"Be My Valentine..."
It was Feb. 12 and I was in New York for our third day, since I met my friends Sarah and Brooke in New York for our very first visit. We planned to see Hanson in concert. Sarah and Brooke are twins from Australia and I am from Canada. They had brought along Rory, a boy Brooke likes alot. We had been planning this trip to meet here for about a whole year now. We thought it would be cool to meet up in New York and go to a Hanson concert and this was my first concert. I had been saving my money since the day we planned to meet here plus the money I got for my birthday and Christmas. I had been saving up for a drum set but my family chipped in to get me one and Melinda two guitars and Jodi her keyboard from her dad. Our band was ready and we jammed together whenever Jodi came to visit. Usually our band met on weekends for practise, Melinda and I.
The mall we were at was pretty big and I didn't remember the name of it, but it was big and very nice. I was like turning into a shopping freak. My luck, I didn't expect both my granny and my mom in my wildest dreams to both win the lottery. $2, 000, 000 each. I was like shocked. From poor to rich. Most was in the bank so we could live good and not worry about bills and food or new clothes anymore. Both my mom and my granny gave me a bunch of money to spend with my very own credit card for both their banks. I was so excited, I bought good clothes from The GAP, the place Hanson buy their clothes from. I got a make-up make over too. They also styled my hair for a little extra. Right now I was trying on a pair of really nice black shoes like the type the Spice Girls wear all the time. Really high and make me so tall. It's weird to tower up that high. Brooke and Rory were some where in the same store but Sarah was helping me choose shoes and I asked her if they looked okay on me. These shoes were really great. I loved them. Tonight was the great concert of Hanson, that was why I was doing this crazy store hopping. I already had a nice outfit on that the make-up make over lady helped me choose to go good with my style. I felt weird wearing all this. I had my hair in a pretty twirly swirly type of bun and little baby hair were curled. My make-up only barely showed it just made my face features stand out more. I was wearing my tall Spice Girl type shoes and my Calvin Klein type of dress. I just kept wishing that Jodi and Melinda could be here right now with me but I was with my friends, what counts instead of no one to talk to at all. I was glad to finally see Hanson in concert instead of just on tv like always. I know it would be different then on tv, everyone I know tells me seeing them in concert is much better in real than on tv. I thought I looked kind of like that chick from the Spice Girls, Posh Spice but I didn't walk or talk like her. Plus the lady did my nails black like Posh's nails so that made me even feel more like I looked like her because Posh always mostly has black nail polish on. I looked in the mirror again and nervously tapped my fingers on the chair handle. I got up and walked to the mirror. Looking myself up and down, thinking it looks all right, I don't look weird. My mom should have came to the mall with us but she was back at the hotel, she didn't feel too well plus she had to rest for the concert. I had gotten us backstage passes. Even for my mom, I smiled again.
I said to Sarah,"This is going to be fun!"
Back at the hotel Rory was in his room getting ready, and so were Sarah and Brooke in their room. I looked at Sheila, she was getting ready also. She was pulling on a pair of jeans and I walked into the bathroom and sprayed my body spray again and again. It was such a pretty smell. I needed advice from my mom, and soon. I walked to my bed and sat down then sighed. Sheila looked at me and said,"Why do you sigh? What's wrong?"
I smiled and said, "I really like Hanson and I just can't wait to meet them but I know I will be as shy as ever. I hate being shy."
Then it was her turn to sigh, but a thoughtful sigh, "Well... I don't know. Do what ever happens. There's nothing to be shy of, you look great and you'll be meeting the guys of your dreams."
I smiled and said, "Thanks Sheila, uh... mom." She smiled too. That was practically our first mom daughter actual talks since I was raised by my granny, her mom. I wonder what will happen. Then I heard a loud knock at the door and I rushed to answer it. It was Brooke and she was blushing. She pulled me out of the room and shut door enough so my mom wouldn't hear then she spoke,"Rory asked me out!!!" She was smiling now.
I smiled too and said, "That's great! I'm happy for you two."
Brooke then said, "I'm so happy and I'm glad we invited Rory to come on this trip!"
