12:24 PM, May 15^th, 1999 in the year of our Lord

We’re recording...and recording...
The Dust Bros are helping us out again! (Woo hoo!) It’s titled Sunrise During Midnight. (Named after one song)
Anyways, there’s gonna be 11 tracks: Sunrise During Midnight, Every Moment, Talking to Myself, Forever, Where’d You Go, Goin’ Around, Angel, Undeniable, To Draw The line, Worth the Wait, and Misfortunate Fortune.
They just need a little tuning up, the voices, the music, the mixing, etc.
-Taylor

1:49 PM June 21^st, 1999, in the year of our Lord

Umm...still recording....it’ll be worth the wait though. Hope to be done by the latest, August. (Geez, try fitting in recording, press stuff, photo shoots, concerts, and interviews all in one and let’s see how long it’ll take you...um, who am I talking to?)
Well, we’ve worked up some covers...Did a few things here and there...Actually, a lot. Zac’s been having problems with his voice again, and my voice is going deeper too. (Eew..)
-Taylor

5:08 PM July 7^th, 1999 in the year of our Lord

Umm...Still recording....However, 10 of the tracks are completed and the remainder are almost done. We should be finished by the end of this month! Then we send the album (Number four) off to get mastered. Now wait, that’s not as risky as it sounds...it’s just like audio obedience school. (Of course we wrote about this at least four times in the past, so it’s nothing new.) I think we’re repeating ourselves.
After the album has learned who’s boss, it’s off to the North Pole where Santa’s little helpers lovingly hand tool copy after copy of shiny discs and tapes for our fans’ purchasing pleasure. The end.
Well, better get goin’ if I wanna finish that last song!

-Tay

4:41 AM July 15^th, 1999 in the year of our Lord

Done. Finicimo. Finished. The End. We finished Sunrise During Midnight. It’s getting released on September 5^th.

-Taylor

Taylor closed the journal, sighing as they critiqued the eleven tracks again...for the seventeenth time, careful to cut out parts that didn’t sound so great.
 

"This is an extremely weird song." Taylor said.
"I know." Christene frowned.
Steve of the Dust Brothers sighed. "Weird, but interesting."
"Definitely." Mark agreed.
"Zac, Zac, wake up, Zac." Isaac gently shook his brother, who had nodded off.
"Huh?" Zac blinked tiredly. "Can I go to sleep now? Please? I’m so tired."
"We all are, Zac." Isaac said.
"Actually, we’ve been up since six last morning, and it’s almost five. He really didn’t get much sleep. None of us did. Maybe we can come back and work on this later. I’m really tired too." Taylor said.
Isaac looked at both younger brothers and noticed that they looked extremely tired and pale. He looked at the Dust Brothers for approval.
"Yeah, you all look like you’re about to fall over. I think you should go up and get some rest. We’ll set a room up for all four of you." Mark said, patting Taylor’s shoulder.
Zac nodded off again.
Isaac looked down at Zac. "I’ll call mom and dad and tell them."
"One of us will have to sleep on the floor, because Christene’s sleeping in the other bed." Isaac said.
"I’ll sleep on the floor." Taylor spoke up.
"No, don’t do that," Christene automatically said. "I don’t care if I have to end up in the same bed as one of you. It doesn’t matter. Y’all are really great friends, with the exception of Taylor, who is much more than a friend..."
"No, really, I’ll sleep on the floor." Taylor said.
"I don’t care, I just wanna go to sleep!" Zac whined as he took off a shoe.
"How bout me and Tay take one bed, and you and Zac take the other? It’s better that way because Zac looks like he’s gonna fall over." Isaac suggested.
"I really don’t care, as long as none of you sleep on the floor." Christene shrugged.
"Just lemme go to sleep. I don’t care if you’re gonna make me sleep in the same bed as Christene." Zac was taking off his other shoe, and pulling back the covers of one bed.
"Or maybe...No, that’s not good....Maybe....No...hmm." Isaac looked deep in thought.
"Ok, what are you thinking?" Taylor asked.
"Maybe the two of you can sleep in one bed..." Isaac grinned wickedly.
Taylor and Christene exchanged looks, and blushed.
"No, I’m just kidding. But, if you want to..." Isaac stopped. "You guys won’t do anything, will you?"
"No!" Taylor and Christene exclaimed at the same time.
"Ok. Then, I guess it won’t kill you to sleep in the same bed..." Isaac said slowly.
"Um...Ike, did we say we wanted to?" Taylor asked.
"Yeah, did we?" Christene spoke up.
"No, but..." Isaac frowned. "What? Wait a minute..."
"Forget it. Never mind. Just ignore us. We’re making no sense." Taylor said, as he sat down on the other bed, and started unlacing his shoe.
"No, actually, I think I’ll get in with Zac, just in case Walker or Diana comes in. We don’t want them to get the impression that me and Tay...You know." Christene blushed again.
"Ok, whatever you want. I really don’t care." Isaac shrugged, then went over to the bed Taylor was sitting on and started to take off his shoe.
Christene took her shoes off, and climbed in bed next to Zac. "Night Zac."
"Hmmm." Zac’s reply was muffled by the pillow.
Christene sighed, reached over and turned off the light. "Night Ike, Tay."
"Night." Isaac and Taylor said at the same time.
Christene turned on the light again. "I’m forgetting something." She climbed out of bed, walked over to Taylor, and gently kissed him.
Isaac looked on, amused. Funny how things change.

