roses || c.g

chapter one

grace was due to do gardening again, and she didn't like the way the day looked. the trees danced in the wind and grey clouds crept up to look over the town. it was cold and miserable, no doubt about it. she climbed into the passenger side of her moms car and cranked up the heater. grace put her hands in-between her thighs in attempt to warm them up as her mom pulled out of the driveway.

"are you sure you don't want to just skip today and come back tomorrow? i'm sure mrs gitnick would understand," graces mom said looking over at her.

grace shook her head no, "no thank you, i'm sure the sun will end up coming out later."

as they pulled up into the driveway, grace said goodbye and jumped out of the car. she pressed the button on the intercom to let the residents know that she was there. the gates opened and grace smiled at her mom as she drove away. grace went over to the garden shed and gathered all of her supplies.

loose strands of hair that hadn't been tied back flew around her eyes. she made her way over the one of the unpruned bushes and started trimming away. the wind was raw and seemed to feel like it was piercing at graces clothed skin.

when an hour came around, grace felt a drop of water on her face. she exhaled with slumped shoulders as the rain started to put down more heavily. grace lifted her hood over her head and continued quickly at the bush. she did consider knocking at the door and asking if she could go inside until the rain had calmed down, but then felt as though that would be too rude and invading.

her fingers were frozen and the rain only seemed to get fatter and more violent. she couldn't exactly call her parents because they were at work and weren't allowed to answer calls unless it was an emergency, so the idea of them picking her up was out the window.

"hey!" a voice called from awhile away. grace rotated and saw mrs gitnick waving her over. grace sprinted as fast as she could to reach her, carrying her hedge trimmers in her hand.

mrs gitnick grabbed her arm before grace could respond, and started to drag her up the stairs of the house, "why are you still out here in the rain?".

grace shrugged and said, "i was gardening and my parents are at work, and when it started raining i didn't want to ask to come inside because i thought it would be rude."

"oh grace, you're such a lovely girl, you are welcome inside anytime you need," mrs gitnick exclaimed opening the front door, "you must be freezing to death, oh my gosh."

mrs gitnick raced off and left grace beside the closed front door. she stood awkwardly and looked around, taking in her surroundings. mrs gitnick came back holding nicely folded clothes and handed them to grace.

"take a warm shower. here are some clothes to change into, sorry they're guys clothes. i have two sons and didn't think you'd want to wear mine," mrs gitnick said chuckling softly.

grace thanked her and mrs gitnick gave her the directions to the bathroom, and told her where the towels are. as she made her way to the bathroom, grace wondered who's clothes she was to wear. was it the boy who she'd scolded a few days ago for wrecking her rose bush? or was it his brother. wait did that boy even live here? questions were running through graces head as she turned on the shower and shut the door.

she stripped from her soggy clothes and wrung them out over the basin. during her shower, grace was kinda paranoid that someone was going to walk in, considering there was no lock on the door so she finished quickly.

grace looked at what mrs gitnick had given her, and she put on the grey sweats and black hoodie. they were baggy on her but they were much comfier than her wet clothes from earlier. grace put her hair up into a ponytail, that high-key ended up messy because she had no brush.

grace gathered her clothes and made her way downstairs into the kitchen, where she could hear mrs gitnick talking to someone. grace stood at the end of the bench and peered at the older boy who had his back facing towards her. mrs gitnick saw grace and dismissed what the boy was saying.

"would you like anything to drink or eat?" mrs gitnick asked, moving to lean over the sink.

grace shook her head and declined politely, "um no thank you, but thanks anyway".

mrs gitnick nodded and introduced the boy, "oh yes, this is my eldest son thomas".

"you must be grace," he smiled and held out his hand.

grace took it and nodded, giving a small laugh, "yep, the one and only"

grace felt self conscious all of a sudden as to who's clothes she was wearing. it was stupid to say that but its true, she felt awkward wearing a boys clothes who she hadn't even met before.

"i see that mom gave you some of charles' clothes to wear," thomas said, gesturing his head to the clothes grace was wearing.

charles? ok. grace wasn't sure how she felt about being in charles' clothes considering how rude he was to her only days earlier. everyones heads turned towards the opening front door, where a boy basically fell in trying to take off his shoes. grace' eyes widened as she saw him. his did just the same, and he looked her up and down with a confused look.

"why is she wearing my clothes?" Charles scowled, walking slowly.

grace looked at him sheepishly, while playing with the sleeves of the hoodie, "im really sorry-- i can take them off if you would like?".

after hearing her words aloud, she waved her hands and exclaimed, "no no, not like that"

charles seemed somewhat amused with graces comment and gave a small smirk, but his face quickly turning back into a grimace. mrs gitnick gave charles a look, "no grace, don't be silly. please make yourself at home, i hope you don't mind but i put your clothes in the dryer".

"i don't mind at all," grace smiled, "thank you so much, mrs gitnick".

"anytime, don't be afraid to ask for anything," mrs gtinick beamed,"and don't hesitate to call me anita"

grace sat down on the couch carefully, as if she might break something so precious. she looked over at thomas' position; one leg straightened and the other with he knee pointing to the roof, and one arm over the side of the couch. considering the older boy had his feet on the couch, grace considered it and brung both of her knees to her chest.

"is there anything you wanna watch? any preferences or recommendations?" thomas asked whilst scanning through netflix.

grace shook her head, but realised thomas wasn't looking, so instead replied with, "no, im not fussed haha"

he ended up putting on american pie, which didn't bother grace besides the fact that she'd watched it a billion times over already. as the movie started, charles shuffled into the room and settled onto the couch in-between thomas and grace.

throughout the movie, grace could feel the occasional glance or stare from charles, and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand multiple times just to make sure she didn't have anything of her face.

the movie ended sooner or later, and anita walked in holding graces dry clothes, "thought you might like these back"

grace chuckled as anita handed her the warm clothes.

"is it too much to ask if i wore these home?," grace questioned politely, gesturing to the clothes on her body, "i can wash them and bring them back the next time im gardening?"

charles looked hesitant and opened his mouth to say something but anita quickly cut him off, "of course sweet, whatever suites you"

by now the rain had almost stopped, just the random drop of water. grace figured it would be weird to stay any longer than what she had already, so she thanked anita and the boys once again and left through the front door and out the gate to her moms car. charles once again just kinda looked at her as if she was some kind of alien, and let grace leave without speaking another word to her.

by now, grace was sure he hated her. and it didn't help that she's walking around with his clothes on. and very comfortable clothes, grace must admit.

yikes this was a long chapter