~"I hope he falls down the toilet"~

"I told you that I should've drove" Taylor huffed as he slid down in the backseat. "If you are going to drive Ike, could you please drive in a straight line in the middle of the lane?"

"I'm ignoring him. I'm ignoring him." Ike spoke through gritted teeth.

"Don't worry, we'll be home soon" Kayla murmured.

"Good." Taylor spat.

Kayla could no longer take it anymore, Taylor had been like this from the moment he stepped into the car. "Look Taylor."

"What?" He looked up with an unconcerned look on his face.

"I am sick of this. I don't really appreciate the fact that I have to sit with you in a car for over an hour, having to listen to continuous bad mouthing on everything that disturbs you!" She shouted.

"I was not!"

"Taylor!" She threw her arms in the air. "You whinged for at least ten minutes because a peice of fluff off the car seat had gotten onto your pants. What was with that?"

"It wouldn't come off!"

"Did it really matter?"

Taylor just ignored her and stared hard out the window. "I just have a headache, thats all."

"Lip ache?" Ike whispered from the drivers seat.

"Ike!" Kayla said. Taylor didn't seem to hear though, he had his eyes fixed upon the road outside.

The whole car felt the car ride drag on, it seemed that for eternity they were in the confined space, every single one of them pondering. Taylor was confused full stop. Kayla was wondering how Keryn was ever going to cope with this and Ike was not only confused, but also angry. Why hadn't anyone told him what was going on? The silence continued. When finally they pulled up in the front yard there was a sigh of relief from everyone. Taylor was first out,

"I'm going for a walk, if the phone rings for me, or whatever, tell Keryn I'll ring her back"

He disappeared around the block as Kayla and Ike watched, there was nothing they could do for him. They shrugged and went to open the front door, it was locked, obviously Zac had gone out. As they wrestled with the key they began to discuss the events of the airport.

"He is going to be such a moody guy tonight I tell you." Said Ike as he pushed the door open.

"Well, I don't blame him, all that is enough to confuse anyone."

"Well, I'm confused, why didn't I get to know the full story?"

"Well Ike, you knew some of it, it was all so complicated. You know what I mean?"

"I think so…"

The two flopped down on the couch, both not bothering to reach for the remote which seemed just too far away.

"Well, this has turned out different then any of us expected hey?" Kayla laughed.

"In what way?"

"Well, the beginning of the Summer all I knew about you was that I loved your music, I was with Dan and everthing was so..different. Keryn was making her way out here to spend a summer as she did as a kid. She was expecting the normal fun time, where everything was just..friendly. Then she got sick and all that Taylor stuff. Now she's gone, and there is a huge myth about their relationship. And the weirdest thing is that I'm still here, with people that I've only now for a few weeks and feeling the happiest I've ever felt."

As she finished she smiled, Ike smiled in return as he thought over the bizarre events of this summer they would never forget.

"Well, Kayla, even if it has been hard and there has been tears I think it was all worth it."

"You sure, I feel like I have turned everyone's world upside down."

"You have..but in a good way."

Together they laughed, hugged and then snuggled together as they began talking about tomorrow. Taylor stood in the hallway, watching. Just seeing his brother so happy made him want to die. Keryn leaving had suddenly shown him how much she meant to him, what had he been so blind? He watched as they talked softly and laughed at little stupid jokes. That should be me and Keryn he thought as he turned and walked along the hallway. That should be us. Before he knew it his eyes glassed over. He wsnt crying but this immense feeling of loss seemed to take over his body. Even though he knew she wasn't lost. It still hurt.






Zac lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. It was early morning and he hadn't been able to sleep properly. It was hell. Taylor and Ike said that when they had 'guy problems' that insomnia always followed, but never one had it happened to Zac. It was all really quite confusing for the poor boy. Zac was almost positive that his sleep loss was only due to his late arrival home, he denied himself from thinking he had 'guy problems.' When he had arrived home last night, the house was quiet, well it was 3 in the morning. Taylor was asleep in his bed, snoring and Ike was downstairs asleep on the couch with Kayla. He had crept upstairs and thrown himself into his trundle and prayed that his activities of the day would be forgotten. But he himself could even forget them. And he doubted she could either.

Zac rolled over and looked at the time.

"5:15 am" he murmured. "Great" Zac calculated in his head, he had not had any sleep for twenty-four hours. He hated it when that happened. And, he had to admit that he felt sorry for anyone that was around him when he had had a sleepless night.

