CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

"Taylor?" Zac breathed. "But…he’s gone."

Zac, Isaac and Lara were just preparing to leave the house for the airport, and were subsequently shocked when Shannon and Caroline pulled into their driveway. The rest of the Hanson family was still at the park.

"What do you mean he’s gone?" Shannon exclaimed.

"I mean, he just got up and walked away from the park this morning and hasn’t come back."

"What? Why?"

Zac just shook his head slowly.

"He was hurting so bad, Shannon." He whispered.

Shannon closed her eyes. Her yearning and need to hold him was screaming from deep inside her. She looked up, her eyes defiant.

"Then we have to find him."

_ _ _

"Shannon we have to leave!" Her mother shouted.

"No!" Shannon exclaimed, not even turning to look. Desperation was slowly washing through her as time began to run out. She wasn’t thinking logically. It was stupid to try and find him, but no one could talk any sense into her. She’d been scanning the side streets for half an hour. It was hopeless.

A few minutes later, Lara came after her.

"Shan, we really have to go." She said softly. "You have and check in at the airport or you’ll miss your plane."

"Lara I didn’t mean it…" She cried, her eyes deep with sadness, "I didn’t mean to do this, I don’t want to leave him this way…"

Lara shook her head and gave her a hug.

"I know…but there’s nothing we can do."

Shannon dropped her eyes to the floor, and slowly began heading back to the Hanson’s house with Lara at her side.

As the walked, it began to rain, and Shannon closed her eyes in regret.

She had to let him go.

"Wait!" Shannon exclaimed just before Isaac locked the door.

She grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled a message on it, placing it in the most obvious position she could find. At this point, anything was worth a try. With a last sad glance at the Hanson’s LA residence, she entered the car, and they pulled out of the driveway for the last time.

_ _ _

Taylor felt like he was going to be sick as he read her words. He stared in desperation at his watch. It was 5:15. How was he going to make it to the airport in 45 minutes without a car? Without anything? He paced around the house in anguish, his heart racing. There had to be a way. There just had to. Suddenly his eyes fell on a shiny piece of metal in the corner of their garage. He flipped on the light…and found himself face to face with three, full tanked dirt bikes

_ _ _

Never in his wildest dreams did Taylor ever think he would be driving down the freeways of LA on a dirt bike in the pouring rain in a T-shirt…all in the name of love.

The rain pounded sharply onto his face and stung his eyes, and Taylor was forced to slow down further in order to see. He had lost perception of where he was, and began to panic with the realisation that he could be lost.

"Where am I." He muttered over and over.

Cars tooted him angrily as they passed. He must have been travelling at almost half the legal speed. He didn’t hesitate in swearing back.

Then suddenly there it was. A sign! The airport! Taylor almost drove off the road in elation, consequently forcing a nearby car to swerve dangerously. He was almost there! If he really hurried he might just make it. Just. With renewed confidence, he forced himself to endure the beating rain, and drove faster, his eyes gleaming with determination.

And then…just as suddenly as his heart leapt in joy, it broke.

The siren cut sharply and loudly into his eardrums. He felt himself cry out in despair as he glanced over his shoulder to see the police car indicating for him to pull over. He came to a stop with a heavy jolt, his hands shaking in disbelief. Right above him was the sign. The turn off for the airport. And there was 5 minutes to go.

A hefty officer came and stood dauntingly over Taylor, the rain running in streams down his raincoat.

"Excuse me, do you have a license to drive this vehicle on the streets of Los Angeles?" The officer asked harshly, knowing quite well that such a license didn’t even exist.

Taylor just stared at the officer hopelessly. His mouth hung open and his eyes were weary and drained. Wet hair was plastered across his face and he was soaking wet and shivering. He was the definitive image of desperate, yet the police officer didn’t even flinch. Taylor shook his head slowly, and dropped his gaze to the gravel in despair, his teeth chattering. He felt like his heart was being ripped from his body.

Next thing he knew, Taylor was being loaded into the back of the police car. He was unbearably close to tears, but he didn’t let it show. His throat was choked; making him distinctly nauseous. The weight in his chest was so intense that he could hardly breath.

"HEY!" A voice suddenly exclaimed.

Taylor looked up in surprise.

"It’s you again! Remember me from the station kid? Officer Murray? What was your name again?"

"Taylor." He breathed.

"You know him?" The other officer questioned.

"Hell yeah, I arrested him for breaking out of a cell down at the station!" Murray chuckled, winking at Taylor.

Taylor managed a small smile, and the officer’s face turned serious.

"Hey, I saw you at the funeral." Murray mentioned softly.

"Oh." Taylor breathed, knowing how emotional he had been on the day he said his last goodbyes to Kai. He didn’t remember seeing Murray there. He didn’t remember much at all from that day except the way he felt.

"What were you doing out here on that thing man?" Murray exclaimed in concern, gesturing towards the dirt bike out in the rain.

Taylor blinked.

"I...uh…I…"

Murray raised his eyebrows as he stuttered. He wanted the truth.

Taylor paused, and took a deep breath.

"The girl I was going out with when I was at the station turned out to be a bitch which Kai already knew but I found out the hard way and then her sister who was her twin but not an identical one was really nice to me and she crashed her car and was seriously injured in hospital and when I went to see her she had met Kai and Kai loved her and then Kai died in front of me and Shan was there for me more than anyone and she helped me and became one of the most amazing people in my life but what I didn’t know was that she’d fallen in love with me and then one day we kissed and I freaked out and we had a fight and she left and hasn’t spoken to me since and then I realised that I’ve been in love with her the whole time but I told her too late and now she’s boarding a plane in five minutes to leave on exchange overseas and if I don’t get there then I’ll never get a chance to tell her face to face how I really feel."

Taylor’s chest heaved as he finished, his expression desperate and pained as he recalled all the details and emotions behind his incentive.

Murray’s jaw had dropped.

"Well why didn’t you say so?!" He exclaimed, and floored the accelerator. The wheels span in the mud for a moment before the police car flew onto the freeway, screaming around the corner into the turn off for the airport.

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