Thank you everyone for the reviews, I appreciate them all. For those who are wanting more Troy, I hear you.;) Here is another chapter in this story, and I hope you guys love it as much as I do. Here we go please give me plenty of reviews, and let me know what you think.
Aware
Troy lye in bed and to his amazement he was still awake. Even though his body was telling him that he was tired and he needed rest, his mind would not shut off and give him any. He was pondering over the last few months of school and noted that his life was extremely dull. His days consisted of school work, homework, basketball games, and basketball practices, not to mention therapy. There wasn't any excitement, no spontaneity, no love life, no anything…his life had become a schedule, one long monotonous schedule and it was starting to get to him.
He was let off punishment some time ago so it wasn't like he couldn't date. Girls were constantly throwing themselves at him, especially since the start of basketball season, but he always put his blockers up. For whatever reason he had no interest, the only girl that stayed on his mind constantly was Taylor…and it was starting to freak him out. Being around her most of the day was not helping him either. Spending so much time with this girl was becoming a serious problem.
He, Chad, and Taylor use to be the best of friends growing up…but once high school started that all changed. By the time they were sophomores he and Taylor barely spoke two words to one another and if they did speak it was only because of Gabriella and Chad. Troy was mad at Taylor, even before all of this stuff with their parents happened. He knew that she had no clue of his true feelings, and that's the way he liked it…her being totally clueless. He knew that he would have to spill the beans eventually, every therapy session Ms. Peterson was slowly pressuring him to share his true feelings about Taylor and their friendship or lack their of. But doing that would make him completely vulnerable, and it would force him to deal with certain emotions he had been carrying around since freshman year and Troy Isaiah Bolton was not having any of that.
Troy turned over on his side and looked out of his window, watching the slight breeze that was outside. He remembered back to the night when everything had changed for him and Taylor, well mostly for him.
Troy was in the back of his house playing basketball with his dad. The first day of high school was starting tomorrow and the only way he could keep a handle on his nerves was playing the game that both he and his father enjoyed so much.
"Dad you sure everything is gonna be cool" asked Troy nervously.
Jack chuckled at his sons obvious nervousness, "Troy high school is nothing but taller middle school kids, you're gonna be fine…okay" he said feeding his son the ball, to which Troy made an immediate jump shot. "Troy I'm tired I'm going in…you coming?" he asked.
"Naw dad, can I get like another half an hour in" asked Troy.
"Sure son…but no more than that" said his father walking up the steps and into the house.
Troy continued to shoot the ball some more as he tried to calm his self down for the start of the new school year. He was gonna try out for the varsity basketball squad, and he didn't want anyone thinking he bought his way onto the team simply because the coach was his dad. He wanted to earn the honor of being on varsity. He drove to the hoop for a lay up when he heard someone softly call his name, "Troy".
He turned around suddenly and noticed that Taylor was walking up to him, "Tay…what are you doing here?" he asked in surprise.
"I don't know…I just wanted to go for a walk, to clear my head you know, and I ended up here" she said hunching her shoulders.
"Is something wrong?" he asked suddenly, he could always tell when something was bothering Taylor. Even though she tried her best to mask her feelings, she could never hide them from him.
"Just a little worried about school tomorrow…not knowing what to expect" she said sitting herself down on the lawn. Troy walked over and sat down closely to her, "Yeah I know what you mean, my dad keeps telling me there's nothing to worry about, and I know he's telling the truth but I still have this unexplainable pit in my stomach" chuckled Troy.
"Glad to hear I'm not the only one" smiled Taylor. The two best friends sat in silence, something that the two of them had done quite often since they were younger. "You know Tay, I feel like that's not the reason you came over tonight…I never knew you to be nervous about school" said Troy breaking their silence.
Taylor sighed heavily and looked out towards the basketball court, "You know I never really was good at playing basketball" she said ignoring his statement.
"You never actually tried to play ball Taylor…seriously what's bothering you?" he asked concernedly.
"It's nothing Troy" she said quietly.
"If it really was nothing, you wouldn't be here. So spill it McKessie" he responded.
She glanced at Troy quickly and rolled her eyes, she stood up to leave, running across the basketball court but Troy was behind her quickly in a flash. He grabbed her arm and turned her around, "Tay what the hell is wrong with you" he said looking her in the eyes. She mumbled something under her breath but he could barely hear her.
