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[trevorcason]

TEXTS | 11.23.17

[ Around 11 PM or so ]

TREVOR: hey.

[ a beat ]

TREVOR: these leftovers are a lifesaver.

[trevorcason]

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays

GRACE

“Please don’t.” Grace said, walking just slightly ahead of him. “Kisses on the cheek are usually a greeting for people who haven’t seen each other in a long time or for those in a relationship.” She wasn’t saying it to be mean, it was just awkward and she’d rather not have any more awkward moments. Her father was in the kitchen carving the turkey when they reentered the Montgomery household. Thinking back to what he was saying, she let out a small sigh. “I hope you know Trevor that you aren’t alone. It’s a small town and if you actually tried to be in it, you’d learn we all kind of look out for each other.”

The brunette hung her coat back up where she originally found it and left her shoes near the front door. The tv was still on but it was just a commercial, she wasn’t sure if the game was still on or it it had already ended. “Smells good dad.” She smiled as she walked into the kitchen.

Her father let out a chuckle, “That has nothing to do with the turkey. You’ve out done yourself this year Gracie.” He paused a moment from carving the bird to look over at her.

She was moving about grabbing some plates and silverware, handing some of it to Trevor to help set the table. “I wanted to be sure we had enough for when we go to the police station.”

“We always have enough. You know your left over usually last weeks. I even had to tell some of the guys to bring some home.” Owen shook his head knowing his daughter always went above and beyond for others. He brought over the serving plate of the deep friend turkey and sat at the head of the table.

Grace sat at the side of the table to Owen’s right and a place was set for Trevor to set across from her. He was about start dishing up some food before she cleared her throat, a signal for him to stop. “You know the tradition. We have to say what we’re thankful for before we eat.” She looked at her father and then at Trevor. “I’ll start…” She straightened up in her seat. “I’m thankful for the new friends I made in California, you-” she looked at her dad- “the police force of Spearfish, and I’m thankful I was able to make it back home even if it’s just for a couple of days.” There was silence between the three of them, “Dad?”

Owen cleared his throat. “I’m thankful for my beautiful daughter, and all her accomplishments. I’m thankful that you took more after your mom than me.” There was a small laugh. “I’m thankful for our neighbors, they’ve made sure I’m taken care of since you’ve been gone, and uh…” he trailed off. “The usual stuff, my job, my coworkers, I’m thankful that Spearfish and it’s people are safe. That covers it I think.”

Grace nodded and then looked over at Trevor. “Trevor, did you want to say what you’re thankful for? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

TREVOR

And that was it. That showed Trevor enough that if he had any sort of feelings for her, he needed to shut them down. It wasn’t like he’d kissed her lips, which he had done countless times to other women he wasn’t in relationships with. Was she really this sheltered and old fashioned or was she just trying not to give him any piece of her? Either way, the message was heard loud and clear. She wanted nothing from him but to make sure that he was ‘okay’ and he could handle that. Trevor Cason could handle that. 

“Maybe Spearfish isn’t the same to me as it is to you,” he spoke softly, entering the house, immediately thankful that he didn’t have to worry about her responding. The honest truth was that Spearfish had never welcomed him, had never made him feel at home. The town that Grace had grown up in was one largely run by her Sheriff father and she would never be able to see that. Spearfish wasn’t nice to the boy with the broken heart. Spearfish just broke your heart by sitting a cute, annoying, stupid and unattainable brunette right in front of you and refused to give her to you. 

The dark haired boy watched as Owen and Grace spoke easily of what they were thankful for, Trevor doing everything he could to avoid eye contact and remove himself from the situation (emotionally). It was when that stupid brunette opened her stupid mouth again that he looked up, his eyes, unknowingly, rimmed with tears. 

“Just...” he started and shook his head. If he didn’t say anything, her dad would probably grumble about it. But if he said something wrong, he’d be chastised. It was easy for Trevor to see where Grace got her personality from. He cleared his throat to start again.

“I’m thankful for you guys letting me come over for Thanksgiving,” he spoke, pausing and looking at his plate. “That’s about it,” Trevor spoke, an awkward silence filling the air. There was more he could’ve said, but he felt it wasn’t important in the end. Once Owen returned to carving the turkey, the three of them dished up a variety of foods and began eating. There was minimal conversation involving Trevor and he felt a little like an outsider. But who wouldn’t? 

Once they were done eating, Trevor slowly stood. “I’ll do the dishes,” he nodded, taking each of their plates to the sink and getting the sink filled with sudsy water. The sooner he did this, the sooner he could get out of there.

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays

GRACE

After a quick chat with her dad, and seeing when the turkey was going to be done, Grace returned to the house only to find it empty. The aromas of the food was the only thing welcoming her as she stepped in from the back door. She peaked out the window to see Trevor standing at the end of the driveway. The brunette wondered what he was doing and briefly entertained the idea about calling him in. Was he leaving, without saying anything, after everything? Sure she kind of shoved him out of the kitchen but he had made her a bit uncomfortable and she just needed to do her own thing.

When it didn’t seem like he was coming back in, or even leaving, she huffed. Grabbing her jacket, this time the one hanging by the front door, she stepped out onto her front porch. Her arms folded across her chest to close her jacket tightly around her. “Trevor.” She said loud enough for him to hear as she walked toward him. “You’re not leaving are you? The food’s almost ready.” She gave him a warm smile. “If you don’t want to stay, I get it, whatever my dad said or whatever happened…I’m not going to make you stay.” She sighed, eyes glancing down at the ground then back up. “But at least let me make you a plate to take with you.”

There was a long silence from her, she wasn’t going to beg him to stay or make him do anything he didn’t want to do but she didn’t want him to leave. “I’d like it if you stayed.” She said softly with a small shrug of her shoulders. Instinctively she wanted to ask if he was okay but seeing as this day started off with them running into each other at the cemetery she had a feeling of what the answer to that question would be. “It’s freezing,” Grace added on, “I’m going back inside, you’re welcome to come with.”

TREVOR

In a life where everyone left, leaving yourself actually became pretty difficult. Getting away from a situation like this would make him feel entirely too shitty in the end. Like he’d done something far more offensive, but there was a piece of him that just felt so much like a charity case that he didn’t know what to do with himself. Trevor hated the idea that he could have made Grace feel weird enough that she wanted him to just be out of her presence. Maybe removing himself from the situation as a whole was a better idea. Yeah, he’d leave. 

Or maybe he wouldn’t. The young man turned to look at the girl as her voice rang through his ears. “I-” he started, but let her continue talking. Grace’s smile could convince anyone to do anything, he was absolutely sure of that. And when she told him that she’d like it if he stayed, he was a little bit confused. In what world did a girl react to his presence in one way and then tell him she wanted him around? Why was Grace so unbelievably good at making him think one thing and whip-lashing him to the next?

