Airplanes | Spruceworth 6.1 | Wattys2019

Chapter 23: More Twin Conflict

       I had to weigh the options for this since it wasn't my family relationship that was in need of fixing. Well, mine did, but that was for another time. This was about Grant's family and I didn't know if Vikram and I should get involved.

       But then I thought about how sad Grant was a lot of the time because he couldn't see his little brothers. If Hennessy were to apologize to Grant, then surely their mom would side with Hennessy and let Grant live with them again and put all this drama behind them.

       "We can try," I said. "I don't know if we'll succeed but I think we have to at least try. But just to be clear, I'm only doing this for Grant. Not Hennessy." 

       "Great, so... What's the plan?" Vikram asked.

       I couldn't reply because I noticed Hennessy walking over to us. "Hi, Ollie," she said.

       "Oliver," I corrected. People who I weren't fond of shouldn't have the pleasure of using my nickname. 

       Hennessy furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What?"

       "My name is Oliver," I said. "At least it is to people I don't want to talk to."

       Maybe it wasn't the best time to be petty since Vikram and I just agreed to try to fix things between Grant and Hennessy, and Grant's boyfriend giving her attitude definitely wouldn't help her want to mend her relationship with her brother.

       However, Hennessy didn't seem annoyed that I was giving her attitude. Instead, she looked a bit upset. "If this is what I said to you, I'm truly sorry," she said. "I didn't mean it. I was just upset."

       "Being upset doesn't excuse what you said," I told her. 

       "I know," Hennessy said. "And I really didn't mean it. I felt extremely guilty when I walked away and I've been meaning to apologize to you."

       "That happened a while ago," I said. "You've had plenty of opportunities to. So why didn't you?"

       Hennessy sighed. "Because you're always with Grant and I don't want to talk to him."

       "Don't you think your and Grant's little feud is a bit... ridiculous?" Vikram spoke up.

       Only to receive a sharp glare from Hennessy.

       "You don't know anything about it, Vikram," Hennessy said.

       "I know enough," Vikram said. "If you're mad at anyone, be mad at Ollie."

       "Yes, please be mad at me and not Grant," I said. 

       Clearly, Vikram and I were going to have to work on our plan to get Hennessy talking to Grant again because she just said, "Sorry, but I'm still never going to talk to Grant."

       "That might actually be a good thing," Grant suddenly said as he walked over and stood beside me. "That way, I don't have to hear your whiny voice whenever something doesn't go your way."

       Vikram and I were off to a horrible start and since I didn't want the argument to get worse, I said to Grant, "Let's just head home."

       Grant started walking away without a reply and before I followed him, I looked at Vikram who gave me a signal that he would text me later. I nodded, then quickened my pace to catch up to Grant. "Why were you talking to my evil twin?" he asked.

       "She wanted to apologize for what she said to me a while ago," I said. "About you already having a boyfriend that's following your dad's footsteps."

       "Did you forgive her?" Grant asked.

       "Not really," I said. "She tried excusing it by saying she was upset. Once she thinks of a better apology, then I might consider forgiving her."

       "Here's a head's up," Grant said. "Don't expect one. She's horrible at giving apologies. Trust me, I would know."

       "If she ever does apologize properly to you, would you forgive her?" I asked.

       "Actually, yeah, I would," Grant said. "Because it takes a lot for her to apologize and if she does, then that would mean she actually means it and she realized she's in the wrong. But like I said. She's horrible at giving apologies so I'm not expecting anything."

       Unless Vikram and I helped Hennessy realized she should really apologize to Grant because now we knew Grant would forgive her. I knew this was going to be difficult, though. Hennessy would have to give Grant a proper apology and if she was as horrible at giving them as Grant said she was, it was going to take a lot of work.

       While Grant and I were walking home, I got a text message so I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. It was from my mom and once I saw the message, I sighed heavily. For once, it wasn't about me applying to music schools but it was still about something I didn't know if I felt positively about.

       I know this is a late notice but I want to invite you to dinner with my boyfriend's family tomorrow to meet them for the first time. We'll be meeting at The Gold Mine at six if you want to. I know you're still upset with me but it will be the first time I meet my boyfriend's children and I really want you there.

       "What is it?" Grant asked after hearing my heavy sigh.

       "My mom wants me to go to dinner tomorrow with her, her boyfriend, and his family," I said. "I only just found out about my mom seeing someone else and I still need to process it, yet she asks me to go to dinner with them."

       "Well, look on the bright side," Grant said. "At least she asked and isn't demanding you to. You have all the right to say no."

       "You're right," I said, about to type a reply to my mom but for some reason, I couldn't. 

       "Do you need me to help you spell no?" Grant asked. "It's like this. N-O. You can do it."

       I sighed again. "I feel like I should go. She said she really wants me there and she even acknowledged the fact that I'm still upset with her. Besides, her boyfriend apparently has children and even though I don't know their ages, I have to see who might be getting my mother's attention. Would... would it be too much to ask you to come with me? I might get a bit... upset when I meet them and fully realize my mom is moving on and I'd rather have you there with me."

       "If she's okay with it, then of course I'll come," Grant said. "And if she's not, then I'll still come because I'm mad at her too for the way she treated you and I'd love to get her mad at me."

       I chuckled slightly as I replied to my mom's text, asking if Grant could come. I was actually expected her to say no since it was more of a family thing so I was a bit surprised by her response.

       Of course! I haven't formally met him yet so I would like to get to know my son's boyfriend a lot more as well.

       "Something's up," I said. "She's being too nice."

       Grant peered at my phone to see the message my mom sent so I tilted my phone towards him to let him have a better look. "Awe, dang, I guess I'll have to find another way to get her mad."

       "I'm being serious," I said. "She's never this nice. What if she's trying to butter me up before bringing up music schools again?"

       "That could be it," Grant said. "Or maybe she genuinely feels bad about the way she treated you."

       "What happened to you being mad at her?" I asked.

       "Oh, I still am," Grant said. "I'm just saying that she probably does feel bad for it. I guess we'll find out tomorrow."

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i say this every chapter but i'm still so proud all of my chapters have been exceeding 1500 words. actually, i think the shortest was 1600-something and that's definitely saying something for me. 

anyway, we need more vikram. i love vikram.