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---Ashley---
I opened my dorm door a few days after Christmas to find Josh standing there. I immediately slammed the door.
"Ashley! Don't you want your Christmas present?" He asked
"NO!"
A small package appeared under the door and he heard his footsteps fade away.
Sighing I picked it up and tore off the wrapping. Inside was a beautiful frame with a picture of Josh and I.
Sighing (again) I set it down on the table and walked out the door.
---Josh---
I'm an idiot!
The dumbest guy on the planet!
Why on earth did I say that about Ash!?
Why on earth was I even talking to Simon?! He's the most annoying guy on the planet!
Why am I sitting here? Shouldn't I be trying to apologize?
---Ashley---
"UGH! Go away Josh I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU!" I said as Josh appeared at my side at the grocery store.
"Please hear me out?"
"NO!"
"COME ON"
"NO"
"PLEASE"
"NO"
"AAAAAAASHLEY"
"NO"
that argument went on as I walked down the row getting my groceries. And it continued till we got to the register.
"PLEASE"
"NO WAY! DROP IT!"
And till we walked out to my car. I just put the groceries in the boot, Got in, slammed the door and drove away. Looking in my rear vision mirror I saw Josh standing there dejectedly.
---Josh---
I watched Ashley's car drive away. And angrily kicked a rock.
"OH! I'm sorry!" I said as it went hurtling towards a tough looking guy.
I decided it would be best to get out of there and I raced over to my car.
---Ashley---
I found a note under my dorm door. Boy! That boy was really trying.
Ashley-
Please hear me out! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY!
-Josh
I just screwed it up and threw it in the bin. I turned around and saw the photo frame sitting on the table. Losing my temper I reached out and swiped it off the table it landed on the floor with a bang. That wasn't satisfying enough so I drove my heel down on it and broke the glass then walked into my room, slamming the door behind me. This was turning out to be a very satisfying hissy fit!
---Josh---
"I'm not leaving till you hear me out!" I shouted through the door of Ash's dorm. Her neighbor appeared at the next door and stared at me like I was crazy
"Hi" I said with a smile.
She just shook her head and disappeared.
"FINE!" Ashley said throwing the door open.
My heart leapt, cause I thought she was going to finally hear me out.
"I'LL LEAVE THEN!" She said walking out.
"Ashley! You're making heaps out of such a small thing" I said
"I don't care" And with that she ran down the hall and started down the stairs.
I sighed and started to walk away when I heard her scream, and the sound of her falling down the stairs.
"ASHLEY!" I yelled running to the stairs, just in time to see her land at the bottom, her head hitting the ground with a loud bang.
Chapter 32:
---Michael---
"Oh no, Oh no, Oh no" Josh said walking around in circles.
"Chill, dude!" I glanced around the hospital waiting room. Ugh! This was bringing back bad memories of when Mary-Kate was in here.
"She hit her head! She was unconcious" Josh said freaking out.
"Calm down!"
"Oh man!" He still hadn't heard me.
"CHILL!"
Just then the Doctor walked out and we raced over to him.
Ashley had a broken leg.
---Ashley---
I looked at the cast on my leg, sadly. I have to lug around that annoying thing for a month! Great, just great! Josh better not come near me anytime soon. Or... well,... who knows what'll happen to him!
No, I don't care that I tripped down the stairs! He must have been remotely responsible!
GRRRRRRRRRRR
---Mary-Kate---
"Hello?" I said answering the phone.
"Ashleybrokeherleg" Josh said all in a rush
"What?"
"She fell down the stairs and she's not talking to me and she needs a ride home but she won't talk to me. And... PLEASE HELP!"
"I'll be there in a moment" I said hanging up and explaining to Zac. With that we rushed to the hospital.
"I AM NOT TALKING TO YOU!" I heard as soon as I got there, guess it was coming from Ashley "GO AWAY!"
"FINE" Josh stormed past me and Zac "you try to help her" he said before disappearing outside.
"JERK!" Ashley called after him.
Zac and I looked at each other then rolled our eyes.
"What are you mad at him about this time?" I asked my sister, helping her to the car.
