The Bucket List
Anniversary.
“Grace come on! We need to be quick!” John whined as he scurried into the room quietly closing the door behind him. Grace just rolled her eyes, continuing to look in the mirror trying to decide what to actually do to her hair.
“Hurry up! She’s going to wake up soon” John continued as he sat on her bed, grabbing a bag off her floor and beginning to shove random things into it before grabbing Grace by her hand and dragging her out the room.
She began to protest but the complaints instantly quieted when she saw the pleading look on his face. Grace didn’t even know what John wanted her for, only vaguely recalling him drunkenly falling onto the couch next to her last night in the mist of Russ’ leaving party mumbling some slurred words about needing help with something that was ‘Life and death... or the death of my balls’ as he put it.
Grace climbed into his car, pulling her knees up so her feet sat on his dashboard as she closed her eyes waiting for him to lock up the house and take her to whatever was so urgent.
Once he began to drive, the radio low in the background, Grace kept her eyes shut, the lull in conversation was comfortable neither feeling the pressure to try and strike conversation with the other.
She’d began to drift off, her mind leading her to somewhere beautiful when she was shook awake, Johns face centimetres from hers.
“We’re here” he exclaimed before climbing out the car, Grace simply nodded following his lead as she hoisted the bag onto her should while the other one dragged across her face wiping away any traces of sleep.
“What are we doing again?” She asked a yawn escaping her mouth as she hastily pulled her hair into a messy pony tail, her eyebrow slightly raised as she noticed John wouldn’t stop fiddling with his keys.
“Our anniversary today, two years, well not ours, but mine and Bailey” he stumbled, eyebrows furrowing before he lightly shook his head, a shoulder shrugging as Grace just chuckled with a small nod letting her lead her through the mall.
“I just don’t know what to get her and since you’re her cousin and everything I thought that you would be my best bet since all Moose told me to do was get her sexy underwear” he continued to explain causing him to get a wide eyed look from a passing middle age lady who only caught the ending of his explanation.
“Ah that explains why we are at the mall at 6am! So you just want my help on finding the perfect gift?” she asked as he nodded, grabbing at her hand and pulling her into a small looking vintage store.
“It’s Bailey’s favourite shop” he explained before deciding that it was best to split up. Grace welcomed the silence, the background music playing an Aerosmith song, as her hands gently brushed again some t-shirt as she continued to look around while taking everything waiting for something to scream ‘Bailey’ at her.
Grace let her mind wander; her thought’s instantly travelling towards the subject of Garrett, anything about Garrett. The way his changed colour slightly when the light shone on it in just the right way. How he would bite his lips slightly when he was deep in thought or trying to think of something funny to say. The deep low chuckle that erupted from the back of his throat whenever she said something funny or did something stupid and how hearing that laugh instantly brought a smile to her face.
How his hair curled slightly at the back of his neck which he would ruffle whenever he was nervous, the way he would twist the metal ring around on his finger whenever he felt out of his depth. Everything she knew about Garrett ran through her mind.
She continued to push her hands through the t-shirts, half heartedly looking through them while her fingers stroked the fabric, her eyes darting past each as she sang softly along to the song, not even bothering to try and stay in tune.
Grace immediately froze her hand clutching at a shirt as she pulled out off the rack, practically jumping with excitement as she ran through the shop trying to find John.
“O’Callaghan” She called her eyes scanning through the store that was surprisingly busy despite how early it was. A girl with dark brown dreadlocks turning to glare at her before going back to the vinyl collection giving Grace an over exaggerated eye roll.
Grace turned around sighing before spotting John near the hat collection, a cowboy placed on top of his messy hairs. Grace sighed as he turned to grin at her before picking up an oversized top hat and placing it on top of her head.
“That really suits you Gray, all you need know is a moustache and the job is a good one” He said with a chuckle as Grace just grinned gently smacking him on the arm.
“Look what I found” she bragged practically shoving the shirt underneath his nose. His eyes strained going cross-eyed slightly in order to try and read the name on the shirt.
