Sliding (The Stone Series) (3 page)

Before I can answer he turns on Bobby and Jeff, “Why the hell didn’t you
let me kick that guy’s ass? Who the hell does he think he is touching my
girlfriend?”

“Look, I don’t know who he is but we couldn’t let you kick his ass in the
gym in front of every teacher in this school so you can get kicked off the
basketball team before the championship game” Jeff yells right back at him.

Tate turns to me again, “Do you know him? Have you talked to him before?
Why would he think you’d want to dance with him when you’re with me?” And then
more quietly he whispers, “Did you want to dance with him?”

This proves my suspicions that everyone thinks because he is good looking
and popular that Tate must never get insecure but Tate is really as insecure as
the rest of us.

“I don’t know him Tate, and even if I did I’d only want to dance with
you. Now let’s just go back inside and have a good time before the teachers
come looking for us and you get into trouble”

My friends and I stay together the rest of the night with Tate and his
friends and even after a shaky start to the night it turns out to be a fun
time. When a slow song comes on Tate pulls me close to him and whispers into my
ear, “I don’t want anyone else to ever touch you again. I want my hands to be
the only hands on you forever.” And he kisses me gently.

The spring time flies by and Tate and I still talk to each other every
night on the phone while listening to the radio and talk about the latest
videos.

************

With my second vodka and cranberry in hand and memories of my early days on
my mind I am beginning to feel a little better so I decide to check my iPhone
to see if I have any messages. That phone ringing as I left the house this
morning keeps popping into my brain. I know I am not supposed to use my cell
phone while in the air but I figure one little peek won’t hurt anybody. When I
power my phone up the first thing I see in my inbox is a message from Tate.

From:
Tate Taylor

Subject:
Abuse of an
innocent fruit

Date:
March 16, 2011 10:18am

To:
Brooklynn Taylor

Brook,

Don’t u
think 2 drinks are more than enough? U r not allowed 2 use cell in air…start
following rules baby… u have never been a rule breaker…don’t start now while on
plane! Glad 2 hear u r wearing my fav dress. Can’t wait 2 set eyes on u…been 2
long…eyes hurt from not seeing u as does a more important body part of mine
J
reminds me of our younger days when I was in constant pain!

Gotta slide…c
u in a few

Tate
Taylor

CEO,
Taylor Studios, Inc.

I look around to see who might be sending him information. Obviously he
has someone keeping tabs on me as always. I give up trying to figure out who’s
watching me, knowing he means well and used to it, I put my ear buds back in
and “Every Breath You Take” comes on. I know Tate is this amazing music guru but
really how is he pulling this off with the music?

From:
Brooklynn Taylor

Subject:
Abuse of
your talents

Date:
March 16, 2011 10:24am

To: Tate Taylor

Taters,

As u r well
aware 2 drinks would be enough 4 me under normal traveling circumstances but I
think u’ll agree this trip is far from normal so cut me some slack. U have not
seen me in 6 months so how would u know if I am a rule follower any more or
not. Oh, that’s right u have probably had people watching me the whole time.
Who is on this plane with me sending u info anyways? and if they’re not using
their cell how r they getting info 2 u? little hypocritical, no? if u don’t
want me on cell don’t send me messages…sorry 2 hear u r in pain…sure it doesn’t
compare 2 my pain from u leaving me

…Sliding and
turning phone off

Rule Abiding
Brooklynn Taylor

Taylor
Studios, Inc.

I don’t want to read his response so I turn off my phone. I don’t know
what’s gotten into me; I am never that sassy with him. I finish my drink and
order a third while I check over my shoulder to see if anyone is on their phone
reporting my third drink order to my husband. Not seeing anyone I decide to put
my ear buds back in and enjoy the rest of my flight. But Culture Club’s “Do You
Really Want To Hurt Me?” is up next and I let myself remember the first fight.

************

Tate and I are on the phone, it’s the start of summer and we have been
going out for nine months. Apparently Missy and Jeff just broke up because Jeff
found out that Missy hooked up with a guy at the carnival we went to together.
Tate is angry, cold and distant with me; I have never seen him like this
before.

“Who did you hook up with?” is how he greets me when I say hello. I’m
confused but I was with Missy so at the same time I know why he’s asking.

“I have no idea what you are talking about” is my response but Tate
doesn’t buy it for a minute.

“I know all about you and your friends going to the carnival and picking
up guys, getting their numbers. What else did you do with them, huh? Did you
kiss some guy too, maybe even more?”

I didn’t even talk to the guys that Missy and Annie were talking to. I
was hanging out with some girls I cheer with drinking a slushy but Tate goes on
before I have a chance to explain, “I told you I didn’t want you to go without
me, why did you have to go there again, we were just there together last night.
I hope you’re happy” he yells before he hangs up on me.

I try calling him back, repeatedly pressing redial for hours but he must
have taken his phone off the hook. I feel a pain and sickness in the pit of my
soul, a pain that is foreign to me, this is all new territory and I don’t know
what to do. I spend the rest of the night in my room crying and listening to
love songs. After hours of anguish my phone finally rings and I know its Tate.
I answer it on the first ring and I hardly recognize my own voice after crying
for hours.

“Taters?” I choke out.

“Brook” is all I coldly get in response.

I instantly start sobbing because I thought I would never hear his voice
again, because I don’t want to fight, because I’m scared of losing him.

“I’m sorry that I made you mad” is all I can think to say but even as it’s
coming out of my mouth I’m questioning why I’m saying it. Why am I apologizing
to Tate for doing nothing? I didn’t talk to another boy, I didn’t anyone’s phone
number, I didn’t do anything.

