*Several Weeks Later*

        Vicki rang the doorbell apprehensively.  The large house in front of 
her made her vervous, as well as the fact that she was about to meet the 
gigantic Hanson clan.
        A few seconds later she heard patterings coming to the door.  Ben, 
Tracey, and maybe Zoë, Vicki guessed.  The door opened to reveal Ben, Tracey, 
and Claire holding onto Tracey's hand.
        [Okay, maybe as the author, I should explain a few make-believe 
things for the story.  It is the year 2005 for those of you who aren't 
mathematitions.  2 years after Zoë was born, Mrs. Hanson gave birth to a baby 
girl on March 1.  The girl was christened Tracey Sabrina Hanson.  On August 
23, 2001, Mrs. Walker had a baby boy named Benjamin Daniel Hanson.  Then, in 
2004, on May 6th, twins joined the Hanson family: Walker Kevin Hanson and 
Diana Claire Hanson.  Tracey Sabrina was called Tracey, Benjamin Daniel was 
called Ben, Walker Kevin was called Kevin, and Diana Claire was called 
Claire, (the last two because there was already a Walker and a Diana in the 
house.)
        So this year, (in the story) as of June 2005, Ike is 23, Tay is 22, 
Zac is 19, Jess is 16, Avery is 14, Mac is 11, Zoë is 8, Tracey is 6, Ben is 
4, and Kevin and Claire are 1.
        Kind of confusing?  You'll get it; write it down and refer to it 
often, and you'll be fine! Actually, they aren't mentioned past this chapter, 
so don't worry.  :) -Tays_Sweet_Lily_16 ]
        Back to where Vicki was looking down at the three young Hanson 
children.
        "Hi!" Vicki said brightly.  "Am I meeting three of the famous 
Hansons?"  The three kids giggled and nodded, although Claire only nodded 
when she saw her older siblings doing so.  Vicki stifled a giggle when she 
realized this.  "Is your big brother Taylor here?" she asked.  Again the 
three nodded.  This time, however, Tracey spoke up shyly.
        "I'm Tracey," she said in a barely audible sound, pointing to 
herself.  "And this is Ben, and this is Claire. Taylor's upstairs.  Do you 
want us to get him?" she asked importantly.  Vicki smiled.
        "Yes, please, that would be great."  The three young ones ran off to 
the left, feet pouding and Claire moving her little legs as fast as she 
could.  Vicki was left standing on the porch in the summer night.  Good thing 
it's 75 degrees , she thought.  Her ears picked up the sound of the three 
little kids' bare feet plus a set of heavier, older shoes coming down stairs.
        Tracey, Ben, and Claire appeared in front of the door with Taylor 
behind them.  He was wearing a maroon Adidas shirt and baggy khaki's with his 
blond hair hanging around his shoulders.  Vicki's heart did a flip-flop at 
the sight of him.  Yikes, he looks WAY too good, she thought.  She smiled.  
"Salut, Tay," she said in French, meaning "Hi, Tay."
        Tay smiled his famous heart-melting smaile.  "Salut á tu, aussi."  
(Hi to you, too.)  Suddenly, he laughed.  "Vicki, I do apologize.  Here we 
are saying hi and you haven't even come inside!  Come in," he added, swinging 
the screen door open.  Vicki stepped inside.
        She looked around.  She looked right at home in her knee-length, 
Hawaiian-flowered dress with a short-sleeve, white lace jacket.  Her white 
sandals matched her outfit, her blond hair was in a rope braid, a really cool 
style with her very long blond hair, and she had little crystal dangling 
earrings in her ears.
        The house she had entered was relatively new, which was as it should 
be, for the ever-growing Hanson family had purchased one a couple of years 
ago when they had learned of the coming twins.  It looks quite a lot like the 
magazine pictures, she thought wryly.
        [As author, I must inform you of an event that took place in the 
story that Vicki is referring to.  When the pop stars' family had announced 
their decision to move to a bigger house, every magazine and radio station in 
the country that had ever featured Hanson, and even the ones that hadn't, had 
clamored for pictures of the new house.  Ten had been selected, and of 
course, more than ten ended up printing the pictures.  Companies had accused 
other of cheating and there had been several sueings.  However, Hanson had 
quickly and efficiantly cleared up the matter by giving every magazine some 
pictures, and MTV got a special tour and the rights to the movie. 
-Tays_Sweet_Lily_16]
        Back to the saga at present.
        "I'm so glad that you could join us for dinner," Ben spoke up 
suddenly.
