Taylor was going back to Los Angeles with a lot of guilt upon his shoulders, but also some relief. He had finally done it. After all of the insanity, Taylor came clean about his lying and betrayal. Victoria had at least given him a little hope of a small friendship with her. Hallie, though understandably gave him the cold shoulder, even though she had done this before, too. Right now, this was the least of Hanson’s problems. They were about to have a serious load thrust upon their shoulders, and they were completely ignorant that it was going to even occur. The main problem was that Heather was in the midst of it all. They were going to have to put up with something that the Hanson family wasn’t ready for right now. But, this might be a blessing in disguise for Taylor. It could give him a reason to get rid of Heather and choose between Hallie and Victoria. Could something actually happen so simply for Tay? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zac had just put on the CD player, blasting Taylor’s “Celebrity Skin” CD as loud as it would go.
“Zac! Turn that down!” screamed Ike from across their house. “I’m writing in here, and I can’t think with you blasting the music and causing everyone to go deaf!”
“Sorry!” the thirteen-year old Hanson brother yelled back, turning down the volume slightly.
Hanson was home for the day. They had just arrived back to Los Angeles yesterday, and were still very tired. Today they were thinking about just taking it easy around the house that is, if the day let them.
Taylor was trying to avoid all calls from Heather, and all contact from her. He was going to have to break up with her, soon. This was going to be the lighter part of the package. After admitting to Hallie and Victoria about his wicked ways, this should be nothing.
After the peace had resumed, Ike went back to strumming away at his guitar, and composing his newfound idea for a song. He hadn’t yet thought of the lyrics for the chorus or the second verse. That’s was he was trying to do today. On the tour, he had started the song. He made the first verse, and the bridge, but that’s all he had.
“Please?” whimpered Taylor.
“What do you want?” his older brother snapped. “I’m writing a song.”
“Can’t I just talk to you?”
“Sit,” commanded Ike, fiddling with his guitar, and not looking at his brother.
“Again?” questioned Isaac. “What now?”
“Heather.”
“What about her?” Ike strummed his guitar. “What did she do now?”
“Nothing,” explained Tay, “I just need to break up with her. I don’t know how to do it, though. I don’t want to hurt her. I’ve hurt enough people already.”
“Have you decided between Hallie and Victoria, yet?” inquired Isaac, Tay’s older brother.
“True.”
The 16-year-old Hanson brother lied down on the floor in front of his brother, thinking of all that was going on. How could so much go through his head?
Taylor sighed, heavily, “I can’t believe all of this is actually happening…”
“Believe it,” Ike assured, “because it’s going to happen a lot more in you life. Trust me…”
“Man…”
“Well, here’s my advice to you, Tay, so listen up,” ordered his older brother.
“I’m all ears,” Tay guaranteed Ike.
“Just tell her that…you have to break up with her, anyway,” suggested Ike. “I mean, you are going back to Tulsa after the CD is finished. You won’t be able to see her. Just tell her that she deserves a better boyfriend than someone who she’ll never see. She needs someone who can spend time with her.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I wonder if she’ll understand that though…” faded Tay.
As Ike reached in his pocket for a different pick, he told his brother, Taylor, “Of course, I am, Tay…I always am.”
Taylor flailed a pillow at Ike, “Shut up, Ike.”
Laughing, Ike responded, “That’s the ‘thanks’ I get for helping you with your problems?”
“Yeah,” Tay said, smiling, “thanks, Ike.”
Ike’s younger brother, stood up and started walking out of the room. It still seemed like a dream to him, all of this did. He couldn’t believe that he was here in Los Angeles making another CD and worrying about cheating and breaking up with girls, all at once. Tay knew that Ike was right about one thing though, this couldn’t go on. He had to break up with Heather fast. All he had to do was make up a few lies, and she was out of his life, and no longer a problem, right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So far, Tay had avoided Heather all night. He hadn’t talked to her since last night, and was quite happy about that. Maybe she was catching on that he didn’t like her. But, he highly doubted that, that was the case. It was only five PM, which meant that she still had a whole seven hours to wreck his night…and that was highly possible.
Taylor was watching “Men In Black” with the rest of his family. Zac and Ike were sitting on either side of him, arguing about Will Smith’s first CD, like it had anything to do with the movie. His parents were sitting peacefully on the other couch with the little ones at their feet.
“Ike, I’m telling you!” Zac screamed. “Will Smith’s first CD was ‘Fresh Prince’. He did the theme song to his own show, remember?”
