Disclaimer: don't own it blah blah blah
A/N this chapter contains fluff, good fluff, hehe
Grace arrived outside Teresa's house an hour later with cookies and a bag of gear; she thanked her mom and knocked on Teresa's door.
'Come in' she called
'Hey Teresa, did you come back from Patrick's?' she asked
'Yea, had to get tea on, and pick up my brothers from elementary school' she explained
'What are you making?' she asked
'Vegetable soup and bread, I was in a rush' she said
'I had to make tea too, I made roast lamb' she said
Teresa grinned, 'Bet it wasn't as good as mine'
'Bet it is'
'Try this' she said offering her some soup.
'Mmmmm that's good!' Grace exclaimed
Teresa grinned, she knew she had won, but Grace wasn't about to let her stay in her victorious mood for long.
'So, continuing our English conversation, I'm pretty sure Patrick didn't have a wedgie, and he really wants you to go to prom, with just him' she said
Teresa dropped the spoon she was using to stir the soup.
'What, that's stupid, I'm his mate, we go way back, come on now, don't be silly'
'Just stating the obvious, and usually when you get wedgies, you don't deal with it by putting your arm around the next available person'
Teresa opened her mouth to argue, but closed it again, realising Grace was right.
'Ok, so maybe he may like me, but that doesn't mean I like him' she said
Grace grinned
'Oh no, I don't like him, nope, no way, no, hell no, no!' she spluttered out
'The fact that you deny it so much intrigues me'
Teresa rolled her eyes and called her brothers.
'Kyle, Felix, Liam, tea time' she yelled
Three boys aged around 5, 8 and 11 came in.
'Hey Tessie, who is this?' Kyle, the youngest asked pointing to Grace
'This is Grace, she is from school, we are going to Patricks for the night, so Liam, you are in charge'
'Yes Tessie' he said
'Good, I will go when I have dished tea, I expect dishes done, Kyle has to be in bed by 8, Felix 8.30 and you, 9, I will come back every hour or so, ok?' she said as she spooned soup into their bowls.
'Good' he said
'Ok, I'm going, goodbye' she said as she picked her bag up out of the hall closet
'Bye Tessie' they all called
'They're cute' Grace said as they walked out of the house
'They are behaving because you were there, they all say that there is a new kid in their class, with the last name Van Pelt, your siblings by any chance?' she said
'Yea, very likely, Hayley and Kyle seem the same age and so do Matt and Felix and Joel and Liam' she said
'Do you have any other siblings?'
'Yea, Autumn, she is freshman, she is in Wayne's sisters class'
'Big family' she said
'Bigger the better' she smiled as they walked up Patrick's pathway
'Come in' he called as they went to knock on the door.
'How does he do that?' she asked
'Do what?'
'Know what's going on and know what's going to happen before it does'
'Oh, well we think he is psychic but he won't admit it' she said as she went to open the door, but Patrick bet her to it.
'I am not psychic, I saw you in the window' he said
'Then how do you explain the cheerleaders?' Grace asked
'I have noticed them drifting apart for the last couple of weeks, and all I do is pay attention, that's not psychic'
'I believe you' Grace said sarcastically
'You think my supposed power is real?'
'It is, my cousin Yolanda is a psychic, she can communicate with the other side' she said
'Ok, now I believe you' he said, stealing her sarcasm from her earlier comment
'Come on, let's go in, I have cookies' Grace said
'Who has cookies?' Wayne said as he came down into the entrance way
'Hey Wayne' she said 'I have cookies'
'Oh, hey Grace, Teresa, come on in, we are ordering pizza'
'Pizza?' someone said from behind
'Hey Cho, come on, while the night is still young' Patrick said
At this, they all cracked up laughing
An hour later they were sitting in a circle in Patrick's lounge eating pizza, telling lame jokes and talking about today's happenings.
'So, the cheerleaders obviously had something to do with it, but they will say they are in class, or get someone else to do it, if you were a cheerleader, who would you use to do your dirty work?' Patrick said
'Well, probably a nerd or someone who would want to date a cheerleader' Teresa replied
'So, our suspects are any nerd in the school, or anyone who would want to date one, right that narrows it down to most the school' Patrick said exasperatedly
'Who can you think of that was really badly picked on continuously by those three?' Grace asked
'Now, finally a decent question, Catherine Toms was, and Olivia Parker too, I have a hunch they are involved' Patrick said
'Oh joy, another hunch' Wayne said
'Oi' Grace said playfully elbowing him in the ribs
'Feisty one' he said pulling her into his arms and tickling her
'Ok, if you two can't keep your hands off each other and finish this serious mature conversation then we are going to have to ask you to get a room' Teresa said, trying not to laugh
They instantly stopped, but remained together. Grace was sitting crossed legged between Wayne's legs, his arms were around her and she held his arms.
