Short Story : When In The Evening

It was in the evening that Grace saw him and she finally realized something. That it has been a long heck of a while now.

She shared every class with Derek Mathews since kindergarden and till now into college but she never mustered up the courage to actually get into talking with him. Well, he never ventured beyond his group of friends and she never thought of him anything other than an acquantance.

Then she realized now, that it was high time she crossed the barrier and have a conversation with the guy. He also happened to be her neighbour for about nineteen years now. It was ridiculous how they were neighbours, classmates and everything till now but never as in ever shared more than a few syllables. If to think of it, they didn’t even exchange glances. At all. Utterly ridiculous.

But, Grace was going to change it soon. It was summer. The last summer here in Sunnyvale and she will be never coming back. She was leaving for France where her aunt lived. Gracia was also going to take her little brother Alex too. Her ten year old brother. Since she became an adult and all she felt very responsible towards her younger sibling. Since mom’s death and dad getting married again to some rich woman, it was high time to get a signal that they weren’t needed in his new family. Grace could see Alex going silent and broody all over again. It took a year for him to come to terms of mom passing away and now seeing how dad didn’t care anymore about them made it really painful for her to see Alex going into a shell again. She was never going to let that happen to him again.

So, there it was. A clean move on from everything. Alex jumped with joy when she told him about the visit to Paris but what she couldn’t disclose was that they were never coming back.

Gracia narrowed her eyes when Derek lifted up a log over his left shoulder. He worked really hard in that tinland type of garage that his Villa had in the backyard. Well, it was mostly near the ocean and completely marooned.

If her situation was sad, she didn’t know what to make of Derek’s. He seemed as broken inside but his exterior showed of a tough iron. Well, he made it show like that but then again Grace had seen everything inside his soul already.

Two years ago he had been in an accident. A bad one. Bad as in the car being crushed to pieces kind of bad. Half a year being in a coma. Half being stuck to a wheel chair. Later struggling out of it. He had suffered through everything and all. He lost something though. Something very precious. His voice. He couldn’t talk after the accident. That is when the golden boy, the ever popular guy in town, Derek Mathews went into a mode of isolation. He didn’t actually stay in this Villa opposite to her house. He used to live with his mother. His parents got divorced very early in his childhood. He being the only child lived with his mother all his life.

After the accident, Derek miraculously they say found solace here where his dad lived. Though, Grace got it that he stayed away very far away from the crowd and the town to remain in recluse for a while.

A while happened to come close to a year. Derek had always been in the crowd. Laughing. Joking around. Being the perfect guy. It was such a drastic change since the accident. Now, he seem to find friends in the sand, his shadow, ocean, maroon island and that weird tin house. Except that he never received visitors. She could actually relate to him. Of how things can go bad from being good. An accident changed their lives too. Hers. Alex’s and Dad’s. How home was now just people living under a roof. Seperately. Tears stinged her eyes when she thought of how it was then. How warm the evenings were with her and Alex and mom and dad. Laughing. Smiling. Sharing. One big happy family. After that accident, everything turned into a nightmare. Dad got into some heavy drinking. He disapppointed them their. When they needed him most he wasn’t there. When they cried to sleep every night he wasn’t there. When Alex became silent he wasn’t there. When she felt like dying, he was not there at all. But then again, Sam and Alex found a way to cope with the loss and sadness. Holding onto each other. But looking at the lonely figure of Derek on the beach, Grace wondered in sadness. He didn’t seem to have anyone to hold onto. Or it seemed like he didn’t want to hold onto anything. He had obviously shunned social life. Even his mom and dad.

Grace felt the need to just get him out of that damned place. So, she thought about it for a long while standing in the balcony and observing him intently. This summer’s mission was going to be a tough one.

A sudden commotion downstairs alerted Grace and her eyes widened. Alex. Now what happened. She panicked and ran downstairs frantically.

She got into the hall and was greeted by the scene that she never wanted to encounter again.

A sudden rush of anger coursed into her every nerve when she saw Alex cowered down and was almost on the verge of crying.

