i like (the idea of) you • grayson dolan

three

OPAL'S POV

My dad knocked on my bedroom door, waking me up from my wonderfully deep sleep. "Come in," I groan, rubbing my eyes and sitting up.

"Opal, it's noon," he laughs. "I was just coming to see what you wanted for lunch."

"I don't know... any place that has mozzarella sticks. That's all I want," having just woken up, I wasn't all that hungry, but I could always go for some mozzarella sticks.

My dad nods, walking over to our menu stack we keep on top of the fridge. Stretching, I slowly stand out of bed and walk toward the bathroom. Despite my tired limbs I do my usual Saturday morning routine—face mask, shower, shave, the works. I have to keep my routine, otherwise I'll just push it back further.

When I climb out, my dads walking into the house with pizza and mozzarella sticks. "Good choice," I grin, grabbing two plates. "Celia can still spend the night, right?"

"That's fine, sweetie," he nods. "But I'll probably be out late. Poker night,"

My dad played poker every couple of weeks with some friends, and those were always some of my favorite nights. I loved him, but being home alone all night was relaxing.

I'm just sitting down on the couch after lunch when the door rings, and my dad answers it. I can't quite make out who it is, but it's probably not a big deal.

He turns to me after shutting it, nodding toward the back door. "Neighbors lost their basketball in our yard, mind tossing it over the fence for them?" Please be the kids on our left and not Ethan and Grayson. "The house to the right, they said."

"Can you?" I sigh, biting my lip as he raises a brow at me. "Fine just... let me get dressed."

"It'll take two seconds, just go," my dad urges. I really wish I had put on real clothes after my shower, and not just shorts and a tank top.

So much for staying under their radar. I've managed to hide the fact that we're neighbors for so long, and now they just had to lose their goddamn basketball in my yard?

Huffing, I walk out the back-door, grab the ball, and toss it over our fence. I try to go before they see, wanting to avoid this conversation, but Ethan catches me before I make it to the door.

"Thank—hey, Gray, look who it is!"

"Opal?" He asks, and I mutter a curse under my breath before turning around. "How long have we been neighbors?"

"Like... 15 years," they both shrug, boosting themselves up to look over the fence more.

The two are shirtless, sweaty, and not very eager to get back to their basketball game apparently. "I'm more surprised you own something other than hoodies," Grayson teases.

Suddenly remembering I'm not wearing a bra, I cross my arms over my chest awkwardly. "Can you guys try not to lose that again?"

Grayson smiles and holds up the basketball, tossing it in my backyard.

"Mind getting that for us, Opal?" He chuckles as it rolls behind me, hitting the other side of our fence.

I should just ignore them, I'd really like to, but instead I turn around and bend over to grab it. They're both smirking as I walk back over with it, placing it in Ethan's hands.

"If you lose it on purpose again I'm keeping it."

"C'mon, Opal, don't be like that," he laughs, dropping the ball once more.

"...fine, here," they don't drop it again, but Grayson grabs my arm before I can walk away. His grip is gentle, but not gentle enough for me to get out of it. "What is it?"

"Don't forget, we're throwing a party tonight. We'll see you there, right?" I shake my head at him. I would not be at their party. "It'll only be 50 or so people. You can even bring Celia."

"Yeah, let us take your virginity," my mouth falls open as they laugh. "Your party virginity, Opal. God."

He definitely phrased it that way on purpose. No one said that.

Celia walks out of my back door into the yard, "hey, I've been here for ten minutes. Stop arguing with those losers and let's bake cookies."

"We weren't arguing," I mumble, Grayson releasing my arm. "Don't lose your basketball again, yeah?"

"Come to our party tonight, yeah?" Grayson grins. Rolling my eyes, I follow Celia inside my house. "Seriously, it'll be fun!"

As soon as the door shuts, she turns to me. "I see they know you're neighbors now."

"Unfortunately," I snort, walking into the kitchen. My dad seemed to be off somewhere because he wasn't in the kitchen or living room with us. "They were just messing around. Probably bored and saw an opportunity to have a laugh at my expense."

Celia hums, grabbing the eggs out of my fridge. "I know they're assholes, but god they're attractive."

"Celia!" I laugh, shaking my head.

She was, maybe, a little bit right. Not that I wanted to admit it. But it didn't matter if they were attractive or not, it didn't make them any less annoying to me.

"What? It's true!" She shrugs. "But you know I like Julie. I can just... appreciate their physique. They've never had as much fun annoying me anyway, I think they like your reactions more because you're too nice to yell at them."

"I just... I don't like yelling at people," sighing, I grab us both bowls. "Now, let's make some cookie dough and forget they exist."

—

Celia and I spend the day hanging out, both of us in pjs without a care in the world. I help her text Julie, we play some Mario Kart, it's a good day.

My dad leaves around seven, before the party even starts next door. Once it does, it gets loud pretty quickly.

We just ignore it for a while, until a little after ten when someone knocks on my front door. Originally we ignore it, but they don't go away. It's probably some drunk kid wanting to use my bathroom, it's happened before.

"Hey, you can't—you?"

A/N

i love writing the twins teasing opal LMAO