Anna jumped in front of me, squealing like a little pig as I told her the details about Hanson coming over. I grinned at her.
“Oh my gosh!” Anna yelled.
“I know! He insisted! I told him it was okay, but he just picked the plates up and carried them off to the kitchen! And then, Anna, get a load of this, he started to wash them off!” Anna giggled.
“Really?”
“Yeah! And he was sweet about it, too!”
“Okay, Cory, we have to re-decorate your room. I mean, we can leave up like, one poster of Hanson, but all the others must go. Okay? We don’t want them to think you’re obsessed!” Anna laughed.
“Um, Anna? I only have one Hanson poster up. Not to mention it is my only one,” I pointed out.
“Oh yeah… well, okay then… Clothing?”
“My style is fine. And my hair is fine, and I’m fine.”
“That is true. But I feel like we should be doing something. To make him like you better. What could we do?”
“I think he-“
“No, I know! We keep a watch out for Taylor, okay? And if he goes outside, that’s our cue to go for a walk!”
“Why?”
“Just because, it’ll attract him more!”
“I guess so…” I shrugged. What was Anna trying to do?
“Okay, good. Now, let’s watch!”
“Anna, Anna, calm yourself! I have to tell you something, but you can’t freak, okay?”
“Uh huh, okay.”
“Taylor, Isaac, and Zac’s bedroom window is right across from mine.”
“WHAT?! WHERE?!” Anna shrieked, sticking her head to the window.
“You said you wouldn’t freak,” I groaned.
“I can’t help this one. Let’s watch their win- whoa…” Anna peeled her face off of the window and spun around to look at me.
“What?”
“Zac is even hotter than I thought!”
“Oh, Anna! You’re four years older then him! For the love of…” I trailed off as I saw Zac sticking his lips to the window and blowing his cheeks up. I laughed and waved at him. Anna looked out and laughed too. I turned back to her.
“I told you he was goofy. Anyway, what were you saying?”
“I was saying we should watch their window.”
“No! Anna, no! I don’t want them to think we’re obsessed! Or else they’ll just think we’re annoying and put their curtain down!”
“You do have a point,” Anna sighed as she plopped herself down on my bed.
“Exactly. So, how’s Shawn?” Shawn was Anna’s brother, whom I had a crush on.
“Oh, honestly! Shawn is just peachy. Get over him already! The Hanson brother’s live right next door to you! You could be Taylor’s girlfriend!”
“Uh huh. ‘Hi, I’m Corrine Becker, Taylor Hanson’s girlfriend… AHH!’” I joked, pretending what would happen if I actually was Taylor’s girlfriend.
“Oh, be quiet. You’re being too negative! It could happen, you know.”
“Yeah, just like that cow actually did fly over the moon. Be realistic. And according to numerous sources, he isn’t looking.”
“I didn’t know you were as big of a fan. I didn’t think you went on their websites and did all that stuff!”
“Maybe that’s because I… I just didn’t say that much about them. And, it’s kind of hard to avoid the websites, you know, because my mom and Sari subscribed to Hanson-dot-net, or whatever. It’s like, you type in a website, thinking it will be something good, and instead of regular old games you get ‘Get Taylor Back To His Keyboard’, and ‘Dress Zac’. It’s kind of stupid, if you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I got you.”
“Oh hey look, Anna, Isaac is looking at you.” Anna looked out the window and drew in a breath and opened her mouth to scream, but instead let the breath out and blushed.
“Sorry.”
“That’s okay, at least you didn’t scream!” I laughed.
“Yeah, he probably would’ve heard me.”
“I think everyone would’ve been able to hear you. Even the pope.”
“Oh, shut your trap!” Anna laughed and smacked me on the back of the head.
“Hey!”
“Corrine?” Serena ran into the room.
“Yeah?”
“When is mom coming home?”
“Uh, day after tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Serena said, then waved out the window. I looked out and saw Taylor, with a slight blush, smiling and waving back. I grinned.
“I think he likes you!” Anna grinned.
“No he doesn’t, be quiet you moron!” I laughed. Serena shook her head.
“I agree with Anna. He likes you!” Serena giggled, and ran out of the room.
“You two,” I started. “Are very annoying.”
“Whatever you say, Cory, whatever you say.”
“Hey, earth to Taylor!” Isaac said, waving his hand in front of my face. I snapped back to reality and looked over at him.
“What?”
“You were flat again.”
“Oh, sorry. Here…” I played the note on my keyboard and matched my voice to it.
“I wish we could move it down. But then we’d have to change everything in the song,” I sighed.
“Yeah, just like MMMBop. Oh well. I think maybe you aren’t singing it right or something. Try using your diaphragm more,” Ike suggested.
“Okay… One, two three four!” I pressed the harmonica to my lips and blew. The notes sounded good to my ears, not as good as John Popper’s, but still pretty good.
“Yeah!” I sung into the microphone. I played the harmonica once again, then stopped to sing.
“Every single time I see you, start to feel this way… Makes me wonder if I’m ever, going to feel this way again. There’s a picture, it’s hanging in the back of my head, say you know about it’s over…” my voice rung out in the amp, and Isaac and I stopped.
