+chapter.one+

-Ike-

“But, Mom, why do I have to go too? It only takes one person to invite someone for dinner!” I argued with my mother. She wanted me to go to the new neighbors and invite them over for dinner. What if they have this crazed fan? I can’t risk being mobbed just cause my mom wants me to invite them over for dinner. Either way, how could she actually invite someone we don’t know in our house? It’s crazy! There’s so many psychos out in the world wanting to kill Tay, Zac and I it isn’t even funny.
“Clarke Hanson, you are going over that house with your brothers and you all are going to be extremely polite and ask that family over for dinner!” Mom yelled.
I grunted. “Fine! But I’m not going to like it!” With that I stormed out of the room and to the hall to retrieve my coat from the closet. Zac and Tay had been waiting for me in the living room, why I don’t know. They could have saved everyone a lot of aggravation if they had just left. “Let’s go,” I grumbled, trying to keep my temper under wraps.
Taylor and Zac hopped up from the couch and followed me outside. It was the middle of October and it was getting pretty cold here in Tulsa. I shoved my hands in my pockets and walked abruptly down the walkway of our house. The new people lived only three houses down from us.
“Do you think any cute girls moved in?” I heard Zac ask.
“In this neighborhood?” Tay replied. “You gotta be kidding me Zac.”
“Ya never know,” Zac voiced.
“What do you think these people are gonna be like?” Tay asked.
“I guess we’ll find out when we get there,” I said, roughly. I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. It just came out that way.
“Ike, ya know I’m having a real problem with you today.” Tay stopped where he was walking to voice what he had to say.
I sighed. “I’m sorry, Tay. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.”
Tay looked at me for a second. “It’s okay. Just try to relax?”
“Okay.”
“That’s it! I like nothing better than seeing my two big brothers fight and make up!” Zac exclaimed, happily throwing an arm around both of us. We walked a few more feet and came to the walkway of the new people’s house. I rolled my eyes as Zac bounded up to the front porch and rang the doorbell. Tay and I followed him up and stood on the stoop. After about five seconds, a short teenage girl opened the door. She had dirty blond hair that was just below her shoulders and blue eyes. She had on a black Calvin Klein T-shirt and dark blue baggy jeans. She looked at us for a second, a bit confused.
“Can I help you?” she asked a bit harshly.
I looked at Tay, then to Zac. They were both staring. I rolled my eyes and began to speak. “Yea. We live three houses down, number 2092, and our mom asked us to come invite you over for dinner tonight.”
She lifted her left hand and pulled a bit of her hair behind her ear. It was then I noticed the shiny lavender nail polish and the black watch that matched her shirt. “Thanks. Hang on a sec while I get my mom.”
She closed the door in our faces and called for her mom. I could hear her voice ring through the house even though I was outside. “Bitch.” I muttered under my breath.
“Wow,” Zac breathed.
“Uh huh,” Tay agreed with Zac.
I looked at them in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me! She was a total brat! She looks SO spoiled!” I voiced quietly, as to not be heard.
Neither Taylor nor Zac paid any attention to my comment and started to fix themselves up for the girl. She hadn’t even given us her name. We hadn’t given her ours either, but she owned the place and she was the new one, so she should start with introductions. We waited a few more seconds before the door opened again. This time a woman, who seemed to be in her late thirties, opened it.
