Zac stepped out from behind the curtain for the 4th time. He was decked out in red
camo this time.
"OK, I like this one", he began towards the door.
"Wait a minute! -- You can't wear camouflage to the Grammies, you know that!"
Isaac filled him in.
"Why Not!?" Zac whined, putting his hands on his hips and tapping his foot on
the ground.
"Zac you aren't that stupid are you? This is a formal occasion. Now you go
back in there and pick out something suitable!" he pushed him back into the changing
area. They could hear Zac mumbling an throwing things about. He emerged again
wearing a black shirt and dark denim jeans.
"I guess this is OK"
"Zac!" Isaac shouted. Taylor took over, "That was the first thing you had on!"
Zac examined his ensemble, surely enough it seemed familiar.
"It is? I guess it is." he giggled, "Oh well, let's go!" Isaac and Taylor followed
him out the door. As soon as they were out they were swallowed by the masses. It
was right before they were scheduled to go on. Rehearsal had been over for hours.
If you could even call it a rehearsal. They played all of two minutes and then the next
act was quickly shuffled in behind them. The three of them walked in a line trying to
stay together as they fought the hysteria. Isaac lagged behind. Getting aggressive, he
began shoving his way through to keep pace.
"Watch it!", came an angry female voice. Isaac looked around, he saw an (in his
opinion) attractive girl who looked to be about his age, with flaming red hair lying on
the ground. He offered his hand to her.
"I'm so sorry. I'm in a hurry, I didn't see you."
"Everyone's in a hurry around here! This is the third time I've been knocked
down, I'm not a freaking punching bag!" She pulled herself to her feet and looked at
Isaac rather disgustedly.
"I really am sorry. You're right, I should have watched were I was going." A
small smile formed on her face, maybe just common courtesy, who knows.
"No, don't worry about it, I'm just a little frustrated with this whole thing." Isaac
smiled.
"So do you have a name?" he tried turning on the charm. She looked a tad
surprised.
"Uhh yeah, Maggie"
"Maggie? That's cute. It's --"
"ISAAC!" Taylor stomped towards him shouting, "We have to be out there in
two minutes so stop flirting and move it!" with that he stormed off. Isaac blushed
slightly.
"I guess I should go, nice meeting you though." he extended his hand.
"Bye" she hurriedly shook it and turned in the opposite direction. Isaac turned
towards the main stage until he heard his name shouted. He turned sharply.
"It was nice meeting you too" Maggie stood smiling. Isaac beamed. He nodded
and turned before he lost all integrity by smiling like a giddy 4 year old.
Once the curtains came together Taylor sighed in relief. The cameras now made him
extremely nervous, but come to think of it, a lot of things made him nervous now.
He pulled the keyboard out of the jack and started off towards backstage. Once
behind the curtain, cameras began flashing and the questions began flowing.
Reporters immediately encircled them and followed until they were securely locked
inside the dressing room. Zac stood with his back against the door, breathing
heavily.
"God, sometimes I really wonder why we do this." he breathed as he walked to
the other side of the small room.
"I know, why do we?" Taylor questioned, Zac shrugged his shoulders. Isaac
groaned and slumped down in his chair.
"Don't we seem to be having fun?"
"Actually we aren't Isaac, no need for attitude" Taylor opened a can of coke.
"Well that's an irrelevant statement. They don't care, we have to have
fun! So put on a smile and go!" Isaac stood and started towards the door.
"Isaac, always the voice of reason in our small world." Taylor mocked while
being hurried out the back door.
"What's this?" Taylor looked suspiciously at the small white paper that had been
placed in his hand.
"Just put it under your tongue." an unfamiliar man said to him. Taylor laughed
uncomfortably.
"No, really, what is it?" he shifted in his seat.
"It isn't any fun if I tell you, just suck it up and do it" Not wanting to look stupid,
Taylor took a deep breath and did as he said. The paper dissolved quickly with a
powdery taste. Having no immediate effect he assumed it was a cruel trick and left
hastily. Walking out into the post-Grammies party he absorbed the bright
multicolored lighting and loud music. He then pushed his way into the crowd in
search of Isaac and Zac. Then it hit him. So suddenly it seemed unfair. The crowd
was bearing down on him, locking him into his spot. They shoved his body in every
direction. The lights turned a blinding degree of brightness, and the music was
deafening. The walls shifted and blurred, they then began melting. First the top
peeled away, then the bottom followed suit. Once the walls were destroyed nothing
lay outside but eerie black darkness. Red clouds moved in and spotted the dead night
sky. Taylor looked up, he saw what resembled rain. Too bad for him, it wasn't. The
red clouds began spitting out small daggers. Taylor collapsed on the ground, hoping
to escape them. Spotting a nearby table, he made a beeline for it. Sliding under it, he
whimpered in fright. He pulled his legs to his chest and looked around. Out from
the crowd appeared a small creature. Then two more then four more after those. He
peered a little closer only to realize they were snakes. All headed straight for him.
