"Misunderstanding. How did it all unravel from her first days. Was it simply perspective. Surely what one sees provides what one knows. Surely those two things are not completely unrelated. The perspective for example on Gilbert's head that first day as he struggled with her zip was never again the same detached view. When she leaned to shove at a piece of shirt which Gilbert couldn't see but which was impinging his zipping efforts he watched her as he waited for the improvements."
"Schooling", Heather McGowan
Author's note. Chapter title is a lyric from Joni Mitchell's "A case of you". The final thought is courtesy of Carole King's "Way over yonder".
SURELY YOU TOUCHED MINE
"Happy Birthday Grace!", August had said just before he surprised her. And he had surprised her.
Grace smiled back thinking about the week of all weeks. It seemed to have just occured and yet so very far away. Grace sat back on the couch and hugged her mug of Sleepytime. Finally it was all out in the open and it didn't have to be a secret anymore. Legality rocked in a way different from the norm of her reality, which had been up to this point an ignorance against convention and rules. Graduation was in a couple of weeks (well maybe more than a couple but the days were definitely in double digits range now..) and then? Then just seemed so beautiful. Yet far away. Grace smiled to herself. She scanned the VCR clock thinking August should be there anytime. Grace started to giggle, the prospect of sailing off with August following the cap and gown ceremony was too good to not look forward to. Alexa would freak as would all the other students when they saw him there at graduation. In the seats. As a special guest. Grace thought about August in a suit and tie. And when Grace would leave with his arm on her back because of course she wouldn't take him to the after party/dance. It didn't seem her and August would ever make it to any of the dances they planned.. until their wedding of course! But they had danced that once, and then a few times alone in his house.
The doorbell rang and Grace flew off the couch dropping her Sleepytime tea hastily on the coffee table.
"Hey!"
"Well is this a switch or what--" August said as he entered through her front door and started to drop his bag and coat that he was carrying onto the entry way floor in a small pile.
August checked out the room. Grace noticed, "Everyone is gone." And she quoted a line from a movie she sort of enjoyed, "Nobody here but us chickens."
August laughed showing teeth. He ran his hand through his hair and walked into the living room. He leaned against the sofa arm.
"So-- I saw Judy on the way here. She was walking down the street. I waved--"
"You waved at Judy?" Grace asked mildly surprised.
"Yeah. She was just walking along-" August moved his index and middle fingers in "walking motion". A wiggling inverted peace sign? He added, "I thought she looked a little lost."
"You could have given her a lift, maybe she was trying to follow directions or something-- I mean, Judy's funny that way"
"Well I wasn't about to stop. I was on my way to see you." August smiled at her shyly. He breathed in. He looked over to where a pile of movies were propped on top of the television and he went over to check out the selection. But it didn't matter really because he already had all he wanted without needing enhancement or anything at all. He glanced aside to Grace.
"So where are Rick and Lily? Don't tell me they've possibly gone all dichotomous and made like peas and split off in shockingly different directions." Love the way he said "shockingly" like that was how he'd heard of flirting.
"Rick out of town, and Mom's at work. The love festival of last weekend is thankfully over." Grace rolled her eyes.
August smiled he wasn't big on seeing other people making out either. He'd honestly rather be participatory himself. Lily/Rick kissing had sort of disarmed Dimitri and made him feel uncomfortable in some way when he and Grace had caught her parents as it were near the butcher block the weekend prior. Although in general he was quite liberal when it came to witnessing pairing offs. August said "Hmmm" and ran his hand over the videos. He picked out "One Hour Photo" and said "Robin Williams freaks me out without even acting. So his creepy thing, it really sort of calms me. I find it mysteriously sedative like to contemplate Robin Williams."
Grace had gone over to the front door and flipped the lock. "So Jessie, Eli, everybody really are pretty much gone for the day."
August looked over at her assessing things briefly. "Oh." He laughed to himself "I hope he's not a method actor--"
"Yeah.[Grace then heard the last comment] What?-- "
August said "Zoe?"
"She's at a really super timely sleepover. Working on some school project I think, environmental hot topics I think."
"Environmental issues. Uh huh." August quoted, "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot." Grace blinked momentarily.
Lily turning the key in the lock a few hours later came upon a scene that brought her up short. A favorite line "Grace and Dimitri in a state of undress." August ran his hand through his hair "Mrs Sammler--".
"And the sweet taste in good life is so easily found
way over yonder
that's where I'm bound.
I know when I get there
the first thing I'll see
is the sun shining golden
shining right down on me.