Rachel, the woman, the rich b*t*h that her father was marrying had her right hand raised in the air to hit Alex. That’s when all hell broke loose. The god damn witch!

Gracia moved fast and got in her face and held her hand just when it drew down to deliver a slap across Alex’s cheek.

The witch’s eyes widened shocked and then they turned incredulous. Anger suddenly coloured her face ugly.

Gracia was vibrating with the effort to not break the woman’s hand but god deliver her if Alex was hurt then she was going to do much more damage than the thought that came across her mind just now.

“How dare you.” Gracia gritted and her eyes flashed.

Rachel drew back stunned by the force of her shove.

“If I see you try hurting Alex again…” Grace continued threateningly shaking in livid anger.

she saw a sneer curl up Rachel’s upper lip.

“Great. One steals my stuff and the other has the dare to talk back and threaten me.” She muttered glaring daggers.

Grace frowned. Steals her stuff? She looked down sideways where Alex stood. His blue eyes widened and he looked pale. His head moved side to side vigorously in negative.

She gritted her teeth and turned towards the woman.

“Careful there. Nobody cares about your crap. Let alone steal it.” Grace mocked her in a steely voice.

She tried to go on more but another voice trailed her anger into silence.

“Grace!” Her father thundered into the hall.

She jerked around.

“Dad, do you know she raised…” Grace started but was cut off in the middle of the sentence.

His grey eyes were grave and he held a stern look. He was in his work clothes still with his tie hanging loose across the shirt collar. He looked tired and haggard.

“Apologize.” He said sternly.

Grace gave him an incredulous look. Her heart gave a painful squeeze. She heard a snicker. A smug truimph came across Rachel’s features.

“You don’t even know what happened.” Grace cried out, as disbelief widened her eyes.

Unbelievable. He would rather punish her than listening to what exactly happened.

His body stiffened and an indifferent look hardened his features. He had been like this since the accident.

Cold, silent and neglecting.

Her eyes stinged when he didn’t even glance across at Alex who was seeing him with angry large tears.

“I have seen enough. You don’t raise your voice in the house, Grace. That’s the rule.” He said robotically.

Rule? These rules he made. so unforgiving. They weren’t there before when with mom but now it seemed like he was a whole new person they didn’t know. At first Grace thought that it was a his kind of way to cope with mom’s loss. Time passed by and he still remained stone cold and disconnected with them. Little did she know that he had made a barrier against them already. Seemed like for him they were dead too along with mom. The poisonous pain that came along with such a though really made hard to breath for Grace.

How can he ignore the pain that coloured her face. How can he not see the real face of the woman he was marrying or was it that he didn’t want to see what kind of person she was.

Grace felt her blood boil. If he wasn’t going to listen to her then she too didn’t find necessary to even converse with him let alone face him. He had lost the right a very long back ago.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her left hand and turned to the left.

“Come along, Alex. We don’t need him to listen to us.” She muttered hoarsely and held her hand towards her little brother.

Alex gave her a pained look which broke her heart. He though nodded his head and glared across at dad.

He turned his eyes and held Grace’s sad gaze for a second. He caught hold of her hand and they walked towards the front door. She willed for Dad to stop them. For him to come after them and give comfort. Promise her and Alex that he was there and everything will be alright soon. He never moved a muscle but stared after their running backs impassively. It hurt her too much. She didn’t show but the tremors of feeling an entire new loss just made her take a sharp intake of breath. They lost dad along with mom too.

Grace sensed Alex was holding back alot of tears. He was shaking with the effort not to wail and that’s when he freed her hand and ran towards the beach.

“Alex!” Grace shouted after his back through the choking sharp tears.

She ran down the porch and treaded her way into the sand. Night drew down and it was dark outside but few of the yatches on the ocean spread across a deep orange light on the cool sand. The breeze was gentle and lovely but sadness engulfed every speck of happiness in their lives.

Grace panted heavily and reached where Alex sat on the sand.

His dirty blonde hair fell over his forehead and almost shadowed his eyes. He was wearing blue t-shirt and grey shorts. Grace could hear the sounds of his stiffled tears.

