"Man, dinner was awesome!" I exclaimed, flopping into a beanbag chair at the foot of Rebecca's bed. Ike, Zac, Danielle, Rebecca, and I were all hanging out in her room.
"Glad to see you enjoyed it after I slaved over a hot stove." Becca smiled and pulled her bangs back with a headband. Then she slipped a CD into the stereo.
"Don't believe a word she says, Taylor! She can't make toast," said Danielle, tossing a pillow at her cousin.
Rebecca burst into a fit of giggles. "Fine, so I'm not Betty Crocker. But be nice to me or you're gonna have to find someone else to change your oil."
"You know how to change the oil of a car? Wow, Ike can't do that," said an impressed Zac. I laughed to myself as my older brother blushed a little with embarrassment.
Rebecca just shrugged her shoulders and sang along with the CD. "Come on baby... Don't say maybe... I gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me... We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again... So open up by climbin' in... Take it easy..." She sounded, in a word, horrible. She didn't seem to care, though. If she did, she would only sing in the shower.
"Oh God, Rebecca! Shut up! You can't sing to save your life. And speaking of singing," Danielle giggled, "you know LeAnn Rimes is up for Best New Artist next week at the Grammys, right?"
Becca rolled her eyes. "More like Best New Yodeler."
"Hey, maybe we'll be nominated for a Grammy. Wouldn't that be cool?" said my younger brother, feeling the need to jump in on this conversation.
"Yeah, it would. But don't count your chickens before they've hatched," I quoted my mother.
"Hmm... maybe, if we're lucky, we'll get nominated for Best New Yokels," said Isaac, staring directly at Rebecca. What on earth ever possessed him to say this, I haven't the foggiest.
Danielle burst out laughing, and Rebecca suddenly looked about ready to burst into tears. "Oh my God! I am SO sorry. Really, Ike. I really am. I didn't think you heard... I am SO sorry."
"I don't get it. What are you sorry for?" asked Zac, unknowingly voicing my thoughts, as well.
"Nothing. It's just an inside joke between me and Rebecca. Right?" Ike winked at her.
She smiled a weak smile. "Right." Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Becca shouted.
In walked a pretty girl, a VERY pretty girl. She had Ike's attention, that's for sure. She was the exact opposite of Rebecca, at least on the outside. Brown hair cascaded down the middle of her back. She was short, shorter than me. And her body... she had these curves... she... well... WHOA.
"Guys, this is my best friend and next-door neighbor, Lisa. Lisa, I'd like you to meet Ike, Taylor, and Zac. My aunt's directing their video."
"Cool. Hi, guys," Lisa greeted us, flopping into the beanbag chair next to me. Yes! There is a god. Breathe Taylor. Breathe.
"So, what did ya bring?" Becca asked Lisa, picking two video cassettes up off the floor.
"'Top Gun' and 'Boys on the Side.' Wanna watch 'Top Gun' first?"
"Sure," we all answered.
"And no boys, we're not fast forwarding through the romantic parts. And don't say a word. I have four brothers; I know how the male mind works," said Lisa.
"What about your boyfriend, what's his name, Alex?" Danielle asked, snapping her fingers trying to remember the name. She has a boyfriend? Damn!
"Alex doesn't think with THAT head," was the answer.
Once again, Rebecca burst into a fit of giggles. She threw a pillow at Lisa. "Watch your mouth! We've got virgin ears in the room," she said, eyeing Zac. "I will not be responsible for corrupting my aunt's new clients, thankyouverymuch."
"Don't worry about it. I think it went over his head," said Ike, flashing Becca his brace-filled mouth. I couldn't tell for sure, but it seemed like he was flirting with her. But then I would catch him glancing at Lisa's... well, at Lisa.
Danielle put the tape in the VCR. "You know, Anthony Edwards is cute with hair."
"Forget Anthony! Val is dreamy," gushed Lisa.
"HELLO!?! Tommy! My Tommy! Tommy, can you hear me?" Seems Becca's got a thing for Tom Cruise.
"All three of you are wrong. Kelly McGillis makes the movie," said my older brother. Geez, Ike, you sure know how to win the ladies over.
Danielle shrugged. "Overall she was good, but I think Meg Ryan is a better actress. Prettier, too."
"Taylor?"
"Huh?" Becca's voice brought me out of my daydream of Lisa and I building a life together.
"Favorite actress?"
"Oh, um... Jennifer Aniston."
"Courtney Cox is prettier," all three girls said simultaneously.
"Zac?" Lisa asked.
"Hmm... I'm taking the easy and safe way out. I'll have to go with Bambi's mother."
The entire room burst out laughing. "All right Zac," Becca said. She and Zac high-fived. "Ya know, if you were older, I'd dump my boyfriend for you."
Zac shrugged. "That's okay. He doesn't have to know. I won't tell if you won't."
"Zac!" His statement caught me COMPLETELY off-guard. For someone getting adjusted to the fact that girls don't have cooties, he certainly was warming up to Rebecca.
"Come on, guys. Let's watch the movie," Danielle whined. She and Ike sprawled out on the floor. Becca and Zac sat on the bed. And as Maverick and Goose went off to Miramar, I would steal glances of Lisa, who was sitting next to me. Yup. LA's being good to me.