A/N no comments I see. No big deal I am not the type of story author who holds stories ransom for reviews, though I love getting them. Enjoy!


Chapter 2 One Pirate's Loss is another Pirate's Treasure


For the rest of the last class period the students of the school were sitting on pins and needles awaiting that final bell to ring out. When it finally did there was a mad scuffling and rush for the doors, and droves of students flocked out into the halls. Grace got pushed and shoved, and completely turned around before she managed to make it to the girls gym where the tryouts for the Gymnastic team and the pep squad was being held. She smiled as she approached the sign up table and didn't notice how one of the younger students had whispered into the ear of the Captain of the gymnastic team with an evil smirk upon her face.

"Are you here to try out for the Gymnastics team," asked the team captain after nodding at her newest team member's input?

"Yes, I was one of the top Gymnasts in my old school, before we moved here," Grace said with a hopeful expression on her face not noticing that Alice was frantically waving to Wendy who was trying out for the pep squad at that moment.

"Oh, that's too bad. Unfortunately we're limited on how many we can accept this year. It's a pity that we can't take on another, or I'd definitely let you try out for the team," the Captain said with a nasty look on her face that Grace definitely noticed.

"Okay, thank you for your time anyway. Maybe there is another team that I can join," Grace said as she turned away and walked over to where the table was for pep squad sign ups.

"Is there room on your team for one more member to join? I'm actually really good at Gymnastics, but they said that there was a limit to how many members that they could take this year," Grace asked politely once again?

"Yes, we're still holding auditions, but I'm afraid that we can't accept you because it would be too much of a liability on the team. What would our principal and the coaches and the super intendent of schools say if we let you on our team, and you got hurt? Sorry, but we can't take a blind girl on the team," said the Cheer captain in a voice that Grace could hear was full of a mocking tone.

"Oh, Okay, thank you for at least telling me why you wouldn't let me on the team," Grace said as she exited the gym and walked out to the outdoor game area of the school where tryouts for the football team track and field , and the flag core were in session.

Her father pulled up in the jeep to pick her up and noticed his daughter's glum expression as he approached her as she watched the tryouts for the football team and the flag core take place without her. "I expected you'd look happier than you did when I dropped you off Gracey. Didn't you try out for the Gymnastic team," he asked as he took her heavy back pack and laptop case from her hands and handed them over to his driver?

"I didn't exactly have a very nice time today daddy. I thought that I'd feel better after I tried out for Gymnastic Team, but they said that they were only accepting a small number of students this year," Grace said numbly as she watched everyone else looking as if they were having great fun.

"What about Cheer squad or whatever they call it here? Did you try out for that? You'd have been great with your Gymnastic skills," her father asked as he gently wiped a tear from her cheek that had escaped her eye?

"Yes, but they didn't want me either. They said that having a blind girl on the team was too much of a liability and that they didn't even want to risk me getting hurt by allowing me to try out," Grace said as she turned and started to climb into the back of the Jeep only to be stopped by her father's hand on her shoulder.

"Well then, you should give the Flag core a shot, don't you think," he said as he held her from moving into the jeep with a determined expression on his face.

"Daddy, what's the chance that you'll just let this drop People here have already made it crystal clear that they don't want me here. If they don't want me here than I don't want to stay any longer than I have too. Maybe you could get transferred to somewhere where the students aren't complete and utter hard headed morons," she said as her father spun her around and marched her over to the flag core try outs.

"No child of mine is a quitter. You're going to try out for the flag core, and I'm going to watch you give them a show unlike anything that they've ever seen before in this school. Is that clear young lady," he said as he pushed her towards where the flags stood awaiting to be used by the people who wanted to try out.

"Yes, sir," she whispered as she grabbed two of the tall black and red flags with the Pirates School crest of a Pirates skull and crossed bones emblazoned upon it and stepped to the area in front of the older team members who gave her strange looks.

"Hay new girl, you do know that you only need one flag, Don't you," called out a blond haired girl with green eyes with her arms crossed?