“It’s just...” Trevor started. He could go one of two ways. He could open up to her about his internal workings or he could tell her how frustrating she was. The latter never seemed to get them anywhere, so he decided to take the leap. “Thanksgiving is hard, Grace, I’m sure it is for you in some ways, too. I’m just starting to realize that I have no one left. I’d be knee deep in PBR cans right now if it wasn’t for you,” he explained, fingers raking through his hair as he approached her. “So, thank you, and I’m sorry if I fucked up by kissing your cheek,” he paused, setting his hand on her shoulder. “I won’t do it again,” Trevor nodded, walking back up the driveway with her, hoping that staying was the right decision after all.

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays

GRACE

“Hmmm.” Grace hummed, knowing full well that he wasn’t telling the truth about her father. She knew how he could be and she knew how much he detested Trevor. At his touch she did her best not to tense up. If this was any other time she would have thought he was drunk but she knew very well he hadn’t had anything to drink today. This was why it was so confusing with him, he was so infuriating and then it was like he was trying to hard to make up for it. She wasn’t exactly comfortable with what he was doing, but she tried not show him that or push him away. They did have to sit through dinner after all.

It was when he kissed her cheek that she distanced herself from him. Turning and stepping around him to check on the pies in the oven. Her and Mark weren’t even that touchy when her dad was around. She couldn’t tell if he was doing that to spite her old man or if it was a not so appropriate way to show how he felt, whatever he felt. “Go watch the game Trevor.” The slightly frazzled brunette told him, her voice monotone. “I’m almost done here anyway.” She added, standing up from checking the pies in the oven and looking at him. She smiled and wiped her hands on her apron.

“You’re welcome,” She nodded, “No one should spend the holidays alone. We’re happy to have you here.” While the ‘we’ part of the last sentence may not be true, as her father was probably being difficult, she was happy to have him there. It took a weird turn, him kissing her on the cheek like that, but she was glad he decided to join them. “I’ll let you know when the food is done. Let me know if you need anything else. I’m going to go check on my dad.” Grace moved toward the back door, draping her apron on a chair and grabbing a jacket on one of the hooks.

TREVOR

The kiss to her cheek was a kind gesture, but he knew that it might make her uncomfortable and it likely did. It wasn’t like he ever did anything right with her anyway, right? Pulled from his thoughts by her very obviously different tone, Trevor nodded, filling his cup with the wassail and making his way to stand and watch the game. Sure, he knew some about football, but not enough to actually care to watch it. Running his free hand’s fingers through his locks, he sighed, shaking his head. This was where he was left when she went outside. 

Grace meant a lot to Trevor, even if she wasn’t supposed to, even if she wasn’t interested. Continuously he had to convince himself that this was about friendship, even if the inkling he had was that it was definitely not just a friendly interaction they were having. Making Thanksgiving dinner together had been the first time they seemed to get along smoothly and his stupidity ruined that. Sighing, he set his mug on a coaster and went out the front door, walking down the driveway and lighting a cigarette. It might not have been the healthiest coping mechanism, but it wasn’t like getting high or drunk was an option currently. 

Folded arms over his chest and he was, unknowingly, pacing in a small circle as he smoked. Thoughts of Thanksgivings in the past reeled through his head as he slowly became emotional and realized that maybe this wasn’t the best idea. Maybe he should have just kept to himself. Looking back at the house, he wondered if he should just go. The flowers, the wassail - none of it fixed the fact that everyone saw him as a washed up, broken kid who wasn’t good for much of anything. Even Owen. Even Grace. No one was going to give him the time of day. Snubbing his cigarette on the side of the tree, he slid it back into the box, not willing to litter on Mr. Montgomery’s driveway. 

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays

GRACE

There was a small fire in the older man’s eyes when Trevor called him by his first name. “It’s Mr. Montgomery” He corrected the younger man, curious as to what he meant about Mark but not bothering to ask. He let out a scoff, “Grace doesn’t know the meaning of hate. And if you knew her you’d know that.” The words were pretty much in one ear and out the other at this point. If this boy thought he deserved credit for being a decent human, he was mistaken. As Trevor started to walk away Owen called out to him “Don’t touch my alcohol!” He muttered some other nonsense under his breath now that he was alone.

Grace turned her head when she heard the door opened and smiled when she saw who was walking in. Granted, whoever it was she would have smiled anyway. “I’m doing fine. You?” She had a feeling that little alone time with her father may not have gone over smoothly. “My dad wasn’t giving you a hard time, was he?” She was busy getting the desserts, pies of all sorts, made. Some of them were already in the oven and as she waited for those she was setting the table. All the food was laid out on the table and what couldn’t fit there was out on the counter. One space left open for the turkey.

“You can go watch the game if you want. I can take things from here. It’s just the desserts I’m waiting on really.” The brunette tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear. “When the turkey is done, I’ll let you know. Go, relax, drink some more of your wassail.” She was close to physically shooing him out of the kitchen, but she thought that that would be rather rude.

TREVOR

Listening to Owen showed Trevor, once again, why he didn’t trust authority figures. This man was just never going to give him the time of day. No matter how much he changed or how much he pushed himself, Grace’s dad would still think Trevor couldn’t be any different. It was part of why cops were so annoying to him. They never gave you any advice or any help. “Mr. Montgomery, with all due respect, I’d appreciate it if you could try to give me the time of day,” he spoke, looking over his shoulder as he opened the door to go inside. “Because I think your daughter likes me more than you want her to,” and with that, he slipped into the house. 

“Your dad was great,” he lied, not needing to make Grace feel some type of way about the exchange her friend and father had. Besides, the only reason Grace had even invited him there was out of pity. “You’ve been busy,” he commented, smiling at the desserts that she’d gotten ready, his hands moving to smooth over her shoulders and down her arms. It was a kind gesture - nothing too much. As she spoke, Trevor just smiled, looking at her like she was a little bit crazy. It wasn’t his desire to just leave her there working hard by herself. 

“If you want help, tell me,” he spoke, purposely using want versus need, knowing very well she was proud of her independence. Turning his head, his lips were close to her ear, hands on her arms still, and he whispered. “Thank you for letting me join,” before pressing his lips to her cheek, squeezing her arms gently, and turning to grab his mug from before and fill it with the warm drink he’d made. 

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays

GRACE

The way Trevor’s expression changed did not go unnoticed to Owen. Who was this guy, the one that more times than he can count was pulled over and thrown into the drunk tank. He laughed, “This isn’t my town.” He corrected the younger man. “I may be the sheriff but the town is everyone’s and it’s people like you who are reckless that make it more unsafe.” He spoke as he lit a fire underneath the pot to get it to the right temperature to fry the bird. “I don’t like my daughter being around such recklessness, but I can’t control who she decides to to befriend. I’ve taught her well, and I trust her to trust her instincts.”

