"Do you think I should rent a limo?"I asked Taylor anxiously.

He was calmly laying on the bed checking his e-mail."Ike, I thought that you wanted this to be like a normal date."

"I do,"I said, pulling on a green shirt."I just want her to like me."I glanced into the mirror and promptly pulled the shirt right back off.

"Trust me, she likes you,"Zac called from in the bathroom."Anyone with eyes could see that she likes you."

"Really?"I asked, trying another shirt, which I liked, just not with the pants I was wearing.

Zac rolled his eyes at me as he came out of the bathroom."Dude, relax. She's just a girl. You've dated like thousands of girls."

I knew he was right (Well, not about the thousands part), but I still couldn't seem to calm down. It was pretty normal behavior for me. I was always like this before a date, however, I'd never (with the exception of one girl back in Tulsa) gone out with someone I'd met backstage before.

I really wanted to impress her."Are you sure I shouldn't go for a limo?"

"It's bad enough we have to bring Jerry,"Taylor reminded me, referring to one of our bodyguards."We don't want to scare the girl."

"True."I dug through my suitcase."Has anyone seen my khakis?"

Zac pulled a pair of jeans off of the bed."Wear these, you're trying to look like a normal teenager. Jeans are the way to go."

I hated the fact that my little brother was always so much better at stuff like this than me.

"I still don't get why I have to come,"Taylor whined, typing furiously."All that's going to happen is that Marissa girl is probably going to hurt me."

"Don't be silly,"I told him."Jerry will protect you."

Taylor tossed a pillow at me.

I couldn't believe that Libby was making such a huge deal out of this. She had been trying on different outfits for almost two hours now. As for me, it was just Taylor, so I had thrown on a pair of jeans and the only extra top I had brought with me.

"It's not like he's a rocket scientist, he's just a guy,"I tried to tell her."Gosh, guys are considered brilliant if they can match their socks."

"True,"she agreed with me,"but I have to look good."

She eventually ended up in a pair of jeans with a patch on it that said,"I'm not weird, I'm gifted" and a purple leopard-print top that tied in the back and, in my opinion, showed a little too much flesh. Coincidentally, this was the first outfit she tried on.

"All I know," she said to me,"is that if he shows up in jeans and a white tank top my brain will cease to function." Libby has always loved the way Isaac looked in jeans and a tank top, don't ask, because I don't know. Maybe she'd like any guy in the same. I hoped he wore it. She was already going to make him incapable of speech with that backless top of hers.

While she loaded her hair with lots of products that I don't understand the point of but she swears by, I attempted to put mine into a ponytail.

I looked in the mirror. It looked horrible. I yanked the elastic out and announced,"It looks fine."

At five-oh-one, I was convinced that he changed his mind. At five-oh-three, that it was all a big joke. When the black van pulled up in front of my house, I was genuinely surprised to see Isaac and Taylor get out of it.

Of course, that surprise was nothing compared to the shock I felt when I noticed the jeans and white tank top that Isaac was wearing.

I'm sure that my mouth was hanging open. At least I assumed so because Marissa kicked me, hard, to snap me out of it.

"Hey,"he said softly, as Marissa and Taylor glared at each other. Marissa, because she hates him, Taylor because Marissa wasn't falling at his feet.

"Hey,"I said back. I still couldn't believe that he was there.

"You two again!"The bald bodyguard exclaimed as he stepped out of the van.

My mouth dropped open. I didn't think he had noticed us when he escorted Hanson back to their family, but by the way he was glaring at me, I was now guessing that he had.

"Um, this is Jerry,"Isaac introduced us."You guys know each other?"

I looked at my feet."Sorta,"I mumbled.

"Those are the girls who snuck backstage last night when I turned my back,"Jerry said accusingly.

Marissa and I turned red.

"You snuck backstage?"Taylor asked."Wow, not many people can get away with that."

"Don't you boys have better people to hang out with?"Jerry asked.

Isaac pulled me in front of him protectively."I like this one,"he said simply.

"Whatever,"Jerry said."Are you guys ready to leave?"

"He's coming?"I asked, suddenly having second thoughts about this whole trip.

"Don't worry,"Isaac said reassuringly as he guided me into the back of the van."He won't give you any trouble. He just hates it when girls outsmart him and get backstage."

"Oh."I didn't really care at that point. It had just sunk in how Isaac had said that "he liked that one", meaning me.

That thought was intruded by the fight everyone had about where they would sit. Marissa refused to sit next to Taylor, Jerry refused to let Marissa sit in the front, and Taylor insisted that he'd seated himself in the middle seat, and the middle seat was where he was going to stay. I finally managed to talk Marissa into just sitting down next to him. She of course refused to look at him and turned so her back was to him.

Isaac and I rolled our eyes at each other. I had a feeling that it was going to be a long night.

I couldn't believe that Libby talked me into sitting next to that poor excuse for a guy. If an evolutionist walked by, he'd think Taylor was the missing link.

Why me? I wondered.

