No Strings Attached || Grayson Dolan

15. THE ONE WITH THE OPENING UP

February 3rd
POV Lydia
It's been more than two whole weeks since the party and Grayson still hasn't been in school, I think I saw him once going out from the principals office but he was wearing a big hoodie with the hood up. I still don't know what's up with him, Ethan refuses to tell me. He just says "Grayson needs to tell you" every time I ask.

I'm sitting outside the gym right now, my volleyball practice starts in like 10 minutes. The other girls are dropping in, but I usually sit outside until the practice starts because I like being alone. Collecting all my thoughts.
My thoughts are soon disturbed by my phone ringing, and Ethan's name pops up on the screen.

"Look, you need to talk to Grayson. No one can get through to him" he says before I even got the chance to say anything. I should've known this is what the conversation was gonna be about.

"And what would I do?"

"Do you really think that I'd ask you if it wasn't a last resort? Grayson isn't himself and I'm worried about him! I don't know what else to do" he pleads and I sigh.

"Ethan you need to understand that I'm not his fucking girlfriend! Besides, I can't. My practice starts in like 5 minutes and I don't wanna miss it" I say and I'm happy we don't have this conversation in real life, because I don't think I wanna be seeing Ethan's face right now.

"If you don't wanna do it for me, do it for mom. Do it for Grayson" he tries one last time and I decide to give in, I might be able to help him. I have no idea what's up with him and that kinda scares me.

"Fine. Where is he?"

"Thank you Thank you Thank you" he says and I can tell he's really relieved "he's probably in his room. I hope"

"I'm on my way" partly true, I obviously need to change out of my volleyball clothes first.

* * *

I walk up the stairs to gray's room and then open the door. The room is full of cigarette smoke and it's dark, the drapes are down even though it's 5pm. I don't even see him on his bed at first because of the dark, but after a few seconds I see him lightly smiling.

"Hi. I've missed you in school" I say lightly but when he doesn't respond I decide to continue "what are you doing?"

"Nothing much. Just sharpening this pen here" he says and then I see the knife in his hand. I get the sudden urge to back out of the room but I can't. He won't hurt me.

"Seems fun" I say and sit down on the side of his bed, still a little bit afraid "so, what's-"

"What are you doing here Lydia?" He almost hisses and yet again it takes all I have in me to not run out. I'm doing this for Ethan. I'm doing this for Mrs. Dolan. But mostly I'm doing it for Grayson.

"Talking to you, I've missed our stupid conversations"

"Don't you think I know that mom or Ethan sent you here to talk some sense into me? News flash, this is who I am, there's no going back. This is the real me"

"Are you crazy? No it's not Grayson. The real you goes to school, the real you doesn't smoke. The real you doesn't play with knives, the real you wears clothes that's not a hoodie. The real you talks to me on a daily basis" I almost whisper the last sentence, afraid of how he'll react.

"You think that you know me, but you don't. We became friends when we were juniors, but you know nothing about my life before that, do you? Don't act like you know me when you don't"

"Then tell me everything about you. I hate seeing you like this gray, I know that this isn't you" I try and I see that something in his eyes change, it's like one little piece of Grayson is coming back.

"Not here. Let's go for a little drive" he says and his words totally surprise me. He's really gonna open up to me?

"Alright" I just say and he takes his car keys, and we go out of the house together. Ethan gives me a confused look when we pass him, but I just smile with a small nod to him. And boy does he look relieved that I got through to him.

Grayson's car smells like cigarette smoke, but I decide to not comment on it. I don't think that's what gray needs right now. He needs someone who'll listen. I think both him and I have forgotten about our NSA relationship by now, it's like we haven't seen each other naked. Tonight we're just really good friends.

The drive is completely silent, but I don't mind it. He drives me out of town, and I have no idea where I am. After driving for maybe 30 minutes he stops by a huge forest. I know that I have to trust him, but when he does things like this it's hard.

He just gestures for me to follow him, and I do. We just walk in silence in the huge forest that never seems to end, sounds like a horror movie, I know. Suddenly the forest opens up and reveals the most beautiful place I've ever seen, like the places you only see in movies. The moonlight reflects beautifully in the lake water in front of us, and I can't stop looking at it. Grayson sits down on a rock, looking out over the lake and the trees, and I sit down beside him.

"I come here a lot. This is my place, where I can be alone with my thoughts"
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