p style="text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 15.0pt 0cm 15.0pt 0cm;"emspan style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"I wrote this story a few years ago and uploaded it onto Tumblr and Wattpad, and thought I'd upload it onto here too/span/em/p
p style="text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 15.0pt 0cm 15.0pt 0cm;" /p
p style="text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 15.0pt 0cm 15.0pt 0cm;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Baby and you might still have me..." Those were the words Taylor sang, or screamed, under the pouring rain. After her sistrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"g/span/strongnature heart and a flip of her dripping hair, she stood up and watched the screaming crowd with delight as the curtain lowered, finishing the show. High-fiving her backing singer, Liz, she left the stage as her band played the final chord./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Taylor, you were AMAZING!" Andrea appeared from backstage, holding a bathrobe and towel out to her excited daughter, "Their faces when the water came down..." Taylor nodded, smiling, as her mother went on about the amazing show they'd just played. From the stage exit, she noticed her band appearing, each of their faces mirroring hers./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Oh my God, Tay, that was the best show yet!" Grant, her lead guitarist said to her, as he picked her up and spun her around, the others still talking among themselves. She shook her dripping hair at him and he laughed. Togethestrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"r/span/strongspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanwith the rest of the band, they headed to the T-Party room, to go meet some fans./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" **********************************************************************************************************/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"The meet and greet over, Taylor and The Agency headed back to the bus they shared. Unlike other singers, Taylor preferred sharing a bus with her band, they were all so close, especially her, Caitlin, Liz and Grant. The girls lagged behind, discussing Caitlin's new maybe-boyfriend and Liz's 'friend'./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"As Grant and Paul entered the bus, Amos turned to them, laughing, still on a high from the performance./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Grant, did you see me in 'Should've Said No'? My dancing skills- epic!"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Yeah I saw, I looked better, much cooler!" Grant laughed, smoothing his top and lifting his chin up with pride./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You did NOT!" Amos screamed, "What'll Taylor say?" he asked, slightly apprehensive./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""She'll think we're crazy, and annoying!" He chuckled, then as anspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanstrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"a/span/strongfter thought, "If she didn't already..."/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"As if on cue, Taylor and the girls entered the bus. Liz and Caitlin wondered off to the bathroom, to brush their teeth, it was already gone midnight. Taylor's eyes scanned the room, before landing on Grant and Amos and narrowing into slits./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I can't BELIEVE you guys! What were you thinking?!" She yells, her eyes joking as she rolled them, "You're crazy" she muttered, gesturing with her hands. The guys looked at each other and laughed. Taylor turned and headed in the direction of Liz and Caitlin. Just before disappearing, she looked behind her, her lips turned up./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Oh, and Grant looked cooler," she laughed as Grant smirked, turning to Amos childishly./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Told you!" he laughed, but was unable to hide his blush at Taylor's compliment. With that, Taylor grinned at him, and turned to join the girls in getting ready to sleep. As soon as she left, Mike looked up, a smirk plastered on his face./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Was it just me, or did you all notice little pink-cheeks over there after Taylor complimented him?" he asked, laughing as Grant's blush deepened slightly. Paul, Amos and Al all chuckled too, before nodding./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Yeah, when will you just admit it?" Paul laughed only harder when Grant glared at him./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""What are you on about?" He asked, although it was clearly obvious, not to mention true./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You like Taylor!" Amos said in a sing-song style, ignoring the death look on Grant's bright red face./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I do not!" He rebutted adamantly only to hear the four men laugh harder./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""It's so obvious, you guys didn't see him back when they first met..." Al chucked./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I don't like her!" Grant argued before climbing into his bunk. Soon enough, the laughter died down and girls returned, climbing into their bunks. It wasn't long before everstrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"y/span/strongone was in their bunk. This gave Grant time to think./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"He did like Taylor. A lot. He had done for nearly two and a half years, ever since they met in December 2006. They were so close, best friends, and she would choose him over the other guys in the band. Sometimes over the girls, but he never thought of it as second choice when she chose regularly to confide in the girls and not him or go out with the girls instead. He loved it that she would choose to talk to him, to sit in and watch a history documentary with him. He would always listen to whatever she wanted to say, and was often a lot more comforting and less judgemental than the girls. Yes, Grant liked Taylor. A LOT./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Anyone awake?" He heard Taylor whisper, breaking him from his thoughts. Glancing up at his alarm clock, he saw it was nearly 2am, he'd been thinking for almost two hours!/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Taylor?" He whispered, sitting up slightly, knocking his alarm clock over onto his head. "Ow!" he muttered, smiling despite himself as he heard Taylor chuckle softly. Almost silently, she slid out of her bunk and crossed the bus, climbing up and poking her head into his bunk./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You okay?" She asked quietly, her tone serious as she scanned him, making sure he was fine. Her eyes expressed both humour and worry. He smiled at her and laughed softly./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well, my head'll be throbbing in the morning but... I'll survive," he told her, grinning wider as she smiled and climbed up into his bunk, shoving him over slightly so she could lie down next to him. Grant immediately stiffened, his mind drifting back to the guys earlier and their teasing. His arm hovered uncomfortably, unable to go back where it was next to him as she lay there. Noticing his uncomfortable position, Taylor lifted his arm, placing it around her shoulder and snuggled closer into him, resting her head on his shoulder. The position was so comfortable, Grant almost managed to relax, almost but not quite, as he was very aware of the position they were in./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You were amazing tonight," Taylor whispered, sighing as she relaxed even further into Grant./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Aren't I always?" Grant joked as Taystrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"l/span/strongor swatted his chest playfully, "Ow!" he yelled, before being shushed by the girl who lay at his side./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You'll wake the others," she laughed, her words no louder than a whisper. They soon fell into a short but comfortable silence. Once again, Taylor broke it./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I heard the guys teasing you earlier," she said, feeling Grant stiffen beside her, "You know, about liking me..." her voice trailed off, as if she was asking a question, except she wasn't./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Yeah, they're crazy," he says, laughing in an attempt to ease the tension./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Yeah," she laughed before they both trailed off, realising they weren't laughing at anything. The awkwardness enveloped them as the lay there, both trying tstrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"o/span/strongspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanthink