Sweet Delights // g.d

Cotton Candy Boy

I get a text from an unknown number.
#: Hey, we're going to the beach
Me: who is this?
#: Grayson
kind of in your neighborhood
Me: how'd you get my number?
Grayson🤓: someone gave it to me
I swear this boy needs to cut it. Like Cleo would cut my head off if I go.
Grayson🤓: so are you coming?
Me: I guess, when?
Grayson🤓: I'll be there in ten
At least it's Sunday. Who said I'm scared of Cleo anyways. I walk to my drawer and pick out a beach-ready outfit with a duck on the shorts. I grab my towel and wait outside. I run back in to get my emergency outing bag. Grayson pulls up in his car.
"Do you have sunscreen?" "Yeah I'll put it on you at the beach," Grayson says with an eyebrow raised. I'm hoping it's the spray kind.

He drives us to Santa Monica beach and we get out. The drive wasn't too gruesomely long, the ride wasn't awkward though.
"I'll go put the chairs, grab the food from the back," I see chips, watermelon, and a piece of raw meat. He must not know what to bring since his trunk is empty apart from three things. I would've brought so much more food.
Good thing I have my trusty bag. Spices, dips, and other small snacks. He doesn't have a knife so I wonder how we'll cut the watermelon. I take the meat and chips first because the watermelon is way too big and I have my hands full.
"Goof, you forgot the knife." "I figured I'd break it open," I wonder if he's being serious. "Neanderthal." "Or I just miscalculated and forgot the knife. And actual food." "Get me a grill or just a fire, I'll have to salvage this outing. My bag has a few essentials." "There's no grills here. How about we just get food from the pier?" I guess that's alright, I just expected a fun meal. I would've been fine with cooking, Grayson should've been more prepared. What about the food though. "I'll put the food back into the cooler." "Oh okay, I'll pack the stuff so we can get the food."
We move the stuff back into the car. I take my time with the chairs, but once we're done he grabs his wallet and jacket. It made me realize that I forgot a sweater. I hope it doesn't get too cold in California. Note the sarcasm, but like actual hoping.
We walk towards the shops on the pier. "What do you want?" "Cotton candy!" I say skipping like a kid to the man with the machine. I hear him laughing like a goof and I blush. He's been making me blush recently. "I don't have my wallet. I'll pay you back."
"Don't worry I got it. You don't have to pay me back," I pick out the pink cotton candy. He gets the blue kind and pays the man. "So what else is there to do here?" "Boardwalk games. I can win you a stuffed animal," my eyes light up because I love stuffed animals. Not to the extreme of having a room full of them, but I love them because of the memories with them. "Okay, I'm good with that." We walk to the game lights and I see a huge pink bunny. I want that huge pink bunny." I need that huge pink bunny." He looks at me and goes up to the counter. I go next to him, the game was to make a lot of baskets. The basketball game looks way out of my league. "Don't tell him I'm a basketball player," Grayson whispers to me.
"Come right up, step up try to make ten baskets in two minutes." Grayson puts down a five and the balls start flying. I cheer him on because I want that pink bunny. "Did I mention I want the pink bunny?" As the tenth ball goes in the basket with a minute to spare the man is forced to give me the bunny. "I think you should tell the nice man you're welcome with a kiss," the guy behind the counter says nudging us closer. The only thing between us is the bunny. "I'm fine with that." I look at him with a raised eyebrow, "kiss on the cheek?" "Andale pues, go kiss the kid." I peck his cheek and before he moves his head I step back. He grabs my waist, "not fair. Let's grab a slice of pizza." "Fine, but Rosie stays between us." "You named it already?" "I'm not going to have a nameless stuffed bunny." "If you think about it she's kind of our child," he says taking her from me. "First of all she's mommy's angel or whatever you'd call me because I am not daddy," I said taking Rosie back. "I still have visitation rights. I'm not paying child support though." "Pay for the pizza though."
We walk to the window and he orders our pepperoni pizza slices. Just being near it the aroma smells delectable. "Are you sure you don't want your toppings?" "No it's fine, they don't even have pineapples here." "So you enjoy pineapples on pizza?" "I sure do, we have a problem?" "No. Just interesting."
