Gracie
I was standing at work looking into the eyes of my colleague and the boy I had had a crush on for the last year. His brown eyes looked like honey and had me hypnotized.
"Grace?" he asked. His nickname for me rolled off his lips. I was staring. Again.
"Yeah," I said and focused on what he was saying. He dragged a hand through his dark brown hair.
"Are you listening to me? I was asking if you could switch shifts with me this weekend," he said as he was touching the back of his neck. I smiled at him and nodded.
"Yeah, sure, it's no problem," I said back. I had planned to go see my parents but I would just have to tell my brother that I couldn't go.
"Thanks, you're a star," Nathan said and smiled. He leaned over and kissed my cheek in a hurry before he left me alone in the storage room. I worked at a diner as a part-timer by the outskirts of town by the side of the highway. I was here pretty much every night and weekend when I wasn't in school. I walked out of the storage room with a pack of buns for the burgers.
"Gracie, sweetie what are you doing?" Mrs. Jackson asked me as she met me by the bar counter. "You are supposed to work the floor."
Mrs. Jackson was a sweet older lady and she owned the diner together with her husband. They had been married since high school and were like my extra parents. My real ones were not much to talk about. I loved them but they were more focused on their own life than their children. Always had been.
"Sorry Mrs. Jackson," I said and smiled at her. "Mr. Jackson asked me to get the buns really quick since he ran out in the kitchen."
"I see, hurry up then," she said and smiled back. It was a knowing smile. She knew I had lied but had decided I had a good reason and let me pass with it. We both knew it so I ducked my head as I passed her to the kitchen and left the buns.
Mrs. Jackson put her head in the door and looked at me.
"Gracie, when you're done you can go home, everyone else has already left," she said and disappeared again. I looked at my watch. It was past 01.00 AM. My brother would start calling soon if I didn't tell him I was on my way home. I made my way from the kitchen, into the staff area, onto the floor of the diner and to the door before I sent a quick text to my brother.
On my way. Be home soon.
It only took a second for him to reply.
Drive safe.
As I pushed the door open to leave Mr. Jackson peaked his head out the kitchen window where we fetched the food.
"Bye Gracie!" he said with a big smile. I smiled back and waved to the older couple goodbye before I left. I went to my car and drove home in peace. As soon as I parked my car outside the house my brother came out to the porch, like he always did. I got out of the car and went up to him.
"You are late," he said and looked at me with his piercing green eyes. His eyes were the same color as mine, just like his hair, the same golden brown. We were so similar we could have been twins. My brother was, however, 4 years older than me and when he moved away from home he asked if I wanted to come with him. I had not hesitated. I was still in high school but I didn't mind. He took care of me, more than our parents ever had.
"I was at work," I said back to him, crossing my arms. He looked crossed at me before smiling, not able to be mad at me.
"I know," he put his arms around me and pulled me into the house. My brother had not gone to college, instead he had opened his own business in high school and made enough to rent his own studio as a tattoo artist.
"Gracie is home," he shouted into the house. A gruff came back from the kitchen and he pulled me into the house .
"You're hungry right?" he asked.
"Depends on who cooked," I said back and smiled. My brother could not cook for the life of him.
"I obviously did, I don't want to die," came a voice from the kitchen. Koda, my brother's best friend and housemate, looked up at me from his plate of lasagne as I entered the room.
"Hey, my cooking is not that bad," my brother said back.
"You're kidding right?" I asked him as I took a plate of food. It was Wednesday and I needed to go to bed but I could never go to bed hungry and the boys knew that. They were my boys after all.
"Hey," my brother said and looked hurt. I smiled at him.
"I love you my dear brother, but your cooking sucks," I said as sweetly as I could.
Koda made a laughing sound that made my whole body hum before he looked down at his plate again.
"Well at least Koda knows how to cook or we would starve," he said back and Koda gruffed again.
"Yeah, no kidding Adrian," he said and made a wave with his fork. "Now eat."
