Chapter 1

I thought this would be a good thing. I'm moving to Florida. I was so excited that I didn't think about leaving everyone behind.

Now I am outside the school with my friends. Mason isn't here yet so I am talking to Bea.

Bea is one of my best friends. She moved here from Ohio over the summer. Claire is also here along with Jessica and Anna. Anna, Jessica, Mason and Claire I have known for ten years.

We are Freshman, but almost Sophomores. I'm going to miss them all so much. I have never lived anywhere other than Altamont IL. I wish my grandparents didn't move last year. They moved to Navarre FL. If they didn't move we probably wouldn't either. I miss my grandma. We are very close, surprisingly.

Claire is probably more sad than anyone, including Mason. She was my first friend in Kindergarten. Mason was probably my second. Mason is my boyfriend. We have been dating since sixth grade. Our fourth year anniversary was on April 24.

"Gracelynn!" Someone shouted my name. I was confused because I didn't know what any of my friends were talking about. Mason was standing in front of me and Trevor was behind him.

"What were you thinking about? I said your name a million times. Bea looked at me annoyed.

"I was thinking about how if Mason broke up with me when i move, I would hate him forever." I told her sarcastically,giving her the same glare she gave me.

Then Jessica caught on, "It is the last week of Freshman year, we need to have fun. We don't need to think about what's going to happen in the next few weeks." She exclaimed.

"Yet," Mason added, as we walked into the school. Bea and I only have one class together, besides lunch. Although I have all my classes with Claire and Mason.

At lunch I sat in our group. We were talking about whose house the "Going away party" is going to be at. I told them it wasn't necessary but they wouldn't listen. They said it was also an "End of School Party."

After school I walked to ASC/After School Care to volunteer as usual. When Trevor's sister picked him up he told her about Mason and I dating. I didn't really think much of it though. Melanie is a junior, she is in the same class as Brittany Runde, Mason's sister. After all of the kid's left I cleaned up and went home.

I got home and I was going to go upstairs and do my homework, but I got stopped by my mom. She was on the phone when I got home so I didn't bother her.

"Gracelynn, could you come back here. I need to talk to you." my mom called. I came down reluctantly, a little nervous because my mom doesn't really ever talk to me. I followed her into the living room, and we sat down.

"I was just on the phone with Mrs. Runde she said there might be something you want to tell me. Is that true? Please, do not say no because she told me what it was."

I hate you Trevor! You just had to tell your sister. Oh my gosh what if he has to break up with me?

Mom, I have no clue what you are talking about." She does not believe me.

"Mason is your boyfriend! You told me he was just a friend! He has stayed here studying with you. I need to know when you have a boyfriend." I knew she would react like this.

"I KNEW YOU WOULD TAKE IT LIKE THIS! CAN YOU SEE WHY I DID NOT TELL YOU FOUR YEARS AGO!" Why did I say that? She probably didn't need to know that. I am dead.

"FOUR YEARS? You've been together for four years!" I hope she calms down. This won't get better if she doesn't calm down.

"Mom you really need to calm down, we are moving in a few weeks anyway. It isn't like we will be able to see each other anyway." She saw the tears rolling down my cheeks and calmed down.

"Do I have to to break up with him?" She thought about that for a second, and then said,

"Gracelynn you do not have to break up with him." Thank God. "I am going to get my homework done. Exams start Wednesday." She said that's fine, so i am going to go do my homework and text Max and ask him what happened.

What happened? Did Brittany tell them? Did Trevor tell you that he told Melanie? Please tell me what happened. Call me. Love you.

I sent that to Mason and this is what I got a few minutes later.

Grace, yes it was Brittany who told my parents. Yes, Melanie told her. I don't want to talk about it. See you tmrw.

I am confused. Why didn't he want to talk about it? Whatever. I'll just do my homework. I won't think about Mason for the rest of the night. I put my earbuds in and finished all of my homework. It took me a few hours to do my homework. By then it was seven O'clock.

After my homework I texted Mason and told him to meet me at our spot. Our spot is a place in the park, but you have to go through a few feet of woods to get there.