He screamed, terrified, and jumped onto the top side of the table. There he stood
screaming at the top of his lungs and pointing to the ground. All of the people at the
party turned to see this poor boy standing on a table, pointing at a bare floor, almost
in tears, and shouting all the while. The room began to spin at extreme speeds,
before everything went pitch black. His body slumped over, falling from the table.
Isaac lunged towards the table just in time to catch him. He pushed his way through
celebrities with looks of utter shock plastered across their faces with Taylor in his
arms. He carried him out the door, and Zac and the rest of the family attending the
party followed. Isaac gently laid him on the ground and checked to see if he was
breathing. He was, steadily, but was still unconscious.
"Get an ambulance!" Isaac shouted, knelt over his younger brother. Their father
dialed 911 on a cellular phone and the ambulance arrived shortly.
"Isaac I'm going to get your mother and the kids, you take Zac and follow the
ambulance, we'll get a cab and be there as soon as we can." Walker said trying to
stay calm. Isaac nodded and got the valley Parker to retrieve his dad's rental van.
They three stood there for a few moments, trembling, as they watched Taylor be put
on a stretcher and taken away in the ambulance.
"Nothing, the blood tests show nothing at all" a middle aged doctor stated, "I'm
assuming it's only stress. This was probably just an anxiety attack, in a very extreme
stage. I haven't ever seen a case of anxiety and panic attacks in which such vivid
hallucinations were involved but it's certainly possible" Taylor felt a chill go up his
spine as he sat in the paper-like hospital gown.
"It's either that or he's just plain crazy" they laughed nervously. He looked at
Taylor.
"Now Taylor, I'm going to prescribe an anxiety drug to you that will ease these
situations. I don't blame the boy either, I would have clammed up if I was having
cameras shoved in my face constantly too."
"Well thank you very much doctor" Mrs. Hanson shook his hand and helped
Taylor off the table.
"Oh it's no problem, don't take any mind to it." he opened the door, "Now I'm
sure Taylor would like to get dressed instead of just leaving in that lovely ensemble"
She laughed and walked out the door, his dad followed. Outside the rest of the
Hanson clan nervously awaited them. When they caught a glimpse of them leaving
the room, they jumped and ran to their sides.
"What did he say?" Isaac asked quickly.
"He said it was just stress, and anxiety. Things of that nature." Mr. Hanson said.
Then Taylor appeared in the door, dressed, and ready to leave. His face was pale and
his eyes looked awfully bloodshot.
"Can we go?" he asked meekly. His mom put her arm around him.
"Yes, honey. We're leaving right now." He rest his head on her shoulder and
they walked to the exit. They piled in the van, Taylor in the back. Throughout the
ride to the hotel he slipped in and out of awareness. Then finally fell fast asleep.
A nurse was finishing putting things away in the hospital's lab. She came upon a
patient's file, she was about to file it when something caught her attention. The name
tab read; Taylor Hanson. She laughed and opened it. The inside contained papers
reading; Blood tests indicate narcotics in the bloodstream. She laughed even harder.
"That Brittany, she just can't let it be that I happen to like those little boys" She
then wadded it up and tossed it into the trash. She picked up the rest of the files she
was supposed to store. When she came to one that read 'Taylor Hansen' she left it
out. When she was done she grabbed the file and opened it. It read; Diagnosis:
Anxiety/Panic attacks. She sighed and pulled out a white out pen.
"How could anyone forget that last name? God, I've only heard it like a trillion
times" She then changed 'Hansen' to 'Hanson' and walked out, turning off the lights
and locking the door.
When they reached the hotel, Walker scooped his limp body up and carried him to
the hotel room. He lye him down on the still un-made bed and pulled the covers up
to his chin. His mom kissed his forehead.
"Goodnight" she whispered, and walked out. The lights went out, putting a
terrible night to rest, along with it's victim.