“Yeah, are you ready to tell me what the hell went on at this carnival
now?” Tate breaths down the phone.

I explain the whole thing feeling horrible as I do, knowing that I am
throwing Missy under the bus but I can’t think straight with Tate mad at me. I
tell him about Annie and Missy talking to a couple of older guys. I told Missy
she was being stupid and that we should just leave but she wanted to stay and
hang out with the guys so her and Annie went with them and I stayed with some
girls I cheer with until it was time to leave. When we got in Annie’s mom’s car
we were really quiet and I honestly have no idea what went on with Missy and
Annie. Tate tells me that Jeff called him crying.

“Do you know what it takes for a guy to call his friend crying, Brook? Do
you know what Missy has done to him? I don’t want you hanging out with her if
she’s going to try to take you away from me.”

I reiterate what I have already explained about not being with them and
the guys but its falling on deaf ears, Tate is not hearing a word I am saying.
He starts ranting about the kind of clothes my friends wear and the way they’re
always throwing themselves at guys.

“She broke up with him, did you know that? She just calls him and says, “We’re
over”. Tells him she met someone else at the carnival and it’s done. What a
bitch.”

I agree that was wrong of her and that Missy shouldn’t have done what she
did but that I didn’t do anything wrong.

“Who are these guys, where are they from? Jeff said that Missy told him
they go to a different school.”

“Tate, please listen to me. I have no idea who they are or where they’re
from. I was with Erica and Melissa having a slushy when Missy and Annie met
them.”
 

Tate sighs deeply on the other end of the phone and for the first time in
hours I almost feel like maybe he’s calming down enough to listen to me and
that maybe things will be alright with us if I can just get through to him. As
“Straight from the Heart” comes on the radio Tate says the best words my ears
have ever heard.

“I love you, Brooklynn.”

I can’t breathe, can’t respond. He loves me?

“I see how guys look at you, Brook and I don’t want any other guy to look
at you, talk to you, or get any other ideas in their head. You have no clue how
beautiful you are; how your body drives guys crazy, do you? Do you have any
idea what it’s like being a guy? What we think about all the time? I want to
keep you all to myself. I’m sorry if I over reacted but the way Jeff called me
crying and shit I just went through the roof.”

I don’t know what to say. Do I tell him how much I love him too? That I
think he’s my soul mate and we’re destined to be together forever? That it
doesn’t matter what ideas other boys have in their heads about me because I
don’t even know they exist, all I can see is him, Tate Taylor, the love of my
life? Instead I opt for “I am not beautiful and guys don’t look at me, Tate.”

A sigh comes over the phone and I know I’ve gotten it all wrong somehow
so I try again.

“Tate, you know I love you too, right? I think you’re my soul mate. You
can finish my sentences; you know what I’m going to say next. You know me
better than anyone, you’re my best friend. I would never do anything to hurt
you or make you not love me anymore. I spent the whole night crying because I
thought we were over.”

I can almost hear his smile over the phone when I finish. Tate’s response
is to turn up his radio and hold the phone to it so I hear “Faithfully”
as I fall asleep with the phone by my ear knowing
that Tate will be sleeping on the other end of the line. That night began a
pattern for us and we spent many future nights sleeping together on the phone.

Summer was a blast! I went to a dance workshop for a week. It was really
intense but I loved every minute of it. I got to work with amazing
choreographers and I learned so much. I think that’s what I want to do when I
grow up, be a choreographer and create pieces of work on the screen and on
stage.

Tate and I get to talk to each other every night that I am in New York
and we sleep together on the phone because by that time my mom is out cold
snoring in the bed next to me. I tell him how much I love dancing and my dreams
for the future but most of all how much I miss him.

“You can do anything, you will be amazing when you grow up, I just know
it” Tate tells me sincerely.

When I get back from the workshop we have two weeks before I go to cheer
camp and Tate goes to basketball camp. We spend those two weeks at the town
pool every day even though we both have our own pools in our backyards. We want
to hang out with our friends and not have our parents breathing down our
throats or my siblings. I have this super cool pink with black polka dotted
bikini with a ruffle on the top and the bottom. It is so cute and Tate says I
look “kick ass” in it.

Tate leaves for basketball camp and I leave for cheer camp the next day.
We don’t get to talk to each other for five days and I miss sleeping on the
phone with him. Cheer camp is great but my favorite part of the day is when we
get mail because I know Tate has already written and asked Booby to send me a
letter every day with his for Asia.

The last month of summer flies by ending with a sleepover at Annie’s
house. She has apparently been up to no good before we arrived. Annie has
really gone over the deep end with the boys. When we get there she rushes us up
to her bedroom and tells us not to get changed into our pajamas.

“Keep your clothes on girls; we are sneaking out to meet Dan, Joe and
some of their friends. It’ll be fine; my parents will never come looking for
us. Let’s go” she says as she opens her window and motions for us to climb
down. Before I know what’s happening I am being pushed out the window with Asia
behind me. I have no idea what the hell I am going to do; Tate is going to flip
out if he finds out. We start walking and I realize we’re on Tate’s street. I
know which window is his so when I see his house I tell my friends that I am
going to go see Tate and they can go on without me. Missy and Annie go without
missing a step but Asia stays with me.

“What the hell is going on?” she asks.

“I don’t know but Tate would kill me if he found out I was hanging out in
the middle of the night with some guys, I saw his house and figured it was a
perfect way out.”