Love surprises you - on hold

seventeen

Grace

   "So we'll take the city bus there, stay there for what two or three nights? Take the bus back, and then we got like the rest of the week off." Grace tells Ava, who focuses more on her homework, laying on her stomach on the bed, her binder open in front of her and simply hums, "Can I play music?" Again she mumbles a reply, which makes Grace laugh, "Wanna go commit arson?"

Even this doesn't wake Ava out of her trance, her pen still gliding across the paper as she nods blankly. She does however look up from her notes to where Grae was laying on her back on the floor, laughing to herself. "What?"

"You're not listening to me are you?" Grace asks with a small grin, her eyes meeting Ava's who looks away clearly embarrassed she got caught.

"I'm trying to finish my homework before tomorrow so I don't have to do it during the break." She explains, her plan sounds a lot more solid than Grace's 'don't do it and just tell the teacher she didn't understand it'.

"I was saying we should go up this Monday and stay till like Wednesday or something." Grace says, "Then we get this weekend to hang out with friends and family," Ava grimaces at Grace's tone, but the girl moves on, not wanting to upset Ava, "And we still get a few days after to do some fun shit."

Ava nods, looking back to the paper, "Sounds good. Do you wanna play music?"

Grace laughs quietly but nods, turning her phone on and going to the playlist of Ava approved music. "Can I have a piece of paper?" Grace questions, and Ava nods, flipping through her binder to lined paper and giving her a sheet, then upon another request Ava passes a pen. Grace doesn't think twice as she begins tracing out a face.

And for the next twenty minutes they sit together, Ava doing her homework with a peaceful look, and Grace drawing her, trying to capture every blemish and small detail. This goes on until Ava pushes her binder and textbook onto the floor dramatically, rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling.

Grace smiles, folding the paper up and slipping it into her back pocket before climbing next to Ava who groans loudly, her hands now covering her face. "My brain hurts."

Rolling onto her side, Grace pulls Ava's hands off her face, revealing a pouting Ava. She fights to cover her face again but Grace holds her wrists tight, not enough to hurt her but enough to keep them down. "C'mon let's go do something fun." She says, not making any move to leave as her gaze switches between each of Ava's beautiful eyes.

Ava smiles but shakes her head, making Grace's expression turn to one of confusion, "You've got plans with Elijah, remember?"

Grace shrugs, rolling off the bed onto her feet, "I can just text him, c'mon I'm hungry." She notices a glimpse of a smile as Ava follows her downstairs where her dad was sitting on the couch.

"Where you kids off to?" Mr. Morrison asks, pausing the tv and turning to face them as much as he can from the couch.

They both put on their shoes as Ava talks to her father, "We're gonna go out and get some food, is that okay?"

He nods, offering them both a smile, calling out, "Okay text me when you know when you'll be home, I love you." Before unpausing his show, sounds of fake guns and loud bangs fill the house, making them both giggle as they leave.

Grace breathes deeply when the night air hits her, it's colder than she imagined, as she zips up her grey sweater, stuffing her hands in her pockets. Ava appears beside her, looking up at the stars with unblinking eyes.

"You wanna go to that weird soda shop?" Grace asks her, walking towards where their bikes lay on the cold pavement.

"What soda shop?" Ava replies, a confused expression on her face as picks up her bike, holding it while she looks at Grace doing the same.