I just want to start off by saying, to my knowledge, this story is COMPLETE AND TOTAL FICTION. (With the exception of the obvious of course.)
Have you read "Think of Laura" or "Lady of My Heart?" If the answer is no, read this story first. Chronologically, this is the first story in my "Hanson trilogy," even though it was written last. If you've already read my other two stories, I hope you read this one anyway. Granted you know how it's going to end, but I hope the journey there is an interesting one.
The story starts in February of 1997, and moves into the future. It will be told from various characters' point-of-view. Don't worry. Each chapter will be labeled so you know who's narrating.
And on that note, I have NO affiliation with Mercury Records, Hanson, or the kid who rings up Hanson's groceries WHATSOEVER! (Just want to make sure we're all on the same page.)
Okay. Enough babbling. Just read.
"Becca. Becca. Rebecca. REBECCA ANNE DAVIS, GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF BED!"
I bolted into an upright position, my heart beating a mile a minute. "You jerk! You took fifteen years out of my life span," I said, chucking a pillow at my cousin, who was standing at the foot of my bed smirking.
"Good. That's my goal in life. Now get up. Aunt Maggie wants you to clean today," said Danielle.
I glanced at the clock. It read 8:00 am. Was my mother insane? And more importantly, what was Danielle doing up at this ungodly hour? "A, why are you up this early? And B, why aren't you at the dorms?" I asked, rolling out of bed and onto the floor. Danielle attends UCLA, which is about two hours from her home. However, it's just under a half-hour from mine. And many a weekend Danielle has found her way here.
"Because A, I wanted to beat the traffic. And B, I feel like eating real food this weekend," was the response.
"Oh. Well, thanks for the wake-up call."
Danielle grinned. "No problem." She turned around and left as I began a desperate search through the disaster area I call my room for something to wear.
Fifteen minutes later I made my way downstairs. Since I was up so damn early and track practice started in two weeks, I figured I might as well go out for a run. Normally, I'm not this motivated. However, my biggest competition graduated last year. The thought of not only making states, but winning as well, is enough to make me hit the pavement.
"Come on Virginia, show me a sign. Send up a signal, I'll throw you the line. The stained-glass curtain you're hiding behind never lets in the sun. And only the good die young!" my mom sang into the spatula, waiting to flip the pancakes. I laughed to myself as I tied the laces of my sneakers and put on my UCLA hat. My mom is a HUGE Billy Joel fan, and believes he is the guardian of hers and Dad's relationship. They met at one of his concerts and the rest, as they say, is history. Normally, I'd think my mom was nuts. On the other hand, my parents HAVE been married for the past eighteen years, and, well, who am I to argue?
"Mom! I'm going out for a run! I'll clean when I get back, 'kay?" I shouted from my post in the hall.
"Sure honey. Just let Ebony in before you go. She hasn't had her Friskies yet this morning."
"No problem," I said as I made my way to the screen door.
"Take me as I am. Put your hand in mine, now and forever," sang Peter Cetera, my mom having replaced the Billy Joel CD with Chicago's Greatest Hits. She has a thing for easy listening music. I don't mind really, though I'm partial to The Eagles myself. Most of the ballads are played at my high school dances. However, it's this newfound mini-obsession of hers with Yani that has me slightly concerned.
I took a look out the screen door and observed the scene before me. There was a camera crew in the middle of the street, and my Aunt Tamara was giving out orders. Two teenaged boys were talking to a man holding a video camera. Another one was petting Ebony, my cat. "Hey Mom, Danielle! Get a load of the yokels!" I shouted.
"Rebecca!" my mother scolded me.
It really wasn't necessary though. I had already hit the deck, realizing how loud I had been. My father had always warned me, 'THINK before you speak, Rebecca.' Thank God he was in the shower and unable to witness 'this poor display of judgement.' Then I came to an awful realization. I still had to go outside and get the cat.
"Hey Danielle," I said, entering the living room where my cousin was engrossed in her cell-molec book. "Can you get Ebony? I'm just gonna sneak out the back and go for a run."
"YOU'RE not gonna sneak anywhere," my mom said from the kitchen. "YOU'RE gonna go out there, get the cat, and apologize too."
"Apologize!?! Mom, they probably didn't even hear me," I defended my case.
Danielle snorted. "With your mouth, they probably heard you in San Diego." I shot her A LOOK.
"If they didn't hear you, why did you want to sneak out the back door?" Damn, my mother's good! "Get out there Rebecca Anne. NOW."
I slowly made my way to the front door. Never before, in all sixteen years of my life, have I felt more embarrassed than I did at this moment.
"Hey Mom, Danielle! Get a load of the yokels!"
I turned my head just in time to see a boy with short hair wearing a hat duck. He sounded like he was about Zac's age or so. Hmm, hope Danielle is an older sister, say around my age.
A couple of minutes later, the screen door opened. The boy made his way towards Zac. He looked tall to be Zac's age though. They spoke for a minute, the boy scooped up the black cat, and retreated to the house.
"Ike, what are you boys going to do?" asked my father.
I turned to face the video camera. "We're just gonna walk down the street and act casual," I explained.
"Like we're going somewhere," interrupted my brother, Taylor.
As Tay continued to babble, my attention was drawn to the sound of the screen door opening again. The boy emerged and stood on the front steps. "Hey Aunt Tam! You got a permit to have all this equipment in the middle of my street?"
Tamara Davis, our director, looked up from her clipboard. "Rebecca! What are you doing up so early?"
Rebecca!?! That's a girl!?! Oops!
"Come here. I want you to meet everyone," Tamara said to the girl. They walked over towards us. "Rebecca, this is Taylor and Isaac Hanson, and their father, Walker. And Zac is around here somewhere. The boys are in a band and I'm directing their video. Guys, I'd like you to meet my niece, Rebecca."
We exchanged hellos, nods, and waves. And I couldn't help feeling incredibly stupid. It couldn't be more obvious, now that she was standing in front of me, that Rebecca was indeed a girl. The short hair and hat caught me off guard, and I jumped to the conclusion that the person was a boy.
"So, how long are you in town for?" Rebecca asked.
"Just today and tomorrow. Today we're shooting around LA, and tomorrow we'll finish at the Dust Brothers' house," Tay explained, as if shooting a music video was an everyday activity.
"The Dust Brothers?" Rebecca turned to her aunt. "Need an intern?" she asked hopefully.
Tamara laughed. "Rebecca, you're always more than welcomed to tag along. You know that. Took you to meet Adam Sandler, didn't I?"
"Yes you did. Thanks. So, what time should I be ready tomorrow?"
"We'll discuss it during lunch. Your mother invited the whole crew over."
Rebecca shook her head and laughed. "So THAT'S why I had to get up at the crack of dawn to clean. Well, I'm gonna go on my run now. See you all later."
"Bye," we said as she turned around and began to jog.
"We're gonna start in five, okay guys?" asked Tamara. Taylor and I nodded our heads, and she went to give the crew some last-minute instructions.
"Zac! We're gonna start soon! Get over here!" shouted Taylor.
Zac bounded towards us. "Did you guys meet Rebecca?"
"Yeah," I answered.
"Dad says we're gonna be having lunch AND dinner with her family," Zac went on.
"Dinner? As in our ENTIRE family dinner?" I asked.
My little brother shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."
I shook my head. This poor family had no idea what was in store for them.
