AN! Just a short one but I hope you enjoy anyway!
Gracies POV (5 Years Old)
Today was the day of the CPD family picnic. Will was at work but me and Jay still came to join in the fun.
"Gracie" I heard Jay call me over from the bouncy house but I ignored him "Gracelyn" he repeated in a firmer tone and I turned to look at him innocently "if I see you do that again you're straight off there. You're gonna hurt yourself" he warned but I turned around and ignored him. I'm only trying to practice my flips! I waited to see if Jays attention had moved off of me before continuing with what I was doing only to land awkwardly and stumble off the side and on to the floor. I yelped out in more surprise than pain as I felt a sob rising in my throat and tears begin to pour from my eyes.
"What happened kiddo?" I heard someone ask and looked up to see Trudy crouching down next to me,
"I fell off of there" I sobbed and she helped me off the floor and dusted my dress off,
"Well, what'd you do that for?" She jokes lightly making me sniffle "let's see if we can find your brother" she suggested as her eyes scanned the crowd "there he is" she said and took my hand to lead me over to him "Halstead" she spoke to get my brothers attention,
"What happened?" My brother asked with a frown as I dropped Trudy's hand and held my arms up for Jay to pick me up,
"I fell off the bouncy house and landed on the ground" I explained tearfully,
"She's not injured" Trudy assured "I think it just shocked her" she added and Jay nodded,
"Thanks Trudy" Jay said with a smiled as he rubbed soothing circles on my back "and that's why I told you to stop doing that" he chastised lightly as my sobs still wracked though my body "c'mon, you're ok" he assured as he carried me over to the table where he had been sat with Hailey, Adam and Kim.
"What's up Graciekins?" Adam asked when he saw my tear streaked face, but I hid my face in Jay's neck,
"She fell off the bouncy house" Jay told him "she's fine it just shocked her I think" he added and Adam nodded in understanding.
"Hey Gracie, wanna come with me to get some ice cream?" Hailey asked and my tears subsided,
"Can I Jay?" I asked looking up at him and he smiled back at me, wiping a few tears from my cheeks in the process.
"If you want to" he agreed "stay with Hailey and no wandering off" he told me as I shuffled off of his knee and took Haileys outstretched hand.
"So what's your favourite ice cream flavour?" Hailey asked me,
"Bubblegum!" I exclaimed definitely causing her to chuckle,
"Great choice" she agreed "although I've always been a strawberry girl myself" she added,
"Hailey look!" I screeched as I pulled her over to a table that was doing face painting "can I have my face painted?" I asked hopefully "please" I added with the best puppy eyes I could muster,
"Sure" she agreed happily. I sat down on the chair and the kind lady gave me a book to choose a design on. I eventually chose the flamingo and sat patiently whilst the lady painted it on my face.
Ten minutes later Hailey had payed the lady and we where once again on our way to our initial destination, the ice cream truck!
"Thank you Hailey" I said and she turned to look at me with a smile,
"You're very welcome" she replied "I don't think anyone's gonna recognise you when we go back" she added seriously making me laugh.
"What can I get for you?" The smiling man asked from the ice cream truck,
"Can I have bubblegum please?" I asked and he nodded,
"Anything else?" He asked turning to Hailey,
"Two strawberry and two choc-" I cut her off,
"Kim likes bubblegum as well!" I exclaimed,
"Ok, let's make that two bubble gum, two strawberry and one chocolate please" Hailey corrected herself.
Once we had the ice creams we began the short walk back to the picnic table, and I started my ice cream on the way,
"Jay look" I exclaimed when I saw him,
"Wow! Where's my sister gone?" He asked in a mock shock making me giggle,
"I am your sister" I told him and a look of fake realisation flashed over his face,
"Gracie? I thought you where someone else" he lied and I shook my head,
"Ice cream anyone?" Hailey asked as she walked over and handed the Strawberry to Jay, Chocolate for Adam and bubblegum for Kim,
"Hailey was gonna get you chocolate like Adam but I reminded her that you like bubblegum" I told Kim who smiled at me,
"Great memory" she praised "bubblegum's the best" she said and I nodded in agreement as I sat down in between her and Adam,
"That's obviously not true" Adam disagreed "chocolate is obviously the superior ice cream flavour" he said,
"Chocolates good but bubblegums better" I replied and Kim silently agreed,
"And where was my ice cream?" A voice asked and I looked up to see Kevin sitting down at the table with us,
"Sorry, you weren't here when we went" Hailey shrugged,
"Where'd Gracie go?" He asked and I waved enthusiastically at him,
"I'm here" I exclaimed and he shook his head,
"No you're not Gracie" he said "Gracie's not part flamingo" he added making me giggle,
"I am Gracie" I insisted "It's just paint" I told him obviously,
"Well you should've just said" he joked making everyone shake there heads.
A little while later all the ice creams had been eaten and everyone was sat talking to each other, making me, well and truly, bored!
"Can I go back on the bouncy house now?" I asked my brother who shook his head,
"No, you're not going back on there" he said decidedly and I whined,
"Please" I pleaded "I promise I'll be good" I added, but my brother still shook his head,
"No Gracie" he repeated "it's getting late and you're getting tired, we're gonna be going home soon" he tried to explain,
"But I wanna" I stomped,
"Why don't you draw some more pictures with the chalk on the floor" he suggested but I shook my head,
"No, I wanna go on the bouncy house" I scowled as I turned to stomp over to it,
"Gracelyn" Jay said as he watched me walk away from him "Gracelyn Halstead" he said making me stop in my tracks "you're not going back on there" he told me seriously and I narrowed my eyes at him, refusing to move "come sit back over here" he instructed but I shook my head "suit yourself" he shrugged before turning his attentions back to the others and their conversation. I huffed in annoyance at my lack of attention before sitting down on the floor with my arms crossed over my chest.
I was sat there five minutes and Jay was still yet to give me any kind of reaction, so, I decided to take it up a notch. I began to pick up some of the small pebbles and stones that littered the floor around me and throw them at the tree truck a few feet in front of me. I saw Jay give me a slightly pointed look before turning away from me once again. So...I continued. I did one particularly hard throw that consequently hit an empty beer bottle on one of the empty picnic tables next to the tree. My eyes widened as I saw Jay finally stand up from his seat and stride over to me.
"I didn't mean to" I tried to plead. But Jay wasn't having any of it. He picked me up off the floor and was quick to smack the back of my legs sharply,
"Stop this behaviour and sit down nicely" he ordered as he pushed me to sit on the bench next to him.
I sat quietly sniffling to myself for another half an hour,
"I think we're gonna get going" Jay announced "Gracies getting tired" he added and everyone nodded and began to say their goodbyes "say bye Gracie" Jay urged and I did as I was told with a yawn escaping my mouth.