EPISODE FOUR – I Just Wanna Be Loved ("I Just Wanna Be Loved", Culture Club.)

Taylor had the flu, and it was gradually getting worse by the seems of it. For the past seven days, he’d spend his entire time moping, and wouldn’t even let Lauren come over and study because he looked so bad he didn’t want her to see him. Yes, he felt like hell, and didn’t want to pass on his flu to Lauren either, and besides, he wasn’t in the mood to hear about Jon again, Lauren had mentioned on the phone two days ago she was going on a date with Jon, so Taylor didn’t really want to hear about that either.

"God, look at this…" Isaac said, walking into the room with his mother at his back, he motioned to Taylor who was lying on the couch, crumpled up tissues everywhere, Taylor was curled up in a blanket with an icepack for his fever, flu relief pills lying on the table along with all kinds of eucalyptus oils and other such things, "You’d think he was on his last legs," Isaac chuckled.

"Shaddup!" Taylor sniffed, his voice choked, "I feel terrible."

"Yeah, I’d feel terrible too if I had the runs," Isaac stifled a laugh, watching as his mother took Taylor’s temperature.

"Leave me alone!" Taylor pouted, looking away.

"It’s staying the same," Diana sighed, checking the thermometer.

"Well, if I was sitting wearing three sweaters, a blanket and hugging a hot water bottle I’d probably have a fever temperature too," Isaac rolled his eyes.

"Why do you insist on making fun of your younger brother?" Diana demanded of her eldest son.

"Because I can," Isaac smirked viciously.

Taylor folded his arms, "Because he’s such an asshole just ‘cos he can’t get a girl to go out with him…" he mumbled.

"Watch your language," Diana warned Taylor, she turned to Isaac, "What is this all about, Ike. What girl won’t go out with you?"

Isaac sighed, "Its not important, she’s half a world away anyway," he looked to Taylor, "and you just shut your mouth in future."
"Same to you, geek."

"Why you—" Isaac threatened to swear, but his mother put her hands against his shoulders, shaking him.

"You’re not eighteen, yet, Isaac. And you’ll never swear like that in my house, understood?" she demanded.

Isaac sighed, and slumped down into a chair, folding his arms.

The phone rang, and Taylor reached for it, "Hello?"

"Hi, Tay, its me," Lauren’s voice answered to him, "Tay, I need your help…desperately, flu or not," she whined, "I have a history test tomorrow…"

"I can’t leave the house, I…um…I have the runs," he sighed.

Lauren gave a soft laugh.

"Its not funny!" Taylor fumed.

"Yeah, it is. But anyway, Tay, what am I gonna do? I can’t do this without your help…"

"Why don’t you get your boyfriend to help you," Taylor made an ugly emphasis on the word boyfriend.

"My boyfriend is busy," Lauren stated, not denying the fact her and Jon were an item.

"I can’t believe you’re going out with that prick," Taylor muttered bitterly.

"He’s sweet…" Lauren said, "Besides, how can you judge, you’ve never met him."
"Nor do I need to meet him, so keep him the hell away from me," Taylor muttered.

"Tay, I need help on this history test, now what am I gonna do?" she asked again.

Taylor paused, "Hold on a sec," he said and put his hand over the mouthpiece. "Ike?" he asked.

"What?" Isaac asked, shooting a glance in Taylor’s direction.

"Can you help Lauren with some history stuff, she has a test tomorrow and she won’t pass it if you don’t…" Taylor sighed.

Isaac thought about that, well, he decided it would get him away from this house and his family’s probing questions, "Okay," Isaac got up, "I’m on my way there," he shrugged, and left.

"Ike is on his way," Taylor said to Lauren.

"Thanks, Tay…bye," Lauren’s smile was evident in her voice, and she hung up.

Taylor sighed and went back to being sick.

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

Isaac pulled up his VW Bug into Lauren’s driveway, and he headed to the house, knocked, and was greeted by Lauren’s smile, Lauren was wearing a tight white shirt, and a pair of baggy khakis, for a moment, Isaac almost wished he could go back to the way things were with her.

No, ignore that thought, he thought at himself sternly.

"Hi," she smiled, she invited him in.

"Hi," he smiled, he walked in, looking around, this had been the first time he’d ever been to her house, it was nice, and homey.