After my run, showering, and dusting every piece of furniture in the house, Mom gave Danielle and I the task of setting the table.
"So, did you apologize to the yokels?" my cousin asked.
I frowned. "No. And I don't think they heard me. So could you PLEASE let it drop?" Inside, I cringed. I hate being at my cousin's mercy.
"I'll do my best." Just then the doorbell rang, preventing Danielle from torturing me further. "It's feeding time," she announced.
Aunt Tamara and the Hanson brood, well, half of it, entered the dining room. I introduced Danielle to the Hanson clan, and then she and I greeted our aunt with a hello and a kiss on the cheek. This is more a sign of respect than anything else. And our family takes it very seriously too. No kiss on the cheek is a crime punishable my death.
"Whoa! Rebecca, your hair," said a shocked Zac.
"Yeah, I know. It's time for me to dye it again."
"What color is it naturally?" he asked.
"Hmm. . . . something similar to Isaac's, I guess."
"Why do you dye it? Don't you like it that color?"
"It's alright. But about a year ago, one Saturday afternoon, Danielle and I got bored. So we decided to dye my hair, or I decided rather. It's fun, and I like experimenting with different colors."
"Maybe we should just highlight it this time Bec. What do you think about red or strawberry-blonde?" Danielle asked.
"Leave my daughter's hair alone! Keep this up and she'll be bald by fifty-five," said my mother, entering the dining room. I stuck my tongue out at her. Definitely not the most mature response, but it felt appropiate.
"So guys, what do you have left to do today?" I addressed the band as we sat down to sandwiches and macaroni salad.
"We're gonna rollerblade, ride bikes through a cave, and then do some stuff in a studio," answered Taylor.
I raised an eyebrow. "Ride bikes?"
"Rebecca!" my mother hissed.
"No, it's okay Maggie. Let her speak. What's on your mind Becca?" asked Aunt Tamara.
"Well, it's just that, I don't know. It seems sort of. . . . . childish. It's like. . . . ."
"It'll be harder to be taken seriously," interrupted Danielle, coming to my rescue. "You guys are young. People are going to be skeptical, have doubts, ya know? Why give them more reasons to? Besides Aunt Tam, hardly anyone bike rides anymore. They blade across campus to class before they hop on a bike."
"But that's just our opinion," I finished up.
"Well, we appreciate it girls. Boys, what do you think?" Walker addressed his sons.
"No bike riding!"
"Good. Then it's decided," said Aunt Tamara, jotting something down on her clipboard.
"So, what else did you guys do so far, besides run down the street here?" Danielle asked.
"Well, we took a cab. Then we got on a bus, but Zac got us kicked off. We ran through these caves, went in the ocean, and drove a car," rattled Taylor.
"Drove a car?" Danielle looked more than skeptical.
"Well, we didn't REALLY drive it. It was being towed," Isaac explained.
"It's Sandra Bullock's car in 'Speed 2'," Zac piped up.
"'Speed 2'? Ugh. That movie is NOTHING without Keanu," I said, disgusted. The number of sequels I like is limited.
"TELL me about it," Danielle said, rolling her eyes. "Jason Patrick is NOTHING without the lost boys."
"Who are the lost boys?" asked Zac.
"'The Lost Boys' is an eighties movie starring heartthrobs who have since dropped off the face of the earth or landed in rehab. Sadly, Corey Haim used to be an obsession of mine." The gleam in Danielle's eye said she was taking a trip down memory lane.
"Corey Haim? I thought you pined for Kirk Cameron," I teased my cousin.
"Kirk? EWW! No way. He's such a YOKEL," was her response.
I shot Danielle a murderous glance and kicked her shin under the table.
"OW!" said a confused Isaac.
"Oops! Sorry," I apologized, turning a nice shade of crimson. I was two for two so far today when it came to making a fool of myself.
"Man, dinner was awesome!" I exclaimed, flopping into a beanbag chair at the foot of Rebecca's bed. Ike, Zac, Danielle, Rebecca, and I were all hanging out in her room.
"Glad to see you enjoyed it after I slaved over a hot stove." Becca smiled and pulled her bangs back with a headband. Then she slipped a CD into the stereo.
"Don't believe a word she says Taylor! She can't make toast," said Danielle, tossing a pillow at her cousin.
Rebecca burst into a fit of giggles. "Fine. So I'm not Betty Crocker. But be nice to me or you're gonna have to find someone else to change your oil."
"You know how to change the oil of a car? Wow, Ike can't do that," said an impressed Zac. I laughed to myself as my older brother blushed a little with embarrassment.
Rebecca just shrugged her shoulders and sang along with the CD. "Come on baby. Don't say maybe. I gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me. We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again. So open up by climbin' in. Take it easy." She sounded, in a word, horrible. But she didn't seem to care either. If she did, she would only sing in the shower.
"Oh God Rebecca! Shut up! You can't sing to save your life. And speaking of singing," Danielle giggled, "you know LeAnn Rimes is up for Best New Artist next week at the Grammies, right?"
Becca rolled here eyes. "More like Best New Yodeler."
"Hey, maybe we'll be nominated for a Grammy. Wouldn't that be cool?" said my younger brother, feeling the need to jump in on this conversation.
"Yeah, it would. But don't count your chickens before they've hatched," I quoted my mother.
"Hmm. . . . . maybe, if we're lucky, we'll get nominated for Best New Yokels," said Isaac, staring directly at Rebecca. What on earth ever possessed him to say this, I haven't the foggiest.
Danielle burst out laughing, and Rebecca suddenly looked about ready to burst into tears. "Oh my God! I am SO sorry. Really Ike. I really am. I didn't think you heard. . . . I am SO sorry."
"I don't get it. What are you sorry for?" asked Zac, unknowingly voicing my thoughts as well.
"Nothing. It's just an inside joke between me and Rebecca. Right?" Ike winked at her.
She smiled a weak smile. "Right." Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Becca shouted.
In walked a pretty girl, a VERY pretty girl. She had Ike's attention, that's for sure. She was the exact opposite of Rebecca, at least on the outside. Brown hair cascaded down the middle of her back. She was short, shorter than me. And her body. . . . she had these curves. . . . she. . . . . well . . . WHOA.
"Guys, this is my best friend and next-door neighbor, Lisa. Lisa, I'd like you to meet Ike, Taylor, and Zac. My aunt's directing their video."
"Cool. Hi guys," Lisa greeted us, flopping into the beanbag chair next to me. Yes! There is a god. Breathe Taylor. Breathe.
"So, what did ya bring?" Becca asked Lisa, picking two video cassettes up off the floor.
"'Top Gun' and 'Boys on the Side.' Wanna watch 'Top Gun' first?"
"Sure," we all answered.
"And no boys, we're not fast forwarding through the romantic parts. And don't say a word. I have four brothers; I know how the male mind works," said Lisa.
"What about your boyfriend, what's his name, Alex?" Danielle asked, snapping her fingers trying to remember the name. She has a boyfriend? Damn!
"Alex doesn't think with THAT head," was the answer.
Once again, Rebecca burst into a fit of giggles. She threw a pillow at Lisa. "Watch your mouth! We've got virgin ears in the room," she said, eyeing Zac. "I will not be responsible for corrupting my aunt's new clients, thankyouverymuch."
"Don't worry about it. I think it went over his head," said Ike, flashing Becca his brace-filled mouth. I couldn't tell for sure, but it seemed like he was flirting with her. But then I would catch him glancing at Lisa's. . . . . well, at Lisa.
