~"confused"~

Zac raced down the street and sped around the corner. He felt like a pro. This wind in his hair and his feet just gliding along the road. Everything around him was a blur, he felt like he was in a parallel universe, no one else could see him. He was invisible. He thought that blades were better than the urge he had to take up the skateboard about a month ago, it was so boring in comparison to having the world at your feet. He could just fly along all day.

"Zac!" someone called, which called Zac to come to a screaming halt, almost running into a flock of elderly women that were coming his way. Zac turned around to view the culprit.

"Oh, hi Margo." he moaned. Margo was the most annoying girl in the entire city of Tulsa. And this is an understatement! She wasn't ugly, with her long blond hair, clear complexion and blue eyes. But she was so utterly annoying. She had discovered Zac just before they went to California to record 'Middle of Nowhere'. From that moment she claimed that she was Zac's girlfriend. He hated the thought.

"How's my babe?" she said strangling him in a hug.

"I am not your babe" he said pulling her away.

"Don't be silly Zaccy! I haven't seen you in ages, why haven't you called?"

"I am under no obligation to call you Margo, again, I am sorry, but I don't feel the same way!" Zac shuddered as a memory came back to him. Margo had managed to get middle front rows for every Tulsa performance. She insisted telling every girl within a ten metre radius to stop shouting Zac's name cause she was his girlfriend. Then it would be completed with her constantly shrieking 'Hi Zac! It's Margo! Hi babe!' then turning back to tell the girls all their make believe encounters. Zac shook the thought away.

"Zaccy, don't start this again" Oh great! Here we go, someone save me from her! Now! "We belong together!"

"Margo, when did I ever ask you out?" Zac was puzzled.

"You were too shy babe, I knew what you wanted." Zac looked down at his blades, quick getaway. He had to move now.

"Ahh.. Marg, I have to go." He said attempting a fast side movement.

"Why?" She demanded stopping him.

Think of something good, think of something good. "I am sorry. But I..... I am seeing someone else." he studied the buckles on his blades.

"Zac Hanson!" Here is comes... "Don't be silly! I know you would never do that to me!" Oh gosh. There is no escape!

Zac spotted a figure coming up behind Margo, he hated the thought that had just taken over his head, but this was the only chance that he had to get out of Margo's claws forever.

"Ahh... Gillian, Baby!" he seductively winked and smiled over Margo's shoulder.

"What?" Gillian mouthed as Margo turned around.

"Go with it!" he hissed.

Gillian rolled her eyes and came towards Zac, she wasn't in the mood to know what the hell he was going on about.

"Who is this?" Margo furiously questioned.

"This," Zac smiled and put his arm around Gillian's shoulder, "is Gillian, my girlfriend." Gillian gulped air and stared at Zac.

"Zac Hanson! How could you?! We have been together for two years!"

"Margo! We have not!" Zac was getting annoyed. "Did I ever do this to you?" Zac was getting into the moment of trying to prove a point so he leant over and kissed Gillian on the cheek.

"Zachary Walker Hanson! You jerk" It was finally working, Zac let out a sigh of relief. Gillian, however, was standing there rather dumbfounded as Zac was just coming to realise what he had done. "Good bye! Do not call me!"

"I don't even know your phone number!" Zac shouted. With that Margo turned and stormed into the other direction. "My life is now complete" he sighed happily, taking his arm from Gillian when Margo was clearly gone.

"I seriously don't understand you and your twisted ways" Gillian spoke for the first time.

"Get used to it baby" he laughed as he circled Gillian on the side walk. "Thanks for that."

"It's okay... I think" she said trying to break out of Zac's circle. "You hate her more than me? Damn!"

"Ha ha. I could never passionately hate someone as much as I do you, Gillo!"

"Good to hear" she said walking away. "If you ever kiss me again, give warning so I can move away."

"You didn't like, teen idol, Zac Hanson kissing you?" He said in mock shock.

"Zac. Think about it. I have every reason to utterly dislike you..."

"You don't hate me? You just dislike me?" he laughed interrupting her.

"Shh... as I was saying, My second day in a new city, no friends, new school, new house. And you blast me for no reason. Great confidence booster that one was" she frowned at him.

"You did a very stupid thing."

"Don't start that again Zac. I don't want to hear it."

"Fine, bye" he said watching after her. "Wait! Gill!"

"Gillo, then Gill? Geez Zac." she swung around.

"Wanna be friends?"

