Christene changed into an over-sized black and white T-shirt with puppies on it, and black short-shorts. She went into her room, brushing her hair.
Christene locked her bedroom door and was about to turn out the light when she heard a tapping noise on her window. Taylor.
She walked over to the window and opened it. Taylor climbed through from the ladder leaning against the window. Harry had been fixing a few siding problems and never took the ladder down.
"What are you doing here?" Christene asked.
Taylor leaned over and kissed her quickly. "No one’s home yet. I think my parents are spending the night at my ‘rents. It’s scary in that house all alone..."
"Tay’s afraid of the dark?" Christene teased. She reached over and turned off the light.
"No." Taylor’s voice was a hushed whisper.
"Just want company, huh?" Christene asked softly.
"It gets lonely."
Christene stroked Taylor’s cheek softly with the back of her hand. "You want to crash on my couch?"
Christene had a couch in her room that could pull out into a bed.
"I dunno. I’ll probably go after you fall asleep."
"No, really. I’ll go ask Janet." Christene turned on the light again, and walked out of the room.

"Janet?"
"Yes, honey?"
"Tay’s parents are spending the night at Grams and Gramps Hanson’s house, and he’s all alone. Is it okay if he crashes on our couch?" Christene asked sweetly.
"Sure." Harry answered.
"As long as we don’t hear anything. Don’t forget, your room is next to ours. Don’t do anything that you shouldn’t do." Janet warned.
Christene started laughing. "Oh come on, I don’t plan to."
"Good night, Christene."
"Night."

Christene walked back into her room and locked the door again, leaning against the door, and laughing softly. "Yes, you can crash on my couch. Did you leave a note?"
"Yeah. It’s taped to the door with four pieces of masking tape." Taylor grinned, pulled out the couch, and started unlacing his black Doc Martens.
Christene picked the left one up. "You always wear these."
Taylor grabbed it back. "They’re comfortable!"
Christene sat down next to Taylor. "MMMHmmm," she leaned against Taylor’s shoulder, and got a good whiff of his cologne. "CKbe?"
"Yeah." Taylor grinned, grabbed a pillow and whacked Christene.
"Why, you..." Christene grabbed another pillow and smacked Taylor over the head.
They both started laughing as they hit each other with pillows.
Janet knocked on the door, and Taylor opened it. Just as she was opening the door, Christene hit Taylor with her pillow.
"Oh, I see what all the noise is about." Janet grinned.
"Sorry." Christene and Taylor chorused.
"Just calm down, ok? I know it’s been a hectic day, but it’s late, and we all need to sleep."
"Sorry."
"Ok. Good night Christene."
"Night."
"Good night Taylor."
"Night."
Christene waited until Janet was in the master bedroom before Christene closed the door, locked it after her, and sunk down to the floor, giggling softly.
Taylor sat down next to Christene, and put his arm around her, pulling her to him. He kissed the top of her head gently.
Christene closed her eyes with a contented sigh.
"I love you." Taylor whispered.
"I love you too." Christene smiled, and their lips met.
"Kissable close with Scope." Taylor quoted.
Christene grinned. "Yeah."
"You’re so beautiful, you know that?" He pushed the hair away from her ear, and cupped it in the back of her ear, holding it back with his hand.
Christene blushed. "Thanks. You know, you’re the only guy that ever used the term ‘beautiful’ with me."
Taylor grinned. "What did the other guys use?"
"Hot, sexy, you know the rest."
"Which do you prefer?"
"I don’t care as long as it’s from your lips." Christene whispered.

As surely as the sun rises each day
So my love will never change
And though the years may come and go
My love will only grow and grow

"LIGHTS OUT IN THERE!" Janet tapped on the door.
Christene stood up and turned off the light. She grabbed the pillow off the ground and fluffed it up, putting it on the pull-out sofa bed. Taylor threw the other pillow on the pull-out bed, and went over and started undressing again.
"Night." Taylor reached over and kissed Christene.
Christene smiled in the dark. "Night, Tay."