She settled beside his forlorn figure on the sand. He had his hands around his knees.

“Why is dad like this now, Grace?” He asked hicupping.

The words nearly made her whimper. She gulped down the tears and steeled herself against the pain that seem to penetrate into her soul.

Before she could open her mouth to reply Alex turned his pained eyes towards her.

“I didn’t steal her stuff.” He said desperately.

Grace felt tears brim in her eyes.

“Of course, you didn’t. I know that, Alex.” She said softly.

More tears fell down his eyes and he flushed with the effort of hiccuping.

“He didn’t even look at me. He doesn’t even care anymore.” He said bitterly.

Grace now cried silently along.

“How can he do that? How can he marry again….” Alex said fiercely as he clutched his hands around his knees more…”I hate her…I hate him…”

That’s it. The anger rising flushed on Alex’s face was dangerous. He shouldn’t be feeling all these emotions right now.

Grace moved closed and caught his oval face in her hands.

“Look at me, Alex.” She ordered.

He looked anywhere else but her.

“Now!” She said firmly again and that finally got his eyes to hers.

“What did mamma say?” She asked looking deep into his hurt tear filled eyes.

Something came over his features but he struggled through it with the anger blazing his eyes more now.

Grace shook his shoulders.

“Alex, what did mamma say?” She asked again.

A second later of more staring angrily into her eyes his features softened immediately. The tears too stopped altogether. He though was sniffling.

“My heart should be good. Even if everything is bad around, even then my heart should be good.” He muttered sullenly and sniffling through the tears.

“And is your heart good now?” She asked softly now, while still holding his face in her hands.

He stared at her annoyed and Grace felt the need to smile.

“Ten percent.” He muttered again looking down at the sand.

Grace smiled.

“Forty percent.” She prodded.

He scowled looking up at her. His blue eyes gleamed clear now.

“Thirty percent.” He mumbled.

Grace’s narrowed and her hands went across his stomach and she started tickling him.

He didn’t react at first but she knew his ticklish spot well. He started grinning when she persisted. A minute later he was laughing hard almost rolling in the sand when she poked him in the ribs. It made Grace laugh too.

“Alright, alright, geez. My heart is hundred percent good now…” He sqealed through the belly clenching laughter.

Still laughing they slid down on the sand on their backs. Alex went suddenly silent.

“I miss mamma so much, Gracy.” He said in a pained low whisper.

Grace felt instant tears burn her eyes. They rolled down warmly on her cheeks. Making her voice steady she spread her eyes over the beautiful dark sky filled with numerous twinkling stars.

“I miss her alot too, Axie. I miss her alot too.” She agreed softly in a hoarse voice.

She heard him take a shaky breath.

“She is not going to come back ever again, Is she?” He asked again.

Again, his voice sounded even more low and failing. Every day he asked this and every day it felt like as if a blade went through her heart. What should she answer to that.

No, Alex, mom is never going to come back. God, she didn’t have the guts to, so she remained silent. Like always.

He did always get her silence. She knew that he did and Grace didn’t know how to cope with him knowing that she didn’t believe in his hope.

She only sighed in return. After a second of silence Alex continued again.

“Do you think she is up there somewhere.” He asked suddenly.

Grace smiled a little and focussed her eyes on the stars.

“What do you think?” She asked in return.

Alex pointed his right hand towards the left side up on the inky dark sky.

“I think she is that star.” He said a little excitedly…”The brightest, loveliest and the most beautiful.” He went exuberantly, having the spirit of being so young and mature at the same time.

He seem to feel he had made his big sister sad again by asking the same question as yesterday, so he drew away from it altogether. Indeed, her brother was growing up soon.

Grace giggled looking at rather a bright star.

“Yes, It’s mamma and she absolutely rocks there in heaven too.” She agreed readily, feeling healed a little.

A sudden desperate bark and frantic splashing sounds coming from the ocean made her sit up in alert.

“What was that?” Grace looked around peered into the waters.

Alex got off his back too.

“I don’t know.” He answered, and they heard the barking sounds again.