of things to say./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"Truthfully, Taylor did like Grant. A lot. When they first met, they instantly connected. They had the same sense of humour and, surprisingly, had a lot in common. But it was more than that, they instantly connected on a deeper level, something even the girls couldn't compare with. That's probably why they were such good friends, why she could pour almost all of her heart to him, why she could open up to him so easily, easier than anyone else. And he was always so good at comforting her, he knew just what to say and what not to say. She could go to him for anything, after a breakup, or a bad review, or a fight with her parents or her friends, anything. When they spent time together, they always had so much fun, laughing all the time. She preferred it than going out with Liz and Caitlin, though she couldn't tell them that. But, even more, sparks literally flew between them, it was hard to miss. That's why she could so easily sing to him on stage, as if he was her boyfriend or ex-boyfriend or a guy she secretly liked. Her parents liked him, at first they were wary considering his rock star look, but soon they found out his true personality, a soft, caring guy who loves music and history, and spiking his hair up. Her friends liked him, most of them were the same friends as his. They toured together. It would be prefect, but Taylor kept reminding herself she was just his friend./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Be honest with me, Grant," she whispered and positioned herself so she was looking at his face (although he wasn't looking at her), clinging onto the all the hope she had left, "Do you...?"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"Grant wanted to leap up and scream 'yes' at the top of his lungs, but the confined space and sleeping band mates around them prevented that. He didn't know what to say, words not coming out of his mouth. He looked down at Taylor, only to find her staring intently at him. His brown eyes locked with her sparkling blue ones, eyes full of hope and nervousness. Without a sound he nodded slightly, but she was watching him so closely that she didn't miss the movement. Suddenly, she became aware that, subconsciously, they'd both moved closer, until their faces were just an inch apart and their eyes were at the same level, still staring into the others, neither one willing to break the connection. She watched, stunned, still trying to take in his wordless confession, as Grant closed the small gap that was between them so their lips almost touched./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"His lips hovering over hers, he hesitated. Was this what she wanted? He knew he wanted it. Her eyes betrayed the shock of their position as she registered it, but then the smile spread slowly across her face and he knew instantly she wanted him to close the gap. Gladly, yet tentatively, he pressed his lips softly against hers. She responded, much to his delight, by kissing him back, her hands moving to his hair, grasping at the spikes before sliding to clasp his face and eventually resting on his neck. His arms, or arm as she was still lying on one of them, wrapped around her, pulling her closer./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"The kiss seemed to go on for forever, neither Taylor or Gstrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"r/span/strongant wanting to be the one to finish it. Eventually, when lack of air became a problem, they broke apart. Once again, their eyes connected and they stared. Both were confused as to where this left them now, but both were wishing it left them in one place. Leaning back in, Grant moved his hand to cup her face and slowly moved to bring his lips to hers, a second time./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Hey, is anyone up?" Grant dropped back, rolling onto his back, in the position he was in to begin with. Both him and Taylor sighed at Liz's terrible timing. "Taylor, are you awake?" Liz fell silent, obviously having seen Taylor's empty bunk. Snuggling close into Grant's side once again, Taylor called out to Liz, just loud enough for her to hear./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Over here," she sighed, "Grant's bunk." Both Taylor and Grant heard Liz's soft footsteps approach them. "We couldn't sleep either."/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"Liz reached them, her eyes taking in Taylor's position and Grant's arm around her. Raising an eyebrow in slight shock, but not too much as Taylor and Grant have always been pretty close, she climbed onto Grant's bunk, sitting cross legged at the end./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" "So, what were you guys doing...?"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" Liz looked down at her two friends, waiting for a reply, but unsure of whether or not she was going to get one. Finally, after locking gazes with each other for a second, Grant and Taylor looked at Liz with small, sheepish smiles on their faces./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Oh... we were discussing the show..." Grant half-lied, as theyspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"had/span/emspan class="apple-converted-space" /spandiscussed it earlier, before.../span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Umm... yeah, you and Amos can't keep messing about like that, you'll scare away the fans..." Taylor whispered. Liz didn't miss the nervousness in both their voices nor did she miss the happiness radiating off both of them. Silently, she debated whether or not to ignore it or push them further. Thinking about getting the gossip before Caitlin, she settled on pushing them further./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Whatspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"really/span/emspan class="apple-converted-space"em /em/spanjust happened? Ispan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"so/span/emspan class="apple-converted-space" /spaninterrupted something, didn't I?" she questioned, a inquisitive and innocent expression spread across her face, as she tried to convince them to confide in her (and NOT Caitlin). Liz watched, slightly shocked, as Grant and Taylor exchanged a long glance, seemingly communicating, but without words. Eventually, Taylor sighed and met the expectant gaze of her friend./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You see, Grant and I...we sorta... might have... you know...span class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Grant HELP me out HERE/span/em" she stuttered before hissing at Grant to take over, Liz's eyes were wide, trying desperately to put all the pieces together. Grant sighed and was about to speak when Liz gasped. A huge smile spread across her face and she looked down at the two of them and laughed, evidently shocked but not too surprised. Taylor and Grant both blushed, not wanting to talk about this with Liz until they had discussed it themselves./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""OH MY GOD! You guys...! No! But... THIS IS SO AMAZING! WHEN? TELL ME EVERYTH-" Liz screamed excitedly, momentarily forgetting her band mates sleeping obliviously just a few feet away, until Taylor clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her. Slightly calmer and quieter, Liz glanced around the bus before beginning to whisper. "Well, we all said it'd happen some day, but I dunno if anyone actually thought... This is so cool! Tell me exactlyspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"everything/span/em! NOW!"