It seems like
Everywhere everyone's in love
So, where are you?
And I remember
You couldn't get enough
Said you felt it too
So didn't you
-"Everything" (M2M)
---
August 22, 2000
Atlanta, Georgia
Now a junior in high school, Kate had recently gotten involved in modeling, mostly junior's fashion spreads for Sears and JCPenney. She didn't want to make a career out of it, but she did enjoy it and loved the perks of getting free clothes. When Kate had signed up to model in the fashion show for Macy's, she had no idea it was before a Hanson concert. Though Kate had grown out of her Hanson "phase", she still considered herself a fan and when she found out this fact, she admitted she was excited to see the guys again, and yes, to maybe have the opportunity to talk to Zac, who she still thought was really attractive. She knew part of being in the show meant she could get backstage, and she planned to use that perk to her advantage. And of course, she wanted Natalie to come with her.
It was a beautiful Saturday in Atlanta, clear skies, a balmy 90 degrees. Natalie lay sprawled out on Kate's bed in front of the air conditioner, too hot to move. Kate was busily applying makeup and doing her hair in preparation for the shoot. After putting the finishing touches on her hair, Kate said
"Nat! Come, on! We're running late already."
Natalie groaned as she slowly stood up and gathered her long hair into a ponytail. "Why does this sound so familiar? Oh, I know why."
"Maybe because last time we saw Hanson you were as reluctant to go as you are now?" Kate chirped innocently, her large brown eyes regarding her friend. "However, I seem to remember you enjoying yourself."
Natalie rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you're dragging me to one of their shows again." Natalie grumbled as she pulled on her sneakers.
"It's not like we're actually going to the concert, Nat. The fashion show just happens to be before it. Might as well stay for it. Besides, just admit you want to see them again. They're even bigger hotties now than they were then."
Natalie rolled her eyes. She finished tying her sneakers and stood up. She gave her friend a look. "I don't really care." She said honestly. "It's you who wants to see them again. Zac, to be specific, I'm sure."
Kate studied herself in the mirror. "So maybe I do. Guilty as charged."
Natalie hesitated for a moment, but decided to say it anyway.
"It's been two years, Kate. I doubt he'll recognize you if he sees you again."
Kate shrugged. "Zac? Maybe he will, maybe he won't."
Natalie just shook her head and chuckled. Kate had an agenda, for sure. Natalie just wasn't sure what it was yet.
---
Later That Evening
The Tabernacle
Natalie sat in the front row of the fashion show, watching her friend model Macy's newest junior's fashions. Kate looked great as usual, and all the clothing seemed made for her. Kate had been told she would get to keep all the clothes she modeled that afternoon. Natalie was jealous, to be sure. As usual, in her jeans, sneakers and t-shirt, she looked ordinary next to Kate. Not that Natalie wasn't pretty - she was and knew it, but it was a different kind of pretty than Kate.
The runway was set up right in front of the stage, in the area where the orchestra pit would be if there was one. Apparently, after the fashion show, the platform would be taken away, and the floor would then open for general admission ticket holders.
Natalie clapped loudly as Kate walked the runway one last time. Natalie was eager for the show to be over. She wanted to be supportive, but was pretty bored. Fashion shows were definitely not her thing, she had decided. She got up and wandered backstage to the buffet table, which was open to all models, crew and attendees, and munched on some appetizers as she waited for Kate.
Kate and Natalie stood around for a while, waiting for the show to start, chatting with other girls from the fashion show. When the show started, Kate had dragged Natalie up to the front of the stage. They were standing on the right in front of Taylor. She had VIP tickets of course, which allowed her into the special VIP area. Natalie appreciated this because it was much less cramped than the other sides of the stage, which was apparently called "This Time Around" as Taylor had mentioned more than once during their set.
As the set wore on, Natalie had a good view of Taylor, and had to admit he was really good-looking. Kate was right. All three of them had grown up a lot in the past two years. She began to get a little excited about talking to Taylor again, and when he caught her eye and smiled during If Only, she smiled back. Natalie noticed that Kate was definitely in her element. She spent the show dancing happily, and even singing along. Natalie was surprised. She hadn't known Kate even had Hanson's new album.
