"This is all my fault, all my fault," I muttered as the group of us sat around in the ICU waiting room.
"No, it isn't Zac, it's not your fault," Anna said comfortingly. I glanced at Corrine in the corner with Taylor, crying her eyes out.
"Yes it is, I should've taken the bullet. It was obviously meant for me. Either that or I should've pulled her back with me. Oh my god, this is all my fault!"
"Zac, baby, quit saying that," my mom said, rubbing my back.
The doctor slinked over to us, his clipboard pressed to his chest. We all looked up at him anxiously, and Corrine and Taylor ran over.
"Well," said the doctor. He looked around at us.
"Just tell us how she is, God damn it!" I exclaimed. My parents glared at me.
"Sorry, that's his girlfriend," my dad explained.
"Don't worry about it," Dr. Harrison responded. "Ms. Becker is in stable condition. We have removed the bullet and saved her arm. Luckily it didn't puncture the muscle too badly, and the bullet was actually sterilized as if the gunman hadn't wanted her to be infected. So no amputating or anything must happen."
"Can we go see her?" Corrine asked anxiously.
"Only family may," the doctor explained, looking pointedly at me. I glared at him. Dr. Harrison left, with Corrine trailing behind, firing questions at the doctor.
A security guard marched over to us, pushing a cart full of stuffed animals and cards and toys and flowers and candy.
"Mr. Hanson?" the guard asked. Everybody looked at my dad. "No, Mr. Zachary Hanson?" the guard said again.
"Yes?" I asked.
"These are for you." The guard left the cart walking off.
"For me?" I asked, confused. Jessica turned her attention to the TV, wiping away tears, and pointed. It was tuned to MTV, and Serena Atschul was announcing that I had been shot. All ten of us stared at the TV and looked back at each other.
"I'm calling Chris to do a press conference. This is ridiculous!" my dad exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air, then digging for his cell phone.
While my dad called our manager, Anna comforted me on the couch. Normally I would go to Corinne, or obviously, Serena, but the two were gone, so what other girl outside my family did I have to go to? Anna. Isaac was currently helping Anna comfort me. Taylor tried comforting me, too, while my mom comforted the four younger kids.
I laid my head in Anna's lap and she brushed my hair back with her hands. Watching the tile floor blankly, tears actually started to form in my eyes. When I didn't think anyone was watching, I brushed the tears away quickly. Retaining my manliness was important. Everybody already thought my brothers and I were gay, and if I started crying in front of people outside the Hanson clan, that would be suicide for the band.
"It's not your fault, Zac," Anna whispered, smoothing back my hair.
"Yes it is," I nodded. Isaac and Taylor exchanged glances and sighed.
"Zac, Serena's fine. In a few hours I'm sure they'll let you see her."
"I don't want to see her. I couldn't live with myself," I groaned.
"For God sakes, Zac, give it up!" Isaac yelled. "It's not your fault and you know it."
The doctor returned after taking Corrine to Serena's room. He looked at us, and we looked at him.
"Serena is asking for you, Mr. Hanson."
My dad stood up importantly, hanging up his phone. Dr. Harrison rolled his eyes.
"Not you! Mr. Zachary Hanson!"
"Okay. Let us get this straight with you," Isaac said. "I am Isaac. Not Mr. Hanson. Taylor is Taylor, not Mr. Hanson. Zac is Zac, not Mr. Hanson, and definitely not Mr. Zachary Hanson. The only Mr. Hanson is our dad, got it?"
"Yes Mr. Hanson."
"No! Me, Isaac, you Jane."
"No I'm Dr. Harrison, thank you," retorted the doctor.
Isaac threw up his hands. "I give up!"
I stood up and followed the doctor to Serena's room. Butterflies welled up in my stomach and we rounded corner after corner.
"You got any crumbs, doc, so I can find my way back?" I joked. The doctor glared at me and I grinned at him.
"Here's the room, Mr. Hanson." Doctor Harrison walked away. I wrung my hands nervously and waited outside the room, preparing myself.
"How's Zac?" I heard Serena ask groggily.
"He feels really bad. He thinks the bullet was meant for him."
"He shouldn't feel bad. It's not his fault. The bullet wasn't for him. Who would shoot their idol?"
Corrine laughed. "Well, I think no matter who the bullet was intended for, the person is still insane."
"Did they catch her?"
"Nope, unfortunately not. They're still looking, though."
"When is Zac going to be here? I really want to see him, Cory."
I started walking in, but stopped when the two continued talking. I backed up.