Danielle put the tape in the VCR. "You know, Anthony Edwards is cute with hair."
"Forget Anthony! Val is dreamy," gushed Lisa.
"HELLO!?! Tommy! My Tommy! Tommy, can you hear me?" Seems Becca's got a thing for Tom Cruise.
"All three of you are wrong. Kelly McGillis makes the movie," said my older brother. Geez Ike, you sure know how to win the ladies over.
Danielle shrugged. "Overall she was good, but I think Meg Ryan is a better actress. Prettier too."
"Taylor?"
"Huh?" Becca's voice brought me out of my daydream of Lisa and I building a life together.
"Favorite actress?"
"Oh. Um, Jennifer Aniston."
"Courtney Cox is prettier," all three girls said simultaneously.
"Zac?" Lisa asked.
"Hmm . . . . . I'm taking the easy and safe way out. I'll have to go with Bambi's mother."
The entire room burst out laughing. "Alright Zac," Becca said. She and Zac high-fived. "Ya know, if you were older, I'd dump my boyfriend for you."
Zac shrugged. "That's okay. He doesn't have to know. I won't tell if you won't."
"Zac!" His statement caught me COMPLETELY off-guard. For someone getting adjusted to the fact that girls don't have cooties, he certainly was warming up to Rebecca.
"Come on guys. Let's watch the movie," Danielle whined. She and Ike sprawled out on the floor. Becca and Zac sat on the bed. And as Maverick and Goose went off to Miramar, I would steal glances of Lisa, who was sitting next to me. Yup. LA's being good to me.
We were sitting in the Dust Brothers' backyard, taking a break from shooting the video. Becca and I were sitting indian-style on the patio, eating pizza. Zac, surprise surprise, was in the pool. Taylor was in a lounge chair with his eyes closed, no doubt dreaming of Lisa. My little brother has become quite smitten with Becca's best friend.
"You know, your best friend cast a spell over my little brother. He's got a crush on her."
Rebecca snorted. "Yeah, him and half the male population of my high school. Don't worry though. He'll get over it. You guys will become famous, thousands of girls will throw themselves at you, rip off your shirts, and he'll think 'Lisa who?'"
"You really think so?"
"What? That Taylor will forget about Lisa or that girls will try to rip off your clothing?"
I smiled. "Both."
"Women's intuition tells me that both will be inevitable." She smiled and then took a bite of her pizza. "So, where are you guys from anyway?"
"Oklahoma."
"Oklahoma!?! No way!"
"Surprised?"
"Well. . . . . YEAH. I always thought people from the south were. . .well. . . . were rednecks."
I smiled. "Some are, but we aren't. Our family tree forks. And our cars are mobile, not our home."
Rebecca spit out the pizza she had been chewing on. "Don't do that when I'm eating," she laughed.
I laughed too. "Sorry."
"Sure you are. Are you guys gonna get a tutor for when you travel?"
"Don't need to. We home-school. Our parents teach us."
"Your parents? God bless. My parents could never teach me. We'd end up killing each other."
"Well, there's been no blood shed yet," I said, taking a bite of my pizza.
"Got a girlfriend?"
I shook my head no.
"Why not? Wait a minute! That's none of my business. You don't have to answer that."
"No, it's okay. I don't know really. I've just been so wrapped up in the album and all. . . . . "
"Ah, a workaholic." Becca smiled. "Be careful. All work and no play could make Ike a dull boy."
"Me? Dull?" I shook my head. "Never. What about you? How's your boyfriend?"
"Steve? He's fine. I still can't believe it'll be a year next month. Never thought I was one for the whole long-term relationship thing but," she shrugged while wiping her fingers with a napkin, "I guess something just clicked."
"Guess so."
"Name one thing that you want," Rebecca instructed, changing the subject.
"One thing that I want?"
"Yeah. Not in that whole world-peace-Miss-America sorta way. Just be selfish. Name one thing you want for yourself."
"Hmm. . . . my own room," was my response.
"You share?"
"Yeah, with Zac and Tay."
"Whoa. Cramped much?"
"It's not the lack of physical space. It's the emotional space I crave sometimes. There. . . . sometimes. . . . I just want to be alone, ya know? It's hard to be alone with five brothers and sisters." I paused. "What about you? What do you want?"
"Geez, now I feel so shallow. I want my bellybutton pierced," said Beccamatter-of-factly.
"Your bellybutton pierced!?! Why?"
She shrugged. "Why not? I was gonna get it done for my birthday last month, but you have to be eighteen. Looks like I'm gonna have to cross the border."
"Please tell me you're joking."
Rebecca giggled. "Yeah, I'm joking. I'm not running off to Mexico anytime soon. My mom said Danielle could sign the papers so I could get it done, but. . . . " Her voice trailed off.
"But what?"
"I don't know if I've got the guts."
"I think you do. You had enough guts to call us yokels yesterday morning," I reminded her.
She frowned. "That wasn't guts. It was stupidity. My dad's always saying, 'think before you speak, Rebecca.' Maybe one day I'll listen to him."
"Hey! Don't be so hard on yourself. I was only joking." I felt bad that I had made her feel bad. "Really Bec, don't worry about it."
She smiled. "You're too nice to be in this business. I'm gonna have to toughen you up. Get you a groupie or something."
"Hmm. . . . I don't think my parents would approve of a groupie. Besides, she'd probably trip over Zac's Power Rangers."
"Oooh. So the Hanson brothers are slobs, huh?"
"Very much so, unlike YOUR neat room."
Rebecca snorted. "Yeah right. While you were busy getting kicked off the bus, I was cleaning my room. Only took about three hours."
"Aww, you cleaned for me! I feel so special." I flashed her a smile.
"No. I cleaned to shut my mom up. Sorry." She returned the smile. "Hey Ike?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't forget me."
I smiled. "No problem."
"Hey dogbreath," my eldest brother, Luke, greeted Becca and I as we entered the kitchen through the back door.
"Hey yourself fruitloop," I responded.
"Hey Bec. Lookin' good. Still with Steve?" Luke's only fascination with my best friend is that she's the only girl who doesn't scream in terror at the sight of him in his boxers, a result of many sleepovers.
"Yes Tiny Tim, I'm still with Steve." Luke blushed. "Now get out of my way Rico Suave. I got a date with Lisa's VCR." Becca brushed past my brother and headed for the stairs.
"What is it with girls and appliances that run on batteries?" Luke asked. He was about to lose battle 403 with Rebecca. Why he insists on engaging in these verbal battles, only to lose, is beyond me.
"No backtalk. By the way nimwad, the VCR doesn't run on batteries," my best friend shouted from the stairwell. I snickered. I'm convinced this is why Becca and I are best friends; I think it, she says it.
I raced up the stairs, taking two at a time. I found Becca lying on my bed, flipping through the latest issue of "YM." She already had the VCR rewinding the tape we've been waiting all week to watch.
"Hey Bec. There's something for ya under my bed," I told her.
She leaned over, lifted the dust ruffle, and pulled out a rolled up poster. She unrolled it and screamed. "Ahhh! A 'Jerry MacGuire' poster!! This is going up as SOON as I get home. Thanks SO MUCH!" Becca grinned from ear to ear.
