A Miracle for Grace.

Hi there. You. This is a notice ahead of time. Unless of course, you're already in high school. In which case- it's too late.

You've seen the nasty people everywhere, accidentally touched gum from underneath the desk and been teased because you 'like-like' someone. Maybe someone's even thrown you into a garbage can once.

Personally, the last one had never even happened to me until this year.

But I'll get to that later.

----

The suspicious stain on the ceiling looked especially dark today. Maybe it was because it's been there since year 6, or because the low-budget overhead hallway lighting was flickering. Perhaps it was because I was feeling incredibly foggy today.

Because today was the first day of year 9.

Today, everybody was buzzing around little bees.. Actually, more like hornets. You want to squash them, but hornets are, you know, terrifying.

Every so often, I noticed, the students around me would fly from one hive to the next. Offering the holiday's fresh gossip. "He dumped her," they said, "She's a slut?", they questioned.

Two key members of my hive had seeming become MIA during the school holidays. The founders, and only other members of besides myself, I might add.

The thing is, our school was made up of 440 members. We went from prep to year 10, that's 40 kids each year. Ugh. Minus the 40-50% deceitful population, that gives me a grand total of 10 girls my age that aren't total idiots. Leaving 4, maybe 6 girls that I actually can hold a conversation with.

"Grace!" Ashley called me from behind. Oh, I thought. It's you.

She ran towards me and smothered me in a hug. I grimaced internally. If she's hugging me so tightly now, why didn't she bother during the holidays?

"I'm so sorry I didn't make your sleepovers, I saw the texts but I was so busy!"

You led me on. I was so excited. I didn't think this kind of stuff happened anymore. I probably looked like that sad kid on that sad childhood movie that throws a party, invited everyone in the neighborhood, and gets stood up. Wow. It's not everyday someone gets completely left in the mud. "That's okay. Really. I didn't want to do anything anyway."

As I turned around I saw somebody fall over. "Oh hey, Cora!" As she got up, Ashley frowned slightly. I'm not sure exactly why she didn't like Cora. Maybe it was because they looked completely different from each other or Cora's headstrong opinions.

Cora had her tight brown curls loose, with large hippy style, round-rimmed glasses covering her chocolatey eyes. Her uniform was  snug and short on her small frame.

Ashley was the same average hight, yet she appeared tall because of her head-held-high stance. Her long dark hair was held back with an expensive-looking headband, looking like a tiara to announce that she was indeed a victorious leader.

Polar opposites, and I wasn't even supposed to talk to Cora. Ashley never told me that- but you get the suspicion when she doesn't bother to talk to her, as if Cora was inferior according to her social status. 

The school bell, in all its glory, droned loudy- signaling us to go to our home rooms.

After I waited five minutes for this couple to stop kissing in front of my locker, not hearing any of my pathetic attempts to get them to move, I finally got to homeroom.

When I finally get in the door, everyone looks at me. Ugh. They had already sat down, leaving no room for me to sit next to anybody. Well, it's not like I was going to sit next to anybody, anyway. As I walk to the back of the class, I realize there is just one seat next to someone.

When Cora looks at me and smiles, the look of dread washes off my face to form a smile.

"Hey, where were you?"

"Sorry, Cora, I'll tell you at recess- I don't want to be told off on the first day of the year." My speech gradually slows down as I realize that the classroom is completely quiet, and they're all looking at me. Again.

As my thoughts trail onwards as the teacher welcomes us to another year at school, I had no idea that the promise to Cora I had just made would only completely change my high school life.