Jump to Zack and Taylor at the end of break

Spring Break was almost over. Zack was back home at his parents' house with his older sister Taylor before Zack went back to the tail end of his senior year in high school and Taylor headed back to college.

Zack was in the bathroom brushing his teeth when he heard Taylor coming back up the stairs from her evening out. They'd grown up in a funny old house that had a bathroom squeezed in between their two bedrooms, and over time they had gotten really casual about each other's presence, at least when company wasn't over. With their tiny bedrooms, "company" was usually in the basement rec room or at the kitchen table, depending.

"Hey! In?" Taylor called.

Zack spat out a mouthful of toothpaste and said, "Okay."

Taylor slipped in behind him and sat on the toilet. "Thanks. You're a champ," she said with a sigh.

Zack tried not to look in the mirror as he finished with his teeth.

Zack spat and rinsed. "Have a good time with Hannah?" Zack asked.

"Rockin'," Taylor said. "We went to a British pub this time. The beer really is better, and one beer actually helps my aim."

Zack forgot and looked up, meeting his sister's eyes in the mirror. She grinned at him with her slacks around her knees.

"Your aim?" Zack said. He didn't think Taylor had to do much aiming after drinking beer.

"DARTS," Taylor said. "You know what I mean. But after the second round, we gave up and just watched soccer. Football. The Beautiful Game." She laughed. "It was pretty funny. Especially when they fall down on purpose. But mostly it was good hanging out. You know."

Taylor finished up and flushed.

"Over," she told Zack, elbowing him to the side to wash her hands.

Zack stepped aside.

Taylor dried her hands, took a cotton pad and a jar of white cream and started dabbing it onto her face.

"So I never heard about how you made out at the cabin with all your friends," Taylor said. "You've had this kinda spaced out look today but I didn't get a chance to ask you."

"Well, it's kind of complicated," Zack said. "It might take a while."

"Okay, c'mon over and brush my hair and you can tell me. I know you were hoping it might be a good chance to get some time with Victoria," Taylor said.

"Okay, I'll be right over." Zack left Taylor in the bathroom to finish her night time stuff. When she was done, Zack joined her in her room and started brushing out her long brown hair as he told his sister what had happened.