~A Once and Again Series~
Now and Then
Drama, uh, drama.. a story needs some conflict and drama to give it steam. So, don't hate me too much for what's going to happen. Conflict.. food for the hungry masses.
Chapter 8//Time brings Change
Grace didn't dally today after her class. Her head was still steaming from seeing Hannah flirt with her Mr. Dimitri. Not only that, but all through class, Hannah kept raising her hand to be called on when Dimitri asked questions. And the even worse thing was that Hannah always had the right answers. Grace retracted into herself during class, not raising her hand even when she knew the answers (and she knew all the answers). When Dimitri dismissed them for the day, Grace was ready and she shot up and headed towards the door.
"Grace?" His call stopped her.
Grace turned around, and reluctantly walked to his desk. "Yeah?"
Dimitri looked at her and then around the still partially full classroom. He lowered his voice and moved closer to her. "If you want to talk to me about this fight with your mother.."
Grace crossed her arms and looked at the room. Hannah was slowly putting her books away, and sneaking glances up at Mr. Dimitri. Grace moved in front of him, blocking him from Hannah's view. "I would really like to, yeah."
"I have a class to teach now, but.."
"I know," Grace snuck a glance back at Hannah. "Maybe later today?"
"Sure." Dimitri's eyes were filled with concern. Grace knew he was wondering what kind of fight could have caused her to move out of her house. "Did you want to meet somewhere?"
Grace looked into his calm blue eyes, "Your house?"
Dimitri looked away. Grace snuck another glance behind her. Hannah had finally left. "I don't think that's a good idea, Grace," Dimitri answered her.
"Why not?"
Dimitri looked at the clock, seeing that he had to leave. "I'll tell you later. How about let's just meet at the Sunrise Café? At 6ish?"
Grace nodded, still wondering why he didn't want to meet at his house. They had had so many wonderful memories in that house. And it was such a more private place than some café. Grace walked with Dimitri to the classroom door, and they exchanged goodbyes in the hall, as they went their separate ways.
* * *
Grace arrived first at the little café. She took a booth towards the back, and waited. Five minutes later, Dimitri showed up. He slid into the seat across from her and they looked at each other in silence.
"So, are you going to tell me why you moved out?" Dimitri asked.
Grace nodded, but didn't answer as a waitress came and took their drink orders. They both got cappuccino. The waitress walked away and Grace spoke. "I got in a fight with my mother. And she kind of gave me an ultimatum. So I chose to move out."
Dimitri's eyes waited for her to continue, to elaborate.
"I moved in with Eli.. my stepbrother.."
"I remember Eli," Dimitri said softly. Dimitri seemed to be waiting for something else, and Grace knew she would have to tell him everything.
"The fight my mom and I had.. it was about my class with you." Grace looked to him, waiting for a reaction. When she got nothing more than a slight raise of his eyebrows, Grace continued. "When she found out it was you teaching me, she wanted me to drop the class. But I refuse and so I ended up moving out."
"I guess how your mother feels is understandable after what happened.." Dimitri said uncomfortably. He looked down at his hands and Grace watched him play with a gold ring on his left hand. He looked up again and Grace saw something in his eyes that she didn't want to see. Grace grew afraid of what he was going to say. "But, uh, if you just tell her how things have changed, I'm sure she'd be more accepting."
The waitress arrived with their mugs of cappuccino. Grace took a big sip of hers, even though it was still too hot. She just wanted to avoid the question that she knew she was going to have to ask. Grace took another sip and looked into his eyes. He was waiting for her to ask it, but Grace didn't want to. She didn't want to change things. She wanted everything to be free of conflict and drama. She didn't want to find out what he was hinting at. She had a feeling she wouldn't like it. Her heart pounded fearfully in her chest and she told herself she was being ridiculous. Just ask the damn question! Grace's hands trembled around the warm mug, but her mouth said the words calmly, "What do you mean.. things have changed?"
Dimitri looked down, and he took a drink of his cappuccino. When he looked back at her, his blue eyes were swirled with distress that he didn't try to hide. His face, usually such a perfect calm mask, was filled with tribulation. Grace didn't even bother pretending to be calm and worriless anymore by sipping her drink. She just stared at him, waiting for the answer, she didn't want to hear. When he spoke, Grace's fears were answered. It had all changed!
"Well, I'm married now, Grace."
Grace's mind swirled with a jumble of confused, unhappy thoughts. She mumbled, "Married?"
Dimitri nodded. He looked at Grace, but she turned her head away from him. This couldn't be happening! Why hadn't he said anything earlier? "Grace?" Dimitri asked.
Grace stole a glance at his troubled face, and found it too hard to look at. "I've got.. to.. go.." Grace stumbled out of the booth and out of the café, not allowing herself a look back. Things had changed. It had been almost two years, but Grace had never thought things would have changed this much.
