Chapter Seventeen

"I Think You've Got Some Strange Brain Disease!"

Zac coughed, rolling over in bed and watching Isaac and Taylor fussing around in the bedroom. "I wish I could come," he croaked, reaching for his glass of water.

"I wish you could too, Zac, but if you're gonna sit out in the snow for hours, you can expect to be pretty ill for the next few days," mumbled Isaac, from the bathroom, through a mouthful of toothpaste, foam and toothbrush as he tied his shoelaces.

"But that was Christmas Eve," Zac reminded him, sitting up to drink. "I spent all Christmas Day in bed, and the next day, and the next and today. I wanna party!"

Taylor felt his forehead. "Zac, you're delirious," he stated. "Go back to sleep." He pushed him back down in bed.

"Hey!" protested Zac weakly, struggling to sit back up. "Please can I come?"

"You heard what Mom said," replied Taylor mildly. He turned to his brother, tucking in his shirt and straightening his belt. "In?" he asked, "or out?" He yanked his bright red shirt out of his navy blue jeans and smoothed it down over the top of them.

"Out, definitely. Tucking it in just emphasizes how ridiculously skinny you are," Zac grumbled.

Taylor laughed. "You're just jealous because I don't have a big gut like you!" he teased, poking Zac in the stomach.

"Hey! Are you calling me fat?" demanded Zac, pretending to be outraged.

"Not at all, darling, not at all," joked Taylor.

Isaac walked back in from the bathroom, giving Taylor a strange look. "Do you really think it's a great idea to poke him in the gut when he's ill?"

Taylor rolled his eyes. "Ike, he's got a bad cold, not gastric flu."

"You never know," piped up Zac. "I may have some strange stomach disease."

"I think you've got some strange brain disease!"

"Ike, will you tell him?!" whined Zac. "In the past two minutes, he's called me fat and told me I'm a lunatic!"

"Oh, brother!" muttered Isaac.

"Yes?" answered Taylor and Zac in unison.

Laughing, Isaac shook his head in despair. "Why are you two so hyper? Zac, you're supposed to be sick."

"I am," replied Zac. He coughed weakly. "See?"

"Ike, get into the Christmas spirit!" Taylor grabbed a piece of tinsel from the bar of the bunkbed and threw it at his big brother.

"Taylor, it's the 28th. We're going to a Millennium party. Christmas is over."

"Fine, get into the Millennium spirit, then!" Taylor took the tinsel from Isaac and then unpeeled a 2000 sticker from the bar and stuck it to Isaac's front.

Peering at it, Isaac asked, "Where on earth did you get that?"

Taylor sat down on the bed beside Zac. "I saw Rhia at the store today. She's decorating the house with these and she gave me some."

"You saw Rhia? How is she?" Isaac's eyes flashed.

"Not that you're concerned or anything," teased Zac. "Her life is your business, after all."

"She's my friend," retorted Isaac, giving Zac a strange look. "I'm concerned. It is my business."

"Friends? As in 'just good'?" jibed Zac.

"No, business, as in 'none of yours'!" shot back Isaac.

Zac laughed. "That was a good one."

"Thanks. Anyway, Rhia…" Isaac trailed off meaningfully, looking at Taylor. "How was her Christmas?"

"I didn't ask," mumbled Taylor.

"You didn't ask?!" repeated Isaac incredulously. "How rude are you?"

Laughing, Taylor held up his hands. "Chill, Ikey-dude, I'm just joking with ya. She said her Christmas was good, a little strained, but on the whole, it was okay." He grinned slyly at Zac. "And she also told me to tell you that she can't wait to get into your pants tonight, baby!" He stood up and thrust his hips backwards and forwards. "Yeah, yeah, baby!!" he crowed, Austin Powers style.

Then Zac gasped. Taylor stopped his hip-thrusting, wondering why Isaac and Zac had suddenly both dissolved into giggles.

"Jordan Taylor Hanson, what on earth are you doing?"

"Mom!" shrieked Taylor, diving onto Zac's bed and burying his rapidly reddening face in his duvet. "Open up, ground!" he commanded. "Swallow me now!"

"Don't mind Tay, Mom," choked Isaac, hardly able to speak for laughing. "He likes to do his pelvic floor exercises every night, just in case medical science reaches a breakthrough and he can carry a baby someday!"

"Drop dead!" squeaked Taylor.

Mrs Hanson grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and hauled him up to a sitting position. "Honey," she began, "if you think that one day you'll carry a baby, maybe we should have a little talk. You know, about the birds and the bees, the planting and watering of the seed, the facts of life, whatever you want to call it."

Taylor stared at her, horrified. "Mom, I… Uh, Ike… See, Rhia…" Then he noticed the glint in her eye. "You're pure evil!" he exclaimed indignantly.

Mrs Hanson laughed. "And you're as gullible as a goldfish, sweetie." She ruffled his hair affectionately, ignoring the groan of protest as Taylor realized he'd have to fix his style yet again.

"Mommy, can I go to the party?" asked Zac sweetly, fluttering his eyelashes.

Rolling her eyes, Mrs Hanson shook her head. "Zac, we’ve been through this a million times. You're sick. Look at you, you're like the living dead!"

"Gee, thanks," muttered Zac.

"Oh, baby…" murmured Mrs Hanson, sitting down and putting her arm around her son. "I know you want to go. But you're practically gray, and I don't think you'd have a good time if you're not well. And there's still the party here on Friday night. Just concentrate on getting better for that."

Zac leant his head against his mother's shoulder. "I guess you're right," he grumbled.

"I'm always right. I'm the Mommy." Mrs Hanson stood up. "Ike, Tay, I want you guys back here by midnight."

"Aww, Mom!" groaned Isaac. "We're only at the Davidsons'! And I'm driving us back."

"Okay," relented Mrs Hanson. "Twelve-thirty."

Isaac still wasn’t satisfied, but sensed that it wouldn't be a good idea to bargain with his mom this time. "Fine," he muttered.

"Good. Now, what else…" Mrs Hanson chewed on her lip, trying to remember all the things she had to brief her sons about before letting them go to this party. There were so many of them. Some people might have called her over-protective, but she didn't care. They were going unchaperoned - no parents, no bodyguard - so she wanted to be extra careful. "Taylor, listen!" She watched as Taylor turned from the mirror, apparently happy with his hair. "Okay, do not - under any circumstances - drink from any uncovered glasses. Only drink from individual cans. You never know what people put in glasses of punch or whatever. And when I say cans, I don't mean cans of Miller. I mean cans of Coke, Dr Pepper… No alcohol. You hear that, Taylor? No blue blinders or pink panthers or whatever it was called."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Taylor, wondering if he would ever live down his nightclub caper. "Mom, it's Rhia's and Neil's house, not Buttshakers."

"I don't care. You're not drinking any alcohol. Either of you. And don't go into any bedrooms with any girls!"

"Mom…" groaned Isaac. "We know all this."

"Yeah, and they don't listen to it anyway," chimed in Zac, cheerfully. "Isaac don't use the bedroom, Mom, he prefers the closet. And Taylor…well, Taylor does it in front of everyone!"

"And Zac does it with other people's girlfriends behind-" Isaac stopped short as Taylor grabbed his arm.

Zac stared at him, eyes wide. Then he lay down and rolled over, pulling the duvet over his head.