"Sari, do you really like him?"
"Yeah. Don't tell anyone, but even though it's really soon, I think we're going to be together for a long time, Cory. He's such a great guy. I wish he would just freaking ask me out and get it over with."
Corrine laughed. "Oh Sari. I'm so glad you're okay."
"Watch the shoulder!" Serena yelled.
"Oh, sorry, sorry!"
This was my cue. I walked in as Serena was grimacing. Corrine was wincing along with Serena as though she could feel the pain, too.
"Zac!" Serena yelped. She looked beautiful, as always, even though she was hooked up to IV's and she was pale. Her entire left arm was blue and purple. But she was still beautiful to me.
I rushed over to her and wrapped my arms around her hips.
"Um, Zac?" she asked, laughing, looking down at me. Corrine giggled and slipped out quietly.
"What? I figured that since I couldn't hug you normally, I would hug your hips instead. I had to hug something! I'm so glad you're okay, Sari!" I stepped over so I was leaning over her face and leaned down. Our lips met and sparks shot up and down me, as cheesy as it may sound.
"I thought I was dying, Zac," Sari confided when we pulled apart. "I thought I would never see you or Cory. I thought I wouldn't be alive to make fun of boy wonder and curly. Zac, I thought I was going to die." Serena started crying and I wiped away her tears. Once again my eyes welled up, but this time I let them.
"Not while I'm around. Sari, I can honestly already say I love you. Will you be my girlfriend?" I asked, as I wiped away Sari's tears and mine, too.
"Yes," Sari blurted out, in between her sobs. She hugged me with her right arm and I was careful not to touch her left arm.
"Wait a second," I said. I looked at her. "Who's curly?"
"Isaac."
"Oh, that makes sense. Hey, now I have a new nick name for Ikey Poo!"
"So you do. Zac, are your parents going to make me go home? I don't want to go home, Zac, I really don't."
"They won't make you do anything you don't want to do, Sari. Don't worry. I won't let them, anyway. And I'll get Taylor on our side. They won't object to anything Tay wants."
"Taylor will not be on my side, Zac. I admit I haven't been very nice to him."
"Taylor is a good guy, Sari. He's able to make fun of himself. He'll help. Believe me. He's my brother and one of my best friends. I know him. He'll do what's right."
"If you say so," my new girlfriend sighed.
The nurse walked in and smiled at us. "Young love," she sighed. Serena and I looked at each other with worried looks.
"Um, is there something I can help you with, Sarah?" Serena asked the nurse.
"Oh, oh yes. The doctor said your time is up, Mr. Hanson."
I looked at Serena. "Mr. Hanson?" she mouthed. I grinned at her, and then looked back at the nurse.
"Yes ma'am."
The nurse left with a smile.
"Well, I guess I should leave."
"I guess you should," Serena smiled. I bent down and hugged her again, and kissed her cheek.
"Later," I grinned as I walked out.
Luckily I found my way back without much trouble. When I got back, the entire group looked up at me. I looked at Corrine, and just broke down sobbing. Corrine ran from Taylor's embrace and grabbed me in her arms.
"Sh, sh, it's okay."
"She's okay, she's okay," I sobbed.
"Yes, she is. She's okay."
"Thank God I won't have to use a bed pan anymore!" I laughed as we drove from the hospital to the hotel. The entire van laughed. I looked around me. They were laughing? How interesting… I was getting laughs from my jokes. Unusual.
"Yeah, that pan was very interesting. I didn't enjoy having a straw stuck up there either," I tested. Sure enough, everybody laughed. I grinned. I could use this opportunity well if I planned it wisely.
"Serena," Mr. Hanson said, clearing his throat. I grunted in acknowledgment. "When she is caught there will have to be a trial and a lawsuit against this girl. If they catch her soon then the trial will have to be during the tour. However, if they don't catch her before the tour is over, then you won't have to miss any of the tour."
"Okay."
The van was silent the rest of the way to the hotel. Everything had been cleared up, and now I was getting the stuffed animals and cards. Some of the cards were nice. Some were mean, but the Hanson's refused to give them to me. I wanted to make fun of the mean cards. The nice ones were very considerate, but stupid. I mean, they didn't even know me! My parents and friends, however, sent loads of stuff. My dad sent me a huge stuffed teddy bear that I kept with me constantly. Its name was Zaccy, which Zac had protested. "You already have a stuffed bear named Zac! Me!" He had said. I just rolled my eyes and stuffed my head into the bear's stomach.
