Fly Away | Spruceworth 6.2

Chapter 3: Brother's Help

Quick note: This book takes place about 6-7 months after the end of Airplane, which is why you might not know some of the characters yet (like Ernest).

Chapter 3: Brother's Help

~Ollie~

       Even though Dad was clearly still a bit mad at Grant, he was willing to go to Meadowcliff with Grant to go pick up all of Grant's things. Grant said he would be okay with going alone but since he also had to avoid basically everyone, especially those guys he was in trouble with, Dad said it would be safer if he drove Grant there himself.

       While they were gone, I decided to go to the diner to get a chocolate milkshake since I was bored and would rather not be at home alone anymore. It was way too weird for me. Since it was summer, Dad was home all the time unless he had to go to some teacher preparation conferences. That was only once so far and it didn't last long since Grant came back the day after my dad left.

       I did stay at home as long as could before decided to get out of the house to get a milkshake. Dad and Grant should be back soon anyway so I might as well spend some time elsewhere to hopefully make time feel as if it was going by faster.

       The 50's diner was usually quite busy during summer so it did take me a while for me to get the milkshake. Once I did, I started walking back to my place only to stop in my tracks when I heard someone call my name.

       I turned around to see Hennessy walking over, followed by her boyfriend Ernest. "Hey," I said.

       "Hey," Hennessy said. "If I ask you something, will you be completely honest with me?"

       I furrowed my eyebrows at why Hennessy would have to ask me that. "Of course I would, Hennessy. You're my best friend. Why would you think I wouldn't be honest with you if you ask me something?"

       "I'm just making sure," Hennessy said. "I heard that Grant is back in the village but nobody has seen or heard from him yet. Have you? Seen or heard from him?"

       Oh. Now I see why Hennessy would ask me that. She may be my best friend but she still knew how I would do anything for Grant, even if it meant lying to everyone else. Grant and I were just a lot closer with each other than with everyone else.

       So now, I was going to have to lie to Hennessy even though I just told her I would be honest with her.

       But before answering her question, I had one of my own and I was really going to have to play it off like I had no clue where Grant's whereabouts were. "Grant's back in the village? What makes you think that?"

       "We were walking by the village when we overheard these three guys talking about finding a Grant," Ernest said. 

       "It was those guys we ran into two days ago," Hennessy said. "Where one bumped into me and caused me to spill my smoothie on myself."

       "And I wanted to yell at them once Hennessy told me about that," Ernest said. "But she wouldn't let me."

       "She wouldn't let me do it either," I said.

       "Anyway, that's not what we're talking about," Hennessy said. "So Ernest and I nonchalantly followed them, trying to listen in on their conversation. They said something about the Grant they're looking for coming to Spruceworth but they know he hasn't left. So they've been trying to find him. Meaning Grant is in the village."

       "And I know what you're thinking," Ernest said. "It can be another Grant. How your Grant isn't the only Grant in the whole world."

       This was really going to hurt me to say but I had to make them believe I didn't know about Grant's return. "He's not my Grant," I said, sounding a bit irritated. "And you're right. It could be another Grant."