Shine Bright Shirley

Chapter 3

Grace's POV:

Laughter

Laughter was the first thing that I heard when I was in the middle of unpacking, followed by the sound of multiple footsteps coming up the stairs and along the corridor sounding like they were going into the room next door, as I heard the open and close of a door. They are home.

I swallowed down the nerves and looked down at the last item in my suitcase with sad eyes, sighing I picked up the red velvety box and opened it looking down at the sunflower locket. It wasn't the prettiest thing in the world, the discolouration of it showed how much it had been worn, but it was the meaning of it that held a higher place in my heart. It was the only thing I had left that was my mom's and I don't remember a time when she wasn't wearing it, she bought it when she was a teen in an antique shop since sunflowers were her favourite flowers. Inside the locket there is a small picture of us both when I was around six years old and we were at the beach, a memory that is still clear as if it was yesterday.

A knock at the door jolted me out of my trace with the hypnotising piece of jewellery. "Grace sweetie dinner will be ready in ten minutes, we're having my homemade pasta." Julia said as she peeked her head around the door grinning at me, I wiped a stray tear that had escaped and forced a smile in return.

"Ok I'll be down in a minute." I spoke a calmly as possible even though I was not looking forward to this dinner at all. I placed the locket back in the box and place it in one of the bedside table drawers.

Quickly checking my reflection in the mirror I brushed my hands through my hair that was all over the place in attempt to make it look presentable. "You can do this Grace, it won't be that bad." I said giving myself a pep talk.

As I entered the hall way I could hear music coming from the room next door, I tried to remember who's room that was that Julia told me earlier but failed. At least I won't be the last person downstairs or else that would have been an awkward first hello.

Once I reach the bottom of the stairs and enter the kitchen I'm hit by the fresh smell of the dinner that Julia is currently putting on the table. I see a few boys with John already occupying some seats at the table, one young boy and one who looks a little older than me.

"Grace come take a seat." I hear John say from the table causing the two boys to look up at me, the younger one giving me a bright smile allowing me to see he is missing his front two teeth.

"Hi I'm Henry." The younger one chirps as his curly hair flops about on his head. He is adorable.

I smiled down at him in my chair. "Hi I'm Grace."

"I know." He replies stating the obvious as I can't help but chuckle at his cuteness. "You're really pretty, I love the colour of your hair."

"Um thanks." I awkwardly reply not used to getting compliments.

"Hi I'm William I'm nineteen and the oldest, Henry over there is the youngest." The dark haired boy sitting opposite Henry said, I notice how similar he looks to John and how I would've imagined John to look like that when he was that age.

"Hey! I'm not that young, I'm going to be ten on my birthday." Henry argues back. I see John and William share a knowing look.

Julia comes across and hugs Henry from the back. "Aw my little baby is growing up so fast." She coos reminding me of my mother when she used ask me to never grow up when I was little.

"Where is the other three trouble makers?" John asks Julia.

"I told them dinner was ready, you know them they are addicted to those phones. Would you go and tell them to come downstairs please and quickly before the dinner gets cold." Julia rambled as she placed some jugs of water on the table.

"Of course honey." John said and he gave Julia a small kiss on the cheek before leaving the kitchen, Julia blushed sweetly as she took a seat at the end of the table closest to me.

"Did you get everything unpacked ok Grace?" Julia asked me.

I smiled and replied with a small "Yes I did, thank you." It looked like Julia was about to say something else but was cut off with the roaring laughter of three more boys entering the room with John following closely behind them.

"Boys sit down now." Julia said in a more stricter tone, the laughter subsided as they saw me sitting at the table. Two of them took seats at the table one sitting beside me and the other sitting opposite me., leaving one left standing.

"Your in my seat." Mumbled the blonde haired boy who was now standing behind me. I visibly shrunk in the chair getting ready to move seats as I didn't want to cause any trouble, especially since I'm the guest in this house.

"LOGAN!" Julia yelled.

"Logan just sit in the seat next to Oliver." John warned, I could see him sending him a look showing him how serious he was being.

Sighing Logan dragged his feet around to the other side of the table and took a seat making sure to make the seat scraped along the floor. I didn't dare look up at him although I didn't need to since I could feel the glare he was sending me.

"Ok boys introduce yourselves to Grace please." Julia said as everyone started digging in to the pasta, I waited back as all the boys shovelled pasta onto their plates.

"I'm Oliver and I'm fourteen." Said the blue eyed boy sitting opposite me, he sent me a small smile and offered me some pasta in which I happily accepted.

"I'm Lucas and as you have probably already gathered that oath over there is my twin Logan and we are seventeen." He said smirking across the table at Logan who sent a glare in response.

I shyly smiled looking up to see everyone munching on the pasta which may I add is probably the best pasta dish I have ever had.

"So Grace how old are you?" William asks me.

"Sixteen, turning seventeen soon." I reply simply already feeling everyones gazes on me making my face heat up from being the centre of attention.

"Awesome, you will be in the same year at school as me and Logan." Lucas cheerfully said from beside me.

"Great." Logan replied sarcastically under his breath.

Now I'm definitely not looking forward to starting school.

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Hope you guys liked this chapter! :)