chapter three, even you
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{present day}

Silver Falls High School was hell for Grace.

It was where she first connected with her closest friends, who later distanced themselves, struggling to cope with her mother's passing, and it was also the place where she received the devasting news.

Seated in a Government class, a teacher entered, pulling her out amid whispers and gasps from her classmates. Now, she faced the prospect of returning, burdened by her mothered death.

The weight unbearable.

Grayson, seemingly grasping similar thoughts, found himself alongside Grace, both locked in their car seats, gazing fixedly at the school building ahead.

"It will be okay," Grayson attempted to reassure, more for his benefit than Grace's. "It has to be, right?"

Grace, glancing at his tired eyes, remembered the way he used to look. "Of course, it will," she said with a gentle smile. "Everything with fine."

He half-smiled in response.

"Ready?" Grace proposed, cracking her car door open a bit. Grayson hesitated, then nodded in agreement.

Exiting the car, they faced the noise of teenagers and chatter, which intensified Grace's headache.

...Listen to it all...

Her mother's voice echoed in her head.

Grace surveyed the parking lot, noticing students gathering in groups, sharing laughter and conversations.

...Join them darling...

...You're nothing without them...

Grace gritted her teeth, her mother's tone imparting a metallic taste on her tongue.

"Leave me alone," Grace whispered to herself.

"Please." She added, closing her eyes. Her mother's voice clicked her tongue before fading away, its gentle echos lingering in Grace's mind.

"Are you okay?" Grayson asked, joining her on the other side of the car.

"Yeah, let's go." She replied, the lie slipping out effortlessly.

Walking in silence, they approached a group, and Grayson called out, "Alex!"

It was the Walter's Family.

They stood in a big cluster, chatting with one another. Approaching, Grace and Grayson spotted a girl in the mix—someone unfamiliar.

Her warm skin complemented a slick ponytail, and a sweater vest adorned her. Grace had to double-take upon first sight.

"Hey man," Grayson greeted Alex while Grace stood to the side. Cole, leaning in closer, caught her attention.

"Hey doc," He mouthed, no sound escaping.

Grace smiled in response.

"By the way, this is Jackie," Alex introduced, cheeks flushing at the mere mention of her name. Grayson awkwardly greeted her with a wave.

"That's Grayson," Grace said, and Grayson scratched the back of his neck. "I'm Grace," she added, laughing at her brother's reaction.

Jackie smiled. "It's really nice to meet another girl," she said, glancing at Grayson. "Not that you don't seem nice or anything," she quickly fixed, and the group laughed.

It felt natural.

As if Grace belonged there.

Something she hadn't felt in a while.

A voice yelled across the parking lot, and the group's laughter hushed. Grace turned to see a girl running up the sidewalk, her hair bouncing with each step.

"Cole!" she exclaimed, shoving her way into the group. She wrapped her arms around him, planting a kiss on his lips.

The group shifted away, especially Isaac, who made a fake gagging sound. Grace suppressed a laugh but failed miserably.

Cole must have heard her and pulled away, his eyes finding hers, but she looked away.

"We should get to class," she said, motioning for Grayson to start walking.

He obeyed, dragging Alex with him.

They clicked instantly when they first met at the Walter's house, and since then, they could be confused as siblings.

Grace started to walk behind them, then paused, glancing back at the remaining group. Jackie stood awkwardly between Cole and one other Walter boy, Danny.

She sighed, took a step back, and paused in front of Jackie. "Do you need help?" she asked, smiling. "With finding your classes?"

Jackie's shoulders dropped with relief, and she took out a piece of paper. "That would be amazing. Is it okay if Danny joins us?"

Grace glanced over at him, smiling. "Of course."

He awkwardly grinned at her.

Jackie shared her schedule with Grace, who took a moment to glance at it before folding it back up.

"Your first class is American History with Mr. Piper," Grace said, starting to walk. "You'll like him. He's very mellow about things."

Jackie smiled, following Grace's pace as they walked together.

"So," Grace began, holding the front door for her. "What has you hanging out with the Walter boys?"

Jackie slipped into the school, followed by Danny, who thanked Grace for holding the door.

She hummed, playing with her sleeves. Understanding the feeling, Grace added, "I'm sure they've been a real treat, haven't they?"

Danny nodded in agreement at Grace's statement.

"Well, it's definitely been something," Jackie said, glancing around the school hallway, filled with students and open lockers.

Grace took a quick look for herself, her heart racing at the thought of it all.

"We can't be that bad," Danny chimed in, graciously holding a door open for both of them.

This time, Grace thanked him, and he responded with a smile.

"You aren't, but the others," Jackie drawled out, swaying her head back and forth. "Like Cole, what's up with that guy?"

Grace's heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name.

Danny's laughter echoed, intensifying her erratic heartbeat.

"He's just Cole," He explained, shrugging his shoulders.

Jackie rolled her eyes, pausing with Danny and Grace as they reached a classroom.

"This is it," Grace said, peeking her head inside. "You'll do great."

Jackie took a deep breath in, and Danny gave her shoulder a few pats before she left. Grace and Danny waited until she took a seat before leaving.

