There were boxes upon boxes to be packed today for the Hanson family trip to Los Angeles so that the boys could record their new CD. They only had half a month before their sad departure, away from all of their friends and family. Victoria, Shane, and Chrissy had come over to help their friends pack. Yet another, unexpected surprise would arrive today at their door. And all would be there to witness it. Not only that, but there was one Hanson brother who didn’t exactly know where his path was headed. Taylor was confused. Part of him wanted Hallie still, and the other part of him, was moving on with Victoria. Would his heart lead him in the right direction? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Hanson brothers were packing their clothes into boxes while their friends Shane, Chrissy, and Victoria were carrying the belongings out to the living room, so they would be ready for take off. The sadness was engulfed in the room by all, who were present. They knew the days were going by faster and faster, and soon it would be the day when they would have to once again make that trip to Los Angeles to record their newest CD.
“Throw me my old baseball cap, Zaccie,” Tay asked his brother, as he opened up another package box.
“Sure thing, Taylor,” said Zac, picking up that same baseball cap that Tay used to wear when he was little, and tossing it to his older brother.
Taylor placed the cap on his head. It brought back so many memories. Tay remembered how he used to never take this very same baseball cap, off of his head. It was like a part of him. There was no way in this world that he was going to leave it behind in Tulsa, while he was stuck in L.A.
Soon, there was a knock at the door of the boys’ room, and Chrissy’s voice was heard, “Guys, you have any more boxes for us to take?”
She peered around the side of the door, looking in. It was her job to check on their packaging, while Shane and Victoria carried the boxes out to the living room.
“Yeah,” Ike told Chrissy, as he closed a box. “Here, this one is full to the top. Put it in the living room with the others.”
“Shane!” Chrissy yelled across the house. “Come here! We got another box!”
Shane clumsily stumbled into the boys’ room and lifted the box, “How many more left guys?”
“About another 5 boxes.”
Shane let out a heavy sigh of aggravation, “Oh boy…”
“Oh! By the way, Shane,” Zac stopped Shane dead in his tracks.
Shane turned around with the heavy box in his hands, and faced Zac, “Yeah?”
Zac snickered as he talked, “Don’t let Chrissy boss you around too much, now. You might become used to it, and succumb to being one of her many slaves.”
“Ha…ha…” Shane replied, not amused.
Chrissy opened the door wider for Shane so he could fit the box through, “Don’t listen to him.”
Shane gave Chrissy a look, “Do I ever?”
“Most of the time,” she retorted.
Shane just renewed his grip onto the box of CDs and other accessories that belonged to Ike, and ignored Chrissy. He continued making his way into the living room to drop the box off.
“DING-DONG!!” a ring was heard at the door.
“Get that, Shane!” commanded Chrissy, from the boys’ room.
Dragging his feet, Shane stumbled clumsily over to the front door of the Hanson home, and opened the door.
“Can I come in?” asked a boy, standing patiently at the front door.
The boy standing there, was Bobby. He had a guilty, yet hopeful look on his face. Bobby just stared at Shane and looked to him in approval, hoping that he would let him inside, even if it was just for a minute.
Shane creaked the door open wider, as a sign to come in.
As Bobby stepped in, he thanked Shane, “Thanks, where are Tay, Zac, and Ike?”
“In their room,” informed Shane. “Who are you?”
“I’m Bobby.”
“Oh…” Shane drifted off, “…so you’re Bobby.”
“Yeah,” Bobby said, “that’s me.”
“Well, Bobby,” snapped Shane, “they are in their room packing to leave for Los Angeles in a couple of weeks.”
“Thanks,” Bobby thanked Shane again, as he made his way towards the oldest Hanson brothers’ room.
Bobby knocked on the door, and waited for a reply from anyone, who was inside the room.
“Yeah?” Zac replied to the knock.
Bobby sighed, and scraped up his courage, “It’s me…Bobby. Can I come in?”
