the beat goes on

Who was Hansen trying to fool? He had never been the leader of the pack. Why start now?

He could see Crosby hated coming. Julie kept looking at Crosby as if he must be out of his mind. One would have thought they'd kidnapped Sara from the psych ward... as listless as she looked in the force field of electronic pop and disco lights swaying to the beat.

Hansen saw Julie cross her arms. She did not approve.

Hansen stopped grinning, after awhile. By the time it was over, they might as well have been strangers.

"I dunno what I was trying to do." Hansen apologized to Sara later, over coffee. He was trying to get her to eat. Of course, Crosby would have none of it. He'd high tailed it out of the old concert hall, disgusted, no less, when the show was over. He didn't want to talk to anyone. Of course, Julie's work was just beginning. She was off to talk to bands.

"I know.." Where did he start? Hansen had always loved Sara's smile. He'd practically worshiped her from afar. "You're hurt. And..and Max-"

"Don't." She swelled a frown. "I don't want to talk about him." She held on to her mug of black coffee as if it might warm her heart, but she wouldn't take a sip.

"Right. Yeah. Of course." Hansen bit a bottom lip as a lump emerged in his throat.

"I thought he loved me," Sara said. "Like..no one..else..ever did."

Hansen was pretty sure they thought of love, totally different. He'd never had to have it physically. Yes, he'd loved Daisy. He still did. But did it matter? He was invisible to her. And he was pretty sure, he was just as invisible to Sara too. But she needed to talk so he listened.