Author's Note: New story meheh. I think I like this one better than the other new one. Sorry if I haven't been updating much. It sucks having to type a story and people are staring at the screen from behind you. When I had my laptop I had better privacy and thinking time, unlike with my desktop. So yeah, you guys probably don't care anyway. So, here it is, new story, give it a shot and read.

Saving Grace

Chapter One.

Nick:

It was breakfast. And my mother was roaming around the kitchen, cooking, unloading the dishwasher, making coffee and stuff like that. It's pretty awesome that she can still stay awake and make us breakfast when she works night shift and is a single parent. Did I mention she just got back from work? Watching her was giving me a headache so I turned my attention back to Frankie, who was happily eating his cereal while playing with a couple of action figures.

"Take that you evil villain!" he said quietly with full-on emotion as he dipped the head into his cereal bowl. Why are 9 year-old's so stupid? Before I could stop him from doing it again with the other action figure, Mom grabbed his arm and gave him a stern look.

"No playing in the table, sweetie." she said as she gave him one of her 'I-mean-it' stare. Frankie gave a huff and still didn't let go of the toy.

"C'mon Frankie, you head Mom." I tell him and he groaned as he gave Mom the action figure.

"Good boy. Now finish that." Mom told him and gave him a kiss on the head. I let out a small laugh and he stuck his tongue out at me. "Oh, right, Nick. You need to babysit your brother later."

"Don't I always?" I said as I bit on my toast. Since my Mom worked night shift, she sleeps during the day and works all night. So, I get to watch Frankie at night—mostly after 6—when Mom leaves for work. And we got pretty used to it, I mean, we had to.

"Right after school." she added and I almost choked. As in.. 4 pm?

"What?" I coughed.

"They need me in the hospital early.. around 4:30, every Wednesdays, which is today.. and Fridays." she shrugged as he poured coffee to her mug.

"But I have practice until six!" I defended. Baseball practice is crucial so I would never want to miss a session. Coach will literally bite my ass if he doesn't see me there later. Shit.

"Yes, I know but you practice everyday. What's missing out two sessions out of five?" he calmly took a sip of her coffee and sat down calmly in front of me. How can she be calm when she knows baseball is the second most important thing in my senior year?

"Uh, a lot. The game is in two weeks, mom. Two weeks." I begged. My mom leaned in closer to tell me something, then she suddenly glanced at my brother. I couldn't help but look too. Frankie was pouring milk out of the carton into his bowl. It nearly overflowed. Me and my mom took a deep breath waiting for the spill but fortunately he pulled the carton back and closed it. We both let out a sigh in relief. Dammit, Frankie.

"Think of your brother, Nicholas. If we leave him alone here, the house will burn to the ground." she said in a low voice and I nodded. We looked at him again and he was chugging the milk from his bowl. Oh, the ethics that they learn in school.

"Can't we just find like a babysitter, from a babysitting service and crap like those?" I suggested and shook my head.

"We don't have time to find one; we need one tonight. And those babysitting services are pathetic and too expensive." her eyebrows were knitted together and she shook her head no. A thought popped in my head and I can't help but smirk.

"Then, let's just bring over Mrs. Smith." I try to say quietly and calmly. To dismay, Frankie heard it like it was the loudest thing he has ever heard in his entire life.

"Mrs. Smith? She's gonna babysit? No! Mom, no! I don't like Mrs. Smith!" he screamed running towards Mom and hugged her. I laughed. Mrs. Smith was our neighbor. She's an old lady and she leaves alone. She's really nice, especially after she offers you a plate of homemade cookies. But I've been fooling Frankie for years now, saying that after you eat those cookies, you'll die and she'll boil you in a big cauldron and shit like those. My mom tried telling the truth but the idiot believed it like it was a story out of a history book.

"Oh, deal with it you big baby." I made a face at him and he stuck his tongue out to me again. Mom gave me a small slap in the arm and I chuckled.

"Who else, then?" she asked as she rubbed Frankie's back.

"How about Miley?" his face suddenly lit up and he gave mom a big grin.

"Miley?" I said almost rudely and knit my eyebrows together. Nobody mentioned that name in a while.

"Yeah, Miley Stewart. Miley from the next block Miley." he said as he nodded. I'm not an idiot, I know who she is.

"What makes you think she wants to babysit you?" I teased and made a face at him.

"Because she told me that she thinks I'm cute." he said with a smug look. When did she ever say that? "She told me that last week, when we ran into her at the mall." Fuck, of course. "And I like her, she's nice.. and really pretty." he let go of Mom and nodded at her.

"Pretty?" I scoffed. Miley Stewart isn't really my friend. We go to the same school, we've been having the same classes ever since middle school and we don't talk much. Only because she was weird and she's into books. We know each other because Miley's dad got into the hospital at midnight for having a mild stroke. His nurse then was my mom and they got to talk and realized they lived in the same neighborhood. Anyway, Miley and I never had a proper conversation. A few nods and occasionally a friendly smile was all we could get from each other.

