"Good old New York. Just the way I remembered it." Christene looked around, caught sight of a few familiar buildings, and felt her eyes sting with tears.
"Yeah, but this time, you get to meet the deejays from Z-100." Isaac pointed out.
"They’ll have mounds of food, glorious food. Chips and candy and...." Zac’s mind wandered off.
"Yes, Zachary, and you’ll end up eating too much, and getting sick." Diana called back.
"Do I get any candy?" Avery asked.
"Do we get to eat that stuff too?" Jessica wondered aloud.
"Maybe." Diana said, which meant ‘no’.
Christene watched through the darkly tinted windows as the van drove through the streets of the Big Apple.
Finally reaching its destination of the Empire State Building, Jason drove into a special parking lot, where he parked, and then let everyone out.

"HEY MAN!" Paul ‘Cubby’ Bryant, a deejay from the popular radio station Z-100 slapped Isaac, Taylor, and Zac high fives.
"Yo, wa’sup?" Zac grinned.
"Hey man, your voice changed since the last time I saw ya!" Cubby grinned.
Zac made a face. "NOOO, really?"
"Cub, this is my girlfriend Christene." Taylor gave ‘Cubby’ a sly grin.
"Yeah, you finally hooked yourself up, huh? I knew that was coming. Who’s the other one?" Cubby glanced at Reagan.
"Um, I’m only a friend." Reagan spoke up.
"Ok. Cool. Tonight we’re doing Hanson LIVE, it’s gonna be broadcasted nation wide." Cubby said.
"We know." Isaac smiled.
"There’s gonna be junk food. Mommy Hanson, you’re going to have to make sure they brush their pearly whites after they come back from this interview." Cubby laughed.
"Oh, I will." Diana grinned as she shifted Zoë from one arm to the other.

**A Few Days Later**
"Taylor, Christene, can I talk to you two for a sec?" Walker motioned to Christene and Taylor.
"Yeah?" Taylor came up to Walker.
Christene followed.
Christopher Sabec, was there, holding what looked like a tabloid magazine.
"What’s wrong?" Christene wondered.
"This is what." Christopher handed Taylor the magazine.
"Oh Christ." Taylor murmured.
On the front cover, in big bold letters, it said, ‘The Hanson Brothers Lying About Girlfriends?’ and there was a picture of him with his arm around Christene, at a concert not too long ago.
"Who let tabloid photographers backstage?" Taylor asked, suddenly angry.
"I have no clue." Walker shook his head.
Christene turned to the article, read it quickly, and glanced at all the pictures. The most obvious one was when Taylor was hugging Christene. There, it was unmistakable that it really was Taylor Hanson.
"What are we going to do?" Christene asked.
"Ike, Zac, come over here a sec." Walker called to his two other sons.
Isaac read the article. "Tay, you’re boiling in hot water."
"Man, we’re screwed." Zac muttered.
"Ok, I got this from the tabloid magazine itself. It hasn’t exactly shipped this issue yet. I’m going to call the magazine and tell them to get all those magazines that they did ship off the racks or we’re pressing charges and suing. " Christopher said, taking out his cell phone.
Taylor sunk into a chair, with a dilemma in his head. Now what will I do?

"Chris....Can we just kinda....put our relationship on hold for a while until this whole thing blows over?" Taylor asked, pleading with his eyes.
"I knew this was coming." Christene felt her eyes start to tear as a tear slid down her cheek.
"Christene, I’m not breaking up with you or anything. I’m just asking-" Taylor was cut off by Christene.
"I know what you’re asking. Your fans come first. I understand completely." Christene wiped at her eyes.
"No, I-" Taylor was cut off by Christene again.
"No, I’m not done yet. Ever since we started going out, you were always worried about your fans finding out about me, or whatever. Well, now they probably have, and you can’t do anything about it, but say you’re single and crap. Well, I think now it’s time that the fans know the truth. And now, it can be the truth when you say you’re single. Until you stop worrying about the egotistical, selfish fans that love you for your looks, and not your music, I can’t date you. I’m going back to New Jersey for a while." Christene gave Taylor one last look before turning and running out of the room.
Taylor felt a tear slide down his cheek. "If that’s what you want, Christene, if that’s what will make you happy." He whispered after her.