"What did you say McKessie?" he said getting annoyed.
"I said…I said…" she tried to pull away from his grasp but Troy tightened up and gave her a determined look. She looked away from him, one of them would get tired before long and it wasn't gonna be her.
"Is it about a boy?" Troy asked getting a little agitated. Taylor rolled her eyes and stood stoned face, "It is about a boy" laughed Troy, "Why didn't you say so" he said giggling a little. Water started to well up in Taylor's eyes as she continued to look every where but at Troy. "Tay, I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt your feelings…I didn't mean to make fun of you" he said releasing her.
"Don't worry about it" she said turning around slowly and walking away. Troy ran in front of her, "Did somebody hurt you Taylor…did a boy hurt you?" he said as his nose started to flare slightly.
"No…it's nothing like that…trust me. I'm okay Troy, I have to get back home before my parents flip out" she said quietly.
"Okay…but if someone hurts you, please make sure you tell me, especially if someone puts there hands on you, let me know immediately!" said Troy seriously.
"I will Troy…I promise" she said quietly, "I have to go" she said again looking down at her shoes.
"Alright, can I have a hug, I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings" he said walking with his hands out towards Taylor.
"Sure" she smirked at him. Taylor wrapped his hands around Taylor's waist and she did the same while putting her head on his shoulder, "Thanks for being a great friend" she whispered.
"No problem" he said pulling away and looking directly into her eyes. She was biting her bottom lip and giving him this look of uncertainty, without hesitation he bent in and gave Taylor a soft and lingering kiss on the lips. When Troy pulled away, Taylor's face was in total shock…she was completely speechless while she was searching for understanding in Troy's eyes.
"I…I'm sorry Tay…I don't know what came over me…I just felt like I should kiss you…I…" said Troy stuttering.
"It's okay Troy…really it's all right" she said quickly, "I really should be going" she said. Taylor took off running out of his backyard. Troy stood there stunned by what had transpired, but he could have sworn that Taylor wanted him to kiss her by the look she was giving him, not only that he could have sworn he heard Taylor say 'she loved him' as she ran away.
"I just kissed my best friend" said Troy out loud. He walked towards his house as he kicked the basketball away from him, something as simple as that little kiss had stirred something inside of him; he went to bed that night thinking about his best friend in a way he never thought about her before. Tomorrow was sure to be one heck of the first day of school.
Troy went to school the next day expecting to talk to Taylor about what happened, but East High was a lot bigger than what he expected, and he had a lot more on his schedule than he intended. By the time he caught up to Taylor the next day, it was clear she didn't want to talk about what happened that night.
"Hey Taylor, I've been trying to call you and everything…I kinda wanted to talk about the night before" he said to her when he finally caught her at her locker.
"Oh about that Troy, I was really just not in a good place, and I wanted to apologize if it seemed like I led you on. I value our friendship so much, I don't want to do anything to ruin it or have anything happen to ruin it…you know" she said quietly with a bright smile.
"Ah yeah…I totally understand. I just wanted to make sure you're cool and that everything is cool between us" said Troy, trying to hide the fact that he was crushed.
"Yeah I'm good Troy, like I said I just had an off night, but thanks for being there. You're an awesome friend Troy" she said as she hugged him. The bell rang out, and she released Troy quickly, "I have to get to class maybe we can hang out this weekend…you know catch up. You, Chad, and me" she said grinning while back pedaling.
"Sure…sounds good" said Troy smiling, in spite of feeling the total opposite.
"Cool" she said. Troy watched as she ran down the hallway and around the corner.
Needless to say he never met up with Taylor or Chad that weekend. He was too crushed to even be around her, he was sure in his heart of hearts that Taylor felt something when he kissed her, matter fact he knew it. Not only was he sure about the kiss but he was positive that she professed her love for him that night. Eventually hurt turned into anger as school continued that year, and he and Chad were getting pulled into basketball, while Taylor went the academic route. Before he knew it, freshman year was over, and he barely talked to Taylor. He looked up sophomore year and Chad and Taylor were dating, which was the ultimate blow to his system. To get over it, he went out with Gabriella. He thought maybe going out with a girl like Gabriella would get his mind off Taylor…big mistake that was, seeing as how Taylor and Gabriella bonded and became good friends over their love for being good looking nerds.
