"Oh my fucking god. You have got to be kidding right? No fuckin' way."
Mercy's wide eyes were wide alright. As big as human eyes could go. Her breathing had been hypervenilated, and she had to sit down.
Zac was wide eyed also, only he remained silent.
"Nope guys, I'm not kidding. We have an appointment tommorow, a lunch thing, and were going to talk then. My god can you believe this?"
The weekend had gone swell. It turned out that those bands that knew felt or saw they weren't good enough had pulled out. Nearly half the occupants of room 13 had pulled out of the show come Saturday morning,
and even more on Sunday. By the end of the day, there were only 5 of the 19 left. That was a big number.
Mercy started giggling.
"Oh shit Door. Can you believe this? No fuckin' way."
She couldn't stop giggling. They had placed as one of the top bands in the show. That was pretty damn good considering they were kids and there had been somewhere around 200 contestants actually show up. Damn good.
Jeremy sat back. His smile was apparent, even from miles away.
"This is not happening."
Three lookers.
"This is not happening."
All from major labels.
"You guys!! Do you realize what's happening!"
Mercy was beyond excited. She had never in her wildest dreams have guessed that this would be something big. Even though on Friday, her gut had told her otherwise. She had not expected this in the least.
"Oh my god."
She was the only one talking. The others were awe struck.
The truth of the matter. Zac was almost trying to prevent this. He was now as shocked as ever, at the fact that three major labels had pulled them aside, and might even bid for them. That was strange. Three major labels!
This meant new and interesting things. Although, it was not a done deal, and there was always the chance no one bought their stuff, and they would go unoticed, and then dropped.
"Okay. Now what?"
Dorin sat expectantly on the edge of the bed.
"Food?"
Zac looked up. He almost felt nauscious. This was happening. He could very well be a teen idol in no time flat. Okay, maybe a couple months. He didn't want it already.
"We gotta do something. Lets eat expensive, celebrate!"
Zac nodded. Celebrate for what.
Sun shined through the cracks in the drapes across the bed. They were doing three meetings today. One at 10, with Arista. That was a big name, and Zac had to admit, he was impressed.
At Noon they had Mercury records. Somewhat big...but for some odd reason, Zac had a hard time remember just who they had signed. He knew this was one of those things no one should live with out, and yet, he could not remember, oh well, it would come to him.
At 4 they had Columbia. Another extrememly large name. This was probably the biggest and best, and Zac felt for sure this would not be the opportunity.
Zac yawned. For once he was the first one to open his eyes. Mercy lay on her side, curled up next to him. She was all hot and gross, and the room wasn't that cool. She clung to everyone. Gross.
He rolled over, looking into the shaft of light. Sighing, he threw the covers off himself.
"WAAAAAAKKKKKKEEEEEE UUUUPPPPPP!"
It was something he had felt like doing forever. As his sister and two brother sjumped up, he walked to the bathroom. Not smiling, not laughing, solemnly.
"Thanks Zac....do appreciate it. A lot."
For once they wouldn't be late.
The shower squeaked on, and from the living quarters, Mercy lay back down. Mumbling something about how she was going to really hurt him, Jeremy stood, stretching, and then suddenly remembering the weekend, and Dorin lay in bed, just staring vacantly into the room.
"Spose we should start getting ready right?"
Dorin nodded.
"Like now right?"
Dorin sighed.
"Okay. It's 7:30, so we should get ready early instead of rushing right?"
"Yeah yeah yeah, jem...sit down."
Jem yawned.
Long day ahead. Even though the weekend was probably not too relaxing either. Today would be the stresser.
Zac was falling asleep. He had to shake his head to wake himself up. The guy was boring. Monotone. Incredibly tiring. The fact that they would be traveling this year did not appeal, and the fact that they had to be 'checked' to see if they actually were good, and then give up their money. Heck no Zac thought. No way. He would rather work with a Hanson.
Dorin thought hard.
"I don't know Mr. Waggoner, I mean, Well, I just don't know."
"Son, it's a good opportunity. For you and your family."
One, Doring hated being called son, and especially by a stranger, and two, he hated how the guy always reffered to his family and their best interest. Just his job maybe.
"Can we get back to you on that Mr?"
The man sat back in his chair. Looking flabbergasted. Like 'how could this piece of trash turn me down.'
