More Than Friends - A Hayes Grier fanfiction

Chapter 51 - Boca Raton, Florida

We touch down in Florida a couple of hours later and I have regained my sleep. My eyes no longer heavy, we grab our handheld and leave the plane, thanking the air hostesses on our way. When my feet hit the tarmac I feel a slight breeze and wrap my arms around myself. Although Florida is the sunshine state, the november air is still cold and a cover of cloud has filled the sky.

After an hours of going through scanners and collecting our bags, we flag down a taxi and head for Grandma's house. She lives in a neverending maze of suburbs, a minute from the beach, and after, Pops died a couple of years ago, she has been alone. It makes me so sad to think about her all by herself.

We pull up outside Nana's bungalow on the empty street and get out. Mom pays the driver and Molly and I pull out the cases and head up the sidewalk. I ring the doorbell and wait for Nana to answer. The door opens slowly and, instead of my little Nana at the door, an old man with kind eyes and wispy grey hair stands before us.

"Hi, you must be Sophie and Molly! I'm Arthur." He says and from behind him Nana runs out.

"my beautiful girls!" She laughs and pulls us into a hug each. "This is Arthur. My partner!" She giggles girlishly and Arthur puts an arm around her waist.

"Hi mom!" Mom runs up the path and hugs her mother. "Arthur!" She smiles brightly and hugs the man. We head nto the bungalow and put our bags in the room we always stay in. Then we follow Nana into the kitchen where she hands us food. It's almost twelve and I am hungry so I wolf down the sandwich on my plate and accept a drink from Arthur. He smiles cheerfully and I grin back at him and Nana.

"So we have so big news girls!" nana says and from behind her back she pulls out her hand. On her ring finger is a shiny silver band with a sparkling diamond in the centre. I gasp and pull a hand to my mouth. It's beautiful.

"Oh Nana. It's so pretty!" Molly exclaims and we crowd round, congratulating them both. Arthur smiles proudly and nana blushes.

"The wedding is after the new year and we want you all to be there." She announces and mom immediately begins making plans.

"Don't worry about anything. We have it all covered." Arthur says and we go back through to the family room to finish our drinks.

...

After we finish dinner, Molly asks if I want to go for a walk on the beach. We excuse ourselves and I run to put some warmer clothes on. Putting on my trainers, i let my mind wander and I come back to hayes. I wonder if he is awake? I make it my mission to call Nash when I get back from our walk.

We run out the door and walk a while until we come to the beach. I pull off ym shoes and socks and tread into the oft sand. I wiggle my toes and we head off down the length of the beach. The waves crash softly in the background and I listen to the gulls that foat in the breeze.

"How are you?" Molly asks randomly.

"What?"

"I mean... with Hayes. How are you feeling?"

"Happy. Sad. I just want to see him."

"It sucks that we had to leave the same day." She says sadly. I know she wants to see him too.

Suddenly my phone starts ringing and it makes me jump. I jerk in fright and it flies out of my pocket. I scream and check to see if it is broken. I can't risk breaking two phones. But thank god it is fine. Nash is calling and I swipe to pick up, putting him on speaker.

"hey Nash, your on speaker. Molly's here."

"Hey. I've got someone who wants to talk to you!" nash says and my puse raises. Hayes...

"Sophie!!!!" it's only Skylynn. I sigh and reply with a small hello.

"I got a new horsey!" She says and I laugh half heartedly.

"that's cool."

"Anyway Sophie," Nash comes to the phone, "Hayes is almost awake so when are you coming to see him?"

"We're at my nana's house. We can't." I say sadly.

"Oh... when do you get home?"

"Two more days. I fly back on Sunday."

"You're missing school?"

"Yeah. Oh hey guess what. Nana's getting remarried!"

"That's awesome. Tel them congrats."

"Sure.

"Anyway. I gotta go and put the Frozen DVD in for Sky but I'll call you when Hayes is back home."

"Cool. Say hi to him for me."

"Bye!"

...

When the sun goes down we head back to Nana's and grab some snacks from the store. I pick up some chips and a soda and Molly gets some candy.

"That'll be two dollars fifty." We pay the girl at the till and then go back to Nana's. When we get back we turn on the small tv in our room and put on TLC. Cake Boss has just started so we tune in and I get cosy under the quilt, my chips in close reach.

"Girls!" Mom yells and we go downstairs to see what she needs.

"Yeah." We walk into the family room and sit down on the armchairs by the fireplace.

"We were just thinking of ideas for the wedding." Mom annunces and we nod.

"We were wondering if you two wanted to be bridesmaids?" Nana comes out with the news straight away (she can never hold nig news for long).

"Oh my gosh! I'd love too!" I exclaim and Molly claps her hands together.

"That would be great!"

They show us several pictures of lovely dresses and a possible venue for the wedding. It's a beatiful white church just outside the city and it looks lovely.

"We were thinking we would go to the dress shop tomorrow and get a fitting done. We can send the sixes back to a dressmaker and get them fitted properly."

"have you got a dress Nana?" I ask.

"I have an idea." She says and pull out a picutre on her iPad. It's simple but so pretty. It has long lacy sleeves and a knee length skirt.

"I'm still getting a tiara." She whispers in my ear and I giggle.

"And a veil?"

"Of course." She laughs.

...

The next day we are in the bridal shop by ten o'clock much to my dismay. I walk in wearing sweat pats and a hoodie and all the assisstants give my funny looks.

"Hi we booked a fitting for two for Molly and Sophie." She says and the woman at the front desk pulls up our booking with a clickety-clack of her blood red nails.

"Would you like to follow me." She leads us into the back of the store where there are mirrors and several dresses laid out already. We are given identical dresses to try on and are directed to a changing room. I pull it on and then step out to look in the mirror. Taking a quick glimpse of my self, I realise I look like a baby bird. And not in a good way. The dress poofs out in every angle and the trim makes the dress stiff and awkward. The second dress is too long and I trip out of the changing room as i walk. Ony the third and final dress is left. I put it on and, cliché I know, it is gorgeous. It is of a dusty rose colour and just long enough

I step out of the changing room for the fina time and I see mom's eyes widen. Nana holds her hands to her cheeks and gasps.

"they are PERFECT!" She exclaims and I laugh. I turn in the mirror and strike a few poses. Molly joins me and we pretend to pose for the paparazzi. The ladies working in the shop give us dirty looks but we ignore them and carry on acting ike clowns. Suddenly my phone buzzes from the changing room and I pick up just in time.

"Someone want to talk to you." Nash says.

"Hey!" I say into the phone, clasping it like a baby.

"Hey Soph." Hayes says on the other end.