"Nice going," hissed Taylor.

Isaac could've kicked himself. Scolding himself for being so insensitive, he knelt down beside Zac's bed. "I'm sorry, little guy. I really didn't mean that."

Zac rolled over to face him, nodding. "I know."

Isaac squeezed his hand then got back up, ignoring the look his mother was giving him. She still knew nothing about Zac's relationship with Corey's girlfriend. Best just to hope that she didn't ask any questions. "So, Mom…" he started cheerfully. "No booze, no drugs, no cigarettes and no sex… Anything else?"

Mrs Hanson gave him a hard glare. "Yes."

"What's that?" asked Isaac, surprised.

"Watch your mouth and remember, you're not too old for me to smack you." Mrs Hanson reached over and pinched Isaac's cheek. "There's a good boy." She patted him on the side of the face, then got to her feet. "Have a good time, guys."

Isaac gaped after his mother, mouth wide open.

Laughing, Taylor pulled him to his feet. "C'mon, Ugly Kid Joe, can't be late, or Mommy will smack you."

***

"I win!" cheered Jessica, drawing a line through her three crosses in a row.

"Again," grumbled Zac.

"Yep, I think that officially makes me tic-tac-toe champion of the country, don't you?" She smiled up at her big brother.

"Of the world," he countered, ruffling her hair.

"Of the universe."

"Of the galaxy."

Jessica chewed on a lock of hair. "Is the galaxy bigger than the universe?" she pondered, frowning as she thought about it.

"I dunno," replied Zac. "I think so."

"Oh, who cares? What can we do now?"

Zac smiled. "Jess, you don't have to do this."

"What?"

"Sit here being miserable with me because I can't go to the party."

Jessica looked indignant. "I'm not doing that! I'm simply spending some quality time with my wonderful older brother, Zachary."

Zac laughed. "Sure you are."

Jessica shrugged. "Seriously, it's either this, or play Candy Land with Avie and Mack. And you know how much I hate that game."

"I do," agreed Zac. "Hey, how about Monopoly?"

"Sure. I'll get the set."

She returned shortly with the box, and an hour and a half later, Jessica owned every single street on the board.

"Guess I lose that, then," muttered Zac.

"What's up?" asked Jessica, staring at him in concern.

"Nothing."

"Sure there is. You don't usually give up that easily."

"I guess I'm just tired," replied Zac, feigning a yawn.

"It's only nine," she pointed out.

"So? I'm sick."

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in, but please don't feed the animal! He's grumpy!" yelled Jessica.

"I might just have to do something about that," replied a female voice.

A voice that was very familiar. Zac froze as she walked around the door, long brown hair, flashing green eyes, dressed in simple blue jeans and a white Fila sweatshirt.

"Hi, Zac," she said. "Can we talk?"

"Uh, sure. Jess, can you be somewhere else?"

Jessica smiled and patted his shoulder. "Sure. Later, Libby."

Zac flinched. Hearing Jessica say her name…it was just… "What is it, Libby?" he heard himself say.

She perched on his bed. "Your mom said you were sick. What's up?"

"I have a cold."

"Oh." She raked her hand through her hair. "Um, Zac, I've come to apologize."

Zac's eyes widened in surprise.

She continued, "I was unfair the last time I tried to speak to you. I want to say sorry. So I'm sorry."

"Thanks, Libby, that means a lot to me." Zac couldn't look her in the eye. Instead, he looked at her denim-covered knee. It was a lot less entrancing than those clear, green eyes.

"How are you holding up?"

Zac sighed. "I miss him, of course, but I guess it's getting easier. How about you?"

"I'm fine," replied Libby breezily, and Zac didn't doubt for one second that she wasn't. Libby was always fine, as long as she had herself. It didn't matter about anyone else.

"Good."

She leaned over and patted his arm, not noticing his flinch, or if she did, choosing to ignore it. "I'm your friend, Zac. I always have been. You can talk to me."

But Zac knew that wasn't true. He and Libby may have been lovers, but they were never friends. Their relationship had been totally superficial. The top fifth of the iceberg. There had been nothing deep and meaningful about it. And that had been fine at the time, Zac hadn't wanted anything else, really. But now, for her to come in here, masquerading herself as his friend… It was low.

"We're linked together in this tragedy, Zac," she breathed, leaning closer.

Shaking his head, Zac swallowed a bitter laugh. She sounded like someone in 'Sunset Beach'. Nothing linked him with Libby anymore. The link between them had been killed by some fireworks.

It was funny to think that the only thing keeping them apart had been the only thing linking them together.

Zac knew he and Libby would hardly ever see each other again, and he thought she realized it too. It was almost like she had come to say goodbye. They would be civil to one another, and now that she had apologized, it had annulled all the tension between them, but they would never be friends. They were too different, yet at the same time, too similar, to ever be compatible.

He cleared his throat, and for the first time since she'd entered his bedroom, looked her in the eye. "Libby, I appreciate you coming over. Really, I do. But I'm sick. I'm really tired. I need to go to sleep."

She smiled sadly. "Okay. I'll go."

"I'll see you Friday?"

"Friday?" Confusion masked Libby's sweet face.

"The party."

She smiled in recognition. "Yep, see you Friday."

"Thanks, Libby. I mean it."

"No problem. Bye, Zac."

"Bye," he echoed. And as he rolled over, he realized that he was saying goodbye forever.

***

By the time Isaac and Taylor arrived at the Davidsons' house, the party was already in full swing. Rhia pulled open the door, dressed in a short, tight red dress, her blond hair falling in loose waves around her shoulders.

"Wow!" exclaimed Isaac as he kissed her hello. "You look amazing!"

Rhia blushed, tugging down the dress at the back. "You don't think it's a little short?"

"Not at all." Taylor shook his head.

"A little tight?" Rhia ran her hand self-consciously over her stomach, her face falling. "I knew it. I should've gotten the ten, I know but they only had sixes and eights left! Dammit, I must look like an overstuffed sausage, or a-"

Isaac cut her off, putting his finger on top of her lips. "Rhia, you look fantastic."

Still unconvinced, she turned sideways. "It doesn't show too much of my tummy?"

"What tummy?" grinned Isaac.

Rhia looked at him, eyebrows raised, then she started to laugh. "Ah, you can always make me feel better…"

"You nervous?" asked Taylor, handing Rhia his jacket.

"Terrified!" she admitted, laughing shortly.

"Why?" Isaac took off his own coat and gave it to Rhia, who hung it up in the closet, along with Taylor's. "Everyone seems to be having a great time! Face it, Ree, you're the hostess with the mostess!"

She smiled. "Thanks. I just hope Jake likes me in this dress."

"Looks to me like he does," remarked Taylor. "He's practically drooling over there."

Rhia turned round, and Jake beckoned on her. "I'd better go," she told the brothers ruefully. "Look, have a great time and I'll catch up with you later, yeah?" And with that, she turned on the velvet heel of her black strappy sandal, trotting along the hall to Jake.

Taylor dug Isaac in the ribs. "You want her."

"Tay!" Isaac reddened, punching him on the arm. "Have you been talking to Zac?" he demanded.

"Zac knows?"

"You don't?"

"Just a hunch!"

"Oh, man," groaned Isaac. "Look, I just think she's a great girl."

