"So what do you want," Zac asked.

"A large Dr. Pepper, and um, nachos," I replied.

"No, popcorn?"

"I don't know. I don't want to waste all the money you made selling 'This Time Around' albums," she said with a laugh.

"Ooooh, low blow there, Daph," I replied trying hard not to laugh.

"Oh, sorry, Zac, but hey, just think of it this way - You get to go home and tell all your friends that I blew you on the first date."

I just burst out into a fit of laughter.

"You so rock," I told her.

"Um, sir - a large Dr. Pepper and some nachos," the boy behind the counter asked.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. One large Dr. Pepper and some nachos."

I turned back to Daph and confessed, "Sharing a large Dr. Pepper and some nachos sounds cool."

"Who said I wanted to share?"

"Who said I was buying this for you?"

"Good one," she commented.

"Yeah, you know what, Daph? I like you a lot. You're the first girl to keep me on my feet."

"Oh, so you haven't fallen for me yet? Damn! What is it? Am I not wearing enough makeup? Are my clothes not tight enough?"

Before I could answer from behind us I heard, "Oh my God! Zac?!? ZAC HANSON!?!?"

We turned and looked back to see a small group of teenies.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath.

*          *          *          *          *

Isaac went into the other room to have some privacy talking to Shiye. Why does he always do that? Does he really think that the other people in the room have nothing better to do than listen to his conversation? Or is it really that intimate that he can't bare to have anyone else listen?

"What are you thinking about," Will asked.

"Huh," I replied.

"What are you thinking about," he repeated.

"Oh, nothing important really," I answered.

"Taylor, everything you think about is important to me," Will whispered.

My heart skipped a beat.

"Why," I questioned holding my breath.

"Because I love you, Taylor," he told me.

"Oh, God, Will. I love you, too. You have no idea, and it feels so weird."

"It feels weird to love me," Will pried, a bit of hurt flashing across his face.

"Oh, no, what I meant to say is... It feels weird because the feelings are so familiar, but I know I've never felt this way or at least I can't remember ever feeling this way. Then again we did have that one moment together before, but... it just seems like the feelings I'm feeling are even older than that, but that doesn't make any sense."

"I feel the same way, Tay," Will confessed.

The room grew very silent, and I looked up into his eyes. Suddenly memories of events in the past that hadn't happened came flooding back. I remembered jacking off in a hotel room thinking about Will. I remembered eating at an IHOP with Will and Ike. I remembered being thankful for not going to Hawaii. I remembered writing a book or something, a story with Will...

"Eternal Night," I mumbled.

"Excuse me," Will asked.

"Hold on," I said reaching over to pick up my cell phone off the side table where I had set it earlier.

I had to call back to Tulsa. I had to see if these memories had any truth behind them, and if they did…than that would mean a story called, "Eternal Night" would be stashed away in the back of my closet in a hiding place only I knew of or at least used.

*          *          *          *          *

"Do I know you?" Zac asked.

"Yes! I'm Chelsea! Oh my God, I was in the front row at the last Cleveland show you guys did. You like smiled at me when you guys were doing the acoustic version of 'Wish That I Was There.'"

"Oh, how could I forget," Zac lied rolling his eyes.

I threw you my number, but you never called me back. I figured you just lost it just like you lost the invite to my party after the Tulsa show. Hey, um, why are you with Daphne of Freezer Burn? Are you two dating now or something?"

"No, we're just friends."

"Oh, of course. I understand. It's okay. You still got my number. Call me when you're done with her."

Zac got a disgusted look on his face. We grabbed the Dr. Pepper and nachos and walked towards the theater our movie was playing in.

"Do they ever listen to a damn word that comes out my mouth?" he asked.

"Nope. They're too busy staring at your mouth. There isn't enough brain power for them to be able to actually comprehend what you're saying," I answered.

"You're probably right. That's so sad," Zac commented as he opened the door to the movie for me.

*          *          *          *          *

"I'm fine, I promise," her voice muttered. I could tell that she was tired.

"I got the message that you went in to see the doctor."

"Just a routine check up, I'm gonna be just fine, a little tired, but everything is cool," she reassured me.

"You know how I worry sometimes," I replied quietly.

"I know, but you don't need to this time," she replied.

"Ok, well you need to sleep, I can hear it in your voice," I said quietly.

"Ok, call me in the morning, I should be back home by then," she muttered as she said goodbye and hung up.

"Thank God for Will," I thought to myself. Otherwise I would never have gotten the message.

I sat back for a moment. I remembered Jammer acting really strange the past day or so. He had made some really sad story up about Tay and Will and Zac and Daphne all sleeping together. What was worse is he had insisted it was true, and had drug mom and dad up out of bed early that morning raising hell. Then Taylor taking off, Will turning up missing, then suddenly mom and dad telling Jammer where to go. Why the hell Chris had set him up to be wherever we were. I swear, Patricia is so much easier to get a long with.

"What happened to Patricia," I thought to myself.

"She had known Will, hadn't she?"