You and me
We used to be together
Every day together
Always
I really feel
That I’m losing my best friend
I can’t believe this could be
The end

It looks as though
You’re letting go
And if it’s real
Well I don’t want to know

Don’t speak
I know just what you’re saying
So please stop explaining
Don’t tell me ‘coz it hurts
Don’t speak
I know what you’re thinking
And I don’t need your reasons
Don’t tell me ‘coz it hurts...

**Two Days Later**

Christene looked out the airplane window at white clouds.
Walker had made the arrangements for her to go back to New Jersey for a month.
Zac had noticed the space between Christene and Taylor after the tabloid incident and he had many unasked and unanswered questions.
Christene sighed and closed her eyes.
"This is the pilot speaking. We will be landing in the Newark airport shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts." The pilot said over the intercom.
Christene looked down at her seatbelt. The whole time it had been buckled. She sighed as she thought glumly about Taylor. Well, he’s just a figment of the past....

Chapter 11

"CHRISTENE!" the chorused shriek ran out throughout the whole airport as Christene walked out of the terminal.
"Chris! CHRIS! Chris!" Kristen, Christene’s best friend squealed as she jumped up and down before hugging Christene and the two kissed the air next to their ears.
"Christene!" Amy pushed Kristen away and hugged Christene.
A series of kisses and hugs were exchanged by many of Christene’s friends that had come to pick Christene up from the airport.
"What is this, a welcoming committee?" Christene joked.
"Hells, yeah, girl." Kristen grinned.
"Me and Mitch are together." Amy grinned.
"This one here is sexy!" Mitch laughed and kissed the top of Amy’s head.
"So...ah, I see that Paul didn’t come to pick me up. He probably is pissed off at me that I left and never gave him a call. I didn’t even break up with him before I left," Christene said, her heart throbbing a little for Paul, and for Taylor. "Any guy would be pissed off."
"Not this one." A familiar voice whispered into her left ear.
Christene turned around slowly and almost died. "Paul." She squeaked.
"Welcome back. You got a lot of explaining to do, girl."

**Two Hours Later**

"Slut!" Jeff said to Amy.
"Asshole." Amy shot back.
"Slut."
"Asshole."
"Slut."
"Asshole."
"Hey, Amy’s not a slut!" Christene defended her friend.
"Are you sure?" Jeff asked.
"Yes."
"Are you really sure?"
"YES!"
"Are you really, really sure?"
"YES, now shut up! Amy’s nice."
"No she’s not. Amy’s fat, she’s ugly, and she’s stupid."
"The hell Amy’s fat! She’s as skinny as a chopstick! And she’s not stupid, and she’s really pretty!" Christene stuck her tounge out at Jeff.
"Yeah, you tell him Christene." Mitch, (Short for Mitchell) Amy’s boyfriend said.
"Slut."
"SHUT UP!" Kristen yelled.
"She is a slut! And an ugly one at that." Paul said.
"Hey, shut up!" Christene made a face at Paul, then grinned. "Amy’s nice. Your opinion doesn’t count."
"So, she’s a nice slut." Jeff shrugged.
"Yo, you better stop saying stuff about my girl." Mitch warned.
"Ok, well, then, she’s your slut."
"No, she’s my bitch."
"HEY!" Amy protested.
"Yo, stop bugging Amy!" Kristen growled.
"She is a slut, she does blow jobs all the time!" Jeff exclaimed.
Amy gave him a look. "No I don’t. I never blew anyone."
"Ok, well, you get fingered every day!"
"That’s not true either."
"No, every other day." Mitch butted in.
"God, will you all just SHUT UP?" Christene rolled her eyes.
The doorbell rang and Kristen went to get the Dominoes’ Pizza that they ordered.

