I'd been riding in Taylor's car for about three hours before it actually sunk in that I was headed to Tulsa. We left before dawn, and finally the sun was at half mast. I checked the clock to find that it was seven in the morning. I suppose I didn't realize we'd been driving for hours, because the simple fact remained that I'd been asleep. I woke up to a busy interstate, and a mass of static-y hair.

"Oh, I hate this." I let out a lengthy whine before wiping the sleep out of my eyes. The reflection in the mirror of me wasn't too flattering. It never was after I'd been sleeping for any period of time.

"What? Do you gotta' pee?" My driving companion speaks.

"No, I do not have to pee." I wasn't in the mood to be tolerant.

"Food?"

"I'm not hungry," I snapped.

"Geez, Miss Princess. I though the birthday girl might be interested in a little pampering." I squinched up my eyebrows to let Taylor know that the Birthday Princess was not amused.

"Pampering? You just offered to stop at a Texaco, so I could take a leak, and maybe go inside for a Slim Jim."

I knew Taylor. He wanted to make record time to his house. There wasn't a way he'd lose valuable seconds running through the drive-through at McDonald's. In his eyes, Texaco was God's gift to male drivers with female passengers. Men knew exactly how long it would take a woman to pee. Between coating the public toilet seat with paper, effectively washing their hands, and then powdering their noses, women could send a man's original timing plan to the moon and back. I punctuated my original statement with a huff. Taylor took the hint and kept his mouth shut.

"Oh, Taylor. I think I have to pee now." A half hour down the road, I began to regret drinking that cup of coffee.

"There was a Texaco back there. You should've gone then."

"Well, I didn't have to go then."

"Well, I guess you can't go now." He spoke with attitude, so I realized he hadn't forgiven me for our earlier conversation. He was still trying to mend his bruised ego.

"Why not?" I was demanding, but I had to pee like none other.

"You're the one planning on being an educator. Why don't you tell the class?"

"I don't know why, Tay. Please. I have to go so bad."

"There aren't any exit signs. I haven't seen any for a little while. Unless you want to relieve yourself in the great outdoors, Little Lady, you'll have to tame that bladder of yours." Gross.

"Taylor, I don't want you to make anymore references to my bladder. It makes me uncomfortable. And furthermore, I'm going to take a leak on your upholstery, unless you pull over now!" As if by clockwork, the car quickly came to a halt on the side of the road. At the mere idea of damaging Taylor's precious car, he immediately is at my mercy.

"Get out!" He was awful aggressive.

"Taylor, I might just sit right here."

"Okay, okay. Please, go ahead. We can wait here for as long as it takes."

"That's better, Tay." I unbuckled, and opened the car door. Rushing out to the side of the road, I squatted down. I couldn't go too far, because who knows what psycho killers are just waiting for victims to stop and relieve themselves.

"Tay, don't watch!" I looked around to see Tay, in the car, gripping the steering wheel, with his eyes squinched, tightly shut. I knew very well he wasn't watching; I just felt like lightening the mood. It wasn't until I was finished that I realized that I had no toilet paper.

"Tay, I need some toilet paper."

"What? Do you think that I carry toilet paper everywhere I go? You should have gone to the Texaco!" Tay answered with his eyes still shut.

"There's a box of tissues under my seat. Throw them here!"

"How am I supposed to know where you are if I've got my eyes shut?"

"Are you implying that you want to see?" I teased.

"No, Princess. I'm implying exactly what I said."

"Fine. I'll scream, and you throw them in my direction." I began to scream at the top of my lungs. Any innocent drivers might have thought I was a loon. There I was, with my pants down to my ankles, doubled over on a hill, screaming as far as my voice box could take me. Taylor had amazingly good aim. He knocked me over the head with a box of Kleenex. I finished up, and joined Tay in the car.

"I know you didn't wash your hands," Taylor settled back into his obnoxious, but lovable self.

"Oh you're right, Tay. Let me just rub them on your shoulder." I began to rub my hands up and down his shirt arms. It disgusted him, but he was laughing just as hard as I was.

