Turning Grace (2 page)

Okay, I was assuming he wanted an answer that second.

“Um, yeah…yes. Thursday. Sounds good,” I said, heart still racing. Sonny whipped her head back around to Tristen, this time leaving me with the taste of shampoo in my mouth. I quickly tried to get it out. I couldn’t see her face, but I was assuming it was not pleasant. She was cursing him with her eyes, and I’m almost positive she was cursing me in her head. He grabbed her hand and they walked away.

Thursday. Wait what was today? Okay, Tuesday. Tuesday?

I stood at my locker, trying to understand what just happened. In the two years that he had been here, we had never really spoken. Once, we bumped into each other in the breezeway outside. He turned to me and said, “Oh, sorry.” I nodded and just kept on my way. Then, last year, he asked me what pages of Catcher in the Rye we were supposed to read for homework in English. I mumbled chapters six and seven before burying my head in my book. But other than that, we never really spoke. Sonny snatched him before anyone could even have a chance. Since then, he had been with her nonstop. What was it about her? I understood she was attractive, wealthy, and… well, that was pretty much it. She was not a nice person. And although she did have great grades, I refused to believe it was due to her hard work. Her parents probably paid the school off. And to be honest, not being smart should bring down the attractive level a notch. But, I shouldn’t judge. Maybe underneath all of that makeup, blonde hair, Mark Jacobs clothing, and powerful-because-my-parents-are-wealthy-and-successful exterior, she was a decent and sensitive person. Or not.

Calculus could not have taken any longer. As I sat in class, listening to Mrs. Turner explain the derivative of parametric equations, I watched Tristen two rows over, three desks in front of me struggling to understand what she was saying. He really seemed to need help. I fantasized about what Thursday was going to be like. Maybe his parents would be working, so we would be alone. Where would we be studying? His living room? His dining room? His bedroom? What does his bedroom look like? Does he have pictures of Sonny everywhere? Were we only going to talk about calculus?

I realized that this could be the first time that I was going to be completely alone with a guy that I was truly crushing on. Don’t get me wrong, I had been on a date or two. I wasn’t completely deprived of boy-girl contact. I had a boyfriend in ninth grade. During freshmen year, there was a guy named Josh who was very cute and funny. We started dating, and then we broke up like two weeks later. It was completely PG-13.  We only kissed on the lips once. So, I never actually really kissed someone before. My mom would say that making out with boys was not lady-like. She would say that sticking a tongue down a boy’s throat was vulgar and kisses should be polite and sweet. I got what she was saying. Whenever I would see make out scenes in movies or Phoebe making out with one of her boy toys, it kind of grossed me out. It seemed sloppy and like it would be awkward. I was curious to know how Tristen kissed though. I wondered if he was gentle. He was different than all of the other horny jocks that ran around school trying to be with every cute girl they saw. When he hung out with Sonny and the clique, you could tell being popular wasn’t his life. He didn’t strive to be part of the clique like everyone else did. Sonny’s Minions and all of the other wannabes tried desperately to be a part of the popular crowd. But not Tristen. He had a presence about him that seemed humbling, down-to-earth. It was nice. I knew I ran the risk of getting to know him, and him being the complete opposite of my expectations. Let’s face it, he was dating Perfect Sonny, he was popular, and he was a jock. They can’t all be that bad though, right?

Chapter 2

The Request

The lunch bell rang, breaking me out of my thoughts of Tristen. I grabbed my lunch out of my locker and went to meet Phoebe in the courtyard at our usual table. I walked outside into the breezeway, breathing in the fresh air. It was a gorgeous fall day. Middleton High School was a very small, one-story facility. It was shaped like a U, with the cafeteria and courtyard in the middle. Phoebe and I always chose to sit outside on days like these to enjoy the weather this time of year. When I reached our table, she was flirting with a short, googly-eyed sophomore.

“So, if you can just do that for me, that would be amazeballs,” she said as she grazed his hand with her finger tips and batted her eyes.

“Uh…no problem. I will…uh…slip it into your locker tomorrow morning before class,” he said nervously. As he got up and walked away, I gave her a look.

“What?” she asked innocently.

“What is that poor little sophomore doing for you, Phoebe?”

“Oh Grace, don’t judge me. He’s going to do my paper for me,” she shrugged.

“Phoebe,” I said with a tone to let her know that I was a tad bit disappointed. “Why? You are so good at writing.”

“I know. It’s just that I have to work tonight.”

“I thought you were off?”

“Well, I decided to work… because I need the money.” She was so sure about her lie, but I could see straight through it.

“You mean, you need to work with that guy. Phoebe, just because he’s cute does not mean that you can slack off at school. You know we are finishing up our college applications next week.”

“I know, I know. It’ll be fine. So, what did Mom make you today? Whatever it is, I want some. I am so hungry and they are serving mystery burgers in the cafeteria. Blah,” she squinched her nose as if she smelled something terrible.

“Yeah, here you can have half my roast beef.” I tore a piece off and gave it to her, although deep down it was killing me. I was so hungry, as I always was at this time of the day.

