Grace walked uneasily towards the group of girls she'd come to familiarize with.
Deliberately avoiding her eyes from the hockey field, where Ayden was practicing with his team- she continued to walk steadily, keeping her head down.
"Grace!"
She looked up for a moment, flashing a quick smile, which falsely widened as she took her place next to Naomi, who flung her hair to one side as she turned to smile at Grace.
"What's up?" She asked, keeping the whitened smile plastered on.
Grace reflected the grin; "nothing much………..how are things with you?" she asked politely.
GRACE (sitting stiffly on chair looking at camera; with a Cheshire cat, exaggerated, firm smile) keep smiling………(speaking through clenched teeth)
"Great!" Naomi bounced back, and finally turned away from Grace to watched the hockey game.
Grace relaxed her face; glad Naomi was no longer looking.
GRACE (releases her smile, slumps shoulders slightly and massages her jaw)
"So, are you going tomorrow Grace?"
Grace turned around, and gave a small smile, the only kind she could manage; to Melissa, who was looking at her, eagerly awaiting her answer.
"Going where?" Grace asked.
"The party!" Melissa replied, flinging her hair to one side.
Naomi quickly turned around, and flashed Melissa a piercing baby blue eyed stare.
"Sorry" Melissa croaked.
"What?" Grace looked from the glaring Naomi to Melissa, and back again, unsure of the uneasiness that had fallen over the group.
Finally, Naomi slowly turned to Grace, with a small, sincere smile.
"Sorry Grace………I just didn't think you were the kind who was 'into' parties" she said, sympathetically.
"What party?" Grace asked again, unable to keep the annoyance from her tone.
Naomi stared at her for a moment longer, "nothing really………it's just………my parents are you of town, and well………I'm having a rather large gathering tomorrow night" she stared at Grace with her blue, twinkling eyes; and Grace found it almost impossible to snigger at her fake kindness- she knew full well that Naomi didn't want her there.
"Oh" Grace said, in a small voice.
"See! You are totally uninterested……..right?" Naomi asked, widening her small smile.
"Err……….well………..who's going?" Grace asked, in a timid voice.
Hayley piped up, in her enthusiastic voice; "the entire school………practically! It's gonna be massive!"
Naomi shot her a sideways glare, and her enthusiasm deflated.
Grace looked down at the ground for a moment, then back to Naomi; "Is Ayden going?" she asked.
Naomi was silent for a moment, staring Grace in the eye; "I spose………"
GRACE why didn't he tell me……….?
"Oh………well………he didn't tell me anything about it………..but, I guess if he's going, I'd love to" she looked back at Naomi, who had totally neglected her fake smile, and allowed her disappointment to show.
"Whatever……..that's cool………be there at 8" she said, and turned back to the game.
"Hey!" Ayden walked off the field and approached Grace; still fiery with energy, he wrapped his arms around her middle, and pulled her slightly off the ground for a sultry kiss.
They parted, the faint taste of salt on Grace's lips, she smiled, and handed him his water bottle, which he drank quickly.
"Ready to go?" He asked, once he grabbed his sports bag.
Grace nodded, and took his hand as they started walking towards his car in the parking lot.
"So, what do you want to do tomorrow?" she asked, once they got in.
Ayden said nothing for a moment as he started the car; but felt Grace's eyes on him.
"I don't know………what do you want to do?" he asked.
Grace continued to study his profile, looking for the slightest hint that he was lying to her……….
"I don't know……..anything!" she smiled.
Ayden flashed her a side ways glance, and let out a sigh; "Well Naomi is having this party………but we don't have to go to that" he turned back to the road as he pulled out of the school driveway.
Grace's shoulders loosened as he spoke, glad that he'd told her; she knew he probably would have asked her about it eventually………
"I know about the party…….." Grace said, turning to look out of her window.
"You do?" Ayden replied, in a small but surprised voice.
"Yes………and I want to go" Grace added, but didn't turn back to him.
"You do?" Ayden repeated again, shock and surprise both obvious in his tone.
Grace looked back at him, her brow creased; "Yes, why wouldn't I?" she asked, concerned.
"Well………I didn't think you were really into 'parties'………"
"That's exactly what Naomi said………" Grace looked back out the window.
"She did..……?"
Grace turned back to him; "Why wouldn't I be into parties?……..Cause of the drinking, smoking and drugs………?"
Ayden turned to her, a little uneasily, and then back to the road, leaving a wide gap between her question and his answer; "Grace………your not like Naomi and those other girls……….." he started.
Grace cut in, "what? Pretty, you mean? Pretty and perky? Who says I'm not pretty and perky? I can be perky……..and pretty!" she snapped.
"Wo, wo wo!" Ayden interrupted her, "I never said that………Grace………you are beautiful!" He flashed her a sincere grin, which she simply had to return.
"I meant………you aren't like them, in the way that you actually have more to you………your smart, independent, funny, charming………I could go on for days!" he turned back to her, a small smile still on his face.
"They, aren't into much more than their boyfriends and parties………" he turned back to the road.
"Oh" Grace said, in a quite whisper.
"I just didn't think you'd want to go to one of those beer guzzling parties, that's all"
"But your going?"
"Yeah, well, I promised some people that I'd be there………but really, I hate those stupid parties!"
He turned back to Grace, his dark eyes scanning her soft face, "I'd much rather spend my Saturday night with you………I'd rather spend any night with you!" he smiled, sweetly.
"Er………well I'd still like to go to the party- and that way you will be spending you're Saturday night with me!" Grace smiled.
Ayden said nothing, then looked at Grace's face for another moment, he finally sighed; "Ok, whatever you want…….."
AUTHORS NOTE
Sooooooooooooo sorry I haven't updated in ages! I have been completely and totally swamped with school work, and social life stuff……..sorry!
Umm………. I will try SO hard to update this weekend; so just check back every once in a while!
I promise I will have a downpour of chapters soon, when I get some time!
