chapter nine, field of stares
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Grace felt suffocated.

Her breath caught as Alex's words hung in the air. A sinking feeling enveloped her chest, leaving it devoid of its usual ease, and she noticed her mouth going dry, her lips tingling.

He had taken her to the watering hole.

—The very same watering hole he took her to the day before.

The words etched into her skin, imprinting themselves on the tip of her tongue, behind her eyelids, and between her eyebrows.

"Grace?" Alex's voice faded amidst the cheers, a hint of concern in his tone. His face became clear for a fleeting moment before washing over again in Grace's clouded mind.

Her thoughts were in disarray.

Breath caught in her throat.

"Grace?" He repeated, the soft touch of his hand on her shoulder making her blink, prompting a step back.

"Don't," she uttered barely above a whisper, her lips cracking with the word. "Please."

Alex's eyes widened, his chest rising and falling. It seemed as if he had pieced everything together, connecting the dots in two words.

"Oh, god," he started, hastily pulling off his hat and moving closer to Grace, who instinctively took a step back.

The crowd erupted into cheers again, and panic settled in the pit of Grace's stomach with each clap. She couldn't be here any longer.

"Grace," he pleaded, coming to a stop and fidgeting with his hat as he maintained his gaze.

The crowd started to shift, their smiles intensifying the ache in Grace's chest. Across the way, she spotted Cole walking towards them, a grin on his face.

It felt like a rush of air hit her all at once.

Her knees gave way ever so slightly, her lungs overfilled, and with a shaky breath, she swiftly turned around and ran.

Alex's voice echoed in the air, but just as fast as it came, the wind swept it away, leaving Grace to herself.

She navigated between stands and walking people, her face running hot, and her vision growing cloudy, masked with a warm liquid.

As she moved, the crowd seemed to shift, uncovering open fields as if it too comprehended her sense of betrayal.

Her leaking heart.

She didn't know where she was running, nor did she care. Her footsteps pounded the ground, each impact sending tremors through her body, her chest collapsing with each stride.

A female voice emerged in the air, but before Grace could absorb it, she swiftly turned, slipping into the parking lot.

She sprinted until her legs surrendered, collapsing behind a parked vehicle. Warm liquid traced her cheeks, staining her jaw and dripping onto her crimson sweatshirt.

Aware of the splotches, she paid them no mind, keeping her head against the car with closed eyes. Alex's words etched themselves behind her eyelids, causing her stomach to tighten.

He took her to the watering hole.

The same place where he had kissed her.

Her body ached, and while she tried to convince herself it was just an overreaction, a friendly exchange, a tiny part of her thought otherwise.

And that slender sliver split Grace in half.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she inhaled long, heavy breaths, concentrating on the rise and fall of her lungs.

"Grace?" A familiar voice echoed, footsteps rushing toward her. Slowly, she opened her eyes, keeping her gaze fixed ahead.

Red curls appeared as Katherine bent down beside Grace, her head tilting to meet her gaze.

"Oh, sweetheart," she murmured, reaching out to sweep Grace's hair behind her shoulder and wiping her wet cheek.

Grace released a shaky breath, leaning into Katherine's touch, allowing her head to rest against her chest.

Katherine's hands instinctively found the back of Grace's head, gently caressing her hair.

They sat in silence for a moment, Grace's heavy breaths blending with the distant hum of the event. Katherine's fingers continued to move through Grace's hair, a soothing reminiscent of her mother.

"What can I do?" Katherine gently inquired. Grace focused on her breathing, letting the question hang in the air.

What did she need?

Taking another deep inhale, she closed her eyes, attuning herself to the rhythmic beats of Katherine's heart beneath her head.

"My dad," Grace whispered, her lips carrying the flavor of warm saltwater. "I want my dad."

Katherine gave a slow nod, pulling her hands away from Grace's head.

She reached into her pocket, grabbed her phone, and swiftly dialed James, the ringing breaking the silence around them.

"Hello?" Her father's voice came through, and Grace held her breath, waiting for Katherine's explanation.

"Hey, it's Katherine," she said, running her free hand through Grace's hair. "She needs you."

James replied immediately, his voice thick, accompanied by the faint echo of a closing door. "I'll be there in five."

Katherine let out a gentle hum before ending the call, placing her phone on the concrete floor. Her fingers continued to entwine in Grace's hair, and she sensed fatigue creeping in.

Her eyelids carried the weight of Alex's words and her breath slowed through her slightly congested nose. 

Katherine didn't press for answers; she remained silent, providing comfort to the girl crumbling in her embrace.

