tricks of time ― grayson hawthorne [the inheritance games]

002. COLD WELCOMING

It took me a few seconds to realize that by interfering, Grayson meant coming to fetch me. 

"Ladies," he said, "may I take your coats?"

Leslie shook her head, but I nodded, and before I could take it off myself, his nimble fingers were on my shoulders, taking it off for me. I shuddered. 

A small pop on the side took my coat and I yelped.

"What the..." and Grayson finished for me.

"Coat closet." He paid no attention to my wide eyes and just walked on, buttoning a button on his suit, drawing the two sides together. 

Alisa took that as her indication to give us over to Grayson's capable hands, and I struggled to come up with a response that wasn't simply standing there like a fish with my mouth open. Grayson proceeded to close the closet, but was halted by a sound from deep within.

To my shock, a boy stood out of the closet. He was perhaps my age, perhaps a year or two younger. He was dressed in a suit, but that was the extent of his resemblance to Grayson. This boy's outfit was rumpled, as if he'd slept in it for a day-- or twenty. The jacket wasn't buttoned. The tie he wore around his neck was undone. He was tall, but with a young face and a mess of black, curly hair. His eyes and complexion were also light brown. 

"Am I late?" he shot at Grayson. 

"Perhaps you could address that question to your watch."

"Has Jameson arrived yet?" the dark-haired teen clarified.

Grayson tensed up. "No." This was met by a grin on the teens face. 

"Then I'm not late!" 

He finally stared at me and Leslie. "And these must be our guests! How rude of Grayson to not introduce us." A muscle in Grayson's jaw twitched, clearly he hated being short of perfection. 

"Leah Adler," he said formally, "and her sister, Leslie. Ladies, this is my brother, Alexander." For a moment, its seemed like Grayson might leave it there, but then came the eyebrow arch. "Xander is the baby of the family."

Xander shook his head. "I'm the handsome one," Xander corrected. "I know Gray looks like a hot dude who can seriously pull off an Armani suit, but, can he jolt the universe on and up to ten with his smile, like a young Mary Tyler Moore incarnate in the body of a multiracial James Dean?" Xander seemed to have only one mode of speaking: fast. "No," he answered his own question. "No, he cannot."

"I like this guy," I said in response. 

He grinned. "I like me too." 

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds, but Leslie filled it up. 

"Seems like you spend a lot of time in coat closets." 

Xander shook his head as he dusted off his pants. "Secret passage," he said, then attempted to dust off his pant legs again. "This place is full of them."

"Uh, Mr. Hawthorne," A unheard voice interrupts our conversation, which I find myself to be more than thankful for. I watch Grayson give her nothing but a curt nod, and she begins speaking rather quietly. But I catch one thing: "They're ready for you in the Great Hall. 

___

As I walked into the room containing the family, I felt like I could shrink. 

"Hello, dear, Grayson," A blonde haired woman said. 

"Hi Mother," he said uncomfortably as he nodded towards two other boys to whom I recognized to be around my age. 

"Who's this...girl?" she said, with a pause, eyeing me up and down and trying to figure out what I was, as if I was some sort of animal.