~A Once and Again Series~
Life is what you make of it
Chapter 9// None of your business
"So, Grace, what are you doing today?"
Grace tensed. It was a simple question, but she had to concentrate on the answer she gave to her mother. "Oh, I don't know. I was thinking I'd go to the library later and catch up on some homework."
"On a Sunday?" Lily asked as she went about making breakfast. "That doesn't sound like much fun."
Since her mother's back was to her, Grace allowed herself a small smile, "No, but it's necessary."
"Oh, so, did you want to take the car? I can leave the keys with you. Rick is taking me to that new restaurant that just opened. And we're going to that museum that has the star thing." Lily smiled, thinking of it.
"The Barium planetarium?" Grace asked.
"Uh, yeah, that place," Lily said distracted as she began setting the food onto plates. "Call your sisters down."
'My sisters?' Grace thought to herself. She only had one sister and Jessie, her stepsister. But, whatever. "Zoe! Jessie!" Grace screamed from her chair at the table.
Lily gave her an exasperated look. "I could have done that."
The sound of feet on the stairs entered the kitchen. Grace shrugged, "It worked."
"Oh, food!" Zoe said in delight, as if she hadn't been munching on cookies a half an hour ago. Grace didn't know where her little sister put all the food she ate. She was still as skinny as ever. Lily handed Zoe a plate and she sat down at the table.
"Just a little," Jessie told Lily. "I'm not all that hungry." Lily put a good size amount on Jessie's plate anyways.
"Grace?" Lily asked from the stove. "You going to eat?"
Grace looked at Zoe piling her food into her tiny mouth. Some girls couldn't eat whatever they wanted like Zoe. Grace looked across the table at skinny Jessie eating small bites. Maybe it was time for her to go on a diet. She stood up. "Uh, mom, I actually already ate," Grace lied.
Lily turned in surprise, "Oh, I didn't realize."
"Just a bagel," Grace shrugged, "But I'm not hungry anymore."
"Oh, okay."
Grace left the kitchen and headed up to her room. She wanted to lie on her bed and think about tonight some more. Augustus had told her he wanted her to come at four. It was only 10:30 now, so Grace knew she had a good amount of time left, but she was too excited to do anything but think of what was to come.
* * *
Grace turned on her bed and looked at the clock again, 3:22pm. She kept checking it, hoping the somehow the numbers would have magically changed to 3:50. At 3:50, Grace decided she'd leave. She had looked up his house on the map in the telephone book and it was only a five-minute drive away.
Grace jumped off her bed and began to pace. She sighed and stopped herself in front of the mirror, checking over her outfit again. Dark blue sweater and a gray skirt. Simple, pretty and nice with a touch of sophistication. Her hair was pulled back into a braid. She never wore much makeup, and so had gone with only a touch of mascara and lip-gloss. She thought she looked good, but she couldn't help feeling nervous.
There was a knock at her door and Grace jumped. "Yes?"
Lily opened the door. Her mother was wearing an outfit that was oddly similar to hers. Gray sweater and black skirt. "Rick and I are leaving now. I just wanted to give you the keys.." She looked Grace over, "Is that what you're wearing to the library?"
Grace shrugged, her tongue felt tied into knots. "Yeah, why?"
Lily looked at her daughter for a long while. "Honey, is there something you want to tell me?"
"Like what?" Grace managed.
"If you have a boyfriend, you can tell me. I'll understand, honey. I won't tell anyone you don't want me to tell about it," Lily said.
Grace's eyes widened, "I don't have a boyfriend."
"Grace, this is your mother, I know the signs," Lily came closer and put a arm around Grace, "I want you to feel you can tell me about it no matter who he is."
Grace stood there, not sure what to say. Could her mother know about her and Augustus? Was that possible? Had Eli gone to her mother and told her?
"I know you don't want to hurt Jessie, but I think she'll understand," Lily continued. Grace was really confused now. "Grace, are you dating Tad?"
"What?" Grace laughed in relief, "No, mother, I'm not dating Tad!"
"Oh," Lily said in surprise. She thought a moment and said again, "Oh."
"Lily!" Rick called up the stairs.
Grace smiled at her mother, "Have fun."