"I'm aware of that, I'd still like to show you all my stuff, would you please just humor me for a few minutes," Grace asked as she walked to the center of the area and held the flags one in each hand?

"Okay, you've got two minutes to wow us, New Girl. You may start when you hear the tape of the marching band start up," Said Arial Thompson, Captain of the flag core as she pressed the button on the tape deck.

As the music started Grace spun both flags in perfect synchronization to the music, as she marched, danced, and preformed various acrobatic and Gymnastic moves. She tossed the flags and spun, and caught them again, and then all eyes were on her from everyone on the football field, the track and the bleachers as she quickly brought one flag to the ground and flipped while the other spun in the air to stand perfectly straight upon one foot with her knee bent and her other foot resting upon her other leg as she caught the tossed flag and started spinning and twirling it making all jaws drop in shock at what they were witnessing.

Then she smiled as they all gasped when she brought her other foot down and grasped the flag that she stood on with her feet , before throwing the other flag high into the air and rolling back sending the other flying up to join it in the air. She landed into a perfect split and caught one flag and started spinning it over her head like a helicopter blade, making the other spin and flip on top of it at the same time. Everyone in the area were now chanting, "New Girl, New Girl, New Girl," over and over again .

Then she heard her father clapping and cheering along with his driver, and he called out to her. "Bring it on Home Cadet," and she smiled even larger as she moved out of the split and slowly got to her feet while keeping the flags moving above her head.

Suddenly as the music was drawing to its end she popped the flag that she was spinning up sending both flags into the air, spun around, and caught both flags, one in each hand giving them both one last twirl as she bowed letting the movement of the flags stop as she bowed on the last beat of the music to rowdy applause and cheers. "Holy smokes, kid, with skills like that why aren't you now a member of the Gymnastic team or the pep squad," asked the stunned football coach as everyone crowded around her?

"They didn't want me, sir," she said as she handed the flags over to a very stunned flag core captain who simply handed them back to her along with two smaller flags that were about knee height.

"They have to be insane, not to have accepted you girl. What's your name? They may have let you slip through their fingers but I'm not that stupid. I know real talent when I see it and you've got it," Arial said as she nodded to another team mate who ran to the box of team gear in preparation to gather the gear for their newest team mate.

"Grace Gwenivere Teller, is my name, but my family and friends call me Gracey or G.G.," Grace said as her father moved to her side.

"Well G.G., what size leotard do you wear, because we can't have the hottest and newest member of our team go around showing her stuff in blue jeans," Arial asked with a smile on her face?

"I'm on the team, really? You're not just pulling my leg are you," Grace asked in shock?

"No way, G.G. we definitely want you on our team. What size are you," Arial asked as she stepped to her side and the rest of the team joined her?

"I wear a size nine in leotards, seven and a half in sneakers, and a ten in tops so that I can move," Grace said.

"Got them," called a black girl with loose curls as she ran over to the group holding a red and black duffle bag filled with gear and handed it over to Grace.

"Alright G.G., I'm Arial, this is Selene, Sussett, Marrie, Stella, Molly, Serena, Tasha, and Britany. For now on, you are with us. We have practice three times a week with the marching band if the weather's good enough to be outside, and we often get together after school to go shopping or just to walk the mall on the other days. Here's my mobile number, if you shoot me a text, I'll share your number with everyone else on the team," Arial said as she handed Grace a strip of paper with her number written in large black inked numbers. Grace pulled her mobile phone out of her pocket and sent a quick text message simply saying Hi Team mate, and then programmed Arial Thompson's number into her phone.

"Thank you girls I've got to go now, so I'll see you all tomorrow," she said with a smile on her face as she allowed her father's driver to take her flags, and the duffle bag and moved towards the jeep with her father.

"Cool G.G., We'll meet you at the flag pole tomorrow so that we can go over our schedules and see who has you in their classes. We stick together in this team," Arial said as she and the other girls waved their good byes to their new friend.

