Hard Boy ✔️

72

- Ghost; Justin Bieber -

Aurora Holland

"Oh, Aurora you look beautiful!" My grandma Anne spoke, squishing my cheeks with her hands. I smiled politely at her, twirling my ring as I waited for the introductions to be over.

"You look grown already!" My grandpa John spoke, ruffling my hair.

Grandma Anne and Grandpa John were my mother's parents, who had just arrived in town. They greeted me as they did every time they visited, the greeting short and sweet before moving on to a much longer one with Jason.

My father's parents were already here, having gotten here early this morning instead of now. This meant the greeting and introducing Katherine was over with, so after I go through this with my mom's parents, I'll be done with the embarrassing squishing of cheeks and comments about being grown up.

The good thing about both sets of grandparents here is my mom's a completely different person. My dad's parents are good at keeping her from saying her usual comments to me, but her parents? That's a completely different story.

My grandmother on my mom's side is a lot like my mother, but instead of being that way to me, she's like that with my mom. Maybe that's why my mother the way she is with me, but I won't come up with excuses for it. It just calms my mother's strictness when Grandma Anne's around, simply because she knows she'll have to deal with her if she treats me differently.

After more introductions and watching as my father attempted to help show them their room, I turned to Katherine. "We can probably go get ready for the party now."

Katherine nodded, wasting no time and heading to my bedroom. She'd been nervous to meet my grandparents, and I didn't blame her. After seeing how my mom acted with cleaning the house and making sure she did everything right - she expected the Evil Queen or something.

Not to mention Katherine isn't a people person, which I get.

Seeing Granny Lynn - my father's mother - struggling to reach a mug that was on one of the higher shelves, I took a quick detour to my room and walked into the kitchen. I reached up and grabbed it for her, handing it to her silently.

"Thank you, Rora Lynn." She smiled at me, "You heading out soon with some friends?"

"Yeah, I have a Christmas Party tonight," I told her, messing with the hair tie on my wrist.

It had been a few days since we last got together, and now was the day we were having our Christmas party with the friend group. I was excited but nervous - excited to hang out with a few friends before having to spend more time with the family, and nervous because I had no idea how Kaya was going to react to the gift I'd gotten her.

"I remember going to parties when I was your age," Granny Lynn said, filling her mug up with the boiling water that had been in the tea kettle. "Your father did as well."

"Did he?" I asked, fiddling with my thumbs. I didn't want to sit and talk about her life when she was my age - considering I hear it every time she's here - but I'm not willing to ruin her small moments of happiness of reminiscing all because I don't want to hear a story all over again.

"Of course, he was quite the firecracker." She chuckled, grabbing a tea bag from the box she'd brought. "Your father tells me you're struggling with a boy right now?" She then switches the subject, my eyes widening at her words.

"What do you mean?" I asked, beginning to twirl my ring around my finger.

"Some boy you fell for, is it?" She used a spoon to mix the tea out. She didn't look at me, but she didn't need to know my reaction. She let out a quick chuckle before putting the spoon in the sink. "What's his name?"