"Don't mention it," I told her. "Free posters are just one of the perks of working in Video Den. As a matter of fact, they're the ONLY perk."
Rebecca giggled. "Besides," I continued, "next weekend is Friends-n-Family weekend at Express. I'm buttering you up to insure my extra forty percent off all merchandise." Becca is a cashier at our favorite store, Express.
My best friend threw a pillow at me, which is her answer for just about everything. "Well, it worked. Tommy for forty percent off is a fair trade."
The tape stopped rewinding. I grabbed the remote and joined Becca on my bed. "What are you waiting for? Hit the play button already!" my best friend instructed. I did as I was told.
"Is it me, or does this seem completely bizarre?" I asked Rebecca.
"What? Watching three boys on TV who you watched 'Top Gun' with in my bedroom three months ago? What's so bizarre about that? Doesn't everyone?"
"You're such a smartass, you know that? And yes, that's what I was referring to." This week was Hanson's big week in New York. While Becca and I were at school, my trusty VCR taped the band's appearances. Now, on this rainy Saturday afternoon, we were watching the guys play "Mmmbop," and fast forwarding through the majority of the tape.
"Going to the party at Drew's tonight?" Becca asked, examining her manicured nails.
I snorted. "Who isn't? Everyone and their mother is going to be there."
"My mother better not be there!"
"You dork!"
"Ooh, play! They're on!"
I pressed the play button. I can't believe they graced this moronic show with their presence." I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "I swear, when Kathie Lee talks it looks like she's chewing her face."
Becca laughed. "I don't like her anymore than you do. But seriously, the guys couldn't have picked a better time to be on this stupid show.
Everyone and the pope is watching to see if Kathie will crack since she can't gush about Frank, seeing as how his halo's tarnished from the affair and all."
"How the HELL did you get that all out in one breath?"
Rebecca shrugged.
"Ah! The Partridge Family reference is the last straw!" I picked up the remote.
"NO! Don't fast forward! I want to hear them sing!" Becca snatched the remote from me. "Get a hold of yourself. There are worse things than Kathie Lee."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah? Name one."
"I can name five. Ginger, Scary, Baby, Sporty, and Posh," said Becca matter-of-factly.
"Point taken."
"Shut up. They're about to sing."
"Whoa."
"Whoa what?" asked Becca.
"Taylor. He sounds so. . . . different."
"And you're surprised? Hello!?! You have FOUR brothers."
"Yeah, yeah. I know, puberty. It's just. . . . he didn't say much when I met him. I'm kinda taken aback, that's all," I explained.
"Didn't say much? Are you kidding? The boy never shuts up! Oh wait! He DID shut up once."
"When?"
Becca smiled. "The minute you walked through the door. The boy's got a crush on you, or at least he had one. Ike confirmed it the next day at the Dust Brothers' house."
"I'm sure Taylor would appreciate Ike talking about his crushes with some girl they only knew one day."
"Who said anything about crushes? It was just you. One crush."
I bopped Becca over the head with the "YM" she had been leafing through earlier. "You don't have to get so technical. Have you heard from them lately?" I asked as the commercial break ended and Hanson burst into an acoustic rendition of "Madeline."
My best friend sighed. "No. I got one letter from Zac a while back. I also got a letter from all three of them along with a copy of the CD. And now they're gonna be in Europe, so keeping in touch will basically be mission impossible."
"Too bad. Think we'll ever see them again?"
Rebecca shook her head. "Unless it's through a TV screen, absolutely not."
I couldn't take it anymore. I opened my eyes and glanced at the clock. I didn't have to be up for another hour. I hate it when I'm awake earlier than I have to be. Mostly because once I'm up, no matter how tired I am, I can't get back to sleep.
Carefully, I rolled onto my back. SQUEAK! I froze as the cot I was laying on made a noise as I moved. I held my breath and listened. I heard Ike's heavy breathing and Tay's soft snoring. I let out a sigh of relief, thankful I didn't wake my brothers.
Of course, it wouldn't have been my fault if I HAD woken them up. I didn't ask to sleep on the cot. It's bad enough I gotta sleep on a trundle bed at home. Now evey time we're in a hotel I get stuck with the cot. Once, just once, I'd like to sleep in a regular bed.
The fact that my brothers could sleep at a time like this I couldn't understand. Then again, they don't know what I know, what I'm not supposed to know. Rebecca's arriving here in London this morning.
It was all by accident really. I was outside Mom and Dad's room because I wanted to ask if Ike, Tay, and I could to rollerblading. I noticed the door was open a crack, so I listened. Tamara was explaining that after the "Where's the Love" video, she would be on location for a new movie she's directing for at least a year. And since school's out, she wanted to fly Rebecca to London for the shooting of the video. Mom and Dad agreed. They thought Rebecca was "a good kid."
Who are they kidding? Rebecca isn't "a good kid." She's awesome! She doesn't baby me or get protective of me, like Ike has a tendency to. She doesn't get impatient with me and tell me I'm immature, like Tay's been doing recently. Granted I only hung out with her for two days, but those two days were the best. She was the first to join me in the pool at the Dust Brothers' house. Ike soon followed, and then he and Becca picked up Tay and tossed him in. Taylor was annoyed at first, but he got over it. And man! Taylor has been so MOODY lately! I thought I wasn't going to have to deal with mood swings until Jessica hit puberty. I told Mom so last week, and said to lay off Tay. She said he's going through "a phase," getting adjusted to changes, blah blah blah. I told Mom to slap me if I acted like him anytime between now and my death.
Ike and Rebecca hit it off too. In two days they managed to have all these inside jokes. They spent lunch break at the Dust Brothers' off in their own world, laughing and talking and such.
Taylor seemed indifferent towards Rebecca. I don't know why. She's great. My guess is he's jealous of Ike and Becca's friendship. At least, that's my conclusion based on an argument Ike and Tay had when we got back from LA. Tay yelled at Ike about sharing too much with Becca. I tried to help my brothers work it out, but neither would talk to me about it. So I wrote Becca a letter, asking her if she knew what the fight was about. She wrote me back, telling me not to worry about it and give it time. She insisted all would be forgotten soon enough. And she was right. By the time I got her letter, all was forgotten between Ike and Tay.
I turned my head and glanced at the clock again. Only ten minutes had passed. If I hurry and get dressed, maybe I can go with Tamara and pick up Rebecca at the airport. I rolled out of bed. Quickly and quietly I threw on jeans, a tee shirt, and Doc Martens. I grabbed a key, tip-toed across the room, and quietly went out the door. All the while, Ike and Tay never stirred.
I found Tamara locking up her room down the hall. She was dressed to go pick up her niece.
"Hey Tamara!" I whispered loudly. I didn't want to scare her, and wake everyone else on the floor.
"Zac? What are you doing up this early?"
"I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. Can I go with you to pick up Rebecca? Please?" I begged.
"Under normal circumstances, I'd be happy to take you. But I'm not in the mood for getting mobbed this morning."
"Oh come on! Please? I'll stay in the car. No one will know I'm there. Please?" I was desperate to get out of this hotel.
Tamara caved. "Okay. ONLY if your parents are up, they say it's okay, and you stay in the limo."
"Deal."
I ran to my parents' room. I could hear Mackie talking a mile a minute inside. I knocked and went in. I got the okay from my parents only after promising a million times I'd stay in the limo.
"So, how did you know Rebecca was coming?" Tamara asked me on the way to the airport.