Grace got up and so did Alex. They both ran towards the wet sand where the frothy water was rushing forwards and moving back again on the smooth sand.

Grace saw a grey blur of something struggling in the now rising waters of the shore.

Shit. It was Derek’s pet. Zeek. Derek loved the dog. The only solace of his life. He always was with him.

Damn, Zeek was going to be drown to death.

She panicked now and screeched into a rescue mission.

“Oh, god!” She let out.

“Whoa! What are you doing?” Alex shouted after her.

Grace looked back.

“He is going to drown.” Grace shouted back.

Grace moved into the water and it rushed and almost toppled her over but she paddled her way and was soon swimming in the undercurrent of the force of the ocean. She had to struggle hard as she was swimming against the waves.

Zeek must have strayed and must have not seem to notice as and when the waves thrashed across the shores. Of course, he was a dog but they were wiser none the same, right. He would know all that but Zeek seemed to be unfamiliar of the things around here. It was kind of freezing now when she swimmed in deep.

The salty water entered into her mouth. It burned her eyes and went up her nose. She coughed a bit but she determined and finally reached where Zeek was stuck. She caught hold of his shivering legs and turned towards the rocks.

Zeek barked continually now but with what it seemed to be in elation. His body was shivering and cold. He licked her face and Grace chuckled. He was a Golden Retriever and was super adorable. Well, he was cute, when not most of the time growling at her. He indeed hated her before and had always barked at her every day but that seemed to have solved now as he squirmed in her arms happily.

“Good boy, Zeek. Don’t struggle so frantically now. Who is going to rescue us if I drown too along with you.” She said panting hard while swimming with one hand.

As the water subsided and she got her legs on the ground more firmer Zeek struggled some more and moved out of her arms and ran on the beach barking even louder. Alex bent down and giggled when Zeek jerked vigorously trying to whip out the water from his drenched body and ample of wet hair.

She heard new footstep sounds thump down the stairs from the Villa and she knew who was coming down.

She saw Derek sprint down the porch steps and cover the area of the beach in only two long strides to where they were. Well, he was tall and athletic. He could cross miles in just minutes.

He was wearing a grey t-shirt and fadded blue ripped jeans. He had on a thin, dark blue hoodie shirt and the sleeves were folded over upto his arms. It was ubottoned.

His hair looked dishevelled and he looked every way anxious and breathless. His eyes deep blue looked a relieved now.

As soon as Zeek saw Derek, he jumped and ran frantically towards him. His bark held a new endearing excitement as he jumped around Derek happily. Seems like the swim in the ocean made him more crazy.

Derek drew down to his knees and held the squirming pet in his arms. He removed the hoodie and put it around Zeek.

Grace and Alex looked on awkwardly. She shivered and felt the wet drench her light pink loose t-shirt and denim shorts. The ocean salt was going to take a time to come off her auburn hair. God, the strands were already drying up and stiff. A bird could make a nest in it now. It reached to her waist and stuck to her skin stickily.

She treaded out of the water and moved towards the dry sand signalling Alex with her eyes to come along with her.

She looked down where Derek was having a reunion time with his rescued pet dog. It was obvious they were communicating silently and she felt like an intruder watching the two like that. But the dunce of her brother wasn’t getting the message at all. He stood there gawking the two like an idiot. Grace shook her head and caught his t-shirt from the back and dragged him along while walking.

Right when she turned around Derek got up and was moving towards her. That froze to the sand almost. She faltered in her walk when he stood facing her and Alex.

She blinked up at him twice surprised at his move. Uh, what?

The first thing that caught her eyes were the fork like tattoo on the sides of his throat. It spread from the back of his neck. She gulped hard convusively. The ink was like claws and the tattoo hid thw scars of the surgery well. But scars were there. And they can seen too. Her eyes strayed away and up. She didn’t want to make obvious that she observed and it rude to stare. At his scars that too and not his face.

His blue eyes gleamed knowning that she saw those and beat herself in her head that she made it obvious.

