I sat down in a director's chair. I put on my sunglasses, closed my eyes, and enjoyed the warmth of the sun. Zac was finishing up in wardrobe while Joe, his bodyguard, stood outside. Taylor was off reading Lord of the Flies for literature while his bodyguard, Mike, fended off crazed fans. Jason had the task of guarding me.
Suddenly, someone removed my sunglasses. But before I could turn around, a pair of hands had covered my eyes. "How's my favorite yokel?"
"Rebecca?"
"Of course. You somebody else's favorite yokel, too?"
I stood up and gave her a hug. "Nope. Just you. My sunglasses look good on you," I observed.
Rebecca took them off and handed them to me. I shook my head, an indication for her to keep them. She shrugged and put them back on. "So, what's new? How's everything? Talk to me."
I laughed. "I'm fine. Nothin' new. Just music, the usual. Where'd you get so much energy?"
"I got it from fighting off your crazed fans. Man, the estrogen level in those girls is unreal! They saw me giving Zac a piggy-back ride to wardrobe and they went berserk!"
"And why, pray tell, were you giving Zac a piggy-back ride?"
"Because he hopped on after we got out of the limo. He went with my aunt to pick me up at the airport," Becca explained.
"So THAT'S where he was. You can't imagine my surprise to find Zac's cot empty when I got up this morning." It's true. To say Tay and I were shocked would be an understatement. For the life of us, we could imagine where the heck our little brother went.
"You make him sleep on the cot! That's terrible," Becca said while playfully swatting my arm. "Isn't it bad enough he sleeps on the floor at home?"
To that I could only shrug.
"Promise me you'll sleep on the cot tonight," she said.
"And what if I do? What do I get out of it?" I teased.
"The satisfaction of making a sacrifice for your baby brother. Plus, you get three fun-filled days with me." Becca smiled.
"And that's supposed to make me do what you want?" I loved joking around with Bec. She's got the best sense of humor.
"Oh, you're hysterical. A riot and a half. The definitive end of comedy. The next..."
"All right! All right! I get your point!"
"So, I hear everything's straightened out between you and Tay. Sorry I caused problems for you two."
My jaw dropped, and I stared at her wide-eyed. "How did you know about that?"
"Zac was concerned. So he mailed me a letter, asking what was going on. Tay found out you told me about his crush on Lisa, huh?"
"Yeah, but that's all behind us now. Which leads me to my next question. Are you psychic or something?"
"Of course not. What on earth would ever possess you to ask that?" Becca had a perplexed look on her face.
"You mean you don't know?"
"Know what?"
"Well, one, Taylor got his shirt ripped. Two, he's forgotten about Lisa."
"Wow! He really got his shirt ripped?"
"Yup. It was crazy. We were at this mall for a performance when this blonde literally came out of nowhere and grabbed ahold of him. She was, like, hanging on for dear life or something."
Rebecca giggled. "Ah! What an ego boost for the broken-hearted pop star."
I rolled my eyes. "Puh-lease. Let's try to refrain from inflating his ego. 'Kay?"
"Yes, sir." Becca gave me a mock salute.
I opened my mouth to say something, but stopped when I saw a beautiful blonde in a white tank top not far away. She was thin, fair, and her golden locks cascaded down past her shoulders. She was, in a word, gorgeous.
Rebecca looked in the direction I was. "She's pretty, Ike."
I blushed.
"Go talk to her."
"Can't."
"Why not?"
"Because one, she might freak out. Or two, everyone else around her might."
Becca rolled her eyes. "Give me a break. You're gonna never approach a girl because there's a chance she might freak out? Whatever. And besides, I thought it was desirable that those of the female gender throw themselves at your feet."
"Sure, it's great and all, but not when you're trying to strike up a serious conversation," I responded.
"What serious conversation? It's small talk and a little flirting, not plans to pump Clinton full of lead in the hopes of using him as a pencil afterwards. You know what your problem is?"
"No, but you seem to have all the answers. Clue me in."
"You're chicken."
"Me?"
"Yes."
"A chicken?"
"Yes."
"You're calling me a chicken?"
"Duh. That's what I said."
Well, if I was a chicken, something told me I wasn't the only one. Following my gut instinct, I moved in closer to Rebecca. My hands went to her waist, and began to lift her shirt.
"Ike! What the hell are you doing?" she hissed, pushing my hands away.
"Finding out if I'm the only chicken," I replied as my hands once again found their way to her waist. This time Becca didn't protest. I lifted up her shirt far enough to reveal her stomach. I ran my hand over her abdomen. "Uh-huh. Just as I suspected. Unpierced."
Rebecca pushed away my hands and pulled down her shirt, her cheeks flushed. "So?" she said defensively. "What's your point?"
"If it's okay for you not to go through with piercing your bellybutton, I don't have to talk to the blonde." I crossed my arms in front of my chest.
"Are you for real? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"
"Is it?"
"Yes." Slowly, a smile spread across Becca's face. "I'll cut you a deal."
I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of a deal?"
She took the bookbag off her back and sat in the director's chair. She pulled out a notebook and pen, and began writing. "I, Rebecca Anne Davis, do hereby decree that I will pierce my bellybutton before flying back to L.A. if Clarke Isaac Hanson holds a conversation for AT LEAST twenty minutes with the pretty blonde." She signed the paper and handed me the pen. "Care to sign?"
I thought it over for a second. What have I really got to lose? Becca's pain was certainly going to be greater than mine. I took the pen and signed the "contract."
"We need to give this to a neutral party," she said. She ripped the paper out of her notebook, folded it up, and asked Jason to hold onto it. He agreed and put it in the pocket of his jeans. "Now you stay here, and I'll deliver the goods," she instructed me.
"Rebecca, wait!" But it was too late. She already found her way to the blonde. I had no idea what Becca was telling her, but I hoped she wasn't making me out to be a complete dork. Not five minutes later, the two girls were making their way towards me.
"Oh my God! You're Isaac Hanson! I'm Rebecca," Becca said, sticking out her hand for me to shake. I guess she didn't want the blonde to know we were acquainted already.
Now it was the blonde's turn to extend a hand for me to shake. "Hi. I'm Christine. It's a pleasure to meet you, Isaac. I'm a big fan of your music," the gorgeous girl said in a British accent.
"Oh, look! That's my brother," Becca said, pointing to Jason. I did my best not to laugh. "I gotta go. Maybe I'll see you later. It was nice meeting you." With that, she walked towards Jason, leaving Christine and I alone.
Thirty minutes later, everything was all set and we began shooting the video for "Where's the Love."