(6)
“So you’re telling me that I have to spend seven hours listening to them sing? I mean, no offence Zac, but come on!” Jaclyn screeched, staring at her father in disbelief.
Paul smiled amusedly at Zac, who only smirked. “Yeah, something like that.” “I don’t believe you Jack, do you know how many girls would die to be in your position?” Zac gasped. “Haha, funny. Don’t get too big headed now or anything.” “It’s not a fate worse than death or anything honey.” Paul smiled reassuringly from the back. Jaclyn had begged to drive, and Zac had claimed the front passenger seat. “Hmm good point, fate worse than death…lemme think…” Jaclyn pondered before brightening at her discovery “one of those awful fancy schmancy balls at dear mother’s prestige club.” She crinkled her nose. Paul only sighed as Zac continued smirking. “You wipe off that smirk now Zachary Hanson. Or else I will.” “Yeah? Whatcha gonna do?” Zac challenged. “Well, I’m taller than you.” “By just. But you’re skinny anyway.” “Shut up. And I blame father for that.” “Let it go Jack, get over it.” “Sorry daddy, but really, I can’t help it when I resemble a toothpick!” Jaclyn smiled sweetly. “Jack, turn right! Right!” Zac yelled. Jaclyn turned her head to the missed exit. “Oops…you should have told me earlier!”=+=
“They’re already forty minutes late.” Taylor grumbled from his seat.
“I’m sure they’ll be here soon. They probably wanted to go easy on Jaclyn on her first day.” Walker reasoned. “Yeah, and we’ve got the whole day ahead of us anyway.” Isaac told Taylor, whose disapproving frown only slightly, slightly, softened. Walker reached into his jacket as his cell phone started to ring. “Walker Hanson,” he answered “Hey Zac, yes we’re all here.” “Yeah, there’s a slight problem dad…see Jaclyn, being the brat she is,” Walker smiled at the faint ‘I am not!’ he heard “decided she had to drive. And naturally, she doesn’t know the way, and yes, we told her the directions. But she just doesn’t seem to get it. But we’re getting closer, because Paul’s at the wheel.” “Okay, that’s fine, we’ve got the whole day ahead anyway.” Walker repeated his eldest son. “Yeah, I’m sorry about Jaclyn dad, but well, she’s a blonde, please don’t blame her, she just can’t help it.” Zac sighed as Jaclyn protested ‘You’re blonde too dumbass! Anyway…’ muffled words ‘not really…’ more muffled word mixed with Zac’s laughter ‘blonde!’ “Okay, bye Zac.” “Later.” Taylor sat up “What’s his excuse now?” Walker let it pass “Jaclyn volunteered to drive, they got lost, but they’ll get here soon.” “Typical.” Taylor muttered. Walker raised his eyebrows, giving Taylor the ‘warning’ look. “Now Tay, I want you to be nice to Jaclyn. She’s a really nice girl, I’ve met her remember? And do I have a bad judgment of people?” “Fine.” Taylor drew his lips in a thin line and swiveled in his chair, turning towards the stack of sheet music.=+=
“Ohhh 50 minutes late…Tay is going to kill you. Of course he could chop you up too, but don’t worry, I think it’ll be a fast one, I don’t think the boy’s sinister.” Zac reassured, patting Jaclyn on the arm.
“Whatever, he’ll deal.” Jaclyn replied, grabbing Zac by the hands and pushing him in front of her. “Lead the way my man, we shan’t waste another minute of your darling brother’s precious time.” After a several turns and a short elevator ride up, they reached a set of closed door. Pushing them open, Zac strode in with Jaclyn in tow. “The king has entered the building.” “Didn’t you do that already when we actually entered the building, not just the room?” Jaclyn asked, raising an eyebrow.=+=
He hadn’t even met this girl yet and Taylor knew she’d be nothing but a nuisance. She had already wasted their limited time and God knew how much more there was to come. Glancing at his watch, it only told him ten minutes had passed since his father’s call with Zac.