"So, you still have the hair." Christene smiled.
"Yeah," Paul had long, thick, really dark brown...just about black hair that was always tied back in a ponytail....On the top. The bottom was shaven off. "you still got the looks."
Christene felt herself blush. "Thanks."
"So," They said it at the same time.
"You go first." Paul said.
"Ok, I was wondering how many girls you went out with after me." Christene said.
"Um...Let’s see, I went out with Christine Jens, Jessica Markwise...twice. Alexis Mallozia, Julie Tenning, Lindsay Malla, and uh...a hell of a lot more. What about you?"
"Just one person." Christene shrugged.
"Who?"
"No one you’d know." Christene said quickly.
"Oh. Ok."
"You going out with anyone now?" Christene asked after a few minutes of silence.
"Was. I dumped Julie when I heard you were coming." Paul said.
"Oh. Really."

**Hilton Resort in Washington, D.C.**

"I feel like crap." Taylor muttered.
"Taylor!" Diana said sternly.
"Sorry, Mom, but I do!" Taylor sighed.
Zac looked at his brother sympathetically. "He’s been acting weird ever since Christene went to New Jersey." He whispered to Isaac.
"I know. I wish I could do something, but all he really does is sulk and act. He’s a pretty good actor when it comes to acting happy. He can pretty much hide his feelings...That is, on national TV, at interviews, at concerts and photo shoots." Isaac said.
"I wish he would talk to me." Zac said.
"He’s not really talking to anyone." Reagan handed Zac his clean laundry.
"Thanks." Zac took the clothing and stuck it in his duffel bag.
Reagan continued to sort clothing, with a little help from Jessica and Avery who were matching socks.
"Even Zoë misses Christene." Zac complained.
"We all miss her." Isaac glanced at his little baby sister, barely six months old, and smiled.
"Taylor," Reagan called.
"What."
"You want your clothes or what?" Reagan held up a folded red T-shirt.
Taylor walked over to Reagan, picked up his clothing and dumped it in his bag before plopping down on the bed, with a dejected sigh.
"Ike, Tay, Zac, we need you. NOW." Walker motioned to his sons.
He had been talking to Christopher Sabec and Stirling McIlwaine.
Taylor, being the closest to them, slid himself off the bed and walked slowly to the three men.
Isaac and Zac looked at each other before standing up and walking to their father.
"What’s up?" Zac asked.
"We weren’t able to get in contact with you, but, Universal Management just bought Triune Management for a $10.8 billion dollar deal." Christopher said seriously.
"So, what does this have to do with us?" Taylor asked.
"Well, we thought that we just would like to tell you. If you have any questions, you know our number." Stirling said, and looked after Taylor with a curious look on his face as Taylor walked away.
"He’s never acted like this before. I’m sorry." Walker apologized with the men.
"Oh, it’s ok. Puberty." Christopher grinned.

"Taylor, can I talk to you for a moment, please?" Walker asked.
Taylor got up. "Sure."
"Tay, I know that the um...tabloid thing really made you upset, and Christene going to New Jersey really didn’t help much, but you can’t act so...You’re not usually like this." Walker said.
"Have you ever really liked a girl, I mean, to the point of which you could just about say that you love her, and then she just kinda tells you that you’re over and all that crap....um...I mean, stuff?" Taylor asked.
Walker stared off into the air. "Actually, to tell you the truth, I have."
Taylor’s eyes widened. "You have?"
"Yes, your mother."
"What?"
"Yeah, it’s a long story...maybe I’ll tell it to you all when the timing is right," Walker grinned. "You can't just be like, ‘oh, ok, well just coz she says we’re over, then, we’re over’. You have to keep on trying. She loves you, Taylor, but she doesn’t want to hurt you, that’s why she did what she did do."
"Oh, and how do you know that?" Taylor was taken back by what his father said about Christene loving him. Walker never used the term love when it had to deal with his sons and other girls.
"Because she looks at you the way your mother looks at me, even after you two broke up."

