Scandal of Grace

40

Chapter Forty

"There is a crack in everything.
That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen

*Listen to In The Light by Anthem lights.*
❤

<><><>

"Hi Grace." Abigail shyly greeted from behind me.

Right. Abigail from the Cathy's crew was still trying to be on my good side. And also right. She sat behind me now.

I turned to her with the disbelief written all over my face. "Yeah. Can I help you?"

"I'm not with them any longer." She said, more like announced. I noticed that her usual friends had been ignoring her since the term began while she steered clear of them as well.

I sighed.

Maybe I should just loosen up a little bit. Bad people may not always be bad. I believed Cathy was an exemption though.

"Okay? So you want to be my friend now?"

"Um... Yes. You're a good person. I like that about you."

I felt flattered. But I didn't really show it.

"Do you want to come along to the football game today? You can come with me if you want." I shrugged.

"Really? I would really love to come with! Thank you so much."

"No biggie."

Now was not the right time to ask her why she broke up with her friends but we would get there.

A step at a time, like a baby practices to talk or walk.

<><><>

"They caught a thief! A thief!" A junior student screamed to no one in particular as she ran into the SS 2 building where we just came out from. Gladness' class was there.

'We' were myself, Jeremy, Stephen, Abigail and Gladness. The first four of us had gone to fetch Gladness from his class.

Today was the first match in the School's tournament. Our school's team were to meet on the field like an hour before the game to do warm ups and what have you.

Luckily, we didn't need to leave the school because the match was to hold here since our field was larger and better compared to the opposing team's school field.

"She said thief..." I trailed off and glanced at the faces of the others.

Abigail shrugged then pointed ahead of us. She was pointing at a staff building in front. "Look there. There are so many students and noise."

As she finished speaking, more students ran by us and towards the staff building.

"Come on guys." Jeremy said and we all jogged along.

Getting there, the crowd was too much for us to really see what was going on inside. My height was not helping matters in this situation because taller boys and girls already took their place in front of us.

Suddenly, I couldn't find Abigail beside me again.

"Where's Abby?" I asked Stephen.

"I have no idea. She was here few minutes ago." He replied. Then to Jeremy, he said. "Jerry we would be dead meats to coach if we get there late. I think we should go."

"Okay."

They retreated from the crowd and left. I eyed the students but saw no sign of Abigail.

I was about to give up when she showed up. That was when I realized how small her body was. She had struggled through the crowd to get a better view of whatever was going on.

"Abby. Why did you go off like that?"

"I'm sorry." She apologized, not meeting my eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"It was Catherine."

"What are you saying? What was Catherine?"

Gladness just stood there watching us from under his thick eyelashes.

Abigail looked like she was going to break. "She had not stopped stealing. She promised to stop!"

"I'm not getting it."

"You remember that one time that Jeremy was to repay Mrs Sharon the class money? Catherine stole it and told us not to tell."

"I thought they were rich..." I didn't know what exactly to think again.

"Yeah. But money and good manners are two different things though." She snickered.

"So, what has that got to do with this?" I was trying to understand the whole scenario.

"She's the thief they just caught."

"What?!"

Was I supposed to be surprised?

I didn't know. But I was.

<><><>

Catherine was ordered by the principal to pick her things and go on an immediate two weeks suspension from classes but to work on the school farm beginning the next day.

She was trying to steal from a teacher's bag when another teacher came in and saw her. She lied to that one that she was on errand for the teacher who owns the bag.

How wrong could she get?

The one who saw her asked for the teacher's name and she went dumb. It was impossible not to know the name of a teacher who could send you on errand into his bag.

It was just impossible.

I waved a goodnight to Abigail as I walked towards my dad's car outside the school gate.

The match was a success. Our school won two goals to none. I was so happy for the guys. The next game would be next week. I didn't know where yet.

I hopped in my dad's car.

"Afternoon Daddy."

"Is that girl your friend?"

I nodded. "She's in my class too."

"Why don't I drop her off? I've never seen you make friends with others in your class apart from Jeremiah and Stephen. Call her over."

I opened the door and yelled for Abigail, then waved her over.

When she finally sat in the backseat, she thanked my dad again. He told her not to worry about it.

My dad made small talks with her and they sort of got along.

Abigail was a nice person too. Her previous companions were just the ones soiling her image before.