Adrian did as he was told and I sat down beside Koda with my plate. Koda had been my brother's best friend for as long as I could remember. His family was never around so he had always been at our house growing up. He had moved here with us and was now working two jobs, one as a bartender in a high end nightclub and one as a cook in the same diner as me during the day. Koda had long eyelashes and piercing blue eyes. He had ash blonde hair and looked like a model. A lot of girls were always falling for him and following him around. From what I understood growing up, my brother, Adrian, was also good looking. I just didn't see it. He was my brother after all.
Adrian stood on the other side of the counter island and ate as we talked. An hour later I was in my bed and falling asleep.
***
I woke up to Adrian shaking me.
"If you hurry we can drive you to school and you won't have to be late," he said and I nodded knowing it was true. My car had a tendency to not start on a good day and I did not have time for that today. He left me alone as I took a quick shower in the bathroom that was joined to my room and then got dressed. I put on my favorite jeans and a black t-shirt as well as an orange hoodie. I put my long brown hair up in a bun and grabbed my bag. I had packed it before I went to bed and ran down the stairs. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a smoothie that was waiting for me and an apple and then left for the door. Outside Koda was driving his black Ford Mustang but Adrian and his white jeep were nowhere to be seen. I ran up to Koda and opened the passenger door and went into the car.
"Adrian had a meeting," Koda said as I entered the car and sat down.
"So you are driving me?" I asked even though he obviously was.
"Yeah," he said and smiled. He started the car and drove to my high school. Mitchell high was like any other normal high school. I was a senior and had been here a year. It was still warm outside after summer but the wind would sometimes turn cold.
"Thanks," I said and smiled at him. "I hope I'm not holding you up."
"Nah, I was going to the diner after this so I have time," he said but kept his eyes on the road. His long lashes were framing his eyes and I found myself staring at them. I always found it unfair that he had those lashes and I didn't.
"Gracie, stop staring at me," Koda said as he turned a corner. I could see him smiling so I didn't stop looking at him. "Fine, what do you want for dinner today? You're not working right?"
"No, I have a test tomorrow so Mrs. Jackson told me to study even if I already know everything," I said and looked on the road. I had a habit of studying every time I had some time over to keep up with schoolwork.
"That's nice, so dinner?" he asked again as we turned another corner.
"Pizza?" I asked and he smiled out into nothing. Pizza had been my favorite food since forever and Koda had made sure that it was one of the first things he learned to cook.
"Sure."
Koda drove to the door of Mitchell high and parked.
"Hey," he said as I was about to exit the car and took my hand. I turned and met his eyes. Those blue eyes that could read me like a book. "You know we are here for you if you need us, right?"
I smiled back at him. They were like the two most overprotective brothers you could ask for.
"Yeah, I know, thanks," I said and left the car. My hand felt cold after his touch had left my skin and I went into the school just as the first bell rang and started running to my first class of the day as I heard the car speed away. I sat down in homeroom just as Mrs. Rose walked in. She smiled at me and I could feel Ivy lean over from the desk beside mine.
"Cutting it a bit close aren't you?" she asked in a whisper. Ivy had dark red hair and she was one of those redheads that looked stunning. Her green eyes glistened and I was happy to call her my best friend since I moved here.
"I overslept and Koda drove me," I whispered back as I unpacked my bag.
"Oh, the mega hottie," she said and smiled knowingly at me. Ivy was very honest and had made it very clear that she found both my brother and Koda extremely hot.
"Shut up," I said in a playful way and she stuck out her tongue at me before focusing her attention back to class. I did the same. Homeroom went by fast and I was soon walking down the hallway with Ivy.
"So, is he picking you up?" she asked.
"Who?" I asked, looking shocked at her. She rolled her eyes at me.
"Koda, mister mega hottie," she said and waved her hands like I was stupid.
"I don't think so, why?" I asked and she looked at me like I was an idiot again.
"Because, you don't have your car here and I have practice today so I can't drive you home."
"Crap," I said as it dawned on me that I might have to walk home. I fished out my phone from my back pocket and went to text Koda.
When does your shift end today? Just realized I don't have my car for when I finish school.
