"Give it to me!" Zac screamed as Isaac snatched the helmet off of Zac's moterbike.

"There is no way I'm letting you get on that thing again." Isaac held the helmet over his head, away from the reach of his younger brother.

"And who are you to decide what I can and can't do?" His chest started to burn with anger.

"You don't know how to ride it correctly Zac so there is no way I'm letting you on there."

"And how, Ike, am I suppose to learn how to ride it correctly unless you let me ride it?!"

"Well... when Dad gets home."

He squinted his eyes and gave Isaac the nastiest look he could muster. "Then I'll just have to ride without the helmet."

"No way, man."

"You're not my father, Isaac! Just give me the helmet, will you?"

"I'm sorry if I don't want you dead. The last time you got on there you nearly killed yourself."

"I'm fine!"

"This time." Isaac started to walk back to the house, leaving his enraged brother behind. He knew that Zac was too smart to ride without the helmet.

"I hate you!" Zac screamed.

As it got closer to the time when they would once again leave home, things around the Hanson house were getting intense. Zac would snap at anything and everything. Taylor was hardly home, spending most of his waking hours with Leigh-Ann. Isaac had fallen into his own little world down in the basement, constantly writing and playing until early hours of the morning, and sleeping during the day. The thought of once again doing the exhausting promoting was at times both exciting and frightening to all the boys. The Grammies were coming up and so was the massive task of filming the music video for "Weird." All that, and school starting up again, left more frazzled nerves then one household could handle.

"I've got a headache," Isaac said to nobody in particular as he entered the kitchen.

"Then take Midol," Jessica blurted.

"What?!" Isaac chuckled.

Jessica started to laugh, which led Avery to start uncontrollably giggling until milk squirted out of her nose.

"Eeeeeew! I think you need Midol, too, Avie." Jessica continued.

"What in the world is up with you?" Isaac said, still smiling.

"Nothing," she replied innocently.

"Ike!" Zac barreled into the kitchen, looking more like an enraged bull than a 12-year-old boy. "How dare you pretend to know what's best for me. You are not my father... you are not my keeper... and you have absolutely no say in what I do!"

"What did you do to him this time?" Jessie inquired.

"I wouldn't let the little dork kill himself."

"Stop calling me names!" Zac grabbed the helmet out of Isaac's hand. "Look, just because you don't have a life doesn't mean that you can go around controlling everybody else's."

"I have a life."

"Oh, sure you do," Zac blurted sarcastically. "That's why your only girlfriend turned out to be a loser, right? That's why you spend all your time alone. That's why you never go out."

"She wasn't my girlfriend." Isaac started to get tense.

"Okay, then that's why your baby brother is getting more action then you are!"

"Be quiet, Zac, you have no clue what you're talking about."

"What kind of action?" Avery asked innocently.

"Believe me, Avie, you don't want to know... I don't want to know. Come to think of it... nobody would want to know." Jessica slurped down the rest of her chocolate milk.

"Hey guys." Taylor said as he walked in between Isaac and Zac to get to the refrigerator.

"Where have you been? Mom was looking for you for, like, hours," Jessica informed him before grabbing another cookie.

Taylor proceeded to sit down at the table and start munching on an apple, not noticing the heated looks that Isaac and Zac were giving each other. "I was at Leigh-Ann's."

"Oh, of course, what a shocker."

"What did Mom want?"

"She wanted you to show her something on the keyboard... some song."

"Why didn't she just get Ike to play it?"

"Isaac couldn't be disturbed."

"What?"

"He was in the basement all day today. Well, except when he came up for some light and decided to snatch Zac's fun away."

"See! Even Jess agrees that you are mean and cruel," Zac snapped.

"And then Zac decided that it would be so much fun to be sarcastic and rude to everybody," Jessica continued.

"What?" Zac blurted.

"Oh, so it's been a pretty normal day." Taylor said in between bites.

"Pretty much."

"Stay out of this, Tay." Isaac finally said.

"Stay out of what? Like I know what's going on!"

"Look, you can comment on the inner-workings of this family when you spend more than 2 minutes a day in the house."