"So," Grace began as they walked away. "Why is she really staying with you guys?"

Danny swallowed, glancing forward. "Her family passed away."

Grace's heart sunk to her stomach.

What?

"Oh god," she said, her breath short.

Danny nodded in silent agreement before pulling out a piece of paper—his schedule.

"What class do you have?" He asked, shifting topics.

Grace's heart still heavy, she retrieved her schedule, pulling it out in front of them. Danny ran his finger across her paper before lightly laughing.

"We have the same," he said, folding his piece of paper. "I didn't know you were into the arts?"

Grace smiled, tucking her schedule back into her jacket pocket. They resumed walking, heading into class together.

Choosing to sit next to each other felt natural, given their unbroken conversation. Danny delved into actors he had recently studied, and Grace simple listened, smiling throughout.

"What?" He said, narrowing his eyes at her.

She shrugged. "Nothing. This is just going to be a long year if you keep talking like that."

He scoffed, lightly hitting her arm.

She wasn't wrong—

this was going to be a long year.

But for a reason involving another Walter boy.

─── 

Lunch arrived sooner than expected.

Grace, unsure if it was due to listening to Danny or zoning out, found herself standing in line. Glancing at her phone, a nudge to her back made her look up.

"Jackie?" She said, half-laughing.

"Grace!" She exclaimed, hands on her face. "I'm so sorry for that."

Grace laughed, shaking her head. "You're fine, what even happened?"

Jackie slowly lowered her hands. "I tripped over the rug," she said, looking down.

Grace followed her gaze, noticing a giant black rug surrounding the kitchen area.

"Why do they even have that here?" Jackie complained, still distressed.

Before Grace could respond, a voice appeared beside her ear.

"Hey doc," a familiar voice said, and Grace rolled her eyes while smiling.

Cole took a step between her and Jackie. "Look at you two, becoming friends," he said mockingly.

"More than you'll ever have," Grace responded, smirking. Cole's gaze dropped to her mouth and followed it all the way up to her eyes.

"You're funny," he said, swaying back and forth on his feet. "And here I was, thinking I'd be a gentleman and come over here and invite you to sit with me."

Grace observed Jackie, who nervously looked at both of them. She empathized with the girl, knowing what it was like to miss something—a person, a feeling, a life before it all happened.

"What do you want, Jackie?" she asked, and Jackie's eyes stopped twitching.

"That's fine," Jackie said, softly smiling.

"Are you sure?" Grace tilted her head down to meet her gaze. "Cole can be a handful sometimes."

Cole lightly laughed off to the side, and Jackie cracked a smile.

"Yeah," she said, more assuring this time.

"Perfect," Cole interjected, directing both Grace and Jackie to the front of the line.

"Cole," Grace said, and his eyes found hers immediately. "What are you doing?"

He smiled, grabbing an array of items and putting them on a tray before handing it off to Jackie. "Lunch can be hard on your first day."

He passed the lunch lady his card and smiled at her before reaching for another tray. Before he could proceed, Grace stopped him, putting her hand over his.

Cole looked at her confused but eventually took his hand away, letting Grace grab her own things and pay the lady.

She smiled at Cole as she turned around.

He shook his head, grinning before leading them to his lunch table. He sat off to the side, in front of a window. There were four other people there, two girls—one of them was the girl from earlier—and two guys.

"Guys, this is New York," he pointed towards Jackie before turning towards Grace.

"And this is Grace."

The two boys scrutinized their appearances, and Grace rolled her eyes at their attention.

"My name's not actually New York," Jackie corrected, awkwardly smiling. "It's Jackie."

Cole shifted to the other side of the booth, gesturing for Grace to follow him.

"Here, take a seat," he said, smiling.

Grace glanced back at Jackie, who still stood off to the side, staring out the window.

"Jackie," she said, nudging her head. "Go ahead, sit down." Jackie smiled at her, walking past and taking the seat beside the two girls.

Cole stared at Grace, his eyes filled with something else— something Grace didn't recognize.

The group resumed their conversation, and Grace stood to the side, listening.

She had placed her tray on the ledge above the booth, slowly eating from it. She still didn't have an appetite.

Never really did.

Cole made his way over to her, pausing right next to her. He stayed quiet for a while, just standing there. Grace didn't mind it.

She reached for her tray, grabbing a bag of trail mix. She slowly tore it open and poured some into her hand.

Without thinking, she offered some to Cole, holding out the bag in front of him. Instantly, he put his hand out, like it was second nature.

He was talking with the group, looking forward. But as Grace poured the rest into his palm, he finally spoke.

"That was really nice of you," he whispered, glancing down at her.

She smiled, shrugging her shoulders. "We all deserve something nice."

His gaze dropped to her mouth again, and this time it lingered. "Even me?"

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Even you."

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━ Authors note!

Cole has my entire heart.

Also, this chapter was around four thousand words and I split it in half, because— damn, that's even a lot for me.

Anyways, vote and comment if you enjoyed!
I love you all. Stay hydrated.