I woke up in bed when the sunlight kissed my face

I opened up the terrace door and welcomed the morning vibe of the sunshine

"Ah! It's a good day today!" I closed my eyes and stretch up in front of the terrace

When I opened my eyes, a guy from our front building was standing from there terrace, looking at me with a smile on his face, as he puts his hands on his pocket

"Good morning!" He shouted

My eyes turn bigger as it was before when I remembered I was wearing those open satin robes and my pink sports bra can be seen outside

I immediately closed my robe and turned inside still shocked

"What are you doing there sweetie? " Katie came out from the kitchen with a tray of teapot and cups

She stopped standing at the door and I was on the standing on the wall

"Uhh, n-nothing... why exactly that guy in there?" I pointed pouting my lips to the guy who greeted me lately

"Good morning there, buddies!" I heard her greeted our neighbors

I followed Katie outside when I fixed my robe

Now the guy wasn't alone. Spencer, the other guy I met yesterday when we went to Broody's house, was with him talking with each other.

"You mean Gray?" she put down the tray on the coffee table

I nodded silently

"Good morning Lauren!" Katie was about to talk when Spencer greeted me

"Hey morning!" I gladly greeted him back

"I thought he lives in that big house?" I continued our conversation with Katie whispering to her that makes her laugh

"You know, that punk doesn't have permanent residency sweetie," I think Katie's enjoying our conversation as she poured the tea on our cup

"and he's good at disguising too" Katie continued as she sat down in front of me and looked at Gray sitting with Spencer at there balcony on other building

"Are you talking about me there?" Gray with a loud voice

"Yes punk, I'm telling her to stay away from you!" Katie answered back without hesitation

Now they're talking like no one cares from the other neighborhood.

I can see some folks down the alleyways with happy faces as they are starting there days and some other people were peacefully having coffee and newspapers on their terrace.

"You got a nice place Katie" I complimented again and again

"Yeah, that's why I choose to stay here for five years long. Though I have some annoying neighbors " she louder her voice saying her last sentence

We both looked at the two guys. Spencer is busy on his phone and Gray were reading a document on his hand

Few minutes passed, a big yet dirty white car truck from the main highway few meters away entered the alleys and stopped in front of the building right in front of us

The next thing that happened shocked the whole neighborhood. It blew its horn so loud that makes the other people around shut it out

The main door of our front building opened and coming out of it was Gray. The same thing happened to the car's door. A big man get out from there and they both meet each other

Katie and I silently watching them up here at the terrace

"What does that punk did this time" Katie murmured

We cant hear their conversation but it seems to me that there's nothing wrong when they both fist-bumped together and the big guy gave Gray something looks like a key and then he walked away.

He was about to enter the building again when Spencer came out from the door with sling bag on his shoulder

"Nice car dude!" Spencer was so glad that makes him announce it to the whole alley

"WWhat'sreally happening here? Gray's driving a car again?" Katie continued murmured and II was just silently watching what's going on around

"Hey! Katie look what does Gray got in here" Spencer shouted from the street

"Nice vintage car dude! What makes you drive again?" Katie laughed and Gray just raised his middle finger to her from the street

Gray then went inside and Spencer walked away when they both done with there little conversation

"Where does that Spencer going to?"

"Ah, he's also working at the shop in front of the Sweetshop" Katie answered talking about the cafe she's working

Our conversation cut when we heard her phone rang inside

It's Broody saying he wanted to tell me something so Katie handed me her phone

"I think Broody have some tip for you" Katie with a usual smile on her face

As I put the phone on my ears he immediately talked

"Hey Lauren, I think my brother listens to me this time. I heard that he's also planning to find granddad and I think you can do it both"

I wrinkled my forehead from the last word he said

"What do you mean both?"

"You both will find Mr. Dewey," he said word by word

"I get it but do you think he will agree on that idea?"

"Why not" he has that confident tone

"So this is what you're talking about yesterday?"