Disrupting the silence, the door to the studio burst open. “The king has entered the building.” Zac announced in his best Elvis impression. “Didn’t you do that already when we actually entered the building, not just the room?” a deep, feminine voice questioned. Isaac snickered at the girl who had just creamed his brother’s grand entrance. Taylor turned his head immediately to the foreign voice, eyes narrowed, as if to attack. Jaclyn caught his glare and stared. If looks could kill, they’d be planning her funeral by now. “Took you long enough.” Taylor muttered, getting out of his chair and marching towards the set of boards with buttons and various colors, size and shapes. Jaclyn raised both her eyebrows as high as they went, turning to Zac in surprise. “Gee, if it was gonna be this cold in here, I’d have brought a jacket.” She said practically. Zac returned her bewildered look and shrugged. Isaac rolled his eyes as he walked over to them. “Hey, I’m Isaac. That cold breeze over there would be our brother Taylor.” “So I’ve heard. Jaclyn. Or Jack would be nice.” She offered her hand, which he took. “Sorry about that.” Paul apologized, hurrying into the room. “Things happen, no big deal, right guys?” Walker asked. He was answered by two voices from either side of Jaclyn. “Right Tay?” “Mmm.” Taylor murmured from across the room. “I think you better start before he actually starts plotting my death.” Jaclyn whispered to Zac. “You’d be lucky if he hasn’t already started. Or finished for that matter.” He wriggled his eyebrows before showing her to the couch.=+=
“Take it from the chorus again.” Taylor instructed.
Jaclyn rolled her eyes from where she sat on the couch, idly flipping through a magazine. “You guys sound fine, maybe you should move on to something other than the same five lines over and over.” She called without glancing up. If he wanted to be a jerk, two could play this game. Taylor immediately frowned while Zac smiled. It was exactly what he’d been wanting to say. Isaac only sighed, waiting for the expected. The two fathers exchanged looks. “Yeah? Well, you can butt out, because it’s not your song is it?” he fumed “The chorus, please?” he asked impatiently, looking at his father and Jaclyn’s. Jaclyn only smirked as she glanced at them for a moment, knowing her cheerfulness was pissing Taylor off. Who did he think he was? Narrowing her eyes at the article she’d been reading over and again for at least three times already, she tossed it to the empty seat next to her and sat back. She couldn’t even concentrate on reading a few measly words. She knew this was going to be a song she would hate for the rest of her life.=+=
“I’m in their car.” Zac declared as he and Jaclyn walked side by side out of the building.
“Fine, you guys wanna do that too?” Walker turned to his two eldest. “Sure, why not.” Isaac replied, moving towards his brother and Jaclyn. “I’ll drive.” Taylor stated as he headed towards his father’s car. Walker sighed, staring after him. “I’m sorry Jack, he’s just cranky…he’s not usually like this.” “My ass.” Zac whispered quietly enough for only Jaclyn and Isaac to hear. Jaclyn stifled a laugh. “No it’s okay, you shouldn’t apologize, everyone has their bad days.” She reassured him. He smiled his gratitude, then turned towards where Taylor awaited. “More like bad lives. Or sad lives.” Zac cracked up laughing at his own idea of a joke. Jaclyn and Isaac only smiled at him, amusedly, before Jaclyn joined Zac. They quickly made their way to Paul’s car, With Paul in the driver’s seat, Isaac beside him and the two youngest at the back.=+=
Taylor narrowed his eyes at the sight of his brothers laughing with Jaclyn. Who did she think she was, just breezing into their lives and becoming best friends with his brothers? He quickly turned his head back as his father slid into the seat beside him. He knew what was coming.
“Your manner was frankly quite appalling today Tay, that wasn’t like you.” Walker stated, looking at his son. “I was just tired.” Taylor replied, closing his mouth, clearly not wanting to talk about it. “Well, I hope tomorrow will bring a better day then.”=+=
“What is it with this girl and being late?” Taylor muttered as he sat on the couch in the living room with Jessica and Mack, who were engrossed in their TV program.
