"Well, we got a few letters; Taylor's just fine. He's doing peace patrolling in one of the towns away from the fighting. Isaac's not completely away from the fighting but he said he's not in the middle of it," Diana said to Zac, shortly into a phone conversation. "They're both okay."
"That's good to hear," Zac said, rubbing his forehead. His ears were still ringing from the concert and he was straining to hear his mother, but things were better than they were a half an hour ago. He'd been listening to the radio and they announced something about a surprise attack on Pyongyang in North Korea where a whole bunch of napalm bombs were fired off. Once he heard that, he put himself in a secluded area of the backstage and called his mother. "Are either of them in North Korea?"
"No," she said. "No, they're both in South Korea. Isaac said he's on the north side of Seoul, but I haven't looked at a map to see where that is just yet."
"Oh. Well, I was worried."
"I know you are. So am I. How was your show tonight, honey?"
"It was fine. Seems there's more people with every show�everyone's pushing me to record, but I really don't know if I want to. I mean I have the single and everything, but I don't know if I really want to do a full album."
"Honey, don't do anything you don't want to do. If you're just fine with touring, stick with that. If people really want to hear the songs, why don't you just do a live album? Don't put too much work into it."
"Maybe�I don't know."
"Well don't let them push you into anything." She paused. "When are you coming back home, dear? I don't like it when I can't see my babies, and at least I have contact with you�"
"I don't know, Mom. I've got a lot of shows to do and they're all rather close to each other. When I get the time, I'll stop at home. I'll be moving towards the Midwest soon anyway."
"Good. Well, I'll let you go. I know you're busy."
"All right. I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, dear. Be careful."
"I will. Bye."
"Bye." Zac hung up his cell phone and took a deep breath before getting up and walking towards the exit of the arena. Ron met him halfway, a smile on his face. Zac lifted an eyebrow at him.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That means your single is number one in the country." Zac stopped walking, his jaw gaped open in surprise. "I know."
"Oh my God! It just came out a week ago!"
"I know! It debuted at number one. Everybody loves it�they can't get enough of it. It's selling like crazy and people are wondering when your album is going to come out. They want it, Zac. They want it bad."
"Oh my God," he said. His phone still in his hands, he put them in his hair and allowed the look of shock to stay on his face. "I can't believe this."
"Well, you better believe it, son. And you better hurry your ass up, because we have to leave right now in order to get to Richmond on time for you next show." Zac got up and followed his manager out of the arena and to the awaiting car. The phone conversation and the delay after the show took more time than imagined, and most of the fans had left by now. Zac was free to go without any trouble.
The trip to the airport seemed blandly routine for Zac as the city he was in (he didn't even remember, although he'd written it on his hand before the beginning of the show) became just like the rest of the cities he'd been in. Tour usually did this to him�the excitement of travel and visiting new places seemed just blah to him because it was his life. He'd turned into a nomad again and the idea of home seemed very foreign all of a sudden.
On the plane, Zac fell into a chair and sighed. Soon he was in the air and he didn't even bother to look out the window to see this town go away and the next town come upon him like he'd done so many times as a child. He settled himself into a comfortable position and closed his eyes. It wasn't long after he'd begun to drift that his manager came up to him and shook him awake. Shifting, he opened his eyes and looked up at Ron. "What?" he asked, closing his eyes and trying to get into that comfortable position again.
"I just got a call from Bob Dylan's manager." Zac's eyes shot open.
"Why?!"
"Well, it seems Mr. Dylan is having a rather large party this weekend and his manager said he'd love to have you there." Zac sat up.
"Oh my God, are you serious?"
"Yeah, he wants you there. I think he asked specifically for that 'hippie little Hanson boy.' "
"Can I go?"
"You're free, but you were supposed to go home that weekend." Zac snorted.
"I can go home anytime. So I can go?" Ron nodded. "Score!" Ron walked away and left Zac there, his eyes wide and his heart beating fast in excitement.
The ride to the next city was short (he hadn't been far from Richmond to begin with) and before he knew it, he felt that familiar leap of his stomach as the plane descended into an airport that he didn't know the name of, and frankly didn't care to know. To him, it was just another airport, just another city, just another way to change the world. For the first time he opened the shade next to his seat and looked out as the plane touched the ground. It taxied to an empty gate and the few people aboard got off and went through the airport for what seemed the millionth time since this damn war started�
"Ugh," Zac said, falling onto a soft, comfy, king-sized bed in his private suite on the top floor of a Richmond hotel. "I never want to get up again." He rolled over and opened his eyes, the simple task seeming to take all of the energy he had in him.
"Well, that would be nice, but you have a show tomorrow night in Charleston," Ron said from across the room.
"Go away, Ron."
"Fine. I'll see you in the morning." Ron left the room�Zac was finally by himself. Not even bothering to remove his shoes, he slid underneath the covers and closed his eyes. But his curse hit him again and as soon as he felt himself relaxing he wasn't so tired anymore. Years of living on the least amount of sleep possible, he found it hard to sleep when he had the chance. So he got out of the bed and slid his shoes off before padding off to the bathroom.
