"Um, Taylor, Come here." Brandon whispered and pulled Taylor off to a corner. "What?" Taylor's hostile attitude had returned. "You wanted to talk. So please talk." Brandon was afraid that Taylor was back to hating him. "Do you feel bad about it? Completely horrible or is there a small part of you that doesn't regret it? Some part of you that had just been itching to finally set me in my place?" Taylor would be able to tell the truth because it was the same answer she felt towards what happened between her and Lena. "I'm sorry and I know I shouldn't have said it." Brandon sighed, "But yeah, theres a part of me that thinks there was a reason for it." Taylor smiled, "At least you aren't lying. You're dancing with me, so we can talk more."
"Callie!" Taylor called her over, switch partners with me okay? Please, I need to talk to Brandon." Callie gave Taylor a suspicious look "What? It's called reasons, I'll tell you later, just switch with me." Callie nodded, "Sure. Just think about it what I said this morning." Taylor nodded, sure she'd think about it.
"Hey Mike, can I ask you for a favor please?" Stef finally found him. "Sure." Mike nodded. "Can you dance with Mariana for Lena and I? For the father daughter dance?" This was one of the harder things she ever had to ask Mike. "Sure. She's not dancing with you and Lena?" Stef shook her head, no.
The court began to walk in. Brandon didn't walk in with Callie but instead with Taylor. "Look!" Lena exclaimed. "What? Have all of our children lost their minds?" Stef laughed. "It looks like Callie and Taylor switched spots." Lena looked, "Yeah they did. But why?" Stef shook her head, "Callie wasn't in on the whole, us against them, that Taylor screamed about yesterday? Do you think?" Lena went silent watching her children, Stef quickly followed Lenas example. "Crazy or not, they all look amazing." Lena breathed.
"So why did you want to dance with me?" Brandon was trying to talk to Taylor as they went through their waltz. "I needed to talk and I thought that it would be the only time that would be crazy enough. Look, your moms were talking to me last night about what they said to you after your um.. remark. I guess one option is having you live with your dad or something." Taylor paused and Brandon nodded, "If thats what you want Taylor, I'll move out until everyone cools down." Taylor shook her head, "No. In fact I'm going to make sure you don't get into any trouble. But you have to do one thing for me, and you can't tell your moms." Taylor had never blackmailed someone before and wasn't sure what to say. "Okay, I just want you to stop hating everyone in the house Taylor. I won't tell them." Brandon stopped and Taylor hadn't even realized how quickly the dance had gone by.
"Are you sure?" Brandon was worried Taylor would get hurt. "You'll be right outside to act as an alibi and if I need you to help get me out of there then you can help. Please Brandon I need to talk to them. I need a family." Taylor was pleading she had used all her cards and didn't have anything left to bargain with. Brandon saw tears forming in Taylors eyes and couldn't tell if she was using that or if she just really want to do this. He nodded, "You have a family, it us, my moms, Mariana and Jesus, Callie and Jude, and me. We're your family right now. But I understand it's not the same. I'll take you to your parents, whenever you want." Taylor smiled, "Thanks. Now let's get back in there before they notice where missing."
"No. She's being selfish today! My moms spent so much money on this stupid party and she won't even dance with them. It's my birthday too!" Jesus was fed up over this whole party and the way Mariana was acted. Why did she care if Lexi and Jesus were dating? Lexi just wanted to leave the party.
Mariana felt as if she had been betrayed by everyone on what was supposed to be her awesome party. Lexi and Jesus had been dating, and didn't tell her, Jesus had called her jealous. Taylor wouldn't talk to her, and kept disappearing every time Mariana tried to talk.
"Can I have your attention please?" Lena called out to the crowd. The room quickly went silent, "we'd like to call Mariana and Jesus up." Stef smiled as her two children walked towards her and Lena. "So the first thing we have is this for Jesus." Stef smiled as she handed him a new skateboard. "And we'd like to show everyone this." Lena said as a slideshow with pictures of the family growing up started to play. The four stepped off to the side.
Watching the slides go by Callie gave Jude a reassuring hug, they would never have anything like this and Callie felt bad for Jude. Mariana was watching it and couldn't help but noticed how many pictures had been taken with her best friend, Lexi. Lexi and Mariana's eyes met and there seemed to be a silent message passed between the two. It continued for several minutes until finally the last picture was one that Taylor remembered quite well, Lena was sitting on one side of the group and Brandon on the other, Mariana next to her mom and Jesus next to Brandon, there sitting in the middle was Taylor, with the painted nails and curly hair Mariana had done and the skateboard Jesus had given her in front of her. Callie saw the one tear running down Taylors cheek but she quickly wiped it away. Stef saw Taylor wipe something off her face and had a feeling it was a tear. She would talk to her later, today was Mariana and Jesus, saw it too, he quickly, without anyone seeing reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. Taylor knew what she had to do. She had to make a lot of wrongs, right.
