"Zac, you shouldn't be doing this." Jakob warned. "After what happened yesterday, I think you should slow down some."
No one answered him.
"Zac?" He called out unsteadily.
Zac laughed loudly from behind his drum seat. "Jakob, this is my life." He explained once more, smiling to himself as he pictured the drum kit in front of him.
"If I ever want to go back to being Zac Hanson…" He trailed off, then cleared his throat noisily. "I have to do this." He stressed out.
Sighing in defeat, Jakob took a seat on the edge of the stage. "Man, if we get caught," He didn't finish his sentence, but shuddered at the thought of it.
Zac laughed again, "Don't worry about it!"
"Explain this to me, why, again." He sighed again.
Sitting down, Zac grinned triumphantly, knowing he had won. "I want to prove to my brothers and family, that I'm still me. That I'm still a Hanson." His voice was wavering under his strained emotions.
Turning slightly, Jakob faced towards his friend. "Well?" He asked impatiently.
"Well what?" Zac questioned.
He threw his arms in the air in frustration. "Well aren'tcha gonna play, or what?"
"Oh, that." Zac said chuckling. "Yeah, I'm going to." He stated digging through his pack as he searched for his drumsticks.
Taking them out, he carefully pictured the drum kit in his mind. Visualizing the snare, the top hat, the bass, and the cymbals, making sure he had the mental image perfect in his mind, he reached his hands out, then started the first few beats of MMMBop.
A strange, but satisfied smile stretched out on his lips. I'm a Hanson. He said fiercely in his mind, as the trademark beat soothed his ears. Soon he would be up and performing for the crowds again, right alongside his brothers.
Soon. He assured himself. Soon.
When Zac was home, he had the same strange-satisfied smile placed wide upon his lips all day. He hummed 'MMMBop' and 'Thinking of You' constantly. His mind thinking over the beats and the feeling he had when he played those two songs at Seymour.
He knew that if he practiced for one more week he would be able to perform for his brothers, and then the rest of his family. He was going to be a drummer again.
See or no see. He said determinedly.
"Hey, Zac." Taylor said as he walked into the room.
Zac grinned up at him, "Hey, Tay." He replied cheerfully. "What's up?"
"Ah, mom's makin' me do a report on the Salem Witch Trials." He said as he started shuffling through some papers.
"Cool." He said enthusiastically. "Sixteen-ninety-two, right?"
Taylor looked up from his papers, "Yeah." He said smiling. "Didn't you do a paper on it as well?"
Zac nodded. "Yeah, but I chose to."
"So did I." Taylor said laughing, "I did one on Cleopatra last weekend."
"I think I'll do one Helen Keller." Zac said shrugging nonchalantly.
"That'd be cool." He said straightening up and walking towards the door, "Um," He said uncomfortably.
"Hmm?" Zac asked paying only half-attention.
"You, uh, you want the light on or off?" Taylor asked unsure if he should have.
He was relieved when Zac smiled though. "Leave it on, Tay." He said happily as he lay back in his bed, his hands laced behind his head.
Taylor smiled at his brother, then nodded and left the room. Leaving the door open… and the light on.
He passed Isaac on his way down the stairs, while he was going up.
"Zac still awake?" He asked quizzically, slightly nervous.
Taylor was still smiling, "Yep."
Isaac laughed lightly, "What are you so happy about?"
He shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe because I think Zac is coming back to us." He said before continuing his walk down the stairs.
But Isaac stood there for a moment, guilt still eating at his insides. Slowly he sat down on the steps. He stared at his hands before he turned his gaze to the stairs.
His eyes counted up to the thirteenth step. Then he moved to sit there. "I am so sorry." He said in a choked whisper.
