Shooting Star: A Zac Hanson Story

Zac Hanson looked outside the window.  It was raining outside.  He wished so badly that he could make the rain stop.  But he can't.  He wasn't God.  He's just plain Zachary Hanson from the famous pop group, 'Hanson'.  He looked outside again to see if it was safe.  Zac sighed.  10 girls were standing outside their front door, holding umbrellas, waiting for him to come out.  Since there was no one home, obviously he can't go out.. alone.  It isn't safe anymore. Ever since they got signed for Mercury, their whole world changed.  Sure, he enjoyed all the attention that they were getting, but sometimes he just wishes he could be a normal guy, even for just a day. 

He remembered when Mercury gave them a call, telling them they got the record deal.  The Hanson family was so happy.  Hell, even Zac was happy.  All three of them couldn't help but smile the whole day.  Their life long dream has finally come true.  Ever since they were kids, all they dreamt about was to have a record deal someday.  At least, that was what Zac wished for the first time he saw a shooting star....

12 years ago, the Hanson family went on a vacation to a Lake somewhere in Oklahoma.  It was just a short drive and little 10 year old, Zac was full of energy when they got there.  He bounced off his seat as soon as the family van pulled up. 

"We're here!!!" Zac screamed as soon as he stepped out of the car. 

"Shut up Zac, the whole neighborhood doesn't need to know we're here." Isaac said, laughing at Zac's hyperness.

"Hey guys, the whole family's coming later and mom said, we should sing for them after dinner." Taylor said to Zac & Isaac reminding them the schedule.

"Again? Why? Who's coming later.." Zac whined.

"Apparently, Aunt Marian from Texas is coming over later. So, mom wants us to sing for her." Taylor informed.

"We have an Aunt.. named Marian? Since when.." Isaac asked Taylor, confused.

"That's what mom said.  I think she's mom's cousin or something." Taylor explained.

"Oh. We gotta practice you guys. Come on." Isaac told Zac & Taylor, motioning his brothers to follow him inside the cabin near the lake.

Zac smiled, he remembered how free they were and how much they were having fun back then.  He missed those times when life was easy and he could do anything he wanted.  When he doesn't have to worry about getting mobbed or being followed by media people. Zac stood up from his bed, and went to his study table.  He opened the top drawer and took a small box and opened it.  Inside it was a tissue paper rolled into a stick person.  He smiled, at the memories he shared with it.

It was 10pm.  Zac and his brothers just finished performing for their Aunt Marian.  Zac was tired.  He told his mom that he wanted to take a walk to the lake.  His mom agreed, knowing that her son was filled with energy.  Zac kept walking until he reached the side of the lake.  He saw a huge rock, and sat on it.  He looked up in the sky, and saw millions and millions of stars, he sighed.

"I wish I could be a star." he said to himself.

Zac picked some small rocks from the ground and started throwing them one by one to the lake.  Even though he was bored, he was slowly enjoying what he was doing. Throwing rocks is always more fun than doing nothing.  That was Zac's logic.  15 minutes of throwing little rocks to lake later, Zac ran out of rocks to throw.  He sighed, realizing that he has nothing to do.

"Hey, you look bored." a girl's voice said from behind him.

"Ahh!!" Zac yelled. He didn't notice that there was someone watching him.

"I'm Vanessa." the girl said, extending her hand.

"Sorry. I'm Zac" Zac replied, introducing himself and shaking Vanessa's hand.

"So, were you standing behind my back for a long time?" Zac asked, pushing strands of his hair behind his ear.

She giggled.

"No, I was on my way home and I saw you here by the lake." She said, smiling.

They talked about everything.  Zac found himself enjoying Vanessa's company.  Zac told her his dream.  He dream of becoming a famous singer one day.  Surprisingly, she didn't laugh at him.  Instead she smiled and told him that one-day, maybe his dream would come true.  Obviously, Zac found a friend. 

"Wanna see something cool?" Vanessa asked.

"Shoot." Zac said in reply.

She took a piece of tissue paper from her pocket and smoothed it out on the rock that she and Zac was sitting on.  She started it twist the tissue paper with her hands.  Zac looked at her with a confused face.  He wondered if Vanessa knew what she was doing.  He decided not ask, and wait for her to finish.

"Here" she handed him the tissue paper that she was twisting a while ago.

Zac examined the tissue paper that she handed to him.  Zac smiled, and looked at her 'art project'.  It looked like a person.  It had one head, two arms and two feet. Zac placed the 'human tissue' on the palm of his hand and brushed his fingers lightly on it.  

"This is pretty cool." Zac said, admiring her talent.

Zac looked at the human tissue project that Vanessa gave to him, 12 years ago.  He smiled remembering the day that he met Vanessa.  Back then, they were so carefree, so child-like.  He placed it on the palm of his hand, and tried to brush off the dark spots.  Realizing that there was absolutely no way of getting rid of the spots, he gave up.  He took one last look on the 'art work' and placed it back inside the box.

"You know what? I wish I was you." Zac said to Vanessa, throwing rocks at the lake, not looking at her.

"How come?" she asked.  

"You know what you're good at.  And you're sure about it." Zac explained.

"What are you talking about Zac?" she asked, confused.

