Chapter 10
Chocolate + Swimming Pools Confusion
It was almost 4 by the time Drake pulled into the Hershey Factory Parking lot. It wasn't the real factory but it was still any junk food aficionado's paradise.
He decided it was best not to wake the sleeping Josh and Taylor, he needed some Drake time. He always needed some Drake time. Ever since he was young, he'd get mad and run off to mull things over before they escalated into something more dramatic. To anyone, especially Josh, it always seemed like he was running away from his problems. Maybe he was in a way, he hated confrontation, only because he tended to lose his cool and say things that he'd never meant to say.
Drake walked into the front lobby, a small boy about the age of 5 was walking out with his mother, holding his stomach like he'd eaten too many chocolate bars.
"Mommy I don't feel so good." The boy moaned turning paler by the second.
"I told you not to eat that whole bag..." she started as the boy threw up all over the lobby floor. Drake had to admit that it was pretty impressive for a kid his size.
Drake watched as his mother approached him a concerned what-do-I-do-now look on her face.
"Would you mind watching my son for a few moments while I go get someone to clean this mess up?" She asked sweetly. Drake nodded as she ran off to the front desk.
"I'm Kevin, what's your name?" The boy asked with all the enthusiasm and bravado that all kids have.
"Drake. That was quite a show you put on there." Drake said figuring he'd add to the boy's audacity a bit.
"Thanks, my mommy told me not to eat the whole bag of chocolate, but I did anyway. You ever puke like that?" Kevin asked his brown eyes huge.
"Yeah, I went to a Halloween party and got a garbage bag full of candy. My brother told me I should eat two pieces a day for a year, I didn't want to so I locked him in a closet and ate the whole bag." Drake recalled. It was those times that Josh could annoy him so badly. Josh always had to be the good kid, never, ever took a risk, unless Drake made him.
"That's cool. I wish I had a brother. I only have an older sister." Kevin stated as he sat down on the bench next to Drake.
"Yeah, I have a sister. She's not that nice."
"Neither is my sister."
"Kev, say bye to your new friend, we have to go pick up Riana from her friends house." Kevin's mom said as she walked up towards the two. "Thank you so much.."
"Drake"
"Thank you so much Drake for watching Kevin. It meant a lot." She said as she started to turn around but stopped looking at Drake for what seemed like the first time.
"You look like someone I've met before. You don't live around her do you?" She asked while mentally searching for where she'd seen this boy.
"No I'm actually traveling through on my way up to Cambridge. I'm from San Diego." Drake explained. Now that he looked he found her somewhat familiar.
"Weird because I swear you look really, really familiar. You're not one of my daughters friends are you?"
"No I swear." Drake said as he paused. He realized where she might have seen him. "Do you watch MTV?" He asked.
"No, my daughter does. I can't stand that station."
"Oh, I played on TRL last summer. I thought you'd seen me there." He shrugged, both of them obviously out of ideas. She was about to leave when little Kevin broke out of her grip and started chasing pigeons in the parking lot.
"Kevin Michael Parker!" She yelled as she gave her son that trademark I-mean-business-because-I-love-you-and-don't-want-you-to-die look.
Drake froze; there was no way in hell that she was his step-mother, no way in hell. He knew it couldn't be a coincidence, no possible way. It was just too obvious considering Michael was his fathers name and that Kevin had the same brown eyes and dark hair that Drake and his father had.
The lady turned back around to say one final goodbye when she noticed Drake's expressionless face staring at her.
"Drake is something wrong?" She asked in that motherly way.
"No, I mean, I think I know where you know me. It's not possible that you're married to Michael Parker are you? It's not possible that you got married 11 years ago in L.A. at the Marriot by The Bay, is it?" Drake rambled in mild shock.
"How did you know that?" She gawped as he hand covered her mouth.
"I'm Drake Parker, Michael Parkers first and used to be only son. I was at that wedding I was his best man. My sister Megan was the flower girl."
"This is so freaky." She stated in awe. "Well I don't have a lot of time to sit here and reminisce, here's my card give me a call or drop by sometime. I'm sure Mike would be glad to see you after all these years. I'm Carol by the way. See you Drake." She said as she left to go off to who knew where. To the family that his father had obviously wanted more than the one he'd had before. Just seeing her again made feelings he had hidden years ago come back to the surface.
Drake blinked away the tears that were forming. He swore 11 years ago at that wedding that he'd never cry because of his father again. It was Michael Parkers fault for leaving a perfectly good family in search of something better. Drake wondered if he ever felt guilty for leaving Audrey alone with two kids. He wondered if he even knew how happy she was without him. She had Walter, her 'super' Weather Man now. She had two sons and one beautiful daughter. He had his new wife and their daughter and son. He had now exactly what he left. Drake just hoped that he wouldn't screw up as much with Kevin as he had with Drake.
