Girls Never Go Out of Style - A Kaylor Fanfic

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Taylor? Taylor!"

Taylor jerked to attention at the insistent tone in her mother's voice. Damn. Drifted off again.

"What?"

"Tawny was just asking you about your plans for after graduation."

Taylor, Andrea, Scott, and the Prestons--Tawny, Jim, and Charles--were seated around the mahogany table in the Prestons' dining room. It was Sunday, the day of the dreaded dinner, and Taylor had failed in her plan to find a way out of it. She felt like they had been in the Prestons' opulent house for days. She was sick of trying to make passably polite conversation while avoiding being alone with Charles.

Tawny Preston, Charles's mother, was looking at Taylor expectantly. Her dark blonde hair was identical to her son's, but at least she didn't have his hawkish, predatory expression.

"Um, I haven't figured it out yet for sure, Mrs. Preston," Taylor said. "I'm considering going to college to study English."

"It's good for girls to have a year or two of college," Jim Preston said, in the gruff voice that had immediately annoyed Taylor. "Anything past that really is a waste. You'll be getting married and starting a family soon, anyway."

Taylor gritted her teeth. "But what I really love to do is play music. I've been playing guitar for a few years now, and I write my own songs. I think I might be able to have a career doing that. I--"

"So Charles, do you have plans for college yet?" Scott broke in, speaking over Taylor.

Charles puffed up in his chair. "Yes, sir. I'm going to study business."

"Like his old man!" Jim crowed. He reached over and punched Charles lightly on the bicep.

"I'll probably work at the firm when I finish my Bachelor's."

Tawny smiled slyly. "And then work on starting a family and giving mem some grandchildren!"

Gag me, Taylor thought. And then she realized that everyone at the table was looking at her, smiling.

__

"Gross!" Karlie exclaimed later that night, as Taylor related the dinner party story to her. They had agreed to meet at the park once Taylor was free.

It was twilight, and the park was empty. At the middle of the park stood a wooden castle with slides and tunnels and a bridge. The bridge, with its tall sides and open top, was the perfect place for them to hide, lying side by side on their backs, watching the first stars emerge in the ever-darkening night sky.

"It was like they were all conspiring to marry me off to him or something," Taylor said. "And then after dessert they had him show me their rose garden out back, so I had to walk around listening to him talk about football. And then he tried to ask me out. Again."

"I hate him. He's been a jerk to me for years."

Karlie thought of all the times Charles and his friends had harrassed her in the hall at school, the names they had called her, the times she had stood up for herself against them only to find that the teachers took their side. She hated that he was interested in Taylor, but she couldn't blame him. She had never seen a more beautiful girl.

"Hey." Taylor's voice brought Karlie out of her reverie.

"What?"

"You drifted off for a second. Where did you go?"

Karlie propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at Taylor. "I was just thinking how glad I am that you're here with me instead of there with him."

Taylor reaced up and pulled Karlie down into a kiss. She could feel the length of Karlie's body pressed against hers, Karlie's hand against her hip, her thumb toying with hem of her sweater. Karlie's mouth left Taylor's to press, soft and warm, against her neck. Her hand dipped beneath Taylor's sweater, traveling upward, brushing against the soft scalloped lace of Taylor's bra. Taylor's body arched into Karlie's touch of its own accord, but--

"Karlie. Karlie!"

Karlie stopped but didn't move her hand. "Too soon?"

"No, well, sort of, but... We're in the park."

Karlie's smile was slow and sheepish and made Taylor want to ignore that they were in a public space.

"You should probably be heading home, too," Karlie said. She planted a light kiss on Taylor's cheek. "Want to sneak me up to your room?"

"Nice try."