Beside You~a.i.

Ch. 27: Grandparents

~Bailey's POV~:
The days passed slowly. Very few people bothered us now, I guess they got bored of being so jealous, or maybe it's exhaustion. It doesn't matter as long as they aren't bullying Maddie anymore, or Ava.

It's finally Friday and Evan is coming over in a few minutes to take me to see my grandparents. I don't know what to say, how to act, what to call them. It's going to be awkward to say the least.

Another great thing about it being Friday is that there are only two weeks left until I'm flying out to see the band again with Ava. That is probably the only thing that has been getting me through this week...

I didn't have much time to overthink the past as Evan's car pulled up in front of my house. I stood up from my place on the front porch and approached his car. I played with my fingers out of nerves as I took a seat in the passenger side. "How have you been Bailey?" Evan started the car but took a quick glance in my direction before pulling away from the curb.

"Fine. How have you been?" Short and simple, only way to avoid the whole school bullies situation.

"I'm fine." I guess he uses the same tactic, short and simple, but what conversation topic is he trying to avoid?

It was only a ten-fifteen minute ride to my grandparents house. My stomach got that nervous, butterfly, feeling when Evan parked the car and got out. I sat there for a second, mentally going over what to do when I get in there before unbuckling the seat belt and removing myself from the car.

"You good?" I just nodded at Evan and he walked rather quickly up to the front door. He must really like his grandparents since he seems pretty excited to see them again. I walked my normal pace and arrived next to Evan a few seconds after he had reached the door. Evan rang the doorbell and then smiled at me encouragingly and then the door opened.

An old lady, obviously my grandmother, stood in the doorway. She smiled warmly at Evan before taking a look at me. She gave me a sympathetic smile and looked me up and down before opening the door fully so we could enter their little house. Evan told me that they were in their mid 70s and that they're actually pretty active for grandparents, the idea of being put in an old-folks home is something they are strongly against.

My grandfather was already seated in a large recliner chair that he had not reclined. Both of my grandparents looked rather sweet. They had white hair, neither of them were bald actually, and they both wore small but kind smiles on their faces. Well I don't hate them, yet.

"Soooooo" Evan's attemp at breaking the ice really isn't working. We continued to sit in silence a little longer. "Okay if I have to do the talking that's fine..." Evan grumbled. "Grandpa, Grandma, this is Bailey Pine. Bailey, these two are our grandparents. Bailey is my little sister, she grew up in an adoptive family because you two didn't bother to raise her when you raised me. Please explain and then we will let Bailey discuss with you." Evan sighed and laid back in the couch we were both sitting on. I rolled my eyes at his behavior but he didn't care.

"Bailey...we're sorry that we abandoned you. We didn't realize it would be such a bad thing for you to live with a real family, to grow up in a normal setting..." My grandmother started it off and even though she was attempting an apology I could hear the anger held behind those words. She thinks I'm accusing her for abandoning me, and she obviously does not agree.

"Bailey we love you, we really do. We were just doing what we thought was best for you." I liked my grandpa a lot more. He didn't sound angry, only sweet.

"It's okay. I'm not mad or accusing you two of anything, that's what Evan does." I chuckled but Evan scoffed after stating a rather whiny "Hey" at my comment. "I did live a pretty normal childhood and stuff. I love my family, I mean my adoptive family, sorry. My only question is why let me go on to live a 'normal' life but not Evan? Doesn't he deserve what I have as well?"