"When should we leave?" Devon implored, glancing down at her yellow Roxy watch.

"In like 5 seconds," Rina replied, bending slowly down to get the sugar cookies out of the oven. "But these have to cool for a few."

"Are you sure we're getting backstage?" Devon implored, paging through a 'Teen' magazine.

"Considering I'm having Chris's baby, I think he'll get us backstage," Rina joked, tying her curly hair back in a white hair tie.

"That's not funny, Rina," Devon shouted, her face turning as serious as a catholic school teahcer, "You should take this more seriously."

"Please, Devon," Rina begged, slipping on her white Van sneakers. "I think I know it's serious."

"Aren't you nervous?" Devon implored, hopping over the couch, "I mean, of what the guys might think."

"They can accept it or not," Rina replied, slipping on her light blue spring jacket, "I really don't care. I'm there to support Chris."

"What if the fans see you?" Devon continued, fear tanting her soothing voice as she walked over to Rina and leaned against the counter lazily. "What will they think?"

"YOU'RE the only one making me nervous!" Rina yelled with a smile as she delicately tossed the cookies in a clear Glad container. "Let's go."

They arrived at the Hammerstein Ballroom with fans screaming in their faces and sign being thrusted into the air. The concert didn't start for an hour, but the mob outside made it questionable. Devon held Rina's hand as they waddled to the ticket window and asked for their passes. The old woman slipped the blue passes through the slot and they were in.

The concert featured Dream Street and other up-and-coming acts like Ruby Blue, Natural and 3rd Faze. They strolled cautiously through the dark terrain of stage lights and wires untill a door with 'Dream Street' scrolled on it came into view. Devon could feel Adrienne's hairs begin to sprout up on her arm. Devon knocked three times and Jesse answered.

He looked at them curiously as if trying to remember who they were. His eyes traveled down to Adrienne's stomach, paused for a moment, and then lowered to the cookies in Adrienne's right hand and he smiled. "Adrienne," he finally whispered and opened the door wider.

Their dressing room looked like the closet exploded, pants and shirts lying everywhere; on the blue couch, the 3 folding chairs huddled in the corner, and on the floor. The mirrors at the right were surrounded by balls of light. Frankie, Greg and Matt turned toward Adrienne, unsure of what to say. The silence hung heavily like a water-soaked sponge. Eyes darted every where. Chris came into the room after a loud slam of the bathroom door. Rina saw his eyes, even hiding behind yellow sunglasses, light up at the sight of her. "Hey girl," he greeted her as she uncomfortably glanced at the guys. He ran over and gave her and Devon a hug. "You guys remember Adrienne? And this is Devon, a friend of ours."

"Hey," Greg waved lazily in his seat as he turned back to the mirror.

"Why are they so quiet?" Rina whispered to Chris. She felt like she was a specimen under a powerful microscope.

"Look," Jesse called to his friends, "Cookies!"

"Yes!" Matt cheered with a smile. He slinked out of his seat by the mirror and went over to Rina. He stopped, his eyes locked on Rina's stomach. "How are you?" Matt asked quietly as Rina opened the container.

"Good," Rina replied, nodding her head as Matt's hand went for a dive in the sea of sugar cookies.

"What are you going to name it?" Frankie called from the couch, grabbing a red shirt from underneath him and chucking it at Greg.

"I think Matt's a cute name," Matt suggested with a smile.

"Jesse's better!" Jesse challenged as cookies crumbs plummeted from his lips, "We're both young ones."

"What about Stuart Little?" Greg suggested, staring at Adrienne from the mirror and finally cracking a smile. Laughter exploded in the room. "Umm it's a girl," Devon interjected.

"Francine, now that's a winner!" Frankie shouted.

"No," Rina chuckled, taking a seat on a folding chair. "We want to name her Angelina."

"Well, it isn't as good as Jesse," Jesse replied, "but it will do." Everyone seems more at ease; laughter can fix anything.

A few minuetes later, Claudia knocked on the door. Chris let her in and everyone was blinded by the sequence on her purple belly-bearing shirt. Claudia laid eyes on Rina's stomach and Rina shifted in her seat uncomfortably. An understanding smile diffused on Claudia's face as she aske the girls to give her a few minuetes with the guys. They agreed, got up and left the room. With the few cookies left being passed around, Claudia gently laid her hand on Chris's shoulder. "Did you tell her?"

"She'll find out soon enough," Chris replied, his eyes running to the window above Frankie's head. Claudia and Chris both shared looks of agreement as Claudia gave him a hug with mother-like emotion. He laid his head on Claudia's bare shoulder and sighed, not sure if this was the right thing to do.

Devon and Adrienne sat on blue folding chairs backstage, chatting quietly to themselves and overlooking the vast crowd of the Hammerstein Ballroom. The fans were chanting 'Dream Street' so loud, the dead could be awoken from their eternal beds. Louie introduced the boys, his voice calming the savage for a split second. Dream Street came running onstage causing a chain reaction of screams, shouts and cheers. Chris glanced back a few times during their performance, making eyes contact with Devon and Rina. All the girls did was smile back.

"I have something to tell you all," Chris informed the crowd, his breath heavily pushing into his mic. The boys walked to Rina and Devon to get a drink and a breath. "As some of you know," Chris started as he pranced to center stage, "And this is hard to say...I got my best friend pregnant." A few gasps escaped from the crowd, looks of surprise and anger shining on their faces. Adrienne's heart began to run a marathon as Devon placed her hand like a friend on Rina's arm. "You can past judgement if you want," Chris continued, whiping the sweat from his brow. "But I hope you won't be upset at my friend Adrienne or I. We were stupid, irresponsible and fell victum to alcohol. If you are, I don't blame you." All the fans' eyes were locked on Chris, their faces blank. "I just want to say that I love Dream Street and I won't be leaving the band. And this baby may have been a mistake, but it will make Adrienne and I more responsible and careful in our decisions in the future. Our fans mean everything to us, so I hope you will stick by us unconditionally. Rina will be having the baby in June, maybe even on my birthday and I hope you will wish for the best. I pray you all will be the fans I believe you are and I hope we all can get past this together. Please, I beg you, be responsible when you got out and do your thing at parties. It only takes one time, like it did for us and trust me, it won't be worth it if you get pregnant or a disease or worst. And I guess that's all...Thank you."

Silence was soon overtaken by something Rina wasn't expecting, applause. Applause filled the ballroom like the scent of apple pie on a windy day. Rina's fear was relinquished as Chris looked back and blew her a kiss. "And now, it's on to 'Someone To Hold Me Tonight'," Chris told the crowd, his proud friends filing in for a beautiful ballot.