Freak

Chapter Five: Meet the Gang

Mrs Cornwell's voice rang through the air. I wondered if I heard her correctly. Did she really just say she was my grandma? I stared at her for answers.

"Yes," Mrs Cornwell answered, reading my mind. "I'm your mother's mom." My heart welled in my chest. Ever since I was small, I always wondered about her. I remember seeing little girls on the street with their moms' and wished for one. I never had a girl to hang out with growing up. I never had a girls' night with my mom painting nails. I never had a mom to teach me how to do my hair. I never had a mom teaching me about stuff that comes with puberty. I missed out on so much that I wished for one.

"Do you know where she is?" I asked curiously.

"Yes," Mrs Cornwell murmured. "She needs your help."

"Where is she?"

"I can't tell you that yet. First you need to prepare."

"For what?"

"To free her. You need to learn magic. Once you are strong enough, you will be able to free her, and finally get a real mother."

"Magic?"

"Yes," she explained. "You're mother was a magic caster." Great, a part of me thought. I'm more of a monster than I thought I was. At that point, it wasn't even strange to me.

"Where do I began?" Mrs Cornwell chuckled.

"After school tomorrow. Two thirty, sharp."

***

After I picked up a hamburger from the lunch line, which was empty from everyone who went before me, I sat down beside William. He grinned when he saw me. "Hey, Gracie," he said, "nice to see you." I rolled my eyes at the name.

"I'm Cori," a ginger haired girl cut in from two chairs over from of me, before pointing to the brunette to my right. "That's Elise."

"I'm Ben," the boy next to William waved, a smirk climbing one cheek. "Wonderful to finally meet you, Ms Grace." From the way he spoke, I knew he was trying to charm me, but it wasn't working.

"I don't think she wants you flirting with her," piped the boy to the left of Ben. Unlike Ben and William, he wasn't too muscular with thin arms and torso, but he was about their height, making him look almost uneven.

"You never know what a girl wants, Jamey," Ben chuckled his he ruffled the boy's raven colored hair.

"Don't call me that," the boy huffed. "You know it's James."

"I do, but I don't care." James rolled his eyes. For a moment, I felt pity for him. I knew what it was like being called something you don't want to be called, unlike some people.

"So, Grace, why don't you tell us something about yourself?" Elise asked. "I'm sure you have a very interesting life, being all emo, and all."

"Elise!" Cori hissed.

"Just curious," Elise explained. I peered down at my burger. What was I supposed to say? That I was a monster? That I lived a horrible life in my house with no light? That I lived in fear of being found? What would I be able to tell without letting the secret slip out?

"I don't have much to say," I lied. "I usually just stick to myself."

"Come on," Ben said with a role of his eyes. "There must be something to tell us. What do you do for fun?" That made me think? What did I like to do? I usually didn't do much. The only thing is that I liked to do was hanging with Belle and drawing.

"I like to draw," I answered sheepishly.

"Can you show us one?" Cori asked. I just stared down at my hands curled in my lap. I could feel their eyes on me. I was glad when I heard William's voice. He must have taken my silence as uncomfortableness-which is what it was-and wanted to change that.

"Cori," he spoke, "the poor girl hasn't even properly been around kids her age, and is finally gettin' out of her comfort zone, and you're tryin' to rush her into even more uncomfortableness. Don't make her do that." I couldn't help but smile.

"Fine," Cori muttered, rolling her eyes as she slumped back into her chair. "I was just wondering."

****

For the rest of lunch, Ben and William were just in conversion, Cori, Elise, and James ocisonally cutting in. I almost did, a few times, but whenever I told myself to speak, my mouth wouldn't create the words and disobey my mind. Instead, I sat there, smiling at times at things they said, but unlike those who clearly hated me, they apected my wish to not speak much, and I loved it.

After long hours in school, I found myself heading home, sitting in the passager seat picking at my nails, as Jackson drove me home. My mind traveled to Mrs Cornwell, of what she said. Could she really be my grandma? Could see help me find my mom, or was she lying? But why would she lie? What was the purpose? To break me down so id be an easy kill? Why...?

"Grace?" Jackson asked as he sent me a glance from the mirror. "You're deep in thought. What are thinking about?"

"How do you know I'm deep in thought?" I murmured.

"You always make that face when you are," he admitted. I rolled my eyes.

"It's a long story."

"Grace, you know you can tell me anything." He said that even though he wouldn't tell me. For the past few months, his dark eyes would stare at walls, but he'd shake himself out of it. That was what he did when he was thinking, but he began doing it more than ever, many times a day. At dinner, in the morning, before he said good night. Thank god he didn't do it while he drove.

"You don't," I accused.

"This is about you, not me," Jackson fought back. I didn't say a word until we when home.