Today was their final day in Tulsa. The Hanson family was leaving their home with so many things, so many problems, so many people left undone. It was like that for the three eldest Hanson brothers, anyway. Ike still wasn’t sure if Kat’s “friend”, Matt was actually a friend at all. Taylor, of course was stuck right smack in the middle of a love triangle with Hallie and Victoria. One only knew who he’d finally choose between the two of them. And Zac? Well, everything seemed fine and dandy on the outside, but on the inside Zac was literally falling apart. He was seeing what was happening with his brothers’ relationships, and how they were nearly falling apart because of jealousy, and deceiving each other. Would that happen to Zac and Chrissy once they left for L.A? Or would the both of them stay true to each other? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I can’t believe that you are already leaving, Tayles,” commented Hallie in disbelief. She couldn’t believe that Taylor had to leave again for his music. He had only been home for nine months, not even a year! And now, once again, he had to go to Los Angeles.
“I know,” Tay agreed, as he threw his backpack into the back of the van. “I wish I could stay home.”
That statement wasn’t exactly true. He was happy to get away from Hallie and Victoria, and all the insanity. Tay loved them both, but was in high risk of hurting them both, too.
“Zac!” yelled Mr. Hanson from the front door. “Go get Chrissy if you want to take her to the airport with you! Ike, you go get Kat with him, you both are going in the same direction!”
“Alright,” the two boys screamed in unison.
As Tay put some more bags into the back of the van, Taylor asked, “Hallie, how come Chrissy didn’t come with you?”
“She was busy making Zac a gift,” she explained. "She told me to leave without her and she’d he over later.”
“She really likes him, doesn’t she?” questioned Tay.
“Yeah.”
Tay smiled, “ That’s so cute. They’re so young.”
“You’re pretty young yourself. The only difference is that you can drive. In your mind, you think like a thirteen year old,” Hallie told him, smirking.
“I do not!” exclaimed Taylor.
“Yes, you do. But, that’s what I love about you! You’re adorable!” she hugged him.
“Hey, guys!” screamed Chrissy and Kat, entering the driveway, waving.
“Hey, Chrissy! Hey Kat!” Tay and Hallie greeted, in unison.
“Look what I made,” Chrissy proudly showed her poster that she had made for Zac.
The poster read in bright, electric blue letters, “I’LL MISS YOU, ZACCIE!”
“Aww, how sweet,” cooed Mrs. Hanson.
“It took me like, forever to make it,” she told everyone.
“I’m sure it did,” Ike observed that was made for Zac with a lot of care and love.
“Taylor, you got a phone call inside!” Jessica called for her older brother, from the front door.
“Okay,” he called back, the told Hallie. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Okay.”
Tay picked up the phone, “Hello?”
“Hey, Tay. It’s Victoria,” she coughed.
Taylor became very uneasy about the phone call, “Hey, Victoria. Is everything alright?”
“Not really. I can’t come to the airport with you today. I have the flu and really don’t feel that well,” she explained.
“Aww, I’m sorry,” sympathized Tay. “I hope you feel better soon.”
“Thanks,” sniffled Victoria, “I wish I could come say ‘goodbye’. I feel so terrible that I can’t even drive.”
“Aww, poor baby,” he felt bad for her. “Well, you stay home and get better, okay?”
“Okay,” answered Victoria, sounding congested. “Promise me you’ll have fun in Los Angeles and have a safe flight there?”
“I will, and I’ll miss you,” Tay told her.
“I’ll miss you, too.”
Tay felt bad that Victoria was sick the day he had to leave, but it kind of was a blessing in disguise. Tay had used his stupidity and invited both Hallie and Victoria to escort him to the airport. Thankfully now, Victoria couldn’t come, and he wouldn’t have to worry about the awkwardness or suspicion between the both of them.
“How long are you going to be gone?” she questioned.
“I’m not really sure,” Taylor honestly told her. “We might be coming back a couple of times while we’re recording. You know, for breaks and holidays and things like that. So, you’ll see me before we’re finished recording, I promise.”