He pulled out a folding chair and sat down, there was another one leaning up against the house for Trevor to take if he chose to. He still was far from trusting this young man and he had a lot to prove that he was changing for the better because of his daughter. "Words mean very little.” Owen looked at Trevor with a stern face, “I don’t doubt that she’s trying to make you a better person, but how do I know you’re not just saying that?”

When it was time to put the turkey into the hot oil he asked Trevor to lift the lid and then told him to step back. It was dangerous deep frying a turkey even if you knew what you were doing. Back in his seat, Mr. Montgomery checked his watch to note the time. “All I’m saying Trevor is that if you want to be in her life, you better prove that you deserve her.” Whether they were just friends or if they wanted to be more, he didn’t like think about that.

TREVOR

It was easy to see how Grace ended up how she was with a father like Owen. Automatically correcting him like there was no way he could be right. No way could a kid like Trevor Cason ever be right. It was almost inevitable that Trevor looked to the ground, let out a soft, huffy laugh and licked his lips. “Sir, it wasn’t my intention to imply that you owned the place,” he nodded, hands in his jean pockets as he shifted from foot to foot. He wasn’t some amazing guy with a tie on who said thank you for letting him be there. Trevor knew he wasn’t ideal. “Owen, I’m not perfect, I can get behind your distaste for me, but I hope you know that boys like Mark aren’t any better than I am,” he commented, one hand raking through his hair. 

There was no need to sit, he felt more comfortable standing around a man like this. A man who didn’t offer him a beer - likely due to his past encounters with him. Trevor figured that was probably best. “You don’t know if I’m just saying that. Or if Grace even cares if she’s making me a better person,” he spoke slowly, calculating his words as he kicked slightly at a stone on the ground. “I’m pretty sure your daughter hates me as much as you do,” Trevor punctuated his words with a soft laugh. 

Doing as the older man said, he watched Owen. His wife died when he gave birth to his beautiful daughter and if this was how he felt about his most precious thing, Trevor couldn’t blame him. Even in the dark haired boy’s eyes... she was pretty damn near perfect. “I’m not here to do anything else,” he took a long slow breath, shaking his head. “But I think I should get some credit for not swearing in front of you and for having been out of that jail cell since I’ve met her,” he nodded, looking inside. “I’m going to check to see if she needs anything. Another beer?” Trevor asked, nodding toward the man’s hand. 

Once back inside, he slipped up behind Grace, once again that hand on the small of her back. “How ya doing, golden girl?”

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

justalilgrace:

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays

GRACE

“There’s bacon in there!” She exclaimed, looking at the finished dish to make sure he wasn’t actually right. “You just didn’t get any in that bite.” Grace laughed lightly and then looked at the mug he was handing her. Normally she would question if it was an alcoholic drink but she watched him make it. She took the mug from him and raised a brow. “There is very little food or drink that I don’t like.” She said as if he was challenging her to like the drink. She took a sip and pressed her lips together. It was delicious, probably something she would need to add to every Thanksgiving meal from now one. “This is magical.” She grinned and took another sip.

The brunette set the mug down and looked around at all the finished dishes. “Yeah, my dad should start the turkey now.” She turned the music down, even though it wasn’t that loud. “Dad!” She called out, “It’s time to start the turkey.” She could hear a rustling in the living room, her father working to get out of his recliner.

“Trevor, come help me set up.” Owen said as if it were an order rather than a suggestion. The two of them went out in the backyard to set up fryer. He disappeared in and out of the house to gather what they needed. He brought out the cooler which had the turkey. “Fill that pot up, but not all the way, just to here.” He showed what Trevor needed to do. “So…Trevor. I don’t know how you know my daughter, but just know whatever game you may be playing, I don’t approve.”

TREVOR

“You asked me what was missing,” he pointed out, the smirk on his face hard to hide. “That’s what’s missing, golden girl,” Trevor chuckled, watching as she eyed the glass. It would taste amazing with some Bourbon or Whiskey added into it, but it was definitely delicious on its own. If anything reminded him of home and the holidays, it was this drink. “And what don’t you you like?” he asked, the grin and second sip noting to him that her compliment was genuine. Magical was absolutely the right word for the warm drink. 

Once Owen had approached him to help, Trevor followed him outside and started filling the pot up with oil to the line that he’d shown him carefully. There was something about this man that made it hard to believe that Grace was who she was. As he filled the pot, he remained quiet, until Owen seemed to have more to say. About his daughter. Trevor could have audibly groaned. He was terrible at opening up to anyone and when feelings were brought up, he was sure to close off. 

“Sir, with all due respect,” he paused and rose from his bent position, closing the lid to the oil container and wiping his hands on his jeans. They weren’t anything special. “Your daughter isn’t a game that I’m playing.” he looked inside as he spoke, watching her around the kitchen and letting a smile tug at his lips. “I am aware that I’m the last person anyone would want their kid to hang around, but she’s making me a better person. Something I’m sure you’re proud of since you likely want less assholes like myself on the street corrupting your town,”

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

justalilgrace:

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays.

GRACE:

A quiet laugh, one that was under her breath and to herself left Grace’s lips when she heard Trevor call her dad sir. It was unnecessary and too much but she appreciated that he wasn’t trying to ruffle her dad’s feathers. Her dad might appreciate the it. She was busying herself with getting one of the many sides dished out since it was done. “Um…” she hummed, more focus on not making too big of a mess than answering his simple question. Even from where she stood, and with all the other fragrances fill the room, she caught a hint of his wassail and it smelled heavenly.

“Yes, there in the cabinet up to the right of the sink.” She motioned with her head to where she was talking about. “Wait, try this first…” She got a fork and a bite for him to take of a new dish she was trying out. “It’s bacon balsamic brussel sprouts. I try to make a new dish every year and this is it.” She held one hand under the fork just in case any food fell and waited for him to take the bite. “If it’s no good then I’ll just toss it.” She sighed, she hated throwing out food when it could be given to the homeless but she didn’t want to subject them to something awful. Besides whatever leftovers they had after visiting the police station would go to the homeless shelter.

“I mean, if you don’t like brussel sprouts then I’ll just ask my dad to try them. They don’t taste bad to me, but I just feel like something is missing.” The brunette pressed her lips together, the feeling that she was talking too much started to overcome her. She could be passionate about a lot of things, and cooking was one of them. At one point in her life she entertained the idea of being a chef, but the pressure to constantly make something that people love was too much for her. She could cook for her and her father, and then close friends, but for complete strangers…she let out a sigh as she tried to derail her thoughts.

TREVOR

It was easy to watch Grace in the kitchen with how happy and comfortable she seemed. This always used to stress his mother and aunt out so much, he was almost shocked that it didn’t do the same to his friend. If he could even really call Grace that at this point. Their previous issues hadn’t been talked about yet and maybe that was plaguing his mind, but when he asked her a question, he was sure that she was so focused on the task at hand she might forget what he asked. But she recovered. 

