3.
Complications
When Grace returned home she felt soul tired. She just wanted to sleep and not wake up for some lengthy amount of time. Grace had spent about an hour with Oliver and Schuyler on the stairs of the Met. Grace had never made friends that quickly, but she liked Oliver's friendly smile and Schuyler's intelligent banter.
Risa had returned home before Grace, and she sat straight at the Dining table looking over her homework. "Hi Ri" Grace said, Risa was twelve and the little genius in the family "Hi Grace" Risa replied not looking up for her work. Grace often entertained the idea of letting Risa do her own homework, because she seemed to enjoy it so much. But last time she got in trouble.
"Is Mom home yet?" Risa shook her head "Not yet" that was how the conversations went around here. They used to be close, Risa and Grace, and Grace was sure they would be again, once everything got settled, she just wished it would go faster. "There's a letter for you Grace" Risa called out at Grace's retreating figure "There is?" "Yeah, I put in your room" "Thanks Risa" just as Risa had said, there was a cream envelope on Grace's bed.
Grace didn't get letters, she picked it up slowly. The New York Committee, it proclaimed. Grace was vaguely aware of it, it was a group of the oldest and most prestigious families in New York, Dylan told her he got one last year. But Grace wasn't from New York, her father's family was from London, they had never lived in New York, and The Foy family was not exactly known for its spectacular wealth or influence.
Grace heard footsteps, she turned around to see her mother in the hall, she looked worn out. "Hi Mom" Grace said with a smile, Her mother simply looked flustered, like it took her a moment to process what Grace had said. "Hi Honey" she finally managed. "Hey Mom, do you know what this is?" she asked, Her mother squinted before replying "It's an invitation" "Yeah, but why do I have one?" "Old Money, Old Ties I guess, they like to keep it exclusive, if you were in once you're always in" "Sounds Snobby" "Oh it is" "Should I go?" "Yes" her mother answered simply "It would make your father and me very happy" and then she retreated.
"Okay" Grace said to herself. Grace's family was never one for clubs, her father always loathed Country clubs, and her mother hated brunches. "Curiouser and Curiouser" Grace muttered, but, she decided she would go anyway. She thought about calling Oliver, he had given Grace his cell phone number, but Grace was always nervous about calling people. But Oliver just seemed so cheery, it was almost creepy.
"Hi, Sky?" he said so quickly Grace didn't understand him. "No" Awkward, Grace thought. "It's ah, it's Grace" silence. "Oh Hi!" chipper. "What's going on" "Nothing, I just, well I just wanted to make sure the number you gave me wasn't fake" "I have to respect that, because you know, obviously I do that all the time" Grace smile "Oh yeah, me too" "So what's the deal with this New York Committee thing" Oliver was silent for a moment. "You got a letter?" there was something in his voice, Grace wasn't exactly sure what, but she really wanted to say No.
"Uh yeah" Grace said "It's weird" "Are you a member?" Oliver laughed "Oh Hell no" "Sky is though" "Should I go?" "It's filled with brunches, talks about what flowers to plant and global domination" "Thrilling" "Sure why not, give it a go, you can always drop out" Oliver said. "What are you doing tonight?" Oliver asked "Um sleeping?" Grace replied "You?" "Being bored" Oliver sighed "Sky's at some big party thing that I wasn't invited to" "I'm sure it's boring" "Well of course it is" "Do you want to do something?" Oliver asked.
Grace looked out her window, the sun had gone down, New York City had been transformed into this bright glowing orb. It looked exciting, Grace thought. "Well what do you have in mind?" "Oh the usual" "You'll have to elaborate" "Have you ever snuck in a bar before" "No, I actually haven't" "Well there's a first time for everything" "Okay" Grace said "Let's do it"
Grace had never had a hangover before, and they were even worse than described. Everything seemed louder and brighter. Her parents thought she was sick, Grace thought that was a good lie to go with. True to his word Oliver got them into a downtown club. With bright lights and loud music, and then we got them a round of shots, then another. Until everything seemed funny and they had danced. Grace felt like her feet weren't actually touching the ground. But Grace wasn't drunk, not nearly as drunk as Oliver, who claimed the walls were melting.