"So are we going to the airport after we pack?" I asked. The guys had done all of their promo stuff while I was in the hospital and our return to Oklahoma was over-due. Corrine and Anna had stayed with me, along with Jessie, at the hospital most of the time. They went to the hotel to sleep, however, so I was left to amuse myself. I watched TV, created mischief by "accidently" pressing the nurse button and fooling around with all of the machines. Once I wandered around the hospital like I had amnesia and asked visitors what day and time it was, and then I would claim I was from 1959 and start yelling about the "stick in my arm". (Otherwise known as an IV.) The nurses hated me, and were so happy to see me off. When I left, I cried on demand and said that I would purposely hurt myself so I could come back. The nurses were completely against the idea.
"Yes, the airport is our next stop," Isaac said. Isaac and Anna had hooked up while I was in the hospital and would not stop making out. They were visiting me on my third day at the hospital, and when I had come back from the bathroom, found them drooling all over each other. I am not being sarcastic, either. They were so into it their spit was literally dripping onto their laps.
"Okay. Zac, once you're done, could you help me pack? I only have one arm," I explained, holding up my left arm that was resting in a sling.
"No prob, babe. "
"Okay, Zac, before we get to involved, let me just get this straight with you. I refuse to be called after a pig. I am Serena or Sari. Period. No pet names. Got it?"
Zac grinned at me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder protectively. "Yes Sari, honey."
I wacked him on the shoulder and glared. "Zac, you suck."
"Of course I do."
"You do."
"I already said I did, Sari, what more could you possibly want from me?"
"Do you really want to ask that?" I grinned, raising my eyebrows. Zac looked at the ceiling thoughtfully and then back at me.
"Never mind."
"That's what I thought," I chuckled. I looked around me at the harmonious scene. Us older girls were finally hooked up with our prospective men. The only missing part was that Anna wasn't related to us. What a sad thing.
"Taylor, I need to talk to you before we go back home. Would you meet me at the vending machines, please, at 10:30?" Corrine whispered. She was trying not to be heard, but I was sitting too close.
Taylor frowned and looked back at her. "Of course, what about?"
"Um, nothing."
Taylor frowned again and sighed. He adjusted his arm, and then removed it from Corrine's shoulder. Pretty Boy then crossed his arms. 'Oooo,' I thought. Corrine followed up on Taylor's action by frowning at him. This was turning into a full-fledged fight. What about was beyond me.
"So, who wants to sit by me on the plane?" Zac grinned, looking around and doing his "macho" face. Everybody in the van just stared blankly at him. Finally he gave up his look and pouted. "You guys…" he whined.
" Fine. I'll sit with you," I huffed.
"Good," he grinned.
"You guys, I'm going to go get a pop. I'll be right back," Corrine notified. Anna and I exchanged looks and nodded. We went back to packing for show, but when the door had slammed, we stopped and ran out of the room, closing and opening the door as quietly as possible. Anna and I went the other way to the vending machines so we could hide behind the corner.
"Oh my gosh this is so cool!" I giggled. "I love spying on people! Especially Cor-"
"Would you freaking shut up? Taylor is right there and there's Cory!" Anna interrupted.
"Fine, fine, jeez! Meow, hiss!"
Anna elbowed me and shook her head. We both listened intently, wishing they would just start talking.
"Hey," Taylor said, straightening up. He had been propped up against the vending machine, God knows he can't support his own weight with the sticks he calls legs.
"Hi," Corrine said shyly, walking over to him. Shyly? Why was she all shy? I am positive they were going at it that night Miranda attacked Cory. And now she was shy? I just don't understand…
Boy Wonder and Corrine embraced lightly and stood staring at the ground. I wanted to shout out at them to get a frickin' move on, enough with the nervous sappy crap. Get to the good stuff! But Anna apparently had been over to our house one too many times and clapped a hand over my mouth before I could say anything. I glared, annoyed, and pried her fingers off of my mouth. Much to my chagrin, she slapped on the other hand and wouldn't budge. Snot.
"So, um, what did you want to talk about?" Taylor finally asked. I looked up at the ceiling and silently thanked God for Boy Wonder's inability to be mute for more than five seconds.
"Well, I wanted to talk about this whole shooting thing," Corrine sighed. Anna's hand dropped from my mouth in shock. My mouth hung open widely. I certainly had not expected her to say anything about that. Anyway, that wasn't any good gossip! It had been my hope that Cory had come to her senses and realized Boy Wonders, ahem, absences down South. (Tee-hee-hee!)