His face though wasn’t hard or rough or that he seemed angry. That’s because he wasn’t angry at all. He always held a serene expression that never faltered to much other than that. Grace awkwardly slid her weight over other leg. He was so much of a looker really. A combination of adonis with the hulking toned body and yet maintained a look polished soft over his face features. He seemed gentle yet rough. The lines around his eyes weren’t stiff. His jaw was sqaure and kind of looked angry but the dimple in his left softened it as well. His hair midnight black fell over forehead and mostly shielded his eyes.

Hmm, why did he cut her way? Grace kept staring and silent and then her eyes fell over his lips which opened and were about to move. Dear god, she needed to run. He can’t talk and it was hard to see his lips move voiceless.

She caught Alex’s shirt more tight and she was about to turn around fast when suddenly her world froze right there and then.

His lips moved. Yes. She knew he couldn’t talk. Yes. She didn’t expect anything from him. That was a yes too. But then again she didn’t expect something much more than she could handle. That was a big no.

She rarely gets shocked. Shocked to the bone and unmoving.

But a gravelly sand papery texture of a word muttered so low made her lower jaw hung instantly and actually made her shocked to the bone.

“Thanks.” His voice travelled into her ears in a light breeze gush of something warm.

His voice so soft and….and… oh well still breezy.

His lips moved that word and he talked. Talked as in talked. Spoke a word. Six letters. A word that said thanks to her. A word with a meaning that said a lot than she could take in right now. Him thanking her.

Whoa! What just happened? She stared at his lips with her mouth hung open like that for god knows how long and then her snapped up and hit his wide in disbelief. His were dancing lightly in possibly seemed in mirth at her shocked expense.

All this while of the time. Since they were kids, she never got a chance to talk to him and now when she thought he couldn’t talk and was lamenting at the fact of it and of all the lost time of not able to listening to his voice all these years. At such an hour and time, he out of the blue, smack in the middle, punches a surprise of a word to her stomach. It left the breath out of her lungs altogether.

Weird timing. Most certainly weird circumstance to surprise her like this. He wouldn’t talk to anyone for two long years but he says thanks to her suddenly and really out of the blue and expects her to do what with it she didn’t know.

Again her mind went back to word.

Thanks, he says. Dear god in heaven. Goodness gracious, has she gone mad or were senses finally turned delusional. Or her ears were filled with the salt water and possibly were damaged altogether.

She clamped her lips together and then she opened her mouth only to close it again after a second.

But her good little very much even more good mannered brother beat it to her first. She felt his body freeze too at Derek’s word.

“Holy crap, Gracy, I thought you said he couldn’t talk anymore.” He said bluntly, as surprise coloured his voice deeply.

Shit, he did not just say that.

Grace felt embarrassment course through her at his words and her head jerk down to glare down at him. Her face morphed into even more disbelief that he said the words actually to Derek’s face. What the hell, Alex? She thought.

Even more of a shock went into her deep when she heard a husky rumbly chuckle travel into the air and froze even it’s breeze.

Her eyes widened and snapped to his and stayed locked with his blue ones. He didn’t hold her gaze much long before he turned around walked away smiling.

Then another set of words came out of his mouth and almost weakened her legs to the ground. Weakened her legs because he had a voice so as in so very very hot and s*xy. Like rumbly, low, deep, husky, gruff and everthing strong at the same time altogether.

“Come along, Zeek.” He muttered over his shoulder.

The ever obedient Zeek, who actually had been pulling out something from the sand just a second ago ran fast at his master’s heels and at his command.

So, he talked to his dog too. Well, she was the second one then.

She stood there unmoving for how long she didn’t know. His voice. His words slid past into her deep and hay fired her every cell into scrambled circuits and tangled mess. Nothing worked much in her brain now. Alex voice though came from far away.

“Are you there?” He asked her.

And she felt a poke over her left hand.

“Earth to, Gracy.” He said loudly again.

She felt another poke of his finger on her hand which irritated her too much now.

“Hey, are you dead?” He persisted annoyingly.

That’s when her head jerked down and she glared daggers at her brother. He jerked away from her and was ready flee.

