Taylor swallowed. "Tamara?" he said slowly.
"Well, duh, you moron. What's up? It's soooo boring around here without you. I miss you a lot," Tamara said excitedly. Taylor slumped back against the bench while he listened to Tamara talk.
"Who is it, Taylor?" asked Haley. She snuggled up against Tay's shoulder.
"Taylor? Are you listening to me?" Tamara asked.
"Yeah, yeah. So...."
"Taylor? Who is it?" asked Haley again.
"It's nobody," he said quickly.
"Taylor? Who are you talking to?" Tamara questioned.
"What? Oh, no one. Look, this probably isn't the best time. I'll call you later," Tay said as he he hung up the phone. "So where were we?" asked Taylor as he smiled at Haley.
"Um, Tay?" asked Zac slowly the next morning.
"What?" Taylor answered sharply.
"I mean, not to be rude or anything, but what's going on between you and Haley?"
"None of your buisness, Zac," Taylor said, tying his shoes. "And if you open your mouth about what you saw outside last night, you will be so dead. I will freaking kill you."
Zac looked away. "But Tay, what about Tamara?" he said softly. "How could you do that to her?"
"Zac, shut the heck up," Taylor said meanly. "You know what? Just get out of here, okay? Go!"
Zac got up and left the room. Once outside the bus, he looked around and saw Haley over by her dancers. He decided to go and talk to her.
"Haley?" Zac said uncertaintly.
"What do you want, Zac?" she said impatiently.
"Well, it's just that... I mean you and Taylor... and he ...he has a girlfriend, Haley," Zac spat out. Haley looked at the youngest band member for a second and then smiled.
"So? That hasn't stopped me before." Zac gaped at her for a second and then walked away. He couldn't believe the nerve of that girl. Breaking up perfectly happy couples and enjoying it! Haley didn't care at all about anyone but herself!
Zac sat down on a bench to think. He couldn't talk to Taylor, he couldn't tell his parents, and he couldn't just call Tamara, could he? He got up and walked inside to the backup bands' bus and sat by the phone. He looked at it for a second and then picked it up. He reached to the buttons and then slammed the phone down. This wasn't his job- and it wasn't really any of his buisness either. This was Tay's problem and his alone.
"Come on," giggled Haley as she played with Taylor's shirt buttons. "Come with me to MTV tonight." It was Haley's first national appearence on TRL with Carson Daly, where her video for the song "Every Beat of My Heart" would debut.
"I don't know, Haley, it might not be a good idea for me to go with you," Taylor said.
"Why not? I need you there for moral support. Besides, you'll just be backstage and it won't be for that long." She looked at him, batting her eyelashes.
Taylor sighed. "Fine. I'll come with you, but we can't tell anyone I'm going. They'll suspect somethings going on between us."
"So? Are you embarrassed or something?" Haley asked with a pout on her face.
"No! No way, I mean, they probably wouldn't approve of us, you know, being on tour together and all."
"Don't worry, I'll make everything alright," Haley said as she kissed his nose lightly.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Tay.
"Oh, nothing," she said secretivly. As she said that, Taylor got a sinking feeling in his stomach. Something was up.
"That was number three on the countdown today, Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle. Now our next guest is music's newest singing and dancing sensation, Haley Adiela! Here she is!" Carson said as he introduced Haley to the millions of viewers around the country.
"Hi Carson! Thanks so much for having me here today," she said sweetly.
"Well, it's great to have you here," Carson said as he flirted with the guest as usual. "We love our pretty girl singers." Haley giggled and smiled at the camera.
"Thanks."
"Okay, a few quick questions- first of all, how old are you?"
"I'm fifteen years old and I'll be 16 in Febuary, the 14th."
"Can you tell us how you get the ideas for your songs?"
"Well, I just think about something that's going on in my life and see if I can get a song from it. It's a very spontaneous process."
"Right now your on a promotional tour with Hanson. How is that going so far?"
"Well, I just joined the tour this week, but so far it's been great. The crowds love the music and respond to me very well," she said lying through her teeth.
"Okay and the most important question- are you single?"
Haley laughed. "Well, there is someone in my life right now."
"Oh! Care to elaborate on that?" asked Carson.
"I'm currently seeing Taylor Hanson."
Taylor almost passed out backstage.
"What?! yelled Ike and Walker, back in the buses.
Zac hit his head with his hand.
Diana almost dropped Zoe back home in Tulsa.
Tamara screamed and fell on her bed.
"Really? You and Taylor?" smiled Carson back at the studio.
"Yes, really," Haley said as she smiled at the camera again.
"Bitch!" yelled a fan from Denver.
"Whore!" yelled a fan from Philadelphia.
"Slut!" yelled a fan from Buffalo.
"Hooch!" yelled a fan from L.A.
"Well, you heard it here first, guys," said Carson. "Now, here is Haley Adiela's new single, "Every Beat of My Heart" and we're guessing this song goes out to Taylor Hanson! Here is is..."
The video started and Haley said goodbye to Carson and walked out of the studio. She looked around the dressing rooms, but Taylor was no where to be seen. Haley smiled smugly. She had done her job.