Chapter 20

Taylor opened his eyes, glancing at the clock near his bed. 2:36. He started coughing violently, then abruptly stopped. He felt as if his body was being torn in two.
"Tay, you ok?" Zac asked into the darkness.
"Yeah," Taylor managed to say, and coughed again.
"Tay, you should go see Mom. You sound horrible." Isaac said quietly.
"No, really, I’m fine." Taylor had trouble with the last word.
He could hear Zac getting out of bed, and heard him fumble with the light switch, before turning on the light.
"Man, Tay, you look really bad." Zac looked concerned.
Isaac climbed off the top bunk and placed his hand on Taylor’s forehead. "Tay, I think you have a fever."
"No I don’t. I’m fine. We have a concert today. I’ll just go back to sleep and wake up in the morning f-FINE," Taylor started coughing again. He felt as if he was dying, and managed to choke out three words. "go get Mom."

**The Next Day**
"Taylor, drink this." Diana handed her son a glass of ginger ale.
Taylor sipped the soda carefully, and vomited. "Mom..."
"Oh, poor baby," Diana wiped Taylor’s mouth. "you can’t even drink. You’re going to see the doctor."
Taylor didn’t object as he closed his eyes. "What about the concert?"
"Don’t worry, we have that covered."

"Taylor’s extremely sick." Zac emphasized the word.
"Actually, I think he has bronchitis." Christene winced.
"So, tonight we’ll try to do the concert without Taylor, but it won’t be the same." Isaac sighed.

Taylor sat in the waiting room with a magazine in his hand.
"Taylor?" a voice said from above him.
Taylor looked up to see a girl looking back at him. He cleared his throat. "Yeah?"
"Aren’t you supposed to be at a concert or something?" the girl asked.
Taylor nodded, and coughed into his hand. "Yeah, but I’m really sick."
"I can see that...You look really pale."
"Gee, thanks."
"Sorry."
"No, I’m not offended. What’s your name?" Taylor asked.
"Callie." Callie smiled.
"And who is this?" Diana smiled.
"Hi, um...Mrs. Hanson. I’m Callie."
"Hello."
"Taylor?" the doctor’s assistant motioned for Taylor to follow her.
"Well, it was great meeting you, um, Callie." Taylor stood up and walked into the long corridor that would take him to the doctor’s room.

Christene was singing Taylor’s part successfully for ‘Thinking of You’. The audience really didn’t seem to mind Taylor’s absence that much, and if they did, they didn’t express it. Poor Tay...I hope you’re ok.

"Tay, well, you don’t have strep, but from the looks of it, it looks like you have bronchitis. When did your throat first start acting up?" Dr. Bruno asked, removing his glasses.
"A few days ago." Taylor croaked out.
Dr. Bruno handed Taylor a throat lozenge. "Here."
Taylor nodded his head appreciatively.
The doctor turned to Diana. "Diana, give him dilated Coke and rice water today, tomorrow, the same thing, but also add in applesauce and Jello. The third day he can eat chicken, bread, and fish. That’s for the stomach virus. For bronchitis, just go to the pharmacist to pick this up," Dr. Bruno handed Diana a prescription form. "Make sure he takes one of each every day for ten days."
"When will he be able to start performing and singing again?"
"Let him rest for a good two or three weeks before letting him go. I don’t want him catching pneumonia." Dr. Bruno said..
"THREE WEEKS?" Taylor exclaimed.
"Sorry, Tay." Dr. Bruno patted Taylor’s shoulder sympathetically.
THREE WEEKS?! Taylor fumed inwardly, but didn’t say much. Now what am I gonna do?

