She Was Grace

• CHAPTER FIVE •

after the class was over, Lily stood up. she looked at me. "when did you move here exactly.." i stood up to face her. "Yesterday... that's when my flight landed." she stared at me for a moment, then laughed. as we walked, she started asking me little questions that everyone wanted to hear.

"So where did you live. Before you moved here i mean." She looked like she had said something wrong. I replied immediately. "I lived in Pennsylvania with my mother and her husband Greg... my parents divorced when i was really young." Her smile faded as i spoke. "My dad had gotten cancer, and was really sick. But thankfully he has been cancer free now. he has been for twelve years." She wrapped her arms around me and said, "I'm so sorry Grace." i grinned and tried to lighten the mood. "I'ts okay... wanna go get lunch or something?" she looked down at me and agreed.

She showed me around the campus and we stopped at a little coffee house. i looked up at the sign and it said Charlie's Café in big swirly letters.

As she opened the door, the smell of freshly baked bread and coffee filled my nostrils. My eyes went to the back of my head as I took in another breath.

We walked to a small round table and sat down. We looked like hobos compared to everyone else in the café.

A woman who looked to be a few years older than us came to greet us. "Can I get you girls anything? Drinks? Food?" She paused waiting for a response from us. "Uh, yea. I'll have a caramel frappé and a blue berry muffin please." Lily knew what she wanted as soon as we sat down. "And for you?" She looked in my direction while writing down Lily's order. "Umm... I guess I'll have the same thing." I had never tried anything in this place before, so I didn't know what to get.

We talked for the next few minutes until our food and drinks arrived at our little table. I took a bite into the warm muffin and tasted the gooey blueberries exploding in my mouth one by one.

I looked at Lily who was also enjoying her muffin as well. "These are really good!" I said with a mouthful of the dessert. "I know right! I know the person that makes them homemade here. He's a real treat." I laughed and we continued to shove our faces.

Just then, the door dinged behind us dinged and I saw Derek's face enter the small joint.

"Oh no." I said trying to hide my face as his eyes searched for a place to sit. "What's wrong? It's just Der-" she didn't get to finish her sentence.

He started walking towards us. "Lily! There you are. I knew you would be here. Why didn't you meet me at the park like we were planning?" His voice seemed to get higher as he talked to my new friend.

"Oh my gosh I forgot all about that babe! I was just showing my new friend Grace around campus." She pointed towards me and for a moment I stared straight into his emerald green eyes. "It's her first day..." She pretended to whisper.

"I think I should go." I said getting up. "I've gotta do something today..." I lied and stood up.

"Why are you leaving so soon?" Lily interrupted. "Meet my boyfriend... This is Derek." A fake smile appeared on my face as I was trying to hide the fact that I wanted to stab Derek face with the fork laying on the napkin beside me.

"Oh that's nice." I fake laughed and forcefully sat down as Lily grabbed Derek's arm and kissed him. The kiss started to grow as he sat down and pulled her onto his lap.

Why was I not doing anything? Why didn't I stand up and punch Derek right in the face for what he did? Why didn't I just tell her right now that she's dating a rapist druggy? Why couldn't I tell her the entire story? Why couldn't I feel my body anymore? I blanked out completely as i watched them kiss.

Was this jealousy or anger? What was there to be jealous about? What was there to be angry about? Nothing. There was nothing. I felt so empty.

"Grace?" I snapped out of it and I focused on Lily's voice. "Grace? Are you okay?" I came back to my senses. "I think I need some air." I stood up from the small table and ran out of the door making it ding.

I sat there on the side of the street and took deep breaths in trying to slow my heart from pumping out of my chest.

"Hey... Are you okay?" Lily walked out of the café and sat down beside me on the curb and stared at me strangely.

"I just think I need some rest." I lied.

"I know something's up. Why did you freeze once Derek came in? Do you know him or something...?" She smiled, but I knew it was out of jealousy... Trust me, I didn't want anything to do with her boyfriend. That's a fact.

I looked at the ground and huffed. "It's nothing... Trust me." I stood up and went back through the front door of the café to grab my small bookbag for class.

Lily followed me and sat back down beside her boyfriend. I glanced at him as he held out my bag.

"Might need this..." He said to me as I reached for it. he had a caring smile stretched across his face as if trying to apologize. i looked away and reached for my bag hanging from his fingertips as if there were nothing in it, even though it was full of books that i got today. Our hands touched for the slightest of seconds and I felt a jolt in my body. I swallowed hard and walked away.

Once I was out the door again, I took a breathe. I didn't notice I was holding it in, trying not to breathe in front of him.

I walked up the street and took a right at a small pizza place named Giovanni's. It looked to be decorated with Italian flags everywhere and picture of fat men with mustaches holding a pile of dough.

I smiled at a little boy waving to me in the window. He looked to be about five, but I wasn't certain. He kinda looked like Caleb, maybe it was becuase of his darker tanned skin black stained hair. He pounded on the glass and his mother must've gotten annoyed because she strapped him in the booster seat. He started to cry and his mother slapped his face lightly.

I felt close to him. Even though i didn't even know his name... He seemed to connect with me. The way his blue eyes filled with tears so easily. I felt bad for him. But then again, he was just a child. A child who was too young to felt for himself. His mother was just teaching him right from wrong.

I turned and looked straight ahead and kept walking. It took about ten minutes until I finally made it to Daniels house. I opened the large door and took a step in. all of the lights were off. "Daniel? are you home?" i peeked onto the couch to see if he was sleeping. he wasnt there. i heard a noise from upstairs. "Daniel...?" i said a little nervously this time as i slowly made my way up the steep wooden steps.

i walked down the hall ond slowly creeked Daniels door open to see into his room. "Daniel?"

My heart stoped.

AUTHORS NOTE//

Haha sorry for the cliffhanger... It makes it interesting! Leave a comment if you are confused on anything.🙊😂
Hope you look it so far😘