"Brett?" I frowned. "What are you doing here?"
He ran his hand down his face and when he spoke his voice sounded exhausted. "While I was driving here, I saw Grant driving away. He's still you're tutor?"
I sucked in a breath, annoyed that he ignored my question. "Yes." I said, sharply. "Answer my question."
He lifted a hand towards my doorway. "Can I come in first?"
I looked at him for a while and then sighed, opening the door wider to let him in.
I closed the door after he came in and he sat down on my couch. I sat down also but at a good distance.
I motioned for him to go ahead talk.
"My grandma died."
My face fell. "What?"
When I really looked at him I could see the heartbroken look in his eyes and his eyes were starting to get glossy. "My family got a call a few hours ago. My parents are sad about it but they saw it coming because she is old but I still had a little hope left, you know? I thought she would have a few more years left but I guess not." He let out a humorless laugh. "When we left to come back here she told me she felt fine. She said she would make it. She said..." he trailed off, clenching his fist in his hair.
I moved closer to him, putting my hand on his back, which made him look up at me with damp eyes.
"Brett...I'm so sorry. You know, that your grandma loved you and she knew that you loved her. I guess, that's why she said that because she didn't want you to see her die."
He sighed. "I guess you're right."
After everything that has happened between us, I still don't like seeing him upset. Seeing him like this is making me upset and I know it sounds crazy but I wish I could do more to help.
He looks at me with sad eyes. "It's fine if you say no but...can I have a hug?"
I nod because there's no harm to a hug.
He reaches over and hugs me and I hug him back. He buries his face in my neck and holds me tight.
"I know," he starts to mumble in my neck, "that you won't date me again because I screwed up. Majorly. But I just want you to know that you are the best thing to ever happen to me and I'm lucky to say that you were mine. You always made me feel better about everything, like now. So, thank you for that."
He pulls away looking into my eyes and I just smile and say, "You're welcome, Brett."
-
On school the next day, Grant wasn't there. I was confused because he seemed fine the day before. I really wanted to talk to him today about what happened yesterday.
I was about to walk out of the class I had with Grant but I was called back by the teacher.
"Yes?" I replied.
She gives me a nod. "Yes, so since Grant is you're tutor, do you, perhaps know where he lives?"
I nod. "Yes, I do."
She clasps her hands together. "Great, because he told me that anytime he missed a day to always just find a way to bring the work to his house because he doesn't want to be behind. So," she pulled out the work we did today, which was a worksheet with fifteen problems, "do you mind bringing them to him?"
I shook my head, grabbing the paper. "Oh, not at all. I'll give them to him."
"Great, thank you, Julianne."
A couple hours later, lunch rolls around and Grant is still not here. So, I decided to text him.
Hey, you're not here...are you okay??
I pressed send and just waited to get a text back.
"You okay, there?" I look up and Felicity is looking at me with confusion. "You've been staring at your phone for like, five minutes now."
I give a reassuring nod. "Yeah, I'm fine." I tap my phone against my leg. "But...do you know where Grant is?"
Her face slowly drops and she looks at Dave, like she's asking for help.
Dave answers, "Uh, I think he's sick or something."
"But he was just fine yesterday."
He nods, slowly. "Right...but I think he just got one of them twenty-four hour bugs, that's all. Nothing to worry about."
I nod, slowly, totally not believing what he's saying.
I stand up, getting everyone's attention. "Be right back."
I grab my bag and throw away my tray which, should be a note that I actually won't be back.
I make my way day to the office to see if, maybe he's hiding in there for some reason. I slump my shoulders when I peek through the office windows and see he's not in there.
"If your looking for Grant he's not here."
I jump when I hear a voice behind me speak. I turn around and see it's Max, glowering at me.
I cross my arms. "Yeah, I realize that."
He rolls his eyes and I start to walk away but stop and turn back around.
"Why do you hate me so much?" I ask.
He sighs, turning around sharply. "Why does it matter?"
"Because I did nothing wrong."
His jaw clenched and narrows his eyes. "What do you want from, Grant? Honestly, what's your deal?"
I scoffed, looking at him with disbelief. "What's my deal? What's your deal! You've been nothing but rude to me ever since I started talking to Grant. I like him, okay? There's nothing I want from him but for him to like me also and thankfully he does. So, I don't have any deal."
"Wait," his face morphed into one of disbelief, "you like him?"
"Yes," I said, softly, "a lot."
He looks at me for a second, then sighs, moving to sit on the bench near the wall.
He looks at me and then moved his eyes to the side, gesturing for me to sit next to him.
I slowly walk over to him, sitting down and he starts to talk.
"When I was a freshman, I was a little obsessed with becoming apart of the popular groups. To be liked by everyone. But little did I know I was only making a fool of myself. One day, Brett invited me to this party that I was super excited for. I just kept thinking, 'this is my chance to become popular,' so, I go. Brett told me the party started at nine but really it started at eight, so, everyone was already there. So, with so much confidence, I opened the door to the party but when I did a bucket of water was thrown on me. I just looked up from my wet clothes and everybody was laughing and high fiving Brett," And then he turns his head to look at me, "including you."
I remember that day too. I was an immature pubescent thirteen year old girl and I thought I was so cool because everybody liked me or was jealous of me. That is another reason how Robin and I almost lost our friendship.
So, it did have something to do with me. Felicity just said that to make me feel better.
I look at him with regret in my eyes. "I'm so sorry, Max, but I'm nothing like that now and I would do nothing to hurt Grant."
He shakes his head. "But now, you see why I was so hesitant to believe that you wanted to be friends with us? I've been down that path before, it's not happening again. And plus, Grant has already been through a lot. He doesn't need more weight put on his shoulders."
I nod. "I completely understand and I'm sorry for what Brett did, I should've stopped it."
We sit there in silence for a while before I say, "So, do you forgive me?"
He sighs, shaking his head. "I better not regret this."
I smile, gratefully. "You won't."
He gives me a small smile, heading back into the office. When the door closes behind him, my phone buzzes.
I see that I got a text from Grant and open it.
Grant <3: Yeah, I'm fine.
A/N:
Ayyye, they made up. So, why do you think Grant wasn't in school?
The lyrics to this song really match this chapter, btw it's called Embarrassingly Enough by Boyscott.
Leave a comment xoxo :)