“Alex, how can you talk like that.” She thundered and watched him already turned around and running.

Oh, he wouldn’t get away with this now.

“Come back here, you mannerless idiot!” She shouted finally losing her patience.

God, he ran fast. She caught hold of his shirt and pulled him back.

“Get off me.” He shouted back irritatedly.

“You can’t just say such words to a person’s face like that. Specially to the one who had went through a lot and had lost his voice in the process and…”She breathed hard and continued….”It may have hurt his feelings, Alex.” She tried to explain pantingly.

He stiffened and suddenly just like that Alex threw his head back and gufffawed hard.

“Hurt his feelings?” He asked still laughing.

Grace frowned. What was so funny?

“Yes, hurt his feelings.” She said frowning still.

Alex shook his head.

“Men don’t get there ‘feelings’ hurt, Grace.” He said patronisingly, as if he was a grown up already and that she was his younger sister.

It was amusing yet disconcerting.

Grace’s eyebrows drew up at his reply. Huh?

“And you say this because…?” She asked again.

Alex’s turned flat and mocking and he kinda looked insulted.

“Because I’m a man.” He completed it in highly offended voice.

Grace snorted.

“You’re freaking ten, Alex.” She said flatly.

His eyes narrowed in response.

“And your point is?” He asked her stiffly.

Kids these days are turning too nonchalant and sure. First she thought Alex would grow up being a heartbreaker with his cute sweet smile, little dimples, deep blue eyes and his dirty blonde hair. Now she decided that he was going to grow up an arrogant heart breaker. A cynical edge already started to come into his nature. Which was natural because dad was like that.

He stood up wiping away the sand from his knees. Grace sat on her hunches though but she didn’t get up. He had on an expression of a wise sage.

“These feelings that you talk about, they are only things that you dumb chicks invented because…”He stopped and frowned to think and but then he went about again angrily..”Because you think to control everyone around. I say you girls are deranged and weird.” He said disgustedly.

Grace’s mouth hung open. Dumb chicks like her? And they control everyone? Now where did he learn all this stuff. It slowly started to descend on her that he had lot of such company who talked very good of and about girls. Possibly his friends in school. Geez, kids these days really.

She got up and took a warning step towards him.

“Alex, where the heck have you learned talking like that?” She asked in a low whisper.

He grinned and poked his tongue out making fun and laughing at her expense.

“Don’t make me come to your school and sit in your every class, Alex.” She warned him and moved trying to catch him.

She would really do it to protect him from such talking and gossip.

He grinned even more deliciously again.

What? Grace thought frowning. What did he do now? That wide innocent smile was dangerous. She sprinted after him.

“What the hell did you do now?” She asked groaning.

She knew the answer well again. He did something again to mess up. Oh, god, it was really hard to keep up pace with his energy. He was making her run circles around the sand.

He shouted over his shoulder.

“You can sit in my every class. That would really help the rumours build more. I told everyone that you are my crazy stalker and that you follow me around everywhere.” He said laughing hard again.

Dear god, she thought wincing. So that’s why the parents were looking at her with disgust filled eyes and she smiled at all of them nonetheless while dropping Alex to school. They all think that she was some creepy girl following around a kid.

Heavens help her give patience to deal with this kid. Oh, she was angry. Ugh, she was so very very angry now that she literally was seeing red.

“Alex! You’re grounded for life!” She shouted at the top of her lungs.

With that shout he stopped running around. Grace was breathing hard and glaring daggers down at him. He came around pulling a long face and she knew it was an innocent play again.

“Please, don’t ground me, Gracy. Pwetty pwease.” He said through wide cute eyes and getting in a mock lisp again.

Now she was furious. Fine.

” No friends over the house. No Xbox for a week. No video games. No cheetos for a month.” She counted angrily.

He paled visibly and his lower lip trembled instantly.

Tantic huh.

She was not going to melt looking at his forlorn eyes.

She will take away his favorite sweet treat too.

“And no m&m’s too.” She said firmly.

That did it and his face scrunched up. He started bawling immediately.

