Glaring heavily at the wall of her bedroom, Grace sat by her desk attempting to quell the anger that was building up inside her small frame. There was a tight, little pulse under her jaw that was threatening to release a sob and if she had any power over it Grace was not going to let that happen. Even all alone in her room.
But Joan was in the hospital, Joan had been sick for months and Grace had only known her for months. Deep down, in a place she would hardly acknowledge herself Grace was a little scared that when Joan got better she would realise her mistake and stop hanging out with a loser like herself.
Gripping the edge of her desk a little tighter she made a conscious effort to get a grasp on her emotions. Grace didn't want to hurt – although more than that – she didn't want anyone to know that she hurt. It didn't fit with her image, and she didn't want her reputation being ruined over another of Joan's flaky stunts. But she also didn't want her best friend to be sick.
If Joan even was her best friend. Grace didn't know. She had known Adam for her whole life – or at least it felt like that – but after his Mother died things had changed between them and sometimes – although she cared about him, God forbid anyone find that out – she felt like they only hung out, out of habit. Then Joan had appeared, and for some reason, she had tried her very hardest to break through their respective walls and build some kind of relationship with the pair of misfits.
It all just seemed too easy to Grace. There had to be a catch, because in her experience nobody just wanted to be your friend. There was always a reason, something they wanted, whether that be something from you or to humiliate you. Neither were things she relished.
But Joan had seemed different; she didn't seem to expect anything from Grace and Adam but to live up to their potential and put up with her flaky ways. Sure, in reality that was asking a lot of the pair, but it brought unexpected perks. Like having a friend. And as much as she pretended not to care Grace did not want to lose the only new friend she had made in the past thirteen years.
As the hands on her clock seemed to tick louder and louder past the minutes Grace let her eyes fall closed for a moment, blinking back just the slightest glaze that had formed over them. Clutching her head – which now pounded with sleep-deprivation – she climbed slowly underneath the covers of her bed and tried to force her taut body to accept what few hours of sleep were left in the night.
But Joan was in the hospital, Joan had been sick for months and Grace had only known her for months. Deep down, in a place she would hardly acknowledge herself Grace was a little scared that when Joan got better she would realise her mistake and stop hanging out with a loser like herself.
Gripping the edge of her desk a little tighter she made a conscious effort to get a grasp on her emotions. Grace didn't want to hurt – although more than that – she didn't want anyone to know that she hurt. It didn't fit with her image, and she didn't want her reputation being ruined over another of Joan's flaky stunts. But she also didn't want her best friend to be sick.
If Joan even was her best friend. Grace didn't know. She had known Adam for her whole life – or at least it felt like that – but after his Mother died things had changed between them and sometimes – although she cared about him, God forbid anyone find that out – she felt like they only hung out, out of habit. Then Joan had appeared, and for some reason, she had tried her very hardest to break through their respective walls and build some kind of relationship with the pair of misfits.
It all just seemed too easy to Grace. There had to be a catch, because in her experience nobody just wanted to be your friend. There was always a reason, something they wanted, whether that be something from you or to humiliate you. Neither were things she relished.
But Joan had seemed different; she didn't seem to expect anything from Grace and Adam but to live up to their potential and put up with her flaky ways. Sure, in reality that was asking a lot of the pair, but it brought unexpected perks. Like having a friend. And as much as she pretended not to care Grace did not want to lose the only new friend she had made in the past thirteen years.
As the hands on her clock seemed to tick louder and louder past the minutes Grace let her eyes fall closed for a moment, blinking back just the slightest glaze that had formed over them. Clutching her head – which now pounded with sleep-deprivation – she climbed slowly underneath the covers of her bed and tried to force her taut body to accept what few hours of sleep were left in the night.