Zac exited the plane and entered the airport in Erie, Pennsylvania. His wary brown eyes darted back and forth looking for his mother's sister, and her husband and son. He was a little excited, and a lot scared. He didn't know these relatives very well - only by sight, name, and location, since they were his only Pennsylvania relatives and had been to the Lawyer family reunion every year. (Author's note: The Lawyer family reunion is the reunion for his mom's side of the family. I figured out her maiden name is Lawyer from the dedication to their grandmother, Jane Nelson Lawyer, for "With You in Your Dreams". She is obviously Diana's mother, since if she was Walker's her last name would be Hanson. And if she is Diana's mother, then Diana's maiden name is most obviously going to be Lawyer. Aren't I smart??) To put it mildly, he was once again beginning to have his doubts about this whole thing. What in the world had possessed his parents to send him to spend an entire summer with people he didn't know? Adults are weird, he decided.
"Zac! Hey Zac!" he heard the cry from across a sea of people.
Seeing the welcoming smiles on their faces caused most of his fears to vaporize. He jumped up waving, then ran over to throw his arms around the woman and plant a kiss on her cheek. "Hi Aunt Charlotte!"
After a moment she stepped back and looked him over. "My goodness child, you have grown since last year!" She cocked an eyebrow at him. "And is it just me, or is your voice just a little deeper?"
"Hmm, funny you should mention it," he retorted sarcastically. "It's only been the cause of most of the laughter existing in my house. Or maybe I should say in my city!"
They all laughed, and the group started towards the baggage claim.
"Has your voice changing affected the band much?" Jake asked as they sauntered along side-by-side. "Cause I know you had some trouble for a while when Taylor's was changing."
Zac smiled. Hey, he sounds as if he might truly be interested in knowing this! he thought. "It hasn't been quite as much trouble for us, but I think that's just because mine changed faster than Tay's did." He laughed. "I was squeaking for a while though, and it was really funny to hear me attempt to sing!"
Jake laughed with him. "And knowing Ike and Tay, you probably took a lot of crap for it!"
Zac nodded emphatically. "Definitely."
On the drive to Linesville, he and Jake talked a lot, and Zac learned tons of stuff about him he never in a million years would have guessed. He found out that Jake played guitar quite well, and thought it would be cool to start a band. He just wasn't sure how to go about doing it. (AN: Alright, my sick friends, take that the way you know I mean it!) Zac offered to help him. Before he knew it, it was just after midnight and they pulled into the driveway. He was so tired that when he had gotten all his luggage inside, he immediately crashed.
(AN: I know this is a kinda short chapter, but that's simply how I planned it. The rest of them will probably be longer.)