“Considering how you reacted last time to the chemo, we’ve decided to put you on radiation. It’s the only other solution and I just hope it will make a better impact.” Dr. Andrews kept a strong yet gentle face, but Ginger's cheeks were red and her eyes were watery. Dr. Andrews had just given Ginger the odds of living through a second term of treatment. The odds weren’t good.
She was sitting on Zac’s lap, her arms around him and face buried in his neck. Kris sat in the other chair, tears threatening. Zac was calm about it and seemed to be the only one listening. Of course Ginger had survived through a single term, but Dr. Andrews was basically telling her that she was not going to live through this.
“Well, then, you three can go now. Go home and rest up. Ginger, I’ll see you in a week.” She had let the treatments extend another day so Ginger could go to Tulsa and see Zac’s final concert. That seemed so far away. And to think, the same kid who once said he wouldn’t give this up for anything, was giving it up for her.
Ginger gloomily got up and Zac wiped away the tears from her eyes. “Come on, let’s go home.” He took Kristina’s hand and stuck an arm around Ginger. “Woah, I got a girl on each side! Sisters, too. I think we need to make a trip to the grocery store on the way home.” Ginger laughed but shook her head.
“You just keep thinking that, Zac. Keep thinking you’re lucky enough,” Kris said. “Now let go of my hand before I have to shoot you. We are in a hospital so I won’t have to drag you far.” Dr. Andrews laughed behind them.
“You guys better leave before I have a homicide in my room.” Ginger thanked her before they left. The camera crew had left the night before, so they didn’t have to worry about them anymore. Just in case there were any photographers lurking, they went quickly to the car and left in a rush.
“So let me get this straight, MTV basically came up to you and starting asking questions, but they didn’t see the ring? I would think that’s the first thing they would look for when someone is close to or of age to get legally married. Especially if the girl has been kept secret for three years.”
“Well, I don’t know what the camera was pointing at, Kris, but I had my hand in Zac’s the entire time so they probably couldn’t notice anyway.” But Kris thought otherwise.
“Hey, you never know what they can pinpoint. That rock is pretty big and seems to attract light.”
“Oh shut up,” Ginger said, teasing. “How do we know you’re not engaged?” Kris laughed hysterically.
“Yeah, I’m engaged to Bob, my imaginary friend. He gave me a ring twice as big as yours but it’s imaginary so only I can see it.” Ginger shook her head. “Yo, Ginger, I don’t even have a boyfriend much less a fiancé.”
“Poor Kristina, we need to hook you up with someone,” she said.
“What do you mean we? I have no part in this,” Zac stated, clearly not wanting to help. “Zac Hanson does not hook people up!”
“Fine then. Be a dork. Anyways, so Kris! Who do you have an eye for?”
“Taylor Hanson,” she stated, joking, but she sounded serious. Zac nearly hit the car in front of them, causing a few horns to go off. Kris and Ginger started laughing hysterically, seeing his reaction and the look on his face as she said it.
“Don’t even go there, okay?” Zac said, “You haven’t even met the guy yet. He’s not all he seems to be.”
“Well you had your whole life planned out with Ginger before you even met her, why can’t I like your brother?” Kris asked.
“Stop saying that!”
“Honey, calm down,” Ginger said. “We’re just teasing. Nobody likes Taylor.” Zac looked at Kris through the rearview mirror.
“And we’re going to keep it that way.”
“Geez, Zac, what’s wrong with it anyway? If she did, what could you be able to do?” Ginger asked. Zac kept silent, giving her all the answer she needed. “I figured. You can’t do squat.”
“Yeah, yeah. Shut up and let me drive,” he said. Ginger smiled and sat back in her seat. It wasn’t long before they got home, and Zac quickly ran in the house. He didn’t want to be stuck in a car with them for much longer.
“That moron,” Ginger said, getting out of the car. “He obviously doesn’t take a joke very well.”
“I guess it’s something to do with Taylor.” Ginger smiled and shook her head. “Then what?”
“I think it’s something to do with you, Kris. I think he’s being protective of you because he knows how his brother is and he doesn’t want you to get hurt.”
“No.”
“I think someone cares about you too much,” Ginger said, walking into the house. “I’ll ask him when you’re not around.”
“But I don’t even like him!”
“Might as well find out why Zac is acting like he is. You never know what could happen. If I can fall in love with Zac then you could fall in love with Taylor.”
“Yeah, I could also fall in love with the president…ha! Like that’s gonna happen.”
“Whatever, Kris. Go talk to mom and dad. I’m sure they’re ready to shower you with kisses and hugs and ‘oh my God, why?’ I’m going to talk to Zac.”
“You do that. Hit him for me, all right?” Ginger nodded and turned back to ask why. “For being too protective.”