“That’s true,” Ike agreed, “but Zac, c’mon that CD doesn’t count.”
“It was his debut album,” affirmed Zac.
“No one knew about him, it wasn’t popular. It was a fluke,” reminded Ike. “’Big Willie Style’ was the CD that made him famous to the record industry.”
“Both of you, hush,” commanded Mrs. Hanson, who was trying to watch the movie. “Zac, especially you. Go to your room, or sit and be quiet.”
“Fine, I’ve seen this movie a hundred times…I’ll go,” Zac told her as he stood.
“Bye, Zac,” Ike tossed a pillow at his little brother, as he walked out of the room.
“RIIIIIIIIINNNGGGGG!!!!!”
The phone rang loud and clear as Zac headed out of the room. It was just his luck for something like that to happen.
“Zac,” called his father, “get the phone please.”
Soon, Zac returned into the room, saying, “Tay, dude, it’s for you…”
Unmoved by the comment, Tay responded with his eyes on the movie, “Who is it?”
“Heather.”
Tay froze at the mention of her name. He knew that he had to talk to her. Zac had told her that he was home, and knew he had to face her. He had to follow through with what Isaac said and finally break up with her. The relationship wouldn’t last anyway if they stayed together.
Taylor walked into his room, and shut the door behind him. Carefully, he reached for the phone, inhaling before he spoke.
“Hello, Taylor speaking,” he exhaled.
“Hey, Tay, it’s Heather! Wassup?” Heather smiled.
“Nothing much, just watchin’ “Men In Black” with my family,” explained Taylor. “I love that movie.”
“Me too,” she agreed, “Will Smith is one of my favorite actors. I really like his rap, too.”
“That’s cool.”
“Well, I really gotta go, but I just called to tell you that a couple of my friends are on their way over,” Heather told him.
Taylor nearly stopped breathing. He wasn’t sure if he heard her correctly. Could she have possibly blown his brothers’ and his cover, and told people where they were staying? She couldn’t, she possibly just couldn’t! Or could she?
“You mean,” started Tay, hopeful, “they’re on the way over to your house?”
“No, no,” corrected Heather, “they are on the way over to your house. They are huge Hanson fans and when they found out I knew you, they just had to have your address. Only to visit once, though, I promise.”
“No one’s supposed to know. She broke a promise already…” thought Tay to himself. “Although, if worse comes to worse, this could give me a reason to break up with her…”
Taylor smiled, weakly as he spoke to her, “Y-you’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Oh my gosh,” gasped Taylor, “I gotta warn everyone! Heather, I gotta go…”
He didn’t even give her a chance to say ‘okay’. Taylor just hung up on her and dashed into the kitchen, where he heard Zac fixing something up for him to eat.
Gasping for air, Tay exhaled, “Zac…we…need…to…get out.”
The puzzled thirteen-year-old looked at his older brother, “Huh? Why? Taylor, you need to calm down. Why are you so out of breath?”
Slowly, Taylor gathered himself, “Heather called, and said that…there are girls…coming over here.”
A smile came over the youngest member of Hanson’s face at the mention of ‘girls coming over’. He felt like he could use the company, since Chrissy was over a thousand miles away. But, he knew he needed to be honest with her from now on. He had already hurt her once.
“No, Zac…” hesitated Tay. “Not just any girls…Hanson fans.”
“Oh great,” Zac shrugged with sarcasm.
“I know, we gotta warn the rest of the family, and get everyone out of here,” Tay told Zac, wisely.
Isaac entered the kitchen, making his way towards the refrigerator for a soda when Zac blurted, Ike, we gotta get out of here…fast!”
“Why?” Ike asked, opening a Coke.
“Hanson fans…are coming…here,” Tay said, slowly so it would register in his brother’s brain.
“Huh?” he looked shocked. “As in, ‘Hanson fans’, Hanson fans?”
Taylor just sighed, and rolled his eyes at his brother’s stupid questioning, “What other kind of Hanson fans are there, Ike? Of course, ‘Hanson fans’, Hanson fans!”
“Alright,” Ike headed toward the key rack, “I’ll get the keys, and we’ll get out of here. Dad, we’re going out!”
“Okay!” Mr. Hanson yelled back. “Drive safely!”
“We will!” all the brothers answered in unison.
As the boys headed toward the door, Tay asked Ike, “What is the family going to do when the girls get here?”
“I’m pretty sure, that they won’t answer the door, and just wait for them to go away. Just like at home,” Ike replied, with confidence.
