Taylor
My awarness of the world was limited to the steady, rhythmic clicking of my worn out tennis shoes on the plastic like tile. Yet again, I was late for another meeting. I took a deep breath and glanced at my watch. It told me, I was 10 minutes late.
Irrationaly I began thinking of various excuses I could use to skip past all the lectures I was sure to get. I spead up the beat for my 3 minute jog, leaving me oblivious to the strange looks I was getting.
I snapped out of my trance as I slowed down into the curtained room. The "meeting" had 'Paul', my brother's (obviously) and 2 other older guys I didn't know. I pushed my hair out of my face with my palm and tried to force an innocent smile, without much luck.
The room had been dead silent before and I felt on display as everyone looked up (or over their shoulder) at me. 'Shouldn't I be used to this?' A nerve in 'Pauls' forehead was throbbing and I was glad there weren't any sharp objects in his reach...at least from what I could see. Isaac rolled his eyes and looked back down at the papers in front of him.
"Look who decided to show." Zac said with a mischevious smile. "I'm so sorry I'm late, I was-" I started but was cut off. "Don't worry, I already told them, you were sick." Zac said, he threw me a look, that if I were telepathic, would have said 'Stop talking, you owe me.'
I shoved my hands in my pockets and walked towards the table thinking about how much "information" Zac had given them. I took a place between Zac and one of the business men and, unfortunately, across from 'Paul'. The entire table was covered with charts and dates and scedules. The conversations began again. Boring.
It was mainly creating a set schedule, I didn't really have to be here but if I wasn't, there was a good chance that we would all end up with 13 hours of sleep a week and every minute in between would be done promoting. It's sad really. Isaac was the one asking questions and arguing about whether or not half of the promotionals were even worth doing.
Zac was like me. Neither of us could hear half the stuff they were talking about. I was in the middle of counting the peices of lint on the curtains when I felt something jab into my left side. It had been Zac's elbow. So, of course, I returned the favor. It was almost an art, how we had to time it so no one was watching and still be inconspicuous. It had just been elbows but pretty soon we started kicking for the back of the knees, I was just glad there wasn't any food around, we've already gotten in trouble for that one.
I was starting to get irritated with this game and threw my foot out really hard for Zac's ankle. Maybe, that was a bad idea. Within seconds Zac was on the floor, weezing? I held back the smile and looked at him. Isaac grabbed his arm roughly and yanked him to his feet. "Stop." he hissed in his ear, but he was looking at me as he said it.
The older guys were looking over, confused and pissed at yet another interruption. "Leg cramp." Zac said to them and straightned his shirt. He jerked his arm aways from Isaac and threw his face towards me. Then he faced back to the table and tried to concentrate on the list of dates. I also looke down at the schedule of important places we had to go to. The words were soon a blur.
I whirled around, ready to snap a fan to keep their space. I can put up with a lot but when they start grabbing my ass, I gotta draw the line. It's just...wrong.
I sucked in a mouthful of air and squirmed because I bumped into Zac, who was still mad at me. I almost started my speech (I have a speech for people that grab my butt. That is so sad. I guess I have a thing with that.) and I was surprised to see Andrea walking away with one of her dancer friends or something.
"Don't grab my ass." I said. She stopped and turned like she wasn't sure if I was talking to her. "Excuse me?" she asked. Yeah, right. "Don't touch me." I said a little softer. "You wish." she said stepping back and walking away. I started after her to tell her... I dunno maybe my speech, when 'Pauls' voice brought me back to where I was.
"Taylor, I think you can go." I spun back around. "Oh, I'm sorry. She just-"
"That's okay," 'Paul' said, cutting me off "we don't need you anymore." I looked the 5 of them staring towards me and turned on my toes and left.
There was a light wrasping on the door. After I was "excused" from the meeting I went to our dressing room. I probably slammed the door so hard the little star with 'Hanson' written on it probably fell. Zac walked in a minute later, he asked to leave and was waved off.
He wasn't mad at me and congratulated me on making an ass out of myself and almost being escorted out of a meeting that was 1/3 in part for me. I snorted in response and threw myself in the couch on the other side of the room and crossed my arms over my chest, a bratty toddler position.
Literally, a second after that Zac was dragged off to try on clothes or something the dresser wanted and I was warned that I was next. For the next 12 minutes I stayed on the couch twirling a blue pen around a piece of paper, making different shapes.
That's what I was doing when the tapping on the door came. Anyone related just walked in, and everyone else can kiss my as- er, um, feet (remember, the thing about me butt?), so the only thing I did was look up, but I didn't even move my head. It's supposed to look condescending, but I'm sure that did no good considering whoever was at the door couldn't see me.
"Taylor?"
Ugh, no way. I threw my head back covered my face with my arms, it's too hot for long sleeves. "Go away." I said but it came out muffled and I wouldn't be surprised if Andrea didn't hear me. The door opened and I didn't move, as if I didn't see her, she didn't see me.
"I am so, so, SO sorry. I didn't mean to get you in trouble." she said. I didn't move. "So, yeah, you left your wallet over there, and I wanted to be nice and bring it over."
"Nice try, but I didn't take my wallet over there." I said before I even thought about stopping. "I know, I just wanted to get you to talk." she said nodding. "Okay, so... You shoulda seen your manager. He seriously looked like he was gonna hurt you with his pen the way he was gripping it."
Oh well. "Come on! I'm sorry!" Andrea whined. It was pitiful. I took my eyes off the floor and looked at her, she looked even more pitiful...and sincere. "It's okay, just don't touch my ass again." I warned and stood up. "Besides, maybe it was meant to be inspirational. Oh, I got it, maybe I'll write a song."I joked aloud. She laughed. "So, we're cool?" she asked, flinching, unsure if this was a trick.
"Yeah, sure." I said cracking a smile. She let out a sigh of relief and walked over and gave me a hug. Normally, I wouldn't have thought much of this kind of gesture and I would've been thinking more about how funny 'Paul' must have actually looked, but those few moments, all I could think of was she smelled like peaches.
