I woke up to the sound of a lot of people talking at the same time. I had already gotten used to waking up listening to three different conversations at the same time. As I was washing my face and brushing my teeth, I could make out some of the conversation.
"Daddyyy!! You promised!"
"Honey..I´m sorry..realy, it´s just that I have to speak to one of the people from Mercury, while your brothers do their interview...honey...this is very important.."
"But my performance is also very important...to me! And you promised."
I recognised Jessica and Walker. As I walked down the stairs and entered the kitchen..everyone looked at me, saying good morning. I responded them, blushing a little bit, to see almost everyone dressed and me, in payamas. I searched for a empty chair, and as I found it, took my seat in the big table, next to Avery and another empty chair. Probably Jessica´s, who was now hysterical. She eyed me for a while, and I smiled at her. Suddently her face lit up. She smiled and ran to me.
"Johanna can take me!!!" I looked at her, confused, and then I looked at Walker and Diana, who was just coming with a tray full of orange juices and milk.
"That´s a good idea sweetie, could you Jo?" She said. I smiled.
"Sure..um..where to?" I asked, taking a glasss of juice and starting to drink it.Jessica sat down beside me, and gulping her milk down, looked at me with bright, happy eyes.
"I have a ballet performance today, at ten sharp, so we have to get there at nine thirty or so. Dad knows the address and all. Avery is also supposed to come, but she doesn´t want to.." I looked at Avery beside me. She had a mouthfull of cupcake.
"Thats only because.." She began, barely audible because if the cupcake she had in her mouth.
"Avie, what did I tell you about eating manners..?" Diana said. Avie, after looking at her mother, munched her cupcake untill it was swallowed.
"That´s only because I have to be a dumb rabbit, and all I do is hop around like this.." She stood up and hopped a few times, making everyone laugh. "During the whole show. Jessie had the cool part" I looked at Jessica.
"I´m sleeping beauty in the first show, and then I´m a tree in the second part, so I don´t know why she complains" She said.
"A tree? Man, radical change in papers huh?" Taylor said.
"Yeah, Ave, you´re probably the cute princess in the second part!" Zac said smiling. Avery frowned.
"I´m a dancing pansy" She said shrugging. We all laughed.
"Flowers are always cool parts Avie, cause you look so fine, after the show, when you ask people what their best part was, they almost always say `the cute dancing flower one, it was so pretty, with the little blondie with curls in the middle´...you´ll see. I said, putting a man voice when I said the blondie thing. Avery laughed, just like the others did.
"Well, I am in the middle...Okay, I´ll go" She said in between giggles. "You´re funny Joey!!" She said. I smiled.
So it was all settled. Diana, Walker, Zoe and Mac, and Tay Zac and Ike were going to the interview. And they were supposed to be back by eleven approx. Jess, Ave and I were to go to the performance thing, that was to end near noon. I had to take the performing suits too. So Diana and Walker, after thanking me for taking them and all, gave me some money, just in case. They gave me Taylors beeper number, and their celular phone number, and told me to call them when the show was about to begin, and when it was finished. And then, they all left.
"Isn´t she that Claudia girl from Party of five? Julias´ little sister?" I asked looking at a girl.
"Oh, you mean the one that also starred in "Lost in Space" Ike said staring at the girl. I nodded. "What on earth is she doing in Tulsa?" Ike asked. I shrugged. I saw Zac come running from I don´t know where.
"That´s the `Lost in Space´girl isn´t she?" He asked. Isaac nodded. He made a face.
"I thought she was younger, look at her! She must be my age or something! Plus, she has, what? Ten pounds of make-up on?"
"I think we should stop starring at her..she might notice..and..."
"Oh my GOD!" I interrupted my older brother. He looked at me. I shook my head towards where I was looking. "That´s Katie Holmes" Isaac stared.
"That´s Michelle Williams" He stated. Zac sighed.
"She´s not, dummy, Michelle Williams is the blond one, and SHE, is a brunette." He said matter of factly. Isaac looked.
"You´re right, but why is she and that lost in space girl here in Tulsa??" He said. I sucked in my breath.
"What a babe" I said.
"Hot chick," My older brother said. Zachary sighed again.
"You guys are sick" He said. I glanced at him.
"Go to Hell Zac" I said. My young brother gave me a cold stare, that then turned into a hurt one. Then he walked away, without muttering a single word. Ike and I stared off in his direction.
"You shouldn´t of said that" Ike chanted.
"I know" I said.
"Why did you say it?"
"I don´t know."
"Okay, Hanson up for make-up" A woman called. Ike and I began getting make-up on. I don´t know when or how Zac got his make-up on before us, but when Ike and I were done, Zac was hapily speaking to, yes, Katie Holmes, and making her laugh, and she was tickling him...and he was tickling on back...
"Oh my god, how did Zac do that?" Isaac asked. I frowned angrily. I was going to say something but was interrupted by a loud burst of laughter from Katie Holmes, as she shrieked and said "Oh Zac you kill me!" as she laughed. Zac himself was in a fit of giggles.
"Oh are those two your brothers?" Katie asked suddently. I smiled to myself. Zac eyed us, then turned to Katie.
"Yeah, those are the two guys that pay me to be my brothers.." He began before Katie began laughing again. I could not believe what he had just said. Oh boy was Zac getting it.
"Is Zac getting it after this or what" Ike said my thoughts aloud.
"But my ears itch!" Avery complained about her bunny suit like, for the seventh time. I rolled my eyes.
"It´s because of the material they´re made of, once you´re out there doing your thing it won´t itch any more. I left her and Jessica, with their teacher, and walked out to see the show. It was real cool actually, cause I was just watching, when someone tapped my shoulder. It was Catherine, Justin´s sister. She told me her little sister was dancing, and she was a flower too. We watched the whole thing together. It was real cute. Jessica looked awesome, and she danced beautifuly too.
"And here´s Hanson!" The guy (Brad) introduced. The show was called "The Brenda and Brad show" Or something. As we took our places behind our instruments, I was allready planning my revenge, for yesterday, and for the "hell" thing. Brenda asked us something, but I couldn´t listen because of the noise girls were making.
"So which of the songs of all your albums have you picked for us today?" Brenda asked. I noticed there was a piano next to Tay. Shit. We were probably gonna sing.....
"Money, from our live album "Live from Albertane" and then Speechless, that also appears in it, but is from our first album, "Middle of Nowhere" Taylor said. The audience cheered. `bingo´I thought. Speechless was just perfect for my plan.
"Here´s Hanson with Money and Speechless everyone!" Brad introduced. And we began.
"When we finaly began "Where´s the love" I began my plan as well. And It worked. After Tay had sung the first few lines of the song, he started turning around towards to, and looking at me strange. I ignored his look. I began thinking. I should apologise to Taylor, but then again, Taylor should apologise to me too..
I speeded up the rythm of the drums.
But it WAS me the one that passed my brother on the motorbike. But it was because Taylor had gone with Jo on purpose to piss me off....
I felt my arms start hitting the drums harder and faster. The more I thought, the angrier I got, the angrier I got, The more I hated Taylor, the more I hated Taylor, the more I wanted to screw him up, the more I wanted to screw him up, the faster I played the battery set.
Taylor´s so selfish, everything is always Taylor...Tay Tay TAY.
I was sure I was playing by then at an uncontrolable rythm.I could see Taylor´s fingers trying to catch up with my playing. His fingers were dashing through his instrument. And Isaac was totaly pathetic, and funny. His whole hand was splashing around his guitarr. Poor Ike. Then I was playing so wildly, I wasn´t even sure what I was playing, or if I was ever going to be able to stop my arms from moving. I wasn´t even looking at what I was playing. At last it seemed like my brothers were catching up, or I was slowing down a bit. I found myself giving a last bang, and listening to all the fans start cheering and clapping. I could feel the sweat forming all over me trikle down my face and neck. I quickly dried it with a towel I had close to my battery set. I had to stare at the crowd for long, unable to look at my brothers for fear.
The rest of the interview sucked. I did all I could to get everyones attention, to leave Taylor out. To bug him. When the interviewer asked about voice changes, I admitted having mine change lately, but I also commented that it was being nothing compared to Taylors. I know it was so mean, but not as mean as sending your brother to hell.
I also made dirty jokes about him learning to drive, and about girlfriends. I was a jerk the whole interview, but I think only Tay and I ke noticed, cause the interviewers were smiling, and saying how nice we were to each other...blah.
One part I loved was when Brenda said I had made such good buds with Katie Holmes. And that stupid Brad had to comment about my covered-with-goeycream pimple. My brothers had a good laugh on it, but that was it. All in one I was happy. Then the interview ended, and we were on our way home. I knew what was coming my way, for what I´d done. And I was right. As soon as I stepped in the van and shut the door behind me, My father started.
"Zachary, may I ask you what in the world were you thinking?" I decided to act inocent.
"Why?" My father sighed, and Taylor raised his hands stomping his feet.
"Zac you totaly blew us out there! We could of made fools of ourseves, for life!" Taylor said. I smirked, acting smart.
"But we didn´t did we? Besides, I´m sick and tired of always following your stemps, and you always being center of atention. Just because I get to be it for one day, for one hour, you go crazy!" I cried out. My mom turned from the seat and eyed me.
"Zachary your brother is talking to you in a nice way, don´t start an argument ok?"
"You had no right to accelerate the whole thing, My mouth was falling off, playing SO fast! Man! You´re incredibly desconsiderate!" Taylor wined on. I rolled my eyes.
"I´m not desconsiderate, desconsiderate would be the last of adjectives describing me! Taylor, you don´t even know me! You think you do, but you know what? You don´t! Everyone in here thinks they know me! But I bet they don´t" I said raising my voice, and trying to sound as mature as possible, and as serious too.
"Zac..." My dad began.
"Calm yourself down honey" My mom finished.
"Our problems have nothing to do with the audience and the fans that were out there, you should have saved your bad temper for some other time" Taylor said.
"Bad temper? You´re the one that makes big deals out of nothing always!"
"Me? You ridiculized Ike and me in front of everyone! Right Ike?" My oldest brother looked away from the window.
"Yeah man.." He vaguely said. Just then my fathers celular phone rang. He answered.
"Johanna? How´s it going?"
"Oh, thats just fine, So at what time will the girls and you be getting home?"
"Perfect...she does? Okay, let me speak to her........"
"Sweetie? Avie cupcake...yes...yes...." at this part of the conversation, Taylor leaned closer to me.
"All this shit is because of Jo right? I went on a date with her, and that made you furious right?" He whispered in a sharp hiss. I crinkled my brow.
"It´s not, it´s because of you, of your stupid attitud, of your dumb behaviour, of your stupid way of..." I didn´t realise my voice raising.
"Zachary! Taylor! Enough of this!" My mother yelled. The rest of the way was in dead silence. Except for dad saying that Jo and my sisters were doing fine and that they´d be home around noon, and mom repeating that she would deal with Taylor and me as soon as we arrived.