I rubbed my forehead, why were things so complicated. I stood up and walked back into the room. My heart stopped. Taylor and Will were cuddled up together in front of the television set. Tay had his head resting on Wills chest. Will absentmindedly ran his fingers through Taylor's hair. He glanced up at me, his eyes grew a bit wide, and he went pale.

"It's ok," I muttered quietly as I looked down at Taylor.

"I," Will started quietly, I placed my finger over my mouth.

"Don't wake him," I said quietly.

"Tell me something though," I started.

He looked up at me, his eyebrows raised.

"Is it true, what Jammer said," I asked.

I watched him look down at Taylor, then up at the dark night sky outside the window, the back down at Taylor again. Just watching him weighing out his options told me the answer.

"It's ok, I won't tell anyone," I said quietly.

He looked at me, tears in his eyes.

"Will, you're gonna be ok, we all will, just try to keep it all under wraps until we can figure this all out," I said quietly kneeling by the sofa.

"I'm so scared Ike," Will muttered. Tay shifted quietly.

"I know, I can feel it."

"Why does all of this seem so familiar," he asked. That was when it hit me. All of this, Will, Taylor, being together, loving each other, it seemed familiar. I was accepting it before I knew about it.

"I don't know," I whispered.

"All I do know is Taylor is happy again, happier than he's been in a long time," I said quietly looking at him. His upper lip twitching slightly as he slept.

"I only want him to be happy," Will cried quietly. Taylor shifted, his eyes opened slowly. He looked at me and smiled that sweet sleepy 'Taylor' smile.

"Hey bro," I grinned.

"Hey dude," he smiled quietly.

"You're gonna be ok," I said looking at him, swallowing hard to keep the lump in my throat from choking me.

"Huh," he asked slightly confused. He ran his hand up beside his face and squeezed himself closer to Will.

"The two of you, you're gonna be fine, it's ok," I replied.

Taylor looked up at Will, then back down at me. The confusion in his eyes washed away.

"You mean," he said quietly, I could feel the knot in my throat swelling as his voice cracked.

"I know, I'm ok, you'll be ok, Jammer isn't going to come between the two of you, I won't let it happen, even if I have to lie to mom and dad myself."

"Ike," Tay cried quietly as he sat up and reached out for me.

I hugged him. My brother, he was my brother, he always will be. Nothing could change that. Nothing could make me stop loving him. Somehow I knew deep inside mom and dad would understand. Something told me they would have no problem with Will.

Yet, at the same time I was afraid, afraid for Taylor and afraid for Will. Something was desperately trying to rip them apart.

"Ike you have no idea how much I needed to hear that," he whispered.

"It's ok, dude," I muttered as he squeezed me tightly.

"Zac already knows, now you do," Tay sighed as he pulled away.

"I kinda thought he had a better idea of what was going on," I smiled. Zac always had a way with knowing things before anyone else did. It had always been that way. I chuckled to myself.

"What's so funny," Tay grinned.

"It would make sense Zac knowing before me, he always does figure things out first," I smiled.

"Yeah I know, like the hurricane," Tay muttered smiling.

"Yeah," I smiled. Suddenly confusion rushed over me. I looked up at Taylor, he too suddenly looked confused, as did Will.

"What hurricane," I asked suddenly.

"I don't know," Tay said looking over at Will.

"My mind has been so messed up," I said rubbing my forehead as I stood up.

"You're not the only one," Will exclaimed breaking his silence.

"Huh," I asked turning back.

"Both Tay and I have been having some really weird memory lapses, things we can't explain," Will said quietly as Tay sat back beside him and wrapped his arms around him.

"Taylor, Will knows Patricia, right," I asked.

"Yeah, I think, don't you," Tay said looking over at him.

"Her name seems so familiar, but I can't remember," Will said staring off in the distance.

"Where did she go anyway," Tay asked suddenly.

"I don't know, I'm gonna find out," I said as I walked to the other room.

*          *          *          *          *

Call, call who was I going to call. I sat there thinking, hell, trying to think. I was gonna call someone before I fell asleep. I sat back trying to remember.

"You ok babe," Will asked as he gently ran his hand across my cheek.

"Yeah, I'm trying to remember something," I said staring out the window.

"Good luck," he chuckled.

"Yeah I know really," I smiled.

"Aww, you nicked yourself," I pouted as I traced my fingers across a small red line on his neck.

"Yeah, I know, it's the price I pay for having such delicate skin, you should see the ingrown hairs, looks like I got attacked by a tribe of vampire ants," he laughed.

"Vampires, that's it," I nearly yelled bolting up from the sofa.

"Whoa," Will jumped up too.

"What, where, vampires, Taylor you scared the shit out of me," he stammered as he looked around like a scared cat.

"Shh, babe it's ok, no it's something I was trying to remember," I laughed as I hugged him.

"Oh, well shit don't yell like that, it really startled me," he said sitting back down.

"I'm gonna go out on the balcony, make a call, you can come if you want." I smiled.

"What, like I wouldn't want to," he smiled standing up.