"Sure ya do, Ike, sure ya do." Taylor smiled knowingly. "If it's any consolation, I won't tell anyone."

"You'd better not!"

"Or what?" teased Taylor, playfully.

"Your life won't be worth living!"

"And Ike?"

"What?" he moaned exasperatedly.

"I think she likes you too!" Taylor laughed, draping his arm around Isaac, who was grumbling inaudibly. "C'mon, bro, let's mingle!"

Shaking his head, Isaac allowed Taylor to lead him into the living room of Rhia's house, where they were greeted by Neil, who stuck a cone-shaped party hat on each of their heads and handed them a 2000 sticker.

"Look, there's Jon!" Taylor yelled into Isaac's ear, over the deafening tones of Will Smith's 'Will 2K'. "Let's go talk to him!"

He bounded across the room to his friend. Isaac watched him, smiling to see Taylor so happy, then followed.

Isaac spent the rest of the night catching up with Neil, finding out he'd spent the few days at his aunt's in Galena, in Kansas. He saw Honey Perkins a couple of times, and actually spoke to her civilly, much to his surprise. Honey herself spent most of the night draped across Scott Allcorn, but Isaac didn't feel even the slightest twinge of jealousy or regret. Honey, as far as he was concerned, had been great to look at, great to pine over, but hadn't exactly been the deepest person he'd known. He'd probably heard more meaningful things from Zoë.

Now, it was almost eleven-thirty, and Isaac was stuck on the couch, talking to some guy who Rhia's cousin knew. The guy, whose name was Phillip, was blabbering on about astrophysics, combined with his grandmother's bowel problems, and Isaac found the conversation less the riveting.

"Yes, well, the doctor said that if she begins to pass blood…" droned Phillip.

Isaac raised his eyebrows, wondering who had told this guy that the excretion of waste was a great topic of party conversation. He looked round the room, desperately hoping to see Rhia, Neil, Taylor or anyone else who could rescue him. Eventually, he spied his brother, who was standing by the food and drink table, talking to Katie Gibson and drinking a can of Coke, whilst chewing on a pretzel.

"Oh, my Lord!" gasped Isaac, over emphatically.

"What is it?" asked Phillip, looking mildly irritated, having had to stop his description of how long his grandmother spent in the bathroom.

"My brother!"

"What?"

"He's eating pretzels!"

"So?" Phillip pushed up his glasses, looking confused.

"He's allergic!"

"To pretzels?" Raising his eyebrows incredulously, Phillip glanced over to Taylor. "He looks okay."

"Not to pretzels. To salt! Oh, it's hidden in so many foods! He mustn't know he's eating it! " Isaac got to his feet.

"Your brother doesn't know there's salt in pretzels?"

Isaac tapped the side of his head. "He's a little slow. We don't like to make a big thing of it. I have to rescue him. See ya!" He turned and bolted across the room, placing both hands on Taylor's shoulders from behind.

"Yah!" exclaimed Taylor. "Geez, Ike, way to give a guy cardiac arrest!"

"Pretend to choke."

"What? Ike, you've lost it!"

"No," replied Isaac meaningfully. "Oh, never mind. I just had to escape a boring conversation. Hey, Katie."

"Hi," smiled Katie, turning to speak to some guy from school who was flirting with her.

"What's up with you two?" Isaac asked Taylor, darting a furtive glance over his shoulder, glad to see that Phillip was now engrossed in talking to Josh Waterman, who looked as desperate to escape as Isaac had been.

"Oh, nothing." Taylor shook his head. "We're just talking."

"Is Martin here?"

"Yep. He's in the den. Hence the reason I'm staying in here…"

"Oh. Well, if you need me, yell."

Taylor smiled. "Because you're so buff?"

"Buffer than you, Bonebag!" jibed Isaac.

"Thanks, but I think I'll be okay."

"I know." Isaac groaned. "Oh, I really gotta pee."

"Drinking too much?" Taylor raised his eyebrows wickedly.

"Yeah. Too much Dr Pepper, you idiot! I'm going to the bathroom. Catch you later, okay?" He punched Taylor lightly on the shoulder, then ran upstairs to the - thankfully empty - bathroom.

Once he was done, he was walking back downstairs, when he heard a scream coming from Rhia's bedroom. Shaking his head, Isaac laughed. He just wondered what Rhia would say if she knew what her guests were using her bedroom for. He'd need to find her and warn her before he went home. He didn't want her climbing into bed to find her sheets covered in… He grimaced, shuddering at the thought. Anyway, he'd need to tell her.

He heard the scream again, louder this time and more urgent. He cocked his head, trying to decide if it was a scream of pleasure or distress. Then it came again, short-lived and quickly muffled. But not so short that Isaac didn't recognize it. That was Rhia screaming.

Heart pounding, he ran back up the stairs, and across the landing, bursting into Rhia's room.

"Oh, my God! I'm so sorry, Ree…" Isaac's cheeks flamed, taking in the picture of Rhia lying flat on her back on the bed, giggling. Her red dress was rumpled and her face flushed. Jake was straddling her, although still fully dressed, his back to Isaac, his face close to hers. "I'll…just…be… Um…bye…"

"No, Ike, wait!" gasped Rhia.

Isaac stuck his head back into the room. "Ree?" he asked, realizing for the first time that Rhia was crying, not laughing.

"Help," she whispered weakly.

Isaac frowned. What was going on? Then it hit him like a ten-ton truck. Jake was trying to rape Rhia. He lunged for Jake, gripping him with his arms from behind and trying to pull him off his best friend. "Get off her, you asshole!" he yelled.

But Jake didn't budge. He was a quarterback, at least forty pounds heavier than Isaac, and much, much stronger. With a mere shake of his shoulders, he had Isaac on the floor. He turned round slowly. "Hanson, that was pathetic," he sneered. "I know you're a brother- fucking faggot, but I thought even you could do better than that."

Rage flared inside Isaac. "You thought right!" he growled, starting to get to his feet.

Jake reached into his inside pocket. "You just try it," he warned.

Isaac gulped as Jake drew out a knife, glittering in the light of Rhia's bedroom.

"Just stay there," commanded Jake, walking towards the door. He slid the bolt across, locking them in. "There we are, honey," he cooed, caressing Rhia's cheek. "No more unwanted interruptions." He turned to Isaac. "You can watch. You know you want her. Now you'll see someone else have her."

"You're sick, Ryan," hissed Isaac, shaking his head.

"I know." Jake grinned. "Ain't it great?" He began to pace the room slowly, reminding Isaac of a lion circling his prey, just waiting to pounce. "Ain't this great?" repeated Jake. "Just me, an incestuous wimp and…" he trailed off, walking over to the bed and kneeling beside Rhia, "…my perfect little Rhia."

Rhia whimpered, shaking. Tears were streaming down her face and instead of being red, she was now as pale as a ghost. "No!" she yelled.

Jake smiled evilly. "They won't hear you, sweetie. There's a party going on downstairs. Do you really think they’re going to be listening to you?" He frowned briefly. "But still, just in case…" He rummaged around in Rhia's drawers, producing a cotton scarf. "Open your mouth, Rhia, honey," he ordered gently.

Rhia shook her head silently.

"Do it!" he yelled, slapping her across the face.

Isaac's eyes widened. He couldn't believe he was witnessing this. He jumped to his feet.

