Around 2pm, after having returned from the model tryouts at the mall, Taylor and Kaylee were watching YouTube videos on the television when there was a knock at the front door.
"I'll get it," Kaylee announced.
"No, I'll get it," Taylor countered as he quickly jumped up from the couch, and rushed towards the door, pushing Kaylee back into her seat as he did.
"Hi," Taylor enthusiastically greeted when he flung open the door.
Standing in front of him was a girl in a knee length sundress and thin leather sandals, fresh glossy aqua colored polish on her fingers and toes, and tiny diamond studs reflecting sunlight from her red, irritated-looking earlobes.
It was Astrid, the girl they had met at the diner. She shyly stood with her hands clasped in front of her and her head tilted downward.
"Come, come in," Taylor offered warmly while stepping aside to allow her to enter.
A smile spread across Astrid's face and she turned to wave to her mom, who was waiting in a car next to the curb in front of the house. Her mom waved back before slowly pulling away as Astrid stepped inside.
"Hi, Astrid," Kaylee excitedly greeted. "Come on, guys. Mom, this is our friend, Astrid. We'll be in my room."
In Kaylee's room they all gathered on the bed and the first thing Kaylee did was comment on how pretty she found Astrid's aqua painted nails to be. She and Taylor found out that Astrid's mom has taken her to a salon last night to have them done and had also allowed her to get her ears pierced. Astrid was quite excited about her piercings.
"My mom don't normally take me to a nail salon unless it's for a special occasion," Kaylee told them. "Usually she just paints them herself and they are never as shiny as yours. And the color of your nails, it's so bold. What do you think, Tay?"
"I uh, I really like them." Taylor managed to reply.
He knew he wasn't into nails like they appeared to be, especially Astrid, but he didn't want to say anything that aroused suspicion or made him look any less feminine in their eyes.
"That's a cool dress, too," he added trying his best to fit in.
"Thanks," Astrid replied, looking down at her pink, and white, and blue sundress.
"Got this for my birthday last month. It's from my awesome, supportive aunt."
As they continued to talk, Taylor learned Astrid was obsessed with some of the same television shows that his mom used to watch; Say Yes to the Dress, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Project Runway, all girly shows he never had any interest in. This meant he knew nothing about these shows, which also meant he couldn't add to the conversation which was dominated by Astrid.
Kaylee could add a little, because any time her mom had the remote, the television was on one of those same shows. It wasn't until Taylor began living with them that Kaylee was able to get out of having to watch those shows, which she didn't care for either.
They also learned several details about Astrid, including, how she wants to be a makeup artist when she grows up, she doesn't want to even think about marriage before she's 30, but she does eventually want to be a wife, and that she's two years older than Taylor.
The entire time, not only was Taylor trying really hard to think and respond like a girl, he was having a hard time paying attention because their topics of conversation didn't naturally engage his interest at all. Kaylee herself was barely hanging on.
Because of this, Taylor's mind began to wander to Astrid's appearance, mannerisms, and just how girly she appeared to be. He found it really hard to think of her as ever having been a boy. In fact, he found her hilarious, fun to be around, and quite cute, too.
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Lies, Deceptions, And Misunderstandings
ChickLitTaylor and his adult older brother Craig, have lost both their parents at the hands of a drunk driver. Things aren't so wonderful between them because Taylor has issues at school that he deals with by telling lies. This time he's gone too far and ca...
