was raining again outside, and the steady sound of the falling water created an atmosphere that was utterly dream-worthy. Shannon fell into a trance as she watched the raindrops dancing against the shadowy window and felt Taylor’s arm wrapped around her, his fingers fiddling with her sleeve. Entirely willing to stay that way forever, her eyes closed, and surrealism played at her consciousness.

Suddenly, she felt a hand running across the side of her face, sending shivers down through the core of her body. Her eyes fluttered open, and she turned her head inquisitively towards Taylor. His face was only inches from hers. His bright blue eyes were filled with the warm lights of the room, causing them to shimmer with a sparkle that was stirring yet somehow inexplicably calm. His mouth was fixed in that distinctive pout that Shannon had learnt to love. Pieces of his stunning blond hair fell in front of his eyes, framing his perfect complexion. The intensity of the pouring rain amplified, but neither noticed. Shannon could have stared at him forever.

Time seemed to stand still.

And then he moved.

He moved closer.

Shannon was barely breathing.

Just as she could almost taste his breath, his pensive blue eyes closed dreamily, and his head tilted.

And suddenly his lips were against hers.

In an instant, every memory and emotion of her entire existence held no meaning. Nothing mattered but him and her, and here and now. Nothing else entered her consciousness. Not the fact that she was unbearably out of breath or that her whole body seemed to have gone into shock. There was nothing but him. Nothing but him and his warm gentle hands, his soft breath, and his divine entrancing lips converging with hers. He didn’t stop. They kissed delicately and smoothly, their lips meeting and parting in synchronisation. She felt his emotion flowing in through every sense, touching her deeply and intensely. She felt herself falling deeper into love every instant, and was enveloped and shrouded within her emotion. All she could touch, smell, and feel was him. Her every breath and every heartbeat was for him. Her very existence was utterly and completely surrendered to this moment. There was nothing else. Still he didn’t stop. She became entirely oblivious and dead to the outside world. She didn’t hear the pounding rain, or the sound of the keyboard as Taylor unintentionally pressed the keys with his knee. She didn’t notice the doorhandle in the far corner of the room turning, and the door opening…and she didn’t see someone enter.

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