Kelsey tossed and turned, going over the day’s events in her mind. For three terrible hours she had told the story to a detective while Taylor held her and comforted every time she burst into tears from the memories. Three hours of tears and trips on about a million emotional roller coasters had worn her out. It seemed as though every time she recalled Marv’s crocked smile, and his shocking green eyes someone reached inside her and replaced her courage with the coldest fear Kelsey had ever known. Kelsey had begun to tremble every time she heard his name but she was far too stubborn to admit she was scared of him. ‘He ran my life long enough’ she kept rebeliously thinking in her mind.
Kelsey turned toward the clock and saw that it read 2:23 am. She sighed, admitting to herself, there was no way she would get to sleep any time soon. She trudged out of bed and stubbed her toe against
something on the floor. “Damn it...” she whispered to herself, bending down to grab the object. She squinted and then turned on the lamp to see what it was.
After being temporarily blinded, Kelsey smiled when she saw Taylor’s smiling face on the cover of her copy of Tulsa, Tokyo, and Middle of Nowhere. She thought for a moment, then shrugged and put it in her VCR. Strange as it seemed, she still liked watching the guys perform on tape. She loved it when she saw Zac proving to the entire world he COULD play the drums, and pretty darn good, at that. She looked watching Taylor jump up and down, crazy as he looked, because she knew he was having the time of his life. She loved watching Isaac do his Butt-Head impression “just for the ladies.” (AN - Isaac has never said that; I made it up!)
Kelsey sat down and leaned against the bed and started to drift off to sleep when suddenly she heard screaming. She bolted start up...then smiled when she realized it was from the tape. They were at Paramus Park Mall, performing and the girls were all screaming their heads off. Kelsey leaned forward and continued to watch, smiling whenever she saw that dazed look in Taylor’s eyes.
For the next two hours Kelsey watched Tulsa, Tokyo and Middle of Nowhere. She noticed that she suddenly felt different whenever she pushed the “Rewind” button on the VCR. She suddenly recalled all the screaming voices, “I love you Taylor!” “Taylor you’re so hot!” “Taylor Hanson is SEXY!”
Then she began to remember the signs “I’LL ALWAYS LOVE U TAY” “I LOVE TAYLOR!” “We Luv Tay!” “Always In My Dreams, Taylor!” She closed her eyes, remembering all of the screaming, crying girls who carried the signs. Kelsey’s eyes flashed open. “Don’t think about this now, stupid,” she said out loud. “He loves you. You love him. You know that.”
Kelsey paused, wondering if maybe that would help the words sink it. When the same uncomfortable feeling came back, she tried to shrug it off and climbed into bed. Soon she fell into a deep sleep....
Kelsey bolted straight up, causing her cat to run off the bed. She could feel her heart pounding and hear it in her ears. Her breath was coming in quick rushes, and she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself. The second her eyes closed she recalled the dream she just had. She flashed her eyes open, and as they filled with tears, she realized what she had to do.