The more Troy thought about what happened that night and the whole situation, the angrier he got. The final nail in the coffin was his mother running off with Taylor's dad…that was the explosive that set this whole thing in motion. Now he was stuck, tutoring a girl in basketball, going to therapy sessions, with someone he was in love with, but didn't get along with at all. 'Life sucks' thought Troy as he turned the lamp on his dresser on. It wasn't any use of trying to get sleep now…his mind was going a mile a minute.
Taylor sat up reading a book for leisure, sleep wasn't coming to her like it use to, besides Mr. Danforth hasn't given her t.v. back so she couldn't watch the mindless entertainment she had become accustomed to. Tired of reading Taylor placed her book on the other side of her bed. She decided to get something to drink, so she walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of milk.
"Hey girl" said Mr. Danforth from the dinning room. He chuckled as he watched Taylor jump slightly from his unexpected call.
"Oh hey…you scared me" she said quietly, "I'm just getting something to drink, I really can't sleep" she said walking into the dinning room and pulling out a seat.
"Eh, same here" he said holding up his glass of tea. "You know Taylor I'm actually glad you're here, cause we need to talk" he said quietly.
"Uh oh, I don't know if I like the sound of this" said Taylor cautiously, looking at Mr. Danforth.
"Well…trust me I don't like saying it, but I think it's time that you know the truth" he said looking into his cup of tea.
Taylor sighed heavily, "alright…hit me with it" she said quietly. Mr. Danforth looked at this girl that he really considered his daughter, 'she doesn't even realize how strong she is' he thought to himself.
"Well…Taylor let me start off by saying how much of a blessing it's been having you here for both the Mrs. and me. You know Debra has been wanting a daughter for so long, and all I kept giving her were sons, so she loves the fact that you're here everyday" he said quietly, "You're grades have been excellent, which is to be expected, your doing really great on the basketball team" he said smiling.
"Yeah we're 2-0" said Taylor quietly.
"Thanks to your help" he said smiling slightly.
Taylor shook her head in approval, "So what's the problem Mr. Danforth?" she asked taking a sip from her milk.
"Honestly Taylor there isn't a problem, but the Mrs. and I want to make your stay here…more permanent" he said looking at Taylor trying to explain the situation.
"More permanent?" asked Taylor, lifting one of her eyebrows in confusion.
"Yeah Taylor…we, the Mrs. and I, want to adopt you" he said finally.
"Adopt me" chuckled Taylor slightly, "No offense Mr. Danforth, I really appreciate everything your family has done for me, but I thought this situation or living condition was temporary…I mean once my mom gets better, I'm going to move back with her" said Taylor.
"That's just it sweetie…I don't think that's gonna happen any time soon…maybe not at all" he said looking at her tenderly.
Taylor sat up straight and looked at Mr. Danforth, "What do you mean by that?" she asked quietly.
"Taylor…it doesn't look like your mom is gonna get any better, any time soon…" he started out.
"How would you know that if you haven't talked to her?" said Taylor cutting him off, "I mean I know she hasn't been in contact in awhile but she probably is working on getting herself together…right" she rushed out.
Mr. Danforth sighed and looked down; he was trying to figure out the best way to tell Taylor the truth without damaging her more than she already was.
"You've been in contact with her…haven't you?" asked Taylor seriously.
"Yes" he responded quietly, "and honestly Taylor she's not even remotely close to being okay again. The drinking is still going on and she is in no state to take care of herself…let alone a minor" he said. Mr. Danforth saw the anger starting to rise in her eyes, "Look Taylor…your mother is going through a lot and I think adoption is the best solution right now".
"Did you come up with the conclusion of adoption or did she?" asked Taylor clenching her jaws.
"I did, I thought it was the best thing to do in this situation" he said. If he had to take the heat away from Sharon, than so be it. Taylor didn't need to know the entire truth; she just needed to know that she was loved by her mom…even if that wasn't the reality of the situation.
Taylor looked away from him, she placed her head into her hands and began massaging her temples, "Mr. Danforth…what did my mom really say? What's really going on?" she asked quietly looking back up at him.
Mr. Danforth's shoulders slouched as he looked at the young woman in front of him. He forgot that she was considered a slight genius by many, and she saw right through his poor attempt, "Taylor I don't think that's necessary" he said quietly.
"Yes it is! I need to know exactly what she said!" said Taylor angrily, slamming her fist on the table.