“You got it,” she said before she dashed up the stairs and into her room, where Zac on the computer, playing a game. He noticed Ginger's entrance but ignored it. She climbed up to her bed and watched him, waiting for him to say something before she asked any questions.
“Yes I am being protective of her,” he finally said. He had stunned her by answering the question that rolled through her head. “You don’t know him like I do. He’s a user and he’s a very hormonal twenty-year-old. I have to admit that next to you, Kristina’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met. I’m not being nice or saying that just because she’s your sister. It’s true. He’ll just take a glance at her and be all over her. Don’t let him do that. This pretty much brings us to the subject I thought about on the way home, before she mentioned him. I want to bring her with us when we go to Tulsa.”
“Why?” Ginger asked. She didn’t mind; it made her happy that she didn’t have to leave her and end up calling her every day, but she thought she’d be the one to bring something like that up.
“I hate to admit this, but she’s in potential danger if we leave her here. A person doesn’t just wait in an alley with a knife to strike any passer-by, whoever did this planned it and planned her. Kris ran home and from the way she came in and how she looked, he ran after her. He knows she’s here. If we leave her, especially with both your parents gone most of the day, then he’s going to find a way in the house and get her again. She’s safe if you’re around but we’ll be gone all weekend. A lot can happen in a weekend.”
“Zac…”
“Don’t say you’re worried or you’re scared cause this is how it’s gonna be. I don’t want to leave her alone. It doesn’t mean that you have to be with her every second, but at least be in the house.” He got out of the chair and climbed up on the bed, sitting down next to her. “I don’t want to mention anything cause it’ll just make her paranoid.”
“Well don’t you think it makes me paranoid? Zac you haven’t been able to prove your suspicion. I know it’s all right to be suspicious, but you’re no detective. You don’t have the authority to make these accusations,” Ginger said, leaning back against the wall.
“I know I’m not a detective, I know that all this could just be because I don’t want her to be hurt again, but just have her come with us and just stick around. You never know.” Ginger closed her eyes.
“What if you’re right, Zac? What if someone’s out to get my Kristina?” she asked. The thought alone sent shivers through her body. “She hasn’t done anything wrong, she’s the sweetest person alive. Who would want to hurt her?”
“Innocence is the prime key. There are crazy people out there.” Ginger heard thumping up the stairs and to the door. She looked over and there stood Alex.
“Hey! I came by yesterday and y’all weren’t around. Where were you?” he asked.
“Hey,” she said, getting off the bed. “Kristina got robbed and beat up pretty bad. We took her to the hospital, and we stayed there the night. Sorry I couldn’t contact you.”
“Did you call the police?” She nodded.
“Yeah, they’re checking it out, but there weren’t any witnesses and Kris couldn’t see the guy, so they couldn’t do much. They went to the scene and checked for evidence but there's nothing. They’re still working on it, though.”
“I noticed Kris as I came in and I didn’t want to ask because she may be on the edge or something like that. Her hands are pretty messed up.” Ginger nodded and looked back at Zac.
“She can’t use them for anything more than necessary. She’s mad at that, but she’ll learn to live with it.”
“I do have to say that you aren’t acting like she just got robbed and cut up.” Ginger nodded.
“I just want to forget it happened. All of us do, so we just act like it never occurred.” Alex nodded. “Why don’t you go down and talk to her? She’s probably bored out of her mind right now.”
“All right. See you,” Alex said with a smile. Ginger turned back to Zac and he had a thoughtful look on his face.
“Whatcha thinking about?” Ginger asked, climbing back on the bed and sitting next to him. He stuck his head on her shoulder.
“In eight months I’m going to be married.” She smiled. “In eight months I’m not only going to be married, I’m going to be spending my life with someone I’ve been wanting to spend my life with for five years now,” he said.
“I’m going to be spending my life with someone I never even wanted to go out with in the first place,” she said. He shook his head.
“Funny how time changes things.” Zac took a look around the room. “Do you really want to get rid of all this so soon?” he asked.
“You were the one who asked,” she said. “You were the one who wanted to get married so soon. As long as I have you and I have Kris just a phone call away then I don’t mind. And my computer, have to have the computer.” He rolled his eyes. “All right then. You know, now that both Kris and Alex know about us being engaged, don’t you think it’s time we tell my parents?”
“No, we’re not going to tell them until later. Same with my parents, so be careful around loudmouths—basically meaning my whole family— when we go home.”
“Okay. Stay away from family and hide hand. Got it. But why can’t we tell your family? I don’t even know why we can’t tell my family, they know it’s going to happen anyway.”
“I don’t know, it’s just that we’re breaking the plan and I don’t want to do that.”
