The next day Jennifer called her at noon, “Only seven hours till we meet Hanson.” Kelsey heard this and burst out laughing. “Jennifer, just drool at your Zac pictures.” That would take her hours, she had so many. Jennifer grinned. Kelsey always knew what to say. “Okay!!!” she squealed happily. She loved looking at Zac, who she loved dearly, or at least would when she met him tonight. She couldn’t believe it was finally happening.
Kelsey spent the next few hours at Guitar Center, testing keyboards and drums. She had been there many times and gotten her first drum set there. The employees knew her well and always let her play. They were very surprised she was self-taught on the drums and could do practically anything. When she had been taking piano lessons for only six months, she had walked in there and done Hanson’s version of ‘Run Rudolph Run.’ This had surprised the crap out of the employees. They let her play because the sight of her always managed to get some little kid’s interest.
When she got home it was five and Jennifer had left ten messages on their answering machine. Kelsey called her only to hear a very HYPER Jennifer on the other side of the phone. “Zac, you so fine, you so fine, you blow my mind,” Jennifer sang at the top of her lungs. Kelsey started laughing. “Jennifer, just get ready, you guys have to pick me up. My brother’s got that soccer game, remember?” Jennifer continued singing and Kelsey had to repeat herself before Jennifer promised she would be ready and at Kelsey’s house at 5:45.
Kelsey quickly changed clothes. She curled the bottom of her hair, which looked fabulous that way because it was layered at the bottom. She looked her amazingly clean Skechers and dragged them out. She slipped a shirt from the Limited Too over her head. She grabbed her Lee’s wide-leg jeans and carefully put them on. Last, she put on her shoes.
Then she walked into her bathroom and put her Chapstick on - that had become a daily ritual for her. She decided not to wear earrings and to only wear her two necklaces she always did: her soccer ball charm and dolphin. She looked at her reflection. “Not bad,” she thought. Then she heard a honk outside.
She ran outside to Jennifer’s car and was met with, “Kelsey, I’m gonna meet Zac Hanson in the next forty-five minutes - am I going to live that long?” Kelsey grinned. “You are as long as you shut up about them,” Jennifer’s mother said.
Kelsey thought in silence as Jennifer blabbed on and on about how cute Zac was. She knew she would not freak when they met them, she would only be quieter than usual. She usually wasn’t even that quiet, but just the thought of Taylor sent her mind in circles. She had no clue why. She didn’t even know the guy...but that would soon change.
They pulled up to the Star Plex for the sound check. Jennifer was just thinking about Zac, but Kelsey had switched her thoughts to her music and the sound check. It wouldn’t take that long, she figured, since Hanson had probably done it millions of time and she had done it a least a hundred. They walked in and were stopped by a guard.
They quickly identified themselves as the opening band, and showed him their passes. He let them pass and they walked onto the stage and nobody was there. Kelsey wasn’t the least bit disappointed. She got to test the equipment without worrying about her social life. Jennifer just sat there, waiting. Kelsey, on the other hand, quickly asked permission and was granted it, to try out Zac’s drums. She sat down and asked Jennifer what she should play.
“Umm...how about ‘Run Rudolph Run?’” “Hanson song, of course,” thought Kelsey, grinning. She took in a breath and started playing it. She knew it the best because it was the first one she had taught herself. When she was done, she heard clapping behind her. She stood up and whirled around and was face to face with...Hanson!!!
***Author's Note: In case you can't tell, I know this stuff DOES NOT happen during a sound check, but I wanted to make life interesing. And also, I'm sorry the story starts out so slow. It gets much better, I promise.***
