Undercover on Embassy Row

Welcome Home Dinner

I woke up an hour ago, showered, and now I'm getting ready for dinner. I put on a loose white and black dress. The top is black and the skirt is white with black flowers adorning it. I decided to let my hair down. I brush through it and the light curls bounce about. When I'm done I put on some light make up just like before only now I opt for a baby pink for my lips. I look at myself in the mirror and I'm actually impressed with myself. I look really nice. I look at the time on my phone and find that it's already 7. Just in time for dinner. I message Alex to tell inform him I'm going for dinner but I'm sure he already knows. I take a deep breath, grab my phone, and get ready for the scariest dinner I've ever attended and I've dined with presidents to terrorists.

Before I can walk out the door Alex texts me: 'Good luck milady! We're all cheering for you.' With a photo of him and the rest of my friends cheering for me. I walk out of my room and suddenly my confidence has boosted up till 100%. Just the thought of my friends watching though the cameras and silently cheering me on makes me smile.

"What makes you smile like that?" I jump and see that Alexi and Jamie are both waiting outside of my room. It was Jamie who asked the question.

"Gosh Jamie!" I put my hand to my chest. I was so busy smiling I hadn't realized them standing there. "You scared me!"

"Sorry," Jamie says sheepishly. "We were waiting for you."

"You didn't have to," I say as I walk down the stairs with the boys in tow.

"You look beautiful by the way," Jamie says as we walk to the dining room. I can hear Megan and Noah arguing over which seat was theirs.

"Thank you," I say as we enter the dining room. Everyone is already here. I guess they were waiting for me to arrive. Grandpa is seated at the head of the table and Ms. Chancellor is seated on his left. Next to her is Noah and then Megan, Lila, and Jamie sits next to Lila. I sit on Grandpa's right, Rosie is already seated next to me and Alexi sits next to her. I have watched Alexi from the time Jamie and he came to escort me to the dining room. He has only looked at me with suspicion and something I couldn't read. He never spoke to me unless he had to. The person I'm looking at is not the Alexi I once knew.

"Grace you look, wonderful dear," Ms. Chancellor says.

"Thank you," I smile politely. I look at the table that's full of food. There is mash potato, roast with veggies, chicken soup, shepherd's pie, and the desert looks absolutely divine. There is chocolate pudding with black forest cake and ice cream. "Wow, the food looks amazing."

"I know. I can't wait to eat!" Noah looks at the food like a hunter watching its prey.

We all dish our meals. I take some mashed potato with roast and some veggies and I have a bit of shepherd's pie. I'm starving since I have had nothing but tea since I landed.

"Wow someone's hungry," Jamie smirks in my direction.

"You try waking up at 5 in the morning and boarding a flight at 6 and land at 10 without eating anything," I scowl at him.

Grandpa chuckles. "So Gracie what have you been up to?"

Great here we go again. "I've been studying art. I've applied for an internship at the Adrian museum. I'll be learning how to be a curator."

"That's wonderful!" grandpa says. "I'm glad you're doing something you love."

For the next half hour, we all just chat. I've told them about my time in college and the friends I've made. Of course, I don't actually go to college because I'm too busy saving the world. At least the part about my friends is true.