I was officially eating my words.

Nicky had talked his parents into letting me come along. He'd told them I wanted too sooo bad. They talked to my dad, and he'd okayed it. When my dad told me that it was "all systems go" for my trip to Oklahoma, I'd been, to say the least, shocked.

At any rate, here I was, and here I should remain until we found the driveway of the dreaded family we were staying with. I had been sitting in this seat, crammed between a butthead 15-year-old and a cooky preschooler for the better of two days with nothing to do, but be bored and listen to the hard rock of the late 70s. Don't get me wrong, I'm into oldies, but this stuff really frightened me. I think Jack and Wendie (Nicky's folks) were Dead-heads in their youth. It wouldn't surprise me, anyhow.

"Didn't their house have rocks in the front yard?" Wendie asked for the millionth time.

"No," Jack told her again.

"Are you sure?" Wendie asked.

"Hell, Wen, I think I know what my own sister's house looks like!" Jack shouted, startling all of us in the car. He ran a shaky hand through his short blond hair. "I'm sorry, sorry."

"I understand," I told him from the backseat. "I'm ready to snap heads off, too, all cooped up in this car."

Jack flashed me a smile in the rearview window. When in doubt, he could always count on me. "Thanks, Alex."

"Don't mention it," I said.

For as many times as Wendie had been asking whether or not "their" house had rocks in front of it, we passed the same brown house with gigantic rocks out front. This time, however, there was a woman with looooong blond hair standing out front, waving frantically.

"JACK!" Wendie yelled, causing him to slam on the brakes. "There's your sister!"

"Well, I'll be..." He put the car in reverse, and we backed down the street; quickly he pulled into the driveway. Wendie had jumped out of the van before we had even come to a complete stop.

"ANNA!" she was screeching. The two women embraced. Joey and Sammy, Nicky's 8- and 10-year-old brothers pushed back the sliding door and jumped out of the van, glad to be free of its evil clutches. Nicky loped out and I quickly followed. Nicky waited for me to get clear of the door so that he could grab Ezra. I watched as Jack gave "Anna" a big hug.

"How's my favorite baby sister?" he asked.

"I'm you're only baby sister!" the petite blond exclaimed.

"All the more reason for you to be my favorite!" Jack laughed. "Ann, you remember my kids, Nick, Joe, Sam, and Ezra."

"Of course," she said, grinning. "Gosh, Nicky, you've shot up since the last time I've seen you. And little Ezra isn't even that little anymore! My, she's grown!"

Suddenly, her bright blue eyes averted to me. She gave me a lopsided smile. "Jacky, who's this? Nick, is this your girlfriend?"

Nicky made a gagging noise, and Jack laughed. "Ann, this is Alex Moore. Alex, this is my sister, Diana."

"Hi, Alex," she said, shaking my hand. "Please call me Anna."

"Okay," I said. "Nice meeting you."

"Ditto," she said. A head peeped out the door.

"Mom! Come quick! Zoe's trying to eat the Christmas lights again!"

"Oh!" she said, and ran off. She looked back once over her shoulder and cried, "The door's open! Zac'll show you inside!"

I gave Nicky a look, and he shrugged. He dropped Ezra to the ground, and we all proceeded to the back of the van. The boy who had called his mother came out to help with the luggage.

Jack handed me two huge suitcases and a duffle bag. I slipped the strap of the duffle bag over my shoulder, and took the suitcases in my hands. The boy, who had been handed my backpack, and a mess of small grab bags began to walk back to the house. The rest of us, now loaded down, traipsed after him. It was getting pretty chilly out here...