Isaac sat in the middle of the floor examining a Monopoly board. "Amy, I don't think that this is right. I gave the bank $500. I should have gotten $250 back. Plus, I passed go and I didn't get my $200."

"You're such a silly-willy. I gave it to you."

"No, you didn't."

"Well, alright Ikey, here's your $200." She gave him a huge grin and a giggle. Isaac just gave her a glance and continued to concentrate on his properties.

"Okay, um, I will buy a...hotel and..." he curled his brow and stared down at his money.

"You are so serious, you should lighten up, Ikey." She gave him a pat on the head.

"It's Ike."

"Oh, of course." She smiled. "So...where are your brothers?"

Isaac finally looked up. "Uh, Taylor is in our room, Zac is at Kevin's house and, if you care, Mackie is learning his ABC's from Big Bird in my parent's room."

"Oh. Um, you want to go hang out in your room?"

Isaac sighed. "I just said Taylor was in there."

"Well, don't you two hang out with each other?"

Isaac set his play money down. "Don't you want to finish the game?"

"Well, not really. After awhile, Monopoly just gets...dull."

Like you? Isaac wanted to say, but he restrained. "Tay and I hang out all the time but..." he stopped and thought about it for a bit. Taylor would be the perfect distraction for Amy. "You know, I really would like to hang out with Tay. He is so much fun." Isaac gave Amy a huge smile and got up.

Isaac burst into the room where Taylor was fiddling with his new laptop. "You've been on that thing for hours, Tay. Why don't you chat with Amy for a bit?"

"Huh?" He looked up and saw Amy standing behind Isaac, waving at him. "Oh, Amy, right. Hi. How have you...been?"

"Oh, I've been really great. I told all my friends that I knew you guys. I had such a great time at the arcade yesterday. Ikey beat me, but you know, you guys are so good at video games." Amy continued to ramble on as Tay just stared. Before he realized it, Ike had slipped out of the room and shut the door.

"So, Amy..."

"Oh, did I tell you. Oh, goodness, how could I have told you. I've never really talked to you before. My best friend, Ginger, she told me that she thought that you guys...well, wait, was that it...hold on, oh, yes, you guys are just so..." she went on and on. Taylor looked at the door. Where is Ike?

"Yeah, Amy, I..."

"But I told her that it just couldn't be true..."

Taylor drowned out her voice and sighed. "I...Amy...I...HAVE TO GO!" He didn't mean to yell so loud. She looked startled. "I mean, I have to go to my friend's house. We are doing a project together."

"But you're home-schooled?"

"Yes, but, our moms got together and..." Taylor tried to search for a lie. "they wanted a group thing." He rolled his eyes at his pathetic attempt.

"Oh, okay. I'll go."

"Really?!" He tried to hide his smile. She looked crushed and gingerly got up. Tay felt extremely guilty. "Well...I guess I can go...later?"

She turned and grinned. "Oh, goody! Well, as I was saying..."

Taylor sighed and slumped down in his chair. Just when he thought he couldn't take anymore, the door flew open. "Taylor, how could you!" Taylor and Amy turned to see Jessica waving a bunch of papers in the air.

"Do what?"

"You read my story! I told you it was private and you read it!" Tears welled up in her eyes. "You knew it was private, it says so right on the first page." She started to sob.

"Jessica, I didn't..." then he stopped. He had read it. He didn't know it was such a big deal. It wasn't like the story was anything special. "Sorry, Jessie. I didn't know it was that important to you." He got up and knealed down by his sister. "I really am sorry."

By this time she was crying hard. She sat down and put her face in her hands.

"Uh, Taylor, maybe I better leave." Amy got up and headed for the door.

"Yeah, maybe you better."

Amy left and Taylor looked back at his sobbing sister. She wiped her eyes and gazed at him. Then slowly a smile spread across her lips. "It worked."

"What?" Tay backed away.

