It was eight in the morning when the bus finally pulled up to the hotel. A crowd of screaming, young girls began jumping up and down as the huge vehicle came to a stop in front of the door. It was the screaming that had awoken 17-year old Isaac Hanson from the light sleep he'd fallen into. Peering out the tinted window of the bus, he saw what awaited him and his two brothers, Taylor and Zachary.
"Great," he grumbled. "How do they always know where to find us?"
He rubbed his eyes and stood from his seat, ripping out a big yawn. No matter how many times it happened to them, they still couldn't get used to it. Everywhere they went, it seemed there were screaming girls. They were thankful for the attention but it got old after a while.
Their first album, Middle of Nowhere had already sold three million copies in less than six months and their first single MMMBop had been number-one in twenty countries around the world. Simple appearances at shopping centers, such as the Paramus Park Mall in New Jersey, had turned into major mob scenes. They'd been around the world and back it seemed, several times.
With the release of the new Christmas CD and home video, critics were talking overkill, while the Hanson phenomenon continued to grow by leaps and bounds. People of all ages loved their music, but it was the screaming "teeny-boppers" that kept them in business.
Isaac knew that he owed his success to those squealing girls outside and he appreciated the fact that they would take the time to come out and see them get off a bus. But just once he wished they could go somewhere without getting mobbed. The Paramus Park "incident," as they now jokingly referred to it, had seen Taylor literally almost lose his shirt. These girls were vicious. And that scared Isaac sometimes. He couldn't help but wonder what caused people to behave like that.
He walked to the front of the bus where 12-year old Zac and 14-year old Taylor stood smiling.
"Hey, squirt," Isaac began, "I'll give you a thousand dollars if you can tell me what city we're in."
Zac smiled. "D'uh! Manchester, you moron!" He held out his hand. "Pay up!"
Isaac lightly slapped the side of his brother's head. "It was rhetorical, you retard. I didn't expect an answer."
"Does this mean I don't get my money?" Zac said, frowning.
Isaac shook his head. Zac was the clown of the group, living on an eternal sugar rush. They all wondered where the energy came from and often talked about bottling it and making a fortune. Zac seemed to be able to handle anything, the luxury of being twelve. Apparently he and Taylor didn't see the same things Isaac saw when they looked out at those screaming fans. Isaac saw something phony, something not right.
He hadn't always felt this way. He'd enjoyed it all at first. But somewhere along the way reality had set in and he began to see a dark side to his fame. He didn't know anymore if a girl wanted to be with him because he was Isaac Hanson or "the" Isaac Hanson. Not that he had time for a social life but it still bothered him. Cynicism had never been a problem for him until now.
"Hey, space cadet," Taylor said, snapping his fingers. "You gonna stand there all day?"
Isaac skated back to reality. He noticed his father, Walker, and Hanson's manager, Christopher Sabec, standing with a young gentleman he didn't recognize. The guy had long, light-colored hair down to his shoulders and stood about as tall as dad. He appeared to be in his early thirties.
"Who's that with dad and Chris?" Isaac wondered aloud as the door opened and the volume of the screams increased. He put on his best "happy face" and followed Taylor, Zac, and their bodyguard off the bus.
The brothers Hanson were all smiles and waves as they worked the crowd on their way into the hotel. They stopped a few times along the way to sign autographs and say hello. Isaac was thankful once he was inside. Sometimes all that screaming gave him a major headache. He looked forward to stretching out on a nice comfortable bed and grabbing a nap before their interviews began.
Dad seemed a little more hyper than usual. Isaac knew he was excited about the Manchester concert. This was their first visit here since the album came out and they were playing an exclusive at a private club downtown. Only the winners of a radio call-in contest would be able to get in. This was the brainchild of local radio station HIT101 and Mercury Records.
HIT101 had reported a record number of responses to the contest. They hyped it as their most successful promotion ever. People all over the city were talking about this concert. The winners were being interviewed by the local papers and news channels carried the story about how one man bid $10,000 as the last four tickets were auctioned off; the proceeds going to the Starlight Foundation. Hanson was big news in Manchester.
"Boys," Walker Hanson began, "I want you to meet Andrew, your personal assistant for the duration of your stay here. He's with the promotions department over at HIT101. Anything you need, he'll get for you. Andrew, this is Ike, Tay, and Zac."
