"Honey!" Carmen called from downstairs while preparing the lasagna for the Hansons.
"Coming!" Mackenzie called out and closed her bedroom door to go down the kitchen. "What is it?" she asked, facing Carmen with an innocent face.
Her Mom handed her the casserole, "Here," she said, "take this to Diana. And tell her that I'll visit there at dinner, 'kay?"
Mackenzie had gone astonished that made her blurted out loudly, "The Hansons are here?"
The Hansons are back. It has been 4 years since they last saw each other apart from house visit that only lasted for a day or two, still, not bumping on seeing one another. Busy schedules, that's what she thought.
The Hanson and the Cooper family are very close friends, up until now. Before three of Mr. Walker and Mrs. Diana Hanson's son became famous. They were tight. In summary, they were like real bonded family. Celebrating occasions together, having vacations, birthdays, even funerals at there houses.
Diana and Carmen, Mackenzie's mum, are bestfriends since high school so they made a pledge to be like that in forever. They all were. Even their children.
She was the pal of the three, they favored her. Being the shy yet bratty, brave yet clumsy and her being one of the boys, she was like them. Only, Zac doesn't take her seriously. He always call her names like 'Ms. Baby Boy' and 'Kenny the Loser' which is really disappointing because she's older than him. Meanwhile, Ike is the one who really treats her like a man, slightly punching when he wants to like he always do to Zac and Taylor.
Taylor... the one who sometimes defends her. On the other hand, when he needs a good laugh to prank around, it is her that he wants. He was so bizarre. Still, she liked him.
Before they had stardom, Macy liked Taylor because they were the closest of all. Playing, talking, sleeping together and also him singing to her whenever she whines.
He was even, indeed her first kiss.
FLASHBACK:
It was Christmas eve in the Hanson, Diana and Carmen still preparing the feast, Walker and Matt( her Dad ) talking about something, Jessica, Avery and Macky(who was named after her- Zac's idea, of course. She still wonders why her mum agreed) are having a little nap, while she and the Hanson boys are in the tree house playing.
"You cheated, Zac," she accused.
Zachary raised her brows, "And how'd ya know, Little Kenny?" That what they call her, sometimes it's only 'Ken'. "You weren't even here."
"I saw it, you weren't there," she said pointing at the monopoly board, "I knew you were there before I left."
She had gone to the bathroom to pee for a minute and when she came back, Zac's position was visibly moved.
She, Isaac and Zac are playing monopoly while Taylor's playing with his harmonica. He was looking at the full moon.
"Ike?" she called. The look of plead to say the truth was plastered on her face.
To her disappointment, he just shrugged and smirked at Zac. That made her groan."Okay, what now? The joke is still on me? It's Christmas! Don't be unfair."
"Oh, Kenny," Zac mocked, "being a cry baby again. Sorry. Ha ha!"
She pouted and crossed her arms. She has been joked once more. She's on a game that she can't win for herself. She needed some help and in embarrassment, she had to do the most unpridable( if that's even word) thing to do and that's to get help from Taylor. She turned to him and used her practiced dog-face expression, "Tay..." she trailed off.
He smiled and stopped what he was doing to look at her, "I told you to not play the game Little Kenny but you did, and look what happened? You being pissed because 'Zac cheated the game'-" he said using air quotes, "and you're complaining?"
"Because he actually did!"
He raised his hands for her to shut up but she didn't.
"But-"
He made a shhh-ing gesture, "At-tat-tat. I'm here to help you, remember?"
She nodded. He sat next to her, between her and Ike on the wooded floor and wrapped his arms on her shoulder. He looked tentatively at Zac which made the youngster gulped but still looking as brave as ever. Taylor slid his free hand on his pant's pocket. "Zac, you cheated."
"No I didn't!" Zac yelled defensively.
Taylor smiled and handed some cash in front of Zac's face, "Yes, you bribed me remember? 10 bucks?" He raised his brows at him.
