Ouch.
Due to the open window, it was bright and sunny inside the rec room at Paige's house, hurting her eyes.
She groggily sat up in bed, noticing someone in front of her who was watching the TV, volume up loud.
"Sierra...? Why are you up already? I am so incredibly tired..." Paige mumbled, eyes still adjusting to the light.
"Oh, hey Paige. Why am I up already?!?! It's one p.m.! Look-Total Request Live is on. Carson's talking about Hanson!"
"Really? Turn it up!" Paige was instantly alive.
Carson was telling all the TRL viewers to be sure to check out Live at the Ten Spot tonight because Hanson would be on.
In between packing to move and spending time with Paige and Sierra, the three oldest Hanson brothers had been practicing for their upcoming Summer tour.
The only thing they had told the girls was that the name of their tour would be The Albertane Tour. They refused to let them hear the songs they were practicing for it, or even tell them which songs they would be singing.
Instead, they had insisted on making the girls wait to find out and be surprised by watching Live at the Ten Spot that night.
They were sure it would be incredible.
After the Hanson mention, Sierra, who had stayed all night with Paige, flicked off the television.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh, Paige! I have an awesome beyond awesome idea!"
"What's that?" Paige asked, sure this would be good.
"Well, I was just thinking about how much I miss Ike and how much I'm sure you miss Taylor, so I thought it'd be cool for us to have a surprise welcome home party for them-actually, for Zac, too. It would be sort of a going-away party in disguise for their tour, too....what do you think?"
"Sierra, you're awesome!"
"I knew you'd like my idea," Sierra grinned.
They began to work out the details. "We'll invite Tanner for Zac...and Kristen for Tanner...and for us. And of course we'll have to invite Admiral Twin since they'll be opening for Hanson on their tour. Let's see...we don't have to invite Katie because she'll be here anyway since she'll be coming home with the Hansons from New York...and uh, we can invite Billy even though he's sort of weird because if he sees the party from across the street he'll be upset we didn't invite him. And then there's Ashley Greyson...he's good friends with Ike. Plus Caley...isn't she friends with Zac? Allie and Diana, too, so we'll have a few friends around. Mark the guy that works at OutbackSteakhouse...he's good friends with Tay...." the list went on and on.
Soon the girls had also decided on how to decorate (little white strings of lights on the trees, streamers, balloons, paper mache' Hanson symbols, a welcome home banner...), where to have it (the Hansons' backyard), and even what food would be served.
Paige grinned. "This will be the best present for the guys ever!"
.::RiiingRiiiiing::.
"Hello?" Paige answered the phone, hoping it was Taylor.
"Hey," Isaac said, and Paige was disappointed.
"Put me on the speaker phone, please...."
"And me, too!" she heard Zac say.
"Yeah, us, too!" Tay said into the receiver.
Paige grinned. All three brothers were on the line!
She motioned for Sierra to come and listen.
"Hey, you two! We just wanted to make sure you had your TV tuned in to MTV...our show starts in five minutes!" Isaac explained excitedly, yet nervous at the same time.
"Of course! We wouldn't want to miss this for the world!" the two girls said.
"Thanks," Isaac replied, sounding sort of shy.
"Paige," Taylor began, and her heart soared, "I have my cookie ready...you're eating one, too, right?" Tay asked, waiting for some assurance from Paige.
"Of course, Tay! You are sooo sweet. Thank you so so so so so so sooo..." Paige went on, and Sierra interrupted, "Okay! We got the point, Paige. Now...tell us...what is this cookie stuff all about?"
After explaining, Ike said sorry, but they had to go.
"Bye, Sierra-I'll call you tonight!" Ike said sweetly.
"Taylor...it means so much to me that you would do all this cookie business just for me! Thank you! Bye..." Paige squealed.
"Bye, Isaac," both girls said.
Sierra and Tay said bye to eachother.
"Bye, girls," Zac said half-heartedly.
Oops-Paige hoped she hadn't hurt his feelings talking about the cookie thing....
"Good luck, guys!"
"Thanks-hope y'all like it!"
They hung up the phone.
"Wow," was all Sierra said as she and Paige watched Hanson start Live at the Ten Spot.
They had begun their first notes of the song Gimme Some Lovin' behind a curtain, and then it had come falling down, revealing the guys.
Now Tay was beginning a different song, singing acapella into the microphone, "Well I heard about the fella' you've been dancin' with all over the neighborhood..." Paige smiled. That sexy guy up there that most of the girls in the audience were trying to make eyes with was her boyfriend. And even though some of the girls in the audience were exceptionally pretty, Taylor was going to pull out their cookie soon because he was thinking of her, Paige.
As the next song started, a more up-beat version of Speechless, Sierra and Paige began to clap and sing along. They weren't even thinking about how stupid they must look, jamming out to a concert on TV in the floor of a rec room-they were just proud of their friends, and happy the three of them were accomplishing their dreams.
After jumping up and down to Where's the Love and swaying to Weird, the two girls watched as Taylor's eyes softened and he breathed, "When you have no light to guide you And no one to walk beside you I will come to you Oh I will come to you."
