"What?" exclaimed Kendall pacing the small orange living room.
"I told you, she's just gone. We got here a few minutes ago, and she's just gone! I'm sorry man." Logan said reaching out to his best friend,trying to offer some form of comfort.
"Well did you call the rest of the guys to see if they have seen her?"
"Yeah, and Cam, Jo, all the Jennifer's, and Lucy, but no one has seen her." Logan said, hating to be the one to deliver the awful news.
"okay I'm gonna go take a shower."
"Sure, if you need anything we are gonna be down by the pool."
"Thanks." Kendall mumbled walking through the kitchen, towards the bathroom.
"C'mone Taylor where are you!" Logan whispered heading towards the pool, looking for any sign of their friend.
~~~~~Six months earlier~~~~~~~
"Knight! Hey dinner is ready!" Taylor Johnson yelled to her best friend.
"We'll be there in a minute, the Maple Leafs are winning!" James answered
"Fine, more corn dogs for me and Tay!" hollered little Katie Knight from the kitchen.
"Corndogs!" A voice exclaimed, followed by a short scuffle, and a hungry Carlos charging up the stairs.
"Woah there Carlitos! It's not like the food is going to run away!" Taylor yelped, while trying to get out of the Latinos way.
"Okay you guys better not complain that we didn't wait for you." She hollered down the stairs, while turning towards the kitchen.
"Told ya all we had to do was mention corndogs and he'd come running" Katie laughed handing a plate to her.
The one thing that Taylor loved most about Katie was even though she was a few years younger, she was the best little sister anyone could ask for. No matter what was going on Katie would pick up on her mood, and try to turn it around.
"Hey." Kendall started giving Katie a look, "don't think that we are that easy to manipulate, the game just wasn't that interesting." he finished sitting between Taylor and James, squirting some ketchup on his plate.
"Uh-huh, and the fact that something edible was mentioned had nothing to do with it." James finished, smirking down at his plate of food.
"Yeah, yeah Diamond we all know that you just happened to change your minds and come up here." Taylor joked reaching across Kendall to poke him in the arm.
"Glad we are all on the same page, no lets eat before there is nothing left. What is that your third one Carlos?" Logan asked peeling the bread off his corn dog.
"Mmmmmm nope! It's my fourth! For such a smart person you'd think you could count to four!" Carlos garbled, with little pieces of breading popping out of his mouth.
"Thanks man, hey toss me the remote Katie! I wanna check the weather for this weekend." Logan asked reaching out for the remote.
"and it looks like the family farm is going to be just fine after the small fire." the reporter finished with a toothy grin. "Jim will have the weather right after this break."
"Ahh come on, I when they make you wait over half way through the news to hear the weather." Logan complained biting off a piece of the corndog.
"Awe Logie it's not that bad, and I'll bet you I can give you the weather! Ready tonight cold with no snow, tomorrow snow later in the day, and the next day even colder with even more SNOW!" Taylor joked watching his face change to slight amusement.
"Haha how do you get that?"
"Well that's been the weather all week!" Carlos said
"Wow if even Carlos knows the weather, you don't need to watch the news!" Katie laughed bringing her plate to the sink.
"You heading up to your room kitkat?" Taylor inquired turning to watch the young girl leave the room.
"Yeah I have some last minute homework to do."
"Okay, well if you need anything just let me know! You know how I love science."
"Yeah, yeah we all know! See you guys in a little bit!"
"You know she is not doing homework up there right?" She asked Kendall a few seconds after his little sister left the room.
"What else would she be doing up there?" he asked
"Plotting against us." James and Carlos exclaimed at the same time.
"Guys she's a twelve year old girl, what can she honestly come up with?" Kendall asked looking around. Taylor simply raised her eyebrow towards her best friend.
"Think of what she has done before, don't underestimate her." James yelped messing around with the front of his hair.
"Yeah I know! She's a little monster!" Taylor laughed grabbing all the plates from the table, and bringing them to the sink.
"You need help with those?" all the boys asked at the same time
"Nah I got them, but once I'm done I have to get home. You know how Phil gets when I am not home by five."
"Okay! Thats why we love you Tay!" Carlos shouted running down the stairs back to the basement.
"You sure you're all set?" Kendall asked, drying some of the plates she had already washed.
"Yeah I got it." she mumbled rinsing off her plate.
"Things any better at home? Cause you know that the offer to stay here still stands." he whispered turning to look at his best friend, who seemed to shrink a few inches when he mentioned her home.
"Not really, but you know if I stayed what would happen, and I'm not dragging your family into this. Shit, I really gotta go. See you guys tomorrow?" She asked pulling the plug on the sink, staring at the soapy water whirling around the drain.
"Yeah always." He said smiling down at her.
"okay, tell the boys I said bye." she said turning to walk away.
"Hey, come here!" Kendall started pulling his best friend into a quick embrace.
No other words were spoken, but a brief grateful smile was exchanged as Taylor headed for the front door.
Because it was winter it was already starting to get dark out, the walk from the Knights home to Taylors was only two blocks but always seemed to feel like a ten mile sprint. By the time she reached her front for her legs were shaking with nerves, and her breathing started to come at short shallow intervals.
As quietly as Taylor could she crept up the front steps, and crept through the kitchen and towards the stairs, that would lead to her safe haven.
"Where the hell have you been!?" a deep voice boomed behind Taylor.
"At the Knights, I thought I told you and mom before I left." She whispered looking around for any escape route.
"Are you saying I am lying!" Phil yelled stepping closer to his step daughter. The smell of alcohol was so strong that it almost knocked Taylor a few steps back.
"No, no sir." She cowered, bracing herself for what she knew was to come.
Usually Phil spends a few minutes yelling about nonsense, but tonight he just walked up and grabbed Taylors wrist, yanking her onto the ground. Once she was done he proceeded to throw his class full of scotch onto her. Tiny pieces of glass embedded their ways into her arm and back.
"Look what you made me do!" Phil yelled, kicking her side before walking away.
As soon as she was sure his footsteps settled in the living room, she jumped up and sprinted for her bedroom. Once inside she locked the door, and slid down in front of it. "That wasn't as bad as last night." Taylor muttered to herself, ignoring the pain in her back.