Becoming Hers

45

*GRACIE'S POV*
It sucked that Caleb wouldn't let us have a party for him, I guess Lexi was right, he didn't seem to be in the right frame of mind. A party would've probaby been too much for him. We cancelled the party just in time so no one turned up at our house, but we had already bought quite a bit of junk food and alcohol so we were just 'chilling' as Lexi worded it. Charlie, Blake, Lexi, Trinity and Caleb were in the basement playing on the xbox when the doorbell rang. I was the only one not focused on the game on the tv screen so I stood up to answer the door.

I completley forgot to text Lauren to inform her that the party was no longer happening. I guess it was too late because when I opened the door she was perched there with a bottle of vodka in her hand and a smile on her face. "Hey,"

"Hi, come in," I gestured with her hand to walk forward.

"You sure there's a party happening? It doesn't sound like it?" Lauren said once I had shut the front door. She probably thought I was just making up the whole party situation.

"Well, my brother kind of found out we were throwing it for him and cancelled it, but there's a small group of us here, and we have alcohol," I mentioned, attempting to explain it without it sounding lame.

She smiled so I took that as a good sign and said, "Follow me," I guided her down the stairs and into the basement.

"That's Blake, Caleb and Charlie," I told Lauren, pointing to each of them as I said their names, "Trinity," as I said her name she put up her hand and waved, without even turning arond to look, I guess she was too dedicated to the game to sneak a proper look. "And this is my girlfriend Lexi," I mentioned. I hadn't told Lauren I was gay but it wasn't really any of her business, and I didn't think about her not accepting it, that thought hadn't occurred to me.

Lauren nodded, "Hey guys," Her tone hadn't changed so I assumed it didn't bother her that I'm gay.

Blake and Charlie turned around, giving up their place in the game so they could introduce themselves, "Hey," They said in unison. I watched as they turned their heads, once they were facing each other they both grinned, only admiring each others faces.

"I'm Lauren,"

"Nice to meet you," Charlie smiled once he'd returned his gaze, "I'm Charlie," He added after a second glance back at Blake. I took note to ask him about their situation later. Lauren began to communicate with Charlie and Blake so I left them to it. I wandered over to Caleb, he was perched up against a bar stool, with a nearly empty bottle of whiskey in his hand. His drinking habits had began to worry me. He was struggling with something, and it hurt me to see that.

"Are you okay?" I questioned, whilst wondering how much of that whiskey Caleb had actually drank. He wasn't a light weight, but he couldn't drink a whole bottle and still be sober. What worried me was that he was drinking alone, he seemed to isolate himself a lot that night, he barley talked to anyone, I'm pretty sure that he didn't have a conversation with anyone other than Lexi.

"I'm fine," Caleb mustered up, "just not feeling the party," His excuse was lame, and I didn't believe it one bit, but I pretended to. I just nodded and sipped at the alcohol. I didn't know what to say to my brother, he had always been the type of person that knew how to have a good time and made everyone else feel better. He was never the person that needed to be cheered up, and it concerned me.

"Then don't think of it as a party for you, think of it as a party to say goodbye to Blake," I thought that would have cheered him up, but then I realised my mistake. We would have been saying goodbye to him too, if it wasn't for Jake, Brock and Audrey.

But at least I'd still have him around.

*LEXI'S POV*
I greeted Gracie with a smile when she handed me a cold beer that she'd gotten from the fridge. I grimaced when she handed it to me, I promised myself not to get drunk that night, I had fucked up too many times in the past because of alcohol. But I thanked her for it anyway and decided that one beer couldn't hurt.