"Um,... he said he didn't like me to his friends" Ashley said after a minute thinking.
"That's all?"
"Well,... yeah"
I sighed.
---Ashley---
Three days passed and Josh hadn't tried to apologize. Maybe I took my tantrum a little too far...
I guess I must have scared him a lot when I fell down the steps...
Oops...
Why does this always happen to us!?!
---Josh---
"Are you gonna sulk here all day or call her?" Michael asked me frustratedly.
"Sulk here" I responded.
"Fine! I'm going to go see Melanie" He said leaving.
"Fine!" I responded and went back to staring at the wall.
---Melanie---
"What on earth happened here?" I breathed to myself walking into my dorm.
"Hey Melanie" Michael said appearing at my side and quickly kissing me "Woah!" He said noticing the room. "Going for the mirrors look?"
Just then a 'tall, dark and handsome' guy appeared from Mary-Kate's old room. "You must be Melanie?" He said in a voice that showed how totally full of himself he was.
"Who are you? And what are you doing in my dorm?" I asked annoyed "And what's with the mirrors?!"
"A guys gotta look his best" He said motioning to the mirrors. And I'm Jesse, your new dormy. The guys dorms are all full so I ended up here"
I must have looked totally freaked cause he asked me what was wrong "N-N-Nothing" I said.
"Sooo" He said in a 'I'm cooler then cool' voice "Does a beautiful girl like you have a boyfriend?" He winked.
I felt disgusted.
Michael stepped forward "yes! That would be me" he said glaring at Jesse.
Jesse looked him up and down "Oh" he said "well, If you ever, you know, come to your senses you know where I live" he winked again. Looked at himself in the mirror then walked back to his room.
I turned to Michael "UGH!"
---Ashley---
I was stupid.
I admit it!
And I admit that I'm now gonna have to go swallow my pride and talk to Josh.
What fun!
And with these dumb crutches it'll take me a year to get to his dorm!
---Josh---
I opened the door to find Ashley standing there.
"What do you want?" I asked in a bored tone.
"To talk" She said timidly.
"Fine" I opened the door and waved her into the room.
She looked at me timidly and walked in.
Chapter 33:
---Ashley---
"Are you planing on staring out the window the whole time, or maybe.. oh, you know looking at me?"
"Window" Josh answered, continuing to stare out it.
"Keeping an eye out for Michael and Melanie?" I asked. Though he was facing away from me I knew he smiled.
"Maybe"
"I'm sorry"
FINALLY! He turned around. "And?..."
"Don't push it boy!" I said with a stern expression
He grinned "Why? You did!"
"Well, yeah and I ended up regretting it"
"So we're ok now?" He asked
"If you're accepting my apology we are"
"Maybe" He winked
"Then Maybe we're ok" I winked back
We both smiled.
---Zac---
"You are coming over for Ike's wedding?" I asked Mary-Kate as we hugged good-bye.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world" She said pulling back and smiling. "The fact that I'll get to see YOU in a month doesn't hurt either!" She said grinning.
"Doesn't hurt at all" I said leaning in to kiss her. The plane was announced to be boarding and I had to leave.
"Love you" I said waving as I walked away.
"Right back atcha" She said with a wave.
---Melanie---
"Ugh! Would you go away!" I said giving up on watching Telivision and starting for my room.
Jesse, who'd been annoying me for the last half hour, lept in front of me "Aw. come on! You know you wanna spend time with me!"
"Nope! I don't know that" I said trying to get past him to my room.
There was a knock at the door. Jesse finally left me alone and raced to answer it. I raced to my room. Closing the door behind me.
"Mel!" I heard him call. I groaned "Your boyfriends here!" He said in a bored tone. I grinned, and threw the door open.
I glanced around Michael wasn't there. "Where is he?" I asked confused.
"Who?" Jesse said with an angelic expression.
"Michael"
"Oh, I was wrong it was just the pizza guy. Want some?" He held up a slice of pizza.
"UGH!" I slammed the door in his face.