Zac knew the look. Knew it well. And he wasn't going to let it happen. He couldn't help but say it, sort of like, he couldn't help ask dorin the questions he did, or do the dumb things he had said. This wasn't dumb though, Zac would do it, and he would feel good about it.
"I think what he's trying to say mister, is that, we don't want to sign to you. Cause you're all ego, and you couldn't make it for us anyway."
Mercy giggled from her chair.
Zac looked at her, making wide eyes and liping 'sssshhhhh' to her.
"So I think we'll take a rain check, and maybe, when you take speech lessons, we'll be back."
The man's eyes were ready to explode, Zac was sure of that, and Dorin's hot face could be felt from Zac's chair. But even Dorin knew that this would not be a company to sign with, no way. To much to deal with, to many complications. Nope.
Mr. Waggoner stood.
"Well then. Nice making your aquantince, and I hope the best for you."
He grabbed his paper work off the table and stormed off.
"ZAC!! what are you thinking! That could have cost us a lot!"
Dorin glared at Zac.
"You weren't going to agree. No matter what. The guy needs a reality check...'son'."
Dorin struggled to keep a grin off his face, but when the ends of his mouth curled upwards, Zac laughed out loud.
"Admit it man! The guy was nutso!"
Dorin grabbed Zac and pulled him out of the chair, making sure the wedgie was something nice.
"Okay. Mey. Tell me if I'm wrong, I should know Mercury. I know I should, like, they sound familiar."
Zac stood outside the resteraunt, staring back at his older sister.
"I don't know Zac. I've kinda been thinking the same thing."
Dorin trotted up after locking their car.
"Hanson."
Zac and Mercy looked back at Dorin.
"Scuse me? Hanson? Hanson and Mercury, Mercury and hanson, this is not good."
Zac's eyes followed Mercy's every movement, some sort of dislike was bubbling up ready to burst out.
"That's it. Hancicide it is."
Zac paused. Mercy was looking at her feet, her face all twisted.
"Mey, uh, what the heck?"
"I'm commiting hancicide."
Zac's eyes grew wide. His mouth curved up into a smile.
"Uh, stupid terms Mey."
"Hancicide. The act of killing hanson. Nuff said."
Mercy walked up to the front door of the resteraunt and swung it open. Not cracking a smile, just walking with a steady pace.
Zac giggled. Hancicide. Where had she come up with that one?
The hostess took them to a large table, and scattered across it's surface were papers, pamphlets, and various other written things.
The man stood up, once realizing who stood before him.
"Oh, you must be the Dentras, so nice to meet you, have a seat would you!"
The man hurridly got them seated.
"I know how much of an inconvenience this is to you all, and I'm truly sorry that I made you come all this way, but my company is thoroughly interested."
The mans eyes stared straight into Dorin's. Eye contact. Wow. This guy was confident.
"However, I must go over all the opportunities and set backs, anything that deals with Mercury with you. This might take a few hours."
Zac yawned. It was already boring. Heck. Why should he pay attention? Hanson would be apart of his general team. He couldn't have that.
"I see your young one over there is tired."
Zac had shut his eyes. Sort of tired, but nothing really.
"Oh, don't percieve it as such. He fakes it all the time."
The man smiled. He paused for a minute, watching Zac.
"What?"
Zac's eyes had popped open, and turned to the man.
"Do you know who hanson is?"
Zac rolled his eyes.
"So your into trick questions aren't you."
The man smiled again.
"You just sort of remind me of them. All of you guys. Maybe in one way or another you aren't even close, but in a small sense, you guys are identical."
Mercy sighed.
"They are of course a part of my company. They are signed to Mercury."
"We know."
Mercy sounded irritated. She didn't need to be reminded.
"Okay. On with it then."
For hours Dorin and the man spoke, talking about options, agreements, and all the various things Mercury offered. For once, Zac was awake,
intently listening to this conversation. The man threw in some cool stuff Zac thought was awesome. Facts, about other bands, not nearly as many about hanson as Zac would have expected, but then again, maybe the man sensed their dislike.
"So, how would you like to do this?"
Dorin looked at his family. This was untrue. Mercury records...a recording company, had come to sign them. This guy was serious, he had plans.
"So door. What to do?"
Jeremy's arms were folded across his lap. Watching his older brother, he could almost perfectly translate what his brother was thinking.
"I don't know."
Zac sat up, placed his hands on the table.
"Of course this would mean that we WOULD be in the same company as, err, umm, the hansons, but let me ask you one question sir. Would we have to interact with them?"
