Saving Grace: The Glory of Love - FINISHED

Saving Grace: The Glory of Love Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Matthew 6:14 & 15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Wednesday as Hope and I drove in to the school parking lot, rumors were already starting. Eyes began glaring at me, like I had done something wrong. The first thing we noticed was a group of students gathered around what looked like a fight. Several of the football players were surrounding two guys. As we got out of the car and started heading into the building we realized that Jake was one of the two guys in a yelling match that was getting heated. I couldn't tell who the other boy was, but he shoved Jake and I knew this was not going to be pretty. As I approached, the weirdest thing happened...the crowd split to let me through. I could not make out the yelling and the comments surrounding me. My mind was in a whirlwind with emotions and shock of seeing Jake fighting and the anger that was being directed at me. Everyone was yelling and I couldn't figure out what was going on. Then the voices around me started getting clearer.

"John would never do that." One person yelled.

"You beat John up!" Someone else added.

"Why don't you guys tell the truth!" Another voice sounding very angry chimed in.

"John would never hurt Grace." Someone deep in the crowd yelled.

"Grace, tell everyone the truth! You are ruining John's future!" Billy, one of John's best friends shouted at me.

"STOP!" I yelled. All of the memories of Friday night swarmed around my head. "You don't know what happened! You were not there!" I began to cry. I felt my body crumbling under me and I fell to the ground clutching my stomach, trying to hold myself together. It felt like I was being torn apart from the inside out. Every emotion and dark thought I had been trying to hide came out and I was drowning in the emotions that I had bottled up. Only twice had I faced them briefly and tucked them back away for no one to see. Once with Jake and once with Dr. Palmer. I did not want to do this hear in front of the whole student body.

Everyone stopped yelling and fighting and within a seconds Jake, Hope and Tim were at my side.

"Grace would not lie about this!" Hope said. "Besides, I saw her afterwards, the bruises, marks and swelling. John tried to rape her! He beat her!"

"John didn't do it, someone else did!"

Whether or not I wanted to face them, the truth needed to be told, no matter if they believed me or not. Jake and Tim helped me up from the ground. "Enough!" I yelled. "John did do this to me." I pulled back my hair and the collar of my shirt to show a nasty bruise that was still on my neck but starting to fade. "John attacked me. He tried to rape me. If it wasn't for Jake stopping him and getting me away, he would have succeeded." Jake and Hope started guiding me away from the crowd toward the school building. Shielding me with their bodies from the looks I was getting. But I could still hear the words... "Liar...slut...doing this for attention..."

As we left, I heard Mr. Banks, our principal running up with several other administrators to break up the fight. But, it was too late. Everyone knew what happened now. I couldn't hide it any longer. I couldn't keep my perfect mask in place and hide the hurt any more. I wiped the tears from my eyes as we walked to the office. I did not want to talk to a counselor, I just wanted to sit and reclaim myself for a few minutes. I couldn't even hide what happened in the back of my mind, only bringing it out when I knew I was safe. It was now out for friends and foe alike. By the end of 1st period, I knew it would be all around the school.

I realized that my friends had not guided me to the office, but had found an empty classroom and brought me there. It was dark and no one knew we were even in there. I sat on the floor and hugged my knees trying to regain any part of myself that was left. I don't know how long we sat there, but it seemed like forever. When I finally looked up I saw Tim standing by the door as a lookout. Hope and Jake sitting on each side of me on the floor. Hope stroking one arm and Jake rubbing the other.