Lots of things had changed over the past year. Hanson had become one of the most popular bands in the world, Christina watching the whole time. Zacs 'daily' calls had become every other day, than weekly, and were now about once every two weeks. The Hanson's Tulsa home sat surrounded by a group of girls, 24 hours a day, even though there was never anyone in the house. Zac and Stina had really drifted apart. Stina had made new friends, and latly had been avoiding Zac's calls, because she didn't know what to say to him. He wasn't the same Zac as before. This was superstar Zac. The one girls worshiped and dreamed about. The one who's face was plastered in practically every bedroom of every teenage girl. The one who's name was known worldwide. Zac could pretend as much as he wanted that he was still the same person, but he wasn't fooling her. She had only seen him ONCE since that day a year ago he left for LA. It seemed like whenever he was home for a break, she was on vacation.
As for Mara and Isaac, Mara had become extremely depressed back in late-winter/early spring when Hanson-mania began sweeping the country. Thinking of isaac brought tears to her eyes, and she couldn't go anywhere without hearing Mmmbop blaring from a radio, or seeing Isaac's face on the cover of those teeny-bopper magazines. It made her sick. As much as she loved seeing Isaac so successful and happy, SHE wasn't happy because Isaac wasn't around. Mara had never realized it before, but she didn't think of Isaac as a friend. She wanted him to be more. Words couldn't express how much Mara hated the word Mmmbop. That one little word was what took Isaac away from her. Two stupid syllables, six tiny letters. But it had managed to rip apart a life long friendship, and leave Mara a total wreck.
It was a humid summer morning in early September. Christina sat up in bed and yawned. She looked at her clock. 12:30. Somehow she had managed to sleep through her alarm clock again. Stina was supposed to have met Vikki and Miranda and go shopping, but she assumed they must have left without her when she didnt show up to meet them at 11. She sighed. another perfecly good shopping oppurunity wasted. She stumbled out of bed and into the shower.
"HOME!!" Zac yelled gleefully as he flung his bags down on the floor and flopped down on the sofa.
"Oh sofa, how i have missed you so!" Zac said kissing one of the pillows. Taylor just stared at him in disgust.
"I'm sorry, but I don't care how long we've been gone. I am not gonna start making out with furniture like Zac is," Taylor said, heading for his room. He stopped at his door, made sure no one was looking, and lightly kissed it.
"i missed you room," he said, opening his door. The mess was just how they had left it. Taylor stepped over a pair of old sneakers and picked up a dirty sock. He smelled it and almost gagged.
"i guess a few months of growing mold didn't help you smell better, did it?" he said absent-mindedly to the sock. he tossed it over his shoulder and climbed into his bed. He sighed contently. Isaac opened the door, threw his bags down, and headed for the phone. He dialed in mara's number.
Over at mara's house, Mara had a few friends over. They had an 'end of the summer' sleepover the night before. Mara's friend Lindi had threatened that if Mara mentioned Isaac one more time she was going to kill her. She guessed she had been talking about Ike a little too much that night... Mara was busily brushing her hair while her friends were gathering their belongings from throughout her room. There was a knock on the bedroom door.
"Mara? Telephone," Mara's mom called.
"k," Mara said, trying to remember where she put the portable phone.
"Does anyone remember where we put the phone last night?" She asked.
"here ya go," Ashley said, tossing it to her from across the room.
"Thanx. Hello?"
"Hey mara," The voice said.
"Isaac?!" she screeched. her friends looked at each other and got quiet. this should be an interesting conversation.
"Oh my god Isaac, when did you get home? Just now? Aww thats so sweet you called right away...No, i'm not doing anything today. Your house? ok, thats cool. I'll be over around 2. Wait, is it ok if I bring my cousin Bess, she's staying with us. Yeah, the one you met. ok, thanx, see ya then. Bye!" mara said hanging up. She turned around and was greeted by her friends looking at her expectantly.
"Well?" Mara's cousin Bess asked, "i know I heard my name in there"
"yeah, um, u and me are going over to the Hanson's house later on," mara said, trying to act like it was no big deal, even though she felt like screaming.
"Hmmm, maybe all that complaining about how isaac's never home paid off," Lindi said sarcastically. Mara forced a laugh. She went back over to her mirror and began frantically brushing her hair again. She looked down at what she was wearing. An old Roxy shirt from like 3 years ago that had a few juice stains, and a pair of beat up LEI jean shorts that were basically riding up her ass.
