“What flavour chips do you want?” Isaac heard muffled sounds through the atmosphere of thick anguish that was the special airport lounge everyone had been placed in to wait for the plane. “Hello?”

Isaac’s eyes were glued firmly to the window pane. Hmm, that’s painted a nice, off-white colour.

“What flavour chips do you want to eat? I’m going to the vending machine,” the voice echoed through the averagely sized, carpeted room.

Off white paint. I wonder if I could write a song about that?

“Just hit him,” another voice drove towards Isaac’s ears, refusing to penetrate the imaginary wall that had blocked them.

Sticky until it dries... on the wiii-i-i-n-dowww... offfff whittteeee paaaiiiinnnnt. Oh, won’t you give me some of the white paint. A brush... yeah, baby... a brush...

“I’ll frickin’ smash the vending machine through his frickin’ head in a minute!” Isaac started to hear the screech in Zac’s voice. “I’m going without him.”

“Chicken,” Isaac sighed, directing his sight towards the large plane that skidded down the runway.

“Finally, he’s awake!” Zac threw his hands in the air and walked towards the door, turning around to see if his brother was still alive.

“Zac, leave.” Mr Hanson stifled a grin. “Ike, what’s the matter?”

“I’m just thinking about stuff,” Isaac rested his head back on a pillow and closed his eyes. “Nothing to worry about.”

“We weren’t worried!” Zac sported a huge grin, still making his way to the door, backwards.

“Piss off, Zac... Sorry, dad,” Isaac felt tempted to guide the cushion he was resting on in Zac’s direction.

“No, you pi... Woah! Woah! Eeek! Arrrrggghhhhhhhh...” There was a large thudding noise as everyone in the room looked towards Zac, sprawled on the dark blue carpet.

“Oh, Zac. Sorry!” Zac felt unconscious. “Are you okay?” Zac looked up, sheets of golden blond hair scattered across his face. “Zac?”

“Hello, Kayla. Thank you, Kayla.” Zac flicked his hair out of the way and arched his spine into a sitting position.

The room turned into a flurry of excitement, well, sort of. Keryn started waving her arms in the air, rushing towards Kayla. Taylor threw himself onto the couch with Isaac. Mr Hanson turned the page in the newspaper he was reading. Isaac opened one eye. Zac picked some of the lint from his jeans.

“How was the flight?” Keryn asked, taking Kayla’s plane bag from her, leafing through it for any magazines she may have bought.

“The flight was okay, how are you guys?” She lifted her hands to her hips, looking around the room at Isaac, Taylor and Zac. “Wow, you looked pumped to start tour.”

Taylor groaned, resting his head on Isaac’s shoulder. “Heeey Kayl, how are ya?”

“I’m great thank you, Taylor.”

Isaac offered a wave, then closed his eyes again.

“My ass hurts,” Zac rolled over and stood, shaking carpet remnants from his hair. “But other than that, I’m just peachy,” Zac rolled his eyes and pushed behind her to the door. “I’m hungry.”

“Now I feel bad,” Kayla screwed up her face and whispered to Keryn. “He seems a bit edgy.”

“You weren’t to know that he was behind the door when you pushed it open,” Keryn almost stifled a laugh at the image of Zac flying through the air and going thud on the floor.

“I pushed it hard, Keryn.” Kayla shrugged. “I was excited.”

Keryn smiled at her friend, handing her the bag. “I’ll go and see if he’s okay.” She walked around Kayla and out into the airport terminal.

“So, how have you all been?” Kayla asked, receiving a collective grunt. She was uncomfortable. The last time she’d seen them all, she wasn’t on the best terms with Isaac, so she didn’t really know the status of the relationship now. Kayla edged toward the couch and Taylor opened his eyes, feeling her presence. “Well, I’m glad everyone is happy to see me,” Kayla sighed, eyeing Isaac in particular.

