The next day, just as Marissa said, we managed to get out of Aunt Barbara's clutches to go to the Hansons. Of course, not after hearing several lectures on how early dating is what leads to all the teenage pregnancies in this world. By the time we left, I wanted to scream.

Maybe Libby was right. Aunt Barbara sure tried awful hard to at least make us feel really guilty about leaving. If I hadn't known Libby would kill me, I would have decided to stay with her.

After all, I had no desire to see Taylor.

"Are they coming?"I asked Isaac as he came back into our room.

He flopped down on the bed next to me."Yeah. I guess Marissa's aunt is a real tyrant and Libby was afraid she wouldn't let them go."

"Well, now I know who Marissa takes after,"I muttered as Isaac launched into some boring story about something that Marissa's aunt had done.

****

I groaned when I heard the doorbell ring. I just couldn't understand why nobody seemed to care that this girl was a threat to my life and well-being. Mom laughed when I told her, and Zac said something about her being good for me. I don't understand, how can being around a girl who detests me benefit me at all?

I resisted the urge to throw open the door and then my arms around Libby and instead went into the kitchen, where Mom and Jessi were packing a picnic lunch.

"The girls here?"Mom asked.

I nodded."Yeah. I decided to let Taylor answer the door."

"I like Marissa,"Jessi announced.

"So do I,"Mom agreed with her."It's about time Taylor had to work a little for a girl."

We were loading everything into the big picnic basket Mom bought years ago on sale (but we never use because we don't picnic) when Taylor led Libby and Marissa into the kitchen.

"Hey!"I said happily, giving Libby a big hug. She looked a little uncomfortable until my mom smiled lovingly at her. Then she relaxed.

"I gave Marissa a long talk on the way over,"Libby whispered in my ear,"and I think she's really going to behave on the hike."

She spoke too soon.

"Isn't there a leash law in Tulsa?"Marissa whined as we hiked on a trail (okay, it really wasn't hiking because hiking usually refers to going up and we were in Oklahoma, like the flattest state in the US, but you get my point)."Shouldn't he at least have a collar on?"

I resisted the urge to slap her. I figured if anyone had the right to slap her, it was Taylor, since she had been making cracks like this all morning.

By the time we reached the clearing where we were going to have our picnic lunch, I had seen Taylor's hands almost go around her neck like twice. Zoe was on her shoulders though, so I guess he didn't want to hurt his sister.

I think she used up her last chance when she spontaneously turned to Taylor and shouted,"Look! It's the ugliest man in the world, three years running!"

He charged after her and then stopped."Man?"he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Oops! I meant boy,"she said, happily skipping ahead at which point Taylor started running after her screaming,"That's it! I'm going to kill you!"

I wasn't scared of him. Not one bit. I just ran to prove that he couldn't catch me. I shouldn't have run.

I was so out of breath by the time I caught up with her. I finally grabbed her, or I tried to grab her, but what really happened was I ended up tackling her.

I landed on top of her, our faces about two inches apart. I don't know what came over me, but suddenly, on an impulse, I leaned down and kissed her.

She stared at me, shocked, and I thought maybe I had gotten through to her.

Then she jumped up and started running back the family screaming,"Ew! I have Taylor cooties! Gross! Disgusting! I need to wash my mouth!"

"What happened?"Libby asked me when I reached the group.

I pulled her aside, forcing her to let go of Isaac's hand (something I'd gag about later), and took a deep breath."He kissed me,"I said softly.

"Are you serious?"she asked.

I nodded, at which point she cracked up. She laughed so hard she literally fell to the ground and couldn't get up.

Libby was never going to let me live this one down. Someday when I'm on my deathbed, she's going to laugh and say,"Ha, ha, you kissed Taylor Hanson!"

Actually, given the choice between kissing Taylor and death, I think death sounds pretty good.

Taylor stomped back to the group, looking pretty pissed, to say the least. And Mom thought he was mad when Zac was born.

"I hate you,"he muttered to me, grabbing a sandwich out of the picnic basket.

Around that time, Libby and Marissa returned, Libby with a big smile plastered on her face.

"Did I miss something?"I asked, when she plopped down beside me.

"Taylor kissed Marissa,"she whispered.

I started to laugh, then due to the death looks sent my way from both Marissa and Taylor, immediately stopped.

The whole way to Aunt Barbara's house, Libby kept glancing over at me, giggling, and saying,"You kissed Taylor." I wanted to kill her.

Except I don't really want to see jail.

She giggled again.

Maybe I'll risk it.

Okay, I haven't really voiced my opinions, because up until now I was just kind of a bystander in this story, but now it's my turn.

Taylor moped around the whole rest of the day and every time Isaac saw him he started laughing, which resulted in a death look from Taylor.

I had no idea what was going on.

"Did I miss something today?"I asked as we sat in the living room watching TV, after our parents and various younger siblings had all gone to bed.

"Don't you dare,"Taylor began.

Just as Isaac announced,"Taylor kissed Marissa."

Taylor glared at him.

"I knew it!"I exclaimed.

"Knew what?"Taylor asked rather grumpily. Boy was he in a bad mood.

I smirked at him."I knew you liked her."

"I do not!"he practically shouted.

"Do to."

"Do not."

"Then why did you spend like a hundred and thirty dollars trying to win her that stuffed rat?"I asked pointedly.

"First of all,"he said,"I did not try to win her the rat. I was trying to win her a teddy bear or something. It's not my fault the freak picked out a rat."

"And second?"Isaac asked, now very interested in where the conversation was going.

"Second, it was a hundred and fifty dollars."

I laughed."You have it so bad. You just can't accept that a girl doesn't like you, can you?"

He glared at me, proving I was right.