California Girl's

“All the, small things,” Annabelle sung along with Jack as they danced widely across the living room. ”True care, truth brings!”

Grayson laughed quietly to herself as Zack and her worked on making some grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. She cringed slightly as Jack hit an extremely high note completely out of pitch as she flipped one of the sandwiches.

“She’s a cute kid,” Zack commented from his perch on the counter top by the stove. Grayson paused mid flip of the second sandwich and looked up at him. He simply stared back at her with his pretty hazel eyes.

Grayson knew he was trying to get her to talk about what he had witnessed the other day, he had been trying non-stop since it happened. She sent him a small glare as she placed the toasted sandwich on a paper plate.

“Not really,” She mumbled as she turned off the stove and called Annabelle’s name and the five year old and Jack appeared immediately. She set a sandwich and a glass of milk in front of each of them before she walked out of the kitchen wanting to get away from Zack.

She should have figured he was going to follow her and wasn’t really surprised when he walked into her bedroom door less than a minute after her. She sighed over dramatically as she lay back against her bed.

“You ready to talk yet?” Zack questioned as he sat next to her and copied her actions.

“Why should I?” She shot back as she glared at Zack. Zack chuckled softly at Grayson’s bitchy attitude.

“Gracie-“ Zack started again, but she cut him off.

“Gracie?” She questioned as she turned to face him.

“Yeah,” Zack waved her off as if the new nick name wasn’t a big deal, but to Grayson it was.

“Zack,” She started, “We barely know each other, so why would I talk to you.” She said stubbornly.

Yes, they may have only known each other for almost two weeks, but they had been almost inspirable ever since they had gone surfing three days ago. Grayson knew she could probably talk to him, but she wasn’t really sure if she trusted him fully to open up to him completely.

“Okay, fine.” Zack said as he rolled over on to his stomach so he was closer to her and rested his head against his arm. “When you’re ready to talk, I’m ready to listen.”

Grayson titled her head so she was looking at him as he sent her a gentle smile. She kind of wanted to slap it off because it was making her want to tell him.

“Zack,” She whined. “Stop looking at me like that.” He didn’t stop though and Grayson sighed quietly as she rolled over on her side so she was facing him.

“I don’t like Annabelle,” She mumbled quietly as Zack stared at her intently. “Well, it’s not that I don’t like her, but more so that I don’t want to have to be stuck taking care of her.”

Zack watched the pained expression take over her pretty face. “What happened to your parents?” He asked cautiously.

“Car crash,” She said simply as she played with a loose string on the sleeve of Zack’s shirt. “My dad died on impact and my mom died later in the hospital.” She mumbled as she tried to fight the tears that wanted to fall.

She hadn’t talked to anyone about this, not even the rest of her family. Her aunt had informed her of what had happened, and then her father’s lawyer called to say that Annabelle was now in her care, so she told him to get here out to Los Angeles. She simply didn’t want to deal with it.

“I’m sorry,” Zack said softly as he whipped away a tear that had slipped past her lashes.

Grayson shrugged slightly, “I just regret no visiting them more.”

“Why didn’t you visit?” He questioned having already learned that she had moved out here to go to school right after high school.

“Annabelle, as selfish as it sounds.” She mumbled as she curled more into Zack’s side. “I was an only child for almost seventeen years and when she came along I wanted nothing to do with her.” She took a deep breath as more tears fell from her eyes. “I know it’s selfish and stupid, but I didn’t like her and now I regret not trying to.”

Zack of course didn’t know what she was going through because he still had both his parents and the siblings he has he likes so he simply pulled her into his side and held her small body against his.

“Now, I’m stuck with her,” She started again. “I’m only twenty-one and I now have to take care of a child. I don’t want to, not at all.”

“Gracie,” Zack breathed out as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders and buried her face into his chest.

“With all this built up resentment to Annabelle, I don’t know how to take care of her and know absolutely nothing about her.”

“You could try though,” Zack mumbled.

“I know,” She mumbled. “But it’s been over a month and it’s not getting any easier.”