“Kayl, I’m tired, snuggle up and sleep with me or do something to wake me up,” Taylor moved his head in his brother’s direction. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. He’s been like that since we left this morning. He probably doesn’t even know you’re here.”

“I do too!” Isaac screeched, resembling a three-year-old. “Why would Kayla want to sleep with you, anyway?”

Taylor crinkled his eyebrows, remembering his previous sentence. “She knew I didn’t mean it like that. Besides, I’m so hot, who wouldn’t want to sleep with me?” He brushed his hands down his brown leather pants.

“Not Kayla,” Isaac sat up a little, acknowledging his ex-girlfriend with a smile. “She has much more class than that.”

“What are you saying?” Taylor became defensive. “I am too hot! I’m hotter than you!”

“Go back to sleep, Taylor. You sound a little delirious,” Isaac stood, walking over to the table to get a magazine.

“You’re just jealous of me,” Taylor laughed, playing along.

“I’ll be jealous of you when you get rid of most of your pants. Then the fans will actually look at you without throwing up.”

Taylor ran his hand through his hair, eyeing his pants. “Dad, they’re not that bad, are they?”

Mr Hanson turned the page of his newspaper.

“See!” Taylor smiled, crossing his legs and closing his eyes.

Keryn found the vending machine that Zac was standing at and started to approach him. She figured that his mood may have just been a result of having to leave Margo again after such a short time. “You stupid thing!” Zac was taking his anger out on the buttons. It was like ferocious beams of electricity were coming from his fingertips.

“Calm down,” Keryn tried to remain peaceful as she approached him.

Zac swung around, not realising that people were around him. “Oh...” He took a deep breath. “No, I will not calm down. I wanted that milky bar and it swallowed my money.” With that, Zac built up and kicked the machine in the side.

“Hey, quit it!” Keryn looked around to see if anyone was watching.

“It took my money!” Zac stared at the ground, furiously. Keryn had a feeling that the milky bar was the least of his worries.

“Well,” she gently touched his shoulder. “I’m sure the machine didn’t do it on purpose.” Keryn took her other hand and gently shoved the huge, blue vending machine to see if the chocolate would fall down further.

“This is terrible.” Zac slumped his shoulders and stared at the chocolate behind the glass and then the chips in his hand. “I have no money left and I wanted that chocolate!”

“This is a travesty!” Keryn screeched, seeing Zac’s disappointment. “Hello!” Zac spun around to see who Keryn was shouting at and his mouth developed a grin. “Heelllooo?!”

“Wha?” A delirious looking airport worker, about eighteen or nineteen years old, looked their way. “Me?”

“Yeah, you!” Keryn pointed at him, knowing full well that she was probably making an incredible fool out of herself.

The airport boy shuffled over towards the pair and stared at them expectantly.

“What kind of business are you running here, mister?” Keryn asked the boy.

“Uh, Tulsa Domestic Airport?” The boy yawned and scratched his head.

“Well, you’re not doing a very good job!” Keryn reached out and held onto Zac’s arm. “This poor little boy here has put money in for an innocent chocolate bar... do you think the chocolate bar came out?”

“Excuse me, miss. But, this little boy is quite taller than you.”

Keryn looked up at Zac and then back at the airport boy. “That’s besides the point!”

Zac rolled his eyes and stepped forward. “What she’s trying to ask is your policy for this machine? What happens when it swallows my money? I need my chocolate, man.”

“Hey, wait a minute,” the airport-boy narrowed his eyes and looked at Zac properly. “Aren’t you one of those Hanson boys?”

Keryn looked at Zac and then back at the boy. “Um,” Zac’s eyes drifted toward the floor again and then to the machine. “That’s me.”

“My sister loves you!”

“How? She doesn’t know me...” Zac drifted off. Keryn cringed at the effect his statement may have and gripped Zac’s arm again. “What are you doing?”

“Zac, we can get candy in Florida.” Keryn lead Zac in the direction of the doors, leaving the oblivious airport-boy standing and staring.

