"My cousin's coming to live with us for a while," Jesse told Greg, Frankie, Chris and Matt during their 15 minuete break from scortching singing and poisonious playbacks. One would think they'd make the recording studio somewhere singers would want to be, not as bleek, dark and unfriendly as they were casted. They were all so tired, they could probably slip into slumber on the hard grey floors of the studio if you gave them pillows.

"Really?" Frankie enquired, grazing his hands over the many buttons of the black studio board.

"Where's she from?" Greg asked, pulling up a leather-seated stool and parking on it.

"She was originally from Westchester but then when her dad left her and her mom when she was 8, they moved to somewhere in Virginia with her mom's boyfriend...Charleston I think and now that her mom divorced him, they're coming back here," Jesse said with lightning percision, taking a sip from his water bottle and peering into the empty recording studio.

All four members looked at him with eyes as big as gold balls, not comprehending what the young blondie gushed in those 7 seconds. Jesse turned his head back to them, shrugged and replied, "Sorry...I guess I'm just excited."

"Is she cute?" Chris piped in, raising his eyebrows flirtateously, receiving a slap from Matt and a vexed glare from Jesse.

"Well," Jesse started, fussing at his blue collar conceitedly, "People do mistake us for brother and sister."

"Dude," Chris replied, putting his acting skills to work and polishing a disguisted grimance on his heavenly face, "If she looks like you, God help her getting a date."

Jesse lunged foward and hit Chris in the shoulder. Chris just snickered, even though Jesse does pack quite a punch.

"Maybe you should bring her by sometime," Matt suggested, letting cool water from a Poland Springs bottle slide down his flaming thoat.

"I probably will," Jesse responded as they all climbed through the black door back into the recording studio to record for another grueling hour...

Jesse tried his best to sit still as his mother pulled in as slow as a turtle to their white victorian house. He saw Aunt Diane's red Honda Accord nestling in the driveway and the butterflies really started to fly into a frenzy in his stomach. Mrs. McCartney barely got their blue Suburban into 'Park' when Jesse jumped out of the passanger side and streamlined for the front door like a running back. Thrusting the front door open, he leaped inside, seeing Aunt Diane and McKenzie sitting at the dining room table, munching away on chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies, unaware of his prescence. Then, McKenzie suddenly threw her head to the side and caught glimpse of Jesse, her mouth forming a small "o" in shock. Of course they knew they'd reunite, but with the time finally knocking on the door, it was all surreal. Both Jesse and McKenzie's eyes lit up as they met like the night's black sky on July 4th , smiles melting on their faces. Kenny looked exactly the same; that baby-fied round face, those deep, round sapphire eyes, those thin, pink lips. McKenzie bolted from the table, her chin-lenght blonde hair flapping in the air as she rain into Jesse's arms. Jesse held her tight, almost breaking her collarbone and then released her.

"5 years," McKenzie whispered with astonishment, her sapphire eyes gleaming.

"Yeah," Jesse replied, glancing over McKenzie's head to Aunt Diane waving slightly. Her light brown locks had strands of grey streaking through them, her face slightly sagging from the pressure and stress of the past obstacles she overcame. "Hi Aunt Diane," he welcomed sweetly, gliding toward her and engulfing her in his arms.

"Jesse," she smiled, deep lines scratching the corners of her green eyes. "My, you have grown. You have to be taller than me now..."

"He's only 5 feet taller than you, Ma," McKenzie interrupted with a smart-ass grin, leaning on the chestnut table as Mrs. McCartney walked into the dining room, a brown grocery bag cuddled in her arms.

"Are you guys tired? Do you need anything more to drink?" Mrs. M asked anxiously, already on her way to the kitchen like a good hostess.

"You're going to spoil our dinner, Ginger," Diane joked, raising herself from the table. "By the way, let me help you with dinner. It's the least I could do..."

"Sis," Mrs. M interrupted, bending far over and preheating the oven. "Family is forever. I couldn't let you and McKenzie walk the streets."

Jesse and McKenzie retreated to the living room, pouncing onto the sea green couch set. "So," Jesse started, racing his hands through his blond locks and resting his feet on the glass coffee table in front of them. "Tell me...How's life?"

She played with the strings of her grey drawstring pants and looked up nonchalantly, unsure of what to tell him. "Improving," she finally stated, a small, honest, smile piercing her lips. "I'm just glad it's over. We should have left Mike a long time ago. He was bad news from the start...But this is now the way to start our renewed friendship," she quickly quipped her sentance, feeling somewhat weird talking about it with Jesse, someone who had everything circuling him. She pushed him over with her feet and he retaliated by pulling her black headband off. She pouted sadly; the face that could make Hitler release the Jews and Jesse chucked her headband at her.

"How has your past 5 years been?" she asked, intricately placing the headband back in her blonde hair.

"Incredable!" Jesse told her, pivoting toward her. She listened intensely, her head supported by her hand as he went on and on like he was reciting the autobiography of his life. "I was on ABC's 'All My Children' for a few years. I was pretty good, if I do say so myself." They laughed in unison, their laughs traveling to the far corners of the world. "Now I'm in a group called 'Dream Street.' Our album has gone gold..."

"Shut up!" Kenny screamed with surprise, appeal commanding her meek hands to clasp on Jesse's arms. "You're a part of those boys that sing that song 'It Happens Every Time?'" He nodded and her eyes shimmered with joy. "I'm a pop princess! I love you guys' stuff. It's helped me a lot..."

"Aww," Jesse cooed, dramatically flicking tears from his eyes and sniffiling, the rewarded actor he is, "Don't make me cry."

"Seriously," she replied harshly, dragging her knees to collide with her chest. This silence that fell between them like an iron curtain was new and foreign for both of them. There wasn't a moment when one of them wasn't screaming, laughing or singing when they were younger. "So...we start school tomorrow?"

"Bright and early," Jesse moaned, smacking his forehead at the dreadful thought of it.

"This year will be great," Kenny assured Jesse, tapping sisterly on his knee. She hoped she could finally belong somewhere, no cynical pretenses molding her to feel alienated from the rest of society. But with Jesse back in her life, she knew it would be brighter; at least he will love her no matter what is discovered about her. "We will remember it forever." If she only knew how right she was.