Fever (part 4 of 6)
Taylor watched out the window as the old pick-up truck pulled up to her house. It came to a lurching stop, the engine immediately died, and Taylor winced at the sound of grinding gears.
"That's my ride. See you later, Mom!" she called as she grabbed her purse and stepped out the door.
Walking down to the street, Taylor chuckled at the sight of her date in the driver's seat. From street-level, only his wild mane of hair was visible through the windows of the metal monstrosity.
He opened the passenger door for her from the inside but didn't get out of the truck, as he was focused on attempting to restart the engine.
Taylor awkwardly climbed into the cab of the tall truck, silently cursing herself for choosing to wear a miniskirt. She had agonized over what to wear – this was their first real date, after all, so of course she wanted to look good! But if she had known that he would be driving THIS, she might have chosen a more sensible (but still fashionable) pair of jeans instead.
The date was not off to an auspicious start.
"Hey babe," Chad said suavely as she hefted the door shut behind her. "Lookin' good!"
Taylor shook her head and laughed, charmed despite herself. "You too. And hey, nice ride!" she teased.
"Yeah," he grunted as he jammed the gear shift forward, attempting to put the truck back into gear, "Troy...let me...borrow it!"
She bit back a sarcastic comment as the truck lurched violently.
Finally, on the third attempt, Chad managed to throw it into first, pulling smoothly away from the curb. Chad nodded and smiled, obviously pleased with himself.
"So where are we going?" Taylor asked.
"Surprise," Chad replied, grinning widely.
"Are you gonna at least give me a hint?"
Chad shook his head. "Nope."
Taylor almost gave him a playful shove, but thought better of it, as Chad seemed to be having a rough time just keeping the truck moving. "Fine, then. Keep your secrets. Be the man of mystery."
He frowned a bit at this but didn't take his eyes off the road. "What do you mean by that?"
As the truck pulled up to a stop sign, it lurched and stalled. Chad stomped his foot on the clutch and restarted the engine again, cursing under his breath.
Taylor shrugged. "I don't mean anything by it. You're just being mysterious is all."
"What? I just wanted to surprise you and now suddenly I'm 'mysterious'? Like I have something to hide?"
"You don't have to get all defensive!" Taylor replied, a bit defensive herself.
"I'm not defensive!" Chad snapped. "I just don't see why you're accusing me of hiding something when all I wanted to do was surprise you!"
"Okay, just forget I said anything. How about I just sit here and shut up and let you drive so we arrive there -- wherever 'there' is -- in one piece?"
They sat in tense silence for a moment as Chad tried to get the truck back into first gear.
Finally, he spoke up. "Look, I'm sorry." He briefly turned his head to look at Taylor as he started through the stop sign, but the truck immediately lurched forward and stalled yet again. "DAMMIT!" He pounded on the steering wheel with his fist.
Taylor put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Feel better?"
Chad sighed wearily, then nodded, chuckling. "Yeah, actually I kinda do."
Taylor squeezed his shoulder, relieved that the tension had broken. "It's okay. You just get us to wherever we're going, and THEN we can talk. Deal?"
"Deal."
Grinning, Chad re-started the truck and put it into first gear on his first try, prompting celebratory whoops from both of them. The truck lurched slightly as Chad pulled through the intersection, but he managed to keep the engine running this time. They spent the remainder of the drive in comfortable silence, and Taylor began to think that maybe this date wasn't going to be a complete disaster after all!
Until they arrived at their destination.
"Ta-da! Here we are!" Chad announced as he pulled the truck into the driveway of what looked like a very large parking lot.
"'Mesa Drive-In?'" Taylor read from the large illuminated sign. "How...retro."
"Cool, huh?" Chad said, "Hey, did you know this is the last drive-in in New Mexico? All the rest of them have been bulldozed for condos or strip malls or whatever."
Taylor found herself idly wondering if she had stepped into some kind of time warp. 'Do people actually still GO to the drive-in?'
But Taylor's question was soon answered, for they found themselves at the end of a long line of cars.
"I wonder why the line's not moving," Chad said, putting the truck in neutral and setting the brake.
"Maybe it's not open yet," Taylor offered. "I mean, it doesn't get dark until after 9 o'clock."
"Oh," Chad said, suddenly sounding dejected. "I hadn't thought of that."