"See you tomorrow," Grace called as the jeep pulled away and carried her back to the Army base where she was to wait until her mother got home from work in her father's office.

"Now are you glad that you listened to your old dad, " Her father asked with a large proud smile upon his face?

"Yes, Daddy, thank you for making me go through with it. Has General arrived yet," she asked as the jeep passed the boarding stables where her large thoroughbred Gelding would be living?

"Not yet, princess. Trust me that when he arrives, you'll know," he said with a smile.

"I can't wait to ride him again," Grace said feeling happier than ever now that she had friends.

The next day at school Grace met her new friends and team mates at the flag pole outside of the school and they all walked into the school together. Her friends who shared the same classes with her stayed by her side pushing Wendy further away from her obsession Justin James Watt, who frankly thought that she was being more than mean to the nice girl who had proved herself in the most spectacular way the other day earning the friendship of more people than was expected. As the time drew near for their home coming game, and the home coming dance three days afterwards, he found himself wishing that he could rid himself of Wendy Budgey, and could attach himself to the red head who had made his heart pound with excitement with her every daring move of the flags that she worked with.

However he first had to get through what he considered to be the most boring event on his calendar. A week had now passed since the arrival of what he and many other boys on the football team considered to be the hottest girl in school, and his cousin had begged and pleaded with him to attend the annual Military ball with her since her boyfriend wasn't going to make it. So now here he was dressed to the nines in a black tux with a bowtie that took him at least an hour to get just right surrounded by men in Dark green military dress uniforms and elegant ladies in flowing formal ball gowns and glittering jewels. His cousin had yet to arrive, and he was feeling as if he wanted to go home and turned around to leave only to find his cousin standing behind him with her boyfriend and a smile.

"Cressy, I thought that you said that you needed me to come because your boyfriend was unable to attend," Justin asked with his arms crossed angrily?

"J. J. don't be angry with me, I did this for a reason. It's kind of an intervention of sorts, if you must know. You did say that you wanted a break from the Velcro who calls herself Wendy Budgy. Trust me you'll thank me when you see how hot the New Sargent's Daughter is," she said as Sargent Teller entered the ball room with his wife on his arm and his daughter on the other arm looking very cross at being forced to accompany her parents to this function.

"Daddy, why did I have to come to this stupid ball. I don't know anyone here. All of my friends aren't even here because they aren't Military," she grumbled as she pulled her hands free of his elbow and crossed her arms defiantly?

"Grace, you're old enough to appreciate this for the great opportunity that it is. You'll have fun, trust me," he said as he left her standing there while he and her mother went to smoose with the upper brass.

"I'd have more fun riding General or Practicing my flag routine for the Homecoming game on Friday," She grumbled as she turned around to attempt to go outside hating the crowds and slammed into something that was very hard and yet soft and nice smelling.

She staggered back away from the large mass and almost fell as the heal of her shoe trod upon the back of her long skirt. Two large gentle hands grasped her arms preventing her from hitting the ground and she looked up into the sky blue eyes of Justin James Watt who was smiling broadly at her. "Remind me to thank my cousin for dragging me to this ball. You look amazing Grace," he said as he stepped to her side and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm.

"Justin, I didn't know that you were an Army brat," Grace said as she allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.

"I'm not, but my cousin Cissy is. She gave me this story about needing a date because her boyfriend wasn't able to come. You could imagine my shock and delight when I discovered that she was intending to set me up on a blind date with a surprising girl who has become the Pirates greatest Treasure," Justin smiled as he spun her around the dance floor gracefully.

"Won't your girlfriend be pissed at you for daring to dance with me," Grace asked with a smirk on her face that made Justin laugh?

"Wendy Budgey is not now and will never be my girlfriend. She has dreams of a future that could never be. I hate shallow pretentious girls, who think that all life is a soap opera. Frankly I prefer a girl who's more honest and down to earth. I'd date a girl like you, if that girl ever had it in her mind to be my girl," Justin confessed hoping that she could read between the lines of his statement.