"What about it?" Taylor frowned. He leaned against the vending machine again. Cory slowly stepped over to the pop machine and rubbed her dollar bill against the corner of it at a snail's pace.
"Um, well, just the fact that Serena got shot put a huge damper on the tour, Taylor. I think…" Corrine trailed off; obviously struggling with the words she wanted to say. Cory had always been that kind of person. She had trouble saying what she wanted to and generally let people walk all over her.
"You think what?" Taylor asked, concern flirting with his expression. He stood up again and gently moved Corrine so she was looking at him. "You don't want to break up, do you?"
I almost burst out laughing. Anna, of course, re-applied her hand to my mouth before I could reveal our position. Boy Wonder was so paranoid! Corrine would DIE before she broke up with the almighty Taylor Hanson. And he was being such a girl about it! I could already see his anticipating lungs, just getting ready for hyperventilation.
"No, no, Taylor," Cory chuckled. She looked at the ground and when she looked up, her smile was lost. "Maybe I shouldn't go on the tour. Maybe Serena shouldn't either. Maybe this was a bad idea, Taylor. I mean, do you think, do you think God is trying to tell us something?"
I snorted and then gasped at my noise. Anna elbowed me, but luckily Cory and Taylor were too wrapped up in each other to notice.
"No! I think you two going on the tour is a great idea! It will provide Ike, Zac and I with a little girl humanity… Let me rephrase that. Normal girl humanity!" Taylor laughed. Corrine chuckled and looked up at him. And I mean up.
"Are you sure, Tay? Because I don't want to be a problem on the tour. I know this entire situation made your parents uneasy and I don't want to put you or your family in danger," my sister sighed, fingering the edge of Taylor's leather jacket. I wanted to barf. This was like an episode right out of Clueless. My word, how could they stand such cheese?
"Cory. You are not a problem on the tour. We'll just get more bodyguards, that's all. And God knows we're going through a recession so if anything, you're a Godsend. If you left, our entire family would pretty much go insane. You aren't only my girlfriend, Cory, but you're that little drop of glue that keeps us in touch with sanity. If you go, than I can guarantee you that you'll be visiting me in an insane asylum. Or Zac will have killed all of the over-zealous fans and Hanson haters," Taylor muttered. Corrine laughed and I watched as a tear dropped from her eye. What was this, the sappy, over-emotional side of PMS? I know I'm a girl and I'm not supposed to accuse girls of it being "that time", but I'm going to anyway. I admit I get that way too, but never this bad.
"You're sure?" Cory whimpered. She moved up to Taylor's leather jacket button and fingered it.
"Positive." Corrine dug her face into Taylor's chest and started crying. Anna and I exchanged glances and walked to the room.
When we got to the room we sat down on mine and Corrine's bed. "Scary… She wants to leave the tour?" I exclaimed.
"That's what she said," Anna sighed. ,P>"Well, what should we do?" I asked, sighing.
"I'm not sure. Cory isn't going to come back to the room for a while, though, I don't think. She won't come back with her face all-"
The door opening and closing interrupted Anna. We immediately started packing again.
"Hey guys," Cory smiled, looking at us. We looked up at her and stared at her. "What?" she frowned.
"Have you been crying?" I asked, suspiciously.
"No, why?" Corrine frowned, starting to pack again.
Anna and I exchanged looks and went back to packing. All of a sudden the brothers Hanson burst into the room.
"Hey, babe!" Zac grinned.
"I'm not a pig!" I exclaimed, holding my hand into his face. He kissed my cheek and hugged me carefully.
"Sorry, my bad!"
"Zac!" I whined.
"Okay, okay. So do you need help like you had… asked… Ugh! Look at them!" Zac laughed, pointing to the two other couples in the room, which were making out.
"Oh, now that's attractive. You guys, get a room!" I yelled. They pulled apart quickly, realizing there were other people in the room. Corrine and Taylor's faces turned bright red, but Isaac just winked at Zac and Anna grinned victoriously at me.
"Oh my god," I sighed, shaking my head. "Are Zac and I the only couple of us that can be around each other without groping each other? My gosh, you guys…"
"Sorry," Cory said quietly, going back to packing her things. Taylor sat down and they started talking quietly.
"Yes, I would appreciate some help, if you would, Zachary," I grinned.
"It's Zac," he glared.
"I know. Okay, let's hop to it!"
"I am so freaking bored!" I exclaimed, hitting a peanut against the back of Zac's head. He turned around and growled at me. The other first class people glared at our party. We were being too "loud" apparently.
