"Dammit!" Gwen yelled as she fell on her knees from her attempt at the back-handspring into a back arial flip. "What was that Harmony?" her mom yelled back. "Nothing, mother!" Gwen replied. She was getting so frustrated. First, she lost her match at karate practice that day, then she accidentally kicked Jordan and sent him flying into her mother's china cabinet while she practiced her kick-boxing. And now she could not land any of her flips. What was going so wrong? She suspected that not practicing for 4 weeks had something to do with it. Gwen had been so preoccupied with her new "best friends" that she felt nothing else was important. She realized that she was not getting anywhere with her tumbling so she sat at her piano and started to practice her piece for the recital the following Sunday. No good. She totally stopped and forgot what she was playing in the middle of the piece so she just gave up.
She sat and thought about the past 3 weeks since she had moved to Tulsa. She had made a good friendship with the Hanson boys, especially Isaac. She felt she could talk to him the best since they had so much in common. They had offered to help Gwen and her brothers get around town and get to know some people. Gwen hadn't really seen many other kids around her age. She just had met the ones her 9-year-sister had brought over to the house. Why was Madisin and Jordan and Zach making all these knew friends and she was being left at home to keep herself occupied? All these thoughts ran through her head and suddenly the phone rang. She heard it ring 3 times and realized no one was going to get it so she picked it up. "Hello?" "Hi, Gwen, its Tay. How's it going?" "Not too bad considering that I haven't been able to do anything right today." "Well, I was wondering if you want to come with me and Ike and some of our friends to the movies tonight?" Gwen thought for a minute remembering that the last time she went to the movies was with Don. She totally forgot what she was doing. Gwen was about lost until Taylor yelled her name a few times into the phone. Finally when he yelled "Harmony!" she snapped out of it and quickly replied "Yes!" "Great, so we'll meet you at our house at 6, okay?" "Great!" Gwen replied. Then they hung up. She wasn't sure about this whole thing but she decided this was the best way to make friends and it was time to get out and do something for a change.
*****
"Well, is she coming tonight?" Ike asked. "Yeah, we're meeting her at 6." Taylor replied. "Well, good. I thought she never would leave that house. She seems to be caught up with all these activities lately." "Yeah, she's great isn't she?" Taylor said dreamily. "Does someone have a crush?" Isaac teased. "Well, I've never met anyone like her before Ike. She does everything it seems. But why does she act so depressed all the time?" Taylor asked curiously. "I've talked to her some and it just seems she a little homesick but I guess I can talk to her and see what's bothering her." Isaac replied. "Do you think she likes me Ike?" Taylor asked. "It's hard to tell now, Tay. It seems that something is wrong and it is stopping her from making contact with a lot of people." "Gosh Ike, you should be a psychologist. You know everything!" Tay said jokingly.
Later that Evening
It seemed to Gwen now that she should have gone shopping with her mother the 5 times she had asked her. "Great, I have nothing to wear!" Gwen yelled aloud. "Geez, Gwen, can ya yell a little louder. I don't think the rest of Tulsa heard ya!" She knew Zach was joking but she got mad anyway. "Well, when you grow up and start to care what you look like you will have the same problems!" She always felt that God sent her twin brothers to make her life a living hell. "I do care, Miss Priss, but I'm only 12 so don't have a hissy fit!" "Just quit being the immature brat you are, Zachary, and help me find something to wear!" After about a half-hour they decided that the long-sleeved blue flowered shirt and khaki pants would do. She quickly parted her hair and put them into two braids, put on some makeup, threw on her leather jacket and headed to the Hanson house.
She went to the front porch and knocked on the front door. Gwen waited a minute and then Avey came to the door. She ran right to Gwen, gave her a big hug, and said in a sweet voice "Hi, Gwenie!" Gwen hugged her back and asked where Taylor and Ike were. "They said they will be down in one minute." Avery replied. Gwen sat down in a chair at the dining room table and waited patiently. First to come down was Ike. Gwen said hi and went up to him and gave him a hug. He was wearing baggy khaki pants and a baggy t-shirt. "Where's Tay?" she asked. "He's just taking longer to get ready. I don't know why?" Ike replied sarcastically. A few minutes Taylor ran downstairs and said hi to Gwen right away and smiled. She thought his outfit was a little cuter than Isaac's. He was wearing his hair in a ponytail, wore a tight white t-shirt and baggy jeans. He smelled really nice like Ck Be and Gwen thought he looked quite good. "Shall we go?" Ike asked. Gwen nodded and they headed out to Ike's car. Since Taylor knew one of Ike's older friends was coming, he rode in the back seat with Gwen. On his way to one of his friend's house, Ike put his Offspring CD in the player and they all sang along to "Pretty Fly for a White Guy".