Wow! Front row seats and after able to go backstage! I'm so hyper. I was screaming and smiling at Hanson as they played on the stage. The song stopped and there were screams louder now. They were taking a break I noticed. So I turned to Sarah and said in her ear as loud as I could, "Could you do me this one favor? When we go backstage can you introduce me to them, I'm too shy!" She turned to me and smiled saying, "Yeah, sure, no problem." After the break they threw their water bottles. First Ike threw his way somewhere behind us, Zac threw his somewhere to the side of us and Tay actually threw it front row, and I caught it and screamed happily! Wow, I have a great souvenir from my first concert. I blushed as Sarah, Brooke, Rory and my mom stared at it in my hands. They started the next song and they all turned back to watch.
After the concert was over they signed autographs and we got our chance to finally go backstage. I held my poster and CD's, MON and 3CG close as we made our way over to where Hanson stood. Sheila went over to talk with Walker and Diana.
The guys said, "Hello" to us as we stopped in front of them. Brooke and Rory said hello and told them their names and got their autographs. I stood beside Sarah and was blushing so badly now.
Sarah said, "Hi, I am Sarah. I'm from Australia. This is Leah," She pointed to me and I nodded, "She's from Canada."
They said, "Hello Leah." Each to me and shook my hand. They signed Sarah's autograph and then Tay smiled at me and I blushed again. He smiled and blushed as he told Ike something in his ear. Ike smiled and patted Tay on the back. Tay took me aside and we talked for a while. I loosened up and talked to him like how I talk as if I'm not a shy person but I still blushed. Then it was time to go but I was disappointed and so was Tay, I think. I was standing with my mom, Sarah, Zac, Brooke and Rory now talking to them and Tay, Ike, Walker and Diana were talking. I was curious what about. Then Tay signed my other CD which I forgot about to get him to sign, Road To Albertane. He handed it back to me and smiled. We walked away and waved goodbye. I was smiling, I felt like I was floating on air.
I got back to the hotel and looked at my CD's that Hanson signed and smiled, then I gasped, when I opened the CD inside was a note with a number. I got up and sat by the phone. I dialed it and it rang 3 times and then a lady answered, it was Diana.
I smiled and said, "Hi, this is Leah. We met backstage at the..."
She cut me off and said, "Yes, hi Leah. Tay's been expecting your call. I'll get him." A few minutes later Tay and I were talking on the phone. Sheila came from the bathroom, she had a bath when we got back from the concert.
She said, "Who you talking to?"
I said into the phone, "Hang on." Then I turned to Sheila and said, "It's Tay, he gave me his phone number." I smiled and Sheila looked a little surprised and she smiled.
I said to Tay, "Look, I don't have privacy to talk to you anymore in here. Want to meet somewhere tomorrow afternoon?" Tay told me to meet him at the mall. The same mall where I bought all my clothes and all. We said goodbye and hung up.
I got up from the bed and said, "Be back later." I went straight to Brooke and Sarah's room and knocked on the door.
I was at the mall early with Sarah. Brooke and Rory went to a movie. I was getting my make-up and hair done again by the same lady. She was thrilled and talked all the time. I was nervous. The make-up lady's name was Trish. Sarah was sitting in the waiting room, reading a magazine. Trish did everything in purple this time because I chose a purple dress, I forgot the dress designers name but it was awesome. I walked over to the mirror and Sarah stood beside me, I was smiling and I hugged Trish, paid her and thanked her. I was meeting Tay at a little resturant at 1:30 pm and it was 1:00 already. Sarah and I walked around for a little while and at 1:20 pm we headed to the resturant and Sarah left me and went back to the hotel, a short walk. I walked in and there was Tay, sitting at a table and I sat down. He looked up at me and smiled.
I blushed and said, "I don't always wear make-up and dresses but I wanted to dress up. I hate dresses actaully."
He smiled and said, "You look pretty." The waitress came and handed us menus and I ordered a Pepsi. She left to get our drinks as we looked at the menus. We talked about several things after eating. I put my hands on the table as I was talking, and he looked at my hands, I was wearing my rings I had gotten from my grandpa's sister Marilynne. There was my birthstone ring on my ring finger, a ring with diamonds all around on my middle finger and another diamond ring, single diamond on my index finger. He asked me about them and I told him where I got them from and that one was my birthstone ring.