Tay smiled, and then, slowly and carefully reached for the doorknob. He felt cautious about opening the door, it was like he has an intuition that something was awaiting their arrival on the other side of the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The second the door creaked open, a shrill of volume was heard, “HAAAAANNNNNNSSSSSSSSSOOOOOONNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
It was like the “Albertane Tour” all over again, and as soon as it was heard, the door was slammed. It wasn’t shut though, without fighting the force of the fans first. It took all three brothers to finally seal the door.
Holding the door shut, Taylor yelled over the screams and shrills that leaked through the door, piercing his eardrums, “Lock the door, Ike! Lock it, now! While we still have a grip on the door!”
The eldest Hanson brother fumbled with the lock on the door, and finally succeeded in locking the door. The only thing that was between them was a three-inch thick piece of wood, which was locked into a wall. The three of them were almost positive that the crowd would knock it down.
Taylor turned to his brothers, shouting, “Heather made it sound like, three fans were coming over. This is more like, three hundred!”
The door began to shake violently in front of them, and around them, cracking noises could be heard, Zac informed them, as if they didn’t know, “Guys, unless it’s opened, that door is going to break down!”
“Tay, open the door,” Ike demanded, nervously.
“What?!? Are you crazy?!” the middle member of Hanson screamed, in shock.
“Tay, just do it!”
“Alright, alright,” Tay calmed down a little, turning to Zac, “go get your megaphone.”
“Why do we ne-“ Zac started
“Don’t ask questions!” Tay snapped. “Just do it!”
“Okay,” the little Hanson agreed as he headed up the stairs, “I’ll be back in a jiffy!”
Within seconds of saying that, he was back with the megaphone in his hands. He was ready for whatever came next.
“Is it on?” questioned Tay.
Zac nodded, faithfully.
“Alright, on the count of three, I’m opening the door,” announced Taylor. “On your count, Ike…”
I ke began to count off, “One…two…”
All three of the Hanson brothers took deep breaths, as they knew they were about to face hundreds of screaming maniacs. You would think that they’d be used to it by now, with being on the “Albertane Tour” for months, but it still sent chills up their spines.
Zac shakily put the megaphone to his lips, and screamed, “Stop!! We’ll get to every single one of you, we promise you just…just don’t hurt us!”
The shrills and the screams didn’t stop, although their feet stopped moving, “We want Hanson! We want Hanson!”
The chanting seemed so familiar. It was identical to the “Albertane Tour” only now, it was more up close and personal than ever. Instead of being on the safety and comfort on a stage, away from the crowd, the crowd was at their home, right in front of them. They had no where to turn, and no place to go.
Tay took the megaphone in his hands next, speaking loudly and clearly into it, “Guys, guys…please quiet down? I’m beggin’ you here. We don’t have our ear plugs today, we totally weren’t expecting this.”
Suddenly, a quick hush came over the crowd, with only a few slight mumbling words here and there. At a time like this, it was a miracle that Tay was actually listened to by a crowd.
“Okay, everyone, sit down,” Tay ordered, into the megaphone. “We are going to get to every one of you, but it’s gonna be a while until we get to the back, so rest your legs.”
Almost in unison, the entire crowd sat down in front of the Hanson brothers, Isaac, Taylor, and Zac and waited patiently, for their turn to meet the band.
Tay walked upto a girl with strawberry blond hair, and green eyes, and reached out for her hand, “Hey, what’s your name?”
“Hi, Tay,” the girl smiled at him, “my name’s Shuana. I’m a friend of Heather’s.”
“Ah,” he laughed, “so, you’re the leader of the pack, huh?”
“I guess you could say that.”
“Can I ask you a question?” ask Taylor.
“If you sign this for me,” Shauna told him, handing him a poster.
“Alright,” Tay agreed, taking the poster, “what are all these screaming fanatics doin’ here?”
“They all wanna see Hanson,” explained Shauna. “Heather gave us the address.”
Tay rolled his eyes as he signed his named, “I’m sure that not all 350 people are her friends. They have to be friends, of friends, of friends, or something like that!”
“True,” she said, “so, Heather tells me that you all are really into each other.”
“Not anymore,” he stated, flatly.
“Oh, something happen?”
“You could say that…” Tay’s voice drifted off. “Well, I really gotta go. I need to still get to 349 other fans. Nice meeting you.”
“Nice meeting you, too,” Shauna shook his hand, again as he handed her poster back.
As Tay walked away from Shauna, he promised himself that he would break up with Heather because of this. He could hardly believe that she did this still. If this didn’t give him enough reason to break up with her, he didn’t know what did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The second that Taylor got inside, he rushed into his room knocking Avery into the wall in his hurry to get to the phone.