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well..." Taylor began, unsure of where to start, when she began liking Grant or just tonight? And that brought another question, what exactly to tell Liz about tonight? Sure, they kissed, he said (well, nodded) that he liked her, but they hadn't discussed where they were now... Were they still friends? Or were they something more now? Taylor had no idea what Grant wanted but she preferred the latter idea. Her and Grant... just thinking about it made her so happy. She had liked him for so long, and had all but given up on the notion of more than friendship after two and a half years of nothing. And that kiss... it wasspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"by far/span/emspan class="apple-converted-space"em /em/spanthe best first kiss she had ever had, the bestspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"kiss s/span/emhe had ever had, end of. It was the kind of kiss she wrote songs about, the kind you read about and see in films. Not the sort of kiss that actually happens in real life. Definitely, not the sort of kiss you have with your best friend, but Taylor wasn't going to complain. The idea of the two of them together delighted her, it had been something she dreamt would happen, but never thought it would. She was right earlier, it would be perfect. If he agrees.../span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I sorta couldn't sleep, and neither could Grant... so I came over here and we were talking and... I mentioned the guys teasing him earlier about, you know... me and everything and I asked him if he really did... and... he nodded and then we sorta... I dunno, we just kissed..." Taylor rambled as Liz stared incredulously, her gaze flickering back and forth between Grant and Taylor. As Taylor's voice trailed off, Liz chuckled, shaking her head in amusement and grinned./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""What was it like? How long was it? Did you-" Liz began./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""God, Liz, calm down!" Grant laughed, interrupting Liz mid-sentence./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""But, I mean, have you discussed what you're gonna do? Are you going out now or..." She stopped, looking between the two of them who were both awkwardly avoiding both her and the other's eyes. Taylor stared at the 13 painted on her hand whilst Grant stared at the photos on the wall opposite his bunk, trying, both from a distance and in the dark, count how many he was in. Liz nodded then, realising. "Oh, you haven't talked about that... But you ARE going out right?" Still, Grant and Taylor avoided eachother's eyes. "GUYS!" she whisper-shouted, "You CAN'T not go out!"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Liz,span class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"please,/span/emspan class="apple-converted-space"em /em/spanbe quiet! This will get even more awkward with Cait or Amos awake!" Taylor whispered before adding under her breath, "If that's even possible..." Exchanging a long glance with Liz, Liz eventually sighed./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well, you know you're perfect for each other, right?" Liz asked, rolling her eyes at both Grant and Taylor's shocked faces, "I mean, COME ON, you both love history and music and everything and you've been best friends for AGES! And, everyone knew it was gonna happen..."/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You mean you guys actually sat around and discussed this?" Grant cut her off./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well, kinda, I mean, we all just saw the two of you together and were like, how are they not together already?! You know when I first met you, I actually thought you were going out, Al put me straight, he said 'NO, they're always like that, and then, when you ask them, always deny that they actually want to go out'. And then, me and Cait would joke about it with you, Tay, and you'd always say 'He's my best friend, guys' and we'd see that look in your eye, like you wished it was more or something. And the guys would see that with you, Grant, so we all just, like, knew that, one day, you'd see. Or we hoped, at least..." Liz trailed off, noticing that Grant and Taylor were looking at each other, each with a slightly nervous expression, and that's when she knew. Even though the band all thought they would get together, but never really took it that seriously, she saw in that moment just how much they wanted it. Just how absolutely perfect they are for each other. And she couldn't take the tension./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""For God's sake, Tay, just kiss him, it's written ALL over your face!" Both Grant and Liz chuckled at Taylor's shocked expression. With Liz pushing her forward, Taylor leaned back over to Grant and their lips were almost touching, with an exuberant Liz watching, a huge smile on her face. Just as their lips touched softly, Liz noticed another band member had joined them silently. Well, not for long.../span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Oh My God! What the hell...!" Caitlin was cut off by Liz's hand clamping her mouth shut as Grant and Taylor jumped apart in surprise and embarrassment./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Good God, what is it with everyone tonight?!" Grant muttered to Taylor, exasperated; the ONE night he wanted them not to be awake, they had to wake up. Meanwhile, Caitlin was gesturing wildly between the Taylor and Grant, a confused but pleased smirk plastered on her face./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You two... you're... kissing... and Liz is... and... Can someone please inform me? What the HELL is going on? Taylor?" A freaked out Taylor looked nervously from Caitlin's piercing stare, nudging Grant to say something, anything, to shut Caitlin up./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well..." Grant began, looking down, " Erm... " At a loss for words, he glared at Liz, after all, Caitlin had probably been woken up by her loud talking, so she should have to explain./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""They kissed," Liz announced, with a shocked Caitlin shooting her gaze from her, to her two friends in question./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Oh my God, does this mean...?"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""They haven't talked," Liz cut her off, "and I think are complete idiots if they just go back to being friends." Caitlin shook her head, and looked at Grant and Taylor, who both were trying, but failing, to not meet her eyes./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You are idiots. You are PERFECT for each other!" Caitlin exclaimed, with Liz adding an 'I told you so' afterwards. Taylor sighed./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You know, you just kinda jumped to conclusions about the whole 'go back to being friends' thing, we didn't even get a chance to talk 'cause you came over. I mean, if we actually could talk, we could discuss everything!" She whispered, before looking over at Grant apologetically, "Look, I'm exhausted, I'm going to bed. We could talk in the morning? The bus'll be stopping so we could, like, go for a walk or something?"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Yeah, sure," Grant replied, anxious to be alone and able to think, but also desperate for her to stay and talk NOW, even though it's late and there is no way they'd be left alone./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"With a last smile and a hand squeeze for Grant (luckily the latter went unnoticed by Liz and Caitlin), Taylor climbed off the bunk and headed back to hers. "You know," she whispered, turning back in the direction of Grant's bunk, "You guys should probably too, it's really late and we've got a show in two days, if your sleep schedule is messed up, Liz, you're always a mess. You're the same, Cait." Then she climbed into her bunk and lay awake, playing the kiss over and over in her mind, and running through what to say to Grant tomorrow./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"With Taylor's words, the two girls slipped from Grant's bunk with a last goodnight and a knowing smile. Grant lay there, extremely thankful Taylor knew he wouldn't want them there interrogating him, he'd have that tomorrow from both them and the guys. He lay there, thinking. That was, by far, the BEST kiss he'd ever had, and he knew he wanted nothing more than to be more than friends. He was pretty sure Taylor wanted that too, she was quick to defend that they had never said they were gonna be 'just friends' again. She was also the one who brought everything up earlier, about him liking her. So maybe, just maybe, they were on the same page. And hopefully, they would not be single by the end of tomorrow. At least, that's what they both prayed before they finally slept that night./span/p
p style="text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 15.0pt 0cm 15.0pt 0cm;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"True to her word, Taylor did go for a walk with Grant the next morning. Neither had much sleep, instead, they both lay awake, planning out what to say and how to say it. Both of their problems were that they DIDN'T know how to say it. How to tell the other how they felt. And they didn't know that the person in question was thinking the exact same thing a couple of bunks across.../span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"At first, the morning passed quite awkwardly. Grant was up first, Al and Amos soon following him. Liz and Caitlin woke up soon after, but Grant nervously avoided their eyes, instead opting to chat to the guys this morning. Al and Amos were far from oblivious to the stares the girls were giving Grant, nor the embarrassed expression on Grant's flustered face. So, when Taylor entered, their suspicions rose./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"As she entered, Taylor immediately regretted it. Locking eyes with Grant, she couldn't seem to help the heat that rose to her cheeks, tinting them pink. Awkwardly, she moved over to Liz and Caitlin, both of whom were looking desperately in between Grant and Taylor, wishing all the awkwardness away without much avail. Al and Amos, not