Back again lol sorry guys i'm slow lol but there is just no time!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 4

Grace had no clue where she was going. She hadn't been in this town for two years, and hadn't kept in touch with anyone.

She surveyed the area as she walked. Nothing had changed, not even the sidewalk she walked on. It still possessed the same cracks it had had when she were in high school.

As she walked she passed the park, everything was still familiar to her, the smell, the people, the rusty old benches that people refused to sit in because of their impossibly straight backs. Everything seemed to have been, in her mind preserved, just as it had been when she had left.

She spotted the tree where Luke and her had established their mutual hate for cool and the gang. A little further down the road the café sat where they had once held their make out sessions to avoid detection.

She turned away and tried to clear her mind by counting "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9…" The ninth was his birthday… "Why can't I stop thinking about him!" She yelled out loud unconsciously. People turned to stare at her. A lady with a beehive hairdo, some teenage girls, a waiter, but Grace wasn't truly sorry for yelling until she saw a familiar face walking casually towards her. She turned the other way and started speed walking.

"Marge. Long time no see." Friedman smiled as he casually stepped in front of her.

She turned away.

Friedman seemed amused by this. "What, don't tell me you don't remember me."

"More like wished." She mumbled.

"What was that?" His grin grew wider.

"Beat it Friedman!"

"Awe, so you do remember me. Still angry I see. What, did all the ladies back where you were at turn you down?"

She smiled. "Friedman looks like it's your lucky day. A. I'm over eighteen, and hurting you would involve jail, and B. I'm in too big of a hurry, so if you don't mind I'm leaving."

"Where you going?"

"When is the last time I told you anything, other than what you can do with your comments?"

He just stares at her. She rolls her eyes and heads off down the sidewalk.

"Who are you hunting for?" He hollers to her.

She doesn't turn around.

"Luke?"

She stops, turns slowly and marches back towards him.

"What gives you that idea?" She narrows her eyes glaring at him.

Friedman becomes serious.

"Isn't that the last person you were with before you left?"

She continues to star at him wondering whether or not he would be worth asking any questions.

As if to answer he says… "He still lives at home… that is… if you are looking for him."

She shakes her head to acknowledge him and walks away.

She later finds herself on the old school steps just as night falls. She lies down as the stars start to appear, remembering the meteor shower of her Bat Mitzvah, and the kiss Luke and her had shared. She fell asleep drifting back and forth between different memories of him. Why couldn't she just forget him?

She was woken up by the clanging of keys at the front doors. She turned and watched as Price opened them. She thought to herself "God, If he turned right now and seen me just waking up on these steps he would smile and think of how right he was in predicting how useless I would become. Price however, was to wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice her as he entered the building.

Grace stretched and yawned before noticing a person behind her casting a shadow on the ground in front of her.

She watched as the shadow person peered around her curiously.

"Grace?" "Grace Polk?"

Grace stood up and turned around fast, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Mrs. Girardi was staring back at her.

"What are you doing here?" Helen said as she threw her arms around Grace.

"Um…"

"Oh! You changed your hair!" she grabbed a handful and casually tossed it about.

"Yeah," Grace said shyly not sure of Helen's reaction of seeing her.

"Helen stopped smiling and looked at her worriedly. "Did you just wake up? Do you need a place to stay?"

"God No!" She accidentally said out loud remembering what Friedman had told her about Luke still living at home the night before.

Helen eyed her curiously.

"I…mean, No I didn't just wake up." She tried to laugh it off. "I'm just site seeing, ya know visiting my old town."

"At 6:45? The Grace I knew never got to school that early, usually you were late." Helen laughed.

Grace tried to laugh too.

"Well, have you visited any of you own friends? I know Joan would love to see you."

Grace noticed a pause in Helen's voice where she had chosen not to mention Luke.

Grace smiled "Not yet, but I just might check into that."

"You better, If Joan finds out you were here and I didn't tell her she would kill me." Helen chuckled.

