"Why did I have to die!?" he screamed. He fell to his knees, his head buried in his hands. All around him, people continues on like it was a normal evening. They never saw the little boy crying on the sidewalk.
Things would have been so different if he had lived.
All because of those stoopid drugs. he thought, tears rolling down his face.
Zac looked up and prayed. "Lord, please show me what it would've been like if I didn't die."
Suddenly, pictures of him in a plane in Australia popped up. He was sick, and being taped for the home video. Then there was him on the Jay Leno Show, glaring at Taylor from behind his drums after an argument. Soon he saw the president and the first lady sitting in the audience, watching he and his brother play Merry Christmas Baby. Soon a baby came in view. He was at St. John's Medical Center. He was holding his new sister, Zo&emul Genevieve. Then came him and his brothers on Oprah. Something about guys having it easier than girls and almost the whole crowd(girls) started objecting. After that came him on Mtv, running to the window and waving to hundreds of screaming fans standing in the rain, hoping to even catch a glimpse of he and his brothers.
Zac couldn't take it anymore. It was too painful. The biggest mistake of his life. He had died from it. He could never change what happened.
A bright light flashed in front of Zac's face, and he began to witness what happened after his death. He saw a young girl, about 15 or 16, crying and watching the news about how an eleven year old boy died from drugs. She picked up the gun that she had next to her and shot herself in the head. Then a news reported came into view.
"After the tragic death of Zac Hanson, member of the pop group Hanson, 43 girls killed themselves. In most of their suicide notes, it said something about 'not being able to live without seeing or hearing Zac ever again'. We tried talking to the members of the Hanson family, and some close friends, but they will not comment. Reportedly, one girl..."
Zac stood up and ran as fast as he could. "NOOOOOOO!!!!" he screamed. He didn't want to see this.
Zac kept running until there was no where to run. He came to a small lake. He layed down on the soft grass for hours. Soon it was dark, and he could see street light coming on in the distance. A few minutes later, a girl, about sixteen, came into view. She was holding a bag in her hand. She sat down on the grass, a few feet from Zac. Of course, she didn't see him.
Zac noticed the tears going down her face. He wanted to know what happened, so he channeled his thoughts to her's.
Why can't I ever fit it? Every time dad moves, I lose the few friends I have, and start over in a place where no one likes me and I'm unpopular. Now I finally have friends. And they want me to drugs.
As soon as Zac heard drugs, he jumped up and screamed "NO!!"
The girl looked up, startled. "Who...who's there?"
Zac slapped a hand over his mouth. She had heard him! As, who cares. He needed to talk to her.
Zac quickly made himself visible to her, and she gasped in shock. One moment there was nothing, next there was an eleven year old boy.
She backed away, dropping the bag she had held on the floor. Zac looked at it. It was cocaine.
"Please don't be scared." Zac begged the girl, inching over to her.
Her eyes widened. "Who are you?" she asked once again.
"My name is Zac Hanson. I'm.."
"You can't be Zac Hanson. He died years ago." she said, looking at him suspiciously.
Zac nodded. "I know. That's why I need to tell you...don't try drugs. I died from them. They're the worst thing you can do to yourself."
The girl glared at him. "Do you think you're funny? How can you be Zac if he's dead?"
"Believe me! I just heard you thinking about how you're dad always moves and you lose your old friends." Zac told her.
The girl stared at him before speaking again. "Even if you are Zac Hanson, I don't wanna talk to you. You killed my sister."
Zac was confused, but then he thought back to the girl he had seen that shot herself after seeing the news report that he had died. Zac looked into the girl's face and saw a strong resemblance between the two.
"Your sister killed herself, didn't she?" Zac whispered, feeling very ashamed.
The girl nodded, tears falling down her face. "All because you..because..." she looked down at the ground, and looked back up at Zac, fear in her eyes. "Oh my God. I was going to do...that's what killed you!"
Zac went over to the crying girl and put his arms around her. He wasn't much shorter than her. "I'm sorry about your sister." he said, trying not to cry. He was just realizing that more people had felt the effect of his death than just his family and friends.