I want to share every moment of the day with you
And I want to share every sunset and every sunrise
And every moonlit night

She pulled the sheets away from her bed and climbed in. Christene could hear Taylor doing the same, and soon, his breathing became slow and steady.
Christene sat up in bed, and slowly climbed out of it, remembering that Taylor was a light sleeper. She walked to Taylor, crouched down and lightly kissed his cheek. "I love you more than you’ll ever know." She murmured, then climbed back into her bed and fell asleep.

Christene woke up, still caught in the web of her dream. She finally decided that it was time to get up, and she sat up, stretching, and yawning, then she looked to
her right and saw Taylor, fast asleep.
Christene smiled. He looks like a sleeping angel. She climbed out of bed, and went over to her closet, and picked out a pair of beige jncos (for girls) and something fell off her top shelf and onto her shoulder, then the floor. "Ow." Christene winced, threw the pants on her bed, and rubbing her shoulder, she crouched down, and picked up the object that had hit her.
She sat down on her bed with the dusty, framed picture of her parents and her before they had died....the very last picture of them ever taken together. Clutching the heart-breaking picture to her chest, Christene closed her eyes, and felt warm, salty tears find their way through the jungle of eyelashes and down her cheeks. She wished she could’ve done something.

‘Cuz I’m looking through the yearbook
And I find that empty space
There’s a name without a picture
But I can’t forget his face
Where did he go
I want to know
Where did Johnny go
It says picture unavailable
Right here
More than sad it makes me mad
To know somebody knows
There’s a lying in your silence
Tell me where did Johnny go

Taylor woke up to soft sniffling and sobbing. Oh no... He threw back the sheets, and tugged on his pants, edging over to Christene. He sat down next to her, and gently squeezed her shoulder, pulling her towards him. She gratefully sobbed onto his shoulder.
"Chris, what’s wrong?" Taylor asked gently.
Christene shook her head.

Sometimes I hear him
Calling out my name
Sometimes I wonder
If maybe we’re to blame
It’s been a year now
And a lot of things have changed
I keep thinking about Johnny
I keep turning to that page
Where did he go
I want to know
Where did he go
I want to know

Taylor sighed, and rested his chin on top of Christene’s head, holding her. He finally noticed the photograph that she was clutching to her chest. Her parents. "Christene, I want you to try and calm down, ok? Take some deep breaths...."
"I...I...c-c-can’t help it. I m-m-mean, t-t-this w-w-was the last p-p-picture that w-w-we ever took t-t-together before they DIED!" Christene sobbed.
Taylor sighed. "Christene, Christene, Christene, I know how hard this is on you. I’ve lost someone that I really loved too. I know what you’re going through, and that hurting will never stop no matter how you think about it. Sometimes I look at a picture of me and Grandma Lawyer and I feel like I just swallowed a...a rock. I know how it feels. Give it time Chris...give it time," Taylor felt his own eyes sting with tears as he thought about one of the most inspirational people in his life. She died too soon...Mom took it so bad.
"Sometimes I get so pissed off. I mean, why? Why out of everyone do people that you care about have to die? It’s not fair. I guess I can draw the line to say that life just sucks. Period."
Christene looked up at Taylor, and to her surprise, she saw that his eyes were watering with tears of his own, and as she watched, a lone tear slid down his cheek. "But we both know that they’re somewhere better now."
Taylor hastily rubbed at his eyes. "Well, yeah..."
Christene leaned against Taylor and sighed. Time would never heal the hole that had permanently patched itself into her soul, nor would it ever make the pain go away. But, love and courage would help the pain subside....

If I’m gone when you wake up
Please don’t cry
If I’m gone when you wake up
Please don’t sigh
Don’t look back at this time
As a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me
‘Cause I’ll be with you in your dreams...