“Good Tay. What time is it? Oh, shoot, Audrey’s coming over!” Isaac said, referring to his girlfriend.
“Again? Oh God! Can you guys stay in the living room or something so I can work on Hansonline?”
“Oh, I guess. If it’s all right with Audrey, of course.” I rolled my eyes at my whipped brother.
“Oh Isaac…” I sighed. “You are so whipped.”
“What? I am not whipped!” Ike declared, frowning.
“Well, you always have to check every move you make with Audrey. It’s obvious you’re controlled, Ike. If I were you I would-“
“Not listen to my little brother who has only had one date in his entire life,” Isaac interrupted. I glared at him and shook my head. I set down the harmonica and we trooped back up to our room.
“If you weren’t whipped you wouldn’t be so mean back. See? You used to be so nice and Audrey has turned you into a jerk!” I continued. Ike rolled his eyes and stared out the window.
“Those girls are at it again. I think that one really likes you.” I turned.
“Which one?” “Corrine. And that other girl keeps staring at me.”
“Exactly! You could be going out with that chick!” Isaac sighed angrily and frowned at me.
“I am not having this discussion with you, Tay. It’s none of your business.”
“Okay, okay. I’m just trying to help,” I said, then looked back out the window. The new girl was gaping at me, and I grinned and waved. Her eyes widened, and she turned around and looked at Corrine.
“He’s totally diggin’ you, Cory! Are you going to make a move on him?” Anna asked me in her annoying little “I want to be a journalist” voice. I rolled my eyes and looked at her with an annoyed face.
“Would you stop with that? He is so unavailable! You know what he says in those interviews! He may as well just say ‘I’m not looking, so quit trying to kiss me’.” Anna laughed at my joke. I didn’t think it was that funny, but I chuckled along with her.
“Oh Corrine. Why does he look at you with that sort of a look if he doesn’t like you?”
“I’ve had enough about that, Anna. Can we just drop the subject?”
“Yeah. Which one should I go for?”
“Not Zac. Not Taylor. And not Isaac.”
“What? Why not?”
“Well for one thing, you’re too old for Zac. If Taylor was looking, I’d be going after him and Isaac is… um… well… you wouldn’t be able to ever talk with him because he’s so devoted to his music!”
“Well so are the others. Quit lying Cory. Why can’t I go for Isaac?”
“His dog is way too protective. You wouldn’t even be able to hold his hand without getting attacked,” I lied.
“Whatever. I’m going for Isaac, okay?” I rolled my eyes.
“Fine then, go for Isaac, see if I care… what’s that? Taylor’s…” I pointed out the window at Taylor, who had stuck his head out the window and was yelling at us. Anna opened my window quickly, and I hobbled over to the window.
“Hey!” I yelled.
“Howdy! We were wondering if you and your sister want to come over to dinner tomorrow at seven?”
“Um…”
“Of course they would!” Anna answered for me. Taylor looked at her.
“Who are you?”
“Anna Robins, best friend to Cory,” Anna pointed at me. “You must be Taylor!”
“Yeah. So would you, Corrine?”
“Yes and call me Cory… everybody does, except when they’re mad or annoyed with me!” I joked. Taylor chuckled and waved.
“See you!”
“Bye!” I yelled, and shut the window.
“New way of communication!” I laughed. Anna shook her head with a smile on her face.
“He totally digs you.”
“Mom, they’re coming!” I yelled down the stairs.
“Okay, thank you Taylor!”
“Yup!” I hollered back, and strolled back down the hall to my room. I sat down on the floor and plugged in the TV. Zac came back in the room.
“Hey Tay.”
“Oh, hi. Do you know if they’ve hooked up the cable?”
“Yeah, they have. So are they coming? Serena was really hot and I want to make a good impression!” Zac laughed.
“Yes, they are. And the friend was Cory’s best friend, Anna.”
“Cory? Since when did you start calling her Cory?”
“Since she told me to. Where’s the remote to this thing?” Zac tossed it to me and shook his head.
“You like her, don’t you?”
“Zac, no! I haven’t even known her twenty-four hours! And how would you know, even if I did?”
“First of all, you’re blushing, and she’s basically all you’ve talked about since we got back.”
“Nuh-uh!” I defied. “Do you think Isaac is whipped?”
“Yeah! Definitely!” Zac nodded, lying down on his bed.
“I tried to tell him but he won’t listen. Uh oh. I hear wonder-girl.”
“Totally Ike. No... can we stay in your room?” We heard Audrey say.
“Uh, Taylor needs to work on Hansonline…” Isaac replied to his girlfriend.
“But Isaac…” Audrey whined. Zac and I rolled our eyes at each other.
“What a bimbo. Ugh, I’m leaving!” I exclaimed, throwing the remote down as Audrey and Ike walked in the room.
“Hi Taylor,” Audrey said in a sugarcoated voice. I looked her up and down. She was wearing a mini-skirt, a tight tube-top, and strappy sandals. I rolled my eyes, even though she saw.
“Hi. Bye.” I ran out of the room, and down the stairs. I could hear Zac leaving too, but didn’t wait up for him. I ran straight to the front door, and after yelling to my mom I was going for a walk, jogged straight out the door and down to the sidewalk.