Saving Grace

A New Me

I jolted awake and blinked furiously trying to get familiar with my environment. I glanced at my alarm clock which read two in the morning. My stomach sang due to its emptiness.

I got up took off my clothes and jumped into the shower. Through the shower glass,I kept looking at my scars. A dominant one was a red scar running from my neck to waist. I squeezed my eyes shut, begging the memories to go away but my memory was still very haunted. Unable to break away from my sadness, I grabbed my razor and gave myself a new scar across my stomach. Then another on my arm, then another on my thighs and before I know it I had ten new scars.

I had the strong urge to s***h the main vein running through my wrist but I knew I wasn't that bold. I couldn't kill myself for the sake of it.

I spent time in the shower till I felt my bones ice up before I finally got out. I cleaned up my new cuts and wore my pyjamas.

I would have usually picked up a book to read but I don't have my glasses and I could not go through the stress of putting on contacts by three in the morning.

I glanced outside my window and wondered where light was coming from. The light in the house beside mine fickered and I heard voices. What?

Who thought that house could ever have occupants? Its been empty for years now. I silently hoped that they were good neighbours and made less noise when the window of the room directly opposite mine flew open. I saw a teenage guy curse and throw out a cigarette.

I wanted to yell at him that it was wrong to do that but I didn't have the strength to but I looked and was met with the most electric eyes ever, my breath hitched. It was like in my dream, I looked up at the person and it was...

Jacob Lee Westwood

Immediately I felt my eyelids flutter shut.

The next morning after I did my morning business, I hopped into a pair of grey joggers and black hoodie and then I slipped on my black crocs. A complete Grace look.

I slammed my door shut and took the steps three at a time, not ready for any family drama this morning.

"Grace won't you have something to eat?" My mother asked

I glanced at everyone at the dining table "No thanks, I'm good" I murmured and walked out of the door.

Since I was super early, I parked my second car which Will gave me this morning since he noticed the absence of my other car in the garage, the perks of being rich. Anyways I parked the new car in the school parking lot shot a glance at my former car and made a quick mental note to tow it later, grabbed my school bag and just left. I hiked to my spot.

This my spot was a grassy cliff not too far from school. I usually come here to think but as I approached the spot I heard footsteps. My heart beat quicked. Nobody knows about this spot, could there be a murderer there?

I shook my head, a murderer wouldn't be walking around. Just I heard the footsteps approaching me I turned around and ran as quietly as I could.

Standing beside my car now trying to act normal but my heart beat was miles away from me.

"Grace" I jumped out of fear and gripped my heart

"What the hell?!" I yelled at Savannah

"Why do you look out of breath?" Sebastian asked and felt my forehead. "You're having a temperature"

I rolled my eyes at them "Well all humans have temperature silly"

"Anyways, what'd you say about yesterday's offer?" Savannah asked so causally like she was talking about the weather.

Not thinking much about it since it was pointless "Fine, I'll do everything on that stupid bucket list"

Savannah laughed and flicked her hair in my face "I knew you didn't have a choice. You love me too much"

Sebastian pushed Savannah playfully "We all know she agreed cause she can't do with awesome me"

My two best people in the world kept bickering as we walked into school.

I sighed at them and thought more about this bucket list. It could really mean something big for me. This bucket list could mark the start of a new Grace..

I could leave the life I had before this bucket list behind.

I laughed at myself mentally as I rethought it. My fathers death could never be in the past, my daily problems could never be in the past, Grace can never be in the past. Pushing that thought aside, I decided to make myself happy for the moment.

Its currently lunch time and Savannah was giving me a look like she expected me to suddenly grow another head "What the heck do you want from me?" I snapped

Savannah eyed me and threw a piece of fry at me "I want you to do the first thing on the damned list"

I laughed and kept eating my food suppressing the urge to throw up. Seems like nothing ever stays in my stomach these days.