I'm probably still hungry because the cotton candy didn't fill me. He decided a slice would be better, it better be big. Just like Selena, I can eat a whole medium pizza by myself, and moreover. They call our order number and hand us our pizzas. I ask for some extra napkins. I see the ginormous slices oozing with grease and cheese.
"Here, be careful it's hot." I grab it from Grayson and it's bigger than my face. "Do you think I can face swap with it?" "Try, I'll hold the phone." He takes out his phone and I put Rosie down. I set it to swap their faces and it works. Grayson looks so hilarious when his face is a pizza. "I'm hyperventilating," I start gasping for air and laughing. I pick Rosie up and continue to bite my slice. I guess I shivered and Grayson takes off his jacket.
"Here, take it." "Thanks." He helps me put it on and it's oversized on me. Everything is oversized on me since I'm so petite. "I'm still cold." He pulls me close but Rosie gets between us.
He might be giving me these signals but I still don't want to date a straight guy. Especially considering he's Ethan's twin and Cameron's brother. He's warm and smells like vanilla. Surprising for a straight basketball player. I would've expected some natural musk of sweat.
We're walking towards his car in the parking lot. "So you bring people here often or what?" "No, I used to come here with Ethan and Cameron..."
"What's the whole deal with Cameron?" "She's kind of a needy girl. She's always had just Ethan and me. We're very protective of her though." "So that's why Ethan doesn't like me?" "He doesn't dislike you," I stare at him with a confused look. "Well, he doesn't like you much either. The thing that counts is that I like you." I choke on the pizza in my mouth. I start having a coughing fit. "Are you okay?" Grayson smacks my back. It hurt but the coughing fit stopped. "Oww, a little more gentle." "Sorry I forgot how small you are."
There is almost nothing that gets me mad when people say I'm short.
"I'm 5'7 and a half! We can't all be giants" "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that," we finally get to the car and he opens the door for me again.
"You're such a gentleman." "My mom didn't raise no punk." "But she raised Ethan." "Kind of a different story. Not though." I wasn't going to mention Cameron because she is a completely different story and I don't want to get into it.
I don't know what to call, a date or a friendly outing. He's said a few times that he likes me. I don't know if he's starting to like me, playing with me, or just being friendly.
We arrived at my house and I see the lights on. "Is there someone breaking in?" Why does he immediately go to someone breaking in? "My parents are never home so I guess. Should we call the police?" "I got this," he grabs a big rock from the ground. I shake my head and open the door. Grayson goes in front of me and we walk in to see my mom in the kitchen. "Gabby, I missed you, you look really good. How long has it been? Two weeks." "Hey Janet, actually three weeks," Grayson looks at me questioning probably why my mom sounds drunk. Truth is she is kind of loopy, not pills loopy but might as well be. And my father is the same, I just learned to deal with them when I was a kid.
"Janet, this is my friend Grayson. He won me this rabbit." "Oh, that's an adorable sweetie. So Gary, is it? Be honest, are you two fooling around? I remember when I and Gabby's father were young." Grayson looks way taken back. "My name is Grayson, and I can assure you that we aren't fooling around," I swear I can't introduce anyone to my parents.
"Where's Abraham?" "Sleeping, after I made dinner he went upstairs. Oh, I forgot about you sweetie, you aren't hungry right?" "I got him cotton candy and some pizza." "Oh alright I'm tired, see you later. Gabby say goodnight it's getting late." She goes upstairs and slams the door.
"She's a little weird? Wouldn't expect that from how you are." "So you were judging my mom's parenting?" After he said that I scooted him out. "Bye Grayson see you tomorrow."
I clean up my parent's mess and discarded clothing on the ground. Honestly, I hate when they come back home. It's always just a hassle. Once I'm done with cleaning, I go upstairs to my bedroom and knock out.

"Hey sweetie, do you have like twenty dollars?" "Yeah, there's some on the table," I groggily point to the coffee table. "Thanks, sweetie. Your father and I need money for the gas." "Janet get your ass down here with that money!" She kisses my forehead and runs downstairs with the twenty. I check the time and it's two a.m. I go back to sleep to prepare for the horrors of the first period.