They Came In Hoodies

Chapter 36: Home

Gray's POV

As we walked through the snow, it reminded me of what I should have done after the war at Churchwell academy. I thought I owed the school and Churchwell something by staying there. But I was mistaken. I was never happy there. Those months were a mistake. I would have been better off here.

I was sure Churchwell would be fine without me, just like it had been in the past. But I wouldn't be fine without Stella. That was what I needed right now.

"Where are you going to stay while you are here?" Stella asked, breaking the silence as we walked into her neighborhood.

"I do have a house here," I chuckled as I thought about Else and my small place. "I'll stay there."

She nodded, and we fell into silence again as her house approached. "After we finish school, what are we going to do?" she asked carefully.

I shrugged. For now, I didn't really want to think about that. For now, I just wanted to focus on graduation. I would think about Churchwell afterwards. And maybe I wouldn't think about that place again. But for now, anything Churchwell related was shelved. I would never put this place above my wants again.

"I think we should go back after school. I can tell my parents that I'll take a gap year and travel. They won't ask any questions."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Positive."

"Ok. Please know I don't expect you to do this for me."

"I know. But maybe it might be good for us to go there for a bit. Maybe we wouldn't have to rule anything, but set up something else."

I smiled at her as I wrapped my arm around her, bringing her close. "Yeah, ok. Sure. Let's do that."

She smiled, then stopped at in front of her parents' door to their house. She suddenly froze as she looked up at the house and frowned. "What do I say to them?" she whispered.

That was a loaded question. There was a lot she could say, but if she did, the chances of them believing it was very low. There would be a lot that they would just not understand. "Tell them what they think they will listen to?"

She frowned. "Now I kind of understand why you didn't tell me about Churchwell."

"Yeah..." I replied as my voice trailed off.

"Can you come with me?"

I nodded, although I wasn't sure it was a good idea. I wanted to be on good terms with her parents. "Of course."

She took a deep breath, then nodded, as if reassuring herself of what she needed to do next. "Ok, let's get this over with." With that, she opened the door and climbed the steps to the main living space.

"Dad! Bec! I'm home!" Stella shouted into the house.

Almost instantly, her two parents came running toward us. They wore concerned faced as they held onto her. "Where have you been? It's been days. You had us in a worried mess."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she chewed on her lip. "I'm sorry. I just got lost. The headaches and blackouts I've been having, they threw me off. When I finally understood what was happening, I was on a bus traveling through Idaho on a one-way ticket to LA with nothing on me. I got off the first stop I found and called Gray on a payphone."

"Why didn't you call us first?" dad asked with pain in his voice.

This was an elaborate lie, but I was worried if she could stick to it. I understood why she didn't want to tell them the truth. It was probably better that way. But she needed to stick to her story perfectly.

She looked at me, then frowned. "I trust him. I'm sorry... I should have called you, but I just, he was the first person who came to my mind."

"We are just happy you are back. But you can't understand how much stress and worry we have been these last few days," Bec said in a soft tone.

"I accept any punishment you give me."

Hank looked at Bec, then back at me. "Besides school, you will go nowhere else. That means no hanging out with Alice or shopping trips after school. Bec will pick you up every day until we get you checked out at the doctor."

She nodded.

Hank looked at me, then said, "Thank you for picking her up. I will cover your gas." He pulled out his wallet, then opened it.

"That's unnecessary," I replied as I put my hands up.

He handed me two $20 bills still. "Gas is expensive. Just take it."

I stuffed the money in my pocket. "Thank you. Well, I just wanted to make sure she got home safely. I'll head out now."

"I'll see you out," Stella chirped as she looked at her father to make sure he wouldn't protest.

As I turned on my heals and walked back down the stairs, she followed behind me. Once we made it to the door, I looked up at her parents looking at us. I smiled lightly at them, then turned back to Stella. There was a lot I wanted to tell her before I left, but with them overhearing our conversation, I knew I had to keep my mouth shut.

"Will you be ok?" I asked, hoping she would understand what I was implying.

She nodded as she quickly glanced at her parents. "I'll be ok. Thank you again for taking me home."

"Any time."

She smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

I shrugged with a smirk. "I don't know, will you?"

She lightly pushed me, catching my joke. "Gray..." she chuckled.

"Yeah," I grinned. There was nowhere else I would rather be. For months, I dreamt about being back in school with her again. I don't think she would ever understand how much I looked forward to tomorrow. "You will see me tomorrow."

I kissed her cheek softly, then opened the door and walked out, knowing I would see her tomorrow for school.

As I entered my small home, I shivered. It did not have the warm feeling that Stella's house had. This place felt dark and cold. It probably had to do with the fact that there was no heat or electricity in here. I flipped the light switch just to check, however no light came on. I made a mental note to call the gas and electricity company tomorrow.

For tonight, I was too tired to do anything else. After all that happened today, I didn't want to handle anything else, like calling the gas company. I would sleep in a coat for the night.

This place felt so different without Else. As I walked through the house, the reality that she wasn't coming back sank in. This was our house. She raised me here for years. We fought a lot here, but there were a lot of wonderful memories we shared.

I would often come home to an empty house after school, but I knew Else would always come back. With her power suits and stone-cold face, she would shut the door behind her. She talked so little about her responsibilities, but I knew they wore on her.

It used to frustrate me to no end that she didn't talk about them. But now I understood she was trying to keep me for the better. Else was complicated, but she was the only thing I knew to a mother.

I wished she would come through that door one more time. We would have different conversations now. She would probably speak her mind more. But that wouldn't happen. She would not come through that door again.

With another shiver, I kicked off my shoes and walked into the small bedroom that I called my own. I crashed on the bed and wrapped the blankets around my body. As much as I would miss Else and the company she provided, a part of me felt free that she was gone. Else wouldn't decide my life any longer and that was liberating. Finally, I could be the boss of my own life. I could decide what was best for me. And for now, staying in Jackson was exactly what I needed.

The ceiling above me darkened as the sun set. I turned over in my bed, feeling finally warm. Then, with a yawn, drifted off to sleep, knowing tomorrow would be a start of something new and exciting. I was finally home. I finally found a place that I was searching for.