Zac sprinted up to Tay, lying on the sand on top of Belinda, and ripped him off her once again. He didn’t notice Bel this time either.
“I have to talk to you! Now!" Zac said to Tay.
Tay looked at Belinda, still lying on the sand.
“You might as well go home. There’s no point waiting for me. I’ll probably end up in jail again,” he said regretfully to her.
Bel didn’t mind all that much. She stood up, brushed herself off, kissed him flirtatiously on the cheek, and ran back to her hotel. She would probably be just in time to go with her family on their spear-fishing outing.
Taylor watched her run off, her hair glistening in the sun. Zac heaved a huge sigh, and Tay took the hint and stopped watching Bel. They settled down cross-legged on the sand, and Zac poured out his story.
“You will not believe this. You will absolutely not believe this. Your 12 year-old brother is going to be a father. You will be an uncle.”
“What?!!!” Tay screamed. “I don’t understand! I cannot comprehend what you’re talking about! Je ne comprende pas! What are you saying?!”
“I’m saying, Thayet just e-mailed me. She’s having a baby and it’s mine!”
“What?!!!” Tay screamed. The two brothers lapsed into silence. They sat, staring at their hands, which were folded in their laps.
“Tay...” Zac ventured.
“Hmm?” Tay replied.
“Nothing...” Zac mumbled. The silence continued.

Finally...
“Didn’t you use contraception?” Asked a still shell-shocked Taylor.
“What’s contraception,” queried the still more shocked Zachary.
“What?!!!” Tay screamed for the third time in fifteen minutes. “Haven’t Mom and Dad had “The Talk” with you yet?” The boys, being home schooled, had pretty much nowhere else to find out about these things.
“What talk?” Asked Zac. “No one tells me anything. The only reason I even know what sex is, is because of Ike and his stupid affair with the stupid toaster. I can’t believe we kept eating the toast the thing made! Anyway, what’s contraception?”
“Ask Mom and Dad...” Taylor was embarrassed. He changed the subject.
“So what are you going to do now?”
“Well, the thing is, Thayet used to go out with this guy called Jonathan. They were really serious, they went out for like two-and-a-half weeks. She said she was totally over it, but the way her eyes looked when she said his name, I think she still loves him." Zac finished his speech, a little breathless, and looked at Taylor.
“Wow, Zac! That is like, soooo romantic! So are you thinking that we get them back together, and then she tells him that the baby’s his!”
“Exactly!”
“I can read your mind, little bro,” Taylor said. The two brothers smiled at each other. “We’d better go e-mail Thayet and tell her the plan. Come on!” Taylor reached down and took Zacky's hands, pulling him up beside him. The two brothers walked off hand in hand as the sun set over the picturesque vista of Miami Beach.

Several hours later...
“I love the idea,” Tay read aloud from the e-mail Thayet had sent them, replying to their plan. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than marry Jonathan. No offence to you, Zacky. You’re a little too young for me. I see that now. But anyway, there are just two problems. I know I could make Jonathan fall in love with me again if I saw him, but right now he’s got another girlfriend. Some slut called Ilana. Plus, she and Jonathan have gone on a backpacking holiday around Australia.”
“Hey, Australia,” Zac interjected. “Isn’t that where what’s-her-name lives?
“It’s Belinda, and yes, she comes from Australia,” Tay sighed. “She’s going back in a week, too. I’ll really miss her.”
“Hey...” Zac wondered, “Why don’t we go with her...”
“What?!!!” Yelled Tay. “Oh. Sorry. I mean, great idea, Zac!”
“Thanks."
“You’re welcome.”

It was a momentous idea. Tay could hardly believe that it was possible for him not to have to say goodbye to his beloved Belinda, or, at least, not right yet.
They would all go to Australia, to track down Jonathan and the dreaded Ilana. Instead of going back to school in Melbourne, Bel could come with them. Her parents were sure to say yes. They’d be glad to get her out of their hair for a while. His mother could tutor Belinda. Diana already tutored the Hanson kids, so it would be no big deal having one more there.
It would work out perfectly. Belinda had already holiday-ed all over Australia, plus she had lived there all her life, so she would know sort of where to go. She would have to be let in on Zac's secret, but Tay knew she wouldn’t tell anyone. And she and Tay would be together, through it all. Tay was happy.
“There’s only one problem, though,” put in Zac, startling Tay and making him realise that he had said all of the above out aloud.
“What?” He blushed.
“Duh!” Said Zac. “The fact that we haven’t even asked Mom and Dad if we can quit recording the album for a while and take the whole family on a possible-wild goose chase after two backpackers all over Australia. And we can’t even tell them why we want to go!"
“Oh, yeah,” said Tay, dejected.

Well, they didn’t need to worry. The boys’ parents, Diana and Walker, agreed immediately.
“What a wonderful idea!” Said Diana. “It’ll be lovely to go backpacking around Australia! The little ones will enjoy it!"
Actually, Tay and Zac hadn’t planned on backpacking. They had planned on travelling. Oh well. Surely backpacking wouldn’t be that bad.
Belinda’s parents had agreed immediately. They were overjoyed to be rid of the annoying kid for a while, especially as Diana and Walker had offered to pay all costs.
So, twenty-three hours after Zac received Theyet’s disastrous e-mail, the Hanson family and Belinda were ready to leave for Australia.

[ 9 ]