In fact she felt completely sober, just happy, much happier she had felt in a very long time. It was raining by the time the club closed, but Grace hardly noticed, they were loud and giggly as they wandered through the streets. Grace had lost her coat somewhere along the line. They ended up by the Docks at The West Side, where Oliver offered her a silver cigarette case, explaining that he didn't Smoke. Neither did Grace, well until last night. Her hair still smelt like smoke, her mouth felt dry, her head felt alive.
She woke up in her bedroom, in her dress from last night with no shoes on, and a silver cigarette case. It was exactly a hangover, Grace just felt weird, not guilty, not wrong, just different. Grace had never done anything like that before. Her mother told her she had an appointment with some one called Dr. Pat. And off she went. Now Grace felt small and uncomfortable, as she watched people go in and out of the office.
Grace really had no idea why she was here, only that her parents were very instant that she keeps this appointment. "Hey there pretty girl" Grace looked up, to see the boy from yesterday, who called that girl Katie a bitch, standing in front of her. "Um Hello" "Do you mind if I sit" he motioned to the empty chair next to her. Grace shook her head "Please" "What's that, smoke?" Grace gave him a look "That's creepy" "Hard to miss" "Good girl gone bad?" "You have no idea what kind of girl I am" Grace said sharply.
"No, you're right I'm sorry" "Why are you talking to me?" Grace looked over at him. He was older than her, obviously, what 16 maybe 17. He shrugged "Search me, you just seem… different" "Awesome" Grace tried very hard not to roll her eyes. "Sorry, I'm just a little on edge right now; it's not really your fault" "Everyone here is" "What is here?" "Oh, I wish I knew" he said.
"Grace Foy" some one called her name, Grace felt that wave of nervousness overtake her "It's fine really" Seth said "Hey, I know I don't know you that well, but if you want, after, I could take you out to get Coffee or something" Grace nodded "Yeah, okay" she said and walked away. The Questions were strange, they commented on Grace's height and weight, normal medical stuff, and then they asked her the weird stuff. They asked her if she had been having any strange episodes, Grace was about to say "No" and give them a funny look, when she remembered that strange flash she had at school.
They took her silence as a Yes, and there was nothing Grace could do about it. When she left, about an hour later, she felt flustered and very confused. But Seth was still sitting there just like he promised. They walked through Central Park, and Grace said nothing why Seth chattered on about New York. "And Central Park has more than 700 acres" "Uh Huh" Grace said "But you're not that interested in the History of Central Park" "Sorry, not really" "That's fine, neither am I" "You're still reeling," Grace shrugged. "Yeah, I am" "Well then how about we go somewhere else" "Just don't take me drinking" Grace said "What kind of person do you take me for?"
instead Seth just took her to a cute little coffee shop near Times Square. "So" Grace said "You went too?" "To the Clinic I mean" "Yeah," Seth said "We all do" "We, who is we?" Seth looked a little flustered, like he was telling Grace a secret he wasn't supposed to say. "Uh, you know Us, the Children of The People who actually run New York" Grace laughed "My parents do not run New York" Seth shrugged "Maybe they just like you" "Uh Huh" Grace said skeptically, she knew he wasn't telling the truth, but Grace knew that was all she was going to get.
He walked her home, even though Grace lived near Riverside, claiming he did it all the time. Grace was waiting for the catch, the punch line, as to why he kept on appearing mysteriously out of the blue to get Coffee with her. But here they were standing at her front door and still…nothing. "Are you going to the Committee meeting tomorrow?" "Yeah, how did you know?" "Everyone at the Clinic is a member" "Okay" Grace said "I'll save you seat if you want" "Yeah, sure" Grace said, slipping him one last look before opening the door.