I KNOW IT'S BEEN A WHILE AND I'M SO SO SORRY BUT SO MUCH HAS BEEN GOING ON, PLEASE FORGIVE ME. THIS CHAPTER IS KIND OF CRAPPY, BUT I REALLY WANTED TO UPDATE FOR YOU ALL SINCE IT'S BEEN SO LONG. PLEASE DON'T HATE ME OKAY I LOVE YOU GUYS xx
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♡ chapter 11 ♡
Monday morning came at an excruciatingly quick pace. I didn’t want to drag myself out of bed, but I did so at a reluctant speed. I tried to devour the little time that morning to take a long, hot shower, but Noah had knocked on the bathroom door informing me that we were going to be late if I didn’t hurry up.
So alas, I now stood in the main hallway of the school by my locker, exchanging the proper folders and books for my beginning classes. I couldn’t help but to sigh from all that had happened just Saturday night, exhaustion still coursing through me.
Sunday I had stayed enclosed in the confined areas of my room, attempting to hold onto a little bit of sanity. On such short notice, a marriage was ridiculous. Especially considering that this is my English teacher. They had been dating for so long and didn’t even bother to tell me.
Oh God, is that why I’m passing his class with flying colors?
I thought I was genuinely good at English, but does he feel obligated to give me A’s? If so, I’m going to be extremely angry because I’ve always been a straight A student. Go ahead and make fun, but if I should be failing his class (hopefully I shouldn’t be and I’m overreacting), then I’d like honesty showing me that.
Jacob and Ivette came up to me, rambling on about how they hate Mondays and wishing they could blow the school up and sleep all day. It was nice to have them take my mind off of matters at home, but I was still going to have to face Mr. Pell in merely hours.
“Stop looking so forlorn,” Jacob said as he slapped my shoulder.
“Forlorn? And I use formal words all the time?” I asked, raising a brow.
He shrugged. “I saw it somewhere the other day and realized it had a nice ring. So yeah, you look forlorn, bitch.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I just can’t stop thinking about that stupid wedding crap.”
Ivette gave me a soft smile. “Maybe it won’t be so bad. Your mom seems really happy.”
I shot her a glare. “Still. The point is that she hadn’t even told us until they got engaged. She’s been hiding away and acting like a coward for so long, and now she thinks she can just give us the abrupt message that she’s getting married to my English teacher? Where’s the logic in that?”
Jacob scoffed. “Clearly there isn’t any, Ivette.”
Ivette slapped him in the back of the head. “I’m trying to help unlike you.”
Jacob rolled his eyes. “You can’t help by lying, you know.”
“Oh would you guys stop it,” I groaned. The bell rang. “Look, I’m just going to avoid this the best I can. I mean, hopefully I’ll be able to move out soon anyways.”
“With what money?”
“The invisible money I have yet to make appear.”
“Sounds accurate.” Jacob nodded. “Good luck with your nonexistent money. And while you do that, I’ll deal with my parents that can’t stand having a son that prefers penises over vaginas.”
Ivette scrunched her face up. “Must you be so… vivid?”
Jacob shrugged. “It’s what I do. All right, bitches. See you later.”
As he walked off, Ivette told me once more it would all work out in the end before she trailed to class as well. Sighing once more, I rubbed my temples as I situated the backpack strap on my shoulder, heading my way to first period.
I prayed Ivette would be right.
***
Mr. Pell was absent today. We had a substitute named Mr. Phil, and honestly, he acted like Dr. Phil. If you seemed unhappy, he’d call you out and ask you what your “problems” were. If you had bad posture, he’d show you how to properly sit. If you were talking instead of working, he’d go on a lecture about how staying focused is key to having a “successful future.”
Needless to say, he was not oblivious to my sour mood.
Considering the entire class was staring at me, however, I simply told him that this was how my face always was. It should be believable since I don’t like half the people in this room, but he didn’t seem to buy it.
“Now, Ms…?”
“Grace,” I grumbled.
He nodded, twisting his gray beard between his fingertips. “Ms. Grace, don’t you think it’d be healthier to tell the truth?”
“I am telling the truth. I’m fine.”
“Liars always fail in life, Ms. Grace. Wouldn’t you like to express what’s wrong with you?” Mr. Phil pestered, seriously pushing my buttons.
I gripped the side of the desk. “No,” I spat through gritted teeth. “I’m fine.”
Mr. Phil frowned. “Suit yourself. But when you drown in the depths of your sorrows, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
While classmates snickered around me, I groaned and let my head fall on the cool desktop.
Could this day get any more frustrating?
Naturally, I had jinxed myself because on the way to lunch, I had spotted none other than Chase Arlington. After what Jeremy had told me Saturday, I had been trying to avoid him to the best of my abilities.
There’s no possible way Chase Arlington could be in love with me.
And of course, right when I spun on my heel to escape, he had caught me.
