Who Knew?

Getting to the hotel was probably the best part of my day. Things were kind of awkward with Grace, but not so much that like… I wanted to be somewhere else. Just enough, that I couldn’t look at her. And she couldn’t seem to look at me either.

“Okay, everyone grab their own luggage!” My mom said as she crunched through the snow to get to the trunk. It was already dark, and Grace had fallen asleep in the car, so it was easy to tell that she was sluggish. Especially by the way that she walked. Maybe, that’s what possessed me to do what I did next.

She was just trying to pull her two bags out of the trunk, when I finally caved and yanked them out for her, nodding when she gave me an awkward smile. Then, watching her attempt to pull it through the snow.

“Lemme help” I said quietly, taking the handles and lifting them slightly off the ground before I started walking. Grace disappeared from beside me for a minute, but then she popped back up, and I noticed something over her shoulder.

I soon realized that it was my backpack.

“You didn’t have to carry my bag” I said, already knowing that she knew not to bother with my other bag, which was suitcase sized.

“And you didn’t have to carry mine.” She said back. I said nothing after that, and I didn’t say anything until we reached the room. Then I ran back out and got my other bag before closing the trunk and going into the room. None of us unpacked, because we knew we would just be back on the road again the next morning, but my mom and Cheryl were chatting quietly beside their bed, while Grace was in the bathroom.

“Mom, are you sure Grace can’t just sleep on the floor?” I whined as I pulled my jacket off. Both her and Cheryl stared at me. “Okay, sorry. Are you sure I can’t just sleep on the floor?”

My mom sighed and walked over to me. “Cheryl and I are both full grown adults. We’re sharing. You and Grace are smaller, you can share. No one is sleeping on the floor.” She said. I knew not to fight her word.

Once Grace came out of the bathroom, where all ordered some room service, then sat in a clump on mom and Cheryl’s bed to watch some lame movie.

“All Rom-Com’s are the same” Grace muttered beside me. I could tell that she was as bored as I was with this movie. I nodded and she punched me, which made my make a ‘what was that?!’ face, but I knew it would just make her punch me again.

About three quarters into the movie, I excused myself to go get ready for bed, and while I was brushing my teeth, Grace came in.

“Single mothers are a nightmare” she muttered as she squeezed some toothpaste onto the bristles of her pink toothbrush. I spit into the sink and then turned to look at her.

“Why are you talking to me?” She turned to look at me, then smirked.

“You have toothpaste on your lip” I quickly wiped it off and restated my question.

“Why are you talking to me?”

She sighed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Because it isn’t possible for me to murder you with our moms around, so I figure I should endure you”

“Grace… Do you really hate me so much, that you would risk going to jail just to get rid of me?”

She shrugged and began brushing.

“You’re obnoxious, cocky, full of yourself, look like a ten year old and dance like a gay man. You aren’t really that talented, and most of the reason why you even have fans, is because half the seven year olds that worship you, really just want to be in your pants. You’re nothing special Justin. You’re just… a kid” She said, then walked out.

For some reason, even though half of what she said kind of hurt my feelings, the end… It made me respect her. She saw me the way I wanted every other person to see me. I was just a kid. Maybe I was a little full of myself, but… I mean… How could I not be? I sighed and rinsed my mouth, then closed the door and changed into my pajamas. When I walked out, Grace was waiting beside the door.

Without a word, she walked in and rinsed her mouth, then closed the door as well. I let out a small sigh and got into the bed Grace and I had to share, scooting over so that I was next to the wall, and she would have enough room to get in.

“Is it just me, or is this bed a lot smaller than it looked about five minutes ago?” Grace’s voice brought me back to the real world, and I groaned due to the fact that I had been about ten seconds away from dead sleep.

“Jus’ you” I muttered. I heard her scoff and then rolled over slightly when she put pressure on the bed, making it sink. She said nothing about me moving back over, but apologized quietly when she accidently kicked me. Then when she punched me. Then when she smacked me in the head. It was around the time where she kneed me in the stomach that I lost patience. “You’re doing that on purpose!” I whined.

“No I am not! I’m trying to get comfortable. Just move over more if I keep hitting you.”

“If I move over anymore, I’ll be pressed against the wall” I hissed.

“Well if I move over more, I’ll be on the floor” She muttered back.

I didn’t answer for a minute. Just rolled over so that I was facing the wall, rather than the ceiling and got comfortable.

“Where you belong…” I finally whispered. Unfortunately, she heard me, and my face was soon smacked against the wall. “OW!” I yelped.

“That… I did on purpose” She said, just as someone else in the room turned off the light.