Fly Away | Spruceworth 6.2

Chapter 31: School Dance Disaster

Chapter 31: School Dance Disaster

~Ollie~

       "I have a very important question," I asked, turning to face Grant who was lying down on the bed. I held up the two button-up shirts I was trying to choose from. "Baby blue or white?"

       "How is that an important question?" Grant asked.

       "Because the school dance is soon and you have a better sense of fashion than I do," I said. "Aren't you going to get ready for the dance?"

       Grant sat up. "Is that tonight?"

       I furrowed my eyebrows. "Yeah, it's tonight. You were the one making a big deal about it. Is everything okay?"

       Grant was silent for the longest time, looking down. That immediately confirmed that something was wrong so I placed the shirts down and walked over to the bed, sitting down beside him.

       "A few days ago when I went to the store to get you some chicken noodle soup, I got approached by Donnie, Travis, and Orlando," Grant said. "They asked for my help, yet again, about a job. I wanted to decline but... I couldn't."

       "Why not?" I asked. "You don't owe them anything else."

       "I know that," Grant said. "But... They know about your arrest and how you were supposed to go to LM Conservatory of Music. And how you want to attend post-secondary for music but you can't because of the arrest. And they said they'll find a way to get it out if I don't help them. And I can't do that to you."

       I intertwined my hand in Grant's. "You don't have to keep getting involved with them just to keep me safe. It's not fair to you."

       "I got involved with them in the first place," Grant said. "I knew things weren't right with the way the make money and run things but I chose to work with them anyway. When I asked them what the job was... They said it was a revenge job. Against Noah."

       "You can't do that to your brother, Grant," I said.

       "I know," Grant said. "And I can't let them do anything to you as well. I went to Shaw. See if he could help me find a way out of it. He said he will help me but in order to do that, I would have to do whatever Shaw says."

       "How is that a bad thing?" I asked. "If anything will be able to help you out, it's Shaw."

       "Yeah, but... Shaw told me to agree to it. To helping with the revenge job. I trust Shaw and everything... But I'm afraid he won't be able to help me out in time. And that I'll really hurt Noah."

       "Shaw wouldn't tell you to agree to it if he didn't know how to help you out in time," I pointed out. "He wouldn't do that to both you and Noah."

       Grant sighed heavily and placed his face in his hands. "I know, I know," he muttered. "I can't help but overthink about it. It's all I've been doing the past couple days. It's like my brain just won't turn off." He removed his hands from his face and took a deep breath. "Want to show me those shirts again?"

       "Are you sure you still want to go to the dance?" I asked. "We can stay home and watch a bunch of movies if you're not feeling up to going."

       "We already bought the tickets," Grant said. "And I do need to get out of the house more. And it's our last winter dance at the school before we graduate. And you look hot in a button-up shirt."

       I rolled my eyes and stood up from the bed, grabbing the shirts again. "You for sure want to go?"

       "Yeah," Grant said. "It would be nice to get my mind off of everything. Which probably won't happen but I still want a night out. And, again, you look really hot in a button-up shirt. So which ones are you choosing from?"