"She left, didn't she?" Jessie got up and smiled proudly. "Ike sent me in. He felt bad about leaving you in here."

"You are...good!"

"I know!" She gathered her papers together.

"You mean you're not mad about me reading your story?"

"Oh, I'm mad. But gee, Tay, I wouldn't cry over it." With that she left the room.

"That was pretty sneaky, Ike." Taylor walked into the kitchen where Isaac was munching on a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. "But it was the least you could do after leaving me there, stranded with that girl."

"Jessica did a good job?"

"Oscar calibur." Tay sat down and opened a Dr. Pepper. "So, if you were so annoyed with that girl, why did you invite her over today."

"I didn't. She just showed up," Ike mumbled in between bites.

"What is with her, she wouldn't shut up."

"Aw, come on Tay, she was just excited, that's all. Imagine how you would act if you were hanging out at Jennifer Aniston's house."

"Well, aren't we a bit conceited. You think you're hot stuff now, huh Ike. That you can make all the girls giddy with excitement."

"Tay, have you looked at our life lately." Ike stuffed the last of the sandwich in his mouth and gulped down a glass of milk.

"You do know that dinner is in an hour."

"I was hungry. So, did you ever talk to Rebecca?"

"About what? It's not like she cares to talk to me." Taylor leaned against the table and sighed.

Just then, Zac entered the kitchen carrying a plastic bag full of water. He set it down on the counter, his back facing his brothers, and started to stare at it.

"Hey, what is that Zac?" Taylor went over and gazed at the bag.

"His name is Icky. He's a guppy."

"Where are you planning to keep a guppy?"

"Duh, in a bowl." Zac rolled his eyes and started making faces and poking at the tiny grey fish. "Kevin gave him to me. He had two guppies and they had baby guppies and this is one of the babies. Where does mom keep the big green bowls?"

"In the top cabinet."

Zac climbed onto the counter, opened the cabinet door and vainly tried to reach the top shelf. Tay reached over him and easily pulled the bowl down.

"Thanks."

"Why Icky?" Isaac joined the two at the counter to watch as Zac tried to pour the water from the bag into the bowl.

"Because he's all slimy and icky," Zac said, as if it should make perfect sense. Zac carefully tipped the bag over and started to let the water rush into the bowl, but the bag was wet and it slipped out from between his fingers. The water and its precious contents spilled out all over the floor. "Icky!"

Zac, Tay and Isaac scrambled to find the tiny gray fish that was now lying somewhere on the huge gray-tiled floor. "I think I see him!" Tay grabbed at something. "Ew! It's a peice of soggy meat from dinner last night!" Taylor quickly threw down the beef and wiped his hands on his jeans.

"Quick! Find him!" Zac scoured the floor desperately.

"Got him!" Ike delicately picked up the fish by the tail and they all looked on as he escorted it to the bowl and dropped him in. The fish was still for a moment as the guys held their breath. Then there was a jolt and the fish started to swim around.

"Icky!"

"I don't know, Zac. He kind of looks a little sick to me," Taylor snickered.

"He does not!"

"Tay's right. Look how he sort of swims on his side. Like he's got a limp or something."

"Shut up! He's fine!" Not wanted to admit to fishicide, Zac cowered over the bowl and brushed his brothers aside. "Icky is in a little shock, but he'll be fine."

"Okay, whatever you say." Tay smirked a little and he and Ike left the kitchen. From the hall, Zac could hear the two laughing.

"I hear you!" Zac looked down at his beloved pet. "You're gonna be just fine, Icky, don't let those looneys get you down." The fish made no reply, only to wiggle sideways back and forth in the bowl.

"I'll get it!" Isaac raced down the hallway after the doorbell rang. He jumped over Avery's Barbie and almost slammed into the door when he got there. "Oh, hi Leigh-Ann. Tay's in the backyard."

"Hi, Ike."

"Um, just to let you know, we're about to eat dinner..."

"Oh, I won't be long."