“Why does your mom make so much lunch for you?” she asked, biting into the juicy roast beef sandwich. “I mean, you’re like a toothpick. I never understood where it all goes.”

“I don’t know,” I responded with a mouth full. “You know I always eat a lot. Mom says I have always been like this. I just love food. It’s like, the greatest invention,” I giggled. And it was true. To me, food was just heaven. I woke up looking forward to eating. It doesn’t just fill me up or satisfy my hunger. It made me feel…good. I was always full of energy after I ate. Sometimes, I even thought it would make me physically look better. Mom would just say it’s because of all the energy I felt after I ate, kind of like when you get a good night’s sleep. But sometimes I could swear that I would look in the mirror after a good meal and see my face glowing. Food and I, we had a special relationship.

“So, Phoebe,” I said before I took my next bite. “Tristen was at my locker last period.”

“Hey Grace,” Carmen greeted as she walked by.

“Oh hey Carmen,” I smiled back.

“You’re shitting me,” Phoebe whispered loudly as she leaned closer to me from across the table. “What did he want?”

I took another bite and quickly chewed and swallowed before I answered. “He wants me to tutor him. He wants me to meet him Thursday at my locker so that we can go study.” Wow, it really sank in right when I said that out loud. I almost couldn’t swallow.

“Are you kidding me? Well, so, are you going?”

“Of course I’m going,” I practically yelled. I looked around to make sure no one else was listening. I really did not want anyone else to know. No one really knew how much I liked Tristen except Phoebe and my mother. I didn’t want to be known as that girl in school who had no life because she fantasized about the popular boy. Not to mention, I didn’t want Sonny finding out. God only knew how much harder she would make my life. I’m sure she would get every chance she got to rub their relationship in my face.

“Phoebe, I can’t
not
go. I mean, he needs my help. I’m going to help him learn calculus.” I couldn’t believe my own lie much less think Phoebe believed it.

“G, you know you are freaking out right now about what you’re going to wear and what’s going to happen. It’s fine. I’ll dress you.” She gave me a matter-of-fact look.

“What? No, you are most certainly not dressing me. I don’t want to look like a hooker,” I said trying to make it sound like a joke when really I was being serious. Phoebe didn’t look like a prostitute per se; she just chose to wear clothing that revealed her belly ring and exceptionally large boobs. She had a great body, don’t get me wrong. She was very curvaceous and proportioned well. It’s just that her boobs were bigger than they should have been for her size, and she knew it… And she loved it… And so did every other guy in school. “I will figure out what to wear.”

“Okay,” she said as if to warn me. “Just remember that guys cannot resist a girl who shows a little tummy and cleavage. At least wear a little bit of makeup for me,” she pouted.

“No, guys like it when
you
show a little tummy and cleavage. You know I don’t feel comfortable like that.” And it was true, I really didn’t. My mom never had to worry about me leaving the house with not enough clothing on. I always felt extremely awkward in midriffs and hiked up skirts. Not that I was ashamed of my body, well of course except my boobs. I was thin, with a natural olive complexion, and had somewhat of a curvy figure. And I certainly did not judge Phoebe for dressing the way she did. If you had it, flaunt it. I would just prefer to dress to comfort, which meant jeans and a t-shirt to me. However, I would dress up when the occasion called for it. I wasn’t sure if this was the occasion. Studying calculus did not exactly scream miniskirt and a halter top. Then again, everything changes when it’s studying calculus with the hottest guy in school.

The next three periods seemed way too long. My day was completely complicated by my earlier encounter with Tristen. Although it should have been a totally amazing day, my date with him on Thursday had me a little worried. I worried that I wouldn’t know what else to talk about besides calculus. I was not normally shy, but when it came to Tristen, I forgot the whole concept of words and how to use them. I was also worried about Sonny. For some strange reason, Sonny had chosen to hate my whole existence. I never understood exactly why she chose me to crucify, but she had this unnatural desire to treat me as if I were scum on her bathroom walls. Well, I was sure she didn’t have scum on her

rich walls, but something along those lines. I had known Sonny as long as I had known Phoebe, since elementary school, and she had never liked me. To be honest, I guess I felt the same way. The only difference was that I disliked her because of how she treated me. She just disliked me for no apparent reason. I knew she was fuming about Tristen asking me for help, and I worried that she would scheme to make my life a living hell for doing it. Or worse, she could show up. I guess I should just be prepared because I cannot let Thursday
not
happen. I would be a total idiot.

School was only about four blocks away from home. When I first started Middleton High, Mom offered to drive me, but I chose to walk with Phoebe every morning and afternoon. Over the past few months, since Phoebe got her job at the mall, she had been leaving school to go straight there on most of the days, so I had been walking alone. It didn’t bother me much, though. I enjoyed walking. Being outside was one of my favorite things to do. The scent of the sun on my clothes, the smell of the trees and feeling of fresh air making its way into my lungs exhilarated me. It made me feel alive and happy to be alive. My senses always seemed heightened, and I swore I could smell a flowerbed that was a mile away. Anytime I would try to express how nature made me feel, I would just get lost in the words. My mom would just smile and Phoebe would say I was weird. So, I learned to keep my love for nature to myself and enjoy it quietly.