Andrew nodded at the boys and shook each of their hands. Isaac noticed there was something different about this guy. He almost had a glow about him. He didn't know what it was but he didn't want to worry about it. All he wanted was his nap.
"Okay, guys. Chris and I have to run over to the Rock Café for a meeting with the manager. Andrew will take care of you."
They said goodbye to their father and followed Andrew to the elevators.
"So, tell me, Andrew," Taylor began, once inside on their way to the top floor. "How did you get stuck pulling chaperone duty for the better half of 'The Brady Bunch?'"
Andrew laughed. "Well, Taylor, I volunteered. I'm a big fan. Speaking of which, that was some reception out front, huh?"
Isaac laughed. "Yeah, sure."
Andrew cocked his head slightly and put on a quizzical look. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Don't mind him," Zac interjected. "He's in a bad mood."
Isaac gave his younger brother a dirty look. "Sorry, Andrew."
"No problem," Andrew replied.
The elevator stopped, opening to the penthouse. As the three brothers stepped out, their mouths dropped to the floor. It was amazing! A huge great room and an adjoining kitchen were spread out before them. The living area sported a huge wrap-around sofa and two matching recliners. They faced an entertainment center decked out with the latest in video and audio equipment. There was even a Nintendo 64 hooked up.
Andrew noticed their smiles. "Here you go, boys, compliments of HIT101. Enjoy your stay."
Taylor walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. It was stocked with Dr. Pepper and bottled water. "Wow, Andrew!" he said. "This place is amazing."
"I'm glad you like it, Taylor," Andrew replied. "Why don't you check out your bedrooms?"
Taylor and Zac tore down the hall. Andrew noticed that Isaac hadn't said much.
"You okay?" he asked.
Isaac turned. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"You don't like the room?"
"No," Isaac replied, "the room's great."
"Then what's wrong?" Andrew asked.
The eldest Hanson brother sighed deeply. "You wouldn't understand."
"Really? Try me."
Isaac sat down on the couch. "Well, I feel guilty for even saying this, but all this attention…"
"Yeah?"
"It kind of bothers me."
"Bothers you?"
Isaac nodded. "Yeah, I mean, those girls out there screaming our names, they don't know who we are. They don't know us." He stopped for a moment, thinking. "They tell us they love us, they write us letters, I mean, what's wrong with this picture."
"You don't like it?" Andrew asked.
Ike smiled. "Yeah, sometimes. It's kind of a rush to hear all those girls screaming your name but I can't help but wonder why."
"You're famous."
"That's the problem, Andrew, they like us because we're famous. Who'd give a rip about the Hanson brothers if we were just the Hanson brothers? No one."
"That's a pretty tall accusation to make against millions of people."
"I can only tell you what I see, Andrew," Ike responded.
"You think the only reason these people could possibly like you is that you're famous?"
"Well, that and they think we're cute."
"I don't think it's quite as bad as all that."
Taylor and Zac rushed in.
"This place is great, Andrew," Taylor said.
"Hey, Isaac," Zac chimed in, "we're going downstairs to check out the game-room. You wanna come?"
"No, thanks, guys," Isaac replied. "Just try to stay out of trouble, okay?"
"Okay," they both said while boarding the elevator.
"They certainly don't seemed phased by any of this." Andrew said.
"They're young," Isaac responded. "Give them time."
Andrew laughed. He was beginning to see his purpose here. It appeared that Isaac needed a little boost in his faith. He decided to press further.
"Let me ask you something," Andrew began. He pointed to the cross hanging around the young man's neck. "You believe in God, right?"
"Sure, I do."
Andrew smiled. "Good, but why?"
Ike looked puzzled. "I beg your pardon?"
"Why do you believe in God?"
"Wow," Isaac said. "I never thought about the why, I just believed."
"Well, faith is what enables you to believe in God. You can't see Him, but you know He's there."
"Right," Isaac replied.
"You might want to try the same thing with your fans. Just take it on faith that there are people out there who love you not because you're famous or cute, but that you've brought music into their lives. If you look hard enough, I think you'll find them."
Isaac thought for a moment. "I'll keep that in mind, Andrew. Thanks."
"You bet." Andrew stood up from the couch. "If you'll excuse me, I have some phone calls to make. I'll be in room 2404 if you need me."
"Yeah, sure," Isaac replied. He lay back on the couch to catch his nap. Running Andrew's words over and over in his mind, he drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Three
Chapter One
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