There is a little clearing there and we always go there to have time to sit by ourselves and just talk. There is a blanket tucked under a tree stump so it is there and it won't get wet by rain.

I snuck out through my window and climbed down a tree. I get there half past seven. Mason wasn't here when I got here so I texted him.

Are you coming? Or do you really not want to talk to me?

Yes I'm coming. Just got to the park.

Good, I thought for a second he was bailing on me. He got here a few minutes later.

"Why did you not want to talk to me? Is it about what your parents said? You don't have to listen to them Mason." He came over to me, sat down and pulled me into his lap.

"That's the thing Grace, I do have to listen to them. They are so disappointed in me for lying to them. They want me to break up with you." Is he getting ready to break up with me?

"My mom wanted me to break up with you to, but she saw how much that hurt me. I started crying Mason. That is how much you mean to me. I haven't cried in front of anyone since probably third grade. I love you Mason." He pulled me closer and put his head on my shoulder.

"I love you too Grace. That is the only thing I am sure about right now. Well, that and that i am going to get all "A's" on my exams." I laughed and that made him laugh.

"I don't like serious talk. Let's talk about something else. We should talk about the end of school dance. Oh, and the party afterwards. It is not a going away party though. Do not call it that. I hate that. I don't want a party to celebrate me moving away and leaving all of you." he thought about that for a second and agreed that he wouldn't say anything about a going away party.

"Stop talking Grace." I love when he says Grace. He is the only one that I let call me that. I don't think he has called me Gracelynn since kindergarten. One day in kindergarten he asked me if he could call me Grace. He has ever since.

"Why do you want me to be quiet?" He turned me around in his lap and kissed me. It was a slow kiss, then it got faster. I wrapped my legs around him. One of his hands were on my back. He was running his other hand through my hair. He parted his lips for my tongue to enter.

I always thought it was weird how people say it felt like you are melting when you kiss. I never thought it would be true until now. I felt like we were melting together. Like we were combined into one person.

After a while we both accidentally fell asleep. I woke up to my phone ringing. I looked at it and it was Bea.

"Where are you? Do you know what time it is?" I looked behind me at Mason and he was still asleep.

"No, what time is it? We must've fallen asleep." I sat up "It is Seven forty-five. Wait you said 'we'. Where are you? Are you with Mason?" Ugh, they ask so many questions.

"Mason wake up!" He woke up when I said his name and he was confused. "Grace? Where are we? Wait….we fell asleep, didn't we? What time is it are we late to school?" I wonder if his parents knew he left.

"Did you tell your parents you were leaving or did you sneak out? If you told your parents you left they are probably wondering where you are." I am still on the phone with Bea.

"You guys have been together all night!? I am so telling Claire this right now!" There was a pause. Then Claire took the phone.

"Gracelynn Young what happened! Where are you?" They keep asking me that. Why does it matter where I am?

"Why does it matter where we are? It is a secret. A secret that only Grace and I know about." He got up and pulled me up with him.

"Guys, we need to go. My mom is gone somewhere this morning, so we will go to my house. After I change and get my stuff we will go to Grace's. Her parents are working. The alarm isn't on at your house, is it?" I told Bea that I needed to go and hung up. I totally forgot about the alarm.

"I will text her and tell her to turn it off." I texted her and told her I forgot something at home and i need to get it at lunch.

"She said she is turning it off now." We went to Mason's house and we went up to his room and he changed his clothes and got his school books. After that we went to my house. When we got done we went to school.

We were only a few minutes late for first period. When the class saw us together they all said "oohhh" and I laughed. We both got tarties, but at least we didn't miss class.

After class Brittany was leaning against the lockers. Mason was not here with me. She was asking Zay, Jacob, and Jeremy if Mason really had a girlfriend.

"Why don't you ask her yourself." Zay said pointing to me. She turned around.

Her jaw dropped at what she saw. I dropped the book and binder that I was carrying.

"No freaking way, My brother has been dating Gracelynn Young for four years!" I couldn't believe her reaction. A lot of boys wish they have dated me for four years. I am not the most popular girl in our class, but I have never seen a reaction like that.

