Chapter 10: Surprises All Around

Across campus Taylor and Harry were engrossed in their Friday afternoon video game ritual. Harry's thumbs were moving at lightening speed, eyes calm and focused. Taylor was a more physical gamer – often jumping up in victory or giving the occasional angry throw at the T.V. screen.

"They're such animals." Maggie mumbled, half amused.

"Yes, it's miraculous what the opposable thumb has led to." Zoe remarked, bending down to pick a dirty sock off the floor.

The two girls were working around the boys, going through the apartment, setting up decorations and clearing away rubble in preparation for Taylor's birthday party that night. It wasn't until the vacuum turned on that Taylor and Harry noticed their presence.

"Hey look!" Taylor said with pleasant surprise. "They're cleaning!"

"Don't get used to it!" Maggie warned her boyfriend over the roaring of the machine.

Taylor chucked and sat back in his chair. "I love my birthday."

Just a few hours later the apartment was transformed. The stains were gone, the soda can rings were erased, and the general boy smell had been successfully masked. The furniture had been pushed against the walls to accommodate the huge crowd that was now roaming about the boys' apartment.

"I didn't know I had this many friends!" Taylor said smiling, basking in all the attention.

Maggie went on tip-toe to kiss him on the cheek. "Happy Birthday." She said warmly, squeezing his arm.

"Aren't you two just adorable?" Zoe said from behind them.

The couple whipped around to see their mutual friend emerge from Patrick's room wearing a strapless black dress.

Maggie's eyebrow went up an inch. "Woah, sweetheart. Who are you trying to impress?"

Zoe blushed deeply and shrugged. "I don't always have to be wearing a jersey and kilt, do I? Can't a girl dress up once and a while?"

Maggie gave Taylor a secretive, knowing look but didn't say another word.

The friends split up, making the rounds among the guests. Some, of course, were more sober than others but luckily the girls had thought ahead and protected the breakables and electronics. All in all the party was going very well. The music was good, the drama minimal, and the energy high. At this point very few things could have dented Taylor's birthday experience. Unfortunately, this was a false sense of security. His bubble was popped by an unexpected appearance.

"Vanessa?!" his cry was overshadowed by the background song. Only Zoe, who had been standing right near him, heard Taylor. "Oh my god!"

Yes, there was Patrick Woodhouse – swaggering in with a petite, raven-haired model on his arm. Taylor, of course, was more concerned with the fact that this model was his eighteen-year-old cousin.

"Hey, Taylor! Happy birthday!" Patrick strode over and hugged his friend. Taylor's jaw was down and no words were coming out of his mouth. Zoe stared silently at the awkwardness and not helping herself, glanced over that this mysterious girl clinging to her best friend's arm.

"Hi Taylor!" Vanessa said, hugging her cousin as soon as Patrick was done. "I bet you're surprised to see me, uh?"

"You bet." He croaked out.

"Can you believe it?" Patrick asked, patting his friend's back. "She hadn't heard about the party. I thought I'd invite her and introduce this freshman to the real scene at this school."

The proclamation of this girl's age caused Zoe Knightley's eyes to widen unpleasantly. Patrick's grin began to fade once he spotted her expression. He didn't quite know why, but a wave of guilt sweept over him and the realization of what he had just sprung on his best friend set in.

"Uh – " he said nervously. "Why don't we get you a drink – an non alcoholic drink!" he corrected quickly. He grabbed Vanessa's hand and led her quickly to the kitchen. Knowing Taylor, he'd need time to process.

He handed his guest a cup of diet coke. She smiled sweetly at him and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Thanks. That wasn't too awkward, was it?" she asked mischievously.

Patrick sighed. "Give him a few minutes. I guess he feels guilty for exposing you to all this."

Vanessa chuckled and stepped closer to Patrick. "Patrick, I work in New York most of the time. Do you and Taylor really think I'm completely innocent?"

Her dark eyes flashed at him and Patrick felt like squirming. There was something about the way she spoke in her graceful, direct style that made confidence ooze out with every word.

"So," she continued, moving her glance around the room nonchalantly. "Who's here? Give me the low down on the room."

Patrick gave her the highlights, pointing out Maggie, Harry, and some other people in their circle of friends. He even pointed out Ben Bates from across the room. Ho stood out awkwardly against the crowd, making sweeping hand gestures and odd dance movements.

"Who is that – next to Ben?" Vanessa asked casually.

"Oh." Patrick said shortly. "That's just Jake." Oh yes, Jake Dias was there. Patrick rolled his eyes like a bad habit.

Vanessa caught this and laughed. "Boring or uptight?" she asked.

"Both, in my opinion. The man's a saint."

"Oh really." Her eyes sparkled. "What makes you say that? Does he travel the world, teaching and preaching to make it a better place?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it."

"And who is that girl next to him?" she asked.

Patrick strained his neck. "Which one?"

"That pretty red-haired one. She's talking to Jake now."

Patrick squinted and finally saw who Vanessa meant. "Ohhhhhh!" he said laughing. "That's just Zoe!"