aware of the events that occurred last night, felt slightly out of loop; they looked between Grant and Taylor, knowing something happened but could only guess at what that was./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""So...?" Caitlin asked expectantly, staring at Taylor with a hopeful yet exasperated look on her face. Taylor, however, was miles (or just a few metres) away.../span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""...Sorry, what did you say...?" Taylor asked, stepping back into reality, as both her and Grant broke eye contact. Caitlin and Liz chuckled softly, shaking their heads./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You know you can't go back to being friends, right, Tay?" Liz asked her, nervous, needlessly, of Taylor's reply./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""emspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"I know,/span/em" her reply was almost inaudible, but the longing and pain was evident. As was the tiredness./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Rough night?" Caitlin asked, joking aside, worried for her best friends' relationship./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You could say that," Taylor chuckled dryly, "Though also, I guess, quite a good one too. I got no sleep, I just kept running it through over and over in my head, and I still don't know what I'm gonna tell him. I mean, what if I say something that... what if it sounds stupid... what if he doesn't like me like that... what if...?" Taylor rambled nervously, playing with one of her curls with her fingers until she was near to pulling the hair out./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""No," Liz butted in, "No, Taylor, don't think like that. You CAN'T think like that! You know he likes you! You know as well as we do how good you two would be together! You know BETTER than we do how much you both want this yet, somehow, we still have to tell you this!"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"Liz's voice was quiet but some still caught the attention of Amos, who turned to Grant with an expectant look plastered on his face./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""What exactly happened last night?" At Grant's shocked expression, he laughed, "You know, I may be an idiot sometimes, but I'm not blind. The tension since Taylor entered, the awkwardness and embarrassment since Liz and Cait came in- I'm not stupid, Grant, now tell me, what is going on between you an...?" Abruptly, distracting Amos from his interrogation and Grant from his embarrassment, Taylor stood, with an encouraging Caitlin and Liz pushing her./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Erm, Grant, don't you think we should go for that walk now?" Taylor asked, awkwardly, and left the bus expecting Grant to follow. Which, of course, he did. Caitlin and Liz beamed with delight, hoping that the talk would go the way everyone wants. Amos shook his gaze from the now closed door to the bus and turned on the girls./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Now, what the hell are we missing here?"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"-/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"Outside, where the driver had parked by a woodland, Grant caught up easily to Taylor. Side by side, they walked along the path through the trees until they reached a clearing. Nervously playing with her hair, Taylor glanced sideways at Grant, who was running a hand through his spikes, clearly anxious. She noted his features, memorising his jawline, the exact colour of his eyes, the shape of his nose, so that she could never forget that face. Her hands clenched as she longed to run her hands through his hair, and she had to physically close her mouth in fear that she was gaping. She wondered if he was always that good looking. Casting that thought aside, of course he was always good looking, she tried to clear her mind. However, she failed. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a short moment to compose herself and then turned to face him./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Grant," she sighed, all words lost as her eyes locked with his, "I... want you to know that... that last night really... I thought... you know... I just... I don't regret it," she finally managed to stutter out, desperately trying to think of everything she had planned to say. "I don't regret it at all."/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Me either," Grant whispered, knowing, or thinking, that the kiss meant much more to him than it did to her (and believing she was just telling him this out of pity). "Taylor," he called to her, for she had began to turn away, and they locked gazes once more, "Thank you." With that, he turned to head back to the bus, still unsure as to where they were./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I like you too," she exclaimed suddenly, desperate not to lose him after finally getting him. He turned, surprised. "I like you so much. For so long. I just... I thought you should know." Their eyes met, and she, slowly, made her way towards him until they were standing face to face. Cautiously, she reached a hand and stroked his cheek. His face registered surprise but, thankfully, he did not move away. Nervously, but with slightly more confidence, she ran her hands through his hair, delighting in the feel of it, and delighting in the feel of his arms, as they wound securely around her waist. And they kissed. They kissed every bit as passionate as their first and every bit as gentle as their second. It was new but at the same time, it was familiar. Her hands gripped his hair and his arms pulled her tight against him. Right now, they were in a world of their own. A world where no one else existed; where love as perfect and destined as theirs could thrive without suffering; where they could kiss all day and no one would care, no one would disturb them./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"Unfortunately, that world does not exist. And, unfortunately, they have a habit of continually being interrupted. A small cough caused the two to snap out of their trance and break apart, embarrassed and flustered. There stood Paul, clad in jogging gear, with a huge grin on his face. Running a hand through her hair, Taylor chuckled awkwardly whilst Grant sighed and avoided Paul's eyes./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well, well, well..." Paul laughed, extremely amused by their embarrassment, as, as far as he was concerned, there wasspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"nothing/span/emspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanto be embarrassed about. Of course, that doesn't mean he wasn't going to tease them endlessly about this. And that's what both Taylor and Grant knew perfectly well./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Shut it, Pauly," Grant hissed, bringing up one of the very few things that will wind Paul up, his nickname. And, as they knew he would, Pauly shut up. Beside Grant, Taylor giggled./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Pretty Pauly Princess," Taylor laughed in a singsong voice, teasing Paul with the nickname she had given him a few years back. Paul's death stare did not go unnoticed, but only caused more laughter./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I wouldn't push it. That was quite the makeout session, there, you know?" Paul smirked as the laughter died down instantly. "So, let me get this straight, you two are 'together' now?" The couple in question exchanged a long glance./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Erm, yeah, I suppose we are..." Taylor answered, smiling at Grant, hoping she wasn't pushing it too far. She wasn't. He grinned back, as Paul laughed at the two./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well, at last, it took you long enough, you know!"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Yeah, so we've been told," Taylor smirked, turning to Grant with a grin, "We're gonna get so teased, and we haven't even told Amos yet! Though I guess Liz and Cait have so..." Suddenly, her smile faded and was replaced with a look of pure horror, "Oh my God, when we go back there, it's gonna be so awkward, we're gonna get killed. And we're stuck in that bus for another month at least! Oh God, I don't wanna go now," Grant face mirrored her horror, but Paul, ever the voice of reason, just rolled his eyes, knowing full well everything Taylor said was going to happen./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well, you gotta get it over with eventually, might as well be now," And with that, Paul left, with a nervous Grant and terrified Taylor following behind him./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"They soon reached the tour bus. Paul entered, holding the door open expectantly for Grant and Taylor. Exchanging a small but loving smile, Taylor grabbed Grant's hand, knowing he would support her, and they made their way into the bus to face their doom- The Agency.../span/p
