Goal Oriented

Chapter 6

Saturday arrives quickly. 

The skies cleared up on Friday afternoon, leaving a murky gloom and muddy atmosphere in the rain's wake. 

"Daisy!" Bessie greets me in the doorway, a steaming mug of hot chocolate in her hands. 

"Morning," I say, shaking out my own umbrella and placing a certain dry black one on the table near the door. 

"You've bought gumboots. Good thinking, my darling. Drink this quickly, before it gets cold." She pushes the warm ceramic into my hands and trots down the hallway. I smell chocolate and lavender and homeliness. 

James is seated at the dining table, playing on his phone and sipping his own mug when we walk in. With dread, I remember our plan to act friendly. I take the seat opposite him. 

"I've put some washing on. Don't be shy and get started if I'm not back by then," Bessie tells us, stomping down the stairs with a washing basket balanced on her frail hip. 

James drops his phone and indifferent attitude once she's gone. "Did you bring my umbrella, or forget it again?"

I roll my eyes. "It's at the front."

"Couldn't you have brought it in here?"

"Calm down. If I'd known you were here, I might've. You can just grab it on the way out, don't ask me to do everything for you."

He lets out a painful, drawn-out sigh. "Whatever."

We sit in silence, him typing on his phone, me sipping my hot chocolate, watching droplets drip from the pipe outside. The sky is a ripe shade of white, almost glary but not quite. 

James huffs about five minutes later. "Are you done yet?"

"No," I reply instantly. "Go get started. Unless you so drastically need my help?"

He sneers, leaves his phone on the table, and heads downstairs. 

I breathe a sigh of contempt. Finally some peace and quiet. 

Sitting quietly for a minute, I consider my plan. If we continue the weeding today, I won't have to talk to him. Maybe, if I master my crowbar skills, I can 'accidentally' flick some dirt up at him. This week James has been absolutely insufferable. 

Bing, bing! His phone chimes twice. I look at it, almost finished with my hot chocolate. Could he not have put it on do not disturb? Bessie won't want to hear that when she watches The Bold and the Beautiful after doing the washing. 

Then his phone chimes again. 

And again. 

And again. 

And again, again, again, again. 

I reach over and snatch it from the other side of the table. It's some kind of new iPhone model. I try to figure out how to turn it to silent, but the messages catch my eye. Despite myself, I read the one at the top, then can't stop my eyes from traveling down. 

Gracie: Also, what time are we meeting? 

Gracie: Can I come over before? Maybe I can meet your parents <3 <3

Gracie: I'm so excited James, thank you so much for asking me out. 

I scoff and throw the phone back down, not even bothering to continue with my mission to find the do not disturb. Poor Gracie. Why would she ever choose to go on a date with someone like James? If they go to the movies, he'll chew popcorn like a cow. If they go out to dinner, he'll probably spend half the time looking at himself in the back of a spoon.