CHAPTER SEVEN

Luci walked into the living room where Allie, Nick and A.J. sat waiting for her. "Are we taking my car?" she asked impatiently.

"I guess so." Allie answered dully.

"My Tahoe is at Daddy's. It's either the BMW or your Elantra." Luci stated, shifting her weight. There was no tension in the room, but she could feel it in her body. This was the last thing she wanted to do. Normally she loved dinner at the Williams, but this time she dreaded it.

"The BMW, I guess." Allie sighed, getting up. Nick and A.J. watched them in confusion. Where had the happy and bouncy girls they had first met gone?

"Let's go then. I'm starving." Nick stated, getting up.

They all walked out of the apartment building not talking, but when they reached Luci's BMW AJ asked, "What is wrong with you two?"

"What do you mean?" Allie replied, waiting for Luci to unlock the car.

"You know what I mean. Neither of you is talking to anyone. You won't look at us. You won't look at each other. Something is wrong." AJ concluded, pulling open the passenger's side door and letting Nick and Allie get in the back.

"I don't know what you talking about AJ." Allie responded, shaking her head. "Oh yeah, Luc...guess whose going to be at dinner?"

"Who?" Luci asked starting the car and pulling out the parking lot. She really could have cared less.

"Brett." Allie informed her. She was talking about her 25 year old brother who had recently graduated from college and had been in Italy over the summer. Luci had practically been in love with him.

"Yes I know. I talked to him online last night." Luci muttered offhandedly, turning on her CD player and letting Papa Roach fill the car and the conversations.

~+~+~+~+~

"Allie is that you, honey?" a voice yelled from the kitchen as the foursome walked into Allie's house twenty minutes later.

"Yeah Mom." Allie answered, walking into the kitchen with the other three in tow.

"Hello Luci." Mrs. Williams greeted Luci. She had always made a conscious effort to include Luci in every family activity because of her Mother's death and her father was rarely home. She loved Luci like another daughter.

"Hey Mrs. W." Luci responded, smiling wanly. "Do you need any help?"

"Would you mind setting the table?" Mrs. Williams asked. Luci nodded and disappeared from the room.  "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"Mom this is Nick Carter and AJ Mclean. Guys this is my Mom." Allie offered, dully. "Where is everyone?" Everyone was her father, Brett, her 22 year old sister Melissa, her 15 year old brother, Joshua, and her 11 year old sister Alyssa.

"Around somewhere. Can you help please? I need the salad made, the carrots peeled, and the table set up." Mrs. Williams inquired, smiling at the boys.

"Al, I need help wi-" Alyssa yelled running into the kitchen, but skidded to a halt after seeing Nick and A.J. "Ooohhhh...."

"Hello, Alyssa." Nick said, smiling. Allie had clued them in on the family while walking up the front door.

"No way....Nick Carter knows my name." she breathed, walking slowly out of the room. "I need to use the phone. I'll be right back."

AJ shook his head. "That never gets old. I love seeing that look." he laughed.

"Help?" Mrs. Williams pressed.

"Okay okay Mom...Chill." Allie replied. "I'll make the salad. Nick you peel the carrots and AJ go set up the table. It's in the dining room."

~+~+~+~+~

"So how long have you all known each other?" Melissa questioned almost an hour later, as they finally sat down to dinner.

"Only a little while. We met at McDonalds." AJ stated.

"So which of you is dating my daughter?" Mr. Williams asked.

"Neither." Allie answered quickly not looking at either guy. "So what happened to everyone this week?"

"Nothing." Brett replied. He and Joshua did not look very happy to have Backstreet Boys in their house. Alyssa looked like she couldn't have been happier, and Melissa, Mrs. and Mr. Williams didn't really seem to care.

"We got fifth row tickets and backstage passes to the Anger Management Tour, Joshie." Luci announced, smiling at Joshua. He had almost always had a crush on Luci and Luci thought it was cute and took very advantage from it.

"Cool." Joshua answered, turning slightly red. "I was supposed to go but Mom wouldn't let me."

"Yeah well Allie gets to do everything," Alyssa began, taking a bite of chicken before continuing, "Just because she's a-"

"So Luci how is your father?" Mr. Williams interrupted, glancing harshly at Alyssa.

Luci stared at Alyssa in shock, while the rest of the Williams family did the same, except for Allie.

"No, Dad. Let Alyssa finish. Just because I'm what, Alyss?" Allie prodded, watching her sister.

Alyssa looked nervously around the table. "I-I didn't mean too...It just slipped." she apologized, looking at her Mother.

"What slipped Alyssa?" Allie pressed, putting down her fork.

"Allison I don't think we should really talk about that now." Mrs. Williams suggested.

"NO! No, I want to know." Allie replied, shaking her head.

"Mom?" Alyssa whimpered.

Mrs. Williams sighed. "Allison when you were two your father and I....we adopted you."

Allie's mouth dropped. "You what? Why didn't you tell me?" Allie exclaimed.

"We wanted to tell you at the right time." Mr. Williams said.

"When? When you were dying?" Allie retorted, looking shortly at Luci who was staring at her plate. "You knew. You knew didn't you Luci?"

"Al...I...Melissa told me one time...I never wanted to tell you...It wasn't my place to tell you...." Luci answered, rubbing her forehead.

"Your my best friend Lucinda! Your supposed to tell me those kind of things!" Allie cried her eyes misting over.

Nick put his hand on her shoulder. "Al...it's okay..." he whispered.

"No, it's not. My life has been a whole lie. I hope your all happy!" she yelled, running from the dining room.