When she told him where the mugs were but had him wait, Trevor’s smiles was to genuine. He liked her when she was cooking. Much more focused on the task at hand than how annoyed she was with him. Perhaps that was why they didn’t need to talk about what had happened, because she was preoccupied with making a much too large meal for the amount of people who were present. Opening his mouth, he settled his hand lightly on her wrist, guiding the fork to his lips. He easily took the brussel sprout into his mouth and kept his eye contact with her. He did, in fact, hate brussel sprouts, but these were pretty damn good. “You forgot to put the bacon in it,” he chuckled softly, moving to fill a small amount of the cup with the cider. 

Handing the mug to the girl, he quirked an eyebrow at her. “If you hate this, I’ll just drink it all. So it’s a win for me either way,” Trevor chuckled, filling a second mug full of the drink. He loved the cranberry-apple-cinnamon flavor that seemed to actually make him feel like he wasn’t such a terrible person. Something about certain foods and drinks could really soothe the soul. That was for certain. “The potatoes will be ready to mash in like 45 minutes, right? Then just the turkey,” he asked, wanting to make sure there was nothing else for him to take care of while she tried the wassail. 

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays.

GRACE

Grace went through a few cupboards to find a big enough pot for him to place the freshly peeled potatoes. “Here,” She set a big pot on the counter. “You can put all the potatoes in here. We probably need all of them.” She pointed to the bag he took, “I hope I don’t have to get into the other bags we have.” Her father bought three just in case, but a part of her knew he bought so many because she wanted to make extra for him to keep once she goes back to college.

She checked the time before moving onto the next dish. The television noises mixed with the music playing almost hid Trevor’s singing. It took her a little while to figure out where the noise was coming from before realizing it was in fact Trevor singing to himself. Their backs were to each other but she looked over her shoulder and grinned. It was sweet, and he wasn’t half bad. She turned back to what she was doing and listened more closely. The brunette didn’t know he had musical talent, she knew he had decent musical taste, but talent, no. She didn’t bring it up, she didn’t want to embarrass him somehow, maybe he was shy when it came to singing.

After some time her father came into the kitchen to get another beer, and to check up on them. “Smells good sweetie.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and kissed the side of her head before going to the fridge to get his drink.

“Thanks dad, Trevor is actually quite useful.” She laughed. “You should probably start the turkey soon, so it’s ready when everything else is.”

Her father looked at Trevor out of the corner of his eye as he opened her beer and took a drink. “Okay. I’ll start setting up everything soon. It should only take about an hour to cook.”

“You can get Trevor to help you if you need it.” Grace said then froze for a second. It wasn’t the best idea to leave those two alone so why she suggested it was beyond her.

Owen wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to her suggestion. “We’ll see. I don’t want to steal away your helper.” The older man disappeared back into the living room to watch a little bit more of the game.

It was just the two of them again, Grace checked what she had in the oven and on the stove. and in all the other little cooking cooking appliances she brought out in order to make everything at once. “How’s your, um-” She thought for a second to remember the name- “wassail coming along?”

TREVOR

In response to Grace’s instructions, Trevor nodded, eyebrows raised with a smile. Maybe her father didn’t help that much in the kitchen, but when you lived with an aunt like his, you often learned to follow instructions well. His Aunt Carla constantly made him peel potatoes, chop vegetables, and open jars/cans. It was almost their way of bonding. But Trevor had learned his lesson with Grace. He should just keep his mouth shut most of the time. So, that’s what he did, softly humming and singing to himself as he peeled the potatoes.

When Grace’s dad got up from his chair in the living room, Trevor instantly stopped singing. Authority wasn’t his favorite, but this man wasn’t his biggest fan. Rightfully so, he’d put him behind bars a few too many times. Tensing up a little, Trevor watched him out of the corner of his eye, peeling potatoes and quartering them before tossing them into this huge pot. These mashed potatoes must have been really amazing. Why else would they make so much? It was almost hard for the young man to watch Grace with her father. He wondered if he’d had someone love him that much, enough to stick around despite not having a partner, if he’d have turned out differently.

“Happy to help if you need it, sir,” Trevor nodded as Owen left to head back into the living room. It was a tense, forced sentence, but he had to be grateful. Not only was it Thanksgiving, but he’d been invited last minute.

Trevor finished the potatoes, filling the pot with water and lifting it onto the stove. How she was strong enough to lift this gargantuan thing was beyond him. Covering it with a lid, he turned it on so the water could start boiling.

At the sound of Grace asking about the Wassail, he lifted the lid, fragrant apple cider and cinnamon seeping into the air as he stirred the pot. “I’d say that it’s probably good to go,” he nodded, easily setting the lid down so the condensation didn’t get everywhere. “Do you have a few mugs? I think you’ll like it,” Trevor and Grace seemed to do best in an environment where they were forced to do something together and be nice to each other. For the first time since meeting Grace, he didn’t feel like a nuisance. Even that night when she’d been hit by her ex boyfriend hadn’t made him feel like he mattered.

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays.

GRACE

Grace rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head and giving him a bit of a nudge, but still smiling. The nickname he had given her as grown on her now and instead of it annoying her, she finds it welcoming. “Wassail?” She nodded, wiping her hands on her apron before started to cut up some onions, mushrooms, and green beans. She looked over at him when he paused, nodding again when he finished his thought. A small, sincere smile formed on her lips, “Well I’m sure it’s going to be delicious.” She looked back down at the cutting board and focused on the task at hand.

He was lucky to have those moments with his mother. Of course it wasn’t ideal that his father passed away and then his mother. But at least he had some time with them. Cooking was something she got into because she found a small box full of handwritten recipes. Her dad told her it was passed down each generation of females on her mother’s side and when he pulled out the ones that were written by Sadie herself, well Grace couldn’t help but fixate on those first. This was one of the ways she could feel connected to her mother, and grandmother, and great-grandmother, and so forth and so on.

The oven was heating up for the ham she had taken out and already glazed. Now she was working on the green bean casserole. She wasn’t used to sharing the kitchen, and whenever he moved around her, his touch sent a chill down her spine. A verbal warning would have sufficed but he continually placed his hand on her back. It didn’t make her uncomfortable, it was just something she thought was strange. For someone who has made it clear she wasn’t all that great and was in fact not a good person, those touches made her think there was something she wasn’t getting.

The oven beeped and she quickly put the ham in. The green bean casserole was underway, she was sautéing the onions and mushrooms in the butter, boiling the chicken broth for the green beans, before mixing all the other ingredients together. The noise of the football game in the other room was not something the brunette could handle much more. When she had a chance she took out her phone, plugging it into a set of small speakers and pressing play. The music wasn’t too loud but enough to drown out the television and put her at ease. She didn’t even think about what was playing or realize it was a song off of the playlist Trevor gave her months ago.

