"Okay, thanks!" you tell the girl. She smiles, and you trade seats. Fifteen minutes until the concert! Everyone is excited. You look around at the fans. A good percentage have bought hanson T-shirts. At least a third of them are holding signs or have written on their arms legs and faces. One girl is holding a sign that says

"TAYLOR: When the time comes, please father my child!"

Another is holding a sign that says

"Here's the love!"

Way back on the hill, a group of six collage guys have written the letters of HANSON on their chests, and MMMBOP on their backs, and are leading a "hanson, hanson, hanson" chant.

Further towards the back, security guards are trying to keep people from standing on their seats. Everyone is screaming. Everyone is excited. Everyone is waiting.

6:59

The "hanson" chant had gotten louder and faster. The crowd had gotten more excited. A man walks on-stage. The screaming is so loud, when it finally dies down, your ears are ringing.

"Hi" the man says into the mike. The wave of screams start up again. "Now listen..." ...more screams..."LISTEN"...more screams... " SHUT UP " ...the shrieks and cheers only get louder, and the man gives up, and yells over the noise as well as he can. "Here's Hanson!" He looks relieved to rush of the stage.

The three guys bound onto the stage. Isaac, Taylor and Zac. They stand back, and pan over the audience. You would think that they'd be used to this by now, but the look amazed. Taylor says something into the mike, but you have no clue what. No one seams to care. He shrugs towards his brothers. Isaac fiddles with something on the side of the microphone, and speaks. He's a lot louder then Taylor had been. "You're going to have to quiet down a little! We can't hear ourselves!" The crowd quiets down a little, and Taylor takes over the mike again.

"How many of you have the CD?" Almost everyone screams and raises their hands. When they quiet down again Zac speaks up.

"Someone gets a back-stage pass!" He holds up a laminated pass, hanging from an orange chord. He turns around and throws it over his shoulder. Not being very heavy, it lands on the stage a few inches away from where you were sitting. Isaac and Taylor laugh. Krista and the girl you traded seats with both reach for the pass. The girl you traded seats with grabs it first. Back in the fifth row, your wanting to kick yourself. You were so close! It could have been you! Taylor reaches down, and helps the girl on stage. Ike leads her toward a side entrance, and she disappears off the stage. You move back to your spot in the front row. You wish you hadn't switched in the first place!

The boys pick up their instruments and jump into MMMBop. The whole crowd MMMBops along. You sing at the top of your lungs, and dance along. You're having the time of your life.

8:00 PM

The concert is over. You had a great time, but your still mad at yourself for trading seats with that girl. You're complaining to Krista, when you suddenly get an idea. If you tell one of the security guards it's your birthday, maybe they'll let you backstage! You doubt it, but it's worth a try, right? When you tell Krista your idea, she isn't as thrilled as you are with it.

"I don't think it's going to work. I'll bet at least a dozen people have tried that already, and it isn't your birthday! That would be lying!" You think about what Krista said. Sure, it is lying, but just a little white lie. It could be worth a shot. Do you want to try telling the guard it's your birthday, and ask for a pass? |Don't bother trying| |Tell the guard it's you B-Day|