“I’m sorry. Please come in,” she spoke. She seemed to be a lot nicer than what her daughter was.
“That’s quite alright,” I replied. “We live three houses down, number 2092. Our mother asked us to come over and invite you over for dinner tonight.”
“Oh, that’s very kind of you. I’m Claire McMillan,” the lady said, extending her hand.
I shook it and replied, “I’m Isaac Hanson.”
“I’m Taylor,” Tay introduced himself.
“And I’m Zac,” Zac spoke up.
“Very nice to meet you boys. Would it be alright if you gave me your phone number and I’ll call your mother in a bit?”
“Oh, sure,” I replied and proceeded to give her my phone number.
“Thank you again. I’ll call your mom right away,” Claire said.
“Okay. Thanks,” I said.
“Yea. Thanks,” Tay and Zac echoed. They were both trying to look past Claire to see if they could spot that girl.
“I hope you all can come tonight,” Tay said as we started walking to the door.
Claire smiled at us. “I think we might be able to make it.”
“Great!” Zac exclaimed as we walked through the front door.
“Thanks again,” I said as we walked down the pathway. “See you later,” I called over my shoulder, waving.
Once the door was shut, Zac and Tay began jabbering. “Oh my God! That girl was HOT!” Zac exclaimed.
I looked at him in disbelief. “She was a total bitch! She didn’t even give us her name!”
Taylor shrugged. “So? She was hot!”
I shook my head. “Yea. Okay.”
Tay and Zac kept going on and on about that bratty girl as I walked behind them in silence. I’ll admit, she was pretty, but she definitely needed to take a course in Manners 101. We reached our house a few minutes after leaving the McMillan’s. I walked in the house, not as peeved as I was when I left. I was no longer upset with my mom, but with that girl. I couldn’t get over how rude she was. I wouldn’t tell my mom that though. She’s always talking about how we shouldn’t judge our fans and stuff like that. I’m sure she’d make no exception for this girl.
“Mom!” Zac yelled as soon as we walked in the house.
“Shh! Zoë’s asleep!” Mom hushed.
“Oh, sorry!” Zac said in a tone about ten thousand decibels lower. “Mom, the new girl is hot!” Zac never was very subtle. I laughed a bit and walked to the kitchen to get a pop.
Mom laughed. “Are they coming?”
“Dunno, Mrs. McMillan said she would call in a bit,” I replied, opening the Pepsi.
“Oh, okay, thank you, boys,” she said.
“Welcome,” Tay and Zac said before leaving the room.
“Welcome,” I said and started to leave the room.
“Isaac,” Mom said before I could leave.
I turned around. “Yea?”
“Thank you,” she said before hugging me and giving me a kiss on the forehead.
“It was nothing, Mom. Sorry I was acting like that before. I’m gonna go get my blades and go around for awhile.”
“It’s alright,” she replied. “Can you check in on Zoë before you go?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks. And don’t be gone long. You have to shower before the McMillan’s come over and I’m going to invite them over for six,” Mom told me.
“Alright. I’ll be back by four-thirty,” I said, looking at my watch. That gave me an hour and a half to go and do what I wanted. I bounded up the stairs, two at a time. I stuck my head in my parents’ room where my baby sister was asleep. I smiled as I looked down at her in the crib. She had the same blond hair as Mom, Tay, Zac, Jess, Avie, Mackie, and I. I always felt bad for Dad considering he was the only one in the family without blond hair. I stroked her cheek and turned to leave the room quietly. I closed the door quietly behind me and walked down the hall to my room. I grabbed my rollerblades and walked down the stairs. “I’ll be back,” I said, walking through the kitchen.”
“Have fun,” Mom said as I walked out the back door.
I sat down on the back steps and put on my rollerblades. I stood up and began to wonder aloud. “Where to go…”