The two sat down on the grass, and the girl introduced herself as Angela Chase. "Wait, that's the name of..."
"The girl on My So-Called Life. Yeah, I know. I hear it a lot." Angela explained.
They talked for a half an hour. Zac explained his problem as best he could without actually saying what would happen.
"That's horrible. But what exactly can't you tell? Is it that serious?" Angela questioned.
Zac nodded. "It involves someone dying. But I can't say who or when or how..."
"Listen, I have an idea. I'll guess, and if I'm wrong, say no, and if I'm right, don't say anything at all. Okay?"
"But what good will that do?" Zac said sadly.
"Then I can go tell your brothers. There's nothing in the rules that says I can't tell." Angela said smugly.
Zac looked at his new best friend. "Okay, start guessing."
"You said someone is going to die. So is it someone close to you?"
Zac didn't answer, so Angela took that as a yes.
"Is it a friend?"
Zac didn't know how to answer, since Taylor was his friend, so he moved his hand as if saying so-so.
"Is it family."
Involutarily, a smile crept onto Zac's face, and Angela notcied. She got it.
"Is it your brother Isaac?" she asked.
"Nope"
"Taylor?"
Zac didn't answer, so she knew she got it. "You're brother, Taylor, is going to die? When?"
"I can't say when," Zac said speaking slowly, "But anyway, he and his fiancee are getting married next Saturday." he said, emphasizing Saturday.
Angela understood. "Next Saturday. Now, let's go talk to your brothers." Zac hugged her. She just solved his problems. They ran all the way to Isaac's house, where Taylor was. Angela avoided talking to Zac, because no one else could see him and she might look a little wacked if she was talking to the air.
When they got to the front door, Angela rang the door, but Zac urged her to just walk in.
"I don't even live here." Angela protested, waiting for someone to answer the door. Taylor answered, wearing a suit. Zac hadn't made himself visable, so he only saw Angela.
"Uh, hello. Can I help you?" Taylor asked, smiling uncertainly at the girl.
Angela pushed into the house. "I need to talk to you about next Saturday. I was talking to Zac and he sai..."
"You what!?" Taylor almost yelled, his face growing serious.
Angela sighed. "Yes, I talked to Zac. And I know you have too. Okay, do you remember him saying something to you earlier but he couldn't tell you what was wrong or anything?"
Taylor nodded.
"Well, we had a guessing game kind of thing, and I found out that next Saturday, like, in the fate plans or something, it says you're gonna die. Someone's gonna kill you. At your wedding, or something, cuz it's next Saturday."
Taylor's eyes were wide. "Listen, I think you're mixed up. Maybe you should leave..."
Zac made himself visible. "It's true Tay. And I couldn't say anything cuz if I did, I would never see any of you again."
Taylor shook his head. "This is crazy. How could...I mean...I'm gonna die?"
Angela shook her head. "Now that you know, you can get extra security and stuff."
Taylor nodded. "I'm going to go change. I was just trying on my suit to make sure everything's okay."
"Where's Ike?" Zac asked, wanting him to know the news.
"He went to dinner with Alexis." Taylor explained, heading up the stairs. "I'm gonna call mom and dad and tell them to get extra security. You guys wait down there."
The two nodded. They sat down on the couch, and started talking. "I was a fan before you got really famous." Angela told him. I was like, eleven or something, and my sister was around my age now."
Tears came to Angela's eyes, but she blinked them back. "She really liked your music. She saw you guys at Mayfair and...what was the bar called? Blue Rose Cafe or something? And she had some albums. I still have them, actually."
She looked at him, light coming to her eyes. "Wait, maybe she can come here, like you did. I mean, could you talk to her?"
Zac felt bad. He knew he couldn't contact her sister and the look in Angela's eyes was so desperate, he couldn't tell her.
"I...well...I can't." Zac stuttered.
Angela's gaze fell to the floor. "Oh."
Zac grabbed her hand, and she flinched. He looked at her questioningly, and she said "Your hand is cold, that's all."