As the last chords of the encore faded out, Taylor and Isaac came up and joined hands, followed by Zac. They gave one last bow, and Zac threw his drumsticks into the crowd as he often did.
Now, if Natalie had been paying attention, instead of texting her friend Clara on her new cellular phone, she would have seen the drumsticks coming, headed towards her face. But she didn't. They hit her square in the face and clattered to the ground. She yelped and held her face.
"Owww." she muttered. Kate turned and saw Natalie holding her face. She immediately asked what had happened.
"He hit me with his drumsticks." Natalie mumbled, bending over and picking them up and handing them to Kate with disdain.
Natalie could tell Kate was trying not to laugh.
"Are you okay?" Kate asked.
"I'm fine." Natalie grumbled, taking out a small mirror from her purse and inspecting her face. It looked alright. She was lucky it hadn't hit her in the eye. Kate clapped and cheered as the guys left the stage. The lights came up and fans started leaving the area.
A large welt was forming on Natalie's forehead in the shape of a drum stick head. If Natalie hadn't been so upset, Kate may have laughed at how comical it looked. "Let's go get you some ice." Kate said, leading her friend gently backstage to the concession staging area.
"This is so embarrassing." Natalie grumbled, sitting down on a chair as Kate held an ice pack to her head. "I knew I shouldn't have gone to this show."
"Sorry." Kate said, frowning. "But hey, at least I got a fun souvenir!" she said, referring to the drum sticks. Natalie rolled her eyes, and took the ice pack from Kate.
"Why don't you go see if you can find Zac? I know that's what you want to do. I'm fine."
Kate smiled and hugged her friend. "Okay. I'll come get you when I can."
And with that, she was gone, headed to the green room.
Natalie sighed, and took out her phone. She texted her friend Clara in Atlanta:
[10:05 pm] Hey grrl. What R U up to? I'm still at the show.
Natalie sat glumly and waited for a response. When it became obvious that Kate wasn't coming back, and Clara wasn't getting back to her, Natalie got up and wandered around the backstage area.
Natalie didn't want to be angry at Kate for ditching her, she knew how much Kate liked the guys and didn't blame her for wanting to take advantage of the opportunity to be backstage. But Natalie couldn't help but feel resentful. Sometimes she wondered why Kate was even friends with her. Sometimes she felt like Kate's sidekick more than her friend.
Natalie rounded a corner and found herself in a room full of clothing racks filled with clothing. She assumed they were left over from the fashion show earlier. In the back of the room, the loading dock was open and she could see a few men slowly loading the clothing back into a big Macy's truck. She wandered over to the nearest rack and looked through the clothing. Most of it didn't appeal to her - too frilly or glittery - but a red hat caught her attention. She put it on and admired herself in a nearby mirror. She stole a glance at the man loading the clothing and considered for a moment stealing the hat, then sighed and thought better of it. She slowly took it off and returned it to the rack. She spent some more time browsing the racks, waiting for Kate to come find her - but she never did. Natalie wasn't surprised. She figured she'd probably found Zac and has completely forgotten about her. She checked her watch. It had been over an hour since Kate left her. Natalie sighed and turned around, figuring she should go look for Kate.
Natalie walked down what she thought was the same corridor that would lead her back to the main backstage area where she'd last seen Kate. When she rounded a corner, she found herself face to face with Taylor. She had to stop short to avoid colliding with him. Her cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment.
"Uh, sorry." She mumbled, looking at the ground and she kept walking, too embarrassed to talk to him.
"Hey!" he said, "wait, come back!"
Natalie stopped and turned around.
"Hey, why'd you take it off? It looked good on you." he said.
"What?" She asked.
"The hat. It looked good on you."
Natalie just stood there awkwardly, unsure what to say. "Were you...watching me?"
"No, not really. I just saw you try it on. Your friend Kate sent me to look for you. She's in the green room talking to Zac. I'll show you where it is."