Grace was humming along, her mind three steps ahead of what her body was doing as she thought about the next dish that needed to be tackled. She looked over to see if Trevor needed a task, “Can you help peel potatoes when you have a chance.” She set a bag of potatoes on the counter. “The mashed potatoes are a crowd favorite so I need to make a lot of them.” She sighed but then blew some stray hairs out of her face.

TREVOR 

Trevor didn’t know what it was like to grow up without one parent. Sure, he had time with his parents but they both died in the same year and well, you didn’t really come back from that. Sometimes he wanted to ask her what it was like - to never know her. Death was a scary, very personal subject and he wasn’t going to be the asshole who asked her out of nowhere. Someday maybe they’d both open up about losing a parent, but until then, he’d keep wondering about how she handled all of that. If people asking about her mom was more difficult than he’d ever understand. He couldn’t imagine it not being that way. 

“If you hate it, just lie to me and say it’s delicious,” he joked gently, stirring the liquid a little more before putting a cover on the pot and slipping around her. As she asked him about peeling potatoes, Trevor nodded, moving to wash his hands. The music that was playing was familiar, but it didn’t quite pop out to him that it was of the songs that he’d put on the mixtape he’d given her. How far they’d come since then - possibly on worse pages now than before. But still, here he was, touching her back, making Thanksgiving dinner with her. 

The girl was frustrating for Trevor and he was sure she knew that. There was never a hint that she actually cared about him or that she wanted him to open up to her. It felt like they were in a continuing battle to find out which of them was going to break first. Their conversations were consistently filled with words that sounded negative about the other human, but they kept coming back. He wanted to figure out what it was about her that made it so easy for him to keep coming back. He wanted to know why he couldn’t walk away and if someone asked him - he wouldn’t have an answer at this point in time. 

“Then a lot of them, we will make,” he nodded, a rare, genuine smile creeping onto his lips when she blew some of her hair from her face. He grabbed the bag of potatoes and rinsed them off before peeling them into a trash can. A song started to play and Trevor sang lowly as it did, not realizing it would be the first time Grace ever heard him do anything musical. 

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays.

GRACE

Grace took the bouquet of flowers and didn’t question him on the gesture. She wasn’t expecting this, and the flowers she had to admit were beautiful. She put them in a vase of water before disappearing upstairs and leaving the two men alone. Her father grumbled, something that probably wasn’t a pleasant thought but at least he kept it mostly to himself. He did his best to remain civil with the younger man which was hard since all their interactions before this consisted of Owen throwing Trevor into a holding cell to sober up. Luckily it wasn’t long before Grace returned and saved Trevor from any further interaction with her father.

In the kitchen, the two seemed to be getting along better than usual. “Really?” She raised a brow at him and recalled the one time she showed up with a muffin basket for his aunt. That was when she found out he was her nephew and started to sympathize with him a little more. She remembered him making a silly comment about his hot pockets beating her muffins which made her think he wasn’t all that skilled in the kitchen. “And here I thought the only things you could make only required a microwave.” She laughed as she got out a pot she knew she wouldn’t need. “Here you go.” She set it on the counter close to him.

She busied herself by getting all the foods and ingredients she would need for all her dishes but watched out of the corner of her eye to see what he doing. “What are you making anyway?” She put out the ham that had defrosted, that was the first thing she would be working on. “Thanks for the flowers, by the way.” She said as she gathered brown sugar and honey and a sauce pan to make the ham glaze. “They’re lovely.” She nodded, looking over her shoulder toward him.

It was nice that he wasn’t in her way and they were able to do their own things. She washed the ham and placed it in the over. She wouldn’t make the glaze until it was closer to when she needed it. Instead she continued to get everything out she needed and soon the counters were covered with what soon would be a Thanksgiving feast. “What are you anyway?” Grace wondered, moving closer to him and peaking into the pot.

TREVOR

Trevor was being sure to remain on his best behavior - especially with commander dad in the next room. He wasn’t usually great with parents. They just reminded him of the support he didn’t have growing up and it made him feel guilty for being mad at his dad for dying. Which, in his mind, was the only reason his mother had. Grace’s father, though, wasn’t quite as bad as he had expected. Old and fairly grumbly, sure, but nothing that made the dark haired young man feel like he had anything to prove. Owen already knew that Trevor was a bad kid anyway. Who was he trying to fool?

“No, not really,” he laughed softly. He was terrible in the kitchen. Following instructions, he could do, so if Grace was able to just direct him on what to do, he’d easily impress her. Maybe. “I mostly eat ramen and hot pockets, so you’re not far off,” Trevor shrugged, knowing that she was entirely good in this realm. Muffins and goodies that she dropped off everywhere. There were only two things that he could actually make - one of which was currently getting started in the pot she’d handed him. 

Working separately, but in the same vicinity, seemed to work well for them. When he read while she studied in the library, they seemed to get along well. And now? Even better. Crossing the kitchen behind her, he slid his hand onto her lower back just to let her know he was there. If he had to grab something from around her, he made sure to let her know where he was. Neither of them would run into each other or get too frustrated this way. And Trevor badly wanted to keep Grace from getting frustrated with him. “Don’t mention it,” he spoke back about the flowers, a small smile on his face. At least he’d done one thing right. 

“The pot can’t talk, golden girl,” he commented softly, a slow laugh leaving his lips. He stirred the apples, cranberries, orange slices, and cinnamon around before explaining the drink to her. “In a solid 4 hours, we will have something called wassail,” Trevor looked over at her, trying to make sure he explained this as succinctly as possible. Vulnerability wasn’t his thing. “My mother used to make this at every holiday and, oddly enough, taught me how to make it after my dad died. So I guess,” he paused, clearing his throat. “I wanted to share it with you,”

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

Text | 10.25.17

GRACE:Hey

TREVOR: hi?

GRACE: How are you?

TREVOR: been doing fine.

GRACE: Okay...

I wanted to say sorry for how I was acting

But you should never put your hand over a woman's mouth

Or tell them they're hangry or angry

It'll just make things worse

TREVOR: apologies don't count when you have to qualify them

GRACE: Do you honestly think that behavior would have gone over well with any girl?

TREVOR: I think you need to learn to take a joke

GRACE: How was any of that a joke?

TREVOR: Oh, come on, Grace. calling someone hangry is always a fucking joke

and putting my hand over your mouth was supposed to be funny

GRACE: I'm just saying pointing out that someone isn't in the best mood never makes it better

And covering my mouth was not funny at all

You know that's what kidnappers do

TREVOR: Grace

am I a kidnapper?

