"Stop"
The boy turned, his hair flying in his face and his eyes pleading. The simple command was repeated.
"Stop. Your soundcheck's not through yet"
Reluctantly he removed his hand from the polished silver door handle. He walked back to his familiar spot behind the drums and sighed. He grasped the sticks of wood in his hands. Sticks that had been in his fists most his life.
"Zac, you okay?" Taylor asked from behind his keyboards. Zac shrugged.
"I'm going outside, I'll be back soon"
"What should I tell Jason and Dad? Jason said you couldn't, ya know'
"I dunno, just tell them the truth, I don't care" he replied, and walked out without so much as another word.
He shivered as the crisp night air hit his face, and he pulled his jacket closer, shoving his hands in his pocket for warmth.
He heard bits and pieces of MMMBop being ran through by his brothers. In less than 24 hours the arena would be packed with screaming fans. Zac smiled for the first time that day at the thought of their fans. He was still in awe at how dedicated - and psycho - they were. All the websites, fanfics, clubs-both off and online; it was mindblowing. He shook his head and turned his thoughts towards home. Just him, Isaac, Taylor and his father was weird. Normally they took their pack of friends along, or at least the rest of the family; but right before they left Jessie had been stricken with the stomache flu and it had quickly spread; leaving half the family unable to travel. Rather than waiting for the family to mend and screw up the touring schedule in the process, the elder half opted to leave. That had been about four months ago and they still hadn't been able to find enough time to fly out the rest of the family. He missed them so much, and the thing that scared him most was that he was starting to-
"Forget." A voice broke inside his head, invading his thoughts.
"Forget what they look like, sound like, act like..."
Zac turned around to see who'd been reading his thoughts. Standing behind him was a girl of about 14, dressed simply in a faded pair of jeans, a green teeshirt and nikes. Her brown hair was pulled back in a messy half bun and her blue eyes were flecked with brown. She wasn't stunning but was enough to make her worth looking at.
"Sorry" she grinned sheepishly.
"I have a habit of talking to people like I know them"
He stretched out his hand.
"Zac"
"Hi Zac" she accepted his handshake and shook it firmly, her eyes lighting up with recognition. They stood in silence.
"Do you want an autograph or something?" He asked a few minutes later.
"No, that's okay"
Zac merely nodded, and sat down on the ground, staring off into space.
"You don't like it, do you?"
"Huh?" Zac asked. This girl sure was weird.
"Always acting. The 'I'm always hyper, nothing ever gets me down, I'm indestructable Zac', you can't stand it, can you?"
"What makes you think that?"
She shrugged. "I'm not too sure myself. It's mostly in the eyes. Ike and Tay don't like it much either, do they? I see Ike's eyes cloud over when everyone calls him the responsible one. I see Taylor's eyes bristle when everyone asks if he's ever gotten mad. And I see your eyes fill with despair everytime everyone asks if you're hyper. I see a TV show and I observe. I go to a concert and I observe. The eyes are the window to the soul"
'Who the heck did this girl think she was?!?! That she knew me and my brothers just cause she's seen a few TV shows or been to one or two concerts?' Zac felt his temper start to rise.
"Who the hck do you think you are, getting off telling me how I feel? Just cause you've been to a few concerts and seen a TV show doesn't give you the right to analyze me! I'm a person just like you who happens to heave fears, insecurities and dreams and just cause you're a fan doesn't mean you own the right to my feelings!" Zac was yelling at the end of his little tirade, and he regretted it immediately after the words slipped out. Tears welled up in her beautiful eyes, too stubborn to fall but too hurt to go away.
"I-I'm sorry" Zac put his hand on her hand and felt even guiltier when she flinched away.
"Yeah, me too. But no matter how much you yell or how bad you feel, nobody, not even you Zachary Walker Hanson, will change my thoughts or opinions. Eveyrbody has theit own opinions, that's part of life. Like right now, my opinion of you is that you're tired of fame, you're tired of everyone thinking you're Wacky Zac and for once you'd like to be taken seriously. And I know that I'm right cause your eyes look tired and too old for their age. And I'm sorry that you're not willing to accept the truth." She stared at Zac for a few minutes.
"Well, I think I've taken up enough of your time. See ya 'round at the concert Zac" she gave an awkward smile and started to walk away.
"Wait!" he shouted. She turned around, her eyes bright and a few loose strand of hair blowing in her face.
"You never told me your name!" he asked.
She gave Zac a sad smile. "Isn't it weird to know that as soon as I give you my name you'll forget it the instant you hear it. And I'd rather not put myself through the pain of giving you my name, and knowing you won't treasure it the way I do yours."
Zac nodded ruefully, showing he understood.
"Okay mystery girl" he started to sing "Sitting on the side waiting for a sign hoping that my luck will change. Reaching for a hand that will understand, someone who feels the same; cause when you live in a cookie cutter world being different is a sin, so you don't stand out; but you don't fit in....weird..." he faded out.
She smiled. "That's what I like most about you and your brothers. You always seemed to know what I was thinking"
And with that she left.
Zac turned around and walked slowly back inside.
'She's right' He thought. 'I wish I didn't have to act hyper all the time, just cause that's how I started out as, and that I could just be myself' He walked past a mirror and stopped to look at his reflection. His cheeks were flushed a crimson red and his eyes were glowing a bright brown. And then he realized that it was okay. He didn't have to put on a mask for the fans, if they were true fans then they would understand that he was able to be chilled out and mellow. For once someone had seem past "Ultra-Zac" and had spotted a glimpse of his real self. And they had seen through the windows of his soul. And he was alright with that.