Leigh-Ann stepped out into the backyard where Taylor was sitting by a tree, scribbling in his notebook. "Taylor?"

He looked up and saw Leigh-Ann standing there. She seemed small for some reason and was standing a good 5 feet away from him. "Oh, hi Leigh-Ann. I was gonna call you tonight."

"Don't bother. I mean, I'm here and, gosh, how am I going to say this?" She sat down in place, still very far from where Tay was sitting. "Tay, I don't think that we can..."

"Look, if it's about what happened yesterday, I am so sorry. I just..."

"Let me finish, please." She gathered herself together and took a deep breath. "You can be so selfish sometimes Taylor Hanson. You just don't think about anyone else's feelings."

"What do you mean, I do to." Tay scooted closer to where she was sitting. "I don't know what you're talking about." He started to sound as if he was whining.

"Taylor, please." Her voice was getting more stern. "Do you have any idea why I got so mad at you when I found out that you used me to get Rebecca back?"

"Because I was a jerk, I know that."

"Taylor...forget it, I can't say this to you." She seemed like she was about to cry. He had never seen Leigh-Ann cry before. She didn't seem like the type. "I'm sorry, I'm just so nervous."

Taylor was starting to get annoyed. What was this all about? He tried to feel concern or sympathy, but girls were weird. He could never figure them out, and he was tired of trying. "Leigh-Ann, don't cry."

"I'm not crying." She looked up and, sure enough, her eyes were dry. "It's useless trying to have a meaningful conversation with you or any other boy."

"You call this a meaningful conversation? You haven't said anything that's made any sense to me!"

"I liked you, okay!" she stubbornly declared. "I liked you not like a friend. You know, that kind of like."

This took Taylor by surprise. He didn't know what to say to that, or what to do. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"Well? Aren't you going to say something?"

"I...I...don't know what to say. I didn't know that."

"Because you're dense. All guys are dense. They don't notice anything."

"Well, it's not like you said anything!"

"You're supposed to know!" The two didn't realize how loud their voices were getting or that half of the Hanson clan was watching them through the window of the house.

"Uuuugh! How? If you don't tell me!"

"Because you just should! You were so wrapped up in Rebecca that you couldn't see two feet in front of your face!"

"So, do you still like me?!" Taylor yelled.

"Yes!" Leigh-Ann yelled back.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

They turned away from each other. For a moment neither said a word. From the house a faint voice cried, "Kiss her Taylor!"

"Jess, shut up!" another voice yelled.

But Taylor was too peeved to think of kissing her. He had his pride to think about. "I gotta go eat dinner." He got up and brushed himself off. Just then, he heard the familiar yells of his father getting louder.

"What in the world do you two think you are doing? We have neighbors, you know. Jordan Taylor, get inside. Leigh-Ann, I think you better go home."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hanson. I just got carried away."

"That's fine, but please get carried away quieter next time, and not while we're about to eat." Mr. Hanson gently grabbed his sons arm and led him into the house. Leigh-Ann followed. She made her way towards the front door, but before she could leave she saw Taylor come down the hallway.

"My dad wants me to apologize for yelling at you."

"Well, whatever." She opened the door, but then turned back to face him. "Do you hate me?"

"No."

"Oh. Sorry I yelled too." She stepped outside and started to walk away.

"Leigh-Ann?"

She spun around.

"I like you, too," he whispered and then shut the door.

Zac soaked up the lazy Friday morning. He was up fairly early because of the sounds of construction workers next door. Rebecca's house was being renovated. He saw a lot of the children around the neighborhood waiting at the bus stop for the schoolbus. Amongst the sea of back-packs and bag lunches he noticed Manda sitting alone on the curb, away from the others. He bounced over to her, itching for a confrontation. "Well, hello there."

She looked up and surprisingly, smiled. But the grin quickly faded, as if she purposely wanted to hide it. "Oh, hi."

Zac sat down beside her. "So, going to school, huh?"

