Definitely Not Average - Chapter 22

This chapter is dedicated to Sarah Anna and Samantha Brooke. I hope you guys like this chapter. =)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was curled up on my bed, rocking back and forth with my eyes closed. I didn’t want to open my eyes to the truth of reality. I couldn’t love T.J. It was something that had been bothering me since I had gotten home. He was the popular one, I wasn’t. He was supposed to go out with other popular people, aka, Liza Clarke. Why couldn’t I come to terms with that? I wasn’t about to break the cycle, since little Grace Tulden could never do that, but I still couldn’t help fantasising. If he felt the same way as I did, then there wouldn’t be a problem, but he didn’t. And that one difference was enough to make my chest ache in a way that made me want to curl up in a corner and die.

‘Gracie?’ A soft voice called from outside my door.

I was only slightly surprised. ‘Come in, mum.’

My mother had gotten a lot better since securing herself a job. She hadn’t yet started (but she did tomorrow) but she was enthusiastic. First, she had started actually getting up in the morning. That gradually moved onto washing the dishes, and then she was actually ironing my clothes. But hey, I wasn’t complaining. It’s just a shock to come home to find your mother who had previously been suffering from depression for four years in the kitchen, smiling and asking how your day at school was. It was weird – but in a good way.

She opened the door and poked her head through, then smiled at me and came to sit on my bed. ‘What’s wrong, little Gracie?’

I couldn’t help but smile. She always used to call me that when I was younger. ‘Nothing. I just…nothing.’

She frowned and crossed her legs, and I could see the dramatic change in her appearance. She was wearing a soft blue v-neck t-shirt, and faded jeans, with her honey-blonde hair pulled up into an elegant yet casual messy ponytail. Her blue eyes were warm, and she had regained her soft complexion. There was still signs of strain around her eyes, but they were slowly disappearing. She was beautiful again. ‘Come on, Gracie. You can tell me what’s wrong.’

I marvelled at how normal it seemed to be having a mother-daughter conversation, when previously I would have scoffed at the very thought. ‘It’s just,’ I started, and brushed away some strands of hair that were in my eyes. ‘There’s this guy and…’

Her face lit up, and then the angelic expression on her face was replaced by a sly smile. ‘Is he that handsome boy who came to pick you up her a couple of week ago?’

I blinked. ‘How did you know that?’

She shrugged. ‘I saw him out of my bedroom window.’

I didn’t bother to ask how she had seen him out of her bedroom when she was lying in her bed, because, for all I knew, she was probably already asking around for jobs. What else didn’t I know about her progress?

‘Well, yeah, him. His name is T.J and…’

‘And you like him?’ She prompted, her eyes glittering.

I groaned, grabbed my pillow and buried myself in the feathery depths. ‘No.’ Yes, I think it was safe to say that I was in denial.

Her tinkling laughter made me peek over the pillow, and before I knew it, she had snatched the pillow from me and pulled me into her arms. I closed my eyes against the embrace that I had missed so much. ‘Oh, Gracie,’ she said, her voice still fixed with traces of laughter. ‘Don’t be shy, sweetheart. Lots of girls have crushes on handsome young men.’

Yes, I agreed silently, but hardly any of them actually fall in love with the handsome young men.

‘Actually,’ she continued. ‘When I was your age, I had a crush on one of the most popular guys in school – but so did just about the all of the girl population.’

I was curious. ‘Did you ever become his girlfriend?’

‘Oh, no,’ she dismissed the idea as if it were ridiculous. ‘I was a silent admirer. I was much too shy to ever approach him. I had never even approached him before.’

‘What happened?’

She mused over the question thoughtfully. ‘Well, he started going out with my friend Janice, and it was only when he broke up with her for a prettier girl that I really began to see his flaws.’

I started fiddling with my fingers – a nervous habit. ‘So what are you trying to say?’

‘What I’m trying to say,’ she said gently. ‘Is maybe this boy isn’t all he seems. Maybe he isn’t worth hurting over.’

‘It’s not like that,’ I whispered. ‘T.J’s different. He’s not…he’s not your typical popular guy.’

She eyed me cautiously. ‘You really like this young man, don’t you?’

I nodded, feeling broken. ‘Yes,’ I said quietly. ‘I do.’

If only he felt the same way.

---------------------------

I was lying on my bed and generally moping over my misfortune, when the home phone rang. I got up off my bed grudgingly and reached over to my desk where one of the three landlines in the house were. ‘Hello?’

‘Grace? Is that you?’

I was stunned. ‘Marc?’

He chuckled. ‘Yeah.’

‘How did you get my number?’