That freak Isaac insists is a girl turned her back to me the second we got in the car. She was such a pain! I couldn't believe Isaac had talked me into going out with them. At that point I would have rather spent the night pulling out my hair, strand by strand.

Besides, she was so full of hatred that she made Eminem look like a Mama's boy.

I ignored the death looks that Taylor shot me during the ride, figuring that maybe actually having to put forth some effort to get a girl to like him might be good for him. However, I didn't think he'd see that for a long time.

Libby had her hands folded neatly in her lap. When she leaned forward to adjust the strap on her black platform flip-flops I caught a glimpse of her very well-tanned back. I had a theory that she had warn that top to torture me. All I could think about was the soft skin that was exposed.

As we drove into the field that was being used as a make-shift parking lot, Marissa waved at every guy that we saw. I noticed Taylor turning a pale shade of green.

Before the van had even stopped, Marissa leaped out the door with Taylor trailing her. Jerry looked torn between trying to keep an eye on both of us, and making sure Marissa didn't kill Taylor. I guess he figured Tay's life really was in jeopardy, because he chose to run after Taylor and Marissa.

I helped Libby out of the van, taking her hand which I conveniently forgot to let go of. We walked toward the fair.

"Hey Andy!"I called out. I glanced behind me. Crud, he was still there. This was going to require a bigger guy than Andy.

Aha! I spotted Jereme. I was lucky, he didn't appear to be with a girl. That was unusual. She was probably in the bathroom so I figured that I should work quickly.

"Jereme!"I cried out, throwing my arms around him.

He gave me a strange look."Um, hi Marissa."

Taylor was rapidly catching up to us. What I really wanted was to ask Jereme to beat him up but I saw Jerry in the distance and didn't want to ruin things completely for Libby.

"Wanna be my boyfriend?"I blurted out.

Jereme looked behind me."Hey, look,"he said."It's one of those Hanson girls. I wonder what she's doing here."

"Dang it, Marissa,"Taylor glared at me."Couldn't you wait a few minutes before you try to ditch me?"

Jereme snorted. I had a feeling that it wasn't a good sign.

"Have fun,"he told me, patting me on the back as he walked away.

"Great,"I muttered, glancing around. If Jereme wouldn't help me, nobody would. I was stuck with him. Libby was going to die.

Now out of the sight of Jerry, I could finally relax.

"Do you want to go on a ride?"Isaac asked me.

I thought about it."Um, sure. Just something wimpy, please. I hate scary rides.

"How about the Ferris wheel?"he suggested."You aren't afraid of heights, are you?"

I shook my head. The Ferris wheel was one ride I definitely could handle.

We stood in line, hands still linked. He gently rubbed his thumb over my finger and I wondered if he knew the effect it had on me.

Suddenly I heard a girl's voice shriek,"Taylor!"

I was saved! I darted out of the way as the brunette ran to Taylor, who ran himself, away from her.

Jerry followed closely behind, trying to catch the girl before she caught Taylor. Maybe this night wouldn't be so bad after all.

Libby and I watched Taylor run by us."How much do you wanna bet Marissa is behind this?"Libby asked as the brunette and Jerry ran by too, close in pursuit.

I hoped Jerry caught the girl."What's up with her anyway? Is there a reason she hates Taylor so much?"

Libby shrugged."Not as far as I can see. It's just Marissa. She used to like him, she just sort of, I don't know, stopped."

We finally made it to the front of the line and we sat down, me sitting a little closer than necessary. Libby didn't seem to mind.

"So are you really writing a science fiction novel?"Libby asked.

"No."I laughed."I mentioned once in an interview that I occasionally in my free time wrote some short stories and the next thing you know, I'm writing a novel."

Libby smiled."I write stories too, sometimes."

"Really?"I asked."What about?"

She blushed."You guys."

I was confused."Huh?"

"I write fan fiction,"she explained."Just some dumb stories about Hanson that get posted on-line."

"Oh. You'll have to tell me your web address so I can read some of it,"I told her.

"Don't do that."

"Why not?"I asked.

She took a deep breath."Because if you saw just how obsessed I really can be I'll never hear from you again."

"I doubt that,"I said, seriously, staring intensely into her eyes."I doubt that."

She blushed again, looking down at our hands.

Once Jerry got rid of the crazy brunette I had the brilliant idea that I'd try and win Marissa one of those giant stuffed animals. That always worked for the guys in the movies.

About forty-five minutes later, Marissa happened to walk by. I had been throwing those stupid balls the entire time but I couldn't seem to get one to knock over even one of the bottles.

"How long's he been at it?"I heard Marissa ask the guy running the booth.

"Almost an hour,"he replied.

I handed over five more bucks for five more balls. I threw the first one. Still not even close. I chucked another one.

"Wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy it?"Marissa asked, peering over my shoulder.

It probably would have, but I wasn't giving up.

I threw the fourth ball.