There was not a single answer or motion from anyone inside the room.
Bobby slowly opened the door, “Guys?”
“What are you doing here? We’re busy,” Taylor all of a sudden, gained an attitude.
“I know, but…” Bobby started.
The glare in Taylor’s eyes stopped Bobby dead in the midst of his sentence. It would stop anyone from saying anything to him. Taylor wasn’t about to let up the wrongdoing of Bobby, and have all forgotten. Taylor thought that he could trust someone like Bobby. Bobby, was in fact, one of Zac’s friends. He was someone that the Hanson family had grown to trust. And to think, Bobby had blown all of that trust…in a single day.
“Tay, come on,” pleaded Bobby. “At least talk to me.”
“I don’t have anything to say to you, though,” Taylor stated simply enough.
“I know that you don’t, but just listen to me, please?” he pleaded once more.
“Okay, fine. I’m listening.” Bobby glanced around the room, “Can the rest of you guys leave for just a second?”
“But, we got to fin-,” Ike was cut off.
“Ike, just go,” Tay demanded. “I wanna hear what he actually has to say for himself.”
“Alright, alright…” Ike agreed. “There’s no use in fighting you tonight.”
Chrissy was the first one to rush out the door, with Zac not far behind her. Isaac was the last to leave, after picking up a half packed box of clothes, and transporting it to the living room.
“Okay, what do you have to say?” Tay folded his arms across his chest.
“Tay, I’m sorry,” Bobby started.
“Oh! I’ve heard this story before! My ex-girlfriend started the same way!” exclaimed Taylor, who was rolling his eyes, recalling his little fiasco with Hallie that one day.
“Tay, hear me out,” tried Bobby.
“She said that, too!” Tay was now laughing at this, not taking anything that was going to be said, seriously.
“Tay, I didn’t steal that money because I hate you, or because I’m greedy, or because I’m stupid, or anything like that,” Bobby tried to explain.
“I think you’re stretching it by saying you aren’t stupid, Bobby,” remarked Tay.
“Tay, I don’t have the kind of money you do. What I took from you, is like pocket change compared to what you have in the bank. You could buy like, 20 mansions, 4 convertibles, 7 Jaguars, and 10 pools, with the money that you have…and still have money to spare!” Bobby explained to Tay.
“That still doesn’t make it right,” Tay told Bobby.
“I know, it doesn’t, Tay,” said Bobby. “But, I didn’t have any money, and I wanted to just have some fun with my friends. I would’ve paid you back later probably anyway.”
As Bobby talked, he rested his hands on one of the cardboard boxes. The box contained Taylor’s CDs and his PC 88 Keyboard. His fingers were just barely touching the box, but just seeing him put fingerprints on another thing that didn’t belong to him, gave Taylor butterflies inside.
“Don’t touch that!” he shouted.
Jumping back, Bobby apologized, “Sorry…”
Tay didn’t make any eye contact with Bobby, as he spoke, “Get out of my house.”
“Huh?” inquired Bobby, puzzled.
“You heard me, Bobby,” Tay repeated himself. “Get out of my house. You aren’t welcome here anymore. And don’t you dare touch anything on the way out!”
“Taylor, I-,” Bobby didn’t even have time to stand up for himself.
“OUT!” Taylor pointed towards the door, as he screamed at Zac’s friend.
“Okay,” Bobby shoved his hands into his pockets, “I can take a hint.”
Bobby walked out of the Hanson brothers’ room, and slammed the door. Taylor just stood there, staring at the slammed door, with his heart beating faster than a hummingbird’s wings. Bobby mad him so angry now. Taylor could barely stand him. In fact, Taylor couldn’t stand him. Deep down in his heart, Taylor knew that he’d never forgive Bobby.
“What was that all about?” Ike stepped into the room, and began gathering things to pack into the next box.
“That boy makes me so angry, you know that?” Taylor sighed.