Jake whirled around, eyes shining madly. "On second thoughts…" He pushed Isaac over and grabbed his feet, tying the scarf tightly around his ankles. "And this one," he muttered to himself, "can go around your wrists. You'll be quiet, won't you, Ikey-poos?" He dangled the knife in front of Isaac's nose. "No need for gags?"

Isaac nodded.

"Good boy," patronized Jake, patting Isaac on the head. "Now, Rhia…open wide…"

Rhia obeyed him, and he gagged her with her own scarf.

"Jake?" Isaac spoke up timidly. "Do what you like with me. But please, please don't hurt Rhia."

"Aww, ain't you the knight in shining armor?"

"I'm serious."

Jake smiled at him. "You really think I'd hurt my beautiful Rhia?" He sat down beside her, stroking her hair. Rhia squeezed her eyes shut, as if trying to make him go away. "But you see, Hanson, Rhia made a mistake."

At that, Rhia's eyes snapped open and she stared at him in terror.

Jake sighed, still caressing her hair. "Rhia knows what I want. I want her. I want to feel myself inside of her. She knows this, don't you, honey?"

Rhia nodded, looking away, more tears sliding down her face.

"And she always tell me she's not ready, but she promised me…" He spoke in a high pitched voice. "Oh, Jake, I'll let you know when I'm ready!" He reverted back to his own deep growl. "So I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe, tonight will be the night. You know, almost the new Millennium, only a couple of days to go, a big party, no parents… Then I get here, and she's wearing this gorgeous, figure hugging dress… And I think she wants me, too. You know how it is, Hanson. I mean you're a guy. You must know how it feels to be desperate, Hanson, maybe when you're waiting for Taylor to finish with Zac so he can move on to you. You know how it feels?"

Isaac nodded mutely, even though he had never, ever been desperate to have sex with either of his brothers. It was best not to argue with a guy with a knife.

"Then she says to me, 'Lets go upstairs', and I think I'm in for a great late Christmas present. So we're kissing, and I go to pull up her dress and she freaks. Now, you know, Hanson, you never do that to a desperate guy, do you?"

Isaac shook his head.

"Can't just tell us to go take cold showers, can they?" He answered his own question. "No, you can’t. Cold showers don't work, Rhia!" He slammed his fist down on the bed, then kissed Rhia gently on the cheek. "Oh, Rhia," he whispered. "I love you so much."

This guy's a psycho, Isaac realized. One minute, he was slapping Rhia, almost threatening to kill her, and the next, he was kissing her, telling her he loved her. Totally psycho.

"Rhia, you're so beautiful," continued Jake. "Sure, you're a little fatter than my usual victims." He laughed. "Did I say victims? Sorry, I meant girlfriends. But that doesn't matter, Rhia. Because I like your puppy fat."

"She's not fat." Isaac spoke through gritted teeth.

"No," agreed Jake, "she's not. Not at all. She's just…plump. Plump." He repeated it, relishing the sound of the consonants rolling off his tongue. "Yep, that's a good word. A pretty word. For my pretty Rhia."

Rhia's cheeks flamed and Isaac's heart ached for her. He knew how - unnecessarily - sensitive Rhia was about her weight.

Jake rested his hand on the lower part of Rhia's stomach, caressing it. "Yep, plump is good. I love this little bump here, Ree, you know that? And you've been looking after it well; it's been getting bigger. I know…" He took his knife and slit it down the front of Rhia's dress.

Isaac's heart stopped, then started again as he realized that Rhia wasn't cut. She was in bad shape though. He could tell she was embarrassed, and she looked terrified.

Jake pulled open Rhia's ruined dress, revealing her black lace underwear. "Yep, let's get a better look." He patted Rhia's left thigh. "Hmm, Ree, the cellulite ain't very attractive, hon. That should go, okay?"

Rhia nodded, then coughed, choking on the gag.

"Shh, shh, my beautiful Rhia," whispered Jake, stroking her red face.

"You're a psycho," muttered Isaac, but if Jake heard, he didn't show it.

His hands traveled up Rhia's body. "This is my favorite bit," he murmured, returning to Rhia's lower abdomen and kneading it with one hand. "This little bump here. The dress showed it well, Ree, your little tummy. Very, very sexy. Can we give this bit a name? Yep, I think so. Let's call it...Henry."

Isaac felt sick to the stomach. Poor Rhia. He just wished there was something he could do.

"Then, above Henry, we have this cute little spare tire." He pinched the top part of Rhia's stomach between his fingers. "You know what they say, Ree…if you can pinch an inch, you're fat. Well, that's more than an inch. But don't worry, it's okay. You know why, Isaac?"

Isaac snapped to attention, shocked at Jake using his real name for the first time. "Um, no."

"Because…if your big thighs are bumpy, and your big stomach is bumpy, then the other bumps are bound to be big too." He squeezed Rhia's right breast hard, through her bra and Rhia winced in pain. "Ah, yeah, don't get many of them to the pound, do you, Rhia?"

Rhia was crying harder now. Isaac wanted to take her in his arms, tell her she was beautiful. She really was beautiful. She wasn't fat, and he hated Jake, hated him for telling her she was. Rhia's self-esteem was low enough already.

"What size are we in the bumpy department, Rhiannon Louisa Davidson?" cooed Jake, running his index finger along the bottom of Rhia's bra. "Ah, here's the label. A thirty-six double D? I didn't know you were quite that big, baby. Can I have some? Can I?" He pushed his head into Rhia's cleavage. "Oh, yeah, that's good… How about we remove this, huh?" He snapped the elastic on Rhia's bra-strap.

She shook her head urgently, praying that he wouldn't. Not in front of Isaac. As if she wasn’t embarrassed enough. She knew she was fat; she didn't need Jake pointing it out to all 'n' sundry. But she was confused. What was he going to do to her? Was he going to rape her? Kill her? Or just torture her? Choking back a sob, she wished that whatever he was going to do, he would just do it quickly.

Isaac watched the big jerk sexually abuse his best friend, feeling totally helpless that there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it. Downstairs, he could hear KoRn playing at full volume. No chance of anyone down there hearing him. Then he frowned, listening intently. Yep, there it was again. A creak. Someone was coming upstairs. Taking a deep breath, Isaac filled his lungs and yelled at the top of his voice. "HELP!"

He heard the footsteps running towards the door.

Jake whirled round, flashing the knife at Isaac. "You stupid, stupid bastard!" he laughed, waving the knife at him. "That was dumb, Ike. Really, really dumb."

"What's wrong?" came the voice from behind the door. It rattled backwards and forwards. "It's locked!"

"Neil!" yelled Isaac.

"Ike?"
"HELP!"

There were a couple of bangs as Neil tried to break the door. Then his footsteps thundered downstairs.

"You're not going to get away with this!" hissed Isaac.

"I'm not?" Jake laughed. "That's what you think. We just take off this…" He rolled Rhia round roughly, until she was face down on the bed and unclasped her bra, throwing it at Isaac. "Give it to you… You were sexually assaulting my girlfriend. So I jump in, stab you in self-defense. If you die, then too bad. It was an accident."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, wouldn't I?" sneered Jake.

Isaac heard footsteps coming back upstairs. Thinking quickly and desperately, he leant back and spat in Jake's face, a big globule of saliva hitting him square in the eye.