Taylor pulled a small bag out of his pocket and slid a cookie out of it...a chocolate chip cookie, made my Paige herself.
He continued singing, "When the night is dark and stormy you won't have to reeeach out for me I will come to you Ohhh I will come to you."
Taylor drew the cookie to his mouth and bit into it, smiling shyly and still singing, "Sometimes when all your dreams may have seen better days..."
"Ahhh!" Paige squealed, jumping to her feet. She hadn't known Taylor was going to do it in the middle of a song, much less her favorite-I Will Come to You. This made it sooo much more romantic.
Taylor took another bite, as did Paige with her cookie, and her eyes misted over. Taylor was sooo sweet.
Sierra watched Paige, who looked like a complete moron, crying happily over a little cookie. She began, "Wow, Paige. You're in love with him, aren't you?"
Paige dabbed at her eyes and smiled shakily, "Ya know, Sierra...I hadn't really thought about it before. But now...he's up there singing with his mouth full on national television just for me...he's a real sweetheart, and I like him so much," she sighed happily, "Yeah, you're right, Sierra. I do love Taylor...I just didn't know it yet. I have to tell him. I'll call him tonight. I..." Paige's voice trailed off. Sierra had an upset look on her face, staring at the TV.
Paige looked over, and she sank to the ground, her eyes spilling over with no-longer-happy tears.
There he was...the guy she loved...with a girl beside him on the stage. Taylor had handed the blonde the remainder of Paige's cookie...and was now smiling as he sang the next line of I Will Come to You while he watched her eating the cookie, "And I swear that I'll be there come what maaay."
"Paige...are...are you okay?" Sierra asked dumbly, sitting beside her friend.
Paige didn't answer...she just stared at the TV, tears falling down.
Isaac turned his head away from Taylor in disgust. He had thought that Taylor felt for Paige what he felt for Sierra...but now, Isaac knew, he had thought wrong.
When Ike had heard about his younger brother's plans with Paige's cookie, he had almost been jealous that he wouldn't be doing anything like that for Sierra tonight himself. Only now, as he listened to his brother sing the final notes of the song he had helped him write, Isaac was furious. How could he do this to Paige?
Sierra and Paige had watched the rest of Live at the Ten Spot in silence.
Sierra had thought that Paige wouldn't want to see the rest of it, but she guessed that her friend felt she had to see the whole thing...if nothing else, then at least for Isaac and Zac.
After the brothers were done singing, they had done a short interview with Jesse Camp from MTV. Sierra was seething as she watched Taylor just talking away as though nothing had happened. Paige had calmly just sat there, staring at the screen. What scared Sierra, though, was that even though she had turned off the TV, Paige was still in the exact same position she had been in before, eyes still focused on the screen.
Sierra's heart ached for her friend, who had discovered her love for Taylor right as he was giving away their cookie...their connection. She ran over and put her arms around Paige, telling her how sorry she was.
Paige just snapped. "You're sorry? You are sorry?" she screamed. "Sierra, your boyfriend is a perfect angel, and I think you should just SHUT UP!" Paige shouted, throwing her cookie across the room and running into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Sierra was sorry, but she didn't let Paige get to her. All she was doing was taking her disappointment in Taylor out on her, that was all. In her position, Sierra was sure she would have done the same.
An hour passed by with Sierra wrapped up in her thoughts. It was going on Midnight, so she decided to go check on her friend.
Sierra quietly opened the bathroom door.
Paige was on the floor with a tear-stained face, sound asleep. Sierra was afraid if she tried to move Paige to her bed that she would wake up and start to cry again, so Sierra just brought a blanket into the bathroom and covered her up, exiting quietly.
She started her car and headed home, planning on calling Isaac in the morning.
Sierra wasn't worried about Paige-when she was ready to talk about it, she'd call.
Taylor was sort of upset. His brothers had refused to talk to him on the way back to the hotel unless he spoke to them first, and even then it was either a simple "yes" or "no", their voices cold.
He didn't know what was wrong with them-he'd have to have a talk with the two of them once they got back up to their hotel room.
As their bodyguard attempted to pull the brothers through the crowd of girls and to the entrance of the hotel, Taylor heard a slightly familiar voice call his name. "Taylor...TAYLOR! Please..I have to talk to you..."
He looked to his left. It was the girl from Live at the Ten Spot!
Taylor broke away from his bodyguard's grasp and rushed over to see what she wanted, his brothers glaring at him and continuing on towards the door.
"Hi," he greeted her, trying not to think about them.
"Hey," she said, her hazel eyes sparkling in the setting of the sun. "I'm Lindsay."
"'Taylor," he returned the introduction jokingly.
"I came here from New Jersey, and I just had to tell you thank you for sharing your cookie with me."
"Oh, no problem," he said.
"Well, anyway, you did really good up there...especially on I Will Come to You. It's my favorite," she bubbled, obviously excited to talk to him.
"Well, thank you!" Taylor replied, wincing as someone pulled on his rattail from behind.
"Hey, uh, I gotta go, but I'll talk to you later...?"