"Alright, alright…Taylor…I'll tell you, just calm down okay" he said walking over to her and rubbing her back. She began to shake her leg quickly, "I just need to know Mr. Danforth…I just gotta know what she said" said Taylor quietly. "I don't think that's such a good idea Taylor, but if you insist" said Mr. Danforth.
"I insist okay…I need to know" she said angrily.
He sighed heavily, "Okay…your…your mom said that she didn't want you anymore Taylor. She said that she couldn't take care of you and that you reminded her too much of your father, and she couldn't be bothered with people who's last name is McKessie,…so she suggested that we adopt you" he said quietly, while he continued to rub her back.
Taylor's eyes watered as a lone tear escaped from her eyes. "Taylor we love you so much" said Mrs. Danforth as she rushed in and engulfed Taylor in a hug. She heard Taylor yell from upstairs and she ran down and reached the dinning room in time to hear her husband explain the adoption to her. "Taylor baby we love you and it would be our honor to adopt you…you've got to know that you are loved" said Mrs. Danforth rocking Taylor back and forth, while Mr. Danforth looked on.
"That's right Taylor, we want you as our daughter and if you will have us as your parents it would make everyone in our family very happy" said Mr. Danforth quietly.
Taylor pulled away from Mrs. Danforth's embrace suddenly, "If it's okay with you could I go to the park and shoot around?" asked Taylor wiping away a few more tears that had escaped.
The Danforths looked at one another, "Uh Taylor it's kinda late to be out by yourself" said Mr. Danforth.
"I know…I just need to think…I need to get away" said Taylor quickly. She turned around to walk in the living room and started to pace, "playing basketball keeps me calm and it helps me to think" said Taylor.
"Alright well, how about we get Chad to go with you" said Mrs. Danforth.
"I don't…I rather be by myself" said Taylor.
"No way" said Mr. Danforth, "Taylor we can't let you go out this time of night okay…either take Chad or you can't go anywhere" said Mr. Danforth seriously.
"Fine" said Taylor rolling her eyes, walking to the door she opened and sat on the front stairs waiting for Chad. She didn't feel like arguing at the moment she just wanted to play ball and that's it.
"Chad!" she heard his father bellow, "Get down here!"
She heard Chad run down the stairs and ask his father what was going on. Mr. Danforth explained everything to him and told him to get changed and take her to the park. Mrs. Danforth walked onto the porch and stooped down behind Taylor, "sweetie Chad is gonna take you, but do you wanna change…you have on pajamas" she said softly.
Taylor shook her head and got up and went to her room to change into her basketball gear, by the time she finished and walked outside Chad was already sitting in the car waiting for her. She walked down the stairs and got in, buckling her seat belt she noticed the Danforths waiting on the porch for them to pull off. Chad waived goodbye and pulled off to make his way to the park. He looked over at Taylor, who was completely silent and her face was void of any emotion what so ever.
"Dad said that he's finally gonna put a hoop in the backyard, since there's two basketball players in the house now" said Chad trying to break the silence. Taylor ignored him and continued to look out of the window.
"You know Tee Cup, we could just talk instead…I know things don't seem right….but…."
"Chad, I just want to play basketball okay. I don't need to talk to you about anything…just get me to the park please" she said cutting him off. She really couldn't stand hearing anybody say that things would get better in the future. All she needed was to work out her frustration and anger.
"Fine" said Chad a little angrily. They drove in silence until they got to the park. Soon as Chad had stopped the car Taylor hopped out, grabbed the basketball from the back seat and walked to the court. She did some stretches and ran a couple of laps around the court as Chad watched from the car. He hadn't gotten out yet, he still was a little mad at the way Taylor had been treating him lately. It was like she didn't even appreciate all the things he had done for her. All he wanted was a thank you every now and then, but lately he hasn't gotten that. He continued to watch her warm up before she started taking shots, he noted that she had gotten a lot better since her private lessons with Troy and she really actually took the game seriously, instead of making fun of something she didn't really understand like she normally did. 'I wander if she even remembers who taught her the basics' Chad thought to himself while scoffing.
Chad continued to watch as Taylor worked out her frustrations on the court, when he noticed a familiar car pulling up next to him. Troy parked his car and jumped out immediately and got into the passengers side of Chad's car, "Hey man…what you guys doing out here so late? I'm usually the only one that's here this time of night" asked Troy while giving Chad a handshake.
