~A Once and Again series~
Life is what you make of it
Wow, I'm on chapter eleven already!
Chapter 11// It's not good
Grace sat up as the movie credits began to roll. She looked down at Augustus who looked ready to fall asleep. Grace hadn't really been watching the movie that much. She had been enjoying being in Augustus' arms and having his lips on hers for most of the movie. "I should go."
Augustus pulled her back down on top of him on the couch, "Do you have to?"
Grace kissed him, slow and sweet. His hands entwined in her hair, messing it up even more. He tasted so good. Like mint ice cream. Gently Grace pulled away and motioned at the clock, 10:45pm, "I have a curfew."
"Oh," Augustus said and he sat up too. "Then you should go."
"Maybe my mom won't miss me for just one night." Grace half-joked. It was painful to have to leave him, not knowing when she'd get another chance for alone time like this. Especially, now after they declared their love for each other. Grace still couldn't believe this handsome intelligent man was in love with her.
"Go, go." Augustus instructed.
Grace sighed and went about finding her shoes. "When can we do this again?"
Augustus retrieved her left shoe from under the couch and handed it to her. Grace found the right one by the bookcase. Augustus walked over to her and watched her as she put them on. "I really don't know, Grace. Soon, soon, I hope. Now that the play is over, I'll have much more free time."
Grace got her shoes on and stood up, looking at him with a smile, "Are your friends going to be setting you up on more blind dates?"
Augustus smiled and shook his head, "Not if I have any say in it. I'll just have to tell them I'm not interested in dating anyone. What I won't say is why."
"Which is?" Grace asked, just because she wanted to hear the words.
"Because I have you, Grace. Because I love you, Grace. Because no one else in the world is as interesting as you, Grace. Because no one else could make me feel the way you do, Grace." Augustus held out a hand to her. Grace took it and he twirled her around, ballroom dance style. He dipped her, making her laugh.
"You're so beautiful," Augustus said as he pulled her back up to him. He kissed her mouth, her cheeks, her forehead, her ears, her neck.
"Oh," Grace whispered softly, closing her eyes as her body tingled with pleasure. She reached out to grab him, but got only air. She opened her eyes. He was watching her.
"I can't kiss you anymore or you'll be late getting home." Augustus said.
"Just one more kiss?" Grace asked, moving towards him.
Augustus sighed, "One more kiss leads to two kisses and then three and pretty soon you'll won't be able to leave at all."
Grace looked up into his eyes, "What's so bad about that?"
"Your mother will get worried, call the cops, the cops will find your car here, and find you in my arms."
Grace nodded, "Yeah, I get it." She picked her coat off of the kitchen table and put it on. She opened the sliding glass door and turned back to Augustus. She said something low under her breath.
"What?" Augustus asked and moved closer.
Grace smiled and pulled him in for one last kiss, "Sorry, I had to do that."
"Hey, I'm not mad. Not mad at all. Goodnight Grace, sweet dreams."
"Goodnight, Augustus." Grace forced herself to leave, knowing that she had to rush if she wanted to make it home on time. After all that stuff earlier with her mother asking her if she had a boyfriend, Grace didn't want to raise her mother's suspicions even more. Grace turned and looked over her shoulder as she hurried to the driveway and her car. Augustus was watching her leave. Grace felt comforted by that.
* * *
Grace entered the house and was surprised at the stillness of it. No fighting between Zoe and Jessie over the remote, no late night popcorn popping in the microwave, no excited chatter coming from the den, nothing. Grace felt a chill come over her immediately as stepped into the kitchen, even though she had just come in from the cold. Something wasn't right. It didn't feel right. Her house was never this quiet.
"Mom!" Grace jumped at the sound of her own voice bouncing off the silent walls. "Rick? Jessie? Zoe? Anyone?" Grace knew they wouldn't all be in bed at only 11, and even though it was possibly they might be, something just didn't feel right. Grace reached for the wall and her gloved hand fumbled for the light switch. Immediately the room was bathed in light.