I said, "I'm a Sagitarious and my Birthday is Dec. 7th. The same month as Marilynne, we both have the same size fingers so she just gets her size and it fits me. I get a new one every Christmas from her." We were planning on spending another evening together tomorrow, for Valentine's Day. Today was sort of like my first date but we only planned this as a place to talk. Tomorrow would be my real first date. We walked back to my hotel and I kissed him on the cheek and we said goodnight. I walked into the room and Sheila said, "What are you smiling for?" I walked to her bed and sat down and we talked about tonight and what was planned for a whole day tomorrow on Valentine's Day. It was only 10 pm. I picked up the phone and called Tay. We talked for 2 hours.
After talking to Tay it was midnight, I went to Brooke and Sarah's room and we went down the hall to get some pop and we had a girls party. We talked about boys. We stayed up quite late. Well not too late. I was tired by 1am so I went to my room and fell on the bed asleep.
I woke up at 9 am amazingly and I had a shower and got dressed. Today I put on normal clothes. The ones from The GAP. I went to the mall with Sheila and we went to see Trish. She did my hair in a cool way and she put make-up on that looked like I wasn't wearing any at all. At 11:30 am we went back to the hotel and waited for Tay. At 10 minutes to 12 there was a knock at the door. It was Tay and I grabbed my watch and put it on and we left. We went to a bigger different mall this time and we walked around. We watched one movie and went into a store and he bought me a necklace. My legs were getting tired from all the walking. We went to see another movie. There was a indoor rides area in the mall so we went there next. I won Tay a teddy bear and he won me one too. The day was going great. We stopped for lunch at a small resturant and it was already 3 pm. We sat there talking for about an hour. So we went to watch another movie after. I bought him a necklace then. We were tired so we stopped at a place to have a pop and talked more. We went to the rides again.
It was 8 pm and we had a nice dinner at a awesome resturant, really romantic. Then I heard music, across from the resturant I saw was a dance club for teens. I looked at Tay and we grinned and got up, running into the club. We danced to some fast song and then a slow song came on and then I blushed. I relaxed and leaned close. I was inches away from Tay's face. We were smiling. Then I leaned close and kissed him. First he was surprised and then he returned the kiss. When we stopped, I started blushing and we kept dancing. Another fast song came on and we danced a little and we found a spot to sit and talk more.
By the time we left the dance club, it was 10 pm and we went to his hotel first which was closer, we visited with his parents and then we went to Tay's room and I visited Ike and Zac, sitting next to Tay, we all talked. By the time Tay walked me back to my hotel it was 11 pm and we were standing at my door kissing. We said goodbye and I walked inside. I stood by the door a while, thinking about all that's happened and then I remembered and started crying. We were all leaving New York tomorrow and so were Hanson. Goodbye. I cried harder and went into the bathroom. Sheila was already asleep. I walked out of the room quietly, heading to go see Sarah. Brooke was still out with Rory. I sat on Brooke's bed crying and telling Sarah I didn't want to leave Tay. Sarah told me to call him. I picked up the phone and called Tay. We talked and I couldn't stop crying. In the morning Tay and I were supposed to eat together and spend the day until noon alone while the others Sheila, Mrs. Hanson, Mr. Hanson, Jessy, Avie, Mackie, Zoë, Sarah, Rory, Brooke, Ike and Zac visited. I finally went back to my room and went to sleep, it was midnight.
The morning I felt better. I got dressed in GAP clothes again, like yesterday but another outfit. Sheila, Brooke, Sarah and Rory went to the other hotel and Tay came to Sheila and my room. It was 10 am all ready. Only 2 hours to visit.
I hugged Tay, Zac, Ike, Mr. Hanson, Mrs. Hanson, Jessy, Avie, Mackie and smiled at Zoë.
Mrs. Hanson said, "Tay can come visit sometimes you know Leah. You can come visit us too."
Tay said, "Yeah and we can call each other and write." I walked back to Tay and hugged him crying. Everyone else wasn't looking, they were hugging and saying goodbye to each other. I kissed Tay and we hugged once more and we waved and off we were on the plane. I was sitting beside Sheila and she handed me a box in wrapping. I looked at her.
She said, "Open it." I smiled faintly, tears still rolling down and I ripped the paper slowly. I opened the box and inside was a cell phone. I smiled happily and hugged Sheila. She said, "Tay has your number, turn it on. He's going to call you." A few minutes later it rang.
