That girl's comments made me mad. I knew I had a crush on Isaac, but I couldn't let him in. I ran toward the stage, where I spotted a door. I ran towards it, but a hand pulled me back.
"Gabby, what are you doing?" Ellie asked. "We can't go backstage! We could get in serious trouble!"
"So?" I answered.
"I know that girl's comments hurt you…"
"Hurt me?" I spit out. "Hurt me?!"
"Calm down. Gabby, we really should go."
"Fine," I relented. Ellie linked arms with me and we went around to join the huge crowd waiting by the backstage door.
A few minutes passed, and then a huge scream came out of the girls. I knew Hanson was coming. Security was parting the crowd. Zac was out in front, rushing through and touching girls' hands. When he passed us, he dropped something at Ellie's feet. She had to fight another girl for it, but Ellie got it.
Taylor and Isaac came next, copying Zac. Isaac passed me. I thrust my hand out, and he squeezed it as he passed. I looked down at my hand. Isaac Hanson had just shaken my hand?
Ellie nudged me. "Bakery, five minutes," she whispered. I gave her a questioning look, but she dragged me down the street.
"Will you tell me what's going on?" I demanded.
"Zac wants to meet me in the bakery!" Ellie said. "He just wants to see if I got his letter."
We went inside and grabbed a table. "Do you want something to drink?" Ellie asked.
"Yeah," I said. My throat was terribly dry.
"Sprite?"
"You got it!" I smiled. Ellie turned to buy the drinks. I looked around and saw Zac look in the window and enter. He was quiet, because Ellie was talking to the owner. He plopped down across from me. "Hey," he whispered.
"Hey, Zac. Great job," I whispered back.
"Thanks. Are you sure you're okay?"
I looked at him. Could he see through me, or did he just not trust what I had told Taylor and Isaac? I longed to tell him, but before I could make up my mind, Ellie turned around.
"Hey, Zac!" she said, sitting down next to me and handing me my Sprite.
"Hey, Ellie!" There was a pause. I figured Ellie wanted to talk to Zac alone. I cleared my throat.
"I think I left something at the community center," I said. "I'm gonna go. I'll be right back."
"See ya," Zac said. Ellie smiled at me as I left. She knew why I had left, and I knew she'd tell me anyway. At least one of us could be happy. I wandered down the street with my Sprite.
I smiled across the table at Zac. He smiled back. "So, did you like the show?" he asked finally.
"Oh, yeah! It was great," I exclaimed. I noticed Zac's face fall a little. "Zac, what's up?"
"Is Gabby really okay?" he asked. Why was he so concerned about her?
"Yeah, she is. She could never hide her pain from me," I said. Zac looked at me.
"We're leaving Canada tomorrow," he blurted.
"Oh." Geez, this was going well. "Are you still going to tour?"
"Yeah, in the US. I'll still write."
"Yeah, I'm sure you say that to all the girls," I teased.
"Well, ya know…" Zac shrugged playfully. "When you're a Hanson, you get a lot of penpals."
I laughed. Zac has a goofy sense of humor.
"I'd better go. I told Ike and Tay I was going to get a Dr. Pepper. They don't know I'm here." Zac stood up and I followed.
"Well, I guess I'll see you around then," I said. Good going, Ellie. That was lame.
"Yeah, I guess," Zac echoed. "Well, see ya Ellie."
"Bye, Zac." Our eyes met for a moment. Finally, Zac turned away. "Uh, Zac…it might help if you had a Dr. Pepper," I called.
Zac whirled around, his blond hair flying. "Oh, yeah." Zac laughed. "Stupid me."
"Oh, you're goofy stupid," I said.
Zac turned from the owner with his Dr. Pepper. "No, that's Ike. I'm goofy funny." I laughed.
"Bye, Zac." Zac started walking toward the door, but when he rested his hand on the doorknob, he turned and threw something at me. I caught it.
"Nice catch," Zac nodded and left. I looked at my hand to see what he'd given me. It was a little box. Curiously, I opened it. Inside rested a small silver chain with Hanson's logo on it. "A little something for you," he had written. I sighed. This was too cool. There had to be a catch somewhere.
"Guys, I got another letter from Ellie!" I burst out, running into the hotel room I was sharing with my brothers. We had been on tour for a week already, and I missed Ellie.
"Well, what does she say?" Taylor asked.
I quickly read the letter. "Uh oh…"
"What?" Ike asked, strumming his guitar.
"She says Gabby's still not doing well," I reported. "She says she's very depressed and upset."
Ike banged on his guitar. I looked up in surprise.
"Ike, why don't you write her?" Taylor asked. Ike looked at Taylor.
"Do you think I should?"
"Ike, we both know you have a crush on Gabby," Taylor said.
"What…?" I started. Taylor glared at me.
"We know you just want to help her."
"I know I only just met her, and she's coming off a bad relationship, but I do like her. I feel perverted, though. I feel like I'm taking advantage of her. I mean, you saw her at the concert!" Ike sighed.
The phone rang, and Taylor reached over to get it. "Hello?…Oh, hey Celine…Uh…yeah…I think we can…Will Ellie and Gabrielle be there too?…Oh, great…see ya then!"