"Oh, my god," Grace cried out as she surveyed the kitchen. Plates were set on the table with half-eaten food still on them. A glass of milk was overturned, making a white puddle. The chairs were drawn away from the table as if something had happened and interrupted the family's dinner. Grace counted the plates, only three. Her mother and Rick had been going to go to the planetarium and then out to dinner. Eli, Jessie and Zoe must have sat down to dinner when something happened that they left the table and the house without even pausing to clean up. Grace couldn't think for a moment, all she could see were the plates, with gobs of yellow macaroni drying on them, and that spilled milk.
Finally Grace realized what it all meant. Something terrible had happened that they had to leave in the middle of dinner. Rick and her mother had been out, driving to the restaurant. A telephone call maybe, and they had jumped out of their chairs and left to go.. to the hospital. Rick and her mother out driving, a drunk driver, a freak accident, and bam! Lives were fragile, too fragile.
"Mommy," Grace cried without realizing it and she ran towards the fridge, hoping for a note, something. She looked on the countertops, in the living room.. nothing. She went to the window and realized what she hadn't noticed earlier, there were no cars in the driveway, besides the one she just drove up in.
Grace ran to the phone, wanting to get answers, but not knowing whom to call. The phone rang as she approached it. It sounded horrible in this deathly quiet house. Suddenly Grace was afraid to pick it up, afraid to get the answers she wanted. But it kept ringing and Grace saw her hand reaching for it, despite her fears. "Hello," She whispered.
"Grace! Oh, I'm so glad you're there." Her mother's voice, heavy with sadness, but still alive. Her mother was alright.
"Mom, what happened? Is it Rick?" Grace asked, feeling guilty that she was so glad her mother was okay, when someone else must be hurt.
"No, Grace, it's Karen. We're at the hospital."
Grace could hear the tears in her mother's voice. "Mom, what happened?"
"Karen got hit by a car, honey, earlier today. I tried to reach you, but I couldn't find you, Gracie."
Grace felt her eyes swelling up with tears, feeling even guiltier knowing that her mother hadn't been able to find her because she had been at Augustus'. While Karen was in the hospital, Grace had been kissing Augustus. While her family rushed to go to the hospital, Grace had been letting Augustus twirl her around the room. When her mother had been trying to reach her, Grace had been laying on Augustus' couch, making out with him while a movie played in the background. "But, she's going to be okay, right mom?" Grace finally whispered.
Her mother's voice broke and Grace listened to her cry, "Gracie, it's not good. Oh, poor Jessie and Eli." A pause as her mother fought to control herself, "Grace, just come to Mercy Hospital. We're all in the Intensive Care Unit waiting room. You know where Mercy is?"
"I know where it is." Grace wanted to say more, to comfort her mother, but she felt her tongue lying uselessly in her mouth.
"Hurry, sweetie." Her mother hung up the phone.
Grace stared at the silent phone for a moment and took a deep breath. She bowed her head and replaced the phone on its hook. Grace didn't know what to make of all this. 'Gracie, it's not good. Oh, poor Jessie and Eli' kept running through her head. 'Not good'.. Karen got hit by a car. That painful break in her mother's voice as she began to cry.
"Oh, my god," Grace said to the silent house, where Eli and Jessie's dinner had been interrupted by a telephone call informing them that their mother was in the hospital. She imagined Eli picking up the phone and silently replacing it on the hook after he had been informed of the bad news. Him turning to Jessie and Zoe and uttering the horrible words. Jessie jumping up and knocking over her milk, crying out 'Mommy!'. The three of them hurrying into Eli's car, making the drive to the hospital. The hospital tracking down Rick and Lily at the restaurant, interrupting their meal. The two of them leaving quickly, Rick dropping a handful of bills on the table. It was all too horrible. And Grace hadn't been here for her family. If anything she had been causing her mother even more pain as her mother called up the library and her friend's houses, trying to get in touch with her. Grace had been away from it all, safely in Augustus' arms, not realizing the world was going around outside of the two of them.
Grace grabbed the car keys and made her way back out into the night. This time she had no Augustus watching her from behind the glass. This time, she didn't feel comforted and safe.