"Hey, it's okay," Taylor soothed, "We can talk and listen to music. How about that?"
She switched on the radio and spun the dial, eventually settling on a bouncy dance tune. "Ooh, I love this song!" She turned it up louder as she bopped in her seat in time with the beat.
"I think I do, too, now," Chad said, admiring the way she shimmied.
"Oh, hey, that reminds me! When are you going to take me dancing?"
Chad looked confused. "Dancing?"
"Yeah, dancing! Remember? Where you move around to music?" she teased, demonstrating by dancing in her seat some more.
"I KNOW what dancing is," Chad replied, starting to get defensive again. "But what does that have to do with you and me?"
Taylor swatted his knee playfully. "You promised to take me dancing when you were good enough. YOU may not remember, but I do." She smiled proudly at him as she continued, "And a little birdie wearing a very stylish hat informed me that you are making excellent progress! So I ask again: when are you taking me dancing?"
"I'm not!"
"But Ryan said--"
"Hey, I don't want to talk about Ryan!" he interrupted angrily, switching off the radio. "And I don't want to talk about dancing or lessons or music or whatever!" Almost as an afterthought, he added, "And if you like Hatboy so much, why don't you go dancing with HIM?" He folded his arms across his chest as if to signal that he was putting an end to any further discussion on the subject.
Taylor was shocked by Chad's sudden outburst. First of all, since when did he not want to talk about Ryan? Lately that seemed to be ALL he wanted to talk about.
And why didn't Chad want to talk about his dance lessons? Just this past Wednesday, he had been bragging to her and Gabriella about how good he was getting.
But the most disturbing thing about Chad's outburst was that he'd referred to Ryan as "Hatboy." Although the nickname wasn't derogatory per se, Chad had started using it back when Ryan Evans was still just some snooty rich boy in homeroom who always wore hats and annoyed the hell out of Chad. But now that they'd all gotten to know Ryan better, and now that he and Chad had become fast friends, Chad never used that nickname anymore.
'So why use it now?' Taylor wondered. She considered just asking him -- after all, she didn't think it was possible to put him in a WORSE mood -- but then she thought the better of it. Like it or not, she was stuck with him for the evening, and she didn't want to antagonize him further.
'Stuck with him'. Taylor found it hard to believe that she was thinking this way, especially after she'd spent the last six months anticipating this day. She never could've imagined back in January that she'd be feeling like this on their first "proper" date.
Of course, things had moved so quickly back then. In the course of a week, Taylor had gone from abhorring Chad Danforth, to conspiring with him against their friends, to DATING him.
Thinking back on it, Taylor was a little embarrassed at how giddy she'd been when Chad had asked her to the party after the basketball championships. But she was so caught up in the excitement of it all -- not only winning the Scholastic Decathlon but also succeeding in carrying out their elaborate plan to get Gabriella and Troy to callbacks in time -- that she kind of lost her head. After all, Chad may have been a jock, but he was also one of the most popular guys in school, and a hottie at that! Not to mention the fact that Chad's interest in Taylor immediately secured her a spot on East High's "A-list."
And afterwards, having a regular date for school dances and events made life so much easier.
Not that she didn't LIKE Chad. He was great -- funny, and cute, and a blast to hang out with. But that's mainly all they did -- hang out. They never mooned over each other while holding hands or snuck off to corners to share private kisses. Not like Troy and Gabriella. No, Taylor and Chad simply hung out.
At first, Taylor was anxious to move their relationship to the next step. She was tired of group dates. She wanted a REAL date, where she and Chad could be alone to...what, she wasn't sure. She just knew that she wanted to feel the same way Gabriella did when she was with Troy, and Taylor figured that spending time alone with Chad was the way to make that happen.
But they were NEVER alone. They were always in a group, either at parties on the weekends or over at Gabriella's house on Wednesday evenings. Sure, they talked on the phone or in the hallways at school, but they were never ALONE. And their double dates with Gabriella and Troy were never what she was hoping for -- Chad would always end up talking to Troy, and Gabi would end up talking to her, and they might as well have been at SCHOOL considering the total lack of romance.
Taylor was DYING for a little romance, if not for her own sake, merely to get her sister Tonya off her back. Tonya seemed to spend all of her time criticizing how her sister was handling things and lecturing Taylor about her "Boy Rules", making Taylor wish that her sister had gone away to college. True, Tonya knew more about boys than her little sister did, but she didn't know EVERYTHING. And Taylor hated being made to feel so incompetent, especially by a straight-C student.
