reputation //sweet pea//

//seven//

"What did he say?"

"That if I wasn't leaving, it'd be me."

"That makes no sense Grace," Max said.

"I know it doesn't. That's why I'm asking you two about it."

My mind had completely unraveled trying to comprehend what Sweet Pea had told me. It didn't make sense to me and it didn't make sense to Max or Toni who knew him fairly well. I had spent the day on my bedroom floor piecing together everything.

"I think we should ask Fangs," Toni said coming to a conclusion. And within the next 15 minutes, Fangs Fogarty has arrived at my window. He climbed in and eagerly took a place next to me on the floor, Toni and Max flopped on my bed.

"Alright, what was so important that you made me come all the way over here?" He mocked but I knew he jumped at any chance to be with us.

"Sweets told Grace that if she wasn't leaving, it'd be her," Max told him.

I watched as a sick grin crossed his face. He laughed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Ah I knew he had it bad for you Grace but not like this," he laughed again.

I sat up straight and shoved a hand into his shoulder.

"What! Come on explain Fogarty!" I shrieked.

"Ow, not if you're going to bully me Gracie," he muttered.

A flurry of pillows launched from Max and Toni pelting him in satin and feathers. He shook off the pillows and glared at the two girls.

"Okay fine. Grace he was saying, probably drunk I might add, that if you weren't leaving, he'd....ya know," he started.

"No! I don't know. That's why I'm asking you," I whined smacking him with another pillow.

"He'd wanna be with you, Grace!"

The air in the room became deathly still as no one said a word. I wanted to say so many things but all the words got stuck in my throat. Lucky for me Toni spoke up.

"But, he doesn't like girls like that. He- he would rather just..." she trailed off leaving the room silent again.

"I don't know what you did to him, Grace. But he's crazy about you. He never stops talking about you," Fangs said in a hushed tone.

"Sounds familiar," Max mumbled.

I could feel my heart break. I finally had someone who really liked me, and I really liked him. But it was never going to work out. Because I wasn't Gracie Barrett, daughter of serpent legend, reckless and impulsive. I was Grace Barrett, daughter of an elite businesswoman, cautious and indecisive.

"Oh," I said, finding the courage to speak the one word. 

"Grace?" Max asked.

A smile eventually found its way onto my face. "It's okay. Really. We've had fun this summer and we knew it was going to end sometime. I'm fine."

No one seemed convinced by anything I was saying. I jumped up and forced a bigger smile. 

"Stop that, stop looking at me like I'm sad and pathetic. I'm fine. Great even."

But despite my (feeble) attempt they continued to look at me like a puppy who had just gotten kicked. 

"If you're sure Grace," Max started. 

"I am! Now can we please go have fun? The Wyrm?"

"That sounds better than moping in here all night, I'm in!" Max shot off my bed and grabbed her Serpent jacket. 

Slowly but surely Fangs and Toni came around and we were quickly in my car heading to the old bar. We piled out and hit the crowded room. I was greeted with laughter and cheers referring to my victory a few weeks ago. Toni and I headed for drinks while Fangs and Max went for the pool tables. 

The good times were rolling as my father would say. He had even shown up with my brother and Lexi. I felt good and had put everything out of my mind, but of course this couldn't last. It never does, does it? Through the doors, a tall figure came strutting in. He looked good, but he always did. He found his way over to me, just like he always did. 

"Hey Gracie," he grinned grabbing a strand of my hair and wrapping it around his finger. 

"Hey," I smiled, feeling a blush creep across my cheeks and nose. 

"You're going on Friday right?" he asked closing the gap between us.

"What's Friday?" I asked curiously. 

"This kid, Jax Reacher, has this massive house. He's a South side kid and him and his brother's throw these huge parties over the summer."

"Well I'll be there, if you're going," I told him standing on my tip toes to come face to face. 

"Sounds like you'll be there then."

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. He smelled like smoke, a scent that I was becoming familiar with. Whatever was gonna go down at the Reacher house was going to be the perfect and the most infuriating way to close my summer.