"Rough night for Tay, got some bad news so she wanted to play ball" said Chad quietly.
"Oh…what happened?" asked Troy concernedly.
"Same thing over and over again…parent issues" said Chad rolling his eyes. Troy nodded his head in understanding, as both young men watched as Taylor shot the ball and missed it as she yelled in frustration.
"You try talking to her?" asked Troy.
"She doesn't want to talk to me…maybe she'll open up for you…you know with you guys doing therapy together" said Chad looking at Troy, "she won't open up to me anymore" said Chad obviously hurt.
"Don't take it personal Chad, we've been through a lot, and we usually lash out at the ones we love the most. I'm pretty sure she didn't mean anything by it" said Troy quietly, keeping his eyes on Taylor.
"Yeah…I guess not" said Chad quietly eyeing Troy. Chad turned his eyes back to Taylor, as Troy had done earlier. "Hey man you wanna go play…it's obvious she won't be opening up tonight" said Troy.
"Sounds good to me" said Chad opening up his door to get out. Troy did the same and they walked onto the court together, walking up to Taylor who had worked up a nice sweat working out. "Troy what are you doing here?" asked Taylor annoyed and clearly out of breath.
"Uh, I just came out to play ball…I couldn't sleep. I was just asking Chad here, why you guys were here?" said Troy looking at Taylor.
"Couldn't sleep either" said Taylor hunching her shoulders, "Wanna play a pick up game?"
"Hey, why do you think we're on the court" said Chad taking the ball away from Taylor, "Let's go" he said throwing the ball into the hoop.
"First to fifty" said Troy running to go get the ball.
"Alright" said Chad, "Sounds good to me" said Taylor.
The trio ran around the basketball court traded shots with one another. Troy was honestly having fun; he hadn't played any games with Chad and Taylor in years. Chad and he were going at it, and Taylor was hanging with them in the points area. Troy was dribbling down the court when Taylor came around him and poked the ball out, stealing it away from him. She ran to the hoop and did a lay-up, but she continued to run towards the grass, than she collapsed down in a heap of tears, while gasping for air.
Chad groaned slightly and started to walk over to Taylor but Troy grabbed him, "Let me" he said quietly. Chad nodded his head, as Troy walked over to Taylor and sat down next to her. Tears were coming down in a steady flow as she clutched her chest and cried out loud. Troy decided to wait until she calmed down before he tried to get her to start talking. Troy watched as Chad grabbed his basketball and headed for his car, 'I guess he knows we might be here for awhile' thought Troy to himself.
Taylor continued to cry out, she was trying to calm herself down, but the more she thought about her mom, the more upset she became. She was tired of being in pain, she was tired of loving people who didn't seem in the least to love her…plainly put she was tired of hurting. "God, how much more can I take?" she cried out. "He only gives you what you can bare Taylor, and you can handle this" said Troy quietly from beside her.
She looked over at Troy who was sitting crossed leg next to her, "I thought you were Chad" she said.
"Well I'm not" said Troy looking at her tear stained face, "What's going on Tay, why are you crying like this?" he asked quietly.
"This isn't therapy Troy, we don't have to share our feelings okay" she said angrily.
"True…you're right about that, but Ms. Peterson also said it would be helpful to talk outside of therapy…especially since we spend more with each other than with her. Taylor we're suppose to help each other through this remember…to prove that we don't need them" he said quietly.
Taylor continued to try and calm herself down. She was quiet for a really long time, but Troy waited patiently until she was ready to speak, "You know I shouldn't be surprised" Taylor finally said.
"Surprised about what Tay" said Troy.
"My mother Troy…she…she doesn't want me anymore. She told the Danforths to adopt me because she doesn't want anything to do with a McKessie or somebody that looks like a McKessie" said Taylor crying.
Troy sighed deeply, "I just don't get it Troy" started Taylor, "What have I done to deserve this? What have I ever done to them?" she cried out. She started crying heavily again, Troy reached over with one hand and pulled Taylor to him. Taylor laid her head on Troy's chest and continued to cry. He couldn't help but to think how good she felt in his arms, he finally decided to admit to himself that he was in love with Taylor…and had been for quite sometime. He was only angry with her because he couldn't have her…but now his love for her was gonna make him be a better man and person, even if his love was unrequited.
"Taylor you haven't done anything to warrant what they have done to you…nobody deserves the way you have been treated. Your mom just is in a lot of pain, and she's using alcohol to deal with it. I mean do you really want to be with her when she's like that" said Troy quietly.