“Hey, Walker! Where do you think you’re going?” he called as he neared me, his natural smirk stretched on his lips.
Sighing, I kept my head down and walked faster.
He caught my shoulder. “Hey, I’m talking to you, Walker.”
“I don’t have time for this, Chase,” I grumbled under my breath.
He frowned, eyebrows furrowing. “Why do you look so depressed? Usually you put up a better fight than that.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Because unlike what everyone thinks, my life isn’t peachy and beautiful.”
“What’s wrong?”
I snorted. “Yeah, like I would tell you. Why do you even care?”
Chase rolled his eyes, jaw clenching. “Whatever, Grace. Keep thinking I don’t have a good bone in my body.”
“Was that implied to be a joke?”
Chase let go of me, snatching my lunch bag out of my hand. Before I could protest, he grabbed my apple, took a large bite out of it, and then threw my bag on the hallway tile. “Have a nice life, Walker,” he spat, taking another bite of the apple before he sauntered away.
Rubbing my forehead, I turned around only to bump into someone else. Groaning, I was on the verge of screaming profanities just from the irritating day I had just gone through and it was still only halfway over.
However, I looked up only to realize it was Harry I had run into. I hadn’t seen him all day, but the only classes I have him in or at the end of the day.
“Sorry,” I muttered, raking a hand through my hair.
“Did Chase hurt you?” he asked, ignoring my apology.
“Mentally? All the time. Physically? No.”
Harry bit his bottom lip. “I saw him talking to you. That bastard ruined your lunch again, didn’t he?”
“It’s fine—“
“No, it isn’t. Come on, I’ll get you some food.”
“But I’m not hungry.”
Harry frowned at me. “I’m not going to let you starve, Grace. Would you please stop being so stubborn?”
Sighing in defeat, I followed him to the cafeteria. He was oddly quiet, not even making much conversation when I very much tried to. He seemed tenser than usual, which was saying something considering he’s practically always this straight forward and stern. But he was still acting… odd.
“Are you all right, Harry?” I asked him as we stood in line for food.
“I’m fine,” he replied without much thought, not even glancing my way.
I frowned. “It doesn’t seem like you are.”
“I’m stuck at school on a Monday with people I can hardly tolerate. What do you expect?” he asked as he finally peeked over at me, raising an eyebrow.
“I don’t know,” I muttered. “You’re just acting different.
He shrugged, switching the subject. “What do you want to drink?”
After getting my food for me, I asked Harry why he hadn’t gotten himself something. If he didn’t want me to starve, why would he let himself? But he simply brushed off the question and said he ate breakfast and hardly ever ate to begin with. I didn’t want to accept that answer, but I didn’t want to pester him either.
Jacob and Ivette were sitting at our usual table, and surprisingly enough, Harry followed me over to them, taking a seat right beside me on the bench. Jacob seemed to practically be drooling all over the place, his eyes on the verge from bulging out the sockets, and even Ivette was smiling to herself.
Harry seemed oblivious to the fact that he could make both genders swoon just from glancing at them. It wasn’t that he was arrogant, but almost like he genuinely didn’t notice. I quite admired his modesty—he wasn’t an ignorant asshole like most attractive guys normally were.
“How was the rest of your weekend, Harry?” Ivette asked, starting conversation and I envied that ability of hers.
I was the awkward one in the group.
Harry shrugged. “Uninteresting, uneventful. And yours?”
Ivette grinned. “Mine was all right, thanks. Aside from dealing with Jacob’s and Grace’s drama, anyways.”
Harry’s eyebrows etched together. “Drama?” He looked over at me. “Did something happen?”
I shot Ivette a glare for bringing it up. “It’s just… my mom and stuff,” I murmured as I took a sip of my water.
Harry looked over at Jacob next, and Jacob seemed to shrivel up. He cleared his throat. “Well, it’s kind of obvious I’m more of a rainbow than an ordinary line, and well, my parents prefer ordinary over fabulous.”
It almost looked like Harry could smile, but instead he shook his head. “Parents are a real pain.”
“How about yours?” Ivette asked, but soon realized she should’ve kept her mouth shut at the sight of Harry’s jaw clenching. She pursed her lips. “Sorry, um. Never mind.”
The rest of lunch drifted into an odd silence, but no one seemed too bothered by it. It was upsetting than our nice little chat had come to an abrupt stop, but some personal things are meant to stay personal.
I leaned over some to Harry. “She didn’t mean anything, you know.”
Harry’s eyebrows furrowed. “I know.”
“You’re okay?”
He looked over at me, keeping his voice as low as mine to where we were basically whispering. “No one is ever ‘okay,’ Grace.”
I frowned.
But right when I thought he had ended the conversation, he leaned over to my ear to whisper, “Sometimes being with you makes everything okay, Grace Walker. And for you I’m grateful.”