“Kiss?” he questioned, his voice slightly hesitant as he bit his lip, Grace just nodded enthusiastically grabbing his hand and dragging him straight to the check out.
A guy with dyed blue hair didn’t even look at them as he put his magazine down before grabbing the shirt, keying the code into the till before mumbling the price, going back to read the magazine after hastily putting the shirt in a bag.
John slid the dollar bills on the counter before grabbing the bag and strolling out the shop.
“You know Grace I really don’t know much about you, I mean Bailey doesn’t even have any pictures of you together when you were little” He started as he walked through the mall, Grace knew why he hadn’t seen any of the pictures and that’s because there wasn’t any, not with the amount of times Grace was in the hospital and if there was a picture if was during what their family called ‘The Bad Time’ and was kept in a box in the attic.
“Well what do you want to know?” Grace asked as they now began to head back to the car, her eyes starting to squint as the sun bore down on her causing her eyes to begin to run.
“Well just the basic stuff you know... favourite colour, best memory, birthday, shoe size, height, tattoos and piercings’...you know the normal things” he shrugged unlocking the door and climbing in, instantly turning the radio down while starting the car.
“Blue or green, when Bailey and I went camping in the garden on one of my birthday and got so scared we sat in the living room all night, 13 August, 8.5, 5 foot 2, just my ear lobes” she stated, her arm hanging down the open window, casually tapping on the car door as she stared out at the view.
“What?” John asked slightly confused glancing at her as she continued to look out the window.
“I just answered your question in the order you asked them. My favourite colour is blue or green. My favourite memory is when Bailey and I camped in my garden. 13 August is my birthday. My shoe and height size are 8.5 and 5 foot 2. I have no tattoos and I only have the bottom of my ears pierced” she explained, her picking up the tempo, tapping along to the beat of the song playing quietly in the background.
John just nodded, not trying to pursue the conversation as the wheels in his head began to turn, if he had his dates right which he was certain he did then that meant it was Grace’s birthday in two days and hadn’t bothered to tell anyone.
“Hurry up! She’s going to wake up soon” John continued as he sat on her bed, grabbing a bag off her floor and beginning to shove random things into it before grabbing Grace by her hand and dragging her out the room.
She began to protest but the complaints instantly quieted when she saw the pleading look on his face. Grace didn’t even know what John wanted her for, only vaguely recalling him drunkenly falling onto the couch next to her last night in the mist of Russ’ leaving party mumbling some slurred words about needing help with something that was ‘Life and death... or the death of my balls’ as he put it.
Grace climbed into his car, pulling her knees up so her feet sat on his dashboard as she closed her eyes waiting for him to lock up the house and take her to whatever was so urgent.
Once he began to drive, the radio low in the background, Grace kept her eyes shut, the lull in conversation was comfortable neither feeling the pressure to try and strike conversation with the other.
She’d began to drift off, her mind leading her to somewhere beautiful when she was shook awake, Johns face centimetres from hers.
“We’re here” he exclaimed before climbing out the car, Grace simply nodded following his lead as she hoisted the bag onto her should while the other one dragged across her face wiping away any traces of sleep.
“What are we doing again?” She asked a yawn escaping her mouth as she hastily pulled her hair into a messy pony tail, her eyebrow slightly raised as she noticed John wouldn’t stop fiddling with his keys.
“Our anniversary today, two years, well not ours, but mine and Bailey” he stumbled, eyebrows furrowing before he lightly shook his head, a shoulder shrugging as Grace just chuckled with a small nod letting her lead her through the mall.
“I just don’t know what to get her and since you’re her cousin and everything I thought that you would be my best bet since all Moose told me to do was get her sexy underwear” he continued to explain causing him to get a wide eyed look from a passing middle age lady who only caught the ending of his explanation.
“Ah that explains why we are at the mall at 6am! So you just want my help on finding the perfect gift?” she asked as he nodded, grabbing at her hand and pulling her into a small looking vintage store.
