Having Grace

17.

Grace's P.O.V

After having a long session at the gym I went home and had a talk with my father on the weekend and a serious sit down to myself as I lost myself in thought.

I wrote down everything I knew how to do at work and dad helped me point out a few important details as well.

My phone was at a steady buzz of friends messaging me and I didn't want to answer it. I knew what they were all about.

Macy's party.

No. I said to myself. I promised Hope I will try.

But Macy is a good friend, I can not not go. The more I dwelled on it, the longer it took me to finish the task I started.

I eventually moved from the upstairs lounge room to the downstairs kitchen, leaving my phone behind.

I opened up my laptop and typed up what I needed.

"Daddy?" I called out to him after I finished.

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Can I borrow your printer?" I asked as I got up with my little computer, heading in to his study.

"Sure." I linked up the Bluetooth and printed out the page.

"Are you staying in today?" Dad asked as I walked back to the kitchen. I folded the letter and placed it in an envelope I found in the study.

"Yeah."

"Hope and Will are coming over for dinner soon." Mum called as she opened the fridge.

She had been so happy since she was told about her becoming a grandmother. Dad was ecstatic as well, I think he might have cried if he was alone.

"I'll help with dinner." I offered and my mother stared at me like I had turned blue.

"Are you feeling fine, darling?" Mum asked me.

"I'm fine. I need a distraction."

"Whatever from?" Mum asked as she started placing vegetables on the kitchen bench.

I took some potatoes and started peeling them. "It's a lot harder to say no to your friends than what I thought it would be." I told her. "Macy has a party coming up next weekend and I do but don't want to go."

I heard the metallic noise of the knife dropping and turned to mum. She just froze, staring at me. "Where is my Grace?" She asked.

I laughed at her. "I'm right here, mum."

I heard mum mutter something under her breathe but couldn't work out completely what she had said. Something about wow and word.

It was an excruciating task, peeling five potatoes, but I eventually got it done. I turned to mum, quite proud of my task when I saw that she had onions, carrots and sweet potato already cut and on a baking tray.

"Okay. I know I'm slow and I can't cook." I teased her as mum pulled out some pots and filled them with water.

I took out the peas and beans from the freezer and handed her the bags.

All she had left was to season the lamb leg.

Hope and Will walked in then and both were dumbfounded to find me helping mum.

"Mum, where's Grace?" Hope joked as I shot her a look.

"How comforting." I poked my tongue out at her. "How's my sister?"

"Go on, say what you really want to." Hope told me.

"Fine. How's the baby? " I grinned as I tickled her stomach before hugging her.

"The baby is still there." Hope smiled as she hugged me back. "Are you still in your gym clothes?"

"Yeah. It's been a while since I went, so I decided to make up for it today."

Mum made us teas and we chatted away. It took a while, but dinner was eventually served.

"Hope, I know I promised about the parties." I wedged it in.

"Are you breaking that promise already?"

I shook my head. "No. I have an invite for a party and I don't really want to go. How do you say no to your friends?"

"My friends don't peer pressure me into doing stuff I don't want to do."

Is that what they do to me? Am I that easy to be pressured in to something?

"Tell them the truth, Grace. That you don't want to do that."

"But Macy is my best girl friend."

Hope waved her hand at me. "Make it up to her. Take her shopping. Or to lunch."

I stayed quiet as I thought of ideas on how to make it up to Macy. "I suppose so."

"I know you are a social butterfly." Hope grinned at me. Mum, dad and Will kept at their own conversation. "How's the charity work going?" Hope suddenly asked me.

"I haven't been in doing any for a while." I missed doing it though.

"Any social events happening?" I looked at her confused. I told her I would try not attend anything.

But it was like she read my mind. "I said parties. Events that are hosted by those charities don't count unless it's a rave."

"Why should you make an exception with them?" I asked her.

"Because I know for a fact that none of your party friends will be seen dead in there."

"Dean still helps, occasionally." I defended him.

"Dean don't count." Came Hopes' fast reply. "I know for a fact that Dean was invited to one coming up."

I looked at my sister, the wheels turning in my head. Dean and Hope aren't the best of friends, hell, they don't like being in the same room together.

But for her to know Dean has been invited to an event means they have been talking. I narrowed my eyes at her.

And why am I finding this out through Hope and not Dean? Why haven't I been invited?

I placed my knife and fork down, glaring at Hope, drawing attention to myself.

"What the hell is going on?"