"According to clause 3 of the bucket list, the adventurer is not allowed to back out of the list under any circumstance" Sebastian read from his copy of the bucket list.

I still can't believe Savannah printed a copy each for everyone of us.

I narrowed my eyes at the two of them and continued my lunch. "You'd better get on that f*****g table and start a f*****g food fight "

I groaned and questioned why I agreed to this. After two minutes of regretting my life decisions I hopped on the table and yelled "Guys, when was the last time we had a food fight?!"

The whole school looked at me like I was an alien when suddenly a voice yelled "Hey, the freak is right " and before I knew it the whole cafeteria was a mess.

Sensing things were getting too hot, I grabbed my school bag slumped over my shoulders and slowly backed away from the scene. Suddenly I bumped into someone, looking up I was met with everyone's nightmare but my own fairy tale. Jacob Lee Westwood.

"J--jacob" I shuttered

My heart stopped, my palms getting sweaty, I felt bloody draining from my face. Seems like Jacob looked pretty shocked to see me too and I couldn't guess why.

I felt myself getting light headed.

You might be wondering who Jacob is. I'll take you down the memory lane.

When I moved into the small town like three years ago, I picked an obsessive liking on Jacob Lee Westwood but because of his destructive acts, I was forbidden from begin near him but my crush didn't fade away.

Little over a two years I moved, there was a murder case and because the town was small and peaceful the only murder suspect was Jacob. No one ever heard his side of his story because he went to juvenile the following week and he was just 15 years old. Now he's back and the years did him a great favour.

He had defined muscles, tattooed arms and a sharp feature. He looked more manly than I remember.

Snapping out of my trance I snatched myself from him hold because my skin burnt where he touched me. That was the effect he had on me.

Jacob eyed me and motioned to the cafeteria with his chin "What's going on there?"

I almost lost my hearing with how deep yet milky his voice was. I paused replaying the voice in my head.

"Are you deaf? Or your parents told you to stay away from me" He sneered with venom in his voice.

He looked more pissed than anything before walking back to wherever he was coming from.

Well that was weird..

After the whole food fight incident everyone went back to their senses and settled down for their respective classes.

I was acting serious when I reality, I was thinking about Jacob. He was back in town and he lived next door. My hallucination last night was Jacob. He moved into the house next to mine!! Fuck

I snapped back to earth when Mrs Merkel walked in with a very bored looking Jacob trailing behind her.

"Listen up students . There's a new student"

Everyone snapped their eyes to the guy beside Mrs Merkel. Soon the whole class was whispering and I saw Jacob shooting daggers at everyone in the class.

I zoned out but zoned back in when I felt someone move the chair next to mine at the back of the class, it was Jacob. Of all empty seats in this class, he just had to choose then one next to me.

So this year, our project is based on the history and formation of DNA. Every class yourself and your partner will come forward to present what you know so far about the topic.

I sighed. Since we were an odd number in our class and no one wanted to be with the freak, I always did my projects alone. In all my classes since Sebastian always got paired with Savannah, don't ask me how.

Basking in the joy of doing my project alone, I was halted when someone said "Does that mean the freak has to pair with the psycho?"

Everyone snickered and I saw Jacob clench his jaw. Oh this can't be nice.

But wait a damn minute?!

I am to do the project with Jacob, I can barely form a sentence when I'm near him how on earth?

Another person said "Maybe this will be the last of the freak will see, the psycho should kill her by tonight".

They all shudderd and laughed lowly when I saw Jacob break the pencil between his fingers into two and proceeded to stand up and give the students a piece of his mind.

Acting out of impulse, I grabbed his arm and whispered "Let it go, its not worth it"

Jacob glanced at my hand on his arm, allowed his fury to show in his face before relaxing his muscles and storming out of class.

"Anyways, have a great senior year kids" Mrs Merkel said and walked out of the class. Immediately she left, I grabbed my bag hoping to go in search of Jacob before he did something regrettable.

