I awoke to the screaming of my alarm clock on Monday morning. I was being punished for everything that had happened. I groggily rolled over to look at my clock. 4:30 am. I groaned. My parents were making me wake up this early every morning for the next two weeks to do extra chores. I walked down the stairs, and it was still dark outside. I reached for a banana, peeled it, and began chomping on the fruit hungrily. I looked down at the list my mom had made me.
Good Morning Greyson. This morning, I need you to mow the lawn and weed the garden. I have to leave early for work and your dad had the night shift and won't be getting back until 8 this morning, but Maggie needs to be at school early for a field trip, so you are in charge of getting her to school this morning. She needs to be at school no later than 7 am. Work hard my darling- Mom.
I moaned at the grueling list I had been given. I pulled a sweatshirt over my head and clomped outside, starting up the lawn mower. I began to push it around the grass, careful not to miss any spots, knowing my mom would be checking. My mind raced to Peyton. I worried about her and her parents. I rubbed my eyes, I was exhausted.
After I finished, I weeded the garden to perfection, again knowing my mom would be triple checking to make sure it was up to her high standards. I checked my watch for the time. 6:00 am. I did not have a ton of time, but as soon as I took a whiff of myself, I knew a shower was essential. I clomped up the stairs and hopped in the shower, quickly washing up, desperate to move as fast as possible. I tousled my hair with a towel and threw in some gel to make myself look somewhat presentable. I through on some black jeans and a grey Adidas sweatshirt with some slides. I knew the day at school was going to be rough. I would be getting asked a million questions about what happened with P at the dance and I would have to face school without my girl. My phone had been taken away, but I knew it had to of been blowing up when my mom asked me how to turn it on silent.
I grabbed my backpack and keys and clobbered down the stairs. I checked the clock for the time, 6:20 am.
"Good morning Grey," my mom said cheerfully. I barely grunted a hello in response. Maggie was sitting at the table, eating cereal. Her hair was in two french braids and she was wearing my football jersey from freshman year with some leggings.
"What the heck are you wearing Maggie? That's my jersey!" I scolded angrily.
"Greyson, relax, she was going to surprise," my mom started to say, but I cut her off.
"You need to ask before you take my stuff! Go change!" I yelled at her. Maggie started to cry and ran up the stairs.
"Greyson Kole! What was that? For the field trip she is going on, they are going to the high school to learn about jobs they can have when they get older. They were supposed to dress up like their role model or someone they want to be like when they get older. And she chose you Greyson! She wanted to surprise you this morning! And you, like an idiot may I add, flipped out on her!" my mom spat. Crap. That was dumb of me. I rubbed my head.
"I'm sorry," I started to say.
"Don't tell me. Go talk to her. Greyson, you know I am still extremely disappointed about everything that went down this weekend, so you are just making it worse for yourself mister!" she shouted.
"I know," I said back softly. I walked up the stairs, ignoring the time. I grabbed my jersey from this year and then knocked on her door.
"Maggie?" I called.
"Go away Greyson!" Maggie said back, I could tell she was still crying. I gently opened the door. She had taken off my jersey and was now just wearing a white tank top. "Grey, I said go away." I lifted her up and put her on my lap. She started kicking.
"Maggie just listen to me for a second, okay?" I reasoned. She stopped fighting and looked down.
"Why Grey?" she asked me.
"I'm really sorry Mags. After everything that has happened in the last couple of days, I really have not been myself lately. It was really sweet that you wanted to be like me. I just lost it on you, I should have done that. I really am sorry," I expressed.
"I know you are," she said softly.
"I have something for you," I told her. She looked up at me with her bright blue eyes. I handed her my blue jersey from this year.
"Wait, isn't this this year's jersey?" she asked me.
"Yup, I'd love it if you would wear it today," I explained. She hugged me tightly and I chuckled.
"Of course I will wear it!" she exclaimed. I hugged her and helped her into the jersey. It was obviously WAY too big on her, but it she looked adorable. I could tell how proud she was to wear it.
"It looks great. Are you ready to go?" I asked her. She nodded. I grabbed her hand. We walked down the stairs together. My mom looked her up and down and gave me half a smile. I nodded back at her.
"Greyson, I just checked the sheet Maggie got for her field trip, they are actually meeting at the high school at 7, so you can just take her there. It said they are meeting in room 131," my mom explained.
"Sounds good, I will take her there," I explained. I didn't mind taking Maggie with me. All the guys loved her. I checked the clock, 6:40 am. I had to be in my first class by 7:10, so I needed to go. "Ready to go Mags?" She nodded excitedly. "Good, see ya Mom!" I exclaimed. I gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Bye Greyson," she replied.
"I'm sorry about this morning, I'll try to do better," I whispered in her ear.
"I know you will," she said back sweetly.
"Bye, Mommy! Love you!" Maggie yelped, hopping out to my car.
"Bye Sweetie!" Mom called after her. "Wait Greyson, I almost forgot, this came in the mail for you," my mom said, handing me an envelope addressed to me.
"Thanks, I'll read it when I get to school," I said, stuffing it into my backpack. She nodded. I hopped into the driver's seat and noticed Maggie sitting in the shotgun with a booster seat underneath her.
"Maggie, what are you doing up here?" I asked her.
"Please Greyson, just this once?" she asked. I put my fingers through my hair.
"Fine, but just this once," I insisted.
"Yay!" she exclaimed. I pulled out of the driveway and Maggie began to play with the radio.
"You want to pick the song?" I asked her. She nodded. I handed her the iPod I used for music in the car. She began to scroll through all the songs until she found one she was satisfied with. She began to jam out and I laughed at her. I loved how Maggie was just herself and how everything seemed so simple when we were together. As we reached school, I helped her out of the car and she grabbed her backpack. We began to walk into the school. I noticed Cameron and he came running up to me.
"Greyson, oh my god dude, what the heck happened? You haven't responded to any of my texts!" he exclaimed.
"I'll tell you later," I said, motioning to Maggie.
"Hey, Maggie! Nice jersey!" Cameron complimented, ruffling her hair.
"Thanks! Hopefully, I'll have the same one in about 6 years," she said. Cameron and I laughed.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her.
"The elementary school has a field trip here today, so I got to come to school with Grey!" she explained.
"That sounds like fun," Cam said to her. She nodded.
"Maggie, you mind if we stop at my locker? I have to grab a few things. The room you have to go to is really close to it," I explained.
"Sure, no problem," she said. We reached my locker and a bunch of the guys, starting coming over, but Cam warned them not to say anything yet.
"Maggie!" Josh exclaimed. All of them starting messing around with her, and Maggie started to laugh.
"I say you come to join the team now, I think you are definitely better than your brother," Drew sassed.
"I would have to agree," Maggie said. All the guys burst out laughing.
"Hey!" I scolded, fake punching her and Drew. Then I noticed him. Matt. He was standing right there. I seemed to lose control. I went right at him, punching him and going crazy, even though I still had a boot on.
"Greyson stop!" I heard Maggie's little voice shriek. I was deaf to all the voices around me yelling at me to stop except for her's. I had forgotten all about her. How could I do this, I was scarring her! But I kept uncontrollably punching Matt. I saw Josh pick her up and start to get her away from the situation. I felt Cameron and Drew try to pull me off of Matt, but I was too strong. Finally, four teachers pulled me off of Matt. His nose was bleeding and his eye was already swollen shut. I turned around to see the principle was standing right next to me.
"My office, now!" he shouted furiously.