Grace; misanthrope // Jai Brooks

Chapter 8

I somehow managed to sleep through my alarm the following morning which proceeded with me missing English class. I was never tardy to school but I took this as a sign that I was a little more stressed than usual. I showed up late and a little out of sorts. I didn't have time to put my big curly hair up in it's neat pony tail so I had no choice but to wear it down for the day.

When I got to school, study hall had already started. I gave Mr. Creed my tardy slip and then hurried to my seat.

"Woah, you alright?" Jai asks with a chuckle. "You're never late. Long night?"

"No," I sighed, sort of happy to hear his voice. "I slept in. I think I've just been a little stressed, lately,"

"Oh, yeah? How come?" He pressed.

I shrug. "Take a guess?" I say.

He nods. We're quiet for a moment and he looks like he wants to say something. I narrow my eyes at him.

"What?" I question.

"Wanna help me get back at Emma and David?"

A small and sly smile forms on my face, but I still narrow my eyes at him because I'm skeptical.

"What do you mean?"

He pressed his lips together firmly and looked away for a moment, thinking to himself.

"The Winter ball is coming. Who do you think will win king and queen?" He said in a tone that told me the answer was obvious.

"Emma and David," I retorted.

"Exactly," he said. "What do you think about a little sabotage?"

"What do I think?" I thought. "I don't know,"

"We won't get caught," he says as if it's so easy.

I looked at him doubtfully.

"I don't think you are as much of a goody two-shoes as you let everyone believe,"

"Oh, yeah?" I say, not with anger, but with defense.

"Yeah," he said firmly.

"Alright." I nodded. "Fine. I'm in. But you have to come up with a plan."

"It will be full proof," Jai insisted.

I gave him a nod and suddenly the bell rang. Study hall was over and I was off to my next class. I thought a lot about what Jai had said. I still wasn't totally sure I wanted to plot and scheme with him. Jai was one of my biggest bullies but so suddenly things had changed. And there was the kiss we shared... We always seem to carefully avoid that subject. We have never really discussed it, other than Jai stating he didn't tell his friends about it.

At lunch I pretty much kept to myself, eating while I listened to Bella go on about the Winter ball and Chloe complain about Algebra. I didn't mention anything about Jai or our idea.

Later that night I sat in my room, studying for a statistics test. A Smashing Pumpkins album quietly spun on my record player. My phone buzzed and Bella had sent a message to our group chat. She was begging Chloe and I to go dress shopping that weekend. I really wasn't even sure I'd go to the ball. I could obviously go with Bella and Chloe, but they would also probably have dates. Nobody would ask me to the ball, which would mean I'd be fifth-wheeling the whole time.

However, I did decide to give in because Bella and Chloe are my best friends. I was sure that if I didn't go to the ball, my mother would criticize me and do everything she could to convince me to go. Might as well save myself the trouble and just go.