“What’s with the attitude?” Jessica questioned, not taking her eyes off the screen. “Nothing, I’m fine.” Taylor mumbled as he strode out of the room. He was tired of that question. Jessica’s eyebrows shot up. “Time of the month.” She mused. “To do what?” Mack asked innocently. Jessica managed to keep herself from laughing. “Nothing Mack, nothing.” “We’re home!” the two children’s faces brightened at the sound of their eldest brother’s voice. They ran to the front door and were first greeted with Zac, hurrying past them with a big plastic bag. “It’s melting, it’s melting, it’s melting, out of my way! Mooom!” Jessica and Mack shared a grin before turning back to their guests. “Hey guys, how was your day?” Paul asked, smiling at them. “Nothing much, just hung out at home.” Jessica shrugged. “Hi, I’m Jaclyn, but you can call me Jack. You’re Jessica and Mackenzie, right?” a tall girl with long blonde hair stepped forward from behind her father, smiling brightly. “Yeah, but you can call me Jess, and he’s Mack.” “Our names rhyme.” Mack grinned. Jaclyn smiled at his somewhat proud grin. “Yeah, isn’t that great? And Zac’s too.” “Yeah. Mack, Zac, Jack.” Jessica watched as Jaclyn interacted with her youngest brother. She was starting to like this girl. She wondered what Taylor’s problem was.=+=
“Diana, honey? This is Jaclyn Roady.” Walker introduced as he led Jaclyn into the kitchen.
The blonde woman grasped Jaclyn’s hands in her own with a warm smile. “Hi Jaclyn, my, you’re a beautiful young lady.” Jaclyn grinned. “Young I may be, but beautiful? Nah…” “A lady? Nah…” Zac teased. “I’m Avery.” A little girl smiled from beside her mother. Jaclyn bent over. “Hey Avery, Zac here tells me they call you Avie, you mind if I do that too?” “Sure. Paul tells me they call you Jack, you mind if I do that?” Avery asked with a twinkle in her eye. “Sure. Oh look Zac, she mustn’t take after you, she has wit.” Jaclyn grinned cheekily. “Funny,” he smiled sarcastically before turning to his mother “what’s for dinner? I’m starved.” “I hope you like spaghetti, the kids have been dying for it.” Diana replied, looking at Jaclyn. “Doesn’t everyone? That sounds great. Um…do you have, well, duh, of course you have a bathroom, it’s a house,” Jaclyn smacked her head on the side with a goofy grin. “I’ll show ya.” Zac offered, jumping up from his seat. “Thank you good man.” The two strode out of the room. “She’s a very pretty girl, I know what you mean by cute now, she is adorable.” Diana laughed. “Isn’t she just?” Paul grinned. “Do you want me to call the kids over honey?” “Yes please, we should be ready in a second or two.”=+=
“So I’m guessing this house is the result of your success? It’s pretty big.”
“Well, once you get the whole family running around, it doesn’t seem that big.” Zac explained. “Hmm, yeah.” “Is your house bigger than this?” “My mother’s house is a lot bigger, pointlessly big in fact. It’s only me, her, Roger, they share a room anyway, and Mrs. Henderson and Emma. Mrs. H is Roger’s maid since God knows how long.” “So you have people waiting hand and foot?” “I could…but I prefer not to. Now as for that bathroom…I need to go.” Jaclyn grinned. Zac laughed. “Right this way my lady.” Taylor grimaced as he sat on his bed in his room as the voices drifted further down the hall. Maids? Jesus, she was probably a rich spoilt brat who got her way in everything. The girl had no shame. “Taylor? Dinner!” “Coming dad, be there in a sec.” He called back. He really didn’t feel like going down. He was in a bad mood as it was already, Jaclyn would just make it worse. “And Jack? She’s not even a guy!” he muttered under his breath as he made his way out of his room.