p style="text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 15.0pt 0cm 15.0pt 0cm;" /p
p style="text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 15.0pt 0cm 15.0pt 0cm;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Baby and you might still have me..." Those were the words Taylor sang, or screamed, under the pouring rain. After her sistrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"g/span/strongnature heart and a flip of her dripping hair, she stood up and watched the screaming crowd with delight as the curtain lowered, finishing the show. High-fiving her backing singer, Liz, she left the stage as her band played the final chord./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Taylor, you were AMAZING!" Andrea appeared from backstage, holding a bathrobe and towel out to her excited daughter, "Their faces when the water came down..." Taylor nodded, smiling, as her mother went on about the amazing show they'd just played. From the stage exit, she noticed her band appearing, each of their faces mirroring hers./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Oh my God, Tay, that was the best show yet!" Grant, her lead guitarist said to her, as he picked her up and spun her around, the others still talking among themselves. She shook her dripping hair at him and he laughed. Togethestrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"r/span/strongspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanwith the rest of the band, they headed to the T-Party room, to go meet some fans./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" **********************************************************************************************************/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"The meet and greet over, Taylor and The Agency headed back to the bus they shared. Unlike other singers, Taylor preferred sharing a bus with her band, they were all so close, especially her, Caitlin, Liz and Grant. The girls lagged behind, discussing Caitlin's new maybe-boyfriend and Liz's 'friend'./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"As Grant and Paul entered the bus, Amos turned to them, laughing, still on a high from the performance./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Grant, did you see me in 'Should've Said No'? My dancing skills- epic!"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Yeah I saw, I looked better, much cooler!" Grant laughed, smoothing his top and lifting his chin up with pride./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You did NOT!" Amos screamed, "What'll Taylor say?" he asked, slightly apprehensive./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""She'll think we're crazy, and annoying!" He chuckled, then as anspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanstrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"a/span/strongfter thought, "If she didn't already..."/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"As if on cue, Taylor and the girls entered the bus. Liz and Caitlin wondered off to the bathroom, to brush their teeth, it was already gone midnight. Taylor's eyes scanned the room, before landing on Grant and Amos and narrowing into slits./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I can't BELIEVE you guys! What were you thinking?!" She yells, her eyes joking as she rolled them, "You're crazy" she muttered, gesturing with her hands. The guys looked at each other and laughed. Taylor turned and headed in the direction of Liz and Caitlin. Just before disappearing, she looked behind her, her lips turned up./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Oh, and Grant looked cooler," she laughed as Grant smirked, turning to Amos childishly./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Told you!" he laughed, but was unable to hide his blush at Taylor's compliment. With that, Taylor grinned at him, and turned to join the girls in getting ready to sleep. As soon as she left, Mike looked up, a smirk plastered on his face./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Was it just me, or did you all notice little pink-cheeks over there after Taylor complimented him?" he asked, laughing as Grant's blush deepened slightly. Paul, Amos and Al all chuckled too, before nodding./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Yeah, when will you just admit it?" Paul laughed only harder when Grant glared at him./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""What are you on about?" He asked, although it was clearly obvious, not to mention true./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You like Taylor!" Amos said in a sing-song style, ignoring the death look on Grant's bright red face./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I do not!" He rebutted adamantly only to hear the four men laugh harder./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""It's so obvious, you guys didn't see him back when they first met..." Al chucked./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I don't like her!" Grant argued before climbing into his bunk. Soon enough, the laughter died down and girls returned, climbing into their bunks. It wasn't long before everstrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"y/span/strongone was in their bunk. This gave Grant time to think./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"He did like Taylor. A lot. He had done for nearly two and a half years, ever since they met in December 2006. They were so close, best friends, and she would choose him over the other guys in the band. Sometimes over the girls, but he never thought of it as second choice when she chose regularly to confide in the girls and not him or go out with the girls instead. He loved it that she would choose to talk to him, to sit in and watch a history documentary with him. He would always listen to whatever she wanted to say, and was often a lot more comforting and less judgemental than the girls. Yes, Grant liked Taylor. A LOT./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Anyone awake?" He heard Taylor whisper, breaking him from his thoughts. Glancing up at his alarm clock, he saw it was nearly 2am, he'd been thinking for almost two hours!/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Taylor?" He whispered, sitting up slightly, knocking his alarm clock over onto his head. "Ow!" he muttered, smiling despite himself as he heard Taylor chuckle softly. Almost silently, she slid out of her bunk and crossed the bus, climbing up and poking her head into his bunk./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You okay?" She asked quietly, her tone serious as she scanned him, making sure he was fine. Her eyes expressed both humour and worry. He smiled at her and laughed softly./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well, my head'll be throbbing in the morning but... I'll survive," he told her, grinning wider as she smiled and climbed up into his bunk, shoving him over slightly so she could lie down next to him. Grant immediately stiffened, his mind drifting back to the guys earlier and their teasing. His arm hovered uncomfortably, unable to go back where it was next to him as she lay there. Noticing his uncomfortable position, Taylor lifted his arm, placing it around her shoulder and snuggled closer into him, resting her head on his shoulder. The position was so comfortable, Grant almost managed to relax, almost but not quite, as he was very aware of the position they were in./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You were amazing tonight," Taylor whispered, sighing as she relaxed even further into Grant./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Aren't I always?" Grant joked as Taystrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"l/span/strongor swatted his chest playfully, "Ow!" he yelled, before being shushed by the girl who lay at his side./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You'll wake the others," she laughed, her words no louder than a whisper. They soon fell into a short but comfortable silence. Once again, Taylor broke it./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I heard the guys teasing you earlier," she said, feeling Grant stiffen beside her, "You know, about liking me..." her voice trailed off, as if she was asking a question, except she wasn't./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Yeah, they're crazy," he says, laughing in an attempt to ease the tension./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Yeah," she laughed before they both trailed off, realising they weren't laughing at anything. The awkwardness enveloped them as the lay there, both trying tstrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"o/span/strongspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanthink of things to say./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"Truthfully, Taylor did like Grant. A lot. When they first met, they instantly