Chapter 17

**March**
Reagan sat on her bed, swinging her legs as she watched her mother and Christene pack up Christene’s bags.
"Why can’t I go on tour with them too?" Reagan whined.
"Reagan, shut up and help me with this." Christene said, stuffing a pair of pants into the suitcase.
Reagan walked over, and helped Christene push the pants into the suitcase. "I want to go on tour with you and Tay and everyone else."
"Reagan, you’re not going anywhere." Janet said, helping Christene pull the zipper of the suitcase up.
"Oh, come on!" Reagan said in a whiny voice.
"Reagan, quit whining."

March 5^th, 1999 in the year of our Lord

Isn’t life strange? In the "truth is stranger than fiction" department, it’s now time to mention the tiny fact that we’re starting another tour. This will be our second ‘real tour’. Admiral Twin’s opening for us again. Well, the fans seemed to like ‘em pretty well...I guess. The dates haven’t completely been finalized and all, but, who cares? Triune...I mean, Universal’s our management company. They’re in charge of getting our gigs and all. We don’t even have to lift a finger in that area...Fans are starting with the underwear business again. I really don’t understand why they even bother to send us their underwear, asking us to sign it when they know they’re not gonna get it back. We don’t sign underwear...

-Taylor

P. S. Gonna be on tour when my b-day comes along. I’m gonna be 16.
P. P. S. Tour’s name: "Milwaukee Tour"

March 12^th,1999 in the year of our Lord

Our trip to Boston was quite well...the typical. There were planes, trains, automobile wrecks, flooded subways (they call it the "T" there in Boston talk), cancellations, postponements, and really good Italian food. We accidentally bumped into Paul Revere’s house. Went to the museum and got mobbed. (Yes, you guessed it, we got our little behinds booted out before anyone could say, "Oh my God, that’s Hanson.")
It’s a pretty nifty place. We got people saying, "That’s Hanson...ugh..." That is, until they saw Christene, and on the other side was the Scream Squad. Funny huh? We played at something called Great Woods there to a bizarre crowd of girls, guys, and foreign business dignitaries. Huddled masses, indeed. Boston’s a cosmopolitan sort of place.
Surprisingly, Christene knew people from Boston that happened to be backstage at the time. I guess she knows pretty much everyone. (Just a little bit of humor there.)
There was this really skinny guy that kinda looked like me if he would just put on a lot of weight...his name was Tyler or something like that...He had a brother named (surprise) Zac, that seriously looked like Zac. The scary part was that their sister (The older sister...they have another sister.) jumped on top of me...I thought Hanson fever died down some.....It’s nice to know we have fans....
-Tay

March 15^th, 1999 in the year of our Lord

We got out of Boston and we’re heading on towards Montreal in Canada. I’m now 16. (I get to have a license now! YEAH! This rocks.)
Anyways...Zac told me this morning that ever since I started dating Christene that ‘ you came out of your shell big time, big bro.’, and that really got me thinking. Did I seriously get more outgoing? I mean, Christene is the first girl that I seriously kissed...The rest were all more as of friends than...well, that doesn’t matter.
I always thought I was too shy for my own good. I guess I changed.
Well, one thing for sure, I still get into my own little ‘Taylor World’ or that’s what Zac and Ike call it when I start thinking up things, daydreaming, et cetera.....
We’ll be playing at the Molson Centre.
-Tay

With a pencil in his hand, Taylor started drawing a scene from a concert, complete from fans to Admiral Twin.
"Taylor," Zac called.
Taylor was so busy shading in Zac’s drums that he didn’t bother to answer.
"TAYLOR!" Zac yelled near Taylor’s ear.
"Hmmm?" Taylor murmured, not even bothering to look up.
"Do you want ice cream or not? Mom’s getting us some." Zac poked Taylor.
"Mmmhmm..." Taylor murmured, and started to draw the Hanson logo.
"Tay, what do you think about me streaking through the middle of town, pick up three prostitutes, stand on my head, whirl around five times in a museum, still butt naked, and then run around town, scoring with a buncha girls?" Zac teased.
"That’s great Zac." Taylor murmured
"Tay, wake up!" Zac gently tugged on Taylor’s rat tail.
Christene came over and hit Zac playfully on the upside of his head. "Zac, Tay’s in his ‘art mode’, which means he’s not concentrating on anything but his art...Tay, if you try to do this....it’ll come out like....this."
"Thanks." Taylor took the pencil back from Christene.
"Press lightly when you draw the noses, and then use your finger to smear gently...yeah, that’s it....no, that’s too dark....there we go." Christene pulled a chair up to Taylor, and the two started talking in whispers.
Zac groaned and walked away. "What does it take to ask someone a simple question?"

