Two: Invitation

                                    

                                          
Sierra «
                          
"I'm so sorry Reese.."
                          
"No, no..don't worry. I uh understand."
                          
There was no denying the guilt I felt for turning down his birthday plans. But the second he called, I knew that there was no way I could go. 
                          
Today was the day my grandfather reserved for cleaning. I'd been up since six cleaning the kitchen, his bedroom, the bathrooms, and now I'd moved on to doing laundry. 
                          
The house had to be completely spotless, since my grandma would be having company over for dinner after church this Sunday.
                          
It was a good thing my grandparents were out grocery shopping for it, or I would've had to ignore Reese completely. There wasn't a chance I could pick up the phone while they were around, especially with him being a boy.
                          
"I promise I'll make it up to you..I'll have a gift for you at school Monday."
                          
"Don't worry about it, Sierra. I guess I'll call Aiden." He chuckled.
                          
Aiden was his friend from basketball, who he didn't particularly love hanging out with.
                          
"Reese-"
                          
In the middle of my sentence, I'd heard a car pull into the driveway. I'd made myself learn the sound over the years to avoid being caught doing something I wasn't supposed to.
                          
"Look, I hope your birthday goes wonderful. Text me later, okay?"
                          
"Okay..but-"
                          
"I have to go." I said, hanging up and stuffing my phone deep into my pocket.
                          
"Sierra!" I heard my grandfather as the door unlocked. 
                          
"Yes??" I said, quickly folding the rest of the clothes and putting them into the basket.
                          
"Did you finish cleaning?" He said, standing in the doorway of the laundry room.
                          
"I'm just doing laundry now. I'm pretty much done."
                          
"Hm." He said, walking past the door and into his room.
                          
"The house looks good." My grandma said. "Our guests will be here all day tomorrow."
                          
"Who is coming exactly?"
                          
"I invited my friend Shanice and her family."
                          
I knew of Shanice, her and my grandmother would go on weekend outings with eachother in their spare time— but even from being at church almost all the time, I knew nothing of this family my grandmother spoke of. I heard through congregational gossip that she's had a son who was gay, but understandably- he never came around.
                          
"How many people will be here?" I asked, thinking of how I would set the table. 
                          
"It'll be Shanice, her son, his..um..p-partner, their children, and from my understanding, his partner's family as well."
                          
"Are all of those people going to fit, Grandma?"
                          
"Make them fit. I told her to bring as many as possible because I'm trying to get more younger people involved at the church."
                          
"I'll try and make it work."
                          
"I'm sure you will."
                          
Reese «
                          
"Come on dude. Cheer up." Aiden said, nudging my shoulder. 
                          
Rather than going out to the arcade with Sierra like I'd wanted to, I was in my room playing 2k with Aiden.
                          
"I don't understand. She can't ever do anything I invite her to."