Saving Grace

Chapter 1

In the early morning of Thursday, headlights flashed in the window, awakening a sleeping teen. She pulled herself from beneath the covers, wiping her eyes to remove the gunk that crusted in her eyelashes as she slept. In the hall, her father's footsteps thundered, banging down the stairs to the front door where a consistent knocking was taking place.

Setting her feet on the cool floor, she made her way to her door.  When she opened it she found her mother standing in the hall in her robe, wiping sleep from her eyes and running a hand through her tangled blond hair. She smiled at her daughter before leading the way down the stairs.

When her mother stopped mid-stride on the second to last step, the teen knew something was wrong. Peering around her mother's body, she was struck by the features of the police deputy, who stood on the porch.

"What do you mean?" Her father was demanding. His arms were crossed over his chest, something that he only did when he was nervous. 

Deputy Rommey folded his hands into his pockets and looked her father dead in the eye. "I mean there has been an accident and Gabe was involved." 

Her mother gasped, throwing her hands over her mouth to resist a sob. It wasn't the fact that there had been an accident. It was the fact that Gabe wasn't here telling them himself. Which had the family's imagination running wild.

 "How bad?" Her dad asked, his voice just above a whisper.

"Ther airlifted him to St. John's-" Her mother bolted up the stairs, nearly knocking the teen over in the process. Her feet could be heard, clambering around as she rushed to her room and began throwing things. No doubt, packing a bag. 

"Why so far?" Her father asked. St. John's was an hour away, at least. There was a hospital in town. Granted it wasn't exceptional, but it got the job done. Which is exactly what Rommey said. "Thank you," Her dad said, dismissing him by shutting the door. 

"I guess, I'll go get dressed." She said, looking down at her pajama pants and tank top. Her father shook his head in response. 

"You're not going, Grace. You have school tomorrow, and cheer practice. We will take you to see him tomorrow. After school." He said, manuevering around her to head up the stairs.

"You think I'll be able to sleep, let alone, focus at school tomorrow? Dad, I need to be with Gabe!" She cried, following him up the stairs. But it was a losing battle and before she knew it her parents were in the car, backing out of the driveway, while she watched from inside the house. 

Sighing, she cracked her neck and shut off the downstairs lights, heading up to bed.

The sun woke her in the morning, luckily it was before her alarm and not after. Banging her head into her pillow, she let out a muffled scream at the unfairness of being left behind. Gabe was her brother, she deserved to know what was going on. 

Dragging her feet, she dressed in comfortable clothes, deciding today was going to be a Monday-on- Thursday kind of day. Clad in black sweat pants and a loose, yellow tee shirt, she made her way downstairs to eat some breakfast before having to catch the bus. 

Snatching a ripe banana from the counter, she munched on it and put on her tennis shoes. Realizing she only had minutes to spare before the bus would go driving by. Bustling out the door, she nearly forgot her cheer bag. But made it just in time for the bus to notice her.

***

Anna sat in front of her, eating a salad and gossiping about nothing in particular. "You know," she said in between bites, "there's an incredibly cute boy back on the market, that has an eye for you." Anna flashed a white smile at Grace, before stuffing a wad of lettuce into her mouth. Her blue eyes glimmered with mischief. 

Playing with her food, Grace stared at her tray. The lumps that looked too much like rocks to be appetizing and the puddle of white chunks weren't appeasing her. "Who? And what is this?" She asked, not really caring for either answer but knowing if she didn't keep conversation Anna would go beserk. 

"That, my dear friend, is supposed to be Salmon," she gestured to the rocks, "and coleslaw," the puddle. She wrinkled her slightly, upturned nose as she looked at the food, looking back at her salad, Anna grinned. "Would you like a bite? Of Ryan?"

Grace tilted her head to the side, glaring at Anna in the process. "Ryan is dating Hannah. Who, in case you forgot, is our friend." Anna shook her head, her blonde curls shaking all over the place, and a major smile lighting up her eyes.

"Not anymore."

"Oh," Grace said, remembering the words that Gabe had said about Ryan, "I'm not interested. Gabe said I should stay away from him." Looking away from Anna's blistering stare, she found her eyes wandering to where Hannah and Ryan used to sit. Now it was Ryan minus Hannah and he looked totally fine with it. 

"When are you going to stop listening to your big brother and start being your own person?" Anna accused. Coming from anyone else, Grace would have been insulted but from Anna it was okay. She knew the background to that story.

Anna had been her best friend for years, and had come to know the relationship that Grace and Gabe had. Grace looked up to her big brother and looked for his approval, which he almost always gave, unless the situation was severe. He offered Grace wise advice. Advice she couldn't turn down. 

"When you learn to give good advice." Grace replied, the corners of her lips turning up in a smile. 

"Ouch," Anna feigned heartache, "that hurt. That wasn't nice." 

"Gabe said I should be nice to you. Which do you want, me listening to Gabe or going my own way?" Grace asked, shooting an innocent look at her best friend. 

Anna thought for a moment, tapping her index finger against her chin. "Gabe's way. Speaking of the devil, where is he? I heard you rode the bus this morning, Gabe get grounded?"

Grace should have known. Of course, people would speculate. She had rode to school with him since he got his license. And where was he? A hospital, but if she said that, Anna would surely light the room ablaze with her need to know what was going on. But Grace didn't have the information to tell Anna, that would keep her calm. 

"Anna," Grace spoke softly, causing Anna to lean across the table to hear, "he was in a car accident. He's at St. Johns."