Dance Colors Our Life and Makes It Bright Again

I'm laying in my bed doing exactly what I wanted to spend my time doing on a Tuesday night in the middle of winter:

Netflix

Glee

And blankets.

But it's not under the best circumstances. I'm laying there buried in blankets, headache, scratchy throat, no voice, aching muscles, and I felt like I could puke at any moment.

Yup. I was sick. Sick as a dog.

I almost considered going to school anyway, but then I threw up.

I hate throwing up. I had to've spent at least 20 minutes with my head resting against the toilet seat.

Taylor's husband Ethan found me about halfway into my vomiting adventure and joked around asking if I had a hang over.

I'd weakly rolled my eyes at him and he sat with me the rest of the time holding my hair back and comfortingly rubbing my back whenever nausea struck me. When I was done he flushed it down, offered me mouthwash, a toothbrush ready with toothpaste, and a glass of water.

My hero.

I pretty literally thought of Ethan as my only older brother figure and he fit the position like a glove. He was funny, and nice, and just everything you'd hope an older would be. I wasn't afraid to tell him I loved him whenever it felt necessary and he would always return the love.

And the fact that he was a doctor was like heaven right now.

Taylor had work today, she's a dentist's assistant, so it was just the two of us.

He got me to sit on the counter, gave me some medicine and sent me off to my room to get some rest.

Gastroenteritis he says. And when I gave him a confused look he clarified for me.

Stomach Flu.

"Although you losing your voice has nothing to do with that." He got up and left my room.

Yea. I lost my voice from yelling at Chase.

I went to school yesterday and ran into him there. We got into it as soon as we found a reason to argue. But I couldn't possibly tell you what it was about, I don't remember.

Anyway I'm now sitting up in my room at my sister's house. And when I look in the mirror, I almost don't recognize myself

My hair's a mess, I'm sweating, I'm pale and my nose is bright red.

I carefully get up and go out to where I can hear Ethan's favorite show on.

I plump down beside him, lay my head in his lap and groan.

He squeezes my nose."What's up Rudolph?" And he was supposed to be an only child? He was like the most brotherly person ever.

"My head hurts." I complain.

"I'm not suprised--"

"And my stomach."

"Well--"

"And everything else."

He chuckles and carefully lifts me so he can get up.

"How about I make you my famous soup, yea?"

I just nod and sprawl out on the couch, this stupid uncomfortable couch. You'd think with the money they had they get a new couch. Apparently not.

I look up at the fan for a couple minutes then get up and sit at the counter opposite of the stove.

"So how's school? I've been so busy I haven't got the chance to ask you. Senior year right?"

"Yea." I squeak. Ethan chuckles and I glare at him before continuing,"it's okay. Winter break's coming up though."

"Oh yea, isn't that when you're supposed to go back to your parents house?"

"Yea, I'm not really looking forward to it."

He nods and continues to stir his ingredients. And he cooks! Nice work Tay! "And what about dance? I saw you huffing and puffing when you came home on Friday. What was that about?"

I shrugg."Dance is fine. That was because of this stupid guy--"

"Ohh a guy! Tell me all about it!"

I roll my eyes at him. He's such a dork. "There's nothing to tell! He's just a big, rude, irresponsible jerk."

He whistles."High praise. He must be someone special." He measures my reaction. "Kidding....Here." He sets a bowl down in front of me and positions himself to wait until I take my first spoonful.

I giggle. I take a mouthful of the warm soup and it's one the most amazing thing I've ever tasted.

"Good right?" He comments. I throw a napkin at his face. He dodges it and heads out of the kitchen to turn off the TV. " I got stuck with the night shift today but your sister should be home soon. I'm gonna go get ready for work."

I pick up the bowl and take it with me over to the coffee table and set it down. I sit on the floor in front of it and continue to eat.

"They were sitting, they were talking in a strawberry swing!" I heard Ethan sing from the shower.

"Ethan babe, your gay is showing."

"You picked this song for our wedding!"he complains.

"Hey Tay." Taylor slips her shoes off and walks over to me with a plastic bag. I put my hands up at her,"Either you're going to strangle me to death or you have something for me."

"I have something for you stupid." She kisses the top of my head. She takes a sits beside me and looks t my empty bowl. "He made you soup, huh?" I nod and she puts her arm around me.

"And it's the best she's every had!" Ethan's calls to us.

Taylor rolls her eyes." You feelin' any better Ma?" She presses the back of her hand against my forehead and cheek.

"A little, yea."

"You still have a fever though" she set the bag in front of me and got up to walk over to the kitchen. She came back a minute later with couple of pills and dropped them into my hands."Here."