Gillian was shocked. "Zac, you were a bastard to me and now you want to be friends?"

"Yes" Zac nodded, seeing nothing wrong with the question.

"Zac, I really don't understand you."

"Neither do I!" he offered. "Friends?"

"No Zac."

"Gilliannnnnn!" he moaned.

"What?" She seemed to be bored with him.

"Gillian!"

"What?"

"Gillian?" He whined one more time, causing her to disolve into giggles. He beamed. He loved to make people laugh.

"Fine Zac. I want an apology."

"For what?"

"For God's sake Zac!"

"Okay, I am sorry for blasting you."

"And?"

"I'm sorry for kissing you."

"No!" she laughed.

He laughed back at her. "I am sorry for BOOSTING your confidence, by meeting me, Zac Hanson, when you got to Tulsa."

"That will do" she rolled her eyes, knowing that is the closest she would get.

"Want to come to my house?"

"Sure, introduce me to your bro's"

"Oh, you're a Tay fan?"

"What?" she laughed. "I said I wanted to meet your bro's, thats all"

"Okay then" he seemed satisfied.

"Cool"

"Do you like Hanson, you know what I mean, d'ya like our music?"

"Yeah. I do"

"Cool."

"My friend, Sarah, back in New York does not in the slightest believe that you are next door. She thinks I made it up, the fight and everything. You will have to ring her up. She loves you guys."

"Ha ha. Cool!" Zac and Gillian turned into their street to see Taylor storming out of the house. "Just ignore him if he starts acting weird. He is a bit lately, dunno why, he could crack any moment."

"Okay then" Gillain said, looking over at Taylor.

"Tay!" Taylor turned around and started walking over to them.

"Zac, hey"

"Hey. This is my best enemy, Gillian" Zac said showing her to Taylor.

"Hey Gillian, nice to meet you. I am Taylor" he smiled.

She gazed up at him dreamily. "Hi"

Zac rolled his eyes and took her by the arm. "Bye Tay, what do you want to do Gill?"

"Bye Tay!" she laughed. "Zac, you're pathetic," she started when they got away.

"Why this time?"

"I was only joking... hee hee" she laughed. "So, whats wrong with him?"

"Huh?"

"Tay."

"Dunno... Many possibilities there."

"Oh right..." she faded away. "What do you want to do?"

The two new friends disappeared into the house searching for something to occupy themselves.



Ike made his way down the stairs to the kitchen. He heard voices in the lounge room, so his head curiously popped around the door. Zac and, what was described to be Gillian, sitting watching the Con Air video. Little brother never ceases to confuse me. He hated her last week he thought to himself.

He passed and found his way to the kitchen. Kayla was forcefully fighting with the window because it refused to open.

"Stupid thing. Open!" she muttered.

"Talking to the window now are we?" Ike teased.

She turned around. "I am getting so sick of Keryn" she burst from nowhere.

"Huh? Why?"

"She has been out of that stupid room two days now and all she can do is mope around like some kind of freak!"

"Kayl, thats a bit harsh."

"I know, but why doesnt she talk about it?"

"She's a bit sad."

"What do you know?"

"Nothing" he murmured.

"Ike! Has she been talking to you?" Ike was still puzzled about that fact that she came to him rather that Kayla or Taylor.

"No" he lied.

"Ike."

"She is sad, thats all."

"Why?"

"I shouldn't be saying this. She is stressed about school and stuff."

"Is that all?"

"Kayl, she's a bit depressed."

"Oh."

"Don't say I said this. She is thinking of going back to Los Angeles."

"Oh no. She hates it there! Why would she go back a few weeks early?"

"I think I talked her out of it, she was crying and everything. I didn't know what to do."

"Why didn't she come to me?"

"Don't know. What about going to Taylor?"

"God that pair confuse me. Where is Keryn now?"

"Kath's."

"Oh right." Kayla sighed. Ike thought she looked a bit tired.

"Wanna do somethin'?"

"What?"

"Go to the mall?"

"We went yesterday and the day before."

"Well... Ahh. I know." he brightened.

"Well, you don't have to if you don't want to, but I am."

"Huh? What Ike?"

"I am going to round up Tay and Zac. We are going to have to practise"

"Cool. I am in the mood! I have never seen you guys live." Kayla got excited.

"Well, live in a garage will have to do."

"Cool! Want me to go get Zac?"

"Nah, find Tay, I will give you the hard, crazy job of handling him."

"Ike..." Kayla wanted to stick up for Taylor. But, she just went up to the room in search of him.



