" I like her too" Marshall said. We stopped hugging, "C'mon let's go downstairs" Marshall said.
Whitney held onto my hand and took me downstairs. She took me into the lounge and sat down on the couch, pulling me down with her. Once I was comfy, she snuggled into me resting her head on my arm.
"Dad" I heard Larnie call. "Yes?" Marshall called back, "I'm hungry!" Larnie said in a whiny voice. "Fine, what do you want then?". "Pizza" Larnie and Whit said at the same time. "Okay, okay what flavour?" Marshall asked, laughing lightly. "Hawaiian!", "Meat Lovers!", "Chicken!", "Pepperoni!" I called from the couch. "Fine" Marshall said, picking up the phone and dialed the Domino's pizza's number.
"Hello, I'd like to order one hawaiian, one meat lovers, one chicken and two pepperoni. And could we get two bottles of Pepsi"." Sure, pick up or delivery?" "Pick up". At this point I stopped listening and started talking to Whitney. I ran my hands through her long, dirty blonde hair.
"Do you think I'm pretty?" Whit asked me, looking up at me through her lashes. "I think you're the most beautiful little girl". She giggled, "I'm eleven, how old are you?", "I'm twenty". "You don't look twenty", "How old do I look then?", "You look eighteen". "I guess it's better than looking twenty five" I said and we cracked up laughing.
Whit wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a hug. I hugged back, I felt her muscles relax, I looked down at her, her eyes were closed and her mouth was open a bit and she breathed quietly.
I smiled and relaxed into the couch.
Marshall popped in the lounge, "I think Whit really likes you", " I really like her too". "Well, I'm going to get the pizza be back soon" Marshall said, he leaned down and gave my forehead a kiss. "See you soon" I said, "Yep" Marshall said, walking out the lounge, I heard the front door close as he walked out.
I carefully took Whitney's arm off me and placed a blanket over her sleeping body. I walked into the kitchen and took out a glass and filled it with water out of the tap. I went and sat down next to Whitney and turned the TV on. I ended up watching some crappy reality show, I wasn't paying much attention to it. I took a sip of my water and let out a loud sigh. The scene from earlier kept playing over and over in my head.
"I love you daddy"
"I love you too baby"
Marshall gave Whitney a kiss. I remember thinking of when I was little and how I used to say I love my dad. I think when I was little my dad actually did love me.
Tears came to my eyes, I got brought out of my thoughts when Whitney stirred. She let out a small yawn, I quickly wiped my eyes and she sat up and stretched. "What happened?", " You fell asleep, so I put a blanket on you". She looked at the TV, " What are you watching?" she asked,"I don't even know". Whitney let out a small chuckle. "Your dad should be back soon", "Where'd he go?". "He went to pick up the pizza", "Yum! Pizza".
"Have you talked to Hailie or Larnie?", "No, I don't think they like me all that much", I said letting out a small sigh.
"They just don't know you", "You don't really know me either though". "Yeah, I know, it's just.... that your really cool".
"Whit, is something wrong?" I asked with concern in my voice, "Stuff... is happening at school". "Whit are you being bullied?", "Kinda". "What do you mean 'kinda' ?", "There's this girl that keeps making making fun of me and her brother is being mean?". "How is her brother being mean?". "He touches me here and here" she said pointing to her developing chest and to her ass. "Honey, we need to tell your dad, people can't do that to you". "I know" Whitney said looking down. I wrapped my arms around her she wept softly on my shoulder, "Look, I'll talk to your dad and let you have the day off tomorrow". "Thanks" she said into my shoulder. "Now, how old is this boy?", "I think he's fourteen", Whitney sniffed out. I wiped off her tears and I sang to her.
'Now hush little baby, don't you cry
Everything's gonna be alright
Stiffen that upper lip, little lady'
I stopped singing and I heard her hum the tune. The door opened and Marshall stepped inside. I guess he saw us hugging, because he put down the pizzas and the pepsi on the table and came and hugged us. Whitney sniffled a bit.
"Baby, what's the matter", "I'll tell you later" Whitney said. "No, baby tell me now" Marshall said his voice getting louder and more serious. "Marshall, we'll tell you later, let us have our pizza and pepsi and me, you and Whitney will talk later". "Fine" Marshall said pouting and stopped hugging us.
"Hai Hai! Larnie! The pizza's here!". Once he said that, they came running down the stairs, Whitney let go off me and sat on the floor. I sat on the floor next to her, Hailie sat on the floor next to me and Larnie sat next to Whitney. Marshall brought 5 pizza boxes, 5 glasses and a bottle of pepsi and sat them down in the middle of the circle, he sat in between Hailie and Larnie.
We grabbed our pizza and I poured everyone a glass of pepsi. "Thanks" Larnie mumbled. "Thank you" Whitney said, sounding more cheerful than before.
"So Grace... What do you do for a job?" Hailie asked, "Umm... I don't have one, I live with my best friend, and yeah". Whitney grabbed my hand and held it, her hand was warm. She leaned on my arm, I heard her let out a quite sigh. "Looks like Whit likes you" Larnie said. " Yeah I do, Grace is really cool" Whitney said, "Aww, thanks Whit". After a hour later we had finished all the pizza and both bottles of pepsi and we had a very good conversation.
"Hey, I've seen you on TV" Hailie said, "You have?" I asked, racking my brain from when I could of been on TV. "Yeah, you were being interviewed", "Oh, yeah, damn annoying paparazzi" I said. "Are going to stay the night? Whitney asked hopefully, "If your dad says it's alright", "Dad can she--". "Yes" Marshall answered. "Yay!" Whitney exclaimed. I guess I was staying the night.
