Gracie froze.
Her body stiffed to the seat and her mind stopped blankly. She didn't understand if it was the authority in his voice or how deep yet capturing it sounded to the ear.
Why was he talking to her? Maybe it wasn't her, maybe the rude girl in her front got the privilege to work with him and she just hallucinated. But if she were to be delirious why was he so close to her?
Clearing her throat, she spoke not meeting his eyes, "I've got a partner already... so- you.. should find- someone else." She stuttered, biting her inner lip by misstep and a bit of blood escaped into her tongue.
She held tight to the pain and hopped out of her seat, careful enough not to brush his consuming profile and overpowering aura she rush her way through. However, she barely made it past him when he griped her wrist, she gasped at how cold it was.
As if, he realized his action he separated contact between them nevertheless, had her small frame stood in his front with her head down. He knew she won't look at him so he inched a foot further to her, she walked back immediately and gazed up at him.
The class went still as everyone watched out for what could be possible going on between the two.
"You mean the people who will never agree to work with you?" He demanded, staring past her glassy eyes into her soul. He noticed her body shaking.
"That's not true." She said lowly as she wanted nothing more than to leave the place. There were too many eyes on her, including those ones of Will Packer.
"Did you say something, Partner?"
She wanted to punch his perfect face and give a little bit of black spot to those eyes maybe that would wipe the smirk on his lips away.
"I said it's not true."
"How about we try this out..." He whispered to her and directed his look on the people watching behind, "...would anyone take the honor of being Grace Richards's partner? Anyone... No one."
Gracie knew she needed not to look back to know their answer. It was a no.
"So, Grace what do you say?" He dipped his hands in the pocket of his red pant.
How did he know her name and why would he call her Grace instead of Gracie?
She clung to her notebook and processed the low laugher from the crowd. Then it hit her insight that the long she stays the heavy the embarrassment. There was no way she would work together with him.
Quietly and quickly she left the classroom and did not missed the mockery on Katy's face.
She shouldn't be near people like him. Once bitten, twice shy.
***
As she dropped her books in her backpack and hung it over her shoulder, she slammed the blue metallic door of her locker and jumped as she came face to face with someone she expected but at same time not expecting.
"Jesus! You scared the hell out of me." She held her chest and panted.
"I'm sorry." Tori apologized.
Gracie gave her a suspicious look, inspecting her roughly. Her eyes were kind of puffy and her eyeshadow were washed off because she educed vividly that she had some dark stuff around her eyes skin in the morning which seemed charming to her. And her lips were colored hot pink in the morning too and now they looked extremely pale.
"You skipped History." Gracie drew. She adjust her backpack and rested on the locker while the people passing died off in the background.
"I was a mess." A small weird snicker escaped Tori's lips.
"Tori..."
"I'm sorry and I wish I could... be more useful in your life. Seeing the whole damage Will had ca-"
"You don't have to do this, Tori." Gracie's eyes closed and she nodded her head in disapproval.
"Let me." Tori inhaled.
"I was a bad friend, hence I couldn't perform the duty of a friend. I didn't stand by you when you needed me, I did something really bad and I'm sorry. You know you're right I should go back to my doll friends because... they're my friends and not my best friend." Tori said.
Gracie's lips shifted, shaping a little smile as she felt her soul at ease.
She wasn't going to lie to herself that she didn't want to be with her or hear those words slip out of her mouth.
"I'm sorry for screaming at you." Gracie apologized also.
Tori bobbed and dragged her best friend close for a hug.
"No door for war." Tori whispered and Gracie smiled.
This was their saying since seventh grade, the beginning of their friendship and the girls had been trying hard to always stand by that. Once a party discover her fault, she would have to apologize to the other party.
"Oh! less I forget." They parted as Tori seemed to remember something.
"I found a cash cheat for you, A hundred bucks for one hour but it's just tonight only." Tori warned.
Nipping her lower lips in interest, "Tell me more." Gracie requested.
"Okay, you know Ron, he's Pete's best friend and his Dad runs a fancy diner downtown." The two started walking, joining the crowd as they headed outside.
"He needs a little help tonight. There is this party he wanna attend but his pops man won't allowed him go until he gets him a replacement, since his men are off duty tonight." Tori paused and waited for Gracie to open the door hence she was the one with free hands.
"And man is ready to drop some hundreds bucks, so whatcha say?" Finally, she came to a stop and cross the road to stop Gracie from moving as she clutched to the extra bag in her hands.
This was truly a big offer, thinking about what some hundreds of dollars could cover in her and her Granny's life. Gracie knew it wasn't a small cash and she would be working for it. It came with some respect and decency.
"What time?" Gracie asked calmly as she squirted her eyes a bit due to the way of the sun on her face. It was hardly a sunny day in Mary Hills.
"Oh! you're so wonderful. The shift starts by six but Ron would love you to get there ten minutes early so he can do the handling over."
Gracie nodded agreeing to her. It was definitely something she would do with pleasure, "Okay."
"The diner is the only one in downtown and tell Ron who you are. He's a nice guy. Anyway, I need to get going, I've got practice now. Be careful." Tori threw herself on Gracie before she hurried off and whispered their usual word with a kiss on her cheek.
Giggling at her friend departure, she brushed her hair back with the top of her fingers and spot the school bus round the corner.
People rushing into it, mostly freshman and sophomore. She swallowed the shame that might face her if she enter the bus and walked towards it.
With one thing on her mind. Money by six.