Zac lifted himself from the bed and attempted to drag himself into bathroom. "I feel like shit" he told his twin reflection in the mirror. Then he thought of Taylor. "I hope he feels like shit" he scowled.

Zac washed his face and examined the articles on the bench. He picked up Taylor's razor. Zac snickered to himself at the thought of his brother walking around with a severly chopped face due to the fact something 'happened' to the tool. Then he thought. "Nah, the fans would feel sorry for him."

He put the razor back into it's position and headed for the shower.

Zachary pondered.

As the water beated down on him he wondered how much Taylor would enjoy being woken if it were because Zac felt like singing with him. "No. Then I would have to look at him" Zac thought out loud.

It seemed as if Taylor had won. As usual. Zac was very pissed off. It was all so confusing. He wished he could tell someone about it. Ike? He thought? Maybe. He switched off the water and got out of the shower.






Taylor couldn't sleep either, he was so angry at everyone. After Keryn left he had found Zac and they had gone to a party, it was so boring that Taylor left after being there for only an hour. Then he had come home to see Ike and Kayla so..together. It made him so angry. He was angry at Keryn, why did she have to do this to him. She must know she was doing it, she must. He wished she was here, next to him, so they could talk about it, or yell about it or even just glare at each other. He just wished she was here.






In the lounge room Ike stirred. He was uncomfortable something was jabbing into his back. He groped around for it. It was Kayla's elbow. Last night came back to him. He gently re-located her elbow and sighed. Her breathing continued in its deep sleep pattern and Ike started to close his eyes again. His eyes fluttered open when he heard someone creeping along the corridor. Zac's face appeared around the door. Zac smiled at his older brother.

"She has you caught huh?"

"Yeah, why you up so early?"

Zacs face fell, he snuck a look behind him.

"I need to talk…oh nevermind."

He turned to go and Ike, in his loudest whisper, said…

"Zac..come…whats wrong?"

His little brother turned with such deliberation and such a serious face that Ike was immediately draw in.

"I..I…" Zac glanced at his brother tangled up with Kayla and muttered, "Later..I'll tell you later."

Ike was bothered by Zac's dismissal. Something was truly bothering him. When something was bothering Zac everyone seemed to know about it. He thought about his mom and dad. They weren't here, ever since they were gone Ike had a strong feeling that Zac had gained some independence. He was no longer little, hyper, Zac Hanson. He was hyper, but not the little Hanson people knew world wide.

Ike looked at the time. 5:30. There was no use in getting up. He still felt a massive sting in his eyes, he decided to try the sleep thing again until he could talk to Zac later on in the morning. He put his arms around Kayla and drifted back into slumber.




"The phone" Taylor mumbled. "And the time in L.A is..." Taylor couldn't be bothered. Keryn would blast him, or he would blast her. He would start shouting into the phone and wake Zac and Ike and Kayla. Not worth it.




Zac made his trek back up the stairs. He had the 'Hi ho, hi ho, its off to work we go' song from 'Snow white and the seven dwarfs' plastered in his head. He had no idea why. The strangest songs seemed to pop into his head whenever he was thinking. Zac marched into the bedroom. The lump, formerly known as Taylor was still in bed, sleeping like a baby. A stupid, freaking baby. Not a cute one Zac thought to himself.

Zac went back into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror again. He saw them talk to themselves on 'Bold and the Beautiful' all the time. He wondered if it would work for him.

He did a little Brooke-stare with his eyes and began. "Taylor. How could he do it. He couldn't even give a stuff." This wasn't working. Zac turned around swiftly and looked at the wet, freshly used shower. He felt as if someone were watching him. His eyes moved towards the door. It was Taylor. Another Brooke-stare happened, he looked at him.

"Zac. Snap out of it. I need the bathroom."

"I don't care."

"Zac, move! I'm busting!"

"I don't care."

The look of Taylor, standing there discusted him. He decided to move out of the bathroom, to let Taylor go to the bathroom. "I hope he falls in" Zac said to himself as he moved out of the cold room and into the shared bedroom.




"Weird boy" Taylor said as he washed his hands. Luckily, he was still sleepy and could comfortably go back to bed. Sleeping whilst he was in this sleepy state was another story. He was still too busy thinking about what would happen. Taylor dried his hands and went back out into the room and snuggled back down into bed. Taylor tossed and turned for a while. This problem felt like it would never go away.




Zac found himself deliriously back down stairs again. He felt the urge to fiddle. He turned the ringer on and off on the phone until he realised he was hungry.

"Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go" He strolled into the kitchen and opened the fridge, leaning over so he could see the food through his squinted eyes.

Nothing but an apple, with Tay's name on it, clearly printed on a 'post-it' sticker. "Tough." Zac took the apple and took a huge bite. Making a mental note, to later on replace it with the chewed up core. Zac scanned the kitchen. It was not even 6 am yet and Zac was no where near sleepy.

"Internet." Zac was pleased with his idea.

He rushed into the loungeroom, past Ike and Kayla to get his laptop computer. He ran back and found a place on the kitchen table as the phone cord stretched across the room. He listened to the inviting sound of the dial tone and logged onto his 'ICQ', 'AOL messanger' and 'Yahoo! Pager'. He had many unsuspecting friends out there. After he discovered no one was on his Pager and messanger he logged off and left the ICQ on.

"Eh-oh" Zac turned the sounds off, realising it would wake the household and answered the flashing message.

"Fred?" His Australian friend, Cassie was online.

"Yes, this is Fred" Zac answered.

"Oh, thank gosh you're online. Guess what???"

"What? By the way... how are you? Isn't it late over there?"

"Yep! Thanks for asking :) I am cool. You?"

"I am cool, I am a bit tired, my brother is giving me shit, but I am okay"

"What's your brothers name? I hate it when my brothers give me shit."


Zac typed in Taylor, but then decided to change it, Cassie, being a huge Hanson fan, would think he was bluffing. "John. Ugh, he is so annoying. But at the moment I am too annoyed to talk about it. What did you want to tell me?"

"Oh oh! I can't believe I forgot!!!"

"Tell me!!! Tell me!!!"
Zac laughed, she got so excited. Cassie was going crazy when she found out that Taylor had got an earring a few months ago. Zac had to hear all about it.

"I got a magazine today and Hanson are coming to Australia.... SOON!"

Zac snickered. If only she knew "Oh! Wow! That's so cool! Are you gonna see some concerts?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Well, that is good. You will have a ball!"

"Have you been to any????"

"Uh huh. I had a ball!"

"Oh, you are so lucky Fred. How many? :) :) :)"

"All of them"

"Oh, as if! hehe... How many?"

"A few."
Zac was getting tired. The computer seemed to be blinding him and he didn't really feel like typing anymore.

"I bet you had a blast! Zac is such a hotty!"

Zac's face lit up and he had confidence bursting out of his ears, she hadn't said that before. But, Zac still had to log off the ICQ. He wasn't in the mood.

"Oh yeah, I had a blast alright! : -) Hey, I have gotta go now. It is really early and I don't want to be around when my brother awakes."

"Oh, okay then. See you online soon! Have a nice day. **CaSSie**"

"Byebye, luv Fred."


The tiredness was getting the better of Zac. He closed the computer and went to check up on what Ike was doing. Ike was sleeping. How repulsive Thought Zac. He watched for a second, as his brother slept in what seemed like THE most uncomfortable position in the world, never ever would he get so into a girl that he would be forced to sleep on the edge of the couch, never. Deciding that it was unfair for him to be awake and bored Zac open his mouth and let rip. His wake up call could have woken the dead.

"Issac Hanson get up this minuttttttttteeeee"

Ike feel of the couch. Kayla sat up stunned. They both rubbed their eyes and gave Zac an evil.

"Zac..what?" asked Kayla.

"Jeez, man, this is the second time you've woken me."

Zac smiled and tottered off into the kitchen leaving his brother a wreak on the floor and Kayla preparing to roll over and go back to sleep.




Ike watched as his younger, and very anal, brother left the room. Something was definitely up he decided to go after him this time, there was no use trying to sleep for the third time. Ike carefully leant over Kayla and told her to sleep.

"What? You're not tired?"

"Nah, I'm fine."

"You want me to get up?"

"No, go back to sleep, I have brother counseling to give."

Ike smiled, kissed Kayla on the cheek and followed Zac out of the room. He walked down the hallway to see the front door swinging open, outside Zac was sitting with his head between his knees on the porch. Ike sat down next to him and for a while the brothers were quietly aware of each other in the hazy morning sun.

" About Taylor?"

Zac pulled his head up and looked at his brother, he looked like death.

"Isn't it usually?"

Zac put his head back between his knees. They resumed their silence. Ike, knowing that Zac would have to talk at some point just waited. He was right.

"Ike, why did he have to kiss Gillan?"


Chapter eighteen HOME Chapter Twenty
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