"I spend plenty of time here."

"To sleep maybe. When was the last time we talked about the new video? When was the last time we actually rehearsed on time? When was the last time you talked about something other than your stupid girlfriend?"

Taylor stood up and stared at Isaac. "Don't you dare call her stupid. She's got nothing to do with the problems in this family."

Isaac knew he overstepped his bounds. "Fine, I'm sorry. Leigh is a nice girl... but she's all you talk about. Frankly, it's boring."

"Sorry if I happen to have something in my life right now that I'm excited about. Can't I be excited about something other than the band?"

"Not at the expense of the band, Tay. You're neglecting the things that you were so loyal to before. We aren't going to get anywhere until you get your head out of the clouds."

"There he goes again, telling other people how to live their life." Zac commented.

Isaac covered his eyes. His head was throbbing.

"I'll do what I want to do, Ike. I've never let this family down and I've never let the band down. You have no right to accuse me of anything... " Taylor lowered his voice. "I can't help it if I love her."

Isaac took his hand away from his face. "Taylor, that is such a strong word. You are so young, don't get too into this girl... not right now."

"Tell you what, Ike... you don't give me advice on my personal life and I won't give you any on yours. I can love whoever I want." Taylor stormed out of the kitchen and out of the house.

"I need some aspirin."

"Ike, Doug is here!" Mrs. Hanson called from the living room.

"Send him down."

Isaac sat relaxed in an easy chair, his acoustic guitar sitting in his lap, strumming random chords and humming along. Doug jumped down off the 3rd step down to the basement floor. "Hey man."

"Hey Ike. What did you want to talk about?" Doug was one of Isaac's oldest friends. For the past year he had in Colorado living with his mom after his parents split up. He had spent his Christmas vacation with his dad and decided that he would stay the rest of his junior year of high school -- much to his mom's dismay. But Ike was happy that he had his friend back, the one person that was only his friend -- not Taylor's and not Zac's.

"I really need you to drive me somewhere."

"What about the Explorer? Didn't you guys just get a new..."

"No, well, yeah, we did but... They'll ask where I'm going if I take one of the cars. I want to talk. Do you think you could just..."

"Say no more. Come on."

"What in the world is that?" Ike stared at the banana-yellow tank of a car that sat in their driveway.

"It's my new wheels." Doug flashed a grin.

"Ooooookay. Why so... yellow and... big?"

Doug shook his head. "Man, do you think I want to drive this?" he chuckled. "I'm working at this Chinese Restaurant on Bagby and this is the car they gave me to do deliveries. Check out the other side."

Isaac walked around to the other side to see a bright orange dragon hastily painted across the length of the car. "Oh, my. At least they let you... drive it on off hours?"

"Oh, how lucky I am," he murmured sarcastically.

"I don't know about this."

"What?"

"Well, if I had known that hanging out with you would ruin my fashionable image then..."

"Haha Hanson... get in the car."

Doug turned the ignition and the car started to choke and spew smoke out of the tailpipe. "Your car is coughing Doug."

"Thanks for the info." He turned the ignition once again and the car reluctantly started. "So, where are we going?"

"Coffee shop."

"Gotcha." The two headed off to Randy's Coffee and Cakes, where they serve the best iced tea in Tulsa.

"Okay, Doug, a little more." Isaac waved his hands and directed the tank of a car into the tiny compact parking space. "Just a bit more... wait!"

"What? Did I hit something?" Doug poked his head out of the car window.

"It's a bird."

"I hit a bird!"

"No, not yet. It was just passing. Okay, you're clear. Keep coming." The car slowly turned in, nearly missing the two vans it was parking in between. "Kay, stop. Perfect."

"I hate this car," Doug mumbled under his breath. He squeezed out of the car and headed with Isaac towards Randy's.

"Hey, you!" A man from behind them yelled. They turned to see a very angry and very big man waving his hands at them.

"What?" Doug said as he took a step back away from the man.

"Is this your car?" he yelled, pointing at the bright yellow submarine they had just parked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Do you work for Lum's Chinese Restaurant?"

"Um... yeah."

"You ripped me off!"