connected. They had the same sense of humour and, surprisingly, had a lot in common. But it was more than that, they instantly connected on a deeper level, something even the girls couldn't compare with. That's probably why they were such good friends, why she could pour almost all of her heart to him, why she could open up to him so easily, easier than anyone else. And he was always so good at comforting her, he knew just what to say and what not to say. She could go to him for anything, after a breakup, or a bad review, or a fight with her parents or her friends, anything. When they spent time together, they always had so much fun, laughing all the time. She preferred it than going out with Liz and Caitlin, though she couldn't tell them that. But, even more, sparks literally flew between them, it was hard to miss. That's why she could so easily sing to him on stage, as if he was her boyfriend or ex-boyfriend or a guy she secretly liked. Her parents liked him, at first they were wary considering his rock star look, but soon they found out his true personality, a soft, caring guy who loves music and history, and spiking his hair up. Her friends liked him, most of them were the same friends as his. They toured together. It would be prefect, but Taylor kept reminding herself she was just his friend./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Be honest with me, Grant," she whispered and positioned herself so she was looking at his face (although he wasn't looking at her), clinging onto the all the hope she had left, "Do you...?"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"Grant wanted to leap up and scream 'yes' at the top of his lungs, but the confined space and sleeping band mates around them prevented that. He didn't know what to say, words not coming out of his mouth. He looked down at Taylor, only to find her staring intently at him. His brown eyes locked with her sparkling blue ones, eyes full of hope and nervousness. Without a sound he nodded slightly, but she was watching him so closely that she didn't miss the movement. Suddenly, she became aware that, subconsciously, they'd both moved closer, until their faces were just an inch apart and their eyes were at the same level, still staring into the others, neither one willing to break the connection. She watched, stunned, still trying to take in his wordless confession, as Grant closed the small gap that was between them so their lips almost touched./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"His lips hovering over hers, he hesitated. Was this what she wanted? He knew he wanted it. Her eyes betrayed the shock of their position as she registered it, but then the smile spread slowly across her face and he knew instantly she wanted him to close the gap. Gladly, yet tentatively, he pressed his lips softly against hers. She responded, much to his delight, by kissing him back, her hands moving to his hair, grasping at the spikes before sliding to clasp his face and eventually resting on his neck. His arms, or arm as she was still lying on one of them, wrapped around her, pulling her closer./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"The kiss seemed to go on for forever, neither Taylor or Gstrongspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"r/span/strongant wanting to be the one to finish it. Eventually, when lack of air became a problem, they broke apart. Once again, their eyes connected and they stared. Both were confused as to where this left them now, but both were wishing it left them in one place. Leaning back in, Grant moved his hand to cup her face and slowly moved to bring his lips to hers, a second time./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Hey, is anyone up?" Grant dropped back, rolling onto his back, in the position he was in to begin with. Both him and Taylor sighed at Liz's terrible timing. "Taylor, are you awake?" Liz fell silent, obviously having seen Taylor's empty bunk. Snuggling close into Grant's side once again, Taylor called out to Liz, just loud enough for her to hear./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Over here," she sighed, "Grant's bunk." Both Taylor and Grant heard Liz's soft footsteps approach them. "We couldn't sleep either."/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"Liz reached them, her eyes taking in Taylor's position and Grant's arm around her. Raising an eyebrow in slight shock, but not too much as Taylor and Grant have always been pretty close, she climbed onto Grant's bunk, sitting cross legged at the end./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" "So, what were you guys doing...?"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" Liz looked down at her two friends, waiting for a reply, but unsure of whether or not she was going to get one. Finally, after locking gazes with each other for a second, Grant and Taylor looked at Liz with small, sheepish smiles on their faces./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Oh... we were discussing the show..." Grant half-lied, as theyspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"had/span/emspan class="apple-converted-space" /spandiscussed it earlier, before.../span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Umm... yeah, you and Amos can't keep messing about like that, you'll scare away the fans..." Taylor whispered. Liz didn't miss the nervousness in both their voices nor did she miss the happiness radiating off both of them. Silently, she debated whether or not to ignore it or push them further. Thinking about getting the gossip before Caitlin, she settled on pushing them further./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Whatspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"really/span/emspan class="apple-converted-space"em /em/spanjust happened? Ispan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"so/span/emspan class="apple-converted-space" /spaninterrupted something, didn't I?" she questioned, a inquisitive and innocent expression spread across her face, as she tried to convince them to confide in her (and NOT Caitlin). Liz watched, slightly shocked, as Grant and Taylor exchanged a long glance, seemingly communicating, but without words. Eventually, Taylor sighed and met the expectant gaze of her friend./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You see, Grant and I...we sorta... might have... you know...span class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"Grant HELP me out HERE/span/em" she stuttered before hissing at Grant to take over, Liz's eyes were wide, trying desperately to put all the pieces together. Grant sighed and was about to speak when Liz gasped. A huge smile spread across her face and she looked down at the two of them and laughed, evidently shocked but not too surprised. Taylor and Grant both blushed, not wanting to talk about this with Liz until they had discussed it themselves./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""OH MY GOD! You guys...! No! But... THIS IS SO AMAZING! WHEN? TELL ME EVERYTH-" Liz screamed excitedly, momentarily forgetting her band mates sleeping obliviously just a few feet away, until Taylor clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her. Slightly calmer and quieter, Liz glanced around the bus before beginning to whisper. "Well, we all said it'd happen some day, but I dunno if anyone actually thought... This is so cool! Tell me exactlyspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"everything/span/em! NOW!"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well..." Taylor began, unsure of where to start, when she began liking Grant or just tonight? And that brought another question, what exactly to tell Liz about tonight? Sure, they kissed, he said (well, nodded) that he liked her, but they hadn't discussed where they were now... Were they still friends? Or were they something more now? Taylor had no idea what Grant wanted but she preferred the latter idea. Her and Grant... just thinking about it made her so happy. She had liked him for so long, and had all but given up on the notion of more than friendship after two and a half years of nothing. And that kiss... it wasspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"by far/span/emspan class="apple-converted-space"em /em/spanthe best first kiss she had ever had, the bestspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"kiss s/span/emhe had ever had, end of. It was the kind of kiss she wrote songs about, the kind you read about and see in films. Not the sort of kiss that actually happens in real life. Definitely, not the sort of kiss you have with your best friend, but Taylor wasn't going to complain. The idea of the two of them together delighted her, it had been something she dreamt would happen, but never thought it would. She was right earlier, it would be perfect. If he agrees.../span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I sorta couldn't sleep, and neither could Grant... so I came over here and we were talking and... I mentioned the guys teasing him earlier about, you know... me and everything and I asked him if he really did... and... he nodded and then we sorta... I dunno, we just kissed..." Taylor rambled as Liz stared incredulously, her gaze flickering back and forth between Grant and Taylor. As Taylor's voice trailed off, Liz chuckled, shaking her head in amusement and grinned./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""What was it like? How long was it? Did you-" Liz began./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""God, Liz, calm down!" Grant laughed, interrupting Liz mid-sentence./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""But, I mean, have you discussed what you're gonna do? Are you going out now or..." She stopped, looking between the two of them who were both awkwardly avoiding both her and the other's eyes. Taylor stared at the 13 painted on her hand whilst Grant stared at the photos on the wall opposite his bunk, trying, both from a distance and in the dark, count how many he was in. Liz nodded then, realising. "Oh, you haven't talked about that... But you ARE going out right?" Still, Grant and Taylor avoided eachother's eyes. "GUYS!" she whisper-shouted, "You CAN'T not go out!"