In The Car…
Taylor woke up from her nap, only to come to the startling conclusion that the car wasn't moving anymore. She glanced at her watch, 4:25 it flashed. She looked out the window The Hershey Factory sign with its multi-colored gears and animated candy bars stared down on her.
'Great." She muttered under her breath. "Just great."
She pushed herself up to the front seat and nudged Josh's shoulder lightly.
"Josh get up its important." She whispered with a harsh undertone.
"What, I swear I won't ever do it again…" Josh moaned as he opened his eyes a bit. "Since when have we been here?" Josh questioned as he looked around realizing they were at Hershey.
"I don't know but Drake's gone." Taylor said as she opened the car door. "We've got to find him."
"Wait he's just gone? Are you sure he is? Did you look in the gift shop; the boy does have a weakness for junk food you know." Josh rambled as he got out of the car too.
"Well, no and yes. I mean I did kiss him…wait crap I wasn't supposed to tell you that, never mind, just help me find Drake." Taylor said in one jumbled sentence.
"You kissed him?"
"Well he kissed me, but don't say anything."
"Don't plan on it…there he is." Josh said as he saw a sullen looking Drake walking towards them.
"Thank god he didn't do something stupid." She sighed.
"Drake where were you?" Josh asked as he and Taylor walked up to him.
"Waiting for you two to wake up." He smiled as he gently punched Josh's arm. The whole Kevin, Carol thing had put him in an awkward mood. "I say we go tour this factory and get ourselves some chocolate." Drake suggested as he started heading back towards the lobby.
Josh shrugged all of this new found amicability that Drake had towards him away. He learned a few years back never to question when Drake was nice to you, then again, it wasn't always the best idea because when Drake was nice to you it meant he wanted something, but Josh didn't see the need of Drake wanting anything but candy, or possibly Taylor. How odd was it that they both kissed the same girl. That never ever had happened before. Josh was never into the girls that Drake liked and vice versa.
"Come on Josh the candy's awaiting." Drake stated as Josh realized he was lagging behind the other two.
"I'm coming, I'm coming."
Later...
"Drake I cannot believe that you got us kicked out of the Hershey Factory. Didn't you realize that everything on that ride was fake? Including that vat of chocolate?" Josh asked incredulously.
"No, they should really tell you that kind of thing before you jump onto a glass window. Plus you got us kicked out of the Pentagon for life so I can get us kicked out of the Hershey Factory. Anyway it's not like if I come back in like 20 years they'll remember me." Drake stated. Josh should have realized by now in that Drake could not control himself around candy and or junk food.
"I'm shocked they let you keep that gigantic 40lb Hershey Bar." Taylor quickly interjected changing the conversation.
"Yeah, I just hope this baby doesn't melt in the car while we're at the park."
"How long is it going to take you to eat it? Because I figure you should eat about a hearty chunk a day for like the next year." Josh calculated in his head.
"How about I lock you in a closet, eat the whole bar, then puke it back up, fall asleep, and then leave you in the closet overnight again." Drake retorted. Josh always loved to ruin his good moods.
"Drake, I'm just trying to look out for you."
"I don't need anyone looking out for me Josh. I don't need you to always play my mother. You've been trying to be my mother ever since you moved in my house. I don't see why we had to share a room anyway. We have a guest room. You could have had that room." Drake yelled as Josh pissed him off more.
"Drake, no offense but you need someone to tell you what you should and shouldn't do. Obviously by jumping off a moving ride to jump into a vat of what would have been hot chocolate, you proved that you need someone to watch after you. Drake when you crashed that dune buggy you could have hurt yourself more by trying to get 'away' with it. Drake the decisions you make on a daily basis prove that you're not mature enough to live by yourself."
"Josh would you shut up? I don't need your advice, I never needed it. I was fine until my mother married your father. Wait correct that I was fine until my father left. The last thing I needed was a new dad and a new brother. A brother, who never thinks of himself and always, has to butt into other people's business. Would you just leave me alone for like the rest of the day? Is that too much to ask? Is it? Because if it is and you can't handle it then I don't think I care about going on the stupid Mustang." Drake stated firmly.
"Could we please stop fighting like this? What has your problem been this whole trip? You've been getting pissed at the stupidest things. You got angry at me for trying to fix your car out in the desert, Drake I didn't want to wake you up. I was respecting your space like you always ask me to. I'm sorry that I got us kicked out of the pentagon, not like you cared to see it anyway. Drake what is your deal?" Josh pleaded with Drake who stood there with a scowl on his face.