"You dick!" Jake screamed, wiping his eye.

Just then, the door burst open and Neil, Taylor, Josh Waterman and Jonathan Rush ran into the room.

"Rhia!" gasped Neil, running towards his half naked sister, lying face down on the bed and untying the gag. "Oh, God, are you okay?"

Rhia nodded, bursting into tears properly.

"Oh, Ree," Neil stroked her hair.

"Ike!" Taylor ran across the room, wrapping his arms around his brother. "Are you-"

"Freeze!" screamed Jake, jumping to his feet, his eye red, but otherwise fully recovered. He looked down at Taylor, still holding Isaac in his arms. "You two disgust me. Look at you."

Taylor slowly took his arms away from Isaac and stared up at Jake.

"You'll pay for that, Hanson," Jake growled. "Spitting's a dirty habit. Nobody ever tell you that?"

He moved forward towards Isaac.

"No!" yelled Taylor. "Don't!"

Jake laughed, aiming the knife at Isaac's chest. "Whatcha gonna do about it, Gaylor?" he taunted. "I'm gonna kill your puny little boyfriend…"

Suddenly, Jake was knocked flying, and somehow Neil had pinned him against the floor and was sitting on top of him.

"You prick!" growled Neil. "What the hell did you think you were doing to my sister?" He punched him hard, again and again.

Isaac watched in awe. Neil may have been skinny, but he was a swimmer, and strong with it.

Jake's head eventually lolled backwards.

Neil stared at the bloody, swollen mess of his face and did something that surprised them all. He started to cry, taking big, gulping sobs.

"Hey, hey, hey…" Josh knelt down beside him, hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. Everyone's fine, thanks to you and Ike."

"Um, I think we should tie him up," spoke up Jon. "Tay, help me?"

Taylor nodded, silently removing the ties from Isaac's ankles and wrists and handed them to Jon, who quickly tied up Jake Ryan.

Katie Gibson walked into the room. "Someone's called the police and ambulance," she told them, before running away again as quickly as she could.

"Ike, could you pass me a T-shirt?" Rhia sobbed, able to speak now her gag had been removed.

Isaac went into her drawer and found a huge Mickey Mouse T-shirt. He took it over to Rhia, who somehow managed to pull it on without showing anybody anything other than her back. "Are you okay?" he asked, putting his hand in hers.

She squeezed it, nodding and standing up, the T-shirt hanging down to her knees. "I'm okay," she whispered.

Everyone watched as she crossed the room to where Neil was crying on the floor. She pulled him up and wrapped him up in a huge hug, both of them bursting into fresh tears, shaking as they held each other.

Face pale, Taylor walked up behind Isaac, slipping his hand into his brother's. "C'mon, Ike, let's go home. The police will handle everything else."

"They'll need a statement from me," Isaac pointed out.

Taylor squeezed his hand. "You'll still be here in the morning. Right now, I'm taking you home. And I'm driving."

"Tay, I'm okay."

"No arguments," replied Taylor firmly.

"You go, Ike," agreed Rhia through her tears, looking away from her twin for one second. "Thanks."

"No problem." And Isaac allowed his little brother to lead him by the hand out of the room. As Isaac passed Jake, he couldn't look at him. But still, he could see him in his mind's eye, and he knew that the image of Jake coming towards him with that knife would be one that would haunt him for a very long time.

***

Isaac stared up at the blue sky, watching the clouds drift past. Around him, the remains of the Christmas snow were melting away and the birds were singing. If it hadn't been for the huge WELCOME TO THE YEAR 2000 sign strung up between the trees in preparation for that night's big park party, Isaac would have thought it was a spring or a fall day.

After Tuesday night, the cold spell of weather had broken. The sun had appeared in the sky, and the temperatures had shot up to the high fifties. It was still cool enough for a jacket, but not for the dirty, trodden-on snow to survive. It had almost all melted away - only the snow that had fallen in shaded parts remained - leaving everything that had been underneath clean and new-looking. And Isaac was sure he could see the heads of snowdrops peeping up through the soil.

It linked in with the whole disaster that had been Rhia's party. After that, the symbolical sun was shining, the snowdrops appearing and everything cleansed, ready for a new start.

"You were so brave." Rhia rolled onto her side, squinting at Isaac in the weak December sunshine.

"Neil was the brave one." Isaac folded his hands behind his head. "All I did was scream and spit. Babies do it all the time," he added wryly, smiling at her.

She laughed, sitting up and leaning against the tree that she and Isaac were lying side by side underneath. "I really thought he was going to kill us."

"Hmm…" Isaac frowned. "I don't know. Maybe he would have. I really did think he was going to rape you, though. He's totally sick."

Rhia shuddered. "I know. I've never been so humiliated in my whole life."

Isaac squeezed her hand. "Well, he's gone now."

And he was. Rhia, Isaac and Neil had all given their statements to the police, Rhia terrified that she would have to testify against him in court, but it wasn't going to come to that. Jake Ryan had been declared clinically insane, a danger to the community, and had been sectioned into an institute across the country, back home in Florida.

"I know. It's just…" Rhia trailed off, turning to Isaac. "I really thought I loved him. In a sick and twisted way, but I really did love him."

"Even after what he did?"

Rhia shrugged, staring down at the grass. "Maybe not. I can't even think about it, Ike. I can barely look at you."

"Why not?" Isaac whispered gently.

"Well, you saw it all, didn't you?" she choked out quietly, trying not to cry, although tears were forming in her eyes. "The black lacy underwear…" She poked herself in the stomach. "My tummy…" She gestured to her chest. "The over-shoulder boulder holder…"

"The what?!" Isaac burst out laughing.

Rhia stared at him, and for a minute, Isaac didn't know whether she was going to laugh or cry. She bit her lip, then started to giggle. "I guess it is a dumb name. My Aunt Miriam says it."

"The English one?"

"Yeah…"

"Over-shoulder boulder holder…" Isaac began to laugh even harder, leaning back against the tree's trunk. "That's…"

"Not that funny," finished Rhia.

Isaac instantly stopped laughing. "Ree, don't be embarrassed."

Rhia shook her head. "Do you know how it feels to have every little flaw, every fat bit or whatever, pointed out to somebody?"

"No," he admitted. He reached for her hand.

"Don't, Isaac," she said sadly. "I don't even know how you can look at me, without seeing some elephant dressed in hooker's clothing…"

"Stop it!" Isaac took her by the shoulders. "Look at me!" he commanded, turning her round to face him. "Rhia, Jake spoke a hell of a lot of crap on Tuesday night. But he said one thing that was true."

"What's that?" asked Rhia sarcastically. "That the cellulite has to go?"

Isaac sighed. "I don't give a damn about cellulite. I don't even know what the hell it is, and I don't want to. Jake said you were beautiful, Rhia, and that is the only sensible thing I've ever heard him say since we met him all those months ago!"

"He also said I was fat."

"Yeah, and he said I screw Taylor every night, but do you think that's true?!" Isaac's voice rose in exasperation.

Rhia laughed nervously. "I hope not, because if it was, you'd have problems."

Isaac smiled. "Yeah, but I think Tay would have bigger ones!" he joked. "Look, Rhia, what size dress do you wear?"

Frowning, Rhia gave him a strange look. "You know what size. An eight or a ten, depending on the cut."

