Installment Two - During
Vancouver, CANADA (July 31, 2002)
"Fletcher....Hey Fletcher....?"
"Don't you dare ask me to pick up the laundry cause I'm not gonna do it,"
"Ohhhhh! Please??"
Fletcher huffed and looked at me, "You have to face your fears some day, Kirby. I tell you what, if you act like a big girl and ask each Hanson for their laundry, I'll wash it for you,"
"Ugh...No, don't worry. I can do it myself," I left Fletcher on the sofa and knocked on the bathroom door, "Mel? Can you-"
"NO,"
I rolled my eyes at the door and at Fletcher, picked up the basket and left the room.
People have no respect for precedent. Fletcher and Melody have picked up the laundry for the past three concerts and that was a great system! But nooo, they have to go and destroy it. No doubt I'll choke with nervousness before I even knock on the door.
I took the elevator up a floor until I came to Hanson door number one. I knocked, my hand in a tight fist so as to disguise the shaking. I knocked again, nothing. And again, still nothing. I knocked on Hanson door number two to yet again find nothing and no one. But at door number three there was not someone, but alas, there was something.
Dear Melody, Fletcher and Kirby,
We've gone out for the day, sorry you weren't informed but we left very early. We have just a little bit of laundry and we've left that with Rita. Enjoy your day and we'll see you at sound check,
Yours sincerely,
Isaac.
I ignored the fact that I was addressed last in the greeting and instead sighed gratefully. Rita was our 'manager' for want of a better word. As so aptly put by Rita herself "Let's just put it this way, if you ever need more money, food or a day off, I'm the one you come to". I liked her a lot, partially due to her eerie resemblance to my high school art teacher, but mostly because anything goes with her.
"Rita? Hey it's Kirby," I nudged the unlocked door open to find her reading in bed.
"Hey Kirby, how are you muffin?"
"Oh, I'm great. I'm just here to find the laundry, according to this letter from Isaac, it should be up here,"
"Of course, it's just over there by the window," Rita pointed towards the end of the room.
Over in the corner sat a big fat bag of laundry, almost as big as me, "He said there was just a little bit..."
"Isaac tends to under-exaggerate," Rita laughed, "Do you need any help?"
"No, I should be ok. If worse comes to worse, I'll just send it down the rubbish disposal," I put the basket over my head since it was really no use, grabbed onto the handles of the laundry bag and dragged it out of the room.
"Bye honey..."
- - - - - - -
"Jeez, you took so long," Fletcher raised his eyebrows.
"Screw you Fletcher,"
"Oooh, feisty,"
"You'd be feisty too if you'd just done eight loads of washing,"
"Ouch. So where is it?"
"It's still drying. I figured I'd be the kind person that I am and let you pick it up,"
"You're so generous,"
"I know,"
- - - - - - -
"Late again dear Kirby," Rita said, her big red nail tapping on her watch face, her tell-tale smile indicating she was anything but mad.
"I know, I know. But Starbucks was calling my name," I hopped into the car and slid across to look out the window.
Fletcher snickered and took a sip of my coffee. We were sitting in one of the countless rented vehicles that were hired out by the Hanson entourage. I suppose it made more sense than taking the tour bus everywhere, although you were very screwed if you left something important in a hired car cause you're never going to see it again.
We pulled into the back car park of the venue alongside Hanson's van that had only just arrived a few seconds before us. Hanson were even still inside, seat belted and all. Around thirty fans were already waiting outside the gates, squashing their faces up against the fence and shrieking 'I love you'.
"Hey guys," Walker greeted us as we both got out of our respective cars, as did Hanson, "Could you just grab the guitars in the back?"
Melody and Asher took a guitar each and went inside. I stood there looking stupid. Walker looked past me and continued collecting things from the passenger's seat and walked into the venue with Isaac.
Taylor and Zac were bustling around at the back of the van, while I still stood there looking stupid, pretending I was finishing my coffee. Taylor and Zac were chatting away while they put things into bags and boxes, laughing every now and then and looking back at the fans.
"Hey Kirby, could you please carry this?" Zac asked, pointing to a black box in front of him which probably carried drum related bits and pieces.
"Oh, sure," I threw out the coffee container and went to the back of the van, not realizing I was facing my fear and standing beside them. The box popped open and all of the before mentioned drum related bits and pieces sprawled out over the mountain of crap in the back of the car. I cursed to myself but Zac and Taylor didn't even notice.
Taylor was probably trying to decipher what he needed from the great mound of mess, picking up things and tossing them away, "Hey Zac, dare ya to turn around flip em off," Taylor said, and giggled madly.
"Cheap thrills huh?" Zac laughed, "Ok, but what do I get? Money?"
"No Zac, see the idea of a dare is the reward is the adrenalin rush,"
I kept grabbing at the wrong things just so I could eavesdrop. Zac was sneaking back looks at the fans and giggling.
"Ok, I'll do it. Just as long as I can dare you to do something incriminating later on, just for the adrenalin rush,"
Taylor laughed maniacally as Zac turned around, smiled in a friendly fashion and then displayed his middle finger, fair and square. The fans started screaming and yelling, each trying to blurt out sentences that went misunderstood due to the volume.
"See? Wasn't that great?"
"Yeah, it was great. And it'll be all over the internet in all its greatness by tonight," Zac laughed and took the things inside. Taylor grabbed the other handle of a bag, still laughing to himself. I grabbed the last bolt from the back seat and fastened the box.