Natalie wasn't at all surprised. Taylor motioned for her to follow him. Natalie did so.
"How'd you get that bruise?" he asked conversationally, motioning to his forehead as they walked.
"Actually, your brother hit me in the face with his drumsticks."
Taylor laughed, then stopped when he saw the look on Natalie's face.
"I'm sorry, but that's really funny."
"To you, maybe."
Taylor changed the subject, sensing he'd embarrassed Natalie.
"They're really hitting it off."
"Kate and Zac? Yeah? I'm not surprised. She's got a thing for him, has since we saw you guys two years ago."
Taylor raised an eyebrow and looked over at Natalie. "She's a fan? Kate?"
Natalie nodded.
Taylor seemed really surprised by that.
"Are you?"
"No, not really. I mean, it's not like I hate your music, I'm not just not, uh really a fan."
Taylor nodded thoughtfully. They approached the green room, and Taylor opened the door.
"Ladies first." he said, motioning for Natalie to walk in.
"There you are!'" Kate squealed, hopping off the couch. "I see you've met Taylor."
"I have." Natalie replied, sitting down on a chair across from the couch.
She looked around. Kate and Zac were sitting surprisingly close on the couch, while Isaac was lounging on a large arm chair drinking a Pepsi, talking on his cell phone. He waved at Natalie and mouthed "hello." Natalie waved back.
"Sorry I left you so long. I thought you'd find us, but when you didn't, I sent Taylor to look for you."
The teens spent the next couple hours hanging out in the green room. Zac and Kate were sort of in their own little world, chatting quietly in the corner, while Isaac, Taylor and Natalie hung out and talked. After a while, Natalie started to feel more at ease. The guys were, well at least Taylor, were pretty normal guys. They didn't seem like celebrities. They were friendly and normal and kind of dorks, actually. Natalie left to use the restroom and when she returned found herself alone with Taylor in the green room.
"Where'd everyone go?" She asked.
"Zac wanted to give Kate the "tour" whatever that means. I think that means the bus." he winked. "Isaac went to sleep. It's been a long day."
"Great." Natalie grumbled under her breath, gathering her purse. "I should go after her. I don't want to lose her again. She's my ride."
"Okay. I'll take you there." Taylor said, motioning for her to follow him out the door.
As they walked, Taylor studied Natalie. There was something about her he liked, but he couldn't pinpoint it. She was pretty, he admitted, but it was more than that. Maybe it was the fact that she wasn't a fan. Or that it seemed like she wasn't that into him. Taylor could barely remember the last time he'd interacted with a girl his age who wasn't a fan. Whatever it was, Natalie had it, and Taylor was interested in getting to know her better.
"I like that you didn't scream in my face when you met me." Taylor admitted as they approached the tour bus. Natalie shrugged. Taylor knocked on the door of the bus.
"Hey bro. In case you're doing anything you shouldn't be, we're coming in in 2.1 seconds."
Taylor and Natalie walked into the bus to see Zac and Kate sitting together on the couch. Zac rolled his eyes.
"What did you think we were doing, Tay?"
Taylor shrugged. "Who knows with your dirty mind." he retorted. Zac blushed.
Kate laughed. "Dirty mind, huh?" she joked, mock-shoving him. "Well, keep it away from me. I'm a lady."
Zac smiled but didn't say anything, and Natalie rolled her eyes.
Natalie watched Kate interacting with Zac, and realized she'd never seen Kate flirt so shamelessly with a guy. Zac was definitely interested too, that was obvious. Natalie felt jealous in a way. She wished she could find a guy that she just clicked with right away. She thought Taylor was cute, obviously, but she was sure he wasn't into her.
She sat back glumly in her chair and sighed, looking at her watch. She wondered how long Kate would want to hang out. Natalie was tired and wanted to go home.
Taylor looked over at her and smiled, looking kind of apologetic, like he knew how much it must have sucked for Natalie to have to tag along while her friend hit on his brother. She smiled back and admitted to herself that he was pretty cute. Maybe they could be friends after all. She'd like that.