Then troubles gonna lose me
worry leave me behind
and I'll stand up proudly in true piece of mind.
Talking bout a, talking bout way over yonder
is a place I have seen
in a garden of wisdom
from some long ago dream."
"Schooling", Heather McGowan
Author's note. Chapter title is a lyric from Joni Mitchell's "A case of you". The final thought is courtesy of Carole King's "Way over yonder".
SURELY YOU TOUCHED MINE
"Happy Birthday Grace!", August had said just before he surprised her. And he had surprised her.
Grace smiled back thinking about the week of all weeks. It seemed to have just occured and yet so very far away. Grace sat back on the couch and hugged her mug of Sleepytime. Finally it was all out in the open and it didn't have to be a secret anymore. Legality rocked in a way different from the norm of her reality, which had been up to this point an ignorance against convention and rules. Graduation was in a couple of weeks (well maybe more than a couple but the days were definitely in double digits range now..) and then? Then just seemed so beautiful. Yet far away. Grace smiled to herself. She scanned the VCR clock thinking August should be there anytime. Grace started to giggle, the prospect of sailing off with August following the cap and gown ceremony was too good to not look forward to. Alexa would freak as would all the other students when they saw him there at graduation. In the seats. As a special guest. Grace thought about August in a suit and tie. And when Grace would leave with his arm on her back because of course she wouldn't take him to the after party/dance. It didn't seem her and August would ever make it to any of the dances they planned.. until their wedding of course! But they had danced that once, and then a few times alone in his house.
The doorbell rang and Grace flew off the couch dropping her Sleepytime tea hastily on the coffee table.
"Hey!"
"Well is this a switch or what--" August said as he entered through her front door and started to drop his bag and coat that he was carrying onto the entry way floor in a small pile.
August checked out the room. Grace noticed, "Everyone is gone." And she quoted a line from a movie she sort of enjoyed, "Nobody here but us chickens."
August laughed showing teeth. He ran his hand through his hair and walked into the living room. He leaned against the sofa arm.
"So-- I saw Judy on the way here. She was walking down the street. I waved--"
"You waved at Judy?" Grace asked mildly surprised.
"Yeah. She was just walking along-" August moved his index and middle fingers in "walking motion". A wiggling inverted peace sign? He added, "I thought she looked a little lost."
"You could have given her a lift, maybe she was trying to follow directions or something-- I mean, Judy's funny that way"
"Well I wasn't about to stop. I was on my way to see you." August smiled at her shyly. He breathed in. He looked over to where a pile of movies were propped on top of the television and he went over to check out the selection. But it didn't matter really because he already had all he wanted without needing enhancement or anything at all. He glanced aside to Grace.
"So where are Rick and Lily? Don't tell me they've possibly gone all dichotomous and made like peas and split off in shockingly different directions." Love the way he said "shockingly" like that was how he'd heard of flirting.
"Rick out of town, and Mom's at work. The love festival of last weekend is thankfully over." Grace rolled her eyes.
August smiled he wasn't big on seeing other people making out either. He'd honestly rather be participatory himself. Lily/Rick kissing had sort of disarmed Dimitri and made him feel uncomfortable in some way when he and Grace had caught her parents as it were near the butcher block the weekend prior. Although in general he was quite liberal when it came to witnessing pairing offs. August said "Hmmm" and ran his hand over the videos. He picked out "One Hour Photo" and said "Robin Williams freaks me out without even acting. So his creepy thing, it really sort of calms me. I find it mysteriously sedative like to contemplate Robin Williams."
Grace had gone over to the front door and flipped the lock. "So Jessie, Eli, everybody really are pretty much gone for the day."
August looked over at her assessing things briefly. "Oh." He laughed to himself "I hope he's not a method actor--"
"Yeah.[Grace then heard the last comment] What?-- "
August said "Zoe?"
"She's at a really super timely sleepover. Working on some school project I think, environmental hot topics I think."
"Environmental issues. Uh huh." August quoted, "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot." Grace blinked momentarily.
Lily turning the key in the lock a few hours later came upon a scene that brought her up short. A favorite line "Grace and Dimitri in a state of undress." August ran his hand through his hair "Mrs Sammler--".
"And the sweet taste in good life is so easily found
way over yonder
that's where I'm bound.
I know when I get there
the first thing I'll see
is the sun shining golden
shining right down on me.
Then troubles gonna lose me
worry leave me behind
and I'll stand up proudly in true piece of mind.
Talking bout a, talking bout way over yonder
is a place I have seen
in a garden of wisdom
from some long ago dream."