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Avery gave up on sleep for that night. She shook her sleeping brother awake and picked him up. She walked down the stairs, then outside into the street. It was pouring rain hard. Suddenly she began to walk away from her house. She walked a little faster. She ran down her block with Cole in her arms and then kept on going, not sure where, not sure why. Heck, she didn’t know anything anymore. Little rivers of rainwater worked their way down her face and neck and then dissolved into her shirt. It kept raining harder and harder each passing minute, and Avery ran faster and faster. The streets were pitch black and deserted, and all you could hear was the rain, heavy breathing, and the slapping of Avery’s bare feet against the road. She ran and ran, passed streets she knew and then went on to streets she didn’t recognize. She was never going back. She just kept running. Avery had no clue where all this strength was coming from. All she knew was that she had to keep going forward.
Avery looked at Jessica triumphantly, “GO FISH!!! I beat you again!” she smirked.
“Ahh, I hate this game Ave. I’m going to go outside and watch the concert from the crowd, I just hope I don’t get trampled on by overweight rabid teenyboppers..” Jessica replied grinning.
Avery laughed, “Have fun, and take Deryl or mommy and dad aren’t going to be too happy.”
Jessica rolled her eyes and walked into the concert area. Suddenly the screams began to increase when the fans realized that Jessica Hanson had just walked outside. Fans rushed over to her crying, and pictures began snapping.
Jess ran back inside with her eyes wide open, her cheeks bright pink in humiliation and frustration
“Ahh, will I ever learn Ave? I’m gonna go get Deryl”
Avery wandered through the backstage area smiling at the adults who gushed over her. She had always been the cute one, the one everyone loved and talked about.
She opened the door of her brothers’ dressing room and scolded them when she saw them fooling around.
“You guys! The concert was supposed to start twenty minutes ago, don’t leave the fans waiting! You’re done with the meet and greet… get out there!” she exclaimed, “And if you are going to leave them waiting, then at least pretend to be doing something worthwhile..”
“Maybe if we stay in here long enough they’ll all leave” Zac was heard from the other side of the room.
Taylor ignored Zac’s comment and pulled out two different shirts “Which one Avery? I’m having a fashion crisis.”
She wrinkled her nose at her brother.
“Tay, don’t you own any normal clothes? No hot pink beaded suede buttondowns. It’s not healthy. ”
Taylor looked crestfallen and began to frantically rummage through the clothing racks.
“How ‘bout a ruffled…”
She walked out and closed the door.
Twenty minutes later, the chants of “HANSON!! HANSON!! HANSON!!” were growing louder.
Jessica ran impatiently into the backstage area once again went straight to her brothers’ dressing room.
“What on EARTH is taking you guys so long?” she exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips.
The room was crowded with Hanson managers and roadies wearing long faces.
She looked at her brothers, awaiting an explanation, and the boys looked at each other.
“Zac won’t go out..” Taylor said flatly.
Jessica turned to look at Zac who was lying on the couch with a stubborn look on his face. His arms were crossed.
“I don’t wanna.” His face tightened.
“Aaargh!!” Jessica screamed at him “Why are you making this so impossible? God Zac, can’t you just go along with something for once in your life? Why are you so difficult? Why can’t you just act normal for once?”
“Jessica..” Walker warned.
“No Dad..I wan’t a reason! Zac?”
Ashley, Stirling, Christopher, Walker, Pat, Romeo, Joe, Walker, Pete, Diana, Isaac, Keshette, Ashley the girl, Jessica, Josh, and Mackenzie looked expectantly at Zac.
He scowled.
“Zac!” they all exclaimed in unison.
Zac looked at them and scowled once again, “Where’s Avie?” was all he said.
Jessica’s face fell. “Avery, of course. Why should I even try? I’ll just get Avery.”
Jess walked back into the room a few minutes later with little Avery munching on a doughnut.
“What’s wrong Zaccy?” Avery asked
Zac stayed silent on the couch with a glare on his face.
“Guys… leave” Avery said politely, and smiled sweetly to her siblings and the grownups as they filed out the door.
Once they were gone she tried again.
“Okay Zac, won’t you go perform?”
“Don’t wanna.” Zac replied.
He seemed distant.
“So you’re just going to refuse to sing and play? That’s so dumb..”
She walked over to the couch and waited for an answer.
“Zaaaaac. ” she said patiently “Any day now..”
He turned to face her.
“Why are your eyes so weird? … You’re shaking! Zaccy are you okay?”
His eyes tried to focus on her face, but they kept looking past her.
Suddenly, Zac got up.
“Ya know what? Fuck it..I’ll perform. It doesn’t matter. I don’t care anymore” he pronounced, and drunkenly staggered out the door.
Instead of feeling content over how easy that argument had been, she was confused. Confused at the age of ten, not knowing what was turning her brother into such a
monster. All she knew was that something was very very wrong, and it wasn’t improving.
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It had stopped raining hours ago. She reached the highway and took a step back. Cars were speeding recklessly. They had places to go and people to see. She looked back and sighed. She had nowhere to go. Going back would admit defeat. Going forward promised nothing. I’m not going back. I rather die than go back there.
Where am I going? What am I doing? Just keep walking. But where?
She trudged along the side of the highway, carrying her sleeping brother in her arms. Cars whizzed by her, speeding.
A truckload of workers drove by and blasted the horn at her, admiring her beauty. Indeed she was beautiful. Merely being fourteen, she was long and slender. Her shiny blond hair curled beautifully when it reached its ends, and her big brown eyes were identical to her brother Zacs. She sported an amazing figure including pale extensive legs, sweet full lips, and a gorgeous but secret smile that left you gazing at her in wonder.
Yes, she was a sight to honk at. Family and friends used to tease her: “The girl that Taylor never was” they called her.
She shifted her brother to her other shoulder and regained her balance.
The night wore on.
Glancing at her watch, Avery realized it was five o’clock in the morning, this highway went on forever, and if she didn’t stop she’d collapse from exhaustion. Her baby brother was now slowly toddling next to her, his head hung low, his eyes drooping with sleep. She estimated having walked nine miles, her brother maybe two.
“Alright buddy, ” she said with a weary smile “lets get off at this next exit and find a safe place to sleep.”
Mom won’t find us. She’s probably still out wandering the streets.
A few minutes off of the highway she found herself in a pleasant looking neighborhood with big front yards.
She breathed a sigh of relief; they could rest there. Avery picked up her little brother and walked over to a house adorned with enormous trees in the front yard. She placed herself down under the tree, hoping that they huge trunk would block the owner’s view of her. I don’t think they’ll be too excited to find two rugged looking kids sleeping in their front yard. Before she could change her mind, however, Avery fell into a deep sleep.
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