"Yup."

"Got all your books there, huh?"

"Yup."

"Eating home lunch, I see."

"Yup."

"You are such a great conversationalist. Did anyone ever tell you that?"

She tried to control the smile that was peircing across her face. Seeing that his comics were effective, Zac continued on. "You know, I bet that with your speaking skills, and my stellar good looks, we could probably be one great person...because we're aweful at being two people."

"Why are you talking to me. I thought you hated me." She stared at him. He was dressed oddly. He had his hair in braids, but that wasn't the strange part. He had on a Terminator-like outfit, with bulging shoulder pads and knee pads. It looked almost rubber-like. "Nice outfit."

"I try. You like the new look? We're all gonna dress like this now, on stage. Taylor too. And maybe we'll all dress in plaid jumpsuits, as well. Wouldn't that be great?"

"You're weird." She turned her head away.

"I'm weird. You're the psychologically unbalanced one."

"The what?"

"You are freaky sometimes."

"Don't you mean rude? I thought you said I was rude?"

"Well, you're that too. But mostly psycho." With that, Zac pulled out his Terminator shades and put them on. Then he leaned back and stared up into the sky. "I bet that I can stare at the sun for 5 minutes with these on."

"Well, duh. Anybody can do that. Why don't you do it with the sunglasses off?"

"Then I would go blind and so you would have to feel sorry for me. And I wouldn't want that. I would much rather you hate me like you do now than feel sorry for me."

She didn't say a word. Zac was hoping for a no, Zac, I don't hate you, but it didn't seem to be coming. Frustrated that his best goofy act didn't work, Zac got up and started to march away. Manda stared at the boy, who could barely walk properly in the outfit. He turned back around and yelled, "You know I got a pet yesterday! If you want to see it, you can come by today!" Zac then ran up his long driveway and disappeared into the house.

Zac barrelled into the house and headed to the study room, where the kids do most of their schoolwork. Mr. Hanson was sitting at the table with Mackie reading to him. "Oh, hi Zac. Are your brothers and sisters up, too?"

"Nope. Just me."

"That's an interested clothing choice for today."

Zac pulled up a chair and sat across from his father. "Daddy, can I ask you a question?"

Mr. Hanson knew that whenever his son referred to him as "daddy" that it was either a very serious matter, or he wanted something. "What is it?"

"Do people like me? I mean, am I fun and stuff?"

"You? Why in the world would you think that you're not fun to be around? Of course. A lot of people like you."

"Well, okay. There's this girl that lives next door and I think she hates me."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because she yells at me and stuff."

"I just think that maybe she's not very nice, and you shouldn't hang around her."

But that answer didn't satisfy Zac. For some reason, he cared that she didn't like him. It just bugged him. She had no reason not to like him, except for the drum thing, and he figured that it wasn't really his fault, considering it was his job and all. "Yeah, thanks."

Mr. Hanson could tell that the conversation didn't make Zac feel any better. "Zac, I wouldn't worry about it. You have more important things to worry about right now."

"I know." Zac left the room and went to wake up his brothers. If he was going to be up early and feeling miserable, then they were too, even if it meant Isaac would kill him for interrupting his slumber.

After the days schoolwork, Taylor left the house without a word to anyone. He had to see Leigh-Ann. It was all he could think about during his lessons. He started along the sidewalk when he saw a familiar figure standing across the street. It was Rebecca. Her long hair was whipping in the wind and she was gazing longingly at her house. Gathering his courage he ran across to meet her.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, hi Taylor. I'm just taking a good look at the house, that's all."

Her house was under major renovation with construction equiptment and piles of wood scattered across the yard. Men with big bellies and low jeans walked back and forth with large peices of lumber.

"So, what are they doing to it?" He pretended to be interested but all he could do was stare at her.

"We're fixing it up...before we sell it."

That got Tay's attention. "What do you mean, sell it."

She looked up at him with her big eyes. "I'm moving to California. My mom is getting transfered."