Taylor raised his eyebrows and smiled and said, "Say cheese,"
I was momentarily shocked that he spoke to me which delayed any type of reaction, as soon as the delay passed, Taylor was gone. And not only was there a delay in reaction, but a delay in understanding what the hell he meant. Finally it all made sense when I turned around to see the fans happily snapping pictures of me.
Portland, OREGON (August 3, 2002)
The second show for Portland was played with total enthusiasm, but ended with dread. We boarded our rented cars to the hotel, knowing that once we got on the bus, we would not come off it for another three days.
"Rita, hey Rita," One of the older roadies in charge of the bigger equipment and of our bus caught Rita's attention, "I need to talk to you,"
"What is it Ben?"
"We've had some technical problems. We can't get everything packed up by tonight, none of us can leave,"
"What?? But we're all leaving now,"
"I know, but there's still so much stuff to sort out,"
Rita sighed and looked around undecidedly, "Oh I don't know,"
Walker noticed the two talking and came over also, "What's the matter?"
"Ben tells me the roadies can't leave tonight,"
"How come?" Walker looked at Ben, demanding an explanation.
"Most of the equipment is still unpacked and......and broken..."
"BROKEN!?"
"Mr Hanson, I'm sorry, it was an accident," Ben was shaking his head extremely fast, his neck must have been in agony.
"What has been broken?"
"Three amps, but we've already organized new ones, and we'll pay for them,"
Walker looked at Rita as if she were his wife and they were deciding on a proper punishment for their son, "That's very fair of you Ben, but this cannot happen again. We need you in Phoenix by the 8th at the very least. The earlier the better but I realize three amplifiers will not be easy to find, pay for and take to Phoenix in a matter of days. Try your best,"
"Walker, the kids are on the same bus as the roadies, shouldn't you take them with you?"
I looked around at Fletcher and Melody, we guessed she meant 'the kids' as in us.
"Oh, of course. You guys will be traveling with us, ok?" Walker looked over at us.
We nodded.
Walker was still angry with Ben and went inside without a good-bye. Rita brushed Ben off also, smiled kindly and came over to us, "Just make sure you have your bags and yourselves down here by 10 on the very dot. As long as you behave yourselves, Walker won't be any problem at all,"
We nodded once more and went into the hotel.
"Oh boy, I just can't wait to be trapped in a small space with Walker for three days," Fletcher clapped and jumped up and down, causing the elevator to move around.
"I have a feeling Hanson are going to be worse," Mel said, her brow furrowed in worry.
"Come on you guys, it's only for three days. We've just gotta stick together," I said, always seeing the positive side of things (even when there really isn't one).
"You're right...We can handle it," Fletcher said, "And if the situation gets too out of hand, we can hide in our bunks."
Belongings were gathered in record timing and were all made it downstairs perfectly on time. Rita's mini bus had already left and our bus was warming up in front of the hotel. A guy that looked spookily like Meatloaf leaned against the bus smoking a cigarette.
"You kids coming with us?" He asked through a puff of smoke.
"Yes we are, assuming this is Hanson's bus." Melody said, scrunching up her nose at the sight of the cigarette.
"You assumed correctly. You can take your stuff inside, we're out of here in 10 minutes,"
We trudged down the claustrophobic hallway, our fat bags barely fitting.
"Do we just pick any bunk?" Melody asked, a puzzled look on her face.
"Well...I guess we just take a bunk without any stuff in it, my guess is it'll be vacant," I shrugged. All the curtains of the bunks were drawn closed, so I very carefully picked one without anything or anyone in it. I ended up across the hall from Melody on the middle level, and Asher was just above me, right on the top level.
"These bunks are 5 star compared to ours," Fletcher said, spreading out his sleeping bag.
"This whole frickin bus is better. They have a living room for god's sake!" I said, eyeing the gray leather couches from my bunk.
"Oh my god," I heard Melody's muffled voice from behind her curtain, "Guys, open the curtain at the end of your bunks,"
I shrugged and reached down to where my feet were, pulling the little curtain back.
"Oh my god!"
"A TV?!" Fletcher shrieked.
"A VCR?!" I followed.
"This place is the best," Melody said, turning the TV on.
"Ssshh, someone's here," Fletcher said. We all turned our TV's off and stayed quiet. Hanson had just gotten on the bus by the sounds of it and were talking pretty loudly. I have no idea why we were acting as if we weren't there, but we hid anyway.
Footsteps thumped down the hallway and my stomach churned. They kept walking right to the end of the hallway and I knew someone's head was directly in line with my bunk. The person started fidgeting around in the bunk underneath mine, and the bunk next to mine. I opened my curtain a little to see Melody doing the same. We shot each other weird looks as if to say 'Which one is where?'
Then Taylor's head shot up, but all I could really see was his neck since he's as tall as a giant. I saw Zac jumping down from the bunk next to mine and Isaac came out of the bunk underneath Melody.
"Oh, hi guys," I heard Fletcher's voice and all three Hansons looked upwards.
They all smiled, "Hey Fletcher,"
"Is it just you in here?" Zac asked.
"No, Kirby is under me and Melody is across the hall,"
I opened my curtain and they looked at me and waved. I smiled coyly, waved and closed the curtain again. I heard Melody come out of her bunk, greet them and then come into my bunk. We both giggled stupidly when we made sure they'd left.
"That was weird,"