"Thanks. " I take the pills and down them with water. I hate pills too. I lay in her lap and she starts to play with my hair.

"So what'd you guys do today?"

I shrug. "I just slept all day and... Wait a second, you have something for me!"

I sit up and Taylor takes the bag, gently setting it in my lap.

"Okay technically it isn't for you, it's for me, but I need your help." She whispers. I go to open the bag but she quickly grabs my hands as Ethan emerges from their bedroom dressed for work with his keys in hand. He
Comes and pecks Taylor on the lips and pulls us both in for a hug.

"I'll see you both tomorrow alright?" And he shuts the door behind him.

I open the bag, pull out the boxes and set them on the coffee table.

I look up at Taylor's nervous expression before I realized what they are. Pregnancy tests! Oh my god Taylor's pregnant!

I rush to open a box and shove one of the sticks at her. "Go! Hurry up and go!"

"What do I do?!"

"You're telling me you don't know how to take a pregnancy test?!"

"No! I don't!" She shakes her head feverishly at me.

"G-go pee on the stupid stick Taylor!" I sputter.

"But I don't need to go!"

"Either you force yourself to go or you drink every drinkable thing you have in that fridge." She gets up and runs over to the fridge. She pops open a bottle of water and downs the whole thing. Then she goes for another.

"Go! Go to the bathroom!" I say pushing her out of the kitchen. I shut the bathroom door on her and sit myself down on the cold hardwood floor beneath me.

"Ew!" She squeaks on the other side of the door. I hear her groan and mumble profanities then finally the sound of the toilet being flushed. I hear her as she washes her hands then it the sound of water stops and she comes out of the room. "This is the most disgusting thing ever."

She rests the tests on the counter and I set a timer.

This is a side of her I haven't seen. I mean, I was there when Ethan proposed to her, and I was there when she had multiple nervous breakdowns on the week of her wedding. But looking at her now, pulling at her hair, staring at that test, she looked like she was nearing a panic attack.

The ringer goes off and I see her jump.

She looks at the timer then back up at me with wide eyes. I sit at the counter and wait for her to make her move, but after a moment I realized she's frozen with fear.

"Tay, are you really that scared of having a baby?" I ask gently. She loosens a little. Her beautiful features smooth themselves out while she lets out a sigh, her long brown hair falling around her face.

"A little. I'm not to excited about the thought of something ripping their way out of me down there" she replies. She plumps down on the barstool beside me and lets her get fall onto my shoulder. I smooth out her hair and take her face in my hands.

"Well you've always got pain killers and you can literally beat the crap out of Ethan in the process and all he can do is cheer you on!"

She chuckles softly. "True"

"And I'll be there for you too, if you want, and if you ever have cravings while I'm at mom and dad's and Ethan's at work, I'll take you to get whatever you want." I continue. She looks me in the eyes while I gently pull on her ears.

She sits up and takes me into a hug. "I love you." she reaches out for one of the tests and skeptically pulls in back towards her.

Her hands flash up and cover her mouth before I can ask what it says and her eyes brim with tears. She slowly nods her head before placing it back down and leaning against me. I wrap my arms around her shoulders.

"Are those happy tears?"

"I think so." She sobs back at me. I laugh. Always been like this.

On Glee, Rachel said that her dads would bring her water when she was said so she never knew if she was sad or just thirsty and our parents sorta did something like that with her. Only, they brought Taylor a glass of hot chocolate.

It doesn't surprise me that she can't really tell cause I think, at least, that that was the goal.

"I think," I wipe away the tears falling down her cheeks,"those are happy tears."

"How do I tell Ethan?"

"How does he not know already?"

"I haven't really had any symptoms when he was around." She shrugs. She gets up and throws the tests away then lets herself fall into the couch.

"Well when he takes out the trash and sees those boxes and test, that's one way to tell him."

"Okay, we'll tell him when he gets home I guess."

"We? Sorry sis, but I'm going to school tomorrow."

"I don't know about that. Wait till Ethan gets home in the morning. You'll need a doctors note anyway." She winks at me and hops off the chair. She stretches her arms above her head and as she does, some of her midriff is exposed.

"Uhh, Tay, how far along do you think you are right now? Cause your shirts kinda up and it looks like you're showing a little." She lays her hands on her bump and looks down at it carefully, trying to see what I'm seeing from a different point of view.

"I dunno, maybe a month?"

"That looks like two months to me Tay." She shrugs and pulls her shirt down.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow, kay? I'm going to bed. Love ya." She kisses the top of my head and heads of in the direction of her room without another word.

So I go to my room. And I'm asleep before I know it.