A lump started to form in his throat, but he kept it down. "Oh. Sorry."

"I haven't told anyone yet, except you. Not even Max."

He wished he could feel special about that, but the fact was that no matter who she told first, she was leaving. "When?"

"In a couple of weeks."

He would be gone by then, promoting the Christmas album. He tried to think of something to say, but decided to just put his arm around her instead. He kept staring at her eyes, which were steadily fixed on the mess of a house in front of them. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Taylor?"

Tay and Rebecca spun around to see Leigh-Ann standing in front of them. "Oh, hi Leigh-Ann," Taylor managed to get out.

"Hi Leigh-Ann," Rebecca said proudly.

"Rebecca." She looked none too happy to see the girl. "Taylor, I was actually looking for you." She glared at the two, and noticed Taylor's arm still wrapped around Rebecca's tiny shoulder.

Tay saw her eyes on his arm and quickly removed it. "Leigh-Ann. I was looking for you too."

"Oh, I'm sure you were." Leigh-Ann turned around and started to walk back to her house.

"Leigh-Ann!" He ran after her.

"Taylor!" Rebecca yelled. He turned and saw her still standing there. Then he looked back at Leigh-Ann, who was by now jogging away. "Rebecca...I...gotta go." With that, he started running after Leigh-Ann.

He caught up with her and blocked her path. "Leigh-Ann."

"Taylor, I'm sick and I'm tired of you." She tried to maneuver around him.

"What did I do?" He continued to block her every movement.

"You tell me something one day, and then you go off and get all friendly with Rebecca."

"Yeah, friendly. Like friends. Besides, it's not like you and I are going out or anything."

She stopped trying to get around him and stared up at him. "I know that. But what you said last night should make a difference, shouldn't it?"

"Of course it makes a difference. I'm only 14, Leigh-Ann. I don't know what you want from me."

"I just want it to be like it use to be. But it can't because...I think I love you."

Taylor stood in shock. "Woah, Leigh-Ann. That's heavy." Love? He was too young to think about love. "You really don't mean that."

"How can you say that? How do you know what I mean?" She looked down and folded her arms in front of her.

"I can't say anything to that. You know, it's kind of freaky."

"What?"

"You saying you love me. How can you know that? I'm not ready for that."

"I guess I am." She walked around him and this time he let her pass.

"I like you." He hoped that would appease her, but by the expression on her face, he could see that it didn't. "Leigh-Ann, you know I kept saying that I loved Rebecca, but I didn't. I never did. I think it will be awhile before I can say that."

"Then why did you say it to her?"

"Because it seemed like something I was supposed to say. Maybe you're just saying you love me because you think it's what you're supposed to do." He reached down and gently stroked the side of her face. "I have a lot of things to think about and a lot of things that I want to do. We're too young to consider things like love."

"You sound like my mom. That's kind of freaky."

"Yeah, I know. It's freaking me out too. Maybe I'm maturing, or something."

"Nah, you're way to crazy to be mature." She cracked a smile.

Leigh-Ann stared up and then moved closer to him. He held his breath and the two gently kissed. He stroked her hair and put his other arm around her waist. She grasped on to his shoulders to try and pull herself up closer. He leaned down and tried to kiss harder. The kiss lasted for only a moment, but it seemed like a lifetime. When they finally parted, they still continued to look at each other. Neither knew exactly what to do. The look lasted so long and the silence was so unbearable that Taylor couldn't stand it. He burst out laughing.

"It wasn't that funny, Taylor Hanson." She tried to restrain herself, but his laugh was infectious and soon she was giggling.

"We gave the neighbors a good show." He looked around and noticed that at least 5 people were outside in their front yards.

"Yeah, we sure did."

"So, you wanna go play lego? I got a bunch of new ones."

"Sure."

The two walked side by side back to the Hansons' home. Halfway there, Taylor reached down and grabbed her hand. She looked up and smiled.