"Taylor!" I yelled as I stormed down the hallway. Taylor and I were alone on the bus, because Taylor was "resting" and I had fallen asleep when everyone left for dinner.
Taylor stuck his head out of his bunk. "What?"
"I'm sorry but this is bugging me way too much. I am really mad at you guys for forcing Cory to perform. You have no idea how much that is scaring her. Okay? You know what happened Taylor. You know how it broke her down. I don't think she is ready to be a star again. It's not in her heart. I can tell."
Taylor sat up, looking stricken. "She told me she wanted to. I didn't force her to do anything."
"You call begging and pleading until the girl is ready to jump off a bridge not forcing? You have a real demented mind, Taylor."
"You know Serena, I'm confused about something here. Corrine tells me that she is actually looking forward to this perf-"
"That is only because she knows it will make you happy. Taylor, you don't know Corrine, obviously. She bends over backwards to please people, when really in her heart, she doesn't want to. She's very passive, Taylor."
"Corrine, passive?" Taylor lamented.
I rolled my eyes. "See? You don't know her."
"Obviously neither do you."
"What are you talking about?" I demanded incredulously. How dare he imply I didn't know my own sister?
"Sometimes," Taylor began, staring straight back at me. "Sometimes the people you think you know best are the people you know the least."
"Bullshit."
"It's true! I swear it is!"
"Right, Taylor. Just make sure you don't push her too far, got it? 'Cause if you do, I will make your life a living hell." I turned on my heel and marched away from Taylor.
"Serena!" Taylor called, jumping out of his bunk. I ignored him and sat down, going back to my book. "Serena, I'm confused. Why are you always on my back about something? What exactly did I ever do to you?"
Taylor did have a point. But I wasn't about to admit that. "You are just so annoying sometimes!" I exclaimed, throwing down my book.
"I'm serious, Serena! We have to live on this bus together for three months and we have to get along. So what is it going to take?"
"I just… YOU! Everything about you is absolutely freaking perfect! Corrine is right! You're such a frickin' poster boy! You never do anything bad! You're such an angel! You're just like Corrine! My God!" I burst out, standing up.
Taylor started laughing. "You think I'm perfect?"
"Except for the fact that you are TERRIBLE at sneaking into Corrine's bunk. I wake up every time."
Taylor's face paled. "What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Okay so there is one thing that I'm bad at. How about controlling my swearing? That's something I'm bad at. Not pounding on my keyboards. Not being snotty to fans that cry when they see me. Um… let's see…"
"Don't you ever play practical jokes?"
"Hell yeah!"
"Well that's good. At least you do those. But you're so perfect! Why don't you just completely mess up at one concert?"
"Hey I tripped at the Tulsa concert."
"Oh yeah! But that was only because you were so, uh, excited."
"Shut up. And let's see… Is pointing out all my faults helping you? 'Cause I'm starting to wonder why Corrine even likes me."
I laughed and nodded. "I've been wondering that from the beginning."
Taylor smirked sarcastically at me and I grinned.
"So can we please just be friends?" Taylor begged.
"I guess so," I sighed. "But I still don't think it was so great of you to force Corrine into singing."
"But she's so GOOD! I mean she's like a white Aretha Franklin! Although judging on her stuff I have a feeling she'll be more like the queen of pop rock instead of the queen of soul. But Serena, if you were in my position, I think you would do the same thing."
"Right Taylor. Whatever," I sighed. "But when Corrine runs off-stage sobbing it was not my fault."
"Oh Serena. You're sister was right: you are a drama queen."
"Oh, Taylor," I mocked. "The magazines were right: you are a pretty boy. And I mean that both ways."
I watched Taylor's face fall in defeat, and I knew I had gone too far. "Taylor," I sighed, as he turned and walked away from me. I followed him. "Taylor, I'm sorry. That was really mean of me. I just am really protective of Corrine because she always wears her heart on her sleeve and I don't want her to be hurt."
Taylor turned around fiercely. "You honestly think I would hurt her?!"
Oops. "I didn't mean it like th-"
"I know exactly what you meant. You just don't know when to shut your mouth, do you Serena?" Taylor sighed and shook his head, and walked away from me. This time, however, I didn't follow.
I stood in the middle of the hallway for a second, letting it all sink in. Taylor was right: I didn't know when to shut my mouth. I just don't know where to stop. And I had really done it this time.
Taylor was in front of me once again. I hadn't even noticed. I was too shocked by my own words.
"You know," Taylor started. "I really think I love Corrine."
