"Nice place." Taylor walked around the bar
counter in the kitchen. "It's not real big. I woulda liked a little bigger. But
for me it's okay." Taylor looked around him. "You did a nice
job." "Thanks." Isaac paused a minute. "How's home?" "Quiet.
Mom and dad always ask me about you. 'Is he okay?'" Isaac
grinned. "They have my number." "Oh I know. They just don't want to
call you. They want you to be independent, they want you to think they aren't
worried. Too bad they can't stand the fact." They both chuckled
uneasily. "Zac?" "He's resulted to not speaking. Unless it's to mom. He
told her that he wasn't the only one who needed to work it out." Isaac
sighed. "Ever say anything about me?" "Not a word." Isaac looked
away. "Think he will?" "Of course." "When." "I don't
know." "It's been three weeks." "I know." The two walked to the front
door. "Chris wants us to get together soon. He says he'd like to hear some
stuff we've got going. So would Mercury." Isaac nodded. "Alright. Call
me then?" "Yup." Taylor stepped out. "See you later Ike." Isaac
waved to him as he walked down the steep front steps. "These are going
to be hell in winter." Isaac grinned. "It's a
challenge." "WHAT!" "GET IT RIGHT AND STOP
SCREWING AROUND!" Zac shrugged. "Don't know how. I'm just
having a hard time with it right now, you know…the whole 'do it the right way
thing' just gets to me." Jeremy shoved his brother. "I'd like to get this
song done sometime this century. With or without you." "Oh so now I'm cut
from the album? Gee! What a brother! You can really tell where your
friends.." Jeremy cracked a grin. "Shut up would you. You're giving me
a headache." Zac replaced the headphones on his ears and looked down
at the sheet music. "Once more! Yeah yeah from the top!" Taylor sat back in his chair. "Well, he wants
you to play. I was thinking maybe something from your old days." "Like
what." Chris sat in thought. "Well it's your job to figure it out, all I know
is you got 3 performances and 2 interviews stretched over 3 months. That's a
little shabby don't you two think." Isaac and Taylor looked at
eachother. "Shabby nothin'. I think all the promos we did a while back can
make up for the ones we don't fee like doing now." Chris sat
foreward. "Now is not the time to screw around. Where's your brother
anyway?" Isaac offered the reply. "Detained." "Where? He was
supposed to be here." "Detained." "Well you better crack on it, you
guys need to get to work. No slacking anymore." "We never slack." "Oh
yeah. When was the last time you played….together." Zac Dentra beamed. "Six outta thirteen! And all in 5
weeks!" Zac Hanson grinned. "Way cool." "Oh yeah." "Got a
name for it yet?" "Nope." "Any ideas?" "Nope." "Cool." They
laughed. "So whatcha been up to?" "Nothing." "Sounds like
fun." "It's a blast. You?" "Recording. Josh wants it out by end of
July." "Wow. That's only like, only six weeks." "It's not gonna happen.
I'm thinking the end of summer." They nodded. "Give me some
fries." Zac Dentra reached across the table and grabbed some of his
friends lunch. "So what do we do now?" "The mall." Zac Dentra
drew back. "The mall?! You're willing to sacrifice yourself for me! What a
great friend!" "Not for you ditso. Kevin says there tons of girls at the mall.
We dress down, we don't shower. We can go to the mall without
bodygaurds." The two grinned. "Hurry up and eat that quarter
pounder!" "This is not good not good at
all." "What?" She looked down at Jeremy. "Nothing." She walked
to the front door. "Can I borrow your car Jem?" He frowned, pulling the
keys out of his pocket. Tossing them to her he sighed. "Why?" I
gotta go talk to Tay." "Mey you were going to make dinner though!" "It
can wait." She heard the
footsteps within and waited. Mr. Hanson pulled the door open. "Oh
hello Mercy." She managed a smile. "Hi." "Come on in." She
followed him into the house. "Taylor's on the phone. I'll tell him you’re
here." He walked into the kitchen, leaving her in the living room. She
heard the phone click on the wall and waited for Taylor to walk in. "Hey.
What's up?" She sighed. "I gotta talk to you." "Oh. Like bad? Or
can it wait till after I run over to Kate's? Cause she needs me to pick up some
stuff for her." "No it can't wait." He frowned. She grabbed his hand,
pulling him up the stairs to his room. "She just
raced outta here to go talk to Taylor." "What about dinner?" "She said
it could wait." "Great!" Zac threw up his arms and left the
room. "I'm not going
to spell it out for you Taylor." She stood still, watching him intently as he
paced the room. "Mey!" "What!!" Taylor sighed. "How late
again?" She glared at him. "A week and a half you dumb putts." He
smacked his forehead. "Damnit!" "Tay!" "Stop I'm thinking!" She
folded her arms over her chest. "That's bad right? That you're late right?