They stopped at 3 houses and picked up Ike's friend Derrick, 18, and Taylor's friends Kris, 15, and Brandi, 14 on the way to the movie. Gwen talked a little to Brandi but she was mostly interested in "talking" to her boyfriend Kris. When they got to the movie theater, Taylor got out first and helped Gwen out. They all decided that they wanted to see a horror flick so they all headed into the theater for I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Gwen especially liked to go see scary movies when there were people with her that were always afraid of them. They got in just as the previews started. Taylor suggested that they sit in the back since it looked like a lot of teenage girls were in attendance. Gwen sat down with Taylor on her left and Brandi & Kris to her right. She decided she would try to ignore the two "love birds" next to her since she knew what they would probably be doing during the whole movie. Gwen sat through 30 minutes of the movie when Taylor put his arm around her and sat closer to her. She didn't mind though. She kind of liked it and that's what she thought she wanted. Gwen watched a little more of the movie and when the scariest part came she looked over to see Brandi snuggling really close to Kris. She then looked around the theater to see many other teenagers doing the same thing. Her mind flashed back to Forreston where Don was and she felt sick to her stomach. Without thinking, Gwen got up and got out of that theater as fast as she could. Taylor then stood up to follow her but Ike put his hand on his shoulder. "I'll talk to her!" Ike said firmly. Taylor understood right away and let Isaac go find her.
Ike went outside to see Gwen sitting on a bench on the sidewalk. She wasn't crying but she looked very troubled and sad. He sat down next to her and said "There is something wrong, isn't there?" Gwen nodded her head yes. "I thought that going tonight would put my mind off him but I was gravely mistaken." Gwen said after a few moments of silence. "Who Gwen?" Isaac asked in concern. "There is something I never told you guys. When I left Forreston, I didn't just leave my older brother. I left my 3 best friends and my boyfriend. The hard part was that I broke up with him and I'm afraid I'll never see him again. I miss him so much. Since he'll be graduating in June, he will be gone and we will never see each other. I just think I will be so lonely here." Ike replied sympathetically "You won't be lonely because you have us and you will make new friends soon. And don't worry about your ex-boyfriend so much. You'll find someone else before you know it." Not looking directly at Isaac she replied "I know Taylor likes me but how can I tell him I like him but I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now? I don't want to hurt his feelings!" "Don't worry about Tay!" Ike said. "I'll explain it all to him."
Gwen then looked right in Isaac's eyes and said in a light, sweet voice "Ike, will you sing to me?" "You want me to sing you a song?" Ike replied. "Well, John used to sing to me whenever I was depressed or feeling bad." "Well, okay. I guess I'll sing one of the songs we will be singing on the tour." Ike said. Gwen nodded and laid her head on his shoulder, listening carefully. Isaac thought for a minute and started into the most beautiful song Gwen had heard in a long time. "I love you more than anything, than anything, I do. And I'd give anything and everything, I have, just to be with you…" As Isaac crooned out the wonderful song, Gwen smiled and felt like she was at home with John. Even though Ike wasn't her brother, she thought he would do just fine. Gwen felt the tears come but she kept them in so is to not make a scene. After he finished, Gwen gave him a big smile and they then went back inside to watch the rest of the movie.
Later that night when Ike dropped off Gwen, she asked Taylor if he would take a walk with her. After explaining it all to Tay, she realized that he understood. "Please don't hate me!" Gwen said as she walked to her door. "I could never hate you! I wouldn't want to loose a great friendship with you." He then leaned over and gave her a kiss on the lips and hugged her. She smiled at him, said goodbye, and walked into her house. Later, right before she went to bed, Gwen thought about her knew friendships she had made and knew how much closer they had grown in just one day. She realized that they were even greater friends now that she told them the truth. Gwen quickly forgot about all her old friends and focused on her great knew ones as she fell asleep.
I Will Remember You
Go to Chapter 4
