"Hey Jeremy, I heard you guys were good last night."

Jeremy looked up to see his math teacher looking at him.

"My brother took his wife and a friend last night, they said you guys are awesome."

Jeremy couldn't help but smile. When the thought of a bunch of thirty year olds attending one of his family's shows was too funny. Mostly, the critisizm was from older people saying they were too young. But not taking the time to listen to the talent they had, they were automatically labeled 'another Hanson'. Not true. They were anything but. Their sound was genuinely different. It was catchy, yet, nothing bubble gum pop. It was almost too mature for their age. Besides, their image alone could not label them as something like the brother group Hanson. Other than the fact that they were a family group, and their little brother's name was Zac, and he drummed, there was nothing to make them seem alike. Jeremy felt that if it ever came down to a competition between the two groups, one would win, not because people liked the music in general over the other, but because people liked the style of the music better than the other.

"So they liked what they saw huh."

"You bet they did. You guys are pretty good though I must admit."

"Thanks. Hey do you know where they heard about us?"

His teacher went silent in thought.

"I'm not sure. I think they heard from a friend."

Jeremy nodded.

"Cool."

There it was. The bell, Jeremy was out of there. He picked up his books and raced for the door.

"So uh, Katnigg!"

Jeremy's math teacher spun around. "What."

"When are YOU gonna come to a show?"

Jeremy was standing in the door way with a very expectant look on his face.

His teacher could not help but laugh. It was a funny picture.

"I'll tell you what Jeremy," Mr. Katnigg began. "Since you guys are so popular, I'll go to your first known and sponsored show. Which means you have to be signed, and you give me backstage passes."

"Well Katnigg, you better be gettin' ready for a show, cause, well, we're going somewhere real soon."

Jeremy had a big grin on his face. His teacher just smiled and waved him off.

"Jeremy, I have reason to believe you will."

Zac tossed his books in the backseat with his sister, Eric, and Jeremy.

"Fine. We all gotta talk, and now. Pick a place, but we all gotta talk, not Eric though, Eric get out. Now Eric get out. Come over later. I mean it, get out."

Everyone's reaction was total shock. That would be something Dorin would do. Push Eric out of the car for some important meeting. But Zac. ZAC! The kid got in fights all the time, but not with guys so much bigger than him, he didn't even think to start. Anyway, Zac had just said a complete set of phrases. He talked, to the whole family. This had to be good.

"Dork, don't just stare, GET OUT."

Zac's eyes were wide and intent. Mercy could not help but giggle. The fact that Zac talked all that, and then told her boyfriend who was a complete bully, to get out, with no waver in his normally quiet voice was nothing but strange.

Eric reached over Jeremy and opened the door. He threw his pack on the sidewalk and climbed out over Jeremy to get out.

"Bye hun." Mercy waved.

"Can the car come to anymore of a stop?" Zac was staring at Dorin. Eyebrows raised.

Dorin suddenly grinned and pulled out into the street.

"Ok then Zac. Where do you want to go?"

Zac shrugged.

"Pick something."

Dorin headed up the packed street to downtown.

"We'll go to D's. If we need to talk that bad."

"Fine whatever."

Zac sat back in his seat, looking at the people on the sidewalk as they passed. Not an un-ordinary thing for Zac to do. Matter of fact. Very normal. Zac loved watching people. He stopped talking now. Back to his old non-speaking self huh.

"So, uh, Zac."

Zac didn't move, didn't take his eyes away from the people.

"Zac."

Nothing. No response.

"Okay. What's up with this. First you insist on talking to us, this is a must remember. 'Find a place now.' remember that? Then, you sit there ignoring everything we say. Is this little attitude slash talking thing going to come in spurts, or are we going to never experience your talking voice again?"

Zac turned to him.

"Dorin. I'm only telling you all this crap cause this is really important. And I couldn't really tell you if I didn't talk."

It was a slap in the face. Zac had suddenly burst out of this shell he was living in, and he had taken this really important issue to them. But he was only going to tell them because it was too important to let pass. How come he could just Spurt that out, and then go back to the usual?

"Zac."

It was Mercy's turn to take a stab at her little brother.

"Door's right ya know. How come you can talk to us now, and not when we want you to?"

Zac didn't talk, his breathing was barely audible. He stared out the window, and realizing a hot tear trickle down his cheek, and sobs aching in his throat, he couldn't say anything. He didn't have anything to worry about. He wouldn't cry aloud. Sometimes he would lay in bed at night after Jeremy would attempt to talk to him, and cry. If he cried outloud then everyone in the house would come to him. He surely didn't want that. So Zac had learned to leash his tears. He could cry, without changing his breathing, or his posture. They just trickled out, almost like his eyes were just watering. That's what he hopped people would think anyway.

"Zac, come on. What is so important that you can insist, and then ignore?"

More of them. Like mini rivers flowing north to south. They wouldn't stop. They flowed down his cheeks, over his lips. Dripping on his shirt. For some reason this time was different. He was having a hard time stopping them. Usually if he had to, he just stopped. Completely in control. This time he had to work at it.

"Damn Zac. Your tearin' me up."

The sound of disapointment in his sister's voice was devestating. Zac wished he could just pour. He wished no one was in the car. No one around so he could just cry. Cry himself to sleep. His throat and stomach burned. He wanted to let it all out, cry aloud, have tears with meaning. He couldn't though. No, not here. He would have to live. He could do it. He'd done it before. When he was younger. He was sure that his Step father had beat him just to see the pain on his face. Just to hear Zac cry. Soon enough Zac didn't cry. It didn't make it hurt any less, but at least his father didn't get the satisfaction of seeing him hurt. He took a deep breath. It was hard, but he stopped the hot tears from rolling. He stopped crying. He didn't inside, but he stopped it on the outside. Damn. It hurt when he did that. An aching burn flamed up from his stomach and burned at the back of his throat. Making him have to take deep breaths.

"Fine Zac. Be that way. Why would I, Mercy Dentra, want to talk to her youngest sibling. That's assinign. What was I thinking."

He wanted to tell her he loved her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and sit in her lap. He wanted her to stroke his hair like she did when she thought he was asleep. He just wanted her to know that he wanted to speak to her right then. But he couldn't say anything.

Everyone in the car went silent. The rest of the drive to D's restraunt was made in complete silence. No one spoke of school. Nercy didn't hum. No one even sighed. What had Zac done.