FicWad

Chapter Seven

"Marti, turn the radio up, will you?" I groggily reach forward and turn the dial on the radio and the music starts pouring out louder.

I my fingers through my hair as I look around the living room. Tyler and Hilary are laying on the couch---Hilary's the one that told me to turn the music up---Jo is half asleep in the recliner, Tika is asleep in the loveseat (it looks like she's about to wake up), and I'm sitting up in the middle of the floor.

The girls and I have been in Japan for a month now---the bay dish still isn't fixed yet---and we've gotten pretty close to the guys in that short amount of time. Last night the girls and I went to a club with the guys and we're still in our clothes from last night because, after picking up Tyler, when we walked into our little apartment thingamajig we crashed wherever we landed.

It's a good ten minutes before we're all up and moving. And that's only because we're all hungry. If it weren't for that, we'd probably all just stay where we are all day.

As we start moving around and getting ready for the day ahead, the song My Boy Lollipop by Millie Small, a classic, starts coming from the radio. As I look around the apartment, I notice the girls sort of moving to the music, even Tyler is doing a cut little dance.

Hilary puts a brush to her lips and begins to sing along with the song.

My boy Lollipop
You make my heart go giddy-up
You are as sweet as candy
You're my sugar dandy

Oh, oh
My boy Lollipop
Never, ever leave me
Because it would greave me
My heart told me so


We all start singing the chorus along with her as we dance around the apartment while getting dressed.

I love you, I love you, I love you so
But I don't want you to know
I need you, I need you, I need you so
And I'll never let you go

Just as we finish the first chorus, there's a knock at the front door. Tika goes over and answers it while still dancing to the music as we listen to Hilary singing along with song.

My boy Lollipop
You make my heart go giddy-up
You set the world in fire
You are my one desire
Oh, my Lollipop

A few seconds later, the guys are standing in the living room watching us dance and sing as we move around the room. Tyson whispers something to Ray, but I can't hear him over the radio. Hilary walks over to Tyson and bumps him with her hip as Tika, Jo, and I join her in the final chorus. She obviously heard what he said.

I love you, I love you, I love you so
But I don't want you to know
I need you, I need you, I need you so
And I'll never let you go

My boy Lollipop
You make my heart go giddy-up
You set the world in fire
You are my one desire
Oh, my Lollipop
Oh, my Lollipop
My boy Lollipop
My boy Lollipop


As the song ends, Hilary turns down the radio and raises an eye at the boys. "So, how did you like your little show?"

Tyson grinned at her. "As much as I like watching girls dancing around in their underwear, I would have preferred it if you had actually been dressed."

Hilary is the only one that is still in her underclothes, and that's only because she give Tyler a bath and dress the baby.

Tika looks innocently at Tyson. "I don't why, Tyson. It's not like she has anything you haven't seen before."

Hilary and Tyson turn all sorts of shades of red as the rest of us laugh, everyone except for Kai. He just smiles.

Tyler toddles over to Tyson and stretches out her arms as she stands on her tiptoes. "Up! Up! Up!" she demands happily.

Her father, rather awkwardly I might add, picks her up. He obviously still isn't used to be a father, but Tyler has taken quite nicely to him. He blushes when the one-year-old gives him a kiss on the cheek.

I can't help but smile at the sight of the father and daughter. It's obvious that Tyson loves Tyler, but he's still a little shocked about the fact that he is a father.

"Aww," Jo coos softly. "Isn't that sweet. Tyler loves her daddy."

Hilary laughs lightly, but swats Jo on the arm. "Be nice," she looks at me. "I'm going to get dressed. Do you think you can start breakfast?"

I nod my head. "Of course."

As Hilary goes into her room and I start for the kitchen, Ray steps forward. "Do you need any help?"

Not really, I say mentally as I smile at him. But I wouldn't mind being alone in the kitchen with Ray. So I tell him that I wouldn't mind having some help.

Jo lifts an eyebrow at me and smiles knowingly as I lead Ray into the kitchen. I just send her a glare and continue on my way.

"So," Ray said as I began to pull things out of the cabinet and refrigerator, "what are we having for breakfast today?"

I pushed a stray hair behind my ear and smiled. "Nothing special. Just the usual."

"And that would be?"

"Grits, eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, toast...and anything there is to drink," I shrug. "Like I said, it's nothing special."

His eyes are wide with astonishment. "That's what you girls always eat for breakfast?"

I nod. Isn't it obvious? It's not like we eat a lot or anything...at least I don't think we do. "Why?"

He opens his mouth to say something, but quickly closes it before saying, "No reason. No reason at all."

Ray sure is odd, I told myself silently as we began to cook breakfast.


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"Tyson," Hilary said crossly an hour later, "don't chew with your mouth open. You're setting a bad example for Tyler...and don't stuff your face. You'll choke on all of that food if you do."

The said bluenette forced the food down his throat a rolled his eyes at Hilary. "I'm not setting a bad example for Tyler, Hilary. She's more likely to copy you than me."

"You don't know that! She could pick up on your atrocious table manners if she sees you eating like that. Can't you at least try to eat like a human being for once?"

We all watched as Tyson stuck a fork in a pancake and stuffed the whole thing in his mouth along with some sausages and bacon. "No," he said with a full mouth.

I felt a whisper of a smile touch my lips as I watched Tyler's parents. They argued like an old married couple. It's no wonder they went out before. I wonder if they'll ever start dating again.

I look out of the corner of my eye and I can see Ray smiling at their behavior as well. He looks so cute when he smiles. His eyes sort of light up and...

Oh no, he's turning this way. Could he sense me staring at him or something? I wouldn't be surprised if he could."

"What? Is there something on my face?" he asks.

I can't believe I was caught staring at him. How embarrassing!

"Nope," I reply. "I just sort of zoned out."

He lifts an eyebrow. "What were thinking about that made you zone out?"

I feel my cheeks turn a deep shade of pink. I can't exactly tell him that I was thinking about him. I look at Tyson and Hilary. They're still arguing.

"I was thinking about how Tyson and Hilary sound like an old married couple, and I guess I just let my imagination run wild and began wondering what they would be like in a couple of years."

I'm a terrible liar. When I lie, my eyes sort of dart all over the place like a child caught stealing cookies from a cookie jar. And right now, my eyes are darting around the room like crazy. I really wish they would stop.

I close my eyes and when I open them back up, I focus my eyes on Ray again. He's looking at me suspiciously. I can tell from the look on his face that he knows that I'm lying, but he shrugs and decides to play along.

"Yeah," he says, "before Hilary ran away I use to think about things like that all the time. I wasn't the least bit surprised when Hilary and Tyson announced that they were going out. I just wondered what took them so long to start dating."

I open my mouth to respond, but I'm interrupted by the sound of Tyson choking on his food. Hilary jumps up and pats Tyson on the back until he's able to swallow the huge amount of food in his mouth.

He picks up his cup and takes a huge gulp of apple juice. "Thanks, Hil."

She just throws a brown lock of hair over her shoulder and sits back down. "Like I said before, Tyson, you really shouldn't shove so much food into your mouth. You'll wind up choking on it."

I shake my head as Hilary begins feeding Tyler. Hilary and Tyson are two of the strangest people I have ever met. It's obvious that the two like each other---they even have a daughter to prove it---but they would much rather argue than admit it.