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Liz,span class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"please,/span/emspan class="apple-converted-space"em /em/spanbe quiet! This will get even more awkward with Cait or Amos awake!" Taylor whispered before adding under her breath, "If that's even possible..." Exchanging a long glance with Liz, Liz eventually sighed./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well, you know you're perfect for each other, right?" Liz asked, rolling her eyes at both Grant and Taylor's shocked faces, "I mean, COME ON, you both love history and music and everything and you've been best friends for AGES! And, everyone knew it was gonna happen..."/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You mean you guys actually sat around and discussed this?" Grant cut her off./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well, kinda, I mean, we all just saw the two of you together and were like, how are they not together already?! You know when I first met you, I actually thought you were going out, Al put me straight, he said 'NO, they're always like that, and then, when you ask them, always deny that they actually want to go out'. And then, me and Cait would joke about it with you, Tay, and you'd always say 'He's my best friend, guys' and we'd see that look in your eye, like you wished it was more or something. And the guys would see that with you, Grant, so we all just, like, knew that, one day, you'd see. Or we hoped, at least..." Liz trailed off, noticing that Grant and Taylor were looking at each other, each with a slightly nervous expression, and that's when she knew. Even though the band all thought they would get together, but never really took it that seriously, she saw in that moment just how much they wanted it. Just how absolutely perfect they are for each other. And she couldn't take the tension./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""For God's sake, Tay, just kiss him, it's written ALL over your face!" Both Grant and Liz chuckled at Taylor's shocked expression. With Liz pushing her forward, Taylor leaned back over to Grant and their lips were almost touching, with an exuberant Liz watching, a huge smile on her face. Just as their lips touched softly, Liz noticed another band member had joined them silently. Well, not for long.../span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Oh My God! What the hell...!" Caitlin was cut off by Liz's hand clamping her mouth shut as Grant and Taylor jumped apart in surprise and embarrassment./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Good God, what is it with everyone tonight?!" Grant muttered to Taylor, exasperated; the ONE night he wanted them not to be awake, they had to wake up. Meanwhile, Caitlin was gesturing wildly between the Taylor and Grant, a confused but pleased smirk plastered on her face./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You two... you're... kissing... and Liz is... and... Can someone please inform me? What the HELL is going on? Taylor?" A freaked out Taylor looked nervously from Caitlin's piercing stare, nudging Grant to say something, anything, to shut Caitlin up./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well..." Grant began, looking down, " Erm... " At a loss for words, he glared at Liz, after all, Caitlin had probably been woken up by her loud talking, so she should have to explain./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""They kissed," Liz announced, with a shocked Caitlin shooting her gaze from her, to her two friends in question./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Oh my God, does this mean...?"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""They haven't talked," Liz cut her off, "and I think are complete idiots if they just go back to being friends." Caitlin shook her head, and looked at Grant and Taylor, who both were trying, but failing, to not meet her eyes./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You are idiots. You are PERFECT for each other!" Caitlin exclaimed, with Liz adding an 'I told you so' afterwards. Taylor sighed./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You know, you just kinda jumped to conclusions about the whole 'go back to being friends' thing, we didn't even get a chance to talk 'cause you came over. I mean, if we actually could talk, we could discuss everything!" She whispered, before looking over at Grant apologetically, "Look, I'm exhausted, I'm going to bed. We could talk in the morning? The bus'll be stopping so we could, like, go for a walk or something?"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Yeah, sure," Grant replied, anxious to be alone and able to think, but also desperate for her to stay and talk NOW, even though it's late and there is no way they'd be left alone./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"With a last smile and a hand squeeze for Grant (luckily the latter went unnoticed by Liz and Caitlin), Taylor climbed off the bunk and headed back to hers. "You know," she whispered, turning back in the direction of Grant's bunk, "You guys should probably too, it's really late and we've got a show in two days, if your sleep schedule is messed up, Liz, you're always a mess. You're the same, Cait." Then she climbed into her bunk and lay awake, playing the kiss over and over in her mind, and running through what to say to Grant tomorrow./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"With Taylor's words, the two girls slipped from Grant's bunk with a last goodnight and a knowing smile. Grant lay there, extremely thankful Taylor knew he wouldn't want them there interrogating him, he'd have that tomorrow from both them and the guys. He lay there, thinking. That was, by far, the BEST kiss he'd ever had, and he knew he wanted nothing more than to be more than friends. He was pretty sure Taylor wanted that too, she was quick to defend that they had never said they were gonna be 'just friends' again. She was also the one who brought everything up earlier, about him liking her. So maybe, just maybe, they were on the same page. And hopefully, they would not be single by the end of tomorrow. At least, that's what they both prayed before they finally slept that night./span/p
p style="text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 15.0pt 0cm 15.0pt 0cm;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"True to her word, Taylor did go for a walk with Grant the next morning. Neither had much sleep, instead, they both lay awake, planning out what to say and how to say it. Both of their problems were that they DIDN'T know how to say it. How to tell the other how they felt. And they didn't know that the person in question was thinking the exact same thing a couple of bunks across.../span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"At first, the morning passed quite awkwardly. Grant was up first, Al and Amos soon following him. Liz and Caitlin woke up soon after, but Grant nervously avoided their eyes, instead opting to chat to the guys this morning. Al and Amos were far from oblivious to the stares the girls were giving Grant, nor the embarrassed expression on Grant's flustered face. So, when Taylor entered, their suspicions rose./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"As she entered, Taylor immediately regretted it. Locking eyes with Grant, she couldn't seem to help the heat that rose to her cheeks, tinting them pink. Awkwardly, she moved over to Liz and Caitlin, both of whom were looking desperately in between Grant and Taylor, wishing all the awkwardness away without much avail. Al and Amos, not aware of the events that occurred last night, felt slightly out of loop; they looked between Grant and Taylor, knowing something happened but could only guess at what that