---Taylor---
"Oh boy" I said looking at the picture of Mary-Kate, Ashley, Zac and I, back when we were recording the remix of Love Song. "I got it bad!" I put the picture down, then picked it up again "AUGH! Why me?"
Just then Zac walked in and I scrambled to hide the picture "Ever heard of knocking?" I asked casually.
"No" he smiled and sat down on the bed "Mary-Kate's gonna be here in a week" he said with a dreamy smile.
I had to fight one from appearing on my own face.
This is bad! This is really bad!
---Michael---
"You ok?" I asked Melanie, concerned.
"Huh?" She asked turning to me.
We were out on a date, riding around on one of those horse and buggy's through central park. Very romantic. But, not when your girlfriends on another planet!
"Are you ok? You seem kind of.. distracted"
She made a face "Jesse" she said simply "he's the most annoying thing on the planet!"
"Aww" I said leaning over to kiss her "Poor Melanie"
"Uh-huh" She mumbled kissing me back "Poor me!"
Jesse was soon forgotten..
-A MONTH LATER!-
---Mary-Kate---
"ZAC!" I called racing across the airport to where he was standing. "Wait a minute" I said when I reached the person "Taylor?"
He smiled, a shy smiled which was strange considering how long we'd known each other "He couldn't make it. He felt really horrible though"
"Oh" I said feeling disappointed. "He was going to show me the church were the wedding's gonna be"
"I can show you" Taylor offered trying to dull the disappointment a little.
I smiled at him. "That'd be cool. We haven't hung out in ages!"
"I know" Taylor said with a funny expression on his face.
"So where did you say Zac was?"
"He had a magazine interview"
"Just him?"
"It was an under twenty magazine" Taylor made a face "Totally not fair"
I laughed.
---Zac---
Man, I felt so guilty about not being able to pick Mary-Kate up. Though Taylor hadn't seemed to mind picking her up. He'd been acting really weird lately. Well, Taylor always acts weird but lately it's been REALLY weird!
If you know what I mean.
---Taylor---
"Woah!" Mary-Kate said spinning around slowly to survey the whole interior of the church "This place is awesome! I would so love to get married here"
"Maybe you could"
She made a face "Zac wants to get married back home"
She just had to remind me she's engaged to my brother. Didn't she!?
"Well,..." I pretended to kneel "Would you marry me?" I said winking.
She grinned and decided to play along "Why I'd love to" she said in a funny voice.
I took her arm and we walked up the aisle together.
She thought this was all for fun. But, man it was a dream come true for me. Even if it was all make believe (darn)
"And yadda yadda yadda" I said voicing the vows and all the other stuff the preacher would say.
She raised an eyebrow at me "How... typical of a wedding"
I smiled "I know" I said acting all proud.
"I know pronounce you husband and wife" I said for the imaginary preacher, and smiled at her.
"We're married!" She said happily.
"Well, the wedding isn't totally over" I said half to myself.
"It isn't?" she said looking puzzled.
"You may now kiss the bride" I Whispered to myself.
She laughed, obviously not expecting what was coming.
I leaned down and ever so gently kissed her (really kissed her)
"Taylor?" She asked pulling back.
Uh-oh! Please tell me I didn't just kiss my brothers fiancee!
Chapter 34:
She looked up at me in shock.
"I-I-" I stutted, not knowing what to say.
She spun around and ran out of the church. Her footsteps echoing around and around.
"Mary-Kate wait!" I called running after her "Please?" I emerged from the inside of the church and the warmth from the sun enveloped me. But, no matter how warm it was it couldn't melt the ice cold grip of dread and regret that had enveloped my heart. Mary-Kate was nowhere in sight
"Can we just go to the motel" a voice said. I spun around to see Mary-Kate leaning against the church.
"Sure" I said.
She didn't meet my eye as she walked to the car and we drove back to the motel in silence.
"Mary-Kate" I said as I pulled the car over to the curb outside the building "I shouldn't have done that. It was a mistake. Let's just forget it ever happened. It would really hurt Zac if he found out"
"Really hurt Zac? Or Zac really hurt you?" Mary-Kate said climbing out of the car.
I sighed "both" I whispered to myself then climbed out too.
