Chapter 6 | Knowing thoughts
"Grace! Wait up!" Carla called out to Grace who was walking out of the gates at school. "Where have you been these days? You're never around. I ring you at home and your either not there or the phones engaged" Carla complained. "Oh yeah sorry about that, my mum always seems to be on the phone lately and I have been kinda busy" Grace explained. "Kinda? its like I never see you anymore. You're always running off somewhere." Carla got a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Wait.don't tell me, it's a guy isn't it. You've started seeing a guy and you don't want anyone to know" Carla smiled. "Come on who is it?" Carla asked, "please?"
[Grace- What do I say to her? I can't tell her about Eli, I just cant]
"No its not a guy" Grace said shaking her head. "I've just been kinda busy lately, what with mums new job, and this mystery guy she's been seeing" Grace explained.
[Grace- It's not a total lie, mum did get a new job and she is seeing some new guy. I wonder who he is?]
"Hmm, I still think this is about a guy, but anyway, what are you doing this afternoon?" Carla asked, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a packet of cigarettes. "Carla, you want us to get in trouble or something?" Grace asked worriedly looking around?
[Grace- Please don't ask about this afternoon again]
"Chill, don't worry about it, anyway your not changing the subject that easily, but don't worry, I kind of figured you'd be busy" With that Carla started backing away. "I guess I'll see you around?" Carla called over her shoulder.
[Grace- I wish I could tell you what's going on, but I promised him I wouldn't]
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"Rick, I really have to go, Grace and Zoe will be home from school any minute now, but I'll talk to you later okay?" said Lily. It was Friday afternoon and Lily was lying on the couch talking to Rick yet again. "Will you think about what I mentioned earlier? About me meeting Grace and Zoe?" asked Rick. "I'm just not sure how they'd feel about it? After all, you are the first man I've dated since Jake," explained Lily sitting up. "They do know about me though don't they?" asked Rick, a hint of suspicion in his voice. "Well I told them you were just a friend but I'm sure Grace knows" Lily said, sounding slightly unsure of her-self. "Your sure I know what?" Grace asked walking into the room. "Rick, I have to go, Grace just got home. I'll think about it though," Lily promised as she hung up the phone. "Think about what?" Grace asked looking at her mother expectantly.
[Lily- I guess now is the time to tell them]
"Can you go get Zoe, I need to talk to you both" asked Lily, standing up.
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Grace and Zoe both sat on the couch, their mother sitting nervously across from them. "So what did you want to talk about" grace asked her mum impatiently, "Eli's going to be here any minute now". "Okay" Lily said taking a deep breath. "You know that friend I told you about? Rick? Well, things are a bit more serious than I said," Lily said hesitantly, a worried look on her face. "Rick?" Zoe had no idea who Lily was talking about. "Is that all?" Said Grace, seeming perfectly fine with her mother's revelation. "I knew that, don't worry about it" said Grace staring at the front door. "Who's Rick?" Zoe asked, feeling a little lost. "Mum's new boyfriend"
[Grace- Where is he? He should be here by now. Do I look okay?]
"Oh, no one ever tells me anything in this house" complained Zoe, looking hurt. "Grace? Zoe?, there's one more thing. Rick would like to meet you both. I was thinking dinner maybe tomorrow night?" that got Graces attention, both girls turned and stared at their mum.
[Grace- its one thing for mum to have a boyfriend, but to meet him, this must be more serious than I thought]
Just then a knock came at the door, interrupting Graces thoughts.
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"Hey Eli, come on in" Grace said as she answered the door. "Sorry I'm late" Eli apologised "My dads been giving me a hard time about where I have been in the afternoons the last week" he explained. "Have you ever considered telling him the truth?" Grace asked as he followed her up to her room. "And what, have him give me and even worse time, I don't think so. That'll just confirm his thoughts as to me being a failure," Eli muttered.
[Grace- Biting her lower lip- why didn't I pay more attention sooner. I can't believe I didn't notice things getting so serious. I thought mum was just caught up with her new job. I should have know from all the time she's been spending on the phone lately]
"Grace? Is something wrong?" Eli asked bringing Grace back down to earth. "Don't worry about it," she said brushing him off. "No really, you know you can talk to me about anything?" said Eli, moving closer to her. "Well its just that my mum has started seeing someone new and I didn't realise just how serious it was until this afternoon. She wants me and Zoe to meet the guy," explained Grace not sure how to continue. "I know what that's like" Eli agreed knowingly, "My dads just started seeing someone new as well.