Zac's eyes were drawn to the man. His eyebrows formed an arch, in which intent and genuine curiosity was held.
The man chuckled. Placing his hands on the table, just as Zac had done, and leaning in he told him.
"Not if you don't want to, and I'm sure they'll be relieved at the idea too."
Zac frowned. He had not thought that the hansons might not like them either.
"So, we don't have to, nothing like...you have to get here for a meeting type stuff and the hansons are gonna be there too?"
"Not one little meeting."
Zac grinned.
"Cool."
Mercy sat back, thinking intently.
"So what are we going to have to do for this. Like, are you going to give us stuff...or what?"
The man looked at her.
You guys work in various studios across the contry probably. They'll work on producing you album. Then we'll put it together and help advertise it."
Zac giggled.
"Can we call you in the morning?"
Dorin's face was strained, he was stressed, quite obviously. But he wanted this as much as the rest of them.
"Of course, I'll be in denver until wednesday, anytime you want to schedule will be fine."
Zac looked at dorin. Catching his attention and holding it.
"Drop Columbia and stick with this dude."
Zac's eyebrows were up.
Dorin shook his head.
"I don't know Zac."
"Do it door."
"Not easy zac, it takes more then that."
"Door, do it."
"Zac, there's more to think about."
"What else is there to think about? Nothing. We can sign now, we get what we wanted in the first place, and we record. Man! Just do it!"
Dorin smiled.
"Uh, can we schedule another talk tommorrow?"
The man pulled out a planner and a pen.
"Sure, what time?"
"Same time?"
"Same place?"
They both nodded in agreement.
Dorin was sitting at the table in the corner of the room. He was intently reading over paper work, oodles of it, and mumbling to himself as each new sheet crossed his path.
"I don't wanna!"
Zac was bouncing from bed to bed, being a kid. Being an annoying kid.
"Zac! KNOCK IT OFF!"
Dorin turned around in his chair to find Mercy and jeremy watching a movie on one bed and Zac repeatedly jumping over them.
"Jem, mey, you have a little control don't you?"
Jeremy didn't respond, but the next time Zac sprung over him he reached up and caught a leg. Pulling Zac down on the bed and shoving him on the floor.
They had skipped meeting number three. Screw Columbia. Although, that might not have been the brightsest thing to do, they still didn't feel like go to another mister monotone.
"Looks good guys."
Dorin was chewing on the end of his pen.
"Cool."
The wedding singer was too facsinating for Jeremy and Mercy to look up.
"Well, what do we do now?"
"Dunno."
Dorin stood up. Stretching up, he turned around.
"After the meeting we have to head back you know."
"Sssshhh, door, quiet."
Mercy's eyes were fixed on the tube.
Dorin was a little confused by the whole thing. Zac was normal, sort of, Jeremy and Mercy had acted like they had just spent a weary weekend, and Dorin, Dorin had all this paperwork, and all these desicions, and all this stuff. Crappy.
Dorin walked to the bed.
"All of you guess what!"
They stared up at him.
"Tomorrow, be weird. Or be normal. Don't be quiet."
"DUH! DOOR!"
Zac was rolling on the floor cackling.
"Zac. You are acting way strange."
Zac bounded up to Dorin.
"SSSSHHHHH!!! You'll ruin the whole thing."
"What?"
"Image....image....door, it's image."
Zac's face was really close to Dorin's. His eyes were big and he looked maniacle.
Zac had thought all the previous night. It was a hard life they were living, and he may not have enjoyed it all the time, but it was still his life. What would happen to that?
"What we have here is a plain ol' contract. Similar to the one you might take part in, and maybe a little more. We would of course, have to run you to the studio, and here how you record and what not, but I'm sure we could do that right?
We can't forget salary. We would get a goodly portion of the sale money. Oh, and it also requires you to travel a lot this year. Would that be possible?"
They had doddled along to the next meeting. Dorin was obviously steamed about Zac's behaviour, but even he had to admit that what Zac had done was pretty funny. Their next meeting was with Mercury. The only thing that popped to mind for Dorin was hanson.
Hanson this hanson that. It was after all, hanson's market at the moment. Dorin had been watching Mtv one morning and finding hanson, being interviewed. Mercury had accepted them after several turn downs, and Hanson had made mercury climb to the top, for once in something like 10 years. It would be interesting to see what Mercury had set for them.
"Zac! Damnit stop bouncing on the bed."
