"You should go see him." Kat's brother, who was two years younger than her, Lars, told her while they were both seated at the breakfast table eating bowls of cereal. It was a rare occasion and when it did happen, their choice of cereal was so drastically different that it was almost funny. Kat was eating Count Chocula and Lars was eating Special K.
"I don't know if I can." She finished the last bite of her cereal and pushed her bowl away from her. Kat was wearing a black dress that fell asymmetrically at across her knees. The dress was sleeveless with a high neck and overtop she wore a dark red overshirt.
"Sure you can. It's just Taylor. He's the same guy he was five years ago. Well... kind of."
She shook her head. "He's too good for me. It's only been a week since I bombarded his house with eggs and he treats me like a freakin queen. What am I supposed to do with that."
"I don't know. Maybe, give him a reason to treat you like a queen?" He asked, giving her a smile that resembled a menacing grin.
"Nice. Real nice, Lars." She sighed and grabbed her bowl. She went to the kitchen and dumped it into the sink. Then, after catching a glimpse of her reflection in a shiny silver pot, she took of the red overshirt and dropped it onto the counter.
She walked the length of her large suburban house, giving Lars a dirty look on the way to the front door. When she opened it, Jenn was standing there, a split second from knocking. "Hey!" She grinned. "I was just gonna see if you wanted to go over and maybe..."
"Say hi to the infamous Hansons?"
"Well... Maybe. Zac is really nice. I mean, he's a year younger than me but he acts like he's 20. Maybe you and me and him and..."
"Stop right there. What makes you think I want to be involved in your insanity?"
Jenn frowned. "Because you love me." Then she smiled and batted her eyelashes.
"Oh, alright." Kat grabbed Jenn's shoulder and pulled her away from her house. Then they walked together to the Hanson's. Jenn knocked loudly on the door sounding a bit too eager. "I think they can hear you." Kat laughed when Jenn knocked again even louder.
For a long time there was no answer but then an unfamiliar face appeared at the door. She had long, dark hair pulled into a high ponytail. She was pretty, but not overly attractive to the point that you wanted to hit her. She looked like she was 30 or 35 years old. "Can I help you?"
"Is Zac home? Or Taylor?" Jenn asked, again, sounding a bit too eager.
Kat winced. Great. Whoever this was would never let them in now. She wished Jenn would try a little harder not to come off as a Hansonite.*** She prefered the word to Teenybopper but for some reason it still made a person sound bad. Jenn was always a true fan. She had the vow to never scream, she respected their privacy, and until recently never even wanted to know where Hanson lived.
The woman narrowed her eyes and then smiled. "You're Katerina aren't you?" She asked, looking past Jenn and straight into the intense eyes of Kat.
"Yes." Kat almost whispered. Now was not the time to let Jenn know her secret.
"I'm Marnie. I watch after their house while they're away. I'm afraid the Hanson family went back to L.A. They won't be back for three weeks."
Kat's expression fell. Why had she even bothered. She knew in her heart it would just happen again. They would move onto bigger and better things and she would be left behind.
Jenn looked at her friend, slightly confused. None of it was sinking in yet but she did find it odd that a stranger, Hanson's HouseSitter on top of that, would know Katerina by first name.
"Three weeks?" Kat asked, intensly hurt.
Jenn was disappointed that she wouldn't get to see Zac again for three weeks now that she'd finally met him, but she couldn't stop staring at Kat and the look on her face. She looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment.
"I'll let them know you stopped by though." The woman known as Marnie smiled and then coldly closed the door in their faces.
Kat spun slowly on her heel and walked away from the house leaving Jenn standing there. Finally, Jenn ran to catch up with her. "What was that all about, Kat?" She asked, walking with her, never noticing the car that pulled into the Hanson's driveway the minute they left.
"Nothing."
"No, I've witnessed nothing. That was definitely something. How did she know your name? You've only met Taylor and it's not like you guys are friends or anything."
Kat looked down at her shoes and continued walking. "Once upon a time..." She whispered.