I put my phone back in my pocket, knowing that Koda would not answer until he was on a break. The rest of my morning went on without a hitch and I had every class with Ivy today. At lunch I had still not gotten a reply but I didn't dwell on it. The lunch rush at the diner was now so he was probably busy. The afternoon classes went on like the ones in the morning but as the hours ticked by I started to worry about getting home. Koda had still not answered. Should I text my brother? Would I really need to walk home? When the school bell rang for the day and Ivy walked me to the parking lot before her cheerleading practice I could hear how it started to rain outside. Great, I would have to walk in the rain. As I walked outside I prepared to walk all the way home the black mustang came tearing into the parking lot. I ran up to the car and got in before I got too wet. Koda's blond hair was a mess and he looked like he had hurried more than he should have here. He had grease on his clothes and I could see a hint of sweat on him from standing in the warm kitchen all day. He smelled like fried food and it made my stomach growl.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I got the text and checked the weather. I saw it would rain and was about to text you that I would come pick you up when my phone died. I didn't take a break and still ran late at work to get here. Sorry if I made you worry."
He was ranting so I put my hand on his chest to make him stop. He did. Koda's eyes darted from my face, to the hand on his chest and then back to my face.
"Koda, it's fine," I said and smiled. "You are here now."
He beamed at me and started driving home as the rain made smattering noises against the car.
"So you wanna order pizza when we get home, make our own or pick it up now?" he asked and I smiled. I could tell Koda already knew the answer. I had never ordered pizza if there was a chance he could make it from scratch.
"How much time do you have before the bar shift?" I asked him and he smiled at me.
"I'm free all night," he said, happily.
"You're not working today?"
"Nope."
"Then I want homemade pizza with that dough you make that is super crispy."
"Sure," he said as he parked his car next to my old, almost falling apart Toyota. We ran from the car to the porch trying to escape the rain and went into the house as soon as Koda had unlocked the door.
"Need help for your test?" he asked and I smiled. He was taking off his wet shoes. Koda was one of the smartest people I knew, he had been the smartest in our old school before he graduated. Why he didn't go to college I didn't know. There were still a lot of things about Koda that were a mystery to me.
"Sure, but I think I got it," I said as I pulled off my converse that were soaked from the rain.
"You can always learn more," he said and went into the kitchen. I followed him. Koda had left his jeans jacket hanging on the railing to the stairs since it was wet as well. I did the same with my hoodie as I passed. He pulled up his black t-shirt sleeves even if he didn't need to before he started working on the pizza dough. I turned on the lights around the kitchen and living room. The house we lived in was not that big but still had two floors. When you came into the house you had stairs up to the second floor right in front of you. To the left was a big open room that was our living room and kitchen. To the right of the stairs was the door to our garage and nothing more. Behind the stairs to the right was a door to a bathroom and right at the back was a double door that led out to the garden. Up the stairs were three doors. Each to our respective bedrooms. The boys shared a bathroom that was between their bedrooms and I had my own and a walk in closet. The whole house was decorated in light colors. It was nice, and homey. We had made that a point when we moved in. I went to the kitchen island and sat down right in front of Koda. His hair was falling into his eyes as he was working the dough. I reached for my phone and put on music through the speakers in the room. The slow comfortable music started to fill the room. I put my phone down on the counter and reached for my pocket again and pulled out a hairband. I signaled for Koda to lean in and he smiled at me as he did. He had already gotten some flour on his forehead as he had tried to get his hair out of his face. I reached for his blond hair and put his hair up with the hairband.
"I don't understand why you won't just wear it like this all the time when you work," I said as I sigh. I didn't want him to cut it. His hair was too pretty and too soft and the length was just right for him as it brushed the nape of his neck in the back and as it fell over his ears and a little bit over his eyes. His biceps flexed as he kneaded the dough and I had to force myself to look at his face instead of his arms.
"That would ruin my image," he said with a smile that made his dimples show.
"Yes, because it is all so important, what would the females say?" I teased him. Koda just shook his head.
"This is going to take some time, you should study while we wait," he said instead and I sighed as I went to the hall to get my books from my backpack and then went back to him. I sat down and spread my chemistry book and notes in front of me and started studying.
"Are you getting everything?" he asked after a while.
"I told you that I do," I said. I liked this. Having the music in the background, hearing Koda cook and humming to himself in tune to the music. He always hummed when he was cooking, he was happy like that.