"Of course!" Lindsay grinned. "See ya!" she called to him as he pushed his way through the crowd of screaming girls, alone.
Taylor stepped into his room. "Hey, guys," he began, but shut up after he saw Ike and Zac laying on one of the queen-sized beds, eyes closed.
He sighed. Their breathing wasn't heavy; They must have been pretending to sleep.
Nonetheless, Taylor just blew them off, figuring they'd talk in the morning.
He stripped down to his boxers and slipped into bed.
"Awww man," he breathed when it finally hit him what he had done.
I was just trying to be nice and share...NOT hurt Paige's feelings or flirt with Lindsay. She's nice...Paige has to understand...she just has to... Taylor worried, falling into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Isaac called over to Sierra's to find she had just left for Paige's house.
He motioned for Taylor and Zac to come talk on the phone with him like they had the previous day as he dialed Paige's house.
Paige answered. "Hello," she said, her voice sounding fakely cheerful.
Taylor sighed as Paige put them on speaker phone so Sierra could hear. This wasn't the time to try to apologize. He couldn't beg for her forgiveness over the phone, miles away, with his brothers standing around. Tomorrow when they got home...that would have to be the right time.
His slightly older and slightly younger brothers looked excited as they informed Sierra and Paige of their plans to drive down to Tablerock Lake in Missouri from Tulsa a few days after they returned home. They would be renting out a houseboat for an entire week with their family...their vacation before the months of touring began.
"Oh..." Sierra said quietly, "I'd hoped that you guys would be here with us before heading off to tour..."
Isaac laughed. "No, Silly. We want you two to come with us!"
"AHH!" Sierra squealed, "This will be sooo much fun!" She was really excited-a week with Isaac and the rest of the Hanson clan on a lake!
"Uhh...Paige?" Isaac said quietly, "Sound cool to you?"
Paige was still feeling sort of numb, but she responded, not wanting to be rude to Isaac, "Uh, yeah. Sure. We're going to the lake!"
Taylor felt as though he had been slapped when he heard her sweet voice. He felt so terrible...
"SURPRIIISE!!!" about fifty people shouted in unison as the Hanson family stepped out the back door shortly after arriving home when they had heard a fake cry for help, which had lured them outside.
Isaac noticed Sierra off to the side, smiling, and he ran over to her, covering her with kisses.
"You were the cause of this, weren't you?" he asked accusingly, grinning.
"Yup," she smiled, but then her voice trailed off, "And so was Paige..."
"Oh," Isaac said, "'She doin' alright?"
"She's getting better. Sort of, anyway. She insisted that we still have the party even after...you know. She said you and Zac deserved it."
"Cooold. She must not be just upset-she sounds pissed," Isaac said, searching the crowd over for Paige. Yup-there she was, face downcast, standing alone in a corner of trees.
Taylor, on the other side of the backyard from Paige, saw her at the same instant that Isaac had.
He felt terrible-Paige must have planned the party with Sierra before...before the cookie crap.
What made it worse was that it looked as though the two girls had put a lot of work into the party: they had to have gotten ahold of lots of people and their phone numbers, spent a lot of time decorating with all of those lights and streamers high up in the trees, and spent lots of money on the gobs and gobs of snacks which took two portable tables to hold.
In a yard full of smiling people, Paige was definitely an outcast-he had to talk to her.
Brushing by family and friends, muttering a "hello" several times, then continuing on, Taylor finally stood before Paige.
She wouldn't look at him.
"Hey...hey, Paige," he whispered.
Still no response.
"Look, we really need to talk..."
"We don't need to do anything-you are the one that needs to do some talking," Paige screamed.
After getting a few weird looks from some party-goers', Taylor began, "Le...let's go to the treehouse so I can talk to you. We'll be alone there." He grabbed Paige's hand to lead her to the treehouse.
She thrust her arm away, but followed him anyway.
Taylor then offerred a hand to help Paige into the treehouse. She did not accept, stepping in by herself.
"WHAT?" she spit out.
"Paige...a..about yesterday. I...I didn't mean...that girl...she's just a nice fan, Lindsay, and I felt bad eating in front of people without sharing..."
"What?!?!" Paige laughed, scaring Taylor. "That was supposed to be your sign of your feelings for me, only without having to say so, onstage. Sharing with one person doesn't make up for eating in front of thousands or people, anyhow, but I made that cookie for you, NOT Li...LINDSAY!" she sput out.
Taylor began to speak, but Paige went on, "Do you have ANY idea what I was doing right before you...you shared?" she asked sarcastically, not waiting for an answer. "I was saying that...that I loved you. I LOVED you, Taylor."
"Lo...loved?" he asked, joy washing over him because of the fact that Paige felt so much for him; Only, he then realized there was an "ed" on the end of the four-letter word.
She didn't answer.
"There's not really much to say here, Taylor, because all I have to say is...iiiis I don't want to see you. I don't want to talk to you. I don't want...ANYTHING from you! In fact, why don't you just stay away from me completely? We're OVER!" she sputtered, running from the treehouse bawling.
Taylor felt as though he had just been stabbed with a million knives. Paige, the girl he loved-his whole life-had just dumped him.