"Where do you think you're going freak?" Barbie said holding me back

I yanked her hands off me "I'm going away from here,are you blind"

Just as I was about heading out, Barbie pulled me back with my hair and slapped me across the face."Look here, you are not one of us freak and you'll never be."

I pushed Barbie off me "I never said I wanted to fit in"

Before I could register what the heck was going on, I was punched on my cheek.

"Who gave you the right to talk to my girlfriend that way you pathetic wrench?" Ken screamed in my face before giving me another punch.

Ken kept hitting me while Barbie and everyone else in the class recorded what was going on.

"She's so pathetic she isn't even crying "

"She knows how unlucky her fate is, she's already used to it"

"No wonder her father died"

"She doesn't deserve any love"

The bell rang and they all stood up and left. Ken used my shirt to wipe off my blood on his wrist and stormed out with Barbie by his side. "You're lucky we didn't kill you today freak. But the next time you ever look my girlfriend in the eye, I'll f*****g kill you" Ken spat and left.

I was left on the floor, bruised and hurting. The injuries they gave me hurt so little compared to the truth of their insults. I killed my father, I deserve all the hatred.

Gathering whatever pride I had left, I got up limped to the janitor office grabbed a mop and cleaned up the blood I left on the floor. I think I now have a broken rib.

I. Hate. My. Life

I tried my possible best to stay away from Savannah and Sebastian for the rest of the day because they will make a fuss and that's the last thing I wanted right now.

Anyways after school, I contacted a towing service to come tow my car home. Then I quietly limped off to my spot.

When I got to my spot, I sighed and listened to the birds chirping in the background and water flowing from a creek nearby. I closed my eyes and sniffed the air and slowly but surely, I felt myself drift off to sleep.

I groaned and jolted awake from a bad dream panting and sweating. I was seriously shaking and I reached into my bag for my anxiety pills. After popping two into my mouth, I took a deep breath.

"For someone who is abused you sleep pretty well" I heard a deep voice say.

I snapped my eyes open.

"Jacob" I breathed

He stood up from the log of wood he sat on and walked towards me, I shot up to my feet and began backing away from him.

"What do you want from me?" I croaked

Jacob smirked and kept walking towards me in small steps. "I came here for some air since this is my spot then I met you sleeping here, what do you have to say about that?"

I looked at him like he grew another head. "This is my spot. I discovered it two years ago"

"Well its mine since I discovered it when I was ten" Jacob smirked more

I wanted to take another step backwards but I couldn't since I was wrapped in Jacob's arms. I glanced down and saw an endless hole.

"If you as much as tick me off, I'll drop you off this cliff" Jacob threatened

I scoffed at him "You think I care about this life anymore"

He looked a little taken aback for a while before moving us away from the edge of the cliff, by now he was carrying me slightly off the ground and I felt butterflies wherever out bare skin brushed. Butterflies weren't the only thing I felt, I also felt pain because he was lifting me with my broken rib side.

I unintentionally whimpered as the pain intensified.

Jacob dropped me and looked at me weirdly before looking away.

"Now that we're here, we should probably talk about out Anatomy project" Jacob said..

"Oh, that's not a problem. I'll do the research and you'll talk during the presentation" I said creating a little distance between us.

All these Jacob oxygen I was breathing was making me dizzy.

Jacob looked at me "You think I'm dumb huh? I do know a lot about school work"

I blinked once, twice and soon I'm sure I looked like a fish gasping for air

Jacob leaned in closer "I also know that you suffered a broken rib from when Ken hit you"

My eyes widened, he wasn't even there.

"How'd you know?" I managed to cough out

"Its over the school website"

My breath seized.

Oh s**t no!!!

"Anyways, I never got to fully introduce myself. I am Jacob Lee Westwood, everyone's nightmare" He said and smiled

Like a real smile, that reached his eyes.

"Umm. I'm Grace Elle Mannor"