I blinked at him. Leave it to Taylor to state the obvious.
"And if I even remotely thought that something was going to hurt her, I wouldn't let her do it. Even if I wanted her to. That's what love is, Serena. Giving up something for the other's happiness. So, you think about that."
"Taylor, listen," I sighed as he started to walk away. He turned back around to face me. "I'm really sorry. I don't know what got into me. Can you please forgive me?"
Taylor looked at the ground. "I guess."
"Thanks."
"Yeah." Taylor turned around and started walking to his bunk.
"And Taylor?" He twisted his head to look at me. "You aren't androgynous. I was just being a snot."
Taylor grinned at me. "I know!"
I sat back down at my previous place, and I knew Taylor had forgiven me.
"Serena!" I heard Zac call after me. I had just left the tour bus with Corrine for a walk and Zac had come trampling out after.
"No can do at the moment. I'll kick your ass when we get back, 'kay sweets?"
"Awww!" Zac whined.
I turned back around and listened as the bus door slammed shut. Corrine and I hadn't been able to talk sisterly talks since Tulsa, and we needed one at least every few days. Our attachment to each other was sad. Scary, too, Anna says. But hey, that's us.
"So, what's on your mind?" Corrine asked, once we had gotten further away from the bus and were insured that we had no followers.
"How could you tell?" I grinned, nudging her.
"It's my psychic ability, duh!" I laughed. "But seriously, Sari, what's up?"
"Taylor and I had a fight while you guys were gone."
Corrine raised her eyebrows at me. "What about?"
"I'm just kind of mad that they forced you to perform. So I told him so. And then we got into this big argument. You know how I talk before thinking, sometimes?"
Cory stopped short and looked at me, her face paling. "What did you do?"
"I just said some things that I shouldn't have. We're not mad at each other anymore, but Cory, are you sure you want to perform? Don't, if you don't want to."
"Serena you need to stop protecting me. I can do that for myself," Corrine informed me.
"But you don't! You don't stand up for yourself! Especially with Taylor! You wear your heart on your sleeve, Cory. Even I know that is a sure way to get yourself hurt."
"Serena! My God!" (She was definitely mad. Corrine hardly EVER uses the Lord's name in vain.) "Quit it! I do stand up for myself! Did it ever occur to you that I'm excited about the performance? That I can't wait? Now leave the guys and me alone about this! Okay?"
I shrunk back at my sister's outburst. Ouch. Was Taylor right? Did she honestly WANT to do the concert? I was shocked.
"Sorry. I just thought that I was doing something for your benefit. It's not like I told him to dump you."
"Well. You just can't keep this up, Serena. I know you were only trying to help me, but with things like this, I need to deal with them on my own. Okay?" Corrine sighed, closed her eyes, and ran her fingers through her hair. "I have to go back now to straighten this out with Taylor. Come on let's go."
I sighed. Normally Corrine would have taken this in stride, and acted calmly instead of blowing the top off of her beans. But now it was different. She was different ever since she had laid eyes on Taylor Hanson. And it was not a good difference.
Corrine was already half away ahead of me, tossing her hair behind her. I watched her in silence, wondering why I had ever said anything. Guilt was hitting down on my shoulders like bricks, one at a time. My heart hurt with regret, as ridiculous as it may sound. I wanted my mother here, so she could comfort me and tell me speaking my mind was nothing to be ashamed of. But my mom wasn't here. The closest thing to a mother I had was Cory. Or Diana, but I couldn't run to her. She was Taylor's mother, and would obviously side with him.
As I started walking, I noticed something, and paused. There was movement in a bush nearby, but a breeze definitely did not cause it. The bush rustled again, and I held my breath. Maybe it was just an animal, a squirrel looking for a nut. My instincts, however, did not agree with that theory. I started preparing to run when suddenly something flew out of the bushes and onto me. It was another human.
Adrenaline pulsed through me as I wrestled with the attacker. I was scared beyond my wits, but I was still able to fight back. The person bit my injured arm and I screamed. Trying to push the person off of me, the attacker sat on my face and pinned back my arms. I screamed and screamed, kicking. Why me? What had I ever done to deserve this torture?
I started crying, knowing this person, whoever it was, would either a.) rape me, or b.) kill me. How wonderful. I would die with Corrine and Taylor infuriated with me. Great.
All of a sudden, as I started thinking those thoughts, the person paused. I heard somebody yelling my name. Hope struck in my heart. Maybe I would live. Although I knew I should've, I didn't take advantage of the attacker's pause. My arm throbbed with pain and I knew I would have bruises all over me.
