"When your arms are around me, oo baby you know I can't breathe, it's not you suffocating, it's the love intoxicating me," I sung, writing down the lyrics in my notebook. I had been hit with a sudden inspiration before we were about to go to the Hard Rock Café in Chicago. Literally. Taylor had been bounding down the bus hallway, crazy with excitement because he had been named the "hottest, sexiest, but most unobtainable guy" in the music biz. I, of course, chose that exact moment to jump out of my bunk. Not exactly the smartest thing to do. So, Taylor knocked into me and fell on top of me. Of course Zac had to shout, "Taylor and Corrine are getting it on in the bus hallway!" Unfortunately there were a few fans outside and now not only am I getting death threats from the fans, but my cousins as well, who have monstrous crushes on the brothers Hanson. My cousins are, believe you me, the biggest, most plastic ditzy blonds that I have ever met! They look like clones of Cher from Clueless. Anyway, I'm getting off the topic. So there Taylor was, on top of me, Zac yelling, and this idea hits me. I shoved Taylor off of me, bid farewell to the clan, and settled into the nice, cozy couch of the bus.
"This feels so right, but how can it be so wrong? We're going in circles, and I'm singing this song. How can they hate something, so beautiful as this? I'm wondering what happened, to break down our love as is."
I stuck the pencil eraser in my mouth and chewed. Something didn't sound right, but I couldn't figure out what it was.
"I'd like a cheeseburger and fries!" I screamed to the waiter. We were at the Hard Rock Café, and the screaming girls overpowered my ears. It was amazing the volume a few teenage girls could produce.
"What?" the waiter screamed back. Isaac, Zac, and I tried again.
"THREE CHEESEBURGERS AND FRIES!" we yelled.
"WHAT?" yelled the waiter. I shook my head, holding my head in my hands. We were never going to be allowed to eat.
Zac shooed the waiter away and stood up. Isaac and I followed suit. My little brother walked confidently away from the table, Isaac and I following, and around the corner to the doors of the kitchen. He shoved open the metals doors and the three of us walked in. We received startled stares and a few gasps from the females in the kitchen. One guy screeched, "Hanson! Hanson! My heroes!" and fainted. Us brothers only stared.
"Okay," Zac started. "Seeing that it is going to be impossible for us to order out there, can we just order in here?"
"Sure," a fat bald guy nodded, leaning again a counter.
"Thank you. We want eight cheeseburgers and fries, one order of chicken fingers, one order of the Moroccan salad, and one order of the Big Beefy Burger. We'd also like 6 chocolate milkshakes, 4 vanilla milkshakes, and 1 glass of milk."
"At your service, sire," one of the busboys smirked, unloading dishes into a sink. The fat bald man turned around and glared at the boy.
"That will be right out," smiled the fat bald man. "And we've already called security to kick out the girls, so you don't have to worry."
"Worry? Their parents would die before they worry. God forbid the three Hanson sisters have to worry and get wrinkles all over their faces," the busboy snorted again. Zac ran up against the guy, grabbing his collar and pinning him back against the wall.
"Who are you calling sisters, huh? Huh? Would you like your face shoved down your throat, or am I the only one who would like to see that?"
"I would!" laughed the fat bald guy.
Isaac and I ran up to our little brother after the shock wore off. We pulled Zac off of the guy and apologized. After thanking and apologizing everyone in the kitchen, we left and started yelling at Zac.
"Do you really want to jeopardize everything we've worked for? Zac, you cannot, absolutely cannot do something like that! We've faced criticism all our lives and you've never done anything like that! What is wrong with you?" Isaac and I yelled. Zac glared at us and walked away. He passed the girls on his way back to the table, and when they started screaming again he yelled at them to shut up. They shut up.
"Hello?"
"Hi, is, um, Shawn there?" I asked.
"Corrine? Is that you?"
"Yeah, hi Mrs. Robins," I grinned, speaking into the phone. Anna's mom never missed a beat. She always knew when it was me.