"What? Stop mumbling. Something weird has been going on with you this week and it seems like everybody knows but me."
Kat stopped in front of her house and looked into Jenn's eyes. "That's because everybody does know. I'd tell you but you'll hate me and I can't lose another friend. Not now..." Kat stood silent for a long moment and Jenn noticed a look in her that she'd never seen before. Kat was about to cry.
"Kat..."
But Katerina had already left. She went inside, slamming the door behind her and suddenly Jenn knew the truth. The pictures she'd seen in Kat's old photo albums of her and a small, goofy looking boy with blonde hair... the rumors she'd heard... the short brief conversations she'd had with Lars about Kat's one best friend that broke her heart into a million pieces... it was Taylor.
Kat ran into her bedroom like a gust of wind and without thinking, she grabbed her answering machine which was flashing the number zero and threw it out the window. Or rather, she threw it at the window, shattering it into a million pieces. The answering machine landed in the willow tree that stood next to her house. Then, overcome by a feeling of complete helplessness, betrayal, and lonliness, she collapsed onto the floor next to her bed and sobbed. She cried for the first time in five years. She cried for the first time regarding Taylor Hanson. She cried and couldn't stop. Then, she heard a footstep and she stopped suddenly. For five minutes, she stopped breathing. It was the only thing she could do to keep the tears from coming. How could she have been so stupid as to forget to close her door. Now she'd have to explain to Lars why she was crying like a baby on her bedroom floor. "Go away." She whispered, stuttering slightly. She let out a deep breath and then sucked the air in again.
He was too close, why couldn't he just leave her alone? Then, she felt him lean down next to her and put his hand on her forearm. It wasn't Lars. It was the familiar hand of the boy she was crying over. She jerked away not knowing what to do, convincing herself that he wasn't really there.
"Katie..." He whispered. "I'm back. I had to come back..."
Katerina looked up and saw Taylor's face. He looked concerned. He looked guilty. He looked stunned to see Kat fall apart as she did.
He'd followed her home. He had explained to his family that he couldn't leave without seeing her, and that he'd catch the next flight to L.A. And then when he pulled into the driveway of his house, he saw Kat and Jenn leaving, disappointed. He sat in his car as he watched Kat run into her house. Even from a block away he could see that she was about to cry. Then he went into her house without knocking, waved to her brother, and followed her upstairs to her room.
He wasn't sure what to do but when Katerina leaned against him, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her as tightly as he could. Rubbing his hands on her back, comforting her, he kissed the side of her head. "I can't stay..."
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "You're going to leave again."
"I have too. I told my parents I'd catch the next flight. They went without me. I just had to see you first."
"You forgot about me again."
"Never." He stared at her. "I will never make that mistake twice. Never again... I promise you that. We didn't have time to come see you before we left. We left in a hurry because we were late. I thought I had already told you we were leaving today."
She shook her head.
He hugged her again. "I promise I won't forget about you. I'll call you the minute we get to the hotel and I'll call you from the studio and from the hotel again. I won't forget about you."
She smiled one of her rare, real smiles, and hugged him back. "I'll wait by the phone." Then, she did something she'd never done before, something she knew she should have done a long time ago. She wished him good luck. "I hope your album comes out great and I hope you have fun doing it. You have a gift and unlike me, you have the oppourtunity to spread it. Don't waste it. Ok?"
He nodded. Then, he did something he had never done before, something he knew he should have done a long time ago. He leaned forward and kissed her, delicately, on the lips. "Don't forget me, ok?" He closed his eyes and let his forhead lean against hers.
"Never." Then, they stood up, hugged, and Kat watched as Taylor left her house, again. But this time, she wasn't afraid.
*** Hansonite was my nickname in Homeroom WHEN I was still in school. There was Hansonite, Mansonite, BillyBob, Druggie number 1, Druggie number 2, Druggie number 3, Druggie number 12 (4-11 dropped out of school after the first week of 10th grade) Durst, and King Dirty.
Never Again
Kat, Jenn, Milo, and Lars
My First Fanfic Awards
My Other Stories