        Startled, Vicki glanced down in time to catch a nudge given to him 
from Tracey signifying "Good job."   I guess he was coached to say that, 
Vicki thought with a silent laugh.
        "Well, Ben, I simply couldn't wait to meet more of the fascinating 
Hansons," Vicki said.  As she straigtened up, she smiled again at Tay.  
Goodness, he was good-looking!  He began leading the group to a door 
somewhere in the section behind Vicki.  The kids scampered off, leaving the 
two older ones together.
        "I'm really sorry about their leaving you outside," Tay apologized 
with a laugh.  "They haven't yet learned past the hello and polite words 
part."
        Vicki laughed.  "That's okay, Tay.  It was cute.  Besides, it really 
is a wonderful night out there!  You know, really warm and a slight breeze 
making it even better."  Stop babbling, she commanded herself.  Say something 
meaningful!  "So, is the full crew here tonight?"  That's only a little 
better.  Come on, you've seen cute guys before.  Get over it!
        Tay nodded.  "Everyone but Kevin should be at the dinner table.  He 
is taking a nap and no one has the will to wake him up.  And Ike's and Zac's 
girlfriends are here, too, so you really will meet everyone." Vicki nodded.  
Ike's girlfriend was really pretty with frizzily curly dark hair and a 
gorgeous flute ability.  Zac's girlfriend was also beautiful with long brown 
hair and soft brown eyes; she was a terrific ballerina.  As Tay went on as 
they walked on towards wherever, Vicki felt warm from the obvious love 
emanating from the household.  There was no discord.
        Or so she thought.  When dinner was over, Vicki had never felt more 
exhausted.  How could all 13 of them go throught that every night?  All those 
conversations at one time, so many times the younger ones spilled their food 
that Vicki couldn't recount correctly the exact number, the several 
squabbles, and then the children's food fight were all more than Vicki had 
ever known.  Vicki longed for her quiet and peaceful dorm.  However, she soon 
changed her mind.
        "Will you go for a walk with me?" Tay asked after the dishes were 
finished.
        "Sure," Vicki replied happily.  The two stepped out of the large 
kitchen into the moonlit night.  Every shrub was illuminated, every flower 
glimmering.  "It sure is pretty out here," she remarked.
        "I ordered it especially for you," Tay replied with a heavy country 
accent parodizing the cowboys of the west, a twinkle in his eye.  "No, 
really, June is one of the best months here in Tulsa."  
        Vicki giggled.  "I know," she replied.  "I live here, too."
        Tay smiled sheepishly.  "Ye-ah," he said.  "Too many reporters."
        Soon the two found themselves in front of a little lake.  Two ducks 
floated around lazily.  Tay turned to Vicki.  She felt a rush go through her 
body.
        "I hope you weren't upset by the dinner this evening.  It was one of 
the few wild nights we've had," he said, an apologetic smile on his lips.
        Vicki smiled, only a little disappointed at what he had said other 
than what she had anticipated.  "It was fun.  I haven't had a loud, noisy, 
confusing meal in a very long time.  Oops, no offense.  Your parents were 
really cool about everything that happened.  If my parents had been there, 
they would've been really jumpy and unrelaxed.  In fact, I haven't had that 
since Nick took me to meet his fam -- "  She stopped; she hadn't told Tay yet 
about Nick, not Nick about Tay.  (The latter wasn't hard, for Nick was still 
steamed about the briefcase incident.  He knew how to hold a grudge.)  Only 
Jackie knew about Tay.  
        Tay had picked up on Vicki's hesitation.  "Who Nick?"
        "He's a…uh, he's…he's a family friend.  Yeah, a family friend," Vicki 
answered lamely.
        Tay raised an eyebrow (Vicki's heart flip-flopped again) but let the 
incident go.  Vicki felt a rush of relief.
        "So, what are you wearing to my dance?" she asked, changing the 
uncomfortable subject.
        Tay smiled mischieviously.  "That's for me to know and you to find 
out later," he grinned.
        "T-ay," Vicki pleaded, sticking her lower lip out and giving the best 
of puppy dog faces (second only to a puppy himself.)
        "Nope," Tay laughed.  "Cute face, though."
        Vicki tried a different tactic.  "But that's not fair -- you know 
what I am going to wear!"
        "Your fault," Tay replied, starting to laugh.  "Come on, let's stop 
fighting and go back to my house."
        "Why don't we walk over to my dorm?" Vicki suggested.  "It's not far."
        "Okay, to the dorm it is, then."
