Absent Spark [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

XI

The class went by painstakingly slow, with the teacher's monotone voice filled the room, and Anna's eyes on me from behind the whole time.

I was packed up before the bell rang, and left immediately when it did. I walked to my next class, hoping Will would be there. He was. I sat in my seat next to him, relieved that I would have someone to talk to.

"How was your class?" I asked him, taking out my notebook and started to copy the notes on the board.

"Boring. You?" He asked.

"Anna was watching me the whole time. Will I don't know if I can do this. Every time I see her I get sad and want to burst into a puddle of tears." I said, blinking back my tears.

"Hey," He said gently. "I'll talk to her, everything will be fine."

"How can you be sure?" I asked, almost pathetically.

"You two have been best friends for forever. She'll come back, I promise."

"Really?"

"Really." He nodded.

"Okay." I sighed, turning back to my work.

It was at the end of the day when I overheard the conversation. I was walking to my French teacher to ask a question about an assignment. I turned the corner to see Anna talking to Will.

I quickly backed around the corner before they saw me. I was about to go the longer way around when I heard them start talking.

"You can't just stop being friends with Grace, she's your best friend!" I heard Will exclaim.

"Yes I can. She's lying to me, to us Will. You shouldn't be her friend either, she just keeps lying." Anna said.

"Grace has her reasons. If she has secrets she needs to keep and has to tell little white lies to do so, so what? She's still a great friend, your best friend. Don't you miss her?"

"Of course I miss her Will. But I'm just done with her constant lying. It hurts that she can't trust me with the truth." Anna said.

"Don't you know that you hurt her too? She cried her self to sleep last night, she's in a terrible state right now. Because of you." Will said coldly.

"Oh Will-"

"No," Will cut her off. "You obviously don't care about her."

"But I do-"

"Save it."

I heard him walk away. Anna suddenly came into my view, startled to see me there.

"Hey." I said softly.

She didn't say anything, but just eyed me. She walked past me, bumping into my shoulder roughly. Anna was as cold as ice to me.

I began to run once she was gone. I ran into my car, and shakily started the engine. I wanted to run, run away from here, run away from my problems.

But I couldn't do that, I had to be strong. I couldn't let this get to me, I was strong. Or, at least I tried to be.

I drove home, way over the speed limit. I ran into the house, hoping Brooke wouldn't be home so he wouldn't see me cry.

I guess luck was against me today. He was sitting in a chair, watching some show.

"How was sch-" He stopped once he saw my face. "Grace, what's wrong?"

I didn't say anything, but I just began to sob. He immediately stood up, and wrapped me in his arms. I sobbed into his chest, letting every emotion out. Letting myself cry freely in front of someone, just not caring anymore.

I cried for my mom and my dad, I cried for Anna, I cried for Will, I cried for Brooke. But mostly, I cried for myself.

When I stopped, when my sobs turned to tears and my tears turned to hiccups, was when Brooke finally spoke.

"Grace, what happened?" He asked, his face full of pain and sadness.

That was when I explained everything to him. About the kidnapping and that stupid movie, about Anna, about the nightmare, about everything. About what had become my mantra whenever I was weak, that I had to be strong. That I wouldn't allow myself to cry, because that was weak.

"Grace, people don't cry because they're weak. People cry because they've been strong for too long." Brooke said soothingly.

"But I haven't been strong at all." I protested.

"Yes you have Grace. You're one of the strongest people I know."

"I am?" I asked incredulously.

"You are," He assured me. "You've been through so much, and you're still standing tall and strong."

"But what about Anna. I lost her, and I can't lose her." I said, desperate for advice to help me get my best friend back.

"She'll come around. If not, you go to her." He told me.

"Okay." I sighed, wiping at dried tears.

Brooke's phone beeped three times, and he glanced at it.

"I have to go now. You'll be okay?" He asked, standing up from where we had sat on the couch.

"Yeah, I think I will." I said, smiling at him.

He grinned back, and rushed out of the house. I texted Will, inviting him over for an ice cream sundae party. I closed my phone, deciding not to stare at it waiting for a reply.

I turned on the tv, and it went straight to the news. I was about to change it, when something caught my ear.

"The superhero known as Acceleration Rush has been badly injured in a fight against Phantom Pain. He was seen super speeding off the scene, in very bad condition. Many believe he could very well be dead."