"So, so, so I have to pick with one of you is really Ike?" he asked.
"Yep." One Taylor, who was really Ike, said.
"But that's mean." Zac complained. "How do you expect me to figure that out?"
The two Taylors smiled deviously at him. The exact same smile. Zac pulled a face.
"Just guess." Taylor - the real Taylor - said.
"This is so not fair."
Zac vaguely remembered pulling a similar prank on Taylor, in the second time line. He sighed.
"Well, lemme think. Well, I guess there's no point in asking you a question only the real Taylor would know huh? For starters, I can't think of any."
The Taylors grinned.
"Secondly, even if I did, I have no way of actually making you tell me. And thirdly, you guys are telepathic so Tay could easily tell Ike the answer and you could both answer at the same time."
"Give up?" Isaac asked.
"No!"
"You sure?" Taylor asked.
"I don't give up. And don't you dare think about manipulating my emotions Taylor!"
Taylor was about to reply that he wouldn't do such a thing. Besides, even if he wanted to, there weren't any available emotions around that he could use to make Zac give up. Fortunately…
*Don't say anything Tay* Isaac warned him telepathically. *Not a word. He's just trying to get a reaction out of you.*
*Oh… hey thanks Ike. I nearly let loose then.*
*You're welcome.*
Zac frowned. Ok, so it didn't work. He glared at his brothers, then looked around the room. Then he spotted something.
"You guys suck you know that." He said, subtly picking them up.
The Taylors just kept on smiling. Then Zac did something rather unexpected… he threw the two things he had picked up. They were only a couple of lollies that someone had left and he threw one at each of them.
One lolly hit the real Taylor in his chest. The other lolly bounced off Isaac's force field, which came up automatically.
"Hi Ike." Zac said smugly.
"Damn." Isaac replied, changing back.
"I'm still puzzled about those force fields. Not once did they show up in the previous time line." Zac said.
"Yeah, well, I wish they would quit being so erratic. They always come up when I want them too, but… well, ok during the water fights they would only come up when I wanted them too. But the rest of the time they come up by themselves."
"And I swear there were no sign of them…"
"Yes we know you're puzzled Zac." Taylor said. "By any chance, did Ike have anything thrown at him that he wasn't expecting?"
"Umm… no I don't think so."
"You think that's what it is?" Isaac asked.
"Sure, you expected to be hit with water, so the shields didn't come up. You didn't expect to be hit by rocks - or lollies - so they went up." Taylor explained.
"You know, that could be it." Isaac said. "And not to mention useful during concerts."