"I know, I know," I smiled as I kissed him on the cheek as we walked outside.

*          *          *          *          *

Daphne and I sat in the movie theater watching the boring ass movie.

"Wow, this is really boring," I commented.

"Yep, which is pretty sad figuring we've only watched fifteen minutes of it."

"Hell yeah it is," I replied glancing around the theater.

The teenies from before were all lined up two rows behind us. They squeaked and ducked down as I looked back at them. Could they be any more obvious, I asked myself.

All they had to do was pretend to watch the movie like normal people. Not squeak and duck, geeze... they deserve to be caught. Wait... I felt an evil grin form. I leaned over to Daphne. One teenie jumped up to try to see what I was doing.

"Are they kissing," I heard her friend screech.

"I don't know! I can't see. It's too dark," she replied.

Daphne rolled her eyes and groaned a bit.

"Hey Daph, you sick of them too?"

"Yes! You want to go get an usher to throw them out," she asked.

"No, I have a better idea. Follow me to the back."

She gave me a questioning look, but said nothing as she followed me to the back of the theater. Once we were back there I sat us down in the corner where it was the darkest. One of the lights from up above it had blown out. It was almost too perfect.

"They want to see a show. Let's give them a show," I whispered into Daphne's ear.

She glanced around the theater. It was nearing ten at night. The theater was empty except for the teenies and us. I saw an evil grin form on her face.

"Let's," she replied, "do you want to go down or me?"

"Oh, let me start it off," I replied with a smirk. I slid onto the floor behind the seats and just sat there. From where the teenies were though, I smiled, well for all the teenies knew I was doing something else.

"Do you like that baby," I asked with a grin.

"Yes, but oh Lord, Zac, here... Oh... you're so wild," Daphne moaned trying to hold back her laughter especially when the teenies started freaking out.

"Oh my God, Melissa! Do you hear that?"

"That is so sick, Laurie! I can't believe he'd do that with her in a movie theater!"

"Oh shut-up! You guys are just jealous because he's not going down on you!"

"Whatever! I want his brother, d'uh!"

Well this little mock make-out session went from me on the floor behind the seats, to her behind the seats, and then finally the two of us down behind the seats where the teenies couldn't see. We just slouched there in silence both thinking of something we could do next. Both trying not to laugh as we heard the teenies freak out, and try to make out what we were doing over the sound of the movie playing - without actually coming over of course. God, could teenies get any more pathetic?

"I should throw my pants at them," I whispered.

"You'll never get them back," she whispered back, "and then I'd have to explain to your family what happened to your pants."

"True, I could just tell them you were hungry, and that I forgot to bring enough money for food."

"If I was that hungry I wouldn't eat your pants," Daph said.

My eyes grew wide and focused on her lips. Daphne gave me a confused look, and then covered her mouth for a second trying to hold back laughter.

"Sorry! THAT SOUNDED REALLY BAD," she exclaimed.

"Actually for me," I teased, "that sounded really good."

"ZAC! FOCUS!"

"I AM FOCUSING! I'm focusing on what you just said," I laughed.

"Shhh, not so loud. They will hear us," she giggled.

"Sorry, you just got me so excited," I whispered.

"You are horrible. You know that," Daphne replied.

"Shut-up. You know you want me," I said.

She shot me a disgusted look.

"Whatever, Zac."

"Deny it if you like."

"You're so full of yourself sometimes," Daph replied.

"I wish someone else would be full of me sometimes," I teased.

Daphne slapped my arm really hard.

"OW," I exclaimed, quickly adding for the pleasure and disgust of the teenies,

"You're so naughty, Daph."

She snickered a bit and whispered, "You never give up, do you?"

"Not at all," I paused, then continued, "Hey, maybe one of us should sneak out of here, and buy a bunch of clothes. Then come back, and we can throw them at them."

Daphne tried to hide a smile, as she shook her head, 'no.'

"No, that's just too far. They can't see us right now anyway. For all they know we are naked."

"What are they doing?" I heard one ask a few seconds later.

Daphne moaned loudly. The teenies screamed. We started to snicker a bit.

"We're horrible," she whispered.

"It's so much fun though," I added before groaning loudly.

"Oh, Zac, give it to me," she exclaimed.

"Yeah, baby, yeah," I laughed.

"Oh, Zac, you're even bigger than ISAAC!"

"OH MY GOD," the teenies screamed in horror.

"Funny, that's exactly what Taylor told me," I added. I was sure the thud I heard was a teenie passing out.

We couldn't take it anymore. We broke out into laughter as the teenies ran out of the movie theater screaming.

"Quick. Let's go," she said rolling me off of her so she could stand up.

"Huh," I asked confused propping myself up using my arms.

"If we sneak out then when they come back to get a peak again to assure they're not crazy - they won't find us! That way they'll doubt any of this ever happened."

"I like the way you think," I commented as we snuck out of the theater.


On to Chapter Twenty

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Memories ... Of A Forgotten Past is Copyright © 2000 by Taylor W. Quest.
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