March 16^th, 1999 in the year of our Lord

Ok, I know I don’t usually write in this thing, but I’m bored, so I will.
We’re off to London, England, and then after London, we’re going to Japan. (Sounds fun hunh?) For some odd reason, all the oriental girls don’t scream...Weird isn’t it? (They’re too quiet)
They wait patiently during our song, and clap politely at the end. (They don’t even stand up!)
I think it’s really weird, considering the fact that at all other countries (Such as US, Australia, Indonesia, etc.) they all scream their heads off and try to make me deaf!!!
The oriental girls just follow us everywhere we go, but that’s about it.
Hardly any of them have the guts to come up to us to ask for our autographs.
Well, that’s about it for now. I think I’ll try to sleep cuz everyone else is sleeping. BYE!!!
ZAC

Zac closed the journal, and stared glumly into space. He was homesick for Wickit and all his friends.
Homesick for a night of fun at Laser Quest, homesick for hanging out at the mall with his friends, homesick for his grandparents.
Oh well...Zac glanced at Taylor, who had his arm around Christene, and was asleep. Man, he changed a lot ever since they started dating. He’s not that shy anymore. Funny...
Zac poked Isaac playfully. Isaac stirred. He yawned, shifted in his sleep, and went back to sleep.
Finally, Zac stood up and headed towards the bathroom. They had decided to fly coach, just for the fun of it.
Occupied. Darn. Zac leaned against the wall, and waited for the person to come out of the bathroom.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and made him jump. Zac looked to see who it was.
A girl with soft, light brown hair and big, impressive hazel-greenish eyes was looking back at him. "Hi."
"Hi." Zac smiled.
"I’m Nicole. Are you, by any chance, Zac Hanson?" Nicole asked softly.
"Yeah, that’s me." Zac grinned. She’s really pretty.
"Oh, cool." Nicole grinned back.
"Aren’t you gonna ask me for my autograph?" Zac teased.
"Nope." Nicole giggled.
"Why not?" Zac asked, still teasing.
"Don’t need it. You’re not God, are you?"
"Nope."
"Then why do I need your autograph for? It’s just signing your name. Why, would you like my autograph?" Nicole laughed.
"No, but I’d like your email address if you have one." Zac said.
"Yeah, ok. Do you have a pen on you?" Nicole asked.
"Yeah." Zac reached into his pockets and retrieved a pen.
Nicole grabbed his hand, and with the pen wrote down her email address. "Ok."
"Keep the pen."
"It’s a nice pen. Thanks."
"No problem."
"Did you really come here to go to the bathroom?" Nicole asked.
"No. I’m bored, and I can’t sleep." Zac laughed.
"Either can I."
"So, where are you from?" Zac asked.
"Tulsa."
"Hey, I’m from Tulsa too!"
"I know." Nicole said.
The person came out of the bathroom.
"You gonna go in?" Zac asked.
"Nope."
"Hey, look, there are some empty seats over there, let’s go over and talk."
"Ok."