The first thing he saw when he turned on the light in the bathroom was his face in the mirror. "Ugh," he said, looking away. "I look horrible." He walked a good ten feet across his spacious room before he got to the shower. He turned the hot water on and took off his shirt.
Faintly he could hear the sound of his phone back in the main room. He ignored it a bit but it kept persisting so he made a face and walked out to the main room and picked up the phone that was lying on the table.
"Hello?"
"Zac?"
"Taylor!" He sunk into a chair, forgetting about the water running in the bathroom behind him. "Oh my God, how are you doing?"
"I'm all right. I'm still in Korea but I'm doing peacekeeping in a town�I'm pretty far away from the fighting."
"Oh, wow, I never expected you to call me." Taylor laughed on the other end of the line.
"Well, I've got a lot of down time over here. I patrol the city in shifts, and my shift just ended. They don't want us calling home a lot but I begged so I got a call�I'm just glad you're not busy."
"No, I just finished a show. Two, in fact, today."
"Wow, are you okay?"
"I'm just tired. It's been pretty grueling but it's worth it." He paused, a thought entering his mind as he tousled his hair. "Tay, tell me you still have your hair."
"No, they shaved it all off."
"Oh, man, I'm sorry."
"I'm getting used to it. You know, taking my loss day by day." Taylor paused to laugh. "Have you heard anything from Ike?"
"Not personally. Mom got a letter from both of you and she told me the gist of it. I haven't been home in a few weeks."
"How is he?"
"He's fine. He said something about not being completely away from the fighting, but not completely immersed in it. I think he's stationed on the north side of Seoul."
"Oh," Taylor said.
"Are you around there?" Zac asked.
"No, I'm on the complete other side of the country, but I know what's going on there and such. They keep us pretty updated," Taylor said. "So, you haven't been home in a while? How's your big break going?"
"It's not a big break, Tay. It's just some people who see things my way. I'm starting to see a lot more of a different fan base, not just teenage girls, as nice as they might be," Zac said, sighing. "It's just nice to get some attention for myself and have people listen to me without you guys around. I miss you guys and all, but this is just so different�"
"Yeah, I know. What do you think you'll do when we get back?"
"I'm not going to continue this or anything�we're still a band, Tay. Nothing's going to change that."
"Well, that's nice to hear."
"I miss you, Tay."
"I miss you too, Zac. I miss everybody. It's lonely over here. I don't know anybody and I can't talk to anybody because they're all Korean and everything�"
"Tell me the truth, Tay. How is it over there?" Tay sighed.
"To be completely honest, Zac, I'm fine. I'm not the one you should worry about," Taylor said.
"It's Ike, isn't it?"
"Don't tell Mom anything, all right? It'll worry her to death to know, but Ike's at the worst place possible. He's lying when he says he's not completely away from the fighting. He is dead center in the middle of it. Out of anything, the reports here have been mostly talking about how bad it is in Seoul."
"Well�shit."
"I know. But, Zac, don't worry about him too much. He knows what he's doing and he's the strongest person out of all of us. If anybody's going to kick some communist ass, it's going to be Ike. Just do what you keep doing�they're playing your song all the time over here. I'm getting sick of it."
"Really?" Zac asked. "They're playing my song?"
"It's like the major song of the war. You've made yourself a name already. I'm surprised Bob Dylan isn't knocking down your door yet."
"Well, he did invite me to his big soiree this weekend."
"Are you kidding me?"
"No way! He wants me there!"
"Oh, wow. You're more popular than I thought. But, as much as I want to talk, Zac, my time is up. I'll see you soon."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
"I love you, Tay," Zac said, standing up.
"I love you too, man. Make sure everyone's all right over there, okay?"
"I will. Bye."
"Bye."
Zac hung up the phone and turned around to walk to the other room. He saw the shower running and huffed. "Oh well," he muttered to himself. "It's not my problem." He took off the remainder of his clothes and hopped into the shower. As the water overcame him and he relaxed a bit under its pressure, he couldn't help but think of Isaac. Taylor's words stung, although they weren't bitter in the least. Isaac was right in the middle of the fighting and he'd deliberately lied about it. He guessed it was just one of those things�you always try to make things seem less than they are just to make people worry less, but Zac couldn't help but wonder where he would go from this. If he's in the middle of the fighting, where people are getting killed all around him, he just might end up getting killed himself.
Zac shuddered and closed his eyes, sinking under the weight of the day, the sudden news about his brother, and the water. It was getting to be too much for him and just a simple protest against war with the people he met day to day wasn't quite helping anything. He didn't have that much power, at least not enough to stop a war, and he knew it.
Opening his eyes, he shut off the water and decided just to go to bed. He could think about everything else in the morning.