Let's just pretend.
Chapter 1: Welcome back.
Hey my fabulous readers! Well, after looking through my 100 topics, I decided this one. I hope you enjoy it. Please leave a review behind, I'll be thrilled to know what you guys think.
Listening to 'Airplanes by B.o.B' in my iPod touch, I stared out of the passenger's window of my Grandma's old truck as we arrived to the beautiful lands that she was owner of. I sighed happily as I recognized my grandma's cultivations and crops that grew in her farm; I felt like home.
Every summer since I was 4 years old, my mother, Maria Montez, would send me here to Tennessee to spend my vacations with my grandmother since she was always travelling; it got more frequently around summer and she didn't want to leave me too much time alone.
My dad died when I was 2 years old, so I don't really remember him. My mom says he was really sweet and kind, and that he loved me very much. I like to pretend that he's watching me from somewhere; being heaven or something else. When I feel alone and when I'm in trouble I talk to him; I like to think of him as my guardian angel. I have a lot of pictures of him holding me when I was a baby, hanging on the wall of my room back in New York; it's a way to not forget his face.
I stepped out of the truck and inhaled the sweet scent of grass recently pruned and smiled happily; this was definitely one of my favorite places in the world. My Grandma's dogs, Jelly and Rex jumped over me and licked me all over. I giggled at the two German shepherds and pushed them off.
"Nice to see you too, guys" I giggled and my grandma helped me take out my luggage from the large, dirty trunk and bring them into the fairy tale house.
My grandma smiled "Why don't you go unpack while I make dinner?" she asked "You must be hungry after such a long trip from New York…"
I smiled "Alright…What are we having for dinner?" I asked as I walked to the staircase with all my three bags.
"My orange chicken" she smiled happily as she wiped her just washed hands with a towel. I looked at her weirdly.
"Nana, we only have orange chicken when you have guests over…" I raised my eyebrows at her.
She smiled "Exactly…" she said before walking back into the kitchen.
I pursed my lips confused and curious. We normally don't have guests in the night that I arrive, not that I care about having some old raisins discussing the uncomfortable feeling of hurting articulations in the dining table; I've gotten used to it over the years. I sighed shaking it off and took my bags upstairs.
I walked down the hallway to the last door at the right and opened the cream colored door to my room for the summer. I smiled as I looked at the pictures hanging on the wall and put the bags over my white quilt. It took me no longer than 15 minutes to unpack and place everything in the drawers and closet; I didn't bring too much clothes anyway.
I sighed as I flopped over my bed and put my hands behind my head. I smiled. I can't wait till tomorrow to go swimming at the lake or maybe go shopping with Nana to the market; maybe I could help her feed the animals in the morning… I'm pretty sure that would make her happy.
"Ella, could you please come downstairs?" nana yelled from downstairs. I smiled at my nickname; she was the only one in my family that called me that.
I sighed and stood up from my bed and ran downstairs and into the dining room, which I knew my Nana would be in.
"Yes nana?" I asked and froze immediately as I saw a family of three. What happened to 'raisins' night? The two adults wouldn't be older than 40.
Nana smiled "Sweetie, these are the Boltons. They bought Mr. Kramer's farm a couple of days ago"
"Hi." I smiled as I approached them "I'm Gabriella, Isabella's granddaughter" I took out my hand for any one of them to shake. Who I thought was Mr. Bolton, took my hand and shook it.
"Nice to meet you, Gabriella" he smiled "I'm Jack, my wife Lucille and my son Troy"
"Hi sweetie!" Lucille was the next one to shake my hand and smiled sweetly at me. I smiled back, she seemed like a really good person and I got a really good vibe of her.
I turned to their son and shook his hand too.
"Hi" he slightly smiled.
"Hi" I smiled back.
I had to admit that he was very handsome. His eyes were the first thing that I noticed, despite the poor amount of light inside the house; they were ocean blue and they had this… warmth in them that it made me smile bigger. I could tell how people really were just by taking a small glimpse in their eyes; and this Bolton boy was hell of a good person.
The next thing I noticed was his angel's smile; what a beautiful smile he had… it was breathtaking and his shaggy hair made him even dreamier. He was probably around my age… maybe a little older.
My Nana cleared her throat, making me snap out of the stranger's eyes and look at her with an innocent look. I so didn't want to make very obvious that I found the Bolton's son hot.
"Well, please take a seat" my nana smiled "Help me in the kitchen, Ella?"
I nodded and followed her into the kitchen after flashing a smile at the Boltons. As I entered I found my nana smirking and wiggling her eyebrows at me; I rolled my eyes.
"Stop it, nana!" I warned her before taking the salad bowl from the kitchen table.
Her smirk grew bigger "I saw it… don't deny it. You liked the Bolton boy…"
"He's handsome" I shrugged, trying to not give it too much importance "It doesn't mean that I liked him"
She laughed "Well then go and make your move!" she encouraged me, not believing me one bit. Of course she wouldn't believe my lies, she knows me too well.
"Nana, I'm not going to make 'my move' since I don't have one!" I glared at her and went back into the dinning room.
She laughed "But you would, if you had one?" she asked following me with the chicken.