* * *
Life is what you make of it
Wow, I'm on chapter eleven already!
Chapter 11// It's not good
Grace sat up as the movie credits began to roll. She looked down at Augustus who looked ready to fall asleep. Grace hadn't really been watching the movie that much. She had been enjoying being in Augustus' arms and having his lips on hers for most of the movie. "I should go."
Augustus pulled her back down on top of him on the couch, "Do you have to?"
Grace kissed him, slow and sweet. His hands entwined in her hair, messing it up even more. He tasted so good. Like mint ice cream. Gently Grace pulled away and motioned at the clock, 10:45pm, "I have a curfew."
"Oh," Augustus said and he sat up too. "Then you should go."
"Maybe my mom won't miss me for just one night." Grace half-joked. It was painful to have to leave him, not knowing when she'd get another chance for alone time like this. Especially, now after they declared their love for each other. Grace still couldn't believe this handsome intelligent man was in love with her.
"Go, go." Augustus instructed.
Grace sighed and went about finding her shoes. "When can we do this again?"
Augustus retrieved her left shoe from under the couch and handed it to her. Grace found the right one by the bookcase. Augustus walked over to her and watched her as she put them on. "I really don't know, Grace. Soon, soon, I hope. Now that the play is over, I'll have much more free time."
Grace got her shoes on and stood up, looking at him with a smile, "Are your friends going to be setting you up on more blind dates?"
Augustus smiled and shook his head, "Not if I have any say in it. I'll just have to tell them I'm not interested in dating anyone. What I won't say is why."
"Which is?" Grace asked, just because she wanted to hear the words.
"Because I have you, Grace. Because I love you, Grace. Because no one else in the world is as interesting as you, Grace. Because no one else could make me feel the way you do, Grace." Augustus held out a hand to her. Grace took it and he twirled her around, ballroom dance style. He dipped her, making her laugh.
"You're so beautiful," Augustus said as he pulled her back up to him. He kissed her mouth, her cheeks, her forehead, her ears, her neck.
"Oh," Grace whispered softly, closing her eyes as her body tingled with pleasure. She reached out to grab him, but got only air. She opened her eyes. He was watching her.
"I can't kiss you anymore or you'll be late getting home." Augustus said.
"Just one more kiss?" Grace asked, moving towards him.
Augustus sighed, "One more kiss leads to two kisses and then three and pretty soon you'll won't be able to leave at all."
Grace looked up into his eyes, "What's so bad about that?"
"Your mother will get worried, call the cops, the cops will find your car here, and find you in my arms."
Grace nodded, "Yeah, I get it." She picked her coat off of the kitchen table and put it on. She opened the sliding glass door and turned back to Augustus. She said something low under her breath.
"What?" Augustus asked and moved closer.
Grace smiled and pulled him in for one last kiss, "Sorry, I had to do that."
"Hey, I'm not mad. Not mad at all. Goodnight Grace, sweet dreams."
"Goodnight, Augustus." Grace forced herself to leave, knowing that she had to rush if she wanted to make it home on time. After all that stuff earlier with her mother asking her if she had a boyfriend, Grace didn't want to raise her mother's suspicions even more. Grace turned and looked over her shoulder as she hurried to the driveway and her car. Augustus was watching her leave. Grace felt comforted by that.
* * *
Grace entered the house and was surprised at the stillness of it. No fighting between Zoe and Jessie over the remote, no late night popcorn popping in the microwave, no excited chatter coming from the den, nothing. Grace felt a chill come over her immediately as stepped into the kitchen, even though she had just come in from the cold. Something wasn't right. It didn't feel right. Her house was never this quiet.
"Mom!" Grace jumped at the sound of her own voice bouncing off the silent walls. "Rick? Jessie? Zoe? Anyone?" Grace knew they wouldn't all be in bed at only 11, and even though it was possibly they might be, something just didn't feel right. Grace reached for the wall and her gloved hand fumbled for the light switch. Immediately the room was bathed in light.
