"Zac, what do you mean you want to go with Jennifer to school today?"
"I told you already, Taylor. I'm curious. It'll be fun!"
It was morning and we were all sitting at the table having breakfast. Zac had just finished asking me if he could spend the day as a guest at my school.
Taylor and I hadn't said a word about last night, not even to ourselves. I even thought that maybe I imagined the whole thing.
"Ask mom. We can't decide," Ike told Zac.
Zac ran up to his mom who was in the kitchen making tea.
"Mom, mom, mom! Can I go to school with Jennifer? Pleeeeaaassse!"
She laughed. "Why in the world do you want to go to public school?" she asked.
"Because I never have before. I want to see what it's like!" and then he put on a sad puppy face.
"Oh all right. Just be good." Zac's charm worked miracles.
Zac ran over to me and started jumping around. "Yes! I get to go to school with you! Hoorraayy!"
"Zac, calm down. It's only school. Most kids don't get that excited," said Tay.
"Yea, but I'm not like most kids!" He did have a point there.
"Zac, there's one little thing you should know first. Most of my classmates aren't exactly... fans," I warned him. Actually they were blood-thirsty haters!
"Aww, who cares? I don't!" he said being hyper. Geeze, it was only 6:30 in the morining and Zac was acting like a mexican jumping bean.
* * *
It was raining when Zac and I walked out to the bus stop. Everyone seemed to be wondering who the misterious kid with the blonde braided hair was. Zac was dressed up from head to toe in clothes I'd die for! He wore green shiny pants and an amazing blue shirt! Of course, his hair was braided and he was chewing gum.
"Umm, Zac. Gum isn't allowed in school," I told him.
"It isn't?" He asked surprised. "Awww, what stinkers."
As we sat there shivering in the cold waiting for our bus, which was late as usual, a white van pulled up in front of the stop. The side door opened and Tay looked out.
No one nearby had any idea who Taylor was because nobody was a Hanson fan.
"You guys are still here? Come on, will give you a lift," said Tay.
"Aww, my night in shinning armor," I said sarcastically.
"Whatcha guys doing driving early?" asked zaccy-poo.
"Mom asked us to run a few errands early."
As they pulled up in front of the school, I checked the radio clock. We were late. But, not late enough to have missed home room. Zac hopped out, still exited. He waited impatiently as I put my clarinet into the band room and got an admit slip from the main office.
My home room teacher was talking to someone in the hallway. I got his attention and introduced Zac.
"Zac this is my teacher. Ummm... this is Zac... my cousin," I lied. "He's a guest today."
"Nice to meet you, Zac. Jennifer will show you around the room."
I handed him the admit slip and put my things inside my locker. Zac had already wandered into the classroom and started looking around. I went over to my desk and stuck down my books.
"Well, it's about time," said annoyed Emily who usually arrived after me. "I was hopping you'd show."
I looked back at Zac wandering around. Emily hadn't noticed him yet.
"Well, you'd be late too if you had three incredibly talented boys at home to keep you company," I said defensively.
"Speaking of Hanson, are they enjoying their stay?" she asked in the voice of a hotel manager.
"Why don't you just ask one of them yourself," I hinted and nodded towards Zac.
"Well I would but you.." then she spotted him. Emily's eyes got as big as golf balls. She jumped up and covered her mouth to keep herself from screaming. "Is.. that... z... z.. the bro that starts with a z?" she asked in a low whisper to keep her excitment from showing.
"Yea, but don't make it to obvious. You know what these terrorists would do to him." I was talking about my classmates.
"Well why didn't you bring Tay?!!!" she demanded!
I laughed. Emily was as much in love with him as I was. Zac wandered over to where we were sitting. "What?" he asked when he saw Emily's face.
"HI," she choked out and got up to meet him. She shook his hand and couldn't believe what was going on!
The bell for 1st period rang and students shuffled in. A few of them noticed Zac and wondered who he was. Through the entire class, nobody said a word about Zac. In the halls afterward, I had to explain to people with no clue who Hanson was that he was my "cousin." Finally Tommy made his way through the crowd to find out who this mysterious cousin was.
"Why do you look so familiar?" asked Tommy as Zac gave him a toothy grin.
