Detective Science #JustWriteIt #Wattpad10 #Ahawards2017

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Evangeline was trying to make her point as she enacted Grace to agree with her. Grace, on the other hand turned away as Evangeline was taken aback.

"Grace." Evangeline called trying to go with her pace. "I really want to help you." Evangeline tried.

"Why do you really want to help me?" Grace stopped in her tracks turning to face her best friend, looking down at her, being at 5,8, and Evangeline being at 5,5.

"What do you mean?" Evangeline asked looking lost.

"I know there's another reason as to why you want to help me, Evangeline."

"Wow. It's been a long time since you actually called me by my name." Evangeline was surprised.

It was true, Grace never called Evangeline by her name, she would always refer to her whenever she'd see her, but this was truly shocking for Evangeline as this was the first time she heard her say her name. Sounding weird? Not really.

"I want to help people, Grace." She simply put it straight.

"Do you think I'm stupid. There's something else." Grace had her hands stuffed into her pockets as they were either to the side with her hands portraying hand actions inside her jacket. 

Evangeline didn't meet her best friend's gaze as Evangeline kept mum.

"What?-."

"-For starters you aren't even looking at me." Grace spoke calmly.

With a short pause, Evangeline mustered everything into two sentences that made her felt the weight fall off her shoulders.

"My neighbour was harassed yesterday. My family think I'm weak."

"My neighbour, America and her husband went out for dinner, when she returned home yesterday, America's husband Matthew went to park the car." She paused, "when he came back inside, he saw his wife was on the floor with broken pieces of glass right beside her. Her hand was stained with blood."

"The attacker was standing there with a baseball bat." Grace was listened get carefully, brows neutrally furrowed.

"Good thing that Matthew was a previous boxing champion that he knocked out the intruder." She breathed out.

"But my family — they think I'm this type of person who doesn't know everything about this society. The society that we live in, Grace. You know how strict my father is. I want to prove to him that I could help people just like Matthew helped America out. My point is, Matthew didn't look all hard and boxer-type, on the outside. However, on the inside he showed those qualities. I want to show people I'm not weak, behind these heels and funky t-shirts, there is a side of me that shows strength and not weakness." Evangeline swallowed as she stared at Grace.

Grace was staring at Evangeline with a gaze that wasn't figured out by Evangeline, but she managed to pick up a hint of curiosity.

"Do you take me a for a fool?" Grace asked.

"What? No." She answered quickly in response to Grace's question.

"Good, then you should know that no matter what people say to you, you don't let them pull you down. Isn't that what you always try to tell me. 'Don't let people pull you down, Grace'." Grace ended as Evangeline tried to hide a small smile surfacing her lips.

"You're suffering strictness at home, you aren't enjoying the way people are considering you as weak." Grace began as Evangeline nodded her head eagerly.

"That's not my problem. Not wanting to sound harsh, but by getting involved in this sort of activity, you're going to promote yourself to downgraded." Grace had phrased the words differently but she said it in a true manner.

"What are you trying to say to me, Grace?" Evangeline asked.

"I can't let you join." She ended.

"Grace,"

"You're my best friend, you know how I feel about sticking it to the man." Evangeline tried as Grace walked off calmly as Evangeline looked sad and frustrated.

Ten minutes later, upon reaching the shack, Evangeline had taken a seat, with Grace in front of her.

"Thanks for that, Grace." Evangeline thanked as Grace sipped on her chocolate shake and nodding her head slowly in response.

"If you weren't there, I probably wouldn't have gotten Harry off of my tail. The nerve of him trying to write an article and publish it." Evangeline explained as she shook her head, sipping from her cold beverage that was placed before her.

"Then again I did give him a good story." She shrugged.

Harry, a student, was trying to operate 'a good piece of work' of which had to be submitted for the school paper. Now, that Harry has been doing some off things, lately and trying to mess about with people's things, Evangeline thought it would be a good idea to add to that 'good piece of work'. In other words manipulate him.

"But by the way, hearing you say my name for the first time was surprising." Evangeline nodded her head as Grace shrugged.

"Don't get used to it," Grace sipped onto her straw, the chocolate gliding up the clear straw.

"It was actually nice to hear you say my name. Best friend." Evangeline added emphasis to prove her point.

"Don't worry, it won't be happening anytime soon." Grace assured Evangeline as she sulked.

"Why don't you say Evangeline?" She asked thoughtfully.

Grace was sipping away at her beverage disregarding the comment provided, as Evangeline stared at her awaiting for an answer.

"Nothing important." She shrugged it off.

"What did you save my name as in your contacts list?" Evangeline asked curiously as Grace looked up at her, pulling out her phone and unlocking it with her thumbprint.

Scrolling through she clicked on the contacts app and scrolled down to Evangeline's name and showed it to the girl herself.

"VANS."

"I named it after shoes, be happy." Grace admitted, taking her lips away from the straw.

Grace loved her shoes, Evangeline knew that herself, especially with Grace's shoe cupboard — yes a shoe cupboard filled with dozens of converses, sneakers, trainers, flats, etc. However, she preferred her converses over many shoes. 

"But, Grace remember if you do need any help then..." Evangeline trailed off looking the other direction as Grace just looked up at her, before continuing to sip on the straw.

"Don't worry, dude. I hope whatever you do doesn't end up in you getting hurt. You know I love you.-" Grace winced at that as Evangeline continued. "-and I hope you're careful." Finishing her shake Grace nodded her head.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful."