The past week has been nothing short of perfect. It's the last week of school before Callie and I start summer school and I'm kind of excited. Timothy spoke to my chemistry teacher and I've improved as much as I need to be able to do the book reports every week, I did the one on Ender's Game and I got an A-, Timothy thinks I can get an A+ next time if I put my mind to it. He understands that I've been a bit distracted by the adoption lately. But even with the distraction an A- is amazing. As I sit down after a long day of school, Sophia calls me.
"Hey, what's up?" I ask, flopping back on my bed.
"I just wanted to remind you about the vacation, have you asked if you can come?" I realize that I didn't even tell Sophia I wasn't going to be adopted by her parents, I just went ahead and did it. I feel kind of bad. But she doesn't seem to care.
"Oh right, the vacation." I had completely forgotten Sophia had invited me away with her family over summer. "Well I have summer school for at least a month but probably more, and I haven't even asked Stef and Lena yet."
"Well ask! We have the villa for the whole summer. But we need to book flights, Callie's coming in mid-July for a week with me and mom, so you could come then, or you could come with us when we go in August."
"Callie's going to Spain for a week? Is your dad paying?" I know Stef and Lena wouldn't pay. Not that they wouldn't want to, but they wouldn't be able to afford it. Mariana told me the only vacations they've been on as a family since Callie and Jude arrived were weekend camping trips, a real vacation was always too expensive.
"Yeah, it's part of Callie's birthday present." Only in Sophia's world is a vacation part of a birthday present.
"Well yeah, I mean I'll ask."
"Great, let me know what they say." She hangs up before I get to say goodbye.
Of course, I want to go away with Sophia. But before, the reason I wanted to go so that I could get away from the foster system for a while. And now I'm adopted and not in the system. I don't want to not be in my home right now. I'm still settling in and get used to things. Would Sophia be mad if I turned her offer down? I don't want to think about this right now. I want to work on my extra credit and my chemistry homework, the more work I do the less time I'll be in summer school for and then I'll know how much of summer I have to spare.
"Hey." Taylor walks into my room. "You ready to study?" She sits on my bed opposite me and starts emptying her backpack. I remember we had arranged to do our math homework together; she was supposed to do it with Jude, but he's been off with her too. "You forgot, didn't you?"
"No, no I didn't forget." She raises her eyebrows at me. "Okay I forgot, but before we start, have you talked to Jude?" I hate that he's still acting weird around me, and now Taylor too.
"No, he's barely said two words to me all week, you?"
"Just 'pass the orange juice' every now and then. Do you think something's wrong?"
"Why don't you ask me?" We both jump, he's stood in the doorway. "Instead of talking behind my back." Then he just walks away, and we hear his bedroom door slam.
"I'll follow him." Taylor starts to get up.
"No don't. Noah's here, it's probably best not to interrupt. I thought it was something I did, but he's obviously mad at both of us."
"I think he's just mad at something else and taking it out on us."
"You've always been smarter than me." I smile at her. "Anyway, let's get some work done."
When we're done, Taylor invites me to sleep over her house tomorrow night. I've never had a sleepover that wasn't in a foster home by no choice. So, of course, I say yes, I'm sure Stef and Lena will be fine with it.
"No," Stef says firmly.
"Wait, what?"
"Gracie, we know you're gay. We can't allow you to have a sleepover with another girl." Lena takes a calmer approach.
"But Taylor's straight?" I question them.
"Has she ever told you that?"
"Well no but even if she wasn't, it's not like that with her. We're friends, good friends. Besides, you let Mariana have Emma stay over and Jesus is only one door away. Why is this any different?" It feels weird arguing with Stef and Lena. I don't want them to regret adopting me, but I don't want to miss out on doing normal stuff with my friend either.
"No means no. Now, go clean-up for dinner." Stef dismisses me. I walk out in a huff. I see Jude standing on the stairs, he was listening in. He's giving me a really weird look like he's giving me evils.
"Is that what this is about?" I ask him. "You think something is going on between me and Taylor?" I can't help but laugh.
"Well, you haven't hidden it very well." He walks back upstairs to his room, I follow him.
"There's nothing to hide!" He's being such a jerk. "Taylor and I are just friends, and we're friends because of you, you idiot."
"Oh, come on Gracie. It's obvious you like her, you're with her all the time and you hang off her every word."
"I do not, and I'm with her so much because you're always with your boyfriend!" I'm yelling at him now. Callie comes storming in.
"I'm with him all the time because you're always preoccupied with your own god damn mental issues!" He screams in my face.
"Jude." Callie steps in front of me. "What the hell is your problem?" He just looks at both of us. I can't believe he would say something like that to me. He always told me he'd never judge me or treat me any differently.
"I'm sorry I-, I'm going out." He picks up his jacket and leaves Callie and me standing in his room. In complete shock. We hear the front door slam. He's supposed to be my friend, my brother. Lena walks in.
"What the hell is going on?"