There was a long staring contest between the two that she can't understand. That's what she always notice every time Zac and Ike does things to her. There's always a staring contest and money involve. She sometimes guess where they got the money. She took pity at Taylor for that time for she had realized that he's always trying to pay up in whatever craziness happens between the four of them.
"You know what?" she interrupted, "let's forget this and-"
"No, we're not." Taylor cut off. "C'mon, man, take it. It'll be easy." It scared her.
After a couple of seconds, "Fine. I did. I bribed you. You are no fun at all." He sighed and stood up, "I'm bored." He walked to the rope stairs, "I'm going down."
"We're still not finished with the game." Mackenzie alleged that made Zac looked back, he smirked.
"Nah, I'm doing some...thing. Coming bro?" he was referring to Isaac.
Isaac stood also, "Of course... 'cause we are doing the bit," he let out a relieved sighed, "man, I've been waiting for this."
They both ran downstairs while the two was left alone, Mackenzie, having the look of suspicion. "What was that about?"
He slid off his arms on her shoulders and faced her like she does in indian-sit style. "Probably playing another prank. Ya know those guys. They're full if sh-"
"Ep!" she yelled covering her ears, "don't even dare to say that word in front of me, Jordan Taylor Hanson."
He laughed, "What? I was gonna say 'shenanigan'." He saw her shivered, "What?"
She removed her hands on her ears, "I just thought that maybe, it's going to be on me-"
"It's always going to be on you."
She glared at him, "I'm not finish talking, Tay." He laughed and signaled her to keep on talking. Actually, she doesn't even remember what she's gonna say next until she remembered something, "anyways, what's the money about? He really bribed you? How'd he get th-?"
"Nah. I just want the game to end."
She rolled her eyes, "Aherm, I wasn't finish talking but okay, go on."
He beamed before continuing, "as I said, I finished it be-"
"Yes, because?" He glowered at her, "I'm sorry, I'm paying back... go on."
"I finished it because it's eating you out, you brat girl. You don't even know what you're playing."
She gasped, "FYI, I know what I'm doing."
He snickered, "You don't even know what FYI means."
She punched him lightly on the shoulder, "Yes, I do. And don't ask me because I'm not going to answer. Period."
"You don't," he muttered.
"I do."
"Don't."
"Do."
"Don't."
"Do."
"Do."
"I don't okay! Happy?" She surrendered. Taylor giggled. "Why can't I even won on anything?"
"Because you, always lose."
She sighed, giving up, "...yeah," she yawned, "I'm tired." She rose up and sat on the chair beside the window where Taylor sat earlier. She was indeed tired, being the laughingstock of Zac, the victim of pranks of Ike and a loser-to-every game with Taylor. She feels so dumb at her age. But since the Hanson brothers are her only friend (besides the younger siblings of them- she can't, they're not on her field... yes, sometimes Jessica and Avery, but she feels awkward playing with them.) She was just fortunate to have friends, if that's what she can call them.
Taylor grew curious at her little friend who kept on looking at the stars, he felt odd, "Ken?"
He walked near her and was about to sit beside her when he realized that they won't fit at the small chair. And so, he sat uncomfortable at the window sill.
She smiled at his action- him, being caring. She didn't reply and just smiled.
"Earth to Mackenzie Olivia Cooper," he said snapping his fingers at her face.
"Nothing," she giggled, "can you sing a song for me?"
He beamed once again, she's the only one who request this kind of things- and she's also the girl who makes him. He never turned her down because she was his bestfriend. He's willing to do anything, "What do you want me to sing?"
"My favorite, Ben."
"Why do you like that song anyways?"
She replied smartly, "Because it sounds like my nickname-"
"-Ken" they both said simultaneously and smiled.
"It really fits you." Taylor commented.
"Thank you," she humbly replied, "now start singing, it's only 30 minutes till Christmas and Mom will surely want us to go down."
"Okay, okay Little Kenny, you're being a brat again."
And he did.