“isaac?” when there was no answer, taylor repeated, louder. “IKE?” “hmm?” came a mumble from the bunk below his. “zac?” taylor called. “yeah?” a groggy zac asked from his trundle in the corner of the room. “just seeing if you guys were awake,” taylor answered as he rolled onto his stomach and sighed, eyes wide open. “what is it?” isaac asked. “nothing,” taylor said quietly. he heard his brother grumble from below him and roll out of his bed. ike stood on his mattress and held onto the edge of taylor’s as he looked over to him. “come on, tay. what is it?” taylor rolled against the wall and looked up to the ceiling as he sighed. “its... i don’t know. i think i need to talk to you guys.” zac crawled out of his bed and sat on the ladder that led up to taylor’s top bunk. “well? what is it?” he asked. “its... just... well... sutton,” taylor said and quickly closed his mouth as he noticed their door open a crack. “did i hear my name?” sutton grinned as she entered the boy’s messy room. taylor quickly sat up and shot his brother’s a look to keep quiet. “hey sutt,” zac called as sutton climbed up to the top bunk using the headboard of ike’s bottom bunk as a step. she quickly leaned against the wall opposite of taylor and brought her legs to her chest. taylor watched her get situated, unsure of what to say though noticing how cute and perky she looked, wearing her blue and white cloud pajamas and her hair up in a high ponytail. suddenly he became very tense, unsure of how to act when in her presence after the moment he shared with her the night before and their kiss. He recognized sutton seemed to feel the same way through her uncomfortable body language. “good morning,” isaac smiled, as zac climbed the ladder and leaned against the wall i the middle of the bed between sutton and taylor. “what’s up?” zac asked as he slumped against the wall, legs dangling off the bed. “well... i guess there’s something i wanted to talk to you guys about,” sutton quietly said into her lap. taylor leaned back into his pillows as he faced sutton, and brought his own knees up to his chest. he looked up to her and met her eyes and slowly nodded, having a feeling of what she planned to say. “are you okay?” isaac asked, concerned. “yeah, i’m... i’m good. did i interrupt something? you guys talking about me again?” she slowly smiled. “no, no,” taylor quickly said. “okay. well, there’s just something i want you guys to know. you don’t necessarily need to know, but i want you guys to know more about me and why i am here and the whole situation. taylor already knows but i, i felt you guys should know, too.” “about why you’re here?” zac questioned. sutton looked at him and isaac and sighed. “yeah, you guys know why I’m here and everything, right?” isaac looked over to taylor and back at sutton. “of course. your parents are over in italy for a year, being missionaries. my parents offered to have you stay here with us...” sutton nodded. “there’s more to it than that, though. why this is so important for my parents and how it all began, and i guess that i want you guys to know.” “what is it, sutt?” zac asked. sutton looked up hesitantly to taylor for support, and began. “well...their dream began about a year ago to be missionaries.” sutton abruptly began to repeat the story she had previously told taylor and his mother, realizing that all of her words came quickly out of her mouth and she didn’t have to think much about what she was saying since she had told the story so often up to this point. she finished her story a few minutes later and looked into the concerned faces of isaac and zac. “gosh sutton, i’m sorry...” isaac said genuinely and crawled up to the bed and gave her a hug. “thank you,” she said as she released. “but i don’t want you to feel sorry for me. i felt it was important that you knew this about my family and maybe my parents don’t want me telling this to everyone, but you guys are like my family know and i feel so incredibly close to you and your parents; i knew you would understand. i guess i didn’t want you to wonder why sometimes i feel so incredibly desolate and alone and scared.” “thank you for telling us, I’m sure its hard for you to talk about, either way,” zac added, and gave her a quick hug. “but she’s gonna be okay, right?” taylor said in a smile, trying to lighten the moods. “yea,” sutton smiled weakly. “so...sutton. do you know how your parents are doing now?” isaac softly asked. “no,” sutton shook her head. “not really. my mom never really says anything on the phone though she vaguely told me the problems her and my dad had been having, but i think they’re okay. i actually, the other day when i borrowed your computer i actually wrote my parents a letter and told them al that and what I’d been feeling and all, so...” “when do you think you’ll hear from them?” zac asked. “i don’t know, soon i hope. they should have already gotten it.” “things will be okay, sutt. you’ll see. you’re an extremely strong and gentile and kind person; you have a big heart. things will work out for your parents.” isaac said and squeezed her hand. sutton smiled and looked over to taylor. “i guess i should start believing that since everyone keeps telling me that,” she said softly into his eyes. “thats what i’ve noticed about you, too, sutt. you always put others before yourself. i haven’t even really seen you cry at all.” zac commented. sutton looked into her lap and slowly smiled. “well...i have cried a lot. i guess i’m all cried out though,” she looked up and laughed, dry eyed. “i’m starting not to feel so sad anymore. i know, i know He will guide my parents and protect them and love them. all good things come to those that love our lord, right?” she said in a smile. “definitely,” zac agreed. “plus it would be a shame for you to be sad all throughout our tour.” zac shared a smile with sutton, relieved that he had changed the subject. “no kidding, i hope chris has some awesome things planned for you guys. new york, hint hint,” sutton grinned as she scooted closer to zac and put her arm around him. “yanno what i mean?” taylor looked over to her and smiled and over to isaac. “aren’t we going --” isaac quickly cut him off. “shh! we’re going to have a big family meeting on like, tuesday. completely with an itinerary and all, to plan our the next few months for us.” “i thought that you guys weren’t sure as to where you were touring yet, the dates?” sutton asked, surprised. isaac kneeled on the bed and held out his hands in front of him, excited. “nope. and i have really important news mom and dad said i could share with you guys, too.” he said with a large grin on his face. “wai-wai-wai wait!” taylor cried, and sat up. “how do you know all of this new information? i don’t know where we’re touring yet!” isaac sighed. “cos you’ve been out and about practically all week. they just finalized some stuff with chris yesterday, anyway, and he’s coming over tuesday, i think. or maybe wednesday. i’m, not sure.” “well?!” zac stammered, arm around sutton’s shoulder. “what’s the big news?!” isaac quickly said, “we leave at the end of the month for france! ” sutton stared at him, amazed, and then laughed as she looked at zac and taylor as they threw their arms around each other. “oh my gosh, ike!” sutton cried and gave him a huge hug as taylor and zac shared surprised grins. “wow,” taylor said. “finally!” zac cried, and hugged sutton. “this is awesome,” she laughed. “are you sure, ike? already?!” taylor asked. “no, its for real! we’re going to start touring next month, in june!” isaac cried as he and taylor began to scream and holler together. Isaac pushed zac down on the bed and began to wrestle with him as they laughed and cheered, excited for the tour and what their future would hold. sutton laughed and looked over to taylor, who was looking her way. she crawled past Ike and zac and brought her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear, “congratulations.” he returned her embrace, and then released and sutton squished in next to him beside his pillows on the twin sized bunk. “thanks.” he smiled. “wow. i can’t believe it right now.” “i know,” sutton grinned. “you okay?” he raised his eyebrows. sutton looked at Ike and zac and nodded, and joined in the fun. thirty