Grey

Chapter Five

Dedicated to Monster3s for her flawless writing, and for following someone as small as me. 

A week had passed since Grey got angry at me for kind of blowing him off. I hadn’t heard from him, hadn’t seen him. Nothing. My fingers itched to pick up the phone and call him but I knew it’d be the same old thing, so I just left it sitting on my dresser. I hadn’t talked to my parents about Grey since that night. They acted as if everything was back to normal. They didn’t know that I sat up late at night staring out my bedroom window waiting for him to emerge from the woods.

My alarm blared for six in the morning and I moaned, rolled over, and turned it off. I had stayed up late again hoping Grey would appear. Exhausted, I stumbled into the bathroom for a hot shower. I spent the rest of the morning slowly getting ready as I dreaded another day of school. I was graduating in four short months. I would be eighteen in July. Were me and Grey even going to be something by then?

Bundled up in my North Face in the cold, I jogged up to the school and sighed in relief once the warm air hit my face. Ivy was waiting for me, a smug look on her face. “This summer needs to be here,” she said when she saw me. We began walking to first block. The morning chatter was dull and quiet. Everyone seemed to be sluggish today.

“I just need to be eighteen,” I replied, unzipping my coat. I turned my head away when we reached the memorial showcase across from the office. Rowan's face was plastered all over it. Letters from the school, teachers, and even my parents were posted in there. In this small town, his death was a shocking tragedy. Everyone loved him.

Ivy smirked and then it dropped quickly. “Wait, do you want to run away with Grey? Are you kidding me right now?”

I was taken aback from her tone. Confused, I looked at her as we kept walking. “Ivy, I didn’t even say that.”

“But you were thinking it,” she hissed. She pushed past me and strutted into the classroom. I rolled my eyes before following her. I knew Ivy wanted the best for me and it’d break her heart if I chose Grey over her. But I loved him. More than I could ever explain. And I could/couldn’t wait for the day I’d say those words out loud to him.

The day went by. Ivy ignored me and honestly, I made no effort to speak to her. She’d figure out eventually that she couldn’t control me. And that if I fucked up, I fucked up. It was my fault. But it was none of her business what I did and what I didn’t do.

It was a huge surprise when I walked out of school—later than everyone after staying after to finish a test—to find Grey standing by his truck, hands tucked in his pockets. My heart skipped a beat but I also began freaking at my appearance. My hair was stringy from my shower this morning. I was dressed in leggings, boots, and a crewneck. I looked lazy from my clothes and tired from the dark circles under my eyes. Makeup was the least of my worries this morning.

“Hey, Vi,” he called across the parking lot. I gulped at his friendly tone and took my time coming down the steps. Grey was smiling at me as if it was like he hadn’t called, hadn’t visited.

“Uh, hi?” I replied. It came out like a question. He pulled me into him with one arm and looked down at me. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugged. “I missed you.”

I pushed myself off of him. “Then why didn’t you call?” I asked in a harsh tone, tears pricking at the corner of my eyes.

“Violet,” he sighed. “It’s complicated.” I laughed and rolled my eyes, walking past him to my car. “Violet.”

“Grey, I’m done. I’m done,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s always fucking complicated with you.” In a split second he had his grip on my arm and tugged me so I was facing him.