"Haley Morgan?" Taylor quieted down, and got a thoughtful look in his eye.

"Yes, Taylor Hanson?"

"You're about to head into the great state of Tennessee."

"Tennessee?"

"Home of the 'Country Music Capital of the World.'" Leave it to Tay to bring up the musical history of our present location. We whizzed past a "Welcome to Tennessee" sign.

"Tennessee's Playing Our Song," I read. "You know, in about an hour, we'll be near Dollywood."

"Don't get any ideas, Haley. As much as roller coasters appeal to me, my family's expecting us."

"Hmmm." In all honesty, I didn't really want to go to the only theme park devoted to Dolly Parton, herself. When I was eleven, Mama bought us season passes to Dollywood. She wanted to get the good out of them by going there every waking minute. She meant well, but it scarred me for life. She'd buy us rock candy and corn dogs, send us on rides, and give us nausea that lasted for a good two weeks.

"Fine, if you insist." Tay's voice broke my memory.

"What?"

"Dollywood. If you really want to go." I hadn't even begged him to go. I could tell he wanted to go much more than I did.

"Tay, you're family's waiting."

"I only asked, because you wanted to go so bad."

"Tay. Could you be more of a liar?"

"What? If you think I'm a liar, then maybe I shouldn't take you." I had the ability to see right through him. I suppose it was because of this reason that I decided to play along.

"Thanks Tay. It really means a lot to me." This got him. He blushed and smiled at me.

"Happy birthday, Haley." I smiled back. Returning my vision back to the road, I slightly shook my head.

I heard myself squealing as we rode down the last part of "Blazing Fury," my favorite ride here. Taylor wouldn't yell. He scoffed at all of the special effects created. His "I'm so tough" act was spread thickly, all over. He'd never been to Dollywood before, and he was in for a surprise. I heard him exhale a bored sigh, and I rolled my eyes. I'd forced him to sit in the very front car, just to knock Mr. High and Mighty off of the pedestal, he'd created for himself to stand upon.

"Fwoooshhh!" A few gallons of water gushed out on top of us. Taylor's look was priceless. His beloved blonde locks were now matted to his head, and the maroon shirt he was wearing, was now drenched. His clothing clung to his body almost as much as it did when he was younger. Since then, he'd discovered baggy pants and breathable shirts. It was a vast improvement, and it gave me faith that anyone, it didn't matter who, could make a change in their lives.

"You knew that was going to happen, didn't you?" Taylor asked, but he already knew the answer. I exploded into a fit of giggles. I hadn't laughed like that since before Mama died. Upon this realization, a tinge of guilt flowed through me. I don't know why I still get guilty when I'm having fun. I know Mama. She would've wanted this. Mama would've wanted me to be happy. A new crop of giggles replaced the last ones.

"Of course, I knew this was going to happen," I said between laughter. "You should've seen your face!"

"Haley, you don't look nearly as wet as me." It was true. I was misty, but not drenched like Taylor. I should've seen it coming, but I suppose I was too preoccupied with laughing.

"No, Tay. It looks like you were the lucky one."

"Maybe I should share the luck, huh?" Then it set in. I took off through the grounds, with Tay right on my heels. There was nowhere to turn. Well, actually. To my right, I noticed a women's restroom. It's times like this that I know Mama's looking down on me. I took off into it, and Tay came to a defeated stop on the pavement.

"Haley, you're going to have to come out of there sometime." I peeked out. Tay was standing there with tousled hair, hands on hips.

"I'm not coming out until you're dry."

"That could take forever."

"No, it couldn't. The sun evaporates moisture at a fast rate. Not to mention, general global warming. The o-zone's not getting any smaller, you know." Being a smart-ass was one of my good points.

"Haley, I'm not going to get you wet." I knew he was lying, but I knew that it was only minutes before Tay would get security to come drag me out.

"Fine. You have to stay at least three feet away from me, though."

