Isaac threw the rolling
stones magazine down on the coffee table. "Page 36." Taylor rolled
his eyes and flipped to the page he had been assigned. His eyes grew
wide as he continued to read on. Slowly, his lips began to move and
eventually he was reading it outloud. "As far as any new developments on
an album goes, the Hanson's haven't released anything in the past year and
a half, proving to hit their popularity, and disappoint their fans. Their last
album hit it big, although, sales were down and ratings weren't nearly as high
as their debut album 'Middle of Nowhere'. The tour of 98 was said to be one
of the best shows of the year, bringing critics and fans from all over. Some
critics are now calling their lack of motivation a means of slowing down, while
others maintain their faith and love for the band. In either relevance, it's
becoming more and more obvious…the three Tulsa teenagers are in dire
need of a new, and extremely high rated album." Taylor lifted the
magazine up and pointed to the small article. "Lack of motivation?
Disappoint their fans? Our popularity?" Isaac shrugged. "What is this
bullshit?" Taylor looked back at the article. "Lack of motivation my ass.
What the hell do they know?" Isaac walked to the front window, grabbing
a handful of curtain and pushing it aside. "Tay maybe their
right." "About what?!" "Well, we really haven't released or done much
for the past year. Just little things. Maybe we should get together and start
talking about something." Taylor sighed. "We have a life Isaac. Our
music is part of it but it's not 100%!" Isaac stopped to look out the
window. "I'm not saying it isn't. But when was the last time we put on a
really good show, or when was the last time we actually put out a kick ass
video, or when was the last time we played for Rosie?" Taylor shook his
head. "We were younger, we had more energy." "We're still young
though, and our fans, I think we owe it to them." "Ike! Come on, it's not like
we haven't given them a lot already." Isaac shrugged. "I'm not saying
your wrong, but they are our customers." Zac Dentra looked at one of the
girls, his face very curious. "Of course I do! And more so now." He
shook his head. "Okay ladies. Names?" The two Zac's stood by
eachother in front of the shoe store, each of them staring at the other. The
shortest one stood up straight and took in a deep breath. "I'm Amanda,
that's Kristin, and that's Danna." The two boys looked at
eachother. "Ages?" "I'm 14, Kris is almost 14, in like a month, and
Danna is 13." Zac Hanson grinned. "Wanna have lunch with
us?" She stared blankly at the
television. "MEY!" She jumped and turned to look up at Dorin. "He
went with Zac to the mall." Dorin sighed. "He didn't give me his stuff for
track 9." "He will." "I wanted it now, so I could take it down and at least
have it ready for when we record." "Door. You need a break anyway. Sit
down and relax. A couple hours won't kill you." Dorin looked down at his
sister. Throwing up his hands he shrugged. "Why am I the only one that
wants to get this album done?" Jeremy smiled. "Wish I was there." "No you don't." "Yes I
do." "My parents don't like you anymore." "They never did." "Well
they definitely don't now." Jeremy shifted the reciever to his other
ear. "I still wish I was there." He listened as the background of the tv in
Nikki's house was turned down. "Only one more month Jem. One more
month." His voice quavered as he responded. "All the more reason for
me to be there Nikki." She sighed. "We can't have it all our way I guess
Jem." "I'm still trying though." "It's not a big deal anymore. Mom and
dad know about the baby, I'm going to school, I graduate next year. I've got
some real neat friends already." She paused. "I still love you Jem. But I
think I should stay here. I mean, I know that's hard to hear, but it's good here
too. And you have a busy life and all…." "Aww Nikki don't say that." He
looked down at the counter where a book and several papers were
scattered. She sighed and coughed a little. "I'll call you when I have it
alright? And maybe I could come down there and you could come up here
and meet her." Jeremy squeezed his eyes shut. "Nikki." "Jem I'm
not breaking this off. I just want to stay here." He took a deep
breath. "We'll talk about this later okay." There was a long pause
before she spoke. "Okay Jem. Maybe later." They said their goodbyes
and Jeremy hung up the phone, sighing loudly as he did so. Danna leaned over to her friend. "Kris, I'm sposed to be home by
6, and it's a quarter after 5." The girl frowned and sighed. "Manda, I'm
going to go with Dan to call her mom. She's gotta be home." Kris stood up
somewhat irritated and helped her friend pick up all of her things. "I'll wait
with her til her mom gets here and then I'll be back." They trapesed off,
heading to the nearest pay phone. "Well you can't
say that they say nice things about everyone else Tay." Taylor
frowned. "That doesn't mean anything. The Dentra's speak whatever they
think. That's the way they are, they shouldn't be critisized for that." Isaac
walked to the kitchen in the back of the apartment. "Taylor things have
changed. Maybe we do need to put something out, and the Dentra's do need
to show a little class some times." Taylor rolled his eyes. "I think they
have class." "Maybe that's part of our problem." "Poor guy." "Poor
guy! I don't think so. The female is a wonderful sex." Zac Dentra smiled.