Chapter 18

Taylor’s eyes fluttered open, and he groaned. Ow, my back is killing me. Carefully, trying not to wake Christene, he stretched, relieving his cramped muscles.
"Tay, what’s wrong?" Christene asked sleepily.
"Nothing, just stretch—where’s Zac?" Taylor noticed that Zac’s seat was empty.
"I dunno."
Taylor darted out of his seat, and into Zac’s, shaking Isaac awake. "Ike, where’s Zac?"
"Hmmm?" Isaac murmured sleepily.
"Where’s Zac?" Taylor repeated.
"I dunno!"
"Didn’t he tell you?"
"Hmm?"
"Didn’t he tell you where he went? He’s gone."
"He’s probably in the bathroom, now, leave me the hell alone!" Isaac was being cranky.
"Fine, fine, fine, have it your way," Taylor stood up, and went back to his seat. "Christene, I’m gonna go look for Zac. I don’t want him getting in trouble."
"Mmmhmm." Christene was falling back asleep.
Taylor stood up and started to walk towards the back of the plane. He walked to the bathroom, calling Zac’s name softly.
"Taylor!" Zac hissed.
Taylor turned around. "Huh? Where are you?"
"Over here."
Taylor looked to the back row and saw Zac and some girl. "Zac, where’d you go?"
"It was just over here. Taylor, this is Nicole. Nicole, Taylor." Zac introduced the two.
"Hi." Taylor took Nicole’s hand. He was back to being shy.
"Um...hi."
Ok, so, maybe he didn’t change that much. Zac thought.
Taylor dropped Nicole’s hand. "Ok, you stay back here, and try not to get into trouble or whatever, ok?"
"Taylor," Zac groaned.
"Ok, ok, I’ll go." Taylor held his hands up defensively, then started to walk back to his seat.
Suddenly, the plane banked to the right sharply.
"This is the pilot. We have hit some turbulence. Please fasten your seatbelts. I repeat, fasten your seat belts." The pilot’s voice crackled over the intercom.
Taylor fell unto his hands and knees when the plane lurched forward, and he got up quickly, and ran to his seat, fastening his seatbelt.
Christene was gripping the armrests of the chairs so tight that her knuckles were turning white, and she was paling. "Don’t crash, don’t crash, don’t crash, don’t crash, don’t crash, don’t crash, don’t crash." She murmured over and over again.
"Christene, it’s ok..." Taylor murmured, and gently wrapped his arms around her trembling shoulders.
A chorused startled cry rang out through the cabins as the plane dropped sharply, and banked to the left.
"This is the pilot speaking again. We are experiencing very bad turbulence. Please turn your attention to the flight attendants, who will instruct you on what to do in case of a crash landing. Once again, turn attention to the flight attendants, and it is very important that you do." The pilot’s voice crackled over the intercom.
"Lord almighty." Walker murmured, as he tried to calm down a crying Zoë, who was strapped tightly in her baby seat to the chair.

"WHOA!" Nicole screamed as the plane dropped again.
Zac grabbed Nicole, steadying her. "It’s ok."
"It better be, or I’m suing the plane company...No, I’m just kidding. Seriously now, it better be ok."

"You are to take a pillow, and place it over your heads, like such. Put your heads between your legs, and hold on to the pillows as best as possible. After we land, you are to evacuate the plane..." the flight attendant said. "If we land on water, you are to take out the safety vest from underneath your seat and put it on..."
"Don’t crash, don’t crash, don’t crash, don’t crash." Christene continued to murmur.
"Christene, calm down..." Taylor whispered.
The plane suddenly started to decrease with such velocity, Taylor was starting to doubt that everything would be ‘ok’.
"Oh my GOD!" Christene screamed, and grabbed Taylor’s arm.
Taylor’s eyes widened in fear. Dear God, don’t let us die. He pressed his lips against Christene’s in a desperate kiss.

Zac and Nicole exchanged looks of terror as the plane started to decrease.
"Now what are we gonna do, Zac?" Nicole asked.
"We can pray." Zac bowed his head down, and started whispering frantic words of prayer, hoping that if nobody could help them, God could.

The plane steadied abruptly. "This is the pilot again. Please remain seated. Do not panic. We are trying to gain control of this weather. Once more, remain seated, and do not panic...."