So Taylor had tried to get Chad to ask her out on a "proper" date -- just the two of them, something simple like a dinner and a movie -- in short, something like this. But as much as Taylor had hinted, Chad had never caught on. Taylor would've just asked him herself, but she knew Tonya would never let her hear the end of it, so instead she waited, hoping that Chad would one day come to his senses. But he never had. And as time went on, she and Chad had just become good friends, with the added benefit of having a built-in date for everything. In Taylor's eyes, Chad had almost become a male version of Gabriella -- except with bigger hair and a smaller vocabulary.
Which is what had made this sudden date thing so weird! Why, after six months, had Chad finally asked her out? And why was he acting so...WEIRD about it now? Taylor glanced over at Chad, who was still sitting in the driver's seat with his arms folded across his chest, fuming. Taylor sighed and started to turn away when a movement caught her eye.
"Oh, the line's moving," she said excitedly, pointing at the cars at the front of the line that were finally pulling forward. "They must've opened up the gates."
Chad suddenly sprang to life, all evidence of his recent temper tantrum gone. "Finally!" As the car in front of him began to move, Chad put the truck into first gear and tried to drive forward, but the truck lurched and the engine died.
Chad growled obscenities to himself under his breath, frantically trying to get the truck restarted, but Taylor put a comforting hand on his knee.
"It's okay, Chad. We're almost inside. And once we're parked, we can go see what they have at the concession stand. Okay?"
Chad smiled. "Good -- I'm starved!"
The SUV behind them in line started honking its horn impatiently. Taylor pulled her hand away from Chad's knee so he could concentrate on restarting the truck and driving it forward.
Once they were through the ticket booth, Chad confidently pulled forward towards the screen directly in front of them. Taylor looked around at the entire complex, which consisted of three different parking lots facing three different screens. All the parking lots seemed to have rows of what looked like high, wide speed bumps, and Taylor wondered what they could be for. But as Chad pulled up to a space and parked, with the front wheels of the truck on the crest of one of these bumps, Taylor realized exactly what their purpose was -- to tilt the cars up so that the seats were partially inclined, looking directly up towards the screen.
'Clever!' she thought to herself, glad that she hadn't made herself look stupid by asking about them.
"So -- food?!" Chad asked eagerly, flashing Taylor a big grin as he hopped easily down from the truck.
She nodded, awkwardly climbing down from the tall seat as she once again cursed her choice of clothing.
They started walking towards the concession stand, but halfway there, Chad remembered that he hadn't locked the truck and had to run back. Taylor waited for him, taking in the ambience of the drive-in. She could see the appeal, especially to teenagers.
And once she got some food in Chad, maybe his mood would improve --wasn't that one of Tonya's "Boy Rules"? "Boys are never happy unless they have a full stomach?" If it wasn't, it certainly should be -- that was one thing she'd learned from hanging out with Chad and Troy and the other boys.
When Chad came running back, he panted a quick, "Sorry -- we can go now," putting his arm around her and heading once again towards the concession stand and the all-important food.
"You're a little out-of-shape," Taylor teased, feeling Chad's heavy breathing as they walked together. "You better start running some laps before basketball season starts, or Coach Bolton is gonna be pissed."
"I ain't out-of-shape," he said, playfully shoving her away. "I could beat you in a foot race anyday."
Taylor laughed, relieved to see Chad back to his old self again. "I'm sure you could. And I'm sure I could beat you on a chemistry test."
"Why you gotta bring a guy down?" Chad teased, pretending to look sad. "I don't even want to start thinking about school yet."
"No school talk tonight -- gotcha!"
And no Ryan talk. Or dancing talk. They were running out of topics that they COULD discuss.
Luckily, food was still on the list.
As they walked into the building, they looked around for a place to sit.
"There's a booth!" Chad said, instantly running off and sliding into it.
Taylor followed at a more dignified speed, sitting down across from him.
"Now where are those waiters?" Chad asked, looking around expectantly.
"Chad, there's no waiters. You buy your food over there," Taylor said, pointing to the long line at the register. "Like a fast food joint."
"Oh man!" Chad stood up reluctantly. "Okay, you stay here and I'll go get us some food."