Fuck this. I have called many people hangry

and they never get the fuck up and leave

GRACE: You practically left first. You went to your death on two wheels and then waited until I got my ride

Then followed it back to my dorm

You're not a kidnapper, you're a stalker

Ugh idk why I'm even trying to apologize right now

TREVOR: I made sure you got home okay and now i'm a stalker?

you know, Grace

for someone who thinks I should be nicer, you're a real fucking bitch

GRACE: Wow

Bye Trevor

I thought we were friends or on our way to that at least

But don't text me or call

And don't come visit next time you're in towen

TREVOR: I thought we were too

I was on my best behavior just because of you

and then you call me a stalker, act like you don't want me around when I came to visit YOU, and constantly judge the decisions I make

I don't usually give a fuck

but I did about you

so whatever

bye.

[trevorcason]

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays.

GRACE

His words hurt more than she expected, Grace almost wanted to take back her invite. Insinuating that she was the last person he’d want to spend Thanksgiving with, and telling her she was the least grateful person. She had to remind herself that he had lost a lot, and this lash wasn’t solely directed at her. Sure some of it was, and that was fine, they didn’t leave things off on a great foot. Yet he was the one that approached her in the cemetery, he could have just left and she wouldn’t know any better. A part of him must have wanted to be around her. It was always one extreme or another with him, and he probably felt the same about her.

Still she insisted that he join them, smiling as she let the harsh words he just said slide off her nonexistent shell. “It’s not out of pity Trevor, I just thought you would like a home cooked meal, that’s all.” She wondered if he had ever had a traditional home cooked Thanksgiving meal, with his parents passing when he was younger and his aunt never dealing all that well. She couldn’t imagine she ever had the energy to cook a feast. The idea of him helping her in the kitchen wasn’t exactly appealing. Even though she suggested it, when she thought about it further she just saw how disastrous it could be. First, she didn’t believe that he was at all okay with following directions. Second, her father would be watching them like a hawk which meant the kitchen would be too crowded for her liking. If him helping her was the only way he’d join them, then she’d push through it.

“I could use an extra pair of hands, if you’re willing.” She nodded. “We have to leave now though. There is a lot to be done.” Grace walked passed him, toward her car. “I’ll meet you at my house, and don’t go speeding on that death trap of yours.” She assumed he came here on his motorcycle. “If you beat me there, wait for me. I should be the one to tell my dad you’re going to be joining us.” She was walking backwards as she spoke to him and spun back around a few more steps away from her car.

She slide into the driver’s seat and starting the car, turning the heater on even though the car needed a few minutes to warm up. The drive wasn’t terribly far, there was a chance the heater wouldn’t even kick in until she got home. She pulled into the driveway and noticed some lights were on, that meant her dad was awake and moving. “Dad!” She called out once inside, kicking her shoes off at the door and hanging her coat on the hooks they had mounted on the wall. He greeted her in the living room and she placed a kiss on his cheek. “Hey dad, I ran into someone at the cemetery.” She hesitated and could tell her father was waiting for her to finish her story. “It was Trevor. How come you didn’t tell me his aunt passed?” No response. “I invited over for Thanksgiving, he should be here any minute. Be nice, will you?”

There was a flash of concern mixed with anger across his face that didn’t go unnoticed by his daughter. “Grace…”

“Dad…” She replied with the same sternness in her voice that he carried. “He shouldn’t spend today alone, okay?”

Owen’s facial expression softened, he knew she was right. “Okay, but if he does anything that I don’t like, he’s out.”

“Anything you don’t like within reason.” Grace raised a brow. The doorbell rang which caused her to jump. “He’s going to be helping me in the kitchen. I promise he won’t get into any trouble.”

“You don’t even like when I help in the kitchen.” Her father said in disbelief but chuckled. This would be interesting to see. He moved to the door and opened it. “Mr. Cason.” He stood in the middle of the doorway, arms crossed.

After a moment of him not moving and staring down Trevor, Grace chimed in. “Dad, come on, the game is about start. Trevor you can wait for me in the kitchen. Unless you want to watch the game with my dad.” It took a lot for her not to laugh at the thought of them doing that. “I just need to put some things away.” She disappeared upstairs into her room. She took off her grey sweater - she didn’t want to dirty it while cooking - and put her purse away. It wasn’t too long before she returned downstairs. Her dad was content in front of the TV, although he did give her a look when she came down the stairs.

She turned into the kitchen and grabbed an apron. “Do you want one?” She offered, although she was fairly certain the answer would be no. “How much cooking experience do you have? I need an idea of what to task you with.”

TREVOR

Trevor was unsure of how to feel about Grace’s invitation to have him for Thanksgiving. Holidays were for families and he’d never been quite great at the family thing. When your parents pass away at a young age, Thanksgiving and Christmas feel more like calendared reminders of death than anything else. He assumed that for Grace that might have been how it felt, too. For her father, even more. It was almost certainly the right time and the right people for him to celebrate with. Even with his aunt and her illness, the past few years had been more about the parade than the food or the family. It had been her favorite thing. 

“Thank you, Grace,” Trevor could’ve choked on the words. They were a little difficult to utter when you were so used to being an unapologetic asshole. But the girl was trying, which was more than he could say for most. Their ability to always run into one another and her desire to make him feel included seemed to cause them to be in more situations with one another than you’d think. Grace’s capacity to somewhat forgive him seemed to make him want to forget all about their mishaps in Stanford and the texts he sent in vain. Sure, he felt like she gave him a harder time than she needed to, but Trevor knew that he wasn’t exactly kind to her. 

“Cars are also dangerous, golden girl,” he chimed, walking backwards to his motorcycle, hands in his pocket. The smirk on his face ever evident. Grace always seemed to make him want to be a better person, a smarter person,  safer person. The motorcycle would never go away though. 

On his way to the Montgomery’s, Trevor stopped in at the local grocery that would soon be closing and purchased everything he needed to make the apple cider his mom used to make. It was the only holiday tradition that he truly cared about, not that he’d admit that. Picking out a bouquet of flowers, he made his way to the house, standing outside for a while before actually going to the door. 

“Sheriff Montgomery,” Trevor nodded, trying not to smile. “Nice to see you outside of the station,” he commented, cringing at it just after speaking. Could he be less himself? He’d try. 

“These are for you, Grace,” he handed her the bouquet of flowers, keeping the bag of ingredients in his hand. When the girl disappeared upstairs, Trevor tried his hand at talking to her father. 

“So, Mr. Montgomery, any predictions for the games today?” Trevor asked, the two spoke (albeit short answers from Owen) until Grace reappeared. The dark haired boy’s face almost visibly relaxed. He followed her into the kitchen, shaking his head when she asked about an apron. 

“I’m shockingly skilled in this area, golden girl,” he commented, his free hand settling on her lower back before asking her a question. “Do you have a large soup pot? I know you have a lot planned, but there’s just one thing I want to make. I brought everything for it.”

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays.