---
September 14
Washington, DC
Warner Theater
It had been almost a month since that night that Zac had reconnected with Kate, and Natalie had met Taylor. The tour was in full swing still. Zac hadn't seen Kate since that night, but he had talked to her on the phone numerous times, and it was clear that he really liked her.
It was chaos that evening at the venue. Everything that could have gone wrong had, and everyone was stressed. They had arrived at the venue late due to unforeseen weather conditions, and were hustling to catch up for an on-time start for the concert that evening. On top of that the lights had blown a fuse and Zac's kit had gotten broken in transit. Hanson's manager, Stirling, was accustomed to the unusual and grueling schedules of touring, but the guys weren't. The stress of the tour was starting to wear on them, Zac especially. The youngest Hanson was in a foul mood that evening, but Stirling was committed to not letting it interfere with the show.
"Zac?" Stirling asked as he entered the green room. Zac was sitting on the armchair playing on his Gameboy.
"Zac? What are you doing? We need you in sound check."
Zac didn't look up from his handheld gaming device. "I'm skipping it today, Stirling. Tay is being a dick, and besides, we know all these songs like the back of our hands. We wrote them, after all, remember?"
Stirling stared at Zac, not amused. By now, he knew he should be used to the teenagers unpredictable and recently, becoming more common - mood swings, but he wasn't. Stirling didn't have kids of his own. Stirling had grown to love the guys like his own sons, but at the end of the day, this was business, how he made his living, and he didn't have the time, or frankly the patience, for teenage drama - especially Zac's, which to Stirling, seemed particularly bad.
"That's not the point, Zac. We need to test the equipment. You know the drill."
Zac looked up from his Gameboy. "I'm serious, Stirling. I'm sitting this one out. Tay can test the drums."
Stirling looked at Zac and saw the look on his face, and decided it wasn't worth the fight. He just hoped he'd be in a better mood by showtime.
"Fine." Stirling mumbled, "No sound check. But don't think you're getting out of showing the M2M girls around. They're arriving in around an hour, and I need you to show them around and get them settled."
"Why don't they have to do a soundcheck?" Zac asked sarcastically.
Stirling decided to not answer that.
"Look Zac, I don't know what little hormonal, teenage meltdown you're having today, but this is no place for it. Act like the professional I know you can be." And with that he walked out of the room, slamming the green room door behind him.
"Asshole." Zac muttered, going back to his game.
--
Isaac and Taylor had just finished sound check and were lounging in the green room when Stirling walked in, accompanied by two young women.
"Guys, this is Marion and Marit, otherwise known as M2M."
M2M, comprised of Marion Raven and Marit Larsen, were a teenage pop duo from Norway. They had been chosen by Stirling to open the second leg of the tour due to their music being similar to Hanson's. Stirling believed they'd get a better response than Neve did. Secretly, he'd been hoping they'd do as well as Michelle did. The fans had loved Michelle. He hoped they'd embrace M2M as well.
Isaac and Taylor immediately got up and exchanged pleasantries, shaking the girl's hands and expressing how excited they were to have them there as openers. Zac, however, stayed on the couch, and made no effort to be friendly and welcoming. Stirling gave him a stern look, and Zac just stared back.
"Zac, why don't you give the girls a tour? Show them the space? They've already unloaded their instruments."
"We would love that!" Marion said and looked at Zac expectedly. Zac sighed and stood up.
"Sure. No problem."
"Great." Stirling said, "we'll see you all back here in 30."
Taylor said something about needing to call someone, and Isaac headed off to tune his guitar some more, which left Zac alone in the green room with Marit and Marion.
Zac took a moment to study the two girls. They were both around his age, he guessed. Marion had long, dark hair. Marit had her blonde hair cut in a shorter, more trendy style. Both were very pretty. They both looked at him excitedly.
"Well, follow me I guess. I'll give you the master tour." He said, walking to the door.
"We are so excited to be here." Marion said, following closely behind him. "We've never been to America." Marion had an accent Zac found really pleasant. He liked her right away.