"I accidentally overheard you telling Mom and Dad the other day. I didn't tell anyone. And it really was an accident, I swear."
"Relax Zac. It's okay. I'm not mad or anything. It was just supposed to be a surprise, that's all," Tamara reassured me.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
As we pulled into the airport parking lot, Tamara gave me last minute instructions. "Don't get out of the car. Keep the windows rolled up and the doors locked. Don't climb out the sun roof. From here we're going straight to the shoot."
"Okay," I agreed. I tapped out a beat on the seat, each hand on either side of my legs. Closing my eyes, I let the rhythm take over. I stopped, and tried to tap it out again. I did, and made a mental note to play it for Ike and Tay later.
There was a knock on the car door. It was Tamara and Rebecca. I unlocked the door and let them in.
"Hey Zac! How ya doin'?" Rebecca climbed into the limo and gave me a hug, while the driver put her suitcase in the trunk.
"I'm fine. How about you?"
"I'm okay. Thankful school's out, but I've got summer reading to do. Four books, three are around five hundred pages."
"Did you bring any of the reading with you?" Tamara asked as I made a face at the thought of reading a lengthy book on vacation.
"Yeah, yeah. Mom made me bring one book," Becca answered her aunt. She turned to me. "What's new? How are Ike and Tay?"
"Umm, I lost my last baby tooth yesterday. Dumb and Dumber are still sleeping, but good."
"You did? What did the tooth fairy leave you, besides the number one song in England?" asked Tamara, referring to how "Mmmbop" hit number one here yesterday.
"Nothing," I replied.
"Nothing!?!" Tamara reached into her pocket and pulled out one British pound. "Here you go," she said, handing it to me.
"Thanks."
"Everything work out okay between Tay and Ike?" Becca interrupted.
I nodded my head. "Uh-huh. Just like you said it would."
"Told you." She stuck her tongue out at me.
"I know you did," I replied, sticking out my tongue and crossing my eyes.
"Did you bring your rollerblades?"
"Sure did. We'll blade through Trafalgar Square. This is so great! I've never been to Europe. Thanks aunt Tam." Becca gave her aunt a hug.
"No problem sweetie. I'm just glad you could make it."
"Me too."
"Me three," I chimed in. The limo came to a stop. We reached the location of the first part of the shoot, an outdoor clothing store.
"This is it. Zac, head straight for wardrobe. There should be something for you to eat there," said Tamara.
We got out of the car. I hopped on Becca's back, and she gave me a piggy-back ride to wardrobe.
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. . . . . "
"Alright! Alright! 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 hold 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 LA 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 have to 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."
I flopped onto the couch in the hotel room I'm sharing with my aunt. I put on my walkman, The Eagles Greatest Hits inside. I took my summer reading out of my book bag, and opened the book where I left off on the plane ride.
I stared at the page, but the words weren't registering. My mind was wandering back to the shoot this afternoon. I couldn't get over the pandemonium the boys created. It was insane, absolutely insane.
And I've noticed a trend among Hanson fans, the female ones anyway. A white tank top with spaghetti straps must be a part of your wardrobe. It's preferable that a bra is not worn underneath. I don't want to sound hypocritical. I, in fact, DO own two such tank tops, one white and one lavender. But on the flip side of the coin, my chest is not much larger than Jessica Hanson's. How some of those fans manage to squeeze Helga and Olga into those shirts in a feat that belongs on "Ripely's Believe It or Not."
Thankfully, not ALL of the girls asked to participate were sporting the, as I like to call it, jiggle look. I laughed to myself as I thought of the two German girls who blew their big chance. When asked to be in the sidewalk sale shot, the two burst into tears. Then the one began to hyperventilate while the other fainted. This delayed the shoot and allowed Ike to talk to the blonde sporting a jiggle look for a half-hour.
Damn those German girls! Because of them, I'm going to have to get my bellybutton pierced. Argh. Why did I ever write that friggin' contract anyway? Then again, Jason WAS hanging onto it. Maybe I'd get lucky and Ike would forget about it. Even though that was highly unlikely, I let the slim possibility comfort me so I could concentrate on my reading.
I got halfway through chapter six when the door to the room opened. Ike entered, but I didn't hear him since I had my walkman turned all the way up.
He removed the headphones from my head. "Hey. What's up?"
"Not much," I replied, my eyes never leaving my book.
"Whatcha reading?"
I held up the book so Ike could read the cover.
"'The Octopus.' Sounds interesting. What are you reading it for?"
I held up one finger, signaling for him to wait. I finished the page, set the bookmark, and tossed the book to the side. "History. I've got another one to read too. And two for English."
Ike wrinkled his nose. "Eww! Do me a favor and don't tell my mom all that you're reading, okay? I don't want her to get any ideas."
I laughed. "We wouldn't want that!"
"So, ya ready?"
"For what?"
"You know what."
I shook my head. "Nope. Sorry. Haven't a clue."
Ike flashed an evil grin. "You're going to get your bellybutton pierced Becca."
"Yeah Ike, about that. . . . . "
"Oh no you don't! You put your John Hancock on a contract. That's a legal document."
"A legal document!?! It's a piece of notebook paper!"
"Hey! A deal's a deal. And you can't back out now. So get your room key and whatever else you need so we can go," Ike instructed.
Seeing as how arguing would be pointless, I did as I was told. I grabbed my mini-backpack, which acts as my purse, my room key, scribbled a note for my aunt, and surrendered myself to Ike. "Okay. I'm ready."
He grinned. "Good."
Ike grabbed my hand and led me out of the room. I locked up, and we headed down the hallway. We stopped outside his parents' room. He knocked on the door.
"Come in!" said Diana.
We did. Mackie was sitting on the floor, playing with Power Rangers. Diana was cleaning up the aftermath of her youngest son's afternoon snack. Walker was sitting at the table, engrossed in paperwork.
"What do you need hon?" she asked.
"Can Rebecca and I go for a walk?"
"Where to?"
Ike shrugged. "No place in particular."
Oooh, that little. . . . . . he was lying to his parents.
Walker looked up from his paperwork. "You boys have an interview tonight with 'People.' So be back by dinner. That gives you three hours. And take Jason with you. Have fun!" He returned to his paperwork and began to scribble furiously.
"Great. Thanks. See ya!" Ike said to his mom and dad. Then he grabbed my hand and led me out of the room before the parental units could question us further.
Two doors down was Jason's room. Ike knocked and the bodyguard promptly answered.
"Hey. Becca and I are going for a walk. Can you tag along?"
"Sure. Just give me a minute," was the response given before the door was shut again.
I shook my head and a small chuckle escaped my lips.
"What?"
"I can't believe it."
"Believe what?"
"You lied to your parents."
"I did not."
"Yes you did."
"No, I was just very vague. I mean, I don't know EXACTLY where we're gonna get your bellybutton pierced. Besides, my mom would've wanted to call your mom and make sure it was okay and all. I was just avoiding the delay."
"My, how clever we are."
"Hey! There's no need for sarcasm," Ike said, pretending to look hurt.
"Aww! Did I bruise your fragile male ego?"
"As a matter of fact, you did."
We burst out laughing. Just then, the door opened and Jason emerged. "Okay. Let's get this show on the road," he said.
The three of us walked towards the elevator, ready to start our body piercing excursion.
