confused. “You’re in love?”
Grace cannot contain her excitement. “James, Ian is…he is simply amazing!”
James just laughs at her. “You’re right, Missy. She is annoying when she’s in love.”
Grace sits on her bed staring at her telephone. It has been seven hours since Ian dropped her off after their camping trip and he still has not called her. She bites her nails as she continues to win the staring contest with her telephone.
“It’s seven o’clock,” she says to Michelle, who is lying on the floor reading a fashion magazine.
“Maybe they’re having dinner or something. Geez, are you going to be this impossible the entire time you’re with Ian?” she asks, rolling her eyes.
Grace frowns at Michelle. “Why are you being so mean to me today?”
“I’m not. You’re just annoying me.”
Grace throws a pink lacey pillow from her bed and whacks Michelle right in the head.
“If I annoy you so much, then go to your own room,” Grace says, shrewdly.
Michelle gets up and stomps out of Grace’s room with the magazine in her hand.
“And leave my magazine!” Grace hisses.
Grace cannot figure out why Michelle has been on her case since she came home, but she has had it with her. She returns to her ritual of staring at her telephone, waiting for Ian to call.
Hours pass and he still has not called. She slowly becomes frustrated with him.
The ringing of the telephone wakes her from her peaceful sleep.
“Hello,” she grumbles in a sleepy voice.
“Babe, it’s Ian. Did I wake you?”
“Umm yeah, but it’s okay. How are you?”
“I’m fine. I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier. This was the first chance I’ve had to get to the phone.”
“Everything okay?” she asks.
There is a long pause from the other end of the phone and Grace wonders if something is wrong, something that kept him from calling her sooner.
“Everything’s fine, except for the fact that I really miss you,” he says in a hushed voice.
“I miss you too, but I already said that huh?”
“I wish we were back at the lake, and I was holding you.”
Grace broods at his words.
“I’m sorry I woke you.”
Grace stretches and makes a tiny groan. “I’m glad you did. I waited for your call for hours. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, babe. My dad is just really strict about the phone, so I’m sneaking the call to you.”
Grace ponders Ian’s words, and they seem so strange to her. “Strict about you using the phone?”
“Yeah, he’s just weird like that, but let’s not talk about that. Let’s talk about how much I can’t wait to see you tomorrow at school.”
Ian is not able to stay on the phone long because his father may wake up and catch him, so reluctantly he tells Grace, “Goodnight,” and retreats to the safety of his room.
“He’s going to beat your ass if he catches you on the phone this late,” says Brandon, as Ian crawls into the bed across from his.
“I know, but I had to hear her voice.”
Brandon just shakes his head and turns over in bed.
Ian slips under his covers and rolls onto his side. Visions of the horrific afternoon replay in his mind. He can hear his mother’s screams so clearly that it almost seems as if it is happening all over again. He puts his hands over his ears, but cannot block the terror in his head.
Out of nowhere, Grace’s face appears and chases the darkness away. He closes his eyes and concentrates on a much happier memory. The memory of making out with Grace at the lake. Her scent has burned its place into his mind and her smile frees him from his nightmares. Letting out a deep breath he grabs onto a pillow and holds it in his arms, wishing it was Grace he was holding.
After school the next day, Ian asks if he can walk Grace home.
“Where’s your car?” she asks.
Ian kicks at a rock as they walk along the sidewalk.
“I kinda got in trouble for leaving this weekend, so my dad took
Grace cannot contain her excitement. “James, Ian is…he is simply amazing!”
James just laughs at her. “You’re right, Missy. She is annoying when she’s in love.”
Grace sits on her bed staring at her telephone. It has been seven hours since Ian dropped her off after their camping trip and he still has not called her. She bites her nails as she continues to win the staring contest with her telephone.
“It’s seven o’clock,” she says to Michelle, who is lying on the floor reading a fashion magazine.
“Maybe they’re having dinner or something. Geez, are you going to be this impossible the entire time you’re with Ian?” she asks, rolling her eyes.
Grace frowns at Michelle. “Why are you being so mean to me today?”
“I’m not. You’re just annoying me.”
Grace throws a pink lacey pillow from her bed and whacks Michelle right in the head.
“If I annoy you so much, then go to your own room,” Grace says, shrewdly.
Michelle gets up and stomps out of Grace’s room with the magazine in her hand.
“And leave my magazine!” Grace hisses.
Grace cannot figure out why Michelle has been on her case since she came home, but she has had it with her. She returns to her ritual of staring at her telephone, waiting for Ian to call.
Hours pass and he still has not called. She slowly becomes frustrated with him.
The ringing of the telephone wakes her from her peaceful sleep.
“Hello,” she grumbles in a sleepy voice.
“Babe, it’s Ian. Did I wake you?”
“Umm yeah, but it’s okay. How are you?”
“I’m fine. I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier. This was the first chance I’ve had to get to the phone.”
“Everything okay?” she asks.
There is a long pause from the other end of the phone and Grace wonders if something is wrong, something that kept him from calling her sooner.
“Everything’s fine, except for the fact that I really miss you,” he says in a hushed voice.
“I miss you too, but I already said that huh?”
“I wish we were back at the lake, and I was holding you.”
Grace broods at his words.
“I’m sorry I woke you.”
Grace stretches and makes a tiny groan. “I’m glad you did. I waited for your call for hours. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, babe. My dad is just really strict about the phone, so I’m sneaking the call to you.”
Grace ponders Ian’s words, and they seem so strange to her. “Strict about you using the phone?”
“Yeah, he’s just weird like that, but let’s not talk about that. Let’s talk about how much I can’t wait to see you tomorrow at school.”
Ian is not able to stay on the phone long because his father may wake up and catch him, so reluctantly he tells Grace, “Goodnight,” and retreats to the safety of his room.
“He’s going to beat your ass if he catches you on the phone this late,” says Brandon, as Ian crawls into the bed across from his.
“I know, but I had to hear her voice.”
Brandon just shakes his head and turns over in bed.
Ian slips under his covers and rolls onto his side. Visions of the horrific afternoon replay in his mind. He can hear his mother’s screams so clearly that it almost seems as if it is happening all over again. He puts his hands over his ears, but cannot block the terror in his head.
Out of nowhere, Grace’s face appears and chases the darkness away. He closes his eyes and concentrates on a much happier memory. The memory of making out with Grace at the lake. Her scent has burned its place into his mind and her smile frees him from his nightmares. Letting out a deep breath he grabs onto a pillow and holds it in his arms, wishing it was Grace he was holding.
After school the next day, Ian asks if he can walk Grace home.
“Where’s your car?” she asks.
Ian kicks at a rock as they walk along the sidewalk.
“I kinda got in trouble for leaving this weekend, so my dad took
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