* * *
Now and Then
Drama, uh, drama.. a story needs some conflict and drama to give it steam. So, don't hate me too much for what's going to happen. Conflict.. food for the hungry masses.
Chapter 8//Time brings Change
Grace didn't dally today after her class. Her head was still steaming from seeing Hannah flirt with her Mr. Dimitri. Not only that, but all through class, Hannah kept raising her hand to be called on when Dimitri asked questions. And the even worse thing was that Hannah always had the right answers. Grace retracted into herself during class, not raising her hand even when she knew the answers (and she knew all the answers). When Dimitri dismissed them for the day, Grace was ready and she shot up and headed towards the door.
"Grace?" His call stopped her.
Grace turned around, and reluctantly walked to his desk. "Yeah?"
Dimitri looked at her and then around the still partially full classroom. He lowered his voice and moved closer to her. "If you want to talk to me about this fight with your mother.."
Grace crossed her arms and looked at the room. Hannah was slowly putting her books away, and sneaking glances up at Mr. Dimitri. Grace moved in front of him, blocking him from Hannah's view. "I would really like to, yeah."
"I have a class to teach now, but.."
"I know," Grace snuck a glance back at Hannah. "Maybe later today?"
"Sure." Dimitri's eyes were filled with concern. Grace knew he was wondering what kind of fight could have caused her to move out of her house. "Did you want to meet somewhere?"
Grace looked into his calm blue eyes, "Your house?"
Dimitri looked away. Grace snuck another glance behind her. Hannah had finally left. "I don't think that's a good idea, Grace," Dimitri answered her.
"Why not?"
Dimitri looked at the clock, seeing that he had to leave. "I'll tell you later. How about let's just meet at the Sunrise Café? At 6ish?"
Grace nodded, still wondering why he didn't want to meet at his house. They had had so many wonderful memories in that house. And it was such a more private place than some café. Grace walked with Dimitri to the classroom door, and they exchanged goodbyes in the hall, as they went their separate ways.
* * *
Grace arrived first at the little café. She took a booth towards the back, and waited. Five minutes later, Dimitri showed up. He slid into the seat across from her and they looked at each other in silence.
"So, are you going to tell me why you moved out?" Dimitri asked.
Grace nodded, but didn't answer as a waitress came and took their drink orders. They both got cappuccino. The waitress walked away and Grace spoke. "I got in a fight with my mother. And she kind of gave me an ultimatum. So I chose to move out."
Dimitri's eyes waited for her to continue, to elaborate.
"I moved in with Eli.. my stepbrother.."
"I remember Eli," Dimitri said softly. Dimitri seemed to be waiting for something else, and Grace knew she would have to tell him everything.
"The fight my mom and I had.. it was about my class with you." Grace looked to him, waiting for a reaction. When she got nothing more than a slight raise of his eyebrows, Grace continued. "When she found out it was you teaching me, she wanted me to drop the class. But I refuse and so I ended up moving out."
"I guess how your mother feels is understandable after what happened.." Dimitri said uncomfortably. He looked down at his hands and Grace watched him play with a gold ring on his left hand. He looked up again and Grace saw something in his eyes that she didn't want to see. Grace grew afraid of what he was going to say. "But, uh, if you just tell her how things have changed, I'm sure she'd be more accepting."
The waitress arrived with their mugs of cappuccino. Grace took a big sip of hers, even though it was still too hot. She just wanted to avoid the question that she knew she was going to have to ask. Grace took another sip and looked into his eyes. He was waiting for her to ask it, but Grace didn't want to. She didn't want to change things. She wanted everything to be free of conflict and drama. She didn't want to find out what he was hinting at. She had a feeling she wouldn't like it. Her heart pounded fearfully in her chest and she told herself she was being ridiculous. Just ask the damn question! Grace's hands trembled around the warm mug, but her mouth said the words calmly, "What do you mean.. things have changed?"
Dimitri looked down, and he took a drink of his cappuccino. When he looked back at her, his blue eyes were swirled with distress that he didn't try to hide. His face, usually such a perfect calm mask, was filled with tribulation. Grace didn't even bother pretending to be calm and worriless anymore by sipping her drink. She just stared at him, waiting for the answer, she didn't want to hear. When he spoke, Grace's fears were answered. It had all changed!
"Well, I'm married now, Grace."
Grace's mind swirled with a jumble of confused, unhappy thoughts. She mumbled, "Married?"
Dimitri nodded. He looked at Grace, but she turned her head away from him. This couldn't be happening! Why hadn't he said anything earlier? "Grace?" Dimitri asked.
Grace stole a glance at his troubled face, and found it too hard to look at. "I've got.. to.. go.." Grace stumbled out of the booth and out of the café, not allowing herself a look back. Things had changed. It had been almost two years, but Grace had never thought things would have changed this much.
* * *