He chuckled deeply. ‘I have my sources.’ In the background I could hear faint talking – television.

I wanted to ask him why he was calling me, wanted to tell him to just leave me alone because I really was not in the mood for passing politeness. But I didn’t say that, of course, because that would be rude.

‘What exactly…?’ I started, and then bit my lip.

‘What do I want?’ He finished off my unanswered question.

I nodded, then, remembering that he couldn’t see me since we were talking over the phone, I said. ‘Yeah.’

‘Well, I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately,’ he said hesitantly.

I was stunned. He had been thinking about me?

‘Really?’ I said incredulously.

‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘And I just wonder if…if you…’

‘If I – what?’ I prompted, since it was clear he wasn’t going to finish his sentence without a boost.

‘Well, I was wondering if...if…if you wanted to come and meet with me today?’

My mouth dropped open. I stared at the phone as if it had committed a major offense. ‘What did you say?’ I was sure that I had misheard.

‘Um…’ Marc sounded uncomfortable. ‘I just wondered if…you wanted to go out…today?’

Okay, that’s it. I was officially stuck in a nightmare. But then…I had never been asked out before, so did that make it a dream? ‘W-why?’ I stammered. It may have sounded rude of me, but I can assure you that that was not my intention.

I sigh sounded over the phone. ‘I really like you, Grace.’

My heart dropped. But I like someone else. ‘Oh,’ was all I said.

Another sigh. ‘Look, Grace, can’t I just take you out today? Please?’

I bit my lip. ‘Well…’

‘Please?’ He wheedled. ‘We can go wherever you want.’

‘Okay,’ I gave in. But what about T.J? my conscience screamed at me. There’s no point moping over T.J, I told myself firmly. He and I will never be.

‘Awesome,’ I could tell that Marc was grinning. ‘So…where do you want to go?’

I thought that over. I knew that Marc would be willing to spend money on me – he dad was almost as rich as T.J’s – but I didn’t want him to. So I decided to go with something that you didn’t have to pay for at all. ‘How about we go to the park?’

‘The park?’ He sounded surprised, but then quickly got over it. ‘I mean, yeah. Sure. Whatever you want. Did you want me to come and pick you up?’

‘No,’ I said quickly. Too quickly. ‘I mean – no, thankyou. I’ll meet you there, though, if you want.’

‘Sure. Which park?’

I thought about that for a moment. ‘Tollgate.’

‘Okay,’ he said. ‘Shall we say in about…half an hour?’

I smiled. ‘That would be cool.’

‘Okay. Well, bye Grace,’ he said softly. ‘See you soon.’

‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘See you soon.’ And then I put the phone down.

I think it was safe to say that I was in complete and utter shock. I just practically got asked out by Marc Gladstone.. But then…why wasn’t I happy about it? I should be…right? I mean, it’s not everyday that one of The Knowns decides to ask out an Unknown. So what was wrong with me?

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I’m in love with a guy called T.J Becker.

--------------------------

‘Hey,’ I said quietly, walking up to Marc, who was already sitting on the park bench.

‘Grace,’ he smiled and got up off the bench as soon as he saw me, his eyes roaming my outfit. I blushed. I hadn’t changed to go and meet Marc; I had just stayed in my skinny jeans and plain white t-shirt.

He surprised me by pulling me into a hug. I was shocked, especially when he didn’t let go, so all I could do was – hesitantly – put my arms around his neck. He smelled good, I admitted it, but I preferred T.J’s Landon Dominiguez aftershave, rather than Marc’s Crystal Ice for men.

He let me go, and I looked everywhere but at him. We both sat down next to eachother on he bench.

We stayed silent for a long time, and I couldn’t help but think that the silence wouldn’t have been there if I was with T.J instead of Marc; we always had something to talk about.

‘So,’ Marc said. ‘How have you been?

I had to smile at his attempt. ‘Fine, thanks. You?’

He grinned. ‘Great. Been caught up with football practice, though.’

I smiled but said nothing. I wasn’t really in the mood.

‘Um…Grace?’

His tone made me snap my head around to look at him. ‘Yeah?’ I said cautiously.

I froze when his head came closer to mine, and even though I wanted to move away from him, I felt paralysed. No, no, no, no, no!

But then his lips were on mine, soft, really, but I didn’t get that spark that I did with T.J. It was only a kiss with Marc. Just a kiss.

‘I really like you, Grace,’ Marc breathed, his face still just millimetres away from mine.

I gulped. I didn’t know what to say.

‘Grace,’ Marc said, and I got the feeling that I wouldn’t like what he said next. ‘I…I want you to be my girlfriend.’