Isaac Hanson wiped the sweat off of his face with a dark blue towel and tossed it to the side. He watched his brothers do the same, almost like a ritual. He walked over to the side of the stage to grab trade guitars. For a minute he forgot which guitar he was going for. Which song were they on?
He watched Taylor grab hold of the microphone on his Kurtzweil keyboard and motion towards the audience. "Wow, you guys really don't mess around. But don't forget to breathe, ok?" There was more screaming, louder this time.
Isaac looked down into the audience to see almost 2000 girls. There were a few males scattered about. There were usually more. This time it appeared that there were only a few fathers, and some teenage boys who'd been dragged along by their girlfriends. Isaac smiled into the left-center side of the theater and waved. There was even more screaming and then, Isaac started the first chords to Mmmbop. Now sung almost an octave lower, they almost left it out of the show. But there were still a lot of people who loved the song, and Walker convinced them that they had to play it, they were expected to.
Isaac sang his parts to the song almost as if he were a machine. This was the 3th show in Pennsylvania. They'd played York, Philadelphia, and now Wilkes-Barre. And there was still Pittsburg and Erie left to go. He clapped for a moment during a break in the song and then he grabbed back onto his guitar and started to sing again.
He scanned the audience and almost laughed when he noticed a short darkhaired girl, standing on her chair in the right-center third row. He watched her dance back and forth and jump up and down on the velvet padded seat. He glanced over and noticed that Taylor was watching too. Then, he watched as the security guard shook his finger in the girl's face and motioned for her to get down. When she didn't, he reached over and grabbed her arm. It all happened too fast. The girl jumped down. She knocked over the girl to right. She fell to the side. Everything else happened in a big jumble. Three security guards ran over, and somebody was pulled off to the side and taken out the doors on the right. The song ended, and Taylor spoke into the microphone as quickly as possible. "We'll be right back." It was the third time it was said during the show, but the audience didn't know why this time.
Isaac put down his guitar and ran off the stage, following Taylor. Zac grabbed his water bottle and fumbled with his hair as he walked off stage. "Guys, why did we cut there so fast? We just had a break."
Taylor looked around frantically. "Where'd they take that girl?"
"What girl?" Zac asked, looking around, following Taylor's eyes. "Where are you going? Helloooo? Concert?"
Taylor ran down the hallway with Isaac following him. "What happened?" Isaac asked, trying to catch up.
"Didn't you see? That girl fell over really hard and hit her head on the side of the chair."
"I just saw somebody go down and then get dragged out."
Taylor stopped in his tracks suddenly when he saw a security guard, and a female usher asking frantic questions. Then he saw his mother kneeling on the ground next to the girl.
He caught his first glimpse of her and his heart fell. She was leaning over with one elbow on her knee and her head in her hand. She had fairly long blonde hair but that was all he could see. Diana was holding onto her wrist. "Keep it still, honey. I know it hurts."
Taylor knelt down and turned to Isaac. "Go out there and tell the audience that there was an injury and we'll be back in a minute. Ok?"
Isaac nodded. He wanted to stay and help but he knew Taylor was taking charge already. There was never any stopping that.
Taylor whispered to the girl as quietly as he could. "Are you ok?" Before she looked up he turned to Diana. "Is she ok?"
The girl looked up suddenly. She looked like she was holding back tears, but she was still the most beautiful thing Taylor had ever seen. She had full, natural lips, and violet eyes. He figured they were contacts, but he didn't care. She wore an orange shirt that said "Girls on Fast Wheels" on it and about 10 assorted necklaces. He knew the look in her eyes though, it was shock.
"Are you ok?" He asked again, this time louder.
She wanted to nod and say she was alright, but she knew she really wasn't.
"I'm Taylor, what's your name?" He asked, putting out his hand.
She held out the hand that wasn't throbbing and she shook his. "Brynn."
"Nice to meet you." He smiled.
Diana motioned towards Taylor. "We're going to have to cut the concert short. I wanna make sure she gets to the hospital. Her wrist is probably broken and I think she has a concussion."
The girl finally spoke, her voice just above a whisper. "No! Please, don't do that. I don't want to ruin it for everybody else. Go back out there. Please?" Her eyes were locked on Taylor's and they weren't going anywhere until he agreed.
He smiled and nodded at Diana. "She's right. We only have two songs left. Stay with her though, ok?"
Diana smiled back at her son and agreed. She was always so proud of the men they were becoming. It was times like these when she just wanted somebody to brag to.
Taylor ran backstage again to find Zac and Isaac standing there, ready to go back on. "Is she ok?" Zac asked, finally aware of what was going on.
"No. But she wouldn't let us end the concert early."