"Well then doodle in the magazines, Tay! But for God sakes quit hitting me in the head or you really will have a stick up your ass." Zac turned around and Serena hit him a high hive, laughing.
"Snots," I mumbled. "I would've thought that after three years I would be used to this boredom. I'm going insane!"
Corrine patted my head. "You'll be fine. We'll be back in good old Okie in an hour. 'Kay? See, it's not that long."
"I wish! An hour? An hour could be a… It could be like an eternity, Corrine! You have no idea!"
"Um, right. Go to sleep if you want to pass the time. Don't you have a laptop?"
"Hey, good idea!" I grinned. I pulled out my laptop and plugged it into the battery. It immediately flashed on and I went to work.
I pulled my e-mail up on the screen and noticed an old e-mail address. It was my cousin Sebastian, who I hadn't spoken with nor seen for a long time. He was an okay guy, I guess. Sebo was Ike's age, and Ike and Sebo, or Seeb as us Hanson brother's liked to call him, had been best friends. They had had this huge fight over a girl and Seeb won, so there went that friendship. Zac and I spent months trying to get the two to be friends again, but to no avail.
I clicked on the e-mail and waited impatiently for it to load. Tapping my finger on the table, Corrine slapped her hand over mine.
"Knock it off," she said warningly.
"Right," I smirked. Girls and their moods. Honestly! Sometimes I have to tiptoe around Jessie because otherwise I'll get my head bitten off. This PMS thing was new to Ike, Zac, and me because our mom was always pregnant, and there wasn't enough time in between Hanson's to have PMS.
Hey Taylor! Long time no see!, started the e-mail. I read further down.
Listen, bud, my girlfriend is obsessed with you guys. If there is any possible way you guys could drop by and meet her I would be so happy and *lucky*, if you catch my drift. (I could just see the sly grin on his face.) Her name is Saturn and she has a great bod. So if the rumors aren't true and you haven't hooked yourselves up, maybe I can hook you and Zac up with her little sisters. Although, her sisters are 18 and 13, so I don't know, they may be a little mature for you two! Um, what else… Oh, hey, Ike isn't still mad about Delia, right? That was kind of a long time ago. But uh, yeah if you three could get out here that'd be completely cool, man. So ask Ike and Zac, and see what they say. Get back to me ASAP, 'cause her birthday is in two weeks. Anyways, talk to you later.
Sebo
Now this was interesting. Sebo seemed almost excited about seeing us. This was not like him at all. Normally he was quiet and reserved, although the word "airhead" does come to mind. He was a ditz, and according to my aunt and uncle was very popular with the ladies.
"Hey Zac," I started, once again throwing a peanut at the back of Zac's head. He whipped around and held up a stick.
"I told you if you didn't stop throwing those at me you really would have a stick up your ass. I am not afraid to use it. Got it?" Zac turned around.
"Um, Zac."
"WHAT?!" he yelled.
"Calm yourself! I just got an e-mail from Sebo and he wants us to come visit. Jeez, man, and you think I have a stick up my ass?"
"Oh. Well you still didn't have to throw those peanuts!" Zac frowned.
"Don't worry, they're all gone," I sighed, showing Zac the empty bag. Right on cue, an air flight attended that had been drooling all over my brothers and I the entire flight, strutted over, offering more peanuts. Grinning evilly, I accepted four of the bags. Zac groaned, but Serena and Cory giggled. The flight attendant swayed away, and Zac starting threatening me.
"Yo, Zac, I'm hungry this time."
"Good."
"Hey, so Sebo wants us to go to Virginia and visit them in two weeks, I think he said. It's 'cause his girlfriend is obsessed with us and uh, he wants to get lucky, I guess," I chuckled.
I found Isaac staring at me strangely. His stare was so intense I thought he was actually trying to burn holes in the side of my head.
"Isaac, Isaac, what the hell?"
"Taylor Hanson, watch your mouth!" warned my mother.
"Yes, mom," I smiled sweetly. "Anyway, Ike, what is your problem?"
"We are not visiting him because he wants to get lucky," Isaac informed me.
"Man, you're still holding a grudge against him because of Delia?"
"Yes."
,p>"But Ike, look. You have Anna now! Anna is so much better than Delia! Delia was like, a pre-teen hooker, anyhow. Get over it. Move on. Quit acting like a frickin' girl," Zac said in his "I'm so wise" voice. He was right. Delia was slutty and Zac and I never understood what Isaac and Seeb saw in that girl. She wore clothes fit for Britney Spears or a girl in Playboy when she was only thirteen. A personality was not in her list of qualities, either. At least a good personality. And she practically flirted with everybody, including girls, she met.
