CHAPTER ELEVEN
Third Person POV
Grace's workplace was always busy since it was located at the heart of the town, and its standard was top-notch as well. Every day, she greeted dozens of customers with a smile and prepared their coffee and pizza orders with care—anything that made her feel accomplished. However, lately, one particular customer had been coming in more frequently than usual. It was Nathaniel, her troublesome classmate. He had started showing up at the shop every afternoon after school, and he would always sit at the table situated at the left corner of the shop, close to the counter. His brown eyes were always watching and calculating her every move, it made her feel uncomfortable. Finally, she decided to confront him if he came to the pizza shop this afternoon.
"Sup Grace, your boyfriend isn't here yet?" Tony asked teasingly, and a blush of embarrassment mixed with anger rose in her cheeks.
"Who?" She asked, pretending not to know who he was talking about.
"The boy who always seats at table 5. He always comes to the shop to order pizza and he only leaves when your shift is over." He answered, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, which caused Grace's blush to darken.
"H-he is not my boyfriend!" She yelled.
At first, Grace didn't pay much attention to Nathaniel's visits. After all, the shop had many regulars who came in every day. But over time, she started to notice that Nathaniel would always find excuses to strike up a conversation with her. He would ask her how her day was going, compliment her on her hair, or even make small talk about the weather. Grace found his attention flattering, but also a bit unnerving. She had never been good at handling unwanted attention from boys, especially considering the fact she didn't want his in particular.
Just as she was thinking about him, Nathaniel arrived at the shop. His eyes immediately scanned the area, searching for something, or rather someone; and as soon as they rested on her, an unfamiliar sense of relief washed over him. Nathaniel then flashed her a small smile and approached the counter.
"Hey, Grace," He said. "I would like to order the regular. Also, how was your day?"
Grace gave him a polite smile but kept her distance. "It was busy as usual," she said. "Your order will be ready shortly."
Nathaniel nodded, looking disappointed that she didn't engage him in conversation as usual. He strolled to his regular table; his driver was already seated there. The fact that he always acted like he owned the place made Grace angry, he would just waltz in and then leave after hours of eating.
Grace wiped her hands on her apron, grabbed his order and stepped out from behind the counter to approach Nathaniel, she kept on reminding herself that no matter how intense the conversation got she wouldn't be rude to him. He might be a spoilt little brat, but she would put him in his place without hurting anyone.
She dropped the Pizza on their table, and he smiled softly. "Thank you."
This time, though, she didn't leave. Instead, she just stood there, her hands on her hips. "Can I help you with something?" She asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
Nathaniel looked up from the pizza box and gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?" he asked, pretending not to know what she was talking about. "I won't order a sprite today; you can get me coffee instead."
Grace narrowed her eyes. "You've been coming in here every day while sitting in the exact same corner, watching me work. It's kind of creepy. Are you stalking me?"
Nathaniel's face went pale. He'd had no idea that he was making her feel uncomfortable. "N-no, of c-course not." He stammered. "Why would I do that? Why will I come here just to watch you work?" He asked, his voice soft and timid.
Grace wasn't convinced. "Then why do you always sit in the same corner while looking in my direction?" She asked. He hesitated for a moment, trying to come up with a believable excuse. "I-I… was probably looking at something else that was in the same direction." He finally said.
She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm sorry, but that's just not normal. You need to leave."
Nathaniel's eyes widened. "What do you mean, I'm here for the pizza just like any other customer." He said, his voice rising with each word. "Why should I be treated in such an unfair manner?" She looked around and realized that some of the seated customers were paying attention to their conversation.
"Do I look that much like a stalker?" He further asked, sounding hurt by her actions. "Do you know how creepy that would be if I only came here because of you?"
"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean it that way, I was just thinking that maybe you had something to say to me." She said, trying to maintain orderliness in the shop; she didn't want to attract people's attention.
Nathaniel looked taken aback. "No, of course not," He said, looking hurt. "I just like the pizza here, it's really good. I come here for pizza, not to watch you." He said, pointing to the pizza in front of him.
Grace didn't believe him; she knew he was pretending and that he was actually stalking her. She decided to let it go and instead headed back to the counter. Meanwhile, Nathaniel pretended as if nothing had just happened.
It was finally the week that everyone in school had been waiting for; sports week. The school was buzzing with excitement as different classes prepared to compete against each other in various sporting events. Nathaniel found himself excited and looking forward to it. After all, it wasn't often that they got to experience this kind of fun; everyone in class was looking forward to showing off their skills… Well, everyone except Grace, who just wanted the week to pass by as quickly as possible.
However, there was one person who was even more excited than everybody else, and this was Rose. She was chosen as the class organiser, thanks to her hyperactive attitude and good leadership skills. She was determined to lead their class to victory, no matter what it took. Rose was trying to organize everyone into teams and was busy assigning tasks and responsibilities. She was a whirlwind of energy, and everyone in class eventually got caught up in her enthusiasm.
Rose stood in front of the class, her eyes shining with excitement. "Okay everyone, it's time to pick your teams for the spectacular sports week!" She announced, holding up a box full of papers. "We've got four teams: Magenta, Lilac, Turquoise, and White. Each paper has the name of one of the teams on it, so come up to the front of the class and pick a paper from the box. That will be your team for the sports week."
The class erupted into cheers as they all eagerly lined up to select their various teams. Grace and Nathaniel stood at the back of the line, their hearts pounding with anticipation.
Finally, it was Grace's turn. She reached into the box and picked a paper at random, her hands shaking with excitement. She unfolded it and read the name of her team: Lilac. She let out a whoop of joy, happy to have ended up in a team with a cool name.
Nathaniel picked his paper next, hoping that he would end up on the same team as Grace. He unfolded the paper and read the name of his team: Lilac.
Grace's heart sank. She had prayed to the heavens that she wouldn't end up on the same team as Nathaniel, but luck wasn't on her side after all.
Rose noticed her bestie's reaction and quickly came over to her. "Hey, are you okay?" She asked, sensing that something was wrong.
Grace looked up at her and smiled. "Yeah, I'm good. It's just that Nathaniel and I both ended up being on the same team."
Rose grinned. "That's awesome! You guys are going to be a great team. Just ignore your differences and it will all work out fine."
Grace forced out a smile, not wanting to seem ungrateful. She knew that she would have to work hard to ensure their team did well, even if it meant working with someone she didn't like.
As the class dispersed to join their respective teams, Grace and Nathaniel hung back for a moment. "Well, I guess we're teammates now." He said, trying to break the ice.
She nodded. "Yeah, I guess we are. Do your best not to slow us down." She warned as they walked up to their other team members.
Nathaniel smiled awkwardly. "You've got it."