I watched the door close behind my eldest son and Tamara's niece. I sat down on the end of the bed, and a small smile played on my lips. Rebecca was just what Ike needed, especially now. Girls had such a hard time dealing with being in my boys' presence. They took it in stride though, while Jess and Avie believed the girls should be committed.
And here was Rebecca. A kid at heart, together she and Zac had a tendency to cause mischief. She'd always be telling Taylor to let go and relax, reminding him that he is in fact still a kid. And then there was she and Ike. One minute they were goofing off and wrecking havoc, the next they were engrossed in a serious conversation. With her, my Ike could be a normal, run-of-the-mill teenager. He's lucky to have a friend like her.
Friend. The word weighed heavy in my brain. One friend was missing, a girlfriend. But right now, that just wasn't possible. I fear what she could possibly suffer at the hands of the fans. Ike, on the other hand, said it wouldn't be fair. 'I can't expect her to just sit there and wait for me while I drop in and out of her life,' he said. I sighed. Those are not the words of your average sixteen-year-old boy.
Walker looked up from his paperwork when he heard me sigh. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
"Nothing. Just thinking."
"About what?"
"The boys."
"What about them?"
"Well, it's Ike mostly, but. . . . . I can't help but worry. Do they even know all they're missing? I know they love music, they're dedicated to it, and it's what they want. . . . . "
"But?" Walker prompted me.
"If they never got signed and toured and everything, and twenty years later they looked back, they wouldn't regret not doing this. Sure, they may think it would've been nice, but they wouldn't REALLY regret it. But they ARE signed and they DO tour. I'm just afraid twenty years from now they'll look back and regret not being regular teenagers," I poured out everything.
My husband enveloped me in his arms. "I know it all seems so crazy right now. But it'll level off. And anytime the boys want to walk, we will."
"I just want my babies to have it all. Does that mean I'm crazy?"
Walker smiled. "No, it means you're a mother."
I rested my head on his shoulder. "You know, when we were Ike's age, we were dating. Our biggest worry was getting kicked out of the movie theater. His is proper interview etiquette. I just wish he could find a girl. . . . . "
"Oh, now I get it. Rebecca got you thinking all this, huh?"
"Don't you see? It's what she represents. They're not Hanson the band around her, they're just Ike, Tay, and Zac." I paused. "I. . .I. . . I'm not EXACTLY sure what I'm trying to say. I just know I'm concerned. Is that so wrong?"
"No, it's so right. Keep being concerned. That way, when we make decisions, we'll have the boys' best interests at heart." Walker offered me a smile. "Feel better?"
I sighed. "Yeah, a little. Guess I'm still adjusting. But the boys have seemed to, so I guess that's all that matters."
I stood up and crossed the room to the window. I looked out over the streets of London. I couldn't help wondering what Ike and Rebecca were up to.
Ike and I were walking the streets of London, with Jason in tow. "What about that place?" I asked, pointing to a small building with a sign that read "Paul's Piercing Pub."
Ike shook his head. "There's NO WAY you're getting pierced at a place that calls itself a pub. Let's keep looking."
I was about to speak when I saw something out of the corner of my eye, or rather someone. He was, in a word, gorgeous. As we passed one another, we made eye contact. I turned around and began to walk backwards. Mr. Gorgeous did the same.
Noticing my attention had been diverted, Ike looked over his shoulder to see what I was gazing at. When he saw Mr. Gorgeous, he shook his head and laughed.
"What?" I asked innocently. I knew full well though that I had been caught with my hand in the cookie jar, so to speak.
"Nothing. I was just wondering about Steve."
"Steve's fine."
"Oh?"
"There's nothing wrong with window shopping," I defended myself.
"Interesting analogy." Ike gave me a wry smile.
"I borrowed it from Danielle."
"How is she anyway?"
"Good. She's volunteering at a hospital. She figured it was the best thing to do, being pre-med and all."
Ike whistled. "So she's smart."
"Very."
He nodded his head. "Now, how are you all related? Tamara, Danielle, and yourself."
"Aunt Tam is my dad's baby sister. Danielle's dad is MY dad's older brother. My mom is an only child, like me."
"Do you ever get lonely?"
I shrugged. "Sometimes. But Lisa's got four brothers. After spending an extended period of time with them, I'm thankful I get to go home to a quiet house." I stopped walking. "What about this place?"
"Looks okay to me. Let's go ask Jason. Yo Jason! What do you think?" Ike asked the bodyguard, pointing to the body piercing place.
"I doubt you'll run into crazy fans there," was the response.
I laughed. "No, not safe for him. Safe for me."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"I'm getting my bellybutton pierced."
"You are?"
"Don't worry. I have my mother's permission. You will in no such way, shape, or form be held responsible," I assured him.
"Well, okay," he reluctantly agreed. "But I'm going in with you." Then he turned to Ike. "Do your parents know about this?"
Ike shrugged. "It's not really their decision to make. Becca's not their daughter. They have no say."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure he remains hole-free," I said, holding the door open so Ike and Jason could enter the building.
We entered a small room. It held a cash register and several glass cases containing all sorts of "body ornaments," as they were labeled. I began looking for the bellybutton rings. "Hey Ike! What do you think of this one?"
He came up behind me. "It's nice. Hmm. . . . I like that one better though."
"Really?"
He nodded his head.
Just then, a girl with bright purple hair emerged from the back room. The little clothes she was wearing were black, and she had more holes in her than a piece of Swiss cheese. Ike immediately put a protective arm around my waist, fearing this creature would be the one to pierce me. We both let out a sigh of relief when she walked up to the cash register, revealing that she was just another paying customer. As she left the place Ike whispered to me, "if you EVER do that to yourself, I'll hunt you down and kill you."
"Can I help you?" asked a relatively normal-looking guy. He appeared to be around twenty-three and was INCREDIBLY scrawny. Hmm. . . . someone's not eating his Wheaties.
"Yes. I'd like to get my bellybutton pierced," I told him.
"Okay. Did you see a ring you liked?"
"That one," I answered, pointing to the ring Ike liked.
"Okay," the twig said, removing it from the glass case. "Now, if you'll just come with me into the back room, we'll get this done."
"Come with me?" I whispered to Ike.
He nodded his head and took my hand as we headed for the back room.
"Nervous?"
"A little."
"Just lie down on the table," said the piercing twig, pointing to a table straight out of a doctor's office in the center of the room. "I'll be with you in a second."
I laid down on the table, and Ike took a seat in the chair. He scooted down so he could hold my hand. "Just squeeze if it hurts."
All I could do was manage a weak smile.
"Roll up your shirt, please," the twig instructed. "I'm gonna brush some of this around your naval," he said. "It'll disinfect the skin to reduce the chance of infection."
As the guy brushed the cool liquid around my bellybutton, I began to giggle. Ike gave me a wierd look. "It tickles," I explained.
"Okay now, hold still," said the twig. As he began to pierce my naval, I squeezed Ike's hand like there was no tomorrow. It wasn't so much because it hurt. It was more like because I was petrified. I looked at Ike. His teeth were clenched. What can I say? I got a good grip.
"There. All done," the piercing-happy twig announced.
I sat up and inspected my newly-pierced naval. "Looks good," I commented to him.
He nodded his head in agreement, adding, "you have a really cute bellybutton."
"Umm, thank you," I replied.
When we entered the front room, Jason stood up. I got a pamphlet on caring for the hole, and a small tube of ointment to apply everyday for the first two weeks. I paid, and we left.