"I'll come with--" Taylor started, but Chad cut her off, putting a hand on her shoulder so she couldn't stand.
"And lose our booth? No way. You stay here."
Taylor placed her purse on the table, planning to get out some money, but Chad stopped her. "And I'M paying -- it's a date, right?"
Taylor smiled. "Right." She watched as Chad hurried off to get the food, secretly pleased that Chad was paying -- at least Tonya would approve of that!
Unfortunately, getting the food wasn't as easy as Chad had thought, and he kept having to run back to the table to ask her what she wanted. It was almost fifteen minutes later before Chad returned to the table with the tray full of food, which he set down triumphantly in front of her. "Ta-da!"
Taylor surveyed the tray, piled high with hot dogs and popcorn and candy bars. "Gourmet," she teased.
"Hey, it's not my fault the slushie machine was broken."
Taylor laughed -- that wasn't exactly what she'd meant. But nonetheless, it was food, and the smell of the freshly-popped popcorn was making her mouth water. So they dug in eagerly, talking and laughing easily as they ate.
Chad seemed more like his usual relaxed self again, and Taylor was really enjoying spending time with him. His mere presence didn't make her feel giddy or send chills up her spine, but she was having fun nonetheless.
Of course, she knew her sister would probably disapprove -- Tonya always was going on about how "chemistry" was the most important part of a relationship. But Taylor knew there was more to chemistry than just sparks and volatile reactions -- sometimes two solvents were miscible, and when mixed, they just seamlessly blended together. That was clearly the case with her and Chad, and Taylor was more than satisfied.
They blended SO well, in fact, that Taylor was surprised when she checked her watch and saw that it was already 9 pm.
"Whoa -- we better get back to the truck," she said, sliding to the edge of the booth. "We don't want to miss the beginning of the movie."
"I'll do the dishes," Chad said gallantly, jumping up and taking the tray over to the trash bin.
Taylor laughed, joining him. "You've become quite the waiter, Chad," she teased. "Maybe I should give you a tip."
Chad winked suggestively, putting his arm around her shoulders. "I know what kind of tip I want."
Taylor shoved him playfully. "Creep," she teased.
As they walked outside, Taylor noticed how dark it had gotten. She was really looking forward to the movie -- not the flick itself, since action films weren't really her thing, but the entire experience of watching it at the drive-in. It seemed so...nostalgic. Like something out of Grease, that musical Ryan had made them all watch one Wednesday a few weeks ago. Taylor didn't know whether or not that movie had inspired Chad to pick the drive-in for their date -- but whatever the inspiration, she was glad that he'd thought of it.
The two of them got back to the truck and were just climbing in when the previews started on the screen in front of them. But almost immediately, Taylor noticed something seemed off.
"Where's the sound?" Taylor asked.
"Oh yeah." Chad quickly turned the radio on and started turning the dial. "I can't remember which station they said -- do you?"
Taylor shook her head -- she didn't remember anyone saying anything about a station.
Chad turned the dial back and forth, not bothering to turn down the volume, and Taylor tried to focus on the screen, resisting the urge to plug her ears against the loud static.
"Yes!" Chad said as he finally succeeded in finding the station that matched the screen.
The first preview was nearly over, but Taylor didn't think they'd missed much -- it just looked like a sappy romance.
As the second preview started, Chad smiled suavely at Taylor, putting his right arm across the back of the seat behind her.
Taylor smiled back and returned her attention to the preview. It also looked like a sappy romance, and though Zach Braff was adorable, Taylor couldn't really see him as a serious romantic lead.
Another preview -- another romance.
'This is weird,' Taylor thought. In a regular theatre, the previews usually were similar to the movie that was about to play. 'I guess it's different at the drive-in.'
The announcement for the "Feature Presentation" flashed on the screen. Chad moved his arm from the seatback down onto Taylor's shoulders, grinning at her.
"Y'all ready for this?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
Taylor nodded and snuggled back against his arm. Their date certainly hadn't started out well, but everything was perfect now.
Except for the movie. As the opening credits began to roll, with a violin playing a soppy melody as the camera panned across the French countryside, Chad and Taylor shared a confused look. This CERTAINLY didn't seem like the beginning of an action film.
As she turned to him, shaking her head, Taylor noticed an action film playing on the next screen over.
"Hey, isn't THAT our movie?" she asked, reaching across Chad to point.