**One Month Later**
Christene smiled warily as she hugged Paul, Kristen, Amy, and the rest of her friends.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye."
"Yeah, I guess so." Kristen wiped at her eyes.
"Hey, brighten up girl. I’ll be back."
Christene gave Kristen one last squeeze before climbing into the limo that would take her to the airport.
Taylor.......Why did you always have to think about your fans liking you and not me? Didn’t you know how much I loved you? I just never told you...

I’m scared
So afraid to show I care
Will he think me weak
If I tremble when I speak
What if there’s another one
He’s thinking of
Maybe he’s in love
I’d feel like a fool
Life can be so cruel
I don’t know what to do

Christene looked out the tinted window of the limo at the cars and trees rushing past her, and with a dejected sigh, she leaned back against the seat, and leaned against the window.

I love him
Of that much I can be sure
I don’t think I could endure
If I let him walk away
When I have so much to say...

So many things unsaid...so many things unspoken....look what it led to.

Chapter 12

**Good Ol’ Tulsa**

"Christene, we haven’t said anything to each other except for, ‘pass the salt’ or ‘where’s the towels’, and I think we really need to talk." Taylor said to Christene.
"I have nothing to say to you." Christene turned her head away. Oh, great lie. Unhunh. Perfect.
Taylor reached out to touch Christene’s face, but then pulled his hand back. "I think you do. No, I don’t think you do, I know you do."
"How does, ‘you really hurt me’, sound or ‘you’re so selfish, you only thought about yourself and what the fans thought of you, but didn’t think how I would react. If the fans really liked you, then it would be for your music, and they would not give a DAMN if you’re single or not.’ But, that’s not the case. Of course, you’d care. You care too much about your God-damned obsessive fans that are completely head over heels in love with you for your looks than about your music to think, ‘what would Christene think’. Didn’t you ever think for one second that maybe I really liked you...or even loved you...and it wasn’t for your looks? I wouldn’t of cared if you weren’t as good looking as you really are. I thought you were different than all the others. I liked you for who you were, not for who you are, or how you look. Didn’t you think that you’d hurt me when you...pretended that I didn’t exist on all those appearances I’ve been with you at?" Christene searched Taylor’s eyes for an answer. Her green eyes penetrated and reached into the depths of his blue ones.
That’s when Taylor saw the hurt in her green emerald eyes. It reached deep into her soul, and her eyes were brimming with tears.
"Actually, I did...And, if this helps at all...I’m sorry. For being so insensitive. I thought about for a long time, and I don’t care what you think or say about me, but I did think about it...after you left. And, I feel like a really big jerk. You didn’t deserve that, and I didn’t deserve you. You’re too good. Too sweet. And that’s why I love you. I don’t care if you hate my guts, but I still love you. Nothing’s going to change that, and just as I promised you on that one month anniversary, as long as the stars are shining in the sky, I’m going to love you till the day I die, and no one...no one can ever change that. No one." Taylor whispered, as he felt his own eyes sting with tears.
Christene uttered a small cry as she threw her arms around Taylor, and sobbed into his shoulder.
Taylor was shocked at first, but then he brought his arms up and around her, and hugged her tight, stroking her mane of silky black hair and whispering comforting words.

I’m sorry if I made you cry
I’m sorry if tears fell from your eyes
I’m sorry if I hurt you
For that was not what I intended to do
But just remember
For every tear that falls
From your eyes
Two tears will fall from mine...

**Two Days Later**

Christene looked out the window of the van as they drove past the Bartlett Square.
Taylor leaned over and said, "That’s the Bartlett Square."
"I know."
"You did?" the response was chorused.
"Yeah, I went and did a report on Tulsa when....before my parents died....you know, for school. Went online and got a lot of pictures. Found out a lot of stuff." Christene shrugged.
"Oh."