---Mary-Kate---
Taylor opened the motel door for me and I walked in. I was extremely annoyed with him right about then.
"Mary-Kate!" Zac said happily running over to me and hugging me "I missed you so much!"
"Me too" I said hugging him back. Even though Taylor had kissed me, and I hadn't kissed him back or anything. I couldn't shake this feeling of guilt that was enveloping me.
Zac pulled back and kissed me "You're here now" He whispered to me.
Isaac walked into the room and cave over to hug me "Good to see you" he said.
"You too" I said forcing a smile.
Taylor meanwhile stalked into his room and closed the door with a firm bang behind him.
"What's with him?" Zac asked.
I just shrugged in response.
---Zac---
I may be a guy, but that doesn't mean I don't have intuition too (sometimes) And I knew something was going on here. First of Mary-Kate looked all pale and worried. And Taylor, well I didn't get a very good look at him. But the fact that he slammed the door means he's kind of upset.
I wonder if the two incidents are related or different.
I decided to just ignore it for now. They'd tell me what's wrong if they needed to. After all I'm Taylors brother he can trust me. And I'm Mary-Kate's fiancee. Of course she can trust me!
---Melanie---
"You're kidding? He did what?!" I said in shock.
"He kissed me" Mary-Kate whispered.
The two of us were talking on the phone, late Sunday afternoon. And I was totally in shock over what she was telling me.
"Woah!"
"I know!" she said near tears "What am I supposed to do? He said it was an accident and not to tell Zac cause he was afraid of what he'd do. But I feel so horrible keeping it from him!"
"You really should tell him" I said firmly.
"I don't know how!"
"Who ya talking to?" Jesse said walking in and flopping down next to me on the couch.
I ignored him. I'd discovered over the last month that that was the best way to get him to leave you alone.
"Your boyfriend?" He asked. (Unfortunately it takes awhile before he actually leaves)
I glared at him.
"Are you still there?" Mary-Kate asked.
"Yes, Sorry! Jesse's just being a pain in the nick" I said this while glaring at him.
Mary-Kate laughed, which was a change from how upset she'd sounded earlier. A nice change. "You poor thing! That roomie from a horror story!"
"Yup" I agreed "Poor me" I seemed to be saying that a lot lately.
Chapter 35:
---Mary-Kate---
I hung up the phone from talking to Melanie and sighed. My life was extremely messed up, right about now.
"Mary-kate!" Zac was knocking on the door.
I got up and opened it.
"So what do you want to do today?" Zac literally bounced into the room. "I know!" He said excitedly "Lets go see the eiffel tower!" (Did I mention we're staying in France?)
"Zac I need to talk to you about something" I'd decided to tell him.
Unfortunately he didn't really hear me "Yeah! We could all go! Kirsten, Isaac, Taylor and us! It'd be fun"
"Zac! I don't think-"
"I'll go check with the others" He said still not really hearing me. Maybe I should have tried talking over a whisper.
I sighed and sat down on the bed.
A whole day with Zac. Great!
A whole day with Taylor. Uh-oh!
***
I walked out of the room and into the kitchen were Zac and Taylor were arguing.
"No Way! I don't want to come!" Taylor was saying.
"Come on man! It'll be like old times"
"NO!"
"What would you rather do? Sit around her sulking, or see a world famous tower"
"First off I'm not sulking. Second I've seen it before"
I stopped in the doorway and for the first time they noticed I was there.
"Um, hi" I said not looking at Taylor.
"Please Tay it'll be fun!" Zac gave it one last try "Won't it Mary-Kate?"
"Uh, sure" I said examining a painting on the wall.
Taylor sighed "Fine, if it'll get you off my back I'll come" He said brushing past me and walking to his room.
Zac walked over to where I was and wrapped his arms around me. "I'm so glad you're here" He whispered into my ear before going in search of Isaac.
"Me too" I whispered to the empty room "If only this trip didn't have to start the way it did"
---Taylor---
I feel like the worlds biggest idiot. What on earth was I thinking kissing Mary-Kate? I wish I could just crawl under my bed and stay there till she leaves. Never have to face her or my mistake again. Or my brother... Unfortunately they won't let me hide. And now I have to go on this dumb tourist trip!
