Ike sighed and clutched his pillow over his head as the sun peeked through the window. Not wanting to wake up just yet and have to face his deadening reality, he rolled over and tried to find a comfortable spot on his comforter. No such luck though. Less than five minutes later Isaac's pillow was brutallly snatched from over his ears and Ike moaned as the sun's rays infiltrated his head.
"Ike wake uuuuupppp," Taylor commanded, before smacking Ike over the head with the pillow.
"Dude, why's your pillow wet? Yuck man..." Tay dropped the pillow and Ike grabbed it, preparing to fall into a peaceful slumber.
"NO we've gotta leave in a half hour, the auditions for the chick are today, remember?"
"Tay that was ages ago...remember? Katie? Gwen? The accident?" Ike mumbled as he threw his arm over his face, wishing he could just drown out the world.
"Uhh Ike, I don't know what you ate before you went to bed, but we haven't *had* the auditions yet...the finals are today"
Suddenly Taylor Hanson found himself flat on his back on the bed, the owner's hand grasping his shirt collar.
"Tay, what's the date?"
Tay stared into his older brother's eyes, not quite sure what to make of the desperation flitting across them.
"May 23, Ike..."
A second later Isaac was on his two feet dancing around the room, a smile as wide as the house decorating his face as he looked for something to wear.
Tay shook his head as he walked out of the room. Brothers.
* * *
Ike clasped his hands to keep their shakiness from showing as the car pulled to a halt at the convention center. The finalists were already inside being briefed, all that was left was to walk into the room and face the future. Less than thirty seconds later, Zac was pulling open the door to the conference room....
Ike's insides felt like an amusement park as his heart leaped into his throat and his stomach did numerous flipflops. There she was. Everything from her familiar blonde hair to her sparkling eyes to the jacket she'd gotten for christmas two years ago. Talking to Gwen, who could still walk, and was laughing at a joke Katie'd just made. Somehow, Ike managed to make his way over to the empty chair next to her and collapse in it, still staring.
"Hey Ike and Zac," she turned to Ike.
"H-Hi...I'm Ike; what's your name?" Ike barely managed to find his voice.
"I'm Katie," she smiled warmly, sticking her hand out. Ike shook it, the amazing familiar tingly feeling that they made together flooding all back, warming him from his head to the tips of his toes.
"Hey Katie, good luck," Zac called from the other side of Ike, grinning briefly before turning to focus on his father.
"Yeah, good luck Katie," Ike rolled her name off his tounge, and softly smiled at her before reluctantly letting go of her hand and turning to face forward. He still watching her out of the corner of his eye, even though he had a whole lifetime to watch.
moe part 1