Marissa grabbed the fifth out of my hand before I could try again. She threw the ball casually and knocked the bottle down. The guy runnin

g the booth began to laugh. I think I even saw Jerry, who had been standing nearby, crack a smile. I, however, was not amused.

Marissa was. She pointed out the animal that she wanted and grinned triumphantly in my direction.

Well, Isaac and I were still on the Ferris wheel.

You know how in the movies, the Ferris wheel always breaks down conveniently as the guy and the girl are on the top, leaving them dangling several hundred feet off the ground? As incredibly cliche`d as it was, that was what had happened to us approximately a half an hour before.

"You know how I said that I wasn't afraid of heights?"I asked him.

Isaac nodded, even the small movement making us sway.

I glanced downward."I think I am now."

He smiled, putting his arm around me. I was so tense, even that didn't make me relax, so he drew his arm back."Just think about something else,"he suggested.

I looked at him. Actually at his hair. I figured, what the heck, and took my hand out of his warm grasp and gently touched his hair. I expected it to be dry, or stiff with hairspray maybe, but instead it was so soft and fluffy. I ran my hand through it one more time before letting my fingers trail slowly down his cheek on their way back down.

I shivered, unexpectedly cold.

He put his arm around my shoulders again, pulling me closer. I smiled as he rested his forehead against mine.

I could feel his warm breath on my skin.

He placed his other hand on my cheek and placed his lips on mine, kissing me more tenderly than I could have ever imagined a kiss could be.

Suddenly I wasn't cold anymore.

Frankly, after being humiliated by that skinny little brunette all I really wanted to do was go home. Sadly, it was about that time that Jerry noticed that he hadn't seen Isaac and Libby for a while.

"It's not a big place,"Jerry told us,"We should have at least passed them by now."

"Maybe they're making out somewhere?"Marissa suggested.

"Ew!"My brother making out with some girl was just one of those images that I never wanted to have in my head. I had no doubt in my mind that he did make out with girls, I just DID NOT want to know about it.

Marissa just smirked and hugged her stuffed animal closer. That is if you can consider a rat an animal. I still couldn't believe that she'd picked a stuffed rat. It was the ugliest thing I had ever seen. If Ike had just sent me out with a normal girl, she would have picked out something cute and cuddly like a teddy bear or something, and then cuddled me for trying to win it for her. Instead, I was stuck with a girl who had just told me that the rat kind of resembled me. That was fair.

When the Ferris wheel started up again I felt like cursing whoever had fixed it. I also wished that I'd had the foresight to slip the operator twenty bucks to keep us up there longer. I'd seen someone do it in a movie once and this was the first time I'd actually wanted to try it.

"You guys are leaving tomorrow, huh?"I heard Libby ask me softly. Out of breath from kissing, she had cuddled up against my chest.

"Maybe I can quit,"I replied.

She laughed. I could feel the vibrations on my chest."I don't think you can. Unless you quit your family, too. And then I'd never get to see Mackie, who, by the way, is by far the cutest Hanson."

I smiled down at her just as we arrived at the bottom.

Sighing, we both got off to find Jerry, Taylor, and Marissa waiting impatiently for us.

"I told Taylor you guys were probably making out somewhere,"Marissa said."How much did you slip the guy to stop the wheel?"

"Shut up."Libby blushed. I took her hand and squeezed it.

We all walked slowly back to the van. I wished that the night would never end. As much as I wished it, though, I knew I'd have to go back to the hotel and tomorrow, continue on to the next city.

When we reached my house (where Libby had decided to spend the night) Taylor looked really annoyed at me. I don't know why. I did absolutely nothing to provoke him.

The whole way to her house Marissa sat with that stupid stuffed rat sitting in between us on the seat. It's beady little eyes seemed to mock me the entire ride.

And then, when I thought that things couldn't get any worse, we got to Marissa's house.

Ike insisted that we walk Libby and Marissa up to the door. Personally I thought that they were perfectly capable of walking up to the door by themselves, but like I said, Ike insisted.

"I hope your plane crashes on the way to the next city,"Marissa told me as we reached the door.

"Ha ha, we're not taking a plane, we're taking the bus."

"Well then I hope you get hit by the bus."

Ike and Libby appeared to be trying to have a romantic goodbye. I wanted to gag.

"I hope you get brain cancer and die a long, painful death."

"That's it!"Ike exploded."Would you two both just shut up?"

"No,"we both said in unison.

"We'll make you kiss,"Libby threatened.

"Make us how?"Marissa retorted, but we both shut up for fear that they really could make us kiss.

Finally able to get Marissa and Taylor to be quiet, Isaac and I continued with our goodbyes.

"I'll call you,"he promised,"and e-mail. You call me, too,"he instructed me.

"Okay."I smiled."But you call first."

We stared at each other, unsure of what to say next. Neither of us really wanted to say goodbye, but Jerry had just honked so we knew we had to do it now.

He leaned in and kissed me sweetly on the lips."Goodbye, Libby."

"Goodbye, Isaac." All in all, it was a perfect end to a perfect day.