"Come on Taylor! We're going!" Zac called banging on the door.
Is he truly that oblivious to the fact that I REALLY don't want to go today!?
I stepped out of my room to see Mary-Kate sitting on the couch looking at anything but me. Kirsten and Isaac were staring at each other all lovey-dovey, something I was now totally used to. And Zac was looking all happy, like everything in the world was perfect.
Me? I was STILL feeling like the worlds biggest jerk!
---Zac---
I managed to herd everyone out of the motel and into the van we were renting. I managed to get us to the Eiffel tower. I managed to get Isaac and Kirsten out of the van without them tripping over their own feet (that happens when you don't stop staring at each other) and managed to literally drag Taylor, by the hair, out of the van. Thank God for my Mary-Kate who happily got out by herself.
Needless to say, by this time I was pretty tired and wondering why I'd bothered.
"Woah!" Mary-Kate said taking my arm and looking up at the Tower "This thing never ceases to amaze me!" She smiled at me happily, and I swear her whole face lit up.
Isaac and Kirsten went on ahead and Taylor kind of trudged along on his own.
"I wish I knew what's wrong with him" I said sadly.
Mary-Kate glanced at me then at the ground, she was silent for a while then brought up a new subject, "Remember that whole Jessica thing?"
I nodded.
"I was so stupid to think you'd do something like that! Even if she'd kissed you, it wouldn't have meant anything. And you definitely wouldn't have kissed her back. I was so over-reacting!"
I nodded in agreement. "Of course" I said "I think we should agree to always hear each other out. Before jumping to conclusions about what happened."
"I hope there's never a next time." she said quietly "You know I love you and wouldn't do anything to jeapordise our relationship?"
I nodded and gently kissed her "I know. And neither would I"
---Mary-Kate---
I breathed a sigh of relief. Zac loved me, he knew I loved him. He'd understand the whole Taylor thing was an accident. I don't know how he'd feel towards Taylor but I don't think it would harm our relationship. Though if I keep it under wraps longer it might...
"Zac, I need to talk to you about something" I began.
"Hey Zac! Mary-Kate! Come over here!" Kirsten called waving to us.
"Can it wait a while?" Zac asked.
I nodded. And we ran over to the others.
---Taylor---
I let out a dejected sigh as I played with the food on my plate. My sorry-for-myself session was soon interrupted though, as Zac slammed his fork down on his plate so loudly I jumped.
"I am REALLY SICK OF THIS TAY!" He yelled.
"Sick of what?!" I said sinking down in my chair, wishing he didn't have to make such a fuss in a public place.
"Don't give me that! You've been sulking all day! Since yesterday in fact! What on earth is wrong with you!?"
"Zac" Mary-Kate said trying to calm him down "Maybe this isn't the place"
That for some reason really annoyed me "No!" I yelled making her jump "I think this place is perfect"
Mary-Kate sat back in her chair looking kind of scared.
"Don't yell at her!" Zac yelled at me rising up out of his chair.
Just then the manager came walking over and kicked us out of the restaurant for causing a disruption.
---Mary-Kate---
"Good one Zac!" Taylor muttered as we walked down the street. Ike and Kirsten had wondered off on their own ages ago, and now the three of us were walking back to our motel room.
"Oh, Shut up!" I said sick of his behavior.
Zac, looked at the two of us "You two have been acting really strange ever since Mary-Kate got here. Is it the same thing?"
"No!" Taylor said at the exact same time I said "Yes!"
Taylor glared at me "No it doesn't" he said evenly.
"It does so and hiding it won't make it go away" I returned.
"Ok, what's going on?" Zac asked us both.
"Ask him!" I said
"Taylor?"
Taylor looked kind of pale as he stared at his brothers rather annoyed expression. He gulped "uh..."
"Taylor kissed me" I said deciding he'd probably never say it "The other day after picking me up from the airport"
"WHAT?!" Zac roared stepping towards Taylor angrily.
Ok, now I see why Taylor didn't want to tell him!