Ike, Zac, and Taylor were in the families dusty blue mini-van, with the radio blasting. Ike was driving, Taylor had shotgun, and Zac was sliding back and forth in the seat behind them. They knew they were in a neighborhood that they're parents normaly wouldn't let them anywhere near, but they were dying to see 'Fifth Element' and all the video stores and rentals were out. They had heard that a rental place down here had it, and so, they'd come.
"Hey, baby, what have we here?" Her head snapped up at the rough voice. She found herself staring at seven teenage boys, who surrounded her, all wearing leather jackets, with huge smirks on their faces.
"Oh god." She breathed. "Not again." She stood, crossing her arms over her chest. "Whatta ya want?" She damanded, her eyes flashing angrily.
"You know what we want." One of the boys said, looking her up and down. "Take it off, sweetheart, take it all off." He grinned.
"For who? You? As if." She replied sarcasticaly. Knowing what was comming next, she balled her fists. They're smiles faded, and they advanced. She took a deep breath, and struck out hard, punching the cheek of the boy nearest to her. He staggered back, but came back towards her, faster. They were grabbing her, pulling her, touching her. They all fought viciously. Them fighting for their pleasure, her fighting for her soul. Or at least, what was left of it.
"Ike!" Taylor shouted suddenly. "Stop!"
Ike instantly slammed on the breaks, practicaly flinging Zac to the floor. "Whats wrong?"
Taylor didn't answer, merely staring out the window, into a dark alley, where a girl of about fifteen was fighting desperately.
Ike followed his gaze. "Oh no." He murmured.
Zac rubbed the fog off his window and gasped. "Oh man. She's like, way out numbered. Whatta we do, Ike?"
"I dunno!" Ike cried, throwing his arms up in the air.
"Ike!" Taylor protested. "We gotta do something!"
"Like what? Theres seven of them!"
Taylor turned to his window again. And together they watched the fight continue. Helpess.
She viciously spiked the boy behind her, before spinning and kicking the one next to hre in the groin.
"Leave me alone!" She screamed, searching desperately for a way out. Then she saw it. The blue mini-van parked at the end of the alley. She didn't think. Striking out, with her feet and her fists, she concentrated only on one thing. Reaching that mini-van. Scoring one last hit, she turned to run. Her feet pounded on the asphalt, until suddenly, a boy grabbed ahold of her black mini-back-pack. She kicked back hard, feeling him let go of her back-pack and fall back with a groan. She started running, even harder than before, chest heaving as she tried to breath. She jerked open the front door of the van and flung herself into Taylor's lap. "Gogogogogo!!!!" She screamed at Ike. He floored the gas, and they sped away from the alley, burning rubber.
Ike slowed and she tried to catch her breath.
"That was close." Ike commented, looking at her.
She nodded, gulping in air. "Way to close for comfort."
Taylor felt the exact same way about the girl sitting in his lap. "Does that happen to you very often?" He questioned.
"Not as often as you'd think." She said, turning to him. "They haven't got me yet!"
She somehow managed to catch his eyes with her own, and he stared, as if mesmerized. It felt as if she was looking into him, staring into the depths of his soul, and memory, searching. There was something about her eyes... something... her eyes were deep pools of blue, and he was drowning... but then she blinked, and smiled, swallowing hard. He shook his head, trying to clear it, and smiled back.
Zac stared at the girl. He couldn't help but think that she wasn't dressed quite right for avoiding gang bangers. She had on black cordoroy short-shorts, a bright yellow halter top with black trim, and Doc Martens to match, that actualy, reminded him of his own. He looked up to her face. Longish pale blond hair, dark tan, blue eyes... whoa... really blue eyes. Whoa...
Taylor saw her looking at Zac, and as a strange expression came over his brothers face, he realized that Zac too was getting 'the eye treatment'.
Zac finaly blinked and smiled. "Hey! I'm Zac! Niceta meetcha." He held out his hand.
She grinned back, shaking his hand. "I'm Paige." She looked confused for a moment. "Hey, do I know you guys from somewhere?"
Ike shook his head. "Uh, no. I'd imagine not."
She grinned. "I know! Your Hanson aren't you? I knew I recognized you."
Ike turned to smile at her and she stared into his eyes. He stared back. Taylor sighed. He didn't know for sure what she was doing, but not while he was driving. Ike drove just fine, eyes of the road, hands steady on the wheel.
She smiled half-heartedly after a moment. "You know, your music rocks. I have the CD."
"What?" Zac asked in mock horror. "No screaming?"
"Hmm..." She pretended to consider, before bursting out and screaming loudly. "OMIGOD, OMIGOD, OMIGOD!!! I AM SITTING IN TAYLOR HANSONS LAP!" She paused. "Omigod. I am. I'm sorry Taylor! Do ya want me to move?"
"Nah, its okay. Your fine." He shrugged and smiled.
"Thanks." She said, smiling at him.
"So, where do you live?" Ike asked. "I can just drop you off."
She smirked. "Nowhere. I am, what you would call, a street kid."
Instantly, all three pairs of eyebrows shot up.
"And I'm not an alcoholic, I'm not a druggie, and I have few comunicateable diseases."
They all laughed.
"Soo.." Ike bit his lip, trying not to smile. "You ever seen 'Fifth Element', Paige?"
She smiled, turning to look at him. "No. No I haven't."
"Would you like to?"
"Yeah, yeah I definitely would."