"Justin James Watt, are you saying that you want me to be your girlfriend," Grace asked as she smiled up into his sky blue eyes?

"Yes, I thought that I made that perfectly clear, Grace. If you think that I'm just going to stand on the sidelines and watch some other guy get close to you, than your nuts. I've loved you since that first day that you sat beside me in Science class," he smiled as he pulled her closer to him so that he could breathe deeply the soft scent of her apple scented perfume.

"Well then since you are my boyfriend , what do you say that we leave this snore fest and I introduce you to my family," Grace asked as she pulled him over to where her parents were chatting with the General and his wife? J. J. Gulped as he allowed her to pull him over to her imposing looking father.

"I see that you've found someone to enjoy the dance with after all," her mother said with a smile on her face.

"Mother, Father, I'd like you to meet Justin James Watt. We go to school together, and he's asked me to be his girlfriend. Is that Okay with the two of you," Grace asked giving her father a pleading look?

"Well that depends on how much of a gentleman he is, "Her father smirked.

"Tell me Mr. Watt, you're not just wishing to date my baby girl so that you can get under her skirt are you," he asked making Grace turn a mortified shade of sickly green, and Justin's face change an embarrassed shade of red?

"Daddy," Grace screeched mortified!

"What?"

"Darling, that was a bit over the line in public," His wife scolded as their daughter and her boyfriend walked out of the ball room with their heads bowed hiding their expressions from the eyes of the on lookers.

Justin walked with Grace to the gates of the army base where he helped her to sit behind him on his four wheeler in a way that wouldn't catch her skirt in the tires as they spun. Then he asked her where she wanted to go and smiled when she directed him to the boarding stables that was across the street from his house. Grace flicked on the light as she entered the barn with Justin by her side and smiled as her black Thoroughbred gelding General poked his head out from his stall and neighed shrilly at her tossing his head as she opened the mini fridge that sat beside his stall and removed two large carrots before stepping to his stall door and breaking the carrot into smaller pieces to feed him a bit at a time.

"Justin, this is The General. Until I came here and met you and the other girls on the flag core, he was my closest and only friend. Pathetic, isn't it," Grace said as her horse crunched the carrots happily and stretched his head out to reach the carrot that J. J. was about to take a bit from , making them both laugh before giving the boy an adjetated snort and rearing in his stall with anger. "Don't tease him Justin, he loves carrots and will do almost anything to get them," Grace said as the horse tossed his head and pawed the ground impatiently waiting for his treat.

"He's amazing, Grace. Do you ride him often," Justin asked stroking the horses long black face as he crunched the carrot and then searched him for more ?

"I try to ride every day, but I sometimes go to local horse shows and competitions on the weekends and some holidays. Would you like to ride with me one day," she asked with a smile?

"I've never ridden a horse before. You'd have to teach me to ride," Justin smiled as he led her out of the barn and across the street as he pushed his four wheeler alongside of him and parked it by the house as he led her to the front porch and settled the two of them on the porch swing while they talked.

"I think that I could teach you, to ride. It's really easy unless you want to get into competition, then it gets more involved," Grace smiled as the chains of the swing squeaked in the night among the song of the crickets that filled the night.

The Front door opened and Justin's mother poked her head out with a smile on her face. "J. J. your home early son, who's your friend?"

"Mom, this is Grace Gwenivere Teller, the amazing girl that I told you about last week, who completely floored the flag core and everyone else in the area who saw her do her thing with the flags," Justin smiled.

"Oh, Well it's a pleasure to finally meet you dear, J.J. talks about you all the time since the day that he met you. Have the two of you eaten, would you like something to eat," his mother asked?

"Food sounds great, mom, what's cooking," Justin smiled?

"Steak, Potatoes, steamed broccoli, and cheese," his mother smiled.

"Grace are you hungry, my dad grills a mean steak," Justin asked as he got to his feet and held out his hand to his girlfriend?

