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Chill Factor: High.......
‘Dest! Can I speak to you for a second?’ Ike called, running to catch up with her.
Tay quickly ducked back inside his room.
Ike did not want Tay to go to the party.
‘Dad? Can I speak to you?’
Ike and Destiny shared a chocolate milkshake late that afternoon.
Tay was sitting on his balcony, staring off in the direction of Key West Park when Walker strolled out to talk to him.
‘Destiny?’
When Ike and Destiny returned home that night, Tay was bursting to tell Ike the news.
‘Tay?’
It was just after two and the Hanson clan, accompanied by Destiny, had just returned from Planet Hollywood where they had devoured what seemed like the greater part of the restaurants food supply in a ritual they called ‘lunch’.
‘Sure Ike. What’s up?’
As soon as Ike was level with Destiny, he couldn’t seem to meet her gaze. He immediately averted his to the hall stretching out before him in an effort to look casual and uncommitted.
‘Oh, I, uh, was just wondering, that party, you’re friends are having.......?’
‘You asked if you could come? I really hope you can, it’ll be a blast!’ she was about to go on before Ike interrupted her.
‘Ah, see, no. I haven’t asked. Yet. But I will. As soon as I get a chance. I just need to find the right time you know.....’ He trailed off.
‘Yeah, I know what you mean. I have to get my parents when they’re like distracted or something....’ again Ike cut her off.
‘Yeah....but that wasn’t the main reason I brought it up. See.....ah....well, were you going to mention it to Tay at all, cause I sort of accidentally brought it up and well, now he knows and well.....’
Ike thought he saw Destiny’s face fall a little but he wasn’t sure.
‘Oh, well....great then! Tay can come too, I guess. That’ll be ok. The more the merrier they always say!’ and with that, Destiny was off down the hall after a cheeky Jessica who had just stuck her head out the door of her room to poke her tongue out at her.
‘Yeah... the more...the merrier.’ Ike muttered morosely as he watched her disappear into Jessica’s room.
Had he seen correctly?
Had Destiny really seem a little miffed that Ike had mentioned the party to him?
Had she?
Nah. She wouldn’t have. Tay thought.
Destiny and I are best friends.
And Ike is just a good friend to her.
She likes me better.
Yeah.
But Tay could not shake the feeling that something was wrong with the picture.
Seemed funny that Ike was a little annoyed at having talked about the party.
Seemed funny because Tay was always Ike’s best company.
Unless Ike was still cut at the way he’d treated him a few days before.....
Tay shook his head.
Nah, he’d be over that already, even if I’m not. He thought.
Then a new thought popped into Tay’s head.
Unless........nah. There was no way.
Was there?
Like he’d already thought before, Destiny liked him better than Ike.
After all the years apart, they were still tight.
Tay held tight to his belief and decided to go to the party, if he was allowed, whether or not Ike wanted him there.
Not since he had seen the way Destiny looked a little upset when he mentioned that Tay knew.
He wanted to be alone with her.
And he guessed she felt the same way.
Tay had already blown his chance with her, back in Tulsa, nearly three years ago.
This was Ike’s chance.
And he was not going to blow it.
‘Sure son, what is it?’
Tay sat down on his parent’s bed and watched as his father filled in a report for the people in charge of printing the next MOE issue.
In an effort to get the upper hand on Ike, he’d decided he would ask his father if he could go to the party before Ike had a chance to suggest otherwise.
‘Well, see...since we’re going to be here for almost a month, and Destiny lives like ten minutes away, well.......’
‘What is it Taylor? I’m pretty busy you know.’
‘Well, Destiny’s friends are having a party tomorrow night and I was wondering if Ike and I could go.’ The words came out in a bit of a rush.
‘A party? Tay? Are you serious? Did you really expect me to let you go? Aside from the fact that you are only fifteen and I want you alive and well to record the video, I don’t even know the people!’ Walker Hanson raised his voice just a little for effect, but he did not even turn to face his son.
‘But dad.....’
‘But dad nothing. Will there be alcohol at this party?’
‘I don’t really know.......’
‘Taylor, you are far too young to attend parties where there is alcohol anyway. I can’t believe you would want to go anyway, you are Taylor Hanson you know, not just a local neighborhood boy.’
Taylor had heard enough.
‘Don’t you think I know that? That I’m Taylor Hanson? I only get reminded of it everyday! Everyday I want to go to the movies, everyday I want to go get a soda, everyday I have a million paparazzi hounding me. I know I am world famous Taylor Hanson! I know goddamn it! It’s impossible to forget! But guess what dad? I am also a normal teenage guy, believe it or not. Under the ‘pop star’ cover, I’m just like any other guy my age. Any other guy my age that deserves to be allowed to do things once in awhile. Only you can never see that can you?’ and with that, Taylor stormed out of the room, leaving his bewildered father staring after him.
They sat in a small cafe on West Eighth Street and watched the sun sink beneath the huge skyscrapers on the only horizon visible in the middle of a city.
It was the second day that Ike had spent with Destiny since their childhood, and the second day he knew his heart had found it’s desire.
It was not that romantic really, the setting, but Ike would not have found it more appealing if they had been cruising down a canal in a gondola in Venice.
Just sitting there with Destiny did that to him, made him feel like the happiest man alive.
‘Destiny?’
‘Yeah Ike?’
‘Do you wanna go for a walk in the park?
‘Sure!’
The two finished their meal, Ike picked up the tab and then, taking each others hands, strolled through Key West Park in the middle of pricey uptown Seattle.
Tay knew his father had joined him, even if he didn’t speak, but blow him down if Tay was going to acknowledge his presence.
‘Taylor? Son?’
Tay stared straight ahead and focused a couple walking in the park.
‘Taylor? Turn and look at me please.’
The couple disappeared under the trees and Tay reluctantly turned to face his father.
‘Your mother and I have discussed the matter and we have agreed to let you and Ike go to the party, on three conditions.’
Tay merely shrugged.
‘One, that you let us come and pick you up. So therefore you need to inform us where it is. Two, that you let us pick you up no later than midnight and three, that under no circumstances are you to consume any, and I mean ANY alcoholic substances. Got it?’
Tay kept his face free of emotion as he thanked his father, but inside he was grinning from ear to ear.
Serves Ike right he thought.
You’re not keeping me away from my angel.
‘Yeah?’
But as answer, Ike leant in and kissed Destiny softly on the lips.
But as the two of them walked into the room, Tay’s good mood vanished and a cold feeling descended on him.
Ike however was grinning moronically......and holding Tay’s angel’s hand protectively.
No answer.
‘Taylor? Can I please talk to you? It’s important.’
This time a sarcastic laugh sounded out of Taylor’s darkened bedroom.
‘You have got to be joking Ike. You’re the last person on earth I want to ever see again. The only thing I want from you ever again is for you to go jump in front of an express train.’ And with that, Ike heard Tay’s sound system turned up to full throttle and Spin Doctor’s “Two Princes” blasted its way out.
Kinda appropriate. Ike sighed and slumped against the door.
After today, he doubted Tay would ever speak to him again.
But although he knew he was wrong to go behind Tay’s back, really, why did it matter? It wasn’t like Tay and Destiny were ever anything anyway.
So really he wasn’t doing anything wrong at all.
But he still felt the tiniest bit guilty knowing how much he was hurting Tay.
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