Chad's head whipped around to look at the other screen. "Dammit!" he said. As he turned the keys in the ignition, he mumbled under his breath, "What else can I screw up tonight?"
He didn't have to wait long for an answer, for as soon as he started the truck, he automatically turned on the headlights without thinking, illuminating the cars and the screen in front of them. Immediately, the entire parking lot started to honk their horns. Flustered, Chad didn't think to turn out the lights but instead gunned the engine, attempting a quick getaway. Of course, the truck lurched forward, the front wheels crashing down to the ground roughly as the truck passed over the hump, and the engine died.
As Chad tried to start the engine again, the cacophony of horns still blaring, Taylor leaned over, saying in her calmest voice, "Just turn off the lights, Chad."
Chad sighed frustratedly but did as he was told, and that seemed to appease the angry honkers.
However, Chad was clearly still flustered, for it took him several more attempts before he could successfully maneuver the truck out of the wrong "theatre" and over to the right one. And while their original parking spot had been dead center to the screen, driving over to the new one late AND in the dark meant that they had to pick a spot all the way in back and far off to the side.
Once there, Chad again commenced his search for the correct radio station. After several failed attempts, Taylor put a comforting hand over his.
"Here, let me try to find it," she said.
Turning down the volume, she slowly turned the dial and almost immediately found the soundtrack to the car chase they were currently watching on the new screen.
The two of them both sat back, sighing in relief.
After a moment, Chad turned to Taylor. "I'm really sorry...," he began, but Taylor cut him off.
"Don't worry about it," she said, patting him on the knee. "I didn't know we were at the wrong screen either. Let's just watch the movie. Okay?"
Chad nodded, and the two of them turned their attention to the big screen.
Having missed the first several minutes, it took Taylor some time to figure out what was going on. The movie seemed to focus on an ex-cop -- or was he a soldier of fortune? -- who seemed to be after some guys for their narcotics shipment -- or maybe diamond smuggling? -- all while hanging from the bottom of a helicopter. There was also some woman in a slinky dress with a Derringer in her garter, and it appeared that a German Shepherd named "Marty" was going to be a leading character. But Taylor didn't care -- she was just enjoying the novelty of watching a movie at the drive-in.
The novelty got even better when Chad put his arm around her shoulders. She smiled at him, nodding her approval, and snuggled into his side, laying her head on his shoulder, settling in to watch this disaster of a movie.
But Chad seemed to have other ideas. After a while, Taylor noticed Chad's hand starting to creep down from her shoulder. Assuming that his hand was falling asleep with her pressing against his arm, she shifted over in the seat to give him more room.
Then she felt Chad's other hand on her thigh.
"Excuse me?!" she said, turning towards him, annoyed with his presumption.
But Chad took the movement as an invitation, and suddenly his lips were on hers.
Shocked, Taylor leaned away from Chad, but he followed. His weight now pressing her against the seat, he moved his hand from her thigh to encircle her in a tight embrace as he deepened the kiss.
Before Taylor even had a chance to process what was happening, she felt Chad's tongue in her mouth. This seemed to bring her back to her senses, and she forcefully shoved Chad off of her.
"What the hell?!" she yelled at Chad, wriggling free from his arms as she sat up, pushing him back.
By the light of the drive-in screen, Taylor could see Chad's face. Based on what he'd just done, she had expected to see a look of hungry lust there, but instead he just looked confused and a little hurt.
That did nothing to assuage her anger.
"What is your problem?!" Taylor demanded, pressing herself against the passenger door to try to get as much space between them as possible. "You've been acting weird all night, and now this?!"
"But you're S'POSED to be my girlfriend," Chad stated, as if this explained everything.
"Oh, and so that means that after six months, when you FINALLY ask me out, I'm supposed to be so grateful that I put out or something?!" Taylor shook her head in anger. "What planet are you from?!"
Chad sighed wearily, running a hand through his hair as he leaned his head against the driver's side window.
But Taylor wasn't finished yet.
"You think that you can pay for my movie ticket and buy me dinner, which, by the way, made me long for the school cafeteria food, and then I would just LET you have your way with me?! If THAT'S the kind of girlfriend you're looking for, then you better look someplace else, mister, 'cuz that ain't me."
But Chad said nothing -- he merely crossed his arms over the top of the steering wheel and laid his head down.
