No Comfort Zone

Fifteen

~Cadence's Point of View~

"So, what did you want to discuss about my paper?" I asked Mr. Lennox as everyone flooded out the classroom. I have been a mix of emotions since my talk with Jace...and the incident with my locker. Seriously, Mackenzie is being petty.

I didn't do anything to her, Jace wasn't interested in her. I can't do anything about that. He loves me, she has to get over it. Yeah, he loves me...I am still tripping over what he said to me earlier. That was the second best thing that has ever been said to me.

Its second to the day Grace and I became best friends. We were partnered up in class and she asked what my favorite television show was at the time, and still is, Criminal Minds. Then, she said "We are going to be best friends." I will never forget that day.

"First I need to ask you something." Mr. Lennox stated. I nodded. "What happened today, some teachers mentioned a fight between a Grace Selms and Mackenzie Sterling?" Mr. Lennox asked. I nodded again and said, "Yes sir, well sort of a fight."

"Is this the Grace Selms in this class period?" he asked. "Yes sir." I said. "Is she a trouble maker?" he asked. I snorted and he gave a confused look. "She isn't trouble, she is my best friend. Mackenzie disserved it." I said.

"Okay, now about your paper. I wanted to ask for your permission to send this to state finals. The entries are coming up soon and I was looking through the schools information, we haven't entered any kind of essays for any kind of competition. I want to better our writing department here." Mr. Tobias Lennox explained.

"Yeah, sure I don't mind at all." I said politely. "Good, good. You do know that if you get into top 5 you get to travel to Washington to speak your essay, and, if you win you get a check for 500 dollars." he added. Wow, that sounds nice but I am not going to get top 5 so I mean...

"That sounds great, but I really have to be getting home. I will see you tomorrow." I said. "Alright, see you tomorrow!" he called as I left to go home but I ran into Grace and Mamma Selms outside the office. Grace was laughing as her mom was yelling.

"Cadence!" Grace shouted, her mom turned to me and smiled. "Hey, I hope Grace isn't in too much trouble...she only did it to protect me." I asked. "No, she just needs to control herself at school. She is suspended for two days. Gosh, I can not believe my daughter is suspended for fighting." Mamma Selms sighed.

Grace and I smiled at each other. "Want to hang out tomorrow?" Grace asked. "Grace Nichole, just because you don't have school doesn't mean Cadence doesn't." Her mom said petulant. "Ooh, she called the middle name, that's my cue to leave. Text you later? Maybe." I laughed, leaving.

---

I called Jace on the way to my font door. "Well, I will be there in a minute I am pulling into my driveway with Luke and Jason now." Jace said, sounding a little irritated. "Okay, well I am almost up to my room now, you can come up my window or my front door...or I guess whatever you want. That is what you do anyway." I laughed.

"Your right. I do, do what I want." Jace laughed. I opened the door to my bedroom and saw a huge mess. My stuff was spread everywhere on the floor. My bed wasn't neatly made, my sketchbooks and CDs were torn out of my shelf.

My clothes and books were everywhere. "Oh no!" I gasped. I looked over and my window was busted open. "Oh my gosh, what?" Jace asked through the phone, I forgot he was even talking. "My room! I think someone broke in!" I shouted in horror.

"I will be up in a second." Jace said hanging up. Why is this all happening today? I mean seriously, who is doing this? I haven't done anything wrong to anyone. Just like Jace said, he was here within a second.