Something About Sarah

Chapter 31

Benjamin

I woke up. It was Sunday and I started work tomorrow. Brant was supposed to come home today, so we decided not to go anywhere. I walked downstairs to see my grandma standing over the stovetop, a frying pan full of eggs in hand.

 "Good morning, Sleepyhead!" she smiled over a cutting board, having set down the frying pan. She dug the blade of the knife in the rind of an orange.

 "Why so blue?" she asked, moving on to a green apple.

 "Nothing," I lied. Mine and Sarah's relationship wasn't going too well. I wish I could just fly back and be with her and solve the time difference/ thousands of miles apart problem. But I loved my family too, and I rarely got to spend time with them.

 I picked up Lucy, my grandparents' chihuahua-pug mix, and started to pet her as my grandma set down plate after plate of breakfast foods. There had to be at least ten plates on the table.

 "By the way," she whispered to me, so as to not let my grandpa hear, "All relationships have problems."

 ***

 I don't know how my grandma guessed it. She always had been rather intuitive. I checked the alarm clock to the side of my bed. 4:49. Brant was supposed to be here at 5:00.

 I heard the sound of the door opening, and I smiled. Brant had always been one to arrive perfectly on time.

 I walked downstairs. "Ben!" Brant called, walking down the hall to wrap me in a hug.

 "Brant!" my grandma reprimanded, walking through the hall. "Where have you been the past couple of days. Blowing your brother off like that!"

 "I'm sorry grandma," he laughed good-naturedly.

 "Don't apologize to me!," she said, pulling off the dish towel that had been resting on her shoulder and smacking him playfully with it. "Apologize to Benjamin!"

 "Sorry," he said turning to me. "I have a surprise, though. Let's go to the kitchen and I'll tell you."

 My grandma ushered me through the halls, anxious to hear the news, and was happy to see that grandpa was already there, so she wouldn't have to wait for his old joints to make their slow journey to the kitchen.

 "So?" she prodded, sitting down at the table with the rest of us while Brant stood in front of us.

 "I'm engaged," Brant said, beaming.

 "To who?" my grandma and I asked in unison. We both looked at each other in shock.

 "Her name's Mary and she's coming over in thirty minutes," he told us, then he set a stern look on our grandma. "Please, don't be rude to her." He was referring to all the times he would bring a girlfriend home, Grandma made it her personal goal to interrogate the girl until she ran crying from the house.

"Me? Be rude?" she asked, putting a hand over heart and her smile turning extra sweet, "You don't have to worry about what I'll do to her."

"What does that mean?" Brant asked, a look of worry coming over his face.

"I'm going to embarrass the crap outta you."

***

A knock sounded throughout the house and Brant rushed to the door, throwing a dirty look behind him to grandma.

The door swung open, and in walked a girl who could pass as a supermodel. She walked forward to give Brant a hug, her light brown hair falling over his back and her green eyes shining as she pulled back and smiled at him.

"Oh!" my grandma cried as she ran down the hall towards them. "You must be Mary! My little Brantypoo has been talking all about you!" Mary laughed and looked at Brant, whose face was as red as a fire truck.

She took Mary's hand and dragged her to the kitchen, where she told her to sit down and enjoy herself.

"Have you set a date?" grandpa asked from the counter.

"A month from tomorrow," Mary replied, beaming. 

 "Now," my grandma continued, "Since the wedding is so soon, I'll have to tell you absolutely everything you may ever need to know about Brant. Should I start with baby pictures or stories?"

Brant looked horrified. We both knew that stories meant the ones about little bubbles in the bathtub and running through the halls wearing nothing except a diaper. Both of which were made up and both of which were interchangeable among grandsons. She once told them to Thalia and she wouldn't talk to me for a week.

"I don't think that'll be necessary," Brant quickly stepped in.

"Nonsense! I think I'll start with the little bubbles in the tub. He was so cute," she cooed at Brant as she pinched his cheek between her fingers.

I just sat in the corner and snickered while Brant shot me a dirty look.

"Never mind those old stories," grandma said suddenly, and a look of relief came over Brant's face. "I just remembered where we kelp those old home videos.

***

I laid sprawled out on my bed. Brant walked in and sat next to me on the bed, making the bed move a little.

Mary was in the room next door. Grandma had offered her the guest room, considering lived on the other side of the country. Brant had offered to pay for a hotel room for her instead, but grandma stopped him mid sentence.

"Who knows how she'll humiliate me with Mary living in the house now," Brant sighed.

"It'll be fine," I reassured him.  

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

"Sarah."

"Oh, the one who turned you down for the surfer dude?" he asked.

"No. That's the thing. We kinda got together."

"Then what's the problem? You got the girl!"

"We got together the morning I left. I haven't seen her since," I explained.

"That's rough," he sympathized, "At least Grandma can't get to her." All I could do was laugh.

"Oh Mary!" echoed throughout the hall.

"Crap," Brant said jumping off my bed and running towards the door, "Better get to Mary before Grandma does."

***

The white car my grandma was driving pulled to a stop in front of a pristine white building. I would've stepped out of the car and walked inside, but I wanted to say goodbye to her and she was on the phone.

"Sorry about that," she said, snapping her phone closed, "I was just working out some details for a new employee. So goodbye and have fun at work," she called as I stepped out of the car.

"Bye," I called over my shoulder. The glass doors slid open for me and I walked in. I strode over to the receptionist counter to find out where I was supposed to report to in the massive building. But no one was there. A pair of crutches was leaning against the edge of the counter, probably left by a customer. I turned around leaning my back against the counter and looking out the windows watching the people pass by.

"Hello, how may I help you, Ben?"

I closed my eyes. This wan't happening. Swiveling on the heel of my shoe, I turned around to look at the receptionist.

"Sarah!" I said. Before I could say anything else, she pulled me I. For the sweetest kiss of my life.

Summer was going to be perfect.