was./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""So...?" Caitlin asked expectantly, staring at Taylor with a hopeful yet exasperated look on her face. Taylor, however, was miles (or just a few metres) away.../span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""...Sorry, what did you say...?" Taylor asked, stepping back into reality, as both her and Grant broke eye contact. Caitlin and Liz chuckled softly, shaking their heads./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You know you can't go back to being friends, right, Tay?" Liz asked her, nervous, needlessly, of Taylor's reply./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""emspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"I know,/span/em" her reply was almost inaudible, but the longing and pain was evident. As was the tiredness./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Rough night?" Caitlin asked, joking aside, worried for her best friends' relationship./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""You could say that," Taylor chuckled dryly, "Though also, I guess, quite a good one too. I got no sleep, I just kept running it through over and over in my head, and I still don't know what I'm gonna tell him. I mean, what if I say something that... what if it sounds stupid... what if he doesn't like me like that... what if...?" Taylor rambled nervously, playing with one of her curls with her fingers until she was near to pulling the hair out./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""No," Liz butted in, "No, Taylor, don't think like that. You CAN'T think like that! You know he likes you! You know as well as we do how good you two would be together! You know BETTER than we do how much you both want this yet, somehow, we still have to tell you this!"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"Liz's voice was quiet but some still caught the attention of Amos, who turned to Grant with an expectant look plastered on his face./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""What exactly happened last night?" At Grant's shocked expression, he laughed, "You know, I may be an idiot sometimes, but I'm not blind. The tension since Taylor entered, the awkwardness and embarrassment since Liz and Cait came in- I'm not stupid, Grant, now tell me, what is going on between you an...?" Abruptly, distracting Amos from his interrogation and Grant from his embarrassment, Taylor stood, with an encouraging Caitlin and Liz pushing her./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Erm, Grant, don't you think we should go for that walk now?" Taylor asked, awkwardly, and left the bus expecting Grant to follow. Which, of course, he did. Caitlin and Liz beamed with delight, hoping that the talk would go the way everyone wants. Amos shook his gaze from the now closed door to the bus and turned on the girls./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Now, what the hell are we missing here?"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"-/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"Outside, where the driver had parked by a woodland, Grant caught up easily to Taylor. Side by side, they walked along the path through the trees until they reached a clearing. Nervously playing with her hair, Taylor glanced sideways at Grant, who was running a hand through his spikes, clearly anxious. She noted his features, memorising his jawline, the exact colour of his eyes, the shape of his nose, so that she could never forget that face. Her hands clenched as she longed to run her hands through his hair, and she had to physically close her mouth in fear that she was gaping. She wondered if he was always that good looking. Casting that thought aside, of course he was always good looking, she tried to clear her mind. However, she failed. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a short moment to compose herself and then turned to face him./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Grant," she sighed, all words lost as her eyes locked with his, "I... want you to know that... that last night really... I thought... you know... I just... I don't regret it," she finally managed to stutter out, desperately trying to think of everything she had planned to say. "I don't regret it at all."/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Me either," Grant whispered, knowing, or thinking, that the kiss meant much more to him than it did to her (and believing she was just telling him this out of pity). "Taylor," he called to her, for she had began to turn away, and they locked gazes once more, "Thank you." With that, he turned to head back to the bus, still unsure as to where they were./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I like you too," she exclaimed suddenly, desperate not to lose him after finally getting him. He turned, surprised. "I like you so much. For so long. I just... I thought you should know." Their eyes met, and she, slowly, made her way towards him until they were standing face to face. Cautiously, she reached a hand and stroked his cheek. His face registered surprise but, thankfully, he did not move away. Nervously, but with slightly more confidence, she ran her hands through his hair, delighting in the feel of it, and delighting in the feel of his arms, as they wound securely around her waist. And they kissed. They kissed every bit as passionate as their first and every bit as gentle as their second. It was new but at the same time, it was familiar. Her hands gripped his hair and his arms pulled her tight against him. Right now, they were in a world of their own. A world where no one else existed; where love as perfect and destined as theirs could thrive without suffering; where they could kiss all day and no one would care, no one would disturb them./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"Unfortunately, that world does not exist. And, unfortunately, they have a habit of continually being interrupted. A small cough caused the two to snap out of their trance and break apart, embarrassed and flustered. There stood Paul, clad in jogging gear, with a huge grin on his face. Running a hand through her hair, Taylor chuckled awkwardly whilst Grant sighed and avoided Paul's eyes./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well, well, well..." Paul laughed, extremely amused by their embarrassment, as, as far as he was concerned, there wasspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanemspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"nothing/span/emspan class="apple-converted-space" /spanto be embarrassed about. Of course, that doesn't mean he wasn't going to tease them endlessly about this. And that's what both Taylor and Grant knew perfectly well./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Shut it, Pauly," Grant hissed, bringing up one of the very few things that will wind Paul up, his nickname. And, as they knew he would, Pauly shut up. Beside Grant, Taylor giggled./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Pretty Pauly Princess," Taylor laughed in a singsong voice, teasing Paul with the nickname she had given him a few years back. Paul's death stare did not go unnoticed, but only caused more laughter./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""I wouldn't push it. That was quite the makeout session, there, you know?" Paul smirked as the laughter died down instantly. "So, let me get this straight, you two are 'together' now?" The couple in question exchanged a long glance./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Erm, yeah, I suppose we are..." Taylor answered, smiling at Grant, hoping she wasn't pushing it too far. She wasn't. He grinned back, as Paul laughed at the two./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well, at last, it took you long enough, you know!"/span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Yeah, so we've been told," Taylor smirked, turning to Grant with a grin, "We're gonna get so teased, and we haven't even told Amos yet! Though I guess Liz and Cait have so..." Suddenly, her smile faded and was replaced with a look of pure horror, "Oh my God, when we go back there, it's gonna be so awkward, we're gonna get killed. And we're stuck in that bus for another month at least! Oh God, I don't wanna go now," Grant face mirrored her horror, but Paul, ever the voice of reason, just rolled his eyes, knowing full well everything Taylor said was going to happen./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;""Well, you gotta get it over with eventually, might as well be now," And with that, Paul left, with a nervous Grant and terrified Taylor following behind him./span/p
p style="margin: 15pt 0cm; text-align: justify; line-height: 13.5pt;"span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"They soon reached the tour bus. Paul entered, holding the door open expectantly for Grant and Taylor. Exchanging a small but loving smile, Taylor grabbed Grant's hand, knowing he would support her, and they made their way into the bus to face their doom- The Agency.../span/p