"I know, but your brother would kill me if he knew I could have helped you and didn't," Koda said as he put the dough to the side to swell and started chopping the toppings.
"Yeah, he would," I said. "Speaking of my brother, when will he quit work today?"
I didn't look up from my books but I could hear Koda move around.
"At 11," he said and Koda stopped chopping, properly to look at the clock. "So, in like 5 hours."
"Great, I get your food all to myself."
"You're only after my food, aren't you?"
"Yeah, well, what else is there?"
I looked up at him and met his blue eyes. He smiled flirtatiously at me and his dimples were showing again. I suddenly got the urge to jump over the counter and pull his lips towards mine, but Koda is my brother's best friend. I shook the thought away. Focus Gracie. Koda was like a brother to me, nothing else and my crush was Nathan. I smiled back at Koda, mimicking his level of flirtiness.
"Ah, you wound me," he said and grabbed his chest and then went back to the food. The room started to fill with the most amazing scent of food and I looked back into my book.
"Yeah, well," I said again as I shrugged. We were quiet. Both were comfortable in what we were doing. Suddenly Koda put a plate of finished pizza in front of me. I had been so absorbed in studying I hadn't noticed him before that.
"Your food, Milady," he said with a smile and sat down next to me.
"Thanks," I said and took a bite. I couldn't help the moan that came out of me. I loved Koda's food. I could eat it forever.
"That good, huh?" he asked and smiled. I nodded back to him, my mouth full of food. "Can't wait to hear you make that sound because of me and not my food."
I almost choked on my food. Koda had said stuff like this before, everytime I took it as a joke, however I was never prepared for when he did.
"I would like to see you try," I said after I had swallowed. I was leaning in towards him and I could feel him do the same. We had played this game before. Koda would say something more, I would laugh at him and then the tension would break and I would go back to my crush on Nathan. It had been like this for as long as I could remember with Koda, or at least since we were teens.
"Are you challenging me Atkins?" he asked and had a big smile on his face that was just as challenging as his question. Atkins, my last name. A nickname that was reserved for my parents when they were mad, my brother with his friends (back then it was Baby-Atkins) and Koda when he was challenging me, teasing me or both.
"No, would you like me to Samuels," I said using his last name too and bit my lip. He leaned away and took his warmth with him. Damn. I went back to my pizza before I said something else that I might regret. I could hear my brother's jeep pull up in the driveway. He was early. A few seconds later he walked in the door.
"It smells heavenly in here," he shouted from the door.
"Yeah, well, you don't have to shout," Koda said back. Adrian walked in the room looking like a drowned cat. I stood up and stopped him.
"No, you are taking a shower and changing clothes before you eat, I will not have water all over my floor," I said and put my hand in front of his chest. Adrian smiled at me.
"Sure thing sis," he said and turned around. He was back in five minutes and I doubted that shower water even touched him. He took a slice from the pizza and made the growling sound as he ate it in appreciation.
"Koda, man, you need to open your own place," he said in between bites.
"Yeah, when your loan for the studio disappears," Koda said back and my brother made a face at him. Koda and Adrian had taken the loan together for my brother's studio. They were more brothers than real ones sometimes.
"Man, you can open up in the back of the studio, give it to my customers," Adrian said.
"No thanks," Koda said and held up his hand as he shook his head.
"Why?" Adrian asked, looking hurt.
"You know why," he said back and smiled. His hair was standing straight up in the headband and I wanted to touch it.
"You should open up your own place tho," I said and started packing up my stuff. "I need to go to school early tomorrow and then I have a shift tomorrow night and early Saturday morning and all day Sunday."
"I thought you were free this weekend?" Koda asked, a bit shocked.
"I was, but a colleague asked if I could take his shift so I did," I said as I turned away ready to walk away. I didn't tell them about Nathan. Neither of the two men in my life wanted to know about my love life, or lack thereof at the moment.
"But we were going home this weekend to mom and dad," Adrian said in a matter of fact voice. I stopped.
"Are you really sad that we can't?" I asked without turning around.
"No, I'm not," my brother said immediately. I nodded and then turned around knowing he would tell our parents. I walked to my room and then went to bed. Everything felt soft and nice. I fell asleep before I knew it.