"Oh my god, I can't wear this!" She excalimed
"And oh no, look at the circles under my eyes!!"
"mara, calm down. Come on," Ashley said, opening Mara's closet. She pulled out a brand new gray Roxy shirt and Mara's JNCO flares.
"Here. You look great in this outfit. Now come on Lindi, let's get going. mara needs to get ready," Ashley said, picking up her school bag and tossing her brush in there. She headed for the door and Lindi followed.
"See ya. And have fun with Ike. But not TOO much fun," Lindi called over her shoulder laughing. She closed the door behind her. Bess sat on Mara's bed and watched her frantically rush around her room.
"Is taylor gonna be there?" Bess asked. Bess was Taylor's age, and the time they met 2 years ago was the first and last time they ever wanted to see each other. Taylor liked Bess, but she was too snobby to like him back so by the end of the day they ended up hating each other.
"Yeah probably, why? I'm warning you Bess, be nice to him..." mara said. Bess grinned from across the room.
"Oh don't worry i will. i have a new view on taylor now. I've looked past the icky, gross side and found the rich and famous side," She said with an evil laugh.
"Oh Bess, come on. Do you always have to be so shallow?" Mara said coldly. Sometimes she wanted to kill the little snob.
"I'm not shallow, I just know what type of guy I want. One with plenty of money to spend on me," She said twirling her light blond hair innocently. Mara just sighed as she glanced in the mirror. She looked better now that she had changed her clothes, and she pulled her short brown hair back in a ponytail. Her pouty brown eyes had the shine that they always do when she gets less than 3 hours of sleep. She groaned realizing there was nothing she could do about that unless she could somehow fit 5 hours sleep into the hour she had until she had to get to Isaac's. And last time she checked, she needed 5 hours to get 5 hours of sleep...she realized how shut off her brain was. She looked at her watch.
"One hour to go"
"Christina, Zac called for you while you were in the shower," Pamela Starrdust said as her daughter came bounding down the stairs with her usual more-than-any-human-has energy. She was wearing a tight black tanktop and shorts that if they were any shorter...
"Oh. Ok. Did he say he'd call back later?" Christina asked. She wondered if he was still in California like the last time he called. Or was it New York? She didn't keep track anymore.
"Yeah, he said it was 'superimportant' " Pamela said laughing. Christina rolled her eyes.
"He so totally overuses that word". She started to head back upstairs when she passed by the caller ID box. She glanced at it absesnt mindedly, but stopped when she saw the name. HANSON, WALKER. She looked at the number. her heart started pounding when she realized that Zac was home, in Tulsa.
"Mom?" christina called.
"Yes?"
"Umm, did Zac happen to mention if he was home?"
"No, why?"
"never mind..." She said trailing off. She ran up to her room and dialed Zac's number.
"Hello?"
"Taylor!! You're home!!" christina exclaimed. Tay's eyes lit up.
"Christina?"
"Who else? I see your voice REALLy changed since last time i talked to you in like January"
"Hi!! yeah, it changed a little" He said laughing. The two talked for about 15 minutes about what had been going on lately. Zac walked into the kitchen and saw Taylor on the phone.
"Who's that?" Zac asked. Since they'd been gone Toby and Joey, Taylor's only 2 good friends, had moved away, so Zac wasn't sure who would be on the phone. Taylor motioned to him to be quiet.
"Who are you talking to? Tell me tell me tell me!" Zac said, enjoying annoying Taylor. taylor gave Zac the finger.
"Oh well EXCUSE me Mr. popularity, i didn't mean to disturb your little phone call," Zac screamed loudly so whoever was on the phone could hear him.
"Did I just hear Zac?" Christina asked.
"Yeah, you did. I'm guessing you wanna talk to him," taylor said, dissapointed.
"Yes please. it was nice talking to you Taylor, bye," Christina said. taylor got up, handed the phone to zac, and left the room. zac looked at the phone in his hand puzzled.
"Ummm, Hello?" He said, a little afraid of who might be on the other line. Obsessed fan who had gotten ahold of their number? or worse yet, one of mom's and dad's friends that were anxious to here how everythings been going?
"i missed you do much!!"
"Christina?" Zac said, sitting down.
"DUH!! Thanx for not calling me in the past like MILLION years!!" christina complained.
"Sorry, i was a little busy. Hey, do you wanna come over today..."
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