“Aww, Gracy please. I was just joking around…I can’t live without my m&m’s.” He said pleadingly.

She folded her hands and stared down into his eyes. He scowled at her and continued.

“Alright, I’ll clear the rumour and tell them that you really are my sister and not a stalker.” He said sulkily.

Her face cleared of the admonishing seriousness.

“Good…and?” She persisted.

He sighed as if exasperated.

“And I will never talk bad about girls.” He said robotically and grudgingly again.

He looked cute when he was sullen but Grace stiffled the smile before it could spread her lips wide.

He still did not apologize to her.

She decided to rile him up again and rearranged her face into a stern one hastily.

“And?” She asked, smiling inside.

His face turned full blown scowling and angry.

“Oh, do stop it, Grace. I have agreed to everything now.” He shouted and stomped his feet into the soil.

Before she could open her mouth he turned around and walked away muttering something under his breath.

Grace grinned.

“But, you’re still grounded.” She shouted at his back.

He shot back sullenly again.

“I know and I’m really regretting talking to you today.” He muttered back.

Grace slid her hands over hips.

“Do you want to get grounded for eternity?” She asked warningly.

“What’s the difference.” He mocked back.

“No m&m’s for life.” She shouted again.

He froze while walking and he turned slightly to look back at her glaring.

“Fine. You’re the world’s greatest big sister. Like Ever.” He flung the words at her as if he swallowed a spoonful of castor oil.

Grace won fair and clear. She grinned wide.

“That’s right.” She cheered.

He gave her a shake of his head as if she were a kid here and was completely impossible to handle.

And she also knew that he wasn’t going to be grounded and it will all be forgotten tomorrow and Alex would go back to his irritating ways again. He surely was going to pull pranks on her.

That cheery little fellow, she thought grinning.

But she took a deep breath and with it a sudden dread held her heart in a vice like grip.

He was growning up and that too really fast. This was the first time he used the word ‘hate’ and talked so fiercely about it. Such deep emotions and a new darkness colouring his face and eyes. That shouldn’t be there at such a young age. Specially when she knew that a rebellious streak was already appearing in his attitude and that also he would be in his teens soon. Like about in three years. Three years here would pass really fast. It was coming to him naturally. The sudden rush of emotions and she was aware he didn’t know what to do with them. He shouldn’t be feeling all this and then grow up being negative. Hate. The word uttered by him made her flinch in coldness. It would wreck his life.

Grace sighed and looked up at the star that Alex had pointed earlier.

“I’m sorry, mamma, but I’m going to take away Alex from here after this summer. I promise you that he’ll never feel such bitter emotions again. We can’t live here anymore.” She said determindly.

She looked around at the house. It was all because of him.

Thanks dad. Thanks alot for failing Alex like this.

She closed her eyes and tried to drain her mind of such tiring anxiousness. Something else niggled in the back of her mind.

Derek Mattews.

Her eyes flew open and glided across at the Villa attached beside her house.

She stared at the darkened balcony grimly.

She concluded three things.

One. He got his voice back. Question. Since when?

Two. He preferred to remain silent though. Question. Why?

And three. he still was broken inside. Like her and Alex. There wasn’t any question but it held an answer to the previous two.

Still.

But they have each other.

Derek had no one and was a loner. A recluse. She thought sadly.

Grace smiled with new determination.

Derek Matthews was going to have the backs of Grace and Alex Goodwin from now on. Doesn’t matter if he pushed them away too.

Grace Goodwin is going to heal Derek Mathews anyhow.

Her Summer Mission……

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Yeah, thought of breaking from the mundane. I thought of writin my oder stories today. Wrote two lines. Got bored. Started writin something else. Got bored. Started writin this. Well, did not stop until i wrote out a part. Surprisingly, it held my interest somehow. Its not really good my lines. They are scattered and broken but den again i dont care anymore of commitn grammatical errors alot now.

Well, hope i complete dis story. Der r like 10 parts to dis short one. Hope it doesnt end up imcomplt like AIWFCIY.

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Be always smiling. God Bless.

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Blue.

Credit to: Blue