"Yup, I just need to perfectly figure everything out before I could tell you about this" he explained

"Well okay, ill try talking to him"

"You should go now before he left"

I glance from our neighbors' window and I can see him putting his leather jacket on

I automatically handed the phone back to Katie and ran outside the building

"Careful sweetie!" Katie sounded inside the room

When I made it throughout the building I ran to his truck that arrived a while ago and get inside the passenger seat of his car that was been their topic a while ago

As I closed the car's door, their buildings main door also opened and coming out from it was Gray talking to his phone

He seemed so annoyed unto someone he's talking with

He entered his car without even noticing me beside him

"Just wait will you!" he shouted to his phone that makes me flinch a little

'What am I gonna do' i talked on my mind

When he shut his phone, that's when he noticed me sitting silently beside him

"What the--" he was shocked and now he's trying to calm down himself

I just smiled at him.

'Why does this man act a little bit cute sometimes'

'Gosh Lauren, what are you thinking '

now my mind's having conversations

"What are you doing here?" I just got back to reality when he talked with his deep voice

"Your brother told me you're looking for your grandfather "

"And?" He's still looking at me straightly

"and I was looking for him too" why the heck am I stammering

"So?"

"What do you mean so? "

He inhaled deeply in frustration before he continued talking and looked forward outside

"You know, I don't know why you're looking for that old man, but I'm sorry I can't help you. I don't even know where he is"

"But you know what he looks like"

"What? Of course, I do"

"Well good, -and I know some sources where we can locate him"

"We?"

I sighed this time

"I am terrible in recognizing faces you know"

"not surprising" he murmured at the middle of my talk while still looking straight outside

"and so...you know his face, I know the direction, we're looking for the same person, and surely we'll find him soon! Break it down!" I recited beside him like a funk

Now my poetic self was driving me and all he gave me was his death glare

I can't tell how much he wanted to kick me out of his car

"Get out of my car" he plainly said

'Okay that's it' i told myself

"But-" just before I can talk, he leaned forward on my face and stretched his hands reaching the door

"Now" he firmly uttered

his dark hazel eyes that seem so intimidating were locked in mind and I can already smell his mint breath.

I tried to calm down myself and act like his gestures were nothing

The door lock clicked and that alarmed me to immediately go outside

He reached the door himself and closed it then started the engine which gives me no hope to convince him

"Hey I was just-" I stopped when he flashed his eyes again on me

"I still have things to do okay, ill just see you tomorrow" he seems irritated but managed to sound gently

Just before he drove away I gave him the biggest smile

"Okay, dude! I'll take that as a Yes, alright?!" I shouted standing at the middle of the alleyway

He blows the horn loud until his car disappeared on my sight. Now I can barely hear those neighborhoods complaining about what Gray did as he exits the alley

The next morning, I waited early in front of our building staircase

After a few minutes, the sun is about to brighten up the alley when Gray came from their building

"How'd long you're in there?" He wrinkled his forehead while looking at me like a beggar wearing a baseball cap sitting on the stairs

"An hour I guess?" I stand up as he approached his truck parked in front of the building

His car almost get half of the alleyway, he's lucky that no one pulled out his truck from here

"Who told you to wait for me that early?" He enters inside the car and so am i

"You guess you agreed but didn't tell me the exact time when will you show up and Katie guessed you don't wanna do this with me, so" I sighed deeply for a moment before I continued

"Here I am just making sure about things you know" I smiled at him

"Well then I guess she guessed it right " he had this cold voice every time he talks

"Hey look, we can easily find Mr. Dewey if we help each other you know-"

"Okay okay I get " he tossed his palms on the air like surrendering

"Well, good. I just want to make it clear with you " I fixed my cap to lean it lower to my face

"What?" I furrowed my brows when he was just staring at me the whole time

"What's with that cap? Are you hiding your face or something?"

"Ah, this one? This was from my hero back in Louisiana a few days ago. I just think it'll be a lucky charm for us to easily find Mr. Dewey "

"Lucky charms my ass" he chuckled and started the engine

"So where will we start?" he asked changing the topic

Upon hearing that, I immediately reach for my bag and get the letter and picture that I received yesterday

"About that, I want you to see this. Maybe you know this address?"