"Hey Tay, how ya doing?" Christene entered the room Taylor was briefly moved to. The Hanson family were taking precautions to make sure that Isaac and Zac wouldn’t contract whatever Taylor had.
"Aren’t you afraid of getting sick?" Taylor put aside the magazine he was reading.
"No."
Taylor smiled. "Really, you shouldn’t be here. Does mom know you’re here?"
"Yeah." Christene sat down on the bed, giving Taylor a light kiss on the cheek.
"Christene, mommy says that Taylor has to take his medicine." Avery entered the room with a glass of water on a tray, and a few pills.
Taylor groaned. "Again? Every four hours I’m supposed to take this stuff, and it’s driving me crazy."
Avery gave Taylor a pointed look. "Now, now, Tay. If you wanna get better you have to take your medicine."
Christene grinned.
"You’re starting to sound like mom," Taylor took the pills and popped them in his mouth, and then swallowed them with a mouthful of water. "Thanks, Avie-bunny."
"You’re welcome Tayles." Avery grinned as she walked out of the room.
"Oh, so it’s Tayles now, is it?" Christene laughed.
Taylor turned aside and coughed into his hand. "Yeah. They called me that ‘cuz of that braid I have."
Christene grinned. "Well, I asked your mom, and she said that I could be your nurse for today."
Taylor’s eyes widened. "Oh no, you shouldn’t. You’re gonna get sick too. You can’t. I’ll be fine."
"No, seriously. I want to." Christene said earnestly.
Taylor sighed. "Fine, but, only if..."
"Shhh...." Christene placed one finger over Taylor’s lips and kissed his forehead. "Don’t talk, it’ll make your throat hurt."

"Chrissy, we made these for Tay." Mackenzie held up a few get-well cards made by Zoë, himself, Avery, and Jessica.
"Yeah, can we give it to him? Please?" Jessica looked up at Christene.
Christene laughed. "Sure, but I’d rather only one of you go in and give Taylor them because I don’t want you all getting sick now."
"Can I go? Please? Please?" Avery tugged on Christene’s shirt.
"If it’s ok with you guys, it’s ok with me." Christene shrugged.
"It’s ok with me." Mackenzie smiled.
"Ok!" Zoë gurgled. She seemed to understand what was going on.
"Fine with me." Jessica shrugged.
"Ok, then. Avery it is."
"Tay, we made these for you." Avery handed Taylor the get-well cards.
Taylor looked through them, one by one. "They’re awesome! Completely cool. Thanks Avery."
Avery smiled. "Yep, we got style, all right."
Christene laughed and picked up Avery. "Yep, you sure do. Are you getting bigger, Avie?"
"I’m eight going on nine! Jessie’s getting awful big. She’s eleven."
Christene smiled and set down Avery, giving her a small peck on the cheek. "All right, Avie, it’s time for you to go now. Wouldn’t want you getting sick, now, would I?"
Diana entered the room. "Avery, time for lunch. Tay, I’ll bring in something for you, honey."
"Thanks mom."

Chapter 21

**August**

"Eric, give me back my socks! Hey, don’t put them in water! Don’t get my socks wet! ERIC DON’T GET MY SOCKS WET! Ahh, you got my socks wet. ERIC! I’m gonna kill you!" Reagan ran after Eric.
"I haven’t gone swimming forever." Christene murmured as Taylor helped rub sun block on her back.
"Well, you’re missing out on a lot of things," Taylor grinned. "And that’s the last of sun block."
"Thanks Tay."
"No prob."
Dan caught sight of Christene and whistled. "Hey good lookin’ come on in." He splashed her and Taylor with some water.
"Yeah, come on in." Jared, Reagan’s boyfriend motioned for Christene to come into the pool.
Taylor broke into a grin. "Christene, it’s no problem, really, go in the pool. After all, you did say you haven’t gone swimming forever."
"I know I said that, but...Taylor, what are you doing? Tay, oh no you don’t." Before Taylor could push Christene into the pool, Christene dove head-first into the pool in a perfect swan dive.
Zac gaped at what he just saw. "WHOA!"
"HEADS UP!" Isaac ran into the pool with a cannonball.
"Do the funky chicken!" Zac ran into the pool after Isaac, flapping his arms wildly.
Dan and Jared were laughing at the sight of Reagan chasing Eric, who had taken her socks, and dunked them in the pool.

"It’s great having you here, Diana." Janet smiled as she watched Walker and Harry poke at the meat, cooking on the grill.
"Haven’t had a barbecue like this in a while." Diana smiled as she waved to Dan’s parents.
"Look at Mac. He’s having so much fun splashing in the water." Janet smiled and pointed to Mackenzie, who was in the shallow end with Avery.
"Maybe I’ll go in later." Diana said, and sipped her water.