"Really?" Zac asked as he escorted them out the door. That surprised him. He knew their group was doing really well in Norway. They'd already released a record that had gone platinum on their charts. He was surprised they hadn't toured in the US.
"Really." she replied, smiling sideways at Zac. He smiled back, her smile was contagious, and she just had a positive energy around her that drew Zac to her.
It didn't take long for the three to become fast friends. By the time they got back from the tour, Zac was smiling and laughing and Stirling breathed a sigh of relief. He figured these girls may not be so bad after all, and that maybe, just maybe, with the help of them and their unrelenting optimism, he'd get through this tour.
---
The Next Week
Detroit, Michigan
Practically since the two had met, Zac and Marion had been inseparable. It seemed like he has all but forgotten about Kate, or at least that was how it seemed to Taylor, who was starting to get sick of Zac talking about Marion all the time. The two were lounging in the bus before the show as they usually did. It wasn't just Zac who'd hit it off with their new opener - Isaac had also formed a quick connection with Marit. Fans had responded positively to M2M, the tour was going well, and despite their exhaustion, everyone was trying hard to be in good spirits.
That afternoon, Zac was amusing himself by muttering to himself as he wrote lyrics down in this book. Isaac was half-heartedly strumming on his guitar. Marit was sitting next to him, writing in her journal. Taylor was sitting on the opposite couch, too exhausted to do anything but just sit. To the outside eye, they looked like a group of content teenagers, but anyone close to them knew better. Zac was exhausted, and if he had his way, they'd cut the tour short and go home. Taylor was stressed and had been fighting with both of his brothers. Isaac, as the tour went on, seemed to take it less seriously. He seemed more interested in spending time with Marit than playing music. Taylor was fighting to keep moral up with the group, he knew that was his unofficial job, but sometimes resented being in that role.
The tour was halfway into its second leg, and the guys knew they still had two more months of touring ahead of them. They all loved performing, but felt that Stirling and Island Def Jam were working them too hard. The grueling schedule may have been easier to stomach if they felt that they were being respected by their label, but they didn't feel that way. They felt more like an image that Stirling was trying to make as much money from as possible, without any consideration for their wants, needs, or vision for their band. All three guys had started to rebel. Zac's way of rebelling was to talk back and refuse to rehearse. Taylor refused to agree to extend the tour into Europe, which Stirling wanted. Isaac had started drinking before shows, which affected his ability to perform. Sometimes Taylor felt he was the only one who cared about the band anymore.
Taylor missed Michelle. Most of the time he was too busy to really think about her, but late at night, when he lay down in his bunk, exhausted, he thought of her. He wished she was still on tour with him. He called her sometimes,and she was always happy to hear from him, but she was so busy with her own tour, he didn't want to burden her too much. Zac and Marion had become close, having spent almost all their time together for the past week, and same with Isaac and Marit. Taylor had tried to stay to himself mostly, trying to focus on the music and interacting with fans. He wished he had a girl around he liked, like his brothers did.
Zac's cell phone rang. He looked at it, saw the number and smiled, and stepped outside the bus to take the call.
"Wonder who that is." Maron mused, looking over at Marit, who shrugged.
"I bet it's Kate." Isaac said, and instantly regretted it when he saw the look on Marit's face.
"Who?" Marion asked, furrowing her brow.
"Just a friend of ours." Isaac said quickly, looking over at Taylor helplessly.
Marion frowned, sensing she wasn't being told something. She got up and walked over to the window, pulling the curtain over. She watched Zac talk on the phone for a while, before quietly walking back to her bunk and closing the curtain. Marit watched her and then looked back at Isaac, sighing.
"Great job, Ike. Why'd you have to mention Kate? You know that's a touchy subject with them."
"I thought he had stopped talking to Kate." Taylor said.
"No. He hasn't. Marion thinks he still likes her." Marit said.
Zac walked back into the bus to find Marit, Isaac and Taylor glaring at him.
"Where's Marion?" He asked innocently, looking around.
"She went to her bunk." Marit said.
"Was that Kate?" Taylor asked.