"Huh?"

"Your food made my wife sick. She threw up for 5 days! 5 days! And when my wife is sick, she is really annoying. And that makes me mad."

"Look, sir, I don't make the food, I just deliver it." Doug tried to back away.

"Like I care." The man grabbed Doug by the collar.

"Mister, I think we can work this out," Isaac cut in.

"Stay out of this string bean clone."

Isaac grabbed Doug's collar and the man's hand and tried to pull the two apart. Doug started to kick the man in the shins. Finally, he freed himself and the two started running towards the car. "Hurry, Ike!" They slid between the car and the vans on either side and contorted themselves to get inside.

"Start the car, Doug!"

"What do you think I'm doing." Doug turned the ignition and the car started coughing and sputtering.

"Come on!"

They could see in the rear view mirror the large man slowly making his way towards the car.

"Uh oh... come on, start!" Doug kept turning the ignition and the car kept coughing. Finally the car came alive and Doug quickly backed out of the space, smashing the side of one of the vans along the way. "Oh, sh..."

"Come on!" Ike yelled.

The large man placed himself in front of the car, his nostrils flaring. Just as he started walking towards Doug on the side of the car, Doug punched the gas and shot forward turning the car into the street and nearly hitting an oncoming vehicle. Isaac turned around and he could see the man yelling profanities and waving his arms in a fury.

"I think we're safe, Doug, you can stop going 80mph. Doug? Doug!"

"What?" Doug snapped out of his trance.

"Turn into the gas station, man. You're freaking me out."

Doug parked at the Fina and the two sat in silence for a moment. "I feel like such a wimp. We totally overreacted."

"Overreacted? Doug, he was about to kill you and was twice the size of you and I put together."

"He wasn't that big. And I hit that van. That's a hit and run, Ike... that could get jailtime."

"Nobody is going to find out, okay. That guy sure isn't going to call the cops."

"You're saying that you're not the least bit worried?"

"Of course I am, but the way I see it, we didn't have any choice. Plus, I don't think you hit the van that bad. It was probably just a scratch."

"I guess." They sat for a moment, not saying anything. Slowly, a smile spread across Doug's face. A few chuckles escaped his mouth. Soon, he was clutching his stomach and laughing. Isaac joined in, taking in the oddness of what just happened. "Did you see his face?"

"'...when my wife is sick she's annoying!'" Ike shouted, imitating the man's wild gestures.

"Ok... I guess the coffee shop is out. What next?"

"I vote we... " Isaac trailed off as he stared through the windshield.

"What? You vote we what?" Doug waited for Isaac's response before turning to see what he was looking at. "What are you looking at?"

"This girl I knew."

Off to the side, filling her car up with gas was Ginger. She was wearing a short, light dress which barely held on in the wind. "She looks... cold." Doug commented, staring at the way she leaned over the car. "How do you know her?"

"We used to be friends. Look at her... it's gotta be 40 degrees outside and she's wearing that. She used to be... " Isaac stopped.

"What?"

"Sweet."

"Oh, so you liked this girl, eh?"

"Possibly. Maybe... if she hadn't gone all psycho on me."

"What? Fatal attraction?"

"More like utter betrayal. She had these weird multiple personalities or something. One moment she was so sweet, the next she was vampira."

"Some guys would like that," Doug chuckled.

"Quit it. She's nothing. Let's go."

"You don't want to talk to her?"

"The last thing in the world I want to do is talk to her. We're leaving for New York soon and then I can just completely forget about her."

"Good luck... she looks pretty... unforgettable."

"Stop gawking and let's go." Isaac leaned back in his seat as the car pulled away from Ginger and the gas station.

"It's not like him to miss a practice session," Zac commented, slumped in his seat behind the drum set.

"Maybe he just needed to be alone," Taylor said. "I can understand that."

"But this is what he lives for." Zac got up and dropped his sticks on the table beside him. "Forget this, if he's not going to take this seriously, then I don't see why I have to be here."

"Wait a minute. Zac..."

"What?"

"We got the Grammies in less than a month. We can't afford to be fighting like this."