"Oh little brother she isn't the worst girl ever, but really, four years? What? Have you been doing his homework or something? Mason is smart. He can do his own homework. He could have been doing too many sports that he couldn't do his homework. Is that why it has been this long? Oh, look you have finally joined us Mason. Do you want me to repeat what i just said or did you hear enough?"

By now, I had tears streaming down my face. I ran to the girls' bathroom and slid to the floor. I texted Bea, Jessica, and Claire to come here. Mason was sitting outside until Bea told him that no other girls were in there. I am still crying. Mason is sitting with me. My head was on his shoulder. He was holding my hand.

"Come on Grace. We can't sit in here all day. We need to go to class." I went over to the sink and washed my face.

We went to third period. Third period is Mr, Strumeyer. Mr. Strumeyer is one of my favorite teachers. I go to his class and he sees the red rings around my eyes.

"Are you okay, Gracelynn?" He asks me.

"I'm better than I was a few minutes ago."

He didn't push the subject and let me go to my seat. I sit next to Mason in all of my classes.

I guess we are just lucky we have had all our classes together since 4th grade. That is when I started to have a crush on him. After class we had lunch. At lunch we mostly just talked about the dance and the party.

"Grace, there is something I need to tell you." What now I have had a bad day. I just want a nice lunch talking about good things.

"What is it Mason?" I sighed.

"You know what we talked about last night? I thought about it a lot. My parents and my sister were right. We have known that you were going to move for over two years. It shouldn't have lasted this long. I'm sorry but I have to break up with you." I choked on the fruit I was eating. I couldn't believe it. I feel lightheaded. My eyes are fuzzy around the edges.

"I think I'm going to either faint or thr-" my vision went black and my head hit the table. I think I was only out for a minute or so because I woke up with a lot of people crowded around me and my head was in Mason's lap.

I sat up fast to get out of his lap. I shouldn't have done that.

"Ugh I have such a bad headache. Why can't I bawl my eyes out like a normal girl? Why do I have to pass out and cause a scene? Can everyone please leave me alone? I feel like I'm about to be a normal girl and start crying. Come on Bea, Jessica, and Claire please. You know what? Let's just ditch."

They got up and came over to me. "Whatever you want Gracelynn." Jessica said.

"Thanks Mason. I think she's in denial."

"I'm not in denial. Mason broke up with me and I'm holding back anger before I kill him with a million people in front of me."

I am just fine. I just have to breathe. Should I just punch him first? That is exactly what I'm going to do. I went up to him and punched him in the jaw.

"That's for not telling me last night. You took advantage because you knew you would break up with me today."

I know he thought about it today after what his sister said. I just was mad and wanted to make a scene.

We snuck out the school through the gym doors. We walked around the fence of the track and out to the highway. We don't have our driver's licenses yet so we have to walk.

We walk to my house and I had already started crying. I think I've cried more in the past few days than I have since elementary school.

"Did...I...hu….hurt...Mason?" I know my mom is going to kill me for punching him. It was worth the bruised hand, but I feel bad.

"Gracelynn no you didn't hurt him, maybe just a bruise on his jaw. It will be hard for him to eat for a few days." Good, he deserves it.

Chapter 2

Another tear falls down my face. Another sad movie being set up by my best friend Claire. I shove more ice cream down my throat while sobbing the words,

"He tells me we don't have to break up then breaks up with me?" Over and over.

I. Officially. Hate. Mason. Runde. He broke my heart. Why shouldn't I be upset? I have every right to.

"Gracelynn! Are you even listening?" Claire says. "What? Were you saying something?"

"I was asking what movie you want to watch," she looked at me irritated.

"If I Stay. It is sad. Everything was perfect. Her life was great. Everything goes downhill. Starting with her relationship. Then the accident. And eventually her whole family dies."

She looks at me like I've lost it. I need to put my barrier back up. I need everyone to think that nothing hurts me. I've always done that, I cannot let a freaking boy get in the way. I got up, went downstairs, put the ice cream away, and went to my bathroom. I took a shower and washed my face. I also brushed my teeth.

"I'm going to sleep. Exams start tomorrow. If you want you can leave, or you can stay here on the day bed."