Taylor took a couple of deep breaths, her initial rage finally subsiding enough to take in Chad's reaction.
If he had really wanted to have his way with her, she realized, he easily could've physically overpowered her. But clearly, by the way he was reacting now, his attack had not been motivated by lust alone.
Not that his motivation really mattered -- regardless, he'd done what he'd done. And he wasn't even apologizing!
"What do you have to say for yourself, Chad?!"
A mumbled "I'm sorry," came from the steering wheel, where Chad's face was still buried in his arms.
"That's it?! 'I'm sorry'?!"
Chad sighed, lifting his head and leaning back against his seat, unable to meet her eyes.
"I don't know what else to say," Chad began dejectedly. "I'm...kinda going through something right now. But I'm really sorry I upset you -- I didn't mean to."
Something in his tone took the edge off her anger, and the two of them sat in uncomfortable silence for several minutes as the stereo blared a gun battle that was playing out on the screen in front of them.
As Taylor sat there, thinking about this rapid change of events, she realized that while she was still upset, she was no longer scared. She released her grip on the door handle, which she was surprised to notice that she had been clutching tightly, unconsciously preparing to flee if necessary.
She was even MORE surprised when, a moment later, Chad flung HIS door open and leapt out of the truck, not even bothering to shut the door behind him.
Taylor watched him go, carefully considering her options. Once she'd reached a decision, she calmly leaned over and shut the driver's side door, locking it. She then turned off the stereo, removed the keys from the ignition and put them away in her purse for safe-keeping. She then opened up her own door and climbed out, locking it behind her, and went to find Chad.
As she walked off in the direction that he'd headed, Taylor looked around her. It felt eerie to be surrounded by three giant movie screens, each brightly projecting a silent movie. This was not at all the quaint time at the drive-in she had imagined after seeing Grease.
However, now that Taylor thought about it, the drive-in scene in Grease had ended just as badly, with Sandy fleeing after Danny hit on her.
But in this case, it was Chad who had fled, and Taylor sincerely hoped that he was okay. Something had seemed off about him all night -- indeed, ever since he'd called her the night before -- and Taylor wondered what was bothering him.
As she approached the concession stand, she realized that he hadn't gone inside the building but over to the children's playground instead. He was sitting on a swing in the semi-darkness, mindlessly swaying forward and back with his feet on the ground.
Getting closer, she heard Chad mumble to himself, "It was just one kiss. But now it's changed everything."
Taylor was surprised at the anguish in Chad's voice. Sure, he'd acted like an idiot. But he'd also acted like a typical teenage boy with raging hormones. Was it really any different than what had happened in Grease? And besides, all he'd really done was kiss her -- Taylor had seen to it that nothing more had happened.
So there was no need for him to be overreacting the way he was.
Taylor decided it was time for her to step in and put an end to it.
Stopping in front of him, Taylor grasped hold of the chains and brought the swing to a stop in front of her. Looking down at Chad, who was still sitting in the swing but unable to meet her eyes, she said, "Everything's not changed, Chad. We're still friends. As you said, it was just one kiss. There's no need to beat yourself up over it."
Chad finally looked up at her, but even in the semi-darkness, Taylor could see the remorse in his eyes.
"I'm really sorry, Taylor."
Taylor nodded. "I know you are."
"I was...just thinking of me. I just really needed..." Chad trailed off into a sigh, shaking his head and looking down at his feet.
Taylor couldn't help but tease. "Oh, I KNOW what you needed -- I paid attention in health class."
Chad smiled at her teasing and looked back up, which Taylor took as a positive sign.
"C'mon," she said, letting go of the swing and offering Chad a hand up. "This movie was a bad idea."
"Yeah, that's an understatement," Chad said, taking her hand and standing up.
"Let's just go somewhere to hang out," Taylor suggested as they started walking back to the truck. "After all, it's a Friday night, and my curfew isn't until 11:30. Maybe we can go find a place to have coffee or something?"
Chad made a face. "Coffee?"
Taylor laughed, rolling her eyes. "Or ice cream or whatever. Just someplace where we can sit and hang out--"
"And forget that the rest of this evening even happened?" Chad asked hopefully.
Taylor patted Chad reassuringly on the back, somehow knowing that he would never try the same thing with her again.
"Already forgotten," Taylor said, taking his hand and smiling up at him. "And forgiven."
END OF PART 4