7. Friendships

"Hey, Quinn! I asked you a question!" 

Taylor watched as Quinn's pupils shrank as he came back from whatever he was thinking about. 

"Taylor? What's it like outside the city?" 

"I don't know, I was too young to remember." 

"You ever ask your dad?" 

"Not really. It reminds him of mom, so I don't bring it up." 

"Yeah." 

"Don't tell me you are thinking about that again." 

"It's all I ever think about, Taylor." 

Taylor started walking backward with her hands behind her head while looking up at the stars. Quinn had his hands in his pockets again. He looked over at Taylor for a second. The sweat on her face glistened beneath the light her tan skin. Her eyes shone hazel and hair fell straight over her shoulders. One of her cheeks had a smudge of dirt. It had been ten years since they became friends and Quinn never looked at her the way he did tonight. He realized how pretty she was and how her profile started to show the symmetry of a young woman. 

"I think you think too much, Quinner. How's your mother?" 

"She has her moments. But I guess she's she's doing fine. Nancy said she started talking about my father again." 

"Oh yeah? What she say this time?" 

"The same old story. That he's out there somewhere, she can feel it in her heart. I wonder if she just makes it up just so she doesn't have to accept he's gone." 

Taylor frowned at the possibility. 

"Quinn, is that why you've been acting weird?" 

"I don't know. Maybe. I mean, what if he is out there and she isn't crazy?" 

"But everyone said your father passed away before you were born." 

"I know, Taylor. What if they're wrong too?" 

"Ok, Quinn. What if you are right? What do you plan to do? It's not like we can go out and actually look for him. I mean, where would we even start? What about our families? Your mother, my father, Harrison? Are you prepared to throw that all away because of some hunch?" 

Quinn stopped walking and stared hard in her direction, he was livid. 

"What? You think my mother is crazy too? I m just some stupid kid who misses his dad? Huh?" 

Quinn said this in low but stern tone. 

Taylor stopped in her tracks. 

"No, Quinn. That's not what I meant..." 

Quinn cut her off. He was yelling now. 

"Maybe everyone is right! Maybe she is crazy and he is dead! But I m not going to just sit here and live without ever knowing the truth like the rest of you idiots! Honestly, I could leave here tonight I nobody would even miss me! So why the Hell does it matter?!" 

Taylor's spurs scraped the concrete as she ground her heels into the pavement. Her face became red with anger. She dropped her hands to her sides and her hair fell over her chest. Her lips started to quiver, tears began to swell under her eyes. Marching right up to 

Quinn she landed a smack on the right side of his face. The sound of palm hitting cheek echoed throughout the quiet neighborhood. 

His face shifted to one side and his blonde curls followed the momentum covering the welt. 

He stood there motionless with his hands still in their respective pockets. 

With a finger raised Taylor spoke through gritted teeth. 

"Don't you ever say that again." 

With that, she ran across the street and banged on the door of a blue worn down home. As soon as the door opened Taylor pushed her way through and slammed it shut behind her. 

Quinn stood there as her words echoed within the walls of his mind. He could taste salt on his lips as tears began streaming down his face. He was home. 

Author's Note

All will be revised.