"Josh, ugh, I hate you so much but at the same time I love you. I love you like a brother. You mean so god damn much to me that I have no idea what the hell I'm going to do with my life after I drop you off at Harvard in like two days. Josh I wish I were going there with you. I wish I were smart enough to be going to college this year. If it hadn't been for you I wouldn't have even graduated High School. Josh it's not going to be the same back home. I'll have no one waking me up at 6 in the morning, I won't have someone always nagging me to clean up my stuff, to do my homework. I'll have no one to tell me that I shouldn't do something. I just don't want you to leave." Drake sighed as tears filled his eyes. He found it hard to believe the words that had just come pouring out of his mouth. It wasn't that they weren't true, they were, it was just that they hurt too much to say.
"It won't be that bad, I promise. If it makes you feel any better I won't have any fun. I won't have you dragging me off to those taboo college parties that go on anyway. I won't have you to make me 'cool'. I'll go back to being dorky Josh."
"You are still dorky Josh."
"Well then I'll be even dorkier."
"That's pretty hard to do."
"Drake, focus."
"Sorry."
"Well if you two have this whole issue settled let's go ride rollercoaster's until we puke, eat tons of junk and enjoy some good times before the next two days are up." Taylor suggested as she walked to the car. "I'll be waiting in the car while you two kiss and make up." She giggled as she turned back towards them.
"Josh, I really am sorry for this whole trip."
'Don't be, most of it was fun. Hey now we can tell our grandchildren that we got kicked out of the Pentagon and the Hershey factory." Josh stated excited that he'd have another great story for when his children and grandchildren asked him what he did when he was younger.
"Okay, as long as you forgive me because I forgive you."
"Dude, yeah I forgive you."
The two quickly glanced around for people watching and just as quickly hugged each other. It was amazing how they were able to make up just like that. It seemed like this was the millionth time they'd done so this trip. Fights like that were bound to happen; they'd been in a car with each other for about a week now. Traveling places they'd never been before. Places they'd probably never see together again. This was really their last hurrah and it was going to go out with a bang.
At The Hotel…
"I am so bored." Drake moaned as he rolled over onto his back on queen sized bed they'd made out of the two twins in the hotel room. Jurassic Park was playing in the background and no one was really watching it.
"Me too." Taylor sighed as she leaned her head back against the bed.
"Josh you bored?" Drake asked his brother who was already in his jammies and under the covers. Josh gave no response. Drake knew he was already asleep. "Hey Taylor since Josh is asleep you want to go swimming or something?" He suggested as he got off the bed.
"Do we even have suits? Is the pool even open?" She inquired as she stood up too.
"No and probably not, let's just consider it an adventure. If we get kicked out we can always sneak back in. We're paying customers aren't we?"
"Well, yeah I guess so, but…"
"But what? Come on have a little adventure in your life."
"Yeah, fine I guess I could go. You have the key card?" She asked as Drake pulled it out of his pocket and put in back in.
"Way ahead of you."
Drake opened the door as so to not wake Josh up. The hallway was quiet except for the occasional kids talking or crying in a few of the rooms. Drake held his finger up to his lips signaling for Taylor to be as quiet as possible.
"Want to race there?" Drake whispered as he got ready to run.
"You can't run in a hotel, that's worse than breaking into a pool." Taylor said in a hushed voice.
"Thanks for single handedly killing my dream of running down a hotel hallway with a hott girl." Drake put on his trademark face that neither man nor woman alike could refuse.
"You know that face works every time don't you. I bet it even works on people you don't even know. I wonder how many tickets, free movies, and other stuff you've gotten or gotten out of with that face."
"You bet. This face gets me out of everything." Drake smiled. "So last one there gets in first."
"Fine by me."
"3…2…1…go." Drake whispered as he bolted down the hallway. What Drake didn't know was that all the years Taylor had done track would start to pay off now. She was not only the fastest runner in her town, but in her county. Drake stopped at the elevator while Taylor bolted down three floors to the lobby. She pushed open the door to see the elevator doors open wide.
She and Drake were neck in neck as they reached the door but at the last minute Taylor pushed herself harder like she'd learned how to in track and beat him there. Both stopped to catch their breath and make it look like they weren't up to anything suspicious.
"Is it locked?' Taylor said when she finally caught her breath.
"Yeah but don't worry. I've come prepared." Drake stated as he pulled out his wallet. He opened the tattered brown, leather wallet and pulled out a bobby pin. He smiled as he held it up raising his eyebrow a bit.
