A Touch of Grace

Chapter 7

"Do you think you can give her my number?" Aaron asked curiously, rocking back and forth on his feet. I stared at the slightly excited expression on his face and for some reason, I found myself nodding, despite the blow my ego just took. I felt like my heart was crushed like a car in a scrap yard, and the air was knocked out of me.

"Yeah, yeah, of course," I nodded, trying to hide the sadness in my voice.

"I'll just write it down. Girls feel less pressured to call when they're given the number on paper. It's less intimidating, you know?" he rambled. I nodded, watching as he walked over towards his desk, grabbing a pen and scribbling on a sticky note. "Do you think she'll be interested in me?" he inquired.

"Who wouldn't?" I managed to pipe despite the growing lump in my throat. I was trying my best not to run out of the room. He handed me the paper.

"You're right," he smiled. "Thanks, Gracelyn."

I just nodded before pointing to the door. "I'm going to go. I'm tired," I blurted before walking towards his bedroom door, not even listening for a 'bye' as I exited. I basically ran through the hallway and down the steps. The moment I was outside, tears began to fall from my eyes. I wanted to slap myself. I'm so stupid for crying over him, for thinking that he'd actually like me, that I'd have a chance. I've liked him for so long. I should've gotten over him a long time ago. Maybe Phoenix was right. I didn't have a chance to begin with.

I walked down the dark street, trying to stop the tears from falling by pressing on my eyes with heavy palms. By the time I reached the corner, they weren't stopping and I was left standing there like an i***t as sobs racked my body.

"Grace? Where are you going?" a familiar voice asked. I sighed as I turned away from the street, where Phoenix's car was idling. I continued to walk, turning the corner hastily to try and escape him.

"Home," I grunted, trying to make it sound like I wasn't crying. I swallowed down a sob, blinking heavily to try and stop the tears yet again.

"What happened?" Phoenix asked me curiously. I had to stop walking again as the tears began to blur my vision. I began to vigorously wipe them away.

"Just go away," I managed to say as I stood there.

"I'll bring you home, just get in the car, Grace," he informed me. "I'm not going to let you walk home in the dark."

"It doesn't matter what you'll let me do," I retorted, swallowing down another sob. I put my hand over my mouth to muffle a cry as it escaped.

"Look at you, you're shivering. Just get in the car," he responded. I just stood there, wiping my eyes as I faced away from him. Only seconds later, I heard a sigh, followed by the sound of a car door opening. Phoenix put his hand on my shoulder and spun me around. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw my red eyes and my tearstained cheeks. "Are you crying?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows.

I simply ducked my head and stared at the ground, trying to blink away the tears. "What happened?" he asked. I went to speak but I ended up sobbing, so I immediately covered my mouth and shook my head. Phoenix seemed to understand because he didn't say anything else. Instead, he surprised me by pulling me into a hug. Normally, I would've shoved him away and made a comment about having to burn my clothes now that he touched them, but I didn't. Instead, I found comfort in his embrace. I buried my head in his chest and allowed him to hold me tightly in his arms.

+ + +

I had been in my room for basically two days; I only left at night to get food. I was no longer crying, but staring at the wall, attempting to read, or watching television. I just didn't want to see anyone. I was too embarrassed. My family took turns knocking on the door, and my mother came in once or twice to make sure that I was okay. Other than those occasions, I was left alone. I guess they understood...until Sunday evening.

A heavy knock sounded from my door and I sighed as I stared at the wall. "Go away!" I called. It couldn't be my parents; they were out running errands. Avery has a very quiet knock. It must be Leo. The knock persisted and, after two straight minutes, I began to grow annoyed. "I said go away!"

"Not until you open the door," a familiar voice called. My face immediately reddened. There's no way I'm opening the door.

"If you're here to say 'I told you so,' you're too late! Leo beat you to it!" I called. I guess, after I ran in the house crying, Phoenix summed up what had happened to my brother; I ran out of Aaron's house crying and he chased me. He probably put two and two together and figured that it was something Aaron had done.