"Listen, you two don't understand. You will never understand. Delia may have worn skimpy clothes. She may have acted slutty. But she was mine. She was mine to hold, mine to lo- Hey Annie, where ya been?" Isaac stopped short as Anna approached. Zac and I exchanged glances.
"Isaac. Take this from your own brother. Family is forever. You can't get rid of Sebastian. Delia was not that great Isaac. I'm sure in your own little demented Isaac brain, she was a million dollars. But she was a player, Isaac. She reeled you in and had you wrapped around her finger, and she did the same with Sebo. Get over it. Delia is gone and you'll never see her again. Okay?" I sighed, aggravated by Isaac's stubbornness.
"Fine," Isaac sighed, turning his attention to Anna.
"Taylor, can I borrow a bag of peanuts?" Zac grinned, turning around in his seat. He wiggled his eyebrows and shot glances at Serena, who was staring out into the clouds.
"No! I'm not an idiot!" I exclaimed, grabbing the bags and licking them. Corrine turned and looked at me.
"Ew!" she frowned.
I shrugged at her. "You do what you gotta do."
"Tay you suck," Zac frowned, looking around for the flight attendant.
"No, you suck. Don't even try to deny."
"Okay I won't deny it. But I can guarantee you I suck ten times better than you," he grinned victoriously.
I rolled my eyes and gave him a disgusted look. "Zac, you have such a sick mind."
p>"Not as sick as yours. At least I wasn't masturbating on Oprah and look like I'm constipated when I sing!" Zac retorted.
"Okay, first of all, I had an itch on Oprah, I don't masturbate, thank you. And I don't look like I'm constipated when I sing. Do I look like I'm constipated when I sing?" I asked Corrine and Serena. They just looked away.
Zac snorted. "See?"
"No you don't," Cory finally said, sticking up for me. I shot my arm up with a balled fist, yelling victoriously. The stewardess came by and asked me to quiet down, only to receive more victory screams.
"Taylor, shut up!" Isaac exclaimed, turning around in his seat and smacking me.
"Hey!" I frowned.
"Hey yourself, at least I wasn't shrieking like a deranged teeny."
"Taylor, you get yourself in to way too much trouble when you're bored," Cory sighed. I grinned happily and turned back to Zac.
"So, Zac, what do you say we pay our old cousin a visit?"
"I say we should. There is the problem of when, because we still have our entire tour
ahead of us," I provided. Luckily I had my tour list jammed into my pocket, so I pulled it out and looked it over. "We're not even going near Virginia until mid-August, and then after we visit Arlington we're going straight to Georgia. So we'd only have one day there to relax and see them, and then we'd have to jet to Atlanta. I'm not sure if that's enough time, Tay. Our tour is starting in two days, also. So we couldn't see them before, either. I'm not sure this will work out. Because we wouldn't be able to see them until November at the earliest if we wait until after the tour."
"Yeah, I see what you mean," Taylor nodded slowly. "But I think we could fit in some quality time with our little cousin and his cutesy teeny girlfriend between Arlington and Atlanta. Anyway, he'd owe a one. He'd owe us a BIG one! And I want to see what he'd be willing to do. I vote we visit them when we go to Virginia."
I sighed and digested what he had said. Personally, I had many a prank to pull on my cousin in revenge, and wanted to get as many of them done as possible. If we visited them during our tour, I would only be able to get in ten jokes at the most. Tisk, tisk.
"What do you think, Ike?" I asked.
Isaac whipped his head around. "What? About what?"
"Um, what Tay and I were just talking about?" I shot him my famous "duh" look.
"And that would be?"
I sighed, aggravated, but luckily Taylor stepped in. "Whether or not we should visit Sebo during our tour or after. We'd only have a day with him and his girlfriend if we visited him during the tour, and if we visited him after, it wouldn't be until November at the earliest. But we'd get to visit longer. So, what's your opinion?"
Isaac was quick to respond. "During the tour!"
Taylor and I exchanged looks. The only reason why he wanted to visit during the tour was because we wouldn't have to stay as long.
"Isaac, grow up!" Taylor complained. "What do you really want to do? Don't think about Sebo, but think about your stress level. Would it be very high if we tried to squeeze it in?"
"Either way my stress level would be high," Isaac said dryly.
I threw up my hands. "I give up! You are hopeless Ike! Doomed to be a four-year-old forever."