After getting a more thorough soaking on the Rapids and Log Flume than we'd anticipated, we headed for the Arcade. Tay absolutely beat the shit out of me at Mortal Kombat, but I evened out with Ridge Racer. After a half hour or so, Tay suggested we go eat someplace. There was a great reasturant by the cable car station that did an awesome spaghetti bolognaise, so we headed off there. As we were walking back from Katanga Canyon, I noticed how well the change in hair colour actually disguised him - Most people would take a second look at him if he had shoulder length BLOND hair: As it was no-one had raced up to him for an autograph. I told him so and just as he was agreeing with me, there was an "Oh my God - IT'S TAYLOR HANSON!!!" and a stampede of girls came racing in our direction

Tay looked at me and said "Do you know EXACTLY where this restaurant is?"

"Yeah, why?"

"RUN FOR IT!! I'll follow!"

And run I did! I decided to take a slightly scenic route back through the arcade, much to the disgust of a security guard but thankfully he spotted what was going on and somehow managed to stop the screaming hoards.

As we walked back towards the restaurant, catching our breaths, Tay decided that it was pretty good going in the sense that it had only happened once today. "You should see what it's like when the three of us are together - it's almost unbearable!"

"I'd've thought you'd have liked it..."

"We did at first, but the novelty soon wears off. Zac still enjoys the chase, though."

"Yeah, I noticed he likes to pay more attention to the camera than to his drumming...."

"You wouldn't believe how many times he's messed up during live performances doing that - it really winds Ike up. He likes to give the impression thet we're perfect in every way - he practices so hard now - all the fun seems to have gone out of it for him. Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something personal?"

I wasn't going to say no -- what could get any more personal than what we'd already done! "Sure, Tay, anything."

"Are you gay? I mean REALLY gay?"

"I'd have thought you could have answered that by now!"

"Well you could be bi, or just wrapped up in the swing of things, ya know..."

"Well, I'd say I was - girls just never seemed to do anything for me. Sure I'd get hard if I read through a porno mag or whatever, but whenever I'd jerk off, I'd always be thinking about another lad. Tay?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you gay?"

"I've never told anyone before but yeah, I think I am. I get the feeling I'm the same as you - I do get hard when I look at porno mags or whatever, but I just don't like girls. Worst thing is about 95% of the Hanson fans ARE girls. Can you imagine what'd happen if it ever got out that I AM gay? We'd be ruined. I love my family too much to ever let that happen. You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"If I did I'd be badged as well - life at my school would become unbearable. In fact, I'd probably be expelled!"

"Expelled? Isn't that a bit harsh? I mean, you are what you are, right?"

"We're talking about a 100-year-old british public school here. Although a few of my friends'd accept it, I doubt the school would. Just last term a lad was expelled because it was SUSPECTED he was gay - unfair I know - but that's just the way it is."

"Man, and I thought I had it rough..."

"Yeah, well.... You still hungry?"

Tay smiled for the first time in the whole conversation. "Yeah. It's on me ..."


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