“We can’t keep it a secret for two months, Zac. I’m sorry to say this but it’s stupid. I know you don’t want to go back on the plan but just proposing earlier isn’t going to matter much. I’m happier you did it now and surprised me instead of having me expect it.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He put his head in her lap and gazed up at her. “At least I shifted it around by asking you earlier instead of asking you later.”
“Yes, that’s a definite plus.” Ginger heard someone coming up the stairs and expected Alex again. But Kris appeared with a smile on her face. “Can I help you?” Ginger asked.
“Guess who I just saw on TV…” she said, her eyes on Zac. “Taylor Hanson!” Zac jumped off the bed.
“You are so dead!”
She ran quickly down the stairs with him hot on her tail. Ginger followed after them, laughing. By the time she reached the living room, Zac had pinned her on the couch and was tickling the hell out of the poor girl. Alex watched in amusement from the other side of the room. “Be careful, Zac,” Ginger said. “You could hurt her.”
“I know!” he said, in between laughs. “That’s the idea!” Ginger shook her head and plopped in a chair, facing the television. It was hard to concentrate between Kris’s squeals and giggles. Suddenly an inhuman sound made the way out of her mouth, causing everyone in the room to turn heads in that direction.
Zac had gotten off of her quickly, giving her a strange look. “If that’s what it takes to get you off me then I guess it worked,” she said, breathless. “Now everyone can go back to what they were doing and that means that Zac over here better get away from me before I have to hurt him.” Zac only shook his head, and then saw Kris’s happy look change.
“You okay?” Zac asked.
“My arm hurts.” He grew concerned, and looked at her left arm. Sure enough, it was bleeding again due to his sudden attack on her.
“Oh damn, I'm sorry. Come on,” he said. He took her hand and led her into the kitchen. Ginger watched in awe, realizing that his concerns about her weren’t just something that he said to make her feel better. She followed, curious. She saw the two of them at the kitchen table, Zac taking off her bandages and cleaning out the cuts that had re-opened due to the tickle fight. He tried to be as careful as possible and put fresh bandages back on when he was through cleaning them out.
“You really are concerned about me, aren’t you?” Kris asked, a hint of a smile on her face.
“Yeah, now shut up and don’t tell anyone. We can’t ruin the reputation on me hating you.”
“Why do you hate me?” Kris asked.
“I don’t hate you, I just act like I do.” She raised an eyebrow. “And I seriously don’t know why I act like it. I guess if I like you Ginger might think I like you too much or something like that.”
“Well you don’t and that’s all that matters, right?”
“Right. Now keep mum or I’m going to have to go back to hating you.” Ginger smiled, leaning against the wall. There was a corner there and she slipped off the wall and knocked over a few things. Immediately the both of them had their eyes on her.
“I guess I blew my cover, huh?” she asked, regaining her balance and picking up everything that fell over.
“Yeah I guess you did,” Zac said. “That reminds me. When me and Ginger go to Tulsa this weekend we want you to come along with us.” Kris smiled.
“I finally get to meet Taylor!!” she said, clapping her hands together. Zac shook his head and let out a groan. “Zac, we’re only teasing you. I could care less about meeting your brother. From how you’re reacting I don’t think I want to meet him anymore. You’re making it seem like I want to meet a serial killer or something.”
“He’s close enough,” Zac said.
“Oh yeah, I’m sure your brother’s a serial killer. Twenty is such a prime age for that,” Kris retorted. Zac pulled her arm over. “Ow!”
“Oh sorry,” he replied, sarcastically. “Don’t want to dislocate your arm too.” She shot him a look. “Ooh, scary. Ginger, your sister’s looks can kill.”
“Shut up!” Ginger said, smacking him on the side of the head. “You stop it or me and her are going to Tulsa and you can listen to the concert over my cell phone.”
“It’s my concert,” he whined, giving her a pleading look.
“My god I do not want to know what our children turn out like,” Ginger said. “I have a feeling they’re gonna be stubborn and whiny. That’s really going to be trip for you, Zac.”
“You too,” he said. She shook her head.
“No, you’re handling the kids. Don’t even think about having me deal with them. I will be running around cleaning up after my slob of a husband.”
“You give predictions in such detail, Ging. Are you psychic or just plain imaginative?” he asked.
“Both,” she said, taking a seat across from Kris. “Since I’m stubborn and you’re just whiny then I believe our kids will be both and since I can’t handle that you will.”
“Fine then,” Zac said. “I’ll make sure to be a big slob to give you something to do while I take care of the kids.”
“What the hell?” Kris asked. “You’re not even married yet! You’re already planning this?”
“Yeah. I already know what I’m going to name the kids.” Zac turned to her. “And you will have no say in it unless you want to push something the size of a watermelon through a hole the size of a lemon. My family has a tendency to have long labors, meaning that you will be nowhere near me.” Zac exchanged a look with Kris but kept silent.