"And do you really think that you're fat when there are girls out there who take sizes much bigger than you, and they're not fat?"

"Oh, what do you know? You dated the human toothpick!"

"How many times do I have to tell you? I am not dating my brother!"

Rhia stared at him, then burst out laughing. "Be nice," she chided, slapping him lightly on the leg. "Besides, Taylor's not horribly skinny…" she trailed off, raising her eyebrows. "Is he?" she added hopefully. "Hey! You're not exactly big yourself!"

Isaac grinned. "Nope. But I'm not as Twiglet as Taylor. Anyway, we're not talking about Tay or me. We're talking about you and how you're not fat and how you're beautiful…"

"So it must be story time then!" joked Rhia.

"Reeeeeee-ahhhhhhh!!!" groaned Isaac. "Stop it! Look, you know my cousin Andrea?"

"Oh, she's so pretty!"

"She wears size twelve."

"No way!"

"Way," countered Isaac. "And Marilyn Monroe was a size fourteen. That means, if she went to Britain, she'd be a size eighteen."

Rhia shrugged, pulling up her top. "But look!" she whined, prodding her stomach.

"Yes, Rhia, it's called skin."

"Nobody's skin's that thick."

Isaac rolled his eyes. "Rhia, this is getting boring. You're not fat. Okay, so your stomach isn't perfectly flat, but it's cute!"

"Not perfectly flat?" Rhia echoed. "Ha!" She placed his hand on the small, unobtrusive bump that Jake had named Henry. "Feel that. Freakin' Mount Everest! You know, somebody actually asked me if I was pregnant!"

"Don't talk crap! You're making that up!"

Rhia sighed. "So, they'll ask me one of these days."

Isaac gently moved his hand back and forwards on 'Mount Everest'. It didn't feel so bad to him, and, in his opinion, curvy girls were gorgeous. Especially Rhia. He didn't care if she wasn't stick thin; Isaac didn't like stick thin girls; Honey had been an exception. He just wished that Rhia would end this stupid obsession with calling herself fat when she so obviously wasn't. What was it about girls that made them do that?

He knew he couldn't really blame her, and that it was Jake's fault for playing on her insecurities, but it was getting boring and annoying.

He leaned towards her. "Rhia?"

"What?" she asked, huffily.

"Where does this leave us at?"

"I don't know where you are, Ike, but I'm under a tree in the park."

Isaac cursed her silently for picking today to be such a bitch. "Rhia, are you mad at me?"

She softened. "No, of course not. I'm just… This whole thing freaked me out. I was starting to think that maybe I wasn't like Free Willy, and then Jake…" She trailed off, shrugging and unable to find the right words.

Isaac took her hand again. "Jake's gone. He's not here. There's nobody here but us."

Rhia pressed her lips together nervously. The truth was, she didn't know where she stood with Isaac, or where he stood with her. He was her best friend. She loved him to death. Did she really want to risk her friendship with him?

She looked at him. His newly cut dark blond hair fell across his forehead and his warm brown eyes stared at her from underneath knitted eyebrows. He was obviously as confused and scared as she was.

"Ike?"

"Yeah?" he whispered hoarsely, his voice barely audible.

"Are we… Will we be making a big mistake?" She had finally asked the question that had been playing on both of their minds since they'd agreed to meet at the tree. They hadn't come to discuss Rhia's dress size, or Marilyn Monroe's either, for that matter, although she definitely had issues with her size. They'd come to sort out how they felt about one another; even if they'd never come out and said it, they both needed to know. They were both single now. There was nothing stopping them. Except the love they already had for one another.

Isaac looked up to the sky, as if looking to the Lord for help, then stared straight at Rhia, running a finger down the side of her face. "If we are making a mistake," he started quietly, surprised at how near to tears he felt, "at least we'll be making it together."

He leaned towards her, pressing his lips to hers, and for the first time, Rhia could kiss back without feeling guilty.

She pulled him closer to her and began to run her fingers through his hair as he held on to her tightly.

Isaac became aware that she was crying. It was a weird sensation, someone else's tears running down your face, but he didn't mind. All that mattered was that they were together. And they were allowed to be together now. It was Isaac's late and best Christmas present. Finally being allowed to be with the girl he loved.

I can't believe you're here with me
And now it seems my world's complete
And I never want this moment to end
I close my eyes and still I see
My dreams become reality
And now I know how it feels to be

I prayed so many nights that you would come my way
An angel from above to light my darkest day
Now I think it's time for you to hear these lines
Cos there's something I want to say

Finally found what I've been looking for
Now you know I'm gonna love you more
Hold me tight, cos it's always been you
To think that you were always there
To be my friend and wipe away my tears
Now it's clear that it's always been you

Isaac pulled apart from Rhia and looked at her. She stared back at him, her emerald green eyes shining with tears of joy. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair framed her face like a halo. He remembered Jake calling Rhia 'Angel' the first time they'd met. Now she wasn't Jake's angel anymore. This was his angel and only his angel.

"Wow," he whispered.

"What?" asked Rhia, smiling.

"I just can't believe this is happening!" He grinned stupidly.

"Believe it, Ike," replied Rhia, what she hoped was huskily.

"Do you have laryngitis?" he teased.

"Hey!" Rhia started to giggle. This was one of the good things about already being friends. No secrets, no airs and graces. They knew everything there was to know already.

"Don't try to be sexy with me, Davidson," he chuckled. "I know you too well…"

"Stop dissing me and start kissing me!" she ordered.

Isaac groaned. It sounded like the title of a Ricki Lake show. "That was awful," he mumbled. Still, he obeyed her, leaning forward, his lips connecting yet again with hers.

Sometimes you don't expect that friends
Can become lovers in the end
Only God knows what the future will bring
So hold me close and don't let go
Cos this is love, boy, don't you know
And we're gonna be together for eternity

I prayed so many nights that you would come my way
An angel from above to light my darkest day
This love's so strong, it can't be wrong
It's with you that I belong

Finally found what I've been looking for
Now you know I'm gonna love you more
Hold me tight, cos it's always been you
To think that you were always there
To be my friend and wipe away my tears
Now it's clear that it's always been you

"Rhia, are you sure about this?" Isaac asked breathlessly. "I mean, what if we like…"

"Isaac, shush…" She hugged him close, whispering in his ear. "We're going to do our best to make this work, our very best. And it will work. But if it doesn’t, then we go back to being friends. Don't be scared."

"Are you saying you're not scared?" challenged Isaac.

"I'm terrified," Rhia confided. "But we have to try, Ike. Unless you don't want to," she added, suddenly feeling uncertain.

"Oh, no, no, I want to," Isaac assured her. "I want to…"

This time, this time, we’re gonna make sure it turns out right
I wanna be your everything and by your side
For the rest of your life
This love, this love, is the way our love should be
Look in my eyes and realize, there's no disguise
Cos I'm in love with you, oh

Finally found what I've been looking for
Now you know I'm gonna love you more
Hold me tight, cos it's always been you, you, you…

To think that you were always there
To be my friend and wipe away my tears
Now it's clear that it's always been you, yeah, yeah

Finally found what I been looking for
Yes, I finally found it, I finally found it, hey yeah, yeah…

Rhia broke it apart this time, wrapping her arms around Isaac. "Hold me," she whispered.

