Against the Odds

Chapter 6

Grace

Ross and I went back to my house afterwards. We walked into the kitchen, and I hadn't stopped smiling. My sister was sitting in the kitchen. She looked up at me, away from her book, and then looked back down. She did a double check and realized who I was standing next to.

"Hey, Lauren." Ross let go of my hand and sat down next to my sister.

"We have cookies." Lauren said, nervously. She nodded.

"Did you make them?" Ross asked, looking around the room.

Lauren shook her head.

"So your mom did?"

"Yeah." Lauren answered. "Chocolate chip. What did you guys do?" Lauren asked me.

"I showed him the dungeon and then we decided to meet Riker and Alyssa back here." I sat down across from Ross. I felt someone kick me, and I realized Ross was smirking at me. I kicked him back, which started a kicking war. The table started moving, and Lauren looked around the room.

"What is that sound?" Lauren looked under the table.

Alyssa and Riker walked into the house. Alyssa was laughing at something at Riker said, and Riker was smiling at Alyssa.

"What's so funny?" Ross asked.

"I was just telling her about the music video for Smile." Riker laughed. "She hasn't stopped laughing in like twenty minutes."

"I'm sorry." Alyssa pretended to be offended. "I thought that was my job."

"I won't fire you, don't worry." Riker patted her shoulder. Alyssa blushed, looking at me. "I was thinking we should go to a restaurant in the town." Riker clapped his hands together once.

"Isn't it a great idea?" Alyssa said. "Just the four of us."

"Well, I'd have to get changed." I said. I stood up. "Alyssa, Lauren, want to help me pick something out?"

"Sure!" Alyssa waved at Riker. Alyssa and Lauren followed me to my room. I quickly shut the door.

"What are you two doing?" I asked Alyssa. "We can't go out with them! We'll end up on teen magazines!"

"That sounds nice." Lauren said. "Grace, Ross apparently really likes you. What does Riker think of you, Alyssa?"

Alyssa blushed and crossed her arms. "He said I was pretty." She started swaying back and forth. "He thinks I'm pretty." She repeated, somewhat squealing. "A boy thinks I'm pretty."

"He told you that? Alyssa, that's so cute!" I hugged her. "I always told you that you were pretty."

"But a boy thinks I'm pretty!" She put her hands on my shoulders. "Grace, let's go out with them. They want to take us out! Riker and I just passed a restaurant and he thought it would be fun. Let's go! Let's go!"

"We are going, but I need to cuter than what I am right now." I opened up my closet and started sorting through clothes. I could see my sister rolling her eyes at me.

"No, wear the green sweater!" Lauren said.

"It's like eighty degrees outside!" I protested. "I am not about to wear a sweater."

"How about the orange sundress?" Alyssa said.

I looked at her over my shoulder. "Orange?"

"I like orange." She whispered, looking at her shoes.

"What about the pink one?" Lauren said. "It makes you look taller."

"I'm already almost six feet tall, thank you."