She had never held someone so vulnerably innocent.

Fatigued, the words, "He hurt me," escaped Grace's lips, and Katherine chest sank with a deep exhale.

There was no response, no movement from either of them.

They lingered in that embrace, and just as Grace was on the verge of closing her eyes entirely, her father's voice broke the silence, hushing after Katherine told him to be quiet.

"What happened?" He asked, crouching down in front of them, tilting his head for a closer look at his little girl.

Katherine hesitated, glancing down at Grace, whose eyes remained closed.

"She just needs her dad," she said softly, and James's shoulders slumped with a sigh. He had forgotten what it meant to be a father, how to comfort his children.

His babies.

Katherine must have sensed his struggle and offered a faint smile.

"All you have to do is be there for her," she reassured, and Grace shifted slightly in their embrace, causing both James and Katherine to quiet and watch her.

She was still awake, listening.

The air hung silent for a moment as James gently brushed a strand of hair away from Grace's face. "What if I mess that up?" He asked with tenderness, and Grace felt her face flush, her stomach tightening to hold back tears.

"You won't," Katherine reassured, her tone carrying an unfamiliar warmth that resonated with Grace. "You're a great dad, James," she added, glancing down between him and Grace.

"You've raised a beautiful daughter."

James's chest tightened at her words, his breath catching in sporadic rhythms. Though he wouldn't openly admit it, he had long carried a sense of failure.

Toward his wife, his children, himself.

Taking a shaky breath, he looked up at the sky, memories unfolding between the clouds and his eyelashes.

"Hunny," she had said, her eyes shimmering as she looked down at their baby girl in her arms, wrapped in a floral blanket with a faint blush on her cheeks.

"She's beautiful," she continued, her tone light and airy. James gave a faint smile, reaching down to caress his wife's cheek with the palm of his hand.

"She looks just like you," he remarked, and the smile his wife gave felt like a million suns.

A warm liquid followed the curve of his cheek, and he wiped it away, glancing back down at Katherine and Grace.

"Thank you," he said just above a whisper, taking a deep breath.

"She really is beautiful."

───

{one day later}

His angel vanished.

Cole watched as her feet touched the ground, her back turned, melting into the crowd without uttering a single goodbye.

Every step she took seemed to press on his chest, urging him to stay still, like an invisible force holding him in place.

Forcing him to see her go.

And he did.

He watched her seat staying empty at school the next day, the usual lively presence replaced by silence. He saw her ignore every message he sent, the texts accumulating, left unanswered.

He watched her slipping through his fingers.

His mouth's inner corner bore the signs of day-long biting—swollen and tinged with red, leaving the lingering taste of metal on his tongue.

Weaving through the hallway, sidestepping students and open lockers, he found the background chatter fading as concern for Grace clouded his thoughts.

The fog was so dense that Cole nearly ran into a few people before stepping out of the front door. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his mind as he exited the school and entered the parking lot.

Danny, Nathan, and Alex were already there, engaged in conversation.

Approaching them, he noticed Alex wearing the same baseball hat from yesterday—the event. Their conversation hushed as Cole approached, the three of them eyeing him with silence.

They lingered in that moment, and Cole squinted at Alex's baseball cap, recalling that he was the last one seen with Grace.

Danny broke the quiet first, unscrewing the lid of a water bottle. "Hey," he greeted with a nod.

Cole responded with a smile, stealing glances at Alex, who was engrossed in his phone.

"What's going on with you?" Danny probed, taking a sip from his drink.

Cole shrugged. "Grace isn't here," he mentioned, and he couldn't help but notice Alex's body freezing. Emotions were never his strong suit, even when they were little.

"Do you know why?" Cole inquired further, shifting his body to face Alex entirely. His eyes lifted from his phone, widening in response.

"What?" he uttered, his voice quiet and high.

Cole took a deep breath, moving forward. "What did you say to her?" he demanded, his voice escalating without his control.

"Nothing!" he exclaimed, hands raised in the air, his gaze darting between Cole and the filling parking lot.

Cole couldn't care less who was watching; in fact, let them watch.

Taking another step forward, he delivered a forceful shove to Alex's chest, causing his back to hit the truck.

"What did you do, Alex?" he pressed again, his name leaving his mouth like venom.

"Just tell him!" Danny's voice erupted from the side, making Cole narrow his eyes at Alex, who remained pressed against the truck.

Breathing heavily, Alex responded, "Fine," stepping away from the truck and smoothing down his shirt. "I might have mentioned you taking Jackie to the watering hole."

Fuck.

Cole's breath hitched, his heart sinking to his stomach, a tight knot forming.