GRACE

October 10th, a week before he had suddenly showed up in California. Grace had a feeling then, but she didn’t pry, now she wished she did. Maybe things would have worked out differently if she had known, if he had told her. She was angry for a split second but then felt sympathy for him. He had gone to see to her in a time of need and she didn’t act so kindly toward him. “My dad doesn’t tell me anything that could distract me from school.” She said with a short laugh carrying a sarcastic tone. “I wish you would have told me. That’s why you went to California…” Before he could leave she quickly said goodbye to her mother and then walked toward him.

“Trevor, I know we didn’t leave things on the best of terms, but” She swallowed her pride in this moment. “Would you like to spend Thanksgiving with me?” It was better to ask than to order, although she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. She was certain he’d decline so before he could, she continued. “If you don’t already have any plans. No one should spend the holidays alone. My dad is deep frying a turkey and I’m in charge of the rest. I’m making apple pie, pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, yams, ham, and some other things.” She removed a hand from her pocket and wiped her nose, she was sure it was red from the cold.

“It’s a lot of food for two people, so we need all the help we can get to eat it all.” She always made an excessive amount of food because it was tradition to bring any leftover to the station and feed the officers that had to work the holiday. “And before you say no, just think about it, because I’m really not going to take no for an answer.” Grace smiled. “If you’re worried about my dad, don’t be. He’ll be nice.” She didn’t move as she waited for some sort of response, hoping he’d join them. “You can either come now and help make the food or you can come by around 2pm, everything should be done and ready to eat then.”

TREVOR

“Your dad should’ve told you,” Trevor said, his gaze now directed at the ground, black boots kicking softly at the frozen grass. This place made him hate himself, hate life. He almost wished he was one of the bodies deep beneath the surface. Hell had to be better than this life. Being vulnerable was something mostly foreign to him. He knew that Grace knew about his aunt, but the details of his parents dying always came up with this sort of thing, too. And his desire to share that was nonexistent. Even with Grace. 

“You think I want to spend Thanksgiving with you?” there was a laugh that left Trevor’s mouth after he spoke. More of a scoff, he shook his head before looking back at her. “The least grateful person I know is you,” he was frustrated and he knew he shouldn’t take that out on Grace, but she was making him mad. The reason he’d left Stanford, the reason he’d come back to Spearfish was because she made him feel like every effort he put in was worthless. So why would he continue to put more effort in? Besides, telling her this was just going to show him the same thing. Everyone leaves. 

It was when Grace smiled that Trevor knew he was fucked. It was the one way to make him feel like maybe he was actually worth something. “You can’t do that to me,” he shook his head, his facial expression still almost nonexistent. The feeling of someone reaching out to him was foreign. His own friends had given up on doing that a long time ago. “Look, if this is out of pity... I’m cool. I have some take out I can reheat,” he shrugged, turning to walk away before deciding to turn back to her. “But if you need help, I’m pretty decent at following directions,”

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays.

GRACE

Grace held her tongue, this was no place to argue with him, her mother didn’t need to witness how dysfunctional these two were. Se refused to look at him but almost nudged him when he stated she was tough as shit. That language, although she was sure her mother had heard it before, wasn’t appropriate in her mind. She was also just the tiniest bit annoyed that he was even talking her mom when she wanted to be alone but that wasn’t his fault necessarily. He could have left her alone, but she told herself his intentions were in the right place.

When he finally spoke to her, she turned to look at him but only for a moment because he turned away to leave. It was now that she caught a glimpse of his eyes and how they carried signs of tears being shed. Her heart sank for him and she could only assume he was here to visit his aunt. He was a few feet away before she spoke up. “Trevor,” She exhaled a long breath, she wasn’t going to both with anytime of hello not when he didn’t provide the same courtesy. The brunette didn’t know how to ask if his aunt had passed. She didn’t want to bring it up but she wanted to know. There were a lot of people he’d lost, maybe he was visiting them, it was Thanksgiving after all, it was a time for family.

She was looking at the flowers again, it was far too cold for them but the purple was striking against the frost covered grass and grayness of the headstone. “Did Clara…” She couldn’t even finish the question, a part of her thinking if she didn’t know the truth then she could live in a world where she was still alive. It didn’t work like thought. Before he could even answer, she turned toward him, not just her head but her whole body shifted to face him. The distance between them stayed the same. “When?” She asked, looking him in the eye.

She wondered why he never told her, wondered how long he had kept this from her. Maybe she didn’t have the right to know, she wasn’t family but she became good friends with Clara during her time volunteering at the hospital. She lost someone too with Clara’s death. It wasn’t as much as Trevor, but it still hurt.

TREVOR

Death was a certainty in his life. It was hard to handle and something that he felt a little bit too used to. Every person who ever cared about him seemed to disappear into oblivion. Most of the time he didn’t ant to get close to anyone because the second they cared about him, it seemed like they’d fall apart in one way or another. Trevor knew that he probably overstepped boundaries that Grace had when he talked to her mom. But if she knew about his parents, well, maybe she’d know that it felt easier to talk to them than it did to act like they weren’t there. He wanted to tell Grace that her mom probably used swear words, too. For some reason, despite not knowing her, he felt like Grace would be a little more laid back had her mother helped raise her. 

With his back to her, his feet moving slowly through the frosty grass, he was surprised to hear Grace call out his name. His stomach sank, knowing that this could either go really well or it could make everything even worse between them. He wasn’t willing to try with Grace anymore. No matter how hard he did, she still had more negative things to say about him. Besides, her first off kindness was overshadowed by the fact that she was kind to everyone, except for him. Maybe because he pushed her to think differently, maybe because he went against everything she was. Regardless, diversity was a thing. 

Trevor turned around when she called out to him, his facial expression remaining the same. It was when she mentioned his aunt, that his lips parted, an exasperated sigh leaving his lips. He would’ve told her in California if she had just not greeted him like a nuisance. If she had just acted like he wasn’t a bother. The eye contact was solid as he responded. 

“October,” he spoke, his breath showing up in the air as he shifted on his feet. The mention of the month made his eyes feel like they were going to well up again. “10th. October 10th,” Trevor cleared his throat, taking a step backward. He had overstayed long enough. 

“I figured you’d heard. From your dad,” he nodded. “I’ll leave you alone with your mom, Grace,”

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

LOCATION → Spearfish Cemetery and Montgomery Home

TIME FRAME → Thursday morning, Nov 23, 2017

NOTES → Grace comes home for Thanksgiving and runs into Trevor at the cemetery while going to visit her mother. She finds out about his aunt’s passing and invites him over for dinner because no one should be alone during the holidays.

GRACE:

It was good to be back home, the big city was different, far more different than she ever imagined and not in a bad way, she loved it there, but she found comfort in her tiny hometown. It was Thanksgiving weekend, and she managed to come back even if it was just for a couple of days. Her flight didn’t land until about almost midnight and the drive from the airport was another hour, to say she wasn’t tired would be a lie. Grace dressed in layers, jeans, thick socks, boots, a t-shirt, a grey sweater, and a black wool jacket. She kept her hair down in her messy curls and put on a beanie that matched her sweater.