Victoria smiled, “You are so sweet, Tay-Tay. I’m going to miss you so much.”
“I’ll call you when I get to Los Angeles, okay?” he suggested.
“Okay.”
“Well,” Tay sighed, “I’m going to miss my flight if I don’t go now. I’ll call you when I get to L.A!”
“I’ll let you go,” she seemed disappointed. “I can’t wait to hear from you again. Have a safe flight, alright? I’ll miss you and I love you, but most importantly…have fun!”
“I will, I love you, too,” Tay smiled.
“Bye,” Victoria said, and then sneezed.
“Aww, I hope you feel better soon, bye!” he concluded.
Taylor hung up the phone with a “click”. He would miss Victoria, but there was still that feeling of relief to get away from her. But, was Los Angeles far enough away from Tulsa to hide his secret? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the van, on the way to the airport, Hallie turned to Tay, “Tayles, who was on the phone?”
“Oh!” he was startled by the question. “That was Victoria. She has influenza and wanted to say ‘bye before I leave. She can’t even get out of bed.”
Hallie rolled her eyes, “Ugh! Why do you have to use such big words? Can’t you just be a normal person, and say that she has the flu?”
“No,” Tay smirked, “because I’m not normal like everyone else. I’m Taylor, remember?”
“True,” she agreed. “Sometimes, I wonder about you.”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
Hallie smiled, “You still got me on that one.”
Tay smiled at Hallie. Not only was she his girlfriend, but she was his friend. That was probably the most important and best thing about their relationship.
The wailing of the youngest family member of the Hanson family, Zoë interrupted the peacefulness of Taylor and Hallie’s conversation, “WAAAH!”
Tay took Zoë’s little hand and wrapped her petite palm around his forefinger. The fact that her fingers could fit around Taylor’s finger, seemed to fascinate the one-year-old, and comforted her cries.
“She’s so cute,” commented Hallie, gazing at Zoë, who was placed in her car seat.
“Yeah, I know,” Taylor couldn’t take his eyes off of Zoë. “I’m madly in love with my baby sister.”
Hallie gave him a look.
“But, I love you just as much,” Tay corrected himself.
“That’s better,” she joked.
“Guys, we’re pulling into the exit leads to the airport. Is everyone ready to go to L.A?” Mr. Hanson asked.
“Yeah!” screamed the members of the Hanson family.
“No!” yelled Hallie and Chrissy.
“Please, don’t go, Zaccie,” pleaded Chrissy. “Stay here, with me.”
“I wish I could,” Zac told her, honestly and putting his arm around her. “I promise I’ll call you whenever I can, though.”
“Alright,” Chrissy was satisfied enough with his response.
The van came to a sudden stop. No one bothered to look around. They knew where they were. They were at the airport, spending their last half hour in Tulsa before they were on their way California.
“Well, this is it,” Mr. Hanson announced. “Everyone out.”
Every member of the Hanson family, plus Chrissy and Hallie piled out of the van. This moment seemed very sad and depressing for some reason. Usually, they were excited to leave for L.A to record a CD, but something about this trip was different. Some kind of emotional connection was in Tulsa that made them not want to get on the plane to Los Angeles. They felt excited, though. Deep down, in their hearts, they were overwhelmed about recording “Album X”. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tay flung his backpack over his shoulders, “Do you want me to call you when I get to Los Angeles, Hal?”
“Sure, and you have a safe flight, okay?” Hallie looked at him as they walked toward the airport with the rest of the Hanson family.
“Don’t worry, I will. And you be good while I’m gone, okay?” Tay gave Hallie a look that read, “Don’t you dare do anything with Steven.”
Hallie laughed, “Don’t worry, I’ll be good. I promise. But, you gotta be good, too…surrounded by all those beautiful women in Los Angeles.”
Tay choked, “I will. I always am.”
He began to think about Victoria. Victoria was sick at home with the flu, and he was here at the airport with Hallie, leaving for Los Angeles.