“Hey!” the little girl shrieked. “Tay, watch it!”
Running still, he yelled over his shoulder, “I’m sorry, Avie. I didn’t mean to hit you. I’m just in a rush! Bye!”
Little Avery looked puzzled at her older brother, as he slammed the door to his room behind him, “What’s up with him?”
Behind the closed door of his room, Taylor’s fury built up as he began to call Heather. It was still beyond his comprehension that she did something like this.
The phone rang and rang, but no one was picking up, and that just increased Tay’s anger.
But, finally a quiet, “Hello?” was heard on the other side of the phone line.
“Heather?”
“This is she,” Heather said, politely.
“This is Tay,” he sounded out of breath from all the running and commotion. “Can I ask you something?”
“Did my friends get there okay?” she smiled. “Sure, anything you want, Tay. I’m all ears.”
“Good,” he sighed, before hesitating to say, “are you out of your freakin’ mind sending that many people over here?!?”
“Huh?” puzzled, Heather asked.
“You sent over three hundred people over to my Hanson? To see my brothers and me?” inquired Tay.
“No, I didn’t,” Heather shook her head as she spoke. “I only told Shauna, and Hilary…no one else, promise!”
“Well, you shouldn’t have told anyone, Heather!” Tay raised his voice, not quite yelling though. “You put my family and me in danger!”
“Tay, I’m sorry…” she started.
“No, you’re not, Heather,” Tay monotonously said. “I can’t trust you…”
Hearing Taylor tell her that he couldn’t trust stung her heart, and it hurt. He didn’t trust her, and that was the bottom line. She knew that Tay always looked for trust in a relationship, so if he didn’t have any faith in her, did that mean it was the end of “Heather and Taylor”?
“Taylor, I’m sorry…” tried Heather, once more.
“Heather, look, I don’t think we should see each other…ever again. What you did today was literally horrible, and I’m still in shock,” Tay told her.
“If that’s how you feel, Tay,” she spoke softly.
“Look, I gotta go,” Tay explained. “Don’t bother calling me, again, bye, Heather.”
“Bye, Taylor…”
After the phones were hung up, Isaac walked into the room where Taylor was. He looked at his younger brother and saw anger, yet loneliness all at once. He knew he really didn’t want to break up with Heather, but he had to do it, and the only way he could it without feeling bad for her, was to be angry with her.
“Well, lil’ brother,” Ike put a comforting arm around his brother, “look on the bright side. You inspired the chorus for my song.”
Tay sighed, heavily, “Let’s hear it.”
“Alright,” Ike agreed, happily, “I’ll play the chorus and then, the verse after that so you get the feel for it, okay?”
“Go for it.”
As Ike strummed his guitar, he sang long to the music, “In this life long…love song…you can love right, you can love wrong. In this love song…you can love long. But if you love wrong…it doesn’t mean love’s gone…”
Taylor listened to the song carefully, as his older brother, Isaac keep strumming his guitar. The chorus was very true, even if you didn’t find the love of your life, it doesn’t mean that you had to stop loving them.
Ike continued with the next verse, “Mary was a young girl…with a young girl’s heart. All I can remember…is I loved her from the start. I was hers forever, and she was mine too. But somethin’s wrong…because now she’s gone. Tell me what did I do?”
“Okay,” questioned Tay, “what’s up with this ‘Mary’ girl?”
“That’s Heather,” his older brother explained. “I used a different name for ya know, protection purposes.”
“Ah, I see,” Tay nodded in approvement. “That’s a cool song. I like it.”
“Thanks, Tay.”
“Well, anyway, can I have some privacy now, Ike?” pleaded Tay. “I need to think about some stuff.”
“Alright, I’ll catcha later,” Isaac promised as he walked out of the room, and closed the door behind him.
Tay did it; he finally broke up with Heather. It took a lot out of him, but he knew he had to do it. Not only did she cross the line, but also endangered his family. He knew he was going to do it anyway because of Hallie and Victoria, but he couldn’t bear to admit the truth. Tay knew that he just grabbed the first thing that she did wrong, and took it as an excuse to get her out of the picture. There was one thing, Taylor didn’t know, though. He wasn’t sure how he was going to keep his head straight while in Los Angeles. This was the challenge he had to take. If he truly loved either Hallie or Victoria, then he had to prove it. He had to stay away from the other girls, so he wouldn’t be tempted. Could he handle that, though?
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