Different | Grayson Dolan

>26<

2 weeks later....

Brooke's POV

"Done!" Alison exclaims in accomplishment, hitting both of my shoulders in a drum beat.

I giggle, picking up the hand mirror beside me.

Ali had done my hair up in a beautiful French plait.

I gasp, putting my hand to my mouth. For once, my hair looked somewhat decent.

"Oh my gosh, Ali..." I breathe. I looked pretty. For the first time, I felt pretty. Then it hit me. It was because, for the first time in my life, everything was going right. My life was great. I had a loving boyfriend. An amazing friend. A good reputation. Good grades. A clear goal.

I was happy.

That somehow brought tears to my eyes. I gasp for air as I cover my face, melting to the floor.

Alison immediately runs to my side, rubbing my back. "W-What happened? Does it l-look bad?" She asks, slightly frightened at my sudden breakdown.

I shake my head, sobbing now. "N-No..." I quiver. "I-Its b-beautiful... I-I'm just... So happy."

Ali lets out a throaty laugh, pulling e in for a hug. "You scared me, you bitch" She chuckles, smacking the back of my head in a teasing manner. I giggle back, wiping my tears.

__

__

A sigh escapes my lips as I turn to my locker, grabbing books.

"Hey!" Grayson said loudly at my left.

I cover my ear in a jump, mumbling an "Ow."

"Sorry." He chuckles, giving me a light kiss. "You look beautiful." He adds, kissing the top of my head.

"Thank you." I smile, wrapping my hands around his waist.

"Say... You would mind having a date tonight would you?" Grayson asks, and i can sense the smirk in his tone.

"That depends, will you take me?"

"8? I'll be there" He smirks.

__
__

"Favorite childrens book?" I asked, taking a forkfull of pork fried rice into my mouth.

"Easy. The Giving Tree, by far. It's the best childrens book of all time." Grayson answered, wipping his hands with a napkin.

"See, I disagree." I stated, gulping down my pork fried rice as I shook my head slowly, "The Giving Tree is thought to be a great book, because it's one of the very first love stories any human being ever has a chance to hear about. Although, it is not love."

Grayson's mouth fell open, a playful gasp escaping his lips as he held onto the fabric upon his skin dramaticly, right upon his heart. "Not love? So you're sitting here, telling me, that The Giving Tree doesn't resemble love? Are you human?"

I giggled, giving him a playful push with my shoulder and I wipped my mouth.
"Explain to me how it is love then, Gray" I challenged.

"I don't know, maybe because the tree gave the little boy her everything. She was willing to do anything for that boy, anything. Even over the process of like, I don't know, 60 years of their lives going by and the tree was still giving him all she had. She never gave up on him, ever."

I was holding back my laughter as I tried to make serious conversation with him. "You are such an idiot," I chuckled, covering my mouth my hand. "if you think that that's true love."

Grayson raised his eyebrow, now turning his body completely toward mine, now looking straight at eachother.
"Yeah? And how is it not true love, Miss Brooke?" He asked, spitting out the last few words as is he were disgusted to say it.

"The tree giving the boy everything. That's how it's not true love. The reason she gave that boy everything was because he was the only thing on this entire planet that had interacted with her. That was the first person to give her all the attention that she wanted, all of the things she had wanted since she was grown into that beautiful looking tree. So, because that boy gave her that attention, that's when she thought that maybe, just maybe, she loved him enough to sacrifice everything that she had. She gave him her apples, gave him her braches, gave him her leaves, and what did the boy give? He gave nothing. He just took and ran away with it all. No, she didn't stop giving him all of her because she was so infactuated with him, and how much attention and happiness he had given her. But he didn't care, did he? He never did, he just took and took and took until there was nothing left of her. How is that true love? It's not, it's life, it's how all life works, and there's no stop to it."

There was a silence in the air, and I lifted my feet up to his criss-crossed legs, shaking my feet slowly as I looked at Grayson, whom was looking at me with such love. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes were twinkling. "You're extraordinary" He sighs

"I would give everything up for you, and I love you. Isn't that love?" Grayson whispered, gliding his fingertips slowly along the underside of my leg.

My heart fluttered and I covered my blush. He loves me? He. Loves. Me?

"I-I...." I stutter, covering my face in embarrassment. Finally, I pick up all the courage I could get and took a deep breath.

"It is. It is love because I would give you the world back and because I love you, too."