Across the room Zoe was absorbed in conversation. She was probably talking about something extremely important and serious. What else could you talk about with Jake?

After about an hour at the party, Vanessa excused herself to go meet some new people. Patrick let her go off on her own. It gave him an opportunity to sink down in his favorite chair and think about how he could patch things up with Taylor. He felt the weight shift on the chair and caught a glimpse of red hair out of the corner of his eye. He had a visitor.

"Well?" he asked, just waiting for the bomb to be dropped.

"What?" Zoe asked, sipping a glass of wine.

"Aren't you going to yell at me?"

He heard her laugh. "I'm not saying anything, Patrick."

He crossed his arms and let his head fall back. "Yeah. I guess you didn't have to."

Zoe hid a small smile of satisfaction and decided to walk away form her friend and let him marinate in guilt. Patrick Woodhouse may lack tact, but with some time and encouragement he made things right in his own way. She had every confidence that Taylor would be getting an extra special birthday breakfast the next day.

The morning light hit Taylor's eyelids like a jet stream. He cried out in pain and threw his covers over his face.

"What's happening?" he groaned beneath his sheets.

"Rise and shine, Buddy!" a familiar voice called out. Patrick had run in to Taylor's room and flung his curtains open with a level of enthusiasm that his friend could not meet.

"Is it early or am I hung over?" he asked.

"Both!"

Taylor blinked and sat up slowly. His senses were beginning to register a change. "Do I smell…bacon?"

"Yes!" Patrick said happily. "Bacon, biscuits, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit and those little cinnamon rolls you love so much."

"Whoa…"

The thing about Patrick Woodhouse – which Taylor had learned ever since their first major disagreement in middle school – was that he was a peacemaker. His unfortunate attraction to mistakes also came with the convenient gift of fixing things. This breakfast was yet another display of that talent.

Patrick led his drowsy friend to the kitchen and poured him a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Harry was already sitting at the table, fully dressed and reading the paper at 8 a.m. on a Saturday. Basically, he was a freak of nature.

"Did you have fun last night?" Harry asked Taylor.

"I did!" he said, now staring at the full plate of food Patrick had just placed in front of him. "This food should help with the headache."

"Anything for you, Taylor!" Patrick cried. Taylor just noticed his "Kiss the chef" apron and snorted into his juice. Clearly, Patrick was experiencing some seriously guilt.

"Patrick…." Taylor said between mouthfuls. "I've decided to forgive you. You can take the apron off and come eat with me."

Patrick looked up from the stove and smiled with relief.

"I really am sorry, Taylor." he said. "I shouldn't have brought Vanessa. I have no idea what I was thinking…"

Harry raised his eyebrows. Even he could venture a guess as to what Patrick had been thinking.

"It's ok." Taylor assured his friend. "I was being overprotective. Plus, I hadn't seen her in a while. In a way, I should be thanking you."

That last sentence made Patrick Woodhouse beam. All was well in the world. He was at peace with Taylor and his scrambled eggs were perfectly cooked.

"BUT –" Taylor cried, spotting his friend's satisfaction. "You absolutely are NOT allowed to date her." He pointed his fork at Patrick as a warning before stabbing a strawberry on his plate.

Patrick's arms were raised in defense. "You have my word as a gentleman, Taylor."

"Yeah…that's what I'm worried about."

Taking Taylor out for an afternoon at the driving range was the cherry on top of Patrick's orchestrated apology. Harry had to pass because of job hunting, but it gave Patrick and Taylor time to catch-up. Between Maggie, Patrick's new interest in Harry's life, and school quality time had been hard to come by during senior year.

As usual, Taylor displayed perfect form at the driving range. Patrick was usually a hit or miss golf player, not willing to invest the same amount of time into the game as his friend.

"So I'm guessing from the massive party she threw you last night that things between you and Maggie are good." Patrick said, setting up his shot.

"Oh yeah." Taylor said. "Never better." He adjusted his stance and followed through perfectly. Patrick watched with a twinge of jealousy. "Zoe helped too, you know."

"Oh yeah."

"She looked nice last night."

"Who?" Patrick asked.

"Zoe!"

"Oh. Ok, sure. I didn't notice. She always looks that way."

Taylor smiled. "Maggie has a theory."

"A philosophical theory?" Patrick asked.

"No. She thinks that someone has finally caught Zoe's eye."

Patrick rolled his eyes. Everyone knew that Zoe was not boy crazy. She refreshing in that way. "What on earth are you talking about?" he asked, starting to swing his club back.

"Jake Dias."

Patrick's club missed and hit the astroturf square hard. He felt the metal driver vibrate violently in his hands.

"Excuse me?" he asked calmly.

"Jake Dias." Taylor said again.

After getting over the initial shock, Patrick started to laugh uncontrollably. To him, this whole concept was hysterical.

"Tell Maggie she's nuts!" he said, grabbing his side.

"I don't think she's that crazy. It's not any of my business and I really don't care that much, but the facts are there – Zoe Knightley doesn't wear a dress for no reason."

Patrick stopped laughing. The man had a point.