About half an hour later Kayla, Zac, Ike and Taylor were rounded up in the garage.

"Let's start with Speechless" Zac suggested.

"Weird."

"No Tay, I wanna do Speechless"

"Zac, we will do Speechless later, we always start with Weird." Ike commanded. Zac sat back in his chair in a huff and rolled his eyes.

"Zac, count" Tay demanded to his little brother. Taylor waited for his cue and started to play the song. Taylor wasn't feeling up to scratch today, but he knew that within an hour he would start feeling a little better, the music always did that for him.

Taylor moved his eyes around the room, Kayla was sitting in the corner with her eyes fixed apon Isaac, then Zac and then him. He waved and smiled. She looked like she was enjoying herself. Ike said that she hadn't heard us live before. Taylor thought for a while as they drifted from Weird to Money, Zac didn't get his way, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Can we do Stories now?" Zac pleaded. "I feel like that song."

"Yep, same here." Taylor agreed.

The three of them sat and started to get into the song. Taylor was now playing better than ever. The music was just blissfully floating through the room. Kayla still looked to be having a good time. They didn't usually have people in practice with them, but this was okay. Taylor took the golden strands of hair from his eyes and walked over to where Kayla was and got a bottle of water from the fridge.

"So, are we playing alright?" he asked for an opinion.

"Yeah, you guys are great!" She smiled. "I have never seen anything like it before!"

"Hey, well you will have to come to some concerts!"

"I will! Ahh, I will be there. This is great" Kayla seemed hyped.

Taylor heard footsteps, so his head automatically turned towards the door. As it opened he saw Keryn appear from the other side.

"Hi guys!" she said, happily. "D'ya mind if I sit in?"

"Sure" echoed Ike and Zac. Kayla and Taylor just kind of stood there.

"Yeah, great" Taylor said with his best go at enthusiasm. Him and Keryn had not spoken yet since 'the fight' and by the look of it, they wanted to keep it that way. Taylor avoided eye contact and headed back over to his keyboard and Keryn settled down next to Kayla.

Whilst Ike fiddled with his guitar Taylor had nothing to do, so he just 'overheard' Keryn and Kayla conversation.

"Hey?" Keryn broke the moment of silence.

"Yah?" Kayla whispered.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing" she mumbled.

"Kayla, whats the matter?" Keryn seemed to be getting serious.

"You have been keeping something completely bottled up over the last few days and you won't even talk to me about it."

"No I haven't Kayla." Keryn drifted off. Taylor was now curious. He stared hard at the keys on the instrument.

"Keryn, you have."

"I'm just confused." Keryn looked up to see if Ike had finished yet. Then she looked Taylor in the eyes, causing them both to drift away.

"About..?"

"No, Kayla, it's not that." Keryn seemed serious. Taylor was still confused. What could it be then?

"Keryn, Ike told me about what you said to him. You're not are you?"

"I thought he would." She smiled. "I don't know Kayla, not right now, but I am thinking about it." What, what, what? Taylor needed to know, Ike knew, Kayla knew, he didn't.

"What are you confused about?"

"Kayla, it's just life. What the hell am I going to do with my future? It is just a matter of time before I have to leave school. I don't have any career plans. No matter how much that stupid advisor at our school tries to tell me off about it, I still don't know. I am just well and truly scared."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Cause I am like a bottle of feelings. They should sell me at the store. I don't let it out. You know that."

"Yeah," Kayla sighed. "But you should, you know."

"I know. But, I would rather deal with it by myself." She would've told me Taylor thought. He felt kind of bad for listening to the conversation. But, he felt he had to for some reason.

He heard a noise from Ike's guitar and Zac started to count in Gimme Some Lovin' Taylor looked over at Keryn and Kayla after his part of the song to find Kayla sitting there alone. Oh well, he thought I shouldn't have to care about her problems anyways. His hands found the keys and he started jumping and dancing to the music. His life was great.



Keryn turned on the water and let the heat smash down onto her body. She stretched her neck both ways and made sure the shower and music would drown everything out. As soon as she had soaked her hair her body had frailed over into uncontrollable tears. They flooded down her face like they never had before. Her body had to just let it out before she could live again. Nothing was going right. Her jaw ached and she had cried herself into a headache. She turned the shower off and prepared to go to bed. The sounds of 'I Will Come To You' made her drift off in the end. For at least some of the night.

Chapter Fourteen HOME Chapter Sixteen
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