Chapter 7 - Dinner

"I would love to!" I exclaimed with a bright smile on my face.

"Great," Max said, walking towards the tv screen, "Well let's continue watching the horror movie." I let out a whimper as he laughed at me, "I'm just kidding (Y/N) I'll turn it off, I know you don't like horror movies."

A smile reappears on my lips, "Thank you, Max!"

"Well," Max started, "how about a nice game of monopoly?"

Dylan whined, "You always know I always lose that game."

Lucas agreed, "Yeah, and it's either you or (Y/N) that win."

I laughed, "Fine then let's find a game we can all play."

"I have an idea!" Lucas exclaimed with a grin, "Max has a soccer net in his backyard, we could play soccer!"

"That's a great idea," Dylan complimented.

"Sure," Max replied.

They all looked at me with pleading eyes, "Um... I haven't played soccer in a while but I'll give it a shot."

I turned to look at Zane. His skin was pale and it looked like he was about to faint. "Z-Zane are you okay?" I say with a worried expression on my face, "You're really pale!"

Zane shook his head, "I-I'm fine."

Dylan ran up to him and patted him on the shoulder, "No need to worry, I'll go easy on you." Dylan paused for a moment and looked at me, "On the other hand (Y/N) always takes these games seriously."

I crossed my arms, "I may take these games seriously but I always win in the end."

"True," Lucas laughed.

"Let's go," Max said and we made our way to the backyard.

* * * * *

In the end, Lucas won. "Of course, you're the one who won!" Dylan complained, "I should have known! You knew that you would win this whole time, that's why you suggested it!"

"Calm down Dylan," I said, grabbing his arm, "You yelling is not going to do anything."

"It's fine (Y/N)," Lucas joined in, "He's just jealous he doesn't have fine skills like I do."

I sighed as I let go of Dylan and Max held him back. To be honest, Dylan is short-tempered. When I was little I won a game of monopoly and he flipped out and smashed the board. He got into trouble and he wouldn't speak to me until my parents forced him to.

I walk up to Zane, "I'm sorry, you probably don't want to be in the middle of this."

Zane chuckled, "It's fine I grew up with two brothers and Dylan kind of reminds me of myself."

"Oh, okay then." I looked over my shoulder to see Max still holding Dylan back as he tried to swing at Lucas who was laughing in the background. "Do you want to stay for dinner? If you don't want to then we can just go home."

Zane sighs, "To be honest I'm really awkward when talking to people but you need to catch up with your family. I'll just try to stay in the background."

I smile, "I'm really awkward too when I first meet them!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

"I think we need a tranquilizer!" Max called out making everyone laugh except Dylan of course.

"Just let me hit him at least once," Dylan yelled with anger.

I ran up to him and hit him on the head, "You don't hit siblings!"

"Look who's talking!" Dylan yells back at me.

"Hey, hey!" Max holds him back from me, "She's our little sister remember?"

Dylan growls and I sigh. "He just needs to calm down," I mumble. "Hey, Max, when is dinner?"

"What time is it?" Max asked, looking at me.

Lucas looked at his watch, "It's almost 5:30."

Max jumps up and lets go of Dylan abruptly, "Dang it I need to make food!"

* * * * *

Dylan, Lucas, Zane, and I sit at the dining table while Max cooks the last few dishes for dinner. Honestly, I didn't know Max could cook. All of a sudden the doorbell rang and Max came out of the kitchen running to set the last dish on the table before going to answer the door.

"Honey!" I hear Max call once he opens the front door, "Did you have a good day at work?"

"I did!" I hear a woman's voice reply.

"Daddy, daddy," A child interrupts, "We get to bring stuffed animals to school tomorrow!"

"Oh really!" Max replies with excitement in his voice, "Well I made dinner but we have some company and I would like you to meet a few people that you didn't know before."

A little girl with blonde hair in pigtails and large green eyes walks into the dining room, her eyes sparkling, "Uncle Dylan, Uncle Lucas!" She runs up to both of them and hugs them while both Zane and I sit awkwardly in our chairs. Max walks in with a woman also with blonde hair and green eyes. After the little girl hugs Dylan and Lucas she stares at both me and Zane.

"As I said there are a few more people I would like you to meet," Max started. I stood up from my chair and Zane did the same. "This is (Y/N), my younger sister and her friend, Zane."

I smile at them trying to relieve the awkward tension in the room. The lady about Max's age walks up to me with a warm smile. "I'm Jessica, Max's wife." She holds out her hand and I shake it, greeting her.

Jessica waves the little girl over next to her to introduce her too, "This is our daughter, Mia." I crouch down in front of Mia hoping not to intimidate her, "Hi Mia." Mia waves back and hides behind Jessica's leg. "Sorry," Jessica apologizes, "Mia is a shy person when she first gets to know someone."

I smile up at Jessica, "That's fine, I am too."

"You are?" Mia blurts out from behind Jessica.

"Sure I am!" I reply with enthusiasm, "I'm practically freaking out right now I'm so nervous!"

"I am too!" Mia says jumping out from behind Jessica.

"How about we can be nervous buddies together?"

"Yeah, nervous buddies!"

"But we also have one more person as out nervous buddies, I'm pretty sure he's freaking out too," I say standing up before introducing Zane, "This is Zane, a friend of mine."

"Hi Zane," Mia says with a bright smile.

Jessica laughs at how energetic Mia is now, "Nice to meet you, Zane, I'm Jessica."

"N-Nice to meet you," Zane stutters with a light blush on his face.

I smile back at him and rub his shoulder before whispering in his ear, "It's okay, my family's nice." I look to see Zane even more flustered than before which made me chuckle.

"Don't laugh (Y/N)!" Zane whisper-yells.

"I'm sorry," I say in between laughs.

+*+*+*+*+*+ Conversation at Dinner +*+*+*+*+*+

We were all eating peacefully at the dinner table sharing jokes and some fascinating stories before Jessica asks me a question, "Hey, (Y/N), what's so weird about your dad, Max here won't tell me anything about him and neither Lucas nor Dylan will either."

My heart froze at her questions and all eyes were on me at this point. I paused for a minute but silently continued eating afterward trying to avoid the question. "Please, (Y/N), tell me?"

"Stop Jessica," Max says using a serious tone, "I already said it's a topic we don't want to talk about."

"But Max, I'm part of your family now. I'm sad that Mia won't have a grandfather because you wouldn't let her see him-"

"Just stop," Max interrupts.

I put my silverware down and lay my head in my hands. "No, I shouldn't stop!" Jessica argues, "I have a reason to know who your father is and why you will not speak about him!"

Everyone stays quiet while they argue. "We have a good reason why we can't tell you."

"And what is that reason?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Why not!"

I lift my head from my hands and grasp onto Zane's hand that is under the table next to me. He looks to the side at me and sees the worry in my face making him squeeze my hand back. I look at him from the corner of my eye, his face is bright red. He tries to cover his flushed face with his bangs by looking down at the table.

Everyone eats the last of the food that is left and we all say our goodbyes to one another. I climb into the car with Zane and I let out a deep sigh, "What a busy day..."