"You keep a bobby pin in your wallet?"
"There are three things a guy should always have in his wallet."
"And those are…?"
"I was just about to get there. The three things are, spare car and house keys, an extra condom and a bobby pin. If you're anything like McGuiver those three things will get you out of any situation."
"Really?"
"Really, really. Trust me. All those three things have come in handy. When you lock yourself out of your car you have the spare key in your pocket, when you sneak out at night you have the house key in your pocket. When you have an unexpected date with a girl the condom is really, really helpful, it's saved my ass a couple of times. And finally the bobby pin, for sneaking into hotel pools or when your girlfriend freaks about her hair or something like that." Drake explained as he jimmied the lock on the door. "There, open." Drake said as he pulled open the door to the pool. Both of them snuck in as quietly as they could.
The room was dark and the pool was so still that the light of the moon through the windows gave this incredible luster over the water. It seemed as though not the water was moving, but that the moon was dancing on the water.
Drake stood there next to Taylor, the moonlight casting its pale glow over both of them. It was the only thing lighting up the room, besides that few streetlights that didn't contribute too much. It was so quiet that the only thing you could hear was the breathing and the eerie echo's that came from nowhere.
Drake turned to Taylor and watched as the moonlight brought out her eyes even more. He smiled and she smiled back.
"Well Drake you lost the bet, you know what that means." Taylor smiled as she nudged Drake closer to the pool.
She watched as he took off his shirt and his pants, revealing a pretty nice body underneath it all. Though she already knew he was going to have a pretty amazing physique, it was a pleasant surprise. She noted the tattoo of John Lennon's glasses on his right shoulder. Making her think about her own. He was wearing a pair of black boxer briefs, not too revealing but enough to make him slightly blush. It wasn't that he was embarrassed by what he had, he was actually rather proud of what he'd been 'endowed' with. He blushed because he could feel her watching him, analyzing him and sizing him up for what he was based on looks. Making sure he really was as hott and he played himself to be.
"Here goes nothing or everything…" Drake yelled as he made a running jump into the pool. He resurfaced a few seconds later shaking the water out from his hair. "Man it's not that cold." He laughed as he swam around a little. The moonlight dancing on the water and his skin made everything seem insubstantial. "Hey you know what?" Drake asked swimming to the edge of the pool.
"What?" Taylor asked playfully as she backed up knowing what Drake was going to do.
"I think it's your turn to jump in." He laughed as he swam backwards.
"Okay fine…but close your eyes." She said as she began to take off her shirt.
"It's nothing I haven't seen before…wait, I mean…never mind, I'll close my eyes." He faltered as he put his hand over his eyes.
"And no peaking." She added as his hand parted open a bit.
"Fine, but you watched me."
"I don't care." She laughed as she took of her shirt revealing a simple black bra and took off her pants showing matching boy cut black briefs. Not exactly the most risqué underwear choice. She took a running leap and splashed into the cool water. She resurfaced next to Drake who just looked at her taking in everything, through the distortion of the water.
"See it's not that bad is it?" Drake asked
"What that I'm wearing nothing but my underwear or the water?"
"Both I guess." Drake shrugged as he swam closer to Taylor, adrenaline and pure animal instinct taking over. She moved in too, she'd never really known what it was like for a guy to genuinely like her. For a guy to like her for more than what her bra size was. And even though Drake Parker put on the façade that he only went for girls with a "D" average and short skirts, he really wanted something more and she could feel it. Maybe it was the way that he looked at her, or the time they'd spent together in the past week that told her he was in it for the long haul. Or maybe it was because he'd offered to take her across country. Who knew, maybe she'd end up in San Diego with him. Maybe they'd get married. But whatever happened down the road of their lives was irrelevant at the moment, all that matter to either of them was that this whole thing felt right. Everything about the water, the moon, their unspoken love felt right to them, and that's what mattered.
"This feels so right." Drake whispered as he placed his arms around her waist.
"You don't have to tell me that." She smiled as she placed her arms around his neck. "I've never felt anything more perfect than this."
"Of all the girls I've ever done this with, you make it seem okay. You make it okay to break the rules."
"You were never breaking any rules. We're not breaking rules. It's okay for things to feel right."
"If we're doing things that feel right…" he began in a soft whisper. "Than I want you to know that this is the right thing…" he kissed her gently then as they broke apart whispered I love you. The first time he'd ever meant it. The first time those three little words had some meaning. The first time he'd ever used it at the right time. The first time it didn't have to lead to something more than what they had right here and right now.
