Marichap1

         Mari sat on a bench in a small-town park sketching the flowers. She had never been one to sketch, but the flowers just called her name. They calmed her after all the chaos of her life had run down. The flowers seemed to know and understand what was going on in Mari�s life.
         Ever since she had turned 15, things had started to go crazy. She had started 9th grade taking all honors classes, and had moved to a new house. Her teachers expected so much out of her, and she gave them what they expected. She took above average grades home, but instead of throwing a party, her parents patted her on the back. If she went below those above average grades, though, her parents went ballistic. She would have to stay inside and study each subject for an hour each. Life just didn�t make sense to her.
        The park was deserted, and the flowers had called her name. And, so here she was skipping last block, and drawing the flowers in a sketchbook, tears of frustration flowing freely down her face. She was alone until a guy, about 15 or 16 entered the park and sat on the bench next to the one she was on. He didn�t even seem to notice she was there. The guy just sat down, put his head in his hands and started to cry.
         �I�m sure it isn�t that bad.� She whispered soothingly, wanting so badly to reach out and comfort this total stranger sitting beside her. She knew how it felt to hurt and be in pain, but have no one to help you through it. �Whatever happened, I�m sure it will work itself out��
          �I feel like I�m dying inside. My life is a constant concert and I just can�t stand it.� He moaned. �Concert�?� she thought, � what could he mean?� Then she got a closer look at the face of Zac Hanson. She didn�t know what to say, so she let him rant on. � Everyone thinks the life of a star is perfect. Well, lemme tell ya, it ain�t a bed of roses. I-I love the fans, and the music...but they�re pushing us too far!�
          �Well, I�m sorry. It�s sounds like your problem is about the same as mine though. We both have people demanding to much of us�.� She trailed off not wanting to add her burden to his.
         � What do you mean? What do people demand of you?� He asked his head lifting so that his eyes connected with hers. Zac looked so concerned. It was as if his problems were of no importance to him in comparison to her problems.
          �Well�� She thought for a minute, trying to form the words in her head. � My teachers expect so much out of me, and I feel so impaled to please them. But then I bring home perfect scores, and my parents just pat me on the back and send me to my room. If I get below perfect, though, I�m grounded for a week.� She sat there on the bench thinking of the last time that she had gotten a 92. Her parents had thrown a fit and told her she couldn�t go anywhere for a month.
�You�re right. We both have people who push us around. I�m sorry for both of us�� Zac trailed off and looked at the ground. Then he moved to the bench she was on and picked up her sketchbook. He started at the front and worked his way to about the 15 page, where she had been drawing the flowers. On every page there were quotes relating to what she was drawing, many different angles of the picture, her signature, her feelings, and other bits and pieces surrounding one big picture of the object she was drawing. �Wow�you sure know how to take your frustrations out� he said referring to the pictures she had drawn of the armor in a museum in London and the notes she had written around it. She laughed softly. Just then there was a voice coming from around the corner. �Zac! Zac, where are you? Dad and mom are P.O.-ed. C�mon Zac�� It was Taylor Hanson, sent to find his younger brother.
�C�mon�hide me!� Zac said grabbing her hand as she grabbed her purse and sketchbook. He dragged her out of the park, across the street and to a coffee shop. �My treat?� he asked at the door.
�Um�sure, I guess.� So, they went inside and sat down in a back booth. Mari sat down and ordered a coke. She wasn�t exactly sure what she was doing. She did know that when she got home, she was in a world of trouble, though.

Mari Chapter 2