Once we were out on the sidewalk Ike said, "you have a really cute bellybutton," mimicking the guy from inside.
"You dork!" I said, playfully shoving him.
He shoved me back, and I began to chase him down the streets of London, with Jason in tow.
"Taylor, what are you doing roaming the halls?"
I turned around and faced Becca. Her hair was in a ponytail. She was wearing a tee shirt and a pair of boxers similar to the ones Zac was sleeping in.
I blushed. "Oh, um, I couldn't sleep. But I didn't want to wake Ike and Zac, so I came out here."
She nodded her head. "I can't sleep either. But I guess that's okay. I'll sleep on the plane tomorrow then."
I nodded my head, not really knowing what to say and embarrassed that I got caught in the hallway shirtless and in boxers.
"Wanna come back to my room? Aunt Tam left this afternoon, so we don't have to worry about waking her."
I shrugged. "Sure. Beats standing in the hallway by myself."
We went to Becca's room, and walked out onto the balcony. The streets of London were relatively quiet, with the exception of the drunk cluber ocassionally passing by. One guy with spiked hair stopped and leaned against a lamp post. He lit a cigarette.
"Aha! Victim number one."
I became worried. "Becca, what are you going to do?"
She smiled. "You'll see."
What happened next caught me COMPLETELY off-guard. Rebecca launched a ball of phlegm. It hit the spiked-hair smoker right on his head. We ducked before we could be seen.
"Rebecca!" I hissed. "Are you nuts?"
She rolled her eyes. "Puh-lease. Zac told me how you got some old lady the day before I got here."
"Oh, yeah, um, yeah." I smiled sheephisly. I stood up and Rebecca followed. The smoker was gone. "Wow! You spit pretty far," I observed.
"It's all in the tongue."
"Oh?"
"No, seriously. My mom's a speech therapist. When she works with kids, they have watermelon seed spitting contests. The tongue's a muscle, and whoever spits the farthest has the strongest tongue. Plus," Becca's eyes sparkled, "it's helpful in other activities as well."
I smiled. "You know, you're not exactly discouraging me from this behavior. Spitting off the balcony, that is."
Becca shrugged. "I'm under no obligation to keep you naive or anything. Besides, I doubt that anyone or anything could keep you from spitting off the balcony, with the exception of your parents."
"Too true," I agreed. "So, what did you and Ike do the other day? Zac and I wanted to ask you to go rollerblading, but Mom said you went for a walk. Where did you go?"
"If I tell you, you can't tell your parents. I don't want them mad at Ike, 'cause he kinda lied to them."
"Ike lied to them!?!" Anytime you can get information to hold over a sibling's head, it's a red-letter day for you. "Do tell."
"Ike asked if we could go for a walk. Your mom asked where. Ike said no place in particular, but we went to get my bellybutton pierced."
"Cool! Can I see it?"
Rebecca lifted her shirt to reveal a silver naval ring.
"Looks good."
"Thanks."
"So," I said, sitting on a chair, "what made you do that?"
"Well, I always wanted to, but never did anything about it. The other day at the shoot, Ike and I made a deal. He talked to that blonde, and I got my bellybutton pierced."
"That has to be the DUMBEST thing I EVER heard."
Becca shrugged. "What's done is done."
"Are your parents gonna be mad?" I asked. The last thing Ike needed was Becca's parents to get upset and call Mom and Dad.
"Nah. Mom said I could do it. You just have to be eighteen in the US. But Steve, well, that's another story."
"Steve's your boyfriend, right?"
"Yup."
"Why's he gonna be mad?"
"Because not only did I not tell him I was doing it, he wasn't there to witness it."
I became concerned. "So, what's he gonna say? What's he gonna do?"
Becca sighed. "He'll bitch. He'll moan. We'll get into a fight. And if he continues to act like an idiot, well, I hope the door doesn't hit him in the ass on the way out."
"So you'll break up over a bellybutton ring?" The whole thing seemed stupid to me.
"Yeah, I know, it's juvenile. But," she shrugged, "that's the way the cookie crumbles."
"Do you love him?"
Becca appeared shocked by the question. I was equally shocked that I asked it. But she answered it anyway. "Geez, well, no, I guess not. Don't get me wrong, I have feelings FOR him. I doubt that it's true love though."
"Then why are you with him? If you don't mind my asking." I didn't want her to think I was nosey, even though I was.
"Oh, I don't know. Not that it matters anyway. Even if we make it to graduation by some miracle, we won't make it past that."
"God Rebecca! That's a real shitty thing to say!"
"What do I look like Taylor? Mary Poppins? That's life. People grow. People change. Your interests change. Life's not one big Disney movie."
"Yeah, I guess. . . . . . "
"Sorry," Becca apologized. "I didn't mean to come off so harsh."
"It's okay. I shouldn't have asked. It was none of my business. I didn't mean to open a can of worms."
"Don't worry your pretty blonde head about it," she said, getting up and ruffling my already knotted hair.
"I won't," I said through a yawn.
"Oooh. Someone's tired."
"Yeah. Finally. I guess I'll be going back. Thanks for letting me hang out with you."
Becca smiled. "No problem."
As I walked down the hall to my room, I came to the conclusion that Rebecca wasn't all that bad. In fact, she was pretty cool. Not two minutes later, I found myself knocking on her door.
"Taylor? What is it?"
"I, um, I locked myself out." I could feel my sunburned cheeks burn with embarrassment.
"Come on in you dork," she said laughing. "Pick a bed, any bed."
I flopped down on my stomach onto the bed closest to the window. "Hey Becca, when do you think is the next time we'll see you?"
"You better visit me the next time you're in LA, or heads will roll," she said. I could tell by her tone of voice that she was smiling.
"Will do. Good-night Bec."
"Good-night Taylor."
"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Lisa asked from her post in front of the mirror in our dorm room. "It'll be a lot of fun. Promise." She began to apply bright blue eyeshadow to her lids.
"Roll your jeans. Yeah, I'm sure. I'm just not up for being squeezed into a small, smokey room with a bunch of drunk people. No offense or anything, it's just not my scene. Besides, I've already lived through the eighties. Once was enough," I said, referring to the frat party's eighties theme.
Lisa shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourself." She got quiet for a moment. Slowly, she turned around to face me. "Becca, you're not mad at me 'cause I'm pledging, are you?" she asked cautiously.
"No," I replied a little too quickly. "I. . . . I have no problem with the fact that you want to pledge and I don't. But I don't appreciate the phone calls and knocks on the door at 3:30 in the morning."
"I'll talk to the sisters about that."
I smiled. "Thanks. Now put on your pledge pin and get the hell out of here."
"How do I look?"
"Like you belong on 'The Facts of Life.'"
Lisa laughed. "Good. Bye Bec."
"Bye. Be careful."
"Yes Mommy." She giggled.
"Get out of here you dork!"
With Lisa's exit, I got up off the bed and sat down at my desk. I began to sort through the mess. I had been hoping that living in tight quarters would make me a neater person. No such luck. Finally, I found what I was looking for, my psych book and a yellow highlighter.
I glanced at the clock. It read 9 pm. How pathetic. Here it is, Friday night, and I've got a big date with a text book. But the Hansons are flying in later tonight so Ike, Tay, and Zac can record their new album. I had plans to spend the weekend with them. This futile attempt to study would hopefully ease my conscience when I did jackshit over the next two days.