Zack sighed as he pulled her closer to his body and held her tightly as she cried quietly against his chest. He now understood Grayson a lot better and all he wanted to do was help her; make the situation better.

He hadn’t decided if he fully liked that feeling, but at the moment all he wanted to do was make the crying girl in his arms smile.

“Have we been making things easier?” Zack questioned softly.

Grayson nodded her head. “Jack and you guys have made her so happy and it hurts because I can’t even do that.”

Zack wasn’t really sure what to say, he could tell she had never told anyone these things and he just wanted to help her.

“Look at me,” Zack told her quietly as she slowly lifted up her head and looked at him. “You can do this,” He told her firmly. “You just need to put your heart into it.”

Grayson stared at Zack for a long time; she knew he was right. “Thank you.” She mumbled as she leaned up and pressed her lips to Zack’s smooth cheek.

The warmth that spread through Zack’s body by the simple contact surprised him but he smiled at her none the less.

“You know,” He started, “I heard her talking to Jack about how much she hated her room, maybe you could re-decorate it and surprise her?”

Grayson sat up with a smile on her face. “That’s such a good idea!” She exclaimed. “Will you help me?”

“Of course.” Zack assured her.

“I don’t know her favorite color.” Grayson mumbled as her good mood disappeared.

Zack gave her a small smile. “I guess we’ll have to talk to Jack.”

~x0x~

A couple days and several hundred dollars later Zack and Grayson were sitting in the center of the rather large white room.

“You sure she likes purple?” Grayson said cautiously as she watched Zack pour the purple paint into the pan.

“Grayson calm down,” Zack told her. “She likes purple.”

Grayson sighed as she played with a loose string on her old high school t-shirt. “And she’s not going to come home when were half way through this?”

“Gracie,” Zack said sternly and her heart skipped a beat, just like it always does when he called her that. “You really need to calm down or I’m not going to help you.”

Grayson sent him a pleading look and he sighed and set down the paint bucket and walked towards her. Once he reached her he quickly pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest tightly. Grayson sighed quietly and she pressed her forehead against his bare chest.

“I’m sorry,” She mumbled.

“Don’t be,” Zack told her as he released her and handed her a roller. “Let’s get to work. I told Alex and Jack to being her back around dinner time.”

So they spent the next two hours painting the room and by the end there was more paint on them than the walls. But Grayson had finally calmed down and had had a genuine good time with Zack. She didn't want to but she was starting to like him. He made her happy and understood her. He tired to understand what she was going through rather than judge her and she wasn’t use to that.

“I don’t know how to make a bed,” Zack whined as he helped Grayson pull the flower print comforter over the bed.

“Give me that,” She shoved him playfully and fixed the bed properly. Once that was finished the two stood back and looked at the room with large smiles on thier faces.

Before Zack could do anything, Grayson attacked him in a hug. “Thank you so much, Zack!”

Zack smiled down at her as she smiled right back. “No problem,” he said. “You have paint all over your face.” He laughed.

She giggled softly before standing on her toes and gently pressing her lips against his. Before he could register what happened she had pulled away and stepped out of his arms. He started at her with wide eyes but before he could say anything they heard a door slam open and Jack and Alex’s loud voices ringing through the large house.

“Shit,” Grayson mumbled, as she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the hallway and shut the door to Annabelle’s room quickly just as Annabelle came running down the hallway.

“Hi!” She screamed. “Why do you have paint all over you?” She questioned as Jack and Alex appeared behind her.

“Why don’t you go see.” Zack told her as Grayson gripped his hand tightly in nervousness. Annabelle wasted no time and ran into the room and Grayson heard her gasp loudly.

Grayson walked up to the door pulling Zack with her and saw Annabelle standing in the center of the room with a large smile on her face. The small girl turned to face the four people who were now crowded in the door way and ran straight towards her sister and wrapped her small arms around her waist.

Grayson was stunned for a second and looked up to see Zack looking at her with a smile on his face. She knelt down slightly and wrapped her arms around Annabelle’s tiny shoulders.

“Thank you,” The little girl whispered into her older sisters hair.