Lily nodded, but seemed about to say something. Rick called again and Lily sighed and Moved towards the door. She turned back to Grace, "You can talk to me, honey, remember that. Okay?"
"Okay, mom," Grace had no intention of ever mentioning Augustus' name to her mother.
"Bye, sweetie." Lily handed her the car keys.
"Bye, mom." Grace watched her mother leave her room and closed the door behind her. She looked at the clock and was delighted, 3:45. She went about putting the car keys in her purse and checking to make sure everything was in order. Everything was good. She looked at the clock again, 3:47. Eh, close enough, Grace smiled to herself, she couldn't stay in her room a minute longer.
She made her way to the kitchen without running into anyone, but then Eli walked in. He looked her over in the same way her mother had done.
"Got a date?" Eli asked. Grace just shrugged.
"Grace, just remember you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. He's an adult and he might be expecting more from you," Eli said, unable to look directly at her. Grace just shrugged. She pulled her coat off the coat rack.
"Grace, do you really like him as much as you think you do?"
Grace turned, ready to answer this one with words when she saw Jessie standing behind Eli.
"What are you talking about?" Jessie asked in confusion, "Who does Grace like?"
Grace pulled her coat on and looked at her stepsister, "Just forget it."
Jessie's eyes went from Grace to Eli to Grace, "But, I thought you two were.."
"You were wrong," Eli snapped at her.
Jessie cringed under Eli's harsh words. "Sorry, I just thought.."
"I'm leaving," Grace said.
Eli looked at her and then at Jessie and he strode out of the room and back into his garage apartment.
"Grace, what happened? Who's this other guy?" Jessie demanded, angry at seeing her brother hurt.
"None of your business," Grace turned to leave.
"You can't treat my brother like this." Jessie said to her back.
Grace stopped and looked over her shoulder, "Jessie, you don't know what you're talking about."
"I know enough," Jessie insisted.
Grace sighed and her eyes caught the clock on the microwave, 3:52. "Bye, Jessie."
Jessie didn't respond. Grace could sense the girl's anger at her, but she had a date to make. She gave Jessie one last glance and left the house. It was time to see her Augustus. She would deal with Jessie later.
* * *
Life is what you make of it
Chapter 9// None of your business
"So, Grace, what are you doing today?"
Grace tensed. It was a simple question, but she had to concentrate on the answer she gave to her mother. "Oh, I don't know. I was thinking I'd go to the library later and catch up on some homework."
"On a Sunday?" Lily asked as she went about making breakfast. "That doesn't sound like much fun."
Since her mother's back was to her, Grace allowed herself a small smile, "No, but it's necessary."
"Oh, so, did you want to take the car? I can leave the keys with you. Rick is taking me to that new restaurant that just opened. And we're going to that museum that has the star thing." Lily smiled, thinking of it.
"The Barium planetarium?" Grace asked.
"Uh, yeah, that place," Lily said distracted as she began setting the food onto plates. "Call your sisters down."
'My sisters?' Grace thought to herself. She only had one sister and Jessie, her stepsister. But, whatever. "Zoe! Jessie!" Grace screamed from her chair at the table.
Lily gave her an exasperated look. "I could have done that."
The sound of feet on the stairs entered the kitchen. Grace shrugged, "It worked."
"Oh, food!" Zoe said in delight, as if she hadn't been munching on cookies a half an hour ago. Grace didn't know where her little sister put all the food she ate. She was still as skinny as ever. Lily handed Zoe a plate and she sat down at the table.
"Just a little," Jessie told Lily. "I'm not all that hungry." Lily put a good size amount on Jessie's plate anyways.
"Grace?" Lily asked from the stove. "You going to eat?"
Grace looked at Zoe piling her food into her tiny mouth. Some girls couldn't eat whatever they wanted like Zoe. Grace looked across the table at skinny Jessie eating small bites. Maybe it was time for her to go on a diet. She stood up. "Uh, mom, I actually already ate," Grace lied.
Lily turned in surprise, "Oh, I didn't realize."
"Just a bagel," Grace shrugged, "But I'm not hungry anymore."
"Oh, okay."
Grace left the kitchen and headed up to her room. She wanted to lie on her bed and think about tonight some more. Augustus had told her he wanted her to come at four. It was only 10:30 now, so Grace knew she had a good amount of time left, but she was too excited to do anything but think of what was to come.