I was not two sentences into the chapter on adolescence when the phone rang. I picked it up. "Hello."
"Hi. Is Becca there?"
"Speaking."
"Becca, it's Zac."
"Zac? Where are you?" I asked, thoroughly confused.
"Here in LA, at the house. We took an earlier flight. So, are you coming over or what?"
I glanced down at my book and the forty unread pages. Screw it. "Yeah. I'll be right over."
Quickly, I replaced the sweatpants I was wearing with worn jeans. I threw on a pair of sneakers, grabbed my keys, and shot out of my dorm like a bat out of hell, to quote Meatloaf.
In record time, I was standing on the Hansons' front steps. Well actually, they're Mercury Records' front steps since it's the label's house. But whenever the Hansons are in LA, this is where they stay. I rang the doorbell and waited. The door was opened by a girl, almost as tall as me, with blonde hair down the middle of her back.
"Jess?"
"Oh, hey Becca. Tay and Zac are in the living room. Everyone else is unpacking."
"Okay. Thanks. It's good to see you."
"You too."
I entered the living room. Zac was sprawled out on the floor. Tay was lounging on the couch, remote in hand. The two were utterly glued to the boob tube.
"Hey! Shouldn't you two be unpacking or something?"
Zac looked up at me. "We already did. Considering what slobs we are, all unpacking entails is dumping the suitcases' contents onto the floor."
I rolled my eyes and walked over to the couch. I nudged Taylor's legs with my knee, and he moved them so I could sit. As soon as I did though, his legs were on my lap.
"Make yourself comfortable."
"I did," he said smiling.
"So, where's Ike?"
"Out on the deck with Alison," Zac answered.
"He brought her? You mean I FINALLY get to meet the girl that forced him to call me at all odd hours searching for advice?"
"Yup," Zac and Tay said simultaneously.
Ike really had it bad for this girl. I advised this boy on just about everything, from asking her out to choosing gifts. I asked him why he didn't get Zac or Tay to help him, but he said he wanted a girl's opinion. Made sense. And at eleven-years-old, I don't think Jess would be much help. Not that I minded helping Ike though. He had been there for me many times over, listening to me rag about the evil that is men. I must say, my success in the relationship department equals Susan Lucci's when it comes to winning a daytime Emmy. How may times has she been nominated? Thirty-five?
"She's not gonna be with you the whole time, is she?" I asked, not that it's any of my business really. They met at registration day at ORU, even though Ike's doing an independent study. The thought of Alison giving up her education for a man, ANY MAN, made me cringe.
"Nope. She's just here for two weeks," was Tay's response.
"Is she nice?" I had to ask. I care too much about Ike to see him get hurt by some girl.
"Well, if we saw more of her, we'd be able to answer your question," said Zac, his voice tense.
"Zac, when a couple goes out, they GO OUT."
"Duh Rebecca. But Alison, up until today, has said a total of about ten words to the family. I don't know why she even bothered to come," Tay defended Zac's response about Ike's girlfriend.
"Sorry. Can't answer that one for ya," I said, patting his leg. "Okay, this is ridiculous. I came here to see three of you and I only get two. If I knew this was gonna happen, I would've stayed at the dorm and read that psych chapter."
"Oh, what's the matter? We're not good enough for you to spend time with?" Zac teased me.
I playfully kicked him. "Nope. I don't know why I even wasted my time coming here." I got up from the couch and made my way towards the door.
"Going so soon?"
I stopped dead in my tracks. I turned around with a huge smile spread across my face. "Hey Isaac."
"Becca!" In a flash, my arms were around her. "It's so good to see you again. There's someone I'd like you to meet. Becca, this is Alison. Alison, Becca," I introduced the two girls to one another.
Alison extended her right hand. "Becca, pleased to meet you. I've heard so much about you."
Becca took Ali's hand. "All good things, I hope." I could tell by the look on her face that she was sizing Ali up.
"How did you know we were here already?" I asked her.
"Zac called me."
"Oh."
"So, Becca, Ike tells me you go to UCLA," Ali said. "What are you majoring in?"
"Psychology."
"Criminal psychology?" I asked. Becca's dad has his own law firm, and has always wanted his daughter to work for him. I think, ultimately, he wants to hand the firm down to her. Becca, on the other hand, isn't all that interested by the prospect.
"Nope. Just psychology. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet," she said, shrugging, "but something will come up I imagine."
"You should become a psychiatrist. That way, there'll be two doctors in your family," spoke up Zac.
"Med school? I don't think so. I plan on finishing my schooling during my fertile years, thank you."
Taylor laughed. "Don't you think you're getting a little carried away?"
Becca shook her head. "As a matter of fact, no, I don't."
I rolled my eyes. Becca could be so stubborn. Once she made up her mind, there was no changing it. "So, tell me," I said, leading her to the couch and indicating for her to sit, "how's school going? How are your classes?"
She shrugged. "School's okay. Classes are okay."
I frowned. "You don't sound too sure. What's wrong?" I asked, concerned.
"It's just . . . . . . Lisa's pledging. I see her about a total of four hours a week, if even that. I miss her."
"We're here for ya Bec!" Zac said, offering her a hug. Taylor and I followed the suit.
"So, what have you been keeping busy with, other than schoolwork?" I asked.
"I'm a consultant in a computer lab," was her response.
"Computer lab?" Tay came to life with this piece of information. His computer has a special place in his heart. I swear, I've never seen ANYONE so attached to a piece of machinery before.
"Yes. It's nothing exciting though. Just realigning the paper in the printer and showing everyone where the reset button on the disk drive is." Becca made her last statement through a yawn.
"How can you be tired? We're the ones that are supposed to be suffering from jet lag," Zac teased her.
"Well, I wouldn't be tired if I could sleep through the night. For the past three weeks, Lisa's sisters and pledge sisters have been calling and knocking at all hours. I haven't had a decent night's sleep in three weeks." Becca rested her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Ewwww!" Zac made a face.
"So spend the night here," Tay suggested. "We've got plenty of room, and I'll lend you something to sleep in."
"Oh no, I couldn't," Becca began to protest.
"Just say yes, Bec. If you don't, I'll run upstairs and tell Mom you're giving us a hard time. She'll see to it you don't get anywhere NEAR the front door," said Zac.
She threw her hands up in the air and surrendered. "Alright! Alright! I'll stay."
"Good." Taylor grabbed her hands and pulled her off the couch into a standing position. "Come on. Let's go find you something to wear."
"With that mess, you're gonna need some help." Zac rose to his feet, and the trio headed upstairs.
As soon as we were alone, Alison turned to face me. "So, that was Becca, huh?" she asked, tracing the collar of my tee shirt with her finger.
"Yup. That's Becca."
"She seems real nice."
"That's because she is."
Ali remained quiet for a moment, still gently tracing my collar. "You really care about her, don't you?" she asked softly. Her question took me by surprise, but I didn't hesitate with my answer.
"Of course I do. Aside from my brothers, she's one of my best friends. I can't help but care."
"How long have you known her?"
"Two years."
"Oh."
"Is something wrong?"
"No."
"'Cause you know if something's wrong you can tell me, right?"
"I know, but nothing's wrong."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive," Ali said, offering me a smile. She yawned. "I think I'm gonna go to bed." She leaned in and gently kissed me. "Good-night."
"Good-night."
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