"I suppose so... but... "

"Let's just wait. Look, haven't you ever just needed a break? He's your big brother and he does a lot for you... just give him some time, 'kay?"

"Since when have you been so understanding of Ike?"

"Since I started thinking about what he said today."

"What did he say?"

"You can NEVER tell him I said this. I would never live it down."

"What?" Intrigued, Zac pulled up a chair by the keyboards.

"Isaac was right... about when he said that I was letting the band down."

"He didn't say that."

"That's what he meant. I haven't been living up to my part of this thing and I just... I did... I let down the band."

"Nah, you've just been... um... in love."

Taylor laughed. Zac seemed so serious when he said that. "I don't know if that's true."

"You said you were."

"Maybe." Taylor absent-mindedly fiddled with the keys on the keyboard.

"You know... you and I have never had a heart-to-heart talk," Zac blurted.

"What? Uh uh... I am not having a heart-to-heart talk with you Zac. That would be just too weird."

"Well, if you don't have a heart-to-heart talk with your brother, who will you have it with?"

"How about nobody." He started picking up the magazines and papers scattered on the floor. "This place is a mess."

"Don't avoid the subject, Tay." Zac got up and grabbed his brother by the shoulders and sat him down. "You and I are having a heart-to-heart."

"The only reason you want to have a heart-to-heart, Zac, is because you want to know all the dirt about my private life."

"What dirt? Taylor, don't get me wrong. You're a very handsome guy... but you're no Don Juan."

"Eeeeew."

"What?"

"You can't think I'm handsome. You're my brother."

"Dude... I'm not blind. I gotta think that you're something... and I know you're not ugly, and the girls seem to like you so... obviously you must be handsome. Now," Zac sat back down. "why don't you let all your feelings out."

"You get weirder by the day."

"I get smarter by the day."

"No."

"Fine. If you won't start... I will." Zac took a deep breath. "Taylor, I know you've been confused lately... about life... about love... about the way you feel about the band. I know you're stressed out..."

"Stop, please." Taylor rolled his eyes.

"You are a very talented individual. Now, why is it that you can't seem to open up to people?"

"I can open up just fine, I just..."

"Wait, you're turn is in a second. I'm still talking." Zac swept his hair behind his ears and leaned forward in his chair. "I was watching Sally Jesse Raphael the other day and..."

"Oh gosh."

"...there was this guy on who was around your age. You know what happened to him?"

"Oh, do tell."

"He got his girl pregnant."

"Zac! I am not..."

"I said you're turn is in a moment. Anyway, he thought he was in love with her and he blew off everything that he had previously loved so that he could be with her."

"You are just making this up, aren't you?"

"I do not lie."

"Zac..."

"Tay, I'm..."

"No, Zac... I'm talking." Taylor placed his hand over Zac's mouth. "I have no intention of getting that serious with Leigh-Ann. I am not blowing off anything because I'm dating her. I may have been distracted for awhile and left the band in a lurk for a bit, but I'm back and I have no intention of doing that again." Taylor took his hand off of Zac's mouth to reveal a grin. "What?"

"That's all I wanted to know."

"What?!"

"That you and Leigh-Ann didn't..."

"Zac! Why in the world would you want to know that?"

"I bet Jessica $10 that..."

"Jessica! Jessie shouldn't even know about things like that... what have you been telling that girl?"

"Nothing!" Zac ran up the stares as Taylor lunged towards him.

"Zac!"

Doug dropped Isaac off at the house. They had ended up just eating at a diner on the other side of the river. As Isaac walked up the pathway he saw a small figure sitting on the curb by the street. "Excuse me, but we can't do any autographs..."

The figure turned around and Ike saw it was Leigh-Ann. Her eyes were wet and puffy. "It's me, Ike."

"Are you okay, Leigh?"

"Yeah, well... no. I gotta talk to Taylor."

"I'm sure he's inside if he's not with you," Isaac said, almost too harshly.

"You hate me, don't you?"

"What?"

"You think that I'm stealing Tay away, right?"