"I love you too." She breathed. "Just so you know, you just said the right thing at the right time." She said as she kissed him.
There they were two kids in a hotel pool, finally doing what they knew was right the whole time. Both finding out for once what it was like to truly care about another person again. Both leaving the security of their past behind and launching forward into the future.
"Come here…"Taylor began as she walked towards the ladder that got out of the pool. She climbed out and waited for Drake to follow her.
"Where are we going?" Drake questioned but she placed a finger on his lips.
"Shhhh…" she breathed as she grabbed his hand and lead him into the changing room.
"What is this?" Drake asked again as she turned on the handicapped shower. "Wait, are you suggesting that we…I mean…let me go get my…" he rambled but she just shook her head and kissed him gently.
She pulled him into the steaming shower with her and they started doing what they knew they both wanted. Their hands traced each others bodies and before either knew it they were both standing in front of each other, no holds bar. Both devoid of clothing, both of their walls down, both at their most vulnerable. Drake took his hands off Taylor's face and began to leave the shower.
"Drake where are you going?" Taylor started "It's not like we both don't want to do this."
"I'm not saying that I don't. I'm saying let me get my wallet." He said as he walked out and grabbed his wallet out of his pants and came back shortly. He opened his wallet and the card his step-mother had given him before fell out on the floor. He stared at it blankly as Taylor stood there waiting.
"What is this?" She asked as she bent down to pick up the piece of paper. "Why do you have a photographer from Pennsylvania's business card?" She sighed as the thought hit her that she might be another girl that he was planning on having sex with. "Don't tell me Drake, don't tell me that this is another girl…don't tell me that I'm another girl. This was supposed to mean something Drake." She yelled as she grabbed a towel out of the makeshift linen closet.
"Taylor…it's not. I swear to god. Okay come with me…" He said as he grabbed her arm and led her out of the changing room. He grabbed a towel from the box by the lifeguard station and they sat down dangling their feet in the pool. "Okay so this might sound really random, because it is, but you have to believe me." He began as he pleaded for her to believe him with his eyes. She nodded.
"So this afternoon while you and Josh were sleeping I met this woman and her son. Her son was 5 and his name was Kevin. I didn't think anything of his brown hair and brown eyes and addiction to junk food until I heard her call out his name. He ran into the parking lot and she yelled, Kevin Michael Parker…" he explained as her face contorted in confusion. "I thought it was a coincidence that his middle name was my Fathers and that his last name was mine. Then it hit me…he was my half-brother, she was my step-mother. After a small talk she gave me her card telling me to come visit her. I might just do it tomorrow. I don't know. It'd be so awkward seeing my dad after 8 years of unsent Birthday Cards and un-replied letters." Drake stated as he stared down at the pool the water skipped on his face.
"Drake I'm sorry I jumped like that." Taylor said softly as she placed her chin on his shoulder.
"I can't say I blame you. Just know that I really do love you. And I really want to prove it to you." He sighed as he held onto her hand.
"You can do that now." She whispered in his ear, and then gently kissed his cheek. She placed the condom in his hands and kissed him on the lips.
"You are too forward." He laughed as he placed the condom on the ground. And held her face in his hands, she smiled back, undoing the towel that was wrapped around his waist.
A few towels, kisses, and I love you's later, they found themselves wrapped in each other on the cement floor by the pool.
"You are amazing." Taylor sighed as she ran her hand down Drakes arm.
"Yeah, I know." He said cockily as he smiled and kissed her other hand that was resting in his.
"You're too cocky." She laughed as he kissed her gently.
"Yeah, I know." He laughed again.
He moved to lie down next to her.
"Here." He whispered as he pulled her close to lie on his chest. "The floor's too cold and hard for you to lie on." He said in a manly, I-must-protect-you way. Taylor giggled as she placed her head on his chest. She could hear him breathing and his heart beat. The combination of the two eased her into a deep sleep. Drake followed suit, the two of them, quietly sleeping on the cement floor, poolside, of the Holiday Inn. Neither of them noticing the one detail they forgot...
A/N: Wow, intense chapter I know. No wonder it took me so long to write. Actually it took me so long to write because first: I have school which is a Bch right now I mean with prom and what not comming up (btw I totally asked someone...eek hasn't said anything as of now...:(... okay back to the list second: I killed my computer for awhile...kind of tripped and broke the hard drive so I ended up losing the like 3/4's of this chapter that I had done. Then Third: this chapter is gosh darn long. it's like...11 pages on word. So it's the longest I've like ever written maybe. Oh well, enjoy chapter 11 should be up soon.
Mo