A Touch of Grace

Chapter 6

Aside from the teasing from Phoenix, I managed to get through the week without much talk of my crush on Aaron. In fact, I rarely talked to Phoenix because I was too busy trying to figure out whether Aaron likes me or not. On Thursday, when I was leaving to go to the car, Aaron stopped me and smiled. "Um, Grace."

"Hey, Aaron," I greeted him.

"Are you busy this weekend?" he asked.

With furrowed eyebrows, I shook my head. "No, I don't think so. Why?" I felt my heart began to beat. Is he going to ask me out?

"I'm having a party," he began, "Tomorrow night- think you can make it?"

I pursed my lips before slowly nodding. "Yeah, I'll be there."

"Good," he nodded before smiling and walking away. My brother and sister slowly approached the car and I was sure I had a stupid smile on my face.

I was anticipating Friday night all of Thursday evening, and the entire day of Friday. When 8:30 rolled around, I got dressed and left through the front door. My brother's on a date with some girl, and my parents were both at work and would be until the morning. I made sure to lock the front door as I slipped outside.

"It's a little early to be leaving, isn't it?" a familiar voice asked. "I mean, the party doesn't start until nine o'clock."

I sighed as I held the doorknob in my hand. I slowly took out the key before turning around. "Are you stalking me or something, Phoenix?"

"Or something," he replied. "Now, do you want to tell me what you're doing outside at 8:30? In the dark?"

"Go away, Phoenix," I told him firmly.

"No," he responded. I slowly walked down the steps of the porch, shoving my hands in my hoodie pockets as I strolled in the direction of Aaron's house. "What? You're walking?" Phoenix asked in shock.

"No, I'm flying. I just have to grab my broomstick from the shed," I retorted sarcastically.

"Wait, Grace," Phoenix called out and I stopped, listening as his footfalls grew closer. "Why do you have to go to a party?"

"So I can hang out with Aaron," I told him bluntly as he stood in front of me.

"No, I mean, why can't he be half decent and ask you out on a proper date?" Phoenix asked.

"I don't know, and I don't care," I responded as I attempted to sidestep him. He simply moved alongside me.

"Look, all I'm saying is that maybe he isn't as nice as you think he is—," Phoenix began.

"Phoenix," I started. "Move."

"Grace," he spoke.

"I'm sick of you acting like you own me. I'm going to this party, and I'm going to hang out with Aaron," I told him bluntly. When I moved this time, he didn't move with me.

"Wait!" he called again and I sighed in frustration as I whipped around. He was standing a foot away from me. "At least let me give you a ride." I stared at him before glancing towards the house we were standing in front of. His familiar car was parked in the driveway. I turned to look at him and he stared back at me with a small smirk. "So can I?" I didn't bother to respond; I walked to the passenger's side of the car and yanked open the door.

"Have you kissed him yet?" Phoenix asked me after I told him Aaron's address. I immediately turned to look at him with a shocked look on my face. "Aaron, I mean."

"No!" I hissed. "Why would you ask that?"

"I'm just wondering," he shrugged, waiting a few seconds before speaking again. "So you haven't had your second kiss yet?"

I glared at him. "I haven't even had my first kiss yet."

"Ouch, that hurts," he exclaimed as he put a hand over his chest. "Don't act like our kiss didn't mean anything."

"We were eleven," I told him. "You were dared to do it."

"That doesn't mean it didn't happen," he responded. "And that doesn't mean you didn't like it."

"If I don't count it as my first kiss, then I obviously didn't like it," I retorted. "And I ran out of the room and rinsed my mouth with scalding water. I even burned my tongue trying to rid my lips of your spit."

"Come on, it wasn't that bad," he responded.

"You basically attacked my face," I told him.

"I'm a much better kisser now," he winked. I rolled my eyes and he smirked. "I can show you if you'd like."

"No thanks, Phoenix," I retorted in disgust.

"One day, you're going to want to kiss me," he smirked, earning a scoff.

"No, I won't," I scowled.

"Okay, fine, but when that day comes, I'm not going to kiss you unless you ask me to," he responded.

"I will never ask you to kiss me because I don't want to kiss you," I told him. He laughed while I just sighed, watching as we pulled to a stop in front of Aaron's house. "So, you're leaving now, right?"

"No, I'm going in," he responded as if I'd asked the stupidest question. "I'm not going to let something happen to you on my watch."

"Can you at least give us some privacy?" I hissed as Phoenix got out of the car, opening the door for me.

"Privacy?" Phoenix asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Yes, privacy," I responded.

"Why would I do that?" he asked.

"Because I don't want a shadow everywhere I go. It's embarrassing and unnecessary. Aaron is a nice guy and he won't try anything," I told Phoenix.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Okay, but no bedrooms."

My face immediately reddened and my eyes widened. "I-I-what-I-you-I," I stuttered. "Why would you assume that?"

"Aaron's a player, everyone knows that," he retorted, not even phased by the thought. "And you're head over heels in love with him. Who knows what would happen if you two were left alone?"

"I don't love him," I snapped immediately.

"Sure you don't," Phoenix responded. "You've only liked him for three years."

"Two and a quarter," I responded.

"So? What's the difference?" he asked. Three quarters.

"I don't love him," I told Phoenix. "I just like him. And I wouldn't do that. I have more respect for myself."

"I'm not saying you don't. When you like someone, you'd do things to impress them. And I wouldn't put it past him to pressure you into doing something you don't want to do," Phoenix noted as we reached the porch.

I glared at him. "Listen, Phoenix, Aaron is a nice guy. He wouldn't do that. Maybe you shouldn't make assumptions about people you don't know," I snapped before disappearing into the crowded house, not bothering to hold the door for him.

+ + +

We were in Aaron's room and he was showing me his trophies, which I asked to see because he seemed so interested in them. I honestly had no clue that they were in his bedroom. I just know that Phoenix looked absolutely horrified when he saw me following Aaron out of the living room. The golden trophies lined several shelves and he stared at them with a look of pure happiness written on his face. I was too busy looking at the other aspects of his room. I remember his favorite color being grey, so the fact that his room was decked in the color didn't surprise me very much.

I will admit that he does talk about sports a lot, and it'd be better if I actually understood what he was saying, but I don't, and I can't exactly say much without sounding like a complete imbecile. All I can do is nod and smile, which is enough to satisfy him. And like our conversations before, I found ways to change the subject.

The conversation slowly died and he immediately looked nervous, biting his lip as he looked at me. "I have to ask you a question," he informed me. I suddenly grew nervous, wondering what the question could possibly be. I stared at him with furrowed eyebrows, thinking about the potential questions he could ask.

"Okay, ask away," I nodded as I tucked my hands in my pants pockets.

"I've been meaning to ask you this for a long time," he started and I stared at him nervously. Is he going to ask me out again? But this time, maybe he'll call it a date! What if he asks me to be his girlfriend? Don't get too ahead of yourself, Grace. "Is your sister seeing anyone?" It took me a moment to comprehend what he was asking. I tried my best to control my facial expression as I let out a pained chuckle.

My sister? He's been talking to me this entire time to ask me about my sister? "N-no, I don't think so," I managed to say, despite the fact that I felt a lump forming in my throat.

Two and a quarter years of liking a guy only to be shot down and then asked about my sister.

A month of talking to him, thinking I was getting somewhere, to learn that he was actually only after my sister.