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CHAPTER 16
Grace
I wasn’t exactly in a rush to get dressed to head back to Windham Prep the following day, but I tossed my backpack on my back and headed out to my car. The cool early morning air hit me, giving me a push to keep a positive attitude, despite the previous day. I opened the driver’s door and slipped off my backpack.
“Can I get a ride?”
I glanced over my shoulder at Sawyer heading my way with a big grin. “Where are your brothers?”
“Saint rides his motorcycle, and Seren took off early.”
“You sure you wanna be seen with me? I may bring down your popularity.”
He laughed as he pulled open the passenger door. “I’m not worried about that. Besides, the saran wrap prank is just a first day thing.”
ThankGod. I slipped into the car and Sawyer did the same. “You sure it won’t look like I need a bodyguard?”
“Would me being your bodyguard be a bad thing?”
I thought for a moment then started my engine. “Nope. Not at all.”
“Then let’s go,” he said.
Having Sawyer with me definitely eased my trepidation about going back to Windham Prep. Though, I wondered if he’d purposely driven with me to be sure I actually made it there.
We parted ways once we entered the front doors of the school, Sawyer heading to the sophomore wing and me to the senior wing on the far end of the building. I walked toward my locker, relieved I’d found my way in the maze of unfamiliar hallways. As I neared my locker, I noticed people looking at me. A pit formed in my stomach. Something was off. It couldn’t just be my car that caused their attention. That’s when I spotted my locker. The wordsProtection from the Grayson Godswere etched in black marker on the outside of it.
Having no clue what that meant, I ignored all their eyes and unlocked the lock. I pulled open the door and hundreds of condom packets spilled out, piling onto the floor at my feet. Howls of laughter erupted around me. I had no idea how I did it, but I steeled my features, grabbed the books I needed from inside, and slammed the door shut. I headed toward my first class, shutting out the eyes on me and the voices around me. I couldn’t get to chemistry class fast enough.
Inside the classroom, the whispering and laughter continued. Luckily, the teacher began his lecture on element seventy-six on the periodic table: Osmium, and the chatter subsided.
I made it through first period without further incident. Once the bell rang and I stepped into the hallway, Christa greeted me. “Hey, you.”
I spun around, searching for the person she was speaking to because itclearlycouldn’t be me after the way she’d treated me the previous day.
“You, Grace. I was speaking to you,” she assured me.
I kept walking as she kept pace with me. “That’s surprising. Yesterday you didn’t even know me in the cafeteria.”
“Oh, you know how things go.”
“No. Actually, I don’t.” I walked faster, trying to lose her but she sped up.
“Careful, Grace. You need friends in a place like this,” she warned.
“Yeah, well yesterday I realized we weren’t going to be friends.”
“Fine.” She stopped walking and called, “Fend for yourself, bitch.”
Yup. Like I said. We were never going to be friends.
I entered English class and took my seat. I didn’t answer any questions because I didn’t need to draw any more attention to myself. I’d received enough to last a lifetime, and it wasn’t even noon.
I finished the day with my head held high even though inside I was dying to get out of there. Sawyer had football practice, so I’d be driving home alone. I reached my car in the parking lot, expecting something to have been done to it. But, by the grace of God, it was untouched. At least on the surface. I pushed the key into the ignition and held my breath until the car purred to life without some kind of explosion happening. I released a sigh of relief and drove out of the parking lot as quickly as I could.
Seren
Spring football practice had begun after school for the guys playing next year, so Coach had me working with Kramer, the sophomore who’d be the new starting quarterback. Between Grace showing up at school and having to figure out what to do about my father’s company, I was having a shitty week. And, since I felt my best when I was on a football field, helping out was a no-brainer.
