The "When We Were Young" Series
By StoneColdFox
CHAPTER TWO: First Sight
RATING: G
DISCLAIMER: "Will and Grace" is a trademark of National Broadcasting Company in association with Three Sisters Entertainment/Everything Entertainment. Or something like that… Anyhow, no infringement is intended. No matter how much I tell myself they are, THESE CHARACTERS ARE NOT MINE.
SUMMARY: Pt 2 of When We Were Young… A series based on the premise that Will and Grace met when they were kids, rather than in College (as in the show).
FEEDBACK: Love it love it love it. And then some. PLEASE REVIEW!
"Hey mister!" Grace called out to a man in a blue sweater near the removal truck, forgetting her manners for a moment. Suddenly shy, she corrected herself. "Uh, excuse me, sir?"
He didn't hear her at first, and continued to instruct the removal guys who were still unloading items from the truck.
"Oh, uh – be careful with that, guys. It's kind of… fragile. There's a, a door… there… Uh, watch out for that… okay, yeah, if you could just, uh, put it in the living-Oh! Oh, there it goes… heh… Oh, no, don't worry. I can, uh, clean that up later…" The somewhat flustered man backed away from the truck, deciding it was better if he didn't watch. Grace tried again.
"Excuse me? Sir?"
He turned around and, noticing the redhead for the first time, smiled.
"Oh! Hello."
"Hi! I'm Grace Adler," Grace stuck out her hand boldly, and the man found that she had a firm handshake.
"George. George Truman," he replied, somewhat taken aback by the forthright little girl in front of him.
"Pleased to meet you! So… you're moving in, huh? Oh, wait," Grace giggled and tapped her forehead. "Duh! Of course you're moving in. That's what all the moving vans are for! I live across the road," Grace pointed to her yellow two-story house. "So I guess we'll be neighbors!"
"I guess so," an amused smile played on George's face. He immediately thought of his son, William, whom he affectionately called Will. He'd been unhappy about moving to a new suburb, thinking he wouldn't have any friends to play with over the summer. This little girl seemed like a perfect match. "How old are you?" he asked.
"Ten and three quarters."
"I see. I have a son who's almost eleven, too."
The disappointment was evident in Grace's wide eyes. "A son?"
"Yes. His name's Will. He's right inside, if you'd like to meet him."
Grace's face fell even more. She glanced over to the purple bike, making sure she hadn't been mistaken. "But… you have a daughter too, right?"
George shook his head. "Nope. Two boys. My other son, Sam, is away at college. He's almost nineteen." Confused, George let his eyes follow Grace's, over to where the purple bike was standing. He let out a chuckle. "Oh! I see… The bike. Uh, that belongs to Will. He just really likes the color purple. His buddies gave him hell when he chose a purple bike, but Will refused to give it up."
Grace bit her lip. The bike belonged to a boy. A stupid, stinky boy. And she'd been so happy! Finally, she'd thought she'd have somebody to have fun with over the summer. She'd already been picturing the sleepovers they'd have, the picnics they'd share at the lake, the dances they'd make up…
And now all hopes of a fun summer were gone, Grace thought. Another boy in the neighborhood… Just what she needed. Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice.
"Hey Dad! Have you seen my denim jacket? I thought I put it in my backpack, but Mom thinks it might be in the suitca-Hello," the boy cut himself off at the sight of the girl standing with his father.
Grace stood awkwardly, smiling politely at the boy as she tried to hide her still-evident disappointment. "Hi. You must be Will."
"Yeah," He looked up at his Dad. "You been talking about me behind my back again?" he accused jokingly. George chuckled and tousled his son's hair playfully as he began to walk away.
"Nice to meet you, Grace. You kids have fun now."
The boy smiled broadly at Grace, who appeared to be eyeing him warily. He was kind of cute, she thought to herself. Solidly built, but wiry-looking. His eyes were bright and friendly, and he had a killer smile.
"Grace, is it?"
"Yeah, Grace Adler. I live across the road."
Will nodded. There was an uncomfortable silence between them, neither one knowing what to say next. Will shifted from foot to foot as Grace curled a lock of hair around her finger and exhaled loudly. Finally Will broke the silence.
"So… You wanna go for a ride? Maybe show me around the neighborhood?"
Grace thought carefully for a moment. She looked up at the sky. The clouds that had loomed overhead for days were beginning to disappear, and she thought she spied a little ray of sunlight poking out from behind them. Well, she thought. It's not like I have anything better to do.
"Okay," Grace agreed, smiling happily. "Wait here, I'll grab my bike!"