C.C.C.WC :: Chapter Two

Hey guys!
The wonderful Celia posted her second writing challenge prompt...thingy (I don't know what to call it, haha!) Read about the second challenge here. Quite a tricky one this time, trying to fit everything into one chapter. So sorry if it's really long! Here it is: Chapter Two. Enjoy!

Grace slammed the door behind her. "I'm home!" She shouted up the stairs, pausing for a second to listen for a reply. None came. She dropped her rucksack at the foot of the staircase before pulling off her red boots and placing them on the shoe rack. She wriggled her toes, feeling the worn carpet under her feet. There was a faint gurgling sound as the heating turned on, same time as always.
Swinging her bag back onto her back, Grace crept up the steps, hopping from corner to corner, avoiding the creaking stairs with ease. She trailed her hand along the peeling floral wallpaper, tracing the tears and bumps.
At the top of the stairs, Grace paused, smoothing her hair and dabbing her fingers under her eyes. Had she looked like this all day? Frizzy hair and smudged mascara? Still, it obviously hadn't mattered to Evan. She grinned. Her first kiss.
Something nagged at the back of her mind.
"That was wrong."
"This is wrong." 
"You shouldn't have kissed him."
"You don't love him."
She pushed it away. Nerves or butterflies or something. Of course she loved Evan. Of course it wasn't wrong.
Seeing that smoothing her hair wasn't working, Grace pulled out the hair tie, shaking out her wavy hair and ruffling it until it fell back into its parting. Pulling strands free from her rucksack straps, she moved along the landing and pushed open her bedroom door. She yanked off her jacket and pulled out her sketch pad, half a broken crayon and a scrap of paper before finding her phone in her bag - seven texts from Jess. She smiled before walking back to the first door. She pushed it open, catching the handle before it reached the squeaking spot on its hinges. Her mum was sprawled across the double bed, her clothes and shoes still on. There was something clutched in her hand. Grace crept forward and plucked it from her mother's long fingers - pianist's fingers. Her mum had always loved to play the piano, her fingers darting along the keys, as swift as a bird taking flight, or someone conducting an orchestra, or a couple dancing the waltz. The notes came out smooth and precise and beautiful. She could remember sitting on her mother's lap when she was younger, gazing as her mother played Mozart to her. She remembered starting piano lessons and instantly feeling at home, her fingers as talented as her mother's. She hadn't stopped playing since. But her mother had. She hadn't played in months, not since Grace's dad had.... she choked back a sob, glancing down at the thing in her hand - a photo of her parents on their wedding day. This time, she couldn't hold it back. A hiccup of pain jolted through her body, waking up her mum.
She sat up groggily. She looked terrible. Her hair was hanging in matted, greasy ropes, knotted and tangled together, nothing like the long, soft hair the colour of melted chocolate that Grace had played with as a child. Her makeup was smeared across her face, her foundation all gone, rubbed into the blanket. There were blue shadows under her eyes, like bruises, with a streak of black from her eyeliner on her cheek and most of her eyelids. Her skin was sickly and pale and her red lipstick had smudged onto her chin, making her look like a vampire that had just fed.
Grace sighed. She had thought her mother would have washed and changed since her job interview yesterday evening. Obviously she hadn't woken up from her daze recently.
"Gracie." Her mum croaked, rubbing her eyes and smearing more of her eye makeup onto her cheeks.
"Hey, mum." She smiled tightly, brushing a strand of her mother's long hair behind her ear. With most of her mascara and eye shadow gone, Grace could see how red and puffy her mum's eyes were. She lowered her eyes. "Do you want me to run you a bath?"
She looked confused, staring into the distance with glazed eyes. She slowly nodded her head.
Leaving her in the bedroom, Grace grabbed some fluffy white towels out of the airing cupboard and turned on the hot water. She drizzled in some bubble bath that smelled like lavender and began adding cold water.
She plodded back into the bedroom, a wet flannel and makeup remover in hand. She sat her mum up and and began erasing the smears of makeup before wiping her face with the warm cloth. Handing her mum a towel, Grace walked into the bathroom, turned off the taps and sat down on the toilet seat. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, scrolling through her texts. She had to hold back a laugh - she could hear Jess' voice clear as day in her head;
'Did Evan kiss you? xx'
'Please tell me he kissed you! xx'
'If he didn't kiss you, then there is something wrong with him. xx'
'I mean, come on. How often are you two alone together? xx'
'Maybe he doesn't like you....No he has to. All the quizzes say he does. xx'
'If he kissed you, 2 things. 1 - Awwwwwww and 2 - I called it. Just sayin' xx'
'Grace Marie Daniels, answer your phone! I need details! xx'
She smiled as she replied simply with, 'He kissed me :) xx'