"I'm not going to say that," he responded as he continued to knock on the door.

"Go away, Phoenix!" I called. Not only am I embarrassed about crying like an i***t, but I'm embarrassed about allowing Phoenix to hug me. If I leave my room, or let him come in, he won't let me live it down. I know it for a fact because he's done it before. Take our kiss in the fifth grade for example. It was a dare, and it caught me off guard, and he still doesn't let me live it down. And on Friday, I allowed him to hug me. I even hugged him back. In fact, I was comfortable in his arms. There is no way I'm going to ever live that down.

"Open the door, Grace," he responded as he continued to a***e my door. I was lying in my bed, wrapped in a bundle of blankets like a burrito. I reached over, unraveling my blanket burrito, and grabbed my shoe. I threw it at the door, listening as Phoenix's knocks grew louder.

"Go away," I hissed.

"All I want is to talk to you for two minutes," he responded. I sighed and got out of bed, wrapping myself completely with my blankets. I walked over to the door and unlocked it before turning and heading back towards my sanctum. I crawled onto the bed, facing away from Phoenix.

"What?" I muttered as I stared at the wall.

"You've been in here for two days," he told me in a quiet tone. I stared at the floor, slightly surprised at the kindness in his voice.

"Yeah, I have," I responded. "I should know. I'm the one that's been in here."

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked me.

"I've been eating," I replied as I snuggled deeper in my blankets.

"Yeah, I know. You've been going downstairs at midnight and grabbing chips and dip. That's not what I consider eating," he replied. I felt the other side of my bed dip but I didn't bother to say anything.

"It's food entering my stomach. I consider it eating," I told him.

"You've got to be hungry," he responded. To be honest, I was, but I wasn't going to tell him that.

"Not really," I replied.

"Not even for McDonalds?" he asked and I felt my stomach start to rumble. That sounds so good right now.

"No," I responded.

"Crispy chicken nuggets? With tasty barbeque sauce? Delicious, salty French fries?" he asked me and I tried to clench my stomach to stop the growling. Any second, he'll hear it.

"Not at all," I replied. Being the traitor that it is, my stomach began growling loudly.

"I heard that," Phoenix remarked from beside me. I turned around to tell him that his two minutes were up, but he caught me off guard. He was lying down on his side, facing me, with a small smile on his face. I immediately backed up, nearly falling off of the bed, but he reached out and grabbed a handful of blankets, yanking me forward. "I know you're hungry, Grace."

"Go away," I grunted as I buried my face in the pillows.

"How about McDonalds? On me? All you have to do is get up and come with me," he attempted.

"No," I responded. Though very, very tempting, I'm not leaving my room, especially not for him.

"I won't even talk to you. I'll just take you to McDonalds, buy you food, and then I'll take you straight back where you can come in here like a recluse," he continued. I glared at him and he grinned. "Come on, Grace. You need to eat something."

"How about you go get the McDonalds, bring it here, and leave?" I suggested.

"No, you need to get up and do something," he told me. "You haven't moved in two days."

"I'm going for the record," I muttered.

"Come on, Grace," he pressed. "Free McDonalds? When do you ever get offered free McDonalds?"

I stared at him and sighed. "Okay, fine, if you'll leave me alone forever."

"Okay," he responded with a grin as he got up. He went to yank the blankets off of me but I shook my head.

"Don't," I insisted.

"Why not?" he asked as his hands hovered over the blankets right above my legs.

"Because I'm not wearing any pants," I told him and his eyes widened as he immediately removed his hands from the blankets.

"Just get ready," he told me. "I'll be waiting in the living room." I quietly sighed in relief in as he got up and approached the door. Before he closed it, he turned and faced me with that all too familiar grin. "And maybe, if you're lucky, I'll give you another hug."