In Fair Verona

XIX

"Grace you have to do it this weekend," Phoebe says. I'm in my room with my door open but Phoebe's also got her door open in the room over.

"I don't have to I just should."

"Maman can't keep asking me about it and I get anxious and panic."

"Yeah, thanks for the boyfriend by the way."

"Your welcome for covering you!"

"Peu importe. Je ne le fais pas."

Then I stop eavesdropping for obvious reasons.

Gwen said tonight was a family dinner that Grace wasn't aloud to leave. No "oh sorry I forgot" or "Oh sorry I've got to go."

I hear Gwen call everyone down for dinner. She says it in French but I've gotten used to it.

I slip into the hall. Phoebe and Grace do to. Phoebe and I communicate to each other through wide eyes.

Phoebe walks up to me.

"I think Grace is going to come out. Get ready for dinner to be ruined."

"Oh god I can't be there," I say. "I can't watch this."

"Me either. Maybe I'll plug my ears and close my eyes."

"Think we're good siblings?"

"Yup," Phoebe holds out a fist and we fist bump.

We slowly walk down the stairs. All of us terrified. Auguste is already sitting at the table, clueless.

Eventually everyone sits down and Gwen gets everyone on the topic of school, which leads to friends, which leads to,

"Auguste, what's with that girl you always hang out with?"

"Ximena?"

"I don't know the Spanish one."

"Ximena."

"Yeah. You two, close?"

"Well uh." he awkwardly clears his throat. "She's my girlfriend."

"What?" Gwen says.

"What?" Phoebe drops her fork. "Finally! God, I mean you two were so not just friends."

Auguste stares at Phoebe.

"But uh this isn't about me," Phoebe shrinks into her seat. "Auguste you talk about it."

"We should have her over for dinner?" Gwen says. "What's her religion? Does she have good grades? You guys aren't do—"

"Whoa, okay let's not go into detail," Grace cuts in. Her voice sounding a bit shaky but almost unnoticeable.

The more I watch Grace cut her steak the more I notice how off everything is. She's cutting the plate but she's shaking so much she's barely even putting effort in.

"Okay. Uh," Grace starts. Phoebe and I stare at her. "Uh okay."

Grace laughs painfully awkwardly.

"So speaking of girlfriends..."

Gwen's face lightens up.

"I'm sort of dating... someone."

"Really?" Gwen says, sounding so fake.

"Yeah and they live in France," Grace says. "And maman you've met them."

Gwen's face clouds a bit with confusion.

Auguste, who now understands what's happening, stares intently at Grace.

"Okay I have a girlfriend," Grace speaks so quick that she strings all the words together and refuses to look up from her plate.

"What?" Richard and Gwen say in sync.

"Yeah her name is Émilie I met her in France two years ago and we've been dating since and I'm going to my room now."

Grace stands up abruptly and quickly walks upstairs.

Leaving all of us.

"Who knew this?" Gwen says.

The three of us look to each other. Slowly we all raise our hands.

I can't read Gwen's emotions which makes this so much scarier and unpredictable.

The rest of the meal is dead silent. I'm almost too scared to move my chair back to leave the table grabbing everyone's attention in the process.

I don't know why I'm so anxious, this almost has nothing to do with me.

I'm the first one upstairs, Phoebe a minute behind me. She goes to Grace's room but I go to my own.

I end up sitting on my bed not doing anything but thinking. I don't realize how long I do it for.

Was it better when I was home and had no family that could judge me or decide how I'd live my life? Or is it better to live in a home with a family but at the cost of their beliefs shaping your life?

I don't know.

And I don't even know if it matters because I've so far got nothing to upset Gwen. What about Richard? What does he want for us?