Jesse doesn't have the perfect home life. He was a teenage baby and the first seven. He has six little brothers and sisters, Roger (16), Aaron (13), Vanessa (13), Chelsea (8), Lily (5), and Holly (5).
Life is hard for his family. His parents, Renee and Nate, struggle to make ends meet with thier paychecks from UPS. Jesse gives impromtu concerts to earn a little money and also works as a cashier at the McDonalds down the street. Roger works as a bagger at the Save-a-Lot in the strip mall two blocks away. Aaron and Vanessa are pulling their weight by running their own babysitting business. Chelsea, Lily, and Holly help by keeping the house clean.
Every evening, Jesse makes dinner for the nine of them. Roger sets the table and does his homework, as do Aaron, Vanessa, Chelsea, Holly, and Lily. Nate and Renee relax on the couch after a stressful day at work.
After dinner is over, Vanessa and Chelsea do the dishes. Jesse takes a quick nap in the room he shares with Aaron, Roger, and Vanessa. When he wakes up, he starts on his homeowrk while rehearsing his songs for Vocal Adrealine.
At 7:30 he leaves for work and does so for two hours. If he's not too tired he stops at the library to give a mini concert of whatever he feels like.
Sure life is hard now, but they keep on living. But Jesse wonders what'll happen when he goes to California for college. He's seen what happens every few months when he gets sick. Everything is thrown out of whack.
All he can do is hope for the best.