Project Gracie

Chapter 3

The sky was blue and not a cloud could be seen. The final bell had just rung and high schoolers flooded out of the school. Cars started and beeped. Parents, guardians, and older siblings waited patiently in their cars for their assigned students. 

"You sure? Mom wanted us home for dad's birthday." Sophomore Henry waited at the doors, speaking with his sister. Gracie smiled and laughed. She flipped the purple part of her hair off of her shoulder. 

"I told you for the hundredth time, Henry," she sarcastically pleaded with him. "I have a project due for Mrs. Killery. Plus, James is staying after to work on that science project for Mr. Loan. I'll stay with him. Not to mention I'm fifteen and can handle staying at a school by myself." Henry looked down. She was right, but he didn't want to mention that. 

"But mom said-"

"Frankly, at this point, I could give a rat's ass at what mom said. This project is more important and I won't have another chance to work on it at school. Just," Gracie pauses and looks behind her towards James, who was waiting for her, "tell her Imma be late. Okay?" 

Henry nodded and walked away. This was Gracie's cue to turn and walk towards James. 

The school was nothing special. It was relatively small and you could get around quickly. Every call was lined with gray lockers and every so often, there was a classroom decorated accordingly to its subject. The walls were covered with work and drawings. Once in a while, there was a cheesy poster giving some life lessons.

The young teens walked down the halls towards the library talking about nothing but nonsense. The library wasn't too far down, and it didn't take them long to get there.

The library was a huge room filled with books. Bookshelves lined the walls and even some places on the floor. On one side of the room, there were about twenty or so computers. In the middle of the room, there were rows of tables. A few yards in front of the table cult, there was the librarian's desk. It had multiple books on it. Some were random books that kids checked out and some were for class.

Taking a seat at a computer, Gracie quickly gets to work. James sits next to her right side but instead takes out his sketchbook.

"Really?" Gracie questioned, turning to face James with a smile on her face. "Don't you have a project for Mr. Loan?" 

James snickered. "Screw Loan!"

"Dude! He's like fifty-seven!"

"Not like that!" James playfully pushed Gracie's shoulder. 

Gracie giggled and said, "I know I know. I'm just teasing." She went back to her work. James smiled and started drawing.

He kept looking up and down. He would look at Gracie for a second, then would look back down.

Without even moving her head she commented, "You should really start finding other people to draw."

"I've tried but no one else is that pretty."

Gracie smiled. "Why don't you draw a picture for my dad?" James shakes his head.

"Nah. Plus, I don't think he would appreciate it. I don't know what I did, but that man seems to hate me."

"Well, he is a homophobe. He doesn't exactly like that you only have a dad."

"My dad isn't gay."

"I know. My dad is weird like that." Gracie sighed and leaned back. "If there isn't a mom and a dad, he hates it."

"I have a mom!" James started to get upset. "She's just not here!"