Isaac resisted putting his arm around her to comfort her, even though she looked so pathetic. He wasn't sure Taylor would appreciate that kind of affection from Isaac towards his girlfriend. "No I don't hate you. Why would you think that? Did Tay tell you that?"

"No... he didn't... I just need to talk to him. Can you get him for me?'

"Leigh, it's getting dark out here. Maybe you should come inside and talk to him."

"I don't think I could say what I have to say to him inside his house."

Isaac saw the pained look in her eye. Whatever she was going to tell Taylor, he knew his brother would be in for something bad. "Alright, I'll go get him."

He left her on the curb and went inside. Immediately, he saw Taylor working in the living room, humming to himself, looking oblivious. "Tay, did you know that Leigh-Ann is outside?"

"Huh?" Taylor looked up from the half finished sheet music in front of him. "Leigh-Ann? Why..."

"She just needs to talk to you."

"Why doesn't she come to the door?"

"I don't know, but it seems pretty important."

Taylor set his pencil down and headed out the front door, grabbing his jacket on the way out. He saw Leigh-Ann sitting on the curb, her head resting in her hands. "Leigh? You must be cold. Don't you have a jacket?"

Leigh-Ann turned and looked up at him. "Yeah, I'm kinda cold."

Taylor removed his jacket and laid it around her shoulders. He sat down next to her. "Why didn't you just come to the door?"

"I need to talk to you."

"I know. That's what Ike said."

"It's hard..."

"Leigh, you're frightening me."

"Okay, if I'm going to say this I might as well not drag it out." She took a deep breath and wiped some of the tears from her eyes. "I love you... but... I can't... "

"Wait." Taylor didn't know why he interrupted her. Maybe it was because he didn't want to hear what he knew was coming.

"Let me finish." She finally looked up and made eye contact with him. "I need to not be in this relationship anymore."

"What? Leigh..."

"Please, Taylor. You're going away in two days, right?"

"Yes," he said quietly.

"And you won't be back for a long time, right?"

"If that's it, Leigh-Ann, then..."

"But that's not it -- not all of it at least. I can't play second to the band."

"Play second? Now you're just being crazy..."

"Tay..."

"No, my turn. You say that I put the band over you. Ike says I put you over the band. I can't be doing both, Leigh-Ann."

"But you should put the band before me. That's what I'm saying. This is something that you are so good at. You guys are so talented and lucky and wonderful. But since we've been going out you don't seem to see that as much. I won't be the thing that makes you lose concentration on what you really love."

"I love you."

"Are you just saying that because I said it... or do you really mean it?"

Taylor turned his eyes down. "I don't know. I know that I would really miss you, a lot."

"I know you would. But I can see what's happening. You're brother sees it too. And I don't think it's all me, but it's partly me. If all the stuff with the band is overwhelming, then everybody understands that. You can't run to me whenever there is too much pressure."

"I'm not..."

"You are." She put her arm around his shoulder and leaned her forehead against the side of his head. He was doing his best to keep himself composed.

"I have to go," he said quickly.

"I know." She unwrapped his jacket from her shoulders. "Good luck in New York."

He took the jacket and stared at her for a few moments. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek softly. "This isn't for good, right?" he said, his voice getting raspy.

"I think that depends on you."

He got up and walked into the house, too afraid to look back.

"What was that all about?" Zac asked when Taylor entered their bedroom.

"Nothing."

Isaac laid on the top bunk staring down at his brother who was rifling through his drawer to find a clean t-shirt. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it, Tay?"

"No. I mean yes, yes I'm sure... I need to take a shower."

"Didn't you already take one this afternoon after you went dirtbiking?" Zac asked.

"I need to take another one."

"Oooookay."

"Just leave him alone, Zac."

Taylor looked up at Isaac. He wanted to be mad at him for some reason, any reason, but he couldn't. "I guess... " he started quietly. "I guess that when the interviewers ask us if we have girlfriends we can tell them the truth, huh? You know... that we don't," he said, his voice quivering. Before he could fully break down and embarrass himself in front of his brothers he left the room.

"He'll be okay soon, don't worry." Isaac laid back down.

"Ike, remind me never, ever to get a girlfriend."

"Sure, sounds like a plan."