"Hello, dear! How is the tour going?"
"Just fabulous. How is everything back home?"
"Everything is just wonderful. You know, Cory, your mom misses you two terribly. And I miss Anna, a lot. Anyway, tell her I said hi."
"I will."
"Thank you! Let me go get Shawn."
"'Kay." I waited for my best friend's brother to pick up, and sat on the couch tapping my fingers on the armrest.
"Hello?"
"Hey Shawnee."
"Cory, babe! How's it hangin'?"
"Great! And yourself?"
"Fab! I'm so glad to be home!"
"Yeah, I would be too."
"No, you wouldn't."
"You're right. I don't know, Shawn, my mom just drives me insane sometimes."
"I know. I can see why, no offence."
"None taken."
"So why are you really calling, babes?" Shawn asked. He had always called me babes. It had never been a romantic thing; "babes" was just his nickname for me.
"I don't know. I just felt like it. Do I have to have a reason?"
"Hun, you always do. Quit beating around the bush and get to the point."
"In a hurry, are we?" "Corrine!"
"Fine, fine. I don't think Taylor understands."
"Understands what?"
"He offered me a record contract and I turned it down."
"Oh," Shawn knowingly responded.
"He was treating me like I was nuts."
"Oh, babe. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. I know that, I know that it's hard for you. But I will always be there for you. Anna will always be there for you. Serena will. Your family will. And I'm sure Taylor will, my babe."
"Okay," I sighed. Shawn echoed my sigh.
"What's wrong Shawn?"
"I just… is there any chance of you and Taylor breaking up?"
"What?" I laughed. "So soon? Why?"
"I kind of… oh my gosh, this is hard to say."
"Say it."
"The more I think of you, the more I fall in love with you, Corrine. I, I always have."
"What?" I yelled. "After all those years of crushing on you and not going out with people because of my hope you'll realize I'm the one, and you chose now, when I do have a boyfriend, to tell me. I'm sorry, Shawn. I'm with Taylor now. I love you, Shawn. Just not that way right now. It'll always be you and me, though. Don't worry. If Taylor and I do break up, you're first on the list."
"Okay."
"I'm really sorry. Why did you have to say that to me, Shawn? Now I'm going to feel bad!"
"No, don't feel bad! It's completely my fault. Just don't even think about it."
"Shawn. You want me to writhe in guilt. I know you, Hun. Don't even try it."
"Okay, so I do. But, anyway, I have to go. Some of the guys are meeting at the club tonight, so…"
"Okay. Well, I love you, Shawn. Thanks for listening to me."
"No problem. I love you too. Bye!"
"Bye." I hung up my cell phone and frowned. Now that was one interesting conversation. Shawn had secretly liked me all of these years? Something didn't make sense here. I had asked him out about two years ago and he had said no. This was odd.
The bus door opened and in stepped the Hanson clan. Zac looked fuming mad and Taylor and Isaac didn't look too happy either. The rest of the family, however, looked fine. Taylor smiled weakly at me and got into his bunk. Something was up. He didn't even bother to say hi.
Zac trudged over and plopped down next to me. His frown still remained, and so did his crossed arms.
"Zac?" I asked, looking at him.
"What?"
"Mind me asking why you're mad?"
"This guy in the kitchen was making rude remarks about us, so I pinned him to the wall and set him straight," Zac explained, nodding his head as he spoke.
"What? Zac, why did you do that?"
"Because he was calling us the Hanson sisters and saying bad things about our parents. So I pinned him to the wall and basically told him if he didn't knock it off I'd kill him."
"I'm sorry. Maybe you should go to bed, Zac. You look tired."
Zac looked incredulously at me. "No lectures? No ultimatums? I'm shocked!"
"I'm not going to boss you around because I'm not your mother. Personally, I wouldn't have done what you did, but I'm not going to yell at you. Good night, Zac." I got up along with Zac and hugged him good night. After saying good night to everybody on the bus, I slipped into my bunk and fell asleep.