"Who was that?" Ike asked.
"Celine. She invited us to her Fourth of July party next week."
"Oh, cool!" I paused. "Guys…what do you think about me asking Ellie to be my girlfriend?"
Taylor glanced at me. Ike kept strumming his guitar. "If you like her…"
"I do," I said forcefully.
"Then go for it." Taylor winked at me. I ran down the hall to grab some paper.
"Dear Ellie, How are things going up in Canada? The tour is going very well, and I'm having a blast. But I miss you. I wish I could ask you in person, but would you like to be my girlfriend?" I paused, tapping my pen on my head. "I know it would be hard, but I really like you. Write me soon. Your boyfriend (maybe), Zac. PS- How's Gabby?"
Satisfied, I sealed the letter in an envelope. I hoped she would answer me.
"Ellie, phone!" Mom yelled as I came in the house with the mail. I grabbed the cordless and put it to my ear, hoping it was Zac.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Ellie."
"Oh, hey Celine." I smiled as an envelope from Zac jumped out at me.
"I'm having a Fourth of July party, and I was wondering if you and Gabby would like to go. Hanson will be there."
"Sure! I'd love to, and I'm sure Gabby would too."
"Okay! See you soon!"
"Bye!" I tore open the envelope from Zac, read it and almost fell over. "Yes!" I shouted. I ran upstairs. "Mom! Mom!" I screamed.
"What?" my mom asked frantically, running to me.
"Zac wants me to be his girlfriend!" I shouted happily. Mom grabbed me and we jumped up and down. "I've got to write him!"
"Congratulations, honey!" Mom called after me.
I ran into my room, flipped on "Day Has Come" and sat at my desk.
"Dear Zac, I was so glad to hear from you. Things are going great here. Gabby still isn't back to normal. I'm worried for her. Okay, I know you're dying to know my answer to your question. I would love to be your girlfriend!"
__________________________________
A week later, my eyes searched the crowd until I saw Zac over by the refreshments. I pushed my way through the throng of celebrities and grabbed him from behind. He whirled around almost spilling his drink, but quickly set it down and kissed me on the cheek.
"You look beautiful," he praised.
"Thanks." I half choked on the word. Zac Hanson had just kissed me! I looked down at my short black stretch dress with metallic sparkles on it. Celine had helped me choose it and had emphasized my blue eyes with black eye liner and silver eye shadow.
"You don't look so bad either," I continued. He wore a shiny blue silk shirt under his sports coat, and his hair was pulled to the side, hanging loose around his face.
Zac smiled. "Hey, let's dance!"
"Sounds good to me," I returned. We headed out and began dancing to the live band on the stage.
"They're not as good as you guys," I whispered in Zac's ear during the next slow song. He laughed softly.
"How's Gabby doing? I haven't seen her." Zac looked questioningly at me.
"She's still having a lot of difficulties," I said, "but she seemed happy to be coming tonight. I know that she wanted to see Ike. I just don't know if she'll let him through to her. She's so distrusting these days," I sympathized.
"Maybe we should go see how she's doing," Zac commented.
"Good idea." Zac and I scrambled through the crowd for a few minutes until we saw Gabby and Ike standing together. Zac nudged me, and I looked at him, raising my eyebrows. The two of us crept closer to hear what they were saying.
"Will you dance the next slow song with me?" Ike was asking.
Gabby was staring at the floor, but she lifted her head and met his eyes. "Okay," she said. Zac and I looked at each other, grinning.
"If only she would stop trying to second guess herself and just let her feelings loose," I sighed.
"Ike wants her so badly," Zac responded. "He just doesn't know how to catch her."
Suddenly I looked up to see Celine standing next to me. "Phew, I finally got free of everyone for a few minutes to see how you were doing," she said.
I pointed to the scene with Ike and Gabby. "So she's still not accepting him?" Celine asked.
"Not really," I answered.
"I have an idea!" Celine exclaimed and she raced off without another word.
"Is she always like that?" Zac asked.
I shrugged. "She must have had a really good idea. Let's wait and see."
A moment later Celine walked up on the stage. "As a little bonus," she began, "I'm going to sing a song for the next dance." She said something to the instrumentalists and the opening chords of a song from her "Color of My Love" album came out over the speakers.
"She's a genius!" I exclaimed.
"What? What's she doing?" Zac turned to me.
"You'll see. Just dance close to Ike and Gabby, but don't let them see us." I wrapped my arms around Zac's neck and listened to the lyrics.
"Love doesn't ask why, it speaks from the heart, and never explains. Don't you know that love doesn't think twice? It can come all at once or whisper from a distance. Don't ask me if this feeling's right or wrong, it doesn't have to make much sense. It just has to be this strong 'cause when you're in my arms, I understand. We don't have a voice when our hearts make the choices. There's no plan; it's not in our hands. Now I can feel what you're afraid to say. If you give your soul to me, will you give too much away? But we can't let this moment pass us by, can't question this chance or expect any answers. We can try, but love doesn't ask you why. So let's take what we found and wrap it around us. Love doesn't ask why, it speaks from the heart and never explains. Now I know that love doesn't think twice. It can come all at once or whisper from a distance. Love doesn't ask why."
