Turning Grace- A Harry Styles Fanfiction

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

I walk in and drop my book bag on the floor. Both my parents are looking at me. I walk across the living room into the kitchen and grab a coke out of the fridge. I take a big drink, practically causing fizz to shoot out my nose. Why is it the first drink of pop is always so brutal? I take a breath and go back into the living room. I sit down in the yellow chair by the tv and look at my parents.

"Ok, so let me tell you about my day. I talked with Kodi today and he told me the whole, horrible, detailed story of how in the 5th grade I was almost raped, but saved by Harry. How Harry was almost killed and spent two months in the hospital because of me. How he moved away without me being able to see him again. How I lost my mind for two months. How I pushed it all to the back of my head, pretending it never happened, so I could go on without completely losing my marbles and having to be put in a nut house. Anything you wanna add here?"

I'm looking at them with so much hatred in me right now, I don't know how I can even hear what they might possibly have to say. I promised Kodi I would listen, give them a chance. So let's hear it folks! Breathe, Gracie.

Mom's eyes immediately fill with tears, and Dad sighs looking down at his hands. Clearly they weren't expecting this right now. My Dad is the first to speak.

"Gracie, please, just give Mom and I a chance to explain this to you. I'm sure you are upset and have a million questions." He is looking at me now, not sure what I'm going to do next.

"Dad, I'd say this qualifies as more than a little upset." I say taking another drink of my coke. I think if I didn't have this coke can to hold onto right now, I might start screaming. I am actually proud of myself for holding it together so far.

"Yes, you're right. We should have told you all of this before now, but we just weren't sure, and you have been so happy and well adjusted, we didn't want to do anything to upset that." He looks at my Mom.

"Grace, what happened that caused Kodi to tell you all of this today?" She is nervous, picking at her fingernails.

"Well, Mom, thank you for asking. At lunch today, as I was trying not to barf over Annie's veggie burrito, Harry Styles and this guy Derek get into a fight in the cafeteria. Derek is yelling that Harry's sister, Jess, is a whore, and Harry is slamming Derek's head into the vending machine. You know, pretty much your everyday lunch time stuff." I am looking at them completely calm, no emotion showing. I think it is throwing them off.

"Omg Grace that's horrible! Were you hurt?" Mom says.

"Why are you asking if I was hurt? I told you it was between Harry and Derek, Mom. Derek got a chair thrown at his head, and Harry ended up with a smashed jaw and a cut hand. So no Mom, everyone was not ok." I take another drink of my coke.

"Do you want to know what happened after that Mom?" I can't stop thinking about Harry, even now, sitting here. "I started shaking, Mom. Kodi was holding my hands telling me Harry was going to be ok. Harry, Mom! Kodi was sure I was upset over Harry. Why would he think that? I ended up in the bathroom with Annie trying not to throw up, at the same time crying my friggin' eyes out." I'm just looking at them. Surely they have more to say than to ask me how I am.

"So I am trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with me that I would flip out like that over a fight that had nothing to do with me, involving two people I don't even like! I get to LA late, still upset, and Kodi tells me that everything will be ok, that Harry is going to be ok, and that he will explain everything after school. So after LA as I am trying to get my stuff together, Harry comes up to me to see if I want to talk after school. He said he thought we might NEED to. So weird, right Mom? Why would Harry think he and I would NEED to talk? I said I was going to hang out with Kodi after school."

I feel frantic, all of this...it's just too much. I take a breath.

"Do you know what Mom? Out of every possible thing I thought Kodi might say, NONE of what he ACTUALLY said did I ever think would be it." I lean back into my chair.

That's it, I'm done. Let's hear it. Spin your way out of this one, Mom and Dad. I take another drink of my coke.

Dad turns to face me. He is clearly upset, but not freaking out like my Mom, at least.

"Ok, Grace, everything that Kodi said is true. You were attacked in the 5th grade, and if it hadn't been for Harry Styles, you might have ended up in a lot worse shape. You and Harry were best friends that year, always together. We will always be completely indebted to him for saving you. What happened to him in the process was horrible." Dad looks at Mom and puts his hand on her arm, trying to comfort her.

"You were completely devastated by what happened to you and Harry. You cried all the time Grace, you didn't want to go to school, and all you could think about was Harry and how much pain he was going through because of you. You blamed yourself for him being hurt." Dad is saying all this like he can still see it, like he's going through it all again.

"Your Mom and I, and actually Harry's parents too, thought it best if the two of you didn't see each other after he got out of the hospital. They were already in the process of moving, and you were finally starting to get better. You were back at school and spending time with Annie and Kodi. You had been so distraught by everything, you had pushed it back, wouldn't talk about it. Harry was so concerned about you even during his recovery in the hospital. His parents wanted him to focus on getting better, but he just wanted to see you, to know that you were ok. Together we decided, because of your ages, and because of everything you were both feeling, that it would be best to keep you apart. We wanted you both to have a fresh start. I still support our decision at the time, but we should have told you about it last year when the Styles moved back to Drakesville." Dad is still talking as he walks into the kitchen.

Mom looks at me sadly, "Grace we thought we'd see how it went with you and Harry at school last year. He agreed not to mention it to you. We had told his Mom that you didn't remember any of it, and until we had a chance to talk to you, we would appreciate it if Harry didn't bring it up. We didn't tell him to stay away from you, but just to be cautious with you until we could explain it all." She looks down at her fingernails again.

"MOM! Be CAUTIOUS with me?! Are you kidding me?! Harry didn't say one word to me last year. He wasn't in any of my classes. As far as I knew, we didn't even know each other! All this time you knew, Harry knew, Annie and Kodi knew! From everything I have heard about him, he was a good person. We were best friends and he was nice, and caring, and nothing like the Harry he is now!" I am so mad right now. I stand up just as Dad is walking back into the living room. He stops waiting to see what I'm going to do next.

"Do you even know who Harry is now, Mom and Dad? He's an asshole! My good friend that saved my life. He now ditches school, cusses out teachers, is rude to everyone, fights with anyone who gets in his way, including his own friends! Do you know why that is Mom and Dad? It's because of you! Kodi said that because of everything that happened, and him being unable to talk about it, he completely turned his back on everything that was good in his life. It was his own way of trying to forget what happened." I am crying now. I swipe away the tears as they stream down my cheeks. I hate my Mom and Dad for this.

"So I guess that all of this that's gone on with him, and my near hysteria today, is better for us right, then to just let us see each other all those years ago, and to sort it out on our own." I stomp off to my room. I can see my Mom start to follow me, but Dad grabs her arm. I just have to get out of here right now. I just need to be alone and think. I grab my phone and jacket, turn and walk back out into the living room.

"Look, I know you and Harry's parents think you did the right thing, but you DIDN'T. What you did wasn't the best thing, not for anyone. I'll be back in a while. I have my phone." I open the door and walk out of the house letting the cool air wrap itself around me.

I decide to run. It clears my head. I start running, slowly at first, but the more I run, the better it feels, and soon I am racing through the park. I wish I could just keep going and never look back.