[A/N. I'm going to be back at Uni next week for the first time in almost three months because of my back, so therefore my stories might not be updated as much as they used to be. I have been pretty slack over the last few weeks but I've been writing a novel, and so that's taken up a lot of my time. Anyway, enjoy this chapter.]

~~ 4. The accident. ~~

I sighed and wished I'd brought a jacket with me as the air was beginning to get cool and I didn't have anything to go over my dress. The party was beginning to wind down and there were only a few guests left on the dance floor. Most of my friends had already left, and I'd distractedly thanked them for coming. I didn't know why but for some reason I was feeling anxious, and butterflies were doing the tango in my stomach.

Marnie and Jackie had been among the last to leave, with Marnie chatting excitedly about the fact that Nelson had asked her for a dance. I didn't tell her that he'd done it as a favor for me. Jackie noticed that there was something on my mind, but I brushed her off, telling her I was just tired. Now I stood at the edge of the dance floor wishing that the remaining guests would go home so I could go home too.

"Why aren't you out there dancing? After all you only turn sixteen once." Uncle Kenneth said, coming over and putting an arm around my shoulders.

"I don't know, I just don't feel like dancing." I admitted with a shrug.

He looked at me carefully. "Are you all right Lara?" He asked.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired." I said, giving the same excuse I'd given Jackie. I don't think Uncle Kenneth believed me completely but he nodded.

"I'm sure Nelson will be ready to take you home soon." He assured me, before he went back to cleaning up with Aunt Holly.

I shivered and crossed my arms over my chest. I didn't know why I was feeling so stressed, but I knew I wasn't going to feel better until I got home and saw my parents weren't still fighting over me.

"Hey birthday girl, where's my dance?" Alex came and stood in front of me. I could smell from his breath he'd been drinking, and I moved back slightly to get away from the pungent smell.

"I'm sorry Alex, but I'm going to have to take a raincheck on it. I don't feel like dancing at the moment." I said.

He frowned angrily. "But you promised me one!" He said.

"I know," I said tiredly. "But I've changed my mind. I just don't feel like dancing right now, I'm tired and my feet are sore, and really I just want to go home."

Alex sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Do you want a lift? Or am I so repulsive you won't even get in a car with me?" He asked.

I hesitated. The idea of getting home sooner rather than later was certainly tempting, but on the other hand he had been drinking and I didn't think it was entirely safe to get in the car with him.

"You know people say you're a snob, but I never used to believe it until now." Alex spat out.

I was shocked. "I'm not a snob!" I protested. "How could you even suggest that?"

Alex smirked. "I've heard tales that the Logan girls have always been snobs. Take your dead Aunt Laura for example- she thought she was better than everyone else and where did that get her? Drowned!"

I glared at him. "I don't think that you should be discussing that at the moment." I warned him.

"And what about your own dear mother?" Alex asked. "She wasn't as innocent as you all like to act like you are!"

"What are you talking about?" I demanded my voice low and dangerous. If Alex hadn't been drunk he might not have answered, but as it was he didn't realise what I was thinking.

"Everyone knows about her affair with Adam Jackson." Alex said. "And supposedly she had some affair with another man when she ran off on your father just before the wedding."

I was shocked into silence. I had got the feeling the other day that Mommy knew Adam Jackson better than she said she did, but I didn't know that they'd been a couple. And I certainly had no idea what he was talking about- Mommy had not run off anywhere before she and Daddy had married….had she?

"Stick your head in the sand if you want, but all Logan girls are the same. So do you want to prove you're different? Do you want a lift or not?" He demanded.

"A lift where?" Nelson asked, coming over and slinging a friendly arm around my shoulder. I was relieved his arrival stopped me from arguing the point with Alex.

"I was offering Lara a lift home, trying to be nice and friendly, but she didn't want one." Alex replied sulkily.

"I can't say I blame her, you can't drive home after drinking." Nelson said. "I came over to tell you that Garreth and Jason were leaving and they said they'd drop you off and you can leave your car here."

Alex glanced at me, and I had the impression he didn't want to leave, that he wanted to stay with me, but he nodded and hurried over to his friends who were leaving.