He was screwed.

He was so damn screwed, and he swore he'd pray to the heavens if he had to, just to have his angel in the end.

───

{two days later}

The house retained the same quietness that settled in after her mother's passing.

James moved between his bedroom and the kitchen, periodically checking on Grace, who remained nestled into the living room couch, wrapped in blankets.

Grayson carried on as usual, spending time with friends and staying focused on school. Grace even overheard that he received an academic award one lousy afternoon.

The world seemed to carry on, but for Grace, she was trapped in that living room, enveloped by her mother's lingering presence.

It anchored her there, holding her in a grip tighter than Grace desired. She yearned for comfort, of course she did, but not like this.

Not with her head pressed against a pillow, a blanket thrown over her chilled form.

Grayson, having just awakened, entered the kitchen and flicked on the light, casting a warm yellow glow on the back of the sofa and the TV.

Grace stared at the reflection in the screen, observing Grayson silently going about, adhering to their routine.

She longed to break free—willing to claw her way out if needed—from that confounding couch.

It seemed to swallow her whole.

Underneath the blanket, she shifted, using the couch's support to flip herself over, now facing the ceiling.

Grayson must have caught wind of her muffled movements. His head came into view, leaning over her delicate form.

"Hey," he said, a slight smirk appearing on his face. Grace hadn't realized how much she missed that look. "You look like hell."

Grace managed a faint smile, shaking her head slightly. He lingered there for a moment, gazing down at her before swiftly reaching down and ripping the blanket off of her.

"Get up," he commanded, his voice now stripped of the earlier mockery.

Grace felt the cool air brushing against her exposed skin, sending a shiver through her—a sensation she strangely welcomed in her despondent state.

Maintaining his stance, Grayson grasped Grace by the arms and lifted her up, audibly groaning under the weight that had held her down.

It felt as if a part of Grace was tethered to the couch, and the separation was painful.

Yet, the moment she sat upright, her mother's lingering presence seemed to retreat into the corners of the room, allowing her to breathe.

"You need to shower," Grayson stated, and though it was a simple remark, it elicited laughter from Grace, the unfamiliar sound resonating in the quiet house.

He tilted his head, extending his hand, and she willingly took it.

With a deliberate move, he lifted her off the couch and just before she could stand on her own, he drew her into a light embrace.

It differed from their mother's embraces, which anchored Grace in place, overwhelming her with profound love. This was tender, like a prayer against her skin, coaxing her back to life.

"Now, please," Grayson said, pulling away. "Go take a shower," he added, half-laughing.

Grace rolled her eyes, smiling as she exited the living room, distancing herself from her mother's lingering embrace.

Stepping away from her pain.

───

Time appeared to drag as the two of them arrived at school.

Grace had walked alone to class, allowing Grayson to chat with friends who had intercepted them in the hallway.

She didn't want to hold him back.

Even if he'd choose to stay.

She weaved herself through students and open lockers. The hallways were unusually crowded, prompting Grace to slow her pace.

Nevertheless, she reached the class a few minutes ahead, taking her seat and just being there. She allowed the soft murmur of conversations to envelop her.

She missed that noise.

Hated the silence, at times.

Just as she was about to rest her head on her palm, Danny and a few others walked into the class, prompting her to sit up.

He approached their table with a casual smile, dropping his backpack beside them.

"You won't believe it," he began, taking his seat and pulling out his phone. "The school ended up receiving triple the amount of money for the auditorium."

Grace's heart swelled with joy, but the memory of homecoming brought a dull ache to her head. She responded with a half-smile.

Danny must have sensed something behind her smile and tilted his head at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, despite his earlier conversation with Cole and Alex, a conversation he wouldn't disclose to Grace.

She shrugged as the teacher began to speak.

They fell into a brief silence, attentively listening as the teacher delved into the lesson plan, writing on the smart board at the front of the class.

Leaning towards Grace, Danny whispered, "Want to ditch this place?" with a toothy grin adorned on his face.

The classroom fell silent, and Grace patiently awaited the teacher to resume speaking.

"Will Cole be there?" she inquired, her heart panging at the mention of his name.

Danny responded promptly, "He slept in this morning, so probably not. No."

Grace took a moment, contemplating as she glanced at Danny, whose grin only widened.

"Okay," she drawled out. "I'll go."

─── 

━ Authors note!

To begin with, sorry for the sob story.

But also... it needed to happen, so. Full send.

Secondly, key word, probably won't show up. ;)

Vote and Comment if you enjoyed!
I love you all. Stay hydrated.