Love The Hard Way

Chapter 2

Once Grant drops me and Ava off I go upstairs to my room to put on pjs. Mom and Dad wanted to stay later with the adults. I put on my winter onesie, yes I still wear matching onesies with my sisters even though I'm seventeen, going on eighteen. I finish getting ready for bed when I get a text from Grant: I had fun. My mom wants you to come over to dinner 2morrow @ 7:00. Pick you up @ 6:45? I text back: Sounds good. Want me to bring cookies? Of course, he texts back as fast as he can type: You know it!!

I'm fast asleep when I hear the front door open, I look at my phone; only 11:45. Mom and Dad are probably home already. I lay there in my bed for a while until I finally fall back asleep. The next morning is a quiet, rainy morning. I check my Instagram first thing and then I go downstairs. Ava's on the couch cuddled in her blanket while mom is making pancakes. "Good morning. Sleep well?" Mom says as I walk over to the couch. "Morning," I call. Ava puts down her iPad and turns on the TV. Her favorite show to watch on TV is The Golden Girls.

"Mom?" I call.

"Yes?" She turns around to answer.

"Is it ok if I go over to Grant's tonight?" I ask

"Sure, What time?" She turns back around to flip a pancake.

"He said he'll pick me up at 6:45." I check the text, just to make sure.

"Ok, Ava has her swim team's Christmas party today at 2:00. Does Grant wanna come?" She asks checking the calendar on the fridge. I really don't even want to go to the swim team thing, so I pretend to text Grant and ask if he wanted to go. I do my homework and clean my room, it takes most of the morning. Close to lunchtime, Ava's friend Rachelle came over, she is on Ava's swim team so she came to the party with us. The party wasn't as bad as I had thought, boring, but not bad.

When we get home it's nearly 5:00. I still have time to bake the cookies and get ready before Grant comes to pick me up. I take a quick shower and curl my hair. I'm probably not going to get ready in time, because I can't decide what to wear. I decide to wear a long sleeve Christmas shirt and black leggings. I wear the same Ugg boots I wore to the Feldman's party. I get ready just in time, I run outside to wait on the porch for Grant since it stopped raining and it was nicer outside than other days last week. Finally, Grant's car pulls up.

Grant's sister, Danielle went to a church camp this weekend so it's just Grant, Mrs. Mccurdy, Mr. Mccurdy, Grant's little brother, Nick, and me at dinner. Danielle and I are pretty good friends, we've been friends even before me and Grant started dating. I love Grant's family, his mom is so sweet. She is so unlike my mom, she never gossips, plus she is quiet, not loud and rude like my mom and her friends. When we arrive at his house his mom is finishing up dinner. "Hi, Mrs. Mccurdy," I say as I walk in.

"Hello, darling. Dinner will be ready in a minute." She says. I smile, I see her take the lasagna out of the oven. I love lasagna, it's my favorite Italian dish. Grant's mom's family is Italian, his mom came to America when she was a little girl, on the other hand, his dad is American. I love how Grant speaks Italian fluently, If I could pick any family to marry into, it'd be Grant's family, because I love Grant and his family. After dinner, we play Mille Bornes, a classic French card game. I never heard of this game until Nick showed me how to play and of course, Nick wins. We have school tomorrow so Grant takes me home around 9:30, and because he still has homework to do. I can see my parent's lights are on when we pull up into the driveway. Grant walks me to the door;

"Goodnight," he says.

"Night, love you," I say back.

"I love you too," he says and we kiss. Then he turns around to walk back to his car. I watch him drive away before I go inside. When I walk in I see Ava sitting on the step in her Pj's.

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" I ask, walking towards the stairs, and I take a seat next to her.

"Shh! Your gonna wake mom and dad," she whispers.

"Oh, right! Go to bed, before they come down here." I say, lowering my voice.

"Fine, there waiting up." She says.

"Night," I call as she runs upstairs.