chapter 1
Mac looked down at the paper on the table and laughed.On the front of the Tulsa Daily Times, in big bold letters it said "MmmTrouble! 'Hanson' brother arrested and expelled from UCLA" Mac sat down to read the paper. The article went on to say how his big brother Zac had drugs, got drunk at a party too close to campus, and wrecked his car. Even though he was 24, he was still in collage trying to get his degree. "High school music education" is what Zac told his parents his major was but it should have been "women" or "booze". Besides, Zac could never handle high school kids. After Jessica "graduated" from high school, his parents decided to send Avery, Mac, and Zoe to public school. So Mac knew from experience that his brother couldn't handle high school kids. Mac remembered his parents reaction the night before.
"Damn it!" his dad, Walker yelled after he hung up the phone. "He's always getting into trouble and expects people to help bail him out. What is wrong with him?!" He sighed and sat down in a kitchen chair.
His mom, Diana, looked more worried and sad than angry. She sat opposite him. "We should have made him go to a closer school, so we could have kept an eye on him. If we had, he wouldn't have gotten in so much trouble, and he wouldn't have taken so long in school."
"Your talking about Zac, right?" That was his sister, Zoe. She was walking in from upstairs. Even though she was only nine, she knew who was always in trouble.
"The police said to pick him up tomorrow as soon as possible. So that means we'll have to leave early."
Mac sat still and kept quiet on the couch in the living room. He was going to meet some friends at the mall around noon, and if he kept quiet, he wouldn't have to stay home and baby-sit.
His mom peered into the living room. "Mac? Would you mind watching Zoe for us, Sweetie?"
So Mac was not happy at Zac.
Issac Hanson sat down to his morning coffee. Stress at work kept him up at night and he depended on his 2 cups of coffee so he wouldn't fall asleep during the day. Looking out the window of his Manhattan apartment, he sighed happily. New York was looking beatiful this morning. Issac was happy. He had a beatiful, intelligent wife and 2 incredible childern with one on the way. "Life is good," he thought. Issac loved these mornings. He settled down at the table with the paper, The New York Times. He was flipping through when something in caught his eye.
Mac answered the phone on the second ring. "Hello?"
"What the hell is wrong with our brother?!?" Mac knew it was Ike.
"Ike?"
"Sorry Mac, I didn't mean to yell at you, its just our brother can be a real idoit. sometimes. What is his problem? What the hell is his problem??"
"I have no idea."
"Everyone at work is going to know. And at your school too. He's so irresponsible."
"I know." Mac tried to turn the conversation around. "So how's my buddy, Luke?"
Issac had to smile when he thought about his only son. "He's doing great. He's getting a cold though."
"Tell him Uncle Mac says hi and hope he feels better."
"I will." Issac sighed. "Well I have work. Tell Mom and Dad to call me when they get in."
"'Kay. Bye"
"Bye."
"Daddy?"
Ike hung up the phone and turned around. "Oh, hi Luke."
"Daddy, who was on the phone?"
"It was Uncle Mac. He says hi."
Luke nodded then yawned. Ike picked him. He looked at his young son carefully. Luke looked a lot like Zac when he was 5. When he was born, they joked that he was going to be just like Zac, young, wild and free. Even though Ike loved his brother dearly, he secretly hoped that Luke wouldn't turn out like Zac. He especially hoped he wouldn't be like Taylor, no matter how much he loved Taylor.
Mac sighed. He was bored. He did his homework already, surfed the Internet a billon times, and there was nothing good on TV. Well, according to him there was nothing good on. Zoe thought there was lots of good Saturday morning cartoons. Mac only like Scooby Doo, Rugrats, and Doug, but he'd never admit it. Besides, they weren't on.
He would have called Elena, his girlfriend, but she was at the mall. Elena. Just saying that name made him warm and happy. She was beautiful. She had long, black, layered hair; flawless tanned skin; and gorgous brown eyes. He didn't care that she was Latino or that she came from the "ghetto" of T-Town or that she had a round butt like most Latino women. He loved her. He hadn't even told her yet, or anyone, that he loved her. But he did.
A few minutes later, the phone rang. "I'll get it, I'll get it!" Zoe screamed.
"Hello?" she said in to the phone. Then she sighed, rolled her eyes and said, "Its your girlfriend ."
"Hola amore. Buenas dias."
He smiled. He loved her so much. Even her alto voice was so lovable.
"Hey"
"Well, how is life at your house?"
"The same. Seen the paper lately?"
"No. Why?"
"My brother, Zac, got arrested and kicked out of UCLA."
"Wow...I'm sorry Mac."
"Don't be sorry....I'm not even sorry. My brother is a jerk, and that's it. He's totally dependant on people. My brother Issac and Taylor especially. Well, not Taylor anymore, but....."
There was small pause. They both thought about Taylor.
"So you didn't go to the mall?" Mac broke the quiet. It was noon now.
"No, I couldn't. That's why I called you."
They chatted for a few minutes, telling jokes and cracking each other up. He loved even loved her laugh. He loved making her laugh even more. He loved everything about her.
"I have to go now Mac. Juan..is..dragging me...by the arm...to see his..castle...he made..the cord won't..." Then there was a clunk. Juan was her 5 year old brother.
"Mac? Are you there?"
"Yeah. What happened?"
"I dropped the phone. Sorry."
"That's ok."
"I have to go see Juan's creation. I love you."
Mac was startled. He always thought he'd tell her he loved her, not her tell him.
"I love you too. Bye"
"Adios."
He hung up. She left him very thoughtful for some reason.