Quite outspoken this Amanda girl was. "So where do you live?" She
scrunched up her face. "Why would I tell you where I lived?" "I
dunno." "I'm not going to say." "Oh come on." Zac smiled at her and
pulled his hair out of the way. Leaning his head on his hand, he put his straw
to his mouth. She smiled and sighed. "Fine. I live like a block from
here. I walk home from the mall when I come. Now where do you live." "If I
told you I would have screaming girls at my door." Zac Hanson sat back
and watched as his friend raised eyebrows and smiled lightly. This sucks.
I'm stuck here, with no one to flirt with, and he's on the verge of dating this
girl. He laughed as Zac Dentra almost spilled his coke on the
table. Sitting up, the two boys watched in silence as Amanda pulled her
hair out of a pony tail and let it fall over her shoulders. "Woah. What a
mop." She frowned. "My mom doesn't turn me upside down to clean the
kitchen floor, this is hair, not a mop." The boys looked at eachother,
raising an eyebrow then turned back around. "Is that your natural
color?" The girls blond hair put off a glow from the florescent lights of the
mall. She sighed. "Do you think it is?" Zac Dentra shook his
head. "Nope." Frowning she shrugged. "It's not. It's blond from a
box. Danna says it looks good like this, but my mom doesn't like it. I like
brown much better." Zac Dentra didn't smile. "Your burnette? You don't
look like you'd be a burnette." "Sorry. But that's what I am." "Oh don't
be sorry. Matter of fact I like brown better then blond." She smiled broadly
then looked up. "Oh look, Kris is coming back." She waited as her
friend made her way to the table and sat down. "Well, you guys get along
without me?" The two girls giggled and looked back at their
company. "So. Now that we've done nothing but eat for the past hour and
a half. You guys, want to walk us home or something?" Zac Hanson
laughed out loud. "What." "It just sounds funny." "What
does?" "Zac Hanson, take my hand and walk me home!" "Come on man, I know it's late, just
get the door." He waited another minute then pounded again. Looking
back at the curb he noticed Angie's car parked behind his brother's. "God.
Man, I hope this is a good time." He knocked once more, getting irritated
that he wasn't getting his way. The door swung open, a very tired looking
and very groggy Isaac stepped away from the door. "Come in. What is the
problem." Taylor waltzed past his brother. "Yeah, just sit down. Try and
be quiet though, Angie is asleep." Taylor looked quizically up at his
brother. "When did Angie move in?" Isaac blushed. "She hasn't
yet." Taylor smiled lightly and then looked away. "Now what's the
problem?" "Mey's sick." Isaac sat down by Taylor, looking at his
brother who didn't stop rubbing his hands together. "Well I'm sure it'll be
fine." "No you don't understand, the doctor said it's bad, and if things don't
go okay then bad things could happen Ike and I don't want this to happen
right now Ike. This is bad." Isaac frowned. "Well is it
treatable." "Does it matter? She's sick, and it has to do with the
baby." Taylor was noticably rocking back and forth. "Well take it step
by step Tay, is she okay right now?" Taylor sucked in breath. "No! She
spiked a fever an hour ago and they said she's in pain." Isaac placed one
hand on his brother's leg. "Tay. Do they know what it is?" He
squinted. "Just something with the baby." Isaac sat staring at Taylor.
"Things have been going well till now, I'm sure she's okay Tay." Taylor
shook his head while bringing his hands to his mouth. "That's not what
they think." Isaac moved his hand to Taylor's back and patted it, leaning
closer. "Tay. Whatever happens, it'll be okay, alright. I'm sure of that, and
your going to have this baby, and it's going to be beautiful and you are going
to spend the rest of your life with Mey. It'll be alright." Taylor's voice
quavered. "Ike I... I don't know I'm just, god this is such a bad
thing." "It's not over yet. You just started, anything could
happen." Taylor paused. "That's what I'm afraid of Ike." Taylor
looked back down at his shoes, easily visible as he sat foreward on the
couch. "Well Tay I can't say anything but that. I'm not magic worker. All I
can say is go back home, get some sleep, and we'll go see her in the
morning." Taylor paused, looking up he bit his lower lip. "Ike, can I stay
here tonight?" Isaac frowned and looked more questioningly at his
Brother. "Why, you have a room at mom and dad's, and I would think you
would want to stay with Mey." He shrugged. "The hospital says I can't,
and Zac has Zac spending the night. So I figured…I don't know, that they'd
want the room to themselves. Plus, your place is closer to the hospital just
incase." Isaac sighed. Sitting back in thought he shrugged. "Yeah.
I'll get you some blankets."
"Okay. Tell me the truth.
Do you even LIKE him and his brothers?"
"Mey where's Zac?"
"I can feel it kick. It's
great."
The
five of them sat around a metal table in the food court, two hours
later.
"Last month they critisized the
Dentra's for their 'lack of self-pride during appearances."
"Nagh, she's
kind of quiet. She's got one sister and a brother."
Taylor
knocked on the door to Isaac's house.