I got home at my usual three o’clock time. When I walked up the driveway, I was surprised to see my mom home early from work.

“Hey Mom!” I yelled as I opened the front door.

“Hi sweetheart! I’m in the kitchen!”

Of course she was. I threw my book bag on the couch and went into the kitchen to greet her with a kiss. “I thought you had to work late tonight.”

“I thought I did too. You know I try not to work late unless it is necessary. I would rather be home with you. So how was school today?” she asked as she thumbed through the mail at the kitchen table. I went straight to the fridge to get some pomegranate goodness. 

“Oh, you know. It was school.” I couldn’t help but smile.

“Did you learn anything fun? Oh and honey how did you like your lunch today?”

“Well, it’s funny that you ask—”

Mom popped her head up to look at me across the table. “You didn’t like it?” she asked almost as if she were horrified. “Gracie, did you eat lunch today?”

“Mom, yes I ate lunch. Lunch was great. I always eat your lunch, you know that,” I reassured her. She took a deep breath and went back to the mail. Mom was very sensitive about her cooking. I loved her food and never had a problem with it, but if I didn’t like it for some reason, she would become completely crazy and try to perfect what she had made. I thought it was a bit OCD, but Mom’s passion for cooking was important to her, and I supported that. Sometimes I would wonder if it was what she did to forget about Dad leaving. Maybe it was her way of coping. I would never ask, though. Jack was a sore subject.

“Anyway, something great actually did happen today,” I said. “Remember the boy that I really like at school?” I didn’t think that she forgot him, really. It was the only time I had ever confided in my mother regarding a crush. And it was only because she overheard Phoebe and I dishing about which guys at school were cute.

“Oh yes. Tristen, is it? Yes, I remember,” she said as she continued to write in her check book.

“Well, I am going to be tutoring him. He needs help with his calculus.” I pulled a chair out to join her at the antique wooden kitchen table. Most of the things in our house were antique...Mom had an interest in old things.

She smiled softly, not lifting her head from her check book. “That’s great, Gracie. Isn’t he dating that Sam girl?”

My ridiculous grin faded. Why would she burst my bubble? Didn’t she know how much I liked him?

“Um, yeah…yes,” I couldn’t help shifting uncomfortably in my chair. “Her name is Sonny. She’s perfect,” I mumbled under my breath.

Mom sensed the slight disappointment in my voice. She looked up at me. “Gracie, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, sweetie, but he is dating someone. Don’t you think it would be inappropriate for you to act on how you feel for him? Do you think it would even be a good idea to tutor him, knowing how you feel?”

Why was she trying to rain on my parade? I stared at her for a moment, letting what she just said seep into my mind.

“Yes, I guess you’re right,” I said through clenched teeth. “I won’t have a problem tutoring him, though. He really does need the help, and it will make me feel good to help him.” I picked up my glass and stood. “I think I’m gonna go listen to some music.”

I could see a little bit of guilt in Mom’s eyes before I turned to walk out of the room. “Okay, dear.”

I went upstairs into my bedroom, grabbed my IPod and threw myself back onto the bed. Why was she so uptight about this? I mean, I get what she was saying. Okay, he had a girlfriend. And she was perfect. But, that didn’t mean that I couldn’t like him. Almost every girl in school liked him. Heck, I’m sure almost every girl in the greater New Orleans area liked him. What was so wrong with that?

As I laid there thinking, I realized that she didn’t really like me dating Josh either. I remembered I had to beg her to let me go on a date with him. The other times we hung out, I snuck out to see him. She would have killed me if she knew that I kissed him.

This was ridiculous. I was seventeen years old, almost a college student, and very mature for my age. Anyway, he was dating the epitome of perfection. I doubted that he would want anything less than perfect at this point. I was way less than perfect. Then again, maybe he was tired of perfect.

I could hear my stomach begin to rumble. I needed food. Soon.

After listening to a little music while I did calculus, civics, and English IV homework, I nearly began running downstairs when the scent of sizzling fajitas reached my smell receptors. Man, that smell made me feel like I hadn’t eaten in months.

“Gracie, dinner is…!” Mom yelled right as she watched me tumble onto the kitchen floor. “Grace! Are you okay?” she asked frantically as she bent to help me.

I shuffled to my feet while holding on to her arm. I couldn’t help but giggle a little. I wasn’t normally clumsy, but every now and then I would get dizzy if I felt too hungry.

“I’m fine, Mom. Just hungry,” I made my way to the table where steak fajitas, black beans with sausage and rice, fried little banana thingys, and chips and salsa were awaiting my starving mouth.

“Mom, it looks so good,” I growled after swallowing a mouth full of saliva.

“Okay, well eat up. You need food right now,” she demanded. She pulled out the chair across the table in front of me to sit down and eat. I couldn’t be polite. I had to start at that moment.