“I know,” she smiled. “I’m just playin’ with ya.”
“Yeah…”
“Can I see your ticket, sir?” a lady interrupted their conversation.
“Sure,” Tay flashed his first class plane ticket to the woman. “There ya go.”
“Thank you, enjoy your flight,” she told him, politely.
“Thank you,” smiled Tay.
“Your flight is in gate 31 A,” the lady reminded Taylor.
“Thank you, miss,” thanked Taylor, renewing his grip on his backpack.
The Hanson family and Hallie and Chrissy8 had been sitting in gate 31 A for half an hour. They were waiting for their flight to be called, but they were also cherishing last moments together.
Taylor had his arms around Hallie, as she asked him, “How long are you going to be gone?”
Victoria had asked him the same question on the phone, earlier. What was he doing to both of them was unfair, he knew, but he couldn’t help it. He loved both of them. Now, he was going over 2000 miles away, with everything still tangled and unsolved.
“Too long,” he told her. “I’m probably going to be recording for six or seven months. I’ll be back for some holidays and breaks, though.”
“You better.”
Chrissy had her head on Zac’s shoulder while small tears ran down her cheeks. Zac and she had shared so much in the time that they were together in Tulsa, and now he was being taken away. It was so unfair.
“Shh..,” comforted Zac. “It’s okay, I’ll be back before you even know I was gone.”
“I’m sure…,” whimpered Chrissy, sarcastically.
Zac just let her cry on his shoulder. He was going to miss her, but he had no choice except to go. It was kind of an obligation of his.
“Chrissy,” Ike approached her, and sat next to her, “we are coming back. It’s not like we are living there. We are always going to call Tulsa, home.”
“But, Ike,” Chrissy complained. “You guys are going away for way too long.”
“I know…I know,” Ike agreed. “We have to go, though. We really don’t have a choice.”
Chrissy wiped her eyes, “I know, you don’t.”
“Flight 3062, heading to Los Angeles, California, please start loading,” an old man announced over the intercom.
“Well, this is it,” Tay said, once again.
Tay picked up his backpack again, and threw it over his shoulders. Taylor was…leaving. Finally, Taylor Hanson was leaving Tulsa. He’d miss everyone, but it was for the best of his career that he went with his brothers to L.A.
“I’ll miss you,” he told Hallie, as he hugged her tight.
“I’ll miss you, too,” she held back an ocean of tears, as she hugged him back.
“Zac, don’t go,” begged Chrissy a final time, hugging him and weeping.
“I wish I didn’t have to,” whispered Zac, into Chrissy’s ear.
“C’mon, let’s go, boys,” Mr. Hanson hurried them. “Hallie, you have the keys to the van, so you two can get home, right?”
Hallie flashed the keys to the van to Mr. Hanson. The keys, twinkling in the dim light of the airport as she held them.
“Sure do, Mr. Hanson,” she reassured him. “You guys be safe, okay?”
The Hanson family began their walk down the ramp and onto the plane. Taylor hesitated, though. As he began to walk down the ramp, his heart sank. He turned around, with his heavy backpack over his shoulder, to look at the place where Hallie used to be standing. To his surprise, when he turned around Hallie was still standing there. She had the same broken look in her eyes that she did at the mall when he was with Victoria. Hallie looked as if her heart were literally ripping apart within her. It killed Taylor to watch her soul, dying in front of him.
“Bye,” she mouthed to him, with a weak wave.
“Bye,” he mouthed back, with the same weak wave that she had given him.
Then, Taylor turned back around and continued walking down the ramp. It was probably one of the most emotionally painful walks he would ever take in his life, but it was to be finished. His time in Tulsa was over for now. He’d be back, though. Taylor knew he’d be back before he knew it. But, would Taylor’s return to Tulsa bring hardships along?
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Chapter 27-Life Just Hung Up On Me
Chapter 29-Every End Is Another's Beginning
Tulsa's Long Road Home