"I mean, it's one thing to be good at playing drums and singing in front of my family.  But it's a whole different thing when other people appreciate what you're doing.  When other people aside from your family praise for your talents."

"Don't your family tell you that they're proud of you?" she asked.

"They're family. They're suppose to do that." Zac explained.

Vanessa kept quiet, it was just then that she realized how serious Zac was about his dream.  A lot of kids their age dream of becoming a rockstar, but most of them were just half-serious.  Vanessa looked at Zac.  She smiled. She never met anyone her age, which had dream.  A dream for his future.  And she admired Zac for that. 

"Why don't wish on a star.. your dream might come true." she suggested out of the blue.

"What?" Zac asked.

"You could wish on a star. Or a shooting star if you're lucky." she continued.

"Really? And my wish would come true?" Zac asked, he eyes lighting up from excitement.

"That's what the grown ups say." she answered.

Zac looked up the sky.  He saw tons of stars.  He didn't know which star would he wish from.  He closed his eyes and sighed. He slowly opened his eyes, and turned to look at Vanessa.  She was looking up the sky too. Her eyes, were closed.  It obvious that she was making a wish too.  Zac placed his arm around her shoulder and whispered... "Let's make a wish".

She nodded in return.  Zac looked up in the sky again, picking a star to wish at.  There were so many stars that night, he couldn't even pick one.  Just as he was about to make a wish on a star, he heard Vanessa gasp.  He tried to focus his attention to the star he was about to make a wish on, when he saw a shooting star zoom pass the sky.  He followed the direction of the shooting star and closed his eyes and made a wish. 

An hour as passed since the rain stopped.  And the sky was clearing up.  It's was 7:00pm, and it was getting dark outside and the fans finally decided to leave and head home.  Zac sat on his bed leaning his shoulder to the wall.  He sighed, remembering that day, by the lake when he wished on a shooting star & met Vanessa. It was one of those nights that he knew happened for a reason.  That was the night when he made a wish on shooting star that changed his whole life.  Few months after their trip to the lake, Zac and his brothers got a record deal from Mercury Records. His dream was finally coming true.  Zac spent his teenage years, making records and taping music videos.  At first, he was enjoying every moment of it.  But later on, he realized how much he was missing in life. 

Zac decided to take a shower, realizing that he nothing better to do.  He took some clothes from his closet, and went inside the shower.  As soon as he felt the hot water on his back, he felt relaxed.  15 minutes later, came out of the shower with a towel wrapped on his waist.  He walked to other side of the room to get dressed, when he heard a familiar female voice from the living room.

"Zac honey.. Are you home?"

"Yeah. Wait. I just got out of the shower. I'll be down in a minute."   Zac yelled in reply.

After 2 minutes, Zac came out to the living room.  There was Vanessa, standing in front of the kitchen table, preparing the take out food at she ordered.  She glanced to where Zac was standing and smiled at him.  He walked to where Vanessa was standing and took her hand.  She hesitated to follow but Zac, insisted.  He directed her to his room and told her to wait for him. Zac went to his study table and took something from his drawer. 

Zac went back to where Vanessa was standing and took her hand.  He pulled her outside to the balcony.  Zac stood behind her and wrapped his arms around Vanessa.  Vanessa turned to face Zac, she knew something was up.  She just couldn't guess what it was.  Zac smiled at her and took something from his pocket.  On his hand, was a small box.  He handed the box to Vanessa and asked her to opened it. 

Vanessa opened the box, and tears started to fill her eyes.  She saw the tissue paper 'art work' that she gave Zac 12 years ago when they first met by the lake.  She took it from the box and placed it on the palm of her hand. 

"Oh Zac.. you kept this all these years.. I thought you threw it away" She said, between sobs.

Zac just smiled and hugged her.  He placed his hands on the side of her face, wiping the tears from her eyes. 

"Vanessa, will you marry me?" He said, looking at her eyes.

Vanessa couldn't help but smile. She was so happy.  She placed her arms over Zac's neck and gave him a kiss on the lips.

"Yes Zac, I will marry you." she answered with a big smile on her face.

Zac took Vanessa’s hand with his right hand and took a ring from his left pocket with the other.  He placed the ring on her finger, slowly sliding it to the end.  Zac smiled at Vanessa and kissed her hand. 

“Honey, you remember that night we met?” Zac asked, remembering that memorable night.

“How could I forget, Zac? The was the night we wished on a shooting star.”

“Did your wish come true?” Zac asked, letting his arms slide on the side of her body, pulling her in for a hug.

“Yea it did. Did yours came true?” she asked.

“Yea.” Zac said, as he kissed her forehead.

“What did you wish for Zac?”

“I wished that I’d become a rockstar one day.  And it did happen.” Zac told her

“What did you wish for?” Zac asked, pushing strands of hair behind her ear.

“I wished for this.” She smiled and kissed his lips.

They stood there staring into each other's eyes, with all the love surrounding them.  They were swaying in each other's arm as if there was music being played at that moment.  But there was no music.  Just the sound of the busy streets of New York City.  But the busy sound of New York, didn’t matter at that time.  All that matters was that they found each other, on the night a shooting star passed over a lake in Oklahoma, 12 years ago.