"Oh, my god," Grace cried out as she surveyed the kitchen. Plates were set on the table with half-eaten food still on them. A glass of milk was overturned, making a white puddle. The chairs were drawn away from the table as if something had happened and interrupted the family's dinner. Grace counted the plates, only three. Her mother and Rick had been going to go to the planetarium and then out to dinner. Eli, Jessie and Zoe must have sat down to dinner when something happened that they left the table and the house without even pausing to clean up. Grace couldn't think for a moment, all she could see were the plates, with gobs of yellow macaroni drying on them, and that spilled milk.
Finally Grace realized what it all meant. Something terrible had happened that they had to leave in the middle of dinner. Rick and her mother had been out, driving to the restaurant. A telephone call maybe, and they had jumped out of their chairs and left to go.. to the hospital. Rick and her mother out driving, a drunk driver, a freak accident, and bam! Lives were fragile, too fragile.
"Mommy," Grace cried without realizing it and she ran towards the fridge, hoping for a note, something. She looked on the countertops, in the living room.. nothing. She went to the window and realized what she hadn't noticed earlier, there were no cars in the driveway, besides the one she just drove up in.
Grace ran to the phone, wanting to get answers, but not knowing whom to call. The phone rang as she approached it. It sounded horrible in this deathly quiet house. Suddenly Grace was afraid to pick it up, afraid to get the answers she wanted. But it kept ringing and Grace saw her hand reaching for it, despite her fears. "Hello," She whispered.
"Grace! Oh, I'm so glad you're there." Her mother's voice, heavy with sadness, but still alive. Her mother was alright.
"Mom, what happened? Is it Rick?" Grace asked, feeling guilty that she was so glad her mother was okay, when someone else must be hurt.
"No, Grace, it's Karen. We're at the hospital."
Grace could hear the tears in her mother's voice. "Mom, what happened?"
"Karen got hit by a car, honey, earlier today. I tried to reach you, but I couldn't find you, Gracie."
Grace felt her eyes swelling up with tears, feeling even guiltier knowing that her mother hadn't been able to find her because she had been at Augustus'. While Karen was in the hospital, Grace had been kissing Augustus. While her family rushed to go to the hospital, Grace had been letting Augustus twirl her around the room. When her mother had been trying to reach her, Grace had been laying on Augustus' couch, making out with him while a movie played in the background. "But, she's going to be okay, right mom?" Grace finally whispered.
Her mother's voice broke and Grace listened to her cry, "Gracie, it's not good. Oh, poor Jessie and Eli." A pause as her mother fought to control herself, "Grace, just come to Mercy Hospital. We're all in the Intensive Care Unit waiting room. You know where Mercy is?"
"I know where it is." Grace wanted to say more, to comfort her mother, but she felt her tongue lying uselessly in her mouth.
"Hurry, sweetie." Her mother hung up the phone.
Grace stared at the silent phone for a moment and took a deep breath. She bowed her head and replaced the phone on its hook. Grace didn't know what to make of all this. 'Gracie, it's not good. Oh, poor Jessie and Eli' kept running through her head. 'Not good'.. Karen got hit by a car. That painful break in her mother's voice as she began to cry.
"Oh, my god," Grace said to the silent house, where Eli and Jessie's dinner had been interrupted by a telephone call informing them that their mother was in the hospital. She imagined Eli picking up the phone and silently replacing it on the hook after he had been informed of the bad news. Him turning to Jessie and Zoe and uttering the horrible words. Jessie jumping up and knocking over her milk, crying out 'Mommy!'. The three of them hurrying into Eli's car, making the drive to the hospital. The hospital tracking down Rick and Lily at the restaurant, interrupting their meal. The two of them leaving quickly, Rick dropping a handful of bills on the table. It was all too horrible. And Grace hadn't been here for her family. If anything she had been causing her mother even more pain as her mother called up the library and her friend's houses, trying to get in touch with her. Grace had been away from it all, safely in Augustus' arms, not realizing the world was going around outside of the two of them.
Grace grabbed the car keys and made her way back out into the night. This time she had no Augustus watching her from behind the glass. This time, she didn't feel comforted and safe.
* * *