+chapter.two+

-Ike-

I rang the doorbell to Felicity’s house. Felicity, Mark, Cleo, and I were going to go around town for a bit. Cleo, Felicity, Mark, and I had been friends since we were little. We were like, THE group around town. Everyone associated me with the three of them and the three of them with me. Felicity and Cleo were definitely very pretty, but I wouldn’t consider dating them. They were practically my sisters. Mark was seventeen, Cleo was sixteen, and Felicity was the baby at fifteen. Tay had a crush on her a year ago and they went out once, but they decided to just be friends. It’s funny cause Felicity is the easiest to talk to, even though she’s the youngest. Don’t get me wrong, I talk to Cleo and Mark about the same things, but Felicity is usually the first to know whatever news I have. Felicity opened the door and smiled. “Yo, Ike. What’s up?”
“Hey, Felicity. Nothing really,” I said.
“Yea, same here. Glad ya called. I was getting bored all by myself!” She gave me a hug and I hugged back.
“Yea. I gotta ditch you guys early today though. Mom made Zac, Tay, and I go down to the new neighbor’s and ask them over for dinner.”
“Oh yea! That’s right! Anyone good move in? Maybe Nick Carter?” Lic, our nickname for her, asked.
I laughed. Lic had this huge crush on Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. “Nope, sorry, Lic.”
“Damn. Any hot guys?”
“No again.”
“God, what do you have? A bunch of old geezers living three houses down?” Felicity complained.
“No, worse. This really rude bratty girl moved there. She was like, so rude to Zac, Tay, and I. We told her our mom would like her family to come to dinner tonight and she tells us to wait while she gets her mother and she closes the door in our faces! I was pretty annoyed with that. Then Zac and Tay were drooling over her and kept saying how hot she was. I mean, yea, she was pretty, but she was very rude,” I explained as we skated to Mark’s.
Felicity nodded. She was always good when it came to listening. “Well, try to talk to her tonight. Try to get to know her a bit. She’s new here and she doesn’t know anyone yet. Does she know about you guys? I mean, is she like, a fan?”
“I don’t know. If she was, I don’t think she would have closed the door in our face.”
“Maybe she wanted to scream,” Lic said thoughtfully.
“Who knows,” I replied. “She seemed to be a real brat though.”
“And you never got her name?”
“Nope.”
“Man, that’s messed up. Would you be willing to stop by? Like so Cleo, Mark, and I can introduce ourselves?”
“Not really, Lic…” I trailed. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be! It’s cool. After she leaves your house tonight, call me. I want to know everything. Including if she’s as bratty as you think,” Lic smiled her bright, happy smile.
“Alright,” I couldn’t help but smiling back.
We reached Mark’s and picked him up and started to Cleo’s. She only lived about a block down so it didn’t take us to long to get there. “So, how’re the new neighbors?” Cleo asked.
“No one good,” I replied before Lic butted in.
“The parents are cool, but the daughter’s a bitch.”
I laughed. “What she said.”
“Man, that sucks,” Mark spoke, patting, or rather pounding, my back.
“Tell me about it. If she were nicer, she would be date material. Zac and Tay love her. They talked about her the whole way home.”
“Do you know how old she was? What’s her name?” Mark asked, interested.
“I don’t know either. She slammed the door in our faces practically and said jack to us. She looked to be about Tay’s age, if not older. I’m just guessing on that.”
“Man, what a rip.”
Cleo and Felicity laughed. “You guys have to get a new favorite subject when you're around us,” Felicity said.
“Really!” Cleo agreed.
Mark and I smiled and looked down at the ground, blushing.
“Aw! You’re both so cute when you blush!” Cleo cooed and pinched our cheeks.
Lic laughed a bit harder as Mark and I turned deeper shades of pink. “Adorable,” she said. “Simply adorable.”
“Okay, come on, guys. We better get going if we want to do anything worthwhile while I can hang around,” I said.
“Ike, we never do anything worthwhile,” Cleo pointed out.
I laughed. “Yea, that’s true. We’re just a buncha trouble-making kids out to get a good laugh off of someone.”
We all laughed a bit and started skating to the park. I only had an hour to go. I might as well spend it having a laugh with my friends.

