** REWRITING ** Tidal Wave

Chapter Eleven

Grayson

I rushed through the front door and threw my backpack to the ground. "Mom!" I called out.

"Yes, honey?" She yelled throughout the house.

"I need a favor!"

Her sigh was so loud it echoed. "And that would be what?" I bounded up the foyer stairs two at time and rushed down into her office.

"I need you to make mac and cheese tonight." She furrowed her brow. I could tell she didn't feel like it. I explained. "Ellie's coming over."

Her eyes brightened and a huge grin spread across her face. "Of course! I should go to the store right now. Maybe I can make some chocolate chip cookies too? They were always her favorite."

I smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks mom." I knew she would agree if I told her all of it was for Ellie. She absolutely loved Ellie. She was the daughter my mother never had.

I spun on my heel to leave the room. "Grayson?" my mom called out.

I turned around. "Yeah?"

She made a face, as if it pained her to ask. "You and Alyssa are..?"

"Done." I answered. This made her smile even brighter than before. My mom had hated, hated, Alyssa. For two years she had begged me to break up with her. I had always said,"Mom, you don't even know her." But the truth was, my mom could see underneath the facade of anyone. I should've listened to her.

"Have you told Ellie that?"

"Told Ellie what?"

My mon sighed as she shook her head. "You boys can be so clueless sometimes. A girl as sweet as Ellie would never go for a guy that she thinks has a girlfriend. Even if the girlfriend is a..." she trailed off.

"Is a what?" I asked.

My mom looked over her shoulder as if to check if anyone could hear. "A bitch."

My jaw went slack and my eyes widened. Not that my mom had called Alyssa a bitch because c'mon, she was. But because the realization had suddenly dawned on me. Ellie had been avoiding me because she liked me, not because she hadn't. She didn't know that Alyssa and I broke up.

My mom chuckled and clicked her tongue. "Oh, so now you figure it out?"

"Thanks mom," I said as I ran out of the room.

She laughed. "Anytime, son. Anytime."

Ellie

I took a deep breath as I surveyed myself in the mirror. Not too bad I thought. Except for the weird bulge in my back pocket that was my cell phone, everything else looked pretty good. My hair fell in bouncy curls down my back and my makeup was natural but flattering.

After Grayson had called our tutoring session a 'date', I freaked out. When I got home, I had called Kiera immediately. She had insisted on coming over and giving me a makeover. I didn't protest. She was a beauty genius and it showed.

Kiera's head bobbed above my shoulder in the mirror. Her grin stretched wide across her face while she admired her work. "I did good, didn't I?"

I nodded, unable to speak. I couldn't take my eyes off my reflection. I eventually turned back to Kiera and she laughed.

"What?" I asked.

She tried to hide a grin. "No, no. It's nothing."

I imitated her by batting my eyelashes. "Pretty please, Kiera?"