Zac nodded. "She's wants to come visit us in Chicago when we're there. She has an aunt she can stay with."
"Doesn't' she have school?" Isaac asked, shifting in his seat and putting his arm around Marit, who snuggled into him.
"I guess she has a break or something." Zac replied, shrugging.
Taylor had a lot to say on the subject, but knew it wasn't the time to get into an argument with Zac, right before a show. Instead, he got up and got a soda out of the mini fridge and said, "we need to be inside in 15. "
Zac, nodded and without another word, slipped behind the curtain which led to the back of the bus where the bunks were located, presumably to talk to Marion.
Zac gone, Marit gave Taylor a look. "You need to talk to Zac. Marion knows he's still talking to Kate, and she's not happy about it."
"It's none of my business." Taylor said evenly, even though he agreed with Marit.
They could hear Zac and Marion's muffled voices behind the curtain, and It was obvious Marion was upset. Her voice was raised, but the three couldn't make out what they were discussing. Zac reappeared from behind the curtaIn, pulling on a different shirt.
"Showtime, huh?" He said simply, grinning, walking towards the door, motioning for the three to follow. "Oh, and Kate's bringing Natalie along. Apparently, she's been asking about you, Tay," he added, glancing at Taylor as he disappeared out the door.
Isaac raised his eyebrows, looking over at Taylor, who just sighed and shrugged. "I have no idea."
Marion emerged from the back, eyes slightly red. It was clear she had been crying, but no one knew what to say, so no one mentioned it.
Marit smiled sadly at her friend, but knew this wasn't the time to talk about what had happened.
"Who's Natalie?" Marit asked Isaac quietly, as they were walking out the door.
"Just Kate's friend."
---
October 2
Night 1
Chicago, IL
House of Blues
Marion and Zac were having an argument in the green room. They'd been fighting a lot the last week, mostly over the fact that Zac had been talking to Kate on the phone a lot. He insisted they were just friends, but Marion knew Kate's intentions regarding Zac were less than pure.
"We're just friends, Marion. We met in Atlanta. She's really nice."
Marion crossed her arms and glared at Zac.
"Promise?"
"Promise." Zac said. "You're my girl." He said, pulling her close and kissing her softly on the lips.
Marion kissed Zac back, running her hands through his long hair.
"That's right, because I'm awesome." She muttered, kissing him one last time, grabbing his hand and walking away, dragging him behind her towards the buffet table.
"Let's get something to eat before we need to be on stage."
"Sounds good to me." Zac said, smiling. "I'll meet you out there."
Zac watched Marion walk out the door then took his phone out of his pocket. He opened the last text from Kate.
Hey babe. Have a good show tonite. Call me after?
Zac texted a quick reply.
Yup, talk to ya soon
He put his phone back in his pocket and walked out the door.
---
Later that evening
After the show, Marit, Marion and Zac were enjoying the post-show high, lounging, joking and laughing in the green room, when Zac's phone rang.
"Be back in a sec, babe." Zac said to Marion, getting up without even looking at his phone.
Marion watched Zac walk out the door, but didn't say anything. Marit could tell she was upset. Marit knew her friend to have a tough skin, and tried to not let things bother her, but Marit knew she really liked Zac.
"Marion, Ike told me they're just friends." Marit said.
"Then why is he always talking to her on the phone?" Marion asked exasperated. "What are they even talking about?"
Marit shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know."
"Well, I know what she's doing. Her good girl act doesn't fool me." Marion said evenly.
Marit sighed, frustrated at seeing her friend upset. Marion was a great girl, and deserved a guy who appreciated and only wanted her.
Almost as if on cue, Zac walked in smiling.
"Guess what? Kate's coming to visit tomorrow. She's going to see the show."
Both Marit and Marion just stared at him.
"This is so not a good idea." Marit muttered.
---
The Next Evening
Chicago, IL
Night 2
As promised, Kate had come to Chicago to visit Zac, and had brought Natalie along. Natalie, Taylor, Zac, Kate and Marion were enjoying some much needed free time on the patio of their hotel when Isaac walked out, telling Taylor he had a phone call on the hotel room phone. Marit was asleep in the next room.