* * *
Grace turned on her bed and looked at the clock again, 3:22pm. She kept checking it, hoping the somehow the numbers would have magically changed to 3:50. At 3:50, Grace decided she'd leave. She had looked up his house on the map in the telephone book and it was only a five-minute drive away.
Grace jumped off her bed and began to pace. She sighed and stopped herself in front of the mirror, checking over her outfit again. Dark blue sweater and a gray skirt. Simple, pretty and nice with a touch of sophistication. Her hair was pulled back into a braid. She never wore much makeup, and so had gone with only a touch of mascara and lip-gloss. She thought she looked good, but she couldn't help feeling nervous.
There was a knock at her door and Grace jumped. "Yes?"
Lily opened the door. Her mother was wearing an outfit that was oddly similar to hers. Gray sweater and black skirt. "Rick and I are leaving now. I just wanted to give you the keys.." She looked Grace over, "Is that what you're wearing to the library?"
Grace shrugged, her tongue felt tied into knots. "Yeah, why?"
Lily looked at her daughter for a long while. "Honey, is there something you want to tell me?"
"Like what?" Grace managed.
"If you have a boyfriend, you can tell me. I'll understand, honey. I won't tell anyone you don't want me to tell about it," Lily said.
Grace's eyes widened, "I don't have a boyfriend."
"Grace, this is your mother, I know the signs," Lily came closer and put a arm around Grace, "I want you to feel you can tell me about it no matter who he is."
Grace stood there, not sure what to say. Could her mother know about her and Augustus? Was that possible? Had Eli gone to her mother and told her?
"I know you don't want to hurt Jessie, but I think she'll understand," Lily continued. Grace was really confused now. "Grace, are you dating Tad?"
"What?" Grace laughed in relief, "No, mother, I'm not dating Tad!"
"Oh," Lily said in surprise. She thought a moment and said again, "Oh."
"Lily!" Rick called up the stairs.
Grace smiled at her mother, "Have fun."
Lily nodded, but seemed about to say something. Rick called again and Lily sighed and Moved towards the door. She turned back to Grace, "You can talk to me, honey, remember that. Okay?"
"Okay, mom," Grace had no intention of ever mentioning Augustus' name to her mother.
"Bye, sweetie." Lily handed her the car keys.
"Bye, mom." Grace watched her mother leave her room and closed the door behind her. She looked at the clock and was delighted, 3:45. She went about putting the car keys in her purse and checking to make sure everything was in order. Everything was good. She looked at the clock again, 3:47. Eh, close enough, Grace smiled to herself, she couldn't stay in her room a minute longer.
She made her way to the kitchen without running into anyone, but then Eli walked in. He looked her over in the same way her mother had done.
"Got a date?" Eli asked. Grace just shrugged.
"Grace, just remember you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. He's an adult and he might be expecting more from you," Eli said, unable to look directly at her. Grace just shrugged. She pulled her coat off the coat rack.
"Grace, do you really like him as much as you think you do?"
Grace turned, ready to answer this one with words when she saw Jessie standing behind Eli.
"What are you talking about?" Jessie asked in confusion, "Who does Grace like?"
Grace pulled her coat on and looked at her stepsister, "Just forget it."
Jessie's eyes went from Grace to Eli to Grace, "But, I thought you two were.."
"You were wrong," Eli snapped at her.
Jessie cringed under Eli's harsh words. "Sorry, I just thought.."
"I'm leaving," Grace said.
Eli looked at her and then at Jessie and he strode out of the room and back into his garage apartment.
"Grace, what happened? Who's this other guy?" Jessie demanded, angry at seeing her brother hurt.
"None of your business," Grace turned to leave.
"You can't treat my brother like this." Jessie said to her back.
Grace stopped and looked over her shoulder, "Jessie, you don't know what you're talking about."
"I know enough," Jessie insisted.
Grace sighed and her eyes caught the clock on the microwave, 3:52. "Bye, Jessie."
Jessie didn't respond. Grace could sense the girl's anger at her, but she had a date to make. She gave Jessie one last glance and left the house. It was time to see her Augustus. She would deal with Jessie later.
* * *