Lauren led him to the living room, "Here we are," she motioned for him to sit down, and he did, and she sat next to him, picking up one of his books, "Okay, this is what I’m supposed to learn, but it seems so complicated," she sighed, sounded like she’d almost given up hope.

"Gimme a minute to go over it," he said softly, and began reading, he didn’t even notice Lauren’s doorbell ringing, or Lauren going to answer the door. Lauren came through to the living room, talking to someone, and Isaac looked up, immediately, he dropped the book and stood up instantly, looking. Ashley was standing there, looking quite different than he’d remembered, her hair was shorter, and more curly than normal, and she had it half up in a shell clip tousling and framing her face. "Ash…" He murmured, looking at her. She seemed so different to him, yet, so the same, she was wearing a jade chenille sweater which set off her eyes, he felt himself melt, "Ash…y-you’re back," he felt his lips draw into a smile.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Y-you said you wouldn’t be back…" he stepped nearer.

"I came back alone," Ashley remarked, and took at the edge of the couch, Lauren sat beside her, Isaac looked down at her.

"So your mom and dad are still in Edinburgh with Nicole?" Lauren asked.

"Aye," Ashley nodded.

"It’s really good to have you back," Lauren hugged Ashley tightly, smiling

Isaac looked down at Ashley and she looked right back at him, she had no expression of caring in her face, he felt his desperation increase. There had to be a way to make her love him, there just had to be.

He sat between them, half shoving Lauren out of the way, Lauren just stared at him, but realised his infatuation and decided to let it drop, Lauren picked up her book and began looking at it, "Ike, I don’t understand this part…" she pointed out.

"Read section three," Isaac said, without even thinking about it, he turned to Ashley, "So…how are you?" he asked.

"Okay," Ashley’s answer was flat, she looked away from him.

"Sooo, um…wanna go out sometime?" he asked, he wished he didn’t have to ask this in front of Lauren, but he had no choice.

Lauren’s head shot up and she turned to look at Ashley, she wanted to see the response.

"I can’t," she stated quickly, and she got up, "Lauren, I gotta go, I can see you’re busy, besides, I have tons of packing to do and stuff…"

Lauren didn’t understand it, she’d known Ashley had liked Isaac, and she didn’t understand what this sudden reluctance to go out with him was for. "Well, uh…okay," she sighed.

"I’ll see myself out, I’ll see you later, hen," Ashley said, and then was gone.

Isaac sat silent for two minutes, then out burst with, "WHY IS SHE DOING THIS TO ME?!"

"You think she’s meaning to do it?" Lauren asked.

"Yes…yes I do, she’s being such a bitch!" Isaac pouted.

"Don’t call her a bitch, Isaac, you don’t know her and you can’t talk about her that way!" Lauren almost outburst, then she slowed down.

"I…I didn’t mean that," he lowered his eyes.

"Ike, what is with you? So what if she blew you off, there are other girls in the world."
"No one like her," He said, "she’s the only person I can think of day and night," Isaac looked at her. "And when you find a person who’s always in your thoughts like that, someone who you dream about…its gotta be love," he sighed.

Lauren thought about that and laughed, "Ike, that is not true. If that were so I’d be in love with Taylor," she laughed.

He gave a soft laugh, "Yeah, well, maybe that thing about your thoughts and dreams about that person maybe isn’t exactly true…but y’know…I feel it could be," He admitted, he looked at her, "Lauren…ask her why…why she’s doing this to me…please…"

"Okay, I will, next time I see her," Lauren sighed, she smiled. "God, looks like you’re stuck on her the way I am on Jon," she laughed.

"You know," Isaac laughed, "Taylor hates Jon’s guts…"

"He hasn’t even met the guy…" Lauren rolled her eyes.

"And I doubt he wants to," Isaac chuckled, "I dunno, he doesn’t have any reason to hate him."
"Probably just ‘cos I won’t shut up about him and it bugs him heavily," Lauren smirked, "sometimes that’s the only reason I talk about Jon, just to bug him."
Isaac paused, "are you trying to make my brother jealous?"

"No, of course not! I don’t like Tay that way, anyway, rumour has it that he’s gay."

"He isn’t," Isaac said.

"You know that for sure?"

"Well…not really but I know him very well so I guess I have a feeling he’s not…"

"What if he is?"
"Then he’s still my brother and its not gonna make a difference," Isaac stated, he took a hold of her book, "Now lets get to work."