        As they walked, Vicki reflected on how fast things had gone in the 
last few weeks.  After meeting Tay, they had gone on several Friday night 
dates.  To get out of her studying with Nick, she had told him that she was 
going out with Jacqueline on those nights.  Jackie had gone along with the 
scheme, keeping Vicki's secret safe.
        On those dates, Vicki had learned a lot about a new Taylor Hanson, 
the one who wasn't in the magazines.  Taylor was studying architecture and 
interior design in home-school college, and he had plans for a side business 
when he graduated in two years.
        The band, of course, was still popular; in fact, they were even more 
so than in their debut years.  The 'rival' bands, like N'Sync and Backstreet 
Boys, had broken up in 2000 and 2001, leaving Hanson as the dominant male pop 
group.  Other groups tried for as much popularity as Hanson, but broke up in 
a year or so.  Hanson had stretched into the rap, rock, Christian, and even 
classical fields with singles and CDs.  Often releasing two or three singles 
at a time, over the years, the fans in other areas had warmed to Hanson's 
non-swearing music.  Rock had been reached with a major rock song called "The 
Computer and My Baby" in '02.  At the same time, they had released a rap 
single titled "Wizardess" and a Christian song called "Love Me, Baby, 'Cause 
It's Fate."  A few months later, Tay had sold a CD that was classical music 
on his piano.  Called "Rapture From The Heart", it featured pieces by thirty 
different classical composers.  It reflected a different side of the Hansons, 
a quiet, peaceful face showing great maturity.  All the singles had worked 
their way up the charts holding a number one slot at some point, except for 
the classical CD, which hit number one ten days after its release.
        Of course, pop singles had been sold and were chart-toppers in days 
as well: "Chewing Gum", "Gabrielle", "Do I Mean Something To You?", and "I Am 
The Only One", to name just a few.  In the eight years since they had 
captured teens with MMMBop, Hanson had released sixty-eight singles and 
fifteen Cds in five different categories.
        One year, Ike had met a fantastic girl and they had dated for a 
while.  Zac found a girl a few weeks after his big bro, and Tay had dated 
Britney Spears for a couple days.  (The last relationship hadn't worked at 
all -- it had been a publicity stunt their agents had begged for.)  After 
trying several times to have secret relationships, the fans had begged Hanson 
to be totally honest with them about girls.  Every fan had signed a petition 
that circulated the world reading: "I promise not to ever harm, hurt, or have 
bad feelings for any girl Hanson chooses to date.  They have lives and, 
although every one of us wishes to have a chance, of course, we wish them the 
best in relationships."  It had been an unbelievable stunt, a paper 
seven-thousand one hundred and twenty-six feet long with names from every 
corner of the globe on it arriving on Hanson's doorstep one afternoon.  
Hanson had actually sent every person on the list a personal letter in ink by 
snail mail.  And, to make the fans even happier, the Guiness Book of World 
Records had put a copy of the letter in their book, naming every person who 
had taken the time to sign it.  The P.R. had soared for Hanson.
        So, eight years had passed for the group, and they were never better.
        Tay was not the only one with plans.  Zac had been studying acting 
and other things along that line and had a job as a radio DJ (the station was 
probably the most listened to in the country.)  Ike had begun writing songs 
for other groups, as well as his own, and had several famous artists buying 
his work.  Tay's 'business' already had prospective clients who were 
overjoyed to know that a famous celeb was willing to design their house.  All 
three boys had taken time to set up a press conference informing the public 
of their decisions.  Everyone agreed, "Those boys are the most considerate, 
down-to-earth, wonderful boys who graced the music world with their presence."
        But enough about the past, although you have to admit it is 
interesting.  It's time to go back to the present, where Vicki and Tay had 
reached the dorm.
        "Thanks for coming home with me," Vicki said.  "Je devoir vous un."  
(I owe you one.)
        "As if!" Tay replied.  "It was a lovely walk et j'adore un présence 
de vous.  (And I love the presence of you, for a direct translation, meaning, 
'I love your presence'.  French is sometimes a little wordy.)
        "Well, the dance is in a few days and I have to study for a calculus 
test coming up, so…"
        "Sure.  Hey Vic, do you play an instrument?" Tay asked suddenly.
        "Yeah, I do," Vicki said slowly.  "I play the oboe.  Why?" 
        "Just wondering," he replied with a shrug.  "Now, go study your 
math," he commanded.
        "Mais oui, Monsiour Hanson," Vicki laughed with a mock salute in 
French, saying, "But yes, Mr. Hanson."  "Say bye and good-night to your 
family for me!"  She giggled the whole way to bed.