Stupid Boy

"John, will you come in here for a second?" I heard my mom call from downstairs.

"Yeah." I replied as I walked out of my room and jogged down the stairs and into the family room. I saw my mom sitting on the couch with her cell phone in hand and weird expression on her face.

"Listen, I have something to tell you and I don't want you to get angry with me, okay?" She started.

"Alright..." I said slowly as I took a seat next to her.

"Gracie is coming to stay here for awhile." She told me.

"What!? Gracie Kline? No. You can't do that!" I exclaimed as I stood up from the couch. "Why doesn't she just have her dad buy her an apartment complex to live in? Or have her mom-"

"Alison just died." She said, cutting me off.

I got quiet immediately, and felt guilty for what I'd said. Alison, Gracie's mom, was my mom's best friend. They did everything together, including having kids at the same time. Gracie was born about four months after I was and my mom helped pick her name, since she'd always wanted a daughter. As kids, we did everything together and we were the best of friends. Then as we grew up we grew apart because she was an idiot. I don't even know what it was, but something about her pushed me away when we were around fifteen. We weren't even going to the same school, we never did. She went to an upscale private school that her dad enrolled her in, while I went to public school.

After that we just never hung out. She asked me to go on some family trips a few times, but I ignored her or made excuses and she quickly got the hint. Then she started to have an attitude towards me which was the last straw. I couldn't say I hated her, but I really did not like Gracie Kline.

As for my mom, Gracie was the daughter she never had. She would take her out to lunch and talk to her on the phone. They were just as close as my mom and Alison. They got even closer when her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer about a year ago.

"I'm sorry, mom." I apologized. "What happened?"

"She went in for a routine surgery and didn't make it. But listen, I need you to do something for me, okay?"

"Yeah, sure." I nodded.

"You need to be nice to her. Her mother just died and she left her father and he's cutting her off from all the money. She found out that he'd been cheating on her mom and she packed up everything. She's on her way and she's going to be upset and heartbroken, John so just be nice. Can you do that for me?" She pleaded.

"Yeah, I'll do it. When did she die?" I asked quietly as I folded my hands on top of my head.

"About twelve hours ago." My mom said as she glanced over at the clock.

"I'm sorry." I sighed as I walked over and gave her a hug.

"She was my best friend and I was hardly there for her during her toughest time." She whispered as she hugged me back.

"It'll be okay. You still have Grace." I told her.

"Yeah." She sighed as she pulled away. "Please be nice."

"I will. I'm not completely heartless." I said.

"I know you aren't, but you two have got this idea that you can't stand each other when you used to be best friends."

"We just changed and went our separate ways." I explained.

"Maybe you could just take her out to lunch or something tomorrow to catch up? Just make her feel welcomed. She's going through a really hard time and you know she'd do the same for you."

"I know. I'll do my best, ma. When's she coming over?" I asked.

"She should be here any minute. She was on her way when she called me."

As if on cue, I saw the flash of headlights pulling into the driveway.

"That must be her. Go help her with her stuff while I make some tea." She ordered.

"Okay." I agreed, trying to make things easier on my mom, who had just lost her best friend.

I sighed before I heard a knock at the door and walked over to answer it.

Until I turned the doorknob I didn't notice how hard it was raining and I felt bad about taking my time.

I hadn't actually seen Gracie since her graduation party when we were eighteen. And even then I barely saw her because she was surrounded by so many people, like always. She was never without a boyfriend and a group of followers.

When I finally looked at her I noticed that her hair was soaking wet, she was shivering, her eyes were bloodshot, her nose was red, and makeup was streaming down her face. Her clothes were sticking to every curve of her body and she looked up at me, scared, probably thinking I would turn her away.

"Hey, come in." I said as I opened the door behind me wider.

"Thanks." She whispered so quietly that it was almost inaudible as she dragged a suitcase behind her.

"No problem. Uh, do you want me to get that and take it to the guest room?" I asked.

She just shook her head and lugged it up the stairs. In all my years of knowing her, I'd never seen her like this. She was so depressed and quiet. Of course, I probably would be too if my mom had died and I caught my dad cheating on her.

I closed the front door and walked into the kitchen to see my mom making a cup of tea for Gracie and herself.

"Would you take this up to her?" She asked as she handed me the mug.

"Not that I don't want to or anything..." I started. "But why don't you? She probably wants to talk to you."

"John, she doesn't want to be reminded of a mom she doesn't have. She needs some comfort from somebody like you. You've known her, her whole life and as much as you don't think so, she really admires you. Just do it." She snapped.

I nodded my head and took the cup upstairs and to the guest room. I knocked on the door lightly and opened it up to see her still in soaking wet clothes, sitting on the bed and staring at the wall.

"Uh, my mom made you some tea." I said as I stepped inside and walked over to her.

She looked over at me with a blank expression and nodded before taking the mug and sipping a little bit before holding it in her lap. She resumed staring at the wall as I stood beside her awkwardly. I'd never been good at comforting girls, let alone comforting girls I hadn't spoken to in four years. She pulled me out of my thoughts when she spoke up.

"I know you hate me. You can go." She said monotonously.

"I don't-" I argued.

"Just go." She whispered softly as she looked down at her lap.

I took a seat next to her and rubbed her soaking wet back up and down.

"You should take a hot shower to warm up." I suggested, ignoring her last comment. I avoided saying 'it will make you feel better' because that couldn't be further from the truth in her case.

She stayed silent as I sat there trying my damndest to get something from her.

"Or at least get out of your wet clothes-"

"Will you please just leave me alone? I just want to be alone right now." She pleaded in a soft voice.

"Um, sure." I said as I stood up. "I'm in the next room if you need me." I added softly as I walked out and closed her door. It was barely a second later that I heard her burst into sobs that made my chest hurt. As much as I didn't really like her, I had a heart.

And I was slowly learning that the girl who I thought was nothing but shallow, also had a heart.