"Sure I could eat something, but could I barrow your phone to tell my parents where I am so that they don't worry about me first," Grace asked as Justin led her into the house?

"Of course you can dear. Let them know that we'll bring you home after dinner," Smiled Justin's mother as she moved into the kitchen missing her younger son's laser tag battle by mere inches.

"Who's she, J.J.," his brother's asked as they paused their game upon noticing the beautiful girl on the phone dressed in a dark burgundy ball gown with off the shoulders sleeves and a satin choker to match around her neck?

"That's Grace, my girlfriend, so no food fights tonight you guys," Justin warned.

"Come on what kind of little brother's to you think we are," T.J. smirked?

"I think that you're the two little brats who tried to put my underwear on the dog last week, after you dumped raw eggs in my running shoes," Justin growled crossing his arms.

"Oh, how cute, they are! Justin are these two little cuties your little brothers," Grace asked after hanging up with her parents?

"More like the little devils who live here," Justin growled with his fists clenched.

"Get off of it, I'm sure that they can't be any worse than my two baby brothers. My brothers have ripped off the heads of every one of my Barbie's, burned all of their clothes, gotten into my makeup, ran around the house in my bra and panties, in front of the General of our last post, and stole my finger nail polish just so that they could paint their junk with it. F.Y.I. boys, never, ever paint fingernail polish onto your boy bits because my brother's found out the hard way that it burns," Grace said making Justin's brothers both grab their junk and cringe as they ran into the other room upon hearing their mother calling them to the table for dinner.

"And to think that I thought that my brothers were the spawn of Satan? You're brothers are rotten," Justin said as he pulled out a chair for Grace and helped her get settled before taking his seat next to her.

"Try living with them for a few days, you have no idea how bad that they really are. What I've told you is just the tip of the iceberg," Grace laughed. They enjoyed their meals chatting happily about the places that Grace had been and the things that she had done while her father was on tour . Soon as dinner drew to a close Justin had his father take her home, and he walked her up to the door and kissed her hand like a gentleman only to get drenched from above by water balloons filled with ketchup and mustard.

"Death from above, you terrorist pig! This will teach you to snuggle up with our sister," screamed David from the balcony above them as he laughed and his younger brother rolled on the ground laughing hard!

"DAAAAAAD," Grace screamed as she shook with a mixture of rage and cold from having mustard dumped on her head! Sargent Lee Teller ripped open the front door and gaped at the mess that his son's had made of their older sister and her boyfriend. Justin's father got out of the car and handed his son a towel after helping him out of his jacket .

"I'm so sorry about this Mr. Watt, If you'll send me the dry cleaning bill I'll pay it. If they can't clean it, I'll replace what my little brats damaged. Why don't you both come inside and I'll have my wife get your son something clean to change into from my closet. He's not that much shorter than I am, I should have something that doesn't reek of ketchup for him to wear," Lee offered as he held open his door and allowed the Watt men inside as his daughter stomped upstairs. "Grace, leave them to me, if I hear you screaming at them it better be for another reason," he called after her as she slammed her bedroom door making the pictures on the wall shake.

Mrs. Teller handed J.J. a set of camouflaged sweat pants some running shoes, and a matching sweat shirt and left him to clean the ketchup out of his hair. It didn't take long until he heard the two little devils screaming and he moved down stairs to find Grace sitting in the corner of the living room sofa braiding her freshly washed hair and grumbling under her breath. "Hay babe, are you okay," he asked as he knelt and kissed her cheek gently?

"I'll be alright, I just hate smelling like a sandwich topping. I'm sorry for what my brother's did. I should have known that they'd try something stupid like this," she muttered.

"Grace, it's fine, I'll see you tomorrow at school," he smiled as he gave her shoulder a quick squeeze and followed his dad from the house. As they got to the car he could see the two boys crying as they were made to stand out on the balcony with their noses pressed to the wall while their father watched them like a hawk and waved to the Watts as they pulled away.