"Oh, I'm gonna go to the movies with some people." Isaac answered.
"Really? What people?"
"Chad, Frank, Kathryn, Roy, Sarah, Wayne, -"
"Wayne? Hey say 'hi' to him for me."
"Will do, where you going?"
"Zac suckered me into going on a double date with him, Mary Anne and some girl named Zella."
"Oh. 'Suckered' is right."
"Thanks for the sympathy."
"You're welcome."
"Tay!" Zac shouted. "We're going now!"
"Ok." Taylor gave Isaac an unimpressed smile. "Have fun at the movies."
"You bet. Have fun on your date."
Taylor groaned.
**********
Taylor and Zac met up with Mary Anne and Zella at Pizza Hut.
"Hi Tay." Mary Anne said cheerfully. "This is Zella. Zella this is Taylor."
"Hi." Zella said shyly.
"Hey."
Taylor was immediately on guard. There was something about her empathic signature that was telling him she was not what she appeared to be, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"So, let's go inside." Zac said, rubbing his hands together.
A little later Zella got up to visit the toilet. Mary Anne turned to Taylor.
"Why are you being so rude to her?" she asked.
"What?"
"You're being rude to Zella."
"No I'm not.' He objected, then with a glance at Zac, "Am I?"
"Umm, well, just a little bit."
"A little bit?" Mary Anne repeated. "Taylor, Zella is... she's a little delicate ok? Please try to be nice."
Taylor had to smile.
"Yeah, ok."