"No" said Taylor quietly, "but Troy she's my mom…she was the only connection I had to the way my family use to be" said Taylor crying, "I should have seen this coming, she hadn't been to see me in months…no phone calls…no nothing. The only one who came was the jackass who left me in this messed up situation" said Taylor struggling for breath, "Why don't my parents love me Troy…I just don't understand".
Troy sighed, "Honestly Taylor I think they do love you, but they stopped loving themselves, especially your mom. How can you show love when you don't have any left in you?" said Troy.
"That's just an excuse Troy, you're suppose to love your children unconditionally…there isn't suppose to be conditional love just because I happen to favor my father in looks" said Taylor angrily. She clutched Troy's shirt as she continued to cry.
"Look Tay, I do believe that your parents still love you…just in there own way. Like I still believe my mom loves me…and I still get very angry about what she did, but deep down inside I know she still cares…she has to, because I'm apart of her…just like you're apart of your mom…I think she just looking at the wrong part right now" said Troy rubbing Taylor's back.
"That's bullshit Troy" said Taylor sitting up, "I mean you still have your dad, you at least have one parent…and you favor your mom Troy. I don't see your dad beating you into unconsciousness and I don't see him giving you up for adoption! I'm starting to wander if either one of them ever cared because they definitely haven't been showing it as of late!" she yelled.
Troy looked over at Taylor, "Well I know who does care about you Troy…the Danforths…they love you. They've taken you and they treat you like family, no questions asked. I think you need to stop concentrating on the people who don't love you per say and concentrate on the one's that do…like the Danforths, and Chad, Gabriella, and me" he said strongly.
Taylor looked up at Troy and caught his eyes, "We all care about you Taylor, and we all love you. So prove it to the both of your parents that you don't need them. That you will be a great success without them…you already are" said Troy staring Taylor in the eyes.
They stared at one another for a long time until Taylor broke eye contact, "I think I should be getting home" said Taylor chuckling.
"What's so funny?" questioned Troy getting up and helping Taylor up.
"I said home…I guess I need to tell my new parents it looks like I'm gonna be staying with them…permanently" said Taylor.
"Good" smiled Troy.
"Yeah" she said walking towards the car, with Troy following behind her. Chad started the car as he saw them approaching. "Thanks a lot Troy…I have a lot to think about, but thanks for listening" she said quietly.
"No problem…maybe you should thank Chad too" said Troy knowingly.
She stopped in looked at him, "He's just feeling a little underappreciated" said Troy quietly.
"Did he tell you that?" asked Taylor.
"Not really…I just know him, he wouldn't come out and say it but I know that's how he feels" said Troy. Taylor turned around and continued walking, "Thanks…I'll talk to him" she said. Once they reached the car Taylor hugged Troy and said goodnight. Troy waited until she was in the car with Chad and buckled in, "alright guys, I'll talk to you later" said Troy.
"Alright man, see ya" said Chad pulling off. Troy watched them drive off, as he got into his car and settled down. "Damn three in the morning" said Troy as he started his car and headed home for some much needed sleep.
Chad and Taylor were quiet as they headed home, "So you feelin better?" asked Chad trying to break the silence.
"Not really, but I can deal a little better" said Taylor quietly. She took a big breath, "Thanks a lot Chad…I know I haven't been the easiest person to deal with as of late and I'm really sorry, I just wanted you to know that I appreciate you being there".
"Bout time McKessie" said Chad with a winning smile, "It's about time".
Taylor chuckled, as she turned on the stereo. They rode the rest of the way in silence as they listened to the radio. Once they got home Taylor went straight to her room to get some sleep. Once she was settled in her bed she heard a knock on her door, "Come in" called out Taylor.
"Hey Tay, can we talk?" said Chad walking in and sitting on her bed.
"Chad it's really late, and it's almost four in the morning" said Taylor checking her watch.
"I know it's late…I just really need to get this off my chest" said Chad seriously.
"Okay…what is it?" questioned Taylor.
Chad adjusted himself on the bed, "Tee Cup…I…I really miss you" started out Chad.
"What Chad…you see me everyday, I mean more now than when we dated. I'm living in the same house as you" said Taylor shaking her head in confusion.
"That's just it Tay, I miss dating you…I miss who you were when we dated…I mean you're definitely not the same" said Chad.
