State of Grace (Complete)

Mess with Grace...

Ch. 23

The first day of school is better this year than last. I have mostly normal clothes so I don't look like a complete freak, plus I actually know people from last year. Chris and I wait for the bus together, while Ian skulks by the fence.

"So a friend of Steve's is getting rid of an old car, so if he can swing it, Ian and I might get a car for our birthday!"

"That's awesome!"

"Yeah, no more bus, you can get a drive too, of course."

"Maybe one of us will get a boyfriend with a licence first?"

"Is that a condition of boyfriend status?"

"I think maybe we could make it one."

"How about both of you stop it," Ian snaps at us.

"Why? Is it too hard for you to believe that one of us might find a boyfriend?" Chris snaps back. "I might have a smaller pool to choose from, but you know Grace is attractive."

"And if you look in a mirror, you know Chris is totally hot, too." I tease. Oh my God, I can't believe I just said that.

Ian closes his mouth and glares at us until the bus comes.

My classes are good, except the schedule has once again conspired to put me in English with Ian, but without Chris this time. He sits at the back with a group of slackers and I choose a seat right in front. He doesn't acknowledge me when I walk in, and I've decided that's fine. The boy next to me, Owen, is someone who was in our class last year, too, and he starts up a conversation.

"How was your summer?"

"Good, I guess. You?"

"Great, actually. My soccer team is undefeated and we only have three weeks left of the season."

"Not bad." I give him a smile and he explains all about his position and team to me.

After a few weeks, Owen actually asks me out to the movies, and I accept. He also fits my criteria because he has his driver's licence. No car, but he's going to use his parents' for our date. Chris comes over and helps me pick out an outfit, and I think I could look halfway passable.

"I can't believe you have your first date, Gracie! Our little girl is all grown up! Plus Owen's not bad looking, either, if you like that type."

Suddenly I am fascinated, "Chris, what's your type? I mean I'm not sure I have a type, really, Owen asked me and he seems nice and so I said yes, but it's not like I was lusting over him for months or anything."

"Well, Grace, it's a ton easier for you. You can giggle and twirl your hair, and you can tell which guys are hetero, because most of them are. If I was to do something like that, I'd probably get the snot kicked out of me. It's not like there's a big group of people for me to choose from here, and I'm not settling just from lack of choice."

"But that sucks. I want you to meet someone and be happy. You deserve that."

"Yeah, but it might not happen for awhile, and I'm okay with that. If it turns out there's a guy at school who I like and I'm getting a vibe from, then maybe I'd be open to a relationship, but otherwise I'm willing to wait. I'm going to go away to school to somewhere a lot bigger where my sexuality won't be as much of an issue."

"I understand entirely why you need to leave town. I wish I could go with you, but it's been made very plain to me that if I want any sort of help with my schooling, I need to stay here because I get free tuition."