My grandpa pushed my window out further and put in a bay window. I have a mattress thing and pillows on it for my friends when they come over.

"Okay Gracelynn, tell me if you need anything.

The rest of the week went by fast. Wednesday everyone stared at me expecting me to lose it. I didn't though. I put my shield back up and acted like everything was fine.

Thursday nothing happened, but Friday everyone was getting ready for the dance, and it was the last day of school. I am definitely not going to that dance. If I absolutely have to, I will got to the party. I really hope they let it slide. I will invite a few people over this weekend instead.

At lunch I told them my idea and they said that would be fine. I was so relieved. After the first two exams they let us go home early. I went to my "library" and got on my laptop. I call it a library because all of my books are on a huge built in bookshelf. I also have my laptop on my desk. My iPad is sitting next to it. I also have a TV on there. I turned on the stereo and listened to classical Clare De Lune Piano. I love classical music. It helps me think. I got on my laptop and emailed invites to all the people I want to come to my house Saturday to say goodbye to me. This is what they looked like.

Going away Party

Gracelynn's

707 W Elm St.

Altamont IL 62411

Saturday May 21

1:00-6:00

DON'T BRING ME ANYTHING

Unless they are dates. :)

I used a LOL emoji at the end. I sent that to;

Emma doesn't live in Altamont, but she knows everyone here. She has been to parties with me and other things like that. She has also gone to church with me.

I wanted to go somewhere to think, so I grabbed one of my books in my library and went to my and Max's spot. When I got there I went over to the tree stump to grab the blanket, but it wasn't there.

"Great minds think alike." I spun around and there he was, laying on his stomach reading a book.

Why did he have to be here the same exact time I came? But I guess he is right about one thing. Great minds do think alike.

"Mason I came to get away from everything, and this might be the last time i can come here for a long time. So leave. Oh, and by the way if you ever take any other girl here I will personally kill you." i said that but he didn't budge. He was still on the blanket with a book in his hand.

"I think I'll stay here, but you can join me." he looked up from his book and scooted over so there was room for me.

"I would also never bring another girl here, this is our spot. Grace and Mason's secret place." I felt a shiver go through me when he said Grace. It is eighty degrees, so he noticed the shiver.

"If that meant am I still going to call you Grace? The answer is yes. I will make you a deal. If you don't let any other guy call you Grace, I won't take anyone out here."

I don't know what to do. Usually if we make a deal we seal it with a kiss. I just waited for him to ask if it was a deal. He can decide because he is the one who broke up with me.

"Is it a deal?" i just nodded. I came over and sat on the blanket.

He sat up and kissed me. It was a slow kiss. It was full of passion. I kissed him back. Gently at first, testing, but his hands were suddenly in my hair and my back. I pressed myself against him. My tongue was in his mouth and his was in mine. I was being bold, like he was. I put my hand up the back of his shirt, slowly, waiting for his reaction. He reacted by kissing me harder and put his hand up my back, and pushed my shirt up to my ribs.

"I love you, Grace."

"I love you, too, Mason."

My hands,determined grabbed the hem of his shirt, and tugging it off. I kissed him harder and he pulled me closer. He pulled my tank top off. I kissed the corner of his mouth, then his cheek, and finally his neck. Suddenly he pulled away. My shirt was laying next to me. His shirt was thrown a few feet away.

"This is not what I meant on Tuesday. I did that because it shouldn't have gotten so serious. I didn't break up with you so I could make out with you a few days before you left." I didn't really care why he broke up with me. I was too mad to care.

"That is why you Broke up with me? Have you ever heard of long distance relationships? I love you Mason and I thought you felt the same. You could have tried."

"Those relationships never work Grace. You know that." He was interrupted by his phone.

"Claire? Why are you calling me?" He put it on speaker and went over and picked up his shirt.

"Grace, put your shirt back on." He whispered so that Claire wouldn't hear. I think Claire has bat ears because she heard him.

"So she is with you? WAIT! Did you just say SHIRT?" Oh gosh this is funny. Max looked at me horrified. He mouthed to me to do something.

"Don't worry Claire nothing happened. I think I scared him