+chapter.three+

-Ike-

Before I knew it, it was time for me to get going. “Well guys, I hate to say it, but I have to go.”
“Ohhh,” Felicity whined. “Are you gonna be able to hang tomorrow?”
“Probably. If we have company again, I’ll ask Mom if you guys can come over to hang out in the back. Who knows, maybe you can spend the night.”
“Sounds good to me,” Cleo replied.
“Same here,” Felicity and Mark voiced.
It was only Friday, so they had off for the weekend. I’m sure their parents wouldn’t mind if they spent Saturday night at my house. “See ya later!” I called as I skated away.
“Bye!” I heard the three of them call. If there was ever a way to get away from my hectic life, it was with those three. They gave me the chance to have the life of a normal teenager. I love that feeling, considering my days as a teen are almost gone. I hated going away and leaving them, sometimes for months on end. I tried to spend every moment I could in Oklahoma, with them. I was always sure to keep in touch, whether it is post cards, letters, or the occasional long distance phone call.
I skated home, knowing that every second that passed was one more second till I saw her again. If Mom only knew how rude that girl was. I sighed. There was nothing that could be done now.
After a few minutes, I reached home. I went through the back door after taking off my skates. Mom was putting in a steak. “Oh, hi, Hon. Have fun?”
“Yea. Cleo, Mark, Felicity, and I went to the park,” I replied, sitting down in a chair.
“How are they?”
“They’re good. I was wondering if they could maybe sleep over tomorrow night,” I asked.
“It’s fine with me. Ask your father though.”
“As your father what?” Dad asked as he walked in the kitchen.
“If Cle, Mark, and Lic can sleep over tomorrow.
“I suppose,” Dad said.
“Awesome. Thanks,” I said, got up, and left the room.
I headed up to my room to get a change of clothes. I took what I needed and headed to the upstairs bathroom. Surprisingly enough, no one was in there. I smiled, happy I wouldn’t have to wait for a sibling to get out. My thoughts wandered to the girl. ‘I wonder if Lic is right. Is she as bratty as I think?’ I thought. I pushed my thoughts of her to the side, not wanting to get in a bad mood.
It only took about twenty minutes to take a shower and wash my hair. I got out and got dressed. I walked out of the bathroom in a pair of black JNCOs and a striped shirt. I walked to my room and picked up my airwalks. I sat down on the bed and put them on. Tonight was gonna be one helluva night. After I tied the laces on my shoes, I pulled out the hair dryer. Setting it on the hottest setting, I began to dry my hair. That IS what you do with a hair dryer, you know. I flipped on the television to VH1. I groaned as I saw the “River” video flash on the screen. I quickly changed channels to MTV. Daria was on. It’s an okay show, so I decided on watching that for a bit. If high school is anything like that show, I am SO glad that I’m home-schooled. Even though it can be a pain.
Once my hair was dry, I stood up and turned off the television. I looked at my watch. It was already five after five. I walked down the stairs, knowing I would have to go up to get Zoë, tell one of the girls, Zac, or Tay to come down and pick something of theirs up, or set the table.
As soon as I set foot in the kitchen, my mom took notice to my presence and used it to her advantage. “Ike, Hon, can you run up and get Zoë?” she asked. I knew that was coming.
“Sure, Mom.” I ran back upstairs and into my parents’ room. Zoë was sitting in her crib, talking to her stuffed toys. I smiled and picked her up. “Come on, Zoë. Mama wants you downstairs.” I grabbed a small stuffed teddy and handed it to her. She took it great fully and put her head on my chest. I breathed a laugh and walked downstairs again. I entered the kitchen and put Zoë in her high chair.
“Thanks, Ike,” Mom said, putting a bottle on Zoë’s tray.
“No problem. Need me to set the table?”
“Could you? That’d be great.”
“Sure,” I replied simply.
“Thank you so much!” Mom exclaimed before hugging me.
I just smiled, as I always did and pulled out a load of dishes. I set eleven places. We had just enough plates and silver ware. After I was finished, I headed to the living room to turn on the tube and chill until the guests arrived. I would finally learn that girl’s name. I walked in the living room, Zac and Taylor on the couch, talking. Most likely yakking about that girl again. I sighed and collapsed on the recliner, listening in to their conversation. Yep, I was right. I tuned them out and stole the clicker from Tay. He didn’t notice, considering he was in his own dream world.
For the second time that day, I turned on MTV. “One Week” by the Bare Naked Ladies was on. It being an awesome song, I left it on. I sat there, flipping between VH1 and MTV for awhile.