"Grace! Wait up!" Carla called out to Grace who was walking out of the gates at school. "Where have you been these days? You're never around. I ring you at home and your either not there or the phones engaged" Carla complained. "Oh yeah sorry about that, my mum always seems to be on the phone lately and I have been kinda busy" Grace explained. "Kinda? its like I never see you anymore. You're always running off somewhere." Carla got a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Wait.don't tell me, it's a guy isn't it. You've started seeing a guy and you don't want anyone to know" Carla smiled. "Come on who is it?" Carla asked, "please?"
[Grace- What do I say to her? I can't tell her about Eli, I just cant]
"No its not a guy" Grace said shaking her head. "I've just been kinda busy lately, what with mums new job, and this mystery guy she's been seeing" Grace explained.
[Grace- It's not a total lie, mum did get a new job and she is seeing some new guy. I wonder who he is?]
"Hmm, I still think this is about a guy, but anyway, what are you doing this afternoon?" Carla asked, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a packet of cigarettes. "Carla, you want us to get in trouble or something?" Grace asked worriedly looking around?
[Grace- Please don't ask about this afternoon again]
"Chill, don't worry about it, anyway your not changing the subject that easily, but don't worry, I kind of figured you'd be busy" With that Carla started backing away. "I guess I'll see you around?" Carla called over her shoulder.
[Grace- I wish I could tell you what's going on, but I promised him I wouldn't]
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"Rick, I really have to go, Grace and Zoe will be home from school any minute now, but I'll talk to you later okay?" said Lily. It was Friday afternoon and Lily was lying on the couch talking to Rick yet again. "Will you think about what I mentioned earlier? About me meeting Grace and Zoe?" asked Rick. "I'm just not sure how they'd feel about it? After all, you are the first man I've dated since Jake," explained Lily sitting up. "They do know about me though don't they?" asked Rick, a hint of suspicion in his voice. "Well I told them you were just a friend but I'm sure Grace knows" Lily said, sounding slightly unsure of her-self. "Your sure I know what?" Grace asked walking into the room. "Rick, I have to go, Grace just got home. I'll think about it though," Lily promised as she hung up the phone. "Think about what?" Grace asked looking at her mother expectantly.
[Lily- I guess now is the time to tell them]
"Can you go get Zoe, I need to talk to you both" asked Lily, standing up.
_____
Grace and Zoe both sat on the couch, their mother sitting nervously across from them. "So what did you want to talk about" grace asked her mum impatiently, "Eli's going to be here any minute now". "Okay" Lily said taking a deep breath. "You know that friend I told you about? Rick? Well, things are a bit more serious than I said," Lily said hesitantly, a worried look on her face. "Rick?" Zoe had no idea who Lily was talking about. "Is that all?" Said Grace, seeming perfectly fine with her mother's revelation. "I knew that, don't worry about it" said Grace staring at the front door. "Who's Rick?" Zoe asked, feeling a little lost. "Mum's new boyfriend"
[Grace- Where is he? He should be here by now. Do I look okay?]
"Oh, no one ever tells me anything in this house" complained Zoe, looking hurt. "Grace? Zoe?, there's one more thing. Rick would like to meet you both. I was thinking dinner maybe tomorrow night?" that got Graces attention, both girls turned and stared at their mum.
[Grace- its one thing for mum to have a boyfriend, but to meet him, this must be more serious than I thought]
Just then a knock came at the door, interrupting Graces thoughts.
_____
"Hey Eli, come on in" Grace said as she answered the door. "Sorry I'm late" Eli apologised "My dads been giving me a hard time about where I have been in the afternoons the last week" he explained. "Have you ever considered telling him the truth?" Grace asked as he followed her up to her room. "And what, have him give me and even worse time, I don't think so. That'll just confirm his thoughts as to me being a failure," Eli muttered.
[Grace- Biting her lower lip- why didn't I pay more attention sooner. I can't believe I didn't notice things getting so serious. I thought mum was just caught up with her new job. I should have know from all the time she's been spending on the phone lately]
"Grace? Is something wrong?" Eli asked bringing Grace back down to earth. "Don't worry about it," she said brushing him off. "No really, you know you can talk to me about anything?" said Eli, moving closer to her. "Well its just that my mum has started seeing someone new and I didn't realise just how serious it was until this afternoon. She wants me and Zoe to meet the guy," explained Grace not sure how to continue. "I know what that's like" Eli agreed knowingly, "My dads just started seeing someone new as well.