“I want candy now!”

“Zac, you’re being so obnoxious and you’re going to be losing fans in a moment; not candy.” Trying to remain calm, Keryn opened the door and pulled Zac in.

“Why don’t you just piss off? I didn’t ask you to come outside with me and fight my battles!” Keryn saw a fury developing in Zac’s expression. “Let go of me! NOW!”

Keryn felt four sets of eyes on her when she walked back into the private lounge, all warily gazing toward the two, wondering what had happened outside to affect Zac’s mood.

The Tarago sped down the street, weaving in between buildings on the way to their final destination: a random teenage magazine photo shoot.

“I don’t see the point of this,” Zac sighed, watching to see if he could be recognised through the windows of the speeding car. “Why didn’t they just send some photographers to Tulsa rather than us coming all the way down to Florida and then having to fly back tomorrow to start the tour?”

“It’s all publicity, Zac.” Isaac was crammed in next to Taylor. “Besides, who wouldn’t want to come down to Florida for the night?”

Zac shrugged and leant in towards Kayla. “This driver is terrible. He thinks he’s good, but he’s really, really bad.” Zac jolted around in the backseat for effect.

Kayla grinned, happy that Zac wasn’t angry anymore about the incident at the airport. “Zac, I’m sure you aren’t the best driver in the world.”

“I’m better than him,” Zac stated, edging around in his seat to look at Keryn. “But, I’m not better than Keryn.” He shyly fumbled at his hands, upset at the fact his behaviour was getting angry at her when she was only trying to help him from making a fool out of himself and his brothers.

He watched Keryn as she silently sat, staring out the window and clutching onto Taylor’s hand. “I’m sorry, Keryn.”

Taylor looked at Zac and stifled a laugh, then looked toward the window again. Keryn gave Taylor’s hand an unappreciative squeeze. “Ouuccchhh,” Taylor’s voice echoed through the car.

“What?” Asked Keryn, bemused.

“You hurt my hand.”

“Well, I do deserve a little bit of sympathy when your immature brother blasts me in a public place!”

“Immature?” Zac screeched, swinging around and almost elbowing Kayla’s stomach.

“I was only trying to help you, Zachary. You are so pathetic!”

“Oh, so who’s being immature now?” Zac narrowed his eyes and swung back around in the seat.

“Don’t you dare accuse me of being immature! Don’t you have any sense? Your comments to that boy were so harsh! Imagine what his sister will feel when airport-boy goes home and tells her what you said?”

“As if he will! Besides, I’ll send her an autograph and all will be happy. She can cherish it for the rest of her life or something!” Zac tapped his foot furiously on the floor of the car.

“Zac, don’t be mean to the fans. You wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for them,” Taylor pleaded.

“Quit with your preaching! I’m sick of you saying that whenever I speak harshly of the teeny-boppers!” Zac’s voice was reaching new decibels.

“Well, at least I can appreciate them. You just walk around all day with a brooding look on your face. Do you think they don’t notice?” Taylor leant forward in his seat and looked Zac in the eye, ready to let his tensions escape in the back of the Tarago.

“At least I don’t lean up against them and flirt my ass off!”

“He does not do that!” Keryn leant forward with Taylor.

“What would you know? You’re just going to turn into one of those little rockstar wives that pumps babies out on the dozen, never invited to the functions... crumble as your husband has affair after affair with little popstar princesses!” Zac folded his arms in front of him and stared intently at the road as it passed.

Keryn threw herself back into the seat and stared angrily out the window. “Look, now you’ve hurt her!”

“Oh, now you notice it... but in twenty years you’ll be too wrapped up with the new Britney Spears to care!”

“Well, at least I’m not dating a pregnant slu-”

“ENOUGH!” Taylor’s last remark was brought to a standstill by Mr Hanson from the front seat, slowly crumbling at the thoughts of what this tour is going to be emotion wise.

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