"Chad do you honestly expect me to be the same…after everything that's happened" said Taylor hunching her shoulders.
"No I don't…this isn't coming out right" said Chad brushing his hair back.
"Than make it come out right" said Taylor getting frustrated.
Chad took a deep breath; cupping Taylor's face he unexpectedly planted a big kiss on her lips. Taylor was in total shock, but Chad deepened the kiss and she felt her defenses drop and responded back to him quickly. The two sat making out for a couple of minutes before Taylor came to her senses and pushed Chad away, "What the hell was that?!" she yelled.
"A kiss Taylor, that's what people do when they like one another" said Chad a little shocked himself.
"Chad…we're not dating anymore…I mean we're about to be brother and sister for goodness sakes" said Taylor frustrated.
Chad dropped his mouth open, "Are you serious Taylor? We just sat here practically making out and you're gonna throw the adoption thing in my face" he said.
"Hell yeah, you practically mauled me" said Taylor.
"What the fu…Taylor you kissed me back. Your telling me you didn't feel anything when I kissed you?" asked Chad.
"Of course I felt something Chad…I mean you were my first real boyfriend" said Taylor flustered.
"So what's the problem?" asked Chad.
"The problem is that aspect of our relationship is in the past…and it shouldn't be ventured into ever again…especially now. I'm in no position to be in a relationship right now Chad…I mean with everything else that's going on…I have enough on my plate as is Chad" said Taylor seriously.
Chad slouched his shoulders in disappointment, "Do you see any hope of us in the future?" asked Chad quietly brushing his hands through his hair again.
"Honestly Chad…I don't see that happening. I mean I love you but more as a brother...I had no idea you were feeling this way" said Taylor quietly.
"Yeah I was, I guess us being this close kinda bought those feelings back up" said Chad quietly; "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, I just miss how we were together" said Chad standing up getting ready to leave.
Taylor got out of her bed and wrapped Chad up in a hug, "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings but, I just can't handle being in a relationship…especially with someone I consider my best friend and brother" said Taylor quietly into Chad's chest.
Chad wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a tight squeeze, "Yeah I hear ya Tay, I don't think mom and dad would like me making out with you right under their noses" laughed Chad.
"Yeah…your dad would put a chastity belt on me quick" chuckled Taylor pulling out of the hug.
"He sure would" smiled Chad, "look it's late and you and I both need rest. I'll see you in the morning…or maybe tomorrow afternoon" said Chad walking to the door. He sent a kiss through air as he closed her bedroom door. Taylor walked to her bed and got her self settled again, "Sheesh man too much drama" she said to herself yawning. Before she knew it she was knocked out.
Before Troy knew it the weekend was over and they were back in school on Monday. He was currently sitting in his therapy session with Taylor and Ms. Peterson, and both he and Taylor had attitudes. He was pissed because Taylor was acting completely introverted as per usual. Every time they had an intimate moment, she always acted like nothing happened, and it was starting to get on Troy's nerves. What Troy didn't know was that Taylor was still kinda freaked out by what happened between her and Chad, and the fact she was about to become another adopted kid in the system.
"So…I see we are going to have a difficult session today" said Ms. Peterson looking at her two most needy kids.
Taylor hunched her shoulders and rolled her eyes in response to Ms. Peterson, while Troy just sucked his teeth at Taylor and put his hands behind his head.
"Alright so what happened this weekend" asked Ms. Peterson looking directly at Troy.
"Well I thought Taylor and I had at least made some progress in our friendship or relationship, whatever you want to call it, but judging by her behavior and attitude today, I guess I was clearly mistaken" said Troy angrily.
"What is that suppose to mean Troy?" asked Taylor angrily sitting up in her chair.
"Exactly what I said Taylor, why is it that every time we have an intimate discussion or moment between the two of us, the next day you act as if I one, don't exist" said Troy holding up one of his fingers, "or two, act as if what happened never did!" yelled Troy staring at Taylor with intensity she had never seen before.
"What?" she asked clearly confused.
"You did it freshman year and now your doing it again after this weekend" said Troy angrily. Taylor finally registered what Troy was saying and groaned silently, "Yeah…now you know what I'm talking about Taylor…your doing it again…I just wish you could be honest with me for once" said Troy.
"Honest about what Troy?" said Taylor.
