Jada got up at six thirty the next day. Jessica, and her siblings were quite fun to be with. None of them were any trouble. Zoe hardly cried or moaned, Mackenzie contently played with Avery, and Jessica read her book or watched television all night.
Jada crept down the steps hoping not to wake anybody up. Someone already was. She walked into her kitchen to get some juice. She poured herself a glass and went outside to sit on her porch. She sat on her bench thinking about a million and one things. She closed her eyes and nearly fell asleep until she heard someone open the door.
"Jada," she heard a voice whisper. She awoke quickly and looked up at a golden head. It was Taylor. "Oh hi," she said wearily. "I hope I'm not disturbing you," he said. "No. Not at all," she spoke a little bit more woken up. "Can I talk to you?" He asked his eyes shimmering. "Sure," she replied. He sat down next to her and started talking, "It's about Ike. He likes you a lot but he's to afraid to come up and ask you go with him. He doesn't know your reaction. I mean this is hard for me to explain, since I'm not Isaac. All I am trying to say is that he likes you and be prepared for whatever happens next." She sat there and stared into space. A ton of thoughts raced through her mind. 'Be prepared for whatever happens next.' What was he saying? What did he mean? Was Isaac going to ask her out? What is he talking about? "Oh. Okay," she paused. Taylor looked at her for a very long time. Perhaps forty-five minutes without saying one word. Then he fell asleep on her shoulder.
"Taylor. Taylor wake up," he heard someone whisper. It was Avery. Jada was still sitting next to him watching him. He had slept for over an hour on her shoulder. "What?" He asked too tired to think. "Breakfast. Jada's mommy made it!" Avery giggled. Jada smiled at the little girl. She looked so innocent and cute. Just like a doll. "What time is it?" Jada asked her. "Uh...I dunno," she smiled.
It was around nine and everybody was up. Jada never had this many people over her house before. The Hansons were so warm, and friendly. All the talking was like bees buzzing. It gave Jada a headache. She sat down in her chair. Her hair was tangled and she looked so tired. She hardly slept last night. All she could think about was her kiss with Isaac. He wasn't a very good kisser.
"Hey Jada," Ike said. "Hi," she smiled. Jada fixed herself up looking a lot better. She was wearing a Nike shirt and Flares. It was twelve now and half the Hanson's left. Lord knows where they went. "Jada, can I ask you something?" He asked shyly. "Sure. That is unless you want me to babysit again?" She laughed. He just smiled. "Will you go out with me?" He said as calmly as ever. Most people stuttered or spoke jibberish when they asked her out. "Of course I will go out with you!" She exclaimed. They held hands and walked down the street.
Ike, Taylor and Zac left to go do a radio show. Jada was alone in her house because her mom went back to work. She plopped down on her couch and watched soap operas all day until about three when she decided to walk to the shopping center up a couple streets. Before she even stepped out of her house papporizzi's were swarming her.
Men and women everywhere with huge cameras, tape recorders, and anything else you could imagine. She put up her hands so she could block her face. Jada ran down the driveway and they followed. All you could hear was the pounding of about fifty feet on the pavement. Finally after five minutes of dodging trees and cars she lost them.
"Holy shit Jada what happened?" Her friend Marlene asked. Jada looked all like her trampy self again; brambles in her hair, torn Nike shirt, and a couple scratches on her face. Marlene worked up at the gas station up the street from her. Marlene was twenty and she was Jada's best friend. "Those stupid 'rozzi's followed me," she explained. "Why would they follow you?" She wondered. "Oh," she paused. Not even Marlene knew she liked Hanson and she wasn't about to ruin her reputation over it. "I don't know," she sighed.
"Lemme get ya some coffee. You take sugar?" Jada nodded. Marlene turned her red head and got the coffee pot. "What's wrong? Now I know you betta than to go belivin' that you ain't know why these people are followin ya. Tell me Jada," Marlene said. "You promise you won't tell anyone?" Jada spoke solemnly. "Yeah, you know I do," Marlene softened. "You know that band Hanson?" Jada asked. Marlene let out a little chuckle and put the coffee pot back on the heater. "Yeah. That little girly group of boys," she let out a sigh.
"Anyways, I got with the oldest one. I dunno how all these people just find out all of a sudden. I mean I look like trash and then those idiots are gonna go and post those pictures all over magazines and shit like that," she fumed. Marelene's eyes grew wider as she studied Jada.
Then she busted out laughing. "Shut up!" Jada smacked her. "Ah. Jada, in all my life I pictured you with a buff wigger and you go turn on me like dat and go wit a feminine little boy," she laughed. For the first time in years her eyes got glassy. Marlene was very insensitive, and she knew it, but she put up with it. "Up yours 'Lene," Jada yelled and left the gas station.
She ran home in the humid rain. As she approached her house she didn't care what she looked like. Only about four annoying cameramen were surronding her. "Look, get off of my property before I call the cops! Now get off!" She hollered. They left and she stormed inside. Her phone was ringing off the hook and there were fifty messages on her machine. All of them were her friends screaming at her into the reciever about Hanson. How they found out about this so quick was beyond belief.
Roughly four soap operas, two bags of popcorn, and six cans of diet Coke later, the rest of the Hanson's came to her house. Shortly after her mom arrived. Jada told her mom about the paparozzi's as well as Isaac. It was well announced to the world that Jada and Ike were well, and item.
The next day around four o'clock Jada ran to get her mail. She had gotten a
couple of fan letters to Ike, and Tay and Zac but she noticed one letter
addressed to her. She didn't recognize the return address or the hand writing
but she opened it anyway. Inside was a letter explaining the teribble things
about to happen to both her and Isaac. It read:
Dear Jada,
you don't know me but I know you. You'd better take good care over your new boyfriend, Isaac, because he won't be yours for long. In about two weeks expect him to be missing. I gave you warning.
Jada was scared to death. She showed Isaac, who showed his parents. Diana nearly fainted but Walker remained calm. The younger siblings knew nothing about this. All they all knew that somebody wanted Isaac; somebody not to be toyed with.
