Ten Things

Ch.13-Life is About Risks . . . So Take One

Grace

I wasn't a risk taker. In my younger days I played it immensely on the safe side. When all the kids would jump off the swing after seeing who could go the highest, I stood by and watched. When they all jumped the fence after finding it latched shut, I stood in the background. Mind you, though, I always had great self-awareness of what I could and couldn't do, and being the petite fragile being I was, most things I could not do. I wasn't built to handle the dangerous life of a kid. I had never been that substantial to begin with, ever since I had been born prematurely and not breathing.

The first risk I could remember taking was accepting that ride from Cole when he found me walking in the dark, the second sitting in on his practice. They didn't seem like risks to others—just normal actions—but to me they were. Half of my childhood was spent caged in a hospital, the other half imprisoned at home. I knew my boundaries and yet somewhere inside of me, there was a little voice that yearned to push them. I wanted to, cautiously of course, but something usually ended up holding me back.

I didn't know I would be faced with another such dilemma when Tiffany came to my house and wanted to take me to the mall.

"Loving!" I heard her voice shout through her incessant knocking. "Come on out! I know you're in there!"

I moved to the door, opening it to reveal Tiffany and her pink hair, her black fingernails tapping out an impatient rhythm on her hips.

"Finally," she blurted out exasperatedly. "Are you ready?"

I frowned, wary. "Ready for what?"

"To go shopping!"

I stared at her blankly. "What?"

"Friday is homecoming."

"Homecoming?"

"Yes! You've officially survived five weeks of this craphouse! It's only natural to celebrate!"

I pursed my lips to the side, chewing on the inside of my cheek. "I'm not a huge fan of dances, Tiffany. I'm sorry you had to come out here but I don't think—"

"Nonsense!" she scolded, allowing herself in through my door. I sighed and shut it. "You are going and we are buying you a knockout dress."

"Tiffany," I started, but she cut me off again.

"No way, Halo. You keep something hidden under there, I'm sure. I'm gonna find it, and expose it, and all the guys who are giving you hell will piss themselves wanting a go at you, while all the bitches like Margaret will line up in a queue wondering how to be you."

That was a terrible image. "It's really not necessary, Tiffany."

"Sure it is. Are your parents home?"

I shook my head. "Not for another few hours."

"Perfect! Come on, I don't need long to work my magic, and the mall is just outside of town."

I chewed my lower lip. "I don't know . . ."

"I do." She kicked my shoes over to me. "Come on, daylight's a-wasting!"

Oh, goodness.

I let her pull me out the door and into her truck. I buckled myself in carefully as she sped off, clearly excited about the day's events she had planned.

"I don't mean anything by this, Tiffany," I began, "but you don't seem like the dancey type of girl to me."

She rolled her eyes. "I want to tell you why, Grace, but that would ruin the surprise."