The chlorine didn’t sting Christene’s eyes that bad when she opened her eyes while she was under water.
She located the pair of legs that belonged to Taylor, and grabbed one quickly, pulling him under.
Triumphant, Christene popped up to the surface, breathing in air. "Got ya there."
Taylor rubbed his eyes. "Geez, you scared me."
Isaac, Dan, Zac, and Jared were cracking up at the sight of Taylor.
"You should see how you look like. You look like a drowned fish," Zac laughed. "Christene, that was so funny what you did. Christene...Christene?"
Christene had went back underwater again, but this time she grabbed both Zac’s and Dan’s legs, pulling them both under water with one move. "Ok, no more games. I promise."
"I can swim." Eric said.
"Uh-huh, so can I." Reagan rolled her eyes.
"No, I can swim real good." Eric exclaimed.
Taylor and Zac exchanged looks.
"Really, Eric?" Christene asked, acting as if she were interested.
"Yeah."
"I’m not all that good at swimming. Do you wanna race? Just like, for the fun of it?" Christen asked.
"Aww, now, I wouldn’t want to embarrass you if I beated you." Eric said.
"Eric, you ain’t gonna beat her." Dan sorted.
"I can beat anyone."
"He is fast, but..." Isaac was cut off by Eric.
"Yes, I am."
"Ok, well then, I still wanna race you. It’s ok, I don’t get embarrassed easily." Christene said.
"Ok, then." Eric stood up, and the two of them went to the deep end of the pool.
"I’ll get the rope." Reagan went over to the pool to un-do the rope.
Isaac and Taylor went into the shallow end to pull Avery and Mackenzie out of the water.

"Ready, set, GO!" Reagan yelled.
The adults had gathered around the pool to watch Eric, Christene, Taylor, and Jared race.
Reagan watched as Christene dove into the water, and quickly pulled ahead of the other three by throttling herself with swift dolphin kicks.
As Reagan watched, Christene started to swim freestyle. When she reached the end of the pool, she did a quick flip, and started swimming the other way.
Taylor was at her heels, and Eric was lagging in back. Jared stopped when he had reached the other side, and withdrew from the race.
By the time Eric reached the end, Taylor was climbing out of the pool, and Christene was lying on a towel. She had on a pair of sunglasses, and was eating cheese doodles.
Eric cracked up at the sight. "Ok, ok, I admit defeat."

**Two Hours Later**
"Here, Eric, talk to Krystal." Reagan handed Eric the phone.
"Hello?" Eric took the phone and went out of the room.
"Why’d he go out of the room?" Christene asked.
"I dunno." Reagan shrugged.
Christene dipped a chip into some salsa and took a good bite.
"This is good stuff." Zac pointed at the Twinkie he was eating.
"Anything that has sugar in it is ‘good stuff’." Christene laughed.
"You got that right, girl," Zac grinned, and offered the half-eaten Twinkie to Christene, who surprisingly took it, and bit into it, then handed it back to Zac, who stared at Christene thoughtfully as he bit into the Twinkie again.
"Um..." Taylor murmured.
"What, quit staring at me." Christene laughed, giving Taylor a tiny push.
"C’mon Tay, it’s not like you haven’t seen me do something like that. Please." Reagan rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, well, it’s different." Taylor shrugged.
"Oh yeah? How different?" Dan laughed, shaking his head.
"Well, she’s my girlfriend, and that’s my brother." Taylor said.
Christene gave Zac a quick squeeze. "He’s my baby bro too, so it really doesn’t matter."
Zac grinned. "I’m a baby?"
"Yep. You’re my baby." Christene laughed.
"No, he’s mine!" Reagan grabbed Zac.
"Uh oh." Zac’s mouth went into a shape of an ‘O’ as the two girls played a gentle tug-of-war with Zac.
"Not yours, but mine," Christene stuck her tounge out, singing playfully to the tune of ‘The Boy is Mine’. "I’m sorry that you, seem to be confused, he belongs to me, the boy is mine."
"TIME OUT!" Zac yelled. "No more tug-of-Zac with Zac, ok?"
Isaac, Taylor, Dan, and Jared were cracking up really bad.
"NO WAY. Huh-uh. No more tug-of-Zac. What are you trying to do, pull my arms off? You’re crazy I tell you, crazy!" Zac exclaimed.
Christene laughed, and patted Zac’s hair. "Ah, Zac, I was just joking around. But, he’s still my baby bro."
"No he’s not, he’s mine!" Reagan laughed.
Zac whimpered and crawled on his hands and knees behind Taylor for shelter. "Save me from those two lunatics."
Everyone burst out laughing.