"Brandon, come here now!" Taylor hissed, she was motioning to the back exit. "Can't it wait?" Brandon was worrying about having his moms see him leave again, Stef had already mentioned that he needed to talk to her after the whole dance "mix up". Taylor nodded, no, "it'll only take a minute." Brandon sighed "all right." "I'm sorry, about the blackmail, you don't have to take me to my parents, I still don't want you to get into trouble. And I'm sorry about hurting Lena, I'm sorry about blocking out your moms and for yelling at them yesterday. I'm sorry about everything I've done." Taylor was holding herself together pretty well and hadn't cried. Brandon took a minute to think, "I'm still taking you. To your parents I mean. Because if I don't you'll find another way that's even more dangerous. And it's not me you should be apologizing to for yelling at my moms, or ignoring Mariana and Jesus. And about hurting Lena, that's not me you should be apologizing to either." Taylor nodded when Brandon stopped talking. "You know how to make it right, don't let yourself pretend you don't." Brandon smiled and left Taylor standing there, after Mariana's party, thats when she would start to repair what she had damaged.
"Hey Taylor!" Callie had been searching for Taylor for awhile. Almost right after the slideshow. "They want to take a family picture, Jude, you and me included, so come on." Taylor stopped causing Callie to almost trip, "Do you think they'll want me back? I hate it being them against me, they're my family. Maybe not legally or biologically or whatever but I need them." Callie smiled, "Glad to see you got your sense back. Now lets go before they freak out about you not being there."
"There they are!" Lena exclaimed. "Hey, sorry missed the memo." Taylor waved awkwardly. She walked up to Mariana and Jesus, "Happy Birthday." And hugged them both really quickly. Stef smiled, maybe that really was a tear she saw Taylor wipe away. "Okay picture time people." She said. The family gathered with everyone smiling completely for the first time in days.
"Hey Mariana, Can we talk?" Taylor saw her sitting alone and thought now would be the perfect time. "Uh, Are you talking to me now? Or is it going to be another show just to get people off your back like this morning?" Mariana was hostile, but Taylor found it to be understandable. "When I hugged you in there, it wasn't for show. It's been less than a week and I already miss you and talking to you. I need my best friend and sister by my side. Please Mari, come dance with me and we can talk." Mariana froze when Taylor used her nickname that she only heard Taylor use once before. "No, we aren't going to talk. We can save that for later but I miss having my sister too, so come dance with me." Taylor sighed, "Easier than I thought."
"What is going on with our kids today?" Lena was surprised when she returned inside to find Mariana and Taylor out on the dance floor laughing and playfully pushing each other. They kept smiling, finally Taylor pulled a few of the pins in her hair out and starting to shake her head around like she was crazy, this caused Mariana to laugh harder. "Well, seeing what Taylors doing today, my guess is she snuck a drink or two before the party." Stef laughed at her own joke, "Oh come on love, you know I was only kidding, besides whatever it is seems to be is working wonders for our family, look at Mariana and Taylor, and Brandon was in a particularly good mood earlier. Who knows with these teenagers." Lena rubbed her temples, "What were we ever thinking, two sixteen year olds, two fifteen year olds, one fourteen year old and a twelve year old. We we're setting ourselves up for a few headaches weren't we?" Stef laughed, "Yes love, but look at them." The rest of the Foster kids had joined Mariana and Taylor and were all laughing and shouting. The two women at the tables just smiled.
The party finished well but not without Mariana dancing with her two moms after feeling selfish because she danced with Mike instead of them. "It's alright honey." they tried to reassure her. She only felt better after dancing with them once people started filling out. On the way home Stef looked back in her mirror, "Good day right guys?" Mariana smiled, "It was perfect and we all looked sooooo cute in our dresses!" she squealed. Brandon and Callie nodded, "It was great." Jesus was already changed into shorts and a tee-shirt, "It was fun but can I go to the skatepark before dinner? Taylor and I wanted to try some new trick we found online." Stef sighed, "I'll drop you off but be home before dinner." Taylor caught Stef's eyes in the mirror, "I'm sorry for everything." Taylor mouthed, "And thank you." Stef mouthed back "later, go have fun." Lena just smiled and looked back at all the kids, "Jude, why are you so quiet... ha looks like someone had a long day." Jude had fallen asleep on Callies and Marianas shoulders, his head switching between the two.
Authors note:
Hey guys, sorry it took so long to get the last two chapters up but with the long holiday weekend I should be able to get more up and quicker. Thanks for reading as always and if you want leave a review.