Before The Storm ( wlw / lesbian )

Chapter 4

Grace walked into English, and Toni's eager eyes finally landed on the girl she couldn't get off her mind even if someone took a jackhammer to it. She knew Grace had watched her fight yesterday, and it gave her all the more strength to fight back- like a straight dose of trenbolone. She looked different than she usually saw her. Under her eyes were a faint blue, and her eyes were red and hooded. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. No makeup, and her hair was down, nearly covering her face as she walked in. She looked like she was holding her breath, hoping to disappear and never be thought of again. She had the cuffs of her sweaters balled in her fists so tightly her knuckles were white, and she looked around for a moment, locking eyes with familiar brown. She didn't smile, or sneer. She wasn't... her. Although no one could predict the future, on a scale of local riot to a nuclear holocaust,

The usually fiery redhead walked through the aisles, taking a seat in the very far back where a Raven usually occupied. Most of them were out sick, meaning they just had too much to drink at the party last night and decided to play hooky.

Grace looks over at Toni for the briefest moment. Her face is shuttered, despite the smile Toni offers her, before attention is drawn back to the window where she pressed her head, her features relaxing. It seemed the cool condensation was relieving whatever tension was knotted in her temples. It looked like doing nothing, but too important a nothing to interrupt, even though after having Grace's attention and then not felt like the world gone matte and losing its lustre.

"Okay class, open to your Pride and Prejudice books to page 36, where we left off from last class. Jessica, can you read starting from line..."

The teachers voice drawled out, and Toni was left with a knot in her chest. Sure, Grace had  caused her friends hell over the entire time they'd been at Clairfield high, but that didn't mean she wanted to see her in pain. She would rather take another dozen punches if it would bring the redhead salvation. To give her a little bit of sunshine in a mind that seemed to break and mend on a constant cycle. 

-

Toni clambered off of her motorcycle later that day after an unsurprisingly boring day; the seasonal cold nipping at her nose and cheeks. She let out a breath, watching it dance in winters reflection and fiddled with the pack of smokes in her pocket. She made a beeline for O'Flanagans for safe haven from the weather, the familiar chime above her head pulling a soft smile to her lips. She always had felt at home in the cozy diner that was already covered shingles to slats in Christmas decor, snorting at the discombobulated voice of Paul Young that came from the jukebox in the corner. She didn't get too much shit for being a Southsider here, since it was so close to the tracks leading to her own home. Maybe she could scrounge around enough cash to buy Katie a new one as thanks.

Katie greeted her with a warm smile, taking her order at the counter before leaving the girl to survey the booths, spoiled for choice. One was being occupied by an elderly couple, a few others taken by some students she vaguely recognized, and in the far corner right next to a fake pine sat a free booth sat invitingly. 

She walked over and plopped down, warming herself up under the heater by the window. It was dark out despite it being only four. She lets her mind wander, wondering if maybe when Grace is nose deep in her book, she doodles Toni's name out out longhand alongside little hearts and whirligigs and butterflies that look like mirror-image capital Bs on the inside cover of the secret notebook they'd maybe one day pass back and forth to each other. Or maybe Toni was losing herself to her own delusions, and Grace had a perfectly good guy back home. She has the sudden ridiculous worry that he would challenge her for Grace's hand, and at any moment he would take out his riding gloves and slap her across the face with them. There would be paces, pistols, seconds, everything. They would duel to the death over Grace Lawrence.