She stopped by the florist and picked a custom bouquet of all sorts of flowers that were purple, she was told that was her mother’s favorite color. It was still foggy when she arrived at the cemetery, the sun was hiding behind the clouds. It was eery but peaceful, quiet, she parked next to the section her mother was buried at and got out of the car. She closed the door slowly, as to not slam it and breathed in the cold air and let out a long exhale, her breath visible as she did so. As she walked past the grave markers she read their names and wondered what their stories are, she did this every time.

She stopped when she reached the one that read Sadie Montgomery March 20, 1969 to June 10, 1999. “Hi mom,” She whispered, kneeling down to place the bouquet of flowers on the ground. Grace traced her mother’s name with with her fingertips, and gave a weak smile. She stood there for a long while, recalling all the stories her father had told her and wished she had grown up with her mom by their side. She thought she was the only one at the cemetery, so when she heard footsteps approaching her, the frozen grass crunching beneath the weight of the person, she was expecting it to be her father.

When she saw that it was Trevor, shock overcame her and she was more frozen in her place than before. It had been about a month since they texted last and some not so nice words were exchanged. Why was he there? She didn’t say anything to him at first, instead she looked back to the ground, knelt down to fix the flowers - even though they didn’t need fixing but was something to distract her. She waited for him to speak first, she had nothing to say him, although as the silent moments passed she began to wonder about his aunt.

TREVOR 

The past month or two had been a little rough. The dark haired loner had spent a majority of his time drinking and getting to know the bottoms of whiskey bottles like they were his best friends. Living in a house that felt like he was an intruder, there was not a lot of warmth left in his world. Trevor knew that Grace had brought that to him - the desire to be a little less lonely and for life to feel a little more, well, alive. It was days when he woke up with a massive hangover laced with regret that he got up and made his way to the cemetery. These days were more frequent now than they had been when his Aunt Carla had first passed away. 

With his hands in the pockets of his black, not incredibly warm winter jacket, he stood in front of her grave. There wasn’t snow on the ground, but everything was covered with a soft frost. Spearfish became incredibly cold from November through March and it was just beginning. Trevor used his gloved hand to brush some of the glistening ice off of the stone he’d chosen for his aunt’s grave. They had gone over what she wanted for months before she died and she wouldn’t choose the headstone. There was something too true about dying when you chose it. The engraving read ‘Carla Marie Mercer - 1963 - 2017 - just breathe.’. His cousins had wanted to add the last part, two words that his aunt often said when everything felt like it was going wrong. 

Trevor thought it was stupid. 

Tapping his hand on top of the headstone, he spoke briefly. “Damnit, Aunt Carla, tell mom and dad I miss them,” and with that, he turned to walk through the cemetery and back to his motorcycle. It was painful, her dying and leaving him alone again. It felt a lot like reliving the back to back deaths of his mother and father when he was eleven. The red rimmed eyes that had shown evidence of excessive crying clearly proved that at this point. It was when he was walking back to the motorcycle that he looked up and saw Grace. She never seemed to understand the beauty she contained in her small frame, but even after their last interaction, he saw every last piece of it. 

His feet stooped just as he passed her, causing him to turn around and lower himself next to her in a crouching position. The name on the headstone indicated that his thoughts of her visiting her mother’s grave were true. Trevor directed his words to Grace’s mother and not her. “Hey Mrs. Montgomery,” he started, his voice low and weary, his speech slow in cadence. “Just thought you should know you’ve got a pretty fucking great kid. You’d be proud of her, I’m sure. She’s tough as shit,” Trevor then extended his legs back up so he was standing. “I hope school is treating you well, Grace,” he said, before turning to walk away once more.

Thanksgiving

[trevorcason]

justalilgrace:

When the restaurant told them they were completely booked Grace was a little more than disappointed. He stomach growled again and she opened her mouth to ask how long the wait would be but before she could say a word Trevor’s hand stopped her. Why on earth he felt the need to silence her like this was beyond her, and actually started to make her a little angry. Instinct told her to elbow him, to cause him any sort of physical pain that would cause a reaction of him let her go.  

“Don’t ever do that again.” She said with a fire in her voice, probably the most stern she had ever been with him. She stormed off, only making it to the crosswalk before he caught up to her. After that she followed behind him but kept a distance. She had taken out her phone to see if her roommate could possibly pick her up, and if not how long an Uber would take to come get her. She thought grabbing a bite to eat with him was a good idea but now she was just annoyed. Perhaps her stomach growling added to her sour mood, all she wanted now was to be alone.

She glanced up from her small screen and noticed they had arrived. The nickname caused her to roll her eyes and only added to her worsening mood. Grace didn’t move any further. The way he silenced her, the hangry comment, the dramatic bow. He thought it was all fun and games and she wasn’t in the mood to play. “You know, thanks for the ride and all but I wouldn’t want to subject you to deal with my hangry ass belly anymore than you already have to. Plus I can get better food on campus. I’ll get an Uber to take me back.” She looked back down on her phone and started to order an Uber pick up. “We can try hanging out again later.” She added without looking up. 

Trevor was aware that they were like fire and ice with one another. The constant anger and frustration was something he had felt inside his entire life. But Grace confused him. She was never wanting to have fun, never okay with a joke, and he didn’t know how to read her. Part of it was why he liked her so much, but then this side of her? Well, it was making him rethink the effort he’d been putting in. It wasn’t like she even noticed an ounce of what he’d tried to put in, but then again, maybe he was just not ever going to be enough for her. Running his fingers through his hair as she talked, he nodded. There was no reason for him to try this anymore. He’d just head back to Spearfish tonight. 

“Well, fuck me for trying, right?” Trevor chuckled softly, moving toward the door of the establishment. “I hope your uber ride is as enjoyable to be around right now as you are,” he nodded, shaking his head as he exited the McDonald’s. There was a breaking point for everyone and this was his. Being alone was hard, but she was rejecting him before he’d even told her how he felt about her. That was a hell of a lot harder. The dark haired boy made his way back to his motorcycle, standing there and acting like he was busy until he saw Grace get into and uber. They weren’t very far from campus, but he wanted to make sure she got home safely. It was the same reason why he rode his motorcycle the entire way back to her place, only leaving there once he saw her get safely into her home. 

Swallowing his pride and better judgment, he shot her a text quickly. 

I’m glad you’re enjoying Stanford. Try to have a little fun. See ya. 

And with that sent, he made his way back to the motel he’d been stay in, packed up, and headed back to Spearfish. Trevor knew his place now and he also knew he would no longer be able to offer himself the way he had been before. His parents always told him that you could only try so hard for so long and if a person didn’t return what you gave, you had a choice to make. Trevor had just made his choice. 

Surprise, Surprise | 10.18.17