And Isaac did as he was asked. He certainly didn't have any problem with it.

***

"I cannot believe it's the end of the century!" Taylor threw himself down onto Zac's bed, shaking his hair.

"Oww…" groaned Zac, rubbing his side, where Taylor's bony elbow had struck him. "I cannot believe you can't believe it… It's been a long year. Way too long, if you ask me."

"Well, nobody asked you, did they?" grumbled Taylor.

"You did!"

"I did not! I merely stated that I couldn't believe it was the end of the century, and you said it had been a long year, which has, like, no connection whatsoever."

Zac stared at him. "You don't think a year has anything to do with a century?"

"I didn't say that, numb-nut."

"Oh, piss off, you freak." Zac stuck his tongue out at his brother.

Taylor sighed. "It has been a crappy year, though, hasn't it?"

Zac nodded slowly, his mind drifting to Corey. He wouldn't see the new Millennium, or join in with any of the dumb celebrations. "I wish he was still here, Tay…" he trailed off, chewing on his thumbnail.

Taylor put his hand on his shoulder, knowing automatically that his brother was thinking about Corey. "I know you do. But, hey, who says they're not celebrating the Millennium in Heaven?"

Zac looked up at him, smiling. "You really believe in that?"

"I have to. Stops me from being terrified of being hit by a bus every time I walk out of the house." He frowned. "I thought you did, too. Don't go all atheist on us, Zac. I think Mom would sooner give birth to a cow than a child who had no religious beliefs."

"Mom giving birth to a cow…" mused Zac. "That'd be pretty." Then he got serious. "I'm not atheist, Tay, of course I'm not. Just this whole Corey thing made me think. Why would God do it?"

Taylor sighed. "He has a better place for Corey, Zac, you gotta believe that."

Zac didn't say anything; he just sat there in silence, fiddling with the duvet cover. Then he looked up. "I believe it." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Do you think he's okay up there?"

Taylor nodded.

"Do you think he can see me sometimes?"

"Maybe," replied Taylor gently.

"Do you-" Zac's voice caught in his throat and the tears formed in his eyes. "Do you think he knows I'm sorry?"

Taylor bit on his lip. He'd thought Zac was getting better about Corey, but he obviously still had a lot of guilt issues to deal with. They seemed to be torturing his brother, forbidding him to live his life. He looked at his brother sitting in front of him, looking thoroughly miserable. He wasn't crying properly, but a lone tear was trickling down his cheek. "Oh, Zac…" Taylor patted him on the arm. "He'll know you're sorry."

"Do you think he'll forgive me?"

"Of course he will, if he was your friend." Taylor cleared his throat. "Zac, people make mistakes. Corey made mistakes in his own life too. But I think the person who is most at fault with this one is Libby. She was the one stringing you both along."

"But I knew about him. He didn't know about me."

Taylor shook his head. "Stop trying to find ways of blaming yourself. Just let it go, Zac. Don't forget about him, you know you won't, but live your life now. You're sorry. He knows that, and I think he's forgiven you. Face it, Zachary, you're innocent." He grinned, ruffling his brother's hair.

Zac stared at him. How could he be so flippant? But deep down, he knew Taylor was only trying to cheer him up. And maybe he was right. Maybe it was time to say goodbye to Corey, along with the Millennium. He nodded, slowly.

"Good."

"Tay?"

"Hmm?"

"The year's been pretty shitty to you too, huh?" Zac crossed his legs and rested his head in his hands, looking up at his older brother.

"Yeah. But, hey, she's moved on. I have, too, now."

"I know you have." Zac thought for a moment. "Hey, what's been bad that's happened to Ike?"

Taylor raised his eyebrows. "You mean besides almost being stabbed by a psychotic quarterback?" he asked cynically.

Zac chuckled. "Oh, yeah. But he came through."

"He did. But Zac, so did we."

Zac smiled. "Yeah, we did, didn't we?" He raised his hand and Taylor slapped him five.

"And next year will be our year, Zac. You just wait and see."

"You say that every year," laughed Zac.

"Oh, what a beautiful morning!" sang Isaac, bursting through the door. "Oh, what a beautiful day! I've got a wonderful feeling, everything's going my way…"

Taylor laughed. "Ike, I know we live in Oklahoma, but it really isn't compulsory to murder the songs from the musical of the same name."

"Murdering! Ha!" Isaac sat down beside them on the bed.

"Anyway, it's like five o'clock in the afternoon," Zac pointed out.

"Yes, thank you, Greenwich Meridian, but 'Oh what a beautiful late afternoon' didn't quite have the same ring to it, you know?"

"Geez, okay, fine." Zac held up his hands in mock-surrender. "Why so happy, anyway?"

Taylor nudged Zac. "He saw Rhia."

"Ohh…yeah… And? Do tell all…" Zac grinned wickedly, cracking his knuckles.

"Eww, you know I hate that!" Isaac shuddered at the sound of Zac's popping bones.

"Well, Ike, I have five other knuckles on this hand." Zac cracked his index finger in Isaac's ear. "Spill your guts, or I'll make you listen."

"I was gonna tell you anyway."

"I know, but this makes me look tough." Zac crossed his arms, puffing out his chest.

"Sure it does, Zac." Isaac shook his head.

"Well?" prompted Taylor. "Are we Mr Rhiannon Davidson?"

"Taylor, we are nothing."

Zac pretended to look shocked. "What? You don't believe in a menage-a-trois?"

Isaac slapped him playfully around the head. "Don't be gross beyond your years."

"Ike!" whined Taylor. "What happened? Should I hire a tux or what?"

"You can hire whatever you like, Taylor," Isaac teased.

"Isaac!"

"Yeah, come on, Ike," chimed in Zac. "When's the wedding? Can I be the best man?"

"Can I be the better man?" added Taylor, hanging upside down off the bed.

Isaac poked him in the stomach, making him sit upright. "Don't get too ahead of yourselves here." He looked down at the bed. "We've decided to give things a try."

"Really?" asked Taylor, his eyes shining.

"Yup."

"Oh, Ike, that's great!"

"I know."

"Yeah, Ike, that's real cool," agreed Zac.

"Well, I just hope it'll work out."

"It will," Taylor assured him. "You guys are M.F.E.O."

Zac wrinkled his brow. "They're Mad Fruit-Eating Orangutans? That's not very nice, Taylor."

Taylor rolled his eyes. "Made For Each Other, you dipstick."

Isaac smiled. "Thanks, Tay." He got to his feet. "Anyway, I promised Mom I'd vacuum the family room before the party, so I'll see you guys later."

"Hey, Ike?" called Zac.

Isaac turned round, wondering why Zac was grinning so evilly. "What?"

Zac began to sing in a high falsetto. "Ike and Rhia, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Isaac shook his head, grinning. "Actually, Zac, we were under the tree," he informed him breezily, before drifting out of the room and down the stairs, leaving Zac temporarily dumbfounded.

***

Isaac pressed down the foot pedal on Zac's bass drum, beating it repeatedly. Picking up the sticks, he added a simple over-part, using only the snare and the high-hat. He couldn't do much on the drums, save a couple of simple fills, but keeping a rhythmical cross stick was something he could manage.