The attacker suddenly got up and stepped off of me. I closed my eyes tight, bracing myself for another blow. I heard running footsteps go off into the distance, and I laid in a heap on the ground, sobbing. Thanking God a thousand times over, I vaguely wondered what would become of me. Would the Hanson's think to see if I had come back with Corrine? Would some petifile, other than the one who had just assaulted me, find me and molest me? Or would I lay there, wondering about who would find me, until I felt better?
Suddenly I heard Zac yelling and running footsteps, that came nearer and nearer. Was I hallucinating? Or was it really Zac coming for me? I started crying harder, simply because I wasn't done with my tears. Although I hid behind sarcastic remarks and jokes, I had been terrified to be out in public ever since I had been shot. I was even afraid in my own home. My days had become a constant worry. The question on my mind, always, was if I would live to see the next day.
"Serena!" Zac cried. He sounded far away, yet in a way right next to me. I didn't open my eyes for fear of not seeing Zac, but seeing an empty park.
Somebody shook me, calling my name, but I didn't respond. I mumbled "Zac," just to see what would become of it. When someone whispered with a tearful tone "I'm here," I finally realized I wasn't dreaming. Zac was hugging me to him.
I opened my eyes to see the Hanson family and Anna and Corrine crowding around Zac and me. Corrine was gasping with a hand to her mouth. Anna had her face buried in Isaac's chest while he looked on. Most of the family was looking anywhere but at me, sighing. I put my face on Zac's shoulder and cried, while Zac picked me up and started walking to the bus. He started trying to coax out of me what had happened, but I couldn't answer because I was crying too hard.
I opened my eyes a little as Zac walked on the bus. The Hanson clan, my sister, and Anna were in tow, walking silently and sadly. Corrine's eyes had pools of tears in them, and I could tell she was trying hard not to cry.
Zac laid me down on a couch in the back of the bus. "Sari, talk to me. What happened?" he whispered as he stroked my cheek, wiping away my tears.
"This person," I choked out. "Starting b-beating me up. They, they just hurled out, out of the b-bushes and pushed m-me down. And then, and then they, they starting p-punching and biting m-me."
I started crying again at the memory of it all, and Zac was frowning and heaving heavy breaths. His face turned bright red. It was very apparent he was angry.
"Z-Zac," I stuttered, trying to calm myself down. "D-don't be mad. It's o-okay."
Zac had his jaw set and his eyebrows were molded into a frowned. I reached my arm up painfully and ran my fingers through his hair. Even though I was still shaking, I pulled my self up and wrapped my arms around him. He gently returned the favor.
Diana came over with a box of band-aids and anti-germ stuff. Leave it to Diana to think of infections and bruises and cuts. Zac pulled away so his mom could play doctor on me and offered me a small smile. Diana carefully rolled up my right pant leg and started her examination. There were no cuts, but a few bruises in which Diana frowned at and rubbed some pain stuff on.
"What is, is that?" I said, still stuttering and gasping. "Vick's V-Vapor Rub?"
Diana chuckled. "Nope, just some pain relieving cream."
I noticed that most of the Hanson clan had retreated, save Zac and Taylor. My sister was there, of course, chewing on her lip. I heard Anna in the back round, sobbing. "But that's just so awful!" I heard her cry. Isaac was trying to calm her.
After checking out my legs and stomach, Diana moved to my arms. She gasped sharply at seeing the bleeding bight marks on my arms. "What happened?" she exclaimed.
"Let's just say, th-that the person thought I was f-food."
"Well, we'll just have to clean that up, won't we?"
Diana set to work mending my chewed arms. She dabbed on some Neosporin and dutifully stuck smiley face band-aids on. Jessie brought three ice packs for me, which were placed on my legs, arm, and eyes. The attacker had managed to hurt most of my body, unfortunately.
When Diana was done, she and Taylor left the room so it was just Zac, Corrine, and I. I wanted Corrine to go away, because I knew she would want to talk about heavy stuff. That was what she did, naturally.
"Sari, I-" Corrine started, but I stopped her.
"Corrine, p-please. I just want to s-sleep. N-not talk."
Corrine drew in a sharp breath, gave her consent and left.
Zac looked at me questioningly. "Do you want me to leave?"
I bit my lip and wiped away some stray tears. "C-can you stay?"
"Of course," Zac sighed, sitting down next to me. I laid my head in his lap and fell asleep quickly.