"It's Michelle." Isaac said, winking at Taylor as he walked in to take the call. Taylor just rolled his eyes at his brother's lewdness, but rushed inside.
This left just Natalie, Zac, Marion and Kate. Tension was high with Marion and Zac since Kate had arrived earlier that day. It seemed to Marion that Zac and Kate had known eachother for years, or at least that's how they acted. Kate laughed at everything Zac said, even when it wasn't funny. It was obvious to everyone what was going on, but Zac apparently didn't have a clue. Marion wouldn't stand for it. As soon as she had Kate alone, she planned to tell her exactly what she thought of boyfriend-stealers.
Eventually, Zac went inside to take a shower, And Natalie followed, presumably to find Taylor. This left Marion and Kate alone sitting opposite each other at the patio table. This was Marion's chance, she wasn't going to squander it.
"I know what you're doing, and you're not fooling me." Marion said.
Kate's large brown eyes widened innocently. "What are you talking about, Marion?" she asked sweetly, feigning confusion.
"Zac is my boyfriend, okay?"
Kate nodded. "I know. I have a boyfriend too, you know. In Atlanta. I'm not trying to steal Zac from you."
Marion didn't believe that for a second.
"Why'd you come all the way here, then?"
"Because we're friends, Marion. And Natalie kind of has a thing for Taylor. You know, you sound really jealous. I don't think Zac likes that."
Marion felt like clawing Kate's eyes out, but instead she smiled and said
"I'm not jealous. I just wanted to make sure you knew that we were a couple."
Kate smiled sweetly back. "Of course." She took a sip of her drink and then added nonchalantly, "well, you two will have to break up when the tour's over anyway, right? I mean, you live in, what, Norway right? I mean, Zac lives in Tulsa, as you know I'm sure."
Thankfully, right then, Taylor and Natalie walked out. Natalie took one look at Marion and Kate and could sense the tension. She looked at Taylor who, catching on, quickly said.
"Well, who wants to order room service?"
---
October 26, 2000
Mexico City
It had been almost a month since Zac had seen Kate, and Marion hoped he had really forgotten about her for good. That night's show, at the Sports Palace, was to be the last show M2M would open for them, and everyone was feeling the weight of that that evening. Isaac and Marit had decided to keep dating long distance beyond the tour, but Marion and Zac hadn't discussed what they planned to do once the girls left the tour.
Marion and Zac were inseparable as always. At Marion's insistence, Zac had stopped responding to Kate's calls. Taylor still talked to Michelle here and there, and him and Natalie had been talking on the phone. He liked Natalie, and Natalie liked him. Marit and Isaac were going strong, both really glum at the fact that they'd soon have to part. They had all become close while touring together, and they'd all miss each other.
Marit and Marion walked on stage for the last time, smiling but feeling sad inside. They played a new song from their upcoming album, "Mirror, Mirror" and were pleased when the crowd reacted positively to it.
That night, instead of going back to the green room or the bus as they usually did, they stood backstage and watched Hanson's set.
Later that evening, the teens sat glumly in their bus, half-heartedly eating some pizza they'd ordered. Marit picked at her slice, and sighed.
"I'm really going to miss you guys." Marit said sadly, looking over at Taylor and Zac, who sat together across from her and Isaac.
"Me too. It's been so great having you two on the tour." Taylor said genuinely. He'd become close with Marit, who was an incredibly nice girl.
"But you two are going to be so busy touring when your new album drops, you'll forget all about us." Taylor said.
"Not a chance." Marion said, shaking her head. "We'll remember this forever."
"Me too." Zac said as he gave Marion a kiss.
There was silence while the teens let sink in the fact that they would no longer be together in one room ever again.
"Well, we have one more night. Let's make it count." Isaac said, standing up. "We're in Mexico! Let's party!"
The rest just stared at him.
"But we're underage. We can't drink, or get in anywhere." Taylor pointed out.
"Buzzkill." Isaac muttered, sitting back down.