Isaac and Zac nodded as they ran back out. The audience screamed again and they took their positions. "Hey, we're back!" Taylor shouted into his microphone. "Alright everybody. There was a little accident up here in the front. So I just want to remind you all to be careful of what you're doing and watch out for your fellow Hanson fans. We were gonna end the concert short here..." He stopped as he heard boos from the audience. "BUT! Brynn, backstage, told us not too. So I want you all to yell as loud as you can, 'Thank you, Brynn.' Alright?"
The audience screamed. "Ok here we go... 1, 2, 3!"
Brynn lifted her head again and smiled with tears in her eyes as she heard the audience yell her name. She wanted so much to go back out there and enjoy the concert but she couldn't. Diana wrapped a bag of ice around Brynn's left wrist and smiled at her. "I think they like you."
"Yeah well, anybody who keeps those guys singing." She laughed lightly and then touched her right hand to her head. "Can't I just lay down?"
"No, because you'll fall asleep and we don't want that."
"We don't?"
Diana laughed. She sat with her for 10 more minutes until the screams died down, and Isaac, Taylor, and Zac came running over. Zac smiled in his own way and waved. "Hey, feeling any better?"
Brynn shook her head. "Not really." She smiled anyway, trying as hard as she could to sit upright.
Before Taylor even had a chance to talk to her again, the way his heart was aching to, Walker ran over. He looked stressed out enough to tear a pillow in half. "Well, that was some concert. There's about 6 ushers out there yelling at that security guard for grabbing that girl's arm. I don't think they knew what to expect." He looked down at Brynn. "So, are your parents here? Who can we call? Are you alone? Should we call an ambulance."
Brynn's eyes widened, overwhelmed. "I was going to take a bus home. I only live 25 minutes away. Is the guard going to get into trouble?"
Walker shook his head. "I doubt that. He was doing his job." He looked at Brynn and then turned to Diana. "Did you call an ambulance?"
"I did, but it's really late and they said it could be at least another hour because it's not a complete emergency."
"Not an emergency?! Where do these people get their books?!"
Taylor, who'd been watching Brynn and his parents closely, even after his brothers went to sit down and rest, spoke up. "I can drive her."
Walker and Diana both looked at Taylor. "Don't be silly." Diana shook her head. "It's a strange town, you don't know where the hospital is. And what are you going to do? Drive a tourbus?"
Walker looked at his son, and then back to his wife. "I don't know. Maybe..."
"What? Oh come on, don't be crazy. He can't go driving around the city right after a concert. There will be people beeping at him and he'll have an accident."
Taylor sat down in the chair next to Brynn and sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have gotten them started."
Brynn laughed.
"I think he could handle it." Walker shrugged. "I saw where the hospital was on the way in. It's not too far and Taylor is great with directions. He's a good driver."
Diana threw her hands up in the air. "Why do I even bother arguing about this. He'll get mauled, Walker! There are about 50 girls standing out behind the building by the tourbuses."
"So? He'll go out the other side."
Taylor nodded. "And I can wear a hat. I'll wear a Hanson bucket hat. The fans won't expect me to be wearing that, if they do see me."
"But, Tay, you don't exactly blend into a crowd of girls. Maybe a few years ago..."
Taylor blushed. "Mom, I can do this. Really. We have our rental car here. Nobody knows that. They're out there waiting for us to come out the back and hop into the bus."
"It could be a good test, Diana." Walker handed his son the carkeys. "Taylor can handle it. And we'll just let him walk out the side door where the car is. The side away from the fans. Without the bodyguards and managers and... me... he'll just look like a regular old Joe."
"And what if Brynn gets hurt on the way?" Diana asked, hands on her hips, exhausted.
Brynn spoke up, trying to stand. Taylor put his arm around her shoulders. "I'll be ok."
Diana sighed. "I really don't have a choice do I?" She smiled, giving in.
"Not really." Taylor grabbed the icepack from his mom and handed it to Brynn. "Ok, you hold on to this. And... I think the side door is right over there." They walked down the hallway and Taylor pushed open the door.
A rush of cold air hit them as he looked around. There as nobody. He could hear sounds of fans out front, talking to their friends about the concert. And there, in the alley was the green rental car. Taylor unlocked the door and opened it for Brynn. Then, he eased her in. He ran around the back of the car and jumped in his side.
After starting the car, he straightened his hat and looked over at Brynn. She was leaning against her seatbelt with her eyes closed. "Hey now..." He reached over and grabbed her hand. "Don't you go falling asleep. You have to stay away. Ok?"
Brynn nodded and smiled as he squeezed her hand. "You ready? We might get mauled, like your mom said."
Taylor shrugged. "I don't care."
"Me neither." Brynn smiled as Taylor pulled out of the alley and into the bright lights of downtown Wilkes-Barre.