Saving Grayson

Chapter 6

Grayson

I should have smiled today. That Wren girl seemed nice. A little chatty, but maybe that's just how she is. Owen seemed nice as well. He could be a potential friend if I ever see him again. It was unlikely since I didn't get any of his contact information, and he never made it clear on whether he has class in the same building as I do at the same time, or if he just went there to study. I secretly prayed it was both. It would be nice to at least have one friend on campus, even if I don't live there like he might. On the other hand, I'm not sure how the friend thing works. All of my "friends" dipped me when they saw me on the red carpet for the first time on t.v. Claimed that I was going to turn into some stuck-up rich kid who forgets where he comes from. Ditches all of his friends the second he's invited to some party by some up and coming A-lister.

God, I should've at least smiled at Wren if I wasn't going to talk to her. She was the first person I had talked to today who didn't mention my father. The first person who I felt as if I could have a real conversation with if I hadn't been such an asshole by not giving her a smile. Maybe all my electronics intimidated her. I saw the way she looked at my MacBook and phone. The way she held my phone. She held it with such care, like it was going to break if she tapped on the screen any harder than she did.

Freshman seminar could potentially be a class I can pass with flying colors. It's more of what to expect while attending WSU and learning how to balance the many things throughout life rather than a traditional lecture type of class. I can already tell I won't have to try as hard as I do like my other courses. At least by the end of the semester I'll have one final I know I'll pass with flying colors. Thank God.

When I pulled into the driveway I noticed my mom's car wasn't here, which meant I'd have the house to myself for a few hours. Even though the housekeeper is probably here, I never see her which makes me feel like I have the place to myself. Grabbing my backpack, I got out the car and was greeted by my "amazing father" when I stepped inside the house.

"What are you doing home?" I questioned curiously placing my bag next to the door.

"You didn't think I'd miss your first day of college did you?" he asked in response not even looking up from his phone.

"Well, you're late. You might as well hop back on the jet and go back to LA," I muttered the last part walking away from him.

This caught his attention. He called my name stopping me in my tracks. I huffed and turned to look at him. The relationship between my dad and I has been strained for years. He's a recovering drug addict who's been sober for eight years now. He turned himself around, made a name for himself. But before he was Ray Jr. Chambers, movie director, he was a dead beat. A bum. He's still a dead beat in my eyes but he's a rich dead beat.

"Look, I'm sorry I wasn't here to see you off for the first day," he apologized. "We're behind on filming and we had a late night, so I didn't wake up on time this morning. I promise I'll make it up to you."

"How can you make up missing my first day of college, dad? That's something you can't make up. It only happens once. Just do me a favor and don't try to make it up to me because your idea of that is buying me a car when you know you messed up big time. Just don't do anything," I snapped.

"Grayson? Is that you?" I heard my mother call from another room.

"In the foyer mom," I responded with a sigh.

"Good you're home. I wanted your input on- Ray welcome home!" my mother smiled as she looked at my father.

"Quinn, I missed you so much," my father spoke as he pulled my mother into a hug. He should have been an actor instead the way he acts like he cares about my mother.

"How was the flight?" my mother asked, forgetting that I was even in the room.

"It was great. I wanted to stop by for a few days Juno has a severe cold, and her stunt double has pneumonia so we can't film until one of them gets better. So, I thought what better way to spend the few days we're off from filming than with my family?"

"Oh, that's wonderful," my mother responded cheerfully. "Grayson isn't this wonderful news?"

"Sure," I mumbled. "Let's pretend that we're all one big happy family until dad has to leave again. How long are you going to be here anyways? A few days? A couple of weeks?"

"Grayson that is no way to speak to your father. Apologize to him right now," my mother demanded.

"Quinn, it's okay," he reassured her. "I think I deserve it. After all, I did miss his first day of college and then came in here offering to make it up to him. But I know that's not possible."

I gave him this look of disbelief. Disbelief that he was owning up to his wrong-doing and not playing the victim role like he usually does. Who is this man and what has he done with Ray Jr. Chambers?

My parents didn't even notice that I had snuck off since they were so engrossed in my father's sudden need to step up and take ownership for his mistake. To blow off some steam I ended up in my art room and began working on something I had started at the beginning of the summer. It wasn't clear to me yet on what it was supposed to be, but hopefully something beautiful can come out of something so chaotic.