He didn't know exactly why he'd retreated to the garage, but he'd just felt the need to escape the hustle upstairs. Their house was filled with friends and neighbors, all congratulating him on his bravery at the Davidsons' the other night. He just couldn't take it any more. He felt like such a fake. He hadn't done anything, apart from screaming through the door and spitting. He'd left the room, leaving time for Neil to revel in his deserved heroism. Neil had been the real brave one, and Isaac thought he was enjoying the attention. He'd confessed to Isaac that it felt good to be considered worthwhile for a change, even if it would only last for a couple of days. And Isaac had told him that he deserved it, and that he was to go out and enjoy it.

Climbing out from behind Zac's drumkit, Isaac picked up a red marker and found a rare clean space of wall. He drew a clock, then wrote underneath it, 11:45PM, DECEMBER 31ST, 1999, signing his name with a flourish. That could be the Millennium addition to the eclectic mural on their garage walls.

"Ike?" a voice called. "Are you in here?"

"Yeah," he replied.

Avery appeared at the top of the stairs. "Hi. Why are you in here?"

Smiling at the sight of his sister, Isaac beckoned her to come down, and pulled her up onto his knee, hugging her closely to him. "Hey, Avie baby. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Ike, you're acting weird," she told him.

He chuckled. "You think?"

"Uh-huh."

"Are you sleepy?" he asked her, as she leaned back on him, nestling her head under his chin.

"A little," she admitted. "It's late." As if proving her point, she yawned. "Oh, Mommy says you have to come up now, okay?"

"Okay. Get up, then."

She stared at him, batting her long eyelashes.

He groaned. "Oh, okay. I'll carry you. But you're almost nine years old, Avie. You'll have to learn how to walk."

"I can walk, silly," she giggled as they climbed the stairs from the garage to the hall.

"Well, why don't you, then?" he asked, pushing open the door to the living room.

"Because, Ike, this is so much more fun!"

Isaac laughed, setting her down gently on the floor. "Go on, get out of here."

She flashed him her sweetest smile, then trotted over to Jessica.

"Hey, sweetie, where did you go?" His mom materialized beside him, handing him a glass of champagne.

"Just to the garage." Isaac took a sip of the sparkling drink.

"Okay. Hey, that's for midnight!" his mom scolded, swatting his arm lightly. "Just wait five minutes." She left as quickly as she'd come, fussing around with streamers.

Isaac perched on the edge of the coffee table, tucked away at the back of the room. Five minutes. That was all. Five minutes, and they'd be into a new year, a new decade, a new century, a new millennium. It was frightening. He found himself wondering if they would all spontaneously combust, or aliens would suddenly land on the front lawn and take over the planet. Maybe all things electrical would be rendered useless, or the water pipes would turn off. Nobody knew what to expect, that was what made this whole Millennium deal so exciting.

And everybody definitely was excited; that was obvious. Katie Gibson was buzzing round the room like some sort of demented hummingbird; Jessica was spinning in a circle, for some reason and Jon Rush was trying to balance a spoon from his nose, much to the amusement of Mackenzie, who was also trying, but finding it difficult, since the spoon was a lot bigger than his nose.

We've got stars directing our fate
And we're praying it's not too late
Millennium

Some say that we are players, some say that we are pawns
But we've been making money since the day that we were born
Got to slow down 'cos we’re low down
Run around in circles, live a life of solitude
Till we find ourselves a partner, someone to relate to
Then we'll slow down, before we fall down

We've got stars directing our fate
And we're praying it's not too late
Cos we know we're falling from grace
Millennium

Isaac's eyes settled on Taylor and Zac, who were sitting on the couch together, talking. Zac had obviously just said something funny, because Taylor burst out laughing. Their elder brother watched as Zac touched Taylor on the arm, and the two of them dissolved into giggles. He smiled, realizing just how close his two brothers had become that year. He didn't feel neglected; he knew there was room for him as well, and maybe they'd all become a little closer that year.

It had been a traumatic year for the three of them: heartbreak; death; attempted murder; accused incest; abusive relationships; a new album; drunken escapades; falling out; making up; tears; laughter… Shaking his head, Isaac realized they had the perfect ingredients for a tacky soap opera, or a tacky Hanfic. But they'd been through it all. And they'd survived it, closer than ever. It had been Hanson against the world, and they had won, and it was the best feeling ever.

Live for liposuction and detox for your rent
Overdose at Christmas, and give it up for Lent
My friends are all so cynical, refuse to keep the faith
We all enjoy the madness, cos we know we're gonna fade away

We've got stars directing our fate
And we're praying it's not too late
Cos we know we're falling from grace
Millennium

Looking at the clock, Isaac realized that it was 11:59pm. Almost time. Somewhere across the room, someone yelled, "Fifteen seconds!"

Everyone began to count down.

"Ten!"

Isaac picked up his glass of champagne.

"Nine!"

He wondered where Rhia was.

"Eight!"

He scanned the room for her.

"Seven!"

He couldn't see her anywhere.

"Six!"

He gave up looking.

"Five!"

A strange feeling tugged at his heartstrings. This year had been special. It had built up the relationship between he and his brothers, and had made him a stronger person. It was hard to accept that it was all over.

"Four!"

Isaac looked at Taylor and Zac, who were grinning inanely at one another, counting down with everyone else.

"Three!"

He looked out the back window for any signs of alien invasions, but saw nothing.

"Two!"

He shrugged, and decided to join in, yelling along with everyone else.

"One!"

He raised the glass to his lips.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!"

He took a sip, then watched everyone else from his hiding place in the corner. Taylor and Zac threw their arms around one another, hugging each other tightly, and dancing round in a circle like lunatics. His mom and dad kissed each other, gazing into each other's eyes. Jessica screamed and grabbed a startled Avery, squeezing her half to death. Mackenzie finally managed to get the spoon to stay on his nose for a second, before Avery's elbow knocked it off as she succumbed to Jess's bear hug. Zoë, confused with all the noise, burst into tears and toddled across the room to try to find her mommy. Smiling, Isaac noticed Rhia's mom and dad kissing each other a happy new year, and he caught Neil's eye, who was also watching it. Honey Perkins grabbed Scott Allcorn and proceeded to make out, but Isaac didn't care. Libby Reynolds kissed Matthew Torwood, who blushed deeply, glancing at Zac, who was oblivious, still wrapped up in Taylor's arms. These people were his family, his firnds, the people he loved... A broad smile spread across his face. Everyone looked so happy.

There was a tap on his shoulder. "Happy New Year."

He spun round. "Rhia! Where were you?"

"Umm, I really had to go to the bathroom," she explained sheepishly.

Isaac laughed. "You brought in the Millennium in the bathroom?"

"Well, Ike, if you gotta go, you gotta go, Y2K or not."

"Only you, Rhia, only you."

"So, are you gonna kiss me or what?" she asked, her green eyes sparkling.

Isaac leaned closer. "Happy New Year," he whispered as his lips met hers.

But it wasn't just a new year. It was a whole new Millennium. Time to move on, put the past behind them and get on with their lives. It was a chance of a new beginning. A fresh start. For Isaac and Rhia, for Hanson the band, as they made their comeback and for Hanson the family, as they realized that the bond between them could overcome anything.

They were strong.

They were indestructible.

And above all, they were Hansons.

[[THE END]]

Credit for music goes to:

The Honeyz - "Finally Found"
Robbie Williams - "Millennium"