"SOUND CHECK!"
Isaac plucked at his guitar strings, and did a quick riff.
Zac started banging away on the drum set, and Taylor looked around for the amplifier, and plugged in his keyboard.
"You have nothing to be nervous about, Christene. All you do is stand back there with Ashley and Jenna, and you do what you taught us to do." Taylor reassured Christene.
"Ok. Ok." Christene said, exhaling.
Ashley tapped on the microphone. "Testing..."
Taylor shot Ashley a look, and played a scale in the key of C.
Jenna started singing "My All" by Mariah Carey, and Christene pretended to gag.
"Spare me, will ya?" Christene grinned.

**The Mabee Center of Tulsa, Oklahoma Presents...Hanson**
"Great job guys!" Taylor yelled to Jarrod and Admiral Twin, as they exited the stage.
Jarrod nodded his thanks.
"YOU GUYS READY?" Taylor yelled above the audience...or tried to.
"WHAT?" Christene yelled back.
"ARE YOU READY?" Taylor yelled near Christene’s ear.
Christene, Jenna, and Ashley nodded.
"OK!"
Isaac, Taylor, and Zac slapped fives with their backup.
Isaac, Taylor, Zac, Christene, Ashley, and Jenna got into a quick huddle and Taylor said a few words of good luck before breaking the huddle.
"OK, YOU THREE GO TO YOUR POSITIONS FROM THE OTHER SIDE. I’LL TELL YOU WHEN TO COME OUT!" Taylor yelled.
The girls nodded and went around to the other entrance.
Isaac motioned for them to go, and the three girls walked out onstage, and onto a black riser.
Even though the audience noticed the three girls, they continued to scream.
Isaac, Taylor, and Zac slapped fives one last time before running on stage.
Zac pretended to dive off the stage and then he backed up and started firing kush balls into the audience.
Taylor sprayed the audience with silly string and confetti, before turning around and throwing stuffed animals into the mass of screaming fans.
Isaac joined his brother in the fun.
When the last of the toys were gone, they headed to their instruments.
"Hey guys, how ya doing this evening?" Taylor asked the audience.
He received a drowning amount of screams that cut through his ear plugs, and he winced.
"Seems like they’re fine." Zac grinned, and banged on a cymbal.
"Guys...I mean, girls, and guys, can you please quiet down, just a little? We have to tell you something real important, and everyone has to hear." Isaac asked the audience.
Taylor grabbed the microphone with his right hand. "As y’all notice by now, we have backup singers, Christene, Ashley, and Jenna. Ok, well now ya know."
The audience went back to screaming. Not that they really cared about backup singers.
They wanted the real thing.
"ARE YOU GUYS READY TO ROCK?" Taylor yelled.
"Ladies and gentlemen...Get ready to RUUUUUUMMMMMBLLLLEEE!" Zac yelled as he started off a drum roll and they launched into ‘Where’s the Love’.

**After the Concert**
"Hey, we’re on MTV news! GUYS COME ON, HURRY!" Zac yelled.
Christene ran over to the TV, with Taylor right at her heels.
Serena Altschul was reviewing the Tulsa performance.
"It seems as if the group that we know as Hanson now have three new members. Three girls, singing backup. The three are all from Tulsa, Oklahoma. The girls are, lead backup, Christene Coffman, Ashley Jennings and Jenna Carmen."
A small clip of the concert was shown.
"It was rumored that Taylor Hanson was romantically involved with Christene Coffman, but he denied the rumor, and all allegations were dropped."
A picture of Christene was shown on the screen as Serena continued to talk.
Taylor and Christene exchanged looks.
"Whoa, cool." Reagan murmured.
"This is Serena Altschul with MTV news, ten to the hour, every hour on MTV."