---
Marion and Marit left the next morning. It was a long drive to Phoenix, which Zac was thankful for. Saying goodbye to Marion had been rough, and he needed time alone. He spent the entire drive in his bunk, alone, headphones on, curtain drawn. Taylor sat and stared out the window, watching the desert roll by. Isaac sat opposite Taylor, doodling in his songbook.
"I am really tired. Like, really, really tired." Isaac said suddenly.
Taylor nodded. "Me too."
"Phoenix is our last date in the US." Isaac said, "then, on to Chile, Brazil and Argentina. It feels so crazy saying that, you know?"
Taylor nodded. "Yeah, it's a total trip."
The two boys sat there, both lost in their own thoughts, exhausted.
"We can do this, Ike." Taylor said, but he wasn't sure he believed it.
---
November 1, 2000
Chile
Zac felt his phone buzz in his pocket again. He sighed, and took it out. It was Marion. Again. Since they'd left the tour back in Mexico city, she'd been calling him non-stop. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to her, it was just that he was so busy with the tour, and so exhausted, and so emotionally drained, he just didn't have the energy to talk to her. He knew she'd ask if she could visit him. Zac sighed and put the phone back in his pocket, her call unanswered.
It was a warm and sunny day in Chile. He gazed out his hotel window and watched people walking down the street below. He sighed and stood up, turning up the air conditioning. He had the room to himself, and was more than happy to take advantage of it. He usually shared a room with Taylor, but they hadn't been getting along lately, so this time he had elected to share one with Isaac. However, much to Zac's delight, Isaac had been gone all day, off exploring the city with their father. Taylor was staying in the room next door, sharing it with their roadies.
Zac walked over to the television and sat down heavily on the bed. He half-heartedly picked up the remote and starting flipping channels. Nothing interested him, and all the programming looked so unfamiliar and foreign to him. A news broadcast caught his attention, and he tossed the remote down, laying back on the bed to watch.
There was a loud knock on the door. He ignored it.
"Zac? Are you in there? Zac?"
Zac recognized Taylor's voice. He groaned, got up and walked over to the door. He opening it, scowling.
"What do you want? I'm trying to have some space before the show tonight."
Taylor sighed. "I know, Zac. But look, Marion has called my phone twice. Can you please call her back? She sounds upset. She says she can't get ahold of you."
Zac rolled his eyes. "I'll call her back when I feel like it."
Taylor shook his head at Zac's bratty attitude.
"She's your girlfriend, Zac. Don't be a dick."
"Yeah, okay, thanks for the advice." Zac said, closing the door in Taylor's face.
Zac walked back to the bed and sat back down, grabbing the remote and switching off the television. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Marion's phone number. She answered after one ring. Zac had a feeling she'd been waiting by the phone.
"Hello? Zac?" she asked hopefully.
"Hey babe." Zac said half-heartedly. "How are you?"
"I'm so glad to hear from you! Guess what?"
"What?"
"I can come visit you in Argentina! Marit, too. My agent is going to pay for it. He has some promo gig he wants us to play while we're there to promote the new album."
Argentina was their next stop on the tour, they were playing two nights in a row.
"Wow, uh...that's great." Zac said, but his heart wasn't in it.
He chatted with Marion for a bit more, then made an excuse to get off the phone, saying he needed to be in sound check. She promised to call him the following day with more details on when they'd be arriving. The truth was, Zac didn't really want Marion to visit. He felt bad for feeling that way. It wasn't that he didn't still like her - he did - his heart just wasn't in it anymore.
The truth was, Zac knew it wasn't going to work to date Marion long-distance, and he regretted agreeing to try to. He knew it wasn't fair to her. He decided he would tell her it wasn't going to work when she came to visit. He didn't want to break up with her on the phone, and it was clear she had her heart set on visiting them in Argentina. He also reasoned that if he told her on the phone, she would be angry and not come. She was bringing Marit along to visit Isaac, and Zac knew his brother really missed Marit and wanted to see her.
Zac decided to leave his phone in the drawer of his bedstand that night.