Taylor gently pulled away from Christene, stroking her hair.
"We’re alive." Christene murmured.
"Shhh...it’s ok, Christene. It’s gonna be ok." Taylor murmured

**April**

Taylor sipped his Snapple as he watched Isaac and Zac arm wrestle.
It wasn’t a very fair game, because Zac was putting all his weight on his arm, and 100 pounds is a lot.
He could see Isaac struggling.
Hehe, poor Ike. Taylor grinned.
"Ok, ok, I admit defeat. Don’t break my arm. We still have a concert to do here." Isaac rubbed his sore arm.
"HAHA! I’m the king of the world!" Zac pumped his fist triumphantly in the air.
"Wouldn’t say that, little buddy." Taylor set down his Snapple, grasped Zac in a headlock, and proceeded on giving his brother a noogie.
"AHHHH! Tay! LET GO OF ME!" Zac struggled to get out of Taylor’s grasp.
Christene burst out laughing. "Zac you look like a dying fish."
"Stop fighting, boys." Walker said.
Diana, Jessica, Avery, Mackenzie, and Zoë had stayed back at the hotel, due to weariness.
"We’re not fighting. I just have Zac in a headlock," Taylor grinned. "It’s Zac’s chagrin."
"Whattya mean it’s my misfortune?" Zac struggled to get out of Taylor’s grasp.
Isaac was laughing so hard that he was turning red.
"Guys...and girl, you’re on in about five minutes," Jason poked his head into the room to see Zac in a headlock. "Zac, if you reach back and tickle Taylor, he’ll let you go."
"NOOO! Don’t tickle—" But it was too late...Taylor was doubling over in laughter, squirming as Zac tickled him. "Ahhh! Stop tickling me! ZAAC! I swear, I’m gonna beat the...STOP! Ahhh!"
Christene crept up in back of Zac and gave him the jumper cables, making him jump.
"Why’d you do that?" Zac scowled.
Taylor was lying limply on the floor, still laughing softly.
"Um, guys, come on, you have to get ready to go on."
Isaac reached down and pulled Taylor up.
They ran onstage, throwing popcorn at the audience.
"POPCORN, POPCORN, FRESH POPCORN, COME GET YOUR POPCORN!" Zac yelled, as he tossed the rest of his popcorn into the audience, who was screaming.
Isaac started the opening chords to "Day Has Come", and the audience went berserk.
"Well the day has come to where I’ve never thought of anyone quite as much as I think of you, as the days go by I never wonder why, I just know it’s true."

"Welcome to Hanson Concert number....um...two million?" Isaac scratched his head, frowning.
"Yeah, I think that’s it." Christene said.
"Remember, you’re at a Hanson concert, which means..." Taylor started.
"There are only two rules, you have to jump up and down and scream really loud, and you can’t climb on stage." Zac said.
"Are you guys ready to ROCK?" Taylor yelled.

"Lately we’ve been talking ‘bout who we are, seems we don’t know anymore, and all this time that we’ve thinking, at night I’ve been dreaming about you..." Isaac sang. He couldn’t hear himself sing. The audience’s shrieks were cutting through his earplugs like knife cutting through bread.
Taylor was obviously in pain as the shrieks started to get to him. Man, I hate it when this happens.
Christene glanced at Zac, who would tap on his drums a little, then rub his ears, then go back to tapping on his drums.
After the song was over, the shrieks were beyond belief.

"CAN YOU GUYS PLEASE STOP SCREAMING?" Zac yelled.
"You guys are CRAZY!" Taylor laughed. Ha, ha, ha, very funny...
"Just quiet down a little, you’re killing us up here." Isaac said.
"Come on, do us all a favor, and quiet down a little." Christene said. But that really didn’t help at all.
Instead, the guys in the audience started whooping and yelling, chanting Christene’s name.
Taylor and Christene exchanged looks.
"Ok, we’re gonna go in for a little bit. We’ll be back out really soon." Isaac said, and they walked backstage.
"It’s wild out there." Zac rubbed his ears, and took the new earplugs that Jason had handed him, which was make up of some new synthetic stuff.
"Whoa, these are cool." Taylor had put his earplugs in, and it helped decrease the audience’s screams...well, to him, that is.
Isaac took a gulp of water.
"Let’s go back out." Christene nodded to the stage.
"Ok. Let’s go!"