I took a deep breath, all of a sudden I was glad for the cool, fresh air. What was Alex talking about, Mommy having an affair before she and Daddy married? It seemed like everyone in this town knew all Mommy's little secrets except me, her only daughter. If it weren't for the fact that it was so late I'd have woken Mommy up when I got home and demanded to know what was going on with all these secrets the last few days, and why she and Daddy were fighting. As it was it was going to have to wait for the morning.

"Are you all right? You look kind of pale. Alex didn't bother you did he?" Nelson asked me, peering into my face curiously.

I thought for a moment: Nelson knew pretty much all the little secrets Mommy was hiding from me since he'd been there the other day when we'd overheard Mommy and Aunt Holly talking, and he knew that Daddy and Mommy were fighting over a trip to California.

"Tell you what, I'll get my keys and drive you home, and you can tell me on the way all right?" Nelson asked, and I nodded gratefully. Whilst he went to get his keys I went to say goodbye to Uncle Kenneth and Aunt Holly.

Aunt Holly drew me aside. "You're not worried about your parents arguing are you?" She asked me.

I hastily assured her that I wasn't worried about it at all, but I think she saw through my flimsy lie because she said that ever since my parents had left earlier I'd been acting anxious and worried. She and Uncle Kenneth wished me a happy birthday and then Nelson came back with the keys and we left.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Nelson asked me as we got into the car. "You've been acting kind of stressed the last little while."

I nodded slowly. "It's strange, but it's almost like there's this feeling of dread in me, but I can't place it. I feel like there's something wrong, but I don't know what it is. Then again, it could just be all this stuff with my parents?"

"Okay, spill it." Nelson said, as we drove up the sandy road that led to their place on the beach.

"Well you know that Mommy and Daddy have been arguing a lot the last few weeks about going to California of all things, and you were there when we overheard Mommy and Aunt Holly talking about telling me, and Daddy something, and about how she felt she needed to get answers? Well tonight Daddy was drunk and he and Mommy were arguing and he was talking about someone called Billy- I think perhaps he lives in California- and it sounded like Daddy was accusing Mommy of having an affair with this Billy person. And then to top it off Alex said something before about Mommy running off before she and Daddy got married and having an affair…." I finished breathlessly.

"I've been thinking actually." Nelson said slowly. "I seem to recall hearing something about Melody's mum, Haille, living in California- maybe that's who she wanted to see?"

"My grandmother?" I repeated shocked. "But I thought she was dead!"

"Maybe she is, I just remembered hearing something about it a long time ago." Nelson said. "Damn this rain." He switched the windscreen wipers on higher.

"It's almost as if everyone knows more about my family than I do." I said unhappily. "Mommy has all these secrets, and I know she's had them for years, but it's only recently they're beginning to come to the surface, and if they've got anything to do with me then I think I've got a right to know."

"You do." Nelson assured me.

"But I don't want to hurt Mommy or Daddy." I added, and then I sighed and pushed my hair out of my face. The summer air combined with the rain made it hot and muggy. "Anyway, enough about that- I saw you dancing with Marnie."

Nelson laughed. "I bet you did…. I only did it as a favor for you, of course."

"Of course." I repeated with a smile.

"You know, she might not be that bad after all. I mean, yeah, she's a bit of an air head, but she's a pretty nice girl…do you think she'd want to go out with me?" Nelson asked.

"I'm sure she'd want to go out with you. What teenage girl wouldn't?" I replied. It amused me that Nelson, who was so popular with everyone because of his good looks, his football playing, and his nice-guy attitude, could sometimes be so shy and unsure of himself. If you didn't know him well then you'd never, ever suspect it.

"Do you mind?" Nelson asked, taking his eyes off the road to briefly glance at me.

I laughed. "Mind? No, of course not." I promised him.

"Hmm…well I might ask her- hey, what's that up ahead?" He asked, and I squinted ahead into the darkness. Red and blue flashing lights were lighting up the night.

"Someone's had an accident…I hope they're all right." I said, and all of a sudden the butterflies had returned to my stomach to dance, and they'd brought their friends with them.

As we approached the accident scene Nelson slowed down and we both peered out the windows, and then I gave a scream of recognition- one of the two cars was my parent's car. Before Nelson had even stopped the car I jumped out and ran towards the cars. 'Please god,' I prayed. 'Please let my parents be all right.'