One Year
"What's up with Ryan?"
"Ryan?" Seth puts down the play station controller and gives Taylor his full attention. Anything less and she's likely to have a rage blackout to
match anything Summer can throw at him.
"Yes, Ryan," Taylor continues in a clipped tone.." Blonde, good looking, doesn't talk a whole lot, remember?"
"Yes, I do believe I know him." Seth folds his arms and gets comfy on the couch, ready for the long haul he knows a conversation with Taylor will be.
Taylor slaps Seth with the back of her hand.
"Ouch. I'll tell Summer on you." He rubs at his collar bone ostentatiously.
"Summer will assume you deserved it," Taylor responds smartly. "Now, what's the matter with Ryan? You know the talking that he doesn't do
much? Well, he's kind of given that up."
"Talking in general or just talking to you?"
"Well, that's what I'm here to find out. Is he talking to you?"
"What should he be talking about? Anything in particular? The state of the country? The problems with Health and Safety at El Pavo's? The
delays in the release of the PS-3?"
"You know I don't mean that sort of talking."
Seth knows she doesn't mean that kind of talking.
"He has been a little quieter than usual, yes, but under the circumstances I think he's allowed to be, don't you?"
"Under the circumstances?"
Seth is puzzled by Taylor's look of confusion.
"Yeah, I mean, it is May, after all."
This statement and the shrug that follows it is no help to Taylor. Seth can't quite believe how clueless Taylor is being. Clearly being in love has
rotted her brain. This is Taylor Townsend who dots all the "i"s and crosses all the "t"s, even when there aren't any. Surely she hasn't forgotten
the significance of this month over all others?
"Taylor, just think. What was it you were doing this time last year?"
It takes a while for the penny to drop, but drop it does, with Taylor's eyes widening to saucers and her mouth rivaling the hole in a Lifesaver.
"I am a terrible girlfriend." Her hands drop to her sides and she stops looking at Seth. "How could I have forgotten? How could I have been so
insensitive? My God, he must hate me."
"He doesn't hate you."
"He must do. I've been bullying him and pestering him to explain why he's so quiet and all along he must have been thinking what a bitch I am
not to remember."
"He wouldn't think that."
"How do you know? Has he said something to you? Has he told you how I've forgotten that this is the anniversary of his ex girlfriend's death?
How I've threatened to dump him if he doesn't pull himself together and start talking to me?"
"You threatened to dump him?" Seth's eyebrows arch in shock.
"I was pre menstrual. I can't control myself when I'm pre menstrual."
Seth wonders when it is that Taylor is not pre menstrual, and that really, anyway, this is too much information.
"What did he say when you said you'd dump him?" Seth is intrigued.
"He looked kind of mournful and still didn't say anything."
tbc