“It’s Bailey’s favourite shop” he explained before deciding that it was best to split up. Grace welcomed the silence, the background music playing an Aerosmith song, as her hands gently brushed again some t-shirt as she continued to look around while taking everything waiting for something to scream ‘Bailey’ at her.
Grace let her mind wander; her thought’s instantly travelling towards the subject of Garrett, anything about Garrett. The way his changed colour slightly when the light shone on it in just the right way. How he would bite his lips slightly when he was deep in thought or trying to think of something funny to say. The deep low chuckle that erupted from the back of his throat whenever she said something funny or did something stupid and how hearing that laugh instantly brought a smile to her face.
How his hair curled slightly at the back of his neck which he would ruffle whenever he was nervous, the way he would twist the metal ring around on his finger whenever he felt out of his depth. Everything she knew about Garrett ran through her mind.
She continued to push her hands through the t-shirts, half heartedly looking through them while her fingers stroked the fabric, her eyes darting past each as she sang softly along to the song, not even bothering to try and stay in tune.
Grace immediately froze her hand clutching at a shirt as she pulled out off the rack, practically jumping with excitement as she ran through the shop trying to find John.
“O’Callaghan” She called her eyes scanning through the store that was surprisingly busy despite how early it was. A girl with dark brown dreadlocks turning to glare at her before going back to the vinyl collection giving Grace an over exaggerated eye roll.
Grace turned around sighing before spotting John near the hat collection, a cowboy placed on top of his messy hairs. Grace sighed as he turned to grin at her before picking up an oversized top hat and placing it on top of her head.
“That really suits you Gray, all you need know is a moustache and the job is a good one” He said with a chuckle as Grace just grinned gently smacking him on the arm.
“Look what I found” she bragged practically shoving the shirt underneath his nose. His eyes strained going cross-eyed slightly in order to try and read the name on the shirt.
“Kiss?” he questioned, his voice slightly hesitant as he bit his lip, Grace just nodded enthusiastically grabbing his hand and dragging him straight to the check out.
A guy with dyed blue hair didn’t even look at them as he put his magazine down before grabbing the shirt, keying the code into the till before mumbling the price, going back to read the magazine after hastily putting the shirt in a bag.
John slid the dollar bills on the counter before grabbing the bag and strolling out the shop.
“You know Grace I really don’t know much about you, I mean Bailey doesn’t even have any pictures of you together when you were little” He started as he walked through the mall, Grace knew why he hadn’t seen any of the pictures and that’s because there wasn’t any, not with the amount of times Grace was in the hospital and if there was a picture if was during what their family called ‘The Bad Time’ and was kept in a box in the attic.
“Well what do you want to know?” Grace asked as they now began to head back to the car, her eyes starting to squint as the sun bore down on her causing her eyes to begin to run.
“Well just the basic stuff you know... favourite colour, best memory, birthday, shoe size, height, tattoos and piercings’...you know the normal things” he shrugged unlocking the door and climbing in, instantly turning the radio down while starting the car.
“Blue or green, when Bailey and I went camping in the garden on one of my birthday and got so scared we sat in the living room all night, 13 August, 8.5, 5 foot 2, just my ear lobes” she stated, her arm hanging down the open window, casually tapping on the car door as she stared out at the view.
“What?” John asked slightly confused glancing at her as she continued to look out the window.
“I just answered your question in the order you asked them. My favourite colour is blue or green. My favourite memory is when Bailey and I camped in my garden. 13 August is my birthday. My shoe and height size are 8.5 and 5 foot 2. I have no tattoos and I only have the bottom of my ears pierced” she explained, her picking up the tempo, tapping along to the beat of the song playing quietly in the background.
John just nodded, not trying to pursue the conversation as the wheels in his head began to turn, if he had his dates right which he was certain he did then that meant it was Grace’s birthday in two days and hadn’t bothered to tell anyone.