I showed him the address written on the letter from Mr. Dewey before

Just by taking up a glance, he coldly looks at me

"You're kidding right?"

"What? No, I just-"

"We just met on that address back at my brother's party" he gritted his teeth

My jaw dropped and so I laughed nervously. So this was his old address and that's where I've been the last night at Broody's party?

"Ah w-wait, what about this, maybe you know someone from them"

I showed him the group picture that was with the letter

"I guess this was Mr. Dewey, right?" I pointed the soldier at the middle

He was just staring at the picture and didn't even bother answering me

It wasn't questionable, he looks like him. A manly face frame with dark eyes except that Gray has a long half tied hair. Some of his hair strands are freely waving at the side of his face

"Wait, I know this man" I came back to my senses when he pointed the man that was beside Mr. Dewey

"Yeah, it's him. Its Uncle George B." Now he looked like a child who saw his favorite hero in a movie

"Wait, Uncle George B. Do you mean George Bush? How come he's your Uncle?" my heads spinnin' right now

"Who the hell is that George Bush. It's George Boston. He's a family friend and he prefers to call him like that. Their family was cool you know" excitement can't hide from his face as he explains

"Look at this guy who doesn't even know the history. Okay, where can we find him? Maybe he knows something?"

"Surely he did. Buckle up, this will be a long ride" now he's smiling a bit

"Woah wait, how long? Like few miles away?" I think he doesn't mean what he said

"Exactly, from southern to Northern California!" my jaw dropped again as I locked my seatbelt

"You're joking" I seriously asked

"Do you think I am" he just grinned and start driving

We're already at the main street when he just blurted out at the middle of silence

"I don't mean to be rude, but what do you want from that old man?" his eyes were looking straight to the road

"Hey, don't just call him an old man. Don't you know that Mr. Dewey was been so respected by his comrades long ago"

"Okay, whatever"

"Mr. Grayson Dewey is the lover of Ms. Diwani Laura Hudson"

He stopped driving the car forcefully. I almost bumped my face on the dashboard yet thanks to the seatbelt.

"What the!"

"What did you just say?"

we screamed at once and I sharply looked back at him as soon as I fixed my cap that almost flew away

"He is Ms. Laura's, first love. Can't you just drive gently?"

"I can't believe that old man has a mistress" he murmured and continued manipulating the steering wheel

"Uh uh, nope. Don't call Ms. Laura a mistress. They meet first before your grandmother okay and I told you, don't call him an old man'"

I sighed before I continued

"...I just wanted to meet him"

"What for? You seemed miserable to find that old man?"

"I said no old man!" I sharply looked at him again

"Okay, okay Mr. Dewey, happy?"

"Absolutely, but why don't you just call him grandpa" I focused my eyes on the road waiting for him to respond from the argument but all I can hear is a deep sigh from him

After that a few minutes of silence filled upon us, he again asked

"Who exactly is that Ms. Laura you're talking?"

I creepily smiled at him.

'He played it like he's not interested to know something, but he is huh?' a thought come into my mind

"Well, Diwani is a Filipino given name to her by her Filipino mother, and Laura is from her American father. Ms. Laura is my grandmother, well not really by blood-related but- whoah!"

The car suddenly stopped again by purpose but this time I manage to hold from the dashboard

"What now, Gray!" I screamed

He coldly looked again at me

"Oh c'mon, how come you didn't know anything about your granddad. Okay look, can you drive safely and I'll just tell you a story"

He again started to drive quietly. His silence yet had furrowed brows gives me an idea he might be intrigued right now

"Just make sure you won't tell freakin' stories again or I'll surely kick you out of this car" he coldly uttered

I pursed my lips looking at him

"Oh, so how long will you pretend that you're not interested to know more about your granddad" I murmured as I was simply taking a glance at him with his confused face