Her mum wandered into the bathroom wrapped in her towel. Grace slipped her phone back into her pocket and held the towel in front of her as her mother slipped into the bubbles. She folded the towel and placed it where she had been sitting before picking up her hairbrush. She combed through her mum's hair before pouring warm water over it, lathering in shampoo and conditioner. Her mum sat still and upright, gazing into nothingness. She closed her eyes obediently as Grace rinsed out the soap and rubbed shower gel into her arms before washing it off. Grace's phone chimed but she ignored it, holding out the fluffy towel for her mum and wrapping her hair in a turban with the other one. "Thank you, Gracie." She had regained some colour and had begun to dry herself.
"You got this, Mum? I have some homework to do."
Her mum smiled at her a little and nodded. Grace walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her before checking her phone.
'I knew it! Give me details, pls xx'
She replied as she walked into her room. 'No, creep! Wanna meet up now? Need help with my History anyway xx'
Seconds later, her phone chimed. 'Sure. Come round - Mum's making her brownies. Need someone to help me eat them all.'
Seconds later, another text, 'Actually, I probably don't, but I want you to come round anyways :P xx'
Grace laughed. Jess knew how much she loved those brownies. "Heading out now. Be with you in 5. I'll give you details then. xx' Grabbing her pencil case and her History book, she headed downstairs. She shoved on her boots and pulled on her coat before shouting up the stairs, "Mum! I'm going over to Jess'. I'll be back later! Do you want me to bring you back a brownie?"
She waited, knowing a reply meant her mum had awoken from a daze for the rest of the evening. No reply meant no change. After a heartbeat, she shouted back "Ooo, yes please, love! Give Jess and her family my best!" Grace exhaled with relief - her mum was back, at least for now. She grabbed her keys and left, locking the door behind her.
Her phone buzzed against her leg. 'Cool beans. Aw yeah, I knew you'd tell me all about it! xx'
She turned the corner, replying to Jess - 'You're such a weirdo. xx' not noticing the boy until it was too late. They slammed into each other, the boy catching her before she fell back. "I'm so sorry, Grace."
She stared at him as he clapped a hand over his mouth, surprise and horror flickering through his grey eyes.
"How do you know my name? I've never seen you before in my life."
The horror was replaced with a deep sadness that made Grace feel sick. She couldn't bare to see him so sad...but why?
"Grace," he whispered softly before sprinting across the road and disappearing before she could question him again.
She shook her head, trying to rid his sadness from her mind. But those eyes...she'd seen them somewhere before.
As she walked toward Jess' house, she remembered. Last night's dream...
She'd been hiding in a forest, crouched behind a tree. She was watching a boy leap across fallen branches and tree roots. He looked like he was dancing, spinning through the trees like a spider making its web. She leaped out at him, stopping his beautiful dancing as he stumbled over a log. She laughed at him before helping him up. He smiled before offering her a sandwich - tuna and sweetcorn, her favourite. They hugged, his grey eyes reflecting her smile.
Grace rang Jess' doorbell, hopping from foot to foot on her front step. Jess' mum opened the door.
"Grace, hi. How are you? How's your mum?"
She stepped inside, pulling off her boots and hanging her coat on a peg. "Hi, Julie. I'm good thanks. And I think Mum's feeling better."
"That's great! Let her know if she needs to talk, if she needs anything, she can always come round."
Grace nodded, "I'll let her know."
She padded up the stairs, passing Jess' little brother on the way. "Hi, Grace," he said, smiling at her.
"Hey, Tommy! You're getting so tall!" She ruffled his hair before continuing toward Jess' room.
The door swung open under her touch. Jess was sat on her bed, several books and her laptop spread around her. Otis, her beloved cat, was lounging on her pillow. He stretched when Grace picked him up, dropping her book and pencil case onto the bed.
Jess looked up through a curtain of shiny red hair, "Hey, Gracie!" She closed her laptop, shuffling around papers to make room for her.
Grace plopped onto her bed, Otis in her lap. "Hi, Kit-Kat. You doing History?" Kit-Kat had been Jess' nickname since they were seven years old. They wanted cool nicknames, as most seven year olds do. Grace's nickname had soon faded away and out of memory, but Kit-Kat had stuck, even after nine years.
Jess nodded, showing her a page of scribbles and highlighted areas. She was about to speak when they heard Julie shout up to them "Girls, my brownies are out!" There was the hint of a smile in her voice - apparently everyone knew Grace's weakness for her brownies.
They looked at each and moved at the same time. Grace dropped Otis back onto the bed, who meowed in surprise before falling asleep with his head on Jess' laptop, and Jess leaped off her bed, pushing her hair back off her face.
"Brownies come first," she said seriously, heading towards the door.
"Homework can wait," Grace finished off, smiling.

So, I hope you enjoyed that :) I'm sorry it was so long - there was so much I wanted and needed to fit into this chapter.

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