Chapter 7

Audrey gets home after an exhausting day of running around with Elvis. Like Elvis told her, she goes to her bedroom and starts packing a few things she thinks she needs. She uses her school bag to put everything in, using the extra one for the stuff she needs for school. A few minutes later, she hears footsteps that seem to be coming closer. She panics and hides the bag under her bed and quickly jumps in her bed.

Her mother barges in her room, "Why's your room such a mess?" She asks, not bothering to ask about her day instead,

"What do you want, mom?" Audrey doesn't bother to look up,

"Excuse me?"

"I'm pretty sure you heard exactly what I said,"

Normally, Audrey would be happy of her mother's presence, but this time she has lost pretty much all her respect and love for her, since it looks like her mother has done the same.

"When did you become too grownup? Anyway, we're going to grandma's tonight for dinner," with that, her mother leaves the room, slamming the door behind her.

Audrey wonders what had happened between the two families that it made her mother act like this. She used to hate imagining losing that kind of relationship with her mother but that's exactly what happened. Audrey can't believe she's choosing the guy she's dating over her own mother but if that's the way her mother's going to keep acting, then Audrey's absence wouldn't really matter to her. If Audrey's presence annoys her, she's pretty sure living away from her won't be that bad.

~~~

Later that night, Audrey and her mother stand at her grandma's front door, waiting to be let in.

The door swings open seconds later, revealing an old woman who looks pretty old but actually is as strong as a 40-year-old man. Audrey adores her grandmother, mostly because she is strong and hard-working, but also because she's an absolute sweetheart and tells Audrey so many stories of her past.

"Hey, mom! How've you been?" Audrey's mom greets, as she walks into the house,

Audrey's grandma rolls her eyes and sarcastically replies, "Has it even been 3 days since you saw me? Why do you think there would be a drastic change?"

Audrey chuckles, "I'm asking out of respect, mom. Of course, there isn't such a big change. I can see that," Audrey's mom replies, putting an emphasis on big.

Audrey has always been amused by her mother and grandma's relationship. As much as they love each other, they're always fighting. Her grandma's sarcasm is mostly the cause of their fight. Which is part of the reason Audrey admires her grandma.

"Darling!" Her grandma dramatically yells,

Audrey yells back, "Grandma!"

Audrey's mother rolls her eyes. Audrey swears she saw tiny smile on her face, which disappears instantly. Audrey always loved the annoyed look on her mother's face when her grandmother greets and treats her more warmly.

~~~

After dinner, Audrey lays her head on her grandma's lap while her mother is talking on the phone. Audrey's grandmother strokes her hair while humming a beautiful melody Audrey has never heard before. Audrey thinks this is a good time to ask about the Williams. After all, her grandmother never kept anything from her.

"Grandma?"

"Hmm?"

Audrey contemplates before asking, "Do you know anything about the Williams?"

Her grandmother blinks, stopping what she's doing, "How did you hear about them, dear?" She asks sweetly.

Audrey barely keeps anything away from her grandma, which is why she's going to tell her exactly what happened.

5 minutes later, Audrey has told her everything. Starting from how Elvis' parents treated her to how her mother threatened Elvis. To say her grandma was furious would be an understatement.

Her grandmother sighs and begins to explain feud between the two families, "We go way back. It was when your grandfather and I-"

"What are you guys talking about?" Audrey's mother interrupts as if she's been eavesdropping the whole time.

Audrey jumps from the sudden voice coming from behind her. Her grandma, on the other hand, doesn't react at all, "Would you like to join?" Her grandmother asks uninterested,

"Actually, it's time for us to go. It's getting pretty late," she replies, trying to get out of here before she gets scolded by her own mother.

"Can I sleep over?"

Audrey's mother shakes her head over exaggeratedly and defensively replies, "No, you have school tomorrow,"

"I can drive her to school" her grandma chimes in,

"No no. Maybe another time,"

"It's okay, grandma," Audrey gets up from the couch, walking straight out of the house after kissing her grandmother good night.

The rest of the night, Audrey doesn't fuss to say a word to her mother. As soon as they get home, she goes straight into her bedroom, under her blanket. She texts Elvis 'good night' and turns her light off, drifting off just as she closes her eyes.

~~~~