"About me…about us…about where I stand with you…nobody else just you and me" said Troy finally calming down, "There's clearly something more here than what either one of us wants to admit…but I'm tired of feeling like I have to walk on egg shells around you…and that was even before our parents decided to be the ultimate losers and walk out on us" said Troy.
'Finally we are getting to it' thought Ms. Peterson.
Taylor sighed heavily, "Troy I haven't been saying much of anything today because I'm still thinking about the adoption and Chad went crazy and kissed me, claiming that he wants to get back together with me" said Taylor, "I wasn't trying to blow you off…I'm just trying to figure things out".
"Chad kissed you" said Troy clearly shocked.
"Yeah he did" said Taylor. Troy made a mental note to kill Chad when he got a chance, "I told him I didn't want to get back together…and it just freaked me out a little. I mean Troy that had nothing to do with you" said Taylor quickly.
Troy looked around; he felt like a complete idiot, "Okay that explains this weekend Taylor but what about freshman year" said Troy looking back at her. Taylor hung her head down and looked away, "Taylor I swear, don't start that not talking shit…be honest with me" said Troy. She looked down in her lap and began to shake her leg furiously.
"Taylor remember, when a direct question is asked, you have to answer it. That's the only rule we have here" stepped in Ms. Peterson.
"I don't want to answer this question" said Taylor quietly as tears started to well up in her eyes. Ms. Peterson sighed heavily, "Troy, what happened freshman year?" she asked.
"Taylor showed up to my house the day before freshman year started, looking upset. We get to talking, and I figure out that she wants to talk about a boy" said Troy quickly, "than she gives me this look…like I'm everything she could ever want in the world, and I leaned in and kissed her and she took off running, and I could have sworn she said that she loved me…matter of fact I'm sure she said it…and not some were friends love, but she really meant that she loved me…later on that week she acts like it was some big mistake, and next thing I know she's going out with Chad" said Troy. "I want to know what the real deal was the night Tay" said Troy seriously.
Taylor got up and started pacing, "Troy…I came there that night to tell you how I really felt" started Taylor, not looking at him but continuing to pace. Troy got out of his chair and walked over to Taylor grabbing her gently and lifting up her chin to look at him, "And how did you really feel?" asked Troy quietly.
"I felt like I was totally in irreversibly in love with you" said Taylor quietly looking into Troy's eyes, as hers started to tear up, "I had a major crush on you that I had been carrying around for the past couple of years and it wasn't going away" she said. Troy took a big sigh of relief, "And how do you feel now McKessie?" said Troy still holding her chin.
"I still love you" she said as tears started to fall down her face, "I'm still in love with you, but just like then I'm scared shitless" she said quietly. Troy began wiping the tears from her face, he kissed each one of her eyes, than looked at her tenderly, "And why are you so afraid?" said Troy.
"I've always been afraid that you wouldn't feel the same way…and I had convinced myself that the night you kissed me, you were just feeling sorry for me" she said still crying, "I'm just afraid I'll get my heart broken by you Troy, and I can't take that now, especially since my heart is already broken" she said quietly.
"I wasn't feeling sorry for you that night Taylor, I really wanted to kiss you, just like I want to kiss you now" he said moving in closer to her. Which made Taylor move back slightly, "I'm in love with you girl…and I think I was scared also to admit how I felt. When I kissed you that night, it awakened something up in me that I hadn't felt before and it never went away" he said quietly gazing into her eyes.
"But Gabriella…" questioned Taylor.
"I only went out with her to try and get over you when you blew me off" said Troy smiling down at her and getting closer to her. This time Taylor didn't move back but looked right back at him, while biting her bottom lip.
"Same thing with me and Chad" she said quietly. The two of them clearly forgot that Ms. Peterson was still in the room, and she made sure she stayed quiet so the two of them could finally get themselves together.
Troy reached up and wiped the remaining tears off of Taylor's face; he placed his arms around her waist and pulled her into him. By doing that simple act Taylor gave him the look that he had been longing for the past two years. "I love you Taylor Rose" he whispered to her.
"I love you too, Troy Isaiah" she whispered to him. Troy bent down and kissed her softly on the lips over and over again, until Taylor reached up and cupped his face with her hands and deepened the kiss. These two who had been at each others throats only months ago were finally aware of the their true feelings for one another, and Ms. Peterson couldn't help but to smile widely at the two teens, who were clearly making out in the middle of her office.