Right Where You Left Me | G. Abrams

1.09

Real life

December

The last thing August wanted to do was bring Bran to her family's Christmas party, but that's what couples do, right? They spend holidays together. They meet the family.

Just eight more months, August found herself counting down the time every day.

Bran laced his hand in hers and she fought the urge to recoil. All August had to do was pretend for eight months longer. Eight months seem like nothing when you've been pretending your whole life. The route he had chosen to walk from their college campus had been the most public one.

August felt naked. Like what should be hers and hers only was being shared with the world without her permission. She liked Bran, really, and would have probably entered a relationship with him if he had just asked like a normal person, but he didn't and she couldn't find solace in their relationship.

A relationship forged from a contract shouldn't be a relationship, but with the time they spent together, going over plans, it felt like it. August found herself imagining that they were actually just deciding on what film to watch. But then that made her think of Gracie and suddenly, she missed her friend all over again.

Gracie plagued her mind at all times of the day. She wondered where Gracie was spending Christmas. With her family? With Austin? Does she miss August like August misses her?

Probably not.

"You okay?" Bran asked, pushing a strand of August's hair out of her face as they paused, like they were posing for the photos the paparazzi took.

August hummed and nodded, "Come on, we're like ten minutes away now. Let's hurry, I don't want to miss all of the good snacks."

Bran nodded and their walking sped up. August wished they had just taken Bran's rover, but he probably wasn't sober enough to drive. She could smell the alcohol on his breath. When they got their, August was hugged by her siblings and mother before she introduced him.

They already knew who he was.

Mallory and Taylor didn't like him (even more so when August posted a photo of him with King of My Heart playing in the background). Betty paid no attention to him. Inez and Nathaniel didn't mind him and welcomed him into their house. Leo treated him like a brother.

Christmas went smoothly. August spent the morning at his flat, taking photos, before getting a taxi to Mallory's house, where she spent the rest of the day. As if her Christmas couldn't get any worse, Gracie had posted photos of her and Austin cuddled up on a couch together, her head in his chest as he grinned down at her. She felt sick.

Because fuck, she loves Gracie Abrams and there's nothing she can do about it.

New Years rolled around quicker than August would have liked and unfortunately, she hadn't been invited to Taylor's party (the singer claimed she was too young because she wasn't at the legal drinking age in the US yet), so she threw her own. Mallory had given her permission to use her house for the celebration and she'd invited Conan and Gracie, who invited their own friends, and Bran invited himself and his friends.

August said nothing when he asked her to pay for their plane tickets and hotel rooms.

It kicked off pretty quickly, August staying close to the sides as she acted as the mediator. All valuables had been locked in the attic beforehand as well as cushions that would be stained easily.

August felt queasy as she watched Gracie converse with Austin, legs thrown over his as she giggled at whatever he said. She teared up, realising that she hadn't had anything to drink yet and turned to Bran, "What's in your cup?"

"Uh... Vodka and Tequila. A little bit of Lemon-"

August took it before he could finish, drinking in one go before going to refill it. Bran just chuckled at her and ruffled her hair, making her seethe, "Don't fucking touch me."

"Alright. Easy now, woman," Him and his friends laughed at her as August clenched her jaw tightly before storming off.

She didn't know where she was going when a hand reached out of a room and pulled her into it. August rose her fist, ready to attack the person that touched her, only to realise who it was as pull her punch at the last second.

She still hit Gracie, making them both gasp. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," August said quickly, leaning down to inspect Gracie's face. "You can't just do that, Grace. There are so many drunk guys in this house, I thought- you can't do that."

"I'm sorry," Gracie murmured, looking down momentarily. "You call me Grace when you're drunk."

"What?"

The singer shrugged tiredly, "You've been avoiding me all night."

"You've been avoiding me all autumn and winter," August shot back. "Besides, we both have boyfriends to entertain."

Gracie furrowed her eyebrows before laughing loudly, "Austin- Austin isn't my boyfriend. Ew. He has a thing for Conan."

"Oh," August deflated. "That's... that's good."

"Good for me or good for you?" Gracie asked boldly, stepping forward.

They were so close that they could feel each other's breath on their face.

August never wanted to leave this bathroom.

"I really want to kiss you," The eighteen year old admitted.

"Then do it."

"I can't," She frowned when Gracie recoiled, "You're drunk and you don't actually want me to."

"I'm not drunk," Gracie argued, covering her mouth when she heard the slur in her voice.

"You are. Your eyes are red and your pupils are dilated, meaning you probably smoked something, too. You're only this confident when on something, Grace."

"You don't know that."

"I know you, Gracie," August whispered, "And I know that you're going to regret it in the morning."

"Well, if I drink more, I won't even remember it."

"I'll go get Austin," August said, "Lock the door, I'll knock three times when I come back. Do not open it for anyone else, okay?

"Okay."