"You know what, that is a great idea." Mom said as she nodded at Frankie and smiled at me.

"I think not." I protested as I shook my head. I can't have her in my house, that would be fucking weird.

"You have two choices Nick.. ask Miley if she could babysit or you will miss the practice and go back home right away to watch your brother. And.. I'm pretty sure Miley won't mind. If I don't see either one of you here.." she said as she gave me that mom look again. Screw this. I sighed, defeated. Of course my mother must always get her way, or else I'm pretty much screwed. I can't leave baseball, I can't leave Frankie.. so Miley is my only chance of not screwing things up. I guess there's a first time for everything.

Miley:

Nick Grey has been glancing at me over and over again all day.

Weird.

It made me self-conscious.

I gave him a confused look or a small smile everytime I caught him staring at me. It was like he wanted to tell me something but doesn't have the balls to actually talk to me. He thinks I'm weird, because I work at the library. Yes, well it isn't normal for a 17 year old to work at an old library but I happen to like it in there. Nick and I don't talk at all. I've never had a real conversation with him, ever. I think the only words I heard him say to me was.. 'Hi. Yeah, nice too meet you.' And that was a few years ago, when my Dad met his mom in the hospital.

Nick Grey shouldn't be looking at me. It's not him, he usually just ignores me and pretends I'm not in his every class. I try to figure out as I watch him walk out the classroom, I didn't even notice the bell. I stood up and felt Demi walk by my side.

"What's wrong? You seem a little zoned out." she said as she adjusted the strap of her backpack.

"It's Nick Grey." I quietly tell her as we reached the hall.

"What? What about him?" she asked with narrowed eyes. She hated everyone in the baseball team. You'll eventually know why.

"He's been staring at me all day." I say as I watch Nick disappear in the crowd outside the classroom.

"Oh my god, why?"

"I have no idea. It's like he wants to tell me something but can't. Do you think I should come after him?" I asked wincing. Stop. You sound desperate. Ew.

"Well.. No. I mean, let him approach you. If he really wants to tell you something, he'll say it eventually. And since when did you care about what Nick Grey is doing?" she asked as we reached the hallway.

"Since he decided to look at me every 5 seconds during class." I say in a low voice, sounding kind of defensive. I sighed. "That sounded kind of crappy, didn't it?"

"No.. no. Not at all." she said reassuringly in high tone. I shot her a look. "Yes, it absolutely did." she admitted as she nods.

"Great." I groaned.

"But hey, I mean, if Nick Grey wants to stare at you all day, then so be it. What's not to like, right?" she said with a huge grin. Oh Demetria and her comforting words. We laughed as we reached our lockers. I was placing my books in when I heard a voice behind me.

"Hey." it said, I turned around and looked around. Everybody was minding their business except a boy who standing really still a few feet away from me. I lifted my eyes a little to his face and realized it was Nick. Speak of the devil.

"You talking to me?" I asked almost rudely as I gave him a look. His eyes narrowed and he nodded.

"Yes. Hey, Miley." he greeted and forced a smile. I just stared at him with the same look on my face. "So.. how have you been?" he asks with a sweet smile. I finally snapped out and turned around to close my locker, I tried not to laugh at his question. Why does he suddenly want to know now? I slowly turned around to face Nick again and gave him a shrug.

"Hi, Nick.. I don't know. Good. Great." I said with narrowed eyes.

"Oh. Well, that's great." he said awkwardly as his eyes landed on Demi. She was looking at us skeptically and was watching his every move. "Uh.. Can I talk to her for a sec?"

"Yeah, sure.. She's all yours." she answered with a smug tone and we both shot her a look. "What?" she exclaimed. Nick plainly shook his head and walked away, motioning for me to follow him.

"This will only take a second Dems." I told her and she nodded. I followed Nick Grey down the hall. What's weird was that, after a couple of years he just comes up to me and talks like he hasn't ignored me. It was frustrating but I felt happy at the same time. Nick finally decided to talk to me.. but, why now?

"Well, Nick you finally decided to utter the words, other than 'hi' to me. So, what do you want?" I said as we stopped at an empty spot down the hall. I raised an eyebrow at him, wanting to know where this conversation is going to go. It's not that I wanted him to just keep ignoring me like he did for a couple of years now.. it's just, not normal.

"You." he said, almost demandingly. What the fuck?

"Me?" I ask again, as my eyes widen.

"I mean.. A favor, but more like.. a job. Actually, it's a job offering with a hint of doing me a really huge favor." he tries to explain and it only made me even more confused where this was going. A favor? Why would I do Nick Grey a favor after ignoring me for years?

"I beg your pardon?" I let out as I knit my eyebrows together. He gave a huff and I knew this conversation wasn't going to be those 'how-are-you' ones.