I rolled my eyes and giggled a little as I settled the salad in the middle of the table. Before she could say anything else to me, I grabbed the jar of pineapple juice and started pouring the yellow liquid in our guests' cups; they were kind enough to pass me their glasses while I poured.
When I put the final piece of chicken in Troy's plate I sighed and sat down next to my nana, across from him. I took a piece of the chicken and a little of potato salad.
"So, how old are you, Troy?" my nana asked as she wiped her mouth.
He scratched his forehead, smiling "I'm 18. I just finished high school"
"Oh! Is that so?" she asked and smiled at me, while elbowing me lightly.
I glared at her after taking a bite of my potato salad. What was she pretending?
"And which collage are you applying to?" she asked.
The blue eyed boy smiled "I'm not really sure. I may of just stay in U of A, since I have some family in Albuquerque, New Mexico … and I was also thinking about UCLA. My cousin says it's a good school…"
My nana nodded "Well that's really impressive. Gabriella here is going to be a senior next year" she looked at Troy with a smile "And since you're about the age, I'm sure you'll find a lot of things in common"
"Nana!" I looked at her shocked and blushing a little.
Troy chuckled "I'm sure of it…" he smiled and winked at me.
… I think my heart just skipped a beat…
I cleared my throat while blushing and stuffed my mouth with a huge bite of my chicken. This was so embarrassing! Why is my grandmother trying to fix me up with her new neighbor's son? I just met him.
"And which school are you attending, Gabriella?" It was Jack Bolton who asked.
I looked up at him "I'm attending an academy for girls only in New York"
He nodded "I see. And how is it?"
I sighed "Most of the girls are spoiled brats. It's not very nice to be around this kind of girls all the time; every time a boy walks by the school's façade, he's suddenly the 'most handsome boy in the world' and… people get hurt" I rolled my eyes.
The Boltons chuckled along with nana.
"It must be horrible" Lucille concluded.
I nodded "Totally, but I got used to it. Though I'm hoping to switch schools next year..."
"I see why!" Lucille giggled.
I wiped my mouth "Where did you say you were from?"
"We're from L.A" Troy answered before his parents could.
I smiled at him "Is it pretty there?"
"You've never been to L.A?" he arched one eyebrow at me and I shook my head 'no'. "Oh. Well, you could say it is… pretty" he nodded smiling at me.
I nodded.
Oh My God, his smile is so… wow.
**zv**
I woke up the next morning around 8:30 A.M and tried freeing myself from my crumbled up sheets. I sighed frustrated but finally managed to kick them off and stand up.
The dinner last night went very well; I really did like this Troy guy, he looks like a really cool guy and I may even take my nana's advice and get to know him better. But I'll do that later; right now all I want is to take a shower and help my grandma with whatever she needs help with.
The water wasn't as hot as I expected; actually… it was freaking freezing. I wrapped a towel around my body to try and warm myself up and walked across the hallway back into my room. I quickly chose the first thing that I found, which happened to be a pair of beige colored shorts and a yellow t-shirt. After I got dressed, I combed my hair into a ponytail, not really caring if it was still soaking wet and then applied some eyeliner and mascara before running out of my room and down the stairs to warm myself out.
"Did you know there's not hot water?" I asked my nana while grabbing an apple.
She sighed "Again? Don't worry sweetie, I'll get it fixed this afternoon" she said as she served me a plate of scrambled eggs and poured me a glass of fresh orange juice.
"Thanks" I smiled and took a bite "So, what do you want me to help you with, today?" I looked at her as she sat in front of me.
"Nothing" she smiled at me and I frowned at her.
"What do you mean with 'nothing'?"
She rolled her eyes "I mean… nothing!" she smiled "Sweetie, you're 16 and you're in your vacations! Go out and enjoy them!"
"First: my birthday is next week! And Second: what the hell am I supposed to do then?" I asked "I mean… you always have a job for me, to keep me entertained! What happened with 'Don't spend your summer, sitting around watching T.V'?"
"Ella, you can always help me tomorrow. Right now all I want for you to do is have a little fun and relax" her smile turned into a smirk "Plus, you can take advantage of this day off I'm giving you, to go and get to know the Bolton boy"
Oh… now I see where this is going…
"Nana…"
"No! Do not 'Nana...' me!" she said scolding me with her… scolding finger. "You never hang out with boys from my other neighbors… maybe it's time for you to start flirting around! You're young and you haven't had a boyfriend!"
I sighed "The guys around are jerks… and I hadn't had a boyfriend cuz I go to a freaking school for girls only!"
"Exactly! The Bolton boy seems like a nice guy, let's not mention handsome, and he couldn't stop staring at you the whole dinner!" she said smiling.
I rolled my eyes "He may be a nice guy but..." I stopped in my tracks after my brain finally got the last part my nana said "He was?" I asked half smiling.
"Totally!" she smirked.
I sighed "Fine! But don't push it, if it doesn't go right!" I glared at her.
"Okay"
"Promise?" I stretched my arm across the breakfast table and took out my pinkie finger.
She giggled "Promise"
To Be Continued. Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review behind and tell me if I should continue or not! Love you tons!