Chapter 16: Cruelty of the Dearest



Taylor sat in his bed with his eyes open. He turned over with some wincing. The bed now hurt his bony body, especially his ribs. His eyes were heavy and his tongue foul tasting. He was lingering toward sleep when a sound woke him from his doze. He listened carefully. It was almost silent in the room he shared with Zac, except for it. It sounded like a whimpering and a coughing. But it wasn't. The sound made Taylor quite sad. Zac was crying.

But why? Why was he crying? He was home. He was with his family now. He had a roof above his head, plenty to eat whether he decided to eat it or not, people who care for him, a shower and a nice soft bed to sleep in. Why was Zac crying? It was as if Zac had come home changed, distorted from his usual life. Zac wasn't funny. He wasn't making sarcastic and wacky comments. The closest he had probably gotten to happiness the day he came home was the pillow fight.

'Zac must be in love. And the lucky lady is Alanis. Over a million girls screaming Zac's name in packs and he chooses one he just bumps into one morning. Oh well, I guess that's how fate happens. Lucky Alanis. She met a good guy. But Zac's really emotional. He's crying right now, crying for her. He needs her. I wish I could help again but I guess it's all up to this Divia chick. I hope she finds her and brings her home. Telepathy is cool to have, but I guess you can't keep secrets then. Zac can no longer hide from Alanis.' Taylor thought and turned over in pain one more time.

He listened in complete misery to Zac crying himself to sleep. Soon Zac was quiet and sleeping. Taylor slowly crept out from under his covers and to the closet. He reached to the highest shelf and pulled down a shoebox. It was filled with letters. But they weren't his. They were to and from Zac. A year ago his mother told him to do this, to hide Alanis from Zac, to keep the letters from getting to her and get the letters she sent. She had told him to do something unbelievable a week before Zac had been reunited with his friend. His very own mother had told him to burn the letters, all 57 of them. He couldn't bare that, so he just burned a bunch of notebook paper and said it was the letters. Now, all these pieces of mail were heartbreakers. All the pain written in each stroke of the pens was unbearable to read sometimes. A tear slid down Taylor's cheek as he watched both friends fall apart on paper. He watched Zac's destruction, Alanis's desperation and all the sadness of the two as he read each article.

Zac,

Why won't you reply? Are we not friends anymore? I want to hear from you so much. Please call me or something. Please. I beg of you Zac. Please. I'm in tears as I write this. Please call me. I'll forgive you anything! I just want to hear your voice again! Please…

Alanis
1-305-555-6172

P.s. please call. I don't care what you've done if you've done anything.

Taylor re-folded Alanis's letter and moved on.

Dear Alanis,

I'm trying to get a hold of you. Do you not have my address? Have you lost it? I'm not mad or anything. Are you still there? Have you gotten a new address? Have you moved? Is all this getting lost in the mail? I'm sorry if I've done anything. I apologize if I made you mad or sad. I only want you happy.

Sorry,
Zac



Zachary,

Angel's making fun of me again. This time she says I slept with you and that I'm "a super-star's whore". She won't shut up unless I give back the ring and necklace. But I won't do that, I can't.

I have a new friend Zac. His name is Cody. He understands us a lot.

Alanis

Taylor put that one back in the shoebox. Zac probably didn't need to see that one.

Alanis,

I need to see you soon. Please call me, meet me, or send me a picture! ANYTHING! I need you now.

Missing you,
Zac

Zaccy,

Where are you? Are you busy in the studio? Are you busy on your Australia tour? Or am I no longer your friend? I hope you're not mad at me for some reason.

PLEASE ANSWER.

Alanis

"I can't believe you Taylor. I just can't believe you" a voice above Taylor's head whispered. Taylor looked up. Zac was standing there and Taylor could see his tear-stained cheeks in the moonlight. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Mom said to…" Taylor paused and looked up at his little brother then said, "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Zac's jaw left its place of anger and set to forgiveness.

"How many are there?"

"Fifty-seven, twenty-eight are Alanis's twenty-nine are yours"

Zac frowned. "What did Mom say to do?" he asked. Taylor looked up again. "She told me to hide them. She didn't want to lose you for a girl. She wanted to keep her children close to her and her only, to love only her. A week before the concert in Cleveland she told me to burn them. But I couldn't do it. There was so much on these pieces of paper and locked in these envelopes that I couldn't. I'm so sorry," he said with a slight whimper in his voice. "I forgive you. Let's get down to business. I have a year to catch up on"