For a moment, Taylor just stood on the dancefloor, in complete shock. Zac went up to Brice. "What's wrong with Jaime? Was it something Tay did?" Brice just shrugged and said, "I'll check our house. You guys go and check the backyard. It could be just one of those flashback thingies the Matron told me she had every now and then. Just look everywhere!" And with that, the search party was off. Taylor had left way before the rest of them had. He was confused and upset and figured that she was too, but not for the same reasons. Taylor knew that this girl had a rough past and was willing to help. He had seen the signs of a loss of family when Zac's friend Missy lost her father. One day she was playing Tetris with Zac and all of a sudden just ran off crying. Taylor searched the woods in their heavily forested backyard, at the verge of tears. He felt awful making any girl cry, let alone a one so nice like Jaime. He stopped, frustrated, and turned around, looking in all directions for a sign of Jaime. He crouched down and took some advice from his father,:"If you're looking for someone, try to think their thoughts. What would they do?" Taylor started to become Jaime. He concentrated, and suddenly it came to him. "The treehouse!" he said aloud, running to the variable haven. When he got there, he listened intently. Through the shouts of the search party, he heard soft crying. He was about to climb the rope up to the top, when she started talking. "Dear God, Sorry to bother you, you've probably got worse cases than mine, but I need to talk. I ran out of the party crying, I don't know why, but I did. I think Taylor is angry with me now, I hope he isn't. I've never known anyone who's warmed up to a stray like me like he did. I guess I cried out of joy. I've never met a family who's cared for me, all the people at the orphanage always looked at me like a bug or something. All I'm saying is I need somebody to like me. Please God, don't let them be mad at me. In Christ's name, Amen." Taylor looked up, truly touched. He let one tear fall before wiping it off and and wrapping his arms and legs around the rope, climbing as quietly as possible. When he reached the top, the sight he saw took his breath away. There was Jaime, crouched down on the floor, her knees curled up, her hair cascading over her face in long blond streaks, highlighted by the gentle rays of moonlight which poured through the small window in the side of the treehouse. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. 'She looks like an angel.' he thought. 'It's more beautiful than a Hallmark card.' he smiled at that last thought, and silently walked over to her. Jaime jumped a little when he slid his arm around her shoulders. When he saw her tear-stained face, it was all he could do to keep from crying. "Jaime, why did you leave?" he asked, almost monotonously. "I don't know, you are just all too nice and I had to think, and...Oh...I don't know!" she said, a new set of tears rolling down her cheeks. "Shh...You don't have to say anything...I understand...It's okay...Shhh.." Taylor hated to see people cry. "Please don't cry, Jai! I don't want you to be upset. I'm not mad! Just worried. Shh..." he treated her like a crying child, afraid to go back to a dark room. "I promise you don't have to go back if you don't want! Shhh.. It's okay..." His attempts to comfort her were to no avail. He thought it best to let her cry. She sobbed into his shoulder, and every time she did her whole body shook. He held her, hoping to at least keep her company while she sobbed her heart out. She was sooooo thin. He couldn't help but feel her ribs poking out. 'Poor kid. She doesn't eat enough.' His thoughts were interrupted by someone climbing the ladder to the treehouse. It was his mom. "Oh, you poor dear you! Are you alright?" Diana asked with motherly instinct. Jaime got scared, "Please don't make me go back in there! People will be mad! Pleaaaaaaasssse!" she sobbed even harder into Taylor's leather jacket. He looked at his mother like, 'Help me!' and then took off his jacket. He wrapped it around Jaime's shoulders. 'I'll be right back." he whispered. He got up and followed his mother down the ladder, the back exit.
Once at the bottom, Diana began talking. "Taylor, sweetie, Does she think we're mad at her?" Taylor nodded. "The poor girl's never really known someone who loved her. She needs to be convinced of it and it'll take time." His mom looked at him and stared into his eyes. She finally decided he was right. "Taylor, honey, I know she doesn't wanna face everyone now. So why don't I go in and tell everyone she just felt sick and went home. You, Ike, and Zac can stay out here and spend the night up here. I'll go get the sleeping bags. The girl needs somebody to show her there is a good side to life. We'll all talk as a family about it when she leaves and, somehow, we'll get her through it, while in Australia...?" Mrs. Hanson kissed her son on the forehead and left for the house. Taylor started the climb up the ladder towards a treehouse and hopefully a new best friend...