"MMMBop," I sang to give him a hint. Tommy's eyes got wide.
"Ewww! So that's who you are! Get that gay fag out of my face!" Obviously you can tell he's a hater. "You girl, you!" he added.
"Girl? Me?" asked Zac innocently with no expression on his face. "Excuse me, did I just hear you call me a girl. I don't think so. The only girl I see around here is you. You're the one who walks around the pool in a bikini bottom!" he said refering to a speedo. Tommy loved to swim.
He looked at me. "You told!" he accused. I laughed out loud as Tommy blushed. Zac smiled up in his face. For the second time a Hanson had put Tommy down!
Second period had yet another rat to warn Zac about. He was a spit-ball shooting, kicking, throwing, pinching, annoying Hanson Hater. Unfortunetely, I was stuck sitting next to him in that class. Zac had the priveledge of sitting in front of him.
Before he sat down, I quickly warned him to watch for spit-balls coming his way. I was always bombarded with about 50 each day.
I guess my worrying wasn't needed at all. Halfway through the period I heard an "Owww!" come from beside me. Spit-ball boy had been getting a taste of his own medicine. Zac was sitting innocently reading book while he peeled the balled up wads of paper from his neck.
"Don't worry 'bout me," Zac whispered. I smilied. If only he could come with me everyday.
* * *
"Bbrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiinnngggggggg!" went the afternoon bell. The day with Zac had been a blast. It was way to fun to describe!
"I'll race ya to the parking lot!" I yelled at him. Tay and Ike were going to pick us up. I was ready to travel on home with my three sweeties!
"You're gonna die losing, Jennifer!" Zac yelled back and took off.
"Hey! No fair!!! You can't cheat. Get back here." He turned around and smiled at me. 'Oh well,' I thought. 'It's no use catching up with him now.' I spotted Jessica taking off towards her house.
"Hey Jess!" I yelled. She turned and smiled at me. I ran up to her.
"So, where are they? Can I meet them? Hows Zac? Take me home with you!!!!!!" she stumbled out with questions.
"No need! Zac's here."
She turned her head and searched around frantically. "Where? Where? I don't see him!!!!"
"Relax. Look over there," I pointed in the direction of the parking lot. "Hey Zac! Come here!!!!" I called and he came running.
"Whazup? Where were you?"
"Zaccy-poos, meet Jessica."
Sugar boy turned and tooked at her. "So this is the famous Taylor immitator?" She blushed.
"I even where the same clothes as him," Jessica said sarcastically.
"Uh-oh, better go home and tell Tay to change his wardrobe!"
I giggled. Zac was just so cute! Jessica looked like she was in heaven as Zac started blabbering on about how he insulted Tommy, threw spit-balls in 2nd period, and took the place of an absent percussionist in band class. Then he started describing his fantastic cerial box sculpture that he made in art.
"The teacher said it was yummy. She was cool," he finished.
Before Zac could continue his blabber, I changed the subject. "Jessica's coming to the concert, right Jess?"
"Yup, that means I'll be seeing you there."
"Cool! I can't wait until then because we're really gonna rock the joint," he started up again.
As Zac entertained Jess, I hoped Ike and Tay would show up soon. I had to talk to Tay. I wanted to find out what exactly he meant by trying to kiss me last night. It really made me wonder if he actually did like me. Maybe it was just my imagination and I had just dreamed up the whole thing.
I was anxious to talk to Taylor, or at least gaze into his eyes again. Geeze! If only I could get him out of my mind. He's been inside my head ever since I first saw the MMMBop video on MTV and my dreaming had gone up full blast since last night. Was it love or just one huge crush?
My thoughts were interupted when a white van pulled into the parking lot. It took Ike long enough to get here! I nugged Zac.
"Come on, time to go."
"Huh? Oh yeah. Well, I'll see ya Jessie!" waved Zac and he wandered off after me.
"My name's not Jessie!" Jessica yelled after us.
"Hey guys!" I said and greeted them with a huge smile as I climbed into the back seat of the van. I'd had a fun time with Zac at school and I hoped he would be able to come with me again sometime. Zac and I described the whole day in detail on the way back to my house.