Isaac sat down on Taylor’s bed and studied him. Though Taylor was his best friend, sometimes, he didn’t understand him. Taylor had a heart of gold and cared for everyone around him, but he was very protective of his family and everything that had to do with his family. So, if you broke some kind of trust with his family, he could be as venomous, and as hateful as a snake. It was just his nature. You had to practically be Tay, before you could comprehend Tay. There were even times where Isaac wasn’t so sure if Taylor understood himself.
Ike sighed, “You can’t stay angry forever, Tay.”
“Yes, I can.”
“Okay,” Isaac observed, “what’s wrong? You haven’t been yourself lately, and I know that it’s more than just Bobby.”
Taylor sat down next to Isaac, “You’re right, it is more than just Bobby.”
“What is it, then?” questioned Isaac.
Taylor buried his face into his hands, and exhaled. The things going throughout his mind right now were unbelievable. He missed Hallie so desperately, but yet, loved Victoria so much. Most people would tell him to “follow his heart”, but it seemed as not even his heart knew what to do.
“Ike, I miss Hallie…” his voice trailed off.
“That’s normal, but I thought you liked Victoria?” Ike was puzzled.
“I do! I do!” Tay exclaimed. “But, I’m going through a type of withdraw for Hallie, I guess. I saw her the other day. She just looked so…so…beautiful. There was something else there, though. She looked, kind of lonely as she looked at me, and sort of hurt. I was there with Victoria and there was just, this look of pain in her eyes. Do you think that when she told me that Steven truly meant nothing to her, and that she loved me, she was telling the truth?”
“Wow,” exhaled Isaac, “you do have a lot on your mind, don’t you? I knew there was something else. Anyway, though, you are the one who has to figure out if she truly loves you. If you question a person’s love for you, it isn’t there, Tay.”
Tay fought with his older brother, “But, I tell you it is! Something tells me that she’s telling me the truth!”
“Then, maybe she is…” Ike stood up, and headed toward the door.
Taylor began to think about how great it would be for just one minute, for her to truly love him. No lies, no tricks, no deceiving, just for her to love him for he really was.
Tay smiled at Ike, “Thanks, Ike. You really helped me.”
I’m glad I could be of service to you, Tay,” answered Ike, as he began to close the door behind him.
“Oh! And Ike?” Tay caught his brother, just before he left.
The door flung wide open again, with Isaac peeking his head inside, “Yeah?”
“What do I do about Victoria?” asked Tay. He had a lost look in his warm eyes, and looked to his older brother for any advice he could give him.
“Victoria?” Isaac stepped back into the room, and leaned against the wall. “How do you feel about her?”
“Well, part of me has moved on with her, actually loving her. I feel I might be rushing things, though. I mean, Hallie and I just fell apart and I’m afraid I might be jumping into things. I really like her, though,” stated Tay.
“If you aren’t ready for a relationship, Tay don’t jump into one,” advised Ike.
“I don’t want to hurt Victoria, Isaac,” complained Taylor.
“Tayles,” Ike shook his head at his brother’s passiveness, “sometimes the only way to save yourself from getting hurt, is to hurt the one’s, who are causing the pain.”
Taylor knew his brother had a point, but he just could not do it. He just couldn’t hurt Victoria or Hallie like that. It wasn’t in him to. Tay felt that deep inside, Hallie loved him, and he loved her. But, Taylor also felt the same way about Victoria, maybe even…possibly stronger.
“You got a point, Ike. Thanks,” he reasoned.
No, problem, Tay.”
As Ike left the room, Tay pretended to keep packing his belongings. His mind wasn’t centered on packing and leaving for Los Angeles, though. He thought only of his situation that had to be solved. Tay didn’t want to hurt either of them, but he knew sooner or later he’d be pushed against his own will to. The only choice he had to make was, which one would he cause the pain to…without hurting the other one at the same time? It was the hardest decision Taylor felt he’d ever have to make.
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Tulsa's Long Road Home
