TEN
I sat on the front steps with Destiny and Tricky. In the short time I'd known him, I'd already decided that I hated him. He kept flirting with her and dissing me. It only made things worse when she returned the flirtatious smiles and teasing. I kept trying to tell myself that it was habit, that a beautiful girl like her got that all the time, but it didn't help. It wasn't her I didn't trust, after all.
"I'm going to go and say goodbye to Dad," Destiny said, standing up. "Do you guys need anything while I'm up?" I shook my head and Tricky said no. "Otay, I'll be back in a minute. Be good, Zaccy." She ruffled my hair and walked inside.
"So," Tricky turned to me, "you've done her, right? She's good. Only girl you've ever been with?"
"Yes to both," I replied. "But how would you know? I was her first."
He laughed rudely. "Yeah, right. I was her first. And there's been a lot more since me. After all, she's sixteen, almost seventeen, and she was eleven our first time. That was just another of her little white lies, to make you feel special. Don't tell me you believed that."
"You're full of shit, man. I know I was her first." I glanced down at my watch. "We have to leave now. She's coming on tour with us, you know."
"Whatever, dude." He put on his sunglasses and leaned back against the steps as Ike and Tay pulled up to the curb in their rented car.
"Zac," Tay called. "Are you and Des about ready? Our plane leaves in three hours and Mom wants us back fast. These all of her bags?" he asked, gesturing to the suitcases at my feet.
"Yeah, go ahead and put them in the trunk. I'll get her. She went to say bye to her dad. As soon as we get back, we'll leave." I ran up the steps, accidently kicking Tricky. As I approached the apartment doorway, I heard her talking to her dad and paused, not wanting to interrupt.
"I'm really going to miss you, Daddy."
"I'll miss you too, sugar. The neighborhood isn't the same without you. This guy of yours, Zac, I really like him. He's good for you. Have you two..."
"Yeah, we had sex. Just once. I think he loves me and I know I love him. It was right. Might be that the next time you see me, I'll have an engagement ring on my finger," she giggled.
"I hope it's not that long before I see you again." He sighed, sounding old for the first time. "I'm sorry I didn't give you a better life when you were little. I did the best I could. Things might have been better if you had stayed with your mom, but that damn husband of hers...Anyway, you turned out really good. I love you."
"I love you too, Dad." I heard her stand up and took off down the hall so it wasn't obvious that I was waiting outside. She closed the door behind her.
"Are you ready to go? Ike and Tay are waiting downstairs," I yelled.
"Yeah," she hollered back, "I'm ready. Let's hit the road. I'm ready to party!" She quieted as she got closer. "But what about the fans? You know they'll ask about me."
"I'm telling the truth. I wouldn't ever deny having someone like you," I said, looking at her lovingly.
"Me either." She kissed the tip of my nose and went down the stairs, holding my hand.
ELEVEN
We had just arrived in England for our first European show. Destiny and I walked along through the park alone. Well, alone if you ignored the bodyguard tailing us. It wasn't hard to forget him, I decided as I wrapped an arm around her waist.
We stopped to admire the beautiful fountains. "You know," she commented, "this is the first time we've done anything alone together since..." She hesitated before fininshing, "Since your dad."
"I know." I pulled her closer and inhaled her scent. She smelt like ruby red grapefruit and Herbal Essence shampoo. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"
"Nope," she murmured over the bubbling of the water. "But it can't possibly be more than I love you. You're my dream come true, Zac. Or maybe my nightmare," she giggled.
"Hey, that wasn't nice." She took off running, me chasing behind. "Girl, I'm gonna get you," I threatened playfully.
After five minutes or so, I caught up to her. We fell panting to the ground, barely controlling our hysterical laughter.
A young girl, about sixteen, approached us cautiously. "Excuse me. Would you be Zac Hanson?"
"Yes, I would be," I replied.
"Can I have your autograph, please?"
"Sure. Do you have anything I can sign?" She handed me a napkin and pen before turning to Destiny.
"Hi, are you his girlfriend?"
"Yeah," Destiny answered wearily, glancing over to see my reaction. I gave her a nervous smile.
"Really? That's so awesome," the girl gushed. "I think it's great that you two can still have a relationship[ with all that goes on. I mean, him being away, the fans, all that stuff." I handed her the napkin and pen. "Well, I better go so you can have some time alone. Congratulations," she called as she walked away.
Destiny began breathing again. "I never expected such a good reaction from a fan." The relief was evident in her voice. "The best I hoped for was a 'you'll never last after he sees me' attitude. If it keeps going like this, we won't have a problem."
"Don't worry, we will," I whispered under my breath. I hadn't admitted to her yet, but I was scared to reveal my girlfriend to the public. I had to tell her my true feelings right then.
"Destiny, I don't think we should tell everyone."
"You didn't just say what I think you did, did you?"
TWELVE
I apologized over and over. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I just don't think it's the right time. It wouldn't hurt to wait a little bit. Just until-"
"God damn it, Zac," she hissed. "You know what? Tricky was right about you. You are a little bitch-ass pussy like he said. You're scared of committment and you can't even tell me. You have to blame it on the fans."
She started to leave, but stopped and turned back. The smile she gave me was frightening. "To think that I wanted to marry you. Let me tell you something. Right now, the sight of you makes me sick. Have a nice day."
I watched her leave, fighting the tears. I wandered through the city for a few hours before entering a music shop not far from the hotel. My attention went to the girl behind the counter. She was cute in a typical blond girl way, but her shirt was what got me. My face was plastered on the front of the shirt, leaving a small strip where it proclaimed, in black Magic Marker, "ZAC HANSON IS MINE,". I was about to leave when she noticed me.
"Oh my God, you're Zac Hanson! Will you sign my shirt? Please please please please please please?" She rushed over to me with a black Sharpie in her hand, as if she'd been waiting for me or something. As I wrote my name on the back of the shirt, she continued to talk. "I can't believe I am standing here talking to you. I so did not expect you to come in here at all. So, do you need a girlfriend?"
That made the decision for me. "No thank you, I already have a very beautiful, sweet, nice, loving, close-to-perfect girlfriend."
"No you don't!" she yelled. "You said yourself that you didn't have a girlfriend last time you were on Letterman. I watched it and you said you didn't have a girlfriend!"
I did my best to calm her down. "When I was on Letterman last time, I didn't have a girlfriend. We didn't even know each other yet. I'm sure you're a great girl, but I'm happy with mine."
"Not for long," she muttered under her breath as she pushes me out of the store. "Don't ever come back!" she screamed after me.
"I'm unpopular with the female population today," I laughed to myself. An idea hit me suddenly, as if a ton of bricks had fallen on my head.
An hour later, I stood at the door of the hotel room that Destiny, Jess and Avie were sharing. After two knocks, Jess opened the door.
"Hey, Jess. Is Destiny around? I really need to talk to her now." I was practically begging my little sister to let me in.
"No, she's not, dickhead," Jess growled. "You pissed her off, so she went to a payphone to call a friend."
"Thanks anyway." I headed toward the elevator, dejected. I had a plan to find her and make everything perfect again. The doors opened as I reached the bottom floor. I stepped out and looked around.
She sat by the pool, tears rolling down her face.
"Please don't be mad, baby," I pleaded when I reached her. "I'm so sorry. You're right. I was scared, but I want to tell the whole world. I brought you roses." I placed them in her lap, then fell to one knee and held out the ring. "Destiny, will you marry me?"
"I have to tell you something," she whispered.
"You can tell me anything, baby." I stared up at her.
"I'm pregnant, but I'm going to have an abortion."