It's not a good thing." "No Taylor. It's a bad bad thing." She was
beginning to get irritated. "So what do we do now?" "Well. Wanna drive
me to a doctor's appointment tommorrow?" "Out." "Where's out?" "None of your business." "Is
Taylor going?" "Yes." "I don't want to know." She threw a scowl in
Zac's direction as she looked out the window once more. "Oh there he is.
Finally." She jumped up and ran to the door. "I'll be back later.
Behave." Zac shook his head. "Whatever." "Fuck. Just great. God
damnit." "You make it sound like it's a curse." He rested his elbow on
the steering wheel and turned to her. "Maybe you don't get this whole
thing. You aren't even 18 yet Mey." "I almost am." "But you aren't! And
you even told me you guys were going to think about a tour." Mercy
shrugged, not meeting Taylor's eyes. "How did this happen?" Mercy
turned to him. Punching him hard on the shoulder she scowled. "You
make it sound horrible. Like a sin or something. You make it sound like this is
evil and nasty. Well it's not Taylor. And if you can't deal with it fine. I'll deal
with it on my own." She turned foreward. "Now lets go." Taylor
looked behind into the back and put his car into reverse. Pulling out of the
Parking lot he entered the busy street and headed home. Zac hung up the phone. "Where is she
anyway?" He walked to the bathroom. "She better hurry
up." Isaac's face twisted
up. "He was supposed to come over here for lunch though mom. He
doesn't usually break his word." "Sorry Hon, he said it was kind of
important. I'm sure he'll be there soon." Isaac shrugged. "Thanks mom.
Call me if he shows up there." Turning off his engine he turned to her. "Look. Mey I don't see it
as a bad thing. Not at all. It just came, sort of unsuspected, and I didn't know
what to do about it." She still didn't look at him. "I hope you know that I
love you no matter what." She looked down at her hands, which were
tightly woven together in her lap. "It came as a surprise. Okay? I'm staying
with you through this whole thing, and after too, and until we grow old and I
can't see and your teeth fall out I'll still be with you okay?" She turned to
him. "You just made it seem so horrible." "I didn't mean to." He
reached over and held her face. "It's not a bad thing. And I love you for
it." She sighed pulling away. "You believe me right? You know I do
right?" She shrugged. Opening the door she began to step
out. Grabbing her shirt sleeve he pulled her back in. Pulling her to him
he kissed her. "Mercy." She choked back on tears. "What." "I
love you okay." "Okay." "This doesn't change that." "Okay." He
hugged her as she started to cry. Isaac
checked his watch once more. "He should be here by now. He paced,
looking out the window occasionally, checking his watch. He heard a car
pull up outside. "God! Bout damn time!" He stepped to the door,
getting ready to head out when Taylor yelled at him to stay
put. "Why?" "Just do it." Isaac waited for his brother to get out of the
car and tapped his foot as he made his way up the sidewalk to the
stairs. "Where have you been! I've been waiting for 45
minutes!" Taylor shrugged. "Sorry." Isaac frowned. "What's the
matter?" Taylor shrugged again. "Go inside." Zac watched as his sister headed for the kitchen, then blew her
nose. "Mey?"
She walked out again, piling down on the sofa next to her
brother. "You okay?" She nodded. "Just fine Zac." He
frowned. "What's the matter then? How come you were crying? Was it
Taylor? I'll hurt him for you Mey. Me and Han both. Han doesn't like him
either you know." She frowned at her brother. "Don't worry about it
Zac." "I am worried about it. I haven't seen you cry like that for a long
time." "It's nothing." "Is too something." "Drop it please." Zac
mumbled to himself. "What was that?" "Nothing. I just wish you'd tell
me what wrong with you." Taylor shrugged. Nothing. I changed my mind." "About
what?" "About telling you." "Why!" "Because. I need to work it out
and I need to see what Mey wants first." Isaac smiled. "You getting'
married." Taylor turned Isaac's direction. "No." Isaac's eyes went
wide. "OH SHIT TAY!" Taylor frowned. "What?!" "Mey's
pregnant huh!!"
"Zac!"
"Not
much in the way of interviews. Look. We still don't have letterman. How many
years has it been? Christ."
"How many
so far?"
Mercy groaned.
Mercy pounded on the front door.
"Where's Mey?"
"Oh great. What's that supposed to mean?"
"Where are you
going?"
Taylor let out a
sigh. Rubbing his face with his hands he mumbled.
"She's
been gone for like, two hours. She said she'd be back by tonight. She better
cook dinner tonight."
"What do you mean he's not there?"
Taylor pulled up outside the Dentra
house.
"Damnit where is he."
"Mey are you
okay?"
"Okay now that you've strung this out.
Made me wait forever. You searching my fridge, what the hell is
up?"