"Okay, just come out." I sighed and walked over to his standing point. I counted down . . . three . . . two . . . one. Right on schedule, Tay enveloped me in his arms and soaked me.

"You're too predictable, you know." I gave my defeated statement.

"You didn't have to come out."

"Yes I did." I wasn't about to take a load of crap from someone I could see right through.

"You're right," he admitted.

The sun did dry us off quickly, but I guess it was my pride that fell more than my actual water intake. We continued walking until I saw something I had to have.

"Oh my God, Tay. Look!" I was squealing, covering my mouth, and pointing all at the same time. I guess that's what everyone does when they relive childhood memories.

"Buckshot Annie's Dippin' Dots." Taylor plastically read the sign to the little booth set up in the shade. "This isn't going to cost me too much money, is it?" I groaned.

"It's not going to cost you any money!"

"Why not?"

"Because I'm buying." Dippin' dots are the one thing that made trips to Dollywood as a child, bearable. They're like ice cream, but shaped in tiny dots. Just thinking about them makes me hungry. They're like ice cream from Heaven. "I'm taking strawberry. What do you want?"

"I guess I'll take the same." He wasn't at all enthused, and I could tell by his facial expression that he was a Dippin' Dot Skeptic. He didn't believe in the power of Dippin' Dots. One bite and you'll have a hard time going back to regular ice cream.

After ordering, we sat down at a little table to eat.

"These things are pretty good." Taylor's face morphed into a surprised expression.

"Dippin' Dots are God's gift to ice cream." I licked my spoon, and gave a know-it-all grin.

"Haley, do you ever stop to think about what you're saying?"

"Usually, no. I just let whatever pops into my brain, flow out. There's a reason it popped in there, of course."

"So you're never really introspective?"

"Of course, I'm introspective. I am around almost everybody. I wasn't with Mama, though. I'm not with you either." I continued eating my dots, unfazed by Taylor's thoughtful questions.

"Why not with me?"

"I don't know. I've never really had a method to my madness. I saw through Mama. I see through you too. Maybe that has something to do with it."

"You only think you can see through me, Haley."

"You'd be surprised, Tay. I'm looking through you now."

"Oh really? What do you see?" His tone was sincere, but slightly sarcastic.

"I see someone who is caring, but goofy. Smart, but doesn't show it all the time. You're compassionate."

"Compassionate? How do you know that?"

"I lost my mother, Taylor. You know how much that hurt me . . . hurts me. So you're willing to share yours. Well, at least for the summer anyway. That's compassion."

"What else do you see?" His tone lost all sarcasm.

"I see someone who didn't think Dippin' Dots could really change his life, and has suddenly been proven wrong."

He smiled, and picked his spoon back up. We sat like that, eating Buckshot Annie's Dippin' Dots, in complete and comfortable silence.

"Two rooms, please. Single." Tay told the clerk at the Best Western, we'd stopped at. Taylor's time had been shot, and we knew we'd have to drive extra long tomorrow.

"Two rooms?" I was confused.

"Yeah, one for you. One for me."

"We've stayed in one room for the past year. Why do we need two rooms now?" I spoke the voice of reason.

"Yeah, well that was different." Tay explained while fumbling through his wallet.

"How?" Tay looked at me for a moment, as if to begin to speak. Then he changed his mind. Sighing, he shook his head, and returned his attention to the impatient desk clerk.

"One room," he corrected, then looking back at me, "two beds." I smiled, and grabbed the overnight bags, while Taylor took the key.

We were settled in quickly, because we were both very tired. It seemed that Dollywood had worn us both out.

"You know, we'll have to drive late tomorrow, since we got slightly off track. I'll call Mom and Dad to explain everything." Tay spoke from his bed.

"It'll still take us two more days." Even in the darkness, I could tell he was smiling. We'd actually lost a day of traveling for Dollywood.

"Three hours gone, about nineteen left. You know we're going to have to have a decent birthday party for you, Haley, once we get to Tulsa."

"You don't have to do that," I protested.

"Sure I have to," he said. And then we fell fast asleep.