love and haikus // grayson hawthorne

Chapter 4

"We were both young when I first saw you, I close my eyes and the flashback starts" 

love story, Taylor swift

*flashback*

Cordelia presses her face against the hot window, she had never been to Texas before but it was so hot, she was worried she might melt before they even got to the mysterious Hawthorne family her father had told her so much about "me and your mother have been friends with Skye and Zara Hawthorne for as long as I can remember Cordelia, they have sons your age, I'm sure you'll get along with them just fine" was what he had said as they stepped of their private jet.

                        

They pulled up into the Hawthorne garage that was filled with fancy cars like the ones at Cordelia's  home back in Oxford, "daddy" she whined, Aaron Ambrose turned his head to look at his daughter, "what is it Della?" He sighed, exasperated, "I want to go home, I don't want to meet the stupid Hawthornes" 

"Della you will be fine, only one of them bites, or so I'm told."

She reluctantly jumped out of the car, standing to the side as her mother got out holding her baby brother and her father thanked the driver.

                        

Stepping up to the doors of Hawthorne house, her brother kept making noises like "ooh" and "aah" and "so pretty" Cordelia was unimpressed, her house looked just like this and they had way prettier plants.

An old man greeted them in the lobby, he was a pretty ugly old man and Cordelia was tempted to tell him that, but decided it would be wise to keep her mouth shut to avoid a scolding from her father later .

                    

"Welcome Ambrose's, how nice it is to have you here" he stepped toward Cordelia and knelt down on one knee so they were the same height " ahh you must be Cordelia," he turned towards her father "how old is she now, four?" 

"I turn five in December"

The old man laughed, though she wasn't sure what was funny about her birthday, "well Cordelia I'm sure your eager to meet the boys" no she thought, though again kept her mouth shut, "there just through that door there" he gestured toward an intricately decorated door in the corner of the room.

Cordelia didn't move.

"Go" her father hissed in her ear, slowly she made her way over to the door, and with one last look at her parents and brother, pushed it open.

                        

Three out of the four heads in the room turned to look at her, one blonde, one brunette, and one that seemed slightly older and had on a cowboy hat. Cordelia froze, tempted to run back out the door and never come back.

"Hello" the blonde one said, putting down the puzzle piece he was holding, "would you like to come help us with our puzzle?" Cordelia nodded quickly as the boy patted the empty space next to him, inviting her to sit. 

                     

Cordelia moved to sit next to the blonde boy who had spoken, and for they first time saw his eyes, they were so grey they looked silver, she could've sworn they glittered in the sun. "What's your name?"  The boy inquired. Cordelia whispers her name but doubted the boys had heard her, the boy with the cowboy hat lent slightly toward the brunette, "what did she say?" He whispered, Cordelia looked into her hands and started to fiddle with her fingers, "I'm sorry, we didn't hear you can you say it again?" The blonde boy said gently, "Cordelia is my name" she said, louder this time. 

"Why do you sound like that?" She looked up it was now the brunette boy talking. Cordelia was mortified that the boy had made a comment on her accent, she decided the only thing she could do now was run, so that's what she did, she ran out of the room tears pricking her eyes, the blonde boy said something she couldn't quite hear over her own sobs.

                   

Cordelia's face was buried in the pillows of her bed when somebody knocked on her door, she assumed it was her father, coming to ask about her outburst earlier in the day. She dragged her self out of bed and pulled open the door.

Grayson fiddled with his fingers as he waited for the girl to open the door, he wanted to apologise for what Jameson had said, the girl had clearly been offended, and it didn't help that she had looked terrified the minute she walked into the room, When she spoke for the first time Grayson had actually thought her voice was quite pretty and made her sound smart. He was just about to knock again when the door opened.

                  

  It was not her father at the door, instead it was the blonde boy from earlier, he had his fist half way in the air as if he was just about to knock again, "I- um hello" he said twiddling his thumbs "I- uh came to apologise for what my brother said earlier," he cleared his throat "I actually think your voice makes you sound very smart" Cordelia couldn't tell if this was some cruel trick the boys were playing on her so they could make fun of her again, the boy did seem sincere enough, but maybe that was a part of the plan, " I really am sorry," the boy said looking down at her, "I tried to get Jameson to apologise himself but he said he did nothing wrong" "I'm Grayson by the way" Grayson stuck out his hand, Cordelia shook it, "I'm Cordelia" she said again.

Cordelia smiled at Grayson, and Grayson flashed two dimples back, and in that moment Cordelia felt that for the first time in her life, she had a friend.

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This one was a cute chapter, sorry for how long it was tho 🫶