Grace wondered how she could be so kind, how she could still care after how she had left things with Luke.

"So where are you staying?"

"At my parents house." Grace lied.

"Oh…" Helens Smile left her. "Could I by chance get you to come visit us for a few days? Maybe catch up with old friends?" Helen hinted.

"I don't know…" she said nervously moving her shoe back and forth on the pavement.

"Please. It would be a big favor to me, if you came it might get all my kids to come home and visit me. Joan never comes home to visit, and when she does its usually for money." Helen laughed

Grace joined her.

Helen could tell that Grace was not convinced, so she continued, this time in a more hushed serious voice.

"I'm sure Luke would like to see you too, if that's what you are worried about." Her eyes showed concern.

This frightened Grace.

"Mrs. Girardi, I don't think I can." Her eyes showed signs of guilt.

Helen shook her head understandingly. "Well, would you at least come inside and tour the old building?" she pointed towards the school.

Grace's face brightened up and she laughed. "Do you think Price would kick me out?"

"I wouldn't let him." Helen said putting an arm over her shoulder and escorting her inside.

If it had not been for Helens embrace Grace did not think she would have entered the building at all. But Helen did not fit the normal "Ex boyfriends mom" pattern either. She had been warm to Grace since the moment she saw her.

That evening Grace returned back to the hotel. And to her surprise Eric greeted her as nothing had happened. They did not talk much, but in Grace's opinion that was for the better.

The next morning Grace decided to give in to Eric's begging and take him to see her parents. She was not fond of the idea, but decided it would be a good icebreaker for them since their fight.

On the way down stairs Grace was nearly knocked over by an ecstatic Joan. She had nearly knocked them both down the stairs. She was so excited in fact; she was oblivious to Eric standing next to them.

"Oh my gosh! Look at your hair! It's dark!" Joan squealed.

This statement made Eric raise an eyebrow. Grace seen him do so, but instead of looking at him, she kept her focus on Joan.

"So what brings you back to Arcadia Grace?"

Eric clears his throat to get Graces attention.

She starred at him for a moment and then replies… "Oh, sorry. Will you excuse us for a sec?" She asks Eric.

Eric rolls his eyes and sits down on the steps as Joan and Grace heads down the stairs.

"Who's that?" Joan asks.

Grace smiles and shakes her head. "Girardi how did you find me?"

"It's this strange little thing ya see, High schools have this strange way of making you sign this little piece of paper upon entering their building." She laughed. "And I got connections."

They both laugh.

"Ok, I get it, your mom rated me out."

"Yeah, but I have a couple of questions for you Grace. Besides the one about the guy upstairs that is (she smiled). First one is why did you tell my mom that you were staying with your parent's house and then go and write the name of your hotel on the guest book? Second, have you been to your parents house lately, and the last one is why did you refuse my moms invite to the house?"

"Ok, let me get these answers straight in my head," Grace joked, but Joan's smile disappeared.

"I don't know, no, and it would be too weird. Does that suit ya?" Grace still had a hint of a smile on her face.

"Grace, Ok, maybe I can help answer my own questions if you just answer one. Who is the guy?"

Grace didn't answer right away; she was scared of how Joan would react.

"My boyfriend." She said softly.

Joan shook her head slowly." So you didn't want me mom to know about him right."

Grace nodded.

"Can I meet him?"

"Err…"

Joan smiled and ran ahead of Grace.

"Girardi wait!" She yelled as she trailed her.

Too late.

She reached out her hand and spoke. "Hi, I'm Joan. I'm an old friend of Grace's.

Eric looked at Grace. Then he looked back to Joan and held out his hand. "Eric." He smiled.

"I'm Glad I Finally get to meat one of "Grace's" friends"

Well, another great place to end  plus, my hands are tired lol.Thank you for the reviews you 4. yes 4! Isn't it amazing? Two chapters in a row I have gotten 4 reviews.!lol lets see if we can do better. Lets aim high lol 5 reviews! lol