Nick:

See what I mean? She uses words like 'I beg your pardon' when you can easily say 'Excuse me' or plainly.. 'What'. Why must she be so complicated? I shook my head and got out a small chuckle.

"Look, I'm sorry. I know I haven't talked to you in a while and I just suddenly pop up out of nowhere."

"You could say that again." she scoffed and nodded her head. I tried to push away the urge of walking away. You need her Nick, do whatever you can. I just sighed and continued.

"Anyway, it's just really really really important." I said sweetly but seriously. She just nods again.

"Go on.."

"I need you to babysit my little brother tonight." I let out.

"Is that a demand or a request, a favor, a job offer, an order? Please do clarify Nick." Her complicated sentences is driving me nuts. I feel so fucking stupid for asking an almost complete stranger a favor, just so I won't get my ass kicked.

"My mom, they need her in early, four thirty to be exact, every Wednesdays and Fridays. But as you know the baseball team has practice until six and Frankie comes home at 3. We couldn't find anyone else but Frankie eagerly suggested you. So, it's a job offer from my Mom and a favor for me." she licks her lips as she thinks and absorbs it all up. I couldn't help but stare at them. Miley isn't hot, she isn't.. really. She wasn't the type of girl that walks in the hallway and you would immediately hear the guys howling. She was the kind of girl that was beautiful, when you take a really good look. I wonder what she'd look like if she gets rid of that heavy sweater.

Stop! Nick, just stop!

"So you can't watch your brother because you'll get screwed if Coach Carl doesn't find your butt in the field. And.. Frankie wanted me to babysit him? That's so sweet of him." she said with awe and smiled. Everybody loves Frankie.

"Yes. All of those." I said and tried not to roll my eyes.

"Okay." she said.

"Okay what?" I knit my eyebrows together as I focused on her face. She was wearing her hair in a lose ponytail, strands of her hair falling on her blue eyes and she was wearing crucifix earrings. Typical, normal, fresh and natural. No make up and just one accessory. She pulled her lips between her teeth. I hope she didn't notice I was staring.

"I'll do it." she nods again.

"You would?" I ask stupidly. She rolled her eyes.

"For Frankie." she sighed. I let out a small laugh from her defense that she's doing it for Frankie and not me. She couldn't care less of what would happen to me, she thought about how sweet and cute it was of Frankie to request for her as his babysitter. Somehow it made me feel like my gut was being pulled out. I wasn't jealous.. of course, I wouldn't be. Right? What the fuck is wrong with me?

She was only going to watch Frankie for a couple of hours and she lives just a block away. She works Monday afternoon and Saturday morning at the library so, it wasn't out of the way. She had the easiest job in the world, how could she say 'no'? Except the fact that Frankie can be a real pain in the butthole, but I'm pretty sure he won't be as bad as he is around Miley.

"So, how are you, really?" she asks after I filled her in with more of the details. I smiled at the thought that she had a little bit of care of how I was.

"I've been, awesome. Game is in two weeks." I said as I put up two of my fingers.

"Yeah, I heard." she gave me a small smile.

"You're going to watch?" I ask as I scratched the back of my neck. She purses her lips and shakes her head.

"I don't think so, it's on a Saturday..." she said and shrugged.

"Oh, right. Library. So, how's your Dad?" I cleared my throat and her face lit up at the sound of the word 'dad'.

"Never better, still taking his medicine though. Thanks for asking." she said with a grin and I couldn't help but smile back.

"And you?" I asked to keep the conversation, the least I could do was ask how she was and actually mean it. Miley just saved me from either of my mom and coach's wrath.

"I'm swell. My life has been so exciting.." she said sarcastically with a laugh. I nodded.

"Right, well. Right after school, if you need a ride.." I reminded her.

"I can take the bus, don't worry." Because you care. You know if I get late, I'll be fucked, and you don't want that to happen don't you Miley? I gave myself yet again another mental slap.

"Anyway, I have to get to class. And hey, thanks.. For saving my butt." I gave her a light pat on the arm, she looks at the spot I patted and lets out a small laugh. Maybe I shouldn't have done that.

"You do realize we have the next class together, right?" she snapped. I feel my cheeks burn from embarrassment . I open my mouth to speak but no words came out. Smooth Nick, smooth."And I'm not saving your butt, if that's what you think." she walked away with a smirk on her face. I curse under my breath and breathed out slowly. What is trying to pull? She's all nice and innocent and smart on the outside but somehow I think.. under all of those, she's a fucking she-devil. I'm still not sure of what Miley thinks of me exactly or what she really is, even. I hope my Mom's early schedule in the hospital wouldn't go on for long. I'm still not sure of how this will turn out.

Author's Note: I seriously seriously seriously like this plot line, it's up for a lot of twists and turns. Ish. Anyway, review and tell me what you think. I'll be updating WAM and ABH soon. School starts tomorrow btw for me, sooo yeah. :D © bows and arrows. I love youuu.