'Anyway, back to the topic, I think we should talk to them tomorrow and find out what they know and go from there' Patrick said
'Um, Patrick, this is a murder investigation, shouldn't we leave it to the professionals?' Grace said
'You have a point, but who knows Red Ivy High better than its own pupils, we know who didn't like who, and who would do what for what, besides, what good are rules if you can't break them, we already found the murder weapon, well part of it, why shouldn't we get to do some more' Patrick said
'I don't want to think about where this is going to go, should we watch a movie?' Grace said
'Sure, the exorcist original, or the ring?' Jane asked
'The ring' Teresa said
'Na, that movie is weak, I vote the exorcist' Wayne argued
'You screamed like a girl when you saw the ring, the exorcist is heaps scarier, you will probably pee your pants' Teresa argued back
'You did pee your pants when you watched it' he pointed out
'I was 10, who shows a 10 year old people getting their head chopped off?'
'Ok, ok, let's sort this like civilised people and not embarrass each other, hands up for the ring' Patrick said
Teresa and Cho put their hands up
'Ok, and hand up for the exorcist'
Grace and Wayne put their hands up.
'Ok, even vote, and I am sorry Teresa, but I will choose the exorcist, Wayne has a point, it is weak'
They settled in to watch the movie.
Grace really wasn't one for horrors, but if it meant she could hide in Wayne's chest, she was fine with it. She had seen the ring so many times, she wasn't scared of it, but the exorcist was something entirely different. Teresa was right, Wayne was scared of the movie, despite the fact he tried to hide it. She lay in his arms, feeling him jump, and his grip tightening on her waist every now and then. When it was over the went into the kitchen to get water, when they noticed Patrick was gone.
'He will be waiting to scare us, turn on the light' Teresa instructed
They tried to, but they didn't work.
'Dammit, phones out' she said
The small fluorescent light lit the way to the kitchen
'Jane, come out, we know you are the- ahhhhhhhhhh' she said and screamed as Patrick jumped out from behind the door.
They too all screamed but then laughed, he had planned this.
'Very funny Patrick, comical genius' Teresa said as she got herself some water
'I thought so too' he said
'I was being sarcastic'
'I'm sure you were'
Teresa stopped at this point, not being bothered to continue.
'What's the time?' she asked
'11, why?'
'Just wondering'
They sat up playing truth or dare in the living room with the chocolate and the coke, which was fizzed up as that was what they were using to spin. Grace spun it and it landed on Patrick.
'Truth or dare?' she asked
'Seeing at the outcome of your last dares, I will say truth' he said
His choice was wise, Grace had a whole lot of dares up her sleeve and was enjoying using them. She had made Wayne put ice cream on his stomach, given Cho a whipped cream moustache and Teresa eat chilli, but she was glad he had picked truth.
'Ok, do you like Teresa' she said simply
He fidgeted.
'Yea, course, she is my mate'
Grace raised an eyebrow as if to say you know what I mean, psychic
'Um, well, um, wait, what?' he stuttered, luckily he was saved by the phone ringing.
Teresa gave Grace the evils, Grace just smiled back
'I think that answers my question' she said settling back into Wayne's arms
Patrick came back into the room
'Just my dad saying he won't be back tonight, now, shall we watch another movie?' he asked, desperately trying to get away from the previous subject.
'Ok, but not horror' Teresa said, not wanting a repeat of the earlier stunt.
'Ok, how about the invention of lying?' he said
'Sure' Grace said, she had wanted to see this movie for a while, but by the time the movie was almost over, she was asleep as she was so tired from her dads beatings.
'Are they asleep?' Teresa asked Patrick indicating towards Wayne and Grace
'I think so, I will get them a blanket' he said
Grace and Wayne lay spooning each other. He had one arm around her waist and holding her hand, and the other under her head.
'They are going to hurt in the morning' Patrick said
Teresa just elbowed him.
A/N I liked this chapter and now I have a fair idea where the case is going. Review please =]