Zac nodded. He had a feeling that's what happened. "Listen, I would talk to her if I could. But I can't. She didn't want to live. I did. That's why I was allowed to come back. To talk to my family. And I guess to talk to you. To stop you from making the mistake I made."
Angela started crying, and Zac tried to comfort her. "I'm really sorry."
"It's okay." Angela mumbled, wiping her face with the back of her hand.
Twenty minutes later, Taylor came downstairs, wearing jeans and a tee shirt. "There's waaaaaay tighter security now. And I called Raychel. She's coming over now."
"Cool." Angela said, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying.
But Taylor noticed and shot Zac a look basically saying "what happened?"
Zac ever-so-slightly shook his head. He sent a thought to Taylor. "Not now."
Taylor looked surprised when he heard Zac's voice in his head, but he said nothing.
"Anyway, what's your name?" Taylor asked Angela.
"Angela...Chase." Angela said, waiting for the 'hey, that's the girl from my so-called life!' remark.
Taylor looked surprised, but said nothing.
DING DONG! Taylor jumped up to answer the door. It was Raychel. She came in, her hair drenched. "It just started pooring." she explained, rubbing her arms together.
Zac and Angela heard them talking in the hall. Zac heard "Do you want me to warm you up?". He felt embarassed and looked at Angela and started talking.
Meanwhile, Taylor started explaining to Raychel what had happened, and Raychel's eyes clouded over with worry. "Are you sure we shouldn't reschedule? Is it worth risking?"
Taylor nodded. "Now that we know, it'll be okay. There's going to be VERY tight secuity."
Raychel nodded and hugged him. "I can't wait 'till Saturday. Then I'll be Mrs. Hanson. I'm the luckiest girl in the world."
Taylor laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah, you sure are lucky to have me."
Raychel smacked his arm. "Snob" she said, hugging him again.
They listened to Zac and Angela talk, and Raychel spoke up. "It's so weird...about Zac being here and stuff."
Taylor nodded and sighed. "You're tellin' me."
Raychel asked about Angela, and Taylor shrugged.
"I don't know a thing about her. She looks about 15, and her name is Angela Chase."
Raychel gave him a funny look. "Angela...as in My So..."
"Yeah, I thought that too, but I had a feeling she heard it a lot, so I didn't say anything." Taylor told her.
Raychel nodded. "Yeah, true."
"Anyway, I'll go find you a robe in the guestroom. Ike keeps extra ones, so you can use that." Taylor said, leading Raychel upstairs.
Raychel followed him. "So why are you staying here anyway?"
"Power outage over by my apartment, so I'm staying here. Plus, it's easier cuz the family is over a lot anyway and we have to finish up wedding plans."
"Wait, you're making plans without me?" Raychel asked, stopping short.
Taylor frowned. "Well, yeah. I mean, sometimes you're not here, so I decided a few things about food and stuff."
Raychel felt something flare up in her. She didn't know why, but she thought it was a big deal. "Why couldn't you call and ask me?"
Taylor just shrugged. "It's easier. I basically knew what you wanted, so I just added some things that I wanted. I mean, I made sure there were things we both wanted in there."
He looked so proud of himself that Raychel couldn't help but smile. "Fine."
Taylor grinned and leaned in to kiss her, but she backed away.
"I'm not sure if I forgive you yet for not including me in those decisions." Raychel teased.
Taylor pouted, and Raychel gave in. "Okay, I forgive you."
Taylor picked her up and carried her to the guestroom. "Okay, missy, let's get you some dry clothes."
He set her down on a chair and went through the closet. "Here's one." he said, displaying a light green terry-cloth robe.
Taylor heard someone calling him from downstairs. That's when he remembered who was down there. "Be right back." he said, hurrying down the stairs.
"What happened?" he asked, looking around.
"Nothing," Zac replied, "I just wanted to tell you that we're leaving."
Taylor nodded. "Okay, make sure Angela gets home safely."
Zac nodded, and the two teenagers left.
